Jay Cutler

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INSIDE: The
The Legends
Legends of
of Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
DECEMBER 2005 / IRON MAN—REAL BODYBUILDING TRAINING, NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENTATION
Jay Cutler
HIS SIZE-BUILDING
SECRETS REVEALED!
POUND
YOUR PECS
For a Wicked Chest
BUILD FREAKY
FOREARMS
Get a Grip and GROW!
ABBREVIATED
TRAINING
Massive Muscles In 30 Minutes or Less
JAY CUTLER’S MASS TRAINING
SUPERHOT STRONGMAN
HARDBODY MAGNUS DECEMBER 2005
Page
Page 234
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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

December 2005 Vol. 64, No. 12
Real Bodybuilding Training, Nutrition & Supplementation
FEATURES
82 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 74
The TEG winter mass machine is shifting into high gear.
Here’s how you, too, can grow in the snow.
98 BUILDING A GORILLA GRIP AND

FREAKY FOREARMS
Greg Zulak gives you the lowdown on lower-arm size and
power. A strong grip can improve everything from arm size
to bench press power.
Abbreviated
Muscle 126 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 5
Training, Form, females and fortitude. Ron Harris regales his young
bodybuilding protégé with knowledge about life and lifting.
page 162
134 BUG WORLD
Jerry Brainum’s findings on how good bacteria can make
you healthier and set the stage for more muscle.
146 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

It’s that time of year again—time to
start planning your gift giving.
We’ve got some suggestions for
the muscleheads on your list.
162 ABBREVIATED
Magnus Samuelsson, MUSCLE TRAINING
page 188 Christopher Pennington shows you
how to build more solid size in 30
minutes or less. Jay Cutler appears on
this month’s cover. Photo
by Michael Neveux. Inset
172 X FILES photo of Nikki Warner by
Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson Bill Dobbins.
explain the less-training-big-gaining
connection.
180 HEAVY DUTY

John Little channels Mike Mentzer and HIT.
Hardbody,
page 234
188 MAGNUS SAMUELSSON
Randall Strossen, Ph.D., explores the Swedish
strongman’s training and propensity for power.
Champ Training
200 POSITIONING FOR PECS
Eric Broser shows you how to set up for a quick size hit—
Analysis, upper-pec pounder included.
page 214
214 CHAMP TRAINING ANALYSIS
Steve Holman dissects Jay Cutler’s Olympia-assault
workouts.
234 HARDBODY
Nikki Warner’s fit, photogenic physique. Phew!
244 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE

Part 6 of Bill Starr’s back-to-the-rack odyssey includes
complete ISO workouts.

DEPARTMENTS
Holiday Gift Guide,

page 146 32 TRAIN TO GAIN
Walkout overloads, megamax supports and Joe
Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine.
50 CRITICAL MASS
Steve Holman discusses the squat and its X spot,
hardgainer hoaxes and the carb-stacking diet.
54 NATURALLY HUGE
John Hansen’s advice on countering the outer-pecs hex.
64 EAT TO GROW
Branched-chain aminos to foil fat, tips for building on a
budget and Atkins for exercisers.
Mind/Body Bug World 94 SMART TRAINING

onnection, page 134 Charles Poliquin’s reasoning on why you should just say
age 256 no to cardio—if you’re after maximum strength.
222 NEWS & VIEWS

Lonnie Teper tells it like it is, and Ruth Silverman checks
out the female-body biz. Jerry Fredrick’s Hot Shots add
humorous fizz.
256 MIND/BODY CONNECTION

Randall Strossen, Ph.D., explains that it’s not what you do
that’s important but what you accomplish. There’s also info
on Dave Draper’s Top Squat device, a must-have gym bag
from Obus Forme and how to defuse the naysayers when
it comes to your lifting lifestyle.
266 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY

Fit to be tried. Jerry Brainum’s look at anabolics, ’roid
rage and criminal behavior. You be the judge.
272 READERS WRITE

Contest crackdown—as in no big bellies and gargantu-
an glutes. Also, readers comment on IM gems and
Hardbody hotness.
News & Views, Pump &
page 222 Circumstance,
page 228 In the next IRON MAN
Next month is our annual Muscle-Science
Roundup, in which we review the latest and great-
est discoveries from labs all over the world. It’s a
veritable smorgasbord of size-swelling sizzlers
you’ll savor. Then Christopher Pennington gives
you the blueprint for proper program design. It’s
more than just copying a routine out of a maga-
zine; you gotta make it specific to you. Plus, we
have another blockbuster episode of “A Body-
builder Is Born” from Ron Harris, a sizzling Hard-
body who was a former Playboy Playmate and a
wicked back-blasting feature from Eric Broser. Oh,
WEB ALERT! and let’s not forget our eye-popping Mr. Olympia
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John Balik’s
Publisher’s Letter Founders
1936-1986:
Peary & Mabel Rader
Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik
Inspiration Associate Publisher: Warren Wanderer

Design Director: Michael Neveux
Editor in Chief: Stephen Holman
Art Director: T. S. Bratcher
Senior Editor: Ruth Silverman
Editor at Large: Lonnie Teper
Inspiration can come from anywhere Articles Editors: L.A. Perry, Caryne Brown
Assistant Editor: Jonathan Lawson
and last just an instant or be a renewable
Assistant Art Director: Christian Martinez
resource that you call upon again and Designer: Emerson Miranda
again. The renewable kind usually grows Ironman Staff:
Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba, David Solorzano
in importance and power the more you Contributing Authors:
use it. It has intrinsic substance and Jerry Brainum, Eric Broser, David Chapman, Teagan
Clive, Lorenzo Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis, Dave Draper,
depth—a beacon that guides you when Michael Gündill, Rosemary Hallum, Ph.D., John
the decisions become difficult, when Hansen, Ron Harris, Ori Hofmekler, Rod Labbe, Skip La
Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch Lebowitz, Stuart McRobert,
black and white become shades of gray. Gene Mozée, Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim
Shiebler, Roger Schwab, C.S. Sloan, Bill Starr, Bradley
My father was a renewable source of Steiner, Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D., Randall Strossen, Ph.D.,
inspiration for me and for many others around him. His Richard Winett, Ph.D., and David Young
Contributing Artists:
inspiration was not of the ra-ra pep talk variety, although he Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn, Jake Jones
could do that too. He simply lived his life with unshakable Contributing Photographers:
Jim Amentler, Reg Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill
character. I don’t think I ever heard him use the word charac- Comstock, Bill Dobbins, Jerry Fredrick, Irvin Gelb,
J.M. Manion, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru Okabe, Rob Sims,
ter in that way, but he surely embodied it. He walked the walk Leo Stern, Russ Warner
long before it became a euphemism for doing what you say Director of Marketing:
Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
you’re going to do. He was as tough as the nails he used in his
Accounting: Dolores Waterman
long career as a carpenter (65 years as a union member), and Director of Operations: Dean Reyes
he was as demanding of himself as he was of his children and Subscriptions Manager:
the people who worked for him. He never asked you to do Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2
E-mail: soniazm@aol.com
something he couldn’t, wouldn’t or didn’t do. Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer
My parents had a lifelong love affair. They were married 64 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
(518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697
years. Dad’s focus was always on us—he never wavered in his Advertising Coordinator:
devotion to family and a job well done. He took great pride Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320
in his physical endurance and strength and raced bicycles Newsstand Consultant:
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into his early 80s. His pride was always the pride of perfor- We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our
discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art or
mance, never the boastful kind. other submissions must be accompanied by a self-
His love was not showy but rather manifested itself in an addressed, stamped envelope. Send
submissions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue,
understanding of a simple truth: family above all else. At my Oxnard, CA 93033. We are not responsible for
unsolicited material. Writers and photographers
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My father only went as far as junior high before he entered Please consult a physician before beginning any diet
or exercise program. Use the information published in
carpentry school, but his life was based on bedrock truths IRON MAN at your own risk.
that are easy to lose sight of and even harder to live by. He
IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
passed away on September 7, 2005, just shy of his 88th birth- Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com
day. If the memorable line from “Gladiator”—“What we do John Balik, Publisher: ironleader@aol.com
echoes in eternity”— holds true, and I believe that it does, he Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: ironchief@aol.com
has no problems. Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: ironwman@aol.com
T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: ironartz@aol.com
My sense of his lifelong inspiration has actually been am-
Helen Yu, Director of Marketing: irongrrrl@aol.com
plified by his passing. As my son Justin said, “We were fortu- Dean Reyes, Dir. of Operations: ironreyes@aol.com
nate to have him for such a long time as both a grandfather Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com
and father.” Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: soniazm@aol.com
Good-bye, Dad. IM

SEXY ROCK-HARD ABS FAST
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EFFICIENT WORKOUTS
Order in the Gym Is training the largest

muscles first the best way?
Nearly all bodybuilding programs suggest that you and back, in one workout is just too hard.
start your workout with exercises for larger muscle What I found was that I got a good workout training
groups and finish with smaller ones. The rationale is that the initial large muscle group—legs or back—but I had
larger muscle groups require more energy and working little or no energy left to effectively train the smaller mus-
them after smaller muscle groups may lead to fewer cle groups. By the time I got to biceps after training back,
muscle gains. I hardly felt the curls. The same was true of training chest
A recent study examined the effects of exercise se- after thighs.
quence in the performance of repetitions and perceived From a practical standpoint, as this study shows, the
exertion, or how difficult the workout felt.1 The subjects final exercise in any muscle group will be limited by cu-
were 14 men and four women, average age 20, with at mulative fatigue. So it’s logical to use a lighter isolation
least six months of training experience. They engaged in exercise as the final exercise. Arnold Schwarzenegger
two different upper-body workouts, with each workout realized that during his competitive days. When training
separated by 48 hours of rest. In the first workout they his biceps, he always finished off with some form of
began with larger muscle groups and finished with small- dumbbell concentration curl, usually in a standing, bent-
er muscle groups. The second workout reversed the over position. Arnold almost never used more than 40
exercise sequence, starting with smaller muscle groups pounds on the exercise, instead focusing on form and
and ending with larger. They did each exercise for three feel.
sets of 10 reps, resting two minutes between sets. Thus, if you attempt to do three large-muscle-group
The experiment showed that whether you train large exercises in one workout, the third exercise will promote
or small muscle areas first, by the third set you’re consid- little added muscle size. Better to finish off with a lighter
erably weaker, as measured in number of reps complet- isolation exercise and just go for the pump and feel, as
ed. Exercises done in the middle part of the workout, Arnold did. —Jerry Brainum
however, weren’t affected in either workout. Past studies
show that by the fourth set of any exercise, you’re 12.8 1 Siamao, R., et al. (2005). Influence of exercise order
to 58.2 percent weaker than you were during the first set. on the number of repetitions performed and perceived
Most of the subjects said that the workout was con- exertion during resistance training. J Strength Con Res.
siderably harder when they trained larger muscle groups 19:152-56.
first. That makes sense, since training larger muscle
areas requires more energy and produces more fatigue
than training smaller muscle areas. Working legs fatigues
the average bodybuilder far more than training biceps.
For that reason nearly all bodybuilders train larger muscle
groups first in any particular workout.
In some cases training a larger muscle area first is so
fatiguing that you simply can’t effectively train smaller
muscle groups afterward. I found that to be true when I
tried to use the popular push-pull sequence of exercises,
in which you work pushing muscles, such as chest and
triceps, one day, followed by pulling muscles, such as
back and biceps, the following day. Legs are usually
Balik \ Model: Arnold Schwarzenegger
trained on the days you train chest and triceps, since

attempting to train the two largest muscle groups, legs
It’s best to pair large-muscle exercises, like back

work, with smaller-muscle movements, like biceps
work. Training too many large muscles at one
workout diminishes gains.

HE WANTED TO FIGHT-
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INSIGHT
TRAIN TO GAIN
The Power of
the Pump
Intensity techniques (like drop
sets and X Reps) will help you
create muscle pump—the state
of the muscle when it’s engorged
with blood after an all-out set.
Although no one knows the actu-
al correlation between muscle
pump and growth, the pump
appears to be a necessity. If mus-
Neveux \ Model: Dan Decker

cle pump weren’t a requirement,
then taking the logic of intensity
to its conclusion, our ultimate
routine would consist of one
maximum repetition per exer-
MOTIVATION cise—no pump inducement nec-
essary. Studies indicate, however,
The Power of Habits that this low-rep style of training

does very little for muscle growth.
You become what you do all the time. We all have habits, some good and some —Steve Holman
bad. We get up on the same side of the bed, dress ourselves and brush our teeth
Home Gym Handbook
the same way every day. If you have empowering habits, you’ll be more successful
in life. If you have habits that limit you, replace them with habits that support your
goals. (I discussed goals in the July ’05 IM.) Editor’s note: IRON MAN’s
How do you develop new and empowering habits? It takes time. The rule of Home Gym Handbook is avail-
thumb is that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit. That’s probably true for
able for $9.95 from Home Gym
small habits, but for large lifestyle changes, like regular workouts, it will take longer.
Imagine exchanging two limiting habits for two empowering habits every year. In Warehouse. Call (800) 447-0008
five years that would be 10 empowering habits that you acquire without effort. to order, or visit www
That’s with only two a year. What if you did six a year? In five years you’d have 30 .Home-Gym.com.
empowering habits. Do you think your life would be different with 30 em-
powering habits? Your successes would pile one on top of the other, and
you’d have an extraordinary quality of life by making small daily changes.
In order to change your habits, you must do the following:
1) Define them; write down all the habits that limit you.
2) Define your new successful habits in detail. Write down what you’ll do
in place of your old, limiting habits.
3) Develop an action plan for each new habit. It may be as simple as
scheduling time to exercise or researching a new business opportunity.
Keep it as simple as possible. Make it easy to be successful in all areas of
your life.
Master your habits, or they will master you.
—John M. Rowley
Editor’s note: John Rowley owned the gym where the movie “Pump-
ing Iron” was filmed, and he was one of the youngest senior vice presi-
dents of any major real estate company in Manhattan. His passion is
teaching people—and companies—about goal setting, staying motivated
and adding a fitness lifestyle to their already busy lives so they’ll have the
energy to pursue their dreams. You can contact him at Jrowley@nc.rr.com.

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

the shoulder joint. During the bench
press and almost all other upper-
body movements these muscles
protect the shoulder joint and
prevent ball-and-socket slippage. If
these muscles are underdeveloped,
they become the weak link in the
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MUSCLE AND MIGHT
TRAIN TO GAIN
Walkout Overloads and Megamax Supports
Set new personal records using these nervous system tricks before your next max attempt
It’s not unusual for modern Start your aftereffect over-

power programs to include load power squat program by
supramaximal walkouts, deciding what personal best
lockouts and supports after you’d like to shoot for today.
regular lifts. They condition How about 10 more pounds
the body and mind for heav- on your max single or four
ier weights. It works, but reps with your all-time-heavi-
what if instead of walking out est triple? It’s your call, as
600 pounds after your maxi- long as you keep your reps to
mum 500-pound squat, you five and under. Aftereffect
did the overload a couple of overloads are strictly for
minutes before the heavy full power squatting.
squat? Five hundred pounds After your last warmup set
will feel like 400, and an all- load the bar with 110 to 130
time-high 515 will go up like percent of your one-rep max.
490. Don’t go heavier than that. It
Every gym rat knows that won’t make the technique
the heavier the weight, the work any better but will cer-
more muscle is recruited. tainly tire you out prematurely.
Manhandling 600 pounds Besides, an excessively
fires off more motor units heavy overload might make
than working with 500 your regular weight feel so
pounds, even if you only hold light that your muscles won’t
the bar. It’s called Henne- contract hard enough to lift it.
man’s size principle, probably An optimal, rather than maxi-
because it builds some mal, load delivers the most
serious size—especially if powerful aftereffect.
combined with the aftereffect You must consider safety
phenomenon, or the fact that as well. If you’ve not done
your nervous system is a bit any type of lockouts, walk-
slow on the uptake. Remem- outs or supports in the past,
ber pushing your arms take as many workouts as
against the doorway at sum- necessary to build up the
mer camp and then watching poundage. When you over-
them float up involuntarily? It load, you should feel super-
happened because your tight and powerful, not shaky.
brain hadn’t caught on quick- Unrack the barbell, walk it
ly enough to the fact that out, and set up using the
resistance had been same stance you’re about to
removed. After you’ve sup- full squat with. Hold your bur-
ported 600 pounds on your den for five to 10 seconds,
back, five wheels will explode and park. Stay tight and take
to lockout. shallow breaths. In two to five
Aftereffect overloads make minutes—the optimum rest
you stronger in more ways time to take advantage of the
than one. In addition to aftereffect phenomenon—or
boosting muscle recruitment, whenever you feel ready, go
they lower the sensitivity of for the record!
the Golgi tendon organs, —Pavel
spinal mechanoreceptors Beyond Bodybuilding
and other governors of
strength. After dealing with Editor’s note: This is an
600 pounds, the subversive excerpt from Pavel’s new book
sensors think, “Hey, 515 isn’t Beyond Bodybuilding. It’s
too bad!” and pull the brick available from Home Gym
Neveux \ Model: Tomm Voss
from under your gas pedal. Warehouse for $49.95 plus

That type of disinhibition shipping and handling. Call
training has awesome poten- (800) 447-0008, or visit
tial for reaching the final www.Home-Gym.com.
frontier in strength develop-
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SPORTSMEDICINE
TRAIN TO GAIN
Rotator Cuff Problems and Shoulder Pain
This column began in the May formed by internally rotating and then
1989 issue of IRONMAN by ad- elevating the shoulder. That motion
dressing shoulder pain that primar- drives the ball (head of the humerus)
ily arises from the rotator cuff, a set into the roof (acromion), which creates
of four muscles that originate, or the impingement. Full front raises can
attach, on the shoulder blade and cause impingement against the front
insert into the top of the upper-arm edge of the roof.
bone, or humerus, specifically into Overtraining can also cause prob-
bony prominences known as the lems. Maybe you’re on a six-day train-
greater and lesser tuberosities. ing program, with the first and fourth
Neveux \ Model: Jonathan Lawson

This installment is about the ball- workouts typically chest and back. Your
and-socket joint at the shoulder. rotator cuffs work very hard to dynami-
The rotator cuff muscles pull the cally stabilize the shoulders during those
ball centrally into the socket and exercises. Days two and five are often
pull the ball down, away from the shoulder and arm days. Obviously, your
roof of the shoulder. They have rotator cuffs work hard during shoulder
Upright rows have shoulder-
individual functions as well. On top exercises and during certain arm exer-
damage potential.
of the scapula is the supraspina- cises such as dumbbell and barbell
tus, which helps raise the arm to curls, overhead extensions and lying
the side. The tendon of the supraspinatus is the most com- triceps extensions. Days three and six are typically leg days.
monly torn rotator cuff tendon. Two muscles below that are They may include stiff-legged deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts or
the infraspinatus and teres minor, which externally rotate the traditional deadlifts—which all tax the rotator cuff as well. Also,
shoulder. The muscle under the scapula is the subscapularis, if your shoulders are very tight, you must struggle to achieve
and it internally rotates the shoulder. external rotation to hold the squat bar. The typical high volume
The rotator cuff tendon, biceps tendon and a bursa—one of training—and the often included forced reps and nega-
of the small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons tives—give your rotator cuffs little opportunity to recover. If
and muscles near joints—can be trapped, or impinged, under they’re fatigued, injured or weak, your shoulder joints are
the roof of the shoulder. Long-term impingement can wear compromised and susceptible to injury.
down the tendons, which can eventually rupture. Stages of Many trainees need to add a few sets of rotator cuff exer-
the wear and tear were established many years ago. Certain cises to their workout program, perhaps at the end of the
exercises can contribute to the impingement: upright rows, shoulder workout. They won’t take much time, but they can
lateral raises done with the fronts of the dumbbells turned make your rotator cuff muscles stronger, which will help them
down—as if you’re pouring water—and front raises when pull the ball away from the roof of your shoulder and decrease
they’re taken up all the way. Over time those exercises can impingement. The added strength will carry over to your heavy
cause pain and may contribute to wear and tear on the rotator lifts, such as the bench press, by dynamically stabilizing your
cuff. The key to why that happens with upright rows and shoulders more effectively so you can focus on the muscles
laterals done in a pouring-water manner is that they’re per- you’re trying to train.
That’s a quick summary about the rotator
cuff. I cowrote a book, The 7-Minute Rotator
Cuff Solution, which was published by Health
For Life and quickly became a best-seller.
Build your rotator cuff Health For Life closed its doors in the late ’90s,
strength, and your bench and new copies of the book were no longer
press poundages will soar. available. Used copies began to appear on
Amazon.com for hundreds of dollars each.
IRON MAN Publishing recently purchased the
rights to the book, and it’s now back in print.
You can contact Home Gym Warehouse at
(800) 447-0008, or visit www.Home-Gym.com
to purchase The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff
Solution.
—Joseph M. Horrigan
Editor’s note: Visit www

.softtissuecenter.com for reprints of Horrigan’s
past Sportsmedicine columns that have ap-
peared in IRON MAN. You can order the books
Neveux \ Model: Mike Morris
Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention for

Hockey by Joseph Horrigan, D.C., and E.J.
“Doc” Kreis, D.A., and the 7-Minute Rotator
Cuff Solution by Horrigan and Jerry Robinson
from Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008
or at www.home-gym.com.

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WARRIOR EXERCISE AND NUTRITION
TRAIN TO GAIN
It has something
Big Men Can’t Jump—Why Not? to do with velocity
You train hard, you’ve built an endurance training may severely
impressive physique, you’re compromise your neuromuscular
strong, and you incorporate longer capacity to generate fast, repetitive
aerobic sessions to improve your action, as well as the ability to accel-
endurance. You’re living proof that erate and sustain those actions.
bodybuilding really works. Yet As a human being and in particular
there’s one problem: You can’t run as an athlete, you should have a clear
fast, and you can’t jump high. main goal: building powerful and
Furthermore, in spite of the so- functional muscles with maximum
called cardiovascular training, you capacity to use fuel and generate
can hardly sustain even a few energy. The ability to sustain energy
minutes of sprint intervals or a few and resist fatigue is what makes a
seconds of high jumps. What went person tough and resilient under
wrong? Something’s missing in extreme conditions. Sustained energy
your current training routine, and enables you to come back again and
that thing is velocity. again with a vengeance, just when
Velocity is the epitome of all everyone expects you to reach ex-
human performance capabilities. haustion and failure. In fact, scientists
Neveux \ Model: Skip La Cour

It’s been defined as the unique believe that our ability to adapt and
combination of speed and endure environmental, nutritional and
strength. What we call speed in physical stressors is the key contribu-
real life always requires strength, tor to our survival.
and that combination yields veloci- Real-life human power is the sum
ty. Failing to incorporate speed of all performance capabilities:
and velocity with strength and strength, speed, velocity and capacity
to resist fatigue. If one of those com-
MASS-TRAINING TACTICS ponents is missing, the body may
compromise its potential to adapt,
improve and survive. If you’re con-
Explosive-Power Training cerned only with building muscle,
keep in mind that the ability to sustain
speed and velocity marks an increase
Powerlifting guru Louie Simmons is a pioneer in the explosive-power technique, in your muscles’ capacity for using
and he’s produced some of the best bench pressers in the world. I suggest you add a fuel—carbs and fat—to generate
set to your bench press workout using 70 percent of a weight you can get eight reps energy and resist fatigue. It will help
with. The weight will feel fairly light, so you should try to work on exploding from the you get bigger in the long run.
bottom position. Don’t throw the weight or bounce it off your chest but accelerate it In practical terms, it’s highly rec-
with control. Think one second up and one second down, no pauses. Do six reps. ommended that you incorporate
After two weeks add a second set of the explosive-power method to your bench hopping exercise such as high jumps,
routine. Once you start training the power fibers—fast, glycolytic—directly with explo- one leg jumps or sprint intervals on
sive reps, you should see some impressive strength increases. soft and hard surfaces—indoor and
Note: End-of-set partials, or X Reps, right at the semistretch point on the stroke outdoor—in your training routine. A
can also provide unique explosive work and attack new muscle fibers. That may be few minutes of hard-surface hopping
one reason X Reps have been so effective for bodybuilders willing to endure the dis- may be sufficient to trigger an in-
comfort of power partials for extra mass and strength. crease in ankle and knee flexion with
—Steve Holman improved dynamic balanced control
Train, Eat, Grow and increased capacity to sustain leg
velocity.
Editor’s note: Who said that big men can’t jump?
Train, Eat, Grow— —Ori Hofmekler
The Positions-of-
Flexion Editor’s note: Ori Hofmekler is
Muscle-Training the author of the books The Warrior
Manual is available Diet and Maximum Muscle & Mini-
from Home Gym mum Fat, published by Dragon Door
Warehouse. To Publications (www.dragondoor.com).
order, call (800) For more information or for a consul-
447-0008, or visit tation, contact him at
www.Home- ori@warriordiet.com,
Gym.com. For www.warriordiet.com
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Neveux
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to your muscles at that critical supercompensation is jacked
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amazing combo, it’s like wasting building more muscle immediate-
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Insulin is a good thing and high- “The X Stack combined with X-Rep almost instantly. Plus, you’ll
training got me to my most muscular
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refill spent fuel stores so you’re
because that’s when your muscles —Jonathan Lawson fully loaded for your next workout
are extremely receptive—like (bigger, more powerful muscles;
wrung-out sponges waiting to soak up anabolic nutri- you can feel it working). You train hard; you deserve
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© 2006 Home Gym Warehouse

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RECOVERY
TRAIN TO GAIN
As in overkill
Five Days in a Row for the Big O and overtraining
In my 20-plus years of training I’ve tried many methods, Eventually, I had to face the fact that I was overtraining.
always keeping an open mind. A couple of months ago I Despite having a very flexible schedule that lets me eat when-
decided to break from my usual four-day split and train my ever I have to and even take the occasional afternoon nap, plus
body over five days. The schedule looked like this: access to plenty of supplements like postworkout shakes and
L-glutamine to maximize recovery, I couldn’t sustain five con-
Monday: Arms (my weak point and highest priority) secutive days of intense weight training, no matter how little
Tuesday: Quads overlap there was between bodyparts from day to day. As soon
Wednesday: Chest as I reverted to my normal schedule of training on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, I started feeling better and was
Thursday: Back
certainly more enthusiastic about going to the gym.
Friday: Shoulders and hamstrings A lot of the pros these days train five or sometimes even six
days a week, which leads aspiring bodybuilders to emulate
On paper the new split seemed ideal. Arms got their own
their programs. Most of them are aware that the pros usually
training day so I could focus on catching them up, and the
make use of anabolic steroids to speed up the recovery pro-
leg training was split over two days so that both quads and
cess, but they may not know that the pros are typically capable
hams could get plenty of attention without one detracting
of more training than the average man or woman in the first
from the other. And for about a month, I thrived on the five-
place, naturally. That’s a quality shared by most elite athletes.
day split. I looked and felt better than ever, and most of my
Those of you who follow the Olympics know that many of the
lifts were up as well. Then it all started crashing down.
athletes in the Athens Games trained as much as 10 hours a
By chest day on Wednesday I’d feel a little tired. By Thurs-
day, seven days a week, preparing to go for the gold. The
day it was a struggle to keep up the intensity throughout the
average bodybuilder, who’s not using steroids and not geneti-
Neveux \ Model: Allen Sarkiszadeh

entire back workout. And by the time I got to shoulders and
cally exceptional, in nearly all cases should never train with
hams on Friday, I didn’t even want to be in the gym. For a
weights more than two days in a row without taking a day off.
while I tried to help matters by skipping Friday and training
I’ve said it before, but now that I’ve actually attempted to dis-
shoulders and hams on Saturday, but with two young kids
prove it, it makes more sense to me than ever.
and all the weekend activities they’re involved in, I saw that
—Ron Harris
plan fall apart fast.
www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
Even isolation
exercises take a
heavy toll on your
recovery if you
train a number of
days in a row.

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©2009 Home-Gym.com

EXERCISE SCIENCE
TRAIN TO GAIN
One-Sided Arguments The mystery of
unilateral training
With unilateral training you work one limb at a time, neural power to work both
doing an exercise that involves one arm or one leg, then limbs for just one limb,
exercising the other arm or leg. Just about every body- making for a tighter muscle
building training system or routine features at least a few contraction.
unilateral exercises. A common system is to train a muscle The effect of training one
using mostly bilateral (two limbs at a time) exercises, then limb at a time is so potent
finish off that muscle group with a unilateral exercise. that some studies have
During his bodybuilding heyday, Arnold Schwarzeneg- shown a crossover effect in
ger often ended his workouts with unilateral exercises, the untrained limb; that is,
particularly when training his arms, his most impressive training one arm or leg at a
muscle group. Since Arnold always preferred to train with time makes the other leg or
Neveux \ Model: Daryl Gee

someone rather than alone, I trained with him several arm stronger even if it doesn’t get direct exercise. Arthur
times. In those days he liked to finish his triceps routine Jones, inventor of Nautilus exercise machines in the
with one-arm overhead dumbbell triceps extensions, which 1970s, recognized that and termed it the “indirect effect.”
he did slowly and with intense concentration. For biceps In one study the untrained arm showed an 8 percent
bent-over dumbbell concentration curls were usually the strength increase. Several other studies that examined the
choice. Arnold performed them using perfect form, full training effect found that the amount of strength the un-
reps with a tight squeeze at the top, or contracted, posi- trained limb gains depends on how much stronger the
tion of the curl. trained limb gets. A recent study, however, noted that
Arnold felt that such unilateral exercises had a more those studies were often flawed, and the new study
concentrated effect on his muscles. The net effect was to sought to determine whether the crossover strength effect
instill a huge, satisfying muscle pump that he notoriously of unilateral exercises was genuine.1
compared to an orgasm in the film “Pumping Iron.” While Twenty-one men and 94 women, all untrained, average
Arnold may have been joking in the analogy, the engorge- age 20, engaged in three sets of one-arm curls while not
ment of training the other arm. After six weeks the subjects experi-
blood that enced a strength increase of 7 percent in their untrained
occurred arms, although those arms got no direct exercise over the
when he did course of the study. During a follow-up study, 10 subjects
Training one arm his one-arm showed a decrease of strength in the untrained arm. The
has strength curls and same subjects, however, had the least strength gain in the
effects on the triceps exten- trained arm, underscoring the results of past studies in
other arm as well. sions wasn’t which the magnitude of strength gains in the untrained
so far re- limb depended on how much strength increased in the
moved from trained limb.
the engorge- Interestingly, training faster led to an 11 percent greater
ment that strength gain in the trained arm than training at a slower
occurs in the pace did. Despite the gains, no changes occurred in the
so-called size of the trained arm, indicating that the strength gains
love muscle. were more related to a greater neural input into muscle
Training than to muscle hypertrophy. What happens is that with
dogma has it increased training, especially with one-limbed exercises,
that you can the activation of the muscle motor unit increases, as does
obtain a the neural firing rate, inducing a more potent muscular
harder mus- contraction. The theory is that one-limbed exercises some-
cle contrac- how activate the brain/muscle connection in a manner
tion with a different from what occurs with two-limbed movements.
unilateral Clearly it makes sense to include a few one-limbed
movement exercises in your training routines. Although nearly every-
than you can one has one side of the body that’s stronger than the
by training other, the research involving the crossover strength effect
both limbs induced by unilateral training may compensate for that
Neveux \ Model: David Dorsey
simultane- imbalance.
ously. From a —Jerry Brainum
pragmatic
point of view, 1 Munn, J., et al. (2005). Training with unilateral resis-
the brain tance exercise increases contralateral strength. J Appl
supplies the Physiol. In press.

COST OF REDEMPTION
Mr. Olympia’s Mind-Numbing Training DVD
This 3-plus-hour DVD is a

masters class on what it’s like
to train without limits. Sit back
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by a man who walks the walk.
Mitsuru Okabe spent 4 days
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to his sixth win in a row of the
Mr. Olympia. This DVD is shot
in an absolute “you are there”
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no retakes, nothing but the
real Ronnie Coleman. Ronnie
is absolutely focused on his
goal and he lives his life to
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him do 800-pound squats,
75-pound dumbbell curls and
an astounding 2250-pound leg
press—almost every 45-pound
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the sets, reps and the nutrition,
you get an insider’s view of
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It hits all the right notes:
instructional, inspirational and
a pleasure to watch a man
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$28.95

©2009 Home-Gym.com
Whatever You Need—Wherever You Train™

Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
near the bottom position on everything, including
Squat and
incline dumbbell presses (what a pump!). Is that a
bad technique? Don’t your muscles generate the
most force at maximum stretch?
A: Thanks for the kind words regarding our UMW e-
the X Spot
book and X Reps. We’re getting tremendous feedback from
X-Reppers everywhere. As for your question, yes, on ma-
chine squats (hack or Smith) you should do X Reps near
the bottom. We pulse from below parallel up to just above
it. If you’re familiar with Positions of Flexion, you’ll realize
that the low point of a squat isn’t the full-stretch position
for the quads. We call it the semistretched position. A full
Q: I’m very impressed with The Ultimate Mass
stretch is the bottom of a sissy squat, knees forward of the
Workout [e-book]. I’ve been using X Rep religiously, feet and thighs and torso on the same plane.
and I’ve been very pleased with the results. I like to
The semistretched position is actually where the muscle
do full squats on the Smith machine, and, to get
generates the most force—not at full stretch. That means
more stretch in my quads, I go below parallel. When
near the bottom of a full squat, as you discovered. X Reps
I can’t get another full rep, I lower into a full squat
are impossible with a free bar at that low point. We discuss
and then execute my torturous X Reps down low—
that in UMW and suggest pulsing above the middle of the
that’s possible on a Smith machine but not when
stroke instead of below the parallel position if you use
using a free bar. I prefer the pulses at the bottom
free-bar squats. That’s necessary because of a leverage
part of the squat due to the stretch I get in my
shift on that particular exercise. It doesn’t happen on
quads. In the e-book you recommend X Reps on
Smith-machine squats or hack squats, so you can do your
squats be performed more in the middle to top of
X Reps near the bottom, semistretched position, which is
the range of motion. I admit that X-Rep pulses at the
ideal, as you discovered.
parallel point of the squat are even harder than at
That also means you should do your Xes near the bot-
the very bottom, but after pushing a set to exhaus-
tom of incline presses, as you said you’re doing. Scientists
tion, it’s too tough to do X Reps near the middle—
say that a muscle loses some force production at full
and I prefer the quad stretch I get when I pulse in
stretch, so you want to be just out of it for your X-Rep
the lowest range. I’ve been doing all of my X Reps
pulses. We like to move the bar
from about the midpoint down to
a few inches off the chest.
Q: For losing bodyfat and
retaining muscle while diet-
ing, the most effective eating
plan for me is the Carb Stack-
ing diet that you outline in
your X-treme Lean e-book
[and Train, Eat, Grow book].
For my bulking phase I was
wondering if it would make
sense to go on a higher-calorie
version of that diet in order to
achieve a better ratio of lean
mass with less fat gain. For
instance, taking in larger
quantities of carbs during the
breakfast and postworkout
meals and for the rest of the
day eating mostly protein and
good fats with few carbs.
A: If you can stick to it most of
the time, yes, I think that’s a great
plan for building more muscle
without adding a lot of fat—as long
as your total calorie intake isn’t too
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth
outrageous. I’m heading into a

winter size-building phase, and
that type of diet is similar to what
Jonathan Lawson and I will use.
We’re also going to try sipping
The best spot for X Reps about a third of a RecoverX drink,
can be different for various our X-Stack supplement combo,
types of squats. during our workout as well as

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Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
drinking a full
If you train at home without access to a cable setup,
serving immedi-
you can use the squeeze technique on dumbbell flyes to
ately after. Ac-
attack the pecs with a contracted-position effect.
cording to John
Ivy, Ph.D., in neuromuscular efficiency and so on). We hardgainers
“Nutrient Tim- know it’s more difficult for us to build muscle. We just have
ing and the Ana- to figure out why and try to remedy those situations as best
bolic Switch,” we can. For example, I’ve found that X Reps help me
which appeared leapfrog my neuromuscular deficiency, forcing the target
in the August ’05 muscle to keep firing after full-range reps are impossible.
IM, getting those By moving to the max-force-generation point and pulsing,
aminos and I get at many more fibers. On the other hand, if I stop at
carbs during a nervous system exhaustion, when no more full-range reps
training session are possible, my gains are severely limited. I just can’t get
can help pre- at nearly enough of my fast-twitch fibers without X Reps.
serve more I’ve also found that supplements that blunt cortisol
muscle and release help my gains immensely. Poliquin talked about
trigger anabo- that in that same column you mentioned. For example,
lism. It’s a per- when I’m training hard, I take at least 600 milligrams of
fect strategy for phosphatidylserine—about four Cort-Bloc capsules—
testing over the before I train and/or at night before bed.
winter months
Neveux \ Model: George Farah
Getting enough protein, carbs and creatine is also im-

when higher portant, especially right after training. I use RecoverX and
carbs are on the CreaSol together for about 60 grams of fast carbs, 40 grams
mass-building of fast protein and five grams of titrated creatine. It’s the X
menu. Stack that’s available from Home Gym Warehouse or
Q: Next week www.X-Stack.com. Carbs have been shown to help reduce
I start the cortisol release, which may be why I continued to build
second phase of the program from 10-Week Size muscle during my summer ripping phase—I never let my
Surge. I’ve already packed on a lot of mass from the total daily carb intake go below 120 grams.
first phase. My question has to do with incline and Q: What exercise can I substitute for toes-pointed
decline cable flyes. I train at home, so I don’t have leg curls, the midrange movement for calves?
cables. Do I need other exercises to work the con-
tracted position? A: There really isn’t one—and even toes-pointed leg
curls aren’t a true midrange exercise for calves. I’ve recent-
A: You can use dumbbells for both the contracted and ly discovered that leg-oriented cardio is the best midrange
stretch positions. While dumbbells aren’t as effective as work for calves, especially walking hills and sprinting. I’ve
cables for contracted-position work, they can get the job noticed that when I start increasing my cardio as summer
done in a pinch. When you use dumbbell flyes as a con- approaches, my calves get considerably better. I’ve also
tracted-position exercise, pull the dumbbells all the way to discovered that less-padded running shoes, like Nike Free,
the top on each rep and push them together as you squeeze are best for calf stimulation, whether you’re running or
your pecs for a two-count. attacking calf raises in the gym. Shoes that are advertised
When you use dumbbell flyes for stretch-position work, as “like running barefoot” give you a more natural move-
do only the bottom two-thirds of the stroke, which empha- ment, and you get less rebound at the important max-
sizes stretch. Stop the dumbbells when they’re about two force point near the bottom of the stroke. That means your
feet apart at the top so you keep tension on your pecs and X Reps will be much more effective as well—if you can
move into the stretch position more quickly. stand the pain of Xing on calf work.
Q: I read in Charles Poliquin’s Smart Training New! The sharp black POF T-shirt with the original
column that he believes there’s no such thing as a classic logo emblazoned in gold can give you that muscu-
hardgainer. He explained that hardgainers are gen-
lar look you’re after. See page 219 for details.
erally people who worry too much about being a
hardgainer and therefore raise their cortisol levels.
In other words, their results are a self-fulfilling Editor’s note: Steve Hol-
prophecy. As much as I like Charles and his articles, man is the author of a num-
I find his assessment to be a little flip. After 14 years ber of bodybuilding
of training, I still struggle to break a 16-inch arm best-sellers, including Train,
measurement. As much as I want to believe he‘s Eat, Grow: The Positions-of-
right, I’m having trouble accepting it. As someone Flexion Muscle-Training
who considers himself a hardgainer, how do you Manual. For information on
feel about that attitude—that there’s no such thing the POF videos and Size Surge
as a hardgainer? programs, see page 69. For
information on Train, Eat,
A: Maybe he didn’t quite mean it that way. Perhaps he
Grow, see page 90. Also visit
Neveux
meant that the reason there are hardgainers is high cortisol

www.X-Rep.com. IM
levels, among other things (fewer fast-twitch fibers, lower
Steve Holman
52 DECEMBER 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com ironchief@aol.com

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Train ™ \ JULY 2006 181
Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
grab the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width
The Outer-
and keep your elbows pulled back to effectively hit your
outer pecs. Grabbing the bar with a closer grip will work
the inner pecs and the triceps more than the outer chest.
You can also target your outer pecs by doing cable
Pecs Hex crossovers. The standard method is to stand in the middle

of the crossover machine with a handle in each hand and
slightly bend at the waist. Bring your arms down in a wide
semicircle from overhead to in front of your crotch. It’s like
Q: I read one of your “Best Chest” articles at doing a most muscular pose, and it really isolates the outer
www.IronManMagazine.com. It sounds like a great pecs. Still, you can’t use as much resistance with an isola-
workout, and I’m going to give it a try. But I want to tion exercise like cable crossovers as you can with a basic
ask you about chest genetics. I’ve been training on exercise like bench presses.
and off since I was 16. I’m almost 18 now. My chest Dips performed on bars that allow for a wide grip are
has gotten thicker, but my outer chest is really soft. great for the lower and outer pecs. The key is to bend over
I’m thinking it’s genetic because I’ve done every- at the waist with your chin on your chest while keeping
thing I can think of and still no outer chest. It dis- your elbows flared away from your torso. Descend all the
courages me. What do you think? way down to really pound your pecs.
I think the best exercise for building mass in the outer
A: I think the problem may be more in your bodyfat than pectorals is flat-bench dumbbell flyes. I like to perform
your chest development. Many times, when your bodyfat is them the way Arnold did in the movie “Pumping Iron”—
too high, the outer chest appears flabby and lacking in with my legs off the floor and bent at the knees to keep
development; however, if you lose the fat surrounding the more tension on the pecs. I keep my arms semistraight—
muscle, you also lose the saggy appearance. with only a slight bend at the elbows. Then I let my arms
If you need specific work, the best exercises for develop- descend in a wide circle until they’re approximately in line
ing the outer area of the chest are flat-bench dumbbell with the bench. I don’t pull the dumbbells all the way back
flyes, flat-bench dumbbell bench presses, barbell bench to the top. Instead, I stop them when there’s a 10-inch gap
presses, wide-grip dips and cable crossovers. All of those between the arms at the top of the stroke. That helps to
focus specifically on the outer pecs. maintain tension on the outer pecs and builds more mass
Bench presses done with dumbbells or a barbell are there.
great movements for the outer pecs as long they’re per- Here are two excellent chest workouts that focus on
formed correctly. On barbell bench presses you need to developing the outer pecs:
Workout 1
Barbell bench presses 4 x 6-10
Incline dumbbell presses 3 x 6-8
Flat-bench flyes 3 x 6-10
Workout 2
Dumbbell bench presses 4 x 6-10
Incline presses 3 x 6-8
Wide-grip dips 2-3 x 8-10
Cable crossovers 2-3 x 8-12
Q: What are the best exercises for creating more
sweep on the quads? I just competed in my first
bodybuilding contest, and the judges said I needed
to be better proportioned.
A: I can relate to your question because I had the same
problem with my legs when I began competing in body-
building. My legs were always my weakest bodypart, and I
really had to work them hard to bring them into proportion
with my upper body, especially the outer sweep of my
quads.
What I found is that you can target the outer quads with
any exercise that lets you position your feet parallel and
close together, including squats, front squats, leg presses,
hack squats, lunges and leg extensions.
Neveux \ Model: Jeff Hammond
The problem with keeping the feet close together and

parallel on a basic exercise like the squat is that it’s difficult
to keep your back flat throughout the rep. It’s much easier
to keep a flat back when your feet are wider apart and the
knees travel out instead of forward.
Remove the outer-pecs hex with exercises like cable
That problem can be resolved by doing squats or front
crossovers, wide-grip dips and flat-bench dumbbell flyes.
squats on a Smith machine. Since the machine keeps the

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Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
Q: I’m a natural-for-life bodybuilder and have
Try partials, or X Reps, at the end of your competed in nine shows, all of which were natural.
basic exercises once you reach failure. You’ll You mentioned that you used X Reps in your work-
attack more muscle fibers on any set. out program. I’ve been working out now for 18 years
and never heard of them. Is that when you’re doing
a set and at the end of the forced reps you continue
doing partial reps through about 30 percent of the
range of motion?
A: I was introduced to X Reps by Steve Holman and

Jonathan Lawson, two drug-free bodybuilders who experi-
enced great gains from using this advanced training tech-
nique. Basically, X Reps are reps worked through a short, or
partial, range of motion after you’ve reached positive fail-
ure. Usually, you do them below the midpoint of an exer-
cise’s stroke—and after you can no longer perform any full
reps. That enables you to recruit a greater number of mus-
cle fibers than if you stopped the exercise at positive fail-
ure.
Let’s say you were using the incline barbell press for
chest. After you can no longer perform a full rep, you lower
the bar to below the halfway point and do a series of short,
pulsing reps—the bar moves from just above your chest to
the midpoint of the stroke. That makes the set much more
productive than merely stopping at failure.
Neveux
You can use the X-Rep technique on any exercise, but I

find they are particularly valuable on basic movements
such as presses, squats, incline presses, rows and so on. It
bar moving in a straight line, you can position your feet in helps to have a training partner standing by because you’re
front of your body while keeping your back flat without taking the muscle beyond failure, so you might not be able
having to worry about balancing the resistance. Try it. Keep to get the bar back on the rack on incline presses, military
your feet close together and parallel while doing either presses and squats.
squats or front squats on a Smith machine, and you’ll put I actually had to reduce the number of sets I was doing
more mass on your outer quads. in my workouts when I began using X-Reps. I was reaching
Machine exercises are best for creating more quad nervous system failure too soon and found I couldn’t con-
sweep because you don’t have to worry about balance; you tinue doing any X-Reps after I reached positive failure with
can just focus on working a particular area. Even on leg full reps. By reducing the number of sets I was using for
presses and hack squats I can keep my feet close together each bodypart, I had the energy to take the set further with
and parallel and still use very heavy poundages without X Reps at the end of my heavy sets—and my workouts were
having to concern myself with keeping my back flat during much more efficient.
the exercise. If you want to learn more about how to incorporate X-
I frequently use a training technique on hack squats Reps into your workout, check out the X Reps e-book writ-
called 1 1/2 reps. You descend all the way down but come ten by Holman and Lawson, The Ultimate Mass Workout.
up only halfway before going back down again and then You can read more about it and the research behind the
coming all the way back up. That’s one rep. Try it on hack method at www.X-Rep.com.
squats with your feet positioned close together and paral- Editor’s note:
lel. You should get a fantastic burn in your outer quads John Hansen has won
because of the constant tension on the muscle during the the Natural Mr.
exercise. Olympia title and is a
Here are two excellent training routines for the legs that two-time Natural Mr.
focus attention on the outer quads: Universe winner. Visit
his Web site at www
Workout 1
.NaturalOlympia
Leg extensions 3 x 15, 12, 10
.com. You can write to
Leg presses (feet close) 4 x 12, 10, 8, 8
him at P.O. Box 3003,
Squats (feet wide) 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6
Darien, IL 60561, or
Reverse lunges 2 x 10-12
call toll-free (800) 900-
Workout 2 UNIV (8648). His new
Leg extensions 3 x 15, 12, 10 book, Natural Body-
Leg presses (feet wide) 3 x 12, 10, 8 building, is now avail-
Hack squats (1 1/2 reps; feet close) 3 x 10, 8, 6 able from Home Gym
Smith-machine front squats (feet close) 2-3 x 8-10 Warehouse (800) 447-
Neveux
0008 or www.Home-
Gymcom. IM
John Hansen
John@NaturalOlympia.com
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EAT TO
NUTRITION SCIENCE
Fat-Burning Firepower Do branched-chain amino

acids help blast away fat?
The branched-chain amino acids— While other amino acids are metab- acids—the branched-chain aminos.
leucine, valine and isoleucine—are olized primarily in the liver, the Based on that finding, some have
essential amino acids, meaning they branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) suggested that taking supplemental
cannot be synthesized in the human are unique in that the major portion of BCAAs provides anticatabolic effects
body and so must be supplied in the their metabolism occurs in muscle. in hard-training athletes. In that sce-
diet. Recent studies show that leucine Under low-calorie conditions, especial- nario, the supplemental BCAAs are
is particularly important for muscle ly when there’s not enough protein in sacrificed instead of the existing
protein synthesis, since it activates a the diet, cortisol is released in a stress- BCAAs in muscle, thereby sparing the
number of other substances that play related response. In muscle, cortisol muscle. Besides interacting with corti-
vital roles in the process. promotes the breakdown of amino sol, BCAAs also promote testosterone
release to some extent, especially if
taken prior to intense exercise. Testos-
terone is an anabolic hormone, directly
opposing the catabolic activities of
cortisol.
A study presented at the 2005
meeting of the American College of
Sports Medicine highlighted another
beneficial effect of BCAA supplements
that has particular relevance for those
on low-carbohydrate diets.1 A major
problem with low-carb diets is the
Neveux \ Model: Allen Sarkiszadeh
BCAA may ignite your ab-etching efforts.

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GROW
Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission
depletion of readily available energy
substrates, such as glycogen, which is
the primary fuel that powers anaerobic
exercise, such as weight training. The
PROTEIN POWER
Amino-Anabolism Connection
primary source of glycogen in the diet
is carbohydrate.
Glycogen promotes the production Many main-
of substances important in the synthe- stream dietitians
sis of ATP, the immediate source of say that those
energy for muscular contraction. One engaged in
such substance is oxaloacetate. With- weight training
out it the cycle that normally produces don’t require any
ATP just doesn’t function well, leading type of protein
to a drop in energy and training inten- supplement to
sity. promote in-
But an intermediate substance creased muscle
called succinyl coenzyme-A (SCA) gains. They’re not
enhances oxaloacetate availability. shy about insist-
That’s where BCAAs enter the picture, ing that buying
since they directly increase SCA. The such supple-
new study hypothesized that the ments is a waste
energy-promoting effect of BCAAs of money. Stud-
was so potent that it could even over- ies, however,
come the effects of carbohydrate often refute those
depletion. views. One such
The study featured seven men who study involved 20
depleted their existing glycogen stores untrained men
through exercise and lack of food. who were assigned to either a protein-supplement group or a group that got
Then one group took 300 milligrams dextrose, or sugar.1 The protein was a whey-casein-and-leucine combina-
per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of BCAAs, tion. Whey and casein are the two major milk proteins; leucine is a branched-
while the other group got a placebo. chain amino acid vital to muscle protein synthesis.
After that the men rode exercise bikes Both groups trained three times a week for 10 weeks, averaging three
to exhaustion. Those in the BCAA sets of six to eight reps with weights equal to 85 to 90 percent of one-rep
group showed higher blood glucose maximum. Those in the placebo group got three grams of dextrose daily,
levels than the placebo group. The while those in the protein group took a supplement containing 40 grams of
BCAA group also appeared to more protein, five grams of carbs and one gram of fat. On training days both
readily burn fat during exercise. The groups took their supplements one hour before and within one hour after an
increased fat availability, coupled with exercise session. On rest days they took the supplements once with break-
the higher glucose levels, overcame fast.
the normal negative effects of glyco- The results, which included careful measurements of protein synthesis,
gen depletion during exercise. showed that those on the protein supplement made superior gains in thigh-
—Jerry Brainum muscle mass and strength than those in the placebo group.
—Jerry Brainum
1 Adolpho, T., et al. (2005). Influence
of branched-chain amino acid supple- 1 Wilborn, C., et al. (2005). Effects of heavy resistance training and propri-
mentation on free fatty acid oxidation etary whey, casein and leucine protein supplementation on muscle strength
during endurance exercise after mus- and mass and MHC isoform mRNA expression. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2:5.
cle glycogen depletion. Med Sci
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2005 65

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Eat to Grow
NUTRITION NOTES
Food Facts
That can impact your
workouts and health
Calcium is
good for bones
and teeth, but
did you also
know that it’s
required for
muscle con-
traction? If you
train hard with
weights and
don’t eat much
dairy, you may
need to supple-
ment. Most meal-replacement supple-
ments contain a good dose of the
mineral, but the National
Academy of Sciences
recommends 1,000 mil-
ligrams a day for people
FAT LOSS 19 to 50. And you
probably need
Eat More, Lose Fat It’s all about munching

more frequently
more if you’re a
hard-training
bodybuilder.
Trans fats,
Despite all the hype about low-carb diets being a simple way to lose bodyfat, a.k.a. partially
one very basic problem is still mired in obscurity. Most people don’t eat often hydrogenated oils,
enough to get as lean and trim as they would like. The standard three meals a have been linked to
day—breakfast, lunch and dinner—are still what the majority of Americans adhere cardiovascular disease
to, though surveys tell us a lot of people either skip breakfast or fail to have any- and have even been
thing substantial. By going so long between shown to block muscle
meals, they’re setting themselves up to fail in growth. Another reason to avoid
their fat-loss goals. them: They may increase the risk of
Long stretches between eating signal the gallstones, according to doctors at the
body to slow the metabolism and store fat— University of Kentucky Medical Center
it’s a survival mechanism left over from our and Harvard Medical School, who
heritage as hunter-gatherers. So people can found a 23 percent higher risk. If you
eat a high-protein diet with low carbs and see hydrogenated on the label, don’t
healthful fats and still not lose as much eat it! About 40 percent of
fat as they’re capable of because they supermarket foods
aren’t eating often enough. Body- contain trans fats.
builders, as usual, are a good 10 Check those
years ahead of the general public. labels.
We were eating low carbs to get Apples are
ripped even back in the days of excellent for
Arnold and Franco. your health,
Eventually, the nutritional and but the Red
medical communities will come Delicious vari-
around and realize that eating every two to three hours, as we ety may be best
often do, is the only way to ramp up the metabolism and shift body composition of all. Canadian
optimally toward more lean tissue and less fat. In the meantime you can do your scientists checked the
part by educating those around you who don’t eat often enough. All it usually takes antioxidant levels in the skins of eight
to convince someone who doubts that your six-meals-a-day plan is superior is to different kinds of apples. Red Delicious
pull up your shirt and flash a mean six-pack. came out on top, with six times the
—Ron Harris antioxidants of the weakest variety.
—Becky Holman
Editor’s note: Check out Ron Harris’ Web site, www.ronharrismuscle.com. www.X-tremeLean.com

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Eat to Grow
ANABOLIC DRIVE
Protein Plus Protein vs. carbs in the fat-to-muscle hustle

As far back as 50 years more, the protein-plus-
ago it was common practice exercise group lost the
for bodybuilders to eat more least amount of lean body
protein and cut carbs if their mass. Serum lipid profiles
goal was to lose fat while improved in all groups, but
maintaining or increasing changes varied with carbs.
muscle mass. Of course, the Subjects in the high-carb
naysayers pooh-poohed the groups had larger reduc-
idea. The mantra “all calories tions in total cholesterol
are just the same” has so and LDL—a.k.a. the bad
permeated the medical and cholesterol—whereas
dietetics establishment that those in the protein groups
any admission of the utter had greater reductions in
and miserable failings of triglycerides and main-
mainstream nutrition prac- tained higher concentra-
tices would be akin to the tions of HDL, the good
Klan Grand Wizard’s pro- cholesterol. According to
claiming Jesse Jackson as the authors, “This study
his inspiration. (Translation: demonstrated that a diet
It’ll be like pulling teeth to get with higher protein and
them to admit they’ve been reduced carbohydrates
so wrong for so long!) combined with exercise
To wit: A recent study additively improved body
examined the impact of inter- composition during weight
action between exercise and loss, whereas the effects
two diets (one with high on blood lipids differed
protein and reduced carbohy- between diet treatments.”
drates, the other with low Organizations such as
protein and high carbohydrates) on body composition and the American Dietetic Association and American Heart Asso-
blood lipids in women during weight loss. The subjects were ciation have been touting the benefits of high-carbohydrate
assigned to a protein-only group, a protein-plus-exercise diets as a means of decreasing cardiovascular risk factors.
group, a high-carb group or a high-carb-plus-exercise group. There’s plenty of evidence (much of it garnered in the past
Diets were equal in total calories and fat (approximately 30 four years) showing that replacing carbohydrate with an
percent) but differed in protein content and the percentage of isocaloric amount of protein improves body composition and
carbohydrate. Guess what the researchers found? Well, is it decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease. So when will
any surprise that eating more protein and exercising are the these organizations alter their position on high-carb diets?
best option? —Jose Antonio, Ph.D.
Those in the protein-plus-exercise group lost an average of
19.4 pounds. The protein-without-exercise group averaged a Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is the chief science
13-pound loss. The high-carb-and-exercise group dropped officer of Javalution (www.javafit.com) and the president of
12.1 pounds on average, and the high-carb-without-exercise the International Society of Sports Nutrition (www
subjects experienced the smallest loss—11 pounds. Further- .sportsnutritionsociety.org).

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The biggest mistake many

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©2009 Home-Gym.com

Eat to Grow
CARB COUNT
Is the low-carb plan suitable

Atkins for Exercisers? for those who work out?
The Atkins diet, which was developed by the late Dr. Robert
Atkins, is an ultralow-carbohydrate diet that initially permits an
intake of less than 1 percent carbohydrate. The concept be-
hind it and other low-carb diets is that most people who have
excessive bodyfat levels produce too much insulin because all
of that bodyfat has made them insulin insensitive. To compen-
sate, the body oversecretes insulin in response to meals,
especially those containing a lot of carbohydrates. Excess
insulin not only perpetuates obesity but also blunts other
mechanisms that promote the use of fat as fuel.
Atkins believed that by limiting carb intake, you lowered
insulin output and would begin to burn excess bodyfat. Critics
of Atkins often lambasted that concept, noting that without
excess calories insulin itself couldn’t make you fat. They also
voiced alarm over the diet’s high-fat aspects, suggesting that it
was a sure route to cardiovascular problems.
Recent research has confirmed many of Atkins’ ideas.
Compared to other diets, low-carb diets prove superior in several protective cardiovascular risk factors, such as
promoting initial weight loss. Although some of that loss is increased high-density lipoprotein and lowered blood triglyc-
water from glycogen breakdown (glycogen is stored with three erides.
grams of water per gram of glycogen), low-carb diets promote The one aspect of the Atkins diet that hasn’t changed since
greater bodyfat losses, an effect traced to their higher relative its inception in the 1970s is its effect on exercise. In his initial
protein content. Eating lots of protein imparts greater satiety, writing on the diet, Atkins explained that his diet plan might not
which eventually leads to an automatic reduction of total be suitable for those engaged in intense exercise, which relies
caloric intake. Low-carb diets are also superior in promoting on a sufficient store of glycogen in muscle. The primary nutri-
an enhanced thermogenic effect, leading to a greater oxidation ent that replenishes depleted glycogen stores is carbohydrate,
of fat. and Atkins recognized that. A recent study confirmed the
Reports of increased cardiovascular disease due to a higher point.1
fat intake with the Atkins diet have also proved false. Indeed, a Nine people followed the Atkins diet for a week. Their exer-
surprising aspect of the regimen is a clear beneficial effect on cise time was reduced by 56 percent, and their blood glucose
levels went down, but
they all also showed a
loss of bodyweight and
bodyfat. One notable
flaw of the study was
its short duration. It
takes a few weeks for
the body to adjust
from a sugar-burning
to a fat-burning ma-
chine. In addition,
Atkins himself modified
the diet over the years,
calling for a greater
intake of low-glycemic-
index carbs, such as
fruits and vegetables.
That adjustment would
likely permit the benefi-
cial fat-loss effects of
the diet while also
supplying carbs to
replenish glycogen.
Neveux \ Model: Tamer Elshahat
—Jerry Brainum
1 Forbes-Lorman,
R., et al. (2005). The
Atkins diet decreases
exercise capacity. Int
Soc Sports Nutr. 2:10.

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Muscle biopsies show that the largest
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reason: Carnosine buffers the burn to give
muscles more “grow power” on every set.
The bigger and stronger a muscle gets,
the more carnosine it needs to perform
at higher intensity levels. You must keep
your muscles loaded with carnosine to
grow larger and stronger. It all boils down
to intensity and the ability to buffer waste
products—hydrogen ions and lactic
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Straight carnosine supplements degrade

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©2009 Home-Gym.com

Eat to Grow
BIG IDEAS
Cheap eats for the

Building on a Budget financially challenged
I get a lot of e-mail from aspiring young bodybuilders who lecithin and cholesterol
really want to eat right but just can’t afford the optimal foods (which is highly anabolic).
for growth, like steak and chicken breasts. Many of those Though you probably
guys are in college. I totally feel where they are coming from can’t afford chicken
because I was broke as a joke back then too, particularly breasts, chicken thighs are
during my freshman year. I had prepaid access to the dormi- generally half the price or less. They’re fattier, but most
tory’s dining commons, which meant that breakfast, lunch college-age trainees need to pile on the calories anyway.
and dinner were covered. But that also happened to be the As for red meat, filet mignon is out of the question, but
year that I started taking bodybuilding very seriously, and my ground beef is very economical. You rarely hear pork dis-
training went to a higher level of effort and intensity. On top cussed as a viable dietary option for bodybuilders, but it’s an
of that, I was attending the University of California, Santa inexpensive source of protein comparable to chicken thighs.
Barbara, and riding my bike everywhere, probably averaging Of course, you probably also want to have a couple of
10 miles a day. As a result, my metabolism was speeding shakes to take with you to classes, but you just can’t afford
like a runaway train, and I was constantly ravenous. Three whey protein. A low-budget protein shake that will work
hours after dinner my stomach was growling, and I really nearly as well simply consists of powdered milk mixed with
wanted to order a pizza—but rarely did I have the cash to regular milk and flavored with fruit or chocolate powder.
cover it. So for those of you getting your education and Carbs like rice and potatoes are always cheap, so use them
racking up school loans, I’d like to offer my best suggestions to fill out your dinner plate and start piling on the muscle
for how to feed your starving muscles on a limited budget. mass.
For quality proteins your best bets are canned tuna and And when times are tough, remember that in a few years,
eggs in bulk. Many a struggling young bodybuilder has once you’re out in the working world, you’ll be able to afford
made great gains with those two sources as his dietary enough steak and chicken breasts to feed a small village!
base. Eat the whole egg. Don’t throw the yolks away, as —Ron Harris
they’re bursting with many beneficial substances, such as www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
H E A LT H WAT C H
Does a high-protein intake

Bodybuilding-Diet Dangers? lead to kidney damage?
A frequent concern about high-protein diets is their effect on kidney function. On the surface that
appears to make sense, since the liver and kidneys are the primary organs involved in protein metabolism and
the excretion of waste products, such as urea. The latter function is handled mainly by the kidneys. The supposi-
tion is that a long-term high-protein diet eventually wears out and induces pathology in the kidneys.
The belief is rampant, often voiced even by those who should know better, such as medical professionals. Some
allude to studies to prove their contention about the dangers of a high-protein diet. Perusal of such so-called proof,
however, nearly always reveals that those adversely affected by a high-protein diet already had kidney disease. No
study has ever shown that eating a high-protein diet leads to kidney problems in those with normal kidney func-
tion.
While it’s true that kidney function declines with age in many people, with older people showing an average of 40 per-
cent kidney function, functional loss isn’t related to a high-protein diet; it’s most often related to a gradual loss of
nephrons, the kidneys’ filtering units. That loss, in turn, is traceable to various health problems and drugs, such as long-
term use of painkillers, including aspirin. Untreated high blood pressure is another primary cause of kidney-function loss,
as is heart disease, due to poor blood circulation through the kidneys. Even healthy people can harm their kidneys
through dehydration, which limits blood flow through the kidneys.
A recent study examined the effect of a high-protein diet in those engaged in
regular weight training.1 It featured 77 men, average age 26, all of whom trained
with weights. Their diets averaged 19 percent protein, which came out to 1.67
grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily, or 98 to 139 percent of the recom-
mended intake for those engaged in weight training. Measurements of the three
primary blood tests for kidney function—creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric
acid—showed that all were within normal values. Thus, the study indicates that
a high-protein intake doesn’t stress the kidneys in a normal weight-training
population.
Neveux \ Model: Abbas Khatami
—Jerry Brainum
1 LaBounty, P., et al. (2005). Blood markers of kidney function and dietary
protein intake of resistance trained males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2:5.

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Train, Eat ,GROW
Muscle-Training Program 74
From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center
E\6WHYH+ROPDQDQG-RQDWKDQ/DZVRQ 3KRWRJUDSK\E\0LFKDHO 1HYHX[

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We’ve popped off numerous times
about the 40 years of training expe- We love it when
rience we have between us—which
essentially just means we’re getting
the governor
old and that we expect our muscle stops by to train
gains to be few and far between. with us. Man,
After you’ve been training hard for
so many decades, a few pounds of
he’s still in
muscle a year is the acceptable fabulous shape.
norm—or is it? We’re starting to Maybe he will be
think not after seeing the excep-
tional progress we’ve made over the
back. Happy
past two summers. Halloween!
The summer of ’04 was when we
stumbled our way to the X-Rep
concept. Information and observa-
tions by a number of IRON MAN
Model: Jonathan Lawson
authors—including Robert
Thoburn, Jim Hafer and John Lit-
tle—set off a firestorm of ideas in
our minds and had us poring over
training research. We discovered
the max-force point, or
semistretched position, and Thanksgiving turkey. shoot high)? Let’s go over our winter
learned why it’s considered the What those fast gains tell us is mass-building strategy for 2006.
sweet spot on an exercise’s stroke: that if we train hard and correctly 1) Recovery-oriented split.
It’s the spot where the target muscle throughout the year, no slacking, We discussed this last month, but it
is strongest and can activate the we should be able to put on more bears repeating, with a little more
most fibers. muscle than we ever have. Can we detail.
“Ah ha,” we thought. “So that’s add another 10 to 20 pounds of
Week 1
where we should do end-of-set X- solid bodyweight? It appears the
Monday: Workout 1A (delts, etc.)
Rep partials once we can’t get any answer is yes—if we use X Reps and
Tuesday: Workout 2 (legs)
more full-range reps!” And our X-Rep hybrid techniques correctly,
Wednesday: Workout 3A (chest,
gains skyrocketed. If you’ve been to don’t abuse them and get enough
etc.)
www.X-Rep.com and/or seen our recovery time and quality calories.
Thursday: Off
before and after photos from that That last one, quality calories,
Friday: Workout 1B (delts, etc.)
period, you know that X Reps did has been one of our problems in
Weekend: Off (with cardio)
some amazing things for our the past. We were under the mistak-
physiques in only one month. We en notion that we needed to keep Week 2
both got leaner and put on about sight of our abs throughout the Monday: Workout 3B (chest, etc.)
five pounds of muscle in a little winter; however, we’ve come to Tuesday: Workout 2 (legs)
more than 30 days. (Are you starting realize that a surplus of quality Wednesday: Workout 1A (delts,
to see why we think bigger gains calories is absolutely necessary for etc.)
may not be so difficult to produce drug-free bodybuilders to pack on Thursday: Off
after all?) lots of muscle. (We added about Friday: Workout 3A (chest, etc.)
After experimenting the follow- five pounds of muscle over the Weekend: Off (with cardio)
ing winter, we scheduled our 2005 course of 30 days in ’04 on restrict-
Week 3
ripping phase for just before sum- ed calories; imagine what could
Monday: Workout 1B (delts, etc.)
mer, and we included a number of happen if we got an abundance.)
Tuesday: Workout 2 (legs)
hybrid X-Rep techniques, like Dou- That means dealing with some
Wednesday: Workout 3B (chest,
ble-X Overload, X/Pause and X excess baggage, but we now realize
etc.)
Fade, in our pre-photo-shoot pro- that it’s what signals the body that
Thursday: Off
gram. The gains were immediate, starvation is not looming and it’s
Friday: Workout 1A (delts, etc.)
just as they’d been the summer okay to jack up muscle size to ex-
Weekend: Off (with cardio)
before, but this time they seemed to treme levels. (Remember, extreme
come even faster. In fact, we did our muscle size is a luxury, not a neces- Week 4
photo shoot three weeks earlier sity, and your body will do every- Monday: Workout 3A (chest, etc.)
than in ’04, and we were both five thing it can to stay the same unless Tuesday: Workout 2 (legs)
to 10 pounds heavier in ripped it has positive reinforcement that Wednesday: Workout 1B (delts,
shape. Steve’s bodyweight was sustenance is plentiful.) etc.)
hovering around 200, a number he So what’s our game plan for 20 Thursday: Off
usually only sees during the win- pounds of extra muscle (hey, we Friday: Workout 3B (chest, etc.)
ter—or when he’s holding a gotta prime the motivation and Weekend: Off (with cardio)

7UDLQ(DWGrow /3URJUDP74
Repeat Week 1 position movement for each body- a contracted-position movement

Notice that we hit legs once a part. For example, the 1A delt rou- and a stretch-position movement.
week, every Tuesday, which breaks tine has dumbbell upright rows, a Here’s an example from the 3A and
up the two upper-body sessions. midrange, multijoint exercise, fol- 3B workouts for upper chest: The A
Then Thursday is a complete rest lowed by forward-lean laterals, a workout has Smith-machine incline
day, and Friday is a repeat of Mon- contracted-position delt move. At presses, the constant midrange
day’s workout but with different the next delt workout, 1B, we use exercise, followed by incline cable
positions targeted, which brings us the same midrange exercise, dumb- flyes, a contracted-position upper-
to our next strategy. bell upright rows, but this time we chest move; the B workout is Smith-
2) Split-positions POF train- follow with a stretch-position delt machine incline presses again but
ing. Upper-body workouts are cate- movement, one-arm cable laterals. followed by incline dumbbell flyes, a
gorized as either A or B. If you look That’s how it is for every upper- stretch-position exercise for upper
at the program below, you’ll see that body muscle group. The midrange pecs.
the A workouts contain a big exercise stays constant, but the With split-positions POF training
midrange exercise and a contracted- second exercise alternates between you cover all the positions, or arcs,
IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 74

Workout 1A: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms Superset
Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Incline kneeups 2 x 10
Seated forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Bench V-ups 2x8
Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Twisting crunches 2 x 10-12
Barbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Workout 1B: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Cable upright rows (X Reps or staged) 1 x 10-12
Nautilus rows (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps) 3 x 8-10
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Cable laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Behind-the-neck pulldowns Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
(X Reps or staged) 1 x 10-12 Dumbbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Bent-over laterals 1 x 8-10 Rack pulls (X Reps) 1 x 10-12
Cable curls (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10 Nautilus rows (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10
Concentration curls 2 x 8-10 One-arm dumbbell rows (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Rope hammer curls 1 x 8-10 Behind-the-neck pulldowns
Barbell reverse wrist curls 2 x 15 (X Reps or staged) 1 x 10-12
Barbell wrist curls 2 x 15 Uncrossovers (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Rockers 1 x 15 Preacher curls (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10
Incline curls 2 x 8-10
Workout 2: Quads, Hams, Gastrocs, Low Back Incline hammer curls 1 x 8-10
Smith-machine squats (X Reps or staged) 3 x 8-10 Dumbbell reverse wrist curls 2 x 15
Leg extensions (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Dumbbell wrist curls 2 x 15
Sissy squats 1 x 10-12 Rockers 1 x 15
Leg presses 2 x 8-10 Workout 3B: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Hack squats 1 x 8-10
Leg curls (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Smith-machine incline presses
Stiff-legged deadlifts (partials) 2 x 8-10 (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x max Incline flyes 2 x 8-12
Leg press calf raises (X Reps) 3 x 15-20 Wide-grip dips (X Reps or staged) 2 x 8-10
Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 12-15 Decline flyes 1 x 8-12
Standing calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Flat-bench flyes 1 x 8-12
Machine donkey calf raises (bottom X) 1 x 12 Parallel-grip pulldowns (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Seated calf raises 2 x 15-20 Chins (X Reps) 1-2 x 8-12
Low-back machine 1 x 8-12 Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 8-10
Decline extensions (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10
Workout 3A: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Cable pushouts 2 x 8-10
Smith-machine incline presses Superset
(X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10 Incline kneeups 2 x 10
High cable flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-12 Bench V-ups 2x8
Dumbbell bench presses (X Reps or staged) 2 x 8-10 Ab Bench crunches 2 x 10-12
Low cable flyes 1 x 8-12
Middle cable flyes 1 x 8-12 Add to Friday’s workout
Parallel-grip pulldowns (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Seated calf raises 2 x 9-12
Chins (X Reps) 1-2 x 8-12 Standing calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 20-25
Machine pullovers (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 •Where X-Reps are designated, only one set is
Decline extensions (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10 performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid
Pushdowns 2 x 8-10 technique.

of flexion, but over two workouts. (titrated creatine). That’s got every- by the end of your workout (and you
That provides a lot of variety, unique thing we need to take full advantage thought it was best to work your
stress and more recovery, since you of the after-training anabolic win- weakest bodypart first). The solu-
don’t have to work all three posi- dow (for more info see page 169); tion is to drink as you train.
tions at every workout. It’s really an however, there’s also research that Our recipe? We’re going to mix
ingenious way to train when you’re says you should feed your muscles about a scoop of RecoverX, about a
after optimal recovery. while you train. That makes sense half scoop of CreaSol and a scoop of
3) Muscle feed. Recovery is also because the bodyparts you train GAKIC together in a water bottle
about nutrition and getting the right last get the most from your post- and sip it throughout our workouts,
compounds in sufficient quantities workout drink. Think about it. The trying to down most of it early on.
to fuel intense workouts and provide bodypart you train first has to wait The RecoverX and CreaSol will feed
a surplus for growth. Yes, we’re still almost an hour or longer for refuel- and refuel the muscles as we blast
depending on our X Stack postwork- ing. In reality the first bodypart’s them, especially those that get hit
out combo—RecoverX plus CreaSol anabolic window is almost closed early in the (continued on page 90)
ITRC Program 74, Abbreviated Home-Gym Routine: Monday Through Friday

Workout 1A: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms seated laterals or rack pulls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Dumbbell upright rows or Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
seated laterals or rack pulls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Seated forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Rack pulls (X Reps or staged) 2 x 10-12
Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 8-10
Barbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 One-arm dumbbell rows (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 8-10 Bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Preacher curls (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10
Bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Incline curls 2 x 8-10
Dumbbell curls 2 x 8-10 Incline hammer curls 1 x 8-10
Concentration curls 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell reverse wrist curls 2 x 15
Hammer curls 1 x 8-10 Dumbbell wrist curls 2 x 15
Barbell reverse wrist curls 2 x 15 Rockers 1 x 15
Barbell wrist curls 2 x 15 Workout 3B: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Rockers 1 x 15
Incline presses (X Reps or staged) 2 x 8-10
Workout 2: Quads, Hams, Gastrocs, Low Back Incline flyes (staged) 2 x 8-12
Squats (last set staged) 3 x 8-10 Wide-grip dips (X Reps or staged) 2 x 8-10
Leg extensions or hack squats (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Decline flyes (staged) 1 x 8-12
Sissy squats 1 x 10-12 Flat-bench flyes (staged) 1 x 8-12
Hack squats (nonlock) 1 x 8-10 Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Leg curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Chins (X Reps) 1 x 8-12
Stiff-legged deadlifts (bottom-range partials) 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 8-10
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x max Decline extensions (X Reps or staged) 2 x 8-10
Donkey calf raises, standing calf raises Overhead extensions 2 x 8-10
or one-leg calf raises (X Reps) 4 x 15-20 Superset
Seated calf raises 2 x 15-20 Incline kneeups 2 x 10
Bench V-ups 2x8
Workout 3A: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Ab Bench crunches 2 x 10-12
Incline presses (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10
Incline flyes (squeeze at the top of each rep) 2 x 8-12 Add to Friday’s workout
Dumbbell bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 9-12
Decline flyes (squeeze at the top of each rep) 1 x 8-12 Standing calf raises 1 x 20-25
Flat-bench flyes (squeeze at the top of •When X Reps are designated, only one set is
each rep) 1 x 8-12 performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid
Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 technique.
Chins (X Reps) 1 x 8-12
Undergrip rows 2 x 8-10
Decline extensions (X Reps or staged) 2 x 8-10
Kickbacks 2 x 8-10 Note: 7UDLQ0RQGD\WKURXJK)ULGD\IROORZLQJWKHVHTXHQFHRI
Superset ZRUNRXWVDVOLVWHG$OVRLW±VEHVWWRKDYHDVHOHFWRUL]HGGXPE
Incline kneeups 2 x 10 EHOOVHWVXFKDVWKH3RZHU%ORFNLI\RXGRQ±WKDYHDUDFNRI
Bench V-ups 2x8 IL[HGGXPEEHOOVRIYDULRXVZHLJKWV,I\RXGRQ±WKDYHDOHJ
Twisting crunches 2 x 10-12 H[WHQVLRQPDFKLQHGRROGVW\OHKDFNVZLWKDWZRVHFRQGFRQ
WUDFWLRQDWWKHWRSRIHDFKUHSLQVWHDG8VHSDUWQHUUHVLVWDQFH
Workout 1B: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms WRZHODURXQGWKHDQNOHVLI\RXGRQ±WKDYHDOHJFXUOPDFKLQH
Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps) or

(continued from page 86) session. have to learn to accept some excess www.Beyond-X.com. Our new pho-
GAKIC, a MuscleTech product, is an baggage as a necessary evil if we tos are there too, with onfo on the
ammonia buffer that has given us want to pack on the most muscle new e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle
some amazing strength increases possible over the winter. Building.]
[see IM Research Team in the 4) Continuous variation. We As you can see, our winter mega-
November ’05 issue]. The problem is mentioned that the split-positions mass program is built on a surplus
that when we took it before the approach will keep the stress on our of quality calories, optimum recov-
workout, it wore off about two- muscles fresh, but we also discov- ery, variety, overload and intensity.
thirds of the way through. With ered a number of X-Rep hybrid Follow us into the growth zone in
continuous fueling as we train, we techniques that helped us add more this series and by checking our X-
should be able to sustain the high- muscle very quickly during our ’05 Blog at www.X-Rep.com for daily
powered results we’ve been experi- ripping phase. They should work training updates. Can we (and you)
encing in our early sets with no drop even better during the winter, when add another 20 pounds of muscle
off. we won’t be restricting calories. We before next summer? Stay tuned.
Along those same muscle-feed plan to rotate them—X-centric Editor’s note: For the latest on
lines, we’re also going to have one or training, X/Pause, X Fade, staged the X-Rep muscle-building method,
two scoops of Pro-Fusion protein sets and Double-X Overload—on including X Q&As, X Files (past e-
powder before bed. That should give most of our exercises, especially the newsletters), our before and after
our resting muscles more recovery big midrange movements that stay photos and the new X-Blog training
and growth-promoting building constant. For example, we’ll use journal, visit www.X-Rep.com. For
blocks as we sleep. We’ve never done Smith-machine incline presses at more information on Positions-of-
that because of the fear of excess every upper-chest workout, but we Flexion training videos and Size
calories making us fat. Now we real- may do standard X reps at the end of Surge programs, see page 69. To
ize that it’s necessary to prevent a set at one session and one set with order the new Positions-of-Flexion
catabolic actions during the sleep- X Reps and the second with X/Pause training manual Train, Eat, Grow,
ing/fasting phase of the day in order at the next, and so on. [For more on call (800) 447-0008, visit www.home-
to max out muscle growth. We just X-Rep hybrid techniques, visit gym.com, or see the ad below. IM
AD
TEG book

Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training
better choice of words. Research out of Finland, Australia
Just Say No
and Canada has shown that prolonged endurance training
makes fast-twitch fibers take on contractile properties of
slow-twitch fibers. It also appears that neural adaptations
are biased to slower velocities of contraction, which, again,
to Cardio
lessens the power output of slow-twitch fibers. What hap-
pens with prolonged endurance work is that the brain
arranges contraction patterns to slow rhythmic ones in-
stead of the ballistic ones required for weightlifting. That’s
why doing aerobic work for the upper body worsens your
vertical jump.
Q: I’m thinking about adding cardiovascular work Other issues arise from doing aerobic work concurrent
to my strength training to help me drop to 7 percent with strength training. One of them is that recovery from
bodyfat. Do you think that’s the best approach for aerobic work and strength training requires amino acids.
me to take? When you’re doing both, optimal recovery is
A: No. Definitely no. Especially if you’re interested in compromised, as some of the amino acids that would be
strength training and increasing your poundages. There’s used for the synthesis of contractile proteins are diverted
plenty of evidence that aerobic exercise interferes with to the biological adaptations associated with aerobic train-
strength development, particularly when you’re looking for ing.
power (fast strength). In other words, aerobic training is Furthermore, aerobic training is associated with in-
more harmful to the Olympic lifter or shot putter than it is creased cortisol production, which is catabolic in nature
to the powerlifter. Powerlifter is, ironically, a misnomer, as and linked to increased storage of central-trunk bodyfat.
the powerlifter expresses strength very slowly. On top of that, anytime you increase your cortisol output,
Would damage result from your aerobic work? Damage you’re stealing some pregnenolone, a hormone precursor
would be too strong a word. Geek adaptation would be a of testosterone, from the DHEA pathway, further decreas-
ing the anabolic status of your body.
Plus, sitting on a bike doing aerobic
work is damaging to the testes with
pressure and heat.
One of the first things clients who
come into any of the Poliquin Per-
formance Centers do is to submit
Neveux \ Model: Dan Decker
samples for a 16-hormone saliva

test. Invariably, the ones with low
androgen reserves (low DHEA) and
high cortisol are the ones who do
the most aerobic work per week.
Genetically we were designed to
throw rocks at rabbits, not run after
them all day long.
So how do you get lean while
strength training? Diet and sup-
plementation. The quickest tips
I could give you on this are:
1) Eliminate all neocarbs.
Neocarbs are carbs that a
caveman wouldn’t have access
to. In other words, if you’re not
sure, ask yourself this ques-
tion: Would a caveman have
access to this carb food? For
example: Bagels? No. Dough-
nuts? No. Pasta? No. Berries?
Yes.
2) Take 15 grams of high-
quality fish oils a day. They
turn on lipolytic genes and turn off
lipogenic genes—and improve
Cardio work can take a toll on

strength. There are better ways
to get a lean physique as you
get stronger, not weaker.
94
Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training
You don’t have to change your workout at
every session. In fact, too much variety can
impair your bodybuilding and strength-training
results.
infinitely small percentage.

Personal trainers who espouse the change-every-
workout philosophy usually have three things in
common:
1) They have no concept of long-term planning,
so they don’t know how to take you to your goal.
Workouts have to be planned with a logical
approach. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
2) They’re too lazy to record your progress. By not
recording your poundages and reps, they fail to
apply the most basic training axiom, which is the
overload principle. So they probably always hand
you out the same size of dumbbells and count in a
half-assed manner, if they count at all. They’re rob-
bing you blind.
3) They do so because most gyms are busy, so
they just take you to whatever exercise is convenient
and disguise it as an eclectic approach to training.
Most personal trainers affiliated with corporate
gyms are hired because they possess two things: a
pulse and the age of majority. In other words, they
have the two essential requirements for getting
another adult to sign a contract. Every time I travel,
I’m utterly amazed to see personal trainers who
Neveux \ Model: Daryle Gee
aren’t in shape; they’re either skinny kids whose

biggest bump isn’t their biceps but the zit on their
forehead, or they’re simply fat. Yet people pay to get
trained by them. Very few of them even bother read-
ing in their respective fields. So I’d view your train-
er’s advice with skepticism.
Q: What are the biggest mistakes you see
insulin sensitivity. In my opinion, quality fish oils are the
bodybuilders make with regard to their nutrition?
best fat-burning supplement, and they help promote pro-
tein synthesis. A: That’s a good question (it would make a great blog).
3) Take supplements that increase insulin sensi- 1) The egg whites-banana-and-oatmeal-with-
tivity. That includes taurine, fenugreek and banaba tree raisins breakfast. Novices often copy that standard pro-
extract. The better your insulin sensitivity, the more fat bodybuilder breakfast, but it’s a terrible choice. The
you’ll burn and the more muscle you’ll pack on. combination has a glycemic load that’s too high. No won-
Diet and supplementation—not supplemental aerobic der the newbie reaches for ephedra or caffeine after that
work—are the key to getting leaner when doing strength type of breakfast. Your blood sugar is crashing because of
training. the insulin rush, so your body tells you to go to Starbucks
to drink java to increases your cortisol so you can have
Q: My personal trainer changes my bodybuilding
energy to work out.
routine at every session. He says the variety keeps
2) Egg whites. This is one of my pet peeves. Eggs
the muscles growing. Is that really the best way to
should be eaten whole—forget about the cholesterol pro-
train?
paganda. It has no scientific basis. Egg whites are digested
A: No, not really. While variety is the spice of life, and I too fast. Whole eggs are better at supporting healthy glu-
am a big believer in it, too much is counterproductive. My cose levels. When we run food allergies at the Poliquin
statement is based on experiments we conducted with six Performance Centers, we find that eggs are the most com-
different national teams in preparation for the Albertville mon food allergen, not because of genetics but because
Olympic Winter Games in 1992. The original premise was they’re inhaled rather than chewed by bodybuilders.
that if athletes make great progress changing the workout 3) No variety. Most Americans eat only 17 foods over
every six sessions, then changing it every workout would be their lifetime. Bodybuilders are even more restricted in
even better. We found that only 2 percent of gifted individu- their choices: chicken, egg whites, oatmeal, broccoli, pro-
als respond well to every-workout changes—and those tein powder, rice and tuna. Because of that, they’re depriv-
were athletes who’d been preselected for the Olympic ing their bodies of many nutrients that are essential for
Games! If you extend that to the general population, it’s an muscle growth.

Most Americans eat only 17 foods
over their lifetime. Bodybuilders are
even more restricted in their choices.
Because of that, they deprive their
bodies of many nutrients that are
essential for muscle growth.
For example, I have yet to see a the quality of your restorative sleep.
bodybuilder who reports to one of my The brief list above is bound to
centers with normal magnesium levels eliminate 80 percent of the health
and a good antioxidant profile. A complaints that bodybuilders have.
simple trick: Put colors you haven’t Missing five days of training because
seen in a while into your food cart. of a cold is detrimental to your results,
Instead of just eating raisins and ba- but so is going light because of recur-
nanas, try kiwis, raspberries, rent joint paint caused by an omega-3
kumquats and so on. The same goes deficiency.
for animal protein. Bodybuilders
would make far more progress if they Editor’s note: Charles Poliquin is
included buffalo, ostrich and venison
in their diets.
recognized as one of the world’s most
successful strength coaches, having
AD
The most common element missing coached Olympic medalists in 12
from bodybuilders’ regimens is veg- different sports, including the U.S.
etables. That explains why they usual- women’s track-and-field team for the
ly exhibit poor antioxidant protection 2000 Olympics. He’s spent years re-
and very low levels of trace minerals. searching European journals (he’s
4) They do not support their fluent in English, French and Ger-
general health. Countless times I man) and speaking with other coach-
overhear bodybuilders pissing and es and scientists in his quest to
moaning between sets about how optimize training methods. For more
their sleep sucks, they’re recovering on his books, seminars and methods,
from a flu, their joints hurt and so on. visit www.CharlesPoliquin.net. Also,
Why? Their diets and supplement see his ad on page 149. IM
programs are very poor. Bodybuilders
should, at a bare minimum, take
the following:
•a well-balanced multivitamin
that contains a broad base of
antioxidants.
•fish oil at every meal, to ensure
better concentration, more fat
burning and greater protein
synthesis.
•gamma-E tocopherols with
mixed in tocopherols, not the
straight d-alpha tocopherols that
only work in rats
•extra magnesium. Bodybuilders
tend to be very low in this miner-
al. Muscular work increases
Bradford
demands for it, and the standard

bodybuilding diet is low in mag-
nesium. That deficiency will Charles Poliquin
affect your energy in the gym and w w w. C h a r l e s P o l i q u i n . n e t
Building a
Gorilla Grip
and Freaky
Forearms
Huge, Powerful Lower Arms Can Be Yours

by Greg Zulak
Photography by Michael Neveux

T
he forearms are
made up of several
muscles groups that
are used primarily
for arm extension
and flexion. The five
major extensor muscles on
the top side of each fore-
arm are responsible for
extending the wrists. Three
major flexor muscles on
the bottom, or underside,
of each forearm bend the
wrist down.
Most bodybuilders barely
think of their wrists and
forearms. In their haste to
develop their upper arms,
chest, back, shoulders and
thighs, the wrists and fore-
arms get overlooked, the
same way the calves get
overlooked. Most body-
builders don’t realize how
important forearm devel-
opment is for total arm
symmetry, balance and AD
impressiveness—not to
Model: Michael Ryan
mention strength on a
number of key exercises.
Very few work their fore-
arms directly. They do
maybe 12 to 15 sets each
for biceps and triceps and
then throw in a measly
three sets of wrist curls,
and then they wonder why
their forearms aren’t better
built.
Forearms and calves are similar in
composition, made up mostly of red
muscle fibers, tendons and liga-
ments. They both respond best to
high repetitions, in the 15-to-25
range. That means it’s painful to
train them, although the pain of
developing the calves is worse than
that of training the forearms. In both
cases muscles have to be engorged
with blood and pumped like bal-
loons. In terms of structure, you
might say that the calves are to the
thighs as the forearms are to the
upper arms. They’re two muscle
groups that are impossible to
overdevelop.
DECEMBER 2005 99
Building a Gorilla Grip and Freaky Forearms
Most of the top

bodybuilders have
exceptional forearm
development. It looks
as if they could rip
steel bars in half.
Another way the forearms and (Brisbois had the most impressive Sergio Oliva, Chuck Sipes, Bill Pearl,
calves are similar is that both are forearms I’ve ever seen. In some Larry Scott, Lou Ferrigno, Jusup
highly influenced by genetics. Just poses they actually looked bigger Wilkosz, Dorian Yates, Arnold
as some people are born with great than his upper arms.) Schwarzenegger and just about any
calves and never have to train Other top bodybuilders, past or of today’s top bodybuilders. You
them, some fortunate athletes have present, noted for their great fore- don’t fare well in pro competition
gotten fantastic forearm develop- arms are Dave Draper, Casey Viator, with poor forearm development—
ment just from gripping the bar
when performing chins, bent-over
rows, T-bar rows, shrugs, cleans,
upright rows, barbell and dumbbell
curls, preacher curls and other
upper-body exercises.
Several bodybuilders come to
mind in that regard: Mike Mentzer
of Heavy Duty fame never had to
train forearms directly, and neither
did his brother Ray. Mohammed
Makkawy and Steve Brisbois, both
world champions and top pros, had
incredible forearms that were al-
most as big as their upper arms.
Huge, Powerful Lower Arms
Some fortunate
athletes have
gotten fantastic
forearm
development just
from gripping
Model: Steve Brisbois
the bar on
various exercises.
you’re lucky, see them in person—
to realize how impressive big, mus-
cular and vascular forearms are. It
looks as if they could rip steel bars
in half. Old-time strong men always
did more work for their forearms
than their biceps because they did
so many lifting feats that required
strong gripping power and powerful
forearms.
Unfortunately, genetics can work
against you. Some people have
Models: Quincy Taylor, Ernie Taylor and Ahmad Haidar
what are sometimes called Indian
club forearms, in which all of the
mass is at the top, near the biceps
and brachialis, while the lower
forearms and wrists are small and
underdeveloped. There’s not much
you can do with that type of fore-
arms because there are very few
muscle fibers in the lower area to
develop. All you can do is work your
forearms intensely and make them
as big and as muscular as you can.
not if you’re standing next to the Albert Beckles, the ageless wonder
likes of Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, of the ’80s, had Indian club fore-
Kevin Levrone, Lee Priest and Craig arms, and it didn’t prevent him
Titus, all of whom have great fore- from winning many pro contests.
arms. If you happen to be one of those
All you have to do is see a good lucky devils who have naturally AD
photograph of these men—or, if large forearms, or whose forearms
Reverse curls pump

up the forearms,
brachialis muscles
and biceps.
Model: Michael Ryan
DECEMBER 2005 101

Reverse curls on a
preacher bench are
difficult but can
give your grip
strength and lower-
arm development a
new dimension.
Model: Peter Putnam

get all the stimulation they need basic movements and to force out a
from holding the bar on upper- Having massive few extra reps at a point when your
body exercises, then move on to
another article. (On the other hand,
forearms gives you grip would normally give out. If you
really think about it, you’re almost
if you want to make your naturally
large forearms even bigger and
a sense of power, limited by the strength of your grip
and your forearms on nearly all
more vascular, with veins the size of and others see you upper-body exercises. A weak grip
garden hoses, you may want to read means using lighter weights, which
on.) But if your forearms are under- as powerful. means slower or no growth. The
developed, then you definitely need forearms can become tremendous-
to do specific forearm exercises ly strong with consistent hard train-

such as wrist curls, reverse wrist power, and others see you as pow- ing. When you train your forearms,
curls, reverse curls, reverse preach- erful because you have such power- you’re not just training for muscular
er curls and hammer curls. And you ful-looking forearms. development; you’re training the
must work them with high intensity Second, the chicks really dig tendons and ligaments for strength
for the right number of sets, not just them. Watch women around top and power and a vicelike grip.
a few measly low-intensity sets bodybuilders when they’re out in If your grip is weak, I recommend
done as an afterthought at the end public socializing. The women just that you stop using wrist straps on
of a workout. love to stroke and caress their fore- exercises such as chins, rows, dead-
If you need a good reason to train arms. They can’t help themselves. lifts, shrugs, cleans, upright rows,
your forearms, I’ll give you three. That in itself should be enough and all back and biceps
With the exception of neck muscles, motivation to train your forearms. movements. Straps can become a
the forearm muscles are the most Lastly, working your wrists and crutch, and if you rely on them too
exposed on your body. They can be forearms hard increases the much, your grip has no reason to
seen from any angle. Having mas- strength of your grip, making it get stronger.
sive forearms gives you a sense of possible to use heavier weights on An example of how helpful
Hammer curls blast

the brachialis muscle
under the biceps, but
they also train the
forearms hard.
Model: Daryl Gee
With the exception of hands, wrists and forearms can be

is illustrated by the following true
tire. When they went to put on the
spare, they discovered that while
neck muscles, the story. Dave Draper, the Blond
Bomber, a Mr. America and Mr.
they had a spare tire and a lug
wrench to remove the nuts on the
forearm muscles are Universe winner, was doing posing flat, they didn’t have a jack. No
exhibitions in South Africa, and he problem for Reg and Dave. They
the most exposed on was staying with three-time Mr. simply took turns lifting up the car
Universe Reg Park, who lives there. while they replaced the tire. If
your body. One day Reg and Dave were driving you’ve ever done a heavy deadlift
somewhere, and their car got a flat for 10 seconds, you know how tiring

If your grip is weak,

stop using wrist straps
on exercises such as
chins, rows, deadlifts,
shrugs, cleans, upright
rows and all back and
biceps movements.
Model: Aaron Brumfield
it is for the grip and the forearms.

Now imagine lifting up a car for
Straps can become a with nearly all bodyparts—espe-
cially arms and shoulders—Larry
minute or more. That was one time crutch, and if you has made a science of developing
where Reg’s and Dave’s tremendous
forearm strength came in handy.
rely on them too the forearms. It’s actually one of his
favorite muscle groups to train—
One bodybuilder who really much, your grip has the complete opposite of most
trained his forearms for maximum bodybuilders. One reason for
size and strength was Mr. America, no reason to get Larry’s obsession with forearms was
Mr. Universe and two-time Mr.
Olympia Larry Scott. As he does
stronger. that early in his career he made the
connection (continued on page 111)

Stronger forearms can

help you squeeze out
more reps on the big,
compound exercises,
which will in turn
trigger more growth. Huge, Powerful Lower Arms
(continued from page 106) between could use 100-pound dumbbells for
the development of his wrists and six reps on the preacher bench
forearms and the development of supersetted with barbell preachers The stronger your
his biceps. In short, the stronger his with 150 pounds for six reps, which
wrists and forearms were, the heav- he says would have been impossi-
wrists and forearms,
ier the weights he could use on his
biceps exercises, especially the
ble for him if his grip and forearm
strength had been lacking. He could
the heavier you’ll be
barbell preacher curls and the also do reverse barbell preacher able to go on biceps
dumbbell preacher curls—a.k.a. curls with 130 pounds for six reps.
Scott curls— he masochistically In his book Loaded Guns, Larry exercises.
savors so much. In his prime Larry says the key to using heavy weights

You can’t use much weight
on reverse wrist curls, but more—and be concerned with
they’re a good isolation forearm development as much as
finisher for the forearm biceps development.
extensors. Larry says he was inspired to
develop his forearms to their maxi-
mum size and strength after meet-
ing Bill Pearl (Mr. America and
four-time Mr. Universe champion)
at the gym Bill owned in Los Ange-
les. Pearl had big, meaty forearms
that stunned Larry when he first
viewed them. He asked Bill how he
developed them, and Bill, the mod-
est man that he is, just said, “Oh, I
train my forearms regularly.” Bill
then showed Larry the special fore-
arm bench he and his members
used to do wrist curls. It was an odd
little bench, just 12 inches by 12
inches, and approximately 14 inch-
es high. Although the bench was
thickly padded, it had two parallel
deep indentations running across
it. Larry quickly made the connec-
tion between those indentations
and Bill’s massive forearms. He
could tell that Bill had done quite a
few sets on the forearm bench.
Larry asked Bill what kind of
weights he used on his wrist curls.
Bill replied modestly, “Oh, about
250.” Larry wasn’t sure if Bill meant
250 pounds or two 50-pound
dumbbells, so he asked to make
sure. “Yes, about 250 on the
Olympic set,” said Bill. To make a
Model: Michael Ryan
long story short, after seeing the

size and development of Pearl’s
forearms, Larry was inspired to
train his own with new vigor.
Larry went back to Vince Giron-
on the preacher bench is to have even the biceps cannot handle. I da’s gym in North Hollywood,
wrists and forearms strong enough know I can’t curl the weight on where he regularly trained, armed
to get the bar moving. He starts biceps curls unless I can get my with new knowledge of what it
each rep of preacher curls by wrist- wrists curled first, and the curling takes to work the forearms properly.
curling the bar upward a few inch- of my wrists is accomplished com- He found that many small details
es, then letting his biceps take over. pletely by forearm work.” made significant differences in how
Whereas it’s often impossible to To get that kind of power, you his forearms responded to training.
complete a full repetition of must train your forearms just as Although he briefly experimented
preacher curls because you get intensely as your biceps—or even with performing wrist curls on a
stuck at the very bottom of the rep regular flat bench, he found that
with the bar fully descended, it is
possible, if your wrists are strong
Larry Scott prefers such benches weren’t padded
enough, which caused pain in his
enough, to wrist-curl the bar to get
it moving.
to do his wrist curls wrists, and that they were too high,
so the body was not in an optimal
Says Larry, “If we can get our on a special low place for stressing the forearms.
wrists curled, we can go deep into Larry had a forearm bench built
the movement, where all the trea- bench that allows just like Bill Pearl’s—12 by 12 by 14.
sure is buried, with a heavier A bench of that height enables you
weight. To do this, we need raw his hips to be lower to use an Olympic bar without
power in the forearms, power that
can curl wrists holding weights that
than his forearms. having the 45-pound plates hit the
floor when your wrists are fully
When you train your

forearms, you’re
not just training for
muscular development.
extended. Barbells that are soldered

together usually go up to 130
pounds max, which makes it im-
possible to do heavy wrist curls.
The hips should be lower than
the forearms. If you squat down
and hug the bench with your knees
and calves, you get leverage on the
bar, which really enables you to do
your set purely, with only the wrists
and forearms working.
“I have learned lots of things that
make or break a good forearm pro-
gram,” says Larry. “Whenever I see
an article about someone doing
forearm work and their thumbs are
wrapped around the bar, rather

than underneath it, I know they are
not forearm experts.”
You need to position your thumb
You’re also training

the tendons and
ligaments for
strength and power

and a vicelike grip.
on the same side as your fingers, on the undersides of his forearms. Larry Scott uses
using a thumbless grip. That helps On one side of the forearm bench
you to use heavier weights. For he places a 250-pound barbell. On a heavy/light
Larry, forearm development is all in
the details—plus tremendous effort
the other side he places a 100-
pound barbell. He then does back-
superset attack
and a hearty lust for pain.
And, says Larry, “It’s almost im-
to-back sets of heavy and light wrist
curls, taking as little rest as possible
when training his
possible to overtrain your fore- between sets. forearms.
arms.” If you think about it, you use Starting with the 250, Larry holds
your forearms every day. You use the bar with a thumbless grip and
them in every upper-body move- shoots for 20 repetitions. But here’s pound bar. Again he shoots for 20
ment and even on leg days, when a key point. On the heavy wrist or more repetitions, but these he
you have to load and unload squat curls he does not perform full repe- does very strictly and to full exten-
bars, leg press machines and hack titions. He does three-fifths of a sion of the wrists. By that Larry
squat machines. repetition, and on the final reps he doesn’t mean just lowering the bar
Most people like to do their fore- might only get half reps followed by down as far as your wrists bend. He
arm work after they’ve trained a few burns, where the bar is hardly means letting the bar roll down to
biceps because biceps curls also moving. That’s not important to your fingertips, forcing it back into
work the forearms to some degree him. What’s important is stressing your palms and then wrist-curling
and it gets the pump started. You the wrists and forearms with very it back to your starting point. Larry
can also train forearms after back heavy weights to build power, then does his first 10 reps that way, but
for the same reason. immediately training them with a on his final 10 he stays strict but
Larry Scott uses a heavy/light lighter weight for pump and blood doesn’t allow the bar to roll down to
superset attack when training his engorgement. his fingertips.
forearms. He begins his assault by Once Larry completes the heavy After three supersets of
targeting the five extensor muscles bar reps, he hurries to the 100- heavy/light wrist curls he shifts
Ad

Keeping your thumbs

on the same side of the
bar as your fingers will
give you more power
on wrist curls.
focus to the five extensor muscles

on the top of the forearms. While
Most people like curl machine, never allowing his
arms to fully straighten and never
you can work those muscles with to work forearms completing the reps at the top.
reverse wrist curls off your thighs Larry uses 250 pounds for three to
and knees, as any one who has tried after biceps four sets of six to eight reps. Then
it can attest, you are ridiculously he does drop sets on the machine
and pathetically weak in that posi- because all biceps (three or four drops per series). He
tion. You just cannot use a heavy
exercises involve says the pump is unbelievable, and
weight to work the tops of your the gains are incredible.

forearms. At best, reverse wrist
curls are a finishing movement, or
the forearms to The heavy/light wrist curls and
heavy machine reverse curls work
do them first in your forearm work-
out when your grip and forearms
a degree. Larry’s forearms completely. Some-
times he’ll do it as tri-sets: a set
are at their strongest. Then go on to each of the heavy and light wrist
the heavy/light wrist curl supersets. that the best exercise he’s found curls followed by drop set on re-
Reverse curls done with an EZ- that truly enables him to work the verse curls on the curling machine,
curl bar are good for the extensor tops of his forearms with heavy all without a break. He suggests
muscles on the tops of the fore- weights and a true blood-engorged three tri-sets.
arms, but again, you’re limited by pump (not a false pump from light For those who don’t have access
your grip strength. By the final reps weights and very high repetitions) to a forearm bench like Larry Scott’s
you’re barely holding on to the bar is reverse curls done on a machine. (and 99 percent of all gyms will
with your thumbs. Hammer curls Once again, Larry doesn’t use full not), you can make do by perform-
are also good for the forearms, as repetitions. He does three-fifths of ing wrist curls on a regular flat
are Zottman curls, but Scott says the arc of the rep on the reverse- workout bench with a 10-inch block
Make a conscious
effort to grip bars and
handles hard during
your workouts to
build neuromuscular
efficiency.

set under the back end of the bench.

This turns the flat bench into an
incline bench (It’s not as good as a
forearm bench, but it’s better than
doing wrist curls off your thighs and
knees). You can also do your reps
across the bench, kneeling, not at
the end. That puts your hips lower
than your forearms. Use a folded
towel on the bench for extra
padding to avoid wrist pain.
Lower the barbell slowly and let it
bend your wrists as far down as
possible. Then smoothly curl the
weight upward, holding for a count
of two before lowering again.
If you choose to, you can have a
heavy and a light barbell already
loaded so you can superset the way
Scott does. Remember that you
don’t have to curl the heavy bar for
full reps. Three-fifths to half reps
will be fine. Three or four supersets
should pump your forearms like
balloons.
Then go right to reverse curls. Do
them on a curling machine, with an Remember, if you
EZ-curl bar or on a preacher bench retire your wrist
with a straight bar. Pick a heavy straps for a while,
weight that limits you to no more your forearms
than six to eight reps. These can be have no choice
done for three-quarter reps, as the but to improve.
extensor muscles you’re targeting
are worked mostly in the middle
portion of the rep.
You can also do drop sets on the the middle of your thighs. Without increase the time you hold the
machine reverse curls. If your gym using straps, lift the barbell off the weight—say, 225 pounds for 30
doesn’t have a curling machine, do supports and count in your mind seconds—or use more weight for
reverse curls with an EZ-curl bar or how long you can hold the barbell. the same amount of time. Believe
with a straight bar on the preacher At every forearm workout try to me, this is no easy task, but after a
bench. It will be harder to do drop few months of training on it, you’ll
sets with the free bars and preacher have a grip you can be proud of.
bench, but if you train with a part- Expect to gain The forearms are tough to devel-
ner, he can slip the weights off and op. Don’t expect to pack on inches
steady the bar as you continue for
approximately a half overnight. Expect to gain approxi-
your first drop. Anywhere from two inch on your forearms mately a half inch for every inch
you put on your upper arms, which
to four drops will be right, depend-
ing on your development and level for every inch you put is the amount you should shoot for
of training. if you’re keeping your forearms and
Need I say that you should do tri- on your upper arms. If upper arms in balance. If 20-inch
sets of the heavy and light wrist arms are the benchmark for upper-
curls and the reverse curls for maxi- 20-inch arms are the arm development, 15 inches is
mum effectiveness? I’ve worked about the benchmark for forearms.
forearms that way in the past, and I
benchmark for upper- I hope you’re challenged to train
can attest to the way the combina-
tion blasts the forearms and pumps
arm development, 15 your forearms hard and consistent-
ly. In three months they should be
them to the max. inches is about the stronger, larger and more vascular.
Another exercise you can do to In six months your new wrist and
make your hands and wrists a lot benchmark for forearm gains should be paying off
stronger is the partial deadlift held in the form of larger upper arms,
for 20 to 30 seconds. Place a heavy forearms. lats, traps and deltoids. IM
barbell in a power rack set at about
A u i l d e r
Bo d yb
Is
Born
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Models: Markus Reinhardt and Hubert Morandell
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A Bodybuilder ,V%RUQ
friends—they party every weekend

on that stuff, don’t they?”
“Not every weekend. But at least
twice a month, yeah.”
“I know how crazy this is going to
sound, but…” I hesitated. It was
going to come off pretty heavy. “You
need to stop hanging around with
those people if you really want to
reach the goals you have in body-
building.”
Sure enough, Randy was looking
at me as if I’d just asked him to
assassinate the pope.
“Those are my friends since
middle school.” Middle school. We
Model: Mike Morris

didn’t have those when I was his
age, just junior highs. No wonder
kids today are so confused.
“I’m not saying you can never see
them again, but they’re obviously a
“What time did you get the time, but how do you bad influence. I know you don’t
in this morning?” I asked. feel now? Like shit, right?” want to look like a nerd, but I bet if
“A little before three, not That needed no reply. “You you keep going to those clubs,
too late,” he croaked. Not missed a whole night’s sleep, they’ll keep pressuring you into
too late—who was he kid- and I bet you haven’t eaten using X, Special K, I don’t know
ding? I glanced up at the anything since then either, what else, Captain Crunch and
clock. We’d started training right?” GBH.”
a little after nine. Now he shook his head. “I “GHB,” he corrected me.
“So you slept a little tried to at least get some “Whatever. Those are all
more than five hours, protein powder in a shake extremely bad substances to put
tops?” He shook his head, Randy had down, but I felt like I was into a body that you want to be a
staring at the ground. always gonna barf after just a few shining example of exceptional
“Didn’t get any sleep.” I’d sips.” health and strength. Let me ask you
met his girlfriend. She
assured “Yup, the speed in that something else that I should have
certainly was a firecracker, me that all stuff kills your appetite and brought up before: What does Tracy
but I doubted her amorous he did was keeps you awake. I can’t think of your dream to be a famous
attention was really at the think of a worse combina- bodybuilder?”
core of this debacle. It drink. tion for a guy trying to gain Randy smirked. “She thinks it’s
didn’t take Sherlock muscle.” He reflected on stupid. She likes my muscles the
Holmes to figure this mys- that for a moment. way they are now, but she doesn’t
tery out, not even the gang “Tracy and your other think I need to look like the guys in
from Scooby Doo.
“You did Ecstasy, didn’t “Find a girl who goes to
you?” Randy wouldn’t look
at me. I could almost feel
the gym and at least tries
the heat of the shame to eat right.”
burning in him.
“Look, I’m not a cop, and
I’m not your dad. I’ll leave
the lecturing to them. Be-
sides that, you’re an
adult—sort of—and you’re
responsible for your own
choices. But I’m telling you
this as someone who
knows what it takes to
build a physique: You can-
Model: Brenda Kelly
not be using that stuff.”

“I know,” he answered
weakly.
“I’m sure it felt great at

A Bodybuilder ,V%RUQ
the magazines.”
“I was afraid of that.” I
paused. “Dump her.”
“What?”
“Get rid of her, and find
a girl who at least goes to
the gym and tries to eat
right. Believe me, having a
woman who shares your
fitness lifestyle will make
everything so much easier.
My wife, Janet, supports
what I do. Other guys have
wives nagging them con-
stantly about all the train-
ing and eating, and it
makes reaching your goals
10 times harder. It always
Model: David Dorsey

leads to big problems in
the relationship eventual-
ly.”
“Ron, I really like her,
and she’s so hot.” He was
almost whining now. We We hadn’t complete cross-purposes to
men get that way when we done a set in my bodybuilding goals.
fear our access to some at Every time I ditched one of
amazing girl is about to be
cut off.
“You like her, you don’t
least 10
minutes. I
them, a load was lightened,
and I seemed freer to chase
my dream of a great
AD
love her, and there are was getting physique without hindrance.
plenty of other great girls anxious. Luckily I met Janet when I
out there. Believe me, you was just 20 years old, and
won’t have any problems she had helped everything
finding them, you hand- flow together faster and with
some bastard.” It was clear more purpose. I hoped
that set him to thinking. Randy would find friends
Deep down he knew I was and a significant other who’d
right. cheer him on instead of drag
We hadn’t done a set in him down. He was coming
at least 10 minutes. I was out of the locker room now.
getting anxious. After all, “Randy, I have noticed a
I’d slept eight hours and few cute girls in here giving
had had a good breakfast, you the eye. Why don’t you
and leg day was always try talking to some of them?”
thrilling to me. All we really He smiled.
had left was hamstrings. “Oh, I have been, and now
“Go home and get some I’ll be talking to them a lot
sleep, Randy,” I barked at more.”
him out of the blue. “Not while we’re training,
He looked dazed. “We’re got it?”
done?” “No, I think I’ll just get the
“You’re done. I’m gonna digits and call them on my
finish up on my own here. time.”
You have some things to I almost had a tear in my
think hard about.” Without eye. That’s my boy!
another word, he headed
off to the locker room. As I Editor’s note: You may
started to warm up on stiff- contact Ron Harris at his
legged deadlifts, I thought Web site, www.ron
back to how I’d also had harrismuscle.com. IM
friends and girlfriends in
my early years who were at
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Bug World
ria are termed probiotics, Probiotics keep us healthy

meaning “prolife,” and the through various mechanisms. They
bad are antibiotics, defend against pathogens, or dis-
meaning “against ease-causing organisms, by pro-
life.” Most people ducing such antimicrobial
are unaware of compounds as cytokines and bu-
the health bene- tyric acid. Both increase gut acidity,
fits provided by making it inhospitable for invading
probiotics or potentially dangerous bacteria.2
until they Probiotics also compete with
take antibi- pathogeni19bacteria for binding
otic drugs. and receptor sites, just as the drug
Antibi- Nolvadex blocks the cellular bind-
otics may ing sites for estrogen. Probiotics are
be life- a second line of defense for the
savers, but
they kill Anywhere from 300 to
both bad 500 different species of
and good
bacteria. beneficial bacteria,
When enough numbering in the trillions,
probiotic, or
beneficial, bac-
are found in the large
teria are intestine.
destroyed by a
drug, symptoms
attributed to the an-
tibiotics often appear.
The main one is diarrhea,
which occurs because the pro-
biotics are not keeping the bad
bacteria in the gut in check. When
antibiotic drugs wipe out all bacte-
By increasing gut acidity, ria, the bad bacteria often come
probiotics promote back first. The body responds by
intestinal motility, or the attempting to rid itself of bacterial
imbalance—hence diarrhea.
movement of food through These days probiotics,
the intestine. That, in turn, including the lactobacillus
promotes increased nutrient that converts carbs into
lactic acid, are most readily
uptake and prevents available in dairy-based
constipation. foods and supplements.
Another primary probiotic
Since Metchnikoff’s time, science is bifidobacterium. Two
has learned much more about the other common probiotics
health benefits associated with are Streptococcus ther-
maintaining a healthy balance of mophilus and
bacteria in the body. The sheer saccharomyces, the latter
numbers are amazing: Anywhere being not a bacterium but
from 300 to 500 different species of a beneficial yeast organ-
beneficial bacteria, numbering in ism.
the trillions, are found in the large Various factors affect the
intestine.1 Scientists suggest that composition of bacteria
the number of such bacteria is 10 within the body: age, im-
times more than the number of mune status, stress, alcohol
cells in the human body. intake. Certain indigestible
The gut environment is dynamic. carbohydrates, collectively
Just as a human society consists of known as prebiotics, also posi-
good citizens and bad citizens, so tively influence both overall
does the intestine, except the “citi- health and the population of
zens” are bacteria. The good bacte- bacteria in the gut.
Bug World
immune response because they

help maintain the mucosal barrier
of the gut, which prevents organ-
isms from invading. If that line of
defense is compromised, serious
disease or death can result.
To qualify as a true probiotic,
bacteria must exert a beneficial
effect on the host, which is you.
They must survive the formidable
barriers to absorption, such as the
high acid content of the stomach
and the degrading effects of bile.
They must be able to adhere to the
lining of the large intestine and
favorably affect the microbial bal-
ance of the gut.
Studies show that true probiotics
exert a number of protective effects.
They oppose a bad-guy bacterium
called Helicobacter pylori, which
When enough probiotic, or beneficial, bacteria are destroyed by an
causes ulcers and is involved in
gastric cancer.3 Maintaining a fa- antibiotic drug, symptoms attributed to the antibiotic often appear.
vorable microbial balance helps to The main one is diarrhea.
prevent such maladies as traveler’s
diarrhea, inflammatory-bowel
disease, irritable-bowel syndrome A calm stomach makes for better
and a rotoviral diarrhea common in workouts. Probiotics can help.
children.4
Probiotics can prevent the bloat-
ing that results from eating either
too much food or any amount of
bad food. Much bloating is caused
by gases that bad bacteria release in
the gut. The same bacteria cause
halitosis, or bad breath, which may
be counteracted by taking probi-
otics. By increasing gut acidity,
probiotics promote intestinal
motility, or the movement of food
through the intestine. That, in turn,
promotes increased nutrient up-
take and prevents constipation.5
Probiotics enhance immunity
not only by helping to maintain the
vital gut mucosal barrier but also by
producing cytokines, the proteins
that activate immune cells, includ-
ing the macrophages that engulf
and digest invading organisms and
the natural killer T cells that attack
viruses and incipient tumors in the
body.
Some preliminary evidence
shows that probiotics help prevent
Neveux \ Model: Eric Domer
cancer. In one study lactobacillus

acidophilus blocked colon cancer
in rats. Other strains of probiotics
have blocked cancers of the colon,
liver, small intestine and breast in
animal studies. Some research
shows that probiotics appear to

Bug World
Bodybuilders and prevent recurrence of bladder can-

cer in humans.
other athletes There is emerging evidence of a
often overlook the positive probiotic effect against
cardiovascular disease. A probiotic
importance of strain called Lactobacillus reuteri
maintaining an decreased total cholesterol and
blood triglyceride levels by 38 per-
efficient digestive cent and 40 percent, respectively,
system, as while increasing the HDL-to-LDL
ratio by 20 percent after only one
promoted by week. Other studies show that pro-
probiotic biotics may lower elevated blood
pressure.
supplements. But People who experience adverse
symptoms when they eat dairy
let’s face it: If you products may be gratified to know
suffer from that probiotics help break down
and digest lactose, or milk sugar, by
gastrointestinal producing the enzyme lactase,
illness, your which digests lactose. That explains
Neveux \ Model: Jeff Hammond
how those who cannot tolerate milk

nutrient uptake is without experiencing bloating and
likely gastrointestinal discomfort can
safely eat yogurt or other fermented
compromised. milk products. The probiotics in the
yogurt break down the lactose be-
fore it causes problems.
Probiotics produce short-chain
fatty acids, such as butyrate, propi-
onate and acetate. They act as fuel
for the cells that line the intestine
and appear to protect against mu-
tagenic cell changes that can lead
to cancer.
Recent research suggests that
probiotics may be a useful adjunct
to therapy for manic-depressive
illness. People suffering from that
condition have elevated levels of
pro-inflammatory cytokines, in-
creased oxidative stress and altered
gastrointestinal function. They
have decreased nutrient uptake and
are often deficient in omega-3 fatty
acids. More important, they usually
also have an overgrowth of bacteria
in their small intestines, which
limits nutrient uptake.
They also experience higher
levels of stress, which is known to
decrease levels of beneficial bacte-
ria. That’s important because one
effect of probiotics is to modify
Neveux \ Model: Sebastian Siegel
immune response; in depressed

people, the immune response is out
of whack. Probiotics lower levels of
inflammatory cytokines, decrease
oxidative stress through antioxidant
activity and improve nutrient up-
take by lowering levels of bad in-
testinal bacteria.
Bug World
Some research shows that the

type of fat you eat affects your
body’s probiotic levels. One exam-
ple is research showing that omega-
6 fatty acids, such as various
vegetable oils, inhibit probiotic-
bacteria growth. Omega-6 fats are
also potent inflammatory agents in
the body and are linked to cancer
development and out-of-control
oxidative reactions. By contrast,
omega-3 fatty acids, or fish oils,
promote the growth of probiotics,
decrease inflammation and pro-
mote probiotic adhesion to the
intestinal wall, which is essential to
their function. The combination of
omega-3s and probiotics may pro-
mote positive effects on mental
health.
A common question is whether
it’s best to get probiotics from the
food you eat or in dietary supple-
ment form. Some scientists prefer
the food route for synergistic rea-
sons. For example, eating whey
proteins promotes the body’s pro-
biotic uptake, and some whey-
protein supplements now contain
probiotics, which makes nutritional
sense. The buffering effect against
stomach acid that occurs when you
Neveux \ Model: Marvin Montoya
put food in your stomach also pro-

motes probiotic uptake.
In order to get the benefits of
probiotics in your diet, you’d need
to drink about a liter, or just over a
quart, of acidophilus milk per day.
Keep in mind that probiotic effects
are transient; they don’t stay too
long in the body and are swept out
Some preliminary with other bacteria. So you need to
get them in there on a regular basis.
evidence shows that Taking several strains of supple-
probiotics help mental probiotics should easily get
prevent cancer. In you to beneficial levels.
one study The question of whether probi-
otics are in any way toxic is a sensi-
Lactobacillus ble one, as we’re dealing with
acidophilus blocked bacteria and yeast organisms.6
colon cancer in rats. Some studies indicate that a person
with compromised immunity needs
to be careful when using probiotics
because they can lead to excessive
immune stimulation. Prebiotics,
which are indigestible carbohy-
drates that promote bacterial fer-
mentation and probiotic growth,
can cause problems simply because
they can’t be digested.7 Too large a
dose of prebiotics can draw water
into the gut and cause excessive

Bug World
gas, bloating, abdominal pain and Various factors

diarrhea. affect the
Perhaps the main problem with
probiotics is that you may not be composition of
getting what you pay for. In a study
presented at the annual meeting of
bacteria within
the American Society for Microbiol- the body: age,
ogy in 2001, Belgian scientists re-
ported on 55 commercial probiotic immune status,
products. Included in the study stress, alcohol
were 25 dairy supplements and 30
powdered products. More than a intake.
third of the powdered products
contained no live bacteria, while
the liquid products all did. Only 13
percent of the supplements, howev-
er, contained all the strains listed
on the label. A third of other prod-
ucts contained bacteria not listed
on the label, though they proved
harmless.
The best type of supplement is a
combination of liquid dairy-based
probiotics and prebiotics called
synbiotics. Keep such supplements
refrigerated to maintain maximum
potency.
Bodybuilders and other you maintain a healthy gut environ-
athletes often overlook ment, aid immunity and promote
the importance of health and muscular gains.
maintaining an effi-
cient digestive sys- References
tem, as promoted by
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth
probiotic supple- 1 Koop-Hoolihan, L. (2001). Pro-
ments. But let’s face phylactic and therapeutic uses of

it: If you suffer from probiotics: a review. J Am Dietetic
gastrointestinal Asso. 101, 229-238.
illnesses, your nutri- 2 Isolauri, E., et al. (2004). Probi-
ent uptake is likely to otics. Best Practice and Res Clin

be compromised. Gastroentr. 18, 299-313.
When that happens, 3 Zubillaga, M., et al. (2001). Ef-
you can gulp down fect of probiotics and functional

the most expensive, foods and their use in different
high-tech supple- diseases. Nut Res. 21, 569-579.
ments available and 4 Rolfe, R. (2000). The role of
still get zero benefit. probiotic cultures in the control of

Probiotics will help gastrointestinal health. J Nutr. 130,
396S-402S.
5 Guarner, F., et al. (2003). Gut
flora in health and disease.

Lancet. 361, 512-519.
6 Marteau, P., et al. (2004). Tol-
erance of probiotics and prebi-

otics. J Clin Gastroenterol. 38,
S67-S69.
7 Van Loo, J. (2004). Prebiotics
promote good health. J Clin Gas-

troenterol. 38 Supp. 2, S70-S75. IM

Holiday
Gift Guide
Muscle Stuff Every
Dedicated Lifter Would Love
to See Under the Tree
E\WKH(GLWRUV
3KRWRJUDSK\E\0LFKDHO
1HYHX[

T
Ab Bench:
he holidays are right The Midsection Machete
around the corner, and Standard crunches are only half
that means gifts—to get an ab exercise; they miss the critical
stretch position.
and to give. And what bet- And adding weight
to crunches can be
ter gift to give—or get— downright impossi-
than the gift of muscle? ble (Ow, my aching
neck!). The Ab
Having more muscle bolsters well- Bench is the an-
being, self-confidence and strength, swer. It gives you full-range rectus
abdominis work—from full stretch
plus it stimulates your metabolism so to complete contraction—plus
you can more easily burn off that fat, er, progressive resistance when you
add barbell plates to the weight tray
um, bulk you’ve packed on for winter (plates not included). You get all
insulation. If you don’t know what to that while seated on a comfortable
incline with a rounded foam-
give your favorite bodybuilder or what padded lower-back pad so you can
to hint that you’d like in arch for full-range work. Use the Ab
Bench to etch extraordinary abs in
your stocking, we have no time, as well as for lower-back,
chest and biceps work. Special
plenty of ideas. Get out holiday price: $149 (retails for
a pencil and paper and $299).
make your wish list, ad-
SuperGripper
dressed to the North Pole,
You’ve probably read that in-
of course. (If Santa has creasing your grip strength can do
shafted you before and everything from helping you build
bigger arms to driving up your
you think he may not get bench press
you everything you ask for, poundage. Consid-
er also that your
the items in this guide are forearms are your
most visible body-
available from Home Gym part. Have you ever
Warehouse, (800) 447-0008 seen a bodybuilder
in a short-sleeved shirt? What’s the
or at www.Home- first thing you notice? His meaty
Gym.com). —the Editors forearms and the wicked veins
crawling down them. Sure, barbell
wrist curls are okay, but you also
need to work the squeezing aspect.
That’s where the Super-
Gripper, the finest fore-
arm- and grip-building
tool on the market, comes
in. Its power coils make
the resistance adjustable—
from five to 150 pounds—
and you can get more coils
as your forearms become
unbelievably powerful.
Just be careful when you
shake someone’s hand
with your new bone-
crushing grip. $29.95.

PowerBlock: The Each selectorized dumbbell is the size
Ultimate Selectorized
Dumbbells of a shoebox. Simply move the pin up
How’d you like to have more than or down, and the poundage you want
a ton’s worth of weights in only a
two-foot-square area? Impossible? stays on the handle while the other
Not with the
PowerBlock. Each plates stay on the stand. Ingenious and
selectorized
dumbbell is the
size of a shoebox,
a must for every home gym.
making the set
ideal for home pounds per dumbbell in five-pound include specific rotator cuff exercis-
training. It’s like buying 56 dumb- increments, the Elite Set 1 ($588 es and how to do them; stretching
bells but not using up every square plus shipping) goes from five to exercises for your pecs, delts, biceps
foot of floor space in your home to 90 per dumbbell, and Elite 2 ($848 and external rotators to keep you
hold them (and just imagine what plus shipping) goes from five to injury free and growing as fast as
all those fixed dumbbells would 130. possible; weight-training exercises
cost). Simply move the pin up or to modify or avoid to protect your
down, and the poundage you want
stays on the handle while the other
The 7-Minute shoulders; the bodybuilder’s com-
plete injury-prevention routine;
plates stay on the stand. Ingenious Rotator Cuff and technical info, from detailed
and a must for every home Solution biomechanics to pathology. Author
trainee—or even if you just like to Joseph Horrigan is a doctor of chi-
do an occasional home workout. Tired of hearing ropractic who owns and operates
Try training your arms and shoul- a certain someone the Soft Tissue Centers in Califor-
ders at home with your PowerBlock whining about sore nia; he also pens IRON MAN’s
and an adjustable bench and your shoulders or stalled Sportsmedicine column. Coauthor
other bodyparts at the gym. Or give bench press Jerry Robinson, the founder of
your weak bodyparts a home-gym poundages? Gift- Health For Life, is a prominent
blast on the weekend. The wrap a copy of this researcher and has written more
PowerBlock comes in three models: 140-page, large-format book, and than 20 books on training. A gift of
The Elite Trainer ($349 plus watch those whines turn to grins. this book is like the gift of pain-
shipping) goes from five to 50 Shoulder injury is one of the major free—and power-packed—shoul-
reasons trainees have to sacrifice ders. It’s a must-have for every
gains on many of the most impor- serious weight trainee. $29.95.
tant strength- and mass-
building exercises—from
bench presses to chins to Champ-Training
pulldowns. With The 7- DVDs
Minute Rotator Cuff Solu-
tion you can bulletproof About the only thing more moti-
your shoulders or rehab vating than watching a bodybuild-
injured ones. The contents ing champion train on a DVD is
seeing that champ work out in
person. If you’re lucky enough to
live near Jay Cutler (Las Vegas) or
Ronnie Coleman (Dallas), seeing
those giants pumping iron in the
flesh is a possibility; if not, their
DVDs are the next best thing—and
with a DVD you can rewind and
freeze-frame important segments
to get their techniques down pat,
not to mention marvel at their
freakazoid development. By the
way, none of what’s on these DVDs
is staged training footage. You’ll
actually see Ronnie Coleman squat-

With a DVD you intake and water manipulation to mass and covers training methods,
carb depletion and loading to con- split routines, eating for maximum
can rewind and test-day meal plans. This large- results, all the best exercises for
format book features the best every bodypart (including large
freeze-frame bodybuilders in the world, includ- illustrations, perfect for beginners)
important ing Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates,
Dexter Jackson, Lee Priest, Mark
and preparing for competition
(from diets to the mandatory
segments to get Dugdale, Victor Martinez, Jay Cut- poses). Hansen has been one of
ler, Troy Alves and Ahmad Haidar, IRON MAN’s most popular colum-
Jay’s and Ronnie’s among others. It goes into each nists for years, and IM editor in
techniques down competitor’s finishing touches,
providing plenty
chief Steve Holman is quoted on
the back of the book: “John Hansen
pat, not to mention of motivational is one of the most knowledgeable
quotes and per- drug-free body-
marvel at their sonal insight. It’s builders on the
almost 500 pages, scene today. His
freakazoid so wrap this tome passion for lifting
development. tight, and watch permeates his writ-
the gift getter pump up just from ing and pumps up
lifting it. Special holiday price: the reader with the
$39.95 (you save $10). information and motivation neces-
ting more than 800 sary for the best gains possible in
pounds and leg-
pressing more than a
Natural the gym.” Amen. $21.95.
ton. They’re the ulti- Bodybuilding “Hansen is one of

mate stocking stuffers
for hardcore bodybuilding fans: Jay John Hansen is a two-time Natu- the most
Cutler’s “Ripped to Shreds” two-
DVD set, $29.95; Ronnie Coleman’s
ral Mr. Universe and Mr. Natural
Olympia winner, so he knows a few
knowledgeable
“The Cost of Redemption,” $29.95. things about building drug-free drug-free
mass. He’s put all of that knowledge
into a large-format book that’s a bodybuilders on the
Precontest Bible perfect gift for anybody interested scene today.”
in building more muscle. Hansen
Speaking of the champs, now you goes into detail about sizing up
can get the exact details and secrets your genetic potential for building
of how the world’s best bodybuild-
ers get into mind-blowing, contest-
winning condition. You’ll see their
precontest training and cardio
schedules—the workouts, including
sets, reps and bodypart splits; pre-
contest diets and supplementa-
tion—exact meal-by-meal
breakdowns, including food mea-
surements and full supplement
programs; and details of what they
do during the last week, from food

“Sizzlefest” Often referred to contracted-position exercises for
Here’s a DVD (also available in every bodypart and more than 20
VHS) that will keep the fires of mo- as the POF bible, complete programs, like the POF
tivation roaring through the winter. Postactivation
It’s IRON MAN’s hottest of the hot it’s loaded with Routine, the POF
from all of the best-selling Swimsuit Hyercontraction
Spectacular videos. It’s just about
ammo that all Routine and the
the coolest stocking stuffer any guy
could ask for, but keep this one
bodybuilders— POF Compound
Aftershock Routine.
under wraps, as it’s only for the 18-
and-older set. It’s
novice to A bargain at
$19.95. The new Critical Mass POF
jam-packed with
sensational re-
advanced—can DVD is also available at a special
holiday price: $24.95 (you save
edited footage, use in packing on $10).
much of it way too
erotic to publish in impressive new X Stack
the magazine. It’s
14 hot, beautiful babes primping muscle. This is the perfect postworkout
and posing in locations from combo for building serious muscle
mountains to the sea, wearing size fast. After a workout you want
almost nothing. Ahmo, Amy, Ashley, packing on impressive new muscle. fast protein to repair damaged
Cori, Frostee, Karla, Laura, LeAnna, Train, Eat, Grow represents the muscle and enough glycogen from
Linda, Paulina, Rebecca, Tanya, evolution of information acquired fast carbs to refill spent energy
Timea and Tina Jo, uncensored and from years of experimentation in stores and spike insulin to enhance
uninhibited. Wow! Special holiday the IRON MAN Training & Research supercompensa-
price: $19.95. Center. With diet and supplement tion. That kick-
tips, meal-by-meal starts the
Train, Eat, Grow: eating schedules
and a full 16-week
muscle-rebuilding
processes. And
The Positions-of- mass-building because your mus-
Flexion Muscle- master plan, the cles are so recep-
Training Manual book has what you
need to pack your
tive at that critical time (the fabled
anabolic window) you want to add
This classic is a must-read for all physique with some serious new creatine for ATP regeneration to
weight trainees. Often referred to as mass and cuts. Its 224 pages con- fuel future muscle contractions and
the POF bible, it’s loaded with tain tons of invaluable info, includ-
ammo that all bodybuilders— ing midrange-, stretch- and This is the perfect
novice to advanced—can use in
postworkout combo
for building serious
size fast.
It’s jam-packed
with sensational
re-edited footage,
much of it way too
erotic to publish in
the magazine.
Pay for the swell muscle cells. Combining Re-
coverX, a postworkout mix of fast
e-book with your carbs (60 grams) and fast protein
(40 grams), with CreaSol titrated
credit card, creatine (five grams per serving)
cranks on the muscle-refueling and
download it and mass-building ignition. We call
them the X Stack—the exact nutri-
burn it to a CD from ents your muscles crave for more
your computer. growth right at that critical window.
It’s time to ignite the anabolic surge
That gives you an you deserve for your intense efforts
in the gym and make the 20-
instant gift in about pounds-of-muscle New Year’s reso-
lution come true before summer.
15 minutes. With the X Stack you get three
three-pound-plus canisters of Re-
coverX and one bottle of CreaSol
(40 servings) all for only $99.95
(that’s a $50 savings off the retail
price!).
X-citing E-books
What’s cool about these e-books,
aside from the
rock-solid
training info on
X Reps they
include, is that
they provide
instant gratifi-
cation. You go to the Web site,
www.X-Rep.com, pay for the e-
book with your credit card, down-
load it and burn it to a CD from
your computer. That gives you an
instant gift in about 15 minutes.
Heck, you can even print out the
Web page with the cover of the e-
book you’re giving, cut it out and
put it inside the CD case to make it
look customized. Choose from
these four bodybuilding best-sell-
ers: The Ultimate Mass Workout—
Featuring the X-Rep
Muscle-Building Method, $29.95;
X-treme Lean—Fat-Burning and
Nutrition Guide, $29.95; X-traordi-
nary Abs—Etching a Ripped, Rugged
Midsection With X Reps, $19.95;
and Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building,
$29.95. Merry X-Mas!
Editor’s note: To order any of

the items in this gift guide, call
Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-
0008, or visit www
.Home-Gym.com. To download
the X-Rep e-books, go to www
E-books available .X-Rep.com. IM
at www.X-Rep.com.
Abbreviated
Muscle
Training
Building More Mass and
Strength in 30 Minutes or Less
by Christopher Pennington
I
t’s generally believed In actuality, someone may have and are meticulous about their
that abbreviated bad genetics but other factors diets. The take-home message is,
contribute to the situation. For you should not compare yourself to
training was originally example, we’ve all known people the pros, period.
developed for lifters who say they eat and eat and follow What’s more, with so many inno-
known as hardgainers, a strict training schedule but can- vative advances in nutrition, sup-
not gain an inch—which they plementation and training
a term used to blame on bad genetics. When you information—most of which you
describe people who hear those stories, however, you can read about in IRON MAN every
have difficulty gaining need to question whether they’re month—we can not pinpoint the
really true. Are they really eating cause of lack of training gains as a
muscle. The biggest reason enough calories and using an effec- deficiency in one of those three
for their lack of training suc- tive training program? In those very areas. If you take a step back and
cess, according to many rare cases when the answer to both analyze those three factors in your
questions is yes, the person is a own regimen, you’ll be able to
hardgainers, was self-diag- true hardgainer. discover where you’re lacking and
nosed bad genetics. That The problem with the word can start making some improve-
included poor recovery abil- hardgainer is that it’s relative. De- ments.
pending on whom you compare Blaming genetics is a safe, easy
ity. In essence, abbreviated yourself to, anyone could be con- excuse. The truth is that it does no
training grew out of that sidered a hardgainer. For example, good to worry about your genetics.
mind-set: that those who comparing your progress to that of You can’t change them, so you may
a top bodybuilder would cause you as well focus on what you can in-
had limited recovery abili- to quickly conclude that you have fluence, namely how you train and
ties and could not tolerate bad genetics when in fact you’re what you eat. When you focus your
Model: Dan Decker
normal bodybuilding split using an unrealistic yardstick. Top efforts on what you can change
bodybuilders have the absolute and improve, without getting upset
training needed to train dif- best of the best genetics. They also over what you can’t, the gains will
ferently. adhere to rigid workout schedules come.

Abbreviated Training
for the Hardgainer
All that said, don’t throw out the
baby with the bathwater. You may
not be a true hardgainer, but you
can certainly benefit from abbrevi-
ated training. In fact, it is an excel-
lent method of putting on size and
strength. When used correctly for
two to three weeks, this type of
training provides a change from a
typical bodybuilding routine—a
great way of allowing time for su-
percompensation.
Abbreviated training focuses on a
limited number of multijoint, or
compound, movements, using
them for one to two sets of moder-
ate-to-high reps with a heavy
weight. The intent is to train the
whole body at each workout while
keeping the total session short,
sometimes as brief as 15 minutes.
On average, however, a typical
workout will last around 45 min-
utes.
Using high reps and heavy
weights requires longer-than-nor-
mal rest periods. Anywhere from
two to five minutes between sets is
common. Longer rest periods are
usually reserved for maximal-
strength training, but the difficult
nature of abbreviated training
makes them mandatory to ensure
adequate recovery. Normally, you
work your upper body first and
then your lower body. The reason is
that most people will be fried after
doing 15 to 20 reps of squats or
deadlifts, so you want to save those
exercises for the end.
Here’s a typical abbreviated-
training routine:
Monday
Weighted dips 2 x 15-20
Bent-over rows 2 x 15-20
Model: David Dorsey
Close-grip bench presses 1 x 15

Standing curls 1 x 15-20
Squats 2 x 20
Thursday
Bench presses 2 x 15-20
Close-grip pulldowns 2 x 15-20
Seated dumbbell presses 2 x 15-20
Deadlifts 2 x 20

Abbreviated training
$G
focuses on a limited
Model: Lee Apperson
number of multi-
joint, or compound,
movements.
Perform At first glance

only one the workouts may
or two sets seem easy, but if
of moder- you’re using a true
ate-to- 15-rep max, you’ll
high reps find that you won’t
with a be capable of
much more. The
heavy
key is that you
weight.
can’t hold anything
back. That 15th or
20th rep should be
almost impossible
to complete. If it is,
then you can’t help
but grow!
[Editor’s note:
On most of the
above exercises
you can make each
set even more
intense with X
Reps. See “X Files”
Model: Berry Kabov
on page 172 for

details.]
(continued on
page 168)

Abbreviated Muscle Training
Models: Bolo and David Yeung

More Mass and Strength in 30 Minutes
The intent is to train

the whole body at each
Abbreviated Training workout.
Revisited
The reason I discussed the ori-
gins and applications of this tech-
nique is to help you determine how
you might want to use it. Whether
you’re a hardgainer, you’re under
time constraints or simply want a
change in workout stimulus, it’s a
good program to try. The above
routine uses a common abbreviat-
ed workout scheme. Now it’s time
to discuss a new variation that you
can use in specific situations.
I developed this method out of
necessity recently, when I fell into a
168 DECEMBER 2005

major time crunch, something

we’ve all experienced. I had a very
limited time in which to work out,
and I was under additional work
stress that took a toll on my energy
reserves. I’m a personal trainer, and
business always picks up during the
summer. It’s the off-season for
many athletes, so they can focus on
making some serious strength and
size improvements before training
camps begin. For me that means
more work and more clients but
less time for my own training. It was
impossible for me to complete my
usual workout.
Everyone involved in training
clients has experienced that para-
dox: The busier you get helping
other people meet their training
gains, the less time you have for
your own.
The first few reps of a Here’s the routine I used for a
Model: Eric Domer
15-rep set will seem month, and it worked incredibly

easy, but the last few well. Not only did I maintain my
will be grueling. size, but I actually gained strength.
That was completely unexpected,
$G

as I really should have been main- muscle in your body. My objective

taining or experiencing some slight was to get as complete a workout as
strength losses. possible quickly and using a mini-
mum number of exercises. I
achieved both of those goals. On
Monday Monday the focus was on heavy
Bench presses (heavy) 3x5
benching and maintenance for the
Deadlifts (light) 2 x 10
deadlift. On Thursday the focus was
on heavy deadlifting, with mainte-
Thursday nance work on the bench press.
Bench presses(light) 2 x 10
Model: Aaron Brumfield

Hitting each exercise twice a week
Deadlifts (heavy) 3x5
provided repetition and intensity
variation so I could avoid burnout.
If you think about it, those two I found this workout to be in-
exercises work just about every credibly productive given my time
Whether you’re a A simple

bench press-
hardgainer, if you’re and-deadlift
under time constraints combo routine
or simply want a change is a great quick
workout.
in workout stimulus,
abbreviated training is an
excellent alternative.
More Mass and Strength in 30 Minutes
Model: Luke Wood

constraints.
After sharing
it with several
clients, I’ve
found that it
works partic-
ularly well for
people who
have heavy-
labor jobs,
such as those
in construc-
tion. It may
not be some-
thing you use
often, but
when you
find yourself
in a time
crunch, give it
a shot and see
what abbrevi-
ated training
can do for
your strength
and your
physique. IM
Model: Andre Nielsen
Try an abbreviated-train-
ing routine for three weeks,
and you may grow as never
before. $G
The key is that you

have to work hard.
You can’t hold any-
thing back. That
15th or 20th rep
Model: Skip La Cour
should be almost
impossible—so you
can’t help but grow!

-F I LE S
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Big Gaining:
The Truth
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-Files
Near the end finish position. Repping out with

of a high- partials there keeps the fast-twitch
intensity set, fibers firing so you get extreme
growth stimulation on any one
when the extended set. It’s super mass-train-
high- ing efficiency.
threshold With that type of overload you
obviously can’t do a lot of sets, but
motor units you don’t need to—because you
are activated, stimulate so many more growth
you’re fibers in any one set. It’s the intensi-
ty vs. duration argument: If you
recruiting the pace yourself, as if you were run-
fast-twitch ning a mile, you can go longer than
fibers that if you sprint all out for 100 yards.
Actually, the pace would be as if you
have the most were doing a whole bunch of half-
potential for speed sprints as opposed to a cou-
growth. ple of all-out sprints.
Model: Tamer Elshahat

As we said, pacing yourself over
many sets—that is, duration—can
work for building more muscle.
Pearl and others have proven that,
but who has time for all those sets?
It has to do with the size princi- conclusion: Train to failure and If you know how to train and
ple of fiber recruitment. On any beyond so you get at as many have the proper tempera-
given set the low-threshold motor growth fibers as possible in any ment for it, doing only a few
units fire first, the mediums fire one set—and you only have to all-out sets can work amaz-
second, and the high-threshold do a few sets for maximum ingly well. You just have to
motor units go last. Near the end of mass results. Regular IRON take some of your sets to
a set, when the highs are activated, MAN readers know that the failure and
you’re recruiting the fast-twitch best way we’ve found so far beyond
fibers that have the most potential to supercharge a set is
for growth. What happens if you with X Reps. To
stop a set early, before positive review,
failure, the way Pearl liked to train?
You reach only a few of those key
growth fibers. How do you get at with X Reps and the
more of them? Simple: You do more new X-hybrid tech-
sets. here’s niques, and you get the
On each additional subfailure set how the technique works: muscle-building job
you get a slightly altered fiber re- When you hit failure on a done faster and more
cruitment pattern, so a few differ- set, you’ve already activated efficiently (that’s why
ent fast-twitch fibers come into more fast-twitch fibers we say a set with X
play—in other words, you get a than you would on a sub- Reps provides two to
little more growth stimulation. So failure set; however, you four times as much
you do all those extra reps up front still haven’t pulled in the growth power as a
just to get at a tiny bit more of the majority of them. Fatigue standard set).
fast-twitch growth fibers. Not very and nervous system X Reps worked
efficient, is it? On the other hand, if exhaustion have stopped some mass-building
you have a low pain threshold or an you short. That’s what magic for us in only
inadequate nervous system or you muscular failure is—a pro- one month the first
just like camping out in the gym so tective mechanism of time we tried them
you can train for three hours at a Mother Nature. To get past (see Jonathan’s before
shot, volume-style workouts are the it, you should move to the and after shots on
way to go. (A lot of it has to do with target muscle’s strongest page 177)—and we
personality.) point on the stroke, the max- didn’t use steroids.
If you’re like us and prefer to force point, and grind out In fact, training with
trigger mass as quickly as possible power partials. The sweet excessive sets, too
(we have jobs, for crying out loud!), spot, as we like to call it, is Bill many that are close to
you’ll want to take the size principle usually below the midpoint positive failure, may
of fiber recruitment to its logical but not all the way to the Pearl. be the very reason
-Files
so many bodybuilders have to re-

Too much
sort to steroids—they need the volume
drugs to help them recover from all and/or too
that stress and overwork. Without
them they’d burn out quickly. When much
you look at it from that perspective, intensity
you see that shorter, X-Rep-style can burn you
workouts are the motivated drug-
free bodybuilder’s best route to out. Phase
maximum mass. Try them, and see training is
for yourself. the way
Even with shorter, X-Rep-style
workouts, however, you have to to keep
Model: Steve Mcleod overtraining
ramp down the intensity on a regu-
lar basis to keep gains coming at a
furious pace. Let us explain.
at bay.
Phase in Huge Gains

get the job done no matter how the gain-sapping
As we’ve said, it’s usually your hard you push. That’s why so many nervous system exhaustion, forcing
nervous system that craps out first bodybuilders do set after set—to more key fast-twitch recruitment.
on an eight-rep set to positive fail- get at a few more of those key fibers When you do X Reps, one set has
ure, and that occurs right when key as the volume mounts—but it’s the power of many, so you can
fast-twitch fibers are beginning to extremely inefficient. significantly reduce your workout
get into the action. In other words, If you add X-Rep power partials time, leaving much more energy for
one set to positive failure doesn’t to a few sets, however, you leapfrog growth. (By the way, X Reps also
ad
-Files
have implications for growth hor- the same overtraining spiral that Your muscle gains will stop dead in
mone surge as well as ties to hyper- occurs with volume training). Don’t their tracks, and your size may even
plasia, or fiber splitting, which we let that happen. A good rule of start to regress. Once that happens,
explain at www thumb is to back off for a week after it’s a deep hole to try to dig out of.
.X-Rep.com.) six to eight weeks of X-Rep work- Of course, the high-set approach
Notwithstanding the benefits, outs. You can use the same weights also puts you in that peril. Doing so
there’s a caveat to using such a on all of your exercises; simply stop many sets takes a severe toll on
powerful mass-building technique: just short of failure on all work your nervous system as well (unless
cumulative nervous system drain. sets—and, obviously, no X Reps you’re really lazy and just going
Sure, training beyond positive fail- allowed. That will give your nervous through the motions or you’re on
ure with X Reps is a faster, more system a chance to regenerate steroids), so no matter which ap-
efficient route to muscle mass than because the stress is reduced. Some proach you use, phase in a low-
doing excessive sets, but you’re trainees may even want to take four intensity, low-set week for the best
tossing around dynamite. You want to six days off from the gym—yep, a gains possible. You won’t lose any
to avoid the gain-killing explosion complete layoff. (That’s very hard size and strength, and you’ll proba-
that can be set off if you abuse X for the extremely motivated to do, bly come back bigger and stronger
Reps’ power. but it may be necessary if the mass- every time.
Basically, if you use the tech- building process is going to contin- We use that approach when we
nique on too many sets and/or for ue.) train for our annual photo shoot.
too many months at a time without If you keep hammering away Last year, during our X-Rep experi-
a break, you could spin into an without a break, you’ll eventually ment, we hammered hard on our
overtraining downward spiral (yes, burn out. What does that mean? reduced-volume X-Rep program
[listed in The Ultimate Mass Work-
out e-book] for five weeks. Then we
Motivation backed off five days before our
can be a shoot, coasting in the gym so our
muscles could supercompensate
double-edged from the fiber-firing sessions. It
sword. Yes, worked. Our physiques looked
you have to better than ever thanks to short,
power-packed X-Rep workouts
train hard, but followed by a brief phase of lower-
you also have intensity supercompensation.
to fight the This year we honed our system
even more, ramping up the intensi-
urge to keep ty with new X-Rep hybrid tech-
pushing to niques like X/Pause, X-centric
the limit training, Double-X Overload and X
Fades and then backing off about
continuously. six days before the shoot. The re-
Periodic sult: We put on even more muscle
medium- with a harder, more shredded look.
We ended up about 10 pounds
intensity heavier and just as ripped (some of
phases are a our new photos are posted at www
must. .Beyond-X.com).
True, you have to train hard, but
you’ve also gotta fight the urge to
keep pushing to the limit continu-
ously. Believe us, it works, big time.
Try it, and then just set your phaser
on “grow.”
Editor’s note: The above is

adapted from material published in
the IM e-zine. You can get an issue
Model: Marvin Montoya
delivered to your e-mail box every

week free: Visit www.X-Rep.com
and click on X-Files. Go to any of
the past installments, and click on
the subscription link at the bottom.
IM
Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty H

Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty
Heavy
Duty The Art of Enhancing
Muscular Definition by John Little
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Heavy Duty
Knowing Where You

contest, the less time you’ll need. Here’s how he described the
Stand
There are several ways in which you method:
According to Mike, the first thing can learn how much of your body is “Hydrostatic weighing involves
an inexperienced competitor must fat; however, the best and most being weighed both in the normal
learn is how to assess his condition accurate ones are rather expensive.” manner and underwater. Because
so that he has sufficient time to At the time Mike was competing, muscle is more dense than water, a
make the changes in training and the most common means of assess- bodybuilder’s lean body mass, or
diet necessary for peaking. The ing body composition was the skin- muscle, will sink and be weighed.
length of time you require to pre- pinch caliper measurement. Mike Fat, which is less dense than water,
pare for a competition will hinge knew of a better, more accurate will float and not be counted. Using
largely on your bodyfat levels. As method from his physiology train- standardized mathematical calcula-
Mike once put it, “The leaner you ing, however, and opted for hydro- tions, the difference between your
are when you begin preparing for a static, or underwater, weighing. normal weight and underwater
weight will tell you how much of
your body is made up of fat and
how much is lean muscle tissue.
Hydrostatic weighing tanks can
usually be found on college cam-
puses (in exercise physiology labs)
and, increasingly, at commercial
establishments that perform physi-
ological tests.”
Today, one has many choices in
determining body composition,
including institutions such as Body
Comp Weight Analysis Center,
which features the “Bod Pod.” That
determines body composition
based on air displacement. The
testing procedure is quick (less than
five minutes) and accurate to plus
or minus 2 percent, which puts its
accuracy on a par with underwater
weighing. Still, the skin-pinch
AD caliper method is popular. In Mike’s

words:
“The skin-pinch caliper method
is much simpler but not always as
accurate. The procedure involves
measuring the thickness of skin
folds at various points of the body,
usually the biceps, triceps and
lower back. By comparing these
values to a standardized chart,
bodyfat levels can be determined.
Calipers can be found in some
pharmacies and all medical-supply
stores.”
If you know how many pounds
of fat you need to lose, you can
calculate how long it will take to
reach a highly defined condition,
which for bodybuilding purposes
would be in the neighborhood of 3
to 6 percent.
Of course, the simplest and least
expensive method of assessing
physical condition is to merely look
in the mirror—a method that Mike
also recommended:
“Are your chest muscles clearly
delineated around the edges, giving
Heavy Duty
right up until the day of the contest weight training simply to burn
and cut your calories to a below- calories isn’t a good idea. The rea-
maintenance level to lose bodyfat. son is that oxygen must be present
As you gain muscle, your metab- for fat to be metabolized for energy.
olism goes up, and you burn more The demands for energy imposed
calories over a greater period of by anaerobic activity—such as
time. If you need to lose bodyfat weight training or sprinting—are so
more quickly, however, you might great and immediate that oxygen
need to include aerobic activity to can’t be supplied rapidly enough to
hasten the process. And while it’s metabolize fat for that energy. Only
true that increased levels of physi- the sugar stored within a muscle—
cal activity burn more calories and called glycogen—can be metabo-
lead to faster weight loss, using lized in the absence of oxygen.
your pecs a squared-off look? Can
you grab fat in the nipple area, or is
the skin tight and close to the mus-
cle? What about the area around
your navel? Does it jiggle, or is it
tight, with no visible roll of fat? One
area that provides an excellent
indication of your overall condition
is the lower back, right above the
hips on either side of your spine. If
you can grab an inch or more of fat
in that area, you’ll probably need
up to 10 weeks of rigid dieting to get
ripped.”
Before a competition Mike would
frequently pinch the skin around
his navel to see if it was thinning
out. If it was, and his muscle size
and strength levels were intact, he
knew it was okay to continue what
he’d been doing. If not, he’d make
the necessary adjustments in diet
and/or aerobic activity. According
to Mike:
“Five or six weeks should be the
minimum length of time allocated
for contest prep, while anything
AD
more than 10 to 12 weeks becomes
too taxing on both mind and body.
Look at fat loss logically: Even on
the most severe diet the maximum
amount of fat you can possibly lose
in one week is three pounds. At that
rate you’d lose 18 pounds in six
weeks, allowing no time for error or
backsliding. Losing two pounds of
fat a week is a more realistic goal,
and it reduces the probability of
losing muscle mass. If you try to
lose fat too fast, you’ll inevitably
burn some muscle for energy.”
Physical Activity and

Bodyfat Loss
There are two methods of effec-
tively losing bodyfat while retaining
muscle mass. The first is to build
muscle with high-intensity training

Heavy Duty Running is
a more
efficient
fat burner
than rid-
According to Mike: being burned for fuel and decreasing an
“The best formula when preparing the use of bodyfat. “If you can’t exercise
ing for a contest includes weight talk easily while jogging or cycling, bike.
workouts that progressively decline you’re working too intensely,” Mike
in intensity the last two weeks prior once said. “Perform your aerobics
to a show and aerobic activity that at a ‘conversational’ pace, and
increases in duration and frequency you’ll be using up to 90 percent
over the final four to six weeks. At stored fat as fuel.”
the start of your contest prepara- Of course, diet is just as impor-
tion period your weight training tant as increased activity in getting reaching peak shape on contest
sessions should be very intense. As your bodyfat levels down. It doesn’t day—if you’ve properly assessed
a result, your aerobic activity matter how active you are, if you your initial physical condition and
should be of relatively short dura- continue to take in more calories given yourself enough time to cut
tion; bicycle riding six to 10 miles at than you burn off through activity, up. Eat a well-balanced, reduced-
a slow-to-moderate pace once or you’ll be unable to lose fat. Mike calorie diet, and you’ll get ripped.
twice a week, combined or alternat- advised that the safest and most An occasional ice cream cone or
ed with jogging 1 1/2 to two miles, effective approach to dieting to lose piece of cake won’t hurt, as long as
will be enough. bodyfat for a contest is to maintain you maintain a daily calorie intake
“As the contest approaches, rid- a diet that’s lower in calories. A below your personal maintenance
ding your body of fat becomes the well-balanced diet is composed of levels.”
ever-increasing concern. Then the 60 percent carbohydrates, 25 per- Mike advised bodybuilders who
intensity of your training should cent proteins and 15 percent fats, wanted to lose bodyfat and main-
decrease somewhat, while the du- with the foods derived from the tain muscle at the same time to
ration of the aerobic, or fat-burn- four basic food groups—meats, continue to train as usual, in Heavy
ing, activity increases. I would fruits and vegetables, dairy prod- Duty high-intensity style—that is,
suggest cycling at least twice a week ucts and grains and cereals. no more than one workout every
for 30 to 45 minutes and running Remember, as long as you take in four to seven days, no more than
up to three or more miles two addi- fewer calories than you need to one to two sets per bodypart and
tional times during the week on meet metabolic and physical activi- employing high-intensity principles
days you don’t do aerobic cycling. I ty energy requirements, you’ll lose such as preexhaust and forced and
prefer running to cycling because it fat. If you require 3,000 calories a negative reps. As your energy input
burns calories more quickly, but day to maintain your weight and all has been lowered, however, your
you may prefer cycling, as it is less of a sudden you reduce that to overall energy levels—and hence
traumatic to the knee and ankle 2,000 calories, you’ll lose fat. There your ability to generate high-inten-
joints. Jogging a mile burns 100 to is no magic fat-loss product. All sity muscular contractions—will
120 calories, or roughly 15 calories supplements are derived from diminish accordingly.
per minute, while cycling at a mod- foodstuffs (rather than drugs),
erate pace (approximately eight to which are derived from the three Editor’s note: For a complete
13 miles per hour) burns about macronutrients—protein, carbohy- presentation of Mike Mentzer’s
eight calories per minute.” drate and fat—all of which contain Heavy Duty training system, con-
Mike advised that one’s aerobic calories. Eating too many calories sult his books Heavy Duty II and
training should be performed at results in the creation of fat on your High Intensity Training the Mike
what he termed a “relaxed pace.” If body—and too many protein calo- Mentzer Way and the newest book,
you’re gasping for breath during ries will make you just as fat as too The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, all of
your aerobic exercise, you’re in- many calories derived from carbo- which are available through the ad
creasing the proportion of sugar hydrates or fats. As Mike once said, on page 239 of this issue, from
“A calorie is a calorie, no matter Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-
what the source.” 0008, or by visiting Mentzer’s offi-
Calipers can
help you cial Web site,
with fat-loss How to Lose Fat www.mikementzer.com.
goals. John Little is available for phone
To lose fat, Mike advised simply consultation on Mike Mentzer’s
reducing your calories to a lower Heavy Duty training system. For
daily figure: rates and information, contact
“Don’t be too drastic at the start. Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519 or
Begin by cutting 500 calories per at www.mikementzer.com, or see
day. As each week passes, reduce the ad mentioned above.
your food consumption by perhaps Article copyright © 2005, John
200 more calories per day. The Little. All rights reserved. Mike
gradual reduction, coupled with Mentzer quotations provided cour-
progressively increased aerobic tesy of Joanne Sharkey and used
activity, will inevitably result in with permission. IM
Magnus
Samuelsson
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Magnus Samuelsson
bad-guy persona, Magnus is not

among the macho posturers:
“Being rude is not the way to get
the world to treat you better,” he
says with a laugh. “There is no
reason to be arrogant.
“You don’t have to act tough,” he
adds. “You have to be tough, and
it’s a difference. It’s easier to try to
act tough, but it’s more important
to be tough when it really matters.
When you’re not competing, you
should be as nice as you want
everybody else to be to you.”
Magnus’ biological furnace
burns about 8,500 calories a day.
As you might guess, he takes in a
lot of food, in addition to gainer-
type drinks, and it includes two
basic meat-and-potatoes meals,
which are his favorite. Even though
he grew up on a dairy farm and
there’s a classic link between
drinking milk and building muscle,
Magnus claims he’s not a big milk
drinker, although he consumes
about a liter of yogurt with break-
fast and drinks about a liter of milk
with his meals.
Training is where you pay your
dues, and Magnus began training
at home as a teenager with his
Years ago stellar arm wrestler Above: Samuels-

John Brzenk explained to me that son takes the
the person most likely to get his nearly 400-
arm broken in an arm-wrestling pound Husafell
match is the guy who lifts weights stone for a stroll
but doesn’t arm wrestle and who’s across the
put against an experienced arm desert at the ’97
wrestler. Combine that with bad World’s
luck and/or imperfect refereeing, Strongest Man
and the next sound you’d hear contest. Right:
would be something like snapping One of Magnus’
a drumstick off a chicken. Magnus nicknames is the
was paired against nearly seven- Stone King. He
foot Nathan Jones, a lifter but not usually wins
an arm wrestler, and the script John that event in any
Brzenk had described rolled out to contest he en-
the letter. ters.
Okay, it wasn’t exactly the kind of
World’s Strongest Man debut that
Samuelsson had wanted, but at
least everybody knew who he was,
and from that point forward his
strongman career took off.
While some guys on the fringe of
the strength world like to adopt a

Magnus Samuelsson
brother after school and after all his

farm chores were done.
“I am a workaholic in the gym,”
Magnus says. “That’s my problem,
and I have to tell myself not to train
too much. This is the most com-
mon mistake—training too much.”
As a result, in the last year and a
half Magnus has been moving to-
ward shorter workouts. He doesn’t
make a big deal about it, but be-
cause he is a clean athlete, it’s espe-
cially important that he avoid You can see why it’s said
overtraining. that Samuelsson’s arms
Magnus’ preferred workout
schedule is two days on, one off. are bigger and stronger
than most men’s legs.
Day 1: Chest and Triceps Check out the size of
those guns.
Chest
1) Bench presses: four or five
sets, with the last set an absolute
max for five reps—or he does five
singles. Magnus benches around
600 pounds, touch and go, without
a bench press shirt, and he may
finish off a bench workout by bang-
ing out 20 reps with 150 or 160
kilograms (330 or 353 pounds).
2) Incline presses: doubles or
triples to failure.
3) Incline dumbbell presses:
one or two sets of 15 to 20 reps.
He alternates bench presses and
incline-bench presses from week to
week.
Triceps
1) Pushdowns: 1 x 15, 1 x 10
2) Dumbbell overhead exten-
sions: pyramiding up but always
using very strict form and being
particularly careful not to bounce at
the bottom.
Day 2: Legs
Front squats: Magnus says,
“This is the key for practical
strength in strongman events—
from Conan’s wheel to the truck
pull; I do doubles or triples to fail-
ure and always squat down to the
absolute bottom.”
Leg presses: either three sets of
five to six reps or one set of about
10 to 12 reps that is absolutely all
out (“I see stars”). Magnus prefers
the latter, and he says he makes a
contest out of it, trying to beat
whatever he did in the previous
workout.

Magnus Samuelsson
Day 3: Rest
sides and ends with them facing instead. For aspiring strongmen,
upward. Magnus starts at one end Magnus advises doing “everything
Day 4: Shoulders and of the rack, going for eight to 10 standing—you must be comfort-
Biceps reps, and if he hits eight reps, his able standing.”
reward is to move up to the next Sometimes he does cleans from
Biceps: “Biceps have always weight. the hang (the bar isn’t lowered all
been my strength,” Magnus says, Shoulders the way to the ground); when it gets
and when you’re talking about 23- 1) Power cleans and push down to about knee height, Magnus
inch arms, you know that he isn’t presses/jerks: on alternate weeks starts the next rep of the power
kidding. he does push presses from the rack cleans.
1) Straight-bar curls: 15 reps
(60 kilos, or 132 pounds); 10 reps
(100 kilos, or 220 pounds); 10 reps Mangus took a
(100 kilos); 15 reps (80 kilos, or 176 crack at the world-
pounds)—“just enough weight for famous and fully
the muscle to get the message,” fearsome No. 4 Cap-
says Magnus. In terms of style, he tains of Crush grip-
says he doesn’t do superstrict curls per. Now, that’s a
but isn’t really loose or cheating
powerful grip—and
with them either.
2) Dumbbell curls: nothing it was just after
unusual as far as style is concerned. he’d finished the ’04
He starts with his palms facing his Strongest Man con-
test.
None of the cleans are done with

the polished technique of a com-
petitive weightlifter: Magnus just
rips the bar off the floor with a
mighty one-pull effort!
2) Standing dumbbell press-

es: three to four sets of 10 to 15
reps.
Day 5: Back
1) Deadlifts: the main exercise.
Magnus alternates between a heavy
week and a light week. Heavy dead-
lifts follow the workouts when he
does push presses for shoulders,
and lighter deadlifts follow the
workouts when he does power
cleans and push presses/jerks for
shoulders.
2) Seated rows or chins.
3) Bent-over rows.
Grip Training
Magnus does it on leg and back
days, and it consists of three move-
ments:
1) Grippers: He warms up with
the No. 2 Captains of Crush gripper

Magnus Samuelsson
and then moves to the No. 3. When Strongman Team Event (in Harden- “You need to have this belief that
he’s feeling strong, he goes on to the berg, Netherlands), Magnus said, you can succeed, that nothing is
No. 4. Magnus is one of five men in “Hey, Randy, watch this.” Click, impossible. You need to have this
the world who have officially closed click—Magnus tapped the handles belief in yourself, that if you just do
the No. 4 Captains of Crush gripper on a No. 3 Captains of Crush grip- your best, then you can win. You
and at this writing is thought to be per, both right-handed and left- must believe that you have this gift,
the only man in the world capable handed, as easily as if they were that you can beat everybody if you
of closing the gripper starting with plastic castanets, and at the 2004 just do your best.”
the handles spread wide enough to World’s Strongest Man contest, Looking at Magnus Samuelsson,
let a credit card fit between them, Magnus’ brother Torbjorn told me you can see that he must have, and
rather than using “a deep set” to that closing the No. 4 Captains of it must be true, because he did.
start. Crush gripper has become a regular Editor’s note: Randall J.
2) Wrist roller: He uses the thing for Magnus—an amazing Strossen, Ph.D., author of five books
sleeve on an Olympic bar as a wrist statement about his hand strength. and more than 200 articles, is the
roller and does three sets. Magnus is also a past world-record founder and president of IronMind
3) Finger curls with a straight holder on the Rolling Thunder (a Enterprises, Inc., known worldwide
bar: Standing with his arms hang- popular test of hand strength), and for products that are designed for
ing straight down, Magnus lets the he seems capable of resetting the and used by the strongest people
bar roll down to the tips of his fin- world record almost at will. on earth. You can see the full range
gers. Then he curls it back up, using Sometimes it’s easy to think that of IronMind products, including
just his finger strength. the importance of a positive mental Magnus Samuelsson’s two DVDs,
Magnus says he “used to train outlook is the stuff only of fairy “Swedish Power!” and “The World’s
loads of grip” in his arm-wrestling tales or pencil-necked armchair Strongest Arms,” in IronMind’s on-
days, and his hand strength is experts, but listen to what this 330- line store. For details visit
something that makes people gasp pound 1998 World’s Strongest Man www.ironmind.com or call (530)
in amazement. At the 1998 World winner says: 265-6725. IM
AD

∂u+∂x+∂y+∂y
=∂p+1Δµ
√xE=∂B
1x+1y=11z
2
=ƒ H ∂x • n d S
∂ƒdS Δ•n=-H
Positioning
Positioning
cs
for
Pe Set Up to Size Up
by Eric Broser
√xE=∂B
A
lthough I pride myself on having a balanced
physique, I’d have to say that my pecs are my stand-
out bodypart. In the off-season I generally wear a
size 54 jacket, but the waist of my pants is only
34. My jacket size is mostly due to the mass and thickness of
my chest more than anything else (which makes me wonder
Δ•n=-H
what size jacket Ronnie Coleman or Marcus Ruhl must
wear—Wow!). Whenever people see me with my shirt off,
their questions and comments are mostly in regards to my
pecs: “How much do you bench?” “How do you find shirts?”
“Wow, your chest is bigger than my wife’s—and she has im-
plants!” But I digress.
The interesting thing about the fact that my chest is now my
best bodypart is that when I started training, it was probably
my worst. While I weighed a paltry 125 pounds at a height
Model: Peter Putman
of 5’11” when I touched a barbell for the first time, you

could still see some muscular development in my arms, shoul-
-x(x2-1)= ders and back. My chest, however, was flat. I looked like an
(x-1)2 ironing board with nipples.

Positioning for Pecs
Smith-Machine Incline Presses
When I started, I So how did I get my chest to go Nope. I used the same old whey,
from minuscule to massive, tiny to casein and egg powders that every-
looked like an ironing titanic, pathetic to powerful? Did I one else uses.
Set Up to Size Up
have a secret exercise taught to me The secret? It’s all about position-
board with nipples. So by aliens from the planet ing.
how did I get my chest Schwarzeneggeron? Nope. I just did Let me illustrate by telling you
the basics—like bench presses, about a friend I used to train with
to go from minuscule to incline presses, flyes, dips and years ago. Every time we went
massive, pathetic to pullovers. Did I have access to an through an intense chest workout,
experimental protein powder devel- doing the same exercises, sets and
powerful? It’s all about oped by Eastern-bloc scientists that reps, he’d say that his shoulders and
positioning. causes site-specific protein synthe- triceps had gotten a tremendous
sis in the pecs’ fast-twitch fibers? pump but that his chest felt as if it

changed much; however, his
shoulders and triceps developed
quite nicely. The strange thing
about my friend’s pec dilemma
was that he trained with great
focus and concentration, used very
strict form and progressed very
regularly in terms of weight lifted
on each of his chest exercises. He
and I eventually chalked it up to
genetics. We felt that he simply did
not have the genetic capacity to
build a thick, massive chest.
Then one day, when we were
nearing a competition we were
both preparing for, just for the fun
of it, we decided to videotape a
chest-training session. We did
bench presses, incline dumbbell
presses, flat flyes and cable
crossovers. We did a pretty com-
plete job of taping all of the exer-
cises from a variety of angles and
heights. Later on, when we were
watching the tape, I noticed some-
thing interesting in the way he was
performing his exercises—some-
thing I’d never really noticed when
I was acting as his spotter. On
every movement, as he reached the
top of the rep, his shoulders were
much higher than his pecs.
That shoulder-lifted position
Ad
was making his chest basically
concave at the point of contrac-
tion. In addition, he was locking
out very hard at the top, but you
could see that he was doing it by
flexing his triceps, not his pecs.
A close grip can stress When I examined my own form, I
the inner-pecs more, could see that my rib cage
but it also brings in remained high throughout a set,
the triceps. Correct while my shoulders stayed down,
torso positioning can pressed into the bench.
My friend was effectively turning
Model: Michael Ryan
shift more emphasis

to your chest. his pec exercises into shoulder and
triceps exercises, while I was opti-
mally stressing my chest. That’s
what I mean when I say position-
ing with regard to chest training.
had hardly been worked. Within the As soon as I pointed out his form
next day or two he would again flaws, my friend set out to correct
complain that he was sore as could them.
be in his front delts and inner tri- During his first chest workout
ceps but felt nothing in his pecs. done with improved body posi-
With me it was the exact opposite. tioning, he could feel a pump and
My chest always got incredibly burn in his chest as never before.
pumped and sore from training it, He also started getting sore pecs,
while my shoulders and triceps which was a first. Within a few
seemed barely touched. months his chest was taking on
Over the years that we trained new fullness and shape and begin-
together, my chest continued to ning to come up to his excellent
grow and grow, while his never delts and arms.
Smith-Machine Bench Presses

Set Up to Size Up
Always arch your

lower back slightly
and raise your
ribcage up high.

If you feel that your pecs are

lagging behind, I urge you to have
someone with a good eye watch
you train chest. Every day at the
gym I see dozens of people com-
mitting the same form flaws that
my friend made. They just don’t
understand that it takes more than
simply lying on a bench, unracking
a bar and pushing it from point A
to point B. Each chest exercise—
bench press, incline press, dip, flye
or crossover—must actually begin
before you even move the weight.
Here’s how to properly position
yourself for pec mass:
1) Lie back on the

bench, and set your
feet firmly on the floor.
2) Arch your lower back
slightly.
3) Raise your ribcage
up high.
4) Squeeze your shoul-
der blades together.
5) Pull your shoulders
downward and push
them into the bench.
During his
first chest
workout done
with
improved
positioning,
he could feel
a pump and
burn in his
Model: Lee Apperson
chest as
Model: Michael Ryan
never before.
Decline Flyes
Incline Flyes
Those same directions apply
to dips and crossovers as well as
seated press and flye machines.
(The part about lying back does
not apply to the machine exer-
cises, but you do want to plant
your feet firmly on the floor.)
Now you’re in position to
achieve maximum pectoral
recruitment with far less delt
and triceps interference. The
This superset is a great

upper-pec builder. Most
trainees don’t realize
that pullovers involve
the upper chest.
Model: Jay Cutler

Set Up to Size Up
Dumbbell Pullovers
Model: Jay Cutler
key, however, is to keep your

body in that position throughout
Set Up to Size Up
the set. It’s not enough to start in

the proper position and then
slowly break back into bad
habits as the set progresses. You
must learn to lock your body and
stay there.
Trust me when I tell you that if
you’re not used to performing
Decline Bench Presses
Model: Berry Kabov

Cable Crossovers
your chest exercises in this manner, Upper-Pec Pounder Lower-Pec Pumper
it will feel awfully strange at first, Incline dumbbell presses 3 x 6-8 Decline-bench presses 3 x 6-8
and you probably won’t be able to Smith-machine bench Decline flyes 3 x 8-12
use your normal weights; however, presses to neck 3 x 8-12 Superset
with time you’ll get used to this Superset Cable crossovers 2 x 8-10
pec-pounding position, and it will Incline flyes 2 x 8-10 Dips 2 x 8-10
become second nature. Eventually, Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 8-10
you’ll work up to the poundage you
were using previously. The greatest
reward, however, will be the new
Middle-Pec Mauler Remember, those
growth you’ll begin to see in your Narrow-grip bench
same positioning
Set Up to Size Up
chest. presses 3 x 6-8

Apply these pec-positioning Smith-machine narrow-grip
steps to the following chest rou- incline presses 3 x 8-12 directions apply to
tines—but don’t be too upset if that Superset
Flat-bench cable flyes 2 x 8-10
dips and crossovers
tux hanging in your closet never fits
again. Pec deck flyes 2 x 8-10 as well as seated
press and flye
machines.
The shoulder-
lifted position
was making
his chest
basically
concave at
the point of
contraction.
In addition,
he was
locking out
very hard at
the top—not
good for
maximum
pec
stimulation.
Editor’s note: For

individualized pro-
grams, online personal
training, nutritional
Model: Cesar Martinez
guidance or contest-
prep coaching, contact
Eric Broser at
bodyfx2@aol.com. IM
Close-Grip Bench Presses

6KUHGGHG%HHI
How Jay Cutler Puts His Muscles

Through the Meat Grinder for
Massive Results
by Steve Holman
I
f you’re a bodybuilder struggling productive at packing on mass. ways to jack up the effectiveness of
to put on more muscle, you no Both Coleman and Cutler use a our own workouts. Let’s uncover
doubt look to the biggest bodies lot of semistretched-position over- some of Cutler’s mega-mass secrets.
in the business for answers. Guys load and partial reps. Each has a
like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler slightly different style, but you can :RUNRXW
just have to know something the bet your biceps they’ve discovered
rest of us don’t—because they’re how to hit their muscles with the Quads. Jay starts by warming up
eye-ball-popping huge! Is it genet- precise stress that triggers tremen- on an exercise bike for 15 minutes
ics? Is it pharmaceutical enhance- dous increases in hypertrophy— and then it’s on to Smith-machine
ment? Is it sheer willpower? Yes, to a and maybe even fiber squats. He does two sets of light
degree, on all of those counts, but if splitting—and you’re about to read nonlock squats, going deep—and
you watch them train, you’ll notice exactly how Cutler does it, as docu- the vascularity materializes almost
something more—a big part of their mented by Mitsuru Okabe on the immediately, streaking down his
secret to extreme muscle size. It’s “Ripped to Shreds” two-disc DVD quads like surgical tubing. Why a
something you can start using set. Thanks to Mits, we can watch nonlock style? Occlusion. Blocking
immediately to make your work- the best bodybuilders train, analyze blood flow to the target muscle
outs three, four or five times more what they do and come up with during a set chokes off oxygen and
All training photos are from “Jay Cutler Ripped to Shreds” DVD ©2005 Mitsuru Okabe Co. All World Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

nutrients so that there’s an emer-
gency rush of blood into the muscle
immediately after the set. That does
great things for warming up the
muscle, not to mention getting the
muscle to grow when it’s combined
with heavier weights on work sets.
After three progressively heavier
warmup sets that include lots of
occlusion, Jay does a concentrated,
deep set with three 45s on each side
of the bar for nine reps. Going
below parallel is a must because it
attacks the semistretched position,
the quads’ max-force-generation
point (you’ll see a lot of this
throughout Cutler’s routine; Cole-
man does the same thing). Then he
adds more weight for the money
set, which is actually a brutal drop
set. He does eight reps, reduces the
weight, does three reps, reduces the
weight again and does four reps. It’s
a wicked extended set!
Next up is leg presses. Jay does a
13-rep nonlock warmup set, then
adds weight for 10 reps. He rests,
then adds weight again for six reps,
but on that set he pauses for a few
seconds at lockout after rep six
before blasting out three more
nonlock reps. You can see his outer
quads twitching from the overload
during that interesting rest/pause
technique.
Now it’s back to the Smith ma-
chine for front squats. He does a
semiheavy warmup with 225 for
five nonlock reps, pauses for a few
seconds at lockout and then does
about four more nonlock reps.
Apparently, occlusion on the
warmup is mandatory. After that he
stacks on more weight and does six
reps nonlock style, racks it, reduces
the weight and immediately does
four nonlock reps. Once again,
every rep is d-e-e-p.
Any mortal would be done after
all of that, but Cutler moves to an
open area of the gym and does
walking lunges. He does stints of
eights in the beginning, and it’s a
nonlock style once again—he stays
low, maintaining a crouched squat-
ting position as he moves forward.
It’s that semistretched-position
overload again. For his last set he
does 10 reps, stands up and pauses,
then does three more reps, stands
up and pauses, and then finishes
with three more reps. From the look
to just out of the start, which you support your weight on
stretch position, pulses your forearms in an upright posi-
for one or two explosive tion; however, this bench is angled
partials, or X Reps, then back. Why? At the bottom of each
drives up through the full leg lift or kneeup you can allow
stroke again. Cutler does your legs to move down past the
that on almost every plane of your torso in order to hit
exercise, so I’ll designate the rectus abdominis’ stretch posi-
that with a hyphen (-) tion. Cutler uses the familiar
between rep numbers. semistretched-point overload tech-
For example, on his first nique as follows: 1 x 5-4-1, 1 x 5-3-1,
hamstring exercise, leg 1 x 6-2-1-1. Between his second and
On lower-ab work he moves his curls, his first work set is third sets he peels off his shirt for
legs past the plane of the 4-3-3-2. That means four some impromptu posing, and it’s
bench for stretch work. continuous reps, an oh-my-God display of vasculari-
semistretch-overload X ty, striations and hugeness that’s
Reps, then three continu- absolutely mind-boggling!
ous reps, more
semistretched-position X :RUNRXW
Reps and so on.
Hamstrings. He Calves. Jay begins with a
starts with leg curls, even warmup set on the standing calf
using the semistretched- machine for 16 reps, and on almost
point-overload tech- every one he does a partial-hitch
nique on the warmup near the bottom of the rep—almost
set: 1 x 8-6-3. His work like a double bounce but with con-
sets are 1 x 4-3-3-2, 1 x 5- trol. Then he does three progres-
1-1-1-1 and 1 x 4-3-1-1. sively heavier sets—1 x 6-2-2-2; 1 x
He employs the tech- 5-2-2-1-1; 1 x 4-2-2-1—rests six
nique rather randomly, seconds, then pushes out three
on Jay’s face you can tell it’s a pun- but the point is that he uses it often more reps. Note that he uses a
ishing movement, although the for extreme muscle-growth stimu- rest/pause on that third work set to
weight is relatively light. lation. extend it. He does a final set of 1 x
He finishes quads with leg exten- He then moves to seated leg 5-3-1-1 (remember, the hyphens
sions, and this is the first time we curls, two sets of 10 with various designate X Reps embedded in the
see shades of the hitch technique pauses in the semistretched posi- set).
that Ronnie Coleman uses on tion for partials. From there he goes Now it’s on to seated calf raises: 1
shrugs. Here’s how Cutler uses it: to the dumbbell rack and does stiff- x 7-4-2-1. He adds weight and does
After one warmup set of 13 reps, legged deadlifts, although his legs 1 x 6-3-1-1-1, rests six seconds and
with partial hitches at the bottom, are not even close to straight (see then does five reps with X Reps on
semistretched position of every the photo on page 215). He does each. His final set is 1 x 6-1-1-1-1-1,
rep—a.k.a. X Reps—he jacks up the two sets of 10 again with various and then he reduces the weight and
weight for his first work set. He semistretched-position overload does 2-1-1-1.
does a few continuous reps, then partials near the bottom on most Chest. Cutler begins his pec
the hitch technique begins. He reps. It’s the same protocol for work on an incline-flye machine,
pauses near the bottom, standing one-leg leg curls—two sets the type with the roller pads at the
semistretched point—that’s right, of 10. crook of each elbow. He does 1 x 4-
the bottom, not the top—and does Adductors. You don’t see many 2-2-1-1-1, adds weight and does 1 x
one to three short partial explo- big men using the adductor ma- 4-1-1-1-1, adds weight and does 1 x
sions before driving through for chine, but Jay Cutler is a stickler for 3-1-1-1. On that last set he pumps
another full rep. After he does 12 details. His sets are 1 x 6-5-5-3; 1 x out about three X-Rep partials at
full reps, he immediately reduces 7-2-2-2; and 1 x 4-1-1-1-1, reduce the end of the last rep.
the weight and does six reps, every the poundage and 1 x 4-1-1. Dumbbell bench presses are next
one with the semistretched hitch Abs. He blasts out three sets of on his agenda. It’s really an awe-
near the bottom of the stroke. He 18 reps on crunches, some inter- some sight when he lies back with
rests and then does a second drop spersed with semistretched-point massive dumbbells in his hands
set interspersed with that impor- partials. Then he stays on the floor, and uses the semistretched-over-
tant semistretched-overload tech- rolls onto one side and squeezes load tactic at the bottom of so many
nique. out oblique/serratus crunches, two reps. It looks dangerous, but at least
To clarify, the semistretched- sets of 12 reps. with dumbbells he can jettison
overload technique is a drive to the Now it gets interesting. He moves them if he gets in trouble. He does 1
top of the stroke, and then he lowers to an Icarian kneeup bench, on x 6-2-1, adds weight and does 1 x 4-

2-1, adds weight and does 1 x ping out all over his gnarly delts.
5-1-1-1. Incredible. He goes to seated
Now he goes back to upper- dumbbell presses, using a seat that
chest work with Smith-ma- has a back support. He ups the
chine incline presses, working weight on every set: 1 x 6-1-1-1; 1 x
all reps through the bottom 5-1-1; 1 x 5-1-1-1.
two-thirds of the stroke only He only does one set of one-arm
(semistretched-point empha- behind-the-back cable laterals: 1 x
sis). Yes, he still employs the X- 5-1-1-1-1. He really stresses the
Rep-style pulses between reps bottom X position on these, and
or groups of reps. First he you can see the medial head firing
pumps out a warmup set of at that low position.
225 x 4-1-1-1. He adds Next it’s rear-delt-machine later-
Jay uses a double- weight—three 45s on each als for three sets, the last of which is
stretch technique side—cranks out 1 x 4-1-1, a drop set combined with
on most of his pauses at the top lockout for a rest/pause—1 x 6-1-1-1-1; 1 x 5-1-1-
exercises between
few seconds and does two reps. 1; 1 x 6-1-1-1—then he reduces the
reps or groups of
Now comes the money set: He weight and does 1 x 4-1-1, rests six
reps. Is he trigger-
ing a fiber-splitting reps 315 x 4-1-1, reduces the seconds and does 1 x 2-1.
effect? weight for 225 x 3-1-1, rests for He must not have been satisfied
six seconds, then does 225 x 2- with his medial-head pump be-
1. Whew! Pec check: They’re cause he moves to one-arm ma-
thick, pumped and striated! chine laterals for one set: 1 x
For cable crossovers Cutler 6-1-1-1. Ah, that’s better. His delts
does 1 x 7-1-1-1 on his first set. make him look as wide as an air-
Then he adds weight and does craft carrier.
1 x 4-1-1-1-1, reduces the Triceps. A warmup set of rope
poundage and immediately pushdowns is first—1 x 15 rapid-fire
does 1 x 3-1-1-1. That may be reps but none to full lockout. Then
the only exercise on which he it’s on to extra semistretched over-
squeezes the target muscles in load for three sets: 1 x 5-3-1-1-1-1; 1
He almost never
holds contractions, the contracted position, but he x 4-1-1-1-1-1; 1 x 4-1-1-1-1-1. He
instead focusing on limits it to about two reps per reduces the weight and does one-
the semistretched set; the rest he works with arm pushdowns, 1 x 3-1-1-1-1.
position. more semistretched-position More pushdowns, but this time
emphasis, pulsing the pecs at he uses a slightly bent bar and an
the top end of the reps. elbows-flared style. He does two
He finishes off his chest sets of 11 reps, moving the bar
work with some pushups just through the top range only—lower
to stretch his pecs, including chest to lower abs.
lots of X Reps performed with Time for some stretch work with
his chest near the floor. single-dumbbell overhead exten-
sions: He does 1 x 7-1-1-1, adds
:RUNRXW weight and then does 1 x 5-1-1; 1 x
5-1-1-1.
Delts. Seated dumbbell He performs two sets of machine
laterals are up first, but they dips to finish off his triceps—1 x 8-
really look like seated wide- 1-1-1; 1 x 7-1-1-1—with various
grip dumbbell upright rows. In pauses and partials at the top and
other words, he doesn’t do bottom of reps.
them very strictly, but that’s Biceps. EZ-curl-bar curls are up
how he gets more resistance at first, and Cutler even does the
the bottom (there’s definitely a semistretched-point pauses on the
pattern here). His first set is a warmup set: 1 x 6-5-4-3. Now he
warmup: 1 x 7-4-3-2. He adds adds weight over three sets: 1 x 6-2-
weight for three more sets, 1-1-1; 1 x 4-1-1-1-1-1-1; 1 x 4-1-1-1-
going all the way up to 70s: 50s 1. He reduces the weight by 40
x 4-1-1-1-1; 60s x 4-1-1-1-1; 70s pounds and does 1 x 3-1-1.
x 4-1-1-1-1. For the last set he For alternate dumbbell curls he
backs off to 65s and does 1 x 4- leans back against a bench that’s
1-1-1-1-1-1. slightly inclined. He supinates his
By now there are veins pop- hand on every rep—thumb forward
Mass-Building Lessons
So what can we learn from Jay’s workouts? As with
Ronnie Coleman, it appears that semistretched- and
stretched-position overload are extremely important for
extreme mass development. I’ve been dissecting the rea-
sons for that important phenomenon for a while now in
the pages of IRON MAN, at www.X-Rep.com and in the e-
books Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building and The Ultimate
Mass Workout. Where Coleman uses a lot of rapid-fire
partials, emphasizing the semistretched point and even
using a hitch at that point on every rep of some exercises,
Cutler’s partial-range technique involves performing a
number of semistretched partials between groups of reps
or between reps. Research ties stretch-position overload
to hyperplasia, or muscle-fiber splitting. Could he be
making it happen with his training style? Interesting.
Due to his partial reps, Cutler also gets a lot of continu-
ous tension, which creates occlusion, or blocked blood
flow. That triggers a full-blown pump as well as a number
of anabolic responses. And keep in mind that it’s continu-
ous tension for extended sets. For example, when he does
cable crossovers for 1 x 4-1-1-1-1, it lasts much longer
than a normal eight-rep set because before each of those
singles he pauses and does a few X Reps at the
semistretched point. That means his eight reps last as
long as a normal 12-to-15-rep set.
I said at the beginning of this feature that we look to the
biggest men in the game for muscle-building answers. As
this DVD illustrates, Jay Cutler is one of the most massive
bodybuilders on the planet—and he’s got some interest-
ing answers when it comes to building more muscle, with
semistretched-point overload at the top of the list.
This Interesting
incline curl machine To complement To end his ab workout, he does
gives Cutler a unique his biceps work, Jay those sideways oblique/serratus
biceps stretch. hits his brachialis crunches on the floor, two sets of 12
muscles with alter- with double hitches at the
nate dumbbell semistretched point on a number of
hammer curls, two reps.
sets of seven to nine Cutler was one week out from the
reps. He interspers- Arnold Classic when this DVD was
es the reps with shot, so after his workout he goes
those hitches he into the locker room for some pos-
likes so much near ing practice. I won’t describe it, but
the bottom of the I will say that you won’t believe your
stroke. eyes—and you will be motivated!
Abs. Jay ends his
workout with a Editor’s note: Jay Cutler’s two-
variety of abdomi- disc “Ripped to Shreds” DVD (three
at the bottom, rotating the dumb- nal work. First he does full-range hours, 15 minutes) is available from
bell as he curls till his palm is up at crunches, with his upper back Home Gym Warehouse at a special
the top. He does one set of eight hanging off a bench so he gets a price: $29.95 plus shipping (regu-
reps, adds weight and does a sec- stretch in his rectus abdominis. He larly $39.95; you save $10!). Call
ond set of six. doesn’t use any weight and per- (800) 447-0008 or visit www
He does machine curls but not forms a lot of double hitches .Home-
on a preacher machine; it’s more of throughout the set near the stretch Gym.com to
an incline-curl simulator for more position: 1 x 5-5-3; 1 x 7-4-3-1-1-1; 1 order. For more
biceps stretch. He performs only x 4-2-1-1-1-1-1. on X-Rep train-
two sets, but the second is a biceps- He gets lower-ab stretch with leg- ing, occlusion
blistering blast: 1 x 4-1-1-1-1-1; 1 x ups on a flat bench, allowing his and
4-1-1-1-1-1, reduce the weight for 1 feet to move down past the plane of semistretched
x 4-1-1, rest six seconds and then his torso to the floor. He does the overload, visit
continue with 3-1-1. It’s a drop set bottom range of the stroke only, www
with a rest/pause chaser. three sets of 14 reps. .X-Rep.com. IM

Lonnie Teper’s
Swami Sez Dept.
Nationals Picks Where there’s a will(more)

There’s Bill
Okay, Mild Bill, your time’s about to arrive. Sure, some folks thought you
should have earned pro status at the ‘03 Nationals in front of your hometown
fans in Miami Beach, but Mat DuVal spoiled your afterdinner plans that night. At
last season’s Nationals, in Dallas, you again had plenty of supporters who felt that
you, not Chris Cook, would wind up with the superheavyweight—and overall—
crowns. Hell, there was even a ruckus in the audience between your supporters
and Cook’s when he was eventually crowned.
Should Bill Wilmore have won either of those shows? Let’s say he could
have won; both DuVal and Cook were at their all-time best and were worthy
champions.
But let’s not dwell on the past. The Swami sez 2005 will see Wilmore and his
5’11”, 250-pound physique finally move up to the next level with an overall win at
this year’s Nationals, which are set for November 18–19 in Atlanta. First of all, Bill
has showed up in terrific condition the past two years, and I expect him to do
likewise this time around. Second, who’s going to beat him? At least
in the superheavyweights? Last year’s third-placer,
Marcus Haley, turned pro with a victory
ADD SWAMI
at the North Americans in Septem-
It’s time for Mild Bill to become Wild Bill.
ber. Jerome “Hollywood” Fer- More Picks’ Pics
guson and Omar Deckard,
fourth and fifth a year ago and both owners of championship physiques, did the Folks like (from far left) Jose
USA and North Americans and are probably burned out for any more battles Raymond, Randall Chaney and Grigori
this year. Atoy-
an
Sure,
could
there can
also find
always be them-
a surprise selves
title con- with pro
tender, cards at
but this evening’s
year has end in
already Atlanta.
seen Phil
Heath come
out of nowhere
to cop the Junior
National and USA
overall crowns. No, the
Swami sez it will be Bill.

omstock

MORE SWAMI RETURNS
Class Warfare Shirts R Us

As for the other divisions And they’re good as Gold’s
So, who else should we keep an After 32
eye on at the Nationals? Possible years of
pros on the way if they can win their owning the
class on the posing dais? Well, for largest-
starters, let’s go with Sting Ray selling logo
Arde, coming off a strong second- brand in the
place finish in the heavyweight class world, Gold’s
at the USA. Grigori Atoyan, sec- Gym has
ond last year in Dallas, is always a come out
Mark threat. Then, there’s the North Caroli-
Erpeld-
with a retro
ing won na duo of Shaun “Ain’t No Chump” edition of the
the Crump and Greg Jones. Ditto for original
light- Randall Chaney, Eddie Linda design. Ric
heavy and Mark Erpelding in the light-
class at
“the Equaliz-
the ’05 heavyweight class. er” Drasin,
North In the middles, I foresee a great former pro The original Gold’s Gym T-shirt,
Liberman
Ameri- battle between Garrett Allin, Stan wrestling designed on a napkin more than
cans. McQuay, Tricky Jackson and 30 years ago, is once again avail-
star, body- able for purchase.
Anthony “Guns” Watkins. And builder,
throw USA champ Jamie Ibone artist, producer, stuntman and then some, de-
and runner-up Sam Bakhtiar in the mix too. signed the logo on a napkin in Zucky’s Deli in
Will Jose Raymond try to three-peat in the welterweight class (USA, Santa Monica in 1973, a time when he was often
Team Universe to date)? Will Perry McRae finally get a pro card? Tell the training partner of the guy who went on to
you what—get your fanny to Atlanta and find out firsthand who’s the best become governor of Kauli-fornia.
in the land. Or log on to www.GraphicMuscle.com, the best contest Web Drasin did the emblem as a favor and never
site going, for up-to-date event coverage, featuring my audio reports and received a dime for his creation. Yes, Irene,
the always sublime stage shots of Bill “Big Daddy” Comstock. justice can be served; after more than three
decades Gold’s teamed up with Drasin this past
summer to bring the design back as a collector’s
item, with Ric’s signature back right next to the
foot, where it all began in the ’70s.
Since Drasin owns the rights to the original
logo, he will now have the opportunity to get a
share of the income Gold’s has generated with
the logo by way of its 600 gyms and 10 million
members worldwide. (Better late than never, eh,
Contest photography by Bill Comstock
Ric?)
Ric
Drasin
(left),
Tricky Jackson here
(left) or Anthony with Bill
Watkins could
make it in the Pearl,
middles. created
the logo
For information on tickets to the NPC National Bodybuilding and as a
Fitness Championships, write to pambetz@aol.com. favor.

A G I N G W E L L D E P T. WATCH OUT FOR
Fantastic 50 Scott Peckham

This figure master is standing the test of time
It was nice to spend some time with Luke
and Robin Tesvich at the Texas Champi-
onships, which were held in Houston in late
July. I’ve known the pair since 1989, the year
they married, and the year Cool Hand Luke
won the mixed-pairs crown with Debby
McKnight and was third in the
middleweight class at the Nationals.
NPC Texas chairman Michael Johnston
brought in the handsome couple to join the
Photo courtesy of Robin Tesvich
judging panel at the state show. Luke, who’s

currently the chairman for Louisiana, has
been a national judge since 2000 and, along
with Robin, promotes the Greater Gulf States
Photo courtesy of Monica Brant

and USA Wheelchair Championships, which
are held in Metairie each June.
Robin, the mother of now-retired fitness
Robin Tesvich really raised the
bar for 50-year-olds when she
and figure competitor Thiel Bradford (who
showed up in this shape to win earned pro status two years ago at 23 and
the masters-50-and-over trophy made the Figure Olympia lineup the same
at the ’05 Southern States. year), might be the hottest 50-year-old in the
land.
After enjoying an evening of dining and dancing with 75 friends and family last
January in celebration of having lived a half century (it was an Italian affair; even Scott Peckham has proved that his
wife’s isn’t the only hot body in the
the band sang in Italian), Robin began dieting for competition. She continued her family.
contest prep while helping Luke promote
their annual event and traveling every other
weekend to judge contests. Scott Peckham was used to the
Having competed in either a beauty stares that headed his way wherever
contest or an NPC event in her 20s, 30 and he went in the physique world, but
40s, Robin moved into her 50s by taking they were usually directed at the
the masters figure, 50 and over, at the lovely lady on his arm, his wife, Mon-
Southern States in August. ica Brant.
Fortunately, Hurricane Katrina didn’t After impressive outings onstage in
cause severe turmoil for the Marrero-based
the first part of 2005, Scott is now
couple. “We did have to evacuate and
spent two weeks in Baton Rouge, and then Robin and Luke raise a glass at
earning stares of his own. The 5’11",
we went to Houston,” reports Robin, “But the Texas Championships last 235-pounder, who turned 35 at the
we didn’t lose our home, which suffered summer. end of September, finished second in
little damage. We are scheduled to move the light-heavyweight class at both
back in October.” the Orange County and Contra Costa
“Luke was also able to keep his vacation plans of a three-week safari in (California) championships, and, like
Ethiopia.” his spouse, Scott usually had the
Robin’s plans included improvements to her physique and a visit to the Mas- best set of wheels onstage. Look for
ters Nationals in 2006. “I want to be the oldest gal in the masters-over-35 lineup. him to hit the national scene in the
What do you think?”
near future.
I think you can hold your own onstage with any age group, young lady.
Peckham and Brant are living in
Marina del Rey, California, but are
planning a move to Austin, Texas, in
For photos, results and reports of all December. Scott sold his gym and
the couple plan on opening a new
sorts from the ’05 Olympia Weekend go facility in Austin sometime next year.
Says Monica, “Scott loves the
to IRON MAN’s Boston Red Sox and is a great soft-
ball player—and husband. And he
can build anything!”
www.GraphicMuscle.com. Especially a quality physique.

Comebacks: Hot Bod Back on the Circuit
On the Road Again

Benfatto to end 14-year
Devo-ted Retirement at the IRON MAN Pro
Any-
body who’s Remember Fabulous Fran-
come into cis Benfatto? At 5’6” and
contact with about 190 pounds, he was
promoter Dave
a smaller version of Steve
Photo courtesy of Dave Liberman
Liberman knows
just how far De- Reeves and was one of
mented Dave will the industry’s premier
go to get your physique artists 15 years
signed check. When
Liberman’s high ago, finishing sixth in the
school classmate, ’90 Olympia, seventh in
Devo lead singer ’91. Earlier that year Fran-
Mark Mothersbaugh, cis had placed seventh at
played the Cleve-
PASSING THE BUCK: DAVE AND MARK the IRON MAN Pro. His last
land Scene Pavil-
ion in August, Liberman did what he does contest, to my
best—badgered helpless Mark until he donated his recollection, was
check from the concert to Dave’s Natural North- the ’92 Mr. O,
ern Ohio Championships, which will be held
in April in Westlake. Whip it, Dave. where he finished
Whip it good. 15th—but he beat a guy
Neveux
named Ronnie Coleman
that day, so it wasn’t all bad.
Fast-forward 13 years. Benfatto, now 47, got Mirror, mirror on the wall, who
the bug to step onstage again after getting in prime shape for an exhibition had the prettiest physique of
them all? Francis Benfatto cer-
at the IFBB South African Championships last year. The occasion for the tainly has to make the first
appearance: to promote his Francis Benfatto Signature Series supplement callout in that round.
line, which is being manufactured by the South American company Mus-
clescience (www.MuscleScience.com).
“I had some pictures taken at the exhibition and since then have not stopped progressing,” says Francis. “This has inspired me
to get back to the pro stage.
“I will bring a new dimension to the science of training by conditioning myself to reach the best level I can without sacrificing my
health and to be in better shape at 47 than I was at 30. I can say, with confidence, that I have not yet reached my full potential and
would achieve this by following my goal with a comeback onstage. Competing at the ’06 IRON MAN would be a dream come true.”
Look for more on fabulous Francis—and one of the classiest physiques of all time—in upcoming issues of IRON MAN.
GYM CHAINS
365 Is Alive Former Gold’s guys launch new venture

Paul Grymkowski and Rich Minzer, two of the major players in the development and
success of the Gold’s Gym licensing program, are teaming up again, this time to create a
new co-ed fitness venture. 365 Fitness will license 8,000-square-feet-and-larger facilities
featuring state-of-the-art fitness equipment, cardiovascular machines and 30-minute ex-
press workouts.
“By focusing on unsurpassed service and cleanliness and providing integrated health
and wellness solutions, 365 Fitness is the re-emergence of simple ideals in the creation of
true profit centers,” said Minzer. “Gold’s Gym in Middletown, New Jersey, is converting to a
Rich Minzer (left) and 365 Fitness. We’ve had more than 100 applications go out, and I’m looking at possible sites
Paul Grymkowski. in Marina del Rey, Venice and Playa Vista [in Southern California].” The duo has also hooked
up with Neal Spruce’s new bodybugg™ system, which includes a Web-based computer interface for users to log their food
intake and plan their menus.
Sounds pretty exciting, guys. For more info on 365 Fitness contact Paul or Rich at (800) 955-4365.

’05 IFBB North American Championships
Welcome to the Pros

Haley’s comet and Kim’s cuts
Add NAC
Con- It look longer than
grats also go expected, but
to Kim Perez, Marcus Haley
the women’s
has finally
overall champ, who
also earned her pro
earned the
card. Perez, with her right to com-
Lenda Murray-esque pete for cash
physique, really by taking the
caught my eye at the overall crown
’04 Nationals, where
at the North
she finished third
in the light-
American
Championships.
Liberman
heavyweight
class. The event was held
five weeks after
KIM PEREZ
Liberman
Haley’s disappointment at
the USA, where he won the su-
perheavyweight class but watched as overall L.T. predicts that North American
champs Marcus Haley and Kim Perez
champ Phil Heath and light-heavyweight winner Fakhri (far left) will more than hold their own
on the flex-for-pay circuit.
Mubarak got the nod to move on to the next level.
The Tampa, Florida, resident has been a pro in waiting for some time now, and he kept punch-
ing away until he got there. Thumbs-up, Marcus. See you at the IRON MAN?
ADD NEW GYMS
Plus New Contests It’s masters time

In case you haven’t heard the news, Bev Francis and Steve Wein-
berger no longer own the Gold’s Gym they’ve run so successfully for the
past 15 years in Syosset, New York. Oh, it didn’t go anyplace, just
changed names—to Powerhouse.
“After three years on our own and 15 years with Gold’s, it was time for
us to move on, personally and from a business standpoint,” says Wein-
berger. “Over the years Gold’s has become a little too corporate for me.
”When we first started the gym, it was 5,000 square feet—today it’s Power couples. Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger
over 35,000. A major reason for the gym’s success is that Bev and I have (opposite ends) with Ronnie Coleman and Ali
put our hearts and souls into creating the best gym we could possibly Bautista in the ’House.
have. I’ve known the Dabish family [Powerhouse founders] for years, and
they always treated us like family. Will, Norm and Krystal Dabish are extremely attentive and helpful, and we knew we had
to make the change. Now we’re focusing on making it the best Powerhouse Gym in the country. There are no hard feelings
towards Gold’s, and I wish them the best.”
Bev and Steve have also added a new contest to their already impressive lineup of shows. The ’06 IFBB Professional Mas-
ters World Championships will run in conjunction with the NPC New York Metropolitan Championships and the IFBB N.Y. Pro
Fitness show in the spring. “Bev and I thought it would be a good idea to put on a masters contest because there hasn’t been
a masters pro show in a couple of years,” says Weinberger. “And with so many masters coming out of the NPC, we figured it
would be a good time to do it. Prize money will be $20,000, with $10,000 going to the winner.”
Sounds like a real powerhouse event, Steve.

CONTEST CORNER HOT SHOTS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LONNIE TEPER BY JERRY FREDRICK
Texas Championships • Houston • July 23
Promoter Michael Johnston with bodybuilding

champs Lisa Guarneiri and Jay Moore.
enter the Home-
Boris prepares to
ffe t. Hi de the children!
Town Bu
Arizona Championships
Phoenix • July 9
Figure
champ Mary
Lila Nance.
Lone Star Classic

Plano, Texas • June 3–4
From left: promoter Miles Nuessle and overall

winners Lynn Widdowson, Rebecca Greaug and
Hugh Henry.
Wile E. Coyot
e’s replacem
looked like
trouble for th ent
roadrunner. e pesky
Southern States Championships
Fort Lauderdale, Florida • August 4–5
Overall bodybuilding champions Bran-
Kneeling: Debi Laszewski and Darin Page, don Lowe and Tina Chandler.
overall bodybuilding champs. Standing (from
left) Peter W. Potter,
promoter, and top
trophy winners
Alison Cosentino
(over-30 bodybuild-
ing), Jazmany Castel-
lanos (teen), Ava
Cowan (figure),
Megan Davies (teen
figure and fitness)
and Nardo Dean
IAJE Photography
(men’s fitness). Far

right: Co-promoters
—we like to
Maria Bellando and Flowers, trophies
n wh o wear bikinis
Manuel Mair. reward wome
in public.

Ruth Silverman’s
3803 &L5&8067$1&(
TEAM UNIVERSE
More tales
New York State of Mind from the road
The journey that began at but the big news for 2005 was
the USA Championships in that for the first time in several
Las Vegas on July 29 included years the men’s team would
a side trip to visit family in actually be going to the Worlds.
Pittsburgh and a mind-mellow- Arriving at Penn Station in
ing train ride through the lush rush hour on Thursday, August
Pennsylvania countryside for 4, I was flooded with nostalgia
this reporter. For the athletes as I schlepped my suitcase and
who competed during Team laptop up the escalator to 31st
Universe weekend in New Street. My first New York body-
York on August 5 and 6 it was building trip had taken place on
a journey to a pro card, a spot that very block, at the venue that
on the so-called Universe was then called the Felt Forum
team, a place in the Olympia of Madison Square Garden: the
Comstock
lineup—or not. These days ’86 Ms. Olympia. Back in the
Team U weekend includes a day women’s bodybuilding drew
whole lotta buff bodies battling Men’s story. Jose Raymond, coming off a class win at 4,800 fans at that fabled audito-
it out: the T.U. Bodybuilding the USA, was heavily favored to do some damage in rium. Of course you knew that.
and Fitness Championships, the men’s division, and he didn’t disappoint, becoming Also that the ’86 Ms. O was won
the National Figure Champi- the first America welterweight to win an overall title. It by Cory Everson.
onships and the IFBB New remains to be seen whether Raymond, who turned In the taxi, inching downtown,
York Pro Figure event. All of down a pro card after winning the lightweights at the I reflected on how New York cab
them except the pro show are ’01 Nationals, will take the plunge this time. The su- fares have grown in the almost
perbly symmetrical men’s posedown included (from
drug-tested and are used to 20 years since my first pro any-
left): Dietrich Horsey, heavyweight; Ron Hackaspker,
pick the teams that will go to bantamweight; Orlando Smith, light heavyweight; Ray- thing competition—almost as
the IFBB Men’s and Women’s mond; Andre Ewing, middleweight; and Kelly Pettiford, much as the women’s
World Amateur lightweight. physiques—and wondered
Championships, which are whether there would be more or
scheduled for China and Spain, respectively. The NPC would fewer figure competitors than there’d been at the USA. For the
again be giving pro cards to the overall bodybuilding winners, answer to that and other penetrating ponderings, read on.
MORE TUW MORE NEW PROS
Patton of Behavior One figure

lass who
Third time’s the you know what took a lap
around
Twice-crowned Team Universe the pro-
qualifying
middleweight titlist Debbie Patton circuit
came in 12 pounds heavier this time this year
and cleaned up, leaving some very is Rebec-
ca Rush.
disappointed ladies in the heavy- Numerous
weight class and snaring the overall observers
for the very first time. Patton who were
surprised
did what all good bodybuilders do in
that the 5’
the off-season, pulled off the elusive cutie from
trick of maintaining the size she’d Colum-
built but coming in spot on. With her bus, Ohio,
didn’t get
naturally tiny waist and beautiful the call at
balance intact, no one in the show the 2004
could touch her 137-pound pack- Nationals,
where she
age—including Dallas Johnson was fourth in the A class, or at the ’05 Junior
and Mary Bowles, a pair of Nationals, where she was fifth. After hauling home
Patton pending. Will Debbie promising newcomers who took the the third-place trophy from the USA, Rebecca
take the flex-for-pay option? In must have known she was on a roll and just kept
lightweight and middleweight class-
going. Good thing she wasn’t in any rush.
a word, yes. es, respectively.

F I G U R E N AT I O N A L S
GIRLFRIENDS
Dirty Dozen They were so-o-o bad Roc ’n’
roll. Geor-
gia fitness
As for the question, standouts
Getting a Which amateur figure Sonja
leg up. show had more competi- Bruce and
tors, the USA or the Figure Bethany
Gainey
Nationals? The answer is competed
the Junior Nationals, together
which attracted, by my all year
count, 138 contestants and were
bubbling
compared with 136 at the with affec-
USA and 130 at the Na- tion for
tionals. Since four new their
pros were crowned at the trainer,
IFBB pro
Juniors, six at the USA
and 12 at the Nationals, e, I’d
Shabazz. Of cours
that meant the odds were bodybuilder Roc from
dy he ard an earful about them
best at the latter. Ladies alr ea d out
bu bb lin g Ro c, all of which turne
the ce is
who were weary of the fans take note: Bru
to be true. Trivia Arm y.
pro-qualifying circuit and U.S.
a captain in the
skipped New York may
want to rethink that strate- Also fre-
gy next time. (Don’t want quently see
people thinking you’re bad together in
at math, do ya?) Those 2005 were
Ali
who stuck it out got their Metkovich
due, starting with D class and Alexis
and overall champ Ellis, who
Danielle Hollenshade, spent a
a 5’5” personal trainer year and a
half literally
Bradford
from Hollandale, Florida, standing

whose stunning 130- next to
pound physique took each other
Hollenshade started competing in 2002, and runner-up trophies at the onstage. At
thanks to this season’s run for the pros, she’s the Figure
two earlier shows and third Nationals,
a doll in the shade no longer. at the Junior USA in April. a former hepta Metkovich,
thlete who comp
at the Olympic eted twice
Trials, took the
very tall class, title in the
with Alexis earn
runner-up trip ing the
M O R E F I G N AT ’ S to the pros.
Freed at Last No pro

cards
for
Also catching the P&C eye at last year’s Figure fitness
con-
Nationals was Jeanette Freed, a 5’3” housewife tenders
from Brooklyn who got third at that show, won her Karen
class at the ’04 North Americans and just missed out Patten
and
with a runner-up placing at the ’05 USA. When I Tami
spotted her at the athletes’ meeting in New York, she Ough,
looked like an easy pick for movin’ on up. Freed was who
became
introduced to figure by her brother, a Marine, who fast
suggested that his somewhat mesomorphic sister friends
might be good at it. Though she had no athletic at the
’05
background, she said, Aye, aye—“I wanted to try.” Emer-
Photography by Ruth Silverman
She started training and “pulled a diet out of ald

Oxygen,” she said. Eight weeks later she did her Cup,
but
first competition, the ’03 New York Metropolitan they
Local gal is ready for her
trophy shot. Championships, and another fledgling figure career had a great time. Ore
gon’s Ough, a
cannonballed onto the field. Pumping up before the nurse, won that sho
w and took third in
the routines in New
finals on Saturday night, she had every reason to be encouraged by the callouts Gainey and Arizona
York behind Bethan
y
ace Lisa McCormick.
she’d gotten at the judging. Still, said the busy mother of five-year-old Brianna Patten, the ’05 Alaska
champ, has got
Freed, “I’m blessed to be able to do this on this side.” Some physique followers some six-pack for a
mother of three.
might suggest that she’s blessed in the genetics department as well.

3803 &L5&8067$1&(
FITNESS TYME MORE DUOS
Fabuloso! Tumbling returns to the Tribeca Doublemint Twins?
Cassandra and Selma—or is it Selma on the

left? Which of these ladies is the female flexer?
Allison Daughtry and Bethany Gainey—that’s entertainment! Alone at the bar at the T.U. host hotel,
the Marriott Financial Center, late on Sat-
Fitness came back to the Team Universe with a vengeance after a year’s urday night, I ordered a cosmopolitan to
absence. The 34 puffed-with-potential performers who traveled to New York’s celebrate the end of a long day. Casually
Tribeca Performing Arts Center composed a good-looking, smooth-moving glancing at the elegantly coiffed woman at
field. Look for the three class winners—Allison Daughtry, Bethany Gainey my right, I did a double-take. Selma? On
and Bridgette Murray—to be sparkling in the pros real soon. Daughtry, the second glance I was pretty sure it was not
short-class champ, had a nimble routine and the best physique in her class. So Cal figure stalwart Selma McPher-
Tall-class victor Murray had won the Junior Nationals earlier in the summer and son, but it was someone I’d seen onstage
that night. No sooner did I make the ac-
more than lived up to her reputation as a routine diva in the making. Gainey was
quaintance of middleweight bodybuilding
sheer dynamite onstage in only her third NPC show and had my vote. The panel
contender Cassandra Floyd than who
picked Daughtry’s classic lines in the final comparison for the overall trophy, but should walk in but sleek Selma herself. On
it’s all good. They all got to move up, along with second-placers Katie Szep, the other hand, it was one strong cosmo.
Sonja Bruce and Jessica Booth. Maybe I was seeing double.
Speaking of mo
ms with abs
Lisa Mc- Great strides
Cormick (far
BACKSTAGE TALES left) strikes a
pose for Tara
Carrillo’s
Work in camera.
progress Guess
McCormick’s
who’s
routines are
dropping
always a
down to the treat, but
ranks of the this year she
quarter- floored the
turners IM crew with
now? Only the info that
one of the Candyland she has four
most Ama- kids and,
zonian even harder
flexers on
Mid- to believe, is
the planet. dlewei gh t 40 years old.
Towering Margaret
Tatiana Woods
Butler, who tries the
stood old
almost a chocolate
head taller for vascu-
than my 5’5 larity trick Fitness sixth-placer
m 19 5 po un ds to 139 and said before Jessica Nabinger
1/2”, went fro le off her the finals.
said she already felt
to keep the musc like a winner.
she has to work e. No w, that’s a hard-
“Last year I was in
last place, and this
ph ysi qu
mesomorphic time I got the second
callout.”
workin’ woman.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT M O R E T. U . F I T N E S S
Big O Countdown Speaking of

Long-legged Ladies
Who made it by season’s end?
Comstock
Clockwise from
upper left: Chan-
Luciana Bell missed out on a
dra Coffey, pro card by a single point in
Monica Guerra,
Jane Awad and the tall class. Dang. I love how
Tracey Green-
wood. that girl moves.
No Seer Here
Liberman
Though the big Charlotte Pro weekend, with shows in all four sports, was still
to come as this issue went to bed, the back end of the ’05 season had already
seen an interesting array of athletes elevated to the status of Olympia invitee.
Figurewise, that list included Jennifer Searles and Chandra Coffey, who
took second and third at the New York Pro, where sitting Olympia champ Da-
vana Medina scored an easy win. A month later in Cleveland, at the North
American Pro, Jane Awad, third at the Toronto qualifier in the spring, picked
up her first pro win. Searles was second again, while the winner in the O-invite
derby was vet Melissa Frabbiele, who took third.
On the subject of really big shows, big Betty—and Eddie—Pariso’s Europa
Pro on September 17 in Dallas brought good news, Olympiawise, to bodybuild-
ing class winners Tonia Williams and Bonny Priest, with Priest taking the
Liberman
overall for the second year running. Tracey Greenwood picked up a big 53-
point win in the fitness event, with two acclaimed performers, Stacy Simons
and Mindi O’Brien, filling out the top three and ensuring that the fitness round
at the O would be a total talent rotation. The figure event brought three promis-
ing new faces to the fore. Recently graduated pros Amanda Savell and Va-
lerie Waugman finished first and second, respectively, while the shapely
Monica Guerra, in third, earned her first ticket to the O.
The figure hopefuls had a contest almost every weekend leading up to the
big finale. On September 24 at the Anaheim Pro it was Christine Pomponio-
But if I was a betting woman and I saw the
Pate in the winner’s circle with Savell in second, Guerra in third and fourth- name of Maya Stone, light-heavy winner at
placer Anna Larson getting the sliding invite. To find out if these late-season the recent North American Championships,
entries left Las Vegas with anything in their pockets (like prize money), consult on the competitor list for the Nationals,
the colossal Olympia coverage online at IRON MAN’s GraphicMuscle.com. I might be inclined to put up a buck or two.

3803 &L5&8067$1&(
SOAPBOX
Speaking of Numbers So many figures, so little time

Every year it’s the petitors away, consider
same old story. IRON that the Figure Nationals
MAN sends us to the class winners, who are
Team Universe to also eligible to go to the
support the NPC’s World Championships,
highest-ranked drug- must submit a urine sam-
tested bodybuilding ple backstage after the
contest, and we shake finals, and it’s not keeping
our heads in bewilder- them away.
ment at why there Sitting in the press row
aren’t more athletes. at the women’s judging,
I’m talking about the contemplating with East
women’s division, Coast shutterbug Reg
where only 19 thought Bradford the four
Comstock
it was worth their while lightweights on the stage
to come to New York before us, I couldn’t help
and vie for a pro card The bikini wax is throw down. You can help prove once in for all whether starting up another round
and a chance to com- the figure athletes look like bodybuilders. of the same old, same old.
pete in Spain if you won Much later that morning,
your class. As opposed to 56 women at the USA, where one as we contemplated the 130 amateur figure contenders—
pro card—and no trip to Spain—was given. which brought up a fresh round of the half-these-girls-look-like-
Despite remarks made in the item on page 229, 130 entries lightweight-bodybuilders same old, same old—a lightbulb
is a good thing, so thanks to figure, the Team U promoters can ignited.
afford to keep staging the event, however many women body- “Too bad more of them don’t enter the bodybuilding show,” I
builders show up, but still: Why hasn’t this show done better in blurted out. “That would be a heck of a contest.”
recent years? After all, the odds are better than in Vegas, and People thought I was kidding, but I put it to you, ladies: Why
you are encouraged to have a drug-free physique. For cynics limit yourself to a few seconds of turning around when you can
who might suggest that the drug test is what keeps the com- be posing center stage all by yourself, showing off all your hard
work in the gym? Given the NPC’s campaign to
encourage a more-feminine standard for women
Odds ’n’ Ends bodybuilders, you just might actually stand a
chance—and you don’t have to wear heels.
“I’ll show you a pair of T.U. trophies!”
Jessica Booth injured her shoulder while
doing her very cute fitness routine at the
To contact Lonnie Teper about
judging and didn’t get to perform at the
material possibly pertinent to
finals. Not to worry, the judges liked her News & Views, write to 1613
5’ 5 3/4” physique so much, she smoked Chelsea Road, #266, San
the competition in the body rounds and Marino, CA 91108; fax to (626)
earned the runner-up pro card. In fact, 289-7949; or send e-mail to
Neveux
the long-legged lady from Littleton, Col- tepernews@aol.com.

orado, earned pro cards in two sports, as
she also won the E class at the Figure
Nationals.
You can contact Ruth Silver-
man, fitness reporter and
Pump & Circumstance scribe,
in care of IRON MAN, 1701
NAC Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033;
Amateur or via e-mail at
Neveux
Figure ironwman@aol.com.
From left: Cynthia

Sharp, Leanna You can contact Jerry
Thomas, Nina Fredrick, ace photographer for
Luchka and Randi Hot Shots and Hardcore
Post. Pro cards
Training, in care of IRON MAN,
went to overall
winner Luchka 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA
Liberman
and to Sharp, who 93033; or via e-mail at

Neveux
was second in the jerryfredrick@aol.com.

overall balloting.

Joe Valdez R.I.P. .
T by Gene Mozée
he world of bodybuilding lost bodybuilding contests for decades.
another of its most renowned He was also one of the founders of
physique photographers and GraphicMuscle.com and was re-
contributors when Joe Valdez died sponsible for the Today’s Birthdays
in his sleep at 5:54 on Wednesday, feature that appears daily at GM.
August 16, 2005, at the Motion “Joe really did have an idiot sa-
Picture & Television Fund Home in vant’s knowledge of bodybuilder’s
Woodland Hills, California. Born in birthdays and could remember the
Omaha, Nebraska, on May 1, 1932, date of anybody’s he jotted down,
Joe was one of the best photogra- which he never stopped doing,”
phers in the iron game, with 400 recalls Bill Comstock. “He’d go up to
magazine covers—many for foreign complete strangers, anywhere he
bodybuilding magazines—to his would see a bodybuilder, and with-
credit. In addition to his prolific out introducing or explaining him-
photography, he was involved in self ask, ‘When is your birthday?’ I
organizing the National Physique was with him many times when
Committee in Southern California bodybuilders didn’t react kindly to
and was its first district chairman. his birthday solicitations. More
He was also a prominent physique $WKRPHZLWKKLVIDPLO\ than once I thought he was going to
contest judge for more than 30 get himself killed.”
years. Joe was one of the most beloved
I first met Joe in 1965 at the AAU personalities in our sport. He
Mr. America contest, which was helped many up-and-coming body-
held in Los Angeles. He approached builders succeed. He always took
me and introduced himself by say- three photos of each pose during a
ing that he worked in the photogra- photo shoot: one for the subject,
phy department at Warner Bros. one for publication and one for
Studios and wanted to learn himself. He never charged his mod-
physique photography. I set up a els and always gave them free pho-
photo session with several of the tos. Almost all of his magazine
contestants for the next day and covers were given to publishers for
invited Joe to observe. From that free—he only wanted to help body-
day forward he shot physique pho-
:LWK5R\/HLGHOPH\HU builders get the recognition that
tos, and within a few years he be- they deserved.
came one of the best in the $IHZRIWKH Joe photographed rising young
business PDQ\FRYHUV stars like Rory Leidelmeyer, Robby
Joe’s background as a second 9DOGH]VKRW Robinson, Bob Paris, Rich Gaspari,
assistant cameraman speeded his Shawn Ray, Danny Hester, Manny
mastery of physique photography. Molina, Stan McQuay, David Johns,
He worked on every Aaron Spelling John Brown, Richard Jones and
TV production, including many others, often giving them the
“Dynasty,” one of the top-rated first publicity that helped propel
series of its time. His likable per- them to worldwide recognition and
sonality made him very popular fame. He also claimed that he per-
with all the stars he met in Holly- suaded Vince Taylor to become a
wood. Joan Collins mentions him a bodybuilder after meeting him on a
few times in her biography. Joe was 'DYLG photo shoot with John Brown.
very close to Academy Award win- -RKQV In recent years, despite his failing
ner Barbara Stanwyck, who affec- health, Joe attended almost every
tionately called him “Santa,” and he contest in Southern California—in
was friendly with Charlton Heston his wheelchair and with an oxygen
and Angie Dickinson. bottle. He truly loved bodybuilding,
Joe was a hard-working person 6HUJH and the same can be said about
with a sharp wit. While at Gordon 1XEUHW him by the many friends who
Photography by Joe Valdez
Mitchell’s memorial gathering at mourn his passing. Joe always

World Gym in Marina del Rey, Joe wanted to write a book titled Every-
greeted the newly elected governa- body I Know Is Famous, Except Me.
tor—Arnold—by saying, “I always He’ll always be famous to his many
knew you’d be working for me %R\HU friends in the bodybuilding world
someday.” &RH and his close acquaintances in
Joe kept amazing records of show business. IM
Oh, Nikki, 1LNNL:DUQHU:DUPV
8S2XU3DJHV:LWK
+HU+RW3K\VLTXH
Photography by
Bill Dobbins,
www.BillDobbins.com

You’re So Fine Hardbody Stats
IRON MAN Hardbody Stats
Height: 5’2”
Age: 27
Weight: 110 (contest), 118 (off-season)
Hometown: Muncie, Indiana
Current residence: Muncie, Indiana
Occupation: Full-time pharmacy student
Workout schedule: Monday, legs; Tuesday, arms; Wednesday, rest; Thursday, chest
and shoulders; Friday, rest; Saturday, back; Sunday, rest. Trains abs and calves two
times per week.
Sample bodypart workout (legs): Squats, 3 x 10-12; leg presses or hack squats,
3 x 10-12; lunges, 3-4 sets; leg extensions, 3 x 8-10; stiff-
legged deadlifts, 2-3 x 12; leg curls, 3 x 10-12
Favorite foods: “My all-time-favorite food is Chinese

food, especially General Tso’s chicken and those yummy
sugary biscuits. A favorite healthful dish would be egg-
white omelets with fat-free cheese and flaxseed oil along
with a bowl of oatmeal and fruit. I’m a big eater and not
hard to please. I try to eat six small meals daily, spaced
about three hours apart to keep my metabolism in check.”
Factoid: Has a bachelor’s degree in dietetics.
Future plans: “I’ve stuck with bodybuilding since age

15, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Of the
nine years I’ve been competing, I’ve been at the na-
tional level in figure for four and will continue at
that. I’m currently working on a doctorate in phar-
macy and will someday become a licensed pharma-
cist.”
Contact info: www.missnikki.com or

nwarner98@yahoo.com

IRON MAN Hardbody

IRON MAN Hardbody

IRON MAN Hardbody

IRON MAN Hardbody

Back to the
Rack Complete Iso Program Part 5

by Bill Starr • Photography by Michael Neveux
I
’ve said that the best way to introduce isotonic-
isometrics into your strength program was to insert a
few positions throughout the week as you continue
your regular routine. That enables you to learn how
to perform isos. As I’ve mentioned, even though the
system is extremely simple to understand, it involves
a great deal of technique. The more you do isos, the
more proficient you’ll become, which means they’ll be
more productive.
After a month or so of doing two or three isos a week,
you should feel confident about your form. At some point
you’ll be able to tell for sure that you’re putting forth
maximum effort. Of course, no one can actually contract
his muscles 100 percent. That occurs only in extreme situ-
ations of fright—you know, the lady who lifts a car off
her trapped child. You can do contractions in the 75-to-
80 percent range, however, and that’s sufficient for your
purpose, which is to improve your strength.
Only the Strong Shall Survive
Model: Berry Kabov
• DEADLIFTS •

Back to the Rack
Your dynamic
squats will get
a big boost
from isometric
work. You’ll get
new strength
almost
immediately.
Complete Iso Program
Model: Berry Kabov
• SQUATS •
What often happens when ath- want to give isos priority for the isos throughout the year. During
letes become familiar with this next two months and use free- the off-season, from late June to
system of strength training and weight exercises as complementary September, we’d shift to workouts
discover that the positions they’ve movements. that featured more iso than free-
been using have had a positive That’s exactly what many of the weight work. The change paid divi-
effect on certain lifts is that they Olympic lifters at the York Barbell dends in a number of areas. Doing
want to do more than just a few Club did in the 1960s. Almost all of less heavy pressing, cleaning and
positions during the week. They them—including me—did some squatting gave our abused joints a

Back to the Rack
Incline
presses
will aid
in your
quest for
more
overhead
pushing
power.
Good morn-
ings ensure
that your
lower back is
getting plenty
of direct work.
Model: Idrise Ward-El

Model: Greg Adler
• INCLINE PRESSES • • GOOD MORNINGS •
much-needed rest. Not having to plenty of time, and we did our best Olympic weightlifters, the first
worry about moving big numbers in to do more aerobics: We knew that program is for them. Keep in mind
preparation for an upcoming con- having a strong endurance base that the military press was part of
test was a huge mental relief. Since was most useful. Some of the meets official competition at the time, so
the isos were enabling us to gain would go on until the wee hours of the routine puts more emphasis on
strength, we could concentrate on the following morning. At the Philly the jerk. I include pressing posi-
honing our technique with lighter Open one year, Barski was clean tions, however, because I think they
poundages. It was also an ideal and jerking at 2 a.m., and his class improve strength in the arms,
opportunity to deal with weaker had started lifting at 6 p.m. We also shoulders and back, which is direct-
areas and improve our endurance realized that a better aerobics base ly transferable to the jerk. In addi-
base. would help us train harder and tion, shoulder strength benefits
The relatively quick iso sessions faster. That was a plus when you from both the clean and snatch. It’s
and lighter-weight workouts left us ended up following yourself on a five-day-a-week program.
with plenty of extra energy to ex- platform, and it happened often to
pend on our aerobic condition- lifters like March, Tony Garcy and
ing—plus, we had more time to do Barski because no one else was Isotonic-Isometric
so. During the season we’d lift al- handling nearly as much weight as
most every Saturday or at least they were. Program for Olympic
every other week, with demonstra-
tions thrown in for good measure.
So there were plenty of positive
reasons for us to give isos prece-
Lifters
Hoffman insisted on exposure, and dence in our off-season strength Monday, Wednesday and Friday
we all learned how to deal with work. When we resumed our regu- will be all isos. Tuesday and Thurs-
competing frequently. Then there lar Olympic lifting regimen and day will be free-weight exercises.
was work. Everyone had a job. No relegated the rack work to an auxil-
one got a free pass, though that was iary role, we were more physically Monday
often the conception about York fit, free of old injuries, stronger and
lifters. Bill Bednarski, Bill March eager to get back into competition. Three press positions: start,
and Roman Mielec worked in the I’ve received a number of letters eye level and lockout.
warehouse, Tommy Suggs and I put from readers—for example, a foot- Three pulling positions
out Strength & Health, Garcy was a ball player, an Olympic lifter, two using a clean grip: start, below
schoolteacher, and Gary Glenney, powerlifters and three from older the knees and high top pull on
Fred West and Homer Brannum men who wanted to use isos to help your toes.
worked in town. Tommy and I tried them maintain a high level of
to get to the YMCA at least once a strength fitness—requesting that I Two front-squat positions:
week to play racquetball or volley- present sample programs for build- deep bottom, as low as you can
ball, but as everyone knows, an hour ing a routine around isotonic-iso- squeeze under the bar and still
hold your position, and midpoint.
a week isn’t going to help much. metric exercises. As Dr. John Ziegler
In the summer, though, we had designed the system specifically for Calf raises.
all your reps with minimal flaws is
your goal.
If you think you need to handle
some heavy weights on the two
quick lifts during the week, as many
of the York lifters did, add a Satur-
day or Sunday session. Meanwhile,
the two exercises in the program
that you do want to lean on are
good mornings and inclines.
The inclines aid your quest for
more overhead strength, and the
good mornings ensure that your
lower back is getting plenty of di-
Warm up with rect work. I felt that the isos weren’t
lighter full- hitting my lumbar to the same
range work degree as they were the other parts
to prepare of my back, so I always included
Model: Marvin Montoya

muscles, joints them and worked them with pur-
pose. Good mornings can also be
and tendons
done as an iso movement, but I was
for the iso never comfortable with that posi-
• LIGHT SQUATS • work to come. tion.
Barski liked to start his training
week on Sunday with an iso work-
Tuesday Thursday out. He’d do two more on Tuesday
Clean and jerks: three cleans Snatches: six to eight sets of and Thursday. On Monday and
and two jerks per set for six to three reps, light to moderate Wednesday he handled light
eight sets. Use light-to-moderate weights. weights on either the snatch or the
weights and concentrate on clean, did some presses and squat-
form. Inclines: three sets of five, then
ted. He took Friday off, as did the
three sets of three. Work them
Back squats: five sets of five; go hard. other lifters. Friday afternoon was
heavy but not to max. officially party time. Then on Satur-
Front squats: six sets of three. day he went all out on the press,
Good mornings: four sets of 10, As with the back squats, go heavy snatch and clean and jerk, and he
and push them to limit. but not to max. finished off with more squats.
Another workable plan that I
Wednesday Friday have Olympic lifters use is to stay
with the light weights as outlined in
Three pulling positions Three pulling positions: the recommended program, then
using a snatch grip: start, just slightly below start using a clean every third week drop the Friday iso
below the knees and top pull grip, just below knees using a session, totaling out on Saturday.
high on your toes. snatch grip and waist level with That helps them determine their
feet flat to the floor using a clean progress on the various lifts.
Two press positions: start and grip.
another where you climb on your
toes and fix the bar at the top of Two press positions: start and
your head. You want to emulate eye level.
where you drive the bar for your
jerks. When you improve your Jerk lockout with a tiny split.
strength in the start and the Two front-squat positions:

important follow-through posi- deep bottom and about six inch-
tion, your jerk will show instant es from lockout. Try to find the
improvement. position you use when you dip
Jerk lockout while in a deep down to start a jerk.
split. Try to split a bit deeper than Calf raises.
you normally do when perform-
ing the lift. The emphasis on the free-weight
days is perfecting your form on the
Two back-squat positions: three phases of Olympic lifting:
Don’t
deep bottom and midpoint. cleans, snatches and jerks. That neglect
Calf raises. means the amount of weight you calf work.
use is of little importance; making

Back to the Rack
An Isotonic-Isometric Some type of
Program for Powerlifters weighted dip is
optional but can
This is the same formula I sug- increase upper-
gested for Olympic lifters, three iso
workouts per week and two using
body power.
free weights.
Monday
Three pulling positions:
slightly below where you start
your deadlift, just below your
knees and midthigh.
Three bench press positions:
start, midpoint and lockout.

Two back-squat positions:
deep bottom and midpoint.
Calf raises.
• BENCH DIPS •
Tuesday
Incline presses: three sets of
five plus three sets of three. Work Friday balance, switch the order of the
exercises around regularly. Start
them to limit. Three pulling positions: low with squats one day, do pulls the
start as on Monday, just below next and presses the next; then
Back squats: five sets of five. knees and midthigh.
Work them but not to max. change them again.
Two back-squat positions: A note about incline isos and
Good mornings: four sets of deep bottom and midpoint. overhead presses in the rack. I be-
10. Push to limit. lieve incline isos are most beneficial
Three bench press because the strength gained in that
Weighted dips: four sets of positions: start, middle and
eight. angle converts directly to the flat
lockout.
bench. That’s also why I have lifters
Calf raises. work it hard at the first free-weight
Wednesday session. I’m aware, though, that
Three pulling positions: start, You may be wondering why I in- many can’t perform inclines inside
just above the knees and shrug cluded calf raises, or what the original a rack. Some don’t have racks that
at waist level. iso program called raise on toes, in a are wide enough, and some just
program aimed at powerlifters, who don’t have incline benches. The
Two back-squat positions: do not extend high on their toes the
deep bottom and midpoint. next best substitute is the overhead
way Olympic lifters do. The reason is press. You may well ask how press-
If possible: inclines: start, mid- that strong calves are extremely useful
dle and finish. to powerlifters when they break the
Never do more than
bar off the platform in a deadlift and
If not possible: standing press- when they drive out of the hole in a three positions for
es: start, middle and lockout. full squat. any bodypart.
Or: bench presses: start, mid- Keep in mind that I’m presenting a
dle and lockout. model routine. You can and should
adapt it to your specific needs. For
Thursday example, I use only two positions for
the squat. You might feel that your

Bench presses: four sets of finish isn’t as strong as you’d like; you
eight. canl add a top position for the back
High pulls with a clean grip: squat.
five sets of five. When setting up your program,
always give your weakest lift priority
Back squats: five sets of five. on both the iso and free-weight days.
Same as Tuesday; work hard but If you know that the lift hurting your
not to limiour final sets of five
total the most is the bench press, do
should be with a weight you
the exercises for your upper body
could handle for eight.
first at every session. In the event
Weighted dips: five sets of 10. that your lifts are all pretty much in

Back to the Rack
The quick iso
workouts will
leave you
time to build
your aerobic
conditioning.
Your object on
free-weight day
is to improve
form.
Model:Dan Decker
• DEEP SQUATS • • TREADMILL •
ing overhead can help the flat
shrug. You do it much faster than a Next month I’ll present more
bench. The isos strengthen the
deadlift, and that’s good because sample iso programs plus an exten-
deltoids and triceps, which play a
the dynamic move builds a differ- sive review of all the subtleties of
major role in bench pressing. The
ent type of strength. the isotonic-isometric system.
added bonus is that overhead isos
The weighted dips are optional. I Meanwhile, here are a few
hit the muscles of the upper back,
think they’re a great shoulder exer- reminders. When you do any iso
and a stronger upper back helps
cise and know for certain that they position, the time you fix the bar
you pull and squat heavier weights.
have a favorable influence on the against the top pins in a maximum
Your objective on the free-weight bench press. Should you feel that by contraction is more important than
day is to improve form. I’d keep the adding them to your program how much weight you’re using. If
reps on the bench fairly high to you’re overworking, however, drop you can’t hold the isometric con-
restrict the amount of weight and to them or do them just once a week. traction for at least eight seconds,
force yourself to pay closer atten- Every three or four weeks, skip use less weight.
tion to small points of execution. the Friday iso session and total out Never do more than three posi-
You should do every rep perfectly— on Saturday. It doesn’t have to be an tions for any bodypart, and change
same for the squats. Notice I said to all-out test, but you need to go the selected positions regularly.
work them hard but not to max. heavy enough so that you can de- Even moving the pins up or down
That may need some clarification. termine which lifts and what posi- one hole is beneficial. Make sure
Let’s say you can handle 405x5. tions require additional attention. the muscle groups you’re about to
While you’re doing the isos three Let’s say your deadlift is stronger put under great stress are
times a week, work only up to than ever except at the finish, thoroughly warmed up. Isos are
385x5. The lesser poundage will which had always been a piece of very concentrated work, and you
help you concentrate better on your cake, and now it’s the weakest link. must prepare your body in order to
technique yet still be heavy enough Remedy: Switch from high pulls to gain the desired results and avoid
to force you to exert yourself. shrugs on Thursdays, and do iso being dinged. Move quickly from
You’ll notice, too, that I haven’t lockouts three times a week until position to position. Finally, keep
put any deadlifts in the routine. You that position gets proportionately accurate records: which holes you
don’t need them. The isos three stronger. What you’re looking for used, the amount of weight you
times a week provide the strength when you max out on all three lifts handled and how long you held the
component, and you’ll also be is weak points and in very specific isometric contraction.
hitting high pulls hard and attack- areas. Try to pinpoint a problem in
ing your lower back with good a lift, and then do isos in the corre- Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a
mornings. What’s important is to sponding range. It’s a never-ending strength and conditioning coach at
establish the same line of pull on process. Improve strength in the Johns Hopkins University from
the high pull that you use when you weakest part of an exercise, deter- 1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The
deadlift. In reality, a high pull is no mine what area takes over that role, Strongest Shall Survive and Defying
more than a deadlift followed by a and then go after it. Gravity. IM

0LQG It’s the Right Thing It’s not what you do that’s important;
it’s what you accomplish
,5210,1'
t first glance it would seem the guy was doing everything In the same gym there was another guy whose appearance,
A right: He almost never missed a workout, his routines

were taken straight from some star, he could talk
weights until the cows came home. Even his clothes and his
not to mention his training program and the way he did some
of his movements, indicated that he not only didn’t know the
finer points of the game but probably didn’t even know there
general style in and out of the gym suggested that he was were finer points and might not have cared about learning
committed to his training and knew his stuff. There was a them if he knew they existed. On the other hand, he did have
problem, however, and it was a big one: He hadn’t made a lick something going for him. Almost every week, it seemed, he
of progress in about a year. made progress, and every few months he seemed to have
transformed himself. His cumulative gains made him
nothing like the guy he’d been before.
To a casual observer the situation might be attributed
8QLWHG6WDWHV to genetics, secret sauce or any number of explanations.
ZHLJKWOLIWHU:HV To a student of human performance, however, the an-
%DUQHWWDIWHUD swers lay elsewhere because, as Thomas Gilbert noted,
VXFFHVVIXO it’s not what you do that’s important; it’s what you ac-
SRXQGVQDWFKDW complish.
WKH·2O\PSLFV Gilbert’s passion was human competence and,
LQ$WODQWD specifically, engineering it. He was devoted to helping
make people good at what they were doing. Whether it
was putting together widgets, whacking a baseball or
making what would seem to be abstract decisions,
Gilbert knew that some people were good at what they
did and some weren’t. Fortunately for most of us, he
didn’t stop there. He developed a variety of analyses and
techniques to help make underperformers more like the
superstars in their field.
One of the first things Gilbert figured out was that
when we analyze people who are doing their thing—
whatever it is—we usually make the mistake of focusing
on just that: what they’re doing, as opposed to what
they accomplish.
Suppose we had a system for evaluating a variety of
performance measures related to training. For instance,
we might see how much someone knew about basic
training principles; whether the person knew an amino
acid from lactic acid, knew Mr. Olympia from an Olympic
gold medalist, and so forth. As you’re a reasonable
person, the approach probably makes sense to you, and
you can think of all sorts of ways to evaluate how much
people know about training and how well they go about
conducting their own. That approach, as Gilbert figured
out, is all wrong.
Randall Strossen
If we applied the approach to our two fictional

trainees, the first guy would do really well on the tests we
developed, and the second guy wouldn’t. For example,

%RG\
the first guy can wax eloquent on everything from spider curls
to squat snatches, talk protein synthesis like a college profes-
sor and rattle off every Mr. Olympia in history—in order. The
second guy knows how to do some basic stuff in the gym,
has a clue about guys like Yates, Coan and Suleymanoglu,
but that’s about it. If they got into a conversation about train-
the basics, but he isn’t even sophisticated enough to know
about, let alone use, things like a hook grip or a dynamic start,
things the first guy does automatically. If you asked the sec-
ond guy to describe what he was doing, he might say it was
kind of like doing a vertical jump, only while hanging onto a
barbell. His understanding might not impress you until you
ing, the first guy could make the second guy’s eyes go glassy realized that he was mauling his bodyweight in the movement
in less than a minute. a year ago and now does 150 per-
Beyond that, a knowing eye cent of his bodyweight. To add insult
watching both in the gym would see to injury, the second guy’s gained 25
that the first guy seemed to have a pounds of bodyweight in the past
handle on what he was doing be- year, while the first guy’s gained
cause he was doing lots of little three-fourths of a pound, he thinks.
things correctly—things that might Clearly, the second guy is the one to
be nuances the second guy had copy.
never even heard of. In fact, watch- The moral of the story, per
ing the second guy in the gym, it Gilbert’s advice, is to remember that
would be reasonable to conclude it’s accomplishment, not behavior,
that he was still pretty rough around that counts. That’s the reason two
the edges. guys can be on the same squat
Those differences would seem program, and while one outgrows
perfectly reasonable and under- his clothes in less than two months,
standable if the first guy was the one the second one doesn’t gain a
making progress and the second whisper.
was the one who was stalled out, Don’t worry that this type of
but that’s the opposite of the way analysis is too complicated for you
things are. Why? to apply to your own training—and
Gilbert would explain that we were your life in general—because it
misled because while the first guy usually doesn’t take a Ph.D. to see
was doing most things right, maybe who’s making progress and who
even as many—possibly even isn’t. The key is to always remember
more—than the second guy, he that most people might do most
wasn’t doing the right things right. things right most of the time, but
The person who does the right that’s the road to mediocrity. The
things right makes progress, and the superstars, in all activities, figure out
person making progress is the one what’s really critical to success, and
we want to emulate. that’s where they shine. It’s as if
Take a power clean. The first guy might be able to rattle off someone told them the secret: It’s not how much you do
all the benefits of the movement. He can tell you the theory of right; it’s whether you do the right things right.
the movement, with intricate biomechanical analyses. He can —Randall Strossen, Ph.D.
blab longer than you’d like about who’s done what in the
movement. If you watched him train, though, you’d see there (GLWRU·VQRWH Randall Strossen, Ph.D., edits the quarterly
must be something wrong because, despite his apparently magazine MILO. He’s also the author of IronMind: Stronger
complete understanding of the lift, he can’t handle his body- Minds, Stronger Bodies; Super Squats: How to Gain 30
weight to save his life. Worse, his top set has been the same Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks and Paul Anderson: The Mighti-
for the past 11 months. est Minister. For more information call IronMind Enterprises
The second guy, on the other hand, can’t come close to Inc. at (530) 265-6725 or Home Gym Warehouse at (800)
the first guy in any conversation about the power clean. When 447-0008, ext. 1. Visit the IronMind Web site at
it comes to doing the movement, he certainly seems to grasp www.ironmind.com.

%RPEHU%ODVW 0,1'%2'<
Top Squat: No Tipping or Shoulder Ripping

place by pressure. You can affect the
M
ost of us here at IRON
MAN have been iron ad- erectness of your back by raising or
dicts for years, even lowering the handles, an added
decades. That can make for creaky attraction I had not foreseen in the
and often achy joints (it’s not only inception of the Top Squat but one
the reps but the aging too). Shoul- I’ve come to appreciate.
ders are especially vulnerable, and The action of the squat remains
some of us have the kind of limited true. It’s not altered unless you
movement that prevents us from choose to for lower-back safety,
holding a bar behind our necks for maximum thigh power or improved
squats—and if we do manage to thigh recruitment.
get our hands back there, our tight Within a few sets of thoughtful
shoulders cause the bar to pitch our squatting, I think, you’ll agree the Top
torsos forward. Not good for proper Squat builds strong legs while pro-
form. Well, Dave Draper has come tecting the shoulders and back. If
up with a solution, the Top Squat. your shoulders are troublesome,
We’ll let him take it from here… you’ll jump up and down—as we do
The Top Squat was developed for when we have a spectacular work-
the athlete who loves to squat, out. If your shoulders are healthy,
realizes the important role it plays in unimpaired and without pain, you
strength and muscle building and must be young, invincible or new at
would like an alternative method for the sport. Swell. The chances of
holding the bar in place across the damaging your rotator cuff will be
back. Shoulder problems are no reduced considerably, as supporting
rarity among athletes, especially the bar in the conventional manner
strength and muscle-building ath- while squatting is a tremendous
letes, and securing the bar with outstretched arms can be stress on the vulnerable and overworked shoulder region.
distressing, maybe impossible. The Bomber Top Squat is a Put squats back in your workouts, and start climbing those
powerful apparatus that positions a pair of rugged handles once-impossible mountains again.
sensibly in front of the shoulders for comfort, safety and The thick-line polyurethane-coated Top Squat is 18 3⁄4-
control. inch, 11-gauge, heat-treated-steel tubing coated with dense
I conceived the Top Squat in my late 50s, when I overload- polyurethane. It’s customized to press onto your 1 1/16th-
ed my upper back and shoulders while pursuing some ag- inch bar. The plastic-coated tubular section offers a densely
gressive squat and deadlift training. Humbled and healing, I padded three-inch-diameter support with an indented, cen-
realized I could no longer squat, as my shoulder rotation was trally located vertebra relief for weight distribution and shoul-
limited by the painful and damaging injuries I sustained. Posi- der comfort. Two solid steel one-inch handles extend outward
tioning my hands to control the bar or extending my arms the 16 inches at agreeable angles and with slight end curves for
length of the bar for support was impossible. universal functionality. The unit is slick and rugged at 15
I needed to find a way to balance the bar with a comfort- pounds.
able and powerful placement of my hands and arms before —Dave Draper
me, like two handles protruding from the front of the bar itself.
Voilà, the Top Squat, (GLWRU·VQRWH The Top Squat has won the hearts of shoul-
Hefty enough for gorillas and designed for all levels of der-impaired lifters worldwide for enabling them to squat
fitness advancement, the unit makes squatting possible freely, safely and powerfully. The Top Squat goes for $149
again—no longer retired to the heap of bittersweet memories. and is available from Home Gym Warehouse. Call (800) 447-
Training without squatting is like lightning without thunder. 0008, or visit www.Home-Gym.com.
The bright, instantaneous dance of light is captivating, but
you’ve got to feel the earth move under your feet and hear
the great rumbling down the length of your back.
The Top Squat is as simple as squatting, not the easiest :HEDOHUW For more from Dave Draper,
exercise in the lifter’s repertoire but possibly the most effec- visit www.davedraper.com and sign up for
tive. You center the unit on your standard 1 1/16th-inch bar
his free newsletter. You can also check out
and press it into place. Secure the beast to the bar with the
his amazing Top Squat training tool, classic
pair of nylon and Velcro safety straps provided, and you’re
ready for action. After a few hard workouts you’ll probably
photos, workout Q&A and forum.
forgo the safety straps, as the unit remains sufficiently in

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0RWLYDWLRQ 0,1'%2'<
MIND/BODY
Poolside Wow Power

t was spring break, and all the hotel
I guests were out by the pool, bask-

ing in the warm midday sun. College
students from across the country had
come to South Padre Island in Texas
for a one-week hiatus, but the trials
and tribulations of academia were still
the main topic of conversation—until
he arrived.
Clad in baggy, bright-orange beach
jams, which couldn’t begin to hide his
massive quads and hams, and a white
torso-hugging York Barbell Club T-
shirt, the man had obviously been
hitting the iron hard. The loud conver-
sations around the pool turned to
whispers as he pulled up a lounge
chair, spread his towel and began
peeling off his shirt, every one of his
movements a veritable lesson in mus-
cular anatomy.
As his shirt came off and his arms
came down from above his head, the
Comstock
poolside populace was entranced.
And for good reason. The man was a
work of art, every muscle developed in to show the mere mortals what was
perfect harmony with the others. possible for the male physique? None
One coed who was sitting nearby of the men there that day ever found
turned to her friend and said, “The out. You see, no self-respecting male
$G scenery just improved 100 percent. was going to put his body into com-
Look at that chest.” parison range of an Adonis just to ask
In fact, it was a perfect chest—with him a few questions. That would have
deep lines etching the lower portions been like giving the women around
from delt to sternum, a split separat- the pool the choice between T-bone
ing the upper and lower pecs that steak and a corn dog. Many of the
jumped into view every time he moved women, however, got to know him
his arms and a fireworks display of quite well over the next few days.
striations that exploded all the way up —Steve Holman
to his clavicles. What was really amaz- Train, Eat, Grow
ing was how his chest development
was so perfectly balanced—high, full (GLWRU·VQRWH Train, Eat, Grow—
pecs that brought Steve Reeves to The Positions-of-Flexion Muscle-
mind. Training Manual is available from
So who was this guy? Was he Mr. Home Gym Warehouse for $19.95.
America or Mr. Universe, or had the Call (800) 447-0008, or visit
gods sent him down from the heavens www.Home-Gym.com to order.
Body Building
Clean Teeth, Healthier Heart
Did you know that the same bacteria
that causes gum disease can also elicit
plaque and inflammation in your arter-
ies? One more reason to brush and
floss daily. And don’t forget to make
time for a professional cleaning by your
dentist twice a year.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com

$WWLWXGH 0,1'%2'<
&DQ·WDQG6KRXOGQ·W
Don’t let the naysayers and negatives knock you out
s most of you probably have spend so much time training and
A figured out by now, not every-

one in the world supports your
bodybuilding goals. Often friends
eating. What about your poor fami-
ly?”
•“Bodybuilding is for homosexu-
and family do the most to discour- als. Is that what you want to be-
age your dreams, though they may come?”
have good intentions (you know Such statements, while conceding
what the road to hell is paved with). that there’s a possibility that you can
The disheartening words will usually make your bodybuilding dreams
fall into one of two categories: can’t come true, all insist that you’ll come
and shouldn’t. to regret it one way or another.
The can’t remarks have a unique With can’t or shouldn’t state-
sting to them, as they imply that ments, you must carefully consider
you’ll never achieve your goals no the source and any motive the
matter how hard you try. A few of the speakers may have before you let
choice samples: them get to you. Some people are
•“You just don’t have those freaky simply ignorant and have bought into
genetics.” the myths and misinformation re-
•“Only guys from X racial or ethnic garding bodybuilding, often served
group make good bodybuilders.” up to them by sensationalistic main-
•“You can’t build a good physique stream media. Others are jealous or
without tons and tons of steroids threatened and secretly don’t want
and GH.” to see you do anything exceptional
•“You’re too old/too young.” that may make them feel inferior. So
•“All those guys started out big whether the intentions of those
already, and you’re so skinny.” negative statements are innocent or
•“You’ll never be able to show any malicious, do your best to take them
definition; you and your whole family all with a grain of salt, and stay
are overweight.” focused on your goals and dreams.
•“You have a job and a family; to Remember, nobody can ever take
Model: Jorge Betancourt

be a good bodybuilder you have to those away from you unless you let
do nothing but eat, sleep and train.” them.
Wow! How’s that for a blast of —Ron Harris
negativity? I bet you’ve heard most, www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
perhaps all, of these. Don’t believe
statements like that
because they’re all
ridiculous if you look at .HHSRQ
them objectively. The SXPSLQJQR
next category is more PDWWHUZKDW
on the idea of ad- WKHSHDQXW
vice—advice that’s JDOOHU\VD\V
well meant but is
nonetheless bad.
Listen to a few:
•“You shouldn’t
waste your time body-
building; there’s no
money in it.”
•“Bodybuilding is a
very unhealthy sport;
you’ll die young.”
•“All that muscle
will turn to fat when
you quit.”
•“You shouldn’t eat
a lot of protein or take
creatine; your kidneys
will be ruined.”
•“You shouldn’t

I R O N M A N M A G A Z I N E P R O U D L Y P R E S E N T S :
The
From www.GraphicMuscle.com Bodybuilding
Stars of
Tomorrow
Here today!
Photography by Bill Comstock

To see more great photos
of these and other stars visit
www.GraphicMuscle.com
Manuel Torres

Chris
Smith
Kevin
Cleveland
Dan
Decker
Phil
Heath
Leo Ingram
Bethany Gainey
Nathan
Detracy
Fakhri
Mubarek
Bill
Lawrence
DECEMBER 2005 265
Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
Fit to Be Tried phoria, grandiose beliefs, hyperactivity and reckless or

dangerous behavior. In those who have such mental con-
ditions as depression, psychosis or mania, using steroids
either makes the conditions worse or makes them appar-
ent.
In a fit of incomprehensible anger, a 16-year-old boy Not all the research indicts testosterone or other an-
kills his 14-year-old girlfriend. The youthful killer has no abolic steroids. In several studies giving testosterone to
prior record of either criminal activity or violence. In men had no effect on any aspect of behavior. Other stud-
another incident a muscular man goes into an irrational ies have shown that the angriest of men had lower-than-
fit, using his fists and a metal bar to attack the drivers of normal testosterone levels. Then there’s the
three other cars, thinking that they are the cause of a self-fulfilling-prophecy effect: If you think something will
traffic delay. In a meaningless display of bravado, another happen, it often will. Doctors who prescribe antidepres-
man drives his car straight into a tree. The connection sants often don’t tell male patients that a side effect of
between those incidents is that the perpetrators were all such drugs is impotence. The fear is that putting the sug-
taking anabolic steroid drugs. gestion in the patient’s head will yield the side effect.
Anabolic steroids are often in the news, mainly because No one would deny that anabolic steroids have
of an apparently wide usage of so-called designer potent effects on muscle. But you have to
steroids, which until recently couldn’t be wonder just how much of the gains expe-
detected by the usual tests. Steroid use rienced by those who use them accrue
seems to explain in many people’s minds from a strong belief in the drugs, which
the often out-of-control personality may lead to harder training, better
characteristics of professional nutrition and other factors that
athletes. Whenever an athlete result in real muscle gains. The
throws a temper tantrum, people same is true for the mental
suggest that “the steroids make effects of steroids: Those who
him crazy.” The supposed psy- think they’re supposed to act
chological effects of steroids are crazy while on the drugs often
known in the popular parlance as do, then use the drugs as an excuse
“’roid rage.” for their bad behavior. Yet not every
The concept of ’roid rage is fueled athlete who takes steroids shows
by popular media and even physi- aggressive tendencies. Much de-
Illustration by Christian Martinez
cians. The basis is simple: Men pends on the inherent personality

have higher levels of testosterone of the user. Angry people may get
than women, which explains why angrier while taking large doses
men are naturally more aggressive. of anabolic steroids. In fact, the
Others like to point out that medical literature notes that the
women never start wars; only men higher the doses, the greater the
do (an observation obviously made chance of psychological symptoms.
by those who’ve never gone The minimal level of testos-
through a divorce). terone
Anabolic thought
steroids weren’t to pro-
always linked to duce
increased ag- adverse
gression. In the psychologi-
1940s, not long cal effects is
after testosterone 1,000 milligrams a
was discovered, it week, an amount that
was suggested as an greatly exceeds the
effective treatment for dosages suggested for
depression in men. In fact, testosterone-replacement
a common symptom of hypogo- therapy. Symptoms that mani-
nadism, or low testosterone levels in fest often abate shortly after the
men, is severe depression. drugs are withdrawn, although they can
Over the past 20 years, last up to a month afterward.
however, the medical pen- Do anabolic steroids actually cause so-called Several case studies in the
dulum has swung: Testos- ’roid rage, which can lead to criminal behav- medical literature suggest that
terone is a drug that induces ior? In a small percentage of users they do steroids are hard not only on
severe mental disturbances indeed amplify what’s already there—an angry users but also on those closest to
in users. Among the symp- person may well get even angrier when using the users, such as family, wives or
toms associated with an- girlfriends. Although outright
large doses of steroids.
abolic steroid use are psychosis is rare, irritability is
irritability, aggression, eu- common. Things that would

normally not upset you bring on what could be mildly
called an overcompensation effect. Some athletes on
steroids have beaten their wives or girlfriends to the ex-
tent of sending them to the hospital.
Some research links cases of homicide, suicide and
other causes of death to steroids. One study examining
the cause of death in 34 steroid users found that 11 had
killed themselves, nine were homicide victims and 12 died
accidentally. The conclusion of the study was that anabol-
ic steroid abusers were at higher risk because of impulsive
and aggressive behavior or increased depression.1
Steroids affects brain function. Experiments have
demonstrated that anabolic steroids, when given to ado-
lescent rats, lead to a decrease in receptors in the brain for
GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter. That substance,
which is synthesized from amino acids, calms the brain.
In fact, most prescription sleeping pills work by interact-
ing with the GABA receptor, and if the receptor malfunc-
tions, mania and delusional thinking, as well as loss of
control, can result.
GABA functions in a section of the brain called the The interaction of testosterone with serotonin
amygdala, the site of emotional response and anger ex- suggests that increasing serotonin levels in the
pression. It’s not difficult to see how inhibiting GABA brain may help to blunt aggressive tendencies
could lead to increased aggression and anger. while on steroids. An over-the-counter
Anabolic steroids also adversely affect the density of
supplement called L-5-hydroxy tryptophan, a
neurons that express serotonin, a brain chemical associat-
ed with sleep and feelings of relaxation. Before it was bean derivative, is a good direct precursor of
unjustly banned several years ago, the amino acid L- serotonin.
tryptophan was often used as a sleep and relaxation aid. It
worked because it was the direct precursor of serotonin while on the drugs are dissipating rapidly leads to a return
synthesis in the brain. to the drugs. Most of the addictive effects are more associ-
A lack of serotonin activity would make someone feel ated with the oral or 17-alpha ankylated versions of the
not only jumpy and on edge but also depressed. Many drugs.
antidepressants, such as Prozac, work by interacting with Anabolic steroids have been characterized as gateway
serotonin in the brain. It’s possible that for a person with drugs, in the sense that using them often leads to use of
tendencies toward depression, using steroids may make other, more immediately dangerous drugs. Why that’s so
the feelings worse. The suicides related to steroid use is hard to say, although the mental euphoria induced by
likely occurred through that mechanism. steroids may induce some to experiment with other drugs
Testosterone is known to increase a hormone synthe- that have no anabolic properties.
sized in the posterior pituitary gland. Vasopressin, or anti- Although not often discussed, some well-known body-
diuretic hormone (ADH), mainly helps the body retain builders have indeed become hooked on hard-line drugs.
water and maintain vital blood fluid volume. In excess, Some started with a drug called Nubain, which was char-
however, ADH is associated with increased aggressive acterized as nonaddictive. The original rationale for using
behavior, dominance and memory. ADH has a correlation Nubain was that it provided an antistress effect during
with serotonin: When serotonin is low and ADH is high, intense training and dulled pain to the extent that it en-
increased aggression occurs. Since testosterone increases abled harder training in the gym. But Nubain turned out
ADH while lowering serotonin, the possible aggression- to be not so innocent. Although no one died from using it,
producing effects are clear. The increased water retention many users went on to drugs such as heroin. The recent
observed in those who inject testosterone also represents death of a former national champion bodybuilder was
an increase in ADH. linked to his heroin use. He started with Nubain.
Some suggest that you can become psychologically So, do anabolic steroids actually cause ’roid rage? In a
addicted to steroids, especially if you’re taking large doses. small percentage of users they amplify what’s already
Addiction requires a withdrawal syndrome, a set of symp- there. That is, an angry person may get even angrier when
toms that occur when drug use ceases. Popular movies using large doses of steroids. Most who use the suggested
have depicted what happens when drugs such as heroin steroid cycles that feature large doses of several drugs
are withdrawn, with junkies experiencing excruciating experience greater irritability because of the chemical
mental and physical effects. changes induced in the brain. The key to how a person
Some studies suggest a withdrawal syndrome likewise acts while on steroids relates to the higher brain centers,
exists with anabolic steroids. The symptoms include which determine intellectual functions and rationality.
depression; anhedonia, or an inability to feel joy or happi- Some people can maintain control and not engage in
ness; fatigue; impaired concentration; and, in some cases, antisocial behavior, such as beating people up, crashing
thoughts of suicide. The feelings can become so over- cars voluntarily or throwing insane public temper
whelming that the user promptly goes back on the drugs. tantrums.
In other cases the notion that all the muscle gains made For those unable to tap into their higher intellectual

Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
The key to how a person acts while on steroids relates to the
higher brain centers, which determine intellectual functions
and rationality. Some people can maintain control and not
engage in antisocial behavior, such as beating people up,
crashing cars voluntarily or throwing insane public temper
tantrums.
centers, the drugs represent a serious tophan, a bean derivative, is an even ous studies have shown that those with
mental-health risk. Such people could more direct precursor of serotonin low brain levels of omega-3 fats are
represent a danger to themselves, than tryptophan is. Taking at least 300 often depressed and have increased
their families and society. The ulti- milligrams a day while on steroids aggression. A good dose for people
mate solution for those who say that may help. One company is also selling who are taking steroids is five to 10
using steroids drove them to commit a natural GABA derivative that ap- grams of fish oil a day. The liquid form
negative acts is to either reduce in- pears to be able to cross the blood- of the supplement is preferable, since
take of the drugs or, better yet, get off brain barrier and exert calming you’d need to take far too many cap-
them completely. effects. That, too, may offer benefits sules to reach that dose range.
The interaction of testosterone for those experiencing increased
with serotonin suggests that increas- aggression while on steroids.
References
ing serotonin levels in the brain may Fish oil is particularly effective for
help blunt aggressive tendencies modulating aggressive tendencies. 1 Thiblin, I., et al. (2000). Causes and
while on steroids. Tryptophan is no Fish oil, or omega-3 fatty acids, inter- manner of death among users of an-
longer available, but another OTC acts with serotonin receptors in the abolic steroids. J Forensic Sci. 45:16-23.
supplement called L-5-hydroxy tryp- brain to help tame aggression. Vari- IM
$'

Readers Write
Contest Crackdown
Exercise Execution
IRON MAN is my favorite bodybuilding magazine. I
really enjoy the nutrition articles, Bodybuilding Pharma-
cology and the X-Rep training. However, there hasn’t been
enough explanation about occlusion [or blocking blood
flow to the muscles]. Also, some of the exercises men-
tioned need to have pictures, like incline lateral raises.
A. Franklin
West Palm Beach, FL
Editor’s note: It’s difficult

to show every exercise men-
tioned in every issue. We often
explain difficult-to-grasp exer-
cises in our e-zine and at our
Web site,
www.IronManMagazine.com.
Neveux
You can subscribe to our e-zine
free at our home page. As for
occlusion, we’re just beginning
I’m pleased that the IFBB is finally taking steps (suppos- to understand its impact on
edly) to control some of the judging standards in body- muscle growth. There’s more
building contests. It’s long overdue. The argument of discussion at www.X-Rep.com
symmetry vs. size has gone on in bodybuilding circles since and in the X-traordinary Abs e-
the very beginning, but the current problem goes a little book, Chapter 4, Bloodbath
deeper. In today’s bodybuilding world many of the competi- Aftermath, available at
tors have gotten away from bodybuilding ideals to some that Web site.
degree. In addition to the bloated bellies and those unsight-
ly synthol lumps (is anyone fooled by them?), physiques are
also being corrupted by overdeveloped glutes, hips and
Wow!
upper thighs. In my opinion, not every bodypart should be After I saw Federi-
bulked to the absolute maximum. Sure, a bodybuilder ca Belli, the Hard-
needs development in all areas, but a man’s physique body in the October
should have a V-taper, not the shape of a cinder block. ’05 IRON MAN, I
I don’t put the blame for current bodybuilding trends had to write. Yes,
entirely on the competitors. The majority of the blame goes yes, yes, she is Federica
to the judges and the fans. When Rich Gaspari popularized absolutely your Belli.
striated glutes back in the late ’80s, fans started demanding hottest Hardbody
more and more rear-end development. That’s just one ever! We have to see
example of trends that have spilled over into judging and more of her in a
become commonplace in bodybuilding. future issue. Please!
As an artist with a keen eye for anatomy, I can see when a Her physique is the
bodybuilder’s symmetry is severely skewed, but I realize perfect combination
that recognition isn’t inherent in all fans. That’s why I feel of toned muscles and
the judges definitely have to take more responsibility in this feminine curves. Wow!
area. Sam Pennington
I’m a bodybuilding fan at heart, and I know we all want to via Internet
see freaky development; however, I think we can have freaks
and still adhere to bodybuilding ideals. I think Ronnie Cole- Editor’s note: We’ll see
man is a great champion, but I liked his physique better what we can do about
when he won his first couple of Olympia titles. To my eye, getting her back in the
the majority of his recent weight gain was in his glutes, studio. In the mean-
upper thighs and waist. I also felt Dorian Yates represented time, here’s another
an excellent combination of freakiness, size and symmetry photo of Federica to
during his first two years as Mr. Olympia. keep you going.
Much of my inspiration for the IRON MAN Legends
Neveux
poster series stems from the fact that many of the earlier
champions represented a closer adherence to aesthetics
and symmetry. Perhaps by bringing attention to these great 9RO1R ,5210$1,661LVSXEOLVKHGPRQWKO\E\ ,5210$1 3XE
champions and viewing them through an artist’s eye, we OLVKLQJ,YHV$YH2[QDUG&$3HULRGLFDO0DLOLVSDLGDW2[QDUG&$DQGDWDG
GLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRIILFHV32670$67(56HQGDGGUHVVFKDQJHVWR,5210$1,YHV$YH
can educate some of our younger bodybuilding fans. I 2[QDUG&$3OHDVHDOORZVL[WRHLJKWZHHNVIRUFKDQJHWRWDNHHIIHFW6XEVFULSWLRQ
applaud IRON MAN for honoring bodybuilders of the past UDWHV86DQGLWVSRVVHVVLRQVQHZLVVXHVXEVFULSWLRQ&DQDGD0H[LFRDQGRWKHU
as well as the future. IRUHLJQVXEVFULSWLRQVLVVXHVVHQW6HFRQG&ODVV)RUHLJQRUGHUVPXVWEHLQ86GRO
Ron Dunn ODUV6HQGVXEVFULSWLRQVWR,5210$1,YHV$YH2[QDUG&$2UFDOO
via Internet &RS\ULJKW $OO ULJKWV UHVHUYHG 1R SDUW RI WKLV PDJD]LQH PD\ EH
UHSURGXFHGLQDQ\PDQQHUZLWKRXWZULWWHQSHUPLVVLRQIURP WKHSXEOLVKHU3ULQWHGLQWKH86$


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