Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Muscular Development - February 2009 (US)
Muscular Development - February 2009 (US)
Muscular Development - February 2009 (US)
JACK UP NOW!
GROWTH
ANABOLICS
Vo l u m e 4 6 , N u m b e r 2 , F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9
TRAINING
378 Extreme Muscle Enhancement
By Carlon M. Colker, MD, FACN
128 Research: Supplements By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD 140 Research: Nutrition By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD 188 Supplement Performance Supplements Are Another
Excellent Training Tool! By Jose Antonio, PhD, FACSM, FISSN
386 The Predator By Kai Greene 394 The True Victor By Victor Martinez 402 Mass With Class By Branch Warren 406 Lee Priest Confirmed! By Lee Priest NEW! 412 Telling It Like It Is By Shawn Ray NEW! 418 Branden Ray: Road To The USAs By Branden Ray NEW! 422 The Big Bad Wolf: The Peoples Choice
By Dennis Wolf
FAT LOSS
108 Research: Fat Loss By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD 174 Fat Attack Ephedrine/Caffeine
Combo: New Study Says Not Guilty
426 Erik The House Fankhouser By Erik Fankhouser 430 National Hero By Evan Centopani 438 The Pro Creator By Hany Rambod 442 Contest Guru By Chad Nicholls 446 Trainer of Champions By Charles Glass
By Dan Gwartney, MD
DRUGS
150 Research: Drugs By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD 184 Future Pharmacy By Douglas S. Kalman, PhD, RD, FACN 328 Testosterone ANABOLICS IX: An Interview With Author
William Llewellyn By Dan Gwartney, MD
348 The Clear Chemist By Patrick Arnold NEW! 356 Anabolic Research Update By William Llewellyn 360 The Anabolic Freak By David Palumbo 366 Anabolic Edge By Jose Antonio, PhD 384 Busted! Legal Q&A By Rick Collins, JD
162 Research: Sex By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD 202 Muscle Growth Update By Robbie Durand, MA NEW! 318 Bodybuilding Science Once Or Twice A Week Body Part
Training For Optimal Growth? By Robbie Durand, MA
352 No Juice Bodybuilding By Eric Broser NEW! 374 Ask The Doc By Victor Prisk, MD NEW!
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310 Major Distraction By John Romano 340 Ramblin Freak By Gregg Valentino 436 No Bull Radio By John Romano 452 Hot Shoppe By Angela T. Frizalone 456 Web Directory
458 MD Marketplace By Angela T. Frizalone & Manda Machado 486 The Last Word By John Romano
FEATURES
210 METROFLEX GYM: THE ULTIMATE HARDCORE
DUNGEON INTERVIEW WITH OWNER BRIAN DOBSON BY JOHN ROMANO
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editors letter
By Steve Blechman Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
hats it like to train in the most hardcore bodybuilding dungeon in the world? The gym that eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman and Peoples Champion Branch Warren call home? The place that has set the standard for the anti-establishment fitness club counterculture, and preserved the very essence of what it means to be hardcore? The place Im talking about is, of course, Metroflex Gym in Arlington, Texas. Its owner and creator Brian Dobson has been gracious enough to allow MD the one and only true hardcore bodybuilding magazine left in the world to call Metroflex home. Im so awestruck at the amazing photo shoots we created in that old-school hardcore muscle dungeon, that I wanted to find a way to thank Brian for allowing us so much access. How could I show my gratitude to Brian and give him the props
he deserves? Publicity! And thats how I came up with the theme of this issue. Every feature in this ultra-hardcore issue is shot by MD ace photographer Per Bernal at Metroflex Gym. On page 430, Evan Centopani throws down intense blue-collar style with his off-season workout. On page 426, Erik Fankhouser burns up his huge wheels; on page 386, The Predator, Kai Green, torches bis and tris; and on page 256, Tarek Elsetouhi massacres chest, old-school style all on the battered and souped-up hardcore equipment you will only find at Metroflex. Then on page 402, peoples champion Branch Warren reflects on his years at Metroflex and how he became a bodybuilder there. On page 300, Flex Wheeler is granted an exclusive interview with his old friend, eight-time Mr. Olympia and Metroflex fixture Ronnie Coleman, to talk about not only throwing down at the worlds
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Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Steve Blechman Senior Editor John Romano Managing Editor Angela T. Frizalone Creative Director Alan Dittrich, Jr. Associate Editor Lana Russo Associate Art Director Stephen Kolbasuk Assistant Editor Alan Golnick Contributing Editors Carlon Colker, M.D.,Thomas Fahey Ph.D. Dan Gwartney, M.D. Executive Assistant Michele Gampel Photographers Chief Photographer: Per Bernal Mike Yurkovic, Dan Ray, Bill Comstock Illustrators Bill Hamilton, Fred Harper, Jerry Beck Advertising Advertising DirectorAngela T. Frizalone (239) 495-6899 Corporate Office 800-653-1151, 631-751-9696 Circulation Consultants Irwin Billman & Ralph Pericelli
most hardcore muscle dungeon, but also of the possibility of the legend returning! Finally, on page 210 Senior Editor John Romano sits down with Brian Dobson and talks about what it took to build what would be known the world over as the most hardcore gym in the world. To further the love, I want to call your attention to the official website: www.metroflexgym.com, which sells the world-famous Metroflex Gym hardcore clothing line you have seen both Ronnie and Branch wearing. Brian also has online training/nutrition programs available for bodybuilding, powerlifting, strongman, MMA, football and general fitness. He says he has been very blessed in this area, with great results from a wide variety of folks worldwide. Brian takes each individual into account, for a truly unique, custom-tailored program. He also offers personal training onsite, specializing in hardcore bodybuilding and strength programs that hundreds of bodybuilders and other athletes have benefited from. There is even an InTown suite within walking distance to the gym that has a fridge, microwave and stove for reasonable weekly rates. Athletes from all over the world have come and trained hands-on Metroflex style for a few weeks at a time. Brian says hes not a guru or a chemist, but believes that God has anointed him to build champions a fact that cant be ignored as long as someone wants to train hardcore! You can open your own can of Metroflex Whoop-Ass by calling Brian at 817-465-9331 or e-mailing him at brian@metroflexgym.com. The rest of this super hardcore issue is jam-packed to the binder with tons of useful news and cutting-edge information from the industrys top sources and seasoned pros, to help you build the body of your dreams. It just doesnt get any more hardcore than here at MD! See you next month!
To Order a Subscription: (888) 841-8007 Customer Service & Subscription Inquiries: (631) 751-9696; 1-800-653-1151
Advanced Research Press, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertising at its discretion. MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT (ISSN 0047-8415) is published monthly by Advanced Research Press, 690 Route 25A, Setauket, New York, 11733. Copyright 2008 by Advanced Research Press. All rights reserved. Copyright under the Universal Copyright Convention and the International Copyright Convention. Copyright reserved under the Pan Am Copyright. Rate: $49.97 per year (USA); $79.97 per two years (USA); foreign: $79.97 per year. Nothing appearing in MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT may be reprinted, either wholly or in part, without the written consent of the publisher. Send editorial submissions to: MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, 690 Route 25A, Setauket, New York, 11733. Stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited submissions. All letters, photos, manuscripts, etc. sent to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT will be considered as intended for publication, and MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT reserves the right to edit and/or comment. Periodical postage paid at Setauket, N.Y. 11733, and at Glasgow, KY 42141. Postmaster: Send address changes to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, Box 834, East Setauket, NY 11733-9704. Advertising Office Phone: (239) 495-6899. PRINTED IN USA
Cover photos of Branch Warren and Ziville Raudoniene are by Per Bernal
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mailroom
Erik Fans
Erik The House Fankhouser has the most amazing wheels in bodybuilding today. He has the greatest column in MD. The pictures alone are worth a thousand words. His legs are sickout of sight, like tree trunks. He must have a problem finding pants that fit. More important, Erik is a good guy, a family man who appreciates his wife and knows whats really important. Keep going strong, Erik! Joe Scharler and Mark Verone, e-mail
Ben Weider
Nice tributes to Ben Weider in January MD. From Steve Blechmans letter to The Romano Factor and even a picture of Joe and Ben Weider in MD People in the same issue. This is very respectable and classy of MD, to showcase icons in the bodybuilding world who dont work for your magazine. Thats more than those other guys do I certainly have never seen a really nice article about Steve Blechman in Flex or Muscle and Fitness. Maybe somebody over there is asleep at the switch? Jerry Fishkin, e-mail
Romano Factor
As a longtime reader of MD, I applaud the depths of John Romanos investigations into bodybuildingrelated issues each month in The Romano Factor. Once John gets going, he really digs deep, and hes quite a funny guy. John has a wonderfully pissy delivery but his train of thought sometimes takes a detour. Eventually, though, he finds his way. Hes like the Rex Reed of bodybuilding journalism, after a slight lobotomy. Martin Fein, e-mail
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February 2009
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Yenny Polanco: NPC fitness athlete, Massachusetts Monica Mark: NPC figure athlete, California
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MD 45
By TEAM MD
MDPeople
Ed Nunn Super Heavyweight and Overall Winner
MUSCULARDEVELOPMENT.COM
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Grigori Atoyan 2nd place Super Heavyweights Sheila Bleck Womens Bodybuilding Overall Winner
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MDPeople
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MD 59
TheRomano Factor
By John Romano
To Schmoe Or Not To SchmoeThat Is The Question By Chrisco915 If you are anything like me, you spent your formative years in the gym learning (amongst other things) that prolonged chit-chatting and meandering socialite groups yucking it up in front of frequently used equipment is blasphemous. Those lessons kept me withdrawn during my workouts and rather unapproachable (as I have been recently informed) to those who crossed my path. Perhaps, like me, you have seen the same people day after dayweek after week for years and have never even spoken to them. You have checked out the attractive woman in the tight black shorts or the handsome, muscle-clad man and not said hello out of embarrassment or not wanting to bother them. Many times, you have passed one another and looked past each other or made eye contact and quickly looked away or got caught checking each other out in the mirrors (dont deny ityou have been caught at least once). But what if you actually said hello? Would you appear creepy and seem like you are hitting on the person? What if you overcame the embarrassing longevity of not expressing the common decency of saying Hello during all that time? Would the person just scowl and walk away? What if you actually just said, I apologize, but I feel rather rude for not introducing myself after all the times we have passed each other here.Im <name>. Would they destroy your preconceived fantasy of them and ruin it? It was time to find out. Obviously, I do not recommend this course of action while someone is mid-set or cruising a hellacious cardio session, but between sets or resting, one might be able to learn a few things about the people they are surround by who share the same passion for the gym. So, I took this mindset to the gym. Instead of pacing instinctually between sets, I remained relatively stationary and said hello to people who acknowledged my presence. To my surprise, quite a few of my pre-determined write-offs had quite a few interesting tidbits of wisdom about nutrition, training and other fascinating subjects. Yes, a few fantasies were destroyed by self-centeredness, rudeness, social grace, gym etiquette and yes, some people just suck. But the positive far outweighed the negative. I am not saying I am evolving into the ever-irritating social butterfly of the place; but I must admit that I feel rather liberated by breaking the irrational unspoken bond in todays societal lack of interest in anything that does not relate directly to them. I walked away from this with a few things I didnt start out with. More smiles and hellos entering the gym after a hard days work, a new workout partner and more people who understand my perchance to appear unfriendly (which is far from the truth). For all thisI feel more connected to my gym and its people. It has become a more comfortable home away from home. I really do suggest it, even if only for one day. THE WAY I SEE IT, wow! That was good! But why the term schmoe? I always thought that meant a fanatical fan of female bodybuilding. Whatever the case, I am indeed enlightened and Im marching straight into the gym tomorrow morning and introducing myself to at least two people to whom I must appear rude. Good job, Chrisco915.You got me thinking!
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February 2009
his months MD is a particularly hardcore issue. With all the insane training features shot in Metroflex Gym, and the interview with its owner Brian Dobson, I felt compelled to introduce all of you to another old school, hardcore player in this thing of ours. He is an old friend of mine with whom Ive shared some, shall we say enlightening experiences. Ive seen him start from almost nothing and grow to the point where he has revolutionized the industry with his amazing and incredibly effective supplement line. While I was interviewing Brian Dobson, he made the statement, in regard to his gym: Break from conformity. I thought that went rather well with my good friend who always says, Never accept mediocrity. So, I figured this would be a great issue to introduce you to him. So, this month, in the space I usually reserve for current controversy, Im going to do something a little different and use it to explore someone controversially current. Id like you to meet this friend of mine, Author L. Rea. Many of you know him as the mad scientist behind ALR Industries, but hes actually the companys CEO and head researcher. In Spanish, El Rey means the king. Close enough for me. So, a long time ago, I affectionately started calling ALR The February 2009
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The bottom line is simply this, and I really want everyone to pay attention here: the million-dollar secret to my success is my commitment to the truth.
than you or Troy any day, but hey, thats just me. Are these people walking testimonials for your products? ALR: The amazing truth is simple and it is the key to our success. Without much advertising money spent, largely from word-of-mouth spread from my clients and staff, Joe Average began seeking out my products! In an amazing turn of events, this word-of-mouth has spread like wildfire. One can now find ALR Industries products in Vitamin Shoppe. Distributors like BOSS and Lone Star are selling millions yearly. JR: There are a few little stories like that. Our industry is unique isnt it? JR: So, is it that thinking-outsidethe-box attitude part of what creates not only the company image, but yours as well? And the catchy names such as Porn Star? Is that what continues the need to keep an attorney on staff? ALR: Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way. I just dont think that I should change my image and be something or someone I am not. Thats kind of funny by, the way. I never really thought of myself as having an image. I am Author L. Rea, a bodybuilder, researcher, writer, CEO, daddy and one of the few company owners always at his booth shaking hands with consumers. Basically hav-
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February 2009
MD BODYBUILDING
ollowing on the success of the first MD improvement contest, another one was recently held for everyone who missed out on the first one. The contest was open to all MD forum members, both male and female. The judges looked for the mostimproved person and chose one male and one female winner. The contestants did not need to come in water-depleted and ripped at 3 percent body fat. This was for people to improve in a healthy reasonable manner. The winner could very well be a guy or girl who loses 30 pounds and comes in at 8 percent to 10 percent, or it could be somebody who drops down to 6 percent and is ripped, with a great shape. It could be a guy or girl who is already lean, but adds noticeable muscle. It is a bodybuilding and improvement contest. But it wasnt a Jared Subway contest. You gotta flex! Because of the amazing improvement and dedication that the top two guys from the last contest
CONTEST WINNERS!
showed, we brought them in as judges for this contest. And to add some beauty and balance to the judging table, as well as some serious muscle! Girlymuscle joined the judging team. The contest ran from July st st 1 -November 1 . When all was said and done, Ms. Muscle won the womens contest and Newbreed won the mens contest. Check out the before and after pics! Congratulations to both of them!
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February 2009
RESEARCH
Training
Muscle Protein Signalers Dont Work As Well In Older Men
Curly of The Three Stooges once said, Im trying to think, but nothin happens. Old muscle works the same way. British researchers, led by Michael Rennie, found that proteinsignaling systems were less responsive in older than younger men to amino acids and weight training. Muscle tension and amino acids such as leucine stimulate protein-signaling systems in muscles that trigger formation of muscle proteins and increase muscle size. The study showed that high muscle tension (60 percent to 90 percent of maximum effort) worked best for stimulating protein synthesis, but the system works better in younger than older men. Build muscle by training hard and taking amino acids and protein supplements close to workout times. (Physiology, in press; published online November 10, 2008)
plicated and is influenced by chemicals and growth factors produced throughout the body. Bodybuilders must be concerned with the health of all tissues and not just the size of their muscles. Metabolic health and a good physique go hand in hand. (Exercise Sports Science Reviews, 33: 63-68, 2005)
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RESEARCH
Training
they put tremendous pressure on the spine that can cause lifelong back pain. Bodybuilders need effective abdominal exercises that minimize the stress on sensitive spinal disks. Mayo Clinic researchers, led by James Youdas, found that the Ab-Slider activated the abdominal muscles better than the abdominal crunch, supine double-leg thrust, or side-bridge exercises. They cautioned that the double-leg thrust overworked the large thigh muscles, which could place excess stress on the low back. Extensive research by Dr. Stuart McGill from Canada showed that a variety of exercises strengthen the core muscles best. He concluded that the three best core muscle exercises for the average person were curl-ups, birddogs and side-bridges. The Ab-Slider is an effective device for strengthening the abdominal muscles, provided that people maintain a neutral spine while using it. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 22: 1939-1946, 2008)
lowing an intense weight-training workout. Aging men with low levels of testosterone and growth hormone cant count on exercise to boost hormone levels and might require hormone replacement therapy to maintain optimal health. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 22: 16171624, 2008)
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RESEARCH
Fat Loss
Large Waist Size Doubles Risk Of Premature Death
Sixty-six percent of Americans are obese or overweight. Excess fat increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke and sudden death. A large European population study that tracked nearly 400,000 people for nearly 10 years showed that fat distribution was more important than total fat for predicting the risk of death. Researchers measured body mass index (BMI; a measure of the proportion of height to weight), waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio. They also gathered data on education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise. People with the highest waist circumference (top 25 percent) increased the risk of death during this period by 105 percent, while those with the highest waist to hip ratio increase their risk by 78 percent. BMI, a rough measure of obesity, was also related to an increased risk of death but it was not nearly as significant as markers of high abdominal fat. The lowest risk of death linked to BMI was 25.3 for men and 24.3 for women. Waist size is a simple and accurate measure for determining general health status and the relative risk of death. (New England Journal of Medicine, 359: 2105-2120, 2008) Copenhagen showed that a drug called tesofensine nearly doubled the weight loss (28 pounds in six months) of current FDA approved weight-control drugs. Tesofensine works by interfering with the metabolism of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain, which decreases appetite. People lost as
much weight on a low dose (0.5mg) as they did on a higher dose (1mg). The final clinical trials are under way. If successful, the drug could be approved within two years. Side effects included increased heart rate and blood pressure, dry mouth, insomnia, and gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea and nausea. Another weight-loss drug called rimonabant was approved briefly in Europe but not approved by the FDA because of severe psychiatric side effects. The FDA will closely monitor these effects in tesofensine before granting their approval. (The Lancet, in press; published online October 23, 2008)
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RESEARCH
Fat Loss
enced large increases in fat burning. Early trials in diabetic mice found that the drug was well tolerated, had few side effects, promoted weightloss, lowered cholesterol and increased exercise capacity. The drug must go through years of clinical trials before the Food and Drug Administration will consider releasing it for sale. (Reuters, November 4, 2008; Cell Metabolism 8: 347-358, 2008) Obese people have a reduced capacity to release growth hormone, which makes weight control extremely difficult. A brain chemical called dopamine increases GH release. Dutch researchers from Leiden University Medical Center found that boosting dopamine metabolism with a drug called bromocriptine enhanced 24-hour growth hormone release by 22 percent in obese women. Bromocriptine increases the activity of the brains dopamine receptors. The receptors send signals to parts of the brain that control growth hormone. Bodybuilders should not take bromocriptine to boost growth hormone because it can cause psychotic symptoms. This study was interesting because it showed the link between growth hormone release, obesity, and the brain chemical dopamine. (Journal Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 93: 3455-3461, 2008)
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February 2009
RESEARCH
Health
Melanotan: The Underground Tanning Drug
Health experts in the United States and Great Britain are concerned about the unapproved use of the tanning drugs Melanotan I and Melanotan II. Melanotan I contains an enzyme called alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) that promotes the release of the skins tanning pigment, melanin. Melanotan II contains alpha-MSH and a hormone called malanocortin, which also affects sexual performance (promotes erections and sex drive) and bodyweight control. While these drugs have undergone clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved them. Typically, it takes about 10 injections of the drug to cause a deep, rich tan that can then be maintained with weekly injections. Apparently, the drug is widely available on the black market in the United States, as suggested by the existence of discussion websites such as Melanotan.org. (BBC News, November 17, 2008) actively studying the genetics of hair loss and may someday have a cure. Until then, you are stuck with wigs, hair plugs or the bald look. (The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2008)
heart attack and stroke. Daniel Solomon and colleagues from the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston found that the drugs increase cardiovascular risks more in some people than others. They examined more than 100,000 people who used the drugs and compared them with nearly 50,000 nonusers. Vioxx increased the risk of heart related deaths by 22 percent, while NSAIDs decreased the risk by 21 percent. Risk factors linked to COX-2 inhibitor-related deaths included age, high blood pressure, prior heart disease or heart attack, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease and chronic lung disease. (Arthritis Care and Research, 59: 1097-1104, 2008)
High Blood Calcium Increases The Risk Of Deadliest Form Of Prostate Cancer
If a man lives long enough, he will probably get prostate cancer but die from something else. The exception is rapidly progressing prostate cancer that is quick and deadly. The cause of the disease is unknown, but risk factors include age, family history, race, poor diet and lack of exercise. Researchers
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RESEARCH
Health
from the Wake Forest University Medical School showed that high blood calcium increases the risk of the most deadly form of the disease by 300 percent. It is not clear whether the culprit is calcium or parathyroid hormone, which controls calcium levels. Blood calcium or parathyroid levels cannot be controlled by reducing calcium intake in the diet but can be reduced with drugs. Measurements of blood calcium and parathyroid hormone levels might be important tools in predicting the risk of the most deadly form of prostate cancer. (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 17: 2302-2305, 2008) avoid weightlifting like the plague. The thinking is that high forces developed in the knee joint when doing squats or other leg exercises will make the problem worse. Australian researchers, in a review of literature, found just the opposite. Weak muscles around the knee joint cause instability and stress, which deteriorate cartilage cells lining the joint. Cartilage damage triggers joint surface irregularities and promotes poor joint lubrication, which causes pain and disability. Strengthening the muscles around the joint provides stability and a healthier environment for the cartilage cells and the membranes secreting joint fluid. Researchers reviewed 18 studies that included nearly 3,000 patients and found that resistance exercise reduced pain and improved physical function, walking speed, and balance. Weight training works best when people use good lower body exercise techniques that minimize abnormal stresses on the knee joints. (Arthritis and Rheumatism, 59: 1488-1494, 2008)
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RESEARCH
Supplements
Creatine + Arginine AlphaKetoglutarate Increases Muscle Endurance and Power
Muscle contractions, nerve impulses, protein synthesis and fluid balance require energy that comes from highenergy compounds, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP) produced during energy metabolism. This process involves breaking down food in a series of small steps that releases energy, which is captured in other reactions that produce ATP and CP. Many athletes take creatine monohydrate to increase muscle CP levels, which boosts muscle strength and power. The TCA cycle (Krebs cycle) is an important part of this process. Many athletes take supplements containing critical elements of the TCA cycle, such as alpha-ketoglutarate, to improve exercise performance. Jonathan Little and colleagues from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada found that creatine monohydrate or creatine monohydrate + arginine alpha-ketoglutarate increased peak power output during repeated sprint tests on a stationary bicycle. Supplementing key high-energy fuels can increase high-intensity exercise capacity and promote recovery. (International Journal Sports Nutrition Exercise Metabolism, 18:493-508, 2008) ephedra/caffeine (EC) supplements to promote weight loss. Many bodybuilders and other athletes took EC to increase energy levels during training and competition. In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of EC based on uncontrolled observations and anecdotal reports of cardiovascular side effects. A Danish study led by Dr. Jesper Hallas found no increase in heart attacks, heart-related sudden deaths or strokes in patients
Ephedra + Caffeine Does Not Increase the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
During the 1990s, nearly 33 percent of overweight and obese people in the United States took
prescribed EC by physicians. This well-controlled study examined EC use in more than 2,300 people living in Denmark who took the supplements between 1995 and 2002. Before the FDAs ban, EC was the most popular food supplement in the world. In 1999 alone, more than 12 million people in the United States took more than 3 billion doses of the supplement. Most studies showed that EC helped people lose as much weight as FDA-approved weight-loss drugs (orlistat and sibutramine) that cost more than five times as much per month. Its time for the FDA to reevaluate their stand on ephedra/caffeine supplements. (American Journal of Epidemiology, 166: 966-973, 2008)
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RESEARCH
Supplements
six-month experiment. They speculated that chemicals in green tea such as caffeine and catechins particularly epigallocatechin-3-gallate speed metabolism and fight fat. Green tea, however, also increased the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in fat cells, which might have negative effects in bodybuilders. Green tea is an effective fat fighter that decreases fat cell size and number. However, bodybuilders should use it with caution. (Journal of Nutrition, 138: 2156-2163- 2163, 2008)
improves performance by reducing pain and speculate that aspirin might be an effective supplement for athletes. A Baylor University study, led by Geoffrey Hudson, showed that caffeine was more effective than aspirin in promoting muscle endurance during a highrep bench press test. Aspirin had no effect on weightlifting performance or the perception of effort or pain during exercise. Caffeine is an excellent pretraining supplement for bodybuilders. It helps provide motivation to train and provides a small boost in performance. (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22: 1950-1957, 2008)
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February 2009
RESEARCH
Nutrition
Should Burgers Be On the Doping Banned List?
Athletes are responsible for any banned substances found in their urine or blood during doping tests. Studies of athletic food supplements purchased on the Internet showed that more than 25 percent contained banned substances. Athletes must also be careful about the foods they eat. During the Beijing Olympics, chicken purchased at a local market contained enough anabolic steroids to trigger a positive test. Ranchers and poultry farmers often use hormones to boost yields, particularly in some foreign countries. Detectable amounts of nandrolone have been measured in boar meat and pig offal (pig guts), which could find their way into stews and meat pies sold in some countries. Eating steroid-containing meats could cause athletes to fail drug tests and severely damage their careers and reputations. Hans Braun and colleagues from the German Sport University in Cologne recommended that athletes competing in international competitions should eat at the athletic venues, avoid minced meats and pastries made from low-quality meats, and stay away from boar meat and pork offal. (International Journal Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 18: 539-542, 2008)
Weight Training and Protein Supplements Prevent Muscle Loss During Aging
People lose muscle mass as they age, a condition called sarcopenia. Muscle mass decreases by 20 percent in most people between the ages of 40 and 60. By age 70, most people cant lift 10 pounds overhead. Sarcopenia impairs quality of life and can result in lifethreatening accidents and falls. Weight training and protein supplements can prevent loss of muscle mass. Weight training, particularly when practiced at a high velocity, preserves or even increases muscle mass. Amino acids and proteins provide building blocks for muscle repair and hypertrophy. Amino acids, such as leucine, act as chemical signals that turn on key pathways involved in protein synthesis. Also, supplements augment calorie intake, which prevents muscle atrophy (shrinkage) that occurs with advancing age. Resistive exercise and protein supplements are effective ways of slowing the disability that accompanies aging. (Current Opinions Clinical Nutrition Metabolic Care, 11: 40-44, 2008)
Nutrition issued recommendations for using nutrient timing to maximize physical performance and recovery: 1) Consume meals high in simple carbohydrates shortly after intense or prolonged exercise to restore muscle and liver glycoge; 2) consume free amino acids and protein with or without carbohydrates before weight training to stimulate muscle protein synthesis; 3) consume a beverage containing 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour (6 percent to 8 percent carbohydrate solution) during prolonged exercise; 4) consume carbohydrates and proteins during weight training to spare muscle glycogen, prevent muscle damage and promote muscle adaptations; 5) consume essential amino acids (with or without carbohydrates) before or after weighttraining to promote protein synthesis; and 6) take creatine monohydrate (with or without carbohydrates and protein) to promote adaptations to weight training. The effects of these practices are small, but can be very powerful when combined and incorporated into a well-planned conditioning and sports nutrition program. (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 5:17, 2008; online publication)
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RESEARCH
Nutrition
protein and DNA synthesis, preservation of the immune system, acidbased balance, and fuel for the central nervous system. Glutamine levels decrease during intense training or serious illness. Some studies found that glutamine supplements promote wound healing and benefit people suffering from serious illnesses, injury, trauma and burns. Several studies found a relationship between depressed immune function and low levels of glutamine. A review of literature by Michael Gleeson from Loughborough University in the UK concluded that glutamine supplements do not promote immune function. Also, glutamine does not improve physical performance, enhance acid-base balance, or promote glycogen resynthesis after exercise. Well-nourished, healthy athletes do not benefit from glutamine supplements or extra dietary intake of glutamine. (Journal Nutrition, 138: 2445S2049 2008) ic health. The effects of the MCT or olive oil supplemented diets were equal. Medium-chain triglyceride supplements promote weight loss and help reduce other risk factors of heart disease and stroke. (Journal of the American College of Nutrition 27: 547-552, 2008) designed agricultural product that is free from contamination and chemically enhanced with omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated-linoleic acid (CLA). Omega-3 fatty acids improve cardiovascular health, cell maintenance and repair, and promote fetal development during pregnancy. CLA is a popular supplement that decreases abdominal fat and reduces inflammation, both of which are linked to insulin resistance, diabetes and poor sexual desire. The goal of the ProSafeBeef project is to produce healthier, contaminant-free beef that has a pleasing taste and texture. (Nutrition Bulletin, 33: 374-381, 2008)
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February 2009
RESEARCH
Drugs
Web Pharmacies Riding Into The Sunset?
Bodybuilders interested in purchasing anabolic steroids or growth hormone had to look no further than their home computer to buy the drugs. That could soon come to an end because of a bill signed by President Bush. The legislation requires that patients see a doctor and obtain a prescription for controlled substances before they are allowed to purchase drugs online. Also, online pharmacies must register with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The law doesnt take effect until April 2009, but many web-hosting companies have already eliminated maverick pharmacies from their servers. Companies such as GoDaddy.com and Hosting.com have denied service to pharmacies that do not follow the requirements of the new law. Illegally selling controlled substances over the Internet is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The law wont affect offshore Internet pharmacies that are not subject to U.S. law. (USA Today, October 24, 2008) former weightlifters regain their strength relatively quickly. Researchers concluded that anabolic steroids provide an advantage in strength and power sports even years after athletes stop taking the drug. (Paper presented at The Integrative Biology Of Exercise V Conference, September 2008) 677) for 12 months showed increases in growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). They also experienced increases in lean mass and body water, but decreased LDL (the bad cholesterol). Ghrelin-like drugs might prevent decreases in growth hormone and IGF-1 and preserve muscle mass in older adults. (Annals of Internal Medicine, 149:601-611, 2008)
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RESEARCH
Drugs
Growth Hormone Supplements Increase Strength, Power And Endurance
Growth hormone levels decline gradually in middle-aged and older adults, which cause decreases in muscle and bone mass, strength, physical vitality and psychological health. Growth hormone supplements are increasingly popular for preventing some of these age-linked problems. Yet, physicians disagree on their benefits and risks. Irish researchers Matthew Widdowson and James Gibney, using a statistical technique called meta-analysis, combined the data from 11 large studies on growth hormone supplementation involving 268 people. The analysis showed strong evidence that growth hormone supplements improved strength, power and maximal oxygen consumption (aerobic capacity). The degree of improvement was not affected by age or growth hormone dosage. Combining the results of well-controlled studies clearly showed that growth hormone supplements improve physical capacity in older adults. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism, 93:44134417, 2008) 7,000 young men and tracked them for eight years between middle school and high school. Do anabolic steroids promote violence? While the conclusions of the authors might be true, people who choose to use steroids might have been more violent in the first place. Other psychological studies of anabolic steroid users found that most had emotional problems before they used the drugs. (American Journal of Public Health, 98: 2185-2187, 2008)
Higher Testosterone Doses Increase Muscle Size And Strength In Older Men
Men lose muscle strength and size as they age. One reason is a decrease in testosterone levels and increases in serum hormone binding globulin, which determine the amount of biologically effective testosterone. Tom Storer and colleagues from the Boston University School of Medicine found that muscle mass and strength increased in proportion to dose in older men taking supplemental testosterone. Men given 300mg per week of testosterone for 20 weeks showed greater changes in muscle mass, leg press strength, power, and endurance; stair-climbing power, and speed covering 400 meters than men taking lower doses of the drug (25, 50 and 125mg per week). Subjects were given a drug to suppress natural testosterone secretion before beginning the experiment, so that the relationship between blood testosterone levels and changes in strength and muscle mass could be determined accurately. The authors concluded that testosterone supplementation increased muscle mass, strength and power but had little effect on physical function. The changes were proportional to dosage. (Journal American Geriatrics Society, 56: 1991-1999, 2008)
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February 2009
RESEARCH
Sex
Prostate Medication Linked to Erection Problems
Propecia (finasteride) is a drug used to treat enlarged prostate glands and prostate cancer, which are common problems in middle-aged and older men. The drug works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to dehydrotestosterone (DHT). Tulane University Medical School researchers found that finasteride caused erection and ejaculation problems and decreased sex drive in up to 38 percent of men taking the drug. Sexual problems tend to occur early during drug treatment but are less severe over time. The drug appears to interfere with nitric oxide production an important chemical that regulates blood flow to the penis and blood vessels throughout the body. Because finasteride interferes with testosterone metabolism, it might have negative effects in bodybuilders trying to build muscle mass. (Journal Sexual Medicine, in press; published online November 2008) the virus. Fortunately, people can get an HPV vaccination, which might prevent oral cancers in both genders and cervical cancer in women. (ABC News October 15, 2008)
drugs added transient global amnesia (brief bouts of amnesia) to the list of side effects. The drug companies said there was no proven relationship between amnesia and these products, but the problem occurred often enough to include it on the warning label. More than 50 million men worldwide have used these drugs, which have a proven record of safety and effectiveness. Nevertheless, the amnesia warning gives men an excuse not to call her the next day. (WebMD Health News August 22, 2008)
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RESEARCH
Sex
the Psychology Department at Durham University in England, studied the morning-after feelings in 1,743 men and women the day after a onenight stand. Eighty percent of men but only 54 percent of women felt good about the experience. Also, men were much more likely to kiss and tell. One-night stands increased male selfesteem and confidence but made women feel bad about themselves. The women were particularly concerned about the effect of a one-night stand on their reputations. The experience was amplified if the couple had sex more than one time during the evening: men felt better and women felt even worse. Women enjoyed the experience more when they were ovulating. On a positive note, women did not necessarily view one-night stands as preludes to long-term relationships. (Human Nature, 19: published online April 2008)
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February 2009
fatattack
By Dan Gwartney, MD
NOT GUILTY
Numerous peer-reviewed studies and reviews confirmed the efficacy of the ephedrine/caffeine combination in causing weight loss, increasing resting energy expenditure (metabolism) and reducing appetite.
than 50 percent of the nation at that time. However, obesity was just being identified as a significant condition poised to dramatically affect public health and the financial welfare of the nation; certain companies were violating the spirit of DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) by adulterating supplements with pharmaceutical drugs; unscrupulous advertising was tainting the industrys reputation; and certain companies were marketing ephedra-based products as a party drug to high-risk youth and young adults. Ephedrine was already a regulated drug within sports organizations, being placed on the banned substance list by the NCAA in 1997 and prior to that by the IOC/ WADA (1994) for its stimulant-based ergogenic properties. Though relatively few well-known athletes were sanctioned, a small number were banned from competition. It was during this time that the topic of adulteration (intentional or unintentional) in OTC and supplement production was raised as an element in the athletes (largely unsuc12 cessful) appeals of the bans. As ephedrine and ephedra use became increasingly prevalent, and its use/abuse was associated with mood, behavior and health problems, watch groups became rightfully anxious about its presence as an unregulated stimulant accessible to minors. Further, the potential threat of cardiovascular harm or death was raised by concerned indi11 viduals and health professionals. Beta-adrenergic stimulants are capable of inducing dangerous elevations in blood pressure or irregular heart rhythms in sensitive individuals or when dosed/consumed in excess of the therapeutic range. As often happens, once public awareness was raised, numerous reports were registered in the media and public forums. Public health watch agencies released statements calling for a ban of ephedrine-containing products in 13 the interest of the publics welfare. The well-publicized deaths of users of ephedra-containing products, fortified public support for withdrawing the products from retail
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shelves. The level of attention and implied risk in ephedracontaining products, along with the punitive damages awarded in civil litigation, caused insurers to raise premiums such that scrupulous manufacturers withdrew ephedra-containing products from their product line prior to the formal ban handed down from the U.S. Food & Drug 15 Administration (FDA) in 2004. In close up statement, available on their website, are two quotes that would be contested by many who followed the research and reports of ephedrine-related weight-loss products. There is strong scientific evidence of harm associated with the use of ephedra products and, The agency found that supplements containing ephedra show little evi15 dence of effectiveness, except for short-term weight loss. A following comment, These reactions have been linked to serious health problems, including heart ailments and strokes, serves as the primary reason for the passage of the 2004 rule that removed ephedra-containing products from the retail market. Finally, This final rule will protect consumers by ensuring that these dangerous products are removed from the market and never sold, says FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD. Clearly, the FDA is certain that ephedrine and ephedra-alkaloids are inherently dangerous chemicals that should not be placed within reach of consumers. Of course, this does not take into account ephedrine and pseudoephedrine contained within over-the-counter medicines that treat asthma, nasal congestion and minor eye irritation. However, as those products are regulated in most states to be dispensed only from behind the pharmacy counter and only in amounts less than a defined threshold, the risk of adulteration or abuse are lessened considerably. Thus, the existence of ephedrine-containing and pseudoephedrine-containing weight-loss products were relegated to history. Previously (2001), phenylpropanolamine (PPA) experienced a similarly rapid and controversial withdrawal from the market, despite the long-standing success of 16 Dexatrim and like products. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that PPA was associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in women, causing the FDA to recommend the withdrawal of 17 all PPA-containing products from the retail market. This move was vigorously debated, as many scientific experts contested the conclusion and study design of this and a 18 related PPA review. Interestingly, the same issue of the NEJM contained a preliminary report of 140 cases of 11 adverse events related to ephedrine.
14
Witch-Hunt Mentality?
The door closed on PPA, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine during that brief period. Yet, in the rush to defend the safety of the public (a noble and justified cause), were these drugs being subjected to a witch-hunt mentality? Were they deemed to be dangerous without conclusive evidence? The counter-argument can also be made that they were proclaimed safe without conclusive evidence. Is it possible that in the interest of securing the nation against all harm that the FDA erred on the side of caution? Is it possible there were other influences beyond the pharmaceuti-
cal effects of these drugs that increased the urgency of federal agencies to act? A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology provided what is perhaps the most extensive examination of any association between the use of Letigen (a prescribed weight-loss drug containing 20mg of ephedrine and 200mg of caffeine) and adverse cardiovascu19 lar events. This review is literally awe-inspiring in the completeness of its data, reaching a degree that would be literally unobtainable in the U.S. A brief description of the study design will reveal why it is appropriate to state that its findings are conclusive. Denmark is a relatively small country located in the Scandinavian region of Europe, with a population of less than 6 million (in comparison, New York City has over 8 million residents). In addition to its acclaim as the happiest country in the world and least corrupt, Denmark has a wellorganized health care system and governmental records that allowed researchers to track the use, users and health 19 care system utilization relating to Letigen. The tracking and release of such data in the U.S. is inconceivable due to the privacy protection regulations, potential civil rights issues, and liability. Statistics Denmark provided access to records from the Danish National Registry of Patients, the Prescription Database of the Danish Medicines Agency, the Danish Registry of Death, and the Danish Person Registry. With the collective information, researchers were able to fully account for all prescriptions for Letigen during the study period (1995-2001), medical diagnoses and surgical procedures for all Danish citizens, death reports and migrating 19 habits. Of the 5.4 million Danes residing in Denmark during that period, nearly 300,000 filled prescriptions for Letigen (298,848). The records for those people were extracted, and additional prescription information was obtained, seeking evidence of drugs or other appetite suppressants that might interact with Letigen, including those used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, clotting disorders, diabetes, arthritis or asthma. Two different comparisons were made the first being the familiar use of matched controls (people of the same age and general health). In addition to directly comparing the subjects to controls, the researchers compared the subjects health prior to being prescribed Letigen to the period of exposure to the drug (case-crossover design). Subjects had to be at least 18, filled his/her first Letigen prescription during the study period and remained in Denmark for at least 18 months after being dispensed Letigen. Endpoints included any case-defining event (heart attack, stroke), death, emigration, age of 70, cancer, or the end of the study period. After excluding people who did not meet their criteria, there still remained 257 ,364 subjects contributing over 1,000,000 person years of observational data. In that large cohort, 2,316 case-defining events occurred during the seven-year study period, meaning a subject had a heart attack (839), stroke (946) or died of natu19 ral causes outside of a hospital (531). This is obviously the group of interest, representing the dangers so passionately
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spoken of in the FDAs statement. Though the numbers seem alarming on first glance, this actually represents a low incidence rate. By comparison, the U.S. has an annual 20 incidence rate of heart attack of 0.46 percent. Subjects who experienced an adverse event were more likely to be older and have pre-existing cardiovascular risks, as determined by prescriptions for cardiovascular, anti-clotting and diabetes drugs. When the relationship between Letigen use and the adverse event was analyzed, it was discovered that there was no greater risk during current Letigen use (within the previous 90 days) as compared to being off the drug. In fact, Letigen use actually had a lower risk of adverse event in a) deaths outside the hospital, b) women, and c) 19 statin users (a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs). Interestingly, the greatest risk with Letigen use appeared to arise within the first 10 days of use (days zero to 10 fol19 lowing first prescription). With longer use, the prevalence of adverse events decreased steadily. This suggests that during the study period, one or more contraindications (medical reasons not to prescribe a drug) to Letigen use were not detected during the physicians exam prior to prescribing the drug. This does not imply incompetence on the part of the Danish physicians, as many conditions are not evident during screening exams, such as aneurysms (weak, bulged areas in blood vessels that predispose a person to hemorrhagic stroke); thrombotic disorders (abnormal clotting); and conduction abnormalities (irregular heartbeats). Even during the introductory phase of Letigen use, there was no significant increase in risk relating to any of the studys endpoints. cultures. The ephedrine and caffeine combination was prescribed by a physician, dispensed from a pharmacy, manufactured using the Danish equivalent of good manufacturing practices and administered to a population that was screened for health problems prior to exposure. In contrast, the U.S. experience involved herbal products sold in an unsupervised fashion in the retail market. Why then is there such a discrepancy between the findings in the Danish study and the furor raised about ephedra products in the U.S.? As mentioned above, ephedrine exposure in the U.S. was very undisciplined and often occurred in herbal products standardized for ephedrine content. Though many companies were scrupulous in verifying the raw material and manufacturing process to guarantee the amount of ephedrine present per serving, others took the low road, concerned only about cost/profit and marketed a loosely controlled product. Herbal ephedra was often considered to be equivalent to ephedrine, but in fact it is much different. Ma huang, the herbal source, contains a variety of alkaloids (a chemical class that includes ephedrine as well as pseudoephedrine, synephrine and other bioactives). It is entirely possible that failing to account for the additional stimulant effect of the chaperone alkaloids could have exposed consumers to a greater amount of beta-adrenergic 21 stimulation than was anticipated. Obviously, if a different herb adulterated the product or the capsules were spiked with ephedrine, then the situation becomes even more complex. Another factor is the American lifestylethe use of numerous drugs and supplements makes the possibility of a drug interaction likely, and the general health of Americans is poor in comparison to the Danes, as exemplified by the American obesity epidemic. Recall as well, that nearly every product on the market included caffeine and other ingredients in addition to the ephedrine content. This introduced the possibility of an adverse interaction or misdosing each ingredient. Further, as caffeine is a cheap additive, it was simple to spike products with caffeine to give the consumer a jittery feeling. Sadly, consumers sought these products out, as they mistakenly believed they were more effective than appropriately dosed products. The inclusion of less well-studied additives, and their effect on ephedrine/caffeine action or clearance, increased the potential for an adverse effect. Yet, despite the extremely liberal use of these products, reports of adverse effects were relatively rare. Health centers stated that ephedrine-related complaints were more common than other OTC products, but recall that these products were much more popular than other OTC prod11,15 ucts. Further, the toxicity of ephedrine/caffeine is immediate and easily sensed (nervousness, rapid heart rate, tremor, sleep or mood disturbance). Obviously, a properly dosed pharmaceutical alternative, similar to Letigen, would alleviate many of these problems. It is interesting that ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and PPA have been labeled as being high-risk drugs due to their cardiovascular effects, and the chronic (long-term) use forms have been pulled from the shelves. However, the greatest risk reported in the Danish study occurs during acute use, in nave subjects. This is the scenario that would
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be faced in the cough and cold products that are still available on the market. Add on the sudden increase in blood pressure that occurs during coughing or sneezing, and it makes it more alarming to see those products remain, as opposed to chronic-use products. Science does not appear to agree with the political pundits who have judged ephedrine/caffeine and found it to be guilty of causing public harm. It is the nature of American politics to react rather than respond, and when public concern was adequately raised, the verdict was decided. Is it possible, though, that ephedrine/caffeine was a fall guy? Many people have pointed fingers at conspiratorial theories some with merit, others being more dubious. A maxim used in criminal investigation is cui bono (who benefits). Who would benefit from removing a safe and effective weight-loss product from the market? It is certainly not the overweight individual seeking to lose weight without the expense, inconvenience and risk (as has been shown with fen-phen, rimonabant and other pharmaceutical drugs) of needing to visit a physicians clinic and obtain a prescription. It is certainly not the athlete (not competing in an organization that bans ephedrine) looking for a (assumably) safe and effective ergogenic. It is certainly not society who bears the financial burden of treating obesity and obesity-related conditions. Who then? Accusing fingers point at big pharma. The pharmaceutical industry takes the brunt of much of Americas irenecessary drug therapy is often prohibitively expensive, especially for noninsured people; quality-of-life drugs are not developed or are restricted either by legislation or physician resistance; allegations of bribes, inappropriate influence with the FDA, and numerous FDA-approved drugs causing harm or death have eroded public confidence in the pharmaceutical industry. Yet, it is clear that any pharmaceutical company that could produce a cost-effective weight-management drug or drug combination would make billions of dollars. The only barrier to herding the American obese to questionably effective and marginally tolerated drugs such as alli was the presence of the blockbuster brand Dexatrim (PPA) and the many ephedrine/caffeine products which were providing consumers with subjective benefit and measurable weight loss. When ephedrine and PPA were removed from the market, the marketing potential for any effective OTC weight-loss product or prescription product escalated dramatically. Sadly, such a product has not been introduced since that time. Another possibility spoken of more quietly in nonscien tific circles is a serious social issue. Methamphetamine is a stimulant-class drug. Historically, it was trafficked by biker gangs and other elements that operate on the fringe of society. Though similar in effect to cocaine, it was much cheaper and referred to as trailer park coke, in addition to other slang terms (meth, crystal, crank, etc.), as most users were white and lower income. However, as enforcement against cocaine gained some degree of success, drug-seeking individuals discovered methamphetamine whose supplies were initially unhampered. As the numbers of methamphetamine users rose and its effects touched middle-class America, enforcement turned its eye on that problem. It was quickly discovered that methamphetamine distribution was going to be more difficult to control, as it could be synthesized in crude bathtub labs and the intermediate used in production was easily obtained at the local health store, truck stop, pharmacy or over the Internet. That intermediate is ephedrine (pseudoephedrine can also be 22 used). It is suggested that the real danger involving OTC ephedrine had little to do with ephedrine-based drug reactions, but rather with its use in the cottage-industry meth labs hidden in garages, sheds, trailers and basements throughout America. Unfortunately, the easy answer for enforcement agencies appears to have been to close access 23,24 (legitimate and illegitimate) to ephedrine. However, as people living in rural areas know, methamphetamine use continues to be a problem; much of the ephedrine used by larger, better organized gangs in production crosses the 25 border illegally from Mexico. The Danish study uncovers new evidence that demands an appeal of the status of ephedrine/caffeine for weight loss. The need for an affordable, convenient, safe and effective weight-loss product remains as the current options are all lacking. Perhaps the Danish model would be best, to make a Letigen-like drug, available only by prescription to minimize the risks of diversion to methamphetamine production, abuse and use by people with clinically evident contraindications. Further, educating the consumer to be aware of signs of toxicity or adverse effects, particularly during the first month of use, is critical to minimize the potential for harm. Ephedrine/caffeine has been tried and found guilty of harm by a zealous FDA in the court of public opinion. One very important comment from the Danish study deserves to be boldly acknowledged. As suggested by the Danish authors in their published study, most evidence of adverse effects associated with ephedrine/caffeine use appears to be based on spontaneous reports, and does not withstand scientific scrutiny. Much like eyewitness testimony that condemns an innocent man, whose innocence is later proven through DNA analysis of the evidence, this study calls for a re-assessment of ephedrine/caffeine for weight management. Case reports involving hundreds, even thousands of ephedrine users are statistically (not emotionally) meaningless due to the huge number of users in the U.S. and abroad. The new evidence uncovered by a Dream Team of scientists, and data in the country of Denmark, suggests that an innocent sits on death row. Hopefully, some avenue of appeal will be made available to reevaluate this case. References:
1. Blanck HM, Khan LK, et al. Use of nonprescription weight loss products: results from a multistate survey. JAMA, 2001 Aug 22-29;286(8):930-5. 2. Malchow-Moller A, Larsen S, et al. Ephedrine as an anorectic: the story of the Elsinore pill. Int J Obes, 1981;5(2):183-7 . 3. Dulloo AG, Miller DS. Ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin: over-thecounter drugs that interact to stimulate thermogenesis in the obese. Nutrition, 1989 Jan-Feb;5(1):7-9. 4. Krieger DR, Daly PA, et al. Ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin promote weight loss in obese subjects. Trans Assoc Am Physicians, 1990;103:30712.
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5. Astrup A, Breum L, et al. The effect and safety of an ephedrine/caffeine compound compared to ephedrine, caffeine and placebo in obese subjects on an energy-restricted diet. A double blind trial. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 1992 Apr;16(4):269-77 . 6. Toubro S, Astrup AV, et al. Safety and efficacy of long-term treatment with ephedrine, caffeine and an ephedrine/caffeine mixture. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 1993 Feb;17 Suppl 1:S69-72. 7 . Daly PA, Krieger DR, et al. Ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin: safety and efficacy for treatment of human obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 1993 Feb;17 Suppl 1:S73-8. 8. Breum L, Pedersen JK, et al. Comparison of an ephedrine/caffeine combination and dexfenfluramine in the treatment of obesity. A doubleblind multi-centre trial in general practice. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 1994 Feb;18(2):99-103. 9. Magkos F , Kavouras SA. Caffeine and ephedrine: physiological, metabolic and performance-enhancing effects. Sports Med, 2004;34(13):871-89. 10. Dennehey CE, Tsourounis C, et al. Evaluation of herbal dietary supplements marketed on the internet for recreational use. Ann Pharmacother, 2005 Oct;39(10):1634-9. 11. Haller CA, Benowitz NL. Adverse cardiovascular and central nervous system events associated with dietary supplements containing ephedra alkaloids. N Engl J Med, 2000;343(25):1833-8. 12. Baylis A, Cameron-Smith D, et al. Inadvertent doping through supplement use by athletes: assessment and management of the risk in Australia. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2001 Sep;11(3):365-83. 13. Andraws R, Chawla P , et al. Cardiovascular effects of ephedra alkaloids: a comprehensive review. Prog Cardiovasc Dis, 2005 JanFeb;47(4):217-25. 14. Chass M. BASEBALL; Pitchers Autopsy Lists Ephedra as One Factor. The New York Times, March 14, 2003. 15. Rados C. Ephedra Ban: No Shortage of Reasons. FDA Consumer Magazine 2004 March-April. Available at http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2004/204_ephedra.html, accessed November 13, 2008. 16. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. FDA Letter to Manufacturers of Drug Products Containing Phenylpropanolamine (PPA). U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Available at http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/ppaltr.htm, accessed November 13, 2008. 17 . Kernan WM, Viscoli CM, et al. Phenylpropanolamine and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. N Engl J Med, 2000 Dec 21;343(25):1826-32. 18. Stier BG, Hennekens CH. Phenylpropanolamine and hemorrhagic stroke in the Hemorrhagic Stroke Project: a reappraisal in the context of science, the Food and Drug Administration, and the law. Ann Epidemiol, 2006 Jan;16(1):49-52. 19. Hallas J, Bjerrum L, et al. Use of a prescribed ephedrine/caffeine combination and the risk of serious cardiovascular events: a registrybased case-crossover study. Am J Epidemiol, 2008 Oct 15;168(8):966-73. 20. American Heart Association. Heart Attack and Angina Statistics. Available at www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4591, accessed November 13, 2008. 21. Haller CA, Duan M, et al. Concentrations of ephedra alkaloids and caffeine in commercial dietary supplements. J Anal Toxicol, 2004 Apr;28(3):145-51. 22. Cunningham JK, Liu LM. Impacts of federal precursor chemical regulations on methamphetamine arrests. Addiction, 2005 Apr;100(4):479-88. 23. Eccles R. Substitution of phenylephrine for pseudoephedrine as a nasal decongestant. An illogical way to control methamphetamine abuse. Br J Clin Pharmacol, 2007 Jan;63(1):10-4. 24. Cunningham JK, Liu LM. Impact of methamphetamine precursor chemical legislation, a suppression policy, on the demand for drug treatment. Soc Sci Med, 2008 Apr;66(7):1463-73. 25. Topolski JM. Epidemiology of methamphetamine abuse in Missouri. Mo Med, 2007 Jan-Feb;104(1):82-8.
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Future Pharmacy
By Douglas S. Kalman, PhD, RD, FACN
Is
there a month or an issue of this magazine that goes by in which you dont learn something new or applicable to your goals? Often, the bodybuilding industry is ahead of science in terms of lifting strategies, nutrition plans and the like. However, the growth of strength science and sports has led to what may just be the greatest explosion of knowledge in training, and in particular, with applied training. More and more, regular folk understand the importance of balance training, gait analysis, core training and weightlifting in general. Bodybuilders, while they may work on the aesthetic aspects of their physique, also utilize advanced training techniques that can be useful for personal gains as well. Thus, developing the body not only encompasses the physical, but also the mind via education and your mental/psychological outlook on life. Part of the goal of this monthly column is to provide you with nutritional ideas, leads, product reviews or other useful information for all matters of self-improvement.
researchers also noted that high doses of SRT-1720 seemed to impact or activate a cellular marker (enzyme) known as AMPK. AMPK regulates the utilization of sugar (glucose oxidation) as well as the metabolism of fatty acids. It is further believed that derivatives of this compound may work just as well or better at lower doses. As an aside, there is published data regarding resveratrol that when combined with another nutritional agent (one that is common as a spice), it has fat-burning/weight-loss effects. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is a company to follow, as they may develop both products.
Exercise In A Pill?
Right now, scientists with Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (recently acquired by GlaxoSmithKline) are excited about their compound only now known as SRT-1720. You see, SRT-1720 is a pharmaceutical, powered-up version of the 1 natural-occurring molecule known as resveratrol. Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound that occurs in grapes (red wine is a source) and in other foods (though in a smaller amount than found in grapes, grape seeds and the skins). Resveratrol itself affects the SIRT gene (protein). Enhancing SIRT1 activity has been found at least so far in animals to increase exercise performance and to also increase fat burning at rest. In the most recent study, the higher doses of SRT-1720 tested were found to increase exercise endurance (of the animals) by twofold. This exercise-enhancing effect is coupled with the positive effects SRT-1720 (and perhaps a high dose-purified resveratrol product; however, no natural products were evaluated in this current study). The
Many supplement users utilize botanicals to bolster their daily nutrition, however there are still many yet to be explored, exploited or plain ole just used here on this side of the pond. Since heavy lifting and many other parts of the bodybuilding lifestyle affect inflammatory markers, we also need to consider nutritional strategies for long-term health. Shamans in Australia are actively researching the following botanicals for their vast anti-inflammatory effects: German chamomile (Matricaria recutita); purple coneflower; small Galanga (Alpinia officinarum); ginko; cats claw (Uncaria tomentosa); witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana); Devils claw (Harpagophytum procumbes); Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) and Lapacho (Tecoma curialis). Other botanicals of interest include Calamus (Acorus calamus); Passiflora (Passiflora incarnate); and Skullcap (Scutellaria). All of these are used for such things as joint pains, general anti-inflammarory and immuno-support. Watch for some of these ingredients to find their way into natural products stateside (i.e., joint products). As you can tell by visiting any health food store or by driving a car, superfruits are popular. These come as fruits, juice blends (i.e., Purple, MonaVie, etc.) and in supplements, as well as extras that you can add to smoothies. These fruits are rich in antioxidants and appear to have 2 anti-inflammatory properties. Some newer ones to watch for include Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa), Ureun (Bixa orellana) and Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
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Future Pharmacy
Additional herbals of interest in this area of detoxification, anti-stress include Carqueja (Baccharis trimera), grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and the West Indian cherry (Malpighia). I would expect that these natural food products will also be of consumer interest before long for their broad health-supportive effects. Expect to see at least some of these in products that are commonly used before long. As an aside, for those of you wondering what herbs may be coming into the weight-loss arena next, there is scant research and a buzz on Ortosifone, also known as Orthosiphon aristata. This botanical is commonly found mainly throughout South East Asia and tropical Australia. It is known as pokok misai kucing in Malay. It is believed to have antiallergic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. More recently, this product has been 3 found to have anti-diabetes properties. Other ingredients to watch include Cogent db (a finished product with decent data for its effects on blood sugar regulation, made by Cybele Herbal Laboratories, Kerala, India). The product is a specific blend of nine herbals with a consistent effect, one that is useful to anyone fighting with weight or blood sugar4,5 control issues. An additional eastern treatment for fertility issues in women is also having some effect on the weight-loss market. This herbal product is known as Tian Gui and is popular traditional Chinese medicine. A recent study detailed that in addition to its fertility effects in women, it also had a concomitant effect in reducing (significantly reducing) bodyweight. Thus, there is a growing buzz in examining Tian Gui 6 as a weight-loss aid. For those of you who live near an active Asian community or marketplace, this is a TCM product that may be worth looking into. For those of you who do not have the ability to go to an international food market or travel to the far east, a new study has demonstrated that the Juniper chinensis extract is associated with an anti-obesity (fat loss or prevention) effect when ingested (so far, just in animals). Juniper chinensis is rich in flavones, lignans and essential oils, with di and norditerpenes along with having anti-carcinogenic 7 effects and other health-promoting effects. The type of extract used is known as a hot water extract and this method left what the researchers believe to be the strongest Juniper chinensis product. The concentration of pure extract to total product appears to be about a 4 percent bulk product. This means that mass production should not be an issue if the studies continue to confirm a weightmanagement effect. Therefore, if the animal studies are borne out, this too will become a popular weight-management product. terone. A simple blood or saliva test can determine if you have low testosterone (not compared to your own physiology but to lab normals), if your number is in a certain sector of lab values; then you can get treatment with replacement or supplemental testosterone. An easier and still legal method of obtaining supervised testosterone is by entering a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a study to evaluate if a product or method has utility. In other words: does the intervention work? If you believe that you have low or sub par testosterone, AdvanceMed Research in the Northern New Jersey (Lawrenceville) area is seeking men to evaluate a new anabolic. Some overweight men (and especially those who are overweight, obese and diabetic) suffer from reduced growth hormone and/or testosterone levels. It is estimated that 50 percent of men with type 2 diabetes have low testosterone levels and do not even know it. Thus, their quality of life suffers for no reason whatsoever. Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have joined up to examine the phenomena of belly fat and low GH levels. If you believe or think that your extra weight is due to a hormonal issue, you may want to contact David Mun at MIT for a free evaluation (dmun@partners.org). Off topic, but for those of you with an interest in the long-acting injectable testosterone branded as Nebidoit seems that it is very easy to get or obtain in Moscow, Russia. Lastly, as sort of related to testosterone, some men have a problem withhow do you say it? Finishing faster than what they would like. Yes, some men suffer from premature ejaculation (PE). Typically, a physician can prescribe a low level, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor such as Paxil to increase pleasure time. Some physicians send the patient to a psychologist or tell the person to use numbing creams to deaden the pleasure sensation and delay gratification. Now Radiant Research of St. Louis is investigating a new intervention for PE and this drug appears only to be 8 known as oral UK-390,957 and it is made by Pfizer. Yes, another company is evaluating if giving testosterone cream plus Viagra (or generic) would have a synergistic effect better than either alone for men with PE. I believe that Indevus Pharmaceuticals is sponsoring the trial. The study is under the general direction of Dr. Bhasin at Boston University Medical Center (call 617-638-8616 if interested). References:
1. November 5, 2008. Cell Press (www.cellpress.com) Drug mimics low-cal diet to ward off weight gain, boost running endurance. 2. Shaman Australia Communications (accessed 11-7-08) 3.www.cababstractsplus.org/google/abstract.asp?AcNo=20043156862 4. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology Volume 131, Issue 1, January 2002, Pages 19-25. 5. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism, 5(3):156-162, May 2003. 6. Advances in Gynecological Endocrinology: The Proceedings of the Plenary Sessions of the 8th World Congress of Gynecological Endocrinology, Florence, Italy, December 2000. By Italy World Congress of Gynecological Endocrinology 2000 Florence, Andrea R. Genazzani, F . Petraglia, P . G. Artini. Published by Taylor & Francis, 2002; Page 67-78. 7. Biol Pharm Bull, 2008;31(7):1415-1421. 8. www.radiantresearch.com
Anabolics?
I do not think that there is a soul who would not want to maximize his anabolic state or effect of exercise. Unfortunately, sometimes life makes it so that you do not always have the choices to make. If you happen to be a man and at least 18 years of age, the pharmaceutical industry may just have the T that you are looking for. It is typically believed that low libido, lack of energy and loss of motivation may all be signs or symptoms of low testos-
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Supplement Performance
By Jose Antonio, PhD
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and carbohydrate (CHO), may lead to a drop in protein breakdown and (or) an increase in protein synthesis that would limit the consequential effects of EIMD. In this study, four independent groups of six healthy males consumed water (CON), CHO sports drink, milk-based CHO-P or milk (M), post EIMD. What did they find? Peak torque (dominant) was significantly higher 48 hours after CHO-P , compared with CHO and CON, and M compared with CHO. Total work of the set (dominant) was significantly higher 48 hours after CHO-P and M, compared with CHO and CON. CK, an indicator of muscle damage, was significantly lower 48 hours after CHO-P and M compared with CHO. Thus, two days post-exercise, milk and milk-based protein-CHO supplementation resulted in less muscle damage 3 and better recovery of muscle function. The next step is to see if certain proteins do this job better than others. help promote the use of fat as a fuel dur4 ing exercise. So, there you have it: Chinese plum helps you burn fat.The extract does, anyhow. ingestion (immediately to 3 hours post) of amino acids, primarily essential amino acids, has been shown to stimulate robust increases in muscle protein synthesis, while the addition of CHO may stimulate even greater levels of protein synthesis. Additionally, pre-exercise consumption of a CHO + PRO supplement may result in peak levels of protein synthesis. 3) During consistent, prolonged resistance training, post-exercise consumption of varying doses of CHO + PRO supplements in varying dosages have been shown to stimulate improvements in strength and body composition when compared to control or placebo conditions. And 4) the addition of creatine (Cr) (0.1 g Cr/kg/day) to a CHO + PRO supplement may facilitate even greater adaptations to resistance training. n Jose Antonio, PhD, is vice president of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has a PhD in muscle physiology and is chief executive of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Artichoke Leaf Extract And Coccinia Indica And Position Stand By ISSN
What happens when you give artichoke leaf extract to competitive rowers? This study involved 22 members of the Polish rowing team, who were randomly assigned to a supplemented group receiving one gelatin capsule containing 400mg of artichoke leaf extract three times a day for five weeks, or a placebo group. At the beginning and end of the study, participants performed a 2,000meter maximal test on a rowing ergometer. They also measured the antioxidant ability of artichoke leaf extract.They discovered that consuming artichoke leaf extract, a natural vegetable preparation of high antioxidant potential, resulted in higher plasma TAC (total antioxidant capacity) than placebo in competitive 5 rowers subjected to strenuous training. Another plant, Coccinia indica (synonym Coccinia cordifolia), is an herb found in India and has been used in traditional treatment of diabetes. However, carefully controlled studies of its efficacy are lacking. Recently, it was found that that Coccinia cordifolia extract has a potential hypoglycemic action in patients 6 with mild diabetes. What might occur if you combine Coccinia with carbs and amino acids? Would it possibly enhance the uptake of these nutrients? And in late-breaking news, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has released the latest scientific position stand on nutrient timing. Suffice it to say that nutrient timing is probably the single nutrition strategy that pretty much EVERY athlete should implement. To not implement nutrient timing would be sheer folly! Basically, some of the highlights of the position stand include: 1) Ingesting CHO alone or in combination with PRO during resistance exercise increases muscle glycogen, offsets muscle damage and facilitates greater training adaptations after either acute or prolonged periods of supplementation with resistance training. 2)The post-exercise
Prunus Mume
Yeah, I cant pronounce it either. It sounds an awful lot like prunes. Needless to say, this stuff is interesting. Prunus mume is also known as Chinese plum or Japanese apricot. In this study, scientists looked at the effects of Prunus mume extract on exercise-induced fatigue recovery in a trained rat model. Male rats were raised either on a control diet (EC) or on diets supplemented with 0.15 percent (0.15EP), 0.3 percent (0.3EP), or 0.9 percent (0.9EP) Prunus mume extract for four weeks.They then did some exercise testing of these little rodents. Compared to that in EC (control) rats, serum lactate levels were significantly lower in rats fed 0.15 percent or higher levels of Prunus mume extract. Dietary supplementation with the Prunus mume extract significantly elevated hepatic and muscle glycogen concentrations of the rats after the exercise. Prunus mume extract significantly reduced lactate dehydrogenase activity and increased citrate synthase activity in the skeletal muscles of the rats immediately after the exercise loading. What does all this metabolic mishmash mean? Well, taken together, these results indicate that the Prunus mume extract administered during endurance exercise training may enhance the oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle and may
References:
1. Beelen M, Tieland M, Gijsen AP , et al. Coingestion of carbohydrate and protein hydrolysate stimulates muscle protein synthesis during exercise in young men, with no further increase during subsequent overnight recovery. J Nutr, Nov 2008;138(11):2198-2204. 2. Beelen M, Koopman R, Gijsen AP , et al. Protein coingestion stimulates muscle protein synthesis during resistance-type exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, Jul 2008;295(1):E70-77 . 3. Cockburn E, Hayes PR, French DN, Stevenson E, St Clair Gibson A. Acute milkbased protein-CHO supplementation attenuates exercise-induced muscle damage. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, Aug 2008;33(4):775-783. 4. Kim S, Park SH, Lee HN, Park T. Prunus mume extract ameliorates exercise-induced fatigue in trained rats. J Med Food, Sep 2008;11(3):460-468. 5. Skarpanska-Stejnborn A, PilaczynskaSzczesniak L, Basta P , Deskur-Smielcka E, Horoszkiewicz-Hassan M. The influence of supplementation with artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) extract on selected redox parameters in rowers. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, Jun 2008;18(3):313-327 . 6. Kuriyan R, Rajendran R, Bantwal G, Kurpad AV. Effect of supplementation of Coccinia cordifolia extract on newly detected diabetic patients. Diabetes Care, Feb 2008;31(2):216-220. 7 . Kerksick C, Harvey T, Stout J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2008;5:17 .
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MITOTROPIN:
ets face it, fat burners are dead! Different labels same ingredients! Caffeine, synephrine, green tea and yohimbie are really nothing new. Its time for a new class of compounds with unrivaled power that can deliver a total reconfiguration of your bodys composition in just a single box. MITOTROPIN from Gaspari Nutrition is not another HARDCORE or EXTREME fat burner that is loaded with stimulants. MITOTROPIN is the first fat burner that stimulates fat burning via two mechanisms: direct and indirect
By Robbie Durand, MA
fat burning. The indirect mechanisms of fat loss of MITOTROPIN cause you to consume fewer calories by reducing appetite, cravings for carbohydrates and elevating mood. Direct mechanisms would be methods that increase thermogenesis (calorie burning) and cause your body to burn more calories by increasing uncoupling proteins. If you are not familiar with uncoupling agents, in sum, they increase metabolic rate and increase thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is a term that
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MITOTROPIN allows you to burn calories, even when youre not exercising, by enhancing uncoupling proteins.
Mitotropin Uncoupling Complex:
(FUCOXANTHIN, 3,3-DIIODOTHYRONINE and 3,5DIIODOTHYRONINE, KAEMPHEROL and CAPSIATE) Fucoxanthin is a brown seaweed extract that has been shown to increase UCP-1, which is an uncoupling protein found in white adipose tissue. UCP-1, which regulates the activity of a key gene responsible for maintaining the bodys temperature, is found in white adipose tissue, or visceral fat. When UCPs are increased, you may feel a warm sensation all over, indicative of increased thermogenesis. In 2006, Japanese researchers studied the effects of fucoxanthin on more than 200 laboratory animals. The Japanese study found fucoxanthin effective in reducing body fat by stimulating the UCP-1 protein, which caused stored fat to break down. In tests on
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nutrition performance
By Robbie Durand, MA
Key Points:
On a dose-per-dose base, whey protein was more anabolic than EAA. Whey protein resulted in a greater insulin response than EAA, possibly through increases in GIP . Cysteine found in whey has anabolic actions not found in EAA. Whey has potent immune-stimulating properties not found in EAA.
Christos S. Katsanos, David L. Chinkes, Douglas Paddon-Jones, Xiao-jun Zhang, Asle Aarsland, Robert R. Wolfe. Whey protein ingestion in elderly persons results in greater muscle protein accrual than ingestion of its constituent essential amino acid content. Volume 28, 2008. Pages 651-65.
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MuscleGrowth Update
By Robbie Durand, MA
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MuscleGrowthUpdate
advantage for a powerlifter in competition several years after secession of drug intake. was shocking was that although the former steroid group was either training with low intensity or not training at all, the muscle fiber area and the number of nuclei per fiber in the thigh is still comparable to that of athletes performing high-intensity strength training. In trapezius, fiber areas are comparable to high-intensity-trained athletes and the number of nuclei per fiber is even higher than in the steroid-using group.This study suggests that testosterone administration has long-term effects on skeletal muscle that scientists still know very little about. Based on this study, there may be no such meaning to the term clean now and based on this, anabolic steroids can have positive effects in muscle years later. References:
1. American Physiological Society (2008, October 3). Anabolic Steroids Provide A Competitive Edge In Powerlifting Years After Doping Has Ended. 2. Eriksson A, Kadi F , Malm C, Thornell LE. Skeletal muscle morphology in power-lifters with and without anabolic steroids. Histochem Cell Biol, 2005 Aug;124(2):167-75. 3. Kadi F , Schjerling P , Andersen LL, Charifi N, Madsen JL, Christensen LR, Andersen JL. The effects of heavy resistance training and detraining on satellite cells in human skeletal muscles. J Physiol, 2004 Aug 1;558(Pt 3):100512. 4. Kadi F , Eriksson A, Holmner S, Thornell LE. Effects of anabolic steroids on the muscle cells of strength-trained athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1999 Nov;31(11):1528-34.
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METROFLEX
THE ULTIMATE HARDCORE DUNGEON
BY JOHN ROMANO, PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL
I was sitting with IFBB pro bodybuilder Branch Warren one day talking about a Planet Fitness gym he trained at once while on the road. Apparently, as the story goes, he was using too much weight and making too much noise while he trained and they asked him to leave. Now, when you think about that scenario, you just have to scratch your head. How can a bodybuilder a topranked IFBB pro bodybuilder be asked to leave a gym for training like a bodybuilder? The oversimplified answer is that corporate America is now running the gym business and they dont know what theyre doing. In their zeal to make money, they have turned what were great bastions of muscle building into fitness clubs to attract mainstream clients. World Gym, founded by Joe Gold, the originator of the true hardcore gym, was bought by Planet Fitness, where they cut the ears off the leg presses so you cant put more than four plates on each side; sound a Lunk alarm if you grunt; outlawed lifting belts, deadlifts and tank topsI dont think youre allowed to sweatand they have pizza night
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every Friday. If there was ever a greater affront to bodybuilding, bodybuilders and other strength athletes, it could only possibly be eclipsed by Golds Gyms switch away from hardcore bodybuilding to attract the same sector of mainstream America.Two of the greatest names in hardcore training have caved in and have relegated the guys who started this whole thing to persona non grata in favor of minivan-driving soccer moms. The take-home message for the corporate gym world is that hardcore is bad for business; bodybuilders dont have any money to blow in their pricehiked pro shops and overblown juice bars where a 20ounce water sells for $3.50 and sculpted physiques sticking out of tank tops scare away the uninitiated. Since soccer moms outnumber bodybuilders a few thousand to one, their basic tenet of nouveau gym business is shit-can the bodybuilders. Thankfully, there are some lone holdouts and all is not lost for those of us who care to associate with our own kind. If you check out the Hardcore Gym Registry search engine on the MD message boards (http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/showthread.p hp?t=46091), you can type in your zip code and up will pop a hardcore gym near you, if there is one. (NOTE: if you do live near one that is not listed, please use the add a gym feature and list it!). If you are lucky enough to live near the 76015 area, you will be directed to the greatest hardcore gym in the world. Metroflex Gym.
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Metroflex is not only the official hardcore gym location you see in most of MDs training features, but it is also home to eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, IFBB peoples champ Branch Warren and 100 other champion bodybuilders, powerlifters, martial artists, football players, fitness athletes and UFC fighters. More importantly, it is also the home of its owner, Brian Dobson.
ter for part of the Thanksgiving meal he was setting up for the local homeless population. If you take a deer in to get it processed, it costs about $100, Brian said. At least when I do it, I know its being done right, and Im getting all my meat back. Processors will steal your meat? I asked, a bit surprised. Hell yeah, they will! Or do a crappy job processing it. Ive been hunting and processing game my whole life. Its just better I do it myself. So, if I come and start training at Metroflex, Ill be getting some good old Texas venison from time to time? Brian laughed in a kind way that would never make you believe he could be responsible for murdering Bambis mother. Oh, yeah! We give away deer and hog all the time to members, but mostly we feed the homeless. We feed three to 400 homeless people here in Fort Worth with the game we catch. We send them hogs in summer, deer in fall, catfish and wild turkeys. We just sent them all a big Thanksgiving feast this week: sweet potatoes, pies and all the deer meat that I cooked. You cooked the deer? Oh yeah, Brian said proudly. I do it all. What about Branch? I asked. That video we shot of you guys hog hunting was classic. Branch loves to hunt! He is so addicted; he goes every time with me. Its not a good thing, though. He goes too much! Its so dangerous; Ronnie would never go. Hed say, oh man, you all crazy! Youd think an ex-cop wouldnt mind going out and shooting stuff, but the Big Nasty would have no part of it. Nah, Ronnie just isnt into hunting, Brian said. But Branch? Hes all about it. He just bought about 120 acres last month. He hasnt gotten a deer yet. Im going to be the first to get a deer out there! Why do you guys have it out for these hogs? I asked. Why not just leave them alone? Brian cracked up at my city sense. You cant do that! Hogs cause problems; 30-40 hogs will eat 20 acres of corn overnight! If you have a good reputation for hog hunting, you can get a pretty good clientele.Those hogs will get out in a field and start rooting up the land for I dont know what and it looks like a mortar strike. That messes with
the hay-bailing equipment, because the land needs to be flat. Then, if a hog can get his nose under a fence, hell get in. If the hog can get in, then the cows can get out the hogs are nuisance animals. Once they get passed a certain size, nothing can kill them. So, the local ranchers call us. OK, well, since you mentioned it, just how does one kill a hog? You guys dont shoot them, right? Not usually, no, Brian said. But it all depends on if you want them
alive or not. All right, I admit I dont know a whole lot about wild hogs, but I do watch the Discovery Channel. Isnt a 200pound-plus LIVE wild hog kinda dangerous? Brian cracked up. Yeah, they can get you. He chuckled some more over my empirical Discovery Channel hog knowledge. Sometimes we keep them alive to sell them. Texas recently outlawed slaughtering horses.They used to slaughter horses after they lived out their usefulness and send the meat to Europe. Serge Nubret told me he used to eat about 7 pounds of it a day when he lived in France. It must be good protein. Now they use hogs to send overseas. We can get 60 cents a pound for a hog over 200 pounds if its brought in alive. Youll have to excuse my amazement in all of this. Im a city boy. I was 16 before I ever saw a cow and that was at a fair. Just how does one capture a hog? Brian was clearly amused by my wonderment. Well, first we use the hounds to find them. Once they get the scent and locate the hog, we turn the dogs loose on them. Usually pits or English bulldogs.They grab a hold of the hog and hang on no matter what. Isnt that kind of dangerous for the dog? I asked. Oh yeah. Dogs get mauled all the time. Them hogs are salty! OK, so the dog is chewing on the hog, then what? Well, you get up behind him and grab him by the back legs and just kinda deadlift him up.You just pull them to you real fast so their front legs go out from under you.You kind of pop them out like a sheet. Then flip him over, drop your knee on his shoulder/neck and the other knee on his stomach. Then you can either stab it in the heart with a seven-inch hunting knife, or then pull their legs together and tie them up. I imagine thats where the term hog tied comes from? Thats right! Some guys use handcuffs or hobbles a kind of wrist strap with loops on both ends. The hobbles work real good, because they get tighter the more the hog pulls on them. So, I imagine once you get in with Brain Dobson, youre going hunting! Yup. We had Dave (Palumbo) come down and go out MD 213
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with us. He said youd love it. PfffffDave is always trying to get me killed! But, I dont know if I could actually stab a hog in the heart! Either way, clearly Brian and I were bonding. Then I made the statement that really endeared me to him. It sounds like Ted Nugent would love your gym. You could feel Brian light up on the phone. Oh hed love Metroflex. We even play his music all the time! I love Ted Nugent.
Likeable Guy
Its hard not to like Brian Dobson. Most Texans Ive met are the nicest people, but there is a spirit Brian embodies thats hard to deny. He is truly one of us. He opened Metroflex in 1987 (during the growth of corporate gyms) to fill the niche he felt existed for a true hardcore gym. I always wanted a gym, he said. I was born in Detroit and grew up around Tom Platz and Don Ross. We used to train at this little gym called Armentos Gym. It was real smallno bigger than the dumbbell area here at Metroflex. Tom gave me a workout plan and I lived by it for a year.That
gym was in a real bad part of town. There were lot of characters and mafia hit men in there. Don Ross was always crazy. He had a big influence on me. But it was Tom who was goaloriented. He was still going to college at the time and his parents really catered to him. I went to his house one time and there were about 800 cans of tuna in the cupboard! It was those guys, and the gym there, that really had an affect on me. The gym had a great spirit. A great sense of competition and it was that spirit that always stayed with me. When did you move to Texas? I asked. Around 1977, he replied. It was different in Texas. There were not too many bodybuilders, but lots of powerlifters. So I had the best of both worlds influencing me. I started powerlifting and set a lot of records. I was great at deadlifting. Then I started working in nightclubs. That was a bad influence. But I still did it for 11 years. All the while, I was looking for a gym like this. Then, the Golds Gym franchise came. We drove about 50 miles to train there. There were lots of girls so we started showing off. They had a
low cable row that wasnt assembled together. I was doing a ton of weight one day, really pulling hard, and the whole damn thing started coming down on me! I put my arm up to try and hold it, but it still whacked me pretty good. There was blood all over the place. I need about 30 stitches in my head. The manager flipped out and started calling an ambulance. I said, No way! We just drove 50 miles; were not going to stop training. I wrapped my shirt around my head and told him to just pay my hospital bill. I wasnt going to sue him or anything. Thats about as hardcore as it gets, bro! Yeah, but it was really kinda lame compared to our gym; no loud music or anything. Lots of Golds opened up, took everyones money and went out of business.They even passed a new law called the Texas Health Spa Act. If youre going to do any long-term contracts, you have to put up a bond. Does that affect you? I asked. Not really. We dont have many long-term contracts. About 10 years ago they made us put up some money, but gave it all back a few
[Brian] opened Metroflex in 1987 (during the growth of corporate gyms) to fill the niche he felt existed for a true hardcore gym. I always wanted a gym, he said. I was born in Detroit and grew up around Tom Platz and Don Ross.
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years later because we never had a complaint. That doesnt surprise me. So, after you cracked your head open, then what? Even back then, the hardcore places were starting to vanish. The one place that was cool got sold just as soon as steroids became illegal. Thats probably how he was making his money. I just wanted a place where you could bang your head on the wall if you needed to. Or use chalk, scream, yell, blast the music and drop the weights if you needed to. A lot of gym owners dont like people dropping the weights, I said. I know. But its kinda stupid. Its going to be hard to put down anything over 100 pounds gently. There is a right way to do it. And I kinda like that sound it makes. I cracked up. You sound more like you cut your teeth in Golds Gym, Venice.
I knew I wanted to open a gym so I had started looking for equipment. I was talking to a guy who had some equipment for sale and he asked why I wanted it. I told him I wanted to open a gym. So, he said, Why not buy this one?
It was funny seeing everyone trying to get in the shot. Now there are so many photo shoots here people dont even take notice. Did you always train with Ronnie? For a long time I did, Brian replied. But after about 03 or 04, I couldnt train with him anymore because he was just too strong. We just helped him move dumbbells around and load up the plates. So, whats the real deal, Brian? You know Ronnieyou trained with him; if anyone would know whether or not the guy hurt himself and threw his back out of balance it would be you. Why did Ronnies left lat and triceps disappear? Ronnie had some kind of nerve damage, he said.
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I was here the day it happened. I cant blame the guy for not saying anything, because Ronnie never whined or complained about anything. He was lean eating bologna and pizza and when I put him on a diet he just buckled down and did it. Never complained once. Thats just the way he is. What happened? Ronnie loves T-bar rows the old-school way, with the Olympic bar wedged in the corner. One day, he was back there doing rows. Someone had put baby powder on his legs back there and some of it was on the floor around where Ronnie was rowing. He had about eight plates on the bar and his foot slipped on the powder. I think thats when it happened. His foot slipped out from under him and jolted him pretty violently. I fixed it since then. Now the end of the bar slips into a cup thats on an axisbut I think thats what caused the initial damage. I hear rumors that he had it fixed and that hes planning on making a comeback. Is any of that true? Thats a good question, Brian said. Ronnie supposedly had surgery to fix it; he wont admit it, though. But he sure looks different. His left triceps isnt what it was but its up there. His back looked full to me. I think hes afraid to compete in America because he doesnt think the judges like him anymore. He got mad and said some things he shouldnt have. But, you know, Id be mad, too, if I lost $1 million. Yeah, me too. Ronnies form was always pretty bad
Im sure anyone who gets lucky enough to meet Brian Dobson and train at Metroflex amid the deer carcasses hanging outside, the Ten Commandments on the wall and the most hardcore environment known to man will remember that experience as well for the rest of their lives. Thats the true defining aspect of what hardcore is.
from what Ive seen. I cant believe he never got hurt. Yeah. Id have to agree. Ronnie is very, very simple in his training. He had never gotten hurt. When I hit 40, a lot of little stuff started bothering me and he could never understand that. Hed say, whats wrong? And Id say I think I snapped my rotator cuff. And hed just look at me like I was crazy. Do you just think he thought he was invincible? I asked. Yeah, probably. But he couldnt help it. I think there is a spirit here for training hard. Its different. If you train here for a year and go someplace else, you either come back or stop training. We have everything for powerlifters, strongmen and bodybuilders. But its not pretty. Even the worst LA Fitness will kick our ass as far as equipment goes, but this stuff is solid steel, hardcore old-school shit. No hollow tubing. But there is no doubt Ronnie put you on the map; his training videos are insane! Like the one where you guys are doing leg presses and you needed a calculator to add up all the weight. It was like 2,700 pounds! Brian chuckled. That was crazy. But you know, people come from all over the world just to see this place. It really honors me. I hope one day there will be Metroflex Gyms all over the world. We sold our first three licensing agreements. Plano, Texas; Boston, Mass; and Fort Worth. When I was younger, I focused on training. I should have done this a long time ago. Were just now just starting to sell clothes. Im really hoping that will take off. Ronnie may have put you on the map, but who was the first big pro to train at Metroflex? Ron Love came down here one year; he was the first pro ever in our gym. He was promoting some supplement line I never heard of. He was getting ready for the O the year they drug tested it. I said, Are you going to work out? He said they were going to take him over to Ballys because it was the only gym that would still be open by the time he finished what he was doing. I said, Im open. So, he came over and trained back with us that night. We almost killed him. I had to apologize to all the young guns who showed up gunning for him. I was so psyched, I headbutted the fuse box in the back and busted it open getting
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ready for a set of rows. Ron loved that! He said, Damn, if I trained here Id be huge! You know, Brian, you are a big deal in this thing of ours. How did your life change as this gym became more and more important in our industry? Thats a really good question, John. I was born in a hardcore Christian family, but over the years, I had drifted really far from it. I was living a pretty dirty life and I dont know how I got a way with all of it. I was doing drugs, partying, womanizing, slowly going downhill. At one point, I was having a problem a weird pain in my quad from working out with Ronnie. I had actually partially torn my quad tendon, but didnt know it. I was out hunting one day and had to jump across a creek. Well, jumping over that creek, the tendon snapped. I dont know, but my whole life changed that day. My wife found out about all my infidelities. It was a mess. Then I started counting my blessings. We went to a marriage counselor and all the guy wanted to do was talk about weightlifting! I told my wife we just need to go to church. I was deeply involved in that when I was younger, and it all came back. I lost some members over thatlike, I wont play Marilyn Manson anymore. I have the Ten Commandments hanging right in front of the door when you walk in. People said Id lose all my members, but I really felt like Id get blessed with more. And I have been! I feel like you calling me for this interview was a special blessing. It would never have happened before. Even Ronnie was a divine appointment. Branch, too. You and Branch have a really good relationship.
Yes, sir, we do. He had a tough upbringing. But I told him he had to stop being a dick. Over the years, hes learned. Hes still super, super hardcore in the gym. But I told him you can be hardcore, but you have to be a nice guy, too.Thats how it is here. I took him out to a school last week to speak to the kids about the bad choices in his life. He didnt know what to say to them and he had to be careful because kids can spot a phony a mile away. So, he told them the thing that got him here is hard work. No matter what, if you work hard, youll get what you want. The kids loved him and it was great for Branch. He hit a few shots for them and the kids nearly fell over. He gave every one of them an autographed picture. I can promise you those kids are going to remember Branch for the rest of their lives. Hes going to remember them, too. And Im sure anyone who gets lucky enough to meet Brian Dobson and train at Metroflex amid the deer carcasses hanging outside, the Ten Commandments on the wall and the most hardcore environment known to man will remember that experience as well for the rest of their lives. Thats the true defining aspect of what hardcore is: its that attitude that leaves an indelible impression. So few guys have it anymore, or know where to look for it. One thing for sure, when you see it, it sticks with you. When I cut my teeth in Venice back in the day, hardcore was all around me. I just wished I had known how much Id miss it after it was gone.Thankfully, there are still places where those of us who understand can go and be understood.Thats a tall order these days and if it werent for places such as Metroflex, wed be shit out of luck. www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
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If you lined up photos of Kai Greene in the same poses from each of the past three years, it would be apparent that this young man is growing and improving at an almost frightening rate as he vaults into the elite upper tiers of the pro ranks. Many have speculated that this rapid progress in lean muscle mass accumulation was somehow at least partly responsible for the hernia that he bravely
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Less than three months after Kais surgery, hes huge, hungry and ready to take a carnivore-size bite out of the 2009 pro season.
struggled with through the Arnold Classic and New York Pro earlier this year, but which ultimately knocked him out of what would have been his Mr. Olympia debut. And even Kai himself wouldnt argue that point. To become something amazing, that no human being was ever meant to bea muscular phenomenon, if you will certain boundaries and limits need to be pushed up against and shattered. And in the process, a process inherently rife with risk, you can and often will suffer both mentally and physically for your gains. But all things considered, Kai regrets not a minute of the brutal workouts that catapulted him from stage ornament to superstar in just a couple brief years. Nothing has ever been handed to the man we call The Predator, and working twice as hard as the next guy to get half the reward is nothing new to him. And if anyone thought something like a hernia would take him out of the game, they dont know Kai at all. Less than three months after the surgery, hes huge, hungry and ready to take a carnivore-size bite out of the 2009 pro season.
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know that someday I would have arms like that, he says. A lot of kids have big dreams, but I believed I could make it happen. For a few years, his biceps and triceps were stimulated only by whatever exercises he could dream up using available items around the house. But shortly into his teens, Kai started hefting genuine barbells and dumbbells, and it was on. I had 21-inch arms before I was 18 years old, he relates. Since there are many thousands of guys out there who are more than twice that age and have been training for over 20 years, yet still havent hit that number (dont cry for me; unless you really want to), thats an exceptional achievement. Also keep in mind that Kai is about 58 on a good day. When Kai had his breakout year in 2006, his guns were so formidable that they shot down heavy hitters like Branch Warren and Dennis James at the New York Pro to earn the shows Best Arms award. But this
is a man who refuses to rest on his laurels. He wasnt satisfied that his arms were big enough, or had good enough shape for his own very demanding standards. From some angles and in some poses they looked really good, but from others I saw there was room for improvement. Kai has been back in the gym blasting away at his arms with no mercy, under the watchful eye and encouraging words of his trainer, Oscar Ardon. Here are some of The Predators favorite exercises hes using to become battle-ready for 2009.
Preacher Curls
Though Kai often does barbell curls, another favorite barbell move on biceps day is preacher curls. I MD 227
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find that Im able to spark deeper, more meaningful contractions when the arms are supported and immobile, Kai comments. You defeat the purpose of the strict preacher curl if you let your whole body swing like a pendulum from rep one to heave up the weight, though. Still, Greene concedes that there is definitely a time and place for cheating type of form. Cheating to extend the set and work the muscle deeper into the ground can be very useful, but all too often, what we see is guys cheating the whole time because they have too much weight on the bar to handle properly.
shoulder and forces you to use stricter form, he says. Its a totally different feeling from preachers with a barbell, much more targeted and intense in the belly of the biceps muscle.
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squeeze the weight up. You wont be using 90-pound dumbbells this way, so dont even try, he advises.
Concentration Curls
Every great champion of the last few decades has incorporated concentration curls at one time or another in his biceps training, and Kai is no exception. For varietys sake, he will occasionally do them seated, as is the most common style, while other times he goes old school and does them standing and bent over like Robby and Arnold did back in the day. Whether or not concentration curls can actually bring out more of a peak or not is debatable, he says, but regardless, the movement lets you focus on that midpoint of the rep where you work the belly of the muscle.
Cable Pushdowns
For triceps, Kai usually starts off with some type of cable pushdown to warm up the elbows and get the whole area ready for the free weights to follow. He employs a variety of grip attachments at different times. He may begin with rope pushdowns to grease the joints and get a light pump
Hammer Curls
Hammer curls can do a perfect job of beefing up the brachialis as well as the short head of the biceps, but only if you do them right. A lot of guys swing and throw the weights around and wind up hitting mostly front delts, Kai says. The variation you see him doing here may look more like a concentration curl, but its how Greene found puts the muscle in a position where its forced to do the work. He braces the nonworking arm on a bench, leans over slightly and strictly
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going, then clip on a short straight bar for heavy pushdowns of even power pushdowns. On those, I lean forward with a close grip on the bar, and let my elbows flare out, he tells us. You could almost think of this exercise as a close-grip bench press motion, but done with a cable and upside down because youre pushing down rather than up.
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Dips
Kai has been doing dips since his days as a foster kid, when he would rig up any two objects suitable to get between and push himself up from. Over the years he has done them both weighted and with bodyweight alone, and doesnt really have a preference. Weighted dips are definitely more of a power movement and can build good thickness in the whole triceps, he concedes. But you cant write off bodyweight dips, either. You can get higher reps and have much better control over the contractions. Its a lot easier to hold and squeeze at the top with your own weight as opposed to if you had 100 or more pounds strapped to your waist. Then again, if you weigh over 300 pounds as Kai does these days in the off-season, I doubt you would need to bother with any extra weight.
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Construction Begins
The House has been an athlete since kindergarten. Thats when he started wrestling, and he continued grappling all the way through high school in Wheeling, West Virginia right on the Ohio border. Track and football came along in middle school, and he stuck with those until he graduated West Liberty State. Middle school was also when his stepfather, the only dad hes ever known, introduced him to weights. For almost a decade, Eriks sole use for the iron was to improve his game on the gridiron. All through high school, I went to a key club gym that my coach owned, he says. I could get in there any time of day or night, and it was within walking distance of my house, so I was there all the time. Late nights, holidays
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whenever. Ironically, his monstrous calves had already reached their current size by the time he was in high school, where he graduated at about 58 and 215. They were actually probably a little bigger then, but not defined at all, he notes, mainly from the football drills. Training mainly on Olympic lifts in the weight room, Erik played fullback at West Liberty at 260 very solid pounds. But as he neared completion of his physical therapy degree, Fankhouser knew his beloved days of playing football were coming to an end. As any true competitor, he started thinking about what to pursue next. People had been saying for years that I would make a good bodybuilder, but I never really thought much about it, he tells us. Now it seemed like the next logical progression.
Showtime!
Erik targeted a local show to test the waters, and proceeded to diet down from 255 all the way to 181. Three hours of cardio a day explains the dramatic weight loss, but Erik still drops an unusual amount of bodyweight for contests. When I turned pro at the North American last year, I came down from 275 to 202. I hold a lot of water in the off-season, and I just drop weight very fast once I start eating really clean. I probably over-diet a bit. Regardless, Erik won the junior division, placed second in the novice, and took fourth in the open light-heavies at his debut just four years ago. That was enough to let him know that bodybuilding was indeed a sport he could do well in if he kept at it.
enough, but he also walked away with the events Best Wheels award and the Peoples Choice Award from the fans watching the webcast at home on Bodybuilding.com. I would love to get that Best Wheels award every time, he enthuses. Bodybuilders are built from the ground up, and to be recognized as the guy with the best legs is an honor. Fankhouser holds equal respect for the award bestowed on him by the fans and their votes. The fans are where its
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really at in this game, he explains. Without a strong fan base, you really dont have much of a career, but with great fans you can do pretty well. Before getting into Eriks leg training, I have to state what should be obvious. His legs have always been big and once he started training them bodybuilding style not so long ago, they just blew right the hell up. Being a full-time exercise physiologist, though, Fankhouser does have credentials when it comes
to training that other pros often dont and insights into what the rest of us mere mortals can do to get our own wheels one step closer to greatness.
Leg Extensions
Erik doesnt necessarily use leg extensions to warm up the quads as many other bodybuilders do. There is one of the three leg training workouts he rotates between MD 243
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where it serves to pre-exhaust the quads, but he feels that it works just fine as a stand-alone movement. In one of my workouts, I actually go fairly heavy on extensions for sets of as few as 6 reps.
Squats
Youd be hard pressed to find many guys in this world with legs like Fankhousers that didnt get them by doing plenty of good old-fashioned squats. But as often as we seem to hear about guys in the sport who can handle 600800 pounds or at least have in the past, Erik is proof that you dont necessarily have to use record-setting poundage to build enormous quads. The most Ive ever squatted for reps was a little over 500, and that was back in college, he explains. Most times these days I dont go over 405, but I really concentrate on using perfect form and getting a full range of motion.
is, you are only supposed to rest long enough to get up and put the plates on. Even Erik has never managed to accomplish the full rep scheme. Eight plates for 80 reps is the best Ive been able to do, he admits. Usually I will work up to six plates for 60, then go back down in weight and reps until I hit one plate for 10 againthats pretty darn tough, too. This grueling workout typically helps Erik reach his goal of maximum soreness the next day. I want to be so sore that even squatting down to get on the toilet is painful.
Leg Presses
Rather than piling on literally a ton of iron like Ronnie did in one of his DVDs, Erik prefers a method thats actually far more demanding. In fact, if you can complete his Centuries Sets routine, you would be the first to do so. How tough can it be? Start with one plate on each side and do 10 reps. Then move on to two plates for 20. The goal is to eventually do 10 plates for 100 reps. The kicker
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Hack Squats
Erik attributes most of his amazing outer quad sweep to genetics, but also feels he has been able to bring it out thanks to plenty of work on the hack squat machine. The way I am doing them in the photos isnt usually how I do them, he says. I have always preferred turning around and facing into the machine, keeping my feet pretty close together. This was the way he did them back in college for football, and its how Ive also seen many gridiron athletes perform the exercise. The motion is a lot like tackling somebody, he notes.
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separation. On the standing calf raise, I go pretty heavy for low reps, he tells us. I do want them to be a little bigger still. On another day, he does presses on the leg press for sets of 50, which build better quality to the muscle.
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All By Myself. . .
Who do you think Erik has for a training partner? Another pro, or at least some other huge bodybuilder? Ah, you think this is a trick question, right? Maybe his training partner is his wife, or some strong little 150pound dude. Nope! Erik doesnt have a training partner, and he never has. It kind of sucks, actually, he confides. Its part of the reason I dont train super heavy. I never have a spotter. I tried training with my coach, Andy, but our schedules just conflicted too much. I dont know about you, but I smell a reality series here. Twenty amateur bodybuilders all living together in The House, vying for the coveted position of being training partner to The House! OK, thats getting ridiculous, but at the least, maybe we can get something going on the MD boards or in Eriks very popular thread. I am sure that if I had someone to train with, I would be bigger and stronger than I am now, Fankhouser states. So come on guys, we cant let this guy miss out on being all he can be now that hes in the IFBB!
2004 NPC Mid-Atlantic Grand Prix & West Virginia State 2005 NPC Mid-Atlantic Grand Prix & West Virginia State 2006 IFBB North American 2007 NPC USA Championships 2007 IFBB North American 2008 IFBB Europa Super Show
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T O R T U R E S
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TAREK
CHEST
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killers was the diminutive Mohamed Makkawy, who won six pro shows and was runner-up at the Mr. Olympia two years in a row to Samir Bannout and Lee Haney. In the 90s, Nasser El Sonbaty, of Egyptian descent, helped redefine the standards for size and condition en route to a half-dozen pro victories and a controversial second place at the Olympia to Dorian Yates in 1997 . Now, another exceptional
physique athlete comes to us from Egypt in the form of 31-year-old Tarek Elsetouhi. Before 2008, this total unknown was quietly constructing the 59 , 235-pound package that went from the amateur stage of the Arnold Classic in March to the pro stage in New York City just two months later. And before this surprise rookie season was out, Tarek had placed top five at the Europa. The question is: who is
this guy and how is it possible we never heard of him until just now?
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happened to catch Conan the Barbarian on TV. His life would never be the same again from that moment on. I told my father that I had to look like that, and begged him to take me to a gym so I could get started, he says. After a while, he finally broke down and signed me up at a place downtown. His dad had been athletic and was no stranger to weight training, and Tarek had excelled in track, rugby and martial arts already. The gym he joined in his hometown of El Mansura was so basic that some of you probably had more elaborate setups in your own garage or basement as teens. It was really just a bunch of barbells and dumbbells on the ground, he explains. There werent even any benches or squat racks, nothing like that. Knowledge was also tough to come by, as none of the other regular lifters there seemed to have a clue what they were doing either. But like I always say, great genetics will always rise to the top no matter how deep they might be buried. Only four months after he picked up his first weight, Tareks friends convinced him to enter a local bodybuilding contest. At 165 sinewy pounds, he placed fourth against much older competitors. Shortly after, he entered another contest and won. So elated was Tarek with his win that he rejected the $50 cash prize. I
told the promoter he could keep it, because I was bodybuilding for my own self-satisfaction and goals, not to make money. Just a year later, Elsetouhi was good enough to win his national championship and also compete at the pro-qualifying IFBB World Championships in Turkey. You would think that he would have been mixing it up on an IFBB stage by time he was 20 or 21, but unfortunately its not that easy in some parts of the world, even if you are good enough.
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teurs competing from other countries appeared to be of pro caliber. The reality is that it makes more sense financially for most of these guys to remain top amateurs, as this affords them full sponsorship from their national federation, courtesy of the government. Once they turn pro, they are on their own. In the case of Egypt, there are examples of men who have been serving their federation as amateurs literally for decades. You may have never heard of a man named El Shahat Mabrouk, despite the fact that he has been competing since 1981 and is still doing it. Mabrouk won his class at the IFBB World Amateur Championships eight times between 1987 and 2007 , including an overall win there in 2003. Thats the same contest that men like Dennis Wolf and Tom Platz earned professional status, not to mention a dude named Ronnie Coleman. But Mabrouk remains an amateur who is completely unknown to most Western bodybuilding fans. Tarek didnt want the same fate, so in 2005, he moved to Germany.
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Contest History
2002 IFBB World Amateur 2004 IFBB European Amateur 2008 Arnold Amateur 2008 New York Pro 2008 Tampa Pro 2008 Europa Super Show 2008 Atlantic City Pro 11 , Heavyweight Fifth, Super-Heavyweight Super-Heavyweight and Overall 12th place Sixth place Fifth place th 10 place
th
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acid burn in the muscles. To that end, he demands more from himself than any trainer ever could. I do believe in no pain, no gain, he tells us. There have been times when I wasnt satisfied with how a workout went, so I start the whole thing over and repeat it to make sure I hit the muscle as hard as it needed to be hit. The pressure he puts on himself to get a great workout every time is enormous. I literally imagine that its the last workout before a big contest like the Mr. Olympia, and my success or failure in the contest all depends on how hard I train that day. To keep his muscles guessing and also to keep the intensity high, he often varies his rep speeds. Sometimes I will do slower reps, other times faster, slow going up and fast on the way down, whatever it takes for me to get that deep burn in the muscle. When he trains chest, he still visualizes his first hero, Arnold. Arnold trained heavy, and he trained hard, Tarek declares. So did his friend, Franco. And I defy you to show me any pros today with better chest development than those two had in their prime. In fact, his chest workout isnt so different at all from what you might have seen being done in the original Golds Gym or out in The Pit by Muscle Beach back around 1975.
Dumbbell Presses
Tarek begins every chest workout with an incline press, either with dumbbells or the barbell. A thick upper chest gives the pecs a better look overall, he explains. Think back to those old photos of Arnold hitting his side-chest pose. The main reason those photos are still so amazing even to this day is because he had such incredible thickness in the upper region you really could have put a beer stein on them. After 2 warm-up sets of 15 reps, Elsetouhi will launch into 4 sets of 6-10 reps. Dont let people tell you that 6 reps is too low for chest training, he notes. If you never go that heavy, you miss out on a certain level of density that you can only get with lower reps. He does concede that his own rep range is what works best for him, but may not be the best for everyone. I know a lot of people say to do 8-12 reps and that is very good for them, so thats fine. Others may even do more reps. I just know that I have tried higher reps and they didnt give me the same results.
Bench Presses
Now that he is thoroughly warmed up, Tarek moves on to the one exercise thats built more chest mass than any other, the bench press. If he did it first, he could probably use around 500 pounds when hes at his off-season bodyweight of 275. But recognizing the potential dangers of repeatedly pressing a load like that, he wisely schedules it second so that no more than 405 is ever needed. I also make sure to contract and stretch the pecs with every rep, he adds. I dont consider MD 263
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Training Split
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Weekend: Chest Back Shoulders Legs Arms OFF
Chest Routine
Incline Dumbbell or Barbell Presses 2 x 15 (warm-up) 4 x 6-10 Flat Barbell Bench Presses 4 x 6-10 Flat Dumbbell Flyes 4 x 8-10 Cable Crossovers 3 x 10-15 Dumbbell Pullovers 3 x 6-10
myself a weightlifter, but a bodybuilder. If I only wanted to push the weight up, I wouldnt activate all the muscle fibers the same way and would not get the same results that I have. One look at those chiseled slabs of beef he calls his pecs should tell you that he knows what hes talking about.
Weighted Dips
Occasionally Tarek will add dips into his repertoire, as
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it was a favorite finishing movement for guys like Arnold, Franco and Draper. Depending on how heavy I am at the time and where I place them in the routine, I may or may not add any weight, he says. But I do think its a very good exercise for both the lower and outer regions of the chest when you lean forward. Regarding the trademark Metroflex giant chain dips that Branch Warren made famous, Tarek comments: I think I will stick with the regular belt and chain.
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Cable Crossovers
Finally, there is one apparatus that is a constant star in Tareks chest workouts, and thats the cable crossover. Even Arnold did these in Pumping Iron, he points out. Here, Tarek does the highest reps of the routine, way up to 10-15. I feel that just a little higher reps on crossovers gives you that condition and helps to carve
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Happy Anniversary!
I spoke with Evan Centopani on the one-year anniversary of his decisive super-heavyweight and overall win at the 2007 NPC Nationals. That was also the day his offseason began as he now prepares to step up to the next level: the IFBB pro stage. While some fans desperately wanted him to compete in 2008, Centopani never even considered that scenario for a minute. Ive always taken my time and waited until I felt I was ready, he says. Back when I was a teenager and starting to put some good size on, I had people telling me I should compete. But I didnt look the way I wanted to until I was 23, and thats when I did my first show. Biding his time and picking the right competitions has proven to be a shrewd strategy for Evan. To date, he has only competed four times in his life, and the fifth will be at his pro debut at the New York Pro in May of 2009. By then, he will have made the overall improvements in size and particularly in his legs and chest to satisfy his own demanding criteria. He will also no doubt be much more formidable of a challenger than if he had jumped up there right away looking exactly the same as he did winning the Nationals.
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growing. So in reality, he only was able to squeeze in five months of offseason training and eating before it was time to start dieting for his 07 Nationals win. By the time he starts dieting for the New York Pro around mid-January, Evan will have strung together over a year of solid and dedicated work in the gym and at the dinner table. And we will all see what that time was able to accomplish.
rated others that he had been advised against. I had been told that walking dumbbell lunges and sissy squats were a waste of time and not to bother with them in the off-season, he says. But I decided to try them anyway, and I do feel they have been a nice adjunct to the heavier compound movements. Evans chest has also been a work in progress; since his shoulders and arms are so dominant, they make his pecs appear shallow in comparison. Ive never been great at the bench press, but I have gone from 405 for 6 to the same weight for almost twice as many reps. My chest doesnt grow easily, but it has been responding.
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as possible. And although having goals of increasing strength is fine, he cautions against making it your Holy Grail. I see some guys in the gym with their little notebooks and everything, with their whole workouts written down and planned down to the weight and reps for that day. Its just not possible to get stronger each and every workout. If you try, youre either going to get hurt, or youll inevitably sacrifice form and range of motion just to get that number youre after so you hit your goal for that day.
Not being on the road all day allowed him to consistently get more sleep, which translated to superior recovery and growth from his workouts. I always got my 8 hours every night before, but for the past year Ive bumped that up to 10, he tells us. Plus, not having to start work at a certain time means that if I had trouble sleeping or got to bed later than usual, I can sleep in later in the morning and still get those 10 hours. Evan also chose not to fill his calendar with dozens of appearances, though he certainly could have. Again, the reason is that being home is a huge advantage toward putting on lean muscle mass, while being on the road works against you. People told me I would be foolish not to take every guest posing opportunity that came along, but I felt very differently, he begins. Traveling screws up your routine of training, eating and sleeping. You often miss sleep, miss meals, or have to eat foods that arent of the highest
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Training Split
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Quads Chest and abs OFF Back Shoulders AM, Hams PM Arms and calves OFF
quality. Id rather stay home where my training is on point, I get all the rest I need, and I prepare my own food to be 100 percent sure its exactly the right amount and the best quality. There are guys out there, even some pros, who think chicken is chicken, and a calorie is a calorie. Its not. There is a big difference between a chicken breast you bought at the market and grilled yourself versus some deep-fried chicken fingers at a greasy restaurantand that difference will show in your progress or lack thereof. A final reason Evan hasnt opted to be on the road every weekend guest posing is that promoters and fans alike expect the featured poser to be fairly close to contest condition. Otherwise, they get disappointed and even upset, as if the athlete has insulted them all by not
showing up shredded even though its deep in his off-season. Why would I try and stay lean and jeopardize my gains when I could be growing? he asks. I understand I could be making more money, but luckily Im doing OK with my sponsors now and its not a desperate need. Growing and improving is key to how well Evan will fare when he gets up there with the other pros in a few months. So, for those who think hes crazy for not fully capitalizing on his popularity and cashing in while he can, there is a method to his madness.
Still Growing!
Evans off-season still has a couple months left before he begins dieting for his pro debut. In light of the substantial gains hes already made, I bet he adds even more quality
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Off-Season Diet
8:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 12-1 p.m. train 1:30 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m. 9 p.m. 6 whole eggs; 4 slices Ezekiel bread; 8 oz. orange juice (maybe a piece of fruit, too; like a pear) Shake: 75 grams Universal Iso Whey; cup of Quaker Quick Oats; 2 tbsp. macadamia nut oil Halfway through, start drinking Torrent by Universal (60g carbs plus amino acids) 10 oz. chicken breast; 10 oz. potatoes 2 cups greens (broccoli or spinach); 1 tbsp. macadamia nut oil 10 oz. chicken breast; 10 oz. potatoes 2 cups greens (broccoli or spinach) 1 tbsp macadamia nut oil 16 oz. New York strip steak; large sweet potato green salad with extra-virgin olive oil Shake: 75 grams Universal Iso Whey; cup of Quaker Quick Oats; 2 tbsp. macadamia nut oil
mass before its all said and done and Dave Palumbo starts cracking the diet and cardio whip. Hell be sure to keep us updated both here in his MD column and on his popular thread on the MD forums. This is one young gun who is determined to make the most out of this crucial time to transform his physique before he gets back onstage again. I know Im inspired to pack on some mass this off-season now, how about you? MD 277
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I dont use a ton of different supplements, just the basics that do the job. A good whey protein is valuable for anybody trying to put on muscle.
Animal Pak
Again, this is a really basic but important supplement to use. It covers all your bases with regard to getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Torrent by Universal
Im a firm believer that having a supply of fast-digesting carbs and amino acids during your workout helps you recover and grow at a faster rate. I start drinking this halfway through my workout and its done when Im done training.
Universal Animal Nitro
Some people say not to bother taking amino acids because we get them in foods and protein shakes. But I take them before and during my workouts and I am convinced they make a difference.
Universal Animal Omega
Its an EFA supplement that includes ALA, EPA, and DHA omega-3s, as well as primrose and borage oil for the omega-6 GLA. It also contains CLA. Its a great EFA supplement and the only one out there to my knowledge, designed for bodybuilders. Plus, it has everything in one pack. Awesome product.
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test. So Mark decided it was time for me to start going to a real gym. We drove to this sketchy part of town and turned down a street that was all warehouses and auto body shops. At the very end was Metroflex. Before I saw the inside, I could hear the music thundering from out in the parking lot. Little did I know that I was going to work chest that day with Mark, Ronnie and the gyms owner, Brian Dobson. Ronnie and Brian were already warming up when we got there. The first thing that
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went through my head was how many huge guys were in this place. Brian was probably the smallest one on the workout floor and he was around 250 pounds back then! Ronnie was a few months away from getting his pro card, and he was probably about 260-270. I had only seen one national-level bodybuilder up to this point, a guy named Ronny Schweyer, who had won the Collegiate Nationals, but this Ronnie was a whole other animal. I had also seen Lee Labrada, who didnt really impress me at the time because he wasnt very big. But even then, Ronnie was a freak when it came to size and shape, though nothing like what he would eventually become. The workout damn near killed me, but there was no way I was gonna punk out. I figured this was my audition and if I didnt show I could hang with them, then I wouldnt be welcomed back again. I remember that back in those early days, I hardly ever spoke a word. I just watched, listened and soaked it all in. My education in bodybuilding really began on that day.
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other, but we did it. This time he made sure the belt was on tight. He paced around, sniffed some ammonia capsules, and then Brian smacked him hard on the back of the head. Steve got the weight off the racks, then sunk down until his chest touched his knees talk about a deep squat! There was a pause there, and I honestly thought he might die from all that weight crushing him like that. None of us thought he was coming back up, and we were all ready to jump in again and help. But amazingly, Goggins stood up with 1,003 pounds on the bar. That was the most inspirational feat of strength I ever saw.
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happened to be fighting with his girlfriend, who happened to be at the gym with him that day. So he was in a particularly foul mood. There were also a few male strippers, or exotic dancers, or whatever you want to call them, who worked out at Metroflex back then. Mark hated their guts because he thought they were all pretty-boy pussies. None of them were anywhere near as big or strong as he was (about 280). Im sure Mark was also jealous of the guys, because they all made pretty good money working just a few hours a week dancing for lust-crazed women. Anyway, his girlfriend whistled at one of the stripper dudes, probably just to piss Mark off. Bad idea. Fuck you, bitch! he said, or something along those lines. Ill go kick that guys ass; what do you think about that, huh? She ignored him and that was all it took. This poor guy with a ponytail was doing a set of lying leg curls when Mark ran over and clocked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. If youre familiar with the phrase ground and pound from UFC, Most people dont that pretty much know that Brian describes what he has helped out did next. Mark was God knows how hitting this guy so many people over hard that his head was bouncing off the years. When I the concrete floor say that I wouldnt and he lost conbe where I am sciousness. Then he today without stood up and startBrian Dobson, its ed kicking the guy. a fact. Hes been We were all standing around, finding an inspiration to it hard to believe me and kept my he was actually spirits up and my doing this. Brian eyes on the prize yelled at Mark to many times when stop, that that was things were lookenough. Mark had this crazy look in ing grim. his eyes. He smiled, put his boot on the guys head, reached down and ripped off his ponytail. Not only the hair came off, but a bloody chunk of his scalp. He tossed it to Brian, who wasnt about to waste a trophy like that. He nailed it to the wall right next to a boar skull. As for Mark, he passed away a few years ago of a drug overdose.
people over the years. When I say that I wouldnt be where I am today without Brian Dobson, its a fact. Hes been an inspiration to me and kept my spirits up and my eyes on the prize many times when things were looking grim for whatever reason. Brian has been a positive role model not only for me, but for many who have trained at Metroflex over the years.
Membership Is A Privilege
Sometimes people ask me how much a membership costs at Metroflex. I have no idea. When I first went there as a 16-year-old kid and didnt have any money, Brian told me not to worry about it. He said if I won my next show, I could train there for free. I did, and I kept winning. Ive never paid to train there. Most people dont know that Brian has helped out God knows how many
Metroflex: My Home
What can I say? To me, Metroflex Gym is the only place to train. There is no other gym on this earth quite like it, and I doubt there ever will be. I just thank God that Brian Dobson put the place together. www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
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Olympia? Did you ever feel it would happen for him, or for anybody so relatively small? RC: I was. I would be happy for whoever wins, because I know how long and hard you have to work to get there and how you dream about that day for years and years before it comes. FW: Did you ever foresee that a 230-pound man would win the title, after 25 years of freaks like you, Dorian and Lee Haney sitting on that throne? RC: I never really thought about it. But these days, anything is possible. You know I never expected to win. My biggest goal was to someday make the top five at the Mr. Olympia. I was winning the Olympia at anywhere from 260 to 286 pounds, but that was my time. This is a new era, and Dexter brings something to the table thats right for now and what people want to see in a champion. FW: Do you think Dexter will be able to hold on to the title for another year? How about a few years? RC: It will be very tough for him. Hes up against some stiff competition who arent too far behind him at all. The biggest question is what Victor will look like at the Arnold.
If hes back to his best, with that injured leg looking as good as before, he could beat Dexter and take the title. Hes beaten Dexter a few times already. Plus, you got these guys like Heath and Wolf, too. It will be a real struggle for Dexter to repeat with all of them chasing him. FW: Is it possible for Jay to ever win the Olympia again, or is he all done? RC: I dont ever want to say somebody is all done, but I dont know what else Jay can do. He was only able to hold the title two years and then he relinquished it. I was shocked to see him lose it so fast. I really thought he would hold the title for a good four or five years. So in light of that, I dont see Jay winning again. But anything is possible in this sport, so who knows? FW: Do you want your title back? If you are able to win another Mr. Olympia, you would have the alltime record for most titles, and you would also be the only Mr. O who was able to come back after losing your title and regain it. Certainly, it would be a historic event straight out of a movie. RC: I won eight. Eight is enough for me! Yeah, it would be nice to get that all-time record and all that, but I am honestly so grateful to have won eight times that it doesnt really matter. Its not at the top of my to-do list. I said I would go on with my life and do other things, like the Arnold or shows in Europe. Im not saying I will never compete in the Olympia again; its just not a priority. FW: Could you sympathize with Jay, knowing what it feels like to lose that title? RC: I do sympathize with him, especially because he lost the title so quickly, like I said. But if you look at what happened, his wins werent like most of mine, which were hands-down. FW: Most of the time, you would just come out and it would be lights out, game over for the rest of us poor fools. RC: (Laughs) Yeah, for the most part. Neither of Jays wins was really decisive. And the second one with Victorpeople will never stop talking about that. He was off, and Victor was on. So Jay didnt really do what he needed to do to make sure he shut the door on the other guys. He left the door open for them, and Dexter just walked on in. FW: Some bodybuilding fans were upset that you competed in 2007 and went from an unstoppable champion to fourth place, down from second in 2006. Now they worry that you might slide down the placings even more and thus tarnish your status as a living legend by hanging on too long. What do you say to that? RC: People can say or think whatever they want. Thats their opinion. But our lives are ours to live. I dont let others decide what I do or dont do. Im a man and I make my own decisions. If competing is what I love and its in my blood, Im going to keep doing it as long as God lets me.
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FW: This is a touchy question. What exactly happened to your left lat and triceps, and can the injuries be fully healed so that they regain their former look? Weve heard from Chad, but never directly from you. RC: I dont have a clear answer for you, because there was never a time when I felt anything tear or anything like that. Ive had X-rays and MRIs, and the doctors cant find any type of injury. I really think its just wear-and-tear from about 30 years of heavy weights. That will do a number on any human being, and contrary to what some people say, I am a human being!
I wouldnt have become a bodybuilder in the first place if I hadnt walked in there and Brian hadnt offered me a free membership if I agreed to compete. Brian is really what makes that gym special.
FW: Well, it is hard to believe at times, you know. You have always been known for using super heavy weights and what many would call ballistic form. Any regrets about that now, and how have you changed your training since 2006? RC: No, no regrets. I still train that way. What you have to understand is that I train so heavy because Im strong. Its not like I ever set out to do any certain amount of weight. I use the weights that challenge me, and they just happen to be what most people would consider very heavy. And I think my style of doing the reps is actually safer, because I never lock out the joints. If I had been doing that all these years, I would have had major injuries long, long ago. FW: Have you ever worried that some guy is going to hurt himself trying to train just like you, even trying to match the weights you use, when the average bodybuilder would never come near what you have done in the gym? RC: Never. You got to have some common sense and not be stupid. It would be like me trying to imitate some stuntman or pro athlete in another sport. I cant do what they do, so it would be foolish to try. Why would someone up and decide they are gonna try and squat or deadlift 800 pounds? Come on, now. If you cant press 100-pound dumbbells, dont try using 200s. MD 303
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FW: This issue is the Hardcore Special and we have a lot about Metroflex. We interviewed Brian Dobson and all the training features were shot there, too. As its most famous member, can you tell us what is it about Metroflex Gym that makes it a special place? Would you have accomplished what you did in the sport if you had never set foot in that gym?
RC: I wouldnt have become a bodybuilder in the first place if I hadnt walked in there and Brian hadnt offered me a free membership if I agreed to compete. Brian is really what makes that gym special. He put his heart and soul into making it what it is. He cares about everybody and wants them to succeed, and he will do whatever he can to help you. How many gyms and gym owners you know like that? The equipment is great, too, but its the atmosphere and the people that set Metroflex apart. FW: You have the best home gym I have ever seen, with all the equipment any bodybuilder could ever need. I hate to even call it a home gym. Why do you still go to Metroflex when you could just walk from your living room into that killer gym? RC: Again, its the environment at Metroflex. Its just a lot more motivating. Ive had all the best workouts of my life there. I could never stay away from that place for long. FW: That being said, do you think someone can become a great bodybuilder at any gym if they have the genetics and the drive to be the best? RC: Oh yeah, of course. Look at some of the places champions have trained. That Temple Gym of Dorians is a hole in the wall, but he won six Mr. Olympias working out there. All you really need is heavy weight and a lot of heart. FW: Heres one thats always irritated me. Few people want to believe that when you first turned pro, you were a drug-free athlete. Would you like to go on the record now and set them straight? RC: I never touched a drug back then. All the winners at the IFBB World Amateur where I turned pro were tested, along with anybody else they thought looked suspicious. You know they targeted me the minute they saw me. I passed the test. You know I wasnt even 220 pounds at that show. If people cant believe someone can look a certain way without drugs, thats on them. They should understand that some bodybuilders do have God-given genetics. FW: On a similar note, Congress has been on a witchhunt against steroid use in professional sports, mainly baseball, for several years now. With all the problems recreational drugs like cocaine and meth cause in the USA, why do you think the government has invested so much time and money into eradicating steroid use? RC: I think they are doing it because theyre afraid that kids are gonna use steroids. Its very sad that there was that one case where the kid didnt cycle off right and killed himself. They figure if they get drugs out of sports, kids wont want to use them. What about all those other drugs you mentioned? Every time you turn on a TV or see a tabloid in the checkout lane, some musician or movie star is in rehab. Why
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dont they test them and keep them clean? FW: Does it bother you that there are so many wannabe bodybuilders out there who think all they need to do to become a pro is take tons and tons of drugs? RC: Kids are impressionable. If thats what they are told, they believe it. The problem these days is you have all these anonymous guys on the Internet claiming to be experts or pro bodybuilders and giving out all kinds of crazy, and even dangerous, advice. Ive had a few people online claiming they were me and saying stuff! Its ridiculous. But when it comes to kids today, a lot of em dont want to hear that you got to work long and hard to be a good bodybuilder. They want it now, and they want it easy. So they believe you can do it that way, even if its a bunch of bull. FW: Early in your pro career, few people would have ever guessed you would eventually be the greatest bodybuilder in the world for nearly a full decade. Are there any guys out there right now who you see that type of potential in? RC: I dont, but that doesnt really mean anything. Nobody saw the potential in me, either. There could be some guy training out there right now who could win six, eight, who knows? Maybe 10 Mr. Olympias. FW: Which of your many victories are you the most proud of? I already know what youre gonna say. . . RC: Yup, the first Olympia in 1998. Hands-down, that was the one. Everybody expected you to win, including me. I always thought of you as a future Mr. Olympia, and I never thought it would be in the cards for me. FW: No comment, no comment. Everybody knows how I feel about that contest. Which show do you feel you looked your absolute best at, or is it impossible to pick one? RC: Its between two shows, with two different looks. When I won the first Mr. Olympia, I still think that was my best condition. But when I won in 2003 at 287 pounds, that was the absolute best blend of size and condition I ever had. Sometimes I still look back at that video and go, wow! FW: You have said before that you believe Victor Martinez will be Mr. Olympia one day. First of all, do you feel he should have beaten Jay in 2007? And do you also think Phil Heath and Dennis Wolf have a Sandow in their futures, too? RC: Yeah, I do. But you know how it is. Guys like you, Shawn and Kevin were all supposed to win the Mr. Olympia sooner or later, but you never know what will happen. Maybe Heath and Wolf will each win a couple times or more; maybe neither one will ever win. It all depends on who else is there and how they look. It makes the sport exciting. Its like trying to predict Super Bowl champions
before the season even starts. A team might look unbeatable on paper and look like a sure thing, but sometimes another team sneaks up on them. FW: Time to talk about family now. First off, you surprised everyone when you got married in December of 2007. When did you make the mental switch from a lifelong bachelor to thinking you wanted to be a husband? Any why didnt we all
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know about this fabulous woman until then? RC: I just knew it was time, just like you did when you met Madeline. She lived in France, so it wasnt hard for me to keep her under wraps. When you meet the right one, you know it. FW: Has your life changed in any way since you have become a married man? RC: Yeah, because now I have a best friend and a perfect traveling companion. Christine speaks four languages fluently: Arabic, French, English and Italian. She actually negotiated my appearance in Saudi Arabia for me. But I still train, eat, travel, all the same things I been doing for years now. FW: There was also news late last year that you are the father of triplets. Is it strange to have infants while your oldest child is in her 20s now? I know it was kind of strange for me. RC: No, it happens all the time these days. I love kids anyway. Being a dad makes you a better person. I should say, being a good dad. FW: You have been all over the world competing and making appearances. What are some of the
favorite countries and cities you have been to? Where have you been treated the best? RC:Thats easy. Australia. The fans are awesome. They will wait in line for 3 hours for an autograph or to take a picture with me. I love Australia so much that I did my DVD On the Road over there. I love all my fans in every country, but Australia has just been so supportive of me that I got to give it up for them. FW: What has it been like to be with BSN and watch it grow from an average-size supplement company to an industry powerhouse? They are affiliated with mainstream celebrities and shows like Orange County Choppers and the UFC now. RC: Man, its been a trip. I was the first athlete they ever signed, so I know that my being with the company had an impact on how they grew. In the four years I have been with BSN, they have come so far and its been an honor to be with them. They also happen to have some amazing products that I truly love. FW: What would you say are the biggest obstacles in your life you have overcome that the average fan probably doesnt know about? RC: Most people have no idea how hard it was for me to get my accounting degree from Grambling State University in Louisiana. Schoolwork never came easy for me, and college was tougher than anything I had ever been exposed to, academically. Football season was the hardest, because literally all I did was play football and study. I didnt have time for a girlfriend, or to go to parties, none of that typical college stuff. Many nights I would be up until dawn studying for a test and I would have to go in and take it on no sleep. But not only did I graduate, I graduated with honors. That was probably the biggest challenge I ever faced in life, but I never quit. I was determined to get that degree. FW: How has your Christian faith helped get you through various challenges you have faced? What do you think that a person misses out on when he or she has no faith in a higher power at all? RC: If I didnt have faith, I wouldnt have made it. Back to my college days, I got down on my hands and knees and asked God for the strength to make it through. And everything I accomplished or achieved in life was through His blessings. You have to have faith in a higher power, because we cant do all this on our own. FW: When its all said and done, how do you want to be remembered? RC: As somebody who worked hard to get what he did. Id like to be remembered as a man who was hardworking, dedicated, and had faith in God. The big titles are nice too, but those are whats really important. www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
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bodybuilding science
I
recently received an e-mail stating that 99 percent of all bodybuilders are training wrong! I clicked on the link and the article made some interesting points, which made me really think: What is the optimal amount of times a week to train each body part? The article claimed that whole-body workouts were the lost key for muscle growth. The article stated that when the Weider family introduced split-system training (i.e., upper body one day, lower body the next day), this was the birth of overtraining for bodybuilders. Weider athletes such as Schwarzenegger and Sergio Olivia were known to perform 30 to 40 sets per body part. The Weider System was the exact opposite of the Arthur Jones training system, which advocated High-Intensity Training acronym HIT. Jones believed that short, intense workouts provided a superior return to the athlete than what was then the standard weight-training workout, one that was long and involved the lifting of a high volume of weights. He specified 16 different Nautilus machine exercises, with 1 set of each exercise performed to failure (where the athlete could no longer perform the exercise), three times per week. Jones thought that bodybuilders trained with too many sets; he thought the high volume used by bodybuilders creates such a drain on the central nervous system that this inhibits them from training any sooner than a week or so later. Proponents of the Arthur Jones training system advocate the wholebody training routines are superior because: A full-body workout recruits more motor units or muscle groups per workout than split training. Full-body workouts elicit greater increase in testosterone and GH than split routines. Each body part is trained more often and yields a greater anabolic effect. A body part is usually recovered within 48 hours; therefore, not training that muscle again within 48 hours is wasted time off. Protein synthesis rates for muscles can be increased for 48 hours after a muscle is trained and then starts to drop. Advocates of multiple training sessions per body part, such as twice a week compared to once per week, claim that it takes advantage of the anabolic effects of resistance exercise. The anabolic effects of resistance exercise are elevated rates of protein synthesis in the muscle, which lasts about 48 hours. Then, it stops and everything is back to normal. If you go on to wait an entire week before training again, you simply wont grow as fast as you could. Based on this premise, it seems that once-a-week training is not optimal for muscle growth, but before a bodybuilder decides to try to train more, a bodybuilder needs to ask, Have I recovered from my previous workout?
By Robbie Durand, MA
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bodybuildingscience
Testosterone Enhances Muscle Recuperation
Training frequency is recovery dependent. If you are using anabolics, then you can more than likely train with greater frequency and recuperate faster. If you are using testosterone, you may well be able to train each muscle twice a week. For an excellent review on the physiology of how anabolic agents increase muscle recuperation, read Dr. Lynchs 7 2008 article titled, Anabolic agents for improving muscle regeneration and function after injury. Administration of testosterone increases muscle mass in elderly 1, 2 men or men administered catabolic 3,4 drugs such as glucocorticoids as well as preserves muscle mass in 5 burn patients. These studies have also suggested, through analyses using isotope tracers, that increases in muscle mass were attributable to 1, reduced rates of protein catabolism.
2, 5
ie n nnma o R le o C
The point I am trying to make is that just because Ronnie Coleman trained each body part twice a week does not mean you can train this way. Your ability to train depends on a number of factorsI often wondered why some people such as powerlifters can train one body part a week and be massive. Both Ronnie Coleman and Dorian Yates were mass monsters, but their training routines were completely different. Ronnie trained each body part twice a week, while Dorian trained each body part once a week. Each man, probably through trial and error, found a system that worked for his genetics.
Ronnie Coleman
Monday: Back, biceps, shoulders, calves, abs Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings, abs Wednesday: Chest, triceps, calves Thursday: Back, biceps, abs Friday: Quads, hamstrings Saturday: Chest, triceps, shoulders, abs Sunday: Rest
s te Ya
It was just recently reported that testosterone suppressed the activation of a major catabolic protein 5 called Muscle Atrophy Factor. Many beginning bodybuilders think that there is a secret training routine that the pros are using. A person who is natural should not try to follow the training routine of a Team MD bodybuilder. Take a look at the study below, showing how testosterone levels dictated levels of muscle regeneration and repair. A preliminary study examined the effect of two doses of nandrolone deconoate (2mg/kg and 6mg/kg) on regeneration and satellite cells in mouse skeletal muscles following intense muscle damage. The mice using 6mg/kg experienced enhanced muscle regeneration; however, regeneration was not improved in injured muscles of mice treated with a lower dose of 2mg/kg nandrolone deconoate. Thus, the higher dose (6mg/kg) of the anabolic steroid was required in mice in order to produce a beneficial effect on muscle regeneration after severe 8 muscle damage. The study suggests greater testosterone enhances muscle recuperation.
n ia or D
Dorian Yates
Monday: Delts, traps, triceps, abs Tuesday: Back, rear delts Wednesday: Rest Thursday: Chest, biceps, abs Friday: Rest day Saturday: Quads, hams, calves Sunday: Rest
A recent study released in the Journal of Physiology helped me understand what happens to muscle growth factors after one intense bout of exercise, and more importantly what happens to the growth factors in the recovery period. IGF-1 is a growth factor found in circulation (produced in the liver) and locally in muscle. The researchers looked at the three isoforms produced in muscle (IGF-1, IGF1Ea, IGF-1Eb and MGF) that each may contribute in some extent to muscle regeneration. IGF-1Eb may be involved in hypertrophy or muscle regeneration; however, the physiological role of IGF-1Eb in human skeletal muscle is currently unknown. MGF is a splice variant of IGF-1Ea that stimulates satellite cell activation and muscle hypertrophy following muscle stretch or 10 muscle damage. The study had young subjects (average age of 20 years old) perform 30 sets of 10 maximal eccentric contractions with 1minute rest periods. Bring the pain! Muscle biopsies were taken both immediately before and after exercise. The study found that MGF expression (a potent muscle growth stimulator) peaked at 24 hours, but then IGF-1 isoforms were still elevated after muscle damage, suggesting muscle repair was still occurring. Another interesting point was that after intense muscle damage, MGF was activated while serum IGF-1 levels showed no change! Additionally, the Journal of
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individuals. However, trained subjects using multiple- rather than single-set programs gain strength faster. Larger muscle groups also tend to recover more slowly than smaller muscle groups. For example, the smaller arm muscles (i.e., biceps and triceps) can be trained more frequently (two to three times per week), while the larger muscles in the legs take longer to recover and will respond better to one to two workouts per week.
Everyone Is Different!
So, what frequency do I recommend? Well, I have no definite answer because this all depends on your training age, exercise volume, nutrition, anabolic use, supplements and sleep. It is well known that muscle with type I fibers such as calves and the abdominals can be trained nearly every day, whereas type IIb muscle fibers in the legs need longer recovery times. Older athletes do not recover as quickly from exercise as younger athletes, so they may opt for a once-a-week training system, whereas a younger 18-yearold can perform each body part twice a week. I think whole-body training sessions are great for athletes, not bodybuilders! Football players often train this way during the season with great success, but this is for athletic purposes, not bodybuilding. If whole body part sessions did work and are so great, then why arent professional bodybuilders using them? I think a complete body workout may be good for a beginner or competitive athletes looking to maintain strength during the season, but not for bodybuilding. Bodybuilders must perform some trial and error to determine whether once or twice a week is beneficial.
Hormone and Metabolic Research reported that strength training was increased after 12 weeks, despite unchanged levels of serum IGF-1 in 13 men. It seems that peripheral changes in IGF-1 may not be as important for muscle growth as once thought...getting back to recuperation. The point to think about is that if you tried to retrain legs after an exercise protocol 48 hours after exercise, you would still be in the recuperation phase and start overtraining.Your training frequency depends on your recuperation! The more muscle damage you create during exercise, the more recovery time will be needed before you can train again. In the study mentioned above, after intense eccentric exercise, muscle recovery was still not complete after three days. Its interesting that most of the studies suggest that with eccentric exercise and muscle damage, muscle growth factors are expressed shortly thereafter. Its interesting that Olympic lifters can train six days a week. In training, however, Olympic lifters rarely perform more than 5 reps per set (most sets are for 1-3 reps) and the eccentric portion is all but eliminated, because the bar is dropped to the floor at the end of every lift. Low mechanical work plus no eccentric equals the capacity to train the lifts extremely often. Its interesting that when comparing mus-
cle recuperation times for concentric and eccentric exercise, it takes longer for muscle to recuperate from an 11 eccentric bout than a concentric bout.
Key Points:
Training frequency is recovery dependent. Testosterone accelerates muscle repair and turns off catabolic genes. After intense muscle damage, MGF is activated, while serum IGF-1 levels showed no change! Type I fibers such as calves and arms can be trained more frequently than type II explosive fibers (legs).
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Speaking of MGF.
Researchers from Italy provided more evidence that GH by itself is highly overrated as a doping agent. Previous research showed that GH could elevate MGF animals that were GH deficient. Researchers studied the effects GH, testosterone, or a combination of GH and testosterone in both GH deficient and normal rats. Take a look at the chart below.
References:
1. Ferrando AA, Sheffield-Moore M, Yeckel CW, Gilkison C, Jiang J, Achacosa A, Lieberman SA, Tipton K, Wolfe RR, Urban RJ 2002 Testosterone administration to older men improves muscle function: molecular and physiological mechanisms. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 282:E601E607 2. Urban RJ, Bodenburg YH, Gilkison C, Foxworth J, Coggan AR, Wolfe RR, Ferrando A 1995 Testosterone administration to elderly men increases skeletal muscle strength and protein synthesis. Am J Physiol, 269:E820E826 3. Reid IR, Wattie DJ, Evans MC, Stapleton JP 1996 Testosterone therapy in glucocorticoid-treated men. Arch Intern Med, 156:11731177 4. Crawford BA, Liu PY, Kean MT, Bleasel JF , Handelsman DJ 2003 Randomized placebo-controlled trial of androgen effects on muscle and bone in men requiring long-term systemic glucocorticoid treatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 88:31673176 5. Ferrando AA, Sheffield-Moore M, Wolf SE, Herndon DN, Wolfe RR 2001 Testosterone administration in severe burns ameliorates muscle catabolism. Crit Care Med, 29:19361942. 6. Zhao W, Pan J, Wang X, Wu Y, Bauman WA, Cardozo CP . Expression of the muscle atrophy factor muscle atrophy F-box is suppressed by testosterone. Endocrinology, 2008 Nov;149(11):5449-60. 7 . Lynch GS, Schertzer JD, Ryall JG. Anabolic agents for improving muscle regeneration and function after injury. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol, 2008 Jul;35(7):852-8. Review. 8. Souza R, Goncalves W, Dal Pai-Silva M, Gallacci M. Influence of anabolic steroid treatment upon muscle regeneration and satellite cells of mice following envenoming by Bothrops jararacussu snake venom. Toxicol Lett, 2007; 172: S237 9. McKay BR, OReilly CE, Phillips SM, Tarnopolsky MA, Parise G. Co-expression of IGF-1 family members with myogenic regulatory factors following acute damaging muscle lengthening contractions in humans. J Physiol, 2008 10. Hill M & Goldspink G (2003). Expression and splicing of the insulin-like growth factor gene in rodent muscle is associated with muscle satellite (stem) cell activation following local tissue damage. J Physiol, 549, 409-418. 11. Linnamo V, Bottas R, Komi PV. Force and EMG power spectrum during and after eccentric and concentric fatigue. J Electromyogr Kinesiol, 2000 Oct;10(5):293-300. 12. Wolfe, B.L., LeMura, L.M., & Cole, P .J. (2004). Quantitative analysis of single- vs. multiple-set programs in resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18, 35-47 . 13. Schiffer T, Schulte S, Hollmann W, Bloch W, Strder HK. Effects of Strength and Endurance Training on Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 in Humans. Horm Metab Res, 2008 Oct 29. Rigamonti AE, Locatelli L, Cella SG, Bonomo SM, Giunta M, Molinari F , Sartorio A, Mller EE. Muscle Expressions of MGF , IGF-IEa, and Myostatin in Intact and Hypophysectomized Rats: Effects of rhGH and Testosterone Alone or Combined. Horm Metab Res, 2008 Oct 7 .
Normal Rats
GH Alone No Effect Increased Testosterone Alone No Effect Decreased Testosterone and GH No Effect Decreased They found that GH increased MGF in GH-deficient rats, but GH had no effect on MGF in normal rats and even worse, it increased myostatin! Testosterone decreases myostatin in normal rats and had no effect of MGF. The researchers speculated that myostatin levels increased (negative feedback) as a counter-regulatory mechanism to reduce the anabolic actions of GH. This may be the reason that GH is a poor anabolic agent, as the anabolic actions of GH are offset by a rise in myostatin. Testosterone, on the other hand, resulted in anabolic action by reducing myostatin. The researchers again concluded that GH by itself has minimal anabolic actions in normal rats.
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An Interview With Author
By Dan Gwartney, MD
William Llewellyn
uring the 1980s, tattered, photocopied pages of a secret volume of lore passed among weightlifters in gyms and weight rooms across the U.S. This text, the Underground Steroid Handbook, was considered the authoritative text regarding illicit anabolic steroid use, guiding novice and advanced bodybuilders in drug selection and injection technique, as well as informing users of some of the potential side effects. Often crude, the text combined humor and information in a way that was readily accepted by its intended audience. So influential was the text, that it has been referenced in medical reports and congressional hearings. It clandestine author was later revealed to be the late Dan Duchaine. Since the time of the Underground Steroid Handbook and its less-well-received sequel, and following the passing of Duchaine, several other authors have written booklets that have expanded well beyond the 40 or so pages of Duchaines debut work. These literary daughters to the Underground Steroid Handbook vary considerably in quality, depth and breadth of coverage. Certain authors have produced newsletters, websites or books of remarkable qualityBill Phillips and Bill Roberts are highly regarded for their works. Yet, the nominal text that is most highly referenced in the field of illicit performance enhancers is the ANABOLICS series by William Llewellyn. His readership includes professional and amateur bodybuilders, athletes, physicians, coaches, legislators and lawyers. Bill Llewellyn has just completed the latest edition in the series and offered his time to discuss the book in this interview. MD: Todays interview is with author William Llewellyn, who has announced the completion of the latest edition of the ANABOLICS volumes. Further information on the book, including ordering information, can be obtained via the many distributors who carry the text or directly from his site at www.anabolicsbook.com. Bill, I am sure most readers are interested in what is new about the latest edition, but lets backtrack a bit first. Before telling us about the book, tell us about the author. What qualifies you as an expert in a field that is littered with self-promoted gurus? Can you tell us about your formal education, your personal experiences, practical time you have spent observing users and your ad-hoc education out of the classroom? BL: I have always had an interest in the sciences, but did not pursue a formal education. My interest in steroids specifically came informally, first with intent to use these drugs as a teenager. This quickly developed into a fascination with human performance. Most of what I have learned came from reading on my own. I would spend countless hours in the local medical library reading about these drugs during my 20s. Most people would probably find it boring, but it was the most exciting part of my week, that and the cheap hospital cafeteria food, which wasnt half bad. Id like to think of my job as being a bridge between the sci-
entific world and the bodybuilding/sports community. So it is really half-science and half real-world observation and application. I am not sure if there is any set qualification for such a job, as it sort of is a fringe occupation in many ways. Certainly a background in the sciences wouldnt hurt, though. MD: What then was your inspiration for writing a reference text on anabolics? Given your age, one can only imagine that Dan Duchaines booklet, the Underground Steroid Handbook, must have been influential. BL: More than influential. Reading Duchaines book was a life-turning event for me. Here I was, growing up during a time when steroids were a big public interest. The controlled substance laws for anabolics were just passed after a long media crusade against the drugs. All you heard was how deadly these things were. Here I am, this skinny kid, thinking about risking it anyway, but I decided to do some research first. And then I come across this book that presents an February 2009
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entirely different point of view, as if the medical community and media had it entirely wrong about steroids. It gave me this sense of being on the inside of something very important. It made me want to dig into the medical books for myself, so I could understand the subject the way he did. The more I read the more I wanted to read. As years went on, the more I read the more I felt compelled to write. MD: The first edition then was printed in 2000; how well was it received by your intended audience and those outside the muscle-sports demographic? That year was somewhat of a low point in the publishing industry, as the all-natural movement was strong and a strong push against anabolics had just been completed by the DEA. Not surprisingly, the introduction of the Bush administration and the anti-doping message that is promoted about every summer Olympic Games had also heightened the negative public stance toward performance enhancement. BL: The bodybuilding community responded really well to the book. Sales were immediately far better than I had imagined they would be, and people were generally very happy with it, I think. It really was an amazing time in my life. The book may just have filled an important demand. I was in the right place at the right time, maybe. Those outside of the bodybuilding and sports world have always been mixed about it. Some understand that I am only trying to provide important information so that people can make informed decisions; information the medical community should be focusing on but is not. Many physicians actually buy it every year, and Im even invited to lecture on the subject at times. Others just look at it as a book that promotes steroid abuse. The recent Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball even had some choice words about it. This is exactly the last thing I am trying to promote with ANABOLICS, of course. MD: What were some of the early surprises and challenges you encountered with that first edition? BL: There were small road bumps and things to get used to being the steroid guy to your friends and family, and people who would assume I also must be a steroid dealer. But honestly, the biggest challenge I faced was a legal battle over the copyright with my former publisher. It was a disgusting mess. My wife and I had just been married. She lost her job when her company closed, and all of our income was suddenly cut off. We were living solely off of our wedding gifts. I had to start off not only my time in this industry with this book, but my new marriage with an enormously expensive legal battle in federal court over the ownership of my own work. I wont get into the details, but it was a long and ugly road that eventually worked out to my satisfaction. It taught me to be prepared to fight for what is mine in this industry. MD: After that kind of baptism, many people may have folded up the tents and walked. Did you find yourself more driven to write the second edition or less intrepid? BL: Honestly, I would have been on the street if I didnt write the second book. I needed the money desperately. So I just did it. I didnt have time to think about much else. MD: Since that time, you have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and likely have been read in part or in whole by millions. How has the book evolved over time? BL: Yes, definitely. I feel an enormous pressure to keep readers happy with the latest book. I cant do that unless I substantially overhaul it each and every time. To give you some perspective, the 2000 edition only had about 200 pages, was all black-andwhite, and had a handful of medical references. The latest ninth edition (2009) has about 1,000 pages, 3,000 color photographs, and over 900 medical citations. I really put my heart and soul into this latest update. And many readers have been enormously helpful by keeping me up on details in local markets. This edition is the most extensive overhaul of the book yet. I trust people are really going to notice the changes this year. MD: You are titling the latest edition in a way that is different from your conventional ANABOLICS. Tell us about what defines this edition? BL: It really signifies the completion of the book for me, at least the fundamental structure of it. Each year, I often would get lost in black-market updates and relevant time-sensitive information. The early chapters of the book, especially the practical applications section, have been in strong need of a rewrite for a long time. This latest edition was put on hold one year (we skipped 2008) so I could finally complete this. I feel the foundations of the book are now complete. It will probably be another two or three years minimum before I come out with the next one, as it will take this long before I have enough new information to justify the printing of a new edition. I wont release a new book just for a few updates. So using edition numbers instead of dating it by year at this point seems to make the most sense. MD: The book opens with an introduction to androgen physiology and the mechanics of anabolic steroid use by bodybuilders, including representative examples of common cycles. The meat-and-potatoes of the book is a description of the individual drugs, their history, use, common dosages and descriptions of legitimate and counterfeit packaging/pill/vials. Tell us what you have seen in the trends of use. What was the historical use of anabolic steroids and how does that compare to now? BL: I think for one, the average steroid user is more sophisticated today. Information is much more readily accessible, and as a result, they are more likely to do things like use a PCT (post-cycle therapy) program, or even just simply use anti-estrogens, aromatase inhibitors, or reductase inhibitors to counter common side effects. At the same time, though, I must admit I do see a stronger trend for abuse. Back in the 70s and 80s, you were more likely to see people taking say 400mg a week of testosterone, or 20mg of Dianabol per day and considering it a good cycle. While many people do still follow these programs, there are also a growing number who consider 1g per week of testosterone stacked with pretty formi-
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dable doses of trenbolone and Anadrol to be a good beginners cycle. Honestly, this trend does concern me a bit. I would like to see more people consider the first type of dosing patterns I discussed.These really are sufficient for most circumstances. MD: What about the drugs being synthesized to be undetectable by WADA? Were you aware of the existence of these drugs generally, and specifically, THG and the cream, prior to the news releases involving the BALCO arrests? How pervasive is this market or has it been effectively stopped? BL: People have known about designer steroids in general for a long time. I dont want to comment on anything I may or may not have known about any compounds specifically that was not public knowledge, as discretion is key to my ability to research in this field. I will say I dont believe that it is a pervasive problem. I do believe that some designer steroids are likely still being used. Especially after a scandal like BALCO though, the use of such compounds is going to be an even more closely guarded secret. MD: Of course, many users now combine other drugs with AAS. What is the most common adjunct drug or drug class used during a cycle? What adjunct(s) are the most concerning from your point of view? BL: I believe Nolvadex (tamoxifen) is still the most widely used ancillary medication, although many people are using a variety of aromatase inhibitors to block the side effects of estrogen, too. The most concerning are those that have a risk of death if the dose is miscalculated, such as insulin and DNP . The latter is probably the most dangerous compound that I discuss in the book, as it is classified as a poison and is not even available as a prescription drug product. MD: In addition to drugs to help improve AAS effectiveness or potency, and control side effects, there are also many drugs taken to pass a drug screen. You dont discuss those much, but obviously that is part of the use for athletes who are violating banned drug rules in sport. A number of recent suspensions have been announced relating to such practice. What are you seeing in effectiveness of a user passing drug screens when using detectable AAS or other performance enhancers? BL: It is still possible to pass a drug test using conventional steroids so long as you know when you have to take it, and can avoid random out of competition testing for a sufficient length of time. This usually means fastacting injectable testosterone and oral anabolic steroids, which are discontinued weeks before the drug test will take place. Blocking agents that prevent renal steroid excretion are not as widely used. Pretty simple stuff, still. MD: It seems that in the last 10 years, access to research-grade drugs has infiltrated into the market to a small degree. Do you feel you are staying up-to-date with the newest agents being used in the underground community? BL: I am definitely making an effort to study the research chemicals as information becomes available. I havent specifically included most of these compounds in ANABOLICS however, as they have never been approved pharmaceuticals. ANABOLICS is really about established drugs. That is not to say I am ignoring them. In fact, I cant give you exact details, but I am working on another project that will cover in great detail a lot of these newer and lesser-known compounds. MD: How difficult is it to keep upto-date with the non-AAS performance enhancers? There are a number of drugs out there, many of which are not androgen based. BL: It is much harder, simply because these compounds are so new and there isnt a lot of research on them, especially in humans. As you know, a drug has to progress quite far in animal experiments before the government will grant approval for human trials. So what we do know about these compounds tends to come from limited animal data, and of course the human guinea pigs who dont mind injecting themselves with a research chemical to grow some muscle, perhaps years before it is ever approved for the earliest phases of human testing. MD: The sources for much of the practical information in your books come from the AAS-using community. What are some of the more noteworthy contributions you have received? The most unusual? BL: The community as a whole has been really supportive of the book. If I had to pick the most unusual contributors, they would have to be some of the people who run underground steroid manufacturing operations. I have even had the opportunity to meet with some of these owners in person. Knowing that my position is generally for people to avoid underground pharmaceuticals, I have been somewhat surprised that so many labs have been willing and anxious to supply information. MD: Do you get feedback/ information from other countries to a great degree, or is most of this information U.S. specific? BL: I have had the good fortune to be able to speak with people from all around the world. If you can find a country with an active bodybuilding culture, Ive probably been in contact with people there. Its given me a great opportunity to learn not only about the anabolics scene in various countries, but often a little about the people and the culture. I really hope to be able to travel to many of these places at some point. MD: With the withdrawal of standard pharmaceutical manufacturers, the packaging, dosing, labeling and stamping of these products are more diverse than ever. Add to that the potential complication of products in a foreign language or from homebased specialty labs, it has to be nearly impossible to keep track of what is legitimate versus fake, and what is on the label versus what is adulterated or mis-dosed. One feature of your books that plays a vital role to the illicit consumer is identifying counterfeit vs. legitimate product. Would you talk about what you provide relating to identifying these products and what you find when looking for adulterated products? BL: I have to admit this is an increasingly difficult part of my job. Most counterfeiters used to be fairly
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small operations. Their products were often easy to spot. Now we have an increasing number of what I would consider large-scale sophisticated commercial counterfeiting operations. Their products can often be difficult to spot. As best as I can, I am always trying to track down known legitimate versions of each pharmaceutical so I can compare them to other products for minor deviations. I also spend a good amount of money on lab testing each year. Weve been looking at more than just what/how much steroid is in each product for this latest edition. We wanted to know how clean and pure each product was, so weve been testing for other additional things like heavy metals and steroidal intermediaries. I have to be honest, the current state of the underground market is not looking that good. On the last run of testing, more than 20 percent of the products had heavy metals contamination. A higher percentage still had unidentified steroidal compounds. True pharmaceutical-grade steroid products are getting harder and harder to find. I also like to try and keep up on effective security measures. For instance, all Greek drugs still carry a sticker that will show a distinct pattern when held under ultraviolet light. U.S. Depot-Testosterone is another product with a hidden mark that appears under UV light. So far these security measures have been some of the safes from counterfeiters. I always try to highlight what are the most reliable products on the black market when I can. MD: Bill, this was a long discussion on a project that you have been working on and improving steadily for years. The layman community has found great value in your books, but what about the professional community? Do you get feedback or questions from physicians, coaches, trainers, lawyers, legislators and the like? BL: Yes, weve seen a growing interest in this book in areas outside the athletic community. Ive been able to speak with many doctors, health care workers and law enforcement officers. Ive even been invited to speak at professional conferences. I believe ANABOLICS is becoming increasingly recognized in all areas where steroid use is of professional interest, and quite often it is found very useful. This has opened many new doors for me, and keeps my flow of information from being too one-sided. MD: All very interesting and we thank you for your time. Is there anything you would like to add as we close? A: Thank you, Dr. Gwartney. Its been a pleasure. I would just like to add for those who have never read one of the ANABOLICS books, that it really is an objective reference on the science and application of anabolic steroids. It is not a book that encourages the abuse of these drugs, but does try to give people the information they need to make the best choices. We all know that the medical community essentially ignores the steroid user today (millions of steroid users). This is the fundamental problem that has always driven me to write and update this book for all these years. Information is everything. If you can better understand the ins and outs of these drugs, you are in a much better position to make an informed decision and use them with higher relative safety and benefit.
RAPID-FIRE QUESTIONS:
MD: Most effective single steroid according to your readers feedback? BL: Still Anadrol. Not the friendliest steroid, but still the most effective. MD: Most popular stack? BL: Difficult to say for sure. Testosterone and Dianabol, maybe. Trenbolone is becoming very popular these days too. MD: Does the average user need PCT? If so, what is the most positively reported course? BL: Yes, PCT is probably a good idea for all cycles, except the very briefest. I like the one published by the Program for Wellness Restoration (PoWeR). It is based on a brief course of HCG, Clomid and Nolvadex. They are all initiated together. HCG is dropped first, followed by Nolvadex and finally, Clomid. The data on their subjects looked pretty good. This is the program I outline in ANABOLICS. MD: Where is the illicit supply originating from and how is it being distributed? BL: Mexico is not as big of a source country as it used to be. I think China is still at the root of the raw powder market, supplying the underground labs and many legitimate companies as well. Most finished anabolics today are coming in from Asia and Eastern Europe. The Internet is still a thriving marketplace for their sale, as are networks of local dealers. MD: What is the prevalence of serious adverse effects in steroid users from your perspective? BL: Id say somewhere in the middle between rare and common. I believe heart disease in particular results from steroid abuse more often than people understand. As you know, physicians always have a hard time isolating individual factors that may have influenced cardiovascular disease. For example, we all understand fast food can be very bad for you, but cause of death is never listed as greasy cheeseburgers; it is simply myocardial infarction (heart attack). How is a physician going to blame steroids for something that took decades to develop and is affected by so many other genetic, dietary and lifestyle variables? But that doesnt mean these drugs arent commonly involved. I believe they are, and people do need to be careful when it comes to the cardiovascular side effects of steroids, especially when they are taking these drugs in high doses for long periods of time. MD: What supplement(s) do you feel people should use on cycle and post-cycle? BL: I think the two most important areas are cardiovascular support and liver support. The latter, of course, is only really important if you are taking liver toxic steroids. To help keep cholesterol in check, a quality fish oil supplement is
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always a good idea; maybe 4 grams per day. I also like a lot of the betterstudied cholesterol support ingredients like garlic, green tea, niacin, etc. Of the classic liver support products, I have recommended Liv-52 and Essential forte. Both are very good. This year, I also launched two products to support these health areas under my Molecular Nutrition label, called Lipid Stabil and Liver Stabil, respectively. MD: What is the future for anabolics? BL: I think the trends of the last few years will continue. The governments of the world are going to further the criminalization of anabolic steroids, which will push the market further and further underground. As it is now, we are seeing more raw powders being smuggled into the U.S. than finished product. I think as the years go on, you will have more homebrew underground labs supplying the market, and fewer legitimate pharmaceutical products. This frightens me, to be honest. MD: What is your opinion on the existence of roid rage and have you seen uncharacteristic explosive anger/violence in a user? BL: A small percentage of users, roughly 5 percent, seem to become emotionally unstable with high doses of steroids. They are more argumentative and aggressive, and can have dramatic mood swings. This is a small percentage, and about as close to any type of a roid rage as I am willing to go. I dont believe steroids can turn a normal, sane person into a criminally violent individual. I do think some people shouldnt be taking steroids for emotional/psychological reasons, though. MD: From your perspective, is there such a thing as too much or is the more is better crowd right? BL: I am definitively not a more is better fan for several reasons. For one, outside of a pretty moderate range, the return is very low for your dosage. For example, 400-500mg per week of testosterone is a good dose. You will build decent muscle with it. You can take more, but are not going to gain say three times more weight on 1,200-1,500mg per week. You will gain a little more but pay for it with a lot more side effects and cardiovascular strain. Also, gains made from excessive doses tend to be lost more quickly following steroid cycles. Those who gain slowly and steadily seem to retain their muscle better. Bottom line, unless you are a competitive pro bodybuilder, I think you should stay away from high doses, and focus more on maximizing your results from moderate doses by paying even closer attention to training and diet. Use steroids to enhance your programs if you need, not as a shortcut to hard work. MD: What advice would you give your (hypothetical) 18-year-old son? What about your 40-year-old brother? 60-year-old father? BL: For the 60-year-old, and many men decades younger, Id say that testosterone could be a very helpful medication to take in corrective doses. I am a big supporter of testosterone replacement therapy. For anyone looking to take high doses to build muscle, Id have the following advice. Steroids are effective medications. They build muscle very well. But they also have their dangers. Anyone considering it should understand all the risks before they commit to anything. The fuck it; its no big deal attitude is the wrong one to have. You should also think about your long-term goals. Do you plan on using steroids frequently? Just once? If I had a dime for every time someone told me they would try just one cycle and went on to abuse steroids for years, Id be a rich man. I try not to preach. I just want everyone to be careful and think about their health first, whatever they decide to do. MD: How frequently are fakes found on the market? BL: Very frequently. I get to keep a pretty close eye on this too. Id estimate in the U.S. right now, well more than 50 percent of the steroids circulating are either counterfeit or from underground labs. Legitimate humangrade pharmaceuticals are fairly rare these days. Legitimate human-grade pharmaceuticals from Western drug companies are even more rare still.
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The following is uncensored/ unedited and in no way reflects the opinions of the staff of Muscular Development. Who the hell knows what this guy might say... hes a mental freak. This article is for entertainment purposes only.
ANNOUNCED IN PUBLISHERS WEEKLY...IM SORRY BREAKING GUYS, I KNOW IT HURTS BUT IM STILL JUST ONE OF NEWS: YOU ALL..OK ENOUGH BLOWING MY OWN November 4th, HORNSuccess causes envy , jealousy & hatred from 2008, As reported today the un-successful .. Gregg Valentino.. in Publishers Weekly: SOLD Gregg Valentino with Nathan Jendricks DEATH, DRUGS, & MUSCLE: The Gregg Valentino SO HEY HOWS EVERYONE DOIN THIS MONTH??? Story, the life story of The Man Whose Arms Exploded (as DROP THE REPS AND INCREASE THE DOSAGE,,,YA dubbed by TLC) covering Valentinos life dealing HEARD!!! AAAHH FUCK OFF , I LOVE YOU ALL steroids, working with the Russian Mafia, dangerous TOO..OH YEAH BABE, IM streets gangs, New York Wise Guys, his eventual FEELIN GOOD arrest and his road to redemption as a Guinness RIGHT NOW, THAT World Record holder, pro bodybuilding personality BOOK DEAL HAS and the most improbable of celebrities and movie ME FLYING LIKE stars, to Jack David at ECW Press, in a nice deal, for HIGH AS IF WAS publication in 2009, by Nathan Jendrick (World). TAKING OOOOPS, TELL THEM IT WAS RIPLEYS NOT GASPARIs MITOTROPHIN, GUINNESS AND I HATE THAT MAN WHOS ARMS EXPLODED TLC SHIT......WOOF...... I YO THAT SHIT I HATE THA MAKES YOU FLY SO GUESS YOU KNOW NOW AFTER READING THAT T M A N WHOS AR EXPLODED MS TLC SHIT...... YOU CAN JUST ANNOUNCEMENT IN PUBLISHERS WEEKLY WOOF IMAGINE HOW GOOD THAT A BOOK IS BEING WRITTEN ABOUT MY LIFE.THE AUTHOR IS NATHAN JENDRICK THE SAME AUTHOR IM FEELING RIGHT NOW.. THERE IS GOING TO BE A WHO WROTE THE BOOK BALCO THE VICTOR CONTE NEW ME, IM SICK OF BEING BODYBUILDINGS UGLIEST MAN , IM SICK OF HAVING HOT YUMMY - DELISTORY.NATHAN IS ALSO THE HUSBAND OF OLYMPIC 2 TIME GOLD MEDALIST MEGAN QUANN JENCIOUS EXPO BABES SEE ME IN PERSON AND GO DRICK .IM VERY HONORED AND GRATEFUL FOR THIS EWWWWA YOUR GROSS, WHERE IS DEREK ANTHOOPPORTUNITY.THERE IS ALREADY INTEREST IN A NY AND YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY BACK TO THEM MOVIE BASED ON THE STORY.I JUST WANNA KNOW DONT YA, I SAY I GOT 2 WORDS FOR YA MS.PIGGY, WHO THE HELL WOULD PLAY ME???. NOW I KNOW FUCK OFF !!!!!! GEEZ, Why does free love cost so much???REALLY YO, IVE HAD IT, NO MORE BULLTHE HATERS ARE BANGING THIER HEADS AGAINST THE SHIT AND NO MORE MR.MASTURBATER FOR ME, WALL OVER WHEN THAT BOOK HITS THE STORES AND THERES A MY GOOD MOVIE TOO , WOW!!!! , ILL HAVE HOT BABES BEGGING FORTUNE, ME FOR SEXwink . EVEN MY GIRL MERCEDES WHO THEY CANT CALLS ME THE MAN THAT GOD FORGOT WILL BE STAND THE GIVING UP THAT ASS WITHOUT ME PAYING HER FOR FACT THAT SEXYES LIFE IS GOOD NOW!!! BY THE WAY, MERTHERE IS CEDES KEEPS TELLING ME I LOOK TIRED, WELL IN MOVIE DEALS MY MIND >> Telling someone they look tired is just the LURKING AS polite way of saying You look like shit!..YO, I JUST WELL AS THIS THOUGHT OF SOMETHING, SPEAKING OF LOOKING BOOK BEING TIRED, MERCEDES SHOULDNT TALK ..YOU KNOW
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WHAT I HATE, I HATE WHEN MY GIRLFRIEND MERCEDES OR ONE OF MY BOYZ ARE SLEEPING IN THE SEAT NEXT TO ME IN MY CAR, WHILE IM DRIVING THEM HOME FROM A NIGHT ON THE TOWN!!!!! .MY GIRL PULLS THAT SHIT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE GO OUT, THE MIN WE LEAVE ATFER A NIGHT OUT AT THE CLUB , SHE GETS IN MY CAR , DROPS THE SEAT BACK AND IN LESS THAN A MIN. SHE IS SLEEPING NICE & COZY IN THE FRONT SEAT.BUT FIRST SHE HAS TO BITCH THAT SHE IS COLD AND FOR ME TO CLOSE MY FUCKING WINDOW BUT IN THE SUMMER SHE WANTS ME TO TURN OFF THE AC .SO NOW ITS HOT IN THE CAR MAKING ME FUCKING TIRED WHILE IM DRIVING, MEANWHILE SHE SLEEPS THE WHOLE WAY HOMEAND OF COURSE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE HER HEAD POPS UP AND HER BIG MOUTH HAS TO BLURT OUT IM TIRED..ITS STILL COLD IN HERE IS YOUR WINDOW OPEN..IM COLD THEN SHE FALLS BACK ALSEEPTHAT BITCH!!...YO WHATS EVEN WORSE IS WHEN ONE OF MY FRIENDS IS SLEEPING IN MY CAR ON THE WAY HOME , MY BOYZ FALL ALSEEP WITH THEIR MOUTHS OPEN AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THEY LET OUT A SNOREYO, WHEN I LOOK OVER INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT, THEY LOOK TOO FUCKING COMFORTABLE LAYING THERE WITH THE SEAT BACK SLEEPING LIKE A BABY THAT REALLY STEWS MY CLAMS AND ITS EVERYTIME MY FRIENDS & I GO OUT, WITHOUT FAIL, EVERYTIME!!!!!!!!..NOW I KNOW WHAT YOUR THINKING, WHY NOT LET ONE OF THEM DRIVE SO I CAN SLEEP IN THEIR CARFIRST OFF, IN MY GIRLS CASE , SHE DOESNT HAVE A LICENSE AND IN MY FRIENDS CASE, I DO NOT DRINK AND I LIKE TO BE IN CONTROL OF MY OWN DESTINYWHEN I WANNA LEAVE WE LEAVE AND I CAN ONLY TRUST MYSELF NOT TO DRIVE LIKE A LUNATICSO IM FUCKEDITS FUNNY BECAUSE SOMETIMES MY BOYZ & I WOULD STOP AND GRAB SOME JUNK FOOD BEFORE WE WENT OUT TO THE CLUBWE KNEW WE WOULD BE IN THE CLUB ALL NIGHT SO WE WOULD GRAB JUNK TO EAT AND BURN UP THE CARBS.. ONE TIME MY FRIEND TOMMY ATE SARDINES & DORITOS, IN MY CAR AND I BUGGED OUTI HATE THE WAY DORITOS SMELL , I GAGGED AND I THREW TOMMY OUT OF MY CAR BECAUSE I COULDNT TAKE THE STENCH OF HIS BREATH. DORITOS SMELL LIKE PUKE TO ME AND SARDINES ARE PLAIN OLD GROSS..I MADE HIM GO IN A MINI MART AND BUY MOUTH WASHI CAN NOT DRIVE WITH THAT SMELL IN MY CARDAMN IT AINT EASY BEING MEIT KILLS ME TO WATCH SOMEONE SLEEP WHILE IM DRIVING ESPECIALLY WHEN THEIR MOUTHS ARE OPEN AND THEY ARE SNORING..CaffeinePills >> The midnight snack of champions.That which does not kill us postpones the inevitableoh yeah babe!!!!! YO when I got arrested for steroids they also February 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com
charged me with being the DUMBEST MAN in America, I should have just called JOSE CANSECO and said Get your ass down here right away and prove them wrong . Friday, October 10th 2008 : EX-Baseball slugger and admitted steroid user Jose Canseco was detained for more than nine hours at a San Diego Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility Thursday afternoon after border agents caught him trying to bring Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) across the border from Mexico..OH YEAH BABE.THE CANSECO CREED > If you think youve hit rock bottom, the only thing that can cheer you up is bringing somebody else down with you NOW HERE IS THE PART OF THIS DUMB RAT FUCKS ARREST FOR HCG, YO, I LOVE THIS QUOTE ITS THE QUOTE OF THE CENTURY FROM CANSECOS ATTORNEY GREG EMERSON This is an incredibly harmless drug. Were not talking about morphine or cocaine possession. Why he ( CANSECO ) attracted so much attention is a bit of a mystery.WOW.YA THINK.LOOK IM NOT GOING TO GET ALL WORKED UP AND INTO A HUGE SPIN, ITS A SUBJECT THAT JUST KEEPS GOING & GOING, THERE SEEMS TO BE A NEW TWIST IN JOSE CANSECOS DRAMA EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. ON OCTOBER 21st LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER HIS HCG ARREST AT THE MEXICAN BOARDER, A&E NETWORK AIRED A SHOW WHERE CANSECO WENT INTO A BIG SPIN ABOUT HOW HE REGRETS DESTROYING THE LIVES OF SOME OF HIS FRIENDS LIKE MARK MAGUIRE & SAMMY SOSA BAHAHAHATHATS SOME FUNNY SHIT.GEEZ BUBBA, YOU JUST THOUGHT ABOUT THAT NOW LOOK IM NOT GOING TO GET WORKED UP ABOUT THIS, ITS JUST THAT HE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST RATS OF ALL TIME , JUST LIKE THAT DISGRACE SAMMY THE BULL GRAVANO >> JOSE CANSECO TOOK DOWN ALL THE PEOPLE HE WAS CLOSE TOO AND NOW HE WANTS FORGIVNESS OR ME TO FEEL SORRY FOR HIM NO WAYJOSE. I PERSONALLY HAVE NO USE OR SYMPATHY FOR A RAT / BACKSTABBER ENOUGH SAID .Some people are like slinkies - not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs! The last thing a guy wants to look at at the end of the day is his girlfriends face..Yo, its enough to make a guy wanna drink himself to death and I dont even drink!!!! But I admit , I have often wanted to just drown my troubles >>> but I cant get my girlfriend Mercedes to go swimmingOH YEAH BABE Show me a man that has never paid for sex and ill show you a fuckin liar.GreggValentino WE ALL PAY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHERBACK IN OCTOBER ,MERCEDES AND I WERE IN A MOVIE THEATER, OF COURSE SHE WORKED ME FOR DINNER AND A MOVIE BECAUSE SHE KNEW I WAS FEELING FRISKY AND THAT I WANTED SOME GHETTO TRASH - ASS THAT NIGHTANYWAY
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WE ARE IN THE MOVIE THEATER WHEN I LEANED OVER AND SAID TO HER Baby, tell me something that will make me Happy and Sad all at the same time..TO WHICH SHE REPLIED You have the biggest dick out of all your close friends. ..LATER ON THAT EVENING WHEN WE WERE EATING DINNER I WAS STILL SO PISSED OFF AT HER THAT I MENT TO SAY TO HER PASS ME THE KETCHUP BUT INSTEAD I ACCIDENTLY BLURTED OUT YOU FUCKIN CUNT YOU RUINED MY LIFE.SHE LOOKED AT ME WITH HER NOSTRILS FLARED, HER TEETH GRIT AND HER BIG DARK EYES BUGGING OUT & SHE SAID WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME FAGGOT??? ..I QUICKLY REPLIED WHAT,,,I SAID PASS THE KETCHUP PLEASE .. SHE THEN THREW A GARLIC PICKEL AT ME AND IT HIT ME RIGHT IN THE EYE , YO THAT SHIT BURNED LIKE HELLOTHER PEOPLE IN THE DINER SAW HER VIOLENT EPISODE AND I COULD TELL THAT THEY WERE HOLDING BACK FROM LAUGHING.SHE WAS SO PISSED OFF AT THAT WHEN WE GOT HOME NOT ONLY DID I NOT GET ANY BOOTY, BUT I GOT STUCK SLEEPING ON HER SOFA.FUNNY THING HOW THAT WORD CUNT TURNS A WOMAN INTO A FUCKING CRAZED WITCH!!!!...I DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS , BUT THAT WORD DOES SOMETHING TO A WOMAN THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING FOR THE DUMB FUCK OF A MAN WHO DARE SAYS IT TO HIS GIRL.ANYWAY LATER ON ABOUT 5am, I WOKE UP OUT OF A DEEP SLEEP WITH MERCEDES DOG JETER POKING HIS NOSE IN MY CROTCH WITH AN OCCASIONAL LICK TO MY BALLS..SIMMER DOWNREXLEX YO TAKE A CHILL PILL. I WAS IN MY UNDERWEAR SO IT WASNT A DIRECT BALL LICKBESIDES, I PUT A LOT OF BABY POWDER ON MR. MARKUS ( FOR THOSE NEW READERS HERE >>>.I NAMED MY DICK AFTER MARKUS RUHL THE BODYBUILDER BECAUSE MY DICK KINDA LOOKS LIKE THE REAL MARKUS RUHL, ITS THICK , WHITE AND VEINY, WITH A BIG FAT BLOATED HEAD) SO HER DOG ( JETER ) MUST HAVE SNIFFED MY POWDERY DICK BECAUSE WENT INTO A QUICK SNEEZING FITBUT EITHER WAY I KINDA WOKE UP WITH A MORNING KICKSTAND ( NIGHT TIME HARD ON ..I SLEEP ON MY SIDE AND ITS LIKE A KICKSTAND )I LIVE IN FEAR WHEN SLEEPING OVER MERCEDES APARTMENT AS SHE WAS SLEEPING I THOUGHT I HEARD HER MUMBLE UNDER HER BREATH, I will drink your blood and live forever OR SOMETHING LIKE THATTHATS WHY WHEN I SLEEP OVER HER HOUSE I LIVE BY THE OLD SAYING >> Be care-
ful not to wake up the She-Devil when you tip-toe through Hell. THAT EVIL BITCHANYWAY,, I GOT NO ASS EVEN THOUGH I SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON HER SO I RELEASED THE HOSTAGES ON MERCEDES SOFA. I FIGURED , THE BITCH DONT GIVE ME ANY MUSH-POTPIE ( BUSH, BEAVER, CLAM-POT, PUSSY ) SO ITS NOW ITS PAY BACK TIME..OH YEAH BABE!!!YO, ITS KINDA FUNNY BECAUSE I FELT LIKE WILLIAM WALLIS ( MEL GIBSON ) AT THE END OF THE MOVIE >> BRAVEHEART, BECAUSE I KEPT SCREAMING FREEEEEEDOM WHILE I RELEASED THE HOSTAGES-JERKED OFF ON HER NEW COUCH. FREEDOM FROM THE EVIL BITCH HERSELF There are only two kinds of women for my taste unfortunately they are the dead and the deadlyIm Cursed!!.. Save a tree... Eat a beaver BARBARIAN BROTHERS..."Thats the remarkable thing about life. No matter how bad it gets it can always get worse.I TOLD YA ALL THIS ONCE BEFORE, BUT IN HONOR OF DAVE PALUMBO WHO LOVES THIS STORY, IM GONNA TELL IT AGAIN BACK IN 1982 I WAS LIVING IN SANTA MONICA FOR A WHILEI WAS TRAINING AT GOLDS GYM BACK THENIT WAS A FREAK SHOWONE DAY I BROUGHT A GIRL WHO I JUST MET TO GOLDS GYMSHE WAS A YOUNG MEXICAN GIRL THAT I MET A WEEK BEFORE IN A LAUNDROMAT SHE WAS LIKE 18 YEARS OLD AND I WAS 21 SHE WAS VERY CURIOUS ABOUT MY MUSCLE SIZE AND THE SPORT OF BODYBUILDING ITSELFSHE LOVED THE FACT THAT I WAS BUILTBACK THEN IN 1982 NO ONE WAS BUILT UNLESS YOU WERE A HARDCORE BODYBUILDER ANYWAY I TOOK HER ON A FEW DATES AND I WANTED TO GET TO KNOW HER BETTER SO ON THIS DAY I BROUGHT HER TO GOLDS GYM AND WATCHED AS HER EYES WERE POPPING OUT LIKE A KID ON CHRISTMAS MORNING BACK THEN GOLDS WAS LOADED WITH THE BIGGEST GUYS IN THE WORLD AND THE GIRLS IN THE GYM WERE JACKED UP TOOYOU NEVER SAW FEMALE BODYBUILDERS ANYWHERE ELSE BUT AT GYMS ESPECIALLY GOLDS IN VENICE , IT WAS A RARE ODITY BACK THEN TO SEE A GIRL WITH BIG MUSCLES ANYWAYMY GIRL WENT AROUND WITH ME TO EACH MACHINE I WAS WORKING OUT ON AND SHE SIT NEXT TO ME AS I PUMPED MY MUSCLES AND TRAINED HARD OF COURSE TRYING TO IMPRESS HERAFTER ABOUT A HALF HOUR OF ME TRAINING AND HER WATCHING ME THE BARBARIAN BROTHERS CAME INTO THE GYM AND TO MAKE THEIR DAILY APPEARANCEAS THE 2 BARBARIAN BONE HEADS WALKED BY WHERE WE WERE
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THEY YELLED TO ME, HEY, BUFFED PETER SEIGAL WHATS UP..MY GIRL LOOKED AT ME AND SAID WHAT DID THOSE BIG GUYS CALL YOU PETER FOR , IS THAT REALLY YOUR NAMEI THOUGHT YOUR NAME WAS GREGGI TOLD HER THAT THEY WERE JUST PLAYING AND IT WAS AN INSIDE JOKE IN ACTUALITY IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THINGS TO COMENOW I WAS DOING HEAVY SHOULDER PRESSES ON A POWER RACK WHILE MY GIRL WAS SITTING ON A FLAT BENCH NEXT TO MEAT THIS POINT THE 2 BARBARIAN BROTHERS CAME OVER TO THE ANOTHER POWER RACK ABOUT 10 feet AWAY FROM ME..THEY WERE GONNA DO SOME HEAVY SQUATTING , WHEN THEY STARTED SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER TO PYSCH EACH OTHER UP..MY GIRL LOOKED AT ME WITH FEAR IN HER EYES, THESE 2 MASS MONSTERS SCARED THE LIVING SHIT OUTTA HER, MEANWHILE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE GYM WAS USED TO THAT SHIT BUT MY GIRL WAS AFRIAD THEY WERE GOING TO HURT SOMEONE, AND THAT THEY WERE IN A RAGEI ASSURED HER THAT THIS WAS NORMAL , AN EVERYDAY THING WITH THEM..THEN AS ONE OF THE BROTHERS WAS ABOUT TO START HIS SET, HE STEPPED BACK FROM THE BAR , LIFTED HIS LEG AND FARTED REALLY REALLY LOUD . THE WHOLE GYM HEARD IT AND STARTED LAUGHINGIT WAS A MEGA BLAST OF EPIC PROPORTIONS..THE OTHER BROTHER SCREAMED THATS DISGUSTING AND HE LIFTED HIS LEG AND FARTED TOOALI MALA WAS WALKING BY AND IT PISSED HIM OFF , ALI MUMMBLED SOMETHING AND THE BARBARIAN BROTHERS BARKED AT HIM AND LAUGHED AT HIM TOO ..EVERYTHING THE BARBARIAN BROTHERS DID WAS A SHOW AND EVERYONE WAS USED TO IT NOW KEEP IN MIND THEY WERE CLOSE TO 280LBS EVEN BACK IN THE EARLY 80sTHE FARTING THING WAS KINDA FUNNY, BUT EVERYTIME THEY SCREAMED AT EACH OTHER MY GIRL LITERALLY > JUMPED OFF THE BENCH AND STOOD REALLY CLOSE TO ME , SOMETIMES GRABBING MY ARM REALLY TIGHTSHE WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY FRIGHTENED BY THEM SCREAMING AND YELLINGAGAIN I HAD TO KEEP REPEATING MYSELF TELLING HER NOT TO WORRY EVERYTHING WAS COOL THAT THEY DO THAT ALL THE TIMESHE LOOKED AT THEM IN AMAZEMENT THEN SAT BACK DOWN ON THE FLAT BENCHTHEN ONE OF THE BROTHERS SMACKED THE OTHER BROTHER REALLY HARD IN THE FACE WHILE SCREAMING AT HIM TELLING HIM, CALLING HIS BROTHER A PUSSYMY GIRL GASPED OUT LOUD , SHE WAS NOW FREAKIN OUT , SHE JUMPED BACK OFF THE FLAT BENCH AND SAID TO MEOH MY GOD HE IS HITTING HIS BROTHERTHATS NOT NORMALI DONT LIKE THAT, THEY SCARE MEI TOLD HER TO RELAX ITS OK AND YES FOR THEM , ITS NORMALSHE DIDNT REALIZE OR UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE GAME THAT THE BARBARIAN BROTHERS WERE PLAYINGSHE NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THEM BEFORETHEY WERE BIG HUGE MONSTERS TO HERI COULD TELL SHE WAS DEATHLY AFRAID OF
THEMOK SO NOW THEY WERE SLAPPING EACH OTHER IN THE FACE AND THEN DOING SET OF HEAVY SQUATSTHEY WERE ALSO CURSING AND SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER ON EVERY REP THEY DIDI TRIED TO CALM MY GIRL DOWN BUT SHE KEPT GRABBING ON TO ME, CLAWING HER NAILS INTO MY ARM , STARING AT THEM WITH HER EYES BUGGING WIDE AND SHEER FEAR ON HER FACEI WAS NOW HAVING TROUBLE DOING MY OWN SETSSHE WOULDNT LET GO OF ME THEN ONE OF THE BROTHERS NOTICED MY GIRL AND I WATCHING THEM, HE THEN TURNED TO ME AND SCREAMED, YO SEIGAL ( I HATED THAT NAME I LOOK NOTHING LIKE PETE SEGAL ) ARE YOU TRAINING OR YOU GOING TO TAKE YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND TO A MOTEL ROOMDONT MAKE ME COME OVER THERE AND SLAP YOU TO GET YOU GOING YOU PUSSY MOTHER FUCKERTHE GIRL I WAS WITH EYES OPENED REALLY WIDE AND SHE TURNED TO ME AND SAID, OH MY GOD MAYBE WE SHOULD LEAVE HE MAY HIT YOUI TOLD HER HE WAS ONLY PLAYING AND IT WAS OK NOT TO WORRYTHEN AS FATE WOULD HAVE ITTHE OTHER BROTHER YELLED TO ME, COME ON SEIGAL GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND DO SOME SQUATSILL KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS YOU PUSSY, GET OVER RIGHT NOWMY GIRL WAS NOW SHAKING IN HER SNEAKERS , HER EYES WERE OPENING WIDER AND WIDER , SHE THOUGHT THEY WANTED TO HIT ME EVEN THOUGH I TOLD HER THEY ITS JUST A GAME THEY WERE PLAYINGBUT THAT DIDNT SEEM TO CALM HER DOWN IN HER MIND THESE WERE REAL LIFE MONSTERS AND THEY SEEMED VIOLENT AND ANGRY , WHEN IN FACT THEY WERE GOOD GUYS JUST PLAYING THEIR GAME THAT THEY PUT ON DAILY AT THE MECCA OF BODYBUILDING GOLDS GYM IN VENICENOW AT THIS POINT MY GIRL TOLD ME SHE WANTED TO LEAVEI TOLD HER I JUST NEEDED TO DO A FEW MORE SETS AND WE WOULD GO AS SOON AS I WAS DONETHEN I STARTED TO DO A SETAS MY LUCK WOULD HAVE IT , THE BROTHERS STARTED TO SPIT IN EACH OTHERS FACEMY GIRL SAW THIS AND WAS NOW SERIOUSLY PANICKINGI SWEAR SHE WAS READY TO BOLT OUT OF THE GYMSHE LITERALLY HAD TEARS IN HER EYESI STOPPED MY SET AND PUT MY HAND ON HER SHOULDER AND ASKED HER IF SHE WAS OKSHE SCREAMED AT ME NOT TO TOUCH HER AND SAID SHE WANTED TO LEAVE RIGHT NOWI TRIED TO CALM HER DOWN BUT THERE WAS NO HELPING HER AT THIS POINTSHE SAID SHE WANTED TO GO SIT DOWN SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WAIT FOR MESHE DIDNT WANT TO SEE THEM ANYMORETHEY HAD REALLY FREAKED HER OUT BIG TIMESO SHE WALKED OVER TO THE WAITING AREA BY THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS & WAITED FOR ME THERE AFTER A FEW MINS THE BARBARIANS DID ANOTHER SET WITH ONE BROTHER SQUATING HIS ASS OFF SCREAMING AND PUSHING WHILE THE OTHER WAS SLAPPING HIS FACE PUSHING HIM TO DO MORE REPS AND GET THE HEAVY WEIGHT UP TO FAILURE WHEN THE SET WAS FINALLY DONE www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
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THE BROTHER WHO WAS SQUATING FELL TO THE FLOORCHOKING UP SOME SHIT( VOMIT ) THEN HE GOT UP AND HEADED FOR THE BATHROOM DOWN ON THE GYM FLOOR UNDER THE STAIRCASE THE OTHER ONE OF THE OTHER BROTHER CAME OVER TO ME AND SAID WHATS HAPPENED TO YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND, SHE IS CUTEI TOLD HIM THAT SHE WAS A LITTLE FREAKED OUT BY THE WHOLE SCENE AND THAT SHE WOULD BE ALRIGHT AND WITH THAT WE HEARED A LOUD SCREAM , KINDA LIKE A GIRL IN A HORROR MOVIE..I LOOK TOWARD THE STAIRS THAT GO UP TO THE LOCKER ROOMSALL I SAW WAS MY GIRL FREAKING OUT, SHAKING HER HANDS BY HER HEAD LOOKING DOWN TOWARD THE FLOOR GUYS IN THE GYM RAN OVER TO HER AND SO DID I..WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THE OTHER BARBARIAN BROTHER WHO HAD BEEN SQUATTING WAS NOW THROWING UP ALL OVER THE FLOOR BY HER FEETHE WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE BATHROOM BUT HE COULDNT MAKE IT AND HE PUKED ALL OVER SPLASHING ONTO HER FEET!!!!HE HAD PROJECTILE VOMITTING , PUKING UP THAT NASTY CAROB MILK ( CHOC. MILK ) HE WAS DRINKING FROM A GALLON CONTAINER IT WAS GROSSHE WAS HACKING IT UP GRUNTING AND GROWLING AS BROWN STENCHY MILK PUMPED OUT OF HIM AND ONTO THE FLOOR MEANWHILE HIS BROTHER WAS LAUGHING HIS ASS OFFYELLING TO HIM, ASKING HIM IF HE WANT-
ED TO ORDER A PIZZA WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONSTHEN TELLING HIM THAT HE COULD SEE THE 20 EGG WHITES HE HAD EATEN EARLIER IN THE DAYAND IN BETWEEN BARFS AND GROWLS THE PUKER BROTHER WAS YELLING FUCK YOU BACK AT HIS LAUGHING TWIN BROTHERAT THAT POINT ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH, MY GIRL BOLTED FOR THE DOOR AND I RAN OUT AFTER HERSHE WAS FREAKING OUT AND CRYING LIKE A BABY, CAUSE THE PUKE HIT HER SNEAKERSSHE KICKED OFF HER SNEAKERS AND THREW THEM INTO THE ROAD, SHE THEN TOLD ME TO TAKE HER HOME IMMEDIATELYSHE DIDNT WANT HER SNEAKERS ANYMORE SHE LIVED IN LONG BEACH WHICH IS AT LEAST A HALF HOUR OR MORE AWAYI HAD MY FRIENDS CAR SO I DROVE HER ALL THE WAY HOME TO LONG BEACH THEN DRIVE ALL THE WAY BACK AND TRY TO FINISH MY WORKOUTSHE WAS SO PISSED OFF AND MORTIFIED AFTER THAT INCIDENT THAT SHE NEVER RETURNED ANY OF MY CALLS AND I NEVER SAW OR HEARD FROM HER AGAIN Two Muffins were baking in an oven. One muffin turns to the other and says, Holy Shit its hot in here! The other muffin says, Holy Shit... A talking muffin!THATS IT FOR THIS MONTH, WWW.GREGGVALENTINO.NET MY MAILING ADDRESS IS >> GREGG VALENTINO 3663 LEE RD. # 415 , JEFFERSON VALLEY NEW YORK 10535.. ANYWAY TILL NEXT MONTH , FUCK OFF
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his month, I am going to discuss a drug. It is not a steroid or anabolic peptide hormone, or anything like that. As far as I know, it is not currently banned by any athletic organization, but just like any drug out there, that does not mean it cannot be added to the list at any time and acted on retroactively. Its just a drug that I find intriguing and although it has been written about in regard to performance enhancement here and there in other forums, it is still relatively unknown, so I thought I would take the topic on and share the wealth with MD readers. The drug is called pentoxifylline (brand name Trental). Chemically, it falls into a class called methylxanthines, which includes caffeine and its chemical cousins, theophylline and theobromine. Unlike those three natural compounds, though, pentoxifylline is synthetic. The main use of pentoxifylline is to treat a condition known as intermittent claudication. Intermittent claudication happens when a persons peripheral arteries become obstructed, which can lead to poor blood flow to muscles during physical exercise. The most common manifestation of this is painful cramping and fatigue in the calves when walking. Pentoxifylline can reduce the viscosity of blood, which can improve blood flow to the limbs and ease the symptoms of intermittent claudication. Pentoxifylline also has been studied, and occasionally used, as a treatment to fight the catabolism due to infection or cancer. It has been shown to reduce wholebody protein loss in a variety of catabolic conditions. So it is mainly these two properties the ability to improve blood flow to muscles and the ability to suppress protein catabolism that makes pentoxifylline potentially useful for athletes.
TRENTAL
By Patrick Arnold
Efficient blood flow is obviously of paramount importance to athletic performance. It is also vital to proper recovery from training.
ery from training. Oxygen, as well as nutrients necessary for contraction and growth, must get to working muscles. Unfortunately in some athletes, a variety of conditions (some natural and some drug related) can conspire to impede optimal blood flow. Now I assume that most people reading this are relatively healthy people who dont suffer from serious, age-related vascular disorders such as peripheral artery disease. However, some of you might be into bodybuilding pretty seriously and your body may possess a formidable amount of muscle mass and body water. You may find that when you are on your bulking stage, you cannot perform certain exercises without experiencing a substantial amount of cramping and pain. Maybe you find that you cannot walk too far without your calves feeling like they are gonna explode. Or maybe certain exercises provoke that dreaded condition we refer to as the back pump, where your lower back seizes up in a massive cramp that has you lying on the floor writhing in pain. As you have probably guessed, these are all variations on the condition I described above called intermittent claudication. However, the culprit is not blocked or hardened arteries. The culprit is muscles that are so massive and/or overtoned that the small blood vessels that feed them are being pinched shut. The use of drugs can also lead to conditions that threaten proper blood flow to the heart and skeletal muscles. The use of anabolic steroids and the use of synthetic EPO can lead to the condition known as polycythemia vera, which is an overproduction of red blood cells (erythrocytes) by the bone marrow. An excess of erythrocyte production can increase the percentage of blood cells in your blood (called the hematocrit) above levels that are safe. This dangerously elevated hematocrit may be present at rest, or in some cases, excessive dehydration due to exhaustive exercise may take a borderline hematocrit and put it over the safe threshold. Whichever the case, the result is overly viscous blood that cannot easily circulate. Blood that does not easily circuwww.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
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PATRICK ARNOLD
late requires the heart to work harder and the blood pressure to increase conditions that can precipitate a heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, an increased tendency of blood to clot can occur, potentially leading to dangerous embolisms which can be life threatening. Now you are obviously waiting for me to tell you if and how pentoxifylline can help these conditions. Yes, it potentially can help and I will explain how by telling you in minor detail the mechanisms behind pentoxifyllines effects on erythrocytes. As you may already know, erythrocytes are concave, disc-shaped cells that circulate throughout the blood and deliver oxygen to tissues. Like many other tissues in the body, erythrocytes contain an enzyme called phosphodiesterase, which regulates the levels of the important biochemical messenger cAMP . The particular form of phosphodiesterase in erythrocytes (erythrocyte phosphodiesterase) is inhibited by pentoxifylline, and by inhibiting the enzyme levels of cAMP in the erythrocytes are increased. Administration of pentoxifylline will increase cAMP in the erythrocytes, thereby increasing their flexibility and ability to deform as they pass through narrow passages such as capillaries. As a result, an increase in what is known as microcirculation is achieved and tissues such as skeletal muscle will gain greater access to circulating oxygen, glucose, amino acids and other vital factors. Additionally, pentoxifylline increases the breakdown of fibrin (fibrinolysis), which is an important protein involved in the development of clots. So, for those athletes who suffer from the aforementioned occlusive conditions, the combination of increased erythrocyte flexibility and increased fibrinolytic activity can reduce blood viscosity, leading to substantially increased blood flow to working muscles. The back pump may be alleviated and complications due to elevated hematocrit may be partially minimized. production of anabolic factors such as IGF-1, as well as increase the production of catabolic hormones like cortisol. Overtraining in athletes is believed to be strongly associated with an overactive immune system, specifically as it relates to these catabolic cytokines. In addition, chronic degenerative connective tissue conditions such as arthritis and tendonitis have at their root a dysfunction of repair and regeneration stemming from overproduction of these pro-inflammatory cytokines. The good news is that these circulating immune cells also contain a phosphodiesterase which can be blocked by pentoxifylline, and by doing so the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines they produce are greatly reduced. In fact, in conditions such as sepsis or cancer, levels of the most notorious pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha are often reduced by over 90 percent, while levels of IL -1 and other cytokines are also reduced. This property of pentoxifylline has been exploited by many researchers who have discovered that administration of pentoxifylline to patients suffering from these serious illnesses can result in a marked reduction in protein loss, as well as an improvement in insulin sensitivity. But what does this mean to you, the athlete guy, the guy who wants to lift more weights and feel younger and healthier? Well I dont know about you, but my body is full of aches and painsmany of which are chronic and really get in the way of my exercising. I have some pretty damn bad tendonitis in my knees and my shoulders are a mess, too. If I start pushing it too much, then the inflammation starts and the connective tissue starts breaking down. I would love to end this cycle, or at least give my body a fighting chance to be healthy enough so I can do my favorite exercises. For guys like me, there is a reasonable chance that pentoxifylline could help. The cytokine-mediated degeneration of the tissue in my joints might be halted, which in addition to the possible increased blood flow to these parts of the body via the effects on erythrocyte flexibility could lead to some noticeable improvements in my condition.
Trental
Some of you reading this may feel as though pentoxifylline might be of benefit to you. You have to remember that I am not a doctor and being perceived as dispensing medical advice could land my ass in a sling. So my suggestion to you is read up more on the subject and find an open-minded doctor to discuss the subject with. As far as the availability of the drug goes, it is a prescription drug available in the U.S. and overseas and is sold under the name Trental. It comes in 400mg controlled-release pink tablets and daily doses are usually one tablet taken two or three times a day. Tablets must be taken with meals, because the stuff can tear the innards of some sensitive people up sometimes. Because the drug can reduce clotting time, it should not be taken by people who are currently taking other blood thinning-type drugs. Nervousness and sleepiness are short-term side effects sometimes seen when first taking the drug. www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
350 MD
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NOJUICE Bodybuilding
By Eric Broser
Weeks 12-8 (Off Days) Meal 1: 50 grams Meal 2: 25 grams Total = 75 grams Weeks 8-4 (Training Days) Meal 1: Immediately Post-Workout: Total = 40 grams 60 grams 100 grams
Weeks 8-4 (Off Days) Meal 1: 30 grams Meal 2: 20 grams Total = 50 grams Weeks 4-1 (Training Days) Meal 1: Immediately Post-Workout: Total = Weeks 4-1 (Off Days) Meal 1: Total = Final Week Carb-up 25 grams 25 grams 20 grams 30 grams 50 grams
352 MD
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February 2009
NoJuiceBodybuilding
For meals not containing carbohydrates, I recommend protein (of course), EFAs (olive oil, fish oil, Enova oil, almonds, walnuts, natural peanut butter), and a moderate amount of green vegetables. The types of carb you utilize are a matter of preference, but I am partial to oatmeal, Ezekiel bread (love this stuff), sweet potatoes, brown rice and waxy maize starch (which is what I always use intra-workout mixed with large amounts of BCAAs and glutamine). Just remember that this is only a very general example of what my contest prep diets often look like, but there is always a moderate amount of variation from individual to individual. I am as far as can be from a cookie-cutter coach, and instead take a lot of time analyzing all of the factors involved that can greatly affect the cutting process, such as general metabolism, sensitivity to carbs, training program, lifestyle, starting body fat, etc. However, I am very hopeful that you find the information I have given you to be of some assistance the next time a competition is around the corner!
Pec-Talk
Without a doubt, the body part on my physique that has garnered me the most attention is my Arnold-like pecs! Interestingly, many people have accused me of lying about my natty status based solely on the size of my chest! Bro, there is no way you can build a chest like that without drugs, is what I often hear. However, the fact is I have built my chest to this size naturally, and when I started out, my chest was not just flat, but literally concave! So how did I do it? Secret exercises? No. Magic? Nope. Synthol? Yeah, right! Actually the answer is quite simpleproper torso positioning. You see, what people need to realize is that building a big chest is not as mindless as lying on a bench...unracking a bar or DBs...and simply pushing from point A to point B. No! Each chest movement, whether it be a bench press, incline press, dip, flye, or crossover requires the exercise to begin before ever even moving the weight!
*These same principles apply to dips, crossovers and seated press and flye machines as well, with the exception of #1 (although the feet should always firmly be planted). Now you are in position to achieve maximum pectoral stimulation, with far less shoulder and triceps interference. The key, however, is to keep your body in this position throughout the set. You must learn to lock your body in this position and stay there! Trust me when I tell you that if you are not used to performing your chest exercises in this manner, it will feel awkward at first, and will likely require a reduction in the weights you handle. However, in time, you will learn to master the technique and eventually you will work up to the same poundage as you were using previouslybut this time, with far thicker and denser pecs under the bar! Until next monthsee you guys on the MD forums! February 2009
354 MD
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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Anabolic ResearchUpdate
By William LIewellyn
Warning: Opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of this magazines publisher or its editorial staff. MD does not condone any form of illegal drug use for bodybuilding or for any recreational purpose. MD also does not condone abuse of legal drugs for any purpose.
Real Drive?
I received this vial of Drive, supposedly made in Australia. I used it during a stack with other steroids so I cant be sure, but I think it may not have contained real steroids. Can you tell me anything about this vial? Yes, Im sorry to inform you but this vial of Drive is indeed a counterfeit. It immediately stands out next to a real vial of Drive, because the fake is much taller and thinner. I noticed that you wrote me from Alaska. I need to warn you that as a U.S. resident, the likelihood of you locating a legitimate Australian steroid is extremely remote. There was a time when many Australian steroids (not Drive) were being exported to Mexico regularly in high volume, but those days appear to be over following the big international Gear Grinder raids organized by the U.S. DEA. The Australian market has tight controls over steroid products and (like the U.S.) severe criminal penalties for illegally distributing them. Its hard enough to find a real vial of Drive if you live in Australia. You are just not going to see it in the U.S. As with most counterfeits, I cant tell you anything about what is inside it. Your guess is as good as mine. feiting. This is likely to change as the line becomes more widely distributed, of course.
Landerlan Products
Decaland Depot 200mg (nandrolone decanoate) Oxitoland 50mg (oxymetholone) Stanozoland Depot (stanozolol 50mg/mL) Stanozoland 10mg (stanozolol) Testoland Depot (testosterone cypionate 100mg/mL) Testenat Depot (testosterone enanthate 250mg/mL) Duratestoland (sustanon blend 250mg/mL) Oxandroland 5mg (oxandrolone) Primoboland (methenolone enanthate 100mg/mL)
When in R.O.H.M.?
I received a bottle of trenbolone acetate by R.O.H.M. labs. Do you know anything about this stuff? Is it real? R.O.H.M. is an underground steroid manufacturing operation based in the United Kingdom. Although there is no way to officially keep track of such things, R.O.H.M. appears to be one of the most wellknown of the UKbased underground companies. Being an underground operation, there is not a great deal I can tell you about this company aside from the basics. Feedback on the line seems to be positive, and I dont see much talk about common issues such www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
356 MD
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AnabolicResearchUpdate
as low dosing, visibly poor oil quality (particulate in the solution), or injection site issues. This may just be the result of good fortune, or it may indicate this operation has a fairly good handle on quality control. To get a handle on the odds that any one lab in particular is better than the average underground operation, there are generally four things I look in my cursory evaluation. The first is the size of their product list. The second is their sale of tablet products. The third is the magnitude of the brands market presence. And lastly, what people are saying about the company. The heart of the issue is to determine if this is a large-scale underground company, or one of the countless homebrew operations. Although being a large-scale operation is no assurance of quality, it offers us the highest likelihood that these products are made on modern manufacturing equipment (perhaps even under contract at an offshore pharmaceutical facility) as opposed to being assembled in a home or small, clandestine business with hand-filling and crimping tools. The latter method of manufacturing, of course, invites the most opportunity for contamination. In the case of R.O.H.M., we have a number of good signs that this is a fairly big operation. For one, they have a very big selection of products. By my count they have 16 different injectable products alone. They also carry a few oral steroids made in tablets. This is important, because small by-hand capsule filling equipment is very common with homebrew operations. You generally need an expensive and large piece of equipment to run consistent-quality tablets. R.O.H.M. is also pretty popular on the black market. This would mean an enormous amount of hand-filling time if they were actually a homebrew operation. And lastly, the feedback looks good. R.O.H.M. might very well be one of the better-than-average underground companies. Again, I base this guess on superficial things only. Always remember that you can never assure product quality with illegal underground operations. R.O.H.M. may look good on the surface, but no government oversight means that we can never truly know for sure. It is your risk to take. It is always my advice to avoid using underground products if you can.
R.O.H.M. Products
Multi-Vials Boldenone 200mg/ml Dianabol 25mg/ml Masteron 100mg/ml NPP (Nandrolone Phnylpropionate) 200mg/ml MTPN (100mg Masteron, 100mg Prop, 1mg Methyltrienolone) Stanozolol 50mg/ml (Oil Based) Methyltrienolone 1mg/ml Tri-Trenbolone 150mg/ml Trenbolone Acetate 75mg/ml Tenbolone Enanthate 100mg/ml Trenbolone Hex (Parabolan) 100mg/ml Testosterone Cypionate 200mg/ml Testosterone Propionate 100mg/ml Testosterone Heptylate 250mg/ml Tri-test 300 300mg/ml (100mg Prop, 100mg Hep, 100mg Test Undecanoate) Test / Tren Base 100mg/ml (Pure test 50mg, Pure Trenbolone 50mg)
Tablet/Capsules
Anapolon 50mg Anavar 10mg Dianabol 5mg Winstrol 10mg Winstrol 50mg (Capsules) Methyl MST 50mg (Capsules) PCT (Post Cycle Therapy - Clomid 50mg, Proviron 25mg, Nolvadex 20mg, PT141, Natural Test Booster)
Liquids
Thermo-Lipid (Fatburner) (Clenbuterol, Yohimbine HCL, T3, Nicotinamide, Gotu-Kola) T3 50mcg/ml Clenbuterol 0.04/ml Chex Drops (Mibolerone) Arimidex 1mg/ml Letrozole 1mg/ml Editors Note: Know Your Gear! William Llewellyns ANABOLICS 9th Edition (2009) is out NOW. Order your copy of this monster steroid reference guide today by calling 888-828-8008 or visiting www.AnabolicsBook.com. MD Readers receive 25% off the retail price!
358 MD
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Warning: Opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of this magazines publisher or its editorial staff. MD does not condone any form of illegal drug use for bodybuilding or for any recreational purpose. MD also does not condone abuse of legal drugs for any purpose.
How would you tweak your diet for a MMA fighter who needs to lose 10 pounds in eight weeks in preparation for the next fight? Is it possible to do your ketogenic diet while training for MMA or do I need to have carbs? With the growing popularity of MMA and the close relationship between MMA and bodybuilding (if you doubt that, come to the Arnold weekend and see how many fans love both sports), its the perfect time to give the MMA fighters a version of my diet that they can use to cut weight without sacrificing strength and energy. My high-protein/moderatefat/low-carb ketogenic diet utilizes fats for energy while avoiding the energy drops and mood swings associated with unstable blood sugar from carbohydrate-based diets. MMA athletes have greater energy requirements than bodybuilders due to high-intensity sparring and conditioning. To provide adequate energy without the use of carbohydrates, Ive introduced the medium-chain fat virgin coconut oil to the diet. This fat should be added
to all preworkout meals. Virgin coconut oil, being primarily a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), requires absolutely no carrier molecules to get into the mitochondria of the muscle cell, where its then metabolized into energy (ATP). By virtue of its rapid absorption and assimilation by the muscle cells, its actually more potent at generating ATP than even glucose (which requires insulin as a transporter). Here is a sample diet for a 200pound man who weight trains, performs cardio for weight loss, and MMA trains: MEAL #1: Six whole omega-3 eggs (any style). Use macadamia nut oil to grease the pan. MEAL #2: Protein shake: 50g whey protein isolate with 2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter (PB). MEAL #3: 7 ounces chicken with one-third cup raw almonds, cashews or walnuts. MEAL #4 (1 HOUR PRIOR TO MMA TRAINING): Protein shake: 50g whey protein isolate with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin coconut oil.* *On nontraining days, substitute 2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter. MEAL #5: 7 ounces lean beef with a green salad (no tomatoes, carrots or red peppers) with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or macadamia nut oil and vinegar. MEAL #6: SHAKE: 50g Whey Protein Isolate with 2 tablespoons of macadamia nut oil.
360 MD
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February 2009
Im a natural bodybuilder and I was considering using your diet for my next contest prep. A few people told me that if I dont eat carbohydrates, I wont release any insulin (which supposedly spares muscle). I realize that I wont be building muscle during the diet, but will the nocarb approach cause muscle loss like some of these so-called gurus suggest? My diet includes a significant amount of healthy, essential fats. Without fat, your body cant make testosterone and without testosterone, you cant build or preserve muscle (not to mention that low testosterone leads to depression, lack of energy and decreased sex drive). Many natural clients of mine find that they actually maintain more muscle on my diet because they dont suffer the testosterone crash thats inevitable on a traditional, moderate-carbohydrate/no-fat diet. Remember, fats are not optional; theyre essential to the diet. In fact, thats why theyre called essential fatty acids (EFAs). On another subject, its a total fallacy that insulin is the only substance that can drive amino acids and glucose into the muscle cells (thus preserving muscle). In a lowcarbohydrate, low-insulin environment (as exists on my high-protein/moderate-fat/low-carb diet), GH levels soar and IGF-1 levels follow suit. IGF-1 is significantly more anabolic than insulin and it drives amino acids and glucose into the muscle cells with much greater efficiency. The only thing that insulin has exclusivity on is the storage of excess glucose as fat. And if all these facts werent enough, its now a known certainty that 80 percent of the glucose thats used during high-intensity training (i.e., weight training) comes from conversion of amino acids into glucose (gluconeogenesis) in the liver. When this newly manufactured glucose enters the bloodstream, insulin is released and the muscle cells utilize the glucose to produce ATP . This fact, alone, clearly demonstrates why ingestion of carbohydrates is completely unnecessary, even to the weight-training bodybuilder! February 2009
Training programs never say if they are for natural bodybuilders or for those using anabolic steroids. Shouldnt you train differently if you are using gear? Dont you need to train longer and more often to reap the benefits of the steroids? Steroids enable you to lift heavier and recover faster. While on steroids, extended training sessions still result in overtraining. If you can stimulate a muscle with heavy weights and less sets, growth potential increases (whether on or off gear). Steroids enable you to build lean muscle at a greater rate; however, if all other things (diet and supplements) are equal, both the natural and steroidenhanced athlete should both follow similar training protocols to maximize muscle gains. Similar principles should also be applied to diet. People often ask me, Since Im using clenbuterol and T3, can I can eat more than I did without the drugs? I laugh when I hear this and respond, No, it means you should diet harder! When taking muscle-preserving, fat-mobilizing drugs, you can diet stricter and suffer more and not worry about potential muscle loss.The drugs are tools that enhance and elevate performance; theyre not excuses to avoid hard work. On my last diet, I used a BCAA supplement during my cardio sessions to prevent muscle loss; why dont you recommend BCAAs while dieting? If youre using a superior quality whey protein isolate and getting enough cumulative protein throughout the day, theres no reason to add extra BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids).There are plenty of essential amino acids and BCAAs in whey protein. In fact, the largest BCAA pill is only 2g (2,000mg), whereas one scoop (30g) of whey protein isolate can contain as much as 8-10g (8,00010,000mg) of BCAAs. I can guarantee that its a hell of a lot cheaper to use the highest grade whey isolate on the market rather than waste your money on BCAAs. If you remember, BCAAs were huge during the 80s and 90s when there were no high-grade whey isolates. Once those came onto the
scene, BCAA pills dropped out of sight. Recently, whey protein isolate prices have skyrocketed and supplement companies realized that while these isolates are great products, they turn very little profit. Because of this fact, companies decided to start selling the much higher profit BCAA pills again. Remember, trendy products that come and go are usually never quite as good as the marketing behind them. Dave, I keep reading so much about GH that I feel like I will never reach my potential without it. Right now, I cannot afford GH, so I was planning to try some similar peptides that I have read great things about. What kind of results can I expect from GH-stimulating peptides? Im constantly getting questions about growth hormone and lately I get a ton of questions about a lot of peptides that are analogous to GH. Peptides such as CJC-1295, Peg-MGF , Hexalarin and various others have been developed to stimulate the release of GH, act similar to GH and/or stimulate the production of IGF-1. Despite the claims of the few labs that produce these peptides, there are no hard, scientific facts to back these claims. To put it simply, if youre looking for something that acts like GH, why not just use GH? I assume most of the intrigue of these peptides is more the result of their availability. Likewise, they can also be legally obtained at a fraction what youd pay for GH. The distributors also make a lot of scientific claims that sound great, but have no hard evidence to back it up. Unfortunately, if theres claim to build muscle or burn fat, bodybuilders will experiment with just about anything. My prediction is that in the future, most of these peptides will prove to be useless. As for GH, the questions lately are more financially driven rather than dose or result-driven. Most people fail to realize that GH is still not the common mans drug of choice. Its more geared toward the elite athlete or wealthy life extortionist. GH is best utilized as a chronic treatment at least six months in duration and that can cost between $2,000 to $4,000 (at black-market prices). MD 361
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Name: John DelaRosa Anabolic Age: 24 Freak of the M onth: Height: 57 John Dela rosa Weight: Off-season: (255 pounds) Precontest: (198 pounds) Contest Highlights: 2007 NPC NY Metropolitans Heavyweight: Sixth Place; 2007 NPC Eastern USA Light-Heavyweight: Second Place; 2008 NPC Eastern USA Light-Heavyweight: Third Place Current Profession: Elevator mechanic Jonathon DelaRosa fell in love with bodybuilding the first time he saw his father, William, hit a front-double biceps pose. According to the younger DelaRosa, My father was my biggest inspiration! And it was his fathers passion for the iron game that led the elder DelaRosa to start bringing his son to the gym with him when Jon was only 7 years old. While most kids his age dreamed of being Michael Jordan or Joe Montana, young Jon was busy reading his fathers muscle magazines and admiring the
362 MD
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February 2009
Reminders
My Personal Training Certification Course, S.M.A.R.T. is now available online at smarttrainingonline.com. Become a certified personal trainer from the convenience of your own home. I personally wrote the information-packed 100-page manual and I guarantee its the most comprehensive diet, supplement and training manual available. By popular demand, a paper copy version is now also available for $39.99. Check out the web address above.
Prison Bodies
Edmond Manooken is currently incarcerated at Dalby Correctional Facility in Post, Texas where hes serving a seven-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute Ecstasy. Edmond entered prison over six years ago at 61 , 242 pounds, but after getting into trouble, he spent his first 100 days in the hole and his bodyweight dropped to an atrophied 198 pounds. Eventually, he was released and transferred to his cur-
364 MD
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AnabolicEdge
One of the compounds found in red wine causing a rise in T levels and helping sperm count?
Put it this way, if this was YOUR money, would you spend a million bucks on drug testing to catch one or two players?
testosterone levels, testicular histopathology, sperm counts, etc. Repeated treatment with resveratrol (50mg/kg) did not cause an increase in bodyweight, reproductive organ weight or testicular microscopic findings; however, resveratrol did elicit an increase in blood testosterone concentration, testicular sperm counts and epididymal sperm motility by 51.6 percent, 15.8 percent and 23.3 percent. Damn. Thats pretty interesting.
366 MD
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AnabolicEdge
concentration did not affect functional status or cognition, but increased lean body mass and had mixed metabolic 2 effects. So as with any drug, this study points to the fact that the way individuals respond to androgens isnt identical. It should be noted that many effects are good (in this study), but the fact that HDL dropped in both the placebo and testosterone group points to the general poor health of this group. Interestingly, different androgens have different effects. In fact, one of the most frequently misused steroid precursors (prohormones) is 19-norandrostenedione (4-estrene-3,17-dione, NOR), which is, after oral administration, readily metabolized to nortestosterone, also known as nandrolone (Durabolin). Data indicates that receptor-binding tests demonstrate that NOR binds with high selectivity to the AR or the androgen receptor. However, scientists conclude that NOR is highly selective for stimulating the growth of the skeletal muscle, but has only weak androgenic properties. This observation may have relevance with 3 respect to therapeutic aspects. Nevertheless, Id say, get these folks out and make em exercise. That, my friends, is the best medicine. terone therapy and visceral fat accumulation decreased. There was a trend to increasing total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with placebo. So, taking T lessens visceral fat 5 and puts on muscle mass.
New SARM
SARMs are the wave of the future. These nonsteroidal tissue-selective androgen receptor modulators give you all the benefits of androgens while minimizing the side effects. Using a functional cell-based assay, a new SARM AC-262536 was identified as a potent and selective AR or androgen receptor ligand. A two-week chronic study in castrated male rats indicated that AC-262536 has a great anabolic effect, especially in stimulating the growth of the levator ani muscle and in suppressing elevated LH levels. In sharp contrast to testosterone, AC-262536 has weak androgenic effects, as measured by prostate and seminal vesicle weights. And thats a good thing. Who needs a prostate the size of a golf ball? So keep an eye out for AC-262536, a novel class of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) with 6 beneficial anabolic effects. References:
1. Shin S, Jeon JH, Park D, et al. transResveratrol relaxes the corpus cavernosum ex vivo and enhances testosterone levels and sperm quality in vivo. Arch Pharm Res, Jan 2008;31(1):83-87 . 2. Emmelot-Vonk MH, Verhaar HJ, Nakhai Pour HR, et al. Effect of testosterone supplementation on functional mobility, cognition, and other parameters in older men: a randomized controlled trial. Jama, Jan 2 2008;299(1):39-52. 3. Diel P , Friedel A, Geyer H, et al. The prohormone 19-norandrostenedione displays selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) like properties after subcutaneous administration. Toxicol Lett, Apr 1 2008;177(3):198-204. 4. Giannoulis MG, Jackson N, ShojaeeMoradie F , et al. The effects of growth hormone and/or testosterone on whole body protein kinetics and skeletal muscle gene expression in healthy elderly men: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Aug 2008;93(8):3066-3074. 5. Allan CA, Strauss BJ, Burger HG, Forbes EA, McLachlan RI. Testosterone therapy prevents gain in visceral adipose tissue and loss of skeletal muscle in nonobese aging men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Jan 2008;93(1):139-146. 6. Piu F , Gardell LR, Son T, et al. Pharmacological characterization of AC262536, a novel selective androgen receptor modulator. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, Mar 2008;109(1-2):129-137 .
368 MD
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February 2009
By Victor Prisk, MD
can push it along. P .S. Please dont inject any black-market, bathtub, underground lab Deca in your shoulder or anywhere. If you get an abscess or joint infection, you will surely regret it. I am a figure competitor; does DHEA supplementation work to put on muscle in women? A recent study out of the Mayo Clinic showed interesting results. When given 50mg per day of DHEA for 12 weeks, HYPOADRENAL women (deficient in hormone production) increased DHEA sulfate and androgen levels but had no effect on physical performance, body composition and protein metabolism. The interesting fact is that it did raise testosterone and androstenedione levels and does suggest that oral supplementation can convert to these hormones in women. Unfortunately, this study wasnt performed in healthy adult women who already have normal andro and test levels. An older study out of UCSD showed a rise in serum IGF-1 levels in men and women with 100mg DHEA supplementation. In women, but not in men, serum andro and test were increased to levels above gender-specific young adult ranges. However, this caused an increase in total bodyweight in women and no decline in fat mass. Lucky for the guys, this supplementation caused an increase in strength and a slight decrease in fat mass. I underwent a triceps repair surgery six months ago and I am having trouble with locking my elbows out on the top of dumbbell benches. I have full motion. What is the problem?
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To maintain your strength throughout a wide range of motion, repair of the tendon to its muscles resting length is critical.This means that the tendon shouldnt be overlengthened or overtightened. Overtightening often results in a loss of elbow flexion, but to a certain extent, may have prevented your problem. I suspect that your repair was overlengthened, such that when the elbow is fully extended the muscle has no stretch on it to allow for contraction. Say what, Doc? Let me backtrack a little. Muscle acts similar to a rubber
I cant wait for the new competition season to start. How will Victor Martinez shake up the lineups? I am looking forward to seeing him in action again. Are you excited about the Arnold Classic? Heres a picture from a long time ago!
Please visit www.victorprisk.com for multimedia information on injuries and joint health. My contact information and office location are available online.
376 MD
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ts been years since the trials and tribulations of ephedra. Back then, I suffered the indignity of being one of the most oft-cited ephedra researchers in the world. Metabolife, Ripped Fuel, Xenadrine RFA-1, Hydroxycut, etc. You name it and I did the research. As a result, I endured dozens of depositions, federal and state court testimony, and appearances before Congress, not to mention being named in numerous lawsuits! I was dropped from all of them without even a single case adjudicated against me, but it all still sucked. In the end, ephedra was unjustifiably banned and taken out of the hands of the public and now apparently only safe if the drug company supplies it! It took me several years and the advantage of perspective at a distance to see who was really behind all that and why. In my view, the bottom line in all that crap was that it was the pharmaceutical industry simply using ephedra as the foil to try and overturn the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (also known as DSHEA). Ill explain. In America, our access to natural elements in the form of dietary supplements is perhaps the single-most precious tool we have as free people to determine our own health, find our own natural cures and prevent illness and disease from killing us. Its our right as Americans and in so being, theres a law that protects our free access to natures healing power. Its called DSHEA. It was passed into law
in 1994 by way of thunderous support from the American people. DSHEA empowers Americans with the right to freely purchase dietary supplements without a prescription or limits, provided that the supplements have not been proven to be dangerous. Its that simple. Companies and individuals have the legal right to sell dietary supplements and, thanks to DSHEA, we have every right to legally seek them out, possess them and take them at our own will. Obviously, that angers the drug companies, who know all too well the power of nature. Thats because the only cures they control come from nature (take, for example, antibiotics like penicillin its natural!). Well, big pharma wants to take free access to nature away. As a result, DSHEA continues to be repeatedly attacked by corrupted politicians, lawsuits and legislation driven by the pharmaceutical industry (also known as big pharma). I believe that big pharma wants to destroy DSHEA because its a direct competitive threat to their stranglehold on health care. Thats why they want to control it and thats why they lobby so hard against DSHEA. So, in my opinion, big pharma used the ephedra controversy as the dagger to try and kill DSHEA. They worked in cahoots with federal government agencies, bought-off congressman, greedy personal injury attorneys and private interest groups. On the surface, they held forth this
screwy premise that the public needed to be protected from herbal products containing ephedra. They got it banned. Ironically, ephedrine is now tightly controlled by big pharma and only available with a prescription. But in retrospect, the real motivation was a different end game that of using the ephedra argument to show weaknesses in DSHEA and hopefully get it overturned. While successful in their attack on ephedra, they failed in their true prime directive of taking down DSHEA. So in effect, they were trying to paint ephedra as the monster and DSHEA as an inadequate knight in shining armor unable to save us. Ironically, if ephedra were not banned under DSHEA, they would then be able to attack DSHEA and try and get it overturned. But it unexpectedly didnt happen. Ephedra got banned and DSHEA survived. Big pharma found out that its a great deal harder than they thought to undo a law here in America. This is especially true when you look at the fact that due to massive public need for better answers, alternative approaches to traditional medical care have now completely encroached on the big pharma monopoly. Disciplines like herbology, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), homeopathy and naturopathy can no longer be dismissed as nothing more than the wacky pursuits of some fringe hippies. They are all protected by DSHEA. Even drugstores themselves have February 2009
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aisles designated to dietary supplements. Due in a large part to a freer flow of global information in the Internet age, the shroud of big pharma has been lifted. People the world over are grasping for more information and alternatives to resigning themselves to ingesting synthetic lifetime drugs. People are realizing that there are better options as opposed to just the drugs big pharma wants to exclusively put in our faces. Though they continue to wage a war against DSHEA, big pharma has adopted a new strategy of trumping DSHEA through international regulations. By way of something called Codex, they hope to make new laws that supersede DSHEA and, in effect, render it powerless. The title Codex is short for Codex Alimentarius and Latin for food and nutrition code. Codex is a policy originally founded back in 1962 by the United Nations with the purpose of establishing international free trade standards for the world to follow. It was accepted and jointly administered by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the guise of protecting public safety by standardizing the way food, nutrients, vitamins and botanicals are made available to consumers. Now these groups (the WHO and the FAO) get together for meetings in which they set these standards. The problem is that what may have originally started many years ago with some good intention has been corrupted. Codex standards have now become heavily influenced by multinational corporate special interest groups, which include the pharmaceutical industry, who sit on national committees and send delegates to their meetings. As a result of this heavy influence of corruption, decisions are made that protect the business end of corporate interests at the cost of human health. Codex recommendations are then put in motion by various means, ending up as acts or amendments that are then passed into law by governments. This is going on right now right under our noses in such an insidious way that it virtually circumvents any public debate. Thats rightright here in America, by way of our own FDA, Codex is creeping up on us to control our access to nature. Codex decisions have the potential to globally influence our environment, along with every single bite of food and every swallow of drink we put in our bodies. If any nation neglects to follow these guidelines, they can be found guilty of setting up trade barriers. Thats when the almighty World Trade Organization (WTO) gets involved and assesses crippling financial penalties. Understand that the WTO is the global commercial police force ensuring countries purchase from certain corporations, all in the name of lowering trade barriers. With that kind of power, the forces of the private interest groups are working at a breakneck pace to get the WTO to grant Codex the unique position as the one and only international food code that all countries, including the USA, must follow. This entire flimflam operation is regarded by a number of experts and not just me, as a means for big pharma to eventually make all supplements available by prescription only. You see, big pharmas fiscal ideal is to keep you alive with your disease in a chronic state, necessitating the drugs they provide and convince you that you need the rest of your life. The last thing they want you to do is to find a cure, and most certainly not a natural cure they dont control! Since cashing in on chronic disease is the main source of big pharmas wealth, the last thing they want is for anyone to get hold of a cure from nature or even something as seemingly benign as a natural preventionAre you beginning to get it? Now to better understand big pharmas role in all this, lets take a step back and look at the state of things in America. With the FDA not allowing anyone to say that a natural substance sold as a dietary supplement can cure or treat your disease, clearly the pharmaceutical industry has our government protecting their interests. According to the FDA, only a drug that theyve been PAID by big pharma to approve can be said to cure or treat your disease. As soon as you say that something natural can cure something, youre basically committing a crime! If we dont stop them, here are just a few examples of the kind of new laws put forth through Codex by three major pharmaceutical companies which, if they have it their way, well all be subjected to: 1. No herb, vitamin, mineral, or natural agent will be permitted to be freely sold for any therapeutic reason whatsoever. 2. Consumer access to dietary supplements will be limited to no more than the existing RDA. [Considered obsolete by most experts, the RDA is nothing more than the bare minimum of a vitamin or mineral required to prevent a deficiency disease, and certainly not the amount needed to maximize health]. 3. Dietary supplements without an RDA, which include the vast majority of dietary supplements on the market today, will be classified as drugs. [That means that popular substances like omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, bioflavonoids, and coenzyme Q10 will all require a doctors prescription to obtain]. Sound bad? Now do you understand how in America our free access to nature and our legal rights under DSHEA are being threatened by Codex and the devious forces behind it? If you want to hear how bad things are going to get if we dont put a stop to it, just listen to whats gone on in several European countries, Canada and other nations where Codex policies rule. In these places, dietary supplements are even more restricted than drugs. Natural remedies are either not available, or available only by prescription, and at a huge additional cost. People who want to turn to herbal remedies for a potential cure or treatment or simply take a particular vitamin to enhance their state of being must resort to the black market! Now can you imagine being arrested and put in jail for buying something natural known for its therapeutic and health-promoting effects? Imagine you want something simple like aloe vera to help heal, echiFebruary 2009
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nacea to get past a cold, gingko to help you with memory, or creatine for a good workout. Well now imagine being locked up like some kind of heroin addict or crackhead, just because youre forced to procure them on the street! Sound crazy? Sound like science fiction? Well, I wish it were. But its all true, because it all boils down to the money. Big pharma knows that the more natural health products people use, the fewer drugs they buy. Its for reasons like this that they fear nature and want to control our access to it. Big pharma is now using Codex as a vehicle to protect profits that would otherwise be lost to some form of non-pharmaceutical integrative health care. Some action groups are even accusing Codex of adopting a socalled Napoleonic approach bereft of Common Law; in other words, by this definition, anything under Codex that isnt explicitly permitted would mean its strictly forbidden. This is in sharp contrast to Common Law considerations where we hold that anything not explicitly forbidden must be permitted. Again, its the difference between freedom verses no freedom. As a result, if we dont act, we can expect that therapeutic grade vitamins, minerals and herbs will be eliminated from the free marketplace, with only a select few available with a prescription and strictly controlled by big pharma. The bottom line is that we as Americans must not ignore whats going on. If we do, and heaven forbid Codex is fully implemented in the U.S., even a civil rights-size demonstration wont get it reversed. In fact, since Codex is a global edict with punitive world trade sanctions built in, once adopted it will be irreversible. DSHEA will be a thing of the past. DSHEA will be trumped by Codex, and all the petitions, calls to congressmen, letters to senators, and marches on Washington wont make a bit of difference. The scariest thing is how slow and creepy this robbing of our freedom is taking place. The well-financed perpetrator is sneaking up on us at a painstakingly calculated and predetermined pace with the idea being that shrouded in darkness, we just wake up one morning and our free access to nature is gone and were helpless to do anything to change it back. Big pharma is powerful, and theyve grown rich on our backs and as a result of our own government selling us out. Theyve spent billions of dollars promoting their own interests and paying off members of congress with things like generous lobbying donations and creating lucrative jobs for them after they retire from Congress. Big pharmas paid lackeys litter Congress. They act like theyre representing the people and benevolently working for the government, while accepting huge campaign support from big pharma to basically throw public trust under the bus in deference to big pharmas interests and their own personal greed. And now it comes down to the mugger their new foil called Codex. One of the most profound quotes I repeatedly refer to on the subject of the government influencing our health reads: If the people let government decide what foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in a sorry state. Its a perfect and amazingly prophetic quote. Whats even more astonishing is that it was said by Thomas Jefferson back in the 1700s!!! What Jefferson said back then not only has withstood the test of time, but holds more truth today than at any other time in recorded human history! Stay tuned, gang. You just know Im going to be part of this fight, and its going to get ugly Dr. Colkers book, Extreme Muscle Enhancement: Bodybuildings Most Powerful Techniques, is available by calling 1-800-310-1555 or ordering the book on-line at www.prosource.net. February 2009
382 MD
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Busted! LegalQ&A
By Rick Collins, JD
Gateway to Gear?
I read that a new study is being conducted to prove that whey protein and creatine are the gateways to steroids. Are they serious?
guys who work out infrequently or not at all. Few if any muscleheads are training once or twice weekly when they first dabble in juice. Frequent workouts likely precede the abuse of steroids in virtually every single case! Absolutely.The two-year study will investigate whether So, in the spirit of maximizing our campaign to save the legal performance-enhancing substances such as whey children, lets take it to the next levelwhy not ban anyone protein and creatine might be a gateway leading to the under the age of 21 from setting foot in a weight room? abuse of anabolic steroids.Tonya Dodge, assistant psychology Why not limit workout frequency for adults to no more than professor at Skidmore College, has won a $385,000 grant to three times weekly? And why not enforce strict limits on survey male college students to see what they use, how risky poundages? After all, the guys who never attempt anything they perceive the supplements to be, and how easy they are heavier than the pink plastic dumbbells virtually never try to get.The study follows research by Dodge which found that steroids. Its almost exclusively the guys who are seduced between 15 and 20 percent of college guys say theyre curby the rep-rattle of Olympic plates on the flat bench who rently taking sports nutrition dietary supplements. A newspa- thereafter dip their toes into the dark waters of bodybuildper that picked up the story led off by asking whether whey ing pharmacology. So, why not ban all Olympic plates and protein and creatine are as harmless as they appear. bars and any dumbbells heavier than 30 pounds? Better The Gateway Hypothesis theorizes that drug use proyet, why not close the gyms and ban working out entirely?! gresses from one class of drugs to the next. According to the Ridiculous? Sure it is, but so is the source of the moolah hypothesis, the use of lower stage, legal drugs (including, to fund this survey: our tax dollars. Thats right, the National for Dodge, drugs like dietary supplements) is a risk factor Institutes of Health (National Institute on Drug Abuse) a for illegal drug abuse. A finding that supplement users are federal agency that gets its money from you and me has more likely to abuse steroids than nonsupplement users decided to pony up a chunk of our precious coin to investiwould render supplement use a risk factor for steroid gate the subject. Hmmm, with due respect to the Skidmore abuse. What then? Aside from fatter grants for follow-up stud- psychologist, my colleagues and I conducted the largest ies, dont be surprised if we see new prevention and interven- and most comprehensive survey of nonmedical steroid use tion programs and maybe even Capitol Hill hearings seeking in history (www.jissn.com/content/4/1/12) without asking for new anti-supplement legislation, all to save the children. or receiving a single dime of federal tax dollars. But would such a finding really be a surprise?The survey Keeping kids away from steroid abuse and other illegal design will certainly prove her hypothesis, confirming that drugs is a goal we should all support. But just because two the majority of steroid users first used legal dietary suppleassociated things occur in a certain order doesnt prove one ments (they probably also consumed a high-protein diet causes the other. And spending limited federal money to another risk factor). However, more significantly by far, the prove something that seems both obvious and meaningmajority of supplement users do not progress to taking illegal less isnt helping. We can and should do better. n steroids.They never go beyond creatine and whey. Isnt working out an even stronger predictive risk factor for Rick Collins, JD, CSCS [www.rickcollins.com] is the steroid use, since Id wager that over 95 percent of juice mon- lawyer that members of the bodybuilding community and sters started out with what seemed like a harmless little nutritional supplement industry turn to when they need weight training session in a school gym or local health club? legal help or representation. [ Rick Collins, 2008. All rights And isnt the frequency of working out a risk factor for steroid reserved. For informational purposes only, not to be conabuse? Guys who work out a lot are more likely to juice than strued as legal or medical advice.] www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
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VICTOR MARTINEZ
How many different pressing movements should I do for chest in a workout? Some guys seem to only do two, while others will do as many as four or five. Whats a good routine for someone who has been training about four years and still needs a lot more mass in the pecs? If you want a lot more thickness to your chest, nothing is going to beat barbell and dumbbell presses. As to how many you should do, its a matter of personal preference. These days I like to do an incline barbell press, a dumbbell press either on the flat or incline bench, and a machine press, but thats now how I trained for most of my career. I had a partial pec tear two years ago while doing the flat barbell bench press, and its been out of my routine ever since. But if I had to say there was one exercise that gave me the most overall mass in my chest, that would be the one. Unless you have some serious injury that prevents you from benching, you should do it first and work hard on it for about 4 work sets of 8-12 reps (after warming up well, of course). Every second or third workout, start with the incline barbell instead. If you do flat bench with a bar, do your inclines with dumbbells. And if you start the workout on incline barbell presses, do your dumbbell presses
on a flat bench. You can also do either decline presses with a bar or dumbbells after that, or weighted dips with your torso tipped forward to focus on the chest and not the tris. Finish up with incline or flat dumbbell flyes. Flex your chest hard between sets and stretch it out nicely when the workout is over. Also think about doing cross-bench dumbbell pullovers. This is an old-school trick for stretching the pecs and opening up the ribcage to allow for more growth. All that should put you on your way to a bigger chest. Here are those routines again: Chest Routine A Flat Barbell Bench Presses Incline Dumbbell Presses Decline Barbell Presses Incline Dumbbell Flyes Chest Routine B Incline Barbell Presses Flat Dumbbell Presses Weighted Dips Flat Dumbbell Flyes
4 4 4 4
x x x x
4 4 4 4
x x x x
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Speaking Of Starving. . .
Some bodybuilders talk about being hungry to win a show, but let me tell you none of them got nothin on me when it comes to the Arnold Classic coming up! I almost feel bad for the other guys who will be up there trying to win, because I plan to train so hard and diet so strictly that there will be no chance anyone except me has his hand raised up at the end of the night by Arnold himself. I missed a whole year, people and a year in the career of a pro bodybuilder is like seven years in the career of a regular person. That title is mine, and then it all shifts to my attack on the Mr. Olympia. But as they say, one thing at a time. February 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com MD 395
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Leg Extensions
For big quads, do deep squats and add in some heavy leg presses every once in a while. You dont need to worry about isolating your quads or trying to get more separation until you actually have the size there in the first place. Vic, what do you know about EPO? A few guys at my gym are using it and they say they are getting great pumps but the shit is expensive. Plus, I thought it was for bike racers, not bodybuilders. EPO is a powerful hormone called erythropoietin, which stimulates the production of red blood cells and increases blood volume. Yes, synthetic EPO is being used by athletes in events like the Tour de France. It was first popularized by endurance athletes because the increase in red blood cells increases oxygencarrying capacity. Bodybuilders are using EPO because of its blood-volumizing effects which also plays a critical role in muscle building and recovery through increased nutrient transport to muscle tissue. The most noticeable effect of EPO is the amazing full pumps you get during your workouts. I have been using MHPs Dark Rage, which has a patent-pending EPO Technology and the pumps are incredible. Rather than spend thousands on synthetic EPO, I recommend you try Dark Rage. For more information on Dark Rage you can go to www.getMHP .com. I feel its by far the best pre-workout formula out there.
Got a question for Victor? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it answered right here in MD!
396 MD
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MASSwithCLASS
TrainingNot Quite The Same Yet, But Close
My strength is getting back to normal, or at least close. But the weird thing is that there are some exercises I can go heavy on again, and others that Trish could beat me at right now. I did 315 on the barbell incline press for 15 reps the other day, and I can also do my trademark dips with the chains. Compound movements are no problem. But any type of extension movement for the triceps is still painful and I have to be very careful. I was doing one-arm extensions on the cable with 20 pounds the other daypathetic! I was getting frustrated about the whole situation until I talked to Metroflex Gym owner Brian Dobson, one of my very best friends and always the voice of reason. Brian reminded me that up onstage, all that matters is what you look like. Nobody knows how much weight you can or cant lift. So who cares? I am switching up my training to feature more volume and possibly higher reps instead of just banging the heaviest iron possible. This was my third muscle tear in seven years! Even though this last tear didnt happen while training, I still need to be careful. I cant miss any more training time or contests. Pro bodybuilding careers, like most professional athletic careers, are limited to a certain amount of time. I still have a few good years left in me, but there is no time to waste sitting around injured while everyone else is out there making bank!
By Branch Warren
402 MD
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February 2009
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MD 403
November Appearances
This month is pretty busy for me. As I turn in this column, I am headed up to New Brunswick in Canada to guest pose, then I go back to Canada next weekend for MuscleTech to open up a new health food store in Vancouver. But the weekend of the Nationals is the one I am really looking forward to, as Trish and I head off to Hawaii for the Paradise Cup. I have been out to Hawaii once or twice a year for the last five years, and its probably my favorite place in the world. I dont know anywhere else where you can truly relax the way you can on the beach in Hawaii. After the last Arnold, we spent over a week there and I did nothing but lie out, eat and drink. Just what the doctor ordered after a grueling contest prep. Guy Leong, the promoter of the Paradise Cup, is a great guy who is always a perfect host, and weve actually been to Hawaii so many times now that we have real friends there. And just to remind all you guys and gals in the Southwest, mark your calendars for July 11th in Houston, Texas for the 2009 Branch Warren Classic. Visit www.metroflexgymproductions.com for more info and I will talk to yall next time.
Got a question for Branch? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it answered right here in MD!
404 MD
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February 2009
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LEE PRIEST
Confirmed!
By Lee Priest
406 MD
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February 2009
membership; check it out at www.bhfc.com.au. By the time you read this, it could very well be my new training headquarters.
Tattoo Update
Its been a while since I had any new ink, with the exception of having my face tattoo filled back in after partially removing it to please an ex-girlfriend. Now that Ive had that done, I am thinking about getting a tribal pattern to join the face tattoo to the one on that side of my neck. I will let you know if I get it done and youll see the pictures here if I do. MD 407
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LEE PRIESTConfirmed!
No Longer Training By My Lonesome
I usually find good training partners pretty quickly wherever I go. Right now I am working out with Richie Martin, Al and another Lee sometimes works out with us, too. Once in a while someone will e-mail me to say they are in the area and want to catch a workout. I let them join in, too, being a man of the people and all. I dont need to work out with someone who is necessarily as big or strong as me. Its more important that they show up on time, know how to give a good spot and follow along with what I am doing in the workout.
Family Matters
Now that Im back home, I see all of my family on a regular basis. I see my mother just about every day because I have actually been getting in a lot of my workouts at her house lately. I have a big selection of Powertec equipment there thanks to Sam from Sams Fitness. (www.samsfitness.com.au) This is the same line of equipment I had back in my very cool home gym back in Lancaster, CA when Cathy and I had the house there. I would highly recommend Powertec equipment to anybody looking to stock a home gym.
408 MD
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February 2009
LEE PRIESTConfirmed!
Normal Question Of The Month!
(I have to answer one occasionally)
Many times, I have read about how injured pros are able to keep training the area in question by using lighter weights, yet making them feel heavier by slowing the rep down and emphasizing the squeeze at the end of each rep. If in fact this is an effective way to train, why cant we just lift light weights all the time and grow? Personally, I could give a shit whether I am curling a 20-pound dumbbell or a 100-pounder, as long as my biceps are big, you know what I mean? I suppose some real studies would have to be done to see if this would work in the long term, but I think that with a lot of focus and a strong mind/muscle connection, you probably could get similar results by using lighter weights and making your reps very strict and slow. Keep the muscle under tension for the entire duration of the set, and it has to be stimulated. I wouldnt go super light, though, because I doubt that would be enough to achieve any growth results. But for a guy who is able to curl 100-pound dumbbells in reasonably good form and there really arent many guys out there besides me who can do this you can probably get good results by using a pair of 60s and doing your reps a lot slower and with more emphasis on the squeeze. I have had to do this recently with my own back and biceps training, and I do find that the muscle responds pretty well. I still think you should add in heavier weights and a more typical rep speed every now and then, or else the muscles would simply get used to the other way of training and hit a point of stagnation. there are just as many juiced-up bodybuilders as ever, if not more. So what I would like to know is where the hell are these guys all getting their steroids from? As a pro, I thought you might have the inside story and I know youre not afraid to talk about anything. While Im on the subject, are the authorities in Australia as rabid about going after steroids as they are here in America? I know they busted Sly Stallone trying to sneak his GH in. ducers and dealers of drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, etc. Yet the addicts keep getting their drugs, dont they? There is so much money to be made selling drugsliterally billions of dollarsthat whenever one dealer or source gets shut down, another one simply pops right back up to take its place. The only way to really win a war on drugs would be if nobody wanted to use drugs anymore. How likely do you think that is to happen? As for the U.S. governments obsession with busting steroid dealers and users, I think their attention is misplaced. Drinking kills many thousands every year from liver disease and drunk driving, and smoking wipes out even more lives through lung cancer and emphysema. But both those drugs, and yes alcohol and nicotine most certainly are drugs, are legal and easily available at your corner store. Drunk driving is the number one killer of teenagers, yet I have yet to hear about a kid popping a D-Bol tab and wrapping his car around a tree with three friends in the backseat. Many times I have taken a shot of Deca or Winny and driven around for hours without so much as swerving once! They try to go on about roid rage as well. Meanwhile, every weekend night all over the world, people get into fistfights and even shoot and stab each other after drunken arguments. Eighty years ago, the U.S. government tried to stop drinking when they passed Prohibition. That didnt last long. People love to get drunk. So when they couldnt buy their booze at liquor stores, they started making it themselves, and then the mob stepped in to make it a huge black market business. The same thing is happening with steroids. As long as there are people who want steroids and have money to spend on them, there will be other people who will find a way to either make steroids or acquire them from somewhere and sell them to those who want them. I never took a business class in my life, but even I can understand that simple concept of supply and demand.
Got a question for Lee, preferably a really stupid one? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it answered right here in MD!
Heres another example of the media twisting the facts around to make a story more scandalous. Sly never tried to sneak anything into Australia. Whatever drugs he was taking with him, he also had valid prescriptions from his doctor for. When you legitimately have low levels of testosterone and/or growth hormone, doctors can prescribe these to you as hormone replacement therapy. And considering the guy is over 60, its perfectly reasonable that his natural levels are pretty low by now. I dont know if it was just a matter of the Australian authorities being assholes and not recognizing a prescription from out of their own country, or what. Maybe they were still upset about some of Stallones shittier movies, like Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot or Rhinestone. As for all the many more guys out there juicing it up who dont get their stuff legally, what do you think? Its all about supply and demand. Every day there are raids and arrests to stop pro-
410 MD
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February 2009
TELLING IT LIKE IT IS
ShawnRay
By Shawn Ray
We have all been there before, kissing the curb after a serious leg workout, hugging the toilet after training back or blacked out from the intense heat and pace of the training. The question then becomes, whats next?
or the serious bodybuilder The Wall is something you never actually see until youre breaking through it. Its a mythical place in our mind that someone says is there but we dont know where until we are actually on top of it. You see, for a beginner coming into the gym early in the game, all we see are Walls. Fascination takes over as we build the Wall, site by site. Wow, look how much he is benching! Dude, check out those biceps! Hey, is he squatting a million pounds? Everywhere the beginner looks, hes maxing out. Seeing stuff for the first time, experiencing sensory overload regarding weights hes never seen on a bar before, the bigger guys dwarfing him with their shadows, hearing noises reserved for the restroom and screams of paranoia! Where in the hell does a beginner go from here? Simple, under the rack! Hindsight has a way of making things more tolerable. See, in the beginning, not like in Genesis but like in 1983, when I was 17 years old and beginning to feel hair on my chest busting through my tiny T-Shirt, I thought Id seen it all and could handle most anything. Reality has a way of bringing things into focus when you train with a professional bodybuilder the first time
you really start training. In many cases, things are relevant or proportionate regarding how strong you are combined with your training experience and poundages lifted, but when you are a punk kid who plays a high school football star by day and a wannabe super-
Soon, the great Walls I had built for myself as a beginner faded into the distance, becoming nothing but a vague memory of my mental weakness but still a reminder of how fragile we are as humans.
star bodybuilder by night, things can get twisted really quickly. When starting to train seriously we all go through it: Lets see how much I can bench to find out how strong I am? Then we get under the bar with some impressive weight on it and move it about an inch before someone has to do an upright row off our chest to save our life! We quickly realize we are all on a learning curve when we start out.
Some learn faster than others regarding specific limitations and expectations but nonetheless, we persevere and prosper, while others crash and burn. So we press on, albeit a tad slower, to find our groove on squats, leg presses, incline benches, deadlifts, bent-over rows and the like until we get through the soreness phase of basic training and begin to get into a rhythm and routine. Suddenly, we are reppin weight and combining sets to a point where nobody can tell us anything. We get a year or two under our belt, show a hint of some bulges under our shirt and of course we ready for the worldbring em on! We travel from gym to gym looking for a great workout from a stranger, to show them how much we have dedicated to the game. We begin to search for just the right mix of cockiness with hints of weakness, so as to walk away victorious from battle. I did this my entire career. I trained at every gym imaginable within a 50-mile radius of my house just to find new challenges. The reality of bodybuilding and training is there is always, and I mean always, someone bigger, stronger or hungrier than you. Just when you get to a point where you know it all, accomplished all and think you have it all, some dude comes from nowhere and craps all over what you thought was perfect. We struggle day in and day out with ways to increase our benches, squats and presses, sometimes to no avail. We
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BRANDEN RAY
By Branden Ray
418 MD
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ful businesswoman. Elena as a pro is going to assure that female bodybuilders get the respect that they deserve! She is very competitive and spunky; however, having grown up in a big family with six siblings, she is also kind-hearted and selfless. These bodybuilders allow me to be a fan of the sport. I get excited whenever I see Sheila pose. No matter how much my arms grow, Liberatores arms are just that much more ridiculous. Guys conditioning is definitely something for all bodybuilders to strive for. Ed Nunn just makes you shake your head because of how tiny his waist is for being over six feet. Despite her striking features, Elenas back can definitely put most guys to shame. These new pros are going to make this sport better than ever.
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MD 423
OUT CHECK
if I took my shirt off every time someone asked me, I would be at the booth shirtless all day with my pasty white skin. Finally, she said that if I took my shirt off, she would take off hers. I kindly declined the offer. Some people e-mail me wanting to buy my used gym socks or posing trunks. I delete these without replying because they just keep asking and offering more money, or tell me what they want to do with me. I appreciate my fans, but you have to draw the line somewhere!
Got a question for Dennis? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it answered right here in MD!
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By Erik Fankhouser
House, I started training five years ago, and I did my first show this year. I feel like I am burned out. I trained all that time for the show and now I dont even want to go back to the gym. Do you ever feel like this, and what can I do to get back on track? Doing a show can take a lot out of you. I know when I am done with my shows I always take a few weeks off from the gym, after my rebound. I have found it is very common to feel this way. Think about it: you trained with one goal in mind for the longest time and now that you achieved that goal, you dont have anything to look forward to. You need to set a few new goals. I always set a short-term goal and a long-term goal. The shortterm goal should be something you can work toward in a few weeks to keep you motivated. Then the long-term goal should be something you want to achieve in a year from now. Each time you reach your short-term goal, you should set a new one to keep you going. I feel if you set goals and take a few weeks off from the gym, you will find motivation again. I know when I take my time away from the gym I always feel like a champ when I come back. Your body needs to rest up from the contest, and time away is good. I would not take longer than two weeks. I have taken longer than two weeks before, and after two weeks it starts to get harder to come back. After time off, you got to remember to take it slow. The first week back you will get sore like you have not lifted before, plus it is good to take time off if you reach a sticking point in your training. Sometimes your body just needs to rest up. Dont worry about losing muscle when you are not training. Two weeks off and you should be ready to go again. Make sure you keep eating while you take your time off. Eating will help keep your muscle and keep your metabolism up. House, I will be a senior in high school next year. I have been playing football my whole life, and I want to be the best I can be in my senior year. I know you played football and we played the same position, so can you give me some tips on how I can gain some weight and which exercises to do for explosion? First off, bro, let me wish you a good senior year. Enjoy the high school year while you can, bro. High school football is a great sport and helped me in my training for bodybuilding. Football is what got me into lifting and after football was over in college, I continued to train and it lead me to bodybuilding. I was a fullback all
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four years of high school and college. Fullback is a great position and you must be pretty big and athletic to play that position. To gain some weight as a football player is very similar to how a bodybuilder would gain weight. You need to eat, bro. You should be eating at least six times a day, and you need to eat a lot. As an athlete you have a high metabolism and are training hard so eat, eat, eat. I know it is hard to get all the meals in when you are going to school but there is always time between class to drink some shakes or slam some egg whites down. Keep it simple, bro. Eat before you go to school then have a shake before lunch, then solid food at lunch, then a shake before school is over then solid food at home, and another shake before bed. Stick to egg whites, beef, chicken and turkey for your protein, and rice, potatoes or oats for the carbs. Also dont be afraid to eat some junk too, since you are trying to grow. Pizza will not hurt, bro. My favorite exercises to help me with explosion were power cleans, hang cleans, power presses, squats, deadlifts, and jumping lunges with weight. When working on explosion, you dont need to do high reps. You should keep the weight high and focus on moving the weight as fast as you can. I like to keep the reps around 6 when doing these exercises.
House Builders
This months house builder is the good old (and overlooked) decline skull-crushers. Everyone does skullcrushers for their tris, but when you change the angle of this exercise it works even better. All you have to do is perform the skull-crusher on a decline bench. When you do it, you will get a better stretch and your arms will stay in position easier than the standard skull-crusher. You can also try a incline skull-crusher, but I like the decline better. Give this a tri and you will grow some massive tris.
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Training Journal
Training is going great! Its cold, dark and snowy, but a good time to grow. Training in the cold is so different than when it is warm out. There is nothing like chipping ice off the car and driving to the gym in three layers of clothes. Then when you get to the gym you got to leave two layers on to get warm at the gym. When you are training in a cold place, you got to make sure you warm-up your muscles before you start moving heavy weight. I have seen and heard of too many people tearing or pulling muscles because they were not warm when training in the winter. I like to keep covered up anyways. Since it is the off-season, I dont need to see my body in the mirrors. I just need more weight.
New Hobby
Deer hunting is pretty big around where I live. I have never been hunting before, but now it is my new hobby. A few weeks ago I went to the shooting range with my future brother-in-law, Justin Cooey. He was showing me the ropes on how to shoot and hunt. The first time I shot a rifle I was hooked! I hit the bulls-eye at 100 yards on my third shot. It was a great feeling. I am going to go deer hunting in a few weeks so I can eat deer meat for my offseason. Deer meat is very lean and high in protein. I bought my first rifle, a Remington 700. I will let you know how it goes.
Family/Promoting
Family life is going great. This time of year is always good. With all the holidays you get to spend more time with family and enjoy all the good moments of being a family. Having my son Xavier makes the holidays good! There is nothing better than seeing him happy and excited; that is what life is all about. The 2009 Erik Fankhouser Classic is set now. The date is September 12, 2009. Since this is the second year, it should be easier for us to promote. Last year was a success and this year it will be even better.
Got a question for Erik? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it answered right here in MD!
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EVAN CENTOPANI
By Evan Centopani
NATIONAL HERO
uneven and bumpy as hell. In a car with a smooth suspension it may not have been so bad. Ted had 22-inch low-profile tires and big chrome rims, and Hummers have stiff suspensions as it is. Plus, he was driving at about 110 miles an hour, at which point the electronic governor would kick in and force his speed down. I was feeling pretty queasy, and did my best to deal with it. But after about an hour of the crappy roads and his Speed Racer antics, I told him we needed to pull over. I heaved my guts out all over the side of the road, after which I actually felt fine.
Polish Power!
A couple weeks ago, I visited Poland for the Polish Cup, which from what I understand is their version of the Nationals. My host was the promoter, Ted Zarebski, who is also the publisher of the Polish MD. I had met him back in April during my first visit there. The flight to Frankfurt was 8 hours, then another hour to Poland. The trip over was fine, even though I had a regular coach seat, because the flight wasnt very full. I could put my armrest up and stretch out.
been up for over 24 hours at that point. Ted took me right to a restaurant and ordered up a bunch of chicken breasts, cabbage (the official national side dish) and pierogis. Its funny; you cant get a decent steak in Poland, but the chicken is great. There are actually chickens running around wild all over the place, like you see pigeons here. So I put away as much food as a starving 308-pound pro bodybuilder possibly could, which Ted found pretty amusing to watch. Feeling full to bursting, we got into his Hummer (which may have been the only Hummer in Poland), and set off on a 10-hour drive to the city where the contest was being held. Let me just say that the highway department in Poland is either horribly underfunded, incompetent, or both. The highways are only two lanes,
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no clue what I was looking at. The contest itself only had about 20 guys in it, and was won by 2007 IFBB World Overall Champion Robert Piotrkowicz. I dont know what he was doing there, since I think hes already won it several times. Second place was my friend, Radek Slodkiewicz. Generally speaking, the top Polish amateurs dont have the size, condition, or complete packages of the top U.S. amateurs. But considering how much bigger our population is and what these guys have to work with over there, they do pretty damn good.
ant or showers to reek like the woman next to me did. I swear, I was getting a headache from the stench. But aside from this terrible end to the trip, I had a great time and want to thank Ted
for being such a wonderful host. It was also good to see Radek again and hang out a little with him and his wife. Its weird, but slowly I am starting to make friends all over the world!
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2) Ron Rich
Ron was like my mentor and big brother. He was the guy who really taught me all about bodybuilding and encouraged me to compete. We trained together for a solid year. Back then, he was a lot bigger and stronger than me and motivated me to take my own size and strength to the next level. I will always give Ron Rich credit for being the one who showed me the ropes when I was just starting out in this game.
3) Frank DiFonso
Frank is my current training partner. At all of 165 pounds, hes not much more than half my weight. But dont let his size fool you. Hes a correctional officer who just finished a program called CERT thats their version of SWAT. Ive trained with huge guys before who turned out to be pretty lazy, but Frank is a pitbull. He trains like a maniac and isnt afraid of anything. Hes also down for anything I feel like trying. If I suggest supersetting barbell rows and incline presses, hes like, Cool, lets do it. Frank is always on time, never complains and always brings a ton of energy into the gym. Big or small, thats an awesome training partner.
How much are those calves measuring in the off-season? Have you seen or just simply know of Olympia-quality pros with calf implants? I dont measure anything, and I havent since back in high school. But just for you, I took out the tape and found out my calves are 20 1/2 inches cold. Thats not bad, but I feel like a peg-leg whenever Im around my boy Erik Fankhouser. Hes a few inches shorter than me and his calves have got to be 24 inches. As for pros with calf implants, I am not aware of any. If anybody does have them, they must be pretty good, because theyre fooling all of us. I find that calves dont seem to be too important in physique competition. If you have em, thats nice, but if you dont, judges seem to let it slide. Poor calves dont seem to detract much from the overall flow of the body. More than a few people have noticed that Dexter doesnt have very good calves. Personally, I think Mr. Olympia shouldnt have any really weak body parts, but thats my opinion.
Got a question for Evan? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it answered right here in MD!
CH
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ThePROCreator
By Hany Rambod
438 MD
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TheProCreator
weeks. But during a contest-prep phase where every day counts, you will want to be able to reach your coach with any important concerns regarding your program. No competitor wants to be left in the dark while he or she is uncertain about what the next course of action should be, or if any changes are needed. Its all a matter of personal opinions on etiquette, but you shouldnt have to wait more than 24 hours for a reply to your phone call or e-mail during the final stages of your prep. Make sure you and your coach discuss this issue well ahead of time and agree on what you both feel is reasonable. A really big red flag should go up when a potential coach touts him or herself as being a protg of a more well-known and established coach, and claims he can provide the same quality services at a reduced rate. Heres a true story that illustrates this type of character. A few years ago, I was at the Emerald Cup and speaking with one of the female competitors. She was telling me that the man who did her prep had basically studied under me almost like an apprentice, and that I had taught him everything I knew. I told her that struck me as odd, since I had never done anything like that. The closest thing to that would be someone like Phil Heath or Bill Wilmore, who have both worked with me for a few years. So I asked who he was. When she said his name, I had to reply that I had never heard of him. She didnt seem to believe me. She insisted that he had told her that he and I spoke often, bouncing ideas off of each other on the phone. Apparently, Chad Nicholls was in on some of these roundtable discussions, too. Now I knew this guy was really full of it. When Chad and I talk on the phone, its usually not to debate the latest research findings on amino acid supplementation. Its more like Chad telling me about the latest gadget hes bought or that his kids stuffed peanut butter and fluff sandwiches in the DVD player. Well, hes sitting right over there, she said and pointed at a guy halfway across the auditorium. I took a good look at him and confirmed that I had never seen this man in my life. The guy saw me looking over at him while talking to his client, and must have realized the jig was up. He calmly got up and walked out of the theater, never to be seen or heard from again by that woman, as she later told me in an e-mail. And hopefully, never to dupe any more athletes into wasting their time and money on him. Even more common than latching onto the name of an established coach is to take credit for working with a champion athlete who the person never actually worked with. A friend of mine was talking a couple of years ago to someone who claimed to have worked with Chris Cook for one of his USA wins. Knowing that I was in fact the person who had coached Chris for that show, he asked him to be more specific. Well, I helped him carb up, he explained. My friend called him on it and told him that his buddy Hany Rambod had in fact worked with Cook. It turns out this other guy had warmed up some food in a microwave a couple times for Cook. Why would people lie and be so deceptive and dishonest? Its all about money. The contest guru market has become pretty lucrative in recent years, as even a nonestablished coach can charge in the thousands of dollars for his or her services, and often gets it. Another surefire warning sign is when a coach cant or wont answer questions about the program. You have every right to want to know why he or she is having you eat certain foods, use certain supplements, train or do your cardio a certain way. If the person cant back up advice with any explanation, be very suspicious of his or her competence. Ive also heard of athletes working with coaches who give them supplements without explaining what they are. Nobody should ever ask you to take anything without clearly identifying what it is and what the purpose of it is. I know more than one person who has wound up in the hospital due to this exact same situation. Finally, beware of anybody who claims to have come up with the ultimate diet or training program. I invented the FST-7 training system, but I would never be so foolish as to declare it the one true training program. The only ultimate training or diet program is the one that works for you. Bodybuilding is holistic and we are all individuals, which makes it impossible for there to be any one true way to train or eat.
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CHAD NICHOLLS
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CHARLES GLASS
THE BODYBUILDING
I have a question about which type of flye movement I should be doing on chest day. Many bodybuilders seem to do dumbbell flyes, but I have noticed all I really get when I do those is an extreme stretch of the pecs. There is no real resistance at the top when you bring your inner pecs together and contract. The pec flye machine and cable crossover seem like a better choice, because they let you squeeze against resistance at the end of each rep. With that in mind, why should I bother with dumbbell flyes? Cant I just do the machine or the cables instead? same direction as it would be using a pec flye machine or a cable crossover, but its a different type of stimulation. What I would suggest is to alternate the movements. Do a machine or a cable one week, then dumbbell flyes the next. That way you get the best of both types of stimulation. I am thinking about entering a bodybuilding contest just to challenge myself to get in great shape, as I havent been very lean for over 10 years now and I think it would be just what I need to motivate myself. I just worry that people will laugh at me because I look nothing like the guys in the magazines, and I dont want to be humiliated. In your opinion, should I do it or not? Absolutely! If anybody laughs, the jokes on them, because they dont have the guts to get up there and put it all out there for everyone to judge and critique. Many times at local contests, you will see at least a couple people who dont quite look as big or as lean as the majority of the other competitors. But often, those are the ones who have accomplished the most. Maybe one is a mom who lost 50 pounds and is in the best shape shes been in since she was a teenager. Another could be a guy who was in a terrible car accident and couldnt walk for a year. Others may be overcoming God knows what type of adversity be it physical, mental or spiritual. You never know the whole story. Dont worry about what other people are going to think about you and the way you look. If competing is going to be the impetus you need to finally do something about your body and get lean and healthy again, you should definitely go for it. It doesnt matter if you look like the guys in the magazines. You dont usually see anybody like that competing in a local show, anyway. Find a contest that features a novice division, or maybe masters (you didnt give your age), so that you will be up there with people of similar backgrounds rather than the open class, where you tend to find the more genetically gifted guys who have been training hard for a long time already and often have been competing for many years, too. So go get in the best shape you can and proudly show it off on contest day! www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
You could do the machines and cables, but I still feel you can get a lot out of the dumbbell flye if you do it right. You are correct when you state that due to the direct downward vertical pull of gravity and the arc motion of a flye, there is very little resistance on the pecs as you near the end of the rep. You are forced to contract your pecs to provide that last bit of resistance. Granted, its not coming from the
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George W. Bush that will surely take a very long time to clean up. But with so many young people now interested in the political process and realizing that they have to do something if they dont want their country to spiral down into a hole, he will have a lot of help and support along the way.
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hotshoppe
By Angela T. Frizalone
Information for products discussed in Hot Shoppe comes directly from the companies represented and does not imply endorsement by Muscular Development.
CryoTest
The Worlds Most Hardcore Anabolic Testosterone Amplifier
ny hardcore bodybuilder knows the raw, muscle-building power of testosterone. Countless athletes have used its power to dramatically improve performance, break world records and dominate competitors. Without the undeniable advantage of testosterone, dont expect to reach levels of muscularity like the pros. But if youre ready to cross the line into uncharted territory, then you need the explosive power of CryoTest the latest scientific breakthrough formula from Team MuscleTech! This powerful formula is the worlds first testosterone booster that jacks up testosterone and drives it directly into muscle cells! CryoTest is also strategically dosed with a key ingredient shown to jack up training-induced GH levels! By forcing a dramatic surge in testosterone levels, CryoTest transforms your bodys natural environment into one thats extremely conducive to freaky muscle growth. While other testosterone-boosting products claim to offer only one benefit, CryoTest stops at nothing to force an extremely anabolic environment through multiple mechanisms. Get yours today at a GNC near you and experience the raw power of testosterone for yourself!
Peak Beta
Tingle-Free Beta-Alanine
olecular Nutritions Peak Beta utilizes a proprietary new controlled-release delivery system called Molecular Distillation & Sustained Transport (MDST). Each caplet sustains the release of betaalanine for up to 6 hours. Just a few caplets per day now ensure your muscles will have a near-constant supply of this highly effective nutrient, maximizing its uptake, utilization, and performance-enhancing benefits. In addition to removing the rapid-elimination disadvantages of regular tablets and powders, MDST technology completely eliminates the tingles for virtually all users, which is a hot flush or tingling sensation on the skin. This side effect is common when the body absorbs betaalanine too quickly. While the tingles arent dangerous, they can be very uncomfortable. Molecular Nutritions Peak Beta finally makes beta-alanine tingles a thing of the past! If you havent taken advantage of this proven ergogenic aid because of this, now is your chance!
ith 40 grams of the highest quality hypertrophy-producing proteins, VPX has done it again with Muscle Power! With a fastacting protein like whey protein, Muscle Power is guaranteed to get the essential amino acids into your system fast, for dramatic muscle building. And with the slow-acting protein casein, VPX has added the anti-catabolic dimension to ensure that your muscles are fed throughout the day! Muscle Power For Maximal Anabolism morning, noon and night!
Trap The Volume Lock In The Gains With BSNS New Volumaize
SN has done it once again, this time cracking the genetic code for the N-Training (during training) Supplement Timing Window with VOLUMAIZE - the Hypertrophic Activating Myocellular Expander. A new category of supplement, VOLUMAIZE is designed to tap into muscle fibers while you train (N-Training) to boost athletic performance, cellular growth, myohypertrophic activation, glycogen and essential amino acid super compensation, muscle cell membrane permeability, ATP regeneration (your bodys source for intracellular energy), protein synthesis, strength, the working capacity of muscle tissue, and recovery. Its time to Trap The Volume Lock In The Gains with VOLUMAIZE! www.musculardevelopment.com February 2009
452 MD
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he industrys premier protein-enhanced beverage slims down! Muscle Milk Light gets even lighter with 100-Calorie Shakes in a new sugar-free, lower-in-fat formula than original Muscle Milk Light. The new Muscle Milk Light 100-Calorie Shakes provide an excellent source of protein and nutrition, making it ideal for convenient on-the-go nutrition. Consumers have become very conscious about monitoring their caloric intake, and that is why we created the 100-calorie version that also cuts back on fat and sodium, while continuing to provide optimal nutritional benefits. In addition, the 100-calorie category is full of snack foods. We wanted to provide a healthy alternative, says Nikki Brown, CytoSport VP of Marketing. Packed with 15 grams of protein, this beverage is enough to help sustain ones energy throughout the day. Muscle Milk Light is designed to promote lean muscle growth, fast recovery from exercise, and healthy, sustained energy. Lactose-Free, Muscle Milk Light 100-Calorie shakes are available in Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Mocha Latte, Strawberries N Crme and Vanilla Crme flavors. For more information on Muscle Milk or additional CytoSport products, visit: www.cytosport.com.
February 2009
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lastword
By John Romano
he last couple of months have seen a sharp spike in bodybuilder deaths. The sudden increase in mortality has spawned much debate online as to whether we are preaching too cavalier an attitude toward steroids in light of the four guys who recently lost their lives bodybuilding. In spite of the fact that the loss of life was in reality the fault of diuretics, insulin, DNP and other nonsteroid drugs, some of our even most liberal-minded steroid proponents are starting to sound more like Dr. Gary Wadler than Dr. Norm Fost. Some of the rhetoric has become so trite and arcane that one would expect the next thing out of their mouths will be to ban bodybuilding. While this may come as no surprise to some, the fact that three people recently died running the New York Marathon with no call to outlaw distance running makes the former sound just a bit disingenuous. Be that as it may, a concomitant, yet unrelated, action by Congress has some of you involuntarily twitching. The bill that Congress just passed (H.R. 6353, S. 980) creates a new statute for offenses involving dispensing controlled substances by means of the Internet. The law attempts to clarify the laws regarding rogue online pharmacies and what constitutes a valid prescription, and also criminalizes certain advertising conduct in connection with such pharmacies. It also makes it easier for State Attorney Generals to go after online pharmacies beyond their state borders. The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (accessible at www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h1 10-6353) is named for Ryan Haight, who died at age 18 of a drug overdose in 2001 after he obtained Vicodin (a Schedule III drug just like steroids) over the Internet. The bill was signed
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