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 INSIDE THIS MONTH
FEATURES
28
THE IRISH INVADER
Ex-boxer Davey
Henderson is now
KO’ing the UK’s finest
bodybuilders after
discovering weight
training.
84
TRIPLE FOWLED
Three tasty ways to do
chicken breasts.
92
RIP CITY
Drop kilos like a pro with
these seven “dos and
don’ts” of fat loss.
2 FLEX | JUNE 2017
JULY 2017 COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS LUND
16
36
CLASSIC MUSCLE
Get set for this month’s
English Grand Prix; ex-
ballet dancer Chelsea
Dyson on leaping to
international fame in
bikini fitness and Jacob
Butterfield on training for
the top in men’s physique.
42
LOOKING BACK
A look at the incredible
career of Lou Ferigno.
52
1ST SET
All the happenings with
Mr. Olympia Phil Heath,
212 Olympia champ Flex
Lewis, the entire Team
Weider roster, and more.
64
LIFT
Techniques that work,
routines that produce
results, and other things
to help you make the
most of your gym time.
DEPARTMENTS 78
FOOD & SUPPS
102 7 All the things you need to
MASS BUILDING 2.0 ONLINE eat, drink, or mix first then
Reboot your Stay current with all drink, to help you reach
mass programme. the hot topics trending your bodybuilding and
now at FLEXonline.com. fitness goals.
112
SET DIAL TO 10 8 128
Go old school with this IT’S ONLY MY OPINION LAST SET
high-volume attack. Quality Training. Contest results, athlete
profiles, and more from
120 12 the world of competitive
BUILD BETTER PECS JUST THE FACTS bodybuilding and fitness,
CHRIS LUND; PER BERNAL
The right moves to get Groundbreaking research including bodybuilder of
you there. and must-have tips in the month.
the training and nutrition
universe. 144
THE SHOT
Flex Wheeler celebrates
his win with his baby girl.
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 CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
David Pecker

CHIEF CONTENT DIRECTOR EVP/GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Shawn Perine Chris Scardino
EDITORIAL ADVERTISING & MARKETING
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President of the IFBB Professional League JIM MANION

Founder and Chairman Emeritus JOE WEIDER (1920–2013)

We assume no responsibility for returning unsolicited material, including but not limited to photographs, artwork, manuscripts, and letters.
Every care is taken to assure the accuracy of the information in FLEX, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice contained herein.
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Editorial articles relating to food supplementation and sports nutrition reproduced in this issue of FLEX are for information purposes only and are not intended to solicit or otherwise
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Always consult a doctor before commencing supplementation or changing dosages. Some supplements may not work efectively outside speciic dosage ranges and may
potentially cause harm if taken in excess. Not all supplements, combinations of supplements, or dose ranges of supplements may be suitable, safe or efective for everybody.

Copyright © (2016) Weider Publications, LLC. Published under license from Weider Publications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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The information in FLEX is intended to educate. Do not substitute it for the advice of a qualified health care practitioner.
 L
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*T&Cs apply. Maximuscle is a division of GSK Consumer Healthcare.Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.
CHGBI/CHMAXI/0094/17
 FROM THE EDITOR BY JOHN PLUMMER

UK’s leading competitors have set

their sights on getting on stage in
Columbus, Ohio, and perhaps
meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But most fly in hope rather than
expectation: no British pro and
only one amateur have ever won at
the Classic before this year.
Since 2011, when Europe
became the first continent outside
America to host an Arnold Classic,
our carb-depleted athletes have
increasingly preferred the two-
hour trip to Spain rather than a
long-haul midwinter flight to
Columbus.
In September, more than 200
Brits competed in Barcelona at the
Arnold Classic Europe. In March,
just six flew to Columbus. So what
happened over there was
remarkable, as Ryan followed up
his second place at last year’s
Men’s Physique Olympia with
victory to become the first British
pro champion at any Arnold event
in the world.
It’s difficult to think of a more
deserving champion—Ryan
combines model looks,
outstanding symmetry, and an
unbeatable midsection with a
humble and likeable personality,
which makes him the ideal
ambassador for men’s physique.
He’s now Britain’s second global
muscle superstar, along with
Olympia 212 Showdown champ
Not bad Flex Lewis.
for a lad from Congratulations, too, to fitness
Worksop. Arnold
competitor Kate Errington, who
Schwarzenegger
congratulates Ryan
won gold at the amateur Arnold. In
Terry on his victory doing so, Kate became only our
in Columbus. second amateur Arnold champion
in America after bodybuilding
barrister Maria Scotland took
Masters Figure in 2014. Kate is a

RULE
human dynamo that somehow
finds time to train and diet, as well
as work as a dancer, fire-eater,
stilt walker...you name it. Last year,
she switched from Bikini Fitness to

BRITANNIA
CONGRATULATIONS TO RYAN TERRY ON
Fitness and finished second at the
British Championships. Five
months later, she was shaking
hands with Arnold and receiving
the winner’s trophy in Columbus.
BECOMING THE FIRST BRITISH PRO TO WIN AN It was a great start to the
competitive year, which is now in
ARNOLD CLASSIC.
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

full swing with the English Grand

■ FLEX focuses primarily on
bodybuilding rather than men’s
physique, but we have to start this
month by paying tribute to Ryan
Terry’s extraordinary achievement
in winning the Arnold Classic in
America.
After the Olympia, the Arnold is
the most prestigious bodybuilding
contest in the world. For years, the
Prix and the Scottish
Championships among this
month’s contest highlights. For a
full retrospective of how the Brits
fared in America, turn to Last Set.

6 FLEX | JUNE 2016

 ONLINE NOW

THE
SHADOW
Olympia Dorian

competing, but

favourites list

FLEXonline.com.

compiled the

motivation and
massive growth.
FLEXonline.com
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PHIL HEATH BIG RAMY

STEVE KUCLO
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culture
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WILLIAM BONAC

JUAN MOREL

down. Most people undereat, slowing

down their metabolism and burning
hard-earned muscle. CALL CLICK
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FLEX SET
LAST COMMENT IT’S ONLY MY OPINION

QUALITY
TRAINING
WAY BACK IN THE 1960S, JOE WEIDER
BEGAN PROMOTING A VERY SUCCESSFUL
AND RESULT-PRODUCING TRAINING
PHILOSOPHY IN HIS BODYBUILDING
MAGAZINES CALLED QUALITY TRAINING.

8 FLEX | JUNE 2016

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS LUND, UK EDITOR SINCE 1985

Needless to say,
after your very first
Quality Training
work out you will
know if you are fit
or whether you
have just been
kidding yourself.

FLEXONLINE.COM 9
 FLEX SET
LAST COMMENT IT’S ONLY MY OPINION
Q Quality Training consisted of ‘feel
good’ movements that encouraged
you to take much shorter rests
between sets so that you could
feel an extreme pump and burn
deep down inside your muscles like
never before. Instead of the usual
two or more minute-rest between
sets, bodybuilders in Southern
California were taking only
30-second breaks and sometimes
even less in between sets. In some
extreme cases, some of them
would just take five deep breaths
before moving onto their next set.
Of course, it was virtually
impossible to use this system on
exercises such as heavy squats,
but this didn’t seem to bother these
bodybuilders because they simply
substituted Hack machine squats
instead. On bench presses, and
other demanding exercises, they
simply reduced their training
poundages every set. A typical
Quality Training approach would
look something like this:
If you can do 12 strict reps on
the barbell curl with 120 pounds on
the bar, do one slow warm-up set
of 12 reps with 80 pounds. Next, do
an all-out workset of 12 reps or
more, with 120 pounds. During
your short resting period of only
30 seconds, concentrate on being
totally focused and getting your
breath back by taking slow deep
breaths. Quickly remove 5 pounds
from each side of the bar, and
immediately do another workset,
with 110 pounds, until you simply
cannot do another rep in strict
fashion.
Finally, take another 30 seconds
rest once again, and quickly
remove another five pounds from
each side of the bar. Aim once
again for another 12 reps in
perfectly super strict fashion, with
100 pounds. This final workset will
leave your biceps feeling like they
are ready to explode. In fact, you
will feel this pumped and burning
feeling during every single
repetition that you do.
Needless to say, after your very
first Quality Training workout, you
will know whether you are indeed
fit or you have just been kidding
yourself. Because let’s face it,
many bodybuilders without
realising it, usually take at least four
or five minutes rest in between
sets. Some are either looking at
themselves in the mirror or yakking
away to somebody in the gym. Or,
even worse, they continually keep
checking out their mobile phone in
between every set!
Quality Training removes all of
this, because you are constantly
keeping an eye on that clock, and
trying to prepare yourself for that
next painful, burning set. In the
beginning; however, I would advise
you to start off with a rest period
of about 60 seconds, until you
build up your strength, endurance,
and willpower, to eventually train
almost nonstop.
Quality Training will get you in
top muscular shape. There’s no
doubt about that. However, you will
also become a much more fit and
healthy bodybuilder as a result,
plus you will lose body fat as well,
even though you might not be able
to use those massive weights that
you did when you rested longer in
between sets. But bodybuilding is
about building muscle, not
demonstrating how strong you are.
Besides, in the long run this is a
much safer and more injury free
way to train. Here is a good
productive Quality Routine for you
to follow twice a week for at least
six weeks:
Quality Training only works if
you try your best to drastically
reduce the rest period between
sets. You must also use perfectly
strict exercise style, and be
oblivious to anything that is going
on around you. Above all, you have
to concentrate and train through
that muscular pain barrier.
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH
AND KEEP TRAINING,
CHRIS LUND

QUALITY ROUTINE here is a good productive Quality routine for you to follow
twice a week for at least six weeks:

THIGHS hack squat machine, BACK CHEST of 12 reps, followed by

HACK SQUAT do 2 worksets of front REVERSE-GRIP BENCHPRESS 3 worksets, reducing
MACHINE squats, for 15-20 reps, BENTOVER ROWS 3 REPS 12-15 SETS the weight by 5
3 REPS 15-20 reducing the weight by 3 REPS 12-15 SETS do one warm-up set pounds each side.
SETS if you have 10 pounds each set. do one warm-up set of 12 reps, followed by
access to a low of 12 reps, followed by 3 worksets, of 12-15 TRICEPS
30-degree hack squat SHOULDERS 3 worksets of 12-15 reps, reducing the
machine, do one SEATED reps, reducing the weight by 10 pounds PRESSDOWNS
warm-up set of 15-20 DUMBBELL weight each set by 10 each set. do every rep 3 REPS 12-15
reps, followed by 3 PRESS 3 REPS pounds. always do as strict as you
worksets of 15-20 12-15 SETS rows as strictly as you possibly can and do one warm-up set
reps, reducing the do one warmup set of can and pull the bar never bench press of 12 reps, followed by
weight by 10 pounds 12 reps, followed by 3 into your waist. without a spotter. 3 worksets of 12-15
each set. Try your worksets, of 12-15 always support your reps in perfect style,
best to rest no longer reps, reducing the forehead, which will BICEPS reducing the weight by
than 60 seconds dumbbells by 5 take the strain of your BARBELL CURL 5 pounds each set.
between sets. if you pounds each set. lower back. 3 REPS 12-15 SETS
PHOTO CREDIT

do not have such a do one warm-up set

10 FLEX | JUNE 2016

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 JUST THE FACTS HEALTH & NUTRITION
HAVE ANOTHER CUP
Stanford University
researchers conducted a
multipart study that found that
regular caffeine consumption
may keep levels of a protein
linked to inflammation tamped
down. And don’t stress over
that fifth cup of coffee, the 2015
Dietary Guidelines say that it’s
cool to get around three to five
cups of coffee (or about 400
mg/d caffeine) a day and that
the brew is “not associated
with increased long-term health
risks among healthy individuals.”
30
PERCENTAGE OF FAST-FOOD
PACKAGING TESTED IN A
STUDY RECENTLY PUBLISHED
IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
THAT WAS FOUND TO CONTAIN
POTENTIALLY CANCER-
CAUSING FLUORINATED
CHEMICALS.
PASS THE
CHILI
PEPPER
ingredient capsaicin could afect the
12 FLEX | JUNE 2017
DON’T SKIP IT
A new statement from the
American Heart Association
says that those who regularly
eat breakfast have a lower
risk of heart disease and the
estimated 20 to 30% of
people who skip a morning
meal are more likely to be
obese and have diabetes. So
be sure and break your fast!
STOP THE SUGAR RUSH
Cell Reports published
research from the
University College
London that showed
sugar can be an early
killer in lies, even after
they switched from
BUGGED OUT too much of the sweet
Scientists at the VTT Technical Research stuf to a normal diet.
Centre of Finland have developed a ground- Scientists discovered
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 JUST THE FACTS TRAINING
JUST ONCE…OR TWICE
YES, IT’S GOOD FOR YOU
University of British Columbia research
found that just one session of interval
weight training can improve blood vessel
function in those with type-2 diabetes
significantly. All subjects showed
improvement, but the type-2 diabetes
group saw an average of a 2.4%
increase in blood flow.
14 FLEX | JUNE 2017
GET FIT FAST
Exercise scientists at McMaster
University in Canada put the stairs to the
test to find out how much work you need
to put into climbing them to get a good
health benefit. They had subjects either
go all out on a StairMaster or on the
stationary bike for three sessions of
20 seconds each and, for the second
phase, attack either one or two flights
of stairs in the same manner but for
three 60-second periods. Both protocols
increased peak oxygen uptake: by 12%
in the first phase and 7% in the second.
5
PERCENTAGE THAT A
RECENT STUDY FROM
THE U.C. SAN DIEGO
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
FOUND A SINGLE
20-MINUTE SESSION OF
EXERCISE CAN BOOST
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
HIIT IT!
A University of Sterling
study showed that doing
fewer intervals during high-
intensity interval training may
produce better cardiovascular
results than pounding out
cripplingly intense intervals.
Researchers found that for
subjects doing two sprints to
the max on exercise bikes, any
subsequent sprints done on
the bike dropped the overall
improvement in fitness—as
measured by VO2 max, or the
maximum amount of oxygen the
body can use in a minute—by
about 5%.
KEVIN HORTON; PAVEL Y THJALL
THE BEST INTERVAL
Researchers at the University of
British Columbia put three groups—
nonexercisers, regular exercisers, and
people with diabetes—through sessions
of both interval resistance training and
interval cardio. The finding: Interval
weight training improved blood vessel
function more than interval cardio.
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 CLASSIC
16 FLEX | JUNE 2016
FLEX WHEELER
IS RETURNING TO
THE OLYMPIA, THIS
TIME IN CLASSIC
PHYSIQUE. HERE’S
WHY HE MAY
FINALLY WIN AN
OLYMPIA TITLE.
BY GREG MERRITT

FLEX
FLEXONLINE.COM 17
 aving been second in the STAY ON BALANCE
Mr. Olympia three times In the ’90s, what was Wheeler’s
and first in four American best body part? Arms? Quads? Delts?
Correct answer: all of the above and
Arnold Classics, Flex more. That’s because he was never
Wheeler is arguably the celebrated for a single piece of the
best bodybuilder to never whole. There were always several pros
win a Sandow. What’s with better arms, quads, delts, or any
more, there are many other part, but when he was at his
best, there was no one who brought
people, including this writer, who think he’s the it all together as well as Wheeler,
greatest bodybuilder, period, if we’re merely judging who was rightly celebrated for the
bodies—the best mixture of shape, symmetry, and entirety of his physique. This was no
size. Even as he updated with modern curves and accident. Each year, he and his
cuts, he always sported a classic physique. On trainer, Charles Glass, assessed his
body and targeted muscles and parts
Sept. 15, at 52 and 15 years after he last competed of muscles—maybe the lower lats or
in the Olympia, Wheeler will return to bodybuilding’s the upper chest or outer quads—that
ultimate stage, this time in pursuit of a different but needed a special focus to stay in line
appropriate title: Olympia classic physique. There with the rest. Glass prioritized these
are nine reasons Flex Wheeler is forever classic and areas in Wheeler’s workouts. Always,
the focus was on a complete and
why he may finally nab that elusive Olympia victory. balanced physique.

MUSCLED
IN MIDDLE AGE
In 1993, at age 27 and
then 28, Wheeler romped
through the IFBB Pro
League, winning four of six
contests, including the
Arnold Classic, and placing
second in the other two,
including the Mr. Olympia.
Over his career, he won
17 pro shows, including four
Arnolds, and he was
runner-up in the O three

OPENING SPREAD: CHRIS LUND & PER BERNAL. THIS PAGE: R ALPH DEHA AN
times; and he accomplished
all of that between the ages
of 27 and 35, prime years
for a bodybuilder.
Wheeler last competed
on Feb. 15, 2003, exactly
14½ years (5,296 days)
before the Classic Physique
Olympia. Will spending his
40s off stages be a
disadvantage or an
advantage?
Another former IFBB
pro, Darrem Charles,
returned in the classic
physique division last year
and won five shows and
finished fifth in the Olympia.
But he did so after only a
three-year hiatus, and he
was 46 and then 47. The

Flex Wheeler in his bodybuilding prime in the ’90s, when he was second in the Olympia three
times. As a 28-year-old rookie in the 1993 Mr. Olympia, he hung tight with Dorian Yates.

18 FLEX | JUNE 2016

 closer parallel is Kevin
Levrone, Wheeler’s rival in
the ’90s, who returned to
the Olympia last September
at either 51 or 52 after a
13-year absence only to
miss the top 15. Although
Wheeler will be 52 on
Sept. 15, unlike Levrone,
he won’t be in a lineup
with behemoths such as
Mamdouh Elssbiay and
Roelly Winklaar. Danny
Hester won the first
Classic Physique Olympia
at 47 and under 77.
With the division’s weight
requirement (based on
height), Wheeler will need
to come in lighter than ever
before. Size won’t be an
issue; shape and cuts will
be. And that means even
in middle age, Wheeler
should be able to muscle
into the mix.

CREATE
AN ILLUSION
Wheeler has always
possessed some key
genetic advantages:
full muscle bellies, small
joints, slim hips, and a
preternatural ability to
grow. But what he didn’t
get were wide clavicles.
So the 1992 USA champ
placed a special emphasis
on deltoids in order to
expand beyond the ends
of his bone structure.
A typical shoulder routine
consisted of 21 sets and
six exercises, two for each
delt head. For example, he
might do Smith machine
shoulder presses and
barbell front raises for
anterior delts, seated
dumbbell side laterals and
wide-grip upright rows
for medial delts, and lying
incline dumbbell rear
Sporting tribal
laterals and machine rear tats, middle-aged
laterals for posterior delts,
PER BERNAL

Flex hammers his

three or four sets of each still curvy arms.
for 10 to 12 reps. By the
mid-’90s, Wheeler’s delts

FLEXONLINE.COM 19
were so capacious and his back was so
dense and detailed that you failed to notice
any narrowness. It was an illusion, and
bodybuilding at its best is something of a
magician’s act, forever distracting. Make
them focus on your strengths as well as
the overall excellence of your physique
and the previously seen flaws will vanish.
his first novice show when Wheeler last
posed. A whole new generation has
assumed the sport’s top spots. After 15
years off the Olympia stage, can this living
legend make a third dramatic comeback—
this time in a new division? Wheeler knows
comebacks. Twice he’s returned from near
death to shut up the haters. By those
standards, this one seems almost easy.

PERSISTENCE PAYS
In 1994, Wheeler was seemingly on the DON’T CHASE NUMBERS
verge of ascending to bodybuilding’s In the mid-’90s, when Dorian Yates was
summit. After his collecting Sandows at
stunning second in the 118 and hitting136 in the
previous Olympia, his off-season, the
rookie year, he stayed temptation for Wheeler
out of competitions in was to chase ever
the spring and summer bigger numbers
of ’94 in pursuit of on the scales. He
the ultimate title that resisted. That wasn’t
fall. But on June 9, his game. He wasn’t
returning from Dr. Dre’s going to beat Yates with
house, he totalled his bulk size, and trying to
Mercedes and broke do so would have been
his neck in a crash playing into the six-
that could have easily time Mr. O’s calloused
left him paralyzed or hands. Instead,
dead. Remarkably, Wheeler kept his
he returned and won classic lines and added
a contest and finished strategically. In the
second in the Arnold process, he crushed
Classic less than eight every behemoth in the
months later. jungle—except for
It was even harder Yates. Don’t waste your
to come back from time googling “Flex
another traumatic Wheeler 136 kg,”
health scare. After because you won’t
placing third in the find any nonmorphed
2000 Mr. Olympia, photos. By staying
Wheeler was diagnosed within striking distance
with kidney disease. He of contest weight
retired. But two years year-round, he never
later, he returned to expanded his waist like
nab a respectable so many of his
THIS PAGE: MITSURU OK AB; PAUL A CR ANE. NEX T PAGE: PER BERNAL
seventh in the 2002 contemporaries. Using
Olympia. In his final the mirror, not the scale,
open contest in early as his guide, Wheeler
2003, he was third Wheeler was lucky to escape a 1994 car crash alive. remained classic, even
in a stacked field. Eight months later, he was second in the Arnold Classic. when he was hitting the
Downsized, Wheeler stage at 109. That’s why
wasn’t his old self, and he should still be able to
yet, with his classical shape, he was still slim down and go classic in the Olympia at 52.
one of the top 10 bodybuilders on the planet.
In September 2003, he received a kidney
transplant. TEAM UP
Since then, even in middle age, Wheeler In Gold’s Gym Venice, Wheeler was the star
has remained remarkably fit, as evidenced player on a team. Trainer Charles Glass was
by his still-swollen arms, now striped with the coach. Wheeler’s frequent teammates
tribal tattoos. But Phil Heath had yet to enter were Chris Cormier and Rico McClinton, two

20 FLEX | JUNE 2016

“ TWICE HE’S RETURNED FROM NEAR DEATH
TO SHUT UP THE HATERS. BY THOSE
STANDARDS, THIS ONE SEEMS ALMOST EASY.”
 AFTER 15 YEARS
OFF THE OLYMPIA
STAGE, CAN
THIS LIVING
LEGEND MAKE A
THIRD DRAMATIC
COMEBACK—
NEW DIVISION?

CHRIS LUND

22 FLEX | JUNE 2016

 of the strongest dudes in the mecca. His
coach pushed him; his teammates Stan Eferding
pushed him; he pushed his teammates. spots his
And all of them—and a few more—helped friend. Wheeler
him assess his physique and plot a will beneit
from a team as
path forward. Dozens of times, Wheeler
he returns to
peeled down in front of the famous the O stage.
mirror in the sunny corner of the iconic
gym’s first room and fired off shots as
his coach and teammates critiqued his
progress. “More outer delts.” “Lower
back’s not there yet.” “Cut carbs.” “Ease
back on the cardio.” Expert opinion from
his team—and all would wear “Team Flex”
R ALPH DEHA AN; PER BERNAL

T-shirts as each Olympia approached—

helped him eliminate weaknesses and
dial in his conditioning again and again.

WORK THE ANGLES

Glass’ methodology is sometimes called,
for lack of a better term, angle training.

FLEXONLINE.COM 23
 Though he
hasn’t
competed in
nearly 15
years, Wheeler
has continued
to hoist heavy
metal. Here he
reps out curls
and pulldowns.

WHEELER’S
SHOULDER
ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Smith Machine Press 3–4 10–12
Barbell Front Raise 3–4 10–12
Lateral Raise 3–4 10–12
Wide-grip Upright Row 3–4 10–12
3–4 10–12
Reverse Pec Deck 3–4 10–12
PER BERNAL

24 FLEX | JUNE 2016

 HE WON 17 PRO in their upper pecs. And they’ll almost
certainly do back extensions by contracting

SHOWS, INCLUDING in a short crunching movement, which targets

just the spinal erectors and eliminates
the glutes and hip flexors. Wheeler did all of
FOUR ARNOLDS, AND these and many more, as Glass tailored
workouts to fit his needs. Small alterations

HE WAS RUNNER-UP in a movement can potentially have a big

effect on your physique.

IN THE O THREE TIMES. ALWAYS BE GROWING

By his own admission, Wheeler wasn’t the
The Yoda of Gold’s Venice frequently modifies friendliest pro back when he was pursuing
exercises to come at the targeted muscles the Sandow each September. If you weren’t
or areas of muscles from a slightly different part of his clique, he often seemed aloof, in
angle. His Jedi Knights might sit on a crate and out of Gold’s Gym. But it was a different
when doing low-cable rows to pull the handle era then, before social media took us
slightly up into their midsections to hit more behind the scenes. Yates, whom Wheeler
of the inner back. They’ll probably do incline was chasing, was nicknamed the Shadow
flyes so high on the bench that they’re nearly because he toiled in his dungeon gym in
leaning backward, to better feel the tension faraway England (and swaddled in sweats
even there), only
to appear on the
Olympia stage each
autumn. Following
the leader, why
should the top
contenders welcome
the prying questions
and cameras of
curious fans? Or at
least that’s how it
seemed then.
Besides, stoicism can
mask shyness and
insecurities. But
Wheeler grew as a
person even as his
muscles were
shrinking. In
retirement, he became
one of the most
approachable
and gregarious of the
bodybuilding greats.
It’s been a remarkable
transformation
and a reminder that
there are many ways
to grow—physically,
intellectually,
spiritually, and
emotionally—and that
all of us need to

A classic ’90s shot of

a 109-kg Wheeler
pumping out machine
T-bar rows.
CHRIS LUND

FLEXONLINE.COM 25
 Can Flex, at age
52, once again
challenge for an
Olympia title?

continuously strive to be
better humans.

MODERATION
Wheeler entered seven
Mr. Olympias. The first three
were won by Dorian Yates,
a HIT-man who attacked
workouts with maximum
effort and minimal volume.
The last four were won
by Ronnie “Light Weight!”
Coleman, one of the
strongest homo sapiens
who ever breathed. Another
bodybuilder might have
been tempted to follow the
leaders and crank up the
intensity or pile on more
plates, but Wheeler did it his way—moderate
reps, weights, and intensity. This may have
been responsible, in part, for his classical
look. Bodybuilders who train heavier or
SNAPSHOT FLEX WHEELER
harder sometimes appear to have rushed DOB Aug. 23, 1965
the muscle on, as if haphazardly slapping
more clay onto a sculpture wherever it will fit. HEIGHT 175 cm WEIGHT 109 kg
In contrast, it seemed as if there was always
a reason behind every curve and striation of CURRENT RESIDENCE San Jose, California
R ALPH DEHA AN; PER BERNAL

Wheeler’s flesh. Additionally, unlike Yates and

Coleman, he avoided any major training- CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1993, 1998–99, Mr. Olympia,
related injuries. And this will serve him well as 2nd; 1993, 1997–98, 2000, Arnold Classic, winner;
he prepares for his middle-aged return—back 1993, 1995–1998, Ironman Pro, winner
where he belongs, on the Olympia stage. FLEX

26 FLEX | JUNE 2017

28
JUNE 2017
PHOTO CREDIT
 HISTORY
MAKER
DAVEY HENDERSON IS THE FIRST
NORTHERN IRELAND BODYBUILDER
TO WIN A UKBFF BRITISH TITLE.
BY JOHN PLUMMER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER BAILEY
PHOTO CREDIT

FLEXONLINE.COM 29
30 FLEX | JUNE 2017

It’s difficult to think of many competitors
from the Emerald Isle who have forged
reputations beyond the Irish Sea. In fact,
until last year none had ever even become
a UKBFF British champion.
It is partly due to geography and
politics: the UKBFF British Championships
cater only for Irish competitors from
Northern Ireland, which is part of the
United Kingdom (the event should actually
be called the UK Championships). Also,
Ireland has traditionally been a stronghold
of other bodybuilding federations so the
UKBFF talent pool has been small,
although this has changed recently, as the
annual Northern Ireland Championships in
Belfast goes from strength-to-strength.
Stephen Graham, the man who
promotes the Belfast event, for several
years carried the torch as Northern
Ireland’s leading bodybuilder. Graham had
the distinction of winning the first ever
Amateur Olympia in 2011 but he never won
the UKBFF British Championships. That
barrier remained until last year when
Davey Henderson won the under-80 kg
middleweight title in Nottingham. At just
30 years old, he could go on to become
one of Ireland’s most celebrated
competitors.
BOXER TO
BODYBUILDER
Standing 5-ft-6 tall, at a stage weight of
78 kg, Henderson is no mass monster. In
his pre-bodybuilding days he was a
whippet-thin 68 kg amateur boxer.
Inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, he
started working out a decade ago and
got serious five years later. “I went to a
bodybuilding show and said ‘I want to do
that’,” he recalls. “Until then I was just
going through the motions.”
Henderson relished the challenge: he
won the beginners’ category at his first
show in 2012 and the following year won
the Northern Irish and British under-80
kg intermediate titles. He took 2014 off
to add size but the plan backfired. “I got
too fat,” he says bluntly. Consequently
he managed only fourth in the
middleweights at his first British finals in
2015. “I got too far behind with my diet
and ended up losing too much muscle,”
he says.
To avoid making the same mistake last
year, he gave himself six months to dial in
his condition from an offseason high of 97
kg. “I did everything slowly and had a
cheat day once a week up until the show,”
he says. “I was on 3,000 calories a day
right to the end so I still had lot of energy.”
Henderson was up against 20 other
middleweights in Nottingham, including
defending champion Stephen
Chandiwana, but was the standout pick.
His sharp conditioning brought out his
strong back and hamstrings in the key
rear poses. What was it like when his
name was announced as the winner?
“Unreal,” he says. “I had me a big,
massive yell.”
After conquering the United Kingdom,
he is now preparing to take on the
continent’s best at the Arnold Classic
Europe in Spain in September. Long
term, he has a five-year plan to move up
to the 90 kg light-heavyweights.
“Everything I have is fairly symmetrical.
The only thing I need to do is build more
muscle everywhere,” he says. Whatever
he achieves from here, he can always
look back with pride on creating a slice
of Irish history.
FLEXONLINE.COM 31
 Training at
M10 Fitness in
Nottingham
BASIC INSTINCT
Henderson, a personal trainer who works out at
Energie Fitness in Coleraine, does his own contest
prep. “I think I know my body better than anyone else
does,” he says. His approach is refreshingly simple. “I
train every body part over six days,” he says. “That
way I can fully focus on each muscle, rather than,
say, train over four days and end up going half-assed
on some body parts.”
He’s methodical, and does plenty of volume. “I
usually do five exercises and five working sets so I do
25 working sets in total,” he says. “I work in a rep range
of between 8-15, going to failure, and my last set is
32 FLEX | JUNE 2017
always either a triple drop set or rest-pause set, apart
from when I do supersets. I just do standard exercises
and absolutely hammer the muscle. Some people do
two or three working sets but I feel you have to do
more to really destroy the muscle.”
His cardio and diet are similarly straightforward.
“For the British I started off doing 30 minutes of cardio
every morning. At 12 weeks out I went up to 60 minutes
a day—30 in the morning and 30 in the afternoon—then
at six weeks out, I dropped back down to 30 minutes a
day because I was coming in too quickly. I was ready
four weeks out.” Four of his six meals a day were
identical (see meal plan sidebar). “It did get very boring
but it paid off,” he says. He has the trophy to prove it.
 “I JUST DO
STANDARD
EXERCISES AND
ABSOLUTELY
HAMMER THE
MUSCLE.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 33
TRAINING SPLIT
MONDAY Superset skull
Chest crushers with
Machine incline press weighted dips
Barbell decline bench Single arm dumbbell
press extensions behind the
Dumbbell flat bench neck
press
THURSDAY
Superset chest press Hamstrings
with pec dec or cable
flyes Seated leg curl

Calves Lying leg curl

Seated calf raises Straight-leg deadlifts
Standing calf raises Dumbbell
hyperextensions
TUESDAY
Back FRIDAY
Superset straight-arm Shoulders
pulldown with wide Smith machine press
grip lat pulldown
Superset reverse
machine
dumbbell flyes with
Seated rows standing reverse
T-bar rows cable flyes
Close grip lat Dumbbell side raises
pulldown machine Upright rows
Single arm Single-arm cable side
dumbbell rows raises
Traps
WEDNESDAY
Trap bar shrugs
Biceps
Superset hammer
SATURDAY
cable curls with
Quads
straight bar cable
Leg extensions
curls
Hack squat
Superset EZ bar curls
with seated hammer Leg press
curls Lunges
Single arm cable curls Single-leg leg press
Triceps
Superset straight bar SUNDAY
pushdowns with rope Rest
pushdowns

DIET
MEAL 1
100 g oats, 50 g whey and
1 tablespoon of peanut butter

MEAL 2
150 g chicken, 300 g white potato
or rice or oats and vegetables

MEALS 3, 4, 5 (SAME AS MEAL 2)

MEAL 6
200 g of salmon and vegetables

34 FLEX | JUNE 2017

DAVEY HENDERSON
AGE 30
Born Ballymoney,
County Antrim
LIVES Coleraine,
County Londonderry
HEIGHT 168 cm / 5 ft 6
WEIGHT 78 kg / 172 lbs
CAREER HIGHLIGHT 2016
UKBFF British middleweight
champion.
AMBITION To do well at an
international show and get a
pro card.
TRAINING ADVICE
Be consistent.
SPONSORS Avenches Biotech
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook David Henderson
IFBB middleweight bodybuilder

FLEXONLINE.COM 35
 CLASSIC CELEBRATING
THE MOST AESTHETIC

MUSCLE PHYSIQUES
OF YESTERDAY
AND TODAY

Ryan John-
START
Baptiste’s YOUR
ENGINES
his springboard The English Grand
to the Olympia Prix takes place this
stage. month.

Q The country’s most inely

tuned human engines will
be on display this month at
the English Grand Prix.
The Grand Prix is the
highlight of the summer
contest season. It ofers
the opportunity to win a
coveted national title and
receive an invitation to
compete at the big autumn
international shows,
namely the Arnold Classic
Europe and the Diamond
Cup. UKBFF president and
co-promoter Bill Tierney
has agreed that those
deemed to be of a good
enough standard also will
be invited to October’s
British Championships.
The list of previous
champions is formidable.
Ryan John-Baptiste was
the overall men’s physique
champion at the irst Grand
Prix in 2014. He went on to
turn pro and inish 11th at
last year’s Olympia.
Melissa Heywood was the
inaugural bikini itness
champion. Romane
Lanceford was among the
winners in 2015 and Alla
Meijer prevailed in bikini
itness last year. All three
are now IFBB pros.
The event, which is now
in its fourth year, takes
place at a new venue: the
Hexagon Theatre in
Reading. June also
includes the Scottish
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

Championships in Paisley
and the second-ever Julian
Feinstein Classic in
London.
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CLASSIC MUSCLE PROFILE
LIFESTYLE
CHANGE
JACOB BUTTERFIELD CANCELLED A BEACH
HOLIDAY SO THAT HE COULD GET THE ULTIMATE
BEACH BODY.
When Jacob Butterfield was
20, he went to see a bodybuilding
competition and was so inspired
that he cancelled a holiday to Ibiza,
got a coach and hasn’t looked
back since. Last year, he won
in men’s physique at the UKBFF
North Championships and finished
fourth at the Arnold Classic Europe
and third at the Diamond Cup.
FLEX: Why did seeing a contest
inspire you?
Jacob Butterfield: Imagine being
rewarded for something you
consider to be a hobby whilst
being in the best shape of your
life…that’s what I thought. I had
been training consistently from
the age of 15 and got to the point
where I wanted more for my
efforts. I was inspired by those on
stage and felt it was now or never.
What have you learned about
pushing your body to the limit?
That the main barrier to success
in everything you do is more than
likely your own thoughts and
beliefs.
What’s your training split?
I prefer to train more than one
muscle group a session, so I
usually follow a push/pull/legs
split during competition prep
and offseason. I find a higher
JACOB
BUTTERFIELD
AGE: 22
PLACE OF BIRTH: Barnsley
LIVES: Barnsley
HEIGHT: 170 cm / 5ft 7in
38 FLEX | JUNE 2016
frequency style of training with
a mixture of low and high volume
between sessions, rotating
between rep ranges of 5-12 on a
variety of exercises, to be most
effective.
How does your training change
from offseason to pre-contest?
Not much. The only differences are
that during contest prep I include
more varied training techniques,
such as drop sets to maintain
intensity, as strength gets lower. I
also do more cardio. Up to a week
out from a show, I do up to nine
sessions. The majority will always
be fasted first thing in the morning
and low intensity at a steady state
for up to 60 minutes. If I do any
extra, it is HIIT post-workout.
What’s the toughest aspect of
dieting?
The strict and intense training
regime and food aren’t a problem.
I enjoy eating healthily and never
get cravings. They’re all part
of a lifestyle aligned with my
goals. What I find hard about this
mentality is crediting myself and
being happy with where I’m at. The
social restrictions are also tough.
What do you eat pre-contest?
Every day is the same. I have a
really high carbohydrate-based
CONTEST WEIGHT: 76 kg / 168lb
CAREER HIGHLIGHT: 4th place in
junior men’s physique at 2016 Arnold
Classic Europe.
AMBITION: To help, motivate, and
inspire others as a successful
competitor and coach.
t
Meal 1 Pineapple, oats, peanut
butter, egg whites, and
spinach
Meal 2 Extra lean steak mince,
sweet potato, and
asparagus
Meal 3 Same as meal 2
Meal 4 (Pre-workout): Chicken
breast, white potato or
Basmati rice, and raisins
Meal 5 (Post-workout): Same as
meal 4
Meal 6 Whole egg and egg white
omelette with mixed
vegetables and coconut oil
Which men’s physique
competitors do you most
admire?
Ryan Terry—a fellow UK athlete
who has the best midsection
on the Olympia stage combined
with perfect size, symmetry, and
proportions. I also admire Romane
Lanceford, who is a great example
of how hard work and consistency
will get you where you want to be.
What advice would you give
anyone thinking of competing?
Make sure you have a substantial
amount of training experience
and solid dietary foundations to
start with, invest in a coach, make
sure your reason for wanting to
compete is meaningful and believe
in yourself but be prepared to lose
– you can’t win them all. You have
to love the process and not just
the thought of winning. It will be
physically and mentally challenging
but the rewards and lessons make
it all worthwhile
TRAINING ADVICE: Lift heavy, but
lift smart. Don’t compromise form for
load, but always make sure you’re
pushing yourself to failure. Muscular
failure, not mental.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: butterfield.jacob
Facebook: JBFITNESSONLINE
 BY JOHN PLUMMER

“THE MAIN
BARRIER TO
SUCCESS IN
EVERYTHING
YOU DO IS
YOUR OWN
THOUGHTS
AND BELIEFS.”
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

FLEXONLINE.COM 39
 CLASSIC MUSCLE PROFILE

CHELSEA
GIRL
BRITISH JUNIOR BIKINI
FITNESS CHAMPION
CHELSEA DYSON

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS.
bikini pro.
Former ballet dancer
Chelsea Dyson is leaping
rapidly to the top in bikini
fitness. After a trophy-
laden junior career,
she’s now preparing to
enter the senior ranks
where she aims to
become Britain’s
youngest bikini pro.

40 FLEX | JUNE 2016


FLEX: Why did you get into
bodybuilding?
Chelsea Dyson: When I
decided to step away from
dancing, I started at the gym.
For the irst six months, I didn’t
really know what I was doing. I
then met my partner, Sukhi,
and he taught me everything I
now know. I’ve always been
active and competitive and
never settle for less than the
best.
How has dance influenced
your training?
It taught me discipline
and built the foundations to
the mental and physical
strength I now have. Ballet
also had a big impact on my
lower body shape: it made me
quad dominant so I now focus
on a lot of hamstring and glute
work and adapt certain
exercises to take the focus
away from my quads. For
instance, I opt for a wide
stance when squatting and
avoid any quad isolation work.
Give a brief overview of
your contest career so far.
I did my irst competition in
2014 with no expectations
besides pushing myself to be
in the best shape of my life.
Never did I think that, three
years later, I’d be in prep for
the IFBB European
Championships. In that time,
I’ve done 11 shows and won 11
trophies and I don’t plan to
stop anytime soon.
What do you do
in a typical week?
Sukhi guides me through
ofseason and prep. During
the 8 to 12 weeks of contest
prep, I train purely for
aesthetics so I do mostly
hypertrophy training, as I
ind this works best for me.
My split is:
Day 1 Shoulders and abs
Day 2 Legs
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY
Day 3 Back
Day 4 Arms and abs
Day 5 Hamstring and glutes
Day 6 Cardio and abs
Day 7 Rest
How does this vary for the
rest of the year?
During ofseason I tend to
train according to how I feel. I
enjoy strength training, so I
increase the weights and
lower my rep range then
I change back to a six-day
hypertrophy split, which
shocks my body and
keeps things interesting.
I’m a lot more relaxed
during this time.
Why do you train abs so
frequently?
When I started weight training,
I had a lower back injury.
Strengthening my core has
helped my recovery a lot. I
have a naturally slim waist and
think part of the overall
package of a bikini athlete
includes having a toned
stomach. I don’t believe that
training abs makes the waist
thicker but I don’t spend hours
training them either. Ten
minutes at the end of every
other session is the perfect
balance for me.
What do you do for cardio?
Cardio increases and
decreases depending on how
I progress over the weeks
during prep. A low cardio
week would usually consist of
three to four 10-20 minute
LISS sessions after training
on the stepper or Stairmaster.
A high cardio week would
increase to around ive
sessions of mainly HIIT sprints
outside or on the treadmill.
CHELSEA DYSON
AGE 23
Barnsley
LIVES Barnsley
HEIGHT 165 cm / 5 ft 5
WEIGHT 56 kg / 123 lbs
CAREER HIGHLIGHT
2016 British Junior Bikini Fitness
Champion.
BY JOHN PLUMMER
What changes
would you like to make
to your physique?
I want to improve my
overall shape by gaining
slightly more muscle while
staying balanced. My main
focus in my current prep
is to improve my shoulders
and glutes.
Who is your
favourite bikini competitor
and why?
Janet Layug. From day one,
I admired her image onstage
and of. When it comes to
training motivation, I watch
old Olympia videos and loved
Dexter Jackson’s Olympia
prep series.
What are your plans
for 2017?
I’m no longer a junior, so I am
now focusing on competing
in the open class. I’ll be
competing at the IFBB
Europeans in May then the
Arnold Classic Europe,
British Championships and
World Championships at the
end of the year. In between
all that, I’ll be taking some
downtime and visiting the
United States.
Will you ever change
classes?
For me the bikini class is
where I belong. I love my
shape how it is and will
continue to improve for the
stage. I think my body shape
best suits bikini.
AMBITION To be the
youngest British IFBB bikini pro.
TRAINING ADVICE
Train with a purpose and enjoy
the journey.
SPONSORS
Pro Supps and Sparkle Bikini
SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram@chelseadfit
Facebook: @chelseadfit
FLEXONLINE.COM 41
CLASSIC MUSCLE LOOKING BACK

42 FLEX | JUNE 2017

BY CHRIS LUND & LOU FERRIGNO PHOTOS BY CHRIS LUND

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

LOU FERRIGNO:

FLEXONLINE.COM 43
CLASSIC MUSCLE LOOKING BACK
Lou reflects upon
his bodybuilding
comeback after
17 years.

44 FLEX | JUNE 2017


■ When Lou Ferrigno placed third
in the heavyweight class at the
1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia, he
instantly became the most
famous bodybuilder in the world.
Not simply because the moment
is captured forever in the cult
classic, Pumping Iron. It was also
due to the fact that Arnold had
just announced his retirement,
and “Big Lou” appeared poised to
take his place.
Lou had all the necessary
ingredients to become the next
Mr. Olypmia. At 6’5” and 268
pounds, he had the biggest arms
and chest in bodybuilding, and
the drive and desire to match.
Instead, he became even more
famous by winning the title role
in the television series Incredible
Hulk and didn’t stand on a
bodybuilding stage for another
17 years!
I first met Lou Ferrigno in Gold’s
gym in 1980 when he was still
starring in the Incredible Hulk on
TV. Lou always kept in top shape
despite his long and arduous
filming schedule, and when he
found out that I had photographed
Sergio Oliva in Paris, France, at
Serge Nubret’s show, he was all
over me with nonstop questions
about the Myth.
“What did his arms look like?
Does he still have that amazing
taper? Was he in great shape?”
And so on. In fact, he asked me
so many questions that it was
almost unreal, and together with
Samir Bannout, I would have to
say that he was the greatest
lover of bodybuilding that I ever
met. But Lou wasn’t merely the
heir apparent to Arnold
Schwarzenegger, he was now
already a household name. Deep
down, though, it was clear that
he still really wanted to be Mr.
Olympia. The Incredible Hulk still
felt as if he was living in Arnold’s
shadow!
In 1992, after 17 long years,
Lou Ferrigno surprised everyone
when he made the brave
decision to return to the world
of pro bodybuilding, and I was
lucky enough to watch him train
and prepare for the 1992 Mr.
Olympia in Helsinki, Finland.
Lou trained exactly the same
way as he did back in the
seventies. He worked each body
part twice a week, in 12 total
sets, consisting of three
exercises for 8-12 reps. This
time, he added cardio, which
meant he could eat greater
amounts of food. When asked
whether he trained for just a
pump or to muscular failure. He
replied, “Both.”
A few weeks before the
contest, I photographed Lou
training his deltoids at
Bodymasters, and he discussed
his shoulder training.
“Whenever I encounter a
plateau in my training (and it
happens from time to time,
particularly at the advanced
level), I immediately begin
varying my routine in an effort
to hit the muscle in a slightly
different fashion. I rely on
assorted techniques
depending on the problem
muscle, but one of my all-time
favourites is the pre-
exhaustion principle,
particularly when it comes to
delt training.
FLEXONLINE.COM 45
CLASSIC MUSCLE LOOKING BACK
In conventional shoulder
training, bodybuilders prefer to
start with heavy basic
movements, followed by
isolation exercises. For
example, presses behind the
neck would be followed (after a
rest, of course) by standing
dumbbell laterals. Next would
be dumbbell bentover laterals.
However, there comes a time
when even a tried-and-true
routine like this becomes
unproductive. The reason? The
muscle and neural pathways
have become so accustomed
to the stresses of this
particular routine that the
tissue refuses to respond any
further to the same old
stimulus.
Whenever this happens, I
slip into pre-exhaust mode. For
shoulders, I’ll reverse the usual
approach by commencing with
my isolation movement,
standing dumbbell side
laterals, to the point of
muscular failure. Then, rather
than put the weights down and
rest until I’m able to perform
another set of side laterals, I’ll
immediately hike the dumbbells
to my shoulders and perform
standing (or seated) dumbbell
presses until failure. Man! What
a killer!!
I find that this type of
superset is unbeatable for
really flushing the entire deltoid
complex with blood and the
resulting pump is unbelievable!
The theory behind pre-
SHOULDER ROUTINES
PRE-EXHAUST ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Standing Dumbell
Side Laterals 4 10
Pre-Exhausted with
Standing Dumbell Press 4 10
Seated Bent Over
Dumbell Laterals 4 12
46 FLEX | JUNE 2017
exhaustion is pretty sound,
too. Whenever you start with a
deltoid compound movement,
the smallest muscle involved in
the exercise will give out first.
In this case, that means the
triceps. The triceps cave in
long before the larger deltoid
complex has reached a state of
full stimulation. To get around
this problem, I perform my
lateral raises (an isolation
movement) first, to pre-fatigue
the deltoids. This way, when I
move on to my shoulder
presses, my already-zapped
deltoids continue contracting
beyond normal failure, due to
the assistance of the (as then)
untaxed triceps muscles.
It doesn’t really matter if you
use dumbbells, barbells, or
machines for the pressing part
of your superset. The only key
factor is one of time. You must
not rest at all between the two
movements. The transition time
from laterals to presses must
literally be “zero.” It goes
without saying that you must
maintain strict form, and
nothing sloppy, so as to ensure
minimized potential for injury to
the delicate shoulder-girdle
structure.
Give this technique a try if
you’ve been experiencing some
difficulty in firing up your delts.
I guarantee that, within a few
workouts, you’ll have
monstrous deltoid caps
blasting outwards in new
growth.”
REGULAR ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Standing Dumbell Press 4 10
Standing Dumbell
Side Laterals 4 12
Seated Bentover
Dumbell Laterals 4 12
chest in bodybuilding.

FLEXONLINE.COM 47
CLASSIC MUSCLE LOOKING BACK
Lou Ferrigno placed 12th at
the 1992 Mr. Olympia, the year
Dorian Yates won, but this only
encouraged him to train even
harder for the 1993 event.
However, he would be the first
to tell you that he had a lot to
learn, because, let’s face it, the
sport had changed so much
while he had been away. When
Lou was trying to win the Mr.
Olympia back in the 1970s, there
were only a few great
48 FLEX | JUNE 2017
bodybuilders to compete
against. 17 years later, he would
face at least 20 of the greatest
competitors in the world, each
of them in a muscular shape
unheard of back in the
seventies.
Before the 1992 “comeback”
Olympia, Lou followed a three-
on/one-off split routine right up
to the day of the contest, and he
also did aerobics right up to the
day of the show, every day, for
two hours a day!
For the 1993 event, Lou
changed his training regime to
four days on, one day off, and
he didn’t train as heavy as he
used to. He just kept training
harder and harder so that his
muscles would take on that look
of maturity. As a result, he
weighed in at an incredible 320
pounds with only 9% body fat.
He had all the size he ever
needed, so he simply tried his
 CAREER
■ 1971 Pro Mr. America
- WBBG, Teen, 1st
Teen Mr. America
- AAU, Most
Muscular, 5th
Teen Mr. America
- AAU, 4th
■ 1972 Pro Mr. America
- WBBG, 2nd,
Mr. Universe -
NABBA,
Tall, 2nd
■ 1973 Mr. America
- IFBB, Tall, 1st,
Mr. America -
IFBB, Overall
Winner , Universe
- IFBB, Tall, 1st,
Universe - IFBB,
Overall Winner
■ 1974 Mr. International
- IFBB, Tall, 1st,
Mr. International
- IFBB, Overall
Winner ,Olympia
- IFBB,
Heavyweight,
2nd, Universe -
IFBB, Tall, 1st,
Universe - IFBB,
Overall Winner
■ 1975 Olympia - IFBB,
Heavyweight,
3rd
■ 1992 Olympia -
IFBB, 12th
■ 1993 Olympia -
IFBB, 10th
■ 1994 Olympia -
Masters -
IFBB, 2nd

best to build more density and
detail in his muscles.
He also drastically changed
his diet, because the next time
Lou Ferrigno stepped on that Mr.
Olympia stage, he planned to be
the biggest bodybuilder the
world had ever seen. To do this,
he needed to totally revamp his
whole nutritional program. Here
is what he had to say:
I ate a very balanced diet, one
that was high in carbohydrates,
(about 60%), low in fat (maybe
15%), and moderate in protein
(25%). The fact that I’m a big guy
simply means more portions of
these macronutrients than
someone of a lesser
bodyweight.
As a rule, I didn’t eat a lot of
meat; the beef I did consume
(like flank steak, which I had
ground) was very lean. Apart
from that, my protein was
derived mainly from fish,
chicken, and egg whites, while
my carbohydrates came largely
from fruits, vegetables, and
oatmeal.
While my fat intake in the
offseason was low, I still took in
more fat than I normally would
before a contest. However, my
diet was never as strenuous as
it was pre-contest. The
difference in my off-season
nutritional practice before the
1993 Mr. Olympia, compared to

FLEXONLINE.COM 49
CLASSIC MUSCLE LOOKING BACK
what it was in 1992, is that I did
much more cardiovascular work
during the off-season. This
allowed me to keep my calories
and muscle mass up while
keeping my metabolism primed
so that I didn’t have to sacrifice
the last four months to bring my
muscularity up. I was thus able
to keep my bodyweight roughly
10 pounds over contest weight
until four weeks out, when I then
concentrated on doing some
finetuning instead of crash
dieting. Back then, I was taking
in about 5,500 calories a day,
There were only 3 great
bodybuilders who had
any chance of winning
the 1994 Masters
Mr Olympia. Boyer Coe,
Lou Ferrigno and
Robby Robinson.
50 FLEX | JUNE 2017
but two weeks out from the
contest, I increased it to 7,000!
At the 1992 Mr. Olympia, I
made the mistake of decreasing
my calories, which left me
looking flat. In 1993, I was in my
best shape two weeks before
the show then I built up the
calories again so that my
muscles filled out properly.
The most important thing to
remember when upping your
calories before a contest is to
keep your body fat low. To do so,
you must prime your metabolism
through the offseason with
adequate aerobic work then
really eat heartily, but stay lean
the week before the contest.
Obviously, I wanted to get my
waist as small and tight as
possible, but to accomplish that,
I had to diet so as not to deplete
my body’s glycogen stores. I
upped my carbs and proteins,
but I made it a point to reduce
my fat intake even more.
Water intake was another
important factor in attempting to
reach maximum levels of
muscularity. I didn’t cut back on
my water at all, and I switched
over to distilled water two days
before the show because it has
no sodium, which retains water
and causes the bodybuilder to
look bloated and puffy onstage.
I also don’t believe in taking
diuretics to eliminate interstitial
fluid, because that leads to the
loss of too much water and size.
This time Lou looked fantastic
and managed to place 10th at
the 1993 Mr. Olympia. He wasn’t
really sure what to do next,
when suddenly right out of the
blue, the IFBB announced that a
Masters Mr. Olympia was being
introduced in 1994, and at the
age of 41, Lou Ferrigno
immediately threw his hat into
the ring. Basically, there were
only three great bodybuilders
who had any chance of winning
this show, and Lou, after his two
previous attempts at the big one,
was, to his surprise, the odd’s-
on favourite to take the show.
The other two competitors
were Boyer Coe and Robby
Robinson, who had always kept in
tremendous shape even if they
had not been competing regularly.
In the end, it came down to a very
close fight to the finish between
these three great legendary
bodybuilders, and Robby, who
had been secretly training in
Europe produced a physique
package that was simply faultless.
He took the title due to his
superior shape, symmetry and
fantastic contest condition.
After this show, Lou
finally called it a day and retired
from the terrific physical demands
of pro bodybuilding. Since then,
he has continued to fare well in
the world of entertainment all over
the world. Today aged 65, he is
content and happy that his
bodybuilding competitions are
behind him. Because, let’s face it,
he really did try his absolute best
to win that elusive Mr. Olympia
crown, and despite the fact that
he continues to be the best-
known bodybuilder in the world
after Arnold, he is still one of
the greatest bodybuilders of
all time. FLEX
Lou poses with
his friend and
master trainer
Joe Weider.
FLEXONLINE.COM 51
1 SET
ST ALL THE HOT
TOPICS IN
BODYBUILDING
& FITNESS

The pump.

indicator that
your workout

working.

your muscles
swell.

PAVEL Y THJALL
 1ST SET ASK THE CHAMP By Anth Bailes, IFBB Pro and 2012 British Champion

10 GOLDEN RULES
OF CONTEST PREP
SUMMER IS COMING AND YOU WANT TO ENTER YOUR FIRST CONTEST. IT’S
TIME TO SHED SOME FAT AND SEE WHAT IS UNDERNEATH. HERE ARE 10
RULES TO GET YOU THERE
1 START EARLY
Better to be ahead of schedule than behind
and risk drastic measures, such as going
extremely low on carbs or doing hours of
cardio. Leave it late and you’ll probably end
up looking lat, drained, and tired. I usually
start 20 weeks out. Don’t be afraid of being
ready too early. It’s far easier to pull back
and cruise in than play catch up.
2 PREPARE FOOD IN ADVANCE
This is the single most important factor—
and the simplest—that will determine
whether you get in shape, yet surprisingly
few guys do it. Weigh and cook your food
the night before, or prep a few days of
food and freeze it. Never risk leaving meal
prep to the morning of the day ahead. You
will get in a rush and it won’t happen. You
cannot aford bad days.
tired and lack energy. Doing 10-20 minutes
every day will pay dividends. You can
always tell who practised.
7 DON’T OVERTHINK IT
Bodybuilding is a visual and critical sport,
so it’s diicult to stay positive. Try not to
stress too much if the scales don’t say
what you want and avoid checking your
physique several times a day. It will drive
you crazy. Just focus on doing the right
things every day. Take weekly progress
photos and adjust as necessary.
Bodybuilding is simple when you break it
down: eat the right foods in correct
amounts, train as hard as you can and rest
as much as possible.
8 KEEP TRAINING HEAVY
As the contest approaches, do not change
to lifting lighter weights and doing more
sets and reps in the belief this will cut you
up. It won’t. Keep training as hard and as
heavy as you can until at least a couple of
weeks out.
9 GET CARDIO RIGHT
Some need lots; others don’t. Some prefer
high intensity; others prefer low intensity.
Whatever works for you, start early. I
prefer low intensity cardio for longer
durations. It seems to preserve muscle.
10 MAKE SMALL
ADJUSTMENTS
If the scales or progress pictures don’t
change, make only minor adjustments. I
typically increase cardio by 15-minute
increments and reduce carbs in 30-gram
increments.

3 SET SMALL GOALS

I usually set a weight loss goal of 2 lbs per
week. If you lose 3-4 lbs a week, your
calories are probably too low and you risk
losing muscle. Expect a larger drop in the
irst week of dieting. This is just water
weight. It’s not uncommon for me to lose
6-7 lbs in the irst week. Adjust
accordingly: the scales aren’t everything,
but they ofer a good gauge.

4 TAKE WEEKLY
PROGRESS PICTURES
As mentioned, scales don’t tell everything.
This is where progress pictures come in
handy. Take photos of all your poses at the
same time each week, in the same lighting.
I prefer to do it irst thing in the morning
before having any food or water.

5 DO NOT LISTEN TO TOO

MANY PEOPLE’S ADVICE
This is a big problem in this day and age
when everyone and his dog has an opinion
on the internet. There are many diferent
methods, but listening to ive diferent ones
is a recipe for disaster. If you hire a coach,
an increasingly common thing these days,
stick to their methods. If they don’t work,
put it down to experience and maybe try
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

The moment
somebody else next time, but don’t juggle
that makes it
three or four methods at once.
all worthwhile.
Anth on stage
6 PRACTICE POSING in Toronto.
This frequently gets neglected. Don’t leave
it until the last few weeks when you are

54 FLEX | JUNE 2016

 BY PHIL HEATH
SIX-TIME MR. OLYMPIA (2011-16) ASK THE CHAMP

FOCUS
ON THE
GOOD
HEATH TALKS
ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF
BODYBUILDING
AND HANGING
OUT WITH
OTHER PROS.

this sport. Don’t let the that are going to last—

Internet drag us down.” that time I worked out
in Russia with Dexter,
DO YOU HANG or that time we drove
OUT WITH around Moscow
OR TRAIN WITH together. When it’s all
OTHER PROS MORE said and done, we’ll
Stop the hate that WHEN YOU TRAVEL have photos that will
comes after someone FOR CONTESTS? lead to stories, more
wins. That negativity You know what, not as than just memories of
WHAT DO YOU is dragging us all much as I think I should. planes and stages. In
THINK OF THE down. Everyone who I’m always game for the movie Pumping
FUTURE OF competes and wins either of those things, Iron, they held genuine
THE SPORT OF should be exalted. but the others, for relationships. I don’t
BODYBUILDING? Everyone likes to say whatever reason, not understand why more
that bodybuilding is so much. If I’m in guys don’t take me up
If you listened to what dying. It’s growing! It’s Moscow with Dexter on the offer, on the road
David Pecker said at the growing in so many Jackson, I’m going to or at home. When you
last Olympia, he was ways! Be positive about say to him, “How about have a champ offering
stressing that everyone that fact. This is all we train together? How to train with you, why
who has an interest in David Pecker’s way of about we go check out not? I relished the
PER BERNAL

the sport needs to saying “I’m all in—show the city?” Because opportunity, myself,
stop being so negative. the world that you like those are the memories when I had the chance.

FLEXONLINE.COM 55
 1ST SET ASK THE CHAMP BY FLEX LEWIS, FIVE-TIME
OLYMPIA 212 SHOWDOWN WINNER

OVERSEAS
INTERESTS
BRINGING THE IRON TRADE
TO FANS WORLDWIDE. so great we would have the training, I especially
done two days. The enjoy teaching the small
tickets sold in a day! By tricks—twists and
the time I got around to turns of the wrists and
at a lot of those events putting up an Instagram moves like that—and
right now. to talk about it, the I wanted them to
organizers called me to get the full experience
DOES A STREAK OF WHAT IS say, “No, no, no—it’s all and to make sure
14 CONSECUTIVE PROJECT sold out!” the information was
PRO WINS FLEX KOREA? Project Flex Korea is delivered correctly, and
It’s the same model we a fantastic experience. it ended up that I was
MAKE YOU MORE
use for Project Flex There’s usually a there seven hours!
SELECTIVE ABOUT
in the United States— seminar, a Q&A portion, There are two
WHICH SHOWS
this is the second year and a training section, interpreters and staff
TO ENTER?
I’ve done it while I was with posing at the end. to provide support.
Not really. I really enjoy there for the Korea The session normally Not knowing the
doing the Grand Prix Grand Prix 212 [which lasts two to three demand ahead of time,
shows, travelling to Lewis won for the third hours, but in 2016, that they gave us a small
see fans in diferent time in 2016]. It was wouldn’t have been gym to work with,
countries, so I try to only a one-day camp, enough. The people but we made it work. It
PER BERNAL

participate in those but if we’d known who attended loved it— was really an incredible
contests, but they the response to the they were soaking it up, experience for
haven’t been doing 212 opportunity would be absorbing it all. During everyone involved.

56 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 BY GREG MERRITT RETRO

ELMOUSSAWI’S
HIGH-REP BICEPS ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Alternate Dumbbell Curl 4 50, 20, 15, 40*
One-arm Preacher Curl 4 50, 20, 15, 40*
Alternate Hammer Curl 4 50, 20, 15, 40*
One-arm Cable Curl 4 50, 20, 15, 40*
Concentration Curl 4 50, 20, 15, 40*

Dropset with four subsets of 10 reps.

MOE ON
BICEPS
TRAINING
“I do one
workout of five
exercises,
four sets each
and eight to 10
reps per set.”

“The next workout

I do all high reps
and dropsets.”

MOE on contracting

ELMOUSSAWI
HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST-ARMED
MEN IN THE 2008 AND 2009 OLYMPIAS

Moe Elmoussawi Olympia—his career bodybuilders do in a over his 12-show,

liked high reps—did he high point—and it’s biceps routine. The ive-year career. (He
ever! For a while he a little less of an mega reps didn’t was third in the 2008
cranked out 1,000 per endurance test (he transform all of the Ironman Pro, won by
body part in sets of 50 alternated it with a 175-cm Lebanese- Phil Heath, and second
to 100. The routine moderate-volume native into a Goliath, the next year.) He
below was the one he workout). Still, its tally but his arms were two last competed
used before placing of 625 reps is about of the best in every in 2011. Settling in
ninth in the 2008 four times what most contest he entered, New Zealand after a
including the 2008 and stint in California, the
2009 Olympias. Though entrepreneurial
he cracked the top 10 immigrant focused on
FLEX FACT in both of those expanding his sports
PAVEL Y THJALL

When he won the Mr. Lebanon as a teenager, appearances, ahead of nutrition business.
Elmoussawi was training only his arms. several legends, he Today, he’s also an IFBB
never won a pro show oicial and promoter.

FLExONLINE.COM 57
1ST SET ASK MERLIN
ASK
MERLIN
talks about how creating an
intense muscle pump compares
favourably to the euphoria
brought about by having sex!
FOR ACHIEVING THE Now, while I am not sure I
BEST PUMP POSSIBLE, can quite get fully onboard
WHAT ARE SOME
with that thought process, I
THINGS THAT ARE definitely agree that engorging
NECESSARY, AS FAR the target muscle(s) with large
AS NUTRITION AND quantities of blood during a
SUPPLEMENTS, balls-to-the-wall workout
BEFORE TRAINING? is certainly a special feeling.
—Andy T It is as if your muscles are
literally growing right before
In the legendary film Pumping your eyes—and the tighter your
Iron, Arnold Schwarzenegger clothes begin to fit, the more
58 FLEX | JUNE 2017
Eric Broser (below) sure practises
what he preaches! Broser has been
a mainstay at world-famous Gold’s
Gym in Venice, California, where he
has been training clients for years.
psyched up you tend to get!
However, it’s vital to understand
that a skin-bursting pump is
actually more than just a
wonderful sensation—it’s also a
solid indication that you are well
rested, properly nourished, and
adequately focused on your
training. In addition, maximizing
vasodilation to the working
muscles will assist greatly in
igniting hypertrophy by feeding
them with essential nutrients
like amino acids, anabolic
hormones, oxygen, and more. So
how do we best use food and
supplements before we hit the
PAVEL Y THJALL; MICHAEL NEVEUX
gym so that a wicked pump is
only a few sets away?
HYDRATE HEARTILY
Do you want your muscles to
look like raisins or grapes? Well, I
hope you said grapes, my fellow
FLEX readers. Raisins are
dehydrated and, because of

this, look shrivelled and lifeless,
while grapes are full of water,
and thus plump and juicy. Think
of your muscles in the same
way and you will understand why
it is so important to drink ample
amounts of fluid in the hour or so
leading up to your workout and
throughout the session as well.
CARB CONSCIOUSLY
Make sure you’re taking in
enough quality carbohydrates,
such as oatmeal, rice, potatoes,
quinoa, whole-grain bread,
fruit, etc., with the meals
preceding your workout so that
your muscles are filled to the
brim with glycogen (stored
carbohydrate). Without adequate
glycogen stores, the muscle
cells will be depleted of water and
thus will not pump up maximally,
no matter how hard you train.
SMART SUPPLEMENTING
Nitric oxide (NO) is a naturally
produced molecule in our bodies
that can help dilate (open up)
blood vessels, allowing more
blood to freely flow throughout
the body (right to your awaiting
If you have something you would like to ask Merlin, send him an e-mail
at bodyfx2@aol.com
BY ERIC “MERLIN” BROSER
muscles). Utilizing supplements
(within 30 to 45 minutes of your
workout) that contain ingredients
such as arginine, citrulline malate,
agmatine, beetroot, betaine,
grape skin extract, hawthorn,
and others can boost one’s levels
of NO and thereby assist in
creating a far more wicked
muscle pump. Additionally, I highly
recommend the use of glycerol
and creatine, both of which
draw fluid directly into muscle
cells, pushing the pump
perpetually higher.
FLEXONLINE.COM 59
1ST SET WEIDER ATHLETES WEIGH IN

SHAWN RHODEN
How do you it the responsibilities
of running your own show [the
Shawn Rhoden Classic] into
your training schedule?
A: It’s not easy. There’s a lot
to do. I mean, really, we start
planning for next year’s show
the day after the contest is over.

MAMDOUH
I have a great support staf
now, and As Asu [head of IFBB
Philippines] is a great partner
in the efort. My head judge is
Carlos, and he is a tremendous

ELSSBIAY
help in both the Philippines and
in Puerto Rico, where he’s from.
The show grows every year,
so we keep needing a bigger
venue. You never want a venue
JASON BREEZE; PAVEL Y THJALL

that’s too big, but you need one

Which body part is the most challenging for you to it everybody. It’s really a
to build and maintain?
money, that’s for sure. The irst
A: For me all the body parts are important to develop equally.
two years, we ended up in the
Of course, if you don’t train properly, and you don’t keep your red, and in 2016 the inancial
diet, you can’t maintain the quality of the muscles, so that is picture was a little better.
the foundation to build on. I do work harder, though, on my
calves and hamstrings to have a proportionate development.

60 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 STEVE KUCLO
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced running your own gym?
A:
WILLIAM
BONAC
Do you change your posing
routine or your music for
each contest on a tour?
JUAN MOREL A: Yes, I do—it’s a small
Do you like the idea of competing onstage with icons like effort to do so, plus it’s
Kevin Levrone and Flex Wheeler? boring constantly doing
A: It would be an honour to be on a stage competing with either of the same routine with the
those guys. It would be sort of unbelievable. It’s hard to say how same song. I don’t practise
many of the current group of competitors were originally inspired my routine. I just go out
to compete because they saw either of those guys competing there and freestyle it—just
years ago. We all look at their videos to learn about how to do it improvise with my posing
onstage, how to pose, how to make an impression. They’re the in the moment. So don’t
best of the best. It would be amazing to have a chance to be next ever ask me to repeat my
to either of them onstage. routine, because I can’t!

DANY
GARCIA
It’s still months away,
CHARLES LOW THIAN; PER BERNAL; PAVEL Y THJALL; JAMES PATRICK

but any hints about

what’s planned for the
2017 Olympia
Weekend?
A: That would ruin the
surprise! Beyond
promising that it will
be an amazing event,
all I can say is that my
Seven Bucks Produc-
tion co-founder,
Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson, and I are truly
excited about this
opportunity to shine a
global spotlight on our
world of health, fitness,
and bodybuilding.

ASK THE ATHLETES Have a question for our Weider Athletes? Ask it on the FLEX Facebook page for a chance to see it here.

FLEXONLINE.COM 61
1ST SET ASK LEE

HEAT
BURNS
MEAT
THIS TRAINING
STYLE CAN HELP
YOU GET THE
BEST OF BOTH
WORLDS—SIZE
AND LEANNESS—
ALL AT ONCE

CAN I GAIN MUSCLE

WHILE ALSO LOSING
FAT OR DO I HAVE
TO CHOOSE ONE
OR THE OTHER?
Being able to develop
good lean muscle
while dropping body fat
at the same time
should always be the concept I call “Heat while you’re doing little or no rest in
goal, whether you’re Burns Meat.” When you mass-gaining between sets to keep
competing or just put a steak on the grill, movements allows the heart rate up and
training for a quality what happens? Once you to achieve this. maximize thermogenesis
physique. In my opinion, heat gets to it, the fat For example, if we’re to burn fat.
it’s all about combining starts to melt away. looking at a chest and I would perform
COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS

quality and quantity Well, the body works in biceps workout, I would multiple “triplets” in this
instead of choosing the same way. To put on group the two body fashion (usually three
between the two. muscle size doesn’t parts together in a groups), three to four
The type of training mean we have to get superset fashion, but sets of each. Because
that has to be done in fat in order to do that. I then also add either an I’m training completely
order to achieve this want to make sure that abdominal move or a different muscle groups
entails combining I’m seeing my quality short bout of cardio with each exercise,
fundamental mass- muscle as it’s being (around 60 seconds) as each one is allowed
gaining movements with developed, instead of it a third exercise. I would enough time to recover,
cardio, where the two being hidden beneath a perform one set of each allowing me to use a
are happening at the bunch of body fat. (chest, then biceps, heavier weight on
same time. This is a Incorporating cardio then abs or cardio) with successive sets.

62 FLEX | JUNE 2017


You can incorporate
this Heat Burns Meat
concept with all
Exercise major muscle groups.
I like to do the same
Bench Press 8–10
type of routine as above
8–10 for back and shoulders—
20 three different
groupings of back and
NOTES: shoulder exercises with
abs/cardio added in.
Start with your major
mass-building exercises
Exercise
early on (pulldowns
and barbell bentover
Incline Barbell Press 8–10 rows for back,
Incline Dumbbell Curl overhead presses for
8–10 shoulders), and then
move to isolation
exercises (seated cable
NOTES: rows for back, lateral
raises for delts).
I typically train
legs on their own but
still in a similar fashion.
Exercise
I prefer pre-exhaust
8–10 in this case, in which
Concentration Curl 8–10 I start with leg
Incline Situp 20
extensions or leg
presses, then move to
NOTES: squats, then finish
CHRIS LUND
with crunches or leg
raises for the abs.
For hamstrings, I’ll do
63 FLEX | JUNE 2017
BY LEE HANEY
stiff-leg deadlifts,
followed by leg curls,
and then crunches.
I don’t recommend
doing a standard cardio
movement when
training legs—there’s
no need to, since your
leg movements are
taxing enough. That
said, battling ropes are
a great cardio choice
when training legs
because they use the
upper body and give
the lower body a rest.
The one body part
I haven’t mentioned
here is triceps. I
typically train triceps
after training chest in
the same workout. I
would do the above
chest/biceps/abs/
cardio workout, then
train triceps along with
calves after that.
Give this Heat Burns
Meat style of training
a try to ensure you’re
getting leaner while
building muscle.
That’s the way it should
always be!
FLEXONLINE.COM 63
 LIFT TRAINING
TIPS TO POWER
UP YOUR
WORKOUTS

The move
pictured here

PAVEL Y THJALL

64 FLEX | JUNE 2017

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LIFT TRAINING STYLES

POWER HOW TO COMBINE BODYBUILDING

AND POWERLIFTING.

BODYBUILDING
Powerlifters and bodybuilders
are like quarrelling brothers.
Some diferences they can never
fully bridge and yet, for better
or worse, they remain closely
related. They do many of the
same exercises. Bodybuilders
squat, deadlift, and bench press,
just as powerlifters may crank
out sets of triceps extensions,
POWER barbell rows, and dumbbell lyes.
BODYBUILDING A few bodybuilders—most
BASICS especially Johnnie Jackson,
Stan Eferding, and, in his early
years, Ronnie Coleman—have
powerlifts—
combined powerlifting and
bodybuilding to great efect.
deadlifts, and
They’ve ended the tif and used
bench presses—
a lower-rep, power-intense
in your workout
approach to bodybuilding to
programme.
become both stronger and larger.
Do the powerlifts
first in your leg RAISING THE DEAD
(squat), back
The powerlifting and bodybuilding
(deadlift), and
connection has been long and
chest (bench
strong. Two-time Mr. Olympia
press) routines.
Franco Columbu started as a
European champion powerlifter in
powerlifts,
the ’60s. His best reported lifts of
a 341-kg deadlift, 302-kg squat,
and 238-kg bench press are
remarkable when you consider
the 165-cm Sardinian strongman
competed at around 84 kg.
Though not quite as strong, his
best friend Arnold
Schwarzenegger also powerlifted
competitively, deadlifting 322 in
his last meet in 1968 when he was
already Mr. Universe.
Let’s zero in on the deadlift,
because unlike the squat and
the bench press, deads have
had an uneasy relationship
with bodybuilding. In fact, if
you look at the routines of most
champion bodybuilders before
the mid-1990s, deadlifts are
rarely there. To dead or not to
dead was one of the chief things
PAVEL Y THJALL

that separated powerlifters from

their bodybuilding brethren,
and it was mostly the rare hybrid
powerlifter-bodybuilder who

66 FLEX | JUNE 2017


pulled weights from the floor yet arguably the two greatest backs
also worked to widen his back. ever to unfurl, deadlifts became
But with the 14-Olympia-win very much a bodybuilder thing.
string (1992–2005) of Dorian And so they have been ever
Yates followed by Ronnie since. Following Yates’ lead, some
Coleman, both of whom included bodybuilders do deads last in
deads in their workouts and had their back routines, so they don’t
need to go so heavy. But a
power-bodybuilding routine
places a premium on increasing
strength in the three power lifts,
and thus schedules each of
POWER them—squats for legs, bench
BODYBUILDING press for chest, and deadlifts for
BACK ROUTINE back—first in their respective
EXERCISE SETS REPS
workouts.
Deadlift 5 10–4 POWER GRAB
4 6–8 In addition to focusing on
4 6–8 the three power lifts, the other
thing that distinguishes power-
6–8
bodybuilding is its emphasis on
heavy sets of relatively low reps.
Most sets should be in the six- to
BY GREG MERRITT
eight-rep range. Strength is the
goal, not the pump, so skip
techniques like dropsets and
supersets. Instead, rely on
forced reps or cheating to eke
out another rep or two. Watch
power bodybuilders Branch
Warren and Johnnie Jackson
charge through a brutal session,
and you’ll quickly understand
that—on exercises like pulldowns,
dumbbell laterals, and EZ-bar
curls—they’d rather loosen their
form to keep a set going than stay
strict and miss out on that extra
rep. After all, it’s those extra reps
over the course of a workout that
are crucial to growth.
Pyramid at least one exercise
in each routine, progressing to an
apex set of 4–6 reps. The three
power lifts are ideal candidates
for pyramids, as are military
presses, barbell shrugs, EZ-bar
FLEXONLINE.COM 67
LIFT TRAINING STYLES

POWER
BODYBUILDING
TIP SHEET
Emphasize free-

curls, and close-grip bench
presses. Throughout each
workout, emphasize free-weight
basics, and select the exercises
in which you can move the most
metal. So close-grip bench
presses and lying EZ-bar
extensions are a better choice for
“…I’ve continued
to use
powerlifting
and power
movements for
bodybuilding.”
rows, military
presses, and
dumbbell incline
triceps than one-arm pushdowns presses.
or dumbbell kickbacks. Continuously
ACTION JACKSON
The now-46-year-old Johnnie
Jackson has competed in 12
Olympias while also powerlifting
competitively at an elite level. He
explains his philosophy in progressing.
combining the two iron sports Do mostly
and how a continuous quest for straight sets, but
have a spotter
power has led to continuous
growth. “Over the years, some assist you with
exercises have come and gone in forced reps.
my routines, but I’ve continued to
use powerlifting and power
movements for bodybuilding. I 10–15 reps.
don’t think you can be a
consummate bodybuilder without
them. Anyone who goes only for
the burn will never build it, that proves I’ve grown. There is
impressive mass or thickness nothing more motivational than
because his criteria are that. If you’re not testing your
subjective. I want an objective limits, it’s hard to be aggressive
KEVIN HORTON

goal. Powerlifting gives me that. and have a good workout. I want

Show me the numbers. My to bring everything I’ve got to
personal record for a given lift is every workout to get both
the one I have to break. If I exceed stronger and bigger.”

68 FLEX | JUNE 2017

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Surrey 30-32 High Street, Frimley, GU16 7JD Chelmsford 35 New London Road, CM2 0ND
Livingston Units 91, 92 & 54b, Livingston Designer Outlet, Almondvale Avenue, EH54 6Q South London 167-173 Wandsworth High St, Wandsworth, SW18 4JB
Kent 30-34 Grosvenor Rd, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2AP North London Hyde House, The Hyde Colindale, NW9 6LH
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LIFT CROSSHAIRS BY BRYAN HAYCOCK, PH.D.

DOUBLE BLAST
TWO MUST-DO
BICEPS MOVES.

The most efective

way to train the
biceps is to combine a
“squeeze” exercise and
a “stretch” exercise.
My favourite squeeze
exercise is the
concentration curl, and

ZELLER/©FITNESS PUBLICATIONS INC./COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS

for stretch, incline
curls. For concentration
curls, keep your elbow
pointed to the loor, and
curl the dumbbell up to
the opposite shoulder.
For incline curls adjust
an incline bench to
45 degrees, grab a
dumbbell in each hand,
sit down, and lie back
against the backrest.
Hold the dumbbells to
your sides, stretching
the biceps and curling
the dumbbells up as you
normally would.

ALTERNATIVES
Seated machine curls,
standing dumbbell curls.

FORM AND
FUNCTION
The biceps are a
fusiform muscle with
two heads (bi = two,
ceps = heads) and
actually span two joints,
the elbow and the
shoulder joint. The
short head of the
biceps originates from
the coracoid process at BULGING BICEPS WORKOUT
the top of the scapula.
The long head originates EXERCISE SETS REPS
from the supraglenoid Concentration Curl 3–4 8–12
tubercle just above the Incline Dumbbell Curl 3–4 8–12
shoulder joint. Both
3 8–12
heads insert into the
proximal portion of
the radius.

70 FLEX | JUNE 2017

LIFT LAB TO GYM

RESTRICTED ACCESS
72 FLEX | JUNE 2017

Tom Platz did not use blood flow restricted training,
and for good reason, as indicated in this study.
HYPOTHESIS
The principle of training
speciicity states that muscle
will adapt to the speciic
demands placed on it. Blood
low restricted training (BFR)
places speciic demands on
muscle tissue such as high
metabolic stress and high
momentary muscle fatigue.
One would expect that this
type of training would result in
signiicant increases in muscle
COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS
strength and/or strength
endurance.
RESEARCH
The University of Southern
Denmark took 20 subjects and
split them into two groups; one
group performed 20 workouts
of leg extensions (four sets
to failure at 20% 1RM) with
BFR over the course of 19
days while the other group
performed the same workout
with the same amount of
weight and reps but without
DELAYED STRENGTH BFR. Strength and muscle
AND MUSCLE FUNCTION biopsies were taken before,
during, and ive and 12 days
GAINS WITH BLOOD after training had stopped.
FLOW RESTRICTED
TRAINING.
BY BRYAN HAYCOCK, PH.D.
FINDINGS
Gains in rapid muscle force-
generating capacity and
strength were not manifested
before 12 days after all training
had stopped. The group that
didn’t use blood low restriction
experienced no changes at all.
CONCLUSION
Blood low–restricted exercise
produces substantial metabolic
stress which reduces muscle
contractile capacity for an
extended period (days to
weeks) resulting in delayed
manifestation of strength gains
after training has stopped.
APPLICATION
This study had subjects
perform BFR training every
weekday, twice per day. This
led to prolonged decrements in
strength and delayed strength
gains for nearly two weeks
after training stopped. If
incorporating BFR into your
routine, leave suicient
recovery time between BFR
sessions and if strength
becomes stagnant or even
declines, discontinue BFR
training for a couple weeks.
LIFT THE MOVE
QUICK TIPS
workout or
press
Where It Hits
rear delts, traps
T-BAR ROW
RIG UP THIS EXERCISE FOR A THICKER BACK.
Chinups and lat pulldowns
will make your lats wider, but
if you want a thick, densely-
muscled back, you need to do
rows. The T-bar row allows
you to use a neutral grip—palms
facing each other—which is
the biomechanically strongest
position to pull from. This
gives T-bars an advantage
74 FLEX | JUNE 2017
BY SEAN HYSON, C.S.C.S.
OLD SCHOOL
Ronnie Coleman
SET UP
over bentover rows, where
the palms are turned down.
Because you can use both both hands.
hands, you can load more
DO IT
weight, and that gives the T-bar
an edge over dumbbell rows,
KEVIN HORTON
too. The only catch is that many
gyms don’t have a T-bar row
station. See sidebar for how
you can create your own. touch your chest.
 INTENSITY TECHNIQUES
GOLDEN ERA
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Franco Columbu, and

article to build physiques

still admired today.

NEGATIVES
WHAT IT IS: eccentric portion of the three negatives in this will again do the
An advanced method in rep, thinking that the manner: Your spotter positive, and so on. But
which, with the help muscle is working only will help you lift the even though you’ll be
of a spotter, only the when you’re lifting the weight through the lowering the weight
eccentric (negative) weight, not lowering it. positive portion of the on your own, your
portion of each rep Not true. Resisting rep. Then, for the spotter will need to be
is performed—and at the weight on the negative, you’ll do all highly attentive while
a very slow pace. negative is a crucial the work, lowering the you do so in case
Traditionally, strength aspect of strength and weight slowly for a your muscles give out
athletes have performed is actually the part of the count of three to ive and you can no longer
negatives as stand- movement most closely seconds. The spotter resist the weight.
alone sets, but this associated with muscle
technique can also be soreness in the days
used at the end of a following a workout. And
regular set to train the that soreness equates
muscles past failure. to increases in muscle SAMPLE NEGATIVES CHEST ROUTINE
couRTesY oF weideR heAlTh & FiTNess

size and strength.

Exercise
WHY YOU
SHOULD DO IT: HOW TO DO IT: 4
Negatives provide a The speciics of how Barbell Incline Press 3–4 10–12* 2 min.
unique shock to your to do negatives is Flat-bench Dumbbell Flye 3 12–15* 1–2 min.
muscles and are very crucial. First, you’ll need
efective at increasing a dependable spotter.
*Do two to three negatives on the last two sets.
strength as well as After reaching failure
muscle growth. Most on a set doing regular
people disregard the reps, you’ll do two to

FlexoNliNe.coM 75
LIFT ON TRIAL

SLOW
YOUR
ROLE OPENING enhance muscle power with a slower tempo
FAST VS. SLOW:
ARGUMENTS and rate of force has many advantages
THE RIGHT REP Defence: Muscle tissue development. For including reducing
TEMPO FOR is composed of slow- bodybuilders, activating momentum, increasing
MUSCLE GAINS. twitch and fast-twitch fast-twitch fibres is time under tension,
JASON BREEZE

fibres. Faster repetition most important for and accentuation of

speeds activate muscle growth. metabolic stress
fast-twitch fibres and Prosecution: known to facilitate
have been shown to Performing repetitions muscle growth.

76 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 BY BRYAN HAYCOCK, PH.D.

SENTENCING
If your main goal is muscle size, most of your training should be done
using a lifting speed equal to or greater than one second up. Anywhere
from one to two seconds up is about right. Any slower than that and you
soon have to forfeit efective weight loads. The time lowering the weight
should also fall within the one- to three-second range for an optimal
EVIDENCE growth stimulus.
Although it is true that
rapid-force development
and muscle power are second up) versus slow showed that slower VERDICT
more specifically rep speed (more than rep speeds may improve For the best gains
stimulated by higher rep one second up) that also gains in muscle size in muscle size,
speed, a recent review included muscle scans by nearly 50% slower repetition
of studies comparing to measure changes in compared with faster speeds come out
fast (less than one muscle hypertrophy rep speeds. on top.

FLEXONLINE.COM 77
 FOOD & SUPPS

peanut

nutritious

building big
muscles.
HER A FOOD/AL AMY

78 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 FOOD & SUPPS FOOD FOCUS BY MEAGAN DRILLINGER

A GOOD SEED
KNOW WHICH SEEDS TO SNACK ON
FOR PROTEIN, VITAMINS,
AND DIGESTIVE HEALTH.

1
PUMPKIN 1
Packed with omega-3s and carotenoid
antioxidants, pumpkin seeds are great for
your immune system. They are high in
phytosterols, which are plant compounds
that help balance cholesterol. Beware
excess salt.
2

BRIAN KLUTCH; FOOD ST YLING BY SUSAN OT TAVIANO

5
CHIA
The high fibre (11g per 30 grams) keeps the
digestive tract moving, and healthy fats
combat inflammation. Add 4g of protein per 30
gram and we have a winner, says Leah
Kaufman, R.D., at NYU Langone Medical
Centre’s Weight Management Programme.

80 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 BY ALISSA RUMSEY, R.D. ASK THE DIETITIAN

WORKOUT
FUEL
KEEP YOUR
FIRE STOKED IN
THE GYM TO
GET AN AWESOME
WORKOUT

I’ve been reading a lot

about the importance
of nutrition for making
gains once the workout is
done, as this is the time
when real muscle building
takes place. But I’ve also
read that proper nutrition
during the workout is
also necessary. With so
many supps out there
for pre- and post-workout,
I think I’m covered.
But what should I be taking
during my workout?

The purpose of nutrition during

exercise is to stay hydrated,
boost performance, provide
immediate fuel for muscles,
preserve muscle, and improve
recovery. Therefore, what
you take in depends on how
long you’re working out and what
your goals are.
Before we get to that, eating
before training is important in
order to keep nutrients working
their way around your body.
Also, water is critical so you stay
hydrated. Keep your water
bottle next to you and try sipping
throughout the workout when
you feel thirsty, which is called
ad libitum drinking, or drinking to
thirst. A 2014 review of 168
PER BERNAL
that “ad libitum drinking seems Start with 30 grams of carbs
appropriate in most exercise and and 15 to 20 grams of protein per
environmental settings.” hour. Liquid sources tend to
Now, for FLEX readers, who digest easier and faster than
typically train for more than food sources, so sports drinks
60 to 90 minutes, do multiple or combination protein and carb
training sessions per day, and shakes are good options.
are trying to gain significant
amounts of mass, you’ll need to
take in a combination of quick-
digesting carbs and a little
protein. Foods should be low in
fibre and fat to minimize GI

hydration studies in Extreme distress and provide a quick alissarumsey.com

Physiology & Medicine found energy source for your muscles.

FLEXONLINE.COM 81
 FOOD & SUPPS MEAL OF THE MONTH BY ROBERT IRVINE

SEARED
WILD SERVES 4

SALMON
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BLACK RICE:
185 g black rice
1 tsp grape-seed oil
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
752
1 bay leaf CALORIES
720 ml chicken stock

FOR THE GREEN CURRY SAU 48g

1 tbsp grape-seed oil
40 g chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
120 ml mirin wine
175 ml coconut milk
3 tbsp rice-wine vinegar
3 tbsp green curry paste
¼ bunch coriander leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
FOR THE MAIN DISH:
6 tbsp grape-seed oil
4 wild salmon fillets
(200 g each)
20 petite clams
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced spring onion
60 ml mirin wine
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp butter
60 ml chicken stock
Fresh coriander, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
BLACK RICE:
Heat a wide, shallow pot over
high heat. Add rice, oil, thyme, and
bay leaf and toast for 3 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Add chicken
stock and cook for 20 to 30
PROTEIN
54g
CARBS
40g
FAT
GREEN CURRY SAUCE:
in mirin wine, stirring frequently.
Add mirin wine, coconut milk, open. (Discard any clams that do
rice-wine vinegar, and green not open.) Add lime juice and
curry paste. Whisk together butter and cook until butter melts.
and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Reheat black rice with a small
Remove from heat and add amount of chicken stock. Add a
coriander and salt and pepper. mound of black rice in the centre
Let mixture cool, pour into a of a plate. Spoon on green curry
blender, and blend until smooth. sauce. Arrange clams and salmon
on rice. Garnish with coriander.
MAIN DISH:
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a sauté pan over
medium-high heat. Add salmon GET MORE
and sear skin-side down for 2 to
3 minutes. Turn salmon over and
cook for 3 to 4 minutes until done.
SAM K APL AN

minutes on medium-low heat. In a separate sauté pan, heat Fuel, available now
Turn of the heat and let rice rest remaining 2 tbsp oil over medium fitfuelbook.com
for 10 minutes before removing heat. Add clams, ginger, garlic,
from pot. and spring onion. Gradually pour

82 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 BY ADAM BIBLE MEATLESS MEALS

SWEET POTATO
PANCAKES SERVES 1
(2 PANCAKES)

INGREDIENTS

491 1 medium-size
sweet potato
CALORIES 40 g old-fashioned oats

23g 1 tsp cinnamon

PROTEIN

78g
CARBS DIRECTIONS

9g
FAT

aside. Add sweet potato

vanilla, cinnamon, and

additional 30 seconds.
TR AVIS R ATHBONE

FLEXONLINE.COM 83
 THE BIG THREE
T
You’d be hard-pressed to find

CHICKEN a food that gets overcooked

more often than the ubiquitous
chicken breast. Try one of these
easy, alternative cooking
methods for juicy meat
every time:

POACHING
POAC
WHY IT
Poaching is a cooking
technique in which meat is prepared in
hot liquid to keep it moist.

DO IT RIGHT Place the meat in a pot and

cover with chicken stock or water—make
sure it’s enough to cover the chicken by
about 2.5 cm. Bring liquid to a slight
simmer with just a few bubbles breaking
the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low
and partially cover the pot. Cook for
15 minutes or until chicken is cooked
through. Adjust heat as needed and
skim of foam.

STEAMING
STEA
WHY IT Steamed
meats retain exceptional
moisture since they’re not exposed to
the intense dry heat of a skillet or oven.

WAYS DO IT RIGHT A bamboo steamer can

include two or more layers, allowing you
to steam multiple parts of a meal
simultaneously, thereby streamlining
meal prep and cleanup. To use, ill a pot
with several centimetres of water and
bring to a boil. Place a bamboo tray on
top of the pot, secure the lid, and reduce
heat to a simmer. To steam chicken,

This staple season the meat and place the breasts

on a steamer tray. Steam for 20 minutes.

bodybuilding food
doesn’t have to be BRINING
boring. Learn three WH
Brining infuses

quick and easy ways tenderness by pulling salt water into

the lesh, adding lavour and helping

to prepare chicken keep the meat juicy.

DO IT RIGHT Add 950 to 1200 ml of

breasts with these
flavour-filled recipes.
BY MATTHEW KADEY, M.S., R.D.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TRAVIS RATHBONE
FOOD STYLING BY ROSCOE BETSILL
water along with 3 tbsp salt and 2 tbsp
sugar to a saucepan. Heat until sugar
and salt have dissolved. Let cool. Add
breasts to a large bowl and pour brine
over top. Refrigerate for 1 hour but no
more than 6 hours. Remove chicken from
brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Let
stand for about 30 minutes before pan
searing.

84 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 CHOCOLATE
CHICKEN
SALAD

BORED
WITH GREENS?
The chocolate
dressing adds unique
flavour but may
solidify upon sitting;
rectify this by simply
whisking in a 636 55g
small amount of
hot water. CALORIES PROTEIN

23g 37g
CARBS FAT
CHICKEN WITH
TOMATO-OLIVE
RELISH
FORGET
SALSA
Give your breast
meat a real jolt of
flavour by adorning
it with this sweet-
briny relish.

384
CALORIES

56g
PROTEIN

6g
CARBS

15g
FAT
CHICKEN
WITH
MUSHROOM
GRAVY

GUILTLESS
GRAVY
You can’t eat
traditional gravy
306 46g often if you expect to
stay lean. This
mushroom version,
CALORIES PROTEIN however, keeps it
clean while still
providing flavour.
5g 9g
CARBS FAT
 SWEET & HOT
Chicken gets a sweet
and smoky kick from
the mango and
chipotle. Sneaking in
some Greek yogurt
provides an extra
shot of protein.

CHICKEN
MANGO
BOWLS

66g
CALORIES PROTEIN

34g 3g
CARBS FAT
 CHICKEN WITH
POACHED PLUMS

363
CALORIES

49g
PROTEIN

16g
CARBS

UNCORK
11g FOR FLAVOUR
Who says cooking with
FAT wine is just for red meat
or high-flying foodies?
Here, the sweetness of
the wine-poached
plums breathes new life
into yawny chicken
breast.

FLEXONLINE.COM 89
FOOD & SUPPS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
BETA
BCAA
■ BETA BCAA is a
concentrated powdered
formula containing 5000 mg
of branched-chain amino
acids (BCAA), 3000 mg of
citrulline malate, and 1600
mg of CarnoSyn® Beta
Alanine per scoop. It is
designed to be taken during
or after intense training,
but it can also be used as a
non-stimulant pre-workout
formula to improve your
muscle building efforts and
enhance recovery.
Amino acids are the building
blocks of muscle, and of
the 20 “essential amino
acids” (meaning they must
be supplied by the diet) the
BCAA – leucine, isoleucine
and valine – are perhaps the
most important for physique
athletes. In fact, the BCAA
make up about 35% of
skeletal muscle protein and
are rather unique in their
roles in controlling protein
metabolism, neural function,
and blood sugar and insulin
regulation.
Leucine is the considered
the King of amino acids,
90 FLEX | JUNE 2017
because scientists have
shown that under certain
circumstances it can increase
muscle protein synthesis
all by itself. Whey protein
contains a high concentration
of leucine, and this is thought
to be one reason why whey
is such an effective muscle
builder. Research has clearly
demonstrated that leucine
stimulates the amino acid/
energy sensor mTOR (which
stands for mammalian
target of rapamycin).
mTOR in turn stimulates
protein synthesis via two
independent mechanisms that
are active in skeletal muscle,
especially during exercise
and recovery. Several studies
have demonstrated just how
potent leucine is with respect
to muscle growth. The first
study demonstrated that a 2.5
gram dose of leucine could
stimulate muscle protein
synthesis. This “leucine
trigger” has unleashed a
relatively new, yet simple and
effective strategy in athletes
seeking to gain muscle
mass: eat moderately sized
meals every 4-6 hours, but
in-between meals sip on a
leucine-rich “cocktail”. At 10
times the muscle building
strength of any other amino
acid, this is a good strategy!
Isoleucine and valine are
the other two BCAA that are
taken up by the muscles to
form glucose during exercise.
Isoleucine also plays a role
in regulating blood sugar
and synthesizing hemoglobin
(which carries oxygen
throughout the body), while
valine has mild stimulant
properties and can reduce
appetite at higher doses.
Collectively, the BCAA
are used by many athletes
in-between meals in the

hopes of sparing muscle
protein breakdown, restoring
anabolic signaling, and
(potentially) up-regulating
fat loss. The BCAA are
unique among amino acids
because they are the only
ones thought to bypass the
liver and be metabolized
directly in skeletal muscle.
Even though all three BCAA
utilize the same mechanism
(transporter) to enter muscle,
most experts advise against
taking high doses of just one
amino acid, and I generally
agree with this assertion
because when only one
BCAA is available to the body,
the other two can become
“rate limiting”. In other
words, leucine works best
to stimulate muscle protein
synthesis when isoleucine
and valine are also around
at normal “permissive”
levels. Typically, BCAA are
used several times per day,
particularly during dieting
phases or when muscles are
especially sore from training.
Experimentally, BCAA have
also been shown to help
speed muscle recovery from
intense training. Although
the mechanisms are not
completely clear, it appears
that BCAA act as signaling
nutrients and are able to
promote the phosphorylation
of proteins directly involved
in muscle protein synthesis
(mTOR, eukaryotic initiation
factors, etc). A recent study
showed that low doses of
whey protein (i.e. 6.25 grams)
can be as anabolic as higher
doses (i.e. 20 grams) if extra
leucine is added into the
whey mixture. I’d speculate
that even greater increases
would be observed if a
blend of BCAAs were utilized
rather than straight leucine.
In addition, some scientists
have speculated that long-
term use of BCAA may also
aid in fat loss efforts, as
isoleucine has been shown
to increase the activity of
genes controlling fat burning
and decrease the activity of
genes controlling fat storage.
Some data also exist that
shows leucine itself can
increase fatty acid oxidation
and increase mitochondrial
biogenesis (translation: more
mitochondria) in both muscle
cells and fat cells.
BCAA are versatile
compounds that can enhance
the effects of intense training
programs. If you don’t eat 4-5
moderate sized meals a day,
adding BCAAs to your diet
can probably help you.
CITRULLINE is a naturally
occurring, chemical cousin
of the amino acid arginine.
Its name is derived from
the scientific name for
watermelon (Citrullus
vulgaris), the food from which
it was first isolated. During
its normal metabolism in the
body, citrulline is synthesized
from glutamine and ornithine
in the intestines, converted
to arginine in the kidneys, and
helps stimulate nitric oxide
(NO) production in peripheral
tissues. Of its many roles
within the body, NO causes
arterial blood vessels to
dilate, thus improving blood
flow to active muscles. Many
body builders use citrulline to
amplify their pump response
to training. Experimentally,
a few recent studies have
BY TIM N. ZIEGENFUSS, PHD, CSCS, FISSN
shown that oral citrulline
supplementation can enhance
muscular performance and
reduce fatigue by enhancing
the resynthesis of high-energy
phosphates (ATP and creatine
phosphate) that are used
during all-out exercise.
Whether you prefer drinking
watermelon concentrate or
using supplements, at the
right dose citrulline malate can
improve exercise capacity and
muscle function.
BETA ALANINE is a widely
popular amino acid in many
types of athletes because
it reduces muscle fatigue
during intense exercise. When
beta alanine is ingested, it
combines with another amino
acid called histidine to form
a potent compound called
carnosine. In exercising
muscle, carnosine acts as a
potent buffer of hydrogen ions
that are generated from lactic
acid (lactate) production. This
is relevant to body builders
during sets that last longer
than about 60 seconds or
when training with short
rest periods where lactate
accumulation can reduce the
total number of repetitions
completed. In theory, beta
alanine may also be useful
during very low carb diets to
offset changes in pH due to
ketone production. For best
results, beta alanine must be
consumed continuously for at
least four weeks.
Beta alanine helps reduce
fatigue during intense body
building exercise, thus allowing
for a greater training stimulus.
All other things being equal,
a greater training stimulus =
greater gains over time.
FLEXONLINE.COM 91
 To Do...
G E T
SHR E DDE D
al plan you can
w o r k o u t and me
aggressivey IC H A EL B ER G
. C .A .- C .P.T.
, N .S .C
start toda
B Y M

It ’s Amazing What You’ll Find alongside the legendary Joe

Weider himself. All I knew then was

When You’re Not Looking. that I wanted to be big and ripped.

Considering that at the time, I
tipped the scales at 57 kg,
I had a long damn way to go.
A few weeks ago during a trip home, I was digging through Surely someone out there
boxes in my family’s Some hadn’t been reading this has just picked up his
opened for years, holding memories dutifully collecting dust— or her very first issue of FLEX and
an aging array of trophies, photos, clippings from my early is in the same place I was 26 years
newspaper reporting days, comic books, and a few now- ago. If so, welcome—just know,
whether you’re a couple of months
classic toys for good measure. or couple of decades into your
bodybuilding journey, there’s
Yet it was something recommendations. Yes, it was the always more to learn. Here we
unexpected that caught my first bodybuilding magazine I had have tapped our collective
attention, in a good way—a ever bought, one that launched an knowledge and reached out to a
worse-for-wear copy of Muscle obsession that burns strong to few experts in the field for seven
& Fitness, circa 1990, complete this day. important dos and don’ts of fat
with well-thumbed pages and At that moment I had no idea loss. Go ahead and dog-ear this
bookmarks notated for workouts, that one day I’d be an editor on the page, as you might want to refer
diets, and supplement Muscle & Fitness team, working to it again and again.
PER BERNAL

FLEXONLINE.COM 93
 Do...
Plan.
Claiming that you’re “training
instinctively” while winging
your fat-loss programme is, well,
ridiculous. You don’t have to
follow the sample programme we
provide here, but barring that,
you should map out a plan of
attack to keep yourself on track
when those foggy low-carb
moments threaten to push you
of course.
When you do train, don’t fall for
the commonly prescribed advice
to drop the weight and increase
the reps exclusively, warns Laura
Mak Quist, a Seattle-based trainer
and retired IFBB itness pro. While
that can be a solid component of
your overall programme—and is
part of our sample regimen
below—you’ll want to include heavy
weight for lower reps as well.
“Lifting heavy is a way to lean out,”
says Quist, the 1998 NPC Nationals
tall-class champ. “This is especially
important and efective if you tend
to use moderate weights most of
the time. It’ll help jump-start your
body’s metabolic engine.”
Here we’ve mixed low-rep,
strength-focused compound-
oriented movements on the front
end of each major body-part
workout with higher-rep
endurance-style sets on the back
end. For the former, you’ll use an
explosive cadence on the “up”
phase and a controlled negative;
for the latter you’ll want to assume
a steady pace of 2 to 3 seconds
up and 2 to 3 seconds down.
In mixing styles, you’ll engage
multiple types of muscle ibres—
both slow-twitch Type I and
fast-twitch Type II. In addition to
these weight workouts, include
ive days of cardio, either in the
morning, after weights and/or on
Mixing low-rep and
the of days—three days of HIIT
high-rep sets will
for up to 25 minutes and two target multiple muscle
days of steady state of 45 to 90 fibre types.
minutes per session.

94 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 MONDAY
EXERCISE SETS REPS REST
QUADS
Barbell Squat 5 90 seconds
Leg Press 4 60 seconds
Barbell Deadlift 4 60 seconds
Dumbbell Lunge 4 20 30 seconds
Leg Extension 4 20 30 seconds
CALVES
KEVIN HORTON; PER BERNAL

Leg-press Calf Raise 4 60 seconds

Seated Calf Raise 3 20 30 seconds
ABS
Crunch 3 40 30 seconds
Reverse Crunch 2 10 60 seconds

FLEXONLINE.COM 95
 TUESDAY
BACK, TRAPS, AND BICE PS
EXERCISE SETS REPS REST
Back
Bentover 5
Barbell Row seconds
Pullup 4 10
T-bar Row 4
seconds
Lat Pulldown 3 20
seconds
3 20
Extension seconds
Traps
Dumbbell 4
Shrug seconds
Biceps
Standing 4
Barbell Curl seconds
EZ-bar 3 20
Preacher Curl seconds
Concentration 3 20
Curl

WE DNESDAY: OFF

96 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 Don’t...
of Cardio.
High-intensity interval cardio has
been found in study after study to
be the preeminent way to burn
body fat fast. That said, too much
of a good thing can backire.
HIIT sessions of anywhere from
15 to 25 minutes can enhance
body composition, increasing lean
mass while reducing fat stores,
and help modulate fasting insulin
levels. These workouts involve
cycling near-max intensity efort
with a lower-intensity “recovery”
pace at a ratio of 1 to 1 or 1 to 2—
for instance, a 30-second sprint
and 60-second light jog. The key
is to work anaerobically, around
85% to 90% of your maximum
heart rate, during the high-
intensity bursts, which increases
excess postexercise oxygen
consumption (EPoC). In other
words, your metabolism stays
elevated for hours after the
workout, helping you burn more
Don’t...Always Put
calories overall.
According to data compiled by
the American College of Sports
Medicine, in addition to the
calories spent during the training When it comes to getting lean, we tend to
session, HIIT burns an additional automatically think “cardio.” That’s how you burn fat,
6% to 15% more calories right? Well, directly speaking, yes—aerobic activity
in the two hours after a workout, taps into fat stores for fuel. However, weight training
thanks to that increased EPoC. is critical,too.
Yet, the lip side of that Admittedly, the idea that “muscle mass burns
is such workouts are extremely calories, and thus the more muscle you have,
challenging. Do them day after the more calories your body burns at rest” is often
day and you’ll probably “HIIT” the overstated. The additional calories burned are
wall in no time. While steady-state incremental at best, estimated at just six calories
PAVEL Y THJAL; PER BERNALL

cardio—jogging on a treadmill, daily per half-kilo of muscle, while a half-kilo of body

riding a stationary bike, or running
outdoors for anywhere from 30
to 90 minutes may not be as time
eicient, it’s still a calorie-burning,
cardiovascular-improving activity.
Consider a regimen of three to
four days of HIIT and one to two
days of steady-state cardio
weekly.
fat is worth two calories burned daily. Still, when you
strip away fat, you want to show serious, deined
muscle underneath.
So why do weight training irst? Simply put, you
want to be at your strongest when handling heavy
loads. In addition, that lifting session will help tap your
body’s energy sources, meaning your body will be
more apt to switch to fat for fuel when it comes time
to do cardio.

FLEXoNLINE.CoM 97
 Do...Focus on Your Diet.
You could religiously follow the best damn training

Sample Meal Plan

programme ever devised for fat loss and still fail
miserably in actually dropping kilos. on the other
hand, you could do nothing but clean up your diet
and never step foot in a gym and end up looking
radically more lean and cut in mere weeks.
While we recommend both pursuits—hell, if FOOD CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS FAT
we’d ever think a FLEX reader wouldn’t want to BREAKFAST
train—for fat loss, diet should be your No. 1
3 whole eggs 255 21 1 18
concern. To give you a sample of what a meal plan
might look like, we adapted an old reader favourite 230 g porridge 130 5 22 2
from the FLEX archives. MIDMORNING SNACK
This daily plan was constructed for a 90-kg
bodybuilder who is in serious fat-loss mode. It 1 scoop whey 85 20 1 0
includes 2,150 calories, with about 30% of those protein
from carbohydrates and 40% from protein daily. 1 tbsp flaxseed 120 0 0 13
The goal is to protect as much muscle mass as oil
possible while still burning body fat and sustaining 1 large apple 110 0 30 0
enough energy for rigorous workouts. Keep in
mind, this is only a sample—for variety’s sake, you LUNCH
should feel free to mix and match similar foods 170 g chicken 200 40 0 2
each day. breast
20 asparagus 60 6 12 0
spears

Don’t...Eat a
MIDDAY SNACK
15 oz can tuna 90 20 0 1
packed in water

Carb-Heavy Meal 6 whole-wheat

crackers
108 2 18 4

for Breakfast.
2 cups broccoli 60 6 12 0
PRE-WORKOUT MEAL
1 scoop whey 85 20 1 0
“In my professional and personal experience, having
protein
a lot of carbs irst thing in the morning leads to
consuming more overall calories during breakfast, POST-WORKOUT MEAL
and causes more cravings for carbs and sugar 1 scoop whey 85 20 2 0
throughout the day,” says Angelo J. Grinceri, FAFS, a protein
health coach, movement practitioner, and trainer in
1 banana 120 2 31 1
New York City, and author of the book Intrinsic Strength
Training (intrinsicstrengthtraining.com). DINNER
of course, that means typical fare like chips and 6 oz top sirloin 342 36 0 24
sugary cereals are a deinite no. “If you start the day
with immediate energy sources like that, your body 1 small sweet 120 2 26 0
will keep looking for those immediate energy potato
sources,” Grinceri explains. 2 cups broccoli 60 6 12 0
Instead, he suggests breaking the cycle by having
BEFORE BED
a irst meal of protein, veggies, and some healthy fat.
“That’s a more nutritionally dense breakfast that 1 scoop casein 120 24 3 1
doesn’t raise your insulin levels,” he says. “Drink more protein
water before breakfast and make, for instance, a
veggie omelet with avocado. You won’t sufer an
energy crash shortly after, and you’ll consume fewer
calories during the irst half of your day.” (As an
TOTALS
example, you could prepare the whole eggs in the
sample diet at right as a vegetable omelet to
2,150 calories, 230g protein,
implement Grinceri’s suggestion.)
171g carbs, 66g fat
98 FLEX | JUNE 2017
 Ab training is
important to develop
the muscles, but
you won’t see
them without
a good diet.

THURSDAY
EXERCISE SETS
CHEST
AND ABS
REPS REST
CHEST
Incline Barbell Bench Press 5
Flat-bench Barbell Press 4
Incline Dumbbell Flye 4 20 30 seconds
Decline Dumbbell Flye 4 20 30 seconds
ABS
Vertical-bench Leg Raise 3 30 30 seconds
CHRIS LUND

Cable Crunch 3 20 30 seconds

FLEXONLINE.COM 99
FRIDAY SATURDAY
HAMSTRINGS, CALVES,
AND OBLIQUES TRICE PS
DELTS AND
EXERCISE SETS REPS REST EXERCISE SETS REPS REST
HAMS DELTS

Romanian 5 Seated Barbell 5

Deadlift seconds Press seconds

Reverse 4 10 4
Hyperextension seconds Dumbbell Press seconds

One-leg 4 20 EZ-bar Upright 4 20

Machine Curl seconds Row seconds

4 20 Bentover 3 20
Lateral Raise seconds
CALVES
Lateral Raise 3 20
seconds
4
Raise seconds TRICEPS
CHARLES LOW THIAN; CHRIS LUND

3 20 4
Raise seconds Extension seconds
OBLIQUES Rope 3 20
Pressdown seconds
Decline 3 20
Seated One-arm 3 20
Bench Twisting seconds
Overhead seconds
Crunch
Extension

SUNDAY: OFF

FLEX | JUNE 2017

 Do...
Supplement
Your Efforts.
In addition to using quality whey-isolate
protein powder and casein protein powder
to maintain muscle mass, a number of
supplements can help bump up your
fat-shedding eforts. The basics include
cafeine, which enhances sympathetic
nervous system activity and may positively
afect fat metabolism in the body, and
green-tea extract, which some studies
have shown can potentially enhance
fat oxidation during bouts of exercise. In
thermogenic formulations, you may also
ind raspberry ketones, which can
potentially serve as fuel when you’re in a
low-calorie state and may nudge additional
fat-storage release by the body.
Amino acids can help the cause, too, at
least indirectly. Branched-chain amino
acids (BCAAs) help protect muscle tissue
from breakdown when you’re eating less;
glutamine supports immunity, digestion,
and muscle recovery; and citrulline
converts to arginine in the body, which in
turn relaxes blood vessels to let more
oxygen and nutrients into working muscles,
accentuating the “muscle pump” as a
satisfying side efect.

Don’t...
Skimp
on Sleep.
Activity results in calorie expenditure,
but that doesn’t mean you should
always be on the go to ight fat, according
to IFBB itness pro Quist. “When you’re
overtired, your muscles don’t have
the time or tools to recover,” she explains.
“You also have a higher chance of
overeating carbohydrates, because your
body starts craving energy, and it knows
the fastest place to get that is carbs.”
According to research commissioned by the
National Sleep Foundation, adults should get
seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

FLEXoNLINE.CoM 101
102 FLEX | JUNE 2017
 CRACK
YOUR
MASS-
BUILDING
CODE
DO YOUR EFFORTS TO PACK ON LEAN, QUALITY
MUSCLE MASS KEEP CRASHING? TRY THIS LIST OF 22
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS TO REBOOT YOUR PROGRAMME.
Q Computers are awesome…until they’re not. The
power we have at our fingertips to cut video, create
apps, watch cat videos, and write articles for FLEX
is immense. Yet one line of mangled code can turn
our state-of-the-art laptop into a frustrating, broken
husk of metal and wires in a split second.
Like our electronics, our bodies can stop
behaving as expected, too. Say you’re on a mass-
gain plan and it’s going well. No bugs, no spinning
pinwheels, just forward progress as you pack on
the lean kilos.
Then, suddenly, you’ve got the black screen.
Growth grinds to a stop and doesn’t restart after a
CHRIS LUND
BY MICHAEL BERG, NSCA-C.P.T.
desperate bout of button mashing, leaving you to
wonder, “What do I do now?”
Thing is, much like a computer, it could simply be
a problem of inputs. A lack of progress could be a
sign your body has adapted to your workouts, or
you’ve introduced a rogue element that has thrown
the programming out of whack.
Here, we provide 12 tips to troubleshoot your
training regimen, along with 10 more for nutritional
issues. While none are a magic bullet on their own,
a few could be just the thing to reboot your system
and recharge your gains—no call to the Geek Squad
or reservation at the Genius Bar required.
FLEXONLINE.COM 103
 01 IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
It’s one thing to think you’re not making any progress—but the only way to know for sure is to
gather up some cold, hard facts. You’ll want to weigh yourself at the same time daily,
measure the circumference of your key body parts monthly, and track your exercises, sets,
reps, and weight used in every workout. That way, you can monitor true progress and start
making adjustments…like any of the following ideas on this list.

The snatch and the clean and jerk are technique-driven movements,
[ 02 ] relying on expert command of your form to propel a loaded barbell up
and down through a horizontal plane. Mastering each of these
CATCH THE exercises will promote strength gains that can in part translate to
your other lifts. It’s certainly not a 1-to-1 ratio, but generally speaking,
OLYMPIC SPIRIT a stronger muscle has the potential to be a bigger one. The Olympic
exercises can be added as a weekly part of your regimen, fitting well
KEVIN HORTON

on the front end of nearly any workout.

104 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 03
REBOOT
THE
SYSTEM
We gym rats
tend to
complicate
things. Not
that we mean
to, it’s just
that, over the
years, we’ll
see all sorts of
exercises and
techniques
that we want
to try for
ourselves,
bolting the
ones we like
onto our
programmes—
sort of like

tons of crap
onto your
computer to
the point it
slows to a
painful crawl.
In this case,
clearing out
the workout
cache may do
the trick,
cutting down
your overall
number of
exercises and
sets while

machines for
the simpler
free-weight
versions
across the
board.

FLEXONLINE.COM 105
 GO
04 BIG
squats, Romanian and
standard deadlifts,
MASTER
YOUR MEALS
Mass-gain
ass-gain breakdowns are
more often the result of
nutritional deficiencies rather
than a lack of training
Either you’re not eating enough,
or you’re not eating the right
foods in the right ratios at the
right times. Here are 10 quick
fixes for a busted
106 FLEX | JUNE 2017
1 // Buy a food scale. Yes,
it’s a pain to weigh out
food, but may soon
discover a common problem—
you’re not really eating as
much as think.
2 // Prepare your meals
ahead of time. Make enough
chicken breast, rice, beef, eggs,
and veggies to last a week,
portioning it all into sealable
plastic containers that can be
easily transported. You’ll never
have an excuse to miss a meal.
3 // Bump your daily
calories. Start with 200
additional calories per day for a
week. If that doesn’t move the
scale in the right direction, add
another 100 to 200, continuing
each week until ind the
optimal level.
4 // Tighten
ighten your meal
timing. Eating every three
hours? Try a 2½-hour schedule
instead, adding one more meal
overall to daily routine.
5 // Change up your protein
PAVEL Y THJALL
sources. If rely a lot on
chicken and turkey, switch to
more beef or ish. It’s no magic
bullet, but our bodies do tend to
react to foods diferently.
 [ 05 ]
RECOVERY
Self-myofascial
release (SmR)—
essentially, a
form of deep
massage to
bust up knotted
muscle tissue
that improves
your body’s
ability to relax,
heal, and

properly—can
be an incredible
add-on to your
programme.
While the
ubiquitous foam
roller has been
the mode of
choice for most,
the smaller
tennis-ball-
shaped SmR
tool has proven
to be more
useful in
targeting areas
from the rotator
cuf down
through the

06 DOUBLE SPLIT
posterior chain
to the calves.
Incorporate an
SmR recovery
session after
every workout
Your schedule may not allow for it, but if you can, doing a
for best results.
larger body part in the morning and a smaller one in the
evening means you can dedicate more time and attention
to each—without your strength being compromised, as
can happen when you do two body parts back to back.

6 // Cheat. If you’re being too
strict and clean with food
choices, the extra calories from
an occasional splurge may
kick-start growth. A cheat day
once a week, or a couple of cheat
meals every seven days, can help
KEVIN HoRToN
detoxify body so that it’s BCAAs to augment your aminos At night before bed, an
better able to process the (the building blocks of muscle). all-casein protein is a solid
bodybuilding nutrients choice for a steadier stream of
normally in. 9 // Power up your protein. overnight aminos.
Whey is a fast-acting protein and
8 // Supplement
upplement wisely. the most often used among 10 // Set
et your alarm. Extreme
If haven’t tried supplemen
supplemen- serious lifters. But slower-acting hardgainers have trouble
tation, start with the basic casein is valuable, too, and up with their bodies’ metabolism—

flip the switch.

muscle builders—3 to 5 grams of should be used strategically. if that’s it may help to
7 // Fast. It sounds counter- pre-workout creatine and 5g of a Blend casein with whey—10 to up at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. for a 20g
intuitive to stop eating, but a juice nitric oxide formula for a strength 20 grams of each—before and protein breaking the
fast of a day or two can help and energy boost, plus 5g of after workouts and in a morning overnight fast.

fLExoNLINE.Com 107
 07
LOWER
THE BAR
Yo
Your muscles
are naturally
ar
stronger in the
st
negative phase
ne
of a rep. In other
words, you can
wo
handle more
ha
overall weight
ov
when lowering
wh
it than
t when
lifting it. Take
lift
advantage of
ad
this greater
th
force production
fo
by incorporating
a negative-only
n
set or two for
se
each body part,
ea
where a partner
wh
assists through
as
the positive
th
rep, and then
re
you take the
yo
negative slowly
ne
and under full
an
control.
co
Particularly
Pa
good exercises
go
for negatives
fo
include bench
inc
presses, seated
pr
presses,
pr
pulldowns, leg
pu
presses, biceps
pr
curls, and
cu
French presses.
Fr
CHRIS LUND. NEx T PAGE: PER BERNAL

[ 08 ] Been at it in the same gym environment for longer than you care to remember?
Consider taking your membership elsewhere, or at least working out in a new
place a couple of times per week. Having to learn your way around an unfamiliar
MOVE place, which forces you to try diferent equipment and discard your well-worn
patterns, can change your perspective and help snap you out of a rut.

108 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 09 DROP IT
You’re probably using intensity
techniques like dropsets already.
If not, incorporate a dropset on at
least one move per body part for
the next week or two. If you have
been doing them regularly, try a
drop on movements you haven’t
done them with before. For
 KEVIN HORTON (2); PER BERNAL

10 COMBINE & CONQUER

One way to shake up your current regimen is pairing up
everything in your workouts into supersets. This will speed
up your training and decrease rest periods, ratcheting up
the intensity. Another tactic is to introduce pre-exhaust
[ 11 ]
supersets, such as flyes with presses for chest, laterals
with military presses for delts, or straight-arm pulldowns
LOTUS
before rows—by doing so, you reduce the occurrence of
ancillary muscles giving out before the main target.
110 FLEX | JUNE 2017
 ADJUST
12 YOUR
SPEED

a standard controlled

down? There’s nothing

wrong with that, per se, but
it’s time to break the
monotony and try something
new for a few workouts. For
instance, you can do
superslow reps, where you
take five seconds or more
on both the concentric and
eccentric phase of each rep;
that is, 10-second reps.
Conversely, you may also
want to try explosive reps,
where you push through the
positive phase forcefully
followed by a slow,
controlled negative. Over
time, you’ll want to use
varied speeds throughout
your programme, which
helps recruit a range of
slow-twitch and fast-twitch
muscle fibres.

work in ways it’s not used to. You’ll be attempting something challenging, both mentally and physically,
which can then lead to a fresh perspective when you hit the gym for your weight workouts. Even just a
handful of classes a month outside your bodybuilding pursuits can provide a much-needed reset.

FLEXONLINE.COM 111
INCLINE
DUMBBELL
PRESS
Get a full stretch at
the bottom of the
move, then squeeze
your pecs and
hold for a second
at the top.

112 | JUNE 2017

 In an era when the fitness industry
is trending toward shorter workouts and
fewer exercises, there’s something
to be said for occasionally bombarding
your muscles with a mega workload
to shock them into growth. This
four-week, old-school, high-volume
attack will leave your muscles begging
for mercy, but in the end they’ll be
bigger, harder, and more defined.
PROGRAMME BY BILL SIENERTH /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY DUSTIN SNIPES

FLEXONLINE.COM 113
 HE MOST
dominant trend
in fitness is to
pare everything
down. Make it simple. Less is
more. At least that’s the case
most of the time. But what
happens to the guy who never
pushes himself beyond the brink?
The guy who stays within the
confines of a programme that
never drives him past a workload
he thought he was capable of?
Oftentimes, he’ll stagnate and
cease to make progress.
We understand the need to
focus on big lifts to get the
most bang for your buck. We’ve
dedicated plenty of space to
that concept over the years, and
there is no shortage of
programmes if you’re trying to get
in and out of the gym quickly.
But if those short, concise
programmes have been your
bread and butter for years—and
you’ve plateaued—you might
find Bill Sienerth’s high-volume
bodybuilding programme to be just
what the doctor ordered to
stimulate new growth.
Sienerth, a fitness model (shown
in the photos here) and owner of a
GNC store, used the programme he
outlines here to sculpt an enviable,
finely detailed physique. By using
pre-exhaust sets and dropsets,
he ensures that no muscle fibre will
be left behind. Most exercises are
also accompanied by a suggested INCLINE
rep range rather than a specific DUMBBELL
rep count. This variability makes FLYE
each workout unique and allows Get a deep stretch
you to choose the most in the bottom
appropriate weight based on how position, but keep
your elbows
you feel that day. slightly bent to
Are you ready to check your avoid undue stress
ego at the door for the next four on your shoulders.
weeks? If you can manage that, a
bigger and better body is around
the corner.

114 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 THE WORKOUT
DAY I: CHEST
INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYE

SET REPS

15–20
....................................................................

2 ....................................................................... 12–15
3 ......................................................................... 8–12
4 ......................................................................... 8–15
INCLINE
DUMBBELL PRESS

SET REPS

15–20
......................................................................

2 ....................................................................... 12–15
3 .......................................................................... 8–12
4 .......................................................................... 8–15
HAMMER STRENGTH
CHEST PRESS (FLAT)

SET REPS

15–20
......................................................................

2 ....................................................................... 12–15
3 .......................................................................... 8–12
4 .......................................................................... 8–15
HIGH-CABLE CROSSOVER

SET REPS

15–20
......................................................................

2 ....................................................................... 12–15
3 .......................................................................... 8–12
MID-CABLE CROSSOVER

SET REPS

15–20
......................................................................

2 ....................................................................... 12–15
3 .......................................................................... 8–12
LOW-CABLE CROSSOVER

SET REPS

15–20
......................................................................

2 ....................................................................... 12–15
3 .......................................................................... 8–12
PUSHUP
SETS REPS

................................................................. Failure

SHOT ON LOCATION AT NPC WAREHOUSE, CARNEGIE, PA FLEXONLINE.COM 115

 PULLUP
Initiate the move
by leaning back
and retracting
your shoulder
blades. This
will help you
keep the focus
on your lats and
rhomboids,
where it belongs.

116 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 THE WORKOUT
DAY II: LEGS
LEG EXTENSION LEG PRESS
SET REPS SET REPS
1....................................................40–50 1................................................................. 20
2 .................................................. 25–50 2 ................................................................. 12
3 ............................................................... 20 3 ................................................................. 12
4 ...................................................... 12–15 4 .................................................................... 8
5 ......................................................... 6–12 5 ............................................................... 20
6 ..............................................40–50* HACK SQUAT
HAMSTRING CURL SET REPS
SET REPS 1................................................................. 20
1....................................................40–50 2 ................................................................. 12
2 .................................................. 25–50 3 .................................................................... 8
3 ............................................................... 20 4 ............................................................... 20
4 ...................................................... 12–15 CALF RAISES
5 ......................................................... 6–12 SETS REPS
6 ..............................................40–50* 3 ..............................................40–50*
*Use dropsets as needed to
reach this total.

THE WORKOUT
DAY III: BACK
STRAIGHT–ARM BENTOVER BARBELL ROW CLOSE–GRIP LAT
PULLDOWN SET REPS PULLDOWN
SET REPS 25–50
....................................................................
SET REPS

25–50
....................................................................
2 ................................................................... 20–25 20–25
.....................................................................

2 ................................................................... 20–25 3 ..................................................................... 15–20 2 ..................................................................... 15–20

3 ..................................................................... 15–20 4 ...................................................................... 10–15 3 ...................................................................... 10–15
4 ...................................................................... 10–15 5 ...................................................................... 8–15* 4 ...................................................................... 8–15*
*Add two drops after this, each *Add two drops after this, each
WIDE–GRIP LAT totalling 20 reps. totalling 20 reps.
PULLDOWN
SET REPS MACHINE ROW
SET REPS
25–50
....................................................................

2 ................................................................... 20–25 20–25

....................................................................

3 ..................................................................... 15–20 2 ..................................................................... 15–20

4 ...................................................................... 10–15 3 ...................................................................... 10–15
5 .......................................................................... 8–15 4 ...................................................................... 8–15*
*Add two drops after this, each
totalling 20 reps.

FLEXONLINE.COM 117
 THE WORKOUT
DAY IV:
SHOULDERS
WARMUP
With a pair of 2.25-to-4.5-kg
dumbbells, do one continuous
set of 30 lateral raises, 30
front raises, 30 rear-delt raises,
and 10 overhead presses.

DUMBBELL
LATERAL RAISE
SET REPS

1 ............................................................. 20–30
2 .............................................................. 15–25
3 ................................................................ 12–15
4 ................................................................ 10–12
5 ................................................................... 8–12
HAMMER STRENGTH
SHOULDER PRESS
SET REPS

1 ............................................................. 20–30
2 .............................................................. 15–20
3 ................................................................ 12–15
4 ................................................................... 8–12
DUMBBELL REAR-DELT
RAISE
SET REPS

1 ............................................................. 20–30
2 .............................................................. 15–25
3 ................................................................ 12–15
4 ................................................................ 12–15
5 ................................................................... 8–12
DUMBBELL SHRUG
SET REPS

1 ............................................................. 20–50
2 ............................................................. 20–25
3 .............................................................. 15–20
4 ............................................................... 8–12*
5 ............................................................... 8–12*
*Add one dropset of an additional
20 reps.

DUMBBELL SHRUG
Shrugs should be heavy, but
again, you need to check
your ego. If you can’t hold
the top position (shown) for
two seconds per rep, the
weight is too heavy.

118 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 PUSHDOWN
This pushdown
variant targets the
medial head of the
triceps, which most
exercises don’t
address directly.

THE WORKOUT
DAY V: ARMS THE WORKOUT
CABLE PUSHDOWN TRICEPS MACHINE PRESS ABS &
SUPERSET WITH
CABLE CURL
SUPERSET WITH
BICEPS MACHINE CURL
CARDIO
SET REPS SET REPS Abs are done every day.
30–50
.............................................................. 1 ...................................................................... 15–20
15 20 Perform the following
2 ................................................................. 12–15 exercises as a circuit,
2 ....................................................................... 12–15 resting 30 seconds to a
3 .................................................................10–12 3 ...................................................................... 10–12 minute between rounds.
4 .................................................................10–12 4 ..........................................................................8–10
ABS
SKULL CRUSHER CONCENTRATION CURL SET REPS
SUPERSET WITH SUPERSET WITH
HAMMER CURL REVERSE-GRIP TRICEPS Standing Ab Crunch..... 15–20
SET REPS CABLE PUSHDOWN Lying Leg Raise ................. 25–30
1 ................................................................ 15–20 SETS REPS Hanging Leg Raise ........ 25–30
2 ................................................................. 12–15 5 ..................................................................... 15–20 Plank........................................... 60 sec.
3 .................................................................10–12 CARDIO
4 ....................................................................8–10 Do 30 minutes of steady-
state cardio every day of the
programme. We like hitting
the heavy bag.

FLEXONLINE.COM 119
 PHOTO CREDIT

120 | JUNE 201`7

 PEC
POWER
PLAY
FORCE YOUR PECS TO
GET GROWING WITH
THIS HIGH-VOLUME,
BARE-BONES WORKOUT
BY JOE WUEBBEN PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL
PHOTO CREDIT
 here are no secrets to building

T
a bigger chest. Press heavy
barbells and dumbbells; take sets
to failure in hypertrophy-friendly
rep ranges (anywhere from 8 to
20, even up to 30); isolate the
pecs with single-joint movements like flyes,
pullovers, and pulldowns; and make sure you’re
doing all of this with ample volume—at least
15 quality sets for chest per workout, once or
twice a week. Done.
Pretty straightforward, but that doesn’t make it easy. The following
chest workout, with proper exercise form demonstrated by IFBB
pro and 2017 Arnold Classic third-place finisher Maxx Charles, is just
the type of meat-and-potatoes chest routine we like. The movements
are basic and foundational (particularly the barbell flat-bench and
incline presses), the rep counts are ideal for building muscle, and the
volume is right in the sweet spot at 16 total sets. Throw in a single
intensity-boosting technique smack dab in the middle of the workout—
a pre-exhaust superset of cable crossovers and Hammer Strength
incline presses—and your pecs will have no choice but to grow.

THE DETAILS
Take most (if not all)
sets to failure.
Building muscle requires
intensity, so taking working sets
to full muscle fatigue is critical,
even if that means doing 11 or 12
reps when 10 are listed. You’ll
need a spotter on barbell flat and
incline presses to achieve this.
On the later sets, rep counts of
15 and 20 are just a guide; select
a moderate weight (not too
heavy, not too light) and go to
failure. On subsequent sets,
increase or decrease weight if
you went significantly over
prescribed reps or fell short.
Change exercise order.
Alternate bench presses and
incline presses every other
week so that you’re not always
doing flat bench first. However,
if you have a particularly weak
upper chest, start with incline
presses in every workout.
Introduce different
equipment.
After the first week, start
swapping in dumbbell
exercises—for example,
do dumbbell presses
instead of barbell, and do
dumbbell flyes instead of
cable crossovers. Likewise,
Smith machine inclines
can be included in place of
Hammer Strength, and
dumbbell pullovers can be
subbed in for pulldowns.
Perform this workout
once a week for four to
six weeks.
If you’re an advanced trainee
who can handle high volume,
feel free to train chest another
day during the week with at
least 72 hours between the
two workouts. Otherwise,
make this your only chest
training for the week.

THE EXERCISE
Bench Press
SETS
4
REPS
10
WORKOUT Incline Bench Press 4
Cable Crossover Superset with 3 15
Hammer Strength Incline Press 3 15
Straight-arm Cable Pulldown 2 20

122 FLEX | JUNE 2017

FLEXONLINE.COM 123
BENCH PRESS
Setup Grasp the bar with your hands just
outside shoulder width, then unrack the bar and
begin with it directly over your upper pecs with
your arms extended.

Execution Bend your elbows to slowly lower

the bar toward your lower chest. Touch your
chest lightly with the bar, then press it back up
in a slight backward arcing motion so the bar
ends up over your upper chest with your arms
extended but not locked out.

124 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 INCLINE
PRESS
Setup Grasp the bar
with an overhand grip
outside of shoulder
width. Unrack the bar
and start with it directly
over your upper chest,
arms extended.

Execution Bend your

elbows to slowly lower the
bar to your upper chest.
Lightly touch the bar to
your chest, then press it
back up to the starting
position without locking
out your elbows.

HAMMER
STRENGTH
INCLINE
PRESS
Setup Adjust the seat
of the machine so that
the handles are just
outside your shoulders
in the down position
(not above the
shoulders, and not
lower on the chest
either). Grab the
handles and make sure
your rear delts and
upper back are in
contact with the bench.

Execution Contract
your pecs to press
the weight along the
machine’s path of
motion. Stop just short
of locking out the
elbows, squeeze the
contraction in your
chest for one or two
counts, then slowly
PHOTO CREDIT

lower the weight back

down without letting
it rest on the machine
between reps.

FLEXONLINE.COM 125
CABLE
CROSS-
OVER
Setup Set the high pulleys
on both sides of a cable
station to above shoulder
height and attach handles to
them. Grab the handles,
position yourself directly in
the middle of the station,
and step forward about half
a metre so that the weights
aren’t resting on the stack.
Begin with your arms
extended out to your sides
and your elbows slightly
bent and pointed upward.

Execution Keeping only a

slight bend in your elbows,
contract your pecs to bring
the handles together in a
wide arc in front of your
lower chest/upper abs.
Bring your hands together
(or cross your hands over
each other so that your
wrists touch to get a
stronger contraction), then
squeeze your pecs together
hard for a count. Slowly
return the handles to the
starting position.

PHOTO CREDIT

126 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 STRAIGHT-
ARM
PULLDOWN
Setup Stand facing a cable
stack with a straight bar
attached to the high pulley.
Grab the bar with a shoulder-
width grip and step back about
half a metre so the weight
doesn’t rest on the stack.
Begin with your arms
extended but not locked out,
the bar at around head level,
and a slight bend in your waist.

Execution

locked out, focus intently on

contracting your chest
muscles to pull the bar down
until it touches your thighs.
PHOTO CREDIT

Squeeze the contraction

in your pecs for a count, then
slowly return the bar back to
the starting position.

FLEXONLINE.COM 127
LAST SET
YOUR ONE-STOP SOURCE FOR MUSCLE NEWS

BIG IN
AMERICA
How British athletes,
including Luke
Sandoe (pictured),
fared at the Arnold
Classic in America.

CHRISTOPHER BAILEY
 *

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 LAST SET JUDGE’S TABLE
THE TAN PLAN
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE IDEAL
COLOURING TO LOOK YOUR BEST ONSTAGE
I’m an amateur
bodybuilding
competitor, and my goal
is to work my way up to
the national contests and
vie for a pro card. I’m
wondering, are there
certain tanning errors
you’ve seen that I should
try to avoid? I am fair-
skinned, so I tend to get
“blown out” by stage
lighting.
STEVE WEINBERGER
Many people have been scared
away from allowing their skin
to get a natural tan by warnings
of skin damage from the harmful
exposure to ultraviolet light.
However, as a fair-skinned
competitor, you have a much
better chance of achieving an
130 FLEX | JUNE 2017
even, natural-looking tan if you
can get some colour from the sun
before applying any bottled
tanning product.
Of course, any real suntanning
should be done carefully, for
short exposure periods, and
preferably in a private area so
you can eliminate tan lines. If this
is possible, then I encourage you
to build up a natural tan while
carefully monitoring your skin
and keeping it exfoliated and
moisturized.
Beyond that, to get the dark
tan required to look good
under strong stage lights, you’ll
need a tanning agent applied to
your body. The most popular,
convenient method now is to hire
a company that provides contest
spray tans, which can be applied
very close to the competition
BY MICHAEL BERG
day—usually the day before—
along with touch-ups on the day
of the show. Make sure that the
company you use is reputable,
as a poorly applied, patchy tan
can severely detract from the
appearance of your physique.
Before you go for your spray tan,
make sure that your skin has
been exfoliated, to remove dead
skin cells and rough skin, and
that you are clean, with no oils
or lotions applied.
Give your spray tan a chance
to dry before allowing anything,
including clothing, to touch your
body, and do not apply oil when
the tan is still wet, as this can
cause streaking. In addition,
keep the palms of your hands,
PER BERNAL
knees, and elbows away from
the substance, as it quickly
soaks into the dry skin and can
 be distracting onstage.
As for your face, you want it
to be almost as dark as your
body, but not darker. The best
way to prepare it is to have a light
coat of tan applied to the face—
less than used on the body—and
then finish with makeup that is
close to the colour of the tan on
your body. It’s much safer to use
a darker makeup on your face
than trying to get a spray tan over
your eyes, nose, and mouth that
will match the body tan. This
applies to men as well as women!
I just did my first fitness
show, and I came in
third in my class. I wanted
to ask questions of the
judges afterward, but I
ended up not approaching
them. Is asking questions
allowed? Are there certain
things I shouldn’t ask
about or that a judge can’t
answer when it comes to
how I compare with the
other athletes?
PER BERNAL
SANDY WILLIAMSON
Some districts ask athletes to
Dallas McCarver achieves a base tan
before the contest and then gets sprayed
at the contest. Even veteran pros like THE JUDGES
Tanji Johnson were once amateurs who
asked judges for feedback.
e-mail the judges for critiques
due to the length of most shows
rather than speak with judges
immediately after the show.
However, unless this was
discussed in the athletes’ Q STEVE
meeting, athletes can speak with WEINBERGER
judges after the show, since
some judges prefer to critique
athletes right afterward.
Either way, competitors should
ask for critiques either directly
after the show or by e-mail.
Judges will respond to athletes
from their perspective regarding
your physique, routine, and
overall look onstage. They can
provide you with valuable insights Q SANDY
to help you make improvements WILLIAMSON
for your next show.
FLEXONLINE.COM 131
 LAST SET

DOUBLE
GOLD
THE 2016 ARNOLD
CLASSIC IN
COLUMBUS WAS THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL
EVER FOR BRITISH
COMPETITORS.

Q British success stories in

America are about as rare as
sightings of Dexter Jackson
looking fat. But this year’s
Arnold Classic in Columbus,
Ohio, proved to be an
exception. The musclefest
yielded two British
champions—one in the pros
and one in the amateurs—and
some other impressive
performances. Here’s how
our six-strong team fared.

Luke Sandoe
BODYBUILDING 8TH
Luke received the best early
Christmas present possible for a
bodybuilder—an invitation to the
Arnold Classic in America. It was a
huge honour, and one he could not
turn down, but coming so soon
after his emotional victory at
October’s British Championships,
it was always going to be diicult.
He had no ofseason to add size,
hardly any break from dieting, and
was up against a whole new
standard of opponent in the
second biggest pro show in the
world. He also had to contend
with a day of travelling while
depleted. In the circumstances he
did a pretty good job, inishing 8th
of 10 and putting his great shape
in the global shop window. But he
wasn’t lean in the rear poses and
afterwards gave a typically
honest assessment. “My condition
wasn’t even close to what I
wanted,” he says. “Honestly, I
don’t know what happened. It
could have been travel, it could
have been nerves, but I was
pretty much ‘on the money’ a
few days before leaving. Live
and learn!”

132 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 Ryan
AMATEURS
Terry KATE
MEN’S ERRINGTON
PHYSIQUE FITNESS 1ST
1ST
after missing out on successful bikini
the Olympia title by itness competitor
one point last year,
ryan was under
pressure to deliver.
He’s no longer a
British outsider—he’s decision—her dance
an international star background and
and, with Olympia efervescent
champ Jeremy personality is
Buendia absent, he
was the favourite to
win. Boy, did he
deliver. He brought
everything together routine in Columbus.
in an immaculate
physique. even his
posing, which let him
down in Las Vegas,
was better. most Us debut.
notably, he didn’t
raise his arms so high
in the rear poses,
AUSTIN
which helped him
WILLIAMS
look more natural,
CLASSIC
which is the name of
BODYBUILDING
the game in men’s
5TH
physique, where
everything should
look efortless.
there’s only one thing
left for him to achieve
now—win the Olympia
spring, summer,
in september. Who
and autumn—all in
would bet against it
happening?
said beforehand he
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY. ERRINGTON: CARL WADE, WILLIAMS AND JASZTR AB; MK AY WORKS

sensational
condition.
Charlie Francis
MEN’S PHYSIQUE
JOINT 11TH KATALIN
This was Charlie’s second pro JASZTRAB
show, and only his sixth show BODYFITNESS
ever. In his short career he’s 2ND IN
won the British Championships MASTERS,
and placed third on his pro debut 3RD IN
in Vancouver so he wasn’t here HEIGHT CLASS
to make up the numbers. Yet The Hungarian-
despite looking his best ever, he born competitor
didn’t get much of a look-in in the
large line-up. “I was a little loveliest lines you
disheartened,” he says. “I
thought I brought a physique
worthy of a higher placing but
it’s a learning experience. I have
a lot of time ahead of me to
change the placing and
improve.” masters division.

FLEXONLINE.COM 133
 LAST SET BY DARREN NICHOLHURST

BODYBUILDING
AT BAFTA
NEW FILM
EXPLORES
DORIAN YATES’
LIFE AFTER HE
RETIRED.

When your day starts with a text

message from former Mr. Olympia
Dorian Yates saying, “Hey, are you
coming to BAFTA with me?” You
know it’s going to be a good day.
I couldn’t believe I would be going
somewhere every legendary
British film and television star
has been.
Even more, I couldn’t believe the
place would be full of bodybuilders.
I asked Dorian what it was all about
and he replied that a media
company called London Real had
made a film about his transition
from freaky physique Olympia
legend to his new life today.
Nicknamed The Shadow
because of his elusive ways,
Dorian got to the top of a US-
dominated sport by winning the
Mr. Olympia six years in a row.
When he retired, he slipped back
into the shadows and the film is
about his quest to find a new
identity and meaning in life.
Inside the Shadow is a no-bull
rollercoaster ride asking questions
many of us bodybuilders never
think of because of the regimented
life we lead.
I’ve been a close friend of
Dorian for years; I knew he had
changed as a man and had a new
life in Marbella with his amazing
wife, Gal Ferreira Yates. I had to
see this film. But why did Dorian
agree to make it? He has always
been wary of the media because
of how it twists things.
NEW LIFE
London Real is a company set up
by former banker Brian Rose,
whose ethos now is about
Dorian Yates
(right) and
Darren
Nicholhurst at
BAFTA for the
film premiere.
empowering people to live their
passions and dreams. He’s
previously interviewed celebrities
ranging from from ex-boxers Nigel
Benn and Chris Eubank to singer
Will Young, as well as Dorian—
basically, anyone who has done
something amazing and is willing to
be open and honest about how
they achieved it. Dorian’s
interviews got a huge number of
viewers, so Brian wanted to take
things further by making a film.
In it, he asks Dorian about how
he found the strength to become
the best bodybuilder when
everything was stacked against
him. Dorian told all: what goes on
behind the scenes, rivalry with
other competitors and drugs. He
didn’t hold back, either, about how
his mindset has shifted. His
passion for bodybuilding remains
huge but he has learned to use
qualities he acquired, like
dedication, to achieve what is
right for him now and to do things
that were impossible when he
was living the restricted life of a
pro bodybuilder.
By exploring how he grew and
expanded his mind, Dorian again
broke new ground and took
bodybuilding to the masses. The
man known for his freaky size has
transformed into a deep, soulful
being that has learned to overcome
post-competing barriers life has
thrown at him. Once again, Dorian
has done something that few could
ever do.
The film premiere at BAFTA was
full of bodybuilders. There was
plenty of champagne but no
protein shakes. It’s an excellent,
eye-opening film that shows that
anything is possible and is available
to buy online.

134 FLEX | JUNE 2017

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 LAST SET

Wendy on stage at the

Toronto Pro in 2014.

travelling to fellow northeast pro

Anth Bailes’ Maxxmuscle gym in
Tyne and Wear for some brutal
sessions. “I train legs with Anth
and a couple of other guys every
Wednesday night and it’s all

HARDCORE
hardcore proper training,” she
says. “I thrive on being pushed
and taken out of my comfort
zone.” Former Olympia 212

WENDY
BRITAIN’S LONGEST McCready, who was deep into
SERVING FEMALE prep for the Toronto Pro and
IFBB PRO IS GOING Chicago Pro when FLEX caught
up with her.
BACK TO HER “My heart lies in bodybuilding.
ROOTS IN 2017. My training style is not to hold
back, but last year, I had to pull
back on various body parts, such
as arms and legs. I also couldn’t
competitor John Hodgson has
also been joining in the fun. “We all
have the same mindset,” says
McCready. “No frills, just hard
work.”
McCready is prepping herself,
but will turn to these two wise
men for advice, as she bids to
qualify for the World
Championships. “I trust these
guys beyond words and Anth is
only up the road,” she says. “He’s
a truly awesome bodybuilder
whom I respect massively. I
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

After a brief foray into women’s
physique, Britain’s longest serving
IFBB pro, Wendy McCready, is
returning to female bodybuilding
in 2017. “I’m a bodybuilder and
that’s where I need to be,” says
become as shredded as I had in
the past and that’s what I pride
myself on. So, for me, it was like
training with my hands tied.”
McCready, who is in her 13th
year as an IFBB pro, has been
wasn’t happy last year and feel I
am back where I belong, but I
need to nail my condition again. I
have certain things to prove to
myself and to others but that’s
what drives me every single day.”

136 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 BY JOHN PLUMMER

KING
JAMES II
DOUBLE BRITISH
CHAMPION JAMES
WATTS IS GUNNING
FOR VICTORY AT THIS
MONTH’S ENGLISH
GRAND PRIX.

Britain’s biggest show of the

summer, the English Grand Prix,
takes place this month and one
man worth keeping an eye on is James Watts
James Watts, who is rapidly
winning his
emerging as one of the country’s
first national
best bodybuilders.
title in 2014.
Watts became British light-
heavyweight champion in
Nottingham last year to complete
the rare distinction of winning
national titles in two different
weights. He took the
middleweight crown in 2014
before stepping up in weight. In
between those victories he won
the English Grand Prix in 2015 and
he’s hoping to double up at that
event on June 4 and in the
process book a place at the
Arnold Classic Europe and the
Diamond Cup.
Last year Watts finished
second at the grand prix after a
short five-week prep following a
hernia. He’s keen to make
amends, but isn’t the kind of guy
to big himself up. “Of course I
train to win but it’s a very
personal thing,” he says. “I train
and compete against myself,
always trying to bring a better
me. Sometimes I do and
sometimes I don’t.”
Watts finished seventh in his
last outing at the 2016 season-
ending Diamond Cup. aesthetics—he’s no mass monster grand prix and then take some
Disappointed? Not at all. “I could but he can hit a mean vacuum time out and fill out a bit and add a
see improvements in my pose and has pleasing few extra pounds and then rein it
physique, so although my placing proportions. With a busy second in again. I came from nowhere
was lower it was still a personal half of the year looming, it’s now with nobody knowing my name to
victory as I was better.” all about the diet. “It can be tough winning two British titles…I
MAT T MARSH

Watts’ victory in Nottingham peaking for several shows,” he consider myself blessed every
last year struck a blow for says. “My plan is to peak for the time I step on stage.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 137
 LAST SET POSEDOWN

HEATH 2006 HEATH

VS. HEATH 2016

2016
AGE
36
PRO WINS
HOW MUCH DID 12
PHIL HEATH CHANGE YEARS
AS PRO
OVER HIS FIRST 10
YEARS AS A PRO? 11
PRO
CONTESTS
18
WEIGHT

“How does he look?” 112

HEIGHT
FLEX’s editor-in-chief
asked me after I 175
journeyed backstage
before the 2006
Colorado Pro. “Small,” I
answered. “But at least
he’s peeled.” You got
the sense that success
was coming too fast
for Phil Heath. Sure, he
had those round muscle
bellies and that pleasing
shape. But he was a
puppy. When he made
his pro debut in Denver
on May 13, 2006, and
followed up a week later
with the New York Pro,
the 26-year-old was
still merely three years
past his first contest.
He wasn’t going to
outsize any decent pro.
So he and nutritionist
Hany Rambod wisely
maximized his
conditioning, coming in
at a weight fit for the 212 HEATH
division, had there been 2006
one then. Luckily for AGE
Heath, the two shows
were void of mass
26
PRO WINS
monsters. He won both,
though some monster- 2
seeking New Yorkers YEARS
AS PRO
booed their displeasure.
A year later, when he 1
KEVIN HORTON; PER BERNAL

was a humbling fifth in PRO

CONTESTS
the Arnold Classic, the
future six-time Mr. O 2
learned the limits of WEIGHT
shape and striations. 95
Thereafter, the Gift HEIGHT
went about growing. 175

138 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 BY GREG MERRITT

2016
BEST POSE STRENGTHS
REAR DOUBLE ARMS, DELTS,
BICEPS BACK
THICKNESS
2006 WORST POSE
ABS AND WEAKNESSES
BEST POSE STRENGTHS THIGH BACK WIDTH
KEVIN HORTON; PER BERNAL

SIDE CHEST CONDITIONING,

ARMS
WORST POSE
REAR LAT WEAKNESSES
SPREAD SIZE, WIDTH,
BACK

FLEXONLINE.COM 139
LAST SET ON THE RISE BY ROGER LOCKRIDGE

THE HOUSE
THAT ERIK BUILT
AFTER LEAVING THE STAGE FOR THE
COAL MINES, ERIK FANKHOUSER IS READY
TO RETURN TO BODYBUILDING

It wasn’t that long ago

that Erik Fankhouser’s
career was on the rise.
He was featured on
iconic ads and covers
of magazines, had a
loyal following, and
even made it to the
Olympia stage in
2010. Then out of
nowhere he was gone.
He disappeared from
the entire bodybuilding
scene, leaving many
people wondering why
the Wheeling, West
Virginia, native opted to
go underground…
literally.
“I got a job in the coal
mines. The money and
insurance was good,
and my family always
comes first. I loved
bodybuilding, but I had
already reached a lot
of goals I set for myself,
so I was ready to do
something else and take
care of them.”
While he was
focused on climbing the
ladder in his new

ERIK “HOUSE”
FANKHOUSER
Birthdate:

Residence:
West Virginia
Sponsors: Animal/
Universal Nutrition
PAVEL Y THJALL

Social Media: Facebook:

Instagram: @fankhouser

140 FLEX | JUNE 2017

 FANKHOUSER’S SAMPLE LEG ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
career choice, the iron his plan, wants to get Leg Extension 3
bug stayed with back onstage. Squat
him and he trained “I love bodybuilding.
4
whenever he could. I’ll always work in
He remained as the mines. That’s my 3
dedicated as he could career and what I do Straight-leg Deadlift
when opportunities to support the family,
Barbell Lunge
presented themselves. but my kids haven’t
“It’s very tough to eat seen me compete and
every three hours they are older now. 3
because of what we’re They were both very 3
doing but I stayed as young when I was
disciplined as I could. I onstage last. I want
NOTE:
trained whenever I had them to see me
days off or my compete, and
schedule allowed it.” bodybuilding is a
Now that he’s moving hobby for me. I enjoy
up in his company and it and want to get back
his schedule is a little onstage but I need to also looking at another the 212 division. It
easier, the 2007 North know I can prepare division. “I will never be would be great to get
American champion is for it and pick the 114 or 118 kilos like back onstage with
scratching the itch that right show.” some of these guys. those guys who are
PAVEL Y THJALL

the iron bug causes. As the Animal athlete When I last competed, I incredible bodybuilders
He’s recommitted to makes this decision, he was 104. I’m seriously and see where I can fit
training and if every- is contemplating more thinking I could get in. I think I could be
thing goes according to than the show. He’s down and compete in competitive at 212.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 141
LAST SET BODYBUILDER OF THE MONTH BY JOHN PLUMMER

AUSTIN WILLIAMS Q If trophies

were awarded
for efort, Austin
Williams would
be Mr. Olympia.
The classic
bodybuilder is
always
competing—and
never fails to
turn up peeled.
He has won the
english Grand
Prix, uSn
BodyPower
Classic, and the
Welsh Grand Prix
in recent years.
After inishing
third at last
years’ British
Championships,
and second at
the Diamond
Cup, he was
back in action
four months
later in
Columbus, Ohio,
where he was
the sole British
representative in
amateur
bodybuilding.
Typically, he
turned up on the
money to
achieve his goal
of a top-ive
inish.

Previous
Winners
January
Luke Sandoe

February
Azeez Salu

March
CHRISTOPHeR BAILeY

James Watts

April
David Henderson

May
Alfie Noda

142 FLEX | june 2017

 L OA
F FLEX
THE DIGITAL EDITION

Free 30 day trial on all subscriptions

THE SHOT

DADDY’S
LITTLE GIRL
“Whoa-whoa-whoa!
Whoa-whoa-whoa! That
doesn’t look like my bottle,” is
what Adiena Paige Lewis
could be thinking as proud
papa, Flex Lewis (with emcee
Bob Cicherillo), celebrates his
fifth consecutive 212 Olympia
win on Sept. 17 at last year’s
Olympia Weekend in Las
Vegas. Lewis’ inspiration for
the moment came from a
photo in FLEX of Sergio Oliva
holding aloft son Sergio Jr.
(now an IFBB pro) at the 1984
PER BERNAL

Mr. Olympia in NYC.

144 FLEX | JUNE 2017

SUPERIOR
FORMULA
FOR ELITE
PERFORMANCE*

/cellucor @cellucor @cellucor