P.

28
INTENSE
PRE-WORKOUT

CRANK GROW
IT UP! YOUR
CHEST!
NEW STAR
ARASH
RAHBAR’S
12 RULES BLUEPRINT
FOR PECS
FOR THE THAT POP
PERFECT
PHYSIQUE

BIG WITH JUST

GAINS
WITH LOW
1 MOVE!
CARBS? THE SECRET
FOR MAX
RESULTS
WHEELS
LIKE MR. O’S!
PHIL HEATH’S
EXCLUSIVE ROUTINE

FEATURES
72 TIME TO GROW
Use this simple timing trick
to squeeze the most out of
every set.
82 ANOTHER LEG UP
Seven-time Mr. Olympia
Phil Heath is hungrier than
ever to improve. Here’s
the wheels workout that
might propel him to No. 8
this September.
90 START BIGGER
Six strategies for
starting 2018 on a
hy(pertrophy) note.
120
12 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
JANUARY 2018
22
100 STRENGTH 110 THE INTENSITY
THROUGH ADVERSITY GLOSSARY
The sudden passing of Your guide to the best
a friend and Hurricane techniques for making
Irma’s landfall weighed on your workouts harder
Flex Lewis in the weeks and, therefore, better.
and days before his sixth
consecutive Olympia 212 128 LATS OF SYMMETRY
victory—then death threats Classic physique star
two weeks later raised it George Peterson offers up
to a whole new level. a back workout that would
satisfy the most hardcore
bodybuilder.
136 HERCULEAN TASKS
Steve Reeves—1950
Mr. Universe and cinematic
Hercules—built the most
aesthetic physique of
all time. Here’s how.
144 CHRONICLES
OF NARMIN
IFBB Pro League bikini star
Narmin Assria is a beauty
who trains like a beast.
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY
CHRIS NICOLL
DEPARTMENTS
16 ONLINE
Stay current with
all the hot topics
trending now at
FLEXonline.com.
18 HIT LIST
Everything you need
to know this month to
make life worth living.
20 JUST THE FACTS
Groundbreaking
research and
must-have tips
in the training and
nutrition universe.
33 1ST SET
All the happenings
with Mr. Olympia
Phil Heath, the entire
Team Weider roster,
and more.
49 LIFT
Techniques that
work, routines that
produce results, and
other things to help
you make the most of
your gym time.
59 FOOD & SUPPS
All the things you
need to eat, drink,
or mix first and
then drink, to help
you reach your
bodybuilding and
fitness goals.
151 LAST SET
Contest results,
athlete profiles,
and more from the
world of competitive
bodybuilding and
fitness.
160 THE SHOT
Iconic snapshots
in the bodybuilding
world.
CHRIS NICOLL; PER BERNAL
 NEW FORMULA
BEYOND RAW®
PRECISION BCAA
DAVID PECKER Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
EDITORIAL ADVERTISING
SHAWN PERINE VP/Editorial Director CHRIS SCARDINO EVP/Group Publishing Director
ZACK ZEIGLER Editor DARA MARKUS Advertising Director
DAVE IAN LEE Editor SAMANTHA DITATA Marketing Director
BRIAN GOOD Managing Editor,
Enthusiast Group/Books EASTERN SALES OFFICE
GREG MERRITT Senior Writer 4 New York Plaza,
ANGELICA NEBBIA Senior Web Editor 4th Floor, New York, NY 10004;
ANDREW GUTMAN Associate Editor (212) 339-1900; fax (212) 510-1947
YEUN LITTLEFIELD Copy Chief MIKE MYERS Digital Sales Manager
JEFF TOMKO Copy Editor EMILY KUHN Digital Account Manager
JAMES RILEY Research IVELISE ESTREMERA Business Manager
RUSSELL MENDOZA Editorial Production Director TRACY GUNTHORPE Administrative Assistant
VICTOR KIM Editorial Production Associate Director
DECLAN O’KELLY Digital Director MIDWESTERN SALES OFFICE
ROSE MCNULTY Editorial Assistant 1005 West Grove Street, Arlington Heights,
IL 60005; (312) 545-8041; fax (847) 749-0469
ART DARRIN KLAPPRODT Sales Director
RAMÓN GAMARRA Art Director
CYNTHIA NG Designer WESTERN SALES OFFICE
SEAN OTTO Contributing Designer 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1220,
ANTHONY NOLAN Photo Director Los Angeles, CA 90010; (818) 595-0473
ERICA SCHULTZ Staff Photographer/Photo Editor TALIN BOUSTANI Senior Account Director
GABY CHIANG Photo Editor
SOUTHEASTERN SALES OFFICE
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS 1000 American Media Way,
MICHAEL BERG, ADAM BIBLE, Boca Raton, FL 33464-1000;
OF PROTEIN ERIC BROSER, BRYAN HAYCOCK,
ROGER LOCKRIDGE, PETER MCGOUGH,
(561) 997-7733; fax (561) 266-0664

STEVEN STIEFEL, JOE WUEBBEN WEIDER PUBLICATIONS, LLC

ADD VELOSITOL
®

A SUBSIDIARY OF AMERICAN MEDIA INC.

AND DOUBLE THE PHOTO & ART CONTRIBUTORS DAVID PECKER CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT
PER BERNAL, CHARLES LOWTHIAN, & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
POWER OF PROTEIN.** IAN SPANIER Photographers
ALBERT BUSEK, CARUSO, KEVIN HYSON
BILL COMSTOCK, ISAAC HINDS, Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer
KEVIN HORTON, CHRIS LUND, CHRIS POLIMENI Executive Vice President/
Clinically shown to work CHRIS NICOLL, ROB PICK, Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer
in a single dose. PAVEL YTHJALL, ART ZELLER Contributors DAVID THOMPSON
Executive Vice President, Digital Media Operations/CIO
PRODUCTION BRIAN KROSKI
Accelerate and boost muscle ANN MCCAFFREY Production Manager Senior Vice President/Chief Digital Officer
protein synthesis (MPS) MARC MELCHER Distribution Manager ROB M. O’NEILL Senior Vice President, Operations
EPHRAIM R. BRENNAN
INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING, Vice President, Consumer Marketing
Promotes lean body mass ENTHUSIAST GROUP
SAMANTHA LUND Group Publisher JIM MANION
TEL: +44 (1) 1423 550 848 President of the IFBB Professional League
email: slund@weideruk.com JOE WEIDER (1920–2013)
Supports quicker muscle recovery Founder and Chairman Emeritus

LOOK FOR BEYOND RAW® FOREIGN EDITIONS

PRECISION BCAA AND OTHER ALGERIA ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA BAHRAIN BELARUS BELGIUM CHILE CROATIA ECUADOR EGYPT FRANCE GERMANY GIBRALTAR GUATEMALA

SPORTS NUTRITION PRODUCTS

WITH VELOSITOL AT VELOSITOL.COM IRELAND ITALY JORDAN KAZAKHSTAN KUWAIT LATVIA LEBANON LITHUANIA LUXEMBOURG MALTA MEXICO NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND OMAN

PARAGUAY PERU PHILIPPINES QATAR RUSSIA SAUDI ARABIA SPAIN SYRIA THAILAND TURKEY UNITED KINGDOM URUGUAY VENEZUELA

DISCLAIMER PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE OR DIET
PROGRAM, OR WHEN MAKING CHANGES IN AN EXISTING PROGRAM.

PRINTED IN USA WE ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR RETURNING UNSOLICITED MATERIAL,

** As shown with 6 grams of whey protein INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PHOTOS, ARTWORK, MANUSCRIPTS, AND LETTERS.
® ®
©2017 Nutrition 21, LLC Velositol and Nitrosigine are trademarks of Nutri-
tion 21, LLC. U.S. Patents include but are not limited to: 6,689,383; 8,062,677;
5HIHUHQFH'DWDRQ¿OH1XWULWLRQ//&'5$

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food

and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

14 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 ®
FROM THE MAKERS OF NITROSIGINE

OF YOUR PROTEIN
DOUBLE THE POWER OF
PROTEIN BY CHOOSING
PRODUCTS CONTAINING
VELOSITOL. **
®

®
Velositol is a patented, revolutionary ingredient that when used with *

protein is designed to accelerate and boost muscle protein synthesis Increase in Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS)
when Velositol® is Added to Protein
(MPS), a key to enhanced muscle growth, lean body mass and quicker
muscle recovery.
Velositol is clinically shown to work in a single dose. Whether you get
FSR of MPS (%/hr.)

your protein in powders, bars or beverages, demand Velositol inside.

Look for the Velositol logo on labels when buying your protein.
FOR MORE INFO, VISIT VELOSITOL.COM

** As shown with 6 grams of whey protein

©2017 Nutrition 21, LLC Velositol® and Nitrosigine® are trademarks of Nutrition 21, LLC. U.S. Patents include but are not limited to: 6,689,383; 8,062,677; 9,119,835; 9,597,404;
5HIHUHQFH'DWDRQ¿OH1XWULWLRQ//&'5$

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

KICK-START YOUR
METABOLISM: PART 2
Let’s keep this metabolism-
igniting party going!
Knowing what types of
food to incorporate into
your diet is one of the
most important aspects of
nutrition—especially when it
comes to regenerating your
metabolism. Each person is
different, so even though the
diet you saw in the magazine
made a particular person
lose weight and look great,
it may not work in the same
way for you. In Part 2, you’ll
get nutrition tips and tricks
to keep your metabolism
revved up and achieve your
best physique ever in 2018.
FLEXonline.com/metabolism2
16 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
SOCIAL
ALL-STARS
@philheath
It’s time to remind yourself
just how great you are.
The world is filled with too
much damn darkness. We
were all born to SHINE!!!!!
The choice is yours.
@flex_lewis
Blessed to see parts of the
world, and countries with
such amazing landmarks and
attractions...but sometimes
you have to look out the
window to see what’s
around you on the daily.
@juandiesel
I’m trying to make my back
as wide as I can. Your back
can never be big enough.
@stevekuclo
Been switching up my
training, completely
shocking my body and taking
things to the next level! The
@arnoldsports 2018 will see
a whole new #kingsnake.
Time to #makebodybuilding
greatagain!
@william_bonac
To be great, you have to
be willing to be mocked,
hated, and misunderstood.
Stay strong!
@flexatronrhoden
Don’t get down on yourself
when you don’t look how you
want to today. The process
is important, and you need
to love yourself during each
step of the way. People may
not believe in you, so you
have to believe in yourself
and not give up when you are
not seeing results as fast as
you want to see them.
CHRIS NICOLL
 NEW! 1

EXCLUSIVE
DUAL-CAPSULE
TECHNOLOGY

THERMOGENIC DELIVERY WILL CHANGE FOREVER!

THE WORLD’S FIRST-EVER

DUAL-DELIVERY COMBINATION CAPSULE
Hydroxycut® SX-7® Revolution is the world’s first and only
side-by-side dual-delivery thermogenic. Powders are the favored
delivery system for most pill products because they can deliver
more active ingredients in the right doses. Other ingredients are
preferably taken as liquids, such as CLA. Separating the capsule
into two halves allows for a delivery system that succeeds the

ADVANCED WEIGHT LOSS

Subjects taking C. canephora robusta

8 weeks with a calorie-reduced diet

and moderate exercise.

Unrivaled sensory experience from

an advanced Neurosensory Matrix
including huperzine-A, choline
bitartrate, yohimbe and lion’s mane.

ULTIMATE THERMOGENESIS
Extreme energy, enhanced mental
focus and ultimate thermogenesis
from a scientifically researched dose
of caffeine anhydrous.

COMBINATION ENCAPSULATED SEPARATION

CAPSULE LIQUID MEMBRANE
Ingredient stability Featuring premium World’s first
maintained through Clarinol® A-95 CLA – the hermetically sealed
impermeable isolation most concentrated source membrane

AVAILABLE
EXCLUSIVELY AT
1
Based on AC Nielsen xAOC sales data for Hydroxycut® caplets.
Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2017 MUSCLETECH.COM
 HIT LIST 3 THINGS
TO KNOW
THIS MONTH

DIESEL WRIST
STRAPS
Renowned
strength coach
Jim Smith knows a
thing or two about
developing tough,
durable athletes.
It turns out that he
also knows how
to develop even
tougher, more
durable gear. These
American-made
wrist straps mold
to your wrists for a
comfortable fit and
are made out of
durable nylon, so
you’ll never need to
buy another pair.
$15; DIESELSC.COM

12 STRONG MUSCLE SERUM—

ANABOLIC PROTEIN BLEND
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

18 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 NEW! 1

4X MORE
EXCLUSIVE
PILL-IN-A-PILL
TECHNOLOGY

MUSCLE
THE CLEAR PILL-IN-A-PILL THAT BUILDS
18.7 LBS. OF MUSCLE
Introducing Clear Muscle® SX-7® Revolution. This is the first
supplement to feature BetaATP™ – the combination of two
scientifically backed ingredients, BetaTOR® and PEAK ATP®,
which work together to deliver better results than anything else
on supplement shelves. Plus, researchers added a clinically
studied dose of KIC – the keto-acid powerhouse shown to
reduce muscle damage following training when combined
with HMB. Clear Muscle® SX-7® Revolution stands alone in a
field of underperforming musclebuilding pills and represents a
new pinnacle in supplement evolution.

Exclusive Micronized PEAK ATP®

First-of-its-kind pill to combine PEAK ATP® and
KIC, scientifically shown to improve performance,
pumps, recovery and anabolism.

Exclusive Fast-Release BetaTOR®

A cutting-edge metabolite and free-acid derivative
of leucine and HMB, shown in a 12-week clinical
study to help test subjects gain 18.7 lbs. of muscle,
while the placebo group only added 4.6 lbs. when
combined with PEAK ATP®. They also added almost
212 lbs. to their bench/deadlift/squat total!

Advanced Dual-Capsule Technology

Combines and delivers ingredients in their inherent
active states in one high-potency dose.

AVAILABLE
EXCLUSIVELY AT
1
MuscleTech® is America’s #1 Selling Bodybuilding Supplement Brand based on cumulative wholesale dollar sales 2001 to present.
Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2017 MUSCLETECH.COM
 JUST THE FACTS

BREAKFAST MATTERS
Research in the Journal of the
American College of Cardiology
surveyed men and women
who didn’t have cardiovascular
disease or kidney disease and
discovered that risk of hardened
arteries, or atherosclerosis,
was higher among both breakfast
skippers and in-betweeners.
Those groups also had bigger
waists and body mass, along
with higher blood pressure and
fasting glucose levels.

DON’T SHOP HUNGRY
Photos of junk food like candy, ice cream, and pizza can distract you
when you’re hungry, even if you’re working intently on another task,
according to a study that was published in the journal Psychonomic
Bulletin and Review. Also interesting: After you taste a little junk
food, your cravings subside and you can concentrate better.
SNOOZE ALARM
Sleep is crucial for making sure your
muscles and other bodily systems have
the time and resources to rebuild, clean
out waste, and, well, just rest. And it goes
beyond muscle: A lack of proper sleep
can increase your likelihood of obesity,
according to a new study in PLoS One—
people who slept an average of six hours
a night typically had waistlines measuring
a little over one inch more than people
who got nine hours of sleep.

GAME TIME
Gamifying your fitness routine could BROCCOLI IS YOUR BRO
help you increase your activity,
according to a new study published
PER BERNAL; RICHARD CL ARK /GET T Y IMAGES

in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the

study, a 24-week clinical trial, half
of the 200 people played a game
with their families in which points
were earned through activities
like “collaboration,” “accountability,”
and “physical exercise.” They found
that those who played the game
met their activity goals on more
days and had a greater increase in
average daily steps, compared
with the group who wasn’t involved
in the game.

20 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

22 | JANUARY ’18
 CLASSICALLY
TRAINED&
PROPERLY
FUELED
SIGNING A NEW SUPPLEMENT CONTRACT, PLAYING FRANK ZANE
ON THE BIG SCREEN, PREPPING FOR THE DEBUT OF CLASSIC
PHYSIQUE AT THE ARNOLD—ARASH RAHBAR HAS A LOT
GOING ON THESE DAYS. HERE’S A SNAPSHOT OF THE
WORKOUTS, DIET, AND SUPPLEMENT ROUTINE THAT HE
SAYS WILL MAKE 2018 HIS BEST YEAR YET.
BY JOE WUEBBEN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS NICOLLS

Arash Rahbar, one of the true superstars
of the IFBB Pro League’s classic physique
division, has put 2017 in his rearview. Not
that it was a bad year—for just about any
professional physique athlete, a fourth-
place Olympia finish would be an undeniable
success—but it wasn’t nearly as fruitful
onstage as he believes it could have been.
“I feel I’m head and shoulders better this
year than last year,” says Rahbar, speaking to
FLEX in late October, roughly six weeks after
the 2017 Olympia. If you’ll recall, he finished
two places higher at the O in 2016, placing
runner-up to Danny Hester. “I improved a lot
as a bodybuilder. I brought up some weak
points, and I think I grew and developed
considerably from 2016. That being said,
I feel I had the tools to do better in ’17 than
I did in ’16, but I just didn’t nail it on Friday.
As everyone knows, bodybuilding is an art
and a science. I can look back now and see
the mistakes that were made during the week
leading into the show, but at the time my
coach and I didn’t realize it. I was flat and
depleted. I didn’t come to life Friday morning
for the competition. That’s it. In the days
after, I just got better and better. It’s a classic
‘didn’t nail it on the day of the show’ type of
deal. But you live and you learn, and I won’t
make those mistakes again.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 23
 SHOT ON LOCATION AT EOS FITNESS, LAS VEGAS, NV

AGAIN, RAHBAR’S 2017 WAS

And 2018 is even more promising.
Three major developments have
taken place recently in Rahbar’s

PRETTY IMPRESSIVE BY
professional life.
First, he gained an endorsement
deal from Dymatize Nutrition. (See

OBJECTIVE STANDARDS; HE sidebar for more details.)

Second, he landed the coveted

JUST HAPPENS TO BE HIS

role of the iconic Frank Zane in the
upcoming film Bigger, which tells
the stories of legendary fitness

OWN TOUGHEST CRITIC.

pioneers Joe and Ben Weider,
creators of the fitness industry as
we know it today. The release

24 FLEX | JANUARY ’18


SMITH MACHINE INCLINE PRESS
TARGET Upper pecs. PERFORMANCE TIP
DO IT As your first Keep your shoulders
main mass movement back and chest up to
to prioritize upper place maximum stress
chest thickness. on the chest muscles.
date for the movie has yet to be full-blown huge and smooth in the
announced, but it could be in off-season, there’s no chance.”
theaters in 2018. “I’m flattered and Third, there’s the Arnold
I’m honored to be a part of the Classic. For the first time, the
first multimillion-dollar Hollywood prestigious show will be including
production in our sport,” says classic physique. And for Rahbar,
Rahbar, who was set to film his to compete or not to compete in
parts as Zane the first week of Columbus was an easy decision.
November, only a week after his “It’s a no-brainer,” he says.
interview with FLEX. “Training- “Last year, I stepped off the
wise, I’m not doing anything crazy Olympia stage, my left foot hit the
for the movie. I kept in shape, ground, and I said, ‘I’m doing
luckily, which is one of the the Arnold.’ There was no Arnold.
reasons I landed the role. If I was This year, same thing—but
ARASH RAHBAR
BIRTH DATE: Nov. 29, 1980
HEIGHT: 5'10"
WEIGHT: 205 lbs
(competition); 225 lbs
(off-season)
RESIDENCE:
Long Island, NY
BIRTHPLACE: Tehran, Iran
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2016 Olympia Classic
Physique, 2nd; 2016 New
York Pro classic physique,
1st; 2016 Pittsburgh Pro
classic physique, 1st;
2014 North American
Championships men’s
physique class D and overall
winner (earned pro card)
especially this year. For me, one
word comes to mind: redemption.
I’m not happy with the way I
looked at the Olympia. Look, if I
was at my best and I finished
fourth, I’m in trouble. But I was
nowhere near my best in 2017. I
was way, way off. I was at 70 or
75%, and I got fourth place. So
for me, the Arnold is redemption.”
And redemption starts with
what Rahbar has already been
doing for many years: hard and
smart training, and proper nutrition
and supplement intake. All three
of these areas are addressed
from Rahbar’s perspective on the
following pages, including his
highly intense, moderate-volume
chest workout. He’s hoping 2018
will be a more successful year
from a competitive standpoint,
yet from a work standpoint it will
be more of the same.
“For me, it’s never-ending,”
says Rahbar. “I’m always trying
to improve. I think I can get better
and better in every department
for 2018. I want to bring better
conditioning, but the main thing
for me is nailing it. The world has
yet to see me at even 90%. I won
Pittsburgh and New York and
finished second at the Olympia in
2016, and I wouldn’t say I was
90% at any of those shows. And
when I say ‘nail it,’ I mean hard,
full, and dry. I have yet to show
my best. I think if I come in at 90,
95% at the Arnold, I’ll have a very,
very special look that will give
anyone in the division a hard time.
That’s my humble opinion.”
FLEXONLINE.COM 25
 FLAT-BENCH DUMBBELL PRESS
Middle pecs.
As your second main mass movement.
Slowly lower the dumbbells to just
below shoulder height to give your pecs a full stretch, then press
up to start position.

“Rather than stick with

a certain number of sets
and reps, I really train
by feel nowadays.”

26 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 “I always
start my chest
workout with
INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS some mobility
TARGET Upper pecs. presses for added work for my
DO IT As your first variety. shoulders as
main movement to PERFORMANCE a warmup.”
prioritize upper- TIP Squeeze your
chest development. pecs hard at the top
Alternate with Smith and hold for a one to
machine incline two count.

BONUS TIPS More training wisdom from the IFBB Pro

League classic physique champ.
“My chest training is very straightforward, very “I always start my chest workout with some
GROOMING BY CHRISTAL LORETO

intense, but basic. I don’t do a ton of volume.” mobility work for my shoulders as a warmup.”

“Rather than stick with a certain number of sets
and reps, I really train by feel nowadays.”
“Sometimes I implement techniques like
dropsets and forced reps, which can take the
reps higher.”
“I usually just do three exercises for chest.
If I feel like doing more, I’ll do cable crossovers
or dips to finish. I sometimes do them at the
beginning of my chest workout as a warmup
instead of at the end.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 27
RAHBAR’S GO-TO
SUPPLEMENTS
The Dymatize Nutrition
products that help Rahbar
craft his classic muscles.
In 2017, Arash Rahbar officially
became a sponsored athlete for
Dymatize Nutrition. Emphasis
on “officially,” because for years
prior he’d been taking Dymatize
products with no affiliation, simply
because he liked the supplements.
“First and foremost, I’ve been
taking Dymatize’s whey protein
since, I don’t know, probably my
early 20s,” says the 37-year-old
Long Island, NY, resident. “I wasn’t
necessarily looking for a sponsor.
Luckily, I’m not a starving artist, or
a starving bodybuilder. Frankly,
there are a lot of new supplement
companies out there that don’t
really rub me the right way. I
wanted to feel confident in the
quality of whatever products I
was going to endorse, and I didn’t
want it to be a case of me telling
people I’m taking something I’m
not taking. But I really do take the
Dymatize products. They’re a
great, great company. They’re
very supportive of me, and I think
we’re a really good fit together.”
Here, Rahbar offers a
rundown of the specific Dymatize
products he relies upon most for
recovery, results, and maximum
performance:
PRE W.O. PRE-WORKOUT
“I take the pre-workout year-
round. I do one scoop now,
but in contest prep I took 1½ to
two scoops before workouts.”
28 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
ISO100 100% WHEY
PROTEIN ISOLATE
“This is by far the best-tasting
whey protein I’ve ever had.
Usually, a rule of thumb for me
is that high-quality protein
doesn’t taste great. The ones
that taste really good are
concentrates, but they kind of
bloat me and upset my stomach.
But this is a hydrolyzed “I’ll have a scoop or two of
isolate and a whey isolate—that’s ISO100 after I train, and some-
it. It tastes phenomenal. times I’ll have it as my last meal.
“It actually serves as a dessert If I have a sweet tooth, that’s
for me. That’s how good it tastes. pretty much my go-to. Also, when
I make various desserts that I I do cream of rice or oatmeal,
post on my Instagram. One of my I’ll put the ISO100 in there after it
favorites is ice cream—I make cooks, and it’s insane. It tastes
ice cream out of it with water and like a dessert or pudding.
ice and cinnamon. My favorite flavors are Peanut
INCLINE
DUMBBELL
FLYE
Upper pecs.
After
your main
mass-building
movements.
Squeeze
your shoulder
blades together
at the bottom of
the movement to
maximize the
stretch on your
pecs.
Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter,
and Cinnamon Bun.”

AMINO PRO
AND GLUTAMINE
“I take these two all the time. This
morning I did cardio, and I had two
scoops of glutamine plus two
scoops of Amino Pro along with it.”
CREATINE
“I take creatine throughout the
off-season but not leading up to
a show.”
SUPERMULTI
MULTIVITAMIN
“I take the SuperMulti daily with
meals to make sure I’m getting all
the micronutrients I need.”
RAHBAR’S GO-TO FOODS
How to eat like a classic physique athlete.
“What I eat changes from day to day,” Rahbar says. “I usually go
higher carbs on back and leg days, because I want to improve
those areas.” To get an idea of his favorite foods for building
muscle and staying lean year-round, here are Rahbar’s main
carbohydrate, protein, and fat sources:
PROTEINS Egg whites, CARBS White rice, sweet
salmon, chicken, steak (lean potatoes, cream of rice,
cuts pre-contest, like hanger oatmeal.
steak and 98% lean ground
beef; fatty cuts off-season, FATS Salmon, fatty cuts of
like boneless short rib). steak, nuts (cashew, almond,
macadamia), nut butters.

Lower pecs.
At the
beginning of your
chest workout or
at the end. (See
Bonus Tips.)

Lean
forward to keep
the stress on
your chest.

FLEXONLINE.COM 29
“I usually just
do three
exercises for
chest. If I feel CABLE CROSSOVER
like doing more, TARGET Overall chest.
I’ll do cable DO IT At the end of the
crossovers or workout to maximize the
dips to finish. I pump.
sometimes do PERFORMANCE TIP
them at the Visualize hitting a most-
beginning of my
muscular pose and
chest workout
as a warmup concentrate on squeezing
instead of at the pecs.
the end.”

RAHBAR’S GO-TO CHEST WORKOUT RAHBAR’S

EXERCISE SETS REPS TRAINING SPLIT
DAY 1 Chest
DAY 2 Back
Dumbbell Bench Press or Hammer Strength Press 3–4 8–12 DAY 3 Shoulders
DAY 4 Arms
DAY 5 Legs
Cable Crossover or Dip 3–4 8–12 DAY 6 Rest or cycle repeats

30 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

IF THIS IS THE YEAR YOU TRAIN EVERY DAY,
YOU ARE AN ATHLETE.

ARASH RAHBAR
RELIES ON ISO100® TO CRUSH HIS CRAVINGS AND HIS GOALS.
Mr. Olympia Classic Physique Competitor & IFBB Pro

Share your story! #IAmAnAthlete

You may just appear in a future Dymatize ad.

ISO100®. THE PROTEIN FOR A NEW YOU.

Fast-digesting, hydrolyzed, award-winning, 100% Whey Protein
Isolate with 0g of lactose. Available in tons of flavors and developed
with studied amounts of protein and BCAAs per serving. Crushing
your goals has never been tastier!

TYPICAL AMOUNTS PER SERVING FIND A RETAILER NEAR YOU AT DYMATIZE.COM & AVAILABLE AT:
PROTEIN BCAAs LEUCINE SUGAR
25 g 5.5 g 2.7 g <1 g
 IS EVERY
REAL-TIME
STORY
REAL?
MAGAZINE
MEDIA
Better. Believe It.
 1 ST ALL THE HOT
TOPICS IN
BODYBUILDING
& FITNESS

44

Imagine Arnold Mindy Harley is confident Should you train strict or Rule One Proteins’ VP of
PER BERNAL

Schwarzenegger, Ronnie that with hard work and a adopt looser form? Coach marketing, Chris Chromek,
Coleman, Lee Haney, and little luck, she can ride into Eric “Merlin” Broser tells you puts it on the line as he goes
Phil Heath. Who wins? the pro ranks in 2018. which style is best. for his IFBB Pro League card.
PAGE 34 PAGE 36 PAGE 40 PAGE 42

FLEXONLINE.COM 33
 1ST SET BY PHIL HEATH, SEVEN-TIME
REIGNING MR. OLYMPIA

GET

LIT
FOCUS
I N T E N SIT Y
PUMPS

COUNTING?
AN ALL-TIME TOP FIVE AND
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SEVEN.

You, Ronnie Coleman, many O victories, and only a

Dorian Yates, Lee
Haney, and Arnold
Schwarzenegger—all of
you at peak form—where
do you finish?
Top three, at the least. Top three
all day. I’m trying to figure that
one out. I would like to put
myself at No. 1—I mean, only two
of us, me and Coleman, have
been in a two-day Olympia, and
it’s a different challenge. Can’t
just go by pictures and video,
because there was no high-def
photography, and it can be hard
to see the detail, if there is any
detail. My peak against theirs?
NEW FLAVOR For now, I’m going to say I finish
second. For now.
small subset of that group have
managed to pull off the feat in
seven consecutive years.
Do Arnold’s seven represent
a less impressive achievement
than Heath’s equal number of
consecutive wins? Maybe in
the same way four aces and
a king can’t beat a straight
flush—but seven wins is seven
wins. Regardless, here’s how
Heath’s record stacks up
against the winningest pros in
Olympia history:
NUMBER
NAME TITLE OF O WINS

CLUB OF SEVENS
Mr. O has had a long association
with sevens—beginning with the
B R U T E S CIE N C E FST-7 training system that
helped propel his growth—but
the number took Heath to a new
level when he captured his
PER BERNAL

seventh Sandow at the 2017

Olympia. Only a small group of
BEYONDRAW.COM Olympians have recorded that
GNC.COM/BEYONDRAW

34 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

UNPRECEDENTED
PEAK
PERFORMANCE.
YOU ARE THE ULTIMATE TEST

CLINICAL STRENGTH TESTOSTERONE

& LIVER SUPPORT
Brutal sets—in repeated Lab projections—can yield infinite results.
Subject yourself to unmatched male performance and system support
engineered to support testosterone levels.

Anabolic Testosterone System combines the newest advancements

in Brute Science—Infinite Test™ and Liver Guard—to support
the inhuman workouts, detoxification and uncompromised
liver function necessary to continue your experiment.

NEW AND ONLY AT GNC

GNC.COM/BEYONDRAW
1ST SET THE BODY SHOP BY ROGER LOCKRIDGE

THE MINDY
MINDSET
MINDY HARLEY IS CONFIDENT
IN HER GOAL TO GO PRO IN 2018.
WHY? BECAUSE SHE ALREADY
LIVES THE LIFESTYLE.

EVEN THOUGH up to over the years,

Mindy Harley hasn’t yet including Jamie Eason,
made it to the IFBB Pro Timea Majorova, Ann
League bikini division, Titone, and Amanda
you can say that she Latona. She also
understands what life admired Mr. Olympias
as a pro is all about. like Dexter Jackson and
As the wife of IFBB Ronnie Coleman. “They
Pro League classic all have an extremely
physique athlete Sean tenacious work ethic
Harley, she is right there and are humble
with him as he preps despite all of
for shows and is looking their accolades.
to seek her own pro They appreciate MINDY
HARLEY
card in 2018. their fans, and
“With my husband they have all
already competing in proven to be
the IFBB Pro League, incredible
it certainly does add ambassadors
extra pressure!” Harley to this industry.
says. “With that being Their longevity
said, I work better was nurtured
under pressure, and by never
joining the ranks straying from
alongside my husband those qualities,
is definitely something even when they
that drives me to pour didn’t win.”
my heart into my prep Even with her
so that one day I can schedule being
join him on the pro maxed out with a
stage.” supplement line, social
What Harley feels media coaching, and
will help her stand apart a podcast, Harley has
from the rest of the field her sights set on the
is her mindset when North Americans. While 4
she’s in prep mode. “I’m most athletes may
a huge believer of ‘what have butterflies in their 4
the mind believes, you ripped stomachs, she
4
will achieve.’ My mindset feels that she won’t,
when I go into prep each thanks to previous
time is to train like I experiences. “What 4
already am a pro. So helps me stand out is
4
when the day comes I the undeniable comfort
won’t have to worry and confidence I exude
ALLEN GRIGSBY

4
about upping my game.” onstage, thanks to the
As many athletes do, years I’ve spent prior
Harley had her own role doing pageants. When
models that she looked I’m onstage, I’m home.”

36 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 SUPERIOR
MUSCLEBUILDING

ERICA’
PROTEIN
FORMULA
M

S
From the biggest name in performance
protein comes a superior whey protein
formula – NITRO-TECH® 100% WHEY GOLD.
It features fast-absorbing whey peptides
for a powerful insulin spike and superior
amino acid uptake. Each scoop serves up
24g of cold-filtered, ultra-premium protein,
5.5g of BCAAs, and 4g of glutamine and
precursor. All this with zero fillers, no creatine
and a mouthwatering taste you’ll love!

• Featuring whey peptides & isolate

• Superior amino acid profile
for improved muscle protein
synthesis & recovery
• Award-winning taste
• Limited-time bonus of up
to 0.5 lbs. FREE

10% FREE
WITH OUR 5.5 LB. BOTTLE
Get 5.5 lbs. of NITRO-TECH®
100% WHEY GOLD premium protein
for the price of 5 lbs.

NITRO-TECH® Other 100%

100% WHEY GOLD Whey Proteins

SUPERIOR PEPTIDE FORMULA BEST-IN-CLASS TASTE $ BONUS VALUE SIZE

Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2017
MUSCLETECH.COM
1ST SET ON THE RISE BY ROGER LOCKRIDGE

THE NEW
SHADOW
IFBB PRO LEAGUE
ATHLETE JOSH WADE
IS REMINDING PEOPLE
OF A PHYSIQUE THAT IS
SIMILAR TO THAT OF
A CERTAIN MR. OLYMPIA.

JOSH WADE WAS a fan of Jay

Cutler’s as he was coming up the
amateur ranks of bodybuilding, but he
quickly saw that he was being
compared with another Mr. Olympia:
Dorian Yates. “I’ve heard and read how
he was meticulous and detailed with
his workouts,” Wade says. “I’m the
same way. I’m up every day at the
same time, including Sundays, so I can
eat my meals. My workouts are logged
for years like he did. Now people have
been telling me that when I’m onstage
I remind them of him.”
Like Yates, Wade is also a student
of the sport and training. As a personal
trainer who owns his own gym, he
makes it a priority to learn as much as
possible, not only for himself but also
for his clients. However, he also knows
the value of a coach, and that’s why he
works with the “Mountain Dog” John
Meadows.
“John has the dry, grainy body
type like I do. I consider him as a peer
review, and no one has done better
at teaching me my body than he has.
He isn’t cookie-cutter, either. The
workouts and nutrition are for me to
improve my physique onstage.”
With the Yates influence and JOSH WADE
Meadows’ guidance, Wade is
preparing to take to the pro stage at 6
the Ferrigno Legacy, where he hopes
to improve on his third-place finish
earlier this year in Vancouver. “I’ve 3 8
never been so confident that I can win
a show as I am that I can win the
Ferrigno show,” Wade says. “Obviously
my ultimate goal and dream is to make
it to the Olympia stage and place in the
DOUG JANTZ

top 10. I want one of those jackets. I

want to make it to that stage and do it
by winning that show.”

38 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY WITH

EXPLOSIVE
ENERGY & THERMOGENESIS
MICROBEAD TECHNOLOGY™

Push yourself past your limits with the help of

Hydroxycut® Super Elite. This powerful formula features
a never-before-seen combination of ingredients and new,
cutting-edge Smart Release Microbead Technology™
that delivers encapsulated active ingredients in a rapid-
dispersing liquid compound. Experience the ultimate
neurosensory, amplified thermogenesis and extreme
energy after just one dose! Trust Hydroxycut® Super Elite
to help you build the body you want today.

10 10.95 lbs.
WEIGHT LOSS (LBS.)

LOSS
®

r n a
®

Based on AC Nielsen xAOC sales data for Hydroxycut® caplets.

Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2017 MUSCLETECH.COM
1ST SET ASK MERLIN BY ERIC “MERLIN” BROSER

STRICTLY
SPEAKING
PROPER EXERCISE
FORM AND HOW IT
CAN SPEED (OR SLOW)
YOUR PROGRESS.

Coach Broser, I am
a big fan of your
videos online and
see that you are a staunch
advocate of using extremely
strict technique. What do
you say if someone argues
that some of the most
massive bodybuilders in the
world, like Ronnie Coleman,
Branch Warren, Jay Cutler,
and Johnnie Jackson, all
achieved their development
while using very “loose”
form on most movements?

First, let me simply say: Just look

at them! How could I possibly
argue with their results? They
have 12 Olympia titles, six Arnold
Classic wins, and a bunch of
other IFBB Pro League titles
between them! However, aside
from all other obvious factors
(i.e., superior genetics, PEDs,
Spartan-like discipline), did
they achieve their incredible
musculature because of, or in
spite of, their “less than
textbook” lifting technique?
Would each of these champions
have become even more
impressive if they all utilized
strict exercise form?
I think one of the most
important keys to success
when it comes to bodybuilding is
having complete and unwavering
faith in your own approach. If
you truly believe your method is
mentioned have said several
times in interviews that they
could not imagine training any
other way. They all have
expressed that if they had tried
to train strictly and slowly, rather
than in the more ballistic style
they employed, that they would
not be nearly as massively built.
From a psychological standpoint
this might be true, because as I
mentioned, it is their faith that is
greatly responsible for their
results. However, if in their early
days they had been mentored by
have grown just as massive or
perhaps even more so. Not to
mention that Ronnie and Branch
in particular have suffered some
rather severe injuries in their
careers, which may have held
them back to some degree (and
perhaps even forced them out of
the game early).
The best method for the
majority is very strict form/
technique and total concentration
on stimulating only the target
muscle. Cheating should be
used only to get a couple of extra
KEVIN HORTON

best and have no doubt it will someone who taught them to reps (or specifically, eccentric
lead to the desired results, you train ultrastrictly—and that is contractions, which are vital)
are already many steps ahead of what they then did and believed after you can no longer complete
the game. And the men you in—I personally feel they may the ROM in proper form.

40 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 MORE EXPLOSIVE
THAN EVER!
Ten years ago, MuscleTech® researchers
redefined the pre-workout category. Now
they’ve done it again with VaporX5™ Next Gen
– the ultimate pre-workout experience! This
powerful 5-in-1 formula delivers explosive
energy, an intense sensory experience,
enhanced strength and performance, plus
1
scientifically proven musclebuilding power! It
also contains the research-backed ingredient
Nitrosigine® to increase plasma nitric oxide
1
levels for powerful pumps. So build more
muscle and crush through every single rep
with VaporX5™ Next Gen! Try it today!

FIND THE VAPORX5TM THAT SUITS YOU

™

VAPOR
™ ™

1
VAPOR VAPOR
APO
POR
Per 2 scoops
NEURO RIPPED

ENERGY

NEUROSENSORY

ENDURANCE

MUSCULAR
POWER

PUMP
FROM L-CITRULLINE

PUMP
ALSO AVAILABLE: FROM NITROSIGINE ®

CREATINE
VaporX5™ RIPPED SPECIAL MONOHYDRATE

This powerful formula combines

more than just pre-workout and sensory
FUNNEL
ingredients to deliver a truly complete SCOOP
MODERATE ADVANCED EXTREME
experience unlike anything you’ve VaporX5TM Next Gen
tried before! provides you with a
brand-new funnel scoop.
It allows you to measure AVAILABLE IN 6 DELICIOUS FLAVORS:
ALSO AVAILABLE: out the powder and easily
dispense it for on-the-go
convenience!
VaporX5™ NEURO
This potent formula delivers a supercharged
neurosensory matrix, powerful pumps and
scientifically tested musclebuilding power, Fruit Punch Blue Raspberry Icy Rocket
plus extreme energy to get you amped up Blast Fusion Freeze ® Watermelon Pineapple Lemonade
for your toughest workouts!

EXTREME ENERGY & SENSORY INTENSE PUMPS ENHANCES STRENGTH

MuscleTech® is America’s #1 Selling Bodybuilding Supplement Brand based on cumulative wholesale dollar sales 2001 to present.
Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2017 MUSCLETECH.COM
1ST SET ONE TO WATCH BY ROGER LOCKRIDGE

CHROMEK THE
CONQUEROR FOR CHRIS CHROMEK,
RULE ONE IS TO BE AN IFBB
PRO LEAGUE ATHLETE.

WHEN YOU’RE SOMEONE
who has trained for several
years, graduated from college
with a degree in exercise
science, and works for
supplement company Rule One
Proteins, it’s pretty easy to
guess where your heart is and
interests lie. For Chicago’s Chris
Chromek, his heart and physique
belong on a bodybuilding stage.
“I’ve basically been training for
10 years and competed for the
last four of those years. My best
friend and mentor from the start
was 1984 AAU Mr. Jr. America
Mike Mongovan. I first stepped
onstage in 2014 and did my first
big show when I competed as a
light-heavyweight at the 2015 Jr.
Nationals, where I placed 11th.”
Chromek lives for bodybuilding
in more ways than one. Outside
of competing and training, he
works for Rule One Proteins as
its VP of marketing.
“Bodybuilding and living this
lifestyle is my passion. I surround
myself within the industry from
being my hobby and my career.”
His most recent show was
the NPC Illinois State, where he
finished in the runner-up spot. As
of this writing, he had his sights
set on winning the Nationals in
Miami and securing his place in
the IFBB Pro League.
“Working with my coach, Justin
Harris, I am confident that this
will be the best package I bring to
date.” His wife, Chrissy, also
competed in the Nationals’ bikini
division. Could this be a new
IFBB Pro League power couple
in the making?

CHRIS
CHROMEK
MICHAEL MANTUCCA

42 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

1ST SET WEIDER ATHLETES WEIGH IN
JUAN
MOREL
WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?
I’m very thankful for my family—my
wife and daughter. I wouldn’t be
complete without them. I’m thankful
for the life I have—with bodybuilding,
I pretty much get to do what I love,
and on top of that I’m lucky enough
to have fans who support me.
Have a question for our Weider Athletes? Ask it on the FLEX Facebook page for a chance to see it here.
44 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
STEVE
KUCLO
WHEN YOU’VE
REACHED THE
OLYMPIA STAGE
FOUR YEARS IN A
ROW, IS THERE
ADDED PRESSURE
TO CONTINUE
THE STREAK?
For sure, there is
pressure—but sometimes
you have to take a step
back to take two steps
forward. There is nothing
like getting on the Olympia
stage, which is the Super
Bowl of bodybuilding and
the pinnacle of what we as
professional bodybuilders
work our butts off for. I feel
I need to make some bigger
DO YOU HAVE TO CHANGE changes that require time
YOUR POSING EVERY ONCE IN A to rest, grow, and train in
WHILE TO KEEP IT FRESH? order to bring an improved
The answer to that is yes, I think so. package. I am still young by
bodybuilding standards—
But in 2017 I did five shows, and I
just turning 32—so I have
kept to the same routine for all of time on my side. I plan
them! If I had won and made it to the to try to qualify for the next
Olympia, I would have developed a Olympia at the Arnold in
new routine, but that turned out not Ohio to start off the 2018
to be an issue. season.
WHAT IS YOUR SECRET DO YOU HAVE ANY PRE-
PER BERNAL (2); CHARLES LOW THIAN
FOR DEALING WITH CONTEST RITUALS OR THINGS
THE COLD OF WINTER IN YOU DO BEFORE YOU STEP
THE NETHERLANDS? ONSTAGE FOR A CONTEST?
 SHAWN RHODEN
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN BODYBUILDERS AND SOME OF THEIR FANS?
I don’t think love/hate is really what’s behind it. Athletes are displaying
physiques that are difficult to develop. It’s a combination of a lot of
things—diet, training, genetics, discipline, all that. The people who are
throwing out the worst of the comments, I think it’s because they
can’t accomplish that kind of look on their own—it’s beyond what they
can achieve, either because of one of those factors I mentioned
ALEX ARDENTI

before or for some other reason. It’s upsetting to them. The fact is
that only a small percentage of the population is going to have all
those factors working for them, and they’re not part of that small
percentage—and it makes them mad.

FLEXONLINE.COM 45
1ST SET RETRO ATHLETE BY GREG MERRITT

CASEY FLEX FACT

When only 18
at the 1970

VIATOR
Mr. America,
Casey Viator
was third out
of 29 and won
best arms,
best chest, and
HE WON THE 1971 best back.
MR. AMERICA AT 19 AND
WAS NEARLY CROWNED
1982 MR. OLYMPIA.

A NATIVE OF SOUTHERN
Louisiana, Casey Viator was arguably
the greatest teenage bodybuilder
ever. The titles he collected before
his 20th birthday include the 1971 Mr.
America. In the 80-year history of that
show and its successor, NPC Nationals,
he remains, at 19, the youngest
champ. The phenom disappeared from
stages for the following seven years,
but he won three pro contests in 1980
and finished third in the ’82 Mr. Olympia.
At 5'8" and 230, he was among the
thickest men of that not-so-big era.
But shortly after almost claiming the
Sandow at barely 31, the enigmatic
Viator vanished again. (He made a
third comeback at the 1995 Masters
Olympia.) He died on his 62nd birthday
in 2013. Viator toiled at what he called
“hardhat jobs,” and, whether low-
volume in the early ’70s or marathon in
the early ’80s, he imbued his training
with that same blue-collar work ethic.
VIATOR
ON BICEPS
TRAINING
“I do one-arm
curls before
two-arm curls to
focus on maximizing
contractions in
each arm first in
my routine.”
NEVEUX, COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH & FITNESS

“Sometimes I’ll go
very heavy and do
COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH & FITNESS;

barbell curls for only

four to six reps.”

“Biceps are one of

the muscles where
4 you really need to get
a strong mind-to-
4
muscle connection.
4 If you’re not feeling
4 the muscle contract
throughout each rep,
go lighter and focus
on the feeling.”

46 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

APPROACHABLE.
 IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS MONT
H

EXTREME MASS GAINER PRE-WORKOUT LIKE YOU

FROM MUSCLETECH®
MASS-TECH® EXTREME 2000 is packed with 80g of
high-quality protein, 10g of creatine, 8.2g of L-leucine and
2,260 mass-building calories when taken with 20 oz. of
skim milk. This musclebuilding powerhouse is designed
to help you smash through your plateaus. Now available
in a convenient 7 lb. bottle.
MEAN IT!
IMPACT Igniter is the new ultra-premium standard by
which all other pre-workouts will be judged. Built out
of the absolute best ingredients at inclusion levels that
will produce the best results based on quality research.
Get the best workout, every time, with IMPACT Igniter.
EXTREME WORKOUTS. SUPERIOR RESULTS.

muscletech.com Impactigniter.com

TRODUCING BONE BROTH PROTEIN

ver the 20g of protein per serving, 0g carb, 0g sugar superfood!
reakthrough in protein supplementation that delivers homemade
broth in a convenient, easy-to-mix form. Time and expense are
ger an obstacle to getting the benefits of bone broth.

AncientNutrition.com
 LIFT TRAINING TIPS
TO POWER
UP YOUR

56

You want to build a symmetrical and If you think there’s nothing like straight You lift weights to get stronger and
PER BERNAL

proportionate physique. The only way sets to get stronger, think again. Go with bigger, right? Not so fast! Read this to find
to do it is to prioritize. Here’s how to a push-and-pull program that utilizes out why lowering weights produces
implement this crucial training method. supersets for serious strength gains. results that will raise your expectations.
PAGE 50 PAGE 52 PAGE 54

FLEXONLINE.COM 49
LIFT TRAINING STYLES
GET YOUR
PRIORITIES
RIGHT
PRIORITIZATION IS
CRUCIAL FOR A
SYMMETRICAL PHYSIQUE.
EVERYONE HAS
a weakness. In the beginning,
everything is lagging. But the
more you grow, the more your
own unique liabilities emerge.
Your body parts don’t all
expand at the same rate, nor
do all areas of individual muscles.
So everyone has a weakness.
The key to successful
bodybuilding is eliminating, to
the best of your abilities, lagging
areas so all parts are nearly
equally developed. The proven
way to do this is with
prioritization.
50 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
SHOULDER ROUTINE
The Weakest Links
Prioritization is a fancy word for
emphasizing your weak points
and deemphasizing your strong
points. The first thing you need to
do is determine what those are.
The best way to get an accurate
assessment is to pose in front
of a judge, a competitor, or just
someone who knows physique
symmetry. However, because
most of you either can’t or won’t
ask an expert to watch you flex,
digital photography and mirrors
are invaluable tools for seeing
yourself from multiple angles.
BY GREG MERRITT
4
3
3
4
4
The important thing is to get
or give an objective opinion,
because pinpointing your
shortcomings is the only way
to target them correctly.
Although everyone has a
weakness, sometimes this is
something—like narrow clavicles
or high calves or murky
conditioning—not easily corrected
via hoisting metal. You may not
have a flaw that can be addressed
in workouts. If you’re one of
those lucky and rare people,
you can still emphasize specific
areas—such as shoulder width
or leg sweep or back thickness—
for periods of time. Prioritization
is a great motivator. Phil Heath, in
consultation with Hany Rambod,
and Flex Lewis, guided by Neil Hill,
both come up with at least one
physique area on which to focus
their training in preparation for
their annual Olympia defenses.
Sometimes this is not a flaw
but a strength used to fend off
JASON BREEZE
others. By emphasizing its
training, they make certain it
remains a key weapon and never
becomes a vulnerability.
THERE ARE SEVEN WAYS
TO PRIORITIZE, AND
THESE CAN BE COMBINED.
1. WORK WEAKNESS FIRST:
Hit your lagging area initially in
your workout and your strongest
areas last. This way, you’re able to
address your straggler when
your energy, strength, and focus
are highest to better overload that
area and stimulate growth.
2. INCREASE VOLUME:
You may also want to boost the
workload for the targeted area.
For example, our sample routine
emphasizes medial deltoids by hitting
them first in the shoulder routine
with three exercises followed by
only one exercise for front delts and
another for rear delts.
3. FOCUS WHOLE WORKOUTS:
It may be most effective to give your
greatest liability its own workout
or pair it with only a smaller body
part, like abs. In the case of lagging
legs, try breaking quadriceps and
hamstrings into separate sessions
days apart.
4. AVOID STRONG POINTS:
On the flip side, you may be lucky
enough to have a body part that is
so far outpacing the rest of your
physique that you can and should
avoid working it entirely until better
balance is achieved. Doing so frees
up time and energy to devote to
your laggards.
5. DOUBLE UP:
You can arrange your split to hit
straggling parts twice as frequently
as strengths. For example, if your
back isn’t keeping up, try attacking
it with two workouts weekly while
you stress other areas once.
Do different exercises in those two
TRAINING SPLIT
PRIORITY BASICS
Focus more on your
physique weaknesses
and less on your
strengths.
Arrange your workouts
to hit your weakest
muscle or part of a
muscle first when your
energy, strength, and
focus are greatest.
A lagging body part
may need to be trained
twice weekly, doubling
its workload.
Work weak body
parts after a rest day.
PRIORITY TIP SHEET
Use photos, videos,
or the assessment
of an expert to evaluate
strengths and
weaknesses.
If possible, don’t
keep your weak body
parts covered up.
Expose them to motivate
improvements.
Increase the intensity
and/or volume to attack
your weaknesses.
Write down specific
goals, such as
measurements and
exercise totals, to map out
a prioritization strategy.
sessions. For back, you can
devote one workout to thickness
(deadlifts and rows) while the
other is focused more on width
(mostly pullups and pulldowns).
6. REST BEFORE:
Assemble your split to hit
weaknesses in the first workout
after a rest day when you’re raring
to go. So, if you train every day
but Sundays and your legs lag,
make a squat rack appointment
for Mondays.
7. EXPOSE WEAKNESS:
During his teen years, Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s calves were like
pool cues. When he made expanding
his lower legs his top priority, he
wore shorts constantly—he even cut
his sweat pants off at the knees—
thus exposing his greatest liability to
all and fueling his drive to turn it into
a strength. He did, ultimately building
two cows. Don’t hide weaknesses.
Expose them and eliminate them.
FLEXONLINE.COM 51
LIFT LAB TO GYM
SUPER
STRENGTH
USE SUPERSETS TO
GET STRONGER QUICKER.
Research
Hypothesis In a collaborative effort,
researchers from Brazil and Canada
compared traditional sets and
supersets for number of reps
completed and fatigue. The training
protocol consisted of three sets of
bench presses (10RM load) followed
by three sets of seated rows (10RM
load). The traditional-sets group did
all three sets of bench presses
before moving on to seated rows.
The superset group performed one
set of bench presses and then
immediately moved on to seated
rows and performed one set.
Findings
The superset group was able to
perform significantly more reps
each set of both exercises
following the first set of bench
presses. Interestingly, measures
of fatigue were also greater for the
superset group despite still being
able to complete more reps per set.
52 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
BY BRYAN HAYCOCK
Conclusion
Compared with traditional sets,
supersets allow more volume to be
used with a given weight load and
appear to work the muscle harder,
all within a shorter time period to
complete all sets. Preloading an
antagonist muscle group (e.g., doing
a set of bench presses for chest)
facilitates strength production of
the agonist muscle group (e.g., doing
a set of seated rows for back) and
may lead to greater strength gains.
Application
Using a training split that calls for
training both “push” and “pull”
KEVIN HORTON; CHRIS LUND
muscle groups in the same workout
provides an opportunity to use
supersets. Arrange your workout
so that you group a push and a pull
exercise together for a superset.
For example, you can superset
biceps and triceps, chest and back,
quads and hams, even front delts
and rear delts.
LIFT ON TRIAL
UP VS. DOWN
WHICH WAY IS BETTER FOR BUILDING MASS?
Evidence
During an eccentric contraction,
fewer fibers are actively
Defense contracting, placing higher force
demands per fiber than during
concentric contractions.
Eccentric contractions produce
more muscle damage than
concentric contractions.
A recent meta-analysis reviewing
the results of 15 independent
studies revealed that although
concentric contractions are
able to elicit gains in muscle
mass comparable to eccentric
Prosecution contractions, on average
eccentric contractions are more
effective for mass gains.
Verdict
On average, eccentric training
produces greater gains in muscle
mass compared with concentric
54 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
BY BRYAN HAYCOCK
training (10% versus 6.8%,
respectively).
Sentencing
It must be acknowledged that
one of the primary reasons
eccentric work is more effective
than concentric work is that
greater loads can be used
eccentrically, producing a more
potent growth stimulus. With
greater weight loads come
greater potential risk of injury.
That being said, emphasis should
always be placed on good
eccentric contractions during any
exercise that is being performed.
Any additional eccentric-specific
KEVIN HORTON
work should be done prudently,
with appropriate spotters and with
a volume of work that is still within
your ability to recover between
training sessions.
 BONUS!
PREMIUM PROTEIN
POWERFUL
RESULTS
fi
’ b
f
f

$
24 97
for
2.2 lbs. 2.2 LB.
$

24% Savings! BONUS

10% FREE

MUSCLETECH.COM
1Compared to other whey protein products at specialty sports nutrition retailers.
MuscleTech® is America’s #1 Selling Bodybuilding Supplement Brand based on cumulative wholesale dollar sales 2001 to present.
Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2017
LIFT CROSSHAIRS
TAKE A SIDE
A LATERAL MOVE IS JUST WHAT YOU NEED TO GET WIDE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
differences between the
bodybuilding legends of the
1970s and ’80s compared with
today’s is the relative size of the
delts. You cannot be successful
in modern competitive body-
building without large delts.
There may be more leeway in
classic physique classes, but
for straight-up bodybuilding,
shoulders must be prioritized
to develop the “look” of a
21st-century bodybuilder. The
shoulders are composed of
three distinct heads: the front
(anterior), side (medial), and rear
(posterior). The best exercise
56 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
for isolating the side delt is
lateral dumbbell raises. This is
performed starting with the arms
extended (but not straight) down
at your sides. Keeping your arms
extended, raise the dumbbells
directly out to the sides, palms
facing down, until at or just below
shoulder level (the body forming
a T). Then keeping arms stiff,
lower the dumbbells back to the
starting position, stopping just
short of straight down in order
to keep tension on the muscle.
It’s a good practice to raise
the dumbbells with the pinkie up.
This forces the arm to stay
internally rotated, keeping the
BY BRYAN HAYCOCK
load on the side delt rather
than the front delt. If you find
yourself wanting to bend your
arms and raise the dumbbells
above shoulder level, lighten
it up, straighten out the arms,
and keep your pinkies up.
ALTERNATIVE
Machine side-delt raise.
FORM AND FUNCTION
The medial delt arises from the
superior surface of the acromion
process and inserts at the
deltoid tuberosity of humerus.
The medial delt laterally abducts
the upper arm.
PER BERNAL
 ADVERTISEMENT

®
 FOOD & SUPPSNUTRITION TIPS TO FUEL TRAINING AND GROWTH

67
GET T Y IMAGES

In this bonus edition of Meal of the Month, Chicken tops the list when it comes Amino acids, energy boosters, fat
we present four low-fat, tasty to low-fat protein. But it can get boring, burners—they’re just a squeeze away
recipes that will get you going for 2018. right? Here’s how to spice it up. with these new BPI Sports products.
PAGE 60 PAGE 66 PAGE 70

FLEXONLINE.COM 59
FOOD & SUPPS MEALS OF THE MONTH
HEALTHY
AND FIT IN 2018
WANT TO START THE NEW YEAR
OFF RIGHT? STICK TO THESE
AB-FRIENDLY MEALS TO HELP
YOU GET RIPPED IN 2018.
AS THE CONVENTIONAL
wisdom goes, winter is when you
go into mass-building mode. You’re
bundled up with fewer chances to
show off your abs, and you have all
that holiday eating to do, so it makes
sense. But now that 2018 is here,
you want to shed the excess weight
to kick off the new year looking your
60 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
SQUASH
MUSCLE CRAMPS
best. We help you get a jump on
your physique goals with these tasty
recipes featuring fresh, healthy fare,
like pumpkin, squash, cinnamon,
and apples, to get you in shape and
still keep your taste buds happy.
Put these on your menu and your
physique will be ready for its grand
unveiling when spring comes calling.
BY OLIVIA LANGDON
The Ultimate
Fall Bowl
SERVES 1
¼ cup quinoa, uncooked
½ tbsp extra-virgin
olive oil
1 cup cubed butternut
squash
5 oz flank steak
¼ tsp Himalayan sea salt
Black pepper
¼ onion, thinly sliced
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 egg
¼ avocado, sliced
1 tbsp crumbled
goat cheese
1. Cook quinoa according
to package instructions
and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a medium-size
skillet over medium heat.
Add squash and sauté for
10 minutes, or until squash
is tender and edges are
lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, season steak
with sea salt and pepper.
In a separate skillet over
medium-high heat, sear steak
for about 5 minutes per side
(for medium-rare). Let cool,
then slice and set aside.
4. Add onion to pan with
squash and cook until it
begins to caramelize. Add
cooked quinoa, chili powder,
and garlic powder. Stir and
allow flavors to develop.
PHOTOGR APHS BY CHRISTOPHER TESTANI
Turn off heat and set aside.
5. In a pot or pan, cook egg
any style. Then, in a serving
bowl, add squash-quinoa
mixture. Top with steak slices
and avocado slices, then add
egg. Sprinkle on goat cheese.
THE MACROS
NATURAL | GLUTEN FREE | DAIRY FREE | SOY FREE | GRAIN FREE

PROTEIN
™

MODERN
 FOOD & SUPPS MEALS OF THE MONTH
Apple-Curry
Tuna Melt
SERVES 1
CINNA-WIN
1 (5 oz) can albacore tuna
2 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 tbsp diced red onion
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp Himalayan sea salt
Pinch black pepper
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground coriander
Pinch ground cinnamon
¼ apple, thinly sliced
2 slices Ezekiel bread
1 slice cheddar cheese

1. Rinse tuna under cold

water, then transfer to a
mixing bowl and break up
big chunks with a fork.
2. Add yogurt, mustard,
walnuts, onion, and spices
and combine.
3. Lay apple slices on
1 slice of bread. Top with tuna
mixture, then add cheese and
the other slice of bread.
4. Place a pan on medium-
low heat and add sandwich,
cheese-side down. When
cheese starts to melt (about
5 minutes), flip and cook for
another 3 minutes.

THE MACROS

Apple-Cinnamon
Protein Crepes
SERVES 3 2. In a blender, add whey protein, egg
whites, almond milk, flaxseed, coconut
2 apples, peeled, thinly sliced flour, ½ tsp stevia, and 1 tsp butter. Blend
2 tbsp water until a batter forms.
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 3. In a large sauté pan on medium heat,
¼ tsp cinnamon, plus more for garnish spread ¹/³ tsp butter to coat bottom of pan.
3 tbsp stevia, plus ½ tsp for crepe batter Pour ¹/³ of the batter; spread to form a thin
4 tsp reduced-fat grass-fed butter layer by tilting pan. When edges start to
1 scoop vanilla whey protein slightly fold in and are brown, carefully flip
²/³ cup egg whites with a spatula. Cook remaining 2 crepes.
1 tbsp unsweetened 4. Spread ¹/³ of the apple mixture over
vanilla almond milk half of the crepe. Fold over, then fold over
1 tbsp ground flaxseed again to form a triangle. Repeat with the
1 tbsp coconut flour other 2 crepes.
½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt 5. In a small bowl, mix Greek yogurt and
15 drops SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia, vanilla stevia drops. Top each crepe with
3 of the yogurt mixture. Garnish with
1/
vanilla crème flavor
Raw honey (optional) cinnamon and drizzle with honey, if desired.

1. Place a sauté pan on medium heat. THE MACROS

Add apples, water, lemon juice, cinnamon,
3 tbsp stevia, and 2 tsp butter. Stir and
cook for about 10 minutes, or until
apples soften. Set aside.

62 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

FOOD & SUPPS MEALS OF THE MONTH

PEPPER IT

Savory Breakfast
Skillet
SERVES 1

1 sweet apple chicken

sausage, diced
1 cup cubed sweet potato
1 tsp olive oil
½ cup sliced baby
portobello mushrooms
1
/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1
/3 cup thinly sliced
Vidalia onion
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
Sea salt and black pepper
3 eggs

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Place a cast-iron skillet
on medium-low heat and
add sausage. Sauté for
about 10 minutes to allow
fat to develop.
3. Add sweet potato and
sauté for another 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until
potatoes become tender
and brown on edges. If pan
is too dry, add olive oil. Add
mushrooms, red pepper,
onion, and spices and stir
to combine.
4. Make 3 holes in the
vegetable mixture, crack
an egg into each hole, and
transfer skillet to oven.
Bake for 5 to 10 minutes,
depending on how runny
you like your egg yolks.

THE MACROS

64 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

Greatness Never Stops.
Greatness always advances, moves forward.
That’s why Six Star ® never rests; we’ve
been constantly innovating and updating
our products for over a decade to give you
that extra edge you need to stay ahead of
the pack. Six Star® 100% Whey Protein Plus
has a new look and more protein. It features
64g of premium whey protein (per 2 scoops),
plus a clinically proven ingredient for gains in
muscle size and strength. Average athletes (per 2 scoops)
use average protein – the best athletes in the
world use Six Star® 100% Whey Protein Plus
to give them the muscle and strength building
nutrition they need to continuously earn their
greatness, day after day. 1

1
In a 6-week study, subjects using the core ingredients in
Six Star ® 100% Whey Protein Plus with a training program
gained 70% more muscle than subjects using regular whey
protein (8.8 vs. 5.1 lbs.).
Available in 4 delicious flavors:
TRIPLE VANILLA STRAWBERRY COOKIES & MuscleTech® is America’s #1 Selling Body Building Supplement
CHOCOLATE CREAM SMOOTHIE CREAM Brand based on cumulative wholesale dollar sales 2001 to
present. Over 170 million bottles of MuscleTech® and Six Star®
products combined have been sold.

PREMIUM SUPPLEMENTS. SMART PRICE.

S I X S TA R P R O . C O M
 FOOD & SUPPS 1 FOOD, 5 WAYS BY JENNA WERNER, R.D.

4
PARMESAN
Dunk boneless, skinless
chicken breast halves in egg
whites, then in whole-wheat
panko breadcrumbs with
garlic powder and Parmesan.
Bake on greased dish for

THE FOOD: 20 minutes in 400°F oven.

Top each breast with

CHICKEN
2 tbsp marinara, 1 thin slice
mozzarella, and chopped
basil leaves. Bake again for
10 to 15 minutes. Serve over
bean-based pasta.

WITH MORE THAN 40 GRAMS OF PROTEIN

PER 6 OUNCES, THIS BIRD IS A LEAN AND
VERSATILE MUSCLE BUILDER.

CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: VIRGINIE GOSSELIN/OFFSET; BRIAN MACDONALD/GET T Y IMAGES;
KIP DAWKINS/GET T Y IMAGES; DAVE KING/GET T Y IMAGES; AL AMY; SHAIITH/GET T Y IMAGES
5
BURGER
Mix 1 lb ground chicken

1 2
SALAD
Place 1 lb boneless, skinless
chicken breast in a zip-top
bag. Add ¼ cup orange juice,
¼ cup balsamic vinegar,
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp Dijon,
1 tsp salt-free garlic-and-herb
seasoning, and 1 tsp chopped
garlic. Marinate up to 24
hours, then grill. Slice chicken
and use to top a salad with
mixed greens, veggies, and
whole grains such as quinoa.
TACOS
Shred the meat of a skinless
rotisserie chicken. Mix meat
with desired amount of hot
sauce and salt-free taco
seasoning. Heat in a skillet.
Add chicken to whole-grain
tortillas. Top with fresh
salsa, reduced-fat cheese,
a dollop of plain Greek
yogurt, and veggies. Serve
with lime wedges.
3
SANDWICH
Start with sliced chicken
breast. (At the deli counter,
choose the unflavored,
oven-roasted, lower-sodium
option.) Layer chicken on
top of toasted whole-grain
bread. Add avocado,
mustard, cheese, lettuce,
cucumbers, and tomato.
breast, 1 chopped red bell
pepper, ½ diced onion,
2 cups chopped spinach,
½ cup whole-wheat panko
breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 tbsp
salt-free garlic-and-herb
seasoning, and 1 tsp minced
garlic. Form into 4 patties
and grill until cooked. Wrap
in lettuce leaves.
PRIME POULTRY
Opt for skinless chicken
breast. It’s the leanest part
of the chicken, containing the
least fat and saturated fat.

ABOUT THE R.D.:

66 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 BY JONATHAN VALDEZ ASK THE R.D.
CARBS
COUNT
STRICT ADHERENCE TO
LOW-CARB DIETS COULD
DERAIL YOUR PROGRESS.
Will a low-carb
or keto diet keep me
from making gains?
The ketogenic diet was originally
devised to assist with controlling
epilepsy in children, but it isn’t
recommended for adults because
it’s very difficult to follow. You will
be eating about 30 to 40 grams
of carbohydrates a day, or eating
3 or 4 grams of fat for every 1 gram
of carbs and protein, which
means you’ll get about 60 to 80%
of your diet from fat sources, while
carbs may be 2 to 4% of the diet,
whereas it’s normally 45 to 65%
LEW ROBERTSON/GET T Y IMAGES
of the diet.
Most research has shown that
a low-carb or keto diet will do
more to help you with maintaining
weight loss versus assisting in any
muscle gains. And in order to
maintain lean body mass during
weight loss, a higher protein intake
is needed, around 0.5 to 0.8 gram
for every pound you weigh. In
FOOD & SUPPS
TRAIN BETTER
THE BEST GRIP
IN THE WORLD
#1 Most
ADVANCED
addition, more research seems
TRAINING
more promising in the endurance ACCESSORY
arena versus muscle building, which
is not surprising since muscle is
made out of muscle glycogen, and
muscle glycogen is derived from
carbohydrates, while fat is stored
in fat cells.
The bottom line is, if you’re
consistently doing strenuous
exercise, you’re not going to perform
as well without some carbohydrates.
And remember that keto diets cut
out a bunch of food groups like PUSHING PULLING
fruit, dairy, grains, and many
vegetables, so if you are on it you
may need to take supplements
ALL IN ONE
so you aren’t missing out on key PUSH or PULL
vitamins and minerals.
Jonathan Valdez, R.D.N.,
A.C.E.-C.P.T., is the owner of
Genki Nutrition, a nutrition
wellness and counseling
business in New York City.
FLEXONLINE.COM 67
VERSAGRIPPS.com
FOOD & SUPPS SPOTLIGHT
HERE’S
THE BEEF
CARNIVOR PROVIDES THE MUSCLE-BUILDING
POWER OF BEEF IN A DELICIOUS SHAKE.
NEWS FLASH: Beef builds
muscle. Because of its complete
amino acid profile and naturally
occurring creatine, it’s an ideal
source of muscle-building
nutrients.
The only problem is, red meat
contains excessive amounts of
calories, saturated fat, and
cholesterol, so it’s not your
best everyday protein option.
Fortunately, MuscleMeds has
developed an advanced
bioengineered beef protein
isolate and created Carnivor, a
highly anabolic muscle-building
protein supplement.
68 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
EXTRACT AND ISOLATE
Carnivor’s line of products utilize
advanced extraction and isolation
technologies to capture the critical
raw nutrients and growth factors
in lean beef and eliminate the
unwanted fat and cholesterol.
As a result, Carnivor delivers the
muscle-building power of beef
with higher amino acid levels
than all other protein supplement
sources, including whey, soy, milk,
BY EDWARD STEVENS
BEEF UP!
Carnivor Mass Contains:
50 grams of protein,
5 grams of creatine,
only 2.5 grams of fat,
and no sugar.
and eggs. In fact, Carnivor Beef
Protein Isolate (BPI) is 350%
more concentrated in anabolic
muscle-building aminos than
a prime sirloin steak—at only a
fraction of the calories.
Carnivor also captures the
unique ergogenic nutrients found
in red meat, including creatine,
which helps fuel your muscles’
ATP stores to energize
contractions, superhydrate
muscle tissue, build muscle
mass, boost power, and
increase strength.
THE POWER OF BEEF
Because it is hydrolyzed using
an advanced six-step process,
Carnivor is digested and
absorbed as fast as whey and
assimilated into muscle tissue at
an accelerated rate. What’s more,
it contains no lactose, so Carnivor
does not cause gastric upset like
milk-sourced proteins.
RESEARCH BACKS IT UP
A study in the Journal of the
International Society of Sports
Nutrition showed that athletes
supplementing with Carnivor BPI
gained an average of 4.6 pounds
of muscle mass in just eight
weeks while increasing their
bench press by more than 40
pounds. In contrast, the placebo
group did not significantly
improve their lean body mass.
PER BERNAL
 Amy Jo
Palmquest
• Team Nutrishop Director
• Nutrishop Store Owner
• Mother of 2
Johnny Pagnini Photography

Exceptional Service. Top Brands.

GUARANTEED LOW PRICES.

Rapidly approaching 200 locations nationwide, NUTRISHOP is one of the fastest growing national
retail nutrition chains today offering consumers Unparalleled Customer Service, Top Brands and
the Latest Cutting-Edge Nutritional Supplements with a Low Price Guarantee!

OPEN A NUTRISHOP TODAY!

Create your dream job! According to a Harris Interactive survey, 55% of working adults
are in search of a new profession. So why not turn your passion for fitness and nutrition
into your own business? The right concept. The right opportunity. The right time.

Follow NutrishopUSA www.NutrishopUSA.com

 FOOD & SUPPS SUPP OF THE MONTH BY JED FROST

STAY FLUID
SUPPLEMENTATION HAS GOTTEN
LIQUID POWER

EASIER—JUST SQUEEZE AND GO! BEST

WITH ANYTHING in life,
convenience is key. You
could have the greatest
muscle-building supplement
in the world, but if it’s difficult
to use, the chances of you
taking it aren’t very high.
For this reason, the
AMINOS
water enhancers makes
supplementing ridiculously
easy, pre- and post-
workout. All you have to do is
squeeze a few drops of the
supplement into your water
(or your favorite beverage)
and you’re done! Use these

BEST
ENERGY

FOR MORE
information,
go to
bpisports
.com.

CARNITINE

GARCINIA
AL AMY

70 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

WHY NOT YOU?
Ever dream of becoming a personal trainer?
Turn your dreams into reality with ISSA education.

Meet Philip

“Becoming an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer was a huge accomplishment for

me. The passion and energy I feel when I help others achieve their goals
is immeasurable. My ISSA certification has allowed me to work with top
athletes, run kids Boot Camps, and help military members optimize
their training regiments. There is nothing like having the knowledge
and resources that you can acquire as an ISSA professional.

After joining the U.S. Marine Corps, I entered my first

amateur bodybuilding competition at the age of 21,
while stationed overseas. I then turned professional
as a lifetime drug-free Natural bodybuilder and I
have won multiple World Championships as a
Professional bodybuilder. Having the ISSA
personal training certification gives me
the training needed to be a true fitness
professional and serve my clients.”

Philip Ricardo, ISSA CFT

PhilipRicardoJr.com

The ISSA Your Trusted Source for Fitness Education Since 1988
ISSA’s nationally accredited distance education programs provide the education
you need to become a Personal Trainer, Elite Trainer, or Master Trainer. Take your
certification courses even higher and earn an Associate’s Degree in Exercise Science
with an Emphasis in Personal Training. TA, MyCAA, and GI Bill approved.

ACCREDITED PROGRAMS METHODS OF STUDY

Personal Trainer SELF-PACED: Study at home at your
own pace
Fitness Nutrition
GUIDED STUDY: Structured study
Bodybuilding
track with virtual classroom and
Corrective Exercise lecture series
Group Fitness DEGREE TRACK: 10-week
Strength and Conditioning undergraduate online course with
Exercise Therapy weekly lectures, dedicated professor,
and guided classroom discussion
Youth Fitness
Senior Fitness
Associate’s Degree in Exercise Science Photo by: Dean Cook
with an Emphasis in Personal Training

call 1.800.892.4772 • 1.805.745.8111 (intl)

or visit ISSAflex.com mention flex1801
ISSA • 1015 Mark Ave • Carpinteria, CA 93013
DO YOU “STOP SHORT” IN YOUR
WORKOUTS? USE THIS TIMING
TWEAK TO SQUEEZE THE MOST
OUT OF EVERY SET AND KICK
OFF 2018 IN STYLE.
“YOUR
MUSCLES
CAN’T The reality, however, is much
less cut-and-dried, leading to
that common refrain from the
Sometimes, perhaps just three
or four reps could do the trick.
Other times, it can be that oft-

COUNT.”
Many a pro bodybuilder has
uttered that statement to me in
interviews over the years, in
response to my question on how
many reps they tend to do per
set. The thing is, they explain,
there is no magic number of
reps that equates to maximizing
muscle growth.
pros. Your muscles, indeed, can’t
count—a muscle fiber has no
programming within it to auto-
matically respond to a certain
number of times it contracts. It
isn’t miraculously prompted to
grow when exposed to eight reps.
Or 10. Or 20. Nope, the actions
that induce muscle breakdown
and thus the internal chemical
reactions that release hormones
for repair and regeneration are
much more fluid.
cited 10. But in any case, you need
to go until you reach the threshold
where you prompt the chemical
reactions that promote growth.
It’s about pushing your muscles
a little further than they can
normally handle, requiring them
to respond and adapt. That, in
turn, relies more on “time under
tension”—the amount of time your
muscle is under stress during a
set—than any particular number
of reps.
OPENER AND THIS PAGE: PER BERNAL

Just like you, they’ve heard the

recommendations over the years
and seen the research studies,
pegging the “ideal” rep count per
set for bodybuilders at anywhere
from eight to 12 reps. Any fewer,
it’s argued, and you’re not
stimulating enough muscle fibers,
while any more and you’re training
more for endurance than pure size.
THE “TIME TO GROW” WORKOUT PLAN
Perform each set listed here for 30 seconds, doing continuous reps of one-
to two-second positive/two- to three-second negative contractions for the
duration, using a challenging weight where you fail right around the 30-second
mark. (This will likely take some trial and error.) Be sure to come to a complete
stop at the start of each rep to eliminate momentum. For each weighted set,
do one to two warmups, also at 30 seconds, but with lesser weight. (Note: In
future weeks, you can experiment with 40-, 50-, and even 60-second sets as
well, expanding your muscular endurance.)

74 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

BACK &
BICEPS
EXERCISE SETS
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
2

YOUR OWN
WORST ENEMY
To be sure, there is value in giving
a rep range for an exercise, if you
in turn choose your resistance
accordingly. When you see that a
set should be, say, 10 reps, that
means you should be choosing
a weight that brings on failure at
or near that target. So, if you are
doing dumbbell flat-bench
presses, and you can get 10 reps
with 75-pound dumbbells but
struggle to get 11 or more, you’re
doing it right. If, however, you grab
the 45s and blast out 10 reps,
you’re not getting the intended
benefits of the “10-rep set.”
It also assumes a certain style
of repetition for bodybuilding
purposes—that is, a controlled
negative of two to three seconds
in length, and an explosive (but still
controlled) positive contraction of
one to two seconds. Going too fast
during the eccentric motion can
shave quite a number of seconds
off a set, meaning one person’s
TRAINING SPLIT
BACK, BICEPS
CHEST, TRICEPS
OFF
LEGS
SHOULDERS,
TRAPS, ABS, FOREARMS
OFF
“10-rep set” could be very different
in length from another’s.
Counting reps, however, has a
CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: PAVEL Y THJALL;
more crafty enemy, too—your own
mental willpower. Think about this:
If your goal is 10 reps per set, and
you’ve chosen a weight in which
you’re struggling by the seventh or
ALEX ARDENTI; PER BERNAL
eighth rep, you can more than
likely find the internal fortitude to
power your way through to 10.
“It’s just two more, I can make it,”
your inner warrior whispers,
and indeed, you probably can.
But what if you’ve set your initial
goal too low?
CHEST & EXERCISE SETS
3

TRICEPS 3
3
3
2
3
3
2
 LEGS
EXERCISE SETS
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
2
ON THE CLOCK
So, in place of reps, we
recommend trying an all-new
approach to your reps...at least
as a way to learn how to better
gauge your total time under
tension. With this method, you
will be able to get a much better
feel for your true strength and
endurance limits, and you’ll
find out what a more ideal
set will feel like.
The gist is to stop counting
reps, at least for the moment,
and start counting time. In the
accompanying weeklong training
plan, you’ll do all your sets
for 30 seconds. Within that
time frame, you’ll do as many
well-performed reps as you
can muster, with full control
over the positive and negative
contraction as your goal.
When we say “30-second
sets,” keep one very important
thing in mind: Science has yet to
unequivocally determine the
perfect rule of thumb for time
under tension (TUT). While TUT
enthusiasts have settled around a
30- to 60-second range per set,
researchers have yet to definitely
back that up, although various
studies have indeed solidified
that time plays a key factor in
adequately stressing the muscles.
With the resistance used being
equal, we know a set of 30
seconds that includes at least
eight to 10 reps performed
under control is better for
muscular growth than a rapid-
fire, momentum-fueled set of
eight to 10 blasted out in a
matter of seconds.
The driving impetus behind
our program, instead, is a way
of discarding old habits. If you
tend to speed through your sets
on the way to a specific rep
count, or you find that you’re
PER BERNAL
often leaving at least a rep or
two on the table because you’re
terminating a set as soon as you
 reach a predetermined number
of reps, this program is a
perfect antidote.
EVERY
SECOND COUNTS
For one week, you’ll simply time
your sets, and focus on doing
controlled, one- to two-second
up/two- to three-second down
reps for 30 seconds. How many
you actually get within that 30
seconds doesn’t matter, as long
PAVEL Y THJALL
as you keep repping without any
major midset pauses and you’re
choosing a sufficiently heavy
weight that you fail right around
that 30-second mark. (Your
10RM weight would be the best
option.)
This plan will teach you to
crash through that mental
barrier of stopping at a preset
rep count and will show you
exactly what a 30-second set
feels like. If your sets are
pumped out at 20 seconds or
less on average, it’ll seem
arduous at first, but soon
enough you’ll adjust. And, by
clearing the “rep counting” out
of your mind, you’ll have better
ability to focus on the feel and
movement of each repetition,
along with the muscular
contraction and release. It’s veterans will tell you, “Your
a real chance to practice your muscles can’t count,” but you
mind-muscle connection. can make sure that every rep
you perform certainly does.

WEEK TO PEAK
In this week’s worth of
workouts, we’ve included
traditional exercises you
probably do regularly. To count
seconds, you can either have a SHOULDERS,
partner time you, use the second
hand on a gym clock, or tap TRAPS,
an app on your smartphone.
For weighted exercises, you’ll ABS &
start with one to two warmup
sets as needed, still aiming for
30 seconds but with a lighter
FOREARMS
EXERCISE SETS
weight. Only working sets are
listed in the chart. 3
Again, this is meant to be done 2
for a week, maybe two, before
returning to a more traditional 3
program—but at that point, armed 3
with the knowledge of what a
3
solid rep and a 30-second set
feels like, you’ll get the most 3
benefits possible from 3
your regular workouts.
Over the long term, you 2
can revisit this weeklong plan—
or any one workout within it—
whenever you feel yourself
slipping back into old habits and
in need of a refresher. Just like
those old, grizzled bodybuilding

CHRIS LUNDT

80 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

SEVEN-TIME MR. OLYMPIA PHIL HEATH
IS HUNGRIER THAN EVER TO IMPROVE ON
HIS ALREADY DOMINANT PHYSIQUE.
HERE’S THE WHEELS WORKOUT THAT
WILL PROPEL HIM TO A POTENTIAL
EIGHTH SANDOW THIS SEPTEMBER.

FLEXONLINE.COM 83
 P
Phil Heath, at this point, is a
finely tuned machine. Since 2011,
when he won his first of seven
consecutive Mr. Olympias, he’s
been the undisputed best
bodybuilder in the world. But
while his title hasn’t changed
over the years, his training
certainly has.
Indeed, it would be tempting
to employ the philosophy of
“if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,”
and keep repeating the same
workouts, year in and year out.
That approach worked for
Ronnie Coleman, after all. But
Phil Heath isn’t wired with an
“autopilot” setting.
“I’m always trying to get
better. I’m always trying to
fine-tune my physique, no
matter how dominating my
performance was at the last
Olympia,” says Heath. And for the
record, his performance at the
2017 Mr. O was as dominant as
any of the others. “Bodybuilding
fans don’t pay good money and
show up to watch the event live

PHIL for me to just phone in my

training and show up with the

HEATH exact same physique as last

year. They want to see if I can
look even better this time. And
as I said after the show [2017
Dec. 18, 1979 Olympia], I think I can bring my
5'9" most dominant package ever to
245 the stage in 2018. I’ve got one
to 250 lbs more year of experience under
(contest); my belt now. I know my physique
280 lbs that much better.”
(off-season) And what Heath knows about
his physique is that it responds
Denver, CO well to quality contractions and
utilizing as many different angles
The Gift as possible in his training. This
approach worked for his legs
two years ago, in 2016, when he
brought up his lower body so
2011–17 Mr.
Olympia, 1st; that it was on par with Big
Ramy’s—the bodybuilder
GROOMING BY K ATE SANDERS

2006 New York

Pro, 1st; 2006 currently known for having the
Colorado Pro, biggest, baddest legs in the
1st; 2005 sport. Ramy placed an
NPC USA, impressive fourth that year at
heavyweight the Olympia, but in 2017 he
and overall moved up two spots and was
winner (earned
runner-up to Heath. Granted, we
pro card)
can all agree that he was a fairly
 HEATH’S
TRAINING
SPLIT
DAY 1 Shoulders, biceps
DAY 2 Legs: quads (a.m.);
hamstrings, calves (p.m.)
DAY 3 Back
DAY 4 Chest, triceps
DAY 5 Off
DAY 6 Cycle repeats
Training Notes:
The above split is a generic
template off which Heath will
base his training. When he’s
focusing specifically on leg
development, as he’s done the
previous two years, he often
trains legs twice a week.
Heath’s training split is subject
to change as he gets closer
to the Olympia.

HEATH’S LEG
WORKOUT
EXERCISE SETS REPS

Leg Extension 4 12–15

4

Leg Press 4 15

LEG EXTENSION
“At the Single-leg 3–4 15–20
beginning of the workout, Extension per leg
leg extensions serve the
purpose of warming up the
quads and knees and also Lying Leg Curl* 4–5 12–15
pre-exhausting the quads
before doing the big
squatting and leg-press
Stiff-leg 4–5 12–15
Deadlift*
3
distant second place, but he’s high-quality contractions, and
nonetheless nipping at the high intensity. A routine Heath
Standing 3 20–25
champ’s heels. believes will give him the edge Calf Raise*
Heath plans to fend off Big on any leg pose on the Olympia
Ramy the same way he fended stage, even when compared 3
off Shawn Rhoden and Kai side by side to Big Ramy.
Greene—his previous two “rivals,” “I’m going to give people a *Not pictured.
if we can call them that. With show,” he says. “I’m going to keep
**Resting 30 seconds between sets,
hard work. Exhibit A is the leg it interesting. I’ve been making per FST-7 protocol.
workout you see on these pages, consistent improvements in my
a routine composed of basic physique for years, and that
movements, ample volume, doesn’t stop now.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 85
SINGLE-
LEG
EXTENSION
Mr. O says:
“When I’m
doing
extensions late
in the workout,
obviously the
quads are
already
warmed up.
So now I’m
just trying to
fatigue every
last muscle
fiber at the
end, and doing
the exercise
one leg at a
time, isolating
each side
individually,
helps me do
that. Doing
the move
unilaterally is
also good for
ensuring
balanced
development
from side to
side.”

SINGLE-
LEG CURL
Mr. O says:
“I always like to
include at least
one single-leg
exercise when
training
hamstrings,
just for
balance and
making sure
one side’s
not getting
stronger than
the other.
You can do
one side at a
time for any
variation of
leg curl—lying,
seated, or
standing.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 87
 LEG PRESS
Mr. O says: “Leg presses
are all about moving as
much weight as possible for
relatively high rep counts.
Because you’re seated, you’re
really locked into the machine
and don’t have to worry about
balancing yourself or the
weight. Leg presses are a
major go-to move for building
size in the quads without
nearly as much glute
involvement as you get with
squats and lunges.”

SEATED CALF RAISE

Mr. O says: “The soleus
muscle is mostly hidden
behind the gastrocnemius,
PLATE-LOADED SQUAT but it’s definitely there and
needs to be isolated to
Mr. O says: “I definitely like the safety aspect of doing a machine squat develop good thickness in
rather than free weights. Also, it’s a matter of being able to overload the calves. Bending the
the target muscles [quads, glutes] with heavy weight without a lot of knees is what isolates the
assistance muscles helping out, and having the freedom to alter my soleus, and there aren’t
foot position. With a barbell squat, you can’t move your feet forward many ways to do that other
to target the glutes more; with a machine you can.” than seated calf raises.”

88 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

CHAMPIONSHIP
GEMS
Words of training wisdom
from a guy who’s learned
a thing or two in the gym
over the years: seven-time
Mr. Olympia Phil Heath.

DON’T GET FANCY

“The biggest lesson I’ve
learned is that you don’t
have to reinvent the
wheel. You don’t have to
come up with any exotic
movements if what you’re
currently doing is
working. The goal is to
find out what works.”

BRO SCIENCE
DEBUNKED
“Saying, ‘Oh, I’m just going
to focus on higher reps
and shred up’—that’s a
fallacy, I believe. I don’t
buy into that anymore.
Early on in my career,
I believed that. But not
anymore. I realize that a
strong muscle is always
a bigger one and that you
should be able to lift
heavy throughout your
contest prep until maybe
the last 10 days.”

INSTINCTIVE TRAINING
“There are days when I
don’t count sets at all,
but then there are some
days when I have to
realize that I don’t want
to overwork, because
I still have an hour of
cardio ahead of me or
another training session
later that day.”

RECOVERY IS KEY
“A lot of guys think that
you have to hammer it
out at the gym every
single workout. Ideally,
you want to do that. But
you have to keep in mind
that your body may not
be recovering as fast,
and you might actually
be doing more harm
than good.”

FLEXONLINE.COM 89
 START

SIX STRATEGIES FOR

STARTING 2018 ON A
HY(PERTROPHY) NOTE.
BY ERIC “MERLIN” BROSER

90 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

FLEXONLINE.COM 91
 1

T
he year 2018 is (amazingly enough)
here, and one crucial decision
remains for us gym rats: When it
comes to your personal physique-
enhancing program, do you plan on making NOTE
this the year you exceed expectations? Or
will you do the same old workouts that
produce the same old results? Will you
surrender to complacency (a word I
personally define as “the enemy of
progress”) and join the herds of gymgoers
who never reach their goals and give up?
Of course not! You will put your head down
and go harder than ever until Dec. 31, 2018.
As a loyal FLEX reader, you’ve topped your 2
OPENER AND THIS SPREAD:

2018 to-do list with physique goals. Here

are six strategies you need to employ—
whether your goal is to get huge, get
BACK
TO
CHRIS LUND

shredded, get stronger, or all of the above—

for the coming year. Read them. Live them.
And make 2018 the best year ever! s u ts BASICS
92 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
While training with cables,
pulleys, and fancy machines can
be somewhat effective at times,
there is little doubt that the
basic, free-weight, compound
movements provide more bang
for your muscle-building buck
than anything else. But because
these exercises are generally
more difficult, exhausting, and
require greater focus, many lifters
shy away from them. This is
precisely why I suggest that for
the start of 2018 you dig deep and
challenge yourself by training
exclusively with barbells and
dumbbells at every workout (not
going near a machine or a cable
station unless you need to lean
on one to catch your breath).
NOTE Some of my most grueling
and painful workouts have
involved picking only one free-
weight exercise per body part
and hitting it for eight to 12 all-out
working sets.
FLEXONLINE.COM 93
THE HUMAN
BODY IS AN
ADAPTIVE
MACHINE, SO
YOU MUST KEEP
YOUR MUSCLES
AND NERVOUS
SYSTEM
GUESSING.

94 FLEX | JANUARY ’18


3 one you are stuck in). Do
CHANGE
IT UP
One of the best ways to
magically manifest new muscle
growth in a short period is to try
training in a way that you never
have before. Invest a few weeks
in controlled chaos by thinking
outside the box (at least the
you normally use sets of 10 to
12? Then try three to four,
16 to 20, or even 40 to 50. Are
you an advocate of low-volume,
high-intensity training? Press
pause on that method for a while
and give the high-set, blood-
volume protocol a shot. Try
changing the way you split up
your muscle groups; speeding
up or slowing down the tempo of
your reps; altering your grip
spacing and push-pull angle; or
implementing exercises you have
never tried before. The more
creative you get, the better.
NOTE One of the main
reasons many lifters fail to
make continuous progress over
many years is because they do
not vary their training methods
enough. The human body is an
adaptive machine, so you must
keep your muscles and nervous
system guessing.

4
BUMP
THE
“P”
You can
increase your
intensity not
only in the gym
but also in the
kitchen. A bump
in your daily
protein intake
for a few weeks
may be just
what you need
to finish the
year with a few
more pounds of
muscle. For the
entire month of
December, try
consuming an
extra 10 grams
of protein
per meal or
squeezing in an
extra protein
drink (containing
about 50 grams)
sometime
during the day.
NOTE When
I feel as if I am
stagnating or
need an
CHARLES LOW THIAN; PER BERNAL

anabolic boost,
I often find that
drinking a whey
or casein shake
in the middle of
the night gets
things moving
in the right
direction again.

FLEXONLINE.COM 95
 5

NOTE

PAVEL Y THJALL

96 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 6
CALL IN A COACH
In this day and age, even the
most elite athletes have
coaches, whether it’s for
physique transformation or
performance enhancement in
their chosen sport. If you don’t
already have one, why not take
advantage of the expertise,
experience, and knowledge of
a quality personal trainer or
coach? Kick-start 2018 with
the best and most intense
workouts of your life alongside
a properly qualified, highly
motivating coach dedicated to
teaching you better exercise
technique, new movements,
98 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
and novel ways to take your
training to higher levels.
NOTE When choosing a
coach, make sure he fully
understands that you are
looking for a short-term
increase in intensity, which
means introducing you to
new strategies that are on a
more advanced level than your
own. Make sure the person
you work with has the right
tools in his toolbox.
Have yourself a happy New
Year—and a more muscular
one as well!
START OUT 2018
WITH THE BEST
AND MOST INTENSE
WORKOUTS OF YOUR
LIFE ALONGSIDE
A PROPERLY
QUALIFIED, HIGHLY

FLEXONLINE.COM 99
 THE SUDDEN PASSING OF
A FRIEND AND HURRICANE
IRMA’S LANDFALL WEIGHED ON
IN THE WEEKS AND
DAYS BEFORE HIS SIXTH
CONSECUTIVE OLYMPIA 212
VICTORY—THEN DEATH THREATS
TWO WEEKS LATER RAISED IT
TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
BY JAMES RILEY PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL

100 | JANUARY ’18

FLEXONLINE.COM 101
 TRAGEDY STRIKES

was mid-July that I last

spoke with Flex Lewis,

IRMA ADDS
TO THE ORDEAL
STILL DRIVEN
 I WAS HAVING GOOD
DAYS AND BAD DAYS,
CRYING A LOT. EVEN
THOUGH I DIDN’T MISS
A WORKOUT, DIDN’T
MISS A MEAL, IT WAS
A LOT OF STRESS.”

GROOMING BY K ATE SANDERS. SHOT ON LOCATION AT

EOS FITNESS, L AS VEGAS, NV

106 | JANUARY ’18

 THE IRONY IS
THAT WHEN THE
OFFICIAL PHOTOS
FROM THE
CONTEST CAME
OUT, MANY OF THE
PEOPLE WHO
WERE TALKING
CRAP CAME BACK
AND DELETED
THEIR POSTS.”

SINISTER PLANS

DEATH THREAT...
AT A SHOW?

FLEX |
THE
INTEN SIT Y
GL OS SA RY UI DE TO THE BE
ST TEC H NIQUES

YOUR G . BY GREG M
E R R IT T
T TE R
H ERE FORE, BE
AND, T

110 | JANUARY ’18

I
f you just want to be ordinary,
then just do ordinary
workouts—you know, four
sets per exercise, eight
to 12 reps per set, repeat ad
infinitum, same old, same old.
But if you want more, you have
to do more. Go beyond failure.
Rest less. Shock yourself.
Crank your training up to 11. Use
this compendium of intensifiers
to make your workouts and
your physique extraordinary.
 BLOWOUT SET
A final higher-rep set. Example:
After pyramiding up to a six-rep
set of squats with 365 pounds,
reduce the weight to 225 and
finish with 20 reps. Reason: It’s
easier to eke out extra reps with a
lighter weight than a heavier one,
and this facilitates a nourishing
pump to the targeted muscles.
112 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
BURNS
Brief partial reps performed after
reaching full-rep failure. Example:
OPENER AND THIS SPREAD: PER BERNAL
When you can’t get another rep
of calf raises, pump out as many
burns as you can in the midrange
of the movement. Reason: These
keep tension on the muscle
beyond where a set would usually
end. Advice: Burns work best
with isolation exercises and
should never be done with some
compound lifts, including deadlifts
and lunges.
CIRCUIT
Sets of exercises for diverse
body parts performed without
resting. Example: A sequence
consisting of leg presses, power
cleans, T-bar rows, military
presses, and pushups, resting
only afterward. Reason: Circuits
are a means of hitting the entire
body in one fast-paced workout,
which is especially useful when
you can’t regularly get to the gym.
When used sporadically, their
uniqueness can also elevate
overall intensity, bringing a
cardio effect to iron work.

COMPOUND SET
Sets for two exercises for the
same body part performed
without rest. (Popularly, any
such combination is called a
superset.) Example: A set of
triceps pushdowns followed
immediately by a set of machine
dips. Reason: This boosts
intensity for a specific body part.
Advice: It’s particularly effective if
you pair two dissimilar exercises.

CONFUSION
Each body part’s workout is
markedly different from its last
one, changing such things as
exercises, exercise order, sets,
reps, and intensity techniques.
Reason: Because the stimuli is
always altering, your muscles will
have to adapt, and adaptation
means growth.

FLEXONLINE.COM 113
 FREESTYLE
A training system that eschews
preplanning. Exercises, sets, reps,
and techniques are selected on the
go in response to how your muscles
are responding. A freestyle workout
may also incorporate unique
exercises and cardio segments and
hit diverse body parts. Reason: You
can alter your workout from set to
set and place no limits on what you
may do to up intensity and shock
your muscles.
GIANT SET
Sets of four or more exercises
performed without rest. Example:
military press, dumbbell side
lateral, dumbbell front raise, and
dumbbell rear lateral—all done in
rotation without rest between
exercises but with a normal rest
after each such giant set. Reason:
Reduces the time and increases
the intensity of a workout.

FORCED REPS
A spotter lifts up on the weight
to remove just enough stress to
keep a set going when it would
otherwise fail. Example: After
failing at eight reps on a set of
incline presses, a spotter lifts up
on the barbell just enough for Partial reps performed after reaching full-rep failure. These have a longer range of
three additional reps at the same motion than burns. Example: An additional six half-reps of shoulder presses (from the
pace. Reason: If you have a low point to approximately halfway up) after doing eight full reps and failing to lock out
spotter, this is one of the most a ninth rep. Reason: Just because you can’t move the weight through the entire range
of motion doesn’t mean you can’t still stimulate the targeted muscles. In the preceding
effective ways to keep a set
example, the lockout of shoulder presses is done largely with triceps strength. You’re
going beyond where it would still working the delts by pressing up only halfway.
normally end.

FLEXONLINE.COM 115
HIGH AND LOW
High reps alternated with low
HIGH REPS
reps. Example: Sets of pulldowns
for 15 reps alternated with sets
for five reps for four total sets.
Another method is to switch rep
modes on each exercise, like this: raises performed
four sets of pulldowns for 15 reps,
four sets of T-bar rows for five Reason: A lighter
reps, four sets of cable rows for
reps allows you to eke
20 reps, and finally four sets of
deadlifts for six reps. Reason: The the failure point. It’s
rep ranges play off one another.
Then the higher reps pump the an extra rep when
muscle and stress it over longer approaching failure at
sets. The lower reps are focused
more on strength with an
emphasis on maximum weights.
Advice: Despite the name, you can
start with low reps.
 NEGATIVE
REPS
(AKA ECCENTRIC
REPS)
The focus is all
on lowering the
weight steadily
but very slowly.
Example: During
machine curls, a
partner pulls the
handle arm up
each time and
then you slowly
lower it, resisting
gravity’s pull.
Reason: You’re
stronger on the
eccentric half of
reps than the
concentric half,
so negatives are
an excellent way
of pushing a set
beyond failure.

ONE-AND-A-
HALF REPS
Each full rep is
followed by a
half-rep. Example:
A set of standing
calf raises
consisting of a full
rep followed by
a half-rep (from
halfway down
to contraction)
for 10 of each.
Reason: This
extends a set
by reducing the
range of motion,
and it places a
greater emphasis
on the stretch or
contraction.
CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: PAVEL Y THJALL; PER BERNAL (2)

REST-PAUSE
As you reach failure, pause for at least 10 seconds
and then continue the set. Example: When you can
do only eight reps of Smith machine squats, rack the
bar but remain in position for 15 seconds, then get
another three reps, rack and pause again, and do a
final two reps. Reason: You can push a set beyond
failure without a spotter. Advice: Choose exercises
that allow you to easily rack or set down the weight
and remain poised to continue. So machine overhead
presses are good rest-pause candidates, while
dumbbell overhead presses are not.

FLEXONLINE.COM 117
REVERSE
FORCED REPS
A spotter applies pressure to
add resistance. Example: During
the first half of a set of pulldowns,
someone presses down on the
bar to make the reps slightly
harder. Reason: Early reps are
essentially preliminaries for
the final ones, and you usually
perform them on cruise control.
Adding resistance and then
removing it as you tire makes
the first reps nearly as difficult
as the last, boosting intensity.
118 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
SLOW REPS
Go slow and deliberate on both
the positive and the negative
halves of reps. Example: When
doing hack squats, take five
seconds to steadily go down and
five seconds to steadily rise back
up. Reason: This greatly increases
the time under tension, stimulating
growth. Advice: As a set of slow
reps progresses and you
approach failure, you can speed
PER BERNAL
up the reps to make them easier.
 SUPERSET
Sets for two
exercises for
different body
parts performed
without rest.
Example: A set
of leg extensions
followed
immediately by
a set of leg curls.
Reason: This
boosts workout
intensity. Advice:
It’s particularly
effective if you pair
two antagonistic
body parts, like
quadriceps with
hamstrings.

TRISET
Sets for three
exercises
performed without
rest. Example: A
rotation of machine
crunches, hanging
leg raises, and
cable side bends
for abs. Reason:
Reduces the time
and increases the
intensity of a
workout.

TWENTY-
ONES (21s)
Sets consisting of
seven reps from
stretch to halfway,
seven reps from
halfway to
contraction, and
then seven full reps.
Example: Barbell or
EZ-bar curls done
21-style are so
common they are
known as 21-curls.
Reason: The effect
is similar to
pre-exhaust but
contained within
a single set of one
exercise. Advice:
The same technique
can be applied to
other rep schemes
and to many
exercises besides
CHRIS LUND

curls, though it
works best with
isolation lifts.

FLEXONLINE.COM 119
GONE TOO SOON:
DALLAS
REMEMBERED
THE ALL-TOO-SHORT LIFE AND
CAREER OF DALLAS MCCARVER,
AND THE LEGACY HE LEAVES.
BY PETER MCGOUGH
FINAL PLANS
On Monday, Aug. 21, 2017,
26-year-old Dallas McCarver in
Boca Raton, FL, and his coach,
mentor, and best friend, 28-year-
old Matt Jansen in Lexington, KY,
started texting as they did at the
end of every day.
This particular to-and-fro
revolved around resetting their
program for the assault on the
2018 Arnold Classic being staged
in Columbus, OH, next March.
The original schedule deemed that
they would be in full off-season
improvement mode until the end
of September, throttle back
a little for a few weeks, and then
start serious contest prep
for the Arnold in early December.
But now the plan was under
review. Dallas was feeling
compression in his lower
vertebrae that didn’t allow for full
range of movement for certain
exercises. Matt texted, “Let’s not
be stubborn about this, man. Let’s
shut down all the real heavy stuff
now instead of barreling on to late
September, kick back a little, and
then start our Arnold prep a little
bit earlier.”
The duo agreed. Dallas
signed off with “talk tomorrow.”
Matt turned in that night
with thoughts of the Columbus
prep fresh in his mind. The goals
for the 2018 Arnold were to
streamline Dallas’ midsection,
carve more detail into his quads
and hams, and come in dry and
hard at 280 pounds. Matt drifted
into sleep, satisfied they had
correctly revised their plan and
that Dallas would win the 2018
Arnold Classic. Yes, all was right
in the world of Dallas McCarver
and Matt Jansen.
DEATH IN THE FAMILY
As dawn broke the next day, it
seemed we were getting ready
to begin just another day on the
calendar. But this was not just
another day. The bodybuilding
world would suffer a seismic
shock, and it’s a good bet that
in years to come many will
remember where they were
when they heard the news. In this
modern world of internet hoaxes
and fake news, there was a hope
that this was just another made-
up work of fiction.
FLEXONLINE.COM 121
 As the pace of the story went
into overdrive, we learned that
this was no hoax. This was fact.
Dallas McCarver, one of the most
promising bodybuilders on the
planet, had passed away at age
26. Twenty-six?
Late on Monday evening,
Aug. 21, Dallas returned to his
Boca Raton home after a workout.
Just before midnight, Australian
bodybuilder Josh Lenartowicz,
who was staying with Dallas to
complete the last three weeks of
his Olympia prep, returned from
the gym. What he found was
shocking. Dallas was facedown
on the floor, his face was blue,
and it seemed he had choked to
death on something.
Josh heroically performed CPR
on his host and then handed that
over to the paramedics when they
arrived. Dallas was transported
to the hospital and pronounced
dead shortly after arriving.
The bodybuilding world
went into almost universal shock,
which was pretty unusual in my
experience. (See “The Dallas
Wowboy,” opposite page.)
How to make sense of a
122 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
26-year-old struck down in
his prime so suddenly and so
wretchedly? I spoke at length
the next day with Matt Jansen.
Given the trauma he was going
through, it tells you all you want
to know about Matt’s character
and loyalty that he wanted to go
on the record about his friend,
although at times, quite
understandably, he became
emotional. Through Matt, I gained
a deeper understanding
of the young man we had lost.
OPENER: PER BERNAL. THIS PAGE: GARY PHILLIPS; PER BERNAL
Instead of the normal format
of an article, I will tell the story
of Dallas McCarver interspersed
with Matt’s thoughts on his
best friend.
DALLAS THE
WUNDERKIND
In an era of bodybuilders usually
not turning pro until they’re in
their late 20s, Dallas McCarver
bucked the norm. Originally from
Jackson, TN, he won his pro card
at age 21 by winning the super-
heavyweight and overall titles at
the 2012 North Americans with
241 pounds distributed on his 6'
frame. Given his dimensions, he
THE
DALLAS
WOWBOY
Why did the Dallas
tragedy generate
universal emotion?
First of all, it was
his age. Death at
age 26 goes way
against the norm:
Children are
supposed to outlive
their parents. At
that age you expect
to have another
50 years left. It’s
that decades-long
potential that has
been taken away
that Dallas will
never tap into. There
was also Dallas’
appearance, with
his all-American
clean-cut look,
topping off one
of the biggest
physiques on the
scene.
But there’s
more to the eulogies
that were posted,
and more than
the previously
mentioned points.
Quite simply, Dallas
was special;
people instantly
liked him upon first
meeting. His appeal
was across the
whole gamut of
the industry. Show
promoters who
hired him were
knocked out by his
friendliness and
energy. Fans who
gained a selfie
photo op waxed
enthusiastic about
how much time
he gave them.
Magazines were
impressed by
his professionalism
at photo shoots.
And his special It
factor radiated
throughout
all his video
presentations.
Everybody loved
him and remembers
when they met
him for the first
time. People talk of
the It factor—quite
simply, Dallas
McCarver had it.

FLEXONLINE.COM 123
 was quickly dubbed “Big
Country.” He waited two years
and eight months to make his
pro debut before winning the
2015 California State Pro
Championships, weighing 261
quality pounds. A few months
later and a few pounds heavier,
he finished 13th in his Olympia
debut. In 2016 he won the
Chicago Pro and rose to eighth
at the Olympia. His star was
shining brightly, but it turns out
that the orbital energy he was
generating was to be more akin
to resembling a shooting star
going at warp speed through
the firmament to rapid demise,
rather than a permanent entity.
Matt: “We first hooked
up to work together for the
2015 Olympia. And we connected
with each other completely
immediately. I can’t believe he’s
gone. On Monday night everything
seemed so clear-cut for the year
ahead. Today [Tuesday] I’m
looking at pics and can’t believe
he’s gone, that he’s lost such a
great future, and that I lost my
best friend. In our relationship,
I had to wear a few hats, like being
his older brother and even at
times his dad by telling him, ‘Hey,
get your shit together.’
“But what I remember most
is not the training and competing
but how much fun we had
together. He stayed with my
wife, Jordan, and me for four
weeks to prepare for the 2015

PER BERNAL
Olympia. We had a 90-minute
drive to the airport to catch our
Vegas flight. For the first 30

BIG
COUNTRY
GROWS
The evolution of Dallas McCarver’s
physique from his pro card win
at the 2012 North American
Championships to the 2017 Arnold.

124 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 minutes he was quiet. Then with
some emotion he started to thank
Jordan and me for all we had
done for him, for having him stay
with us—he praised Jordan’s
great cooking in particular—and
believing in him as no one else
did. Then he broke into a medley
of country music—yeah, Big
Country loved country music. He
sung the songs at the top of his
lungs, finishing with his favorite,
Sammy Kershaw’s ‘Queen of My
Double Wide Trailer.’”

INTO 2017
In 2016, Dallas moved to Boca
Raton to be nearer his sponsor,
Redcon, headed by Aaron
Singerman. He began to work out
regularly at Flex Lewis’ Project
Flex Gym, and the two were
frequent training partners. “With
me and Flex, it’s like Boca against
Kuwait,” Dallas said.
In 2017 he gained runner-up
spots to Cedric McMillan at the
PER BERNAL; ISA AC HINDS; ASUN CAPALUNGAN; PER BERNAL

Arnold Classic in Columbus

and to Brandon Curry at the New
Zealand Pro a week later. Seven
days later he collapsed during the
Australian Arnold because of an
upper-chest respiratory problem
and had to drop out of the contest
and indeed out of contest action
for the year.
Matt: “As a teenager, Dallas
was an accomplished footballer,
so he was an athlete who ended
up being a bodybuilder. He didn’t
bodybuild to make up for lack of
size or poor body image or
because anyone made fun of him.
That was never part of his inner

2012 North 2015 2017

American Cal Pro Arnold
workings, never drove him to be
a bodybuilder. He used to say
that the only time he wished he
was a normal size was when
he was around kids, because he
didn’t want them to be scared of
his look. He wanted to be normal
so the kids felt comfortable.
He had a great affinity with kids,
and one of his goals was to
open a home for disadvantaged
inner-city kids. If you wanted to
see Dallas really light up, put him
among a bunch of kids: He was
a 300-pound teddy bear.
“We would talk about the
future and what we would be
doing 10 years down the road.
[At this point Matt breaks down]
Aside from my wife, Dallas
was the only other person
I talked to about such things.
I believed in my heart that we
would win multiple Olympias
together and travel the world,
and he would fulfill his ambition
of opening that home.
“I spent a week in Boca with
Dallas during his last days, and
I went home the day before he
died. We had a blast of a week.
“We had so much fun doing
things other than bodybuilding—
that’s how we really bonded.
Bodybuilding was our life and
passion, but we had fun joking
and discussing about football. It
was important for Dallas to give
bodybuilding a mental break
because there was so much
pressure on him at such a young
age. He had to have someone in
his life that he could shut off with,
and I was that guy. And he was
that guy for me.”
DALLAS
THE FUNSTER
Dallas had a fun-loving nature,
as exemplified in a video
interview I did with him in 2016.
He started off by instructing
me playfully how to conduct
interviews. I mimicked
nervousness and started biting
my nails. He asked, “You got it?”
I nodded, and then I began, “So
I’m here with Justin Compton.”
Dallas clapped his hands and let
out a bellow of a laugh that
would have woken Congress.
In that same interview, he
told me, “I work out hard
and diet hard, but I refuse to be
miserable about it all. When you
put everything you’ve got into
something you love, it brings a
126 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
lot of joy. Some guys are really
hard on themselves. I think if
they took a minute to enjoy it,
it might actually have a positive
influence for them in the long run.
At the end of the day my goal is
to do the best I can and to be the
best I can.”
Matt: “We went to Barcelona
for the 2016 Arnold Classic
Europe. [Dallas was ninth.] We
were supposed to have a room
each, but when we checked into
the hotel we had only one room
with a small bed that wouldn’t
have held Dallas’ left leg. But he
was undeterred; all he wanted to
do was ride round Barcelona on
a mountain bike. So the general
population was treated to this
mountain of a man with a big smile
on his face riding around on a
mountain bike.
“We did not work together
for the early 2017 contests, and
our relationship became a little
strained. But we finally got back
together, and as I sit here today
with him gone, it drives home
to me that if you’ve got an issue
in life with someone you love,
make sure you reach out and
resolve it. If I hadn’t reached out
to Dallas and gotten our close
relationship back on track, his
passing would have been even
more difficult to process.”
THE LAST ROUNDUP
One sentence of my 2016
interview with Dallas resonates
with me even more after his
passing. He told me, “As with
most things in life, if I can’t do it
and enjoy it, I don’t want to do it.”
Take a deep breath before
digesting the next sentence:
“My life is too short and
everybody’s life is too short to
live an unhappy or unfilled life.”
Well, Dallas’ 26 years were too
short. Some say that when you
pass away, your whole life flashes
in front of you. If Dallas
experienced that sensation, he
would have observed a young
man universally loved, one who
was larger than life and admired
and who will forever be
remembered as a shining example
of how a life should be lived, no
matter how short.
On Sept. 12, 2017, Jordan
Jansen gave birth to her and
Matt’s first child, a son. His name
is Dallas. And so the circle of life
and Dallas’ legacy goes on.
 “Dallas was extremely thoughtful and
loving with his words to people he
cared about. He wanted them to feel
appreciated and loved. He didn’t have
insecurities as other guys do.
Even backstage he acted more like a
footballer than a bodybuilder. Some
bodybuilders act as if they don’t want to
talk to anybody and want to stay in their
own little world. At the 2016 Chicago
Pro [which Dallas won], all the guys
were lined up ready to go onstage, and
Dallas walked the length of the line and
shook everybody’s hand, hugged them,
and wished them luck before taking his
place in the line. I’ll always remember
that. Dallas was a true gentleman.”
—MATT JANSEN
GARY PHILLIPS

FLEXONLINE.COM 127
 OF
SYMMETRY
128 | |
RISING CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
STAR
OFFERS UP A BACK
WORKOUT THAT WOULD
SATISFY EVEN THE MOST
HARDCORE BODYBUILDER.
BY JOE WUEBBEN | PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERICA SCHULTZ
A lot can
happen
in a year.
Just ask IFBB classic physique
pro George Peterson. If you follow
the sport, you know he finished
an impressive third place at the
2017 Olympia in September. Back
up a year or so earlier, and a top
five finish on the sport’s biggest
stage was as far off his radar as it
could possibly be. Makes sense,
seeing as he was essentially
retired at the time.
FLEX |
it really wasn’t. Peterson was
an aspiring pro bodybuilder for
years, placing well in local and
regional shows (e.g., a third-place
finish in the heavyweight division
at the NPC Eastern USAs in 2013),
but then watched his standing
drop once he hit Nationals (16th
place the same year).
“I wasn’t doing well as a
heavyweight bodybuilder,” he
says. “I was just done. I wasn’t
going to step on any stage. I was
still working out, but nothing to the
level where you have to compete
and get ready for a show.”
Ready to call it quits for good
but with some competitive juice
still left in him, Peterson tested
the classic physique waters in late
2016. He won the Eastern USAs,
then surprised himself by winning
the Nationals shortly thereafter.
“Wow,” he thought to himself, “I
SHOT ON LOCATION AT BEV FR ANCIS
guess I found my home here.”
POWERHOUSE GYM, SYOSSET, NY
And just like that, he was out of
retirement. The key for Peterson
was finding his ideal “fit”—he’s a
bodybuilder at heart, but not one
who wants to play the size game
necessary to compete at the
highest level.
“That was one of the reasons
I walked away from open
 PETERSON’S BACK WORKOUT /// TRAINING SPLIT

EXERCISE SETS REPS

bodybuilding,” he says. “I wasn’t
doing well as a heavyweight, plus Wide-grip Pullup (warmup) 4 15
I didn’t really like the way my
physique looked when I was trying
to put on all that mass. That’s 5
why the classic physique division 4
was so appealing to me—I felt that
5
at least going down to that lower
weight would accentuate my 5
body’s natural aesthetics, and I’d
be happy with the way I looked
again onstage.”
One thing that hasn’t changed
much for Peterson from his open
bodybuilding days is his style of
training. He still trains hard and “A lot of people think that But what were those guys?
heavy, evidenced by the back classic physique and men’s They were bodybuilders.
workout you’ll find here; the physique are all about aesthetics Bodybuilding today is still about
main difference now is more a and that bodybuilding is only symmetry and aesthetics—it’s
matter of diet to keep his body about mass,” Peterson says. just bigger now. Look at guys like
weight in check. Symmetry and “That’s not true. Bodybuilding is Shawn Rhoden, Dexter Jackson,
aesthetics always have and about aesthetics also. Because and Phil Heath. All of those guys
always will be important to him, that’s where it began. Classic have great aesthetics.”
regardless of what stage he physique is based off the Once a bodybuilder, always
competes on. physiques of the ’60s and ’70s. a bodybuilder.

FLEXONLINE.COM 131
 WIDE-GRIP PULLUP

FLEX |
LAT PULLDOWN
 CABLE
ROPE
ROW

SEATED CABLE ROW

FLEX |
DEADLIFT GEORGE
SWAP:
RACK PULL PETERSON
Birth Date:
June 20, 1984
Height: 5'7½"
Weight: 187 lbs
(contest); 215 lbs
(off-season)
Residence:
Jamaica, NY
Career Highlights:
2017 Classic
Physique Olympia,
3rd; New York
Pro classic
do g dead ts physique, 2nd;
Tampa Pro, 1st;
2016 NPC National
Championships
classic physique,
class B and overall
(earned pro card)
 BY GREG MERRITT

STEVE REEVES—1950
HERCULEAN
MR. UNIVERSE AND
CINEMATIC HERCULES—
BUILT THE MOST
AESTHETIC PHYSIQUE OF
TASKSALL TIME. HERE’S HOW.
 There can
only be one—
the most
aesthetic
male physique
of all time.
Nearly seven decades after
he last posed on a dais,
Steve Reeves is still champ.
In fact, as a reaction against
the modern bigger-is-better
ethos, he’s only solidified his
status. Today, the original
Hercules is the archetype
for the classic physique
division. Long ago and
with only simple tools and
food, Reeves constructed
history’s most perfect body.
How did he do it, and what
lessons can be applied to
your workouts today?
THE MOST
CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
He seemed like something
conjured up in an artist’s
workshop. Joe Weider
effused, “Steve Reeves was
the male ideal of physical
perfection.” After witnessing
the 21-year-old Reeves
shortly before he won the
1947 Mr. America, a writer
in Your Physique magazine
(the precursor of FLEX)
raved, “I, personally,
proclaim him to be the finest
specimen of American
manhood I have ever seen
in a kid of his years. He
hasn’t a single weak spot in
his make-up…He seemed
from out of this world, just
as though a super-man
had suddenly appeared
on a pedestal.”
When he won the 1950
Mr. Universe, over future
legend Reg Park, he was
only 24, but the 6'1"
138 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
220-pounder had reached
the pinnacle of bodybuilding,
competitively and
aesthetically. Because
his face was as perfectly
chiseled as his physique,
Hollywood noticed. However,
despite a few small movie
and TV roles, American
producers never figured out
what to do with someone so
distractingly handsome and,
by pre-steroid standards,
colossal. Maybe he could
play only a god. In 1957,
Reeves traveled to Rome
to star in what he thought
would be just some Italian
kid’s movie. But Hercules
was a smash hit in Europe
and, in 1959, in America,
too, launching its star to
international fame.
A successful
sequel quickly
followed, and “He seemed
so did a deluge
of Italian-made,
from out of
sword-and- this world,
sandal flicks,
some starring just as
Reeves, some
starring other
though a
musclemen. Via super-man
big screens,
Reeves became had suddenly
bodybuilding’s
worldwide
appeared on
ambassador,
even if few fans
a pedestal.”
ever heard his real voice.
A generation of boys,
including a young Arnold
Schwarzenegger, came of
age wanting to be the son
of Zeus, and many of them
spent their allowances on
barbells. In the late ’60s,
Steve Reeves retired with
his wife to their California
ranch. Though he died in
2000, he is still celebrated
for what many regard as
the prototypical muscular
physique.
What follows are the
dozen principles that turned
a skinny teenager into the
world’s best bodybuilder,
a cinematic superstar, and
an enduring legend.
1 THE EVERYTHING
WORKOUT
“When you work your whole
body in each workout, it
forces you to think about
symmetry. Your focus is
always on the whole and
not the parts,” Steve Reeves
said. In the ’40s and ’50s,
when the future Hercules
was expanding, he hit
OPENER AND THIS PAGE: COURTESY OF STEVE REEVES INTERNATIONAL (2). ARCHIVE PHOTOS/STRINGER/GET T Y IMAGES (LOWER RIGHT )
everything every time, as
was the norm then. It wasn’t
circuit training. Instead, he
usually did three sets of an
exercise before moving to
the next one. Nevertheless,
he went fast, resting only
45 seconds between sets.
In a typical workout, he did,
in this progression, the
following 10 exercises, each
for three sets of eight to 12
reps: upright row, bench
press, one-arm dumbbell
row, dumbbell side lateral,
military press, triceps
pushdown,
barbell curl,
dumbbell
incline curl,
back squat,
barbell
pullover. Then
he performed
one superset
of breathing
squats (20
reps) and
breathing
pullovers
(20 reps)—
deep-breath
exercises
done, erroneously, to expand
the rib cage. He wrapped it
up with deadlifts and then
good mornings, each for two
sets of eight to 12.
 WHETHER WITH
KETTLEBELLS,
A BARBELL, OR A
MOVIE PROP, REEVES
WENT WIDE.
 Split routines superseded
such full-body sessions in
the ’60s. Still, an everything
workout remains a valid
way to train when you can
rarely make it to the gym.
An intense everything
assault can hold you over
for a week. Keep your total
sets at 40 or fewer. This
means you won’t have the
luxury of exhausting
muscles with a dozen
sets of isolation moves.
Instead, focus on compound
exercises like deadlifts
and dips, and push all sets
to failure.
THE DELTS AND LATS HE
BUILT IN THE GYM
48 HOURS OFF
2 Reeves scheduled
his full-body sessions,
LAUNCHED HIM TO
HERCULEAN FAME.

which consisted of 35 to
40 sets, for Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays.
We’re going to modernize his
“non-split” a little and divide
the body into three distinct
routines. Nevertheless,
those three workouts will
remain diverse—incline
presses and deadlifts in
one, for example—and we’ll
stick with a similar workload
per session and maintain
his pattern of resting at
least 48 hours between
trips to the gym.

3 PERFECT FORM
In the opinion of
Hercules, cheating was
not a virtue. Sets consisted
of flawless reps with a
cadence of two seconds up
and three seconds down.

4 MODERATION
Most sets were kept
in the ideal growth range of
eight to 12 reps. Sometimes
he went higher, but he
almost never went lower.

5 PROGRESSION
One training tenet
that preceded even Steve
Reeves, who was born 92
years ago, is progressive
resistance, which is a fancy
way of saying always trying
to get stronger. The 1950
Mr. Universe didn’t push his
sets beyond failure with
various techniques (most of
which weren’t even named
yet), but he was fixated on
racking up more reps in the
eight-to-12 range. When
he could get 13, he upped
the weight the next time.
6 ALTERNATE
ANTAGONISTICS
Working his whole body in
one 90-minute routine,
Reeves couldn’t help but
stress one diverse body
part after another. However,
he still arranged exercises
so that one movement often
followed its antagonist,
such as rows (pulling
movement for back) after
bench presses (pushing
movement for chest).
Our routine also pairs up
antagonists: chest with
back, biceps with triceps,
and quadriceps with
hamstrings.

140 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 8 MOSTLY FREE
Teenage Steve
Reeves began creating
his masterpiece with only
dumbbells and a barbell
in the garage of his
stepfather’s house in
Oakland, CA, and, even when
he found his way into the
rare gym 70 years ago, the
most sophisticated machine
was a primitive, plate-
loaded, cable-and-pulley
device. So, needless to say,
he constructed arguably
the greatest physique of all
time almost entirely with
free-weight and body-
weight lifts.
9 TAKE A STAND
Most of the time
when Reeves had a
choice between hoisting
a weight seated or
standing, he stood.
Doing so
engaged his
lower back,
abs, and legs
He was
as stabilizers
on lifts like
forever
military focused
presses and
overhead on his
triceps
extensions, physique’s
thereby
incorporating
silhouette.
as many
muscles as possible.
This was fundamental
to his treating his body
as a single, flowing
WAY BACK IN THE DAY,
ANYTHING COULD BE A
work of art and not a
TRAINING TOOL. collection of parts.
10 SHAPE-
SHIFT
7 LIFT LARGE LATE
Reeves saved his most
He was forever focused
on his physique’s silhouette:
taxing exercises, squats
and deadlifts, for the
homestretch of his routine.
wide shoulders, slim
waistline, proportionate
development. One of the
This had three advantages. elements of his workouts—
First, he was thoroughly rib-cage expansion by
warmed up. Second, he supersetting pullovers and
could put his all into those high-rep “breathing squats”—
demanding lifts and not was misguided. Don’t waste
have that effort diminish time trying to alter your
his strength and energy skeletal structure. On the
reserves for other other hand, another
exercises. Third, along with component—the ab vacuum
the fact that he hit an (pulling your waist in as far
eight-rep minimum, he could as possible and holding for
go lighter while still giving 20 to 40 seconds)—is a
his all, reducing injury risks. relic that deserves to be
resurrected. He avoided
oblique exercises for fear of
widening his waist. Similarly,
he did no shrugs, believing a
sloping trapezius made his
shoulders appear narrower.
(His traps were worked with
upright rows and deadlifts.)
He did, however, train his
neck, on occasion, as
was common at midcentury,
so you may want to add
“necking” to your routine
to seem Herculean even in
a suit and tie.
11 POWER
WALKING
As was the norm way,
way back in the day, Reeves
did only occasional cardio
(beach jogging) during the
years when he flexed on
bodybuilding stages or
movie sets. However, in the
’80s, when he was in his
50s and
prioritized
fitness, he
popularized
power
walking. This
is a rapid
jaunt
performed
with long
strides and
pendulum-like
arm swings,
ideally while
holding light dumbbells.
With plenty of room to roam
on his ranch, Reeves
went for such low-impact,
moderate-intensity
marches year-round. Think
of any outdoor legwork—
including hiking, wind
sprints, and jogging—as
Hercules-style cardio.
12 STAY LEAN
Reeves’ diet was
a product of a time when
much less was known about
sports nutrition. A greater
emphasis on protein and
more, small meals emerged
in bodybuilding circles only
in the ’50s in conjunction
with the first protein
powders. Before then,
Reeves ate three meals
daily, with a 60-20-20 ratio
of carbohydrates, protein,
and fat, and with lots of
fruit. He kept his calories
FLEXONLINE.COM 141
 Long ago and
with only
simple tools
and food,
Reeves
constructed
history’s most
perfect body.
relatively low and correctly
avoided table sugar and
white floor.
As a consequence of his
diet, he was both smoother
and leaner than today’s
bodybuilders. Though he
never attained the peeled
conditioning of modern
champs, he also never
bulked up and chased ever
larger numbers on the
scales like too many modern
champs. Allow yourself to
get too soft and you’ll
reverse engineer what IN THE GYM, ON A BEACH,
should be a work of OR ON A HILL, REEVES
sculpture into a big block. LOVED BUILDING AND
FLEXING HIS BICEPS.
This can potentially stretch
out your abdominal wall,
and it will abet your ability to
remain focused on
improving your silhouette,
shape, and proportions—like
Steve Reeves, so long ago.

142 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 THE STEVE
REEVES WORKOUT
MONDAY
CHEST/BACK/ABS
EXERCISE SETS REPS

Incline Barbell 4 8–12

Press
4

Incline Dumbbell 4 8–12

Press
4
Incline Dumbbell 4 8–12
Flye

Deadlift 2 8–12

Hanging Leg 4 10–15

Raise

TUESDAY
SHOULDERS/ARMS/ABS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
3
Standing Military Press 3 8–12
3
Dumbbell Rear Lateral 3 8–12
3
Incline Dumbbell Curl 3 8–12

Barbell Curl 3 8–12

3
Concentration Curl 3 8–12
4
Ab Vacuum 4 20–40
sec.
FRIDAY
LEGS/ABS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
4
Hack Squat 3 8–12
4
Front Squat 3 8–12
4
Back Squat 4 8–12
4

Seated Calf Raise 4 10–15

4

FLEXONLINE.COM 143
144 | JANUARY ’18
IFBB PRO LEAGUE BIKINI STAR
IS A BEAUTY WHO
TRAINS LIKE A BEAST.
BY ROGER LOCKRIDGE PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL

FLEXONLINE.COM 145
SOME OF
YOU MIGHT
KNOW
HER AS A
BIKINI PRO,
some of you might know her as a
fitness/competition coach, and
others might know her as the lady
alongside four-time Men’s Physique
Olympia champ Jeremy Buendia.
Everyone will now know her as a
top five Bikini Olympia athlete—that’s
how Narmin Assria concluded her
2017 competitive season. Earlier in
the season, she won the Salt City
Showdown, her seventh overall
IFBB Pro League victory. It’s clear
that she has much higher
aspirations in both her sport
and the fitness industry, but for
someone who first stepped
onstage seven years ago, she’s
already come a long way. Training Style
Assria likes to do one warmup
set to get blood to the area and
Beginnings perfect her form before working
Assria’s success hasn’t come with three to four sets in the
overnight. It actually took her 12- to 15-rep range. One
trainer at the time to convince her difference between pre-contest
to step onstage. Her initial efforts and off-season is that she’s not
resulted in a second-place finish. afraid to train heavy and grow
Eventually she would enter the when she’s not in prep mode.
2010 NPC USA championships and “In order for me to make
finish in fourth place. Being that improvements, I add some size
close to achieving pro status so back on, and I eat more—which
early on was all she needed to be means I lift heavier and make
hooked. One year later she won gains.” To add intensity and push
her class at the NPC USAs and herself, she’ll occasionally do
earned her pro card. dropsets to get more reps in.

More Than
an Athlete
The Georgia native doesn’t just
prepare herself for the stage.
She helps other athletes on their
journeys as an online coach through
her website missnarmin.com.
Her experience isn’t only with
competitors, either—Assria helps
clients who are looking to make
changes and achieve personal
transformations. “I’ve dedicated a
large portion of my life to this
lifestyle and promote healthy
image and living to all women.”
2018 O
Assria was pleased with her
results at the 2017 Bikini Olympia,
the sixth time she has graced the
stage at the biggest event in the
sport. Thanks to her top five
placing, she’s already qualified for
the 2018 edition in Las Vegas,
and her work to achieving her
ultimate goal is now under way.
“I was so happy and so proud of
my package! Proud but never
satisfied. I’m already back at work
for the next season and for that
2018 Olympia stage!”

146 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 SNAPSHOT
NARMIN
ASSRIA
Birth Date:
Sept. 21, 1988
Height: 5'1"
Contest Weight:
98 lbs
Residence:
Costa Mesa, CA
Instagram:
@missnarmin
Facebook:
Narmin Assria IFBB
Bikini Pro
Website:
missnarmin.com

ASSRIA’S
TRAINING
SPLIT
Monday:
Legs, glutes
Tuesday:
Back, shoulders
Wednesday:
Biceps,
triceps, abs
Thursday: Off
Friday:
Hamstrings, quads
Saturday: Abs
Sunday: Off

“DO WHAT YOU

LOVE AND YOU
WILL NEVER
HAVE TO WORK
ANOTHER DAY IN
YOUR LIFE.”
 “WHEN COMPETING, SO MUCH
GOES INTO THIS LIFESTYLE.
IT DOESN’T HAPPEN
OVERNIGHT. IT TAKES HARD
WORK AND DEDICATION.”
148 FLEX | JANUARY ’18
ASSRIA’S
LEGS WORKOUT
EXERCISE SETS REPS
3
Wide-stance 3 12
Leg Press

Single-leg Reverse 3 10–12 per

Hack Squat leg

Adductor Squat 3 10–12

superset with
Sumo Squat 3 10–12
With Plate

ASSRIA’S
BACK WORKOUT
EXERCISE SETS REPS
3
Straight-arm 3 12–15
Rope Pulldown
3

Single-arm 3 12–15
Machine Row
3

NOTE: Rest for 1 minute between sets.

*Hold one side down while doing reps with
the other side.
**Hold each rep at the top for 1 second
before lowering.

ASSRIA’S
ARMS WORKOUT
EXERCISE SETS REPS

Overhead Extension 3 12–15

With Plate

Plate Hammer Curl 3 12–15

NOTE: Rest for 1 minute between sets.

FLEXONLINE.COM 149
 152
PER BERNAL

The critical moments of the 2017 Mr. O Classic physique goes pose for pose Need motivation for the gym? Look no
when Phil Heath beat Mamdouh Elssbiay against bodybuilding in this mock further than this close-up of one of the
to win his seventh Sandow. onstage battle. greatest biceps and triceps of all time.
PAGE 154 PAGE 158 PAGE 160

FLEXONLINE.COM 151
 LAST SET JUDGE’S TABLE BY MICHAEL BERG

PICK UP
YOUR PECS
IT’S MORE THAN MERELY FLEXING—HERE’S
HOW YOU CAN TURN YOUR SIDE CHEST POSE
INTO A COMPETITION-BUSTING POWERHOUSE.

any posing pointers down in their poses as

that can help me still they tense and flex the
present them in the muscles, but in the
best way possible? process, they make
themselves into a tight
When doing side little knotted figure.
chest—or any pose, for You want to present a
that matter—remember body that is tall, wide in
What are the to mentally try to take up the shoulders and back,
keys to doing as much personal space and tight and small in the
the side chest as possible on the stage. waist, with sweeping
pose correctly? You are trying to “fill the thighs and calves.
Admittedly, my pecs stage” with your body. Applying this to the
aren’t my best body Too many side chest pose means
part, but are there competitors crunch that the leg closest to

152 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

 the judges should be needs to be shifted
slightly bent, with the forward so that the
heel high off the floor shoulders and upper
and the ball of the foot back are as square as
firmly on the ground. possible to the judges,
The rear leg should be while your waist and
straight so that you’re midsection are kept
standing at your full side on—and as narrow
height, not in a semi- as possible—to the I’m a fitness
squat position. judges. competitor
As with all the poses, The hand of the arm who is more
the stomach should farthest from the judges gymnastics
be sucked in tight. This should be placed either oriented, without
is particularly important atop the wrist or hand much of a strength
in the side poses. The rib of the arm closer to the background. How
cage should be lifted up judges, with the front much strength do
as high as possible. arm’s hand palm up. I need to showcase
The chest sits directly You can now apply to do well in fitness?
on top of the ribs, so the pressure with the top Are there certain
higher you lift your rib hand, which can assist moves I need to
cage, the bigger the with the flexion of the master to be
chest will appear. muscles in the forward successful?
Your arms should be biceps and deltoids.
held close to your body, Obviously, also make The fitness routine,
preferably tucked in sure both pecs are which makes up 66%
under the rib cage, with flexed as much as of an athlete’s score,
the shoulder closest to possible. is based on strength,
the judges pulled back There is a lot to think flexibility, and a
to open up the chest about when performing cardiovascular
area. The rear shoulder any pose. This is why it’s component, so strength
so vital to spend many is very important. That
From left to right: Derek hours practicing and said, there are four
Lunsford, Jose Raymond, perfecting your posing mandatory poses that
Flex Lewis, and Ahmad before hitting the stage need to be included:
Ashkanani. on competition day. pushups (either one or
two arms), high kicks,
the straddle hold, and
the side split.
However, at the
national level, you want
to have more strength
moves than what’s
required, including
combination strength
moves—that’s at least
two or three strength
moves together, such
as a handstand coming
down to a straddle hold.
Of course, it’s a lot
of work to learn those
moves, but that’s what
will separate you from
other competitors and
help you nail all the
components that go
into a top score.
Strength, agility,
flexibility, and
PER BERNAL

creativity are all

on display in the
routines of IFBB
Pro League fitness
competitors.

FLEXONLINE.COM 153
LAST SET HARD TIMES BY PETER MCGOUGH

One of the funniest

incidents I’ve ever
witnessed at a
bodybuilding contest
involves Egypt’s
El Shahat Mabrouk.
It was at the 1991
IFBB Amateur World
Championships in
Poland, where he
won the middleweight
title. In fact, Mabrouk
had nine World
Championships wins.
He never turned pro,
because at that time
Egyptian authorities
did not sanction
pro cards.
In charge of
officiating was IFBB

PHIL HEATH
secretary general
Harris Kagan, who
always showed
class and demeanor

STILL A
And in that pose, Heath of a high order.
has a better flow (Sadly, Kagan is no
completeness head to longer with us.)
toe that’s in a class of He had warned all

PHENOM
its own. More thickness competitors that they
and detail also see the must adhere to the
reigning champ take one-minute-only
posing limit. Mabrouk
rear lat spread. Side
came on, and when
triceps is Phil’s. Abs and his minute was up he
thighs go to Big Ramy. just kept posing,
Phil’s roundness and moving from side to
PHIL HEATH the 250-pound Heath, shape, augmented by side along a very wide
won his seventh but the devil is in the his unique muscle stage. Frantically,
straight Olympia last details, and the devil configuration, take the Kagan ran in front of
September, and it was is Phil Heath. most-muscular. That the press row, waving
a little like Groundhog In a battle against gives Phil four of the with his arm and
shouting to Mabrouk,
Day, as once again the Ramy, let’s say the Gift eight mandatories, with
“Leave the stage! Your
consensus was that “gifts up” the first two one tie—side chest— time is up!” As Kagan
he was good enough mandatory poses—front with Ramy taking three ran toward Mabrouk,
to win but has yet to double biceps and shots. Sounds close, the Egyptian would
replicate the look of his front lat spread—to the but the dramatic ignore him, change
first win back in 2011— Egyptian juggernaut. An preeminence of Heath’s direction, and sweep
when he was crisper A for side chest—Ramy back double biceps to the other side of
than freshly fallen is huge but just doesn’t and most-muscular the stage, forcing the
snow, tighter than have the groovy deep slammed the door on crouching Kagan to
likewise turn around
Shawn Ray’s wallet, separation Denver’s any thoughts of a new
and hurtle back. At
and fuller than Lambeau most-muscular Nugget king being crowned. about his third time
Field on a Packers possesses, but call it a Having said all that, of rushing by, Kagan
home day. There were draw. Back shots are Big Ramy is improving ducked toward me,
those who were trying Phil’s: His back double year by year. So can and from the mouth
to make a case that biceps is up there as he continue that of the usually urbane
runner-up Big Ramy possibly the best ever, improvement curve and Canadian came the
should have toppled and while Ramy’s back halt Phil’s reign in 2018? plaintive plea,
PER BERNAL

the champ. Ramy was is much wider, it doesn’t Watch this space—in “How do you say
f--- off in Egyptian?”
probably 40 or 50 have the thickness and this case Ramy’s
pounds heavier than separation of Heath’s. 300-pound space.

154 FLEX | JANUARY ’18

The Best EXCLUSIVE

Workout
You’ll Ever Have
is One Click Away
EXCLUSIVE OFFER!
From the Editors of Men’s Fitness com
101 Best Workouts of All Time, t
definitive exercise book that turns the w
most respected fitness experts into your 101 Best Workouts
personal trainers. With 101 Best Workouts,
of All Time gives you:
THERE ARE Routines for barbells, dumbbells, bands, machines,

NO MORE EXCUSES a suspension trainer, and body weight alone.

Muscle-building full-body workouts, plus body-

You will always have time to get in great shape
—even if you have no time at all.
You will always have the equipment you need
—even if you have no equipment at all.
part-specific, and upper/lower split routines.
Fat-burning, heart-strengthening cardio workouts
for all the most popular machines—treadmill,
elliptical trainer, stationary bike, rower, and more.

You will never grow bored or stop progressing Complete, scientifically proven nutrition
—and your workout will never become routine. plans for muscle gain and fat loss.

DISCOVER HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD YOUR GYM!

THIS INCREDIBLE Visit www.101BestWorkouts.com to purchase

PROGRAM IS
NOT AVAILABLE
your copy today and we will rush you the
IN STORES. exclusive publisher’s edition of the Men’s Fitness
A Zinczenko-AMI Media 101 Best Workouts of All Time.
Ventures, LLC publication
 LAST SET HARD TIMES BY PETER MCGOUGH

OXYGEN GYM:
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
BADER BOODAI’S “Training, eating, eat seven meals a studying bodybuilding
OXYGEN GYM sleeping is what takes day. After my third meal way before anyone even
in Kuwait is fast priority each day. I get I train under my coach’s recognized them on the
becoming the “in” place constant supervision, supervision for 60 to scene. All the guys have
for high-ranking particularly from my 90 minutes. When a personal love for the
Olympians to work main coach, Abdullah. we finish, I take my sport and experimented
toward improvement. They cover everything: post-workout themselves along
From the 2017 Olympia ‘How much are you supplementation that the way. Abdullah
lineup, we’re talking peeing, how is the is not included in the recognizes the most
about Big Ramy pump, and how many seven-meal count subtle changes in my
(second), whose meals have you eaten?’ and then eat 30 to 40 physique. He is always
dimensions morph into are constant questions. minutes later. I have a testing my reaction to
a walking eclipse; Roelly Their programs are third training session slight variations, taking
Winklaar (sixth), who specifically designed later in the day. what he learns to
had been somewhat for your needs; it’s “All the trainers out incorporate it at an
wayward earlier in his never one size fits all. there have great appropriate time. No
career but has in his “I typically wake knowledge in generating one has learned my
time at Oxygen Gym around 7 a.m., then head off-season gains and physique so fast.”
maintained his knockout to the gym for cardio then dialing it in for Look for more pros
body parts while and some touch-up contests. Where have to head eastward to
streamlining his mid- work on muscle they gathered this info take advantage of
section and carving in groups that need extra from? These guys have Bader Boodai’s House
refinement elsewhere; attention. I will normally been following and of Pain and Gains.
Britain’s Nathan De
Asha (seventh), who
practically lives in
Bader’s emporium and
who, in his two-year pro
career, has won two
pro shows, was named
Rookie of the Year in
2016, and has earned
the accolade of most
improved in 2017;
Brandon Curry (eighth),
who after years
of not really living up
to his potential had
a sensational
breakthrough in 2018
with a newly minted
physique that really
tapped into his potential.
So what’s the
secret? Oxygen Gym
is set up like a boot
camp, with advisers
and coaches on hand
to direct all elements
of training, nutrition,
and supplementation.
PER BERNAL

Here’s how Brandon

Curry explains the
Oxygen experience:

156 FLEX | JANUARY ’18


086&20;7
Looking
to Get Ripped and Swole
Musco-MXT® users get
ripped and swole over
twice as fast as non users:
More Mass - 584%
More Strength - 228.3%
Less Fat - 139.7%
READERS MARKET

?
Average Musco NON
Strength MXT® USERS
Total135.16 lbs OE
Muscle Musco NON
Av Size 7.10 in LQ
Av Mass 5.84 lbsOEV
4 weeks $40Buy 2 Get 1 Free! Fat Loss %-1.39%
$10 off 1st order. Call 1-800-367-9599 or www.Musco-MXT.com

GOT
TESTOSTERONE?
Now with
Lypoject syringes!
No needles
No pain
No Doctor needed

www.generictestosterone.com
LAST SET POSEDOWN
ANSLEY VS.
THE 2017 CLASSIC PHYSIQUE OLYMPIA WINNER TAKES
ON A MR. OLYMPIA TOP CONTENDER.
IT’S EASY TO FOCUS on the 40 or so pounds
that separate Breon Ansley from William Bonac and
think their physiques share little in common. In fact,
both 5'7" bodybuilders debuted, not that long ago, in
the 212 division—Bonac in 2012 and Ansley in 2014—
before, after one year each, moving on to their
natural homes. For Bonac, that’s the open division,
where he finished third in the 2017 Mr. Olympia,
while for Ansley it’s classic physique, where he’s the
new Olympia champ.
Though the Ghanaian-Dutchman, Bonac, a former
BY GREG MERRITT
heavyweight, carries much more muscle than Ansley,
the 2013 USA middleweight winner, they’re both
celebrated for deep separation and fine detailing—
especially in their quads and backs—as well as their
freaky collections of body parts. In some ways,
Bonac looks like a supersized version of Ansley, but
the latter champ has one clear advantage with his
miniscule midsection. In a bodybuilding comparison,
Ansley would get bulldozed, and yet he’d smoke
Bonac in a classic physique clash. Neither will ever
happen, leaving us to ponder which body is better.
PER BERNAL
 BONAC
Flex (ISSN 8750-8915), Vol. 35, No.
1, is published monthly except for a
combined July/August issue, which
counts as two of 12 in an annual
subscription by Weider
Publications LLC, a division of
American Media Inc., 4 New York
Plaza, 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10004.
Periodical rates postage paid at
the New York, NY, Post Office and
at additional mailing offices.
Copyright © Weider Publications
LLC, 2018. All rights reserved.
Canada Post International
Publications Mail Sale Agreement
No. 40028566. Canadian B.N.
88746 5102 RT0001. All accepted
materials submitted without
restrictions become the sole
property of Weider Publications
ANSLEY BONAC LLC, and shall constitute a grant to
Weider Publications LLC, to use
name, likeness, story, and all other
information submitted of the
person submitting the same for
any and all purposes and cannot
be used without permission in
writing from Weider Publications
LLC. Flex is not responsible for
returning unsolicited manuscripts,
photographs, letters, or other
materials. Weider Publications LLC,
and American Media Inc., publisher
of Flex, does not promote or
endorse any of the products or
services advertised by third-party
advertisers in this publication. Nor
does Weider Publications LLC, or
American Media Inc., verify the
accuracy of any claims made in
conjunction with such
advertisements. Copyrighted
under the Universal Copyright
Convention and International
Copyright Convention. Copyright
reserved under the Pan-American
Copyright Convention. Todos
derechos reservados segúin la
convención Pan Americana de
Propriedad Literaria Artística. Title
trademark registered in U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office. Subscription
rate is $42.97 for (1 yr) 12 issues in
U.S.A. In Canada (1 yr) 12 issues
$59.97. Outside of U.S.A. and
Canada (1 yr) $91.97. U.S. orders
outside of U.S.A. must be prepaid
in U.S. funds. For Customer Service
and Back Issues call toll-free (800)
340-8959 or write to: Flex, P.O. Box
37207, Boone, IA 50037-0207.
SUBSCRIBERS: If the postal service
alerts us that your magazine is
undeliverable, we have no further
obligation unless we receive a
corrected address within one year.
U.S. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to
CFS (See DMM 507.1.5.2);
NON-POSTAL and MILITARY
FACILITIES send U.S. address
changes to: Flex, P.O. Box 37207,
Boone, IA 50037-0207. CANADA
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to American Media Inc.,
P.O. Box 907 STN Main, Markham,
ON L3P 0A7, Canada. From time to
time we make our subscriber list
available to companies that sell
goods and services by mail that we
believe would interest our readers.
If you would rather not receive such
mailings, please send your current
mailing label to: Flex, P.O. Box
37207, Boone, IA 50037-0207.
PER BERNAL

Reprinted by special agreement in

Australia, United Kingdom, France,
Canada, Holland, Italy, Greece,
Romania, Russia, Spain, Germany,
and Bulgaria. Printed in the U.S.A.

FLEXONLINE.COM 159
 THE SHOT

CHRIS LUND

160 FLEX | JANUARY ’18