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 EDITOR’s LETTER
BY STEVE BLECHMAN, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
GET THICK AS
A BRICK
B
ranch Warren and Dennis Wolf are indisputably
two of the best bodybuilders of this generation.
Between them, they have 14 pro wins including
three Arnold Classic titles, and an even 10 top-five
finishes at the Mr. Olympia.
Branch and Dennis are formidable
competitors who have earned
international success and iconic status
through years of gut-busting workouts,
iron-willed determination and never
giving up.
Take a cue from Branch and Dennis
and get thick as a brick, when you
follow the training advice and soak in
the plethora of pump-inducing, cutting-
edge research in this month’s Muscular
Development. You have the tools in your
hand, now you have to open your mind
to unlimited possibilities.
While their physiques may be
vastly different in shape and structure,
Branch and Dennis do have one thing in
common: excellent leg development. In
“Double Leg Devastation: Branch and
Wolf Talk Big-Wheel Building” on page
88, both of these IFBB veterans open
up about all things leg training. They
agreed on some subjects, and begged
to differ on others, proving that there is
more than one way to build monster legs.
You have the tools in
Being a 21-year-old and holding your hand, now you
your own as a bodybuilder among
a stellar lineup of established iron have to open your
warriors is commendable. That’s par
for the course with Cody Montgomery,
mind to unlimited
who has always done the unexpected.
That includes winning three Teenage
possibilities.
Nationals titles and turning pro at
his first open contest— by age 21. He takes us through a
shoulder workout in “Shouldering Onward: 21-Year-Old
Cody Montgomery Is Taking His Deadly Delts to the Arnold
12 MD
Classic” on page 98. Take some cues from this wunderkind
of muscle for your shoulder workouts, and see if you can
build some boulders of your own.
At 5’11” and 270 contest-ready pounds, Maxx Charles
is an intimidating figure. He strides
onstage purposefully, with his face set
in stern mode, like a lion on the prowl.
There is much more to Maxx Charles
than meets the eye, as Peter McGough
tells us in “From Mini Charles to
Mighty Maxx: The Remarkable Journey
of Maxx Charles, From a Dangerous
and Deprived Childhood to Olympian
Status” on page 106.
Evan Centopani is a rare breed when
it comes to arm development. Few
bodybuilders ever build a legitimate
20-inch arm. Evan reached that
measurement in his college years. Only
an elite few have ever stretched the
measuring tape with a flexed arm of 23
inches— but Evan Centopani has. When
it comes to building your bi’s and tri’s,
Evan is The Man— and he talks arm
training in “Evan’s Top 10 Secrets for
Massive Arms! Centopani Shares His
Big-Gun Wisdom” on page 116.
Ms. Bikini Olympia Ashley Kaltwasser
knows a lot about having all her curves
in the right places. This Team Gaspari
athlete has seen her popularity soar in
the last few years, as a three-time Ms.
Bikini Olympia and two-time Arnold
Classic Pro Bikini champion. Ashley is a
popular cover model and one of the most
recognizable and admired faces in the
fitness world, and we’re proud to feature
her in this month’s Major Distraction in
“Ashley’s Secret” on page 124.
Muscular Development is your number-one source
for building muscle, and for the latest research and best
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 USCULAR
EVELOPMENT
PUBLISHER STEVE BLECHMAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SENIOR EDITOR PETER MCGOUGH

SENIOR ONLINE EDITOR
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ANGELA T. FRIZALONE
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DENISE GEHRING
CREATIVE DIRECTOR ALAN DITTRICH, JR.
MANAGING EDITOR ALAN GOLNICK
SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR LISA STEUER
SENIOR WRITER RON HARRIS
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR STEPHEN KOLBASUK
MEDIA ASSOCIATES SHAWN RAY
BOB CICHERILLO
SENIOR SCIENCE EDITOR MICHAEL J. RUDOLPH, PH.D.
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
DANIEL GWARTNEY, M.D.
VICTOR R. PRISK, M.D.
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHERS JASON BREEZE
IAN SPANIER
MICHAEL NEVEUX
PER BERNAL
JIMMY CARUSO
DAN RAY
ONLINE EDITOR DAVID BAYE
www.musculardevelopment.com
DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR/ CHRIS HOBRECKER
DESIGN CONSULTANT

CONTRIBUTING JORDAN BLECHMAN

VIDEOGRAPHERS NICK DEL TORO, ADAM SILVER
ILLUSTRATOR BILL HAMILTON

science to enable you to train
smart and effectively. Our team
of physicians, industry experts
and research scientists has
these reports on improving
performance this month:
“Lose Your Gut: Insulin
Control for Incinerating Fat” Fat
Attack, page 68
“Lose Your Gut: Top 10
Thermogenic and Brown Fat
Activators” Nutrition Performance,
page 74
“The Facts on Agmatine
Sulfate: A Scientific Review”
Supplement Performance, page
76
“The Optimal Timing of
Creatine Consumption” Muscle
Growth Update, page 78
“Is There a Place for Blood
Flow Restriction Training in
a Hypertrophy Routine?” The
M.A.X. Muscle Plan, page 82
“Anabolic Steroids: The Right
Dose … More Is Not Necessarily
Better” Testosterone, page 130
“Best Squat Workout for
Strength: Heavy Weight Versus
Lighter Loads to Failure”
Bodybuilding Science, page 134
The rest of the book is
packed to the binder as usual—
making MD your one-stop,
most authoritative source for
optimizing muscular development
with the latest cutting-edge
research on training, nutrition,
fat loss, performance-enhancing
drugs, muscle growth and
bodybuilding science— and
exclusive information from the
industry experts, insiders and
bodybuilding legends who
make it all happen. See you next
month!
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April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 13

 CONTENTS VOL.53, NUMBER 4
APRIL 2016

features
04.16

106 FROM MINI CHARLES TO MIGHTY MAXX

The Remarkable Journey of Maxx Charles, From a
Dangerous and Deprived Childhood to Olympian
Status By Peter McGough

88
DOUB LE LEG DEVASTATION
Branch and Wolf Talk Big-Wheel Building By Ron Harris
EVAN’S TOP 10 SECRETS FOR
MASSIVE ARMS!
116 Centopani Shares His Big-Gun Wisdom
By Ron Harris

98
SHOULDERING
ONWARD
21-Year-Old Cody
Montgomery Is Taking His
Deadly Delts to the Arnold M
MAJOR DISTRACTION: ASHLEY’S
Classic By Ron Harris 124 SECRET Ms. Bikini Olympia Ashley Kaltwasser,
S
Photography
P by Michael Neveux

16 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 NUTRITION &
PERFORMANCE
44 RESEARCH: TRAINING
By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

52 RESEARCH: NUTRITION
By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

60 RESEARCH: SUPPLEMENTS
By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

74 NUTRITION PERFORMANCE Lose

Your Gut: Top 10 Thermogenic and Brown Fat
Activators By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
76 SUPPLEMENT PERFORMANCE The
Facts on Agmatine Sulfate: A Scientific Review
By Victor R. Prisk, M.D.

79 PERFORMANCE TRAINING REVIEW

Get On Board With the Lynx Board By Team MD
81 PERFORMANCE SUPPLEMENT OF
THE MONTH Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals:
Jack’D Up™ By Team MD
86 SUPPLEMENT SPOTLIGHT
Scitec Nutrition – Global Leader Announces
United States Launch By Team MD

departments 138 MUSCLETECH RESEARCH REPORT

By Team MuscleTech®

FAT LOSS
THE WEIGHT ROOM 48 RESEARCH: FAT LOSS
26 MD PEOPLE By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

27 BODYBUILDING MECCA 68 FAT ATTACK Lose Your Gut: Insulin Control

By Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger
for Incinerating Fat By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
28 HOW I SEE IT!
By Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray and Dorian Yates DRUGS
32 CHICK CHAT By Bob Cicherillo 56 RESEARCH: DRUGS
By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
36 TRUE BRIT By Peter McGough
130 TESTOSTERONE Anabolic Steroids: The
40 DLB By Dana Linn Bailey NEW! Right Dose … More Is Not Necessarily Better
By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
TRAINING
136 ANABOLIC RESEARCH UPDATE
82 THE M.A.X. MUSCLE PLAN Is There a By William Llewellyn
Place for Blood Flow Restriction Training in a
Hypertrophy Routine? By Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., 158 BUSTED! LEGAL Q&A
CSCS, FNSCA By Rick Collins, JD, CSCS

140 MD TRAINING CAMP With Kai Greene,

Cedric McMillan, Justin Compton, Juan Morel and Jose
Raymond

146 THE ANIMAL KINGDOM HEALTH & PERFORMANCE

By 8-Time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney
54 RESEARCH: HEALTH &
147 THE GIFTED ONE – PHIL HEATH PERFORMANCE
By Ron Harris By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

150 BLOOD AND GUTS By Dorian Yates 64 RESEARCH: SEX

By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
151 THE BLADE By Dexter Jackson
78 MUSCLE GROWTH UPDATE The
152 ARNOLD’S CORNER By Ron Harris Optimal Timing of Creatine Consumption
153 A CUT ABOVE By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
By 4-Time Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler 134 BODYBUILDING SCIENCE Best Squat
154 HARDCORE Q&A Workout for Strength: Heavy Weight Versus
By 8-Time Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman Lighter Loads to Failure
By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
156 HARDCORE MUSCLE FORM AND
FUNCTION By Stephen E. Alway, Ph.D., FACSM INSIDE STACK
160 TRAINERS OF CHAMPIONS By Master 12 EDITOR’S LETTER By Steve Blechman
Trainer Charles Glass, Contest-prep Specialist Fakhri ON THE COVER:
Mubarak, The Pro Creator, Hany Rambod and IFBB DENNIS WOLF AND BRANCH WARREN 164 MARKETPLACE By Angela Theresa
Pro Guru George Farah PHOTO BY MICHAEL NEVEUX Frizalone & Manda Machado

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 17

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 APRIL 2016
THE
EIGHT
ROOM
NEWS & VIEWS
FROM THE WORLD
OF BODYBUILDING

TRUE SEE
26
BRIT
PG. 36

MD PEOPLE
ATLANTIC CITY EUROPA, ARIZONA
EUROPA AND THE NPC NATIONALS
A VERY DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN RAY

KIND OF BODYBUILDER
“Dorian had gained 32 pounds
of muscle and traveled from
27
BODYBUILDING
anonymity to being the best MECCA
bodybuilder on the planet. BY BEV FRANCIS AND
Despite his physical and STEVE WEINBERGER

28
financial metamorphosis, the
inner man, one of character and
integrity, remained unchanged.”
HOW I SEE IT
GUT REACTIONS
BY SHAWN RAY, DORIAN YATES
AND KEVIN LEVRONE

CHICK
32 CHAT
THE FUTURE OF MD
BY BOB CICHERILLO

36
TRUE BRIT
A VERY DIFFERENT KIND
OF BODYBUILDER
BY PETER MCGOUGH

40
DLB
THE STORY OF WARHOUSE
GYM (SO FAR)
BY DANA LINN BAILEY

24 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

THE
EIGHT ROOM
AND STEVE WEINBERGER
BODYBUILDING MECCA
EAST COAST
The winter is drawing to
a close, and we anxiously
await warmer weather when
our hard-training members
MECCA REWIND
can trade in their hoodies for
tank tops. We have members
preparing for the Arnold Clas-
sic training alongside aspiring
champions preparing for their
first NPC contest (our season
kicks off on March 26). So
before the first champions of
2016 are crowned, we took a
look back at the many cham-
pions to train in our gym. Here
are a few classic shots from
the Bev Francis archives.
27 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016
BY BEV FRANCIS
__
UPCOMING
CONTEST
SCHEDULE
march 26, 2016: NPC Steve
Metropolitan Championships (Te-
aneck, NJ) ONLINE ENTRY & TICKET
SALES—
WWW.BEVFRANCIS.COM/NPCNORTHEAST
SPECIAL GUEST POSER:
BIG RAMY
april 30, 2016: NPC Jay Cutler
Classic (Boston, MA) ONLINE
ENTRY & TICKET SALES—
WWW.BEVFRANCIS.COM/NPCNORTHEAST
SPECIAL GUEST POSER:
FOUR-TIME MR. OLYMPIA JAY CUTLER
may 21, 2016: IFBB New York Pro
(Teaneck, NJ) TICKET SALES—
WWW.BEVFRANCIS.COM/NPCNORTHEAST
July 1-2 2016: NPC Universe-
IFBB Pro Qualifer (Teaneack, NJ)
ENTRY FORMS AND
TICKET SALES—
WWW.BEVFRANCIS.COM/NPCNORTHEAST
SPECIAL GUEST POSER:
Keep up with all of the
news at the East Coast
Mecca and the NPC
NORTHEAST by following
us on Facebook and
Instagram (bevsgym) and
check out www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast for the
complete contest schedule,
entry forms and ticket
sales!
THE
EIGHT ROOM
Muscular Development is proud to bring you “How I See It,” featuring three IFBB Hall of Fame bodybuilders, and
legends of the industry that we are honored to have on Team MD. Between Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone, they have a
total of six runner-up finishes at the Mr. Olympia, and Dorian Yates won the Mr. Olympia title six consecutive times.

HOW I SEE IT WITH SHAWN RAY, DORIAN YATES

AND KEVIN LEVRONE

Nearly a year ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger called upon IFBB judges to stop rewarding big guts, and help bring
back more aesthetically pleasing physiques to the sport of pro bodybuilding. Do you feel his call to action had any
impact on the judging, and thus the results of any contests later in the 2015 season? Do you think the recent addition
of Classic Physique was in some part a response to what Arnold spoke out against?

SHAWN RAY after he extends personal invites, so they

Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed
his displeasure with the way some of his
invited athletes appeared onstage at his
contest in Columbus, Ohio. His “call to ac-
tion” at the seminar urged the fans to write
the IFBB and judges to have them address
the issues revolving around the athletes
with distended bellies. More recently,
Arnold has also critiqued their lackluster
posing routines, to bring sexy back to the
sport. His pleas reverberated around social
media and the globe, thanks to Arnold’s
status as an international celebrity. His de-
mands for immediate action to take place
are based on his sincere wish to save the
sport of bodybuilding, which gave him life.
As the 2015 season progressed, the
judges were instructed to heed Arnold’s
concerns and they listened, to an extent.
While most IFBB pro champions in 2015
were the rightful and undisputed win-
ners of their respective contests, there
remained some questionable placings of
guys who apparently didn’t get the memo.
They wound up on the receiving end of the
judges’ generosity, which left some fans
and athletes scratching their heads. There
are quite a few athletes on the “bubble”
who have reason to be concerned about
their future placings. This issue was
originally raised by me in 1994, with my
controversial second-place finish to Dorian
Yates in the Mr. Olympia. I made the point
about over-rewarding “size” for the sake
of size. Finally, Arnold has taken action to
try to penalize the athletes who show up
and disrespect the paying fans and Arnold,
“THERE REMAINED SOME QUESTIONABLE PLACINGS OF GUYS WHO
APPARENTLY DIDN’T GET THE MEMO. THEY WOUND UP ON THE RECEIVING
END OF THE JUDGES’ GENEROSITY, WHICH LEFT SOME FANS AND ATHLETES
SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS.” –SHAWN RAY
can leave with a generous amount of prize
money and prestige at his events. And I
agree with him!
Two thousand sixteen ushered in yet
another athletic division in the NPC and
IFBB called Men’s Classic Physique, which
could be a bit of a byproduct of what
Arnold meant regarding bringing back
the “classical look” of bodybuilding. The
newly organized division will be a step up
from Men’s Physique, and a notch below
open bodybuilding, to provide athletes
with a platform to showcase their hard
work and athletic talents. This new divi-
sion will find many new athletes jumping
into the fray, after they were regulated to
the sidelines for the simple fact that they
didn’t “fit into” either open bodybuild-
ing or Men’s Physique, on the basis of
being too small or too big. Now, we will
see some old-school bodybuilders no
longer interested in hanging on to their
gargantuan size, yet who still remain fit
and in shape with a stage to display their DORIAN YATES
physiques. Some men with that classic Since I confess that I don’t follow
look who come to mind include Danny the contests very closely anymore, I
Hester, Stan McQuay, Tito Raymond and don’t really know for certain whether
former Mr. USA, Richard Jones. All have all or not Arnold’s statements had a sig-
expressed interest in putting on the pos- nificant impact on how the IFBB judges
ing shorts and jumping into the mix once scored the contests for the remainder
more, for our viewing pleasure. of 2015, but I have to imagine they did.
Lots of things came out of Arnold’s ex- Arnold is a tremendous icon in the
pressing his dissatisfaction with the trend sport. When he speaks, people listen.
of the “bulging bellies,” and it looks like Really, he was merely saying what a
it gave birth to bringing sexy back in the lot of people were thinking. There are
form of a classic look. Kudos to Arnold! many bodybuilding fans who have
Twitter: @sugarshawnray grown disgusted with big guts and
big, bloated bodies. They would love
to see a return to physiques that were
more aesthetic and emphasized shape
and proportion over raw bulk.
Not that I think bodybuilding
was ever meant to have mainstream
appeal anyway, as it’s a niche sport
for those who want to see extreme

28 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

THE
EIGHT ROOM HOW I SEE IT!
WITH SHAWN RAY, DORIAN YATES AND KEVIN LEVRONE

development, but the sport did have
more exposure and popularity among
the general public back in the days when
men like Arnold and Frank Zane were on
top. Obviously, the sport has progressed
since then to the point where far more
mass is standard. You have much larger and
heavier men in the upper echelons of the
sport— yet I think for the most part, most
of the guys winning contests do not tend
to have distended midsections. Guts have
become larger as the years have gone by,
but you look at men like Dexter and Heath,
and they don’t have guts. Judges can only
judge what’s in front of them. If the best
man at one particular show happens to
have the best overall package but his waist
isn’t particularly small, that doesn’t mean
the judges are “rewarding” big guts.
As far as the new Classic Physique
division, the timing of its creation most
likely was not a coincidence, but probably
on some level was a reaction to Arnold’s
tirade against big bellies. Setting strict
weight limits based on the athlete’s height
will make sure that midsections are small
and tight. Typically it’s when guys strive
to be as huge as possible and combine
GH, insulin, and overeating in the process,
that you see midsections blowing up out of
control. And really, a man can only get so
massive for his frame before his midsec-
tion gets thicker. For example, if you have
a guy who’s 5’8” and who competes at 270
pounds or more like Kai, there is just no
way he would be able to keep his waist
small and flat. But if the weight limit in
Classic Physique is 190 pounds, it will be
much easier to have a smaller midsection.
So I do feel Arnold’s statements had a very
real impact on the sport, and increased
awareness of the problem so that changes
were made.
Facebook: Dorian Yates

“JUDGES CAN ONLY JUDGE WHAT’S IN FRONT OF THEM. IF THE BEST MAN AT ONE PARTICULAR SHOW HAPPENS
TO HAVE THE BEST OVERALL PACKAGE BUT HIS WAIST ISN’T PARTICULARLY SMALL, THAT DOESN’T MEAN THE
JUDGES ARE ‘REWARDING’ BIG GUTS.” –DORIAN YATES
KEVIN LEVRONE ing around about Classic Physique as we head into the 2016
Arnold’s comments were like the shot heard round the season. If you stop to think about it for just a minute, you realize
world, and they absolutely had a positive impact. Many fans that the ideals for Classic Physique are really the same ones
felt the same way about the direction physiques had taken, and our sport was rooted in. It was a huge step for Jim Manion to
they were just hoping someone of Arnold’s caliber and with his implement this category, and I applaud him for it whether or
level of influence would take up the cause. not Arnold’s comments had anything to do with it. I’m very
Personally, I don’t believe that the judges had been reward- anxious to see where it goes. Could it eventually become more
ing big guts. I’ve been to plenty of shows where men with guts popular than bodybuilding? Who knows? It might become a
didn’t place very well, even though they were big and ripped. bigger draw than the mass monsters, and it might influence the
But one thing I think that happened as the years went by was mass monsters to tone it down and pay more attention to better
that unless you had a certain level of mass and thickness, you V-tapers.
weren’t going to do well no matter how awesome your shape Size is important in bodybuilding, but it’s not everything.
was or how incredible your Big Ramy proves that point. If mass was everything, he would
condition was. In other words, already have won the Mr. Olympia three times by now. Who’s
there was no place in pro bigger than him? But to give him credit, even at 300 pounds,
bodybuilding anymore for his gut is well under control and not big by any means. Think
a Frank Zane type of phy- about some of the greatest physiques of the past like Arnold,
sique. And that’s unfortunate, Lou Ferrigno, Frank Zane and Lee Haney. Muscle mass was just
because awesome physiques part of their appeal. They also had superb lines, shape and
come in all sizes. Frank muscle quality. They could all pull a vacuum. Classic Physique
himself used to hold his own is going to bring that look back, and I can’t wait to see it.
and then some against much Facebook: Official.Kevin.Levrone, Twitter: @LevroneKevin
more massive men like Mike Instagram: KEVINLEVRONE
Mentzer and Robby Robinson. www.levronereport.com, www.levronesupplements.com.
That’s why I was very happy
to hear about the creation of
Classic Physique. I think it’s “ARNOLD’S COMMENTS WERE LIKE THE SHOT HEARD
going to bring back a lot of
the excitement from those
ROUND THE WORLD. MANY FANS FELT THE SAME WAY
days, for fans who really ap- ABOUT THE DIRECTION PHYSIQUES HAD TAKEN, AND
preciate shape and symmetry
and the beauty of bodybuild-
THEY WERE JUST HOPING SOMEONE OF ARNOLD’S
ing. CALIBER AND WITH HIS LEVEL OF INFLUENCE WOULD
There’s a lot of buzz go-
TAKE UP THE CAUSE.” –KEVIN LEVRONE
30 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016
THE
EIGHT ROOM

CHICKCHAT WITH BOB CICHERILLO

LLLO
WHERE'S
WHHEREE'S
W 'S
W BOB? 2016
ell, contrary to popular Internet belief,
video has not yet killed the radio star.

FUTURE
While it is true that the world of bodybuild-
ing can be displayed and talked about in APRIL 2ND

THE
near real-time online, much like the morning IFBB MIAMI MUSCLE BEACH
newspaper, some people still like to open a APRIL 9TH
NPC CENTRAL USA, OMAHA,
paper with their morning cup of Joe. NEBRASKA
The very article you’re reading is still in

the pages of the latest edition of the world’s
favorite muscle magazine, Muscular Devel-
opment. Yes, at some point in the future, with
times changing and paper costs rising, we
may be forced with the inevitable— but it’s
the content that’s the important part, not the
means in which it’s read.
Some of the best to come in the future of
MD are actually representative of the past.
Peter McGough’s contributions, with his wit,
experience and ability to tell stories, are
nothing short of brilliant. When you stop to
think about all Peter has witnessed in his
lifetime, he’s literally a walking encyclo-
pedia of bodybuilding history. Even more
impressive is his enthusiasm when it comes
to new superstars, contests and coverage.
While other bodybuilding media enti-
ties have chosen to downsize their contest
coverage, Steve Blechman and the collective
creative minds here at MD have actually
INCREASED coverage— as that’s what you,
the fans, have requested— many times over.
IFBB Professional League shows are still
king when it comes to the hardcore base
of fans— and no, competitive bodybuild-
ing is not being replaced by board shorts
or the new “Classic” physique. Personally,
while I have nothing against introducing a
new division (other than increased length
in shows), I’m not yet sold on the idea that it
will produce anything different than a Men’s
Physique competitor wearing different
shorts.
What I do believe will happen is that a
whole bunch of eyes will be opened to the
reality of some of these much-talked about
physiques and what they’ll ACTUALLY look
like onstage. That’s right, folks— there’s a
BIG difference in having a great set of abs
and a spiked-up coif and wearing baggy
board shorts, and wearing a tight-fitting pair
of trunks and striking poses. I predict some
of the first guys to jump will be trading in
their posing trunks back for board shorts,
in record time. What I find more interesting
is the notion of just what defines “clas-
BobbBob
Bo Cich
Ci
Cicherillo
cher
ch eril
er illo
il lo iiss th
thee IFIFBBBB A Athlete
thle
th lete
le te RRepresentative
eppre
Cicherillo is the IFBB Athlete Representative for men’s bodybuilding and one of bodybuilding’s best-known personalities. He is an IFBB pro who placed first and overall as a super
is
is aan
n IF
IFBB
BB p
proro who
w h
hoo placed
p l
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laa ced
ce d fi rst
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Over
Ov
Overall
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heavyweight in the USA Championships and first in the Masters Pro World. Bob is host of over 20 bodybuilding shows throughout the season, including the Mr. Olympia.
OF
MD
sic.” Some of the names that are most
frequently used in descriptions of what a
classic physique looks like (Zane, Paris,
Alves, etc.) wouldn’t fit into the current
criteria of the height/weight structure,
which makes me wonder if they would
still look “classic” when forced to drop
15-20 pounds to make the cutoff. Either
way, MD will be there to cover it all.
The most popular features are still the
training articles and videos. These were
always my favorite parts of the magazine,
back in the old days before the Internet
and YouTube. Emulating the pros’ rou-
tines and learning what tricks of the trade
they incorporated into their routines was
always a highlight for me. Let’s face it—
as an impressionable young teen, noth-
ing was better than going to the gym and
trying out Arnold’s chest routine or Big
Lou’s secrets for hulk-sized arms. Today
is no different, except for the changing of
the guard to today’s IFBB pros.
Speaking of IFBB pros, we proudly still
feature IFBB superstars in our training
features, contest coverage and pictorials.
I make this point because there has been
much chatter about the newest challeng-
er to the NPC/IFBB. While they continue
to take cheap shots about the League, its
beginnings and history, the challenger
has not only gained no momentum, but
their plan has actually worked against
them. Referring to the NPC/IFBB as your
“grandfather’s” federation and other
classless (and pointless) postings always
gets a laugh out of me. That’s right— I
actually find it comical.
Everyone aspires to be the best of
the best, whether it’s in Bikini, Physique
or bodybuilding. HISTORY is what
rese
sent
se ntat
nt ativ
at ivee an
iv andd ononee of bbodybuilding’s
odyb
od y ui
yb uildldin
ld ing’
in g s bebest
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Super
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Heavyweight
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igh
ig
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htt i
in
n the
th
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APRIL 23RD
NPC BATTLE AT
THE FALLS, IOWA
APRIL 30TH
EUROPA GAMES,
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
makes any league in any capacity the
“established” one to want to be a part
of. Much like the NFL, which had its first
Super Bowl in 1965, the first Mr. Olympia
contest was held the same year. While it’s
fairly easy to make your own federation
and declare yourself a worthy challenger,
only time and success (or lack thereof)
will dictate whether it’s true. I remem-
ber quite vividly looking up at the great
wall of Gold’s Venice, and hoping that
someday my picture would hang with
the greats who had earned the distinc-
tion over the years. Thankfully (and many
years later) I would have that honor, after
winning the USA in 2000. Winning some
alphabet soup federation’s version of
their “Super Bowl” would have meant
nothing— as it has no history, no one
before you and no heritage.
As you all know by now, David Baye
was recently named MD’s Online Editor.
Watching him come onboard as a con-
tributing fan, being brought in for contest
coverage, becoming part of the regular
team and now this promotion has been
fun to watch. David is a great addition to
the MD team, and his youthful enthusi-
asm is never wavering. I look forward
to David putting his stamp on this year’s
coverage and forum participation— ‘80s
style, of course!
Having a mix of old and new is what
keeps things interesting for the fans.
The experience of Peter McGough, the
Hall-of-Fame presence of Sugar Shawn
Ray, the next generation of David and
myself to lend a voice and the leader-
ship of Steve Blechman … here’s looking
forward to the 2016 season, and history
in the making! ■
best-known
st-kkno
nown wn ppersonalities.
erso
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so nali
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es
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ip
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32 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 THE MOST
EXTREME
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*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.
THE
EIGHT ROOM
TRUE BRIT THE BODYBUILDING HISTORIAN
DORIAN YATES
“HE'S JUST AN
AMATEUR"
vaded by a Linda “The Exorcist”
Blair convention. The youngster’s
name was Dorian Yates. It wasn’t
a hard name to remember as,
apart from the lead character in
the Oscar Wilde novel The Picture
of Dorian Gray, I’d never heard of
another Dorian.
Collins has been a true friend
of mine for 35 years now, and he
is such a standup person that at
a previous magazine, I resorted
to listing him on the masthead as
“Genuine Nice Guy.” So when he
said Dorian Yates was special, I
listened.
In July 1985, I got my first sight
of Dorian, when he entered the
West Coast Championships in
Morecambe, England, and won the
A PORTRAIT OF DORIAN novice division. Some novice. His
Dateline: Nottingham, England – 210-pound physique would have
Sunday, September 18, 1994 won the full-blown British Cham-
It’s the evening of that year’s pionships that year. Suffice it to say
English Grand Prix, being staged that everyone who saw Yates that
shortly after Dorian Yates won his day knew that a star was born.
third Olympia title. I’m sitting next Anyway, Collins’ “Dorian’s still
to longtime friend and photog- an amateur” declaration caused
rapher Geoff Collins as Yates the McGough eyebrows to shoot
ambled out to do battle with 13 up so sharply that an eerie ques-
other contenders, when my neigh- tion suddenly popped into mind:
bor says, “Of course, compared “How does Liz Taylor walk around
to the rest of these guys, Dorian’s like this all day?" (Value-for-mon-
still an amateur.” Say what? We’ll ey note: C’mon, where else would
come to what transpired after that you get Dorian Yates, Linda Blair,
“amateur” comment, but first a Oscar Wilde and Liz Taylor all in
word on Collins. one column?)
Back in late 1984, Collins, who But we digress. Having
lives in Birmingham, England, watched Yates collect his third
alerted me to the fact that there Sandow eight days previously, I
was a local youngster whose train- demanded of Geoff, “Whaddya
ing ferocity and progress were mean?”
turning so many heads that the The venerable shutterbug
town looked like it had been in- explained, “Dorian Yates is still an
"Despite his physical and financial metamorphosis, the inner man,
one of character and integrity, remained unchanged. Dorian Yates
was, and still is, a very different bodybuilder."
36 MD
with PETER McGOUGH
amateur bodybuilder. Ama-
teurs live and breathe training;
no effort is too much. They put
in an extraordinary amount
of effort with no thought of
reward. Many bodybuilders,
when they become pros, get
deflected and start to think of
money being a driving factor.
They ask, ‘Is this amount of
effort worth the reward?’ They
cease to be driven by a what-
ever-it-takes-I’ll-do-it amateur
attitude. That’s why many pros
never repeat the condition
they had as an amateur. They
may get bigger, but they don’t
get better.
“Amateurs do what they
do for themselves, not for
money. It’s a personal thing
for them. It’s still personal
for Dorian. Deep inside,
Dorian Yates is still an ama-
teur bodybuilder— that’s
why he’s the top pro!”
I’ve never heard a better
encapsulation of the psyche
of the man who went on to win
six Mr. Olympia titles.
The following is another
recollection of Dorian Yates
and Nottingham’s Royal
Concert Hall.
BRINGING IT
ALL BACK HOME
Dateline: Nottingham,
England – Sunday,
September 13, 1992
Inside Nottingham’s Royal
Concert Hall, a capacity crowd
of 2,300 had assembled rep-
resenting a seething mass of
muscular expectation. Twenty-
four hours earlier, the U.K.’s
bodybuilding hero, Dorian
Yates, had become the first
Briton to win the Mr. Olympia
title and with the 1992 English
Grand Prix about to begin, the
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
atmosphere was approaching
fever pitch.
Sixteen athletes had
already been introduced
one-by-one as the emcee,
announcing the 17th and
final competitor, barked
out: “And finally, competitor
number 17 from England
and 1992 Mr. Olympia …”
The rest of the intro was
drowned out with a shriek-
ing cacophony that threat-
ened the very foundations
and roof of the Royal Con-
cert Hall, as more than 2,000
souls paid baying homage
to one of their own, who had
come home with the biggest
prize his and their sport had
to offer.
Before the contest, I had
suggested to Yates that he
should walk out when intro-
duced with his Sandow statu-
ette in hand: “The audience
will love it,” I assured him.
But he rejected the idea
out of hand, and reprimanded
me: “It would be unfair to the
other athletes. This is the Eng-
lish Grand Prix— a competi-
tion, not a celebration. To walk
out with the Sandow would
be like saying to the judges, ‘I
am Mr. Olympia so you must
make me the winner.’ I have
too much respect for my fel-
low competitors to do that.”
In the space of the seven
years separating his 1985
baptism and the 1992 English
Grand Prix, Dorian had
gained 32 pounds of muscle
and traveled from anonym-
ity to being the best body-
builder on the planet. Despite
his physical and financial
metamorphosis, his refusal to
usurp an advantage over his
fellow competitors demon-
strated that the inner man,
one of character and integrity,
remained unchanged. Dorian
Yates was, and still is, a very
different bodybuilder. ■
© 2016 ProSource Performance Products, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Prices and offers subject to change. Some restrictions may apply.
THE
EIGHT ROOM

DLB BY DANA LINN BAILEY

THE STORY OF
Warhouse Gym (so far)
Ten years ago, Rob and I sat down and
wrote out all our goals that we wanted to
accomplish. Some of my personal goals in-
cluded to start competing, get my pro card,
be on the cover of a magazine and compete
on the Olympia stage. Rob also had goals of
working for himself and having his own cloth-
ing line. It was a dream of both of ours to own
our own gym. For the last couple of years, we
have had our own private Warhouse Gym in-
side the Flag Nor Fail warehouse. We opened
it up to the public one weekend every month
for our camps, which always sold out quickly.
The atmosphere of the Warhouse gym was
like no other gym I have ever been to in the
world. Everyone going so hard, sweat pour-
ing, people screaming and cheering, weights
crashing on the ground and PR after PR being
made. Maybe it felt so special because it was
this sacred gym that only Rob and I trained
at, and that you see in our YouTube videos.
No one could train here, unless you somehow
managed to get your hands on a Warhouse
Gym camp ticket. And even then, sometimes
that was a miracle, too! (They always sold
out very fast.) But maybe it was the group of
people who came to camp that made the gym
special. The culture that we created. That
culture is what makes gyms so special.
But unfortunately, that culture is dying
in the public gym world. The “Golds” and
the “Powerhouses” of the gym world, where
sweat is poured and progress is made, no
longer exist. What used to be known as the
hardcore/bodybuilder gyms have now camou-
flaged themselves into the Planet Fitness and
LA Fitness gym model of more cardio and TVs
and less actual weights. The hardcore gym
scene is being overrun by gyms that claim to
be judgment free, but base their commercials
and advertising on judging and stereotyping
people like myself who love to lift weights
and strive for greatness. These are so-called
gyms where you are not allowed to be strong,
and not able to get strong because there is
nothing heavy enough to get strong with!
Gyms where you are not allowed to put out
your maximum effort, in fear of setting off an
alarm. Gyms that do not practice what they
preach. Gyms where you are not allowed to
get results or get stronger! These gyms only
care about taking your money and hoping you
never show up.
Rob and I slowly started hunting for
a location last summer in the Reading,
Pennsylvania area where we live. For about
six years, we had been members of a World
Gym there. Four years ago, we had ap-
proached the owner just to see what kind
of money he would be looking for to sell the

“THE HARDCORE GYM SCENE IS BEING OVERRUN BY GYMS THAT CLAIM TO BE JUDGMENT
FREE, BUT BASE THEIR COMMERCIALS AND ADVERTISING ON JUDGING AND STEREOTYP-
ING PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO LOVE TO LIFT WEIGHTS AND STRIVE FOR GREATNESS.”

40 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016


place. Even then, it seemed like he wasn’t really interested in the gym
anymore. The ceiling was leaking and things just weren’t getting fixed
… zero new equipment. The gym looked depressed. He threw out a
number, and it was far beyond what Rob and I could have come up with
at that time. We were just starting up Flag Nor Fail, and money was very
tight. But we always kept World Gym in the back of our minds for future
reference. They had a ton of great equipment, it was in our area and it is
where Rob and I used to train together.
We went back this past September to meet with the owner again to
see how receptive he might be now, and asked him what it would take
to sell to us. We negotiated a bit and probably wound up paying a little
more than we should have since the place was deteriorating, but we
knew we could turn it around as Warhouse Gym and make it something
special. In retrospect, it would have been easier to start from scratch and
build a gym, but these things always reveal themselves in hindsight.
Sure, you think opening a gym that already exists with equipment
and members would be a piece of cake. I hate to burst your bubble, but
it was the furthest thing from that. I actually think it made it harder to
already have current members. We had a vision of what we wanted the
Warhouse Gym to look and feel like. As we started to make changes, the
members definitely were not afraid to voice their opinion. Since we did
not purchase the business, we did not purchase the World Gym name
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED BY DANA LINN BAILEY
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
or its members— and we actually had zero members to start with. But
we gave them a two-week grace period as we did some renovations and
transitioned into the Warhouse Gym. The plan from the beginning was
to shut down for two weeks and get the majority of renovations done,
and then reopen as a brand-new gym. This was the first of many things
that the members (that weren’t actually members) talked us out of. We
wanted to take as many suggestions from the current members as pos-
sible, because we wanted to make this feel more like their gym where
they had some involvement. But we quickly realized it’s hard to please a
crowd, and decided to keep with our vision.
The vision we had for the Warhouse wasn’t based on looks and
equipment. It was based on atmosphere. It was based on that same
feeling that we got from the people who attended the Warhouse Gym
Camp open gyms. Intensity. Progress. Family. These were the three
words that come to my head when I think of a gym. We want you to feel
“WE LINED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE GYM
IN DUMBBELLS, BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER
HAVE ENOUGH DUMBBELLS.”
like family. We want you to feel like you belong. And we want you to feel
like you will get results here! This gym is made and will be built on prog-
ress. You will see results here. And we will help to hold you accountable.
The other part of our vision, besides culture, is the type of gym. This
is not just a bodybuilder gym. We appreciate and love all avenues of
fitness. Whether you are a bodybuilder, powerlifter, CrossFitter, strong-
man, cardio bunny, yoga or class person, or just looking to stay in shape,
we have everything for everyone. Some of the things we added were
several deadlift platforms with and without band attachments, battle
ropes, climbing ropes, rings, sleds, tires, sledgehammers, Concept 2
rowers, and a 12-station Rogue rig. Why? When we saw eight station
squats weren’t enough, we added four more. That is the difference be-
tween us and every other gym. We will constantly be improving, buying
new equipment, switching out equipment and we are already looking
into expanding if we need to.
Most gyms, whenever you
signed up, what it looks like
today, that’s how it will look
10 years from now.
We have made a lot of
renovations, improvements
and changes in the last two
months. We started fixing
the leaking roof that had
Dana's Torn been leaking for at least a
Palm After decade, that I can remem-
Workout ber. Then it was straight
into painting the entire gym
black, which to me is a more
motivating color. We also added WHG wall graphics, and completely
gutted the old dingy bathrooms and remodeled. Like I said, the old gym
had a lot of great equipment, which we kept, and a lot of old equipment
that we did not keep and donated. We brought in a bunch of new ma-
chines from our old gym, and of course some StairMills that members
were begging for. In addition to StairMills, we also took out about half
the cardio machines to make for room for gym space. We lined the entire
length of the gym in dumbbells, because you can never have enough
dumbbells. We ordered a custom line from a company whose factory
in the U.K. we had toured, called Watson. They will etch your company
or gym logo into the dumbbells you order from them, so now we have
MD 41
THE
EIGHT ROOM
these awesome Warhouse Gym iron dumbbells
from 10kg up to 90kg. And yes, they are in kilos,
so you will need to do a little math! We figured
we would keep them in kg to pay respect to
U.K. where we got the dumbbells from, not to
mention generally every other country uses the
metric system. We also added new floors, new
carpet, new toys in the kids’ zone, a new shake
bar, new and improved classes, and a supple-
ment shop and gym apparel store.
Best of all, the once dead and dreary gym
is full of life now— and packed! If you walk in
at 6:00 p.m., the music is blaring and the place
will be packed full of intensity and motiva-
tion. Half of the people aren’t even locals, but
travel in and buy day passes. Most of them are
from nearby states like New York, Ohio, New
Jersey, Maryland, Virginia or Connecticut, but
we’ve also had people come in from as far as
California who came here on vacation. A vaca-
tion in Reading, Pennsylvania— who would
have imagined! A couple weeks ago, we had
a group that flew in from Dubai. We host a
weekly event called “Sundays at 6,” where we
encourage everyone to show up and train with
us. We crank up the music, and everyone tries
to set new PRs. Everyone cheers each other on,
and it’s a really cool atmosphere. We do other
special events, too. On Christmas, we did “Reps
for Rudolph,” with a contest to see who could
get 50 reps in the deadlift in the shortest time.
We had over- and under 200-pound categories
for men, who had to use 225 pounds, and 135
pounds for the women. All the winners received
prize packages. On New Year’s Eve, we did
another event called “Push, Pull & Pizza” from
11:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m., where we trained,
watched the ball drop and celebrated ringing
in 2016 with new PRs. I PR’d in my deadlift with
345 pounds.
It’s been a lot more work than we ever
imagined, and there have been more than a
few headaches, but all in all, we are loving our
Warhouse Gym— and invite all of you to come
out and catch a workout there. We’ve done our
best to make it a fun and motivating place to
train hard and get results, and it’s getting better
every day.
42 MD
DLB
#TWINNING— Last month, I told you about
how world-class CrossFit competitor
Miranda Oldroyd was coming out from
MIRANDA OLDROYD California to train with me. The visit
happened over the second weekend
in January, and I feel like I met my
COMES TO VISIT longtime best friend— for the first
time. To say the least, we had an awe-
some time!
Miranda arrived on Thursday, and
that’s the day I put her through one of my work-
outs. We trained shoulders. Miranda competed
in Figure way back when, but she’s forgotten how
to do a lot of the bodybuilding-type movements,
like lateral raises. I was happy to re-teach her. For
the next three days, Miranda instructed me on a
variety of CrossFit movements that involve a lot
of technique, like various types of snatches and
cleans, kipping and butterfly pull-ups, and muscle-
ups. And I would just like to add that I was able to
do a muscle-up on the first try! I impressed myself!
We spent most of the day learning techniques
and then would finish off the day with an intense
WOD that included what we worked on. We also
did and filmed “Team LINDA,” aka “Three Bars of
Death” together, which was a WOD that I wanted
to do for some time. And we killed it! Not gonna
lie, when CrossFit first made its appearance on the
scene, I was not onboard. I never really understood
it with the silly, unconventional exercises that
looked like it was doing more harm than good.
Now, I have completely changed every negative
opinion and have found a new love and passion
for CrossFit, and will continue to learn and add it
to my training. I even managed to get one of the
most common CrossFit “badges of honor” when I
tore my palm open, learning how to kip. #socross-
fitrightnow
As I discussed in last month’s issue how my
training is changing, this is another aspect of fit-
ness that I have now included in my workouts. My
training is no longer just bodybuilding. It has as-
pects of powerlifting, bodybuilding and CrossFit all
combined, and it is making my workouts so much
more refreshing and exciting lately. Very often, a
typical workout for me will start off with a heavy
powerlifting movement that I am working toward
a new max in. I just finished up my first Smolov Jr.
squat program, bringing my max up to 325 pounds,
which added 10 pounds on my squat in just about
three weeks. Then, I usually move on to more of a
bodybuilder style workout, where I work on sculpt-
ing and building muscle more aesthetically. At the
end, I like to finish with some sort of athletic, com-
pound movement or do a CrossFit type of workout,
either an actual WOD or something I make up
myself based on CrossFit movements. I am learn-
ing to respect and appreciate all types of fitness,
and I am finding ways to incorporate elements of
many different styles into my own workouts. It’s
been so much fun that I only wish I had opened up
my mind to this way long ago.  ■
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH TRAINING

EXERCISE AND DIET IMPROVE

THE METABOLIC SYNDROME
The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of health conditions includ-
ing high blood pressure, insulin resistance (high fasting blood sugar),
abdominal fat deposition and abnormal blood fats. MS increases the
risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. It affects 34
percent of the population and the prevalence increases with age. Diet and
exercise are the best treatments for the disease. Ricardo Mora-Rodriguez from
the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain and colleagues found that the
combination of aerobic interval training and reduced calorie dieting im-
proved body mass index, trunk fat, hemoglobin A1C (marker of blood sugar
control), cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), maximal oxygen con-
sumption, exercise capacity and the number of MS risk factors— compared
to sedentary controls. Another group that sequentially exercised and then
dieted also improved health factors. Metabolic syndrome is a serious health
issue, particularly in the United States. Lifestyle modification could result in
significant improvements. (International Journal Sports Medicine, published
online December 14, 2015)

PRE-WORKOUT CARBS HAVE NO EFFECT ON

STRENGTH OR MUSCLE FIBER ACTIVATION
Carbs are the principal fuels for muscular exercise above 65 percent of maximum effort. Timothy Fairchild from
Murdoch University in Australia and co-workers found that glucose ingestion (75 grams of glucose) before a workout did not im-
prove force output during three sets of three reps at maximum effort on an isokinetic dynamometer compared to a placebo (fake
glucose). Also, glucose did not alter muscle fiber activation as measured by electromyography (measures the electrical activity of
muscles during contractions). The results were predictable because adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate primarily fuel
short bouts of intense activity. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 30:194-199, 2016)

BANDS REDUCE
FORCE OUTPUT DURING
THE DEADLIFT
Large muscle, multi-joint, free-weight exercises such as the
deadlift and bench press provide constant resistance during
the exercise, but athletes can exert more force toward the end
of the range of motion because of an increased mechanical
advantage. Many athletes use bands or chains to increase resis-
tance at the end of the range of motion of these lifts. Andrew Galpin
and co-workers from California State University, Fullerton studied
force and power during the deadlift with and without bands. Bands
increased power and velocity during the lift but decreased force.
Bands are appropriate during the deadlift if the goal is to increase
power, but free weights without bands would be more appropriate
if developing maximum force is the primary goal. Vertical jump
and 10- and 30-meter sprint speed are highly related to pulling
force, so most power athletes should stick with traditional deadlifts.
(Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 29: 3271-3278, 2016)

MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING Sit-ups are a mainstay of abdominal

conditioning. William Sullivan and
BENT-KNEE AND MODIFIED SIT-UPS colleagues evaluated abdominal and hip
muscle activation by electromyography
(EMG) during traditional bent-knee
sit-ups and modified sit-ups. Traditional
sit-ups resulted in the greatest activation
of the rectus femoris (quad muscle that
flexes the hip) and external obliques
(side ab muscle), while the modified
sit-up activated the rectus abdominis
(six-pack muscle) best. Muscle activa-
tion, however, is only part of the picture.
Isometric core exercises such as planks
and side bridges might be a better way
to develop core strength and stiffness
because they build a more functional
core and prevent back pain. (Journal
Strength Conditioning Research, 29:
3472-3479, 2015; Journal Strength Condi-
tioning Research 29: 1515-1526, 2015)

44 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH TRAINING

BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION
AFTER SPRINT INTERVAL
TRAINING INCREASES
AEROBIC CAPACITY
Weight training with low loads and restricted blood flow,
a technique called Kaatsu training, increases strength and
is particularly valuable during rehabilitation. Blood flow
restriction causes metabolic stress that triggers rapid adaptation.
Researchers from Loughborough University in the UK expand-
ed this concept by restricting blood flow to leg muscles after
repeated sprint cycling workouts. Subjects performed repeated
30-second maximal sprint intervals on a stationary bike followed
by blood flow restriction to the leg muscles following exercise,
two days per week for four weeks. They showed increases in
maximal oxygen consumption, but no increases in a 15-kilometer
time trial— compared to a group that practiced intervals without
blood flow restriction. Muscle biopsies showed that post-exer-
cise blood flow occlusion also increased a chemical linked to
increased muscle capillary density. This is potentially a landmark
study. A 15-kilometer time trail on a road bike is a specific motor
skill that might not change in four weeks. We can infer from the
dramatic changes in maximal oxygen consumption and muscle
blood vessels that restricting blood flow after exercise is a viable
training technique. (Experimental Physiology, 101: 143-154, 2016)

CLUSTER SETS HELP

MAINTAIN REP VELOCITY
Muscle adaptations require a combination of neural and muscle
fiber stimulation. Training explosively is critical for developing
power output capacity that builds strength. When lifting heavy
weights, lift velocity decreases as reps progress. For example, when
performing a 10-repetition maximum set— using the maximum
weight you can lift for 10 reps— rep velocity slows down consider-
ably between the third and 10th rep. The high-energy fuels adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP) deplete rapidly and
contribute to fatigue and decreased lifting speed. Cluster sets— taking
short rests within a set— is a good technique for maintaining lifting ve-
locity during the entire set. For example, when doing four sets of 10 reps,
the sequence of the cluster set would be five reps, rest 30 seconds, five
reps, rest 90 seconds, five reps, rest 30 seconds, five reps, rest 90 seconds,
etc. Jonathan Oliver from Texas Christian University found that lifting
velocity and time under tension was greater when doing cluster set squats
than traditional sets. The quality of the sets is greater using the cluster
technique because the rest intervals promote resynthesis of high energy
ATP and CP. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 30: 235-243, 2016)

THE END OF SIT-UPS?
The sit-up has been the major exercise for
building the abdominal and core muscles for
more than 100 years. However, sit-ups put an
unacceptable load on the spine that can lead to disc
injury and chronic back pain. Developing core stiff-
ness is more important than building trunk flexion
fitness because it strengthens muscles, improves
muscular endurance, reduces low back pain, and
boosts sports performance. Greater core stiffness
transfers strength and speed to the limbs, increases
the load bearing capacity of the spine, and protects
the internal organs during sports movements.
A landmark study by Benjamin Lee and Stuart
McGill showed that isometric exercises for the core
resulted in greater core stiffness than performing
whole-body dynamic exercises that activated core
muscles. The results of this study cast doubts
on the value of traditional core exercises such as
sit-ups. This is an extremely important study that
might change the way we build abdominal and
core muscle fitness. (Journal Strength Conditioning
Research, 29: 1515-1526, 2015)
WEIGHT TRAINING
MORE EFFECTIVE AT
SIMULATED ALTITUDE
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his first mainstream movie, “Stay
Hungry,” said, “You must burn to grow.” Muscle cells require stress
in the form of tension and inflammation to grow optimally. Bing Yan
and co-workers from Beijing Sport University in China found that
weight training at altitude caused greater increases in strength and lean
mass than training at sea level. Subjects trained in a low oxygen room
adjusted to 21, 16 or 12.6 percent oxygen (simulated altitudes of sea
level, 7,000 feet, or 13,500 feet). Weight training at altitude caused the
greatest changes in strength, lean mass and anabolic hormones (growth
hormone and testosterone), and training at 12.6 percent oxygen was
better than training at 16 percent. Test subjects performed two workouts
per week for five weeks in one of the three conditions. How can body-
builders use this information? Train at altitude. However, this might not
provide the same results as training in a room with low oxygen and liv-
ing at sea level. Win the lottery and build a low-oxygen training room.
The training center in Beijing is expensive, very sophisticated, and not
available to most athletes. Use a portable altitude generator and breath-
ing mask from Higher Peak (higherpeak.com, Boston, MA). These cost
about $2,500, which is within the budget of more wealthy bodybuilders.
If this technique catches on, it will only be a matter of time before some
of the leading gyms offer simulated high-altitude training rooms. (Jour-
nal Strength Conditioning Research, 30:184-193, 2016)

46 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH FAT LOSS

HIIT AND MODERATE-INTENSITY

IS FASTING
HEALTHY?
Many people fast for religious reasons, weight
loss or metabolic health. Is it good for you?
Fasting regimens include periodic one-day fasts,
modified fasts involving caloric restriction and time-
restricted fasts involving food restrictions during
specific times during the day (religious fasts). A
review of literature led by Ruth Patterson from the
Department of Family Medicine & Public Health at
the University of California, San Diego concluded
that fasting reduced blood sugar and insulin,
which is linked to chronic type 2 diabetes and heart
disease, and caused some weight loss. Fasting
is not physically or mentally harmful. However,
fasting causes intense hunger, so it is probably not
sustainable. Fasting does not result in greater weight
loss than sustained calorie-restricted dieting. We
don’t know much about the effects of fasting on
sleep, hunger control or physical activity. Fasting
methods that restrict nighttime eating appear to
have positive long-term effects on weight control.
Periodic fasting may be a good way to lose weight
and promote metabolic health. (Journal Academy
Nutrition and Dietetics, 115: 1203-1212, 2015)
EXERCISE PRODUCE SIMILAR
HEALTH BENEFITS
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)— repeated bouts of high-intensity
exercise followed by rest— builds fitness quickly. Canadian researchers
found that six sessions of high-intensity interval training on a stationary bike
increased muscle oxidative capacity (citrate synthase) by almost 50 percent,
muscle glycogen by 20 percent and cycling endurance by 100 percent. The subjects
made these amazing improvements exercising a mere 15 minutes in two weeks.
This study caused a frenzy in the fitness industry, which changed the way many
people train. Does HIIT provide the same health benefits as traditional, moderate-
intensity training (MIT)? A study led by Gordon Fisher from the Department of
Human Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham, concluded that HIIT and
MIT had similar effects on aerobic capacity, body composition, insulin sensitivity,
blood pressure and blood fats. Twenty-eight sedentary, overweight men practiced
HIIT or MIT for six weeks. The HIIT program consisted of four 30-second sprints
on a stationary bike at 85 percent of maximum effort, while MIT consisted of 45
to 60 minutes of cycling at 55 to 65 percent of maximum effort. HIIT produced
the same changes in one hour per week as MIT did in five hours per week. (PLoS
ONE, 10(10): e0138853, 2015)
BILE ACIDS HELP REGULATE
ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND
WEIGHT CONTROL
Recognizing factors controlling the balance between food intake and
energy expenditure is important in understanding the physiology of
obesity. Energy metabolism works through a series of coupled reactions. This
means that energy released by breaking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins
is captured in other reactions such as making ATP (a high-energy chemical) or
storing fats and carbohydrates. Uncoupling occurs when the energy from food
breakdown is released as heat instead of capturing it as ATP. The human body
contains small amounts of brown fat and uncoupling proteins that convert energy
directly into heat. Polish researchers from the Institute of Animal Reproduction
and Food Research at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw— in a study on
rats— found that bile acids produced in the liver as part of digestion triggered
uncoupling proteins to increase energy expenditure. This study shows another
mechanism the body uses to control bodyweight. (American Journal Physiology
Endocrinology Metabolism, published online December 29, 2015)

ARE YOU ADDICTED TO

TASTY FOODS?
Ninety-five percent of people who lose weight through dieting and exercise
gain it back within a year. Weight programs such as Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig,
SlimFast and Weight Watchers are goldmines because people return to them again
and again after their long-term weight control programs fail. Metabolism is tightly
regulated to balance energy and nutrient requirements with food intake through
centers in the brain that control hunger and satiety (fullness). Sixty-nine percent of
Americans are overweight or obese, so the system doesn’t work the way it should.
Many people are addicted to food. A literature review by Jose Lerma-Cabrera and
co-workers from the Universidad Autónoma de Chile in Santiago, Chile found that
tasty foods are addictive like street drugs. These foods increase dopamine levels in
the brain. Dopamine is a stimulant that triggers craving and obsessive thoughts.
Chronic dopamine stimulation upsets the balance between hunger and satiety,
which leads to overeating— regardless of the negative consequences. People can’t
cut down, even though they want to. As with drug addiction, food addiction is a
serious and difficult problem with no easy solution. (Nutrition Journal, 15: 5, 2016)

48 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 CUTTING-EDGE
RESEARCH FAT LOSS
DIETARY FAT-CARB
BALANCE DOES NOT
AFFECT GROWTH
HORMONE LEVELS
Growth hormone helps regulate fat metabolism. Many
people take human growth hormone injections because they
trigger fat loss. Can we alter natural growth hormone release by
manipulating the composition of the diet? A study led by Hiroto
Sasaki from Ritsumeikan University in Shiga, Japan found that
three-day diets high in fat and low in carbohydrate, or low in fat
and high in carbohydrate, had similar effects on growth hormone
levels in healthy men. At the end of each three-day diet, the men
rode a stationary bike for 30 minutes at 60 percent of maximum
effort. Fat use was higher after exercise when the men had
consumed a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, but these changes
were temporary. Short-term diet modifications have no effect on
growth hormone levels in blood. (Growth Hormone & IGF Research,
25: 304-311, 2015)
KETOGENIC DIETS DO NOT
IMPAIR MUSCLE GROWTH
Body fat and proteins break down to produce energy
during fasting or carbohydrate restriction. In the absence
of adequate dietary carbohydrates, the fatty acids from fat
breakdown are incompletely metabolized, which produces
ketone bodies and causes ketosis (accumulation of acetoacetate
and beta-hydroxybutyric acid in the blood). Fats burn in a
flame of carbohydrates. Carbs break down to pyruvic acid,
which supplies structures for the Krebs cycle— a critical
metabolic pathway for metabolizing fats. Can muscles grow
during ketosis— a time when the body is using muscle
protein for fuel? A study on rats led by Michael Roberts from
the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at Auburn
University in Auburn, Alabama found that rats fed a ketogenic
diet (20 percent protein, 10 percent carbs, 70 percent fat)
showed similar adaptations to resistance training as animals
fed a normal Western diet (15 percent protein, 43 percent
carbs and 42 percent fat). If these results apply to humans,
this is important information for athletes trying to lose weight
by following a low-carbohydrate diet. (Journal of Applied
Physiology, published online December 29, 2015)
50 MD
BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
HUMANS DESIGNED TO
MOVE AND EAT
Focus on good-quality nutrition and regular exercise if you
want to maintain a healthy weight— according to an editorial
by Jean-Pierre Després from Laval University in Québec,
Canada. Most studies show that dietary restriction is the most
important factor in losing weight, and that exercise has minimal
effect. However, exercise provides a buffer to combat excess caloric
intake. People who lose weight and keep it off typically include
large amounts of exercise in their weight-maintenance program.
Only about five percent of people who lose a significant amount of
weight keep it off for more than one year. Despite these depressing
statistics, some people lose weight and manage to keep it off.
The National Weight Control Registry keeps track of people who
successfully lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for one year or
more. These people share one characteristic in common—they burn
an extra 3,000 calories weekly, which means they exercise about one
hour daily. Don’t assess your progress by scale weight alone. People
who exercise regularly tend to gain lean mass while losing fat. Dr.
Després recommended replacing the bathroom scale with a simple
and cheap tape measure to assess body circumferences. (American
Journal Clinical Nutrition, 102: 1303-1304, 2015)
MOBILE BODY
COMPOSITION UNITS
COME TO THE OFFICE
PARKING LOT
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA) is the gold
standard for measuring body composition. Until recently, it
was not available to most people because the units are expensive
and mainly restricted to dedicated research labs. That’s changed.
Companies such as FitnessWave and BodySpec offer DXA scans
from mobile labs that visit companies such as Google, YouTube,
Facebook and Cisco. DXA is widely used to assess the risk and
progression of osteoporosis, a progressively worsening condition
with aging, but the technique can also be used to assess the
composition of soft tissues. DXA works by aiming X-rays at the
body at two different energies. A difference in absorption of the
X-ray beam at these two energies calculates the bone mineral
content and soft tissue composition in the scanned region. DXA
machines cost in the tens of thousands of dollars, and are typically
found in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, university research
labs, and medical and public health research centers. Entrepreneurs
have figured a way to bring DXA to your office door. (The Wall
Street Journal, December 29, 2015)
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 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH NUTRITION

BEETROOT JUICE
IMPROVES BLOOD VESSEL HEALTH
Foods high in nitrates, such as beetroot juice, stimulate the inner lining of blood
vessels to secrete nitric oxide, a chemical that controls blood flow. Beetroot juice has
positive effects on blood pressure, sexual performance and endurance exercise capacity.
Beetroot juice has cardiovascular benefits in patients with high cholesterol— according to a
six-week study led by Shanti Velmurugan from the William Harvey Research Institute in Lon-
don, U.K. Subjects receiving beetroot juice showed a 24 percent improvement in blood vessel
performance (flow-mediated dilatation). Beetroot juice also reduced platelet stickiness by 10
percent, which decreases the risk of blood clot formation and heart attack. Beetroot juice is a
heart-healthy food that improves blood vessel health. (American Journal Clinical Nutrition,
103:25-38, 2016)

NUTRITION the latest research findings in their game

AND TRAINING
BEFORE A
BODYBUILDING
CONTEST
Scientists, coaches and athletes have
argued about science and practice for
at least 100 years. In 1904, coach Bill
Reid from Harvard warned his football
players not to become involved with
the famous Harvard Fatigue Laboratory
because they might hurt their perfor-
mance. Scientists are often contemptuous
of coaches because they don’t include
plans. In this tradition, Brazilian scientist
Paulo Gentil urged bodybuilders to make
pre-contest preparation consistent with
the latest scientific research. He made
several suggestions:
• Don’t use artificially sweetened
beverages before a contest because they
are associated with weight gain. Athletes
should reduce sugar intake but avoid
artificial sweeteners.
• Don’t exercise in a fasted state
because bodybuilders won’t lose fat, and
it will negatively affect caloric expenditure
and fat metabolism.
• Avoid split routines before a contest
and emphasize multi-joint exercises.
• Cut back on protein. Optimal protein
intake for fat loss is 1.2 to 1.8 grams per
kilogram of bodyweight. Most bodybuild-
ers consume 2.4 grams per kilogram.
• Avoid extremely low-carbohydrate
diets because they impair exercise perfor-
mance.
• Avoid high-volume aerobics. Instead,
bodybuilders should do high-intensity
interval training.
Almost any program works if applied
systematically and the athletes buy into
it. Many of these ideas make sense, but
none of these suggestions have been
tested in elite bodybuilders. (Journal of the
International Society of Sports Nutrition,
12: 50, 2015)

BLOOD SUGAR inactivity are the leading causes of the disease.

SIMILAR AFTER
MEALS HIGH IN
RED MEAT OR
DAIRY FOODS
Our national obesity epidemic is linked
to a large increase in type 2 diabetes— a
metabolic disease characterized by high
blood sugar, insulin resistance and reduced
blood insulin levels. Poor diet and physical
Both are probable causes of obesity. Chronically
consuming meals that cause sustained in-
creases in blood sugar may trigger the disease.
Scientists are studying dietary composition as
possible causes of the disease. Kirsty Turner
and colleagues from the University of South
Australia in Adelaide, Australia found no dif-
ference in blood sugar elevations in meals high
in dairy products or red meat. Many studies
have found that consumption of dairy foods
reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. (American
Journal Clinical Nutrition, 103: 71-76, 2016)

WHICH IS HEALTHIER:
FARM OR WILD SALMON?
Salmon is a healthy food because it contains omega-3 fatty acids that
protect against heart attack and stroke, promote infant brain development
and help ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease,
psoriasis and postpartum depression. A public health service group called the
Environmental Working Group said that farm-raised salmon fillets sampled in
three major cities contained unsafe levels of chemicals called PCBs that make their
consumption dangerous— particularly in pregnant women. The PCB levels are
above those recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agen-
cy (EPA), but within those set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Healthy fish choices high in omega-3s include wild salmon, sardines, herring and
mackerel. Fish high in mercury, another dangerous contaminant, include albacore
tuna, swordfish, shark, red snapper and halibut. In late 2015, the FDA approved
genetically engineered farmed salmon and will not require specific source labels.
(ConsumerLab.com, January 3, 2016)

52 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 W EY PROTEIN INHIBITS
WHE
MUSCLE CARNITINE
ACCUMULATION
C
Carnitine is a chemical compound formed from the amino
a
acids lysine and methionine. It is critical for transporting fatty
aacids from the
he cell interior into the mitochondria. Carnitine helps
break
b down lon ng-chain fatty acids and promotes oxygen consump-
ttion. The mitocho ondria are the powerhouses of the cells that provide
tthe body’sy energy y needs, determine endurance exercise capacity and
grea
g atly influence life span. Carnitine is poorly absorbed
into
i o muscle cells. It is insulin-dependent. A study from
the Unniversity of Nottingham in the U.K. found that mus-
cle
c carnitine uptake was increased following consump-
ttion of a high-carbohydrate beverage, but decreased
fol
f llowing ingestion of whey protein. Carnitine should
noot be taken at the same time as whey protein supple-
ments. (American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 103:
276-282, 2016)

DARK CHOCOLATE
BOOSTS OXYGEN
CONSUMPTION
Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids, which
promote blood flow. Rishikesh Patel from Kings-
ton University in the U.K., and co-workers, found
that consuming 30 grams of dark chocolate per
day for 14 days caused slight increases in maximal
oxygen consumption, cycling efficiency and gas
exchange threshold— the point at which expired
carbon dioxide increases abruptly. These effects
were small, and might not make much difference
in performance. Many recent studies have touted
the beneficial effects of flavonoids and polyphenol
in food such as chocolate and red wine. They are
somewhat effective in reducing inflammation
and free radical damage to cells. They may have
long-term health benefits, but probably have few
meaningful acute effects on exercise performance.
(Journal International Society Sports Nutrition, 12:
47, 2015)

DIETARY GUIDE- • Try to eat more healthy foods such as

LINES ADVISE
HEALTHY EATING
PATTERNS
TO PREVENT
DISEASE
In January 2016, a joint report from
the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
advised people to cut down on sugars
and saturated fats, and limit sodium
intake. The report included these dietary
recommendations:
• Eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods,
and pay attention to your food and bever-
age choices.
vegetables, fruits, grains, low-fat and fat-
free dairy, lean meats and other high-pro-
tein foods.
• Eat more dark green and red and or-
ange vegetables, beans and peas and other
vegetables.
• Whole fruits should be high on your
list.
• Restrict added sugar intake to less
than 10 percent of calorie intake. These
include syrup and high-sugar soft drinks,
but do not include naturally occurring
sugars found in milk and fruits.
• Less than 10 percent of calories
should come from saturated fats. The joint
report recommends that you check food
labels for information about calories, sugar
and sodium. (U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services, January 7, 2016)

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 53

 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH HEALTH

HIGH-INTENSITY WEIGHT
TRAINING BEST FOR REDUCING
POST-EXERCISE BLOOD PRESSURE
Weight training for six or more weeks reduces systolic blood pressure (higher
blood pressure number) by 3.9 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic
pressure by 3.2 mmHg. Aline de Freitas from the Federal University of Paraíba in
Brazil, and colleagues— in a study on 16 middle-aged women with high blood pres-
sure— found that intense weight training (80 percent of maximum weight) resulted in
lower post-exercise resting blood pressure than lower-intensity training (50 percent of
maximum weight). More intense weight training also resulted in greater muscle blood
flow (muscle pump), heart rate and sympathetic response. Is resistance exercise, par-
ticularly intense weight training, good for people with high blood pressure? While in-
tense weight training results in temporary decreases in blood pressure, it also increases
atrial stiffness that increases the load on the heart and impairs blood vessel metabo-
lism. We need more research to determine the long-term effects of weight training on
high blood pressure. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 29: 3486-3493, 2015)

LOW IGF-1 LEVELS LINKED TO

METABOLIC SYNDROME
The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of heart disease risk factors that
include high blood pressure, abdominal fat deposition, insulin resistance,
abnormal blood fats and type 2 diabetes. It is a marker of poor metabolic
health that increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and premature death. A re-
view of literature by researchers from the School of Medicine in Monterrey, Mex-
ico linked the metabolic syndrome to low levels of insulin-like growth factor— a
hormone produced by the liver triggered by human growth hormone (HGH).
HGH works, in part, by stimulating the production of IGF-1. The researchers
speculated that supplementing IGF-1 might help combat the metabolic syndrome.
HGH injections increase IGF-1. Another option is administration of mecasermin
(trade name Increlex), which is recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1
used to treat IGF-1 deficiency. (Journal of Translational Medicine, 14:3, 2016)

ASPIRIN PREVENTS PROSTATE

CANCER PROGRESSION
Consuming aspirin three days per week was linked to a reduced risk of devel-
oping or dying from advanced prostate cancer— according to researchers from
Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Aspirin,
however, had no effect on getting the disease in the first place. In men with early stage
prostate cancer, aspirin decreased the risk of dying from the disease by 39 percent.
Aspirin is also linked to protection against colorectal cancer and heart attack. Overuse
of aspirin is linked to intestinal bleeding and stomach ulcers. Other studies found
that daily aspirin use reduced the risk of prostate cancer by eight percent, and was
particularly effective in men over 65. (Paper presented at American Society of Clinical
Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, January 2016)

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
HIGHER IN PEOPLE
WHO EXERCISE
People who exercise regularly are more likely to drink moderately. Drinking
and training go hand in hand. A hundred years ago, weightlifting gyms were often
located in the back of saloons. Weightlifters often drank beer as they lifted. Things
haven’t changed much. Today, drinking and sports are closely linked. Recreational
athletes typically have a beer or two after a softball game or bodybuilding contest.
Most studies show that moderate drinkers are twice as likely to exercise regularly
as non-drinkers. The results are consistent in men, women and different age groups.
Moderate alcohol consumption is healthy, as long as it’s not linked to destructive be-
havior. (Health Psychology, 34: 653-660, 2015; The New York Times, December 2, 2015)

54 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

COFFEE IS NOT
RELATED TO HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE
Physicians have often recommended reducing or eliminating coffee consumption
to reduce blood pressure. That’s a mistake— according to a study led by Jinnie Rhee
from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Researchers found no relationship
between consumption of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee or caffeine and hyperten-
sion (high blood pressure). They measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure (higher
and lower blood pressure numbers) three different times, and compared them with
self-reported consumption of these products in postmenopausal women. Coffee pro-
motes longevity, and can improve physical and mental performance. It contains powerful
antioxidants that prevent cell deterioration. It might reduce the risk of some cancers and
promote blood sugar regulation. Coffee is a healthy addition to the well-balance diet.
(American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 103: 210-217, 2016)

IS EXERCISE
BAD FOR
SOME PEOPLE?
Genetics studies show that some
people respond differently to exer-
cise than others. More than 800 genes
affect exercise performance. Studies
by noted geneticist Claude Bouchard
showed that between eight and 13
percent of people experience negative
physical changes from exercise, such as
increases in blood insulin, triglycerides
and systolic blood pressure and decreas-
es in HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Eric Leifer from the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland noted that Bouchard et al. did not make comparisons
in people who did not exercise, so their studies did not have adequate control groups. In an
examination of nearly 1,200 people and a control group, they found no evidence of subgroups
of people who responded negatively to exercise. Exercise is healthy for most people, but all
people do not respond the same. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48: 20-25, 2016)

MASSAGE IS ONLY HIIT PROTECTS

MARGINALLY
EFFECTIVE
Massage has little effect on post-exercise
recovery— according to a meta-analysis
and literature review of 22 studies by sci-
entists from Saarland University in Saa-
rbrücken, Germany. Massage worked best
following workouts that combined strength
and endurance training. Massage lasting
five to 12 minutes was superior to longer
sessions. Untrained people benefited from
massage more than experienced athletes.
Researchers concluded that the effects of
massage on recovery from exercise are small
and inconsistent. Other studies have found
that massage decreased muscle soreness
after eccentric exercise (lengthening muscle
contractions) and that it reduced symptoms
in people with chronic back pain. Massage
has only minor effects on promoting recov-
ery and reducing musculoskeletal pain, but
we need more research on this time-honored
and popular modality. (Sports Medicine,
published online January 7, 2016)
AGAINST
HEART ATTACK
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
causes changes in the heart blood
vessels that protect the heart during
a heart attack— according to a study
on rats by researchers from Shiraz
University in Iran. HIIT increases the
ability of heart blood vessels to secrete
nitric oxide, which is a chemical that
regulates blood flow. HIIT improved the
ability of the coronary arteries to deliver
blood to cardiac muscle during times of
stress. Researchers studied the effects of
eight weeks of HIIT training on tissue
recovery from an experimentally induced
heart attack. The size of damaged tissue
during the heart attack was 23 percent
smaller in animals that practiced HIIT.
Intense exercise training prevents heart
attacks and lessens their effects when they
occur. (Iran Journal of Public Health, 44:
1270-1276, 2015)

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 55

 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH DRUGS

STEROIDS LINKED TO HEARING DNP: DEADLY

LOSS IN YOUNG MAN WEIGHT-LOSS
The vertebrobasilar arterial system serves key regions in the lower brain, DRUG
including the medulla, cerebellum, pons, midbrain, thalamus and occipital Metabolism works by breaking down
cortex. Blockage of these vessels causes death about 85 percent of the time. carbohydrates, fats and proteins and
Sometimes the blockage is isolated, and causes less damage. Physicians from the capturing the released energy within
Birmingham Heartlands Teaching Hospital in the U.K. reported the case of hearing other chemicals that are stored or used to
loss and neurological damage due to a power the cells and tissues— a process
vertebrobasilar stroke in a 32-year-old called coupled reactions. Chemicals
bodybuilder who was a longtime steroid called uncoupling agents interfere with this
user. He showed pronounced thickening process— rather than capturing the energy,
of the blood (polycythemia), which is a it is released as heat. 2,4-dinitrophenol
common side effect of testosterone and (DNP) is one of the most powerful— and
other anabolic steroids. The neurological dangerous— uncoupling drugs that exists.
effects of the stroke disappeared within The drug can cause heat stroke, and severe
six weeks, but there was no improvement damage to the muscles, liver, kidney and
in hearing. This was an uncontrolled case heart. DNP is not a controlled substance,
report, so it is unclear whether steroids but was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug
caused the hearing loss. This is not a Administration (FDA) in 1938 because
commonly cited side effect of steroids. of its extreme toxicity. A New York man
(Journal Laryngology Otology, 14:1-5, 2015) recently got five years in prison on a federal
charge of mail fraud for selling DNP to two
people who died from the drug. The drug is
NANDROLONE INTERFERES effective for weight loss, but it is so powerful
WITH TESTOSTERONE PRODUCTION that it completely blocks normal energy
exchanges in the cells and causes explosive
Nandrolone decanoate is a popular anabolic steroid with increases in body temperature. Stay away
athletes, older adults and young adults attempting to improve from this drug! (Substance Abuse Treatment,
their appearance. Many steroid users take 600 to 5,000 milligrams Prevention and Policy, 10: 39, 2015)
per week, which is 10 to 1,000 times greater than normal testosterone
production in the testes. Cristoforo Pomara from the University of
Foggia in Italy, and co-workers, found that nandrolone suppressed
testosterone production in isolated Leydig cells of the testes (cells
cultured in a lab dish). The effects were dose dependent, meaning that
higher doses suppressed production the most. Testosterone production
is controlled by a feedback mechanism between the hypothalamus,
pituitary and testes. Steroids suppress gonadotropin-releasing factor
in the hypothalamus, and luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating
hormone in the pituitary. Testicular suppression leads to reduced
natural testosterone production, suppressed sperm production and
reduced testicular weight. The typical steroid user in America is a
30-year-old, fit non-athlete with a normal job, who takes the drugs to
get stronger and look better. Many are married and hoping to start a
family. Steroids make this more difficult. (Journal of Cellular Physiology,
published online December 2, 2015)

ORAL ANABOLIC STEROIDS

TOXIC TO THE LIVER
Oral anabolic steroids are chemically altered so they stay in the system
longer. These C-17 alkylated androgenic steroids are linked to liver injury,
including cholestasis (blocked bile ducts), peliosis hepatis (blood filled cysts),
nodular regenerative hyperplasia (high blood pressure in the liver), hepatic
adenomas (hormone-induced liver tumors) and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver
cancer). Researchers from Chile, Argentina and Spain reported 25 cases of liver
damage in bodybuilders who required hospitalization. Many individuals also
experienced kidney damage, although there were no deaths. Athletes who take
steroids should avoid oral anabolics. Oral anabolic steroids are widely available
in Latin America, which increases the risk of liver toxicity in unsophisticated
users. (Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 41: 116-125, 2015)

56 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016


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 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH DRUGS

INHALED INSULIN TERBUTALINE INCREASES

WITHDRAWN FROM
THE MARKET
The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi withdrew Afrezza,
its inhaled insulin product, from the market because of poor
sales. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the
product, developed by Sanofi and Mannkind, in January 2015. In
2006, the FDA approved an inhaled insulin product called Exubera,
but the drugmaker removed the product from the market because of
low demand and reports of an increased incidence of lung cancer in
patients using it. Afrezza has its critics. The drug costs substantially
more than other rapid-acting insulins— and it is only modestly
effective in promoting long-term blood sugar control, as measured by
hemoglobin A1c levels in the blood. It also triggers chronic coughing
and decreases lung function in some patients, so its long-term safety
has been questioned. The drug suffered from lackluster sales, in spite
of significant advertising efforts. (Reuters, January 8, 2016)
SPRINT CYCLING POWER
Terbutaline (TER) is a beta-agonist drug used as a
fast-acting bronchodialator (opens airways) in an
inhaler to treat asthma symptoms. It is on the list of
banned substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency. A
study led by Anders Kalsen from Bispebjerg University
Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark showed that mean
and peak cycling power output increased by eight
percent after inhaling 15 milligrams of TER compared
to a placebo (fake TER). TER increased the rate of
glycolysis— the breakdown of glucose (blood sugar) and
glycogenolysis (breakdown of glycogen— the storage form
of carbohydrate in muscle). TER also prevented a decrease
in adenosine triphosphate— the body’s principal energy
source. TER increases power output during high-intensity
exercise and prevents fatigue. (Medicine Science Sports
Exercise, 48: 39-48, 2016)

STEROIDS PLUS HIGH-INTENSITY EXERCISE MAY

TRIGGER ABNORMAL HEART RHYTHMS
Anabolic steroids have been linked to abnormalities in heart muscle cells. High-intensity interval training is an extremely popular
training method involving exercise at near-maximum intensities. James Barnard from the University of California, Los Angeles found that
high-intensity exercise without a warm-up triggered abnormalities in the electrocardiogram of otherwise healthy men. The combination
of high-intensity exercise and anabolic steroids could be a deadly combination. A study on rats by Farzaneh Abdollahi from Kerman
University of Medical Sciences, and colleagues, found that the combination of the anabolic steroid nandrolone plus intense exercise
increased the incidence of ventricular fibrillation— a dangerous and deadly change in heart rhythm. It is not known whether these results
apply to humans. (Steroids, 105: 106-112, 2016)

58 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

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 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH SUPPLEMENTS

DIETARY AND HERBAL

SUPPLEMENT SALES
INCREASED IN 2015
Sales of dietary and herbal supplements rose four and 17 percent,
respectively, above 2014 levels, together totaling more than $13 billion.
Sales increased despite an investigation by the New York Attorney General
showing that in four companies, roughly 79 percent of products tested did not
contain the same ingredients as listed on the labels. High-growth supplements
include ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort, valerian and saw palmetto. Health care
costs, particularly drugs, are through the roof, so people are taking greater
responsibility for their own health care. (Nutra ingedients-usa.com, January 16, 2016)

POST-EXERCISE WHEY PROTEIN SUPERIOR

TO CARB OR CARB-WHEY SUPPLEMENTS
Adding carbohydrates to a supplement taken after weight training has no additional effect on increases in muscle mass,
abdominal fat loss or total body fat loss— according to researchers from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. Untrained
males participating in a 12-week weight-training program received either supplements containing 30 grams of whey protein, protein
plus carbohydrates or carbohydrates alone. The drinks were consumed immediately after the workout. Weight training increased fat-
free mass, muscle size and strength. The whey protein group showed the greatest decreases in abdominal fat and increases in fat-free
mass. None of the supplements triggered marked changes in body composition, but whey protein alone had the greatest effects on
abdominal fat and lean mass. These results might not apply to intensely training strength athletes or bodybuilders. (Journal International
Society Sports Nutrition, 12: 48, 2015)

SOME
SUPPLEMENTS
CONTAIN HIDDEN
INGREDIENTS
NAC INTERFERES WITH More than 10 years ago, a study led by
Ron Maughan and colleagues from the
CELLULAR RESPONSES TO United Kingdom found that more than
25 percent of bodybuilding supplements
ENDURANCE TRAINING sold on the Internet contained banned
N-Acetyl-Cysteine or acetylcysteine (NAC) is a natural amino acid byproduct drugs. This caused significant problems for
found naturally in foods that fight free radicals, and it improves metabolic athletes who tested positive for performance-
health. Physicians often use it to break up mucus accumulation in the lungs in enhancing substances. Things haven’t
conditions such as emphysema, pneumonia, bronchitis and tuberculosis. It is changed much since then. The U.S. Food and
also used to treat toxic overdoses of acetaminophen— the most common cause of Drug Administration (FDA) has identified
poisoning in the United States. NAC works together with glutathione to help rid the more than 500 products containing concealed
body of toxic chemicals. Recent studies on muscle growth found that suppressing substances that are either potentially
free radicals and blocking inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory dangerous or banned in sport. Purchase
drugs, ice therapy or antioxidants interferes with the adaptation to training. Exercise supplements from reputable companies such
increases cell structures called mitochondria. Rats given NAC did not respond as the Muscular Development Store online.
normally to endurance training. In other words, the supplement had a negative (Naturalproductsinsider.com, December 23, 2015)
effect on performance. (Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 87: 326-335, 2015)

60 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

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 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH SEX

TESTOSTERONE SUPPLEMENTS
IMPROVE SEXUAL SATISFACTION
IN WOMEN
Up to 82 percent of sexually active postmenopausal women have sexual
problems including low sexual desire, excessive dryness and pain
during intercourse. Many women benefit from adding testosterone to their
postmenopausal hormone cocktail— according to a study led by Reuthairat
Tungmunsakulchai
from Chulalongkorn
University in Thailand.
Women received either
testosterone undecanoate
(40 milligrams twice
weekly) or a placebo
(fake testosterone) with
their supplemental
estrogen. Women
receiving testosterone
reported a greater sense
of well-being, increased
sexual desire, improved
lubrication, more orgasms and improved sexual satisfaction. Testosterone is a
valuable addition to the hormone mix commonly prescribed to postmenopausal
women. (BMC Women’s Health, published online December 2, 2015)

VIAGRA PREVENTS
TYPE 2 DIABETES
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar,
insulin resistance and reduced blood insulin levels. Causes include obesity,
physical inactivity and genetics. Side effects of the disease include premature
death, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation. The
incidence of the disease has increased 10 times since the early 1980s. Diet and
exercise are the first lines of defense, followed by drugs such as metformin.
Researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville,
Tennessee found that Viagra improved insulin sensitivity and prevented the
progression from prediabetes (danger of becoming diabetic) to diabetes. The
study lasted three months. The beneficial effects of the drug persisted for an
additional three months after the study. Viagra improved blood vessel health
and prevented type 2 diabetes. (Journal Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism, 100:
4533-4540, 2015)

SYMPTOMS OF
SUPPRESSED GONADAL
FUNCTION
Hypogonadism or low testicular function is defined as
a blood testosterone level of less than 10.4 nanomoles
per liter and calculated free testosterone of less than
225 picomoles per liter. Physicians often use these levels
to determine the appropriateness of testosterone therapy
in aging men. Researchers led by Giulia Rastrelli from
Maggiore Hospital in Bologna, Italy found that symptoms
linked to hypogonadism included reduced morning
erections, loss of sexual desire and difficulty maintaining
erections. These symptoms were highly predictive of
people suffering from low blood levels of testosterone and
free testosterone. (Journal of Endocrinological Investigation,
published online January 06, 2016)
TIPS FOR IMPROVING
YOUR GAME
Clint Eastwood, in his first movie “A Fistfull of Dollars,” said,
“A man’s life often depends on a mere scrap of information.”
Most people have taken this to heart and bury themselves in their
smartphones and iPads. This is no way to get laid. Move offline. Get
out there and meet people. Look for opportunities at the gym, grocery
store or campus. Make eye contact, smile and interact with people,
but be genuine and avoid phony pickup lines. Effective hookups
depend on numbers. Try to start a conversation with someone at least
five times per day. Don’t take rejections personally. Your prospective
“hook-ee” might be involved in a relationship, late for work or not like
you. Don’t worry about it. Move on to the next person and try again.
Carpe diem, baby! (The Wall Street Journal, December 28, 2015)

64 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

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 CUTTING-EDGE BY STEVE BLECHMAN and THOMAS FAHEY, ED.D.
RESEARCH SEX

SOME ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS

SUPPRESS SEXUAL FUNCTION MORE
THAN OTHERS
Depression is a serious disorder that destroys the quality of life and can lead to suicide.
Antidepressant drugs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRIs) are lifesavers for many people
suffering from this disorder. Unfortunately, these drugs can cause sexual problems such as delayed
ejaculation, impaired orgasms, decreased sexual desire and arousal, decreased sperm production,
slowed sperm transport, damaged sperm cell membranes and damage to the DNA controlling
sperm production. Some SSRIs impair sexual performance more than others— according to a study
led by Alireza Zahiroddin from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Researchers
found that Wellbutrin (bupropion) caused more sexual problems than Symmetrel (amantadine)
during a four-week clinical study. Both drugs,
however, impaired sexual function. These drugs
have some positive effects on sexual performance.
Many studies found that SSRIs improve
premature ejaculation— the most common sexual LOW TESTOSTERONE LINKED TO
problem in young men. (Iranian Red Crescent
Medical Journal, 17(12): e24998, 2015) ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Drugs such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are the principal treatments
for erectile dysfunction. They increase secretion of nitric oxide by the cells
lining the blood vessels of the penis. They work by inhibiting cGMP-specific
phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), an enzyme that is important in regulating
blood flow. These drugs are effective in about 70 percent of men. Testosterone
has an important effect on sex drive and sexual performance. Low testosterone
impairs metabolic health, promotes obesity and plays an important role
in promoting erections. A study on rats by Chinese scientists found that
testosterone supplements improved erectile function by stimulating the
ERK1/2 pathway, which has a direct effect on the cellular DNA that controls
sexual function. It works differently than drugs such as Viagra. Supplemental
testosterone provides an additional treatment for erectile dysfunction.
(Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue, 21: 967-972, 2015)

RELATIONSHIP
SATISFACTION:
ONLINE HOOKUPS
VERSUS SALOONS
The Internet age has made it possible to
hook-up almost immediately using apps
such as Tinder, Blendr and PURE. These
hookups are less satisfying than relationships
developed offline the old-fashioned way—
introduced by friends, meeting at school or
casually meeting at the grocery store— according
to a study led by Heather Blunt-Vinti from the
University of Arkansas. Researchers surveyed
273 teenagers who visited a publicly funded
clinic. Teens reported only moderate relationship
and sexual satisfaction (R&S) with people they
met online. They were also more satisfied with
relationships that took longer to develop. The
study showed that getting to know someone the
old-fashioned way is more satisfying than a quick
roll in the hay promoted through the Internet.
(Journal Adolescent Health, 58: 11-16, 2015)
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR
PREMATURE EJACULATION
Modern women expect staying power and a little sexual savoir-faire.
Unfortunately, many men are two-minute wonders who leave women flat
and unsatisfied. Premature ejaculation (PE) is psychologically traumatic for
men and women, and makes men feel sexually inadequate and less masculine.
Premature ejaculation is the most significant sexual problem in men— more
prevalent than erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, delayed or inhibited orgasm,
or physical abnormalities of the penis. It affects more than 30 percent of men,
and is most common during the late teens and 20s. A review of literature and
meta-analysis led by Fabio Castiglione from the IRCCS Hospital San Raffaele
in Milan, Italy reported that antidepressants that help maintain serotonin
levels in the brain (SSRIs) and erection-promoting drugs such as Viagra (PDE-5
inhibitors) help many men with PE. Dapoxetine seems to be the most effective
and safest drug for treatment of premature ejaculation. Age and experience
are the best “treatments” for premature ejaculation. Researchers concluded
that treatments for premature ejaculation are moderately effective, at best. The
best advice for premature ejaculators is to practice, practice, practice. (European
Urology, published online December 31, 2015)

66 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

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FAT attack By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.

The human body is fairly plastic in that it can assume

LOSE YOUR GUT:

a number of different shapes. Even in an individual, this
is evident as that leaner, athletic build that strutted down
the high school hallway eventually acquires what has
unfortunately been coined the “dad bod.” Is that the

INSULIN CONTROL pinnacle of human development today? Men who look like
the apple character from the Fruit of the Loom underwear
commercials? “Normal” weight people are the minority,
with overweight and obesity affecting about two-thirds of
FOR
INCINERATING FAT the U.S. adult population. Beyond the social stigma and
functional limitations obese individuals face, is the well-
documented association between obesity and a number of
chronic health conditions that have ballooned into epidemic
proportions during the last half-century: type 2 diabetes,
hypertension, liver disease, heart disease and certain
cancers, in addition to other less common conditions.1
Obesity is sometimes defined by the fat depots that
are most affected. For example, many women develop a
“gynoid” presentation— with the fat depositing mostly
around the hips, buttocks and thighs; even “chicken wings”
flapping under the upper arm. Surprisingly, this type of
obesity is less harmful than the “android” presentation. No,
not fast-food consuming robots, but the typical man with a
belly that hangs over the belt like some kind of fleshy wide
tie accessory to a fashionable physique. These used to be
called “pear” versus “apple” body shapes.
Visceral obesity (fat around the internal organs) is
essentially the same thing as central obesity, which is
pretty much the same as “android” obesity. Some men
have a big belly because of excess subcutaneous fat with
little visceral fat, but that is the exception. Also, fat can
deposit in certain organs, not just around them. The liver
is a vital organ; when fat deposits in the liver, it does not
function properly and can generate disease-promoting
inflammatory signals and altered hormonal metabolism.
There is a condition called “non-alcoholic fatty liver
disease” affecting as many as one-third of U.S. adults
that describes metabolic impairments that arise as a
consequence of “fatty liver.”2
So, it is not only for cosmetic reasons that a smaller
waist and healthy body composition should be the goal of
reasonable individuals, but also to protect or regain overall
health and metabolic function— and avoid an early death.
Visceral obesity is most closely related to the metabolic
conditions associated with obesity listed above, and the
role of chronic inflammation is thought to be a unifying
factor.3 Recently, the gut bacteria, called the microbiome,
have been suggested to play a significant role.4
Though bodybuilders are remarkably adept at
transforming their physiques, reducing body fat and waist
circumference to physiological and anatomical minimums,
the general public has struggled. As it stands, the severely
obese are being directed to gastric bypass surgery to
achieve any significant and lasting weight loss. Obviously,
this entails great expense and risk.

“That leaner, athletic build that strutted

down the high school hallway eventually
acquires what has unfortunately been coined
the ‘dad bod.’ Is that the pinnacle of human
development today?”

68 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

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FAT attack
THE POWER OF FASTING
Recently, several studies have reported on the effect of one’s
eating pattern, as opposed to a diet, on central obesity. Most diets CLENBUTEROL
TOXICITY
focus on how much a person eats, or perhaps the macronutrient ratio
(i.e., carbohydrates:protein:fat), such as the Zone Diet, Atkins Diet, By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
South Beach Diet and various ketogenic programs. These diets rely
upon restoring the sensitivity of the body to the hormone insulin, and
There are now several effective lipolytic drugs available to the
reducing its fat gain-promoting properties by dropping the carbohydrate
competitive bodybuilder, model and “G-T-L” narcissist. This was not the
content of the diet and the glycemic index/load. Yet, there is a proposed
case 30-plus years ago, when boosting fat loss necessitated the use
solution that may be easier yet— when a person eats. The concept of
of thyroid extract or Cytomel (T3), in conjunction with a veterinary drug
fasting is familiar, referring to a period of time when a person does not
known commonly as “clen.” The full name of this drug is clenbuterol and
eat. Obviously, while this will aid in reducing weight, it is not a long-
it was— still is, actually— highly sought after as a fast and potent fat
term solution as the body will begin catabolizing lean mass to support
burner that would allow a bodybuilder to drop his body fat percentage
energy needs, and physical as well as cognitive performance will suffer.
down to low single digits.
In fact, prolonged fasting can lead to immune suppression, bone loss,
Clenbuterol is molecularly and functionally similar to adrenalin (aka
organ damage and eventually death.5 Yet, the power of fasting can
epinephrine) and the related neurotransmitter norepinephrine. These,
be utilized in measured doses to provide many of its fat-loss benefits
and related drugs, interact with adrenergic receptors on the surface of
without causing loss of lean mass or impairing health. This has been
many types of tissue, including fat cells and muscle fibers, to generate
shown in animal studies, and limited human trial data is available.6
a complex of signals that alter the metabolism of the affected tissue.
Unfortunately, there is no standard timing pattern, so this practice is still
In plain English, they stimulate the body to generate the effects of the
in its infancy.
“fight-or-flight” mechanism: rapid heart rate, increased energy substrate
Various terms have been used, including “intermittent fasting” and
availability (i.e., calories from sugar and fat), heightened senses (e.g.,
“alternate-day fasting,” to describe the patterns used in published
better vision), faster reactions, etc.
studies. Time-restricted feeding involves limiting eating to a set number
Of course, an all-out crazy attack on the fight-or-flight response
of hours each day, consuming pretty much whatever you want but
would not be tolerable or beneficial to an athlete or someone who is
only in a four- to eight-hour window; alternate-day fasting is what it
hoping to increase his/her basal metabolic rate all day. The advantage of
sounds like— you eat whatever you want one day, and fast the next
clenbuterol is that it is sufficiently long acting to be used as an oral drug,
day (actually consuming about 25 percent of maintenance calories on
and it is reasonably selective in the effects it generates, as opposed to an
“fasting” days).7 Now, without restricting how much a person can eat on
adrenalin rush. Clenbuterol is used in veterinary medicine to improve the
feeding days, it sounds like these diets are set up to cause an epidemic
performance of animals involved in sports events (e.g., horse racing) and
of binge-eating disorder. However, the limited research seems to show
in meat production in some third-world countries. There are related drugs
that although people do eat more on their feeding days, the additional
used therapeutically to treat asthma in humans, and limited human trials
amount is not much more than “normal,” and over time becomes less
have even looked at the use of clenbuterol in improving heart function in
and less— trending down toward the baseline daily calorie intake.8 This
people with severe heart failure.1
means that the calories “avoided” by fasting are pretty much subtracted
from the weekly intake, and over the course of time can lead to a
significant caloric deficit.
BODYBUILDERS AND FAT LOSS
Bodybuilders, of course, are most interested in the fat-loss effects, and
The most-referenced study on alternate-day fasting showed an
had early hope for a potential anabolic effect based upon animal studies.
average weight loss of 6.5 percent in eight weeks.9 Intermittent fasting
The anabolic effect never really panned out, due to the intolerably high dose
has less extreme variance in caloric intake, but appears to lead to
required, and given that most people are taking clenbuterol during the pre-
a weekly decrease in calories consumed. Both patterns appear to
contest, hypocaloric phase of their training. It would be rare to encounter
preserve lean mass, with most of the weight lost coming from fat.10 In
a competitor taking clenbuterol off-season or during a bulking phase of
addition to the long-term calorie deficit that accumulates during the
their training. However, the fat loss is rapid and dramatic, especially when
“fasting” days, there appears to be an increase in the liberation and
combined with thyroid extract or T3.2 Clenbuterol preferentially stimulates
utilization of stored fat, an adaptation in the metabolism and physiology
the beta-2 class of adrenergic receptors, which are involved in increasing
to make greater and more efficient use of stored energy reserves
the metabolic rate (calorie burning), increasing fatty acid oxidation (burning
(i.e., fat) and a positive change in cardiovascular markers of health,
fat for calories) and uncoupling (wasting calories as heat). However,
suggesting other health benefits.6,7
clenbuterol can stimulate the beta-1 receptors as well, which are primarily
For the person concerned about losing “belly fat,” these diets may
associated with increasing heart rate, potentially to a harmful, even life-
be the optimal solution, with a tweak or two. Animal and human data
threatening pace that may precipitate tachycardia (rapid heart rate) or
shows that the loss of fat is equivalent, with little-to-no lean mass loss.
arrhythmia (“broken” heart rhythm).
MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE DIET, RHABDOMYOLYSIS:
OLIVE OIL AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY DESTRUCTION OF MUSCLE TISSUE
Those tweaks mentioned earlier can be easily incorporated
Most cases of clenbuterol toxicity involve cardiac symptoms caused
into most diets. First, make wise food choices even though you are
by clenbuterol present in foods, taken as a fat-loss agent or even used
allowed to eat to your desire. Animal studies show that intermittent
as a adulterant to “black market” heroin.2-4 Recently, a new presentation
feeding induces fat loss with lean mass retention, and is associated
of clenbuterol-associated toxicity was published, rhabdomyolysis— the
with changes in brain chemistry that may combat the slowing of the
destructive breakdown of muscle tissue.5 Most bodybuilders are aware that
metabolism often seen with calorie reduction, as well as avoiding issues
muscle growth responds to microdamage to the muscle tissue so that repair
with hunger.11 Among these “wise” food choices, it seems that following
and regeneration build larger muscles to cope with the new challenge.
a Mediterranean-style diet is one option. A key component of the
This kind of damage occurs inside the muscle cell, and primarily involves
Mediterranean diet is olive oil, which is rich in the monounsaturated fat
the actin-myosin complex. Though some markers of the damage can be
oleic acid. In a study following 11 insulin-resistant people with a family

70 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

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FAT attack
history of type 2 diabetes, three diets were compared.12 The diets,
which each subject consumed for four weeks before switching to the
next after a short break, were rich in saturated fat, monounsaturated
fat or carbohydrates. All the diets contained only 15 percent protein,
and were designed to maintain bodyweight. In the end, it was clear
that the carbohydrate-rich diet (65%) was the least beneficial, causing
a “redistribution” of fat to the abdomen. This has particular relevance
to men who experience “android” fat with weight gain.
More so, the olive oil-rich diet produced greater insulin sensitivity
as well as lower adipokine levels. High saturated fat diets are
reported to decrease insulin sensitivity.13 Adipokines are fat cell
“hormones” that in a healthy person, increase calorie burning
and suppress appetite (leptin), and improve insulin sensitivity
(adiponectin). However, when fat cells get overly large or resistant to
regulatory signals, these adipokines increase in an unhealthy manner.
This is why studies that look at obese people see decreases in these
adipokines, and it is a positive change, as opposed to the same thing
happening in a lean person. Imagine someone yelling at you to make
a point in an argument, and their message is clearer as they speak
more loudly. Now, imagine a hearing-impaired person who needs
everything shouted at them to hear conversations that still may not
be perfectly understood. When the hearing-impaired person gets a
hearing aid, the conversation quiets down— not because the speaker
doesn’t want to communicate, but because the “ears” are working
better. With weight loss, or a better diet, adipokines don’t need to
“shout” in obese people as loudly.
More exciting than changes on a lab report was the finding that
the olive oil diet prevented the fat “redistribution” to the belly seen in
the carbohydrate-rich diet. This suggests that a low-carbohydrate diet
with supplemental olive oil may provide the best bang for the buck
when intermittent or alternate-day fasting for losing the “gut.”
Like any diet, this may be the “one,” or it may not be tolerable.
Certainly, there is a lot of promise in the early trials and reports
regarding these “when” diets, versus the “what” or “how much”
diets. Incorporating the lessons already learned— such as reducing
carbohydrates, especially high-glycemic load diets, moderating
saturated fat intake and incorporating olive oil— may add to the power
of these programs in promoting health and losing inches around the
waist. The convenience of watching the clock instead of the calorie
counter certainly has its own appeal. ■
REFERENCES:
1. O’Neill S, O’Driscoll L. Metabolic syndrome: a closer look at the growing epidemic and its
associated pathologies. Obes Rev 2015;16:1-12.
2. Abd El-Kader SM, El-Den Ashmawy EM. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: The diagnosis
and management. World J Hepatol 2015;7:846-58.
3. Johnson AR, Milner JJ, et al. The inflammation highway: metabolism accelerates
inflammatory traffic in obesity. Immunol Rev 2012;249:218-38.
4. Cavalcante-Silva LH, Galvão JG, et al. Obesity-Driven Gut Microbiota Inflammatory
Pathways to Metabolic Syndrome. Front Physiol 2015 Nov 19;6:341(11 pp).
5. Gétaz L, Rieder JP, et al. Hunger strike among detainees: guidance for good medical
practice. Swiss Med Wkly 2012 Sep 17;142:w13675(5 pp).
6. Horne BD, Muhlestein JB, et al. Health effects of intermittent fasting: hormesis or harm? A
systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;102:464-70.
7. Patterson RE, Laughlin GA, et al. Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health. J Acad
Nutr Diet 2015;115:1203-12.
8. Hoddy KK, Kroeger CM, et al. Safety of alternate day fasting and effect on disordered eating
behaviors. Nutr J 2015 May 6;14:44(3 pp).
9. Varady KA, Bhutani S, et al. Alternate day fasting for weight loss in normal weight and
overweight subjects: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2013 Nov 12;12(1):146(8 pp).
10. Klempel MC, Kroeger CM, et al. Alternate day fasting (ADF) with a high-fat diet produces
similar weight loss and cardio-protection as ADF with a low-fat diet. Metabolism 2013;62:137-43.
11. Gotthardt JD, Verpeut JL, et al. Intermittent Fasting Promotes Fat Loss with Lean Mass
Retention, Increased Hypothalamic Norepinephrine Content, and Increased Neuropeptide Y Gene
Expression in Diet-Induced Obese Male Mice. Endocrinology 2015 Dec 14:en20151622. [Epub, ahead
of print]
12. Paniagua JA, Gallego de la Sacristana A, et al. Monounsaturated fat-rich diet prevents
central body fat distribution and decreases postprandial adiponectin expression induced by a
carbohydrate-rich diet in insulin-resistant subjects. Diabetes Care 2007;30:1717-23.
13. von Frankenberg AD, Marina A, et al. A high-fat, high-saturated fat diet decreases insulin
sensitivity without changing intra-abdominal fat in weight-stable overweight and obese adults.
Eur J Nutr 2015 Nov 28. [Epub, ahead of print]
72 MD
measured in the blood, it generally does not cause tissue breakdown with
the release of HUGE amounts of enzymes and proteins that are typically
confined inside the muscle cell.
Rhabdomyolysis occurs when the muscle is so overtaxed that it
literally fails and the membrane leaks or bursts, spilling enzymes and
proteins into the blood in a tsunami-like pattern. This may sound relatively
benign, as the body constantly is receiving and clearing proteins and
other metabolites in the blood. However, when it appears directly in
the peripheral circulation, the amount that reaches the kidneys is so
overwhelming, it is like one of those Black Friday scenarios you see on the
news where people trample each other to get a $198 flat screen television.
The glomeruli (filtering units) of the kidney become plugged with
myoglobin and die. If the process is not caught early and proper support
provided, permanent kidney damage can occur.
Rhabdomyolysis can occur in the setting of exercise, even in the
absence of any performance-enhancing drugs.6 This is not a rare event
in endurance events. In a paper published in the Journal of Emergency
Medicine, a case was described that involved a 29-year old man who
had been using clenbuterol for a relatively short time, and his use
pattern suggested he was following the typical “on-off” cycling of
three to five days of use, followed by two days off clenbuterol (to delay
receptor downregulation) and then repeat.5 He combined the clenbuterol
(40 micrograms orally, twice a day) with 90 minutes of high-intensity
training to promote weight loss.
WHEN MUSCLES HIT THE “SELF-
DESTRUCT” LEVEL OF OVERTRAINING
The aforementioned subject showed up to the emergency
room complaining of various symptoms related to sympathetic
overstimulation (elevated heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath,
etc.) and dark urine. The lab tests showed an outrageously high level
of creatine kinase (CK), an enzyme released when muscle breaks down.
How outrageous? Well, in excess of 100 times normal. Oh, he also had
muscle soreness. Surprisingly, his kidney function was not affected,
despite spilling large amounts of blood, protein and ketones into his
urine. The doctors immediately flushed his body with fluids to increase
glomerular flow (urine production) and dilute the “gunk” that could
potentially damage his kidneys. After more than 24 hours (and probably
innumerable bathroom trips, unless he was catheterized), his CK had
dropped to a still-elevated but no longer dangerous level. Thankfully,
this young man avoided serious injury.
Bear in mind, the dose of clenbuterol used was relatively low and
appeared to be similar to the protocols described in bodybuilding lore.
Yet, when combined with vigorous exercise, not to mention whether he
may have experienced some dehydration or been on a potentially kidney-
straining diet (e.g., very low-carbohydrate, very high-protein), he not
only experienced the cardiotoxic effects (e.g., rapid heart rate) but also
taxed his muscles so severely that they hit the “self-destruct” level of
overtraining. Had he not sought medical care so quickly, he may have
suffered permanent kidney damage.
REFERENCES:
1. George I, Xydas S, et al. Effect of clenbuterol on cardiac and skeletal muscle
function during left ventricular assist device support. J Heart Lung Transplant
2006;25:1084-90.
2. Spiller HA, James KJ, et al. A descriptive study of adverse events from clenbuterol
misuse and abuse for weight loss and bodybuilding. Subst Abus 2013;34:306-12.
3. Wu ML, Deng JF, et al. Late diagnosis of an outbreak of leanness-enhancing agent-
related food poisoning. Am J Emerg Med 2013;31:1501-3.
4. Hoffman RS, Kirrane BM, et al. A descriptive study of an outbreak of clenbuterol-
containing heroin. Ann Emerg Med 2008;52:548-53.
5. Grimmer NM, Gimbar RP, et al. Rhabdomyolysis Secondary to Clenbuterol Use
and Exercise. J Emerg Med 2015 Oct 5. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2015.09.006. [Epub, ahead
of print]
6. Hernández-Contreras ME, Torres-Roca M, et al. Rhabdomyolysis after initial
session of indoor cycling: analysis of 11 patients. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2015;55:1371-5.
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
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NUTRITION performance By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
Senior Science Editor

LOSE YOUR GUT:

TOP THERMOGENIC AND
10 BROWN FAT ACTIVATORS
The nutritional supplement world has seen its
fair share of “fat-burning” products claiming to
be able to reduce body fat by simply increasing
the rate at which fat is oxidized, or burned, within
the body. While this approach to a leaner body
seems pretty logical, it has one major draw-
back— as increasing the level of fatty acid oxida-
tion simply results in the production of more of
the energy-rich molecule ATP— which, at first
glance, may not seem problematic. However,
higher levels of ATP do not reduce body fat. In
fact, what it will do is trigger homeostatic mecha-
nisms within the body that will simply convert
this ATP surplus back into body fat within a
rather short period of time. So, the fundamental
problem with merely converting body fat into
ATP is that this process does not increase the
amount of energy expenditure— which is the
only valid way to reduce body fat.
Recent attempts to advance fat loss by
explicitly boosting energy expenditure have
included the use of several naturally occurring
compounds that target brown adipose tissue,
or brown fat. This type of fat, despite being fat
itself, has the unique capacity to reduce the other
type of fat, white adipose tissue, which is usually
referred to as body fat. Brown fat minimizes body
fat by activating a process known as thermogen-
esis that increases energy expenditure— which,
once again, is essential to minimize body fat.
Brown fat is able to increase energy expendi-
ture because it contains a different type of fat cell
that uncouples fat burning with ATP production,
converting the energy from fatty acid oxidation
into heat instead. Most cells within the body
can perform thermogenesis to varying degrees.
However, brown fat performs thermogenesis
most effectively— as each brown fat cell has
more fat-incinerating mitochondria that possess
a higher concentration of the UCP-1 protein that is
directly responsible for the thermogenic function
of uncoupling fat oxidation with ATP production.
As a result, brown fat has a greater capacity
than any other cell in the body to thermogeni-
cally burn more fat and uncouple this process to
energy production, ultimately increasing energy
expenditure and fat loss.
Thermogenesis in brown fat is typically trig-
gered by exposure to cold temperatures, as
thermogenically derived heat can be used to
warm up the body. Cold temperatures stimulate
the TRPV receptor within the brain, which trig-
gers the sympathetic nervous system, resulting
in the release of noradrenaline. The subsequent
interaction between adrenaline and the beta-
adrenergic receptors embedded within the cel-
lular membranes of brown fat initiates uncoupled
fatty acid oxidation or thermogenesis, generating
heat. While prolonged exposure to cold tempera-
tures for roughly two hours has been shown to
effectively trigger brown fat activity and fat loss1,
using this approach to lower body fat is rather
impractical, based on the considerable amount
of time necessary to trigger the fat-burning ca-
pacity of brown fat.
Many studies have shown that other mem-
bers of the TRPV family are activated outside of
the brain by various food-related compounds,
instead of cold temperatures. Some of these
compounds bind directly to TRPV receptors
within the oral cavity, similarly activating the
sympathetic nervous system and stimulat-
ing the thermogenic process within brown fat.
Other compounds have been identified that
also induce brown fat thermogenesis, either by
directly stimulating noradrenaline release or
activating the adrenergic receptors within brown
fat. Several other thermogenic compounds have
been identified that more directly enhance the
functional capacity of brown fat by increasing
UCP-1 production within the cell, effectively
improving the thermogenic process. Since all of
these compounds remove the requirement for
prolonged cold exposure, they represent a much
more practical way to generate thermogenic-
driven fat loss.
There are many different compounds that
trigger thermogenesis, with some being much
more effective than others. So, after countless
hours of scouring through the science, we’ve
compiled a list of the top 10 thermogenic supple-
ments that potently increase energy expendi-
ture, giving an uncommon ability to burn fat and
keep if off. Green tea extract containing con-
centrated catechins is not recommended in this
review, because of possible liver toxicity!

1.CAFFEINE RAISES YOUR THERMOGENIC BUZZ

Caffeine is best known as the active ingredient in coffee that stimu-
lates the central nervous system, impeding drowsiness and restoring alert-
ness. Caffeine is also a potent thermogenic compound. In fact, a single dose
of 100 milligrams of caffeine can increase thermogenically driven energy
expenditure by approximately 100 calories per day2, demonstrating that
regularly ingested doses of caffeine can have a significant influence on en-
ergy balance and fat loss.
P-SYNEPHRINE (FROM CITRUS AURANTIUM)
2. SAFELY BOOSTS THERMOGENIC FAT LOSS
P-Synephrine is an alkaloid found in bitter orange and other citrus
fruits including oranges and grapefruits3, and is widely used for weight
management. Studies show that P-synephrine specifically binds to beta-3
adrenergic receptors found in brown fat.4 This class of adrenergic receptor
explicitly activates thermogenesis within brown fat. In line with this finding,
P-synephrine has been shown to elicit a thermogenic effect by increasing
resting metabolic rate in humans, with no adverse impact on heart rate or
blood pressure, which typically occurs by activating the beta-1 and beta-2
adrenergic receptors.5
DOPAMINE ACTIVATORS: TYROSINE AND
3. L-DOPA (FROM MUCUNA PRURIENS) DRIVE
THERMOGENESIS
Consumption of the dopamine precursors tyrosine and L-Dopa increases
dopamine production and function.6,7,8 The neurotransmitter dopamine
regulates neurons that initiate the thermogenic process. In fact, energy
expenditure was shown to increase in subjects infused with dopamine in a
dose-dependent manner, where greater levels of dopamine increased the
amount of energy expenditure.9 Consequently, the capability of tyrosine and
L-Dopa to increase dopamine levels should produce a robust thermogenic
effect, supporting considerable fat loss.

74 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 URSOLIC ACID INCREASES
4. BAT LEVELS FOR ENHANCED
THERMOGENESIS
Another powerful approach that exploits
the thermogenic potential of brown fat involves
increasing the amount of brown fat in the body.
A compound found in many fruits and herbs,
known as ursolic acid, has recently been shown to
increase brown fat levels.10 Ursolic acid has also
been shown to increase the expression of UCP-1,
effectively increasing the thermogenic capacity
of brown fat. This combined action gives ursolic
acid the unique capacity to increase both the
activity and quantity of brown fat, providing an
extraordinary capacity to increase thermogeni-
cally driven energy expenditure and consider-
able fat loss.
BILE ACIDS ACTIVATE THER-
5. MOGENESIS BY STIMULATING
THYROID HORMONE ACTIVITY
Bile acids typically emulsify fat for improved
digestion. The use of bile acids as a supplement
also provides resistance to diet-induced obesity
by upregulating thyroid hormone function, which
boosts thermogenesis in brown fat.11 More precise-
ly, bile acids have the capacity to bind to the TGR-
5 receptor embedded in the cellular membrane of
brown fat. The interaction between bile acids and
the TGR-5 receptor escalates the expression of the
enzyme deiodinase, which catalyzes the produc-
tion of the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine
or T3. Greater T3 results in the stimulation of
UCP-1 production, which enhances brown fat ther-
mogenesis.
6 ,7.KAEMPFEROL AND OLEURO-
PEIN–POLYPHENOLS THAT
IMPROVE THYROID FUNCTION
AND FAT BURNING
A wide variety of polyphenolic compounds also
enhance thermogenic fat loss. One of the more
potent being oleuropein, a polyphenolic found in
extra-virgin olive oil, which can enhance noradren-
aline secretion and increase UCP-1 in brown fat,
For most of Michael Rudolph’s career he has been engrossed
in the exercise world as either an athlete (he played college
football at Hofstra University), personal trainer or as a research
scientist (he earned a B.Sc. in Exercise Science at Hofstra Uni-
versity and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from
Stony Brook University). After earning his Ph.D., Michael inves-
tigated the molecular biology of exercise as a fellow at Harvard
Medical School and Columbia University for over eight years. That
research contributed seminally to understanding the function of
the incredibly important cellular energy sensor AMPK— leading
to numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals including the
journal Nature. Michael is currently a scientist working at the New
York Structural Biology Center doing contract work for the Depart-
ment of Defense on a project involving national security.
REFERENCES:
1. Yoneshiro T, Aita S, et al. Brown adipose tissue, whole-body
energy expenditure, and thermogenesis in healthy adult men. Obesity
(Silver Spring) 2011;19, 13-16.
2. Dulloo AG, Geissler CA, et al. Normal caffeine consumption:
influence on thermogenesis and daily energy expenditure in lean and
postobese human volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr 1989;49, 44-50.
3. Nelson BC, Putzbach K, et al. Mass spectrometric determination
of the predominant adrenergic protoalkaloids in bitter orange (Citrus
aurantium). J Agric Food Chem 2007;55, 9769-9775.
4. Shannon JR, Gottesdiener K, et al. Acute effect of ephedrine on
24-h energy balance. Clin Sci (Lond) 1999;96, 483-491.
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
triggering thermogenesis.12 Another polyphenolic
with remarkable thermogenic properties isolated
from different sources such as tea, broccoli and
grapefruit is the compound kaempferol. This
compound uniquely activates the thermogenic
process in muscle cells. All cells have the ca-
pacity to burn fat and expend energy via ther-
mogenesis. Kaempferol also stimulates thyroid
hormone production, which stimulates thermo-
genesis in brown fat13, giving kaempferol the
unusual capability to activate thermogenesis in
different cell types within the body, which most
certainly contributes to its robust fat-scorching
capacity.
SPICES: CAPSAICIN, PIPERINE,
8.GINGER (GINGEROLS), CINNA-
MON (CINNAMALDEHYDE)
Capsaicin is the spice found in chili peppers
that contributes to the hot and spicy flavor of
the chili pepper. Capsaicin directly binds and
activates the TRPV1 receptor within the oral cav-
ity— which releases noradrenaline, boosting
thermogenesis in brown fat. Several studies have
shown that a single ingestion of capsaicin can
activate brown fat thermogenesis14,15, while longer
term ingestion of roughly six weeks increased
thermogenesis in brown fat, resulting in reduced
body fat.16 Interestingly, this six-week study also
showed thermogenic activity in brown fat contrib-
uted significantly to fat loss in individuals who
had an extremely low amount of brown fat before
the study began, which strongly suggests that
long-term intake of capsaicin can also increase
the amount of brown fat in the body.
Three more spices— piperine, the spicy com-
pound from black pepper; cinnamaldehyde, the
pungent ingredient in cinnamon; and gingerol,
the active constituent in ginger— also strongly
induce thermogenic fat loss. Like capsaicin, pip-
erine and gingerol activate the TRPV1 receptor
while cinnamaldehyde activates the TRPA1 recep-
tor, a member within the TRPV1 family of recep-
tors. Activation of this family of receptors triggers
thermogenic energy expenditure in a similar
5. Stohs SJ, Preuss HG, et al. Effects of p-synephrine alone and in
combination with selected bioflavonoids on resting metabolism, blood
pressure, heart rate and self-reported mood changes. Int J Med Sci
2015;8, 295-301.
6. Hull KM and Maher TJ. Effects of L-tyrosine on mixed-acting
sympathomimetic-induced pressor actions. Pharmacol Biochem Behav
1992;43, 1047-1052.
7. Tharakan B, Dhanasekaran M, et al. Anti-Parkinson botanical
Mucuna pruriens prevents levodopa induced plasmid and genomic
DNA damage. Phytother Res 2007;21, 1124-1126.
8. Katzenschlager R, Evans A, et al. Mucuna pruriens in Parkinson’s
disease: a double blind clinical and pharmacological study. J Neurol
Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75, 1672-1677.
9. Ruttimann Y, Schutz Y, et al. Thermogenic and metabolic effects
of dopamine in healthy men. Crit Care Med 1991;19, 1030-1036.
10. Kunkel SD, Elmore CJ, et al. Ursolic acid increases skeletal
muscle and brown fat and decreases diet-induced obesity, glucose
intolerance and fatty liver disease. PLoS One 2012;7, e39332.
11. Watanabe M, Houten SM, et al. Bile acids induce energy expen-
diture by promoting intracellular thyroid hormone activation. Nature
2006;439, 484-489.
12. Oi-Kano Y, Kawada T, et al. Oleuropein, a phenolic compound
in extra virgin olive oil, increases uncoupling protein 1 content in brown
adipose tissue and enhances noradrenaline and adrenaline secretions
in rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 2008;54, 363-370.
13. da-Silva WS, Harney JW, et al. The small polyphenolic molecule
kaempferol increases cellular energy expenditure and thyroid hormone
activation. Diabetes 2007;56, 767-776.
fashion to capsaicinoids17,18, which ultimately
depletes body fat in a similarly powerful way. For
best results, take quick-release supplements of
capsaicin. Coated or delayed-release capsaicin
may not be as effective because they bypass
TRPV1 receptors in the stomach and upper gas-
trointestinal tract.
(FROM COLEUS
9.FORSKOLIN
FORSKOHLII)
Forskolin is a chemical produced by the Indian
coleus plant that activates the enzyme adeny-
lyl cyclase within brown fat, resulting in greater
cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. Increased levels
of cAMP in brown fat cells also occur when
noradrenaline binds to the beta-adrenergic
receptor, triggering thermogenesis. Therefore,
the ability of forskolin to increase cAMP levels
in brown fat also enhances thermogenesis. In
fact, it has been reported that hamsters and
rats given forskolin increased oxygen con-
sumption and thermogenic activity of brown
fat.19 Furthermore, forskolin does not interact
with beta-receptors in brown fat cells like
noradrenaline does20, indicating that forskolin
could have an additive impact on thermo-
genesis when taken with other thermogenic
compounds that directly trigger noradrenaline
release and beta-adrenergic production of
cAMP— producing superior levels of thermo-
genic fat loss.
10.MELATONIN
Melatonin is a hormone secreted by
the pineal gland in the brain that regulates the
sleep/wake cycle, helping you fall asleep. Mela-
tonin is also involved in energy metabolism and
bodyweight control. Many studies show that
melatonin reduces bodyweight and abdominal
fat21 without eating less or increasing physical
activity. Conceivably, melatonin reduces fat with-
out decreasing food consumption or physical
activity by activating thermogenesis in brown
fat22, which increases energy expenditure and
thus fat loss. ■
14. Yoneshiro T, Aita S, et al. Nonpungent capsaicin analogs (cap-
sinoids) increase energy expenditure through the activation of brown
adipose tissue in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;95, 845-850.
15. Saito M and Yoneshiro T. Capsinoids and related food ingre-
dients activating brown fat thermogenesis and reducing body fat in
humans. Curr Opin Lipidol 2013;24, 71-77.
16. Yoneshiro T, Aita S, et al. Recruited brown adipose tissue as an
antiobesity agent in humans. J Clin Invest 2013;123, 3404-3408.
17. Yoneshiro T and Saito M. Transient receptor potential activated
brown fat thermogenesis as a target of food ingredients for obesity
management. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2013;16, 625-631.
18. McNamara FN, Randall A and Gunthorpe MJ. Effects of piperine,
the pungent component of black pepper, at the human vanilloid recep-
tor (TRPV1). Br J Pharmacol 2005;144, 781-790.
19. Scarpace PJ and Matheny M. Thermogenesis in brown adipose
tissue with age: post-receptor activation by forskolin. Pflugers Arch
1996;431, 388-394.
20. Zhao J, Cannon B and Nedergaard J. alpha1-Adrenergic stimula-
tion potentiates the thermogenic action of beta3-adrenoreceptor-gener-
ated cAMP in brown fat cells. J Biol Chem 1997;272, 32847-32856.
21. Wolden-Hanson T, Mitton DR, et al. Daily melatonin administra-
tion to middle-aged male rats suppresses body weight, intraabdominal
adiposity, and plasma leptin and insulin independent of food intake and
total body fat. Endocrinology 2000;141, 487-497.
22. Tan DX, Manchester LC, et al. Significance and application of
melatonin in the regulation of brown adipose tissue metabolism: rela-
tion to human obesity. Obes Rev 2011;12, 167-188.
MD 75
SUPPLEMENT performance
THE FACTS ON
AGMATINE SULFATE:
A supplement ingredient that has popped
up in just about every pre-workout, agmatine
sulfate, makes me wonder: how powerful is this
ingredient? It’s in nearly 100 products online.
The home page of Bodybuilding.com says that
agmatine sulfate “may help promote nitric oxide
production, aid in post-workout recovery and
improve metabolic function.” Does the science
“Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, potentially bringing
more blood and thus nutrients to the muscle for intense
training and muscle growth.”
76 MD
support these assertions? In this month’s
Supplement Performance, we will review the
scientific literature on agmatine sulfate and you
can decide if it lives up to the hype.
Agmatine occurs naturally in plants, fish and
animal products; even the microbes in your GI
tract can make agmatine. Agmatine sulfate is a
naturally occurring metabolite of the conditionally
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
By Victor R. Prisk, M.D.
@victorprisk on Twitter
essential amino acid L-arginine. It is
“decarboxylated” L-arginine. It may
show up on your supplement label
as 1-(4-aminobutyl)-guanidine. It may
even show up in fermented foods like
beer or wine.1
Like many products of amino
acid metabolism, agmatine can
act like a signaling molecule or
neurotransmitter. Agmatine can be
absorbed by the gut and apparently
crosses the blood-brain barrier,
at least in rodents.2 The limited
human clinical data on agmatine
suggests that it really isn’t toxic, and
may be an adjunctive therapy for
people with neuropathic pain (like
from a herniated disk) or people
overcoming drug addiction.3,4 Another
small clinical case study of three
patients suggested that agmatine
supplementation could act as an
antidepressant.5
So, is agmatine sulfate found
in pre-workout supplements for its
ability to reduce nerve pain and
depression? Certainly, these are
statements that can’t be legally
made by supplement companies
because their products can’t be
advertised to “diagnose, treat or
prevent any disease.” As you will
see, it is probably because of its
derivation from L-arginine and
misinterpretation of the scientific
literature that it has been so popular.
It has a good name on a label, and a
great pedigree from L-arginine. Does
that count?
L-arginine is well known for its
role in the production of nitric oxide
(NO) and growth hormone release,
when given by intravenous dosing.
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) converts
arginine into NO and citrulline.
NO is touted in the bodybuilding
world as the “bringer of the pump.”
Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels,
potentially bringing more blood
and thus nutrients to the muscle for
intense training and muscle growth.
Furthermore, NO has cellular effects
that help you adapt to exercise.
Unfortunately, there are zero
studies in the published literature on
the ability of agmatine to help nitric
oxide production, aid in recovery
or improve metabolic function, as
the website says. Rodent studies
show that agmatine actually inhibits
the “inducible” form of NOS, thus
reducing NO levels in tissues.6
At best, agmatine might be considered a modulator of NO and not workouts? Improve strength? Build muscle? Burn fat? None of these
specifically an enhancer of NO production. questions can be answered in the affirmative. Show me the science!
One study by researchers Gilad and Gilad demonstrated that
consuming agmatine at a dose of 2.67 grams per day (three tablets of Dr. Victor Prisk is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon and IFBB professional
bodybuilder in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Prisk is an active member of the GNC Medical Advisory
445 milligrams, twice per day) was safe when taken up to five years.7
Board and creator of the “G.A.I.N. Plan.” He is an NCAA All-American gymnast, champion
Periodic blood work and physical exams demonstrated no “significant” swing dancer and NPC Welterweight National Champion.
adverse events. I mention the researchers’ names for a particular reason.
These researchers have obtained patents for agmatine and have done REFERENCES:
human research on this ingredient. Dr. Gilad was quoted by the online 1. Galgano F, et al. Focused review: agmatine in fermented foods. Front Microbiol
news service NutraIngredients-USA as saying, “That agmatine is touted 2012;Jun 7;3:199.
2. Li YF, et al. Antidepressant-like effect of agmatine and its possible mechanism. Eur J
for bodybuilding, is completely unsubstantiated and is backed by outright Pharmacol 2003;May 23;469(1-3):81-8.
false claims.”
“At best, agmatine Until a research study
3. Keynan O, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Dietary Agmatine Sulfate in Lumbar
Disc-associated Radiculopathy. An Open-label, Dose-escalating Study Followed by a
might be considered is performed in an exercise
model, or examines its effect
Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial. Pain Med 2010;Mar;11(3):356-68.
4. Molderings GJ and Haenisch B. Agmatine (decarboxylated L-arginine): physiological
a modulator of NO on perceived exertion in the role and therapeutic potential. Pharmacol Ther 2012;Mar;133(3):351-65.
5. Shopsin B. The clinical antidepressant effect of exogenous agmatine is not reversed
gym, supplement companies
and not specifically need to tread lightly on the
by parachlorophenylalanine: a pilot study. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2013;Apr;25(2):113-8.
6. Piletz JE, et al. Agmatine: clinical applications after 100 years in translation. Drug
an enhancer of NO claims being made for agmatine Discov Today 2013;Sep;18(17-18):880-93.
supplementation. Does agmatine 7. Gilad GM and Gilad VH. Long-term (5 years), high daily dosage of dietary agmatine -
production.” enhance pumps? Improve evidence of safety: a case report. J Med Food 2014;Nov;17(11):1256-9.

HORDENINE HYPE
By Victor R. Prisk, M.D @drvictorprisk on instagram

Hordenine (N,N-dimethyltyramine) is a are absolutely no studies on its safety or

stimulant that is found in some fat burners and
pre-workout supplements. It is a compound
found in quite a few plants, algae and fungi—
including barley, malt, bitter orange and cacti.
With it being in barley and malt, it can even be
found in small amounts in beer.
Chocolate, alcoholic beverages and fermented
foods like cheeses contain the precursor to
hordenine, tyramine. Tyramine has the ability
to potentiate drugs called monoamine oxidase
inhibitors (MAOIs). Tyramine can cause a release
of the hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine
(adrenalin), increasing blood pressure, heart
rateand respiratory rate. Since MAOIs prevent
the breakdown of these hormones, a potentiation
by tyramine can be very dangerous— resulting
in a hypertensive crisis that could cause a stroke
or heart attack. Fortunately, there are therapeutic
alternatives to these antidepressants, and the
Parkinson’s MAOIs are more specific and aren’t
affected by tyramine at low doses.
Luckily, hordenine only interacts with a
subset of monoamine oxidase and doesn’t share
the same risk as tyramine. However, in a study
where horses were injected with hordenine, they
experienced respiratory distress, rapid heart
rate and increased body temperature lasting
less than 30 minutes.1 The same study showed
no effect when the hordenine was given at the
same dose orally to the animals.
So, that makes me wonder what the studies
say about the safety of hordenine in humans.
Well, that’s where things get a little sticky for
hordenine as a nutritional supplement. There
effectiveness. (Sound familiar? see above).
In fact, a very similar compound with one
less methyl group, N-methyltyramine, had
very different metabolic effects in humans
than would be expected of an alkaloid of its
kind.2 N-methyltyramine actually inhibits the
breakdown and release of fats (lipolysis) and
increases appetite.
Further, both compounds appear to stimulate
the release of gastrin in the gut.2 Gastrin is the
hormone that promotes the production and
release of acid in the stomach. If you have a
history of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or
ulcers, hordenine can be a disaster— leading
to deadly gastrointestinal bleeding. If that isn’t
bad enough, using hordenine as a supplement
could result in a false-positive test for opiates on
a drug screen.3 If you are going in for a new job
drug screen in the near future, stay away from
this compound. If it is too late, insist that the REFERENCES:
employer does a confirmatory GC/MS or HPLC 1. Frank M, et al. Hordenine: pharmacology,
(the lab will know what that is). pharmacokinetics and behavioural effects in the horse. Equine
Vet J 1990;Nov;22(6):437-41.
The bottom line is that hordenine has no 2. Stohs SJ, Hartman MJ. A review of the receptor binding
science to back it up as a component of any and pharmacological effects of N-methyltyramine. Phytother
supplement. It could be dangerous, it could be Res 2015;Jan;29(1):14-6.
toxic, it could make you fat and it could eat a hole 3. Singh AK, et al. Screening and confirmation of drugs
in urine: interference of hordenine with the immunoassays
in your stomach— but it may not do anything at and thin layer chromatography methods. Forensic Sci Int
all but burn a hole in your wallet. ■ 1992;Apr;54(1):9-22.
It could be dangerous, it could be toxic, it could make you
fat and it could eat a hole in your stomach— but it may not
do anything at all but burn a hole in your wallet.

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 77

MUSCLE GROWTH update By Michael J.Rudolph, Ph.D.
Senior Science Editor

THE OPTIMAL TIMING

OF
CREATINE CONSUMPTION
The use of creatine monohydrate as a
nutritional supplement has been shown
“If you are looking to
time and again to promote superior gains in preferentially boost
muscle mass and strength, especially when muscle mass, try using a
combined with weight training.1,2 It is the
ability of creatine to function as a primary heavier dose of creatine
energy storage molecule that rapidly reverses post-workout.”
the depletion of energy (ATP) within the
muscle cell during exercise, which ultimately
recharges energy levels within the muscle
cell, promoting greater muscular performance
and strength.3 Creatine also increases calcium
uptake into the muscle cell.4 Since calcium
facilitates the interaction between the two
muscle proteins actin and myosin, and it is
the interaction between actin and myosin
that generates muscular contraction, a
greater amount of calcium within the muscle
cell increases actin-myosin interaction—
augmenting muscular contraction force and
therefore strength. The capacity of creatine
to trigger muscle hypertrophy stems, in large
part, from its ability to stimulate new muscle
cell formation5, increase muscle protein
synthesis6 and decrease production of the
muscle-depleting molecule myostatin7, while
increasing production of certain muscle-
building hormones such as testosterone8 and
insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).9

IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING

The timing of creatine intake relative to
training appears to be an important factor
contributing to the previously mentioned
ergogenic effects.10 For instance, one study
by Cribb et al.11 showed that consumption
of six grams of creatine monohydrate for
10 weeks, both before and after resistance
training, resulted in larger increases in
muscle mass relative to a second group
that simply consumed creatine in the
morning and evening, with no consideration
of the consumption of creatine relative to
the time of training. In addition, a second
investigation by Antonio et al.12 compared the
different impact of consuming five grams of
creatine monohydrate immediately before
or immediately after weight training for four
weeks. Interestingly, they found a greater
increase in muscle mass and strength within
the group that consumed creatine after weight
training, compared to the group that ingested
creatine right before training.
POST-EXERCISE CREATINE
CONSUMPTION MORE POTENTLY
BOOSTS GAINS IN MUSCLE
MASS
While both of these studies strongly
indicate that the timing of creatine intake is
important, neither study utilized a control
group that performed weight training while
consuming a placebo that did not contain
creatine monohydrate. The absence of
this control group makes it more difficult to
conclude that creatine intake right before
and/or after training produced relatively
greater gains in muscle size and strength.
In order to address this limitation, a more
recent study by Candow et al. looked at
the influence of consuming eight grams of
creatine immediately before or after resistance
training sessions, while incorporating a
control group that consumed a creatine-
free placebo— providing an opportunity to
decipher if the timing of creatine consumption
alone influences its performance-enhancing
qualities.13
The results of the above study were similar
to the Antonio et al.12 study, as subjects
consuming creatine immediately following
weight training experienced a greater
increase in muscle mass than participants
who engaged in resistance training while
consuming creatine before training, or subjects
within the control group that lifted weights but
did not use creatine at all. On the other hand,
this study contradicted the Antonio et al.12
study, as it found no significant difference in
strength gains between pre-exercise and post-

78 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 PERFORMANCE TRAINING spotlight By Alan Golnick

THE LYNX BOARD

GET ON BOARD
WITH THE
LYNX BOA D
We are always on the lookout for new and innovative training methods and products that
deliver results and are easy to use. When we heard about the Lynx Board from Lynx Fitness,
and its unique friction training, this caught our eye and our team had to give it a “test drive.”
We found the Lynx Board appealing for a number of reasons.
‘AN AWESOME WORKOUT!’
• The Lynx Board allowed us to get an effective, full-body workout whenever we want,
wherever we want. That’s because the Lynx Board is totally portable and storage is easy,
so we were able to set it up in minutes, at home. No more rushing to the gym first thing in
the morning or trying to juggle 10 different projects at once, with fitness (hopefully) being
one of them.
ABOUT THE LYNX BOARD
• The Lynx Board delivered a virtually no-impact workout, which was a welcome relief com-
The Lynx Board is a simple yet effective fitness tool
pared to the pounding our bodies can take after being on some cardio machines at the gym.
that unlocks the power of friction training, a multifunctional
• Friction technology allowed us to control the intensity of our workout, depending on how
and easy method that uses your bodyweight. The Lynx
much pressure we applied. With the Lynx Board, we really felt like we were in the driver’s seat,
Board consists of a rectangular plate measuring 55” by 40”
training at a pace that was comfortable for us.
(140 cm x 100 cm) with pads. With the Lynx Board, you are
“What an awesome workout!” is how one of our staffers put it after trying out the Lynx
training with a carefully tested friction between a plate and
Board. “All of my muscles were sore, and I could feel my core being worked— and the
a set of pads.
Lynx Board did wonders for my posture and balance. Not a very long workout, but still a
The Lynx Board’s friction training is similar to the
great workout.”
sensation that a skater feels as he or she streaks across a
Our results with the Lynx Board prove that it’s not the quantity of time you train that really
frozen pond. The patented Lynx Board surface responds to
matters, but rather the quality of your workout.
your bodyweight by increasing the intensity of the workout
proportionately to the pressure you exert.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS In one single exercise, you are activating several muscle
There are two product lines, one recommended for private use and travel (the Lynx Travel
groups along horizontal, vertical, rotational and diagonal
Board) and one recommended for home/studio/gym use (the Lynx Home/Gym Board).
vectors without the use of weights. The Lynx Board is a
Whether you are the dedicated fitness enthusiast, one who exercises part time or the
great tool for functional strength training, and it’s also a
weekend warrior, friction training with the Lynx Board is the ideal, time-efficient and effective
great dynamic stretching tool, allowing flexibility training
method to reach your goal— whether it is to build muscle, burn fat, lose weight, improve core
during strength exercises.
fitness or improve performance.
For more information, visit
VIRTUALLY NO IMPACT
www.lynxfitness.om.
As a result of the Lynx Board’s resistance-controlled
friction, there is virtually no impact, which makes the
training advantageous for people recovering from injury
or who have chronic joint problems such as osteoarthritis.
Friction makes the precise control of movement easy to
maintain, and range of motion cannot exceed the user’s
level of muscular performance. You control your training
and the outcome of it by using a combination of load and
movement.

IMPROVE CORE STABILITY

AND PERFORMANCE
The Lynx Board’s patented friction surface and training
method provides better improvement in your core stability,
mobility, balance, control and coordination. It also offers
increased performance, improves posture and greatly
reduces the chance of injury. Friction training with the Lynx
Board utilizes free motion, full-body movements that can
help anyone of almost any age develop core strength and
become faster, stronger, more agile and more explosive. ■

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 79

 MUSCLE GROWTH update
exercise consumption of creatine, indicating
that the timing of creatine solely influences
muscle hypertrophy, while consuming creatine
either before or after training equivalently
boosts strength.
The authors of the study went on to
speculate that the relatively larger increase
in muscle mass from post-exercise creatine
supplementation might be due to the
simultaneous increase of creatine in the blood,
as creatine levels tend to peak around one
to two hours after ingestion, along with the
increased blood flow to the working muscle
groups brought on by resistance training, as
muscular contraction increases blood flow to
muscle tissue14 for roughly one to two hours.15
Consequently, the synchronized increase in
creatine levels and muscular blood flow should
boost the supply of creatine-loaded blood to
the working muscle groups, enhancing creatine
uptake into the targeted muscle tissue—
ultimately triggering superior gains in muscle
mass.
COUNTERS MUSCLE CATABOLISM
AT THE RIGHT TIME
While the exact cellular mechanisms
generating the preferential increase in muscle
growth from post-exercise consumption of
creatine are not clearly understood, the higher
amount of intramuscular creatine caused
by post-exercise consumption appears to
more specifically stimulate superior muscle
growth by more effectively increasing the
level of cellular hydration within the muscle
cell, improving muscle protein synthesis.16,17,18
The capacity of post-exercise creatine
consumption to raise intramuscular creatine
precisely one to two hours after weight
training, improving cellular hydration and
muscle protein synthesis, most certainly
enhances the specific capacity to pack on
muscle mass, especially when considering
the fact that weightlifting tends to trigger the
catabolic breakdown of muscle protein for
several hours after training. Therefore, post-
exercise creatine consumption should be
able to uniquely counter the catabolic impact
of resistance training by increasing the rate
of muscle protein synthesis at just the right
time, ultimately promoting an accumulation of
muscle protein and therefore muscle growth.
In conclusion, the science shows that the intake
of creatine monohydrate after weight training
tends to promote greater muscle growth. Yet
the scientific data also shows no significant
difference in strength gains when comparing
pre-exercise and post-exercise creatine use,
as subjects who consume approximately five
to 10 grams of creatine monohydrate per day
tend to show similarly impressive levels of
strength enhancement, regardless of the timing
of creatine ingestion. So, because creatine
monohydrate is pretty inexpensive, very safe
80 MD
to use and most of us are trying to increase
muscle size and strength, I recommend for the
average user to consume approximately three
to five grams of creatine monohydrate before
and after hitting the weight room, in order to
maximize the capacity to pack on both muscle
mass and strength. That said, if you are
looking to preferentially boost muscle mass, try
using a heavier dose of creatine post-workout
to more precisely improve your propensity to
gain lean body mass. ■
For most of Michael Rudolph’s career he has been
engrossed in the exercise world as either an athlete (he played
college football at Hofstra University), personal trainer or as
a research scientist (he earned a B.Sc. in Exercise Science at
Hofstra University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology from Stony Brook University). After earning his Ph.D.,
Michael investigated the molecular biology of exercise as a
fellow at Harvard Medical School and Columbia University
for over eight years. That research contributed seminally to
understanding the function of the incredibly important cellular
energy sensor AMPK— leading to numerous publications in
peer-reviewed journals including the journal Nature. Michael
is currently a scientist working at the New York Structural
Biology Center doing contract work for the Department of
Defense on a project involving national security.
REFERENCES:
1. McNaughton LR, Dalton B and Tarr J. The effects
of creatine supplementation on high-intensity exercise
performance in elite performers. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup
Physiol 1998;78, 236-240.
2. Tipton KD and Wolfe RR. Protein and amino acids for
athletes. J Sports Sci 2004;22, 65-79.
3. Bemben MG and Lamont H.S. Creatine supplementation
and exercise performance: recent findings. Sports Med
2005;35, 107-125.
4. Bazzucchi I, Felici F and Sacchetti M. Effect of short-term
creatine supplementation on neuromuscular function. Med Sci
Sports Exerc 2009;41, 1934-1941.
5. Willoughby DS and Rosene J.M. Effects of oral creatine
and resistance training on myogenic regulatory factor
expression. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2003;35, 923-929.
6. Willoughby DS and Rosene J. Effects of oral creatine and
resistance training on myosin heavy chain expression. Med Sci
Sports Exerc 2001;33, 1674-1681.
7. Volek JS, Duncan ND, et al. Performance and muscle fiber
adaptations to creatine supplementation and heavy resistance
training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999;31, 1147-1156.
8. van der Merwe J, Brooks NE and Myburgh KH. Three
weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects
dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby
players. Clin J Sport Med 2009;19, 399-404.
9. Hoffman J, Ratamess N, et al. Effect of creatine and
beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine
responses in strength/power athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc
Metab 2006;16, 430-446.
10. Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, et al. Effect of ceasing
creatine supplementation while maintaining resistance training
in older men. J Aging Phys Act 2004;12, 219-231.
11. Cribb PJ and Hayes A. Effects of supplement timing and
resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci
Sports Exerc 2006;38, 1918-1925.
12. Antonio J and Ciccone V. The effects of pre versus post
workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body
composition and strength. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2013;10, 36.
13. Candow DG, Vogt E, et al. Strategic creatine
supplementation and resistance training in healthy older
adults. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2015;40, 689-694.
14. Harris RC, Soderlund K and Hultman E. Elevation of
creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by
creatine supplementation. Clin Sci (Lond) 1992;83, 367-374.
15. Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, et al. Timing of amino acid-
carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to
resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001;281,
E197-206.
16. Haussinger D, Hallbrucker C, et al. Cell swelling inhibits
proteolysis in perfused rat liver. Biochem J 1990;272, 239-242.
17. Haussinger D, Roth E, et al. Cellular hydration state:
an important determinant of protein catabolism in health and
disease. Lancet 1993;341, 1330-1332.
18. Millar ID, Barber MC, et al. Mammary protein synthesis
is acutely regulated by the cellular hydration state. Biochem
Biophys Res Commun 1997;230, 351-355.
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
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April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 81

 THE M.A.X. muscle plan
IS THERE A PLACE FOR
BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION TRAINING
IN A BODYBUILDING ROUTINE?
When it comes to maximizing muscle de-
velopment, everyone’s looking for an edge.
Bodybuilders are constantly experimenting
with various specialized techniques designed
to take muscularity to that next level. One such
technique that’s been making its way into the
routines of many hardcore lifters is blood flow
restriction (BFR) training.
In case you’re not aware, BFR involves oc-
cluding circulation of the working muscle by
binding an implement around the limb(s) and
then performing dynamic exercise. The goal
here is to impede venous circulation while
maintaining arterial flow. This allows blood to
pool in the muscle without escaping, thereby
creating an enhanced anabolic environment.
By no means is BFR a new technique. Japa-
nese researchers and athletes have used BFR
for over two decades, with several hundred
published studies to date conducted on its ef-
ficacy. Research on the topic is intriguing.
BFR TRAINING AND
MUSCLE GROWTH
There is compelling evidence that BFR can
promote increases in muscle growth. Simply
restricting circulation with an inflatable cuff
for five bouts of five minutes twice a day was
sufficient to preserve leg muscle mass in sub-
jects immobilized in a cast for 14 days.4 These
results proved more effective than targeted
isometric contractions of knee and ankle mus-
culature! What’s more, BFR in combination with
treadmill walk training increased thigh muscle
cross-sectional area by four to seven percent
after just three weeks in a cohort of untrained
young men1 — pretty impressive, considering
that walking isn’t exactly a classic hypertrophy
exercise.
The effects of BFR when combined with re-
sistance training are even more notable. A 2011
meta-analysis found that lifting weights with
light loads in combination with BFR substan-
tially increased muscle mass.6 Moreover, gains
were approximately equal to that seen with tra-
ditional heavy loading! A caveat to these find-
ings was that only one of the studies meeting
inclusion criteria used resistance-trained sub-
jects. Moreover, none of the protocols directly
compared BFR to a traditional bodybuilding-
type of training protocol, nor did any evaluate
82 MD
“There is compelling
evidence that BFR can
promote increases in
muscle growth.”
whether there was a benefit to combining BFR
with traditional training.
A couple of studies subsequently have been
published that investigated the effects of incor-
porating BFR into a bodybuilding-type routine.
Yamanaka et al.13 reported an additional three
percent increase in chest girth when BFR was
combined with heavy resistance training in a
group of well-trained college football players.
Conversely, Luebbers et al.7 employed a similar
study design to that of Yamanka, but found no
additive benefit on thigh, chest or arm girth.
The issue with both of these studies was the
use of circumference measurements as a proxy
for muscular growth, which can have a high
degree of measurement error. Bottom line is
that we need more research with better hyper-
trophy measures to draw proper conclusions on
the topic.
By Brad Schoenfeld,
Ph.D, CSCS, FNSCA
METABOLITES HEIGHTEN
ANABOLIC PROCESSES
While the jury is still out as to whether add-
ing BFR to your routine will enhance results,
there is at least a good theoretical basis for
its use. You see, BFR causes large increases
in the accumulation of metabolic byproducts
such as lactate, inorganic phosphate and hy-
drogen ions. These metabolites are thought
to heighten anabolic processes by a variety of
mechanisms that include local growth factors,
reactive oxygen species, cell swelling and/
or systemic agents.9,10 And in the absence of
direct evidence, we defer to logical reasoning to
guide decision making.
The majority of research on BFR uses pneu-
matic cuffs and belts to occlude circulation.
These implements have gauges whereby the
extent of occlusion to the limb can be directly
standardized to a given pressure. The amount
of pressure is generally based on a systolic
blood pressure ranging from 160-230 mm Hg.
One little problem: the implements used in
research are very pricey, often costing several
thousand dollars.
ELASTIC KNEE WRAPS
The good news is that BFR can be inexpen-
sively employed by the use of elastic knee
wraps, which have been shown to be an ef-
fective alternative to pneumatic devices.12 The
width of the wraps is an important consider-
ation. Overly wide wraps impede arterial blood
flow at lower pressures compared to narrower
cuffs5, which ultimately causes you to fatigue
before you reach your target rep range. Not
surprisingly, this can have a negative impact on
muscular gains.2 A good rule of thumb is to opt
for a width of two inches. To ensure that you
maintain this approximate diameter, bind the
wraps as closely over one another as possible
so there is maximum overlap. It makes no differ-
ence what brand you buy; provided the wraps
are long enough to span your limbs several
times, you’re good to go.
The downside of using knee wraps is that
you can’t directly measure the pressure applied
to the limb. No worries. You can estimate the
extent of occlusion on a self-perceived scale of
one to 10, where one is no pressure at all and 10
is extreme discomfort. Aim for a perceived level
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 THE M.A.X. muscle plan
of discomfort of around seven or so. Resist the
urge to wrap too tightly as it will impede arterial
flow, reducing total training volume and thus neg-
atively affecting the hypertrophic response.3 After
several sessions, you should get the hang of the
scale and be able to implement it with precision.
Place the wraps as high as possible on the
limb(s) being trained, making sure not to cover
the working muscle. For the upper arms, this
means occluding at the level of the deltoid; for
the legs, wrap just beneath the gluteal fold.
BFR AS A ‘FINISHING’ TECHNIQUE
While there are a variety of ways to incor-
porate BFR into a hypertrophy-oriented routine,
one of the best strategies is as a “finishing”
technique. This entails performing your usual
workout and then finishing up with several sets
of BFR. Although you can employ occlusion
with virtually any exercise, it generally works
best in this fashion with single-joint movements
such as biceps curls, triceps pushdowns and
leg extensions. The loads should be light—
generally between 20 and 30 percent of your
one-repetition maximum (1RM). This should
result in attaining somewhere between 20-30
reps on the first set of a given exercise. Perform
an additional two or three sets thereafter for
as many reps as possible to failure. Keep rest
intervals short; no more than about 30 seconds
or so between sets. This heightens metabolic
stress as well as creating a substantial pump
that may help to stimulate additional growth.8
Importantly, don’t remove the wraps during rest
periods, as this decreases metabolic buildup
and thus inhibits anabolism.11
Summing up, BFR can be a worthy tech-
nique to add to your routine, particularly for
heightening growth in the arms and legs. One
or two sessions a week as a finishing exercise
is a good starting point. Monitor your progress
and adjust the volume and frequency accord-
ingly. ■
84 MD
BFR can be a
worthy tech-
nique to add to
your routine,
particularly for
heightening
growth in the
arms and legs.
Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., CSCS, FNSCA is widely regarded as
one of the leading authorities on training for muscle development
and fat loss. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed studies
on various exercise- and nutrition-related topics. He is also the
author of the best-selling book, The M.A.X. Muscle Plan, and runs
a popular website and blog at www.lookgreatnaked.com.
REFERENCES:
1. Abe T, Kearns CF and Sato Y. Muscle size and strength
are increased following walk training with restricted venous
blood flow from the leg muscle, Kaatsu-walk training. J Appl
Physiol 2006;100: 1460-1466.
2. Kacin A and Strazar K. Frequent low-load ischemic
resistance exercise to failure enhances muscle oxygen deliv-
ery and endurance capacity. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2011;21:
e231-41.
3. Krieger, JW. Single vs. multiple sets of resistance exer-
cise for muscle hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J. Strength Cond
Res 2010;24: 1150-1159.
4. Kubota A, Sakuraba K, et al. Prevention of disuse mus-
cular weakness by restriction of blood flow. Med Sci Sports
Exerc 2008;40: 529-534.
5. Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, et al. Effects of cuff width on arte-
rial occlusion: implications for blood flow restricted exercise.
Eur J Appl Physiol 2011. [Epub]
6. Loenneke JP, Wilson JM, et al. Low-intensity blood flow
restriction training: a meta-analysis. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011.
[Epub]
7. Luebbers PE, Fry AC, et al. The effects of a 7-week prac-
tical blood flow restriction program on well-trained collegiate
athletes. J Strength Cond Res 2014;28: 2270-2280.
8. Schoenfeld BJ and Contreras B. The muscle pump:
potential mechanisms and applications for enhancing hyper-
trophic adaptations. Strength Cond J 2014;36: 21-25.
9. Schoenfeld BJ. Potential mechanisms for a role of meta-
bolic stress in hypertrophic adaptations to resistance training.
Sports Med 2013;43: 179-194,.
10. Scott BR, Slattery KM and Dascombe BJ. Intermittent
hypoxic resistance training: Is metabolic stress the key mod-
erator? Med Hypotheses 2015;84: 145-149.
11. Suga T, Okita K, et al. Effect of multiple set on intra-
muscular metabolic stress during low-intensity resistance
exercise with blood flow restriction. Eur J Appl Physiol 2012;112:
3915-3920.
12. Wilson JM, Lowery RP, et al. Practical Blood Flow Re-
striction Training Increases Acute Determinants of Hypertro-
phy Without Increasing Indices of Muscle Damage. J Strength
Cond Res 2013; Nov;27(11):3068-75.
13. Yamanaka T, Farley RS and Caputo JL. Occlusion train-
ing increases muscular strength in division IA football players.
J Strength Cond Res 2012;26: 2523-2529.
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 SUPPLEMENT spotlight
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86 MD
By Team MD
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With Ami-NO Xpress, you’re armed for battle!
For more information, please visit www.scitecnutrition.com.
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 SUPPLEMENT COMPANY of the month By Team MD

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musculardevelopment.com April 2016 MD 87

BY RON HARRIS
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY MICHAEL NEVEUX

88 MD
DE
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 Branch Warren and Dennis
Wolf are indisputably two
of the best bodybuilders of
this generation. Between
them, they have 14 pro
wins including three Arnold
Classic titles, and an even
10 top-five finishes at the
Mr. Olympia. While their
physiques may be vastly
different in shape and
structure, they do have one
thing in common: excellent
leg development. I got
both of these IFBB veterans
to open up about all things
leg training. They agreed
on some subjects, and
begged to differ on others,
proving that there is more
than one way to build
monster legs.

BRANCH AND WOLF TALK

BIG-WHEEL BUILDING
DOUBLE LEG
VASTATION
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 89
 Are your training styles fairly similar? How about
specifically when it comes to leg training?
DW: We have completely different styles. Branch does a
lot more sets than I do in general. I train with less volume
for legs. If I did a lot more for them, they would be a lot
bigger, and throw off my balance. Another reason I don’t
do more is how sore I get. If I do more than three or four
exercises each for quads or hams, I can’t walk for two or
three days.
BW: I get sore, but not like that. I can’t say how different
the way I train legs is from what Dennis does, but I think
most guys at our level have pretty similar styles that we
have adapted to our own needs. I do more for my legs
because I just feel they need it. That’s the way I learned to
train them, and that’s the only way that feels right. It takes
a lot for my legs to really get that feeling that I’ve done
everything I could for them in any given workout. Legs
can take a beating.
Did either one of you pick up any tips from the
other?
DW: I don’t know about tips exactly, but Branch always
motivates me with his intensity. He is all about 100
percent effort and concentration. I wasn’t trying to learn
anything from him. We’re both pros. I know my body and
what I need to do at this point, and so does he. I trained
back with Branch and Flex Lewis before the Pittsburgh
show a couple of years ago. After three exercises, I was
done. I like to control the weight and squeeze the target
muscle more; Branch really doesn’t.

“My favorite training day is probably legs. It’s

the toughest and it hurts the most, so it’s the
biggest challenge. I love a challenge.” –Branch

90 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 “Legs are the toughest
thing to train. You’re never
going to throw up from
a hard arm workout. But
you can definitely puke
training legs.” –Dennis
BW: Like he said, we both know what our
bodies need. My style of training wouldn’t be the
best way for him, and vice versa. You do have to
try different things, but you also need to figure out
what works best for you and stick with it. That goes
for anything.
On a scale of one to 10, how much do you
enjoy training legs?
BW: Ten. My favorite training day is probably
legs. It’s the toughest and it hurts the most, so it’s
the biggest challenge. I love a challenge.
DW: When I’m heavy in the off-season, I hate
training legs. I get winded a lot more easily from
things like squats, hacks and leg presses. Let’s
say it’s a six then. When I’m in prep, everything
feels better. I’d say it’s a nine then. The difference
in my bodyweight isn’t even that much, which
is the funny thing. At 300 pounds, I am not too
comfortable. Once I get down to about 285, I can
breathe and move around a lot easier.
Do you get better leg workouts alone, or with
a training partner?
BW: It really depends on the partner. I’ve been
lucky to have two awesome training partners for
most of my career, Jay Moore and Johnnie Jackson.
When I was just a kid, I used to train with Brian
Dobson and Ronnie Coleman. But I have also had
some of my best leg workouts on my own, too. I’ve
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
made myself throw up a couple of times. As far as
a spotter, the only things I feel are critical for that
are heavy barbell presses for chest or shoulders. If
you have a power rack, you can squat on your own
“The leg press is
safely. If you get stuck, you just dump the bar on a very important
the pins.
DW: I find my workouts are always better with
exercise, because
a training partner. Amateurs are the best ones you can feel
for me, because as a pro, you don’t want to show
weakness in front of them. You never want to be the
different parts
one giving up because then they are like, aren’t of the quads
you the guy who has won the Arnold Classic and
been third at the Mr. Olympia? That’s all you got? working when you
(Laughs) At times, especially when you’re very
tired, it really helps to have someone pushing you,
change your foot
and more so on leg day. It’s the toughest workout of position closer or
all. And finally, it’s just a matter of being practical.
It’s a pain in the ass putting on all those plates
farther apart, or
and taking them off a leg press or a hack squat by higher or lower on
yourself. With two guys, it goes a lot quicker!
What would you say have been the top two
the platform. You
or three most productive exercises for your can even make
quads, and also for your hams?
BW: I would go with squats, hack squats, lying
the leg press work
leg curls and walking lunges. Lying and standing more hams and
leg curls for hams.
DW: For my quads, it’s been squats and hack glutes.” –Dennis
squats. I would say hacks have been just as
MD 91
 enough gas left in the tank to hit them right.
DW: I do them together in the off-season, but
when I am in prep I do them on different days. I
always did them together in my amateur days.
Once I turned pro, I started to have more time to
train.
Do you see any benefits to having separate
workouts for the quads and hams?
BW: Personally, I’ve tried it and I didn’t like it.
But if your hamstrings are really lagging, that’s
probably the way to go. You can feel the hams
better and get a better pump in them if you do
them in their own workout.
DW: Because my hams were lagging behind my
quads for a long time, I thought it might be a good
idea to do them on their own day. That worked out
pretty well.
How easy or difficult have calves come for
you?
BW: When I started lifting, all I had were big
calves. My mom has ‘em, too. They got bigger
when I started working them, but they were
already a good size to start with.
DW: Calves have always been a pain in the ass
for me! Right after I finish training them and they
are fully pumped, they actually look OK. Not great,
but not too bad. That’s in the off-season, though.

effective for me as squats. For hamstrings, stiff-leg

deadlifts and lying leg curls.
Do you train quads and hams together? Has
it always been that way?
BW: I do them in the same workout. For a couple
months I tried splitting those workouts up, but it
seemed like I was wasting a lot of time warming up
twice, when I only had to do that once if I trained
them together. By the time I’m done with quads,
my knees and lower back are really warm and I
move right into hams with no problem. I still have

BRANCH WARREN’S LEG WORKOUT

Leg Extensions 3 warm-ups: 20-25 reps, increasing weight
3 Drop Sets
stack x 25, cut to 2/3 stack for 20-25
4th Set same drop, then back to stack for partial reps
Leg Press 3 warm-ups: 15-20 reps, increasing weight
3 rest-pause sets: 30-40 reps, rest 3 seconds, 5 reps,
rest again, 5 reps, rest, 3 reps, rest, 3 reps, rest, 1 rep, rest, 1 rep
Hack Squats 4 x 10-15
Squats 5 sets, 8-10 reps, increasing weight
Lying Leg Curls 4 x 12
Standing One-leg Curls 4 x 12
Seated Leg Curls 4 x 12

92 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 DENNIS WOLF’S LEG WORKOUT
Tuesday: Quads
Squats 4 x 12
Leg Press or Hack Squat 4 x 12-15
Vertical Leg Press 4 x 12
Leg Extensions 4 x 12-15
Dumbbell Walking Lunges 3-4 sets of 10-15
steps per leg

Thursday: Hams
Seated Leg Curls 4 x 12
Lying Leg Curls 4 x 12
Standing One-leg Curls 4 x 10-12
Good Mornings
or Stiff-leg Deadlifts 3 x 10-12
Glute Kickback Machine 4 x 12

Every Other Day: Calves

Standing Calf Raises 8 sets of 10-15 reps
(increasing weight) “There’s nothing fun or easy about
Seated Calf Raises 6 sets of 8-12
(increasing weight)
training legs or back. Those days are
going to suck no matter what, if you’re
When I start dieting for a show, my calves are the doing it right. And those happen to
first thing to flatten out on me. I train them at every
workout now at the beginning, whether I am doing
be the two body parts you won’t ever
chest, arms, legs or whatever that day. Every few build unless you really bust your ass
weeks, I will take four to seven days off to let them
recover. My calves really aren’t that small, but they
and put out the effort.” –Branch
look small compared to my legs because I do have
pretty big legs. One of my calves is a lot smaller
than the other, as most people have noticed. I had
an MRI done on it two years ago, and they couldn’t
find anything wrong. I don’t know if it’s a nerve
injury or what. I keep foam rolling it and stretching
it, so hopefully I can at least get it back to matching
the other calf. I’m not giving up.
Do you train legs as hard now as you
ever did, or have you settled into more of a
maintenance mode with them?
BW: I’d say that I train them as hard now as I
ever did in my life, and definitely harder than I did
for a few years. I had to back off on legs for about
six years in all, so my upper body could catch up.
That whole time I still trained them hard, but only
once or twice a month. For almost a year before
I won the Nationals, I actually stopped working
legs completely. Now I train legs with Johnnie,
and Brian Dobson trains us. Brian comes up with
some absolutely brutal workouts. The only real
difference I see now is that it takes me a little
longer to recover from leg workouts. They seem to
take more out of me at 40 than they did at 20.
Ah, so you are a human being after all. How
about you, Dennis?
DW: I used to train my legs harder than I
do now. When I was younger, I needed to keep
building them up. They really don’t need to be any
bigger now. But at times, I do feel extra motivated
to do a tougher leg workout than usual. On those
days, I will do more sets and also some things like
drop sets and supersets.
Time to talk actual leg training, and I think
we need to start with squats. Give me a little
history on the role squats have played in your

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 93

 my knee really badly squatting in 2002, I stopped
going rock bottom. Since then, I just go down to
parallel. I don’t think you need to go any further
than that, and for a lot of guys it’s eventually going
to lead to knee problems. I do like to keep my
torso perfectly upright, with no forward lean at all.
I have tried doing front squats at a few points in
my career, but they hurt my shoulders. The other
big change from what I used to do before is that I
just don’t squat as heavy as I used to. Years ago, I
would go up to 500 pounds or even heavier. Now,
I usually don’t use more than 405, but I control the
reps very well and I feel the quads working from
top to bottom.
Does “the right form” on squats look
different for different people? Some try to say
that everyone should do them a certain way,
as in shoulder-width foot stance and exactly to
parallel. How did you arrive at the right form
for you?
BW: After doing this for over 27 years, here’s
what I say. Do whatever works for you. Find the
form that feels right. Put the bar where it feels
right, put your feet where they feel right, and
go down as low as feels right for you. Make all

“I consider squats to be the best total lower-body

exercise you can do. You get your quads, hams
and glutes all working hard. I guarantee you my
legs wouldn’t look the way they do if it hadn’t
been for squatting all these years.” –Branch
leg training and your leg development, and how have you
changed the way you squat or how you incorporate them into
your leg workouts over the years?
BW: Squats were one of the first exercises I ever did, before I
even really knew about bodybuilding. For football we did squats
and stiff-leg deadlifts. I consider squats to be the best total lower-
body exercise you can do. You get your quads, hams and glutes all
working hard. I guarantee you my legs wouldn’t look the way they
do if it hadn’t been for squatting all these years. In my teens and
early 20s, I always squatted first. I was training like a powerlifter
much of that time, and even did a few meets. So when I would
squat back then, it was always heavy and for low reps. As the years
went by, I started doing more reps and putting squats further into
the leg workout. Due to just general wear and tear, I found that I
also needed to do extensions first, to warm up my knees and give
the quads some pre-exhaust before I started doing the heavy
compound movements. Squats are usually almost the last thing I do
for quads now.
DW: I didn’t do squats in the very beginning. For the first year I
was in the gym, I didn’t even train legs at all. Then when I started,
all I did was leg extensions, leg presses and leg curls. I must have
had some really good genetics in the legs, because they grew
pretty big just from that. Eventually I decided to try squats, and they
actually became my favorite exercise for a long time. After I hurt

94 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

“The biggest mistake people make with legs is they use too much weight and don’t get much
range of motion with the reps due to that. You see them doing five or six half-reps with 405 in
the squat or with all the plates the leg press can hold, when they should use half that weight
and do 10 or 15 full reps.” –Dennis
the adjustments you need to. The bottom line is definitely need to cut the volume back. I doubt anybody would be able to
that no matter what, you’re bending down and handle two workouts that are each two hours long, every week. I saw much
standing up with weight on your back to overload better results once I went down to training legs once a week. I think training
your legs. Everything else is variable. a body part more often works better with smaller body parts. I did shoulders
DW: We are not exact clones of each other. three times a week for a while and turned them from my weakest body part
We have different bone structures and body to a strong one, and I did arms twice a week for a long time to bring them
mechanics. So there should and will be some up, too. But legs are just a whole lot of muscle mass and they can handle a lot
differences in the way we squat so that it’s most of weight. Maybe you could do them every five days, but not twice a week,
effective and least dangerous for us. I found unless you’re Ronnie.
years ago that if I kept my knees and feet facing DW: Nobody is Ronnie except Ronnie! I know that if I train legs hard, and
forward, it hurts my knees. If I turn my feet out a I always do, it’s impossible to train them again three days later. They’re still
little bit, no pain. You might have to put your feet at sore. I can’t recover that fast and I don’t think many other people can, either.
shoulder width, or maybe wider, a little wider or a As for Ronnie, he was able to train legs heavy twice a week for all those
lot wider. I think if you keep doing a certain type years, but look at him now. He’s had four spinal surgeries, and both of his hips
of form that’s not natural for you, sooner or later had to be replaced. Once a week is best, I think.
you will hurt your lower back, your knees or both. How can the leg press be a very useful tool for building the legs, and
We often hear about training a lagging body how can it be abused?
part twice a week to bring it up. Do you think BW: Any exercise can be done wrong. On the leg press, you do see guys
that would make sense for a muscle group as tend to put too much weight on and use a short range of motion.
large and as demanding to train as legs? DW: The leg press is a very important exercise, because you can feel
BW: I did it for a couple of years, and Ronnie different parts of the quads working when you change your foot position
did it his entire career. If you do that, you closer or farther apart, or higher or lower on the platform. You can even

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 95

 easy, and so is arm training. There’s nothing fun
or easy about training legs or back. Those days
are going to suck no matter what, if you’re doing it
right. And those happen to be the two body parts
you won’t ever build unless you really bust your ass
and put out the effort.
DW: To me, legs are the toughest thing to train.
Almost everyone hates to train legs, even if they
love to, if that makes any sense. You’re never going
to throw up from a hard arm workout. But you
can definitely puke training legs. I usually need
a trash can near me on leg day because I have
puked so many times.
What are some of the reasons you think
many bodybuilders never build impressive
legs?
BW: Most guys don’t work legs hard enough,
and they don’t do enough for them. There are
tons of guys out there who only do a couple of
sets of leg extensions, leg presses and leg curls
and call it a day. No other training day delivers
as much pain or fatigue as leg day, and a lot of
guys just can’t or won’t deal with that. And I’ll
go on record to say that some guys just don’t
have the genetics for huge legs. I have seen
guys at my gym who train their legs hard, as
hard as I do, but their legs never get to that
impressive level of development. These are big
dudes who have pretty much everything else
but the wheels, and if I didn’t know them and
hadn’t seen them train, I would assume they
make the leg press work more hams and glutes. didn’t work them hard enough or train the right way. But they do.
I don’t squat at every leg workout, but I always DW: I think the biggest mistake people make with legs is they use too
use the leg press. much weight and don’t get much range of motion with the reps due to that.
How do you warm up on leg day? You see them doing five or six half-reps with 405 in the squat or with all the
BW: I start off with plenty of leg extensions to plates the leg press can hold, when they should use half that weight and do
get the blood flowing around the knees, and pump 10 or 15 full reps. I agree with Branch that many guys just don’t train them
the quads up. hard enough. It’s hard to breathe, and your whole body hurts if you work
DW: I like to get on a stationary bike and ride them very hard. For me, one hour of leg training is like three hours of doing
at a pretty good pace for five minutes before I do chest or back. It just kicks your ass.
anything with weights or machines. Are you happy with your legs now, or is there any aspect of them you
It’s been said that leg training is what would like to improve?
separates the men from the boys. Agree or BW: I was always pretty satisfied with my legs. They were never something
disagree? And is it possible for someone to I ever had to worry about until I tore my quad. All I wanted after that was to
build great wheels with half-assed effort? get the size back in my right leg that I lost after that happened, and I did.
BW: Absolutely. Chest training is pretty fun and What nobody knows is that my right thigh was always a half-inch smaller than
my left thigh anyway. No matter how symmetrical someone looks, one limb is
always going to be bigger than the other.
BRANCH WARREN’S TRAINING SPLIT DW: I am happy with the size of my legs. They almost overpower my upper
Monday: Chest body in some poses. I’m always after deeper cuts and more separation and
Tuesday: Back striations in them. You can never have too much detail.
Wednesday: Arms Branch, how would you rate your legs against Dennis’?
Thursday: Legs BW: Dennis has really good legs. The overall mass is up there, and he
Friday: Shoulders and calves has greater outer quad sweep. I give him a lot of credit for bringing up his
Saturday: OFF hamstrings over the 10 years he’s been a pro. They really have a hang and a
Sunday: OFF drop to them now. When he first started competing as a pro, they were kind of
flat. His calves could be a lot better, but that’s mainly genetics. I’m sure he has
DENNIS WOLF’S TRAINING SPLIT* put a ton of work into them.
Monday: Chest And finally, Dennis, it’s a question not many bodybuilders love to
Tuesday: Quads answer, but how would you rate your legs against Branch Warren’s?
Wednesday: Arms DW: It’s really hard to compare our legs. His legs are a lot shorter than
Thursday: Hams mine. He has better striations in his quads, and more of a grainy look to his
Friday: Delts legs than I do. Mine have a different shape. Because I am almost a half-foot
Saturday: Back taller, it’s possible that my legs are actually bigger than his, if you took a tape
*Calves are done every other day. measure to them. My sweep is better. Let’s just say I think we both have some
of the best legs in bodybuilding! ■

96 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 BY RON HARRIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
MICHAEL NEVEUX

98 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 ALL GOOD THINGS MUST
COME TO AN END
Very few bodybuilders can come even
remotely close to Cody Montgomery’s
contest record at the age of 21. Since he
began competing at age 15, he is undefeated.
Granted, that encompasses only seven
contests in all, but most were no local affairs.
The wins include three Teenage Nationals
titles, a Collegiate Nationals title and
astoundingly, the overall and a pro card in
his first-ever foray into the men’s open class
at last summer’s USA Championships. It’s
very safe to say no one will ever win three
Teenage Nationals titles again, and no one
will ever turn pro again at their first open
contest, either. Now, even though his pro debut
hasn’t happened yet, I am sad to report that
his winning streak is most likely coming to an
end there.
Why? Cody didn’t take the cautious route
that seems to have become standard in
recent years: take a full year off after turning
pro to grow and improve, then enter a smaller
show where no big names will threaten your
(hopeful) victory and spoil your plan to win
your pro debut. Oh no, not Cody. Just over
seven months from earning his pro card,
young Mr. Montgomery will step onstage at
the prestigious Arnold Classic in Ohio. There,
he will be flexing off against Kai Greene, a
two-time Arnold champ who was second to
Phil Heath at three Mr. Olympia contests in a
row, as well as Branch Warren, another man
with two Arnold titles and an Olympia runner-
up on his résumé. Other big names heading
to the next showdown in Columbus include
Cedric McMillan, Justin Compton, Juan Morel,
Evan Centopani, Maxx Charles and veterans
Johnnie Jackson and Toney Freeman.

21-YEAR-OLD
CODY MONTGOMERY
IS TAKING HIS
DEADLY DELTS TO
THE ARNOLD CLASSIC

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 99

 Just being a
21-year-old
and holding
your own as
a bodybuilder
among a
stellar lineup
of established
iron warriors is
commendable.

Now, don’t get me wrong.
I think Cody has a hell of
a balanced physique, and
assuming he brings the type
of diced condition I suspect
he will, he has a great chance
of beating some of the
aforementioned men. And
I admire his confidence to
jump right into the fire like
this, rather than bide his time
and play it safe. Just being
a 21-year-old and holding
your own as a bodybuilder
among a stellar lineup of
established iron warriors
is commendable. So in this
case, the fact that he most
likely won’t walk away with
first place is really nothing to
be ashamed of. It’s possible
he will do a lot better in his
pro debut than most people
expect him to.
SHOULDERS MAKE
THE (YOUNG) MAN
As I said, one of Cody’s
biggest assets as a physique
competitor is his overall
balance. Freaky body parts
are interesting and cool to
gawk at, but they don’t win
contests. That’s why Cody
hasn’t put quite as much
work into his shoulders as he
could have or even wanted to.
“When I worked with Hany
Rambod, he really took me
under his wing and made me
understand how to improve
your physique,” he told me.
“The temptation is always
to blast your strong points,
because they respond well
and are therefore fun to train.
It’s not as fun to hammer
your weak points because
the rewards take longer
to see, but that’s how you
build a better total physique
package.” As you may have
guessed by now, delts are
a body part that Cody saw
substantial gains in early on
in his bodybuilding career.
By the time he was competing
in and winning the Teenage
Nationals, it was apparent
that they were starting to
noticeably overpower his
chest. “Hany actually had
me stop training shoulders
for a long time,” says Cody.
“In one six-month period,
I only worked them twice.
And it sucked, because I love
training shoulders!”
These days, he is back
to hitting delts once a week,
but even so, Montgomery has
the reins pulled back just a
bit. “My shoulder workouts
are about 45 minutes long,”
he says. “I hit them pretty
hard, but it’s a lot of supersets
and more going for a great
pump just to get them a little
rounder and fuller. I don’t kill
them the way I do my legs.”
So by now you may be
asking, why are we featuring
a shoulder-training article
from a kid whose delts grow
with ease? Even though he
may be gifted in the shoulder
department, Cody is still a
bright young guy who puts a

100 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 SHOULDER PRESSES
Overhead presses are the bread-and-
butter foundation movement for beefing
up the delts, and that’s why Cody kicks his
workouts off with it. In his younger years
(sounds funny to say, doesn’t it?), Cody relied
primarily on dumbbell presses. More recently,
he prefers to rotate from dumbbell presses
one week to pressing on a Smith machine
the next.
Like so many other bodybuilders, Cody
discovered that pressing with dumbbells
becomes cumbersome once you reach a
certain level of strength. “The dumbbells are
just plain big, and not easy to get up into

position to press,” he notes. But it’s still such

a great movement for him that he refuses to
delete it from his program entirely. He finds
the Smith machine to be a very versatile tool
for overhead pressing. “If I am pressing to the
front, I usually set the bench back on a slight
incline,” he says. That allows for maximum
weights to be used. And if it happens to hit
a little bit of his upper chest, that’s just fine
too— he’s always looking for more thickness
there anyway.
Occasionally, Cody will really mix
things up on the Smith and do his presses
standing, his own version of an old-school
pressing movement that was popularized by
a U.S. Olympic lifter named Jim Bradford in
the 1960s. One press to the front, followed
by one press behind the back equals one
rep. If you decide to try it yourself, be sure
to use less weight than you would simply
pressing to the front.

good amount of thought into his workouts. The fact that he most likely won’t walk away
He’s also had the opportunity to work
with some of the most respected training
with first place is really nothing to be ashamed
minds in the industry at this point, such as of. It’s possible he will do a lot better in his pro
Hany, John Meadows and Chris Aceto. Let’s
take a look at what the youngest pro in the
debut than most people expect him to.
IFBB today does for shoulders.

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 101

 LATERAL RAISES
Cody uses lateral raises in several ways as part of
his shoulder sessions. Sometimes he will do them at the
start of a workout before pressing, as a warm-up and to
pre-exhaust the medial heads. At other times, they come
later on and are done heavier. Though he is shown using

dumbbells here, Montgomery uses those along with a lateral raise machine and more
often, cables. “I do lateral raises with cables pretty much every time,” he says. “I just love
the stretch at the start of the movement along with the contraction you can pause at the
top of the rep.” Cody used to watch a lot of Jay Cutler’s training DVDs for motivation, and
that’s where he picked up Cutler’s behind-the-back version of the cable lateral. “You have
to go a little lighter, but the stretch is so much better,” he observes.

UPRIGHT ROWS TRAINING SPLIT

Upright rows are a great compound movement Monday: Legs
that effectively hit all three heads of the deltoids, Tuesday: Chest and calves
yet a lot of bodybuilders are either ignorant of their Wednesday: OFF
value or choose to ignore them. Neither is the case Thursday: Back
with Cody, as he incorporates them into nearly all his Friday: Delts and some legs
shoulder workouts. “I don’t use a very narrow grip, Saturday: Arms and calves
which would hit mostly traps, but I don’t have my Sunday: OFF
hands spread too wide either,” he says. “We all have
different limb lengths and clavicle widths, so you
need to figure out where your own hands should be
so you feel these the way you want to.” Montgomery
maintains tension on his shoulders by never
letting the bar come all the way down into
a hang, pulling from just below his
navel right up to pec level.

102 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 REAR DUMBBELL LATERALS
Most bodybuilders simply don’t put enough time and effort into their rear delts, and it shows.
Champs like Cody do, and that also shows. Few realize how critical those posterior deltoid heads
are in giving the shoulders a true ‘”3-D” appearance. Cody does rear laterals with dumbbells, with a
reverse pec deck machine, and also standing in front of a high cable pulley for “rope face pulls.” He
keeps the reps at 10-12 when using dumbbells or a cable, but found that it took anywhere from 20-
30 reps per set on the reverse pec deck to achieve the same level of pump and burn. Cody is shown
here doing his rear dumbbell laterals the way he learned from four-time 212 Olympia champion
Flex Lewis. Because we are dealing with your neck here, I am bound to warn you to please go light
and use perfectly strict form if you try this variation. Cody sets a towel down on top of an incline
bench, which he rests his forehead on, bent forward. This twist on the standard bent lateral forces
absolutely strict form and ensures pure isolation of the rear delts.

“Everyone needs to try

and objectively look at
their shoulders and see
which areas are good,
and which areas need
more work. Put more
of your time and energy
into what needs to
improve.”

SHOULDER WORKOUT
Smith Machine or Dumbbell Press 4 x 8-10
Dumbbell Lateral Raises 4 x 10-12 Lee Haney won his first Sandow at 24,
Upright Rows
Rope Face pulls
4 x 10-12
4 x 10-12
and Arnold was only 23 years old when he
Front Raises 4 x 10-12 scored his first Mr. O title in 1970.
superset with
Reverse Pec Deck 4 x 20-30
Will Cody go on to a similar pedigree?
or
Dumbbell Rear Laterals 4 x 12

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 103

 FRONT RAISES
Take some Front raises are a movement Cody still includes, but he
cues from this doesn’t do as much of as he used to. These days, he usually
does them as part of a superset along with a rear delt
wunderkind exercise. “My front delts don’t really need to be any bigger,
so I don’t emphasize this exercise the way I did a few years
of muscle for ago,” he says. “Everyone needs to try and objectively look
your shoulder at their shoulders and see which areas are good, and which
areas need more work. Put more of your time and energy
workouts, and into what needs to improve.”
see if you can
build some
A DIAMOND
boulders of IN THE ROUGH
your own! Cody Montgomery has made
tremendous improvements
since I first saw him at his
second Teenage Nationals
win in 2013, adding over 20
pounds of quality muscle and
growing from the top of the
light heavyweight class to near
the limit for the heavyweight
division in the process. Though
he hasn’t had a whole lot of
time to make gains since then,
he will no doubt be markedly
bigger and better when he
takes the stage for the first time
as a pro at the Arnold Classic.
We have been accustomed
to men in their 30s and even
40s dominating the upper
echelons of the Mr. Olympia
contest, yet we forget that in
generations past, much younger
men ruled the roost. Lee Haney
won his first Sandow at 24, and
Arnold was only 23 years old
when he scored his first Mr.
O title in 1970. Will Cody go
on to a similar pedigree? As
always in cases of seemingly
limitless potential, that remains
to be seen. Considering
his rate of steady progress
thus far, I certainly wouldn’t
underestimate what Cody may
go on to accomplish. In the
meantime, take some cues from
this wunderkind of muscle for
your shoulder workouts, and see
if you can build some boulders
of your own!

CONTEST HISTORY
2010 NPC Dallas Europa
2011 NPC Ronnie Coleman Classic
2012 NPC Teenage Nationals
2013 NPC Teenage Nationals
2014 NPC Teenage Nationals
2014 NPC Collegiate Nationals
2015 NPC USA Championships
Teenage Winner
Teenage Winner
Light Heavyweight and Overall
Light Heavyweight and Overall
Heavyweight and Overall
Heavyweight and Overall
Heavyweight and Overall

104 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 7X Greater +
Researchers compared
PROBOLIC-SR’s protein complex
Anabolic Activity to whey to determine anabolic
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12
10 was measured as a determinant

Anabolic Response
10 of nitrogen retention (the anabolic
8 response) from baseline for
4 hours post- workout following
6
the consumption of protein
4 supplements. Test results
2
showed that PROBOLIC-SR’s
1.4 protein blend was 7X more
0 +
anabolic than whey protein.
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 BY PETER MCGOUGH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON BREEZE

106 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

From
Mini
Cha es
TO
MIGHTY
MAXX
The Remarkable Journey of Maxx Charles,
From a Dangerous and Deprived Childhood to Olympian Status
Over the past few wyyears, I have observed Maxx
Charles’ progressio on from the amateurs into the pro
ranks and into last year’s ’ Olympia, i but during
i g that time
i
we never really spo oke. There’s ’ been a handshake and
a couple of words h here and there, but no substantial
interaction. So althoough
g Ig got to know his physique, I
never got to know th he man. Let’s ’ be honest, at 5’11”
’
and 270 contest-rea ady pounds, Maxx is an intimidating g
figure. He strides oonstageg purposefully, with his face
set in stern mode, a as if someone has stolen his p protein
shake. He looks forr all the world like a lion on the pprowl.
Well, I was to learnn when I interviewed him at length g
that this beast is really
yap pussycat.
y

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 107

STAY WITH THIS FEATURE AND LEARN,
AMONG OTHER ASPECTS, THE FOLLOWING.
• How that mean look got him into trouble as a youngster.
• Why, from the age of 8, he has been driven by the ambition to be Mr.
Olympia.
• Why he maintains his off-the-wall training principles— as in training
for three hours a day for months on end.
• How he survives on one hour’s sleep a night.
• How this gym rat, who spends more time there than anyone this
humble scribe has encountered, doesn’t want to talk bodybuilding
once he leaves the weight room.
• How outside the gym, he has a thirst for knowledge that has seen
him gain two degrees in computer sciences.
• Why he wept during our interview.
“Given my background, I hate to see so much money
wasted by so many people on material things. I see
people buying an expensive purse and I think … My
god, the cost of that purse would keep somebody in Haiti
eating for a couple of months.”
108 MD
LOVE AND HAITI
Maxx Charles was born Max Charles in Port-
au-Prince, the capital of Haiti on February 21,
1980. He had an older brother and younger sister,
and life was tough. So tough that when he was 1
year old, his father decided to go to New York and
earn a living, so he could take his family away
from the ravages of Haiti to a better life in the Big
Apple.
Of his childhood in Haiti, Maxx says, “It
was pretty much like hell on earth. I woke up
every day not knowing if we’d go to bed that
night hungry or not. There was a lot of violence
involving kidnapping and murder. People would
disappear and there wasn’t really an urgency by
the authorities to find them, and after a couple of
weeks if they didn’t come back the police, who
were fully stretched, would give up looking for
them. So every day, you live with the thought in
the back of your head that you could disappear
and never be heard of again.”
Of the family’s eventual relocation to New York,
he says, “We moved to New York when I was 10
years old and hadn’t seen my father since I was
1. I had talked to him a few times on the phone,
but had to get to know him at age 10. I eventually
realized how much he’d sacrificed for us all; how
he scrimped and scraped, worked long hours at
menial jobs to get his family to a better place.”
Against Maxx’s “hell on earth” summation
of Haiti, it’s surprising to learn of his education
experiences there: “The education system in
Haiti is really good. You had to work really hard
at school, five days a week. They taught in a very
intensive manner: if you did something wrong,
made a mistake or didn’t hand in homework, then
you got a whuppin.’ That focuses your mind. I
loved the learning process.”
It didn’t surprise me after our conversation
to learn that Maxx was a model pupil who got
straight A’s, and was recognized as one of the
brightest students in the whole island nation. His
application for learning still thrives today, as we
learn later in this narrative.
He continues, “But given what life was like
outside school, I couldn’t wait to leave Haiti.”
So now he is a U.S. citizen, and with those dark
thoughts of his homeland, does he feel Haitian?
He laughs in reply, “I really don’t have much of
a choice. I was born in Haiti so I am Haitian and
am proud of that, even though now I am a citizen
living in this country.”
He found the education system in the United
States to be somewhat different from what he
experienced in Haiti. “In Haiti, you had to really
deliver or get punished for any misdemeanor or
shortfall in work, with a whuppin.’ On Long Island,
where we moved to, things weren’t so intense or
strict. If you missed handing in your homework,
they’d say, ‘OK, bring it in tomorrow.’”
In discussing the transition from Haiti to New
York, our subject waxes philosophically: “Given
my background, I hate to see so much money
wasted by so many people on material things.
I see people buying an expensive purse and
I think … My god, the cost of that purse would
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
keep somebody in Haiti eating for a couple of
months.”
Showing his heart is as big as his other
muscles, he continues, “Knowing what it is like to
be poor, my greatest satisfaction in life is helping
someone who is struggling. As regards people
wasting money, don’t get me wrong— if you work
hard for the money, then certainly they can spend
it on whatever they like and enjoy, but having a
life that revolves around material possessions is
not my way.”

CUE ARNOLD
Maxx’s first exposure to bodybuilding came
when he was about 8 years old: “I saw Arnold
Schwarzenegger in the movie ‘Commando’ and
thought, Holy shit … who is that guy? No other
actor looks like that. Who is he, how did he get to
look like that? I was told he won the Mr. Olympia
seven times. I asked what Mr. Olympia was. I
was told it was the contest to decide who was
the best-built man in the world. Immediately,
the thought was ingrained in my head, I want to
look like Arnold; I want to be Mr. Olympia. That
ambition has never left me.”
Even though he had that Arnold “eureka”
moment, it wasn’t until he was 15 and living on
Long Island that he first went to a gym. “There
was a gym a couple of minutes away from my
school. I would tell my family I was staying a bit

“The training, the diet, the

final decision on what you
do is yours. You direct
your own destiny.”

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 109

 later at school on certain days to do extra work,
but actually I’d go to the gym, have a workout
and then go back home on a later bus. Besides
the Arnold factor, what really attracted me to
bodybuilding was it was an individual sport. I was
a very good soccer player in Haiti and enjoyed it,
but it’s a team sport; you are reliant on others for
the outcome of the game. With bodybuilding, the
training, the diet, the final decision on what you
do is yours. You direct your own destiny.”
Did he have any role models during those
formative years? “I looked up to Kevin Levrone,
Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray. With Shawn, I
just loved the way he presented himself so
professionally onstage and off; he was what a
bodybuilder was supposed to look like. But
Kevin’s was the physique I was drawn to; he
had that massive structure packed with quality
muscle.”
On the language front, how did he deal with
the move from Haiti, a French-speaking nation,
to the USA? “I learned English very quickly, in
a month or so, by digesting a French/English
phrasebook and watching TV programs like ‘The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” That last fact should
underline that Maxx Charles is one smart cookie.
By the age of 19, Maxx was pretty close to
300 pounds and others urged him to enter a
local contest. But he delayed: “I didn’t want to
do that. You have to understand, my focus from
8 years old was to be the best in the world. No
“Right from the disrespect to local shows, but I wanted to enter
a higher level show, as I was constantly using as
beginning, being my target the elite bodybuilders that were in the
magazines.”
Mr. Olympia has He eventually started training at Bev Francis
been my goal. and Steve Weinberger’s Powerhouse Gym in

To fulfill your
potential, you
have to shoot for
the very top—
being satisfied
with less than
that will impact
your chances
of ever getting
there.”

110 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

Long Island; a hotbed of competitive
bodybuilding. “I left the gym I was
in because there was too much
drama there, backbiting, etc. I don’t
do drama. I just wanted to do my
workout, eat my food, go home and
not be involved in bodybuilding
chitchat.”
He found a like-minded soul in
Victor Martinez. “From the get-go,
Victor was always friendly and down-
to-earth. Plus, like me, Victor will
give everything in the gym, and then
when he’s done, we’ll talk about non-
bodybuilding topics. I don’t need to
be obsessed with bodybuilding 24/7.
Don’t get me wrong; my way doesn’t
have to be everybody’s way. It would
be a boring world if we all thought
and did the same thing all the time.
Bodybuilding is a massive part of my
life, but it’s not my whole life.”
From being nearly 300 pounds
when he was 19 in 1999, it was to be
nine years until he entered his first
show, the 2008 Eastern USA, where he
won the superheavyweight division.
He can’t remember what he weighed
for that contest. “It’s always been
about what I look like rather than what
I weigh. I know I have a reputation as
this massive guy, but for me, it’s not
about being as big as you can— more
about being as good as you can.”
ONWARD TO THE OLYMPIA
Maxx progressed through the
ranks, taking second in the supers at
the 2011 Nationals, third at the 2012
USAs and the winning his pro card by
taking the overall at the 2013 USAs.
In his pro debut, he was fifth at the
2014 New York Pro and fourth at the
Tampa Pro later that year. In 2015, he
was third at the New York Pro before
winning the Tampa Pro and then
nabbing 13th at his Mr. Olympia debut.
Despite his upward competitive
curve, the big knock against Maxx

MEAN MAXX
As stated in the intro, Maxx has a really mean facial look to him. He makes “Mean
Joe” Greene of Coca-Cola commercials and ‘70s Super Bowl fame seem like Mary
Poppins. I ask him about that set expression and he laughs in reply, “I’ve always had
that mean look to my face. As a kid, my mother would give me grief and say, ‘Wipe
that mean look off your face!’ I’d reply, ‘This is my face, I can’t do anything about it.’
She’d get mad and tell me, ‘Don’t be a smart-ass.’ I think a lot of people see my mean
look and think I’m unapproachable. But I’m just the opposite. I can’t do anything
about my expression— I was born with it.”
Ah, Maxx … as regards a physique and a physiognomy, genetics rule.

“A lot of people see my mean look and think I’m

unapproachable. But I’m just the opposite. I can’t do
anything about my expression— I was born with it.”

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 111


was that while his upper body is
spectacular, his legs did not draw
the same acclaim. He will tell you, “I
don’t want to make a big deal of it,
but my leg training in the past was
inhibited by a calf injury where a
vein just popped out and held me
back for a long time.”
I for one noticed he had
improved his legs in 2015, and he
aims to maintain that progress.
“Since early December, I’ve been
hammering legs seven days a
week.”
That seven-day-a-week regimen
should alert you to the fact that
Maxx’s training philosophy is, to say
the least, unorthodox. He works out
for about three hours, seven days a
week. Now, does seven days a week
mean he trains 30 days a month?
Where are the rest days to facilitate
a prime element in the muscle-
building process, recuperation?
Hear him.
112 MD
MAXX GIVES THANKS
First of all, I would like to thank all at Scitech
Nutrition who continue to give me great support
as I pursue my goals. Then— they know who they
are— my friend Roy and his wife. Angelica and my
two training buddies, JB and Nick, my boy Cedric
McMillan for being a great support. And most
importantly, my girl Julie. We’ve been together four
years, and she supports me in every way. I just
thank her for everything she does. And finally, all the
people and friends that have supported me along
the way. Thank you all so much. –Maxx Charles
that goes against just about every modern tenet
of building muscle?
“I’ve always analyzed what I was doing in
terms of gauging results. I came to the conclusion
that training every day, three hours a day, is the
ideal means to make my body respond. Don’t
get me wrong— I listen to people who know
what they’re talking about, who told me I should
train less. I actually tried doing workouts of 45-
60 minutes, and it didn’t work for me: I didn’t
feel I was working hard enough and stressing
my muscles the way I should do. Again, with full
range of motion, I tried it and didn’t get the same
results as I do with my style, in which I fully get
the mind-muscle connection.
“I don’t really have breaks. Since
the Olympia last September, I’ve
trained every day, no days off at all.
I came back from the Olympia on
the Sunday and went straight to the
gym. I can train every day and make
progress. If I feel my body needs
some sort of break, I will probably
take a day off. But it’s not an option I
use very often. In fact, in the whole
of 2015 I had maybe just three days
when I didn’t work out.”
As regards diet, he eschews
the six-meals-a-day, Tupperware-
laden program favored by most,
and exists on three daily meals
of moderate calorie counts. Then
there’s his training style, which is
loose, no full range of motion. As
for reps, he completes sets of 20-
30 reps, and when he kicks in with
rest-pause or drop sets, those reps
increase to 40-50.
So, how did Maxx come up with
this training and diet philosophy
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 “What I do doesn’t make sense to a lot of
people, but it makes sense to me. This is an
individual sport, and you have to find what works
best for you. Once you come to that realization
that what you’re doing is perfect for you, that the
results keep coming, then there’s no other way
to go. I’m exploring the limits of my physical
capabilities, because to fulfill your potential,
you have to take your body to the limit. With my
approach, I’m getting better all the time.”
Having competed his first Olympia last
September at a bodyweight of 270 pounds, how
does he reflect on the experience? “It was great,
amazing. I mean, you never forget your first
Olympia. You don’t know what it’s going to be
like until you are actually there. I watched the top
five guys, analyzed how they looked— saw what
they had and what I didn’t have, what I needed to
bring— which was balanced leg development.
I’m after that balance, like Dexter Jackson has.
Thirteenth didn’t disappoint me, although I
thought I would make top 10. No recriminations;
I can’t control my placing— I can only control my
physique. A lot of guys bitch about their placings
and that makes them lose focus. They think they
are good enough when they are not. My next step
is to make the Olympia top 10, then the top five,
then I zero in on the title itself.”
From 13th in the Olympia to having ambitions
to take home the Sandow is a big task. (Although
Jay Cutler was 15th in his Olympia debut, and
Ronnie Coleman didn’t make the top 15 in his.)
Not too many guys openly declare they are
committed to winning the Olympia, so why that
stance?
He laughs in response, “Right from the
beginning, being Mr. Olympia has been my goal.
Even if I came in second or third, that wouldn’t
suffice. I would keep going until I won it. I don’t
see that goal as being unrealistic. To fulfill your
potential, you have to shoot for the very top—
being satisfied with less than that will impact
your chances of ever getting there. When I cease
to improve, then I’ll be done— but that’s not
going to happen anytime soon.”
So what is a typical day for this human
dynamo, who makes the Energizer Bunny seem
comatose?
“I do my three-hour workout, and then go
home to interact with my 13-year-old daughter,
Kayla. Then in the night, I hang over my computer
studying. I have two degrees in computer
subjects and am going for a third. Then I maybe “I left the gym I was in because there was too much drama
have one hour of sleep before starting the next
day. I have this tremendous thirst for learning
there, backbiting, etc. I don’t do drama. I just wanted to
and gaining knowledge and that will never leave do my workout, eat my food, go home and not be involved
me. But my main focus is Kayla, who I love doing
stuff with. I don’t want her to grow into an adult in bodybuilding chitchat.”
thinking her Dad was this big bodybuilder who
didn’t spend enough time with her. Sometimes
I might be exhausted, but if she wants to do
something, then we’ll do it.”
He continues softly, “Kayla’s birth has been
the greatest experience of my life. The birth of
a child changes your outlook, makes you look at
the world differently.”

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 113

DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Given his Haitian roots, I ask if
he’s ever been back.
“Several times I thought about
it and then something happens,
like the 2010 earthquake, political
upheavals … so I abandoned my
plans. No, I’ve never been back.
I don’t want anybody to infer that
I’m talking crap about my country.
I love my country, but the reality
is I miss my friends and family
still there, but don’t miss starving
or having to worry about being
the victim of violence. I wanted
to go back to see my uncle who
was sort of my father in my early
years, but he died a few years ago
and that really devastated me. I
have nightmares about not seeing
him for the last time.”
At this point, the Beast of Long
Island becomes emotional. “I am
sorry to cry. I loved my uncle and
it gets to me every time. Whatever
happens to me I can handle, but I
can’t stand people I love suffering.
My uncle died in 2005 and I was
living in Manhattan at the time.
My uncle had been ill with blood
cancer for some time, and my
sister called to say he had died
and I needed to come to Long
Island to comfort my mother. I
was in pieces but started to drive
there. Then I got a call that my
closest friend in high school,
who also had blood cancer, had
died. In the space of an hour, two
people who I had loved passed
away. I still can’t understand how
I didn’t have an accident on that
drive to Long Island. But I knew I
“I can train every
had to forget all about the way I day and make
felt and that I had to show strength
for my mother and family. When progress. If I
I got home, my mother was so
distraught she dropped to the feel my body
floor and I had to pick her up. I needs some sort
had to show the strength that we
could all get through this.” of break, I will
This story was written before
the Arnold Classic being staged probably take a
on March 5th, but for that contest,
Maxx promises: “I will definitely
day off. But it’s
be better than I was at the not an option I use
Olympia— I’ll be more balanced.
But I’m not going to be one of very often.”
these guys talking about taking
it to a different level. I’ll just be
better.”
The remarkable career of a
remarkable bodybuilder and man
continues. I for one will continue
to observe his progress with
interest.

114 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 EVAN’S

TOP
10
SECRETS
FOR
MASSIVE

ARMS!
Centopani Shares His Big-Gun Wisdom
Right off the bat, let me state that Evan Centopani is a rare breed when it comes to arm development.
Few bodybuilders ever build a legitimate 20-inch arm. Evan reached that measurement in his college years.
Every inch beyond that fabled benchmark of 20 becomes almost infinitely more arduous to attain. Real 21-
inch arms (not created with quarts of injected oil) are quite rare, and 22-inchers are few and far between.
Only an elite few have ever stretched the measuring tape with a flexed arm of 23 inches— but Evan Centopani
has. They are so massive and full that they defy reality, yet real they are. Normally, taking advice from a man
about how to build a body part that always grew like a well-fed weed would be futile, but Evan is one of those
unusual cases of a genetic freak who takes nothing for granted. He studies, he experiments and he observes.
As such, even though at first glance he might seem to be a worthless source of information on arm training
for those less blessed, that’s not the case. Centopani actually has much of value to contribute to the subject,
as assembled here in his top 10 secrets for massive arms.

116 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

BY RON HARRIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 117

1. BEFORE YOU TRAIN ARMS MORE OFTEN,
CONSIDER OTHER FACTORS
What should you do if your arms aren’t growing? Many times,
the solution we jump to, or that is instantly suggested to us, is to
train your arms more frequently. Some men will hit their guns
twice or even three times a week in a desperate effort to spur
growth. Centopani believes that doing so, if you will pardon the
pun, is jumping the gun.
“Before I went that route, I would be inclined to either up the
intensity, check my form, or both,” he says. “I’d also look to see
if maybe I’m doing too much or not enough in terms of volume.
If all of that seems to be in place, then I would try hitting them
twice a week. Now if that didn’t produce results after a couple
of months, I would try something almost nobody ever does, and
stop training them completely for a couple of months.”
A few of you may have just fallen out of your chairs at the
suggestion that the key to bigger arms is to cease working them
completely, but Evan has a theory as to why it’s not so crazy after
all. “Some guys have seen results from that, and I would have to
guess it’s because their arms were in a constant state of being
overtrained. If nothing else, you’ll definitely have some really
productive arm workouts once you start working them again.”
Keep in mind that not only are the biceps and triceps
relatively small muscle groups, but also that they are involved
in exercises we use at other workouts for our chest, back and
shoulders. As six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates often reminds
us: without recovery, there can be no growth.

“A LOT OF ARM GROWTH

COMES FROM HEAVY
WORK ON THE BACK,
CHEST AND SHOULDERS.
THE CONCEPT OF TRAIN-
ING INDIVIDUAL BODY
PARTS IS A BIT MIS-
GUIDED, BECAUSE EVERY-
THING IS CONNECTED.”

118 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

2. DON’T THINK SETS,
THINK TIME SPENT TRAINING
Bodybuilders often want to know exactly how many
sets are optimal for a body part in any given workout. It’s
commonly accepted that larger body parts like the legs
and back should be trained with a higher volume of overall
exercises and sets than something relatively smaller, such
as the biceps or triceps. But frequently, guys want to know
exactly how many sets they should do per body part at
each workout. For example, some will say that the biceps or
triceps should only be worked with a total of eight to 12 sets,
while others will recommend as much as 20 or even 30.
Evan doesn’t believe the aforementioned is the right way
to approach the question of ideal training volume. “I don’t
know how accurate it is to state some general guideline like
a total number of sets to do,” he begins. “To me, it makes
more sense to put a time limit on it. It shouldn’t take you
more than 30 minutes for biceps and another 30 for tri’s. So,
depending on whether you go heavy and rest more between
sets, or not so heavy and keep your rest periods shorter, you

3.
will have fairly different amounts of volume.” This almost
echoes something the late Arthur Jones of Nautilus fame
preached over 40 years ago: “You can train long, or you can NO LESS THAN SIX
train hard, but you can’t do both.” REPS PER SET
You
You might
mi hear advice to work in the four to six rep range for
arms, or to do heavy sets of five on certain basic movements
like barbell curls or close-grip bench presses. Evan doesn’t
prescribe to using loads that limit one to so few reps. “I don’t
think going any lower than six reps is going to be beneficial on
a regular basis,” he tells us. “Going really heavy and doing low
reps will beat the crap out of your joints and tendons, and you
usually don’t see very good form with lower reps, either.”
But don’t get him wrong. Centopani doesn’t believe in fluff
weights for a million reps. “I don’t see the point in very high
reps, either,” he explains. “For me, the ideal rep range is eight to
12.” You may have heard that a thousand different times from a
thousand different sources. That should tell you that a great deal

4.
of men have experienced excellent results with that rep range.

SHOCK ‘EM!
If arms are a stubborn body part for you, obviously you want
to show them no mercy. But even beyond that, every so often you
should really put them through the wringer. Bear in mind that
doing so on a regular basis would lead to overtraining. That’s why
in early 2008, Evan detailed a shock routine to be performed no
more than twice a month that you can try:

BICEPS GIANT SET (PERFORMED FIVE TIMES)

Alternate Dumbbell Curls 10 reps
Barbell Curls 10 reps
Preacher Curls 10 reps
“Plate” Hammer Curls* 10 reps
*Performed holding on to a 45-pound plate.

TRICEPS GIANT SET (PERFORMED FIVE TIMES)

Flat Bench Skull-crushers 10 reps
Weighed Dips 10 reps
Straight-bar Cable Pushdowns 10 reps
(torso leaning forward and elbows flared out)
Bodyweight Triceps Extensions* 10 reps
*Performed with Olympic bar set just above waist level in a squat rack—
movement resembles an overhead barbell extension.

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 119

 5. CHEATING HAS A TIME AND PLACE
In pretty much every training article I have a part in, I always make
a point to emphasize using good form. Loose form allows more weight
to be used and thus boosts the ego, but it does very little to stress the
target muscle and instigate growth. Yet as much as the importance of
using strict form must constantly be driven home, Evan reminds us
that there is a time and place for cheating. And moreover, never taking
advantage of that technique at the proper times can actually hinder
your results.
“One thing I think keeps a lot of guys from getting the results they
could is that they go too strict with their form, ironically enough,” he
begins. “You should keep your form tight for most of the set, but at the
end, you can extend the set and work the muscle harder if you loosen
up the movement just a bit. Cheating is bad if it’s a technique you
use from rep one just to be able to handle a heavier weight, but used
properly, it can actually help you stimulate more muscle growth.”

6. DO COMPOUND MOVEMENTS
FOR TRICEPS
“I see guys doing tons
of cable pushdowns and
dumbbell kickbacks,
but not enough skull-
crushers, dips and close-
grip bench presses,”
states Evan. “Dips and
close-grips in particular
are something that
every bodybuilder
should be doing at least

7.
one of every time they
work triceps. Extension
movements will only give
NEVER SKIP
you so much growth in the SKULL-CRUSHERS
muscle. If you want to get Just as Evan only has one constant biceps exercise that he never
huge triceps, you have to skips (alternate dumbbell curls), skull-crushers are performed each
include movements that and every time he goes to the gym to hit triceps. Evan has his own
allow for huge weights. slight variation on it. He does not lower to the forehead, as most
Dipping with 200 pounds guys do, but goes all the way behind his head so the bar grazes the
of bodyweight plus 100 crown— you know, the area most guys start losing hair in at the top of
pounds extra resistance the skull. “I tried it that way and the stretch was so much better that I
is going to build a lot just kept doing it,” Evan explains. “It’s harder to do this way. I always
more triceps size than envision keeping my triceps parallel to the floor throughout the set.”
doing kickbacks with a He usually works with a 45 on each side of the bar once he’s properly
20-pound dumbbell.” warmed up.

120 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

“IF YOU WANT TO GET HUGE TRICEPS, YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE
MOVEMENTS THAT ALLOW FOR HUGE WEIGHTS. DIPPING WITH
200 POUNDS OF BODYWEIGHT PLUS 100 POUNDS EXTRA RE-
SISTANCE IS GOING TO BUILD A LOT MORE TRICEPS SIZE THAN
DOING KICKBACKS WITH A 20-POUND DUMBBELL.”

8. DON’T ACCEPT
DEFEAT
By the time most of us have been training for five to 10
years, it has become very clear which body parts of ours
were meant to be very good, and which ones got the genetic
shaft. Genetics are a very real limiting factor in the realm of
physique development. Few of us were ever destined to have
arms like those of Evan, Heath or Winklaar. Yet Evan believes
that many bodybuilders concede defeat when the key to
bigger arms may have been just over the horizon.
“If someone has honestly tried everything, then maybe
they have hit their genetic limit,” he explains. “But I doubt
many people ever really get there. There are so many different
exercises, techniques, rep tempos and so on, that it would be
pretty tough to actually say you have tried everything there is
to try. You can’t give up. In a situation like that, it’s probably safe
to say that arms are never going to be a standout body part for
that guy. But then again, same thing with my legs. I got them to
the point where they are more balanced with my upper body
and not a weak point, but are they ever going to be like Branch
Warren’s? Not in this lifetime. By the same token, if I had given
up on them and failed to experiment with new ways to make
them grow, they never would have improved the way they did.”

MD 121
 9. TRAIN
EVERYTHING HARD!
For competitive bodybuilders,
building a complete and balanced
physique is the goal. But for many
who have no desire to compete, it’s
not unheard of to see some who only
train a couple of body parts they are
obsessed with, which usually happen
to be chest and arms. Many of them
could care less about having tree-
trunk thighs or a wide, rugged back,
but they crave freakish, bulging arms.
Centopani points out that arms don’t
grow in a vacuum— massive arms are
seen on massive physiques.
“Sometimes you see these
150-pound guys who only train arms,
and they probably measure something
“IF SOMEONE HAS HONESTLY TRIED EVERYTHING, THEN MAYBE THEY like 14 or 15 inches,” he says. “If they
would work the whole body hard and
HAVE HIT THEIR GENETIC LIMIT. BUT I DOUBT MANY PEOPLE EVER heavy and get up to a bodyweight of
REALLY GET THERE. THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT EXERCISES, 200 pounds, their arms would easily
be two or three inches bigger. A lot of
TECHNIQUES, REP TEMPOS AND SO ON, THAT IT WOULD BE PRETTY arm growth comes from heavy work
TOUGH TO ACTUALLY SAY YOU HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING THERE IS TO on the back, chest and shoulders. The
TRY. YOU CAN’T GIVE UP.” concept of training individual body
parts is a bit misguided, because
everything is connected.”

10. FEED YOUR

ARMS
Last but not least, even though this is a training
article, anyone who follows Evan Centopani
knows he is a student of nutrition and supplement
science, and strongly believes in the role of
nutrients when it comes to crafting better bodies.
Thus, his last tip for getting bigger arms is this.
“I don’t care how great your workout is, if you
don’t provide your body with the right nutrients
it needs to repair and rebuild, you won’t see the
results you should be seeing. You need to get a
jump-start on that immediately after the workout,
because that’s when the muscles are really like
a sponge and will soak up amino acids and
glycogen.” There are various ways to do this, such
as taking in BCAAs or whey protein along with
a fast-digesting carbohydrate source like cyclic
dextrin. Or, if you choose to opt for a solid-food
meal immediately after the workout— a lean
protein source like chicken breast or egg whites
along with Cream of Rice, white rice or mashed
THOSE ARE EVAN CENTOPANI’S TOP 10 SECRETS FOR
potatoes (no butter) would also get the job done. BUILDING BIGGER ARMS. PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE
The important thing is to feed those starving
muscles right away.
AND WATCH YOUR GUNS GROW!

122 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 MA JOR DISTRACTION

124 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 ASHLEY’S SECRET
Ms. Bikini Olympia Ashley Kaltwasser knows a lot about having all her curves in the right places. This Team Gaspari
athlete has reached iconic status in the last few years, as a three-time Ms. Bikini Olympia and two-time Arnold Classic
Pro Bikini champion. Ashley is a popular cover model and one of the most recognizable and admired faces in the fitness
world, and we’re proud to feature her in this month’s Major Distraction.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL NEVEUX

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 125

128 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 129
TESTOSTERONE
ANABOLIC STEROIDS:
THE RIGHT DOSE…
MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER
One axiom ruled bodybuilding
for decades as the elite explored the
physiologic limits of growth: “More
is better!” This can be naively ap-
plied to training volume, intensity or
protein intake; frankly, the message
most often refers to anabolic-andro-
genic steroids (AAS). The late Steve
Michalik— 1970s bodybuilding leg-
end who ran Mr. America’s Gym in
Farmingdale, New York— reportedly
had a sign prominently displayed
that stated, “Message Of The Day:
Up The Dosage!” above the image
of a syringe.1
There was a gradual increase in
AAS experimentation from the early
days of the 1950s, when East Coast
powerlifters followed the lead of
Russian and East European Olympic
lifters by ingesting tentative doses
of methandrostenolone (Dianabol);
West Coast bodybuilders were
similarly developing physiques
previously unseen at that time on
Nilevar.2,3 Of course, many of the
early misusers of AAS exceeded
the suggested dosing proposed
by individuals such as Dr. John
Ziegler, who promoted the use of
Dianabol among men training at
the York Barbell Club in the 1950s
and 1960.2 Both Ziegler and Michalik
later voiced regret about their role in
advocating AAS misuse.2,4
As more men gained access to
AAS, and strength records were
falling like dominoes, not to men-
tion the emergence of mythically
proportioned men in the subculture
of bodybuilding, the competitive
nature of the participants caused
many to test higher doses and lon-
ger cycles. As most cycles included
oral AAS, many of which were eas-
ily aromatized to produce estrogenic
side effects if administered in too
high or too long a manner, this was
somewhat self-regulated. This is
130 MD
By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
very similar to the experiences doc-
umented in regard to the East Ger-
man doping program that utilized
AAS to “inject” nationalistic pride
into a country weakened following
World War II and through the Cold
War.5 It was typical for these men
to use doses modest by today’s
standards, for periods not exceeding
12 weeks.
A PLETHORA OF AAS
During the 1960s, a plethora of
AAS were developed by some of the
leading pharmaceutical companies.
The hunt was on to find analogs
(testosterone-derived drugs) that
would provide increases in muscle “At some point, it
mass without the side effects relat-
ed to androgenic or estrogenic over- becomes chemical
stimulation (e.g., prostate enlarge-
ment, hair loss, gynecomastia, etc.).
warfare, and
There was also a need to develop war always has
AAS that were not dependent upon
17-alpha alkylation, as that chemical casualties.”
modification induces hepatotoxic
(liver damaging) effects in a large
percentage of people. A number of
agents were developed, some mak-
ing it to market. Few remain avail-
able today for use in humans, as
opposed to veterinary applications
or simply being abandoned. Many
readers are familiar with Anavar
(oxandrolone), Winstrol (stanozolol)
and Anadrol-50 (oxymetholone).
These AAS allowed men to use
higher doses, combine drugs in
stacks that complemented size and
strength gains from aromatizable
AAS with non-aromatizable AAS
that increase vascularity and defini-
tion, or follow a bulking cycle with a
cutting cycle with little or no break
between. This led to increased size
and definition among bodybuilders,
such as that displayed by Arnold
and his contemporaries. During the
mid-1970s, definition became the
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
TESTOSTERONE
focus of competitors, as more defined physiques
such as Frank Zane gained favor with judges
and the public. This temporarily limited the use
of the AAS with greater size promotion, as they
often held the undesirable effect of water reten-
tion, and potentially gynecomastia. Pre-contest
cycles were highly dependent upon DHT-
derived AAS, as they are protected from being
aromatized. Parabolan, Primobolan, Winstrol,
Anavar and Finaject were the most sought-after
drugs by bodybuilders entering competition,
though many still maintained a base of testos-
terone or nandrolone. The days of “Deca and
D-bol” winning one a major title were gone.
SIZE OVER SYMMETRY
AND CONDITION
With the 1980 Mr. Olympia, perhaps the
most criticized in the event’s history, Arnold’s
victory after returning from a five-year hiatus
caused many to pursue size again over sym-
metry and condition. Initially, this involved the
use of not only even greater doses of AAS, but
also a greater dependence on diuretics, stimu-
lants (e.g., clenbuterol), thyroid hormone and
cortisol-lowering drugs to allow for fat loss and
shedding subcutaneous water. Fans of the sport
watched the images of professional bodybuild-
ers grow on the covers of the magazine through-
out the 1980s, until a sudden shift occurred. Like
a glitch in the matrix, a near-overnight gap arose
in the previously linear trend of bodybuilder
size. This has been collected and presented on
websites featuring photographs of bodybuilders,
showing that up to the early 1990s, bodybuild-
ers had been very gradually growing in size,
from a BMI of just less than 31 to a BMI of just
less than 32 over the course of almost 40 years.6
Then, a disjointed leap occurred, with the BMI
magically (or chemically) going from less than
32 to well over 34, and continuing to increase at
an accelerated rate to a BMI of almost 38— that
is the average BMI! Some competitors are re-
corded above a BMI of 41 in show condition.
This huge, and it is HUGE, increase did not
occur because someone discovered that sy-
ringes come in 10 cc volume, or the testosterone
molecule was tweaked in an alchemical way,
or even the accidental dripping of radioactive
spider saliva into the vat at the pharmaceutical
plant (Spider-Man reference). This new genera-
tion of bodybuilder was developed under the
influence of the widespread use of peptide
growth factors, including insulin, human growth
hormone (hGH) and IGF-1.
It is worth noting that hGH and insulin were
reported to have been used prior to the early
1990s, however, much like AAS, the limited ac-
cess and absence of practical experience among
bodybuilders kept the use of these hormones
confined to a small number of men, likely using
the drugs in limited amount and/or duration.
IFBB pro Bob Paris spoke of his limited exposure
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
to hGH during his comeback years in his book
Gorilla Suit.7
INSULIN AND HGH
The advent of recombinant technology
opened the floodgates on the supply of insu-
lin and hGH. Prior to the development of this
technology, using bacteria to synthesize human
hormones by inserting copies of DNA strands
into the bacteria and stimulating production,
insulin was often sourced from cows or pigs;
hGH supply was reliant upon obtaining a
regular supply of cadavers (dead people) and
extracting hGH from the pituitary gland (a part
of the brain). The recognition that dwarf children,
the population that was receiving cadaveric hGH
to treat growth retardation due to GH deficiency,
were being diagnosed with a rare brain disorder
caused scientists to develop hGH as the first
recombinant hormone. This allowed a small test
market prior to launching the resources neces-
sary to meet the demand that recombinant
insulin would generate. Unlike the experience
with AAS, early adapters dove into hGH like pigs
digging for truffles, using doses based upon
the protocols designed for dwarf children. This
resulted in immense growth, but not just of the
muscles. The bones of the face, hands and feet
all grew disproportionately, and the abdomen
of these men became swollen like some Willy
Wonka-esque special effect. It is likely that com-
bined use of insulin with hGH exacerbated the
abdominal presentation. Though use patterns
vary, many now use hGH at a lower dose, and
time insulin with meals and training.
So, it should be clear that the dosing of
AAS has impressive but limited benefit as a
monotherapy, (i.e., without stacking it with other
classes of drugs such as hGH and/or insulin).
From the onset, men have developed impres-
sive physiques with muscular hypertrophy and
strength gains using modest doses of AAS. The
escalation of dosing regimens has resulted in
a clearly evident, but not evolutionary increase
in the muscle mass of the competitors. It also
clearly aids in protecting against muscle loss
during pre-contest dieting, as the mass of these
men has increased concurrently with a reduction
in body fat. Certain AAS have fat loss-enhancing
properties, whereas others impede fat loss, but
that is outside the scope of this article.
WHAT IS THE RIGHT DOSE?
The question arises, then, “What is the right
dose?” This obviously is a question that does
not have one right answer. First, it assumes that
a person does not have a known or unknown
contraindication to using AAS. This means that
a person does not have a health condition that
would increase the risk of an adverse (nega-
tive) side effect, potentially fatal in some cases.
Though prostate cancer and heart disease were
once dogmatically thought to be caused or
worsened by testosterone replacement therapy
(TRT) or AAS misuse, it appears that this is not
the case in doses that are within or close to the
upper physiologic limit. The greatest concern
should lie in a history of blood clots (thrombo-
philic disease), which can be familial (relatives
have a history of blood clots) or spontaneous. In
fact, nearly all ischemic cardiovascular events
reported in people receiving TRT occur in indi-
viduals with a thrombotic condition. At times,
this does not manifest until the person goes on
TRT, suggesting that it can “tip the scales” and
lead to a life-threatening event (e.g., stroke, pul-
monary embolism, coronary thrombosis, DVT).
Equally relevant, especially in adolescents
and young adults, is the risk of a personality
disorder or psychosis emerging. It is not only the
grossly elevated levels of androgens circulating
during cycles that may cause this, but also the
rapid downward swing when going off-cycle. It is
suggested that one highly publicized case in-
volving a high school student who was taken off
AAS abruptly (under the advice of a physician)
contributed to his suicide. It is unclear how valid
this opinion is, as the boy was also receiving
psychiatric care and on some form of medication
for a mental health condition.7
Though the existence of “roid rage” is
contested, research does support that in
predisposed individuals, supraphysiologic
testosterone can increase the magnitude of
response to provoked aggression, but does
not increase spontaneous aggression.8 This
means that if you upset an AAS user who is
prone to losing his temper, he will react more
angrily and/or violently. However, the person
should not have outbursts without reason.
Other potential risks (legal as well as health)
exist, and should be understood before decid-
ing to experiment with AAS.
TESTOSTERONE THRESHOLD
AND MUSCLE HYPERTROPHY
Clearly, a healthy man will not want to use
an amount of AAS that does no better than his
natural levels of testosterone (or even worse).
Thus, it is notable that research has shown that
in both young adults and older men, testoster-
one is essentially maintained at baseline— with
statistically significant changes in muscle mass
and strength when dosed at 125 milligrams of
testosterone enanthate weekly. Increasing this
to 300 milligrams and even 600 milligrams
weekly results in dose-dependent increases in
both muscle mass and strength.9,10 Only in older
men were any significant adverse effects noted,
those being an increase in red blood cell mass,
leg edema and prostate events.
Harrison Pope, who has been vigorously
pursuing any association between AAS misuse
and various psychopathologies, noted in a 2000
study that 600 milligrams of testosterone cypi-
onate was well tolerated by the vast majority
MD 131
TESTOSTERONE
of subjects, with 12 percent experiencing an
increase hypomanic scores on a survey and
four percent showing more marked hypoma-
nia.11 No pathologic or criminal behavior was
reported. It is interesting that the hypomanic
scores reported in the study are considered
to be in the normal range in other references,
suggesting the sensitivity to change may
have been slightly biased to over-reporting.
An interesting paper reported on the
observed testosterone threshold neces-
sary for skeletal muscle hypertrophy.12 The
testosterone concentration needed to evoke
an increase in muscle mass was at the top
end of the physiologic range, actually slightly
above, in this group of older men. The con-
centration of roughly 1,200 to 1,500 ng/dL cor-
relates with the concentration produced by the
men receiving 300 milligrams of testosterone
ester weekly (1,345 ng/dL).9,12 This suggests
that those seeking increases in muscle mass
and strength might target 300 milligrams
of testosterone ester weekly as a starting
point. However, conversations with many men
receiving TRT describe increases in strength
and muscle mass equal to that achieved
during young adult years at a dose of 200
milligrams of testosterone ester weekly. Topi-
cal formulations are generally found to be
lacking in relevant changes in muscle mass in
middle-aged men.
A dose range of 300 to 600 milligrams of
testosterone ester weekly agrees with the
field report of men self-administering AAS
primarily for personal enhancement (i.e.,
personal satisfaction; 15% reported competi-
tion experience/plans). In a large survey of
nearly 2,000 AAS users, the most common
dose range was 200 to 600 milligrams of
testosterone ester weekly (52%), with an ad-
ditional 32 percent reporting a dose range
of 600 to 1,000 milligrams weekly. Very few
reported use above 1,400 milligrams of tes-
tosterone ester weekly.13 This suggests that
in the “trial and error” lab of illicit use, AAS
misusers find the “sweet spot” for AAS to be
in the range denoted to increase muscle mass
and strength with a minimal (or manageable)
level of adverse effects— roughly 200 to 1,000
milligrams of testosterone ester weekly. The
dosing studies reported earlier described an
increase in fat-free mass of 7.9 kilograms in
the men receiving the weekly dosing of 600
milligrams.9 This correlates to a 12.5 percent
increase in six months (with a 10% decrease in
fat mass). These results would be admirable
for an amateur bodybuilder, and are consis-
tent with the physiques seen in bodybuilders
of the 1960s and 1970s.
CHEMICAL WARFARE
Obviously, the goal of the individual
dictates the “right” dose. However, for the
person considering AAS use, accounting
for the potential for legal or health conse-
quences, both scientific and “field” reports
suggest that effects meeting the expecta-
tions of most non-competitive individuals
can be met with a modest dosing schedule
of 300 to 600 milligrams of testosterone
ester weekly. Unfortunately, it is difficult
to determine “right” dose for the infinite
combinations of AAS. Further, those driven
to compete will find that a weighting of risk
tolerance versus desire to compete needs to
be evaluated regularly, as many competitors
are willing to accept dangerous and risky
protocols of prolonged cycles with complex
stacks including peptide hormones, stimu-
lants, diuretics, insulin and other agents. At
some point, it becomes chemical warfare,
and war always has casualties.
If AAS misuse is your choice, consider the
power and limitations of near-physiologic
dosing, and understand that there is a ceil-
ing to the amount of size AAS can provide.
Unrealistic expectations will result in dis-
satisfaction and a temptation to push the
boundaries of relative safety and tolerance
to the point where adverse effects may af-
fect your health, relationships or otherwise
impact your life negatively. ■
REFERENCES:
1. “Animalpak” Intensity or insanity. Bodybuilding.com.
September 10, 2004. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ani-
malpak5.htm, accessed January 5, 2016.
2. Peters J. The man behind the juice. Slate.com. Febru-
ary 16, 2005. http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_
nut/2005/02/the_man_behind_the_juice.html, accessed
January 6, 2016.
3. “RonnyT.” Nilevar. Juicedmuscle.com. July 3, 2013.
https://juicedmuscle.com/jmblog/content/nilevar, accessed
January 6, 2016.
4. Fischler MS. Fall and Rise of a champion bodybuilder.
Long Island Journal. February 29, 2004. http://www.nytimes.
com/2004/02/29/nyregion/long-island-journal-fall-and-rise-
of-a-champion-bodybuilder.html?_r=0, accessed January
6, 2016.
5. Franke WW, Berendonk B. Hormonal doping and
androgenization of athletes: a secret program of the German
Democratic Republic government. Clin Chem 1997;43:1262-79.
6. Vanhoudt J. BMI Evolution of Pro IFBB Bodybuilders.
True-natural-bodybuilding.com. 2008. http://www.true-
natural-bodybuilding.com/bmi-bodybuilders.html, accessed
January 6, 2016.
7. Jones G, Jacobson G. Father makes truth his purpose.
Dallas News. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/
dws/spe/2005/steroids/father.html, accessed January 7,
2016.
8. Kouri EM, Lukas SE, et al. Increased aggressive
responding in male volunteers following the administration
of gradually increasing doses of testosterone cypionate.
Drug Alcohol Depend 1995;40:73-9.
9. Bhasin S, Woodhouse L, et al. Testosterone dose-
response relationships in healthy young men. Am J Physiol
Endocrinol Metab 2001;281:E1172-81.
10. Bhasin S, Woodhouse L, et al. Older men are as
responsive as young men to the anabolic effects of graded
doses of testosterone on the skeletal muscle. J Clin Endocri-
nol Metab 2005;90:678-88.
11. Pope HG Jr, Kouri EM, et al. Effects of supraphysiolog-
ic doses of testosterone on mood and aggression in normal
men: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry
2000;57:133-40.
12. Sattler F, Bhasin S, et al. Testosterone threshold
levels and lean tissue mass targets needed to enhance
skeletal muscle strength and function: the HORMA trial. J
Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2011;66:122-9.
13. Cohen J, Collins R, et al. A league of their own: demo-
graphics, motivations and patterns of use of 1,955 male adult
non-medical anabolic steroid users in the United States. J Int
Soc Sports Nutr 2007 Oct 11;4:12(14 pp).
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
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 BODYBUILDING science
BEST SQUAT WORKOUT
FOR STRENGTH:
The squat is the best leg-developing exercise because of its remarkable
capacity to simultaneously activate most of the major muscle groups within
the lower body, generating tremendous muscle growth and strength. While
all of the muscle-building capabilities from squatting are fantastic, there has
been some uncertainty about what training protocol elicits maximum strength
gains while performing the squat. One of the more complex, yet seemingly
simple, questions asked when assessing the capacity of a certain training ap-
proach to build strength is simply how many repetitions should be performed
and at what intensity level.
STANDARD TRAINING INTENSITY
FOR SIZE OR STRENGTH
The typical training approach for maximal squat strength utilizes approxi-
mately 80 to 90 percent of your one-repetition maximum (1RM) within the
repetition range of two to five, while using 75 to 85 percent of your 1RM within
134 MD
By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
Senior Science Editor
the repetition range four to 12 is usually employed to preferentially stimulate
muscle hypertrophy. Heavier weights augment strength principally by induc-
ing greater neuromuscular activation of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which con-
tract more quickly than slow-twitch muscle fibers, producing more power.
The increased activation of fast-twitch muscle fibers from high-intensity
training ultimately leads to greater strength gains. On the other hand, higher-
volume training more specifically amplifies muscle growth, in large part by
increasing muscle time under tension, which increases metabolic stress—
encouraging muscle hypertrophy.
Several studies highlight the aforementioned differences in training
outcomes, pointing out that training prescriptions for hypertrophy differ con-
siderably from those that preferentially boost strength.1 In fact, as a proof of
principle, most powerlifters— whose primary goal is to get stronger— char-
acteristically perform high-intensity training using 85 percent to 95 percent of
their 1RM for three to five repetitions, while most bodybuilders utilize lighter
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
weights in the 75 percent to 85 percent range of
their 1RM, usually for eight to 12 repetitions.
GREATER MUSCLE CONTRACTION
EQUALS GREATER STRENGTH
A key element required for improved strength
arises from an enhanced capacity to swiftly acti-
vate muscular contraction. It has been well docu-
mented that lifting heavier loads increases the
ability to recruit, or activate, muscular contraction,
demonstrating one of the pivotal mechanisms
triggered by heavier loads that more effectively
promotes strength gains.2,3 On the contrary, other
studies have also shown increased levels of
muscle activity can be caused while using lighter
weights and more repetitions.4,5
The rise in muscle activity triggered while us-
ing lighter weights with more repetitions has been
attributed to the sequential activation of addi-
tional muscle tissue that occurs in order to sustain
muscular contraction throughout the entire lift as
muscular fatigue accumulates. As a result, the
larger amount of muscle activity brought on by
the use of lighter loads and higher repetitions
could potentially lead to comparable gains in
strength that are seen when using heavier weight.
However, the relative increase in muscle activity
when performing more repetitions with lighter
resistance is still unclear, when compared to the
use of heavier resistance. Thus, the ability of this
training approach to boost strength has remained
undefined.
Since muscular fatigue brought on by higher-
repetition training induces the activation of ad-
ditional muscle tissue in a compensatory way,
perhaps training techniques that pre-exhaust
the muscle more extensively— such as drop
sets, which use heavier weight to induce greater
muscular fatigue, followed immediately by lighter-
weight training to failure— may trigger an even
larger amount of muscle activation, ultimately
generating more muscle activity that further aug-
ments strength improvement.
HIGH-INTENSITY
TRAINING PREVAILS
Researchers wanted to investigate whether
higher-repetition training with lighter weights
alone could induce similar, or greater muscular
activity, than heavy resistance training can. To
this end, a study by Looney et al.6 looked at the
muscle activity of two major muscles within the
upper leg, the vastus lateralis and the vastus me-
dialis, while 10 young men with extensive training
experience performed the squat to their maximum
amount of repetitions, with an increasing load
level of 50, 70 or 90 percent of their respective
1RM. The results demonstrated that muscle activi-
ty in both muscle groups was significantly greater
when performing 90 percent of their 1RM to mus-
cular failure, compared to when they performed
the squat at 50 and 70 percent of their 1RM, also
to muscular failure. Training at 70 percent of their
1RM resulted in significantly greater recruitment
than training at 50 percent of their 1RM.
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
To further investigate whether higher-repetition
training with lighter weights combined with drop
sets could induce muscular activity comparable
to heavy resistance training alone, Looney et al.
looked at the muscle activity of the same up-
per leg muscles, while subjects performed the
maximum amount of repetitions in the squat with
a light load (50 percent of their 1RM) right after
performing the squat with 70 and 90 percent of
their 1RM to failure. This was done with no rest
between any of the sets, to maximize muscular
fatigue and hopefully induce greater muscular
activity. The data showed that using the drop set
method to pre-fatigue the muscle did not increase
muscle activity above the levels seen when sim-
ply performing a set to failure using the same 50
percent of the 1RM.
Altogether, these results confirm the previously
held belief that greater muscle activity occurs
with use of heavier weights, and the addition of
pre-fatigue methods such as drop set does not
lead to greater muscle activity during subsequent
low-intensity training.
In conclusion, heavy resistance training alone
is still one of the most effective ways to trigger
muscle activity and bolster strength. Moreover,
despite other training methods that successfully
incorporate the use of light weights while bolster-
ing considerable gains in strength, the use of
pre-exhaust training methods at high intensity
levels, combined with high-repetition training at
light loads, does not produce the desired effect of
increased muscular contractility— meaning this
approach will likely be unsuccessful at boosting
any significant amount of muscular strength. ■
For most of Michael Rudolph’s career he has been engrossed
in the exercise world as either an athlete (he played college
football at Hofstra University), personal trainer or as a research
scientist (he earned a B.Sc. in Exercise Science at Hofstra Uni-
versity and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from
Stony Brook University). After earning his Ph.D., Michael inves-
tigated the molecular biology of exercise as a fellow at Harvard
Medical School and Columbia University for over eight years. That
research contributed seminally to understanding the function of
the incredibly important cellular energy sensor AMPK— leading
to numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals including the
journal Nature. Michael is currently a scientist working at the New
York Structural Biology Center doing contract work for the Depart-
ment of Defense on a project involving national security.
REFERENCES:
1. Masuda K, Choi JY, et al. Maintenance of myoglobin concen-
tration in human skeletal muscle after heavy resistance training.
Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1999;79, 347-352.
2. Duchateau J and Hainaut K. Training effects of sub-
maximal electrostimulation in a human muscle. Med Sci Sports
Exerc 1988;20, 99-104.
3. Pucci AR, Griffin L and Cafarelli E. Maximal motor unit firing
rates during isometric resistance training in men. Exp Physiol
2006;91, 171-178.
4. Hassani A, Patikas D, et al. Agonist and antagonist muscle
activation during maximal and submaximal isokinetic fatigue
tests of the knee extensors. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2006;16,
661-668.
5. Pincivero DM, Aldworth C, et al. Quadriceps-hamstring
EMG activity during functional, closed kinetic chain exercise to
fatigue. Eur J Appl Physiol 2000;81, 504-509.
6. Looney DP, Kraemer WJ, et al. Electromyographical and Per-
ceptual Responses to Different Resistance Intensities in a Squat
Protocol: Does Performing Sets to Failure With Light Loads Recruit
More Motor Units? J Strength Cond Res 2015. [Epub, ahead of print
 ANABOLIC RESEARCH UPDATE BY WILLIAM LLEWELLYN

I’ve revived many questions over the past month about “The Piana Cycle.” For those

THE
‘PIANA’
unfamiliar, Rich Piana is an amateur bodybuilder and prominent Internet figure. Most pro
bodybuilders profess drug abstinence, of course. Their drug use is quiet. Piana, on the other
hand, has been very open about his drug use. Combine this with a monstrous physique,
charismatic personality and prominent social media presence, and his 1 million-plus followers

CYCLE
make a lot of sense. Fast-forward to recently, when Mr. Piana posted his next cycle on
Instagram for everyone to see. It is massive. He professes it is a rare pushing of the envelope,
from which he expects to gain over 30 lean pounds. The result is one of the most talked-about
topics in the steroid community. This month, I decided to combine my Anabolic Research
Update and Anabolic Q&A columns and review this cycle, sharing my thoughts as to its safety
and application.

THE ARSENAL
Now known widely as simply “The Piana cycle,”
this program makes use of 13 different drugs; 11 of
which are anabolic steroids. The cycle is a monster.
If one were so inclined to repeat it, which of course I
don’t encourage, it would require the following list of
items. Take note that I did some rounding out of the
numbers so they equaled normal packaging units.
We’re looking at 13 standard 10-milliliter bottles of
injectable anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), eight
standard 100-tablet bottles of oral AAS, five kits of
six-milligram Serostim hGH, three packs of 10,000
IU hCG and two ampules of testosterone propionate
for good measure. The actual cost estimates for this
cycle are enormous, of course. Even with a very well could hinder one’s ability WEEK 1: 900 MG WEEK 7: 2,360 MG 600 mg Tren E (W)
connected and affordable source, he is probably to retain their hard-earned 150 mg TE (M/W/F) 900 mg TE (M) 750 mg EQ (F)
100 mg Deca (M/W/F) 600 mg Deca (W) 150 mg/day Anadrol
looking at spending in excess of $4,000 for this. gains, making PCT very
50 mg Masteron (M/W/F) 300 mg Masteron (F) 4.5 IU hGH/day
And this presupposes access to cheap, diverted important. To that end, Piana 2.25 IU hGH/day 80 mg/day Dbol
(insurance covered) Serostim. This could easily be a also makes use of hGH 4.5 IU hGH/day WEEK 13: 3,300 MG
five-figure cycle, otherwise. here. This is not common WEEK 2: 1,350 MG 900 mg TC (M)
during PCT, given the cost 225 mg TE (M/W/F) WEEK 8: 2,500 MG 600 mg Tren E (W)
150 mg Deca (M/W/F) 900 mg TE (M) 750 mg EQ (F)
2 x 10 ml testosterone enanthate (300 mg/ml) of hGH. However, the drug,
75 mg Masteron (M/W/F) 600 mg Deca (W) 150 mg/day Anadrol
2 x 10 ml nandrolone decanoate (200 mg/ml) at least under therapeutic 4.5 IU hGH/day 300 mg Masteron (F) 4.5 IU hGH/day
2 x 10 ml drostanolone propionate (100 mg/ml) conditions, has been shown 100 mg/day Dbol
500 tabs methandrostenolone (5 mg/tab) to help maintain lean body WEEK 3: 1,800 MG 4.5 IU hGH/day WEEK 14: 3,300 MG
2 x 10 ml testosterone cypionate (300 mg/ml) mass during periods of low 300 mg TE (M/W/F) 900 mg TC (M)
2 x 10 ml trenbolone enanthate (200 mg/ml) testosterone. In my opinion, it 200 mg Deca (M/W/F) WEEK 9: 2,600 MG 600 mg Tren E (W)
100 mg Masteron (M/W/F) 300 mg TC (M/W/F) 750 mg EQ (F)
2 x 10 ml boldenone undecylenate (250 mg/ml) makes sense to experiment 150 mg/day Anadrol
4.5 IU hGH/day 200 mg Tren E (M/W/F)
100 tabs oxymetholone (50 mg/tab) with it here. 250 mg EQ (M/W/F) 4.5 IU hGH/day
2 ml testosterone propionate (100 mg/ml) WEEK 4: 2,080 MG 50 mg/day Anadrol
1 x 10 ml methenolone enanthate (100 mg/ml) A FEW 300 mg TE (M/W/F) 4.5 IU hGH/day WEEK 15: 1,200 MG
200 tabs oxandrolone (5 mg/tab) NOTEWORTHY 200 mg Deca (M/W/F) 200 mg TP (M)

5 kits of Serostim hGH at 6 mg dose (7 vials) POINTS
3 kits of hCG at 10,000 IU dose (human First, this is a long cycle.
chorionic gonadotropin) Most AAS programs begin
to notice diminishing returns
THE DOSING PROTOCOLS somewhere around the
The following details the week-by-week dosing eight-week mark, give or
protocols for the cycle. It runs for 16 weeks, or take. This program pushes
roughly four months. This is followed by a three- into 16 weeks. To prevent
week PCT (post-cycle therapy) period utilizing hCG. stagnation, Piana shifts the
I assume some anti-estrogens are also thrown drugs used at several points.
in there. This is designed to help restore normal You’ll notice the program
testosterone production more quickly. No doubt, begins with some basic
during and for a while after a cycle like this, natural lean mass-building drugs,
testosterone would be seriously suppressed. This and nearly halfway through,
100 mg Masteron (M/W/F) WEEK 10: 2,950 MG 100 mg Primobolan
40 mg/day Dbol 300 mg TC (M/W/F) (M/W/F)
4.5 IU hGH/day 200 mg Tren E (M/W/F) Taper Anadrol
250 mg EQ (M/W/F) Replace with 100 mg/day
WEEK 5: 2,220 MG 100 mg/day Anadrol Anavar
300 mg TE (M/W/F) 4.5 IU hGH/day 4.5 IU hGH/day
200 mg Deca (M/W/F)
100 mg Masteron (M/W/F) WEEK 11: 3,300 MG WEEK 16: 1,000 MG
60 mg/day Dbol 300 mg TC (M/W/F) 100 mg Primobolan
4.5 IU hGH/day 200 mg Tren E (M/W/F) (M/W/F)
250 mg EQ (M/W/F) 100 mg/day Anavar
WEEK 6: 2,220 MG 150 mg/day Anadrol 4.5 IU hGH/day
900 mg TE (M) 4.5 IU hGH/day
600 mg Deca (W) WEEKS 17-19: PCT
300 mg Masteron (F) WEEK 12: 3,300 MG 7,500-15,000 IU hCG
60 mg/day Dbol 900 mg TC (M) 4.5 IU hGH/day

136 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016


____________
It is a rare pushing of the
envelope, from which he
expects to gain over 30 lean pounds.
transitions over to stronger bulking agents.
This isn’t a bad strategy for continued
gains, of course. The cumulative dosage
also steadily increases throughout this
cycle, reaching well over three grams per
week near the end. Provided Mr. Piana
remains responsive to such high doses,
this should also help prevent stagnation.
The last couple of weeks are spent on a
reduced dosage, with a more traditional
hardening stack.
Secondly, I note that at two points in the
program, the cumulative weekly dosage of
injectable AAS is maintained, but the intake
schedule is drastically shifted. Instead of
taking each drug three times per week, the
full dose of each is given on a single day.
This changes the pharmacokinetic pattern
(drug distribution). Injecting these steroid
esters three times weekly results in a more
consistent blood level. Giving the full weekly
dose on a single day results in greater
variation. The latter may not be a bad option,
however. While the hormone lows will be
lower, the peaks will be higher. Some studies
(and anecdote) seem to support this as a
more effective dosing practice for gains,
though there truly isn’t much data to draw
from. Still, I find this an interesting aspect
of the cycle, as it deviates from the norm in
an attempt to extend drug efficacy without
increasing dosage. The orals are often
increased during these same weeks, though,
so it may be difficult for one to discern the
value of this practice, specifically.
Third, and perhaps most basically, this is
a lot of gear! A whole lot! He is taking four
steroids at a time during most weeks … a
total of 11 weeks on more than two grams of
AAS per week … five weeks near or above
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
three grams of AAS! When we are talking
about doses in the grams per week like
this, you should know we’re talking about
a very serious cycle. The doses here would
be excessive for regular recreational steroid
users— FAR excessive, in fact. If you are
new or even moderately experienced with
AAS, you can note very good gains taking
only one to two steroids at a time, with
10-20 percent of this cumulative dosage,
for half the time. And certainly, you are not
going to grow five to 10 times faster by doing
this much more. I’m not going to ever say
this is a smart cycle, but concede it makes
more sense to see an extremely advanced
professional bodybuilder trying something
like it. That means if you’re not such an
athlete, I don’t think a cycle like this should
ever even cross your mind.
SAFETY OF THE PIANA CYCLE
This is the big issue, right? I’ve received
many questions, and have seen many
more comments on the safety of Mr. Piana’s
proposed cycle. The sentiments are all
across the board, often to extremes. Some
feel Piana knows a lot about the drugs he is
using, and thus must be using them safely.
His risks should be low. Others insist
running a cycle like this, especially at his
age, is exceedingly dangerous. They feel
he might be risking his very life. So, what
do we really know about extreme cycles
like this? Are they THAT dangerous? Can a
smart bodybuilder run a multi-gram, multi-
month cycle like this with minimal risk to
one’s health?
Most of us naturally want to assume
that higher doses come with equivalently
elevated health risks. The truth is,
however, that we don’t really know if that is true.
There is essentially no data on the health effects of
excessive supratherapeutic dosages as such. The
most “extreme” controlled trial I know of uses 600
milligrams of testosterone per week. That is one drug,
in a cumulative dosage far lower than what we’re
talking about here. We should assume that higher
doses INCREASE health risks, but this is hard for us to
quantify.
To this point, we notice that many of the side effects
of AAS misuse are manifest profoundly at moderate
dosages. The effects on the cardiovascular system
are a good example. Very strong shifts in cholesterol
have been shown on doses far lower than we’re
talking about here. I can personally attest to having
single-digit HDL (good) cholesterol levels while taking
only 50 milligrams per day of oxymetholone at one
point. There isn’t much room to go from there! Should I
automatically assume 150 milligrams would have been
three times as bad for cardiovascular risk? What about
the effects on endothelial flexibility, blood pressure
and ventricular hypertrophy, to name just a few? There
is some dose dependency with some things, for sure.
However, we really don’t know HOW dose dependent
these side effects are— where, if any, we reach ceilings
in these changes.
There is one area where we do know very clearly
that the health risks are both dose and duration
dependent. This concerns liver toxicity. And this is
something I would take seriously on a cycle like
this. Here, we’re looking at substantial doses of c-17
methylated (liver toxic) orals being taken continually
for 13 weeks. In some cases, the doses are exceedingly
high— for example, 100 milligrams daily of Dianabol. I
find this to be “way much.” The most prudent advice is
to limit such drugs to four to six weeks at a time, and
keep the doses much lower. Switching from one liver-
toxic drug to another, also, is unlikely to save you much
hepatic strain.
CONCLUSION
That’s about all that I can tell you about the cycle. It
is formidable, if not a bit frightening. It is certainly not
something I think readers should repeat. Beyond that,
I’m not in much of a position to pass judgment. I can’t
evaluate one’s health merely by looking at them, nor
am I in much of a position to determine what impact
these drugs would have on Mr. Piana, either in the short
or long term. I would recommend that others remember
this, and express similar control. I am, however, quite in-
terested to find out if he achieves the 30 pounds of lean
body mass expected, and if he reports any problems
with such dosing in particular. I wish him well, while I
wish others caution trying to follow in his footsteps. ■
Got a question for William Llewellyn? You can ask him directly on
the MD website and have William personally answer your question!
Go to www.musculardevelopment.com, MD Forums, MD Staff and
Pros, Q and A for William Llewellyn.
William Llewellyn’s books (ANABOLICS, UNDERGROUND
ANABOLICS and SPORT SUPPLEMENT REFERENCE GUIDE) are now
available as e-Books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.
MD 137
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 TRAINING CAMP

KAI GREENE
PUT DOWN THE TAPE MEASURE
AND OPEN YOUR MIND
Would you mind having someone measure your arms, legs
(largest part), chest and calves on video? It would be kind of
interesting to know your measurements.
You’ve probably heard this before, but bodybuilding is a sport
judged entirely by visual perception. It’s been called a sport of illu-
sion, because the actual size of the muscles is far less significant
than what they appear to be. With excellent shape, separation and
detail, an 18-inch arm will appear to be much larger than a 21-inch
arm lacking in shape and definition. Further, if measurements were
actually important, they would be part of the criteria we are judged
by, and judges would be onstage with tape measures recording
those numbers.
In the grand scheme of things, I would hope that I have more to
offer you than providing you with my measurements. For instance,
if I had the chance to sit down with Donald Trump and ask him any-
thing, I really wouldn’t waste time asking him what color his socks
were. I would rather know what drives him and what his mindset is
when he sets and accomplishes various goals, as well as strate-
gies he employs to stay focused and to convince others to be part
of the process of success.
I encourage you to stop focusing on things like how big my arms
or legs are or how much another pro can bench press or use in bar-
bell rows. Put down the magazine, turn off the computer and break
down the barriers of your own mental walls to start expanding your
horizons. Think about your hopes and dreams and what it is you
really want out of life, and then start brainstorming about how you
can make those things a reality. Use someone like myself as an
inspiration, by all means, but know that you are capable of being
and doing anything you truly set your mind to and believe in. Forget
about my measurements. What are yours? And if you’re not happy
with them, change them!

SQUATS: BEST LOWER-BODY EXERCISE

As a kinesiologist, natty bodybuilder and trainer, I’ve heard
all the different opinions. As a person with years of experience
and a trainer yourself, I just have one question: as a bodybuild-
er, to squat or not to squat? It seems as if some people have
trouble with the form, and would probably be better off with leg
presses.
If you have ever read a single article about my leg training, and I
know there have been at least a couple in MD, you would know how
much I believe in the value of the barbell squat. You cannot find a
more basic, more demanding or more productive exercise for the “You would be very hard pressed to find a body-
lower body. You would also be very hard pressed to find a body-
builder with anything beyond average leg development who did not builder with anything beyond average leg devel-
build his thighs with plenty of squats over a period of years. opment who did not build his thighs with plenty
There are those who avoid squats for various reasons. A
frequent complaint is that the movement is awkward and difficult
of squats over a period of years.”
to master. Others get discouraged because they see how much –Kai Greene
weight they can load on a leg press and look at the relatively
lighter weight they can handle on squats as a failure. The only And don’t worry if perfect form doesn’t come easily to you. There is nothing to
legitimate reason not to squat would be for those who are suffering be ashamed of! Know that once you do master the form on squats, you can
from a severely debilitating injury to the spine or the disks between easily begin to gradually increase the weights you use over time. And you
the vertebrae. In a case like this, heavy loads bearing down on the should know that squatting even 225 pounds for deep reps with excellent form
spine would not be advised. For all others, squats are the absolute will yield much better gains than half-reps with 500 pounds, hunched over
best option to increase size and strength in the thighs. as if you’re performing a good morning. Never for a minute worry about what
Don’t be discouraged because you can’t use as much weight anyone else is doing. Focus on your own performance, your own technique and
as someone else or as much as you think you should be able to. stimulating growth in your thighs.

140 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016


CEDRIC
MCMILLAN
CRUNCHES FOR A
TIGHT MIDSECTION
Cedric, your midsection is exactly
what I want mine to look like! I’ve tried
a lot of different routines, with less than
satisfactory results. Would you please
share yours?
Honestly, man, you’re gonna get mad
at me … but all I did was regular crunches.
Back in the day, I probably did everything un-
der the sun, and I think they all are effective.
It just boils down to doing the ones that you
like, and the ones that don’t hurt your lower
back, or fatigue your hip flexors too much,
ya know? Do exercises that target and focus
on abs only. I don’t like doing hanging leg
raises ‘cause it hurts my whole upper body
trying to hold myself up just to do a few reps
of abs. Also, I don’t use any extra weight. I
think weight will make the abs stronger, and
in turn, bigger. I just want them small and
tight. Although, very developed abs look
fuckin’ awesome, and that may be an area I
will need to develop more one day. Ahmad
Haidar had some bad-ass abs— like bricks!
WHEN ONE SIDE IS
WEAKER, WORK IT MORE
Cedric, do you have any tips on correct-
ing asymmetrical body parts?
I train the weak side only, every other
workout. Then when I train both sides, I still
only do half the workout with both sides, and
the rest of the workout with just the weak
side. Like if I have four exercises on back day,
I do two for both sides and two for the weak
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
one. Then when I train back again, I do the
weak side only. This helps maintain the size
of the more developed side, while giving the
weaker side a chance to catch up.
TRAIN MORE THAN
ONCE A DAY? NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN
Do you train all at once or break it up
throughout the day?
I train once a day. With my schedule,
that’s all I can fit in. Pre-contest, I may have
to add a couple of cardio sessions in the
morning and at night. Once, I saved a lot of
leave time and took off work a few weeks
before the show. I was able to work out twice
a day. It was cool, but my whole day was
filled with going to and from the gym! “Ain’t
nobody got time fo dat!”
INSTINCTIVE TRAINING,
LOW VOLUME AND
HIGH INTENSITY
Hi Cedric! How many reps and sets Most sets I stop when I can’t do the reps properly. I’d say
worked best for you to gain most of your out of nine sets, five to seven of those are to failure. Off-
muscle mass? Did you stick to higher vol- season, I rest more between sets. Pre-contest, I only rest
ume or lower volume? Could you please enough to change weight, or up to 30 seconds max unless
share some of your beginner routines I’m dead tired. Then I can get it done in 45 minutes, too.
that helped you the most to build muscle Also, sometimes I do more than one body part a day, which
mass? Also, do you do the same weight makes the workout longer. My point is, I go until I feel like
on all your sets or do you increase it to the I worked the muscle completely. I’m not there with a clock,
last working set and work till failure? timing my workout. Some workouts last longer than others.
I’ve always worked out about the same I always try to increase weight progressively with each
as I do now: low volume, high intensity, set, making sure I keep mental notes of the final all-out
progression and instinctive training. I do set weight and reps so I can make sure I try to beat those
about nine total sets for all body parts. Oc- numbers in the next workout (similar to DC Style). I have
casionally when I feel full of energy, rested always trained this way.
and strong, I may do 12 total sets. But most
of the time I can get it done in nine. That’s “I go until I feel like I worked the
three exercises, three sets each, per body
part. None of my sets are to absolute failure.
muscle completely. I’m not there
with a clock, timing my workout.
Some workouts last longer than
others.” –Cedric McMillan
MD 141
 TRAINING CAMP
I guess it all depends on how you
define the word “power.” I don’t get
caught up on the actual number. For
example, a POWER workout could look
like this: squats: 135 x 10, 225 x 10, 315 x
10, 405 x 8 and 495 x 6 if I am taking 1.5-
2 minutes between sets. That’s how I
like to train, really. On the rare occasion
you will see me up to 585 pounds-plus
for six or so reps, I’m taking a much
greater rest time between sets. I would
rather keep the rest time down and
break the muscle down that way.
work sets! The 30-40 sets is usually
not including my warm-ups, though.
I do try to stretch and allow about 15
minutes post-workout for that every
day. I have been focusing on flexibility
and range of motion (ROM) a lot more
lately. I don’t do any pre-workout
stretching— I just start with an exer-
cise and slowly move up in weight,
usually two or three times, before
going into a working set. I don’t really
stretch too much between sets, either.
I like to save it all for the end.

STRETCHING AND WORKING EACH BODY

WARM-UPS TO PART ONCE EVERY
STAY INJURY FREE FIVE DAYS
I want to ask about your 30- You say you respond well to
40 sets per workout. Is that, for higher frequency. Do you think
example, 30-40 sets total work- working each body part something
ing sets a day when you do back/ like once every five days could be
biceps/calves? Are you counting good? Something along the lines of:
all 30-40 working sets total, for Chest/tri’s/shoulders, back/bi’s,
all three muscle groups? Also, you legs, chest/back, arms/delts, legs.
mentioned that you stretch post- I would use that order, and do
workout for 15-20 minutes. How do two days on, one day off (some-
you warm-up in the beginning? Do times three on, one off) and just
you just warm-up on a compound cycle through the workouts like
lift on back or chest day on your first that.
exercise? I’m asking all this because Yep, you could do something like
I want to work around my injuries that! The only fault I have with that is
and stay injury free. Also, do you do the chest/back day. Putting those two
JUSTIN COMPTON anything between sets, like stretch? muscle groups together would make
Keep up the good work! for a very long workout, and I’m not
PRE- AND INTRA-WORKOUT SHAKES Thanks, man! The 30-40 sets sure if I or anyone else would be able
Can you tell me what’s in the pre- and intra-workout shakes would be for all three muscles com- to hit back with 100 percent after just
you drink? And if you have carbs in the intra-shake, do you use it bined, not for each individual muscle. finishing chest. I would split that up—
when you’re dieting, too? Otherwise, we could be looking at 120 just my thoughts, though.
I usually have 50-70 grams of carbs in each shake. I mix BCAAs
in them as well! As for dieting, I never drink a pre-shake, but I will do “I like volume training. I like to push every rep of
an intra-shake for sure. As I get closer to the show and am putting
the final touches on, I may have to drop it out depending on how every set to the max once I am fully warmed up,
sharp I am. But I do like to keep it in pretty close to showtime, as I but I do a lot of volume. My workouts sometimes
feel it keeps me fuller.
last 90 minutes, or even up to two hours on leg
VOLUME TRAINING PUSHES day.” –Justin Compton
EVERYTHING TO THE MAX
Justin, which training approach do you typically follow? HIT,
volume, etc.?
For the most part, I like volume training. I like to push every rep
of every set to the max once I am fully warmed up, but I do a lot of
volume. My workouts sometimes last 90 minutes, or even up to
two hours on leg day. Rarely, I will do a lower volume approach for
a few weeks and focus on power. I feel really good in the gym and
whatnot with it, but I am quite achy the next day. That’s why I try to
toss this in just on occasion, rather than make it my normal style.

NUMBERS GAME: DON’T GET

CAUGHT UP IN THE WEIGHT
Do you worry about how much weight you use, or do you
leave that for powerlifters? Seems like a lot of bodybuilders still
want to train for power and go heavier than they should, for the
purposes of building their physique.

142 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 “There was a time when my ‘anabolic secret’ was McDonald’s.
I swear by it. One year, I used to eat 10 double cheeseburg-
ers every day. They were on the dollar menu, of course, and I
added 20 pounds to my stage weight! How can you beat that
for value?” –Juan Morel
JUAN MOREL
CALORIES IN VS. CALORIES
OUT DOESN’T APPLY TO
BODYBUILDERS
How can some people get away with
eating more and doing less cardio than in
previous shows, and come in shape? I am
not accusing anyone of taking something
like the drug DNP, as others have pointed
out online as being the only way they can do
less cardio and eat more, and come onstage
looking good. But is there something I am
not seeing here? The numbers don’t add
up, calories in versus calories out. Are guys
now training with longer sessions to avoid
having to do cardio? I just don’t get how one
can eat more carbs going into a show than
their last show, and do less cardio. One
would think it’s the opposite that is needed.
OK, I’m going try and answer this the best
way possible. Everyone is different, and some
people are carb sensitive and some are not,
and some people have faster metabolisms
and some don’t. Everyone has a different
metabolic rate, so someone might need 3,000
calories to maintain weight while others might
need 5,000 calories. Forget about the calories
in and calories out— that does not apply to
bodybuilders, as we focus on protein, fats
and carbs more so than just the calories. I see
what you’re saying about things not adding
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
up. But take note that some trainers kill an
athlete’s metabolism by having them do too
much cardio and cutting calories. That’s why
when they go to a more knowledgeable trainer,
they won’t have to eat less and do tons of
cardio. There are a lot of factors involved, and
I am not saying DNP or any other drug doesn’t
play a role for some athletes. But even when
it does, it’s still just one factor in the whole
program.
TRAIN HAMS SEPARATE
FROM QUADS
Juan, looking very good, man. What
have you found that’s helped bring up your
hamstrings? I’m a tall guy, too, and they are
stubborn as hell.
Thank you. I train them separate from
quads. I train quads in the morning and come
back later in the afternoon to train hams. I do
four exercises for five sets, and just go as hard
and heavy as possible for 12 to 15 reps.
BUILDING UP LAGGING
BODY PARTS
Juan, what do you suggest for lagging
body parts? Training them twice/three
times/multiple times a week, or just
annihilate the given body part with
maximum intensity once a week (rest-
pause, drop sets, double sets, giant sets.
etc.)? Or just kill them with high volume
in only one workout? Also, do you prefer
increasing cardio or decreasing calories in
order to get more ripped?
I would suggest you hit a problem
body part twice a week with high volume,
making sure you get a maximum pump in
that muscle. Also, make sure that after the
workout, you have a good meal to replenish
the muscle. As for getting into contest shape,
I never usually have to increase cardio nor
cut calories. Usually in my case, I have to
increase my food intake so I don’t shrink! But
if I had to, I would say increase cardio. I’m
not a believer in cutting calories. That’s what
works for me.
MCDONALD’S: MY
ANABOLIC SECRET
I’ve read about your epic cheat days on
Sundays that include McDonald’s, Pizza
Hut and ice cream, and how you eat a lot
of Mickey D’s to stay full toward the end
of your prep. Do you have high cholesterol
from all that crap?
My blood work has always been perfect!
A lot of that is genetic, I’m sure. I eat clean
six days a week, and once a week I have a
massive cheat day. I don’t eat crap every
day, but there was a time when my “anabolic
secret” was McDonald’s. I swear by it. One
year, I used to eat 10 double cheeseburgers
every day. They were on the dollar menu, of
course, and I added 20 pounds to my stage
weight! How can you beat that for value?
MD 143
 TRAINING CAMP
JOSE RAYMOND
NEVER GIVE UP
When you started bodybuilding, did you
ever have people put you down by say-
ing it’s a waste of time? If so, how did you
deal with such criticism? Did it just add fuel
to the flames and make you want to be a
bodybuilder more?
All the time, bro, and I still do. Things like
“you’re still doing that shit?” or “do you finally
have a real job yet?” or “can you actually
make money doing that?” I always laughed at
people like that as they smoke their cigarettes
and waddle their fat asses around. It feels
very good to be able to pay my bills doing
something I love while these assholes rot away
in a cubicle behind a computer. Never give
up on your passions, and you will be happy.
Remember that there are people out there who
gave up on their dreams and passions, if they
ever had any, and it kills them to see someone
like you going after what they love.
HAMMERED BACK TWICE
A WEEK TO BRING IT UP
Jose, what have you done in terms
of back training to make it so thick and
complete?
For my first two years as a pro, I knew I
could not stand with guys like David Henry
without a better back. So I hammered it twice
a week for two years straight. I did one heavy
compound day (deads, bent rows, dumbbell
rows, dumbbell pullovers) and one squeezing
day (pull-ups, seated pulley rows, reverse-grip
cable pull-downs, cable pullovers). I’m still a
work in progress, though— but so far, so good.
My back improved tremendously since I turned
pro, and will continue to improve.
OFF-SEASON: LESS
PROTEIN, AND TRAINING
NOT WRITTEN IN STONE
What sort of protein intake do you recom-
mend in the off-season? How heavy do you
train and what rep ranges do you train in?
Because I tend to compete a lot and I eat a
lot of protein during contest prep, I try to scale
back my protein intake in my short off-season
to give my kidneys a little break. I will eat more
things that I usually don’t eat during pre-
contest like dairy, cold cereals and lots of fruit.
To answer your question, I eat probably half
the amount of protein that I do while dieting. I
pretty much always train as heavy as possible
“safely” with an eight to 12 rep range, but often
throw in some very high-rep days, as high as
20-30 reps on certain exercises, depending on
my goals and how I am feeling. It is all instinc-
tive and not really written in stone.
144 MD
PYRAMID TRAINING VS. REVERSE PYRAMID TRAINING
Hey Jose, I know most people seem to do “pyramid training,” but what is that exactly?
Does it mean you just keep increasing weights as the sets go on? I read about something
called “reverse pyramid training,” where you start as heavy as you can and then use less
weight as you get tired. That seems better to me because you don’t waste as much energy.
Which one do you think is better?
With pyramid training, you warm up first with lighter weights, but as you start to hit the heavier
weights close to what you’ll be using, you don’t go all out. You maybe do one or two reps until you reach
what would be considered your working
sets (6-10 rep range) for a few sets,
and then come back down with limited
rest for a few sets of 10-15 reps. This
allows you to get max reps with your
heaviest weights, and also allows for a
lot of volume to really fill the muscles
with blood and promote growth in said
muscle. This is pretty much what I do
with my compound movements (squat,
deads, presses), but I personally need
a lot of warm-ups first through isola-
tion exercises. That’s because I have
been training heavy most of my life,
and I’m riddled with aches and pains!
But to finish your question, I don’t like
the reverse pyramid style. I’ve tried it,
and just never got the same degree of
pump in the muscles as when I took
more time to build up to heavy weights
and then did another couple of lighter
sets afterward. And at this stage in
my training career, if I tried going to my
heaviest weights with minimal warm-
“You’re still doing that shit?’ I ups, I would probably be tearing a
always laughed at people like that muscle every other week. That’s really
as they smoke their cigarettes and only something you can get away with
when you’re young and your body is
waddle their fat asses around.” super resilient. ■
–Jose Raymond
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 OLYMPIA LEGENDS
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
GAME ON!
Last time, we spoke about resetting
your system after competition. After
the contest season, I hope you all did
that and then had a chance to enjoy
the holidays— but not too much! You
always want to have at least a trace
of abs showing. Now, the next contest
season is coming up in the spring, and
it’s time to get ready. Your joints should
be recovered, and your mind should be
fresh and ready to tackle the next phase.
Your mind and body are both primed to
get into your best possible condition.
First off, you need to decide which
contests you will be entering this year.
Back when I was a fresh-faced rookie
out in California for the first time, I got
some priceless advice from one of my
idols, The Black Prince, Robby Robinson.
He told me that to avoid both physical
and mental burnout, I should either
compete in contests that were back to
back, as in a week or two apart, or else
have at least three months minimum
between contests. Robby turns 70 years
old this May and still looks fantastic, so
obviously he knows a thing or two about
longevity and maintaining a fit and
healthy body over the long haul!
I talk a lot about staying within
“striking distance” of your stage weight,
which for most bodybuilders will be in
the range of 15 to 20 pounds. Don’t listen
to so-called gurus who tell you to pig out
on all kinds of garbage and get heavy
and sloppy in the off-season. One of my
most famous phrases is, “If you can’t flex
it, don’t carry it!” I’ve repeated it so many
times because it’s absolutely critical to
keep in mind. You see some guys who
will get 40, 50 or even 70 pounds over
their contest weight and look like Porky
Pig. You can’t get in shape in three to
four months with that much fat to lose. It
will take you more like six months. You’ll
have to drastically reduce your calories
and do hours of cardio a day— and
when contest day arrives, your muscles
will be flat and rubbery instead of full
and hard. You’ll probably lose some
heard-earned muscle along the way, too.
146 MD
WITH 8-TIME MR. OLYMPIA LEE HANEY
EY
The old-school champions like Arnold,
Franco, Lou, Robby, Mike Katz and Frank
Zane never trained down for shows that
way. They didn’t have to, because they
stayed in decent shape all year long.
Those men actually grew into shows,
and they never had to starve themselves
or do marathon cardio sessions. They
weren’t huge, but those guys were cut to
ribbons! I adopted that philosophy in my
own career, with much success.
Equally important to staying in
respectable condition as you start your
contest preparation is selecting the right
training system. It’s standard now for
bodybuilders to train each body part just
once a week. You see a lot of really big
guys now as a result, but where is the
muscle quality and detail? To achieve
that, you need to train the muscles
more often, like a true athlete. After
your contest, you should have adopted
a three-day power circuit training with
weights on Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, with other days reserved for
power walking or the treadmill. Now it’s
time to move into my favorite training
system, the three-on, one-off. Here is the
breakdown:
“One of my most famous phrases is,
DAY 1: Chest, arms, abs and calves
‘If you can’t flex it, don’t carry it!’ I’ve
DAY 2: Legs repeated it so many times because
DAY 3: Back, delts, abs and calves it’s absolutely critical to keep in mind.
DAY 4: OFF, repeat
You see some guys who will get 40, 50
This way, each body part is trained
once every fifth day. You don’t want to
or even 70 pounds over their contest
be training super heavy all the time, of weight and look like Porky Pig.”
course. Bodybuilders have no reason
to be training in the rep ranges of a to incorporate another rest day. Unless you’ve allowed yourself
powerlifter (two to five) anyway. A good to turn into Porky Pig, you don’t need the straight six. The three-
way to save your joints is to train with on, one-off system will work perfectly for you, all the way up until
rep ranges of six to eight for three days the contest.
as you hit the body parts the first time,
then switch to eight to 12 reps for the Would you like to train with eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney? Lee offers
both online and personal training for out of town guests. Visit www.leehaney.
second round in the cycle. com for a complete list of services!
I also did a “straight six” program in Check out videos from the IAFS workshops at https://www.youtube.com/
my earlier years, which sees everything user/IAFSCertification. For more information, please visit the website at www.
trained twice in six days before taking a iafscertification.com.
rest day— but after peaking four weeks Got a question for Lee Haney? You can ask him directly on the MD website
too soon for my first Mr. Olympia contest and have Lee personally answer your question! Go to www.musculardevelop-
in 1983 and losing 10 pounds, I decided ment.com, MD Forums, MD Staff and Pros, Q and A for Lee Haney Zone.
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 WITH 8-TIME MR. OLYMPIA RONNIE COLEMANN
HARDCORE Q & A
SURGERY NUMBER 7 IS
ON THE HORIZON
After four different surgeries on my spine
and replacement of both hips, I really hoped I
was all done with operations. Unfortunately,
there will now have to be at least one more.
Last year, I had a spinal fusion procedure to
fuse disks three and four. The surgeon had
ordered special screws that were more heavy
duty than what is normally used, due to my
size and weight. The top part of one of them
has broken off, so now he will have to go back
in and dig that out, then fuse the disks all
over again. I am not looking forward to this at
all, because the other fusion surgery was the
toughest one out of everything I’ve had done
so far. My hip replacements were nothing
compared to it. I had a pain pump for medicine,
then pills, but the pain was just agonizing—
and I have a pretty high pain tolerance. The
surgery hasn’t been scheduled yet because
my doctor needs to find the right tool to use
to get that broken piece of screw out of my
bone. They haven’t made it in a long time. He
said he might end up making the tool himself,
because he has an engineering degree. This
time, he’s going to put plates in there too so it’s
a lot more secure. I’m not in any huge rush to
get this done, because I know it’s going to be a
tough recovery afterward.
REALLY BIG AND VERY STRONG
BODYBUILDERS: WHERE ARE
THEY?
Do you think it’s possible to get extremely
large muscles without ever getting extremely
strong? I’ve heard that a lot of pro bodybuild-
ers are nowhere near as strong as they look.
Have you come across any really big guys
over the years who weren’t especially strong,
compared to someone like yourself?
It’s more like, have I ever come across any
really big guys who were close to my strength
level, because I think I can count them on one
hand. Johnnie Jackson and Branch are the
only two I can think of right away. A lot of huge
guys are definitely real strong compared to the
average man in the gym, but they are almost
never as strong as you would think they are
by looking at them. What I did see way more
times were men who were a lot stronger than
they looked. I talked about a powerlifter named
Steve Goggins that used to go to Metroflex
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
years ago. Steve had a bunch of world records, Check Out Ronnie’s Websites
and the dude squatted 1,100 pounds. Looking www.ronniecoleman.net
at him, you would never have guessed he was www.bigroncoleman.com
one of the strongest men in the world at the Facebook: Ronnie Coleman
time. My legs were way bigger than his, and I Signature Series
sure couldn’t squat over half a ton like he did. Instagram: @ronniecoleman8
Strength and size are related, but not as
closely as most people think they are. I’m sure
you have all seen guys who could bench press
a ton of weight, but they weren’t huge men by
any means. And you’ve also seen some really
huge guys who you watched to see how heavy
they trained, and you were probably disap-
pointed to see the weights they used weren’t
what you expected. A lot of pro bodybuilders
just have excellent genetics for building muscle
mass, and they can do that just by getting
great pumps with pretty moderate weights.
Size and strength are both things you need
pretty good genetics for if you’re going to be
exceptional, and it’s just not too common to see
guys who have the genetics for both of them.
EVEN WITH A STRONG GRIP,
I USED STRAPS
Ronnie, with all the heavy weights
you used for movements like dead-
lifts, barbell rows and dumbbell rows,
I’m curious as to whether you relied
a lot on straps, or if you had a natu-
rally strong grip?
I did have a strong grip, but
I still used straps most of the
time. Back when I used to com-
pete in powerlifting, you couldn’t
use straps anyway. In that
sport, you use an over/under
grip for the strongest pos-
sible grip position. I always
had my left hand overhand,
and my right hand under-
hand. That’s how I learned
to deadlift back in high
school, and I kept using that
“mixed grip” even once I
became a bodybuilder.
For barbell rows, I used
the standard grip with
both hands overhand.
I could do 500 pounds
without straps, but my
grip would start to give out
eventually.
 OLYMPIA LEGENDS
WITH 6-TIME MR. OLYMPIA DORIAN YATES
BY RON HARRIS

BLOOD AND GUTS

ONE LEGEND ENDS,
ANOTHER BEGINS
You might have heard that Temple Gym in Birming-
ham has closed its doors for good. This month, I’d like
to pay tribute to a gym that will always have a special
place in my life, my career and my memories.
Located on Temple Street in Birmingham, it origi-
nally opened in 1967 as Lau Gar Kung Fu and Temple
Gym, with half the space devoted to martial arts train-
ing and the rest for weights. In 1980, my friend Martin
Tierney acquired it and renamed it Martin’s Gym. I
joined in 1983, and it was where I trained for my very
first contest in 1985, as well as all the rest that fol-
lowed. The gym closed down in 1987, and was vacant
for six months. This was around the time gyms were
starting to flourish in the USA and in the UK. My doc-
tor knew I had won the British Heavyweight title the
year before, and came to me with a proposal. He said
if you can find a location to open up a gym, I will pay
for all the equipment and so on, and you can run it.
Once all the start-up costs had been paid off, we could
split the profits. Immediately, I thought of the gym on
Temple Street.
This doctor didn’t know me all that well, but he said ing flooding. It became clear that after 28 years, it
he trusted me not to rip him off and felt I was quite ca- was time to close it down at last. Lewis and his crew
pable of making the business a success. Next, I went cleared it out, and I’m glad I wasn’t there to see it.
It would have been too emotional an experience. At
“Temple Gym became a popular destination least it will always live on in photos and in the “Blood
and Guts” video. It was a hole in the wall, but it was a
for those who had seen it in the ‘Blood and very special place with a unique atmosphere that will
Guts’ video and wanted to experience the never be seen again.
Now, I am about ready to open up DY Gym in
dungeon for themselves, as well as those Marbella. Temple was an ‘80s gym, but DY Gym is
who wanted to come out and train with me.” much more modern with so much more to offer. It’s
12,000 square feet versus the 2,000 that Temple was.
to the man who held the lease on the space, Mike Haig, and explained what I wanted to do. He was Of course, I handpicked all my favorite equipment
surprised, because he knew I didn’t have any money to open a gym. I told him I had an investor. At pieces from Hammer Strength, Flex Equipment and
that point, Mike said he wanted to do the same deal, but he would put the money up instead of my Life Fitness, but we also have a large cross-training/
doctor. I would choose all the equipment and set the gym up, and we would split the profits later on. CrossFit area for functional training, various therapy
Mike let me know that he had been ripped off many times, but he could tell I wouldn’t do him wrong. offices and a restaurant with healthy food. I will also
I found it odd that two seasoned businessmen had told me the same thing at almost the same time! be running my DYHIIT certification program out of DY
I went to work putting together my vision of the perfect hardcore gym in that basement space, and Gym. Marbella is a popular vacation spot for Europe-
many feel Temple Gym was the best of its kind. ans, with an atmosphere similar to Venice Beach. It’s
In 1988, I won the overall at the British Championships, and in 1989 I bought the gym from Mike. certainly a lot more appealing than Birmingham! So
I ran it hands-on for a couple of years, but once I was Mr. Olympia, I hired other people to manage I’m excited about this new gym, which is more like a
it. It continued to be my training headquarters for my entire pro career. Once I retired, Temple Gym whole athletic complex.
became a popular destination for those who had seen it in the “Blood and Guts” video and wanted One door closed, and another one opened. Tem-
to experience the dungeon for themselves, as well as those who wanted to come out and train with ple Gym will always have a legendary status in the
me. Once the BodyPower Expo became an annual event in Birmingham starting in 2009, Temple bodybuilding world, and the tradition will carry on in
saw a huge influx of visitors every April. a more modern incarnation with DY Gym.
Over the last few years, I spent less and less time in the U.K. and more in my new home in
Special thanks to Martin Tierney for the photos. For a
Marbella, Spain. My son Lewis was running Temple Gym these last couple of years. Last year, the
visual history of Temple Gym, visit http://www.blurb.co.uk/
owner of the building began major renovations that caused serious damage to the place, includ- books/6655818-temple-gym.

150 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 WITH 2008 MR. OLYMPIA DEXTER JACKSON
THE BLADE
BODYPOWER EXPO
IN MUMBAI, INDIA
In January, I visited India for the first time
for the BodyPower Expo in Mumbai. These
people are embracing fitness and bodybuilding
in a huge way, and their enthusiasm is crazy.
Everywhere I went, I was mobbed by people
who wanted to meet me and take a picture, or
ask for some training or nutrition advice. I had
a security team of five with me everywhere I
went, and they were absolutely necessary just
for crowd control. I went to train once, and it was
almost impossible with so many guys crowding
in close to watch. But if you want to talk about a
place where bodybuilding is growing fast, India
is blowing up!
TRAINING AT GOLD’S VENICE
I’ve never really heard you talk about training
partners. Have you had any great long-term train-
ing partners over the years, or have you mainly
trained on your own?
I have trained on my own at times, and I was
fine. For a few years, I had two great training part-
ners named John Mier and Gabe Lopez. As I got
older, I found I was losing some of my motivation
and needed a change of scenery. That’s when I
started heading out to Gold’s Gym in Venice to train
with Charles Glass. The atmosphere out there, com-
bined with him pushing me, gave me my motivation
back all over again.
CUTTING PHASE WILL PRIME
YOUR SYSTEM FOR GROWTH
For those of us who don’t compete, do you think
it makes sense to even have off-season and cut-
ting phases throughout the year? Or should we
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
always just be striving to get bigger and stay in an
off-season bulking mode?
I can’t answer that for anyone, because that’s an
individual choice. I remember back in the ‘80s and into
the ‘90s, Vic Richards never dieted down into contest
condition even after he got his pro card. He just felt too
small once he started getting really lean. Some guys
love being big and full, even if it means they are carry-
ing a good amount of body fat. Even if I didn’t compete,
I would always want to stay in shape and look good.
But that’s me.
Regardless of whether or not you care about how
you look, it’s still a good idea to lean out once a year.
Otherwise, the body gets used to all the extra calories,
and you will probably hit a serious plateau. Once you
restrict calories and carbs for a while and kick up your
cardio, it primes your system to grow again once you
go back to eating more and doing less cardio. But like
I said, it’s up to the individual. Some guys just love
being as big and strong as possible all the time, and
don’t really care one bit if they ever see their abs. Oth-
ers like to lean out for the summer, or for a vacation, or
whatever.
START SPREADING THE NEWS:
BLADE HEADED FOR NEW YORK
I am curious to know what your strategy is at this
point. Since you are in the final years of your competi-
tive career, are you trying to do as many shows as
possible before you retire, or are you pacing yourself
so you can keep competing for as long as possible,
maybe until age 50? What is your next contest?
I can’t see myself competing until I’m 50. But then
again, I never imagined I would ever still be competing
at the age of 45, and now I’m 46. I’m just taking it one
year at a time and having fun for now. My next contest
will be the New York Pro in May. It just makes sense.
I’ve never competed in that contest all these years,
even back when it was called the Night of Champions.
So I’d like to add that title to my collection. And two
weeks later is the first Arnold Classic in South Africa,
which I plan on winning. It works out perfectly. I know
some of the younger guys might be upset that I am
doing the New York Pro. But once you’re a pro, you
have to be ready to stand next to anyone. I mean, my
very first pro show was the 1999 Arnold Classic, and I
had to get up there with guys like Kevin Levrone, Jay
Cutler, Vince Taylor, Chris Cormier and Nasser!
Visit Dexter’s Official Website: www.dextertheblade.com. Follow
Dexter on Twitter: @MrOlympia08 and on Instagram: mrolympia08
Got a question for Dexter Jackson? You can ask him directly on
the MD website and have Dexter personally answer your question!
Go to www.musculardevelopment.com, MD Forums, MD Staff and
Pros, Q and A for Dexter Jackson.
MD 151
 OLYMPIA LEGENDS
WITH 7-TIME MR. OLYMPIA ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
BY RON HARRIS

ARNOLD’S CORNER
then two hours after that, I would have consider it ideal, but not bad with just
ARNOLD ON HOW TO another one of those protein drinks. So a little tweaking. Arnold had breakfast,
GET ENOUGH PROTEIN I would have those two times a day,
protein drinks, that in order to get the
a shake and then trained, had a solid-
food lunch meal followed two hours
A great deal has been written about how Arnold 250 grams of protein, because as I said, later with another solid meal (he seems
trained, and of course we saw a good amount of it in it’s absolutely essential that you have to have eaten steak quite often as his
“Pumping Iron.” We all know that nutrition is just as enough protein so you can experience the protein source, which was standard in
important in bodybuilding, yet far less has been made muscle growth.” that era) and finished his day off with
public about how Schwarzenegger ate in his prime. In another shake. Knowing what we know
his “Arnold Schwarzenegger Blueprint” video series, the USING SUPPLEMENTS now, especially the value of a shake
living legend speaks about his nutrition, specifically the TO FILL THE GAP taken immediately post-workout, I would
key role protein played and how he met his daily needs in “We have to recognize that we cannot want to see most people having one of
his years as Mr. Olympia. get all the nutrients— the vitamins, their two daily shakes at that time. And
minerals, protein and all those things the since the final meal of the day is usually
MEETING YOUR PROTEIN NEEDS body needs— just from regular meals. followed by anywhere from eight to
“I think the most important thing is that you eat the This is why we have supplements, and 10 hours of fasting before “breakfast,”
right way, and you get in the amount of protein that your this is why they are called supplements, literally “breaking the fast,” I would
body needs. And then there’s always the debate about because we’re supplementing, because prefer to have someone eating a slow-
how much protein does the body need. I always lived up we don’t get enough from regular meals digesting solid protein source in that
to the formula that for every pound of bodyweight, I want no matter how healthy and how good final meal. Red meat would be perfect
to get one gram of protein. The challenge, of course, you eat.” in this situation. So with apologies to
is how do you get those 250 grams into the body, and Arnold, below is how I would amend his
having the body taking it all in rather than just having it MY ANALYSIS stated meal plan for a 2016 bodybuilder,
go through? I felt like for me, it worked best when I had Arnold’s meal plan was very basic, assuming he trains at around 5:00 pm or
five meals a day. There are some people that can work yet it worked well for him. I would not 6:00 p.m. after a standard workday.
with three meals. For me, five meals was the answer. The
reason is because I never was a big eater. I always felt
comfortable with a regular-sized steak. If you gave me a
10-ounce steak, even in my heyday, I was happy. And to
have a little bit of vegetables, or some sliced tomatoes,
or some salad, I’m fine.”

A TYPICAL DAY OF EATING FOR ARNOLD

“In the morning, if you give me just three scrambled
eggs, with a little bit of bacon or sausage, and some
cut-up tomatoes or onions, I was fine with that. The only
thing is that two hours later, after that breakfast, I was
hungry. And so when I was sitting there, at Santa Monica
City College, or on a workplace doing construction work,
wherever I was, I would pull out of my bag a little plastic
container that is usually used to mix things at the bar.
And I would have my milk in there, and I’d have my
protein powder, and I’d just close it up and put it in my
bag. Then I’d be sitting in class, I took it out and shook
it up, and everyone would be looking, like what the hell MEAL 1: Eggs and oatmeal or Cream of Wheat
is he doing now? And I’d be shaking my protein mix, MEAL 2: Protein shake with piece of fruit, half cup of raw nuts, or three
just like a bartender doing all the little tricks, and then tablespoons natural peanut butter
I would drink it, close it up and put it away. And that, to MEAL 3: Chicken and rice
me, was the additional 30 grams of protein that I needed MEAL 4: Post-workout shake, whey protein isolate and cyclic dextrin
at the time. MEAL 5: Steak and white or sweet potato
“And then I would go, an hour later, go to the gym,
and would be working out for two and a half hours. And For many, a sixth meal of solid food may be desirable either during the day or later
then we could go for lunch, and then there would be in the evening, depending on metabolism, appetite and activity levels.
a late lunch, and we would have a regular steak, and

152 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

 WITH 4-TIME MR. OLYMPIA JAY CUTLER

A CUT ABOVE
NOT ALL PROS MAKE A
LIVING FROM BODYBUILDING
Do most pros have a side job or something? I doubt that
the money from a few shows a year pays for that Ferrari.
Who has a Ferrari? I guess you’re generalizing with that
remark. I am fortunate in that I’ve been able to make my
living entirely from bodybuilding since I turned pro in 1996.
I’ve always had endorsement contracts, but I also run my
own business with my appearances, DVDs, clothing line and
finally now with my own supplement line. Not all pros are so
fortunate. Ronnie was a police officer well into his pro career,
and even the first few years that he was Mr. Olympia. The
game has changed since then somewhat, to the point where
if you want to be the best bodybuilder in the world, it needs
to be a full-time endeavor. One big reason for that isn’t just
that the level of competition is tougher, but also because the
top pros do so much traveling. I don’t know too many jobs that
would give anybody the flexibility to travel as well as eat and
train as often as a Mr. Olympia competitor does.

WIDE-GRIP CHINS WILL MAKE YOUR LATS FLARE

To get my lats to flare out as much as possible underneath my armpits, are
wide-grip chin-ups the best exercise? I’m also doing barbell rows. Would that be a
good choice to bring out the lower portion of my lats?
Wide-grip chin-ups are definitely the best exercise to flare out your upper lats.
They’re better than lat pulldowns, because you’re hanging in the air from a bar and
not locked under a pad. That makes it much tougher to cheat, so your lats and to an
extent, your biceps, have to do the work. Barbell rows are an excellent choice for lat
thickness. I prefer to do mine with an underhand grip like Dorian made famous. I find
I can pull the bar closer into the body with a reverse grip, and I feel it targeting the
lower lats more, which is where I need it most
(as do most bodybuilders). Always keep your
back slightly arched and your head up when
you do barbell rows, and focus on getting a deep
contraction in your lats.
Another exercise I like to do all the time for
back is the pullover, either with a dumbbell
or a machine. Speaking of Dorian again, you
might know from his videos or his articles that
the Nautilus pullover machine was a staple in
his back routine, and he had one of the best-
developed backs our sport has ever seen. The
pullover gives you a great stretch at the start of
every rep, and it’s also a way to work the back
hard without having to worry about your biceps
being “weak links” and failing before the bigger,
more powerful lats do.
The back can be a tough area to develop
because it’s not so easy to feel it working, as is
the case with some other muscle groups. You
also need to work it from a few different angles
to stimulate all the different areas. So in addition to your chins, barbell rows and
pullovers, you need low cable rows, dumbbell rows and T-bar rows. Keep your reps in
the eight to 12 range and most importantly, make a conscious effort to feel your lats
contracting on every rep.
2002 MR. OLYMPIA:
I COULD HAVE BEAT RONNIE
Jay, you have accomplished so
much in your life and in the sport.
Do you have any regrets? Is there
anything you wish you could do
again differently?
Probably sitting out the 2002 Mr.
Olympia in Las Vegas. I was un-
der a lot of stress because I had
just built my house there and had
all that going on. Looking back,
that might have been a chance
to beat Ronnie four years earlier
than I eventually did it in 2006.
Ronnie wasn’t at his best at the 2002
show. Gunter actually beat him at
the GNC Show of Strength right after
that. I had almost beaten him in 2001,
the first time I got runner-up. Looking
back, if I had just brought that condi-
tion to the 2002 Olympia, I would
have won. ■

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 153

 OLYMPIA LEGENDS
WITH 5-TIME MR. OLYMPIA PHIL HEATH
BY RON HARRIS

THE GIFTED ONE

TRAVELING NO
OT GOOD 500 pounds. I didn’t do that. But I got something
FOR BODYBUILLDING out of it … I got a little more intensity with 300
What h iis your secrret to staying consistent pounds. And then I realized that when I get back
with yyour training g annd nutrition when you do so to Denver, that’s when I can go full speed.
mmuch traveling? g? Consistency is everything, like just making
When you’re ’ tryin ng to be perfect, you need sure you’re getting enough rest and you’re not
tto have perfect f practiice. Everybody’s heard that overindulging in things that make no sense. It’s
ppractice makes perfeect. I definitely don’t believe very hard to do it. We do it the best we can. We
tthat, because a lot off us practice some bad all travel on tours, and it gets crazy. But I tell
hhabits. One thing g I did learn when I was playing you what, if I can travel over 200,000 miles a
bbasketball in college g was that we had to keep year and still look the way I do, there’re really
tto a strict schedule. In bodybuilding, it’s kind of no reason why you guys can’t. You just have to
ssimilar, but not the sa ame. The body is way more really want it.
dynamic, and y
dy you deefinitely need to know what
ffoods interact in a certain way. Every prep I’ve CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE
ddone for the Olympia y a has been different. Every DOOR TO AVOID INJURIES
ooff-season
seaso has been different.
as bee Have you ever had any major injuries?
Traveling
T g hurts the bodybuilder, like any How do you avoid injury?
otothere atathlete.
lete. I’vee ttrav
aveled over 30 hours in the I’ve had a lot of tweaks here and there. I
llast two weeks. Just being 38,000 feet in the come from a basketball background, so my
a air, jjust being g in a preessurized cabin, the cells tendons and ligaments, as far as my ankles,
of your body are going hurt like hell. When I was getting ready for the
through hell. Then you Olympia in 2011, I realized it’s not about training
“The ego has to finally land, and now hard or smart, it’s how fast you can recover. If
be checked at you’re retaining fluids, I can recover faster than my opponent, if my
you’re trying to get to muscles rejuvenate faster, then I get bigger,
the door. For your appearances and faster. But every year I have some kind of tweak.
me, all that you’re being asked to I’ve almost torn my pec three times. I have a
matters is take a photograph every separated shoulder from basketball. I’ve had
five seconds. Basically, I hyperextensions of the knees and twisted
how I look on a try to get as organized as ankles. I have low back pain from a car accident
stage two days possible. I call ahead to in 2005 right before I won the USA. Every year
the hotel, make sure they getting ready for the Olympia, my lower back
a year.” have decent food, make goes out because of all the weight I use and
sure there’s food in the how dry I get. I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve
a area and make sure tthere’s a gym in reasonable never torn anything. I’ve come close.
d distance that’s open 24 hours. For the average I’m 35 now, and I turned pro at 25. I train now
person, it might
p g noot be as easy because when with a greater sense of urgency. For me to watch
you’re traveling
y g ffor business, you have a Ronnie Coleman video and go try to squat 800
llate dinners, you yo have conference calls pounds, it’s probably not gonna happen in this
and y
a you havee a lot of meetings. So you lifetime. And that’s gotta be OK. I don’t have to
need to be diligent.
n d You need to know be concerned with trying to impress anyone in
where y
w you’’re traveling to. If you can my gym, or your gym if I’m traveling and going
pack mea
p als, do it. There are plenty of to your gym. I’m not under the same conditions
meal com
m mpanies in every city and that you are, because you live and work there.
n
state now. You’re on your usual schedule and eating the
As far as training, you have
A same as always. I’m sleep-deprived, dehydrated
tto ma ake it a priority. Maybe and here I am trying to impress you? I’m gonna
und
u derstand that the machines get injured. That’s where the ego has to be
and
a d the dumbbells may checked at the door. For me, all that matters is
not feel the same as your
n how I look on a stage two days a year. ■
norm
n mal gym, but you have to
do som
d mething. Like last night, I From the NPC News Online video, “5-Time Mr.
ttrained la ate and no, I didn’t squat Olympia Phil Heath and Mike O’Hearn Seminar.”

000 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016

HARDCORE MUSCLE form & function
TROPHY-WINNING
BUILD
HAMSTRING MASS
WITH JEFFERSON SQUATS
The hardest part of a bodybuilder’s life is
maintaining the mental discipline to drive one’s
body to the brink, but not jumping off of the
cliff to total annihilation. When it comes to the
thighs, there is little opportunity to hold back
much, unless you only want to remain in the
lower 50 percent of an average bodybuilder
crowd. The thighs, like most body parts, can be
best served by occasionally swapping exercises
in and out of your normal routine. Chances
156 MD
THIGH AND
are, you may not be familiar with the Jefferson
squat but it can provide a new awakening in
your lower body. This exercise is credited to
circus strongman Charles Jefferson, who in the
latter part of the 1800s lifted large weights in
a deadlift-squat fashion and snapped chains
around his chest. This may not be your goal, but
the Jefferson squat can infuse new power, mass
and thickness to your thigh and hamstring
muscles1,2 that may surprise you.
BY STEPHEN E. ALWAY, PH.D., FACSM
ILLUSTRATIONS BY WILLIAM P. HAMILTON, CMI
MUSCLE STRUCTURE
AND FUNCTION
The four-muscled quadriceps femoris
covers the anterior and lateral parts of
the femur bone of the thigh.3 The vastus
lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus
intermedius muscles begin along the
lateral, medial and the central-anterior
part of the femur bone, respectively.3 This
places the vastus lateralis muscle on the
lateral (outer) part of the thigh, and the
vastus medialis on the medial part of the
thigh. The vastus intermedius lies deep
to and between the vastus lateralis and
the vastus medialis muscles. The rectus
femoris begins on the hip bones at the iliac
crest in the hip, and the fibers extend to
the tendons from the three vasti muscles,
which together form the quadriceps tendon.3
It attaches to the patella (kneecap) and
continues inferiorly from the patella, where
it is called the patellar ligament to insert on
the tibia bone of the lower leg.3 Together,
the three vasti muscles and the rectus
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
femoris extend the leg at the knee3 throughout
each repetition of the Jefferson squat.4,5
As the Jefferson squat is a deadlift-squat
combo, it activates the hamstrings, much like
deadlifts do.5 The hamstring muscles consist
of the long head of the biceps femoris, semi-
membranosus and semitendinosus muscles.6
The long head of the biceps femoris begins
on the ischial tuberosity, which is the bony
part of your hip that you sit on when you are
in a chair. The fibers of the short head of the
biceps femoris start on the femur bone just
above the knee. Both heads of the muscle fuse
into a thick tendon, which crosses the lateral
side of the knee joint to attach to the fibula
bone on the knee.3 The fibers of the semiten-
dinosus anchor to the ischial tuberosity and
insert on the medial side of the tibia bone of
the leg. The semimembranosus muscle begins
on the ischial tuberosity and it attaches to the
posterior part of the tibia bone just below the
knee joint.3 While the hamstring muscles flex
the knee, in Jefferson squats, they primarily
extend the thigh at the hip joint.4,6
Although the three gluteal muscles are
activated by Jefferson squats, the gluteus
maximus carries the brunt of the hip extensor
work.6,7 The gluteus maximus muscle attaches
to the bones of the hip, and to the sacrum
and along the lumbar area of the lower back,
as well as to the posterior part of the femur
(thigh bone) at a section referred to as the
gluteal line.3
Jefferson squats strongly activate the
adductor muscles of the thigh.7 The adductor
longus muscle begins on the anterior pelvis,
and it attaches to the gluteal line of the
femur.3 The adductor brevis muscle also
begins on the pubic bone, and it anchors on
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
the posterior femur. The adductor magnus
muscle begins on the lower part of the pubic
bone (the adductor part), and the ischial
tuberosity on the hip (hamstring part). The
adductor parts of this muscle insert into the
gluteal line of the femur, and on adductor
tubercle on the femur near the knee joint. As
the name suggests, the primary function of
the adductor muscles is to adduct the thigh
by bringing it toward the midline of the body.3
The hamstring part of the adductor magnus
muscle extends the trunk at the hip joint. The
adductor longus also stabilizes the hip when
the knee is being flexed.
EXERCISE FORM
1. Place a barbell on the floor and straddle
the bar with one foot on one side, and a little
ahead of the foot that is on the other side
of the bar. Take a stance that is wider than
shoulder width.
2. Bend your knees and take a grip with
your palms facing inward.
3. Keep your back vertical to the floor as
you stand straight (extending your knees),
and lift the weight from the floor until you are
standing upright.
4. Start the bar’s descent as you control
the flexion on your knees.
5. Lower your body until the top of your
thighs is parallel with the floor.
6. Do not bounce the weight off of the
floor.
7. Return to the standing position and
repeat until the set is completed.
Try to keep your back perpendicular to
the floor, because if you lean forward, the
lifting will be done largely with the back
extensors and gluteal muscles rather than
your quadriceps.2,8 If you find it difficult to
avoid bending forward, take a wider foot
stance. You can also use wrist straps if you
find your grip giving out before the set is over.
You can create additional variety by changing
your foot- and hand-spacing distances, or
whether your right or left foot is in the forward
positon, as these changes will also make
subtle differences in activation patterns of the
muscles.7
While you may not have any desire to
break chains or hang out at the circus, you
can achieve a renewed surge of mass and
strength in your lower body with Jefferson
squats— and this will take you one step
closer to owning a pair of massively
expanding trophy-worthy thighs. ■
REFERENCES:
1. Moir GL, Gollie JM, et al. The effects of load on system and
lower-body joint kinetics during jump squats. Sports Biomech
2012;11:492-506.
2. List R, Gulay T, et al. Kinematics of the trunk and the lower
extremities during restricted and unrestricted squats. J Strength
Cond Res 2013;27:1529-1538.
3. Moore KL and Dalley AF. Clinically oriented Anatomy.
Fourth edition. Baltimore, Lippincott Williams & Williams. 1999;
pp. 531-546, 554-560; 563-571.
4. Hyong IH, Kang JH: Activities of the Vastus Lateralis and
Vastus Medialis Oblique Muscles during Squats on Different
Surfaces. J Phys Ther Sci 2013;25:915-917.
5. Earp JE, Newton RU, et al. Inhomogeneous Quadriceps
Femoris Hypertrophy in Response to Strength and Power
Training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2015;47:2389-2397.
6. Escamilla RF, Francisco AC, et al. An electromyographic
analysis of sumo and conventional style deadlifts. Med Sci
Sports Exerc 2002;34: 682-688.
7. Lynn SK, Noffal GJ: Lower extremity biomechanics during
a regular and counterbalanced squat. J Strength Cond Res
2012;26:2417-2425.
8. McCaw ST, Melrose DR: Stance width and bar load effects
on leg muscle activity during the parallel squat.Med Sci Sports
Exerc 1999;31:428-436.
MD 157
 [BUSTED!] LEGAL Q A
RICH MAN,
POOR MAN:
TESTOSTERONE AND YOUR INCOME
DOES NEW RESEARCH PROVE THAT POOR MEN AGE FASTER AND
DIE YOUNGER DUE TO LOWER LEVELS OF TESTOSTERONE?
A British study recently published in Social
Science and Medicine looked at the association
between socioeconomic position, including
education and income, and hormone levels,
including testosterone (“T”).1 The researchers
focused on the health disparities between
rich people and poor people, such as a
widening life expectancy gap (e.g., government
projections suggest that a baby boy born in
a wealthy southwest London suburb could
expect to live eight and a half years longer
than one born the same day in a poor English
city). Previous studies have shown that
disadvantaged people in the U.K. not only
die younger, but are also more vulnerable
to diseases and physical and cognitive
dysfunction. The researchers theorized that
the health inequities associated with lower
socioeconomic positions might be due to
biological differences in their hormones—
including T levels. Low testosterone has
been associated with a host of men’s health
problems. The researchers hypothesized
that lower socioeconomic positions across
life would be associated with lower T levels
among older men.
The researchers took their data from a British
cohort study of male and female subjects born
in March 1946. While multiple hormone levels
were assessed, my focus here is strictly on T
levels, which were measured by blood tests at
ages 53 and 60-64 (estrogen levels were not
assessed). Were there differences between the
rich and the poor? At 53, the men showed no
relevant variations in T levels (although women
in the study with lower childhood socioeconomic
positions showed higher T levels, which the
authors note are linked to greater women’s
health problems). For men 60-64, however,
158 MD
differences emerged— lower T levels were
associated with lower education and even
most strongly to lower household income.
Men who annually made less than 6,000
pounds (less than $9,000 U.S. dollars)
averaged about 10 percent lower T levels
than men who made 30,000 pounds or
more (around $45,000 U.S. dollars).2 The
25 percent of top income earners had the
highest average T levels, with each income
quartile below them averaging lower T levels.
The U.K. subjects with 10 percent lower T
levels correspond to the bottom 10 percent of
United States worker incomes. To give some
frame of reference, among U.S. households,
the 25 percent of top earners make over
$90,000 a year and just to be in the top 50
percent, you’d need to make at least $50,000.3
(Ever wonder what it takes to be in the top
one percent of earners? It’s a bare annual
minimum income of nearly $400,000 these
days4, although the average annual income for
a one-percenter is $717,000.5)
So, why are poor men’s T levels lower than
rich men’s? Undereducated and disadvantaged
men have fewer opportunities for high-quality
nutrition and premium exercise equipment, and
may have greater stressors. A contributing factor
may be fat mass— low socioeconomic positions
are linked to higher fat mass, which may in turn
lower T levels in men. But while the researchers
focused their hypothesis on socioeconomic
position affecting T levels, they concede the
possibility that it may work in the opposite
direction— or in both directions. In other words,
having low T levels may contribute to your
being less able to improve your socioeconomic
conditions. After all, T is associated with
confidence, drive and dominance. The classic
BY RICK COLLINS,S J.D., cscss
“master of the universe” types are high-T
alpha males, not low-T betas. Perhaps most
likely of all is the bidirectional theory— i.e.,
that the association works both ways. Having
no money or education means lower T levels
due to fewer opportunities for a healthy
lifestyle, while having low T conversely
provides less ambition to seek occupational
changes to earn more money. Either way,
the researchers conclude that people from
disadvantaged backgrounds are “biologically
different” from their affluent counterparts and
that these hormonal inequities could explain
differences in health and mortality as we age.
They note that reducing the socioeconomic
inequalities could greatly improve the health
of the population and lower health care costs.
We in the bodybuilding community know
that higher T levels are linked not only to robust
health but also to bigger, stronger muscles.
If higher income means higher T levels, more
income would suggest more effective training
progress. While you might not become a CEO
or double your income overnight, you can
follow the advice of my fellow MD columnists
on how to train hard and eat right for boosting
your T levels … no matter what your income or
socioeconomic position. ■
Rick Collins, JD, CSCS [www.rickcollins.com] is the lawyer
that members of the bodybuilding community and nutritional
supplement industry turn to when they need legal help or
representation. [© Rick Collins, 2016. All rights reserved. For
informational purposes only, not to be construed as legal or
medical advice.]
REFERENCES:
1. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
S0277953615302094.
2. www.ibtimes.com.au/testosterone-imbalance-dictates-
how-fast-or-slow-poor-rich-grow-old-1496373.
3. money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/income-rank.
4. www.economist.com/node/21543178.
5. www.forbes.com/sites/moneywisewomen/2012/03/21/
average-america-vs-the-one-percent. Note too that over half of
all wealth in the US belongs to the top 3% of earners.
musculardevelopment.com April 2016

CHEMICAL WARFARE
IN
BODYBUILDING PART 1
“T3 in small amounts and cycled correctly can be beneficial, but
unfortunately it’s the drug most abused by coaches and compet-
itors. The side effects, if abused, can destroy your metabolism.”
I would like to start off this month’s column by
saying that to be a great bodybuilder or great at
anything for an extended period of time, health is
very important. Health is everything. I have been a
good bodybuilder, and my health is great after 15
years of “bodybuilding” and 26 years of training.
My clients are very well known to win all over the
world. I’m very proud of the 57 client IFBB pro cards
and 15 IFBB client pro wins I have been part off. I
take the time to have my clients run blood work to
check on their health, and determine whether the
gear they are taking is real. I’m an honest coach,
and my honesty loses me 20 to 30 clients per
year. I’d rather be honest because to me, the hon-
est good guy can sleep at night.
The drug abuse in bodybuilding comes from
thinking more is better, that top IFBB pros must
take more and that there are special peptides/
myostatin inhibitors that pros take to look a certain
way. Too many competitors question themselves
by asking, “If I take all this, why can’t I look like a
top pro?” They think, “I have to take more … there
are secrets that must be out there” and a bunch
of other crazy-ass thinking. The most important
160 MD
with IFBB Pro Fakhri Mubarak
Coach and Contest-Prep Specialist
presence in bodybuilding is God. He created you,
and he put your genetics together to respond to
lifting weights, taking supplements, taking gear
and being able to grow to reach an elite level if
you work hard.
I believe and I know that most people can
maximize their own genetics if everything is done
professionally. A great coach doesn’t just succeed
with genetically blessed bodybuilders. That’s
easy— my mother can do that. A great coach is
someone who can take a novice or a competi-
tor who hasn’t placed well, and put them on a
national stage in a first callout ready to battle for
that pro card. Maybe they won’t be great pros, but
they can continue to work hard and become better
every day.
I think bodybuilders have become lazier. They
want to do less cardio, eat cheat meals and
make the process easier. They want to have Pop-
Tarts and binge on bad food for what they call a
“refeed” or whatever it’s called. In this process,
drugs such as T3, DNP and starvation tactics are
applied toward that end of the prep. No wonder
you hear, “I missed my mark,” “I was flat,” “I got
sick” and the most used, “I peaked the day
after.”
When you starve your body after using
bad dieting methods throughout your prep,
you throw off your insulin levels, your aldo-
sterone levels are impacted negatively and
depending if your gear is real, whatever you
are on, it needs to hold your muscle. Let’s
say you’re taking underground gear, and that
bottle of Masteron and tren isn’t good. You
are lowering your testosterone (even last
week), and now you have nothing in you to
hold your size. Well, you’re dropping a few
pounds of muscle, and of course that diuretic
will flatten your ass out no matter what you
carb-up on. If you carb-up too much and
don’t calculate your carb depletion, your
metabolism can get faster— and even 1,000
grams of carbs per day won’t help you the
last couple of days.
The drugs I mentioned above are used
in bodybuilding prep. T3 in small amounts
and cycled correctly can be beneficial, but
unfortunately it’s the drug most abused by
coaches and competitors. The side effects,
if abused, can destroy your metabolism. T3
is a thyroid hormone drug fairly commonly
used for fat loss. T3 is naturally produced in
the body as a result of T4 (thyroxine). Taking
T3 can yield higher levels of serum T3 than
would occur naturally, allowing faster fat
loss and in some cases, potentially greater
growth hormone (GH) production and
greater anabolism. Side effects can cause
tachycardia (elevated heart rate) and muscle
weakness, and T3 can be catabolic and burn
off a lot of muscle at high mcgs.
DNP is a synthetic chemical product that
can burn body fat very fast. This is done by
increasing body temperature to very danger-
ously high levels, which in turn increases
metabolic rate. DNP can easily be the most
dangerous drug in bodybuilding. Side ef-
fects include a dangerous increase of body
temperature, intense sweating, yellow bodily
fluids, lethargy, insomnia, hunger, nausea,
dehydration, shortness of breath, reduction
of insulin production, reduction of T3 and
possible death.
I hope you enjoyed the honesty of this
month’s column. I will do a part two and pos-
sibly part three. ■
To contact me, please email me at fakpro@aol.com. I’m
on Instagram at instagram.com/fakhrimubarak_ceo_ifbbpro,
on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FakhriMubarak and
on Twitter. Have a great month, everyone and as always:
“Champions do what competitors don’t!”
musculardevelopment.com April 2016
 with the Pro Creator
Hany Rambod

HOW NOT TO
TURN PRO PART 1
Many times
M ti iin thi
this
i column,
l Ih
have talked
t lk d about
b t what
h t you should
h ld d do tto iincrease
your chances of becoming a professional bodybuilder, for those of you who have
that aspiration. For the next couple of months, I want to tackle the subject from
the opposite angle— things many bodybuilders do all the time that prevent them
from ever realizing their dream of standing on a pro stage and making a living
from the sport they love. Right up front, I will say that genetics play an enormous
role in determining whether or not any given bodybuilder can possibly accom-
plish this feat. However, there are far more bodybuilders than you will ever know
who have all the right genetic tools, yet fail to ever join the ranks of the profes-
sionals. Why? It’s not so much what they do as it is the things they don’t do.
Beginning this month, in no particular order, let’s look at the top 10 reasons most
amateur bodybuilders will never turn pro.

1. CONCENTRATING ON stopped training his massive legs for

STRONG POINTS AND
REFUSING TO IMPROVE
WEAK POINTS
Just about everybody has areas
of his or her physique that respond
easier than others. The natural inclina-
tion for many recreational lifters is to
simply focus on those. In this way,
they are constantly rewarded with
improvement, and they avoid any real
challenges and especially frustrations.
Training is a good time, all the time,
as they do exactly what they want to.
That may be fine for the average gym
member who is just happy to have a
big chest or pumped arms, but it’s the
death knell for anyone who wants to
win a pro qualifier like the USA or Na-
tionals. Complete physiques win the
big shows, and the athletes who are
lacking development in the legs, back,
rear delts or any other area typically
have to watch as others pass them by
on the road to glory. You simply have
to prioritize your weaker areas and
train them harder than your strong
points; otherwise the imbalance will
only get worse.
There is a phrase you hear a lot
that says, “Focus on your weak points,
and your strong points will take care
of themselves.” It’s so true. If you have
an area that grows easily, chances are
you can reduce the training you do for
it to maintenance levels and it won’t
lose anything at all. Branch Warren
a full nine months before he won the
Nationals, because it was the only
way he knew it was possible for his
upper body to catch up. Could Branch
have made his legs even bigger than
they are today if he had really wanted
to? I have no doubt that he could have.
But he would in all likelihood still be
an amateur, someone who got an oc-
casional mention for his freaky thighs.
He certainly wouldn’t have won pro
shows, including two Arnold Classic
titles. Whatever your weak points may
be, you need to bring them up, period.
2. NOT LISTENING TO
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
Another very common stumbling
block for many amateurs is the in-
ability to take constructive criticism.
Some don’t even seek it out, as they
are under the impression that they
have the ability to see their physiques
with complete objectivity. Very few
bodybuilders can actually do this.
In other cases, the athlete will ask
people to critique their physiques, and
then respond with anger or defensive-
ness. They don’t want to hear that
they need to improve a certain area,
that they need to be bigger or that
their conditioning was off. All people
like this want to hear is how great they
look, which is why they tend to sur-
round themselves with ego-stroking
“yes-men” who confirm their image of
Sometimes in this sport, the worst thing
that you can hear is how wonderful and
perfect you are, and that you have zero
room for improvement. That particular
assessment doesn’t apply to anyone, not
even Mr. Olympia.
a perfect physique that simply hasn’t been recognized yet as such by
foolish judges, and with whom they commiserate with after the con-
tests about how they should have won.
I have had the experience of telling bodybuilders who asked me
to evaluate their physiques get upset or offended with my honest
appraisal— and I knew immediately that they were doomed to never
succeed until they adjusted their poor attitude and inability to deal
with criticism that is only meant to help them. Sometimes in this
sport, the worst thing that you can hear is how wonderful and perfect
you are, and that you have zero room for improvement. That particular
assessment doesn’t apply to anyone, not even Mr. Olympia.
We will continue the discussion next month. ■
Instagram: hanyrambod, Twitter: hanyrambod, Facebook: Hany Rambod (fan page)
Visit www.hanyrambod.com or www.fst-7.com for previous articles, news, an interactive
forum, video clips and member profiles and blogs. You’ll also find updates on my current
clients, and who is preparing for upcoming contests. Free registration gives you full access
to all of it. And now, due to popular demand, FST-7 shirts are finally available!
Got a question for Hany Rambod? You can ask him directly on the MD website and
have Hany personally answer your question! Go to www.musculardevelopment.com, MD
Forums, MD Staff and Pros, Q and A for Hany Rambod.

April 2016 musculardevelopment.com MD 161

 with IFBB Pro Guru
George Farah

NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT

THAN YOUR HEALTH
LET BLOOD WORK
BE YOUR GUIDE
Mr. Farah, I have been bodybuilding for two
decades but finally I decided to start compet-
ing. I am over 40 and I am not going to lie— I
have been using anabolics for a long time,
but always listen to your seminars and get
my blood work done annually. My last blood
work showed that my liver numbers are out of
whack and my kidney function isn’t so good,
as my doctor explained. Is it possible to do the
Masters Nationals naturally if I follow a great
regimen and train hard? Thank you in advance,
and I’m looking forward to your input.
Good question, and congratulations on al-
ways checking your blood work. Checking you
blood is very important, otherwise you would
have never found out what’s going on inside. I
have seen many other pros who had blood work
done, with results similar to yours.
We all know that using anabolic steroids will
elevate your liver function, and that is something
that can be controlled or fixed by taking time off
cycling and using an over-the-counter supple-
ment such as milk thistle. But when it comes to
your kidneys, it’s totally different. You see, once
your kidneys are injured, the only thing you can
do is to keep the condition from worsening.
The most important thing to know is that the
elevation of your kidney function was not caused
solely by your steroid use. Instead, think about
those times that you started the cycle and all
you cared about was gaining weight— instead
of being worried about the quality you’re gaining.
With too many bodybuilders, all they care about
is the scale moving in the right direction— forget-
ting that gaining too much weight or too fast can
cause your kidneys to work double their normal
pace to keep flushing the excess water. What’s
more, many bodybuilders don’t pay attention
to their blood pressure rising, the number one
cause of havoc on your kidneys.
Another thing that many people don’t real-
ize or know is that most over-the-counter anti-
inflammatory medicines like aspirin, Advil, Aleve
and ibuprofen can lead to kidney injury— and
you must never use them, especially if your kid-
neys are already injured, like yours are.
Now, back to your question about doing the
Masters Nationals naturally. Well, it’s not im-
possible if you’re genetically blessed like many
people I know who have made it to IFBB profes-
sional status. To be honest, if I were you, I would
definitely stay away from anything that is going
to worsen your condition because after all, win-
ning the Mr. Olympia won’t be good if you know
that you’re going to be on dialysis. I said it before
and I will keep on saying it— nothing is more
important than your health. Hope this helps.
CHANGING COACHES?
GOOD LUCK
Guru, what’s the deal with athletes who
keep on changing coaches? What happened to
loyalty? Just saying.
What’s the deal? I have no idea, but I have
learned throughout my career as a coach that
many people like change. Some people like to
change their gyms, workouts, girlfriends, wives,
husbands, etc. I have helped many athletes, who
never placed in the top five in a national show, to
place as high as second— to find out later that
they want to change coaches for better placing.
After all, we are all human. I hear coaches get-
ting so bent out of shape over “so-and-so left
them” and I have witnessed many arguments,
and many people even tried arguing with me
over this nonsense issue. The bottom line is we
are all in this sport that we all love, and I wish
everyone in our small little world of bodybuilding
the best of luck with anything they do, and that
goes for both athletes and coaches. ■

“Winning the Mr. Olympia won’t be good if you know that you’re going to be on dialysis. I
said it before and I will keep on saying it— nothing is more important than your health.”
George Farah is presenting his opinions and he does not, in any way, shape or form, encourage or condone the use of any illegal or controlled substances. Nothing contained
herein is to be construed as medical advice. Use of any drugs and exercise regimen should only be done under the directions and auspices of a licensed physician. The writer does
not claim to be a medical doctor nor does he purport to issue medical advice.
Follow George Farah on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/georgefarahdietguru or on Twitter @gvfarah. For more information, visit www.georgefarah.net.

162 MD musculardevelopment.com April 2016


LEG EXTENSIONS
MAINLY A WARM-UP
Should leg extensions be done mainly as a
warm-up movement for higher reps, or do you
feel they should be worked heavier like other
leg exercises? And should they be done very
early in a leg workout, or later on?
First off, I do not consider leg extensions to be
a mass-building movement for the quadriceps
at all. I’ve never seen anyone build bigger quads
from doing only extensions. Mass comes from
compound leg exercises like squats, leg presses
and hack squats. So in my opinion, their greatest
value is as a warm-up for compound move-
ments, or even as a pre-exhaust exercise so
you don’t need to go quite as heavy on the com-
pound lifts. Even then, there is no point in going
heavy on extensions. Doing so is tough on the
knees and again, provides little benefit, if any, as
far as stimulating growth. Stay with weights that
allow 15-20 reps or even more at times. They
can be done later in the workout if you want to
specialize on a certain part of the quads. Some-
times, I will have a client turn his toes out to
focus on the vastus medialis, aka teardrops.
A METABOLISM FASTER
THAN DEXTER’S
Considering how lean you have always
been, I am wondering if you would say that in
your competitive years, you had a metabolism
similar to Dexter Jackson’s? He has said that he
didn’t have to diet more than six weeks, and
went many years as a pro not doing any cardio
at all. Were you the same way, or was it tough
for you to get ripped?
April 2016 musculardevelopment.com
with The Bodybuilding Wizard
& Master Trainer Charles Glass
LEG EXTENSIONS:
WARM-UP OR MASS BUILDER?
I would say my metabolism was even faster
than Dexter’s, because I used to get ripped to
shreds by dieting for only four weeks! And as
far as cardio, I was so naturally lean that I didn’t
need to do it, ever. The only time I ever did was
when I was training for the second NPC Nationals
in 1983. At the premier edition of the Nationals in
1982, I had taken third place in the light-heavy-
weights behind Moses Maldonado and Chuck
Williams. As far as I was concerned and from ev-
erything I was hearing, Chuck was going to be the
man to beat at the ‘83 Nationals in that class. No-
body in the middleweights seemed to be a shoo-
in. So I started running every day, and dropped
from my usual off-season 204 all the way down
to 176 by the day of the show to make middle-
weight. Sure enough, my strategy paid off and
I won that class. Of course, back then that just
earned you a trip to the IFBB Worlds, and winning
your class there was how you turned pro. Team
USA did very well at the 1983 IFBB Worlds. I won
the middleweights, Chuck won the light-heavies
and Bob Paris beat Berry de Mey to win the heav-
ies. After that, I didn’t need to worry about making
weight, and competed around 190 as a pro— with
four weeks of dieting and no cardio!
HOW FAR SHOULD I LOWER
THE BAR ON CHEST PRESSES?
Charles, I never know how far I should lower
the bar on flat and incline barbell presses. Some
say you should lower all the way until the bar
“My metabolism
was even faster
than Dexter’s, be-
cause I used to get
ripped to shreds
by dieting for only
four weeks! And
as far as cardio, I
was so naturally
lean that I didn’t
need to do it,
ever.”
touches your chest, but others say that’s actu-
ally too far. What would you advise?
There are two factors to consider before arriv-
ing at the answer: your structure and your flexibil-
ity. Generally speaking, if you are a shorter per-
son or just have shorter arms, you will probably
achieve a full range of motion by touching the bar
to your chest. If you are taller and/or have longer
arms, you will most likely reach the fill stretch po-
sition and thus get that same complete range of
motion a couple of inches before the bar touches.
Both of these are assuming your grip is shoulder-
width apart on the bar or just beyond. Men with
disproportionately long arms may need to space
their hands wider than this. You will know when
you feel a complete stretch of the pecs, and that
should be as far as you lower, and no more. Flex-
ibility factors into this, because someone who
is lacking it will be at risk of tearing a pec if he
suddenly attempts to lower the bar farther than
he normally does, especially with a fairly heavy
weight. Regarding grip width, any time you have
a wider than normal grip on the barbell, you don’t
want to lower so far that the bar touches your
body. Doing so puts the shoulder joint in a very
vulnerable position for injury. That’s why I don’t
recommend taking a wide grip on the bar in the
first place. Just outside of shoulder width is just
about right for most men. ■
Got a question for Charles? Email it to him at
editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it an-
swered right here in MD!
MD 163
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