Professional Documents
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Iron Man - USA 4 2008
Iron Man - USA 4 2008
SHOCKING
ARMS
Cover Man Dan Decker’s
Hot Hardbody
Photos of
Gargantuan-Guns Jamie Eason
Inside!
Workout
OCCLUSION
TRAINING
The New Frontier
of Muscle Growth
BENCH
PRESS
Wreck Your
Pecs, Not Your
Shoulders
LOW-CARB
LOWDOWN
What Science Says APRIL 2008
$5.99
PLUS:
•Speed Freak—Run Faster With Weight Training
•Pro Muscle—Victor Martinez’s Olympia Quest www.IronManMagazine.com
Please display until 4/8/08
•Monster Traps—Etch Upper-Back Mass Fast
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
WHATEVER YOU NEED
WHEREVER YOU TRAIN™
Available at Home-gym.com
and Ironmanmagazine.com
WE KNOW TRAINING™
284
April 2008 HARDBODY
Jamie Eason
CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS C
FEATURES
62 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 102
The keys to making the 3D HIT program a bigger-body builder. (Up your mass!)
88 LOW-CARB LOWDOWN
Jerry Brainum cites the good, bad and ugly about the fat-burning eating plan.
appears on this
month’s cover.
130 BENCH-PRESSING
ISSUES
Wreck your pecs, not
your shoulders
Inset Jamie Eason.
Hair and makeup
by Alex Almond.
Photos by Michael
ARMS
SHOCKING
Cover Man Dan Decker’s
Gargantuan-Guns
Workout
OCCLUSION
TRAINING
Hot Hardbody
Photos of
Jamie Eason
Inside!
BENCH
PRESS
Wreck Your
Pecs, Not Your
Shoulders
LOW-CARB
LOWDOWN
What Science Says APRIL 2008
$5.99
PLUS:
•Speed Freak—Run Faster With Weight Training
DEPARTMENTS
28 TRAIN TO GAIN
The power of the pump and why we lift. Plus, Joe Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine.
44 SMART TRAINING
Coach Charles Poliquin solves another deflated-delt dilemma.
50 EAT TO GROW
New findings on creatine, saturated misinformation and Holy cramp!
72 NATURALLY HUGE
John Hansen explains proper bench press form for the perfect pec-growing storm.
78 SHREDDED MUSCLE
Dave Goodin’s muscle-building decision: To use, or not to use?
84 CRITICAL MASS
Steve Holman on muscle contraction and the size reaction. 274
PUMP &
238 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY CIRCUMSTANCE
Jerry Brainum talks testosterone boosting with estrogen blockers. Picture-perfect panache
ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLIN
www.IronManMagazine.com
See more Photos @
See more Video @ In the next IRON MAN:
Eric Broser presents the nine secrets of
ONLINE VIEWERS’ CHOICE
Here are the places that IronManMagazine.com viewers recently manifesting mass mentally. It’s all in
clicked on the most: the mind, says Boser, as he shows you
how to go mental. Then Jerry Brainum
continues his low-carb lowdown with
the details on getting the most out
of the pudge-purging plan without
harming your health. Plus, the TEG
>CONTEST >BEHIND- >HOT CLIPS >PDF LIBRARY
men reveal how to specialize for new
COVERAGE THE-SCENES Feel your heart Read and/or
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greatest results, See and hear view these of our most
photos, video interviews with studio sessions popular features. blast—loads of occlusion here. Look
and blogs from the stars of the with fit, Build your for the May issue on newsstands the
the biggest muscle world. gorgeous gals. muscle-building
events. collection.
first week of April.
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Assistant Art Director: Brett R. Miller
Designer: Chester Chin
IRON MAN Staff:
Mary Gasca, Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba
Contributing Authors:
My friend Bob Gajda, a Mr. America and Mr. Universe in the mid-’60s, Jerry Brainum, Eric Broser, David Chapman,
started out as a three-letter athlete in high school. He spent four years Teagan Clive, Lorenzo Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis,
Dave Draper, Michael Gündill, Rosemary Hallum,
in the Air Force as a fitness instructor, but his athletic accomplishments, Ph.D., John Hansen, Ron Harris, Ori Hofmekler,
while extraordinary, come in a distant second to his vision and creativ- Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch
ity. Lebowitz, John Little, Stuart McRobert, Gene
Mozée, Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim
I first met him at the Division Street YMCA in Chicago in 1962. The
Shiebler, Roger Schwab, Pete Siegel, C.S. Sloan,
YMCA had given him a couple of rooms in the basement to set up a Bill Starr, Bradley Steiner, Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D.,
weight-training gym. Bob took the empty rooms and put together a gym Randall Strossen, Ph.D., Richard Winett, Ph.D.,
that was equipped with many of his own designs, which he had talked and David Young
various people into welding together for him. The members of the Y Contributing Artists:
Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn,
were a diverse ethnic mix who had the common bond of working out.
Jake Jones
Bob was the undisputed cheerleader, but they also included the newly
Contributing Photographers:
arrived from Cuba Sergio Oliva. In addition to Sergio, many local body- Jim Amentler, Ron Avidan, Roland Balik, Reg
builders trained there. Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill Dobbins, Jerry
The Duncan Y learned of Bob’s skills and hired him away from the Fredrick, Irvin Gelb, Isaac Hinds, Dave Liberman,
J.M. Manion, Merv, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru
Division Y. Now his fertile mind was fueled by not only his enthusiasm Okabe, Rob Sims, Ian Sitren, Leo Stern
but also a budget, which had to bring his ideas to life. Bob created one
Director of Marketing:
of the best gyms in the country at that time and attracted a group of Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
bodybuilders and weightlifters equal to the gym. Besides spending Accounting: Dolores Waterman
many hours keeping it all going, he was working on a master’s degree Subscriptions Manager:
in kinesiology. Many years before anyone else talked about range of Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2
motion, he was already applying his theories on ROM to championship E-mail: soniazm@aol.com
weightlifters and other athletes. He talked about and created devices Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer
1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
to enhance balance and coordination, again when no one else in our
(518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697
world discussed it. I sort of tolerated the conversation, since I was only Advertising Coordinator:
interested in strength and development. Ah, but now the world has Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320
caught up with Bob’s vision. There isn’t a world-class athlete today who Newsstand Consultant:
doesn’t work on range of motion and balance as a part of strength and Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848
skill training. We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our
discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art
All of these memories have surfaced because of two things: 1) nu-
or other submissions must be accompanied by a self-
merous articles that have appeared in the popular press about athletes, addressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to
stretching for ROM and balance over the past few months and 2) the de- IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033. We
are not responsible for unsolicited material. Writers and
cline of those attributes with age. These days my workouts contain not photographers should send for our Guidelines outlining
only strength and cardio but also stretching and balance work. I wish specifications for submissions. IRON MAN is an open
forum. We also reserve the right to edit any letter or
I had starting doing them back then. As per Bob’s advice from 40-plus manuscript as we see fit, and photos submitted have an
years ago, I don’t overdo stretching, and I only do it when fully warmed implied waiver of copyright. Please consult a physician
before beginning any diet or exercise program. Use the
up—after I have worked the bodypart. Bob was the first to state that information published in IRON MAN at your own risk.
everyone has a unique range of motion. If you exceed it, you can dam-
IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
age the joint and cause instability in the joint. Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com
I have recently added a new five-minute routine to my regular pro- John Balik, Publisher: ironleader@aol.com
gram that includes stretches for my lower back, shoulders, hamstrings Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: ironchief@aol.com
and quads and some balance work. Those short routines have given my Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: ironwman@aol.com
T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: ironartz@aol.com
training a new dimension and have reenergized me. Helen Yu, Director of Marketing: irongrrrl@aol.com
To comment, please send e-mail to ironleader@aol.com. IM Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com
Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: soniazm@aol.com
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other words, you could be training and eating to stimulate muscles. —Ron Harris
growth, but the fascia would prevent it from happening www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
because it had your muscles in a choke hold, like a tight
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Finally, after a conversation with nutritionist Hany “the
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rep I do is really mine. Once someone is helping, a girl (who happens to be the best fe-
there is no way to know exactly how much he did male bodybuilder today), you would be
for you.” wise to listen to what Iris has to say.
Training partners are great, and having a spotter Fewer injuries and more gains in your
on standby for heavy lifts is a smart idea too, but shoulders—doesn’t that sound pretty
Roland Balik
be careful that you don’t rely on anybody but your- cool to you? —Ron Harris
self to lift your weights. For many years I foolishly www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
believed I was using X amount of weight on this or
that exercise when in fact I was only lifting a portion of it on my own. At one time I used
to load up the squat bar with more than 700 pounds and do half-reps with a spotter
behind and under me like a shadow. Now I do the reps with no help, and my physique
is infinitely better than it was in the old days.
In short, “it’s all you” shouldn’t be a lie told to you by a training partner or spotter
helping you—it should be the truth told from a slight distance. —Ron Harris
www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
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Train to Gain / HARDGAINER
It’s been three months since days a week, not four. They train
Yiannis and Stelios performed the Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
two pseudo workouts I described alternating upper-body and lower-
in the first column of this series. body workouts. That gives them
The brothers are making con- four full rest days each week and
sistent progress and are thrilled has them train each bodypart three
about what bodybuilding is doing times every two weeks. On their
for them. old program they were getting only
Their training routines now three full rest days a week and
reflect their different body struc- training each bodypart four times
tures. Previously they’d always every two weeks.
followed the same routines. They The gym the brothers trained
continue to train together, spot at didn’t have the small exercise
each other and encourage each plates they required in order to
other. make gradual progression once
Although Yiannis, at 6’, is just they were close to their best cur-
two inches taller than Stelios, rent poundages. I had them get
he has a much lankier body their own set of small exercise
structure. Yiannis’ limbs are sub- plates—two pairs of one-pound
stantially longer than Stelios’, but plates, one pair of half-pound
his torso is shorter. As a result, plates and one pair of quarter-
Stelios is much better suited to pound plates. They take them to
the barbell squat and the bench the gym, keep them in a pouch
press than Yiannis, and Yiannis is when not in use, and guard them
much more suited to the deadlift well. They even have “Brothers
than Stelios. Grimm” engraved on the plates.
So while Stelios uses barbell Before each exercise, Stelios
squats and bench presses, Yian- and Yiannis check their train-
nis does parallel-grip deadlifts ing logs for the weights to use
(using a hexagonal shrug bar) and for warmup sets and for work
parallel-bar dips. Both use the sets—and immediately after each
regular straight-bar deadlift, but exercise they write down the work-
only Yiannis performs it full range from the floor. Stelios’ longer set weight and the rep numbers they achieved. If one of them
torso and shorter limbs make the full-range deadlift an ineffi- made his target, he marks an asterisk alongside his note of
cient, high-risk exercise for him. Instead, I have Stelios perform weight and reps to remind him to increase the poundage for
it in a power rack, lifting from knee height. The reduced range that particular exercise. Prior to my involvement, they never
of motion has made the exercise safe and more effective for kept any type of written record.
him. Right from the start I stressed the importance of good nutri-
Now that the brothers have had some physical restrictions tion. They’d both been cutting corners there. They immediately
ironed out by a chiropractor and some soft-tissue therapy from got themselves on a good dietary program—for their health
a physical therapist, they have symmetrical flexibility developed and their bodybuilding. They eliminated all junk food, started to
through the stretching I’ve had them doing. As a consequence eat every three hours and satisfied their calorie requirements
they are now in much better physical condition and able to use every day, neither overeating nor undereating. I urge you to do
correct exercise technique. the same.
Because they had to unlearn bad exercise technique, I had They also stopped shortchanging themselves on sleep.
them start out with very comfortable poundages. Now they Because they have to be up at 6:30 every morning for work,
are training hard on all their exercises except squats, deadlifts they now go to bed at 10:30 every evening. Eight hours’ sleep
and parallel-grip deadlifts. They’re still consolidating correct each night is now their minimum. I urge you to do the same if
exercise technique in those exercises, using very comfortable you want to maximize your recuperation ability.
poundages. Next time I’ll take you through the brothers’ new lower-body
Prior to my intervention, the brothers had been following a routines.
four-day-split routine, dividing their program into upper-body —Stuart McRobert
and lower-body work, hitting each bodypart twice a week. www.Hardgainer.com
Not only were they training too frequently, they were doing too
much at each workout. They were unable to train hard enough Editor’s note: Stuart McRobert’s
to stimulate growth on such a program, and even if they’d first byline in IRON MAN appeared in
been able to train hard enough, they weren’t allowing enough 1981. He’s the author of the new 638-
recovery time in which to grow. I abbreviated their routines and page opus on bodybuilding Build Mus-
reduced their overall training frequency to three times a week. cle, Lose Fat, Look Great, available from
Their new program alternates a different pair of routines for Home Gym Warehouse (800) 447-0008
each of them—still using an upper/lower split—but over three or www.Home-Gym.com.
Unexpected Benefits
IRON MAN readers have quite an age range. Some have just resistance in certain patterns. Research now overwhelmingly
begun weight training, usually in the high school weight room for indicates that strength training in elderly, deconditioned patients
football. Others have read IRON MAN for 40 years. Younger read- results in improved ability to walk, increased walking distance,
ers don’t know the stereotypes and myths that surrounded weight increased endurance and improved balance and agility.
training, many propagated by the medical community. Almost all The benefits of weight training don’t stop there. Studies have
the myths were based on bias and prejudice. shown that serum lipid levels have been lowered with weight train-
For example, people were told that training would make them ing. Serum glucose—a.k.a. blood sugar—is lowered with weight
slow, enlarge their heart, stunt their growth, training. Exercising muscle doesn’t require insulin to transport glu-
cose across the muscle membrane. A marker of inflammation in
the body—and one that is often associated with obesity-related
inflammation—is C-reactive protein. Diet and aerobic exercise
can help lower that marker; however, weight training, aerobic
exercise and diet lower C-reactive protein much further. If we
can reduce fats in the blood, blood sugar and inflammatory
markers by weight training, we’re truly generating good health.
Women can increase their bone density with weight training.
If we combine improved lower-extremity strength, bone density,
balance and agility, we can help women reduce the risk of hip
fractures. One of the biggest fears of the elderly is falling. That
fear can be reduced. Again, weight training promotes health
and well-being.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects millions of
people. Weight training has been found to improve various fac-
tors of COPD.
Weight training is now recommended for patients after
heart attacks. Thirty years ago it was believed to be harmful to
the recovering heart attack patient. Research revealed few ir-
regularities in the heart with weight training, and weight training
gives the patient more confidence.
Body-image issues in college-age females have been found
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Smart Training
by Charles Poliquin
Deflated-Delt
Dilemma
Q: My delts are about as flat as pancakes. Any
rapid solution to the problem?
Lateral raises
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help round out
flat delts.
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Taking a
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“GETS YOU
LEANER
HARDER
FASTER”• Contains the potent bioactive pyroglutamate form of L-arginine
• Has anterior pituitary peptides, which normalize somatostatin,
a hormone that can shut down GH and IGF-1 receptors
• Has produced a 12 to 36.6 percent increase in IGF-1 levels
(IGF-1 is one of the body’s most anabolic hormones)
• Used by doctors at anti-aging clinics in place of
growth hormone injections
More growth hormone can...
• Help build muscle and burn fat
• Beef up tendons and ligaments
• Improve strength
• Heal injuries
© 2008 Muscle-Link
Results using GH Stak vary from individual to individual. Testimonial endorser’s results using it may be considered atypical. Testimonial endorsers have been remunerated by
Muscle-Link. GH Stak is a trademark of Muscle-Link. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
tractions. In bodybuilding, eccentric ments are real.
muscle contractions occur when the Still another The supplements were
weight is slowly lowered. That type new study exam- taken during a five-week pe-
of contraction is responsible for most ined what hap- riod of weight training. Those
of the soreness that follows after pens when older in group 3 had an average
intense weight training. Therefore, adults engaged in 14.3 percent gain in leg press
creatine would be equally a weight-training and bench press strength
beneficial for bodybuilders in program receive compared to 8.5 percent for
reducing muscle inflammation a combination the other groups. Group 3
after intense training. of creatine and also had a greater gain in lean
Another new study examined the conjugated linoleic acid. CLA is a fat- tissue than the other groups. The
molecular effects of creatine supple- based supplement often touted for its two groups that got a combination of
mentation. An ongoing controversy anticatabolic and fat-reducing effects. creatine and protein had more lean
about creatine is how it affects mus- Some studies suggest that taking mass gains and bench press strength
cular growth. Some scientists say CLA with creatine would augment than the protein-only group. Those
that creatine doesn’t directly promote creatine’s natural anabolic effects. findings led to the conclusion that “a
muscle growth but boosts it by in- The subjects were 19 men and combination of protein, creatine and
creasing muscle energy, thus permit- 20 women, all over age 65, who CLA is best for increasing leg and
ting more intense training. Others say trained twice a week for six months. bench press strength, and combining
that any perceived gains in muscle One group got five grams a day of creatine and protein is effective for in-
size associated with creatine use is creatine, along with six grams of creasing lean tissue mass and bench
more related to water retention (they CLA. Others received a placebo. press strength.”
used to say the same thing about Although both groups trained —Jerry Brainum
anabolic steroids). on identical programs, those
In a new study of how creatine who took the creatine-and-CLA References
works inside cells, 12 healthy young combo showed greater gains in Bassit, R.A., et al. (2007). Creatine
men took either 20 grams of creatine muscular endurance, knee-ex- supplementation reduces plasma
for three days, followed by five grams tension strength, fat-free mass levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines
for another seven days, or a placebo and decreased bodyfat after and PGE2 after a half-Ironman com-
for 10 days. Creatine use increased six months than those in the petition. Amino Acids. In press.
fat-free mass, body water and body- placebo group. The creatine-and- Safdar, A., et al. (2007). Global
weight. The results on a molecular CLA group experienced no adverse and targeted gene expression and
level, however, were far more inter- effects from using the supplements. protein content in skeletal muscle of
esting. Creatine increased the A Canadian study confirmed that young men following short-term cre-
activity of genes and protein the combination of creatine and CLA, atine monohydrate supplementation.
enzymes involved in sensing along with a protein supplement, Physiol Genomics. In press.
cellular water content and synergistically stimuates muscular Tarnopolsky, M., et al. (2007).
also upgraded messenger RNA gains. Fifty-two men and 17 women, Creatine monohydrate and conju-
content, which is involved in average age 22 1/2, were randomly gated linoleic acid improve strength
protein synthesis. As a result, assigned to one of three groups: and body composition following resis-
several cell-signaling events were 1) Protein, consisting of 45 grams tance exercise in older adults. PloS.
increased that regulate protein and a day of whey protein supplement 2(10):991.
glycogen synthesis, satellite-cell prolif- Cornish, S.M., et al. Effect of sup-
eration and differentiation (the primary 2) Protein and creatine—36 grams plementing with conjugated linoleic
impetus to muscular growth), DNA of whey protein and nine grams of acid, creatine monohydrate and whey
replication and repair and cellular sur- creatine daily protein during high-intensity resis-
vival. So in practical terms that 3) Protein, creatine, CLA—36 tance training in young adults. Paper
means the gains experienced grams of protein, nine grams of resented at the 2007 meeting of the
while using creatine supple- creatine and six grams of CLA daily Canadian Physiological Association.
Food Facts
That can affect your
workouts, weight and wellness
Folate, found in
leafy green vegetables,
helps make new skin
cells. Australian re-
searchers found that
folate is the reason leafy
greens reduce the risk
of skin cancer.
Eggs have
more eye-building
carotenoids than
carrots. Moreover,
research shows
that eggs, eaten
in moderation,
do not increase
cholesterol.
Kissing increases
saliva, which cleans
your teeth. So if you
can’t brush after every
meal, try smooch-
FAT
ing—or sugar-free
Holy Cramp!
We’ve all had those involuntary muscle
spasms, some of which can be excruciat-
ing—like your calf seizing up in the middle
of the night after a brutal lower-leg workout.
What causes that annoying, often painful
phenomenon? It could be anything from
dehydration to the depletion of certain min-
erals—specifically potassium, magnesium or
calcium.
To prevent charley horses, as they’re often
called, drink plenty of water, replenish your
electrolytes with sports drinks and eat foods
that contain the aforementioned minerals,
including bananas. You may want to supple-
ment with a multimineral capsule as well;
take it with food for best absorption.
If you still get a cramp, gently stretch the
affected muscle and massage the area. Bet-
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I
n the last installment we dis-
cussed our streamlined 3D Week 2
HIT program—essentially one Monday: Delts, midback,
set in each of the three posi- biceps, forearms
tions of flexion for every bodypart.
Yep, only three work sets for each Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings,
muscle, but they’re all-out sets calves, lower back
and usually include X Reps or an Wednesday: Chest, lats,
X-hybrid technique to supercharge triceps, abs
them. Plus, before the first work set
of the big, midrange move, we do Thursday: Off
two or three progressively heavier Friday: Delts, midback, bi-
warmup sets. ceps, forearms
Is that enough to build more The Trap Bar is designed so you can stand
muscle? So far it’s working nicely, Weekend: Off (with cardio) inside it, which enables you to squat in a more
but we’ve had to really focus on and upright position. That’s easier on the lower
hone the details. Before we get into back and more ergonomically correct. Trap
those, let’s review our split: Week 3 Bar deadlifts hit the legs and back hard.
Repeat Week 1
Week 1 By the way, for deadlifts we’ve
Remember, we work legs only been using a Trap Bar, which is
Monday: Chest, lats, triceps, abs once a week; however, we substitute designed so you can stand “inside”
Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings, regular deadlifts for the back routine it. The middle of the bar is a square,
calves, lower back on Friday. That gives us residual leg and you stand inside that configu-
work at the end of the week as well ration and grip handles that are
Wednesday: Delts, midback, as a heavy back blast. We follow the outside your legs near the barbell
biceps, forearms deadlift, an anabolic-acceleration plates. That enables you to deadlift
exercise, with one or two sets of a with a more upright posture—with-
Model: Dave Perry
Thursday: Off
direct back exercise—pulldowns if out having to drag a straight bar
Friday: Chest, lats, triceps, abs it’s lat day, machine rows if it’s mid- up your shins. The Trap Bar makes
Weekend: Off (with cardio) back day. the deadlift safer, and you hit your
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quads and back much harder
without rounding your lower
back.
On our new 3D HIT pro-
gram each workout lasts about
50 minutes. As we said, how-
ever, there are critical details
we must continually be aware
of and put into practice if
we’re going to flip the anabolic
switch with such brief blasts:
1) A thorough
warmup for each muscle
is mandatory. A properly
prepped muscle can contract
up to 20 percent better than
a cold one. We’re following
the comprehensive warmup
Model: Marvin Montoya
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2) Your neuromuscular
efficiency must improve. Lag-
ging bodyparts usually have weaker
nerve-to-muscle connections,
which means they’re harder to feel
as they contract. So you can’t acti-
vate as many growth fibers on any
one set. Superior neuromuscular
efficiency is one of the big reasons
Casey Viator was able to build—or,
actually, rebuild—60 pounds of
muscle in only four weeks during
the Colorado Experiment back in
the ’70s. He was a pure fast-twitch
Model: Idrise Ward-El
The Ultimate Mass Workout. Beyond X-Rep Muscle 3D Muscle Building. X-traordinary Muscle-
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68 APRIL 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY H
Naturally Huge
by John Hansen, Mr. Natural Olympia
Form for
movement more
in the shoulders
than the chest.
The bench
Shredded Muscle
by David Goodin
Not to Use? A: Yes, it’s true. I’m a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder. I’ve
never used steroids, testosterone, HGH or any other body-
building drugs. I know a lot of people out there don’t be-
Q: Is it true that you’re a lifetime natural body- lieve that you can look the way I look without using drugs.
builder? I’ve been told that you can’t win in the NPC There are even people who know me very well who can’t
without using steroids. If you really are drug-free believe it. I dated fitness and figure star Abby Marie Wolf
for more than two years, and she—who
knew me better than anybody—would
periodically ask me to “come clean”
and tell her what I really used.
As I told her a number of times, I
gained about 30 pounds of muscle in
20-plus years. That averages to less
than a pound and a half of muscle per
year. Gaining muscle at that rate is not
extraordinary. I’ve seen guys using the
juice who put on 30 pounds of lean
bodyweight in six months.
The other thing that people say is,
there’s no way to get that lean (I mea-
sured myself at 2.4 percent the week of
the ’07 NPC Team Universe) without
using some kind of drugs. Well, first
of all, I’m a naturally lean person—in
fact, naturally skinny. If I don’t lift, I
lose weight fast. Second, I take 14 to 16
weeks to lose eight to 12 pounds. I nor-
mally lose eight to 12 ounces per week
on my contest diet. Once again, that’s
not extraordinary. My “magic pills” are
consistency, persistence and discipline.
I figured out the basics of my contest
diet more than 20 years ago. I’ve always
stepped onstage ripped. I just follow
my plan, and as long as I give myself at
least one week (preferably a little more
than one week) for every pound of
bodyfat that I need to lose, I can always
achieve the results.
When you look at what I’ve done in
bodybuilding—in terms of muscle and
leanness—and the time that it’s taken
me to do it, you can see that it’s not a
stretch. You can see that it is very pos-
sible to do it drug-free.
Getting to the temptation part of
your question, the answer is yes, it is
terviewer who’s ever asked me about best to persuade people not to use DESIGNED TO BUILD RES U L T S
it has gotten the same anecdote. In them, but at the same time it doesn’t
my fifth year of competition, I lost—at make you a bad person—unless you’re
an NPC national qualifier—in a tie- entering drug-free shows and/or lying FROM THE MAKERS
breaker to a guy who was seriously to people and telling them that you’re ®
ing weekend. I was very upset. I knew each person has to make. Are you
that if I’d had even 10 more pounds willing to risk your health to be more
of muscle I could have easily won the
overall at that show. I talked it over
with my wife, and we decided that if
muscular now? Last year I lost a friend
to a heart attack, and he was only
40. He was supermuscular, but those
RELOAD.
I was going to move up in bodybuild-
ing, I needed to do ’roids. I did some
who loved him would have loved him
even had he been a smaller guy. Even
RECOVER.
research and then called Larry Mistric,
a former training partner (and world-
though I’m not competing for the Ar-
nold Classic or Mr. Olympia titles and GROW.
class powerlifter), to find out how to (I’m sure) never will, I know my loved
go about acquiring them. ones are happy with the path that I’ve
Larry told me, “Dave, look at what chosen.
you’ve done drug-free. Steroids are
about to be classified as a controlled Editor’s note: See Dave Goodin’s www.issresearch.com
substance, and there are going to be new blog at www.IronManMagazine
drug-tested contests in the very near .com. Click on the blog selection in
future. Don’t do it!” the top menu bar. To contact Dave
That was all I needed—just some- directly, send e-mail to TXShredder@
one in the industry to say, “Don’t do aol.com. IM
Critical Mass
by Steve Holman
and increase intensity. [Note: For more on occlusion, see the contracted position, like
the feature that begins on page 102.] one-arm spider curls done on
the vertical side of the preach-
Q: Most of programs in your articles and e-books er bench.
don’t have a lot of work sets. Are there any studies You’re still alternating
that give a benchmark relating to the number of biceps workouts that stress
sets that’s best for a workout? different areas, which is what we suggest in X-traordinary
Arms. What’s different is that you’re not focusing on one
A: Too much stress, whether in relationships or in the section as much at each workout, as the arm-specialization
gym or when you’re bunjee jumping, causes cortisol to rise. routines in the e-book do.
Cortisol can force your body to eat muscle tissue for energy, Those routines hammer one section, or head, of the bi-
and it lowers testosterone. A study that looked at how train- ceps in all three positions, with the other head getting less
ing volume affects testosterone in men was done in 2004 attention. So at the next workout you focus on the other
(Alemany, J.A., et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 36:S238). head. Your variation should work. Try it with the triceps
width and sweep exercises as well.
Group 1: No exercise (control)
Group 2: 25 sets
Group 3: 50 sets Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author of many
Neveux \ Model: Omar Deckard
Low-Carb
Lowdown
Part 1:
Are Low-Carb Diets Dead?
by Jerry Brainum
fat. But when the guinea pigs are Human studies likewise confirm suggested. The other diet focused
put on low-carb diets, the enzyme is the beneficial effects of low-carb di- on fish, poultry and shellfish that
suppressed, despite a high amount eting. One example is a recent study contained a high content of poly-
of cholesterol in the animals’ diets.4 involving moderately obese human unsaturated fats, which are sug-
Another recent animal study found subjects who followed two types of gested for reducing elevated blood
that a high-fat, low-carb diet helps low-carb diets. One featured foods cholesterol. After 28 days both diets
prevent the enlarged heart associ- high in saturated fat, such as meat, proved equally effective in stimu-
ated with high blood pressure.5 similar to what Dr. Atkins originally lating weight loss, and neither diet
adversely affected blood cholesterol,
although the diet that had more
polyunsatured fat more effectively
A recent animal lowered triglycerides.6
study found that While some saturated fatty acids,
such as palmitic acid, can increase
a low-carb diet cholesterol, they don’t do so in the
lowered a protein presence of polyunsaturated fatty
acids, such as linoleic acid, found
that accumulates in in vegetable oils and food. The au-
thors observe that fears of soaring
the brains of those cholesterol from eating low-carb
with Alzheimer’s diets don’t make biological sense.
Saturated fats are most potent in
disease and is increasing HDL, while polyunsatu-
considered a major rated are the least efficient.
Another study found that eating a
cause of the disease. low-carb diet seemed to trigger se-
lective bodyfat loss. Seventy percent
of the subjects, who were all men,
lost more fat on a low-carb diet,
even though they ate more calories.
They also lost more fat in the chest
and stomach—highly significant
because fat stored in those areas
is more metabolically active and is
linked to cardiovascular disease,
high blood pressure, diabetes and
the metabolic syndrome. In fact,
According to low-
carb-diet proponents,
those who have excess
bodyfat produce too
much insulin because
their enlarged fat
cells make them
insulin insensitive.
Carbs are considered
the primary culprit
because sugars trigger
the greatest release of
insulin.
they lost three times as much fat in drate increases insulin. That makes
References
the trunk area as those on a lowfat the insulin-degrading enzyme focus 1 Bravata, D.M., et al. (2003). Effi-
the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, refer to Alzheimer’s as “type 3 dia- domized trial of a low-carbohydrate
that correlation may not be correct. betes.” diet for obesity. NEJM. 348:2082-
A recent animal study found that Recent animal studies also show 2090.
a low-carb diet lowered a protein that low-carb diets, by lowering 3 Sharman, M.J., et al. (2004).
that accumulates in the brains of both insulin and insulinlike growth Very-low-carbohydrate and lowfat
those with Alzheimer’s disease and factor 1, may prevent prostate diets affect fasting lipids and post-
is considered a major cause of the cancer.9 In contrast, diets high in prandial lipemia differently in over-
disease.8 That makes sense because refined carbs are linked to prostate weight men. J Nutr. 134:880-885.
a protein in the brain called insu- cancer.10 4 Torres-Gonzalez, M., et al.
lin-degrading enzyme is known to So are low-carb diets dead? Ap- (2007). Carbohydrate restriction al-
break down both beta-amyloid, the parently not for those who want to ters hepatic cholesterol metabolism
toxic protein in Alzheimer’s, and live longer. In Part 2 we’ll discuss in guinea pigs fed a hypercholester-
insulin. Eating too much carbohy- why low-carb diets are effective. olemic diet. J Nutr. 137:2219-2223.
5 Okere, I.C., et al.
(2004). Comparison of
energy-restricted very-
low-carbohydrate and
lowfat diets on weight-
loss and body composi-
tion in overweight men
and women. Nutr Metab.
1:12.
8 Van der Auwera,
Muscle-Building
Occlusion
Frontier?
Researchers have
found that occluding
blood to the muscles
during low-intensity
physical activity can
produce an anabolic
response equal to, or
perhaps greater than,
moderate-intensity
exercise.
Much of that is probably due to the page—but then you’d remember one-rep maximum), with short rest
the explosion of information avail- that I mentioned scientific research. periods (one minute) yields optimal
able on the Internet. Unfortunately, Ah, you are interested. strength and hypertrophy gains.
the explosion has included a lot of The method is called occlusive Some scientists suggest that an
collateral damage—unscientific and training, and it’s been around for a intensity threshold of 60 percent of
downright bad training methods while, racking up unbelievable re- 1RM is required to stimulate hy-
being popularized. sults backed by solid data. For some pertrophy and strength gains. That
What if I were to tell you that one reason nobody’s jumped on the renders low-intensity training—20
method of training has been proven concept, but I’m here to tell you how to 40 percent of 1RM—obsolete in
to cause significant hypertrophy you can integrate it into your cur- strength training and bodybuilding.
in numerous scientific studies? rent training to help slap on some Two primary mechanisms by which
That it involved lifting weights that big-time muscle. moderate-intensity training stimu-
are about half the poundage you’d lates growth are greater recruitment
typically use? Then what if I told Research on Occlusive of muscle fibers and the accumula-
you that the method stimulates tion of metabolites—lactic acid, for
Training
growth by reducing blood flow to instance—that serve as signaling
the muscles you’re working? You’d Studies show that moderate-in- molecules for anabolic hormones
probably say I’m an idiot and turn tensity training (60 to 85 percent of and other growth factors.
separated into groups: one doing Occlusion during leg training has increased blood
low-intensity exercise—at 30 to 50
percent of 1RM—with occlusion,
GH by as much as 290 percent, while traditional
another doing low-intensity exercise high-intensity training has resulted in up to only
without occlusion and a third doing
moderate-intensity exercise without
100 percent increases.
occlusion. Muscle mass was greater
in the biceps brachii and brachialis
after occlusion training (20.3 and
17.8 percent, respectively) than
nonocclusion training (6.9 and 3.8
percent), and occlusion train-
ing tended to produce greater
hypertrophy gains than the
moderate-intensity training
(18.4 and 11.8 percent).
More recently, scientists have
found 6 percent increases in thigh
muscle along with 8 to 10 percent
increases in 1RM and isometric
strength, respectively, in young men
who walked for two five-minute
bouts with occlusion, six days a conditioned look of a bodybuilder stronger and better-conditioned
week for three weeks. Conversely, no by increasing vascularity. Some muscles.
increases in either muscle mass or studies reveal increased vascular
strength were observed in the con- endothelial growth factor, which Mechanisms of Action
trol condition. stimulates the growth and forma-
Another interesting finding is that tion of new blood vessels. Overall Several mechanisms may explain
occlusion training may improve the occlusion training leads to bigger, the exciting growth and strength
A Cautionary Tale
It’s important to note that while
occlusion training has proven to
be an extremely effective agent of
hypertrophy, more is not neces-
sarily better. Safety first: Do not
occlude any muscle for more than
10 minutes at a time. Long periods
of occlusion can put you at risk for
necrosis or embolism. The pro-
tocols provided here are for very
short periods and are very low risk.
Even so, as with any training pro-
gram, it’s wise to consult a doctor
before starting.
If you want to do more occlu-
sion training, you might try using
the protocols multiple times in
the same workout, releasing the
occlusion between bouts. For
T
he bench press can be portion of the chest. That means
done with a barbell, a what most bodybuilders are training
pair of dumbbells or on a when they do incline presses is the
machine. It’s considered clavicular portion of the pectoralis
a basic exercise because it works major.
important muscles in the chest, Heavy barbell bench presses are
such as the pectorals, as well as the more associated with injury than
shoulders and triceps. Nearly all incline and decline presses. There
bodybuilding champions do some are, however, exceptions to that
form of bench pressing at some rule. I injured my shoulder joint a
point in their careers. couple of times doing either barbell
You can do bench presses in a or dumbbell incline presses. When
flat, incline or decline position. I did incline presses, I lowered the
The idea is that using varied angles weight to my neck, which places a
focuses the exercise stress on differ- disproportionate amount of stress
ent parts of the pecs. So flat-bench on the shoulder joints. Eventu-
presses target the central, meaty ally, that leads to a tear in the joint
area of the pecs; incline presses that manifests as shoulder pain.
focus on the upper portion of the Because of the injuries, I’ve had to
pecs; and decline presses work the avoid both barbell and dumbbell
lower part of the pecs. incline presses for the past seven
Bodybuilders generally find that years, substituting machine incline
the most difficult portion of the presses. I’ve found that using the
pec to build is the upper part, often machine produces no shoulder
called the pectoralis minor, though strain whatever, although I didn’t get
it isn’t anatomically correct to use the strength and added mass that I
that term to refer to the upper chest. would have gotten from using free
Anatomists say that the pectorals weights.
are actually just one muscle and While the flat-bench press is still
that the pec minor is merely a strip popular, many bodybuilding cham-
of muscle in the upper clavicular pions have opted to do other ver-
Incorrect
ognizes that there’s a vast dif- prise many of you about chest
ference between flat-bench training. If you like to finish off
and incline presses. When I do your chest routines with a
inclines, I feel the muscle pump pulley crossover exercise, you
entirely in my upper chest, yet should know that it doesn’t
according to the academ- work the “inner pec” mus-
ics, I’m actually training cles; it works the entire
my central pecs. Those are pec muscle.
the same guys who You’re just
say that bumble- bunching
bees can’t possibly up the muscle
fly because their wings when you do
violate the laws of aero- it. Also,
dynamics—explain crossing
that to the nearest bee your hands at the end of
buzzing merrily around each rep adds absolutely
your head and see how far nothing to pectoral de-
you get. velop- ment. (I cross my hands
Still, it makes sense not to over anyway.)
overstretch when doing any The late Reg Park, the great
type of dumbbell press or flye three-time Mr. Universe and idol of
for chest. Contrary to popular Arnold Schwarzenegger, stopped
belief, overstretching won’t in- doing bench presses and even pec-
crease muscle development but toral work shortly after his last Mr.
can result in injury and set you Universe victory in 1965. Reg was
back considerably. That’s the well known for his flaring pectoral
voice of experience talking here. development and deep rib cage, but
Other things to watch out for he felt that with age gravity would
The late Reg Park stopped include not bouncing the bar off take a toll and that massive pecs
doing bench presses and your chest, which can fracture would eventually devolve into sag-
your sternum. Don’t even think ging sacs. Similarly, women who
even pectoral work shortly of doing a heavy bench press have large breasts with age, due to
after his last Mr. Universe without a spotter. Most home- devolution of Cooper’s ligament,
gym deaths result from someone which is responsible for breast lift.
victory in 1965. being choked by a barbell while Women who opt for disproportion-
doing heavy bench presses alone. ately large breast implants should
One other thing might sur- take heed. IM
Is Born
Episode 33—Weakness
Is in the Mind
By Ron Harris Photography by Michael Neveux
B
oth Randy and I were six 5’3”, he belonged on the NBA courts Randy said, glumly hitting a side-
weeks out from the New with LeBron and Kobe. I suppose he chest pose in the gym’s mirror and
England Bodybuilding could have too—as the leprechaun shaking his head in disgust. It was
Championships. As if he mascot for the Boston Celtics. Just back day, and we were starting out
wasn’t discouraged enough about jokes, Lee, just jokes! with parallel-grip chins. I jumped
his chances, I was leaning toward So anyway, dropping down to up first and knocked out 12. My
dropping down into the light heavy- 198 1/4 to make lighty heavy wasn’t weight was around 215. Randy was
weights, the same weight class he going to be too difficult for me. I down to 195. He grimly got his grip
would be in. Though I’ve technically used to note sarcastically that as on the bar and pulled himself up
been competing as a heavyweight a heavyweight, I was never more eight times, struggling on the last
for the past three years, a more fit- than a couple of missed meals and a one. I scowled, knowing he was
ting class for me would be known healthy bowel movement away from punking out, and went to the front
as “barely heavyweight.” In contest light heavy. Of course, that didn’t desk to ask for the leather belt with
condition, I’d weighed in at various sit well with Randy. Now I was one the chains on either end that en-
times between 201 and 203 pounds more person he couldn’t beat, as far ables you to add weight for chins
when the limit for the class was all as he was concerned. or dips. Why must it be kept back
the way up to 225. “Kid, if you’re worried about me, there? Apparently, the gym owner
That meant that usually I was one you really have problems,” I said. is concerned that some guys would
of the smaller guys in my class. The “There’s one guy in our class I know love to steal it and hang objects
only guys who ever made me look of who already won his class at the from their waists and do weighted
huge were the ones who probably Junior Nationals a couple years ago chins at the local park from the
should have been basketball play- and is using our show as a warm- monkey bars. Or perhaps that it
ers but got it in their heads—heads up to qualify for the Nationals. He’s would make a dandy accessory to
perched atop tall bodies with gangly only 5’4” and a light heavyweight, an S&M outfit.
limbs—that they’d make good body- for Pete’s sake—a freaking fire hy- “What are you doing?” Randy
builders. Either that or they tried drant. You have to stop losing sleep asked as I returned, swinging the
Model: Jonathan Lawson
basketball and sucked at it. Point is, over who else is going to be in the belt as if I were a Hell’s Angel about
building a thickly muscled physique show. There will be some very good to jump into a rumble.
is a losing battle for very tall men, competitors, but you just worry “We’re adding weight, silly. What
just as Lee Priest would have been about you.” does it look like?” I fetched a 25-
foolish to think that at a very stocky “I’m worried. I can’t help it,” pound plate and leaned it against
Contest prep
should still
involve taxing
the muscles
with heavy
poundages
to maintain
muscle mass.
Art Atwood
gets stronger
as a contest
the base of the cable crossover/chin easy way out while approaches.
station, then threw the belt at his preparing for two
feet with a jingle of steel. shows. I switched
Randy looked aghast. “Are you from a solid mix of
serious? Dude, I’m dieting!” free weights and
Oh, boy, I thought. Here we go. machines to using
Nearly all bodybuilders think that mostly machines and
as they diet down for a contest and cables. Even then
lose bodyfat, they’re bound to lose I wasn’t training as
strength. The logic is that with the heavy as I could have.
increase in cardio and decrease in I also killed myself
complex carbs and overall calories, with up to an hour
there simply isn’t enough fuel to and a half of very in-
Roland Balik
H
ave you ever noticed that back muscularity and detail, must
most bodybuilders limit give their traps an equal share of
their back training prin- work—about as much as the lats.
cipally to lat exercises? Only then will their backs take on
While many train their lats with that appealing thickness and rugged
intensity, doing any kind of training appearance.
for the traps—the second largest Some people avoid trap work
muscle group of the upper body—is because they believe it will take
often an afterthought. Once they’ve away from shoulder width. For most
completed all their chins, pulldowns people that’s sheer nonsense. Sergio
and various rowing exercises, they Oliva, Lee Haney, Serge Nubret, Flex
throw in a few sets of shrugs or up- Wheeler and Ronnie Coleman all
right rows and figure the traps have stepped onstage with huge traps,
had enough. You can put that type and yet they appeared tremen-
of training in the category of wishful dously wide and V-tapered. The only
thinking. people who have to be concerned
If you look at the trap and upper- about overdeveloping their traps
back development of any Mr. Olym- are those who have short necks and
pia competitor, you can be assured narrow clavicles. Someone who pos-
that it took more than a few sets of sesses a short neck with huge traps
shrugs to get those massive traps. can take on a no-neck appearance
The traps are an unusual muscle and look “hunchy.” Most women
group in that they can be seen from won’t want to overdevelop their
any position—front, side or back. traps because it would detract from
Trap development gives the whole a feminine shape.
back a distinctive muscle density. Bodybuilders tend to think of
Bodybuilders who don’t train their traps and trap development in
Model: Daniele Seccarrecci
traps hard often look thin from terms of the upper traps, the part
the side and unbalanced when of the trapezius that slopes into the
viewed from the rear. Let’s face it, shoulders from the neck. The tops
bodybuilders who wish to develop of the traps are certainly important,
complete backs and, especially, especially if you want to look good
large, rugged traps and thick upper- in a most- (continued on page 152)
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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2008 149
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TRAPS
Behind-the-
Neck Presses
START
(continued from page 149) muscular pinch your scapulae, or shoulder So how do you work your traps
pose, but they aren’t the full story. blades, together at the top of the with behind-the-neck presses? I’ll
For back thickness and density it’s rep. If you move the ’bells smoothly let John tell you in his own words:
important to develop the middle just to deltoid height, the rear delts “The most effective way is to drop
and lower traps too. While the tops get the bulk of the work. By moving your shoulders and flex your lats
respond well to movements such the bells higher and consciously as you press the weight upward.
as shrugs, it takes other exercises pinching the scapulae together at Straighten your elbows, and, as you
Upright Rows
158 APRIL 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
motion, with no heaving the weight damn good trap-and-upper-back
or shrugging the shoulders. Keep routine. But I have a couple of other
your shoulders down and back and exercises that will turn a pretty
use a 12-to-15-inch-wide grip. Keep damn good trap-and-upper-back
the bar in constant motion—there routine into a great trap-and-upper-
should be no deliberate pauses at back routine.
the top or bottom—and take it just
to shoulder height, not to the chin Power upright
or nose. You just row nonstop until
muscular fatigue forces you to stop. rows
Because you don’t shrug your shoul-
ders, trap involvement is minimal. I particularly like this exercise
To work the traps when doing because it works both the upper and
barbell upright rows, take a narrow- lower traps. Here’s how to do it:
er grip—say six to eight inches—and Pick a fairly heavy weight, one
use a heavier weight that forces you that limits you to five or six repeti-
to heave the bar to get it to chin tions of the barbell upright row as
height and to shrug hard with the described above. Do as many reps
trapezius. Lean forward at the start as you can. When you fail—and by
of each rep and shrug hard with the fail I mean when you can no longer
shoulders as you heave-row the bar get the bar to chin height no mat-
to your chin. Really get your back ter how much you cheat, heave and
into the movement. Keep your rep- shrug with your traps and shoul-
etitions in the six-to-10 range, say, ders—lower the bar to the floor with
10, 8, 6, 5-6. control, as if you were doing a stiff-
legged deadlift. Then, using speed
and momentum, lift the bar from
Exercises to the floor all the way up to your chin.
You can even bounce the bar off
Kick It Up a the floor a little bit. Basically, you’re
using the speed and momentum to
Notch help you drive the bar past the stick-
ing point until it gets to chin height.
I could stop there—tell you to do Lower with control again, and then
the power cleans and the upright explode up from the floor to chin
DELICIOU
INVIGOSRLAY
rows, followed by several sets of height again. Keep going until you
shrugs—and you’d have a pretty hit failure again—that is, you cannot
INFINITELY LATING
STING
MIND BLOWING ENERGY
PRE-WORKOUT DRINK
0 CARBS 0 SUGAR
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AVAILABLE AT THESE AND OTHER
FINE RETAILERS:
Dumbbell
Shrugs
drive the bar to your chin even with and the bottom of the traps. If you with dumbbells or on a bench press
the help of speed and momentum. do them after you’ve already done station of a Universal Gym unit. You
I find that I can usually do double the power cleans, your traps will get do them while holding the weight
the reps of what I used for the up- a really heavy blast. in front of your body, to the sides
right rows. If I did six reps of cheat- of it or behind it. You can do them
ing upright rows, I can do another Shrugs with an overhand or underhand
six reps of power upright rows— Without a doubt the favorite trap grip (a Lee Labrada favorite, which
sometimes even more than double. exercise of most bodybuilders is the he claims works the lower trapezius
Power upright rows are a fantastic shrug. There are many variations: effectively). You can do them while
trap exercise that works both the top You can do shrugs with a barbell, standing or sitting. You can do them
VASOFLOW
IMMEDIATELY FLOODS
YOUR SYSTEM WITH POWER
INDUCING N.O. SUBSTRATES*
VASOFLOW FORCES COLOSSAL
MUSCLE PUMPS AND RAPID
INCREASES IN MUSCLE BELLY SIZE*
VASOFLOW VASOFLOW IGNITES
ROAD MAP VASCULARITY RESULTING
in a bent-over position, with your times you have to go heavy and the IN ENHANCED NUTRIENT DELIVERY*
torso parallel to the floor, or with hell with strict form.
your body at a 45 degree angle. Here’s a good trapezius routine to VASOFLOW IS SCIENTIFICALLY
No matter which style of shrug- follow: PROVEN TO RADICALLY ELEVATE BLOOD
LEVELS OF POLYAMINES, GROWTH
ging you do, there are a few basic HORMONES AND INSULIN*
rules to follow. Try to keep your Power clean (warmup) 1 x 10-12
*These statements have not been evaluated by the
arms straight and shrug your traps 1 x 8, 6, 5-6, 4 FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat,
as high as possible (imagine them Bent-over laterals cure or prevent any disease.
touching your ears). Since the range (pinch scapulae
of motion is fairly short to begin at top) 3 x 8-10, 6-8, 6
with, you need to shrug as fully as Superset
you can. The one exception to that Barbell upright rows to
might be when you are handling power upright rows
extremely heavy weights in the
power rack. If you can shrug 400 to Shrugs
3 x 6-8, 5-6, 4-6
3 x 10
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600 pounds or more using straps to Int: 888.519.9300
reinforce your grip if necessary, then
despite the shortened range of mo- Trap pulldowns AVAILABLE AT THIS AND
OTHER FINE RETAILERS:
tion, you will still work your traps
quite intensely—not to mention One final exercise I’d like to share
your hands and your grip. Some- with you is what I call the “trap”
FINISH
Pinch your
Bent-Over scapulae
Lateral together at
Raises the top of
each rep.
Model: Steve Kummer
UP TO 6 TIMES FASTER
much weight that way, but at least not only the traps and upper back
THAN DEXTROSE FOR
then you’re working your lats. but also the rear delts and the bi- DELIVERING VITAL
One day in the gym I was fooling ceps and triceps to some degree. MACRONUTRIENTS
around, trying to find a good finish- When you’re doing trap pulldowns
ing movement for the traps using and you’ve pulled the bar to your Replenish glycogen at
the lat machine. That’s when I hit traps, do a rear double-biceps pose lightning fast speed.*
upon the trap pulldown. I thought, for a count of three or four, then
“If leaning forward takes the work relax and return to the starting posi-
Deliver BCAA’s at an
away from the lats and increases the tion. Believe me, you’ll notice an im- unsurpassed rate.*
traps’ involvement, why not lean provement in your upper-back and Ideal for strength and
forward as much as you want and trapezius development. endurance sthletes.
do trap pulldowns?” To ratchet up the intensity, do a
The trap pulldown is all about triple-drop set on your last set of Unparalleled during
contraction and squeezing your trap pulldowns. You can also sub- carb-up right before
traps and upper back. The range stitute trap pulldowns for the bent- contest.*
of motion is relatively short. Here’s over laterals in the above routine
how to do it: and, man, will your traps ever burn. *These statements have not been evaluated by
Kneel on the seat support of a If your goal is to work your traps, the FDA. This product is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
lat machine or brace your knees go ahead and use as much weight as
against it, feet on the floor and you want, and don’t worry about re-
balancing on your toes. Bend over maining vertical. Hunch forward all
until your traps and upper back are you want so the brunt of the work
almost parallel to the floor. Pull the goes to the traps. Just pull the bar
bar straight down until it touches down to the base of your neck while
the traps-and-upper-back area.
Pause and squeeze with all your
squeezing and tensing your traps
and upper back.
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might for a count of three. Allow the Give these exercises a try, and in Int: 805.988.0640
bar to return to the starting position six weeks you’ll realize greatly im-
and repeat for several sets of six to proved trap size, muscularity and AVAILABLE AT THIS AND
OTHER FINE RETAILERS:
10 repetitions. detail, as well as upper-back defini-
All that tensing and squeezing tion and separation. IM
will bring out the cuts and separate
Y
ou don’t want to be that what goes into building the perfect be that guy in the T-shirt at the mall.
guy. You know who I pair of biceps. Some adhere to the Biceps are funny muscles, and a
mean: the guy walking hard-and-heavy principle, where lot of people don’t do them justice
around the mall wear- low reps and high weights are the when they work out. “Most trainers
ing the “Welcome to the Gun Show” norm. Still others will tell you that tend to neglect the outer head and
T-shirt who’s got popguns barely high volume is the key, the object brachialis when they work biceps.”
stretching the sleeves? That’s right— being to engorge the muscle with That was one of the first things
that guy. blood to ensure growth. Who’s right? Dan mentioned. The biceps brachii
My guess is, if you’ve spent the Well, they both are. That’s because actually consists of two heads: the
money to buy this magazine and are everyone’s body works differently shorter inner head and the longer
taking the time to read this article, and responds to different stimuli. outer head, with the outer head pro-
you already know what good biceps How do you know what’s the right viding the most mass in the muscle
development looks like. You know method for you? The answer lies in group. Underneath the biceps is the
that spindly arms in a “Gun Show” trial and error. Come on now, you brachialis, which is visible on the
T-shirt aren’t going to get the job didn’t expect this to be easy, did side of the arm between the triceps
done (unless ridicule is your goal). you? and biceps—if you’re lean and the
You also know that soft, fluffy biceps muscle is developed. When training
aren’t going to pass muster either. Biceps Anatomy biceps, you want to make sure that
You’re here because you want to you fully exhaust every muscle in
expend the effort to build dense, Whenever I want to learn about the group, not favoring one section
full biceps resembling softballs training a bodypart, I seek out over the other, to ensure full devel-
under the skin, right? To do that someone who’s known for having opment.
you’re going to need a plan, and exceptional development in that
chances are that plan will involve area. For biceps I tracked down Dan The Full-Blown Workout
doing curls. No, not the Olympic Decker, a top national-level NPC
competition with the big stone and bodybuilder. Dan is known as much The keys to any biceps routine
the brooms. I’m talking curling for his aesthetic physique as he is are form and range of motion. Poor
weights—dumbbells, barbells you for having well-developed arms. I form on curls can lead to shoulder
name it. thought he’d be the perfect candi- and elbow injuries, and a poor range
Outside of curling, however, date to dispense some biceps-train- of motion can lead to decreased
there’s very little consensus as to ing knowledge that can help you not movement (continued on page 175)
T
his just in: Greg Plitt rules GP: Yeah [laughs], I’ve had pretty
as America’s number-one decent luck with covers, knock on
male fitness model. Need wood.
convincing? Peruse any IM: And movies. And televi-
neighborhood bookstore, and you’ll sion. And commercials. And
Reg Park
OTOS
ND REMEMB ERED—RARE PH
undoubtedly spot Greg’s mug grin- photo spreads. REG PARK: A LEGE
ning out from any number of fitness GP: Ha. You’re descibing me like
2008 / IRON
ingly ripped, emanating health and nity and jumped through it. Right
vitality, he epitomizes the ideal place at the right time. SIZE
young American dude, circa 2008. IM: Okay, let’s hear how a SIMPLIFIED
E—W
The Science of
E KNOW TRAIN
Okay, that’s the public persona— regular guy scores the cover of Hyperspeed
Hypertrophy
but we tend to forget our pop cul- Muscle & Fitness on his very
STEROIDS
ING™
aggressively into the acting field, Marriott hotel. My buddies and I Workout to
Up Your MARCH 2008
which requires time, dedication and were heading to D.C., and I thought, Mass $5.99
SIMPLIFIED
FAST!
strict discipline—not to mention Hell, why not use her voucher? So, PLUS: r Hardbody)
Inside (She’s Ou
/ REG PARK
com
a thick hide. Squeezing me in took we find the closest Marriott—it’s Ret ro— Ful l-Page Pics of
www.I ronMa
Please displa y
until 3/4/0 8
GP: You want spontane- off the floor. A friend called and
ous? Get this—suddenly, I’m said, “Did you know you’re on this
on a plane, heading to L.A. for month’s Muscle & Fitness?” I didn’t—
a cover session with Muscle & and booked it to Barnes and Noble,
Fitness. I used to read the mags, pronto.
never dreaming I’d actually be IM: Anyone recognize you?
in one. Unreal. GP: At the counter, I’m trying to
IM: Think of the kids be nonchalant, keeping the maga-
you’ve inspired. zine facedown and all. The clerk
GP: A sobering thought. My flips it over, looks at me, and we
greatest reward is giving back laugh. And here’s the best part: He
some of what was given to me pulls cash from his own wallet and
way back when. pays for it himself.
IM: Even with the sub- IM: Way cool. And your fami-
sequent media overload, ly’s reaction?
you’ve remained blissfully GP: Mom told everyone she pos-
unaffected. sibly could, and the Gold’s I was
GP: My personality was set training at called Weider’s office for
a long time ago, and it’s not in permission to have an autograph
me to go around boasting. The session. Come and meet the cover
work should speak for itself. kid. I went along on one condition:
IM: The Muscle & Fitness They had to hook up my platoon
gig had to be a mind blower. buds with free memberships.
GP: Man, my feet were IM: Which Gold’s was it?
“Music, training
partners and the
right atmosphere are
excellent motivators,
but believing in
yourself is second to
none.”
It’s the Army’s equivalent of a Navy like the edginess involved. I’m prep- If my opponent beats me, fine—but
Seal. You attend U.S. Army Ranger ping with acting classes, improving I’ll never lose.
School and spend 70 grueling my craft and staying in top shape. IM: Are you a contented guy?
days in training. When I started, I IM: What if the phone doesn’t Satisfied with the status quo?
weighed 215 pounds, and I left the ring? GP: I’m rarely content. If I ever do
program a lean 163, shredded. GP: A real possibility, given the feel contentment, it’s a temporary
IM: Don’t you also have some- nature of show business. It’s like satisfaction. The first time I won the
thing like 800 jumps to your when I was wrestling. Before every state championships in wrestling, I
credit? meet, there’s fear inside. Maybe you was pumped. But it didn’t last. Same
GP: Try 850. I joined the skydiv- even question your own abilities or with modeling. You shoot a cover.
ing team at West Point and loved it. freak out a little. But guess what? It’s neat, and you’re already contem-
Its pool of applicants reaches 300 to People destroy themselves before plating that next big assignment.
400, and only 10 are chosen. I was entering the arena. Not me. Per- IM: It helps to have the look,
fortunate to break in as a freshman. spective is everything. whatever it might be.
IM: Fresh out of the military, You can slowly lose patience and GP: The look changes on a whim.
and your career is accelerat- drive and motivation or switch the Photographers don’t want someone
ing—modeling assignments, TV, mental channel. In the slow times to smile and pose like an empty-
film. Is there a science to all this I don’t freak. I plan and prepare. If headed mannequin. They appre-
madness? you’re going into a sketchy situation, ciate people who can contribute
GP: No, and that’s fine by me. I feel confident. Look sharp, be sharp. intellectually.
DeNiro. Is film your number- GP: Great minds think alike. I IM: You’re dabbling in reality
one goal at present? have a small recurring role on “Days programming as well.
GP: It’s the sole reason I relocated of Our Lives” as a cop named Hen- GM: For the Home and Garden
to L.A. Landing “The Good Shep- derson. If viewers like me enough, channel, yeah—“Designed to Sell.”
herd” as my first credit was an awe- maybe the writers will build a sto- It’s HGTV’s number-one show. I’m
some springboard. There’s no one ryline around my character. Soaps part of a team, and we transform old
better than Robert DeNiro, and he aren’t as easy as they look. Actors are and run-down homes for resale. Our
treated me like a peer. required to memorize upwards of 50 work budget is about $2,000.
IM: Ever toy with the idea of pages of dialogue a day, but nobody IM: Meanwhile, your Bowflex
doing a soap? can fault the exposure. spot is all over the tube. Sweet
Higher-repetition
programs miss training
the faster-twitch
fibers while lower-rep,
strength-style training
does not exhaust the
slower-twitch fibers. You
need both.
—G.D.
Estrogen-
scientific literature and came up with compounds that, on
paper, provided more direct routes to testosterone con-
version. The most popular was androstenedione, which
was said to be more effective than DHEA because it was
• VO2 uptake: 30 you can talk between sets and feel wastes as a 20-inch arm contracting
• Respiratory exchange index: the desire to add more sets to your maximally. Since we require increas-
1.20 workouts, you’re not training with ingly greater contractions if we hope
maximum intensity. If you’re train- to continually progress, we must
Those are just four indices reg- ing with maximum effort, you won’t search for increasingly brutal meth-
istering the change in your system be able to talk between sets because ods to provide such contractions as
when you go from a state of rest you’ll be breathing too hard. Instead we get stronger. For the beginner
to one of all-out effort. There are of thinking about more sets, you’ll just about any form of resistance
many more indices, such as for pH begin looking for excuses to shorten exercise will represent an increase in
and lactic acid, but you get the idea. your workouts. According to Mike: intensity. As trainees progress to the
High-intensity training is hard train- “While intensity is necessary for intermediate and advanced stage,
ing, and as such, it has a definite anyone wishing to build muscle and however, they will require increas-
effect on the body’s systems that can its effects are similar on everyone, ingly intense training methods.”
be measured in the lab and felt by intensity remains a relative mea-
the individual. sure, contingent on an individual’s Training to Failure
The effect is dramatic and can strength and development. Let’s
be very uncomfortable. Whereas face it: A 12-inch arm contracting Q: I keep reading on high-in-
rest and total inactivity are expe- maximally won’t require the same tensity forums that one should
rienced as comfortable, training amount of fuel or produce the “train to failure.” That sounds
at maximum intensity is brutal. If same quantities of by-products and like a bad (and possibly harm-
A
s the newest addition of the monster we watched claw his
to an impressive list of way to the top. It wasn’t the man
uncrowned kings, Victor bodybuilding had come to expect
Martinez shrugs off his on contest day. The champ left the
controversial finish at the ’07 Olym- door unlocked, and Victor brought a
pia and sets his sights on ’08, where battering ram. There was no doubt
he’ll prove to the world that he’s the among most who came that Satur-
real victor. day night that we’d be addressing
The ’07 contest will go down in Victor Martinez as Mr. O.
bodybuilding history as a moment Well, as we all know, it didn’t work
when public opinion countered out that way. Fans voiced their fury
convention. It’s said that in order all over the message boards and in
to defeat the reigning champ, you the magazines. “Victor was robbed,”
have to knock him out. When Victor they said. There was simply no rea-
Martinez stood next to the champ sonable explanation for what had
during the first callout at the pre- happened.
judging, it was apparent to wizened “He got more first-place votes
eyes—from an IFBB judge and than me,” Victor says, shrugging off
six-time Mr. Olympia who placed the question. He does it every time
Victor first in each round he judged he is asked how it was possible the
to most of the competitors onstage, champ beat him. “But, you know,
as well as writers, photographers in second isn’t too bad either.”
the pit, industry insiders, gurus and Victor has that lovable smile,
the audience at large—that Victor which, along with his humility and
had come out throwing haymakers. diplomacy, makes you think he
And they were landing. He displayed actually likes being the underdog.
enough size, shape, symmetry and “It’s great to be recognized by the
condition to pack a wallop that fans and my peers as the winner,”
knocked out not only the champ but he says. “That means a lot. I put it
anyone else within striking distance behind me, and I started right away
as well. training for next year.”
It was apparent to anyone who A blow of the kind Victor suffered
has an eye for bodybuilding that at the Olympia would normally
the champ was off. What showed derail a person’s dreams and aspira-
up seemed like a civilized version tions, but not Victor. “I really felt I
>www.DexterJacksonShredded.com
It’s my belief that the overall condition-
ing of professional bodybuilders has gone
down in the past 10 years. While the pros
certainly have gotten bigger and freakier,
it’s happened at the expense of deep muscle
separation, striations and truly crisp defini-
tion. The finer details of the physique are
becoming more and more obscured in the
quest for size. There is one man, however,
who continues to hit the stage dry, hard
and peeled—head to toe. That man is “the
Blade,” Dexter Jackson. According to his site
bio, Dex is 5’6” and weighs about 217 in con-
test shape. While that’s not very big by pro
standards—which is just crazy considering
that Arnold himself was 6’2” and was only
about 10 pounds heavier when he com-
peted—Dexter is packed with full, round and
dense muscle quite reminiscent of the great
>Net Results Q&A than holding the bar the standard way, use a reverse
grip. That forces your elbows to remain out in front of
The Power/Rep Range/Shock innovator answers your your body, which contributes to greater recruitment of
questions on training and nutrition. the anterior delts. It might feel awkward at first, so take
it slow and start with a light weight.
Q: I have an odd problem with my shoulders.
My posterior- and lateral-delt heads are well Incline barbell or dumbbell front raises. Hold-
developed, but my anterior delts look flat. With ing a pair of dumbbells or a light barbell, lie facedown
all of the heavy pressing I do, how can that be? on an incline bench set at about 60 degrees. Raise the
I can handle 110-pound dumbbells for seated weight to just above shoulder level, using front-delt
presses, and I bench close to 400 pounds. How power only. The angle of your torso takes away any
can I bring up my front delts? possibility of cheating and makes for a much more
intense contraction at the top of the movement.
A: That’s an interesting question, as I actually have
the same problem and have just recently set out to Cable front raises. Attach a short straight bar to
fix it. I’m not sure if this is the case with you, but I’ve a low pulley. Stand facing away from the weight stack,
become so proficient at recruiting my pectorals during holding the bar with your palms down and the cable
pressing movements that I believe my anterior delts running between your legs. Lean slightly forward at the
might not receive enough stimulation, even from seated waist, and raise the bar to just above shoulder level.
dumbbell and military presses—and, yes, my chest is Hold the peak contraction for a moment, and lower the
my best bodypart. So if shoulder presses aren’t getting bar under full control. The constant tension of the cable
the job done, where does that leave us? The answer provides a unique stimulation for the anterior shoulder
lies in tweaking the pressing movements and fibers.
adding some front-delt isolation work. Here are
the movements I suggest you add to your pro- Use one
gram: pressing move-
ment and one
isolation move-
ment in each
shoulder work-
out. I suggest
that you occa-
sionally superset
two of the move-
ments in either
preexhaust or
postactivation
fashion. Each
type of super-
set provides a
unique feel and
Neveux \ Model: Dan Gwartney, M.D.
effect.
I started notic-
ing new fullness
Seated twisting in my front delts
dumbbell after only four
presses, a.k.a.
weeks of using
Arnold presses,
those exercises.
hit the front
delts hard. Work hard, and
you should ex-
perience the same sensation.
Seated twisting, or Arnold, dumbbell presses.
Instead of keeping your palms facing forward through- Preexhaust superset
out the movement, start with the palms facing toward Cable front raises 2-3 x 12-15
you, with your elbows slightly in front of your torso. As Seated twisting dumbbell presses 2-3 x 6-8
you press, twist your wrists so the palms face forward
at the top. Then reverse the process on the descent. Postactivation superset
That will activate the anterior delts somewhat more Seated reverse-grip barbell presses 2-3 x 8-10
than standard dumbbell presses. Incline dumbbell front raises 2-3 x 10-12
IM
Seated reverse-grip barbell presses. Rather
Predictions Dept.
Contests
Brandon-ing
Who’ll be heading to the
pros in ’08?
As you know, in 2007 it was Ben White and DeShaun Grimez
leaving the USA with pro cards and overall champ Evan Centopani
leading the seven class winners at the Nationals, who are all eligible to
move on to the next level. Who’ll be out of the gate first in ’08? Early or
not, the Swami is here to tell ya who the main contenders going from
the NPC to the IFBB will be. I’ll start—and end—with a couple of guys
named Brandon. As in Curry and Rey.
Brandon Curry, at only 25, doesn’t need to be in a hurry but is one
of my picks for most likely to get a pro card in Vegas at the end of July
at the USA. No going out on a limb here. The 5’8” 224-pound Curry was Brandon
second in the heavyweight class at the USA and Curry.
Nationals last season. The new age Flex Wheel-
er would seem to have a lock on the class, but Brandon
contests are won onstage, not on paper, so Bran- Rey.
don still needs to show up in prime-time condition
to earn pro status. I say he does.
Brandon Rey, 28, took the light-heavyweight
class at the ’07 Junior Nationals, but the Silver
Spring, Maryland, resident will be moving up a
division—or two!—this year. At 5’7” the CNN as-
signment editor-producer was carrying a hard 240
pounds in the off-season and could be producing
a segment on himself in a “Look Back at 2008”
highlight reel.
Not sure where this Brandon will turn up on-
stage, the USA or the Nationals, but he’s more
than capable of nabbing that pro card at either
one. Say, who wants to see a Brandon-Brandon
Contest photography by Roland Balik and Merv
will be making plenty of noise in the industry real soon. At the Nationals
he gave himself a wonderful 22nd birthday present by earning a third-
place finish in a tough lightweight class. A few months earlier he took
the division at the Junior Nationals, facing off against Brandon Rey,
among others, in the overall posedown.
Olcsvary’s powerlifting feats are something to behold. He’s the owner
of American and national records in two weight classes: At the ’05 Col-
legiate Nationals Ozzy was awesome with a 369-pound bench, a 501
squat and a 468 deadlift at a bodyweight of 148. He set the Collegiate
National Bench press record in the 123-pound division with a lift of 303.
What’s more, he’s a “strong” choice to win the lightweight class in
Atlanta next November at the Nationals. I’m willing to bench, er, bet, on
that too!
IFBB Expansion
THREE UP, ONE DOWN—Although the Colorado Pro is gone
from the IFBB Professional League men’s schedule after a two-year
run, three new contests appear on the slate for ’08. The New Zealand
Elite Pro on March 15, the Houston Pro on July 4 and 5 and the Pro
Bodybuilding Weekly Championships in Tampa, Florida, on August 9
will make their debuts this season to run the total of events to 11.
Under the direction of promoter Tim Gardner, the Pro Bodybuild-
Evan ing Weekly Championships will be the only men’s pro show staged in
Centopani. the Southeast. In fact, it’s been five years since a pro show has been
held in the Sunshine State.
“The PBW contest is a great way for us to give something back to an
Dan industry that has helped us popularize bodybuilding talk radio,” said PBW
Soloman creator Dan Solomon. “The state of Florida has produced countless
and Joe world-class bodybuilders, and we are excited to team up with Gardner,
Weider. one of the area’s top promoters. We expect an impressive lineup come
show time.” The event will be
held at the prestigious Tampa
Troy Alves
Photo courtesy of the IFBB Press Commission
ADD SOLOMON—Dan
could only shake his head at the
conclusion of the ’07 Nationals.
Can you blame him for being
upset? I mean, the guy actually
bet the Swami a steak dinner
that Brandon Curry would win his class and best Evan
Centopani. How dare you question my crystal ball? Solo-
mon will be paying up during IRON MAN Pro weekend, at an
eatery of my choice. Filet mignon, medium well, please.
Tyler goes to the
mat—literally.
ADD PBW—Solomon and sidekick Bob Cicherillo
began their fourth season in January, as well as celebrated
their 100th show, and this year they have added Larry
J.M. Manion
More Milestones
TURNER, 80, STILL GOING STRONG—George Turner, for-
mer IRON MAN scribe, bodybuilding star and gym owner deluxe and
Anna and Jeff. a personal trainer at Powerhouse Gym in St. Louis, Missouri, recently
celebrated his 80th birthday at the facility, which is owned by fitness pro
Angela Semsch and her husband, Roger. Turner’s birthday bash was
part of the holiday party for staff and members that
Angie and Roger threw at the gym. NPC bodybuild-
ing standout Lisa Boushard, who won the New
York City Metro Championships in 2007, also works
there and tells me that George draws top dollar from
his clients—and that they’re all getting major results. I
wouldn’t expect anything less, Lisa!
Turner opened his first gym, the West End Bar-
bell Club, back in 1950 and went on to own seven
workout centers in the St. Louis area until 1992.
Adir George, who, like the late Joe Gold, made his own
Fihlo. equipment, was one of the first to produce 45 and 75
degree leg presses. Ken Waller, Tony Pearson,
Samir Bannout and Jeff King are just a few of
the stars who trained at Turner gyms over the years.
George still looks great, Lisa looks great, Angie
looks great. They must be doing something right at
that gym—congrats to all, folks.
Fredrick
on December 29? At Jeff Willet’s Powerhouse Gym
in Adrian, Michigan, in front of about 100 gym
members and family. The new Mrs. Willet is from
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Willet earned his pro card at the ’03 T.U. but
never competed on the pro level, instead focusing
on his gym, which opened the following year, and
on producing videos that center around maximiz-
ing drug-free performance. Mike Uretz
Congrats to Jeff and Anna. Here’s wishing you with Carla
a lifetime full of wonderful times. and Lou
Fredrick
Ferrigno.
Teper
Bert Perry
a couple of decades back, take off his shirt and pose Jay down.
Last year the contest grew to 100 contestants (from 68 the year before
and 38 in 2005), so I’ve added a superheavyweight class in the men’s open.
And at the urging of fitness pro Cynthia Bridges, a strong supporter of
my event through the years, I’m also adding in a teen figure division for ages 16
through 19. One of those competitors better go by the name of Jordan Bridg-
es, as in Cynthia’s 16-year-old daughter, who is currently running the offense as a
starting point guard on the Newbury Park High School girl’s basketball team.
Kiyoshi Moody, last year’s men’s overall champ—who went on to win his
class at the Team Universe—says he’s coming by to view the festivities. Think I’ll
get Moody to peel off his clothes onstage at some time during the evening?
Defending middleweight champ Adir Fihlo, who finished second to Moody in
the overall balloting at the Junior Cal after winning the overall in both the collegiate
and novice divisions, announced he’s coming back to take the overall this time
around. Since several other standouts have made similar comments, it looks like
the quality will be extremely high again.
For more information on the shebang, go to www.NPCJuniorCal.com.
More Personalities
Photo courtesy of Bob Bonham
BANNER YEAR FOR BOB—The 2007 season was a banner one for Bob
Bonham and his Strong & Shapely Gym. The East Rutherford, New Jersey, facil-
Bob Bonham
268 APRIL 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com with the Strong
Free download from imbodybuilding.com & Shapely guy.
ity was featured in the November ’07 Powerlifting USA as the Hardcore Gym of the
Rick Bayardi and
L.T.
Month, and Bonham was recently profiled in the self-help book How to Climb Your
Ladder of Success Without Running Out of Gas!” by IRON MAN contributor John
M. Rowley. Actually, the title of the book is even longer, but I don’t have space for
the remaining 25 words. John, have them edit it down next time, will ya, buddy?
Additionally, Bonham served as an adviser for an upcoming article in Men’s
Health about the best gyms in the country. I’ve been to Strong & Shapely numerous
times. Got in some great training sessions, and I always ended things by crushing
Bob in a posedown. He always blamed his defeats on water retention.
By the way, Bob has been seen in Southern California quite often of late, and it
ain’t ’cause he was visiting me. Brenda Kelly is the reason Bob has tripled his
frequent-flier miles in the past three months. Come to think of it, Brenda’s been
seen in New Jersey quite a bit recently. Bob has been training hard since the two
got together. Guess we’ll have to call the new couple Strong and Shapely.
Liberman
GET WELL WISHES DEPT.—NPC Ohio and West Virginia State Chairman
Rick Bayardi underwent a triple-bypass surgery in December and then got pneu-
monia a couple of weeks later. Rick, who’s one of the nicest guys in the industry—
and one of the finest expediters to boot—is only 53 and appeared in great health
every time I saw him last year.
Here’s to a speedy recovery, Rick—you’d better be in the house at the Natural
Ohio in April, or I’m not going to emcee. And you need to stick around a lot longer
if you want a shot at winning my Best Dressed award this year after placing a close
second to Ken Jones in ’07.
Dennis
Tinerino.
A Fitting Ending
Thanks to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady
Maria Schriver for hosting a tribute to Reg Park at the Miramar Fairmont Hotel
in Santa Monica in December. A large crowd came out to pay its respects to Reg,
who passed away from melanoma at the age of 79 in November.
Once again, I’ll comment on how sad it is that it takes the death of an icon for
many of the industry’s major players to get together. Don’t miss my video interviews
with Jon Jon Park, Lou Ferrigno, Zabo Koszewski, John Balik, Steve
Strong, Franco Columbu, Boyer Coe, Jerry Brainum, Samir Bannout,
Peter McGough and Shawn Perine at www.IronManMagazine.com. You’ll find
my blog about the touching event there too, as well as a complete video of the
affair, which includes the Governator’s euology for the man he idolized.
“God let me continue on a path of self-gratification and of trying to fill the void in
my heart until I hit rock bottom in jail.… But He didn’t give up on me.”
Fast-forward to 2008. The 60-year-old now travels the world as an evangelist,
sharing his story of God’s mercy and redemption and also hosting annual pro-
phetic conferences near his home in Northridge, California.
In addition to preaching in such nations as South Africa, Turkey, Japan and
Greece, Tinerino and his wife, Anita, went last year to minister in Europe’s larg-
est church, the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, in Kiev,
Ukraine.
To learn more about Dennis’ mission, log on to www.Tinerino.com. IM
To contact Lonnie Teper about material possibly pertinent to News & Views, write to 1613 Chelsea Road, #266, San Marino, CA 91108; fax to (626) 289-7949; or
send e-mail to tepernews@aol.com.
n event honoring the would have to work if I want- was known as ‘the Legend.’
HEART
STEALER
Yenny Polanco
FITNESS AMATEUR HOUR
missed
getting a
pro card by
one point
at the Team
Universe last
summer but
passed on
following
up at the
Nationals.
I can’t help
wondering
where we’ll
see the
former hair
salon owner—
and two-time
Golden Gloves
light-flyweight
boxing
champ—next.
IMPRESSIVE
EXPRESSIVE
Another new
face I can’t wait
CAPITOL to see more
PERFORMANCE of belongs
Amanda to Mary
Marinelli claims Stockbridge,
to be better a 4’11 1/2”
known as the former
wife of top cheerleader
masters-over- from Texas
50 bodybuilder who took fifth
Dave Marinelli, in her class at
but the Florida the Nationals.
fitness flag-
waver got
everyone’s Find great
attention at the photos,
Nationals with videos and
this routine. commentary
The NPC has throughout
scheduled three the 2008
fitness-pro season at
qualifiers instead IronMan
of two for 2008. Magazine
.com.
B A C K S TA G E S M I L E S
2
1) Holly Powell, hot hardbody
and mom, hits a classic pose at
the Figure Nationals. She came
close to snagging a pro card
in September, in the masters
division at the North Americans.
Look out, 2008!
2) Michelle Mayberry waves
good-bye to the amateurs at the
Team U. She made her fitness-
pro debut a month later at the
Europa Super Show. 1
3) It’s the end of an era for
boybuilding backstage duo
Karen Choat and Jennifer Sedia
after Sedia won the overall at the 3
USA. She’ll be making new pump-
room buddies at the next level
from now on.
4) Speaking of hot backstage
presences, on the one hand, Ra-
chel Carraway is just another tall
drink of water trying to get noticed
in the figure F class. On the other
hand, mission accomplished.
Bradford
of IFBB pro retiring
Frank Mc- from the
Grath (of flex-for-pay
ferocious arena.
Animal Pak–
ads fame), SPEAKING
Kyle comes OF MAKING
across as a A SPLASH
whole differ- Tenessee
ent species, Figure
wouldn’t you champ
say? Brandi
Binkley
took her
class at the
NAC in only
her second
show.
Are you
thinkin’
what I’m
thinkin’
about the
former
Naval
rescue
QUICK STUDY “Acting swimmer’s
was always a dream, but chances for
I never pursued it,” re- success in
vealed Nancy Hirsch, who ’08?
nevertheless snagged a
role as a sexy scrub nurse
on the popular FX series
“Nip/Tuck.” The former
California Figure champ,
who left the pro circuit
after only a year, was
obviously ready for her
close-up—no nips or tucks
required.
“THE ART OF FIGURE” Who
knew it was an art? Anyone
who’s seen Meriza DeGuzman
present onstage—or in her hot
guest posing with Pete Ciccone
at the ’07 Junior Cal—knows the
San Diego fitness trainer and
nutrition store owner has got it
down. For the details on “The
Art of Figure” and all things
Meriza, go to Meriza
Figure.com.
NEWSMAKERS
FINAL FOUR Fitness represented like
gangbusters on the new “American Gladi-
ators.” Of the four women who made the
semifinals, three were NPC fitness ath- OR SHOULD I SAY, HURLING?
letes, including Virginia’s Siene Silva. Canadian fitness pro Sandra Wickham and
her longtime sweetie, Ross Webb, plan to
marry in Las Vegas on February 14 “in a
Isaac Hinds \ www.LiftStudios.com
In case you
were worried
that the peek
of Debbie
Kruck on page
277 was all you
were going to
get, you can
relax.
Left: Bob Cicherillo,
Timea Majorova and
Charles Glass star in
“Touched by a Guru.”
Below: Jim Rockell and
Lucy Wilson (left, with Amy Neal) is lov- Art Bedway guard the
ing her first Nationals. It takes interpret- results in Pittsburgh.
ing the callouts to a whole new level.
A familiar be-
hind-the-scenes
face at some
of the biggest
shows, Mark
Rupp is a ver-
satile guy. He
takes photos
and puts out
fires.
Marika Johanneson
and Kris Gethin Physique Athlete 101: Meet
were married not the photographers. Jennifer
long after this Cowan, a couple of weeks be-
unusual pump-up fore her debut in bodybuild-
room activity took ing at the T.U., makes the
place. And they acquaintance of Brian Moss.
say bodybuilders’ Junior National champ Michael Lockett enjoys the perks
muscles aren’t useful of budding physique stardom, courtesy of Amanda
muscles. Savell.
You can contact Ruth Silverman, fitness, figure and women’s bodybuilding reporter and Pump & Circumstance scribe, in
care of IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033; or via e-mail at ironwman@aol.com.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
IRON MAN Hardbody
Lone Star
Stunner
Former NFL Cheerleader Jamie Eason
Height: 5’2”
Age: 31
Weight: 108
Hometown: Houston,
Texas
Current residence:
Austin, Texas
Occupation: Spokesmo-
del for Bodybuilding.com;
writer
Marital status: Single
Sample bodypart
workout (hamstrings,
glutes and calves):
Seated leg curls, 1 x 20
(light), 3 x 15 (drop set on
last set); Smith-machine
squats (wide stance), 3
x 15 (last set to failure);
leg presses (feet high on
platform), 3 x 15 (last set
to failure); stiff-legged
deadlifts, 3 x 15 (last set to
failure); seated calf raises,
3 x 10 (pause at the top)
supersetted with leg press
calf raises, 3 x 20; cardio,
one-mile run.
Factoid: “I have a degree
in speech communication
and organization, and I’m
a former NFL cheerleader
for the Houston Texans.”
Future plans: “I hope to
retire before I’m 40 and
live on the lake in Austin.”
Web site: www.MySpace.
com/JamieEason.
O
ne of the most important done. Anyone who’s willing to put are closely linked. Make the muscle
attributes in any sport in the effort can improve running groups and corresponding attach-
is speed. Football, base- speed—in some cases quite a bit. ments involved in the act of running
ball, basketball, tennis While you may never be as fast as 50 percent stronger, and you’ll move
and lacrosse coaches drool over any someone with innate speed ability, faster.
athlete who displays blazing speed, you can come close and in the pro- I know that’s true because of
and for good reason. Being very fast cess change from being a marginal the many studies that have been
is a tremendous advantage in athlet- performer to an outstanding one. done on the subject and because
ics. It enables a beaten cornerback Becoming faster isn’t a complicat- of personal experience. I’ve seen it
to recover in time to make a play, an ed process, but it entails a great deal happen countless times with ath-
outfielder to run down a drive to the of serious hard work in the weight letes from every sport that included
wall, a lacrosse midfielder to cre- room, as well as time practicing the running. All you need are desire and
ate a sizable gap between him and skill itself. Generally, coaches over- determination.
a defender so he can get an open look the latter point in sports that The most outstanding example
shot on goal and a basketball player require a lot of running. They simply I can give you is Billy Newsome
to outdistance his opponent for a instruct their athletes to run a cer- of the Baltimore Colts. In the late
slam dunk. Used correctly, speed is tain distance or do so many sprints 1960s I was hired by the owner’s
always an asset, and everyone wants with absolutely no regard for tech- son, Steve Rosenbloom, who was
it. It’s like money or good sense. You nique. Seldom do they consider the put in charge of the team. He had
can never have too much. fact that knowing how to run cor- some history with weight training
For a happy few being fast comes rectly is as critical to gaining speed and thought it could help the team.
naturally. We’ve all come across as how far they run. It’s like telling The coaches, however, were either
those who were able to fly across the an athlete to tackle a running back skeptical or openly hostile toward
ground or court effortlessly. Speed several times without bothering to the idea. Strength training wasn’t
was in their genes, and all they ever show him how it should be done. mandatory—that seems downright
had to do was use it. They, of course, More about that later. absurd now—but that was fine with
are the exceptions. The vast major- Even if you don’t have perfect me. I preferred working with those
Model: Kiyoshi Moody
ity who participate in competitive running form, you can become who wanted to train, not a bunch
activities have to work in order to faster by applying yourself in the who were forced to. Billy, a defen-
gain any speed. weight room and getting consider- sive lineman who wanted to pack
The good news is that it can be ably stronger. Strength and speed more muscle on his 235-pound
BULLETIN
#5
cleans and snatches work the bra- three sets of 20 reps on the adduc- fat, and look your fat-burning th hormone activatio
wor
and the 10 kouts and supplements
Rules for Sup
n,
on
chialis and brachioradialis, which tors machines twice a week. in record time!
are the prime movers of the upper If you want to run faster, you
arms, quite thoroughly. Doing more
adds nothing to the strength level.
absolutely must have strong calves.
They initiate the start of the sprint Just $9.95
plus $6.50 postage & handling ($15 outside North
Same goes for the triceps. They’re and help stabilize the ankles during America) (California residents add 8.25% sales tax)
taxed on all the various pressing the movement. When your calves Credit card orders call
movements, so extra work is op- give out, you’re through running.
tional. If you want to do something To get them strong, you have to
1-800-447-0008, offer ITS
to shape your deltoids, triceps or hammer them. I’ve discussed train-
YES! I want to transform my physique. Rush
biceps, that’s fine. It won’t help you ing the calves and improving your me IRONMAN’s Fat to Muscle 2.
run faster, but you may like to look leaping ability in this space before
good in motion. and won’t go over it again. A couple Rush my
......................................................
copy to: .....................................................
The small muscle groups that do of key points, however: Work your
deserve more time in the weight calves at least twice a week, do high ....................................................
Enclose check or money order for $9.95 plus $6.50
room are the calves and adduc- reps—30s—for three or four sets. shipping payable to: Home GYM Warehouse,
tors. Even though the adductors The first set is a warmup. Then 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033.
Credit card orders call TOLL FREE
get worked when you’re squatting, load up the resistance. When you 1-800-447-0008, offer ITS
lunging and doing heavy pulls, they reach rep 20, your calves should be CA residents add 8.25% sales tax. Foreign orders
have a tendency to lag behind the screaming. Grind out 10 more reps. (except Canada) add $15 shipping. Payment in
U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. banks only.
quads and abductors. You can eas- Be sure to stretch after each set,
Mind/Body
BOMBER BLAST
Questioning One’s Sanity
H
ow crazy can we get? Pretty crazy! Consider my habit slide on the hardwood surface beneath me as I control the
of eating smaller meals throughout the day as I go pace and resistance with my body’s positioning. I stretch the
about my tasks at home. The frequent-eating events, calves and hamstrings, I labor the thighs, and soon my triceps
though of substantial nutritional worth, don’t earn a place at and shoulders are aching. I lean, I push, I thrust, I persist.
the dining table with an attractive place setting and glowing The Buick goes nowhere, wheels still, engine silent. No
candles. Instead, I take in the fare of tuna, water and cottage sweat, no pain, no burden—just invigorating motion, vitalizing
cheese while standing at the kitchen counter conversing with action.
Mugsy (world-famous cat) or the redwoods outside the win- Give it a break, Bomber! You’ve been at this madness
dow, whichever will listen. too long. Have you considered shock therapy, a lobotomy, a
Neither does, not for very long. pitcher of margaritas? You’re exhibiting scary signs of kettle-
Alas, eating alone can be lonely, and the neutral stance is bells for brains.
conspicuously tiresome and unproductive. However, neutral You mock, but weirdness sometimes pays off. The diver-
becomes quite engaging when thrown into low gear, a groan- sion is effective and eases stiffness, soothes aches, acceler-
ing four-wheel-drive workhorse. Thus I nourish and labor ates healing, stretches, oxygenates, encourages, pacifies and,
co-operatively. last but not least, wards off evil spirits. And it’s free.
A bite of food, and I’m in slow motion. Standing four to five I entered the gym earlier today and promptly immersed
feet away from the waist-high counter, I lean forward with my myself in crunches and leg raises. The only way outta the gym
palms on its edge and commence pushing—as if trying to is through it. Go, go—not quickly, not hurriedly, not elsewhere,
jump-start a stalled ’56 Buick Roadmaster. My stocking feet but here and now, thoughtfully and deliberately, like a locomo-
tive changing
cars in a freight
yard, a crane
loading and
unloading cargo
at the docks.
I noted at
the outset how
comfortable I felt
just lying on the
bench, stretch-
ing, flexing and
contorting in
preparation for
the workout.
Mugs indulges
in a similar rep-
ertoire regularly
and purrs. The
muscles and
Neveux \ Model: Brent Kutlesa
joints responded
blissfully to the
tensing and
reaching and
arching. If only
they knew what
S
o
ing history to ever-
you
so-slowly simmer the
want
concoction of mus-
to get into
cles and bodyparts
your gal’s,
before bringing them
um, good
to a full boil. Why
graces?
not? I’m the head
Try phi-
chef, after all, and
lanthropy.
preparing nutritious
It’s not a
gourmet specialties
big word
to tantalize discern-
Neveux \ Model: Brent Kutlesa
A
six-year study with
favorable multiplicity of activity or appreciate it or tally it as a
more than 20,000
valuable part of our muscle-building experience or progress.
This style of training was proving to be a lesson in muscle people, average age 53, found that a 30-minute
engagement, extension and contraction, action and response, nap in the middle of
and exercise groove, while revisiting pump and burn with a the day at least three
side trip to in-depth focus. days a week reduced
Shame on us: We grab, go and power through; we chase stress. In fact, it re-
the sets, reps and action away, rather than pursue them; we duced it so much that
endure the pain, we suffer the burn, we groan with exhaustion those who napped
as the iron crashes to the floor. Great set... let’s do it again. were 37 percent less
Listen, Bizzy Lizzy and Murray-in-a-Hurry: Be encouraged. likely to die of heart
Don’t stop, but learn to observe and be aware along the way. disease. Now, it may
It is a learning process. And it is very have nothing to do
colorful, amusing and profitable. with sleeping and more
—Dave Draper to do with relaxing, so
if you can’t actually
Editor’s note: For more from Dave snooze, try a quick
Draper, visit www.DaveDraper meditation break.
Neveux \ Model: Cara Doll
Jason Phillips
J
ust 23 years old, Jason Phillips has already suc-
ceeded in overcoming adversity. A chance meeting
with an Abercrombie & Fitch representative who
made a modeling offer sent 18-year-old Jason into an
anorexic tailspin. In an effort to get abs, he totally disrupted
his life. A big meal was one whole egg or two rice cakes.
He wouldn’t go out with friends so he wouldn’t be around
food. He lost jobs, had no energy and just wanted to sleep
all day.
He ended up at a Gold’s Gym working the front desk,
and that’s when this 5’10” kid weighing 123 pounds first
saw a bodybuilder. Shortly thereafter he saw his first body-
Y
ou’ve heard the buzzword multitasking. It means doing more than
one thing at once, and, according to an article in the January ’08
Reader’s Digest, it means doing one of those things poorly.
According to Edward W. Hallowell, M.D., author of CrazyBusy, “Human
beings can handle two simple, low-level cognitive tasks at once, like filing
and listening to the radio.” Tasks that
require a bit more brain power, however,
need focus. Adding even a
simple activity to a higher- If she’s try-
ing to learn
level task diminishes com- French as she
prehension. works out, one
Does that mean you of those tasks
can’t chew gum and work will suffer.
out at the same time? No,
those are low-level activities (for most
of us), but maybe you should refrain
from telling your detailed weekend party
stories during your training—or sending
e-mail via your BlackBerry—unless you
like not making optimal gains and pos-
sibly getting injured.
—Becky Holman
New Stuff
Charge! Your Water
L
abrada Nutrition has just released its Charge! SuperShot Energy
Drink, which provides energy-releasing B-vitamins plus more than
2,450 milligrams of fruit-based antioxidants to support your body’s
natural defenses against cell-damaging oxidative
stress. It has just the right amount of caffeine to
leave you refreshed and ready to take on the
world. The natural antioxidants and bioflavonoids
in Charge! smooth out the stimulating effect of
the caffeine so you can enjoy longer-lasting
energy without jitters or a crash.
Labrada Nutrition CEO and IFBB Pro
Bodybuilding Hall of Famer Lee Labrada
says, “The new Charge! SuperShot tastes
great and gives you a natural lift unlike sug-
ary energy drinks. At just two ounces, it’s
perfect—convenient to use. Just add to your
bottle of spring water to turn it into a delicious
fruit-flavored drink, or drink it straight up as a
shot. Either way you get healthful, sustained
energy without the jitters or crash. Perfect for
any time of the day when you need a pick-
me-up.”
For more information,
visit www.Labrada.com.
A
rson is an unbridled, body-
altering fat burner, scientifi-
cally formulated to force your
bodyfat into a state of meltdown.
Chemically engineered with fat-burn-
ing agents and blood-boiling reactive
substances to torch fat, Arson repre-
sents a new breed of fat burner. After
your very first dose, a premeditated
thermogenic fire is set, cutting you
deeper and sharper for frightening
striations and crazy conditioning. Here tems, initiating a fat-burning response.
are its powerful ingredients: • Xanthinol nicotinate. A po-
• Green tea extract. Research tent form of niacin, it’s been studied
has shown that this is an effective for its vasoactive and blood-flow-
thermogenic aid and can control enhancing properties. It can help
weight loss in humans. Participants in improve blood flow and uptake of
a study using ingredients in Arson had key ingredients, enhancing the overall
greater energy expenditure than those effectiveness of Arson’s thermogenic
who were using a placebo.1, 2 formula.
• Cissus quadrangularis. In Other ingredients in Arson that
India this plant extract is traditionally work synergistically to spike maximum
used as an aid for promoting bone- vasodilation and accelerate nutrient
fracture healing. New clinical research, delivery: Uridine-5’-monophosphoric
however, has revealed its incredible acid disodium and Epsilon-polylysine.
weight-loss power. In fact, the aver- Driving the extremely powerful
age weight loss of subjects taking the fat-burning Arson formula is state-of-
extract over eight weeks was approxi- the-art Wave Pulse technology, which
mately 15 pounds, while subjects tak- is designed to dramatically enhance
ing a placebo lost only five pounds.3 micronutrient transport, delivery and
Phytochemical analyses of Cissus uptake, and is the power behind
quadrangularis showed high contents Arson’s ability to obliterate fat.
of ascorbic acid, carotene, naturally
occurring keto-steroidal substances References
and calcium. 1 Dulloo, A.G., et al. (1999). Efficacy
• Yohimbine HCI. This re- of a green tea extract rich in catechin
search-supported compound is a polyphenols and caffeine in increasing
selective alpha-2-adrenergic receptor 24-hour energy expenditure and fat
antagonist that can improve thermo- oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr.
genic response and vasodilation via 70(6):1040-1045.
an alpha-2-adrenoceptor blockade. 2 Dulloo, A.G., et al. (2000). Green
Fused with Arson’s proprietary ingre- tea and thermogenesis: Interactions
dient blend, yohimbine can facilitate between catechin-polyphenols, caf-
blood flow for increased fat burning. feine and sympathetic activity. Int J
Other ingredients in Arson scientifi- Obes Relat Metab Disord. 24(2):252-
cally shown to accelerate fat loss and 258.
push thermogenesis to the max in- 3 Oben, J., et al. (2006). The use of
clude caffeine anhydrous, white willow a Cissus quadrangularis formulation in
bark and Theobroma cacao extract. the management of weight loss and
• L-leucine. Playing a critical role metabolic syndrome. Lipids in Health
in protein synthesis signaling, L-leu- and Dis. 5:24-40.
cine is included in Arson to support 4 Sjakste, N., et al. (2004). Endo-
the synthesis of lean, metabolically thelium- and nitric oxide–dependent
active tissue to enhance energy ex- vasorelaxing activities of gamma-
penditure. butyrobetaine esters. Eur J Pharma.
• Gamma butryobetaine. Pre- 495:67-73.
liminary research indicates that GBB, 5 Sjakste, N. (2004). Changes of
which is non-arginine based, induces concentration of nitric oxide in tissues
endothelium- and nitric oxide–depen- under action of different pharmaco-
dent vasodilatation via the muscarinic logical agents. Summary of doctoral
receptor.4, 5 That helps drive key ingre- thesis. Riga.
dients to the right physiological sys-
A
ll sports have their heroes. giving us
Boxing has a list that in- an inside
cludes the great Muhammad look
Ali, who transcended the boxing realm at the
to become a national icon; the martial life of a
arts have Bruce Lee, who became champion
an international symbol of the martial who was
arts world; and bodybuilding has the known for his good nature and extraor-
legendary Arnold, the representative of dinary abilities. It pulls no punches,
not only physical presentation but also however: There is the steroid use
success in the land of opportunity. In scandal, the gossip about his love life
strongman competition a giant from and the secret he kept to himself that
the land of fire and ice has ascended would eventually cause his death.
to the realm of legend. I recommend “Larger Than Life”
The DVD “Larger Than Life” is more to anyone who’s dreamed of being
than just a titillating title; it’s an ex- more than just a participant in a gym.
amination of the life led by one of the It illustrates what it takes to be a
world’s most extraordinary strongmen, champion and the determination it
Jon Pall Sigmarsson. Jon Pall became takes to become something more.
a living icon during his short life and a The documentary alone is worth the
legend after his death. He was more price of admission; the interviews with
than just a symbol of strength in the Odd Haugen, Geoff Capes and the
strongman arena; he was the embodi- great Bill Kazmaier—the only man to
ment of the Viking culture of Iceland. give Jon Pall a run for his money—and
To the world he was the symbol many others are icing on the cake.
of Iceland. Tall, blond and massive in After watching it, you’ll be primed to
size and strength, Jon Pall triumphed train harder than ever and reach new
in both bodybuilding and strongman personal bests.
competitions—winning the World’s Editor’s note: “Larger Than Life”
Strongest Man four times. is available from Karl Gillingham’s
The documentary has film footage JackalsGym.com and IronMind.com.
from Jon Pall’s childhood, television —Larry Eklund
interviews and various competitions,
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Sara Hurrle
Age: 32
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 118 contest; 138 off-
season
Residence: Denver, Colorado
Contest Highlights: ’07 NPC
Colorado Pro-Am, Overall winner
Roger Ferrer
Age: 38
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 176 contest; 200 off-
season
Residence: Sunny Isles, Florida
Contest highlights: ’07 NPC
Arnold, middleweight, 1st;
’07 NPC Junior Nationals,
middleweight, 1st
Roland Balik
Readers Write
April 2008
Steve Jolkes the January ’08 issue [“Just Say Yes to NO”], I understand
Rio Rancho, NM their relevance and how they can help me get bigger and
leaner. Thanks, Mr. Brainum, for clearing away the fog and
Editor’s note: She’s quite a lady, all right—and what helping me see the light. The NO supplements work.
genetics. She no longer trains to build a Ms. Olympia phy- John Brownstone
sique, but she still looks like that, and at 50 no less. Whew! via Internet
Errata: Cory Everson won the Ms. Olympia six times, not
Old-Guy Gusto seven as we wrote in “Cory at 50” in the February ’08 issue.
Also in that feature, the woman in the photo below with
Thank you for the great article on Clarence Bass in the Cameo and Cory is their mother, Christa, not the author.
Feburary ’08 IRON MAN [“Still Ripped After All These
Years”]. Bass and his writings have helped me a great deal
in getting and staying lean and strong. I began at 53, and
I’m now 61, so it’s good to see that Clarence is still going
strong and that there’s hope for the rest of us old guys.
Mike Harris
via Internet
Clarence “Ripped” Bass is
the true personification of the
pure bodybuilding lifestyle.
Not massive but impressive
nonetheless with his stream-
lined physique and super
health at age 70. There’s a les-
son there for aging boomers.
Let’s hope they get a clue.
Sylvio Martinez
via Internet Vol. 67, No. 4: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Pub-
lishing, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Periodical Mail is paid at Oxnard, CA, and at
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives
Editor’s note: Dedicated, Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscrip-
persistent and knowledge- tion rates—U.S. and its possessions: new 12-issue subscription, $29.97. Canada, Mexico and
able—that’s Clarence Bass. other foreign subscriptions: 12 issues, $49.97 sent Second Class. Foreign orders must be in
Laszlo Bencze
We’re proud to feature body- U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call
builders with his style and 1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be
reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.
class. Clarence Bass, age 70.
320 APRIL 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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