BIG RAMY EXPLODES ON TO THE SCENE

BRITISH EDITION

GROW WITH
INS R BRITAA G FO BEST M G

VOLUME TRAINING

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS SPECIAL

N GETTIIG B

FOLLOW HIS PROGRAMME FOR SIZE

KAI GREENE

S O R P E H T M O R F S P I T TRAINING
SHAWN RHODEN FLEX LEWIS
www.exonline.co.uk NOVEMBER 2013 4.20
11 9 770955 121136

NOVEMBER 2013

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY PAVEL YTHJALL

TRAINING
30 BACK AND FORTH WITH THE GIFT
Phil Heath reveals his backburning techniques.

42

By Greg Merritt

42 LEWIS LASHES LEGS

Flex Lewis demolishes legs, all without the help of one very revered exercise in the bodybuilding canon.

By Michael Berg

62 VOLUME TRAINING: OLD METHOD, NEW ANGLE

Blow it up with this modern-day twist on a timeless classic.

By David Sandler

86 H.U.G.E.: ISO-TENSION
How flexing between sets can enhance muscle growth.

FEATURES
52 GENERATION IRON
The conclusion of our behindthe-scenes look at the bodybuilding docudrama.

By Greg Merritt

100

By Dave Lee

78 SHATTERING THE COMPETITION

Mamdouh Big Ramy Elssbiay exploded into the IFBB Pro League. Who is he, and where did he come from?

By Robbie Durand

100 BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS QUIZ

Test your knowledge of the British Championships with this brain workout.

By John Plummer

108 AGE OF INTENSITY

The training philosophies that set Dorian Yates apart.

By Julian Schmidt

108
VOLUME 31 NUMBER 8

FLEX

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62
WEIDER ATHLETES
140 142 144 146 147 148 150 152 153 154 Phil Heath Mamdouh Elssbiay Flex Lewis Shawn Rhoden Roelly Winklaar Fouad Abiad Michael Liberatore Erik Fankhouser Ben Pakulski Kai Greene

DEPARTMENTS
10 Editorial 12 Arnolds Page
Bodybuilding has changed forever. You should know squat!

128 Big Ass Mass

Stay anabolic.

172 Under the Microscope 176 The Shot

Phil Heath We put Muscletech Nano Vapor under the microscope.

130 Lift Strong

The 1-6 Principle.

14 Its Only My Opinion 16 Hard Times

Cables, or barbells and dumbbells? Olympia weekend million-dollar milestone; and more! News and gossip from the UK. How I started right but then went wrong. Expert advice for hardgainers. Our usual mix, including training tips, research, and more. The latest food and supplements news.

132 Advanced Bodybuilding 134 Hardcore Nutrition 136 Ask the Guru
The calorie fallacy. Neil Hill answers your questions. Building your lower back strength. A look back at the career of the legendary Albert Beckles. Ex pro British bodybuilder Ernie Taylor draws on his vast experience to answer your questions . Dopamine: a dieters secret weapon.

26 Home Scene

72 Get Big Column

138 Only the Strong 156 Looking Back 164 ET Column

92 From the Trenches 118 Gym Bag

124 Advanced Nutrition

118

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UK EDITION
MANAGING DIRECTOR Martin Cheifetz EDITORIAL DIRECTOR John Plummer EDITOR Chris Lund MARKETING/WEB MANAGER Andrew Berrie PRODUCTION MANAGER Suzanne Turmel PRINT/PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Sarah Patterson CREATIVE TEAM Neil Molyneaux, Steve Pickles, Leigh Shrimpton PRODUCTION TEAM John Braddick, Alice Cockerham, Sarah Warner SCIENCE EDITOR Dr Daniel Reardon SUB EDITORS Gillian Ingles, Kathy Tweddle STAFF WRITER Matt Turner ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER Joanna Green REGULATORY CONSULTANT Mark Gilbert ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Martin Denton ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Jonathan Booth DIGITAL/ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Justin Frickleton MARKETING ASSISTANT Charlotte Barnes IT AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Jim Sore FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Kevin Howland ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Sandra Opacic CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Patrick Napier COLOUR REPRODUCTION BY RW Reprographics Tel: 01924 351 805 PRINTED IN POLAND BY Quad/Graphics Tel: 0048 22 33 67 093 DISTRIBUTED BY Mail Publisher Solutions Tel: 020 7938 6000
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US EDITION
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Chris Scardino CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Pecker FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Joe Weider (1920-2013) PRESIDENT OF THE IFBB PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE Jim Manion EXECUTIVE EDITOR Arnold Schwarzenegger EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robbie Durand MANAGING EDITOR Brian Good WEST COAST EDITOR Dave Ian Lee CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER Carlon Colker WEIDER PUBLICATIONS, LLC A SUBSIDIARY OF AMERICAN MEDIA, INC. CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Pecker EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Kevin Hyson EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING David W. Leckey EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, TREASURER Chris Polimeni PRESIDENT, CEO, DISTRIBUTION SERVICES, INC. John D. Swider EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER Joseph M. Bilman EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL MEDIA OPERATIONS, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER David Thompson SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Rob M. ONeill GENERAL MANAGER, AMI INTERNATIONAL & SYNDICATION Lawrence A. Bornstein 4 New York Plaza, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10004 USA. Tel: 001 212 339 1900

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We assume no responsibility for returning unsolicited material, including but not limited to photographs, artwork, manuscripts and letters. Every care is taken to assure the accuracy of the information in FLEX, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice contained herein. Weider Publishing Ltd makes every effort to ensure that the advertising contained in FLEX is derived from respectable sources. It does not, however, assume responsibility for the advertisements, nor any claims and representations made therein, nor the quality or delivery of the products/services themselves. Editorial articles relating to food supplementation and sports nutrition reproduced in this issue of FLEX are for information purposes only and are not intended to solicit or otherwise promote any commercialised product containing the mentioned supplements. FLEX is distributed on an international basis. To the extent permitted by law, Weider Publications LLC and its affiliates: Weider Publishing Ltd, Weider Publishing Italia Srl and Mediat SARL, do not accept liability for the effects of reported supplements or products, legal or illegal or any loss, injury or damage caused by their use. It is the responsibility of the individual to abide by the laws and dosage allowances specic to their country of residence. Always consult a doctor before commencing supplementation or changing dosages. Some supplements may not work effectively outside specic dosage ranges and may potentially cause harm if taken in excess. Not all supplements, combinations of supplements, or dose ranges of supplements may be suitable, safe or effective for everybody. Copyright (2013) Weider Publications, LLC. Published under license from Weider Publications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. FLEX is a trademark of Weider Publications, LLC. and may not be used or reproduced without the permission of Weider Publications, LLC.

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BY JOHN PLUMMER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

BODYBUILDING HAS CHANGED FOREVER

With this magazine due out two days before the British Championships, thoughts are already turning to the 2014 series of qualiers, which get underway at the Stars of Tomorrow show at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, west London, on November 3rd. Its been a wonderful year with more contests than ever, more competitors than ever and frequent full houses. Some promoters are looking for bigger venues. Others, who lived through the lean years that lasted from about 1990 to 2005, are wary of upsizing to expensive new buildings in case the sport collapses like it did 25 years ago. But that wont happen. Bodybuilding has fundamentally changed. Back then it was all about freaky muscle. Now its about mainstream muscle as well, as displayed on this page by Ryan Terry. Classic bodybuilding, mens physique, bodytness and bikini tness are game changers. Theyve transformed the physiques on stage, the kind of people who want to compete and the atmosphere at shows. Were now seeing more competitors from high street health clubs, such as Virgin Active, Bannatyne and Fitness First instead of just the old spit-and-sawdust gyms we know and love. The number of female athletes has increased dramatically. The growth in spin-off businesses, such as contest tanning, bikini manufacturing and posing workshops is evidence of a sport in rude health. Little has been lost but much has been gained. All the old bodybuilding categories still exist but the new ones give practically anyone the chance to get on stage if theyre up for the challenge of training to be in the best shape of their lives. In such body-conscious times, thats only going to appeal to more people. If the United Kingdom Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation continues to seize the opportunity, and the introduction of a new contest next summer suggests it is (see Home Scene), this might just be the beginning. Bodybuilding has changed, mainly for the better. We will be changing too by including more coverage of these newer classes in 2013 as we strive to bring you Britains best bodies in all their forms. In the meantime, get in the British Championships spirit by trying our quiz this month and look for our coverage of the big event, and many of the qualiers, at exonline.co.uk. FLEX

Want a physique like Ryan Terrys? Learn how he does it with his 12-week Cover Model Conditioning programme at www.myvideopt.com

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KEVIN HORTON

BY ARNOLD BY ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, SCHWARZENEGGER, EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR EDITOR

YOU SHOULD KNOW SQUAT

Ask 100 bodybuilders which exercise theyd do if they could only do one, and 99 would tell you the squatand the other one probably has chronic knee issues. Theres little doubt that the squat is the king of all exercises, because it adds mass to your thighs and glutes, as well as all over your body via a systemic response to this most difficult of exercises. When I was competing, I would squat twice per week and go to more than 400 pounds for reps. I would often do my squats barefoot to grip the oor better with my toes, and my training partners Franco Columbu, Ken Waller, and Dave Draper wouldnt count a rep until my butt touched the back of my ankles. It was gruelling and in the end, quite frankly, I hated the exercise, but I knew that it was essential if I wanted to be the best bodybuilder on the planet. If you want to be the best bodybuilder you can be, and you dont suffer from chronic knee or hip issues, then you should make the squat your best friendwhether you like it or not. Below, Ive compiled some tips to keep in mind the next time you climb under a bar. Body alignment is key Ideally, your back should be as straight as possible, so that your rear end and the bar are almost in line with each other. Concentrating on keeping your chest out will help you keep your back at. I also recommend incorporating front squats into your routine to focus in on the quads more than the glutes. Tailor your stance to your goals Whether your feet should be spaced wide or closeda common squatting debatedepends on which area of the quads you want to focus on. A wider

Arnold Schwarzenegger shows Franco Columbu and Ken Waller that he does, indeed, know squat.

stance hits the inside of the thighs more, whereas a narrower stance tends to target the outer quads. Go down to just below parallel To develop strength throughout the entire range of motion, its important for your thighs to go just beyond parallel to the oor at the bottom of each rep. This is especially important for beginners who are establishing a training base. After youve become experienced, its OK occasionally to include half squats in your training to allow you to use heavier weight, which adds mass.

Switch to Smith If your lower back and/or knees bother you during barbell squatting, use a Smith machine instead. Thats what I did

Do supersets and compound sets In 1971, when I wanted to add more denition and separationnot to mention sheer sizeto my thighs, I got great results by doing compound sets of leg extensions followed by squats, as well as supersets of front squats and lying leg curls (for hamstrings). The burn was unbearable, but it worked! FLEX

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Drop the sets and reps for more mass If size is your goal, as it usually is with squats, you must train according to basic power principles: do fewer sets and reps with as heavy a weight you can handle, and take longer rest periods. That means three or four sets, four to eight reps, and around three minutes of rest between sets. On occasion, include higher-rep sets (1015) to add variety.

later in my career and it took a lot of stress off of those vulnerable areas. Hack squats are another alternative that I found effectively target the outer thigh muscles.

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BY CHRIS LUND PHOTOS BY CHRIS LUND

CABLES OR BARBELLS & DUMBELLS?

Many years ago I read an article written by Ivan Dunbar who was a top NABBA official from Ireland. Ivan would always try his best to bring over the current, hottest physique sensations in the world so that his fellow countrymen could see them up close for themselves. He did this for many years and sometimes he would write about the experience in Health & Strength magazine. On this particular occasion he had pulled off a real winner. He had brought over Larry Scott, the rst man to win the Mr Olympia. (Larry won it twice in 1965 and 1966 and then retired from bodybuilding.) During the early part of the 1960s, Larry Scott was the undisputed king of bodybuilders and you were dazzled and truly inspired by the fantastic photographs and training articles about him in Joe Weiders Muscle Builder, the forerunner to FLEX. Larry trained at Vince Girondas gym in California using all kinds of specialised training equipment that we had never seen before. He even used a special biceps bench which was nicknamed after him, because he used it exclusively to build those amazing, fully rounded biceps (which we had also never seen before). This bench was called the Scott bench at rst, but over the years it became known as the preacher bench. Ivan wrote that he was surprised that on rst sight, while fully dressed, Larry appeared smaller than he had anticipated. But he wasnt quite prepared for his next surprise. When he proudly showed Larry his gym, the two-time Mr Olympia from California just stared in unimpressed silence. Eventually he asked, But where are all the pulleys, and cables? I train using at least 12 different cable machines! Ah, replied Ivan, we are just a simple hardcore gym. Maybe a spot of hard work on the basic stuff will do you good! Mr Scott was not amused, and Ivan wrote that he would never forget that look of disappointment on the face of the latest, greatest bodybuilder in the world. To Larry Scotts credit, Ivan Dunbar concluded his article by saying that he was absolutely astounded when Scott posed that night on stage. Larry Scott, he wrote, was the best we had ever seen! While its perfectly true that Larry Scott did use many different types of cable machines, its also true that he trained more intensely than any other bodybuilding champion during his era apart from Sergio Oliva, who used lots of heavy basic moves. The cable movements, as well as the specialised training apparatus such as the Smith machine, wide-grip dipping bar and hack squat machine, were the inuence of the infamous Vince Gironda, who would not allow regular squats to be done in his gym. In his opinion, squats widen the hips, and if I see anyone in the gym doing them, I will kick them out! During the period that Larry Scott reigned as the greatest bodybuilder in the world, specialised training exercises began to evolve and gain popularity. Why kill yourself with regular squats, when you could have fun on the hack squat, leg press and thigh extension machines? Why do regular barbell curls when you could do cable curls and preacher curls? [Editors note: Larry Scotts biceps routine consisted of dumbbell preacher curls supersetted with barbell preacher curls, nonstop, six sets of six reps. He then nished off with six sets of reverse-grip preacher curls using an EZ curl bar. Larrys training was not exactly heavy duty, but he did lots of compound sets and trisets until he couldnt do another rep. He would then do half reps and burns to true muscular failure.] Why do demanding sets of parallel dips and lying EZ triceps extensions when you could do pressdowns, one-arm pushdowns and leaning-

COMMENT

forward pulley triceps extensions (Scotts favourite triceps exercise)? Why do heavy bentover rows and chins when youve got all those lat machines? Why bother with bench presses and dips when you could do Gironda-inspired, lightweight wide-grip bench presses to the neck as well as wide-grip parallel dips with your elbows kept out to the sides? Heavy military presses and dumbbell presses were replaced with the Smith machine press, cable lateral raises and a unique two-dumbbell shoulder press that Larry Scott also became famous for. Instead of pushing the dumbbells straight up from your shoulders, you pushed them inwards until they were a few inches from the top of your head. Your arms remained bent throughout the entire movement, which meant that you eliminated the weaker triceps involvement. In other words, you failed because your deltoids gave out, not because your triceps did. This exercise became known as the Scott dumbbell press and later the Arnold dumbbell press. So we dropped the heavy squats and replaced them with the hack machine and leg extension. We cut out the heavy bench presses and incline dumbbell presses, and did wide-grip bench press to the neck and cable crossovers. We dropped regular military presses and dumbbell presses and replaced them with the Scott dumbbell press and one-arm cable side laterals. We didnt do regular parallel dips and lying triceps extensions any more. Instead we did every form of cable triceps exercise we could think of. Heavy pyramid-style barbell and dumbbell curls were replaced by preacher curls and cable curls. Finally we even dumped bentover barbell rows and chins and replaced them with pulldowns and low lat pulley work. The result was not as we expected. Muscles began to shrink on a weekly basis. And strength? That went down the pan as well. When we eventually went back to basic barbell and dumbbell exercises, we ached for a week but with time, our strength and muscular size came back! See you next month, and keep training. Chris Lund FLEX

14

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TONEY FREEMAN

FLEX

15

by DAVE LEE

BIG NEWS, GOSSIP, AND MORE

OLYMPIA WEEKEND IN PRIZE MONEY!

Joe Weiders Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend has reached a milestone correction, a million-dollar milestone. Yes, bodybuildings biggest weekend has hit the $1 million mark, making Olympia Weekends total prize money gure the richest in the industryby a country mile! Check out the increases in total prize
Presents

$1,000,000
money per division: Mr. Olympia (open men) has jumped to $675,000; the Olympia 212 Showdown has grown to $65,000; and the inaugural Olympia Mens and Womens Physique Showdowns kick in $20,000 apiece. Those gures combined with the other divisions add up to $1 million in total prize money. For years, the goal was to reach $1 million by the 50th anniversary of Olympia Weekend, which wouldve been in 2014. But thanks to the hard work and combined efforts of American Media Inc. and its CEO and chairman David J. Pecker, the IFBB Professional League and its president Jim Manion, Joe and Ben Weiders lifelong dream has become reality

ahead of schedule. And lets not forget the folks who really made this possible: the fans. Without the fans none of this wouldve happened, Manion said. Whether youre a fan who attends year after year, a fan who can make a special trip only once in a while, or a rst-time fan, its because of your support of the event and the sport, that Olympia Weekend has been getting bigger every year, and I know that with all the exciting things happening in the industry, it will continue growing in the coming years. The skys the limit.

Brought to You By

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN

Mr. Olympia: $675,000 212 Showdown: $65,000 Ms. Olympia: $60,000 Fitness Olympia: $60,000 Figure Olympia: $60,000 Bikini Olympia: $40,000 Mens Physique Showdown: $20,000 Womens Physique Showdown: $20,000 Total: $1 million

IAN SPANIER

Phil Heath with the winners cheque in 2012

16

FLEX

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Photograph by ISAAC HINDS

HALEY DAVIS
NPC bikini competitor
Nickname: The front desk guy at my gym calls me Guns. Favourite superhero: Captain Americagood looking, muscles, nice guy, a romantic lover, but he can still kick some ass! Favourite female athlete: Bikini Olympia champ Nathalia Melo Most annoying word or saying: Beast mode Coolest invention ever: Its a close tie between the ShamWow and the Shake Weight Number of tattoos: Onethat you can see! Denim shorts: For the ladies ONLY Hidden talents: I can do the wave with my tongue.

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RONNY ROCKEL 2014 COMEBACK

For 10 years Ronny Rockel has been one of the worlds top professional bodybuilders. He planned to have a break in 2013 but got talked into competing early in the year, which proved to be a big mistake with so much going on in his life.
In June he opened his Rock Shop in Ulm, Germany. He was due to become a father in late October and he has been learning to adjust to life with diabetes. But he isnt ready to retire. Rockel has been busy bulking up with the intention of getting back on stage next year. The German, who was Mr Europe in 2011, is one of the best bodybuilders of recent years so it will be great to see him competing again.

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RHL RETURNS ...AS AN MC

Over the course of his IFBB pro career, which included 32 contests and rst place at the 2002 Night of Champions, Markus Rhl evolved into the epitome of gigantic muscle mass. Now retired, Rhl has found a new outlet for his energy as a contest MC.
To view the sport from a different perspective has been a lot of fun, he told FLEX. I hosted the EVLS Prague Pro and really enjoyed being the man behind the mic at FIBO along with Dennis James. All MC job offers are welcome! He still looks pretty huge in his suit so how is his training going? Its been going well, he says. Ive been training ve times a week but there will denitely be no comeback.

FLEX

21

Photograph by ISAAC HINDS

AGE 33 HEIGHT 5'2" WEIGHT 112 lbs Your best body part? Hamstrings and glutes. Cheesiest pickup line? Hi, you must be tired cause youve been running through my mind. Are you a girly-girl or one of the guys? I'm denitely one of the guys. Im usually a girly-girl when Im competing because I get all dolled up, but I generally wear sweats, a T-shirt, and a cap. I told myself, For 2013, I'll be more of a girly-girl. Three things you cant live without? My family, gym hat, and gym music Most hardcore song on your playlist? Lil Waynes Days and Days, featuring 2 Chainz Who inspires you? My partner-in-crime, Marco (Rivera, IFBB pro bodybuilder). I started competing because of him. Whats your favourite thing about the tness industry? All the people you get to meet. When they come up to you and say, Youre my biggest inspiration, that means a lot to me. NICOLE ADAMO

YESHAIRA ROBLES

WEIDER FOX

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BODYPOWER PRO
Flex Lewis Michelle Brannan Shawn Rhoden

Pro bodybuilding will return to Britain next year after a one-year absence. Trade show Bodypower will host an IFBB-sanctioned contest in Birmingham on May 16th and 17th. There will be 212 lb, gure and wheelchair classes but not an open mens category. Prejudging will be staged at the expo on Friday but visitors will have to pay for tickets to see the nals on the Saturday.

Shawn Rhoden, Flex Lewis and Michelle Brannan were the winners when the pros last jousted in Britain in 2012 so its great to see a revival. Britain has a strong line-up of 212-ers so there is a good chance of more home-grown success. Besides Lewis, guys like James Llewellin, Lee Powell and Anth Bailes could feature. The gure show could attract top Brits Lynsey Beattie and Louise Kayim (formerly Rogers) and the wheelchair categorythe rst

ever to be staged in the UKshould see Dan Smith among the contenders. Bodybuilding has always been big in the UK, said IFBB Professional League president Jim Manion. There has been a long history of great champions competing in England and next year the IFBB Pro League is proud to keep that tradition alive with the BodyPower Pro. BodyPower chief executive Nick Orton added: The introduction of a pro show into the expo programme is fantastic news for our visitors.

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FLEX

BY JOHN PLUMMER

SHAUN
2013 has been an up and down year for 212 lbs star Shaun JosephTavernier, the man widely regarded as Britains most exciting talent. Joseph-Tavernier, who was named Rookie of the Year by FLEX after winning the 2011 Toronto Supershow and placing fifth at the Olympia, got married to Kelly in July and was eyeing a return to the pro scene next year. But his comeback plans were derailed in August when he suffered a recurrence of an abductor injury. Joseph-Tavernier rst tore his abductor just before the Olympia two years ago and couldnt train legs for the nal eight weeks leading into the show. It continued to bug him and tore again in the summer. He now expects to be out of action for several months and will miss the BodyPower Pro in May. It seems that Joseph-Tavernier, like fellow Brit Zack Khan, is going to have to do things the hard way by ghting back from injuries but hes far from downcast. Ive just got married to my best friend and most beautiful wife and Im the happiest Ive ever been, he told FLEX. Im doing different things and enjoying life. When its time for me to be back on stage Im sure I will be.

BIG NEWS, GOSSIP AND MORE

SETBACK

26

FLEX

MATT MARSH

NEW CONTEST
An exciting new competition focusing primarily on mens physique and bikini tness has been added to the 2014 calendar. The IFBB Academy UK Summer Invitational will offer winners the opportunity to represent the UK abroad at the Arnold Classic. Organised jointly by Sean OReilly, UKBFF education manager, and Bill Tierney, UKBFF president, the contest will be held at Brunel University in Uxbridge, West London on July 20th. There will be two height classes for mens physique and bikini tness but in a UK rst, both categories will also have over-35 classes. There will still be three mens bodybuilding weight divisions but the emphasis on the less extreme classes reects their growing popularity. Sean is condent of attracting more than 100 competitors. Panthers Gym in Uxbridge, which he and wife Helen own, has become a hotbed of talent for bikini, bodytness, mens physique and classic bodybuilding competitors so there wont be any shortage of interest. Classic star Quiam Monzeer and bodytness champ Estzer Pati are among those who train there. Sean is also negotiating for strongmen and powerlifting events to take place alongside the bodybuilding. With so much happening, this event is likely to become the highlight of the summer muscle scene, which until recently was a quiet time for the sport.
Quiam Monzeer
KEVIN HORTON

Estzer Pati

CLASSES

MATT MARSH

Teenage 1619 Beginners Classic Bodytness Bikini under 163 cm Bikini over 163 cm Bikini over 35 years Mens physique under 178 cm Mens physique over 178 cm Mens physique over 35 years Mens bodybuilding under 80 kg Mens bodybuilding under 90 kg Mens bodybuilding over 90 kg

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VISIT

WANTED: FLEXONLINE.CO.UK
FOR CONTEST COVERAGE
Did you know there are hundreds of photos from this years UKBFF competitions at exonline.co.uk? FLEX started providing free online coverage this year so you can catch up with all the action from the big events, whether its the superheavyweights, bikini tness or mens physique. We attend most UKBFF qualiers and usually post a report, results and galleries the

JUDGES

following morning. If you follow the UK FLEX Facebook page, we also post some results and pictures live from the shows. Svajunas Tamulevicius, the phenomenal beginner who won the Kent Classic, and the bodytness top three at the East of England Championships are amongst the many photos you can see on the site, which is searchable via keywords. FLEX
MATT MARSH MATT MARSH

(from left) Kinga Kubicka, Serene Husseini and Emma Williams

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DARREN NICHOLHURST

Fancy becoming a judge? The UKBFF is seeking new ones and even plans to pay them for the first time. Judges have traditionally offered their services on a voluntary basis, although their travel expenses are paid. But the ever-expanding schedule means there is a desperate need for new officials. We are asking a lot of people to sit there all day and thats why we want to pay them, says UKBFF president Bill Tierney. It wont be a fantastic wage but we will pay something. Some countries have more than 200 judges to choose from but the UK depends on just a couple of dozen to cover shows from Portsmouth to Paisley. Anyone interested in having a go will need to pass an interview then be a test judge for three shows, during which they need to judge to within 70 per cent accuracy of the panel. For more details contact the UKBFF on 0151 9314090 or email wanda@ukbff.co.uk

H T I W H T R O F BACK AND

E H T
REV TECHNIQUES

T F I G
H T A E H L I NG I PH N R U B K C A B S EALS HI
FLEX

BY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

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, THERE G IN N IN G E B E H IN T YEAH, BUT A S Y A W L A S A W

Phil Heath took the bodybuilding world by storm in 2005 and 2006. Yet, amid all the praise for his various strengthsthose arms, those lines, those round muscle belliesthere was always some mention of his greatest weakness: Yeah, but can he ever get enough back size to win the Mr Olympia? After all, the Sandow Society is the domain of Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman, who, by the end of 2005, had collectively won 22 of the 41 Olympias, largely because they possessed the three greatest backs of their eras. Year after year, bodybuildings ultimate title was decided when those in the Os rst callout unfurled their rear-lat spreads and locked in their rear double biceps. None of this was news to Heath. He heard Yeah, but over and over again. He knew all about the backs of Mr Os, including Jay Cutler, who, beginning in 2006, won four out of ve Olympias with his hang-glider lats. So the Gift went about putting in the work needed to join them in the physique pantheon. The transformation of Heaths back from a weakness to a strength has been one of the most dramatic alterations in bodybuilding history. When he won his rst Sandow in 2011, the contest was decided the moment he crunched in his rear double biceps and gasps lled the Orleans Arena. And he hasnt rested on his laurels.

JUST KEEP WORKING

A typical Heath back workout begins with front pulldowns. The only question is what type of grip hell use on that particular day. I switch between parallel and underhand

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AKE M O T E AV YS YOU H OURE ALWAN SURE YNTRATING O NG. CONCE ACK WORKI YOUR B
with a fairly wide grip, he says. With these, I always focus on where my elbows are going as I pull them down. Thats the key to targeting your backpull with your elbows working like levers and bring them down to your sides. And really, Im just trying to get the blood owing into my lats. One way Heath enhances the pump is by maintaining a brisk pace. Usually on this workout I only rest about a minute to 75 seconds between sets because Im trying to get in a lot of stuff. With back, because its such a big body part, I want to just keep working and hit a lot of areas with different exercises.

A BETTER CONTRACTION
Next up are barbell rows, which Heath tends to do underhand in the manner of Dorian Yates (six Sandows), but with his torso nearly parallel to the oor in the manner of Lee Haney (eight Sandows) and Ronnie Coleman (eight Sandows). The biggest thing about this is keeping your back at, the Gift avers. A lot of guys end up going too heavy, and their chest ends up going up too high. What I try to do is go not quite 90 degrees [torso parallel to the oor] but damn close. You get a better contraction that way. I want to maintain that constant tension, he adds. Youre going to have those sets where you just want to bang out 10 reps, but on this particular one its not about that. Its about being able to move the weight but squeeze your lower lats. Thats whats going to give you that really nice lower lat sweep. This is a density exercise. Every guy whos had a great back has done this, be it overhand or underhand. For me, underhand works better. Just be careful when going underhand that you dont go too heavy and pull with your biceps. You have to make sure youre always concentrating on your back working. A perfect way to do it is to watch yourself in the mirror to see your form.

FEEL THE STRETCH

The next exercise is the high-pulley row, bringing the bar down at approximately a 45-degree angle. The biggest thing on this is to make sure you get a full stretch on the way

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up and a full contraction at the bottom. Dont just let gravity or momentum carry you along. Youre not trying to get pulled into position. You have to do the pulling. You need to feel the stretch. The stretch is a great way to learn how to open up your lats for a lat spread. And then I also like to hold contractions for at least a half-count. This is one of those exercises that youre denitely going to be feeling, especially after just doing rows.

CONTROL THE WEIGHT

Look at Heaths back routine and you see mostly rows. He hits his back from a variety of angles, but more by pulling his elbows back than down, thus building the density that wins rear shots.

After the high pulley rows Heath does either one-arm dumbbell rows or T-bar rows, typically alternating them each workout. He explains his technique with T-bar rows. I do these either from the oor or on one of the stations where your chest is supported. The key when doing them off the oor is to not let momentum take over. You dont want the weight to pull you down so you have to hump it up each time. Use a weight you can master, and then you can go heavier later, once youve got the form down. This is such an awesome movement, but you want to get quality reps to really pack on that density. The only way youre going to make T-bar rows work for you is to make sure youre controlling the weight. Id suggest you try to stay low the entire time.

If you cant stay low, then youre going too heavy and youre going to be yanking up the weight and not using your lats as much.

SLOW THINGS DOWN

Near the end of his workout, Heath does low-cable rows, and he employs sevensthe FST-7 technique of doing (typically) seven sets with only 2030 seconds rest between sets. With these, you want to get a stretch just like youre rowing a boat. Its almost as if youre stretching to touch your toes. And then, as youre going back, youre doing that rowing motion, but you dont want to lean back too muchjust a little bit. This is denitely one where you want to maintain constant tension, really make sure your technique is good.

, SLOW THINGS DOWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE EXERCISET CORRECTLY WITHOU F. STRAINING YOURSEL

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2005

2007
2009

2011
The thing with back is, I dont think anyone is going to complain that a guys back is too big. Its like, your mid-back may be too big or your upper lats may be too small or there may be other problems with your back balance, but if you have a whole big-ass back, its going to be hard for a judge or anyone else to criticise your back. You never hear about anyone losing because their back was just too damn big.
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BACK TALK

KEVIN HORTON(3); B BILL COMSTOCK

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HOSE T M O N FR FORE R A E L YOU VE GONE BE OU TRY WHO ND THEN Y . YOU, A YOURSELF IT FOR
The thing is, youre not going to get a good pump if youre doing it wrong. This is true of any exercise. You might start sweating and feel like youre working, but youre only going to get a good pump if youre contracting the muscles. Slow things down, and gure out how to do the exercise correctly without straining yourself. When asked which handle he prefers on low-cable rows, the Gift replies, I use a V-handle most of the time, but you can also switch this one around and try it with a wider handle and different grips. I think thats what makes this exercise fun. There are a lot of ways you can modify it.

TRY NEW THINGS

For his nal back exercise, Heath delivers a surprise. Beginning this spring, he started adding pullovers to his repertoire. Many people do pullovers for chest, feeling this old-school lift stretches out the ribcage. In fact, its a better lat worker. I either do these with a dumbbell on a bench or I use a pullover machine, the Gift states. You can also do them with an overhead cable, but Ive been favouring the dumbbell or the machine. Im lucky enough to have one of those pullover machines in the gym where I train. The key with these is to pull with your

elbows and not your arms. You can really take your biceps out of these and just focus on your lats. When told that a fellow member of the Sandow Society, Dorian Yates, favoured machine pullovers for his legendary lat width, Heath laughs, as hes already well aware of this. I steal everybodys stuff. I mean, thats what we gotta do. Thats what its all about. You learn from those whove gone before you, and then you try it for yourself. It may not work as well for your body, but you dont know unless you try. You cant be afraid to try new things.

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THE D, T U O B OT A STEA ITS N T FOR ME. IN TO GET WEIGH OUT TRYINGUEEZE. ITS AB LY GOOD SQ A REAL
A REALLY GOOD SQUEEZE
Whether to work traps with shoulders or back is one of the enduring debates of bodybuilding. Put Mr Olympia down decidedly in the traps-with-back camp. For him, shrugs with either dumbbells or a machine is the perfect way to cap off his back workout. I do higher reps on shrugs than most people, he explains. Its not about the weight for me. Instead, its about trying to get a really good squeeze. I notice a lot of guys go too fast when shrugging. Theyre just getting the weight up and down as fast as possible and missing the contraction and that time under tension. If you slow it down a little bit, its going to work your traps a lot harder, and thats what its all about.

YEAH, BUT
Its a given that Phil Heath wont have the widest lats in bodybuilding, but width is limited by your DNA-determined structure. Heath is proof you can win rear comparisonseven among the likes of Jay Cutler, Kai Greene, and Shawn Rhodenwith density, separation, and head-to-foot muscle quality. He did it in previous contests and eliminated his primary Yeah, but Yeah, but can he ever get enough back size to win the Mr Olympia? Now, the only question remaining about Phil Heath is: Yeah, but how long can he stay at the top of the bodybuilding world? Yeah, but maybe we wont nd out for many years to come. FLEX

HEATHS BACK AND TRAPS WORKOUT

EXERCISE Front Pulldown Underhand Barbell Row High-pulley Row T-bar Row Seated Cable Row Pullover Shrug 40 SETS 34 34 34 4 7* 3 3 REPS 1015 1012 1012 12 1012 1520 1520

HEATHS OLYMPIA TRAINING SPLIT

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 Quads (AM) Hamstrings, calves (PM) Chest, triceps Back, biceps Quads (AM) Hamstrings, calves (PM) Shoulders

*Sevens (FST-7 technique), 7 sets with 2030 sec. rest between sets.
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In this training seminar, Flex Lewis demolishes legs, all without the help of one very revered exercise in the bodybuilding canon

LEWIS LASHES LEGS

Ive never been a big squatter, to be honest, says Flex Lewis. Yes, the bodybuilder whose signature calling card is his giant-slaying quads and hamstringshe with thighs so dominant he had to essentially take a year off training them hard not once in his career, but twice, to allow his upper body to catch updoesnt make much use of the so-called king of all exercises. Blasphemous? In the circles Lewis used to run in, absolutely. After all, the Welsh-born 29-year-old forged his initial love of iron in the realm of powerlifting, where to speak ill of the revered squat is akin to treason. Bodybuilding books and magazine articles are strewn with odes to the squat. Champions past and present swear by its muscle-swelling capabilities. Its been decreed that its improbable, and perhaps impossible, to build any truly aweinspiring size in your lower body without it. Yet Lewis isnt swayed. I did squat when I was a powerlifter, but I didnt see or feel any real benet from them, he says, undeterred by his bold smite of the lifting gods. I know some people feel its the bread-and-butter exercise, but I think it has nothing on the leg press, to be honest. I feel leg presses offer more stabilitytheres just one way down, one way up, giving you focus and limiting your ability to cheat. Some of the more offended gym rats, put off by such a squat slight, may stop reading right there. That would be a shame, because not only does Lewis have a lot of wisdom to shareincluding the blueprint to two epic bre-splitting leg routines but also, he accomplishes something even more important: hes living proof that in bodybuilding, never blindly following the often-accepted mantras of the game is the surest way to reaching your ultimate potential.

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LEG EXTENSION
STATS: 57 sets (23 warm-up and 34 working sets), 1525 reps, onequarter to full stack n Lewis Take: I change my other exercises all the time, but I always do extensions rst. During warm-ups, Ill always stretch in-between sets by placing one leg up behind me on a bench and squatting down. n Do It Right: Lewis settles himself on the seat with the pads set to hit at the front of his ankles. Holding the handles at his sides, he chooses a mediocre weight to start, then pyramids up from there. I focus on the squeeze and full rotation from the bottom all the way to the top, he says. I hold the top for half a second, imagining myself onstage standing in front of the judges and squeezing my legs, showing the separation between each muscle group. As he lowers to the start, hes sure to never let the weight stack touch down for rest between reps. n Intensity Tip: Ill turn my feet in or out sometimes to get that extra contraction. Ill also sometimes get my training partner to help me do one or two negatives at the end of a sethell lend a nger to get the weight up as Im failing and Ill take it down slow.

BATTLE TEST
n The consummate road warrior, Lewis has never been shy about ying off to meet his fans across the globe. Since last years Olympia, hes been to the Czech Republic, home to the U.K. for a short visit, then on to Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Slovakia, Denmark, Austria, and done tours of the U.S., including a West Coast, East Coast, and Texas swing. The blessing of doing all this travellingit doesnt allow me to get too big, he says. Funny as that sounds, it keeps me in the range as much as it pisses me off. I might get up to about 240, lose six to eight pounds, put ve pounds back onits a constant yo-yo. But then 15 weeks out from the show I set up shop and stay home to prepare for the show, bringing my weight exactly to where I need to be. In early July, Lewis was hunkered down in his new home base in Florida just outside of Boca Raton. Just a few weeks removed from hosting the NPC Flex Lewis Classic, a rapidly-growing amateur event a show in its third year, now with 156 competitors across 14 divisions, itll be eligible to become a national qualier for competitors next yearhe was switching gears. Next stop, the Olympia 212. Lewis won the rst 212 Showdown crown in 2012, beating 2008s inaugural winner of the 202 Showdown, David Henry, no question a well-earned victory against a crowded and talented eld. But English, who three-peated from 2009 to 2011, and beat Lewis in a controversial decision that last yearafter Lewis had walked away from the prejudging rounds with the lead in hand bowed out of the 2012 rendition, citing a partial patella tendon tear. To Lewis, that meant unnished business. I feel the main threat is probably going to come from David Henry, he said, in the run-up to the 2013 212 Showdown. But the guy I want onstage is Kevin English. That wish, Lewis explained, is simply due to his ghters

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mentality. You want to beat the person that beat you, and Kevin took the title from me in 2011. I want to beat him now to have an ease in my mind. Its unresolved business that needs to be taken care of. This is me speaking as an athlete, not as a disgruntled bodybuilder, he was quick to add. Were all friends, but this is business. And how rests the head that wears the crown? Lewis admits the pressure is greater when youre the champ. I go to bed scared and wake up hungry, he says. Scared to lose the title, hungry enough to make sure its not going to happen.

NO HOLDS BARRED
When it comes to leg training, Lewis may not squat, but he certainly doesnt back away from torturous, stomach-churning intensity. His quadriceps and hamstrings sessionsusually separated by a day, with the former taking up to 90 minutes to completeinclude all manner of overload

techniques, including partials, forced reps, rest-pause, and negatives. I should probably start with a little history of my legs, Lewis says. When I was an under-21 junior bodybuilder competing in the U.K. and Europe, my legs overpowered my physique. Speaking to my coach, Neil Hill (who appears in these photos), I took a year off from training them. I just did some leg extensionsI ended up doing the same thing the year before last, too. Now, however, he thinks his upper body has caught upmeaning the kid gloves are off, and he can train them again with erce abandon. What I do now is the same system as what I did when I was a junior, splitting up my quads and my hamstrings to focus maximum intensity on each. In this FLEX training seminar, Lewis walks us through each exercise he relies on these days for his Olympia prep, one by one, explaining how he performs each and sharing some of the wicked methods to his madness. You may not nd the squat on this list, but no matteryoull still be gingerly limping out of the gym at the end if you follow Lewis lead.

LEG PRESS

STATS: 67 sets conventional stance, 3050 reps; 3 sets wide stance, 1520 reps n Lewis Take: As Ive said, I prefer the leg press over the squat. Ive built the legs I have today on the press. n Do It Right: Lewis begins with four or ve plates per side, sitting on the pad with his lower back rmly in contact with it. Extending his knees and releasing the supports, he lowers the sled as deeply as possible, bringing his knees towards his chest before explosively pressing it back up. The days of me trying to put every plate on the leg press are gone now, Im not trying to set a personal best, Lewis says. Coming from a powerlifting background, I have to segregate my mind-set of training super heavy. When Im in the thick of my offseason and not on the road, I may train more in that styleI feel like Im a strong bodybuilder for my chosen craftbut that isnt what I want to do most of the time. I enjoy reps, and I enjoy building the pump. For his wide-stance sets, hell put his feet out near the edge of the platform and come down to the point where his knees pass his ribcage and his lower back curls an inch or two off the pad. n Intensity Tip: As the weights increase from set to set, the rep range remains the same, but Ill make those reps harder by slowing down on the negative.

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ONE-LEG SQUAT
STATS: 3 sets, 1520 reps per leg n Lewis Take: This exercise really nishes the jobthats it, mate. Call it a day. n Do It Right: This move is similar to the quad stretches Lewis performs at the beginning of his workouts, but with one key difference: foot placement. Facing away from a at bench a fair distance away, he places one leg up and back so that the top of his foot rests on the bench. Whats a fair distance? My mistake when I was rst learning this exercise was that my front leg wasnt far enough away from the bench, he says. You have to put the leading leg far out and not keep it underneath your body. Itll be scary at rst because its outside of your comfort zone. Usually when you squat, your legs are directly under your torso. But having it out ahead of you means you get a maximum stretch and drive on that working leg. From a standing position, youll bend your front knee as you drop your hips straight downyour lead knee should reach at least 90 degrees before reversing to a leg-straight position. Repeat for reps, then switch legs. n Intensity Tip: Although Lewis doesnt recommend doing so until youve mastered the form, you can hold a weight plate at your chest, or dumbbells at your side, for added resistance.

LEWIS QUADRICEPS WORKOUT

EXERCISE DAY 1 Leg Extension Leg Press (conventional stance) Leg Press (wide stance) Sissy Squat One-leg Squat (off bench) * Plus 23 warm-up sets 34* 67 3 34 3 1525 3050 1520 1520 1520 SETS REPS

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SISSY SQUAT
STATS: 34 sets, 1520 reps n Lewis Take: The sissy squat is a pretty difficult exercise to nail, but once youve got the motion going, it burns deep. Its an exercise that you probably will use every other workout once you learn it. n Do It Right: Lewis has two different options to choose fromhe prefers the sissy squat station (as shown in the photo), but his coach, Neil Hill, introduced him to a free-standing alternative that does well in a pinch. Neil has me hold a weight plate or dumbbell with both hands, arms straight and 90 degrees from my body, he explains. I lean slightly back and squat down. The weight Im holding acts as a counterbalance. For the squatapparatus-aided version, Lewis simply locks his legs into the supports and leans back while squatting as deep as he can go before bringing himself back upright. n Intensity Tip: Just drive hard from the bottom, through your legs, and push for failure. Rest for a breather at the top to get more total reps per set. This exercise is a mental test of will.

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LEWIS HAMSTRINGS WORKOUT

EXERCISE DAY 2 Lying Leg Curl Body-weight Hamstring Curl Kamikazes One-leg Hamstring Curl * Plus 23 warm-up sets 4* 3 1015 plus 50 partials To failure SETS REPS

LYING LEG CURL

STATS: 67 sets (23 warm-ups and 4 working sets), 1015 reps plus partials and dropsets n Lewis Take: I change other exercises, but Ill do the lying leg curl to start off every single time. Its equivalent to me doing leg extensions every quad workout. n Do It Right: Lewis lies on the machine after adjusting it so the footpads hit just behind his Achilles. He grasps the handles for stability, then curls both hamstrings powerfully, bringing his ankles to his glutes before returning to the start. Like with the leg extension, he doesnt allow the weight stack to touch down between reps. He pyramids the weight up on each successive set. n Intensity Tip: With lying leg curls, you can be as sadistic as you want, Lewis says ominously. For me, the rst set could be to failure at 15 reps, then slip the pin to a heavier weight and do buttery kicks, moving just an inch or so for 50 reps, keeping the tension on from the back of my knee to the bottom of my hamstring. The next set, Ill go for failure at 15 regular reps again, then drop the weight in half and fail again, then drop the weight slightly one more time and go to failure one more time. For the last set, Ill do maybe 10 conventional reps, using the whole stack or close to it, then drop the weight in half and do another 10, then drop one more time and go for 10. For those nal 10, I may need to use rest-pause, basically nishing with four powerful singles. After that, Ill raise the weight to half to three-quarters of the stack and do 50 butteries to nish off.

810 plus 4 forced reps

BODY-WEIGHT HAMSTRING CURL KAMIKAZES

STATS: 3 sets, all to failure n Lewis Take: This one is very difficult. One of the only bodybuilders Ive seen doing this was Alex Fedorov. Him being from Russia, me from Wales, it makes sense because we didnt have access to a lot of equipment over there. We had to make do, and create a lot of exercises out of the few machines we had. n Do It Right: Facing away from the weight stack of a pulldown machine, Lewis clambers on so his shins are on the seat and his ankles are secured under the knee pads. Keeping his body straight from knees to head and folding his arms over his chest, he fully engages his hamstrings to support his body weight as he slowly leans forwards. Hell go down as far as he can before exing both hams strongly to reverse the downward motion and bring him back upright. As he fatigues, hell put his hands in front of him for safety, and to sometimes give himself a push off the oor. n Intensity Tip: This exercise is intense enough without any tricks, Lewis says. However, he does suggest striving to better your personal best over the weeks and months. I remember clocking out once at 58 reps years agoI havent beaten that again. Now I can maybe get 30 or so.

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ONE-LEG HAMSTRING CURL

STATS: 3 sets, 810 plus 34 forced reps n Lewis Take: At this point, my hamstrings are fried, but Ill always do three more sets of something, like the one-leg curl. n Do It Right: Settling into the apparatus, Lewis places his working leg so that the pad hits between his ankle and the bottom of his calf. Holding the handles with both hands to stabilise himself, he powerfully exes his hamstrings to lift the weight, bringing it as high as he can go. On this exercise, Ill use a pretty light weight for most sets, he says. Im concentrating on squeezing the hamstring. I imagine myself in a back lat spread onstage, seeing the hamstring pop out for the judges. n Intensity Tip: Instead of simply doing conventional sets, Lewis will vary the range of motion. During a rep, Ill hold it at three-quarters of the way up for a count, then continue to 90 degrees and hold it again. Then Ill lower it all the way back down. On the last one or two sets, after failure Ill do three or four forced reps if I have a partner. FLEX

SNAPSHOT

JAMES FLEX LEWIS Birthplace: Swansea Birthdate: Nov. 15, 1983 Current Residence: Florida Height: 5'5" Weight: 212 pounds (contest); 230240 pounds (off-season) Career Highlights: 2007 British Championships overall (pro card); 2008 Europa Super Show 202, 1st; 2008 Tampa Bay Pro 202, 2nd; 2008 Olympia 202 Showdown, 3rd; 2009 Atlantic City Pro 202, 1st; 2009 Olympia 202 Showdown, 5th; 2011 New York Pro 202, 2nd; 2011 British Grand Prix 202, 1st; 2011 Olympia 202 Showdown, 2nd; 2012 British Grand Prix 212, 1st; 2012 Prague Pro Championships 212, 1st; 2012 Olympia 212 Showdown, 1st; Sponsors: Weider/AMI, Gaspari Nutrition Online: exlewis.net; Twitter @Flex_Lewis

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BY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

CHRIS SORENSON/ THE VLADAR COMPANY

FLEX

DAVE LEE

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The movies executive producers are Vladar Co. partner Edwin Meija, Pumping Iron producer Jerome Gary, Damon Bingham, AMI chairman and CEO David J. Pecker, and Jim Manion, NPC and IFBB Pro League president.

The conclusion of our behind-the-scenes look at the bodybuilding docudrama.

Last month we brought you the rst part of our exclusive look at the making of Generation Iron, the feature lm that takes viewers inside the sport of professional bodybuilding. Seven elite, professional bodybuilders were captured on camera as they prepared for the 2012 Mr Olympia and the right to be named the greatest in the world. Now in part two, we continue our conversation with writer, director, and producer Vlad Yudin and the lms breakout star, Mr Olympia Phil Heath.

TO SEE THE TRAILERS, GO TO GENERATION-IRON.COM

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FLEX: Judging from the photos, its clear that you had a sizeable crew on hand. VLAD YUDIN: Production quality was very important. Our goal was to make a monumental lm that dened the sport as it is today. It had to have cinema quality, and to do that, you need the right team. We had 10 people, so we had the option of a smaller breakaway crew to follow the guys if necessary. Basically, we were with the athletes in some form or another at all times. At the Olympia, we had even more people. And everybody had worked on Hollywood lms, so we had plenty of cinematic experience on the team. You were at a couple of IFBB Pro League shows leading up to the Olympia, but what was it like being at the biggest event in the industry? That was my rst Mr Olympia and it was a very cool experience. The Olympia is on a whole different level. The production value is enormous. It gives you a real sense of the scale of the contest and you can see why the athletes train so hard and make the sacrice to be at this level. More than any other contest, you have to earn the right

to stand on that stage. The Olympia will always be No. 1, like the Oscars for the movie industry. They live for it because this is the absolute standard of excellence. You cant go any higher. One of the interesting facets of all sports is the rivalry between athletes, especially at the pro level, with so much on the line. Everybody has an opinion, and when opinions start to clash, that can add fun and excitement to the sport. And I found that there was no shortage of opinions between these guys. And its not like some amateur talking about Phil; these are guys that have competed against him, and in some cases, even beaten him before. Youll see that they were very open about sharing their opinions. It was very important that the different personalities come through on-screen. Its a misconception that bodybuilders are machines who just lift weights. The lm shows that they have emotions just like everybody and they go through their highs and lows. They have to deal with everyday life as theyre training for the contest. And with the seven guys, you have the full range of personalities. You have the

JUST LIKE THEIR TRAINING STYLES ARE DIFFERENT IN THE GYM, SO IS THE WAY THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF THE GYM, IN THE WAY THEY DEAL WITH PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I REALLY LIKE THAT ASPECT OF THE FILM. SHOWING THEM NOT ONLY AS WORLD-CLASS BODYBUILDERS, BUT AS REGULAR PEOPLE WITH REGULAR PEOPLE CONCERNS AND COMMITMENTS.
scientic, methodical type in Ben, and the blue-collar type in Branch. Kais introspective while Phil is outgoing. Just like their training styles are different in the gym, so is the way they are outside of the gym, in the way they deal with people and everything else. I really like that aspect of the lm. Showing them not only as worldclass bodybuilders, but as regular people with regular-people concerns and commitments. short period of time. If you want to be a successful bodybuilder you have to believe that youre the best. Thats where it all starts. If you dont believe it, no one else will. And the thing about that kind of belief is that you can tell if someone really believes in himself or is trying to convince others that he does. The way that champions look at things is different, and Phil has that. He has bigger goals. Hes not content with just being on top. He wants to make bodybuilding Now lets skip over to Colorado, more exciting, make it bigger, and where you shot Phil Heath. This see it grow and attract more fans. is an ensemble cast, but as the Thats how the sport continues to reigning champion, Phil certainly get better, and Phil understands has a presence in the lm, much this because he has a good like Arnold did in the original, as business sense. Yes, hes the man to beat and from the outspoken, but he has that right. trailers, he denitely comes Hes earned it. He has worked hard across that way. for everything he has and went Phils a true champion. Hes straight to the top, and the rest achieved so much in a relatively of the guys are chasing him.

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Theres no denying that Phil is supremely condent as the worlds No. 1 bodybuilder. Last year was the rst time he was on top, so its a little different defending your title as opposed to taking it from someone else. What struck you in the way he regarded the rest of the guys gunning for him? Phil realises that it comes with the territory. Hes achieved something only 12 other bodybuilders have done since 1965. Thats a very select group of athletes for such a long period of time. And Phil is a student of the sport so he understands the signicance of being in the position he is and why it means so much for the other guys to try to achieve it, too. Hes very respectful of all the guys because hes been there himself, when someone else was on top and he was trying to be No. 1. And having come close, he knows the disappointment of not achieving your goal. But like he said, that only pushes you harder for the next time. He knows where the others are coming from. At the same time, hes very competitive. You dont get to that position

without that streak. Its evident in the way he carries himself. The Olympia is his and hell do whatever it takes to keep it. In his mind, no one is coming into his house to take what hes worked so long and hard for. I think he likes the challenge. Knowing that you beat the best to get where you are and now youre the best and everyone is trying to beat you, that is what motivates all great champions. At the same time, he does it all with a graceful style. His intensity in the gym is amazing, but somehow he makes it look easy. Everything he does, from the training, the eating, and everything else is in preparation for this one moment and theres no hesitation or doubt that it will go exactly as he plans. And the way he interacts with people, hes very approachable. He makes others feel comfortable because hes very comfortable with himself. You cant help but come away thinking, Yes, theres a reason why this guy is the best in the world and hes Mr. Olympia. Much like the Arnold and Lou rivalry, theres a rivalry between Phil and Kai that seems to be one

of the driving forces in the lm. This rivalry is for real. Both are very successful but theyre very different. I dont want to give away too much, but you really see it in the movie. Their outlooks in the sport and life in general, even their appearancePhil with his shaved head and the clothes he wears and Kai with his braids and his trademark boots and all total opposites. The dynamic between the two is powerful and it creates tension. Whenever you have that between two driven individuals going for the same thing, the stakes go higher and higher. Thats exciting for the fans. And you need that tension to keep the narrative moving forwards. It was really highlighted at the Olympia when they went at it and they were the last two standing. The whole movie

captures the rivalries between all the guys. You have the back-andforth between Branch and Ben, Branch and Dennis, and of course, the central rivalry between Phil and Kai. One guy knows hes being compared with this guy, and how does he stack up? Finally, what is it that you want people to take away with them? The main question Im trying to answer with this lm is What is bodybuilding and who are bodybuilders? Obviously its a sport, but its more than that. Its a combination of sport, art, and science. Its unique. Its artistic expression using the human body. Its competition. Who are these guys and what motivates them to push the limits of what is physically possible? The lm will deliver that answer.

THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN PHIL AND KAI IS POWERFUL AND IT CREATES TENSION. WHENEVER YOU HAVE THAT BETWEEN TWO DRIVEN INDIVIDUALS GOING FOR THE SAME THING, THE STAKES GO HIGHER AND HIGHER. THATS EXCITING FOR THE FANS. AND YOU NEED THAT TENSION TO KEEP THE NARRATIVE MOVING FORWARDS.

SEIZING THE MOMENT

FLEX: What was your rst exposure to Pumping Iron and what was your impression of the movie? PHIL HEATH: I believe it was the rst couple of months of being a bodybuilder, and I can denitely say it was very entertaining. Of course, I knew Arnold was going to win, but it was how he did it that impressed me. How specically? The way he toyed with everyone showed how supremely condent he was. And you could see that the other guys were denitely chasing him. You could even sense a little envy or jealousy because of all the things that Joe (Weider) was bringing to his table, as far as appearances and all the notoriety, which is to be expected given that he was a ve-time Mr Olympia at the time and rightfully deserving of all the spoils. But more than all of that, it was the balance he showed in his life. He had more balance than anyone else in the movie. He was doing his thing at Muscle Beach and Golds, eating, doing photo shoots, chasing chicks, living the lifestyle, and all that stuff. Then you had Lou Ferrigno training in the dungeon with his dad. That was all he was concerned with, almost to the point of being narcissistic. I didnt relate to that. I didnt think to myself, Thats how I want to be. No disrespect to Lou, but I wanted to be like Arnold. I wanted to be the guy that people are painting pictures about; the guy having fun and enjoying everything that came with being the absolute best. Everywhere he went people were falling at his feet. I mean, Im sure he had his haters, as everyone does, but he was respected. I can relate to that, especially now because Im dealing with it myself. I have a lot of fans, but I also have a lot of competitors and people who dont like who I am and what Im about. But at the end of the night, he stomped on these guys and he did it with a smile on his face. You couldnt say that he wasnt good and didnt deserve it because he was obviously very focused, but

Phil Heath on turning his second Mr Olympia win into a history-dening moment
not with this crazy do-or-die attitude like theres nothing else in the world. You see him training his ass off and the next minute hes telling jokes. Thats how I am. I can turn it on and be as hardcore as the next guy but I can also make people laugh and have fun with it. You dont see a lot of bodybuilders smile or tell jokes. Theyre all super-serious. But how are you going to interest people if all you are is a big dude who just grunts, lifts weights, and scowls all the time? How did you become involved with Generation Iron? Robin Chang (of AMI) told me there was a potential re-telling of Pumping Iron, a movie that would pick up where the original left off, and I thought, Gosh, if that really does come to fruition Id love to be a part of it. It would be an honour. Then when I actually talked to the Vladar Company guys, they gave me an idea of what their vision was. You have to realise that bodybuilders get offers for movies or TV, but then were not treated with respect. Its usually done as a mockery or to make us look stupid. They didnt come off like that at all. They were for real. And it was their attitude and enthusiasm for the sport that sealed the deal. Were there any concerns that this might affect your ability to defend the Mr Olympia? Initially it raised some questions, but more so for Hany [Rambod, Heaths trainer/nutritionist] than it did for me.

YOU DONT SEE A LOT OF BODYBUILDERS SMILE OR TELL JOKES. THEYRE ALL SUPERSERIOUS. BUT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO INTEREST PEOPLE IF ALL YOU ARE IS A BIG DUDE WHO JUST GRUNTS, LIFTS WEIGHTS, AND SCOWLS ALL THE TIME?

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I actually saw it as an opportunity. Because I knew I was going to be a part of history, I was going to lift heavier and be more intense. I gured it was going to help me mentally, physically, and emotionally to turn it up a notch. Getting ready, you know the other guys are talking trash and they were kind enough to share some of that with me, so I realised that I needed to remind them how good I really am, I needed to remind the world. I viewed it as an awesome opportunity to have my Olympia win on lm. One of the things I noticed about our sport compared to others is that were so afraid to fall on our faces that we dont take chances and come right out and say that we expect to win. If

you look at the Super Bowl, both teams have champagne in their locker rooms, hats and shirts with Super Bowl Champs printed on them because they expect to win, even though only one of those teams will go home with the trophy. But an athlete doesnt go into a contest not believing that he can win. At least I dont. I expected to win. I had every intention of winning. Thats why I worked so hard for it. I wanted to be in the history books again. You have to step up in those moments and have the condence to show the world that you believe in yourself. It was a chance to put my legacy on lm. And what about the lm crew? Youve done a lot of training

I REALISED THAT I NEEDED TO REMIND THEM HOW GOOD I REALLY AM, I NEEDED TO REMIND THE WORLD. I VIEWED IT AS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MY OLYMPIA WIN ON FILM.

videos but what was it like being on a real movie set for the rst time? It was a trip at rst. I had an 11-man posse and an RV parked outside my house. The neighbours thought I was doing a reality-TV show. Thats when it hit me that this was real and it made me very excited for the whole thing. But I was pretty comfortable in front of all the cameras. One of the things that sticks out, and I hope they show it, was that I was making Vlad laugh so much that hed have to re-shoot and tell me to say the same things. One night, we were at the gym shooting a workout, and the next thing you know, theres a big-ass bus, and out come all these Japanese people. And it was just like the scene where Arnold is in the prison posing, but this time its at the gym and Im training. I was surrounded. People clicking away and every time I nished a set they would applaud. It was crazy!

You said before that having the cameras there helped you. Can you explain that? Anytime you have cameras in front of you, its a reminder to not screw around. Its extra motivation. You think about how you want to be remembered on lm because thousands of people are going to be watching it and its for ever. Lets face it, shooting free throws in your backyard is different from doing it in a high-pressure situation in front of 20,000 people. But I have experience with that from my basketball days, and others who arent used to performing in front of a crowd might not shine in that moment. I mean, bodybuilders by denition are introverted. They dont want the attention, but on the other hand they do want it because theyre working so hard to build their physiques and they want to be recognised for it. Its funny because you see guys trying to copy my swagger onstage, trying to pump up the crowd and all, but the reaction isnt the same

ARTIST: ATTILA FUTAKI

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because you can tell theyre not comfortable doing it. Its like when a rapper tries to raise the roof and the crowd doesnt respond. Then you get another guy who just says a couple of lyrics, and the crowd stands up, and the place is jumping. Its just like acting. You can read the script, but if you want to nail it like an Oscar-winning actor, you have to own it. Charisma comes from within. You cant fake it. That comes from being in tune with who you are and what youre trying to represent. For me, I just love people and it comes out in the way I do things. And I realise that being in my position, all eyes are on me. Theres always someone watching, so you give it your best shot. I know guys are taking notes on my workouts at the gym or snapping photos when my back is turned, and they dont think I

What do you want people to think about bodybuilding and bodybuilders after watching this movie? I want them to get an honest look at the sport. If I could ask each person to write down their top 10 impressions of bodybuilding before they see the movie and then another list of 10 things after watching it, Id hope that their You saw the trailer for the rst stereotypes would be gone and time last year during the contest. that those 10 new things would What did you think of it or were be positive. Each and every one you too focused on the show to of us puts a ton of effort into really have an opinion? this. The movie will show what I thought, Holy shit! This is crazy. we go through and that were I said to myself, I gotta win this professional athletes with a great contest tonight. And the best part perspective on the world of health is that moving forwards into this and tness. We do it every day, not years O, all the guys who talked with fads or gimmicks, but with trash in Generation Iron are going fundamental diets and training to have to watch that movie, and programmes that actually help watch me win. [Laughs] us lose fat while gaining muscle. It would be great for the general public to realise that they can WE DO IT EVERY DAY, NOT WITH FADS OR GIMMICKS, BUT WITH FUNDAMENTAL do it, too. You dont have to be DIETS AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES IT Mr Olympia or a professional WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC bodybuilder to excel at this sport and use it to improve your current TO REALISE THAT THEY CAN DO IT, TOO. situation.

notice. But hey, theres a picture of me training ve minutes later online. As a bodybuilder, thats what I signed up for. Were judged onstage and everywhere we go. You have to be a strong-minded person to handle that. People can think they are, but until they walk in those shoes, theyre not battle-tested.

And for those guys who do want to be Mr Olympia one day, they can say, I dont have to be a basketball player, I can be a bodybuilder like Phil Heath. Lets be honest, most kids want to play pro sports for fame and money. And this movie is making me look like the biggest basketball player there is, which Im not, but bodybuilding has given me a very comfortable lifestyle. Parents can see that here is an educated family man who works hard and is a decent role model. Mr Olympia can be a role model who can motivate you to do better things. I want them to learn something new. The next time they see a bodybuilder, especially a pro who makes his living in this sport, maybe instead of sneering or making backhanded compliments, they can look at that person and say, I admire your work, that takes a lot of dedication. FLEX
Watch out for updates on the international release dates for the movie and the DVD of Generation Iron

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Blow it up with this modern-day twist on a timeless classic

BY

DAVID SANDLER

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KEVIN HORTON

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DAY 1 BACK/TRAPS/POSTERIOR DELTS/ABS

Volume, whether by increased set number or total time under tension, prduces superior strength and size gains.

Exercise Lat Pulldown (to front) Reverse-grip Pulldown or Chin-up Reverse-grip Barbell Row T-bar Row Upright Row Barbell Shrug Rear-delt Flye (machine) Decline Weighted Sit-up Rotational Lying Crunch Hanging Leg Raise

Sets 4

Reps 12

Rest 90 sec.

10

120 sec.

4 3 4 4 4

10 12 12 12 12

120 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec.

12

90 sec.

4 4

12 12

90 sec. 90 sec.

(the size of the muscle) and overall strength when compared to a lower volume protocol. Several other studies, both newer and older, have conrmed that volume, whether by increased set number or total time under tension produces superior strength and size gains compared to either traditional or reduced volume training. But, before we just push the volume button and go to work, a shout-out for the low-volume, accentuated eccentric method and the going-to-failure method is deserved. Of course, as prudent scientists of the iron game, we can conclude that increasing volume, emphasising negatives, and taking sets deeper and further into exhaustion, combined with a higher volume protocol, should take muscle size to a new level. So the secret to this programme is to steal from the weak and add to the strong. We will do it all.

Its undeniable. Whether fortied with solid research or enshrined in the practice of the giants, the more you do, the bigger you get. Some 40 years ago, volume training was common practice among the best of the best. Seven-time Mr Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger, who epitomised the perfect physique and brought the sport to its rightful place, did it. Tom Platz, who still holds legendary acclaim for the most massive thighs to step onstage, did it as well. Scores of other greats, like eight-time Mr Olympia Lee Haney followed, until a new breed of bodybuilders came along touting the benets of far less volume. Under the guise of training regimes from the les of Nautilus pioneer Arthur Jones came successful competitors like Mike Mentzer. And theres no denying the incredibly V-winged back of six-time Mr Olympia Dorian Yates. Others followed with equally impressive results using both methods, and the debate of set superiority began. Sure, there have been modications to both the low- and high-volume training

programmes of yesteryear, but while the battle on the iron playing eld continues, overwhelming support suggests that to hang amongst the superthick, a volumeoriented approach is a must-try. And thus, this programme is set.

THE SECRET TO THE SUCCESS OF VOLUME

The rst secret is that there really are no secrets. In fact, since volume training has been around for decades, if anything, the folks who walk the walk should provide all the testimonial needed. But for those of you who need a little more convincing, here are a few things that point to volume training as being superior for increasing true muscle size. In a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, investigators found that a multi-set training protocol increased both muscle cross-sectional area

VOLUME METHODS
Youve probably heard of German Volume Training, or GVT. It originated in Germany (hence the name) in the 70s and has been used in various sports over the years. Its spawned other variations of volume
PAVEL YTHJALL

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training, all serving its useful purpose. Some have considered German Volume Training as a way to break through plateaus, others have suggested it helps with increasing strength and size. One thing that is synonymous with all volume training is that its deceptively challenging, and by the time youre done, youre generally burnt: not just fried, but thoroughly scorched. The original volume training methods were based on 10 sets of 10 reps (called 10x10s) of single exercises, generally two per workout with antagonistic muscle groups. For example, a common training programme was to do chest and back together, either alternating between sets or completing one full 10x10 then following it with the next exercise. From that came 8x8s. While this kind of method may work well for those specic lifts, if you want to get your entire muscle to grow, you need to make sure that youve covered all the movement patterns theyre involved in. Our programme puts a slightly different angle on the traditional approach to volume training.

DAY 2 CHEST/ANTERIOR DELTS/CALVES

seemingly perfect straight lines from end to end can use a little rotation here and there. Some muscles, like your pecs, lats, and glutes, due to muscle bre orientation, lend themselves to the need for differentiation simply because of their overall structure. For others with a more parallel-running bre distribution, if they have multiple heads with different attachment points, which most do, a new angle may be just what those stubborn peaks are calling for. As you work through this programme, the exercises are specically designed to hit every possible line of pull that your muscles could perform, leaving no possibility of unevenness! So the volume equation is balanced with multiple sets with different hand, foot, and body positions.

Exercise Decline Bench Press (wide-grip) Bench Press (wide-grip) Machine Flye Incline Bench Press (wide-grip) Behind-theneck Press Military Press Lateral Raise Standing Calf Raise (toes in) Standing Calf Raise (toes out) Seated Calf Raise (toes straight)

Sets 4

Reps 12

Rest 90 sec.

4 4 4

10 12 10

120 sec. 90 sec. 120 sec.

3 3 4 4

10 12 12 12

120 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec.

NO EASY WAY OUT NO SHORTCUT HOME

Sounds like something from an old Rocky movie. It is. Those song lyrics suggest that hard work is the only way to combat your issues. Avoidance doesnt work. One of the key things thatll help your physique is to move the exercises, or even the workouts themselves, around to target your weakest areas. By now you know that big arms alone wont cut it onstage or on the beach,

12

90 sec.

12

90 sec.

A NEW ANGLE
Angles are the name of the game for attacking and building a muscle completely. Even those muscles with
Angles are the name of the game for attacking and building a muscle completely.

so if your calves are lagging, move them up front. Do them rst, when youre full of energy, and rather than dread getting to them, theyll be behind you and youll be

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moving on to exercises you like better. The other piece to working hard is to keep the emphasis on the muscle being trained. Sure, cheat reps are ne and, in fact, Im a big advocate of themwhen theyre the last few in a set. Swinging, bouncing, and short-changing your reps reduces the chance for those muscles to get beaten up, and thus youll nd that your weak spots are still weak. But no matter how you choose to complete these workouts, if you dont leave the gym completely swollen with a range of motion half what you came in with, chances are, you didnt work hard enough. Notice, I didnt say that you had to be exhausted, nor did I suggest that several litres of water should have poured
Short-changing your reps reduces the chance for those muscles to get beaten up, and thus you nd that your weak spots are still weak.

important, neither of those will give you the post-size development youre trying to build. My guess is that whats most important to you is the size you build from that workout, and that comes FUEL YOUR SIZE from improving your ability to synthesise proteins and packing them in to place to Youve heard before that you need to fuel workouts and give your muscles some build bigger muscle. Now Im not here to protein to build on. So that is not new, but give you a lesson in protein timing, but I let me share one other thing that you may can say, with solid proof both in the lab and on the gym oor, that having protein not have known. Fuelling your system is before, during, and after your workout is more about recovery than it is about a must. The more rened the protein, the getting pumped for the workout. No doubt some big vascularity is great during more bioactive (readily available) the a workout. Equally nice is being so amped constituents, the greater chance you stand of building muscle. Recovery up that nothing will stop you from starts from Rep 1. What that means is terrorising the weights. While both are that the moment you begin that rst rep, you begin to degrade the protein strands that form your muscle. If youre breaking them down immediately, then why not repair them immediately? A pre-workout drink that has some vital amino acids will certainly help you. But as the workout continues and muscles continue to take a beating, protein synthesis (the rebuilding) is imminent and will only occur if protein is available. off your body. For true hypertrophy training, use your pump-factor to determine your workouts effectiveness.

DAY 3 GLUTES/LEGS/TRICEPS/BICEPS

Exercise Squat (normal stance) Squat (wide stance) Hack Squat Leg Press Leg Extension Seated Leg Curl Lying Leg Curl Skull Crusher (cambered bar) V-bar Triceps Pushdown Close-grip Bench Press Barbell Curl Preacher Curl Cable Curl

Sets 4

Reps 10

Rest 120 sec.

10

120 sec.

4 4 3 4 4 4

12 12 12 12 12 10

90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 120 sec.

12

90 sec.

4 4 4 4

12 10 12 12

90 sec. 120 sec.

CHRIS LUND

90 sec. 90 sec.

This programme will push your limits of size, make you feel like youve maxed your skins ability to stretch, and give you serious thickness in short order.

TRAINING SPLIT

TRAINING SPLIT FOR MAXIMISING MUSCLE DENSITY

Probably the most common question asked is, How do we split workouts to get maximal results? The perfect answer would be to create an eighth day of the week. No matter how you cut it, if you want to hit your body parts more than once a week, complete recovery may not be possible. Common volume splits work a single muscle each day and only once a week. Other splits combine all the muscles that contribute to a specic lift such as pecs, shoulders, and triceps, which are all pushing muscles. Intuitively, that is a great way to train, one I most often recommend, but also because of the number of exercises youd have to perform that have the same pattern of movement, your smaller muscles inevitably dont get the true push youre looking for. Every once in a while its good to mix it up, target some smaller muscles separately from their bigger multijoint movement exercises, and hit them twice a week with solid volume. This is the nature of this programme. I wont lie though: after 6 weeks (maybe eight for those of you who are fortunate), your body will be begging for a break and a chance to reset. The split shown here will work great when its cycled properly. As volume is the name of the game, each training day will have 1216 sets per body

Mon Back

Tues Chest

Wed Glutes/ Lower Back Hams/ Quads Triceps Biceps

Thurs Back

Fri Chest

Sat Glutes/ Lower Back Hams/ Quads Triceps Biceps

Sun OFF

Traps Posterior Delts Abs

Anterior Delts Medial Delts Calves

Traps Posterior Delts Abs

Anterior Delts Medial Delts Calves

OFF OFF OFF

DAY 4 BACK/TRAPS/POSTERIOR DELTS/ABS

Exercise Rear-lat Pulldown One-arm Dumbbell Row Reverse-grip Dumbbell Row Seated Cable Row (wide grip) Dumbbell Upright Row Dumbbell Shrug Dumbbell Rearlateral Raise Decline Rotational Sit-up Lying Crunch (Weighted) Hanging Leg Raise

Sets 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 3

Reps 10 12 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Rest 120 sec. 90 sec. 120 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec.

DAY 5 CHEST/ANTERIOR DELTS/CALVES

Exercise Dumbbell Decline Bench Press Dumbbell Bench Press Machine Flye Dumbbell Incline Bench Press Dumbbell Shoulder Press Lateral Raise Standing Calf Raise (toes in) Standing Calf Raise (toes out) Seated Calf Raise (toes straight)

Sets 3

Reps 12

Rest 90 sec.

4 4 3

10 12 10

120 sec. 90 sec. 120 sec.

3 4 3 3 3

12 12 12 12 12

90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec.

CHRIS LUND

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part. Exercises are grouped together with the order designed to target a specic muscle at its various angles and nish with overlapping exercises for the next muscle group in the lift. For example, your back will start with heavy lat work and move up to the traps for the nal exercises. The trap-training segment will nish with some wide-grip movements that accentuate posterior deltoid activation and thus the entire back, traps, and posterior delts get their full complement of exercises. So for this programme, order is very important. For maximal growth, 1012 reps will be the regime with a full 90 seconds rest between sets but not more than 120 seconds. Rest is critical so that all the muscle bres get an equal

distribution of wear and tear as your load can stay heavier longer. Additionally, the rst workout of the week per body part will be either a barbell or machine where the arms or legs are xed to work together. The second workout of the week will feature dumbbells and single-limb movement patterns where both range of motion and control of weights can be accentuated. Again, since were trying to hit every bre of every muscle, we need a varied approach to our training. And nally, if time is a concern as these could be long workouts, you can certainly alternate exercises between lower and upper body (do your calves in between your pecs or shoulders exercises) to get things done a little quicker.
Unless youre superhuman, youll need a break after 68 weeks. If you can keep it up longer, great, but at some point, you need to cut back.

Whether you choose to start your week with your back or not is your call, but the overall order for this programme is important to maximise recovery.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
This programme will push your limits of size, making you feel like youve maxed your skins ability to stretch. Unless youre superhuman, youll need a break after 68 weeks. If you can keep it up longer, great, but at some point, you need to cut back, add some strength training, or some good solid endurance, before you hop back again. Over time, with this volume-oriented approach, even with good recovery tactics, your body will require more time to recover than you can give it with this type of programme. Call it a plateau, call it a mental block, but dont call it quits, just make some changes, and keep this routine in your arsenalyoull use it again. FLEX

DAY 6 GLUTES/LEGS/TRICEPS/BICEPS

Exercise Dumbbell Lunge (stationary) Dumbbell Step-up Leg Press Stiff-leg Deadlift Standing One-leg Curl Lying Leg Curl Dumbbell Skull Crusher V-bar Triceps Pushdown One-arm Overhead Extension One-arm Cable Curl One-arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curl

Sets 4

Reps 10

Rest 120 sec. 120 sec. 120 sec. 90 sec. 90 sec.

3 4 3 3

10 10 12 12

4 3

12 10

90 sec. 120 sec. 90 sec.

12

12

90 sec.

3 3

10 12

120 sec. 90 sec.

12

90 sec.

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INSTRUCTION

BY STUART McROBERT PHOTOS BY CHRIS LUND

HOW I STARTED RIGHT, BUT THEN WENT WRONG

By explaining how I started right as a bodybuilder, but then went wrong, you can learn how to start right (if youre a beginner), or x what youre doing if youve lost your way, and thereafter stay on the right way. Only by staying on the right way for long enough will you give yourself the opportunity to realise your natural potential for bodybuilding. I started lifting weights in the 1970s when I was 15, in a community centres dungeon gym in north-east England, with only bare-bones equipment. At the time, my sources of training instruction were primarily a few books I borrowed from the library, and from the less-than-a-dozen men who used that gym. Most urged me to train just twice a week, although one recommended three times a week. I stuck with twice a week to start with, and about eight exercises per full-body workout, for usually three work sets per exercise. The workouts were practical, I could train hard on them, and I had sufficient recovery time between sessions to be able to make steady progress in strength and muscle. By practical workouts I mean that I still had sufficient time to be able to keep up with my school homework, and do paper rounds mornings and afternoons six days a week and several hours each Sunday morning. (But I did neglect my academic studies from the instant I was bitten by the bodybuilding bug, although I studied just enough to get sufficient O and A levels to be able to go to college and qualify as a school teacher.) At the beginning of my bodybuilding experience, although my training volume and frequency were appropriate for me, my technique on some exercises was a mess. As a result, back, shoulder and knee aches and pains were common, and injuries that temporarily limited my training werent unusual. Heres a typical routine from that time, done twice weekly: sit-up, hyperextension, squat, calf raise, bench press, barbell bent-over row, press behind neck, curl. That was four big exercises and four small ones. But some of those exercises were poor selections, and alternating two different routines would have been better than the same one each time. With hindsight, the following programme would have been better, for eight-exercise workouts:

4. Parallel bar dip 5. Prone barbell row from an elevated bench 6. Dumbbell press, seated with back support 7. Dumbbell curl 8. Crunch sit-up Generally, I rushed my reps, and cheated freely. My squat technique was particularly poorbar too high on my shoulders, feet too close, and insufficient are to my feet. With the bench press, I lowered the bar close to my clavicles rather than close to my lower pec line, and I arched my back excessively. Although it was a few years before I actually started deadlifting, when I did do it my technique was a mess because I didnt maintain a slightly hollow lower back. Although I always seemed to have an ache or a pain somewhere, I still made steady progress initiallyan indication of the resilience of youth, and the value of just two eight-exercise full-body workouts each week. I was generous with how much food and sleep I had at the time, so my recovery machinery was in good order. Had I actually done the with hindsight programme just listed, and had I used correct exercise technique, Id have made more progress than I actually did, and without any limitations from aches, pains and injuries. Because twice-weekly training was working, to a degree, and because one man at the gym plugged three workouts a week, I thought that thrice-weekly training would increase my progress. But it was hopeless. Instead of training Sunday-Wednesday, I changed to Sunday-Wednesday-Friday. I tried the same routine each time, but there was no way I could recover from that. The Sunday to Wednesday period was the only time I seemed to recover. No way could I recover from Wednesday ready for Friday, and no way could I recover from Friday in order to be ready for Sunday. And when I reduced what I did on Fridays, even that still wouldnt

Workout One
1. Squat 2. Calf raise 3. Deadlift (conventional style, with bent legs) 4. Bench press 5. Chin-up 6. Barbell press in front, seated with back support 7. Barbell curl 8. Crunch sit-up

Workout Two
1. Squat 2. Calf raise 3. Back extension

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work. So back I went to twice weekly, and progress started happening again, albeit still hampered by the usual aches and pains. Around this time I was heavily into reading bodybuilding magazinesfrom both the UK and the US. These promoted the training of the champions of the day, which were mostly six-day-a-week programmes. Those programmes worked well for those men, and produced spectacular results, so I thought that they would work for me, too. I launched into longer workouts, split routines, and schedules that gave more time and attention to isolation exercises than the compound movements. So, for example, lateral raises, curls of various forms, pec yes, triceps pushdowns, and leg extensions were highly rated. I gave the routines my all. And I ate lots of good food, and slept well every night. I gave bodybuilding priority over everything else in my life. Of my own volition I had no social life whatsoever, so that I could get lots of sleep every single night. And I never had a drop of alcohol. I didnt go to a single party during that era. No matter how I arranged the workouts, the results were always the samea ton of effort and dedication, but for no muscle growth. How I persisted with this for so long, without grasping that the whole approach was fundamentally awed, I dont know. The vital qualiers to explain why those routines worked for the champions werent explained. Those men had terric genetics for bodybuilding right from the start, but I was genetically normal for bodybuilding, other than having an obsessive drive to train hard and apply myself to the components of recuperation with great dedicationand I was doing it all naturally. Paradoxically, during that long period of frustration and disappointment, I had brief spells when Id temporarily doubt the validity of the four or more workouts per week, and return to the sort of programme that I rst started with. And Id make progress once again. But because my exercise technique was still dodgy, my progress was hampered by the usual aches and pains. But the progress I made only got me thinking that I was ready for more advanced training methods, and thus Id return to yet another interpretation of the higher volume and higher frequency

approach to bodybuilding that the big-name bodybuilders were using, but always with the same outcomeno muscle growth. During this era, Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer were in their pomp promoting high-intensity training. While Id always trained hard, the urging of Jones and Mentzer had me training even harder. The use of forced reps, negative reps, descending sets, and pre-exhaustion enabled me to annihilate myself in the gym from just a small volume of exercise. But that also failed to produce muscle growth. Hard training is essential, of course, but intensely hard training can be counterproductive.

ROBBY ROBINSON

WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE

Looking back to when I was 15, had I adopted the following approach, and stuck with it, I think it would have been close to optimal for genetically normal bodybuilders. In about ve years I would have been able to bench press 300 for reps, squat 400 for reps, and deadlift 500 for reps, with dips, chins, rows and overhead presses being at a comparable level to the big three exercises. These would have been spectacular results for a genetically normal 20-year-old bodybuilder. And with body fat under 12% Id have had good denition, and had I got it under 10% Id have had a physique that would have knocked the socks off almost everyone. Such results are achieveable to you, provided youre not limited by age, and provided youre sufficiently motivated and dedicated. Dont think that the deadlift is for powerlifters only. Done properly, which includes correct exercise technique, its one of the greatest muscle builders because it heavily involves so much muscle. Even some of the greats of modern-day bodybuilding appreciated the value of the conventional deadlift, and incorporated it in their routines. Arnold did, Franco Columbu did, and Robby Robinson did.

Rather than doing routines with eight exercises in them, just six exercises would have been better. The shorter workouts would have enabled me to maintain a higher level of

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focus and effort on the primary exercises. Heres the general format I now wish I had applied when I started out, and stuck to religiously for as long as I wanted to grow

bigger muscles. I always liked SundayWednesday as my workout days, but you could choose another pairing of days. The format has four big exercises each workout,

and just two small exercises. Warm-ups plus three work sets of ve reps for each of the big exercises, and a warm-up plus just two work sets for each of the small exercises, is a good

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general format to apply, although when deadlifting really hard, just warm-ups plus a single work set can be sufficient. Once a year, for several months, I should have shifted the squats to the 20-rep formata fantastic growth strategy when applied properly. SUNDAY 1. Squat or parallel bar deadlift: warm-ups plus 3 sets of 5 reps (or warm-ups plus 1 x 20) 2. Parallel bar dip: warm-ups plus 3 sets of 5 reps 3. Chest-supported row: warm-ups plus 3 sets of 5 reps 4. Dumbbell press, seated with back support: warm-ups plus 3 sets of 5 reps 5. Side bend or rotary torso: warm-up plus 2 sets of 8 reps each side 6. Curl: warm-up plus 2 sets of 6-8 reps WEDNESDAY 1. Squat or leg press: warm-ups plus 3 sets of 5 reps (or warm-ups plus 1 x 20) 2. Calf raise: warm-up plus 2 sets of 15-20 reps 3. Conventional deadlift: warm-ups plus 1-3 sets of 5 reps 4. Bench press: warm-ups plus 3 sets of 5 reps 5. Chin-up or pulldown: warm-ups plus 3 sets of 5 reps 6. Crunch sit-up: warm-up plus 2 sets of 8-12 reps

DAVID HENRY
workout. Just those exercises work most of the muscles in your physique, either directly or indirectly. Become really strong in those exercises, and youll transform your muscle development. What I didnt do but wish I had done, you can start to do now. Then you can get on with reaping terric results. FLEX Personalised, one-to-one training advice is now available from Stuartby phone, email, MSN Messenger, or Yahoo Messenger. For further information, please contact him by email at stuart@hardgainer.com Editors note: The authors newest book is STUART McROBERTS NEW BRAWN SERIES, BOOK 1: How to build up to 50 pounds of muscle the natural way. To order, contact Weider Mail Order on 01423 877 052.

from time to time. And I wouldnt have trained full-bore all of the time. Whenever I felt stale, Id have taken a couple of workouts off, eased back a little on my poundages, and taken a few I should have used correct exercise weeks to gradually return to my previous best technique at all times, as Ive explained at prior to slowly moving into new poundage great length in my book Build Muscle, Lose Fat, territory. Everything I did in the gym and out Look Great. And, of course, I should have of the gym would have been geared to making trained hard and fully satised the nutritional me ever stronger over time. Little by little, the and rest/sleep components of recuperation poundages would have become ever heavier, (which I actually did, however). Then I could and my muscles would have become ever have gradually and consistently built up my bigger. exercise poundages to something really Dont be put off by the brevity of these special by the standards of natural bodyworkouts. Their brevity is key to bodybuilding building. Small weight plateshalf- and success for genetically normal, natural one-pound discswould have been invaluable bodybuildershardgainers. Only in this for making tiny poundage increases. way can you train hard enough to stimulate In this ideal world, I wouldnt have followed growth without exceeding your ability to the exact same routines all the time, but I would recover between workouts. But that brief have followed the same overall format all the hard work must be primarily applied to the time. I would have varied the set-rep schemes key exercisesthe four big exercises in each

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ROBBIE DURAND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEX ARDENTI

In the late 80s and early 90s, two bodybuilders earned their pro cards and became immediate threats for the Mr Olympia title: Dorian Yates and Flex Wheeler. Yates, a six-time Mr Olympia, turned pro at the 1988 British Championships and captured second place at his rst Mr Olympia in 1991. Wheeler turned pro at the NPC USA Championships in 1992. He placed second at his rst Olympia in 1993. Fast-forward to the present, when Mamdouh Big Ramy Elssbiay won the 2012 IFBB Amateur Olympia in Kuwait and followed up this year with his rst IFBB pro show, the New York Pro, defeating seasoned veteran Victor Martinez. The question that everyone was asking was, Can Ramy do what no other bodybuilder has done before and win the Mr. Olympia his rst time competing? Elssbiay has soared to the top of the IFBB in a very short time, but not many people know his origins. FLEX sat down with long-time Weider athlete Dennis James and talked about his new protg, Big Ramy.
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FLEX: When did you rst meet Ramy? DENNIS JAMES: I rst met Ramy at Oxygen Gym, when he was a coach. Ive travelled to Kuwait several times over the years because Im very good friends with the owner of Oxygen Gym, Bader Boodai. In the gyms in Kuwait, there are what are called coachestheyre much like a personal trainer, but theyd spot people and provide any assistance needed in the gym. Each gym has about 15 or 20 coaches who basically patrol the gym and give assistance to the other members working out. Bader is the one who saw the potential in Ramy, and he was the one who contacted me about working with him. Bader has single-handedly done more for the sport of bodybuilding in Kuwait than most other people put together. Bader started sending me pictures of Ramy, and thats when I came to the conclusion that I should help this guy to see how far he can go. The results were nothing short of amazing. Ramy and I started working together at the end of 2011, but he was around 200 pounds and growing at an amazing pace. It was unbelievablehe was growing out of his clothes. He did a few contests, he did the Oxygen Gym Show, he did the Golden Cup and won the overall, but then we decided to do a big showthe Amateur Olympia in Kuwait in November 2012. It was an easy win for him. There was no one that came close to being anywhere near his league. I was competing at the Masters Olympia the same weekend that he was competing at the Amateur Olympia. It was motivating for both of us to know we were both dieting at the same time. His main focus was to get his pro card and get an invite to this years Olympia. Give us a little bit about his background. Basically, all six of his brothers are shermen, and they all came to Kuwait to become full-time shermen. He was helping out his brothers with the business, and on the side he wanted to work at Oxygen Gym. Ramy always loved working out and he had heard that Bader was bringing all the top bodybuilding pros to the Oxygen Gyms in Kuwait, so he was trying to get a job at Oxygen Gym to follow his dreams of

becoming a bodybuilder some day. The club manager at one of the Oxygen Gyms, which Bader rarely went to, gave him a job. Thats how he got into bodybuilding. He told his family that he was going to stop the shing business to get into bodybuilding. That was in 2010. Ramy had been working for Bader for about six months, but theyd never met and then Bader visited the gym and he was impressed with how much size he had for someone that was into bodybuilding only as a hobby. Thats when it all started and Bader started mentoring him. Believe it or not, Ramy has a room upstairs and actually sleeps at Oxygen Gym. The system is very different in Egypt (which is where Ramy is originally from) its not uncommon for people to sleep at their workplaces. A typical day for Ramy is that he wakes up, goes downstairs and does cardio, showers, and then he works the pro shop for about 10 hours a day, trains that night, and then goes to sleep. At the Amateur Olympia, and I admit he wasnt at his besthe turned pro after training for 2 years and qualied for the Mr Olympia the same day. How did you guys communicate about the diet and training plan for the Amateur Olympia? Was it by Skype or just e-mails? I couldnt communicate with him because I didnt speak the language! Bader was the one communicating with him. Id send Bader the e-mails and plan and talk to him, and hed then explain this to Ramy. I was doing his dieting and basically giving Bader everything to pass along because I wasnt there. He was overseeing everything and it was unbelievable how well Ramy responded to the diet and the plan. What adjustments after your rst assessments did you make for the Amateur Olympia? I really didnt have to tweak much. He responds so well to whatever he eats. Ive never seen anything like it. He had all the size he ever needed, he just needed to come in ripped, so I put him on a low-carb diet. Here is the amazing part: where other people would lose muscle on low-carb diets, he would still gain weight and or maintain it. He was

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on 75 grams of carbs for a while and almost lost nothing. Its very hard for him to lose weight. Two cardio sessions a day, two training sessions a day and hes about 320 pounds and loses, like, one pound a month. His conditioning just keeps improving, too. People would come up to me at the New York Pro and say, What did you do to get him so big and round? I would say, His body is just different. I cant even explain it, its honestly incredible. This is probably one out of a billion people who can grow the way he can grow. I really think Ramy is like one of those myostatin-decient kids, where no matter what you do, because of his genetics, he just keeps gaining. Ive never worked with such a genetically gifted person. Look at the gains he made between the Amateur Olympia and the New York Pro it was only six months and he kept gaining muscle. Most bodybuilders, when they do a show and they have to compete again in six months, take some time off to recover and try to maintain or put on a little size between shows. But Ramy recuperated from the Amateur Olympia faster than any bodybuilder Ive ever worked with. I can only imagine what hes going to look like in a year or two once he has more muscle maturity. Ramy is going to shock the world, mark my words on this! What are some of the adjustments that you made for the New York Pro? When he arrived here, he was still 300-plus pounds at six days out from the show, but I knew he needed to come down. He looked good standing by himself, but conditionwise he needed to be harder. Training for a little less than three years you cant expect

him to have the same muscle development as these guys who have been training for 10, 15, 20 years. His muscles are still young and fresh because hes only 28. I knew that we had to bring him down and dry him out. I had him on zero carbs four days before he left Kuwait. With most bodybuilders, ying long distances can result in their holding water, so I didnt want him to get off the plane holding 10 pounds of water. During the four days before he left Kuwait, he had nothing but protein and water. By four days out from the New York Pro, he was 298 and coming down but still on zero carbs. So he was on zero carbs for 11 days before the show, and he lost

very little weight. Three days before the New York Pro he was 296, and we started carb loading. There was a major difference between other guys carb loading and his carb loading for him. We gave him only 350 grams of carbs. Most bodybuilders will carb load with 1,000 to 1,500 grams of carbs, but with Ramy, his body is so anabolic that he wouldve blown back up to 320 pounds, so I really cut back on the amount of carbs during the carb-loading process. I had to go with very low carbs, but he was still functioning well. Most guys, you put them on low carbs and they get fatigued and they dont function well, but Ramy was still smiling, which goes to show

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that his body is very resistant to losing muscle mass when he diets. How far can he go? The good thing about Ramy is he doesnt have to worry about gaining any more muscle in his life, ever. He has all the size he needs to be Mr Olympia, he just needs to refine his definition. Youll never see me have him do squats ever again, maybe some hack squats for separation. If his quads get any bigger, it will throw his balance off. All the IFBB pro judges have told me that he has all the size hell ever need, he just needs to be in better condition. How many pros out there can say that they dont need to put on any more size? The thing about Ramy is that pictures do not do him justice until you stand next to him. Look at the New York Pro, when he stood next to seasoned veteran Victor Martinez and the rest of the line-uphe dwarfed them all! Hes in the perfect spot right now, just worrying about conditioning, not putting on size. Let the other guys chase him; he isnt chasing anyone in size. I want to know, how many guys getting ready for the Olympia this year had Ramy on their minds? He wasnt thinking about anyone but himself! This has never happened before, a guy whod never been on the Olympia stage and everyone was worried about him. He hasnt reached his true potential in terms of muscle maturity; he, like Phil Heath, has improved yearly, and can you imagine what Ramy will look like in ve years? FLEX

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HARDGAINERS ULTIMATE GROWTH ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM

ISO-TENSION
How exing between sets can enhance muscle growth
Some of these Weider Principles are complicated, and some are easy. Iso-tension falls into the latter category. Its basically a fancy term for exing. Its how and when you do it that turns these weight-free contractions into a method for both focusing and intensifying your workouts. You may have thought exing was something only champion bodybuilders did regularly, especially in a public place like a gym. But were going to tell you why everyone should include iso-tension in their training to easily increase their gains.

THE WEIDER PRINCIPLES

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GREG MERRITT

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PAVEL YTHJALL

ISO-TENSION ROUTINE
n Our H.U.G.E. iso-tension routine includes four ab exercises and four ab iso-tension contractions. Do this routine as a giant set, immediately following each iso-tension contraction with the next exercise. Do two giant set rotations at rst, but work your way up to four in the following weeks. Together, the iso-tension contractions hit all four abdominal areas: lower, upper, sides, and inner. Heres how to perform them. n Lower Abs Lie on a bench with your thighs straight up and knees bent. Then raise your butt while tensing your lower abs. Hold this position. n Upper Abs After each set of crunches, pull your shoulders off the bench and tense your upper abs for up to 10 seconds. This is essentially a static hold of the crunch contraction position. n Side Abs After doing one segment (left or right) of side bends, maximally contract the side not holding the dumbbell (the working oblique) for up to 10 seconds. n Inner Abs Pull in your waist as far as possible and hold this position for up to one minute.

H.U.G.E.

H.U.G.E. ISO-TENSION ABS ROUTINE

EXERCISE Hanging Knee Raise Lower Abs Iso-tension Crunch Upper Abs Iso-tension Dumbbell Side Bend Side Abs Iso-tension SETS 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 REPS 1015 610 sec. 1015 610 sec. 1015 (per side) 610 sec. (per side) 1015 1560 sec.

THE WEIDER ISO-TENSION PRINCIPLE

n This tenet requires that you fully contract the targeted muscle(s) between sets and hold that contraction for 610 seconds. For example, if youre doing pushdowns, immediately after each set lock your elbows straight and maximally ex your triceps. That example is easy to picture because youre essentially duplicating the contraction of a pushdown, but do this same tensing regardless of the triceps exercise. Whether youre doing one-arm dumbbell extensions, close-grip bench presses, or machine dips, straighten your arms and ex your triceps as hard as possible just after each set. Here are a few iso-tension tips. First, this isnt a good technique to do with compound lifts that involve many areas. For example, deadlifts

Rope Crunch Inner Abs Iso-tension

work too many muscles (spinal erectors, trapezius, glutes, quads, lats, etc.) to focus on just one. On the other hand, if the compound exercise has one primary muscle, applying iso-tension there can better direct the stress of your sets. As an example, exing your chest between sets of bench presses can help you target your pecs (primary muscle) and use less of your delts and triceps (secondary muscles). When doing iso-tension with sets of arm or leg exercises, you may nd you can ex harder and focus better by tensing just one limb at a time. Finally, stretch the targeted muscle(s), too. Follow holds in the fully contracted position with holds in the fully stretched position for the same lengths of time.

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THE WEIDER ISO-TENSION PRINCIPLE

ADVANTAGES
Here are the pluses of iso-tension
MIND-TO-MUSCLE CONNECTION Flexing the targeted muscle(s) between sets lets you know the feeling you want to duplicate during the set. With practice, this will strengthen your focus so you can better work that area. SET CONTINUATION Doing iso-tension immediately after a set keeps the tension on the targeted area. Effectively, its a means of continuing the set without a training partner or even a weight, and it therefore lets you easily and safely push a set beyond failure.

DISADVANTAGES

There are two potential pitfalls of iso-tension. Heres how to avoid them.
REDUCED REST TIME Keeping the tension on your muscle(s) after the set is going to eat into your rest time. Therefore, count the iso-tension time as workout time, not rest time. If you normally rest 90 seconds between sets, maintain that minute and a half but start it after the iso-tension and end it when your next set begins. MISPLACED FOCUS Iso-tension can be difficult to apply to specific areas of muscles. For example, if you do it after sets of incline presses, youll likely flex your entire chest and not just your upper pecs. To some degree, this cant be avoided, but strive to contract primarily the targeted area. With practice, youll strengthen your mind-to-muscle connection to that area.

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FRESH TAKE

Although iso-tension prescribes that you ex between sets, its a training tool you should use outside the gym as well. Competitive bodybuilders know that posing practice is itself a workout. You, too, can benet from striking mandatory poses, such as the rear-lat spread and the front double biceps. Doing so will teach you to better control your muscles during sets. Similarly, you can enhance your mind-to-muscle connection by iso-tensing your muscles throughout the day. One of the best body parts for this is abs. Even while seated at a desk or driving a car, you can crunch your chest down and tense your midsection to work your rectus abdominis. You can also pull in your waist as far as possible to hit your frequently neglected transversus abdominis (inner abs). Hold either position for as long as possible up to one minute, and do three to ve iso-tension holds per session. FLEX

BY STUART McROBERT PHOTOS BY CHRIS LUND

BODYBUILDING AND TYPE 1 DIABETES

Q&As

QI

I have type 1 diabetes, and inject myself with insulin several times a day. It seems to have made me a super hardgainer. I know that building a physique of the standard of the pros is way out of the question for me, but can I still build muscle?

Yes, but you must be especially savvy about proper training and recovery for hardgainers, and expertly knowledgeable about diabetes and its effect on your energy levels and recovery ability. It will be even trickier to nd the volume and frequency of training that works for you than it is for non-diabetic hardgainers. Although your expressed concern is with the effect of diabetes on your bodybuilding, a much bigger concern is the effect of diabetes on your health. Diabetes is a very serious condition, with grave consequences if its not properly managed. But assuming that your diabetes is properly managed, then bodybuilding training should be helpful for your health provided its done in a way thats appropriate for you and your recovery ability. If its not done in such a way, the bodybuilding will cause additional problems. Im not diabetic but Anth Bailes, the 2012 British champion, is. I also know someone

AI

BODYBUILDING TRAINING SHOULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOUR HEALTH PROVIDED ITS DONE IN A WAY THATS APPROPRIATE FOR YOU AND YOUR RECOVERY ABILITY
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who has had type 1 diabetes for over 40 years, and has been a bodybuilder for most of those years. Hes an expert on diabetes and bodybuilding for hardgainers. His comments regarding how type 1 diabetes affects bodybuilding are below. Please read this advice and then discuss with your doctor the best way for you to proceed. The short-term limitations of muscle growth in a type 1 diabetic are represented by blood sugar uctuations and the relative amount of insulin in circulation. Provided that the main things are in balancefood, exercise, insulinsomeone with diabetes stands a good chance of recovering in a fashion similar to a non-diabetic. Unfortunately, that foodexercise-insulin balance can be upset by many factors, including exposure to sunlight, emotional stress, and infection. Its a very complex balancing act, and maintaining good blood sugar levels is very tough indeed. If blood sugar is low, it means circulating insulin levels are high. Insulin is a storage hormone. Instead of storing protein as muscle during these times of low blood sugar, though, its busy trying to get sugar out of storage depots in the muscle and liver (in the form of glycogen) and into all the cells of the body. If blood sugar is too high, it means theres not enough insulin to do storing of any kind. And in both cases, Id expect recovery to be minimal, because both are emergency situations: survival trumps recovery. In practice it takes longer for a type 1 diabetic to recover from training, if only because a portion of every day and week is spent trying just to get blood sugars back to normal. (Of course, some people dont even try, and for them Id guess muscle growth and recovery would be minimal, if at all.) I cant speak specically about joint problems. Ive been dealing for years with arthritis, and Ive got a hemi-replacement of my shoulder joint in my near future. My other shoulder had adhesive capsulitis back in 2001

or so. Ive also been dealing with joint problems in my ngers since 1995. That problem has a denite link to diabetes, since the majority of people it affects are diabetics. Based solely on that, I dont think its out of the question that other joint problems afflict diabetics more than others, but I dont know that as a fact. Along with correct exercise technique, I recommend low volume/high intensity training, because it yields much less wear and tear than higher volume and higher frequency methods. And slowing down the pace of repetitions will go a long way in lowering destructive forces on the joints, not only because of the smoothness of motion but also because of the lower resistance necessary for slower lifting.

EFFECTIVE SQUATTING
The gym where I train has two power racks. Ive seen some guys take the barbell from saddles located on the outside of the rack uprights, and then squat outside of the rack. Doesnt that defeat the purpose of the power rack as a safety device? Yes, as demonstrated over the page by Hidetada Yamigishi. But the power rack can be used purely as a bar holder and you can still squat safely provided you have two alert, competent spotters, one at each end of the bar. But such spotters arent always availableif ever available in some gyms. A power rack is designed to be selfspotting, when used properly, so that you can squat your heart out without any fear that you could get trapped under the bar. But you must have the safety bars/pins positioned securely just a little below where the barbell is when youre at your bottom position. And you must take the bar off weight saddles positioned inside the racks uprights. Then, if you fail on a rep, you can

QI

AI

MARK DUGDALE

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93

HIDETADA YAMAGISHI

lower the bar under control and set it on the safety bars, get out from under the bar, rest a while, unload the bar, reposition it on the weight saddles, load it again, and perform your next set.

Never squat hard without the provision for safety. As a youngster, I squatted hard without such a safety set-upand I often squatted alone. I had a few frightening

experiences when I failed on a rep and had to dump the bar onto the oor. Fortunately, I got away unscathed, but I could have sustained a horrible injury. Do as I teach, not as I did.

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A power rack isnt just for squatting, though. When properly used its also perfect for bench presses, incline presses, overhead presses, and a few other exercises.

ARNOLD-STYLE BENTOVER RAISES

QI

Should I do bentover dumbbell raises while sitting at the end of a bench, Arnold-style, or bent over while standing, in a more orthodox manner?

Should you be doing this exercise at all? Of course, for Arnold, Phil Heath and others of their level, this sort of decision-making has signicance. But unless youre already sufficiently developed overall so that your focus is no longer on building muscle mass, but on rening your plentiful existing muscle mass, this exercise is a distraction from much more important exercises. You have limited training time, training energy and recovery ability, so use those precious resources wisely.

AI

PRESSING PROBLEMS

QI

When I use an ovehead press machine, where each side works independently of the other, or when I use dumbbells, some reps are way harder than others (even early on in a set), and I tend to lean to one side in order to get the resistance up. What am I doing wrong? Youre not lowering the handles or dumbbells in perfect synchrony, so when you get to the bottom position one side is slightly ahead of the other, and you press them up out of kilter, too. Then youre not symmetrical, and youll tend to lean to one side in an effort to compensate. The same problem can occur in the dumbbell bench press and incline press, and in any type of machine pressing motion that has each side work independently of the other. (Not only does this form fault make the reps harder to perform than they should be, but the asymmetry increases the risk of injury.) The solution is simpleuse correct exercise technique. Keep the dumbbells

AI

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97

the time he was presented as a contender for Schwarzeneggers Mr Olympia crown, but that was never to be. He came second in 1974, and it was his attempt to beat Arnold in the 1975 Mr Olympia that was the subject of Pumping Iron, where Schwarzenegger was victorious again. The documentary made Ferrigno famous, and further boosted Schwarzeneggers fame. It was during the 1970s that I got into bodybuilding, and I was fanatically dedicated to the task. Ferrigno left a mark on me because he was one of the big names who was in the muscle magazines during that time. It was Ferrignos extraordinary massivenessheight, and muscle girthsthat made him (starting in 1977) the perfect person to play the Hulk in The Incredible HulkTV series, alongside Bill Bixby. I watched the early episodes of that series purely to see scientist Dr David Banner (Bixbys character) morph into the Hulk, and to marvel at Ferrignos jaw-dropping physique. He was blessed with some of the most amazing genetics ever for bodybuilding. I dont recall anything memorable about Ferrignos training from the magazines at the time. He never had a prole like that of Schwarzenegger or Zane or Mike Mentzer, and as a result his training methods never made a mark on me. Not that they would have helped me if I had tried them, because I didnt have the genetic and other advantages for bodybuilding that he had. FLEX

LOU FERRIGNO
or handles moving in perfect synchrony. Pause at the top for a moment, lower the resistance in tandem, pause at the bottom for a moment (but while staying tight), and then push both sides up at the exact same time and pace. Be symmetrical. He made an impression, but not anywhere near the extent of that made by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Sergio Oliva, Dave Draper, the Mentzer brothers, and a few others. As a competitive bodybuilder, Lou Ferrigno was in his prime during the 1970s, although he made a return to competition in the early 1990s. (The photograph here is of him at the 1994 Mr Olympia.) He won the Mr America and Mr Universe titles in the early 1970s. At

AI

Personalised, one-to-one training advice is now available from Stuartby phone, email, MSN Messenger, or Yahoo Messenger. For further information, please contact him by email at stuart@hardgainer.com To submit a question for answering in this column, please send it to Stuart at the aforementioned email address. Editors note: The authors newest book is STUART McROBERTS NEW BRAWN SERIES, BOOK 1: How to build up to 50 pounds of muscle the natural way. To order, contact Weider Mail Order on 01423 877052.

LOU FERRIGNO

QI
98

Is Lou Ferrigno another famous bodybuilder who made a big impression on you during your youth?

FLEX

The UKBFF British Championships, the highlight of the year, are upon us. With this years competition due to take place in Harrogate on October 19th and 20th, just after this edition came out, we thought wed test your knowledge of the big event. So heres a quiz to nd out how much you know about the contest and its champions since the turn of the century. We have split the questions into four categories easy, moderate, hard and a picture round. There are 10 questions in each round and you get one point for every correct answer so the maximum score is 40. WE ALSO LIST THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE BY JOHN PLUMMER HISTORY SINCE 2000.

EASY
1 Who was last years overall British champion? 2 In which weight class did he compete? 3 Which city hosted last years British Championships? 4 Which city hosted the nals for many years before 2012? 5 Who was last years bodytness champion? 6 Which man, who is now an IFBB pro, won the super-heavyweights in 2012? 7 How many classic height classes were there last year? 8 In which country was 2007 overall champ Flex Lewis born? 9 Who won the open class at the IFBB pro show that accompanied last years British nals?

10 WHO IS THIS MAN PICTURED WINNING LAST YEARS LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE?

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MODERATE
1 Who beat Flex Lewis in the overall posedown in 2006? 2 Who was the rst British classic champion? 3 Which year was the super-heavyweight class introduced? 4 Where was the last qualier for this years British Championships due to be held?

5W  HICH FORMER VOGUE COvER MODEL, PICTURED HERE, FINISHED IN THE TOP SIX IN LAST YEARS BIKINI FITNESS?

6W  HAT MADE RICKY WELLINGS vICTORY IN 2002 ALL THE MORE REMARKABLE?

7 THIS BODYBUILDER wENT ON TO PROMOTE THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX. NAME HIM.
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9 IN 2006 THIS wOMAN BROKE JOANNA THOMAS RECORD FOR BEING THE YOUNGEST FEMALE CHAMPION. WHO IS SHE?

8W  HO IS THIS SHY AND RETIRING COMPETITOR?

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10THIS REMARKABLE wOMAN BECAME A THREE-TIME BRITISH FITNESS CHAMPION IN HER 50s. NAME HER.

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HARD
1 Who was the last middleweight to win the overall title? 2 How many times did Zack Khan nish runner-up? 4 Who nished runner-up to Flex Lewis in the juniors in 2004? 5 Who won a British over-40s title this century to go with the junior one he won last century? 6 Which two women tied for the British tness title in 2002? (Half a point each) 7 Who won the rst mens physique qualier staged in the UK? 8 Who won the rst bikini qualier held in this country?

3W  HICH FORMER JUDGE IS SEEN HERE wINNING THE 2004 MIDDLEwEIGHT TITLE?

9 ONE OF THE bIGGEST MEN EVER TO COMPETE AT THE BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS wHO IS HE? 10 THIS MAN, SEEN HERE FINISHING FIFTH IN THE HEAVYwEIGHTS IN 2004, wENT ON TO wIN AN IFBB PRO SHOw. WHO IS HE?

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NAME THE BODYBUILDER

6 Ricky is blind 7 Simon Fan 8 Robbie Anchant 9 Michelle Jones 10 Irina Cotton

6 Walter OMalley 7 Cavan Darby 8 Clare Taubman 9 Carmen Knights 10 Claire McKee

RATING
0-10 Lightweight, baby 10-20 Train harder 20-30 Muscle brain 30-40 You should be working for FLEX

10

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

BODYFITNESS CHAMPIONS

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

WOMEN

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

MEN

THIS CENTURY

OVERALL BRITISH CHAMPIONS

Anita Hibberd Karen Marillier Tereska Browning Becky Garrigan Wendy McCready Karen Spencer Michelle Jones Venetia Gloux Michelle Jones Xyleese Burford Lisa Cross Rene Campbell Rosie Harte

Gemma Williams Ronnie Blewitt Carmen Knights Claire McKee Shalmieno Paper Louise Rogers Maxine Cook Maxine Cook Renata Sulekaite Nina Ross Mike King Mark Harris Ricky Welling Karl Tierney Paul George Paul Delahaye Troy Brown Flex Lewis James Llewellin Zack Khan Alvin Small Cecil Croasdaile Anth Bailes

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ANSWERS Easy
1 Anth Bailes 2 Heavyweight 3 Manchester 4 Nottingham 5 Nina Ross 6 Darren Ball 7 Two 8 Wales 9 Shawn Rhoden 10 Joel Wright

Hard
1 James Llewellin 2 Four 3 Paul Thomas 4 Darren Gumbs 5 Steve Avery 6 Lynsey Beattie and Nicole Scott (nee Pitcher) 7 Alex Edwards 8 Michelle Brannan 9 Dean McTernan 10 Marius Dohne

Moderate
1 Troy Brown 2 Sean Ferguson 3 2009 4 Leamington Spa 5 Emma Blocksage (also known as Emma B)

Picture round:
1 Barney DuPlessis 2 Paul George 3 Shaun Joseph-Tavernier 4 Zack Khan 5 Ian Morgan

INTENS
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THE AGE OF

ITY

DORIAN YATES DOMINATED BODYBUILDING IN THE 1990s. THESE ARE THE TRAINING PHILOSOPHIES AND SPECIFICS THAT SET HIM APART AND PROPELLED HIS RULE.

BY JULIAN SCHMIDT // PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS LUND AND KEVIN HORTON

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Let a man in a garret but burn with enough intensity, and he will set re to the world, wrote French journalist and pilot Antoine de SaintExupry in 23 B.D. (Before Dorian), perhaps heralding the coming of a certain bodybuilder who would render his sport forever changed. Dorian Yates would prove to be a bringer of re, leading man into a new epoch of mental and physical might.
Before Dorian, bodybuilding was a prisoner of its physical brickwork: you performed a prescribed number of sets, reps, and exercises, or you were sent home from the gym. Yates turned that concept on its head, liberating workouts from their nite arithmetic and placing them in the innite dimension of mans imagination and will. So revolutionary was Yates training that its still regarded with scepticism by many of todays bodybuilders. He was, and still is, a mythic creature who keeps us all in awethe singular icon of the eponymous 90s, known as the Dorian decade, whose six Mr Olympia titles pale in the shadow of his candescent intensity. In his effort to articulate his eerie faculties, all he could say was, Dont try what I do until youve had several years of training experience. Even then, dont copy what I do you have to nd what works best for you. What Yates was trying to tell us was that he trained more to develop intensity than to develop muscle. The former is preeminent both necessary and sufficient for the latter. But, more importantly, intensity is a function of mental strength in the form of concentration, willpower, and comprehension of the manifold factors that affect muscle growth. To describe Yates brand of intensity as mind-muscle connection is like trying to describe Anton Bruckners Symphony No. 8 as notes. Yates was able to push himself further than any bodybuilder in history to explore the nature and limits of his intensity, and in so doing, he alone fully

MACHINE PRESS

Yates liked the Hammer Strength line of machines because it allowed him to get the effect of free weights while reducing the risk of injury.

grasped one of the most basic laws of the natural order: how to produce the maximum effect from the minimum cause. Through every rep, his analytical mind was at work, comparing stresses and discarding those that fell short of optimum muscle production, the entire quest leading him to the metaphysics of training.

Distinguishing Yates approach was the attitude not of a chest-beating troglodyte, but of a bookish nerd, whose theoretical knowledge is so thorough that his practical application yields immediate success. I never adopted a hit-and-miss policy, hes fond of saying. Before he took his rst workout, he sourced every available piece of literature he

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could nd on bodybuilding and physiology. Then, by testing in his gym lab the theories of strength and muscle growth, he concocted two principles that revolutionised bodybuilding and gave us what is known as Dorians Heavy-Duty System: (1) maximum muscular response is obtained through the shock of brief, high-intensity training; and (2) muscular growth occurs only after recuperation. Yates credits the late Mike Mentzers radical interpretation of this reasoning as inspiration, but Yates is a vanguard in his own right, having proved that no training system is universally applicable, but, instead, should be modied to ones personal characteristics. Mentzer argued that as long as you execute a full range of motion, he explains, you can reduce workouts to one set per body part; but I believe a variety of exercises is needed to stress different aspects of a particular muscle. For example, if I didnt do hack squats and relied only on leg presses, leg extensions, and Smith machine squats, Id lose the sweep to my outer thigh; and if all I did for back was chins, Id maintain good upper lats but lack density in my middle and lower back. I believe you can make great gains with one set per exercise, but you need to do a variety of exercises per body part to ensure total development.

Even so, Yates barely deviated from the single-set principle. The major exercise for each body part would get just one, or, at the most, two warm-up sets before his single maximum set. The only exception was for chest, where he would precede his nal set with three warm-up sets (prudent, considering the amount of weight hed press and the vulnerability of the joints in that area). Many following exercises got no warm-up sets (Im already warmed up from that rst exercise, hed say). Instead, he dived head rst into what he calls his nal, all-out set, which was the crux of his Heavy-Duty System. That set remains indescribable for the rest of us. It resides only in Yates comprehension of intensity. Only he has been able, by exceptional force of will, to push his body far enough beyond absolute fatigue to give the terms nal and all-out any meaning. His attempt to describe the experience is sincere but also typical of his understatement: It must be stressed that the one nal, all-out set I do takes me to the very limit of my capabilities. For example, for chest, one of my preferred movements is the incline barbell press. After two or three warm-up sets of six to 12 reps each, I load up the bar and grind out six reps to failure. Without stopping, my training partner then helps me keep it going

with two or three forced reps, again to failure; but the set is still not nished. Hell then assist me with another three or four rest/ pause or negative reps, until the bar absolutely will not move. One set at that extreme intensity does the muscle-building job. For anyone trying this system, if you feel you can attempt a second set, then you couldnt have been pulling out all the stops during the rst set. It might be thought that a reduction to a workload of one set per exercise is a radical change, but it wasnt for me, because Ive never been a believer in volume work. The insurmountable question Ive always had about doing even as few as three sets per exercise is: how can you avoid pacing yourself? Youre bound to hold back on sets one and two to make sure theres enough left in the tank for set three. Once I learned how to do one nal, all-out set, I wondered how I managed to avoid the pacing dilemma when I was doing two sets per movement. Yates illustrates the pacing problem by comparing a sprinter and a marathon runner. How long can you maintain an all-out sprint before youre forced to jog? The answer: not very long. If you do three sets, it is physiologically impossible to sprint all-out each set. Even if you were able to maintain 100% effort throughout three sets, the effect would be detrimentalyour body would be so depleted that youd be spending more time recovering from your workouts than growing.

SHRUG

Yates may have eschewed volume, but he didnt hesitate to use heavy weights. Sets of bar-bending shrugs were the norm in his shoulder workouts.

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Intensity, alas, is only one half of Dorians Heavy-Duty whole. The other half is recuperation. And the two are true moieties: insufficient recuperation impedes intensity, and insufficient intensity impedes growth. Rest periods between sets are as long as I feel is required, he unabashedly admits. Many bodybuilders think training is 50% aerobic and 50% anaerobic. That is a mistake. They dont rest enough between sets; their bodies are not able to regenerate enough energy to exhaust that muscle to absolute fatigue, which is the point at which optimal muscle growth begins. I perform a set with 100% energy to 100% failurethen beyond, to 100% fatigueand I wont do another set until I feel that the muscles have recuperated 100%. When I take leg presses to total fatigue, I know from experience that its likely to be at least ve or six minutes before Ill be able to even think about what my name or address is, let alone do another set. Yates Occams razor approach to training did not result in an overnight conversion. For an entire decade, he experimented at gradually shaving away inefficiencies and honing a sharper edge to his intensity. From 1983 until 1986, he used a split routine. At rst, he trained four times a week, averaging three heavy sets of eight reps per exercise, but he fell into bed at night tired and stressed. I was obviously doing too much, he confesses. Revising his schedule to every other day also proved too ambitious, so he changed it again, settling on three days a week, so that over a 14-day period, he worked each half of his body three times. Again, he fell short of peak recovery, so he trained every other day, using three exercises of two max sets each per body part. Time and again, he experimented with various volume reductions and discovered that, with each reduction, he improved in both strength and muscularity. The intensity/volume equation was clarifying itself as a constant: the more intensely he trained, the stronger he grew, and the less volume was required. Not until 1992 did Yates feel that his

DORIAN YATES HEAVY-DUTY ROUTINE

DELTS

DAY 1
EXERCISE SETS
1* 1* 1 1* 1

TRICEPS
EXERCISE
CABLE PRESSDOWN

SETS
1* 1* 1 1* 1

REPS
12 10 68 10 68 68

REPS
12 10 68 10 68 810 LYING EZ-BAR EXTENSION

SEATED DUMBBELL PRESS

DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE

ONE-ARM MACHINE EXTENSION 1

ONE-ARM CABLE LATERAL RAISE 1

ABS

EXERCISE

SETS
1 1 1

REPS
20 20 10

TRAPS
EXERCISE
DUMBBELL SHRUG

ROMAN-CHAIR SIT-UP

SETS
1* 1

REPS
12 810

CRUNCH REVERSE CRUNCH

*Denotes warm-up sets performed at 5070% capacity.

DUMBBELL CURL
Yates arms were as thick as some mens thighs. Strict form and sets that pushed past the point of failure were his secret.

ONE SET AT EXTREME INTENSITY DOES THE MUSCLE-BUILDING JOB.

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process had reached the sweet spot of simplicity, where he could apply the one all-out set principle in its quintessence to a consistent, seven-day regime. Shoulders and triceps came rst, on Day 1, affording him full power the next day for back. While he wasnt overtrained from that two-day series, he needed a days rest before returning for an all-out attack on chest and biceps. To call Yates leg session (his fourth training day) a body-part workout fails to accord it the awe it deserves: it was a life-sucking, esh-frying torture that required him to insert a rest day both before and after. That, however, was as complicated as it got. This nal iteration of his programme had a body-part workout comprising only two to four exercises, with one all-out set per exercise. No workout lasted more than an hour, and most were only 45 minutes. From then on, Yates was off into a future that was his alone, creating a margin between him and the also-rans that expanded like the Hubble constant. Though in his later years he took the stage with a body that brandished battle ribbons of freshly severed muscles and sundered tendonsthe price of his never-say-die gym attackno one could ever hope to close the gap on Dorian Yates armour-layered muscularity. FLEX

CABLE LATERAL RAISE

Shoulders and triceps were trained together in Yates rst workout of the week.

BACK

DAY 2
EXERCISE SETS
1* 1* 1

REPS
12 10 68 12 10 68 10 68 6-8 68 68 68 68 8 68

HAMMER PULLDOWN (REVERSE GRIP)

OR

MACHINE PULLOVER 1* (ALTERNATE EACH WORKOUT) 1* 1 BARBELL ROW ONE-ARM HAMMER ROW SEATED CABLE ROW (OVERHAND GRIP) REAR-DELT HAMMER STRENGTH FLYE BENTOVER LATERAL RAISE BACK EXTENSION DEADLIFT 1* 1 1 1 1 1 1 1* 1

* Denotes warm-up sets performed at 5070% capacity.

DAY 3: REST
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I PERFORM A SET WITH 100% ENERGY TO 100% FAILURE THEN BEYOND TO 100% FATIGUE.

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CHEST
EXERCISE
INCLINE BARBELL PRESS

DAY 4
SETS
1* 1* 1* 1 1* 1 1* 1 1

REPS
12 10 68 6 10 68 10 8 810

MACHINE SEATED PRESS INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYE CABLE CROSSOVER

BICEPS
EXERCISE
INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL STANDING EZ-BAR CURL PREACHER MACHINE CURL

SETS
1* 1 1* 1 1

REPS
10 68 10 68 68

ABS

EXERCISE

SETS
1 2 2

REPS
20 20 20

ROMAN-CHAIR SIT-UP CRUNCH REVERSE CRUNCH

*Denotes warm-up sets performed at 5070% capacity.

LEGS

DAY 5: REST DAY 6

EXERCISE SETS
1* 1* 1 1* 1* 1 1* 1 1* 1 1 1

REPS
15 12 1012 12 12 1012 12 810 810 810 10 810

LEG EXTENSION

LEG PRESS

HACK SQUAT LYING LEG CURL STIFF-LEG DEADLIFT SINGLE-LEG CURL

CALVES
EXERCISE
STANDING CALF RAISE SEATED CALF RAISE

SETS
1* 1 1

REPS
1012 1012 1012

*Denotes warm-up sets performed at 5070% capacity.

DAY 7: REST
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MACHINE SHRUG

Machines are perfect for Yates brand of all-out training, allowing you to push to failure with less risk of tweaking a muscle or joint.

TRAINING TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT WORKOUT

OPTIMAL CAFFEINE DOSING

Caffeine has been found to increase alertness via several biochemical pathways, primarily by directly inhibiting phosphodiesterases and increasing cyclic AMP. In addition, caffeine inhibits adenosine receptors and stimulates adrenaline release. Adenosine is primarily an inhibitory chemical; caffeine blocks the actions of adenosine. A recent study on catsrenowned sleeperspinpointed one arousal network and conrmed that adenosine is a natural sleep inducer. The scientists found that natural concentrations of adenosine built up in parts of the brain system during the cats waking periods and caused them to fall sleep. Caffeine works by binding to these adenosine receptors, thereby keeping adenosine from binding with its receptor. Adenosine also inhibits the release of most brain excitatory neurotransmitters particularly dopamineand may reduce dopamine synthesis. Decreases in dopamine have been linked to fatigue during exercise. Caffeine increases performance in the gymbut whats the optimal dosage? Scientists had volunteers do exercises against four incremental loads (25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% 1RM) and participate in a test in which cycling peak-power output was measured using a four-second inertial-load test in a randomised, double-blind, crossover experiment. Subjects ingested either a placebo or caffeine at dosages of 3 mg/kg body weight, 6mg/kg body weight, or 9 mg/kg body weight (for the record, 9 mg/per kg of body weight is the equivalent of ve to six regular-size cups of drip-percolated coffee, or about 693 mg of caffeine). The good news is that caffeine produced ergogenic effects at all dosages. All the subjects perceptions of performance and vigour increased ve to seven times above placebo during the 3 mg and 6 mg caffeine trials (38% and 54%, respectively). Those in the 9 mg/kg body-weight trial had the highest increase in perception of performance and vigour or activeness (62% and 54%). The bad news is that the highest dose of caffeine (9 mg/kg of body weight) was associated with many side effects, including increased heart rate, gastrointestinal distress, inability to sleep, and anxiety. Also, remember that higher doses of caffeine can cause increased levels of cortisol, so 36 mg/kg of body weight seems to be the reasonable amount. So, take small doses of caffeine, around the 200 mg mark, and nd a dosage you can tolerate without having the unwanted side effects.

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BURN, BABY, BURN!

Few of us are able to spend all day just training, due to the responsibilities of travel, work, and family. Heres the good news: new research suggests that you can burn more calories in the gym with shorter, more intense workouts versus longer workouts. Dorian Yates once said, The most common misconception that people have is that I spend all day in the gym. I normally spend 45 minutes to an hour working out. Researchers took trained men and had them perform a traditional workout doing four sets of eight different exercises (bench press, leg press, leg curl, seated row, military press, biceps curl, triceps extension, and sit-up). A second group performed high-intensity training, using heavier weights and lower reps. The high-intensity workout was much shorter. The traditional workout took 52 minutes to complete, whereas the high-intensity workout took 22 minutes. They measured the mens metabolic rate on two separate occasions, once before the workout and then again 22 hours after it was nished. At the end of the study, training volume was much higher for the traditional resistancetraining group (17,273 pounds vs. 8,536 pounds). When metabolic rate was measured 22 hours after traditional training, resting energy expenditure was about 100 calories higher than normal, whereas resting metabolism rose by more than 450 calories in the high-intensity training group. Furthermore, high-intensity training increased the rate at which fat was being oxidised to a greater extent than traditional training. The greater post-exercise muscle damage that occurred during high-intensity training resulted in greater energy expenditure for muscle tissue repair and protein synthesis that could contribute to greater metabolic energy expenditure after training.

ARE STIFF-LEG DEADLIFTS BEST FOR HAMSTRINGS?

Most bodybuilders include stiff-leg deadlifts in their hamstrings routine but wouldnt consider deadlifts a hamstring exercise. Researchers examined hamstring and lower-back activation from both versions. The researchers discovered that deadlifts activated the quadriceps more, whereas the stiff-leg deadlifts activated more of the calf muscle (i.e., medial gastrocnemius). The really interesting nding was that there was no difference in hamstring activation between deadlifts and stiff-legged deadlifts.
FLEX
KEVIN HORTON; DEHAAN

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SHORTER REST ADDS STRENGTH

If youve ever seen Neil Hill train someone, you know that he slaughters his clients with his Y3T training system, but rest periods are fairly short, typically around 60 seconds. New research suggests that resting less between sets increases strength. The researchers had resistancetrained men perform a 12-week study; the control group performed a traditional resistance-training programme with four sets and 120-second rest periods whereas the other group performed eights sets of ve with 60-second rest periods. Before and after the 12-week programme and at Weeks 4 and 8 the researchers measured body composition, took muscle biopsies, and measured strength and power output. At the end of the 12-week programme, the 60-second rest-period programme produced greater gains in bench press and squat strength. There were equal changes in muscle mass between the two groups. This means you can get in and out of the gym faster with more impressive gains in strength by resting less between sets.

CARDIO CONUNDRUM
There has been much debate on how aerobic exercise can impact on muscle mass. Studies have found that resistance exercise and aerobic exercise elicit different gene responses in muscle. Researchers wanted to explore the effects of different types of exercise on the AMPK and mTORC1 signalling pathways in human skeletal muscle. AMPK increases cellular energy levels by inhibiting anabolic pathways and stimulating catabolic pathways. On the other hand, mTOR stimulates anabolic pathways, including insulin, growth factors (such as IGF-1), and amino acids. The researchers divided the subjects into three groups: a strength-training group, an endurance-training group, and a control group. The endurance-training group performed 10 weeks of stationary cycling composed of three sessions per week with Session 1 involving

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3045 minutes at 6075% of maximum power output. Session 2 involved two intervals of 20 minutes at 7080% of maximum power output with ve minutes of light cycling in between, and Session 3 involved eight four-minute intervals at 8090% of maximum power output. The resistance-training group carried out a conventional progressive overload training programme, comprising three leg exercises performed for 35 sets of 46 reps to failure with two to three minutes rest between sets. The researchers reported that AMPK (i.e., catabolic pathway) increased by 44% in response to endurance training and 10% in response to strength training. The mTOR pathway increased by 91% in the resistancetraining protocol along with several other anabolic pathways. So both aerobic exercise and strength training led to the activation of

the catabolic pathway AMPK, but resistance exercise was the only exercise component that led to the exclusive activation of anabolic pathways. So doing cardio by itself can lead to a greater activation of catabolic pathways, but this study doesnt address the question of whether combining cardio and strength training inhibits muscle growth, which leads to the next study. Researchers had subjects perform two trials, one involving only resistance training and the other involving both resistance and endurance training. At the end of the study, resistance exercise seemed to provide a protective effect, mTOR increased in both trials, and there was no signicant difference between trials. So the good news is that when endurance exercise is performed directly after resistance exercise, the mTOR anabolic pathway is not blunted.

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by GREG MERRITT

Stubbs played basketball for Florida Technical College.

JOEL STUBBS
Who would imagine that an unknown bodybuilder who nished in double digits in his pro debut could make the cover of FLEX? Thats what happened when Joel Stubbs landed on our cover after placing 12th in the 2005 Europa Super Show. Seeing Stubbs unfurl his rear-lat spread at that show became one of those rare moments when even a jaded reporter like yours truly went slack-jawed. An impromptu photo shoot at Metroex Gym was hastily organised for the next day. And a few months later, Stubbs rear view appeared on our cover with the provocative question: Best Back Ever? Standing 6'3" and weighing more than 300
KEVIN HORTON

How a Bahamian airline pilot built the worlds widest wings

pounds in the off-season, the then-37-year-old Stubbs was a full-time pilot for Bahamasair. Stubbs had torn the tendons in both knees playing basketball, so his long legs dramatically trailed his upper half and grounded his contest placings. In his 16 open pro shows between 2005 and 2010, he made only two posedowns. We answered our own question when FLEX ranked the best backs of all-time and placed Ronnie Coleman No. 1 and Dorian Yates second, ahead of Stubbs (third). The two winners of a combined 14 Sandows had thicker backs than Stubbs. Still, neither legend had a wider rear-lat spread than the ag-like pose Joel Stubbs unfurled in 2005. Nobody ever has. FLEX

STUBBS BACK ROUTINE

HEAVY DAY EXERCISE Pull-up (overhand) Pull-up (parallel) Pull-up (underhand) Deadlift Barbell Row One-arm Dumbbell Row Back Extension LIGHT DAY EXERCISE Pull-up (overhand) SETS 2 2 2 45 45 4 4 4 REPS 10 10 10 1215 15 15 15 15 SETS 2 2 2 56 4 4 4 REPS 10 10 10 156 1012 1012 15

n In the off-season, Stubbs alternated between a heavy workout one week and a light workout the next week. For the nal month before a contest, he did both weekly.

STUBBS ON BACK TRAINING

I like doing chins rst and with different grips, because this really warms up the various back muscles and stretches them out. On barbell rows, Ill usually do some sets underhand and some overhand. I get a little better squeeze underhand and a little better stretch overhand. I go up to 300 pounds on seated cable rows. I try to get a maximum stretch during each rep to really pull out the lower lat area. The back is a complex muscle group, so I concentrate on details and on how the muscles tie together.

Pull-up (parallel) Pull-up (underhand) T-bar Row Seated Cable Row Pulldown (overhand) Pulldown (underhand) Back Extension

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FOOD & SUPPS FOR GROWTH & GAINS

FEEDING THE BEAST

Many readers of FLEX may nd this hard to believe, but some of the top-ranked bodybuilders in the world have a hard time eating. Eating six to eight meals a day can be tough if you dont have the appetite. Some top trainers recommend cardio to stimulate the appetite. Researchers wanted to investigate whether carbohydrate or fat oxidation during exercise had an effect on compensatory post-exercise eating. The researchers tested the subjects in two conditions: an exercise condition and a non-exercise control condition following an overnight fast. The exercise condition involved a cycling session at around 70% of maximum heart rate, designed to expend 400 calories and the non-exercise condition involved a time-matched period of rest. There was a variable response to eating after cardio with some of the subjects not feeling hungry while others increased their post-exercise calorie consumption. When the researchers examined what made the subjects eat after exercise, it was the amount of burned carbs that stimulated appetite.. The researchers reported that carbohydrate oxidation during the exercise phase was positively associated with energy intake post-exercise. For bodybuilders looking to increase their appetite, it seems that cardio exercise at a moderate to high intensity (70% or greater) leads to an increase in postexercise feeding.

ITS NOT JUST WHAT YOU EAT, BUT WHEN YOU EAT IT
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n According to a new study, when researchers disrupted the normal eating patterns of mice, they became fat without eating additional calories. Mice normally sleep during the day and feed at night, but researchers disrupted the master gene clock for sleep and caused the reversemice ate during the day and slept at night. Basically,

they disrupted the brain to favour food consumption at an inappropriate time of intake. Interestingly, the mice became obese without increased calorie intake. When the researchers examined blood markers of fatty acids, levels of EPA and DHA were low in both the plasma and in the hypothalamus at the time of inappropriate feeding. So

how do you x a broken fat clock? The researchers found that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were able to restore the hypothalamus to normal feeding patterns. The key nding is that EPA and DHA (commonly found in sh oil) can lead to long-term weight regulation and fat loss.

CHRIS LUND

ANOTHER CREATINE BENEFIT

PACK ON THE SIZE HOW A

CREATINE/ WHEY COMBO CAN HELP

n For bodybuilders who want to pack on size, two supplements have been clinically proven to increase muscle mass and strength: whey protein and creatine. In a 10-week, single-blind, randomised study, 17 resistance-trained males were matched for strength and placed in one of two groups: (1) a group that consumed a supplement containing protein, creatine, and glucose immediately before and after a workout or (2) a group that consumed the same supplement in the morning before breakfast and late evening each training day. Findings indicate that after 10 weeks of training, supplementation before and after each workout resulted in signicantly greater improvements in strength and lean body mass with a decrease in body fat percentage compared with those who took a supplement in the morning and late evening. The authors concluded that a whey protein/ creatine/carbohydrate supplement may enhance the desired changes from strength training, when taken immediately before and after a workout session.

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Creatine supplements are popular among bodybuilders and competitive athletes. Creatine increases lean muscle mass by boosting intracellular water content, and studies have shown that creatine boosts the activity of satellite cells, which increases the potential for growth of muscle bres and also aids in muscle recuperation. Recent research shows that creatine supplementation can also have a benecial effect on cognitive performance. This is probably because creatine monohydrate supplementation results in signicant increases in creatine concentrations in the brain. Subjects were divided into a creatine group and a

placebo group. They took 5 grams of creatine monohydrate or a placebo four times a day for seven days, immediately prior to the experiment. The subjects were sleep-deprived for six, 12, and 24 hours with intermittent exercise. The researchers found that at 24 hours, the group that supplemented with creatine had signicantly better performance in respect to random movement generation, choice reaction time, balance, and mood state. The study indicated that creatine can aid in the mental functions of bodybuilders who may be sleep deprived and that creatine not only aids muscle growth, but it may also overcome brain fatigue.

CITRULLINE TAKEN PREWORKOUT ANABOLIC

As you probably already know, most nitric oxide (NO) boosters use some form of the amino acid citrulline. Citrulline is converted to arginine in the body, which is then converted to NO. Citrulline is not only a powerful NO booster but it also delays fatigue and drives up energy levels. Citrulline also aids in the removal of ammonia from the body. In fact, clinical studies conrm that subjects taking citrulline malate experience less fatigue and have higher energy levels. What many bodybuilders may not realise is that citrulline supplementation may also have an anabolic effect via increasing the rate of muscle protein synthesis. Producing NO is one of the most important mechanisms necessary for increasing blood ow to muscle tissue. A previous study reported that patients who were given a single citrulline supplementation dose had a 24% rise in nitrogen balance. Additionally, recent research in animals has found that inhibiting NO can decrease overall muscle gains and the growth of capillaries within muscle tissue. It can be hypothesised that reduced capillary growth limiting the availability of nutrients to musclesis directly related to decreased muscle development. NO also allows for an increased delivery of anabolic hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1, which are key for packing on more muscle. So be sure to include a citrulline-based pre-workout supplement for optimal gains in strength and muscle mass.

BOOSTS PEAK POWER

n Ubiquinol, an active form of CoQ10, supplements have been touted as an anti-ageing supplement and praised for health benets for those suffering from heart disease, blood pressure, and nervous system challenges. Ubiquinol promotes ATP production in the mitochondria of the cell, and not only helps to support your bodys energy production, but its also considered one of the strongest antioxidants available. Ubiquinol acts to block the actions of free radicals in the cell, which cause damage; removing free radical attacks allows your body to repair and restore health. In a controlled study, 100 young, well-trained athletes received either 300 mg ubiquinol or a placebo. For six weeks all athletes trained for the 2012 Olympics. Daily supplementation of 300 mg ubiquinol signicantly enhanced physical performance, measured as maximum power output, by 2.5% versus the placebo. Bodybuilders should consider adding ubiquinol to their supplement stack for its ability to increase peak power and also to prevent cell damage. FLEX
CHRIS LUND; PAVEL YTHJALL

FLEX TRAINING

BY BRYAN HAYCOCK

STAY ANABOLIC
A while back I came across a study looking at different protein feeding patterns. The researchers had one group drink 10 g of protein every 1.5 hours. Another group drank 20 g every three hours. A third group drank 40 g every six hours. All groups drank the same amount of whey protein (80 g) over the 12-hour study period. In their experiment, the group that drank 20 g every three hours produced the greatest anabolic response. The results didnt surprise me because previous studies have shown 20 g of whey protein to maximally stimulate protein synthesis. What confused me was the seemingly poor response to 40 g of whey. I would have thought 40 g wouldve produced a strong anabolic response with blood amino acid levels not returning to baseline for six hours. Part of my confusion may have been caused by the authors of this study suggesting some sort of desensitisation to high amino acid levels. This was in line with another theory previously put out by some researchers that there is a muscle full effect where despite high levels of amino acids, the cell stops synthesising muscle protein. This did not bode well for folks like me who consume in excess of 300 g of protein per day. Every meal I eat has at least 40 g of protein. Then a group at Rutgers University in New Jersey changed my thinking on the issue of desensitisation. They acknowledged that post-meal muscle protein synthesis (MPS) increased rapidly with peak values around 90 minutes and a decline to pre-meal baseline by 180 minutes. The response of muscle tissue was difficult to explain with rapid initiation of MPS associated

with increased circulating amino acids, however, the decline in MPS at 180 minutes post-meal occurred with plasma leucine levels still elevated and initiation factors still activated. Everything about the cell and its environment was primed for protein synthesis, but by 180 minutes, everything just stops. The Rutgers researchers were able to show that the problem lies in the cells energy status and a process called elongation. Considering that whole body protein turnover accounts for more than one quarter of resting energy expenditure and that assembling amino acids into protein chains (i.e., elongation) accounts for more than 99% of that energy expenditure, its logical that skeletal muscle would shut down protein synthesis to prevent cellular energy depletion. Not only did this study identify the problem, it also showed that there is a solution, literally. A solution of leucine and/or carbohydrates given between meals is able to restore the energy status of muscle cells and prolong protein synthesis far beyond 180 minutes. So in order to stay anabolic between big meals, prepare a mixture of 5 g leucine and 1530 g carbs (e.g., waxy maize) and drink it two hours after your meal. If possible, using BCAAs instead of straight leucine may produce a better effect as BCAAs have been shown to deplete during protein synthesis.

THE NEXT HOT BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENT

Resistance training creates a unique and powerful anabolic signal in muscle tissue. In muscle cells, the ability to perceive and respond to resistance training is called mechanoperception. This process of converting the mechanical forces of lifting a weight into the biochemical signals that lead to hypertrophy is called mechanotransduction. Muscle cells, in turn, are called mechanocytes. This simply means that muscle cells have the ability to sense mechanical load and convert it into biochemical signals that regulate protein synthesis. You may have heard of capsaicin. Its the stuff in chilli peppers that makes them hot. I know what youre thinking; what do chilli peppers have to do with mechano-what-cha-ma-call-it? Nothing, or at least thats what I thought until I found a recent study looking at the effects of capsaicin on anabolic signalling in muscle cells. The authors were able to show that load-induced activation of the capsaicin receptor (TRPV1) in muscle cells caused an increase in intracellular calcium ion concentrations and that this activated mTOR and promoted muscle hypertrophy. Now, all you need to know about mTOR is that its the key signalling pathway responsible for initiating muscle growth. Normally, weight training causes an increase in intracellular calcium ion levels and this contributes to the activation of the mTOR pathway. Before you run out and buy a bunch of cayenne supplements (like I did) be aware that some people cant stomach cayenne. It can cause the sensation of heartburn that can be quite uncomfortable. Other people have no problem with it. Until now, no food supplement has been shown to have the ability to mimic weight training in muscle cells. Creatine, as we all know, can support muscle gains by improving cellular energy status as well as activating muscle satellite cells, but this can hardly be considered mimicking weight training. Essential amino acids, and particularly leucine, can trigger protein synthesis, but it doesnt alter calcium ion levels like weightlifting. Ursolic acid is another recently discovered activator of anabolic pathways in muscle cells. Ursolic acid can increase Akt activity, blood vessel recruitment and autocrine/paracrine IGF-I signalling in muscle cells. This is very impressive yet still slightly different from the mechanism of capsaicin. Finally, even phosphatidic acid which has recently been shown to directly activate mTOR is acting in a different way than capsaicin. The reason Im trying to point out the differences in the mechanisms of each of these nutritional substances is that there may be potential synergism if one were to use each of them strategically together. Creatine, L-leucine, and phosphatidic acid have both been shown independently to improve gains in muscle mass in humans. Ursolic acid, and now capsaicin, have now been shown to increase muscle mass in animals. The plausibility of real anabolic effects in humans is good. FLEX

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FLEX TRAINING

THE 16 PRINCIPLE
Break strength and size barriers with this tried-and-tested method
Id like to take a break from high-rep training and do a strength cycle, but I dont want to lose any muscle mass. Got any favourite workouts? You should try the 16 Principle, a training method thats been popular with elite Romanian and Hungarian weightlifters. I rst heard about it in 1991 from Romanias Dragomir Cioroslan, a bronze medallist in the 1984 Olympic Games who went on to become the head weightlifting coach at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Before getting into this workout, consider that by performing only higher reps, you will not develop the most powerful fast-twitch muscle bres. In a peer-reviewed article published in Sports Medicine in 2004, Andrew C. Fry reviewed studies comparing the muscle bre types of bodybuilders, powerlifters, and Olympic-style weightlifters (those who perform the snatch and the clean and jerk in competition). What Fry found is that weightlifters had the highest percentage of type 2 (high-threshold) bres when compared with the other two groups, and bodybuilders had the highest percentage of type 1 (low-threshold) bres. The bottom line is that these muscle bres can be developed only with heavy weightsmore specically, the heaviest weights you can lift for lower reps. Im not suggesting that you cant build great size by just using higher-rep training protocols.

Rather, Im saying that youll not achieve maximal muscle size for your genetic potential if you dont occasionally focus on strength. I should add that many elite bodybuilders agree with me. For example, at his prime, two-time Mr Olympia Franco Columbu deadlifted more than the world record, and Ronnie Coleman deadlifted 800 pounds for a double. Getting back to the 1-6 Principle, its a type

of workout system based upon the neurological phenomenon called post-tetanic facilitation (PTF). One of the early researchers in PTF is Dietmar Schmidtbleicher, a German strength physiologist known for his pioneering research in power development. One of the rst elite athletes to use PTF was Valeriy Borzov, a Russian sprinter who won gold medals in the 100 m and 200 m sprints at the 1972 Olympics.

n Here are two supersets for the chest and back using the 16 Principle. Note that the B exercises have fewer sets, which is necessary to deal with the fatigue that accumulates during the A exercises. EXERCISE A1. Close Parallel-grip Chin-up (weighted) A2. Incline Barbell Press B1. Seated Cable Row B2. Mid-grip Bench Press SETS 6 6 REPS 1,6,1,6,1,6 1,6,1,6,1,6 1,6,1,6 1,6,1,6 REST 120 seconds 120 seconds 120 seconds 120 seconds

n Now heres an example of a leg workout using the 16 Principle. The rst superset uses the 16 Principle. The second superset uses a more conventional workout protocol, but again with fewer sets to deal with the fatigue that accumulates during the rst superset. EXERCISE A1. Back Squat A2. Lying Leg Curl, feet neutral B1. Barbell Lunge B2. Romanian Deadlift SETS 6 6 4 4 REPS 1,6,1,6,1,6 1,6,1,6,1,6 68 68 REST 120 seconds
PAVEL YTHJALL

120 seconds 120 seconds 120 seconds

4
4

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O DY B & B U

I
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IN

FIT

BY CHARLES POLIQUIN

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Set 1: 1 rep with 265 pounds Set 2: 6 reps with 220 pounds Set 3: 1 rep with 270 pounds Set 4: 6 reps with 225 pounds Set 5: 1 rep with 272.5 pounds Set 6: 6 reps with 230 pounds When designing your own 16 Principle workouts, you should primarily use exercises that involve large muscle groups, such as squats and presses. Also, because youre going to be performing a series of 1RM lifts, its imperative that you warm up thoroughly. The warm-up should always consist of doing reps with the rst pair of exercises listed in the workout. If youve warmed up properly, theres very little need to warm-up for the second pair. Using our workout example, your squat warm-up might be 5 reps x 135 pounds, 3 x 185, 2 x 225, before you start the working sets. As with any workout system, you need to change the workout when you reach a point of diminishing returns. As a general guideline, four weeks is about the longest period anyone should follow a programme using the 16 Principle. Here is one extremely effective training split for a four-week programme emphasising the 16 Principle: Day 1, arms; Day 2, legs; Day 3, off; Day 4, chest and back; Day 5, off. The 16 Principle is based on strong science, and for more than two decades Ive found it especially useful in my work with not only Olympic and professional athletes but also for anyone who wants to shock their muscles into rapid increases in strength and muscle development. Give it a try and youll be surprised at how quickly you can increase your functional hypertrophy and power. FLEX

PTF suggests that a more powerful muscular contraction can be achieved if that contraction is preceded by a strong muscular contraction. The 16 Principle is a practical application of this method, using a maximal load to increase the activation of the nervous system before performing sets of higher reps. This effect enables the trainee to use more weight on the higher-rep sets. With the 1-6 Principle you perform a maximum single repetition (1RM), rest, and then perform 6 reps using as much weight as you can (6RM). The rest period between sets can range from three to 10 minutes, but you can reduce the rest periods if you perform supersets. Lets say your best bench press is 220 pounds for 6 reps and 265 for 1 rep. If you perform that 1RM four minutes prior to a 6RM, youll probably be able to use 225230 pounds. In fact, youll use more weight on the second and third 6RM series (i.e., waves) in that workout, as follows:

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KEVIN HORTON

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FLEX NUTRITION

BY MATT PORTER

DOPAMINE: A DIETERS SECRET WEAPON

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter released from the hypothalamus that blocks the release of prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary. One of its main functions is to act on the sympathetic nervous system to elicit effects such as: excitement, high blood pressure, motivational energy, and impulsive behaviour. For example, when a male engages in sexual intercourse, he reaches peak dopamine levels while climaxing, then immediately after intense pleasure prolactin oods his system which induces the opposite effects. When a person is meticulously dieting to achieve extremely low body fat levels, a cascade of effects takes place as fat cells begin to shrink. Neurotransmitters begin to plummet, which affects mood, hunger, and social behaviour. One way to keep dopamine levels consistent while in a calorie decit is to eat smaller meals more frequently. Eating every 23 hours will maintain higher dopamine levels as well as keep blood sugar balanced. Another great way to boost dopamine levels is to incorporate a cheat day or cheat meal once a week. Implementing this technique will not only boost dopamine levels, but will also increase thyroid output and replenish glycogen stores in muscle tissue. You can also raise dopamine levels through supplementation. Supplementing with the psychoactive substance known as caffeine will temporarily boost dopamine levels and raise energy and alertness. The non-essential amino acid L-tyrosine is a

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precursor to dopamine and also contributes to healthy thyroid levels. Another precursor to dopamine is Levodopa, which is found in the tropical legume known as velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens). My personal favourite for raising dopamine is nicotine. I prefer chewing Nicorette gum in between meals for potent appetite suppression and for anti-aromatase properties. I only ingest nicotine during the nal weeks before competing in a bodybuilding contest when body fat levels are extremely low. I have no problem

KEVIN HORTON

ceasing the nicotine usage when my diet is over and have never had any form of withdrawal symptoms. To summarise, it appears that keeping dopamine levels elevated during prolonged periods of calorie deprivation promotes appetite regulation, improves mood, and increases the ability to endure what it takes to achieve very low body fat levels. FLEX
Matt Porter is a sponsored athlete for truenutrition.com and also an NPC competitor, title holder, contest-prep coach, and nutrition guru.

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FLEX NUTRITION

BY JOHN KIEFER

THE CALORIE FALLACY

For fat loss, efficiency is a worst-case scenario
Its unthinkable, right? Who would ever have imagined that two diets with an identical calorie countone high-carb and one ultra-low-carbwould have such vastly differing results in terms of fat loss and muscle gain. After all, energy-in equals energy-out, and it all gets balanced in the end, regardless of when we trainand when we eat. At least thats what weve been told for decades. To the experts, this is simply an exercise in the rst law of thermodynamics, which states that energy is neither created nor destroyed. In other words, the total energy of the system must be the same, before and afterwhich means that 500 calories of carbs will produce the same result as 500 calories of protein or fat. The rst law of thermodynamics, however, doesnt mention anything about efficiency in terms of how the body converts this food into energy. It also tells us nothing about what happens if more or less of this energy is wasted depending on what types of macronutrients were taking in. putting in actually does work. Youre losing the rest of it in the form of heat. This is essentially how your body works. When your diet consists of 60% carbs, your body wastes about two-thirds of the ingested energy as heat. Some of this helps hold our internal temperature constant, but the rest is lost in other ways. Research on efficiency and wasted heat shows that carbs lead the way in this department when they comprise 55% of the diet or calorie values for carbs, protein, and greater. Carbs make you efficient. As youll soon see, thats not what fat, distinguished between physical fuel values and physiological fuel you want. values. The physical fuel value is the AT A DIFFERENT OCTANE amount of energy you can get What happens, however, when out of food by burning it with we use a different type of fuel? oxygen. You throw food in an oven, Obviously, the efficiency levels would change, the fuel would burn incinerate it, then record the total amount of heat released. The in different ways, and youd either increase or decrease your mileage. physiological fuel value is the Add ethanol to a car, and your fuel amount of energy an organism can derive from the fuel, which can be economy decreases. Add other higher or lower than the physical hydrocarbons, like anti-knocking fuel value. agents, and it increases. It has been found that the Try to transfer this logic to the human body, in a growth stage, can human body, however, and most get more than 11 calories per gram physique coaches eyes glaze out of fatsignicantly more than overas though, in 2013, its still inconceivable that different ratios the 9 grams listed on most nutrition LETS TRY A DIFFERENT LAW labels. This is because different The second law of thermodynamics of macronutrients can cause activities require different enzymes different amounts of energy to is more applicable to the human or other molecules. Different or be wasted in the human body. A body, because it allows for the accelerated avenues of metabolicalorie, after all, is still a calorie. notion of efficiency. Efficiency is a sation can produce different The body, however, disagrees, measure of how much work youre amounts of energy, and a calorie and it obeys the second law of getting done based on the energy of fat is clearly not a calorie of fat. thermodynamics. This means it youre putting in. A standard varies in efficiency based on activity, The same concept holds true for internal combustion enginethe protein, as well, and these values hormonal status, and the type of one in your caris approximately fuel we provide. Thats why Wilbur dont match up there, either. About 33% efficient. This means that Atwater, who introduced the 4-4-9 2% of your ingested calories of fat, about a third of the energy youre

7% of carbs, and 30% of protein is wasted as heat whenever you eat. HOW THIS APPLIES If we take our 60%-carb diet and invert it so a larger percentage of calories now comes from protein, two 2,000-calorie diets are possible: a high-carb version providing 1,850 physiological calories, and a low-carb one that provides 1,700 (accounting for all the heat loss). By swapping things out, we cut 150 usable calories per day, even though were still consuming 2,000. If you love food, but want to drop fat and build mass, being inefficient is a good thing. If youre inefficient, you can eat more and actually drop fat. You work so hard trying to process your food that it releases a ton of heat, you sweat like a faucet, and your vascularity goes through the ceiling. So stop counting calories and start worrying about your bodys efficiency and inefficiency. Its a law of physics, and Ill take the advice of a physicist over an Internet diet guru any day of the week. FLEX

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KEVIN HORTON

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FLEX EXPERT
BY NEIL HILL BY MATT PORTER

I remember you saying that you had Flex Lewis train his chest every four to ve days rather than seven to bring it up. What exactly did you do? Yes I did. It was his worst body part, and we wanted to make it a strong point to win the Olympia 212 Showdown title, which he did! The rst workout was either a Week 1, 2, or 3 session based around the Y3T principles. The second workout for his chest focused more on isolation with lots of isometrics, maximal tension with slow rep tempo, and higher reps to force as much blood into the area as possible. It worked! What are your thoughts on low-volume, high-intensity training, which Dorian Yates and Mike Mentzer made famous? I understand how and why it works. However, my concern is that not everyone is able to train with that intensity. Is it good to get stronger for muscle growth? Absolutely! However, you also have to be realistic. I dont think its an intelligent way to train all of the time. By rotating your weeks as Y3T does, I believe you will achieve more sustainable growth over the long term. I am an ectomorph with very little body fat or muscle. Would Y3T be good for me to gain much-needed size? Absolutely! I believe you will respond better to Weeks 2 and 3 due to the nature of the workouts (focusing on sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). With that said, I would do Week 1, Week 2, Week 2, Week 3, Week 3, and repeat. Hope this helps, mate.

phase) with one-second isometric pauses on each rep. Focus on ushing blood into the biceps with dropsets and giant sets. Over time they will grow. Why do you recommend free weights over machines? I always say it depends, so while I champion free weights over machines, I still think the latter have their place. The main reason behind choosing free weights is they are more anabolic. What I mean by that is that they force more stress upon the body, which in theory will stimulate a greater response, i.e., growth hormone and testosterone production. For compound lifts I always prefer free weights and after that I think some machines are fantastic for isolation work.

I WOULD SUGGEST KEEPING A FOOD DIARY LOG EVERYTHING YOU EAT, WHICH DAYS AND WHEN.

I find that I go through patches where my stomach always feels upset. I get pain in my abdomen and as a result, feel quite lethargic. Any advice? Its a tough one because blood tests dont always show intolerances and you dont always I cannot get my biceps to grow. I am very have to be intolerant to a food clued up on nutrition, and my suppleto have these issues you mention. I ment plan is also very comprehensive. would suggest keeping a food diary. Any tips would be much appreciated! Log everything you eat, which days, Genetics will make it harder to achieve and when. I believe you will soon growth in some areas of your physique, notice a pattern occurring, highthats often the case. However I dont lighting for you which foods are the believe we cant make them grow! culprits. Make sure you have a good I would suggest introducing threedigestive enzyme; probiotics may also second eccentric contractions (negative be of assistance. FLEX

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PAVEL YTHJALL

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FLEX EXPERT
BY BRIAN SHAW

BUILDING YOUR LOWERBACK STRENGTH

Whats the best way to increase lower-back strength?

This is a question that Im asked quite often. Fortunately, there are several great ways to do this. Outside of the major multijoint exercises that build tremendous core strengthsuch as deadlifts and squatsthere are several great options to focus on in the gym. These include both isolation exercises that directly target the lower-back muscles and compound movements where the lower back contracts isometrically to stabilise the body. But before we get into the what and how, lets quickly go through an anatomy lesson on exactly what muscles youre working when you train your lower back. The erector spinae are the powerful muscles that stabilise the lower back and allow you to perform extension exercises (when your spine bends backwards). The gluteus maximus muscles are also involved in torso extension, but theyre primarily responsible for hip extension. The difference is the former occurs in a limited range of motion where only the vertebrae are moving, while the latter has a very long range of motion where the movement occurs mostly at the hip joints. To get the most out of lowerback training, you must be conscious of the difference so you can perform both motions against resistance. This will strengthen your core muscles, as well as build power in the posterior chain (so

the hip and back extensor muscles work together to generate maximum power). Always try to use correct form on deadlifts and any other exercise that uses the lower back. Remember, theres a line between increasing strength and risking injury! And the lower back isnt an area where you want to suffer an injury. 45-DEGREE BACK RAISE Doing this exercise correctly will really isolate your lower back, and itll pay off. Be sure to use a full range of motion, moving under control at all times. At the top, squeeze your erectors consciously before lowering back down. Use the amount of resistance necessary to perform 812 reps in strict fashion, moving to near failure. Complete three sets. REVERSE HYPEREXTENSIONS This exercise isnt commonly done due to the fact that its hard to do without the correct piece of equipment. If youre lucky enough to have a reverse hyperextension bench in your gym, use it. Youll know it because it consists of a pad thats horizontal to the oor that you lie on facedown. You then hang your legs off the edge of the bench with the strap around your feet. (Some have a roller pad that moves.) A big key to this exercise is to not use too much resistance. When the strap is around your feet it is easy to

use the momentum of the weight to do the work. I like to avoid completely relaxing at the top of the movement and then let the weight pull my legs down into a stretched position before I engage my back muscles and raise my legs back to the top. The amount of blood that youll get into your lower back with this exercise will be incredible. Do it regularly and watch your lower-back strength increase. Again, I recommend

using the amount of resistance necessary to perform 812 reps in strict fashion, moving to near failure. Complete three sets. BARBELL ROWS When done strictly with the upper body almost parallel to the oor, the lower back is required to stabilise during the entire set of reps. Be sure to utilise strict technique and dont jerk up and down between reps. FLEX

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COURTESY OF MHP

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THE GIFT UNWRAPPED

PHIL HEATH
I know youve been doing FST-7 for years. Can you explain how an average bodybuilder trying to gain size can use it? FST-7 was developed by my trainer/nutritionist Hany Rambod in 2008 to help me and others safely increase the intensity of our workouts. A lot of people get hung up on the name, which stands for Fascia Stretch Training 7, and they think its some complicated system that only Mr Olympia can use. Its true that Hany and I modify a programme for my body, but anyone can benet from the concept behind FST-7. Its basically a way of making sure your muscles get a maximum pump to bring in the nutrients they need for recovery and growth. So you can use it with your regular programme. You probably dont need to change a lot if your regular programme is on-point. You want to do most of your sets in the 8- to 12-rep range because those are the sets that are going to generate the most growth. The cool thing about sevensthe main technique of FST-7is youre still in that growth range of 1012 reps. Youre not doing crazy-low reps or crazy-high reps. Youre sticking in that middle range. Also, you can do sevens without a training partner. This is great for me because when Im in Denver I train alone most of the time. So you dont need someone there to spot you or strip weights or anything like that. You can do it yourself. Heres what you should know about FST-7.

MR. O TWEETS
Do most of your sets with reps in the 812 range and rest at least 90 seconds between sets.

Taking a cruise boat through the Panama Canal.

It was amazing to meet one of the many indigenous communities here in Panama.

That feeling of sitting in my car motionless after (training) legs. One step closer to my goal.

Pre-workout, use a supplement to boost your muscle pump.

For sevens, choose an exercise you can do on your own that will maximise your pump. This is usually an isolation exercise with a strong contraction, like cable crossovers for chest or leg extensions for quads. If possible, use a timer or the second hand on a clock to precisely time your rest periods. Try not to guess, because the key is to go before your body

tells you its rested, so the normal body signals dont apply. Seven is an arbitrary number. You can do any number of sets in the sequence. I tend to stick to seven, but you dont have to. Try to use as much weight on your last set of sevens as you did on your rst set. If you slip under eight reps on any set, use lighter weight. FLEX

On the last exercise for a body part, do sevens. These are sets of 1012 reps with rest periods of only 2030 seconds between sets.

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PAVEL YTHJALL

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BIG RAMY MAMDOUH ELSSBIAY

Whats your supplement intake before and after a training session? Do you take in amino acids, protein, carbs? Also, do you take any supplements during your workout, like glutamine or BCAAs? I eat a meal with protein and carbs about an hour and a half before I hit the gym. Usually Ill have a 225 gram chicken breast and 100 grams of rice. Just before training, I take my BCAAs along with some simple carbs such as Vitargo, which gives me a lot of energy for a long heavy workout. About halfway through my workout, I take more BCAAs and another scoop of Vitargo. Immediately after the workout I have a shake with 5060 grams of 100% whey isolate, 10 grams of powdered glutamine, and another two scoops of Vitargo. An hour later I have another large meal with plenty of protein and carbs. Im very disciplined with my supplement intake because it makes a big difference in the recovery from my intense workouts. You have a narrow 30-minute window after your training session in which your body can replenish its glycogen and also repair the muscle. As with your meals, you need to measure and pack all your supplements and shakes the night before so that you have one less thing to worry about at the gym. I read that your second child, a daughter, was born on the weekend of the NY Pro. Do you nd it hard to balance family and bodybuilding obligations? Does your wife help with your food preparation? Yes, my daughter was born just a couple of hours before I stepped onstage for the night show. I truly wanted to be there, but the opportunity to compete at the NY Pro was important to both me and my family. My wife is 100% supportive in all aspects of my bodybuilding career and shes been there from Day 1. Being able to come home to my wife and kids helps me stay calm and focus on what really matters in life, so its good to have them around as much as possible. I dont nd it hard to balance bodybuilding and family because each one will take priority at different stages in your life. Right now my focus is on my bodybuilding career, which will help our family in the long run. My wife is a fantastic cook, so she helps prepare my food when Im home in Egypt. When Im in Kuwait, though, I have to fend for myself! Every bodybuilder loves a good cheat meal. Whats your favourite cheat food? Without a doubt its ice cream! FLEX

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ALEX ARDENTI

Can you give us a sample workout split for the week? For example, do you do biceps and triceps together or split them?

n This is the split Ive recently started. It was designed by my coach, Dennis James. As you can see, he has me split up legs into two workouts but keep arms together in one workout:

Day 1 Chest, abs Day 2 Quads, calves Day 3 Shoulders, abs Day 4 Back, calves Day 5 Biceps, triceps, abs Day 6 Hamstrings, calves Day 7 Off

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THE WELSH DRAGONS LAIR FLEX LEWIS

Despite your lack of height and all the muscle you carry, you never look blocky. How have you avoided that? Thankswell, not for the lack of height part but for the never looking blocky part. I think thats just my shape. I try not to get too overweight in the off-season. A lot of bodybuilders focus on calories, calories, calories, whether its good or bad. And once you blow out your waist, its tough to get it back. Even just gaining all that weight will change your breathing and stretch your abdomen out, and then youre not maintaining control over your waistline. The big bellies are something thats killing the sport. No one wants to see a bodybuilder with a big belly going in and out with every breath. So its important to maintain a good shape throughout the year. You cant blow out your shape and then expect to diet it back in and be where you were before. Other than that, its mostly about your structure, and thats mostly about genetics. Im short, but I dont have a short-man structure. I have a slim waist and an X-frame. There are things you can do to emphasise this. Work on your side delts more to make your shoulders look wider. Focus on your outer quads to make your legs wider, and this will create more of a contrast with your waist. And then dont do things that will widen your waist. Avoid weighted oblique training and wear a belt when you do heavy standing lifts. And that comes right back to where we starteddont blow out your waist. The most important thing to do to avoid looking blocky is to keep your waist as slim as possible. How do you deal with interruptions during your workouts? Thats tough, because on the one hand working out is not just recreation to me. Its part of my job. On the other hand, you dont want people to think youre an ass if you just ignore them. Luckily, I train at 11 a.m., and the gym is nearly empty then. But what there are then are active ageing classes with all these senior citizens. Theyre good people, but they want to socialise too much sometimes. Generally, I try to train when there are fewer people in the gym, because I want to stay focused and not get interrupted. FLEX
In the end, we only regret the chances we didnt take. Michael Jordan

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KEVIN HORTON

DRAGON TWEETS

So I broke another piece of equipment. Low pulley row, second rep in, BANG. No injury. Just pissed me off as I had two more sets left!!!

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SHAWN RHODEN
ready to compete onstage. Im thinking of doing a few local shows before hitting the Nationals. How did you know when you were ready to step on a national stage? Ive seen a lot of guys move too fast too soon because they listen to their friends at the gym. Just because you win a local show doesnt mean that you should move on to the national stage. Find a seasoned coach to act as a second set of eyes and give you an honest critique about whether or not youre ready. Being the biggest or strongest guy in the gym doesnt mean that youre going to be the best guy at a national show. And if you step onstage too quickly youll only get discouraged. The only time youll be ready is when your physique is clearly beyond what your fellow local competitors bring to the stage. I was ready when I realised I could no longer fit into the lightheavyweight class in which Id competed at local shows. I was losing muscle by forcing myself down to 198 poundsnot even being able to eat or drink the day of weigh-ins! At that point, my coach felt it was time to take it to the next level. Chris Aceto is your nutrition guru, but is there anyone else who gives you an honest critique of your physique or do you just rely on Chris? Competitors often make the mistake of listening to too many people. It gets confusing. If you get advice from someone who doesnt follow your progression on a daily or weekly basis, they may think youre flat or off track. When it comes specifically to nutrition, I only listen to Chris. FLEX

Since youre a Ronnie Coleman Signature Series athlete, have you had any training advice from him that youve incorporated into your training regime? The best thing about being a Ronnie Coleman athlete is that I get to pick his brain every day about what it takes to be an eight-time Mr Olympia. I train with Charles Glass, so I tell him the exercises Ronnie recommends

and he incorporates them into my routine to see if they work. The biggest advice Ronnie has given me, though, has been about recovery, not training. Not many people know that after Ronnies Olympia victories he always took off 46 weeks from training. After a long season, your immune system is low and your joints hurt. I did the same thing at the end of 2012 but it wasnt planned. When I got

Ive been training for a few years now and Im finally

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KEVIN HORTON

stranded in Prague last October due to Hurricane Sandy, it forced me to take time off. By not lifting at all, my tendons tightened up and my joints felt great. I hit the gym hard, working my way up to 267 pounds, the heaviest Ive been. I plan to do this every year from now on.

THE BEAST ROELLY WINKLAAR

Youve said you travel between the Netherlands and Curaao. Why dont you live in Curaao year-round? It seems like a paradise! I was born on Curaao but I was raised in the Netherlands. In 2005, I immigrated back to Curaao, where I trained by myself and had very little guidance on proper nutrition. After I won the Dutch Championships in 2007, I was introduced to Sibil Peeters (a.k.a. Grandma) and she became my coach and nutritionist. At that point I really needed to remain in the Netherlands so that Sibil could track my progress daily and help me get ready for the Arnold Amateur, which I won in 2009 to earn my pro card. During that time, I stayed in Rotterdam with my sister and travelled back and forth between the two places, but it was taking a toll on me. Finally, in December 2012, I decided to move back to Curaao permanently and train by myself. As you said, its truly a paradise. After so many dreary winters in the Netherlands I realised how much I missed the sun, sea, and beaches here. I dont plan on moving any time soon. I hate the pop music they play at my gym, so Im always wearing my headphones to tune it out so I can focus on the weights. What kind of music do you listen to when you work out? I also hate the music they play at my gym. I nd it very distracting when Im trying to train heavy and suddenly I hear some annoying Top 40 dance song. Im lucky that I train at times when the gym isnt too crowded, so theyre nice enough to change the music to something a little more hardcore just for me. When I cant make it to my normal gym, I just wear my headphones. Since I hate making small talk when I work out, the headphones also stop people from bothering me or asking me for training advice. I listen to a lot of different types of music, but what I listen to during my workouts depends on my mood that day. I make a few different mixes for my iPod but Id say I mostly listen to rap or hip-hop,

but every now and then Ill mix it up with some 80s rock. Youve mentioned that you sometimes train with your brother. I cant imagine working out with my brother because wed drive each other crazy. Is it hard to push each other when youre related? Its never hard to push each other because every workout ends up being a friendly (or sometimes not-so-friendly!) competition. Its been like that since we were kids. My younger brother Quincy, whos also an IFBB pro, always wants to prove that he can lift more than me. I tend to use straps, whereas he has a better forearm grip and refuses to wear them, so he teases me a lot about that and challenges me to see how strong I am without straps. If I do 10 reps of an exercise, he has to prove hes tougher than me by doing 12 reps. He never seems to get tired no matter how hard the workout. Even though we have our different training styles, we still have fun in the gym and drive each other to complete a tougher workout than we could each do alone. I feel really fortunate to have a brother whos also a pro bodybuilder with goals similar to mine. Whats your favourite type of cardio, and how much do you do for a show? For the last few weeks I usually just do 30 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym or I go for a long walk after training. When I was getting ready for the Mr Olympia in 2010, I changed it up a bit. I did a lot of fast walking up and down steep hills, which Im now convinced gave me better results than the treadmill or bike. FLEX

FLEX

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JASON MATHAS

EVEN THOUGH MY BROTHER AND I HAVE OUR DIFFERENT TRAINING STYLES, WE STILL HAVE FUN IN THE GYM AND DRIVE EACH OTHER TO COMPLETE A TOUGHER WORKOUT THAN WE COULD EACH DO ALONE.

GONE TOO SOON. R.I.P., ED VAN AMSTERDAM

n I was just sitting down to write this column when I found out about the death of IFBB pro Ed Van Amsterdam, who passed away from a heart attack on July 5th. Of course this hits home for me because Im in the same profession, live the same lifestyle, and weigh approximately the same as Ed did. I dont want this to turn into a column about my health, but many people online have been asking, Why is this happening to all the pro bodybuilders? So Id like to use my own experiences to explain some of my points. I had a pancreatic attack earlier this year while I was getting ready for the Toronto Supershow. It taught me a lot about our health as bodybuilders and why were getting sickor passing awayearlier than were supposed to. When I got sick I started doing a lot of research and I learned some very important things: BLOOD TESTS. Hardly any bodybuilders I train do this. Im not sure about the majority of my peers, but the ones I know usually go, while my amateur clients have to be forced to go, which is wrong. Guys, if theres one thing I can insist on being most important for longevity, its blood tests. Theres no other way to be able to tell if something is wrong aside from having blood tests done and nding out the actual levels of each organ. PROTEIN INTAKE. As growing bodybuilders, we always have a high protein intake to make sure were feeding the muscle were continually tearing down. Yes, this is the way to rebuild, but its the way to tear other parts down,too. Meat protein is hard to digest and can also have an impact on kidney function. Take the time to give your body a rest and lower the amount of protein you take in. Drop it by 50% for a few weeks and raise your carb and fat intake to make sure

youre not going backwards. Remember, when it comes to your kidneys, the detrimental aspect of protein intake isnt the amount you take in daily, but the amount you take in at one time. So, instead of eating 350 g of meat six times a day, break it down into eight meals and lessen the amount just a little.

but his heart isnt working as hard as ours. When youre walking around at 250290 pounds and carrying around 230240 pounds or more of muscle, your heart is working overtime. These doctors have all told me that the heart isnt meant to pump blood to a 290-pound body for an extended period of time. So how do we help our hearts stay healthy while still enjoying bodybuilding? Take LOSE WEIGHT. breaks. After I nished the Toronto I know this sounds horrible to most of you because were always trying to grow and Supershow, I just rested and worked out none of us wants to lose good, hard-earned when I felt like it. I dropped weight and am weight. That being said, if youre going to be now much smaller. My body is feeling good and healthy. And Im not worried it wont in this for the long haul, you could be doing come back, that I wont make gainsa your body a real service by giving it a healthy body will grow faster than a toxic, breakfrom the inside. Ive seen many doctors in my time, and theres one common overworked body. I know these are things most of us theme they express: bodybuilders arent including medont want to think about, getting sick or passing away due to protein but its important that we have this intake, but more so because of body discussion. Ignorance isnt bliss when it weight. A 300-pound fat person still has comes to your health, people. Make sure a lean body mass of, say, 200 pounds, so youre healthy, and dont avoid the truth, his heart has to work only to fuel that 200-pound body. He has his own problems whether its good or bad. FLEX

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MIKE LIBERATORE
n Recently, a fan asked a question about the fact that Im not a big eater in the off-season. Over the years, if youve seen my videos or online posts, youve probably heard countless times my struggle to get down the amount of food needed in the off-season to make large gains. This has been the major thing thats held me back especially when I have no problem eating when pre-contest rolls around. This fan noticed from recent photos that it looked like Id actually made some good gains during this last off-season, and wanted to know if I was nally able to eat more food. Since I noticed that food was a problem in the off-season with a lax diet, but that I got in all my meals with easeand was actually hungryduring pre-contest dieting, I knew something wasnt right. My situation with hunger was just slightly different. Five weeks before the British Grand Prix in 2012, I found out unexpectedly that I had an oesophageal ulcer and a blood clot with it. During the procedure to x both, the doctors learned that I had a condition called oesophageal oesophagitis. This caused my throat to swell with an inammation that formed ridges down my oesophagus. I was told that this was the cause of any and all of my stomach issues, such as indigestion, throwing up, and especially my lack of appetite. The doctor said that, with the inammation, my oesophagus was the size of a small childs and I dont know many small children who can eat as much food as a professional bodybuilder. This caused my food to go down slowly and digest slowly, which left me with very little appetite. These issues didnt affect me pre-contest because I was eating better and eating less-dense foods that were more easily digested. Most bodybuilders in pre-contest are counting the minutes till their next meal, so getting the food down usually isnt a problemits gone by the time they blink. But some have a much harder time with more food off-season and dread the next meal because its just too muchso they often skip it altogether. FLEX

Here are some tips if youre having a similar problem. Keep in mind, though, that these suggestions will typically work only when one is just nishing a contest and at the very start of the off-season, not in the middle of one. n If you stay close to a pre-contest dietslightly modied, of coursewith more clean carbs and clean fats and two to three cheat meals a week, youre more likely to have a revved-up appetite. Yes, this is different from what we see a lot of guys doing off-season, i.e., eating too many calories, doing little or no cardio, and having too many cheat nights with both food and alcohol. None of that will increase your appetite.

TYPICAL PRE-CONTEST Clean diet + 01 cheat meal per week + highintensity cardio = hungry bodybuilder TYPICAL BULKING/OFF-SEASON Overabundance of calories + too many cheats + little to zero cardio = slow, lethargic, not-hungry bodybuilder As you can imagine, my eating and appetite did increase immensely after xing my previously unknown problems. Even with an improved ability to eat, though, I still follow my own advice and keep a relatively clean diet all year.

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I worked my butt off for my last show and I looked great. Only problem was, I couldnt get a pump backstage. Where did I go wrong, and has this ever happened to you? Hell, yes, this has happened to meand it sucks to feel like this before you step onstage. I think the No. 1 cause of this for most people is that they get nervous. When you get nervous, your blood pulls away from your muscles and goes to your internal organs. So if you get too nervous, you can almost bet you wont get a good pump. I also think if youre too dehydrated you cant get a good pump. Yes, shedding the water under the skin is critical to looking good onstage, but if you take out too much water, your muscles will get at and you wont get a pump.

Another reason could be not enough carbs in your body. Carbs help pull water into your muscles so you feel full and get a good pump. Yes, its all a balancing act and theres no perfect formula, because each time its different, and everyone is different. Heres how I try to keep this from happening. First, I try to have fun or listen to relaxing music so I dont get nervous. Second, I never completely take out my waterIm always drinking small amounts. Third, I carb-load and always have food backstage just in case I start to feel at. I like to have fruit or even a zzy drink before I step onstage. Hope this helps out, and hope you get a good pump on next time. FLEX

Training is going great! Ive been training for my rst

TRAINING JOURNAL
5K race. Some people think that as a bodybuilder this is counterproductive, but its not. I havent lost any size running. My next show is still up in the airnot sure what I want to do right now. Im getting good results training, so theres no need to rush yet. I also wanted to wish my baby girl a happy birthday, as shes turning 4. Time sure goes by fast. I love my familythey support me and I support them 100%.

SHOULDER TRAINING
WEEK 1 EXERCISE Seated Military Press Standing One-arm Lateral Raise Barbell Front Raise Bentover Lateral Raise Upright Row Seated Lateral Raise SETS 3 3 3 3 3 3 REPS 810 810 810 810 810 810 EXERCISE Lateral Raise Seated Dumbbell Front Raise

Shoulders are my favourite body part to train. I have strong shoulders and really like to blast the weight on shoulder day. Here are my workouts. WEEK 2 SETS 3 3 3 3 3 3 REPS 1215 1215 1215 1215 1215 1215 EXERCISE Standing Military Press Cable Lateral Raise Cable Front Raise Cable Bentover Lateral Raise Cable Upright Row WEEK 3 SETS 5 5 5 5 5 REPS 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 15, 12, 10, 8, 6
PAVEL YTHJALL

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Cable Rear-delt Flye Shrug Seated Lateral Raise

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PAK-MAN BEN PAKULSKI

n Youll notice something different the next time I take the stage, and Im not just talking about better balance, symmetry, and conditioning. Im also hernia-free! After my runner-up nish at the Arnold Classic and my top-three placing at the Australian Pro, I decided that, before competing again, my time would best be used by attending to some past injuries. Ive had an epigastric hernia, which is merely a split in the abdominal wall, for the past 12 years. I nally opted for surgery, and my recovery and progress couldnt have gone more smoothly. Id like to give you all a little insight into the things I did to prepare for the operation, as well as how I incorporated training back into my life following the procedure. An important aspect of ensuring an operation goes optimally is decreasing inammation. Prior to the operation, I held off on training and lowered my carbohydrate intake to zero. This, of course, would limit any internal inammation. Ideally, a patient should also have low body fat to make the processes go more smoothlyboth the operation and the recovery. Although my body fat is in check year-round, it helped even more so that I had recently competed prior to the operation. I knew Id be in the hospital for some time. I didnt want to take any chances, so I made sure I had food delivered to my room that morning. I cant take any chances with some of that crappy hospital food! When youre trying to be the best in the world, you need to make sure youre trying at all times. Despite the importance of these prerequisites, the most crucial consideration for a patient is how he or she will allocate time after surgery. Most hernia operations, mine included, consist of inserting a mesh in the damaged tissue to strengthen the injured area. Many athletes, especially after hernia repair, can rush back into training too soon, which can rip the mended area. You need to allow the wound time to heal. This required me to take a few weeks off from the gym completely. When I was nally given the OK to return, I made sure to slowly acclimatise my body back into training. During the rst two weeks, my training was minimal, both in terms of intensity and volume. The surgeon gave me specic recommendations concerning weight progression. I was advised to not lift anything over X amount pounds, and the number would increase over time. Likewise, there was progression in my nutrition. Since my workouts used very light weight and had such low volume (roughly eight working sets per muscle group), my carbohydrate requirements for optimal functioning were much lower. My general progression aimed for about a 25 gram increase each week, until I hit my usual off-season carb intake. As usual, the majority were consumed around my workout. Regardless of what your training goals are or what aspirations you have outside the gym, it is always important to plan for success. If you take the time to focus on every detail of a particular goal and youre willing to make the necessary sacrices, success is not a probability but rather a certainty! FLEX FLEX

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KAIS CORNER KAI GREENE

How was your off-season training and diet different this year going into the Mr Olympia? It was a very fruitful off-season. Ive got to give a shout-out to George Farah. Hes been working with me on my diet. Id been trying to keep my weight down throughout the off-season. The days of ballooning up to 300 pounds or betterwe aint doing that these days. I stayed in my best off-season shape ever this year. So Im getting a chance to be in better shape while doing the guest posings. I can move around more easily and feel more comfortable in my own skin. I try to be very methodical about my day-to-day training and stay on the nutritional programme that George and I have in place. This is my third year working with him. For the most part, the nutrition programme is the same it was the last two years. Its really interesting how the journey towards seeing your dream realised is a continuing educational process. Even as a professional bodybuilder, Im still learning things every day about my craft. With that in my mind, its exciting to be able to do what I do. And Im very thankful to get that opportunity. So my off-season went very well. I wasnt as heavy as I was in the past, but make no mistake about it, the scales will betray me sometimes. Still, as long as George says my condition is where I need it to be, Im comfortable and confident with that. When I watch your training videos, I notice you doing a lot of full-body stretches and exercises for other body parts. Why do you do all that work for muscles youre not training that day? Dont think of your body as a collection of parts. Your body has to work together as a unit, whether youre doing a squat or a posing performance or just walking to the store. Before I begin my workout, I do a series of stretches and exercises to warm up and prepare the muscles and tendons for work, but also to work my entire body as a unit and get the blood flowing throughout my whole body. If you have, for example, a back workout, and in that workout you do only back exercises and back stretches and then the next day you have a chest workout and do only chest exercises and chest stretches, you never bring your muscles together to work cohesively. Your physique becomes just a collection of parts instead of a complete work of art. FLEX

KAIS MOTIVATOR YOU DID EVERYTHING?

I ASK MYSELF THIS QUESTION EVERY SINGLEDAY. EVERY SINGLE DAY.

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RETROSPECTIVE

BY CHRIS LUND, UK EDITOR SINCE 1985 PHOTOS BY CHRIS LUND

ALBERT BECKLES
One of the most amazing bodybuilders of all time

When I rst began researching this Looking Back article on Britains Albert Beckles, I couldnt believe my own eyes. I had to tell somebody, so I called Ernie TaylorI always love to blow his mind! Ernie, I said casually, for how many years do you think Albert Beckles competed as a world class bodybuilder? Oh, youve got me there, he replied. About 15 years? I couldnt wait to put the boot in. How about 27 years? I said proudly. 27 years? You must be joking! he replied, absolutely amazed. Well, Im not, I said. His rst contest was the 1965 NABBA Mr Universe and his last two contests were the IFBB Chicago Pro Invitational and the IFBB Niagara Falls Pro Invitational in 1992! Wow! Thats truly amazing, Ernie replied, still gobsmacked. Shall I tell you something else? I continued. Go on then, he replied. Tell me something else! During his illustrious career, Albert Beckles competed in 110 bodybuilding contests! This time there was no reply from the other end of the phone. Ernie Taylor was simply too astonished to reply. Ernie, I repeated, Albert Beckles competed in 110 contests. This time, Ernie was just about able to compose himself and in true bodybuilding fashion (only a bodybuilder would see it this way), he exclaimed, So that means he followed a 12- week pre-contest diet 110 times! I was taken aback. Ernie, I said, Are 12-week diets all you guys ever think about when you prepare for a contest? Of course! he answered without hesitation. The 12-week diet is absolutely what its all about. Have you ever followed one? he added sarcastically. Absolutely not!

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Well, there you go then. A 12-week pre-contest diet is like going to hell. Beckles must have gone to hell and back again 110 times! Ive just thought of something else, I said. Whats that then? There were always stories going round that Albert even stuck to his diet on Christmas Day, so that he could stay ahead of the game when the contest season began. Now thats dedication for you, mate, Ernie replied. I can still remember the rst time I saw a photo of Albert Beckles. It was way back in the 1960s, and it was a black and white photograph in Ironman magazine. It was an

incredibly peaked one-arm biceps shot, and I had never seen anything like it in my life. The accompanying article made the astonishing revelation that Albert had built his amazing biceps in only six months of training! When I got to know him years later, Albert conrmed the Ironman story. Yeah, thats right. My biceps grew so fast during the rst six months and all I was really doing at that time were barbell curls and reverse close-grip lat pulldowns. I have no idea where my peaked biceps came from. Between 1965 and 1971, Albert competed within the NABBA and the AAU bodybuilding organisations. However, in 1971 he gured he would try his luck with the IFBB. He entered and won the 1971 IFBB Mr Universe, which would later become the IFBB World Championships.

He took 1972 off and returned to competition the following year. He entered two shows in 1973the IFBB Mr Europe and the IFBB Mr Universeand won them both hands down! In 1975 Albert entered his rst Mr Olympia and placed third in the lightweight class. For the next 17 years Albert Beckles became the most feared and consistently competitive bodybuilder in pro bodybuilding. If Beckles was in the contest, everyone was in trouble because, as they said, Albert took no prisoners, and he was always in shape. In 1981 Albert entered eleven IFBB pro shows and came second in six of them. (He also won one, placed fourth in one, third in one, and sixth in two.) He personally felt he should have won more, and one day while we

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RICH GASPARI
were having breakfast following one of these contests, he leaned over and asked me, Why dont I win more shows? Is it because I live in England and they would rather have Americans winning the big shows? For the next hour or so I tried my best to console him, because I didnt want him to lose heart and retire from bodybuilding. But I agreed with him 100%, because Albert Beckles denitely should have won more of those shows. He was also not a complainer, however, unlike some bodybuilders. He was a true sportsman who was sharp enough to understand that he was not placing as high as he should have done at many of the top pro shows.

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IF BECKLES WAS IN THE CONTEST, EVERYONE WAS IN TROUBLE BECAUSE, AS THEY SAID, ALBERT TOOK NO PRISONERS, AND HE WAS ALWAYS IN SHAPE
stage, dont you? Well, not exactly, I replied. You just need to connect with the judges and the audience a little more. You already have the muscle, but you always look so serious when you go through your routine. Why not let them know that youre Albert Beckles, and youre in great shape, and that youre very happy about this. The audience and judges will relate to that. The following year (1982) was a terric year for Albert Beckles. He placed second at the Belgium Grand Prix, fourth at the Swedish Grand Prix, and then won the New York Night of Champions. He placed fth at the Mr Olympia, but won the World Pro Championships. The new happier, smiling and more condent Albert Beckles was on his way to even more greatness, and one day, the morning after a show, he walked up to me and asked, So how do you like the teeth then? I dont know what you mean, I replied. Well, you told me to look happier on stage, so I just ashed my teeth, didnt I? Albert then ashed his infamous choppers and you know what? He had a perfect set of large white teeth that would have done any dentist proud. Maybe they should have a best choppers round! I declared. Yeah, maybe they should, he said, heading off to his favourite place after a contestthe hotel restaurant. In 1983 Albert placed seventh at the Mr Olympia, and the following year he placed fourth, but he won the World Pro Championships, the World Grand Prix, and the Canada Pro Cup. 1985 was a different story and I still feel, even today, that Albert Beckles should have won that Mr Olympia. He was in so much

LEE LABRADA
This is basically what I told him. First of all, because he was a British boy, he needed to be so much better than his US counterparts (which he often was). I then told him that he needed to jazz up his act when he was on stage, because in real life he was a cool, calm and extremely conservative person. Albert remained thoughtful for quite a while, and then suddenly exclaimed, You mean I should act like a total wally when Im on

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ALBERT BECKLES WAS NOT A FAN OF PHOTO SHOOTS. HE DID NOT SEE THE POINT OF THEM BECAUSE TO HIS MIND, THE CONTEST WAS WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT
better muscular shape than the current champ Lee Haney, so I found myself doing something that I had never done before, or indeed since. I went backstage just before the start of the evening show and told Albert that he was without doubt the best bodybuilder in the contest. He had it in the bag because he was in far superior muscular shape and condition to the current Mr Olympia. I told Albert to go out and ght for his life because, as Joe Weider once said, In bodybuilding you have to be far superior if you want to beat the current champ! Albert listened carefully, and didnt say a word. Instead, he went on stage and gave Lee Haney the ght of his life. Unfortunately, Albert Beckles took second to Lee Haney. One day I said to Albert, Out of every bodybuilder alive today, I believe that you would survive the best if you were washed up on a desert island like Robinson Crusoe! How do you work that out? replied Albert. Well, I said, I gure that you have all the survival instincts needed to stay alive because you have tremendous tolerance and dedication. I also believe that you would even nd ways to train while you were alone on this desert island. And exactly how would I do that? he said, all smiles. I think you would nd a strong branch and place it between two trees so that you could do all kinds of chinswide grip, close grip, regular grip and reverse gripwhich would give your back and biceps a tremendous workout! What else could I do then? Albert asked. If you found some washed-up planks of wood, Im sure you could easily knock up a set of parallel dipping bars so that you could train your chest and triceps.

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Albert had started to laugh out loud now and in between guffaws, he said, So what do I eat then? Easy! I replied. I can just see you collecting mangoes, papayas, coconuts and anything else you can lay your hands on. Oh yes, and I can see you waiting hours just to spear a sh! You know something? Albert replied. I always thought you were crazy! The trouble was, I believed every word I said! In November 2005, Greg Merritt wrote an article in FLEX called Top guns: the 20 best arms of all time and the workouts that built them. Naturally Albert Beckles was one of them. Heres what Greg had to say. Albert Beckles didnt grow his way into our top 20 until he was well past his 40th birthday. At various times, Beckles has claimed birth years of 1930 and 1938, but even if the more recent date is true, it still means he placed second in the 1985 Mr. Olympia at age 47 and

he won his eighth IFBB pro show at 52. Despite high biceps and forearm attachments, evergreen Beckles triumphed with historys most freaky peaky biceps, coupled with a devastatingly delineated side triceps shot. Heres what Albert told Greg about building his outrageously peaked biceps. I like to place special emphasis on the peak contraction, and I often resist supinating until I get very close to contraction. I twist my wrists outwards as far as they can go just as I reach the top of the curl. This creates a tremendous contraction, and I hold it for a second or two.

ALBERT BECKLES BICEPS ROUTINE

Seated dumbbell curl: 4 sets, 810 reps Cable curl: 4 sets, 810 reps Dumbbell concentration curl: 3 sets, 810 reps One-arm cable curl: 3 sets, 812 reps.

Albert Beckles was not a fan of photo shoots. He did not see the point of them because to his mind, the contest was what it was all about. Besides, after the show it was time for eating, and I have never seen anyone eat like Albert Beckles, after a contest. Usually, after a contest in the US, he would get up at 4 am, because he couldnt sleep, and head off to the hotel restaurant to order his favourite breakfast foodcream of wheatwhich he devoured, bowl after bowl. When he was living in London, he would usually be on the evening ight back home the day after the contest, which meant that no training shots could be done. Even when he moved to the US (he has been living in California for many years), you could still never get him to agree to photo shoots. As a result there are not too many non-contest photographs of the great Albert Beckles one of the most amazing bodybuilders of all time! FLEX

CONTEST CAREER
1965 NABBA Mr Universe, Medium, 3rd 1966 NABBA Mr Britain, 5th NABBA Mr Universe, Medium, 6th 1967 NABBA Mr Britain, 3rd NABBA Mr Universe, Medium, 1st 1968 NABBA Mr Britain, 2nd 1969 NABBA Mr Britain, 2nd NABBA Mr Universe, Medium, 3rd IFBB Mr World, Medium, 2nd 1970 NABBA Mr Britain, 1st Mr Europe, Medium, 1st & Overall NABBA Mr Universe, Medium, 2nd 1971 NABBA Mr Britain, 1st IFBB Mr Universe, Medium, 1st & Overall NABBA Mr Universe, Medium, 1st AAU Mr World, Medium, 1st & Overall AAU Mr World, Most Muscular, 1st 1973 IFBB Mr Europe, Medium, 1st & Overall IFBB MR Universe, Medium, 1st 1975 Mr Olympia, Lightweight, 3rd IFBB Mr Universe, Medium, 2nd 1977 Mr Olympia, Lightweight, 4th Mr Olympia, 7th 1978 Mr Olympia, Lightweight, 8th 1979 IFBB Best in the World, 3rd Grand Prix Pennsylvania, 3rd Mr Olympia, Lightweight, 7th IFBB Mr Universe, 2nd IFBB World Pro Championships, 2nd 1980 IFBB Mr Universe, 4th IFBB World Pro Championships, 4th 1981 Canada Pro Cup, 2nd Grand Prix Belgium, 2nd Grand Prix California, 4th Grand Prix Louisiana, 2nd Grand Prix Massachussets, 2nd Grand Prix New England, 1st Grand Prix Wales, 3rd Grand Prix World Cup, 6th Night of Champions, 2nd Professional World Cup, 6th World Grand Prix, 2nd 1982 Grand Prix Belgium, 2nd Grand Prix Sweden, 4th Night of Champions, 1st Mr Olympia, 5th World Pro Championships, 1st 1983 Grand Prix England, 5th Grand Prix Las Vegas, 3rd Grand Prix Portland, 4th Grand Prix Sweden, 5th Grand Prix Switzerland, 5th Night of Champions 3rd Mr Olympia, 7th 1984 Canada Pro Cup, 1st Mr Olympia, 4th World Grand Prix, 1st World Pro Championships, 1st 1985 Night of Champions, 1st Mr Olympia, 2nd 1986 Mr Olympia, 4th 1987 Grand Prix France, 4th Grand Prix Germany (2), 6th Grand Prix Germany, 4th Mr Olympia, 7th World Pro Championships, 3rd 1988 Chicago Pro Championships, 4th Grand Prix England, 7th Grand Prix France, 11th Grand Prix Germany, 8th Grand Prix Italy, 8th Grand Prix Spain (2), 8th Grand Prix Spain, 7th Night of Champions, 5th Mr Olympia, 15th World Pro Championships, 10th 1989 Arnold Classic, 7th Grand Prix England, 9th Grand Prix Finland, 9th Grand Prix France, 9th Grand Prix Holland, 11th Grand Prix Melbourne, 4th Grand Prix Spain (2), 10th Grand Prix Spain, 10th Grand Prix Sweden, 9th Grand Prix US Pro, 4th Night of Champions, 8th Mr Olympia, 15th World Pro Championships, 4th 1990 Arnold Classic, 9th Houston Pro Championships, 11th Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, 12th Night of Champions, Did not place 1991 Grand Prix Denmark, 7th Grand Prix England, 7th Grand Prix Finland, 9th Grand Prix Italy, 8th Grand Prix Spain, 9th Grand Prix Switzerland, 8th Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, 1st Night of Champions, 7th Mr Olympia, Did not place Pittsburgh Pro Invitational, 12th San Jose Pro Invitational, 5th 1992 Chicago Pro Championships, 16th Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, 8th

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BY ERNIE TAYLOR THE BRITISH PHENOMENON PHOTOS BY CHRIS LUND

LETTERS

BENTOVER ROWS WITH TWO DUMBBELLS

HI ET, I have seen many photos of Jay Cutler doing bentover rows with two dumbbells lying facedown on an incline bench. I do not have one of these benches in my home gym so is there another way of doing this particular exercise? Alan London Hello Alan from London, The exercise you mention, incline bentover rows with two dumbbells, is actually an isolation exercise thats usually performed after compound back movements. Its truly an excellent back exercise and I personally think its fantastic for giving you that Xmas tree look in your lower back. If you cannot do this exercise the way Jay does them, then dont worry. Simply grab two dumbbells and get into the regular bentover row position, keeping your knees bent. From this position pull both dumbbells up just like you would when doing the regular bentover barbell row. You will immediately discover that you can pull the dumbbells up much higher, and when you reach the contracted position, squeeze and tense your lower back for at least two seconds. When you rst start out doing this exercise, use a pair of manageable weights, which will allow you to achieve that incredible contraction in your lower back. Barbell rows are a great compound back-thickening exercise, but you are limited because the movement comes to a full stop when the bar reaches your waist. While the bentover row with two dumbbells is a great exercise, Ive noticed that most pros only do them once a month. It appears that they prefer weighted hyperextensions or reverse-grip barbell bentover rows. Personally, if I were you, I would do bentover rows with two dumbbells every other week. Good luck, ET

TONE UP AND BE FIT

ERNIE, I am 30 years old and Ive been lifting weights for 10 years. Once upon a time, my physique was ok, but since I had chemotherapy back in 2012, I have not trained at all. I would really love to get back into shape and I was wondering if you could give me some advice. I no longer feel the need to build massive musclesall I really want to do now is tone up and be t. Allen Hi Allen, Chemotherapy is a very stressful and demanding course of treatment to put your body through with many serious and unpleasant side effects. You say that you do not want to build massive muscles any more and so I am wondering if you have been given the ok to start training again. Personally, I think that its important to try to stay active exercise-wise during, and especially after, chemotherapy. If youve been a bodybuilder before, then this should present no hardship for you. The best way to tone up and get t is to perform high reps during all your sets. I have made out a workout routine for you, which you should follow no more than three times a week. Twice a week do a good cardio workout (stationary bike or treadmill) for at least 30 minutes each time. Heres that three-day workout routine which will tone you up and make you t.

WEDNESDAY: BACK & ARMS Back

1. Front Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 14-20 reps 2. Close-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 14-16 reps 3. Seated Low Lat Pulley: 3 sets of 14-16 reps 4. Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 3 sets of 14 reps 5. Hyperextension: 2 sets of 20 reps

Biceps
1. V-Bar Low Cable Curl: 3 sets of 16 reps 2. Seated Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 14 reps

Triceps
1. Straight Bar Triceps Pushdown: 3 sets of 16 reps 2. Triceps Dip Between Two Benches: 3 sets of 16 reps

FRIDAY: LEGS
1. Leg Extension: 3 sets of 14-20 reps 2. Leg Press: 3 sets of 14-20 reps 3. Hack Squat: 2 sets of 14 reps 4. Leg Curl: 4 sets of 14 reps 5. Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 16 reps 6. Seated Calf Raise: 2 sets of 16 reps Dont forget to use lighter weights than usual and burn those reps out. Also, rest only as you need to, in between sets. On the nutrition side, always consume a well balanced diet. Every day you should try to eat 1.5 grams each of protein and carbohydrates per pound of muscular bodyweight. And dont forget to drink plenty of water every single day. Good luck Allen, ET

MONDAY: CHEST & SHOULDERS Chest

1. Incline Seated Hammer Strength Chest Press: 3 sets of 16-20 reps 2. Flat Hammer Strength Chest Press: 3 sets of 16-20 reps 3. Pec Deck: 3 sets of 14-16 reps

PRO CARD
DEAR ERNIE, I have been trying to get my IFBB pro card for the last two years, and I usually compete in the 90 kg division. My question is this: if Im ever lucky enough to obtain my pro card, what would I actually do with it? I wouldnt like to enter a pro show just to make up the

Shoulders
1. Seated Front Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 14-16 reps 2. Cable Side Lateral: 3 sets of 14 reps 3. Machine Shrug: 3 sets of 16 reps

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QUINCY TAYLOR

numbers, and I certainly would not be interested in ending my bodybuilding career, so really, is it pointless trying to get a pro card? Big Tezza Hi Tezza, Only you know the answer to this question, Im afraid, because it all boils down to how much you really want this. If and when you do happen to get your pro card, you will be competing in IFBB contests at the highest levels in the world. So, Tezza, if you do not believe that you are good enough to compete in pro competitions, then I dont think you should be competing in amateur ones, unless of course you really love the excitement of competitions. Usually, amateurs compete to live out their dream of becoming a pro; this is a huge

achievement by any standard, and it could open a lot of doors for them. I really understand where youre coming from, Tezza, however; I know of many bodybuilders who have been trying to get their pro card for over ve years! But the good thing about these bodybuilders is that they have never lost their zest for the sport. They simply continue to train, which makes them get better, and brings them closer and closer to their lifes dream. Most great bodybuilders do not throw in the towel when they fail to win a show. With bodybuilding being more competitive than its ever been, these guys simply pick up the pieces and start preparing for the next contest. All the current IFBB pro bodybuilders do exactly the same. They train to become bigger, stronger and better conditioned on a yearly basis.

Your missing ingredients are persistence and determination. You need to dig deep and assess the situation to nd out where youre going wronga two-year attempt to get a pro card is absolutely nothing! Good luck, ET

BICEPS PEAKING ROUTINE

HI ERNIE, I am 19 years old and I have been training for several years. My problem is that when I do a double biceps pose, my biceps look at although they still look big when hanging relaxed by my sides. Can you give me a little help to build that nice biceps peak? I have quite a few DVDs from your competition days, and I have to say that you were blatantly robbed in many of them. Lee

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Hello Lee, Thank you for your kind remarks. What you really need, Lee, is not size (because it sounds like you have that) but peak. Achieving a better biceps peak is usually down to good genetics, but you can still work wonders if you pick the right exercises and work them hard. When you train your biceps you must use a variety of exercise movements to build perfectly round and peaked biceps. You cannot acquire outstanding biceps if you only use regular barbell and dumbbell curls, even if you use very heavy poundages. To unatten or peak your biceps, you need to start doing lots of close-grip barbell curls, and Im talking really closeyour hands should actually be touching each other. You should also try close-grip cable curls from a low pulleythis exercise will hit the outer head of the biceps, forcing it to grow, As a result, your biceps peak should start to appear. Heavy dumbbell concentration curls are also very good for the biceps peak, but you must always lower the weight as slowly as you can. Try curling the dumbbell up to your mouth. Here is a nice biceps-peaking routine for you to follow once a week. 1. Dumbbell Curl: Two warm-up sets of 12 reps and two work sets of 8-12 reps 2. Close-grip Curl: Three work sets of 8-10 reps 3. Dumbbell One-arm Concentration Curl: Two work sets of 8-10 reps 4. Two-arm cable curl: Two sets of 8-10 reps Good luck, ET

CORRECT TRAINING PLAN

HI ERNIE, I am trying my best to build some lean muscle, and I train each body part only once a week, like you recommend. I train my chest and back on Monday. On Tuesday I do arms, and I rest on Wednesday. On Thursday I train legs, and on Friday I do shoulders. I rest over the weekend. I do four exercises for each body part, incorporating compound exercises and isolation movements. I also happen to work in a kitchen, so I have access to all different kinds of food. I have made some gains, but lately I seem to have come to an abrupt halt, even though

RONNIE COLEMAN
I always use a weight that just enables me to get 10-15 reps in a set. I always do three sets, on every exercise, and concentrate on doing slow and controlled reps. I weigh 80 kg, but dont look as ripped as I shouldat 6 feet tall, I look more like wet spaghetti! Jimbo

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Hello Jimbo, I would say that you are about 75% on track, except that you are not grouping your body parts correctly, and this is probably why youre not

gaining as you should. For example, on Monday you train chest and back in the same workout, which is one major reason why you are not gaining. Jimbo, you cannot train two major body

parts together like this. After a really hard chest workout, its almost impossible to train your back properly. Also, I do not believe that biceps and triceps should be trained together in a

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JAY CUTLER

workout. So really, its just about impossible for you to grow using this training plan. I think that its about time for you to get down to some real training, which will build muscle you never knew you had. Heres your correct training plan.

3. Dumbbell Kickback: Two work sets of 8-12 reps

TUESDAY: BACK
1. Wide-grip Lat Pulldown: Two warm-up sets of 8-10 reps and one work set of 15 reps 2. One-Arm Hammer Strength Row: One work set of 10-12 reps, each arm 3. Low Lat Pulley (Reverse Grip): Two warm-up sets of 8-12 reps and one work set of 8-12 reps, to failure 4. Bentover Row: Two warm-up sets of 8-10 reps and one work set of 8-10 reps 5. Hyperextension: Two work sets of 14-15 reps

2. Seated Two-Arm Cable Curl: Three work sets of 8-12 reps 3. Dumbbell Curl: Two work sets of 8-12 reps

FRIDAY: LEGS
1. Leg Extension: Two warm-up sets of 10-12 reps and two work sets of 10-12 reps 2. Squat: Three work sets of 10-12 reps 3. Leg Press: Two warm-up sets of 14-15 reps and two work sets of 15 reps 4. Standing Calf Raise: Three work sets of 8-12 reps, to failure. 5. Seated Calf Raise: Three work sets of 8-12 reps 6. Donkey Calf Raise: One work set of 10-12 reps 7. Stiff-legged Deadlift: Three work sets of 8-12 reps Good luck, ET FLEX You can send your questions on training and nutrition to Ernie Taylor: ET Column c/o Weider Publishing Ltd, 10 Windsor Court, Clarence Drive, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 2PE or email ernietaylor@hotmail.co.uk.

MONDAY: SHOULDERS AND TRICEPS Shoulders

1. Seated Dumbbell Press: Two warm-up sets of 12 reps and two work sets of 8-12 reps 2. Dumbbell Side Laterals: Two warm-up sets of 12 reps and two work sets of 10-12 reps 3. Dumbbell Alternate Forward Raise: Two work sets of 8-10 reps 4. Barbell Shrug: Three work sets of 8-10 reps

WEDNESDAY: REST THURSDAY: CHEST AND BICEPS Chest

1. Incline Barbell Press: Two warm-up sets of 8-10 reps and two work sets of 8-10 reps 2. Pec Deck: Three work sets of 8-10 reps 3. Incline Dumbbell Flye: Two warm-up sets of 10 reps and one work set of 8 reps

Triceps
1. Wide-grip Triceps Pushdown: Two warm-up sets of 8-12 reps and one work set of 12 reps, to failure. 2. Lying EZ Triceps Extension: Two warm-up sets of 8-12 reps and one work set of 8-12 reps, to failure

Biceps
1. EZ Bar Curl: Two warm-up sets of 8-12 reps and two work sets of 8-10 reps

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MUSCLETECH NANO VAPOR

sulphur group, which allows it to perform important functions in the body that lead to increased muscle endurance and strength. Research also shows that it can increase blood ow to muscles, and pull uid into muscle bres to enhance the muscle pump. GRADE: HHHHH REASON: Research conrms that supplementing with taurine provides numerous benets that aid workout performance and results.

WE EXAMINE THE CRITICAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IN VARIOUS SPORTS SUPPLEMENTS. WE AWARD HIGH MARKS TO THOSE WITH EXISTING SUPPORTIVE DATA, REAL-WORLD RESULTS AND INNOVATION IN FORMULATION. HERE WE PUT MUSCLETECH NANO VAPOR UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.
CREATINE MONOHYDRATE is a supplement that needs no introduction. Almost anyone who is into sport and weight training knows that creatine is effective for boosting muscle size, muscle strength and overall athletic performance. What most people may not realise is that the main way creatine works is by providing the muscle bres with the quick energy that they need for muscle contractions. So its a good idea to get a dose of creatine before your workout to ensure that your muscle bres are fully stocked and therefore have ample energy to power through the workout resulting in more strength and endurance. Creatine also works through numerous other ways to boost muscle growth. One of these ways is by pulling more uid into the muscle cells. Although this may seem like a temporary solution, the greater volume inside the muscle cell places a stretch on the membrane, which increases muscle protein synthesis, resulting in long-term muscle growth. Research has also found that creatine increases levels of the important growth factor insulin-like growth factor-1, and it has been shown to blunt levels of the muscle growth inhibitor myostatin. The majority of the research that showed these positive effects of creatine was done using the monohydrate form. GRADE: HHHHH REASON: Creatine monohydrate has hundreds of clinical research studies supporting its ability to increase muscle size, muscle strength and performance. TAURINE (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is often referred to as an amino acid although technically it is not one in the usual biochemical meaning of the term. Taurine is derived from the amino acid cysteine and contains a

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CARNOSYN BETA-ALANINE is a patented form of the amino acid beta-alanine, which is one of the most critical amino acids to take before workouts. Numerous research studies conrm that it boosts muscle strength and power, as well as muscle endurance. Beta-alanine works in the body by joining with the amino acid histidine to form the dipeptide carnosine. During exercise, carnosine prevents the muscle bres from becoming too acidic, so that you can train with greater strength and power for longer. GRADE: HHHHH REASON: Beta-alanine has more than enough research to suggest that it is an essential supplement to take before workouts for anyone interested in improving their muscle strength, muscle endurance, muscle size, and body composition. CAFFEINE ANHYDROUS is the most effective form of caffeine that you can use. The majority of studies showing that caffeine enhances athletic performance have been done using this form. Although most people think that its benets come down to just its action as a stimulant, caffeine does far more than just increase alertness and mental focus. Research studies have found that when caffeine anhydrous is taken before workouts, it boosts muscle strength and power as well as muscle endurance. Studies have also shown that taking caffeine before workouts blunts muscle pain. Less muscle pain allows you to bump up your training intensity and take sets further past muscle failure. Training with more intensity, strength, endurance and focus all leads to better results. GRADE: HHHHH REASON: Caffeine is one of the most studied ergogenic aids in the world. There are numerous studies and decades of anecdotal reports that verify its ability to boost performance in the gym. QUERCETIN is a powerful antioxidant/ avonoid found naturally in onions, apples, tea, broccoli, citrus fruits, grapes and capers. Its been found to help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Recent research has also shown that quercetin can help you avoid catching the u, and assists in boosting blood ow to muscles. Studies show that quercetin can increase endurance during

exercise by increasing mitochondrial biogenesis. In other words, it can boost the number of mitochondria in cells such as the muscles and the brain. The mitochondria are basically the bodys own mini power plantsthey work in all kinds of cells to produce energy. That not only means that quercetin can help you train longer and get more reps with a given weight in the gym, but it may also enhance fat-burning. Research suggests that the fat-burning effect of quercetin may be due to its ability to activate adiponectin, which further promotes fat-burning and inhibits fat storage. If that werent enough, the most recent research on quercetin suggests that it can also help maintain higher testosterone levels. GRADE: HHHHH REASON: Numerous studies support the ability of quercetin to aid fat loss, performance and general health. L-THEANINE is an amino acid that is actually a modied form of glutamine. It is readily transported into the brain where it promotes relaxation by naturally increasing the bodys production of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is an important inhibitory neurotransmitter. Higher production of GABA increases growth hormone, which can aid muscle growth, as well as fat loss by increasing the release of fat from fat cells. You may be puzzled as to why this amino acid, known for its relaxation benets, is included in a pre-workout supplement. This is due to the fact that when L-theanine is combined with caffeine, as in NANO VAPOR, it enhances brain function and mood. During workouts, this can lead to greater focus and improved mood, which can help with the mind-muscle connection and lead to better workouts. GRADE: HHHHH REASON: Theanine has a plethora of research supporting its ability to promote relaxation as well as aid brain function and mood, which all help you get a better workout. FLEX

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RACING TO THE TOP

Shortly after winning the heavyweight and overall titles at the 2005 NPC Junior National Championships (his third contest and first national level qualifier), Phil Heath hit this pose during his first photo shoot for FLEX magazine. The image and accompanying lines from Heaths first FLEX cover show the then-25-year-old poised for bigger things, and he delivered, earning his pro card a few weeks later at the NPC USA Championships and then winning his first two contests in his rookie pro season in 2006. Despite minor speed bumps over the next few years, he continued to make good on the hype, climbing all the way to the top to become Mr Olympia. FLEX

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