Muscle & Fitness USA - June 2018

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COVER
STORY
18 The Human
Photoshop
IN EVERY ISSUE
14 FROM THE CHAIRMAN
16 EDITOR’S LETTER
196 ASK
200 LAST WORD
FEATURES
80 Rock Hard
Challenge: Part 2
110 Saved by the Bell
86 Train & Pain: Part 1
116 Let’s Talk

About Steroids
94 Eat to Get
Shredded
122 Fast Carlin
100 One-Tool
Workout: Dumbbell
SECTIONS
31 EDGE 47 TRAIN 67 EAT
130 FLEX
ON THE
COVER
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from your training FITNESS EDITOR Andrew Gutman

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month’s cover star, Jeremy Potvin, for

example (page 18). Potvin, a U.S. military
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FOREIGN EDITIONS
League pro card in men’s physique. Once
he did, he opted to work even harder to
Argentina Australia Belarus Bulgaria Chile Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Ecuador
stand out in his division. Another example
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physique pro who aspires to bring a

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(page 154). If Vissers is to join the ranks of

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when you pursue goals with everything FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
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The information in MUSCLE & FITNESS is intended to educate. Do not substitute it for the advice of a qualiied health care practitioner.
of American Media Inc.
14 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018

SCIENTIFICALLY
FORMULATED
NATURALLY FLAVORED
30g
Protein
6.8g
BCAAs
3.3
Leucine
g
3 g
Creatine
SUPERIOR MUSCLEBUILDING PEPTIDES & ISOLATE FORMULATED BASED ON RESEARCH
E D I T O R ’ L E T T E R
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
“I
t’s dangerous to go alone.” my buttons sometimes), who call Again, the crowd rallied behind
The line comes from an OG me out on my bullshit, who are him as he went for PRs.
Nintendo game, The Legend never too big to own up to their When you break it down, it’s
of Zelda, and it’s one I value mistakes, and who refuse to allow about following a simple rule:
enough to have had inscribed pettiness to spoil a good thing. Don’t be an asshole. The positive
on the inside of my wedding One of the many aspects I impact you can have on others by
band. In the context of the game, appreciate about our industry is adhering to that directive cannot
the protagonist is fed the line by just how many people within its be understated.
a stranger while being offered a various subcommunities fit into So if you’re a guy who routinely
sword because, yeah, walking that category. I experienced dumps on the skinny kid who
through a spooky forest unarmed countless examples last year as a can’t bench-press 135 pounds,
(read: alone) is most certainly newbie to obstacle course racing help and encourage him next
dangerous in a traditional sense. when other racers would time instead. Don’t make him go
In broader terms, “go alone” can selflessly stop to offer a hand if alone. He’ll be stronger—and
also mean trying to take on too they saw me struggling. you’ll be better—for it.
much by yourself, which can And earlier this year I witnessed
inhibit your ability to grow and it again as M&F fitness editor
succeed, whether it be in your Andrew Gutman competed in his Sincerely,
training, your relationships, or first Strongman show; his fellow Zack Zeigler
your career. competitors opted to cheer him Executive Editor
You can avoid this by being on, and even offer advice, instead
E R I C A S C H U LT Z
selective with the people you of attempting to psych him out.

surround yourself with. I prefer Shortly after that, our senior
people with positive attitudes editor, Mike Rodio, participated in
who push me (even if they push his first powerlifting competition.

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> JEREMY POTVIN
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JEREMY
POTVIN
BIRTH DATE:
July 21, 1989
HEIGHT: 5'6"
WEIGHT:
155 lbs (contest);
185 lbs (off-season)
RESIDENCE:
Dallas, TX
CAREER
HIGHLIGHTS:
2017 Physique
Olympia, 5th;
2016 Physique
Olympia, 3rd
INSTAGRAM:
@jeremypotvin_
J E R E M Y P OT V I N
S
OME PEOPLE SEE A from it and just kept at it.” says Potvin about serving in the
photo of IFBB pro Jeremy He began eating seriously, upping armed forces. “The drive to never
Potvin, and their first his protein and overall calorie quit is there in me because of the
comment is, “Right, pal. intake, until his body started to take military.”
Show me a picture of him shape. Remarkable shape.
that’s not Photoshopped.” “The more I trained, the more EYES ON OLYMPIA
So dramatic is Potvin’s waist-to- I found out I had the genetics, in True to character, Potvin has worked
shoulder ratio that his body seems terms of shape, for men’s physique,” hard and found quick success in
like, well, fake news. he says. “I was hooked.” the pros after earning his IFBB pro
As fans of the IFBB Pro League card in 2014. He’s finished in the
physique division know, Potvin top five of the Physique Olympia the
is for real. In an era when some past two years (third in 2016, fifth
bodybuilders are criticized for in 2017) and is determined to place
thick midsections and protruding THE DRIVE TO higher. Potvin is planning on com-
bellies, Potvin displays the type of
aesthetically stunning proportions
NEVER QUIT IS peting 10 pounds heavier this year
(165 pounds), but not at the expense
that built the sport of bodybuilding THERE IN ME of his trademark flesh-and-blood
in the Golden Age. As the growing BECAUSE OF Photoshop look.
popularity of the men’s physique
and classic physique divisions prove,
THE MILITARY. “I’m still trying to create the cra-
ziest shoulder-to-waist ratio you’ve
the Apollonian contours of the chis- ever seen,” he says. “Trying to grow
eled, tight midsection under flaring wider up top and keeping my waist
lats and cannonball delts are what as small as possible.”
most guys want to create for them- As diicult as his experiences were His potential is limitless, but for
selves. And this look becomes more in Iraq, Potvin believes that his now, he has no intentions to move
desirable as summer kicks into high Army training, as well as growing up from the physique category.
gear and bodies are on display at the up in a military family, helped him “My plan is to always progress
beach and pool. stay structured and disciplined. This within bodybuilding and keep
mindset has carried over into his growing,” he says. “If I ever outgrow
ARMY STRONG civilian life and bodybuilding career. physique, then I’ll definitely make
Potvin’s journey to pro bodybuilder “It’s a good way to grow up quick,” a move.”
is one of those unlikely success
stories that begins with a skinny, shy
teenager. Potvin weighed only 116
pounds (at a height of 5'6") when he
graduated high school. Afterward,
he joined the Army, following in the
footsteps of his father, who is career
military. After surviving boot camp,
Potvin was deployed to Iraq. He
began weight training—not to build
muscle but as a coping mechanism.
While stationed in Iraq for a year,
he served in 183 missions, including
some major operations.
“We did quite a bit,” he says. “I saw
my share of excitement over there.”
The training helped keep Potvin
centered.
“In Iraq, I started working out as
a way to relieve my stress,” he says.
His body responded in a way that
surprised him. “I kind of fell in love
with the results that I was getting

I’M STILL
TRYING TO
CREATE THE
CRAZIEST
SHOULDER-TO-
WAIST RATIO
YOU’VE EVER
SEEN.
Upper-Body Blast
CHEST & BACK

Potvin begins with three to four
warmup sets. Then he does four
to five working sets, followed by
a burnout (a lightweight, high-
rep blood flush).
WO R KO U T
CHEST
EXERCISE SETS REPS
DUMBBELL INCLINE PRESS 4–5 8–12
STRAIGHT-ARM 4–5 8–12

DUMBBELL PULLOVER
WO R KO U T
BACK
EXERCISE SETS REPS
ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW 4–5 8–12
T-BAR ROW 4–5 8–12
DUMBBELL
INCLINE PRESS
Lie back on an incline bench with a
heavy dumbbell in each hand. Press
the weights up so they’re over your
chest. Lower the dumbbells back
down to your chest.
POTVIN’S PICKS
Create a mind-blowing physique.

STRAIGHT-ARM
DB PULLOVER
Hold the top of a dumbbell over your
chest with two hands. Lower it
behind your head, feeling a stretch
in the lats. Pull it back up to top.
DUMBBELL
INCLINE FLYE
This move, which hits your upper pecs,
is best done after your main compound
movements. Performance tip: Squeeze
your shoulder blades together at the
bottom of the movement to maximize
the stretch on your pecs.
JUNE 2018 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 23

DEADLIFT
Rather than rebounding the bar off
the floor each rep, come to a dead
stop. This removes momentum
and forces you to reactivate your
muscles with each and every rep.
T-BAR ROW
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
and knees slightly bent. Pull the weight
toward you by contracting your back
muscles and bending your elbows. Keep
your chest out and lower back arched.
REVERSE-GRIP
BENTOVER ROW
Grab the barbell with an underhand
grip and hinge at your hips until your
torso is about 45 degrees from the
floor. Row the bar to your stomach.
24 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018 Shot on location at Metro Fitness North, Worthington Woods, OH
BARBELL
BENCH PRESS
Properly set up by having a slight
arch in your lower back with your
feet planted firmly on the ground,
actively pressing out your knees,
elbows tucked in close to sides.
PULLUP
Pullups are a great finisher if you have
extra energy at the end of your work-
out. Grasp the bar with an overhand
grip, hang from the bar with legs
straight or crossed, and pull your body
up until your chin is above the bar.
Lower under control.

R E ST I S RUST
POTVIN’S SPLIT
Potvin loves to train and tries to lift every
single day. Below is his usual weekly body-
part split. (Note: He takes a rest day when he
feels his body needs it.)
DAY BODY PART
TUESDAY BACK
THURSDAY SHOULDERS
SATURDAY CHEST
WHEN I WAS
YOUNGER, I
LIKED TO MAX
OUT A LOT. IT
HELPED BUILD
MY THICKNESS.
ONE-ARM
DUMBBELL ROW
Keeping your chest pointed to the
floor, pull the dumbbell up to your
waist by contracting your back
muscles and bending your elbow.

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E D G E E S S E N T I A L S By Kevin Gray
RATTLE
THE CAGE
Luke Cage star
MUSTAFA SHAKIR on
his favorite workouts
and fitness gear.
M
ustafa Shakir is a busy
man. The talented actor
stars in the sci-fi short
Let Them Die Like Lovers,
which hit the Tribeca
Film Festival in April. He’ll be
reprising his role as Big Mike this
fall on HBO’s in which
he provides a quiet presence and
plenty of muscle as the right-hand
man to James Franco’s character.
And in Marvel’s Luke Cage—which
drops its second season on Netflix
on June 22—he’ll take on his most
physical role yet, playing John
McIver, aka Bushmaster, a super-
strong supervillain who’s out for
vengeance. So Shakir’s got plenty
of incentive to stay in shape.
TOP TOOLS
MOTIVATION
“These are physical characters, so
I want to do them justice,” says the
Harlem, NY, native. “I try to stay in
the gym as much as possible. For
Luke Cage, I went for a more slender
approach, so I did lots of cardio to
keep myself lean and slim.” That
included plenty of ight choreogra- CHUCK TAYLORS
“When I’m doing lower-body work, I usu-
phy to prep for his role as the
D O N N I XO N ; C O U RT E S Y O F H B O / PAU L S C H I R A L D I
ally wear Chuck Taylors. They’re com-

combat-savvy Bushmaster, some- fortable and provide a good base. If not
thing that complemented Shakir’s those, then a lightweight running shoe.”
own background in martial arts.
BODY
MUSCLE CONFUSION OPPONENT
Shakir employs a mix of cross- BAG (BOB)
“I like hitting and
training, weight training, and yoga kicking a stand-
and keeps his cardio simple by ing bag like the
running, jumping rope, and hitting BOB. It’s great car-
the bag. “I like to vary my workouts to dio and lets me
work on some of
keep my muscles confused,” he says, that fight training
“so they continue to adapt and grow.” on my own.”

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E D G E As told to Steve Mazzucchi
“I’m so proud of
this work,” says
Schmid of Six.
“I can’t wait for
people to see what
we’ve managed to
create.”
KYLE SCHMID
As Season 2 gets rolling, the Six star
TUNE IN
talks Navy SEAL–level fitness, going off

the sauce, and the magic of Reiki.
FIT AS A SEAL much for their country, and they do

Going into Season 1, the production it for no fame or money. That’s why WORK IT OUT
team put us through something it was so important to us and our SEALs have a mental toughness that
called SEALFit to give us a taste of SEAL consultant, Mitch Hall, to be allows them to accomplish so much
what these guys really go through. It authentic. I’m most proud of getting more, and it’s changed how hard I
was four days of sleep deprivation, fantastic feedback and support work out. Now I warm up with a ive-
surf torture, working out nonstop, from military personnel, because it mile run and a 30-minute circuit.
and doing hikes carrying packs means we’ve done something right. Then I’ll lit weights for 45 minutes
full of steel plates. It pushed us all or so, working on some core muscle
to our limits, it created this bond TROOPS TIME groups. I need stimulation on a
among the cast, and each of us let If it weren’t for the military we regular basis, and if I don’t get it, I can
a changed person. It really broke us wouldn’t have a show, so I try to meet battle bouts of depression. So it’s
down and rebuilt us to it our roles. as many veterans as possible. I’ve truly something that I need to stay
been skydiving with the U.S. Army’s mentally sane. It keeps me happy.
REAL DEAL Golden Knights and teamed up with
C O U RT E S Y O F H I S T O RY
The biggest worry was that we’d be Tough Mudder to raise funds for FRESH-AIR FIEND
met with some hostility because Student Veterans of America. It I’m a irm believer in balance, and go-
we’re shedding light on a subject [U.S. helps vets apply their military ex- ing to the gym can get monotonous.
military counterterrorism unit SEAL perience to the educational system So from golf and soccer to suring
Team Six] that is typically a very quiet and become top students, because and hiking with my dog, I try to be ac-
one. These men and women give so believe it or not, they are brilliant. tive in as many ways as possible. My

E D G E B O D Y B O O K
GET
LIT In Season 2, we
see a darker
side of Schmid’s
character, Alex.
FOCUS
I N T E N SIT Y
PUMPS
girlfriend and I have a great outdoor many levels. The best way I can de-
lifestyle. We go camping, and we’ll scribe it is assisted meditation. I suf-
do road trips up the California coast. fer from anxiety like so many other
Life’s short. You’ve gotta take advan- people, and it really takes the tension
tage of it. We’ve got a beautiful world out of my shoulders and neck and
we should constantly be exploring. kind of redistributes it through the
body so that I’m balanced. I try to do
BOOZE-FREE it at least once a week.
Recently I’ve cut alcohol out of my
diet. I had a dry January, which then NEXT-LEVEL TRAINING
kind of turned into “I don’t really miss Before Season 2, Hall and his team
hangovers, so I’m just going to contin- led us into the mountains near Van-
ue.” I set a goal for myself to stay dry couver, where we learned to navigate
until May 28, which is the premiere and camp in the backwoods and
of Season 2. That’s when I’m going to hiked nearly 3,000 feet up Black
kick back with the boys and have a Tusk in snowshoes. This experience
glass of champagne and celebrate. reminded us how important it is trust
your brothers and that we’re always
GOING GREEN capable of more than we think. Six
I had a little layer of fat below my is a show that demands a lot, but it’s
belly button that I couldn’t get rid of, nothing compared with the sacriices
so instead of a typical lumberjack the American military makes on a
breakfast, I’ve cut that down to green daily basis. We only hope to remind
juices, which I make at home with people that freedom is not free.
romaine, spinach, apples, bananas,
organic protein, oats, ginger, and SNEAK PREVIEW
lemon juice. It’s much cleaner and Season 2’s a mind-bender. We intro-
healthier. I’ve learned I don’t need a duce Olivia Munn, who’s fantastic,
huge breakfast. My body functions and we see what happens to Rip,
C O U RT E S Y O F H I S T O RY
better of fruits and natural sugars. Walt Goggins’ character. And my

character is kind of a rock star, but
REIKI AND RELAXATION we see some of the darker efects of
My girlfriend runs Reiki Healing putting people in these situations.
Hale, and I’m very lucky she came I’ve never played someone who has
into my life because it helps me on made such a transition.
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E D G E By Jeff Tomko
biking, skiing, suring, scuba diving,

glacier hiking. Even when I’m shoot-
ing a ilm, while others are taking
their lunches, napping, or eating,
I’ll be at the gym. People think I’m
crazy, but it gives me more energy
than eating and sitting in my trailer.
What is your gym routine?

I’m obsessed with Peloton. I love
taking the Tour de France, last stage,
climbing the Alps. But circuit train-
ing with big cardio spikes is really
my go-to. If I’m in the weight room,
I’ll work multiple body parts.
Can you maintain a plank

without getting bored?
That’s something that’s hard for
me—yoga, planks, core work. It’s
because I grew up working out next
to Sylvester Stallone when he was
training for Rambo, and it’s hard to
picture Stallone doing a plank or a
downward dog.
What was it like training with

Stallone in his prime?
Actually, I worked out with both
TUNE IN
Arnold and Sly in the mid-’80s—
to me, that’s like saying you
played baseball with Babe Ruth.
THE LOWE
It was just unbelievable. People
high-octane would gather around and watch
lifestyle. Lowe, them at Santa Monica Bodybuild-
DOWN
who stars in the ing. Nobody works out like that
CBS medical drama Code Black, anymore. That’s old-school.
talks fitness, cheat meals, and
lifting with Sylvester Stallone. You’re also now an ambassador
The veteran actor on for Atkins. How does that figure
training with Stallone You’re 54, yet you seem to defy into your lifestyle?
and his secrets to age. What’s your secret? I’ve been eating high protein, low
I still wanna get better and do more. carbs for a long time, and Atkins
staying young. I was fortunate that I was able to— were the ones who made it popular,
and had to—give up drinking and all like, 30 years ago. They called me
A
M A A RT E N D E B O E R /G E T T Y I M AG E S
time capsule of the ’80s that kind of party stuf 27 years ago. up, and I realized that I’ve already
would not be complete Because of that, I wake up every been doing it.
without a Tiger Beat cover day already in the red zone. I’m also
of then-teen heartthrob Rob still curious and interested in life— Any cheat meals?
Lowe. Today, the face of to me, that’s the hallmark of youth. I’m not giving up my guilty plea-
such iconic films as St. Elmo’s Fire sures. I will always have my New
and Youngblood remains ageless, So how do you channel your York pizza and a Häagen-Dazs
thanks to nearly three decades of youthful energy? milkshake. Life is too short to not
clean living, healthy eating, and a I’m an adrenaline junkie—I love have those things.

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E D G E I N S P I R A T I O N By Steve Mazzucchi
SOLID AS
A BLOCK
An explosion took
Tom Block’s right eye
and his Army Ranger
career. But Strongman
competitions
keep him amped
about life. Despite losing his right eye and his job as
an Army Ranger, Block uses Strongman—
and his wicked sense of humor—to remain
upbeat and positive about life.
I
f you don’t think a tale of guerrilla
warfare and its aftermath can
leave you feeling uplifted, then
you haven’t met Tom Block.
In the fall of 2013, the former
Minnesota State University, Man-
kato, wrestler was one happy Army
Ranger on his fourth deployment
to Afghanistan. Then everything
changed. Leading his team into an With the help of strength coach
enemy compound, Block encoun- Matt Powell and his buddies at CJ
tered a suicide bomber and was Murphy’s Total Performance Sports
blasted 30 feet through the night sky. gym outside Boston, Block has ARMY STRONG
Riddled with shrapnel and bleeding rocked three Strongman contests
profusely, he somehow survived. and qualiied for the U.S. Strongman BLOCK’S STRONGMAN
“This whole getting-blown-up
thing really cramped my style,” he
Nationals in Westchester, NY, at the
end of June.
WORKOUT
wisecracks now. Though, at the time, Turns out gathering with like- Try this brutal training session that Block
it was no joke. More than a dozen minded folks to “lit heavy sh*t” is performs on most Saturdays.
surgeries couldn’t bring back his right beneicial not only to a wounded
EXERCISE SETS REPS
eye, and, more devastatingly, Block’s soldier’s body but also to his morale.
Ranger days were over. Block relishes the camaraderie, the * 5 5
“I realized ater a while that I was training, and, above all else, the disci- CAR DEADLIFT* 5 5
never gonna be the same ever again,” pline required to hoist a 400-pound
5
Block says. “I was shaken, and that’s a stone or thousand-pound yoke.
battle to this day.” Now his dream is to build a gym that HUSAFELL CARRY 5 100 FEET
But the tough SOB—who now dons brings vets together and for “every- 5 5
a prosthetic eye emblazoned with body to crush steel and steak on a ANY 3 AB EXERCISES** - 100 REPS
Captain America’s shield—soldiered Saturday.” The new dad also wants to EACH
on and is currently working a baddie- win more contests and get invited *Use 80% of your one-rep max. For the car
COU RT E SY OF TOM B L O C K
busting Homeland Security gig to the Arnold Sports Festival. deadlift, raise the back two wheels of a car that’s
parked in a custom frame.
(which he’s not at liberty to discuss In the meantime, he’s got a little **Take as many sets as needed to complete 100
reps for each ab move.
in detail). Still, his drive these days advice for the rest of us: “If you want
comes from something else. f*cking gains in the weight room,
“What’s really kept me sane and you’ve gotta have goals,” he says. FOLLOW
inding a new focus in life,” the long- “Gains need goals. Goals need gains. Block on Instagram @tommyblock52.
time gym rat reveals, “is Strongman.” Oh, and watch Rocky movies!”

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E D G E
BARRE IS
GOOD FOR THE
THIGHS AND
THE BOOTY.
I’M ALL ABOUT
THE BOOTY.
By Shawn Donnelly
TRAN OF THOUGHT
Now starring in Claws, actress KARRUECHE
TRAN talks cheat meals, gym style, and
booty-centric workouts.
The first season of Claws was work with a trainer in the gym.
a big hit, but plenty of folks I use machines. I do squats and
still haven’t seen it. What would sumo squats with the bar on my
you tell guys who are hesitant shoulders, and lunges with dumb-
to dial it up? bells. I’m tiny, so I don’t want to
Men seem to think that because use too much weight. I don’t want
it revolves around women in a nail to be a little stick with muscle.
salon, Claws is only for females.
But they don’t realize there’s drugs, Sounds like a solid regimen.
crime, sex, and all this crazy stuff Yeah, I’m trying to take care of
going on. the mind, body, and soul.
Your character is a former What’s your diet like?

stripper who is fond of pink fur I cut out red meat and pork. I
coats, thigh-high boots, and want to be slim thick: slim but still
lollipops. Would she ever set kind of thick at the same time.
foot in a gym? Because if I go on a strict diet, I
Virginia would enter a gym just become too thin, and I lose all the
to do some squats for her booty. fat in my body. I’ve been eating
That’s probably the only reason. more vegetables. I love kale now.
And her gym outfit would be Oh, and I drink lots of water.
absolutely ridiculous. Her hair Water’s like my best friend.
would be done, her makeup would
be done, her nails would be Got a favorite cheat meal?
done. She’ll make sure In-N-Out Burger used to
she looks cute first, be my cheat meal. I
and then she’ll worry love In-N-Out, but I
about the workout. don’t eat red meat
TUNE IN anymore, so I’ll get
Is that how you are the grilled cheese.
at the gym? It isn’t as good as a
No. I always want to cheeseburger, but
make sure my eye- it’ll do for now.
brows and my eyelashes
are on. But I don’t like to have You were once a celebrity
heavy makeup or anything like stylist. Do you have any style
that. When you’re sweating, that tips for guys at the gym?
makeup goes into your face. I do Try to wear something that
C L I F F WAT T S / T R U N K A R C H I V E
like to wear cute little gym outfits. matches. A nice pair of shorts and
Not like Virginia, though. a tank top or T-shirt.
How often do you train? How do you feel about dudes

At least three times a week. I do wearing compression pants
hot yoga and barre classes. Barre is with no shorts?
good for the thighs and the booty, To each his own. If you want to
and I’m all about the booty. I also show off the booty, why not?

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By Mark Barroso, NSCA-C.P.T.
THE LATEST IN TRAINING, RECOVERY, AND GEAR
GET WRECKED
This “sandless” sandbag will boost
athleticism, slash fat, and kick your ass.
L
ooking to freshen up
your routine? Try using
the Wreck Bag—a
“sandless” sandbag, filled
with rubber pellets, that
can be heaved, tossed, and
carried for a full-body
workout. It’s a favorite among
obstacle course race (OCR)
athletes and elite trainers, like
Alex Nicholas, C.P.T., owner of
Epic Hybrid Training, a chain
of facilities that specialize in
OCR training. “With the right
Wreck Bag workout, you
can burn fat and improve
anaerobic capacity, stability,
agility, coordination, explo-
siveness, speed, and
strength,” he says.
Give the following workout,
created by Nicholas, a try. Don’t
have access to a Wreck Bag?
Use a sandbag (with handles)
or two dumbbells.
SNATCH
Start in a deadlift position.
Grab the Wreck Bag by the
handles (ideally, where
they connect with the bag).
Explode upward, ending
in the overhead position.
Photographs by Per Bernal JUNE 2018 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 47

T R A I N W R E C K B A G W O R K O U T
HIIT HIGH KNEES

Place the Wreck Bag on your back,
WRECK BAG holding it by the handles. Drive
your knees upward toward your
WORKOUT chest in a rapid fashion, alternat-
ing fluidly between legs.
DIRECTIONS: Perform each
exercise nonstop for 40 seconds,
then rest for 20 seconds. Do five
rounds total, resting a minute
between rounds.
EXERCISE REPS REST
MILITARY 40 SEC. 20 SEC.

PRESS
REVERSE 40 SEC. 20 SEC.

LUNGE
REVERSE LUNGE
Place the Wreck Bag on your
back. Step backward with one
SHUTTLE RUN 40 SEC. 20 SEC. leg, lowering your hips until
both knees are bent at about
90 degrees, then step forward.
Switch legs each repetition.
G RO O M I N G BY A P O L L O BA R R AGA N
MILITARY
PRESS
Hold the Wreck
Bag behind your
head, elbows
pointing out.
Brace your core
and press the
bag up until arms
are locked out.

T R A I N W R E C K B A G W O R K O U T
CLEAN SHUTTLE RUN

Start in a deadlift position, holding the Place the Wreck Bag on your back,
Wreck Bag by the handles. Pull it up, holding it by the handles. Sprint 10
and once the bag reaches groin level, yards to a designated point, then
drive your hips forward and pop it up turn and sprint back to your starting
into the front rack position. position. Repeat for 40 seconds.
X MARKS
THE SPOT
ONE MORE REP

PRE-WORKOUT: Improving
on a good thing isn’t easy,
but BPI has managed to
up its pre-workout game.
By adding on-trend
ingredients like beetroot
powder, citrulline, and
carnitine, it has revamped
its One More Rep pre-
workout (formally known
as 1.M.R) to fight fatigue
and better enhance focus
for every swing, snatch,
and clean you have to
endure. $33; bpisports.com
50 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018 Modeled by Team BPI Athlete Parker Egerton
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T R A I O F T H E M O N T H By Andrew Gutman
WALK THIS WAY

Get bigger and stronger from head to toe
with this oft-overlooked loaded carry.
F
or years, the farmer’s stabilizing your body as the
carry—and its many dangling weight sways back
variations—has been and forth between your legs.
hands down the go-to You want to maintain sturdi-
loaded carry for building ness through the torso, keep
core strength and a viselike your shoulders locked back,
grip. This has overshadowed and accelerate quickly. But be
the benefits you can glean warned: “You’re going to get a
from another carry: the little beat up,” says Matt Mills,
duck walk. a competitive strongman and
A mainstay in strongman owner of Lightning Fitness
competitions, the duck walk in South Windsor, CT. “Your
has lifters carry a T-shaped inner thighs are going to get
handle, or T-bar, that’s loaded bruised from the plates, but,
with 45-pound plates in hey, that’s strongman.”
between their legs. It’s a test of Below, Mills breaks down
grip strength, speed, stamina, how to do the duck walk.
footwork, and stability. The Follow his advice and give it a
challenge comes from try. You’ll find it’s a great sub-
stitute for traditional cardio
at the end of a workout, as it
taxes your whole body.
QUICK TIP
DUCK, YEAH
HOW TO
DUCK WALK
Stand with a loaded T bar
1 between your legs, feet wider
than shoulder width and toes
pointed out in a 45-degree angle.
(If you don’t have a T bar, hold a
dumbbell vertically by the head
or grip the handle of a heavy
kettlebell. You’ll also spare your
thighs this way.)
Pick up the weight, squeezing

2
your shoulder blades together

and fighting the urge to lean
forward. “You want to be upright
for a duck walk,” Mills says.
Start walking forward, taking

3 short, choppy, heel-to-toe
steps. “Have your toes angled out
and kinda just waddle with it,”
Mills says. Do 5 sets of 50 feet.
/ JUNE 2018 Photograph by Per Bernal

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T R A I N C A R D I O
MIGHT AS
WELL JUMP
Torch upwards of 150 calories
in just 15 minutes with a combo
of rope jumping and full-body HOP TO IT
conditioning moves.
J
umping rope is one of the creator of Punk Rope workouts you don’t have time to get to the gym
fastest ways to scorch calories and a trainer based in New York or squeeze in a full workout. It mixes
while building stamina, power, City. Hat’s popular Punk Rope short jump rope intervals with body-
and speed. Plus, it improves group classes, which mix rope weight moves that’ll work every
both agility and coordination— jumping with conditioning drills, muscle while blasting more than 200
skills that will assist you in many are designed to take out some of calories. Time permitting, start with
T I M TA D D E R / G E T T Y I M AG E S
other areas of sports, fitness, and that intimidation factor by placing a ive-minute warmup (a light jog or
daily life. So why don’t more of us an emphasis on fun drills. And by dynamic moves like high knees, butt
pick up a rope and start skipping? keeping the rope jumping down to kicks, and shoulder rolls will do) and
“People are still oten intimidated two-minute intervals, you won’t get end with ive minutes of stretching.
by the idea of jumping rope, espe- gassed out as easily, he adds. Give it a try whenever you need
cially if they don’t think they are Hat’s 15-minute jump-and-burn a fast workout or want a little extra
good at it to start,” says Tim Hat, circuit is perfect for busy days when burn on cardio day.

By Alyssa Shaffer
TRAIN DON’T GET

JUMP-AND-BURN WORKOUT TRIPPED UP
Skip like a pro with these
easy-to-follow training tips.
ROPE JUMPING PUSHUP
BASIC BOUNCE
(2 MINUTES)
Keep feet close together, knees bent,
(1 MINUTE)
ROPE JUMPING
1 FIND THE RIGHT
ROPE FOR YOU
Stand on the middle of the rope
and elbows close to ribs. Turn rope ARM CROSS/SWING & JUMP with one foot and pull the handles
with wrist and lightly bounce off feet, (ALTERNATE 15 SECONDS EACH FOR straight up so the rope is taut. For
jumping about an inch off the ground. A TOTAL OF 2 MINUTES) beginners, the top of the handles
should reach the shoulder; for
PANTHER CRAWL ARM CROSS: Begin with the basic more advanced jumpers, aim for
(1 MINUTE) bounce; after third jump, cross forearms the nipple line.
Begin on all fours, crawling forward in front of your body. On next revolu-
with left hand and right leg, then tion, uncross arms. Keep handles
alternate sides. Keep back straight extended beyond hips when arms are
and knees low to ground throughout. crossed, so arms are down, not out.
SWING & JUMP: Hold handles close 2 STAND SOLID
Your weight should be over
the balls of your feet, with your
ROPE JUMPING together just above waist height, elbows
ankles, knees, and hips relaxed.
SKI JUMP/BELL JUMP tight to ribs. Move hands in a figure-
eight pattern, allowing hips to sway Tuck your elbows next to your
(ALTERNATE 15 SECONDS EACH FOR ribs and keep your hands slightly
A TOTAL OF 2 MINUTES) with the movement. After side swing,
bring one hand up and across to oppo- in front of your hips.
SKI JUMP: Do three basic bounce site hip and jump through this loop.
jumps to get started. On fourth jump, Alternate swing and jumps.
hop laterally to the right, pushing off
outside of left foot. On next revolution,
hop laterally to the left, pushing off the
SQUAT JUMP
(1 MINUTE)
3 KEEP IT SMALL
“Most of the movement
comes from your wrists,” explains
outside of right foot. Keep the range of Haft. “Turn the rope by rotating
your wrists, not by cranking your
motion small to start. ROPE JUMPING elbows or muscling it with your
BELL JUMP: Do three basic bounce DOUBLE UNDER/HIGH KNEES
jumps, then take a small jump forward, (ALTERNATE 15 SECONDS EACH FOR shoulders.”
leaning back slightly. On next revolu- A TOTAL OF 2 MINUTES)
tion, take a small jump backward, lean-
ing forward slightly. Begin with small
jumps and increase the distance as you
get stronger.
DOUBLE UNDER: This CrossFit fave
involves two revolutions of the rope
for a single jump. To do it, you need to
4 GET THE
TIMING DOWN
Turn first, then jump. If you jump
jump a little higher than usual. Start by too early, you’ll have to jump much
BODY-WEIGHT ROW jumping without the rope and tapping higher than is optimal, notes Haft.
(1 MINUTE) your thighs twice (the first as soon as
Position yourself under a barbell on a you leave the ground and the second at
rack, gripping the bar with both hands the top of your jump). Do not tuck your
about shoulder-distance apart, arms
extended. Pull chest up until nearly in
contact with the surface, then lower
knees, kick your feet back, or pike. The
goal is to turn the rope fast enough so
that it passes under your feet twice
5 JUST RELAX
“Tension is your enemy.
It leads to fatigue and clumsy
execution,” Haft says. “Think of
back to start and repeat. before they hit the ground. To do this,
flick your wrists twice in a row as soon the rope as your dance
partner, so that it
ROPE JUMPING as you jump up in a circular motion,
moves gently
STRADDLE/SCISSORS keeping elbows pinned to sides.
HIGH KNEES: Begin with the basic with you at
(ALTERNATE 15 SECONDS EACH FOR
bounce; after third jump, hop off left all times.”
A TOTAL OF 2 MINUTES)
foot and drive right knee up. On next
STRADDLE JUMP: Begin with the basic revolution, recover with a basic bounce.
bounce; after third jump, bring feet Then repeat, hopping off right foot and
apart (like a jumping jack), trying not driving left knee up.
to kick heels up. On next revolution,
bring feet back together. Keep range of PLANK JACK
motion small; try not to let knees (1 MINUTE)
collapse inward. From a full plank position, jump
SCISSORS: Begin with the basic feet together, then wider than
bounce; after third jump, bring right hip-distance apart. Keep
foot forward and left foot back. On next your core tight and
ALAMY
revolution, switch foot position. Repeat. upper body still.
JUNE 2018 / MUS E & FITNESS 55

T R A I N F O R M C H E C K By Andrew Gutman
5 3
Your head
comes
forward
“Your neck
and traps
are going to be strained
if your head is out of
whack,” Pudvah
explains. The solution:
Keep your neck packed
down and your head in
REASONS line with your spine.
YOUR Your
grip
is too
DIPS wide
A lot of dip-
ping bars are V-shaped,
SUCKScrew up this
and too many people
take an extra-wide grip.
“It’s going to put a ton
of strain on the elbow,”
Pudvah says. “You
classic muscle FIX THESE...
want your arms
builder and risk DIP DILEMMAS perpendicular to the
bum shoulders. floor.” Translation:
Keep your elbows
Your wrists bend tucked in at around
You want your wrists to be 45 degrees.
R
epping out sets of stacked, meaning not bending
dips—either weighted one way or the other, according
5
or with body weight—is to Pudvah. “Your shoulders will You add
a surefire way to build like it much better,” he says. “You’ll keep weight
a bonafide pair of everything more aligned, your forearms wrong
chesticles. The multijoint will be better activated, and if you add Are you
move stretches your chest weight to dips and your wrists are bent, strong enough
for a greater flood of nutrient- it really hurts.” to do weighted dips?
rich blood and taxes muscle That’s great, but not if
fibers. Unless you’re doing you load a chain around
2
them wrong, in which case Your angle is off your neck. “I see this a
you just increase your chance If you dip fully erect (we mean lot, in the gym and on
of injuring your shoulders your body, perv), then you risk Instagram. You’re just
and elbows. But that won’t injuring your rotator cuff and exacerbating poor head
happen if you follow advice losing chest activation. “Keep your posture and rounded
from Matt Pudvah, C.S.C.S., shoulders pinched down and back and shoulders,” Pudvah says.
the head strength coach at lean forward so you’re at a 45-degree “Instead, squeeze a
PER BERNAL
the Sports Performance angle,” Pudvah says. “At the bottom of dumbbell between your
Institute at the MAC in your dip, you should look like you’re in legs or add weight to a
Manchester, MA. a bentover row position.” dip belt.”

By Mike Carlson A B S & C O R E T R A I N
BALANCE OF POWER
The supine ball shuffle is the missing piece in
of a plank with total-body coordi-
nation. During the movement, your
muscles will experience “gradated
recruitment.” This means as you get
more fatigued, your body will recruit
your core curriculum. more muscle ibers for the job. Over
time, this results in a greater ability to
Y
ou crunch, you plank, you Russian twists are staples in your abs contract the muscles and, ultimately,
twist, you raise. Your core routine, antirotational moves—like more core stability.
program covers all bases. the supine ball shule, shown here—
Or does it? Actually, there’s can act as a complement. HOW TO DO IT
a good chance it’s lacking a “Antirotation exercises can
key component: antirotation. strengthen rotational patterns and SUPINE BALL
The ability to resist forces from
turning your body is valuable. For
make them safer because you’re
not constantly repeating high-
SHUFFLE
athletes, it keeps them from produc- velocity rotational movements,” says Lie faceup on an exercise ball,
ing force in the wrong direction when
they throw, swing, or punch. It can
Brian Richardson, M.S., NASM-P.E.S.,
a strength coach and the co-owner
1 with feet flat on the floor. Beginners
should cross arms and place hands at
also help everyday gym rats transfer of Dynamic Fitness in Temecula, CA. the shoulders. Advanced athletes can
hold arms at their sides.
more power to their big compound Translation: Working antirotation
lits and stabilize better during uni- strengthens your ability to rotate.
Slowly shuffle your feet laterally
lateral exercises. And if rotational
moves like woodchoppers and
The supine ball shule is a dynamic
exercise that combines the beneits
2 until one shoulder and hip are off
the ball. Tense your core and hold that
position for 3 seconds, keeping your
shoulder and hips square. Do not let the
unsupported side drop. Shuffle to the
other side and repeat. Alternate sides
every rep. Do 2 sets of 5 (each).
Note: If your neck tires, press your

tongue into the roof of your mouth.
This activates your neck extensors and
decreases feelings of fatigue.
Photographs by Per Bernal JUNE 2018 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 57

T R A I N M O B I L I T Y
FREE THE T
Your thoracic spine is the unsung hero in alleviating
neck and lower-back pain. Here’s how to take care of it.
L
ook at any lifter worth THE PROBLEM THE CAUSE
his weight in gym chalk Your cervical spine (the neck) has The main culprit of T-spine issues
and chances are he has seven vertebrae, your lumbar spine is immobility. In other words: If you
a meaty midback. Those (lower back) has ive, and your don’t use it, you just might lose it. A
guys with extra bulk in thoracic spine (midback) has a desk-driven, forward-lexed posture
that area aren’t only stronger— whopping 12. The sheer size of the and sedentary lifestyle pack a hety
they’re less injury-prone. thoracic spine means that it plays a one-two punch on the movement
That’s because a strong major role in most movement pat- and strength of your midback. Then
midback means a strong and terns. A weak and immobile T spine trying to lit with a stif and weak
stable midspine—and a strong results in other areas, both above T spine makes the problem worse.
midspine that moves well and below, being forced to com-
won’t just help your perfor- pensate. Then it’s only a matter of THE FIX
mance, it can also stave off time before compensation patterns Flex, extend, and twist isn’t a
injuries. result in a strained neck, wonky Chubby Checker remix—it’s how
The beauty in freeing up shoulder, or tweaked lower back. you can free up and strengthen the
your midback is that it can ix midback for peak performance. Try
a lot of issues up- and down- the two stretches shown here to
stream. Neck pain? Check the free it up. Then, once your T spine
T spine. Achy lower back? is more mobile, integrate the three
Check the T spine. Or maybe strength exercises at right into your
you have a problem sealing routine to add spine-saving muscle
the deal with the gal you to your midback.
met at the bar last night. In
that case, check the T spine.
OK, that last one might be a
stretch, but believe us—the
midback is huge in enhancing
performance, alleviating pain,
and getting stronger. Here, we
explain why you don’t want a LOOSEN UP
T spine issue and outline how
to both prevent and ix it.
58 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018 Photographs by Per Bernal

By Brian Matthews, C.S.C.S.
KNEELING
CAT CAMEL
Get in a kneeling
position with your butt
on your ankles and
your arms straight and
under your shoulders.
Round your back so
that your stomach is
tucked in, then extend,
arching your back
and extending your
stomach to the floor.
Perform 3 sets of 10
reps. To make it more
challenging, place
your hands on an
elevated surface like
yoga blocks, a low
box, or a bench.
STRENGTH
BEEF UP YOUR MIDBACK

Work these three moves into your routine to add muscle to your
KNEELING T-SPINE ROTATION midback, which will help protect your thoracic spine. Do them
Sit your butt back onto your ankles and place one hand
at the end of your workouts or on your back day.
on the ground in front of you. Place the other hand
behind your head. That elbow should be sticking out to DEAD-STOP ROW arms outward as you pull
the side. Rotate that elbow to the opposite elbow. You
should feel a stretch in your shoulder and midback. Then
Rowing a dumbbell from yourself up, until your body
bring that elbow back and attempt to point it toward the a dead stop for each rep is in the shape of a T. The
ceiling. Repeat for 10 rotations on both sides. ensures maximum muscle closer your feet are to the
recruitment for a stronger, anchor point, the more
thicker back. difficult it will be. Do 3 sets
DO IT: Place a same-side of 10 to 15 reps.
knee and hand on a bench
with a dumbbell on the
loor. Grab it with your free CHEST-SUPPORTED
arm and row it to your INCLINE ROW
stomach, then lower it back Lying facedown on a bench
down to the loor. Do 3 sets takes momentum out of
of 10 to 15 reps. the equation, placing all the
emphasis on your midback
muscles. Go slightly lighter
TRX SCARECROW than you would with stan-
These target your midback dard dumbbell rows.
by having you extend your DO IT: Lie facedown on an
arms laterally as you pull incline bench with a dumb-
up your own body weight. bell in each hand. Row
DO IT: Set the TRX straps both weights up until your
to midlength and grab a elbows pass your torso, then
handle in each hand. Lean slowly lower them. Do 3 sets
back and then extend your of 15 to 20 reps.

T R A I N C R O S S F I T I N F U S I O N By Joe Wuebben
2018 REMIX
Try this tweak of a CrossFit Games workout
to boost your delts, lats, and abs.
F
ew televised sporting Technically, anyone can do this 20 minutes,” Shiler says. “The
events are as inclusive as workout, but very few people, even goal is to keep moving, but not
the CrossFit Games. Post in-shape guys, will be hitting 12- necessarily at a superhigh intensi-
high enough scores in the plus rounds in the allotted time like ty—we’re bridging the gap between
“Open” workouts at your elite-level CrossFitters. For many a traditional bodybuilding session
local gym, and you can qualify for of us, 18.1 needs to be scaled back. and a CrossFit WOD.”
Regionals. Dominate Regionals, While we’re at it, why not make the Use the below as a stand-alone
and you’re in the Games. On TV. WOD more muscle-building-friendly workout or an additional abs-and-
In front of millions of viewers. for those who are into that whole shoulder routine for the week.
Simple in theory, tough as hell “shredded physique” thing?
in practice. First of all, the Open To achieve this, we called on
workouts are historically ambi- Bill Shiffler, C.S.C.S., CF-L1, owner
tious. Every year, five new Open of CrossFit Renaissance in Phila-
WODs are announced. Have a look delphia (renaissancephysique
at one of them for this year, 18.1: .net) and a competitive amateur
bodybuilder. In tweaking 18.1 for DIRECTIONS: Complete as many
Complete as many rounds as the M&F crowd, Shiffler swapped rounds as possible in 20 minutes of the
possible in 20 minutes of: out toes-to-bars for cable crunches following circuit.
8 Toes-to-bars and the Concept2 rower for barbell EXERCISE REPS
10 Dumbbell Hang Clean rows, while increasing rep counts
and Jerks (men: 50 lbs; across the board to help stimulate
women: 35 lbs) more muscle growth. DUMBBELL HANG CLEAN AND JERK* 20
I A N S PA N I E R
Row (men: 14 calories burned; “We’ve sliced and diced 18.1 into a
women: 12 calories burned) rock-solid back, shoulders, and abs
*Use a moderately heavy weight—something
workout that you can knock out in you can get about 15 reps with when fresh.

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SIXSTARPRO.COM
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C O NTES T S TA R TS M AY 1, 2018
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T R A I N O B S T A C L E C O U R S E By Spenser Mestel
HIT YOUR
most of an obstacle course race, core, your upper body, and your
plenty of other cardio-intensive cardio.”
workouts will prep your heart and Most important, your training
STRIDE
lungs for a ive-mile mud slog. Aqua should always be enjoyable, Wetzel
jogging in the pool, for example, says. Listen to music or a podcast.
“replicates the motion of running Train with a friend. Game-ify your
without all the pounding,” Wetzel workouts. Put another way: “Even
How to train for an says. If boredom is the issue, then if running on a treadmill for ive
obstacle course race ride your bike as fast as you can on straight hours in a dark room with no
without having to run a path that’s “lat and straight and music is the best way to train your
for hours a day. surrounded by beautiful things to heart,” she says, “are you really going
look at.” to be motivated to do it?”
Stuck in the gym? Bring the obsta-
I
t’s not uncommon to view cles to you. To simulate a mountain
running as the worst part of climb, Wetzel hits the stair climber C A R D I O 2.0
obstacle course race training. while wearing a weight vest or

Who the hell wants to run holding a kettlebell. To prepare for H I L L O R H I G H WAT E R
dozens of miles to prep? Rose obstacle carries, she ills a bucket or
Wetzel, a Spartan Race champion, a dufel bag with sand and runs laps Three workouts to up your OCR
understands where you’re coming on a track. cross-training game.
from. “Not everybody can run for As for the notorious Spartan Race
Do a lap around a 400-meter track
three hours straight without getting
injured or insanely bored,” she says.
penalty phase, Wetzel does burpees.
“Even though most people strongly, 1 and then complete 10 burpees.
Repeat 5 times, trying to maintain
Wetzel’s solution: cross-training. strongly dislike burpees,” she says, a consistent pace throughout.
Even though you’re running for “they work your lower body, your
Go for a run through a park or up
a mountain. Every time you see
something you can do a pullup from
(say, a tree branch or a pole), do 3
to 5 reps, jumping if you need to.
Fill a backpack with cans or

weights, grab a friend, and head
for a hill. As you both jog up the incline,
have one partner carry the pack for as
long as he or she can, and then hand it
off. Try to make it up and down the hill
twice before handing off the bag.
G E T T Y I M AG E S

T R A I G E A R
The World Cup kicks

off June 14 in Russia.
Brandish your
rooting interests
in these colorful,
workout-
friendly
shirts.
1
Led by iconoclastic goal
scorer (and serial biter) Luis
Suarez, two-time Cup winner
Uruguay is favored in Group A.
This polyester jersey features
Puma DryCell technology to
keep you cool during tough
workouts—or nail-biting
matches.
2 JERSEY
The Samurai Blue have steadily
earned worldwide respect
since qualifying for their first
Cup in 1998. And thanks to a
badass redesigned badge,
sweat-wicking recycled
fabric, and a loose,
comfortable cut, this
jersey is pretty damn
respectable itself.

By Steve Mazzucchi
3 MEXICO HOME
The always-dangerous El Tri
warms up in this eye-catching
top, and so can you—while feeling
Earth-friendly. It’s made with
Parley Ocean Plastic yarn, which
is sourced from recycled waste
salvaged from shorelines before it
ravages the sea. $60; adidas.com
4 PERU HOME JERSEY

Squeaking in via playoff,
Peru returns to the Cup for the
first time since 1982. This jersey’s
classic diagonal red stripe, which
channels the dynamic 1970
quarterfinals-reaching squad,
should fire up your passion for
soccer and/or fitness.
5 JERSEY
No joke, tiny Iceland has
emerged as a footballing force.
This breathable compression
shirt reflects the nation’s
natural features (ice, water,
volcanoes, geysers), coming off
as fierce as the Viking chants
the squad has made famous.
$90; erreausa.com
US DRI-FIT SQUAD
$60; nike.com
Photograph by Brian Klutch

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HOT TIP
Photographs by Christopher Testani JUNE 2018 MUSCLE & FITNESS 67

E A T G R I L L Y O U R G U T O F F
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH few sprigs for garnish

2 tbsp blackened fish
JALAPEÑO FRUIT JAM seasoning
2 tbsp granulated garlic
S E RVE S 6 2 tsp garlic salt
2½ lbs pork tenderloin, silver
For the quinoa and spinach: For the jam sauce: ½ cup jalapeño jam
skin removed
2 cups quinoa 1 chipotle pepper from 1 tbsp minced fresh
1 cup low-sodium adobo sauce, seeded and rosemary
For the quinoa and spinach:
vegetable stock roughly chopped
1. Prepare quinoa according
1 (8 oz) bag prewashed ½ cup Fuji apples, peeled For the tenderloin:
to package directions but
baby spinach and diced small 2 tbsp chipotle
substitute vegetable stock
3 tsp granulated garlic 3 tbsp organic applesauce adobo sauce
for water. Gently fold in
2 tsp freshly ground 1 cup pomegranate 2 tbsp applesauce
spinach, garlic, pepper, and
black pepper mixed-berry jam or any 3 tbsp minced fresh
applesauce. Cover and set
2 tsp organic applesauce type of berry jam rosemary, plus a
aside.
For the jam sauce:

1. While quinoa cooks,
combine chipotle, apples,
applesauce, and jams. Bring
to a boil, then reduce heat
and cook an additional 10
minutes. Remove ⅓ cup of
jam mixture and combine
with ½ cup water and
rosemary to make a sauce
for basting the tenderloin.
Set aside remaining jam
sauce for serving.
For the tenderloin:

1. Heat grill to 375°F. In a
small bowl, combine adobo
sauce, applesauce, rose-
mary, fish seasoning,
granulated garlic, and garlic
HOT TIP salt. Using gloved hands, rub
pork with the mixture.
2. Brush oil on grill. Add
meat to grill and brush it
with the basting sauce.
Close lid and cook 6 to 8
minutes. Turn pork and
baste again. Cook another 7
minutes, or until meat
thermometer inserted in
center reads 145°F.
3. Remove pork from grill,
loosely tent with foil, and let
rest 10 minutes. Slice pork
on the diagonal into
¼-inch-thick slices.
4. Arrange pork on quinoa
and top with jam sauce.
THE MACROS
871 65g
CALORIES PROTEIN
118g 15g
CARBS FAT

HOT TIP
DRY-RUB
GRILLED
HOT WINGS
S E RVE S 4
1 tsp raw honey corn from heat and set aside

cook both sides until GRILLED Sea salt, to taste until cool enough to touch.
cooked through. Remove
from grill and drizzle with
CORN WITH 1. Remove dry outer leaves
from corncobs. Peel back
Remove husks and serve
alongside remaining hon-
hot sauce. HONEY- additional layers but keep ey-basil butter. Salt to taste.
BASIL them attached. Remove silk.
2. Heat grill to medium. In a
THE MACROS
BUTTER small bowl, combine butter,
THE MACROS
P I C T U R E D O N PA G E 6 7
basil, and honey.
531 70g 3. Spread butter mixture on 115 2g
S E RVE S 4 CALORIES PROTEIN
CALORIES PROTEIN cobs. Rewrap husks to cover
4 ears sweet corn cobs, twisting the tops to
2g 26g 2 tbsp unsalted butter, make sure they stay closed. 16g 6g
CARBS FAT CARBS FAT
softened 4. Grill corn until lightly
1 tbsp thinly sliced basil charred and tender. Remove

E A T G R I L L Y O U R G U T O F F
ORANGE
BEEF &
HOT TIP BROCCOLI
S E RVE S 4
For the beef:

2 cups orange juice
2 tsp kosher salt
2 lbs flank steak
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp olive oil
For the broccoli:

2 heads broccoli, cut into
long florets and blanched
¼ cup olive oil, plus more
for brushing
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp minced shallot
1 tsp Dijon mustard
For the beef:

GRILLED 1. In a saucepan, cook
PEACHES orange juice until it’s
reduced by half; add kosher
WITH salt. Let cool, then pour into
GREEK a zip-top bag and add steak.
Marinate in fridge for 1 hour.
YOGURT 2. In a small bowl, combine
spices. Rub steak with spice
S E RVE S 3
mixture. Let sit at room
temperature for 1 hour.
3. Heat grill to high. Rub
steak with olive oil. Grill to
desired doneness. Let rest
10 minutes before slicing.
For the broccoli:

1. Brush broccoli with oil;
season with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk
together ¼ cup olive oil,
orange juice, shallot,
mustard, salt, and pepper.
3. Grill broccoli until tender.
y g Toss with dressing and
garnish with cinnamon. serve with steak.
THE MACROS THE MACROS

237 16g 707 66g
CALORIES PROTEIN CALORIES PROTEIN
39g 3g 20g 40g

CARBS FAT CARBS FAT

E A T R E C I P E O F T H E M O N T H By Toby Amidor, R.D.
SLAMMIN’ ARUGULA SALAD WITH SALMON

S E RVE S 4
SALMON
Skip the overpriced
1
¼
¼
2
Cooking spray
lb salmon fillet
tsp salt
tsp ground black pepper
tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking
sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place salmon skin-side down on the
baking sheet. Sprinkle fish with ⅛ tsp
each of salt and pepper. Bake until
restaurant salad
for this DIY protein-
packed arugula
dish topped with
salmon for a fraction
of the cost.
QUICK TIP
Pick up the author’s best-selling book,

The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook.
/
By Michael Weinreb L T H E A T
ADAPTOGENS 101
A favorite of Silicon Valley execs,
adaptogens can help your body
and brain work better and smarter.
Here are five to know.
A
daptogens have been around for centuries—
they were used by ancient Chinese warriors
to control their response to stress and were
studied by Russian scientists during the
Cold War. Now they’ve been adopted
ASTRAGALUS
by both tech executives powering through
long hours at work and fitness enthusiasts
seeking an edge. As a renowned Silicon
Coffee—as well as a gym regular—Dave Asprey fits

much every category of the modern adaptogen user.
Below, he gives us a primer on five of his favorites.
TOP FIVE
A D A P T O G E N S S TA R T E R K I T
C O U N T E RC L O C K W I S E F RO M T O P : G E T T Y I M AG E S ( 2 ) ; A L A M Y ( 2 ) ; F O O D S T O C K
SIBERIAN BACOPA ASHWAGANDHA HOLY BASIL/

GINSENG MONNIERI What It Does: May mitigate TULSI
What It Does: May increase What It Does: May aid with stress in a variety of ways, What It Does: May increase
endurance, reduce fatigue, anxiety, depression, and including by supporting testosterone and help
and improve immunity. physiological stress. your adrenal response. protect the liver.
Asprey Says: “People who Asprey Says: “If you take Asprey Says: “If you over- Asprey Says: “It’s got a couple
practice endurance exercise Bacopa before a workout, you exercise, your cortisol will go of compounds that have been
tend to get a decline in don’t get the stress of the up too high, which is bad. And documented to specifically
immune function. Studies workout, but you still get the then your cortisol crashes, help the liver. And the more
show Siberian ginseng benefits. You also don’t get and you get tired and sick. you’re eating extra protein to
improves resistance to the short-term cognitive This will help keep your put on muscle, the more
cognitive and physical fatigue.” decline post-workout.” cortisol levels from crashing.” stress it puts on your liver.”
HOW TO TAKE ADAPTOGENS Adaptogens can be found in pills, as well as in tinctures,

powders, and teas. (Bulletproof’s Zen Mode pills contain both holy basil and ashwagandha.) Asprey recommends
taking them in the morning before a workout with a little bit of fat—either a meal or a cup of coffee with some fat
infused in it. For example, you could fast in the morning, drink your coffee, take your adaptogens, and hit the gym.
“Afterward, you eat some protein, and you have the best possible environment for making muscle,” Asprey says.

E A T T A S T E T E S T
INSTANT
ENERGY
Which energy drink
1
tastes the best? And

are any of them healthy?
E
nergy drinks are as
ubiquitous as oxygen 2
these days. According to
Grand View Research,
the global energy drinks
market was valued at
$43 billion in 2016, and it’s
expected to skyrocket
to $85 billion (nearly
double!) by 2025.
So when you’re
searching for
physical and
mental stimulation
before a workout,
you might be tempted
to reach for a Red Bull
or the like. Our advice:
Use them sparingly.
“They’re not really good for
you,” says Jennifer Agustines,
R.D., of Tampa, FL. “They’re 3
full of sugar, and a lot of them
have preservatives and arti-
icial lavors. The cafeine in
them is ine, but a better
cafeine source would be
cofee or tea.”
As for which one tastes best,
M&F stafers rated oferings
from ive popular brands from
1 (nasty) to 5 (delicious).
THE
DIETITIAN’S
FAVORITES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
/
By Shawn Donnelly
1 NOS naturally—it was far

M & F TA S T E R AT I N G : and away the dietitian’s
3.88 favorite. “It’s essentially
In a Taste Test shocker, fruit juice with caffeine,”
=
the low-profile NOS Agustines says. “And I
blew away the field. like that the caffeine
“This is delicious,” says comes from green tea
assistant editor Rose extract.”
McNulty. “Not too
carbonated, and easy 4 ROCKSTAR
to drink.” But it was BOOM!
the dietitian’s least M & F TA S T E R AT I N G :
favorite due to its high- 1.75
fructose corn syrup, This Rockstar got
which the body quickly booed off the stage.
converts to fat. “This tastes like some-
one punched my tongue
2 RED BULL with diabetes,” says
M & F TA S T E R AT I N G : fitness editor Andrew
2.63 Gutman. “Seriously, they
4 The OG of energy drinks should stop producing
garnered solid scores these.” The dietitian
from the critics. “It agreed, although she
tastes a bit like apple liked its apple juice and
cider,” notes digital vegetable juice, as well
intern Kahleel Bragg. as its lack of artificial
“And no aftertaste.” colors and flavors.
The dietitian found
it fairly inoffen- 5 MONSTER
sive, mainly M & F TA S T E R AT I N G :
because of its 2.13
small can size. The taste council felt
She also liked its this one was way too
many B vitamins. sweet. “It’s crazy
sweet,” says senior
3 V8 ENERGY video producer Sarah
SPARKLING Pusateri. “Like liquid
M & F TA S T E R AT I N G : Skittles.” Meanwhile,
5 2.00 the dietitian didn’t
We won’t lie: People appreciate Monster’s
didn’t love this one. monstrous sugar—54
One staffer compared it grams per can. “That’s
to orange soda mixed a ton of sugar,” Agus-
with cough syrup. But— tines says.
E A T F O O D F I G H T By Lizbeth Scordo
SHOCK AND SLAW

What’s a healthier barbecue side:
“That’s going to bump up the protein
quite a bit and really minimize the
fat,” Goodson says.
You’re still better of with slaw,
though, since it’s the perfect vehicle
cole slaw or potato salad? for sneaking in good stuf. “You
can shred any veggies you like—
S
ummer cookouts typically to its primary ingredient. “Cabbage zucchini, carrots, broccoli—and add
tempt us with meaty mains is going to be a lot lower in calories chopped pecan pieces or mash up
like burgers and brats, but than potatoes are,” says Amy Good- some avocado to give it a healthy
often it’s those unsung side son, R.D., a Dallas-based sports dieti- fat,” explains Goodson, who also
dishes that make the meal. tian. “With potato salad, you’re just suggests leaning out your burger
You know, like creamy cole slaw taking a starch and mixing it with a by using half a bun and topping
and potato salad. So which one’s bunch of fat from the mayonnaise.” the patty with the slaw. “That way
a better choice to pile onto your But you don’t have to take those you’re having a high-protein veggie
paper plate? bad macros lying down. To make serving with your burger in place
Both typically harbor a ton of either dish healthier, try making of a less-nutritious spread like mayo
mayo, but cole slaw is nearly always your own version and swapping or ketchup.” Now all you need to do
the smarter choice, thanks mainly plain Greek yogurt for the mayo. is stay away from those chips.
FIGHT CARD
COLE SLAW
170 VS. 260
POTATO SALAD
Serving: ½ cup
16g 21g
1g 3g
12g 18g
WINNER: COLE SLAW

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M&F PRESENTS THE 2018
CHALLENGE POWERED BY
///
2018 RO C K H A R D C H A L L E NG E: PA RT 2
TRAINING EXPLAINED
PART 2 OF THE RHC training program follows the balls, crazy core moves, and more.
same basic format of Part 1. Kevin Lilly, owner “The key to a good program is efficiency,” Lilly
and head coach of Heart & Hustle gym in L.A., says. “When I coach my clients in the gym, we
kept the upper-body/lower-body/rotation split need to make the most of every minute. Time is
intact, but he introduces some new movements money, especially in Hollywood. This program
and rep schemes to take you down the home- is designed to get you into the gym with a plan
stretch these next four weeks. Lilly throws a and to execute. The efficiency will also result in
lot at you through the course of five weekly a higher metabolic rate, yielding faster gains.
sessions: unilateral work, heavy sets, body- Move through the program quickly but with
weight moves, jumps, sprints, plyometrics, med focused, conscious reps.”
D AY 1 D AY 2
LOWER-BODY PUSH + LOWER-BODY PULL +

UPPER-BODY PUSH UPPER-BODY PULL
3 Rounds: 3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS EXERCISE REPS
8
A2 PISTOL SQUAT 10 PER SIDE A2 SINGLE-LEG CURL 10 PER SIDE
A4 JUMP ROPE 200 SKIPS A4 TREADMILL SPRINT 100M

3 Rounds: 3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS EXERCISE REPS
*
*
B2 CABLE TRICEPS KICKBACK** 10 PER SIDE
B2 DUMBBELL CURL** 10
B4 POP SQUAT 25
B4 JUMPING SPLIT SQUAT 1 MIN. 3 Rounds:
3 Rounds: EXERCISE REPS
EXERCISE REPS
***
C2 CABLE CURL 15 C2 DUMBBELL OVERHEAD 12
TRICEPS EXTENSION
FINISHER FINISHER
Perform 4 rounds with no rest:
EXERCISE
EXERCISE
*3-second negative, 1-second positive.

JUMP ROPE FOR 1 MINUTE **2-second negative, 2-second positive.
**2-second negative, 2-second positive.
***Hands elevated on either a box or a med ball.
82 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018 Shot on location at Murder of Crows Barbell Club, Brooklyn, NY
P OW E R E D BY
DB KICKBACK
Hinge torso over so it’s facing the floor.
Hold a dumbbell in one hand with other
hand on knee. Flex triceps and kick the
dumbbell back until elbow is locked out.
JUMPING
SPLIT SQUAT
With dumbbells in both hands, step back
into split-squat position. From there,
jump up so both feet leave the floor.
Land softly back in split-squat position.
G R O O M I N G B Y N I C O L E Z U R AV L E F F
PISTOL SQUAT
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
and lift right leg off the floor. With
arms out in front for balance, squat
down on your left leg, keeping weight
on heel. Pause at the bottom, then
explode back up.
Modeled by Team Allmax Athlete Pham Flexx JUNE 2018 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 83
2018 RO C K H A R D C H A L L E NG E: PA RT 2
D AY 3 D AY 4
R O TAT I O N LOWER-BODY PUSH +

3 Rounds: UPPER-BODY PUSH
EXERCISE REPS
3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS
A2 LYING DUMBBELL PULLOVER 10

(PARTIAL + FULL)
A2 HANGING LEG RAISE* 15
3 Rounds:
3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS
EXERCISE REPS
**
B2 KNEELING ROTATING 10 PER ARM B2 ALTERNATING 10
DUMBBELL PRESS DUMBBELL CURL***
3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS B4 LATERAL SKI LUNGE REACH 25 PER SIDE
3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS
C2 PLANK WITH SIDE HIP DIP 15 PER SIDE
C2 CABLE CURL 8
FINISHER
Treadmill sprints (at high speed) FINISHER
for 15 rounds:
EXERCISE Perform 5 rounds with no rest:
EXERCISE
REST FOR 45 SECONDS STANDING BARBELL

10 POP SQUATS MILITARY PRESS
Hold a loaded barbell across your collar-
LAST CHANCE! *Holding 10 pounds between feet
(weight plate or dumbbell). bone, feet shoulder-width apart. Brace
**3-second negative, 1-second positive. your core and press the bar straight
Submissions to enter the RHC close on ***2-second negative, 1-second positive. overhead, until arms are fully locked out.
May 31. Go to muscleandfitness.com
Lower the weight back down slowly.
/rhc. Also, check out videos and other
bonus content, presented by Allmax.

P OW E R E D BY
D AY 5
LOWER-BODY PULL +
UPPER-BODY PULL
3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS
A2 SINGLE-LEG SWISS BALL 5 PER SIDE

LEG CURL
3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS
*
B2 DUMBBELL KICKBACK** 10 PER SIDE
3 Rounds:
EXERCISE REPS
ROTATING DB PRESS BICYCLE CRUNCH
From kneeling position, hold a dumbbell Lie on your back with legs off the floor
in right hand, palm facing head. Press and hands behind head. Crunch your
weight, slowly rotating your torso to the abs to bring your right elbow to your left C2 CABLE SINGLE-ARM ROPE 10 PER SIDE
left until you feel abs contract. Reverse knee, keeping nonworking leg straight. TRICEPS PUSHDOWN
the move. Do 10 reps, then switch arms. Continue alternating knees and elbows.
FINISHER
Perform 10 rounds on the rower:
EXERCISE
REST FOR 30 SECONDS

**Hold full extension at top of each rep for a
full second.
D AY S 6 & 7
REST
YOUR GO-TO
IMPACT IGNITER
You’re going to feel
worn down these
PRE-WORKOUT next four weeks. A

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like Impact Igniter by
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THE LONG, STRANGE
TRIP TO ICELAND
> How a guy who hates to run or get dirty, wet,
or cold ended up running three Spartan Races in
three countries in three months.
BY ZACK ZEIGLER, M&F EXECUTIVE EDITOR ///
86 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2018

T R A I N & PA I N
LOVE TO TRAIN. BUT,
I
on an 8.5-mile, 25-obstacle Spartan PUMP THE BREAKS
holy shit, do I loathe running— Super in Lake Tahoe, an 18-mile, Days after getting the project green-
especially running long 30-obstacle Spartan Beast in lit—and on my second wedding
distance. I’m also not fond of Sparta, Greece, and a 24-hour, anniversary, no less—my 69-year-old
being wet, hot, cold, hungry, nonstop, 50-plus-obstacle Spartan mother suffered a heart attack and
dirty, or tired. So, no, before Ultra in Hveragerdi, Iceland. underwent emergency open-heart
last summer I had zero interest in “Are you sure you want your third surgery. (I know, how dare she,
forking over $100 (or more) to crawl race to be an Ultra?” asked Jona- right?) Presurgery, Momma Z was
through mud under barbed wire; than Fine, Spartan’s global head of wheelchair-bound, which meant
lug stumps, blocks, and rock-filled communications. “Not really, but rehab posed an even bigger chal-
buckets up steep inclines; or inch that’s how it’s going to play out,” I lenge to her since she’d be prohib-
my way up a slippery Icelandic replied, feigning confidence. ited from relying on upper-body
mountainside amid a wintry mix of On the whole, I was excited for the strength for several weeks.
snow, sleet, and awfulness. “Challenge Accepted: Spartan Race” Between logging hours at work,
That changed last July. project; it would force me to check visiting with Mom at the hospital,
I was on a call with a PR rep, off some New Year’s resolutions making calls to nurses and doctors,
fielding a pitch about covering the I’d spent eight months neglecting: attempting to be a semidecent hus-
2017 Spartan Race World Champi- Train for a specific goal, meet new band, and trying to get race-ready,
onship in Lake Tahoe, CA. I was people, wear more headbands. But I could only dream about sleep, be-
zoning in and out, picking up bits it was already mid-September—a cause getting any quality sack time
like “Spartan Races are in more mere two weeks away from the was pure fantasy.
than 30 countries” and “more than 8.5-mile Lake Tahoe Super and just And then about a week after my
1 million people ran one in 2016.” over three months from the 24-hour mom’s surgery, I received a call from
Blah, blah, blah. I was about to pull nonstop slog through some town in then-M&F VP/editorial director—
out my go-to call killer—“Oh, man. Iceland I’d never heard of. For and my very close friend—Shawn
I’m late for a meeting, let’s catch up superathletes like Steve Prefontaine Perine. For months, Shawn had felt
soon!”—when I heard “debut events or Steven Seagal, that might seem under the weather—complaining
in Greece and Iceland.” I quasi- easy. But for a guy who hadn’t run of extreme fatigue, loss of appetite,
sarcastically blurted out, “How two miles in the past eight months, tightness in his chest—and had
about you get Spartan to send me to each sounded like its own mara- spent the past month or so out of
run all three, and we’ll film it and thon—lined with obstacles and the oice due to his mystery illness.
make a video series out of it?” burpees, of course. “It’s Stage 4 lung cancer,” he said.
It must have sounded like I hadn’t However, as I’d soon learn, the My jaw dropped, and my eyes
just thought of the idea, because the added time spent prepping over welled up. All I could do was shake
conversation came to life. Over the the next 90 days would serve as a my head in disbelief. It just didn’t
next few weeks, we worked out the much-needed distraction from make sense. How could a guy who
details, and then boom: In October, the turbulence I was about to hit never smoked cigarettes—who’d
November, and December I’d take outside the gym. cross the street if someone ahead
of him was smoking!—rarely drank
booze, and otherwise took immac-
C H A L L E N G E AC C E P T E D
ulate care of his body develop lung
cancer? He didn’t know the answer
S PA R TA N R A C E but assured me that “we’re going
to do great things after I beat this.”
Watch the videos at muscleandfitness.com And then he added, “By the way,
O P E N E R : C O U RT E S Y O F S PA RTA N ( 2 )
/challengeaccepted.
how’s your mom?”
MONTH LOCATION CHALLENGE
TWO WEEKS OUT
Work and working out were my
NOVEMBER SPARTA, GREECE SPARTAN BEAST: 18 MILES only escapes from stress and
AND 30 OBSTACLES anxiety, so I was fine with putting
in overtime for both.
In the gym, I had been training
hard four to six days a week, mixing

Clockwise from top left:
Zack running stairs and
prepping for the bucket carry;
with the help of Spartan Pro
Cassidy Watton, Zack knocks
out burpee box overs at Epic
Hybrid Training in New York
City to practice getting up and
over hurdles and walls; taking
an unscheduled break during
a workout; a view from the
starting line at the 2017 Spartan
Race World Championship in
Lake Tahoe; tackling monkey
bar traverses for grip strength;
gutting out the sled pull during
the 18-mile Beast in Greece;
Zack tries to keep his lunch
down during the bucket carry
in Lake Tahoe.
Clockwise from top left:
The column carry during the
18-mile Spartan Beast in Sparta,
Greece, before the rain (left) and
after (right); climbing up and
over the eight-foot wall; getting
through the inverted wall rung
by rung; a competitor charges
through the farmer’s carry at
the 2017 Spartan Race World
Championship in Lake Tahoe;
Zack looking tired dragging the
tire; ducking for cover during
the log carry among the olive
trees in Greece; Zack takes a
breather after knocking out 30
burpees and then crossing the
finish line in Lake Tahoe.
/
T R A I N & PA I N
it up between solo lifts and group experience toward the end of a race.
WO R KO U T
boot camps and weight-training The next week, Cassidy ran me
circuits, and ripping out one or two AMRAP: 60 MINUTES through an hour-long AMRAP (as
Beachbody On Demand workouts many rounds as possible) workout
for cardio or as a second workout. EXERCISE (see left) to test my endurance. I
(If you think video-on-demand didn’t pass. I had hoped to complete
workouts are for wimps, you clearly three rounds but hit the hour mark
haven’t done back-to-back T-25 or FARMER’S CARRY X 60 LBS X 40 YARDS just after Round 2. Cassidy blamed
Max 30 workouts.) But that wasn’t my horrible pacing, explaining that
I needed to find a rhythm instead
WO R KO U T ROPE CLIMB X 1 of going balls to the wall at the start
only to crash midround.
HIIT: 4 ROUNDS Course-specific training included
ALTERNATING WRECK BAG TO SHOULDER X 15 reps on the traverse wall (climb
Directions: Work 30 seconds on,
15 seconds off. Do four rounds. across a wall using only small hand-
EXERCISE
*Round 1: Run stairs carrying a 60-lb Wreck
holds and footholds) and a rope
Bag. Round 2: Omit the block run and carry climb; the ball toss was a substitute
two 50-lb Wreck Bags down and up the stairs.
Round 3: Run stairs without weights. for a spear throw, a Spartan Race
UPPER-BODY ROPE CLIMB **Substitute for a spear throw.
staple where racers attempt to
launch a spear into a giant haystack
hiking on a treadmill set to a steep from 15 to 20 feet away.
KETTLEBELL SWING
incline—following 40 seconds to Outside Epic, I continued with my
1 minute on, 20 to 30 seconds off group classes and doubled up with
BURPEE BOX JUMP protocol, and then doing five reps of solo sessions when I had the energy,
deadlifts, kettlebell swings, or towel sometimes following Cassidy’s
going to pave the way to Iceland. pullups.” timing protocols, or doing five to
To help, the Spartan folks offered I tried to negotiate out of the 10 Tabatas (20 seconds on, 10
to hook me up with coach Cassidy tedious low-intensity work (can seconds off for eight rounds) or sets
Watton from Epic Hybrid Training you blame me?), but no dice. It was made up of two-minute intervals.
in New York City, a gym that spe- necessary to get used to being on my Regarding exercise selection, I en-
cializes in training OCR athletes. feet for hours at a time, she said. visioned movements I’d use on the
Cassidy, a Spartan Pro team mem- “Switch every 30 minutes between course—pulling myself up, lunging,
ber (aka Elite racer) with multiple the bike, jogging, the StairMaster, squatting, stepping up, crawling,
OCR victories to her name, was also and running stairs for a few hours to jumping, and hanging—and worked
a Season 4 winner of CMT’s reality make it less boring,” she suggested. them into my routines. And yeah,
TV competition show Steve Austin’s (Spoiler: Doing that didn’t crank up I even ran, both outside and on the
Broken Skull Challenge. Her advice the fun level to 11.) treadmill. I’d often end a session
for the course: Conserve energy at My first HIIT circuit (see chart at with 30 to 75 burpees, because, well,
the start, run down, not up, hills, left) at Epic was an epic ego bruiser. I might as well get used to doing
and don’t rush the obstacles, be- The workout lasted less than 20 them, right?
cause failing them would translate minutes but left me gassed and
to a 30-burpee penalty. with scorched forearms. But each FEELING SUPER-ISH
Her training advice: “Focus on move had purpose, Cassidy said. The 2017 Spartan Race World
HIIT, interval strength training, The jumping muscle-ups simulated Championship was held in North
and long, slow, low-intensity aerobic getting up and over hurdles and Lake Tahoe at Squaw Valley Ski
exercise,” she said. “Center the walls; the upper-body rope climb Resort in Olympic Valley, CA. The
HIIT workouts around grip and leg (your feet stay planted as you lower popular winter getaway, located 42
training—farmer’s carries, pullups, your shoulders to the floor and then miles from Reno, NV, was also home
running stairs, weighted lunges, pull yourself upright) was forearm/ to the 1960 Winter Olympics. My
wall ball, and goblet squats. For the grip torture. And the Wreck Bag, race was on Sunday, a day after the
strength intervals, spend 45 minutes kettlebell, monkey bars, and burpee Elite races that paid out a total purse
to an hour and 15 minutes doing an box jumps were meant to tax the of $100,000 in cash and prizes to
aerobic activity for five minutes— lower body and get me used to the winners. (All non-Elite racers who
StairMaster, running stairs, power overall suckiness and exhaustion I’d finish get medals.) I arrived on

T R A I N & PA I N
piper standing nearby blasted high-

pitched bagpipey noises that made
me feel as though my goddamn
head was going to explode.
I rested the bucket on my knee,
fought the urge to vomit, took a
few deep breaths, and gutted it out.
From that point forward, with
about half of the race to go, I moved
significantly slower. But I listened
to Cassidy and took my time on the
obstacles and managed to cruise
AN ICY RECEPTION:
Racers in Iceland through the monkey bars, plate
saw a wintry mix all drag, sandbag carry, and sandbag
day and experienced
only a few hours hoist. My spear throw, on the other
of daylight. hand, hit the haystack and then
bounced to the ground. It was my
first botched obstacle. That first set
of 30 burpees felt like 300.
Friday with the M&F production 5 a.m. I gave up trying to sleep and
crew, and from the time we landed spent the next hour or so pounding FINISHING (NOT SO) STRONG
until I turned in on Saturday night, coffee before getting dressed and Along the homestretch I climbed
we hustled to collect content— heading to the starting line at the walls, ropes, and cargo nets, flipped
interviews with the Elite winners, base of the mountain. a 400-pound tire, hoisted more
Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena, My heat was scheduled to start sandbags, and survived a true grip
wounded warriors, etc. We got as around 7 a.m. The sun had yet to annihilator—the Twister, a free-
much footage as possible because we peek over the mountain, and the spinning pole with hand grips that
hadn’t figured out what the series temperature hovered in the low 30s. spin as you make your way across.
was going to be about. My hands and feet were blocks of Dehydrated, cramping, and
I tried calling Mom at least 15 ice. In a desperate attempt to get cranky, I could see the last obsta-
times throughout the day on Satur- warm, I ignored Cassidy’s “pace cle and finish line in sight. All that
day; no answer. The nurses’ station yourself ” advice and was shot out stood between me and glory was
said she was sleeping but also very of a canon at the start. Between my a rig fixed with rings, ropes, and
disoriented. That didn’t quell my idiocy and the change in elevation— monkey bars. I hopped up, grabbed
angst. Shawn and I traded texts. from 6,000 feet at the start to nearly a ring with my right hand, swung
He was in constant pain, he wrote. 8,000 feet at various points along forward, and...fell. After 30 more
I sent him photos from the course. the route—my legs were jelly and my slow, painful burpees, I jogged
He sent back a thumbs-up emoji chest was a ball of fire. And I hadn’t across the finish line.
and wished me luck. hit any obstacles yet. The upside: At My body was sore head to toe,
I turned in early on Saturday least my body had warmed up. but I finished. Also, I had a lot of
night but spent hours staring at the Once the terrain evened out, I fun. So goal one had been achieved.
ceiling, thinking, killing time on my walked a bit until I felt reenergized. I chugged a beer (OK, two) and
phone, and watching the clock. At I hopped over hurdles, dove under tried to enjoy the victory. But with
wooden scaffoldings, and traversed a month to go before 18 miles, and
across walls. I felt nimble and my mom’s and friend’s well-being
adroit, until I came to the bucket up in the air, celebrating was tough
carry. I had to bear-hug a bucket to do.
filled with 80 pounds of rocks and
THAT FIRST SET
C O U RT E S Y O F S PA RTA N
carry it up and down slopes for

OF 30 BURPEES 200 meters, which felt like a fuck- NEXT ISSUE:
FELT LIKE 300. ing eternity. At the halfway mark,
everything went south: My heart
THE 18-MILE BEAST
The Beast in Sparta, Greece, pushes
raced, my muscles were fried, and Zack and the M&F crew to the brink.
dizziness set in. Worse yet, a bag-

TEX-MEX FAJITAS
(SHOWN ON PAGE 98)
QUICK TIP
/
EAT
TO GET
> Who says you

can’t chow down
like a king and
still get ripped?
Use this
ultimate
cutting meal
plan to lean
down in
four weeks
or less.
ERRY ///
APHS BY
KLUTCH
E AT TO GE T SH R E DDE D
S YOUR BODY READY FOR
I
frankly, it’s one of the finest attack slight caloric deficit to encourage fat
the beach? If your answer is plans for safely shedding pounds loss, which will reveal your muscle.
“no”—or “not quite,” or “almost”... that we’ve ever seen. So if you want Overall, macro ratios average 20%
or anything other than, “Dude, to strut proudly and sveltely on the fats, 40% carbs, and 40% protein.
the beach isn’t ready for my beach in a few weeks (or anywhere Like so:
body”—then you’re probably else), read on.
searching for a way to lean down
40% PROTEIN
over the next month. In that case, CUTTING 101
good news: We’ve discovered a As Stern lays out in the book, the
40% CARBS
brand-new cutting meal plan, goal of a cutting phase is to trim the
designed by a former champion body of excess fat while retaining
bodybuilder, that delivers on both muscle. This is achieved primarily
taste and nutrition. in the kitchen through careful
This foolproof cutting plan is part macronutrient manipulation.
of the new book The Bodybuilder’s Essentially, you want to keep
Kitchen. It was written by Erin protein intake high and to strategi-
Stern, who, as a two-time Ms. cally plan carbohydrate-rich meals
20% FAT
Figure Olympia, knows more about around the times when you’re most
fueling fit bodies than practically active. This way, you’ll have the
anyone. All the recipes and tips on energy you need to train hard, and W H AT T O E X PE C T
the following pages are borrowed you’ll still have the nutrients needed First, don’t cut for more than one
from The Bodybuilder’s Kitchen to replenish fuel stores in muscles or two months—if you do, problems
(with permission, of course), and for recovery. You’ll be running a like yo-yo dieting, a decreased
metabolic rate, and muscle loss
can occur. On the plus side,
reducing caloric intake should
create noticeable physique changes
within a couple of weeks.
T H E C U T T I N G M E A L P L A N // S A M P L E T H R E E - DAY P L A N You’ll face two main challenges
in a cutting phase: increased
DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 hunger and a possible decrease in
metabolism. You can combat these
issues by eating more lean protein
and vegetables, as they’re harder
SNACK Greek Yogurt Grilled Balsamic Baked
Hummus Watermelon and Cheeseburger Bites
for your body to convert into fat,
Cheese and protein has a satiating effect.
Also, fill a smaller plate with
colorful foods. We eat with our
eyes, so you’ll be more eager to dig
in, and the small plate will trick
your brain. Lastly, never starve
SNACK Carrot Cake Shake No-Bake Cocoa
and Oats Bars yourself lean. Stick with the plan,
and the results will roll in.
THE FORMULA
FOR CUTTING
CALORIES 1,401 1,364 1,336
SNACK: Fats, protein
CARBS 126g 156g 118g SNACK: Carbs, protein
96 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018 Food and prop styling by Susan Ottaviano
ELVIS SHAKE
S E RVE S 1
Channel the King—except here the King has a six-pack and trains five days a week—
SHOPPING
with this delicious shake. Powdered peanut butter and banana will rock your taste
buds without racking up the calories.
LStock
I S upT on these
items at the grocery
½ medium banana store when you’re
leaning down.
¼ cup powdered
peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened S TA R C H E S
almond milk Old-fashioned oats,
¼ cup vanilla whey prerinsed quinoa,
protein powder basmati rice, brown
rice, sweet potatoes,
½ tsp vanilla extract
russet potatoes,
½ tsp powdered stevia chickpeas, pumpkin
1 cup crushed ice puree (not pumpkin
pie filling), black
1. Combine all ingredients beans
in a blender. Blend on low
for 30 seconds.
2. Scrape the sides of the
PROTEINS
Large eggs, liquid
blender with a rubber egg whites, Greek
spatula. Blend on high for yogurt, 1% cottage
30 seconds to 1 minute, or cheese, a whole
until the ice is crushed and chicken, 99% lean
the shake is smooth and ground turkey,
creamy. Transfer to a glass medium shrimp, lean
and serve immediately. ground beef, tilapia
and cod fillets, pork
tenderloin, cans
of tuna, boneless,
THE MACROS skinless chicken
260 34g breasts
CALORIES PROTEIN
FRUITS AND
23g 5g VEGGIES
FAT Navel oranges, white
onions, broccoli,
fresh baby spinach,
chopped kale, frozen
riced cauliflower,
fresh cauliflower,
cabbage, acorn
squash, watermelon,
cantaloupe,
QUICK TIP avocados, apples,
zucchini, yellow
squash, beefsteak
tomatoes
OTHER
Coconut oil, whey
protein powder,
powdered stevia,
unflavored almond
milk, almond flour,
powdered peanut
butter, low-sodium
chicken broth,
natural almond
butter, unsweetened
cocoa powder,
jarred minced garlic

E AT TO G E T SH R E DDE D
TEX-MEX
FAJITAS
(SHOWN ON PAGE 94)
S E RVE S 4
These fajitas are protein-packed

QUICK TIP
and feature skirt steak, meaty
mushrooms, and sweet onions. Lime
juice helps tenderize the steak, and
the fajita seasoning adds just the
right amount of spice. Ready in about
30 minutes, these are perfect for a
healthy weeknight meal.
2 tsp chili powder

1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground paprika
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 lb skirt steak, cut against the
grain into ¼-inch slices
1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms,
sliced into ½-inch strips
1 medium red onion, sliced into
1-inch wedges
¼ cup lime juice
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
½ cup salsa
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large

baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, make the seasoning
mix by combining chili powder, cumin,
paprika, coriander, salt, and black
pepper.
3. In a large bowl, combine steak,
mushrooms, onions, lime juice, and
seasoning mix.
4. Place steak mixture on baking sheet
and bake for 20 minutes. During the
final 5 minutes of baking time, wrap
tortillas in foil and place in oven to
warm.
5. Transfer tortillas to serving plates.
Divide steak mixture among tortillas
and top with salsa and cilantro.
THE MACROS
300 28g 26g 9g
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS FAT

T H E U LT I M AT E L O W - C A L F E A S T
tures lightly seasoned cod and a tart and citrusy
llo salsa. Complementing this meaty fish are hearty
toes and spiced-up sweet potatoes—two pre-workout
at aid recovery.
BROILED COD WITH CHARRED

TOMATILLO SALSA
S E RVE S 2
ms and husks Place pan on top oven rack. Broil until

charred, about 6 to 8 minutes, flipping
s and seeds tomatillos and chilies halfway through.
2. Add tomatillos, chilies, onion,
n cilantro, lime juice, and ½ tsp salt to a
resh cilantro blender. Pulse in 10-second intervals
until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
3. Spray small baking pan with nonstick
zen) cooking spray. Place cod in pan, season
with garlic powder, the remaining ½ tsp
salt, and pepper. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes
per side, until fish is lightly browned.
a small 4. Transfer cod to a serving platter and
il and spoon the salsa over top.
pan.
ROSEMARY COCONUT
BEEFSTEAK CAYENNE
TOMATOES SMASHED
S E RVE S 4 SWEET
is POTATOES
epare S E RVE S 6
inutes.
2 lbs sweet potatoes, washed
and ends trimmed
½ cup light coconut milk
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet

eeds potatoes with fork and individually
wrap in aluminum foil. Place on oven
rack and bake for 1 hour, flipping
ary, halfway through.
epper. 2. Remove potatoes from oven and cool
oes for 20 minutes. Then remove foil and
peel the skin from the potatoes.
tes 3. In a large bowl, combine sweet
potatoes, coconut milk, cinnamon, and
cayenne pepper. Mash with fork until
smooth and lump-free.
Want more muscle-building, fat-burning recipes

THE MACROS
and tips like these? Pick up The Bodybuilder’s 302 29g 41g 2g
Kitchen, by Erin Stern. $17; amazon.com. CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS FAT

ONE-TOOL WORKOUT:
DUMBBELL
> Grab a weight and pick one of two workouts to boost
functional strength, build muscle, and burn calories. Both
in 30 minutes or less.
BY JOE WUEBBEN /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE SMITH
F YOU ’ VE G OT A D UMBBE LL , even just a
I
work on unilateral training and asymmetric loads to help
rusty old 25-pounder without a match, you’ve got fix muscle imbalances and improve core stabilization.
a gym. That’s because building muscle and getting Most of the exercises in the two workouts train one side
crazy fit isn’t about a vast array of modern equip- at a time, which is great for functional strength.”
ment. It’s about desire. Collectively, the workouts incorporate compound body-
How badly do you want it? Enough to do an entire building-style movements to spark muscle gains, power
workout with nothing more than a single dumbbell? If movements like snatches to enhance explosiveness, and
the answer is yes (as it should be), then Jim Ryno, a per- isolation moves for the biceps, triceps, and abs to address
sonal trainer and the owner of Iron House Gym in Alpine, the finer points of the physique. “There are also some
NJ (iron-house.co), has two down-and-dirty workouts nice combo moves in there like squats to shoulder presses,”
for you to try. Even better? One lasts 30 minutes and the Ryno says. “These will enhance your overall conditioning
other lasts 15. (We’re assuming you’re as pressed for time and core strength.”
as you are for fitness equipment.) The routines may run All of this can be achieved in 30 minutes or less with
short, but they go long on gains. nothing more than a moderately weighted dumbbell and
“Being limited to only one dumbbell can actually be some open floor space at home. And by home, we mean
a blessing in disguise,” Ryno says. “It’s a great excuse to your gym.

DUMBBELL
The following workouts can be performed with any size
dumbbell, though Ryno programmed the workouts with a
moderate weight in mind—20 to 40 pounds. Choose a weight
WORKOUTS
Designed by Jim Ryno
that corresponds to your current strength level and that allows
you to execute all movements with the proper
form. Begin each workout with a brief dynamic
warmup that hits your entire body.
30-MINUTE
WORKOUT
DIRECTIONS: Set a timer for 30
minutes and do as many rounds as
possible (AMRAP) of the below
circuit in that time. Rest only as
needed.
30-MINUTE
DUMBBELL WORKOUT
EXERCISE REPS
ONE-ARM SQUAT ONE-ARM FLOOR

ONE-ARM FLOOR CHEST FLYE 8 PER SIDE TO SHOULDER PRESS CHEST FLYE
Hold the dumbbell just over your shoul- Touch the back of your upper arm to
der as you perform the squat and go the floor on every rep without letting it
right into an overhead press at the top. rest at the bottom. Maintain a slight
SUMO SQUAT TO UPRIGHT ROW 8
This can be performed as one fluid bend in the elbow and keep the motion
movement, but keep the motion under slow and controlled as you raise the
control with your core tight throughout dumbbell until it’s directly above your
WEIGHTED CRUNCH 12 to save your lower back. shoulder, arm straight.
G R O O M I N G B Y K E L LY L A N E F O R Z E N O B I A
TURKISH GETUP
The Turkish getup is a multipart move underneath you and kneel on it, then
composed of these steps: (1) From lying lift your hand off the floor and bring
down, press the dumbbell straight up your torso upright so you’re on one
with one arm; (2) lift your torso off the knee facing forward in a lunge position;
floor to sit up; (3) lift your butt off the (5) stand up from there to fully upright,
floor so that your arms form a straight dumbbell overhead. Reverse the motion
vertical line, nonworking hand on the to return to the floor. Repeat on the
floor; (4) pull the nonworking-side leg opposite side.

SUMO SQUAT TO UPRIGHT ROW
Hold one end of the dumbbell with both hands, palms facing you.
Keep your feet spread wide and toes pointed outward on both the
sumo and upright row portions. The range of motion should be
dumbbell touching the floor at the bottom, up to chin level at the top.

ONE-ARM
PLANK TO ROW
From a plank position with
one hand on the floor and
the other on the handle of
the dumbbell (palm facing
inward), pull the dumbbell
straight up to your side and
slowly lower it back down.
Keep your chest facing the
floor throughout—don’t twist
the torso at the top.
WEIGHTED
CRUNCH
Hold the dumbbell with both
hands in front of your chest
as you crunch up and lower
back down. Want to make it
more challenging? Hold the
dumbbell overhead with
arms extended.

15-MINUTE
WORKOUT
DIRECTIONS: For each exercise,
complete as many reps as you can in
60 seconds, resting 15 to 20 seconds
between exercises. Complete two
rounds of the workout, which, with a
short warmup, will take about 15
minutes. If you have more time,
complete a third round.
15-MINUTE
DUMBBELL WORKOUT
EXERCISE TIME
ALTERNATING SNATCH 60 SEC.
ONE-ARM ROMANIAN DEADLIFT 60 SEC.
OVERHEAD
TWO-ARM TRICEPS
EXTENSION
Hold the dumbbell in both hands with
fingers overlapping, elbows tucked in
at 45 degrees. Press the dumbbell
from behind your head up to full arm
extension. Try to keep your knees
slightly bent during the set to protect
your lower back.
LESS IS MORE
Being limited to one
dumbbell is a great
excuse to work on
unilateral training to fix
muscle imbalances and
improve core strength.

TWO-ARM ONE-ARM ROMANIAN
UPWARD CHOP DEADLIFT
Hold the dumbbell in both hands, arms Keep the dumbbell in the same hand,
extended downward and to one side, torso then switch hands halfway through the
slightly twisted. Rotate your trunk the oppo- set. Even though you’re doing this exer-
site direction to pull the weight up diagonally cise for time, keep your form strict and
so that your arms are extended above you don’t let your lower back round at any
and to the side at the top. Reverse the point. For more of a challenge, lift one
motion and repeat for reps. Halfway through leg behind you, switching legs each rep.
the set, switch sides.

GOBLET SQUAT
Hold one end of the dumbbell in both hands and keep it
directly underneath your chin. As you squat up and down,
keep your core tight and torso upright. Hit at least parallel
to the floor with your thighs on every rep.

> t
///
WARMUP
HOW IT WORKS: Do this

workout twice per week.
You’ll need a set of light, CIRCUIT 1 (LOWER BODY)
medium, and heavy
kettlebells. Perform 12 to
15 reps of each exercise.
In Week 1, repeat each CIRCUIT 2 (UPPER BODY)
circuit three times before
moving on to the next
circuit. Starting in Week 2,
you’ll do each circuit four
times through. Begin with CIRCUIT 3 (LOWER BODY)
the warmup and then
finish with five to 10
minutes of stretching and
foam rolling.
110 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2018

SNAPSHOT
BIRTH DATE:
July 15, 1982
HEIGHT: 5'3"
WEIGHT: 122 lbs
RESIDENCE:
Playa del Rey, CA
INSTAGRAM:
@jerichomcmatthews
TWITTER:
@jerichomcduffie
GOBLET
SQUAT
WORKS: QUADS
Stand with feet wider

than hip-distance apart
(toes turned out slightly),
holding a heavy kettlebell
just in front of chest,
elbows close to body.
Descend into a deep
squat, tracking elbows
over thighs and keeping
chest up and back straight.
Pause for one second at
bottom, then press through
heels to come back up.
S H O T O N L O C AT I O N AT B OX N B U R N, S A N TA M O N I C A , C A
ALTERNATING KETTLEBELL
SINGLE-LEG SWING
DEADLIFT WORKS: SHOULDERS, CHEST, BACK,
WORKS: GLUTES, HAMSTRINGS CORE, GLUTES, HAMSTRINGS
Stand holding a heavy kettlebell Stand with feet shoulder-width

in left hand in front of left thigh, apart, knees slightly bent. Grab a
right arm out to side. heavy kettlebell with both hands.
Hinging forward, extend left leg Hinge forward and hike kettle-
behind you as you lower kettlebell bell back between legs. Extend
to the floor until upper body is hips to drive weight to chin height.
parallel to floor. Release the han- Allow the weight to naturally
dle, then pick the weight back up swing back between legs as you
and return to standing position. bend hips and knees slightly.

KETTLEBELL
WINDMILL
WORKS: SHOULDERS, CORE
Holding a light to medium-weight

kettlebell in right hand, stand with feet
shoulder-width apart and angle left
foot out 90 degrees, keeping right foot
facing straight ahead.
Press weight overhead while hinging
to left side, palm facing forward while
gazing up at the weight.
Pause for one second, then reverse
back to start and repeat. Do all the
reps on this side, then switch sides
and repeat.
HAIR & MAKEUP BY HELENA KALOGNOMOS
PUSHUP TO RENEGADE ROW

WORKS: CHEST, BACK, ARMS, CORE
Place a pair of light to medium- toward floor while keeping elbows

weight kettlebells on the floor shoulder- close to body, core tight, and head
distance apart. Get into a full pushup in line with spine.
position, holding handles of kettlebells Extend arms to return to start. Draw
while your legs are extended behind left elbow toward ribs, keeping weight
you in a wide stance. close to body. Lower weight back to floor
Lower into a pushup, bringing chest and repeat on right side. That’s 1 rep.

K E T T L E B E L L WOR KOU T
ALTERNATING SIDE LUNGE

WORKS: GLUTES, OUTER THIGHS
Stand with feet hip-distance apart, holding a medium-

weight kettlebell with both hands. Step right foot out to
right side, bending right knee 90 degrees while pushing
glutes behind you, keeping left leg straight and weight in
center of body.
Push through right heel to return to start and repeat,
this time stepping to left side.
GUNSLINGER REVERSE LUNGE

WORKS: BICEPS, GLUTES, QUADS
Stand with feet hip-distance apart, holding a light to

medium-weight kettlebell in each hand. Bend your arms 90
degrees so the bottom of the kettlebells are facing forward.
Step back into a reverse lunge, keeping your arms bent
and elbows close to your sides.
Step back to start and repeat, this time stepping back
with opposite leg.

ALTERNATING
SINGLE-ARM
DEADLIFT
WORKS: GLUTES,
HAMSTRINGS
Stand on weight plates

with feet shoulder-width
apart, knees slightly bent.
Now grab a heavy kettlebell
sitting between your legs.
Keeping core tight, push
through legs to stand up,
squeezing glutes at the top.
Hinge at your hips to
lower kettlebell to floor.
Repeat the exercise, this
time grasping handle with
other hand. Continue alter-
nating sides each rep.
PASS-THROUGH
LUNGE
WORKS: GLUTES, QUADS
Stand behind stacked

weight plates, holding a
medium-weight kettlebell in
left hand.
Lunge forward with right
leg, stepping onto plates,
passing kettlebell under right
thigh into right hand.
Step back with right leg to
start and repeat, this time
lunging with left leg and pass-
ing the kettlebell under left
thigh into left hand. Repeat,
alternating sides.

LET’S TALK ABOUT
>
STEROIDS
and other performance-enhancing drugs have been
BY MICHAEL WEINREB
/
T’S BEEN NEARLY 30 YEARS SINCE CONGRESS PASSED
I
and people were like, “You have a lot
the Anabolic Steroids Control Act, rendering testosterone and other of potential.”
substances illegal. In many ways, thanks to the internet and the black Then I went to Nationals in 2001
market, the use of PEDs is as prevalent as ever in nearly every sport in to watch. I thought, “You know
America—though the bodybuilding community is often targeted, fairly what? I think I can go pro.” So I
or unfairly, as the epicenter of steroid culture. While there are obvious ran the same cycle. At the 2003
dangers to abusing steroids, there is also rampant misinformation about Nationals, I took fourth. I added
their effects. To clear up the confusion, we set out to have honest conversa- Arimedex and Proviron, both to
tions with experts in the field to give you a sense of what you should know. fight estrogen, and kicked my
testosterone up to 750. I was up to
230 to 240 pounds but dropped
At 16, I started training with down to light-heavyweight. I won
weights, and I trained naturally the overall.
THE FORMER 1 until I was 26. By the time I was 20 Back then, I got my blood work
COMPETITOR
or 21, I was helping my friends get checked every four to six months.
Fakhri ready for shows, because I had more Eighteen years later, I’m still cy-
Mubarak knowledge than most people did.

This was the early ’90s, and there
cling, and I won’t go more than six
months without getting my blood
OCCUPATION: LOCATION: was no internet. We didn’t have checked. If my liver enzymes are too
IFBB pro and New York City these commercial gyms—you only high, if my kidneys are off, I know
contest-prep had hardcore gyms. You almost had I’ve got to come down. Every five
specialist
to be in the fraternity, you know? I months, I’ll take 40 days off. But I
was a young kid who busted his ass. know 10 people who have had kid-
I wasn’t a pretty boy. One Friday ney failure and seen a lot of people
night—the gym closes at 10—I was die. There’s no direct link to a death
training, and the staffers were like, by steroids. But if you have a pre-
“You can stay if you want.” All the disposition to something, then, yes,
little guys were leaving. And this guy steroids increase the risk factors.
hands me a bottle of Anadrol 50, Doctors will blame steroids for ev-
which is a mass-building drug—a erything if you’re a bodybuilder. But
very strong oral steroid. everybody should see a doctor. And
“How much for the bottle?” I ask. if you lie to a doctor, you’re a fool.
“$250,” he tells me. I tell clients, “This is your deci-
I say, “How much is this shit at sion. I’m not gonna push anything
GNC?” on you. Whatever you want to take,
P R E V I O U S PAG E : A R T WAG N E R / G E T T Y I M AG E S . T H I S PAG E : K E V I N H O R T O N
They laughed. research it.” We’ll run their blood

June 2000 was the first time work. Do complete hormonal and
I touched anything. Very basic metabolic panels. Often, you can
stuff—500 milligrams of testoster- see when someone is abusing ste-
one, 400 of EQ [Equipoise], 50 roids. [Common symptoms include
of Anavar, and 40 of clenbuterol. distended gut, back acne, and “bitch
In one month, I gained about 28 tits,” aka gynecomastia. —Ed.]
pounds. I was 5'5", 200 pounds Unfortunately, for most body-
before that, and people were like, builders, steroid use is a real addic-
“He’s taking.” Then I went to the tion. Even when the doctor tells
beach for the Fourth of July that you something is wrong, you don’t
year, and everybody was like, “Holy feel pain and you feel good. So you
shit, you were natural.” So I decided keep going. You’re used to people
to do a show that November. I added looking at you in a certain way.
a couple of more things, like 50 mil- You’re used to buying triple-XL
ligrams of Winstrol to dry out, and T-shirts, you know? I haven’t com-
400 milligrams of tren (trenbolone) peted in a long time, and people
for more mass. I finished third in still look at me and say, “Holy shit,
the open, won the novice overall, you’re fucking huge.”

ST E ROI DS
What’s interesting is that back basements. You slap on a label and

in the 1980s, anabolic steroids sell it over the internet, on various
THE STEROID 2 were not controlled substances. websites or sometimes even on
LAWYER
In 1990 the law changed in the social media. That’s the market as
Rick aftermath of the Ben Johnson it exists today. The quality control
Collins doping scandal at the 1988 Olym-

pics. (Johnson, a sprinter, tested
is more open to question. We went
from regulated, FDA-approved
OCCUPATION: LOCATION: positive for the steroid stanozolol.) products to unregulated, black-
Attorney Long Island, NY They became controlled in the same market products, which may contain
specializing in way drugs of abuse and narcotics little or none of the active ingredi-
the bodybuild-
ing and fitness are. That decreased the production ents. Or they may be contaminated.
industries and manufacture of FDA-approved The other thing it did was drive
anabolic steroids, and if you have doctors and pharmacists out of the
a lower level of supply but demand equation. It had a chilling effect on
remains the same, what happens? doctors being involved in any capac-
Alternative sources appear. ity, and it had a chilling effect on the
You had an influx of veterinary users wanting to tell their doctors.
steroids and foreign steroids from I represent athletes who are
Mexico and other countries. Then accused of using steroids in viola-
9/11 happens, and you have a higher tion of their sport’s rules. But the
level of scrutiny over incoming vast majority of my cases are of a
packages to the United States—so criminal nature, involving people
these finished products get flagged either possessing or traicking ste-
by customs. Then you have what’s roids, folks who are otherwise very
marketed today, which is the im- law-abiding people. In my experi-
portation of powders—mostly from ence, 80% of the users are people
China—that are manufactured into who aren’t involved in any sort of
liquids and pills by underground competition. Basically, guys who
chemists in their own kitchens and want to look better on the beach. It’s
a cosmetic motivation.
The controlled-substance status
has, ironically, increased the dan-
gers that are associated with use.
The law was motivated primarily
because of athletic cheating. But
people are using them much more
in the way people opt to get cos-
J U DY WA L K E R ; R O N A L D C . M O D R A / S P O R T S I M AG E RY/ G E T T Y I M AG E S
metic surgery or breast implants
or Botox. We live in a society that
is very appearance-driven. I think
you’d have a safer environment
for those seeking to use anabolic
steroids if the doctors and pharma-
cists and legitimate drug compa-
nies were brought in to replace the
underground labs and black-market
dealers.
Every drug has risks. Thinking
that anabolic steroids can’t hurt
you—that’s false, obviously. But
many of the issues involve super-
vision and monitoring. The dif-
ference between a medicine and
poison is the dose.

Every single man
who’s been using
steroids for years
comes to me
dysfunctional
and depleted of
testosterone.
can’t.” These guys have depleted

brains and testicles. They have
heart disease and kidney disease.
They’re buying the stuff on the
internet. It’s called broscience—
the clandestine term for this non-
science. People are always modify-
ing the agents. A lot of guys think
they know what they’re doing, and
some of them are actually really
smart. It’s a dopamine high. It’s
100% addictive.
I’ve been an internist since There are three doors: Door No. 1,
2005, and I’m a powerlifter stop everything. Door No. 2, let me
THE STEROID DOCTOR 3
who benched more than 500 help you with evidence-based wean-
Thomas pounds in competition. I started
writing and posing for some mag-
ing, or post-cycle therapy. Door
No. 3 is to transition to more stabi-
O’Connor, azines, and strongmen and power- lizing agents, watch the heart, take
M.D. lifters started coming to me. They care of fertility. I’m really a metha-
trusted me. done clinic for steroid users.
OCCUPATION: LOCATION: Look, if you’re a Major League I’ve wrecked many fledgling
P E T E R DA Z E L E Y/ G E T T Y I M AG E S ; C O U RT E S Y O F D R . T H O M A S O ’C O N N O R
“The Anabolic Bloomfield, CT

Doc” Baseball player and you’re using bodybuilders’ careers. I get men
steroids, you’d better deal with your who’ve never done one steroid, and
lawyer. But if you’re a common man I beg them not to do it. You’re gonna
and you’re using steroids? They’re destroy your body. I scare the shit
incredibly powerful agents. You out of them. And for most men who
have to be humble. don’t have body dysmorphia, they
I don’t give a blessing on steroids. hug me. I show them their family
Some doctors care for heroin users history of disease.
or others who are suffering. Men We’re in trouble. Steroids need to
are coming to me—they’ve been on be studied. We need to get doctors
for a week, or two months, or 30 to open up and see. I’m overloaded
years. Every single man who’s been now with doctors calling me. I’ve
using steroids for years comes to put my balls out enough to say,
me dysfunctional and depleted of “I’ll take care of you if you’re suffer-
testosterone. I’m always respect- ing.” And if you read my website
ful. I walk a fine line of, “You did (metabolicdoc.com), you know
steroids, now your body’s damaged. I’m against steroids, because they
Here’s what I can do and what I damage people.

ST E ROI DS
THE COMPETITION 4
COACH
Justin
Dees
OCCUPATION: LOCATION:
Exercise Salt Lake City,
physiologist and UT
bodybuilding
coach/
competitor
I think it’s ironic that it’s such

a taboo thing, given that a lot
of men are on it for anti-aging. They
have these euphemisms now—they
call it Low T. People are like, “Oh,
yeah, but that’s not steroids.” I’m
like, “No, that’s exactly what it is.”
I competed natural. I wanted to
see how far I could take my body
without them. I don’t think young
men should take anabolic steroids.
Not teenagers or men in their 20s.
By the time I was 33, I owned
three supplement stores. I’d taken
prohormones before, so I wanted
to see where my testosterone was. I
felt like it was low. I wasn’t sleeping
good. My libido was lower. The doc-
tor says, “Your testosterone’s like a
70-year-old man.” He gave me 3cc’s
of testosterone. First time I’ve ever
had a shot in my life. I became kind Most people take
of a research project for this doctor. way too much.
Ever since then, I’ve been on them.
I honestly think most people
They think more
take way too much. They have just drugs equals
enough knowledge to be danger- more results.
G E T T Y I M AG E S ; C O U RT E S Y O F J U S T I N D E E S
ous. They think more drugs equals

more results. It doesn’t. More drugs
It doesn’t.
equals more side effects. HGH is a
really good example. I use 3 IUs (in-
ternational units). Any more than
that, and you don’t get greater ben- disease. They all take them, but you have the genetics or the work ethic.
efits, but a lot more side effects, like don’t have any studies. You have to understand that you
visceral fat and stomach distension. Most of the pros I know are smart. could respond negatively to those
Unfortunately, nobody is going to They use them as a tool to be suc- compounds. People talk about going
do research on bodybuilders and cessful. The gym-rat guys are the to the dark side, but I think it’s really
steroids because it’s not to cure ones who abuse them. They don’t stepping into the unknown.

I got started in the bodybuild- game. Muscularity is now OK for
ing industry when I was about women. You’ve got women going
THE STEROID 5 15 years old. I’m currently working into menopause in their early 20s,
RESEARCHER on my doctorate about women and no longer able to have children.
Victoria steroids. There’s just a complete
dearth of research and understand-
For women, their menstrual history
and reproductive health are so
Felkar ing in this area. important.
OCCUPATION: LOCATION:
I’ve worked with women on the And it’s sad because anabolics
Ph.D. student, Vancouver, Olympia stage, and I’ve worked aren’t bad. They’re not the devil.
University of Canada with women who don’t even com-
British Columbia
pete but—pardon my French—fuck
themselves up. A lot of times, women
are already on steroids because
they’re on birth control, and birth
control is a steroid. They go off it,
We don’t know
their androgens can skyrocket natu- how many
rally, and then they hop on gear and women are
they’ve just opened themselves up
to this whole cascade of hell.
using, but I
From a female perspective, there think it’s sky-
have been maybe eight to 11 studies rocketed in the
on this, ever. And none of them used
really good methods. We don’t know
past five years.
how many women are using. But
just anecdotally, I think it’s skyrock-
eted in the past three to five years.
The bikini division has changed the There’s a huge myth and mystique
that surrounds them. They’ve
become villainized.
My advice: Know your body. Some
women think certain ones are OK
to take because of the anabolic-to-
androgenic ratio. But that ratio
is based off studies on male rats.
You’re taking an androgen, what did
you expect? You didn’t think you’d
grow facial hair? That’s what andro-
gens do inside the body.
Everything has a risk-to-reward
ratio. Who you are and want to be
today is not the same as 10 years
from now. Your voice, hair growth,
fertility—all of these can be altered
when you take androgens. If some-
body says, “Take this,” ask questions.
This whole topic of women and
ROMMEL RAMIREZ; PER BERNAL
steroids is an enigma. I’m not even

an expert, because nobody is.
COMING SOON
In Part 2, we’ll cover: a breakdown
of anabolics, side effects, pros and
cons, and more.

IS LES
> CA R L I N
I
C A R L I N I SL E S
Before starring for the

USA’s rugby sevens
team, Isles cut his
teeth playing rugby
in Scotland.
COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
ENTER RUGBY briefly landed a spot on the practice

Isles was looking for a track club to squad of the Detroit Lions (he ran
O P E N E R : G E T T Y I M AG E S.
M RV P H O T O G R A P H Y ( 2 ) ;
join when he discovered footage of a 4.22 40-yard dash) before he

rugby. Intrigued, he spent his last turned his focus to rugby full-time.
$500 of savings to move to Aspen, The shift required him to up his

CO, and join a club team. Eventu- aerobic capacity so he could handle
ally, he signed with the Glasgow the constant sprinting inherent to
Warriors in Scotland and even the sport. It also meant he had
/
/
C A R L I N I SL E S
CARLIN
ISLES
SPEED SCHOOL
How do you get to be as fast as
Carlin Isles? You probably can’t,
unless you’ve got remarkable genet-
ics, but you can work on improving
the speed you do have. Isles recom-
mends focusing on two key areas:
First, develop an understanding of
the mechanics of sprinting. “If you
understand body angles and how
to produce force to the ground, it
would be better for you than just
going out and running,” he says.
Second: Alternate between days
with short sprints and long sprints
to train your body to develop both
I LIKE TO GO PAST 100%.

I LIKE TO GO FAST.
force and endurance. Maybe do
some 10-, 20-, and 30-meter sprints
one day going all out, and then do
some longer sprints, say 60 and 80
meters, at 90% effort, on another
day. You’ll slowly build strength that
way, and, as Isles points out, “when
you’ve got that strength, it’s money.”
Jewell also recommends overspeed
training: For example, running on a
treadmill faster than you might be
comfortable with, or even sprinting
on a slight downhill grade in order
to get your muscles firing a little
bit quicker. You can also perform

ISLES’ SPEED
WORKOUT
Want to improve your speed,
explosiveness, and leg
strength? Try this routine,
which Isles performs regularly.
You can complete it outdoors
or indoors.
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1
20-METER SPRINT 2–3 1
1
BURPEE 4 12
4 1
*
BOX JUMP 4 8
** 4 8
*If outside, sprint down a hill. If inside, sprint on
a treadmill at top speed or, if it’s a specialized
treadmill with a harness, do single-leg sprints.
**Alternate legs.
W E E K LY
ISLES’ REGIMEN
DAY EXERCISE
TUESDAY GYM WORK,

RUGBY TRAINING,
HAND-EYE TRAINING
THURSDAY RUGBY TRAINING
The fastest man in

rugby once clocked SATURDAY CONDITIONING/
in at 4.22 seconds for SPEED WORK
the 40-yard dash.

T H E U LT I M AT E A U T H O R I T Y I N B O D Y B U I L D I N G ! JUN E 2 0 1 8
FEATURES
162 THIGH & MIGHTY
Eight-time Mr. O Ronnie
Coleman breaks down his
hardest ever leg routine.
1 74 TWEAKS TO BECOME
A FREAK: PART 1
Use these upper-body
training hacks to stimulate
more muscle.
182 STRUCTURALLY
SOUND
Muscle guru Neil "Yoda"
Hill dispenses training
knowledge for newbies.
186 RAISE THE DEAD
Six deadlift variations for a
stronger, denser physique.
DEPARTMENTS
130 ASK THE
OLYMPIA INSIDER
14 0 TRAINING STYLES
14 4 MY FAVORITE
WORKOUT
14 6 STRENGTH
14 8 ON THE RISE
150 ANATOMY OF
AN EXERCISE
152 LAB TO GYM
154 ASKED AND
ANSWERED
156 BOOST
158 10 TIPS
194 SUPP OF THE MONTH
BUILD
CH-RE ADY
BEA
MUSCLE!
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY
FLEX_ASK THE OLYMPIA INSIDER By ROBIN CHANG
Girl
Power
The man behind Olympia
Weekend, Robin Chang,
answers reader questions
that are all about
the ladies.
Do you think the body

types in the IFBB Pro
League’s female divi-
sions—bikini, fitness, physique,
and figure—have a negative
effect on female body image?
I can’t think of another sport that
positively affects the way a female
feels about her body like our sport.
Look, our society is image-conscious,
and setting out to transform your
physique builds serious self-confi-
dence. Achieving that goal empowers
women to have control of their bodies
and helps them feel stronger both
physically and mentally—and I think
that is tremendous. and elegant on- and offstage. Lenda Grishina is retired. We’ll have a new
was a great spokesperson for the champ for the first time since 2014.
Are female competitors industry, and she appealed to the 2) Candice Lewis-Carter beat current
B O B G A R D N E R /C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S ; P E R B E R N A L ( 2 )
pressured in any way to masses. That said, you can’t have a Figure Olympia champ Cydney Gillon
get cosmetic enhance- conversation about the most dominant at this year’s Arnold Sports Festival.
ments (e.g., boob jobs)? female champ without mentioning So that rivalry will come to a head.
I haven’t heard anyone complain. If 10-time Ms. Olympia winner Iris Kyle. 3) For the past two years, Shanique
they are feeling pressure, though, I Grant, who won the women’s physique
think it comes from society, their up- Do you think the class at this year’s Arnold, couldn’t
bringing, or friends. The reality is that women’s divisions get make it to the O. Let’s see if she can
cosmetic work, if taken to extremes, equal hype to the men’s? pull it together and show this year.
can throw off the physique from a Maybe not as much as the Mr. Olympia 4)The bikini division is always competi-
judging standpoint. I’ve seen compet- because, after all, it’s the marquee tive. I’d hate to judge that.
itors—men and women—be scored event, but the women are catching
down because cosmetic work threw up. The prize money went up, and the
off the balance of their physique. bikini division is a fan favorite—women M&F ’S INSIDER
have tremendous mainstream appeal.
Robin Chang is the producer
Who is the most of the Olympia Fitness &
dominant female What’s exciting about Performance Weekend, the
International Director of
competitor of all time? this year’s women’s the IFBB Professional
Eight-time Ms. Olympia winner divisions at the Mr. O? League, and the VP of
events for AMI.
She was classy, graceful, 1) Reigning Fitness O champ Oksana

ARASH RAHBAR
IFBB PRO, MR. OLYMPIA CLASSIC PHYSIQUE COMPETITOR
A N N I H I L A T E E V E R Y R E P.
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FLEX_TRAINING STYLES
Jacked in
15 Minutes
No BS. This foolproof plan—called
Escalating Density Training—will add muscle to
your frame, strip fat off your gut, and leave you with
more time to show off your killer new physique.
IT SOUNDS LIKE a gimmick, we process-focused approach to training.

know. Building more muscle while si- “A lot of people assess the produc-
multaneously losing the fat you put on tivity of their training session by how
through months of gluttonous, less- much it hurts—and that’s a mistake,”
than-ideal decisions is hard enough— Staley says. “Fitness is a result of
but in just four 15-minute workouts what you do, not what you feel. The
per week? Have we lost our minds? focus should be on the amount of and
We have not. And we suggest that quality of work accomplished. Sure,
you take this program seriously. It’s when you do EDT, you’ll be hurting,
called Escalating Density Training but pain isn’t the goal. You’re sore
(EDT), and it was created by Charles because you emphasized performance
Staley, B.S., M.S.S., a trainer and over pain.”
director of Staley Training Systems To help you grasp this unique training
in Gilbert, AZ. Stick with it for eight concept and show you how to put it to
to 12 weeks, and you’re in for some use, refer to our EDT breakdown on
serious results. The key: a measured, the following pages. Then figure out

By M&F EDITORS

FLEX_TRAINING STYLES
HOW EDT WORKS

You’ll do four workouts per week,
which pair antagonist body parts
together, like chest and back or legs
and shoulders. You’ll pick one exercise
per body part and then alternate sets
between the two moves for 15 straight
minutes. That 15-minute period is
what Staley calls a PR Zone. (“PR” is
short for personal record, of course.)
Post-workout, make a note of how
much weight you used and how many
reps you performed for each exercise.
Your job next week is to improve those
numbers—the goal being to increase
your total volume. You do this by lifting
the same weight but for more total
reps—that’s a PR.
WHY IT WORKS
Simple: You’re increasing the load on
your muscles every single week. Your
body grows when a new stressor—like
heavier weight or more total reps—is
introduced. Because EDT is measured
and objective—two important keys to
an effective training program—you can
ensure constant progress. Also, you’ll
be shocked by how much volume you
can accumulate in a single 15-minute
session. Here’s an example: Let’s say
you do four sets of eight on the bench
press with 205 pounds for 32 total
reps. Multiply 32 by 205, and you get
6,560 total pounds lifted. Now, let’s
say you use 185 pounds for your EDT
workout and hit 10 sets of five reps
for a total of 50 reps. Do the math,
and you wind up with 9,250 pounds
lifted. That’s 2,690 pounds more. And
FROM LEFT: PER BERNAL; ALEX ARDENTI
because you’re using a lighter load

to accumulate more work, your body
won’t be as beat up.
WEIGHT SELECTION
EDT is not training to failure—at least
until you reach the very end of the
PR Zone. To ensure you don’t burn
out, choose your four-to-six-rep max
(strength), 12-rep max (hypertrophy),
or 30-rep max (endurance), and then

use that weight for half the reps. Also, TRAINING
make sure that you’re leaving a rep or SAMPLE WEEK
two in the tank for every set. If five reps Directions: Depending on the
start to feel too hard toward the end of exercise you’re performing, take a
few sets to warm up before starting
TRAIN BETTER
the 15 minutes, then do four or three the clock. Once you’ve worked up to
reps. Remember, total reps is the goal. your working weight, start the timer
and begin lifting, alternating between
the two moves. Record the amount
HOW TO PROGRESS of reps you hit each set and take as
Doing more reps with the same weight little rest as possible between sets.
will lead to progress, but eventually,
you’ll need to go heavier. Staley has Day 1
a simple formula for determining EXERCISE
when to add weight: the 20/5 Rule.
Once your initial baseline PR—the first
workout you did—is exceeded by 20%,
increase the load by 5% or five pounds,
whichever is less. It may take you Day 2
three to four workouts before you add EXERCISE
weight, or maybe just two. Either way,
once you add weight, wipe the slate
clean and set a new baseline PR. Con-
versely, the 20/5 Rule works in reverse,
too. If you are 20% or more under your Day 3
initial PR, then reduce your weight by EXERCISE
5% or 5 pounds, whichever is more.
THE BEST GRIP

IN THE WORLD
EXERCISE
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PUSHING PULLING
ALL IN ONE
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VERSAGRIPPS.com
FLEX_MY FAVORITE WORKOUT By ROGER LOCKRIDGE
Shouldering the Load

Fresh off a win in Indy, Steve Kuclo shows you how to build superhero shoulders.
Boulder Shoulders
Steve Kuclo’s Favorite

Shoulder Workout
DIRECTIONS: After the last set of
each move, perform a pair of drop-
sets: Do 10 reps with heavy weight,
then lower the weight and do 10 more.
Lower the weight again and do 10
more. Rest 60 seconds between sets
and 10 seconds between dropsets.
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Close-grip EZ- 3 15, 12,

bar Upright Row 10/10/10
until arms are parallel to the floor.

KUCLO SAYS: “For this one, I start with
the weights in front of me. I found I have a
greater range of motion, which makes the
side delts do more work. Also, don’t swing
the weight up. If you can’t lift the weight
without momentum, go lighter.”
CLOSE-GRIP EZ-BAR
UPRIGHT ROW
While standing, hold an EZ-bar with
STEVE KUCLO IS ON A FREAKING ROLL. After earning a respectable fifth- both hands so it’s at your hips. Row it
place finish in March at the 2018 Arnold Classic, “King Snake” got a W at the 2018 up until it reaches chin level.
KUCLO SAYS: “Using the closer curve
Indy Pro show in Indianapolis a month later. Now he’s hoping to carry that momen- of the EZ-bar is easier on my wrists.
tum to the 2018 Mr. Olympia. One body part that has always given Kuclo an edge— Also, I feel more activation of the rear
and should help him in Vegas in September: his shoulders. Below, he breaks down delts as opposed to going wider, which to
me is almost like doing laterals again.”
his all-time favorite delt workout to help you build a pair of shoulders that would
give Kuclo a run for his money. (OK, not quite, but you’ll still get a hell of a pump.) BENTOVER REAR
LATERAL RAISE
Holding two dumbbells, bend over
until your torso is angled at about 45
degrees. Raise the dumbbells out to
your sides, leading the move with your
SEATED DUMBBELL PRESS vertical, because this helps me keep my elbows. Squeeze your shoulder blades
Sit down on a bench with back sup- focus on the front delts.” together at the top of the movement.
port and raise two dumbbells to shoul- KUCLO SAYS: “I focus on lifting with the
PER BERNAL
ders. Press both dumbbells overhead. STANDING LATERAL RAISE pinkies up as much as possible. You also
Do not lock your elbows out at the top. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and should keep your arms perpendicular to
KUCLO SAYS: “I like doing these with then raise them out to your sides, your body, like you’re trying to touch the
the seat on a very high incline and not keeping a slight bend in your elbow, walls. This will isolate the rear delts.”

FLEX_STRENGTH B y B R I A N M AT T H E W S , C . S .C . S
The Lowdown on
Squatting High
Enhance your athleticism and strength with the quarter-squat. Yes, we’re serious.
too. A study by Rhea, Kenn, Peter-

son, and Krein published in Human
Movement in 2016 found that train-
ees who performed quarter-squats
over the course of 16 weeks had
the greatest improvements in their
40-yard dash and vertical jump,
compared with the full-squat and
half-squat groups.
As for strength, implementing
quarter-squats with heavier weight
can help overload the muscles to
strengthen the lockout portion of the
squat, while also getting your body
used to shouldering more weight.
WHO SHOULD DO IT
Athletes, for sure. But also those
lifters who like being able to run
around with their kids, go for a hike,
or simply jump higher and run faster.
“The transfer to sport skill is better
with quarter-squatting,” says Jeff
Moyer, the director of programming
at Dynamic Correspondence Sports
THE MOST LEGENDARY wheels in bodybuilding—like those belonging to Training in Pittsburgh, PA. To be
bodybuilding great Tom Platz—were a result of deep, heavy squats. Ergo, quarter- clear: You can (and should) still
squats (aka high squats) have been held in contempt by serious lifters—often seen squat deep in the gym, but adding
as cop-outs for the weak, a sign of iron ineptitude, and grounds for a ribbing. Turns a set or two of quarter-squats will
out, there’s a time and place for quarter-squatting. (Yes, really.) Before you blow give you more liftoff in your beach
us off, read on to find out the why, how, and who of quarter-squatting. volleyball matches this summer.
WHY DO IT imposed demands. Translation: If you HOW TO DO IT

The quarter-squat is best for those want to improve a certain exercise or Set up like you would in a conven-
looking to enhance athletic prowess range of motion, then do that exercise tional back squat. Bring your feet
and bolster strength gains—not to or train that range of motion. Athletes, under your hips, as if you were
carve out teardrop quads or striated for example, rarely hit a parallel squat going to jump. Break at the ankle
glutes. position as they dip down to produce first (instead of the hips). Descend
force to jump. It would make more down to a quarter-squat, then explo-
PER BERNAL
HOW IT WORKS sense, then, to train the range of sively drive back up. Start with two
Quarter-squats are effective because motion of your descent. sets of 15 reps before your sets of
of SAID—specific adaptation to There’s evidence behind this logic, deeper squats.

THE TIME HAS ARRIVED
GNC.COM/BEYONDRAW
ONLY AT GNC
FLEX_ON THE RISE
Body & Seoul

South Korean phenom Hayeun Kim preps to m
waves in the IFBB Pro League bikini division
Name:
Hayeun Kim
Birth Date:
April 15, 1994
Height: 5'6"
m
Contest Weight: er in one
119 lbs o became the
Residence:
Seoul, South Korea
mpetitor to ever qualify
Instagram: O. She calls this distinction
@ha_yeun_kim an honor,” and although her accom-
plishments are impressive, Kim says
she doesn’t dig deep within herself for
fuel—she simply looks around.
“Truthfully, all of my fellow compet-
itors inspire me,” she says. “I have the
utmost respect for anyone who goes
through the rigors of diet and training
that are required to be a competitive
athlete.”
Kim hopes to make even more
history this September at the Olympia
in Las Vegas. Her strategy for success:
hard work and attention to detail.
“I plan to continue to stay focused
and exceed my last performance when
I compete at the Olympia,” she says.
To see how the young star trains her
lower body to get it O-ready, check out
her leg workout below.
Kim’s Lower-Body Blast

EXERCISE SETS REPS
HAYEUN KIM may be new to the but the 24-year-old 4

fitness world, but she hasn’t wasted didn’t stop there. The
C H A E W O N H WA N G ; M O N S T E R Z Y M
any time making herself known. In very next day, Kim Wide-stance 4 20
one weekend last fall, the rookie bikini competed in her Squat
competitor from Seoul, South Korea, first professional 4
established herself as a force onstage. show, the 2017 San
First, she earned her pro card by Marino Pro (also in Cable Glute 4 20
winning the 2017 Amateur Olympia in San Marino, Italy), Kickback
San Marino, Italy, on Nov. 25. That’s an and she won that,
Rest 1 minute between sets.
impressive feat for any newbie, sure, too. In a 24-hour

FLEX_
FLEX_LAB TO GYM By ADAM BIBLE
The Protein
Protocol
It’s not broscience: Downing protein while on a lifting
program does indeed result in more strength and muscle.
PUMP IT UP
AMP UP ENERGY FOR A WHILE, lifter bros insisted stronger muscles (shocker). Further-
on guzzling their protein shakes within more,
the “magical” 30-minute window the
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and Applica. 2015; 7:103- 109. 2.5RRG2MDOYR66DQGOHU'9HOHGDU(.RPRURZVNL-7KHEHQH¿WVRILQRVLWROVWDELOL]HGDUJLQLQHVLOLFDWHDVDZRUNRXWLQJUHGLHQWJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2015;12(Suppl 1):P14. 3.
Kalman D, Harvey PD, Perez Ojalvo S, Komorowski J. Randomized prospective double-blind studies to evaluate the cognitive effects of inositol-stabilized arginine silicate in healthy physically active adults. Nutrients. 2016;8(11):736. 4. Komorowski
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Komorowski J. Comparison of cellular nitric oxide production from various sports nutrition ingredients. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016;13 (Suppl 1):P33. ©2017 Nutrition 21, LLC Nitrosigine® is a registered trademark of Nutrition 21, LLC. Nitrosigine is
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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
FLEX By ROGER LOCKRIDGE
What inspired you

to compete?
When I was 20, the only
contests I knew about were the
Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia. It
wasn’t until someone showed me a
poster for a local contest that I had
interest [in competing], mainly be-
cause the competitors on the poster
weren’t Olympia level at all. So I
took a chance. I ended up winning,
and I was hooked.
Why did you choose

classic physique over
open bodybuilding?
I’m tall, which means I’d have to build
Name: a lot of mass to compete with [open]
Wesley Vissers bodybuilders, who are usually shorter.
Birth Date:
May 6, 1993
Classic physique takes this away, as
Height: 6'2" there is a weight limit to every height.
Contest Weight:
242 lbs
Residence:
What’s the key to
Oosterhout, Netherlands building a social media
Website: following?
vintagegenetics.com
Instagram:
Bring something unique to the table,
@wesleyvissers be consistent, and show people your
YouTube: life so they actually feel like part of
VintageGenetics
your journey.
If you went back to the

beginning of your career
Vintage as a competitor, what

would you change?
The first seven years of my body-
Vissers
building career wouldn’t rely just on
training. I’d also eat right.
What are your long-term

Dutch competitor Wesley Vissers is bringing his career goals?
throwback look to the IFBB Pro League stage. To win the Classic Physique
Olympia and to be the ultimate exam-
ple of a Golden Era bodybuilder.
WHEN YOU THINK of a Golden find his name among that list of icons.
Era physique, you likely picture com- Vissers took his first step toward Who is in your support
petitors like seven-time Mr. Olympia making that a reality last March after group, and how import-
Arnold Schwarzenegger or Mr. earning his pro card at the Royal ant is it to have people
Universe winner Steve Reeves— London Pro. in your corner?
industry legends who found the We caught up with the 6'2", My support group is my mom, dad,
delicate balance between size and 25-year-old owner of Vintage Genet- brother, my girlfriend, and my coach.
J O DY W R I G H T
symmetry. And newly minted IFBB ics (vintagegenetics.com) to discuss It’s vital to have a support group to
Pro League classic physique competi- his career choices and goals and his succeed. It’s an individual sport, but
tor Wesley Vissers could one day tips for being social media savvy. it’s not an individual lifestyle.

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FLEX_BOOST B y R A C H A E L S C H U LT Z
Get a Whiff Y
of This
—putting your
brain and body on red alert.
You’ll feel the effects within milli-
seconds, and the sensation fades
Can smelling salts really hype you up for your next big lift? after 10 seconds or so, but within that
small window is a next-level feeling of
alertness and indestructibility that’ll
quiet any doubt in your head and help
you zero in on tossing plates around
like plastic.
That superman boost is crucial for
ballistic movements, making smelling
salts great for powerlifters.
so smelling salts are

detrimental to athletes like Olympic
weightlifters, says Shawn Arent,
Ph.D., director of the Center for Health
and Human Performance at Rutgers
University. And if you’re more of an
analytical or introverted lifter, any
ability to walk step-by-step through
a lift is masked by the aggression you
get from that hit, Collins adds.
Also, there’s pretty much no science
to support smelling salts. And in most
cases when athletes use them—huff-
ing on the bench in the NFL or before
IF YOU FOLLOW top-tier power- powerlifting coach at Murder of Crows the bar is even loaded at a powerlifting
lifters or strongmen on Instagram, Barbell Club in Brooklyn, NY. meet—there’s too much downtime for
you’ve seen the video: The giant walks Here’s how they work: One waft of the athlete to benefit. Still, “you can’t
up to the platform, holds something the sharp, pungent ammonia irritates dismiss the placebo effect,” Arent
up to his nose, jerks his head back, your mucous membrane, increasing says. “If someone feels it wakes them
steps up to the loaded bar, and pulls your breathing rate. up and they feel more ready? Well,
the biggest deadlift you’ve ever seen. then they’re going to be more ready.”
So what’s the secret? Your favorite
lifters are all sniffing little tablets of
ammonia, better known as smelling
salts. The aroma of these things is
Smelling Salts: A User’s Guide
tantamount to cat piss, and a single Thinking of adding smelling salts to your training toolbox? Here’s what you
whiff feels like a slap in the face—and need to know.
that may actually be what helps
T I M R A S M U S S E N /G E T T Y I M AG E S
1. Test salts in a workout first, not in salts, so sniff only when you’re working at
champion lifters (and, potentially, you) competition, because they can push you 85% of your capacity or above—when you
achieve new personal records. beyond your optimal arousal. really need that extra boost.
“Of the top 20 powerlifters I coach,
2. Skip salts if you have any neck issues— 4. Start with a blend like Ammonia Sport,
about 15 will use smelling salts at that cat-piss smell triggers a whiplash which is less jarring than medical-grade
some point throughout their train- motion, which can hurt your neck. Ditto if smelling salts. And begin with small whiffs.
ing cycle, as well as to revive them you’re groggy from a hit to the head (an
early concussion symptom). 5. The effects last just a few seconds, so
during long competitions,” says Sean sniff only once the bar is loaded and you’re
Collins, C.S.C.S., co-founder and head 3. You can develop a tolerance to smelling ready to step up to the platform.

NATURAL | GLUTEN FREE | DAIRY FREE | SOY FREE | GRAIN FREE
PROTEIN
™
MODERN
FLEX_10 TIPS By ROGER LOCKRIDGE
V for Victory
Figure Olympia champ Cydney Gillon helps you develop
a stage-ready V-taper just in time for summer.
5
USE A REVERSE DIET.
“Nutrition is everything.
Reverse diets allow
your body to recover and not
regain unnecessary fat.
Consistency is key.”
6 7
GET EAT
LEAN. FOR
“Having YOUR
less body fat on GOALS. “If
your physique gaining muscle
means that is the goal, eat
there’s a higher to build, not
probability to gain excess
that all the body fat. Keep-
muscle you ing your goals in
have gained mind will serve
to accentuate you better than
your V-taper is those extra
1
showcased.” calories will.”
THE KEY TO A FOCUS ON FULLER
jaw-dropping, SHOULDERS. “Shoulders are the
8
summer-ready phy- start to your V-taper. The wider BE PICKY ABOUT ABS.
sique: a solid V-taper. and fuller the shoulders, the smaller “Watch out for too many stabi-
And there’s probably your waist will appear.” lizing movements that will add
no one better to thickness to your waist. Avoid heavy
help you hone yours weighted movements for abs, too.”
2 3
than the 2017 Figure WIDEN CONNECT
Olympia champ, YOUR WITH
9
Cydney Gillon. In a LATS. YOUR HYDRATE TO
division that judges “It’s another trick to MUSCLES. “Focus DECREASE BLOATING.
heavily on shoulder creating the illusion on the muscle you’re “Make sure you are
and back width, the of a smaller waist. trying to work. If you sufficiently hydrated. This will allow
former Survivor Grow your lats with are training shoul- water to pass and keep your waist as
cast member still moves like pulldowns ders, try to engage flat as possible.”
manages to stand and pullovers.” only your shoulders.”
out with her freakish
10
V-shape. So if you’re POSE! “Posing
4
sorely lacking in the TRAIN ABS. “Some people will have helps make the
V-taper department, a small waist whether they train abs muscles pop.
use these 10 tips heavily or not. But if you want to improve Practice techniques that
from Gillon to take your V-taper, you need to do simple ab moves. allow you to showcase all
it up a notch. There’s no need to get fancy. Crunches work.” your hard work.”
158 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018 Photograph by Per Bernal
CONVERTS FAT
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METABOLIC
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trademark of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Ixoreal Biomed Inc. S.r.l. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Copyright © 2018 Performance Brands, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Photo Credit: Jim Murtaugh Alpha Design Photography
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X_PHIL HEATH
Ronnie
Coleman
Mighty
JUNE 2018
FLEX_SHOCK YOUR QUADS
T
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE
followed my career know how hard
I used to hit the gym leading up to
all eight of my Mr. Olympia wins.
Without a doubt, the hardest
sessions were my leg days. Many of
you have seen my 800-pound squat,
which I hit for two reps. (Light weight,
baby!) Despite my affinity for going
hard and heavy, though, I didn’t train
like that all the time. Every once in a
while, I threw a curveball into my leg
training to stimulate more growth. To
get big quads, you need to implement
heavy sets of free-weight squats. To
carve out the definition required to
win a Sandow, however, you need to
endure mind-numbing, high-rep sets
that give you a quality pump. Which
is why, twice a month or so, I’d do
the workout you see on these pages.
I call it my “Thigh & Mighty” routine.
It revolves around a brutal intensity
technique—one far more difficult
than supersets and giant sets—called
descending sets.
Here’s how my pre-Olympia shock
routine would usually play out. First,
I’d start with five all-out sets of
squats to exhaust the thighs. Then I’d
do three straight sets of leg presses.
On my fourth (and heaviest) set,
however, after grinding out about 15
reps, my training partner would start
stripping off the plates. I’d perform a
set for each pair of plates he’d strip.
Then I’d do the same thing on leg
extensions. By the end of my work-
out, you could smear my legs onto
toast—they were jelly. There was one
problem with this routine: I was prob-
ably the only person crazy enough to
do it. On the other hand, I won a lot
of Sandows. The point: If you want
quads more massive, cut, and striated
than those you see on most pros, then
you should welcome the challenge
and learn to love this program.
Thighs the Limit

Before you get started, heed these descending-set shock-training rules:
■ ■
■
■
■

BIG RON’S Coleman’s “Thigh & Mighty”

Quad Shocker
OLYMPIA EXERCISE SETS REPS
TRAINING SPLIT
DAY MUSCLES
Leg Press 3 15
* 1
Tuesday Quads, hamstrings, abs Leg Extension 3 15
* 1
Thursday Back, biceps, abs *After the 15th rep for this set, go immediately
into descending-set mode.

FOR THE SQUAT...

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COLEMAN

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I performed these pyramiding up pounds and, without rest, continue
through four sets to failure, using another set to maximum pump.
enough weight to keep my reps at I’d quickly drop the pin another 20
15. At the top of each rep, I’d hold pounds and continue in this nonstop
the contraction. As soon as I reached manner—all the way to the bottom
maximum pump during my last and of the stack, until my quads felt as
heaviest set, I’d immediately drop though they’d pop open like over-
the pin in the weight stack about 20 cooked sausages.

Tweaks
TO
Become
A
Freak
PART 1
Five alterations to basic upper-body
exercises that will hype up hypertrophy.
BY ERIC “MERLIN” BROSER

W
FLEX_UPPER-BODY TRAINING HACKS
With more than 25 years of experience in this

industry, I view every machine, pulley, bench,
barbell, and dumbbell as a tool with endless
possibilities. Similarly, I look at every textbook
training movement as nothing more than a basic
outline with infinite potential. Which raises the
question: Is it possible to make standard
exercises extraordinary with the slightest of
changes? As a matter of fact, it is. Here goes...
THE MOVEMENT:
Dumbbell Pullover
THE TWEAK: higher degree (close to 90 de-
Alter your form and degree of grees) while lowering the weight
elbow bend to target different straight down toward the floor.
muscles. Feel the rib cage stretch as the
dumbbell descends and focus on
THE EXECUTION: pulling with the pecs as you raise
To target your lats, keep the arms the weight back over your chest.
only slightly bent and lower the Squeeze each time before begin-
O P E N E R : P AV E L Y T H J A L L .
T H I S PAG E : P E R B E R N A L
weight both down and back (away) ning the next rep.
from the top of the head. Focus on
stretching the lats at the bottom THE RESULT:
and forcing them to contract as By slightly altering your technique,
you return the dumbbell to just you can make dumbbell pullovers
over the forehead. To pump up a useful part of both your chest
your pecs, bend the elbows to a and back training programs.

THE MOVEMENT:
One-arm Dumbbell Row
T H I S PAG E : C H R I S L U N D. N E X T T W O PAG E S : P E R B E R A L
THE TWEAK: onto the upper-right side of the bench (and vice versa).
Lean forward into an incline bench to stabilize the Row the dumbbell back toward your hip with one arm
torso as you row. while the other wraps underneath the bench, holding
on to it firmly, to keep your torso locked in place.
THE EXECUTION:
Instead of positioning yourself with one knee on a THE RESULT:
flat bench and one leg behind you, set an incline to Not only will this positioning on an incline bench
about 45 degrees and lie forward onto your chest. remove all possibility of cheating, but it will also help
When performing the movement with the left arm, create a longer range of motion and a better plane of
for example, aim to place your right pec and shoulder movement for greater lat stimulation.

THE MOVEMENT:
Close-grip Bench Press
THE TWEAK: on each rep, trying to activate
Utilize a Smith machine, rather only your triceps.
than a free bar, and hold with
hands rotated inward so the THE RESULT:
elbows flare out. The unique positioning of the
hands and elbows puts the chest
THE EXECUTION: and anterior deltoids in a weaker
To set up, grasp the bar at just position for pressing, thus forcing
inside shoulder width and rotate the triceps to take on the brunt of
your hands inward so that the el- the work. While all three heads
bows rotate outward. Then lower of the triceps—long, short, and
the bar slowly (and carefully) in medial—will be engaged, it is the
line with your upper pecs until long/inner head that will be most
your forearms touch your biceps. affected, making this a serious
Pause for a moment, then push mass builder for the back of the
the bar up to just before lockout upper arms.

FLEX_UPPER-BODY TRAINING HACKS
THE MOVEMENT:
One-arm Dumbbell
Preacher Curl
THE TWEAK:
Vary hand positioning on the dumbbell on
each set.
THE EXECUTION:
After warming up, go all out for three sets
of this exercise (per arm). Perform the first
set with the hand grasping the middle of the
dumbbell; the second set with your pinkie up
against the inner plate; and the third set with
your thumb up against the outer plate.
THE RESULT:
With each set, you will feel a unique strain on
the biceps as each hand position will slightly
alter the direction of the downward force
through the dumbbell. This will allow you to
stimulate varying sets of motor pools within
the biceps.
THE MOVEMENT:
Lateral
(NOT SHOWN)
Raise
THE TWEAK:
Lean back against an incline bench instead of
standing.
THE EXECUTION:
Set an incline bench to about 75 degrees. (If
possible, have someone hold the back of the
bench so it remains in place.) Grab a pair of
dumbbells that are about 20% lighter than
you usually use. Stand with your feet slightly
out in front of you and lean back into the
bench. Starting with the dumbbells at your
hips, raise them out to the sides until your
upper arms are parallel to the floor. Keep
a very slight bend in the elbows and your
palms facing downward on every rep.
THE RESULT:
By leaning back into an incline bench, you
not only will be working through a different
plane of motion but will also remove the
possibility of using momentum. This maxi-
mally activates your delts.

structure. That’s exactly what my Yoda 3 Training (Y3T)
program does—it creates structure and a platform for
If you’re not familiar with my
up into three phases. Week 1 focuses
focuses on lighter weights and very

FLEX_EXPERT ADVICE
doing at the time—following the hard- training method that would allow me level, you must put in the time to
core training styles of Mike Mentzer to grow effectively while reducing my learn what works for you and what
O P E N E R : I A N S PA N I E R . T H I S PAG E : P E R B E R N A L . F O L L O W I N G PAG E : I A N S PA N I E R
and six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. risk of injury. doesn’t, and then be able to omit the
They’d lift very heavy weights for six What worked for me, though, doesn’t ineffective pieces from your program.
to 10 reps, then to failure and beyond necessarily work the same for each of Otherwise, you’re simply wasting your
(using intensity techniques like rest- my clients. That’s the beauty of Y3T— time trying to hammer your body
pause and forced reps, with a partner, it’s so flexible. with techniques and/or exercises that
to achieve this). But all training like William Bonac, who has made won’t lead to any noticeable gains.
that did was get me injured. tremendous progress since using Worse, it could lead you to injury like
For some people, that style of train- the Y3T method, usually does three it did for me.
ing is effective. All it did for me was Week 1 workouts, one Week 2, and That said, I think young bodybuilders
create a lot of stress on my tendons one Week 3. who are just starting out should con-
and joints. And when your muscles Six-time 212 Olympia champ Flex sider experimenting with powerlifting.
are growing fast, like mine were, your Lewis, on the other hand, responds This type of training demands struc-
tendons and joints don’t have time really well to Week 2 (moderate-rep) ture and steady progression to gain
to catch up. This led to inflammation workouts, in the 14-to-20-rep range, results. It also forces lifters to place a
and injury, and this cycle occurred so he does more of those. If I had to premium on form. (You need to make
for years before I decided to finally pick one rep range, though, that I feel sure your technique is working in
do something different. I started by builds the most amount of muscle synergy with your body for effective
changing up the rep ranges I trained mass, I would probably say that it’s lifts.) That foundation of structure will
with, breaking them down into low, the moderate-rep range. But again, teach lifters what works for them and
moderate, and high. It took me about all our bodies are different. what doesn’t—then they can make the
three or four years to home in on a To take your training to the next necessary changes.

Natural Versus
Enhanced: How
Should You Train?
This question often gets asked:
Should a “natural” athlete train differ-
ently from an “enhanced” one? In my
opinion, no. When it comes to exercise
selection and sets and reps, I don’t
think a natural athlete should train
any differently. The biggest difference
when it comes to training naturally,
though, is that a natural athlete must
get adequate rest. That means spend-
ing less time in the gym than
he may want to.
There’s a misconception that ath-
letes need to spend countless hours
in the gym, lifting heavy nonstop, to
create more muscles mass. In fact,
the opposite is true. For an athlete’s
body to grow and mature, it needs
to repair itself outside the gym. This
is even more true for a natural guy
who isn’t taking in extra doses of
Flex Lewis responds
muscle-building hormones—from IGF well to the 14-to-20-
rep range. But that
to testosterone to growth hormones. doesn’t mean you will.
Overtraining can actually suppress
the release of these hormones.
Y3T: How It Works
A lot of athletes don’t know this, but
DETAILS WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3
the optimal release times of these
hormones are during our sleep. Mean-
ing, our bodies will produce their most
abundant amounts of positive hor- Exercises Per Workout 3–5 3–5 3–5
mones not when we’re in the gym but
rather when we’re in bed. And if you’re
not using steroids, which provide Reps Per Set 6–12 14–20 20–80
you with copious amounts of these
peak hormones for your body to use
throughout the day, then this nightly Tempo 4–sec. 3–sec. 2–sec.
negative negative negative
release of hormones is paramount for
making gains.
A natural athlete has to recognize
this and avoid trying to grind through
as many sets and reps—or train each
Sample Week 2 Y3T Back Workout
EXERCISE SETS REPS
muscle group as hard as possible
twice a week—as an enhanced athlete. 3
In other words, it’s going to take a nat-
ural athlete a lot longer to heal. And if Lying Back Pulldown 4 14–20
you’re overtraining, chances are you’re 3
not going to recover properly.
Barbell Bentover Row 3 14–20
NOTE: For all exercises, aim to get at least 18 reps for your first set or two.

Raise
the
Dead

MODEL
SNAPSHOT Breathe new life into your deadlift
routine with these potent variations
SANTI for more power and strength.
ARAGON BY JOE WUEBBEN
/ PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS NICOLL
IFBB PRO LEAGUE
BODYBUILDER
AND
MUSCLETECH
ATHLETE
Ask any traditional strength junkie about

the correct way to deadlift, and he’ll tell
you that your feet need to be inches
apart and your grip right outside your
thighs. We say BS. Sure, a competition
deadlift is a muscle-building must-do.
After all, few moves build size and
strength in the posterior chain—glutes,
back, and hamstrings—like it. But at its
core, the deadlift is simply a hip hinge—
and there’s more than one way to do it.
In fact, on the following pages, we’ll give you six offshoots of
the classic deadlift, as deviating from it on a regular basis is in
your best interest. You’ll be stronger across more paths of motion
and more well-rounded because of it. These six effective vari-
ations are brought to you courtesy of Ollie Quinn, a strongman
competitor, a former Royal Marine, and the owner of BattleBells
personal training in Austin, TX.
Work these moves into your pulling repertoire, and no one will
be able to tell you you’re not deadlifting—because chances are
you’ll be pulling more weight off the floor than them.

FLEX_DEADLIFTS
CONVENTIONAL
DEADLIFT
Why Do It: Because it’s the industry
standard for measuring brute strength
and power. “It’s the king of lifts,” Quinn
says. “No other deadlift variation
screams static strength and athleticism
like this one.”
Execution: Stand in front of a loaded

barbell resting on the floor in front of
you, feet hip-width apart. Keeping your
back flat and head up, bend your knees
and hips to grasp the bar with a
shoulder-width grip. This is your start
position. Stand up with the bar in one
explosive motion by extending your
knees and driving your hips forward.
Quinn Says: “Fill your belly with air to

brace your abs. Hinge your upper body,
keep a neutral spine, and squeeze the
bar—imagine bending it into a horseshoe
shape, using your lats, before you pull.”
188 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018 Grooming by Erica Stewart for Zenobia
DEFICIT DEADLIFT
Why Do It: “Due to the extra range of
motion required, deficit deads are a
great way to help build your off-the-floor
strength,” Quinn says. “That said, if you
struggle with the mobility required to get
into a regular deadlift position, deficit
deads probably aren’t for you.”
Execution: Place one or two 45-pound

weight plates underneath a loaded
barbell resting on the floor. Step onto
the plate(s) and assume the same
start position as you would with a
conventional deadlift. Deadlift the bar
off the floor to a full standing position,
then lower the bar, with control, back
down to the floor.
Quinn Says: “There’s no need to create

too large of a deficit at first—standing on
one 45-pound plate or a one-inch board
is fine to start with.”

FLEX_DEADLIFTS
SUMO DEADLIFT
Why Do It: For starters, the wide
stance creates a shorter range of
motion, which can help relieve lower-
back pain. Also, if your glutes and quads
are weak in your conventional pull,
switching to sumos for a while will build
strength in those muscle groups.
Execution: With your feet shoulder-

width apart and toes pointed out, sink
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Quinn Says: “Keep as much of your

body behind the bar as possible. Think
about pushing the floor apart hard with
your feet to lift the bar off the floor.
When you get the bar moving, keep
your knees out and finish by driving
your hips into the bar.”
FLEX_DEADLIFTS
SUITCASE
DEADLIFT
Why Do It: “Suitcase deadlifts are a
great way to work your obliques and
keep your deadlift balanced,” Quinn says.
“If your core is weak, you’ll never have a
big deadlift. A wise man once said, ‘You
can’t fire a cannon from a canoe.’ ”
Execution: Stand parallel to a barbell

loaded with significantly lighter weight
than you’d normally use. (Do a few sets
with the empty bar to get a feel for the
move.) With your feet hip-width apart,
bend at the hips and knees and grab the
middle of the bar. Following standard
deadlift body positioning, pull the bar off
the floor. Focus on keeping your chest
facing forward and the bar level with the
floor. When you reach full hip and knee
extension, lower the weight back down
under control.
Quinn Says: “Don’t let the weight pull

you to the side. Your shoulders will try to
bend toward the weight; to counter this,
brace your abs and flex both lats before
you pull.”
SNATCH-GRIP
DEADLIFT
Why Do It: “Like deficit deadlifts,
the snatch-grip version is effective for
increasing off-the-floor strength,” says
Quinn. “But these are also great for
adding slabs of muscle to your upper
back and traps, and a big upper back
equals a bigger deadlift.”
Execution: With your feet hip-width

apart and toes pointed outward, bend
at the hips and knees to lower down,
and grab a loaded barbell with a wide,
overhand grip. With your butt down,
back flat, and core tight, lift the bar
off the floor. When your hips and knees
reach full extension, lower the bar
back down.
Quinn Says: “Start by grabbing the

bar with a grip that is a little wider than
your regular bench press grip—you can
always go wider as you get better at
these. Flex your traps and lats, and,
when you pull, keep the bar close to
your body all the way to lockout.”

TRAP-BAR
DEADLIFT NOT SHOWN
Why Do It: According to Quinn, trap-bar
deadlifts are great for three reasons.
1) They help immobile lifters get into
the proper starting position; 2) a better
starting position is more spine-friendly,
making it a safer variation; and 3) the
optimal starting position and neutral
grip usually mean you can lift more
weight. And more weight means more
strength gained over time.
Execution: Stand in the middle of a

trap bar, feet hip-width apart. Grab the
handles and drop your hips. Your hands
should be in line with your heels, thus
allowing your torso to be more upright.
Shift your weight back to your heels
and then pull. Reach full hip and knee
extension at the top.
Quinn Says: “It’s OK to get a little

squatty with the trap-bar deadlift—
meaning, it’s fine to let your knees come
forward and hips drop down low. This
lets you take full advantage of your huge
quad muscles to start the pull. Also,
when you grab the handles, keep your
middle fingers in line with the center
of your foot.”
“Raise the Dead”

Workout
Plug any of the six deadlift variations
into this sample pulling workout.
Focus on two or three variations
every eight to 12 weeks, rotating
between them on a regular basis.
EXERCISE SETS REPS REST
* 5
Glute-Ham 4 10 2 min.
Raise
One-arm 4 15 1–2
Dumbbell min.
Row
*Conventional, deficit, sumo, suitcase,

snatch grip, or trap bar.

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YOU SUPPLIED THE QUESTIONS, WE FOUND THE ANSWERS
SIMPLE
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Streamline your
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and recover better.

A
I feel you, Marty, but warming up is essential. Try this quickie:
Jump rope for two to three minutes to get your body temperature
up. Then stretch (see below). Next, do any type of jump—box,
broad, or jump squat—for three sets of five. Then warm up with
the bar for whatever exercise is first in your training.
A
There are
CAT/COW: From a tabletop position, chest. Do two sets of eight reps. a number of
with hands underneath shoulders reasons
and knees under hips, arch your FIRE HYDRANT: From a tabletop you’re losing
back, dropping your stomach position, raise one leg out to side, energy mid-
toward floor. Hold for a few keeping leg bent at 90 degrees, workout. Your
seconds, then slowly round your until parallel to floor. Lower back. muscles require
back, pulling stomach inward. Do two sets of five (each). energy from
That’s one rep. Do two sets of eight. mainly fats and
carbs. So if you start
JEB STUART JOHNSTON
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hands flat on floor, tucked in by is a certified personal trainer and insufficient carb
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your chest. Arch your back, (jebjohnston.com).
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pressing through hands to raise experience growing
F RO M L E F T: N I C K GA RC I A ; G E T T Y I M AG E S
fatigue as you train.

Consume a source of
simple, quick-
A
Nope. The key factors for digesting carbs
t muscle gains are eating the before your workouts
right amount of protein at like a sports drink or
each meal and eating protein after white rice. Also,
resistance-training sessions. (Soy, watch your intensity.
of course, is a source of protein.) Training at too high
Resistance training—combined an intensity than
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is the best way to maximize prepared for can
growth. You can, and result in fatigue and,
also supplement with possibly, injury.
urces of plant proteins,
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otein needs.
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A
If you look at some peer- flooding your body with BCAAs
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14 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018

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JUNE 2018 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 23

JUNE 2018 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 25

26 MUSCLE & FITNESS / JUNE 2018

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Muscle & Fitness USA - June 2018

Muscle & Fitness USA - June 2018