TEAMMAX

By Jennifer Cho Salaff

FIGHTING WITHOUT FEAR

These Team Max Muscle Athletes are kicking butt and taking names. Find out what makes them tick.

Photo by Carlos Baeza Championship Photography; BaezaGallery.com

or Mauricio Herrera, boxing is much more than a sport. Its life. Its passion. Its art. Though many people think boxing can be whittled down to the simplest of definitions two guys in a ring going at each other, throwing punches and seeing which ones stick the 31-year-old Riverside, California native insists thats too simple of an explanation. To only see the physical is to overlook the essence: boxing io happens in the mind, not just the fists. Mauric estro a Its a sweet science, its like an art, El M ra Herrera says. Its 75 percent mental Herre in boxing. Its a lot of planning, timing, how youre throwing your punches, how youre moving your feet. Its about dissecting your opponents style and understanding how to beat him. In addition to rigorous training (3 hours a day, including one hell week strengthening the whole body plus another week of straight cardio), Herrera will watch hours of footage before a match, studying how his opponent fights, what mistakes his opponent makes, and which rounds he gets tired in. Hes thinking all the time when hes fighting, says Herreras trainer Willie Silva. Mauricios real dedicated and really smart. In the beginning, Herrera admits he didnt take to boxing. When he was a kid, he and his brothers would watch matches on TV, and instead of imagining himself a champ, Herrera would cringe every time someone got punched in the face. I would watch and think, If I was in there, I dont think I could handle that, Herrera says. Those bloody faces, the eyes all closed
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Sport: Boxing Class: Junior Welterweight Titles: WBC UNSBC Junior Welterweight, IBF North American Junior Welterweight

up. I would just shake my head. But when he was 13, something just clicked. A friend of Herreras father introduced him to boxing, got him into a gym, and he started learning the sport. The more he learned, the more he fell in love. At 18, Herrera started fighting in the amateur circuit and spent the next several years dominating, winning 29 out of 30 bouts. But when he hit his mid-20s, he was itching to go pro. When I first met him, he was through with his amateur career and wanted to take it to the next level, says Silva. He told me, I cant handle these kids anymore. I want to go pro, but I dont know anything about it. Silva saw immense potential in Herrera. I told Willie, I have to try it. If I dont, Ill never know if I could do it, Herrera says. A lot of people didnt think I could do it. They told me, Youre too old, youre out of shape. But I always had it in the

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back of my head. I knew I could do it. At age 27, Herrera went pro. He tore through his early opposition and quickly made a name in the boxing world. He says his proudest moment was fighting in Las Vegas for the first time and winning against favored opponent Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia. Undefeated at 18-0, Provodnikov was considered one of the hardest hitters in Herreras weight class. By the third round, he hit my left eye and it was completely shut, Herrera recalls of the January 11, 2011 match. But I could see my family, my friends, rooting for me and I couldnt let them down. The match ended in the 12th round with an upset win by a gutsy Herrera. It also earned him the No. 7 spot in the world and the IBF North American Junior Welterweight title. Its a dream come true, Herrera says of his rising career. Its happening so fast. Sometimes I wonder, what if I never did it. But look where I am now.
Herrera's Supplements: Max Lean Protein, FBX, Protein Bar, BAX, Iso Extreme, Vit-AceII, ARM and Amino Max Favorite Max Muscle supplement stack: Max Lean Protein Vanilla What does being a part of Team Max mean to you? It means I am in good hands. I trust them and their products and that makes me confident.

Woolf Barnato, 19, right after winning one of five fights to ultimately take the top prize in his division at the Pan American Games on March 29, 2012.

Photos by Frank Fontanilla

THE CHAMP
Woolf Barnato cant imagine an existence without Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, the thought of doing anything else scares him. Introduced to the martial art at age 4 by his mother as a way to keep him out of trouble, the Northern California native has practiced the combat sport nearly his entire life. I was a pretty crazy kid, admits Barnato, laughing. I was one of those kids who had a hard time paying attention to things. I was kind of all over the place. But when it comes to Jiu-Jitsu, Barnato does anything but fool around. The 19-year-old is a rising star, most recently taking first in his division at the Pan American Games 2012 in Irvine, California, winning five fights in one day, three of which were by submission. He also won the 2012 All Star Open Championship and the Absolute Weight Championship at the Rumble in the Redwoods Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament. Last year, he took second place in last years International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Championship. This year, Barnato has his sights set on winning first place. He works very hard and hes very disciplined, says Mikyo Riggs, blackbelt and

f W O o ln a t o r ba

Sport: Jiu-Jitsu Division: Roosterweight and Light Featherweight Titles: 2012 All Star Open Champion, 2012 IBJJF San Francisco International Open Champion, 2011 IBJJF World Championship Runner Up, 2010 US Open Champion

owner of Marin Mixed Martial Arts in San Anselmo, California. Jiu-Jitsu is always evolving and to have an open mind and try new things is really going to help you. Woolf has a very creative mind and thats what makes him unique in this sport. Riggs first met Barnato when he was a child. At four years old, Barnato was a wild and fun-loving boy who just wanted to have a good time, Riggs says. Hes still got the same spirit today. In my 20 years of teaching, hes the most outgoing, likable kid Ive ever met, says Riggs, who continues to train Barnato. Woolf is like a son to me. Ive got to watch him develop and its been a pleasure. Barnato trains six days a week, 4 to 5 hours a day. His workouts include JiuJitsu most mornings and evenings, plus yoga and lifting. On Sundays, he rests and sometimes indulges in his favorite cheat meal an In-N-Out burger (4x4), fries and chocolate shake. He says the key to his success is believing in what he does, working hard, staying focused on his goals, and most importantly having fun. Its not hard to be motivated when he gets to wake up each day and have the privilege of training. Its like a little kid eating candy he doesnt need to get motivated to eat candy, Barnato says. He just wants to eat it. Its how I am with Jiu-Jitsu. Barnato has a bright future ahead of him. Hes definitely one to watch, says
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David Mulligan, franchisee of Max Muscle Marin. He is the most driven and dedicated athletes I have ever met. He is truly a rising star and will go far in all walks of life.
Barnato's Supplements: ARM, MaxPro, GlutaMatrix, Pro BCAA, Max Essential Omegas Who inspires you and why? My professor Mikyo Riggs. He is a great Jiu Jitsu player with the right mind for taking athletes like myself to the next level What does being a part of Team Max mean to you? It means I am part of something special with many other great athletes who share a common thread of passion.

LIVING THE DREAM

Carlos Flores would say his journey in becoming a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter is unconventional, at best. His isnt the groomed-from-childhood sports story. Nor is it a tale of careful tutelage by prestigious instructors or sought-after schools. In fact, the Yuma, Arizona native is completely self-taught. It all started one afternoon while Flores was sitting on his couch watching TV. Hey, I can do that, he said to himself while watching an Ultimate Fighter Championship (UFC) match that fateful day eight years ago. Once I made that decision, I knew there was no turning back. I had to do it. So Flores got his hands on any and every video he could find on MMA. He bought hundreds of magazines and books. He studied for hours, burning the midnight oil and burning through more than 3,000 DVDs. People told me, Youre crazy, you cant do this, youre too old, and it made me want to do it more, Flores, 37, says. As a kid, my dad used to tell me, Theres people who think they can do something, people who say they can do something, and people who just do it. Which one are you going to be? If you believe you can do it, then you can. Theres nothing in this life you cant achieve. When Flores was 8 years old, he was encouraged by Sport: Mixed Martial Arts his father (a professional boxer) to step into the ring. But s The Flores couldnt stand getting punched in the face. So he Carlon Prodigy Class: Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Greatest accomplishment: Winner at quit and opted for wrestling, becoming a city champ in Yuma s 2011 Bellator Fighting Championship junior high and high school. Then life and its responsibilities re Flo took over, as they so often do, and Flores found himself working 12 to 13 hour shifts at his parents tortilla factory and driving 500 miles round trip every week. Its tough, especially bartending on the side. He took up power lifting as a hobby, but with a newborn daughter at home. But Flores knows he can knew there was something unfinished out there, waiting for him. provide his family a better life by getting his career where he When Flores made the decision to become a MMA fighter, he wants. The ultimate goal is competing in the UFC. was 29. Looking up to UFC legend Tito Ortiz, Flores decided This is my job and my life, Flores says. Its my passion one day to reach out to his idol. I was on Twitter and told him, and I love it. MS&F Youre my inspiration and I would love to train with you. It would be an honor, Flores says. I wasnt expecting a reply, but he Flores' Supplements: Max Lean Protein, Max LiquiCarn, Max got back to me within an hour and invited me to his gym in Cleanse & Lean, 2TX, FBX, Xtinguisher, EnduroMax, ARM, Max Huntington Beach. Green Synergy, Pro BCAA, Amino Max and Max Vit-Acell Flores made the trip to Punishment Training Center in Favorite Max Muscle supplement stack: 2TX, Max ZMA, Southern California last September, got mat time with Ortiz, and Max Vit-Acell, ARM ended up trying out for Team Punishment, Ortizs MMA team. What does being a part of Team Max mean to you? I lost Today, Team Punishment sponsored Flores. Its a dream come 70 pounds using an arsenal of Max Muscle products. Its an honor true, Flores says. and a privilege to take the best supplements in the world. Flores splits his time between Yuma and Huntington Beach,
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