15006

9 780620 309080
 CONTENTS

>>ON THE COVER

Cover image by Ben Myburgh

26Build freaky legs like SA’s top IFBB pro

MARIUS DOHNE

549 ways to drop body fat pre-contest

GET RIPPED FOR THE STAGE

60How to bust through training plateaus

SHOCK TRAINING

88Chemically-enhanced fat loss

DRUG FILES

Also in this issue

16 Mad scientist

72
Quantifying catabolism

20 Mind over matter

Mastering the mind to deliver peak BURNEDINE
performance MEERHOLZ
24 Pre-workout meals
Fuel your workouts with high octane
food

38 Prepare for war

Four tried and tested techniques to
kill every workout

40 Myostain update
How science is progressing on the
path to unlimited muscle 60 40
44 Antioxidants
6 reasons to rethink antioxidant
supplements around training

50 Powerlifting for size

How periodised cycles can enhance
body building

66 Bodybuilding diets
The 3 phases of contest diets

78 Lactic acid
Is what we know based on bro-
science or hard science?

82 Athlete meal plans

Learn from the best, to be the best COLUMNS THIS ISSUE
82
Show reports
90 Arnold Classic
96 IFBB Millennium Goldplate
102 BBSA/IFBB IronMan

106 DYLAN
106
COBUS VAN
107 LOUIS
108
HENNIE
110JOHN
111MARLENE
RIDLEY DER MERWE BESSINGER KOTZE LESLIE KOEKEMOER

6 Muscle Evolution
M.E PUBLISHER’S LETTER
DOWN WITH THE
DICTATORS
I
t saddens me to start off the highly
anticipated 2015 bodybuilding season
with another editor’s letter about how
the self-serving interests of a few at the top
of our sport are negatively impacting the
industry as a whole.
Once again the potential of our promising
local athletes is being stifled by a dictatorship,
which seems to be rearing its ugly head on
an even greater scale than before, and it now
runs deeper than ever.
Athlete meetings at recent season opening
events were used to threaten and pressure
beginners and amateurs to commit to just
one federation or face potential sanctions. At
these meetings it was announced that loyalty
to one federation will be strictly enforced
this year, with the penalty for disobedience
the withdrawal of rights to stand in the more
exclusive shows taking place later this year.
These actions are shaking the foundation
of our sport by putting fear into those who
haven’t even started their competitive careers
yet. What started off as a requirement for
loyalty to a federation while in the process of
obtaining a pro card has now spilled all the
way down to grassroots level. This is a poison
that will continue to kill off growth in the
industry, in the hopes of benefiting a single
federation.
Is this really the way we want to introduce
newcomers to our sport, by intimidating them
with an ultimatum? A dictatorship in our sport
is something I won’t tolerate, ever. I therefore
ask all athletes and members of the sport here
in SA, no matter how small a role you might
play, to stand up and refuse to accept this
dictatorship at beginner and amateur level.
If you’re a seasoned amateur with
aspirations of progressing towards a pro
OVER 72 000 MAGAZINES PRINTED (COMBINED)
8 Muscle Evolution
card with a specific federation then yes, by
all means, commit to a path and show the
requisite loyalty to your chosen federation. In
that respect, loyalty to a federation is expected
and makes perfect sense. Each federation is a
brand and when you become a pro athlete you
become a representative of that brand.
However, our sport now has more platforms
than ever before for athletes to participate
in, which is undoubtedly fuelling the politics.
The federations that choose to steer clear of
such propaganda are the true unsung heroes
of our sport. They understand that the primary
objective is to grow our sport, which will then
translate into prosperity and growth for all.
As I’ve said in the past, dictators always fall.
Those who are too short-sighted to realise
how important the overall growth of a niche
sport is should do themselves a favour and
look back at the audience attendance at some
of their so-called prestigious shows to see
how far their ideologies have got them. You
can’t tell people what to do, and those who
compete in bodybuilding shows do so in their
free time because it’s their passion. If you want
to try and stifle and control the expression of
that passion you’re in for a big surprise. Those
drastically reduced spectator numbers are
going to decline even further until there is
nothing left. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Never underestimate the power of a
passionate and strong community that sticks
together. The people of this sport decide its
fate and without giving the people what they
want you simply won’t get their attention, or
their commitment. My eyes are wide open of
late and it’s very clear to see who is really in it
for the benefit of the sport and who is simply
in it for themselves and their self-serving
objectives and agendas. This year we plan
to expose and crush any action that kills off
growth in the sport at a grassroots level.
My main aim has always been, and
will always be to promote the sport of
bodybuilding and fitness in South Africa. I, like
most of you, want to see our sport grow and
thrive across all platforms and all federations
without the political bullshit that tarnishes
it. I’m still as passionate and inspired as ever
about our sport, the athletes in it and the
careers that are being created by athletes who
simply refuse to give up. Bodybuilding has
taught me just as much about the human spirit
as it has about building bodies, and I’m still
a huge advocate that this sport can and will
change all aspects of your life for the better.
In closing I ask that you help me eradicate
these dictators and suffocate their regimes.
Focus on the sport as a whole and promote its
growth, for therein lies the secret to a thriving
industry, an industry that deserves so much
more.
Enjoy issue 71
Andrew
Editor-In-Chief
PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Andrew Carruthers
MANAGING EDITOR
Pedro van Gaalen
DEPUTY EDITOR
Werner Beukes
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN
Tanja Schmitz
Christian Nel
ADMINISTRATION
Kate Rodney
ONLINE EDITOR & FEATURES WRITER
Melanie Heyns
ADVERTISING
Brian Verster
brian@muscleevolution.co.za
011 791 3646
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Gary Phillips, Soulby Jackson,
Michael Palmer, Richard Cook,
Slade @ Pure Studio, Cindy Ellis,
Isaac Hinds, Naco Rautenbach
CONTRIBUTORS & ADVISORY
Anthony Roberts, Mario van Biljon, Chris
Fitzpatrick, Marius Dohne, John Leslie,
Hennie Kotze, Johan Boshoff, Gareth
Israel, Marlene Koekemoer, Shelby
Starnes, HJ Lombard, Andrew Hudson,
Louis Bessinger, Jack Lotter, Warren
Germishuizen, Sean Johnson, Joe Pietaro
THE PUBLISHER
@MuscleEvoMag
Muscle Evolution
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North Riding, 2162
Head Office: +27 11 791 3646
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No liability is assumed by The Maverick Publishing
Corporation, Muscle Evolution Magazine nor any
of the authors of the information provided in this
publication. The Maverick Publishing Corporation
cannot be held liable for any advice provided in this
publication. The information published in this magazine
should not be considered as medical advice, please
consult a registered doctor. The Maverick Publishing
Corporation shall not be liable for any unsolicited
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M.E NEWS

MUSCLE NEWS
XTREME NUTRITION
OPENS 18TH STORE
Xtreme Nutrition recently opened the doors
to its 18th store, expanding the brand’s
reach into KwaZulu-Natal with the new store
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For more info call 033 345 8229, email
sales@xtremenutrition.co.za or shop online
at www.xtremenutrition.co.za.
NEW INITIATIVE TO
ASSIST LOCAL ATHLETES
Kevin Schwartz has
announced plans to launch
a new initiative aimed at
assisting all federations in
South Africa to develop
their athletes. Through the
three shows he promotes
– Battle of the Titans, Diva
Extravaganza, and a soon-
to-be announced third
branded show, Schwartz and
his team will raise funds to
support local federations in
helping their athletes reach
their dreams. If any local
federations, including the
WBFF, NABBA, INBA, IBFF and
IFBB need support in creating
posters, sponsoring provincial raised. Assistance will also
or national tracksuits, be available to federations
securing supplement prizes in developing signature
for athletes, or educating shows and event planning.
athletes to better themselves, “We want to help move
Schwartz and his team will everybody forward”, explains
be available to help. Special Schwartz. “Through this
bursaries for competitive venture we want to be there
athletes that would like for all athletes, supporting
to gain industry-related and helping to grow the
qualiications will also be competitive itness industry
made available from funds in South Africa.”
If athletes or federations would like to get involved contact
info@battleofthetitans.co.za or phone 072 4477 520.

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For more info about the Cipla Nutrition range visit
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10 Muscle Evolution
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HATS OFF TO HASAN

IFBB bodybuilder Hasan Banks, who has spinocerebellar ataxia
type 7, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which
affects his motor skills, competed in the 2015 Arnold Classic in
Columbus, Ohio, and displayed incredible strength far beyond
his physical abilities. A video capturing his participation in the
prestigious bodybuilding competition named after Hollywood
actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger went viral
on the internet with more than 2.5 million views. The video
of Hasan, who calls himself Mr. No Excuses, was posted to
Facebook by Jaco de Bruyn. Check out Banks' website at
www.hasanbanks.com for some inspiration.

PURE
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Pure Creatine
is a flavoured Supplement manufacturer international athlete to represent
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increase muscle team of world class athletes. and advertising material, and
mass when used in Correia was awarded his pro promotion of the athlete/
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creatine energy do some damage on the IFBB pro Dreyer and Cat Rademeyer, and
levels. circuit. The appointment of an male muscle model Gavin Perry.

www.muscleevolution.co.za 11
 Mail your questions to
M.E READERS QUESTIONS info@muscleevolutionn.co.za
and stand a chance to win a SSN X--Series
Performance Whey & NO Rage Haamper.

ask M.E
LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR
TRAINING, MEAL PLANNING OR NUTRITIONAL
SUPPLEMENTATION? ASK OUR PRO MARIO,
FOUNDER OF BODYGURU.

HELP ME TO TRAIN HARDER

Q
I do weight training for 45-50 minutes, five days a
week. I’ve started with an Evox pre-workout drink and a
Muscle Works whey protein that I drink first thing in the
morning and after my workout in the evenings. I feel like I don’t
train hard enough and I was thinking of adding a casein protein
shake, as well as a BCAA drink to my supplementation to boost
my workouts. I have had visible results after training for only a
month but I want to make sure that I’m on the right track. Thanks
for an awesome magazine! Theo Klein
To be honest I feel that vitamin or daily nutrient pack.

A if you are taking the

time and making the
effort and commitment to train
Don’t worry about the casein
right now. You can achieve
a similar sustained release
in the gym every week you might of amino acids if you add a
as well train “hard” while being tablespoon or two of healthy
there. Otherwise you are simply fats (such as almond butter
wasting your time. Remember or coconut oil) to your whey
that your body will only change protein.
when it responds to a stressor You can also add BCAAs to
it is not accustomed to. It is your supplement stack to help
imperative that you constantly you with your muscle building WORKOUT WISDOM
challenge yourself in the gym and recovery efforts in the next Is it wise was not training your diet could lead
by training harder. By doing this
your body will continue to show
visible improvement. Remember,
training hard simply means
couple of months. As your time
working out at the gym increases
you might also look at using
other supplements like creatine.
Q to use
supple-
ments while you're
not working out?
I would still use
most of them, bar
the pre-workout,
and specific amino
to sarcopenia (age
related decline in
lean muscle mass)
and accelerate the
putting in enough effort for Keep at it - keep reading our Rori Sang acid and creatine ageing process.
your body to grow and become magazine, keep observing and supplements, To answer your
stronger. With consistency learning and, most importantly, The as they all offer question – if I
you will see your strength and

you’ll know that you are training

hard enough.
train with passion and enjoy the
intensity levels increase and then journey. It won’t be long before
you are setting an example and
giving other people at your gym
A benefits of
nutritional
supplementation
extend way beyond
valuable nutritional
support with health
and longevity
benefits. Even
was not working
out I would still
take vitamins,
anti-oxidants,
I would stick with the current advice on how to train harder. the needs of those protein powders, omega-3s, joint
supplements you are using and who work out. As historically confined support nutrients
would only add a good multi- an avid gym-goer to the realms of (glucosamine
myself, my typical the bodybuilding and MSM) and
“It is supplement regime and fitness world, good protein
imperative incorporates, are now finding supplements, such
that you among a few their way into as whey protein,
constantly other things, the mainstream to support my
challenge the following: health and wellness health and improve
yourself Omega-3 essential market. This is longevity.
in the gym fatty acids, joint as a result of the
by training “IN ESSENCE, I DO
support nutrients, a valuable role
harder. By BELIEVE IT IS WISE
multivitamin, anti- effective proteins
doing this such as whey can TO SUPPLEMENT
oxidants, protein
your body will powders, a pre- play in supporting WHILE NOT
continue to workout drink mix, better health – from WORKING OUT.
show visible amino acids and organ, skin, nail HOWEVER, I
improve- creatine. While all of and hair health ALSO FEEL THAT
ment.” them offer valuable to immunity and IT ISN'T WISE TO
performance muscle-skeletal NOT WORK OUT. I
enhancing and support. In fact, the THEREFORE HOPE
muscle building lack of a sufficient TO SEE YOU IN
support, even if I quality protein in THE GYM!”

12 Muscle Evolution
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14 Muscle Evolution
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 M.E PEOPLE

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Sergio
Serge
Geiseb

Shaquil Riaan Spike

Louise Scholtz Mohamed Fourie Talisa du Preez Jayson Mcbride Pat Mlombo

Winston Gower (l) & Terrence Savannah

Keegan Seeram (r) Seshibedi Jay Prenzler Sydney Smit Joe (l) & Jonathan (r) Alexandre Freitas

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Andries Jakobus
Jacques Smith Hendri Viljoen Stephen Strydom Elias Dikoko Thula Sifatyi Vusi Tony Schoeman
ALL PHOTOS, NAMES AND SPELLING AS SUPPLIED BY READERS. MUSCLE EVOLUTION ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS.
www.muscleevolution.co.za 15
M.E SCIENCE By Warren Germishuizen

MUSCLE C
AND THEATABOLIS
MUSCLE B RATE
R E A K OW

M
USCLE BREAKDOWN,
OR CATABOLISM, IS THE
BODYBUILDING BOOGEYMAN.
CATABOLISM CAUSES
EVERY BODYBUILDER FEARS IT,
TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING WE DO CENTRES AROUND
T he best way to
understand the rate at
which catabolism will occur
protein is unique in that it lso
carries nitrogen molecules
in its composition. So, it is off
MITIGATING IT, or halting it; from the intensity and duration within the human body is to utmost importance that as
of the cardio we do, to our protein intake and the nutrient timing understand those activities bodybuilders we eat protein a
strategies we employ, everything we do aims to boost and events that cause it. least every three hours to get
anabolism, and reduce catabolism. But just how worried To better illustrate these these vital nutrients in.
should we be? How quickly do we really lose muscle mass? events I have listed just The next element that can
Before I tackle this a few circumstances that either enhance anabolism,
topic I believe that Catabolism is will cause your body to or accelerate catabolism, is
it is critical for you, defined as the set of experience certain degrees of rest, or rather a lack thereof.
the reader, to have a metabolic pathways catabolism. The total amount of sleep
sound understanding that break down For starters, not eating suggested for individuals who
of what, exactly, molecules into smaller the correct types of food, as train regularly and intensely is
the definition of units to release energy. well as not eating the correct between seven and eight hours
catabolism is. amounts relative to the goals a night. This ensures that your
Catabolism breaks
you have set for yourself body can restore and maintain
down large molecules
could cause a dramatic rise its natural internal hormonal
such as lipids, nucleic
in the rate of catabolism. environment. If there is a lack
acids, polysaccharides Ensure that each meal you of sleep when the body is
and proteins into eat has an appropriate being trained hard, levels of the
smaller units such as protein, carbohydrate and fat catabolic hormone cortisol rise.
fatty acids, nucleotides, macronutrient ratio to support This is especially relevant to
monosaccharides your training programme. competitive athletes, who place
and amino acids, Also, make sure that their bodies under enormous
respectively. each meal contains the stress due to the intensity of
recommended protein portion
in it, as this will enable your
body to remain in a state of
nutritional anabolism due to
the elevate nitrogen retention.
You see, all macros – carbs,
“Sleep ensures that your
proteins and fats – contain body can restore and
carbon, oxygen and hydrogen maintain its natural internal
hormonal environment.”
in their make-up. However,

16 Muscle Evolution
 “I ALSO ENSURE THAT I DRINK AMINO ACIDS WHILE
I’M TRAINING TO SUPPORT MUSCLE GROWTH AND DELIVER
AN ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF ENERGY.”
SS
RATE OF LO erefore catabolic environ
ment, as
s occur.
mechanism
if the body is low
oli sm wi ll th e of ca tabolism will alway works as follows; AA’s -
he rat e of catab some degre acids while erg y the three BC
T be determined by
yo u are do ing th
ho w ma
at prom ot e catab
ny th ing s
oli sm ,
I’m
I also ensure tha
tra
t I
ining to suppor t mu
dri nk am ino
scle growth and
y. This
on AT P-d eri ve d en
leucine, iso -leucine
and va
ino ac
lin
id,
e
an
–
d
wi ll bind to
through
w many things yo
u ar e al source of energ alanine, another am
as opposed to ho deliver an addition tw o pro cesses; produced. That is
why
it. So, no t sle ep ing
ergy is derived fro
m on e of this ac tion ATP is energy-yielding
doing to prevent nu tri en t en the bre ak do wn of als o kn ow n as
with inadequate either gluconeogen
esis – BCAA’s are be us ed
enough, coupled ich if the body t on ly ca n BC AA’s
lerate th e rat e at wh
amino acids int o gly co ge n – or, am ino ac ids. So, no su e, but
suppor t will acce drive intense muscl
e serve mu scl e tis
oe s cata bo lis m. ks sufficient ATP to to maintain and pre en erg y
th e bo dy un de rg s lac mu scl e ed to produ ce
t catabolic rea cti on
contrac tions, it wi
ll break do wn they can also be us ve re
When talking abou this vital energy su
bstrate. du rin g tim es of se
rso na lly like to lin n k it to
to pro du ce in the mu scl e ce ll nt du rin g
in the bo dy , I pe el of tis su e ain am ino , wh ich is im po rta
ere thehe is i a hi h lev
If, however, you dri
nk br an ch ch ca lor ie res tri cti on tim es of
cortisol levels. Wh el of and you’re , or even du rin g
i ge
is ne ral ly a hi lev
acids (BCAA ) wh ile yo u tra in, pre p die t pe rio ds
catabolism the to do is k ep my creatine, it will pre
vent
too. So what I try su pplementing with convalescences.
cort ich he lps oc cu rri ng . Th is
as po ssi ble, the latter situatio
n from
co rti so l levels as low the res ult l aant
red d uc e an d ma na ge th
me to

A calorie deficit is, in my mind

“A calorie
deficit is one
of the quickest
ways you
can enter a
catabolic state
as the body
is left with
insufficient
ingested
nutrients to
support and
maintain
muscle tissue.”
their training combined with
the calorie restrictive diets they
follow during this time, which
leaves them with diminished
energy and, often, insufficient
nutrients to support growth
and repair processes. As
such, the more nights you go
without adequate sleep, the
greater the rate of catabolism
due to sleep deprivation. So,
the easiest way in preventing
this from happening is
monitoring your total hours
of quality sleep per night,
or take regular naps whenever
possible to make up for
any deficits.
Another way your body
will go into a higher state
of catabolism is by taking in
fewer calories than your body
requires, relative to the amount
of exercise you’re doing.
Finding this balance is by no means an easy task, and a fine
line exists between the correct nutritional intake required to
support our training and catabolism when trying to establish
a well conditioned physique that has both full muscle bellies
and rice paper-like skin.
at least, one of the quickest
ways you can enter a catabolic
state as the body is left with
insufficient ingested nutrients
to support and maintain
muscle tissue. This means that
it will turn to stored energy
reserves, be they glycogen, fat
or muscle tissue, to derive the
energy it needs to function.
Obviously, the latter is by far
the most important tissue
to maintain while we aim
to reduce body fat stores.
Accordingly, it is essential that
you support and maintain
your muscle tissue as much
as possible by providing your
body with a steady supply of
“When a mix of vitargo, amino acids and
circulating amino acids, both other essential nutrients are supplied during
to promote anabolism, and training, certain individuals can train up to
stunt catabolism by supplying 90 minutes before the stress response and the
an additional source of amino resultant cortisol release reaches levels that
acids that can be metabolised drive catabolism beyond desired levels.”
for energy, instead of
muscle tissue.
The other key factor that
can produce higher levels of SUPPLEMENT
cortisol and spur catabolism
in the body is overtraining. I STRATEGIES
know of some athletes who
train with weights twice a I like to take 1000mg of
vitamin C 30 minutes prior
to a cardio session as it
cortisol release reaches levels
that drive catabolism beyond
desired levels, which is the point
day, and some of them have
fabulous bodies. However, the reduces post-workout cortisol where muscle tissue breakdown
general guideline is to only production by 57%. Yes, that’s accelerates.
engage in one weight training right, more than 50% less These additional nutrients
session a day. Of course cortisol produced after my include those that help the body
there are some of us who will cardio workout! produce ATP, as discussed, such
still do separate cardio and Under usual circumstances, as creatine and BCAAs, and other
abdominal sessions as well, when there is no intra-workout important nutrients such as MCT
but this additional work is best nutrient support, it is advised to oil. When dieting this form of
implemented when enough keep weight training sessions highly bioavailable fat ensures
rest is given between training short; about 45 minutes to that my body has an additional
sessions. an hour. However, when a source of rapidly metabolised
mix of vitargo, amino acids energy circulating through my
and other essential nutrients system during training, which is
are supplied during training, extremely helpful during dieting
certain individuals can train up periods when energy levels
to 90 minutes before the stress are low due to a reduction in
response and the resultant carbohydrate consumption. M.E

www.muscleevolution.co.za 17
 By Pedro van Gaalen, Managing Editor
M.E FEATURE Additional reporting by Devlin Brown

“EXCEPTIONAL
ATHLETES
DON’T
PLACE
THE SAME
SUBCONSCIOUS
LIMITS ON
THEIR PER-
FORMANCE AS
THE REST OF
US DO. THEIR
BELIEF IN THEIR
CAPACITY TO
ACHIEVE
IS EXTRA-
ORDINARY.”

S F U L AT T O
S U C C E S T N E E D
“TO B E O U F I R S N G .”
T H I N G Y ’ R E D O I
A N Y H A T Y O U
ENJOY W
20 Muscle Evolution
 A
CHIEVING PEAK PERFORMANCE, BE IT IN THE
GYM OR ON THE STAGE, LIES AT THE CONFLUENCE
OF OPTIMAL PHYSICAL PREPAREDNESS AND
THE MENTAL FORTITUDE TO DELIVER WHAT IS
REQUIRED WHEN IT REALLY MATTERS.

A
nd when all else is equal in
physical terms, it is your mental
toughness that will separate the
best from the rest.
These two elements to success – mind and
body – are inextricable linked, as your body’s
muscles and nerves are linked together into
the central processing unit that is your brain
– the central governor.
In his book Challenging Beliefs – Memoirs
of a Career, Prof Tim Noakes talks in some
detail about the power of the mind, and the
role the “central governor” plays. Noakes’s
writing on the concept broadly focuses
around the mind’s built-in mechanism of
mediating physical exertion as a protective
mechanism. In his explanation of the theory
he discusses why an otherwise fatigued
athlete suddenly finds an extra push at the
end of an event or training session: his mind
can see the end is near and “allows” that
extra bit in the reserves to be used.
He also talks about various athletic
examples of beating the mind – convincing
the central governor of what is possible.
He states: “The top athletes have different
ways of accomplishing this mental control,
especially before a race”, or in our case,
a competition or insane gym session.
“The end result”, continues Noakes,
“is that the exceptional athletes don’t
place the same subconscious limits on
their performance as the rest of us do.
Their belief in their capacity to achieve
is extraordinary.”
So, how then can we develop this ‘mind
muscle’, in addition to our skeletal muscle?
What strategies are available to athletes that
will help them enhance their psychology for
peak performance?

MIND
OVER
MATTER
MASTERING THE MIND TO DELIVER
PEAK PERFORMANCE
THE ELEMENTS
C
oncentration, confidence, focus; confidence is the belief in one’s toward established goals in the face of
control and commitment, abilities, and the assuredness that comes any challenge.
commonly known as the 4Cs, with preparation; control is the ability There are various methods to develop
are generally considered to be the main to maintain emotional and physical and hone these mental attributes, and
mental attributes required for sporting control at critical moments; commitment these techniques can be used by athletes
performance of any kind. is the ability to remain motivated and in competitive situations or during
Concentration is the ability to maintain continue working training to optimise their performance.

www.muscleevolution.co.za 21
M.E FEATURE
FLEXING THE MIND
FIND YOUR
MOTIVATION
R egardless of how you choose to motivate
yourself, make sure that the reason why you
want to succeed holds substance. Most of us
fail to achieve success because we choose to
do things that we don't like doing to achieve
an outcome. To be successful at anything you
irst need to enjoy what you're doing. You need
to have a passion for it and a desire to improve
in that regard. This is what creates the most
powerful form of motivation there is - intrinsic
motivation. This is a form of motivation that is
driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task
itself, rather than relying on an external reward,
like a trophy or medal. When you wake up every
morning and are motivated to train or practice
to become the best you can be at something
you're passionate about, you’ve reached the
point when intrinsic motivation has become
your driving force.
VISUALISATION, MENTAL IMAGERY AND SIMULATION
P art of your centering routine might
LQYROYH VSHFLÀF VSRUWV SV\FKRORJ\ VNLOOV
such as visualisation, mental imagery and
simulation. Imagery is a very useful tool
that can be used in many different ways to
EXLOG VHOIFRQÀGHQFH DQG PDVWHU WKH PLQG
Imagining your desired outcome can be a
powerful tool as you can create, modify
RU VWUHQJWKHQ SDWKZD\V WKDW OLQN ERG\ DQG
mind. One particularly useful imagery
model is based on an interpretation of many
past studies, which suggests that in order to
IDFLOLWDWH VHOIFRQÀGHQFH WKH FRQWHQW RI WKH
imagery should involve the athlete seeing
him or herself mastering their training,
overcoming obstacles and achieving
success in their competition. Imagining a
positive outcome is very important as this
LV ZKDW ERRVWV VHOIFRQÀGHQFH LQ PXFK WKH
22 Muscle Evolution
“CREATE A STATE
WHEREBY YOU’RE
COMPLETELY ENGROSSED
IN THE EXECUTION
OF A TASK, TO THE
FIND THE ZONE EXCLUSION OF
Two elements required to achieve optimal
concentration are focus and flow; the
EVERYTHING ELSE.”
keys to finding 'the zone'. Focus involves giving your complete attention to the execution
of a skill. While it may seem like the same thing as concentration, they differ in that an
athlete can be concentrating on the task at hand, but may have the wrong focus. As an
example, you may be concentrating on the one rep max bench press you're about to
perform, but you're focusing on the outcome: “will I be able to lift it?” True focus lies in
the present moment and doing what is required
of you at that exact point in time. So learn to
focus on the elements that truly matter.
The second element relates to creating a
state whereby you're completely engrossed
in the execution of a task, to the exclusion of
everything else. Once again, it is closely linked
with the idea of concentration, but at a higher
level. When you're in a state of flow, focusing
intensely on the execution of your routine on
stage or lifting a heavy weight in a training
session, you've found 'the zone' – that place
where every athlete is able to deliver their
best performance.
same way as achieving real goals.
Positive imagery is so powerful in fact
that it can even manifest physically. A
to do will help to prepare mind and body
for the pending onslaught. By engaging
in simulation on a regular basis you'll help
study conducted at the Cleveland Clinic to carry all that you've mastered and
Foundation in Ohio fo ound that people who learnt in your training and practise into
simply imagined them mselves training with competition conditions.
weights were able to increase their bicep
muscle strength by ov ver 13%, and they
sustained those gains for three months
following the mental training. Researchers
suggest that these streength gains were
due to improvements in the brain's
ability to signal musccle activity. “TRUE
Simulation is anoth her tool at our
disposal. It is similar to imagery,
but it is more focusedd on the actual
FOCUS LIES
H[HFXWLRQ RI D WDVN RUU VWUDWHJ\ *RLQJ
through every move or o the step by
IN THE
step execution of whaat you are about PRESENT
MOMENT
AND DOING
WHAT IS
REQUIRED
OF YOU AT
THAT EXACT
POINT
IN TIME.”
 GET AMPED
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology,
conducted by researchers at Harvard Business School, found that
becoming excited before stressful activities forces people to think
about the positives, rather than dwell on the negatives of the situation.
This strategy, concluded researchers, is a better way to manage anxiety
and improve performance.
However, there is a tipping point in this equation; a point where
you can 'psyche yourself out'. Anxiety and stress are par for the course
when we take on any challenge, the trick is to learn to control it and
manage it. When it comes to getting excited we can go from optimal
levels of positive stress, commonly called eustress, into the red zone,
where the stress overwhelms us and we end up in a state of distress
(negative stress) just before we need to perform. This is not ideal and
usually results in some degree of underperformance. The key is to
ÀQG\RXURSWLPDOOHYHORIVWUHVVZKLFKZLOOHQKDQFHSHUIRUPDQFHE\
ÀQGLQJ WKH EHVW WRROV DQG WHFKQLTXHV WR PDQDJH VWUHVVIXO VLWXDWLRQV

“THE KEY IS TO FIND YOUR

OPTIMAL LEVEL OF STRESS, WHICH
WILL ENHANCE PERFORMANCE.”

By entering a state of almost

CENTERING Zen-like meditation your mood,

M any athletes develop

routines that help them
to focus their minds or 'centre'
distractions and different stressors
simply have no place in your
consciousness, which enables
themselves before an event or you to get deeper into 'the zone'.
training session, as this helps to In this state you're setting your
block out distractions, helping to subconscious mind free, allowing
deliver that all-important state it to execute the skills you've
of focus and flow. These may learnt, and unleash the power
involve complex and detailed you've developed naturally, free
rituals, meditation or precisely from the psychological limitations
executed warm-ups. our conscious mind often imposes
on you.
POSITIVE
REINFORCE-
MENT
I t is extremely important to
remain positive, and have the
ability to re-work or re-frame
negative thoughts so that they
are constructive and supportive.
The best athletes understand
that a positive attitude is a choice,
and that you have the power to
shift negative self-speak into
positive reinforcement. The trick
is to constantly be aware of
your inner monologue, and
quickly shift the 'conversation'
into something positive or
reinforcing when negative
thoughts start to creep in.

RELAX
R elaxation exercises and
meditation are two ways you
can help to focus, not just
concentrate, on the task at hand.

OUR INABILITY TO EXERCISE OUR PSYCHOLOGICAL STRENGTH IS ONE OF THE GREAT HUMAN FAILINGS IN LIFE. IF WE
THINK BACK ON OUR LIVES WE CAN PROBABLY RECALL AT LEAST ONE INSTANCE WHERE WE WERE IN PEAK PHYSICAL
CONDITION, BUT WERE LET DOWN BY NERVES OR AN INABILITY TO TRANSLATE ALL THE PREPARATION AND TRAINING
INTO SUCCESS. HOWEVER, BY MASTERING THE MIND; BY ENSURING A STATE OF MIND OVER MATTER, WE CAN
EXHIBIT THE TOUGHNESS, COURAGE, AND FORTITUDE TO STAND UP TO ANY CHALLENGE AND SUCCEED. M.E

www.muscleevolution.co.za 23
 By Werner Beukes
M.E NUTRITION and Pedro van Gaalen
MEALS
FUEL YOUR WORKOUTS
WITH HIGH OCTANE FOOD
THERE ARE THREE MAJOR BENEFITS
TO THE PERFECT PRE-WORKOUT MEAL:
1. MORE MUSCLE
When you hit it hard in the gym
you’re aiming to build your body
up, but what you’re really doing
is breaking down your body. By
eating correctly before you go all
out you can limit the amount of
catabolism that occurs. A protein
rich meal will help with the slow
release of amino acids into your
bloodstream which in turn can
promote protein synthesis and
increase muscle gains – yes, that
means more muscle!
24 Muscle Evolution
T
O GET THE MOST FROM EVERY TRAINING SESSION
YOU NEED THE RIGHT FUEL TO FIRE UP YOUR
ENGINE. WHILE WE’RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE ACCESS
TO A WIDE RANGE OF WELL-FORMULATED AND
EFFECTIVE PRE-WORKOUT PRODUCTS, WHEN YOU’RE
TRAINING SIX DAYS A WEEK, 52 WEEKS A YEAR, USING
SUPPLEMENTS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER TRAINING
CAN BE EXPENSIVE.
It therefore pays to know what foods work best to provide
the same energy and muscle-building macronutrients that we
find in pre-workouts, yet won’t leave you feeling bloated and
lethargic before that big training session.
“WHITE MEAT OR EGGS
DIGEST MORE EASILY
THAN RED MEAT.”
TO FUEL THE
MOST INTENSE
WORKOUT YOU
NEED TO CONSIDER
THE FOLLOWING:
1. PROPER PROTEIN
While a moderate amount of meat
before a workout can help you put
on slabs of muscle, you need to
choose the right kind. Red meat
digests more slowly, which can
lead to gastrointestinal discomfort
during your session. Rather use
white meat or eggs as they’re
more easily digested, which means
they’re also more bioavailable.
Dairy sources that are low in fat can
also work for the same reason n.
2. INCREASED 3. BETTER 2. CORRECT
ENERGY PROTECTION CARBS
Glycogen is the body’s A solid pre-workout meal Carbohydrates can help
primary energy source will set you on a path of you power through a
for intense effort, and protecting your hard-earned tough workout with
you need to fill that muscle. If you don’t eat ease. Low glycaemic index
fuel tank up before a properly before you train your (GI) carbs are the best option to
sweat session. body will break down muscle provide immediate energy for a
tissue to use as energy. cracker workout in the gym.
“A protein rich meal will help with 3. SAY NO TO FAT
Fat takes the longest to digest - so
the slow release of amino acids stay away from it if you want a
into your bloodstream.” productive workout.
 PRE-WORKO
SEVEN SIMPLE PR
RE-WORK
R KOUT MEALS:

1. EGGS AND TOAST

Two hard-boiled eggs with one slice of whole-wheat toast ticks all the
boxes in termss of delivering highly bioavailable pro
otein and low GI
G carbs
to working mu uscles. Eggs are also the golden standdard by which the
bioavailability of all other proteins are measured.
2. CHICKEN AND SWEET POTATOES
A palm
lm-sized serving of chicken with an equal portion of sweet pottato is a great
optionn 45 minutes before a workout. The lean protein in chicken will ill you up
without leaving you feeling bloated, and will deliver a good supply of amino
acids tto working muscles.

3. NUT BUTTER APPLE SLICES
Slice up a medium sized apple and spread the equivalent of two
tablespoons of natural peanut or other nut butters on them to boost
your performance in the gym.
MEAL TIMING
Smart pre-workout meals can give your
body the necessary fuel it needs to gain
muscle, burn fat and recover as best it can.
Just be smart by grabbing a snack about
30-60 minutes before you go hit the weights
for more gains. Eating too close to your
workout can cause digestive discomfort as
blood is required in the digestive tract to
help process the meal, leaving less available
to transport oxygen and nutrients to
working muscles.

4. VEGGIE OMELETTE 5. OATS AND EGGS

An omelette is another tasty way to get 2-3 eggs in before a workout. Add
A in
some nutrient-dense veggies for an added boost of vitamins and minerals
that aid optimal muscle and nerve function for peak performance. Stayy away
from fibrous veggies though.
Fuel up on 1/2 cup of cooked oats and two whole eggs with salt and
pepper. The small amount of fibre in the oats is sufficient to slow the
release of carbs into the bloodstream, but not high enough to slow
digestion and cause discomfort during your session.

IP:
BONUS TME
AD D S O
ON TO
CINNAM TA BILISE
H E L P S
LO O D S UGAR
B FOR
LEVELSIN ED
S U S TA
E N E R G Y .

7. PEANUT BUTTER TOAST

6. FRUIT SMOOTHIE WITH A BANANA
Fruits are a great source of rapidly digested carbs. When mixed with plain Grab a whole-wheat toast with all natural peanut butter and sliced banana.
yoghurt and milk you get the added benefit of the dairy protein. Just stick Bananas are loaded with easily digestible carbs and are packed with
to low fat sources for rapid digestion. potassium, which aids in maintaining nerve and muscle function. M.E

www.muscleevolution.co.za 25
 By Werner Beukes
M.E COVER FEATURE Photography by Ben Myburgh - www.benmyburghphotography.co.za
M
ARIUS DOHNE
IS A GLOBE-TROTTING
MUSCLEMAN.
ONE DAY HE IS
IN THE FRONT ROW
SUPPORTING LOCAL
BODYBUILDERS
AND HIS ATHLETES AT A SHOW IN
HIS HOME PROVINCE OF KZN, THE
NEXT HE IS RUBBING SHOULDERS
WITH FELLOW GARGANTUAN
COMPETITORS AT THE ARNOLD
CLASSIC IN AMERICA. SOON
AFTER THAT HE WAS OFF TO FIBO
IN GERMANY TO SOAK IN THE
ATMOSPHERE OF THE BIGGEST
FITNESS EXPO ON THE PLANET.
Having placed 11th in a strongly contested
line-up of elite iron brethren, including the
likes of Dexter Jackson, Branch Warren and
Evan Centopani at the recent Arnold Classic
in Ohio, the Durban-born Dohne dynamo
shows no signs of slowing down this season
– in fact he is gaining speed to knock out
everything that stands in his way!
Muscle Evolution caught up with Dohne
while he was visiting FIBO 2015 in Cologne,
Germany, where he was meeting and
greeting fitness stars from all over the world.
ME: Tell us about your experience at
this year’s Arnold Classic, the second
GLOBE TROTTING
AND LEG TRAINING
WITH SOUTH AFRICA’S
LEADING IFBB PRO
DOMINATION
26 Muscle Evolution
most prestigious competition in all of
bodybuilding.
Dohne: It was a huge privilege to stand
bicep to bicep on stage next to the
biggest names in the world of
bodybuilding today. Had I been as
rock hard and full at the show
as I was in the morning
after my second meal
I would have had a
better placing.
ME: So what
happened
between your
second meal and
the show? What
went wrong?
Dohne: I was in better
condition at the Arnold this
year than when I competed and
won the Tampa Pro in 2011. I felt I had
the right conditioning needed to rise to the
occasion. I believe I had that crispness the
judges were looking for – my hamstrings,
quads, lower and middle back, as well as my
glutes were deeply striated. The lines were
crazy. I knew with this show that nothing
short of the very best would be good enough
to walk away with the honours and that I
had to come in big and tight with a lot of
definition. I felt good while carbing up for
ion.co.za 27
M.E COVER FE
the show. Everything was on track and then
I decided to take half a water pill... I stepped
on to the stage looking flat and ended up
not feeling 100 percent for a show of
that stature.
ME: Do you believe that
crazy striated condition
can be achieved
without taking a
water pill?
Dohne: Definitely! If you
do your prep correctly
you don’t need to
take anything. I met
with George Farah,
my previous coach,
at the Arnold and
told him to take
over my prep for the
next show. Farah also
helped me when I won
Tampa and helped me
a lot at the Olympia. I
am extremely excited to
work with him again. With
the exception of the late Chris
Scott the whole team is now back
in action to help me. Chris Dranias
is training me on legs and Farah is
looking at my nutrition.
ME: How is Chris Dranias as a
trainer?
Dohne: I believe he is the
best personal trainer for
bodybuilders and fitness
athletes in the country at
the moment. Apart from
training me he is also
helping Guy Shaffer and
Damien Cloete, some of the
biggest bodybuilders in KZN.
Chris is the only guy that can
ME: Can you give us a sample of
your pre-contest diet?
Dohne: My body responds best
when I stay full and keep my carbs
high. George (Farah) taught me
the importance of dieting on high
carbs. I can push my carbs pretty
high but I struggle to eat large
portions. I have an extremely
fast metabolic rate and my body
functions best on extremely high
carbs but it’s a challenge to eat
all those carbs every day and stay
focussed. Depletion, I believe, is only
needed if you are behind and need
“DEPLETION, I BELIEVE, IS ONLY
NEEDED IF YOU ARE BEHIND
AND NEED TO CATCH UP.”
28 Muscle Evolution
“MY ENTIRE OFF
SEASON WILL BE GEARED
FOR ME TO PEAK AT
THE ARNOLD IN SOUTH
ARICA! I WILL BE READY
TO COMPETE WITH THE
BEST OF THE BEST AT
THEIR BEST.
IT IS GOING TO
BE EPIC!”
handle our weights or spot us when we fail.
The guy is as strong as an ox! I’ve included
a sample leg training workout in this article
to give the readers an idea of how crazy our
sessions are.
ME: What is next for Marius Dohne?
Dohne: I still have a few shows such as
the Europa Pro in Orlando and the Arnold
Brazil I want to go to. After these shows I
will probably go on a nice holiday with my
beautiful wife.
ME: What was your weight for the Arnold?
Dohne: I was sick with a stomach bug
and lost some weight before the show.
I competed at about 119kg. I have now
managed to fill out again and I am
confident that I will weigh around 125kg
at my next show.
ME: Will we see Marius Dohne on stage
battling it out with the best at next year’s
Arnold in South Arica?
Dohne: For sure. It is in my own back yard.
Now the Americans will feel how it is to
compete far away from their own comfort
zone. They will know how difficult it is to
deal with a long flight and search for the
right food when you touch down in a foreign
country. My entire off season will be geared
for me to peak at that show! I will be ready
to compete with the best of the best at their
best. It is going to be epic!
to catch up. For this show
I was ready far ahead of time so
there was no need for a drastic
depletion strategy.
• Meal 1: 8 egg whites and 150g oats
• Meal 2: 250g chicken and 400g rice
• Meal 3: 250g hake and 400g rice
• Meal 4: 7 egg whites and 150g oats
• Meal 5: 200g chicken and 400g rice
• Meal 6: 250g hake and asparagus.
I used Olimp Beta alanine, AAKG
and BCAA supplements, as well as
a good multivitamin. >>
M.E COVER FEATURE

“ARNOLD HIMSELF
WILL BE THERE AND
SEEING HIM WALKING
AROUND THE EXPO
SURROUNDED
BY A TEAM OF
BODYGUARDS IS
AN EXPERIENCE
NOT TO BE MISSED
BY ANY SERIOUS
BODYBUILDING FAN!”

ME: Tell our readers more about the

Arnold Classic?
Dohne: It is massive! The US leg is hosting
more athletes than the Olympic Games! I
have also been to the ones in Spain and
Brazil – they totally rocked too! The Arnold
Classic is coming to South Africa next year
and I would urge every bodybuilding fan
to not let anything hold you back from
attending this popular event. Arnold
himself will be there and seeing him
walking around the expo surrounded
by a team of bodyguards is an experience
not to be missed by any serious
bodybuilding fan!

ME: What did the Arnold show teach you

in terms of conditioning?
Dohne: I believe I was in the best
condition of my life in 2011. I was dense
and super shredded back then. This time
around I missed my peak by a degree or
two. I have had my ups and downs in the
past – like making a comeback from health
issues. I still believe I have the size and
shape to outclass any contender. At this
year’s show I had that ‘wow’ factor but I
made a mistake and failed to sharpen up
and follow through. I will take the positive
and try to learn from the situation and
improve to gain a competitive edge.

ME: How was FIBO this year?

Dohne: This was the first FIBO I had the
privilege of attending and what a brilliant
expo! It was fantastic to see professional
and world-class athletes like Phil Heath
and Kai Greene. Dennis Wolf came up to
me and my wife to have a chat while we
were eating. What a fantastic ambassador
for the sport of bodybuilding.

ME: Tell us about the other pro

IMAGE: GARY PHILLIPS

bodybuilders you have met?

Dohne: Most of the guys I had the honour
of meeting, like Evan Centopani, Branch
Warren and Dexter Jackson are all nice,
easy-going guys. I don’t have anyone I
don’t like. When I compete I usually keep to
myself to focus more on the task at hand. >>

30 Muscle Evolution
M.E EXCLUSIVE

DOHNE ON

EVOLUTION LEG TRAINING:

MUSCLE
!
“I believe in training

IVE
legs hard because they

EXCLUS
are a big body part
and can take a lot of
punishment. I train them
three times a week – two
quad sessions and one

D AY W ITH hamstring session. We

go all out! The first quad

G TRAIN ING session I train with Chris

LE NIAS A ND and it’s mostly volume

training. I will perform
A
CHRIS DRDOHNE
high reps, but now and
then I’ll go heavy. My
second quad session is a

MARIUS
workout with a heavier
load. I think heavy
workouts are easier than
volume workouts.

QUADS:
FIVE SETS OF
15 REPS OF
SQUATS

32 Muscle Evolution
FIVE SETS OF 20 REPS
OF LEG EXTENSIONS

www.muscleevolution.co.za 33
M.E EXCLUSIVE

T I I T I TI L
SCREAMING FOR MERCY!”
HORIZONTAL LEG PRESSES
FIVE SETS TO ABSOLUTE FAILURE!

QUADER
FINISH
34 Muscle Evolution
HAMSTRINGS:
FIVE SETS OF 20 REPS
OF SINGLE LEG CURLS

www.muscleevolution.co.za 35
M.E EXCLUSIVE

“WHAT A KILLER
WORKOUT!
SOMETIMES
I TRAIN SO
HARD THAT I FIVE SETS OF
FIND MYSELF 20 REPS OF
STIFF LEG
ON THE FLOOR DEADLIFTS
STRUGGLING
TO BREATHE!
CHRIS WOULD
JUST LEAVE
ME THERE
AND WALK
CALVES:
OFF TO SET
UP THE NEXT
EXERCISE.”
FIVE SETS OF
15 REPS OF
LYING LEG CURLS

WE FINISH
OFF WITH
MULTIPLE SETS
OF CALF WORK
CONSISTING
OF STANDING,
SEATED AND
DONKEY CALF
RAISES.M.E

36 Muscle Evolution
M.E FEATURE By Werner Beukes, Deputy Editor

P
REPARING FOR A HARDCORE SESSION IN THE
GYM IS LIKE GOING TO WAR. YOUR MIND IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT WEAPON IF YOU WANT TO
ATTACK THE WEIGHTS WITH THE INTENSITY AND
FOCUS REQUIRED OF BODYBUILDERS AT THE
HIGHEST LEVEL.
Bodybuilders need to be relentless when working out, but
failing to mentally prepare for a workout is like stepping on to the
battlefield without a gun. Mental intensity and total concentration
are crucial elements in every strategic battle plan aimed at waging
war on those weights.
To help you win each battle, on your way to ultimately winning
the bodybuilding war, we share the top tried and tested techniques
to get you dialled in to "the zone" for the most intense and
productive workout possible.

GETAL
NT PREPARE FOR
WAR!
E
M MASH
TO S
V ERY
E RK-
WO T!
OU FOUR TRIED AND TESTED TECHNIQUES TO KILL IT:
1VISUALISE
Think before you train. Many lifters throw
around weights in the gym without giving
3FUEL YOUR PASSION
To go all out you need passion. This
will be the biggest motivation for getting
it much thought. Take time out to mentally up early in the morning to hit the weights
prepare and visualise what you are about to when everybody else is sleeping. This will
do. Only you will know the ideal time to do also carry you through when you feel like
this - maybe before going to bed if you train you’re in a slump. Passion is necessary when
the following morning or 30 minutes before you don’t feel like training. In the words of
an afternoon or evening workout. powerlifter Dave Tate of the Westside Barbell
Six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, known Club: “Passion trumps everything”.
for his brutal workouts, typically prepared
about 90 minutes before hitting the gym. “To go all out you need
He would ask questions such as: “Do I feel passion. This will be the
strong today? Should I use forced reps? biggest motivation for getting
Would it be better to shoot for eight reps
per exercise and forget about forced reps?” up early in the morning to
Knowing the answers to these questions will hit the weights when
enable you to plan a workout based on how everybody else is sleeping.”
you feel on that particular day.

2 TUNE IN
Be in touch with your body. Be aware
of the muscle group you are training, their
function and what you are trying to achieve
with your workout. IFBB pro bodybuilder
Justin Compton is a big advocate of tuning
in to his body while he is training and
performing every set with a full range of
movement. Compton believes these two
aspects are crucial in making muscle gains.
So forget about the weight, go by feel and
tune in to what you are trying to accomplish.
4PLAN
Plan you workout. Know what you are
going to do in the gym and why. Another
multiple Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler never was one
to dramatically switch up his workouts from
one day to the next. He had a deinite plan and
was always aiming to train harder and harder.
Where other athletes were aiming for more
weights, Cutler was more interested in really
contracting the muscle he was working on.
Take a leaf out of Cutler’s training journal - have
a deinite workout plan in your head and your
body will follow it through in the gym. M.E

38 Muscle Evolution
M.E FEATURE By Pedro van Gaalen, Managing Editor

THE TOPIC OF
MYOSTATIN
HAS BEEN
SOMETHING
WE’VE COVERED
A FEW TIMES
ALREADY IN THIS
MAGAZINE, AND
RIGHTLY SO.
IF, AND WHEN,
SCIENTISTS ARE ABLE
TO SHUT DOWN THE
GENE THAT CODES
FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF THIS PROTEIN WE
COULD, THEORETICALLY,
DEVELOP MUSCLE MASS
WAY BEYOND WHAT
WE’RE CURRENTLY
CAPABLE OF – UNLIMITED
MUSCLE MASS IN
THEORY. SO HOW FAR
HAS THE SCIENCE
BEHIND THIS QUEST
ADVANCED SINCE WE
LAST VISITED THE
SUBJECT?

MYOS
S
TA
C
TI E N T I F IC
E
HOW TH PROGRESSING
WORLD ISATH TO
ON THE P
UN L I M I T E D
MUSCL E M A S S
40 Muscle Evolution
 MYOSTATIN
IN REVIEW
Myostatin was discovered in 1997
by geneticists Alexandra McPherron
and Se-Jin Lee, who produced a
strain of mutant mice that lacked
the gene, which became known
as “knockout”, “KO” or “mighty
mice”. Myostatin is a protein that is
encoded by the MSTN gene, which
inhibits muscle differentiation and
growth in myogenesis. Myostatin
is produced primarily in skeletal
muscle, circulates in the bloodstream
and binds to receptor cells called
activin type 2 receptors. MAMMALS
LACKING MYOSTATIN OR ARE
TREATED WITH SUBSTANCES THAT
BLOCK OR INHIBIT MYOSTATIN
FUNCTION, ARE SIGNIFICANTLY
AND MEASURABLY MORE
MUSCULAR. What this means,
in simple terms, is that myostatin
is a muscle down-regulator that
acts to limit the amount of muscle
we produce.

ATI
UPDATE
THE LATEST RESEARCH
W
ELL, A 2014 STUDY
BY NATHAN
JEFFERY AND
CHRISTOPHER MENDIAS,
TITLED: “ENDOCRANIAL
AND MASTICATORY MUSCLE
VOLUMES IN MYOSTATIN-
DEFICIENT MICE” HAS
RE-CONFIRMED WHAT WE
ALREADY KNOW... SHUTTING
OFF MYOSTATIN DELIVERS
MASSIVE MUSCLE GROWTH.
While the study looked at
the muscles of the head used
primarily to chew (masticate)
and the size of the brain
(cranium), results in the study
showed that “the masticatory
muscles of the MSTN–/–
(myostatin-deficient) mice were
significantly larger than in the
WT (wild-type) mice”. And these
increases were large, in the
region of 17–36%, depending
on the muscle. The researchers
also found that muscles
“increased in proportion to
each other”.
The study also demonstrated
that endocranial volume was
significantly larger in the WT
mice, “approximately 16%
 “STUDIES SHOW THAT
MUSCULAR INCREASES
RANGE FROM 17-36%
IN MYOSTATIN-
DEFICIENT MICE ”
larger on average than that
seen in the MSTN−/− mice”.
This led researchers to
conclude that the results
support the view that “the
musculature influences
brain growth”, which is an
interesting concept should
this form of gene doping
become prominent among
humans in the near future. In
conclusion, the researchers
stated that: “It remains to
be determined whether the
observed effect is primarily
physical, nutritional,
metabolic or molecular in
nature.”
Another study, also
published in 2014, in
the Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and
Metabolism, which looked
at the pharmacological
inhibition of myostatin
and changes in lean
body mass (LBM) and
lower extremity muscle
size in patients receiving
androgen deprivation
therapy (ADT) for prostate
cancer, evaluated the
safety, pharmacokinetics,
and muscle efficacy of a
myostatin inhibitor called
anti-myostatin peptibody
(AMG 745/Mu-S). This
product aims to treat or
reverse the muscle loss SAFE
and increased body fat
associated with ADT.
FOR
In this randomised, HUMAN
blinded, placebo-controlled,
multiple-dose, phase one USE?
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
study, it was found that AMG
745 “significantly increased halted the development of
its myostatin inhibitor in
LBM ... vs the placebo groups
2008 after no statistically
on day 29 by 2.2%” and in significant muscle growth
exploratory fat mass analysis, was seen in a Phase 1/2
“a decrease of −2.5% was safety and tolerability
observed. Pharmacodynamic trial. In early 2011,
changes in muscle and clinical trials of a
fat were maintained at myostatin inhibitor MYOSTATIN INHIBITORS
follow-up, 1 month after day called ACE-031 by ARE PRIMARILY UNDER
Acceleron Pharma INVESTIGATION AS
29.” These findings led the POTENTIAL THERAPIES
and Shire PLC were
research team of D. Padhi TO SLOW OR REVERSE
halted pending the
et al to conclude that: “Four resolution of various safety THE PROGRESSIVE
weekly sc doses of AMG 745 LOSS OF MUSCLE MASS
issues. In May 2013 the
were well tolerated and were AND STRENGTH THAT
developers discontinued
OCCURS WITH AGE, A
associated with increased work on the drug, citing CONDITION KNOWN
LBM and decreased fat in results from non-clinical AS SARCOPENIA, AND
the men receiving ADT for and toxicology studies that VARIOUS DEGENERATIVE
nonmetastatic prostate “do not support further DISEASES, AS WELL
development”. AS MANY OF THEIR
cancer.”
TREATMENTS.

DIGGING DEEPER
H
AVING ESTABLISHED THAT
INHIBITING MYOSTATIN
CAN, INDEED, INCREASE
MUSCLE MASS, AND DECREASE
BODY FAT IN HUMANS, THROUGH
STUDIES AND TWO UNIQUE
CASES WHERE THE MSTN GENE
IS SWITCHED 'OFF' IN HUMANS,
THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HAS
SHIFTED SOME OF ITS FOCUS TO
DETERMINING THE MECHANISMS
BY WHICH THIS HAPPENS.
To determine which cells receive
and react to the myostatin signal
– satellite cells or muscle cells –
researchers at the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine
performed three studies on mice to
gain a better understanding.
Firstly, normal mice and specially
bred mice with severe defects in
either satellite cell function or
number were administered drugs
or underwent genetic engineering
to block myostatin function. In this
instance muscle mass increased
signiicantly compared to that seen
in mice with normal satellite cell
function. This suggests that myostatin
is able to act, at least partially,
without full satellite cell function.
In the next phase of the study
researchers marked satellite cells with
a permanent dye and then blocked
myostatin activity with a drug.
Muscle mass increased signiicantly,
as expected, but no increase in
the number of satellite cells was
observed, nor were they found to
fuse with muscle ibres at a higher
rate – a key step in the generation of
new muscle tissue. According to head
researcher Se-Jin Lee, M.D., Ph.D.,
these results strongly suggest that
myostatin does not suppress satellite
cell proliferation.
The research team then used
engineered mice with muscle cells
that lacked the protein receptor that
binds to myostatin, to conirm the
theory that myostatin acts primarily
through muscle cells and not satellite
cells. The
researchers
saw a moderate,
but statistically
signiicant, increase
in muscle mass, which
suggested that muscle
cells are important receivers of
myostatin signals. Accordingly,
it seems that satellite cells
aren't of primary importance
to the myostatin pathway.
These indings are primarily
of importance to treating the
efects of ageing and other
degenerative diseases that
involve diminished stem cell
function. Where the application
of this information in enhanced
sporting performance and body
building lies is unclear, but it's
a crucial step forward in our
understanding of a very complex
biological process.
However, one study that does
hold a great deal of importance for

42 Muscle Evolution
all form of athlete is one that
was presented at the Endocrine
Society's 96th Annual Meeting
and Expo, in June 2014, held in
Chicago.
The study, titled “Muscle
Hypertrophy Induced By
Myostatin Inhibition Is Blunted
By Dietary Protein Restriction”,
determined that, because
increased muscle mass is thought
to mainly result from stimulated
protein synthesis, a lack of
adequate dietary protein reduced
the gains seen through myostatin
inhibition in mice.
The results led researchers
THE NEXT FRONTIER
S
O, WHERE DOES THAT
LEAVE BODYBUILDERS?
WELL, THERE ARE
VARIOUS MYOSTATIN
INHIBITORS THAT ARE
CURRENTLY IN HUMAN
TRIALS, AND MORE FUNDING
IS BEING MADE AVAILABLE
TO STUDY THESE DRUGS IN
MANKIND'S QUEST TO SLOW
THE AGEING PROCESS AND
COMBAT THE DELETERIOUS
EFFECTS OF MANY DISEASES
ON MUSCLE AND STRENGTH.
Worth noting in this regard is
funding secured by biotech start-
up Milo Biotechnology in 2013,
a company that is working on
the development and testing of
a follistatin therapy for muscular
to conclude that “the muscle
hypertrophic efect of Mstn
inhibition is blunted by
dietary protein restriction. This
attenuation appears more related
to reduced protein synthesis
than accelerated proteolysis
(the breakdown of proteins or
peptides into amino acids by
the action of enzymes). Further
research will test whether
supplementation of leucine, a
stimulus of mTORC1 (a signalling
pathway that controls protein
synthesis), might restore the
full anabolic efect of sActRIIB in
protein-restricted animals.”
dystrophy. Its trial-phase product
called AAV1-FS344 is a gene
therapy intended to up-regulate
follistatin, a protein that blocks
myostatin.
However, none of these
myostatin-inhibiting drugs have
made it into the production
phase just yet, but with all
the available information and
the rate of development, it
shouldn't be long before the
pharmaceutical industry cracks
this biological riddle.
And, in an attempt to pre-
empt the inevitable use and
abuse of these drugs by the
sporting community, the World
Anti Doping Agency (WADA)
organised a meeting of top
Olympic oicials and scientiic
experts in China, in June 2013,
to establish protocols for the
identiication of gene doping
and gene therapy in athletes.
Following the meeting, WADA
oicials were quoted as saying
that research into gene doping
detection had been promising,
and that they hoped a reliable
test would be ready for the next
Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,
in 2016 – further support for the
idea that gene therapy, of which
myostatin inhibition is one
of the forerunners, is at an
advanced stage. M.E
M.E SUPPLEMENTS By Bill Willis PhD and John Meadows

6 REASONS
TO RETHINK
ANTIOXIDANT
SUPPS
AROUND INTENSE TRAINING
ON PAPER, AT LEAST, ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTS
SEEM LIKE A GREAT IDEA. It has been known for quite some time that
intense exercise increases the production of potentially toxic reactive oxygen
species (ROS), which have been linked to ageing and most chronic diseases, one
way or another. If balls-out training increases the production of damaging free
radicals then it makes perfect sense to limit oxidation as much as possible, right?
This should limit muscle damage and decrease soreness, allowing us to train
harder and recover faster.

T
his was precisely the
school of thought
in the all-too recent
dark ages of training
science, when high
doses of vitamin C
were the state-of-the-art
peri-workout supplements of
choice. “Sore after training?
Not recovering fast enough?
Too much oxidation, bro. Take
more antioxidants!”
44 Muscle Evolution
Full disclosure from a guy who
researches ROS for a living: I, too drank
the Kool-aid, taking a couple of grams
of vitamin C before and after training
for a period in the late '90s. Fortunately,
like most who experimented with high
dose antioxidant supplementation, I
ultimately stopped taking them; they
just didn’t seem to help with recovery
or muscle soreness.
Thankfully, today we know better.
Although ROS levels increase during
exercise, this is a good thing, critical
even, to get the most out of your
training. Any attempt to decrease
exercise-induced ROS production with
antioxidant supplements is not only
useless in terms of increasing strength,
performance, and recovery, but
may be worse than useless, possibly
cancelling out much of your hard
work in the gym. Want to get bigger,
faster, and stronger to maximise your
potential? ROS can be your best friend.
HERE ARE SIX GOOD REASONS TO RETHINK
ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTS AFTER TRAINING:

1
REDUCED ABILITY
TO DEAL WITH
METABOLIC STRESS
One of the major benefits of exercise
(outside of the fact that it makes you jacked)
is increased health and lifespan, which is
made possible by increased protection
from oxidative stress. Most, if not all,
chronic diseases are driven by inflammation
and oxidation, which go hand and hand. The
better our ability to overcome this type of
metabolic stress, the more resilient we are
to stress and disease. It may seem somewhat
contradictory then that oxidative stress

incurred during exercise actually increases our
capacity to deal with future oxidative stress.
In fact, we are hard-wired for this response,
provided we don’t screw it up with untimely
antioxidant supplementation.
Exercise increases our ability to cope with
metabolic stress in the following ways:
Under non-stress conditions a transcription
factor called NRF2 is sequestered in the
cytosol by another protein called Keap1.
When ROS levels increase, such as during
a high volume Mountain Dog workout,
Keap1 is degraded, releasing NRF2, which
then moves into the nucleus. After entering
the nucleus, NRF2 binds to, and activates,
genes that have a special sequence called
an “Antioxidant Response Element” (ARE) in
their promoter. Think of this in terms of a lock
and key; hundreds of stress-response genes
in our DNA have a type of ‘lock’ that is opened
by the same ‘key’ - NRF2. In this way, NRF2
causes global activation of the antioxidant
stress-response programme, increasing
the production of proteins important for
defending against inflammation, oxidation,
and metabolic stress.
While the increase in ROS production
that occurs during training is stressful
in and of itself, it is also a potent
activator of this ARE/NRF2 stress-
response pathway, which increases
our capacity to deal with metabolic
stress. Taking antioxidant supplements
around training time quenches the
ROS signal that activates this pathway,
preventing the ROS signal from turning
on this metabolic stress response
2
ANTIOXIDANTS REDUCE
THE ABILITY OF EXERCISE
TO INCREASE INSULIN
SENSITIVITY
The lower your
insulin levels
are, the leaner you will
tend to be. There are two
ways to keep insulin levels
consistently low. One is to
limit carbohydrate intake. The
other is to increase insulin
sensitivity so that less insulin
is needed to get the job
done. This is where working
out comes in; consistent,
hard training plays a huge
role in increasing insulin
sensitivity. The effect this
has on conditioning can’t
be understated. Increased
insulin sensitivity has a way of
transcending the amount of
calories you take in, or even
your macronutrient ratios;
the more insulin sensitive you
are the leaner, more anabolic
you will be. Optimal insulin
sensitivity also ensures that
extra calories are used to build
new muscle tissue, rather than
stored as body fat.
It was only recently
“Those who
discovered that exercise-
induced increases in insulin
sensitivity are driven by
increased ROS production,
and totally suppressed by
antioxidant supplements. In a
study in 2009 by Ristow et al,
the effects of supplementation
with vitamin C (500mg twice/
day) and vitamin E (400IU/
day) on changes in insulin
sensitivity caused by exercise
were investigated in both
beginners and those with
prior training experience.
All subjects participated
in a five day/week training
programme for four weeks,
which consisted of both
cardio and weight training. As
expected, insulin sensitivity
increased over the course of
the training programme in
both beginners and those
with more training experience.
This also correlated with
a large increase in the
expression of a number
of signalling proteins that
promote insulin sensitivity.
Importantly, those who took

programme. It’s like taking weight off
the bar and still expecting to grow.
Here’s the thing, the consequences
of short-circuiting this pathway with
antioxidants are not limited to increased
health and longevity down the road.
This oxidative stress response system is
took antioxidant antioxidant supplements
during this four-week training
supplements period showed no increases
showed no in insulin sensitivity; the
antioxidants completely
increases in eliminated this response.
insulin sensitivity; Keep in mind this happened

also needed to repair damage incurred
during heavy training. Reduced ability
to cope with metabolic stress results in
the antioxidants at ‘normal’ supplement doses
used every day, and the
completely effect also occurred in both

less efficient recovery, limiting training eliminated this beginners and experienced
subjects, ruling out any type of
progress in the long run. response.” ‘beginner-effect’.
www.muscleevolution.co.za 45
M.E SUPPLEMENTS
3
ANTIOXIDANT
SUPPLEMENTS LIMIT
ENDURANCE AND
MITOCHONDRIAL
BIOGENESIS
As the cellular power-
plants that provide ATP
to fuel intense muscular
contractions, and even life
itself, mitochondria are
pretty important. The more
mitochondria we have, the
greater our capacity to oxidise
fuels for energy. As a result,
endurance is largely a function
of how many mitochondria we
have, and how well they work.
It has been known for
some time that antioxidant
supplements have subtle
performance-suppressing
effect on endurance exercise
events. One study noted
that giving greyhounds 1g
of vitamin C before racing
significantly slowed racing time
relative to dogs that did not
receive antioxidants. Another
study in the '70s noted that
vitamin E supplementation
(400IU/day for six weeks)
reduced endurance
performance in swimmers.
How, exactly, antioxidants
may limit endurance came
to light more recently, in a
study by Gomez-Cabrera et
al. The effects of antioxidant
supplementation on endurance
performance were evaluated
in 14 men, aged 27-36, during
an eight week endurance
training programme. Five of
these men received a 1000mg
daily dose of vitamin C, while
the rest received a placebo.
The investigators found
that vitamin C significantly
suppressed endurance
capacity, which was linked
to a reduction in proteins
that activate mitochondrial
biogenesis. The ROS
dependence of mitochondrial
46 Muscle Evolution
biogenesis induced by
endurance training was later
confirmed in a study by Kang
et al, where antioxidants
severely limited mitochondrial
biogenesis in response to
exercise.
I can hear it now: Endurance
performance? But before
I lose you here, the fact
that antioxidants reduce
mitochondrial biogenesis
is not only a concern
for cardio-bunnies. Two
additional studies noted
decreased performance
with ubiquinone-10
supplementation (a fat-soluble
antioxidant) in humans after
a high-intensity training
programme. In this case,
both aerobic and anaerobic
performance were affected.
As with endurance training,
resistance training also
activates mitochondrial
biogenesis. This is not a
coincidence, as most proteins
are synthesised in the
proximity of mitochondria.
The more mitochondria we
have the better they work,
and the better the cellular
infrastructure for cranking out
new proteins equates to better
growth.
As such, the take-home
message is this: Oxidative
stress during exercise
sends signals that increase
mitochondrial number
and efficiency to support
the energy demands of
exercise. Avoid antioxidant
supplements to maximise
mitochondrial adaptations
to training. This is important
for both endurance and
(indirectly) strength and size.
4
YOU MIGHT GROW LESS
In addition to
limiting the
indirect effects
of mitochondria
on muscle
growth, a recent
animal study suggests that
antioxidant supplements
may play a more active role
in limiting muscle growth.
In this study in rats, a ‘synergist
ablation’ overload model was
used, where the gastroc and
soleus muscles on the right
hindlimb were surgically
removed, overloading and
activating growth in the
plantaris muscle. The opposite,
left hindlimb of rats in this
study did not receive the
procedure, which served as an
experimental control. Rats in
this study were then treated
with 500mg/kg of vitamin C
orally once/day, or a placebo,
for 14 days. Although both the
placebo and vitamin C-treated
rats experienced some new
growth in the plantaris
muscle, the vitamin C group
experienced around 11%
less muscle growth. This also
correlated with reduced protein
synthesis and increased protein
breakdown.
Importantly, the results of
this particular study need to be
interpreted with a great degree
of caution. Rats received a daily
dose of 500 mg/kg of vitamin C,
which is equivalent to around
50g of vitamin C in a 100kg
man. This is a huge amount of
vitamin C, not to mention the
fact that vitamin C in doses that
high could actually increase
ROS production. The synergist
ablation model used for muscle
overload in this study is also
very much a ‘sledgehammer’
approach that can’t easily be
extrapolated to weight training
in humans.
Considered in isolation, I
wouldn’t make much of this
study; the dose of vitamin C
was too high and the model
too out there, at least relative
to weight training in humans.
However, this study is consistent
with the larger picture, in that
antioxidant supplements can
throw a metabolic wrench in the
cell signalling machinery that
drives the adaptive response
to exercise. Along those lines,
it was also recently shown that
ROS functions as important
signalling molecules for muscle
hypertrophy in vitro, where it
was found that IGF-1-induced
hypertrophy of myotubes
in culture is suppressed by
antioxidants.
Taken together, the current
body of research teaches us a
very important lesson when
it comes to ROS signalling
and muscle growth; the acute
increase in ROS induced by
training is an intrinsic part
of the exercise stimulus that
turns on the switch for muscle
growth and adaptation.
“Antioxidant
supplements
can throw a
metabolic
wrench in the
cell signalling
machinery
that drives
the adaptive
response to
exercise.”
 ID !
“AVOID PRE-OR POST-
WORKOUT ANTIOXIDANT
SUPPLEMENTS TO ENSURE
PROMPT RECOVERY FROM
THE MOST DAMAGING
WORKOUTS.”

5 ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTS COULD DELAY RECOVERY

The fact that
antioxidant
supplemen-
tation could delay recovery
was discovered pretty much
by accident. We have known
for some time that intense
exercise generates increased
ROS production, and that
hard training is a well-known
cause of delayed onset muscle
soreness. Putting two and
two together, it was once
believed that most, if not all
model well known to cause
high levels of muscle soreness.
Vitamin C supplementation at
1g/day not only failed to reduce
soreness, but also delayed
recovery relative to subjects
who took a placebo.
Although downhill running
decreased muscle strength
in both groups during the
recovery period, the vitamin C
group recovered much slower.
Strength levels in the placebo
group were reduced only up to
macrophages and neutrophils,
plays a major role in ‘cleaning
up’ this damage. These
phagocytic cells use ROS as a
tool to take up, digest, and clear
out damaged tissue. A good
analogy here is a house-fire.
Assuming the firefighters were
able to get the fire out before
it completely burned to the
ground, all damaged sections
“Immune cells
LQÀOWUDWH LQWR WKH
and debris would need to be
cleaned up and cleared out
before construction workers
can be called in with new
materials to repair and rebuild
the damage. The same holds
true for muscle tissue, more
or less. Immune cells infiltrate
into the injured tissue to
clear the area of damaged,
oxidised, and degraded
proteins, paving the way for
increased protein synthesis
later on, which rebuilds and

LQMXUHG WLVVXH WR FOHDU

muscle soreness was caused
by oxidative damage. This also
suggested that by limiting
oxidative stress, antioxidant
four days post-exercise, while
strength levels in the vitamin
C group were still significantly
impaired at day seven and 14,
aids recovery. This suggests
that ROS produced during
WKH DUHD RI GDPDJHG
exercise may also be critical
R[LGLVHG DQG to muscle regeneration.

supplements might reduce
muscle damage, eliminating
muscle soreness and promoting
faster recovery. One research
group set out to test this
failing to return to baseline by
the end of the study.
So, what is going on here?
The type of forces involved
with downhill running are
GHJUDGHG SURWHLQV
Although very intense, heavy
training increases ROS levels,
SDYLQJ WKH ZD\ IRU
this is precisely what is needed
LQFUHDVHG SURWHLQ for optimal recovery. So,
V\QWKHVLV ODWHU RQ avoid pre- or post-workout

ZKLFK UHEXLOGV DQG

hypothesis using 20 active
males who participated in
downhill running, an exercise
very damaging to muscle antioxidant supplements to
tissue. The immune system, by ensure prompt recovery from
DLGV UHFRYHU\µ
sending in special cells called the most damaging workouts.
M.E SUPPLEMENTS

6
YOU ARE SHOOTING THE
MESSENGER
The fact that antioxidants have a negative effect on so
many aspects of the positive, adaptive response to exercise
suggests that something much bigger – more fundamental
– is going on here. Study after study has demonstrated that the
health-promoting effects of exercise are driven by ROS production,
“In terms which, as explained, strengthens the natural antioxidant defense
of practical machinery, which protects us from metabolic stress, and may
even promote increased lifespan. ROS are important signalling
recommen- molecules for a number of different cell-signalling pathways,
dations, you particularly those associated with the body’s stress response,
should avoid and we are stress-response machines. From the primordial
taking any type soup of our days as cavemen, to present day, surviving is
stressful business. From the cellular level up, we are designed
of supplemental to sense, respond to, and mount the appropriate response
antioxidants to stress. This causes us to adapt, becoming better able to
around (before, overcome future stresses, which ensures our survival. What
during or after) doesn’t kill us truly does makes us stronger. In this way, the
stress of weight training is the same as any other: ROS are key
training, but messengers for sensing, responding, and adapting to this
don’t avoid them stress. By taking antioxidant supplements in and around
completely.” training we are killing the messenger.
BUT WAIT, AREN’T ANTIOXIDANTS GOOD FOR ME?
Where does all this leave us when it comes to
antioxidants in general? When should we take them,
how should we take them, or should we take them at all?
I’ve picked on vitamin C a lot today, so some clariication
is needed here. Most mammals, ish, and reptiles can
synthesise vitamin C in their kidneys or liver, but us
humans lost that ability some time ago. It is therefore
essential that we obtain vitamin C from our diets. Among
other things, it is needed for collagen synthesis and good
health in general. Moreover, not getting enough vitamin
C leads to a disease called scurvy, so maintenance
of plasma and tissue levels is essential to avoid a
deiciency. The same goes for other antioxidants,
especially as modern life exposes us to great deal of
pollutants and other nasty substances that increase
free radical production.
Accordingly, in terms of practical recommendations,
you should avoid taking any type of supplemental
antioxidants around (before, during or after) training,
but don’t avoid them completely. Bulk suppression
of cellular ROS levels with high doses of single-
antioxidant supplements around training time is like
shooting the messenger that delivers the signal to
adapt and grow. This includes multivitamins, most of
which are loaded with antioxidants.
Secondly, it is best to get most of your
antioxidants from whole-food sources. A medium
orange might have 100mg of vitamin C, which is far
less than the typical vitamin C pill. And since we’re
on the subject, what about antioxidants in whole-
food? Should you skip those blueberries in your
pre-workout oatmeal? Probably not; antioxidants in
whole-food tend to be better ‘packaged’ for assimilation,
in a way that is less likely to disrupt endogenous ROS
signalling. Although I wouldn’t recommend a bushel of
blueberries before training, half a cup in your pre-workout
oatmeal is probably not an issue, taking into account digestion
and assimilation times. It should also be noted that the health
benefits of consuming lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables
are well established, so be sure to include lots of these in your diet.

Infrom
closing, try to get most, if not all, of your antioxidants
whole-food sources. If you are taking a multivitamin, don’t take it
within a few hours pre- or post-training. There is no evidence out there to suggest
that food-sourced antioxidants have anything but positive effects. They are absorbed
more slowly, and packaged for optimal assimilation and health benefits. M.E

48 Muscle Evolution
 By Brandon S. Shaw, PhD, IPAP-AT, Professor at the Department
M.E TRAINING of Sport and Movement Studies, University of Johannesburg

POWER UP YOU
HOW PERIODISED CYCLES OF POWERL
S
KELETAL MUSCLE TISSUE IS SENSITIVE TO THE ACUTE
AND CHRONIC STRESSES ASSOCIATED WITH ANY
FORM OF RESISTANCE TRAINING (ABERNETHY ET
AL., 1994). However, the type of response and the degree to
which a muscle responds is influenced by the structure of resistance
activity (i.e. frequency, load and recovery) as well as the training history
of the individuals involved. So, while novices may initially experience
hypertrophy using any form of resistance training, more specific
resistance training strategies need to be implemented to
ensure continued growth and to avoid plateaus.
While many athletes still believe that
bodybuilders use higher repetitions with
lower intensity and powerlifters use lower
repetition training with higher intensities,
this oversimplified idea of training may
prevent many bodybuilders from benefiting
from some powerlifting-type training.
However, rather than worry about the
differences, I suggest you embrace the
similarities and use them to stimulate
gains. Classic examples are that of
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dorian
Yates who regularly scheduled “WHILE
“heavy days” in their training POWERLIFTING
routines, when they made use MAY PREVENT
FUTURE INJURIES,
of low repetitions and heavier THE INJURY RATE
weights. In addition, powerlifting DURING POWER-
is a strength sport that consists LIFTING TRAINING
of maximal lifts using the squat, IS HIGHER
THAN DURING
bench press and deadlift – all BODYBUILDING
exercises well-regarded by the TRAINING.”
bodybuilder.

“POWER-
ANDREW HUDSON

LIFTING IS A
STRENGTH
SPORT THAT
CONSISTS OF
MAXIMAL LIFTS
USING THE
SQUAT, BENCH
PRESS AND MUSCLE AND STRENGTH INCREASE
DEADLIFT – ALL
EXERCISES I n the case of novice
bodybuilders, both
et al., 2014). This is
especially critical for the
overuse syndromes and
pain during training. While
WELL- bodybuilding- and
powerlifting-type training
novice bodybuilder in that
performing powerlifting-
powerlifting may prevent
future injuries, the injury
REGARDED promote similar increases type training will not only rate during powerlifting
BY THE BODY- in muscular size, with the result in increases in muscle training is higher than
BUILDER” difference that powerlifting- mass, but will also ensure during bodybuilding training
type training is superior that an adequate strength (Schoenfeld et al., 2014).
for enhancing maximal base is developed to reduce Furthermore, significant
strength (Schoenfeld the risk of future injury, muscle hypertrophy appears

50 Muscle Evolution
R PROGRAMME
IFTING CAN ENHANCE BODYBUILDING
to follow the sequence of
fast twitch fibre hypertrophy
preceding slow twitch fibre
hypertrophy (Abernethy et
al., 1994).
While the case for
powerlifting-type training is
clear-cut in novices, this is not
the case in more advanced
bodybuilders. This is because, in
the case of bodybuilding-type
training, muscle stimulus results
from training the muscles to
failure with higher volume
(using multiple workouts, sets,
reps, intensity or weight, and
full range of motion). This
type of training then results
in muscle protein breakdown
and allows the muscle to
rebuild to an even larger level
than before (provided you
are eating correctly – and
enough). As such, in contrast
to powerlifting-type training,
AVOIDING PLATEAUS
B odybuilding programmes
require constant adjustment
throughout the year to avoid
the risk of encountering
plateaus. Many techniques can
be used to break a bodybuilder
out of their plateau. The first
option is to change the order of
exercises used, since a change
in exercise order will fatigue the
muscles in a different sequence
nce,
and this will allow them to adapt
in a different way.
Another technique is to geet
suicient rest. Although this is
not ideal for a bodybuilder tr ying
to maximise gains, an efectivve
rest-recovery method of activve
rest may be to make a switch
from bodybuilding-type train ning
to powerlifting-type training.
Additionally, a bodybuilder can
vary the use of equipment or
the possible need to move
from isolated exercises to more
compound multi-joint exercises.
This leads to another technique
to overcome a training plateau,
which is to remove certain
exercises and add others as
there may be some exercises in a
bodybuilder’s current programme
that they have become
accustomed to.
to In
these instances
the addition of a
powerlifting
DYLAN RIDLEY
microcycle may force the
bodybuilder to critically examine
their programme for unnecessary
or redundant exercises.
The inal, and most common,
technique to overcome a plateau
is for a bodybuilder to increase
training intensity and force the
muscles to work harder, rather
than longer, using heavier weights
and lower repetitions
repetitions. Again
Again,
this is where the inclusion of
a powerlifting microcycle may
beneit the bodybuilder.

the goal is not to see how much
weight you can lift, but to use
resistance training to develop,
shape and sculpt the different
muscles of the body. This is not
to say that bodybuilders do
not get stronger with this type
of training, but that’s not the
primary goal.
The advanced bodybuilder
attempts to fatigue as many
muscle fibres as possible
by using different (usually
isolated) exercises and hitting
the muscle in many different
ways, thus maximising the
amount of breakdown in
an attempt to maximise the
resultant growth. In turn,
powerlifting training relies
on the neuromuscular system
learning to become more
efficient using multi-joint
exercises and training the
muscle fibres to become more
coordinated in the prime
movers and less active in
muscles not directly responsible
for the lift. And it is this
unique stimulus that, when
used in appropriately timed
microcycles, could benefit
advanced bodybuilders when
used as part of a periodised
programme.
exercises to overcome a plate eau
as this will work the muscles in a
diferent way, ofers overtrainned
muscles a chance to recuperaate,
and stimulates a diferent patttern
of motor unit recruitment
(Shaw et al., 2009), hence
WEIGHT, DON’T ISOLATE
W hen implementing a powerlifting microcycle,
the aim should be to lift more weight,
especially on the compound movements, and not
squat, bench press and deadlift, bodybuilders can also
make use of related exercises such as close-grip bench,
board presses, loor presses along with bench presses,
be worried about working the right muscle. These leg presses, squat variations (i.e. box squats, rack
powerlifting microcycles should last no more than squats, etc.) and good mornings, along with squats,
six weeks (or even shorter) as training near maximal and deadlift variations (i.e. Sumo deadlifts, stif-legged
for long periods of time leads to chronic central deadlifts, dumbbell deadlifts, etc.), and good mornings
nervous system fatigue or overload and along with deadlifts. This type of maximal
subsequent “burnout”. POWERLIFTING efort training will increase the strength
Central nervous system fatigue is a MICROCYCLES of the necessary muscles, and have a
complex and multifaceted phenomenon SHOULD LAST high carryover to the main lifts. Another
that involves peripheral muscle fatigue NO MORE THAN way to ofset the negative aspect of this
and the failure to initiate and sustain SIX WEEKS AS way of training is to regularly change the
voluntary drive to the muscles by the TRAINING NEAR repetition scheme by alternating heavy
central nervous system. In addition, not MAXIMAL LEADS and ultra-heavy days.
only will an athlete exhibit an abnormal TO CHRONIC It is important for the bodybuilder to
immune response to viral infections, but CENTRAL NERVOUS remember that changing training styles
they will notice a decrease in strength SYSTEM FATIGUE has more pros than cons, and when a
rather than any increase (Bitonte & AND SUBSEQUENT bodybuilder switches to powerlifting-
DeSanto, 2014). “BURNOUT”. style training for short periods of time,
Furthermore, training using the same the intensity will be suicient to maintain
exercises, week in and week out, will eventually result existing levels of muscle mass. In addition, while a
in boredom and a situation where bodybuilders start bodybuilder may lose some strength when they switch
hating their workouts. To counteract these negatives, back to the higher-volume training, they will not lose
while the aim should be to lift more weight during the the muscle they have gained. M.E

www.muscleevolution.co.za 51
 By Pedro van Gaalen and Werrner Beukes
M.E FEATURE Photography by Soulby Jackso
on,
www.skjphotography.co.za

As the 2015
competitive season
gets into full swing
athletes around the
country are hard at
work trying to dial in
n
their conditioning. Onne
key element in this regard, provided
that the appropriate amount of m muscle
has been developed over the off-season,
is dropping body fat to single dig
git levels.
This is not an easy task though as it becomes
a fine balancing act to decreasee subcutaneous
body fat levels while holding on to that hard-
earned muscle.

9 WAYS TO
DROP BODY
FAT PRE-
CONTEST 1. CONTROL
YOUR CARBS
I nsulin is a powerful hormone, not only for
its role in enhanced muscle growth, but
also its ability to promote the storage of
fat. With all the hype and research around the
effectiveness of low carb, high fat diets at the
moment it should be clear that carbohydrates
are to blame for the accumulation of fat. As
such, it is essential that you are strict about
the types and amount of carbs you eat each
day, and the times at which you eat them.
The general
consensus is that The general consensus is that fibrous carbs
fibrous carbs from fresh fruit and vegetables should be the
from fresh fruit
and vegetables dominant source of carbs in your diet, with
should be the
dominant source as little processed carbs and simple sugars in
of carbs in your your eating plan as possible. Low glycaemic 2014 IFBB
diet, with as AMATEUR
little processed index (GI) sources of carbs provide the most
OLYMPIA
carbs and simple benefit, while high GI carb intake should be
sugars in your AFRICA MEN’S
eating plan as limited to before and after your workout to BODYBUILDING
possible. assist with training intensity and glycogen OVERALL
restoration. You can also play around with WINNER
carb manipulation techniques like carb COBUS VAN
DER MERWE
cycling to really dial in your conditioning and
blast more fat.

54 Muscle Evolution
 2. C
COUNT YOUR CALORIES
A t its most basic level
dropping weight and
shedding body fat boils
decrease calories or suddenly ramp up the
exercise. This will more than likely result
in a loss of muscle mass, or will slow down
down to a simple equation; your metabolic rate when you need it
burn more calories than to be working at its most
you consume. While there are efficient.”
additional factors involved, such
as controlling insulin and
other hormones, when
there is an overconsumption
of calories they will be stored
and you will gain weight, most
of which will be in the form of
stored body fat.
However, Sarah Hall, a
biokineticist and online coach at
Sheriff Training Systems, advises
that athletes plan their calorie
deficits. “You can’t suddenly

HIGH GI
LOW GI

“WITH A CAREFULLY CALCULATED MACRONUTRIENT

INTAKE YOU CAN TRANSITION THE GLYCAEMIC LOAD
OF THE FOODS YOU’RE EATING, SHIFTING YOUR
INTAKE FROM HIGHER GI TO LOWER GI CARBS.”

3. MAP OUT YOUR MACROS

A s mentioned in point two, there are
additional factors to calorie deficits that
influence your ability to drop body fat in the
lead up to a show. One important factor is
your macronutrient ratios. Hall, who is also a
competitive Bikini athlete, recommends that
you give special attention to your diet from a
meal plan perspective.
“With a carefully calculated macronutrient
intake you can transition the glycaemic load
of the foods you’re eating, shifting your
intake from higher GI to lower GI carbs such
as white rice and potatoes, to butternut
and sweet potato. Together with this you
slowly reduce the fat content of the protein
in your diet by replacing fattier cuts of meat
with options such as extra-lean beef mince,
skinless chicken, hake and egg whites,”
she explains.
Bernadine Schwartz, founder of
BikiniBoots, a full service training and advice
consultancy for competitive athletes, and
anyone else who wants to change their
life and body, adds that determining your
efficiency as a fat or carb metaboliser will
help to inform your pre-contest dietary
approach. “Once your coach has established
if your body responds better to good carbs
or good fats, athletes can adjust their meal
plan according to their training schedule.”
M.E FEAT RE

6. BOOST THE
You actually burn more
calories when eating
BURN WITH
protein than other foods.
SUPPLEMENTS
T he use of thermogenic fat burners and
body toners will help to boost your
metabolism and tap into fat stores while
you train. In terms of promoting sustained
4. BOOST fat loss, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has
YOUR been clinically proven to reduce total body
fat and increase lean body mass. As it is not
PROTEIN a thermogenic fat burner it is also an ideal
INTAKE supplement for sustained, long-term use.
However, thermogenic fat burners
N
ot only will additional
protein help to spare
muscle tissue during calorie
remain the most effective products for fat
loss. By increasing body temperature, and
subsequently your metabolic rate, they are
restricted diets and training,
able to burn more calories throughout the
but it also increases the
day, most of which comes from fat stores.
thermic effect of food.
However, prolonged use is ill-advised due
The higher the protein
to the effect that the stimulants in many of
content of your food, the
these products have on your nervous and
more work your digestive
endocrine systems.
system needs to do to
A number of coaches also advise that
digest and process it. This
athletes “save” thermogenic fat burners for
means you actually burn
the final weeks of pre-contest prep. This
more calories (albeit minimal
ensures that they have one last tool to give
amounts) when eating protein
their metabolism a boost if all other avenues
than other foods. When combined
have been exhausted. Those who use
with fibrous fruits and vegetables you can
thermogenic fat burners all the time blunt
boost this thermic effect even further.
their sensitivity to these highly effective
compounds, another reason why cycled use
is highly advised.
5. PER
RFORM For these reasons Schwartz also advises
FASTED STATE her athletes to stop all forms of caffeine and
other stimulants three to four months before
CARDIO starting their contest prep. “By doing so we’ll
get more of a benefit from these powerful
W hile faasted state cardio is a double-
edged d sword – it has the power
to burn fat and destroy muscle – when
aids when we reintroduce them at about 12
weeks out to kick that fat loss up a gear.”
used correcctly there are few things as
efective at tapping into fat stores.
When we’’re in a glycogen depleted
state and req quire energy we force our
bodies to get it from other sources. Fat
is the most energy-dense and, in general,
most abundant fform of energy in our
body. It is also more eiciently metabolised
than muscle tissu ue, so it will become the
preferential form m of energy used during
fasted state cardio, when the correct
intensities are used.
To get this baalance right Hall
recommends th hat you slowly increase the
amount of cardio you do, depending on
your body typ pe, to further increase the
daily caloric deicit.
Schwartz, o on the other hand, uses high
intensity interrval training (HIIT) cardio
with her clients. “We start with fasted- 7. PRIME YOUR
state HIIT card dio 12 to 16 weeks before
a contest, and increase the duration
BODY FOR
2014 IFBB according to the conditioning of athletes FAT LOSS
AMATEUR
OLYMPIA
AFRICA MEN’S
when they get closer to their competition.”
For those worried
on a branched ch
d about muscle loss, sipping
hain amino acid (BCAA)
S imilarly, it pays to improve your insulin
sensitivity before entering the pre-
contest phase, as this will make the body
OVER 100KG supplement, or h having a protein-rich meal more responsive to carb intake and carb
2ND PLACE before you train can help to limit or mitigate
VUSUMZI
manipulation techniques such as carb
NJISANE this. Again, the key here is balance; too much cycling or carb backloading. This is best
protein and you u won’t tap into fat stores as achieved by limiting carb intake for a period
eiciently as the circulating amino acids while increasing muscle mass through
will mmore likely be used as fuel. weight training.

56 Muscle Evolution
M.E FEATURE
8. TAKE YOUR TIME
A thletes often become obsessive while
dieting down for a bodybuilding show,
especially when you have to get leaner while
the clock is ticking away. This is when many
athletes go to extremes to try and achieve the
conditioning they're after.
However, crash dieting can destroy
9. AVOID THE REBOUND
F or many athletes who embark on a contest
diet, months of hard work and dedication
are often undone when their diets end. This
rebound weight gain has become synonymous
with the calorie restricted diets required to step
on stage in the best condition possible.
The problem with this is that most people
tend to regain more weight than they lost,
during these rebounds, as the body tries to
prepare from subsequent periods of calorie
restriction. It's a survival mechanism ingrained
in our physiology. At its most basic biological
level, your brain interprets the dieting process
as a form of starvation. It will therefore initiate
processes that place your body in 'survival
mode'. Subsequently your metabolism slows
and you experience more food cravings.
“The truth is that many athletes invest a lot
of time and money in meticulously planning
their approach in the lead up to a big contest,
but very few have a plan for what they should
do afterwards. This inevitably leads to crash
weight gain and a rapid loss of conditioning in
the days that follow a show,” continues Hall.
A landmark 2001 study highlighted many
of the compensatory mechanisms that lead to
rebound weight gain, including involuntary
responses to hunger that lower metabolism,
reduce thyroid hormones, and produce fat cells.
This makes it harder to regain the same
level of conditioning during subsequent pre-
contest diets.
According to Hall, when athletes diet down
for contests, following the accepted healthy
guidelines, their body adapts to sustaining
“THE
ULTIMATE
GOAL OF
REVERSE
DIETING IS
TO INCREASE
CALORIE
INTAKE AS
HIGH AS
POSSIBLE
WHILE
LIMITING
WEIGHT GAIN,
PARTICULARLY
BODY FAT
ACCUMULA-
TION.”
58 Muscle Evolution
muscle and wreck your metabolism. It is
better to diet over a longer period before a
show, which requires patience. Think of pre-
contest fat loss as a marathon and not a sprint.
Winners of this marathon are the ones who
maintain their physiques and not those who
drop weight in the shortest space of time.
“MANY ATHLETES
INVEST A LOT OF
TIME AND MONEY
IN METICULOUSLY
PLANNING THEIR
APPROACH IN
THE LEAD UP TO
A BIG CONTEST,
BUT VERY
FEW HAVE
A PLAN FOR
WHAT THEY
SHOULD DO
AFTERWARDS.”
itself on a lower calorie intake.
“This is known as ‘metabolic
adaptation’ or ‘adaptive
thermogenesis’. The body initially
becomes more eicient at utilising stored
energy, the most abundant source of which is
body fat, in response to a reduction in energy
supplied from your diet. The downside to this,
however, is that you burn fewer calories overall,
which then forces you to consume fewer
and fewer calories over time to keep seeing
results. Accordingly, to prevent the negative
side efects of diet-induced weight-gain, a
natural compensatory response to periods
of restricted calorie intake, a structured
programme of reverse dieting should be
implemented.”
Hall explains that the ultimate goal of
reverse dieting is to increase calorie intake
as hhigh as possible while limiting weight
gain, particularly body fat accumulation.
“In doing so you maximise your metabolic
cappacity (the mitochondria's capacity 2014 IFBB
for substrate utilisation and maximum AMATEUR
OLYMPIA
oxyygen uptake, or the body’s ability to AFRICA MEN’S
me eet its energy requirements without OVER 100KG
expperiencing fatigue), and make subsequent 3RD PLACE
fat loss eforts easier.” SHANTI
MITCHELL
important
Another impor
A nt tool in this regard is your
tan
training intensity. Re eseearchers have found
thaat the drop in physiccal exercise that occurs
auttomatically during g ccalorie restriction is one
of the main reaso onss foor a rebound. When you
cut back on your fo ood intake while you diet
you become ggish and you eventually
e slug
move yourr bod dy less with less energy.
An ab bsoluute must to keep the
fat of is too continue to up your
intensityy levels during workouts
by all mmeans necessary despite
your lower calorie intake. In this
way you can keep the fat of for
the lonng haul and it will become
easier w when competing in your
next show. M.E
 By Joe Pietaro
M.E INTERNATIONAL SCENE Photography by Slade – Pure Studio

PYRAMID
SETS
T his can be used for any body part,
but certain exercises are a better fit
than others. Try it with a movement such
STANDING
BARBELL as standing barbell curls for biceps, as
CURLS opposed to alternating dumbbells due to
the time that the entire progression will
take. You should perform this either at the
beginning or end of your routine for that
particular body part.

Here is an example of a full pyramid,

going up in weight and down in reps,
and then the reverse:
• Set 1 – 15kg, 15 reps
• Set 2 – 20kg, 12 reps
• Set 3 – 25kg, 10 reps
• Set 4 – 20kg, 10-12 reps
• Set 5 – 15kg, 12-15 reps
VUSI NJISANE

HOW
TO BUST
THROUGH
TRAINING
PLATEAUS
AND GET

SHOCK
BACK TO
MAKING
GAINS

TRAINING
I
F YOU’VE REACHED A POINT IN YOUR TRAINING
WHERE GAINS IN STRENGTH AND SIZE ARE NON-
EXISTENT THEN YOU’VE GOT A PROBLEM, BUT
DON’T FRET, YOU’RE FAR FROM ALONE. IF YOU
get your ass moving, and your mind thinking; you’ll need both to
work your way through this.
Since these plateaus are all part and parcel of bodybuilding
there are various strategies for getting around them, or better
yet, breaking through them. However, as all the elements that
HAVE BEEN WORKING OUT FOR A CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNT OF TIME THEN YOU ARE BOUND TO HIT A contribute to this stagnation are so varied the same solution will
WALL AT SOME STAGE IN YOUR TRAINING. not always work each time. What you did last time around may
No one is exempt from it, not even the greats such as Arnold not do the trick now, so this strategy needs to have more than
Schwarzenegger. So stop wallowing in nonsensical despair and one back-up plan.

60 Muscle Evolution
SHOCK YOUR 100-REP SET
MUSCLES, AND MIND T his is a great finisher as it’s basically impossible to do anywhere else in your
workout. It can be used for any body part, but pick and choose your battle
T he first part of that saying goes as far back as
the terms supersets and forced reps, and it’s one
that you’ve more than likely said or heard countless
wisely with the movement. You are probably better off sticking to an isolation
exercise as opposed to one of the compound moves.
You’ll want to use a weight that is much lighter than what you’d use for your
times before. But what does it really mean? standard set, and it should enable you to limit rest periods to three or four short
Regardless of what and how you’re doing it, training breaks before reaching your goal. Your form may suffer as you reach the century
with weights will result in muscle gains. It is always mark, but the most important aspect of this is to complete the entire set, be it
recommended that you switch things up though, for with forced or partial reps. Just make sure that you can handle it on your own,
many different reasons, even if it’s merely to avoid the otherwise have someone spot you for those last few vital repetitions.
boredom that comes with doing the same exercises,
in the same order, over and over again. You also don’t
want your muscles to become accustomed to the same “You are probably better off sticking
exercises done in the same order.
So, in a way, by making these changes regularly
to an isolation exercise as opposed to
you’re kind of shocking your mind and muscles
simultaneously.
one of the compound moves.”
In terms of managing the physiological aspect
of this phenomenon, if you’ve been training long
enough, without sufficient variety that you hit a
physical plateau, then it’s likely that you’ve reached a
mental one as well. Working out can get monotonous,
which is when people begin to find excuses to either
cut the sessions short or blow off entire days at the
gym. That needs to be addressed and corrected as a
matter of urgency.
Experimenting with different exercise combinations SEATED
and set and rep structures can help rejuvenate a SIDE
stagnant training programme, but that’s merely the tip LATERAL
JOE MANJOO

of the iceberg. There are now a litany of shock training RAISES

techniques designed precisely for the purpose of
reigniting your gains,
gains and bringing back some of the
motivation and drive you felt when you first began
weight training.

DROP SETS
Dumbbell exercises work best for drop
sets as you can go up and down the rack
without having to take plates on and off a
bar. These differ from pyramid sets as you’ll
start with a heavier weight and move down
with each subsequent set. As far as weight
goes, you should work with something that
you can handle for 10 strict reps. Again,
aim to use this technique at the start or
finish of your session.

With that in mind, let’s look at

implementing drop sets with seated
side lateral raises for shoulders.
• Set 1 – 18kg, 10 reps
• Set 2 – 15kg, 12 reps
• Set 3 – 12kg, 15 reps
• Set 4 – 10kg, 15-20 reps

www.muscleevolution.co.za 61
M.E INTERNATIONAL SCE
ENE

PARTIAL
TRICEP
PUSHDOWNS
REPS

JARED REED
T hese will really push your limits and
should be done after a standard set.
For example, perform 12 reps on a Scott
bench with an E-Z curl bar for biceps, but
before racking the weight, do 10 additional
half reps. Depending on the body part,
that may mean half way up from the
bottom position or the top. But if you’re
performing triceps pushdowns, for
instance, then the half reps are
better served from the mid-way
point to lockout, so the triceps
muscles are fully engaged.
You will know which is best
for the exercise and/or body
part with a little trial and
error if you’re not sure

“Experi- which one will work

better. Either way, those
menting with additional 10 reps will
bring a lot to the
different table in terms of

exercise growth.
th

combinations
and set and
rep structures
can help
rejuvenate
a stagnant
training
programme.”

REST-PAUSE
SETS
H ere is where you can implement compound
movements, with the various Ham
c
mmer Strength
machines that the majority of gyms now have a great
option as they make it easier to ‘rack’ and ‘unrack’ the
weight. You want to save all of your energy for the
sets and, when done correctly, you will no doubt
need every ounce of it.

Use a weight that you can handle for 12 solid reps

according to the sample structure:
• Set 1 – 12 reps
• Set 2 – (following a 10-15 second rest period)
same weight to failure
• Set 3 – (following a 10-15 second rest period)
same weight to failure

You may only be able to manage a few reps during

that last set, which is fine. It is not the most important
aspect, and just blowing out a few will help you grow
once pre-exhaustion sets in.

62 Muscle Evolution
M.E INTERNATIONAL SCENE

UNILATERAL EXERCISES
P erhaps the most esoteric of all shock techniques is doing a movement
unilaterally, or single limb style. For some body parts such as biceps,
triceps and forearms, using one arm at a time is merely part of your usual
routine. But when it comes to chest or legs, it’s a totally different story. This
is something that you should use sparingly and no more than one exercise at
the end of a body part.
It is also effective when you are markedly stronger on one side and don’t
work the weaker side hard enough. When using a barbell you’ll tend to
favour your stronger side and overcompensate with it to complete the lift.
A unilateral exercise will eliminate that and force you to push the weight
without any assistance.
INCLINE BARBELL
BENCH PRESS

“Use a
moderate
weight as the
GERMISHUIZEN

purpose of this
WARREN

is to get the
EORRGÁRZLQJ
EDFNLQWKH
same muscles
as the prior
day.”

REPEAT MUSCLE GROUP ON

CONSECUTIVE DAYS
T his one goes against everything that you've
been doing since day one in the gym, but
it may be used as a last resort when nothing else
will do the trick. We’re not trying to tell you to do
two complete workouts for the same body part on
consecutive days, rather hit it as usual and then do a
short follow-up session 24 hours later.
The following day, at the end of your usual workout,
throw in a little more chest, but not to the point where
you feel you may be overtraining. The difference is
that you should use a moderate weight as the purpose
of this is to get the blood flowing back in the same
muscles as the prior day, while also tearing down the
muscle fibres a little more once they begin recovering.

Let’s say that you’re doing chest on the first day. Do Suitable exercises to achieve this include:
whatever weight, sets and reps you're capable of • Cable crossovers – 4 sets (15, 15, 12, 12 reps)
doing. Here’s an example of how it may look: • Flat bench Hammer Strength machine – 4 sets
• Incline barbell bench press – 4 sets (12, 12, 10, 8 reps) (12, 12, 12, 10 reps) M.E
• Flat barbell bench press – 4 sets (12, 12, 10, 8 reps)
• Decline dumbbell press – 4 sets (12, 12, 10, 8 reps)
• Flat bench flyes – 4 sets (12, 12, 12, 10 reps)

Joe Pietaro is the Founding Editor of MuscleSport Magazine, a five-tiered media outlet covering bodybuilding, sports and fitness. (www.musclesportmag.com)

64 Muscle Evolution
 By Andrew Hudson,
M.E NUTRITION online coach a

THE
PHASES OF
BODY-
BUILDING
DIETS
D
ESPITE POPULAR BELIEF ABOUT HOW
DIFFICULT IT IS TO EAT FOR SIZE AND
CONDITIONING MY AIM WITH THIS
FEATURE IS TO MAKE NUTRITION MORE
EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE FOR GYM-
GOERS AND ATHLETES TO FOLLOW.
YOU DON’T NEED A DEGREE TO WORK OUT WHAT THE ‘PERFECT’ DIET
IS. I ACTUALLY DON’T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING AS THE
PERFECT DIET. WHAT MAKES ANY DIETARY APPROACH ‘PERFECT’ FOR YOU
ARE THE INDIVIDUALISED CHANGES YOU MAKE TO IT BASED ON WHAT IS
HAPPENING TO YOUR BODY AS YOU PROGRESS.
Many people spend want to gain too much fat. healthy fat from your diet
too much time trying to Similarly, when you’re in the to support joint health.
determine the perfect pre-contest phase and your Look at these factors before
macronutrient intake, weight drops by 3kg in a you micromanage all the
calculate the perfect ratios, week you should probably minor details.
or work out their exact daily have a higher carb day, a Having said that, I feel
calorie requirements. They cheat meal or a re-feed to that there is one ‘small’
get so caught up in the stop you from losing muscle. element you need to take
details that they often don’t The crux of any successful into consideration and that is
take the plunge and just bodybuilding diet is to find weighing or measuring your
get started. the balance between fine food. Some might think this
My ideal approach is to tuning the minor details, is insignificant but knowing
work out a very basic plan without losing focus on the how much food you are
and follow that every day for larger, often more important eating can allow you to make
a week to see what happens. ones. Make sure that you important adjustments in
You can then start to follow your plan but also your diet.
change it according to your pay close attention to how it If you’re not doing that
goals. For instance, if it’s makes you feel. then you don’t know how
the off-season and your You should have a good much to increase or decrease
weight jumped up 4kg in a pump when you train, but your intake by. It doesn’t take
week, you definitely should you shouldn’t feel bloated that much effort to weigh
reduce your food intake all the time, and consider your food, so make sure
a little because you don’t factors like getting sufficient you do it!

66 Muscle Evolution
 "Calorie
intake should
be higher,
and because
of this you
won't need as
much protein
as you would
think. Just
make sure
you include
protein at

THE
every meal."
OFF-SEASON
TRAINING

OFF- In general, people will focus

on lifting more weight during
the off-season, with lower reps
and less volume to allow for

SEASON maximum growth and progress,

particularly when you do ramp
those variables back up in the
pre-season.

DIET
F OR A SERIOUS TRAINER THIS IS WHERE THE REAL
GAINS ARE MADE. THE GOAL IS TO GAIN AS MUCH
to your carb intake, and as
you increase them over the
If you’re more of a novice then
the more traditional approach will
probably be better suited for you.
If you are more advanced (like
most of my clients) then I believe
that weight is only one factor that
MUSCLE AS POSSIBLE, WHILE MINIMISING FAT GAIN. weeks take note of what can be manipulated during this
EVERYTHING YOU DO DURING THIS PHASE NEEDS is happening with the fat time, so I generally get them to do
TO BE AIMED AT SETTING YOU UP FOR THE CONTEST percentage in your body. a bit of higher volume, pump-type
PREP PHASE. TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, IF YOU NEED If you are gaining too much workouts, as well as the hard,
TO DO A TON OF CARDIO JUST TO STAY LEAN IN THE heavy variety. IF YOU’RE ALWAYS
then back off, but if you’re
OFF-SEASON, THEN WHAT DO YOU HAVE LEFT IN YOUR PUSHING FOR MORE WEIGHT THEN
gaining around half a kilo a
ARSENAL WHEN IT COMES TIME TO PREP FOR A SHOW IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE
week then stay the course. If
AND GET LEANER? JOINTS AND TENDONS START TO
you aren’t gaining weight at
Your off-season eating an anabolic state, while also all then you need to bump TAKE STRAIN, SO AS ALWAYS THINK
plan is essentially a contest fuelling those hard, heavy your intake up a little. Just LONG TERM BY TRAINING SMART.
prep-type diet with some workouts. If you start to lose do it incrementally, and
more calories to assist with the pump before the end allow enough time for the
recovery and growth. The of the workout then most increase to take effect
serious competitors know this of the time it’s because you before adding more.
and treat it with the diligence aren’t eating sufficient carbs. Fat intake during the of-
it deserves. People who aren’t One way to make absolutely season should be higher, both
so serious may take this time certain that you’re hitting for the calories they provide OFF-SEASON
to let go completely, eating
whatever they like, when they
the right macro intake is to
include an intra-workout
and for the numerous other
functions they perform in SUPPLEMENT
like, while also training less. drink that contains amino
acids and either vitargo
the body. They range from ESSENTIALS
This ultimately leads to a lot hormone production and * Conjugated linoleic
of body fat. Very few people or highly branched cyclic controlling inlammation, to acid (CLA)
can get away with this off- dextrins. I STRONGLY being a structural component * Essential fatty
season approach, and seldom RECOMMEND THAT YOU STICK of new tissue. An essential acids (EFAs)
have I seen the people who TO FORMULATIONS THAT fat is a type of fat that the
* Multivitamin
are extremely out of shape CONTAIN ONLY THESE CARB body has to get from external
* Creatine
in the off-season manage to SOURCES; STAY AWAY FROM sources as it cannot make it
* Vitamin D3
regain conditioning without BLENDS. TO GET THE MOST on its own. So make sure you
get enough of these fats in * Intra-workout - Vitargo,
sacrificing muscle. FROM THESE SUPPLEMENTS
Calorie intake should be YOU NEED THEM IN THEIR your diet. On a side note, you’ll highly branched cyclic
higher, and because of this SIMPLEST FORM AND NOT notice there are essential fats dextrins (HBCD)
you won’t need as much COMBINED WITH OTHERS. and essential amino acids, but * Branched chain
protein as you would think. In general I suggest that there are no essential carbs. amino acids
Just make sure you include you time your carb intake That should indicate that
protein at every meal. Carbs around your workout, with protein and fat are important
and the resultant insulin higher carb meals consumed constituents of your diet,
release have a protein sparing after training rather than and that carbs are the major
effect and therefore do a before. Start on the lower variable that can be adjusted
good job of keeping you in side of the scale with regard based on your needs.

www.muscleevolution.co.za 67
M.E NUTRITION
"The biggest
mistake I see many
people make is
cutting calories
too soon."
"I advise many of my clients to have
high-carb meals before bed because
this helps with sleep. Often, people who
cannot sleep are the ones who aren’t
eating carbs at night."
CONTEST
PREP
PHASE
T HE MAIN AIM DURING THIS PHASE IS TO SHED
BODY FAT WHILE KEEPING ALL THE MUSCLE YOU'VE
GAINED DURING THE OFF-SEASON. THIS ISN'T REALLY
ROCKET SCIENCE, SO WHY THEN DO SO MANY PEOPLE
GET IT WRONG?
The biggest mistake I see
many people make is cutting
calories too soon. They
go from off-season eating
straight into a restrictive
diet of fish and broccoli,
which means calorie intake
drops too low, too quickly. If
you don’t lose muscle from
this – and most people will
– then you will eventually
start to suffer due to a lack of
adequate recovery between
workouts. As a result your
strength will start to decrease
over time, and then you'll
start to lose serious muscle.
Some people also tend
to 'flatten out' too much
from doing too much cardio,
especially in the legs. You
either need more time to
prepare for the show or you
should reduce calories and
not put your nervous system
under too much strain to
stop your legs from going
too flat. Too much cardio will
also burn muscle tissue. Look
at long distance runners, do
they have much muscle?
In addition, insufficient
sleep is also detrimental.
This is normal in the last few
weeks before a show, which
is when I like to bump up my
ZMA dosage, or even add
a natural sleep aid to my
supplement plan. However,
I am cautious that I don't do
68 Muscle Evolution
this for too long as I don’t
want to become dependent
on them to ensure a solid
night's sleep. I also advise
many of my clients to have
high-carb meals before bed
because this helps with sleep.
Often, people who cannot
sleep are the ones who aren't
eating carbs at night.
In terms of the intricacies
for pre-contest prep,
determining the right
approach for you requires
a process of elimination. To
continue to lose body fat you
need to be in a calorie deficit.
This can be achieved by
doing more training (either
cardio or weights), or cutting
calories. Some people do
better on fewer calories and
more weight training, with no
cardio, while others do better
on more calories with more
cardio, in addition to their
weight training. FINDING THE
RIGHT BALANCE FOR YOUR
IDEAL MIX TAKES A BIT OF
WORK BUT, IN GENERAL, YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE
IT OUT BASED ON HOW YOU
LOOK AND FEEL.
You should also be able
to maintain most of your
off-season strength as
you go into the show. If
your strength levels have
dropped significantly you
have definitely lost some
muscle. In order to avoid this
you need to slowly reduce
calories as you approach the
show. If you're losing half a
kilo or so per week you're
on the right track and don’t
need to create a greater
deficit. If you aren’t losing
any weight then you need to
create a bigger deficit, either
with more training or less
food. Don’t be too aggressive
though as, very often, just
dropping 100-150 calories
(or burning off the same) is
enough to tip the scale in the
right direction.
The longer I do this
the more I start to favour
an approach with less
cardio, choosing to rather
manipulate things such as
my diet and weight training.
However, I don’t ever like to
think in absolutes because
what works for one person
doesn’t always work for
another. Moreover, what may
have worked last year may
not work this year. Always try
to remain open minded and
make the smartest decisions
based on where you're at
and what is happening
to your body.
CONTEST
PREP
TRAINING
You may have heard that doing
lighter weights for more reps is
the best approach to ‘cutting’.
This couldn’t be further from the
truth. I used to work at a gym
where a trainer made his clients
do lighter weights with lots of
reps. His clients almost always got
fatter and smaller - both male and
female, young and old. I knew why
this was happening, but found it
fascinating to watch.
This happens because you
have to give your body a reason
(a stimulus) to hold on to muscle.
If you don’t, then your body will
just burn it off for energy. The
training you did in the off-season
will be enough to retain the
muscle you built while in a calorie
deficit, provided you still train
with sufficient intensity. I may
therefore get my clients to either
increase or decrease their training
volume based on where they’re at
personally. As an example, IF I HAD
A GUY PREPARING FOR A CONTEST
AND HE WAS A LITTLE BEHIND
SCHEDULE, BUT RECOVERING
REALLY WELL, I WOULD PROBABLY
INCREASE THE TRAINING VOLUME
A BIT MORE TO ENSURE HE BURNT
MORE CALORIES. Another example
would be an extremely depleted
athlete who is a couple of weeks
out from competition. He is likely
dead tired, and feels like he is
getting weaker, so I would have
him back off the volume a bit to
help him recover.
PRE-CONTEST
SUPPLEMENT
ESSENTIALS
* Whey protein
* BCAAs
* Intra-workout - Vitargo,
HBCDs
* Carnitine
* ZMA
M.E NUTRITION
"If you want to bulk’
to move up a weight
division, do it with
plenty of time to spare
WITH THE
THE before the contest."
SHOPPING
DONE THEN

‘BULKING’
YOU CAN GET
DOWN TO THE
BUSINESS OF

PHASE
I T IS GENERALLY THE NOVICE OR NEWBIE WHO WANTS
TO TRY A 'BULKING' DIET. MOST OF THE TIME IT'S NOT
A GOOD IDEA AS PEOPLE ARE TOO FAT TO BEGIN WITH.
HOWEVER, I THINK THAT IN CERTAIN INSTANCES A CASE
CAN BE MADE FOR IT, BUT IT CERTAINLY AIN'T PRETTY.
When you're trying to jump
up a weight class or gain a
signiicant amount of weight
then this may be something
to consider. From my own
experience (I did this in 2011)…
I was following a diet of over
11,000 calories a day, which is
when I was nicknamed “Bulk”
by Mario Van Biljon. While I
made massive gains in muscle
and weight, I reaally struggled to
ndition needed
get into the con
to win shows. I had
h jumped up
a weight division and everyone
was talking about the added
"To bulk up
you need to
pack away
as many
calories as
humanly
possible."
size, but they soon started to
sing a diferent tune, “if only
Andrew was able to achieve
better conditioning…”
What I learnt was that if
you want to 'bulk' to move up
a weight division, do it with
plenty of time to spare before
the contest. This will give you
the opportunity to achieve
contest-winning
contest winning form come
show day!
*DISCLAIMER – I AM BY
NO MEANS ADVOCATING
THAT ANYONE ACTUALLY GO
AND DO THIS. I AM MER Y
STATING WHAT I WOULD DO,
OR MAY HAVE DONE IN THE
PAST. DO NOT TAKE THIS
SERIOUSLY AS IT IS MEANT FOR
ENTERTAINMENT RATHER THAN
SOUND NUTRITIONAL ADVICE.
So, down to the nitty gritty
of bulking diets. You need to
pack away as many calories
as humanly possible. The best
way to do this is to stick to
calorie dense foods; regular
fat mince, pasta, mass gain
shakes, lots of peanut butter,
burgers, fruit juices... the list
goes on.
BULKING:
1. Devour every meal as fast as
possible to ensure your body
doesn’t have enough time
to send signals to your brain
telling you that you’re full.
2. If you start to vomit what you
are eating, it is null and void
and needs to be consumed
again. You may need to
cancel meetings, clients or
appointments to make this
happen, but hey, you want to
be a bodybuilder.
3. You need to look at every meal
as if it were the only thing
standing between you and
your gains.
4. You’ll probably feel terrible
most of the time, but as long
as you get a sick pump at gym
it’s got to be working, right?
5. When in doubt, eat it anyway.
6. If you’re hungry, even for a
few minutes of the day, you’re
being soft-core and need to up
your calorie intake even further.
7. Peanut butter should be eaten
with every meal.
8. You should drink fruit juice
instead of water.
9. Sound proofing your bedroom
is probably a good idea if you
do not want your neighbours
to think you are sawing down
trees late at night. Snoring is
a large part of bulking, as are
upset girlfriends and wives.
10. Carry a spare set of clothing
and a towel with you wherever
you go. You’ll need them for the
amount of sweat you’ll produce.
11. Take out life insurance because
this approach is sure to shorten
your life expectancy.

IF YOU’VE MISSED THE SARCASM IN

MY BULKING TIPS, LET ME BE CLEAR;
I’M NOT REALLY AN ADVOCATE OF
THE OLD SCHOOL ‘BULKING UP’
About the author: Andrew Hudson is a certified full-time online trainer, with over DIET. HAVING TRIED IT, AND HAVING
a decade of experience working with top level competitors, athletes, and various WITNESSED OTHERS TRY AND FAIL,
stars and celebrities in the industry. Winner of the super-heavyweight division at I’M CONVINCED THAT IT’S NOT GOOD
the Arnold Amateur Ohio, he now has his IFBB Pro card, and is working towards FOR YOUR LONG-TERM HEALTH, NOR
making an impact on the pro stage. Andrew specialises in assisting bodybuilders
YOUR ULTIMATE BODYBUILDING
and his Hudson’s Angels Female competitors. Having worked with thousands of
people over the last 11 years via his online training business he has developed a SUCCESS. I THEREFORE RECOMMEND
skill for knowing what to do when things aren't going as planned. He has a passion THAT YOU LEAVE IT AND RATHER
for training, and is known for his no nonsense hardcore training programmes. He FOCUS ON GAINING LEAN
has also conducted numerous seminars on correct training and proper nutrition all MUSCLE AS PER MY OFF-SEASON
over the world. For more info, get in touch with me regarding my online coaching
RECOMMENDATIONS. M.E
programmes. Please contact me on bulkhudsoncoaching@gmail.com.

70 Muscle Evolution
 By Andrew Carruthers, Editor-In-Chief
M.E BABE Photography by Richard Cook, www.richardcook.co.za

BURN
e Meerholz
Burnedin

HAVING RECENTLY ACHIEVED ONE OF HER LIFE-LONG GOALS – BECOMING A SPONSORED

FITNESS ATHLETE FOLLOWING HER SUCCESS IN THE 2014 USN FACE OF FITNESS COVER
MODEL SEARCH – THIS BLONDE BOMBSHELL FROM JOHANNESBURG HAS HER SIGHTS
FIRMLY SET ON HER NEXT ACHIEVEMENT, A WBFF PRO CARD. DEMONSTRATING HER
VERSATILITY IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, AND THE GROWING CONFIDENCE THAT COMES
WITH SUCCESS ON THE COMPETITIVE STAGE, BURNEDINE MEERHOLZ IS THE LATEST
DESERVING LOCAL ATHLETE TO TURN IT UP A NOTCH AS A MUSCLE EVOLUTION BABE.
72 Muscle Evolution
 QUICK
STATS
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION:
Pilates instructor
HOMETOWN:
Johannesburg

Let's start at the beginning. Tell us

more about yourself and how you got
into fitness.
I am a down to earth kind of girl! I love to
have a good laugh, even if it is about the
simple things in life. I remember seeing
this stunning model on the cover of
a magazine on my way home from school
one day. I was thinking that I wanted nothing
more than to look like her! I immediately hit
the gym and tried every diet I could find.
I loved every minute of it, but as is usually
the case, life happened. I started getting
busy in my career and without seeing the
results I wanted, I became demotivated and
put my dreams of cover model success on
hold. I was then fortunate enough to find the
right group of ladies with the right mindset.
They convinced me that I could definitely
make a career out of this, and I haven't
looked back since.

How did you enjoy the photo shoot?

It was such an awesome experience –
one that I will treasure for the rest of my
life. I was obviously nervous at first (who
wouldn’t be?) but I got into the swing of
things as I became more comfortable in
front of the camera. It was also my second
time working with Andrew, and Richard the
photographer. When you work with these
seasoned professionals you’re immediately
at ease knowing that they’ll make you look
like a million bucks! My favourite part of the
shoot was feeling like a famous celebrity with
the make-up artist making sure I looked like a
superstar! The “Posing Lessons 101” that I got
from the guys was hilarious and set the right
mood for me.

“I remember seeing
this stunning model
on the cover of a
magazine on my way
home from school one
day. I was thinking that
I wanted nothing more
than to look like her!”
www.muscleevolution.co.za 73
M.E BABE

74 Muscle Evolution
Your career so far can be described as 'a
whirlwind' after you were chosen as a top
six finalist in the USN Face of fitness cover
model search competition last year. Tell us
more about that?
Yes, it has been like a whirlwind so far! I
stepped onto the stage for the first time last
year just for fun and I've been hooked ever
since. To be one of the top six in the USN Face
of fitness was like the cherry on top of a very
large and very unexpected cake. I have since
met the most amazing people in the industry.
Being a fitness competitor has been one of
the most challenging things I have ever done
but at the same time the most rewarding.
I have grown so much as a person. In this
journey I was forced to face my demons and
guess what – I have conquered them!
Please give our readers some insights into
the type of training you do.
When I train, it’s full speed ahead! I train
six times a week – weights in the morning
and some cardio every evening. Either
my husband and I will hit the track in the
evenings or I’ll do a fast-paced 45 minute
session on our treadmill while watching
Supersize vs. Superskinny – anything
for motivation.
What do you do in your spare time?
There’s not too much spare time if you’re
serious about your career but I do make time
for gardening, watching movies with some
popcorn and sleeping late.
What are your main goals in the fitness
industry and in your personal life?
My fitness goals and my personal goals are
very much the same. My main motivation is to
be the best at what I do and give everything
I've got to reach my goals. It’s hard to separate
the two as both are so intertwined with each
other. My big goal is to win my pro card at
WBFF, no matter how long it takes.
Do you have any bad habits?
I love peanut butter and carob rice cakes
way too much and force my husband to hide
them from me before every competition.
¦%HLQJ D ¯WQHVV FRPSHWLWRU
KDVEHHQRQHRIWKHPRVWFKDOOHQJLQJ
WKLQJV,KDYHHYHUGRQHEXWDW
WKHVDPHWLPHWKHPRVWUHZDUGLQJ
,KDYHJURZQVRPXFKDVDSHUVRQ
,QWKLVMRXUQH\,ZDVIRUFHGWR
IDFHP\GHPRQVDQGJXHVVZKDW¤
,KDYHFRQTXHUHGWKHP§
What kind of food do you love?
I actually love all kinds of food, but if it’s
a special evening I’ll go for some
popcorn and peanuts…I simply love
peanuts!
What do you like and what do
you hate about training?
I love training my legs – it is
absolutely worth all the pain
when you see the results
from following a proper leg
workout. I don't like training
my shoulders.
Tell us about the nutritional
principles you follow to get
in such great shape.
I believe that you cannot deny
your body the things it needs.
Even carbs serve their purpose
when introduced at the right time
of your preparation. The key is to get
to know your body and give it what
it needs, when it needs it. Everything
in balance and everything in
moderation though.
What supplements do you use?
I take USN’s CLA before all my main
meals, BCAAs during my training, and
USN Hardcore Whey first thing in the
morning and last thing at night.
Where do you draw
inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from seeing
the changes that people go through
and are brave enough to share with
the world. This is a big inspiration. By
seeing people reach their goals it also
pushes me to work harder, and I hope I
inspire someone else in the same way.
Outside of competing, dieting and
training, what do you absolutely
love doing?
I love Pilates and doing bridal make-up. I also
love taking long walks on the beach too…
you know, that kind of thing.
www.muscleevolution.co.za 75
M.E BABE

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LQWKHLQGXVWU\GRZDQW
RWKHUVWRVXFFHHGDQG
QRWWRIDLO7KHUHLV
QRWKLQJWRKDWHZKHQ
\RXDUHLQYROYHGLQDQ
LQGXVWU\OLNHWKDW§
Who looks after your prep for shows?
I just joined a new team called MadScienTists
– so I'm looking forward to seeing how
the new prep will go with them on board.
In the past Chantelle Lindique helped me
with my prep.

What do you love and hate

about the fitness industry
in SA?
I love the way big companies like
USN can make a difference in
ordinary people's lives and
motivate them to achieve
their own personal fitness
goals and also reward them
for doing so. I find that most
people in the industry do want others to
succeed and not to fail. There is nothing
to hate when you are involved in an
industry like that.

Tell us something about yourself that

absolutely no one knows.
I’m in love with 'The Never Ending Story' – I
can recite each line from this incredible movie.
I'm also an avid chess player. I can easily beat
anyone, any day, any time.

Who else would you love to see featured as

an ME babe?
Kirstin Jade Nel! That chick rocks!

Who is your favourite fitness star?

Definitely Paige Hathaway – I’m always
showing my husband photos of her!

Do you ever get harassed in the gym, either

by men or women, asking your advice?
No… I’m pretty focussed when I train. I think I
might scare people away actually.

What's the weirdest thing you've seen

in a gym?
A girl who used to train with us made
a face and threw her arms up in the
air when she was using the abductor
machine at my old gym. It was almost
as if she was physically dispelling the
pain with her arms. She had us all in
stitches.

Any famous last words?

The biggest difference between
winners and losers is that winners
do things that losers don’t
want to. M.E

76 Muscle Evolution
 By Pedro van Gaalen,
M.E TRAINING Managing Editor

According to research
published by Astrand et al.
in 1986, the normal amount
of lactic acid circulating
in the blood is about 1-2
millimoles/litre of blood.
The onset of blood lactate
accumulation (OBLA) occurs
between 2-4 millimoles/
litre of blood.

IS TRAINING FOR ‘THE BURN’

BASED ON BRO-SCIENCE
OR HARD SCIENCE? DOMS. Contrary to this popular belief, lactic
acid build-up is not responsible for the muscle
soreness felt following intense or strenuous

W
exercise. Researchers who have examined
hile we're often disparaging toward the bro-science that permeates the lactate levels immediately after exercise found
industry, there are instances when we have to acknowledge that some of these little correlation with the level of next-day
beliefs are born from hard scientiic truths. In these instances valid concepts muscle soreness experienced. Though the
have been remoulded over the years through anecdotal experience and a precise cause of DOMS is still unknown, most
misunderstanding of human biology and physiology by the gym-going masses. research points to the damage and micro-
Much like urban legends, many of which are based on half-truths that have been trauma that happens to muscle cells, and the
exaggerated and 'spiced' with inaccurate details to make them sound more grandiose, elevated release of various metabolites into
it's sometimes worth digging deeper to ind out if these old wives' tales hold some truth. the tissue surrounding the muscle cells.
In the case of lactic acid, bodybuilders have been part of a relatively small group Where the bro-science seems to be correct
of athletes who actively chose to chase 'the burn', to induce those sleeve-splitting is the idea that there are numerous benefits
pumps, in spite of the fact that conventional health and fitness wisdom held that to be gained from training at or above your
lactic acid was merely an undesirable by-product of exercise. lactate threshold (LT), or lactate inflection point
(LIP), as it is also referred to – the point during
training when the intensity of exercise leads to
the accumulation of lactate and hydrogen ions

WHAT THE BROS SAY

in the body above a certain point.
While the reasoning for this approach to
training may not have always been sound, we

A s the bro-science goes, that ‘burn’

is generally attributed to the
accumulation of lactic acid. While that is
not technically incorrect, the term lactic
acid isn’t that accurate. What actually
78 Muscle Evolution
happens is the accumulation of lactate and
hydrogen ions.
Another common misconception has
been that training at this intensity increases
the extent of next day muscle soreness, or
now know that lactic acid is not merely an
undesirable by-product of exercise. In fact, it
plays an important role in energy production
during high intensity exercise, and helps to
boost the anabolic hormonal cascade.
M.E TRAINING

THE
“LACTIC ACID PLAYS AN IMPORTANT
ROLE IN ENERGY PRODUCTION HORMONAL
DURING HIGH INTENSITY EXERCISE.” RESPONSE
H aving set the record straight on what
lactic acid is, and does, we can take a
closer look at the beneits of training for
'the burn'. The major beneit for weight lifters
and those looking to develop bigger, stronger
muscles seems to be the efect that training
at or above your LT has on the production of
the key anabolic hormones; testosterone and
human growth hormone (hGH).
A Taiwanese study published in 2001, in
the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, shows
that lactic acid increases testosterone
production through the Leydig cells in the
testes. In other experiments Taiwanese
researchers discovered that lactic acid
is active mainly in the irst phases of
testosterone biosynthesis, speciically by
increasing the production of StAR protein,
which is responsible for getting cholesterol
into cells, where it's converted into steroid
hormones like testosterone.
In another study, published in the journal
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

THE SCIENCE STUFF

in 1997, researchers looked at lactate and
the efects of exercise on testosterone
secretion, speciically “evidence for the

B asically, your LT is the point during

exercise when the intensity of your
effort forces your body to switch from
aerobic to anaerobic metabolism to
sustain that activity, and lactate plays an
important role in energy production in the
absence of oxygen.
Our aerobic energy pathway is our
dominant energy system as it has the
ability to fuel low to moderate intensity
activity, which is generally below 65% of
our maximum heart rate. This includes
most of life's basic activity. It does this
by metabolising carbohydrates and/or
fats into usable ATP at a cellular level, in
the mitochondria. This is done through
a metabolic process known as aerobic
respiration, which can only occur with
sufficient oxygen. When exercising at or
below your LT, the lactate and hydrogen
ions produced can be removed at a faster
rate than they accumulate.
However, when the metabolic demands
of the activity we're engaged in exceed the
amount of oxygen our body can supply to
working muscles, we switch to the anaerobic
active muscles. The accumulation of these
substances will eventually halt muscle
function as enzyme activity slows, as does
the breakdown of glycogen. While this point
is different for everyone based on genetics,
physiology and conditioning, the effects
are the same – the rapid onset of muscular
fatigue. This makes anaerobic energy
expenditure difficult to sustain for longer
than a few minutes.
“IT IS ESTIMATED
THAT ABOUT 50% OF
LACTATE PRODUCED
DURING INTENSE
EXERCISE IS USED
BY MUSCLES TO
involvement of a CAMP (cyclic adenosine
3':5' monophosphate)-mediated mechanism”.
Researchers examined the efects of
swimming and lactate on the release of
testosterone in male rats. They found
that plasma testosterone “increased after
swimming and lactate infusion”. This led
the team to conclude that the “increased
plasma testosterone levels in male rats
during exercise is at least partially a result
of a direct ... stimulatory efect of lactate on
the secretion of testosterone by increasing
testicular cAMP production.”
And it seems there is a similar link
between lactate and hGH production.
A 2009 study published in the British
Journal of Sports Medicine looked at the
role of lactate in the exercise-induced
human growth hormone response (EIGR)
in subjects with McArdle disease. As
patients with McArdle disease are unable
to produce lactate in response to exercise
this methodology gave researchers a unique
model to assess the role of lactate in the
EIGR. After analysing blood samples for hGH

energy pathway. That's when we start to
experience a build-up of lactate, which is
required to produce the glycogen needed
to sustain this level of intense activity in
PRODUCE GLYCOGEN. and blood lactate concentration following
relatively intense exercise, the subjects'
THE BREAKDOWN OF blood lactate levels remained at resting
GLYCOGEN PRODUCES levels as exercise intensity increased. Nine

the absence of sufficient oxygen, as well as
other metabolites. It is estimated that about
50% of the lactate produced during intense
exercise is used by muscles to produce
HYDROGEN IONS out of 11 participants failed to demonstrate
an EIGR, obtaining hGH values below the
THAT, ALONG WITH clinical definition of a response, which led
OTHER EXERCISE researchers to conclude that “lactate could

glycogen.
And it is the breakdown of this glycogen
that produces hydrogen ions that, along
with the other exercise metabolites
produced during intense activity, result
in the burning sensation often felt in
80 Muscle Evolution
METABOLITES, RESULT play a major role in the EIGR in humans”.
With this in mind, LT training, in the form of
IN THE BURNING lifting techniques that manipulate workload,
SENSATION OFTEN duration and intensity, can help to boost
FELT IN ACTIVE the anabolic hormonal cascade that delivers
increases in both size and strength. M.E
MUSCLES.”
www.muscleevolution.co.za 80
M.E NUTRITION Photography by Slade – Pure Studio

LEARN FRTOM THE THEORY

OF INDIVIDUAL

BEST, O BE DIFFERENCE
THE STATES THAT WE

THE BEST
ALL DEVELOP
DIFFERENTLY DUE
TO A COMBINATION
OF ENVIRONMENTAL
AND GENETIC
FACTORS. In the
world of bodybuilding
this means that it
is unlikely that two
ATHLETE: athletes will respond
JARED READ
SPONSORS: SUPPLEMENTS SA
to specific training
programmes or diet
plans in exactly the
JARED SAYS: same way.
“I have chosen to share the latter part of my
pre-contest diet. I like to give myself at least To better illustrate this
16 weeks to prep before my first show. I start point, and offer some
with a diet similar to the one I’ve listed, with insight into the different
the same food sources, but I include more approaches the top
carbs. As the weeks progress I decrease my athletes in the country
carb intake, and finish up the last four weeks
on the following diet:
take to their contest
diets
diets, we asked
ask ked three of
tthe best to shhare their
JARED’S EATING PLAN approaches..
• 04h30: 5g Supplements SA (SSA) Anabolic
Trigger (BCAAs with DAA, which boosts
testosterone), 5g Glutamine, 2 SSA
Methyl Cut fat burners.
• 06h00: 50g SSA Whey Isolate, 70g oats,
1000mg L-carnitine, 1000mg vitamin C,
1 SSA Supervit, 2 CLA capsules, 5g SSA
Anabolic Trigger and 5g Glutamine
“I DRINK
• 08h30: 1 can tuna, 2 rice cakes 5-6 LITRES
• 11h00: 200g hake or chicken, 140g basmati OF WATER
rice, 1 slice pineapple A DAY. YOU
• 13h30: 200g hake or chicken, 140g basmati
rice, 2 CLA capsules
CAN’T LOSE
• 16h00: 50g SSA Whey Isolate, 2 rice cakes, and FAT WHEN
2 Methyl Cut fat burners YOU’RE DE-
• 17h15: Pre-workout – 5g of SSA Anabolic HYDRATED.”
Trigger, 5g Glutamine, 1 serving SSA
Rhino caps (testosterone booster),
1 serving Hellire, 1 black cofee
• 17h30: Weight training
• 19h00: Post-workout – 50g SSA Whey Isolate,
5g SSA Anabolic Trigger, 5g Glutamine,
20g SSA Multodextrin
• 21h30: 200g hake or chicken, 100g basmati
rice, 1 cup broccoli, 1 slice pineapple,
2 CLA capsules
• Before bed: 1 serving of GABA to help me
sleep, and 1 serving SSA Rhino caps

82 Muscle Evolution
EAL PLANS
JARED’S DIETARY GUIDELINES:
• I drink 5-6 litres of water a
day. You can’t lose fat when
you’re dehydrated, and it’s less
likely that you’ll pick up an
injury when your muscles are
properly hydrated.
• I sprinkle a bit of salt on all my
food, I ind I don’t get cramps
and also the sodium keeps my
muscles a bit fuller so I can get
a pump even when I train on
low carbs.
• In terms of cheat meals, as with
everything else, it all depends
on my condition. If I’m on track
then Sunday can be a ‘cheat’
day, which is basically my high
JARED’S TRAINING APPROACH:
I change my cardio according to how I look, and the rate at which
I’m losing body fat. I have learnt that high volume, strenuous
cardio makes me smaller and flatter, not necessarily leaner. I
therefore like to keep the cardio to a minimum.
In terms of my weight training sessions, I train 6 days a week,
and rest on a Sunday. I usually train for 75 to 90 minutes. I focus
on one body part a day and I annihilate it! Once I’m warm I
start off with some heavy compound
movements, then do some machines
or isolation exercises. I usually end
off by picking two exercises and
supersetting them to failure on
each set (4 sets of 20 reps each
on average with no rest). I
keep the weight training
as intense as possible. I
find that I’m generally
out of breath at the end
of it, so it feels like a
cardio workout when
I’m done. I think this
is why I can get away
with doing less cardio in
the morning. If I feel that
I’m not on track with my
conditioning then I
may go in and do a
session of cardio
on my rest day.
carb day. I double the carbs,
add in some raisins, maybe
use a bit of sauce on my foods,
and also substitute the hake or
chicken for steak, and have a
protein bar or two. This stops
from four weeks out though.
In terms of his individual response to diet, Jared says he has
learnt that his body responds best when he includes carbs in
every meal. “After all, I’m a bodybuilder, and I’ve found that when
I cut carbs from all of the meals, or even just some of my meals, I
don’t necessarily get leaner, I just get smaller.”
In the initial phase of contest prep I get my body fat checked
every second week, using the 9 point Parello Calliper test, but
from around 6-8 weeks out I get it checked every week, so I can
make changes to my diet and cardio every week if need be.
• I’ve never really been a fan
10 TIPS I’VE
LEARNT FROM
of egg whites. I know some
people swear by them, but
MY OWN
I ind a good quality whey
supplement is a decent
EXPERIENCE:
1. GET A COACH. Wheth
er you’re
substitute, and it tastes a lot experienced or not, get
a coach. It means
better as far as I’m concerned. you have someone to ans
wer to. Athletes
like Phil and Kai have coa
ches, so why
shouldn’t you?
2. FOL LOW ON E PER SON
’S ADV ICE . Once
you’ve got your coach (ho
pefully you’ve
taken the time to find an
experienced,
reputable one), follow
their advice. Don’t
go and combine his met
hods with some
of your own, or the info som
e gym rat told
you. This is a recipe for
disaster.
3. BEL IEV E IN YOU RSE
LF. This isn’t just a
physical sport, it’s also
a mental one. When
you are dieting on low
carbs your mind can
star t playing tricks on you
, just trust the
process and believe in
yourself.
4. USE FAT BUR NER S WIS ELY. I like
fat burners from around to use
6-8 weeks out. The
diet and training is eno
ugh to get me lean,
which means I can use
the fat burners as a
weapon in the final pre
p phase.
5. PRACTI CE YOU R POS
ING . The difference
bet ween good posing and
bad posing can
be the difference bet wee
n first and fourth
place in a tight line up.
6. GET LEA N EAR LY. Be
lean eno ugh one
week before the show.
Don’t think that
dropping water will mak
e you look leaner,
because it won’t. The fina
l week should be
spent fine tuning, but if
you’re carr ying too
much fat one week out
there is not much
you can do.
7. DO N’T DO ANY THI NG
DRA STI C IN THE
FIN AL WE EK. Stick with
what you know.
If you carb up, don’t use
carbs that you
haven’t used in your diet
. Tak ing a gamble
for a 5% imp rovement could throw
you out
and make you look 50% wor
se. It’s just not
wor th it.
8. SUP PLE MEN T WIT H
AM INO ACI DS.
Bracket your cardio and
weight training
with BCAAs and glutami
ne. I find this an
essential step in mainta
ining the muscle
I’ve built in the off-season
.
9. CHO OSE QUA LIT Y. Wh
en selecting a
whey protein for contest
prep it is vital
that you choose a good
quality brand.
Everything you put into
your mouth has an
effect, which is amplifie
d during this period.
10. TAN UP PRO PER LY.
When the time
comes to finally step on
stage you want to
display all your hard wor
k to the best of
your ability. Many athlete
s mess this up,
including experienced
ones, with poor tan
application.
www.muscleevolution.co.za 83
M.E NUTRITION

“OATS AND WHEY IS JOE'S

ATHLETE: A PERFECT MEAL TO DIETARY
PROVIDE FUEL FOR GUIDELINES:
JOE MANJOO
COACH: IFBB PRO ANDREW HUDSON
MUSCLE BUILDING.” • Focus on peri-workout nutrition.
Before training you want to prime
SPONSORS: SSN the muscle for growth and provide
enough fuel to power the intense
JOE SAYS: workouts that deliver a muscle
“I’ve had the privilege of being building stimulus. A perfect meal to
coached by IFBB pro Andrew Hudson achieve this is oats and whey.
and have benefitted greattly from his • During training SSN Cytoguard is
vast knowledge and the ex xperience the perfect BCAA formulation as
he has gained from workin ng with it has been designed to enhance
the best coaches in the wo orld. If protein synthesis.
bu
udget to
it is within your budget o hire a • SPN Aftershock replenishes
p muscle
profe essional coach
h do not hesitate. It glycogen and also provides easily
is mo oney well spen
nt, and you
y simply digestible, fast acting whey
cann ot put a price on prog gress. My isolate and hydrolysate
pre-ccontest diet haas been designed to refuel depleted
by An ndrew Hudson n, which h I follow muscles for
for most
m of my pre
ep. It is constantly optimum
twea ked dependin ng on my y condition recovery.
and performance
p in the gyy ”
ym.

JO E'S EATING LA
• Meaal 1: 3 organic free rang
ge eggs, half tbsp virgin
coconut oil, 1 cup of spinach and/or mixed
veg, 100g cooked weight extra lean mince and
1 SSN multivitamin pack.
• Meaal 2: 60g SSN whey and 100g oats
• Meaal 3: 180g cooked lean protein, 1 cup green veg
• Meaal 4: 180g cooked lean protein, 1 cup green veg
• Meaal 5: Pre-workout – 50g SSN Isopro, half a cup dry oats
• Intra-workout: 1½ scoops SSN Cytoguard and 1 scoop
SPN Aftershock
• Meaal 6: Post-workout – 180g cooked lean protein,
1 cup rice, 1 SSN Multivitamin pack
• Meaal 7: 2 scoops SSN Casein

E’S TRA
JOE A INING APP
PROACH:
My trraining partne e r, Chris thee biceps hard at the top of
‘Quad dzilla’ Fitzpatrick, is an eacc h rep. Try it for a few weeks
expe rt at leg training, which and d you’ll be surprised a t how
is fairly obvious lo o oking at his effe ective something as simple as
world d class wheelss. I’ve made thiss can be. Most peop ple don’t
huge improvements in my legs just gett a peak contraction on their
from changing the way I squat. I movements, which really sets
used to almost drop p all the way to thee m back.
the b ottom and the en power the To improve backk thickness
weigh ht up, much likk e most st people
p and d detail you sim mply
do. However, Chris taught me how can
ca n not forego ch h in ups.
to ab sorb the weigh ht on the way Most people ple ge
get stuck at
down n and then squeeze the quads a ce ertain rep range and d
to bri ng the weightt up. I had to don n’t work too get past that
drop a lot of weight off the bar and plateau. To b reak new ground
work on a Smith maachine to get the it iss key to slowly add weight
move ement right, bu ut my legs have ove er time e, even if you only
respoonded amazing g ly since then. com m plete a few reps. Try and
In tterms of bicep training, I feel gett stroo nger each week, and
the b read and butte e r exercise to in t he f inal set use your body
targe t these muscle es is the standing weigh ht. You will notice a huge
barbeell curl. If I could go back in imp p rovement in your form,
time and tell myself one thing about rannge and ability to hold peak
bicepp training it wo ould be to reduce coo ntraction.
the wweight in favou u r of
ng in a full arc,
curlin
throuugh a full range e
of mootion, and
tensinng

84 Muscle Evolution
M.E NUTRITION

ATHLETE:
JUAN BOTHMA
COACH: IFBB PRO MARIUS DOHNE - BTD “ALL MEALS
AMIX, ALZU
SPONSORS: MUSCLE DYNAMIX A EGGS, VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS
EGGS ARE EATEN
JUAN SAYS: TWO HOURS
“I start my competition prep diet about 12 w weeks ou u t from a show. During this time
APART.”
I keep my carb and fat intake high h because e I te
ten
end to c ut very quickly, and so far out
from a show I need to try stay as full as possiblle. I willl stick
i k to this initial diet until
I’m six weeks out from my show. I then switch my m diett to the one listed below.
With this diet I will start reducing my fats to spee ed up my metabolic rate,
but I still keep my carb intake hig h due to the factt thatt I start training
twice a day, and incorporate cardiio and volume setts in my
training programme.”

JUAN'S EATING PLAN:

(FROM 12 WEEKS OUT)
• Meal 1: (1 hour before gym) 50g oats and
1 tbsp macadamia nut butter
• Pre workout – Muscle Dynamix
Explode, glutamine, BCAAs, Muscle
Dynamix NOX3000 and leucine
• Intra workout – Muscle Dynamix Intra
6 Aminos and +/- 1.2l water
• Post workout – 45g Muscle Dynamix
whey isolate, glutamine, BCAAs, leucine
• Meal 2: 2 cups egg whites, 1 yolk, 100g oats,
HMB, omegas, vitamin C, 1 digestive
enzyme, 1 Probilora
• Meal 3: 200g salmon, 350g sweet potato ,
1 omega-3 cap
• Meal 4: 200g lean beef or game meat, 350g
basmati, 1 omega-3 cap
• Meal 5: 200g chicken, 350g sweet potato,
1 omega-3 cap, HMB serving
• Meal 6: 200g salmon, 350g basmati rice,
1 omega-3 cap
• Meal 7: 300g lean beef or game with green
veggies, HMB serving
• Before bed: Tbsp of almond butter or
macadamia nut butter
(FROM SIX WEEKS OUT)
JUAN'S
DIETARY
GUIDELINES:
• All meals are eaten two
hours apart.
• I will have a digestive enzyme
with every meal.
• I take vitamin C three
times a day.
• I don’t eat any conventional
'cheat meals' 10 weeks out
from a show. When I do I
eat something that still
holds value.
• I don’t use any sauces.
• I only drink mineral water.
• No sugar free soft drinks.
• I don't eat any sweets
or pastries.
• I don't drink any
alcohol.

IMAGE BY: SOULBY JACKSON

• Meal 1: 2 rice cakes eaten 40 min before training.
• Pre workout – Muscle Dynamix
Explode, glutamine, BCAAs, Muscle
Dynamix NOX3000 and leucine
• Intra workout – Muscle Dynamix Intra
6 Aminos and +/- 1.2l water
• Post workout – 45g Muscle Dynamix
whey isolate, glutamine, BCAAs, leucine
• Meal 2: 2 cups egg whites, 100g oats (in the last 3
weeks before a comp I will swop the oats
for 300g of basmati rice), HMB, omegas,
vitamin C, 1 digestive enzyme and
JUAN’S TRAINING TIPS:
• In terms of cardio, I walk on the treadmill at medium pace with
1 Probilora a high incline for 20 minutes, four days a week. I find the stepper
• Meal 3: 200g egg whites, 300g sweet potato, works the best though as I burn fat and target my glutes at the
1 omega-3 cap same time.
• Meal 4: 200g chicken, 300g basmati rice, • During weight training sessions I limit rest periods between sets to a
1 omega-3 cap maximum of 30 seconds. If I can’t finish my targeted reps I do a penalty set
• Meal 5: 200g chicken, 300g brown rice, HMB, where I make sure I finish all the reps I missed in my previous sets.
1 omega-3 cap • I focus on going as heavy as possible but still keeping 100% form.
• Meal 6: 200g egg whites, 300g brown rice, • I do a lot of posing before comps to help condition my body and develop
1 omega-3 cap that mind-muscle connection by contracting the whole body while in a
• Meal 7: 350g ostrich with green veggies, HMB specific pose.
• Meal 8: I will wake up at 02h00 and have • I regularly incorporate supersets, giant sets and pump sets into my
another four egg whites, then go back training programme. M.E
to sleep again
86 Muscle Evolution
M.E DRUGS By Anthony Roberts

A CLOSER L
OOK AT
CLENBUTE
AS A FAT-LO ROL
SS AID

DRUG FILES:
CHEMICALLY-ENHANCED

FAT LOSS directly stimulate fat cells and increase fat

loss. This all makes clen a highly effective
artitioning agent, and, even when used

A
mong the numerous thermogenic
compounds that stimulate the alone, it can positively alter your fat-free
adrenergic system (the release of mass (FFM) to t fat mass (FM) ratio.
Clenbuterol also has the widely disputed
adrenalin and noradrenalin), one of the
ability (or dooes it?) to aid in muscle gain and
weirdest drugs in this category, for me prevent musscle loss, through beta-2 receptor
personally, is clenbuterol. I’m quite familiar stimulation. Although this has been widely
with this drug in a very real sense having proven in multiple animal studies, studies
used it, and having discussed it with in humans have been inconsistent at best,
hundreds of athletes. haven’t ex amined this potential at all.
Clen, as it is commonly referred to, is one of those s is largely due to the FDA, and the fact
compounds that can make all of the cardio you do more t they are n’t huge fans of this compound,
effective. In other words, this drug, as well as all the
hence studie es on it performed within North
other beta-2 adrenergic agents such as caffeine and
America, on humans, are rare.
ephedrine, are going to raise your metabolic rate, which
effectively means 20 minutes of cardio gives you the
You see, clenbuterol was never actually
same effect as a much longer session. approved byy the FDA for use in the United
States becau use it has an inordinately long
half-life and a slow rate of elimination from
the body. Cle enbuterol concentrations in the

C
len is both a selective beta-2
agonist, and a bronchodilator. What
this means is that it stimulates your
beta-2 receptors, and dilates (opens)
your bronchial tubes. However, the really
important thing here is that clen is a selective
beta-2 agonist, meaning it has next-to-no
carryover onto the other beta receptors. Its
ability to reduce bronchial constriction is
the reason why it is most commonly used as
asthma medication.
88 Muscle Evolution
When you take clen erol, it acts n body decline e with a half-life equivalent to
your beta-2 receptors to increase your body 7-9.2 hours and
a then again up to as much
temperature via increased heat production as 35-36 hou urs later. The FDA doesn’t like
in the mitochondria. It also increases your this and theyy prefer medications like clen
basal metabolic rate (BMR), and decreases to be in and out of the body as quickly as
your appetite. Beta-2 possible. This is the reason Albuterol has
agonists also been approved as an asthma remedy in the
“CLENBUTEROL WAS NEVER ACTUALLY
APPROVED BY THE FDA FOR USE IN THE UNITED
STATES BECAUSE IT HAS AN INORDINATELY
LONG HALF-LIFE AND A SLOW RATE OF
ELIMINATION FROM THE BODY.”
U.S., while clenbuterol has not. Although
the half-life and rate of elimination may
be interesting, it doesn’t really help us
that much when we’re deciding how many
times each day clen should be taken. We’re
not taking it every 36 hours, or every ten,
so a three-times-a-day dosing protocol is
appropriate. This means that if you’re taking
three clenbuterol tablets, you’d split those
doses into three separate times throughout
the day. Taking clen in this manner keeps
its stimulating effects from becoming
overpowering, and causing anxiety, the
shakes, or insomnia.
As previously stated, clenbuterol can cause
insomnia and, as with all stimulants, it can
cause anxiety or restlessness. I’m therefore
much more comfortable recommending
separated doses. My personal dosing protocol
is the same for both men and women, as
long as both are healthy with no history of
high blood pressure. Basically, I think a good
starting point is to take 20mcgs upon rising,
and then repeat that same dose again later
in the day, and finally once again in that day,
but only if side effects are tolerable. Thus, I
start with 20mcgs, and then repeat that dose
two more times that same day if I can tolerate
it (usually I can). I then start increasing the
dose gradually, but I wouldn’t work my way
up to more than 200mcg/day, and probably
nowhere near that – 60-120mcg/day is an
average dose. Typically, if you can keep your
blood pressure under 140/90 mmHg while on
clen, you’re in a safe area. If you go over that,
lower the dose.

“CLENBUTEROL CAN CAUSE

INSOMNIA AND, AS WITH ALL
STIMULANTS, IT CAN CAUSE
ANXIETY OR RESTLESSNESS.”

MANAGING RECEPTOR
DOWNGRADE
A
s with other stimulants, clen users
will experience the problem of
receptor downgrade. To figure
out (roughly) when your clen is starting
to become less effective, take your body
temperature upon rising, for the week before
you start taking your clen, and then monitor
it (again, as soon as you wake up) throughout
your regimen. As it returns to the level it was
before you began taking the drug, you’ll need
to start taking either Benadryl or Ketotifen,
either of which will help up-regulate your
beta receptors.
And, as with any stimulant, there are
possible pulmonary, cardiac and central
nervous system issues to consider. It’s
always a good idea to get a physical before
attempting to incorporate any stimulants
into your supplement protocol. Clenbuterol
has such a long-lasting effect in the body
that it’s a really good idea to ensure that your
blood pressure and cardiovascular system are
in good shape before considering its use.
There is, however, a shorter acting “type” of
clen-like medication, and it’s called Albuterol.
Essentially, this stuff is clenbuterol’s shorter
acting cousin. All of the beta-2 stimulating
capabilities of clenbuterol are also found
in Albuterol, which means it has all of the
effects of clenbuterol, but is eliminated
more quickly by the body. This could be a
contributing factor in a lot of the studies I’ve
seen on Albuterol, which have shown it to be
a bit more useful to athletes than clen may
be; it seems to (somehow) increase stamina
(where clen has been shown to reduce it in
some studies), and strength.
One final caution with regard to beta-2
adrenergic agents is that, although they're
stimulants, you may not feel 'stimulated'
when you first take them. That’s okay.
Don’t take more. I can’t tell you how many
athletes took their first dose of clen, didn’t
feel anything, then took another two doses
immediately, and then couldn’t stop shaking.
Gradually build up, and don’t worry about
'feeling' the effects. Typically you will, but
don’t take more if you don't. M.E

Disclaimer: Muscle Evolution

does not condone nor promote
“AS WITH ANY STIMULANT, THERE ARE
the use of performance- POSSIBLE PULMONARY, CARDIAC AND
enhancing drugs and steroids.
The information in this article is
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM ISSUES TO
provided solely for the purpose of CONSIDER. IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO
fostering a clearer understanding GET A PHYSICAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING
through education, allowing
readers to make informed and
TO INCORPORATE ANY STIMULANTS INTO
responsible decisions. YOUR SUPPLEMENT PROTOCOL.”

*This excerpt has been adapted, with permission, from the book “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: Body Transformation
From Both Sides of the Force” by Christian Thibaudeau and Anthony Roberts (F.Lepine Publishing, 2006).
 By Andrew Carruthers, Editor-In-Chief
M.E SHOW REPORT Photography by Gary Phillips,
www.garyphillipsphotography.com

DEXTER JACKSON

2015

DEXTER MAKES HISTORY!

90 Muscle Evolution
 V
eteran Dexter “The
Blade” Jackson showed
that he is still sharp
enough to run with the big
dogs when he slashed all
opposition to walk away
with a historic fifth crown at
the Arnold Classic in Ohio in
early March.
As the prestigious
competition, named after
Arnold Schwarzenegger, rolled
around for the 27th year in
JUSTIN COMPTON succession the pressure was
on the 45-year-old Jackson to
be remembered as the athlete
who bettered Flex Wheeler’s
four Arnold Classic titles, which
would make him the only one
ever to win the championship
five times.
The show was a pressure
cooker with only four top
athletes sitting out while
Professional they prep for the Mr. Olympia
contest later in the year.
TOP 6 Jackson had to face 13 other
1. Dexter Jackson men, every one of them as
2. Branch Warren
3. Justin Compton “THE SHOW WAS A PRESSURE COOKER
4. Cedric McMillan
5. Evan Centopani
WITH ONLY FOUR TOP ATHLETES SITTING
6. Roelly Winklaar OUT WHILE THEY PREP FOR THE MR.
BRANCH
WARREN
CEDRIC MCMILLAN OLYMPIA CONTEST LATER IN THE YEAR.”
eager as him to wear the crown
at the end of the night. This
line-up included home-grown
champion Marius Dohne, who
showed up to battle it out on
one of bodybuilding’s biggest
stages. However, he missed his
peak and had to settle for 11th
position on the night.
The first call-out comprised
three men known for their
different but magnificent
physiques: Dexter Jackson,
Branch Warren and Justin
Compton. Jackson, who added
more size to his formidable
frame, was a tad softer than in
previous years, but he had all
the attributes needed to wipe
away all the other contenders
and write his name in the
pages of the history books. His
immaculate quality, size and
shape earned him the top spot
and rightfully so!
Warren brought his usual
crazy conditioning and tons of
freaky muscle to the Arnold but

212
TOP 6

212
1. Jose Raymond
2. Hidetada Yamagishi
3. Eduardo Correa
4. Aaron Clark
5. Charles Dixon
6. Cory Mathews
(L TO R): HIDETADA YAMAGISHI, JOSE RAYMOND, EDUARDO CORREA

www.muscleevolution.co.za 91
M.E SHOW REPORT

Figure
TOP 6

FIGURE
1. Camala
Rodriguez-McClure
2. Candice Lewis
3. Candice Keene
4. Latorya Watts
5. Ann Titone
6. Gennifer Strobo
(L TO R): GENNIFER STROBO, LATORYA WATTS, CANDICE LEWIS, CAMALA RODRIGUEZ-MCCLURE, CANDICE KEENE, ANN TITONE

Fitness
TOP 6

FITNESS
1. Oksana
Grishina
2. Tanji Johnson
3. Regiane Da Silva
4. Bethany Cisternino
5. Michelle Blank
6. Myriam Capes
(L TO R): MYRIAM CAPES, BETHANY CISTERNINO, TANJI JOHNSON, OKSANA GRISHINA, REGIANE DA SILVA, MICHELLE BLANK

92 Muscle Evolution
M.E SHOW REPORT

“BODYBUILDING IS MOVING IN THE

DIRECTION WHERE MORE EMPHASIS IS
BEING PLACED ON REWARDING BODIES
WITH MORE REFINEMENT AND DETAIL,
AND NOT ON SHEER SIZE.”
struggled to hang with those
with better X-frame aesthetics.
Nevertheless, Warren managed
to secure second place, with
newcomer Justin Compton
earning third spot. Compton,
easily the leanest competitor in
the entire show, made everyone
gasp while flexing his enormous
but shredded legs, hams and
glutes. He struggled to hold
his stomach in at times and we
all know that the IFBB judges
are placing more emphasis
on punishing athletes with
distended guts.
Fourth place belonged to
Cedric McMillan, who could
easily have beaten Branch
Warren for second place with
his magnificent physique. To
my eye, McMillan brought JUSTINE MONRO
a sculpted, symmetrical
physique to the Arnold packed
with enough quality muscle
to hang with the best in the
sport. He had a tiny waist with
enough muscle density, and
he must have been one of the
best conditioned athletes at
the show. Both Warren and
Compton showed big bellies
and I would’ve placed McMillan
in the number two slot based on
his incredible aesthetics.
Evan Centopani, also known
as “The Ox”, secured fifth
place, with a massive Roelly
Winklaar in sixth. Winklaar had
the size but failed to go the
distance against the stunning
shape and tightness the other
competitors displayed on stage.
JANET LAYUG
The added size looked good
on him although all eyes were
clearly on his big gut as he went
through his poses.
The highlight of the
weekend for me personally was
when Arnold made a public
announcement saying that
the sport needed to change.
‘The Oak’ echoed my view
that McMillan should have
placed a lot higher. Arnold said
bodybuilding is moving in the Bikini
direction where more emphasis
is being placed on rewarding TOP 6
bodies with more refinement 1. Ashley
and detail, and not on sheer size. Kaltwasser
Regardless of his comments, 2. Justine Monro
Dexter Jackson was still, without 3. Janet Layug
any doubt, the king of the 27th 4. India Paulino
Arnold Classic and was a great 5. Stephanie Mahoe
example of the conditioning and INDIA PAULINO 6. Narmin Assria
quality of things to come! M.E ASHLEY KALTWASSER

94 Muscle Evolution
 Report supplied
M.E SHOW REPORT Photography by Soulby Jackson – ww
ww.skjphotopgraphy.c
co.za

SENIOR MEN U/90KG LADIES FITNESS BIKINI

& OVERALL SENIOR U/1.63M & OVERALL
BODYBUILDING MEN FITNESS BIKINI
Max Watermeyer Anja Jacobs

IFBB
MILLENNIUM
GOLDPLATE
GO PLATE PRESENTED BY XTYLE FITNESS
VENUE: Kempton Civic Centre DATE: Saturday 28 March 2015

B odybuildders and fans showed

eir numbers at the
up in the
IFBB Millennium Gold Plate at
the Kempton Park Civic Centre on
Saturday, 28 MMarch 2015.
According to organiser Helena
Calitz from Xtyle Fitness the show is
becoming a popul ar event on South
Africa’s bodybuildinng calendar, with 189
participants and cloose to a thousand
spectators in atte ndance to support
their favourite athletes.
Compet itor Chardonnay Nel
proved th at dynamite definitely
comes in small packages when she walked
away with the honours in the under 1.63m
Beach Bikini division, as well as the Beach Bikini
Overall title. Kyle Kleinhans dominated the
Junior under 18 years division and impressed
judges on the evening of the show with his
thick and round muscle bellies.
Alain Sauls was unstoppable in the under
23, under 75kg category and it was no surprise
that he made the Junior Overall title his own.
A talent to look out for at future events would
be David Joubert, who took the under 23, over
75kg division.
Anja Jacobs’ stage presence and confident

96 Muscle Evolution
 SENIOR
MEN
O/90KG
JJ  De Vos

SENIOR
MEN
U/70KG
Dalmain
Morris

JUNIOR
BODYBUILDING
U/23 U/75KG
& OVERALL
JUNIOR MEN
Alain Sauls

NOVICE MASTERS
O/75KG O/40
MoleBatsi Rudi Van
Sonopo Der Bank
M.E SHOW REPORT

SENIOR SENIOR
MEN MEN
U/80KG U/60KG
Quintin Lalo Muisi
Bezuiden-
hout

JUNIOR
BODY-
BUILDING NOVICE
U/18 U/75KG
Kyle Odwa
Kleinhans Xegwina

JUNIOR JUNIOR “The quality of

BODY- BODY- aesthetics displayed
BUILDING BUILDING
U/23 U/16 by participants in
O/75KG Keith the Ladies Body
Khunou
David
Joubert
Fitness category was
exceptional, with
Melanie Engelbrecht
earning the golden
trophy for her efforts.”
personality resulted in her placing
first in the Fitness Bikini under
1.63m division. She also took the
overall title on the night.
No fault could be found with
first place finisher Molebatsi
Sonopo’s muscle mass and
V-taper frame in the Novice over
75kg line-up, a division which
had more that twenty athletes
battling it out for the top position
at pre-judging.
The quality of aesthetics
displayed by participants in the
Ladies Body Fitness category
was exceptional, with Melanie
Engelbrecht earning the golden
trophy for her efforts. Jaco
Niemand won the Men’s Athletic
Physique under 1.78m division
and also made the overall title his
own. Lalo Muisi, Dalmain Morris,
Quintin Bezuidenhout and JJ De
Vos won their respective men’s
bodybuilding divisions. The
overall trophy was won by the
formidable Max Watermeyer.
Estie Brits and Clive Brent were
crowned the 2015 winners of
MEN’S The Face of Xtyle, created to give
ATHLETIC athletes the maximum exposure
PHYSIQUE MEN’S in the fitness industry.
U/1.78CM & ATHLETIC The 2016 IFBB Millennium Gold
OVERALL MEN PHYSIQUE
O/1.78M Plate will be the final qualifier
ATHLETIC
PHYSIQUE Donovan for the upcoming Arnold Classic
Jaco Niemand Suddes Sports Festival to be held in South
Africa next year.
98 Muscle Evolution
WOMEN’S LADIES
BODY
“The 2016 IFBB Millennium
FITNESS
Sandra
Bosman
FITNESS
Melanie 
Gold Plate will be the final
Engel-
brecht qualifier for the upcoming
Arnold Classic Sports Festival
to be held in South Africa
next year.”
RESULTS
JUNIOR BODYBUILDING U/16 LADIES BEACH BIKINI U/1.63CM
1 Keith Khunou 1 Chardonnay Nel
2 Heinrich Abbott 2 Anesca Gouws
3 Owais Babar 3 Demi Lee Coetzee

JUNIOR B BODYBUILDING U/18 MEN’S ATHLETIC PHYSIQUE

1 Kyle Kleinhans U/1.78CM
2 Johann CCoetzee 1 Jaco Niemand
3 Heinrich Van Der Walt 2 Piet Erasmus
3 Dave Shanley
JUNIOR BODYBUILDING
B U/23
LADIES U/75KG LADIES FITNESS BIKINI U/1.63M
BEACH 1 Alain Sau
uls 1 Anja Jacobs
BIKINI 2 Shawn Mosebeek
M 2 Alrieta De Wet
O/1.63CM 3 Hennie LLe Roux 3 Le Che Hendry
Leana
Viviers
JUNIOR BODYBUILDING
B U/23 SENIOR MEN U/90KG
O/75KG 1 Max Watermeyer
1 David Joubert 2 Remember Shabangu
ent
2 Clive Bre 3 Charles Luck
3 Henri Swart
LADIES BEACH BIKINI O/1.63CM
WOMEN’S FITNESS 1 Leana Viviers
1 Sandra
S Bosman 2 Talitha Van Wyk
3 Bianca Van Der Berg
LADDIES BODY FITNESS
1 Melanie Engelbrecht MEN’S ATHLETIC PHYSIQUE
2 Mel Knoetze
K O/1.78M
3 Anita Visser 1 Donovan Suddes
2 Philip Dorling
SENIOR MEN
M U/60KG 3 Gawie Steyn
1 Lalo Muisi
2 Wayne Joseph LADIES FITNESS BIKINI O/1.63CM
pher Bell
3 Christop 1 Carmen Botha
2 Chanel Erwee
MASTERS S O/40 3 Wourine Brink
n Der Bank
1 Rudi Van
LADIES 2 Marius Wessels
W SENIOR MEN O/90KG
FITNESS pher Bell
3 Christop 1 JJ  De Vos
BIKINI 2 Clarence Manjengawa
O/1.63CM SENIOR MEN
M U/70KG 3 Charl  Smit
Carmen 1 Dalmain Morris
Botha
2 Tsepo Matsoso OVERALLS
egory Nxumalo
3 Sihle Gre JUNIOR MEN
Alain Sauls
NOVICE U/75KG
U
1 Odwa Xeegwina BEACH BIKINI
2 Johannees Tshepiso Masilo Chardonnay Nel
3 Karim Med Ben Saada
MEN ATHLETIC PHYSIQUE
NOVICE O/75KG
O Jaco Niemand
1 MoleBatsi Sonopo
es Masango
2 Johanne FITNESS BIKINI
w Weith
3 Matthew Anja Jacobs

SENIOR M MEN U/80KG SENIOR BODYBUILDING MEN

1 Quintin Bezuidenhout Max Watermeyer
2 Koi Dan nskiobe
* All results and spelling as supplied
LADIES BEACH BIKINI 3 Kgothatsso Mthetwa by the event organisers. Muscle Evolution
U/1.63CM & OVERALL accepts no responsibility for any errors or
omissions M.E
BEACH BIKINI
Chardonnay Nel

www.muscleevolution.co.za 99
 Report by David Smith
M.E SHOW REPORT Photography by Ben Myburgh - www.benmyburghphotography.co.za

BBSA/IFBB

IRON JUNIORS

MAN
U/23 O/75KG
& OVERALL
WINNER
Michael Clark

NOVICE COMPETITION
DATE: 28 March 2015 VENUE: University of Durban Westville, KwaZulu-Natal

MEN U/70KG

6th Mlekeleli Zulu 4th Shaun Makhanya 2nd Mzwandile Mbatha 1st Siyanda Sikhosana 3rd Philani Jantsa 5th Gregory Naidoo

MEN 70 TO 80KG

5th Mondi Zwane 2nd Effort Cele 1st Brian Smith 3rd Zithuele Mikhaye 6th Mbongeni Ngubane

MENS CLASSIC BB 1 Justin van Zyl, 2 Sibonelo Ndwandwe, 3 Simphiwe Ngubane MENS ATHLETIC PHYSIQUE 1 Jarryd Flet, 2 Jason Spingett, 3 Martinus Pienaar
NOVICE O/40 1 Ian Colls, 2 Mhawakelwa Malinga, 3 Sandile Zwane JUNIORS U/23 U/75KG 1 Zwelisha Ximba, 2 Fanelhe Mnguni, 3 Sean Fowles
102 Muscle Evolution
 MEN O/80KG

5th Norman Nkwanyana 3rd Stefan van Zyl 1st Yoskie O’ Reilly 2nd Sipho Zulu 4th Krynauw
Christopher 6th Nicholus Sigude

T
he Iron Man Novice Competition competition sanctioned by the International on his blog: “I love that the IFBB has given
held at the University of Durban Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness the novices a show of their own and that
Westville in KwaZulu-Natal on 28 (IFBB). The athletes in the line-up were eager KZN in particular has given it to them
March was widely supported by everyone to showcase the hard work they have put in as the first show of the season.”
who loves the sport of bodybuilding. Fans to their training and nutrition to compete in Fitness coach Cindy Marshall made sure
were already queueing at the front door the event. competitors in the ladies’ sections were in
two hours before the official opening of It was also great to see local bodybuilding fantastic shape. SA IFBB Bikini pro Shannon
the show to get the best possible seat to being supported by prominent South Atkinson, who competed on the same stage
support their favourite bodybuilders. African IFBB pro bodybuilders Andrew a year ago, handed out trophies to athletes
A total of 89 athletes travelled from all Hudson and Marius Dohne. Bodybuilding at the event, which was sponsored by Pro
over KwaZulu-Natal to compete in this enthusiast and blogger Mubeen Bassa wrote Nutrition and Supashape.

FITNESS BIKINI U/163CM

5th Ilse Kritzinger 2nd Denise Lohrmann 1st Desiree Maple 3rd Wanjiru Gachie 4th Nicole Hockey

FITNESS BIKINI O/163CM

5th Krispin Davies 3rd Samantha Schoeman 1st Bianca Booth 2nd Lisa Samantha Williams 4th Alisha Robertse 6th Vicky Jones

BEACH BIKINI O/163CM 1 Erica Cronje, 2 Angelique Roux, 3 Kylie Daly BEACH BIKINI U/163CM 1 Roxy Barker, 2 Tazlin Stavrinou, 3 Carrie-Ann van Heerden
LADIES BODY FITNESS 1 Michelle Raw, 2 Lyrelle Kruger
* All results and spelling as supplied by the event organisers. Muscle Evolution accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions M.E

104 Muscle Evolution

 PRODUCT REVIEW
WRITTEN BY:
DAVE TITTERTON, NABBA PRO

Getting your winter training strategy perfected is one of the most important tools to achieving the success and results you want
by summer. I know all about the challenges of training throughout the winter months, and that only the truly committed are
consistent. My experience in this regard has also taught me that if you choose your supplement strategy wisely, using the best
products at your disposal, you’ll realise the gains that you’re looking for. I’ve plied my trade, learnt my lessons and I know that you
will get great results with the products I’ve selected. This is my irst choice, go-to supplement strategy for winter:

3XT-PUMP
This product has been developed in the USA, and it’s going global!
This high-impact pre-workout is exactly what’s needed when you
want to add lean mass gains.
This product ticks of all of the boxes when it comes to the
functionality of a pre-workout. Not only does it fuel you to
perform at your peak, but it also ofers extreme muscle pumps,
and the fatigue resistance measures to keep you going set after
set. This product also includes USN’s NITRO-X PROPRIETARY
BLEND, with call out raw materials that are enriched with real
research, including Citrulline Malate, Beta-Alanine, Creatine
HCL, AGMAPURE® and ADVANTRA-Z®. A high level of cafeine
(250mg per serving) has been added to increase your
mental focus and exercise performance. Research shows that
carbohydrates taken prior to and throughout training positively
inluence the workout. USN has added 20g of carbohydrates per
serving to this fantastic pre-workout. During strength training,
glycogen is pulled from storage to replace ATP, the energy
compound inside cells that powers muscular contractions. The
ATP is broken down in the cells through a series of chemical
reactions. The energy released from this breakdown enables the
muscle cells to do their work. As you train the glycogen in your
muscles progressively decreases. You can deplete as much as 26
percent of your muscle glycogen during high-intensity strength
training, making the use of 3XT-PUMP invaluable to your winter
gains! + + + + +

BCAA AMINO-GRO
ntra-workout supplements HAVE to be fuelled by BCAAs.
The research on BCAAs has been strengthened over the
last few years, and their impact on exercise performance,
lean mass gains and recovery only continues to
strengthen their position as one of the most important
supplements in the marketplace. In my opinion, BCAAs
have been one of the most underrated performance
supplements to enter the industry over the last few years,
and I think that this is fuelled by confusion.
There is a growing base of really solid research coming
out of leading labs and institutions on BCAAs. I’m not
talking about opinion; I’m referring to randomised, double
blind studies on the general population and on athletes.
In general, this shows increases in muscle performance,
reduction in fatigue levels, improved protein synthesis and
shortened recovery times. BCAAs are considered to be vitally
essential, especially during exercise and recovery as Leucine
has been known to kickstart muscle protein synthesis and
increase mTor response. BCAAs make up around 33 percent
of skeletal muscle, and the human body cannot synthesise
them. They therefore have to come from your diet, and many
people struggle to meet the meal frequency or volumes
required to achieve an optimal intake.
BCAA AMINO-GRO is formulated using an imported
instantised 2:1:1 BCAA mix, Citrulline Malate, L-Glutamine and
Beta-Alanine for elevated performance potential. The unique
lavour system has also proved popular in other products
in the HARDCORE SERIES range. Since implementing BCAA
AMINO-GRO as part of my strategy I continue to see signiicant
changes to my overall conditioning, but the beneits don’t
stop there!+++++

HARDCORE WHEY GH
Recovery is perhaps the most neglected component of progression.
You have a lot to compete with as workouts are
planned with the sole purpose of increasing both
strength and lean mass. Take out the technicalities of
‘time under tension’ and ‘programming’, and you’re
left with activity that increases exertion and overload,
with enough catabolic hormones to accelerate muscle
breakdown post-workout. Muscle Protein Synthesis
(MPS) has to be stimulated as fast as possible to start
the process of recovery and lean gains, and there is
nothing better than HARDCORE WHEY gH as a post-
workout, lean mass gain supplement.
It ofers the perfect ratio of fast-digesting proteins in
the form of why protein concentrate and isolate which
work together to kickstart MPS. Slower digesting proteins
like milk protein isolate have been added to protect the
integrity of your lean mass, something you don’t want
to compromise. The product also contains creatine
monohydrate to increase glycogen uptake and ATP levels
in the depleted muscle cell; Tribulus Terrestris, which has
a positive impact on strength levels; ZMA® to stabilise
anabolic hormone levels and aid recovery; glycine to
increase muscle cell volumisation, and pharmaceutical-
grade dextrose monohydrate to support the anabolic
hormone response to exercise, further fuelling growth
and recovery.
With 78.6g of protein per 100g, you know your post-
workout recovery cycle is optimised with HARDCORE
WHEY gH. +++++
ATHLETE COLUMN
DYLAN RIDLEY
CARB MANIPULATION
T
his month we’re looking at
carbohydrates and how to use
them to do some damage on
the competitive stage. This will also
help you if your goal is simply to
get tons of striated muscle for a
better and more shredded look
on the beach or by the swimming
pool next summer.
Carb manipulation is a diverse
subject and there are multiple
views and approaches to make
your skin diced and paper
thin. My coach, Marius Dohne
from BTD, and I have been
experimenting with carbs across
the spectrum. What follows is the
best approach, in my opinion, to
achieve that eye-catching look
you desperately want.
Many athletes who prepare
for a show choose to completely
eliminate carbs from their diets
and go on a ketogenic diet
by replacing carbs with some
healthy fats. It’s not a bad idea to
eliminate carbs from your diet to
get lean as it will bring you good
results initially as you retain less
water and drop weight.
This approach is, however, not
sustainable over long periods of
time without proper cycling. You
will ind that you’ll eventually hit a
plateau as your body burns fewer
calories each day. This is where
carb-cycling comes in. Instead of
eliminating carbs completely from
your diet a better approach would
be to cycle your carbohydrates.
The theory behind carb-
cycling is that you deplete your
carbohydrate stores, allowing your
body to exhaust muscle glycogen
and burn body fat instead.
This, in my opinion, is far better
than hitting a wall and losing
motivation because you stop
seeing results in the mirror.
With carb-cycling you have
various options you can follow to
create eye-popping aesthetics on
stage or a Greek god frame for the
swimming pool or beach. You can
follow a diet with high carb, low
106 Muscle Evolution
carb and no carb days. The three
days are rotated or cycled but
carbohydrate manipulation is the
key element here. By lowering
and eliminating carbs for a couple
of days you turn your body into
a fat burning furnace. On your
high carb day you prevent that
undesirable metabolic slow down
and with more energy available
for your workouts you can even
gain new muscle tissue.
Another option is to go on
a three day low carb protocol,
followed by a high carb day. It is
very important to stress that the
high carb day should fall on a
day when you’re expending the
greatest amount of energy, such
as heavy leg training days, and
not on one of your off days when
you are kicking back on the
couch watching rugby.
Eating carbs at the right time
each day is also important. Carbs
are readily available for energy
after you consume them. Taking
this fact into consideration, the
best time for carbs would be
upon waking up, and before and
after your workouts.
When you cycle your carb
intake like this you essentially end
up feeding your body, burning
body fat and retaining or even
gaining more muscle.
Another important element in
your carb manipulation protocol,
to dial in perfect conditioning for
a show, is to ind out what carbs
will work the best for you as an
individual. We are all diferent and
we respond diferently to various
carbohydrate sources.
POSSIBLE SOURCES INCLUDE:
• Sweet potatoes
• Rice (white basmati, brown
basmati, brown rice)
• Rolled oats
• 100% whole wheat bread (if
you need bread this is the best
choice; darker is better)
• Beans or legumes
• Granny Smith apples
COBUS VAN DER MERWE
OFF-SEASON BULK UP
A
s a competitive
bodybuilder I always
want to bring the best
shape possible to the stage and
represent the sport the best way
I can. Admittedly we all want to
be bigger and better today than
what we were a year ago. I am
currently enjoying one of the
best seasons of my career as
my body weight is exactly
where I want it to be and I still
have another three months left
of serious off-season training
and bulking.
I think one of the biggest
mistakes athletes make is to not
gain extra muscle mass in the
off-season. They are afraid of
becoming fat and they want to
hang on to that pre-contest look
all year round. This is not a good
strategy. You always need to
grow new muscle and improve
your physique. I believe there is
a reason why we have different
seasons in the year with
different goals to keep things
interesting.
I will start to follow my pre-
contest diet in July to compete
in my first IFBB pro show taking
place in October. My main focus
this off-season was to improve
my shoulders, add some lat
width and beef up my overall
physique. My coach had me
doing specific techniques on an
array of different exercises to
isolate these areas to bring them
up and maximise my potential.
My diet in the off-season
consisted of high carbohydrates,
low fat and moderate protein
intake. My body responded
exceptionally well to this
macronutrient ratio. I managed
to gradually increase my body
weight from what it had been
at last year’s Amateur Olympia
competition to 120kg. My carbs,
for example, predominantly
consisted of rice, oats and pasta.
I think my carb intake will also
increase as I get closer to the
pro show. Typically there will be
more carbs in my diet to retain
the thickness and fullness of the
muscle bellies.
I am looking forward to
embarking on my career as a
pro. The pro league is at a totally
different level than the amateur
division. At my first IFBB pro
show I want to live up to and
exceed all expectations. I don’t
want to disappoint my family,
friends and the fans. I know
some bodybuilders come in at a
show too heavy, too flat or too
much of this or that. I just want
to bring the perfect package
to the stage. I have a three
year plan that I am working on
to reach my ultimate goal of
qualifying for the Mr. Olympia.
Also part of my ultimate goal
is to continue the tradition
established by the great warriors
of iron before me who graced
the world stages to represent
this wonderful sport of ours.
LOUIS BESSINGER
MAINTAINING AN ANABOLIC STATE
M
aintaining an
anabolic state
should be of
primary concern for
every bodybuilder. More
commonly known as the
“muscle building state”,
your ability to remain
in this state can make a
big difference in how the
body develops and grows.
When you’re in a state
of anabolism the body is
repairing and building
tissue, which usually
happens when you rest.
That means you actually
grow during rest, not during
training and exercise. This is
a very important concept to
understand during contest
prep. Here are a few tips
that can help you keep
your body in an anabolic
state. Especially during
contest prep.
1 ENSURE AN
APPROPRIATE
NUTRIENT INTAKE: Proper
nutrition is important to
fuel proper body building.
Any deficiency can
negatively affect the body
so it’s important to consume
protein, carbohydrates
and fats in the right ratios
to gain muscle mass.
In general this means
consuming a diet that is
composed of 50 percent
carbohydrates, 30 percent
protein and 20 percent
fats. Protein, in particular, is
important in bodybuilding
as muscle tissue requires the
constituent amino acids to
grow and repair.
For the same reasons it
is important to never miss
a meal. This means eating
the right proportions of
food every two to three
hours. This will ensure that
your body gets the required
nutrients and amino acids
at the right time.
2 GET ENOUGH SLEEP:
Another way to
physically maintain an
anabolic state is by getting
the right amount of sleep.
Sleep is the time when the
body and mind undergo
general restoration. Even
protein metabolism is
improved during this time,
in accordance with the
anabolic hormonal cascade
that occurs while we sleep.
Insufficient sleep can also
lead to depression and a
lack of motivation. This can
stop your training progress
and also puts the body in
a catabolic state, where
muscles are broken down.
Not enough sleep can also
make you more vulnerable
to injuries and illness. It can
negatively change brain
activity by slowing down
chemical activities. Getting
eight to ten hours of sleep
can help you get the most
out of your workouts.
3 IMPROVE HORMONAL
BALANCE: The release
of growth hormone and
testosterone is important
in maintaining an anabolic
state. Growth hormone is
released from the pituitary
gland and is important
for gaining muscle mass,
losing fat, improving kidney
function, and enhancing
stamina and sleep quality.
Using hormone booster
supplements such as GABA,
ornithine and arginine
(my favourite pre-workout
stack, which I also take
before bed) is a good way
to naturally increase growth
hormone production.
Testosterone is
another hormone that
has distinctive anabolic
effects on the male
body. This hormone is
produced in the adrenalin
glands and testicles, and
helps to increase protein
synthesis, among other
important functions. High
testosterone levels can
enhance muscle growth
and strength. Testosterone
release can be enhanced
through meals with
higher fat content and
an appropriate supply of
vitamin C, branch chain
amino acids and zinc.
There are other factors
that can help the body
achieve an anabolic
state, including reducing
exposure to pollutants,
especially smoking. It’s also
a good idea to minimise
stress and follow the correct
training programme.
Personally, I like to keep my
workout under an hour to
ensure I find the balance
between the catabolic
effects of training and
the anabolic response it
promotes.
ATHLETE COLUMN
HENNIE KOTZE
PROTEIN OPTIONS
A
s iis the
h case with
i h fats
f and d
carbs, not all proteins are
created equal. It therefore
pays to know which types of
protein will work best for you
during the diferent phases of
your season. In general, during
the of-season I prefer a more
balanced combination of red and
white meat. This includes lots
of ish for the healthy fats they
contain, as well as chicken and red
meat. This variety in meat sources
ensures that the body gets the full
spectrum of amino acids to boost
recovery and muscle growth.
However, if you are looking to
reduce your weight in the of-
season I would recommend less
red meat due to the saturated fat
content, which makes it a more
calorie dense source of protein.
Accordingly, your choice of protein
at this stage of your prep will
depend on your goals; you should
ensure that your intake and the
sources you choose it the purpose
of your diet.
In terms of protein supplements,
I don’t really recommend mass
gainer protein shakes due to all the
carbs, unless you’re a hard gainer or
a really skinny guy. Whey is always
best as it is very practical and it can
be used through h
hout the
day; when you w wake up,
before workoutss
or after, or in
various recipes.
It is also highly
bioavailable.
I would also
HENNIE SA
AYS
“If you are looking
to reduce your
weight in the off-
season I would
recommend less
red meat due to
the saturated fat
content.”
108 Muscle Evolution
recommend some casein before
bed as it is a slow release protein
that helps to boost muscle
repair at night. If you’re lactose
intolerant though, which many
people are, casein and whey
may not be the ideal choice.
Thankfully pea protein is a great
option, particularly if one of the
more reined whey options –
isolate and hydrolysate – don’t
agree with your digestive
system either.
I divide my contest prep into
three four-week phases. The
irst phase would still include all
types of protein, in similar ratios
to my of-season eating plan.
I intentionally keep red meat
in the mix as it is satiating and
satisfying, which helps in the
initial phases of the diet. I will
also still include whey protein,
and maybe casein in the evening
depending on my condition.
During the second phase I add
more ish, depending on my body
fat level, and will remove casein
near the end of the phase, along
with red meat. I also start using
‘cleaner’ whey variants, which are
more bioavailable.
In the inal phase I generally
stick to white meat. If my weight
drops too much I may add in
dr
some red meat again to help
maintain that weight. I will then
drrop my whey intake two weeks
out from the show, which is in
o “do not change the things
the form of hydrolysed whey
at that stage. I do this as the
laactose in whey tends to hold
waater a bit, which doesn’t help
with conditioning.
When switching to white meat
it’ss important to add healthy fats
to make up for the shortfall.
In terms of eggs, I use them
in every phase, I just reduce the
number of egg yolks I eat over
the last phase, and remove eggs
in the last week.
BCAAs are also central in my
plan and that of my clients. We
use it in raw powder or capsule
form when we wake up, before
bed, and before and after
workouts.
JOHAN ‘BOSSIE’ BOSHOFF
DELIVERING ON SHOW DAY
I
t’s almost show time for may be physically and mentally
most athletes in South prepared for the show; to
Africa as the 2015 season battle it out for that prestigious
gets into full swing. With all first place trophy, but when
the competitions ahead of us your body doesn’t play along
things can easily go wrong because it has been exposed
on the day, and often do; a to new things you’re setting
day you’ve worked so hard yourself up for disappointment.
for. Sometimes the reasons Rather stick to the things you
for these mishaps are out of know, and make sure your body
our control, but other times reacts in predictable ways.
we’re victims of our own My personal preference,
poor judgement. developed over years of
So what can go wrong competition prep, is as follows...
on show day? Well, To ensure I step on
“I KEEP MY
when athletes start stage feeling good on
WATER INTAKE
playing around LOW, MY show day I keep my
with things like FOODSTUFFS water intake low, my
de-carbing or SIMPLE, GET foodstuffs simple, get
sodium loading and SUFFICIENT sufficient rest before
REST BEFORE the big day, and I
de-loading, a few
THE BIG DAY,
wrong decisions AND I ALWAYS always dress to keep
or small errors DRESS TO myself warm, even in
in judgement KEEP MYSELF summer. With such low
WARM, EVEN body fat percentages
can cause huge
IN SUMMER.”
problems in terms it’s easy to lower
of conditioning. your core temperature in air
The common phrase conditioned venues.
among seasoned athletes I’ve also witnessed many
and top coaches alike is, athletes use a lot of nonsense
to enhance their vascularity
you know work for you.” before a show or drink weird
That applies to everything, concoctions to ‘warm them up’.
from your diet, drinks, We have a saying backstage: “if
supplements, training and you do not arrive with it, you
pre-contest prep and rituals. won’t have it on stage”. Rather
Show day is not a day to be ready by prepping properly.
experiment, unless you’ve With that approach you can be
intentionally entered a sure that when you get to the
show as a test run to try show you won’t need to worry
a few things out ahead of about getting things in place.
your main show of the year. Eat clean, in the same way you
When you step on stage at did over the preceding 12-14
the big events you want weeks. This will ensure that
to be at your best, and if your body responds in the same
you do not know what the predictable way. When you
foods and additional stuff combine that with hard, sensible
you take will do to your training then you’ve done
body you’re stepping into everything you possibly can to
a world of unknowns. You ensure a successful show day.
ATHLETE COLUMN
ANDREW HUDSON
MY 2015 ARNOLD CLASSIC
EXPERIENCE
I
recently returned from a trip
overseas, which was, without
question, one of the best
experiences of my life. I went to
train for a week with my coach
John Meadows, in the US. It was a
week loaded with awesomeness.
I stayed in a self-catering
hotel, right next to Trader Joes;
if you know me then you’ll
understand why this is right
up my alley as I’m a huge fan
of locally sourced, organic,
hormone-free food.
I also got to train at the
legendary EliteFTS, the best gym
I have ever been to, and I also
had the opportunity to meet and
train with a few other IFBB pros.
Then, to top it all of, I got to see
my friends and ive of my clients
compete at the Arnold Amateur
show, and then watched the pro
show, the Arnold Classic. As far
as I’m concerned that’s pretty
much a dream come true.
Training with John was just
crazy; I felt starstruck actually.
He is someone I really look up to,
so to have him coming to pick
me up for training every day
was surreal. Before the trip I had
a ton of things I wanted to talk
to him about, but when I irst
met him that all went out the
proverbial window. He is just an
all-around great guy who I have
even more respect for now.
Training with the
‘Mountaindog’ was brutal. We
also had one of the best in the
business, Jefrey Sygo, come
and ilm our training sessions, so
keep a look out for the YouTube
videos on my channel. We got it
all on ilm, even my legs giving
in, and my inability to stand up
after the squats. I really wanted
to show these guys what the
boys from South Africa are made
of, so I pushed myself harder
than ever before. I said ‘yes’ to
anything they threw my way and
came out on the other side with
a smile on my face. I loved every
second of that pain and I learnt
so much.
110 Muscle Evolution
Training wasn’t the only
reason for my trip though. As I
mentioned, I also had ive clients
in the amateur show so, in
between my training and meals,
I was driving between the hotels
to check that everyone was on
track and would be at their best
come game day.
On the Saturday we went to
watch the Arnold Classic pro
prejudging. It was awesome to
see another pro show irst hand
as it served as a reminder of
the level I’m expected to be at
when I step on the pro stage. I
must say that the standard of
this show was really high, with
a lot of the newer generation
of athletes starting to make an
impact. However, they’re still
not good enough to throw the
veterans like Branch and Dexter
of the top spots. I was very glad
when Dexter won his ifth title;
he is one of my all-time favourite
bodybuilders. So, all in all, it
was an amazing and invaluable
learning experience.
A lot of the up-and-coming
guys might be reading this
and thinking that they wish
they were sponsored so they
could go on similar trips, so
I want to put this out there
to encourage them. I paid for
this trip entirely on my own. I
saved up for it and I choose to
live a humble life. I drive a Polo
Vivo so that I can afford to do
things like this. I see a lot of
negative attitudes out there;
lots of complaining about how
athletes could do better if they
were sponsored, but I don’t see
many of these people making
the sacrifices I’ve made over
the last 10 years to be in the
position I’m in now. So, I want
to encourage you all to chase
your dreams, no matter what
your position in life is right
now. You can get there with the
right attitude. just make smart
decisions and think about your
long-term goals, both in terms
of bodybuilding and in life.
JOHN LESLIE
CHEST TRAINING TIPS
I
you watc t e s an exercises in a row at the start,
YouTube videos of the top and then add in a flye exercise
pro athletes you’ll see that after that. I may then alternate
most of them tend to stick to between pressing and flyes
the bread-and-butter moves from different angles for the
when it comes to chest training. remainder of the workout.
It’s mainly the pressing However, I will always include
exercises with barbells and a flat, incline and decline press
dumbbells, with a few flyes in in every session. I generally
between. There isn’t too much stick to bars, but that’s mainly
focus on the ‘frilly’ due to a previous
exercises like “THE FIRST wrist injury as it
cable crossovers EXERCISE limits the risk of
and that other re-injuring it. With
I DO WILL
newer, more regard to flyes, I
fancy stuff you
ALWAYS BE switch between
see a lot of guys THE HEAVIEST, incline, flat and
doing in the AND I ALWAYS decline exercises
gym these days. START WITH every week.
I have therefore THE BEST In terms of the
also chosen to COMPOUND way I structure
focus on the big MOVE FOR my chest training
lifts in my chest DEVELOPING sessions, I like
training routine.
The key to
A BIG CHEST to train on feel.
I periodise my
continue making
– THE BENCH training by
progress with PRESS.” changing my
this approach is to mix the set and rep structure, and
exercises up by changing the the weights I lift, based on
angle of attack. how I feel that week. If I don’t
The first exercise I do feel that strong on a specific
will always be the heaviest, day then I will do more reps
and I always start with the on a lighter weight. It is also
best compound move for important to keep changing it
developing a big chest – the up to keep it fresh.
bench press. I may switch I also aim to lift near my
between incline or decline one rep max at least once
presses on some weeks, but a month by building up
the exercise I select never through a pyramid at the
changes. I aim to do 8-10 start. During the rest of the
sets for this exercise, using a workouts in the month I will
pyramid structure. I use the generally work up to 90%
first few sets as a warm up, of max. Between each set
and then progressively add I stretch my pecs and like
more weight, with the last set to do some posing as well.
the heaviest. Whatever approach you take,
For the subsequent always warm up, regardless
exercises I might bump the of what stage of contest
reps higher and use a slightly prep you’re in. And always
lighter weight to ensure I remember, focus on working
maintain my form. the muscle, not the joint; form
I like to do two pressing always trumps weight.
MARLENE KOEKEMOER
HEALTHY BODY FAT PER-
CENTAGES FOR FEMALE
ATHLETES
A
valid question in today’s
fat obsessed society
is the maintenance of
a good and healthy body fat
average throughout the year.
Also of importance is the right
body fat percentage to obtain
when you are competing in a
contest and the dilemma of
how long you can stay at that
level and not cause harm to
your body permanently.
I love the thrill of placing
well at competitions. I think
all athletes love that. I also
love the crowd attending
these shows and their
acknowledgement for the
hard work I have put into
my diet and training to be
at my best. When I step on
stage my fat percentage is
normally between seven and
eight percent. This body fat
percentage is hard to achieve
but it would be dumb and
totally unrealistic to keep
yourself at such a low level
throughout the year.
A low body fat level of
under 10 percent should not
be kept for longer than three
to four weeks when you are
competing in a show. If you
do this for a longer period
you are bound to create a
multitude of health issues
that you are definitely going
to find hard to address as you
get older. Be wise and select
your participation in annual
shows carefully. Avoid getting
to the point where you are
without any energy and you
start losing condition and
muscle mass.
Keeping this in mind,
what then is a healthy fat
percentage for a female
athlete to maintain
throughout the year? My
personal suggestion would be
between 13 and 15 percent.
If a woman’s body fat
drops below 12 percent
of her total body weight,
hormone production can be
compromised, her menstrual
cycle can be interrupted
which could lead to infertility
and the risk of osteoporosis.
With a low fat percentage
you will also be chronically
fatigued and prone to
infections and injuries.
The best advice I can give
female athletes to manage
their post contest weight
rebound is to have a cheat
meal and then go back to
their healthy lifestyle. When a
show is finished the first thing
athletes do is to go and eat at
the nearest fast food outlet. If
you do this for a few days you
will end up looking bloated
and feeling awful without any
energy to work out in the gym.
The key here is moderation.
I am very concerned about
athletes who only depend
on supplements and who do
not eat the right food. An
athlete’s competition diet
normally does not include
brightly coloured veggies and
fruits. These foods must be
incorporated back into their
nutritional plan. It is wise to
use a multivitamin but try
to eat essential nutrients
that contain the necessary
vitamins and minerals your
bodies need to function
properly.
Please remember that no
show is worth doing if you
end up with health problems!
Make sure that you have
a healthy, balanced and
sustainable diet when you
participate in a show and also
a post-show plan – your body
will thank you for it!

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INDIVIDUAL RESULTS MAY VARY. FOR OPTIMAL RESULTS, COMBINE WITH A MASS-BUILDING EATING PLAN AND TRAINING PROGRAMME.