Traditional medical uses of coca are

THE FINEST
COCA LEAVES
foremost as a stimulant to overcome
fatigue, hunger, and thirst. In Peru, Bolivia

FOR WEIGHT
and Ecuador, indigenous people chew
Coca Leaves, which provides them energy
to work all day long without eating. Our pilot
studies found Coca Leaves to function with
LOSS
tremendous synergy alongside DMHA,
caffeine, and our proprietary
phenylethylamine alkaloids. In addition,
many people trying to lose weight have low
levels of the brain chemical
Norepinephrine, leaving them depressed,
craving starchy foods and with very little
energy. Coca leaves elevate
norepinephrine levels, which give
Lipodrene Elite users a distinct advantage
with their weight loss goals.
 Inside

ON THE
COVER OCTOBER 2019
SETH ROLLINS
AND BECKY VOL. 80 | NO. 10
LYNCH
IN EVERY ISSUE
12 FROM THE CHAIRMAN
14 FROM THE EDITOR
16 FROM OLYMPIA HQ
124 ASK

SECTIONS
C OV E R A N D T H I S PAG E : E R I C A S C H U LT Z

25 EDGE 39 TRAIN 59 EAT 136 FLEX

It Chapter 2 star Taylor One band, one killer Get the serious scoop on The latest hardcore
Frey talks kettlebells and workout; a slammin’ the superfood sardines; training methods,
clowns; powerlift like plank variation; climb best choices for creating diet hacks, and inside
Amanda Lawrence; NFL stairs, shed fat; one man’s healthier beer cocktails; scoops on every-
vet Vernon Davis remains bike ride to help kids with a breakdown of Tom thing bodybuilding-
rookie fit; Faye Stenning mobility issues; prepare Brady’s MVP diet; a rotini related.
on staying Spartan strong. for Mountain Dog mania. battle for the ages.
 Inside

OCTOBER 2019
VOL. 80 | NO. 10

COVER STORY
18 Lighting It Up
A hardcore training regimen is helping
WWE Superstars Seth Rollins and
Becky Lynch become leaders
in the fitness industry.

FEATURES
70 Change Your Tempo
Add time under tension to
help pack on muscle.
78 Power Through
the Pain
Seven moves to work through
multiple aches.
86 All It’s Cracked Up to Be
Muscle-friendly dishes made
much better by just adding an egg.
92 Five Moves to Get
Scary Shredded
Spook away fat for good with this
sinister full-body circuit.
98 Rewriting History:
Part 1
We give a modern spin to six
legendary Mr. Olympia workouts.
106 Curry On
Hearty Indian vegan dishes
for guys who hate salad.
112 Get Ripped Anywhere
A three-week fat torcher that
can be done anywhere.
118 Moving Parts
All you need is your body weight
for this challenging workout.

Muscle & Fitness (ISSN 0744-5105), Vol. 80, No. 10, is published monthly by Weider Publications, LLC, a division of American Media, LLC, 4 New York Plaza, 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10004. Periodical Rates
Postage Paid at the New York, NY, Post Office and at additional mailing offices. Copyright © Weider Publications, LLC, 2019. All rights reserved. Canada Post International Publications Mail Sale Agreement
No. 40028566. Canadian B.N. 88746 5102 RT0001. Copyrighted under the Universal Copyright Convention and International Copyright Convention. Copyright reserved under the Pan-American Copyright
Convention. Todos derechos reservados segúin la convención Pan Americana de Propriedad Literaria Artística. Subscription rate is $42.97 for (1yr) 12 issues in U.S.A. In Canada (1yr) 12 issues $59.97.
Outside of U.S.A. and Canada (1yr) $91.97. U.S. orders outside of U.S.A. must be prepaid in U.S. funds. For Customer Service and Back Issues call toll-free (800) 340-8954 or write to: Muscle & Fitness,
P.O. Box 37207, Boone, IA 50037-0207. SUBSCRIBERS: If the postal service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within
one year. U.S. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL and MILITARY FACILITIES send U.S. address changes to: Muscle & Fitness, P.O. Box 37207, Boone, IA 50037-0207.
CANADA POSTMASTER: Send address changes to American Media, LLC, PO Box 907 STN Main, Markham, ON L3P 0A7, Canada. From time to time we make our subscriber list available to companies that
sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such mailings, please send your current mailing label to: Muscle & Fitness, P.O. Box 37207, Boone,
IA, 50037-0207. All materials, articles, reports, and photos published in this magazine are the exclusive property of Weider Publications, LLC, and cannot be used without permission in writing. Muscle &
E R I C A S C H U LT Z

Fitness is not responsible for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or other materials. Weider Publications, LLC, and American Media, LLC, publisher of Muscle & Fitness, do not promote or
endorse any of the products or services advertised by third-party advertisers in this publication. Nor does Weider Publications, LLC, or American Media, LLC, verify the accuracy of any claims made in
conjunction with such advertisements. Title Trademark registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark office. Reprinted by special agreement in England, Germany, Italy, Austria, Japan, Canada, Netherlands,
Korea, Poland, Slovak Republic, Lebanon, and China. Printed in the U.S.A.
 ow ou S O
Whoever you are and however you train, the world’s your stage. MuscleTech® proteins and
pre-workouts are scientifically engineered to help you deliver your best performance.
World-class ingredient combinations years in the making will keep you working longer and
harder. We did the science, so you can do the work, and the world can appreciate the results.

See more at ShowYourStrong.com

Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2019

PRECISION. POTENCY. POWER.
 ow ou S O
Whoever you are and however you train, the world’s your stage. Deliver your best performance
with a world-class protein. It’s scientifically engineered to be the purest and cleanest whey
protein isolate available with amazing taste. NITRO-TECH® 100% ISO WHEY also features the
cutting-edge ingredient ProHydrolase®, for better amino absorption. We did the science, so
you can do the work, and the world can appreciate the results.

See more at ShowYourStrong.com

Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2019 PRECISION. POTENCY. POWER.
 ow ou S O
Whoever you are and however you train, the world’s your stage. Deliver your best performance
with enhanced focus, a jolt of energy, and maximum potency from world-class ingredients.
Try it today and see why it’s one of the top-rated pre-workouts on the market. We did the
science, so you can do the work, and the world can appreciate the results.

See more at ShowYourStrong.com

PRECISION. POTENCY. POWER.

Professional athlete. Do not attempt. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2019
 T H E U LT I M AT E A U T H O R I T Y I N B O D Y B U I L D I N G ! OCTO BE R 2 0 1 9

14 6 BACK TO BASICS
14 8 FLEX 101
150 MY FAVORITE
WORKOUT
152 ASKED AND
ANSWERED
154 5 TIPS
156 TRAINING
STYLES
198 NPC MONTHLY
200 ON THE RISE

FEATURES
136 PILLARS OF
STRENGTH
We list the stron-
gest bodybuilders.
160 TIME TO GROW
Timing tweaks to
help build size.
168 HAVE YOU
SEEN DORIAN
YATES LATELY?
The six-time Mr. O

HERCULES
is half the man he
was—literally.

STEVE
1 74 CHEAT SHEET
Veer off your diet
the right way.
180 HELL WEEK

REEVES
Week 3 of Y3T isn’t
C O U RT E S Y O F S T E V E R E E V E S I N T E R N AT I O N A L

for the squeamish.

188 HERCULEAN
TASKS
How Steve Reeves

NOT FROM THIS

built the most
aesthetic physique.

UNIVERSE
FRO HE
Don Saladino (left) and Zack Zeigler
(right) with Titan Games competitor
Kara K. Killian. Right: Dr. Jeff Spencer
and his daughter. Below: Whoop
Strap CEO Will Ahmed and Zack.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
The M&F podcast has helped my training,
approach to fitness, and perspective to evolve.
A
dmittedly, Don Saladino
and I don’t often have
celebrity guests on the
Muscle & Fitness pod-
cast, M&F Reps. But the
knowledge our guest doctors,
educators, entrepreneurs, and
renowned coaches have to
share has helped educate me
and allowed me to reevaluate
my approach to health, well-
ness, and fitness. I hope, if
14 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
ED I TOR
you’ve watched on YouTube
or listened on iTunes or
Spotify, you’ve gotten
something out of it, too.
Here are some highlights:
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a nutrition
specialist, picked apart a lazy
study that linked protein intake
to cancer. We dove into the best
meats and protein sources for
athletes, which led to us talking
about why, as a vegetarian,
I can’t take her advice and
remove emotion from eating
(something I rarely bring up).
Dr. Jeff Spencer, a former
Olympian and a doctor for
Team USA during Lance
Instagram: @zraz
Armstrong’s eight Tour de
France wins, got emotional
when recalling the criticism
he received for how he han-
dled the PED controversy. But
he also revealed how much
Armstrong helped others,
particularly cancer survivors.
However, the most useful bit
of our talk, to me, was his take
on why failure is often a prod-
uct of a broken goal-setting
system—and how he devel-
oped a plan to fix it.
Kara K. Killian came in to
discuss muscle biopsies, but
we ended up covering how
she overcame injuries and
eating disorders when she was
younger, and how she prepped
for the show The Titan Games.
Lastly, firing questions at
Whoop Strap CEO Will Ahmed
revealed how wearables, like
the Whoop Strap, can help
training, recovery, and overall
performance.
As Don and I
search for more
C L O C K W I S E : E R I C A S C H U LT Z ; A M A N DA S UA R E Z ; RO S E M C N U LT Y
guests and topics,
we’re open to your
suggestions:
reps@mus
cleandfit
ness.com.
Sincerely,
Zack Zeigler
Executive Editor
WATCH: M&F REPS
Watch and listen to the Muscle
& Fitness podcast on YouTube,
Spotify, or iTunes.
F ROM O L YMP I A
OLYMPIA WEEKEND
REVEALS WIDESPREAD
MUSCLE CRAZE!
T
here was a time when
the bodybuilding
community craved
acceptance from the
outside world. Other
sports pretended not to pay
attention to the seriously
muscled crowd, while
celebrities and marketing
execs steered clear of any
potential association.
But how times have changed!
As I walked the aisles at
our Olympia Fitness & Per-
formance Expo, I couldn’t
help but notice the diverse
cross-section of pro athletes
and Hollywood’s finest fully
entrenched in the Olympia
experience.
I saw CrossFitters and Spar-
tan Racers. I spotted WWE
wrestlers and NFL stars. And
I watched closely as innova-
tive companies connected
with fit-minded customers
of all shapes and sizes. And it
doesn’t stop there.
16 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
HQ
I am always
pleased
when I see the
biggest stars in
the world with
fitness-focused
projects on
their to-do lists.
Dwayne Johnson and his
producing partner, Dany Gar-
cia, both live a bodybuilder’s
lifestyle, and their support of
Olympia Weekend speaks to
their authenticity and keen
understanding that box office
strength and sleeve-splitting
muscle can go hand in hand.
And to his credit, superstar
Mark Wahlberg has made
significant investments in
several companies, including
his Performance Inspired line
of natural supplements.
So as we look to the future,
I’m reminded again of the
prediction famously made by
Joe Weider nearly 70 years
ago, long before Gold’s Gym
C L O C K W I S E : E R I C A S C H U LT Z ; C H R I S N I C O L L ; E R I C A S C H U LT Z ; C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S
opened its doors. In the July
1950 issue of Your Physique
magazine, Joe wrote: “I pre-
dict that a full realization of
the importance of muscular
development will sweep the
world and that the sport of
bodybuilding will grow by
leaps and bounds.”
You were right, Joe. Ripped
abs, protein shakes, and
sleeveless tees have taken over
the world, and Olympia Week-
end remains a celebration of
everything you
predicted.
DAN
SOLOMON
Chief Olympia
Officer
GET MORE INFO AT
mrolympia.com
LIT AF HAS ARRIVED.
™

GET ULTRA-INTENSE POWER,

NEW PUMPS & ENDURANCE.^*
Fuel intensity with our advanced caffeine blend,
which delivers immediate energy and a second
unrivaled surge when you need it most.
With enhanced, clinical dosing,
LIT™ AF is next-level performance.
^
When used in conjunction with
300mg Caffeine a resistance training program.
8g L-Citrulline Malate * These statements have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug
400mg Peak ATP® Administration. This product is
not intended to diagnose, treat,
EXCLUSIVELY FROM GNC 1.5g Nitrosigine® cure, or prevent any disease.
 Amid their individual ascents to the top
of WWE, BECKY LYNCH and SETH ROLLINS have
captivated the WWE Universe, emerged as
all-stars in the fitness industry, and blazed a new
path for aspiring Superstars to strive for.
How’d they do it? Hard work, determination,
and training their asses off.
BY JIM SCHMALTZ ///
PHOTOGR APHS BY ERICA SCHULTZ

T
H E R O A D T O T H E T O P O F WWE
wasn’t an overnight trip for Becky Lynch
and Seth Rollins, who have become two
of sports entertainment’s most popular
attractions. And perhaps this shared
affinity for grinding it out in the ring
explains why Lynch and Rollins (real
names Rebecca Quinn and Colby Lopez)
gravitated toward each other outside of
the ring as well.
Last May, when their relationship was revealed to
the public, the WWE Universe swooned at the
news. It just seemed to make sense: The crimson-
haired Lynch is the first woman to hold the
Raw Women’s Championship and SmackDown
Women’s Championship simultaneously. And “Beast
Slayer” Rollins is the WWE Universal Champion
and the winner of the 2019 Royal Rumble. Both are
beloved by the WWE Universe, which regularly
sends the two Superstars’ names trending to the top
of social media whenever their entrance music hits.
What’s more, both are fitness fanatics.
SETH ROLLINS & BECKY LYNCH
Rollins (shown flying high
above) is a Raw Superstar, and
you can see him in action
Monday nights on the USA
Network. WWE SmackDown, on
the other hand, is airing on Fox
as of Oct. 4 on Friday nights.
Here was America’s answer to
the celebrated coupling of Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle: a
ginger across the pond becoming
romantically involved with a
Yank from the heartland. But
unlike the overseas version, our
royal couple kicks ass, takes
names, and looks great doing it.
Yet despite their very real
affection for each other, some
catty online trolls believe that
it’s all a marketing stunt. Lynch
isn’t having it.
“If you ask the internet, we
don’t have any chemistry,” she
says. “I think that people have a
20 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
perceived view of me and him,
and to see us come together, I
don’t know that they envisioned
it. I think people always need
something to complain about.”
Both grew up in love with the
sport and began dreaming of
making it to the big time as kids.
Rollins, hailing from Davenport,
IA, began hitting the gym when
he was 16 years old.
Inspired by WWE legends
Shawn Michaels and the late,
great Eddie Guerrero, Rollins
entered wrestling school and
worked his way up the ladder,
competing in a number of
Shot on location at WWE Performance Center, Orlando, FL
different promotions before
reaching the pinnacle of sports
entertainment—WWE. Once
Rollins made it big, he became
an instant hit.
The Irish-born Lynch took a
less-direct path to her current
perch as undisputed queen of the
ring. After failing PE at 15, she
got serious about training.
“I looked at all the WWE
Superstars, and they were in
great shape,” she says.
A M A N DA S UA R E Z
But looking good wasn’t
enough. Lynch found it difficult
to find her niche as she tried
to break into the sport on
 the independent circuit.
Then she drifted a bit for
seven years, working as a
stuntwoman, a personal trainer,
a language teacher, and an
actress, even doing a stint as a
S T Y L E D B Y TA M M A R A KO H L E R F O R Z E N O B I A
flight attendant.
Eventually, she persevered and
rose to the top, helped by her
earthy charisma and verbal gifts.
Lynch commands an audience
and trash-talks with the skill of a
seasoned veteran.
“I’m a little bit mouthy, but I
back it up,” she says.
With her death-stare determi-
nation honed by her steely Irish
flint, the four-time WWE
champ isn’t going to back down
to anybody.
“Championships represent
being at the top of your game.
It means that you are the best
of the best,” says Lynch. “Any-
body who wants to take it
from me better step up and be
better, otherwise I can’t sit
with that.”
That goes for her training as
well. Just ask her other half.
“Becky and I have opposite
strengths when it comes to
workouts,” Rollins says. “I’m
more skill-oriented, so when
it comes to gymnastics-like
movements or weightlifting,
like doing a snatch, I have an
advantage. But her engine is on
another level. If she has move-
ments that are just go, go, go,
she’s going to outrun me every
single time. I’m always trying to
play catch-up to her when it
comes to those workouts.”
Lynch knows Rollins is also a
beast in the gym—yet another
reason they connect so well.
“We’re at the top of our games
because we work our asses off,”
says Lynch. “We’re on the same
wavelength.”
SETH ROLLINS & BECKY LYNCH

CrossFit Jesus and

the Celtic Goddess
Both Rollins and Lynch train
under the guidance of Josh
Gallegos, a CrossFit luminary
who is not only a CrossFit
Level 2 trainer but for eight
years has been one of the hosts
of the annual CrossFit Games.
Gallegos trains other WWE
stars, including Cesaro, Bayley,
Karl Anderson, and the Singh
Brothers. He’s a close friend of
Rollins’, and the two started
DeadBoys Fitness, an online
training company, a couple of
years ago.
Gallegos uses a hybrid of
different workout techniques,
with an emphasis on CrossFit
training principles.
“I try to keep it as fresh as
possible because I’m going on my
fifth year training with Seth and vein as CrossFit in the sense that their program.
my third year with Becky,” says it changes every week.” “Sometimes I’ll get a phone call
Gallegos. “It’s not just the same WWE athletes are notorious from Becky that’s like, ‘Hey, I

H A I R A N D M A K E U P BY M E GA E N SAC K R I D E R
mundane thing over and over. I for being on the road frequently, can’t make it into a gym today.
try to keep their barbell lifts and so Gallegos makes sure that he Can you give me a workout to do
their weight training in the same gives them the tools to stay on in the hotel?’ And so I’ve got to,

When Seth Rollins tried is considered elite). And, yes, it

HIS PROGRAM CrossFit for the first time, there will hurt so good.

SETH AND
was no looking back. One of his
favorite CrossFit WODs is called W O R K O U T O F T H E D AY

FRAN, A
Fran, a mild-mannered name for
a brutal little workout. FRAN FOR TIME
MATCH MADE
“It’s a couplet of barbell thrust-
ers and pullups,” Rollins says. “A DIRECTIONS: Complete each move

IN HELL
thruster is a full front squat into one after another, resting only as
needed. Aim to finish the circuit as
an overhead press.” quickly as possible.
The prescribed sequence is
three rounds of 21, 15, and 9 reps. EXERCISE SETS REPS
Men are supposed to use a 95- BARBELL 3 21, 15, 9
pound barbell for the thruster; THRUSTER *
women should use 65 pounds.
And you’re supposed to do it as PULLUP 3 21, 15, 9
fast as inhumanly possible. Give *Men use a 95-pound barbell; women
Fran a try and see how close you use a 65-pound barbell.
come to Rollins’ time (three
minutes and 20 seconds, which

22 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


on the fly, fix either her workout
to be done in a hotel gym or
write her a completely new one.”
It works. One reason is their
dedication. Gallegos says he used
to train them separately, but now
they work out—and compete—
with each other.
“They’re both very competitive,
and so now their programming
A M A N DA S UA R E Z
has kind of been morphed into
one. Seth lifts more weight
than Becky, but they still do the
same kind of workout, though
there are some skills that Becky’s
still working on that Seth has
already mastered.”
Skills aside, when the two go
head-to-head on equal terms,
Lynch gives Rollins all he can
handle.
“We did this fun workout for
our DeadBoys channel called
Man Versus Man because Seth
used to be called ‘the Man,’ ”
says Gallegos. “Becky is now ‘the
Man.’ No joke, these two tied
the workout. That’s just how
crazy they are. They legitimately
tied a workout that we’ve been
pumping for, like, four weeks
straight.”
Lynch loves to test herself
against the guys in the gym.
“Myself, Seth, and Cesaro, we’re
always competing against each
other on DeadBoys Fitness,” says
Lynch. “We’re so competitive. I
think that pushes me because I
always want to win. I usually do.”
Rollins, who earned the nick-
name “CrossFit Jesus” a few years
ago, thrives in an environment of
pushing his body to the max. It’s
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
Rollins and Lynch
often train together as
a way to motivate each
other in the gym.
about paying dues, something he
has very much in common with
his significant other.
“It’s validation that the years
of hard work in the gym pay
off, and it’s not just you in there
suffering,” says Rollins about his
success. “I take a lot of pride in
it. Me and Becky are at the top
of our game, and it’s a reminder
that the hard work pays off.”
Gallegos sees it every day from
CrossFit Jesus and the Celtic
Goddess. For Rollins and Lynch,
working their asses off is in their
DNA.
“There are a lot of people that
don’t want to take the hard road,”
Gallegos says. “They think, ‘Oh,
it’ll be easy. It’ll come to me.’ But
that’s not the case. Their work
ethic inside the ring and outside
of the ring is unmatched.”
TUNE IN
to Raw every Monday night
on the USA Network and
SmackDown every Friday night,
as of Oct. 4, on Fox.
23
EXPERIENCE IT!

SEPTEMBER 12–15, 2019

ORDER TICKETS AT MROLYMPIA.COM
Streaming Live at DigitalMuscle.com
 BODY BOOK TRAIN LIKE... ASS KICKER IRON MAIDEN
How 311 front man Nick Record-breaking Skateboarder-turned– Spartan Race pro
Hexum stays fit to give his powerlifter radio host Jason Ellis is a Faye Stenning is a savage

EDG
all onstage, p28 Amanda Lawrence, p30 Sirius badass, p32 on the course, p36

NEWS,
INTERVIEWS,
SPORTS,
AND
GEAR

WAT C H

ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP

Hang on to your Twinkies—Zombieland is
back, and it looks promising. For starters,
Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games
trilogy), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social
Network), and Emma Stone (La La Land)
are back in the sequel of the 2009 horror
comedy, which breathed new
life in the zombie subgenre. Expect
plenty of laughs, slick action sequences,
and, according to IMDB, another Bill
Murray cameo.
In theaters Oct. 11

C O M I C S U P E RV I L L A I N ’ S O R I G I N F L I C K I S N O J O K E

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 25

 By Bobbi Dempsey P OWE R E D G E

THE IT
MAN
Broadway vet
TAYLOR FREY takes
on a killer clown in
It Chapter Two, but
it’s his daily workout
that keeps him
calm and focused
off-screen.

FEELING THE
PRESSURE
Sometimes you get material
that’s just comfy, but this was
different and epic. It’s It, for
crying out loud! So when
I shot [the audition]
on my iPhone,
I decided, “I
really need to QUIT
fuck this up,” CLOWNING
in a way that AROUND
was com- It Chapter Two is in
mitted and theaters now.
authentic. I hid
blood capsules
in my mouth, bit
into them at the right
moment. It looked so real!

GETTING THE CREEPS up, and wake up as the sun A REWARDING

I’m actually not a fan of horror
films in general, but I’ve always
been a fan of It. In junior high,
the miniseries really freaked
me out. I had nightmares
about clowns for years.
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
My scenes are pretty graphic.
Plus, these were night shoots.
I’d wake up at 4 in the after-
noon, eat breakfast, and we’d
ALLEN ZAKI
was going down, can really do
a number on you.
IRON THERAPY
I’m really into kettlebells,
hot yoga, and high-intensity
interval training right now. It’s
a nice outlet for me to get out
my stress and frustrations. I’ve
completely eliminated bread
and meat from my life. Fish
and sushi are still hanging in
ENDEAVOR
My husband [actor Kyle Dean
Massey] and I decided to give
IVF a go, but it’s such a tough
road. I started this new busi-
ness [Elevate, an egg-donor
agency] in the past year. We
try to help infertile couples,
gay couples, and anyone who
needs help building a family.
We have about 120 pregnan-
cies right now! We’ve helped a

shoot all night until around 6 there, but I’m trying to switch lot of people reach their goal
or 7 [in the morning]. To go to to more plant-based to reduce of becoming parents, and it’s
bed when the sun was coming my carbon footprint. pretty amazing.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 27

E D G E BODY
ALL “HEXED” UP
Offstage, 311 front man NICK HEXUM likes to
push his body so he can give his all onstage.
What’s your secret to staying
fit on the road?
I make it fun by incorporating
music in most of my workouts.
I have a running playlist of
songs that are specifically 150
beats per minute, which is not
a superfast pace, but it’s a good
pace. I step to the beat, and it
just makes it like you’re danc-
ing rather than working out. I
have different playlists. If I’m
on the elliptical, then it’s more
of a house tempo, under 130
beats per minute. I also do F45
classes, which are interval-
training classes. There’s
pounding music, and every-
28 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
BOOK
body’s high-fiving each other
and super-supportive.
You also play competitive
sports?
I play in a couple of different
basketball leagues. I’m actually
not that great, but that com-
petitive spirit takes over.
You don’t think about getting
your heart rate in the target
zone; you’re just thinking
about getting the hell down
court. I also surf. That’s really
good cardio for me because
I’m not one of those guys who
just sit out there and wait for
the perfect wave. I’m taking
a lot of waves and wiping out a
lot and fighting for my surviv-
al out there.
Is there any kind of set
routine that you have or do
Photographs by Brian Bowen Smith
 By Bryan Reesman

you just change it up?
Right now, I’m doing a little
cardio in the morning to wake
up. Like today, I was at the
hotel gym for about 40 min-
utes on the elliptical. And then
tonight before the show, I’ll do
some stretching and weights.
Then I’ll do the show, which is
an exercise in itself. The risk is
overtraining, where you can
get to a place where there’s
just nothing but pain and you
feel like you have the flu.
Nick Hexum
How are fans responding credits the
to the songs from the new keto diet for
keeping him
Voyager album? shredded at
It’s been great. We believe 49 years old.
in the philosophy of kaizen,
which is constant improve-
ment. Whether it’s new mate-
rial, leveling up the staging, or
tightening up the harmonies
and the performances—how
do we keep making it better?

You guys are always

touring in the summer-
FOLLOW
HEXUM
time. I guess that’s a on Instagram:
good weight-loss @nickhexum.
program?
Our clothes are soaked
when we get done. You have
to really hydrate before and
after the show because you
will feel a kind of hangover
from dehydration.

What about your diet?

I pretty much do Paleo or
keto or whatever you want to
call it. I find I can eat as much
as I want except with bread
and sugar.
E D G E TRA I N L I KE . . .

AMANDA
LAWRENCE
At 22 years old, she
holds three world
powerlifting records—
and is just getting
warmed up.

A
manda Lawrence not
only took first at the
women’s -84kg open
class at this year’s
IPF World Classic
Powerlifting Championships—
she did it in style, breaking
three world records with a
536-pound squat, 556-pound
deadlift, and 1,352-pound
total. Not bad for a 22-year-old
with only three and a half
years of training.
Now her sights are set on
USAPL Nationals, and her
goals are even bigger. Here’s
her take on training, mindset,
and social media.

NATURAL TALENT
I had never trained the squat,
bench, or deadlift before my
first meet in June 2016. Then
I started training the January
before. I squatted every day
for four months, and I ended
up breaking the American
junior squat record.
BALANCING ACT
I’ve noticed the heavier you
start squatting—especially, for
me, once I got into the 500s—
it’s harder to recover as fast
from that. I used to squat three
days a week, but I’m down to
developed, so I do more glute
and hamstring work. Also, I
don’t believe that accessories
are a massive game changer,
either. The more you do the
movement, the better you’ll
be at it.
COU RT E SY OF W H I T E L IG H TS M E DI A

NEVER SETTLE two days a week. Then I dead-

To win Worlds was pretty cool.
Going forward, I want to show
what [my coach, Joey Flexx,
and I] can actually do. I’m not
comfortable just competing
at one world championship,
because it can be taken away
before you know it.
lift twice a week, and then I
bench up to four days a week.
HOW TO ACCESSORIZE
Your accessory movements
should depend on where your
weak points are. For example,
for squats, my quads are pretty
JUST SAY NO
I’m pushing women’s strength
to new heights, and I think
that’s the reason why [people
assume I’m on steroids].
Honestly, I take it as a huge
compliment if somebody
thinks I am, because I’m not.

30 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 By Rose McNulty

Lawrence’s next
competition is
USA Powerlifting’s
Raw National on
Oct. 16 to 20 in
Lombard, IL.

TRAINING

S Q UAT A N D B E N C H
EXERCISE SETS REPS

LOW-BAR SQUAT 3 7
BENCH PRESS 5 3
CLOSE-GRIP 3 8
BENCH PRESS
BELT SQUAT 3 12
OVERHEAD PRESS 4 10
I’ve been drug tested maybe YOU VERSUS YOU FACE-PULL 3 12
10 times in the past three I don’t like comparing myself
years, because I’m on an out-
of-meet athlete-locater form.
to others, because it eats you
alive. My way of thinking is,
LAWRENCE’S SPLIT
They know where we are at all “Do your best, and success DAY EXERCISE
times, so they could show up will come with it.” One of the
MONDAY SQUAT AND BENCH
at any point and drug test me. things that bothers me about
the internet is that people try TUESDAY BENCH
SOCIAL CIRCLE to portray Dani Melo [Law-
My Instagram [miss.amanda rence’s chief competition]
WEDNESDAY DEADLIFT
.ann] blew, and I feel like my and me as rivals, but in reality, THURSDAY BENCH
account receives a lot of hate we push each other, but we
because people don’t know wouldn’t be happy if we just
FRIDAY SQUAT
[powerlifting]. But at the same only tried to one-up the other. SATURDAY DEADLIFT AND BENCH
time, for all the hate, there are You can’t hate somebody for
so many nice comments. being just as good as you. SUNDAY OFF

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 31

E D G E C L AS S I C MU SC L E
TIGHTER THAN EVER
Washington Redskins tight end
VERNON DAVIS is entering his 14th
season looking and feeling like
an NFL rookie.
V
ernon Davis is in the
midst of his 14th season
in the National Football
League; that’s four times
as long as the average
NFL career length of 3.3 years.
At age 35, the Washington
Redskins tight end, who
justifiably earned the nick-
name “the Ageless Wonder,”
is showing no signs of slowing
down anytime soon.
“I’m not surprised at all,
because it’s what I planned to
do,” Davis says. “I set a plan and
34 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
made my mind up to do things
a certain way and did it. In the
beginning we all want things
that work right now—we want
that initial impact because you
can’t see into the future. You
have to have faith in the things
to come. Just because you
aren’t getting the benefits right
away doesn’t mean it won’t
happen over time; you just
have to be patient.”
Davis has been diligent with
his diet, fitness, and workout
regimen since he was selected
sixth overall in the 2006 NFL
Draft by the San Francisco
49ers. He says he’s done
everything the same way
since he entered the league.
When the season ends, Davis
says, he takes the first month
off from training. After that,
he returns to his lifting and
stretching regimen—along
with a weekly assort-
ment of massages,
dry needling,
and chiroprac-
tic work.
 By Michael LoRé

Davis’ weight
room commit-
ment has led to
two Pro Bowl
appearances.

“You create longevity member of the Denver Bron-

T I M E L E S S S P O R T S N U T R I T I O N ; N I C K WA S S /A P/ S H U T T E R S T O C K

through habits and the con- cos. Just as important, Davis’

sistent preparation you use commitment to training has
when it comes to football,” helped extend his playing
Davis says. “I created a habit, career.
and it became a lifestyle.” “Being a pro doesn’t just
At this stage of his NFL mean doing what coach tells
career, Davis’ focus is on you to do; it’s doing things
strength, not bulk. At 6'3", when people aren’t looking,”
248 pounds, he aims to keep Davis says. “It’s all in your will.”
his body fat below 4% while
remaining flexible and agile. T R A I N I N G D AY
Davis spends about three
hours a day working out. On OFF-SEASON
lifting days, he’ll begin with TRAINING SCHEDULE
a one-mile warmup. And as
a receiver, each workout will DIRECTIONS: For each lifting
always include catching balls. session, Davis’ workouts consist of
4 sets each of 16, 12, 10, and 8 reps.
“I’m not necessarily trying
In 2009 with the to make sure I’m like the
49ers, Davis DAY EXERCISE
co-led the NFL Incredible Hulk,” Davis says
with 13 touch- with a laugh. MONDAY TOTAL BODY:
down receptions.
And when it comes to diet, BENCH PRESS,
SINGLE-LEG LUNGE
Davis—who launched his
own supplement company, TUESDAY TRACK: 400M, 300M,
Timeless, in January—avoids 200M, 100M, 60M
fried foods and sodas but will
occasionally indulge in a glass WEDNESDAY TOTAL BODY: DUMBBELL
PRESS, SQUAT
of wine at events.
Thanks in part to his off-the- THURSDAY AGILITY: CONE DRILLS,
field regimen, on-the-field LADDER DRILLS
Davis has been a two-time
Pro Bowler and has a FRIDAY TOTAL BODY: INCLINE
CHEST PRESS, LEG PRESS
Super Bowl ring as a

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 35

E D G E I RON MA I D E N
TRUE GRIT
Spartan Race pro FAYE STENNING is a
serious savage on the course.
What got you into obstacle
course racing?
I kind of got pulled into it
because my ex-boyfriend
wanted to try it out. I won my
first race [in 2013] by 20
minutes, and I was like, “This
is so dumb—there are no real
athletes in this sport.” But
then I went to the States [from
Canada] and started doing
races and started not winning.
That got me hooked. I was
like, “I guess that this isn’t as
easy as I thought it was.”
Spartan Races require full-
body strength and lots of
endurance. How do you train
for them?
I train a lot with marathoners
in New York City to improve
my aerobic engine. In the
evenings, I’m in the gym
lifting really, really heavy
[weights], doing short bursts
of power and strength. And
36 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
FOR MORE
Follow Stenning
on Instagram:
@fayestenning_ocr.
then there’s all this other type
of stuff around, like yoga and
rock climbing.
It’s tough for racing to pay
the bills. Do you have
another job?
I own Grit Coaching, an
online training company. Faye Stenning,
29, has quickly
I’ve partnered with [Jessica become one of
O’Connell], one of my friends the world’s top
obstacle course
that I’ve ran with since high racing athletes.
school. She’s an exercise
physiologist and a former
Olympic runner. I wanted a
running coach to come on
board and utilize some of
the principles of track and
marathon racing to help
turn some of these stronger
athletes into more runners.
You captured third place
at the 2016 Spartan World
Championships. Do you
think you could win the title?
Living in New York City, I’m

an anomaly as a pro in this
sport. All my competition
lives at high altitudes,
like in Colorado or in the
mountains. They’re just out
every day in the mountains,
C O U RT E S Y O F S PA RTA N
climbing up and down,
carrying sandbags and
buckets. For me to say, “Yeah,
I want to win,” but then not be
willing to move—it’s probably
not a realistic goal, because
I’m not willing to do what it
takes. It would take a whole
lifestyle change.
So what’s your goal?
Top three is my goal. I think
with my team here in New
York—my strength coach, and
with my training partners,
and just a great marathon
community in New York—I
can be good enough to
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
By Anthony O’Reilly
podium at the World
Championships.
And then you’re taking off
after Worlds?
I might run some lower-key
races, just for a little bit of
money. Usually things kind of
die down after [Worlds]. I kind
of enjoy Christmas, see my
friends, my family, and get a
little chubby.
37
 "%7&35*4&.&/5

GET IT TO GO!

® ® TM TM
Available on iPhone , iPad , Kindle Fire , Nook and Android tablets and phones.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of
"QQMF*OD,JOEMFBOE,JOEMF'JSFBSFUSBEFNBSLTPG"NB[PODPN *ODPSJUTBGmMJBUFT/00,JTBSFHJTUFSFEUSBEFNBSLPGCBSOFTBOEOPCMFDPN--$
PSJUTBGmMJBUFT(PPHMF1MBZJTBUSBEFNBSLPG(PPHMF*OD
T R A I N N EWS

HANG UP
THE PHONE
A study out of the American
College of Cardiology found
that people who used their
smartphones for five or more
hours a day had a 43% increased
risk of obesity. People who used
their phones for that amount of
time were more likely to consume
sugary drinks, fast food, and
snacks and exercised less.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Maintaining a regular
workout regimen is key for
staying active and losing
weight, a study published in
Obesity found. People who
worked out at the same time
every day—regardless of the
hour—were more likely to
meet national guidelines for
physical activity than those
who mixed up their training
schedule.

MISSION C L O C KW I S E: S H U T T E R STO C K; E D GA R A RT IGA; PE R B E R NA L

FAILURE
You don’t need to
go heavy to get big
results. Similar levels
of hypertrophy can
be accomplished by
lifting light or heavy
weights—so long as
an exercise is done
to failure, according
to a recent study
published in the
Journal of Physiology.
T R A I N MOV E OF THE MO H By M&F Editors

SHOW
WHY DO IT
“The curtsy lunge particularly Gym in Alpine, NJ (iron-house

NO
works the abductor muscles .co). “It also effectively targets
[outer thighs] more than your the gluteus medius, which
standard lunge,” says Jim helps stabilize the hips to help

CURTSY
Ryno, owner of Iron House improve posture.”

HOW TO DO IT

This twist on the CURTSY LUNGE

1 3
traditional lunge STAND HOLDING a pair TAP YOUR KNEE to the
can help hit of dumbbells at your floor, then push through
smaller, sides with your feet shoulder- your front heel to reverse
width apart. the motion and return to the
underworked start position.
muscles and
improve posture. 2 STEP YOUR RIGHT foot
back behind you and to
the left so that it touches down 4 REPEAT THE movement
with the left leg, going
Here’s how.
PER BERNAL

on the floor on the other side back and forth on every rep.
of your left foot. Keep your Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
torso upright throughout. per leg.

42 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 T R A I N ABS & CORE By M&F Editors

BATTLE-TESTED
This unique plank variation is a step
HOW TO DO IT

B AT T L E R O P E
SIDE PLANK
up from what you’re used to, but it’s
well worth it for more chiseled abs. 1 LIE ON YOUR SIDE and
stack your feet and rest on
your forearm so you’re in a
WHY DO IT strength coach at the Sports side plank position.
“The side plank challenges Performance Institute at the
your core, while the rope
waves jack up your heart
rate to torch extra calories,”
Manchester Athletic Club
in Massachusetts. Bonus:
Your shoulders will get a
2 WITH THE OTHER
arm, grab the end of a
battle rope.
says Matt Pudvah, the head nice pump, too.

3 RAPIDLY ELEVATE and

slam the battle rope to
make waves. Do 20 to 30
seconds per side for 3 to 4 sets.

KNOW THE
ROPES
Adding movement
with a rope taxes
the working shoul-
der and elevates
your heart rate.
E D GA R A RT IGA

44 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 By M&F Editors
STAIR
TREK
Shed fat and
develop your
legs with these
challenging
step climbs.
C
an’t get to the gym
but need to get
some cardio in?
Chances are you
already have a
great option right in your
house or apartment
building or at a nearby
park or track.
“Stair climbing is one of
the most effective ways
to work your lower body
while building cardio
endurance and burning
fat,” explains Ariane
Hundt, founder of New
York’s Brooklyn Bridge
Boot Camp.
Plus, regular stair work-
outs will up your VO2
max (how much oxygen
your body uses during
exercise) and boost your
metabolism for up to 36
hours after you’re done,
she adds.
This 20-minute workout
put together by Hundt
burns more than 200
calories while it targets
all the major muscles—
especially legs and glutes.
Do it on a staircase with
at least three flights, or
about 50 stairs. (If you
can’t find one this big, just
SHUTTERSTOCK
turn around at the top of
a flight and repeat.) Finish
the routine with a few
minutes of stretches.
CARD I O
S H R E D T H E S TA I R S
2 0 - M I N U T E STA I R R O U T I N E
WARMUP
Do this warmup for 5 minutes to
activate your glutes and legs.
SQUAT 20 REPS
• Keep feet hip-width apart,
stretch arms in front; push
heels into floor and squeeze
glutes as you come up. Finish
with a 30-second squat hold.
STATIONARY LUNGE
15 REPS PER LEG
• Finish each set with a
30-second lunge hold.
SQUAT JUMP
20 REPS
• From squat position, jump
up, then land in a deep squat
position.
REVERSE LUNGE
20 REPS PER LEG
CURTSY LUNGE
20 REPS PER LEG
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
T R A I N
ON THE STAIRS
Rest 20 seconds between rounds.
ROUND 1
• Run up three flights (about
50 stairs) at a moderate pace,
one stair at a time. Jog back
down, then hold a 60-second
wall squat.
ROUND 2
• Run up three flights at a
faster pace, taking two stairs
at a time. Jog back down, then
hold a 60-second plank.
ROUND 3
• Jump up three flights (with
legs together, starting and
landing in a squat), taking one
or two stairs at once. Jog back
down, then do 20 pushups.
FINAL PUSH
• Repeat all rounds but double
the flights from three to six.
45
T R A I N BODY WE I GHT

can help build up

BODY BY
BOXING
Here’s a body-weight
routine for those
who want a boxer’s
physique without
any of the bobbing,
weaving, or taking a
jab to the jaw.

W
e may question your
sanity if you said you
wanted to throw
down in a boxing
ring, but we get why
you’d want to look like a
fighter. Boxers are lean,
athletic, and conditioned and
aren’t just all show and no go.
It’s for these reasons that
Kariem McCline, owner of KM
Elite Training in Boca Raton,
FL, has his clients adopt a
boxing-centric training
style to get into stellar shape.

46 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 By Anthony O’Reilly

“Try to put your hands up

in front of your face for three
minutes while
circling the ring.
Your arms are
going to be ABOUT THE
pretty tired, and SOURCE
it’s going to get Kariem McCline is
your heartbeat the owner of KM Elite
Training. Follow him
up,” McCline
on Instagram:
says. “That’s why, @kmelitetraining.
for me, boxing
is the best way
to get in shape
and why you see a lot of pro
athletes taking it up.”
McCline’s brother Jameel
was a former heavyweight
contender (41-13-3), and so
he grew up around the sport.
After becoming a personal
trainer, McCline kept close to
his boxing roots by integrating
sweet-science-inspired training
into his programs.
One of his favorite work-
outs is a body-weight circuit
that has you pushing, pulling,
and jumping with your own
mass to carve out a fighter’s
physique and build muscular
endurance.
While you won’t be throwing
blows like Adonis Creed after
taking on this workout, you’ll
be a step closer to looking
O P P O S I T E PAG E : P E R B E R N A L ; T H I S PAG E : L E S L I E B R AU N ; P E R B E R N A L

like him.

HOW TO DO IT

BOXING WORKOUT
DIRECTIONS: Complete 3 to 4
rounds with a 1-minute rest period
between each circuit.

EXERCISE REPS/SETS

PULLUP 10
DIP 10
PUSHUP 20
SITUP 20
JUMP ROPE 3 MIN.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 47

T R A I N GYM SPOT L I GHT
TAKE ME TO CHURCHILL
At L.A.’s Churchill Boxing Club, trainers combine intense conditioning
with the latest recovery tools.
O
perating an elite boxing
facility all while
directing, producing,
writing, and acting
sounds impossible—
but don’t tell Peter Berg that.
With credits like Friday Night
Lights and the Mark Wahlberg
sufferfest Lone Survivor
under his belt, the renowned
Hollywood jack-of-all-trades
opened Churchill Boxing Club
in 2013 in partnership with
one of the biggest names in
48 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
the game, Freddie Roach.
Boxing wasn’t a passion proj-
ect that Berg found after his
success in Hollywood—in con-
trast, he credits the sport with
becoming the prolific film-
maker he is now. As a child, he
was a ball of uncontrollable
energy and aggression until he
learned to channel it through
boxing. The focus and disci-
pline that he gleaned from the
sport were instrumental in
getting him where he is today.
“Boxing is a great way to
confront and manage your
fear, which helps in every
area of life,” Berg says.
At Churchill, you can expect
to find the state-of-the-art facili-
C O U RT E S Y O F H E M P H Y D R AT E
ties that have made it a favorite
for professional boxers, film
stars, and even the LAPD and
LAFD, in an atmosphere wel-
coming to everyone from sea-
soned pros to Day 1 newbies.
“Everybody checks their ego at
the door,” says Churchill trainer
 By Elizabeth Yun

Hollywood star Peter

Berg (far left, middle)
opened Churchill
Boxing to welcome
trainees of all skill
levels, but everyone
is expected to work
equally as hard.

Josh Landers. “It’s an encourag- motivated it to partner with

TRAINING
ing environment to just come Hemp Hydrate, a drink that
enjoy a great workout.”
But be prepared to work.
harnesses the recovery bene-
fits of CBD. “Boxers especially
CHURCHILL
Landers and the entire need the recovery benefits CONDITIONING
team of trainers will put you with their training. Hemp Hy-
DIRECTIONS: Perform 3 rounds of
through the rounds with their drate’s plant-based formula is this circuit, completing one exercise
brand of challenging routines something that helps every- after another.
focused on boxing structure, one,” Berg explains.
fundamentals, and condition- And Landers has seen the EXERCISE REPS
ing, “all while making it fun results firsthand with his MEDICINE BALL SLAM 15
and sharpening your mental clients. “Fighters say they’re
fortitude,” Landers says. In more focused, engaged, and REVERSE LUNGE 10
addition, trainers educate hydrated during their workout BATTLE ROPE WAVE 30 SEC.
members on the importance while drinking Hemp Hydrate.
of taking care of themselves They also report less pain and BODY-WEIGHT SQUAT 10
outside the ring. soreness post-workout,” he
PLANK 30 SEC.
“Churchill Boxing teaches says. After a few rounds in the
the importance of combining ring at Churchill, your body LEG LIFT 30 SEC.
the right training, hydration, will need all the help it can to
and nutrition,” Berg says. This reduce soreness.
CRUNCH 30 SEC.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 49

 T R A I N AL L ABOUT . . . By Kevin Gray

JOIN THE CLUB

DO A FRONT
PULLOVER
• Hold a club in each hand,
with your arms bent at 90
degrees and the weighted
ends of the clubs facing up.
Begin by taking your hands
and clubs back behind your
shoulders so that your elbows
flex up skyward and the clubs
Using clubs is are facing the ground behind
more about you. Keep ribs and pelvic
finesse than
brute strength. bone tight. Pull your arms
back to starting position.

THE STEEL CLUB

to use them for shoulder
work, noting that anyone
who regularly performs over-
head activities would greatly
This tool can be used to build strength and benefit from them. “Because of
promote better rotational movement patterns. their unique build, they allow

B
for a wide variety of ranges of
etween barbells, cables, dumbbells, and machines motion to be moved through,”
that simulate everything from rowing to skiing, there’s he says. “It’s this full range of
no shortage of options for getting in a great workout. motion that allows joints to
But there’s an old-fashioned piece of equipment that’s become more robust.”
gaining steam, popping up at gyms and probably on your You can also use clubs for
Instagram feed: the steel club. It may be a newer modality for conventional movements, like
most of us, but the steel club’s inspiration dates back centuries. squatting, lunging, hinging,
pressing, and pulling. Plascen-
Colloquially known as updated version of the classic cia is quick to point out that us-
“Indian clubs,” these bowling that can vary in weight from ing clubs is more about finesse
pin–like clubs trace their roots five to 50 pounds. than brute strength. Grabbing
back to India. According to “In a Western culture where the heaviest club and holding
the American Journal of Public dumbbells, barbells, and on for dear life will quickly
Health, they became a popular kettlebells are king, the steel burn out your grip muscles.
form of exercise after British club really provides a unique As with any other weight
soldiers brought the practice experience that challenges the training, you should always
back to England. They became system as a whole to be able start slowly with lighter
popular in America following to stabilize the weight vector,” weights before you progress
E L E N A R AY / A L A M Y

the Civil War.
Indian clubs are still around—
you can even buy them online.
But these days you’re more
likely to find steel clubs, an
says Cristian Plascencia, a
senior durability coach at
Onnit Academy.
Clubs are versatile, but
Plascencia especially likes
to heavier ones. To get start-
ed, Plascencia recommends
trying front pullovers, a basic
movement that will get you
used to the clubs.

50 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 No Other Protein Compares to HumaPro®:
• Economical: Costs less per serving than other proteins†
• Super Concentrated: *1 serving of HumaPro® = a Whole Food Protein
• Equivalent of 25g averaged, with only 0.02 calories per serving†
HumaPro® is also Vegan Friendly, and contains No:
Gluten, Soy, Sugar, Lactose or Heavy Metals.

FLAVORS
APPLE CIDER
EXOTIC PEACH MANGO
FRESH CUT PINEAPPLE
GREEN APPLE CANDY
MANDARIN ORANGE
ROCKET POP
SOUR GRAPE
STRAWBERRY KIWI
SOUTHERN SWEET TEA

SIZES
45 Servings
90 Servings
60 Serving Tablets
90 Serving Tablets
T R A I N TRA I N I NG ME THODS

HAIR OF THE DOG T

hose who have braved
Mountain Dog training
have often found
themselves keeled over
Mountain Dog training is near unbearable, but a trash can, wondering
the science-based training method may be who would be maniacal
what you need for unprecedented growth. enough to conceive such a
program. Well, that sadist is
named John Meadows, and
his Mountain Dog program
may be brutal—but it works.
The IFBB Pro League body-
The Meadows builder and certified strength
row (shown
here), created by and conditioning coach’s
John Meadows, program is used by everyone
helps isolate the
lats better. from beginners looking to
pack on muscle mass to sea-
soned pro bodybuilders like
Mark Dugdale and Amit Sapir.
Even if you’ve never heard of
Mountain Dog training, we’re
willing to bet that your train-
ing has been influenced by it,
whether it’s through the use of
feeder sets, loaded stretching,
or prepumping your muscles
before a heavy lift. Here, we
break down everything you
need to know about this leg-
endarily tough workout.

P E R B E R N A L ; E R I C A S C H U LT Z

52 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


WHAT IT IS
Mountain Dog training is
a bodybuilding program—
defined as following a body-
part split—that follows a four-
phase approach. Phase 1 is
the prepump activation, Phase
2 is the explosive exercise,
Phase 3 is the supramaximal
pump, and Phase 4 is the
loaded stretch.
HOW IT WORKS
The idea is that each phase
serves a purpose, so you’re
not just blindly lifting heavy
weight to failure. Phase 1 is a
light move that helps you es-
tablish a mind-muscle connec-
tion with the target muscle.
Phase 2 is when you’ll perform
a compound movement to tax
your central nervous system.
Phase 3 has you doing a more
traditional bodybuilding
move, like a dumbbell row, to
cause metabolic stress (more
on that at right). Finally, the
stretching phase, or Phase 4,
does exactly what it says and
stretches your muscle tissue
to allow more room for your
muscle to grow.
By M&F Editors
TRAIN DOGGED HOW MUSCLES GROW
Mountain Dog training uses
M O U N TA I N D O G B AC K three scientifically proven
& BICEPS WORKOUT principles for muscle growth.
EXERCISE SETS REPS
MEADOWS 2 8
GOAL
ACTIVATE
1 MUSCULAR DAMAGE:
The breakdown of
muscle fibers is achieved
ROW * AND PUMP primarily through eccentric
DEADLIFT 4 6 TRAIN EX- contractions (the negative
PLOSIVELY portion of a rep). There
are associations between
NARROW- 2 TO SUPRA- eccentric contractions and
GRIP FAIL- MAX PUMP
CHINUP URE soreness, elevation of protein
synthesis, hypertrophy, and
ONE-ARM 2 10 LOADED strength increases.
DUMBBELL STRETCH
ROW
HAMMER
CURL **
2 10 SUPRA-
MAX PUMP
2 MECHANICAL
TENSION: Colloquially
referred to as “time under
tension” (TUT), mechanical
EZ-BAR 2 10 SUPRA-
PREACHER MAX PUMP tension is the window of time
CURL *** in which a muscle is actively
*Place one end of a barbell in the corner
contracting. Weight training
of a wall. Load plates on the opposite differs from other forms of
end. Stand parallel (facing) to the bar. exercise because more TUT
Grab the end of the bar with an overhand demands maximal fiber
grip—this will be the short side of the
barbell. Row the barbell toward your rib recruitment, which leads to
cage, similar to a one-arm dumbbell row. muscle growth.
**Do 5 partial reps from the bottom after
3
each set.
***On the last set, have a partner give
METABOLIC STRESS:
you 4 forced reps or do a dropset. Metabolic stress refers
to the high energy demands
that exhaust muscles of
their stored glycogen and
UP THE INTENSITY create the “burn” effect
Another key to Meadows’ during prolonged TUT.
program is his use of intensity Lighter weight can cause
techniques. These include more metabolic stress than
forced sets, dropsets, and heavy weight, resulting in
partial reps and help push subsequent muscle growth.
your muscles beyond failure.
Or increase your total amount to truly push an exercise to
of mechanical tension. These failure are what have earned
Mountain Dog training its
reputation as downright
savage. Survive these, and
you’ll be rewarded with more
muscle growth.
Bodybuilder
John Meadows
is the madman
responsible for
Mountain Dog
training.
T R A I N I NSP I
MOVING
WITH PURPOSE
DON DUVANEY is on a cross-country bike
ride to benefit children with mobility issues.
F
or the past decade, Don
Duvaney has been the
main enforcer/henchman
of the Spartan Death
Race—Spartan’s annual
mental and physical torture
fest that can last up to 70-plus
hours. Browbeating racers
and getting them to doubt
their strength to continue is
the job. And he’s top-notch at
it, routinely reminding racers
to “move with purpose or be
eliminated.”
Outside that role, the Vermont
54 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
I ON
FOR MORE
Follow Duvaney’s
journey on
Instagram:
@art.fully014.
native is a tough guy to dislike.
He’s jovial and quick-witted
and has an infectious laugh.
He’s also tough as hell and is
clearly taking his own advice
to move with purpose.
Duvaney has completed
three Death Races, and the
lessons he took away from
them helped him realize that
without a plan B, you leave
yourself no choice but to
succeed. This is why, before
he opted to embark on a
cross-country bike ride to
By Zack Zeigler
raise awareness for One Step
Ahead Foundation, he shifted
all his money to his daughter.
Doing so meant he had only
one option: Pedal.
We caught up with Duvaney
in Vermont at the 2019 Death
Race, while he was 9,145 miles
into a 12,500-mile journey.
What is the One Step
Ahead Foundation?
It was created by
fellow Death Racer
Amy Palomar
Winters to raise
awareness and
funds to help
children with
mobility issues.
The goal of this ride is to
raise awareness for the
foundation?
Along with raising awareness,
we’d like to put those children
with mobility issues with
other adaptive athletes in
hopes that they inspire those
kids to dream bigger or to get
out in nature.
How many hours a day are
you on the bike?
Eight, nine, 10, 12 hours a day,
by myself, in my head.
And it’s enjoyable?
It’s living without expectation.
It’s just going. I know that I’ve
got to go out, and I’ve got to
get on the bike, and I’ve got to
pedal, and I’m going to see
amazing things.
What is something that
you’ve seen or noticed?
America is great. It doesn’t
need to be made great again
or anything like that. It’s great.
A M A N DA S UA R E Z
I’ve seen it firsthand every
day. I’ve had not one bad ex-
perience. People are naturally
good. People want to help.
 By M&F Editors 1 5 -MI NUT E WO R K O U T T R A I N

ONE-MAN BAND
Yes, you can build muscle with a
Size matters: The
thicker the band
you’re using, the
more resistance you’ll
be working against.
At first, stick to a thin
band and slowly work
15-minute band workout. We’ll your way up.
prove it to you.

T
hey may not have the
hardcore reputation of
their dumbbell and barbell
brethren, but resistance
bands shouldn’t be ignored.
“I’d put band training up there
with any free-weight workout in
terms of challenging the muscles
and producing gains in size
and strength,” says Jim Ryno, a
personal trainer and owner of
Iron House Gym in Alpine, NJ
(iron-house.co). “Also, the elastic
resistance tends to put less strain
on vulnerable joints like the
knees, hips, and shoulders but
without sacrificing any intensity
or load placed on the muscles.”
Another plus: Band workouts,
like the 15-minute torcher below,
require only one band. So, even if
you’re living in a cramped studio
apartment, your excuses are auto-
matically shut down.

QUICK HITTER

15-MINUTE BAND
WORKOUT
DIRECTIONS: Start with a short warmup
of dynamic stretching and light jogging or
stair climbing. Then repeat the following
circuit as many times as you can in 15
minutes, resting a minute between rounds.

EXERCISE REPS

KNEELING HIP THRUST 20

ONE-ARM ROW 15 PER ARM
FRONT SQUAT 15
E D GA R A RT IGA

BAND-RESISTED PUSHUP 20
TRUNK ROTATION 15 PER SIDE

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 55

T R A I N MOB I L I T Y By Jon-Erik Kawamoto

THAT’S A HOW TO DO IT

KNEELING ARM CIRCLE

TWOFER
Loosen up your
1 GET INTO A LUNGE
position next to a wall,
with one side of your body
it’s next to your head, turning
it so your palm faces the wall.

shoulders and touching it.

3 CONTINUE until it’s at
your side. Repeat for as

2
hips with this RAISE THE ARM that’s many reps as necessary to
easy warmup. against the wall up until feel more limber.

WHY DO IT
To promote thoracic spine
extension and rotation,
shoulder mobility, and hip
flexor lengthening.

SHUTTERSTOCK

56 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019 Photographs by Per Bernal

 By Elizabeth Yun RECOVERY T R A I N

THE BIG
SQUEEZE
Improve blood flow,
reduce soreness,
and combat
inflammation with
compression.

W
e’ve all learned to
embrace muscle
soreness as a sign
of time well spent
in the gym, but
when soreness is holding
you back from hitting your
next workout with the same
intensity, it stops being a
badge of honor and instead
becomes more of a literal
pain in the ass.
Thankfully, there’s a
researched-backed solution to
muscle soreness that requires
you to do pretty much noth-
ing. A popular choice for en-
durance athletes, compression
clothing has been found to
soothe delayed onset muscle
soreness and inflammation as and tissues. In its most funda- to back-supporting shirts.
well as improve endurance, mental application, compress- One of our favorites is this
regulate body temperature, ing the muscles simply makes lower-back support shirt from
and reduce muscular damage. athletes more aware of their Tommie Copper. Combining
bodies—how they’re moving, the muscle-recovery benefits
WHAT THE their posture, and their of compression with posture
SCIENCE SAYS muscle contractions. This support, this shirt is made
There are several theories on awareness leads to more from its proprietary heavy-
how compression garments efficient movement and more weight 4D stretch fabric
work. A popular one is that bang for your buck with each and designed to contour to
they constrict the muscles, workout. your lower back, providing
leading to less muscle vibra- exceptional support. It’s odor-
C OU RT E SY O F TOM M I E COPPER

tions during exercise—which TRY IT OUT absorbing and moisture-

possibly equates to decreased
soreness. Another theory
is that squeezing muscles,
particularly in the extremities,
improves blood and oxygen
flow, sending more blood
and oxygen back to the heart
While sleeves and tights are
the most common forms
of compression gear, the
technology is continually
improving. Now you can find
compression clothing in all
forms, from socks and gloves
wicking, so it’s perfect for a
workout or just to wear as an
undershirt while you’re work-
ing (because, let’s face it, that’s
when we’re doing the most
damage to our backs). Get it at
tommiecopper.com; $80.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 57

 TRAINING
TIPS

DIET
ADVICE

BAD
JOKES

Celebrity trainer Don Saladino and Muscle & Fitness executive

editor Zack Zeigler discuss everything you wanted to know
about fitness...and some things you won’t expect.

MuscleandFitness.com/REPS
 DIET ID DRINKS RECIPE OF THE FOOD FIGHT
We have an R.D. break Drink your six-pack and MONTH Wheat and veggie pasta
down Tom Brady’s keep it, too, with these A tender, low-fat steak square off to see which is

EAT
crazy diet, p62 beer cocktails, p64 recipe that’ll impress, p65 the carb in chief, p68

WHAT’S
IN THE
FRIDGE THIS
MONTH

PLANT POWER

VEGAN DIET CUTS DIABETES RISK

EDGAR CASTREJON/UNSPLASH

Eating a plant-based diet could lower your mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
risk of type-2 diabetes, according to a recent legumes, and nuts had fewer cases of
study published in the Journal of the Ameri- diabetes than meat eaters or vegetarians
can Medical Association. People who ate who ate refined grains and starches.

F E E L I N G T H E H E AT

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 59

E A T N EWS

POP NEWS
SUGARY DRINKS LINKED
TO CANCER
French researchers found that
for every 100 milliliters of sugar-
sweetened drinks consumed, the
risk of overall cancer increased
18%. This may be due to the fact that
high sugar intake leads to obesity,
which has been linked to cancer.

AGA I N S T T H E G R A I N

PALEO DIET COULD CAUSE HEART DISEASE

People on the Paleo diet had double the amount of a
biomarker linked to heart disease, according to a study
published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Lead
researcher Angela Genoni, Ph.D., said this was due to
the Paleo diet’s lack of whole grains, which decreases
the risk of cardiovascular disease.

DON’T BUG OUT

AFTERBURN
BUGS PACK HIGH
AMOUNTS OF HIGH CHILI INTAKE COULD
ANTIOXIDANTS LEAD TO DEMENTIA
Insects have five times Spicy foods may burn fat, but
more antioxidants as they could also have a negative
fresh orange juice and
side effect. Researchers at Qatar
olive oil, according to
a new study published University discovered that Chi-
in Frontiers in Nutri- nese adults who ate more than
tion. Commercially 50 grams of chilies per day had a
available insects like higher risk of dementia. The sci-
grasshoppers, silk- entists theorized this might be
worms, and crickets
SHUTTERSTOCK

had the most anti- because high levels of capsaicin

oxidants, which boost are harmful to sensory nerves.
the immune system
and aid recovery.

60 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 By James Biddle
THE LESSER-KNOWN
PROTEIN
Boost recovery and muscle growth with collagen.
W
e’re sure you’ve
heard of whey and
casein protein
before, but probably
not collagen. And
seeing as it makes up 25% to
S T E V E B OY L E ; C O U RT E S Y O F M U S C L E T E C H
35% of all the protein in your
body, you should know a little
more about it.
Collagen is responsible for
forging your more fibrous
parts—that is, your connective
tissues, ligaments, and even
your skin. Think of it as the
“glue” that holds your body
together. Taking a collagen
SUPP OF THE
supplement—such as Muscle-
Tech’s Prime Series Collagen—
can improve strength, in-
crease muscle, and boost
recovery.
Also, research in the jour-
nal Current Medical Research
and Opinion showed that 73
athletes who took 10 grams of
collagen hydrolysate expe-
rienced less joint pain while
training compared with the
athletes who didn’t.
OK, so you’re sold on colla-
gen, but don’t start guzzling
down just any powder. Where
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
MON T H E A T
THE PRIME
SERIES STACK
MuscleTech teamed up with
Amazon to create the Prime
Series, which also offers whey
protein, pre-workout, and
branched-chain amino acids.
PRE-WORKOUT
Available in wildberry,
this pre delivers a full
dose of beta-alanine for
more strength.
BCAAS Each serving
gives you 5 grams
of branched-chain
amino acids—leucine,
isoleucine, and valine—
to help you recover from
your toughest workouts.
WHEY PROTEIN Crafted
using the same formula
from a world-class
university study that
shows it enhances
protein synthesis.
your collagen is sourced from
matters, which is why we
recommend MuscleTech’s
Prime Series Collagen. Its for-
mula uses collagen peptides
from grass-fed sources and is
gluten- and dairy-free, and it
packs 20 grams of protein and
22 grams of collagen per two
scoops. As a bonus, the pow-
der is flavorless, so you can
manipulate the flavor by mix-
ing it into a variety of shakes
or even baking with it.
61
E A T D I E T I D

THE TB12 DIET

Tom Brady attributes his longevity and health to his scrupulous diet,
but is it overkill? A sports nutritionist breaks it down for us.

I
t’s hard to fathom how Tom Brady has been able to remain at HE DOESN’T MIX
the top of his game at 42 years old and with 19 grueling NFL PROTEIN AND CARBS
seasons under his belt—though the future Hall of Famer will There’s no science to support
certainly point to his clean diet as part of the reason why. this. Maybe he notices he feels
Eighty percent of Brady’s diet has him consuming vegetables; better, or maybe it’s a placebo
the other 20% consists of lean meats. Plus, an outrageous effect, but there’s no science
amount of water, as in anywhere from 12 to 25 glasses a day. that supports not mixing
(How many trips to the bathroom is that?) And that’s only the carbohydrates and protein
beginning of how shrewd Brady is when it comes to his meal together. When it comes to
plans and overall intake. being an athlete, consuming
Brady outlined some of the keys to his career longevity in his both after exercise is a great
2017 book, The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained idea. You replace your carbo-
Peak Performance. Even the quarterback’s chef went on record to hydrate intake, and you also
explain his offbeat diet. We wanted to take it a step further.
We consulted Marie Spano, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., sports nutritionist
for the Atlanta Hawks, to break down several facets of Brady’s diet
to learn if there’s anything really to it. Here’s what she said:

BRADY DRINKS 12 cups a day—typically 80% of

TO 25 GLASSES OF
WATER A DAY
For an athlete, he’s within the
range. One thing athletes do is
that they’ll consume enough
water but don’t consume
enough electrolytes, so they
dilute their blood sodium and
either cramp or feel fatigued.
The average man needs 15.5
that comes from fluid, and the
rest comes from food—so for
the average guy, 12 to 20 is on
the mark, especially if they
exercise.
STAY
HYDRATED
Losing just 2% of
body weight through
sweating can nega-
tively impact your
performance.
E A T COCKTA I LS By Brian Good

NEED A MIXED DRINK? HOP TO IT

Beer is a leaner choice than most premade cocktail mixers. It’s rich and
satisfying and packs less sugar. Here are our favorite beer-based classics.

THE WINTER MAI TAI

¾ oz almond syrup
¾ oz fresh lime juice
1 oz rum
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 (12 oz) can lager of your choice
1 lime wedge, for garnish
TO M A K E : Shake syrup, lime juice, rum,
and bitters with ice. Strain into a
chilled pilsner glass. Top with lager
and garnish glass with lime wedge.

THE GINGER SHANDY

1½ oz citrus vodka
¾ oz lemon juice
1 beer of your choice THE MICHELADA
Ginger beer 2 lime wedges
Salt
TO M A K E : Shake vodka and lemon Cayenne pepper
juice with ice. Strain into a chilled ½ oz lime juice
pilsner glass. Top with equal parts 2 drops Tabasco sauce
beer of your choice and ginger beer. 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch celery salt
THE BLACK VELVET 1 (12 oz) can or bottle Mexican
Champagne or other dry sparkling lager, chilled
wine, chilled TO M A K E :
Guinness stout, chilled Rub 1 lime wedge along half the

TO M A K E : Take a large cocktail glass
(Collins-style is perfect if you have
one) and gently fill halfway with
champagne. Fill the remainder of the
glass with Guinness, pouring slowly
so it doesn’t get too foamy. Stir gently
before serving.
C L A I R E B E N O I S T ; F O O D S T Y L I N G B Y M AT T VO H R / H A L L E Y R E S O U R C E S
rim of a pint glass and dip into a
mix of equal parts salt and
cayenne pepper. Add everything
except lager to the glass, then top
with the beer and garnish with
the other lime wedge.

THE APPLE PIE

1½ oz cinnamon whiskey
1 (12 oz) bottle apple-flavored beer
TO M A K E : Pour whiskey into a shot
glass. Pair with beer and drink
immediately.

64 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 By M&F Editors REC I PE OF THE
SAY CHEESE!
R E C I P E / P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F B E E F. I T ’ S W H A T ’ S F O R D I N N E R . B E E F I T S W H A T S F O R D I N N E R . C O M
This steakhouse classic—ready in under 30 minutes—is delicious,
impressive for company, and easy to make, even on a weeknight.
BEEF 2 tsp minced onion
TENDERLOIN Dash ground white pepper
WITH BLUE 1. Combine topping ingredi-
CHEESE ents in a small bowl. Rub beef
TOPPING tenderloin steaks with garlic.
Season with salt; sprinkle
SERVES 4
with parsley.
4 beef tenderloin steaks 2. Place steaks on rack in
(about 1 lb), cut 1 inch thick broiler pan so surface of beef
1 large garlic clove, halved is 2 to 3 inches from heat.
½ tsp salt 3. Broil 13 to 16 minutes for
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley medium-rare (145°F) to medi-
TOPPI NG: um (160°F) doneness, turning
2 tbsp cream cheese once. One to 2 minutes before
4 tsp crumbled blue cheese
4 tsp plain yogurt
steaks are done, top with blue
cheese mixture.
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
MON T H E A T
AB-
FRIENDLY
Melted blue cheese
may look indulgent, but
by mixing it with yogurt, you
get a crispy cheesy topping
with fewer total calories.
For even more protein, use
Greek yogurt instead of
the standard
variety.
Prefer to cook outside?
You can make these steaks
on the grill, too. Just place
your meat on the grill grid
over medium, ash-covered
coals. Cook with the grill top
down, 10 to 14 minutes for
medium-rare (145°F) to medi-
um (160°F) doneness, turning
occasionally. One minute
before steaks are done, top
evenly with topping.
THE MACROS
206
CALORIES | 26g
PROTEIN | 2g
CARBS | 10
FAT
g
65
E A T 1 FOOD , 5 WA Y S

SARDINES
Crack the can on this affordable, high-protein,
nutrient-dense powerhouse.

A
potent superfood that’s not on most guys’ radar, sardines
are one of the most versatile and healthy foods around.
A 3.75 oz can of the small, silver, soft-boned fish packs 23
grams of protein, more than three times your daily dose of
vitamin B12 (vital for fighting depression and keeping your
blood and bones in tip-top shape), plus loads of omega-3 fatty
acids to lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels and help ward
off heart disease. So don’t let that weird metal tin and key scare
you away from some of the best seafood available. Even if you
don’t like them straight from the can, there are plenty of easy—
and delicious—ways to work these flavorful fish into your diet.

1 ADD THEM TO A SALAD

Use sardines at room temp
or give them a quick grill or
fry first. Either way, a few
sardines can totally transform
a salad. Try tossing with
tomato, cucumber, feta, and
olives for a classic Greek salad
or pair with mixed greens,
roasted red pepper, olives,
red onion, and Parmesan for a
Spanish-style dish.
different species of fish.
Anchovies are smaller, saltier,
and much fishier tasting. So, if
you don’t like them, sardines
may be the ideal alternative.
Try adding a few of the fish to
homemade pizzas along with
caramelized onions, marinara
sauce, and mozzarella or
chuck a few on your favorite
frozen vegetable or cheese
pizza before baking.
Add a bit of lemon juice and
spread over warm toast for a
quick snack. Or mix sardines
with celery, red onion, mayo,
dill, mustard, and lemon juice
for an easy alternative to
tuna salad. Sardines also go
perfectly with avocado toast.
Just mix the avocado and
sardines with lemon juice, chili
flakes, and salt and pepper and
then spread on warm bread.

2 3 4
G E T T Y I M AG E S

PUT THEM ON PIZZA PILE ON TOAST STIR INTO PASTA

Although they look Try sautéing some A Mediterranean staple,
similar, sardines and sardines, garlic, and fresh sardines plus pasta sauce is a
anchovies are two distinctly herbs in olive oil until warm. classic food pairing. You can

66 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


simply stir diced sardines
into your favorite red sauce
before using it on top of
cooked ziti or spaghetti. Or
step it up and try sautéing
sardines, shallots, garlic,
SHUTTERSTOCK
and red pepper flakes and
then tossing the mixture with
freshly cooked pasta, sliced
kale, and radishes, plus
salt, pepper, and lemon
juice to taste. Add capers or
croutons for a heartier or
more flavorful dish.
5 CRAM THEM IN A TACO
For a supereasy fish taco,
sauté some garlic along with a
few sardines in olive oil until
warm and golden brown. Put
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
By Brian Good
A
HISTORIC
FIRST
Sardines were one of the
earliest foods ever canned.
The original MRE, their origin
dates all the way back to 1795,
when Napoleon first used
them as a means to fuel
his troops during long
cold winters.
a bit of light mayo in the
center of a flour tortilla, add
the fish, diced radish, green
onion, and cilantro, and top
with a squirt of lemon juice.
To change things up, try
salsa instead of mayo; lime
juice instead of lemon; and
shredded cabbage in place of
the radish or onion.
67
 E A T HOT PRODUCT By Liz Yun

DOUBLE
IMPACT
Take your workouts
to the next level by
stacking these
powerful pre-
workouts from
Allmax.

T
here are few better
feelings for gym rats
than “the pump”—just
ask Arnold—but
sometimes you don’t
have that last bit of gas in the
tank to get there. If you want
to ensure you’re leaving
every training session feeling
as though you obliterated
your workout, Allmax has the
perfect pre-workout stack
for you.

PUMP UP YOUR
WORKOUT
Impact Pump is perfect on
its own for the twilight gym
rats who want an edge
without the up-all-night buzz.
Its unique stimulant-free
formula contains three key
ingredients: citrulline malate, amino acids like caffeine, was formulated with
a vasodilator and natural beta-alanine, L-carnitine, ingredients that complement
energy booster; lion’s mane, a NAC, and alpha-GPC. This one another, so you’re getting
mushroom that has been powerful combination of the perfect balance of
found to improve mental ingredients boosts energy, stimulants, muscle pumpers,
function and relieve anxiety improves mental acuity, vasodilators, and focus
and depression; and speeds recovery, and without going overboard on
E D GA R A RT IGA; COU RT E SY OF A L L M A X

GlycerPump, which helps
draw water into the muscles
for an extreme pump.
...OR SET YOUR NEXT
WORKOUT ON FIRE
Impact Igniter combines the
pump-inducing power of
citrulline malate and lion’s
mane with stimulants and
increases muscle pump. any ingredients. Get them at
allmaxnutrition.com.
COMBINE THEIR
POWERS FOR A
MAXIMUM PUMP
For the ultimate pump,
Allmax carefully formulated
Impact Pump and Impact
Igniter to work even better
together. Each supplement

68 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

70 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
TEMPO
> Extending the length
of your sets may be
the best and most
underutilized way to
build slabs of muscle.
BY DAN TRINK, C.S.C.S.
/// PHOTOGR APHS BY ERICA SCHULTZ

T
HERE ARE LOTS
of reasons to have
an eye on the clock
when you’re train-
ing. The main ones
being that timing
your rest periods
will make sure that you’re
keeping your pace up in the gym,
and it will guarantee that you
finish your training with enough
time to get to work.
But there is one aspect of timing
in your workouts that you may
be ignoring completely. One that
will ensure you are working your
muscles in a way that optimizes
growth. A method that has you
time out the length of each phase
(lowering, lifting, pausing) of
each rep and, ultimately, each set
in order to promote the great-
est amount of muscle gain. It is
known as time under tension
(TUT) training.
TUT can be achieved in two
ways. The first is to set a timer—
say, for 40 seconds—and continue
to perform an exercise for that
amount of time without stopping.
A more effective way, and the one
THIS PROGRAM this program will focus on, is to
use a tempo prescription for each
WILL FOCUS rep. Why is this more effective?
ON A TEMPO Because it allows you to specifi-
PRESCRIPTION cally slow down the eccentric or
lowering phase of each rep. And
FOR EACH REP. there is much research to back up
that slow eccentric phases are an
effective way to build mass.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 71

T I M E U N DE R T E N SION T R A I N I NG

In our program charts, tempo Most TUT programs (this one included) focus on a slow lowering phase
is laid out as a four-digit number. and a fast lifting phase. So even if you lose count of the seconds for each,
Each number correlates with a remember that you should go down slowly and come up fast.
specific phase of the movement You are going to want to cheat the rep speed and move faster as you
and represents the number of fatigue. Don’t. Get a training partner to count the tempo for you. Three or
seconds you will spend in this four seconds is a long time.
phase. The first number rep- Be conservative with your weight selection. While you may be able to
resents the lowering phase (for bench 225 for 10 reps normally, the longer lowering phase will make
example, the descent in a squat, everything that much harder. So cut 20% off the weight you use.
lowering yourself in a pullup, or
bringing a bench press down to
your chest). The second number
refers to any pause at the bottom
THE PROGRAM
of the movement. The third is the Directions: Perform each workout once per week, resting on two
lifting phase, in which you are nonconsecutive days. Note that the reps shown in the charts are for
overcoming gravity to lift the bar use in Week 1 only. In Weeks 2 to 4, use the following guidelines:
or your body. The final number is
any pause that might occur at the WEEK 2: All reps go to 10–12.
top. So a 4-1-1-0 tempo for a back WEEK 3: All reps go to 6–8.
squat would have you lowering for WEEK 4: All reps go to 12–15.
a four-second count, pausing for Be sure to scale your weights marked with the same letter
one second at the bottom, taking appropriately from week to are supersets. Perform the
one second to stand up, and then week. Use heavier weight for first move, rest, then do the
not pausing at the top. Using tem- lower reps and lighter weight next one. Repeat until all sets
po this way will force each rep to for high-rep sets. Exercises are complete.
last six seconds (4+1+1+0 = 6). If
you maintain this tempo for eight
reps, then the entire set will take WEEK 1, DAY 1
48 seconds, which falls right in
the middle of the ideal time under EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST
tension range to build muscle (40 1. BACK SQUAT 4 8–10 3-1-1-0 60 SEC.
to 60 seconds).
And while it may take a workout 2A. DUMBBELL STEPUP 3 8–10 PER LEG 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.
or two to get used to using tempo, 2B. ROMANIAN DEADLIFT 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.
the benefits are worth it. At right,
we show you how to shorten your 3A. WALKING LUNGE 3 8–10 PER LEG 2-0-1-0 60 SEC.
learning curve.
3B. HANGING LEG RAISE 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.

WEEK 1, DAY 2
RESEARCH EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST

BACKS 1. BENCH PRESS 4 8–10 3-1-1-0 60 SEC.

UP THAT 2A. SINGLE-ARM 3 8–10 PER 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.
ECCENTRIC DUMBBELL PRESS ARM
REPS BUILD 2B. CABLE CHEST FLYE 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.
MUSCLE. 3A. SEATED ARNOLD PRESS 3 8–10 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.
3B. PUSHUP 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.

72 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 BACK SQUAT
Rest a barbell across your traps.
Brace your abs and then de-
scend into a squat until the bot-
toms of your thighs are parallel
with the floor. Explode back up.

FLOOR PRESS
Set the hooks of a
power rack to arm’s
length from the floor.
Place a loaded barbell
into them and then
lie on the floor, back
down, so that your
eyes are under the
barbell. Unrack it and
lower the weight until
your triceps touch the
floor. Then drive the
weight back up.

Shot on location at Iron Culture Gym, Cedar Knolls, NJ OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 75
T I M E U N DE R T E N SION T R A I N I NG

CLOSE-GRIP CHINUP
Grab a pullup bar with an underhand
grip, both hands right outside of your
chin. Squeeze your shoulder blades
together and pull yourself up until
your chin passes the bar.

WEEK 1, DAY 3
EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST

1. PULLUP 4 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.

2A. BARBELL 3 8–10 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.
HANGING LEG RAISE BENTOVER ROW
Hang from a pullup bar with what- 2B. CABLE STRAIGHT-ARM 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.
ever grip is comfortable, legs fully
PULLDOWN
extended. Stay tight and slowly raise 3A. SINGLE-ARM 3 8–10 PER 3-0-1-1 60 SEC.
your legs straight out until your body DUMBBELL ROW ARM
forms an L. If that’s too hard, bend
3B. REAR DUMBBELL FLYE 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.
your legs and perform a knee raise.

74 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 BARBELL BENTOVER ROW
Grasp a barbell with both hands
at shoulder width. Drive your hips
back and lower your torso until
it’s about parallel to the floor. Row
the bar to your belly, keeping your
lower back in its natural arch.

/
T I M E U N DE R T E N SION T R A I N I NG

WEEK 1, DAY 4
EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST

1. TRAP-BAR DEADLIFT 4 8–10 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.

2A. HEELS-ELEVATED 3 8–10 3-2-1-0 60 SEC.
GOBLET SQUAT
2B. GLUTE-HAM RAISE 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.
3A. LEG PRESS 3 8–10 3-1-1-0 60 SEC.
3B. REVERSE 3 8–10 3-1-1-0 60 SEC.
HYPEREXTENSION

SINGLE-ARM DUMBBELL PRESS

Sit on the edge of a bench, holding a
dumbbell with one hand at shoulder
height. Keeping your torso straight,
press the dumbbell straight up until
your arm is fully extended overhead.
Complete all the reps on one side and
then switch.

HEELS-ELEVATED GOBLET SQUAT

Hold a single kettlebell vertically in
your hands, gripping it by the horns.
Stand with your heels on a pair of
2.5- or 5-pound plates, then perform
squats, dropping your hips low and
keeping your back rigid throughout
the move.

/
 SINGLE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW
Place one knee and the same-side
hand on a bench, holding a dumb-
bell in the other hand. Keep your
torso parallel to the floor and row the
dumbbell up and back as if you’re
revving up a lawnmower.

REAR DUMBBELL FLYE

Lie stomach down on a bench set to
about a 45-degree incline, holding a
light dumbbell in each hand. Lead
with your elbows to raise your arms
up until your upper back contracts.
Lower your arms back down until
fully extended.
WEEK 1, DAY 5
EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST

1. FLOOR PRESS 4 8–10 3-1-1-0 60 SEC.

2A. CLOSE-GRIP CHINUP 3 8–10 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.
2B. DECLINE EZ-BAR 3 8–10 4-0-1-0 60 SEC.
SKULL CRUSHER
3A. INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL 3 8–10 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.
3B. TRICEPS ROPE 3 8–10 3-0-1-0 60 SEC.
PRESSDOWN

INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL

Set an incline bench to about 60 degrees and
sit back on it, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Squeeze your shoulder blades back together and
curl both weights up.

DAN TRINK, C.S.C.S.,

is a strength coach and personal
trainer and the author of the book
High-Intensity 300 from Human
Kinetics. Find him on Instagram:
@dantrink and on the Web:
dantrink.com.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 77

POWER
> Don’t let achy joints sideline your
training. Instead, use these seven
moves to train around them.
I
T’S NOT UNHEARD OF FOR
regular gymgoers to experience joint
pain from repeatedly hitting up the
squat rack and bench press. At best,
these nagging pains—in areas like the
lower back, shoulders, and elbows—can
slow you down. At worst, they can make
78 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
THROUGH
THE
PAIN
you susceptible to a serious injury if you’re
not careful. If you’re experiencing chronic
pain that persists outside the gym, then be
sure to see a doctor. That said, the exercises
on the following pages will allow you to
train around an achy joint without taking
away from your workout.
B Y L E E B O Y C E , C . P. T . / / / P H O T O G R A P H S B Y A M A N D A S U A R E Z
TOMMIE KEEPS YOU

MOVING
Our innovative compression apparel
with 4D Lycra® helps you feel better
and recover faster!

“They are comfortable to

wear & reduce the pain.”
- David from Venetia, PA

N OW AVAILABLE AT SHOP
JOI N T-F R I E N DLY E X E RC I SE S

TRAP-BAR HIGH PULL

 High pulls are a great

explosive movement
for building more power
through the hips and a
bigger upper back. But they
can put a lot of strain on the
shoulder joints. Using a trap
bar instead of a straight
bar allows you to pull from
a higher starting position
and with a neutral grip.
This changes the angle of
your upper arms, placing
it in a safer position when
pulling upward, preventing
impingement.
DO IT: Load a trap bar
with a moderate amount
of weight, then stand in
the middle of it with your
hands positioned squarely
in the middle of the han-
dles. Stand up quickly and,
in one smooth motion,
shrug your shoulders and
pull up hard with your el-
bows until the bar reaches
chest level. It’s OK to get up
on your tiptoes.
SETS X REPS: 6 sets x 3–5 reps.
TRAINER TIP: Kill the nega-
tive rep. Keep your hands
on the bar, but let it crash
to the floor rather quickly.
This will help prevent you
from overtaxing your ner-
vous system or increasing
your risk of injury under
heavier loads.

80 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019 Shot on location at Iron Arena, North Bergen, NJ

DIP WITH FAT GRIPZ
 Doing dips with your
hands on a fatter bar, which
you can use by placing
Fat Gripz on dip bars,
increases the surface area
that your hands are press-
ing against. This decreases
the stress on your hands
and also increases the
comfort level in the re-
maining joints in the chain
(elbow, shoulder).
DO IT: Place a pair of Fat
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
GRADUATED
COMPRESSION
helps reduce pain & swelling
RECOVERY
accelerate muscle recovery
COPPER & ZINC
offers natural and permanent
anti-odor technology that
won’t wash out
Gripz on a set of dip bars.
From there, lower yourself
until your elbow joints
bend 90 degrees. Drive
through your hands to
come back up.
SETS X REPS: 5 sets x max reps.
TRAINER TIP: To ease elbow
and shoulder pain, you can
also use Fat Gripz for other PERFORMANCE
pressing movements like Over The Calf Compression Socks
the bench press and the
shoulder press. 60 DAY MONEY
BACK GUARNTEE
return with no questions asked
SHOP
81
JOI N T-F R I E N DLY E X E RC I SE S

TRAP-BAR BENTOVER ROW

 Using a trap bar en-

courages a neutral hand

position, which can make
for greater shoulder blade
retraction and, therefore,
less shoulder stress. Plus,
the weight is more evenly
distributed around the
body, which will provide a
break for your lower back.
DO IT: Stand inside a loaded
trap bar as you would for
a deadlift. Drive your hips
back and hinge over to grab
the handles. Keep your
chin tucked, then row your
elbows up to your sides
until they pass your torso.
SETS X REPS: 4 sets x 10–12
reps.
TRAINER TIP: Remember
that trap bars can often
weigh more than Olympic
bars. The last thing you
want is to initiate a row
with 15 to 30 more pounds
than you expected.

82 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

VIKING PRESS
 This popular strongman
move has the lifter press
two neutral bars overhead.
The neutral grips and
adjustable hand width are
a great combo for better-
quality pressing that’s
also shoulder-friendly.
Plus, you’re unintentionally
using a fatter grip (the ben-
efits of which are discussed
on page 81).
DO IT: You probably won’t
find a Viking press machine
at your local gym, but you
can MacGyver one. Set up
two barbells to sit horizon-
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
tally across pins—set at chest
level—in the squat cage. (For
best results, stagger them so
that the far side is one notch
higher than the near side.)
Place small plates (2½ or 5
pounds) on the far side of
the barbell, and use these as
blockers or pivot points for
the bar. Load the near side
PAIN RELIEF
for lower back
with weight and place those support all day
ends of the barbells on your
shoulders. Lean in slightly,
then press overhead, mak-
ing sure to create a straight
line from shoulders to feet.
SETS X REPS: 5 sets x 10–12 reps.
SUPPORT
built in discreet lower
back support
COPPER & ZINC
offers natural and permanent
anti-odor technology that
won’t wash out
PRO-GRADE
Lower Back Support Shirt
60 DAY MONEY
BACK GUARNTEE
return with no questions asked
SHOP
83
JOI N T-F R I E N DLY E X E RC I SE S

ISOMETRIC DEADLIFT
 Pulling an empty bar as hard

as you can into safety pins

allows you to work with max
effort without stressing your
lower back with real weight. So
an isometric pull can be subbed
in to tax your central nervous
system for when your lower
back needs a break.
DO IT: Set up an empty bar in the
squat cage at ground level, with
the safety pins at the bottom
notch of the cage, above the
bar. Set up as you would for a
conventional deadlift, and pull
with good form, right up into the
pins. Try your hardest to stand
up with the weight.
SETS X REPS: 6 sets x 10–15 seconds.

LANDMINE HACK SQUAT

 This old-school move, in which

you hold a barbell behind you

and under your glutes as you
squat, places more tension on
your quads. Using the landmine
is more knee-friendly due to the
position and angle of the feet
relative to the rest of the body.
DO IT: Load a landmine bar with
manageable weight. Place the
bar over one shoulder and sup-
port it with both hands as you
lean fully against it with your
upper back. Your body should
be standing on a massive slant.
Find your comfortable stance,
then squat down, making sure
to “push against” the bar to
change force angles.
SETS X REPS: 4 sets x 15–20 reps.
TRAINER TIP: Aim for higher reps
here. The quads respond very
well to high-rep work, and the
setup of this movement is very
conducive to chasing a pump,
rather than trying to max out.

84 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


SAFETY BAR SQUAT
 We normally associate
squats with knee pain and
back pain, but the back-and-
down position that they
demand of our elbows can
wreak havoc on the shoul-
der joints. Enter the safety
bar. This barbell sits on your
shoulders with handles out
in front for you to grab onto,
which allows the hands
and arms to be comfortably
tucked, rather than flared
out to the sides, stuck on a
bar on the back. For people
with immobile shoulders or
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
COMFORT
all day comfort compression
for support and recovery
PAIN RELIEF
targeted relief for the
lower back
COPPER & ZINC
offers natural and permanent
anti-odor technology that
won’t wash out
cranky elbows, that can be
a saving grace for joint pain
and discomfort.
DO IT: Position your head
in the space provided and
ensure the bar rests com-
fortably on the upper traps.
Hold on to the handles nice
and tight, and perform your
standard squat.
SETS X REPS: 5 sets x 5 reps.
TRAINER TIP: Pull on the
handles while squatting. It’ll PERFORMANCE
help produce back tension Comfort Back Brace
to keep you braced and up-
right during the squats. 60 DAY MONEY
BACK GUARNTEE
return with no questions asked
SHOP
85
ALL HAIL THE EGG

Aussie Burger
SERVES 4

All you need to pull off the comfort-

food staple that is an egg-topped
burger is a great cut of beef and a bun
that’s not too sweet. Then grill or fry
your burger and top it off with a fried
egg and a funky cheese.

2 cups seasoned rice wine

vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp whole coriander seed
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp dry mustard
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and
thinly sliced
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and
cut into four ½-inch-thick rings
1 tbsp hot sauce
4 tbsp mayonnaise
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 lbs ground beef chuck,
preferably grass-fed,
not too lean
Coarse salt and freshly ground
black pepper
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 ciabatta buns
4 large eggs
4 slices pickled beets

1. In a medium saucepan, com-

bine vinegar, honey, coriander,
peppercorns, olive oil, mus-
tard, and ginger. Bring to a boil
and cook for 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl, pour mixture over
pineapple, cover with plas-
tic wrap, and refrigerate
overnight.
3. Combine hot sauce, mayon-
naise, and lime zest and juice
in a bowl; set aside.
4. Prepare medium-high grill or
ridged grill pan. Remove pine-
apple from marinade and grill
for 2 minutes per side.
5. Season beef with salt and
pepper and form into 4 burg-
ers. Grill the burgers, turning
once. Cook about 6 minutes the pan. Cook until whites
for medium-rare. are firm.
6. Melt 2 tbsp butter. Lightly 8. Place burgers on buns and
brush cut sides of buns with top each with a beet slice, a
the melted butter and grill for pineapple ring, and a sunny-
1 to 2 minutes. Spread mayo side-up egg.
mixture on buns.
7. In a nonstick pan, melt remain-
THE MACROS
ing 2 tbsp butter over medium-
low heat. Break each egg into
a small bowl and add them to
1,066
| 85g
|
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS
77g
| 46
FAT
g

88 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 Ramen Salad
SERVES 4

“You’ll find the runny ‘hard-boiled’ egg at all ramen shops

in Japan,” explains Ivan Orkin, an American who moved
to Japan in the ’90s and eventually opened one of the
country’s most revered ramen restaurants. Today he runs
Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop in New York City.
This ramen salad actually features two cooked eggs:
one semi-hard-boiled, and the other omelet-style, which
is very thin and sliced up along with the rest of the
ingredients. Egg yolk is the perfect creamy counterpart
to the tangy soy-based dressing, says Orkin: “When the
yolk breaks over the noodles, it adds a whole other sauce.”
But what really makes any ramen unique is the
noodles. Unlike buckwheat, or soba, noodles, those found
in ramen are springier and soak up broth better.

halved lengthwise
Karashi (hot
Japanese mustard)

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

20 oz high-quality fresh
ramen noodles
1 small sweet onion,
very thinly sliced
4 slices bacon, cooked
crisp and crumbled
8 oz smoked ham, cut
into thin ribbons
2 small cucumbers, cut
into thin ribbons
4 small tomatoes, cut
into thin wedges
2 cups shredded
romaine lettuce
BUY THE PERFECT EGG 8 eggs, 4 cooked into
Sebastien Archambault, the former chef at New York’s a thin omelet and
Park Hyatt Hotel, explains the importance of farm fresh.
sliced in ribbons;
“For eggs to have true flavor and real nutritional value, 4 semi-hard-boiled,
chickens need to be free to roam and eat grass, insects,
and flowers—yes, the richness and flavor of the yolk when
chickens eat flowers is amazing. A yolk should always be THE MACROS
bright orange, not yellow—yellow means there’s no keratin
and that the hen wasn’t eating what it was supposed to.” 1,041 45g
CALORIES PROTEIN
5 oz tamari or soy
sauce
2 oz rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp canola oil
2 tbsp malt vinegar
¼ cup dashi (instant
hondashi is widely
available)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp honey
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 garlic clove, pressed
1. Cook and cool the
noodles. Drain well;
divide among 4 bowls.
2. Mix together onions
and bacon. Arrange
ham, cucumber, toma-
toes, lettuce, and om-
elet in neat piles over
noodles. Top with bacon
mix and boiled egg.
3. Spread karashi on
each bowl’s rim. Whisk
together vinaigrette and
pour on salad.
104g 46g
CARBS FAT

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 89

ALL HAIL THE EGG

Shakshuka
SERVES 4

The egg is the perfect finishing touch—the key to completing a dish that is
“almost there.” One ideal dish to showcase eggs is the Tunisian staple
shakshuka, which, with its chopped garlic, peppers, fiery harissa, and baked
egg, is an ideal brunch—with supposed magical hangover-clearing powers.

2 tbsp olive oil a gentle simmer, and

2 tbsp harissa
(Tunisian chili paste)
2 tsp tomato paste
2 large red peppers, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt
5 large ripe tomatoes,
chopped
4 large free-range eggs, plus
4 egg yolks
½ cup labneh (Lebanese cream
cheese) or thick yogurt
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat olive oil in a large pan
over medium heat. Add
harissa, tomato paste,
peppers, garlic, cumin, and
¾ tsp salt. Stir and cook
for about 8 minutes, until
peppers soften.
2. Add tomatoes, bring to
THE MACROS
311 14g
CALORIES PROTEIN
cook for 10 minutes more,
until you have a thick sauce.
Taste for seasoning.
3. Make 8 little dips in the
sauce. Gently break the
eggs and carefully pour each
into its own dip. Do the same
with the yolks. Use a fork to
swirl the egg whites a little
bit with the sauce, taking
care not to break the yolks.
4. Place pan in oven and bake
for 8 to 10 minutes, until egg Kale Caesar Salad
whites are set but the yolks SERVES 4
are still runny. (You can
Pairing a poached egg with salad is
cover the pan with a see-
one of the oldest culinary traditions
through lid if you wish in the world, one that can transform
to speed up the process.) a starter into a satisfying light lunch.
5. Remove from oven, leave
for a couple of minutes to
settle, then spoon into indi- 1 lb Tuscan kale, thinly sliced
vidual plates and serve with 1 lemon, cut into
the labneh or yogurt. ¼-inch segments
½ cup Caesar dressing (recipe
at right)
Salt and pepper
17g 22g
CARBS FAT ¼ cup capers
¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted

90 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
FOR THE CAESAR DRESSING:
1 oz anchovies
1 garlic clove
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 egg yolks
1 cup grape-seed oil
¼
1
cup olive oil
cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Make Caesar dressing. Place
anchovies, garlic, mustard,
Worcestershire sauce, vin-
egars, lemon juice, Tabas-
co, and egg yolks in a blender.
Blend until smooth, then
slowly add the oils and 2 tbsp
water. Remove from blender
and whisk in Parmesan.
2. Mix together kale, lemon, and
Caesar dressing. Season with
salt and pepper.
3. Divide salad among 4 bowls.
Top each with capers, sun-
flower seeds, and shaved
Parmesan.
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
To poach the perfect egg:
1) Fill a small pot with water,
then add some salt and a cup
of vinegar; bring to a boil.
2) Break an egg into a bowl;
over the sink, pour the egg
onto a slotted spoon to drain
off any extra water, then
pour it back into the bowl.
(This step eliminates fly-
away strands of egg white.)
3) Turn off the stove and
begin stirring the water to
create a “whirlpool.” Hold
the egg just above the water,
then slide it into the center of
that vortex—this is the trick
to making sure the egg holds
its form. 4) Let the egg cook
for 2 minutes. 5) Remove
with a slotted spoon.
4. Poach eggs in 4 quarts of
water. Drain eggs and place on
paper towels to dry. Place an
egg on each salad.
5. Optional step: Bread poached
eggs using a mixture of equal
parts all-purpose flour, beat-
en egg, and breadcrumbs.
Deep-fry them in oil at 350°F
for 1 minute, or until breading
is nicely toasted. Remove eggs
from oil, season with salt and
pepper, and place on top of
salads.
THE MACROS
929
| 22g
| 22 | 87
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS
g
FAT
g
91
 5 MOVES TO

>

B
Y NOW, YOU know skater squat brings the focus to
that getting leaner your quads while enhancing your
comes down to balance. (After all, you don’t want
what you put in your to be all show and no go.) You’ll
mouth (or what you then move into a plank row,
don’t), but tweaking which adds a stability element
your training can to the normal plank. Finally,
certainly amplify the you’ll blast through 20
results. Assuming reps of thrusters. These
your diet is on point, suck, but your work
then adding this circuit—which will be rewarded with
employs lower- and upper-body bigger shoulders
exercises that activate your and a seriously
core—will scare your fat straight. conditioned
Here’s how it works: The body.
single-leg Romanian deadlift vari-
ation will strengthen your entire
backside and keep you looking
sharp in that he-man costume
you know you want to break
out for Halloween. From
there, you’ll work your
chest while holding
a hollow position
to activate your
abs. The

BY JEB STUART-JOHNSTON ///

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL
ONE-ARM PLANK ROW
 Adding time to a plank
is effective up to a point.
Before you know it, you’ll
need to spend minutes
upon minutes holding a
stationary position for it
to be challenging. In-
stead,you can add a row
to beat boredom and
add an extra element
of stability.
DO IT: Get into a pushup
position with one hand
on a dumbbell and one
hand on a bench. From
here, row the dumbbell
up under control until
your upper arm is paral-
lel with your torso. Don’t
twist your torso, and try
to stay perfectly rigid. To
increase difficulty, you
can add additional weight
or place your feet closer
together (as that will in-
creasebalance demands).
Doall reps on one side,
then switch sides.
G E T S C A RY SH R E DDE D

S C A R E FAT

SCARY-SHREDDED
CIRCUIT
DIRECTIONS: Perform 1 set of the
first move, rest 30 seconds, and
then move on to the next exercise.
Continue this pattern until you’ve
completed all the moves, then
rest for 3 minutes. Complete 2
more rounds for a total of 3. Each
week, add a round until you get to
5, then up the weight that you’re
lifting for each move and start back
at 3 rounds.

EXERCISE REPS

FOOT-ON-WALL RDL 8–12 PER SIDE

ONE-ARM 8–12 PER SIDE
HOLLOW PRESS
SKATER SQUAT 8–12 PER SIDE
PLANK ROW 8–12 PER SIDE
DUMBBELL 20
THRUSTER

SKATER SQUAT
 An easier variation of the

pistol squat, the skater squat

will still give you all the
quad-building and balance
benefits, but it’s easier to
perform and won’t stress
your knees as much.
DO IT: Hold a kettlebell by the
horns in a goblet position. Pick
one foot up off the ground and
bring it down and back until
your knee touches the ground.
When your knee touches the
ground, return to standing
without placing the foot on the
ground. Perform all reps with
one leg and then proceed to the
next. If you’re having trouble
balancing, you can touch your
foot to the ground before start-
ing the next rep.

94 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 ONE-ARM HOLLOW PRESS
 A hollow position—that is,
on your back with your feet
and shoulder blades off the
ground—is one of the most
challenging core moves one
can perform. Naturally, we’re
going to add a press. This
builds upper-body strength
and incorporates more of
Shot on location at Global Fitness Studio, Gardena, CA
your obliques, as opposed
to just your rectus abdominis
(or six-pack muscles), as
you need to stabilize during
the press.
DO IT: Lie down on your back
with your feet extended and
a kettlebell in one hand. Now
draw your rib cage and pelvis
together to lift your feet and
upper back off the ground.
You should be resting on your
lower back and glutes. Hold
your free arm out to your side
for balance and begin press-
ing the kettlebell over your
chest. Perform all reps on one
side before switching sides.
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 95
G E T S C A RY SH R E DDE D

FOOT-ON-WALL ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

 Not only does this Press your right
work your ham- foot firmly into the
strings, glutes, and wall behind you—
back, but perform- you should feel your
ing a Romanian hamstring contract.
deadlift with your Now keep your
foot pressed against back straight and
the wall takes some hinge at your hips,
strain off your back driving your hips
and hits more of back and pushing
your hamstring. your foot into the
You also won’t need wall, to lower the
to go heavy to feel dumbbell or kettle-
this one, either. bell to about shin
DO IT: Stand about a level. Reverse the
foot or so in front of position to come
a wall with a kettle- back up. Perform
bell or dumbbell all reps on one side,
in your right hand. then switch.

96 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 DUMBBELL THRUSTER
 This is pretty comfortable squat end of your range
much cardio compared with the of motion, explode
disguised as a standard barbell upward as if you’re
strength-building back-loaded trying to jump
exercise. That’s variety. through the ceil-
not to say that DO IT: Hold two ing. Extend your
squatting and then medium-heavy arms overhead in a
pressing weights dumbbells or push press, coming
won’t build muscle kettlebells in the onto the toes in a
and power in your front rack position, triple-extension
legs and shoulders, keeping the abs movement. Lock
but trust us when tight and braced. arms out overhead.
we say you’ll be Squat as deeply Gently bring the
sucking wind. As a as you can while bells back to the
bonus: The neu- maintaining a front rack position
tral grip will help neutral spine and while softening the
alleviate shoulder remaining under knees like shock
pain and will control. When you absorbers. Brace
make for a more reach the bottom and repeat.
REWRITING
HISTORY: PART 1

> Six workouts created

by six Mr. Olympias
get makeovers for a more
modern take on training.
BY JEB STUART JOHNSTON /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL

98 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 TWO-ARM DUMBBELL
PREACHER CURL
Hold a dumbbell in each hand
and drape the backs of your
upper arms over a preacher curl
bench. Extend your arms fully
and then curl the weights back up
until your biceps contract.

#1 LARRY SCOTT’S ARM WORKOUT

OLD ROUTINE NEW ROUTINE

EXERCISE SETS REPS EXERCISE SETS REPS REST
1. TWO-ARM 6 6–8 1. EZ-BAR CURL 4 8–10 60 SEC.
DB PREACHER
CURL
2. BARBELL 6 6–8 2. TWO-ARM 4 10–12 45 SEC.
PREACHER DB PREACHER
CURL CURL

3. BARBELL 6 6–8 3. EZ-BAR 3 12–15 45 SEC.

REVERSE CURL REVERSE CURL

/
 OLY M PI A WOR KOU T S 2.0
#3

FRANK
ZANE’S ABS
WORKOUT
MOST FOLKS CAN’T handle
the volume that Zane used to hit
his abs with. So I cut that down
big-time. I also added in Pallof
presses, as we can all use more
antirotational work. The ab mus-
cles are primarily stabilizers, and
by priming them with the Pallof
press, we create a more stable
core, which will improve all our
flexion-based ab exercises.

OLD ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1A. HANGING 4 20
KNEE RAISE
BACK SQUAT
1B. HANGING 4 20
KNEE RAISE
1C. ROMAN CHAIR 5 30
SITUP
2A. LEG RAISE 5 30
2B. CRUNCH 5 30

3. ONE-ARM 3 25 PER
CABLE CRUNCH ARM
4. HYPEREXTENSION 1 20

NEW ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS REST

ONE-ARM CABLE CRUNCH 1. PALLOF

PRESS
3 10 PER
SIDE
30
SEC.
Kneel down in front of a cable
machine and grab a rope attach- 2. HANGING 4 FAILURE 45
ment, set high up on the pulley, in LEG RAISE SEC.
one hand. Squeeze your abs and
3. BODY 3 12 60
crunch your loaded arm down SAW SEC.
toward the center of your legs so
that your abs contract. Do all reps 4. ONE-ARM 3 25 PER 45
on one side and then switch. CABLE ARM SEC.
CRUNCH

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 101

 OLY M PI A WOR KOU T S 2.0

#4 SAMIR BANNOUT’S BACK WORKOUT

THIS IS a pretty standard OLD ROUTINE NEW ROUTINE

muscle-building back workout,
but I tinkered with the details. EXERCISE SETS REPS EXERCISE SETS REPS REST
For one, most trainees are going 1. WIDE-GRIP 4–5 10–12 1. ONE-ARM 4 15 PER 60 SEC.
to have trouble hitting 12 quality CHINUP ALTERNATING ARM
chinups for five sets. I swapped CABLE
the chinup with the wide-grip 2. SEATED 4–5 10–12 PULLDOWN
pulldown (they’re technically the CABLE ROW
2. ONE-ARM 3 10 PER 60 SEC.
same movement), so most peo- 3. NAUTILUS 4–5 8–10 ALTERNATING ARM
ple will be able to get something MACHINE CABLE ROW
out of the exercise. I also added PULLOVER
in lighter, one-arm vertical and
4. BEHIND- 4–5 8–10 3. WIDE-GRIP 4 10–12 90 SEC.
horizontal pulls to warm up the THE-NECK PULLDOWN*
back and help activate the lat PULLDOWN
muscle. Finally, I added in the 4. CABLE ROW 3 8–12 90 SEC.
dumbbell pullover to help target 5. ONE-ARM 4–5 10–15 5. DUMBBELL 4 12 60 SEC.
the oft-ignored serratus muscle DUMBBELL PER PULLOVER
(found under and to the side of
ROW ARM
your pecs). *If you’re able to do at least 8 body-weight pullups,
then feel free to perform 4 sets to failure instead of
wide-grip pulldowns.

WIDE-GRIP PULLDOWN
Secure your knees under the pads
and grab the lat pulldown bar with
a wide overhand grip. Squeeze your
shoulder blades together and pull the
bar down until it’s past your chin.
 #5

DORIAN
YATES’ BACK
WORKOUT
IN KEEPING with Yates’ high-
intensity training style, I kept the
two to three warmup sets that
build into one balls-to-the-wall
set. I tossed out underhand bar-
bell rows, since they can put your
biceps at risk of a tear; the T-bar
row is as effective, and the neutral
grip is safer. Heavy rack pulls will
work your upper and lower back
just as well as deadlifts and exten-
sions. Rest as needed.

OLD ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS
1. HAMMER 1 8–10
STRENGTH
PULLDOWN
2. UNDERHAND 1 8–10
BARBELL ROW
3. HAMMER 1 8–10
STRENGTH PER ARM
ONE-ARM ROW
4. CABLE ROW 1 8–10
5. BACK 1 10–12
EXTENSION
6. BARBELL 1 8
DEADLIFT

NEW ROUTINE
ONE-ARM HAMMER ROW EXERCISE SETS REPS
1. NEUTRAL-GRIP 1 8–12
If your gym doesn’t have a PULLDOWN
Hammer Strength ma-
chine, lie against a bench 2. T-BAR ROW 1 8–12
(as shown), with one foot
3. ONE-ARM 1 8–12
planted on the ground. Grab HAMMER ROW PER ARM
a D-handle attached to a
cable pulley in one hand 4. RACK PULL 1 5–8
and hold it to your side.
Repeat all reps on one side 5. STRAIGHT-ARM 1 15–20
PULLDOWN
and then switch.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 103

OLY M PI A WOR KOU T S 2.0

SEATED ALTERNATING
FRONT RAISE
Sit on the end of a
bench with a dumbbell
in each hand. With a
slight bend in your
elbow, raise one arm
up until it’s level with
your shoulder. Lower
the weight and then
raise the other dumb-
bell. That’s 1 rep.

NEW ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS REST
#6 1. MACHINE 3 12, 10, 90 SEC.
JAY CUTLER’S OVERHEAD 8*
PRESS
SHOULDER WORKOUT
2. SEATED 3 12, 10, 60 SEC.
ALTERNATING 8*
I SWAPPED the seated dumbbell OLD ROUTINE FRONT RAISE
press for a machine overhead
press, which is a little more com- EXERCISE SETS REPS 3A. SEATED 4 12 -
LATERAL RAISE
fortable for the shoulder joints, 1. SEATED 3 12, 10, 8
and made this compound move LATERAL 3B. BENTOVER 4 20 60 SEC.
the first of the workout. Then I RAISE REAR LATERAL
added some rear-delt work, which 2. SEATED 3 10, 10, 8 4. DUMBBELL 4 10 90 SEC.
helps counteract the increasingly ALTERNATING SHRUG**
common slouched, desk jockey FRONT RAISE
*Increase weight as reps go down.
posture we’re in for a good chunk
of the day. Lastly, holding the
3. SEATED 3 10, 10, 8 **Hold for 3 seconds at the top of the exercise.
DUMBBELL
top of a shrug for three seconds PRESS
fatigues the muscle without the JEB STUART JOHNSTON
need for more weight. I think this 4. STANDING 3 10
is a routine that Cutler himself
DUMBBELL is a New York City–based personal
SHRUG trainer and nutrition coach.
would approve of.

104 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

> Three hearty Indian
vegan dishes
for guys who
hate salad.
BY BRIAN GOOD
 H
ENRY FIRTH and Ian
Theasby didn’t set out to
become famous chefs or
social media stars—or even
write a cookbook. At first,
the pair of U.K.-based
digital marketers were just trying
a new way of eating. Theasby
dropped meat as a New Year’s
resolution. And Firth gave it up
in an effort to help fight climate
change. But that single shift in
the duo’s diets led to big things.
“When we moved to a plant-
based diet, we had to relearn how
to cook good food,” Firth says.
“So we got in the kitchen, experi-
mented a lot, and starting creat-
ing these amazing meals. From
there, setting up Bosh! [the duo’s
breakthrough Web channel at
Curry House Jalfrezi
SERVES 4
This curry, often made with meat, fish, paneer—a fresh Indian cheese—or veggies,
is stir-fried and served in a spicy sauce of chilies, peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
1 large eggplant
¼ cup olive oil
Salt
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
5 green bird’s-eye chilies,
2 thinly sliced and 3 halved
lengthwise
1 small bunch cilantro, stems
finely chopped and leaves
roughly chopped
3 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala, plus more
to taste
¼ tsp hot chili powder, plus more
to taste
½ cup tomato paste
P H O T O S : L I Z Z I E M AY S O N
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 (9 oz) bags microwavable
basmati rice, prepared
FOR THE STOCK:
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger,
bosh.tv] felt like a really
natural thing to do.”
“Three years on,”
Theasby adds, “we’ve
received over 1 billion
views—we average 26
million views a month.”
“We’re not profession-
ally trained, but we’ve
always been foodies at
heart,” says Firth. “A lot
of the vegan foods and
recipes that are out there
are cold salads and food that
just didn’t excite us. We try to
remix food by taking our favorite
dishes—lasagnas, curries, pies—
and making them vegan.”
“Eating vegan doesn’t need to
be boring, and you don’t have to
compromise on taste,” Theasby
peeled and grated
5 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
½ fresh red chili, finely chopped
3 cherry tomatoes, chopped
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground fenugreek
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp paprika
1. Cut eggplant into ¾-inch
chunks. Spread over a sheet
pan. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp oil
and a pinch of salt. Toss to
coat. Broil for 15 minutes,
turning occasionally.
2. Make the stock. Put ginger and
garlic into a bowl and mix with
1 tbsp water to make a paste.
Place a saucepan over medium
heat and pour in oil. Add onion
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
says. “We also don’t want people
to spend hours cooking. We
want you to look at recipes and
think, ‘I could make that.’ Our
meals are for everyone, whether
you’re veggie, flexitarian, or just
looking for some new inspiration
in the kitchen.”
and sauté for 5 minutes. Add
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Add
all remaining ingredients plus
1 cup water and stir. Simmer
for 10 minutes, until browned
and reduced completely. Stir in
1 cup water. Transfer mixture
to a blender and process until
smooth.
3. Pour remaining oil in a sauce-
pan over high heat. Add onion,
bell pepper, and thinly sliced
chilies and cook for 3 minutes,
stirring regularly. Stir in cilantro
stems and remaining ginger-
garlic paste (from making the
stock). Add curry powder,
garam masala, hot chili pow-
der, tomato paste, broiled
eggplant, and stock. Stir in
tomatoes. Simmer gently for
10 minutes, stirring frequently,
until slightly thickened.
4. Top with chili halves and cilan-
tro leaves. Serve with rice.
THE MACROS
350
| 6g
| 40 | 19
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS
g
FAT
g
107
108 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

Biryani and Chutney
SERVES 6
This hearty dish, similar to curry, is typically made with Indian spices; rice;
chicken, goat, beef, lamb, prawn, or fish; plus vegetables or eggs.
1 cup basmati rice
Salt
10 green cardamom pods
7 garlic cloves
3 fresh bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
¼ tsp black peppercorns
½ cup olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 (14 oz) cans jackfruit, drained
1 (1¼ inch) piece fresh ginger,
peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ cup dairy-free yogurt
1. Add rice, 1⅔ cups water, a
pinch of salt, 6 cardamom
pods, 4 garlic cloves, 2 bay
leaves, and 2 cinnamon sticks
to a saucepan. Bring to a boil,
stir once, then reduce heat to
lowest setting. Put the lid on
FIRTH AND THEASBY’S RULES FOR DELICIOUS VEGAN COOKING
1 STOCK UP ON SPICES
“Anything can be made exciting
with the right spices. It’s a whole
world of flavors to experiment with.
Make sure your cupboards have a
range of different spices that will
keep you creative in the kitchen.”
2 PACK YOUR
KITCHEN WITH
QUALITY FOODS
Firth and Theasby have some go-to
ingredients that they always have on
hand. “They’re the base of countless
cheap, nourishing meals.” They are:
pan and let rice cook
for 6 minutes. When done,
drain the rice in a sieve, then
tip it back into the pan and
put the lid on.
2. Thinly slice remaining garlic.
Crush remaining cardamom
pods and peppercorns.
3. Place a sauté pan over high
heat and add ¼ cup oil. Add
onions to pan, sprinkle with a
pinch of salt, and cook, stirring
constantly, for 10 minutes,
until dark and crispy. Transfer
to a paper towel.
4. Add 2 tbsp more oil to the pan.
Add remaining bay leaf, sliced
garlic cloves, cinnamon stick,
crushed cardamom, and
peppercorns and cook for
2 minutes. Add jackfruit and
roughly pull the strands apart
with a fork. Cook for 2 min-
utes, stirring continuously.
Add ginger and remaining
Nutritional Yeast
“This stuff is absolute magic dust!
It’s got a really cheesy flavor and
texture that works wonders on
pizza, in salads, or added to pasta.”
Mushrooms
“There’s a huge range of mushrooms
out there. We love how flavorsome
and meaty they can be, while also
absorbing loads of flavor.”
Canned Tomatoes
“They’re the base of so many dishes,
from soups to pasta sauce to chili.”
E A SY V E GA N M E A L S
spices and cook for 5 minutes.
Add yogurt plus ⅓ cup boiling
water to the pan. Lower heat
to medium and stir for 2 to 3
minutes. (Can’t find jackfruit?
Boil or roast 1¾ lbs sweet
potatoes or diced pumpkin and
use in its place.)
5. Spoon a layer of rice over the
bottom of a roasting pan. Add
a layer of jackfruit. Sprinkle
on a spoonful of the onions.
Repeat layering to use up all
ingredients. Drizzle remaining
oil over the biryani, cover with
foil, and bake at 350°F for 20
to 25 minutes.
6. Spoon biryani into bowls and
top with your favorite chutney.
Serve with raita on the side.
THE MACROS
350
| 6g
|
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS
24g
| 39
FAT
g
Garbanzo Beans
“They’re great for hummus and
falafel. Plus, the aquafaba—the water
the garbanzo beans come canned
in—is an incredibly useful substitute
for egg and dairy when cooking.”
3 DON’T BE AFRAID
TO EXPERIMENT!
“We’re not trained chefs—we’ve
taught ourselves everything we
know. So don’t be afraid to do the
same. Throw flavors together.
Discover if you like them. And make
some mistakes along the way.”
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 109
E A SY V E GA N M E A L S
Daal and Roti
SERVES 4
Daal is a popular Indian soup made with lentils, peas, and beans, plus onions,
tomatoes, and spices. It’s usually served with roti, a round flour-based flatbread.
2½ tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger,
peeled and finely grated
1 tsp chili flakes
1 oz fresh cilantro, chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp superfine sugar
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fenugreek
7 oz dried red lentils, rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
FOR THE ROTI:
1⅔ cups self-rising flour, plus
110 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
more for dusting
½ tsp salt
tbsp olive oil
Vegetable oil, for frying
1. Make the roti. Pour flour, salt,
and oil into a large mixing
bowl. Make a small well in the
center and add 7 tbsp water.
Use your hands to mix the
ingredients together, kneading
until you have a smooth ball
of dough. Cover the bowl with
oiled plastic wrap and set
aside to rest for 20 minutes.
2. Pour 2½ tbsp olive oil in a
saucepan and warm over
medium heat. Add onion and
salt and cook for 5 to 7 min-
utes, until softened. Add garlic,
ginger, chili flakes, and cilantro
and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add cumin, turmeric, garam
masala, sugar, ground corian-
der, and fenugreek and stir.
3. Add lentils and cook for 1
minute. Stir in diced tomatoes,
then bring mixture to a gentle
simmer. Pour in stock and
coconut milk and stir until well
mixed. Return to a gentle sim-
mer, cover, and let cook for 35
to 40 minutes, until thickened,
stirring occasionally to make
sure the daal doesn’t stick to
the bottom of the pan.
4. While daal is cooking, return to
the roti. Take dough out of bowl
and divide into 8 equal pieces.
Dust a clean surface with flour;
take a piece of dough and roll
it out into a neat, flat circle,
as thin as you can get it. (Use
a clean, dry wine bottle if you
don’t have a rolling pin.) Repeat
with remaining pieces.
5. Put a skillet over high heat.
Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and
swish around to coat the base.
Place a roti in the pan and
cook until it starts to bubble,
then flip it over and cook the
other side. Transfer to a plate
and repeat until all roti are
done. Serve with the daal.
THE MACROS
590
| 22g
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS | 96 | 14
g g
FAT
From Bish Bash Bosh! by Henry Firth and
Ian Theasby. Copyright © 2019. Reprinted
by permission of William Morrow, an
imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
GET RIPPED >Take this routine to a
playground, the park,
or even your backyard

ANYWHERE
to burn fat, lose your
gut, and build muscle
in just three weeks.
BY ZACH EVEN-ESH ///
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES
MICHELFELDER

I
F YOU THINK training
with body weight limits
you, you’ve been cooped DAY 1
up in the gym too long.
All you need to make
training effective is your
own body weight and this
1A SQUAT JUMP 1B CLAP PUSHUP 2A LUNGE JUMP
Sets: 5 Reps: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 Sets: 5 Reps: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Sets: 5 Reps: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
program, which can be done Rest: 0 sec. Rest: 60–90 sec. Rest: 0 sec.
anywhere.
Stand with feet Get into pushup Step forward with
HOW IT WORKS shoulder-width position and lower one leg and lower
Your body weight can be used to apart and toes your body until your rear knee until
generate any number of train- turned out about 30 your chest is just it’s near the ground
ing stimuli. You can use explosive degrees. Bend your above the ground. and your front
jumping movements to recruit fast- hips back and lower Press up so fast that thigh is parallel to it.
twitch muscle fibers. Rather than your body until your your hands leave Jump upward and
perform high reps, you can slow thighs are parallel to the floor and your switch legs. Begin

S T Y L I N G B Y D E LV I N L U G O ; G R O O M I N G B Y S U Z A N N E K A T Z / W I L H E L M I N A
down the tempo you move at, forc- the ground. Explode body rises into the the next jump. Each
ing your muscles to stabilize you upward, jumping air, clapping your jump is 1 rep.
for an endurance challenge. Finally, as high as you can. hands in midair.
you can do a circuit of body-weight Land, reset your
moves just as easily as you can do feet, and repeat for
the machine circuit in your gym, reps. Perform fewer
but using your whole body and reps each set as
burning more calories as a result. indicated.

Directions

Exercises marked with a letter are done in

sequence without rest. So you’ll do a set
of A, then B, and so on until the sequence
is complete—then rest and repeat.
In Day 1, don’t go to failure. In Day 3, do
the exercises as a circuit. Rest 2 minutes
at the end of the entire circuit, then repeat
for 5 circuits.

112 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

BODY WEIGHT
CAN BE USED
TO GENERATE
ANY NUMBER
OF TRAINING
STIMULI.

3A HANGING LEG RAISE

Sets: 5 Reps: 5 Rest: 0 sec.

2B PULLUP Hang from a bar or a

tree limb with hands
Sets: 5 Reps: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Rest: 60–90 sec.
outside shoulder width.
Hang from a bar or a sturdy Contract your abs and
tree limb with hands outside raise your legs as high
shoulder width. Pull your- as you can.
self up until your chin is over
the bar.
3B SPRINT
Sets: 5 Reps: Run for about 20 sec.
Rest: 60–90 sec.

Run at 90% of your top

speed across whatever
turf you have available
(flat ground, stairs, or
a hill). Go for about 20
seconds. That’s 1 set.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 113

G E T R I PPE D A N Y W H E R E DAY 2

1A WALKING LUNGE 1B LATERAL LUNGE

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 per leg Rest: 0 sec. Sets: 3 Reps: 5 per leg Rest: 0 sec.

Step forward and lower Step to your left side and

your body until your rear lower your body until your
knee nearly touches the left thigh is nearly parallel
ground and your front to the ground and you feel
thigh is parallel to the a stretch in the trailing leg.
ground. Repeat on the Repeat on the other leg.
other leg. Continue
moving forward on
each rep.

1C FROG JUMP
Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 0 sec.

Lower your body into a squat

as you did on the squat jumps
but reach your arms to the
ground. Keep your chest up
and butt down. Now jump
forward like a frog hopping.
Each jump is 1 rep.

JUMPS BUILD
POWER AND
RECRUIT THE
STRONGEST
MUSCLE
FIBERS IN
YOUR LEGS.

114 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 2A SLOW PUSHUP
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 Rest: 0 sec.

Place your hands at shoul-

der width and extend your
legs behind you. Brace your
core. Take 3 seconds to
lower your body until your
chest is just above the floor.
Now take 3 seconds to come
up. That’s 1 rep.

2B SPEED PUSHUP
Sets: 4 Reps: As many as possible
Rest: 60 sec.

Immediately after your set of

slow pushups, perform a set
of pushups as fast as you can.

3 INVERTED ROW
Sets: 4 Reps: 10–12 Rest: 60 sec.

Grasp a bar just outside

shoulder width and hang
beneath it with your legs
extended so your body is
almost parallel to the ground.
Row up. If you don’t have a
bar near the ground, sling a
beach towel over a branch.

4A SIDE PLANK
Sets: 3 Reps: Hold 30 sec. per side
Rest: 0 sec.

Lie on your side on the

ground and rest your weight
on your forearm. Raise your
hips off the ground and
brace your core so your
body forms a straight line.

4B V-UP
Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 60 sec.

Lie on your back and extend

arms and legs. Simultane-
ously raise torso and legs so
the body forms a V shape.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 115

G E T R I PPE D A N Y W H E R E DAY 3

A RUN C BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

Reps: Go for 200 meters Rest: 0 sec. Reps: 10 per leg Rest: 0 sec.

Rest your back foot on a

B FEET-ELEVATED PUSHUP bench and lower your body
until your front thigh is
Reps: 10 Rest: 0 sec.
parallel to the ground and
Place your feet on a park your rear knee is just above.
bench or other elevated
surface and do pushups.

T- S H I R T : A E T H E R A P PA R E L ; S H O R T S : I S AO R A . S N E A K E R S : B R O O K S T E C H : J AW B O N E
D FORWARD BEAR CRAWL
Reps: Crawl 40 feet Rest: 0 sec.

Get on all fours and crawl

forward, keeping your
back flat and your hips
down.

E BACKWARD BEAR CRAWL

Reps: Crawl 40 feet Rest: 0 sec.

Reverse the motion of the

crawl, keeping your butt
down and core tight.

116 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 F LATERAL HAND WALK
Reps: 5 per direction Rest: 0 sec.

Place your feet on an

elevated surface and get
into pushup position.
Move your right hand out
and then “step” to the right.
Do 5 reps to your right and
then 5 back.

G BURPEE
Reps: 5 Rest: 2 min.

From a standing position,

squat down and place
your hands on the floor.
Jump your feet back so
you land in a pushup
position. Quickly come
back up again.

BY USING
YOUR WHOLE
BODY, YOU’RE
BURNING
MORE
CALORIES.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 117

> Want to improve mobility, lose
weight, and enhance your athleticism?
Keep the iron on the rack and train
using just your own body weight.
BY BRIAN MATTHEWS, C.S.C.S. /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 119

B ODY-W E IG H T T R A I N I NG

How It Works exploring and developing a greater Knock this routine out as pre-
Some tunes, a little space, and this range of flexibility while you train scribed—changing up sets and
crop of body-weight moves are your lower body. And sprints and reps to fit your schedule—and
all you need to build muscle and tuck jumps ramp up your heart you’ll have no valid excuse to skip
whip yourself into a sweat-covered rate and test overall athleticism. a workout.
mess, no matter the season.
The added benefits are what’s
unique about this specific group-
ing of exercises: The plank and sit-
out target core, arms, and lower-
body strength without compro-
mising your spinal health. (Hear
that, crunches?!) Duck walks and
squats to side lunges help loosen
up those big joints as you work on

SIT-OUT
Start in a pushup with your
hands underneath your
shoulders. Lift your right
hand off the floor and rotate
your hips to the right to
bring your left leg out fully
extended to the side. Come
back to a full pushup posi-
tion and then repeat the
same step on the opposite
side. Keep repeating until all
reps are complete.

120 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019 Shot on location at No Limit Training Facility, North Hollywood, CA
Directions
You have two options for perform-
ing this routine: After a five- to
10-minute dynamic warmup,
either do all sets and reps for one
move before going to the next, or
cycle through a set of each move
as a circuit, resting as needed.
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
PLANK TO PUSHUP
Start in a plank position on
your forearms. Come up
on one hand, then up on
another so you’re in a stan-
dard plank. Now perform a
pushup and start again on
your forearms.
121
 DUCK WALK
With your hands in front of
you, squat down and begin
to take steps forward while
staying in a squat position.
Keep your torso upright,
chest high, and core braced
as you walk forward 20 to
40 yards.
TUCK JUMP
Stand tall with your feet
shoulder-width apart. Squat
down to about a half-squat
and then swing your arms
up to explode off the floor.
Aim to get as high in the air
as possible. Be sure to land
softly, heels first, to avoid
stressing your knee joint.
SQUAT TO SIDE LUNGE
Stand with feet about
shoulder width and execute
a squat rep to whatever
depth feels comfortable,
keeping tension in your
ankles, knees, and hips.
Stand up and then take a
lateral lunge, keeping your
toes pointed slightly out.
Return to the start position
and repeat the sequence,
this time side lunging with
the opposite leg.
 B ODY-W E IG H T T R A I N I NG

TRAINING

THE ROUTINE
EXERCISE SETS REPS

ELBOW-TOUCH 2–3 10–15

PLANK
SIT-OUT 2–3 15–25 PER SIDE
PLANK TO 2-3 TO FAILURE
PUSHUP
DUCK WALK 2–3 20–40 YARDS
SQUAT TO 2–3 10–15 PER SIDE
SIDE LUNGE
SPRINT 1–3 10–30 YARDS
TUCK JUMP 2–3 10–15

ELBOW-TOUCH PLANK
Set up in a pushup posi-
tion and place your hands
directly under your shoul-
ders. Slowly pick one hand
up off the ground and bring
it over to the opposite elbow.
Lightly rest your hand on
your elbow for a 2 count. Go
back to the start position
and repeat with the oppo-
site hand. If at any point you
notice your pelvis shifting,
adjust your feet wider.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 123

 Should I stick
with one grip for
my deadlifts?
—John F., Springfield, MA
A
No. It’s OK to switch it
up, depending on the
task at hand. The
overhand grip is
better for high-rep
sets with moderate weight
since it stresses the forearms
more. When pulling with
maximum weight, though, a
mixed grip—dominant hand
up and support hand
down—will allow for less
What’s the
ideal rest
time between
O P P O S I T E PAG E : S H U T T E R S T O C K . T H I S PAG E : A L I S O N M A R R A S / U N S P L A S H ; S H U T T E R S T O C K
sets?
—Jordan T., Portland, OR
A
It varies. Typically, we
have our athletes rest one
minute. That’s enough
time to recover and progress
from one exercise to the next.
For strength training, however,
you need to rest up to two
minutes for strength-focused
programs to allow for optimal
recovery. Also, you can slash
your rest time to 30 seconds to
jack up your heart rate and
burn more calories. Finally,
you can strategically pair
movements together in a pull/
squat or press/hip extension
format so that one muscle is
resting even though you’re not.
forearm strain, so switch
when grip becomes a
factor. Remember to keep
your elbows straight since
the mixed grip stresses
the biceps of the under-
hand more.
GINO CACCAVALE I’m never
is a NASM-certified hungry when
personal trainer. I wake up. Is
this a prob-
lem, and, if
so, how can I
fix it?
—Liam D., Dubuque, IA
A
Breakfast allows you to fit
in key nutrients and can
help increase mental
focus. Also, studies have
shown that breakfast eaters
tend to consume less in the
evening, when you’re not as
active. To train your body to
wake up hungry, start with a
small breakfast, such as a
handful of almonds. Then add
a cup of fresh fruit and then
protein like organic eggs or
grass-fed organic Greek yogurt.
Over time, your body will start
craving a full a.m. meal.
CYNTHIA SASS, R.D.,
is a clinical, culinary, and
performance nutritionist and
WALTER NORTON JR. three-time New York Times
best-selling author.
is a strength coach and trainer at
the Institute of Performance &
Fitness in North Reading, MA.
GY M BAG E S S E N T I A L S
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 125
 A S K
GNC BEYOND
RAW®
PRECISION
BCAA

CONTAINING

MUSCLE GROWTH ACTIVATOR

BCAA’S
I’m going on a road trip this month.
What should I be sure to include in
my training “go bag”?

PERFECT
—Tyler L., Newport, RI

PARTNER A
Carry a training bag full
of tools—bands, Fat Gripz,
a jump rope, and an ab
bells harder to hold. A jump
rope and an ab wheel speak
for themselves.
ADD VELOSITOL &
®

wheel—so you can work out

ENHANCE THE POWER in a small space or an ill- LEE BOYCE, C.P.T.,
OF YOUR BCAA equipped gym. Bands can be
is a strength coach based in
Clinically shown to work looped around machines or Toronto and the operator of
in a single dose. even attached to your weights. Boyce Training Systems.
Fat Gripz make light dumb-
Accelerates and boosts muscle
protein synthesis (MPS)

Promotes lean body mass

I sometimes feel backed up on the
Supports quicker muscle recovery toilet. Is that Squatty Potty worth it?
—Cameron M., Anchorage, AK

LOOK FOR GNC BEYOND RAW®

PRECISION BCAA AND OTHER

A
SPORTS NUTRITION PRODUCTS I always tell clients to
WITH VELOSITOL. use a squat stool when-
ever they’re defecating
©2018 Nutrition 21, LLC Velositol® and Nitrosigine® are trademarks since we are naturally de-
of Nutrition 21, LLC. U.S. Patents include but are not limited to:
6,689,383; 8,062,677; 9,119,835; 9,597,404 and 9,675,702. signed to squat when we go
the rectum and preventing
complete elimination of waste.
Elevating the knees opens this
passageway up.
SHUTTERSTOCK

Reference: Data on file 2018, Nutrition 21, LLC. DRA1704120418

to the bathroom. The toilet JEN GONZALEZ
These statements have not been evaluated by incorrectly aligns our pelvic
the Food and Drug Administration. This product is a colon hygienist and founder
is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent floor at a 90-degree angle of Doody Free Girl Colonics.
any disease.
from our knees, constricting

126 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

COMPETITION SPOTLIGHT

ROMANIA MUSCLE FEST

FREEDOM REBORN
omania is a southeastern

R European country known

for remarkable things: the
forested region of Transylvania,
ringed by the dramatic
Carpathian Mountains; the
world-famous Dracula legend
and castle; Nadia Comaneci,
the first Olympic gymnast to
be awarded a perfect score
of 10.0; and the Palatul
Parlamentului, the second
largest administrative building in Elite Pro, in 2017, the National catapulting into the ranks of the
the world after the Pentagon. Physique Committee (NPC), biggest European pro shows
But Wings of Strength and which is the amateur component in the history of bodybuilding.
Tim Gardner Productions chose of the IFBB Pro League, joined The enthusiastic audience
Bucharest, Romania’s capital, NPC Worldwide. This union witnessed history in the making
to be the host of the 2018 IFBB provided a solution to the as the winners of each pro
Professional League Wings growing number of athletes class got their 2019 Olympia
of Strength Romania Muscle seeking to join the IFBB and a qualification (respectively
Fest Pro/Am not for these path for them to bodybuilding’s 2019 Rising Phoenix World
reasons, but for a goal just as most prestigious stage: the Championship qualification for
remarkable. Olympia. women’s bodybuilding class):
After the IFBB Professional Held on Nov. 24 to 25, 2018, women’s bodybuilding: Monique
League separated from its the first Romania Muscle Jones (USA); women’s physique:
European cousin, the IFBB Fest was a massive success, Laura Pintado Chinchilla (Spain);

figure: An Da Jeong (Korea);
women’s fitness: Darrian
Borello (USA); women’s bikini:
Cristobalina Pajares (Spain);
men’s bodybuilding: Maxx
Charles (USA); men’s 212:
Kokeny Bela (Hungary); classic
men’s physique: Woilid Baatout
(France); men’s physique: Youcef
Djudi (France).
The amateur portion of the
show granted the highly desired
IFBB Professional League pro
card to the overall winners of
each amateur division: men’s
bodybuilding: Raul-Gheorghe
Maghiar; men’s physique:
Mishal Alhassan; men’s classic
physique: James Correnti;
women’s bodybuilding: Natalia
Kuznetsova; women’s physique:
Sarah Trenz; figure: Kathryn
Sorensen; bikini: Ewelina Szala.
Alongside the lineups of
amazing professional and
amateur division competitors,
the audience was hosted by
emcee Bob Cicherillo, “the
voice of the Olympia,” and
treated to a stellar guest posing
performance by William Bonac,
the fourth-place winner at the
2018 Mr. Olympia.
The 2019 Romania Muscle
Fest is expected to be an
even more successful and
well-attended competition as
even more competitors, both
professional and amateur, are
anticipated. The show will take
place from Nov. 1 to 3, 2019,
at the Face Convention Center,
Bucharest. In addition, an
industry-related expo, Romania
Muscle Con, will accompany
ADVERTORIAL
the event, where attendees can
get the latest news in the fields
of bodybuilding, fitness, and
wellness.
The 2019 emcee will be
the legendary bodybuilder
Shawn Ray, and the well-known
bodybuilding star Brandon Curry
(fifth place at the Mr. Olympia
in 2018) will enthrall fans with
a guest posing appearance. A
bodybuilding seminar will be
conducted as well, featuring
local and international fitness
and bodybuilding personalities.
December 2019 will see the
30-year commemoration of the
fall of the Cold War communist
dictatorship in Romania. Many
Romanian people mark this
event as the long-awaited end
of a dark and oppressive era,
when personal freedom and
the human spirit were severely
restrained. Romania Muscle
Fest, through its unique nature,
and by bringing competitors,
personalities, officials, fans,
and supporters of bodybuilding
from all over the world, is a
true celebration of the revival
of a strong, thriving society that
values freedom in its very core.
 YOU KNOW THE CLICHÉ:
Nobody cares how much you can
bench when you’re in a bodybuilding
contest. Yes, muscle matters, but
what you can do with it matters, too.
So let’s celebrate those who built
some of the greatest physiques ever
seen by conquering some of those
most terrifying weights ever faced.
Here, we list nine of the strongest pro
bodybuilders of all time. We had
requirements to make the grade:
First, they had to have an IFBB Pro
League card. Second, some of their
feats needed to be verified—whether
by our eyes or via official results.
Finally, they needed to routinely man-
handle more metal than just about
anyone who ever walked the earth.

RONNIE
COLEMAN
At 5'11" and around three bills in
contest shape, Big Ron couldn’t
possibly have used all that cartoonish
muscle, right? But unlike some others
on our list, eight-time Mr. Olympia
(1998–2005) Coleman wasn’t espe-
cially strong in one thing: pushing or
pulling or squatting; he was ridicu-
lously strong in everything. There are
videos of him squatting 765 for four
reps and 800 for two and deadlifting
800 for an easy double. But low-rep
lifts were something he did mainly
for the cameras. Coleman generally
stuck to moderate reps but never
moderate weights. He bench-pressed
200-pound dumbbells for 12 and
leg-pressed a ton (literally) for 10. In
August 2004, I saw him T-bar-row
645 before snapping the handle.
K EV I N HORTON

And then there are tales of his doing

parking lot lunges with 365. No one
racked up more absurd-but-true
numbers than the eight-time Mr. O.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 137

 CHRIS CORMIER
In the ’90s at Gold’s Gym Venice,
Cormier was known as much for
his strength as his physique—and
that’s saying a lot. He won 11
pro contests, finished third in the
Olympia twice (1999, 2002), and
was second in the Arnold Classic
six years in a row (2000–05). Still,
for those, like yours truly, who saw
his workouts in the Mecca, it’s the
numbers he put up—especially on
chest and legs—that were truly
scary. He incline-pressed 525 for
two and 405 for 12 (halting each
rep about three inches above his
chest). He did 1,200-pound leg
presses for 30, 900-pound reverse
hack squats for 10, and 675-pound
squats without even a belt—
proving he was “the Real Deal.”

FRANCO COLUMBU
Although he was only 5'5" and about 185 pounds,
the two-time Mr. Olympia’s (1976, 1981) best-
reported lifts were a 750 deadlift, a 665 squat, a 525
bench press, and a 400 clean and jerk. While these
numbers are tough to verify, there is photographic
evidence. The Sardinian Strongman also bent half-
inch steel bars, blew up hot-water bottles until they
exploded, and deadlifted cars. In 1977, he was fifth
K EV I N HORTON; C H R I S LU N D

in the inaugural World’s Strongest Man behind four

giants who each outweighed him by around 100
pounds. Pound for pound, Columbu may have been
the strongest bodybuilder of all time.

138 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


JOHNNIE
JACKSON
As a bodybuilder, Jackson
has racked up seven victories,
CHRIS LUND
including first place at both
the 2017 Arnold Classic South
Africa and the Toronto Pro. And
STRONGEST BODYBUILDERS_FLEX
though he started powerlift-
ing after bodybuilding, he was
soon triumphing at both. Three
weeks before he won the 2001
NPC Nationals, Jackson set
the deadlift world record in the
220-pound class at 814 pounds.
The 47-year-old has totaled
2,127 pounds in competition,
including a 540 bench press
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
and 826 squat. Maybe the 5'5"
Jackson’s most impressive lift,
captured on video, was per-
forming side laterals for 10 reps
with 100-pound dumbbells—
that’s more than most guys can
press—and while weighing only
230 pounds. Jackson rivals
Columbu as the strongest
“light” bodybuilder of all time.
139
 FLEX_ STRONGEST BODYBUILDERS
STAN EFFERDING
Unlike the other eight on our
list, Efferding is better known
as a powerlifter than a body-
builder. That’s why it may sur-
prise you that he did his first
physique contest way back in
1988, eight years before his
initial powerlifting meet. After
nine years away from com-
petitions, he returned to both
sports in his 40s. And it was
then that he really excelled.
He won the 2009 Masters title,
securing IFBB Pro League
status, and landed in single
digits (ninth) in the 2011 FLEX
Pro. Meanwhile, he estab-
lished himself as the premier
raw powerlifter in the world.
Efferding was uniquely strong
in all three lifts—his official
raw powerlifting marks include
a 606 bench press, an 865
squat, and an 837 deadlift.
In 2013, he compiled 2,227,
breaking the 275-pound raw
powerlifting total record that
had stood for 41 years. Oh, and
three years ago, Efferding won
the Olympia World’s Strongest
Bodybuilder—just in case there
was any doubt.

TOM PLATZ
If we’re talking Platz, we’re talking wheels. And if we’re
talking Platz’s wheels, we’re talking squats—narrow stance,
below parallel—for mega reps. Perhaps no one has ever
journeyed further into the pain zone of take-no-prisoners
squatting. Platz, who finished third in the 1981 Mr. Olympia,
claims to have squatted 15 reps with 635 and 52 with 350
and to have squatted for 10 minutes straight (more than
P AV E L Y T H J A L L ; J O H N B A L I K

100 reps) with 225 on numerous occasions, always while

weighing less than 230. Those numbers may seem dubious,
but check out a YouTube video of him squatting 525 for 23
butt-to-ankles reps, shot in 1992, five years after he retired
from bodybuilding. If you can believe your own eyes, you’ll
know Tom Platz is the greatest high-rep squatter who ever
stood in a power rack.

140 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

FLEX_ STRONGEST BODYBUILDERS
EDDIE
ROBINSON
After winning the 1989 USA
Championships, the 25-year-
old Robinson exploded into
the big leagues with a victory
in his pro debut the following
year. In retrospect, it was his
peak. In 13 additional IFBB
Pro League contests, this 5'8"
142 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
Floridian never placed higher
than fourth. He was only 34
when he retired. Likewise, he
racked up some staggering
powerlifting marks while still
young. We’re skeptical of the
biggest numbers, but there’s a
photo of him locking out an es-
timated 535 bench press while
wearing just a T-shirt. That’s
amazing when you consider he
powerlifted in the 220-pound
class when barely out of his
teens. He left competitive
benching behind after 1986
(the year he turned 22) to pur-
sue bodybuilding, leaving us
to wonder how much he could
have benched if he’d continued
to chase higher numbers for
another decade or two. As it
is, no pro bodybuilder has ever
manhandled more weight at a
younger age than Robinson.
CHRIS LUND
FLEX_ STRONGEST BODYBUILDERS

CASEY
VIATOR
Viator, who passed away in 2013
at 62 years old, won the 1971
Mr. America at 19 and was
arguably the greatest teenage
bodybuilder ever. He competed
only sporadically after that, but
he won three pro contests in
1980 and was third in the 1982
Mr. Olympia, shortly before
retiring at 31. Like Platz, he was
a paragon of high-rep, high-
intensity strength. These Viator
lifts were purportedly witnessed
by a journalist in a 1971 full-body
workout: squat, 505 for 14 reps;
behind-the-neck press, 215 for
20; dip, 100 for 20; barbell curl,
200 for 20; and deadlift, 400 for
30. There’s photographic evi-
dence of his using even greater
weights in later years, though
probably for fewer reps. By the
standards of his era, Viator was
considered a mass monster. The
size he was then, 230 at 5'8",
is no longer shocking, but the
weights he used for 20 or more
reps are still frightening.

BEN WHITE
White excelled as a powerlifter specializing in
the bench press before he earned his IFBB Pro
League card by winning the 2007 USA Champi-
onships. In 2003, he bench-pressed 605 raw in
the 275-pound class. This is the ninth-best raw
bench press of all time in a 275-or-lighter class.
(Efferding’s 606.5 is No. 8.) That same year,
MIKE NEVEUX; BILL COMSTOCK

he deadlifted 705 raw. Equally impressive as

White’s one-rep bests are his high-rep barrages.
There’s a YouTube video of him bench-pressing
100-pound dumbbells for a preposterous 50
reps! White won a pro bodybuilding contest in
2010, but that’s about it. Even if he never qual-
ifies for the Olympia again, he’ll still be one of
the lightest men to bench-press 600 raw.

144 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

FLEX_ BACK TO BASICS

WIDE-GRIP
PULLDOWN

HOW TO DO IT: Grasp a

pulldown bar outside
of shoulder width using
an overhand grip. While
seated, pull the bar down
by contracting your back

Back Barrage
muscles until it touches
your upper chest.

2019 New York Pro champ Juan Morel TRAINING

walks you through the back workout that’s helped BACK TO BASICS: BACK
him have one of his most successful seasons.
EX E R C IS E SETS R EP S

Pullup 3 10–15
PLACING 16TH AT the 2018 2019 Mr. Olympia, M&F sat in on Superset with
Olympia, Juan “Diesel” Morel one of Morel’s back workouts. Hammer 3 10–15
Strength Row
entered 2019 with something Armed with a ton of momentum,
to prove. That is, you can teach he walked us through a brutal Wide-grip 3 10–15
old dogs new tricks. In April, he superset that he’s adapted to fo- Pulldown
stepped onstage at the Arnold cus on chiseling out more detail. Superset with
Classic South America at a “This back workout is all about T-bar Row 3 10–15
noticeably more conditioned width and shaping, using a lot of
250 pounds. He won the show machines and reps,” he says. “My Dumbbell 3 10–15
and then repeated the feat at whole workout is about getting Bentover Row
PER BERNAL

the prestigious New York Pro a as much blood into the muscle Superset with
Hammer-style 3 10–15
month later. to increase muscle roundness Pulldown
Leading up to his prep for the and muscle size.”

146 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 BY M&F EDITORS

“I see a lot of people in the gym

with form that’s not necessarily
bad, but they’re engaging the
wrong muscle,” Morel says.
“You may be rowing and using
more of your biceps instead
of your back. You need to feel
your back from the first rep
of the first set.”

JUAN MOREL

T-BAR ROW

HOW TO DO IT: Holding

a V-grip handle under
the bar with both hands,
squeeze your shoulder
blades together and pull
the bar to your chest
while keeping your lower
back in its natural arch.
FLEX_ FLEX 101
4
Make Money,
Money
IFBB Pro League legend Shawn Ray lays out five tips to
help you monetize your muscles.
1
DON’T DO IT FOR
THE MONEY. I got into
bodybuilding as a passion.
I just wanted to change the
way that I looked. I think a lot
of guys start out jumping the
gun, trying to figure out how
to make money on Instagram
and Facebook. Focus on the
product first—that is, your
physique.
2
PICK YOUR FRIENDS.
I latched on to people
who were in places I
148 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
A S S E E N O N T H E S H A W N R AY R E P O R T
wanted to be, and I just clung
to them and listened and
learned. I learned what goes
into promoting a bodybuilding
show. Now I’m a bodybuilding
promoter. I learned how the
commentators navigate their
way from one athlete to the
next and what the viewers
want to hear and how to dole
out constructive criticism.
And now I’m a bodybuilding
commentator. I also learned
the art of writing and have
been writing articles for various
fitness publications, like
Muscle & Fitness.
3
SHOW INTEREST.
One thing I did before the
internet is locate all of
the nutrition stores and gyms,
anything that had to do with
bodybuilding. I went out and
printed up 500 eight-by-10
black-and-white pictures of
myself, autographed them
all to personalize them to
the store, and then handed
them out with my return
address, phone number, and
fax number. If I sent out 500
of these, I only needed to get
back maybe 10 or 20, and
I could work forward from
there. It comes down to this:
They need to know who you
are, they need to know how to
reach you, and they need to
know you’re interested.
NETWORK. You can’t
just win a show, hop
on a plane home, and
then wait for the phone to
ring. Bodybuilding is like any
other job in which you need to
network. From networking,
you may meet someone who
owns a clothing company or
a gym. Work on your body in
the gym and then market it. I
actually encourage you all to
tune in to Shark Tank and pay
attention. Listen to the delivery
and learn how to replicate it to
pitch yourself.
5
BE A SOCIALITE.
By this, I mean use social
media to your advantage.
STEVE SMITH; SHUTTERSTOCK
Again, you shouldn’t rely on
it, but you all have way more
tools than I ever had—Twitter,
Snapchat, Instagram. You have
to let the world know who you
are. I’ll leave you with this:
Find your passion, and from
your passion, work will come.
FLEX_ ASKED AND ANSWERED BY MICHAEL BERG

ANTWANE When did you first

HAMLETT envision becoming a
Birth Date: pro bodybuilder?
Nov. 19, 1986
Height: 5'10"
I was always in the gym
Contest Weight: 206 lbs when I was younger, and I
Residence: wanted to find a way to make
Toronto, Ontario a living by working out. When
Instagram: @ifbb.hightop
.hamlett, @fitlifeathletics
that “before” photo was taken,
I had just graduated from a
fitness-and-lifestyle-manage-
ment program offered by George
Brown College and became a
personal trainer. When it came
to competing, it was the typical
story—I saw bodybuilders in the
gym, and I was like, “I want to do
that.” And when I say I have to
do something, that’s it—it’s set
in stone.

In less than 100

words, recap your
bodybuilding jour-
ney—from your first show
to earning your pro card.
I did a local show in 2012,
won the overall, and then
won my category at the next
level, which is called provin-
cials. In 2013, I went to the
national level—and got smoked,
finishing seventh out of 13

Hightop’s
competitors. I said to myself,
“Next time I step on a national
stage, I want to win.” That was

Highlights
my ultimate goal from 2013
all the way up to 2017, when I
got my pro card in the classic
physique division.
Antwane Hamlett added nearly 40 pounds of muscle How did you go from
in eight years and earned the 2019 Vancouver Pro eighth place in the
men’s classic physique title. 2018 Vancouver Pro
men’s classic physique show
to winning it a year later?
“WE ALL GOTTA start somewhere.” That’s what Antwane I hired a coach, Dorian Hamil-
“Hightop” Hamlett posted to Instagram this past July 24, along with ton. After placing second in the
his before-and-after photos showing him at around 170 pounds in Toronto Pro in June, I fell victim
2011 next to his 2019 Vancouver Pro–winning 206-pound physique. to the social media postings and
It’s a dramatic transformation for the Windsor, Ontario, native, the online [chatter] about who
who used an early national-level defeat as fuel and the support of his the favorites were to win [the
fiancée, Silvia—whom he’ll be marrying on Oct. 12—and his Christian Vancouver Pro]. I realized I was
faith as motivation. Here’s how he pulled off the feat and what the psyching myself out. I refocused
online coach and personal trainer is working on next. on giving it my all.

152 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019 Photograph by Lloyd Terry Jr.
Researchers at Hi-Tech familiar with the effectiveness of
OxyElite Pro™ decided to “reverse-engineer” this product.
Hi-Tech even took it one step further and combined the

Lineup:

Caffeine,

Extract, and

Extract.
FLEX_ 5 TIPS

Biceps and
triceps work as
the dynamic
stabilizers in
the seated
cable row.

Waist 1
TRAIN THE
TRANSVERSE. “Everyone
focuses on ab moves that

Management
hit the visible rectus abdominis,
the six-pack muscle. But they
skip the transverse abdominis,
or TVA, which is the deepest
layer of abdominal muscles. The
Are your abs a mess? Clean up your core with TVA helps stabilize your core in
tips from two-time Olympia Men’s Classic Physique almost all body movements. A
runner-up Chris Bumstead. few great exercises that target
the TVA include ab rollouts, dead
bugs, vacuums [more on those
CHRIS BUMSTEAD IS INTENT on making the “vacuum” cool again. next], and planks.”

2
The 24-year-old Canadian—who finished second at the 2017 and 2018
Olympia Men’s Classic Physique contests—recently posted a YouTube SUCK IT IN. “Performing
tutorial on how to practice the iconic pose, made famous by legendary a vacuum pose, where
three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane. you pull your stomach
STEVE SMITH

Here, Bumstead shares some advice for using the vacuum to achieve and abdominals in as far as
pinpoint control over your core onstage and off, along with four other you can, is a great tool for
tips for a lean and mean middle. training the TVA and helps give

154 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 BY MICHAEL BERG

the illusion of a smaller waist

onstage. Doing vacuums as part
of your exercise regimen won’t
make your waist physically
smaller, but what it does is give
you better muscle control and
endurance to keep your stomach
tight and pulled in. To do it,
exhale all your air, suck in your
belly button toward your spine,
tense your core, and hold that as
long as possible.”

3
WRECK THE RECTUS.
“The rectus abdominis
is obviously important,
too, for impressive-looking
abs. Its main function is to flex
the lumbar spine, so simple
exercises like crunches work
great. I suggest trying them on
a Bosu ball for more muscular
activation, and also do lower-ab
movements like hanging knee
and leg raises to hit the muscle
from both ends.”

4
A TIGHT WAIST
STARTS AT THE
TABLE. “Avoid any
foods that cause excessive
bloating—common culprits
include dairy, beans, wheat, and
even cruciferous vegetables like
broccoli and cauliflower. You
need to experiment and note
what your body reacts to, and
stick to foods in your diet that
sit well and are easily digested.
When everything flows through
your body as it should, your
stomach will remain much
more flat.”

5
CONTROL YOUR
CALORIES. “To make
your abdominals visible,
you need to reduce your body-
fat percentage, and that means
a caloric deficit diet. Work on
figuring out how many calories
your body burns in a day, and
make sure your intake is a few
hundred calories below that.”

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 155

FLEX_ TRAINING STYLES

May the Forced

Be With You
Forced reps make a set harder by making it easier.

A spotter should
assist you only
when you’re
on the verge of
failure—and not
a second before.

THERE’S A CONUNDRUM
with forced reps, and it’s
the key to their effectiveness.
By assisting, a spotter makes
reps easier, but by making them
easier, he makes the set harder.
It’s all a matter of perspective. effective methods for blowing feeling you might get when just
When you’re under the iron and through stop signs and barreling enough resistance is removed
you can’t eke out another rep into the pain (and growth) zone. for your set to continue beyond
on your own, continuing onward your normal limits. You’re forced
P AV E L Y T H J A L L

with forced reps will feel any- HELPING HANDS to keep going. Failure is not an
thing but easy, even as helping “Assisted reps” would be a more option. And that brings us to the
hands lessen the resistance. accurate name than “forced first and most important thing
Forced reps are one of the most reps,” but the latter captures the to know about this technique:

156 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


It’s exercise overtime. A spotter
should assist you only when
you’re on the verge of failing,
and he should apply only enough
pressure so you can continue to
move the weight at the same
pace as before.
The key to effective forced
reps is the transfer of resistance
from your muscles to his so the
reps are not too hard or too easy,
progressing at the same pace as
all preceding reps and within the
same groove. (For this reason,
a regular training partner, who
should know your strength, is
the ideal spotter.) On each sub-
sequent forced rep, more stress
will need to be removed. If, after
reaching failure at eight reps,
your spotter helps just enough
for you to grind out four more,
you’ll understand that forced is
an appropriate adjective after all.
As with cheating, forced reps
don’t work with all exercises.
Deadlifts, lunges, and barbell
rows are among the ones where
it’s impractical for someone to
assist. The good news is that
BY GREG MERRIT T
forced reps can be used with FORCED-REP
some exercises you should never BASICS
cheat, including most lifts for The spotter should
chest (such as incline presses, remove stress from
dumbbell flyes, and dips) and reps only when you’ve
many for legs (including squats, reached the verge of
hack squats, and leg presses). failing on your own.
Sometimes, as with squats, the
Just enough re-
spotter should hover closely be-
sistance is removed
hind you, simulating your move-
so you can move the
ments. Other times, as with hack
weight at the same
squats, he stands to one side and
pace as before.
pulls up on a weight sleeve.
The key to effective
HOLDING IT DOWN forced reps is the
A spotter can also make reps transfer of the bare
more difficult. These reverse minimum amount
forced reps are effective during of work from you to
the earliest stage of a set. the spotter.
Usually, the first reps serve as
precursors, tiring you out before When the spotter
the real growth inducers at the does more of the
end. But if a spotter makes them work than you, the
harder, you can do maximum- set should end.
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 157
FLEX_ TRAINING STYLES
effort reps from the get-go and PUTTING IT ALL up and forward in a semi-arc,
create a sort of dropset in which TOGETHER being careful not to help too
resistance is lessened through- Our triceps forced-reps routine much or not enough.
out the set. shows how forced reps can be The weight needs to keep
For example, when doing applied to many exercises. moving, you need to stay in the
pullups, the spotter can apply During pushdowns, your spotter groove, and your muscles need
downward pressure to your feet, can push down on your hands, to feel the pain.
making reps harder. He can then pull the cable down, or lift the
remove stress as the set ad- weight stack. All require careful TRAINING
vances until you’re doing reps by focus to remove just the right
yourself. Then, as you begin to amount of stress. TRICEPS FORCED-REPS
struggle, he can provide upward Pushdowns can also be done ROUTINE
pressure on your feet, increas- without a spotter; you lightly FORCED
EX E R C IS E S ETS R E PS REPS
ingly relieving resistance on the press down on your working
final reps. forearm with your other hand. Pushdown 8 4 2–4
In this progression from reverse On close-grip bench presses, the
forced to unassisted to forced, spotter stands behind you and Close-grip 8 4 2–4
you’re using maximum resis- lifts up on the bar just enough for Bench
Press

K EV I N HORTON
tance from the first rep to the you to keep pressing at the same
last, instead of coasting through pace. For lying triceps extensions, Lying 8 4 2–4
the early stage and straining only the spotter squats behind you Triceps
at the end. and helps move the weight both Extension

A regular
training partner
who knows your
strength is the
FORCED-REP ideal spotter.
TIP SHEET
Not all exercises
lend themselves to
forced reps. Deadlifts
and lunges are two
that can’t be assisted
by hand effectively.
Reverse forced reps
are when the spotter
applies extra pressure,
such as pushing down
on pulldowns. The
spotter can make the
weight heavier and
then lighter on the
same set.
On unilateral arm
exercises, you can do
forced reps by using
your resting hand to
provide just enough
pressure to your work-
ing arm to keep the
weight moving.

158 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 World’s Best Workout Gear!
“Schiek makes the best
of the best in lifting belts,
gloves, straps, wraps,
sleeves & more.”
Big Ramy,
IFBB Pro, 2017 Arnold
Classic Europe Champion,
2nd Place 2017
Mr. Olympia
LIFTING HOOKS
• 1/4” thick – 2-1/2” wide
padded wrist support
• Coated durable hooks for
a secure grip
• Made in the USA
• $44.95
CONTOURED
LIFTING BELT
•
•
Comfortable hip-and-rib contour (patented)
Patented conical shape
•
•
Patented closure system
Durable two-year warranty
• 6”-$59.95 – 4 ¾”-$54.95
4” women’s belt - $49.95
• Proudly made in the USA
COMPETITION
POWER BELT
• Heavy duty construction
• 9mm thick & 10cm wide Suede Leather
• Stainless Steel buckle
• Available in Single Prong (L6011)
or Double Prong (L6010)
• Priced at $69.95
920 • 426 • 2676 800 • 772 • 4435 FAX: 920 • 426 • 2691
schiek.com • info@schiek.com • Call for a dealer near you
“Schiek products are “The superior quality
the ONLY way to go!” & ultimate support are
James Ellis, just a few of the reasons
Fitness Professional I choose the Schiek
brand.”
Latorya Watts,
2x Ms.
Figure Olympia
ULTIMATE GRIP
• Great for Pushing & Pulling
Exercises
• 4mm Rubberized Non-Slip
Grip
• Sturdy Wrist Support
• Protects Hands from
Fatigue & Calluses
NEW
• $39.95
• Available in Black, Blue, Pink and Red.
SCHIEK Rx
CROSS TRAINING
KNEE SLEEVES
• PLUSH 5mm Neoprene
for Superior Comfort
& Amazing Support!
• Available in Black or
Hot Pink
• Only $44.95/Pair
ELBOW SLEEVE
• Made with breathable neoprene
to expel moisture & reduce
skin irritation.
• Washable
• Proudly made
in the USA
• $19.95 each
Remember, You Get What You Pay For!
“Schiek products are “There is no substitution “If you want to be the “The Schiek lifting “Quality, integrity,
a CUT above the rest. for greatness which is best, you gotta wear belt offers me the customer service, &
Train with the best why I use Schiek for my the best!” ultimate support, all attention to detail
quality gear!” hardcore workouts! “ Angelica Teixeira, while still being are just a few of the
Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, 2x Ms. Bikini comfortable!” reasons to love
4-Time 7x Mr. Olympia International & Brandon Hendrickson, Schiek products!”
Mr. Olympia 2011-2017 2x Ms. Bikini Olympia 2018 Mr. Physique Clark Bartram,
Olympia Fitness Icon
PLATINUM SERIES WRIST WRAPS
LIFTING GLOVES
One year • Easy-removal fins
warranty (patented)
• Washable/Non-Bleeding Schiek Line
• Gel padding (palm and thumb)
• $34.95, with wraps, $39.95
• Women’s model - $34.95
Extra Heavyweight Black Line
PREMIUM SERIES
LIFTING GLOVES
•
•
Patented fins for easy removal.
Guaranteed not to bleed.
• Machine washable. Rubber Reinforced Blue Line
• Rubberized non-slip grip
• Padded reinforced thumb area
Model
715 • $36.95 KNEE
WRAPS
Black Line Schiek Line
LIFTING STRAPS 3" Wide Heavyweight Cotton Elastic
Made in the USA
Schiek Line
12" Wrist Wraps..............$17.95
24" Wrist Wraps..............$22.95
Dowel style Wrist Supports
78" Knee Wraps ..............$34.95
w/Velcro Closure..............$39.95
shown above Only $19.95
Extra Heavyweight Black Line
• Straps & wrist support all in one 12" Wrist Wraps..............$19.95
24" Wrist Wraps..............$24.95
• Lasts 3 times longer than
other straps 78" Knee Wraps ..............$39.95
w/Velcro Closure..............$44.95
• Available with 11” strap or
6” lock-on dowel strap Rubber Reinforced Blue Line
• Proudly made in the USA 12” Wrist Wraps..............$22.95
• A deal at $24.95 18” Wrist Wraps..............$24.95
24” Wrist Wraps..............$27.95
Like us on: Follow us on:
OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 161
FLEX_ TIME TO GROW
Sometimes, perhaps just
three or four reps could do the
trick. Other times, it can be that
oft-cited 10. But in any case, you
need to go until you reach the
threshold where you prompt the
chemical reactions that pro-
mote growth. It’s about pushing
your muscles a little further
than they can normally handle,
requiring them to respond and
adapt. That, in turn, relies more
on “time under tension”—the
amount of time your muscle is
under stress during a set—than
any particular number of reps.

THE “TIME
TO GROW”
WORKOUT PLAN
■ Perform each set listed here
for 30 seconds, doing continuous
reps of one- to two-second pos-
itive/two- to three-second nega-
tive contractions for the duration,
using a challenging weight with
which you fail at the 30-second
mark. (This will take some trial
and error.) Come to a full stop at
the start of each rep to eliminate
momentum. For each weighted
set, do one to two warmups, also
at 30 seconds, but with lesser
weight. (In future weeks, you can
experiment with 40-, 50-, and
even 60-second sets, expanding
your muscular endurance.)

YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY

OPENER AND THIS SPREAD: PER BERNAL

seconds off a set, meaning one person’s

■ There is value in giving a rep range for
an exercise, if you in turn choose the
right resistance. When a set should be
10 reps, that means you should choose a
weight that brings on failure around that
target. So if you’re doing dumbbell flat
bench presses and you can get 10 reps
with 75-pound DBs, but struggle to get
to 11 or more, you’re doing it right. If,
however, you grab the 45s and easily
blast out 10 reps, you’re not getting the
intended benefits of the “10-rep set.”
It also assumes a certain style of
repetition—a controlled negative of two
to three seconds, and an explosive (but
controlled) positive contraction of one to
two seconds. Going too fast during the
eccentric motion can shave a number of
“10-rep set” could be very different in
length from another’s.
Counting reps also has a more crafty
enemy—your mental willpower. If your
goal is 10 reps, and you’ve chosen a
weight with which you’re struggling by
the seventh or eighth, you can probably
find the internal fortitude to power to 10.
“It’s just two more, I can make it,” your
inner warrior whispers. But what if
you’ve set your initial goal too low?

162 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 WORKOUT

BACK & BICEPS

EX ER C I SE S ETS

Bentover Barbell Row 3

Pulldown to Front 3
T-bar Row 3
Pullup 2
Back Extension 3
Standing Cable Curl 3
Barbell Spider Curl 3
Dumbbell Curl 2
■ NOTE: 30 seconds per set, 1- to 2-second
positive/2- to 3-second negative contractions.

TRAINING SPLIT
Monday: Back, biceps
Tuesday: Chest, triceps
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Shoulders,
traps, abs, forearms
Saturday/Sunday: Off

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 163

FLEX_ TIME TO GROW
ON THE CLOCK
■ So, in place of reps, we
recommend trying an all-new
approach to your reps—at least
as a way to learn how to better
gauge your total time under
tension. With this method, you
will be able to get a much bet-
ter feel for your true strength
and endurance limits, and you’ll
find out what a more ideal set
will feel like.
The gist is to stop counting
reps, at least for the moment,
and start counting time. In
the accompanying weeklong
training plan, you’ll do all your
sets for 30 seconds. Within that
time frame, you’ll do as many
164 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
well-performed reps as you
can muster, with full control
over the positive and negative
contraction as your goal.
When we say “30-second
sets,” keep one very important
thing in mind: Science has yet
to unequivocally determine the
perfect rule of thumb for time
under tension (TUT). While TUT
enthusiasts have settled around
a 30-to-60-second range per
set, researchers have yet to
definitely back that up, though
various studies have indeed
solidified that time plays a key
factor in adequately stressing
the muscles. With the resis-
tance used being equal, we
know a set of 30 seconds that
includes at least eight to 10
reps performed under control is
better for muscular growth than
a rapid-fire, momentum-fueled
set of eight to 10 blasted out in
a matter of seconds.
The driving impetus behind
our program, instead, is a way
of discarding old habits. If you
tend to speed through your sets
P AV E L Y T H J A L L ; A L E X A R D E N T I
on the way to a specific rep
count, or you find that you’re
often leaving at least a rep or
two on the table because you’re
terminating a set as soon as you
reach a predetermined number
of reps, this program is a per-
fect antidote.
 WORKOUT

CHEST & TRICEPS

EVERY SECOND EXER CISE SE TS

COUNTS Incline Smith Machine Press 3

■ For one week, you’ll simply time your sets and focus on doing Vertical Machine Press 3
controlled, one- to two-second up/two- to three-second down
reps for 30 seconds. How many you actually get within that 30 Decline Hammer Strength Press 3
seconds doesn’t matter, as long as you keep repping without any
major midset pauses and you’re choosing a sufficiently heavy Pec Deck Flye 3
weight that you fail with right around that 30-second mark. (Your
10RM weight would be the best option.) Parallel Bar Dip 2
This plan will teach you to crash through that mental barrier
of stopping at a preset rep count and will show you exactly what Lying EZ-bar Skull Crusher 3
a 30-second set feels like. If your sets are pumped out at 20
seconds or less on average, it’ll seem arduous at first, but soon Bar Pressdown 3
enough you’ll adjust. And, by clearing the “rep counting” out of
your mind, you’ll be better able to focus on the feel and move- One-arm Reverse-grip Pressdown 2
ment of each repetition, along with the muscular contraction
and release. It’s a real chance to practice your mind-muscle ■ NOTE: 30 seconds per set, 1- to 2-second positive/2- to
connection. 3-second negative contractions.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 165

FLEX_ TIME TO GROW

WEEK TO PEAK
■ In this week’s worth of work-
outs, we’ve included traditional
exercises you probably do regu-
larly. To count seconds, you can
have a partner time you, use the
second hand on a clock, or try a
smartphone app. For weighted
exercises, you’ll start with one to
two warmup sets as needed, still
aiming for 30 seconds but with a
lighter weight. Only working sets
are listed in the chart.
Again, this is meant to be done
for a week, maybe two, before
returning to a more tradition-
al program—but at that point,
armed with the knowledge of
what a solid rep and a 30-
second set feels like, you’ll get
the most benefits from your
regular workouts.
You can revisit this weeklong
plan—or any workout in it—if you
feel yourself slipping into old
habits and in need of a refresher.
Just like those old, grizzled body-
building veterans will tell you,
your muscles can’t count, but
you can make sure that every rep
you perform certainly does.

WORKOUT

SHOULDERS, TRAPS,
ABS & FOREARMS
EX ER C I SE S ETS

Seated Dumbbell Press 3

Barbell Upright Row 2
One-arm Lateral Raise 3
Reverse Pec Deck Flye 3
Dumbbell Shrug 3
Twisting Leg Raise 3
Cable Crunch 3
Barbell Wrist Curl 2

■ NOTE: 30 seconds per set, 1- to 2-second

positive/2- to 3-second negative contractions.

166 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 WORKOUT

LEGS
C L O C K W I S E F R O M L E F T : C H R I S L U N D ; P E R B E R N A L ; P AV E L Y T H J A L L

EX ER C I SE S ETS

Smith Machine Squat 3

Leg Press 3
Hack Squat 3
Leg Extension 2
Dumbbell Romanian
3
Deadlift
One-leg Curl 3
Standing Calf Raise 3
Seated Calf Raise 2

■ NOTE: 30 seconds per set, 1- to 2-second

positive/2- to 3-second negative contractions.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 167

FLEX_ DORIAN YATES
You’re looking pretty slender
nowadays.
Yeah, I don’t really care about
having a bodybuilding physique,
and I have all of the injuries
that I’m carrying from all of the
heavy training I did. [Yates has
torn both a biceps and triceps
muscle.] I was always quite
removed from it. My body now
is the vehicle that I use to expe-
rience life, and I need it to be as
functional as possible. The look
that comes with it is the look
that comes with it, and I’m still
lean with good abs.
BODYBUILDING
WAS ALL I
THOUGHT ABOUT.
THERE WAS
NO ROOM FOR
SPONTANEITY OR
JOY IN MY LIFE.
170 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
I was able to find your one
and only Muscle & Fitness
cover [January 1994], and
you looked uncomfortable.
What’s the story behind that?
I guess it comes across exactly
how I felt. I could not smile for
the life of me. That’s fine for
FLEX, but this was Joe Weider’s
attempt to put me on a Muscle &
Fitness cover. I was next to some
skinny little model doing this
foo-foo shoot, and that’s not me.
I’m not from fucking California;
I’m from Birmingham, from the
pits of gym hell. So in the end,
Joe just throws his hands up in
frustration, and I got a lot more
FLEX covers.
Bodybuilding comes down
to showing off your physique,
and it sounds like you resent-
ed attention. What did you get
out of the sport?
I didn’t like people looking at
me or being onstage. To me,
bodybuilding was a mission of
Right: Yates was
more than 260
pounds. Above: He’s
now around 225
pounds and can
happily buy a suit
off the rack.
self-mastery. I love the training,
I love the challenge, and I love
O P E N E R & T H I S S P R E A D : C O U R T E S Y O F D O R I A N YAT E S ; C H R I S L U N D
the individuality of the sport—it
was all down to me. It was about
how hard and smart I trained
and how well I did with my diet.
[Also,] probably not having a
father as a teenager, these guys
become surrogate male role
models for me to look up to.
Were you happy in your
competitive days?
I wouldn’t say I was as happy
as I am now. I was so intensely
focused on the mission of being
the best bodybuilder that I could.
As far as total dedication to a
task, I can safely say that no
one’s done that before, and no
one will do it again, because it
was just so extreme. Everything
else in my life was on the back
burner, and bodybuilding was all
I thought about. There was no
room for spontaneity or joy in
my life.
When did you decide to stop
training like a bodybuilder?
It was around six or seven years
ago, but it wasn’t overnight. I
asked myself, “You’re doing this
bodybuilding training, which
you’re struggling to do because
of injuries, why are you doing it
now?” I enjoy training and enjoy
pushing myself in the gym, but
[I realized] that there are other
things that I could do that may
be more beneficial. I just let go
of my ego.
What does your training look
like now that you’re 57?
I do yoga, Pilates, hiking, bicy-
cling, and swimming. You know,
cardio stuff. I don’t do the heavy
training, because I can’t really,
but I also don’t need to. I have
great cardio, mobility, and flex-
ibility—way better than when I
was 30.
How much do you weigh now?
I weigh 225. I was 260 pounds in
contest shape.
FLEX_ DORIAN YATES

What’s the best part about

being smaller?
I feel more functional and
mobile. Also, to my great
satisfaction, I was able to walk
into a Hugo Boss and buy a suit
off the rack. I always kinda liked
nice clothes and fashion since I
was young, but when you’re that
size, I mean, forget about it.

Do you find it
ironic that you’ve
admitted to using
anabolic steroids,
but you’re getting
more flak from
fans for smoking
a joint and using
ayahuasca?
Yeah, it’s funny.
The performance-
enhancing drugs
have way more pos-
sible negative effects
than smoking mari-
juana. I’m just honest
about my experiences
in life. I’ve done all
kinds of shit. I’ve done
alcohol, cocaine. If it’s
disruptive, I’ve done it.
Also, I smoke a little
bit in the evening to
relax, but it’s not like or drop acid and have a pleasant
I sit and smoke all experience where I don’t get
day. You could sit and sick. But I realized how pow-
smoke all day, and you was still drinking and doing coke erful she—I say “she” because
can sit and eat cheeseburgers recreationally. When you do aya- everyone feels that [ayahuasca]
all day and get fucking obese— huasca, you need to go in totally represents feminine energy—is
but should we ban cheese- clean—no sex, no sugar, no salt— and that she gave me exactly
burgers? No. for at least two weeks before. I what I needed: “Stop poisoning
could have died. I got violently yourself and then come back and
What was your first experi- ill and was wondering where see me.”
ence with ayahuasca like? my spirit animal was, where
It was 2008. My wife, Gal, and were my visions and the wealth So you quit drinking and
I were on a boat with some of information. But afterward, I cocaine after that?
guys on the Amazon in Brazil. did recall [hearing] a repetitive Not overnight. It wasn’t all of
Because of the cannabis com- message in my head, which was, the time; it was on the weekend
munity, I knew vaguely what it “Stop poisoning yourself.” I dis- once or twice a month—that
was and asked the guys if they missed it because of the nega- was the circle I moved in. But
could get us some for a couple tive experience. I’d rather smoke at some point, it wasn’t fun
of hundred bucks. At this point, I a joint, take some mushrooms, anymore.

172 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019


In your prime, your back
was considered to be one of
the best ever. Now you’ve cov-
ered it with this ayahuasca-
inspired tattoo. Is that in any
way symbolic of you moving
on from bodybuilding?
It’s not just covered up; I’d say it’s
enhanced. Like painting a wall
doesn’t cover it up, it enhances
it. I’m not going around throwing
up back double biceps or rear lat
spreads—there are videos and
photos of that. My back is a big
space, and the tattoo represents
a big event in my life.
What does your tattoo mean?
The lion was revealed to me as
being representative of my spirit.
So that’s me, and I’m surrounded
by plants and geometric shapes
and messages that come in sym-
C O U R T E S Y O F D O R I A N YAT E S ( 2 ) ; C H R I S L U N D
bol form. There’s a story about
the plants, the universe comes
through the plants, teaching me,
and then I’m inspired to teach
others with the information I’ve
got. That’s one of my roles now.
How are you teaching others?
I’m running these ayahuasca
camps out in Costa Rica now at
a place called Sultara. You go
there for a week, and you take
Yates currently
does yoga,
biking, and
Pilates once a
week, along with
one weight-
training session.
the medicine four times a week.
You’re on a special diet, and you
have shamans, psychiatrists, and
medicine healers. It’s a healing
center. I’ve seen people literally
change their life, like, “Fuck this
job. This is what I want to do.” I
plan to continue that.
You still train bodybuilding
competitors. Has your weight-
training philosophy changed?
It’s not really different, apart
from contest preparation, where
I ease back on the intensity and
the weights because there’s too
much vulnerability for injury
with the dehydration and less
body fat. Back then, I pushed
myself 100% all the time. I
learned that sometimes you
need to back off a little.
Aside from your bodybuilding
career, what do you want your
legacy to be?
[Being] Mr. Olympia is a part of
my experience, a very important
part of my life, but it doesn’t
define me. That’s not who I am.
I can be, and am, a lot of other
things as well. I hope to keep
inspiring people to improve
themselves and to be more in
touch with their spiritual selves.
We’re just getting started.
 The
M&F
Cheat
Sheet Does taking a break from eating
clean really help you create your
ideal physique?
BY ADAM BIBLE
/// P H O T O G R A P H S B Y T R A V I S R A T H B O N E

CHEAT MEALS CAN SERVE a bag of Funyons is a binge, not

as a beacon, with bacon
cheeseburgers, greasy pizza,
and ice cream sundaes singing
a siren song that can help pull
us through to the other side
of pain, sweat, and cramps.
These indulgences can also
help break the monotony of
eating grilled chicken breast,
white rice, and broccoli, making
the parameters of a strict diet
a little more palatable. But
do cheat meals offer anything
aside from mental relief from a
calorie-restricted diet?
■ DEFINING “CHEAT
MEAL” They’re not supposed
to be a calorie free-for-all.
Plowing through a bag of Ruffles
and then a Hot Pocket and then
a cheat. A better definition of
a cheat meal, says Ali Gilbert,
C.S.C.S., a men’s health coach in
Greenwich, CT, and a Golf Digest
Top 50 Golf Fitness Profession-
al, “is to think of it as more of
a free meal consisting of foods
that would not be in somebody’s
traditional dieting plan during
low-calorie days.”
■ HOW DO CHEAT MEALS
WORK? Physically speaking,
cheat meals serve to spike the
metabolism and increase a
hormone called leptin, which
allows your body to mobilize
fat stores and increase satiety,
says Jim White, R.D., ACSM,
owner of Jim White Fitness &

174 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

FLEX_ GUIDE TO CHEAT MEALS

GO
AHEAD
AND
CHEAT
IF... You feel cold a lot,
which means your body
temperature is dropping.

You stop losing weight,

Nutrition Stu-
dios in Virginia.
“Leptin is produced
by fat tissue, and the
hormone helps regulate
your energy balance by inhibiting
hunger,” he says.
Keeping your body in a calorie
deficit can cause your energy
levels to crash, and that means
leptin levels will fall, slowing
down your metabolism. “By spo-
radically boosting your calories,
you encourage your body to burn
calories more quickly instead of
allowing it to adjust completely
to a restricted diet,” White says.
Gilbert adds that cheat meals
can work on a psychological
level, “because it can be tough
to be on a continuous calorie
restriction for X number of
months.”
and lowering your
calorie intake
doesn’t help.
■ THE SCIENCE BEHIND
CHEATS Numerous studies
support the concept of cheat
meals. One study on 10 healthy
women in the International
Journal of Obesity showed that
when carbs were increased
after being on a diet for three
days, their leptin levels
bumped up by about 28%,
with a 7% increase in calorie
burning over 24 hours. And in
2018, a study from the School of
Health Sciences at the University
of Tasmania compared a group
who dieted straight for 16 weeks
with a group who dieted for two
weeks, then had two weeks in
maintenance for a total of 30
weeks. The dieters who went
back and forth ended up losing
more body fat and kept more
weight off than the continuous
group. This study points to both
physiological and psychological
components of cheat meals—if
somebody loses a lot of weight
over time with no breaks (men-
tally or with his or her body), he
or she can end up overeating
when the diet is done.

176 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 LEAN, MEAN MEALS
Shelby Starnes, a body composition coach and
former IFBB Professional League bodybuilder,
offers up his criteria (shown in the text bubbles on
the opposite page) to decide whether guys striving
for serious shreds should have a cheat meal. “If
one or more of these apply to you, then it’s proba-
bly safe to say that a cheat meal is warranted,” he
says. “If none of these apply to you, then you don’t
need one, regardless of how much you want it.”

suggested cheat meal size.

■ PLAN THE PERFECT
CHEAT MEAL First, when
to have a cheat meal depends
on your goals. White says that
extreme dieters—like bodybuild-
ers—may need higher-calorie
cheat meals one to two times
a week, since they’re in an
extreme calorie deficit. On the
other hand, a typical gymgoer,
who is presumably eating a little
more, may need just one cheat
meal every 10 to 14 days to sat-
isfy mental and social needs.
When it comes to how much to
eat, remember that a cheat meal
is just that—one meal. When
planning what you’re going to
eat for your cheat, keep the total
calories to no more than 50%
more than that of your normal
meal, White says. So if you
usually consume 600 calories
at one meal, 900 calories is the
“If you have long-term goals of
being super-ripped, jacked, or just
in incredible shape, your cheat
meal choices need to be con-
sidered,” says Gabe Staub, R.D.,
C.S.C.S., a performance nutrition-
ist in Greensboro, NC. In other
words: Opt for meals that have a
better balance of fats, carbs, and,
most important, protein. Other-
wise, you are missing out on the
potential to stimulate growth.
Also, Staub thinks that it’s
a good idea to include some
nutrient-dense options like
legumes and whole grains, lean
proteins, and healthy fats from
nuts. They’re less calorically
David Morin & Kendall Pasley
dense, so you can eat more of
them, and they’ll keep you fuller
for longer than a pair of Pop
Tarts ever could.
NEW
As for when to cheat, save it
for a recovery day. This is be-
cause it can be tough to put in
a good effort during an intense
training session if you haven’t
eaten correctly. Another strategy,
according to Gilbert, is to budget
your calories and save up for a
cheat. “Say you want to have
a date night on Saturday with
burgers and fries—well, you can
structure the calorie intake so
that in the beginning of the day
it’s just protein and vegetables,”
she explains. “Then save some
of the calories for that night so
you don’t feel like you’re being THE BEST GRIP
deprived and end up bingeing.” IN THE WORLD
VERSAGRIPPS.com
FLEX_ GUIDE TO CHEAT MEALS

OUR FAVORITE M&F-ING CHEAT MEALS

We had our favorite calorie-paloozas dissected to see how many calories
we consumed during our occasional cheats.
■ ANDREW GUTMAN, ■ ANTHONY O’REILLY, strawberry milkshake
SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR The damage: Calories: 1,336; Protein: 79g;
The culprit: Double cheeseburger with The culprit: Mr. Mayor sandwich from Carbs: 267g; Fat: 143g
bacon, cheddar, caramelized onions, and Cristina’s Deli & Grill in Queens, NY (chicken
spicy mayo; cheese fries; three Dogfish cutlet, mozzarella, bacon, french fries, and ■ LIZ YUN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Head SeaQuench Ale tallboys ranch dressing on white Italian bread); waffle The culprit: Sesame seed bagel with extra
The damage: Calories: 2,248; Protein: 94g; fries with mozzarella and gravy; large cream cheese, lox, and capers
Carbs: 138g; Fat: 95g Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Carvelanche The damage: Calories: 514; Protein: 25g;
from Carvel Carbs: 60g; Fat: 20g
■ RUSS MENDOZA, The damage: Calories: 3,367; Protein: 138g;
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Carbs: 282g; Fat: 168g ■ ZACK ZEIGLER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The culprit: Korean-style fried chicken The culprit: Large New York–style cheese
legs, thighs, and wings served on buttermilk ■ ERICA SCHULTZ, PHOTO DIRECTOR pizza
pancakes with butter and syrup; french fries The culprit: Cheeseburger from Five Guys The damage: Calories: 2,975; Protein: 132g;
The damage: Calories: 1,326; Protein: 55g; with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, Carbs: 326g; Fat: 127g
Carbs: 142g; Fat: 58g ketchup, and mayo; french fries; medium

178 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

180 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
Rivers of blood, muscle cells swelling, skin-splitting
pumps...Think you have what it takes to make it
through the infamous Week 3 of my Y3T program?
Dig deep and gut it out to enjoy the awesome rewards
of real high-rep training.
BY N E I L “YO DA” H I LL

Hell
Week OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 181
FLEX_ HELL WEEK

Y3T HAS BECOME synony- WHY DO HIGH REPS?

mous with adjectives pertaining
to its extreme intensity.
But when it comes to Week 3
of Y3T (Yoda 3 Training) and its
infamous reputation for high-rep,
muscle-annihilation brutality,
you can refer to it as “hell week.”
And it’s not just for “effect.”
High-rep training within the Y3T
cycle is a potent hypertrophy
tool that can transform a stub-
born muscle group into one that
turns heads.
In this bonus FLEX feature, I’ll
explain Week 3’s fundamentals
and how it can help you achieve
There’s both mechanical and
systematic stress taking place
when your body endures high-
rep training. Muscle fibers are
exposed to new rep ranges
that carry a bias toward sar-
coplasmic hypertrophy, pre-
dominately targeting type I
slow-twitch muscle fibers. As a
result, there is an uplift in “cell
swelling,” which correlates with room for growth within the
an increase in sarcoplasmic area. With increased blood flow
fluid within the muscle cell. also comes better nutrient
Another noticeable hyper- transportation and assimilation,
trophy-supporting by-product of both of which can support
high-rep training is a significant recovery and growth.
OPENER: PER BERNAL

the best results of your life.
There’s also a full Week 3 pro-
gram to experience for yourself.
Brace yourself: Shit is about to
get serious.
increase in blood flow into the
muscle. The sheath that envel-
ops the muscle, known as the
fascia, becomes more elastic
over time, equating to more
Many muscle groups don’t
expand to their fullest potential
until they’re exposed to high-
rep training. This is often due
to the fact that the slow-twitch

182 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 QUADS
EX E R C IS E S ETS R E PS

Leg
3–4 12–15
Extension
Leg 3 (triple
20–25
Extension dropsets)
Warm-
Leg Press 1–3
up
3
Leg Press 25–30
(dropsets)
Dumbbell
Walking 2 20–30
Lunge
Barbell
2 20–25
Squat

HAMSTRINGS
EX E R C IS E S ETS R E PS

High-stance
4 12–15
Leg Press
Standing
4
One-leg 20–25
(dropsets)
Curl
High-stance
3 20–30
Leg Press
Barbell
Stiff-leg 3 20–15
Deadlift

BACK
EX E R C IS E S ETS R E PS

Seated
Hammer 4 10–12
Row

Seated
3
Hammer 15–20
(dropsets)
Row
fibers have not been stimulated improves muscle growth and
Bentover
adequately. Many clients of mine conditioning. The sheer intensity 3
Dumbbell 15–20
report significant increases in of the high-rep part of Y3T (dropsets)
Row
muscle volumization once they means that fat mobilization
Lying Medi-
complete their first full Y3T and overall calorie expenditure 2
K R A U S E ; P AV E L Y T H J A L L
THIS SPREAD: JOHANSEN

um-grip Lat 15–20

program. In my experience, there increase. Hormonally, the body (dropsets)
Pulldown
are also significant improve- also becomes more optimized
ments in muscle separation for fat loss. In short, Y3T Week 3 Barbell 2
15–20
Rack Pull (dropsets)
after consistent use of higher is extremely beneficial for
rep ranges as well. anyone looking to make positive
Ultimately, high-rep training changes to his or her physique.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 183

FLEX_ HELL WEEK

HIGH REPS AND CHEST SHOULDERS

MAX GROWTH EXE RCI SE SETS REP S EXE R C IS E S ETS R EPS
High-rep training is something
very few people ever experi- Incline Standing
ence, let alone apply correctly Dumbbell 4 10–12 Barbell
4 12–15
for an optimized hypertrophic Press Power
Press
response. Doing some dropsets Incline
at the end of a workout is not Dumbbell 4 15–20 Standing
my idea of high-rep training. For Press Barbell 3
20–25
optimized results with high-rep Superset Power (dropsets)
with Press
training, I believe it’s essential Incline
to apply it within a periodized Dumbbell 4 15–20 Standing
program that utilizes its high- Flye Dumbbell 3 (triple
20–25
Lateral dropsets)
intensity nature for extreme Flat Smith Raise
trauma to the muscle in a lower- 4
Machine 15–20
volume format. For instance, (dropsets) Lying
Press
in Week 1 of Y3T, when the rep Incline 3
20–25
Cable 2 Barbell (dropsets)
ranges are at their lowest over- 15–20
Crossover (dropsets) Front Raise
all, the volume of sets is higher
as it’s less taxing on the central Keep shoulders retracted to maximize muscle fiber Rear Lateral 4
recruitment across the chest. Avoid complete lockout 20–25
Raise (dropsets)
nervous system (CNS). (stop 2 to 3 inches short) on pressing movements to
sustain tension on the chest rather than the triceps. Don’t lock out on pressing movements to sustain tension
In Week 2, the rep ranges Avoid dropping below chest depth on pressing to sustain
tension on the pecs and reduce strain on shoulder joint. on deltoids. Avoid using torso-generated momentum to
lift weight. Relax traps and isolate the deltoids, even if it
increase to moderate, while the means using less weight.

184 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

 TRICEPS
EX E R C IS E S ETS R E PS

Cable
4 12–15
Pushdown

Cable 3
20–25
Pushdown (dropsets)

Body-
3 AMAP
weight Dip

Overhead
3
Cable 20–25
(dropsets)
Extension

Extend through the elbow and minimize shoulder

movement to further isolate the triceps. Use a full
range of motion to ensure all three heads of the triceps
are worked.

working set number decreases

F ROM L E F T: C H R I S LU N D; C H A R L E S LOW T H I A N; C H R I S LU N D

slightly. Finally, in Week 3 the

number of working sets is
reduced further, yet the overall
intensity goes up significantly
for each working set due to the
high rep ranges. This formation
means that the CNS is afforded
the time needed to recover and
adapt. If there is no periodization
in place, the CNS will quickly
become overfatigued, leading to
reduced muscle performance
and plateaus.
It’s fundamental that when
applying the high rep ranges
in Week 3 that there is acute

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 185

FLEX_ HELL WEEK

K EV I N HORTON

186 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

BICEPS training is picking the wrong
EXERCI SE SETS R EP S weight and going too light. As a
result, they get to around 80%
Barbell Curl 4 12–15 of the target rep range and start
to feel the burn. That’s not Y3T
Barbell Curl 3 20–25 high-intensity high-rep training.
By approximately 50% of
Preacher the way through the set you
3 20–25
Curl should be reduced to having to
Straight-bar use rest-pause. For instance, if
Low-pulley 3 20–25 the rep range on the leg press is
Cable Curl 60 to 80 reps, at around 30 reps
Keep arms tight to the side of torso to reduce external you’ll need to pause for a few
momentum. Don’t allow torso-generated momentum to
contribute toward weight lifted. Externally rotate wrist on seconds to recover. From here
dumbbell exercises for more muscle fiber recruitment.
you might be doing a handful
of reps at a time, breaking the
set down like this until you’re
CALVES reduced to singles. This accu-
EXERCI SE SETS R EP S
rately describes how each set
Seated should feel, a vast difference to
4 12–15 what most people perceive to be
Calf Raise
intense high-rep training. Please
Leg Press 3
20–30 make sure you remember this
Calf Raise (dropsets) when using Y3T, because it will
make the difference between
Seated 3 you experiencing the benefits
20–30
Calf Raise (dropsets)
and not.
Avoid bouncing at the bottom of each rep to exclude
momentum generated by the Achilles tendon, improving
isolation of the gastrocnemius/soleus. Use an isometric
hold at the top of each rep to further increase muscle
FINAL REP
stimulation. In essence, high-rep training
should be intense, acute, and
lower in volume. If you’re able to
intensity! This acts as compen- do 20 sets of high-rep training,
sation for the reduction in it is not intense enough, I assure
overall training volume during you. Keep the eccentric to two
this week. As such, the muscle seconds and the rest period to
fibers and CNS are stimulated to 90 seconds. The rep tempo
their maximal capacity without prescribed for each workout
falling into a negative environ- here ensures that the muscle is
ment in which a potential state exposed to sufficient time under
of “overtraining” can set in. With tension, creating the hyper-
this level of intensity comes trophic response necessary.
high-threshold motor unit The rest periods ensure that
recruitment, leading to global the muscle fibers and energy
muscle fiber stimulation. systems are pushed without
experiencing too much rest.
MISTAKES TO AVOID Make sure you’ve eaten all your
The word intensity is often meals and are mentally pre-
misplaced—but anybody who’s pared. You’ll need everything
been trained by me during a possible to get through these
Y3T Week 3 workout will con- body-part workouts.
firm that it’s extremely intense!
Possibly the biggest error people Sign up for Hill’s free daily emails
commit when applying high-rep at y3tdisciple.com.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 187

Herculean

Tasks
THE
EVERYTHING
WORKOUT
“When you work your whole
body in each workout, it forces
you to think about symme-
try. Your focus is always on
the whole and not the parts,”
Reeves said. When the future
Hercules was expanding, he
hit everything every time. He
usually did three sets of an
exercise before moving to the
next. He went fast, resting only
45 seconds between sets. In
a typical workout, he did the
following 10 exercises, each
for three sets of eight to 12

reps: upright row, bench press,
one-arm dumbbell row, dumb-
bell side lateral, military press,
triceps pushdown, barbell curl,
dumbbell incline curl, back
squat, barbell pullover. Then
2
48 HOURS OFF
Reeves scheduled his
full-body sessions, which
consisted of 35 to 40 sets, for
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fri-
a virtue. Sets consisted of
flawless reps with a cadence
of two seconds up and three
seconds down.

4
he performed one superset of days. We’re going to modernize T H I S S P R E A D : C O U RT E S Y O F S T E V E R E E V E S I N T E R N AT I O N A L

breathing squats (20 reps) and
breathing pullovers (20 reps)—
deep-breath exercises done,
erroneously, to expand the rib
cage. He wrapped it up with
deadlifts and good mornings,
each for two sets of eight to 12.
his “non-split” a little and divide
the body into three distinct rou-
tines. Nevertheless, those three
workouts will remain diverse—
incline presses and deadlifts
in one, for example—and we’ll
stick with a similar workload
MODERATION
O P E N E R : P H O T O B Y L U X / G A L AT E A / KO B A L / S H U T T E R S T O C K .
Most sets were kept in
the ideal growth range
of eight to 12 reps. Sometimes
he went higher, but he almost
never went lower.

An intense everything assault
can hold you over for a week.
Keep total sets at 40 or fewer.
This means you won’t have the
5
per session and maintain his
pattern of resting at least 48 PROGRESSION
hours between trips to the gym. One training tenet that
preceded even Steve

3
luxury of exhausting muscles
with 12 sets of isolation moves.
Focus on compound exercises,
and push to failure.
Reeves, who was born 93 years
PERFECT FORM ago, is progressive resistance,
In the opinion of Hercu- which is a fancy way of saying
les, cheating was not always trying to get stronger.

190 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

STEVE REEVES_FLEX

HE WAS
FOREVER
FOCUSED ON
HIS PHYSIQUE’S
SILHOUETTE.

The 1950 Mr. Universe didn’t

push his sets beyond failure
with various techniques (most
of which weren’t even named
yet), but he was fixated on
racking up more reps in the
eight-to-12 range. When he
could get 13, he upped the
weight the next time.

6
ALTERNATE
ANTAGONISTICS
Working his whole
body in one 90-minute rou-
tine, Reeves couldn’t help but
stress one diverse body part
after another. However, he still
arranged exercises so that
one movement often followed
its antagonist, such as rows
(pulling movement for back)
after bench presses (pushing
movement for chest). Our
routine also pairs up antago-
nists: chest with back, biceps
with triceps, and quadriceps
with hamstrings.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 191

LONG AGO
AND WITH
ONLY SIMPLE
TOOLS AND
FOOD, REEVES
CONSTRUCTED
HISTORY’S MOST
PERFECT BODY.

10
SHAPE-SHIFT
He was forever
focused on his phy-
sique’s silhouette: wide shoul-
ders, slim waistline, proportion-
ate development. One of the
elements of his workouts—rib
cage expansion by supersetting
pullovers and high-rep “breath-
ing squats”—was misguided.
Don’t waste time trying to alter
your skeletal structure. On the
other hand, another compo-
nent—the ab vacuum (pulling
your waist in as far as possible
and holding for 20 to 40 sec-
onds)—is a relic that deserves
to be resurrected. He avoided
oblique exercises for fear of
widening his waist. Similarly,
he did no shrugs, believing a
sloping trapezius made his
shoulders appear narrower.
(His traps were worked with
upright rows and deadlifts.)
He did, however, train his neck,
on occasion, so you may want
to add “necking” to your routine
to seem Herculean even in a
suit and tie.

OCTOBER 2019 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 193

FLEX_ STEVE REEVES

THE STEVE
MONDAY

CHEST/BACK/ABS

REEVES
EXER CISE SE TS R E PS

WORKOUT
Barbell Row 4 8–12
Incline Barbell Press 4 8–12
One-arm Dumbbell Row 4 8–12
Incline Dumbbell Press 4 8–12
Front Pulldown 4 8–12
Incline Dumbbell Flye 4 8–12
Dumbbell Pullover 3 8–12
Deadlift 2 8–12
Good Morning 2 8–12

WEDNESDAY

SHOULDERS/ARMS/ABS
EXER CISE SE TS R E PS

Upright Row 3 8–12

Standing Military Press 3 8–12
Dumbbell Side Lateral 3 8–12
Dumbbell Rear Lateral 3 8–12
Pushdown 3 8–12
Incline Dumbbell Curl 3 8–12
Overhead Triceps 3 8–12
Extension
Barbell Curl 3 8–12
Dip 3 8–12
Ab Vacuum 4 20–40
sec.
FRIDAY

LEGS/ABS
EXERCIS E SE TS R EPS

Leg Extension 4 10–12

Hack Squat 3 8–12
Lying Leg Curl 4 8–12
Front Squat 3 8–12
Romanian Deadlift 4 8–12
Back Squat 4 8–12
SHUTTERSTOCK

Standing Calf Raise 4 10–15

Seated Calf Raise 4 10–15
Incline Situp 4 10–15

194 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019

FLEX_ STEVE REEVES
11
POWER WALKING
As was the norm back
in the day, Reeves did
only occasional cardio during
the years when he flexed on
bodybuilding stages or movie
sets. However, in the ’80s,
when he was in his 50s and
prioritized fitness, he popular-
ized power walking. This is a
196 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
THE DELTS
AND LATS
HE BUILT IN
THE GYM
LAUNCHED
HIM TO
HERCULEAN
FAME.
rapid jaunt performed with
long strides and pendulum-
like arm swings, ideally while
holding light dumbbells. With
plenty of room to roam on his
ranch, Reeves went for such
moderate-intensity marches
year-round. Think of any out-
door legwork—including jog-
ging—as Hercules-style cardio.
STAY LEAN
Reeves’ diet was a product
of a time when much less was
known about sports nutrition.
A greater emphasis on pro-
tein and more, small meals
emerged in bodybuilding circles
only in the ’50s in conjunction
with the first protein powders.
Before then, Reeves ate three
meals daily, with a 60-20-20
ratio of carbohydrates, protein,
and fat, and with lots of fruit.
He kept his calories relatively
low and correctly avoided table
sugar and white floor.
As a result of his diet, he was
both smoother and leaner than
today’s bodybuilders. Though
he never attained the peeled
conditioning of modern champs,
he also never bulked up and
chased ever larger numbers on
C O U RT E S Y O F S T E V E R E E V E S I N T E R N AT I O N A L
the scales like too many mod-
ern champs. Allow yourself to
get too soft and you’ll reverse
engineer what should be a work
of sculpture into a big block.
This can potentially stretch out
your abdominal wall, and it will
hinder your ability to remain
focused on improving your
silhouette, shape, and propor-
tions—unlike Steve Reeves, so
long ago.
MARKETPLACE
FLEX_ NPC MONTHLY BY FR ANK SEPE

Catching Up
With the NPCHere’s a rundown of everything that
the NPC has going on in the near future.

EXPANDED COVERAGE career, so do not miss it. Please

NPC News Online is pleased to look out for the announcement
announce a revamped website before the next show, which is
(npcnewsonline.com) in addition the NPC Nationals on Nov. 24
to two new sites: npcnewstv in Miami.
.com and npcfitbody.com. This
is just the beginning in achiev- 2019 BEN WEIDER
ing worldwide coverage of NPC LIFETIME ACHIEVE-
contests. We believe we have MENT AWARD
the best amateur athletes in the This year’s recipient of the 2019
world, and we want to create a Ben Weider Lifetime Achieve-
larger media platform to show- ment Award is Steve Weinberger.
case their accomplishments. Weinberger was presented the
award by Olympia VP and chief
NPC PRO QUALIFIER Olympia officer Dan Solomon
CHAMPIONS SHOOT at the IFBB Tampa Pro. He has
For the past 30 years, J.M. Man- worked for decades in both the
ion has been shooting the quali- National Physique Commit-
INCREASE AFFECTION fying pros at the Sunday Winners tee and IFBB Pro League as a
Created by Shoot—free of charge. There promoter and a judge and is also
Winnifred Cutler, is a notice sent to all athletes known for owning the Bev Fran-
Ph.D. in biology from
U. of Penn, post-doc competing well in advance of the cis Powerhouse Gym (East Coast
Stanford. Co- contest giving specific details Mecca). Check out the video and
discovered human
pheromones in 1986 of the shoots. It is a terrific way photo gallery by J.M. Manion on
(Time 12/1/86; and
Newsweek 1/12/87)
to capture one of the greatest npcnewsonline.com. Congrats to
SAVE $100: 6-Pak moments in your competitive Weinberger.
special offer
PROVEN EFFECTIVE IN 3
DOUBLE-BLIND STUDIES
ATHENA PHEROMONEStm
increase your attractiveness
Unscented Athena 10X tm For Men $99.50
Fragrance 10:13 tm For Women $98.50
Additives Cosmetics Free U.S. Shipping
♥ John (HI) “My wife just loves it!”
♥ Jim (CT) “Women are crowding around
me in social situations. 10X really works!
Other men are trying to figure out what I
have that they don’t. Women say to me,
‘There’s something about Steve Wein-
berger (third
you that attracts me.’” from left),
Not in stores 610-827-2200 holding his
award.
Athenainstitute.com
Athena Institute, Braefield Rd, Chester Spgs, PA 19425 MAF
198 MUSCLE & FITNESS / OCTOBER 2019
 MARKETPLACE

To advertise in the Marketplace,

please contact Dara Markus:
DMarkus@amilink.com
212.339.1914

FOLLOW
US!
 ON THE RISE
FLEX_ BY MICHAEL BERG

Her Stock Is Rising

Mild-mannered financial whiz by day, IFBB Pro League bikini phenom by night—
Breana Wigley finds balance and success between two very different worlds.

BREANA WIGLEY LEADS TRAINING

a double life. WIGLEY’S
When she’s not putting her RESISTANCE-BAND
business management degree GLUTE WORKOUT
to work for a multinational bank,
the 25-year-old is training hard BAND
EX ER C I SE PLACEMENT SETS REPS
and hitting the contest circuit,
steadily rising up the ranks of the Fire Above 3 20
IFBB Professional League bikini Hydrant knee
division.
“I don’t talk about it much at Dumbbell Above 3 12
Curtsy knee
work, because I don’t want my Lunge
managers Googling me and find-
ing my glute shots,” she says. Plank Around 3 12
Balancing it all isn’t easy, Jack calves
Wigley admits, but her lifelong Standing Around 3 15
habits have led the way. “I devel- Diagonal calves
oped structure and discipline as Kickback
a kid growing up in Memphis, be- Donkey Above 3 15
cause I had to make sure I would Kick knee
organize my day to be able to do
everything I wanted,” she recalls.
In college, Wigley employed her at her first local show, she won
discipline and work ethic to get her pro card at the 2017 North
stronger. “I thought, ‘Hey, I could American Championships.
go for the 35-pound dumbbells,’ Since then, Wigley has juggled
and soon found out, ‘No, you her full-time career with a busy
need to start with the 5s,’ ” she pro competition schedule, finish-
recalls. “I’m super-ambitious ing top 10 in her eight contests
in all things, but lifting thus far, including runner-up at
weights in the gym the 2019 Greater Gulf States
humbled me a lot.” Pro Bikini show.
Still, she developed With the help of Atlanta-based
quickly, becoming an in- coach Kenae Yancy and her hus-
stant success from the moment band, Daniel, Wigley is looking
she stepped onstage. Just five to qualify for the 2020 Bikini
months after taking the overall Olympia. Her next step there is
to pack on more muscle. “I’ve
BREANA WIGLEY been competing at 103 to 105
(FORMERLY TURNER) onstage, and we want to come in
Birth Date: Feb. 27, 1994 around 110,” she says.
Height: 5'5" Of course, between balancing
Contest Weight: 105 lbs
Residence: Charlotte, NC
a relationship and two jobs, a
Website: officialbrewigley.com few extra pounds shouldn’t be a
Instagram: @bre.faith.fit problem for this all-around pro.

Photograph by Dan Ray

THE KING OF
PREWORKOUTS
STRENGTH STAMINA RECOVERY

© 2018 Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals Inc. All rights reserved.