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20 Pages of the Hottest, Fittest Women in the World

FEBRUARY 2006 / IRON MAN—REAL BODYBUILDING TRAINING, NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENTATION

PACK ON
MUSCLE!
Quick-Start Program
to Get You Growing
EYE-POPPING
ARM SIZE!
•Bulging Bi’s
•Sweeping Tri’s
JACKED-UP
ENERGIZERS
Eat This to
Put the Pedal
to the Metal
DIET GURU
QUICK-START MUSCLE PROGRAM

INTERVIEW
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FEBRUARY 2006
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The Muscle-Building Truth Is Out There…

X
B E Y O N D

REP
MUSCLE BUILDING

w w w. Be yo n d X- R e p . c o m
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 February 2006 Vol. 65, No. 2
Fitness
Olympia,
page 254

Real Bodybuilding Training, Nutrition & Supplementation

FEATURES
82 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 76
Details can make big differences in your physique. The
TEG men analyze perfect mass-building sequences and
the DXO technique.

106 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 7

Ron Harris schools his young protégé on the right time to
compete—age vs. the stage.

120 THE INNER WARRIOR, PART 1

Jerry Brainum pulls no punches as he interviews nutrition
expert Ori Hofmekler on everything from frequent eating to
high-protein diets to fasting for more muscle.

140 BEYOND GLYCOGEN

George Redmon, Ph.D., analyzes your energy system and
gives you tips on how to rev up to
rep out with more grow power.

164 X FILES
Dissecting the perfect mass-
building set.

176 BODYBUILDING
BEGINNINGS
Bodybuilding Beyond Glycogen, Celebrated bodybuilding author
Beginnings, page 140 Stuart McRobert presents a quick- Dan Decker and Alejandra
page 176 start program for beginners—which Gutierrez appear on this
month’s cover. Hair and
doubles as a fresh start for those get- makeup Kimberly Carlson.
ting back to the gym after a layoff. Photo by Michael Neveux.

200 MUSCLE-PROGRAM PRIMER

Christopher Pennington’s eight essentials for designing a
workout that works for you.

212 HEAVY DUTY

John Little channels Mike Mentzer’s HIT philosophy.

222 MORE ARM SIZE

Eric Broser reveals how to build higher bi’s and sweeping
tri’s—because your guns can never be too big.

A Bodybuilder Is Born, 238 POWER/REP RANGE/SHOCK 2

page 106 Another look at an incredible mass protocol that covers all
the bodybuilding bases.

254 IFBB FITNESS, FIGURE AND MS.

OLYMPIAS
Our full-page miniposter treatment of the most spectacu-
lar female bodies on the planet. Wow!

292 HARDBODY
Sultry and striking fitness femme Valerie Waugman.

310 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE

Bill Starr on the strength factor in bodybuilding.

SUBSCRIBE TO IRON MAN

 More Arm Size,
page 222
DEPARTMENTS

30 TRAIN TO GAIN
The best grips and exercise for more muscle size. Joe
Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine is here too.

46 NATURALLY HUGE
John Hansen’s world of hurt, part 2—injuries and how to
avoid and train around them.

56 CRITICAL MASS
Steve Holman blasts you through the tension dimension
for more mass.

66 EAT TO GROW
The double-trouble fat splat, new whey-cool research
and plenty of fantastic food facts.
Hardbody, Train to Gain,
page 292 page 30 96 SMART TRAINING
Charles Poliquin talks strongman-training strategies.
Plus, his tips for a building a bigger bench.

286 NEWS & VIEWS

Lonnie Teper’s got more wild stuff from the Mr. O and
his usual tantalizing tidbits from around the bodybuilding
world.

302 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE

Ruth Silverman’s auspicious overview of the women’s
Olympia events from Vegas, flash scores from the ’05
NPC National Championships—and a whole lot more.
Plus, Gene Mozée’s look at the new “No Pain, No Gain”
bodybuilding movie (on page 307).

320 MIND/BODY CONNECTION

Randall Strossen, Ph.D., discusses inner visions and outer
limits (it’s mental-might insight). Gallery of Ironmen and
Graphic Muscle Stars also appear here.

330 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY

Jerry Brainum’s look at growth hormone and the fat-burn-
News & Views, Pump & Circumstance,
ing zone.
page 286 page 302
336 READERS WRITE
Big-bodybuilding-babe backer, racist boredom, hard-
core covers and informative information.

In the next IRON MAN

W E B A L E RT !
For the latest happ
en
world of bodybuild ings from the
ing and fitness,
set your browse
www.IronmanMaga r for
zine.c
www.GraphicMusc om and
le.com.
Next month is our annual over-40 bodybuilding
issue, and it’s shaping up to be a blockbuster!
We have training insight from the older, bolder
muscle crowd, like Team Universe champ Skip La
Cour. Plus, respected researcher Jerry Brainum
reveals the exact supplements he takes and sug-
gests ways of building more muscle and health as
you move into middle age. Then there’s our usual
top-notch training tutelage, like Eric Broser’s
forearm-forging, calf-engorging feature and mus-
cle-building details in our X Files section. We also
have a controversial interview with Shawn Ray
on the state of competitive bodybuilding. Watch
for the slightly more mature March IRON MAN on
newsstands the first week of February.
SUBSCRIBE TO IRON MAN
 John Balik’s
Founders
Publisher’s Letter 1936-1986:
Peary & Mabel Rader
Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik
Associate Publisher: Warren Wanderer

Opportunities: Design Director: Michael Neveux

Editor in Chief: Stephen Holman
Art Director: T. S. Bratcher
Senior Editor: Ruth Silverman

The Golden Age Editor at Large: Lonnie Teper

The 1970s were the golden age of bodybuild-
ing, when the perfect storm of personality and
publicity came together to raise bodybuilding’s
profile to a new, positive level. The personali-
ties were Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arthur Jones,
George Butler, Charles Gaines and Joe Weider.
Joe brought Arnold to the United States, Gaines
and Butler created the book and documentary
“Pumping Iron,” and Arthur Jones created
Nautilus machines, for which Peary and Mabel
Rader provided a launching pad in Iron Man.
Arnold was featured in a breakthrough article
in Sports Illustrated that introduced him to
millions of people who had never been exposed
to bodybuilding. It portrayed him as a hugely engaging three-dimensional
personality, not the usual media-created caricature. Add to that Arnold’s
starring role in “Stay Hungry”—which could easily be his two-word phi-
losophy—and you have a series of events that not only changed bodybuild-
ing forever but in a much broader sense laid the groundwork for bringing
weight training to the masses. Arnold showed that it felt good to have mus-
cle. For the first time you could mention in the outside world that you were
a bodybuilder and be respected for it. The skeptics were finally convinced
that bodybuilding was a great life-enhancing activity.
The personality-and-media storm expanded opportunities for all in-
volved. Both Arnold and Nautilus became brands. Bodybuilding publica-
tions grew at the fastest rate they’d ever experienced.
Jones made bodybuilding more acceptable by “hiding” the barbell and
overseeing scientific studies that backed up his theories. His ideas went
from the pages of Iron Man to the weight rooms of the nation’s football
teams and, finally, to the Nautilus Gyms that opened up across the country.
Arthur understood marketing, and today Nautilus™ is like Xerox™: Just as
all copiers are often referred to as Xerox machines, so Nautilus has become
synonymous with exercise machines. Jones’ machines had the great advan-
tage of not looking like a simple barbell or dumbbell. The barbell was part
of the old bodybuilding culture; the machine was the future—although, as
Vince Gironda once told me, the barbell looks dumb, but you have to be
smart to use it.
I don’t want to get into the machines-vs.-free-weights debate here, but
it’s undeniable that Nautilus and the exercise-machine industry it spawned
were key elements in getting people into the gym and training hard. That’s
especially true for women. Before Nautilus came on the scene, women
trained with low intensity for the most part, but the machines introduced
them to the pleasures of strength and development. All of a sudden it was
okay to be strong and female.
I’ll have more on bodybuilding in the ’70s next month, as I explore the
evolution and de-evolution of our sport. As always, I welcome your com-
ments; send them to Ironleader@aol.com. IM
Articles Editors: L.A. Perry, Caryne Brown
Assistant Art Director: Christian Martinez
Designer: Emerson Miranda
IRON MAN Staff:
Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba,
David Solorzano, R. Anthony Toscano
Contributing Authors:
Jerry Brainum, Eric Broser, David Chapman,
Teagan Clive, Lorenzo Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis,
Dave Draper, Michael Gündill, Rosemary Hallum,
Ph.D., John Hansen, Ron Harris, Ori Hofmekler,
Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch
Lebowitz, Stuart McRobert, Gene Mozée,
Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim Shiebler, Roger
Schwab, C.S. Sloan, Bill Starr, Bradley Steiner, Eric
Sternlicht, Ph.D., Randall Strossen, Ph.D., Richard
Winett, Ph.D., and David Young
Contributing Artists:
Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn,
Jake Jones
Contributing Photographers:
Jim Amentler, Reg Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill
Comstock, Bill Dobbins, Jerry Fredrick, Irvin Gelb,
J.M. Manion, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru Okabe, Rob
Sims, Leo Stern, Russ Warner
Director of Marketing:
Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
Accounting: Dolores Waterman
Subscriptions Manager:
Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2
E-mail: soniazm@aol.com
Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer
1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
(518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697
Advertising Coordinator:
Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320
Newsstand Consultant:
Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848
We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our
discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art
or other submissions must be accompanied by a self-
addressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to
IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033.
We are not responsible for unsolicited material.
Writers and photographers should send for our
Guidelines outlining specifications for submissions.
IRON MAN is an open forum. We also reserve the
right to edit any letter or manuscript as we see
fit, and photos submitted have an implied waiver
of copyright. Please consult a physician before
beginning any diet or exercise program. Use the
information published in IRON MAN at your own
risk.
IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com
John Balik, Publisher: ironleader@aol.com
Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: ironchief@aol.com
Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: ironwman@aol.com
T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: ironartz@aol.com
Helen Yu, Director of Marketing: irongrrrl@aol.com
Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com
Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: soniazm@aol.com

26 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 SIZE MATTERS, SO…

TECHNIQUE TWEAKS

Pressing Issues How does grip affect muscle

A conventional bodybuilding belief is that flat-bench
presses work the central, meaty portions of the pectoral
muscles, while incline presses work the upper portions.
Since the upper portions of the pecs are often more defi-
cient in muscle mass than the lower and central portions,
the usual suggestion is to focus on training the upper
chest with exercises such as incline-bench presses—
performed with a barbell, dumbbells or machines—plus
incline dumbbell flyes.
Then there’s the matter of varying grips used during
bench presses at any angle. The dogma here is that
using a narrow grip during chest presses shifts the focus
from pecs to triceps, while using a wider grip places the
emphasis on the pecs. A variation of that is to use an
underhand, or supinated, grip as opposed to the usual
pronated grip.
activation on bench presses?
activated during a supinated narrow-grip bench press.
A narrow grip changes elbow stability, increasing biceps
activity to help stabilize the elbows during the exercise. In
addition, weight is more difficult to balance with a nar-
row than a wider grip. That places more tension on the
biceps.
Using a narrow pronated grip places greater emphasis
on the triceps muscle. In fact, close-grip bench presses
are a popular training exercise for triceps. Using a narrow
grip, however, reduces pec involvement. Based on the
new study, though, it seems that if you use a supinated
grip for narrow-grip bench presses, you get triceps and
chest activation plus biceps stimulation as well.
—Jerry Brainum
1 Lehman, G.J. (2005). The influence of grip width and

A new study examined varying grips to see just what forearm pronation/supination on upper body myoelectric
muscles they affected.1 Twelve healthy men with at least activity during the flat bench press. J Strength Cond Res.
six months of training experience were hooked up to 19:587-91.
electromyograph, or EMG, machines while doing bench
presses. EMG measures electri-
A close grip puts more stress
cal activity and is a good indica- on the triceps; however, an
tion of precisely which portion under, or reverse, grip puts
heavy emphasis on the biceps
of a muscle is being activated (yes, biceps).
during exercise.
The study’s main finding was
that using the supinated grip
greatly increases the activity of
the biceps during bench press-
es. That’s because of a sec-
ondary function of the biceps,
namely, to stabilize the shoulder.
People who are vulnerable to
shoulder injuries may be able to
reduce stress on their shoulders
by doing bench presses with a
Neveux \ Model: Berry Kabov

Neveux \ Model: Aaron Brumfield

supinated, or curling, grip. The
study also found that there is no
decrease in the extent of pec
activation when the supinated
grip is used.
The biceps is even more
30 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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TRAIN TO GAIN
SIZE SURGE

Ultimate
Exercises
Some movements are essential
when you’re going for rapid, drug-free
muscle growth and power. They truly
adhere to the efficiency-of-effort con-
cept—maximum gains with minimal
time expenditure.
The squat, for example, primar-
ily works the frontal thighs but also
effectively trains the buttocks, lower
back, hamstrings, calves and even the
abdominals to a certain extent. Bent-
over rows primarily work the upper
back but also train the lower back,
trapezius, biceps and posterior deltoid.
Because they’re multijoint movements,

Comstock
you work a variety of muscles with a
single exercise, which is why they’re
CHAMP TRAINING called compound and why you only
need a few of them to work your entire
Peakin’ With the Freakin’ Rican body effectively and efficiently.
These efficiency-of-effort move-
ments are strong medicine, and
Puerto Rican bodybuilder Gustavo Badell has come into his own in the pro they’ve built more muscle than any
ranks. After a spectacular win at the IRON MAN Pro in 2005, he took third at both machine routine ever could.
the Arnold Classic and the Mr. Olympia. Here’s a glimpse of the Freakin’ Rican’s [Note: For more on the best, or
training philosophy, as reported by Larry Pepe in his massive tome, The Precontest ultimate, exercise for each bodypart,
Bible: along with fast-mass routines that
Gustavo usually takes Thursdays and Sundays as off days. Because he rotates incorporate those movements with X
a four-day split over a five-day training week, each week begins and ends with Reps, see The Ultimate Mass Workout
different bodyparts. e-book, available at www.X-Rep.com.]
He trains calves twice a week, usually with legs and another bodypart, and does —Steve Holman

Neveux \ Model: Lee Apperson

them first. He works his abs three times per week. IRON MAN’s Home Gym Handbook
He does 12 to 16 working sets of 12 to 15 reps for his larger bodyparts—chest,
back, hams and quads. For his smaller bodyparts—delts, triceps and biceps—he Editor’s note: IRON MAN’s
does nine to 12 sets of eight to 10 reps. “I’ve always felt better using heavier Home Gym Handbook is available
weights and fewer sets on smaller muscles,” he says. “But on the larger muscle from Home Gym Warehouse, (800)
groups I’ve always done better with 447-0008 or at www.Home-Gym.com.
more volume—higher reps and
more sets, usually around 15. I just
feel that the larger, more complex
muscle groups need more volume
to respond. That’s what has worked
for me.”
—the Editors

Editor’s note: The Precontest

Bible contains the exact precon-
test blueprints of the world’s best
bodybuilders, including Dorian
Yates, Jay Cutler, Dexter Jackson,
Lee Priest and Ronnie Coleman.
You’ll see their training routines,
diets, cardio regimens and loads of
incredible photos. The Precontest
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Warehouse for $49.95. Call (800)
Comstock

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32 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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TRAIN TO GAIN EXERCISE SCIENCE
Best Stress for Muscular Success
A bodybuilding adage has it that to increase muscular size
and strength, you must lift heavy weights and do fewer repeti-
tions per set. That notion, however, is challenged by other
training theories. Some believe that if the intensity is high
enough, you can make equal gains using less weight, since
the muscle is trained to failure in a set of eight to 12 reps. In
the periodization system you do varying cycles of training over
several months, with the cycles featuring light, medium and
heavy weights used in repetition patterns of 12, eight and six
reps per cycle, respectively.
The hormonal effects of training are also key. The power of
anabolic hormones is evident in the physiques of many pro-
fessional bodybuilders. The type of exercise that promotes the
greatest natural release of anabolic hormones should produce
the best strength and size gains.
Past studies have shown that the best way to promote a
maximum increase of growth hormone is to do higher reps
and sets with weights that are 70 to 80 percent of one-rep
maximum. Testosterone is even more responsive than GH
to the amount of weight you lift. To maximize testosterone,
you must do lower reps, no more than three to six per set,
lifting weights near 100 percent of maximum. Other factors
that influence hormonal responses during exercise include
age (younger people release more anabolic hormones than
those over 40); rest periods between sets (shorter rests pro-
duce higher hormone levels due to an increase of hormonal
signaling products such as lactic acid); and total amount of
work done, with more sets—up to a point—producing greater
hormone release. Training intensely for more than one hour,
however, leads to a drop in anabolic hormone levels. Working
larger muscle groups, such as the thighs and back, produces
a higher hormonal response than training smaller muscle
areas, such as the arms.
A new study compared the hormonal effects of three types
of exercise: maximal heavy resistance (MHR), using maximal
weights; submaximal resistance (SMR), using 70 percent of
maximal load, typical for most bodybuilding workouts; and
explosive exercise (EE), with weights equal to 40 percent of
those used during MHR.1 In explosive exercise you move a
weight as fast as possible to increase muscular power.
Eight young men and eight young women, all of whom
were physically fit and active but none of whom had any
background in regular strength training, took part. The routine
was the always same, differing only in the amount of weight
used: situps, machine bench presses and seated leg presses
performed for five sets of 10 reps each.
As expected, the greatest hormonal effects occurred dur-
ing the heavy training protocol. GH increased in both sexes
during heavy training. During explosive exercise the male
subjects showed an increase in GH, while the women didn’t.
That was thought to have occurred because the men trained
more intensely during the explosive lifts than the women. The
submaximal resistance produced no changes in growth hor-
mone in either sex, while only the men showed a testosterone
increase after the maximal heavy resistance.
The heavy training produced higher GH levels because
it results in higher blood levels of lactic acid, which, as dis-
cussed, acts as a signaling device to promote the release of
GH during exercise.
The major point of this study is that only heavy training ap-
pears to promote anabolic hormone release. Using moderate
weights that allow about 12 to 15 reps per set won’t produce
any increase in anabolic hormones in either sex.
—Jerry Brainum
1 Linnamo, V., et al. (2005). Acute hormonal responses to
submaximal and maximal heavy resistance and explosive ex-
ercises in men and women. J Strength Cond Res. 19:566-71.
Neveux \ Model: Skip La Cour
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 SPORTSMEDICINE
TRAIN TO GAIN
Pullover Problems
The pullover is one of the oldest exercises. It’s easy to find
photos and references of various forms of pullovers in old York
Barbell photos from the 1930s and ’40s. There are photos of
strength legends, such as Grimek, Stanko, Terpak and Ter-
lazzo, performing what was called a pullover and press. The
bench press wasn’t a popular lift then, so trainees pulled the
barbell over from the floor and bench-pressed it and then took
the bar back to the floor. That movement evolved into a pull-
over and lying triceps extension. The pullover was eventually
dropped, and the lying triceps extension grew into a popular
exercise. The pullover started being used as a separate exer-
cise and was placed in the chest and back workout.
The pullover also evolved from an exercise that was
performed with a barbell to one that was performed with a
dumbbell, as a dumbbell is a little easier to manage. Dumb-
bell pullovers were done in a variety of ways. First, trainees
would lie along the length of the bench. Some used heavy
weights, ranging from 80 to 150 pounds. Others developed a
theory that high-rep squats, or breathing squats, followed by
lightweight, high-rep pullovers performed while lying across
the bench could stimulate the metabolism and produce sig-
nificant bodyweight gain. To perform high-rep pullovers, they
would lower the dumbbell behind their head while taking a
very deep breath and simultaneously dropping the pelvis
lower by arching the low back. The problem is that taking in a
deep breath relaxes the abdominal muscles and stretches the
dense connective tissue that forms the center line in the abs.
That’s known as the linea alba, or median rectus. When it’s
overstretched, it can tear and form a small hernia. Sometimes
trainees would ask me about a “tumor” in the middle of their
abs, and it would turn out to be a hernia.
The second problem with the pullover is that it can stress
the cartilage ring around the shoulder socket, which is com-
monly torn during throwing motions (throwing a baseball,
football or volleyball; serving a tennis ball; throwing a javelin,
discus or shot) and from trauma. Doing bench presses, flyes,
pec deck flyes or incline or decline presses can produce
36 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
The age-old exercise can have
joint-jarring effects
pain in a tear of the cartilage. We’re not clear yet if it actually
causes the tear.
The cartilage is also strained when the ligaments, which
attach bone to bone, that surround the shoulder joint aren’t
symmetrical in their tightness. When the ligaments in the back
of the shoulder are too tight, the ball (head of the upper-arm
bone, or humerus) moves too far upward and backward,
and that can lead to a tear, which is known as a SLAP lesion.
SLAP stands for superior labrum anterior posterior, which
means the cartilage ring is torn in the upper area in the front
and back or all the way from the front to the back of the ring.
The pain from that tear is often in the back of the shoulder.
Trainees will say, “My rear delt hurts,” which very much also
describes an unstable shoulder. In fact, a cartilage tear can
produce a type of instability in the shoulder. Sometimes the
shoulder makes a painful or nonpainful click.
Trainees commonly complain of pain when they do pull-
overs. They usually shorten the range of motion by not drop-
ping the weight so far behind their head. The extreme stretch
certainly stresses the cartilage ring.
Pullover machines were the next step in the evolution of
that exercise. They’re a little easier to control, but the extreme
stretch is still a concern. So what do you do if the pullover
causes pain?
The first thing you must do is drop the pullover from your
routine before you cause more damage, which will interfere
with other exercises. Make sure to keep your rotator cuff
muscles strong. —Joseph M. Horrigan
Editor’s note: Visit www.softtissuecenter.com for reprints
of Horrigan’s past Sportsmedicine columns that have ap-
peared in IRON MAN. You can order the books Strength, Con-
ditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey by Joseph Horrigan,
D.C., and E.J. “Doc” Kreis, D.A., and the 7-Minute Rotator
Cuff Solution by Horrigan and Jerry Robinson from Home Gym
Warehouse, (800) 447-0008 or at www.Home-Gym.com.
Caution: Pullovers can
stress the cartilage ring
around the shoulder socket.
Neveux
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TRAIN TO GAIN RECOVERY

How Much Rest Is Best? How much time should you take
between sets for maximum gains?

Most bodybuilders believe about resting time between

that lifting heavier requires rest- sets.1 Thirteen men who
ing longer between sets. Lon- had experience in resistance
ger rest, meaning more than training used one rest proto-
one minute and up to three col—two minutes—for three
minutes, enables the body to months, then switched to
clear the waste products of ex- the other—five minutes—for
ercise and to replenish the ATP another three months, a
energy stores in the muscle procedure known as a
that serve as the primary fuel crossover study. The sub-
source during training. On the jects submitted to various
other hand, shorter rests are strength and hormonal tests
linked to higher hormonal lev- during the six-month study.
els, including growth hormone When using the five-minute
and testosterone. Resting less rest period, they trained
than one minute also produces with higher intensity, likely a
higher levels of catecholamines, reflection of greater recov-
Neveux \ Model: Mike Morris

such as norepinephrine, which ery between sets. Despite

are linked to greater fat release that difference, there were
and oxidation. no significant differences at
A recent study examined the conclusion of the study.
those time-honored theories That is, more rest time didn’t
promote gains in muscular
THE FORCE size or strength. The actual

More Arresting Developments

factor that influences muscle
gains is related more to the
volume, or how many sets
Most bodypart-training programs start with a multijoint exercise, and we suggest that the and reps are done in the
movement should be the one that puts the target muscle in the best position to fire with maxi- workout, and the amount
mum force—because more force equals better growth stimulation. Even if you use the so- of weight lifted, with higher
called ergonomic ultimate exercise for a muscle, however, you may not get the most growth weight resulting in greater
stimulation possible unless you 1) warm up properly so the target muscle is primed to fire at gains. Rest time between
peak potential and 2) rest long enough between sets. sets is irrelevant for those
That’s right, moving too quickly to your next set on your big, compound exercise can hold
purposes. —Jerry Brainum
back size and strength gains. So says a new study from the University of Kansas that shows
the correlation between optimal rest and force production on the bench press (incidentally, the
flat-bench press isn’t the ultimate exercise for your chest, but it’s close). What did the scien- 1 Ahtiainen, J.P., et al.
tists find? That trainees who rested for three minutes between sets did the best at producing (2005). Short vs. long rest
force on their second set—more than 30 percent better than the trainees who rested for about period between the sets
one minute. They also found that resting longer, even up to five minutes between sets, did not in hypertrophic resistance
improve force production. Interesting stuff!
training: Influence on muscle
Neveux \ Model: Daryl Gee

So once you understand that more force generation can equal more mass stimulation, you
see the enormous importance of rest. And once you consider the study discussed by Jerry strength, size, and hor-
Brainum on this page, which found no difference between two minutes and five minutes of monal adaptations in trained
rest, you should realize that on your first movement, the ultimate exercise, you should rest men. J Strength Cond Res.
between two and three minutes between sets so your force generation is optimal. And, of 19:572-82.
course, we suggest X Reps at the end of at least one of those sets to leapfrog nervous system
failure, overload the max-force point and recruit the most fast-twitch fibers possible.
After your ultimate-exercise work sets, you can move on to more isolated moves
and chase the pump with drop sets in combination with X Reps. The object here
is to attack the next phase of muscle development, capillary bed enlargement and
intermediary muscle fiber overload, with force production being only a secondary
concern—but that’s another story.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

Editor’s note: For more on force production, X Reps and the ultimate
exercise for each bodypart, see The Ultimate Mass Workout e-book, available at
www.X-Rep.com.

42 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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TRAIN TO GAIN SUCCESS

Winning
What It Takes to Be Number One strategies

1) Make your weakness your first priority.

2) Turn your fear into attitude; get aggressive and use it
to your advantage.
3) Don’t skip steps. Stay consistent, be patient, and
never surrender.
4) Create your own luck by applying toughness to every-
thing you do.
5) Get a pitbull mind-set, and take everything you do as
a challenge.
6) Make your training a battle against yourself.
7) Set clear goals, and keep a journal to give your train-
ing direction.
8) Surround yourself with people who support excel-
lence.
9) Learn from your mistakes.
10) Use positive mental imagery to avoid mental barriers.

Model: Chris Cormier

That’s what separates champions from the also-rans.
Remember, it’s the attitude you apply to everything you do
that determines how far you go. Being the best bodybuilder
isn’t just about having the best physique. It’s the journey
you go through to get there. It’s about who has the most
guts! —Ben Tatar
www.CriticalBench.com

POWER

Progressive-Overload Cycling
Progressive-overload cycling is the most reliable muscle- and
strength-building method period. It’s produced great champions
like Marty Gallagher’s star pupil Kirk Karwoski. Captin Kirk squat-
ted a grand and his legs have been compared to a T. rex’s for their
Jurassic muscularity.
The cycle lasts 16 weeks, one squat workout a week. For the
first eight weeks you do two sets of five with the same weight.
Then take 50 pounds off the bar and perform two more sets. This
time pause in the hole, with your thighs parallel to the floor for three
painful seconds. Add 10 pounds per week. For the second eight
weeks cut your reps to triples.
Make a realistic estimate of how much you can improve in
16 workouts and work back to establish the starting poundage.
Neveux \ Model: Chris Cook

If you’re new to power cycling, just take your current one-rep

max, tested or estimated, as the goal for two sets of three in four
months. If your max is 355, subtract 160 pounds—10 pounds
multiplied by 16 workouts—and you’ll get 195. That’s your starting
poundage. Your first workout will be 195x5x2 and 145x5x2 pause
squats. It may not sound like much, but the easy start is one of the
secrets to the success of powerlifting cycles.
In workout number eight you should confidently put up 275x5x2 and 225x5x2 paused. Your ninth workout will be
285x3x2 and 235x3x2 paused. In workout number 16 you squat your old max for two triples, 355x3x2 and 305x3x2
paused. You’re closing in on four wheels!
You owe one to record holder Rickey Dale Crane, who designed this cycle. Get his straight-shooting book To Squat or
Not to Squat from www.CrainsMuscleWorld.com.
—Pavel
Beyond Bodybuilding
Editor’s note: Beyond Bodybuilding is available from Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008 or at
www.Home-Gym.com.

44 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
The World
of Hurt, Part 2
Knees. Like the elbows, the knees can become more
sensitive after years of doing heavy squats, hack squats, leg
presses and lunges. If I ever decided to begin my leg work-
out with squats, hack squats or lunges, my knees would
feel all the pain, and I wouldn’t be able to train my quadri-
ceps with any intensity whatsoever.
I’ve found a few techniques that enables me to still train
my legs heavy and hard while using the effective exercises.
The key seems to be getting the blood into the knees before
performing exercises that can strain them.
I normally train my abs before training legs. Not only
is it easier to do abs before legs than after, but the exer-
cises involved in training the lower abdominals (hanging
knee raises, leg raises and so on) also use the quadriceps
muscles, thus bringing more blood into that area. After a
couple of sets of leg raises, my quads are slightly pumped,
and my knees feel a little more warmed up too.
On my leg workout I don’t start with squats or lunges
Knee saver: Use the 1 1/2-
rep technique on squatting
exercises to keep your intensity
high without having to resort to
extreme poundages.
46 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
because my knees are still too sensitive. Instead, I begin
with leg extensions, which pump up the quads without
putting too much stress on the knees. I start off with a light
weight that lets me do 20 reps and then increase the weight
on each set. On my second set I shoot for 15 reps, and for
my third and final set I attempt to get 10 to 12 reps.
My second exercise is typically the leg press. Although
it’s a potentially heavy movement, it’s not as stressful to
the knees because of the angle of the machine. I alternate
placing my feet wide or narrow on the platform to stress a
different area of my quads. I perform four sets of leg press-
es, beginning with a moderate weight for 15 reps. Then I in-
crease the weight on the second set for 12 reps, increase it
some more for the third set, pushing for 10 to 12 reps, and
then finish with a fourth heavy set of eight to 10 reps.
By now my legs are superpumped, and there’s so much
blood flowing through them that my knees are ready for
squats or hack squats. I still use different training tech-
niques for those movements, however, to protect my knees.
I’ve found through experience that using heavy weights
on regular or hack squats puts an inordinate amount of
stress on the quadriceps right above the knee joint. By
slowing the movement or using a nonlock style for contin-
uous tension, I make the exercise even more difficult—and
I stress the quadriceps more than the knees.
I use a technique called pause squats. In this advanced
training method you hold the bottom position for a two-
to-three-second pause before driving back to the top. By
slowing down and stopping the exercise, you
force the quads to work much harder, as they
have to push out of the bottom position from
a dead stop. As a result, I can’t use as much
weight as I normally would, which puts less
stress on the knees.
Hack squats have a reputation as a great
quadriceps exercise. They also stress the
knee joints. I train them with extreme inten-
sity while using only a moderate resistance
by doing 1 1/2 reps. You descend all the way
down to the bottom position on the hack
squat, rise up halfway until your quadriceps
are parallel to the floor and then descend
back down to a full squat. From that rock-
bottom position you drive up until you’re
back to the original starting point. You don't
have to use as much weight, but you still use
extreme intensity.
Here are two sample workouts for the
quadriceps for those who suffer from sensi-
tive knee joints:
Workout 1
Leg extensions 3 x 20, 15, 12
Leg presses (feet wide) 4 x 15, 12, 10, 8
Hack squats (1 1/2s) 3 x 12, 10, 8
Workout 2
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth
Leg extensions 3 x 20, 15, 12
Leg presses (feet close) 3 x 15, 12, 10
Pause squats 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6
Lower back. As we age, the lower back
can become a problem. Those of us who
have lifted for a couple of decades often have
compressed disks, which (continued on page 50)
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 Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
To avoid back injury, do your barbell rows
slowly and deliberately, and keep a slight
arch in your back throughout the set—or
substitute one-arm dumbbell rows.
(continued from page 50) limits us on exercises like squats or
deadlifts. Many advanced trainees choose simply to avoid
basic exercises and stick with the various machines avail-
able in most gyms.
Unfortunately, cable and plate-loaded machines are not
as effective at building muscle mass and strength as the
basic movements performed with heavy barbells. Exercises
such as barbell squats for the legs and barbell rows, T-bar
rows and deadlifts for the back are difficult exercises that
have been proven over time to be fantastic mass builders.
I’m one of those unfortunate individuals who have
compressed disks in the lower back, and I’m frustrated
when I attempt to lift the same poundages I did when I was
younger. The body can’t withstand the same stress it did
when the disks had more space between them. As a result,
using heavy resistance on exercises that involve the lower
back is a sure invitation to injury and pain.
After hurting my lower back more times than I care to
remember, I decided on a different course of action so I
could still have effective, mass-building workouts without
causing injury. I found that I’m able to include most of the
productive exercises without excessive lower-back stress.
T-bar rows are an exception. Although they’re a great ex-
ercise for adding thickness and mass to the mid- and outer
lats, I’ve had to eliminate them. Bending over one end of a
loaded barbell just puts too much stress on my lower back,
and I always end up with an injury. I substitute seated rows
on the Hammer Strength machine or seated cable rows
using a wider grip.
Fortunately, I’ve found a way to use barbell rows, the
50 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
premier exercise for developing thickness
and mass in the lats. It uses not only the
lats but also the biceps, rear delts, lower
back and hamstrings. Eliminating that
valuable exercise would have had serious
implications for my back development.
Now I keep my lower back very tight
throughout the movement. In my younger
days I used to stand on a platform that let
me extend the barbell below floor level,
which gave my lats a greater stretch; how-
ever, it also put excessive stress on my
lower back.
The first thing I had to do was eliminate
the platform. No more deep stretch. Now
I keep my lower back arched and tight
when I begin the exercise. I concentrate
on keeping my lower back tight through-
out the movement, even as I lower the
barbell. I forcefully pull the bar up to
my solar plexus, keeping my lower back
arched and my head up. When I lower the
bar, I concentrate on keeping my lower
back tight as well. If I lose the arch, I risk
straining lower-back muscles.
Deadlifts are also a great mass-build-
Neveux \ Model: Abbas Khatami
ing movement for the lower back and the
lats. I’ve used that exercise since I was a
teenager, and it’s always been a big asset.
As it’s primarily a lower-back movement, I
have to be very careful. If I do the deadlifts
last in my back routine, when my back is
already pumped and tight, I can use them
without causing excessive lower-back
stress. I lower the bar very slowly and deliberately so I don’t
have a chance to relax the muscles in my lower back.
Of course, you won’t see me pounding out reps with 800
pounds like Ronnie Coleman, but I can still go moderately
heavy—405 pounds for eight reps at the end of my back
routine. As long I don’t get crazy and attempt to go heavier
than that, I can include deadlifts in my routine without
injuring my lower back.
Here are two sample workouts for the back that can help
you train the area hard and effectively without causing
lower-back injury:
Workout 1
Wide-grip chins 3 x 10-12
One-arm dumbbell rows 3 x 6-10
Seated cable rows (wide grip) 3 x 6-10
Hyperextensions 3 x 12-20
Workout 2
Close-grip pulldowns 2-3 x 10-12
Barbell rows 4 x 6-10
Seated cable rows (close grip) 3 x 6-10
Deadlifts 3 x 8-12
Shoulders. The shoulders take a lot of abuse. You often
hear veteran lifters complaining that their shoulders are
susceptible to injury and that they’re in pain during many
exercises, particularly on pressing movements.
The rotator cuff muscles are often strained from training
very heavy on exercises such as the bench press, incline
press and seated military press—and especially the be-
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 Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
Try dumbbells on pressing exercises to relieve
shoulder pain. If that doesn’t work, you can try
1 1/2 reps or pause reps with lighter weights—or
ax the exercise from your routine.

doing bench presses or incline presses with a

barbell and substitute dumbbells instead. After
I do them with barbells for several months, my
rotator cuffs become strained, and I have to lay
off working out. I know many bodybuilders who
have been training for as long as I have who have
followed the same course of action. If a certain
exercise causes more pain and injury than muscle
growth, it’s time to let it go and substitute another
exercise that’s just as effective but does not bring
about an injury.
Here are two workouts for the shoulders for
those who suffer from possible rotator cuff prob-
lems:
Workout 1
Seated dumbbell presses 4 x 6-12
Lateral raises 4 x 6-10
Bent-over lateral raises 3 x 6-10
Barbell shrugs 4 x 6-12
Workout 2
Tri-set
Seated lateral raises 4 x 8-12
Seated dumbbell presses 4 x 6-12
Standing laterals (half reps) 4 x 8-10
Neveux \ Model: Tamer Elshahat

Lying lateral raises (rear delts) 3 x 8-12

Dumbbell shrugs 4 x 8-12

Injuries and joint problems can be overcome.

The key is to warm up the area with other exer-
cises before attempting the ones that negatively
affect the joints, use advanced training tech-
niques—pause reps, 1 1/2 reps, tri-sets and so
hind-the-neck press. Once that vulnerable area is injured, on—to make the exercises harder while using less weight
it seems susceptible to being injured again. and in some cases replacing the exercises that seem to
I have had rotator cuff problems for the past several cause injury with others exercises that are just as effective
years. It’s not a constant injury, but it does seem to pop up but don’t stress the
at least once a year, usually after I’ve been training heavy joints.
on any barbell pressing movement. That happens in spite
of my consistent use of rotator cuff–strengthening exer- Editor’s note:
cises using dumbbells and bands. John Hansen has won
In order to train around a rotator cuff strain, I switch the Natural Mr. Olym-
from barbells to dumbbells. Exercises such as barbell pia and is a two-time
bench presses, incline presses and military presses seem to Natural Mr. Universe
lock the elbow in a position that aggravates the rotator cuff. winner. Visit his Web
Even though the elbows are in the same position when you site at www
use dumbbells, there’s much less stress on the rotator cuff, .naturalolympia
probably due to a greater freedom of movement with the .com. You can write to
dumbbells. him at P.O. Box 3003,
I also recommend getting a rotator cuff injury examined Darien, IL 60561, or
by a competent medical professional immediately after a call toll-free (800)
strain occurs. The majority of rotator cuff injuries are treat- 900-UNIV (8648). His
able without surgery. However, a severe strain may require new book, Natural
Neveux

months of rest, which will really set back your training. By Bodybuilding, is now
having the injury looked at as soon as it occurs, you recover available from Home
much faster, and you’ll be able to hit the gym with little Gym Warehouse, John Hansen
time off. (800) 447-0008 or www. John@NaturalOlympia.com
After almost 30 years of training, I may have to give up Home-Gymcom. IM

52 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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SUBSCRIBE TO IRON MAN
 Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass

Tension
didn’t. The second group got zilch. Plus, only the no-rest
group built more muscle, a 13 percent increase in muscle
cross-sectional area! [Med Sci Sprts Exer. (2005). 35:955-
63.]
Now, the pauses Cutler uses are usually at the max-force

Dimension
point, where there is still tension on the target muscle. He
isn’t resting, he’s overloading that key sweet spot of hyper-
trophic overload. It’s a version of the Double-X Overload
technique Jonathan Lawson and I have talked about in our
e-zine and in our Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building e-book.
It’s a very powerful X-spot-overload technique, especially
Q: I read in the IM e-zine that you shouldn’t pause on stretch-position exercises, which have been tied to
between reps. But then in your review of Jay Cutler’s anabolic hormone release (and in some circles, muscle
training you say he pauses a lot during sets. Which fiber replication).
is right? The lesson is to keep tension on the target muscle.
There’s really no reason to lock out on exercises that let the
A: First let’s clarify the research you mention. Accord- muscle rest—like squats and bench presses. And for even
ing to a study reported by IM researcher Jerry Brainum, more anabolic overload, try double dipping at the semi-
scientists have found that the primary trigger for anabolic stretched point on a set. You’ll feel and see the difference
hormone release is stress induced by the accumulation of almost immediately—as in more pump and muscle size.
metabolic waste products in the muscle during exercise,
Q: After reading your analysis of the research on
and that’s a result of continuous tension. In other words,
continuous tension, I was wondering if you think
muscle burn is good—and mandatory for faster mass gains.
that ultimate-exercise, nonlock, X-Rep-style work-
In one study trainees did sets of 10 reps of various exer-
outs—one big exercise per bodypart in nonlock
cises. One group did intense sets of 10 reps, keeping ten-
style with X Reps—would be the preferred way for
sion on the target muscle, while a second group paused
ectomorphic hardgainers to make gains.
between the fifth and sixth reps of each 10-rep set to clear
waste products from the muscle. Both groups rested only A: I think nonlock sets with X Reps on compound moves
one minute between sets. are a very efficient, recovery-oriented way to train. An
Results: The continuous-tension group (no rest duringectomorph may do quite well with them, but it will take
sets) showed elevations of lactic acid, growth hormone and
some experimentation to figure out recovery time. From
norepinephrine, while the other group (rest during sets)what I’ve seen and tried, hitting bodyparts twice a week is
mandatory for most.
One thing to consider,
For even more anabolic overload, try double dipping at the semi- however, is that hardgainers
stretched point. You’ll feel and see the difference almost immediately. often have low neuromuscu-
lar efficiency, which is one of
the factors that make them a
hardgainer in the first place.
Contracted-position exercis-
es (like leg extensions) can
help increase neuromuscu-
lar efficiency quickly, as can
stretch-position moves, like
stiff-legged deadlifts for the
hamstrings. And both types
of exercises have positive ef-
fects on anabolic hormones,
which many hardgainers are
short on as well. Of course,
X Reps on the ultimate exer-
cises help on both of those
counts too, but using those
more isolated movements
may help you cover all the
anabolic bases.
An abbreviated Split-Po-
sitions program may be a
better way to go than just
Okabe \ Model: Jay Cutler

one exercise per bodypart.

For example, you do the ul-
timate exercise first for one
or two sets, like Smith-ma-
chine squats done nonlock
style with X Reps on one set.

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 Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
If you have trouble feeling your
soleus muscle firing on seated calf
raises, try doing them on a sepa-
rate day from your gastroc work
and/or add a set or two with the
1 1/2 technique.
are sore after every leg press workout.
I do them first on my leg day, but I use
a single leg, with my free leg outside
the machine, not under the platform.
A: Good suggestions; however, we try
to avoid one-leg and one-arm movements
as much as possible because they add too
much time to our workouts. We train on our
lunch hour (10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.), so we
have to make things as efficient as possible.
Unfortunately, we sometimes have to sacri-
fice good exercises because of that.
As for the hamstring-enervation prob-
lem, we’ve found that doing a warmup set
or two on leg curls prior to our midrange
hamstring work (feet-forward hacks or leg
presses) helps us feel that area working.
Q: I get searing pains in my upper-
calf muscles when I do seated calf
raises. I don’t feel the exercise at all in
my soleus. What am I doing wrong?
A: Your gastrocs may be attempting to
take over from the soleus muscles dur-
ing seated calf raises. Here are a couple of
things to try:
1) Do seated calf raises after your gastroc
work—end your calf routine with them. If
that makes the problem worse, try the next
suggestion...
2) Do seated calf raises on a separate day,
but do them heavy—nine to 12 reps per set.
3) Use 1 1/2 reps. Go down to the stretch
position, come up only halfway, go back
down, and then raise all the way to the top.
That’s one rep. Use a weight that allows
about 10 reps. Emphasizing the stretch
Neveux

position should help activate your soleus

more effectively.

Then you follow with one drop set of a contracted-position New! The sharp black POF T-shirt with the original
exercise—leg extensions. At your next leg workout you do classic logo emblazoned in gold can give you that mus-
Smith-machine squats again as your first exercise, then fol- cular look you’re after. See page 283 for details.
low with a drop set on a stretch-position movement—sissy
squats. See our TEG routine in the feature starting on page
Editor’s note: Steve
82 for more examples.
Holman is the author many
If you want to add muscle but don’t have time for those
bodybuilding best-sellers,
ancillary exercises, then, yes, try using only the ultimate
including Train, Eat, Grow:
exercise for each bodypart listed in The Ultimate Mass
The Positions-of-Flexion
Workout e-book, doing the movements in nonlock style
Muscle-Training Manual.
and with X Reps. The basic workouts in that e-book are the
For information on the
best place to start.
POF videos and Size Surge
Q: I read that you and Jonathan Lawson have programs, see page 179. For
become too strong for the weight stack you use on information on Train, Eat,
cable curls. Why don’t you do them as a single-arm Grow, see page 88. Also visit
Neveux

exercise? You also mentioned that it was difficult to www.X-Rep.com. IM

feel your hamstrings on leg presses. My hamstrings
Steve Holman
58 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com ironchief@aol.com

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EAT TO GROW
NUTRITION SCIENCE
Double-Trouble Fat Splat
The recipe for getting fat is simple:
Eat more calories than you burn
through physical activity each day.
A more specific way to increase fat
stores in the body is to eat an abun-
dance of carbohydrates, especially
fast-acting simple carbs and pro-
cessed fructose, and fat, especially
saturated and trans fats. The high-fat,
high-sugar intake explains why more
than a quarter of Americans are fat
and getting fatter.
You can eat a lot of fat or a lot of
carbohydrates separately and not
gain much fat unless your total calo-
Meals that combine carbs and fat can set the stage for bodyfat.
66 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
rie intake exceeds your exercise. But
combining fat and carbs is a sure
Why combining carbs and fat is bad news,
and which fat is best for a low-carb diet
route to obesity for most people.
Your body can more readily obtain
energy from carbohydrates, and
when you eat excess fat with those
carbs, your fat stores tend to grow.
The basis of low-carb diets is that
carbohydrates, particularly simple,
or high-glycemic-index, carbs, are
absorbed so rapidly that they stimu-
late a high release of insulin. Insulin
itself cannot make you fat, since it’s
just a hormone. But insulin primarily
promotes storage of carbohydrate
as glycogen in liver and muscle and
as fat in fat cells. Proponents of
Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission
low-carb diets say that excess carbs
promote the fat-synthesizing effects
of insulin. A high-protein, low-carb
diet, say its advocates, minimizes
insulin output and enables the body
to use its stored fat as fuel.
A major controversy regarding
many low-carb diets relates to the
type of fat you eat . According to the
late Dr. Robert Atkins and other low-
carb gurus, fat becomes irrelevant in
the absence of carbs, since most of
it is used as fuel anyway. The notion
that you could eat any level of satu-
rated fat was heresy to mainstream
medicine. After all, wasn’t saturated
fat a major cause of cardiovascular
disease? Critics of the Atkins diet
have long predicted dire health con-
sequences for those foolish enough
to accept the idea that saturated fats
cometh not of evil.
Saturated fat earned its negative
reputation after research showed that
it seemed to promote cholesterol
synthesis in the liver. Later studies
showed that a major culprit in car-
diovascular disease is a high level of
low-density lipoprotein in the blood.
LDL carries cholesterol made in the
liver to all tissues of the body, where
the cholesterol is used for various
purposes, such as in the synthesis of
cell membranes and the production
of steroid hormones, including tes-
tosterone and estrogen.
The problem with LDL arises when
there’s too much of it in the blood
and it becomes oxidized. Saturated
fat tends to promote LDL synthesis in
the liver while decreasing the number
of LDL receptors. That increases LDL
blood levels. But not all saturated
fatty acids have that effect. One
of them, stearic acid, is neutral in
cholesterol synthesis. Palmitic acid
helps promote cholesterol only in the
absence of linoleic acid, an omega-6
fatty acid.
Since the relatively high-saturated-
fat intake Atkins suggests is consid-
ered a health liability, other low-carb
plans, such as the South Beach diet,
suggest substituting more healthful
fat sources—for example, the mono-
unsaturated fat found in olive oil and
polyunsaturated fats, such as the
omega-3s found in fish oil. Unsaturat-
ed fats increase the number of LDL
receptors in the liver and increase
LDL turnover, thus lowering blood
cholesterol levels.
Another point to consider is the
activity levels of bodybuilders
and other athletes who
follow low-carb
diets.
In the absence of
carbs, the body
adjusts to using
alternative
fuels,
including
ketones,
or
by-products
of fat metabo-
lism, and bodyfat itself. Hard-train-
ing athletes on low-carb diets have
little saturated fat available for pro-
moting cholesterol synthesis. In addi-
tion, the primary saturated fatty acidv
in beef and chicken is stearic acid,
which isn’t involved in increasing
blood cholesterol.
High-carb diets are linked to
higher levels of blood triglycerides,
or fat, which in turn are linked to
greater production of LDL in the
liver. Low-carb diets consistently
lower blood triglycerides, an ef-
fect heightened if you supplement
with omega-3 fish oils. Following
a high-carb diet lowers protec-
tive HDL cholesterol, which helps
shunt cholesterol out of the blood
and into the liver, where it de-
grades into bile. Eating saturated
fat raises HDL cholesterol, which
would negate most of the LDL-
promoting effects of saturated fat.
Getting saturated fat on a low-carb
diet also promotes an
LDL called
type-
A LDL,
which has mol-
ecules larger than
those of the type-B LDL linked
to cardiovascular disease.
While the dangers of saturated
fat intake on a low-carb diet have
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 67
been overplayed, polyunsaturated
and monounsaturated fats have one
notable advantage over saturated
fat: They increase ketone produc-
tion during low-carb diets. Ketones
provide an anticatabolic action.
They’re an alternative fuel for the
brain, muscles and heart, and their
production under low-carb-diet
conditions never approaches the
pathological level seen in uncon-
trolled diabetes. That’s important to
know because low-carb-diet
critics often suggest that
ketones are dangerous.
The final aspect to
consider is that only
two types of fat maintain
testosterone levels in the body:
saturated and monounsaturated.
While omega-6 and omega-3 fats
offer considerable health benefits,
they don’t help maintain testoster-
one production. Lowering dietary fat
levels to below 20 percent of total
calorie intake leads to a significant
drop in testosterone levels.
—Jerry Brainum
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Eat to Grow

NUTRITION NOTES

Food Facts
That can affect your
workouts and health
Nonimpact carbs is a new term
you now see on labels.
They’re carbs that
have little or
no effect
on blood
sugar
levels—
like fiber or
sugar alcohols.
Net carbs refers to the number of
carbs not including the nonimpact
carbs—the ones that can increase
insulin release. Both net and nonim-
pact carbs have the same number of
calories, just different effects on the
body.
L-carnitine is believed to signifi-
WARRIOR NUTRITION AND EXERCISE cantly reduce muscle
pain and decrease
muscle damage
Up Your Acid for More Muscle in trainees who
perform high-
intensity activi-
Bodybuilders and other athletes should consider meat and eggs the most ties. Research
anabolic foods. Arachidonic acid, which is abundant in both, helps to in- shows that
duce initial anabolic stimulation. Meat-cell mitochondria contain all the heightened
oxygen
essential nutrients that muscle tissue needs. Vegetarians may reduce supply to
the risk of cardiovascular disease with their diets, but they may also the muscle
compromise their ability to naturally increase muscle mass. via increased
blood flow may
By combining certain foods, including beans and nuts, however, be part of the
vegetarians may reclaim anabolic potential. Nuts, especially almonds, reason. L-carnitine
have been considered an aphrodisiac is found in red meat, or
you can supplement with one to three
from antiquity. With their superior nutritional
grams a day.
content, almonds should be regarded as one Beer contains a
of the most potent anabolic-supporting foods. compound, found
—Ori Hofmekler only in hops, that
may help prevent
Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat many types of
cancer. Xanthohu-
Editor’s note: Ori Hofmekler is the author mol was first dis-
covered about 10
of the books The Warrior Diet and Maximum years ago by sci-
Muscle & Minimum Fat, entists at Oregon
published by Dragon State University,
and now the flavo-
Door Publications (www.
noid compound is
dragondoor.com). For more information or for a consulta- being boosted to
tion, contact him at ori@warriordiet.com, www.warriordiet. create a health beer. Wine is good for
com or by phone at (866) WAR-DIET. you, beer is good for you. Do we live
in a great time or what?
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com

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Eat to Grow

FOOD FINDINGS

Yams to Gams Can this food staple cause feminine attributes in men?

Yams are a staple of many bodybuilding diets. A dropped 5.9 percent, likely reflecting yams’ high-fiber con-
number of competitors eat yams during precontest tent. Yams also reduced the oxidation of LDL cholesterol,
carbohydrate-loading regimens in the belief that a.k.a. the bad kind. The women showed a drop in active
yams are easy to digest and won’t promote water testosterone levels as well. That’s probably related to
retention (because of a naturally low the increase in SHBG.
sodium content). Yams are low in The study sample was restricted to older
fat and high in potassium, a mineral women, and as the famous boron fiasco illustrat-
that’s vital to promoting muscle ed, it can be hazardous to extrapolate from
glycogen synthesis, the major goal what happens in one specific population
of carb loading. to another demographic. Some years
Yams also contain a substance ago researchers discovered that the
called diosgenin, the original raw trace mineral boron increased tes-
source of steroid hormones like the tosterone levels in older women.
ones used in the first birth control A few supplement companies
pills. Scientists knew that by mix- jumped on the findings and
ing diosgenin with certain enzymes, began selling supplemental
they could synthesize hormones boron as a “testosterone
such as estrogen and progesterone in booster.” Later studies featur-
the lab. Those enzymes don’t exist in ing young male bodybuilders
the human body, although that fact didn’t showed no changes in T levels
prevent the sale of Mexican yam extracts after they took boron supplements.
as “natural hormone precursors” several years Though we can’t say for certain how
ago, before the Food and Drug Administration eating yams affects young male body-
put a stop to it. builders, the increase in SHBG levels is
A new study featuring older women who ate yams definitely a danger sign because SHBG
instead of rice shows that yams may indeed induce consider- has a greater affinity for attaching to
able hormonal changes.1 Spe- testosterone than estrogen.
cifically, eating yams increased In a man, that would have the
their levels of estrone 26 percent, “Yo, Joe, you may effect of lowering active testos-
sex-hormone-binding globulin want to ease up on terone while raising estrogen. It
the daily yam binges
(SHBG) 9.5 percent and estra- for extra carbs. Yer
wouldn’t be sufficient for estro-
diol 27 percent. Estrone is a gettin’ kinda girlie.” gen overload—gynecomastia,
weak form of estrogen found for example. It might, however,
mainly in older women whose lead to water and sodium re-
ovaries have stopped produc- tention, as well as increased
ing estrogen. Older women deposits of subcutaneous fat
produce most of their estrone that could obscure muscular
through aromatization of adrenal definition.
androgens in fat. SHBG is the Presently, there’s no evidence
primary protein carrier of both that eating yams negatively af-
estrogen and testosterone in the fects young, healthy male body-
blood. When those hormones builders. As yams do seem to
are attached to SHBG, they’re increase estrogen levels in older
inactive—they can interact with women, though, how much
cellular hormone receptors only you eat may be relevant. Small
when they’re unbound, or free. amounts are probably harm-
Estradiol is the primary and most less—even beneficial, for other
Neveux

potent estrogen in the body. reasons. Eating large amounts,

The study found some sig- especially shortly before a con-
nificant health benefits from test, however, may hamper a
eating yams, including a 37 competitive bodybuilder’s goals.
percent increase in the excre- —Jerry Brainum
tion of 16-hydroxy estrogen, which is linked to various forms
of cancer, such as those of the breast, uterus and prostate. 1 Wu, W.W., et al. (2005). Estrogenic effect of yam inges-

Yams share that property with other foods, including crucifer- tion in healthy postmenopausal women. J Amer Coll of Nutr.
ous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts and so on), lignans 24:235-43.
from flaxseed and soy isoflavones. Plasma cholesterol levels

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Eat to Grow

E AT H E A LT H Y

Basics This, Pyramid That

The definition of a healthful diet seems to be constantly
changing. Quite a while back we had the model of the four
basic food groups. It sounded good, but as you attempted to
apply it, you found that it wasn’t specific enough. Two servings
from the meat group, two from the dairy group, four or more
from the fruit and vegetable group and four or more from the
cereal and bread group—what size serving?
You could eat sausage for
breakfast, bologna for lunch
and hamburger for dinner,
along with whole milk, white
bread and canned fruit, and
be within the parameters of
the four basic groups. That
wouldn’t cut it from a health
standpoint, however.
The food pyramid was
supposed to correct what the
basic-four concept lacked.
It did push for more fruits
and vegetables but was also
much higher in carbs. Advis-
ing the public to eat six to 11
servings of any type of bread
or cereal again gives the
impression that six slices of white bread and five servings of
fiber-depleted cereal
are just as good as
the whole-grain
variety. Lean meat
and nonfat dairy
products weren’t
stressed. Now
another, improved
pyramid is being
proposed, but it also
has some problems.
So how can you be sure you’re eating healthfully? Simple.
Just look around at the countries that have the healthiest
populations. Japan and France come to mind. If you like Japa-
nese food (or most Asian food for that matter), why not adopt
such a diet most of the time for your health? And the French,
due to their diet and wine consumption, suffer less disease
than Americans.
If you’re not a fan of Asian or French food, go Italian. The
Mediterranean diet is well known for promoting health and
longevity. It’s easy to tolerate for most because it’s not ex-
tremely low in fat—its fat content comes from olive oil, avoca-
dos, almonds and seafood. It also contains lots of vegetables,
fruits, legumes and grains, with only moderate amounts of
animal products.
—Daniel Curtis, R.D.

ANABOLIC DRIVE

Yo-yo can cause oh-no

Catch-Up Growth stubborn-fat gain

Catch-up growth. It sounds like ketchup growth, but it ain’t the same. It’s a phenom-
enon typically studied in kids who, having suffered from malnutrition, finally eat enough
calories and catch up in growth. The catch, no pun intended, is body composition. In
adults whose bodyweights fluctuate, cycles of weight gain and weight loss—a.k.a. the yo-
yo effect—just ain’t good for the six-pack, not to mention their harmful health effects. Rats
that were semistarved and then fed the same amount of a lowfat diet as controls showed
a lower energy expenditure due to diminished thermogenesis, a measure of metabolism,
a situation that favors accelerated fat deposition. They also have normal glucose tolerance
but higher plasma insulin, which has implications for getting fatter. Isocaloric refeeding on a high-fat diet resulted in even lower
thermogenesis, increased fat deposition, higher plasma insulin and elevated plasma glucose after a glucose load.
People who constantly diet to gain and lose weight set themselves up for a fatter body in the long run. If you compete in
fitness, figure or bodybuilding, you’ll see many competitors who look fantastic on the day of the show. Give ’em two or three
weeks, though, and they balloon up.
The best strategy for physique competitors is to keep their bodyweight within a certain range (perhaps five to 10 pounds
for women and 10 to 15 pounds for men) so they avoid huge weight increases. The effect that has on insulin metabolism
and impairment of thermogenesis can last a lifetime. A recent investigation tracked 608 healthy, nonobese Chinese, 50 to
69 years old, from the 1993 and 1997 China Health and Nutrition Surveys to determine if three-day mean protein (percent of
energy) and calorie intakes at baseline predicted change in midarm muscle area (MAMA) and waist circumference (an indirect
measure of bodyfat). They found that limiting calories limits bodyweight gain (duh). They also found that those who ate more
protein had greater arm muscle. So from a body-composition point of view, a good lifelong strategy is to keep your calorie
intake to “normal,” or baseline, levels while manipulating your protein. In other words, when in doubt, eat protein.
Whether you’re a recreational or competitive physique athlete, it’s best (both for looks and health) to keep your bodyweight
within a comfortable range. Otherwise, you’ll end up with poor health and a waist as big as a tire. —Jose Antonio, Ph.D.

Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is the chief science officer of Javalution (www.javafit.com) and the president of the
International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.sportsnutritionsociety.org).

72 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Eat to Grow
PROTEIN POWER

New Whey-Cool Research

Whey, an excellent, high-biological-value protein, does synthesis. In muscle,
much besides promoting muscle protein synthesis through however, whey in-
its rich essential amino acid content. Two studies on whey creases the activity
by the same group of Japanese researchers, none of whom of glycogen synthase
had any financial ties to commercial whey interests, have while decreasing the
recently been published. activity of another en-
Both studies involved groups of exercising rats. The rats zyme that promotes
worked out on treadmills for two hours a day, six days a glucose use, again

Neveux \ Model: Todd Smith

week, a volume of exercise that would tax any human. In
the first study the researchers compared the two major milk
proteins, whey and casein, in their ability to promote mus-
cle and liver glycogen synthesis.1 Glycogen is the storage
form of carbohydrate in the human body, found only in the
liver and muscles. In the liver glycogen is vital to maintaining one that converts the
blood glucose levels. In muscle it’s the main fuel used to
power anaerobic exercise, such as bodybuilding training. If
you don’t have sufficient glycogen in your muscles, exercise
intensity and recovery are blunted.
The study found that whey was clearly superior to casein
in increasing liver glycogen content, not by promoting the
activity of glycogen synthase, the main enzyme involved
in glycogen synthesis, but by increasing the activity of two
other enzymes that spare glucose and foster glycogen
DIET DANGERS
providing a sparing
action on the glucose.
In addition, whey
increased the activity
of another enzyme,
amino acid alanine
into glucose.
The same researchers studied the effects of whey on
fat synthesis in liver and muscles, again using the same
group of exercising rats.2 Again, whey was found superior
to casein in inhibiting enzymes that increase fat content in
the liver while promoting the activity of other enzymes that
increase intramuscular fat, or fat stored in muscle.
Decreasing liver fat would help increase fat oxidation in
other parts of the body. The effects of intramus-
cular fat content differ. In sedentary people it’s
linked to insulin resistance and increased risks

Brain Drain
Elevated homocysteine levels
can damage more than just your
heart. According to the Ameri-
can Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
“Several studies have shown that
elevated levels of homocysteine
in the blood is associated with an
increased risk of cardio disease and decreased cognitive func-
tion.” Cognitive function is your ability to learn.
Finding out your homocysteine level is as
simple as asking your doctor on your
next visit. He’ll order the blood test
for you. If your level is high, simple
steps can lower it.
“Milk, yogurt, cold break-
fast cereals, peppers and
cruciferous vegetables were
inversely related to serum
homocysteine levels. Intakes
of folic acid and riboflavin
also lowered homocysteine
levels,” according to the article in AJCN.
Eat more of those nutrients and foods to give
your heart and brain a healthy lift.
—Daniel Curtis, R.D.
of diseases associated with insulin resistance,
such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
In athletes and people who exercise regu-
larly, intramuscular fat is an asset. They have
increased insulin sensitivity and a greater ability
to tap into intramuscular fat during exercise due
to increased activity of fat-releasing enzymes.
Increased use of fat spares limited glycogen
stores in muscle. The net effect is more energy
and higher training intensity.
Since whey promotes intramuscular fat stor-
age, it would be valuable to those engaged in
most types of exercise. The decrease in liver
fat synthesis also provides important health
benefits by blunting the actions of enzymes that
increase bodyfat content. These attributes are
particularly important to those seeking to lose
fat, such as those on precontest diets.
—Jerry Brainum
References
1 Morifuji, M., et al. (2005). Dietary whey
protein increases liver and skeletal muscle
glycogen levels in exercise-trained rats. Brit J
Nutr. 93:439-45.
2 Morifuji M, et al. (2005). Dietary whey pro-
tein downregulates fatty acid synthesis in the
liver but upregulates it in skeletal muscle of
exercise-trained rats. Nutrition. 21:1052-58.

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 Train, Eat,GROW
Muscle-Training Program 76
From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center
by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: Jonathan Lawson

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 hen you add more mass to your
physique, it can be the result
of a number of factors. One of the
most important is the activation
of muscle fibers—the more fibers
you can involve in any set, the more
growth stimulation you get. Stop-
ping a set short, before reps get
hard, reduces the amount of fast-
twitch-fiber activation you achieve
due to the size principle of recruit-
ment: On any set the low-thresh-
old motor units fire first, followed
by the mediums, followed by the
highs—and those high-threshold
motor units equal fast-twitch ac-
tivation. If you stop a set too soon,
you don’t make much headway into
fast-twitch territory, which is where
the most growth potential lies.
Even so, going all the way to posi-
tive failure doesn’t get at the most
fast-twitch fibers possible. Why?
Because nervous system exhaustion
and fatigue short-circuit a set too
early. That’s why we recommend
going beyond nervous system ex-
haustion, or positive failure, with X
Reps, end-of-set partials done at the
max-force point.
If you’ve been following our dis-
cussions in this magazine and at
our Web site, www.X-Rep.com, you
know that X Reps are designed to
help you leapfrog nervous system
failure at the end of a set so you can
continue to pound fast-twitch fibers
right at the specific max-force point
on the stroke. Force is key, so you
need to stress that max-force sweet
spot on most of your exercises to
jack up fiber recruitment. X Reps
done at the end of your sets make
that happen. (Think about it: Why
wouldn’t you continue grinding at
the max-force point if you’re after as
much growth stimulation as pos-
sible?)
Another key mass-building tech-
nique is drop sets, but we consider
those less effective than X Reps at
building fast-twitch-fiber size and
more appropriate for blasting in-
termediary fibers, the ones that are
between fast twitch and slow twitch,
and expanding the capillary beds in
the target muscle, which contrib-
utes to muscle mass. But we’re get-
ting ahead of ourselves. Let’s rewind
and review our basic mass-building
sequences as well as some new ones
you may want to try.
We suggest starting a bodypart
blitz with a big, compound move-
ment—the best ones are identified
as the ultimate exercises in The
Ultimate Mass Workout e-book—for
example, decline presses for pecs.
We’ve found that doing two progres-
sively heavier warmup sets primes
Models: Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman
the target to fire. We usually use 50
percent of our work weight on the
first warmup set and 80 percent
on our second. We also throw in
lockouts for lubing the joints and
some nonlock reps for occlusion,
or blocking blood flow. That’s been
shown to ramp up fiber activation
quickly. [Note: Our precise warmup
sequence is posted at our Web site
• Do work set 2 in nonlock style,
and described in our new e-book,
but at exhaustion move to the
Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building.] semistretched point and blast out
After the warmup we usually do X-Rep partials.
one nonlock work set to nervous
system exhaustion, or positive fail- Here are two more productive ul-
ure, which is like an extension of the timate-exercise sequences you may
warmup. It’s more to ensure that the want to try if you’re more advanced
target muscle is totally primed, but (they both begin with an X-Rep set,
it does get at some fast-twitch fibers, which is more severe):
and the continuous tension created Advanced Sequence 1
by the nonlock style provides occlu-
sion. We rest for about three min- • Do work set 1 in nonlock style,
utes after that first work set. Studies and at exhaustion do X-Rep par-
show that about 180 seconds is tials at the semistretched point.
optimum for best force production • For work set 2 add weight and
on compound exercises. Maximum do an X-Rep-only set, blasting
force is what we’re after, so we take out heavy partials in the X range,
that rather lengthy rest and psych from just above the turnaround to
up for the money set. just below halfway up the stroke.
We perform the second set, usu- Try to get at least 12.
ally the final ultimate-exercise set,
Advanced Sequence 2
as if it were the last set of our lives.
In order to get the best tension time • Do work set 1 in nonlock style,
for mass stimulation—around 35 and at exhaustion do X-Rep par-
seconds—we shoot for nine nonlock tials at the semistretched point.
reps, with the 10th being a forced
• Do work set 2 in nonlock style,
rep. After that one forced rep we but when you reach exhaustion,
lower the weight to the max-force reduce the weight and immedi-
point, near the turnaround—right ately do another set, ending with
above the bottom of a decline press, X Reps (in other words, the sec-
for example—and blast out X-Rep ond set is a drop set, with X Reps
partials. Those five-to-10-inch X- tacked onto the second phase).
plosions right at the key spot su-
percharge fiber activation. On most Ending ultimate-exercise work
ultimate exercises we can get four to with a drop set, as in the last se-
six X Reps, which extends the ten- quence above, is a great segue into
sion time and pushes fast-twitch- isolation work, which is primarily
fiber recruitment to the upper for intermediary-fiber activation
limits. and capillary bed expansion. As we
So our standard ultimate-exercise said, you’re trying to hit the fiber
sequence is: types that are between fast twitch
• Do work set 1 in nonlock style to and slow twitch, and you’re striving
nervous system exhaustion. for extended continuous tension to
block blood flow, which produces a
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 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 76

full-blown pump after the drop set.
Drop sets work on any type of
exercises, but we find them most
effective on contracted-position
moves—for example, cable flyes for
pecs, leg extensions for quads, leg
curls for hamstrings, concentration
curls for biceps. Continuous tension
combined with contracted-position
stress really squeezes the blood out
of the muscle, which creates a blood
bath reflux afterward. The X-Fade
technique we described last month
also works extremely well on con-
tracted-position exercises, on either
the first or second phase of a drop
set. (Talk about a wicked burn!)
What about stretch-position
exercises? In our current routine
we have separate days for stretch-
position work and contracted-posi-
tion work. For example, at our first
triceps workout we do close-grip
bench presses, a midrange-position
move, followed by one-arm push-
downs, a contracted-position exer-
cise. At the next triceps workout we
do close-grip bench presses again,
perhaps with a different X-Rep se-
quence, and follow with overhead

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 76

Workout 1A: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms Bench V-ups 2x8
Rack pulls (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Twisting crunches 2 x 10-12
Seated forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Workout 1B: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Barbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Rack pulls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Cable upright rows (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Nautilus rows (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Cable laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Dumbbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Bent-over laterals 1 x 8-10 Rack pulls (X Reps) 1 x 10-12
Cable curls (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Nautilus rows (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10
Concentration curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 One-arm dumbbell rows (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Rope hammer curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 10-12
Barbell reverse wrist curls 2 x 15 Uncrossovers (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Barbell wrist curls 2 x 15 Preacher curls (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10
Rockers 1 x 15 Incline curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Incline hammer curls 1 x 8-10
Workout 2: Quads, Hams, Gastrocs, Low Back Dumbbell reverse wrist curls 2 x 15
Smith-machine squats (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Dumbbell wrist curls 2 x 15
Leg extensions (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Rockers 1 x 15
Sissy squats (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(8)
Leg presses 2 x 8-10 Workout 3B: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Hack squats 1 x 8-10 Smith-machine incline presses (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10
Leg curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Incline flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-12
Stiff-legged deadlifts (partials) 2 x 8-10 Wide-grip dips (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x max Decline flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-12
Reverse hyperextensions 1 x 10 Flat-bench flyes 1 x 8-12
Leg press calf raises (X Reps) 3 x 15-20 Parallel-grip pulldowns (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 12-15 Chins (X Reps) 1-2 x 8-12
Standing calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 8-10
Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 12 Decline extensions (X Reps or staged) 2-3 x 8-10
Seated calf raises 2 x 15-20 Cable pushouts 1 x 8-10
Low-back machine 1 x 8-12 Dumbbell overhead extensions (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Superset
Workout 3A: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Incline kneeups 2 x 10
Smith-machine incline presses (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Bench V-ups 2x8
High cable flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-12 Ab Bench crunches 2 x 10-12
Dumbbell bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Low cable flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-12 Add to Friday’s workout
Middle cable flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-12 Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 9-12
Parallel-grip pulldowns (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Standing calf raises or
Chins (X Reps) 1-2 x 8-12 machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 20-25
Machine pullovers (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Close-grip bench presses 2 x 8-10 •Where X-Reps are designated, only one set is per-
Pushdowns 2 x 8-10 formed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique
Superset from the e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building.
Incline kneeups 2 x 10

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 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 76

extensions, stretch-position work.
That’s split-positions training, and
it’s working well for us because it’s
so recovery oriented.
As for the stretch-position ex-
ercise, drop sets can work well on
them, but we’ve found that Double-
X Overload should also be involved.
That’s one of our new X-hybrid
techniques from our Beyond X-Rep
Muscle Building e-book. Here’s how
it works: Pick a weight you can get
about 10 reps with, but instead of
doing full reps, you hitch, or recoil,
at the stretched point. In other
words, you do a full rep, and then
you do a quarter rep through the
stretch position before you com-
plete another full rep.
Ronnie Coleman uses that DXO
technique on his shrugs. He pulls up

ITRC Program 76, Abbreviated Home-Gym Routine

Workout 1A: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms Workout 1B: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Dumbbell upright rows, Dumbbell upright rows,
seated laterals or rack pulls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 seated laterals or rack pulls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Seated forward-lean Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Rack pulls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Barbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 8-10
Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 8-10 One-arm dumbbell rows (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Preacher curls (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10
Dumbbell curls 2 x 8-10 Incline curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Concentration curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Incline hammer curls 1 x 8-10
Hammer curls 1 x 8-10 Dumbbell reverse wrist curls 2 x 15
Barbell reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 15 Dumbbell wrist curls 2 x 15
Barbell wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 15 Rockers 1 x 15
Rockers 1 x 15
Workout 3B: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Workout 2: Quads, Hams, Gastrocs, Low Back Incline presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Squats (last set staged) 3 x 8-10 Incline flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-12
Leg extensions or hack squats (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Wide-grip dips (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Sissy squats (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Decline flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-12
Hack squats (nonlock) 1 x 8-10 Flat-bench flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-12
Leg curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Stiff-legged deadlifts Chins (X Reps) 1 x 8-12
(bottom-range partials) 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 8-10
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x max Decline extensions (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Donkey calf raises, standing calf raises Overhead extensions (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
or one-leg calf raises (X Reps) 4 x 15-20 Superset
Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15-20 Incline kneeups 2 x 10
Bench V-ups 2x8
Workout 3A: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Ab Bench crunches 2 x 10-12
Incline presses (X Reps) 2-3 x 8-10 Add to Friday’s workout
Incline flyes Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 9-12
(squeeze at the top of each rep) 2 x 8-12 Standing calf raises 1 x 20-25
Dumbbell bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Decline flyes •When X Reps are designated, only one set is per-
(squeeze at the top of each rep) 1 x 8-12 formed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique
Flat-bench flyes (squeeze at the top of from the e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building.
each rep) 1 x 8-12
Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Chins (X Reps) 1 x 8-12
Note: Train Monday through Friday, following the
Undergrip rows 2 x 8-10
sequence of workouts as listed. Also, it’s best to have
Decline extensions (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
a selectorized dumbbell set, such as the PowerBlock,
Kickbacks 2 x 8-10
if you don’t have a rack of fixed dumbbells of various
Superset weights. If you don’t have a leg extension machine, do
Incline kneeups 2 x 10 old-style hacks with a two-second contraction at the
Bench V-ups 2x8 top of each rep instead. Use partner resistance, towel
Twisting crunches 2 x 10-12 around the ankles, if you don’t have a leg curl machine.

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 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 76
most like a controlled bounce at the
stretched or semistretched point.
Now, we’ve mentioned how
stretch overload is linked to hy-
perplasia, or fiber splitting—a
300 percent mass increase in one
animal study in a little more than a
month—so if that replication phe-
nomenon does exist, we think this
technique may speed it up. Even if
it doesn’t exist, other research sug-
Models: Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman
gests that stretch overload helps
slower-growing intermediary fibers
morph into faster-growing fast-
twitch fibers—and stretch overload
also contributes significantly to the
anabolic-hormone cascade.
We’re not suggesting that we have
all the answers, but we’re closing in
on many pieces of the mass-build-
ing puzzle. The things we’ve discov-
for a full rep—although even his full ered in just the past year and half
reps are only half reps; more semi- have made our mass training much
stretched-point overload—lowers more efficient. The next question
to full stretch, hitches, then drives is, Could it be even more efficient?
up another “full” rep. It looks al- Can we get many of those con-
AD
88 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
tracted-position- and stretch-posi-
tion-exercise attributes with only
ultimate-exercise work? Imagine
making big mass gains with just one
ultimate exercise per bodypart, no
ancillary exercises necessary, which
means more recovery time to grow.
That could mean 30-minute work-
outs, and a much bigger you—if you
do the ultimate exercise correctly
and with the right techniques. Stay
tuned.
Editor’s note: For the latest on
the X-Rep muscle-building method,
including X Q&As, X Files (past
e-newsletters), our before and after
photos and the new X-Blog training
journal, visit www.X-Rep.com. For
more information on Positions-of-
Flexion training videos and Size
Surge programs, see page 179. To
order the Positions-of-Flexion train-
ing manual Train, Eat, Grow, call
(800) 447-0008, visit www
.home-gym.com, or see the ad
below. IM
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 Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training
relevance for strongman training.
The first week your reps should be in the six-to-eight

Strongman range so you gain functional hypertrophy. Two exercises

per bodypart for five sets each should do the trick. A three-
to-two ratio would probably give you optimal results.
The second week devote your training to the three-to-

Strategy five-reps range to develop intramuscular coordination.

Again, two exercises for five to six sets should get you the
results you want.
The third week should be centered on sets in the one-to-
three-reps range. Do fewer exercises. I recommend six to
Q: I’m interested in training for strongman com- 12 sets of each exercise. It will prepare your nervous system
petitions. As these events gain popularity, I’m sure for the maximal efforts strongman training requires. Make
the training will become more clearly defined, but sure to end each workout with some remedial work (e.g.,
right now I can’t find any solid information on how rotator cuff training) to keep your muscular chains in bal-
to combine weight-room training with the actual ance. That will help prevent injury, plus it could actually
event training. How would you mix the two, given boost your levels of maximal strength.
the high physical demands the events require? For your competitive phase—two weeks—practice the
A: The best way to train for those events would be to actual events four to five days a week. Start with the events
alternate cycles of general strength work with cycles of that require maximal efforts, such as thick-bar deadlifts,
specific work. If you train only with weights, you don’t and end with the endurance ones, like the farmer’s walk.
develop enough ability for the specific events. And if you Again, end each strongman workout with some remedial
only practice the events, maximal strength can become the work to keep your muscular chains in balance.
limiting factor. Don’t be afraid to lose strength when practicing the
You need to do three weeks of strength work, concen- actual skills of strongman competitions. In fact, your actual
trating on basic compound exercises such as squats, chins, weight-room lifts will go up once you return for a three-
deadlifts, presses and, of course, some grip work. Obvi- week stint of more classical strength work. As a matter of
ously, barbell and dumbbell work is in order. Machine fact, I’ve seen people’s classical lifts actually go up a few
work, except for reverse hypers and leg curls, has very little percentage points after they did a full four months of just
strongman training. I think
that’s because events overload
the small intrinsic spine mus-
cles, which eventually leads to a
stronger and more stable back.
The super yoke and the farmer’s
walk are particularly good at
improving your deadlift and
squat performance.
During your competitive-
phase training, pay attention
to the endurance events. They
can make the difference be-
tween winning and losing. Lack
of interval training with the
implements will lead to poor
competitive results.
Another option is to do
two to three days of classical
strength work and two days of
strongman training; however, I
find that people who espouse
that training model tend to
get injured more often than in
the model that I propose. The
culprit here is the too-extensive
loading on the core muscles
Sanchez

and ligament structures.

Look on my Web site for the
Training for strongman competitions requires maximal- booklets on strongman training
that I coauthored with Boston
strength work in the gym and practice on the specific PPC owner Art McDermott.
events. And you can’t neglect injury-prevention work, such They include everything from
training with the sled to the
as rotator cuff exercises. multiple ways of using the log.

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 Q: I love your column.
What I want is an arm- All you need is basic
building routine that’s equipment to build
simple in terms of equip- massive arms.
ment. There’s a small
weight room in my condo
complex, and my sched-
ule limits me to training
there. All I have access to
are adjustable bars and
dumbbells and a high
and low pulley. Can you
give me some arm-build-
ing tips to use with that
limited equipment?
A: No one needs very
sophisticated equipment
to build great arms. What
you have is plenty, believe
me. As long as you vary the
loading parameters—reps,
sets, tempo and rest inter-
vals—your basic dumbbells
and barbells provide you
with plenty of options. Look
at the arms of Russian IFBB
pro Alexander Federov and
even of the Governator at
his bodybuilding peak. They
were built with some very
basic equipment and lots of
training drive. Here’s a great
routine to make use of the
available equipment in your
condo complex. It’s a heavy-
light system:
A1 Incline dumbbell curls
muscles have no reason to grow.
4-6 reps, 4/0/1/0 tempo
Rest 10 seconds Q: My bench press poundage hasn’t improved in
A2 Standing reverse curls weeks. My training partner pointed out that I al-
on the low pulley 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0 tempo ways encounter a sticking point at about two to four
Rest 90 seconds inches off my chest. Any suggestions for solving my
A3 Lying EZ-bar triceps training problem? It’s getting very frustrating.
extensions 4-6 reps, 3/1/1/0 tempo
A: Getting stuck in the bottom portion of the bench
Rest 10 seconds
press implicates technique and strength ratios. Let’s look at
A4 Standing triceps
technique first.
pressdowns 8-12 reps, 3/0/1/0 tempo
Velocity of the descent. The best bench pressers in
Rest 90 seconds, then repeat
the world have been shown in biomechanical studies to
Do four or five of the rotations. If you can bend your have slower descents than less qualified lifters. Control-
arms the next day, you mucked around with the weights; ling the eccentric contraction will permit you to control
the workout leads to deep muscle soreness. The hypertro- the bar’s pathway more efficiently. It will also let you better
phy you get from the routine is appreciable, as the first ex- handle the pause required in competition.
ercise for each bodypart taps into higher-threshold fibers, The flaring-the-lats trick. Flaring the lats in the bot-
while the second knocks out lower-threshold fibers. The tom position, as in the front lat spread, lets you raise the
change in grip and body orientation also taps into differ- bar one-half to one inch, which places it at a better me-
ent parts of the strength curve, thus hitting different motor chanical advantage. Practice the trick initially with loads
units. Expect distinctive soreness, which will lead to gains lower than 70 percent of your one-rep maximum, as it
in hypertrophy and strength. Make sure to do two to three requires focused attention.
warmup rounds of low reps and increasing loads to pre- Neck position. Yes, there is a better head position in
vent injury and prime you for optimal loads. Also, record bench pressing. In order for you to lift the highest load, the
all sets, reps and poundages for every workout, and strive back of your head should make contact with the bench’s
to make progress in terms of reps or poundages every time upholstery, and you should be pressing it into the bench.
you hit the gym if you want to make gains. Otherwise, your Pressing your head into the bench, (continued on page 104)

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 Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth

(continued from page 97) as in doing a neck extension, will

A sticking point near the bottom of a bench press
increase your strength as you push the bar away by creat-
ing a neural response that facilitates the muscles used in
may indicate technique flaws and/or a strength
the bench press. imbalance.
Now let’s look at strength ratios. If you have a weak start,
you could have either weak pecs or weak serratus anterior Editor’s note: Charles Poliquin is recognized as one
muscles or both. When those muscles are weak, you have of the world’s most successful strength coaches, having
poor initial acceleration in the concentric range in the coached Olympic med-
bench press. alists in 12 different
If your pecs are weak, the best exercises for improved sports, including the
bench press performance are cambered-bar bench presses U.S. women’s track-
and flat-bench dumbbell presses with palms facing each and-field team for the
other. [Note: A cambered bar, such as an EZ-curl bar, is 2000 Olympics. He’s
bent to give you greater range of motion.] spent years research-
If your serratus anterior is weak, you probably also have ing European journals
poor performance on the military presses. You should (he’s fluent in English,
be able to military-press 70 percent of your bench press French and German)
poundage. In other words, if you bench-press 300 pounds, and speaking with
you should be able to do a seated military press with 210. other coaches and
Spending a few weeks specializing on seated military scientists in his quest
pressing should help remedy the situation. You may also to optimize training
include supine incline front raises as a remedial exercise. methods. For more on
That will increase the strength of the serratus anterior, his books, seminars
Bradford

which is the main muscle that rotates the scapulae upward and methods, visit
and helps you get out of the bottom position. Make sure www.CharlesPoliquin
you keep your elbows slightly bent—five to 10 degrees—to .net. Also, see his ad on C h a r l e s P o l i q u i n
remove the stress on the elbow joints. page 205. IM
w w w. C h a r l e s P o l i q u i n . n e t

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 A u i l d e r
B o d y b
Is

Born Episode 7: Sell No Wine Before Its Time

by Ron Harris
Photography by Michael Neveux

ometimes Randy would wait until we were done training or at least well
into it before hitting me with whatever was on his hormone-soaked
mind. At other times the lad was so excited, he couldn’t make it that long.
This was clearly one of those days. Before he had even taken off his jack-
et, he set his gym bag down and produced a flyer.
“I want to do this show,” he announced, thrusting it into my hands. I scanned the
page briefly, mentally noting that the promoter must be on a pretty meager bud-
get. Two of the guest posers were local guys who hadn’t yet made the top 10 in na-
tional competition, and the featured performer was a pro known more for the oil
lodged in his rear deltoids than the high placings he had enjoyed several years ago.
Model: David Yeung

He probably wasn’t getting more than food, lodging and a date with the promoter’s
ugly sister for flexing his smooth off-season bulk to the tender strains of AC/DC.
The date of this event was roughly three months away. (continued on page 110)

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 A Bodybuilder Is Born

(continued from page 107) “What do

you think?” Randy chattered, a big
grin on his mug. “Can I get in shape
for it, or what?”
I already knew the answer to that.
The kid was a naturally lean type
and probably could get properly
shredded in half that time if we
upped his cardio and took some
carbs out of his diet.
“Yeah, I’m sure you could, no
problem, but this leads us to the
‘Jurassic Park’ question.”
“Huh?” Randy obviously saw no
connection between deadly Veloci-
raptors and the situation at hand.
“Just because they could clone the
dinosaurs didn’t mean they should
have.” I waited for this to register,
but I was still being too vague. His
face was a blank. “Let me try anoth-
er pop-culture reference I know you Muscle maturity: The longer you work
are too young to remember. There
used to be this guy Orson Welles, on it, the better it gets.
who at one time was probably the
most brilliant writer-director in Hol-
lywood. When he got old and gained mercials was when he said, ‘We will interpret a wine list at a restaurant,
about a hundred extra pounds, the sell no wine before its time.’ Do you but the point is that it gets better
only work he could get was doing understand the concept of wine the longer it sits in some dark cellar.
these commercials for Paul Masson needing to age and mature?” The best and most expensive wines
wine.” “I don’t really like wine; I had a have been lying around like that
“Wine? Okay.…” I had better get whole bottle at my cousin’s wedding for 20 years or more. On the other
to the point soon, or I was going to and was throwing up for two days.” hand, you can walk into a liquor
lose him. “Well, I don’t like wine either, store right now and buy some wine
“The catchphrase for the com- and I would be at a loss trying to that was just made last week for five

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 A Bodybuilder Is Born

have stayed home.” I was Olympia before Ronnie—the guy

the one who should have
stayed home.
“I’m not that bad,
though, am I?” Now I was
planting seeds of doubt in
his fragile ego.
“No, don’t get me
wrong. I never said that.
But two things make this
a bad move for you at this
stage. First, you’re making
awesome gains right now.
You get bigger and stron-
ger every week. If you go
on a strict diet and lower
your calories and carbs,
those gains will stop dead
in their tracks. Second,
this is not the body you
can bring to the stage in a
year or two. Ever hear of a
guy named Dorian Yates?”
“Yeah, he was Mr.
from England with the tattoos who
never smiled.”
“Dorian didn’t compete until he’d
been training for two years, which
really isn’t very long, but the gains
he made in that time were what
most bodybuilders see in 10 or
12 years of lifting. The point is, he
waited until he knew he was good
enough to win, which he did. Then
later, when he turned pro, he took
two years to make the improve-
ments he knew he needed to take
second in his first pro show, which
he did. The guy took his time and
did everything the right way.”
“So I can’t compete now, you’re
saying,” Randy mumbled, dejected.
“You can if you really want to. It’s
a whole lot of fun, and I really don’t
regret starting as young as I did, but
you have the advantage of having
me to guide you through this. You

bucks a bottle. The good stuff can

go for $500 a bottle and up. Think
of your physique as a bottle of
Dorian
vino.”
Randy eyed himself in the mir- Yates
ror across the locker room and hit
a biceps pose, his eyebrows knit waited to
in concentration.
“The longer I work on it, the compete.
better it gets?” I almost saw the
lightbulb flash over his noggin. He waited
Good thing there wasn’t one
there, since he had enough gel in until he
his hair to start a flash fire.
“You could do the show, enter was good
the novice division and prob-
ably walk away with a trophy,”
I assured him. “The men’s open
enough
would be a terrible idea; you
would get your ass handed to
to win,
you.”
“Thanks for the vote of confi-
which he
dence, Ron.”
“Sorry, I have to be honest.
did.
Look, I started competing at 19
years old, long before I really had
any business being on a body-
building stage. I did three shows
by the time I was 20, and the only
time I made the top five was be-
cause there were only four other
kids in my class.”
It was true. I had even embar-
rassed myself further by telling
one of the guys who beat me—in
my best Arnold tone—“If you
didn’t come to win, you should

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 111

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 A Bodybuilder Is Born

listen to me, and you can win your

first show. Can you imagine what
that would be like?”
“Pretty sweet,” he said.
“Not only sweet, but it would help
give you more of that champion
mind-set. You would expect to win,
and you would think of yourself as
a winner. That type of confidence
shines through, and everyone picks
up on it.”
Randy was looking at the flyer
again and scowling.
“What if we go to this show and
it turns out I could have won?” That
had happened to me once, but I
didn’t think Randy was going to
experience that particular frustra-
tion just yet.
“If that happens—and who
knows—anything is possible, I
promise that Janet and I will take
you and whatever girlfriend you Just think about how much
Model: Will Harris

happen to have at that time out for more the crowd will scream
a lobster dinner. You can even order for you when you win the
some fine wine, how’s that?” whole damn show!
“Okay, but I don’t really like lob-
ster,” he said.

“That’s fine, you can have the

chicken salad and water to drink.”
Yes, I am a generous bastard. I
paused, wanting to make sure he
wasn’t too disappointed. “You all
right? You won’t go home after this
and set up a Ron dartboard in your
room, will you?”
“No, you’re right about all that. I
just wanted to get up there and hear
the crowd cheer for me.”
“Next year, Randy, next year. And
they will cheer a lot louder for you
when you win the whole damn
thing.”
Ah, the impatience of youth.
I wondered how the young Ron
would have taken the older Ron’s
advice and recommendations.
Thinking back to how stubborn I
used to be and how I was convinced
I knew it all, I probably would have
told the older Ron to go screw
himself. Luckily, Randy was a little
more receptive to well-meaning
guidance from those who’ve been
in his shoes. Because of that, this
kid would someday be 10 times the
Model: Daryl Gee

bodybuilder I ever was. And that’s

cool with me.
Editor’s note: Visit Ron Harris’
Web site, www.RonHarrisMuscle.
com. IM

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The Inner
An Eye-Opening Interview With Scientist, Artist,
Author and Nutrition Maverick Ori Hofmekler
by Jerry Brainum
O
ri Hofmekler says his life
has been driven by art and
sport. He began to formulate
the nutrition and exercise
philosophy that later developed
into his Warrior Diet and exercise plan
while serving in the Israeli Army Special
Forces. His artwork is recognized around
the world, and his controversial political
satire has been featured in magazines
worldwide—the New York Times, Rolling
Stone, People, Esquire, The New Republic
and many others. He was a Penthouse
magazine columnist for 17 years and
served as the magazine’s health and
fitness editor until 2000. He’s published
two books of political art: Hofmekler’s
People and Hofmekler’s Gallery. The
Museum of Tel Aviv exhibited his work in
1993.
Hofmekler first presented the Warrior
Diet when he worked as the editor-
in-chief and publisher of Mind and
Muscle Power magazine. In 2002 the
120 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
The Inner Warrior
Part 1
controversial program was chosen as diet
of the year by First for Women magazine,
and it is regularly featured on television
and radio programs, as well as in print.
Now residing in California, Ori
conducts seminars and offers
certification courses related to his
Warrior Diet system. He’s made
presentations to various law enforcement
agencies, including SWAT, air marshals
and Secret Service agents. In addition,
he’s coaching professional boxers and
is opening Warrior Diet centers. Two
planned locations are Atlanta and Los
Angeles.
To call Ori a nutritional heretic is
putting it mildly. Many of the concepts
espoused by the Warrior Diet are
antithetical to what mainstream
dietitians and other so-called health
professionals suggest. One notable
example: Ori believes the notion that
breakfast is the most important meal of
the day isn’t based on scientific fact.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 121
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 The Inner Warrior

Perhaps the biggest problem

with the Warrior Diet is that many
are confused about its effects
and effectiveness. To clear up
some of the confusion, I asked
him questions that many medical
professionals and others interested
in maximum fitness and health have
posed.

JB: As I understand it, one

basis for the Warrior Diet of
eating little or no food for 20
hours involves stimulation
of the sympathetic nervous
system. Yet it’s known that
the main hormones, or
catecholamines, that make
up the SNS are also stimulated
by a heavy meal at any time.
How do you account for that
contradiction?
OH: Your question is based on a
misconception. The Warrior Diet
isn’t about eating little or no food for
20 hours. Quite the opposite, in fact.
We recommend that our followers
eat during the day certain meals and
foods that promote toxin removal,
alertness, fat burning and stress
resistance. We also provide specific
guidelines for applying recovery
meals during the day. An athlete
or bodybuilder on the Warrior Scientists believe that we
Diet can take advantage of our have inherited survival
special recovery meal plan and use mechanisms that com-

Neveux \ Model: Michael Ergas

substantial amounts of amino acids
in muscle after exercise by virtue of
an increased metabolic capacity for
using protein during undereating.
All that said, it’s also true that the
human body is well programmed
to endure periodic lack of food.
Scientists believe that we have
inherited survival mechanisms
that compensate for lack of food or
intense physical stress by increasing
the body’s capacity for using fuel,
generating energy and resisting
fatigue.
It all comes down to basic biology.
The autonomic nervous system has
two parts: the sympathetic nervous
system and the parasympathetic
nervous system (PSNS). They’re
antagonistic to each other. The
SNS (triggered by undereating and
exercise) promotes the breakdown
of fat and glycogen stores for energy.
The PSNS (triggered by overeating
and rest) inhibits fat burning and
glycogen breakdown, instead
promoting fat replenishment and
increased glycogen stores.
Common sense will tell you that
undereating or exercise promotes
different hormones from those
promoted by overeating. The fact
that certain foods, particularly
proteins, temporarily increase
adrenal activity during big meals
doesn’t mean that undereating and
overeating have the same effect on
the SNS and overall metabolism.
Note that the mechanism
regulating adrenal reaction can
be tricky. Adrenal hormones
(catecholamines) are typically
associated with the stress hormone
cortisol. The body regulates cortisol
levels via a feedback control
mechanism. The body often loses
pensate for lack of food
or intense physical stress
by increasing the body’s
capacity for using fuel,
generating energy and
resisting fatigue.
its ability to regulate cortisol levels,
however, because of chronic stress,
dietary abuse, frequent feeding
or insulin resistance. When that
happens, cortisol levels remain
chronically elevated, leading
to hypertension, or high blood
pressure. Dietary protein stimulates
the release of cortisol from the
adrenal glands. So high-protein,
low-carb meals would promote
a state of alertness and stress;
high-carb meals mainly promote
relaxation.
JB: You’ve written that low-
carb diets don’t make sense
because carbs are important
for aspects of body chemistry.

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Neveux \ Model: Gus Malliarodakis
As for low-carb diets, bodybuild-
ers and other athletes can’t
permit themselves to be in such a
compromised state.
Yet all biochemical textbooks
say that there’s no physiological
requirement for carbs because
the gluconeogenesis process
in the liver converts other
substances, such as amino
acids, glycerol and lactate,
into glucose. In addition, low-
carb-diet advocates frequently
mention that the body can run
on intermediary by-products
of fat metabolism called
ketones, again making carb
intake superfluous. How do you
respond?
OH: Let me say up front that
muscles cannot convert protein or
fat into glucose. According to all the
biology texts, gluconeogenesis is a
limited metabolic process, mostly
restricted to the liver.
Fast-twitch muscles depend
mostly on glycolytic, or carb, fuel.
In times of a desperate need for
For active individuals
carbs are essential
and play a
critical role in
postexercise
recovery.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 123
The Inner Warrior
energy, such as during strength or
speed training, gluconeogenesis
may not be sufficient to provide
critical glucose to the working
muscles. Furthermore, when carbs
are severely restricted and the
demand for energy increases, the
body would be forced to shut down
one of its most critically important
metabolic pathways. That pathway
regulates the production of DNA,
RNA, nucleic acid material, energy
molecules and several potent
antioxidant compounds.
Known as the pentose phosphate
pathway, it’s completely dependent
on an adequate glucose supply.
With severe carb restriction, when
insufficient glucose is available, the
body turns off the PPP and switches
to a sheer energy-producing
process. When that occurs, the
body may adversely compromise its
capacity for promoting anabolic and
immuno-enhancing activity. So you
decrease your ability to recuperate
and build muscle.
Bodybuilders and other athletes
can’t permit themselves to be in
such a compromised state. Carbs
are essential for active individuals.
They also play a critical role in
postexercise recovery. Without carbs
and their related insulin spikes
there’s no final activation of such
anabolic hormones as IGF-1 and
growth hormone after exercise.
Protein is the worst fuel source.
Its breakdown results in metabolic
waste substances, such as nitrites
and nitrates, which adversely affect
nitric oxide synthesis. That, in turn,
suppresses vasodilation and muscle
capacity for performance and for
resisting fatigue.
As for ketones, they’re acids that,
when produced in abundance—for
example, during low-carb diets—
inhibit fat (continued on page 128)
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 The Inner Warrior

Neveux \ Model: King Kamali

(continued from page 123) breakdown
and elevate cortisol levels, as the
body desperately tries to increase
blood sugar and lower acidity levels.
The increased acidity that ketones
produce also forces the body to
leech alkalizing minerals, such as
calcium, from bones and other lean
tissues. Contrary to popular belief,
ketosis is a substantially catabolic
process that leads to adverse effects
in those seeking added lean mass.
Finally, scientists now believe that
physical activity is programmed
into the human genome. Carb food,
essential for physical activity, is
also essential for the human body.
It’s a potent carrier of essential
nutrients, including proteoglucan
and immuno-boosting nutrients.
Biologically, low-carb diets just don’t
make sense, especially for active
people engaged in exercise and
sports.
JB: Why do you write that
small amounts of protein
consumed during a meal
provide a greater biological
value?
OH: Studies done on protein
biological value by the Food and
Agriculture (continued on page 132)

Fast muscles depend mostly on glycolytic, or carb,

fuel. In times of a desperate need for energy, such as
during strength or speed training, gluconeogenesis
may not be sufficient to provde critical glucose to the
working muscles.

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 The Inner Warrior
(continued from page 128) Organization
(FAO) show that protein loses its
biological value when eaten in
large amounts per serving. In small
amounts (100 to 250 milligrams
per kilogram of bodyweight), even
inferior protein sources reach
maximum BV and utilization. That
132 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
translates into no more than 10 to
20 grams of protein per serving. But
other variables influence protein
BV beyond the serving size, amino
scores and digestibility: exercise,
state of undereating and high
calorie intake.
In other words, timing of post-
High-protein, low-carb
meals can promote a state
of alertnesss and stress
compared to high-carb
meals, which mainly
promote relaxation.
Neveux \ Model: Luke Wood
exercise meals, the empty-stomach
factor and the calorie intake of
meals can profoundly affect protein
BV and use. If you apply those
factors correctly, you can eat half
the amount of protein foods and
use the same amount of net protein,
minus minimum protein waste.
By properly applying recovery
meals after training on an empty
stomach and taking advantage of
big nightly meals, the Warrior Diet
provides the most efficient and
economical method of building
lean mass. As for the amount of
protein per serving, while on the
Warrior Diet you can eat 20 to
30 grams of protein per serving
with minimum waste. By having
three or four subsequent recovery
meals—every hour—after exercise,
you may be able to use up to 120
grams of amino acids in muscle
after exercise.
JB: Since a precept of the
Warrior Diet is to get most of
your daily intake of calories
during one meal in the
evening, what’s to prevent gross
overeating by some people?
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 The Inner Warrior
Studies show that late
OH: Some have suggested meals don’t promote fat
that just as physical activity is gain more than early
programmed into the human ones. The human body
genome, so is the tendency to is programmed to eat
late.
overeat. Overeating is primal, based
on a feast-and-famine cycle. Saying
that you may overeat is like saying
that you may overtrain. Does that
mean that a person should cease
training intensely?
The Warrior Diet provides a
specific plan of adaptation to
primal feeding cycles and training.
That includes detailed guidance on
how to undereat and overeat. The
entire concept of reviving a primal
way of living is controversial. I
believe, though, that bodybuilding
may well be a manifestation of
a deep desire to go back to our
primal human origins, getting hard,
strong and muscular similar to our
Paleolithic ancestors.
Whenever a revolutionary
approach appears, it usually faces
resistance. In the past bodybuilding
was often criticized. The Warrior
Diet is iconoclastic, and overeating
is part of the controversy. It’s also
part of the equation of human
eating.
As hunter-gatherers, humans are

Neveux \ Model: Markus Renhardt

primarily predators, and predators
tend to overeat. The substantial
increase in the capacity for using
protein and carbs after exercise
may be an inherited mechanism
that helped humans survive as
hunters. Overeating is a primary

human feature similar to exercise. night, you can take advantage of

JB: Many bodybuilders and
others believe that eating
past a certain time of the day
promotes fat gains because of
a slower metabolic rate later
in the day or night. What’s your
take on this?
OH: There’s not one shred of
evidence to support the claim
that eating late causes fat gain. In
fact, studies show that late meals
don’t promote fat gain more than
early ones. The human body is
programmed to eat late. The Roman
army had its own rules of dieting,
mostly based on eating late meals.
They were famous for being lean
and mean. When using a daily
feeding cycle of undereating during
the day followed by overeating at
the body’s two autonomic nervous
systems: the daily SNS and the
nightly PSNS. You’d be able to
maximize fuel usage and fat burning
during the day while being able to
relax and recuperate at night. Eating
too many meals during the day,
then adding a late meal, may be too
much, causing a fat gain.
Editor’s note: Ori Hofmekler is
the author of the books The War-
rior Diet and Maximum Muscle &
Minimum Fat, published by Dragon
Door Publications (www
.dragondoor.com). For more in-
formation or for a consultation,
contact him at ori@warriordiet.com,
www.warriordiet.com or by phone
at (866) WAR-DIET. IM

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 Beyond
Glycogen
y
ycoge
Upping Your Energy and Power
by George L. Redmon, Ph.D., N.D. • Photography by Michael Neveux

Energy is defined as the capacity of a system for doing work, or

its equivalent, in a strict physical sense. As an astute bodybuilder,
you know that one of the most important aspects of your workout is
maintaining adequate energy reserves. If your body doesn’t have
some way of generating residual energy as fatigue sets in, your
ability to do work can be severely compromised. One of the best
ways of restoring energy reserves is to replenish low glycogen
levels.
As you are fully aware, glycogen is a carbohydrate
that is formed and stored in the liver and muscles.
It’s made from excess dietary starch and sugars
in the body that are first transformed to
glucose, with the excess glucose then
Model: Berry Kabov

being converted to glycogen. Your muscles and liver

The process is known as have limited capacities for
glycolysis. storing glycogen. After about
1 1/2 to two hours of exercise,
these stores become dangerously depleted
and your blood glucose levels plummet.
—Daniel Gastelu, Fred Hatfield, Ph.D.
140 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 141

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 Beyond Glycogen
The Mighty Liver
While the liver weighs only
about three pounds, it is respon-
sible for more than 500 different
jobs. One of them is to regulate the
glucose levels in the blood. When
your muscles need energy, glyco-
gen stored in the liver is converted
to glucose to supply additional
fuel. Glycogen is like a backup
gas tank in your car that kicks in
as your gas gauge moves toward
empty. When that happens, you
quickly head to the nearest gas
station to refuel. So the question
becomes, How do you refuel—that
is, restore diminished levels of
glycogen?
Carbs Rule
The process of rebuilding glyco-
gen stores in the liver and muscles
begins when you take in carbohy-
drates. According to Hatfield and
Gastelu, who wrote Dynamic Nu-
trition for Maximum Performance,
eating a good amount of complex
carbohydrates, especially at night,
will replenish the glycogen supply
and restore mental alertness and
physical energy. Similar results
have been associated with foods
of high fructose content. Because
142 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
of the body’s need to generate fuel,
it can store a 12-to-48-hour reserve
of glycogen when you eat ample
amounts of macronutrients. As
Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., explains
in the Sport Nutrition Guide Book:
Eating to Fuel Your Active Lifestyle,
the average 150-pound active male
has about 1,800 calories of carbohy-
drate stored in his liver, muscles and
blood:
Muscle glycogen: 1,400 calories
Liver glycogen: 320 calories
Blood glucose: 80 calories
Total: 1,800 calories
The Problem
When your macronutrient intake
is inadequate, your performance
and power quickly diminish, a phe-
nomenon called hitting the wall.
You also experience central nervous
fatigue, which is characterized by
lightheadedness, difficulty concen-
trating and mental fatigue and oc-
curs because of depleted glycogen,
which also fuels the brain, Mental
vitality gets restored by glycogen’s
effect on the central nervous sys-
tem. Hepatic, or liver, glycogen is
the central nervous system’s pri-
mary fuel source.
The final nail in the coffin con-
Carbs
rebuild
the
glycogen
stores in your
liver and your
muscles.
cerning the downward spiral to-
ward energy deprivation is in the
statement that opens this article.
Highly regarded sports and fitness
researchers Gastelu and Hatfield
say that the increased workload
you place on your body causes
your glycogen stores to decline very
quickly when you’re exercising or
lifting. With every muscle contrac-
tion you stimulate the breakdown of
glycogen. The longer you exercise,
the more glycogen you break down
so the muscles will have the energy
they need for you to continue your
routine, but the body doesn’t have a
boundless supply of glycogen. Even-
tually, you run out, and fatigue sets
in. (continued on page 146)
Amino
acids can
improve
energy
and
mental
acuity
during
a tough
workout.
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 Beyond Glycogen
May the Force
Be With You
According to researchers at the
University of Iowa College of Medi-
cine, another physiological process
is going on, namely, the formation
and transformation of biochemi-
cal energy. The development of the
force generated by skeletal muscles
to do physical work requires a
source of chemical energy in the
form of adenosine triphosphate.
ATP is the powerful body fuel for all
cell functions. It serves as an energy
reservoir and goes through end-
less cycles of catabolism (breaking
down) and anabolism (building up).
The energy in an ATP molecule isn’t
stored for any length of time. Typi-
cally, it’s transformed and unleashed
within 60 seconds.
The body’s need for ATP is never
ending. Even if you were bedridden
for 24 hours, your cells would turn
over about four kilograms, or 4,000
grams, of ATP molecules to supply
energy just for normal bodily pro-
cesses. You also need ATP for the
restoration of muscle membrane
and the reuptake by the muscle of
calcium ions, which are necessary
for muscle contraction.
146 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Dialing Up ATP
Despite the limited ability of rest-
ing muscle to store ATP, its concen-
tration levels don’t appear to drop
except during the most intense forms
of exercise, such as sprinting and
aerobics. Researchers contend that
ATP must be resynthesized at the
same rate it is used. There are three
different mechanisms of ATP resyn-
thesis:
1) Phosphocreatine hydrolysis
(loosening or breaking apart)
2) Glycolysis (glucose converted to
glycogen)
3) Metabolic use of the by-products
of carbohydrate, fat and protein
Your breakdown
liver
stores
about Recovery: the Final
80 grams of Frontier
glycogen, the In physiological terms, energy
body’s primary fuel. can be defined as the potential for
performing work based on produc-
tion of fuel for the skeletal muscles.
There is something else, however,
that requires energy, and lots of it. It’s
a silent phase of energy use, but it’s
critical to your success.
Catabolism is the breakdown of
complex compounds into simpler
ones. You, as a bodybuilder, strive to
minimize the destruction of valuable
muscle tissue. On the other hand,
anabolism is any bodily process that
builds complex compounds from
simple ones. That’s the phase you
want to stay in, as the body repairs
and builds new tissue. The anabolic
phase requires the biochemical en-
ergy that is unleashed when ATP is
formed. As you may have surmised,
your nutritional choices have a strong
impact on both glycogen and ATP
production. A number of nutritional
supplements can greatly aid the
production of those powerful fuel
sources. You’re literally an energy
machine—energy personified! As
science-fiction writer and renowned
past professor of biochemistry at
Anitoxidants scavenge free Boston University Isaac Asimov wrote
radicals that your body in Chemicals of Life:
produces during a workout. “Every day the average man or
Without antioxidant activity woman uses up enough energy to
your immune system, health bring at least 35 quarts of water to a
and energy can suffer. boil.”
You, of course, are not the average
SUBSCRIBE TO IRON MAN

man or woman. Your energy needs
are enormous. You’re born with the
capability of producing, storing and
retrieving energy reserves as you
need them, and in all probability
you have a nutritional plan in place
designed to replenish. Even so, ac-
cording to Gastelu and Hatfield,
“there are very few nutritional and
supplemental plans that focus on
promoting regeneration of the maxi-
mum amount of biological energy.”
In other words, you may be missing
out on agents that boost the body’s
ATP production capabilities.
The Energy Brigade
What follows is an overview of a
brigade of natural supplements that
can augment your nutritional pro-
gram and help replenish lost energy
stores. Think of the supplements
as storm troopers sent in to restore
energy to tired muscles, supply ad-
ditional fuel to aid in the repair and
recovery process and slow down
free-radical aggression in worn-out,
torn and ravenous muscle tissue.
The Energy Formulas
1) Branched-Chain Amino Acids
The BCAAs are L-leucine, L-isoleu-
cine and L-valine. Branched-chain
amino acids restore low glutamine
stores and immune factors. Evidence
shows that supplementation with
branched-chain aminos can improve
exercise-induced mental decline
by delaying central nervous system
fatigue. J.D. Fernstrom, Ph.D., pro-
fessor of psychiatry, pharmacology
Muscle
glycogen
is about 300
grams.
and behavioral neuroscience at
the University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine, states that BCAAs
are precursors of many nervous
system neurotransmitters. Increas-
ing your blood concentrations of
BCAAs causes the body to produce
smaller amounts of the amino acid
tryptophan, which is implicated in
speeding central nervous fatigue
during extended exercise sessions.
Branched-chain aminos are also
used as a backup fuel source in
muscle tissue. They convert to glu-
cose when tired muscles need ad-
ditional fuel, sparing stored muscle
glycogen.
Suggested dose: seven to 12
grams a day.
Glutamine, a key recovery
amino acid, can accelerate
fat loss as well as
improve
energy.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 147
Beyond Glycogen
2) Carnitine
Once thought to be a vitamin,
carnitine is now known to be a non-
essential amino acid, meaning that
the kidneys and liver make it from
the foods you eat. Carnitine regu-
lates intramitochondrial free co-en-
zyme A (CoA), a metabolite involved
with energy production, pyruvate
oxidation, amino acid metabolism,
Krebs cycle coordination and mito-
chondrial and peroxisomal beta-oxi-
dation. Forget the jargon; remember
that carnitine is the one—the
mother of all supplements, ignit-
ing the powerful furnaces where
biochemical energy is made. In fact,
one of carnitine’s most important
roles is that of transporting fatty
acids in the cell to be burned as
fuel. Carnitine is the key that opens
the doors of the mitochondria, the
site of all energy production and fat
burning. Not only does carnitine
take beneficial compounds into the
mitochondria, but it helps move
harmful intermediate compounds
out of the mitochondria and pre-
vent their accumulation as well,
according to Jane Higdon, Ph.D., of
the Linus Pauling Research Institute
at Oregon State University. Carnitine
stimulates the immune response, is
involved in muscle cell membrane
repair and preserves muscle glyco-
gen stores during exercise.
Suggested dose: one to 10
grams a day. (continued on page 152)
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 Beyond Glycogen
Model: Tomm Voss
3) Creatine
One of the best-known supple-
ments used today, creatine is a com-
pound formed from the amino acids
arginine, methionine and glycine.
Creatine is best known for its abil-
ity to increase muscular stamina,
strength and accelerated recovery
rates after exercise. When you take
creatine orally, it converts to phos-
phocreatine, which is important
if you’re a sprinter or weightlifter.
Depletion of phosphocreatine levels
results in muscle fatigue and dimin-
ished muscle power. Supplemental
creatine increases the storage of
phosphocreatine, or PCR, which
makes more ATP available to work-
ing muscles, enabling you to work
harder and longer. Creatine aids
recovery because it increases gly-
cogen storage and use and inhibits
muscle protein breakdown and
degradation.
Suggested dose: one to five
grams a day.
Because of creatine’s ability to
induce cell volumization (quicker
transport and attraction of nutrients
to muscle cells, increasing protein
synthesis), bodybuilders are encour-
aged to load five grams four times
a day for four days and then use a
maintenance dose of one to five
152 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
5) Glutamine
While glutamine is known as a
key recovery agent that prevents
muscle catabolism, researchers at the
University of Rochester in New York
found that it helps modulate gluco-
neogenesis, which is the production
of glucose. Using human subjects,
scientists there found that infusion of
glutamine resulted in the conversion
of glutamine to glucose, without any
appreciable changes in insulin or glu-
cagon levels. Researchers surmised
that was because the site of conver-
sion was the kidneys, not the liver.
Not only does glutamine help
improve your energy levels without
affecting the release of insulin, but
Cardio it also accelerates fat loss. Intrave-
after weight nous glutamine is more effective
training can than other amino acids at restor-
tap into bodyfat ing depleted muscle glycogen after
stores faster due workouts. Additionally, glutamine is
to a lack of available the primary fuel used by the immune
system, which keeps you healthy and
glucose in the blood. energized.
Suggested dose: 1,000 to 4,000
grams taken once a day. milligrams a day divided in equal
dosages.
4) Full-Range Antioxidant
Antioxidants neutralize free radi-
cals, which are produced whenever
oxygen is processed and are normal
by-products of metabolic reactions
in the body. When they increase
or aren’t neutralized, they cause
cellular damage, trigger inflamma-
tion, destroy DNA, accelerate aging,
cause muscle fatigue and damage
blood vessels and skeletal tissue.
Your workout increases free-radi-
cal production. Data clearly show
that 30 times more oxygen is pro-
duced during exercise, with 2 to 4
percent of it going to free-radical
formation. Antioxidant supplemen-
tation helps maintain the integrity
of cell membranes and improve the
blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity.
That helps accelerate postworkout
recovery by reducing muscle protein
breakdown, muscle inflammation
and soreness. Data suggest that a
full-range multiple antioxidant for-
mula may be of great benefit. Some
well-known antioxidants are alpha
lipolic acid, beta-carotene, proan- Vitamin C has been shown
thocyanidins (grapeseed extract),
selenium and vitamins A, C and E.
to enhance recovery and
Suggested dose: multiple anti- reduce inflammation and
oxidant formula taken once a day. soreness.
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6) Inosine
Inosine is a basic cell compound.
Often thought to be an amino acid,
inosine is a nonprotein nitrogen
compound that is involved in energy
metabolism. It is a precursor of ATP
and reduces lactic acid accumula-
tion (the stuff that causes muscle
fatigue). World-class Russian power-
lifters have been using inosine with
great success to improve the oxygen-
carrying capacity of muscle tissue
and to promote ATP production.
Some evidence suggests that inosine
may increase uric acid production
and should be avoided by those
predisposed to gout attacks. Cur-
rent data also indicate that injected
inosine is more effective than oral
supplementation. Fred Hatfield and
Martin Zucker, however, say that tak-
ing a supplement before and during
workouts and competitive events
ignites enzyme activity in muscle
cells that unleashes the dominant
force of the ATP molecule and its
regeneration.
Suggested dose: five to 10 grams
a day.
Special note: Due to inosine’s
connection to uric acid production,
I’d suggest cycling on and off with
it, starting with four or five grams to
find individual tolerance for possible
buildup of uric acid crystals and
gout symptoms.
Beyond Glycogen
Pyruvate also plays a critical role in Ribose is the
the release of ATP and stimulates backbone of RNA.
cellular mitochondrial respiration,
thus increasing the amount of en-
ergy available to the mitochondria,
the cells’ power plants.
Suggested dose: five grams a
day in three equal doses.
8) Ribose
Pronounced RYE-bose, this
simple sugar is the backbone of
RNA (ribonucleic acid). It is used
to make glucose and is also con- cise science program at the Univer-
verted to pyruvate, which enters sity of Colorado. Ribose’s ability to
the body’s biochemical pathway to recycle and generate ATP is attrib-
form ATP. Supplemental ribose has uted to its ability to bypass the slow
been implicated in increasing rates process that re-creates what sci-
of ATP production, leading to im- entists call adenosine nucleotides,
proved exercise performance and thus reducing the time needed to
faster muscle growth. Studies have repair muscle fibers.
revealed that ribose can increase Suggested dose: three to five
the manufacture of ATP in skeletal grams a day.
muscle by 340 to 430 percent, as
cited by Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D.,
professor and director of the exer-
Pyruvate plays a
critical role in the
release of ATP, which
can affect muscle
power.

7) Pyruvate
Chemically, pyruvate is composed
of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen,
making it a carbohydrate. Pyruvate
occurs naturally in the body and
is involved with the metabolism
of sugar and starches. It assists in
the transportation of glucose into
muscle cells. Studied extensively by
Ronald Stanko, M.D., of the Gastro-
enterology and Clinical Nutrition
Division of the University of Pitts-
burgh Medical Center, pyruvate was
investigated for its ability to natural-
ly burn bodyfat. His team found that
pyruvate increased muscle endur-
ance by 20 percent, thus enabling
athletes to increase the duration of
their workouts with less perceived
physical exertion, meaning physical
tasks were much easier to complete
due to increased energy. The rea-
son: pyruvate’s ability to facilitate
transport of glucose into the muscle
cell, known as “glucose extraction,”
which affects how efficiently muscle
uses glucose from circulating blood.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 153

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 Beyond Glycogen
B-vitamins
are
responsible
for stress
reduction
and can
enhance
energy
production.
Additional Energizers
While this report can’t cover all of
the supplements at your disposal, I
want to talk about a few more that I
consider part of my current power
arsenal. They’ll give you that added
burst you need, mentally and physi-
cally.
Tyrosine
An amino acid that fights mental
fatigue by naturally regulating the
performance of brain neurotrans-
mitters, tyrosine elevates mood,
stimulating alertness and energy by
also stimulating norepinephrine,
epinephrine and dopamine, all
excitatory brain chemicals.
Saint-John’s Wort
A mood elevator, mental stimu-
lant and nervous system tonic, it
also improves REM sleep.
Magnesium
A mineral responsible for the
proper functioning of all energy-
dependent reactions as well as ATP
production.
B-Complex Vitamins
A cluster of vitamins responsible
for stress reduction that speed the
release of energy from carbs, fats
and proteins. Vitamin B6 is the
primary B-vitamin responsible
for producing and breaking down
amino acids.
CoQ10
Found in every cell in your body,
coenzyme Q10 is critical in the
production of energy, especially
ATP. The heart and liver contain the
highest amounts of CoQ10. Its pow-
erful antioxidant properties make
154 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
it a great sports-performance-
enhancement product, focusing
both on harmful by-products and
performance.
Ginseng
This well-known herb stimulates
mental and physical energy. Exper-
iments conducted a few years ago
at the Lesgaft Institute of Physical
Culture and Sport in Leningrad
on some 1,500 athletes found that
Siberian ginseng (eleutherococcus)
increased energy, sped up recovery
from workouts and improved con-
centration. Studies conducted on
American and Korean ginseng have
found that the herb can delay cen-
tral nervous system fatigue.
Sun Chlorella
One of nature’s best detoxifiers,
chlorella is a nutrient-dense su-
perfood (50 to 60 percent protein)
that contains more than 20 dif-
ferent vitamins and minerals, as
well as 18 amino acids. It helps rid
the body of toxic by-products and
is one of the most concentrated
natural sources of chlorophyll. It is
this green pigment that captures
and stores energy generated from
the sun. Green foods are highly re-
garded for their ability to clean and
revitalize the cells. Loaded with B12
and iron, chlorella helps produce
red blood cells via its chlorophyll
content. Additionally, this super-
charged nutrient is 25 percent
carbohydrate and stimulates tissue
regeneration, according to Michael
E. Rosenbaum, M.D., president of
the Orthomolecular Health Medi-
cal Society.
NADA
The abbreviation for nicotin-
amide adenine dinucleotide, NADA
is a compound that produces cel-
lular energy. The more NADA there
is, the more energy becomes avail-
able for the body to use for repair
and recovery. NADA is one of the
body’s primary antioxidant defense
agents, initiating what is known
as the metabolic burst, a fierce
flash that destroys foreign invaders
and toxic by-products. NADA also
boosts the production of dopamine
and norepinephrine by as much
as 40 percent. Recent studies have
validated NADA’s ability to improve
oxygen capacity and muscle per-
formance in Olympic athletes.
Water
You must refuel tired muscles
with water. For every pound of
water weight you lose during exer-
cise, you should drink one pint of
fluid. You should also be drinking
fresh clean water before your rou-
tine to prevent dehydration. It’s well
documented how quickly fatigue
occurs when the body isn’t well
hydrated.
Aerobics
Nancy Clark reminds us that fat
loading to force the body to use fat
for fuel isn’t the best way of build-
ing energy. Limiting carbohydrate
(glycogen stores) will definitely
hamper your endurance and long-
term performance. Aerobic train-
ing, however, turns the body into a
fat-burning machine, enhancing its
ability to burn fat fuel. That’s be-
cause of the accelerated production
of enzymes that convert fatty-acid
fuel. Incorporating some aerobics
will help you spare glycogen, which
will improve your performance and
workload capacity.
Conclusions
It takes an enormous amount of
energy to do the things you need to
do to be successful. Understanding
that you’re pure energy and that
mental and physical factors can be
manipulated to keep you at the top
of your game is critical to your suc-
cess. The key, however, is to tap into
all of the natural energy reservoirs
and receptors that you have at your
disposal—the ones that stimulate
the biochemical pathways and are
involved with how biological energy
is made, re-created and recycled. It
will increase your body’s ability to
supply fuel to your muscles, as well
as discourage mental fatigue. You
want to work with pure energy in its
most potent form for the long haul,
vs. borrowing energy that disap-
pears as quickly as it’s formulated.
Don’t work out on borrowed energy
sources that only stimulate; utilize
those that not only build the lean
muscular machine you strive to be
but also generate the energy-per-
sonified machine that will banish
fatigue forever. IM
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-F I L E S
Mass-Building Set
by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
e’ve been discussing many of
the small details that can add
up to big mass gains fast—like
performing precision warmups and get-
ting enough rest between sets. As we’ve
learned, however, paying attention to
details on your work sets may be the
most important mass trigger of all.
Now, we’re not talking specifically
about using strict form on your heavy
sets, although that’s best most of the
time. As we’ve explained in the past, a
lot of the biggest bodybuilders get even
bigger using loose form because they
164 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
z
The
Perfect
Photography by Michael Neveux
can overload the max-force point of an
exercise and accelerate fast-twitch-fiber
recruitment. For example, with cheat
curls the most biceps overload occurs
when the arms are bent at a greater-
than-90-degree angle—right below
the midpoint of the stroke. That can
build biceps mass because that semi-
stretched spot is the key for optimal
fiber alignment—overloading it builds
biceps mass fast. (Arnold loved cheat
Model: Noel Thompson
curls, which may be why his biceps
looked like mountains—plenty of semi-
stretched-point overload.) (continued on page 168)
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 165
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 As we’ve said, however, loose
form can create mass gains, though The positive and negative
strokes of the exercise
it’s also dangerous. We prefer fairly
should last about 1 1/2
strict form, saving max-force-point
seconds each.
overload for the end of the set,
where we do X Reps. In the case of
curls we substitute cable curls in
order to minimize the leverage shift
caused by a free bar and also em-
phasize the semistretched position
more easily on every rep—without
jerking. At failure we lower to below
the midpoint and pulse up and
down in about a five-inch range till
Okabe \ Model: Jay Cutler

we hit failure. Those bottom X-Rep

burns are killer and blast the biceps
right where they need it most for
growth—safely and efficiently.
Even so, end-of-set X Reps are
only one of the get-big details we’re
referring to. Let’s go through a set
of Smith-machine incline presses
so you can wrap your mind around
every single mass-building detail of
the perfect set.
Okay, you’ve warmed up with the
protocol we outlined in an earlier
article (and in our Beyond X-Rep
Muscle Building e-book). You’ve
got blood in your pecs, and they’re
rarin’ to go.
First, you do one smooth set to
Model: Jonathan Lawson

positive failure, which is more of

Model: Steve Kummer

an extension of the warmup and Do your reps in a pistonlike fash-

primes your nervous system with a ion—no rest at the top or bottom.
heavy work weight. No forced reps; More continuous tension equals more
no X Reps; stop at positive failure. mass stimulation.
We’ve also found that it’s best to
stop short of lockout on each rep. keep it moving to the top, just shy a little lower so you get a bit more
You should get 10 nonlock reps. of lockout. Note that we said the bar stretch in your upper pecs. When
Now comes the money set. You should keep moving. That so-called your pecs are fried and you can
can either add some weight or use forced rep should not—not!—be no longer pulse, hold the weight
the same poundage as you did on a slow-motion torture tactic. Your statically for a few seconds, squeeze
the first set. After about a three- partner should provide enough help your pecs, and the bar, as hard as
minute rest get comfortable on to keep your rep cadence intact for you can, then—Bam!—rack it.
the bench and unhook the safety a smooth finish on your final rep. You’ll do more to stimulate
catches with the bar at arm’s length. Otherwise, your X Reps could suffer growth in that one set than most
Inhale as you lower to a count of a severe shortfall—and you don’t people get in three or four of the
two to a point just above your upper want to shortchange max-force- haphazard variety. Putting all of
chest, and then quickly reverse the point overload. those details together into one po-
action as you exhale. Don’t throw Now lower to a point between the tent set is that powerful! Those are
the weight; it’s more of a controlled lowest point and the midpoint of the types of little things that will put
explosion. The weight should reach the stroke. You should be squeezing some serious freak on your phy-
its highest point in about 1 1/2 sec- the bar hard to innervate your pecs sique.
onds. As soon as you hit that point even more. Once you hit the low
just below lockout, begin the next point, pulse through about a five- Editor’s note: X Reps just got
rep—no pause. inch range with X Reps. Think of even more powerful. For info on
Continue with that cadence till them as controlled mini-explosions. the latest X-hybrid techniques visit
you stick. At that point your partner You should feel your upper pecs www.BeyondX-Rep.com, where
should step in so the bar stalls for screaming by about X Rep number you’ll also find Steve Holman’s and
only a millisecond. He or she should five. If not, you may be doing them Jonathan Lawson’s new after photos.
apply enough pressure to the bar to too high on the stroke; try going IM

168 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 BEFORE

After only
one month
using X-Rep
training*
*No steroids, no trick photography

The Muscle-Building Truth Is Out There...

www.X-Rep.com © 2006 www.X-Rep.com

 or many people a new year

F
commonly comes with the res-
olution to get in shape. Perhaps
you’re new to bodybuilding, or
perhaps you’re coming back
after an extended layoff. Either way,
this article will provide a rock-solid
strategy so you can proceed and succeed
during your first three months.
[Note: Before you start–or restart—ex-
ercising, visit your doctor to get his or her
consent. Remember, weight training can
be an intense physical activity.]

The Six-Point Plan

Here’s what you need for bodybuilding
success:

1) Great desire to improve your

physique and training. Establish train-
ing consistency right from the first week.
Fix your workout days and times, and
then never skip a workout unless you’re
sick.

2) Appropriate training routines—

practical routines for busy people.

3) Correct exercise technique and

smooth, controlled rep speed.

4) Full satisfaction, every day, of

the components of recuperation
from training—nutrition, rest and
sleep—and the adoption of a health-
ful lifestyle. It’s imperative that you stay
healthy. Without your health you can’t
train hard and consistently.

5) Progressive poundages—in-
crease your exercise weights gradually.
Model: Dan Decker
6) Apply points 2 through 5 with
persistence and patience.

A Quick-Start Program for Beginners—

Bodybuilding or a Fresh Start for Getting Back to the
Gym

Beginnings
176 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
by Stuart McRobert
Photography by Michael Neveux
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 177

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 Bodybuilding Beginnings

The Training Routine

Choose two well-spaced train-
ing days, such as Tuesday and Sat-
urday or Wednesday and Sunday.
By scheduling one workout on the
weekend, you may have the chance,
at least one day a week, to train at a
time that’s optimal for you.
The routine has three major com-
ponents: strength training, stretch-
ing and cardio work. Doing all three
Stretch after
at each workout simplifies training your weight-
and may be an especially useful ap- training
proach for beginners. workout.

Model: Jim Shiebler

Here’s the four-part structure of
exercise in the gym, to be done in
this order: Stretch
1) General warmup
2) Weight work/strength training
Spend five to 10
3) Stretching
minutes on a zero-
4) Cardio work
impact piece of
Start out conservatively with any cardio equipment
type of exercise routine or with any before you
change in a routine. Your body has
tremendous abilities of adapta- train.
tion—provided that you start out
comfortably and gradually increase
the demands. That applies to all
forms of physical training.

1) General warmup
This should be a constant before
every weight-training session—even
if it’s warm when you train. Spend
five to 10 minutes on a zero-impact
piece of cardio equipment, such as
a rower, stationary bike or ski ma-
chine. A full-body exerciser—rower
or ski machine—is preferable to a
lower-body-only piece because you
warm up your entire body. Start out
slowly, and increase the pace suf-
ficiently that you break into a sweat
within five minutes. The aim is to
slightly elevate your core tempera-
ture.
Note: The older you are—or the
colder it is—the more time and care
you should devote to the general
warmup.
Model: Tamer Elshahat

You want to get a

good sweat going
during your general
warmup. Cardio Work
178 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Fa NE
“I Almost Gave Up On Building st-
Ma
ss W
Sp!
a Great Physique—and Then I Found ec
ial

The Secret...”
I call it the secret because once you use 10 Weeks! Today, thanks to POF training, I’m an
it, you’ll see new muscle appear on your IRONMAN cover model and I appear in
arms, chest and legs almost immediately. the magazine almost every month.
And people will notice. Many of your
friends and family will be shocked at your hour tape is a body-
new muscled-up physique. I know it can part-by-bodypart POF
happen to you because it happened to me. analysis and is jam-
When I was a teenager, I had dreams of packed with muscle-
being so big and muscular that jaws would building info and
drop when I walked on a beach. I also had es; thighs, up 1 1/2 inches; live-action demonstra-
dreams of competing in the sport of body- waist, down one inch; bench, tions by awe-inspiring
building, but I refused to resort to body- up from 200x10 to 290x6; bodybuilders. These
building drugs. They were out of the squat, up from 205x8 to videos are instruction-
question for me because the rewards 335x7. Unbelievable—and I al, but you’ll watch
simply weren’t worth the risks. I was deter- did all that in 10 weeks with them again and again
mined to rely solely on training and nutri- no steroids, just hard, sensi- to get motivated to
tion. ble training, a regimented blast through your POF
The real size I was seeking didn’t materi- eating schedule and a few workouts!
alize, however, no matter what I tried. I choice supplements. Considering my For real-world POF programs that can
began to think that the drug users at the sputtering progress in the past, those work muscle-building miracles, there are
gym were right, that it was impossible to gains were miraculous. three detailed POF manuals:
build exceptional size and strength without Adding new muscle that quickly felt
anabolic steroids. Even so, I refused to risk incredible. Thanks to the IRONMAN •10-Week Size Surge, a step-by-step
my health and convictions, and my train- Training & Research Center, Steve Hol- diet and exercise program to get you
ing gradually slacked off, falling by the man and POF, I’m very close to my dream started packing on mass right away.
wayside. By the time I was 21, my 5’11” physique and I appear in the magazine
physique had leveled off at a soft 190 regularly. I even made the cover. I’m •Size Surge 2, the 10-week follow-up
pounds. positive that once you try POF and chan- program to Size Surge to keep your gains
As chance would have it, I got a job in nel your motivation, you’ll make some of on the road to hugeness.
the product division of IRONMAN maga- the best gains of your training career.
zine and met Steve Holman, the editor in POF blows the doors off anything you’ve •Hardgainer Size Surge, tips, tricks,
chief. He told me he had developed pro- ever tried in the gym. We’ve even had diets and training programs for the geneti-
grams that could add pounds of muscle to bodybuilders who start using POF say cally challenged—the thin hardgainer.
just about anyone’s frame in a few months. they thought their skin might split be-
Talking to Steve moti- cause the influx of blood is POF will fire you up and take your
vated me to start train- so fast and furious. That muscle-building workouts to a new level
ing hard again, and growth effect is from the of super effectiveness, guaranteed! It’s
here’s the real kicker: I max muscle fiber recruit- time you get the attention-grabbing
convinced him to train ment and full-range work physique you crave—with POF training.
with me. When he POF provides for each
agreed, I felt a wave of target muscle—and it only Sincerely,
motivation unlike any takes a few sets so you have Jonthan Lawson
I’d ever experienced much more recovery energy IRONMAN Research Team Member
before. Steve had devel- to grow.
oped the Positions-of- If you want to learn how P.S.: Don’t miss this opportunity to get the
Flexion Steve Holman: “Once I developed to use POF, I suggest you muscle gains you deserve. For the best
muscle-building sys- POF, my hardgainer body shot up check out the Critical Mass savings—and all the information and
tem and written a to over 200 pounds, an 80-pound video series, which includes motivation you need—get all three POF
number of books, so I gain from my skinny starting “Critical Arms,” Critical books and three POF videos for only
had a good feeling that Chest & Delts” and “Critical $49.95 (you save $55)! Call 1-800-447-
weight of 120.”
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every workout. To say ___Hardgainer Size Surge....$9.95
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 Bodybuilding Beginnings

2) Weight work
Most bodybuilders don’t invest
the necessary time in learning cor-
rect exercise technique and in-
graining it into their subconscious
before they start training hard.
Without knowing it, they learn
poor exercise technique at best and
awful technique at worst. Then, Learn and
using poor technique, they add
weight to the bar too fast and build maintain
up to intensive training over just a correct form
few weeks.
The combination of poor from the

Model: Rehan Jalali

technique and intensive training beginning.
produces a vicious circle: injury,
missed workouts, recovery, reinjury,
missed workouts, recovery, reinjury
and so on. And that produces frus- Routine Notes •On the deadlifts don’t let the bar
tration, disillusionment and loss of descend past the midshin point—or
passion for training. It’s no surprise •When you see 2 x 8, that means a little higher; ideal placement de-
that many people give up training you do two sets of eight reps, with a pends on individual body propor-
within 12 months of starting. rest between sets. tions. Use a power rack and set the
The conservative approach I •Rest 60 seconds between sets of long pins at a point where, when
recommend leads to consistent exercises 2 and 5 through 9. Rest 90 the barbell rests on them, it’s at the
progress without setbacks. Use seconds between sets of exercises 1, midshin point or slightly higher.
an abbreviated routine, focus on 3 and 4. •Remember to use correct ex-
learning and ingraining correct
exercise technique over the early
months, incrementally build up ex- Use
ercise weights and intensity (with- controlled
out compromising technique),
avoid injury and doggedly apply movement
patience and persistence. Make and try to
haste slowly.
feel the
Week 1 target muscle
(Full-body routine contracting.
performed twice a
week)
1) Squats: bare Olympic bar (45
pounds, or 20 kilos), 2 x 8
2) Standing calf raises: 40 pounds
or 20 kilos, 2 x 15
3) Bench presses: bare Olympic
bar (45 pounds, or 20 kilos), 2 x 8
4) Deadlifts: bare Olympic bar
(45 pounds, or 20 kilos), 2 x 8
5) Seated back-supported dumb-
bell presses: 10-pound or 5-kilo
dumbbells, 2 x 8
6) Pulldowns: 40 pounds or 20
kilos, 2 x 8
7) Dumbbell shrugs: 20-pound
or 10-kilo dumbbells, 2 x 8
8) Seated dumbbell curls: 10-
pound or 5-kilo dumbbells, 2 x 8
9) Basic crunches: no weight, 2
x 12 Calf Raises
180 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Bodybuilding Beginnings
Model: Daryl Gee

Squats

Don’t get impatient. Make weight

increases slowly and gradually.
The big exercises will progress at a
faster pace than the smaller ones.

Bench Presses
Model: Eric Domer

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 181

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 Bodybuilding Beginnings
ercise technique and a controlled,
smooth rep speed no faster than
two to three seconds up and anoth-
er two to three seconds down—no
exceptions.
•Start a training log. Buy one
that’s already designed for that
purpose, or get a notebook and
design your own. Record precisely
what you do in each workout, espe-
cially the weights you use and the
reps you perform on each set. An
accurate log is essential because it
tells you exactly what you did last
time around and what you need to
do next time to notch up progress.
You also need a record of equipment
setup details—such as which holes
in the power rack you set the long
pins in for your deadlifts.
•The suggested starting weights
are for typical adult males. Most
women will want to start with about
half the weight listed. You may,
however, have to adjust the weights
for you. They must feel very light. If
any weight feels anything other than
very light, reduce it.
The above full-body routine
mixes multijoint movements with
182 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
On
deadlifts
don’t let
the bar
descend
below the
midshin
point.
Model: Justin Balik
Deadlifts
single-joint moves. The weights
are minimal because the emphasis
during the initial months is on tech-
nique. You must not strain at this
stage because pushing too intensely,
too early, is a death sentence for
correct exercise technique. And you
can’t ingrain the habits of correct
technique with just a few workouts.
You must learn what correct ex-
ercise technique is for each move-
ment and then practice it. Incorrect
exercise technique is the norm in
most gyms. Don’t assume that oth-
ers in the gym practice correct exer-
cise technique or even know what
it is.
At least for your first few months
Model: Jonathan Lawson
of training it would be ideal if you
worked out at quiet times so that
you don’t feel self-conscious or pres-
sured by others.
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 Bodybuilding Beginnings
Model: Marvin Montoya

If you don’t complete your target reps

and sets comfortably, you haven’t
qualified for a weight increase at
your next workout.

Shrugs Seated Presses

What If most certainly have technique
errors to correct. Learn correct
You’re technique first, and then build up
Not a the weights gradually. That’s one of
the reasons it’s necessary to restart
Beginner? as a beginner. The other reason is to
condition your body to the rigors of
If you’ve been exercise from an easy start.
training for a few
weeks or months,
consider yourself
Week 2
a beginner, and Use the same weights, reps and
follow the routine rest intervals as in week 1. The only
as written. Even change is that you perform three
if you’re had a sets per exercise rather than two.
long layoff, follow
the guidelines as
written, but you
Week 3
can increase the Use the same full-body routine,
exercise pound- two times a week. At the first work-
ages a little out do the same exercises, sets and
faster. Don’t rush, reps as you did in week 2.
though, or you’ll Provided the weights used in
injure yourself weeks 1 and 2 were very light for
and perhaps end you, add weight to all exercises in
up with an en- week 3. If the weights on any spe-
forced layoff. cific exercise or exercises didn’t feel
If you’ve very light in week 2, wait another
trained in the week or two before adding weight
past, you’ll al- there.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 183

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 Bodybuilding Beginnings

For example, at the first workout

hold a small plate on your chest for
the basic crunches, add five pounds
Incline Curls
or 2.5 kilos per ’bell on the dumb-
bell exercises and 10 pounds or five
kilos for the other exercises. Women
should add half those poundages.
One rule is the same for everyone,
however: Never add weight to an
exercise if, during the previous
workout, you struggled to get your
target reps. Should any exercise be a
struggle, reduce the weight.
At the second workout of the
third week follow the same exercis-
es, sets and reps as in the previous
workout, but add 10 pounds or five
kilos on exercises 1 through 4 and 6
and 7. (Once again, women should
add half that amount.) If, however,
the weights you used in the previous
workout didn’t feel very light, don’t
add weight.
Thereafter, slow the pace of your
poundage progression. Of course,
the big exercises can progress at a
faster pace than the smaller ones.

The Next Nine Weeks

The routine remains unchanged
other than the poundages until the
end of the third month of strength
training. The rate at which you add
weight is critical. If you add it too
quickly—which is common—your
exercise technique will degrade, and
you’ll start training intensively too
soon, using poor technique, which
is a recipe for injury and frustra-
tion. If, however, you add weight too
Start out
slowly, you’ll delay your progress. conser-
After three weeks on the routine
you’ll perceive a variation of effort
vatively
across the nine exercises—all nine with any
won’t require the same degree of ef-
fort. Over the next nine weeks or so type of
even out the perception of effort so
that it’s comparable on all nine exer-
exercise
cises. You can achieve that through routine or
incremental weight progression
appropriate to each exercise—dif- with any
ferent exercises progress at different change in
rates.
The target, at the end of your first a routine.
three months of strength training, is
that all exercises involve nearly hard
work of a comparable level of exer-
tion. “Nearly hard” training means
working until you’re about two reps
short of what would be your limit if
Model: Jeff Dwelle

you were pushed to the maximum

on the final (continued on page 188)

184 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Bodybuilding Beginnings

Warmup Sets
Crunches After you’ve been on the routine
for around six weeks, add a single
warmup set of eight reps with about
two-thirds of your work-set weight
for squats, bench presses and dead-
lifts. Perform the warmup set, rest
about 90 seconds, and then perform
the first work set. For example, you
may use 60 pounds on the warmup
set for squats, followed by three sets
of eight repetitions with 90 pounds.

Between-Set Rest
Intervals
For the first two months the rec-
ommended rest intervals were 60
seconds between sets of single-joint
exercises and 90 seconds between

Model: Bob Donnelly

sets of multijoint exercises. For the
third month you should increase
your rest times: Take 90 seconds be-
fore each set of single-joint exercises

work set of a given exercise and

a rep or two more of slack on the
other work sets, when you’re fresher.
The progression schedule given
here is only a guideline. Remember,
if you don’t manage to complete
your target reps and sets very com-
fortably, you haven’t qualified for a
weight increase at the next work-
out. Wait until you’ve built up the
required capacity on an exercise
before increasing the weight.

Do You Think You’re Not

Training Hard Enough?
Hard training will come later,
when it’s appropriate. Correct ex-
ercise technique and smooth rep
speed must be entrenched first.
That takes at least two months of
consistent training. Then it takes
more time to develop the disci-
pline needed to maintain correct
exercise technique and smooth rep
speed under maximum exertion. If
technique breaks down during hard
training, injury is almost inevitable. Start with no weight on crunches. Learn the pre-
You must work into hard training
progressively. cise form that allows you to get in touch with
your abdominals on every rep.
188 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Model: Jonathan Lawson
Don’t try to increase your training poundages
too fast, or injury will be inevitable.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 189
Bodybuilding Beginnings
and two minutes before each set of
multijoint exercises. If that makes
your workouts too long, perform
two work sets for each exercise
rather than three.
How to Make Small
Poundage Increments
There are a number of ways you
can make small increases in your
training poundages.
•Custom little plates
The ideal is to have a selection
of little plates: one pounders, half-
pounders and quarter-pounders.
There probably aren’t any such
plates where you train. Small-weight
plates may never catch on in com-
mercial gyms because they can
easily be stolen.
If your gym doesn’t have a stock
of small plates, get your own—per-
haps have them engraved with your
initials or name—and take them
to the gym with you. Use them for
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 Bodybuilding Beginnings

You must not strain

at this stage because
pushing too intensely
too early is a death
sentence for correct
exercise technique.

adjustable barbells and dumbbells.

(Another alternative is to use wrist
weights, which puts the weight
on your wrists rather than on the
dumbbells.)

•Custom small magnetic

plates
Platemate is one company that
produces magnetic weight plates
that weigh under a pound each and
that are perfect for use on weight
stacks and barbells and dumbbells.

•Spring collars
These are available in most
gyms and can be used in pairs to
add weight in approximately one-
pound increments. This alternative

Pulldowns
is especially important if your gym
Platemate magnetic doesn’t have little plates and won’t
allow you to bring your own. Use
weights make the spring collars to progress pound
by pound from one multiple of five
small poundage pounds on a barbell to the next. If
increments easy even the lightweight collars aren’t
available where you train, it may be
and safe. time to find a better gym.
Stretching
Stretch after your weight-training
workout. With stretching, the pro-
gression isn’t measured in terms of
resistance or volume of work but in
terms of gradually increased flex-
ibility.
Most people lack sufficient flexi-
bility because of inactivity or limited

190 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Bodybuilding Beginnings

activity. A flexible body is a require-

Stretch ment for correct exercise technique.
If, for example, your hamstrings—
the backs of your thighs—are tight,
that will keep you from squatting
correctly because it will lead to
premature rounding of your lower
back. A flexible body is also required
for youthfulness, regardless of age.
Stretching is dangerous if done

Remember, stretch
after your workout.
A flexible body is
a requirement for
correct exercise
technique.

Model: Tamer Elshahat

Model: Tito Raymond

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 191

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 Bodybuilding Beginnings
incorrectly. If you try to rush, you’ll
get hurt. Never force a stretch. Work
progressively—within a given work-
out and from week to week—until
you reach the level of flexibility that
you’ll maintain. Never bounce while
stretching, and avoid holding your
breath—breathe rhythmically.
Refer to a reputable book on
stretching or yoga, and choose
one stretch for each of these areas:
calves, groin and thigh adductors,
hip flexors, hamstrings, buttocks,
quadriceps and shoulders.
Don’t move immediately into
your usual level of flexibility for
a given stretch. Work into that
over several progressive stretches,
each one taking you a little farther
than the previous one. You should
feel only slight discomfort as you
192 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Model: Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman
Record precisely what you do
in each workout, especially the
weights you use and the reps
you perform for each set.
stretch. minutes, keep it there. Don’t in-
Do the minimum of three reps of crease the duration further, but do
20 to 45 seconds for each stretch. Be gradually increase the resistance
cautious—do more rather than fewer and speed each week. Make the
progressive stretches before getting first five minutes an easy warmup
to your current limit stretch. and the last five a repeat of the
Never force yourself to feel pain, warmup, done as a cooldown. For
but you must feel tension during the 20 minutes in between make
each stretch. Never have anyone it progressively more demand-
force you into a stretch. And never ing every week. After 10 weeks or
be in a hurry. so, you should be working hard
enough during the 20-minute
Cardio Work work period that you’re breathing
heavily but not gasping.
Finish each workout with a bout There you have it: a three-
on an elliptical machine or a ski month plan to get you off to a
machine. Start with 10 minutes at a great start if you’re a beginner or
gentle pace. Your breathing should to get you safely back into training
quicken a little, but you should never if you’re coming off an extended
be short of breath. Each week add layoff. No excuses. It’s time to get
five minutes, but once you’re at 30 to it. IM
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 Muscle-Program
Primer The Eight Essentials of Designing
a Workout That Works for You
by Christopher Pennington
Photography by Michael Neveux
hy don’t trainees plan their
workout programs more
carefully? Over the years I’ve
observed that many people
involved in weight training don’t have a
clue about workout design. Oh, they have
a basic idea of how to train and what the
result should be, but the only planning they
do is on-the-spot decisions made during
the workout regarding how many reps and
sets to perform. I’m the first to admit that
training by instinct has great merit. You
need to be flexible with your training and
listen to your body for vital clues to discern
recovery status.
On the flip side, however, so-called
instinctive training has its drawbacks, the
biggest of which is a lack of continuity
from one training session to the next.
Continuity is important; it requires you to
record what happens in your sessions,
gathering valuable data to gauge your
progress. It’s as simple as comparing
such factors as weight lifted, number of
reps and number of sets from workout to
200 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
workout. The goal is to avoid arbitrary
workout decisions that don’t bring you
any closer to your goals. The plan
doesn’t need to be complex—although
in many situations, such as peaking for a
bodybuilding competition, it can be.
Program design is the process of
building a group of exercises, sets, reps
and rest periods that will lead you to the
results you desire. Once you design the
big picture, you can make small changes
to the plan as necessary. That’s where
the principle of instinctive training comes
in handy: when it is used within the
framework of an overall training routine.
Remember that small details can have a
large impact on your results, especially
when gauged over the long term. Without
an overall view of things, this concept is
easily overlooked.
Now that you understand the
importance of program design, here
Model: Jonathan Lawson
are some key factors to consider as part
of the process of structuring your own
training program.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 201
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 Muscle-Program Primer

1) What do you want to

achieve from training?
Can you easily put into words
what you want to accomplish with
your training? Are you primarily
after strength? If so, one option is to
set up a three-to-four-week training
phase focusing on pure-strength
increases. The same goes for mass
development. If that’s the goal, set
up a training phase aimed at ac-
complishing it. Are you after a little
of both? Then plan accordingly.
Lastly, is there a specific bodypart
that needs work? If so, you need to

Model: Jorge Betancourt

devote extra training time to it. The
first step is determining what you
want to accomplish and then plan
accordingly.

Compound exercises, like

bench presses, should
form the core of your
workout. You can add a few
isolation moves, like cable
crossovers, if time permits.

2) What muscle groups

do you want to work,
and what exercises
are you going to use to
work them?
This is one of the most fun-
damental questions to ask when
designing a training program. Not
knowing specifically which muscle
groups you want to work leads to
long, overdrawn workouts in which
you attempt to fit in a little of ev-
erything. It goes without saying
that this quickly leads to overtrain-
ing.
Once you know what muscle
groups you want to train, you need
to figure out what exercises to
use. Sound easy? Well, yes and no.
There are so many different exer-
cise options for each muscle group
that you’ll need to figure out how
you’re going to rotate your exer-
Model: Abbas Khatami

cises. Not just that, but you’ll also

need to think about when you plan
to use advanced techniques such
as forced reps and drop sets.

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TWO GREAT PRODUCTS FROM
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 Muscle-Program Primer
3) What days during
the week can you
work out?
How many days a week can you
train? Once you know that, you
have to ask yourself how many days
of the week should you work out.
Just because you can train five days
a week doesn’t mean you should.
Your training schedule is influenced
by your goals and your lifestyle. If
you’re having an overly stressful
week at work, it may be helpful to
reduce the volume a bit. That’s one
area where you do need to listen to
your body to help you decide.
A schedule on which you train on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday is
different from training on Monday,
Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. There
are successful examples of both
low- and high-volume weekly train-
ing schedules. Some of the strongest
powerlifters in the world work out
only three days a week, while some
of the strongest Olympic weightlift-
ers in the world work out two to
three times a day, five days a week.
204 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Muscle-Program Parameters
1) What goals do you want to achieve? Yes, you want to get bigger and
stronger, but have some specific, achievable goals, like to bench-press your
bodyweight or add a half inch to your arm in the next few months.
2) What muscle groups do you want to work, and what exercises
are you going to use to work them? Full-body workouts are usually best
for beginners, and you want to focus on compound, or multijoint, exercises.
3) What days during the week can you work out? Try to have at least
one rest day between weight workouts—train on Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, for example, or Tuesday and Friday if you can only manage two gym
days.
4) What time of the day can you train? Some folks just aren’t morn-
ing people, and a lot of busy trainees have to work out on their lunch hour.
Don’t use lack of time as an excuse. You can train two to three times a week,
even if you have to get up an hour earlier and train at home.
5) How long do you want the workout to be? Research suggests that
your weight-training sessions shouldn’t be longer than one hour or you
deplete testosterone and increase catabolic stress hormones.
6) How many exercises—and which ones—will you use? Once
again, focus on compound exercises for efficiency of effort. [Note: The best,
or ultimate, exercise for each bodypart is listed in The Ultimate Mass Work-
out e-book, available at www.X-Rep.com.]
7) Which muscle groups and exercises are most important? If you
have only 30 minutes in which to train, hit your largest bodyparts, like legs,
back and chest. Your smaller muscles will get indirect growth stimulation.
8) How many repetitions and sets will you perform in the whole
workout? For more muscle size, keep your reps above 10; for strength use
lower reps. Two to three work sets on each exercise should be sufficient.
—Steve Holman
www.X-Rep.com
4) What time of the
day can you train?
Do you train before or after work?
I used to train after work, but I
found that getting up a little earlier
to work out in the morning gave me
better overall results. If you have the
luxury of picking your training time,
most experts agree that the early
afternoon is the best time. By then
you’ve already eaten several meals
and the body’s fuel supplies have
been topped off.
5) How long do you
want the workout
to be?
Workouts that are Forty-five minutes? One hour?
too long deplete If the workout is too short, you
anabolic hormones, may miss out on some additional
growth-producing sets; however, if
but sessions that
Model: Umberto Morandell
the workout is too long, you’ll quick-
are too short ly fall into overtraining. Includ-
don’t provide the ing warmups, the typical workout
hormone surge you should last roughly one hour and 15
need to grow. minutes. I’ve seen many advanced
variations of that. For example, if
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 Muscle-Program Primer

you’re to perform several work- Arms get lots of indirect

outs in one day, shoot for 25 to 35 stimulation from
minutes per session. On the other pressing and pulling
extreme, if you were training right movements for the big
before taking an extended layoff, bodyparts. If you need
you could extend your workout to to reduce your workout,
two hours. start by eliminating some
or all direct arm work.
6) How many
exercises—and which
ones—will you use?
Are you going to use just one
exercise per muscle group? That
formula is normally reserved for
maximum-strength training, which
is a sports science term for work-
outs in which you use very heavy
weights. For example, during my
heavy bench cycles I rarely perform
any other exercise for the chest
besides the bench press. Another
option is two exercises per muscle,
which is how most programs are
designed. That gives you a good bal-
ance between optimum volume and
intensity. A different way of looking
at training is to design your program
around movement patterns. Many
lifters use the push/pull pattern; for
example, Monday is all push move-
ments, like the bench press, shoul-
der press and triceps press, and
Wednesday is all pull movements,
such as rows and biceps curls.

7) Which muscle
groups and exercises
are the most
important?
What are your priorities? Are
you trying to increase bench press
strength, arm size or squat profi-
ciency? Determine which muscle
groups or exercises are essential to
accomplish your goal; then make
them a priority. If you’re trying to
increase arm size, give adequate
training time to your arms. You also
want to incorporate some advanced
techniques for extra shock value.
If bench press strength is the goal,
work the bench and all the acces-
sory muscles. It sounds so simple,
Model: Lee Priest

yet so many miss the boat on this

concept.

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 Model: Luke Wood
Whether you’re doing an isolation exercise or a
compound move, always keep your form strict. Try to
make your sets last about 35 seconds for size increases,
less if you’re after more strength with less emphasis on
hypertrophy.
Model: Kyoichiro Morinaga
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 207
8) How many
repetitions and sets
will you perform in the
whole workout?
A couple of additional factors
to think about are the numbers of
reps and sets you want to use per
muscle group, per exercise and for
the total workout. That’s the tough-
est part of designing a training
program, and quite a few variables
come into play. That’s why it’s
important to keep up to date on
what’s going on in the bodybuild-
ing world. I’ve learned so much by
reading the programs published in
IRON MAN, working through them
and fine-tuning them to meet my
own needs.
There you have some of the ba-
sics of program design, but it’s up
to you to consider them all when
putting together your next routine.
It may seem overwhelming when
you realize how much goes into
structuring an effective workout.
Take it step by step, or in this case
point by point, thinking about how
each point can be applied in your
situation. Once your workouts have
a little planning behind them, they
should bring superior results. IM
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 Heavy
Duty
Applying Advanced
Heavy Duty Methods
• by John Little •
ne of the topics that we get a lot of questions about at www.
mikementzer.com from Mike’s still growing legion of fans as well as
from bodybuilders seeking to boost their muscular gains is Mike’s
Balik \ Photo Illustration by Christian Martinez \ Models: Mike Mentzer and Casey Viator
“consolidated routine,” which is an advanced training modality. Joanne
Sharkey and I have just completed a new book, in which we devote an entire
chapter to that workout method (The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, Contemporary
Books, Chicago). For readers who want to know more about the efficacy or about
the scientific underpinnings of this advanced Heavy Duty method, the following
information should be of interest.
I will also share with you the results of another experiment that I conducted
at Nautilus North Strength & Fitness Center, in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada, in
which, using a very sophisticated method of body composition analysis, we were
able to test the potency of Mike’s Heavy Duty system, along with that of many of
his advanced techniques such as negative-only.

212 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 213

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 Heavy Duty

Training Doesn’t Have to

Be a Simon Says Exercise
As Mike often pointed out, too
many bodybuilders—indeed, well
nigh all of them—train according to
convention, imitation, tradition and
fear—fear of being different from
the pack. If a certain bodybuilder
trained in a certain manner and
he or she happened to win a
championship or two, then it’s “safe”
for new bodybuilders to adopt that
approach—independent of whether
it had much, if anything, to do with
the champion’s success. That way,
when asked why they are training
in that fashion, they can pass on
research and merely point to a
picture of the champ as proof that
the method works. Dips were a staple
“If it’s good enough for the of Mentzer’s
champion, it’s good enough for
me,” they think—case (and minds)
consolidation
thereafter closed. That approach, routine, appearing
however, is like playing Simon in every version
Says, something we all should have
outgrown.
during its
Simon says, “Do four sets of five evolution.
exercises per bodypart.” Simon
says, “Train five to six days a week.”
Don’t ask the reasons why the to store more glycogen, they will stimulate more fibers to thicken and
champion currently trains that way hold more water. And as muscle is to deplete the reserves more fully,
(e.g., for a contest), don’t ask if he approximately 75 percent water, it you have to train with—literally—all
always trained that way, don’t ask follows that hypertrophy, or muscle you’ve got in the tank. When the
what the specific stimulus was that growth, is largely mediated by this tank is drained, the workout for that
resulted in his greatest period of process. muscle group is over, and it’s time
growth, and don’t ask about growth If you can perform 12 repetitions for the body to begin the refueling
drugs, which profoundly alter one’s with a given resistance and you and overcompensation process.
ability to recover from frequent and decide to terminate your set at eight With that in mind, it stands to
protracted workouts. In fact, don’t repetitions, your body has no reason reason (and physiologists have
ask for reasons at all, as there aren’t to grow any bigger or stronger, proven this) that the sole stimulus
Applying Advanced Heavy Duty Methods

any, save for the fact that Simon
says, and if you don’t do what Simon
(a.k.a. the champ in question) says,
you’re out of the game—or at least
out of the comfortable and familiar
environs of the group at the gym.
Muscle growth, it must be
remembered, is a defensive
reaction of the body to the degree
of stress imposed by exercise.
If the stress is high enough to
deplete the body’s energy reserves,
then overcompensation, a.k.a.
supercompensation, takes place,
resulting in, among other things, an
increase in the muscle’s ability to
store glycogen.
As water bonds to glycogen at
the rate of three grams of water per
one gram of glycogen, you can see
that if your muscles can be made
because as far as it’s concerned, it
still has four reps in the bank that
you never came close to using. If
the reserve is not drained, then your
body has no reason to enlarge upon
its present reserve of glycogen and
grow a bigger and stronger muscle.
That’s the reason training to
failure, where one more repetition
simply isn’t possible, is an absolute
requirement for inducing increases
in muscle size. Even if you did two,
three or 10 more submaximal-
effort sets, once you got past a
certain level, where the increase is
triggered, you’d only be draining
your reserves. Besides, such
submaximal sets only restimulate
the same fibers—as muscle fibers
are recruited by resistance, or
weight, not volume of exercise. To
for increasing size and strength is
increased intensity of effort. The
greater the intensity, the greater
the drain on the body’s energy
reserves and the greater the growth
stimulation. As intensity and
volume/duration exist in an inverse
relationship to each other, however,
it’s also a physiological fact that the
harder or more intensely you do
anything, the shorter the amount
of time you can spend doing it. In
other words, you can train hard with
high intensity for brief periods or
you can train easy with low intensity
for long periods—but you can’t train
hard for long periods. How hard?
How brief? Keep reading.
Mike Mentzer trained well over
2,000 clients one-on-one in his years
as a personal trainer. He learned a

214 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Heavy Duty
great deal about recovery ability and
the intensity and duration issues as
they relate to overcompensation.
For one thing, coming from a
world in which everyone was a
genetic superior in terms of muscle
mass, where evidently all types of
protocols yielded impressive results,
he quickly learned that those who
didn’t share that genetic trait—i.e.,
average non-drug-consuming
trainees—quickly burned out and
became overtrained while working
out even as infrequently as three
times per week. Over a period of
many years, Mike reduced the
frequency of his clients’ training to
once every seven or more days and
had them perform no more than
four to five sets, on average, in a
given workout.
At my Nautilus North we have
found ample evidence to support
Mike’s contention on this subject.
We are in an area that has a smaller
population, but we have trained
more than 1,000 clients one-on-
one, and the same patterns have
emerged. We have also learned
that unless people are grossly
underweight, it takes a very intense
training protocol to cause their
Applying Advanced Heavy Duty Methods
216 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
bodies to adapt by producing more several of his clients had ceased
muscle mass. making progress on the once-every-
As most gym owners can readily four-to-five-days split he’d been
attest, the average trainee, by advocating. He realized that those
and large, is not willing to invest clients were still not recovering; i.e.,
workouts with a great degree they weren’t allowing enough time
of intensity for a number of to elapse between workouts and
reasons, primarily the body’s own continuing to perform too much
natural inclination to conserve work to allow for full adaptation to
energy. It will opt for stasis rather take place in the five-to-seven-day
than change, as change costs recovery period. It dawned on him
it significantly more energy to that training various muscle groups
produce and sustain. As a result, with a series of specialized isolation
most trainees prefer to train at a movements, such as he’d been
modest level of intensity two to recommending, could quickly result
three times per week, and precisely in overtraining for some people.
because their intensity is low, they For example, on back training,
tend to not make dramatic progress Mike would typically have his
after about the first two months clients perform a set of close-
of training. As their weights don’t grip palms-up pulldowns, which
usually go up too much after that, stimulate not only the latissimus
the stresses on the body are likewise muscle of the back but also the
capped. Even so, they continue rear deltoids, the abdominals, the
going to the gym because they biceps and even the pectorals to a
believe it’s good for them or because large degree. He realized that to go
it has become a ritual. on and perform direct exercises for
those bodyparts was simply overkill,
The Evolution of as they’d all been adequately
stimulated during the performance
Consolidated Training
of that one exercise.
The genesis of Mike’s Mike reasoned that if the
consolidated workout occurred after extraneous exercises were removed,
leaving only certain select
exercises that would stimulate the
major muscles of the body, and
additional rest days were inserted
to ensure that full recovery and
overcompensation would take
place, that was all that was required
for bodybuilding purposes. He
then began a quest to find out just
what the optimum exercises and
optimum number of such exercises
per workout would be.
In a manuscript he gave me to
proof prior to the publication of
Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body, Mike
had selected seven exercises and
arranged them into two workouts,
one containing four exercises and
the other containing three, in which
the exercises were done for one set
each. The workouts were performed
seven days apart.
Neveux \ Model: Lee Apperson
Workout 1
1) Squats or leg presses
2) Standing calf raises
3) Barbell or machine rows
4) Dips
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 Heavy Duty

Workout 2
1) Regular deadlifts or shrugs
2) Close-grip, palms-up
pulldowns
3) Behind-the-neck presses
By the time Heavy Duty II: Mind
and Body was published, in 1996, he
had experimented further and had
reduced that number of exercises
to six, performing three at each
workout, with four to seven days
between workouts:

Workout 1
1) Squats (alternated periodically
with leg presses)
2) Close-grip, palms-up
pulldowns
3) Dips

Workout 2
1) Regular deadlifts (alternated
periodically with shrugs)
Neveux \ Model: Steve McLeod

2) Behind-the-neck presses
3) Standing calf raises

The Chris C Experiment

I had a client who was very
motivated to experiment with an
abbreviated program along the would not be regaining previously general public to accurately test
lines of Mike’s consolidated routine. held muscle mass (à la Casey Viator body composition. For that reason I
Chris’ goal was not to become a in the Colorado Experiment) and employ the services of Body Comp
bodybuilder but simply to become was already fairly well developed Weight Analysis Centre, which uses
stronger and leaner for his preferred in terms of his genetic potential an air-displacement machine called
sports—baseball and hockey— for mass and strength, any gains a Bod Pod, a capsule that scientific
and to become a fitter, stronger would be noteworthy and be highly studies have shown to have an
father and husband. He wasn’t relevant to everyone looking to error margin of 1 to 2 percent. That
underweight or underconditioned. build muscle on an abbreviated- puts it on par with hydrostatic
Applying Advanced Heavy Duty Methods

In fact, he was just out of college, training program. weighing and Dexa—without the
where he’d been coached in track inconvenience of having to be
and field. He was fit, quite muscular Body Comp Weight dunked upward of 10 times in an
and already very strong. I wanted underwater tank (as in the former
Analysis Centre
to see what would happen over method) or having to be repeatedly
one month if we put him on Mike’s Those who read about the subjected to radiation (as with the
consolidation routine, training once Nautilus North Study in the latter). Moreover, although the
every seven days with only three November ’05 IRON MAN will technology is used in universities,
sets per workout and each set truly recall that it’s very difficult for hospitals and other professional
taken to muscular failure. As he bodybuilders and members of the institutions, this is the only facility
I know of in Canada that’s open to
the public. (I would strongly suggest
Chris C’s Before and After Workout Weights that all bodybuilders who live in
Date: Exercise Weight Reps Technique the eastern United States or near
3/20 Nautilus Leg Press 360 pounds 11 Positive F central or northern Ontario and
Chins 40 pounds 2 Partials are serious about testing their body
Dips 90 pounds 17 Partials composition use this service; call
4/20 Nautilus Leg Press 500 pounds 14 Positive F. 705-645-9574.)
Chins 105 pounds 27 Partials With this revolutionary
Dips 165 pounds 13 Partials technology, I can know—to one-
tenth of a pound—whether a trainee

218 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Heavy Duty

gained or lost lean tissue or fat and subject on a variation of Mike’s

whether a particular training-and- 4/19 consolidated program, and his
recovery protocol stimulated and Fat: 16.9 percent results were equally impressive:
allowed for the production of new Lean: 83.1 percent three pounds of lean tissue gained
lean tissue. Even more impressively, Fat weight: 34.2 pounds and four pounds of fat dropped
I was able to determine—to the Lean weight: 167.5 pounds from one workout consisting of six
exact day—exactly when this gain or Total weight: 201.7 pounds negative-only exercises (leg press,
loss showed up. vertical bench press, seated row,
Total lean gained: 3.9 pounds dip, biceps curl and abdominal
Heavy Duty Training Total fat lost: 7.4 pounds work)—with two weeks off between
Total weight lost: 3.5 pounds workouts. A third subject found that
As mentioned above, my subject he required a three-to-four week
used a variation of Mentzer’s We subsequently tested a second recovery/overcompensation period
consolidation routine. He trained
once every seven days, employing
just three exercises—Nautilus
leg presses, dips and chins—for
one set each. That’s three sets per
workout, period. He took each
set to positive muscular failure.
On two of the three exercises he
did partial repetitions to positive
failure. After the workout he was
instructed to perform no additional
resistance exercise, and he simply Demand
went about his day-to-day affairs
for the next seven days, whereupon Real Science.
he returned to Nautilus North for Get Real
his next training session. We had his Results.™
body composition tested before he
started the program and again one
month later.

The Results of One Month

of Heavy Duty Training
After one month of training on
the three-set Heavy Duty program,
which included only four workouts
that lasted on the order of eight
to 10 minutes each, the subject
gained 3.9 pounds of lean muscle
and lost 7.4 pounds of fat. Such
a fat loss, given that he did zero
aerobic exercise, is considerable and
indicates a dramatic increase in his
resting metabolic rate, presumably
as a result of his increase in lean
tissue. His strength gains during
the one-month period were equally
impressive (see the box at left).

Chris C’s Body Comp

Results

www.muscle-link.com
3/19
Fat: 20.2 percent

Visit for the weekly super special!

Lean: 79.8 percent
Fat weight: 41.6 pounds
Lean weight: 163.6 pounds
Total weight: 205.2 pounds

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 219

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 Heavy Duty

before his gains showed up.

As Mike once asked, “How do
Into the Future you force growth with mild
Gains of 3.9 pounds—of real exertion, light weights, easy
muscle—in one month are very workouts?” The answer is,
significant. Simple addition will
reveal that if people could sustain you can’t.
that rate of progress, they would end
up gaining 46.8 pounds of muscle
over the course of one year, which
is not only a phenomenal rate of
increase (particularly given that
we are talking about gaining new
muscle) but, in all likelihood, would
also take them to their full muscular
potential—whatever it might
be—in one year or less. The results
suggest that such a gain would
require a willingness to generate
tremendous intensity in the
gym—in particular, strict attention
to the recovery periods between
workouts. Indeed, in 1998, after
Mike had experimented with more
clients, he made further refinements
to his consolidated routine, again
reducing the number of exercises
to be performed per workout, this
time to just two. In his estimation,
those two movements emphasized
all of the major muscle groups of the such growth. Instead, we prefer more recovery time to elapse
body and removed the liability of to train more along the lines of between workouts. After all, the
overlapping muscle stimulation. what others are doing, settling for growth you stimulate in the gym
minuscule progress for a while and is only produced when you are at
Workout 1 then assuming that no more growth rest—i.e., out of the gym—and in
is possible or that drugs are the most instances takes from seven to
1) Deadlifts only solution to breaking out of the 14 days or longer.
2) Dips training rut.
Body Comp has tested hundreds Editor’s note: For a complete
Workout 2 of clients who have been using all presentation of Mike Mentzer’s
Applying Advanced Heavy Duty Methods

sorts of training programs over Heavy Duty training system, consult

1) Squats (or leg presses)
2) Pulldowns
Once again, his clients’ progress
skyrocketed. Of course, a high-
intensity muscular contraction
is required, which also requires a
very motivated trainee. I would
venture to say that bodybuilding
progress is solely dependent upon
that type of high-intensity effort.
As Mike once asked, “How do you
force growth with mild exertion,
light weights, easy workouts?”
The answer is, you can’t. It takes
incredibly hard training to build
bigger muscles, and the sad truth
is that few of us are willing to train
that hard or to allow our bodies
the time they require to produce
the past eight or nine months;
invariably those who trained the
most gained the least. The clients
who make the best progress are
training along the lines of Mentzer’s
Heavy Duty system: intensely (each
set taken—at least—to muscular
failure), briefly (no more than three
to six sets—total—per workout),
and infrequently (no more than
one workout every seven days and
for some every 14 days). I will keep
you abreast of new developments
as they unfold. Look for more
information at my Web site, www.
maxcontraction.com, and at www.
mikementzer.com.
For now this information should
whet your appetite for training a
little more intensely and allowing
his books Heavy Duty II and High
Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer
Way and the newest book, The
Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, all of which
are available by visiting Mentzer’s
official Web site,
www.mikementzer.com.
John Little is available for phone
consultation on Mike Mentzer’s
Heavy Duty training system. For
rates and information, contact
Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519 or
at www.mikementzer.com, or see the
ad mentioned above.
Article copyright © 2005, John
Little. All rights reserved. Mike
Mentzer quotations provided
courtesy of Joanne Sharkey and used
with permission. IM

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 More
Arm
Size!
With Higher Bi’s and Sweeping Tri’s
by Eric Broser
Photography by Michael Neveux

The most popular training articles in bodybuilding magazines—and the

most common—are about arms. That makes sense because arms are the
most popular bodypart to train. When someone asks you to “make a mus-
cle,” you don’t flex a trap or whip out a calf. Nope, you roll up your sleeve
and squeeze out a biceps flex for all you’re worth. Of course, when you
flex a truly impressive arm, you show off not only a massively developed
biceps but an equally awesome triceps underneath.
Now, the most interesting thing about most arm articles is that, well, they
Model: Ronnie Coleman

usually aren’t very interesting. Maybe that’s because so many have been
written, there’s little left to say. Or maybe it’s because the people who write
them are not very creative with their own workouts, and they’re simply pass-
ing that lack of creativity along to you.

222 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 223

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 More Arm Size!
Sergio’s arms were huge but didn’t have high peaks.
My goal here is to break that mold
with an arm-training article that’s
different—and interesting—with
information that works. As the sub-
title says, it’s about getting higher
bi’s and sweeping tri’s with targeted
training. That simply means using
techniques and exercises designed
to bring about specific attributes. In
addition, I’m going to tell you about
a method of training called add-
on sets that’s certain to throw an
intensity wrench into your normal
routine.
Before I go any further, however,
let’s talk genetics. If you’re a fan of
bodybuilding, I’m sure you’ve seen
pictures of the various champions
of our sport and noted how different
all of their arms look. All IFBB pros
have absolutely huge arms, but it’s
amazing how uniquely they’re all
shaped. Some guys have extreme
224 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
peaks on their biceps, while others
have more roundness. Many pros
have biceps or triceps that are rath-
er short, inserting well before they
reach the elbow, while others have
muscle bellies that seemingly have
no end. Look at comparison shots of
Coleman vs. Levrone, Arnold vs. Lou
and Beckles vs. Oliva, and you’ll see
six pairs of utterly massive yet com-
pletely differently shaped arms.
The question is, Did all of those
unique shapes come about from
various training techniques or spe-
cial exercises, or are they simply a
function of genetics? The answer is,
a little of one and a lot of the other.
Yes, genetics plays a huge role, as we
can do nothing about how our mus-
cles insert or how they’re shaped
(for the most part). What we can do
is use certain exercises that either
target a specific head of a muscle
Mozée \ Model: Sergio Oliva
or create the illusion that you have
enhanced a specific portion of a
muscle. In other words, while we
cannot alter the genetic map for
specific muscles, we can change
the overall look of the landscape by
throwing a little extra dirt on just the
right spots.
Can I Sneak a Peak?
Most of the bodybuilders I meet
share a great desire to achieve a
more dramatic peak on their biceps.
They simply want a higher, more
mountainous look when they flex
their arm. The problem—aside
from the limitations of genetics—is,
they don’t realize that most biceps
exercises will do almost nothing to
help them achieve that goal. Yes,
most curling movements will help
bring about hypertrophy of the
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 More Arm Size!

biceps muscle itself, which will then

showcase whatever natural height
you might have, but if you want to
physically push the biceps muscle
higher, you’re going to need to spe-
cialize.
“Specialize on what?” you ask.
The brachialis, my peak-seeking
friends. The b-r-a-c-h-i-a-l-i-s. This
often overlooked muscle lies under-
neath the biceps and, when it’s fully
developed, looks like a thick knot of
muscle that pops out of the side of
the upper arm when it’s flexed and
viewed from the rear. The brachia-
lis is a very cool muscle because it
gives the upper arm a much more
complete look, and as it gets larger
and larger, it helps shove the biceps
skyward.
Now, the problem with the bra-
chialis is that in most curling move-
ments it functions as a weak flexor
of the upper arm. The solution is

Keep your elbows

locked at your sides
during reverse curls.
to put the biceps in a mechanically
weak position during curling move-
ments so that the brachialis has
to be activated to a much greater
degree. It takes specific hand posi-
tions and/or curling angles to force
the brachialis to take the brunt of
the load.
The following is a list of exercises
that will let your biceps get a bit lazy
while the brachialis steps into the
curling spotlight:
Reverse curls. You perform
these just like regular barbell curls
but with your palms facing down
rather than up. Make sure you keep
your elbows locked into your sides
at all times, and keep the move-
ment strict. No need to go for record
poundages on this exercise. If you
find it uncomfortable to perform
reverse curls with a straight bar, try
them with an EZ-curl bar. You can
also do them on a cable machine
or even on a preacher bench for
variety.
Model: Ken Yasuda

Hammer curls. Do these either

seated or standing. Grab two dumb-
bells and hold them at your sides
with your palms facing your thighs.

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 More Arm Size!

Curl the weights up as you normally

would, but keep your palms facing
inward—as if you were using a ham-
mer—throughout the set. Again,
lock your elbows into your sides and
do a strict and controlled move-
ment. At the peak-contraction point
squeeze extrahard before lowering
the ’bells back to the straight-arm
position. You can also do hammer
curls seated on an incline bench, on
a cable machine using a rope at-
tachment or even in concentration
curl style.
90 degree preacher curls.
For these you curl off the verti-
cal, not angled, side of a preacher
bench—although some gyms might
have spider curl benches just for
that purpose. First, position yourself
Regular preacher curls hit over the bench and make sure your
the peak-producing bra- armpits are snugly pressed into the
chialis, but doing preachers top. If you’ve never done these be-

Model: Steve McLeod

on the perpendicular side— fore, I suggest you start with about
spider curls—can target it 50 percent of the weight you nor-
more directly. mally use for barbell curls, as this is
meant to be a very strict movement,

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 More Arm Size!
with no swinging or jerking. Start
with your arms completely straight,
and without allowing your elbows
or shoulders to move from their
position, slowly curl the bar to the
fully contracted position. Squeeze
tightly at the top, and lower the bar
with total control until your arms
are once again straight. You can also
do these one arm at a time with a
dumbbell, with an EZ-curl bar or
even at a cable machine.
Overhead cable curls. This
is my personal brachialis-bash-
ing favorite, although I rarely see it
being performed in any gym. Begin
by placing a flat bench in front of
the weight stack on one side of a
cable crossover machine. Make sure
that the bench is at least a foot or so
away from the stack, as I want you
to peak your bi’s, not flatten your
face! Lie on the bench with your
head on the side near the weight
stack, and either bend your legs and
Cable extensions can blast the triceps for more fullness and sweep.
228 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
place them on the bench, or simply
plant your feet on the floor. Have
someone hand you a short straight
bar or EZ-curl bar attached to the
upper pulley. Start with your arms
perfectly straight and then begin
curling the bar both down and back,
so that at the full contraction point
the bar is actually behind your head.
As you curl, you’ll need to draw your
elbows back slightly and tip your
head forward in order to achieve the
exaggerated range of motion. Once
again, squeeze as if you mean it be-
fore slowly returning to the straight-
arm position.
Got a Broom? I Wanna
Sweep!
You know what makes a truly
impressive arm? One that can sim-
ply hang down, unflexed, and still
look as if it belongs on a gorilla
rather than a human. That look
doesn’t come about from huge bi-
ceps but from thick, meaty, freaky
triceps. More specifically, it comes
from a highly developed inner, or
long, triceps head. That’s the triceps
head responsible for the sweep
under the biceps that’s displayed
in a front double-biceps pose, and
the dramatic thickness on the back
of the upper arm seen in a back lat
spread. Probably the most impres-
sive arms I’ve seen in that regard
belonged to Kevin Levrone when he
was competing. When he hit that
back lat spread, his inner triceps
heads would wrap over his arms
like mountains, threatening to burst
through his skin. And when Kevin’s
arms were simply hanging down
relaxed, they looked more like trees
than arms. He had more sweep to
his triceps than most bodybuilders
have on their thighs.
What magic tricks do you need
to achieve a pair of sweeping tri-
Model: Jose Raymonda
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 More Arm Size!

ceps? Sorry, Houdini, no need for

illusions—just intelligent, targeted
training. Just as it takes specific
movements to force more brachialis
than biceps recruitment, it takes
certain types of triceps exercises to
get more inner-head activation. The
key lies in choosing exercises that
force your elbows to be up by your
ears throughout the movement.
Electromyographic, a.k.a. EMG,
studies have shown that to be the
optimum position for activating the
fibers in the long, or inner, head of
the triceps.
Here are three of the most effec-
tive sweep-producing triceps move-
ments around; luckily none requires
a broom.
Incline overhead barbell ex-
tensions. Lie on an incline bench
that’s set at about 60 degrees. Make
sure you’re up high enough on the
bench so that your head is just off
the top. Have someone hand you a
straight or EZ-curl bar, and take a

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 229

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 More Arm Size!

grip at just inside shoulder width.

Point your elbows up toward the
ceiling and keep them locked in
that position throughout your set.
Lower the bar slowly back behind
your head and allow for a deep
stretch of the triceps. As you bring
the bar back up, do not allow those
elbows to creep forward, or you will
rob your triceps of major growth
stimulation. Lock your arms out
straight by intensely contracting
the triceps, not by hyperextending
at the elbows. You can also do this
movement while holding a single
dumbbell in both hands.
Seated one-arm overhead
dumbbell extensions. Sit on a
bench that has a short back sup-
port—one that doesn’t extend past
your upper back. Grab a dumbbell
and hold it with the meat of your
hand by your pinkie right up against
one of the plates. Hold the dumbbell
overhead with your palm facing al-
most completely to the front. Make

Keep your palm facing

forward on overhead
extensions.

sure the elbow is pointing straight

toward the ceiling, and lock it there.
Slowly lower the dumbbell behind
your head, but keep the palm fac-
ing almost forward so the ’bell
angles toward the opposite ear as it
descends. Just make sure you don’t
slam the dumbbell into the back of
your head (especially if there is a hot
chick around). The exact angle that
you’re able to use during the eccen-
tric contraction will depend largely
on your shoulder flexibility. Make
sure to get a full stretch at the bot-
tom before using pure triceps power
to restraighten the arm. You can use
a heavy weight on these, but never
use a weight so heavy that it turns
into a half-press. That’s a very com-
mon training mistake that will rob
you of much of the benefit of this
movement.
Cable overhead extensions
Model: Darrell Terrell

using a rope attachment. At-

tach a rope to an upper pulley at a
cable crossover station. Grab the
ends of the rope, and face away

230 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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from the weight stack. Bring one leg
forward until you’re in a lungelike
position, and lean over until your
torso is about parallel to the floor.
Your elbows should be right by your
ears, and they should remain there
throughout the set. Starting from
the stretched position, use pure tri-
ceps strength to begin to straighten
your arms, but as you’re doing that,
turn your palms from their initial
position, where they’re facing in,
to a downward position, facing the
floor. That will cause the ends of
the rope to spread away from each
other and give you very powerful
cramping in the triceps.
Squeeze hard at the peak-con-
traction point, and then reverse
the movement, returning to a full
stretch once again. As your strength
begins to dwindle, it will become
increasingly difficult to continue
spreading the rope at the top of the
More Arm Size!
Model: Jose Raymond
rep. When that occurs, simply keep
your palms facing in from stretch to
contraction, and you will find you
can get a few extra reps.
Add-On Sets to
Add On Size!
Add-on sets are similar to super-
sets, tri-sets and giant sets but with
a slight twist. Add-on sets allow you
to set up a hierarchy of movements,
based on what you need most to
target a specific area of a bodypart.
You decide which exercises will be
prioritized and so get the most work
sets. The result will be a radically
intense workout that sculpts your
muscles with laserlike precision!
Check out this bi-peaking and
tri-sweeping add-on-set workout to
see exactly what my mad scientist’s
brain is thinking:
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 More Arm Size!

•Target: Higher biceps

•Precision movements: 90 degree
preacher curls, lying cable curls
•Other movements: barbell curls,
incline dumbbell curls
90 degree preacher curls 1 x 8-10
(rest 1 minute)
90 degree preacher curls 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Lying cable curls 1 x 8-10
(rest 2 minutes)
90 degree preacher curls 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Lying cable curls 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Incline dumbbell curls 1 x 8-10
(rest 3 minutes)
90 degree preacher curls 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Lying cable curls 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Incline dumbbell curls 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Barbell curls 1 x 8-10

•Target: Sweeping triceps

•Precision movements: incline
overhead extensions, cable over-
head rope extensions
•Other movements: V-bar push-
downs, close-grip bench presses

Incline overhead
extensions 1 x 8-10
(rest 1 minute)
Incline overhead
extensions 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Cable overhead rope
extensions 1 x 8-10
Model: Dan Decker

(rest 2 minutes)
Incline overhead
extensions 1 x 8-10
(no rest)
Cable overhead rope
extensions 1 x 8-10 Sweeping triceps make arms look incredibly
(no rest)
V-bar pushdowns 1 x 8-10 impressive when they’re down at your sides.
(rest 3 minutes)
Incline overhead
technique, but they should not be the limitations of your genetics and
extensions 1 x 8-10
used often—maybe once every four instead will begin to explore them.
(no rest)
weeks for each bodypart. Otherwise, Use targeted training and preci-
Cable overhead rope
overtraining can set in. sion movements to sculpt the body
extensions 1 x 8-10
you’re after.
(no rest)
V-bar pushdowns 1 x 8-10 Genetics Shma-netics
Editor’s note: For individualized
(no rest)
Okay, now that you’re “armed” programs, online personal training,
Close-grip bench presses 1 x 8-10
with all the information you need nutritional guidance or contest-
Add-on sets are an extremely to change the shape of your arms, I prep coaching, contact Eric Broser
effective hypertrophy-producing hope you will stop worrying about at bodyfx2@aol.com. IM
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 EV O

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IRON MAN’s Sportsmedicine column. Jerry
major reasons trainees have to sacrifice
Robinson has written more than 20 books
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 Power
Rep Range
Variations and
Shock 2
Advanced Techniques by Eric Broser
Photography by Michael Neveux

y feature “Power, Rep Range, Shock—Time to Grow With-

out Plateaus,” which appeared in the May ’05 IRON MAN,
outlined a training protocol that I developed about five
years ago to help more advanced lifters break out of a rut
and start adding new muscle—the way they did when they first started
training. Since that article came out, I’ve been inundated with positive
feedback from those who’ve been using the program with great suc-
cess. Dozens and dozens of lifters have written to tell me that it’s one of
Photo Illustration by Christian Martinez

the most enjoyable and effective training programs they’ve ever used,
bringing their enthusiasm for the iron to an all-time high. Nothing
could make me happier, as helping others reach their fitness and phy-
sique goals has become just as important to me as reaching my own.

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 Power, Rep Range Shock 2

for the first few years of training. As

time goes by, however, that one-di-
mensional system will bring dimin-
ishing returns and, along with them,
increasing frustration. The situation
may lead some to use dangerous
anabolic steroids, others to add far
too much volume to their workouts
(thinking they’re not doing enough)
and a few to quit training altogether.
Obviously, none of those are very
positive solutions.
Many people fail to realize how
incredibly adaptable the human
body can be and how low on the
body’s priority list gaining large
amounts of muscle is. After a while,
however, simply lifting heavier
weights is not a novel enough stim-
ulus to trigger the body to add more
muscle. In fact, it’s a very narrow ap-
proach to training that leaves vari-
ous pathways to growth completely

Model: Todd Smith

untouched and your full potential
untapped.
Most people focus only on train-
(continued on page 246)

Over the past five years I’ve used After a

P/RR/S on a continuous basis,
making steady gains in both quan- while,
tity and quality of muscle, which simply
is pretty impressive considering
that I’ve been lifting for 15-plus lifting
years. During that time I’ve experi- heavier
mented with variations of the basic
program, creating a more intense weights is
version for advanced lifters and a not a novel
beginner’s version as well. Being
a personal trainer for bodybuild- enough
ers and other athletes on all levels stimulus
for many years has also enabled
me to tweak the original P/RR/S to trigger
program to meet the unique needs the body to
of each client, depending on what
he or she wants to accomplish at add more
a specific time of year. You can
alter P/RR/S to gear it more toward
muscle.
hypertrophy, strength or cutting
cycles.
Before I get to the details,
though, here’s a quick review of the
basic program.

P/RR/S Revisited
Most people fall into using a spe-
Model: Michael Ergas

cific training method early on and

rarely stray very far from it as the
years go by. As long as they’re pro-
gressing with the weights they use,
that approach will work, at least

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www.ironmanmagazine.com
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 Power, Rep Range Shock 2

ing the type 2 muscle fibers, Most

which have the greatest potential people
for hypertrophy; however, to
reach the outer limits of your ge- focus only
netic potential, you need to train on training
every single fiber, from the slow-
est of the slow to the fastest of the the type
fast. In addition, you must make a 2 muscle
ferocious effort to positively affect
every metabolic and hormonal fibers,
system that can contribute to ad-
vancing muscle size and density.
which
And dare I mention hyperplasia? have the
Yes, I know that it’s never been
proven to work in humans, but
greatest
the possibility certainly exists. potential
Power, Rep Range, Shock is a
cyclical approach to training in
for
which you use a unique protocol growth.
every week, with the various pro-
tocols collectively tapping into all
of your body’s mechanisms for
growth.
Week 1 is the power week, and
it is meant to smash your type 2A
and 2B fast-twitch muscle fibers,
as well as get large amounts of
natural testosterone to course
through your veins. Here’s the

Model: Steve Kummer

outline for a basic power week:
To get bigger faster, you need
to train every single fiber,
from slow to fast.
Power
Rep Goal: 4-6
Rest between sets: 4-5 minutes
Lifting tempo: 4/0/X
Exercises: mostly compound
Sample hamstring routine
Leg curls 3 x 4-6
Stiff-legged deadlifts 3 x 4-6
Single-leg leg curls 2-3 x 4-6

Week 2 focuses on rep range, the

goal of which is to tear through all
the intermediary muscle fibers that
lie along the continuum between
types 1 and 2 fibers as well as to
stimulate growth-producing meta-
bolic adaptions within muscle cells.
Here’s the outline for a basic rep
range week:
Rep Range
Rep goal: 7-9, 10-12, 13-15
Rest between sets: 2-3 minutes
Model: Steve Kummer

Lifting Tempo: 2/1/2/1*

Exercises: compound, isolation,
machine or cable
*One-second hold at peak con-

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 traction for certain exercises that
have resistance in the contracted
position.

Sample triceps routine

Smith-machine close-grip
bench presses 3 x 7-9
Lying extensions 3 x 10-12
Dumbbell kickbacks 2 x 13-15
Week 3 is shock week, in which
you’ll become very intimate with
searing muscle pain. The burn and
lactic acid that this week produces
will flood your system with growth
hormone, while the monster pumps
will have your body laying down
new capillaries to make room for
the rushing blood. Here’s the outline
for a basic shock week:
Shock
Rep goal: 8-10
Rest between sets: cardiovascu-
Model: Michael Ryan

lar and mental recovery

Lifting tempo: 1/0/1
Exercises: compound, isolation,
machine or cable

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 Power, Rep Range Shock 2

P/RR/S was originally introduced

on the Internet several years ago
and now has a large following.]

Advanced Techniques
Power week. One technique
I’ve developed for intensifying the
basic power protocol is called 1, 3,
5 Training. Powerlifters often use
something similar, and it’s extreme-
ly effective in the scheme of P/RR/S.
To use this technique, pick three
basic exercises for your workout.
On the first exercise you perform
single-rep sets. On the second you
do three-rep sets, and on the final
exercise it’s five-rep sets. The goal
is to pick weights that cause you to
reach failure at one, three or five
reps, respectively.
Never do this type of training

Model: Michael Ergas

alone, as it’s dangerous if you don’t
have a spotter. If you choose a
weight that’s too heavy or too light,
simply adjust for the next set. Follow

You should use the same

exercises for three straight
cycles and try to lift more
weight and/or increase
your reps at each workout.
Sample delt routine
Superset
Seated lateral raises 2 x 8-10
Behind-the-neck
presses 2 x 8-10
Superset
Wide-grip cable upright
rows 2 x 8-10
Bent-over laterals 2 x 8-10
Model: Todd Smith

Barbell front raises

(drop set*) 1 x 8-10(6-8)
* Do 8-10 reps, drop the weight,
and do 6-8 more.

Once you complete the three-
week P/RR/S cycle, return to the be-
ginning and repeat, with the goal of
training more intensely on the next
round. I suggest you use the same
exercises for three straight cycles
and try to lift more weight and/or
increase your reps at each workout.
After that either take a complete
week off from the gym or at least do
a very light week to allow for repair
and recovery. Upon returning to
P/RR/S, feel free to switch some or
Power week: Pick three basic
all of the exercises, and prepare to exercises. On the first perform
push even harder through the next single-rep sets, on the second
three cycles.
Now that your memory is re- do three-rep sets, and on the
freshed about the premise and last do five-rep sets.
principles behind the P/RR/S
training strategy, let’s discuss some the rest, tempo and exercise guide-
variations of the program, as well lines discussed above for standard
as some advanced techniques that power weeks.
can be employed by very seasoned Here’s a sample 1, 3, 5 workout for
lifters and P/RR/S veterans. [Note: back:

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 Deadlifts 6x1
Weighted pullups 4x3
Bent-over rows 2x5
Make 100 percent sure that you’re
thoroughly warmed up before get-
ting into your work sets or you could
suffer an injury. This type of training
is extremely taxing on the central
nervous system, so make sure you
always maximize your recovery
between workouts as well. That
means meticulous attention to diet,
supplementation and sleep.
Rep range week. The standard
protocol here is to pick three exer-
cises per bodypart and do the first
for seven to nine reps, the second
for 10 to 12 reps and the third for
13 to 15 reps. I like to vary that pat-
tern by sticking with three exercises
per bodypart but hitting each of the
three rep ranges on each exercise.
Here’s a sample quad workout:
Squats 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Leg presses 1 x 13-15,
1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Leg extensions1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12,
1 x 7-9
Feel free to reverse the order and
start with the lower rep range, work-
ing to the higher one as a variation.
Another way I like to spice up
rep range week for more advanced
lifters is to open up the boundaries
on the reps a bit. Although it’s not
something I recommend you do
often, occasionally pushing the reps
into the 20-to-50 range can encour-
age a growth spurt by forcing your
body to deal with a stress it isn’t
used to, as well as inducing positive
metabolic changes and laying down
more capillary beds within muscle.
Here is how I might use that tech-
nique to cause my delts to think
about packing up and finding a
more sane person to live with:
Military presses 2 x 7-9
Wide-grip cable upright
rows 2 x 10-12
Bent-over laterals 1 x 13-15,
1 x 16-20
Lateral raises 1 x 21-25*,
1 x 26-50*
*Switch to a 1/0/1 tempo on these
sets. Move the weight rhythmi-
cally but not sloppily. On all other
sets use the tempo prescribed for
a standard rep range week.
Training in this manner can
be extremely challenging physi- In an upcoming issue I will de-
cally and mentally, as you’ll have scribe intensity techniques that I
to deal with a lactic acid burn that like to add to shock week that will
will make you want to cry. Also, the separate the men from the boys. I’ll
length of the very-high-rep sets will also present a way for beginners to
cause some people to lose focus, get started using P/RR/S, as well as
especially if a hot chick in tiny span- a method of tweaking the overall
dex shorts walks by. But don’t let the program for more-specific goals.
girl—or the burn—get in your way Editor’s note: For individualized
of completing every last rep! Per- programs, online personal training,
haps your perseverance will impress nutritional guidance or contest-
her, especially if you’re not bawling prep coaching, contact Eric Broser
like a baby by rep 35. at bodyfx2@aol.com. IM
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 ’05 IFBB Fitness Olympia

The Fittest 1) Jen Hendershott

Women
on the Planet
Showcase
Talent and
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Location: Las Vegas
Date: October 14

Winner: Jen Hendershott

Photography by Bill Comstock and John Balik

’05 IFBB Fitness Olympia Results

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 2) Kim Klein

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 ’05 IFBB Fitness Olympia
For more on the contest, see
Pump & Circumstance
on page 302.

For thousands of photos, visit

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3) Adela Garcia

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 4) Tracey Greenwood

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Why Whey Protein Could Be the
Biggest Threat to Your Progress
Yep, you read it right. Whey
protein could very well be the
very thing holding back your
progress! Please give me a few
minutes to explain. If you’re like
90% of the people training to
build more muscle and drop
some bodyfat, then there’s a good
chance you’re frustrated with
your body and your results.
You’re not building the muscle
you want, you lack the shape you
want, and you’re carrying to
much bodyfat.
The ONLY way to build muscle,
shed bodyfat and reshape your
physique is for you to dial in all
the parts of the formula (training,
diet, supplementation, cardio,
rest and determination), when
you do, then you’ll see results.
You’ll build muscle to spare, and
you’ll drop that layer of fat that’s
been frustrating you. Before we
go on, let’s agree on something
important…
…Great Bodies Aren’t
Made In The Gym,
They’re Made In The
Kitchen
What you do (or don’t do) in the
kitchen will make or break your
results. Frankly, the most effective
way to get your metabolism working
efficiently at building muscle and
burning bodyfat is to eat an abun-
dance of protein. Inadequate pro-
tein in your diet will shut down your
metabolism and put you in a fat-
storage, muscle-wasting cycle. You’d
progressively break down muscle
and pack on more fat.
Protein Programs Your
Metabolic Computer To
Burn Fat And Build New
Lean Muscle Mass
This just doesn’t happen when
you don’t eat enough protein. Eating
adequate protein turns on the
metabolic fat-burning “microchip”.
At the same time it “programs your
metabolic computer” to preserve
“Muscle Meals
keeps me growing,
and tastes
delicious.”
—Tamer Elshahat
and build new lean muscle mass!
You’ll experience a substantial in-
crease in metabolic rate, which
means your body will be more effi-
cient and burn more calories
throughout the day. Knowing every-
thing we’ve said so far, many of us
have turned to whey protein pow-
ders to help us get more protein. But
the fact is…
…Whey Protein Could Be
the VERY Reason Your
Progress Is Suffering
What? Wait a second now! How
could that be? Everyone knows,
whey protein is the ultimate body-
building food, don’t they? I mean all
the supplement companies have
told us that, so it must be true, right?
Wrong… dead wrong.
You see, whey protein, like all
other proteins, is broken down in
the stomach before it passes into
the small intestine where it’s ab-
sorbed. Whey protein is broken
down very quickly, flooding your
bloodstream with nitrogen-rich
amino acids. It’s the best source
of protein AFTER your workout
because it kick-starts your recov-
ery.
Okay, cool. But, wait a second.
Is whey protein the best choice
at other times? No, no, no! It’s
not. During meal times or be-
tween meals your best choice is a
high-quality protein blend.
Want to know why? Listen, you
can only handle a limited
amount of the amino acid “an-
abolic blast” from whey protein.
Once your body uses the whey
amino acids it needs, the “tank”
is full. It just can’t handle any
more at that time. More amino
acids is complete a waste.
Hold on, because this is really
important. Since your getting an
“anabolic blast” out of the start-
ing blocks, then there may not be
enough amino acids left at the
90-to-120-minute mark. What
happens then is…
…Disaster Strikes
Your body goes after the reserves
of amino acids stored in the muscle.
Yes, your body literally starts feeding
off your muscle. The muscle you’ve
busted your hump to build is break-
ing down, your losing size, your
losing strength, and your
metabolism is going in the wrong
direction. You have now entered
bodybuilding purgatory known as
catabolism. And it ain’t pretty.
All of your hard work in the gym
is right down the friggen tubes.
What you need, then, is a protein
source that is broken down and
absorbed slowly and provides
amino acids for hours, so that your
muscles don’t starve between meals!
That’s important so that you don’t
surrender your hard-earned muscle!
And you can enter this catabolic
cycle several times a day even if
you’re eating every three hours.
That’s why known experts in
bodybuilding, metabolism and
nutrition swear by blended proteins.
There is just too much evidence
both clinical and practical to sup-
port the fact that blended protein-
substrates (a combination of whey,
micellar casein and egg) are a gigan-
Listen to this: A 12-week study
consisted of three groups. One
followed a low-calorie diet with no
meat such as flank steak or round
steak, and eggs.
Get the additional protein from a
tic cut above straight whey protein exercise. One followed the same quality multi-substrate-blended
powders. low-calorie diet, lifted weights and protein powder or multi-substrate-
supplemented with casein protein. blended meal replacement powder
The Combination to And, a third group followed the like Muscle Meals. You’ll rapidly be
same low-calorie diet and weight- on your way to a renovated
the Muscle Vault
training program, but supplement- metabolism and building a lean,
All the research backs it up. Com- ed with whey protein. All three heavily muscled, shapely physique!
bining the anti-catabolic long-term groups experienced similar body- Muscle Meals is a nutritional
effect of micellar casein protein with weight loss, about 5 pounds. “smart-bomb” in your battle for a
the short-term anabolic effect of But hold on because the statisti- better body, containing 40 grams of
whey protein triggers both mecha- cal difference was in the actual loss fresh, high-quality Pro-Fusion pro-
nisms causing serious muscle growth of bodyfat. The diet-only group lost tein blend which includes micellar
and power. 2.5 percent bodyfat, and casein and whey protein concen-
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protein meal replace- percent bodyfat. The advanced, time-released protein
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building effects. Mi- group gained 4.4 pounds insurance you need to build muscle
cellar casein is the In one study casein of lean mass, while the and burn fat.
preferred choice of users gained twice casein group packed on Muscle Meals is the best-tasting
casein available since as much muscle as 8.8 pounds! The MRP ever. The delicious taste is a big
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minor protein fractions undamaged. gains because of increased nitrogen can break up the monotony of your
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casein and anti-catabolism. They because whey is an awesome source S&H). But as a special offer, buy four
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They bash casein in their ads and Boirie study revealed that whey
sales literature saying that is a worth- protein’s PUE (protein utiliza-
less, inferior protein. I guess the guy tion efficiency) is lower than
who wrote their literature didn’t read originally believed.
the following study which will con- The bottom line is this:
vince you that casein provides posi- “turbo-charge” your metabolism
tive benefits for bodybuilders. Oh, into a fat-burning/muscle-
and they try to make a case that ca- building phase by upping your
sein carries more lactose than whey daily protein intake to about 1.5
© 2006 Muscle-Link
for those who are lactose intolerant… grams of protein per pound of
the truth is that most of the lactose is bodyweight. Get about half from CHOCOLATE, VANILLA or CREAMY ORANGE
filtered out of both the whey and the whole food protein such as
casein. chicken breasts, turkey, lean red More info at www.muscle-link.com
Results using Muscle Meals™ vary from individual to individual. Testimonial endorsers’ results using it may be considered atypical. Testimonial endorsers have been remunerated by Muscle-Link. Muscle
Meals is a trademark of Muscle-Link. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
 5) Julie Palmer

6) Debbie Czempinski

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 7) Julie Childs

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“LEANER HAR DER FASTER”
Growth hormone helps you add
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with any other GH supplement on the market.” Call 1-800-667-4626 or write 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA
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Results using GH Stak™ vary from individual to individual.GH Stak is a trademark of Muscle-Link. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
© 2006 Muscle-Link
 8) Mindi O’Brien

9) Angela Semsch 10) Tanji Johnson

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 www.IFBB.com
The official Website of the
International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness

Olegas Zuras (Lithuania)

2004 Overall World Champion
The #1 Worldwide Source of
Information on IFBB Activities
and on Bodybuilding & Fitness

11) Stacy Simons

Irina Khorkova (Russia)

2004 Overall World Champion
OTHER SITES HOSTED
www.ifbb.com/halloffame
www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro
www.ifbb.com/ifbbolympia

www.IFBB.com
Visitors from over 150 countries every month
IM
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 ’05 IFBB Figure Olympia

Hardbodies
Strut
Their
Stuff
in Vegas
Photography by John Balik
and Bill Dobbins
Location: Las Vegas
Date: October 14
Winner: Davana Medina

1) Davana Medina

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’05 IFBB Figure Olympia Results
1) Davana Medina, $18,000
2) Jenny Lynn, $7,000
3) Monica Brant-Peckham, $5,000
4) Amber Littlejohn, $3,000
5) Mary Elizabeth Lado, $2,000
6) Christine Pomponio-Pate
7) Valerie Waugaman
8) Amanda Savell
9) Jennifer Searles
10) Monica Guerra
11) Chasity Slone
12) Latisha Wilder
13) Michelle Adams
14) Tara Scotti
15) Melissa Frabbiele
16) Jane Awad
16) Deborah Leung

For more on the contest, see

Pump & Circumstance
on page 302.

For thousands of photos, visit

www.GraphicMuscle.com.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 269

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 2) Jenny Lynn

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 3) Monica Brant-Peckham

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4) Amber Littlejohn 5) Mary Elizabeth
Lado

6) Christine 7) Valerie
Pomponio-Pate Waugaman

IM
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Invest Your Carbs in Growth...

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RecoverX is a trademark of Muscle-Link. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
’05 IFBB Ms. Olympia

Scenes from the ’05 IFBB Ms. Olympia Results

Greatest 1) Yaxeni Oriquen, $30,000

2) Iris Kyle, $18,000
3) Dayana Cadeau, $10,000

Women’s Pro 4) Jitka Harazimova, $7,000

5) Brenda Raganot, $4,000
6) Bonny Priest, $2,000

Bodybuilding 7) Betty Viana

8) Betty Pariso
9) Rosemary Jennings

Show 10) Antoinette Norman

11) Mah-Ann Mendoza
12) Tonia Williams

on Earth 13) Annie Rivieccio

14) Marja Lehtonen
15) Desiree Ellis
1) Yaxeni Oriquen
Photography by Bill Dobbins
Location: Las Vegas For more on the contest, see
Date: October 14–15 Pump & Circumstance
on page 302.
Winner: Yaxeni Oriquen
For thousands of photos, visit
www.GraphicMuscle.com.

276 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 277

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 2) Iris Kyle

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 5) Brenda
Raganot

4) Jitka
Harazimova

6) Bonny 7) Betty Viana

Priest

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 279

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 3) Dayana Cadeau

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 9) Rosemary
Jennings

8) Betty Pariso

The top three

pose down for
the gold.

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Lonnie Teper's

NEWS & ViEWS

May I 2005 Awards Dept.
Coleman

Have the is king.

Envelope,
Please
Bodybuilder of the Year
BODYBUILDER OF THE YEAR: Ronnie Cole-
man, who else? At 41 the Big Nasty rolled to his re-
cord-tying eighth consecutive Mr. Olympia title, sharing
the crown with his idol, Lee Haney. The scary
thing is that Coleman looked simply terrific at that
advanced age, carrying 285 pounds on his 5’11” Anthony:
frame, and says it’ll feel divine to make it nine in Most
2006. entertaining.
L.T. picks RUNNER-UP:
the best of Gustavo Badell.
The Freakin’ Rican,
the best now living in Las
Vegas, opened the
year with a victory at the IRON MAN Pro, took third
at the Arnold Classic and duplicated that placing at
Contest photography by Bill Comstock from www.graphicmuscle.

the Olympia. Plus, he upset Coleman in the Chal-

lenge Round, which really upset Coleman.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Branch War-

ren, overlooked in his rookie season in 2004, took
care of that in ’05 with back-to-back victories at
the Europa Supershow and Charlotte Pro and an
eighth-place finish in his Olympia debut, proving
that he’s much more than a great set of wheels.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Mark Dugdale.

Muscular Mark placed eighth in his pro debut at
Roberson.
the IM, was ninth at the Arnold two weeks later and
then took a disputed sixth at the San Francisco.
Contest photography by Bill Comstock

Not too shabby, considering that those were tough

lineups.

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Troy Alves.

After a dreadful 15th-place finish at the ’04 Olym-
pia, Troy finished third in the IM, a show that many
people thought should have been his. He followed
that up with an eighth-place landing at the Arnold
and a fourth in San Francisco. A leg injury prevent-
ed him from redeeming himself at the ’05 Olympia,
where he could have been a likely top-10 pick.

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 CUTLER— RIPPED— FRIENDS?—
and a slew of If this is the Just exactly
muscle stars most cut man what were
are captured in Vegas, Roland
by the N&V why isn’t he and Gunter
candid smiling? doing at the
cameras. Page 288 Washington
Page 291 IM?
Page 289

Henry.
MOST OVER-
LOOKED: David
Henry. With the
exception of the Wild
Card Challenge, held
with the Figure and
Fitness Olympias on
the night before the
Mr. O, Henry was
overlooked in every
contest last year.
Though he won the
Badell was Wildcard show, David
ba-a-a-d. Federov. was seventh at the
IM, 12th at the Ar-
nold, seventh at the
San Fran, fourth at
the Europa and 14th
at the O—and should
have finished higher in
every one of them.

MOST ENTERTAINING: The Marvelous One,

Melvin Anthony.

RUNNER-UP: Franklin Roberson. However,

it’s time to come up with a new outfit, Franklin.

MOST DISAPPOINTING: Big Alexander

Federov got a lot of pub, but the might didn’t
match the hype, as he finished in a tie for last in his
Olympia debut.
New kid
Warren.
More Awards
MOST ALTRUISTIC : A group award to all the
Dugdale. folks who gave their time and money to participate
in the first annual Shawn Ray Pro Fitness
Golf Invitational, held July 15 at the Black Gold
Golf Course in Yorba Linda, California, for the
benefit of Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Alves. Too many players to mention came out for the
event (see the picture with many of your faves
on page 288), so let’s just say, great job, every-
one, for raising $30,000. Mike Dragna came
all the way in from Hawaii, and Bill Wilmore
and Dayana Cadeau made the five-hour trip
from Florida to contribute.

MOST CREATIVE: Dan Solomon, who

developed “Pro Bodybuilding Weekly,” an
Internet-radio talk show that was launched in
June and that was still going strong in Novem-
ber. Solomon and cohost Bob Cicherillo
(Shawn Ray filled in for Chick one week) have
brought the biggest names in the game to
the show, which can be heard throughout the

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 287

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 the Brad and Elaine Craig–produced
world by anyone with Internet access. Live
North-of-the- Emerald Cup has been since its inception
shows air every Monday at 8 p.m. EST/5 California-(and 24 years ago. Last year’s contest drew 300
p.m. PST and are available for on-demand competitors (including pro fitness athletes)
replay and Podcasting. Check it out at Oregon)-border and more than 6,000 in the seats over two
www.ProBodybuildingWeekly.com. days. But that’s not the only dandy event the
J.M.’s
hair.
action at the ’05 Mill Creek, Washington–based couple put
BEST HAIR: J.M. Manion, who
else? As always, J.M. bobbed and weaved
Washington on. They’ve also promoted the Washington
IRON MAN with tremendous success for 13
around questions concerning the legiti- IRON MAN years. The ’05 edition of that endeavor, held
macy of his crop during Olympia Weekend. October 1, saw more than 100 contestants
Despite the controversy, J.M. wins going perform in a sold-out auditorium at the Mey-
away. denbauer Center in Bellevue.
Congrats to men’s overall champ Arnold
MOST RIPPED: Photographer Irv Littlejohn and to fitness and figure winner
Eighteen professional bodybuilders, fitness athletes and

Teper
Gelb, who had his new shirt torn to shreds Viko Newman. Gunter Schlierkamp and
figure competitors, among others, teed up for the Children’s
by my crack security crew as he tried to get Hospital of Orange County last summer.
Roland Kickinger were the guest posers,
into the Junior Cal without a ticket last year. and Brad, who works in the Seattle Police
Hey, Irv, you didn’t think I ran a tight ship at Department’s Violent Crimes Unit, didn’t have to
my small event, huh? Okay, I’ll buy ya a new shirt for his year’s arrest a soul.
show. And you can have two tickets if you want. Valentina Chepiga
gives a thumbs-up Watch Out For: Miguel Oliviera
Success Story: Van "SUV" Anthony to men’s overall
champ Arnold Okay, so Miguel Oliveira, who placed 11th
This nice, buffed, young-looking dude, whom I first met Littlejohn. at the Europa and ninth at the Charlotte Pro,
when he took the overall crown at the ’03 North Carolina may be a strange choice for someone to keep
Championships, has a lot more going for him an eye on, but I’m impressed with the guy’s
than a glittering NPC résumé (seven overall physique and feel he has the goods to move up
titles) and the pro status he earned last year by Gelb’s the ladder next season. Oliveira, a 36-year-old
winning the masters overall at the North Ameri-
cuts. Brazilian and South American champion, is a
can Championships. big dude, at 5’11” and 255 pounds, with a good
Van, a lifelong North Carolinian, served as shape and round, full muscles. When I see him, I
a security specialist in the U.S. Air Force from always call him “Sergio,” as in Oliva.
1982 to 1988 and is currently employed by the Miguel gets up to 295 pounds in the off-sea-
State of North Carolina as a probation officer. son, and, if he can sharpen up at 250 to 260
The 42-year-old Anthony and his wife, Sheila, onstage next year, he'll be a force to reckon with.
are the proud parents of Christopher Ray Oliveira is currently living in Atlanta, trains at
“Pro Bodybuilding Weekly” dynamic
Anthony, 19, and Shawn Ray Anthony, duo: Cicherillo and Solomon. the Gold’s Gym in Sandy Springs and is also a
16. How did you come up with the latter name, personal trainer when he’s not guarding the door
Van? Chris attends North Carolina A&T University Find L.T.’s at local nightclubs to make sure folks don’t try
in Greensboro; Shawn is a sophomore at Rocky Van to sneak in for free. This cat could work security for me
Mount High. reports and Anthony. anytime!
Anthony, who has competed since 1989, is To contact Miguel, call (678) 760-6124, or send e-
5’6” and has gotten up to 250 pounds in the
commentary on Gunter presents mail to miguelevolution@hotmail.com.
off-season in preparation for his pro debut, which the Web at www. fitness and fig-
ure winner Viko
most likely will come at the Pro Masters World
Championship on April 15 in New York. GraphicMuscle. Newman. Success Story: Sonja Lynch Bruce
In his spare time Anthony, who trains at a local Gunter and Roland try out their Sonja Lynch Bruce, who earned pro status at the
gym in Rocky Mount, is a motivational speaker com. new ventriloquism routine.
Team Universe Fitness Championships last season
and has made several appearances at local ’05 Canadian Championships under the guidance of IFBB pro Roc Shabazz,
schools, talking to students about education, health and does a helluva lot more than flips and biceps curls.
drugs. For starters, the 30-year-old Bruce is a military police
No matter where you finish in New York, Van, I’d say Gabe captain in the Army, has a degree in broadcast jour-
Olivera.
you’re already a big winner in the contest called life. nalism (with minors in political science and dance)
from Appa-
lachian State Fitness pro,
A New Swami? University in
Autumn
Boone, North West Point
Gabriel Olivera, holding up his favorite mag at right, Carolina, and
won L.T.’s Olympia predictions contest, earning a year’s free
Raby,
Women’s is currently instructor,
subscription to IRON MAN and, of course, the chance to get
his picture in this column. Just don’t get too good at it, kid.
champ. Simon
Voyer,
working on
her master’s
military

Photography by Garry Bartlett

Men’s
Overall
in exercise commander
NPC Contests Dept. winner.
science at the
University of and mom
A real sellout—Everybody knows what a terrific event Georgia. She

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 is also a single parent to six-year-old Jacob, quite an
athlete himself, with passions for soccer, tennis and tae
kwon do.
In June the 5’3 1/2”, 130-pound Sonja will begin
a teaching assignment in physical education at the
United States Military Academy at West Point.
Bruce says she first joined the Army because of
“the route not taken and the physical and mental chal-
lenge.” Well, not even the Army could provide enough
physical fitness for this sexy soldier, and she started
exploring bodybuilding and road racing.
Bruce was with the 3rd Infantry Division when she
entered her first contest, the Southern Isle in Savannah,
Georgia. Her competitive juices really began flowing
when she met Jen Hendershott in 2004—so much
so that she came back and earned her pro card in ’05
after finishing 11th at the ’04 Nationals.
Bruce is now training hard with Ty “Ropeman”
Felder in Atlanta while doing the left, right, left for the
Army. To say this lady is always on the move is akin to
saying Ropeman got fairly lean during his competitive
days.
Atten-shun, for sure!

Condolences Dept.—Norm Dabish

The life of one of the industry’s class acts was cut
way too short when Norm Dabish died from a heart Even though Miguel
Oliveira has not placed
attack on October 21 at 46. Norm cofounded Power-
in the money as a pro,
house Gym International 30 years ago, and the com- L.T. says to keep an
pany has grown to 300 gyms in 15 countries. eye on the 5’11”, 255-
Norm, who was usually seen in the company of pound former Brazilian
brother Will and sister Krystal, was always a com- champion, who is now
plete gentleman. IRON MAN’s condolences go out to living in Atlanta.
the Dabish family.
Teper

Norm Dabish,
1959–2005.

For a flash
report on the
’05 NPC National
Bodybuilding
Teper

and Fitness Making two totally different scenes

Champioinships, with ease. Sonja Bruce poses with
new trainer Ty “Ropemen” Felder
see page 306. (above) and marches in a military cer-
emony at her other job.
290 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 v
Up, Down and Round the ’05 Olympia Weekend
Photography by Dave Liberman and Lonnie Teper

Dave

June Monroe
Liberman,
fanny
pack
intact, as
always,
chal-
lenged
L.T. was the host—and Timea Majorova was the Troy Zuc-
most as his cohost—for an hour segment of “Fit Class with mass. Jay Cutler is always
colotto
TV,” which was broadcast from the Bodybuilding accommodating to his enormous bevy
for “Best
.com booth. of fans, contest time or not.
Dressed”
at the
Take the bus and leave the driving
Expo.
to us. One of the large vehicles
that carted folks to and from the
Expo. L.T. con-
gratulates
Davana
Medina for
her three-
peat in
the Figure
competi-
tion. Or is
The boys at Gamma-0, including new signee he asking
Chris Cook, proved their product really does for thirds
boost testosterone levels! from the
dessert
menu?
Gus Malliarodakis and Den-
nis Newman, stars of Gus
Lee Priest Turcotte’s “No Pain, No Gain,”
Brenda
may not which hit theaters in Decem-
Kelly
have ber, take time for a photo op.
would give
competed you the
in the O, shirt off
but he her back,
was gun- as would
ning for everyone
the fans at the
in front of Body
the Twin- building
lab race .com
car booth.
IM research guru Jerry “the Brain” Brainum
gets the scoop from Bruce Kneller and Rich
Gaspari about Gaspari Nutrition’s hot new
products.

Bob Bonham says

if you’ll train at his
Strong & Shapely Gym
in East Rutherford,
New Jersey, you can
look as good as NPC
figure standout Chris-
tine Camacho. Well, at
least as good as Bob.

To contact Lonnie Teper

Ohio figure competi- about material possibly
tor Linda Reho (right)
pertinent to News & Views,
and the lovely Chris-
tine Pomponio-Pate. write to 1613 Chelsea
Road, #266, San Marino,
Kim Klein’s father, Francis CA 91108; fax to (626)
Mervin Petralba lets everybody know about the Scheidler, needed a baseball
289-7949; or send e-mail
great contest that’s up next—the IRON MAN
Neveux

bat to fend off Kim’s fans,

Pro, set for February 18, 2006, at the Pasa- while Mom Joanne kept to tepernews@aol.com.
dena Civic Auditorium. watch from the other side.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 291

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 IRON MAN Hardbody
SultrySiren
Ascending
Figure Pro Valerie Waugaman’s
Star Is on the Rise
Photography by Michael Neveux
Height: 5’9” Age: 27 Weight: 140-145
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Current residence: Cleveland, Ohio
Occupation: Restaurateur, IFBB professional
figure athlete, fitness model and spokesperson.
Marital status: Engaged.
Workout schedule: “When I need to build
muscle, I train two bodyparts per session, three
days per week. On Saturdays, I train with
Mike Davies and his Fitness Factory athletes at
World Gym in Columbus. Three times a week,
I perform high-intensity non-weight-bearing
cardio for one hour, and on other days I do
cardio in the morning for 30 minutes. I always
look for opportunities to exercise, and I’ve even
been known to turn a trip to the grocery store
into a powerwalking session up and down the
aisles.”
Sample bodypart workout (shoulders):
Dumbbell overhead presses, 4 x 15; one-arm
laterals, 4 x 10, supersetted with inverted
lateral raises, 4 x 6; Arnold presses, 3 x 10;
plyometrics between sets, 1 minute.
292 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Favorite foods: “For everyday life, I
enjoy everything on the Octane menu, but
my favorites are the Granola emPower Bars,
the Power-Nut Smoothie, the Blue-Walnut
Chicken Wrap and lots of colorful veggies. My
precontest favorite is oatmeal with egg whites.
It’s the perfect meal!”
Factoids: Has a B.A. in graphic design from
Ohio University, played Division I volleyball
at Ohio University and was a ’96 Ohio state
high jump champion. “I also have two fantastic
stepkids—Ray and Sandy.”
Future plans: “I have a passion for inspiring
others to be fit and healthy and to live life to
its full potential. My mission is to expose as
many people as possible to the benefits of all
aspects of a healthy and balanced lifestyle:
psychological, spiritual, physical and emotional.
My partner (and soon to be husband), Sam
Eells, and I intend to spread our Fuel 4 Life
message via our restaurant—Octane Cafe.
We aspire to educate people and provide
convenient, healthful meals across the country
by expanding our franchise model.”
Contact info: valerie@octanecafe.com
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 293
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 IRON MAN Hardbody

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 IRON MAN Hardbody

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 IRON MAN Hardbody

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 IRON MAN Hardbody

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 IRON MAN Hardbody

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 Ruth Silverman’s

PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE

VEGAS NOTES, PART DEUX

More tales from the Orleans, and the

Come and Get It convention center, and the bus…
Pump & Circumstance’s Fitness and Figure O pictorial,
blowout coverage of the ’05 which begins on page 254,
Olympia Weekend, which celebrates the women of the
began in the January issue, ’05 Olympia through the im-
continues. ages of Bill Dobbins, Bill
There’s no shame in finish- Comstock and John Balik.
ing out of the top five at the I guarantee you won’t see the
greatest women’s fitness likes of these photos in any
show on earth but, unfor- other muscle magazine on the
tunately, not much cash in stands. Think about it.
it. As the money awards
indicate, athletes like Tanji For thousands of
Johnson end up competing photos from all
“for the glory of it” (among the ’05 Olympia
other intrinsic rewards). To
competitions—plus
add just a little more glory
to the pot, IM’s giant Ms., audio reports and
a whole lotta other
Was it really the greatest wom-
en’s fitness show on earth? It neat stuff, check out
was so good, Tanji could only
get 10th—with her cute little the all-new www
bod and her groovin’ moves.
See page 254 for more. .GraphicMuscle.com.

PHOTO-OPS PR OPS
There’s no
reason to be-
And views (see next page)
Tongue Shot lieve that this
Speaking of maids who reflects Stacy
missed out on a money Simons’
prize feelings
about com-
ing in 11th at
the Fitness
O—despite
a sixth-place
showing in the
long routines.
The 5’7”
human pretzel
from Jersey
appeared to
be completely
recovered
from a bro-
ken hand
she incurred
last spring.
Though
she hit the
stage with
a revamped
Europa Supershow lightweight winner Tonia
body—as well as a new routine—Simons still couldn’t get the Olympia
Williams shed the very-mini skirt she was
judges to like her look. Say a-a-a-a-h. wearing early in her Ms. O posing routine but
kept on these demure pumps throughout.
302 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 NOTES ON VOTES

Speaking of Props
So much behind-the-scenes stuff was flying
in the weeks following the Olympia, it’s amazing
that more of it didn’t hit the fan. One issue that
was still to be determined as this issue went to
bed in late November was a proposal made by
Bob Cicherillo, athletes’ rep for the pro men,
at the Pro Division meeting that was held dur-
ing Olympia Weekend: that the posing round
should no longer be scored in professional
bodybuilding competitions. It was tabled, pend-
No parade of ing a vote by all the bodybuilders, men and
hulks a’flexin’
here (clock- women. Cicherillo took his case to the athletes
wise from top via the Web-vine but didn’t seem to be making
left): Dayana much headway. Eventually, he started backing
Cadeau, Marja off, suggesting other changes in the structure
Lehtonen and
Tonie Norman of bodybuilding competition, but still, you have
posed pretty to wonder what this is really about.
for apprecia- Bob’s sincerity in wanting to improve the
tive crowds at lot of his constituents—i.e., the pro men—is
the expo.
evident in the passion he brings to his role of
athletes’ rep, but his if-you-don’t-agree-with-
me-the-terrorists-win approach to persuading
folks rubs many the wrong way. Also at issue:
In addition to his volunteer gig as athletes’ rep,
Cicherillo works for the Olympia promoters—as a co-emcee of several events he was all
over Big O Weekend like oil on troubled waters—and has announced online that he’s been
hired as part of the production team for 2006. That should be reassuring to female athletes
who were not impressed by his “apology” for the hatin’ remarks he made about women
flexers that were quoted in the promoters’ magazine last fall (see my comments at Graphic
Muscle.com on the stir caused by that chain of events).
Cicherillo’s argument that IFBB judges “aren’t really scoring [the posing round] anyway, and
it only adds to the confusion of getting a true score for your efforts,” as he said in a statement
posted at one of the popular bulletin boards, is disin- Speaking
genuous. If it’s a given that the panel will find a way with of ladies
the scoring to pick the winner it chooses (and what’s FACES OF THE O who
settled
wrong with that, really?), then it doesn’t matter how you for glory,
slice the judging rounds. Canadian
The artistic presentation of muscle in motion contes-
is a key element in physique competition, but the tant Jane
Awad,
traditional parade of 12 (or more) hulks a’flexin’ may here with
not be exciting enough for those who want to WWE- Brooklyn
nergize the Mr. O into something wrestling fans might B.F. Chris
pay per view to see. Call me a conspiracy theorist, Tsug-
ranes,
but it’s easy to make the leap from devaluing the was 16th
Contest photography by Bill Comstock and Bill Dobbins

posing round to eliminating it as part the program at in the

the men’s finals and replacing it with some as-yet-to- Figure O.
be-determined event that’s even more thrilling than
the challenge round. (Maybe the guys could do their
routines on Saturday afternoon at the expo, after the
prejudging—they could take a bus.)
Given that the promoters’ disinterest in women’s
“Check out
bodybuilding is not even barely concealed, and given her wheels!”
that the women are mostly so much better at the pos- Terry
ing thing than the guys—don’t think for a minute that Hairston
indicates
the women’s finals didn’t draw a huge crowd—it’s hard
Photography by Ruth Silverman

one the of
to see where they would benefit from the proposed Butter wouldn’t bodyparts
change. Whether it passed (athletes’ votes were due melt. Tracey that earned
Greenwood said his wife, Kim
in to pro headquarters by December 1), you can’t help no to smack Harris, third
thinking that those who want to reinvent bodybuilding (see page 305). in her class
competition, have not yet put away their screwdrivers. at the Eu -
ropa.

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 PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE

ACHIEVEMENTS
INSURRECTIONS

Keep On Truckin’
WPI-ing It Out
Meanwhile, back on the Web-vine
A couple of months ago I
held back on a story because
it clearly wasn’t over and
was likely to have many new
developments by the time
the issue on deadline got into
readers’ hands. Imagine how
smart I felt when I got a load
of the current issue of another
muscle magazine, whose
editors must have believed
the load some of the principal
players were slinging back
Photo courtesy of Heather Lee

then.
It all started in September,
when bodybuilding’s answer
Heather to “The Honeymooners,”
Lee.

Silverman
Craig Titus and Kelly
Ryan, announced on the
Heather Lee wasn’t even in the competition at “Pro Bodybuilding Weekly”
the MHP New Jersey Strongest Man contest, Kelly said no, no to the new Web-radio cast their involve-
which was held at Bob Bonham’s Strong & organization, but is there yes, ment with a new organization,
Shapely Gym in Rutherford in September, but
she was ready to lend a hand with a vehicle
yes in her eyes? Women’s Physique Interna-
that was blocking the driveway. A top-ranked tional, call letters WPI. Talk
national-level bodybuilder, Lee skipped the about things that make you go hmmm.
Nationals this year to focus on other pursuits, Before inquiring minds could investigate, however, the Tituses took it
including powerlifting and strongwoman
events. Whatever she does, though, you know
back, with Craig declaring on the home page of his Web site, “After giving
she’s in it for the long haul. careful consideration and reviewing contractual obligations with current
sponsors as well as being members of the IFBB, Kelly and I have decided
to withdraw ownership of WPI.” One couldn’t help wondering, though,
E V EN T S when, in his parting shot, he repeated, “We in no way, shape or form have

Gluteus to the Max anything to do with the WPI at this time.” The emphasis is mine, but, well,
never say never, eh, Craig?
Rumors of the new organization continued to swirl among those who are
NPC body-
builder—and
into these things. In early November the swirl was upgraded to a category-
occasional one melodrama when they WPI-pped it out—“they” being the WPI organiz-
figure com- ers and “it” being a Web site declaring their intention to put on professional
petitor—Caro-
lyn Bryant,
and amateur competitions in fitness, figure and women’s bodybuilding.
who orga- In case you missed the point, the detailed rules and regulations included
nized a cash several allusions to perceived problems with the establishment’s organiza-
award for the tion; for example, “WPI competitors have the right to freedom of speech
flexer who
had the most and may express their opinion in any form of media,” and, “WPI judges will
femininity and strictly be prohibited from any interviews in all forms of media.”
grace at the Several weeks later, however, the site’s numerous “coming-soon” pages
Ms. Interna-
tional, has had yet to be filled in, including the still-empty calendar of events, and the
put on her buzz was taking a wait-and-see attitude as well. The reason I bring it up at
thinking cap this time is that we’ll undoubtedly be into the next chapter by the time you
Silverman

for ’06. In ad-

dition to the read this, and you’ll want to be up to speed (check out my post-Olympia
second edi- comments on this at GraphicMuscle.com as well).
tion of that event, she was seeking sponsors Will that chapter include Titus and/or Ryan? Your guess is as good as
for—and permission to hold—a golden-glutes
contest at the Arnold Fitness Expo. And who
mine. Of course, by the time you read this, we’ll know whether either is
exactly would that be benefiting? planning on competing in the IFBB in the near future, which could be a hint.

304 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 M O R E C O M M E N TA RY

Talkin’ Smack Hair-raising press conference

not been happy with. He got
her best butter-wouldn’t-melt
smile instead. As for Bob’s at-
tempts to ignite a red-hot rival-
ry between defending Fitness
O champ Adela Garcia and
Jen Hendershott, who’d
Photography by Bill Comstock

beaten her at the International

in March, after he practically
begged them, Hendershott
finally gave it up: “She’s my
friend, but I don’t like her hair
today.”
Dayana and Iris were ready to rumble, but even they, too,
Didn’t like her hair? Are
talked of friendship as well as rivalry. The defending Ms. O those fitness athletes badas-
champs from 2004 finished behind Yaxeni Oriquen. ses, or what?
On the other hand, there
are few things that psych a
One deci- woman out more than a bad
sion that gets a Not even Cicherillo’s prom- hair day, and Hendershott did
thumbs-up for ise that no one was listen- win the contest, while Garcia
the Olympia pro- ing could get the fitness dropped to third behind Kim
moters was the or figure gals to dis each Klein. Hmmm. Well, it’s not
other.
one that brought up there with Ken Waller’s
the women’s It would take a lot more than theft of Mike Katz’s pos-
sports their very a bad-hair challenge to put ing trunks in “Pumping Iron,”
own press con- a dent in Ronnie Coleman’s but maybe Chick’s antics got
confidence.
ference. Once more started than anyone
again hosts Tri- thought.
ple H and Bob Cicherillo conducted a staged Q&A, doing Naturally, the hosts had more success in sparking the Mr.
their darnedest to get the ladies of fitness, figure and women’s O competitors to talk smack—although not even a direct
bodybuilding to insult each other. Once again, they were only challenge from Gustavo Badell could get Ronnie Cole-
partly successful: The big three female flexers—defending Ms. man to take off his shirt—or his sunglasses. Despite some
O Iris Kyle, defending Ms. O Lightweight Dayana Cadeau pithy predictions from Mr. Nasty, all of which proved true when
and Ms. International champ Yaxeni Oriquen—were ready he won his eighth consecutive title two days later, Quote of
to rumble. The fitness and figure gals, not so much. the Press Conference honors went to Quincy Taylor, who,
Not even the considerable charms of Bobby Chick in a tur- speaking as one of the proportionately smaller-waisted com-
quoise pimp shirt could get Tracey Greenwood to take the petitors, announced, “I don’t want to see no pregnant people
bait regarding a placing earlier in the year that she’d reportedly [onstage].”

NO TAB L E S

Movie Mews Denise’s pet project

Who would pass up a chance to run a picture of Denise Masino in a bustier, pussy or not?
Certainly not this snide reporter. Masino, who passed up the chance to put it on the line
onstage in Vegas (she qualified by taking second in the lightweights at the ’04 Ms. O), had a
mission nonetheless: promoting and seeking distribution for “Blood + Kisses,” the erotic hor-
ror flick she produced and stars in with hubby Robert Masino.
“Denise Masino changes the shape of horror,” exclaims the headline at www
.BloodAndKisses.com. Now, for those who would question what the Masinos know about film
production, recall that they were not experienced publishers when they brought out Muscle
Elegance. Also that they’ve produced more than their share of “raw and uncensored” videos
of elegant muscular ladies since then.
For updates on the fortunes of this venture, check out the blog by writer-director G Simp-
son at the Web site. According to the story synopsis, also found online, Masino plays an evil
countess who lures beautiful athletic women to an abandoned hotel in order to breed a race
of supervampires. Sounds like an inspiring documentary, Denise. Have you tried PBS?
Silverman

Pet-rified. There’s no word on what role the kitty plays in Denise’s erotic opus.

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 PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE

’0 5 N P C N a ti onals Fl as h
Atlanta / November 18–19
Photography by Bill Comstock and Bill Dobbins.
Men’s Bodybuilding
Bantamweight
1) Roland Huff*
2) Dave Candy
3) Fernando Abaco
Lightweight
1) Sereiryth Leandre*
2) Henderson Gordon
3) Robert E. Lee
Welterweight
1. Jose Raymond*
2. Abiu Feliz
3. Carlo Filippone
Middleweight
1) Ricky “Tricky” Jackson*
2) Garrett Allin Heidi Fletcher, Fitness Overall.
3) Daryl Gee
Light Heavyweight
1) Charles Ray Arde*
2) Charles Dixon
3) Mark Erpelding
Heavyweight
1) Jonathan Rowe*
2) Mike Ergas Bill Wilmore, Men’s Overall.
3) Darrell Terrell
Superheavyweight Women’s Bodybuilding
1) Bill Wilmore*
2) Leo Ingram Lightweight
3) Rudy Richards 1) Carla Salotti*
2) Jamie Troxel
Fitness 3) Lisa James
Class A Middleweight
1) Heidi Fletcher* 1) Norma Nieves*
2) Angi Jackson* 2) Ellen Woodley
3) Nita Marquez 3) Lindsay Mulinazzi
Mimi Jabalee, Women’s Overall.
Class B Light Heavyweight
1) Tami Ough* 1) Dena Westerfield*
2) Lisa McCormick* 2) Debi Laszewski You can contact Ruth Silver-
man, fitness reporter and
3) Corry Matthews 3) Elena Seiple-Perticari
Pump & Circumstance scribe,
Class C Heavyweight in care of IRON MAN, 1701
Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033;
1) Jennifer Cassetty* 1) Mimi Jabalee*
or via e-mail at ironwman@
2) April Jacobs* 2) Jody May
Neveux

aol.com.
3) Alissa Carpio 3) Audrey Peden
*Qualified for a pro card.

For contest coverage and thousands of photos, visit IRON MAN’s www.GraphicMuscle.com.
306 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 NO PAIN
NO GAIN
Samuel Turcotte’s Wild Bodybuilding Movie
by Gene Mozeé

Movie frame grabs courtsey of Samuel

H ere’s a great movie that every bodybuilder and fan of the sport should see. It’s an action-packed, authentic muscle
movie from start to finish. In the past Hollywood filmmakers made movies using bodybuilders more or less as props
to showcase the talents of big-name stars. Take, for example, Dave Draper’s small part in “Don’t Make Waves” with
Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale and Sharon Tate as the stars. “Muscle Beach Party,” starring Frankie Avalon and
Annette Funicello, included a number of bodybuilders, such as Larry Scott. Then, in 1977, “Pumping Iron” broke the
mold with a documentary that launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rise to movie superstardom.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 307

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NO PAIN NO GAIN
Stars include bodybuilders Gus Malliarodakis and former
The supporting cast provides some great comedic performances.
“No Pain, No Gain” is the first
movie in which the entire plot
and characters are all about
bodybuilding and the fitness
industry. Written, directed and
produced by Samuel Turcotte, it
portrays bodybuilding in a fun,
engaging light. But Turcotte also
tackles the serious side—the steroid
factor—and he pulls no punches in
the process.
“This film is the realization of a
longtime dream,” says Turcotte. “I
have been involved in bodybuilding
since I was 15, and for years I have
wanted to see a film about this
fascinating and misunderstood
308 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
sport. Bodybuilding has long been
grossly misrepresented by the
media, and my film gives a more
balanced and truthful portrayal.”
Starring renowned bodybuilders
Gus Malliarodakis, the ’05 California
Bodybuilding Championships
master’s winner, and former IFBB
pro Dennis Newman, the plot
revolves around Mike Zorillo
(Malliarodakis), who travels from
Ohio to Los Angeles to train to beat
his archrival Jake Steel (Newman) to
prove that natural science and hard
work can triumph over steroid use.
Great scenes abound in this
enjoyable one-hour-and-45-minute
romp through the muscle world,
including some really memorable
ones, such as Newman in his
private “shooting gallery” and an
over-the-top Jacuzzi scene at a wild
bodybuilding party. Another good
one takes place in Gold’s Gym,
Venice, when two-time World’s
Strongest Woman Jill Mills bench-
presses 315 pounds for three reps
and then jumps off the bench and
exclaims, “Who’s your daddy!” to fire
up her male training partner.
Newman gives a terrific
performance as the villain. “I love
the Jake Steel character,” he says.
“He has all the qualities I love and
IFBB pro Dennis Newman as archrival Jake Steel.
The movie portrays bodybuilding in a fun, engaging light.
hate about bodybuilding in one
package.”
Malliarodakis, who’s been
featured on the cover of IRON MAN
twice as well as on the cover of
Muscle & Fitness, gives an excellent,
low-key performance that shows all
the great qualities of bodybuilding.
His acting credits include a part as
a submarine officer in the Emmy-
winning Paramount TV miniseries
“War and Remembrance” and
numerous television commercials,
music videos and print
advertisements. He also recently
won the superheavyweight class
and overall in the open division
at the Sacramento Bodybuilding
Championships.
The supporting cast is first
rate, with some great comedic
performances, including a ruthless
sports-nutrition company owner
played by Kim Travis and a
computer nerd who helps Zorillo
find a steroid-free nutritional
formula that works better than
steroids. Cameo performances
by Lauren Powers and former
Romanian IFBB pro Emeric Delczeg
add to the drama. The scene where
fitness supermodel and IM covergal
Carmen Garcia walks down the
boardwalk at Venice beach in a
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 309
NO PAIN NO GAIN
pink bikini with a pink poodle on
a leash is alone worth the price of
admission.
Turcotte has done a terrific job
bringing this fabulous film to the
big screen. It’s won several awards at
film festivals. Turcotte was honored
at the Houston Film Festival
(Worldfest) as Best Director, First
Feature. I thoroughly enjoyed the
movie from start to finish and give
it a big thumbs-up, four-star rating.
Don’t miss it when it comes to a
theater near you. It’s a winner.
Editor’s note: For more
information and a preview, click on
www.no-pain-no-gain.com. IM
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 Only the Strong
Shall
Survive
The Strength Factor In Bodybuilding
T
Throughout the years
I’ve had the opportunity
to meet and train with
some of the greatest
bodybuilders in the history
of the sport. Those I
admired the most all had
similar traits: They were
symmetrical, took pride
in their athleticism and
were strong. They thought
of themselves as strength
athletes who chose to
participate in physique
competition rather than
weightlifting. Quite a few
were champions in both
bodybuilding and Olympic
lifting. Two such men
were my first idols: Steve
Stanko and John Grimek.
Model: John Grimek
After I saw their photos in
Strength & Health, I was
hooked.
310 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
• by Bill Starr •
Eventually, I got to know them
quite well, and my regard for them
went up another notch. Besides
being legendary athletes, they were
exemplary human beings. What I
admired most about them was their
strength. Grimek thought of himself
as a strength athlete first and body-
builder second. He always preached
the doctrine of having sufficient
strength to back up big muscles and
was willing and able to support his
beliefs. He was a member of the ’36
Olympic weightlifting team before
he turned his attention to the new
sport of bodybuilding, but even
after he switched goals, he contin-
ued to train hard and heavy, just as
he had when he competed in Olym-
pic lifting. He once told me of the
time he cleaned 350, which he had
never done before. He proceeded to
press the weight, push-press it and
then jerk it. When I asked him why
he didn’t do the three lifts separate-
ly, he replied that he wasn’t sure he
would ever clean that much weight
again.
At an exhibition at the Los An-
geles Athletic Club in 1940, Grimek
cheat-curled 320 and pressed it
overhead. The photo of that amaz-
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 311
ing lift appeared in the March ’71
edition of Strength & Health. He
weighed 185 when he did extraor-
dinary feats such as those and
many more, including supporting
a half ton overhead and deadlift-
ing 600. And he was undefeated in
physique competition, winning the
Mr. America title in ’40 and ’41. He
probably would have continued to
take the crown except that a rule
was enacted that forbade him—or
anyone—from entering the con-
test after having won it. In ’46 he
captured the Most Muscular Man
title, and he was Mr. USA in 1949.
He retired undefeated—the only
bodybuilder who ever earned that
distinction—and is considered the
greatest poser in the annals of body-
building. He really set the standard
for others seeking the ideal phy-
sique to emulate.
Grimek’s closest friend, Steve
Stanko, was cut from the same
cloth. Both grew up in Perth Amboy,
New Jersey, became interested in
Olympic weightlifting and moved
to work and lift at the York Barbell
Club in the ’30s. Steve, like Grimek,
was a weightlifter who later turned
to bodybuilding—in his case, out
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 Only the Strong Shall Survive
Grimek
Warner \ Model: John
John Grimek: As strong
as he looked.
of necessity. In 1941 Steve totalled
1,002 (press, snatch and clean and
jerk), becoming the first lifter to
break the 1,000-pound barrier. He
was on course to become a multi-
ple world champion when a severe
case of phlebitis, an inflammation
of the walls of the veins, curtailed
his lifting career. He turned to phy-
sique competition and became Mr.
America in 1943.
Stanko was still training, de-
spite his painful affliction, when I
joined Tommy Suggs on the staff of
Strength & Health in the mid-’60s.
Naturally, there were a lot of exer-
cises that he was unable to do, but
on those he could work, he was im-
pressive. His favorite was the Weav-
er stick. A five- or 10-pound weight
was attached to a broomstick and
placed on the floor. With your arm
completely extended, you had to
lever the weight to horizontal. No
one in the York Gym could match
Steve—not Bob Bednarski, Bill
March, Joe Dube or Ernie Pickett—
and he was in his 60s.
Vern Weaver was a protégé of
Stanko’s and Grimek’s from the be-
ginning of his bodybuilding career,
and he adopted their emphasis on
strength. Many who trained with
him and saw him lift in Olympic
contests will argue that he was the
strongest Mr. America ever. I saw
him do a rough version of a power
clean with 370 and jerk it.
I heard a story about Vern and
asked him if it were true. It was.
Seems he was run off the road and
312 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
ended up in a ditch with his car on
its side. He was so incensed that he
grabbed the underside of the car
and flipped it upright. That wasn’t a
VW either but a full-sized American
model.
His successor to the top title in the
land, Val Vasilef, was, in my opinion,
even stronger than Vern and much
more athletic. The ’64 Mr. America
possessed a rare combination of
natural strength and coordination
not seen in the physique world since
John Grimek. When he trained at the
York Gym, he would outlift all the
competitive weightlifters, including
superheavyweight powerlifter Terry
Todd.
No article dealing with strong
bodybuilders would be complete
without some comment on Marvin
Eder. Although he never won any
major titles, due to his being shafted
by the AAU, he’s regarded by most
experts as the strongest physique
contestant in modern history. I hap-
pen to agree with them. Eder did
seven dips with 400 pounds around
his waist and a single with 434.
Throw in a 515 bench, a 355 military
press and a 550 squat for 10 reps,
all done at a bodyweight of 195 and
long before steroids came along, and
you can easily see why he belongs at
the top of the strength ladder.
There were lots of others who
were strength athletes as well as
physique champions: Bill Pearl, Ken
Waller, Chet Yorton, Mike Katz, Ser-
gio Oliva, John DeCola, Ed Corney,
Dave Draper, Bill St. John and, of
course, Arnold and Franco. Franco
Columbu, in particular, could have
contended for national titles in pow-
erlifting if he’d been so inclined. He
wasn’t—for good reason. Bodybuild-
ing by then was a professional sport,
whereas powerlifting was purely an
amateur endeavor.
There were many more, but the
list is enough to get my point across:
All the top physique men in the
country incorporated lots of strength
work in their yearly routines.
And it just wasn’t the bodybuild-
ers who were winning major titles
Yasuda
who were doing the heavy lifting.
Those starting out and on their way
Neveux / Model: Ken
up trained for strength as well. They
were following the examples set by
successful physique stars and un-
derstood the principle of building a
solid base for future definition work.
I trained with Bob Gajda in Chica-
go four years before he won the Mr.
American title. I’d been competing
in Olympic lifting for five years and
had an excellent background of hard
training due to the influence of Sid
Henry, who coached me in Dallas.
Yet whenever I trained with Gajda, I
would stay sore for several days. He
carried a much larger workload than
I did and worked at a faster pace.
That foundation carried him to the
pinnacle of American bodybuild-
ing. Whenever I get on this subject,
I think of Ronnie Ray of Dallas. After
he won the Mr. Texas title, he began
competing in powerlifting and won
the Nationals within a year. The
heavy lifting he’d been doing in his
physique workouts carried over to
the strength sport. In fact, he con-
tended that training for powerlifting
was a breeze after being a serious
physique contestant. I hate to admit
it, but I think he’s right.
Then a number of events occurred
that altered the way bodybuilders
trained. One of the most important
was that Joe Weider made body-
building a professional sport and
got rid of the athletic points require-
ment. When the AAU ran physique
competitions, points for athletic
achievement were awarded at the
national-level contests. Those very
valuable five points often spelled the
difference between taking the top
honors and being an also-ran. They
could be acquired in a variety of
ways: earning a black belt in karate,
being on a championship team in
Bodybuilders should
cycle in power training.
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 Only the Strong Shall Survive

Powerlifting for a Marvin Eder

couple of months can once did seven
build strength and dips with 400
more mass. pounds strapped
to his waist.
Farnsworth
Neveux / Model: Derik

high school or winning a weightlift- came on the scene, each supposedly working harder in the gym. Rather,
ing meet. Since all the bodybuilders better engineered and therefore more the course of action was to increase
of that era included one or more of functional than the last. As a result, the dose or add yet another type of
the Olympic lifts in their routines, free-weight training became passé— muscle enhancer into the mix.
the easiest way to gain athletic except for those interested in Olym- Bodybuilders no longer studied
points was to lift in Olympic meets. pic and powerlifting. Bodybuilders programs or examined training
Another reason that the body- didn’t see the need to train heavy any methods in order to make improve-
builders lifted in meets: The phy- longer. That was strike two. ments. Instead, they gleaned the
sique contests were always held after Strike three came during that same pages of their new bible, The Physi-
the weightlifting contests, and the time frame and may have been the cians Desk Reference, hoping to find
men who served as judges for the most damaging of all to strength a tidbit of information in the hal-
lifting usually judged the physique training—the rampant use of ste- lowed PDR to aid their cause. I dare
events as well. So bodybuilders who roids and other commercial anabolic say that bodybuilders and competi-
competed in the lifting meet got to products. Now anyone who wanted tive weightlifters knew as much as
display their physiques in a dynamic to get bigger and stronger had only or more about the properties of any
fashion nine times prior to the body- to obtain the required pharmaceu- anabolic product as doctors and
building contest, giving them a defi- tical, and he was halfway home. It pharmacists.
nite advantage over opponents who really didn’t matter what routine he Once a selection was made, pro-
didn’t lift in the meet. followed or how hard he trained. curing the drug was a simple matter.
Once the athletic points were Gains came if he took enough of the Nearly every gym that catered to
dropped, however, there wasn’t any magic pills or injections. When prog- bodybuilders had an in-house deal-
reason for bodybuilders to bother ress stalled, there was no thought of er, and every town had at least one
with the Olympic lifts, and for the drug doctor. When I lived in Venice,
most part they were dropped California, in the early ’70s, the
from bodybuilding routines. most popular drug dispenser
Concurrently, Nautilus machines operated in the center of town,
began pushing free weights to only a short walk from Gold’s
the sidelines in commercial gyms Gym. Talk about convenient. The
across the country. The concept patient handed the doctor a shop-
of doing just one exercise on a ping list; the doctor wrote the pre-
machine was revolutionary, and scriptions, collected his fee and
Arthur Jones, the inventor of sent the happy athlete downstairs
Nautilus, ingeniously married to the pharmacy he owned to have
his impressive machines to a them filled.
new method of training. It was Within a decade the concept of
quick and easy to learn, and doing some heavy training in order
Domer

gym owners loved it. Customers to establish—or reestablish—a

could be in and out in half an solid foundation of strength was
Neveux / Model: Eric

hour, and there were no loose
plates or dumbbells to clutter
up the place,
Due to the success of Nauti-
lus, more and more machines
virtually lost. Sure, a few body-
builders were quite strong, espe-
Heavy work on the big basics can cially in comparison with their
help you prevent injuries. peers, but they weren’t even close
to being in the same class as those

314 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Only the Strong Shall Survive

mentioned above. In most cases,
when the bodybuilder went off the
juice (which was never for very long),
his strength dropped appreciably
because it was based on chemicals
rather than hard work. The notion of
hammering away with heavy weights
during those layoffs from taking the
drugs never entered their heads.
They just started the next cycle a bit
earlier than planned
It got to the point where young
that leave them only a few hours
per week for training. Their motives
for lifting weights are different from
those of the pros as well. Amateurs
are mainly looking to add muscular
size and shape to their physiques
while improving their fitness and
overall health. They understand that
training benefits their mental as well
as physical states and heightens their
self-esteem. They like to look good
in a bathing suit and take pride in

Yasuda
bodybuilders really didn’t have any the results of their work in the weight

Neveux / Model: Ken

models to follow, such as we had
with Grimek, Stanko, et al. Even if
someone could afford the costly
pharmaceuticals, his lifestyle was
a world apart from those of profes-
sional bodybuilders. The programs
presented by the pros do not relate to
99 percent of those who read IRON
MAN and other publications aimed
at bodybuilders. Typical readers who
are interested in improving their
physiques have jobs or are full-time
students. They also have family re-
sponsibilities and social obligations
room. And, most important, they
aren’t willing to risk short- or long-
term health problems by using ana-
bolics in any form.
Those are the people I’m address-
ing here. They’re the trainees who
need to consider the value of includ-
ing some strength training in their
yearly routines.
After my Hopkins athletes had
used up their eligibility, the majority
switched from pure strength train-
ing to bodybuilding. While many
organized their own programs, a lot
Six to eight weeks of strength
work can do great things for
your physique.
of them came to me for advice. I told
them that even though they were
training on a bodybuilding routine,
they should not completely eliminate
strength exercises. If they wanted to
become more muscular, they should
set aside some time during the year

Ad

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 315

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 Only the Strong Shall Survive
Machines should
play a minor
role in a strength
phase.
l Gee
Neveux / Model: Dary
for increasing overall strength.
Their comments usually went
something like this: “I don’t care
how much I can lift anymore. I just
want to get a six-pack and add a few
inches to my arms and chest. Heavy
lifting is history.”
Yet another objection to my idea
comes from the aspiring bodybuild-
ers I encounter at fitness facilities
and gyms: “I’m not interested in
seeing how much I can squat or
deadlift, although I would like to
add 20 pounds to my bench. I’m not
into powerlifting at all.”
Being a patient man, I explain,
“How much total work and intensity
you put into your workouts is com-
pletely dependent on how strong
you are. More strength also enables
you to recover from a tough session
faster. Strong muscles and attach-
ments are less likely to get hurt, and
when they do get injured, they heal
r Elshahat
Model: Franco Columbu
Neveux / Model: Tame
Low-down, low-rep
squatting will pack on mass.
316 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
more rapidly.”
That gets their attention, so I
go on: “Whenever you improve
strength in a major muscle group
such as the back, legs or shoul-
der girdle, you can use that newly
gained strength to help you define
parts of those larger groups, such
as the middle portion of your back,
and do more specialized work for
the smaller muscles, like the bi-
ceps and calves.” By that time I’ve
convinced them that they should
do some strength work during the
year and am helping them outline a
program they can use right away.
High pulls are a great exercise to
include in the strength cycle. Both
wide- and clean-grip pulls are not
that difficult to learn, and they work
all of the muscles of the back in a
dynamic fashion. It’s obvious that
high pulls are beneficial for build-
ing back strength, but what most
Franco Columbu
often deadlifted
giant poundages
in his workouts.
Even dogs were
impressed.
trainees don’t understand is that
they’re also valuable to anyone who
wants to get bigger arms—as are any
other pulling movements done with
heavy weights: power cleans, power
snatches, bent-over rows, shrugs and
deadlifts. All of those lifts involve the
prime movers of the upper arm, the
brachialis and brachioradialis. When
those muscles are made consider-
ably stronger, you will be able to
handle more weight plus additional
reps on a variety of specialized bi-
ceps exercises.
The same idea holds true for the
triceps. Take a few months and im-
prove your strength on weighted
dips, flat- and incline-bench presses
and overhead presses, and you’ll find
that you can use higher poundages
on your auxiliary exercises for your
triceps.
For example, let’s say that Bob
can incline-press 290 and flat-bench
press 350. Because of his strength, he
uses 180 for 15 reps on triceps push-
downs and does his straight-arm
pullovers with 125 for 20. In compar-
ison, Ralph can only incline-press
225 and bench 300. The most he can
do is 15 reps on the pushdown with
90, and on the straight-arm pull-
overs he’s been stuck at 65 for 20 for
several months. Which one of those
bodybuilders is going to have the
most impressive triceps?
Looking at it from another per-
spective, let’s say that you can
back-squat 350x5. You take a couple
of months and concentrate on bet-
tering that lift to 405x5, and when
you’re done, the amount of weight
you can use on specialized leg move-
ments like leg extensions, leg curls,
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 Only the Strong Shall Survive
The programs the pros use don’t relate to
99 percent of those who read IM.
the adductor machine and calf rais-
es will go up in direct proportion to
the gains you made on the squat. It’s
simple logic that seems to have been
lost along the way.
When you finally decide to in-
clude some strength training in
your yearly bodybuilding schedule,
there are two approaches to choose
from. Your selection will be a mat-
ter of individual preference. What
the majority of the bodybuilders in
the ’50s and ’60s did was set aside
six to eight weeks in which they did
strength work exclusively. During
the strength cycle they also added
bodyweight, knowing that one of
the best ways to get stronger was to
get bigger. Since the most important
contests corresponded with the
national-level Olympic meets in late
spring and early June, they did their
longest strength cycles in the sum-
mer.
Primary, big-muscle exercises
took priority. Some dropped all
auxiliary work for the smaller
groups, while others included a
few exercises for parts that needed
more attention. Programs were built
around handling heavy poundages
on squats, flat- and incline-bench
presses, overhead presses, weighted
dips, high-pulls, bent-over rows,
shrugs and power cleans and power
snatches, and a number also did full
Morris
snatches and clean and jerks.
Neveux / Model: Mike
Reps were in the low range—sixes,
fives and threes—with six to eight
sets being the norm, They trained
much like the Olympic lifters, doing
one core exercise for each major
muscle group per session. Their
318 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
intent was to get as strong as possible
and not worry about their overall
appearance.
At the conclusion of the strength
cycle they went back to their former
routine and started dropping body-
weight. As I’ve already mentioned,
the boost in overall strength helped
them to charge through their lower-
weight, higher-reps routines. They
did two more, shorter cycles just
before Christmas and again at the
end of winter. Gains came continu-
ously throughout the year and culmi-
nated onstage at the Mr. USA or Mr.
America shows.
It should be noted that a number
of bodybuilders lifted in Olympic
meets to make improvements in one
of the contested lifts, realizing that
the competitive atmosphere would
elevate them to higher levels.
The second method of including
some strength work in a yearly rou-
tine appeals to lots of bodybuilders
because it lets them keep a great
many exercises in their programs
and they enjoy the variety that af-
fords. You work only one of the
major muscle groups in a strength
set-and-rep formula and continue to
train the rest of your body as always.
For example, for two months you
attack your back with those exer-
cises I recommended, using lower
reps, trying to move the top-end
weights up as high as possible. It’s
a smart idea to set some realistic
goals before embarking on any
strength program. Then, when you
reach those goals for the back exer-
cises, give another major group the
strength treatment. Make sure that
you always put the strength exercise
or exercises first in your workouts.
Changing the way you attack the
various muscle groups throughout
the year is very beneficial. It lets you
steadily improve strength in the big
muscles, which, in turn, carries over
to the smaller groups. It’s a win-win
deal.
Keep in mind that strength is as
important to bodybuilders as it is to
any other athletes. A physique built
on a solid foundation of strength is
going to be not only imposing but
also more enduring.
Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a
strength and conditioning coach
at Johns Hopkins University from
1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The
Strongest Shall Survive and Defying
Gravity. IM
More
strength
can create
a bigger,
more solid
foundation.
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 Mind Body
Inner Vision, Outer Limits
Mind-set, might focusing on the task itself tends to make the sport more en- If effort and execution are stressed and all athletes are recog-
IRONMIND

joyable and the training itself rewarding, rather than something nized as valuable, then an internal orientation will be encour-
and muscle that has to be endured to reach some other goal. The upshot aged. In that approach, the emphasis is on skill development,
is that athletes with a task orientation tend to have a long- personal progress and enjoyment of the process.

A
t 6’2” and 310 pounds of muscle, Bill Kazmaier is
one scary-looking dude. He’s a genetic marvel who’s
“trained like a mad dog” for years, and the results speak
for themselves. Bill has more muscle on his forearms than the
average guy has on his legs, but beyond that he’s performed
at unreal levels in the strength world. Bill’s been a world cham-
People have to lift
for themselves,
not to impress
someone or to
beat someone.
pion and a world-record holder in powerlifting, he’s won the
World’s Strongest Man contest three times, and along the way
he’s excelled in everything from Highland Games events to
old-time strongman lifts. If you plunk Bill down in the midst of
today’s top strength athletes, years after he retired from com-
petition, he still draws attention like a magnet. As one guy told
me, “Kaz always has been and
always will be the man.”
Recently I asked Bill what
he thought was the number-
one mistake that people made
in their training. After reflect-
ing on the question for a few
moments, he said, “Lifting for
others.” He went on to explain
that “people have to lift for
themselves, not to impress
somebody or to beat someone
in the gym or wherever.”
Research psychologists
who study motivation in sports
have found that you can di-
vide athletes along the lines of
whether their goals focus on
external things like winning or
on internal things like mastery.
Athletes in the first group mea-
sure their satisfaction in terms
of such signs of success as
win-loss records, medals and
prize money. Athletes in the
second group measure their
satisfaction internally, in terms
of progress and task mastery.
The Kaz advises adopting
the second perspective, but
Neveux \ Model: Gus Malliarodakis
term, often lifelong, relationship with their sport, while those
who focus on externals tend to move on to something else as
soon as they quit winning. It’s been estimated that the attrition
rate across sports tends to run at about 90 percent for kids
as they go from their early teens to their late teens. If you’ve
been training for a while, you know how people come and
go in your gym. Since hard, consistent training is the single
most important determinant of your progress, you should
recognize anything that has even the most remote influence
on your staying power in the gym as a vital training tool. When
your psychological perspective has such a major impact on
whether you even roll into the gym or not, it shouldn’t take a
rocket scientist to figure out which orientation will put you on
track for the long haul.
The internal focus makes the whole activity much more
enjoyable because it focuses on the process of what you’re
doing, not on the result. Thus, for example, if you were doing
high-skill lifts like squat snatches, the internal focus would
have you revel in the movement itself, whether you were lifting
an empty bar or a world-record poundage. An external focus
would emphasize how much you were lifting—anything less
than the world record would ultimately be seen as not just
too little but as a sign of failure. If you were a bodybuilder, an
internal perspective would be to take pleasure in each rep
as a vehicle for stimulating progress, while an external focus
would be to see each rep as a toll that had to be paid if you
were going to beat so-and-so at the next contest.
Remember, the internal focus views each workout as re-
warding in itself, not as something that must be endured.
That might not sound like much, but imagine the growing
power of a technique that makes training something you
look forward to, rather than a dreaded means to a desired
end. Approach your workouts with this attitude, and culti-
vate enjoying the process of training.
Coaches, parents, friends and other significant people
can have a powerful influence on whether an athlete
Finally, don’t think that going for the process rather than
the prize means you have a lackadaisical attitude about your
workouts, expecting little from yourself and embracing me-
diocrity. In fact, you still need to set goals, strive for improve-
ment at each turn, aspire to and revel in setting P.R.s and in
every other way attempt to constantly outshine yesterday’s
performances. The difference is that if you miss a record at-
tempt or have a down day—as you most certainly will—it’s
not the end of your world but just another blip on the radar
screen.
The unvarnished truth is that almost nobody has the genet-
ic package of Bill Kazmaier or another star of similar caliber.
You might train your guts out and still look like last week’s road
kill next to Bill, but if you listen to what he says, you realize
that you stand on common ground when it comes to the great
secret of successful training: The key to hitting your outer
limits depends on adopting an inner vision.
—Randall Strossen, Ph.D.
Editor’s note: Randall Strossen, Ph.D., edits the quar-
terly magazine MILO. He’s also the author of IronMind: Stron-
ger Minds, Stronger Bodies; Super Squats: How to Gain 30
Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks and Paul Anderson: The Mighti-
est Minister. For more information call IronMind Enterprises
Inc. at (530) 265-6725 or Home Gym Warehouse at (800)
447-0008, ext. 1. Visit the IronMind Web site at www
.ironmind.com.
Quotable Quotes
Bodybuilding isn’t about being
better than others; it’s about

what does the psychological adopts an external or an internal orientation. It doesn’t

research have to say?
For starters, focusing on
the process of the sport rather
than the result appears to
have a strong influence on
staying power. That’s because
have to get as extreme as a parent shouting, “Do you being the best you can be.
want that Coke contract or not?” vs. “That was a great
run, wasn’t it?” For example, if mistakes are evaluated —Steve Holman
harshly and the stars get all the attention, athletes tend to
develop an external focus. Another common element in www.X-Rep.com
an external orientation is pitting one athlete against anoth-
er (“Joe’s waiting to take your place if you miss that lift”).

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 321

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Perspective MIND/BODY

Rev Up to Rep Out Does psyching up increase strength?

“P
syching up” refers to mental preparation done study of 12 men and eight women, experimenters examined
just prior to performing a heavy lift. It could be the effects of psyching techniques used before subjects per-
visualization, in which you see yourself success- formed five reps of bench presses on a special machine.1
fully completing the lift—which then becomes a self-fulfilling “Psyching up” was defined as any technique the lifter
prophecy. Arnold Schwarzenegger frequently mentioned he wanted to use to mentally focus on the coming lift. To make
envisioned his biceps as mountain peaks just before doing a it interesting, two other distraction techniques were used in
set of biceps curls. Another technique is self-arousal (which addition to a psych-up. In the attention-placebo control por-
isn’t anything sexual), or whipping yourself into a controlled tion, researchers asked the subjects what their heartbeat was
frenzy before the lift. You see that with a lot of weightlifters and then measured it. The subjects were thereupon told that
and powerlifters, who scream and engage in other theatrics to they’d accurately guessed their heartbeat levels. This was
psych themselves up. meant to divert attention from the forthcoming exercise.
The question is, Does psyching up before a lift actually do The psych-up technique proved superior to the other
anything other than annoy those in the immediate area? In a distraction methods in leading to increased force produc-
tion. Previous research
shows that psyching up
before exercise resulted
in an average 12 percent
increase in strength. In
this study the strength
increase averaged 11.8
percent. The female sub-
jects experienced greater
effects from using the
psych-up than the men:
17.8 percent over the
distraction techniques,
compared to 8.3 percent
for the men. Why the
gender-based difference
occurred wasn’t clear.
Most of the subjects
in the study had at least
one year of training ex-
perience. The authors
think that more research
is needed to see whether
psyching up may prove
equally effective in more
advanced or elite ath-
letes. Judging from what
such athletes routinely do
during training or com-
peting, however, it’s clear
that they use psyching-up
techniques to their ad-
vantage.
–—Jerry Brainum

1 Tod, D.A., et al.

(2005). “Psyching up” en-

Neveux \ Model: Darrell Terrell

hances force production

during the bench press
exercise. J Strength Cond
Res. 19:599-603.

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 Gallery of Ironmen MIND/BODY
MIND/BODY

John Vigna Bodybuilding Italian style

F
ollowing World
War II, American
culture penetrat-
ed the countries that
had suffered under fas-
cist rule. One of those
nations was Italy, and
just as American films,
literature and music
permeated the land of
the Caesars, so too did
American bodybuilding
techniques. Among
the first men to take
those ideas and put
them into a format that
could be used by his
fellow countrymen was
Giovanni Vignarelli, but

Photo courtesy of the David Chapman collection

it was as “John Vigna”
that he achieved fame.
In 1954 he published
Muscoli e bellezza
(Muscles and Beauty),
the first book of body-
building exercises in
the Italian language;
it was subtitled Ital-
ian-American Treatise
on Advanced Physical
Culture.” Prior to that,
authors had written books on gym-
nastic exercises, but Vigna’s was the
first to address the issue of muscle-
building for appearance as opposed
to general health and strength.
Vigna confesses in the introduction
to his book that he was ashamed of
his body when he was 16; he was
tall and skinny and longed to improve
his physique. Eventually he took up
rugby and became a member of Italy’s
national team, but still he didn’t put
on the kind of muscular bulk that he
wanted. Postwar Italy was a place
of great change and experimenta-
tion. Much of the country had been
bombed and devastated by the war;
food was often scarce or of poor
quality. One thing it had plenty of
were American GIs, and those healthy
and well-fed specimens of American
manhood had a tremendous impact
on both Italy in general and young
Giovanni in particular. Even more
important were the photos of foreign
bodybuilders (especially American)
that began to appear in Italy.
The first great international compe-
tition occurred in 1950 in London, the
Mr. Universe, and it was won by Steve
Reeves. Pictures of the victor soon
flooded the sporting newspapers of
Europe, and it didn’t take long for the
young Italian to figure out that the
secret to such a physique was training
with weights. Soon he’d transformed
his body, and he began to help others
to do the same. He changed his name
to the more American-sounding John
Vigna and opened a gym in his native
Turin.
Magazines from the U.S. became
available in Italy, and Vigna refined his
workout methods even more. Through
trial and error, Vigna finally settled on
what he called his Perfect Series of
exercises, involving simple calisthenics
and weight training. The athlete’s first
book acknowledged his debt to North
America: “Above all, I felt the advice
of the American athletes helped me
enormously to make my physique (as
well as those of my students) more
harmonious.” It wasn’t until 1959 that
Cultura Fisica, the first Italian body-
building magazine appeared, but by
then Vigna and others had done their
work, and athletes from all over the
country were ready to compare them-
selves to bodybuilders from all over
the world.
—David Chapman

324 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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He wanted to fight—until I
crushed
his hand.
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pissed. And he wanted
to kick my butt. There
was no way out, so I
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 Biology MIND/BODY

Blast Out of the

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I
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Address those deficiencies in the gym and Why? It appears that
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Neveux \ Model: Timea Majorova

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326 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Remember when the strongest
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 IRON MAN MAGAZINE PROUDLY PRESENTS:

DAN
DECKER
Photography by Bill Comstock
To see more great photos
of upcoming physique stars, visit

www.GraphicMuscle.com

GM Star Stats
Weight: 215 Height: 5’11” Age: 32
Factoid: Dan started training with
weights in his parents’ basement in Indi-
ana when he was in 10th grade. He won
the Muscle Beach bodybuilding contest on
July 4, 2005, in Venice, California.

328 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 329

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 Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
Growth Hormone and
the Fat-Burning Zone
Although many scientists suggest that growth hormone
has little or no anabolic effect on those not deficient in it,
nearly all agree that it does have potent effects on fat use
and levels in the body. GH helps maintain lean tissue at
the expense of bodyfat. In essence, using it drives the body
to preserve protein stores in muscle, along with glycogen
stored in liver and muscle, and use stored fat for energy
purposes.
Most studies of GH have examined its body composi-
tion effects during resting conditions. They always show a
remarkable increase in the use of fat after GH administra-
tion. But what about during exercise?
A recent study examined the use of GH prior to exercise
in seven well-trained young men, average age 25.1 The
men were injected with 7.5 units of GH four hours before
engaging in a two-hour stationary cycling bout. Other
subjects received a placebo. The four-hour time span was
chosen because prior studies show that it takes about four
hours for injectable versions of GH to peak in the blood.
Two hours after receiving the injection, all subjects ate a
meal that reflected 30 percent of their total daily activity
energy requirement, calculated based on the research-
ers’ observations and measurements during three days of
activity. The meal contained 59 percent carbs, 21 percent
fat and 19 percent protein.
Injecting GH led to a 60-fold increase in plasma GH
In a recent study a group of subjects who got growth hormone
injections showed more than twice the level of fat release than
a placebo group.
330 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
levels at rest and during exercise. At rest that resulted in an
8 percent increase in blood glycerol levels, an indication of
fat release in the body. The level of glycerol released dur-
ing exercise after GH, however, was far more pronounced:
716 percent over baseline, or resting, levels. Those in the
placebo group showed a 328 percent increase in glycerol
during exercise, demonstrating that this group was also
releasing fat during the exercise. That wasn’t unexpected,
since the exercise was designed to promote the highest
release of fat. Still, the GH group experienced more than
twice the level of fat release.
The study’s most interesting finding was that although
the GH group released more fat during exercise, the
amount of fat oxidation, or burning, during exercise wasn’t
significantly different between the two groups. The GH
group showed an increase in fatty acids in the blood that
would normally be removed by insulin after a meal con-
taining carbs was eaten—but the injected GH was potent
enough to overcome the effect.
So why didn’t GH increase fat burning during the exer-
cise session? Eating two hours before the workout likely
played a role. If the body has a sufficient supply of carbo-
hydrate available, as it did in this case, it uses the carbs as
fuel before using fat. That implies that it’s best to work out
on an empty stomach.
The same is true for GH-releasing supplements. Since
many of them are based on amino acids, eating protein
too close to taking the supplement would also negate the
effect of GH release.
The next study should feature GH administered on an
empty stomach prior to exercise. Also, be aware that fat
mobilization isn’t the same as oxidation, or burning. Many
supplements that lead to fat mobilization, or release from
fat cells, don’t lead to actual fat oxidation unless you
do something to actively oxidize the fat, such as
aerobic exercise. Otherwise the fat is simply rede-
posited in cells. Thus, if you use a supplement in the
hopes of increasing fat burning, you’d be wise to use
it before exercise.
Who Uses What and Why
A group of pharmacists, noting that previous sur-
veys of anabolic steroid and other drug use among
bodybuilders and athletes were out of date, decided
to use the Internet to conduct an updated survey.
They recently published the results.2 The authors
placed links to their survey on various Web sites and
bulletin boards related to health, fitness and body-
building. They received 207 detailed replies, which,
judging by the responses, appear to offer a truthful
assessment of current anabolic drug use.
The average respondent to the survey was 27 years
old and had been training for 8 1/2 years, spending
an average 7.4 hours a week in the gym. Nineteen
were competitive bodybuilders, 16 were competitive
weightlifters, 174 were noncompetitive bodybuild-
ers, and 37 others were athletes in various sports or
firefighters. Most said they obtained their drug in-
formation from the Internet, which wasn’t surprising
considering that the survey itself was Internet-based.
Others got their info from books and magazines. Few
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received any guidance from any medical professional.
The respondents, who were all anonymous, reported
using an average of 3.1 drugs, with cycles ranging from
five to 10 weeks. The doses used were five to 29 times
greater than any physician would prescribe. The most
popular drugs were two injectables: Deca-Du-
rabolin and Sustanon, and half the respon-
dents used both of them. Another 25
percent used testosterone propionate,
Winstrol and Equipoise. Other drugs
used in cycles included Clomid,
Arimidex, clenbuterol, Cytomel,
human growth hormone, insulin,
Nolvadex, HCG, metformin and
finesteride. More than two-thirds
also took dietary supplements,
such as creatine, with one-third
using glutamine and protein
supplements.
Concerning adverse effects
from the drug use, one-
third reported acne, 10
percent water retention,
8 percent testicular at-
rophy (shrunken testicles),
7 percent gynecomastia, 5
percent oily skin, 4 percent hair
loss, 4 percent increased blood
pressure, 2 percent increased
appetite, 2 percent joint
pain and 2 percent abnormal
lipid levels. When questioned
about whether drug use af-
fected mood states, 54 percent
responded yes. Psychological
side effects such as increased
aggression and irritability oc-
curred in 11 percent. Other mental effects reported in-
cluded increased mood, increased sex drive, mood swings,
decreased mood, insomnia and decreased libido. The
last-named effect most often occurred when respondents
were getting off the drugs. Another 33 percent reported
symptoms related to withdrawal effects indicative of drug
dependence.
The authors did cite limitations to their survey. Only
those with access to a computer would participate, since
it was entirely a Web-based survey. Those not likely to
participate included ultrahigh-dose users, those whose
livelihood depends on athletic performance, users at risk
for legal problems and paranoid users who thought they
might be traceable despite the anonymous nature of the
survey.
The survey shows that most bodybuilders still don’t
heed the steroid-related health warnings. That’s likely the
result of most medical doctors’ lack of knowledge about
anabolic drugs coupled with their refusal to respond to
questions about the effects of the drugs—other than the
usual platitudes about how dangerous they are. Yet the
apparent lack of massive numbers of fatalities related to
steroid use convinces many potential users that the risks
are probably exaggerated.
The drug use reported in the survey reveals that current
users have knowledge of the drugs’ effects. That’s reflected
in the choice of aromatase-inhibiting drugs, such as Arim-
The most popular
anabolic drugs,
according to a
recent survey, are
two injectables:
Deca-Durabolin and
Sustanon.
idex, to counter the estrogen-increasing effects of
various androgens, such as testosterone. Yet the list
of side effects suggests that not everybody realizes
the impact steroid use can have on the human body.
The survey found some level of health concern, in that
injectables were favored over oral anabolic drugs, which
are known to be more immediately toxic. The other drugs
used to counter effects of orals are also indicative of long-
term health concerns.
Nick Evans, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and oc-
casional IRON MAN contributor, conducted another
Internet-based survey of drug use and got similar
results. His survey, reported at the 2005 meeting of the
American College of Sports Medicine, featured 500
responses. Of those, 78.4 percent were noncompeti-
tive bodybuilders. Nearly 60 percent said they used at
least 1,000 milligrams of testosterone a week, and 99
percent administer the drugs themselves. Another 13
percent used unsafe practices, such as reusing needles,
sharing needles (ever heard of HIV or hepatitis C?)
and sharing multidose vials. About 25 percent also used
growth hormone and insulin. Some 99 percent reported
some type of side effect from their drug usage.
The major problem with self-administering anabolic
drugs is that you can’t monitor what’s going on inside your
body. You may look big and healthy on the outside, but
something serious could be happening inside. Another
concern, which I’ve repeatedly pointed out in this column,
is individual reactions to various drugs. Some people may
make serious gains, while others may be the unlucky ones
who have heart attacks or develop cancer. That again
calls for some type of close medical monitoring. Even if
a health professional frowns on anabolic drug use, the
person using such drugs should undergo regular medical
testing to ensure that some untoward side effect isn’t oc-
curring. Even the many Internet drug gurus who provide
often dubious drug regimens agree on the importance of
medical monitoring of anabolic drug use.
References
1 Hansen, M., et al. (2005). No effect of growth hormone
administration on substrate oxidation during exercise in
young, lean men. J Physiol. 567:1035-45.
2 Perry, P.J., et al. (2005). Anabolic steroid use in weight-
lifters and bodybuilders: An Internet survey of drug utiliza-
tion. Clin J Sports Med. 15:326-30. IM
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ FEBRUARY 2006 331
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 “Drive a Stake Through the
Heart of the Metabolic Menace
That’s Causing You to Lose
Muscle and Gain Fat”
Try a little experiment: Get into
your car and jump on the nearest
highway—somewhere you can
“open it up.” Get up to a good 55 or
60 MPH. Okay, are you there? Good.
Now slam it into reverse! You’re
sayin… “This guy’s a friggen head-
case!” I mean, I don’t care whether
you’re riding an old clunker or a
precision German auto, you’re just
not going to treat your car like that,
right?
So why would you treat your body
like that?
Excess cortisol can cause muscle to melt
away. If you control your body’s output of
it, you rev up the anabolic process to
staggering levels.
What’s that? Now you’re saying
“Hey, what are you talking about? I
treat my body like GOLD. I train. I
do cardio. I eat the best foods. Now
here comes this pinhead telling me I
mistreat my body!”
Take a deep breath. Here’s what
I’m ranting about:
Successful bodybuilding is all
about finding the optimal balance.
Think about it. There’s an optimal
balance between training and rest…
an optimal balance between pro-
tein, carbohydrates and fat. And all
of it leads to the balance of powerful
hormones critical to bodybuilding
success.
Here’s the challenge: The slightest
bit of overtraining, insufficient recov-
ery between workouts, lack of sleep
or stress can cause an excessive re-
lease of the catabolic (protein-break-
down) hormone cortisol. When that
happens, it sends your metabolism
into a tailspin. Your muscle starts
feeding off itself. Worse yet, the low-
ered metabolism causes you to store
fat. It’s called metabolic downgrade.
You can go in and out of it within
hours. It’s so detrimental to your
bodybuilding progress. Like slam-
ming your car into reverse at 60
MPH! It can leave you disillusioned,
frustrated and confused.
But I haven’t even gotten to the
worst part of what excess cortisol can
do. It’ll slow your progress or even
brings muscle gains to a complete
stop. But…
The Worst Part Is, Excess
Cortisol Can Destroy Much
of the Hard-Earned Muscle
That You’ve Already Built!
And that sucks! For a bodybuilder
it’s a train wreck. Fortunately, you
can fight the overproduction of corti-
sol. How? First, by avoiding over-
training. That’s simple. But it may not
be enough. There’s something else
you can do.
Studies show Phosphatidylserine
(PS), the active ingredient in Cort-
Bloc™ is an anti-catabolic agent that
lowers your cortisol levels effectively.
How Effective Is It?
It may be the most powerful body-
Muscle
growth is
significantly
faster when
cortisol is low
or absent.
Control of that
stress
hormone is
one of the
things
anabolic
steroids
accomplish.
building supplement of the past cortisol at the blood-brain barrier. 60-capsule bottles) for only $69.95
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And that means muscle growth is Conquering the overproduction paper. Place it in an envelope,
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 Readers Write
Big Bodybuilding Babes
Neveux
What is this 20 percent-less-muscle rule for women
bodybuilders? Is this another feeble attempt to delay the
development of the sport? For the past five years contest
coverage depicts the same competitors in all the major
contests, only the final placings are shuffled to make it
seem as if the sport is evolving in the more muscular direc-
tion. By this time I thought we’d see athletes like Andrulla
Blanchette, Colette Nelson, Maria Calo and others featured
in the pages of IM. The longer you suppress and restrain the
progression of the sport, the less popular appeal it will have.
You need to let women’s bodybuilding become women’s
bodybuilding and not let it regress into a woman’s beauty
contest. By the way, whatever happened to all the televised
contests that used to air on ESPN? They just totally disap-
peared.
Rich Poonarian
Oradell, NJ
Editor’s note: In a way, you may have answered your
own question with that last statement. The powers that be
in the sport have decided to try and give women’s body-
building broader appeal by reducing the mass requirement.
Will it work? Time will tell. All we can say is, Where are Cory
Everson and Carla Dunlap in contest shape when you need
them?
Racist and Boring
The reason most of us have lost interest in women’s
bodybuilding is because it has become racist. Because black
women dominate, [coverage] went to fitness and figure,
336 FEBRUARY 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
where most [competitors] are white girls. That eliminates
Kim Harris and Lesa Lewis, who are the best.
Instead of skinny white models, a bodybuilding maga-
zine should display the likes of Kim and Lesa—centerfolds
and 20 pages of them. Publishing companies put out calen-
dars of women golfers and tennis players. Why not a cal-
endar of Kim and Lesa—lingerie, bikinis, whatever—and
plenty of back views flexing?
no name provided
Tampa, FL
Discovery Channels
I subscribe to [a few other muscle magazines], and all
I find is the promotion of products. That’s not what I’m
looking for. Today I bought IRON MAN, and there’s enough
information in it to keep me busy for a month, until the
next issue comes out. It’s excellent, the kind of magazine
I’ve been looking for. Thank you.
David Rodriguez
via Internet
Hardcore Cover
IRON MAN is the best maga-
zine out there, but usually the
cover is boring, with a smiling
couple. I was elated when I got
my December ’05 issue, and there
was my favorite bodybuilder, Jay
Cutler, in a gritty hardcore black-
and-white training shot. That’s
what IM is all about! Also, the fea-
ture on his training was excellent.
I read it three times and have
adopted many of his techniques
for my own workout.
Simon Baron
via Internet
Info and
Inspiration
Thanks for all the information in IRON MAN and [re-
lated publications]. I just started Phase 4 from the Train,
Eat, Grow book and have never had better gains. I look big-
ger and feel better. And the X-Rep stuff is great too. Steve
Holman and Jonathan Lawson are inspiring, and I want to
thank them for weeding out all the crap. I’ve been training
for more than 18 years, and [Steve and Jonathan’s insights
and information] have made it fun for me again!
J. Turnbo
via Internet
Editor’s note: For more on X-Rep training and Steve
and Jonathan’s latest ripping-phase photos, visit www
.X-Rep.com or www.BeyondX-Rep.com.
Vol. 65, No. 2: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Pub-
lishing, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Periodical Mail is paid at Oxnard, CA, and at
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives
Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscrip-
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U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call
1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be
reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.
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