Muscular Development 2009-12
Muscular Development 2009-12
Muscular Development 2009-12
GUNS
KETO DIET RISK?
HARVARD STUDY
EXCLUSIVE
OLYMPIA
SIGHTINGS!
TRAINING
252 Blood & Guts By Dorian Yates 276 No Juice Bodybuilding By Layne Norton 282 The Clear Chemist By Patrick Arnold 310 Extreme Muscle Enhancement
By Carlon M. Colker, M.D., FACN
104 Research: Nutrition By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D. 136 Supplement Performance Protease Supplementation
Enhances Muscle Recovery By Robbie Durand, M.A.
318 Womens Bodybuilding By Cheri Owen NEW! 320 The Pro Maker By George Farah NEW! 326 The Predator By Kai Greene 330 The True Victor By Victor Martinez 334 Straight Talk from the Brooklyn Knight By Branden Ray NEW! 336 Raw Power! By Rodney Roller NEW! 340 Mass With Class By Branch Warren 346 Mark of a Champion By Mark Alvisi 352 Beast From the East By Evan Centopani 362 The Big Bad Wolf: The Peoples Choice
By Dennis Wolf
FAT LOSS
84
Research: Fat Loss By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
Cardiovascular Risks? By Dan Gwartney, M.D.
368 Erik The House Fankhouser By Erik Fankhouser 372 Trainer of Champions By Charles Glass 378 The Pro Creator By Hany Rambod
DRUGS
110 Research: Drugs By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D. 260 Testosterone Androgen Receptor Sensitivity: All Men
Are Not Created Equal By Dan Gwartney, M.D.
288 The Anabolic Doc Raw and Uncensored By Thomas OConnor, M.D. NEW! 294 Anabolic Pharmacology Steroid of the Month:
Dromostanolone By Seth Roberts
298 Anabolic Research Update By William Llewellyn 304 Anabolics Q&A By William Llewellyn 306 Anabolic Edge By Jose Antonio, Ph.D. 314 Busted! Legal Q&A By Rick Collins, J.D.
118 Research: Sex By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D. 134 Bodybuilding Science Are You Sleeping Enough for Optimal
Testosterone Production? By Robbie Durand, M.A.
268 Ramblin Freak By Gregg Valentino 386 Hot Shoppe By Angela T. Frizalone 388 Web Directory 390 MD Marketplace By Angela T. Frizalone & Manda Machado 406 Last Writes By Lee Priest JAY CUTLER TAKES IVE BACK HIS CROWN! EXCLUS ! MR. OLYMPIA 2009 PHOTOS SEE MD PEOPLE PG. 32!
FEATURES
150 CANADIAN INVASION! Rookies Fouad Abiad and Ben
Pakulski are Making Noise in the IFBB By Ron Harris
editors letter
By Steve Blechman Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
ROAD TO THE
NATIONALS
T
he battle at the beach is about to begin. MD will be there, the weekend of November 20th and 21st, at the NPC Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale the show that wraps up the amateur season for the whole year. This contest has given us some of the best pro bodybuilders the sport has ever seen, such as Lee Haney, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone and MDs own Evan Centopani, who won the Overall in 2007. To win at the Nationals almost guarantees you a great pro career its that tough a competition. And the lineup this year is an impressive mix of classic shape and proportion, heavyweight mass monsters, and some of the biggest arms the sport has ever seen. But before we look at MDs top picks for the showdown, Id like to draw your attention to the two amazing young pros on our cover, our new team MD athletes, Fouad Abiad and Ben Pakulski. Fouad and Ben both hail from Ontario, and both became pros by winning the Super-heavyweight and Overall titles at the CBBF Canadian Championships. Ron Harris talks with Fouad Hoss Abiad and Ben PakMan Pakulski about how each one got their start, their strong points and what they each still need to work on. Ron also gets them to rate each others physiques. Amazing back and shoulders, offers Ben about Fouad. His quads, hams and calves are at the Olympia level already, says Fouad about Ben. These rookies are making some big noise in the IFBB; both of them are forces to be reckoned with! Read Canadian Invasion! on page 150, for their full profiles, contest histories, and the work theyre doing with Hany Rambod. Lee Banks may just be the best amateur heavyweight in America. If youre gonna beat him youre gonna have to be damn good. Lee gave MDs own Mark Alvisi the fight of his life in the Heavies at the USA this year before Mark stormed the Overall. Everyone whos beaten Lee in the last few years is already a pro; Banks just needs to come into Ft. Lauderdale at his best to ace his pro card. And Lee feels good about the Nationals; hes already beaten all the other Heavies going in. Read Bank on It! on page 198 by Ron Harris, to find out how this body shaper, as he calls himself, added quality mass to balance his physique, as he amped-up his training with Hany Rambod, to prepare for the Nationals. Big Robert Burneika will be armed and dangerous at the Nationals this year. This huge Russian diamondin-the-rough, a gigantic bastard about the size of Jay Cutler, owns some of the biggest cannons in the sport. Inspired at the age of 14 by Arnold Pumping Iron on the silver screen, Robert knew in that moment he would never want to work in his dads autobody shop; instead, his goal would be to make his body into something spe-
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cial. I found that I was naturally very strong, Burneika says about the immediate results he achieved when he began lifting. Read Lithuanian Leviathon, on page 210, to find out about this mass invasion, straight out of Mother Russia! Young newcomer and new Team MD athlete Seth Ferocious Feroce is training to win! Seth carries tons of muscle and is very complete. Some say he hasnt paid his dues; he never competed until spring of this year, but then took Light-heavyweight and Overall at the Pittsburgh Championships and Heavyweight Winner in Northern Kentucky. Is he good enough for the fast track to the IFBB? It all comes down to who looks best that day on the stage, answers Seth Feroce in Ferocious Road to the Nationals, on page 178. Flex Wheeler looks at some of the competition at the upcoming Nationals and critiques their physiques. In Battle in Fort Lauderdale! on page 166, Flex gives us the 2009 NPC Nationals Preview. New pros, coming right up! Classic shape and proportion; that about sums up the amazing physique of Shawn Rhoden. In Shawn Flexatron Rodens Amazing Comeback, on page 224, Flex Wheeler talks with Shawn, who decided to return to competition after seven years away, and then stormed to a Heavyweight and Overall victory at the IFBB North American. Read about Flexatrons triumphant return to the stage. This month marks the debut of George Farahs The Pro Maker on page 320. Farah gives a detailed breakdown of his Pre-contest Game Plan and talks about how to create a pro. You wont want to miss it! And dont miss The Girls from Metroflex, Part II on page 238. Thats right the girls are back in town and getting physical! The rest of the issue is jam-packed as usual, with the latest news, views and in-depth scientific research from the industrys top experts; everything you need to know about bodybuilding. Its all right here in the worlds best hardcore resource. See you next month!
Cover photos are by Per Bernal
Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Steve Blechman Senior Science Editor Robbie Durand, MA Managing Editor Angela T. Frizalone Creative Director Alan Dittrich, Jr. Associate Editor Alan Golnick Associate Art Director Stephen Kolbasuk Assistant Editor Louise Powell Contributing Editors Carlon Colker, M.D.,Thomas Fahey Ph.D. Dan Gwartney, M.D. Executive Assistant Michele Gampel Photographers Chief Photographer: Per Bernal Bill Comstock Illustrators Bill Hamilton, Jerry Beck Advertising Advertising DirectorAngela T. Frizalone (239) 495-6899 Corporate Office 800-653-1151, 631-751-9696 Circulation Consultants Irwin Billman & Ralph Pericelli
To Order a Subscription: (888) 841-8007 Customer Service & Subscription Inquiries: (631) 751-9696; 1-800-653-1151
Advanced Research Press, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertising at its discretion. MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT (ISSN 0047-8415) is published monthly by Advanced Research Press, 690 Route 25A, Setauket, New York, 11733. Copyright 2008 by Advanced Research Press. All rights reserved. Copyright under the Universal Copyright Convention and the International Copyright Convention. Copyright reserved under the Pan Am Copyright. Rate: $49.97 per year (USA); $79.97 per two years (USA); foreign: $79.97 per year. Nothing appearing in MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT may be reprinted, either wholly or in part, without the written consent of the publisher. Send editorial submissions to: MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, 690 Route 25A, Setauket, New York, 11733. Stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited submissions. All letters, photos, manuscripts, etc. sent to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT will be considered as intended for publication, and MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT reserves the right to edit and/or comment. Periodical postage paid at Setauket, N.Y. 11733, and at Glasgow, KY 42141. Postmaster: Send address changes to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, Box 834, East Setauket, NY 11733-9704. Advertising Office Phone: (239) 495-6899. PRINTED IN USA
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mailroom
The Write Stuff
Shawns Rays Industry Insider Buzz is a welcome addition to the MD lineup. Its cool to get the latest scoop on bodybuilding from a true legend in the sport, Mr. Shawn Ray. Its good to see pro bodybuilders who have a career after they hang up their posing trunks. Shawn has proven that he has brains to top off his champion physique, and the pen can be mightier than the dumbbells and tanning oil. Marvin, e-mail
An Important Message
Im a longtime reader of MD, and I think that Publisher Steve Blechmans messages in his Editors Letter are terrific. Each month, Steve flexes his philosophical and mental muscles and gives MDs readers a unique perspective on whats inside the issue. We get a warm and enthusiastic welcome, and we have no choice but to keep reading the best bodybuilding magazine on the planet! Kostya, e-mail
Royal Flush
Gregg Valentino is the king of bodybuilding humor! His Ramblin Freak column is hysterical, and Im especially partial to his toilet humor. He says the kind of crazy shit (oops pardon the pun) that we all think about eventually, but very few journalists have the balls to report. He really gets to the bottom of things! Mark, e-mail www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
By TEAM MD
MDPeople
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TEAM MD BRINGS YOU INDUSTRY SIGHTINGS FROM THE 2009 MR. OLYMPIA, SEPTEMBER 25 & 26TH, 2009.
2nd Place 202 Mr. Olympia DAVID HENRY 6th PlaceVICTOR MARTINEZ
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SHAWN RAYS
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THE GOSPEL
AccordingtoLEE
By Lee Priest
Hes got an opinion actually a lot of opinions and hes not afraid to express them. Being politically correct is not how Lee Priest rolls, so if you are easily offended, you may want to flip a couple pages!
show especially a show of this caliber takes every last ounce of your energy. Never mind that the last thing you are thinking about is to shoot videos every day, charting your progress for everybody to see. No. Speaking from experience and having competed in the Mr. Olympia six times, I can tell you that you are focused on one thing and one thing only, and that is to train hard, diet even harder, and show up in your best condition so the fans and the press can say, Wow, he looks great! But now we have some fans who feel it is their God-given right to have access to the pros 24/7, regardless of where they are or what they are doing. They feel the pros owe it to them to be accessible day or night and show daily progress, just so they can talk more shit about them. Ah, hes behind, hes gonna be fat, or Hes overdieted, hes gonna come in too small! If the pro doesnt cater to the fans and post pictures and videos and daily accounts of what he is eating and how he is feeling (tired and miserable, you can bet), then he is labeled an asshole who doesnt care about the fans! To this type of fan I say: Get a fucking life! Stop trying to live vicariously through these guys and give them a break. Let them do their job, because believe me, this is a job. Its a job they give their hearts and souls to. Not only is it how they make their living as professional athletes, but they know if they dont look their absolute best, you the fan will say he should hang it up. Hes done. And why the fuck did he do all those interviews and workout videos, knowing he had to get ready for the Mr. Olympia? December 2009
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sooner or later the magazines come to you. Ill tell you what, though. Ill put in a good word to Willy Wonka, Mickey Mouse, and Bugs Bunny. You know them all, because they all live in the same place you inhabit fantasyland! Im not sure if youre stupid, delusional, incredibly arrogant, or all of the above. Dont get me wrong, though. If you think you can be a top pro, go for it. Dont let the opinion of a bitter bastard Down Under squash your dreams. Ive never seen you and for all I know, maybe you do have the potential to be The Next Big Thing. But based on how you talk about yourself and the things youre asking for, I think you might have a few loose kangaroos in your top paddock, mate! A hundred thousand bucks a year would be OK for now to hold you over, eh? Why dont you do this? Send your best photos, a resume, and a cover letter out to a few different magazines and supplement companies. Have a decent website built and maintain a weekly or at least monthly blog to let people know what youre up to. Go to the bigger shows like the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia and try to meet as many people as you can. If indeed you are as good as you say, someone is sure to notice and make you some type of offer. I really doubt its going to be as much money as youre hoping for at this point, but something is better than nothing and at least youll be getting your foot in the door. It just galls me to hear from guys who have yet to prove themselves, yet think they are entitled to the same type of lucrative endorsement contracts that only very few pros have. You need to walk before you can run, son! Cant get enough of the outspoken Mr. Priest? Go to www.musculardevelopment.com Forums, and check out The Lee Priest Zone, his very own section of the No Bull forum.
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muscular development.com
By Gregg Valentino
WOO-HOO, ITS NOW THE END OF OCTOBER, SO I JUST WANNA SAY >> In honor of Halloween, Im about to perform an unspeakable pagan ritual. So please leave a message. Unless youre a young virgin, in which case, why dont you just stop by YEAH, LIKE THERES REALLY SUCH A THING AS A VIRGIN ANYMORE Department of Redundancy Department: Against stupidity, the Gods themselves struggle in vain!! OK, LETS MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE ALL KNOW THAT THESE INTERNET BOARDS HAVE SOME REAL WHACKJOBS ON THEM IM AMAZED AT HOW SOME GUYS POST ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT I MEAN REALLY YO, DO THEY EVER GO TO WORK DO THEY HAVE A GIRLFRIEND... DO THEY EVER SLEEP??? ANYWAY, WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT MAGAZINE & MuscularDevelopment.com JOIN FORCES AS ONE ENTITY Caution Warning: Contents under pressure!!! OH YEAH BABE, IF YOURE NOT A MEMBER OF THE MD FORUM, YOURE MISSING OUT ON TALKING TO THE HOTTEST BODYBUILDING STARS OF TODAY OK OK OK ENOUGH BULLSHIT, LETS SEE WHAT THE PROS ARE SAYING TO THE MEMBERS OF MuscularDevelopment.com Its hard to get the big picture when you have such a small screen OK, EVERYONE ON OUR FORUM IS ASKING THE PROS QUESTIONS, AND THE ANSWERS ARE EXCLUSIVE TO MD MEMBERS ONLY SO NOW HERE ARE MY LITTLE TEASERS FOR THIS MONTH FIRST UP IS A QUESTION EVAN CENTOPANI >You need to CHALLENGE yourself, but weight is simply a means to an end. The weight is not the goal. If you are a powerlifter then obviously your goal is to move as much weight as possible. This is bodybuilding. Nobody gives a shit. YA GOTTA LOVE EVANS THINKING, I KNOW I DO!!! NOW HERE IS MORE OF EVANS OPINION ON THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT YOU NEED TO LIFT TO BUILD SIZE AGAIN FROM THE BRAIN OF EVAN CENTOPANI>. To be honest, I really dont make the weight my focus. I dont like lifting from the floor because I feel it puts my back in a com1. Protein 450 grams, carbs 600 promised position. Johnny grams, fats only in my salads Jackson is definitely strong as 2. Add supplements, creatine, hell and he has a great physique, glutamine, bcaa, aminos but I dont think being able to 3.16 weeks out, I start my prep deadlift all that weight really 4. I do carb cycle in contestamounts to all that much on a prep, cardio I start slowly, 30 bodybuilding stage. When youre minutes for starters, then I add onstage, no one gives a shit how if I need more to get lean much you deadlift, how much 5. First I change diet, then I add you bench, what your measurecardio. ments are etc. etc.... you just AND EUGENE ALSO SAID THAT look how you look and its HE CONCENTRATES ON forearms either good enough to win or its 5-25 reps abs 5-40 reps, not. But thanks for the advice. calves 5-25-50 reps I do abs So far, I havent felt like my and calves every other day << back development has been THOSE ARE HIS EXACT WORDS!!! dependent upon the weight I AND AS ALWAYS, THATS SOME use. But if I ever hit a wall and GREAT ADVICE FROM A GREAT my developBODYBUILDER AND I GOTTA ment slows TELL YA EUGENE MISHIN HAS down and I HELPED OUT A LOT OF FORUM cant MEMBERS WITH THEIR CONTEST attribute it to PREP AND TRAINING HE IS anything ANSWERING QUESTIONS EVERY else, then SINGLE DAY ON THE MD PROS maybe I will FORUM PERSONALLY, I LIKE make weight EUGENE A LOT NOW LETS more of a SEE WHAT ONE OF MY focus. FAVORITE BODYBUILDERS IS GOD, I LOVE SAYING TO THE MD FORUM EVAN CENTOPANI THE WAY MEMBERS Join Date: Dec 2006 EVAN THINKS I NOW GIVE YOU THE MIND OF FOR IFBB PRO AND ONE HUGE GUY IN PERSON THE RUSSIAN MASS MONSTER HIMSELF, EUGENE MISHIN Hey Eugene! In the off-season you say you have 7-8 meals, so whats your macros of proteins/carbs/fats in grams? Do you do 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight? What is your ratio for everything??? NOW HERE IS EUGENE MISHINs ANSWER
TEAM MD athlete
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More reps will not give you AND I PERSONALLY COULDNT more detail. More muscle and AGREE WITH HIM MORE!!!!... AND less body fat will give you more LETS NOT FORGET THAT EVAN detail. You dont need some WON THE NY PRO IN HIS VERY intricate training style. You just FIRST PRO SHOW!!! MEANING need to PUSH as hard as you EVAN IS ON HIS WAY TO THE TOP can with progressively heavier NOT TOO MANY GUYS WIN A BIG weight. And after you do that, PRO SHOW AS THEIR FIRST you eat. Simple. GODDAMN, SHOW THATS SOME GREAT ADVICE SO NOW WITH THAT SAID, I RIGHT THERE I FUCKING LOVE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU ANOTHIT!!!!... ER GREAT PEARL OF WISDOM I WILL NOW FINISH UP THIS FROM THIS FUTURE SUPERSTAR OF BODYBUILDING EVAN CEN- MONTH WITH YET ANOTHER ONE OF MY NEW FAVORITE BODYTOPANI SPEAKS AGAIN>> BUILDERS, A GUY WHO I LIKED First off, I dont believe anyVERY MUCH AS SOON AS I MET thing is more for bulking or HIM NEW MD PRO AND FUTURE cutting... thats just dumb. All STAR MARK ALVISI that exists is training MY NEW PAL MARK IS that is effective and ON THE FORUM EACH training that is bullDAY AND HERE IS A shit. Our objective is POST HE MADE ALWAYS to train to EXPLAINING HIS CONstimulate new musTEST PREP TO ONE OF cle growth. Even THE FORUM when we diet and MEMBERS I depletare calorie-restricted for a few days and ed, we train the started loading on same way to keep MARK ALVISI Wed. before the the muscle there as Join Date: Dec 2006 show. I really never we did to put it on. dropped my carbs lower then 100 gm a day. I prob did about 700 carbs a day Wed. & Thurs. and 500 on Fri. & 500 on Sat. Just ate every couple of hours. Mostly steak and potatoes... sorry guys, no tricks just know what foods your body likes. As far as water goes, I did 2 gallons a day until Tues., then Wed. 1 gallon, Thurs. 1/2 gallon, then Friday maybe 1 liter and Sat. 3/4 of a liter and yes, I was thirsty! OH YEAH BABE, I THINK I MADE MY POINT IT PAYS TO BE A MEMBER & YOU CAN EVEN GET A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED IN THE BEST DAMN BODYBUILDING MAGAZINE ON THE PLANET YO, ITS JUST LIKE LOTTO >> YA GOTTA BE IN IT TO WIN IT OH SHIT, NOW EVEN IM ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON THE MD FORUM YO I GOTTA RUN, I GOTTA ANSWER THESE REQUESTS, YES IM DONE NOW SEE YOU ON THE FORUM OH HOW RUDE!!! You all need to learn not to interrupt me when Im talking to myself!!!
TEAM MD athlete
WHAT??? DID SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING STUPID? OH, OK ITS JUST YOU!!!! Name: Adam Bronk MD Forum member screen name: Bronk Hometown: Montreal High School Name: West Island college Age: 18 Sports / Activities / Hobbies: Bodybuilding, Hockey, Snowboarding Favorite TV Show: Anything on the food network
Favorite Music: Hip Hop Biggest Influence: Victor Martinez Favorite Food: Steak Favorite Junk Food: Sushi Years Bodybuilding: 2 Goals for the Future: To compete and win of course Favorite Bodybuilders: Victor, Ronnie, Flex and Levrone While most consider bodybuilding a sport or a hobby, only the most hardcore of bodybuilders consider it a lifestyle. When I started working out four years ago, I went to the gym three times a week for a whole-body workout, did 10 minutes of cardio, and starved myself. At that point, I thought that my physique would be great in no time. I would be ripped. A few months passed and nothing. Two years later, I found a passion for this lifestyle. I now live bodybuilding. I revolve my days around eating, sleeping and training. Bodybuilding is the best sport in the world, because it is about being better than yourself, about pushing yourself to the limits and never looking back. It has given me strength and discipline that I use throughout my life. Bodybuilding, the greatest hobby, sport and lifestyle in this world. I hope to keep pursuing my goals until I am old and gray. Thanks MD! And Thanks GV! www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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Rosanne, can I have your picture so I can show Santa EXACTLY what I want for Christmas. Name: Rosanne Chee but I prefer being called Rosie Forum name: Guejsn Age: 25 (DOB: 29 May 1984) Zodiac sign: Gemini Hometown: Levin, Horowhenua, New Zealand. (This is where I grew up, but I do not consider it my home. I am now in Beloit, Wisconsin, United States.) Height: 51.7 (156.6cm) Chest: 34 (85cm) Waist: 24 (60cm) Hips: 34 (85cm) Eyes: Brown Off-season Weight/Competition Weight: I do not have an off-season and competition weight, but generally maintain between 107.8114.4 pounds (i.e., 49-52 kg) all year-round. I stay between 8-10 percent BF all year long (weight is dependent upon body composition). Favorite Food: I love food in general. My favourite non-cheat foods are oatmeal, kumara, buttercup, tamarillos, and raspberries. Favorite Junk Food: Spagalinis chicken and cranberry pizza, Kapitis white chocolate and raspberry ice cream, and Cocos chocolate silk pie. I do not limit myself, and cheating happens every other day. Activities/Hobbies: I rarely do anything anymore (aside from some reading and watching movies) that is NOT related to sports, health and fitness. My passion is in this industry, as is my career, and fitness is my LIFESTYLE. Training, Boxing, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Sports Medic, Sports Strapper/Masseuse, Reading, Research. Favorite Music: Rock (e.g., Cold, Nickelback, Rev Theory, The Exies, Theory of a Deadman, etc.). Biggest Influence in your Life: Many people have helped mold me, but in the end I have always ended up doing my own thing and dancing to my own tune. When I was cycling, my coach Wayne Foster was a huge supporting influence. God has always been a big part of what I do; everything that I do gives Him glory and I would not be what and where I am today without Him. Favorite Body Part to Train: I do not have a favorite body part to train. However, I have a few favorite exercises: barbell clean and press, pull-ups, and weighted dips. Best Asset (Body part): My legs. They are my strongest body part re: muscle, and I gain muscle mass very quickly, regardless of what I do (e.g., I could do low weight/high reps or heavy weight/low reps and get the same results). Future Plans/Goals: I want to have my own exercise physiology clinic, where I work with private clients. With my partner, we also want to develop our own supplement line. I already do Personal Training, but want to make this bigger and different by expanding into online personal training. I intend to compete in the Natural Bodybuilding Federations in 2010, aiming to gain my pro Figure card. If you have made the decision to improve your health and fitness and are going to start training, then make sure that you go to a professional who KNOWS what they are doing, with a proven background/history in the industry (preferably with personal athletic experience AND lifestyle nutritional knowledge), to assess you and design your training program, so that you start out doing things the RIGHT way. I see too many newbies who have NO idea, just going into the gym and randomly doing exercises or copying others (who may or may not be training correctly). Sometimes you can see some small results in that individual, especially if they are not used to exercise and have done nothing like that before. However, more often than not, this just leads to frustration, because the individual lacks the appropriate knowledge and is only incorporating ONE piece of the puzzle necessary to achieve their goals, thereby not seeing results, and can end up injuring themselves, due to their poor exercise technique. There is more to getting your dream body than simply exercising; you need to learn about correct nutrition and follow an exercise plan specific for YOUR individual goals and needs. Your trainer should also explain WHY they have included everything that they have, and ensure that you are using correct form and technique for every exercise (dont sacrifice your form for weight). Find out what works for YOU, since what works for one is not always going to work for another! www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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Word Essay
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his month, we had an unprecedented event. For the first time in the contests two-and-a-half-year history, we have a tie for the winner. Ron Harris was given the
by Grandfather Oak
By David Burton
difficult task of deciding between two excellent articles and choosing the official winner. In the interest of fairness, we are going to print both essays; first up is Rons choice.
We all have defining moments. Things that stick with us. I still remember something one of my best friends told me over a year ago. After spending over a decade addicted to crack, he managed to break free. And now its been another decade, and he has remained clean. A feat few people once addicted can say. Truly, he is one of my own personal heroes. And arent those the best kind? The ones you actually know, and not just read about?
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Word Essay
We were comparing stories one day. Its funny. He views what I did as harder than what he did. Yet, I am totally in awe of what my friend has accomplished. So I said to him, So few people do what you have done. You act like it is nothing, when really it is everything. And it is. I really believe that. The success rate for recovered addicts is almost non-existent. He went on to tell me how he knows what he did is a big thing. About how many people come to meetings and dont stick around very long. Some only make one. There are very few people left at the five-year mark, and even fewer at the ten. Thats the moment. I had to stop and let it soak in. Its been over ten years, and he still goes to meetings. That is amazing dedication. And from talking to him, I can tell you, its numerous times a week. Thats how he stays clean. Thats how he maintains. As hard as it is for some to lose weight and some to build muscle, there are things in this world that are harder. There are things outside of the gym you have to work on just as hard. And yes, he is a lifter. He won his class at the state show this year. So, in the midst of it all, he still makes it to the gym. While I work to maintain my loss, he works to maintain his life. But the biggest lesson I learned from my friend? He told me, I have to stay humble, or I go right back to hell. The minute I think Ive conquered it, Ive lost it. So, lets see. The minute I think Ive conquered my battle with the bulge, and go back to eating the way I used to eat, Ive lost it. I will never conquer my weight loss or my desire to build muscle. The idea that either is conquered brings with it complacency. And complacency lets old habits seep in. He goes to meetings to maintain, while I go to the gym and eat healthy for my maintenance. And while we both focus on the ongoing battle, secretly we both know the other has won. We just dont tell each other that. We leave the other to fight the good fight. And maybe thats what went through his mind when he won that state show this year The weights will never be conquered.
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RESEARCH
Training
Nutritional Periodization: Training When Glycogen Depleted
A cornerstone of sports nutrition since the 1960s is that athletes should maximize glycogen stores (stored carbohydrate) in their muscles and liver to ensure peak performance and decrease the risk of injury. The body uses carbohydrates as the principal fuel for exercise at intensities above 65 percent of maximum effort. Carbs are an extremely fast fuel and generate more ATP (an important cell fuel) per unit of time, compared to the fats. Several recent studies found that training-induced enzyme changes were greater when the muscles were glycogen-depleted. We can infer from these studies that a portion of intense training, particularly during the off-season, should be performed in a glycogen-depleted state. This could be induced by high-intensity interval training and low-carbohydrate diets. During the competitive season athletes should maximize muscle and liver glycogen, so that they have plenty of this high-speed fuel for peak performance. (Journal of Applied Physiology, 105: 1462-1470, 2008)
adequate rest, and then make them work hard again. The best program is as much art as science. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 23: 1321-1326, 2009)
Three Minutes Rest Between Sets Best For Maximizing Training Volume
The intensity of a weight training workout varies with the number of sets, reps, weight, and rest intervals. Manipulating one factor changes the others. For example, lifters can do more sets and reps if they use lighter weights. Conversely, short rest intervals prevent recovery and decrease the capacity to lift more weight and perform more sets and reps. Brazilian
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RESEARCH
Training
researchers found that athletes achieved greater training volumes when they rested three minutes between sets rather than one minute during an upper body workout involving 3 sets of five exercises at a weight equal to 8 reps maximum. Training volume is only one measure of the effectiveness of a workout. Short rest periods sometimes cause greater increases in anabolic hormones, which might cause greater training gains. Longer rest intervals (e.g., five minutes) might be more appropriate when doing heavy singles or doubles. Judge the effectiveness of programs by gains in muscle mass and strength not just the training volumes of individual workouts. (Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 8: 388-392, 2009) failed to render even a single case study of a middle-aged or older adult athlete who died from an aneurism during weight training. (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 107: 127-134, 2009)
Training studies are extremely difficult. Typically, researchers use relatively untrained subjects who are minimally motivated. Genetic studies show that people vary widely in their response to exercise (i.e., there are responders and nonresponders). This study showed that 2 to 3 sets per exercise worked best for most people. Factors such as age, athleticism, motivation, adaptability, drugs, and supplements could influence the effectiveness of a training program. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 23: 1890-1901, 2009)
Upper Body but Not Lower Body Weight Training Increases Arterial Stiffness
Lifting weights can potentially damage cardiovascular health by stiffening blood vessel walls and decreasing their ability to stretch and contract as the heart pumps blood through them. Even a single weight workout increases blood vessel stiffness. Weight-trained athletes have stiffer arteries than people who dont lift weights. This can increase the load on the heart when it tries to pump blood. Heart experts worry that years of weight training could have long-lasting effects on the blood vessels and heart. High blood pressure from weight training might also interfere with blood vessel metabolism and increase the risk of deadly blood vessel wall tears called aneurisms. Japanese researchers found that upper-body weight training exercises increased arterial stiffness, while lowerbody exercises didnt. What do these studies mean? Not much! Stronger people live longer than weaker people. Also, a thorough review of the literature
78 MD
RESEARCH
Fat Loss
Exercise Does Not Increase 24-Hour Fat Use
The holidays are here, and legions of people are hitting the gym to lose body fat. Is their hard work worth the effort? A review of literature by Edward Melanson and colleagues from the University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine concluded that losing fat requires an altered energy balance so that fat oxidation (fat use) exceeds intake. Exercise increases caloric expenditure but does not increase total fat expenditure over a 24-hour period. Losing fat through exercise alone is extremely difficult. Effective fat loss requires reduced calorie intake as well as increased caloric expenditure. They concluded that moderate exercise (less than one hour per day) prevents weight gain and weight regain after a period of weight loss, but is not very effective for weight loss without dieting. Lose fat by eating less and exercising more. (Exercise And Sports Science Reviews, 37: 93-101, 2009) them. (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63, 1143-1149, 2009)
84 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
RESEARCH
Fat Loss
Obesity Lowers Testosterone
Most women dont like fat guys, and excess adipose tissue interferes with metabolic health that controls erections and testosterone levels. Australian researchers, in a review of literature, concluded that obese men often have lower levels of testosterone and the biologically-active free testosterone. To make matters worse, agelinked declines in testosterone occur faster in overweight and obese men. Obesity increases risk factors linked to low testosterone levels, such as obstructive sleep apnea, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Excess body fat, particularly in the abdomen, interferes with hormones that control the reproductive system and decreases sperm quality. Weight loss increases testosterone and free testosterone and improves reproductive health. The bottom line is that obesity is bad for your sex life. (Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, in press; published online June 18, 2009) long-term exposure to low-carbohydrate diets caused blood vessel damage that could lead to heart disease and premature death. These changes were not linked to alterations in blood cholesterol, inflammation, or oxidative stress. Rather, the diet impaired the capacity of the endothelial cells (inner lining of the blood vessels) to regenerate and repair injuries. If these results apply to humans, long-term consumption of low carbohydrate diets causes blood vessel deterioration that promotes heart attacks, strokes, and premature death. (Proceedings National Academy of Sciences, in press; pnas.0907995106)
86 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
RESEARCH
Health
Testosterone Supplements for Heart Failure
People who suffer from heart failure cant keep up with the circulatory demands of metabolism. Their hearts are not strong enough to pump the blood that returns to it from the circulation. Italian researchers found that testosterone supplements benefited heart failure patients with low or normal levels of blood testosterone. The 12-week study showed that heart failure patients given injections of testosterone showed improvements in exercise capacity and muscle strength. The treatment was well tolerated by the patients. The study did not last long enough to determine if the treatment allowed patients to live longer. Many physicians are leery of prescribing testosterone supplements to these patients because the drug promotes fluid retention. However, newer forms of the drug have minimized the side effects. We need more studies to determine the effects of this treatment on longevity, side effects, and qualityof-life. (Journal of American College Cardiology, in press; published online September 1, 2009) having a heart attack or symptoms of coronary artery disease such as angina pectoris (chest pain). German researchers found that 90 percent of people who began a regular exercise program rather than having an angioplasty were free of symptoms within 12 months. Conversely, only 70 percent of angioplasty patients were symptom free after a year. While angioplasty addresses only one problem linked to heart disease, exercise has a more systemic effect that improves the health of all the blood vessels. The researchers speculated that one-third of strokes and heart attacks could be prevented if people walked briskly 2.5 hours per week. Less than 20 percent of heart patients exercise at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes, five times per week. (Paper presented at European Society of Cardiology, on August 30, 2009) increased aggressiveness, and greater self-confidence. Psychological studies showed that testosterone levels increased after men won athletic contests and decreased when they lost. Testosterone might also influence family life. French researchers from the University of Montpellier, France studied family interactions and testosterone levels in men living in Senegal, a West African country where many men have more than one wife. Single men had higher levels of testosterone than married men. In men with children, those with the highest levels of testosterone tended to spend less time with their wives and children. This study reported a relationship between male hormone levels and socialization and does not mean that high testosterone levels cause less family interaction. (Hormones and Behavior, in press; published online September 2009)
90 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
RESEARCH
Health
cancer. Other studies found that longevity is lower in taller, larger men. (British Journal of Cancer, 101: 522-525, 2009)
muscle mass and body composition and have a compulsive need to work out and diet. They will evade important social and work responsibilities to maintain their workout schedule. They often take drugs and supplements they know are unhealthy in order to attain their goal. It is similar to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia that are most common in women. However, some men have eating disorders and some women experience muscle dysmorphia. Courtney Robert from the University of Windsor in Canada and co-workers, in a study of novice male and female weight trainers, found that some of their test subjects showed a tendency to develop this problem. While many people undoubtedly have unrealistic body images, extreme focus and dedication are required to reach championship levels. In champions, preoccupation and dedication are considered admirable, but are classified as psychological disturbances in lessaccomplished people. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 23: 1656-1662, 2009)
tion of many studies) of more than 1 million people showed that the risk of cardiovascular death increases at systolic blood pressures above 115 mmHg. A comment statement by Bo Carlberg from the University Hospital in Umea, Sweden suggested that guidelines should be lowered to treat systolic blood pressure above 130 mmHg because of the ready availability of inexpensive drugs to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). He said that more studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of this suggestion and the costs versus benefits. (The Lancet, 374: 503-504, 2009)
92 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
RESEARCH
Supplements
Whey Protein Prevents Fatty Liver
Physical inactivity and high-fat diets promote steatohapatitis, a disease involving inflammation and fat accumulation in the liver. A study from India showed that patients with this disease benefited from whey protein supplements. Middle-aged men and women took 20 grams of whey protein isolate or a placebo for 12 weeks. People taking the supplement showed reduced levels of liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and increased levels of glutathione, an important antioxidant that protects the cells. The study showed that oxidative stress promotes liver damage and whey protein protects liver cells. Whey protein might provide a protective effect to the liver in athletes taking large doses of anabolic steroids. (Journal Gastroenterology Hepatology, 24: 1045-1050, 2009) drate supplements with maximal intensity interval training causes greater increases in power output and highintensity exercise capacity than either treatment by itself. HIIT consisted of five sets of two-minute maximal exercise bouts with one-minute rest between intervals. HIIT is an effective technique for building fitness quickly and creatine monohydrate supplements increase its benefits. Its not a fun way to train, but it works. (Journal Of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23:1663-1669, 2009) increase muscle size and improve the capacity for protein synthesis. A South African study using collegeaged rugby players showed that creatine monohydrate supplements increased dehydrotestosterone (DHT), which is the more biologically-active form of testosterone. DHT increased 56 percent after a seven-day creatine-loading phase (20 grams per day for seven days) and remained elevated at 40 percent above baseline during a 14-day maintenance phase (5 grams per day). This study showed that creatine supplements might work by increasing the biological effectiveness of testosterone. (Clinical Journal Sports Medicine, 19: 399-404, 2009)
96 MD
RESEARCH
Supplements
Vitamin C Prevents Prostate Enlargement
Enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH) is common in aging men, affecting nearly 50 percent of 50-year-olds and 80 percent of men over 70. It causes restriction of the tube leading from the bladder to the outside (urethra), frequent urination, urine retention, urinary urgency, and urinary tract infections. A study on rats from the Seoul national University College of medicine in Korea found that vitamin C helped alleviate urinary symptoms by inhibiting the action of a chemical called HIF-alpha. Vitamin C counteracted the effects of HIF-alpha on testosterone, which is important for limiting prostate gland growth. It is not known whether vitamin C supplements are helpful in humans with enlarged prostate glands. (Journal Nutritional Biochemistry, in press; published online July 2009) cially-inflamed muscles. While controversial, we have some evidence that glutamine supplements boost immune function and protect tissues from inflammation. (Muscle Nerve, in press; published online September 2009)
A four-week study by Portuguese researchers showed that an antioxidant supplement containing vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene, lutein, selenium, zinc, and magnesium had no effect on measures of cell damage or inflammation following a 1,000-mile kayak race, and interfered with recovery and repair of exercise-induced muscle damage. Cell damage and inflammation are part of the adaptation process from exercise. Supplements and drugs that decrease post-exercise inflammation might reduce pain, but they could also prevent training gains and tissue repair. (Medicine Science Sports Exercise, 41: 1752-1760, 2009)
98 MD
RESEARCH
Nutrition
Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load Of Meals Have No Effect on Weight Gain
Glycemic index is the rate that food increases blood sugar, while glycemic load reflects its total carbohydrate content and its potential for increasing blood sugar. Several popular diets promote low-glycemic index foods for weight control. The thinking is that rapid increases in blood sugar stimulate insulin release, which causes a crash in blood sugar and increases hunger. A large European study involving nearly 90,000 people aged 20 to 78 years old found that neither the glycemic index nor glycemic load of typical meals were related to weight gain during observation periods ranging from 2 to 12.5 years. There was a small relationship between glycemic index of the meals and gains in waist circumference. Increases in abdominal fat have been linked to coronary artery disease and premature death, so the glycemic index of meals might be marginally significant. (International Journal of Obesity, in press; published online August 25, 2009)
The Nuts and Olive Mediterranean Diet Oil Promote Cuts Abdominal Fat Post-Meal Thermogenesis The Mediterranean diet is high in
vegetables and unsaturated fatty acids. Common foods include pasta, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, nuts, and wine. People living in Mediterranean countries have the lowest heart disease rates and greatest longevity in the world. Diet may play an important role in their excellent health. A large study of nearly 500,000 men and women age 25 to 70 years living in 10 European countries found a reduced risk of abdominal obesity in people who followed the Mediterranean diet. The relationship was strongest in men from northern European countries. People living in France, Norway, and Sweden were the thinnest, while those living in Greece and Spain were the fattest. Europeans were considerably leaner than Americans. The Mediterranean diet has positive effects on metabolic health and preventing obesity. (Journal Nutrition, 139: 1-10, 2009) Until recently, nutritionists recommended reduced fat intake to prevent weight gain, heart disease, and premature death. Not all fats are unhealthy. The Mediterranean diet is high in vegetable fats contained in foods such as nuts and olive oil and is thought to have significant health benefits and prevent obesity. A Spanish study compared resting metabolic rate, post-meal energy expenditure, fat use, and satiety (feeling of fullness) following a meal high in monounsaturated fats (walnuts), polyunsaturated fats (olive oil), or saturated fats (fat-rich dairy foods). Meals rich in walnuts or olive oil cause greater increases in post-meal metabolism than meals rich in dairy foods (i.e., they were more thermogenic). However, the type of fat in the meal had no effect on postmeal fat use or satiety. We need more research to determine if dietary nuts and olive oil have health benefits. (Clinical Nutrition, 28: 39-45, 2009)
104 MD
RESEARCH
Nutrition
intake was particularly related to a reduced incidence of high blood pressure. Whole grains are an important part of a well-balanced diet and help maintain metabolic health. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90: 493-498, 2009)
tonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep and protects the body against highly-reactive chemicals called free radicals linked to cell damage, DNA destruction, aging, and muscle soreness. Melatonin present in the beer helps the body cope with free radicals and increases the capacity to deal with oxidative stress. (Clinical Nutrition, 28: 188-191, 2009)
106 MD
RESEARCH
Drugs
Apply Testosterone Gel to Shoulders and Arms for Best Results
Millions of middle-aged men use testosterone gels to increase blood testosterone levels. Hormone replacement therapy helps men maintain muscle and bone mass, improves mood, enhances metabolic health, prevents depression, and boosts sexual performance. Gels are often superior to injections because they provide a more consistent level of blood testosterone. A study from the Center for Sexual Function/Endocrinology at the Leahy Clinic in Peabody, Massachusetts, showed that applying testosterone gel (Testim) to the arms and shoulders produced higher blood testosterone levels than rubbing the gel on the chest, abdomen, or legs. The study examined middle-aged men with low blood testosterone levels (less than 300 nanograms per 100 ml). Applying the gel to the arms and shoulders increased testosterone above 500 ng, which is within the normal range for adult men. Testosterone levels were 20 percent less after rubbing the gel on other areas. This is extremely important information for men who use supplemental testosterone gels or creams. (Journal Sexual Medicine, 6: 2601-2610, 2009)
terone level meant that the system was functioning normally and even optimally. Advances in cellular biochemistry showed that the system is much more complicated than that. Activation of specific genes and hormone receptor sites are more important than circulating levels of hormones and chemical growth factors. Also, hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone, and IGF-I must work together to produce the optimal effect. A Korean study showed that androgen receptors in the gene controlling them were activated best in the presence of IGF-I. IGF-I is a potent growth factor that works in conjunction with growth hormone to promote muscle hypertrophy. Intense training can optimize growth hormone and IGF-I levels, which also promotes testosterone metabolism, particularly at the receptor level. The study shows that anabolic hormones work together to promote increases in muscle growth and strength. (Molecules and Cells, in press; published online August 20, 2009)
110 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
RESEARCH
Drugs
However, the word on the street is that the majority of athletes in power and speed sports use growth hormone (GH). This hormone is highly anabolic, promotes muscle protein synthesis, and speeds fat loss. Most importantly, it increases collagen synthesis, which prevents injury, promotes intense training, and speeds recuperation. However, there is little objective evidence that it improves athletic performance. WADA, the organization that polices drug use in sports, claims to have a test to detect growth hormone, but its accuracy or effectiveness is unclear. (Growth Hormone & IGF Research, 19: 300-307, 2009)
pumping capacity of the left ventricle, and heart blood flow. Growth hormone is a beneficial treatment for heart failure patients. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism, 94: 33293336, 2009)
112 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
RESEARCH
Sex
Drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra have provided a sexual second wind for many aging Romeos. Sex is the key to happiness according to well-controlled scientific studies. If Unfortunately, many medical plans dont cover them, and the drugs dont thats true, Americans have more to work for many men. There are alternaworry about than depressed real estate, sluggish stock prices, and unemployment. tives: weight loss and dietary restriction cause gradual improvements in blood A survey conducted in 12 countries by Westin Hotels & Resorts showed that flow control that can restore normal over 50 percent of people in this country erectile function within six months to two years. would rather have a good nights sleep ED is an early warning sign of heart than a passionate roll in the hay. Sex won by a large margin in a survey taken attack and stroke, so improving lifestyle will not only boost sexual performance 10 years ago. President Obama must realize that improving the national mood but could save your life. Injections of alprotadil help increase blood flow to will take a lot more than increasing house and car sales. Americans need to get laid! (USA Today, August 21, 2009)
Alternatives to ED Drugs
the penis and are effective alternatives to drugs such as Viagra. Penis pumps also help some men maintain erections, but these are inconvenient and can cause penile injury. The best approach appears to be maintaining a healthy lifestyle and using drugs like Viagra when you need a little extra help. (The New York Times, August 29, 2009)
118 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
RESEARCH
Sex
decreases with age and is an extremely popular supplement with older adults and bodybuilders. Many women take it to increase sex drive and promote sexual performance. Australian researchers found that DHEA supplements did not improve sexual performance or sex drive in postmenopausal women. The women took 50 grams of DHEA per day or a placebo for one year. Other studies in bodybuilders showed that extremely high doses (1,500 mg per day) were required to produce even minimal effects on muscle mass or testosterone levels. The study concluded that DHEA was not effective for promoting libido or sexual performance in postmenopausal women with low sex drives. (Journal Sexual Medicine, 6: 2579-2590, 2009)
120 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
Fatattack
KETOGENIC DIETS:
Possible Hidden Cardiovascular Risks?
A
rhyme originating in the 1600s later appeared in the Mother Goose collection about the dietary habits of the Sprat household. The modern version reads, Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean; and so, between the both, you see, they licked the platter clean. Obviously not desirable dinner guests, the Sprats are fine examples of two extremes in dieting that have dominated the American weight loss and healthy eating mania. Low-fat diets have long held the accepted position of being the politically correct and clinically accepted diet. The low-fat approach was originally developed to treat and prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), commonly visualized by cholesterol-laden plaques within the walls of large and small arteries (blood vessels).1 The assumption was that by reducing the dietary exposure to fat and cholesterol by discouraging the consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy, serum (blood) cholesterol and triglycerides (fat) would decrease and along with it, the risk of heart attack and stroke. Unfortunately, low-fat diets do not offer much benefit beyond what would be gained from weight loss by any method. Limiting dietary cholesterol does not address the de novo cholesterol produced by the body, which is the cause of high cholesterol in most people. Along came the Atkins revolution, an antithetical approach that claims to promote weight loss by restricting carbohydrates rather than fat. Low-fat diets use the approach of reducing the caloric density of the diet to reduce calorie intake; low-carbohydrate diets make it easier for the body to break down and use stored fat for energy by reducing insulin release. Though many assumed the opposite, no evidence of unhealthy changes in cardiovascular markers has been noted. In fact, some components of the lipid profile (fats and cholesterol) improve on low-carbohydrate diets, suggesting they are at least as safe, and possibly safer diets for people at risk for heart attacks and stroke to follow. The Atkins diet has phases, including the induction phase, which severely restricts carbohydrate consumption. When carbohydrate intake is below 20-30 grams per day, the body enters 2 a state called ketosis. Weight loss is dramatic and rapid when ketogenic dieting is followed; much of the early weight lost is water, as carbohydrate stores are depleted. Over the long term, weight loss is slower, particularly as people migrate to the more moderate parts of the diet. In time, there appears to be little difference between the various types of diets relative to the number of people who stay on the diet and the amount of weight they 3-5 lose and keep off. Many people get discouraged by slow weight loss, while some people find the mental state associated with ketosis comforting, as a sign of ongoing fat reduction. The brain is highly dependent upon blood sugar and during ketosis, some people experience irritability and difficulty performing mental tasks. However, over time, some people claim they are sharper. Regardless, there is a definite subjective component to ketosis some people become so committed (obsessive?) that they test their urine for ketones several times a day. Ketogenic dieting can be followed long term. Many people do so voluntarily; others are directed to do so by their physicians for specific conditions, such 6 as epilepsy. Some have suggested that ketogenic dieting may not only be as effective as low-fat dieting for weight loss, but more effective and safer. This belief is certainly premature, as very few side-by-side studies have been done and none have followed the subjects long enough to state so definitely.
AAS-using bodybuilders and athletes should take note, as hidden damage to the cardiovascular system may make the AAS-using individual more susceptible to heart or brain damage, even sudden death.
124 MD
Fatattack
Bodybuilders and Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular health is important for bodybuilders and anabolic steroid-using athletes to consider, as certain anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are associated with adverse changes in cholesterol, and heart attacks and heart failure are some of the most common causes of sudden death or serious injury in this group. Elite bodybuilders and many other AAS users have suffered heart problems. While it is not possible to directly assign AAS as a contributing cause to these cases, there is a strong base building due to several reasons: Use patterns of AAS dose and duration of cycles have changed. Polypharmacy (the use of multiple medications and/or the administration of more medications than are clinically indicated, representing unnecessary drug use) includes many other anabolic biologics (growth hormones and cytokines) and potent lipolytics (fat-reducers). The demographics of AAS users are aging. Cardiovascular refers to the heart and the blood vessels. Heart damage is most commonly caused by ischemia (oxygen deprivation) but can also be electrical in nature, as the heartbeat is generated by an internal conduction system that accelerates and decelerates to meet the circulatory demand of the body. When the electrical signal is disrupted, the heart does not beat efficiently or if the disruption is severe enough, may not beat at all. Ischemic damage of the heart (and brain, as well as other tissues) is often due to a buildup of plaque in the arteries, but may also be due to inappropriate vasoconstriction (the blood vessel squeezing shut, as seen in the skin when exposed to cold) or not dilating (opening wider) when oxygen demand requires greater blood flow. Many abusers of cocaine suffered heart attacks due to coronary vasoconstriction, even though their arteries were perfectly 7 healthy. When ischemia is mild-to-moderate and long-term, the body grows new blood vessels to shorten the distance between active cells and nearby capillaries (the smallest blood vessels and the site where oxygen and factors are diffuse back-and-forth to 8 cells of the body). A person who lives in the mountains likely has a higher capillary density (a measure of how branched the circulation is to provide oxygen) than a person who lives on the beach at sea level. Many endurance athletes sleep in special chambers that mimic living in the mountains. This increases their red blood cell supply (the cells that carry oxygen) by stimulating the hormone erythropoietin, and likely stimulates new blood vessel growth. Many cancer drugs kill tumors by shutting down blood vessel growth, starving the malignant tumors of oxygen and 9 nutrients.
This body of research is quite significant, even though it is from a mouse study and has not been duplicated in humans, let alone in a second mouse study.
One final mechanism that affects the buildup of plaque in artery walls is the ability of the blood vessel to maintain an intact lining. Major blood vessels are designed not to leak, and do so by having a lining that prevents red and white blood cells from escaping into the surrounding tissue. With the constant flow of blood rushing through the vessels, the lining wears away but is constantly replaced by new lining cells. If these replacement cells were not available, plaque can more easily build up under the lining in the artery walls. Picture a pickup truck bed with a spray-on liner. If the liner gets gouged, rust can develop in the underlying metal unless a new layer of spray-on lining covers the damage. If neglected, the rust spreads, potentially causing significant damage.
126 MD
Fatattack
fed the standard diet who had essen10 tially no atherosclerosis. The mice fed the low-carbohydrate diet experienced a dramatic decrease in the healing replacement cells that normally repair the blood vessel lining. The degree of decrease was greater than 80 percent and also affected precursor cells in the bone 10 marrow. Ironically, one hormone that stimulates the production of the replacement cells, VEGF , actually increased in low-carbohydrate fed 10,12 mice. Failing to directly measure the replacement cells (called endothelial progenitor cells, or EPC) and measuring VEGF instead would misled a clinician to believe that low-carbohydrate dieting was safer for cardiovascular health. The increase in VEGF may be a sign of the body reacting to the EPClowering effect of the low-carbohydrate diet in the mice. EPC plays a role in new blood vessel growth, and corresponding to the decrease seen with EPC, low-carbohydrate fed mice were unable to respond 10,13 to ischemia (oxygen deprivation). One of the factors known to stimulate EPC growth (pAkt) is a downstream molecule in the insulin-signaling cascade. Downstream means insulin turns on one molecule, which turns on another, which turns on pAkt. Statin drugs (Lipitor, for example), exercise, and estrogen have been shown to 13 counteract impaired EPC production. Low-carbohydrate fed mice had significantly lowered insulin concentrations compared to other diets, as would be expected. Type 2 diabetics who are insulin-resistant also demonstrated 14 impaired EPC production. Though this is not the entire reason EPC growth is impaired in low-carbohydrate diets, it likely plays a role. Thus far, low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to markedly increase atherosclerosis, even compared to high-fat diets. This is in a setting that would not raise suspicion. In fact, many measures suggest that cardiovascular health is improved with low-carbohydrate dieting. Also, the ability of the circulatory system (blood vessels) to respond to oxygen deprivation is seriously impaired. This study did not look at ketogenic dieting, as the carbohydrate content was high enough to prevent ketosis. Thus, it is difficult to determine whether the same concerns would be present during ketogenic dieting. However, another concerning observation has been noted during ketogenic dieting that adds another level of risk. One study published last year showed that people on a ketogenic diet had impaired dilation, whereas those on a low-fat diet actually demonstrated improved flow-mediated dilation and response to a dilating drug. Similar impairment is again seen in people with insulin resist15,16 ance. This adverse effect may be exaggerated when saturated fat is high, but the balance of research appears to suggest that if mono- and polyunsaturated fats are consumed in sufficient quantities and saturated fats are moderated, blood vessels should respond more appropriately to dilating 17 signals. Research looking at nonketogenic, low-carbohydrate diets do not demonstrate the same defect, suggesting there may be different risks 18-20 present during ketosis.
Fatattack
have been published. Given the findings in this study, it is impossible to recommend low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diets to those with a significant personal or family history of cardiovascular disease. In fact, this data supports the recommendation for moderate carbohydrate intake sufficient to maintain a baseline insulin presence. The exact recommendation for carbohydrates remains fuzzy at this time, but it appears that at least 60-100 grams per day of lowglycemic carbohydrates, along with an intake of mono- and polyunsaturated fats to counterbalance saturated fat intake, is the optimal diet plan. Excessive carbohydrate intake should be avoided as well, suggesting that the age-old adage of moderation in all things remains sound advice. AAS-using bodybuilders and athletes should take note, as hidden damage to the cardiovascular system may make the AAS-using individual more susceptible to heart or brain damage, even sudden death. Certainly, the inability of the circulatory system to develop new blood vessels to feed working and growing muscle would be a detriment to the anabolic effects of training. There are many approaches to fat loss. Science, the media, and policymakers have so long focused on the dangers of various weight-loss drugs that the hidden dangers of (physiologically) extreme diets may have been ignored. References:
1. Fishbein GA, Fishbein MC. Arteriosclerosis: rethinking the current classification. Arch Pathol Lab Med, 2009 Aug;133(8):1309-16. 2. Aoki TT. Metabolic adaptations to starvation, semistarvation, and carbohydrate restriction. Prog Clin Biol Res, 1981;67:161-77 . 3. Dansinger ML, Gleason JA, et al. Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone diets for weight loss and heart disease risk reduction: a randomized trial. JAMA, 2005 Jan 5;293(1):43-53. 4. Gardner CD, Kiazand A, et al. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. JAMA, 2007 Mar 7;297(9):969-77 . 5. Frisch S, Zittermann A, et al. A randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of carbohydrate-reduced or fat-reduced diets in patients attending a telemedically guided weight loss program. Cardiovasc Diabetol, 2009 Jul
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18;8:36. 6. Evangeliou AE, Spilioti M, et al. Branched Chain Amino Acids as Adjunctive Therapy to Ketogenic Diet in Epilepsy: Pilot Study and Hypothesis. J Child Neurol, 2009 Aug 17 . [Epub ahead of print] 7 . Rezkalla SH, Kloner RA. Cocaine-induced acute myocardial infarction. Clin Med Res, 2007 Oct;5(3):172-6. 8. Yang HT, Prior BM, et al. Training-induced vascular adaptations to ischemic muscle. J Physiol Pharmacol, 2008 Dec;59 Suppl 7:57-70. 9. Ruegg C, Mutter N. Anti-angiogenic therapies in cancer: achievements and open questions. Bull Cancer, 2007 Sep 1;94(9):753-62. 10. Foo SY, Heller ER, et al. Vascular effects of a low-carbohydrate high-protein diet. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2009 Aug 24. [Epub ahead of print] 11. Kondo T, Hirose M, et al. Roles of Oxidative Stress and Redox Regulation in Atherosclerosis. J Atheroscler Thromb, 2009 Sep 14. [Epub ahead of print] 12. Kang LN, Chen Q, et al. Decreased Mobilization of Endothelial Progenitor Cells Contributes to Impaired Neovascularization in Diabetes. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol, 2009 Jun 16. [Epub ahead of print] 13. Urbich C, Dimmeler S. Risk factors for coronary artery disease, circulating endothelial progenitor cells, and the role of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Kidney Int, 2005 May;67(5):1672-6. 14. Cubbon RM, Kahn MB, et al. Effects of insulin resistance on endothelial progenitor cells and vascular repair. Clin Sci (Lond), 2009 Aug 3;117(5):173-90. 15. Phillips SA, Jurva JW, et al. Benefit of low-fat over low-carbohydrate diet on endothelial health in obesity. Hypertension, 2008 Feb;51(2):376-82. 16. Ardigo D, Franzini L, et al. Relation of plasma insulin levels to forearm flow-mediated dilatation in healthy volunteers. Am J Cardiol, 2006 Apr 15;97(8):1250-4. 17 . Keogh JB, Grieger JA, et al. Flow-mediated dilatation is impaired by a high-saturated fat diet but not by a high-carbohydrate diet. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2005 Jun;25(6):1274-9. 18. Keogh JB, Brinkworth GD, et al. Effects of weight loss from a very-low-carbohydrate diet on endothelial function and markers of cardiovascular disease risk in subjects with abdominal obesity. Am J Clin Nutr, 2008 Mar;87(3):567-76. 19. Volek JS, Ballard KD, et al. Effects of dietary carbohydrate restriction vs low-fat diet on flow mediated dilation. Metabolism, 2009 Jul 24. [Epub ahead of print] 20. Keogh JB, Brinkworth GD, et al. Effects of weight loss from a very-low-carbohydrate diet on endothelial function and markers of cardiovascular disease risk in subjects with abdominal obesity. Am J Clin Nutr, 2008 Mar;87(3):567-76. 21. Samaha FF , Foster GD, et al. Low-carbohydrate diets, obesity, and metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Curr Atheroscler Rep, 2007 Dec;9(6):441-7 . 22. Barnett TD, Barnard ND, et al. Development of symptomatic cardiovascular disease after self-reported adherence to the Atkins diet. J Am Diet Assoc, 2009 Jul;109(7):1263-5.
bodybuilding science
134 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
Supplement Performance
In
the last few years, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen have received a black eye for their detrimental effect on muscle hypertrophy. Many studies have reported that the maximum dose of NSAIDs can inhibit muscle hypertrophy, while a minimum dose may not have the same detrimental effect. NSAIDS topped a recent poll of the most commonly-abused over-the-counter drugs for pain among athletes. Whether NSAIDs will inhibit muscle hypertrophy remains to be determined, as more research needs to be conducted, but one must also take into consideration the long-term effect that NSAIDs have on kidney health. A new study was published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal that may give weightlifters an alternative to using NSAIDs. In Septembers Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, a new protease supplement was found to enhance muscle recovery after strenuous weightlifting. Proteases are by definition, enzymes that break down proteins. Proteases are involved in numerous physiological processes, such as digestion of food to highly-regulated bodily procedures such as blood clotting and immune function. Two previous studies found that the use of a protease supplement was able to reduce muscle soreness and enhance muscle recovery after a damaging bout of
PROTEASE SUPPLEMENTATION
recovery via interaction with the immune system. In the placebo group, significantly higher levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-12 were observed. But the protease group had blunted levels of the pro-inflammatory mediators IL-6 and IL-12. Another interesting finding was that the protease group had blunted levels of COX-2 enzyme expression. Celebrex is a commonly-used COX-2 inhibitor for the relief of arthritis. The researchers speculated that the protease supplement, through inhibition of the inflammatory response, might enhance muscle recovery. It seems there was an alteration in circulating inflammatory response, as noted by the reduced macrophage response to the damaged muscle. Blunted IL-6 and COX-2 expression were also observed after protease supplementation. As for inflammation and muscle hypertrophy, remember this is an intricate process. Too much inflammation can inhibit muscle growth, just as too little can be just as detrimental so dont be overly concerned about the reductions in COX-2 and interleukin-6 production. Thus, protease supplementation may be a new way to enhance muscle recovery without the damaging effects of NSAIDs.
Reference:
Buford TW, Cooke MB, Redd LL, Hudson GM, Shelmadine BD, Willoughby DS. Protease Supplementation Improves Muscle Function after Eccentric Exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2009 Sep 2.
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DIETARY NITRATES:
A New Way of Increasing Nitric Oxide Production
othing beats getting a good pump in the gym. Traditionally, bodybuilders have resorted to using nitric oxide (NO) products to enhance NO production. Many bodybuilders know that nitric oxide can be increased via the synthesis of nitric oxide synthase, through the amino acid arginine. What many bodybuilders may not know is that NO can be produced via an alternative pathway without NO synthase. Diet is a major provider of nitrates in the body. Nitrates can enhance the production of nitric oxide, independent of the arginine-dependent NO syn1 thase pathway. In 2004, it was demonstrated that inorganic nitrate from dietary sources could be a major source of circulating nitrite which enhances nitric oxide production independent of the argi2 nine-NOS pathway. In one experiment, healthy subjects who ingested a dietary nitrate experienced a four-to-fivefold increase in plasma nitrite. It turns out that much of the dietary nitrite from food entering the stomach from saliva survives intact and reaches the systemic circulation. This suggests that inorganic nitrate from food can be a substrate for NO formation in the body. Nevertheless, based on numerous studies, it seems clear that dietary nitrates are indeed bioactive in the body.
For those guys who are not eating fruits and vegetables, you may be missing out on getting better pumps in the gym.
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that it was the nitrate in the juice that had the effect, and 5 it occurred via the nitrates chemical reduction to nitrite. In the study, 0.5 L of fresh beetroot juice decreased systolic blood pressure as much as 10 mmHg, and blood 5 pressure was still significantly reduced 24 hours later. The researchers found that blood pressure was reduced within just one hour of ingesting beetroot juice, with a peak drop occurring three to four hours after ingestion. Some degree of reduction continued to be observed up to 24 hours after ingestion. Researchers demonstrated that the decrease in blood pressure was due to the chemical formation of nitrite from the dietary nitrate in the juice. The nitrate in the juice is converted in saliva, by bacteria on the tongue, into nitrite. This nitrite-containing saliva is swallowed, and in the acidic environment of the stomach is either converted into nitric oxide or re-enters the circulation as nitrite. The peak time of reduction in blood pressure correlated with the appearance and peak levels of nitrite in the circulation an effect that was absent in a second group of volunteers who refrained from swallowing their saliva during, and for three hours following, beetroot ingestion. A reduction in blood pressure was also demonstrated in 2006, in healthy volunteers, after three days of dietary 6 supplementation with inorganic nitrate. In 2007, it was shown that dietary nitrate decreases whole-body oxygen 7 consumption in humans during submaximal exercise. This could be due to the vasodilatation of the blood vessel walls, causing less need for oxygen consumption by muscle. The nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway may be viewed as complementary to the classical arginine-NOS pathway.
These pathways work partly parallel to each other, but when oxygen availability is reduced and NOS activity is decreased, nitrite reduction to NO becomes more pronounced. In sum, consuming natural foods high in nitrates may enhance muscle pumps in the gym. Or you could try beetroot juice, which is naturally high in nitrates. References:
1. Lundberg JO, Weitzberg E, Cole JA and Benjamin N. Nitrate, bacteria and human health. Nat Rev Microbiol, 2004 Jul;2(7):593-602. 2. Lundberg JO and Govoni M. Inorganic nitrate is a possible source for systemic generation of nitric oxide. Free Radic Biol Med, 37, 395-400 (2004). 3. Larsen FJ, Ekblom B, Sahlin K, Lundberg JO and Weitzberg E. Effects of dietary nitrate on blood pressure in healthy volunteers. N Engl J Med, 355, 2792-2793 (2006). 4. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek, E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP , Sacks FM, Bray GA, Vogt TM, Cutler JA, Windhauser MM, Lin PH and Karanja N, A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med, 336, 1117-1124 (1997). 5. Webb AJ, Patel N, Loukogeorgakis S, Okorie M, Aboud Z, Misra S, Rashid R, Miall P , Deanfield J, Benjamin N, Macallister R, Hobbs AJ and Ahluwalia A. Acute blood pressure lowering, vasoprotective, and antiplatelet properties of dietary nitrate via bioconversion to nitrite. Hypertension, 51, 784-90 (2008). 6. Larsen FJ, Ekblom B, Sahlin K, Lundberg JO and Weitzberg, E. Effects of dietary nitrate on blood pressure in healthy volunteers. N Engl J Med, 355, 2792- 2793 (2006). 7. Larsen FJ, Weitzberg E, Lundberg JO and Ekblom B. Effects of dietary nitrate on oxygen cost during exercise. Acta Physiol (Oxf), 191, 59-66 (2007).
MuscleGrowth Update
his month I spent some time with MDs Evan Centopani, filming his training session in his off-season. Besides noticing that Evan is looking like a beast, I walked into Evans house and noticed this small apparatus next to the sink that had some blinking lights on the side and was filled with water. I said, Evan, what the hell is that? Evan explained it was a water ionizer, which adjusted the pH of water. By using a water ionizer, it helped to create a more basic pH in the body, and reduce blood acidity. Evan explained that he had been doing a lot of reading on the role of pH and health. He is correct that pH has a profound effect on health, but also on muscle mass. Having an acidic pH not only causes lower muscle mass, but can also lower plasma levels of IGF-1. Having an acidic pH is not conducive to building muscle. In fact, researchers make the blood more basic to counteract losses in muscle mass. Interestingly, a mild but progressive metabolic acidosis occurs in elderly individuals who are exposed to a continuous challenge from acid-producing diets (e.g., diets relatively rich in meat and cereal grains compared to the fruit and 1 vegetable content). Oral administration of bicarbonate increases blood pH (makes the blood more basic) in a doserelated manner in healthy adults, both at rest and during 2 exercise. Metabolic acidosis has long been known to pro3,4 mote protein breakdown and nitrogen excretion. In several studies, daily administration of bicarbonate which acts as a blood buffer and reduces acidity improved 4,5 muscle power during intense exercise in healthy subjects. However, the role of pH and muscle mass has never been clearly defined, so researchers set out to examine if blood pH has any effect on muscle mass. Researchers from Tufts University examined 162 older adults and had them consume either a treatment with potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium
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chloride, or placebo. Remember that bicarbonates reduce blood acidity and promote a more alkaline environment. Interestingly, after three months of supplementation, only the bicarbonate altered the amount of acid production. The reduction in acid production resulted in less nitrogen 7 excretion (greater protein retention) in men. In the men, the change in net acid excretion (the amount of acid being excreted from the body) was positively correlated with how much nitrogen was being lost. Although nitrogen excretion is not a specific indicator of muscle breakdown, in the setting of stable protein intake, exercise level, and bodyweight, a decrease in nitrogen excretion is consistent with decreased net muscle catabolism. Treatment with bicarbonate significantly lowered nitrogen excretion. Therefore, using a blood buffer such as potassium bicarbonate may be a way of reducing muscle tissue breakdown. Loss of muscle is associated with aging, but this occurs in conjunction with increased blood acidity. A possibility is that muscle wasting is influenced by the mild metabolic acidosis that occurs with aging. With muscle breakdown,
amino acids released into the bloodstream provide substrate for the hepatic synthesis of glutamine. Glutamine is 6 used by the kidneys to synthesize ammonia. Glutamine acts as a blood buffer when pH is acidic by being removed from muscle. So Evan may be on to something good. It seems that drinking alkaline water or eating fruits and vegetables or using a bicarbonate supplement may prevent muscle tissue breakdown. References:
1. Frassetto LA, Morris RC Jr, Sebastian A (1996) Effect of age on blood acid-base composition in adult humans: role of age-related renal functional decline. Am J Physiol, 271:t-22. 2. Douroudos II, Fatouros IG, Gourgoulis V, Jamurtas AZ, Tsitsios T, Hatzinikolaou A, Margonis K, Mavromatidis K, Taxildaris K (2006) Doserelated effects of prolonged NaHCO3 ingestion during high-intensity exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 38:1746-1753. 3. May RC, Kelly RA, Mitch WE (1986) Metabolic acidosis stimulates protein degradation in rat muscle by a glucocorticoid dependent mechanism. J Clin Invest, 77:614-621 4. Mitch WE, Price SR, May RC, Jurkovitz C, England BK (1994) Metabolic consequences of uremia: extending the concept of adaptive responses to protein metabolism. Am J Kidney Dis, 23:224-228. 5. Edge J, Bishop D, Goodman C (2006) The effects of training intensity on muscle buffer capacity in females. Eur J Appl Physiol, 96:97-105. 6. Cersosimo E, Williams PE, Radosevich PM, Hoxworth BT, Lacy WW, Abumrad NN (1986) Role of glutamine in adaptations in nitrogen metabolism during fasting. Am J Physiol, 250:E622-E628. 7 . Dawson-Hughes B, Castaneda-Sceppa C, Harris SS, Palermo NJ, Cloutier G, Ceglia L, Dallal GE. Impact of supplementation with bicarbonate on lower-extremity muscle performance in older men and women. Osteoporos Int, 2009 Sep 1.
X-FACTOR ADVANCED:
Arachidonic Acid and Muscle Growth
X-Factor Advanced by Molecular Nutrition contains several ingredients, but at its core is an arachidonic acid supplement for bodybuilders and power athletes. Lets take a look at arachidonic acid and see why this supplement is sparking such interest. Arachidonic acid is an omega-6 fatty-acid found in many foods 1 including chicken and beef. It is considered an essential fatty-acid because it has many necessary functions in the body. It is vital to such things as infant development, neurological activity, immunity, inflammation and healing, insulin sensitivity, 2,3,4 and bone mineral density. Arachidonic acid is also involved in 5,6 muscle tissue growth. In fact, it has a central and absolutely necessary role in the process. Arachidonic acid is normally stored on the outer membrane layer 7 of your muscle cells. It is released during exercise, as your muscle 8 fibers are stretched and damaged. It is then quickly converted to hormonelike compounds called prostaglandins, which stimulate mus9 cle protein synthesis. Exactly how this increase occurs is not clear, but may involve increased local sensitivity to anabolic hormones such as 10 11 12 IGF-1, testosterone, and insulin. Prostaglandins also help the body manufacture more satellite muscle cells, which donate nuclei to mature muscle cells during the process of 13 hypertrophy. The conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins is so important to the muscles; if we inhibit this reaction we completely block protein synthesis after exercise. logical truth about muscle growth: workouts intense enough to trigger muscle soreness also tend to be those most effective for muscle growth. We push ourselves in the gym, looking for those days of productive soreness that follow. But, of course, it isnt always there. Have you ever wondered why it gets harder and harder to trigger muscle soreness and growth the longer we consistently train? It may have to do with the amount of arachidonic acid we have in our muscles. Regular exercise depletes arachi14 donic acid from muscle tissue. This dampens the release of 15 prostaglandins during training. The logical result of this (you guessed it) is less protein synthesis and less muscle growth. This may be one of the bodys inborn mechanisms to help limit total muscle growth. For many of us, this is just call to train harder. Occasionally we might even take a small break from weightlifting, hoping to bust through the plateau upon our fresh return. But maybe we can also take a supplement like X-Factor Advanced to replenish, even increase, muscle arachidonic acid levels, and support greater levels of muscle growth. If we take a look at the clinical and empirical results people are having with this nutrient, the concept seems extremely compelling.
No Pain, No Gain
Arachidonic acid essentially regulates the muscle repair process, which generally also involves some level of muscle soreness. Remember the saying, No Pain, No Gain? It became bodybuilding law decades ago, and seems to instinctively sum up a bio-
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In Conclusion
Arachidonic acid is an essential dietary nutrient, important to many things in the body, including muscle repair and growth following exercise. This essential fatty acid also appears to be a very promising anabolic supplement for bodybuilders and power athletes. Its use has been proven to improve exercise performance in experienced weight-training men in one University study. Many consumers are also reporting positive experiences with arachidonic acid supplements. While Omega-6s may have been the subject of much misunderstanding in the past, we now see that ARA is not something we would ever want to exclude from our diets. Furthermore, it looks like it is a very safe supplement, so long as you are healthy before using it. Molecular Nutrition describes their new X-Factor Advanced as a more bioactive form of arachidonic acid supplement, promising a stronger effect on a lower dosage. Of course, this product is brand new, so we cannot say for sure how much Molecular Nutrition may have improved upon their previous arachidonic acid supplement. You may be happy to learn that by time this article is published, X-Factor Advanced should be in GNCs nationwide! For more information about X-Factor Advanced, please visit: http://www.molecularnutrition.net
Harvey, R Wilson, M. Greenwood, D Willoughby and R Kreider. Proceedings of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference, June 15-17 , 2006. 19.The effect of dietary arachidonic acid on plasma lipoprotein distributions, apoproteins, blood lipid levels, and tissue fatty acid composition in humans. Nelson GJ, Schmidt PC, Bartolini G, Kelley DS, Phinney SD, Kyle D, Silbermann S, Schaefer EJ. Lipids, 1997 Apr;32(4):427-33. 20. Arachidonic acid supplementation enhances synthesis of eicosanoids without suppressing immune functions in young healthy men. Kelley DS, Taylor PC, Nelson GJ, Mackey BE. Lipids, 1998 Feb;33(2):125-30. 21. The effect of dietary arachidonic acid on platelet function, platelet fatty acid composition, and blood coagulation in humans. Nelson GJ, Schmidt PC, Bartolini G, Kelley DS, Kyle D. Lipids, 1997 Apr;32(4):421-5. 22. Omega-6 fatty acids and risk for cardiovascular disease: a science advisory from the American Heart Association Nutrition Subcommittee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Harris WS, Mozaffarian D, Rimm E, Kris-Etherton P , Rudel LL, Appel LJ,
Engler MM, Engler MB, Sacks F . Circulation. 2009 Feb 17;119(6):902-7 . Epub 2009 Jan 26. 23.The effect of dietary arachidonic acid on platelet function, platelet fatty acid composition, and blood coagulation in humans. Nelson GJ, Schmidt PC, Bartolini G, Kelley DS, Kyle D. Lipids, 1997 Apr;32(4):421-5. 24. Changes in whole blood and clinical safety markers over 50 days of concomitant arachidonic acid supplementation and resistance training. Wilborn, C, M Roberts, C Kerksick, M Iosia, L Taylor, B Campbell, T Harvey, R Wilson, M. Greenwood, D Willoughby and R Kreider. Proceedings of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference June 15-17 , 2006. 25. Effects of dietary supplementation with arachidonic acid on platelet and renal function in patients with cirrhosis. Pantaleo, P , Marra, F , Vizzutti, F , Spadoni, S, Ciabattoni, G, Galli, C, Villa, GL, Gentilini, P & Laffi, G (2004) Clin Sci, 106, 2734. 26. Relationship of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids to circulating inflammatory markers. Ferrucci L et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 91: 43946. 2006.
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Rookies Fouad Abiad and Ben Pakulski are Making Noise in the IFBB
By Ron Harris, Photography by Per Bernal With the exception of Paul Dillett in the 1990s, Canada has not produced a whole lot of top pro bodybuilders. More often, their athletes have been the butts of jokes you may recall the enormous Greg Kovacs, who unfortunately had all the aesthetics of a major appliance, or spunky old Jocelyn Pelletier, a guy with a physique that would be lucky to win a local novice Masters show, yet continues to pop up faithfully at a few pro shows every year. But now, it seems Canada may have the last laugh, in the form of two excellent young rookies. Both turned pro by winning the Super-Heavyweight and Overall titles at the CBBF Canadian Championships, and both hail from Canadas largest province of Ontario. Aside from that, Fouad Hoss Abiad and Ben Pakulski couldnt be more different. Fouad has dark, Middle Eastern features, an awesome back, and needs a bit more weight in the wheels. Ben has more of a Scandinavian look, huge legs, and could stand to have a meatier back. But both distinguished themselves with honor at the recent Tampa Bay Pro, with Fouad taking a highly controversial second place to Dennis James, and Ben right behind him in third. We decided to get the two best pro bodybuilders in Canada together to see just how similar and different they really are.
Ben Pakulski
Height: Weight: Date of birth: Residence: Turned pro at: Website:
510 254-300 March 18, 1981 Toronto, Ontario Canada 2008 CBBF Canadian Championships Super-Heavyweight & Overall Champion www.benpakulski.com
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I also identified with Jay Cutler for some reason. My dad took me down to New York to see the Night of Champions in 1998 when I was 17 . Ronnie Coleman won and Jay only placed 11th, but I knew he was going to be really good eventually. The structure and everything was there. Plus I knew he was one of the youngest guys in the pro ranks.
What are your strong points, and what do you still need work on?
Fouad: My whole upper body is ahead of my legs at this point. My legs simply dont respond and grow quite as fast. Id actually prefer to have legs that overpower my upper body than the other way around. My arms arent quite where they need to be yet, either. I would like to add another half-inch to an inch to them. Im pretty happy overall with my torso, though my lats look better from the back than they do the front. Theres work to be done everywhere. Ben:Obviously a lot of people talk about my legs, but I dont consider anything to be as good as it needs to be yet. But my main focus now is improving my back thickness and upper chest. I work them both twice a week now.
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up in the NPC, I think you have first crack at the supplement and magazine contracts, which help establish you and get your name out there. You start to get a fan base, and thats what its all about. But at the end of the day, if your physique is good enough it wont matter youll get noticed. Ben: Crowd favoritism is always going to run toward the guys who are better known. But I had it in my head that I was going to give the judges every reason to notice me and place me high. I brought my best condition possible and worked hard on all my weak points after I turned pro. Looking at the photos from Tampa, I realize I looked so much better for the finals and it was simply because I ate more. Hany Rambod worked with me and wanted to make sure I was tight enough, but once the judging was over I ate a ton more food and really filled out. The way my physique is, I dont spill over. I just get fuller and tighter. Still, I was very happy to get third place and qualify for the Mr. Olympia at my first pro show.
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the pros. But overall, hes really good and Im sure hell be getting much better from here on in.
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FLEX CRITIQUE
By Flex Wheeler, Photography by Per Bernal
Light-Heavyweights
Branden Ray
There arent too many amateurs out there right now who you can honestly say possess all the tools to make a top pro already. B-Ray is one of the few. He just lost his job at CNN, which I think could make for an added ingredient toward his success this time. Without that comfy paycheck from them, theres a little more pressure to make a real living in bodybuilding now. Its all or nothing! I feel the keys for Branden are to come in with crisp condition and also closer to the top of the weight class limit of 198. In Las Vegas, he arrived a few days before with that weight and fullness but lost it by the time he
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got onstage, to the tune of about 10 pounds. When I saw him at the USA and didnt know what happened, I advised him to skip the Nationals and just put that size on. B-Ray informed me about the whole mishap of flattening out like a damn pancake. He also needs to be more careful with his stage color. As a dark-skinned brother, you cant go overboard and be much darker. The light wont reflect off your skin if you do it gets absorbed and makes you look washed out. I know if this guy brings the condition and comes into the Nationals thicker and rounder, he will be the man to beat. Hes taken second place two years in a row at the USA, and hopefully the Nationals will be a whole other story.
Tamer El Guindy
Speaking of the man to beat, you cant utter that phrase without mentioning the man who did beat Branden and is going to Florida with the momentum of being the current USA Light-Heavyweight Champion pushing him. They call Tamer Razor and its not hard to figure out why the guy has more splits and striations than a ragged Cliffside. But I also feel that he won his class at the USA mainly on that condition, not necessarily for having the best overall physique. Tamer needs to fill out a lot more in the chest and arms, and I really see him having to move up to a heavyweight and competing at around 205210 before he has that needed mass. I know this whole weight class issue drives guys crazy and leads them to do some weird things. My feeling is that if youre very close to the bottom of the weight class, it might make sense to suck down to the next lower division. At a show like the Nationals where every class winner turns pro, I can see the wisdom behind that strategy. But heres the thing. Theoretically, your goal is to turn pro and be in the mix with the best of those guys. Unless were talking about the 202 class, there are no weight classes in the pro ranks. So you cant be dodging anybody. What I mean is, your goal if you intend
to be a good pro is to win the Overall so decisively at your pro qualifier that you make all the other guys look like amateurs compared to you. You wouldnt care about dropping down a class or staying in another class to avoid anybody, because you should beat anybody else regardless. Thats just my little rant based on how I feel about it. When I won the USA back in 1992, anything over 198 pounds was basically an unlimited class. I was only about 215 pounds, and some of the guys I was up against had a good 2030 pounds or more on me. But there was no way in hell I was going to drop down to light-heavy to avoid them. My physique looked much better at 215, so thats where I competed at and its also about what I weighed when I won the Iron Man and Arnold Classic the following spring. This hasnt all been about Tamer El Guindy specifically, but looking at him does make me think he would be a lot closer to being ready for the pro ranks if he filled out to heavyweight and still brought his trademark Razor cuts.
Seth Feroce
Seth Feroce
Its pretty rare that we would be talking about a guy who has only done two regional NPC shows in a preview like this, among all these other seasoned veterans who are basically proven commodities. But Seth Feroce clearly has that special something that sets him apart from your average regional competitor. The kid is thick and has nice shape, with monster wheels and an overall level of mass you dont see too often. Congrats to Seth on signing an MD contract without ever competing at the national level. Thats a lot of expectations put on you now, kid! When youre part of the biggest and best bodybuilding magazine in the world, people expect you to handle your business. I know Seth only started working with Hany Rambod a few days before his win at the NPC Pittsburgh, so with the seven months since then Im sure Feroce has made some real improvements. If he pulls off a win his first
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FLEX CRITIQUE
time out in a light-heavy class this stacked, Seth would instantly earn the respect of a lot of fans who right now are probably wondering why hes getting so much hype.
Jon Delarosa
Last but not least in our discussion of what is probably the best group of light-heavies to attack the Nationals stage in years, we have New York Citys Jon Delarosa, the reigning Junior Nationals champ. Thats a nice title to go into a pro qualifier with just ask Lee Haney, Rich Gaspari, Phil Heath, or Evan Centopani. Jon is Dominican and a protg of MDs own Victor Martinez, so obviously he has some solid advice in his corner. Hes got a nice combination of size and shape, but I would like to see him dial it all in crisper for a show like this.
Al Auguste
Al seems to be best known as the man who lost not once but twice to Peter Putnam, first at the 2007 USA and then the next year at the Nationals. Personally, I thought he should have bested Putnam at least one of those times, as his back development as well as the conditioning of his hams and glutes was far superior. Al was probably wondering, What the hell more do I need to do to get my pro card? I can answer that for you, bro not a damn thing! Show up again in excellent condition and you could take it this time. Auguste has a very complete physique, and I could see him moving right into the pro 202 class and doing damage. But it is a really competitive group of light-heavies heading into the Nationals this year, so Al had better bring not just his A-game, but his A-plus game!
Jon Delarosa
Heavyweights
Lee Banks
Now lets get into the bigger guys. I feel bad for Lee Banks, because the last two times hes competed he was good enough to win. He took second to Marc Lavoie at the 2008 North American and just a couple months ago Mark Alvisi barely edged him out at the USA. Sometimes you have two guys who are so close you could basically flip a coin, and unfortunately for Lee hes come up on the short end of a couple of those coin tosses. Banks has a great structure with a tiny waist, super-wide back and shoulders, and nice flaring thighs. Hes another guy who could stand to fill out a few more pounds to thicken up to the very top of his weight class, and rumor has it he will definitely be pushing the boundaries of that 225 1/5 cut-off. Considering he was 218 at the USA in July, 7 pounds of quality muscle in that short a time would be damned impressive and could be what Lee needs to finally put him over the top.
Lee Banks
Neil Champagnie
Man, I dont know which nickname is starting to get overused more, Flex or Hollywood! When Darron won the Junior USA Overall earlier this season, I noticed a certain resemblance to one of my favorite ballers, and said he looked like a buffed Kobe Bryant. Darron has amazing shape and lines, and they easily carried him at the junior level. But now that hes stepping up to the big league where pro cards are at stake, hes gonna need a lot more than pretty shape to get by. The condition he was in for the Junior USA was probably about 90 percent of whats expected at the Nationals. Im sure Darron is aware of this and will rise to the occasion. If not, this first attempt at a pro card could wind up being a learning experience.
Neil Champagnie
In the tradition of Brooklyn bombers like MDs own Kai Greene and Branden Ray comes another great bodybuilder: Anthoneil Champagnie. I confess that until last year I had never heard of Neil, but then he won the Overall at the Eastern USA, a very tough regional
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show out there, and jumped right into fourth place at the Nationals. That was up from sixth the year before, so I am detecting an upward trend! Champagnie is one of the thickest Heavies out there the dude cant be more than 57 or 58 and just loaded with muscle! His shape is killer too, so all he needs is to dial in his condition and he might be the one to walk away from this class with the pro card.
mass that Keith has, he is capable of beating a lot of pros the same way Ronnie and Jay did show up in condition and make them all look small next to him.
Trey Brewer
Trey is another guy I feel sympathy for. A lot of weight was put on this kids shoulders too soon. Trey does have phenomenal potential, which is why they call him The Phenom, but people in his camp were puffing him up to be more than what he was at the time. Brewer was put in a difficult position of having to live up to an ungodly amount of hype and predictions of greatness. For anyone else, fourth place at your first Nationals would have been looked at as a triumph, but due to the way this kid was built up, it came off like a colossal failure. Now, people are starting to expect him to fail instead of succeed. Thats why its important that Trey shows up with plenty of size as well as some granite-hard condition. Ive talked to Trey several times, and one thing I try to impress on him is to stay a little leaner in the off-season. He was getting up to around 330 pounds before, and thats way too heavy. You cant see whats going on with your physique with that much body fat and water obscuring the muscles, and you run a huge risk of losing far too much mass when you diet down. I know this young cat is fully capable of surprising us all and looking the way we all expected him to way back when the magazines and the BSN ads were blowing him up as the Next Big Thing so lets see if he does.
Fred Smalls
Aint it funny how so many guys named Smalls actually take up so much space? You had the late rapper Biggie Smalls, and now one of the USAs best heavyweights, Fred Smalls. Im a big fan of Freds physique. The dude has plenty of mass, pretty shape, and he also happens to be a devoted family man. I got to meet Fred with his family back at the USA and it was touching how supportive they all are of him, and how attentive he was of his family even with all the madness of the show still going on. All I have to say for advice to Fred, who took third at the USA, is sharpen up, my brother! Shred that shit up, lose the water, and this thing could be yours.
Fred Smalls
Super-Heavyweights
Keith Williams
Now we get into the real heavy hitters. Im including my good friend Keith Williams here basically just to break the news that he will not be doing the Nationals. Weve been talking it over since he took second at the USA, and we both agree that he would be better off refining his physique and coming back to the 2010 USA with that Oh my God! factor I know he is capable of. Keith has some areas he needs to improve on, which I wont list here because theres no need to draw any further attention to them. I want Keith to show up next year at the USA and totally dominate the show, so he will be immediately ready to jump into a show and qualify for the Mr. Olympia soon afterward. His goal is to be a good pro, so thats the right strategy. I feel that with the type of overwhelming
Keith Williams
Abbas Khatami
Abbas is coming off a super class win at the North American, which is the second time hes done that. Hes also been up in the top five at the USA and Nationals on various other occasions. Khatami has a great back, wide round delts, and some of the best quads in the amateur ranks today. He still needs to upgrade the caliber of his guns and fill in his chest, though. One thing I will say about Abbas is
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FLEX CRITIQUE
that he is one of the NPCs true masters of presentation. He takes command of the stage when hes up there, and as a dedicated student of the sport, Abbas has the rare ability to perfectly showcase his strong points when he poses while doing a great job of making you look past his weak points. I do think he needs sharper condition, also. When we spoke right after the North American, Abbas seemed to think his condition was the best in the whole show, and I didnt agree with that. Set a higher standard for yourself, dial that shit in just a little tighter, and you can do very well.
Robert Burneika
This big Russian dude is a true freak. The arms and calves on him are just ridiculous, and in terms of overall mass, Burneika is up there with guys like Jay Cutler and Branch Warren. In other words, one thick mofo. He doesnt have the prettiest shape or the smallest midsection, so his best bet to do well is to out-condition the other supers. Guys in that class are notorious for not being in the best shape as compared to the lighter weight divisions, so any super who shows up peeled usually has a huge advantage.
Abbas Khatami
Sean Allan
Big Sean Allan (aka BSA), what can I say? I admire the mans tenacity. He rarely places as well as he wants to, but he keeps coming back. Sean is also the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, so if hes angry up there when they dont call him out for comparisons, its easy to see. My best suggestion for Sean would be to stop competing until he brings those wheels up to match his huge upper body, which does have very nice shape and symmetry. He gets very defensive about this subject because he does train his legs hard and they have been getting better. But theyre still not good enough. I gotta be honest. If Sean ever does get those wheels just as thick, full, and freaky as his upper body, and nails his condition too, his dream of many years to be a pro will come true. I also feel he switches around with too many different coaches and never gives anyone a chance to really follow through for him. I say pick one person to listen to, get a plan together, and drive that shit all the way until the wheels fall off. Then if youre not happy with the results, at least you will know what did and didnt work. Just my two cents for one of the hardest-working brothers in the game.
Malcolm Marshall
Speaking of condition, thats the one area that seems to be the Achilles heel for big Malcolm Marshall, a giant of a man who reminds me a little bit of pro Joel Stubbs, but with better legs. The size and shape are there, Malcolm just needs to shred it up and come in ripped up and dry. We had a conversation back at Mortons restaurant after the judging at the USA that was more like a confrontation. Malcolm didnt feel he was going to do very well based on the call-outs, and he challenged me as to why which was pretty strange, since I have nothing at all to do with the judging. But I was straight-up with him and let him know his condition wasnt good enough to be a threat to win. And I was right. He had been fourth and fifth in this class at the 2008 USA and Nationals, but this year he didnt make top 15. Thats not to say Malcolm doesnt have a pro-caliber physique worthy of winning. He does, if he shows up shredded. So my advice is to take some of that anger and frustration and apply it to your diet and cardio to dial in that condition.
Malcolm Marshall
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Steve Kuclo
This big kid from Michigan has a world of potential. He was third place last year at his first Nationals, and I have no doubt hes grown and matured quite a bit more over that time. He has some areas he needs to fill in, but I wouldnt doubt hes brought up a lot since last year.
Cedric McMillan
Last but not least, we have the 2008 Junior USA Champion. Cedric has very nice overall shape, but to me he appears a little lanky. Im not sure what he weighed last year, but I would estimate he needs a good 1015 pounds, minimum, to really fill out and be a threat to win the supers at a pro qualifier.
Sean Allan
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Cedric McMillan
Beginners Luck?
Seth Feroce, who never competed until spring of this year, is preparing for the NPC Nationals. Hes had to endure plenty of comments that he needs to compete longer and pay his dues before he can expect to win a show of that caliber. It is fairly common to hear about winners who have reached that goal only after many years and many tries at a pro card. But then again, there is no shortage of examples pointing to the fact that if youre good enough, you can indeed win your pro card quickly maybe even on your first try. In recent years, weve seen men like Phil Heath, Evan Centopani, Rich Jones, Mike Liberatore, Ben White, Brandon Curry, Peter Putnam, Desmond Miller, and Mark Dugdale take the fast track to the IFBB. Seth would never be so bold as to make a similar prediction for his own Nationals debut, but he does remain optimistic. I am confident about the package I will be bringing as a light-heavyweight, he says. I dont listen to negative people who insist that Tamer or Branden Ray or whoever has the win already locked up. Anything can happen, and it all comes down to who looks the best that day on that stage. Seth has also recently relocated to his native Pittsburgh, along with his wife and baby daughter, and now his training and prep are going better than ever. I feel renewed, and I still wonder why we waited so long to come home, he says. This month, I went in-depth with Seth to break down everything you would ever want to know about his training. Just a couple weeks after this issue hits the newsstands, Seth Feroce will unveil the results of his ferocious workouts onstage in Miami and dont be too shocked if the new kid pulls off a win his first time out!
Chest:
Was it an easy or hard body part for you to build? It was relatively easy for me to build my chest, because its always been my favorite body part to train. Ive always done it on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday; earlier in the week when Im fresher. I always look forward to hammering chest. Did you make any major mistakes in training it? In the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing. It was just about moving weight, with terrible form and zero mindmuscle connection. I also was very much into going superheavy all the time until two years ago, when I slightly tore my
pec. That scared me and made me realize there was absolutely no reason for a bodybuilder to be going so heavy that you can only get a couple reps. What have been the most productive exercises for you? Incline dumbbell and barbell presses, incline dumbbell flyes, weighted dips, and dumbbell pullovers. Have you found any exercises to be a waste of time for it? Decline presses. I started getting too much development in the lower pecs, and that droopy look to a chest is ugly.
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Upper chest is challenging enough for almost everybody, so theres no reason to do declines and let the lower pecs grow even further ahead. What are your future goals for it? I still need more of a shelf on the upper chest, and better overall separation.
THE WORKOUT: Incline Barbell Press Last set, Drop set Flat Dumbbell Flyes Last set, Drop set
Incline Hammer Strength Machine Weighted Dips or Dumbbell Pullovers Super-setted with 3 x 10-15 (failure each set) Pec Deck or Cable Crossovers Incline Dumbbell Flyes FST-7 6-10 rep range
4 x 8-12 365 pounds x 10-5 (failure) 225 pounds x 10-20 (failure) 135 pounds x 10-20 (failure) 4 x 8-12 Half the weight, twice the reps 100 pounds DB x 8-12 50 pounds DB x 16-24 3 x 8-12
Back:
Was it an easy or hard body part for you to build? I thought I was doing OK with it. I wanted a big, thick back like Dorian Yates had, so I sort of modeled my workouts after his and did a lot of heavy barbell rows and deadlifts. Once I started working with Hany, he had me stop doing deadlifts so I wouldnt get my waist any thicker. My focus now is on width and detail.
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Did you make any major mistakes in training it? Hany pointed out to me that I should have been doing pull-ups all along, instead of lat pulldowns. Its the same movement, but you get better results pulling your own bodyweight. What have been the most productive exercises for you? I think everything Ive done for my back has helped in its own way barbell and dumbbell rows, deadlifts, various machine and cable movements. Have you found any exercises to be a waste of time for it? No, even the cable movements did work the back from various angles that are hard to duplicate with free weights. What are your future goals for it? More width, more hang to the lower lats, and way more detail and separation.
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THE WORKOUT: Wide-Grip Pull-ups Reverse-Grip Barbell Rows Last set, Drop set
5 x 10-15 4 x 6-12 315 pounds x 6-12 225 pounds x 10-15 135 pounds x 10-20 Close-Grip Pull-ups 4 x 10-15 Wide-Grip Cable Rows 3 x 8-15 (SQUEEZE! each rep) Reverse-Grip Pulldowns 3 x 8-12 One-Arm Dumbbell Rows -FST-76-10 Rep Range *Hyperextensions done with abs 2 to 3 times a week*
Quads:
Was it an easy or hard body part for you to build? Once I figured out what the hell I was doing, they grew. My mom was a track athlete and had very big, muscular legs,
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so I got some great genetics from her in that department. Im grateful they respond so well, because I know how tough legs are to build for a lot of guys. Did you make any major mistakes in training it? I was 15 when I started working legs, and my form was just atrocious. I trained quads and hams together, and I was going so heavy that I started to have knee problems. What have been the most productive exercises for you? Squats, leg presses, front squats, hack squats, and leg extensions. Those are really all you need. I was doing lunges for a while, but after Victor Martinez blew out his knee, I got spooked and stopped. Now I do step-ups instead. They seem to hit the glutes and the hams better anyway. Have you found any exercises to be a waste of time for it? No, legs are pretty basic. You dont need to get too fancy. What are your future goals for it? Im happy with the size of my quads, but I need to get deeper separations, and just get them a lot harder and
more conditioned in general. I look at pictures from the Pittsburgh show and my lower body was nowhere near the condition of my upper.
Front Squats
Wide-Legged Squats Super-setted Step-ups on Flat Bench 4 x 15 each leg Leg Extentions or Hack Squats FST-7 6-10 rep range
5 x 10-25 12 plates a side x 15 (failure) 8 plates a side x 20 + (failure) 6 plates a side x 20 + (failure) 4 plates a side x 20 + (failure) 4 plates a side x 20 + (failure) 4 x 6-15 225 x 10 275 x 10 315 x 10 365 x 6 + (failure) - 225 x 10 + (failure) - 225 x 10 + (failure) - 135 x 10 + (failure) 4 x 6-12
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Hamstrings:
Was it an easy or hard body part for you to build? They have been pretty difficult, compared to my quads, for sure. Did you make any major mistakes in training it? Thats why they werent growing I never gave them a fighting chance. I always did them after quads and the workouts for them were so-so, never anything great. I was spent from all the squats, leg presses, hacks, and so on. Only three months ago I started doing them on their own, and the results have been amazing. Im kicking myself for not doing this from the start my hams would be so much better by now. What have been the most productive exercises for you? Pretty much everything lying, seated, standing leg curls, and stiff-leg deadlifts, using both a barbell and dumbbells. Ive also started incorporating things I saw Kai Greene doing in his MD TV videos, like the Jefferson Lift and just all the squeezing he does in general. It makes a big difference. Have you found any exercises to be a waste of time for it? I was wasting my time training them with so little energy left, but there was never an issue with the actual exercises. What are your future goals for it? Bigger, more of a sweep, and much harder and more separated.
THE WORKOUT: 1. Seated Leg Curls 4 x 8-15 2. Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 4 x 8-15 (Failure each set) 3. Jeffersons 4 x 10-15 (SQUEEZE! Each rep) 4. Lying Leg Curls 4 x 10-15 5. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlifts FST-76-10 rep range
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and with my tris, more cross-striations. I want more size and better separation overall my arms are nowhere near where I want them to be yet.
THE WORKOUT: Dumbbell Hammer Curls Last set, Drop set *S/S* Close-Grip Pushdowns Last set, Drop set
4 x 6-12 75 pounds x 6 + (failure) 40 pounds x 12 + (failure) 4 x 6-12 Half the weight, twice the reps
Preacher Curls (free or machine) 4 x 8-12 Last set, Drop set Half the weight, twice the reps *S/S* Close-Grip Bench 4 x 6-12 Incline Dumbbell Curls 3 x 8-12 *S/S* Wide-Grip Pressdowns 3 x 8 x 12 One-Arm Cable Concentration Curls 3 x 10-15 *S/S* Reverse-Grip Pressdowns (either one-handed or two) 3 x 10-15 Barbell Hammer Curls FST-76-10 rep range Rope Pressdowns or Skull-CrushersFST-76-10 rep range
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Shoulders:
Was it an easy or hard body part for you to build? Shoulders have been the most difficult muscle group of all for me! It wasnt long ago that I had big traps, decent arms, and very little meat between them it was pathetic. Did you make any major mistakes in training it? It was one of those vicious cycles where I wasnt seeing results, so I started to really hate training shoulders, and wasnt putting in the requisite effort. It all turned around when I was 20, and broke my hand and my wrist. I couldnt do jack shit in the gym for 20 weeks with that cast on my arm; at least I couldnt do most of the exercises I was used to. So I was looking around the gym to see what I could do with that cast on, and I saw the seated lateral raise machine. Sure enough, I was able to use it, and I was shocked at how I could suddenly feel my medial deltoids working for the first time ever. So I would alternate days. One day I would come in the gym and do 10 to 15 sets of that, and on the other day I would do stuff like the leg press, leg extension, and leg curl. My shoulders actually caught up in that time, and now I love training them. What have been the most productive exercises for you? Dumbbell lateral raises and barbell upright rows.
Have you found any exercises to be a waste of time for it? One-arm cable laterals. When I train shoulders, I like to keep a certain rhythm going. I move pretty quickly and like to keep a nice pump going the whole time. Doing those one-arm cable laterals just breaks my rhythm. What are your future goals for it? I need to improve everything about them still. My front delts need the most work. But overall, my shoulders need to be bigger, rounder, and I need more striations.
THE WORKOUT: Barbell or Dumbbell Shoulder Presses 4 x 6-12 315 x 6 + (failure) 225 x 10 + (failure) 135 x 10 + (failure) 4 x 6-15 + Last set, Drop set 100 pounds x 6 + (failure) 60 pounds x 12 + (failure) 40 pounds x 12 + (failure) Barbell Front Raises 4 x 6-15 Barbell Upright Rows 4 x 6-15 Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raises 4 x 6-12 Barbell or Dumbbell Shrugs 5 x Failure each set Close-Grip Machine Shoulder Presses FST-76-10 rep range
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Calves:
Were they an easy or hard body part for you to build? About average. Did you make any major mistakes in training it? I never, ever did seated raises until this year, so I wasnt stimulating the soleus much at all. Now I hit calves three times a week and do the seated raises every time. What have been the most productive exercises for you? Standing calf raises on a machine as well as standing on a block under the Smith machine bar, raises on the leg press, and donkey calf raises. Have you found any exercises to be a waste of time for it? Nope. What are your future goals for it? I never really worried too much about my calves and I thought they were good enough, but once I really took a good look at the pictures from the Pittsburgh show I realized that compared to my quads, they suck. They need to be a lot bigger to match.
THE WORKOUT: Seated Calf Raises Standing Calf Raises Donkey Calf Raises AB WORKOUT: Stability Ball Crunches Hanging Leg Raises Lying Leg Raises
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4 x 25 + 4 x 25 + 4 x 25 +
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Contest History
2009 NPC Northern Kentucky 2009 NPC Pittsburgh Championships Heavyweight Winner Light-heavyweight & Overall
Training Split
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Chest, light triceps, calves Back, light biceps, abs Quads OFF Shoulders a.m.: Heavy arms / p.m.: Hams OFF
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Next in Line?
One thing can be said with certainty about Floridas Lee Banks. If youre going to beat him, youre gonna have to be damn good. Over the course of four pro qualifiers in the past two years, anybody who managed to get past Lee either turned pro at that show or shortly afterward. At the 2007 Nationals, Lee was third behind class winner Adorthus Cherry and Brandon The Prodigy Curry. The next year at the USA, Banks took third in the Heavies once more to Overall champion Curry and Mike Liberatore, who won that class a few months later at the Nationals. Banks also finished runner-up a month later at the IFBB North American to Marc Lavoie, who also swept the Overall. And you all know, or should know, that Lee gave MDs own Mark Alvisi the fight of his life in the Heavies at the recent USA, before Mark continued on to storm the Overall. You know all about Alvisi, Liberatore, and Curry but what do you know about Lee Banks? Considering how good he is and how close he is to becoming a pro, its surprising how little press the guy gets. MD to the rescue!
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earned his black belt, his cousin was goofing around and caught him with a freak kick to the side of his knee that did enough damage to require surgery. I was in a cast that whole summer and couldnt walk, so I started doing some curls with my dads old weight set out of boredom, he says. Not having a clue what he was doing, his reps were around 30-40 per set, but his arms still began to grow. As a skinny kid, the newlybuffed arms whet his appetite and he started experimenting with a few other exercises. At 18, Lee enlisted in the U.S. Army and only a year later found himself shipped off to Iraq, when Operation Desert Storm began in the spring of 1991. Banks was there for nine months, driving an M1 Abrams tank and MD 201
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seeing his share of active combat missions. He had continued lifting weights the whole time, and by the end of his three-year stint in the service Lee was seriously thinking about entering a contest. Another local guy from Jacksonville was starting to do pretty well in regional events, a certain Dexter Jackson, and Lee thought he should put his growing physique up onstage, too. But life had other plans, as he went into the family business after returning home. He opened up Super Duck Daycare Center, which eventually grew to three locations, then married his girlfriend Michelle in 1994. A few years later, their son Levy was born, and Lees dream of competing in a bodybuilding contest was put on the shelf until 2002, when he was 30. But it was always something I thought about, he asserts. I used to be very inspired by pictures in the magazines of Arnold, Shawn Ray, and especially Flex Wheeler. I always thought if I put enough effort into it, I could be a pro bodybuilder someday I just didnt know when I would have the time to really go for it.
2004, then again in 07 as a Heavy), Lee has been top three at two pro qualifiers and runner-up at two more. At the recent USA Championships, Mark Alvisi readily admits that Lee Banks was the only competitor he was concerned with beating, knowing that if he could get past Lee, then the Overall was probably not going to be a problem. I felt the same way about him, Banks reveals. Alvisi looked incredible, and I also knew I had brought my best-ever package
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to Vegas. If I had beaten him, I think I would have won the Overall like he did. It was tough to swallow the close decision that didnt go his way but Lee knows his time is coming very soon. I feel good about the Nationals, because as far as I know, Ive already beaten all the other Heavies going in. Everybody whos beaten me in the last couple years is already a pro, so I just need to come into Fort
Lauderdale at my best and hopefully this time, that will be good enough.
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the USA. I told Hany I want him to re-build me like Steve Austin in The Six-Million-Dollar Man, he laughs. (You younger readers who have no idea what hes talking about should Google the 70s show or check out some YouTube clips it was a classic.) Rambod made some dramatic changes to Banks program, mainly related to his nutrition. I remember reading an article not long ago about how he had Phil Heath eating and I thought to myself, this is ridiculous! Thats way too much food. But now that Im doing it and I see the results, I understand what the rationale behind it is there is no substance in the world more anabolic than good food. In fact, Lees gains have been so surprising that its not even certain he will be a heavyweight. Im 252 pounds now and Ive never been anywhere near this lean at this weight in my life before. I could very well slip into the super-heavies, he says. Considering I was only 218 at the USA, not even the top of the heavyweights, that would be pretty amazing in just a few months time. Successful business owner, husband, father, and pro bodybuilder. That last one hasnt officially been added to the resume of Lee Banks just yet, but a few weeks from now it very well could be. Lee is going to be a pro one day soon, regardless bank on it!
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Contest History
2002 All-Star Classic 2002 All-South Championships 2004 All-South Championships 2005 NPC Nationals 2006 USA Championships 2006 NPC Nationals 2007 All-South Championships 2007 NPC Nationals 2008 USA Championships 2008 IFBB North American 2009 USA Championships 2nd, Light-heavyweight 6th, Heavyweight Light-heavyweight & Overall 6th, Light-Heavyweight 8th, Heavyweight 6th, Heavyweight Heavyweight & Overall 3rd, Heavyweight 3rd, Heavyweight 2nd, Heavyweight 2nd, Heavyweight
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Training Split
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday: a.m. Shoulders & calves Quads Chest Cardio only Shoulders & calves Back OFF p.m. Hams Triceps
Biceps
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I found out the guys name was Robert Burneika, and he lived a couple states away in Connecticut. Had Robert been anywhere near proper contest condition, he would have blown that show away so badly that it would have been comical. Because this particular event also featured the state shows for New Hampshire and Massachusetts, there was no Super-Heavyweight division. There wouldnt have been anyone over 225 to compete in it anyway, except for the freakishly large Lithuanian dude. So at the end of the night, smooth Robert placed second to a shredded guy who was almost 60 pounds lighter at the same height. I knew I hadnt seen the last of this monster. Once he got his condition down, he would be dangerous. Though
he didnt have the prettiest body around, Burneika was proportionate and carried the type of extreme mass that few men, even among the pros, rarely display. It was only a matter of time before I got the chance to finally get the story behind the giant, shortly after he took third place at the recent USA Championships in Las Vegas, the city he now calls home with his wife Katherine.
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Biceps Roberts biceps were just about the first thing to blow up in response to the iron back in the day, so he really doesnt train them anywhere near as heavy as he could. I have done barbell curls with over 225 pounds before, but there is no need for that anymore, he says. He usually does no more than three exercises for 4 work sets. Standing EZ-Curls Burneika believes the best results for building muscle come from starting off with a heavy free weight mass-builder. On biceps day, that often comes in the form of EZbar curls. I dont use a straight bar anymore as it puts a lot of strain on my wrists, he notes. He assured me that he didnt do anything crazy, warming up and then only using three quarters, or 25-pound plates, on each side of the bar. Before adding the bars weight, thats already 150 pounds.
words, dont call them Russians they dont appreciate it. Robert learned a strong work ethic from his father, who owned and operated an auto body shop. But early on, Burneika discovered what would be his passion in life, the same way many of us did: by seeing former seventime Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger kicking ass on the silver screen. Thats when I knew that I didnt want to work in autobody repair, but instead to make my own body into something special, he says. Though he claims he was just an average-sized 14-year-old when he began pumping iron in his attic, Robert didnt remain that way for long. Gleaning as much information as he could from Eastern European
bodybuilding magazines, he set to task in earnest and began seeing results almost immediately. Actually, I found I was naturally very strong, he explains. That seemed to come before the size. At 18, he ventured down from his attic and started training at a gym in nearby Aludof. There, he was mentored by Audrius Jegelevicius, one of the nations best bodybuilders. If the name sounds vaguely familiar, MD covered the 2009 NPC New York Metropolitan contest where he won the SuperHeavyweight and Overall titles. Also at the same gym was reigning IFBB Figure International champion Zivile Raudoniene. Its funny that we all came from the same gym in MD 213
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Lithuania, and were all here in the USA doing well now, Robert notes. Burneika got his feet wet at age 19, competing in the national championships and taking fifth in his age division at about 175 pounds. He would not step on a bodybuilding stage again for nine more years, but the die was cast.
Seated Alternate Dumbbell Curls The other typical choice to kick off a biceps session is seated dumbbell curls, a favorite of Roberts since his days as a teen up in the stuffy old attic at home. One interesting technique he practices is to warm up and then start off with as heavy a weight as he can manage in good form, rather than the standard pyramiding up that most bodybuilders do. To me, it makes more sense to use the most weight when you are fresh and have the most energy, he explains. More weight, assuming your form is good, is going to lead to more muscle mass. I think you take away from your potential results wasting energy building up to the heavy weights. As long as you warm up properly, its not a dangerous thing to do. Burneika also tries to stay with the same weight for his work sets, though the reps will come down as the sets proceed. For seated curls, he is able to use a pair of 110s in the off-season.
Dont Do This!
You will notice from the sample split shown that Robert often trains biceps after back. Unless you have the same problem with your biceps that he does (and I hope you can read the sarcasm dripping between those quotation marks), namely that your biceps grow too easily and can easily overpower the rest of your torso if youre not careful, Burneika definitely does not recommend following his example. Most bodybuilders should either train biceps after a non-related muscle group like chest or shoulders, or on a separate day, only devoted to arms, he says. Working them after back would be sabotage for most people, and especially anyone who finds his biceps are stubborn to growth.
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ties, I realized that the clock was ticking, he says. I had to make a decision to commit to bodybuilding if I was ever going to be really good at it, because you cant train for both Strongman and bodybuilding at the same time. They are two completely different sports. After marrying a registered nurse (who just happens to be of Polish heritage), Katherine, Robert became a U.S. citizen and began competing in the NPC. After the initial contest, I happened to see him at where he hadnt yet figured out his diet (I do it all on my own, no help from a nutritionist. ). Burneika won his class at a couple regional events and qualified for national competition. When he placed seventh at his first USA outing in Las Vegas last year, Robert and his wife immedi-
Preacher Curls Preacher curls are another favorite of Roberts, though he wont do them first. They do a better job of isolating the biceps because they take all the other muscle groups out of the movement, he states. But in a power movement like barbell or dumbbell curls, thats not necessarily a good thing.
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Dumbbell Hammer Curls Robert doesnt do them all the time, but hammer curls have definitely played a major role in the sheer bulk of his biceps mass. A powerfully-developed brachialis muscle helps the biceps pop and more importantly, gives it a thicker look when viewed from the front, as in the front relaxed or front lat spread poses. Burneika routinely uses dumbbells in the 100110-pound range for hammers.
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Concentration Curls At times, Burneika likes to end his biceps workout with a nice tight pump in the muscle. To achieve that, he will do concentration curls. These are a good way to try and focus specifically on the peak of the biceps, because thats the spot in the rep where you have the most resistance, he says. You should make sure to stop and squeeze hard at the top to get the most out of a concentration curl.
ately started to consider a move to the arid sunshine of Sin City. By the end of the year, we were living here and its been great, he tells us. The weather is perfect, there are great gyms, I can work as a personal trainer, and I am friendly with guys I look up to like Jay Cutler and Quincy Taylor. The change of scenery and some helpful advice from Jay must have done Robert good, because he vaulted all the way to third place in the Super-Heavies this year.
Dumbbell Preacher Curls He may use an EZ-bar once in a while for preacher curls, but far more often you will find him hauling a dumbbell over and doing the exercise one arm at a time. Its a strict movement, and I go slow. I dont use too much weight on these. Again, its all relative. The 85 or 90-pound dumbbell Robert handles here would be impossible for most bodybuilders to use in any semblance of the actual exercise.
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Triceps Roberts triceps are obviously very impressive, but he doesnt feel they quite match his biceps. To that end, he trains them heavier and with slightly more volume. Dumbbell Kickbacks Kickbacks are another triceps exercise widely held as a light finishing movement. Apparently when Robert learned the English language, he missed the part where they went over the word light. He can handle a 90-pound dumbbell, and contrary to what you may suspect, the motion actually is that of a kickback.
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Seated One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions After a heavy power movement to start things off, usually closegrip bench presses in which he regularly goes up to 455 pounds, Robert moves on to his favorite triceps exercise: single-arm overhead extensions. Most bodybuilders treat this as a light exercise, probably because few are very strong on it. This Lithuanian muscle man happens to be freakishly powerful. Would you believe he can do 8 reps with a 125-pound dumbbell? Just to be clear, thats with one hand. Holy Mother of God, thats a lot of frigging weight. I dont recommend that the readers attempt this, he cautions. Because the weight is behind your head, you could tear your rotator cuff going very heavy if youre not careful. He also notes that he takes at least 2 warm-up sets to get to this weight.
Contest History
1997 Lithuanian Championships 2006 NPC Northeast Tournament of Champions 2006 NPC East Coast 2006 NPC Eastern USA 2008 NPC USA 2008 IFBB North American 2009 NPC USA 5th, Juniors 2nd, Heavyweights Super-Heavyweight winner Super-Heavyweight winner 7th, Super-Heavyweights 6th, Super-Heavyweights 3rd, Super-Heavyweights
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V-Bar Cable Pushdowns Burneika does like to finish triceps off with a swollen pump to stretch out the muscle fascia, and cables are the perfect tool for the job. Here is where I will also increase the reps to as many as 15 per set, he notes. Normally on triceps I like to stay around 8 to 10 reps to use heavier resistance. Just as he doesnt use a straight bar for curls, he prefers an angled bar attachment such as the V-Bar for triceps. Rope Pushdowns Another frequent choice for Roberts finishing cable movement for the triceps is pushdowns using a rope attachment. The rope is very versatile, he says. You can spread the ropes apart or keep them together, depending on how heavy you want to go and what part of the triceps you want to target more.
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FW: I can live with that. At least you did your own variation on Flex, so thats cool. People dont know much about your background, so lets start there. You grew up in Jamaica but you came to live in the Washington D.C. area when you were 16. How did you get into weights, and bodybuilding? SR: If I had stayed in Jamaica, I doubt I ever would have gotten involved in any of this. The big sports there are soccer, cricket, and track. I was actually a very good soccer player, and almost had a tryout with D.C. United when I got here. I was also a competitive swimmer. When I was 17, soccer season ended and I thought it would be good to try weight training to strengthen my upper body for swimming before that season started up. I had a cousin named John Lancaster who had already competed in a couple teenage bodybuilding shows, and he offered to take me to the gym and show me what to do. It didnt seem like the workout was anything too tough, but the next day I woke up and everything was in pain! I was sore all over. John showed up to take me to the gym again and I told him to get lost. FW: Obviously you did get back to the gym. SR: I liked the way my body responded and started to change. I think the turning point that made me really want to stick with it was when John and I were on the way to the 1994 Natural Eastern Classic. I was still a teenager, and he dared me to try crossing over into the Open class, too. He said I didnt have the guts. Just to see how I would do, I tried it. I wound up winning the Teenage class, plus the Mens Open Middleweight and Overall. Thats when I said you know, maybe I could be pretty good at this, if Im 19 and Im beating guys who have been training as long as Ive been alive. FW: I know you had a terrible hand injury was that before or after this? SR: That actually happened the year before. I put my hand through a glass window and severed nine tendons. It took them half a day just to get all the glass fragments out before they could re-attach the tendons. I was terrified I was going to lose the hand, thats how bad it looked just a big bloody mess. I went through physical therapy for it, but after that the doctor still wasnt very optimistic. He told me I would never lift weights again with my right hand, never play the piano or the guitar. FW: You play both of those? SR: Nope, never. I think he was just trying to make a point about how serious the damage was. I
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did end up losing my dual college scholarship for soccer and swimming, which was a blow. So after that, I figured I might as well keep bodybuilding. My grip was so weak with that hand that I had to strap in for everything curls, bench presses, even squats. The hand would swell up with fluid every so often and Id have to go get it drained. But eventually, I made a real effort to build up my grip strength not only to where it was before the injury, but much stronger. Now I never use straps not even when I do barbell rows with 405. FW: Damn, bro, thats impressive. Not many guys can hold onto that kind of weight. Youve had a few other injuries over the years too, right? SR: Yeah, in 1996 I hurt my lower back pretty badly, squatting with 500 when I only weighed 205. I hurt my wrist and my ribcage training for the North American. But two of my worst injuries actually happened in the years I took off training, and both times were right when I was thinking about getting back to bodybuilding. I got in two bad car accidents, both of which I was rear-ended in, within two months of each other. One of them gave me whiplash to the point where I couldnt turn my head at all for a couple months, and my back was wrecked both times. FW: OK, thats what we need to talk about next. You were doing really well by 2001, taking second in the light-heavies at both the North American and the Nationals. Then things went very wrong the next year. SR: They sure did, Flex. I was getting ready for the Nationals and I was looking really good. I had worked hard to put on enough size to move up to the Heavies. Then, two weeks out, I got food poisoning and all I could keep down for a while was Benadryl and protein shakes. I ended up holding a lot of fluid that I just couldnt get rid of and took 14th place. But that was nothing. Not long after the show, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer, and it was terminal. I had always been very close to my father and it devastated me when he died. I took over his home remodeling business and I just lost all interest in training, much less competing. I decided that I had been dieting and competing so much that I needed a break, anyway. I never expected the break to last almost seven years. MD 227
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FW: You didnt train at all that whole time? SR: Nope. I was eating pure crap, too. Pizza was a very common dinner for me, and I used to keep those Little Debbie oatmeal crme pies right next to my bed so I could eat them watching TV. My weight fluctuated from as low as 205 to as high as 240, but when I was 240 it was not pretty. FW: OK, so what got you back into our world again? SR: My cousin John was part of it again, oddly enough. He asked me to go watch a local natural show put on by the OCB. We went, and I saw a few guys who I used to compete with back in the day. I would have expected them to have gotten a lot bigger or improved somehow, but they all looked the same as before. So I said, I could come back, I could beat those guys and I could be better than ever.
I told John I was going to get back to the gym and he just laughed at me and said, yeah right. Sure you are. I had said that a few times over the years and never followed through, but this was different. I just felt it was time. I called up my old training partner, a woman named Kina Elyassi who had been a bodybuilder, a professional boxer, and kickboxer. She was living in Florida and she had been away from the gym for a little while herself since she had placed at the 2007 Team Universe. Once I said I was getting back into bodybuilding and I wanted her to train with me again, she didnt hesitate. Not only was she in, she moved back up here. FW: For real? She moved just to work out with you? Thats crazy! SR: Yep. That was right around Thanksgiving of last year. And let me
tell you, the first couple weeks back in the gym were brutal. It was pathetic to see how weak I had become compared to before. I was struggling to squat 135, and my whole body was shaking when I tried to press 95 pounds behind my head for shoulders. The soreness I felt was just brutal. But my body responded well. FW: That muscle memory sure kicks ass, dont it? SR: Definitely. By the time I went to this years Arnold Classic, I was up to an all-time high of 258 pounds. That was where I decided to compete again this year. Just being in that atmosphere around all the guys and girls from the magazines got me all fired up. I talked to Dexter Jackson, Chris Cormier, and Eric Hillman from Europa Sports, and they were all very sup-
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Contest History:
1994 Natural Eastern Classic 1997 Mid-Atlantic Natural 1997 East Coast Tournament of Champions 1999 Jan Tana Amateur 1999 Team Universe 2000 Team Universe 2001 IFBB North American 2001 Team Universe 2002 NPC Nationals 2009 IFBB North American Teen Lightweight and Overall Open Mens Middleweight and Overall 2nd, Light-heavyweight Light-heavyweight and Overall 2nd, Light-heavyweight 3rd, Light-heavyweight 4th, Light-heavyweight 2nd, Light-heavyweight 2nd, Light-heavyweight 14th, Heavyweights Heavyweight and Overall
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portive and encouraging. They all agreed that I would do very well once I got in shape. So the day I got home, I started dieting just to see how my body responded to eating super clean again. A friend of mine named Josh Beach, who was the 1999 Junior National Heavyweight winner, set me up with a solid diet plan. I also talked again with IFBB pro Yohnnie Shambourger, who has been a mentor of mine since I was a teenager. My friend Fred Smalls also was very helpful. I went up to Delaware to see him while he was getting ready for the USA, and he took a look at me. Fred has always been brutally honest, and I knew he would tell me if I was being delusional about my goal to come back and turn pro this year. But Fred said Shawn, youre really gonna put it together this time. I feel it. FW: From what I understand though, the North American wasnt in your original plans. SR: It wasnt at all. I had always done well at the Team Universe, and that seemed like the most logical show for me to attempt an Overall win and get my pro card at. Then, I was looking pretty lean and there was a local NPC show called the Delaware Open happening. Even though I was only in about 80 percent of my best condition, I decided to just jump in and see how I did no carb-depleting or loading, I didnt drop my water, just literally showed up with my trunks on and won the Heavyweight class. That was at four weeks out from the North American. I met a woman at the show named Gretchen Ross who had prepped a few girls for the show, and she sent some of my photos to Hany Rambod and Kim Oddo. Kim was the one who contacted me and gave me some good ideas for tweaking my diet. He had me bump up my meals from five a day to seven, and add in a lot of red meat. The transformation my body went though just from that was like night and day. I started to think, you know what? I was second at the North American the last time I did that show and its coming up, why dont I try that? If I get my ass kicked there, I can still just do Team Universe anyway. FW: So that was it, you decided to do it? SR: Not really. I started studying the photos of the heavyweights from the past couple years at that show and comparing myself to them, and that did bring back my competitive fire quite a bit. I used them as motivation at every workout, like a mental slideshow, if you
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will. I didnt send in my entry form until the last possible minute, though. FW: So you get to the show, and the heavies turned out to be a pretty big class almost 30 guys. SR: To be honest, I got very intimidated for a little while at the weigh-ins. Some of them looked so big that I began to secondguess myself and wondered what the hell I had been thinking. But I wasnt going to
give up. A lot of guys get onstage and theyre already beaten mentally. I have the attitude that if I worked hard to get in shape, Im gonna fight and give it my best no matter who I have to stand next to. I dont care if its Ronnie Coleman onstage with me. If someone beats me, hes gonna have to work for it Im not handing it over to him. FW: Once the judging started, did you know you were going to do well, maybe even win? SR: Its funny, because for a while I thought I was not going to even make the top five. I was in the first callout, which obviously is a great thing. Then we got back in line, and I stepped off for a minute to towel off some sweat and oil and have a sip of water. The head judge called the other four guys back, plus a new guy and I was like, hey! What about me? I started to worry that because I had stepped away for a minute, they forgot about me and it had been a big mistake on my part. There were a few more callouts, and then the judge said thank you, well see you back tomorrow night. I was beside myself, but as we were all leaving, the other guys were congratulating me ahead of time for winning the class. I thought they were joking, but they assured me they were serious. Trust me, they each said, you got this one in the bag. MD 231
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So after that, I went to watch the Supers and took mental notes. Immediately I was thinking that I would have to beat whoever won that class if I wanted the Overall and the pro card. Over the next day, I stuck to my steak and sweet potatoes, and only drank a total of 16 ounces of water and four ounces of coffee. I didnt want to take any chances. FW: Now at 510 and 220, youre not what most people would consider a mass monster. But with your small joints and your shape, you create an illusion and you look just as big as the heavier guys. SR: Yeah, you know, obviously I have that genetic muscle shape and the small joints that makes the mass I have seem to be greater. In contest condition, my waist is down to 27 inches. FW: Come on, seriously? SR: Yes, really. My legs are actually two inches bigger than my waist onstage! FW: So you won our pro card at a show you didnt plan on doing, after being back in training for only eight months. Whats next for Flexatron? SR: I have been talking to Hany Rambod and well be working together on a total overhaul. If I was able to make that much progress in just a few months, I think with a sold eight or nine months of dedicated off-season training, I can make some crazy improvements. I want more upper chest, I need to drop my lats down more, just get thicker overall while keeping my small waist and my lines intact. Im very excited to see what I can do. FW: Im excited for you too, bro. I think you have a great future ahead of you in this game. SR: Thanks Flex, that means a lot coming from you and I appreciate it. When I started competing, my goal was to win the Arnold Classic one day. I even promised my dad I would do it so thats what I will be working toward over the next couple years. Wish me luck!
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Training Split*
Monday: Shoulders Tuesday: Quads Wednesday: OFF Thursday: Chest Friday: Back Saturday: Arms & hamstrings Sunday: OFF *Pre-contest, Shawn maintains the same sequence of body parts, but takes no days off.
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DORIAN YATES
BLOOD&GUTS
By Dorian Yates
Ronnie Coleman
and it made mine pale in comparison at the time. Right then and there, I set it in my mind to get that same look for my own back, and for inspiration, I tacked up back shots of Momo at my home and at my gym.
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MD is immensely proud to welcome one of bodybuildings true icons to our family. In addition to winning the Mr. Olympia six times, Dorian Yates is respected as one of the hardest-training bodybuilders who has ever lived. Equally feared for his keen intellect and unwavering discipline as he was for his incredible physique during his Olympia reign, Dorian is widely considered to be one of the most knowledgeable men in the industry when it comes to areas such as training, nutrition, the psychology of bodybuilding and more. Its been a long time coming, but at last we are able to bring you the man once known as The Shadow the one and only Dorian Yates!
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case, but not being able to see the lats while you work them also makes it much more difficult to establish a strong mind-muscle connection with them, as opposed to mirror muscles like the chest and arms. I can say from the experience of having coached many bodybuilders over the years that the back is the one area where establishing this connection is the most critical. Just about anybody can stimulate the chest to grow with bench presses, the biceps with curls, or the quads with squats but stimulating the lats whilst performing pulldowns or rows is not quite so simple. The very first thing I do when taking a bodybuilder through a back workout is to cut the weight they are using often by half and have him or her focus intensely on feeling the lats contract as they pull, hold the peak contraction point and squeeze the lats as hard as possible, and feel them stretch as they lower the resistance. I cant tell you how many of them have been stunned to actually feel their lats working for the very first time once they do this.
legs). If you ask most bodybuilders why they dont have great backs, they will often give the excuse that only a handful of guys with very lucky genetics are capable of building backs like me or Ronnie. I cant speak for Ronnie, but I dont think there was anything very special about my genetics in that area. Its true that my lats do insert very low, but I see plenty of pros with similar attachments. The real reason is that most bodybuilders fail to grasp the function of the back and never train it properly. The basic function of the lats, without getting overly technical, is to bring the arms down from an overhead position and also to bring the arms back when they are in front of the body. In other words, a pulling down movement as well as pulling back as in any type of row. To work the lats completely, the lower back must be arched, not rounded. Another common limiting factor toward building the lats is that its quite easy to let the biceps or momentum do the actual work rather than the lats, and as you should know, the biceps are much smaller and weaker than the lats. Therefore, if your biceps give out first, your lats never receive sufficient stimulation needed to spark growth. The final and perhaps most significant issue working against back development is the simple and painfully obvious fact that the whole muscle group is in back of you, and you cant see it. Not only does the adage out of sight, out of mind prove sadly appropriate in this
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the teres major and minor, the upper portion of the traps, and the rhomboids. When a bodybuilder feels these smaller muscle groups at the top of the back working, he often assumes he is making his lats wider. But the lats actually originate under the armpits and insert near the waist. Using a wide grip does not provide anywhere near a full range of motion for them. A narrower grip, in contrast, allows both a better stretch and a more complete contraction. If you dont believe me, pantomime two types of pulldowns right now as you read this, doing your best to contract the lats as hard as possible: a wide-grip pulldown and a narrow, underhand grip. I guarantee you that you will feel a more powerful contraction of the lats with the narrow underhand grip. In my early career, I experimented with various types
of grips, and I found that using a closer grip with the hands either parallel (facing each other) or fully supinated (underhand) actually provided the best contraction and most complete range of motion for the lats. Throughout my Mr. Olympia reign, I never did a single set of wide-grip chins or lat pulldowns. My two choices for vertical pulling were always a narrow underhand grip for lat pulldowns, which I would go up to 400 pounds on, and the Hammer Strength Iso-lateral pulldown machine. A final reason to consider using a narrow grip beyond the issue of range of motion is the fact that it puts the biceps in a stronger position. Since the biceps are far smaller and weaker than the lats, putting them in a position where they are guaranteed to fail before the lats are properly stimulated, as in any wide-grip vertical pull, will cause you to shortchange your potential growth.
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bodybuilders, its the use of momentum to move the weight, rather than pure lat power. One must keep in mind that there are three types of strength: positive (lifting the weight), static (the peak contraction at the top of the rep where the muscle is fully contracted), and negative (lowering). Your strength is actually the least in the positive and the greatest in the negative. In other words, if you can lift 200 pounds, you can probably hold 250 pounds in the peak contraction and can lower about 300 pounds in the negative. Thats just a very rough example. Most bodybuilders really only perform the positive portion of the rep and completely miss out on the other two possible areas. A quick test to see if this describes you is to see if you can stop each rep at the peak contraction and pause to fully contract the lats, then lower it slowly under control for a good stretch. If you cant, youre using too much weight and would actually benefit greatly by reducing the resistance. Studies have shown that the negative portion of the rep causes more muscle damage and stimulates greater gains in strength than the lifting itself.
DY Nutrition Launches!
Its been a hectic few months preparing for it, but at last I am launching Dorian Yates Nutrition throughout Europe and the USA. By the time you read this, my products will be available at GNC and on www.bodybuilding.com. They have already been selling in Europe for a short time, and several managed to achieve a cult-like status. One product is NOX Pump. Users report incredible muscle pumps as well as a powerful stimulant effect, increased mental focus, and improved mood. My TemPro protein powder features
an advanced blend of various fast and slow-release proteins, such as cold-processed whey and micellar casein, and we are the only company I know of that uses all-natural flavorings. Each flavor is fantastic, which means even the ladies, who tend to be very picky about shakes, will love them. Were also going to come out with a weight-gainer for men, using the same protein blend plus complex carbs from rice, waxy maize, and potato starch. Just about all other weight gainers on the market use cheap protein and the simple carb maltodextrin. Finally, the CRX Cuts fat burn-
er product is truly unique as a multi-angle thermogenic, as it features a compound that elevates brain chemistry in the area that controls pleasure. This compound has been used successfully in clinical trials as a means of fighting various addictions ranging from smoking, to drinking, and most pertinent for bodybuilders, overeating. Women in particular often have issues with compulsive eating, so this is one product that will really help them get leaner. Im very excited to get these products off the ground at last and available to those who can benefit from them.
time to do it very often, but when I do, I enjoy showing people the proper way to go about their training so they can get great results. You may have seen me at work training Mark Dugdale in his DVD A Week in the Dungeon. I certainly dont coddle my clients. If youd like to book a session with me the next time I am in New Jersey, you can do it through Robert Samborsky at www.ApollonGym.com. If youre in Europe and want to train with me at Temple Gym in Birmingham, England, you can contact me through www.DorianYates.net.
Next Month:
I will give my first-ever breakdown of the Mr. Olympia contest as seen through my eyes. Ill analyze each competitor and how he looked, plus tell you how I would have scored the big show if I were a judge. You can check out my new company DY Nutrition, and our products at www.dorianyatesnutrition.com. www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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(chimps, apes, etc). However, there are obviously clusters of people who have certain physical traits (the expression of these genes), and individuals who have nearly unique conditions. Most mutations (genetic changes) do not benefit humans after all, we are the result of centuries or eons of natural selection. Those that remain in the gene pool are changes that alter traits by a matter of degrees: eye color, straight hair versus curly, enyzme activity, hormone action, etc. The actions of testosterone are dependent upon the individuals ability to produce the hormone, maintain a relatively steady concentration over time, tissue-specific recognition and stimulation, G-protein coupling, coactivator and co-suppressor activity, response elements within the chromosomes, transcriptional and trans4 lational events, and so on. The advances in science over the last few decades, particularly at the genetic and molecular level, have expanded the knowledge base to such breadth and depth that it is nearly impossible to be expert in all matters relating to androgen actions in humans. Most experts in biosciences are forced to narrow their focus if they wish to advance understanding or be responsible for innovation or discovery. The days of the generalist have faded since the Renaissance, when a man could be a physician, mathematician, astronomer, physicist and barber as long as he was cool with the church and had a steady supply of leeches. The burden to modern-day researchers is picking through the vast and growing databases, selecting out the studies and reviews that expose a previously-unknown concept, explain the practical use of what is known, or connect-the-dots in understanding the relationship between seemingly unrelated findings or ideas. There is a genetic trait that directly affects one component of the androgen response (such as building muscle). This trait affects the sensitivity of the androgen receptor, a vital piece in the anabolic pathway. The androgen receptor has a few regions in its molecular form where changes in the amino acid
sequence (all proteins are chains of amino acids; the shape and function of the protein is determined by the sequence) can affect the sensitivity of the receptor for attaching to testosterone or other androgens, attaching to the chromosomes (DNA) or relaying the receptor-stimulated gene messages to the rest of the cell (an event called transcription). Androgen receptor sensitivity is actually pretty variable among men some respond vigorously to testosterone, while others do not respond at all. There are a number of genetic males who develop as women, due to 5 androgen receptor insensitivity. These women are unaware they are genetically male, unless a chromosome analysis is performed, usually as part of an infertility exam. This condition deserves a great deal of empathy, as these individuals are often married and seeking to begin a family when they discover they are 46XY genetically male.
and off the appropriate cell functions to the same degree as men who are more 6 androgenized. This trait, called the CAG repeat polymorphism (CAG), refers to a glutamine-tag attached to the androgen receptor. CAG refers to the DNA sequence of the gene that produces the 7 androgen receptor. It takes three nucleotides (the building-block units of DNA) to code for one amino acid in protein chain; CAG is the sequence of cytosine-adenine-guanine, which codes for the amino acid glutamine. Ironically, the androgen receptor gene is located on the X chromosome, which necessarily comes from the mother (assuming you are a male). Called the sex chromosomes, females have 2 X (or XX), while men have an X and a Y (XY). One might think men who carry an extra X chromosome (XXY), a syndrome called Klinefelters, might be at an advantage but in reality, these men have low serum (blood) testosterone concentration, small testicles, suffer from infertility, and are prone to 8 gynecomastia. The CAG would not appear to have a function, coding for a redundant stretch of glutamine inserted in a receptor that is otherwise identical to the androgen receptor of all normal men. However, as has been readily demonstrated, the longer the glutamine chain, December 2009
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the less efficient the androgen receptor is at turning on or off the genes that 8 create the healthy male physiology. Lets compare it to an everyday example. A happily-married couple generally communicate well. Sitting side by side on the couch, the wife can tell the husband, Trash needs to go out for tomorrows pickup. If the television is on, her comment is still heard, just not as clearly. If she starts talking just as the late Billy Mays starts hawking an as seen on TV product at the top of his lungs, his shouting makes it harder for the husband to hear. Making matters worse, the husband has moved into another room, knowing that Americas Got Talent is coming on next; likely, he barely hears her. Suppose the couple had argued about the wifes addiction to all things David Hasselhoff and he is in the garage listening to Kid Rock songs in his project car 1970 Pontiac GTO that is sitting on blocks. There is no way he is hearing about the garbage, and it likely wont go out. Every degree of separation reduces the strength of the message, Take out the garbage, and represents a greater risk of a negative consequence garbage piling up in the house another week, in this example. Each CAG repeat is like a degree of separation between the husband and wife. When testosterone enters a cell (for the biology geeks, this is restricted to the genomic effects of testosterone), it binds with an androgen receptor. There are different co-factors in the various cell types (skeletal muscle, fat, liver, etc.) that either enhance or impair the ability of the receptor to connect with 9 and stimulate the cell to respond. These co-factors attach onto the testosterone-androgen receptor complex and travel as a unit to the nucleus, and bind to the chromosomes (DNA) at specific androgen response elements think of it as assigned parking spaces. The complex then dimerizes (pairs up with another complex) to actually turn on the testosterone-sensitive genes. Genes are information; they do not function as anything other than data storage. In order for the information they contain to become new cell structures or change function, the information has to re-enter the cell in a form that the machinery of the cell can understand. This occurs through transcription. Transcription creates a chemical memo, or instructions from the head office. The longer the CAG repeat, the higher the degree of separation, and the less likely the message is to be affected. A great deal of research has been performed on CAG repeats and testosterone action. One clear expert in this area is Dr. Michael Zitzmann of the Institute of Reproductive Medicine at 10-16 the University of Munster, Germany. Again, the length of CAG repeats has been shown to decrease the response of the body, or tissue and cell cultures in the lab, to the hormone testosterone. Dr. Zitzmann has published a number of studies and reviews, showing that men with short CAG repeats demonstrate a more androgenic profile, whereas those who have longer CAG repeats are less robust. Men with extremely long CAG repeats exhibit signs and symptoms similar to those shown by men with testosterone deficiency, including insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes, gynecomastia, reduced fertility, soft bones, higher body fat, increased cardiovascular risk, elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as neurological and psychological problems. Conversely, men with short CAG repeats develop prostate cancer earlier, have a higher risk of male pattern balding, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and are more prone to aggres16 sive behavior. One might think that a simple solution to these CAG repeat-associated problems might be increasing testosterone (e.g., testosterone injections). In fact, this does not appear to be the perfect solution, as men with longer CAG repeats are more prone to certain negative side effects, protected from others, and do not receive the same 12 degree of certain benefits. Nonetheless, so long as adverse events are closely monitored (changes in PSA, cholesterol, hematocrit, mood, etc.), men with long CAG repeats can benefit over their baseline when treated with testosterone.
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For the bodybuilder, athlete, or recreational AAS user, there is little value to knowing personal CAG length at this time. Even if one were to learn of a long CAG repeat polymorphism, there is no treatment. However, for those who do not seem to respond to AAS use, at comparable dosages and training to his peers, this may be an early sign of a long CAG repeat polymorphism. There is value to being aware of this, as this trait may lead to early signs of hypogonadism, or other metabolic conditions, even in the presence of normal serum (blood) testosterone concentrations. Those who respond very vigorously to AAS may wish to acknowledge the increased risk seen in men with shorter CAG repeats, and more closely monitor cholesterol 16 changes, PSA, mood, and hair loss. Even anti-aging practitioners would be hesitant to treat a man with normal testosterone concentrations but a history of marginal AAS response, early onset of signs and symptoms of hypogonadism, and a normal testosterone concentration should suggest that a CAG repeat length determination be performed. Men with extremely long CAG repeats may benefit clinically from improved quality of life and protection from hypogonadal-related condition, with testosterone replacement treatment maintaining circulating testosterone in the upper region of the normal range. People are not stamped out of some cosmic dough with a cookie-cutter. We all differ slightly from each other, and the differences can often go undetected unless a person places himself in extreme conditions or becomes ill. Certainly, training and pursuing muscular development is a rare state in this fine country suffering from obesity, addiction, and sloth. Those who use AAS may discover that they are predisposed to easily gaining size and strength, or face genetic hurdles that make progress more difficult and limited. While those who find they are resistant to AAS-induced benefits face disappointment early in life, it may provide a clue that might aid in getting proper health treatment as they age. References:
1. Gonzalez-Freire M, Santiago C, et al. Unique among unique. Is it genetically determined? Br J Sports Med. 2009 Apr;43(4):307-9. 2. Sessions SK, Macgregor HC. The necessity of Darwin: this journals tribute to the most influential scientist of all time. Chromosome Res, 2009;17(4):437-42. 3. E Posner, J Skutil. The great neglect: the fate of Mendels classic paper between 1865 and 1900. Med Hist, 1968 April;12(2):122-136. 4. McPhaul MJ, Young M. Complexities of androgen action. J Am Acad Dermatol, 2001 Sep;45(3 Suppl):S87-94. 5. Oakes MB, Eyvazzadeh AD, et al. Complete androgen insensitivity syndromea review. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 2008 Dec;21(6):305-10. 6. Centenera MM, Harris JM, et al. The contribution of different androgen receptor domains to receptor dimerization and signaling. Mol Endocrinol, 2008 Nov;22(11):2373-82. 7 . Palazzolo I, Gliozzi A, et al. The role of the polyglutamine tract in androgen receptor. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, 2008 Feb;108(3-5):245-53. 8. Smyth CM, Bremner WJ. Klinefelter syndrome. Arch Intern Med, 1998 Jun 22;158(12):1309-14. 9. Robins DM. Androgen receptor and molecular mechanisms of male-specific gene expression. Novartis Found Symp, 2005;268:42-52;discussion 53-6,96-9. 10. Zitzmann M, Gromoll J, et al. The androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism. Andrologia, 2005 Dec;37(6):216. 11. Zitzmann M. Mechanisms of disease: pharmacogenetics of testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men. Nat Clin Pract Urol, 2007 Mar;4(3):161-6. 12. Zitzmann M, Nieschlag E. Androgen receptor gene CAG repeat length and body mass index modulate the safety of longterm intramuscular testosterone undecanoate therapy in hypogonadal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2007 Oct;92(10):3844-53. 13. Zitzmann M. Effects of testosterone replacement and its pharmacogenetics on physical performance and metabolism. Asian J Androl, 2008 May;10(3):364-72. 14. Zitzmann M. The role of the CAG repeat androgen receptor polymorphism in andrology. Front Horm Res, 2009;37:52-61. 15. Zitzmann M. Pharmacogenetics of testosterone replacement therapy. Pharmacogenomics, 2009 Aug;10(8):1341-9. 16. Zitzmann M, Nieschlag E. The CAG repeat polymorphism within the androgen receptor gene and maleness. Int J Androl, 2003;26:76-83. 17 . Anderson D. SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Greek Loses an Out Bet. The New York Times, 1988 January 17 . Accessed at: http://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/17/sports/s ports-of-the-times-greek-loses-an-outbet.html?scp=4&sq=jimmy%20the%20greek &st=cse, on August 19, 2009.
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December 2009
The following is uncensored/ unedited and in no way reflects the opinions of the staff of Muscular Development. Who the hell knows what this guy might say... hes a mental freak. This article is for entertainment purposes only.
*TWEET*.8-16-09...BREAKING NEWS: I was eating a steak at Victor Martinezs Muscle Maker Grill in Edgewater NJNormally I dont mind vegetarians, but I really hate it when they get all superior and preachy about the Evils of Eating MeatSo anyway, this fitness girl that I know comes over to me and says that she is a vegetarian and she just cant bear to watch me eat that steakI looked at her and said, If you want to only eat vegetables thats fine with me, but the way I see it, this cow used to be a vegetarian and look how things turned out for the poor cow!!!!
YEAH, SO I WAS DRIVING IN MY CAR TODAY SINGING ALONG TO MY NEW JONAS BROTHERS CD EERRRWHAT???AHEM.*BLUSHING* > UMM, DID I SAAAAY JONAS BROTHERS???...*NERVOUS LAUGH * > HA HA HAOH SILLY ME, I DONT LISTEN TO THAT SHIT!!!...*WIPING SWEAT OFF MY BROW*NO, NO, NOI MEANT I WAS LISTENING TO MY NEW ROB ZOMIES CDWOOF, GEEEZ, ITS HOT IN HERE!!!ILL BE RIGHT BACK, I GOTTA GO OPEN UP A WIINDOW!!!... *WHISPERING TO MYSELF * >> OH GOD, I CANT BELIEVE I SAID JONAS BROTHERS HOW EMBARRASSING!!! OK IM BACK, SORRY ABOUT THAT!!!...SO WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY WAS I JUST GOT HOME FROM MY LONGTIME FRIEND VICTOR MARTINEZs MUSCLE MAKER GRILLYO I love my boy Victor Martinez kinda just like a fat kid loves cake!!!!....EXCEPT I DONT WANT TO EAT HIM EVEN TOUGH MY GIRLFRIEND MERCEDES ALWAYS SAYS, DAMN THAT VICTOR IS DELICIOUSI GUESS ITS A LATIN THING...winkVICTOR AND ME HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS SO I FIGURED I JUST HAD TO REPRESENT MD AT THE MUSCLE MAKER GRILL GRAND OPENINGYO THERE WAS A LOT OF HUGE MOTHERFUCKERS THERE, THE INTERNET BODYBUILDING FORUM JUNKIES WOULD HAVE LOVED ALL THE BIG BUFFED BODYBUILDERS THERE.*MAS PUTOs*
(<<GOOGLE THAT SHIT IF YA WANNA KNOW WHAT IT MEANS). I WAS LOVIN THE HOT YOUNG YUMMY WAITRESSES AS WELL AS THE CUTE LATINA & ITALIAN LOOKING GIRLS THAT WERE JUST HANGIN OUT WITH THE BODYBUILDING LATINO KING HIMSELF VICTOR MARTINEZDAMN, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY GIRL THERE HAD A NICE HOT BODY!!!OH YEAH BABE, MY BOY VICTOR DONT PLAY AROUNDwink. Two female bodybuilders were looking for Muscle Worshipping Schmoes to make some coins (money) from the shmoes who were eating dinner at Victor Martinezs Muscle Maker Grill. One female bodybuilder said, Girl, we gonna get paid tonight, I can smell Schmoe Dick in the air.The other girl just laughed and said, Bitch thats because I just burped. OK, SIMMER DOWN, ENOUGH BULLSHIT FOR A MOMENT, LET ME JUST TELL YOU, MY BOY VICTOR STOOD UP BY THE FRONT DOOR ALL FUCKING DAY AND HE GREETED EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT ENTERED THE MUSCLE GRILL, AND YO THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN & OUT OF THERE!!!!..NOW I GOTTA TELL YA, VICTOR REMINDED ME OF MY ITALIAN GRANDMOTHERS BECAUSE FROM THE MOMENT I GOT THERE VICTOR ASKED ME, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EAT ABOUT 50 TIMES!!!...NO LIE!!!!... THATS GRANDMA >> ALWAYS TRING TO FEED YOU!!!!!!..AND
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MAKE NO MISTAKE, THATS LOVE...YO THATS HOW HOSPITABLE VICTOR WAS TO EVERYONEFROM THE EARLY & MID 90s TO NOW, SO MANY YEARS & TOO MUCH DRAMA LATER, VICTOR & I ARE STILL FRIENDS AND MD BROTHERS, ITS MIND BOGGLING. SO ANYWAY, MY BOY VICTOR ORDERED ME A STEAK, AND GET THIS >> HE EVEN TALKED TO THE COOK AND TOLD HIM HOW I WANTED IT COOKED!!!..VICTOR THEN TOLD THE WAITRESS TO TAKE CARE OF ME WITH WHATEVER I WANT!!!!..THATS LOVE!!!!...THATS MY BOY VICTOR MARTINEZ!!!!... CHECK IT OUT, I WAS STANDING UP IN THE FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT TALKING EVERYONES EAR OFF (OH SHUT UP) WHEN THE WAITRESS CAME TO ME WITH A NICE BIG JUICY STEAK AND SHE EVEN BROUGHT ME OVER TO A TABLE THAT VICTOR HAD CLEARED FOR ME, WHILE I ATE LIKE A FUCKING KING!!!!...AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU, THE RICE WAS SO DAMN GOOD THAT I BRAGGED ABOUT IT TO MY GIRLFRIEND (AHHH YESSSSMY GIRLFRIEND MERCEDES, THE SAME GIRL WHO SWORE SHE WASNT GOING TO CALL ME, OR TEXT MESSAGE ME INSTEAD, SHE WAS JUST GOING TO WAIT FOR ME TO CALL HER WHEN THE PARTY WAS OVER...MEANWHILE MY PHONE DID NOT STOP GOING OFF, THANK GOD IT WAS ON VIBRATE ONLY!!...THE BITCH CALLED & TEXTED ME EVERY 15 minsOH YEAH, BABEITS A LATINA THING BABEAND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I DONT DARE NOT ANSWER IT, OH HELL NO!!!!! ). GETTING BACK TO THE RICE, MY GIRL MERCEDES STARTED ASKING ME A MILLION FUCKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DAMN RICE >>>> WAS IT DOMINICAN RICE??WAS IT DARK COLORED??WERE THERE DARK COLORED BEANS IN IT???WAS IT DRY OR WET???...etc, etc OOOWWWWA, WHATS WITH A THOUSAND FUCKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DAMN RICE!!!!...YO IM A WHITE BOY, IM NOT AN
EXPERT ON SPANISH RICE!!!... GEEZ, I TOLD HER IT WAS THE BEST RICE I HAVE EVER EATEN AND YES IT WAS VERY MOIST BECAUSE MY STEAK WAS SO JUICY THAT IT MADE THE RICE EVEN YUMMIER...OH YEAH BABE, I STAYED THERE TILL THEY CLOSED UP AT THE END OF THE NIGHTTHATS WHEN I SAT WITH VICTOR AND WE DRANK A PROTEIN SHAKE TOGETHER...NOW KEEP IN MIND, ON THIS DAY VICTOR IS ONLY 6 WEEKS AWAY FROM THE OLYMPIA SO WHATEVER HE EATS AND DRINKS HAS TO BE SPOT ON, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR BAD FOOD OR CHEATING!!!!...SO EVEN THOUGH IM COMPETING FOR THE MR. O-BLIMPIA I SAID I WANT THE EXACT SHAKE VICTOR IS DRINKING (MINUS THE STRAWBERRIES...DAMN, I WOULD BE SHITTING OUT THOSE LITTLE SEEEDS LATER ON...IT WOULD LOOK LIKE SAWDUST IN MY TOILET, SO NO THANKS ON THE STRAWBERRIES). ANYWAY, THE GUY WHO MADE VICTORS & MY SHAKE WAS THROWING IN SCOOPS OF THIS AND SCOOPS OF THATVICTOR EVEN HAD A SCOOP OR 2 OF GLUTAMINE PUT INTO OUR SHAKE...AND YO LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT VICTOR MARTINEZs OLYMPIAPREP PROTEIN SHAKE WAS THE MOTHER FUCKING BOMB!!!!... WOW!!!!...IT WAS SUPER DUPER THICK, JUST THE WAY I LIKE IT!!! (I HATE PROTEIN DRINKS THAT ARE THIN LIKE MILK OR YOO-HOO... YUKKKK)....THIS SHAKE TASTED LIKE SOFT, THICK CARVEL ICE CREAMAAHHHH YES, VICTOR AND I SAT LIKE 2 KIDS IN AN ICE CREAM SHOP SIPPING AWAY ON OUR MR. OLYMPIA PROTEIN SHAKES...IT REALLY WAS GREAT, I HAD NO GAS AND NO EMERGENCY MUD BLASTS!!!! (SHITS). SINCE THAT DAY, EVERYONE HAS BEEN ASKING ME FOR THE SECRET RECIPE FOR VICTORS > MR. OLYMPIA SHAKE AND I WILL TELL YOU ALL NOW WHAT I TELL THEM >> GO TO THE MUSCLE MAKER GRILL IN EDGEWATER, NJ AND ASK FOR
VICTORS PERSONAL SHAKE. I CANT GIVE OUT THE EXACT INGREDIENTS BECAUSE I DONT KNOW THEM, BUT ALL I CAN TELL YOU IT HAD 65 GRAMS OF PROTEIN, IT HAD GLUTAMINE IN IT AND I THINK IT HAD 18 GRAMS OF CARBS WITH A TON OF OTHER NUTRITIONAL GOODIES MIXED IN AS WELL AND ITS ONE OF VICTOR MARTINEZs SECRET WEAPONS TRUST ME, IT WAS ALL THAT AND MORE!!!. ALL IN ALL, VICTOR WAS AN INCREDIBLE HOST, HE HOOKED ME UP AND TREATED ME LIKE A KINGBUTHE ALSO TREATED EVERYONE ELSE LIKE A KING TOO!!!...I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR EVERYTHING, IT WAS A GREAT TIME.. YO VICTOR MY BROTHER >> always follow your dream, unless of course its the one where youre naked onstage at the Mr. Olympia!!!! OH YEAH BABE!!! I MET A FEW GUYS THERE FROM THE MD FORUM AND I HUNG OUT AND CHATTED A BIT WITH VICTORS TRAINING PARTNER ARMONDO THE KID PENA WHO IS A GREAT GUY WITH A HELL OF A BODY ON HIM AS WELL AS A HELL OF A VERY PRETTY GIRLFRIEND (WOOFwink) ...YO ANYTIME I GET TO EAT A NICE JUICY STEAK FOR FREE, SEE HOT BODIED YOUNG LATIN BABES (HELLYOUNG BABES, PERIODwink) AND JUST HANG OUT WITH MY BOY VICTOR MARTINEZ, ITS A GREAT TIME FOR ME!!!!...IM NOT BLOWING SMOKE UP VICTORS ASS BUT THE FOOD AND THE HOSPITALITY WERE OUTSTANDING!!!... TOO BAD I DONT LIVE CLOSER, I WOULD BE THERE EVERY FUCKIN DAY...AND THE WAITRESSES MAKE ME HUNGRY AND WANNA EAT SOME PORK!!!!... YUMMMM, HOT YOUNG BABES, ITS A FOOD OF LOVE THING, BABE!!!!.. LEAVE IT TO VICTOR TO HIRE THE HOTTIES ; ).... YO VIC, WAY TO REPRESENT!!!!!!... I TOLD VICTOR >> If you win the Olympia everything in your life gets better, your food tastes better, you sleep much better, your finances feel better and your wife all of a sudden
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looks just like Jenna Jameson. (OH YEAH, BABETHERE IS DEFINITLEY A FOOD OF LOVE THING, BABE YUM, YUM, YUMI NEED TO WIN THE OLYMPIA)GV SEASIDE HEIGHTS, YO I NEED A VACATION FROM MY VACATION!!... BRINGING YOUR KIDS AND YOUR GIRL WITH YOU ON VACATION IS NO VACATION!!I KNOW YOU GUYS FEEL ME ON THIS ONEWOOOF.A family vacation is when you go away with the very same people you need to get away from!!!OH YEAH BABEI AM GOING TO SWITCH OVER AND TYPE IN LOWERCASE AT MY DAUGHTER GINAS REQUEST BECAUSE SHE THINKS ITS FUNNY BUT HATES THAT I WRITE IN ALL CAPSMORE ON THAT IN A MOMENT BUT FOR NOW, HERE GOES>>> I took Mercedes to Seaside Heights NJ boardwalk with my daughter Gina &
my niece Karina and as the kids & Mercedes played games I ordered 2 steak sandwichesAfter eating my third steak sandwich, Mercedes wanted one too so I brought her to the stand with me and told the guy, Ill have another steak sandwich, please. The guy behind the counter then said to me, Damn, arent you worried about the mad cow???...I replied, Nah, she can order one for herself.*SIKE* So ANYWAY, later on that night Mercedes & I were high up in the air on a casino pier boardwalk ride when all of a sudden I had a huge Creatine Toxic Explosion (FART) that kinda snuck out of my ass-pipe (HOT & SILENTTHE WORST KIND!!! ) and I was just praying that Mercedes didnt smell it. At the same time I had just pointed out to Mercedes that we were flying right
over a fisherman who had a big bucket of fish he had caught while fishing on the pier right below us. Mercedes looked down at the fisherman, she saw the huge bucket of fish and I guess thats when the Ass-Gas got into her nostrils because said to me, Holy shit, look at all those fish he caught, but Ill be God Damned. YOI can smell those sons of bitches all the way up here!!!She then turned to me and with a very serious yet disgusted look on her face as she took in a Deep Sniff and she said, Oh my God, Greggdo you smell that shit???Man those fucking fish smell AWFUL and I cant believe I can smell them all the way up here, thats so gross!!!I just sat there with tears streaming down my cheeks from laughing so hard to the point that I couldnt breathe!! At first, I tried to ignore it and play dumb, but it but I knew that My Anal Oxide Emission (the damn fart) had crept up on herShe looked at me as her nostrils flared in disgust and she said, What the fuck is so funny??...I aint playin around, I swear to God I smell those nasty fish all the way up hereI hope that guy dont eat themYO that shit has got to be rotten, their stench is to damn horrible!!!I was now crying so hard that the ride we were on was actually shakingI could hold back no longer, so I told her, Its *Rectal Turbulence* that you smell, its NOT the damn fish, besides how the hell are you gonna smell fish that are over 50 feet away on the ground, while we are up in the air on a friggin ride??? She was totally puzzled by what I just said, and yet kinda pissed off so she said to me, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, WHAT THE HELL IS *RECTAL TURBULENCE*??? I couldnt stop laughing and I just blurted out, I fucking FARTED, you retardNow she was OUTRAGED and Extremely Pissed Off, so she punched me really hard on my chest and then she said to me, Oh my God, you fucking pig!!!!...THAT WAS A FART???She punched me again and said, You gross, nasty, faggotass *COCHINO* (DISGUSTING PIG), I
wanna get of this ride & throw up!!!!...You fucking asshole, here I am thinking it was the fish that were stinking and all along it was your faggot-ass that threw a FART!!...I fucking hate you!!!!
She punched me again, saying to me, I swear to God, YO I gotta throw upI just kept laughing and crying, it made my night to see her so upsetwhen we got off the ride, she ran right up and told my daughter & my niece what had happened and of course she text messaged her sister & cousin, telling them what just happened too!!! Its funny because Mercedes wouldnt talk to me for the rest of the night, she was that upset.it was GREAT!!!!!!! Boardwalk rides for 2 kids & 2 adults$150Quarters for playing boardwalk games about $100 Boardwalk food & drinks for 2 kids, myself and my girlfriend $50Throwing a fart that makes your girlfriend wanna puke & not talk to you for the rest of the night Fucking Priceless!!!! Whoever said money cant buy happiness, obviously couldnt know about the feeling I sensed from the mighty forces unleashed upon me by the steak sandwiches (with fried peppers & onions) and the creatine drink I had ingested earlier!!!!...Oh Yeah Babe, I LOVE IT!!! OK, THATS ENOUGH OF THAT NONSENSE!!!...winkIM BACK TO WRITING IN ALL CAPS<<< *OH SHUT UP* YOU FUCKING LITTLE SISSY-WHINERS, THE BOSS (STEVE BLECHMAN) LOVES IT WHEN I WRITE IN ALL CAPS, HE SAYS ITS GRITTY AND ITS DYSFUNCTIONAL aka ITS RAMBLIN
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FREAK STYLE!!!...YA HEARD???...RAMBLIN FREAK in da HOUSE!!! *REPRESENTIN*YO HOLLA!!!! OH SHIT!!!...OOOPS SORRY!!!...I GUESS I GOT CARRIED AWAY FOR A MOMENT THEREMY BADAFTER ALL STEVE BLECHMAN IS THE MAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO THE RAMBLIN FREAK, HE COINED THE NAME THEN STEVE RELEASED ME ON ALL OF YOU READERS AND NOW YOU FUCKERS LOVE IT!!!!..YOU CANT WAIT TO READ MY BULLSHIT EACH MONTH SO DONT DARE LET ME HEAR ANY OF YOU MOMOS CRYING ABOUT THE CAPSIM NOT SHOUTING AND ITS NOT TOO HARD ON YOUR DELICATE EYESIF YOU FEEL THAT WAY THEN YOURE A PUSSY AND YOU DONT BELONG HERE, SO GO READ ANOTHER COLUMN!!..ITS TOO BAD, THIS IS THE WAY I TYPE, WITH ONE FINGER AND REALLY FAST, SO FUCK OFFOH SHIT, MY DAUGHTER BETTER NOT BEING READ THIS CRAP, I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!! ANYWAY, FINISHING UP MY STORY, I RAN INTO A LOT OF MD READERS AND BODYBUILDERS WHILE IN SEASIDE HEIGHTS!!I EVEN MET UP WITH MY BOY NEW YORK BODYBUILDER AND VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE *TURNPIKE* MIKE DEITZHE BOUNCES AT A BOARDWALK NIGHT CLUB CALLED JRs DURING THE WEEK AND AT HEMINGWAYS DURING THE WEEKENDSALL MD READERS GO THERE AND ASK FOR HIM, TELL HIM I SENT YOU AND HE WILL HOOK YOU UP!!!!...OOOPS, I ALMOST FORGOT , THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK WAS WHEN MY DAUGHTER GINA PUSHED ME IN THE POOL WITH ALL MY CLOTHES ON WHILE MERCEDES & MY NIECE KARINA LAUGHEDBOY DO I NEED A VACTIONALONE!!!!!!!!!... If brains were rain, Id be a friggin desert!!! OK, IM GONNA END THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS MONTHIM GONNA VENT !!!!YO
IM A LITTLE CONFUSED RIGHT NOW AND I REALLY NEED TO GET SOMETHING OFF MY CHESTYA KNOW WHATS FUCKING CRAZY, I JUST GOT HOME FROM A VISIT WITH MY DENTIST AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAD A WISDOM TOOTH PULLED TODAY SO MY MOUTH IS VERY, VERY SORE!!!NOW KEEP IN MIND, I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I GOT THE TOOTH PULLED, I HAD NO PAIN AT ALL, NO TOOTHACHE, NOTHING IN THAT AREA OF MY MOUTH, NOW I GOT A HOLE WHERE MY TOOTH WAS AND ITS SORE AS HELL!!!THE WHOLE ORDEAL ACTUALLY MADE ME WONDER IF MY DENTIST JUST PULLED MY TOOTH BECAUSE ITS A RECESSION AND HE NEEDS TO MAKE SOME MONEY!!!I SWEAR TO GOD, WHY ELSE WOULD HE PULL A TOOTH THAT GAVE ME NO DRAMA AND FELT PERFICTLY FINE???YO NOW IM FUCKING BLEEDING IN THAT AREA AND I CANT EAT SOLID FOOD FOR A DAY!!!MY JAW IS SORE, TOO!!...ALL THIS SORE MOUTH DRAMA JUST BECAUSE MY DENTIST NEEDED TO MAKE A FEW EXTRA BUCKS SO THE BASTARD PULLED MY TOOTH AND MADE $300 FOR LESS THAN A HALF-HOUR OF WORKTHATS FUCKED UP!!! I MEAN REALLY, YO I KNOW ITS A FUCKING RECESSION BUT DONT BE PULLING MY TEETH OUT JUST TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS!!!...YO I BETTER NOT FIND HIM SELLING MY TOOTH ON EBAY.I CAN IMAGINE IT ALL RIGHT NOW >> MDs RAMBLIN FREAKS TOOTH FOR SALE!!!...IF YOU DONT LIKE THAT ONE MAYBE THE FUCKING NUT-JOB DENTIST WILL PULL ANOTHERYEAH RIGHT, OVER MY DEAD BODY!!...YO I FEEL VIOLATED, I WANT MY FUCKING TOOTH BACKDAMN, IM SORE!!! PART 2FAST-FORWARD A WEEK LATER!!!...SO NOW ITS BEEN A WEEK SINCE I HAD MY WISDOM TOOTH PULLED AND AS MY BAD LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, I DEVELOPED A CASE OF DRY SOCK-
ET WHICH IS WHERE THE WISDOM TOOTH HOLE DOESNT CLOSE UP RIGHT AWAY AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE BONE INSIDEITS ALSO VERY PAINFUL, TOO!!!!...SO I WENT BACK TO MY DENTIST AND ON THIS DAY HE HAD HIS DAUGHTER (WHO JUST GOT OUT OF DENTAL SCHOOL) WORK ON METHE DAUGHTER IS PRETTY CUTE, NOTHING TO GO CRAZY ABOUT, BUT SHE SEEMED TO BE A PRETTY GOOD DENTIST!!!KEEP IN MIND, HER FATHER WHO IS MY LONGTIME DENTIST, WAS OVERSEEING HER WORK ON ALL PATIENTS ON THIS DAYSO NOW I GOT MY MOUTH OPEN AS THE DAUGHTER IS PACKING MY HOLE (THE HOLE IN MY GUMS, YA MOMOSGET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE DAMN GUTTER GEEZ!!! ... NOW HERES THE CRAZY PART OF MY STORY >> THE FATHER MY DENTIST, WALKS IN EATING A RITZ CRACKER, WATCHING WHATS GOING ONWHEN THE DAUGHTER FINISHED PACKING MY HOLE, HER FATHER LEANS OVER ME, LOOKS INTO MY MOUTH TO CHECK ON HER WORK AND AT THE SAME TIME HE TAKES A BITE OF A RITZ CRACKERYO I SWEAR TO GOD, NO LIE, THE FUCKING CRUMBS FROM THE RITZ CRACKER FELL RIGHT INTO MY OPEN MOUTH!!!...I FUCKING GAGGED!!! I QUICKLY SAT UP AND STARTED COUGHING SO HARD THAT THE PACKING IN MY HOLE CAME FLYING OUT OF MY MOUTH TOOMY DENTIST REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED AND SAID, OH MY GOD, IM SO SORRY!!!! NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS PISSED OFF & HIS DAUGHTER WAS MORTIFIED!!... LATER THAT DAY I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MDs ROBBIE DURAND AND AFTER I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED, HE TOLD ME THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT ONCE HAPPENED TO HIM TOO, BUT IT WAS WITH A COOKIEI SWEAR TO GOD, I GOT SOME FUCKING CRAZ-ASS BAD LUCK FOLLOWING ME!!!..This would be really funny if it werent happening to me!!...OK ENOUGH SAID, TILL NEXT MONTH, FUCK OFF!!
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PART 1
Contest-Prep Fallacy,
If it aint broke, dont fix it. ~Unknown Since the theme of this month's MD is 'Road to the Nationals,' a lot of contest-prep topics have been on my mind. Now a lot of what I do in this column ends up being myth-busting, not because I plan it that way, but because there is so much ridiculous information out there that typically telling the scientific reality ends up being myth-busting and manages to step on the toes of established methods. Contest prep is no stranger to this, especially when it comes to the final week. How many times have you heard a competitor say, I looked so great a week out and then I looked terrible onstage. Thats easy; you hear it after every show from a good number of competitors. Now how many times do you hear, I didnt look very good a week out, but that final week everything really came together and I looked great onstage. You hardly ever hear that. Why the difference? What if I told you that the established methods of final week peaking are almost completely wrong and based on about zero science. Nowadays every gym guru has the perfect secret plan that is going to make you super-dry, full, and shredded onstage. Stop me if this secret plan is any different from what Ive laid out here: Sunday-Tuesday: Low/zero carbs. Super high water, high-sodium, and high-rep depletion workouts. Wednesday-Thursday: Begin super-aggressive carb load (Some may wait until Thursday to begin loading). Beginning Thursday, reduce sodium and water. No more workouts or cardio for the week beginning Wednesday. Friday: Continue carb load, and continue to reduce water and sodium. By this point, most of these plans will have you taking in less than half your normal water intake and some may even have you at zero. Sodium is usually zero by this point and typically potassium loading begins. Begin taking diuretic (some may begin on Thursday) Saturday: Continue carb load, almost zero water, no sodium, continue loading potassium, and taking diuretic. So how close am I? Ill bet Im damned close. And if you followed this protocol you probably wonder why it didnt magically take you into striated-glute land. Im afraid I have bad news for you: if you dont have low enough body fat to have striated glutes, no crazy peaking method is going to get you there. There is one secret to looking shredded onstage, and that secret is BEING SHREDDED! Over the next few issues of MD I am going to explain why these typical peak week protocols are more likely to make you look worse, not better. This month I am going to focus on cutting water and using diuretics. The idea behind cutting water and using diuretics is simple. If you cut water, there will be less under your skin and you will look more shredded, right? WRONG! The reality is, water is stored in basically 2 compartments inside the body: intracellular (inside the cell) and extracellular (outside the cell). Intracellular water is great; it makes your muscles look full and volumized. Extracellular water is what people are attempting to eliminate by cutting water and taking diuretics. The body maintains the ratio of intracellular to extracellular water in about a 70:30 ratio and this ratio is EXTREMELY tightly controlled. Anyone who claims that you can eliminate water from one compartment without affecting the other is flat out WRONG. If you pull water from one compartment, you will also pull it from the other to maintain homeostasis.This is basic chemistry/physiology concept taught to freshman-level college students. It is explained nicely by Le Chateliers Principle which states: If a chemical system at equilibrium experiences a change in concentration, temperature, volume (i.e., water volume), or partial pressure, then the equilibrium shifts to counteract the imposed change. December 2009
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So if you take a diuretic or cut water, you will lose extracellular water, but you will also lose intracellular water in order to maintain homeostasis.The ratio of intracellular: extracellular water will remain unchanged and all you will have accomplished is flattening yourself out.This is a big reason why you always hear people at shows talk about never being able to fill out or get a pump. Furthermore, Im sure many of you have experienced or have heard of competitors who couldnt fill out the day of the show no matter what amount of carbs they ate but after the show they went out to IHOP and pigged out and they looked 10X better an hour after the gorge-fest.Thats because what causes carbohydrates to fill muscles out is not the carbs December 2009
themselves, but the water that associates with carbohydrates. If you are cutting water, you can eat all the carbs you want and you will never fill out properly. After the show when competitors pig out and cant believe how much better they look, they assume its because of all the crap food they ate and they simply must not have carbed up enough (like 1,000 grams of carbs isnt enough to fill you out) when the reality is, it is not the food they ate that made the difference. It was the fact that they drank a bunch of water with the food and that finally allowed them to fill out! Now I know you are probably thinking, But Layne, what if I time it just right cant I catch myself where I am losing more extracellular water, instead of intracellular water? Not
really.Your bodys water balance is so crucial to cell osmolarity, ion balance, blood volume, and blood pressure that it is regulated by the minute! There is no way you could only pull water from one compartment without affecting the water. Moral of the story with water is: if you are shredded and look great a week out when you are drinking a ton of water, why would you change a bunch of things? If it aint broke, dont fix it! Part II will discuss sodium/potassium manipulations be sure to pick up the next issue of MD to see what I have to say about that nonsense! MD 277
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Shred of Evidence
Show Me The Proof!
PROTEIN AS RELIGION?
PERSPECTIVES OF A PROTEIN HERETIC
Id add FOUR scoops of this into your post-workout shake. Thank you, confidently added my friend who owned and operated a sports nutrition store. Another happy customer with the keys to the physique universe and for only $39.95 plus sales tax. This seasoned veteran of sports nutrition sales had become a close friend over the past year. He all but blowtorched several big-name products after I shared with him several research studies showing they did NOT work (and the companies could not produce research showing they DID). He also became a nightmare to a few other companies by asking a single question about certain products they were pitching: Do you have any published research studies on YOUR ACTUAL product, showing greater gains in muscle mass and/or strength, compared to a placebo or another product? What he received as a response was equivalent to asking a sports car salesman for a copy of an independent road test and receiving a picture of the car in a slick brochure, plus a hefty dose of testimonials, intermixed with mumbling and stuttering. Hey Greg, I started, his head moving in an owl-like perfect rotation, from the cash register to my eyes, those FOUR scoops mean 48 grams of protein. Where did you get that hefty dose recommendation from? I was placing my inflatable boat into the river and ready to take Greg with me over the falls, 500 feet below. Hopefully, our friendship wouldnt drown. Anthony, have you lost your ability to read? I remember reading in the muscle mags two decades ago that 40-50 grams was the maximum dose your body could use after training. And you showed me the studies saying about 1.5 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight in unassisted resistance-trained athletes as being the daily dose needed to support mass 1,2 and strength gains! Are you gonna December 2009
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in the waters of new research, and his eyes mirrored his acceptance of having to change his prayer. I told him about the study and what it suggested taking higher doses could blunt the bodys anabolic response to lower doses of protein (less than 20 grams). They didnt test a 30-gram dose, so we dont know if 20 grams is the max dose, and they didnt do a different study with whey protein instead of egg, right? he brightly replied. No, and good questions, I replied. The egg study did not measure muscle protein breakdown, so we dont know what happened to muscle protein balance. But lets move to meat. Another group, led by Dr. Bob Wolfe the high priest of protein metabo-
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December 2009
PATRICK ARNOLD
By Patrick Arnold I know most of you wish I would write about a new anabolic wonder drug each month that rewrites performance-enhancement history. Unfortunately for all of us, science just doesnt advance fast enough for me to do that. What I can do, though, is once in awhile tell you about something you probably never heard of that has the potential to improve your quality of life, prevent disease, and maybe even give you a boost in the gym or bedroom. This month, I will tell you about a new, cutting-edge drug therapy that is gaining a lot of attention in the progressive medical community. When I first read about it I was pretty fascinated partly because of the purported impressive effects it had on a lot of serious medical conditions, but also because of the potential I saw in my mind for improving the health and performance of normal people looking to maximize their physical and mental condition. being beta-endorphin), the enkephalin (main one being metenkephalin), and the dynorphins. All of these peptides have distinct affinities to one or more of the opiate receptors (mu, kappa, and delta). Endorphins are primarily released into the central nervous system (via the hypothalamus and pituitary); however they also are present throughout the body (perhipheral). For optimum health, the body strives to maintain a delicate balance of central and peripheral endorphin and opiate receptor subtypes. An imbalance can have many negative effects such as interfering with the way your body handles pain and stress, an inability to feel pleasure, and immune system disruptions. Lately, a growing amount of research has implicated endorphin deficiencies and imbalances in a number of pathological conditions such as autoimmune diseases (i.e., multiple sclerosis, Crohns disease, and lupus), and psychological disturbances (i.e., autism and depression). Along with this research, a very interesting method of restoring endorphin balance has been developed called low dose naltrexone (LDN) therapy. I will describe to you the theory of how LDN therapy works, how it is currently being successfully used by many folks to treat several medical conditions, and what benefits it might have for fitness-minded athletes. opiate system is central to the reward mechanism that drives such substance abuse, blockade of the system prevents the reinforcing high obtained by the drugs. When used as a relapse preventative, relatively high dosages of naltrexone are used.These high dosages (50 to 300 mg a day) result in a sustained round-the-clock opiate receptor blockade. LDN, on the other hand, is designed to only block opiate receptors for a short period of time, and this blockade is more preferential toward the mu-opiate receptors. When ingested at night in dosages of 3-4.5 mg, naltrexone results in a short blockade lasting no more than 4-6 hours.Then something interesting happens.The expression of opiate receptors increases, as well as the amount of circulating met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin.This rebound effect restores the endorphin/opiate system to full sensitivity and balance throughout the rest of the day. The positive health consequences of this endorphin rebooting are just beginning to be understood. LDN has been found to provide remarkable benefits for many patients suffering from illnesses, especially autoimmune disorders. One such disease is Crohns disease. Crohns is a very nasty condition where the body attacks part of the digestive tract and causes massive inflammation.The result is abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss. A recent pilot study at Penn State showed that LDN therapy resulted in an 89 percent significant reduction in symptoms, with 67 percent going into remission. Positive results have been seen in patients with multiple sclerosis, although so far most of the data is anecdotal. The connection between endorphins and the immune system is something new, still there definitely seems to be a link. Low levels of circulating endorphins have been found to December 2009
Endorphins
I am sure you are familiar with the term endorphins, and you know that they are basically your brains own pain-killing chemicals. Like morphine and other similar drugs, endorphins work by binding and activating opiate receptors, which are located in certain key locations throughout the brain and the body.You also probably know about that wonderful sensation of euphoria during a great workout. I am talking about that state of body and mind when even tremendous exertion results in surprisingly minimal discomfort.That feeling is due to the release of endorphins, and the corresponding activation of the brains dopaminergic reward system in what is known as the mesolimbic pathway. Endorphin is a general term for any endogenous opiate peptide of which there are three major distinct classes: the endorphins (main one
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PATRICK ARNOLD
be common in patients suffering from immune system disorders, and an inverse relationship between inflammatory conditions and endorphins is seen. Direct treatment with betaendorphin has been shown to reduce progression of arthritis in rats by affecting the catabolic and destructive NF-kappa2 pathway and promoting a better balance between TH1 and TH2 cytokines. Researchers at Penn State also published initial evidence showing impressive effects with LDN on reducing the incidence of certain cancerous tumors as well as retarding the development of existing tumors. I am not sure if there is a substantial connection between LDN therapy and testosterone, but naltrexone definitely has the potential to influence the hypothalamic pituitary testicular axis (HPTA). Many studies have shown increases in testosterone levels in animals (including humans), as well as increases in sexual activity and libido with administration of naltrexone. Naltrexone increases the release of GnRH from the hypothalamus, and GnRH is the signal that causes the pituitary to release LH and FSH, which of course then increases testosterone and sperm production in the testes. Opiate receptors have an important regulatory role in GnRH production, and apparently receptor blockade results in increased output of GnRH. Of course LDN therapy only results in temporary opiate receptor blockade, so any up-regulation of the HPTA is probably also transient. Whether this nighttime spike in HPTA activity is enough to cause an increase in morning wood is debatable, and its possible that some other neuroendocrinological phenomenon is at play.
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MuscleTech
Q: A:
After a hard training session, whats the best way to put myself in a highly anabolic state?
RESEARCH REPORT
By Team MuscleTech Research and Development
BODYBUILDING Q&A
Well, there are lots of ways you can jack up anabolism, and one of the most important opportunities to do this is through post-workout nutrition. Serious athletes of any sport, but more importantly bodybuilders, need to take advantage of the postworkout anabolic window for recovery and growth. In the bodys flight-or-fight response to stress or injury (in this case, when you break down muscle fibers during your workout), the body needs key nutrients to recover quickly to respond to the stress of training. Since our bodies are strong enough to handle the stress of even the most punishing workouts, your body fights or reacts to the stress. Think of it this way. If your goal is to bench 300 pounds, only through repetitious attempts will your body react to the ongoing stress. In essence, the more you train, the more stress you put on your muscles, the more your body will try to adapt to the stress and trigger the muscle-building process. The trick is, the quicker your body recovers from your workout, the faster youre back in the gym forcing your body to adapt to the new stress. What you can do to trigger extreme anabolism and ignite a massive fury of recovery and growth post-workout is to feed it! So what critical nutrients will help you get as anabolic as possible? Protein is usually the first thing we think about when feeding our muscles to force muscle growth, but there are other key compounds that should be used to accelerate the growth process even further. In fact, several other key compounds have been shown by leading university research to replenish your muscles nutrient stores and dramatically aid the recovery and growth processes. This is exact ly why Team MuscleTech researchers utilized this third-party research to formulate ANABOLIC HALO a potent post-workout growth-inducing cycle. The formula for ANABOLIC HALO includes multiple forms of scientifically-validated creatine, fast-acting carbohydrates, BCAAs, as well as L-carnitine. With its scientifically-advanced core ingredients, ANABOLIC HALO helps amplify free-testosterone androgen receptors, manipulates insulin and increases total muscle fiber area. After 21 days of a third-party study involving 10 resistance-trained subjects, one of the powerful ingredients in ANABOLIC HALO increased the number of testosterone (androgen) receptors more than when subjects used a placebo. Another third-party study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, involving 22 untrained subjects divided into three study groups, showed that subjects using a key ingredient gained more muscle than subjects using a placebo after 12 weeks. If you truly want to force new gains in size and strength, you should be consuming more than just protein, post-workout. The science behind the ingredients mentioned earlier will amplify your gains even further. For best results, try ANABOLIC HALO a formula that includes the earlier-discussed ingredients in precise dosages, thats supported by research and is also trusted by pro and amateur bodybuilders worldwide. www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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TheAnabolicDoc AndUncensored
By Thomas OConnor, M.D.
for
I read your four-part interview in Powerlifting USA magazine and was totally amazed. All I can say is that it was awesome! What, in your opinion, are the top 5 steroids for power and strength? Thanks for the kind words about the interview! I put a lot of time into it, so I am happy to hear that you liked it so much. In regard to your question about what steroids are best for power and strength, I will give you my personal opinion from not only a medical and scientific angle but also from a real world hands-on practical application that I have seen from world-class lifters. I have been in this underground strength culture for over 25 years and I know the reality of what truly goes on behind the scenes, in both bodybuilding and powerlifting. I am sincere to my professional medical ethics and I am also very sincere in making sure that you protect your long-term health. Do I agree with everything that I see taking place in the strength sports, in regard to drug use and abuse? The answer is no! But since you all are my brothers and sisters in iron, I do want to make sure that you stay healthy during your competitive years and beyond. You see, my clients come to me for three main reasons. First off, it is because I am sincere to the under-culture of the strength sports and this is important because you are ultimately putting your life in my hands. I am a doctor who you can put your trust in and in this day and age, in regard to the stigma of drugs in sports in this country, it is nonexistent with other doctors who are too afraid to go against the grain. Second is the fact that I know what the reality is in regard to anabolic use and performance enhancement. I know what the pros use in bodybuilding and powerlifting and the reality of what it takes pharmaceutically to make it to the top of these sports. I know the reality of dosages, underground steroids, and even the crazy things that athletes of all sports will do to perform at their best. I know this reality from my time in the sport, as well as from the worldclass athletes who I deal with day in and day out. Third, I know the hardcore internal medicine and how it relates to performance-enhancing drugs. This right here is the big ticket, because some doctors may know their medical texts inside and out, but that is only half of the puzzle. Put them in a room with a 250-pound bodybuilder who is taking 18 I.U. of GH daily and 3,000 mg of testosterone weekly plus all the other goodies and he wont have a clue on what the hell to do to bring this guys health and blood profile back to where it should be. The difference is between
these doctors and me is that I have built my professional medical reputation on making sure that I get the job done. So with this said, lets take a look at the best anabolics top-strength athletes use to take their strength to the next level!
Testosterone Suspension
Oh yeah baby, Test is best! Now the inclusion of some form of testosterone in a strength athletes cycle is essential for optimal gains. When it comes to strength gains, no other form of testosterone compares to suspension. This is due to the fact that it is so fast-acting. This is because there is no ester and basically you are getting straight testosterone in water. You can look forward to increased muscle gains and even strength that will make you feel like Hercules. One drawback is the fact that it must be injected daily. In my opinion, to truly maximize the benefits of testosterone suspension, it must be administered twice daily, due to its short half-life. Another undesirable reality of using suspension is the painful shots. Many of the brands of testosterone that float out in the black market are veterinary grade. To make matters worse, because it is not micronized and the crystals are very large, it clogs syringes very easily. One lifter I know used some vetDecember 2009
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! W N E M N U L O C
grade suspension and he had to inject it with an 18-gauge needle. Damn it makes me cringe just thinking about it. He must have felt like he was getting stabbed by an icepick. Plus the majority of underground labs do not even make suspension. This is because many of them in reality are not run by educated chemists like they want you to think. Making a sterile testosterone suspension at the quality of even vet-grade gear is not going to happen unless the guy is a chemist with a degree behind his name and is preparing it in a clean room. Most guys will take about 100150 mg per day, broken up into two daily shots for best results.
without showing it some respect. Most guys will take 50-100 mg daily, broken into two doses, but there are others like I mentioned before who take this much just to start off their day with breakfast.
Halotestin
Halotestin does not have the following in America that Anadrol does and this is for a couple reasons. First off, for most in the underground scene in the U.S., getting your hands on legitimate pharmaceutical-grade Halotestin and enough quantity to make it worthwhile is like finding a fucking leprechaun and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. For most except for those with horseshoes up their asses neither of the two above scenarios is going to happen. It is also at least double the price of Anadrol. Many people will pay more for 10 mg tablets of Halotestin than 50 mgs of Anadrol on the black market. Halotestin provides very fast strength gains and in my opinion, even better than Anadrol. Plus there is no water retention and this is why it is so popular with many bodybuilders in the last four weeks of contest prep. If you think Tren will turn you into an ass-clown in record time, then Halotestin will take it to whole new level. In fact, this drug is very popular with European strongmen since it is much easier to get across the pond. Plus lets face another reality that most of you are probably unaware of: Europeans are not afraid of side effects like guys here in the U.S. I lived there and I know the deal. The hardcore gear scene in Germany and England makes us look like candyasses. When the average guy here in the U.S. is talking milligrams, they are talking grams and this is everyday Joes, not pro athletes. Since hepatoxicity is a concern, taking it for four weeks or less is the best option. Most guys will take 20-40 mgs daily, spread out in three doses throughout the day.
Anadrol 50
Oh yeah, they dont call these bad boys A-Bombs for nothing. I am sure all of you reading this know that it is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone. In powerlifting and strongman circles, this is no doubt a top drug of choice for many reasons. First off, the strength gains are fast. Seeing a guy jump 30 pounds in his bench press in 10 days is not uncommon at all. It increases water retention a lot and for powerlifters, this can be a good thing, because it optimizes your leverages. Secondly, it will make your power gear like your bench shirt fit just that little bit tighter, allowing you to get even more poundage out of your shirt. Lastly, it can really jack up your red blood cell count leading to increased pumps and training endurance. Now for those guys who may be taking one tablet per day for short periods of time, there is not much worry. But for the Anabolic Kamikazes who are in our midst, taking five or more tablets per day, elevated red blood cell count is one danger that must be taken into consideration. For those who do such extreme practices making sure you get regular and comprehensive bloodwork is essential for your long-term health. Taking large doses of Anadrol 50 for extended periods of time can make your blood resemble Canadian maple syrup and that is no lie! The other main thing you have to watch here is liver enzyme elevation. The liver is one tough beast, but that doesnt mean you should abuse it December 2009
letes looking to increase their power output. Since it doesnt aromatize, you wont get the water retention like you do with Anadrol. This means you will pack on lean, dense muscle and your strength gains will be bang on, too. Many guys will take around 75-150 mg of tren acetate every other day. Because it has a short ester, it needs to be taken on an every-other-day basis minimum, while some lifters do prefer taking it daily. Another plus is the major increase in aggression. Now if you sport an attitude without tren in your life, then you will be a supersized asshole, once you start incorporating it in your plan. Increased aggression and trying to rip everyones head off that you come in contact with, is not an uncommon emotion while taking tren. Another thing you to watch out for is impaired kidney function. The kidneys are not as strong as the liver so you need to take extra care in this area. You also need to make sure you balance the ratio of your dosage of testosterone in relation to taking tren. If not, your sex drive will hit an all-time nonexistence and your manhood will be nothing more than a soggy noodle.
Mibolerone
This oral steroid is known as Cheque Drops and is derived from a nandralone base. It is a vet drug that was created to alter the ovulating cycle of female dogs to keep them from going into heat. Now in powerlifting circles this is a well-known precontest bad boy that is quite popular. I personally know of one guy who is a 1,000-pound squatter who takes a couple ccs of this right before going under a heavy squat in World Championship competitions. Now you might be wondering why he would do that. The reason for this is that it turns you into a raving beast in minutes. It can dramatically increase your aggression in record time. Since aggression is a key attribute in all strength sports, powerlifters seem to like this more than bodybuilders. In fact, I have not heard of too many bodybuilders that this drug is popular with. Now another sport where it is MD 289
Trenbolone Acetate
Tren is one of the most popular steroids in strength sports for many reasons. First off, since it is three times more androgenic than testosterone, you can now understand that it is very potent. With an androgenic ratio like this, its a goldmine for strength ath-
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TheAnabolicDOC
taking center stage is MMA and professional boxing. Oh yeah, fighting in a cage or ring without rules can be some crazy shit, so there is nothing like getting all jacked up during the fight. Since it clears the system fast as well, it makes it popular with MMA fighters who are now under the scrutiny of rigid drug testing. For boxers, it is rumored that one legendary pro who already sported an attitude of a pit bull used this right before a major fight, where he mistook his opponents ear for a Big Mac. Yeah, no shit, this stuff will turn the weak-hearted into an animal and bad-ass into a fucking cannibal. Now if you dont want your liver to turn into Swiss cheese, then I would advise against taking this steroid, because it is extremely hepatoxic. It is so strong that is measured in micrograms, unlike milligrams with other steroids. Hardcore powerlifters will use it for the last two weeks before a contest on their hardest training days as well as at the contest. Most will take 1 ml under the tongue about 15 minutes to half an hour before training or competing.
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something new my way. Thanks again for such a great interview and I look forward to more of your work in Muscular Development. Hey, thanks for the kind words about the series I did. The sole intention was for powerlifters, but many of those same things will apply to bodybuilders as well. It is very important to take care of your long-term health because this, in my opinion, is often overlooked when in search of that bigger powerlifting total or 21-inch guns. In reality, this should not be the case at all and your main goal should be maintaining optimal health while at the same time improving at your chosen strength sport. So you are looking to bring up those triceps, are you? Not a problem the Anabolic Doc has benched pressed over 500 pounds at 44 years old, so I know a thing or two about improving triceps strength. Now I am going to give you a really kick-ass workout idea that you most likely have never heard of. These are known as Crazy 8s and for good reason. This technique was developed by world-renowned strength coach Rahim Kassam. Believe it or not, its not just an exercise, but a complete workout. I recommend warming up with a few good high-rep sets of pushdowns just to warm the area and increase blood flow to prevent injury before starting this exercise. I am sure you have done lying dumbbell extensions before, even though I know many bodybuilders dont make this a major movement but they should. Now the powerlifting twist will shake this exercise up to a whole new level and believe me when you are done, you will be begging for mercy. First off, we wont be using a flat bench but a decline bench for this exercise. What makes this so hard is the rep and tempo scheme that I have laid out. The reason why it is called Crazy 8s is because of the fact that you will be doing 8 sets of 8 reps. Now you may be thinking, Ah, thats all what kind of exercise is that? Well, hold on to your panties for a minute boys, its not over yet. The rest periods will not be 1 December 2009
bullshit truth of what I actually lay down my Benjamins for every month and what I use before I tackle a 500pound bench press. About three hours before I hit the gym, I down 10 capsules of Plasmajet on an empty stomach. I love this stuffit is my favorite N.O. booster by far. You see the science behind Plasmajet is very sound, and its not just another one of those arginine-loaded N.O. boosters that the pump starts off great, then fizzles out two hours later. Because it is composed of numerous high-quality ingredients, including Peak ATP , it truly is in a class of its own. Then about half an hour before I start training I take 2-3 scoops of Super Pump 250 in 16 ounces of water. By the time I hit the gym I am ready to Smash Fucking Weights (SFW). This is a common powerlifting term that means you are going allout, balls-to-the-wall. Basically its a war between you and the iron. This keeps me fueled right throughout my workout. I like Gaspari products because they work hands down and it is what I took before I hit that 500pound bench press record that I did just a few months back. Rich, keep up the good work and keep the kickass products coming!
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TheAnabolicDOC
minute like you are used to doing. They will be shortened down to a nice 8 seconds. Yep thats right, 8 seconds between sets, which will give you just about enough time to take in two to three deep breaths and down you go again for another set. Its not over yet. Lets talk about the tempo next. You will be doing a 3:1 eccentric-to-concentric action. For all you meatheads out there who do not understand what I am talking about, this means that you will take 3 seconds to lower the weight and 1 second to bring it back up. There are two reasons for this. Lowering it slowly in an eccentric action will help increase hypertrophy. We all know that the negative portion of the exercise is what causes the most muscle damage and growth. The concentric or raising motion will be done in a strict, yet explosive form. This will cause you to build explosive strength in your triceps and allow them to fire more efficiently. Did you ever see the difference between a bodybuilder bench pressing and a powerlifter? Yes, the form is slightly different, but as the bodybuilder just grinds out the reps like every other exercise he does, the powerlifter brings it down with control and then fires the weight explosively yet with control. I am not talking about bouncing it off your chest like these retards that you see at the gym. I am talking about strict explosive power here, not sloppy, bouncy bullshit that is done at gyms all across America. If you want to lift weights and I am talking about big weights you must develop your explosive strength and what is known as speed strength. Without these two, you may look big, but your strength wont compare to a powerlifter who weighs 100 pounds less than you. So you will be doing 8 sets of 8 reps and you get a whopping 8 seconds rest in between each of those sets. Now if you are used to using 50pound dumbbells for normal sets of 8 for this exercise, get ready for a rude awakening when you can barely get 30s up. Remember, you cant change the resistance during the set program. If you choose 30s, you have to go all the way through with it and not drop down to 20s by set 5. Now lets talk a little about the biomechanics and form. The reason this
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destroyed that you wont even be able to continue, so this technique is reserved for advanced lifters only. You will now bang out as many reps as you can with this band. Then once you cant do any more, you will jump to the Mini Flex band and again do as many as reps as you can without resting. Then when you cant take it anymore, you will grab the Micro Mini Flex band and continue again until you simply cant do anymore. If you can complete this workout and if its done with the right intensity, I am telling you good luck at trying to move your arms for the next couple days. This will take your triceps training to a whole new level. If done properly, not only will this help increase your bench press strength because you are focusing on many different aspects of training methodology with this just one exercise, but you will forge some horseshoes made from granite. In all the years I have spent in commercial gyms, or even spent time training with advanced bodybuilders, never have I seen them do this exercise with this rep and tempo scheme. If you have the guts to try this, give it a shot because I am telling you it will fry your triceps in a very short period of time. Besides the few sets of pushdowns that I recommended to get your elbows warmed up, this whole workout will take no more than 10 minutes. But believe me, if you do this with true intensity and proper form, it will destroy them more than spending 40 minutes hitting three different exercises. By the time you have completed that last set of the band extensions to utter failure, you will need your training partner to help get you off the bench. To get a set of these Flex Bands go to www.jumpstretch.com. Give this triceps thrashing program a whirl and I guarantee it will take your pressing strength and size to a whole new level. References:
Llewellyn W, Anabolics 9 Edition, 2009 Roberts A, Anabolic Steroid Ultimate Research Guide, 2005 Poliquin C, Winning the Arms Race, 2001 Kneller B, Science and Muscle, Summer/Fall 2008 Simmons L, Training Methods Part 1 Speed Day, Powerlifting USA, 2004
th
exercise is done on a decline is because MRIs have shown that it recruits more muscle fibers than doing it on a flat bench. Second, the form must be strict with the elbows tucked in and close to the sides. When this exercise gets hard, people will cheat by flaring their elbows out and this is not what you should be doing. Lastly, you want the dumbbells to come down far enough where they can touch your ears. This way with the decline, you are going to get one hell of a stretch. You may think this workout is over but hold on just a little longer, my friend. To finish this off, you will be doing another 3 sets of decline extensions with flex bands for a giant drop set. For these, you will not use the 3:1 tempo that was done with the dumbbells, but a regular 1:1 tempo. Basically you are now banging out the reps to force some blood in there, but again, the form must stay strict. We hook up three sets of flex bands to the bottom of the bench or with dumbbells. So once you have done all 8 sets, you have another 3 sets done without rest, with these bands of varying strength. The reason for using bands is that it will totally change the feel of the exercise and will further stretch your triceps. Plus, the main reason why powerlifters use flex bands on many different exercises is the fact that theyre great at improving explosive strength. Incorporating them into your training is known as the Contrast Method and is very effective at increasing strength from another angle bodybuilders have never heard of. By the way, make sure you get true Jump Stretch Flex Bands made by Dick Hartzel. He is the originator, and makes the highest-quality bands on the market. Over time, inferior bands will crack and break. This happening during triceps extensions isnt a major problem, since the most you might get is hit in the face and a fat lip. But its not something you want with 600 pounds on your back during a heavy box squat. The consequences of this happening can result in a major injury, so quality bands are the name of the game. First, you will get the Light band but dont think its that light, because it has a resistance of about 70 pounds in each hand. Some of you will be so
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December 2009
DROMOSTANOLONE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL
Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects. Anabolic pharmacology is the study of drugs that have growth-promoting effects on muscle. This column will explore anabolic pharmacology by profiling a different anabolic drug and its effects each month. The focus of discussion this month will be the anabolic androgenic steroid, dromostanolone.
romostanolone is a synthetic derivative of DHT. DHT binds more strongly to the AR than testosterone, but does not have an effect in muscle tissue, because it is deactivated by 3-alpha hydroxysteroid dehydrogend nase. The methyl group at the 2 position allows dromostanolone to stay active in muscle tissue by disallowing deactivation by this enzyme to some degree. However,
since dromostanolone is converted primarily to 2-methyl androsterone and 3-alpha diol derivatives, there is still considerable deactivation by 3-alpha hydroxysteroid dehydroge1 nase. The presence of the 2-methyl group does reduce potency of dromostanolone compared to DHT, but only to about the level of testosterone. Since dromostanolone is already 5-alpha reduced, it is not converted any further by 5-alpha reductase. Therefore, it is equipotent or slightly less potent in skeletal muscle compared to prostate, hair follicles etc. Due to the fact that this steroid is 5-alphareduced, it cannot be converted to estrogenic metabo-
lites. Additionally, 5-alpha-reduced steroids have been shown to have anti-aromatase activity. The strong androgenic effect of dromostanolone, combined with its anti-estrogenic effects, can result in reduced levels of circulating SHBG. SHBG seems to have a protective role against estrogen-induced prolif2,3,4,5,6,7 eration in the breast. With the reduction of SHBG levels by dromostanolone, previously-bound estradiol and estrone circulate unbound and are much more likely to induce breast tissue growth in the environment of reduced SHBG. Dromostanolone is also known to result in hair loss and acne as well as prostate enlargement. No binding to progesterone or glucocorticoid receptors has been shown with this steroid. Dromostanolone is traditionally injected as a propionate ester, requiring it to be injected every two or three days. It is a painful injection resulting in swelling and soreness. December 2009
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AnabolicPharmacology
There are no legitimate producers of dromostanolone propionate at this time, only underground suppliers. I would not be surprised to see different esters of dromostanolone show up on the black market and there have been some reports of oral dromostanolone being sold. Though many consider this steroid to be similar to DHT and expect side effects to be similar, dromostanolone is actually somewhat less harsh than DHT and other, more potent androgens. Its potency is similar to testosterone but without the conversion to estrogen which is demonstrated in its anabolic-to-androgenic ratio (about 3:1). Dromostanolone has been shown to build up red blood cells with a similar potency to 8 oxymetholone and is known for its positive effects on strength. Among users, this drug is known as a hardener because it loads water into the muscle without subcutaneous water retention (edema) resulting in a hard-looking physique. Seth Roberts is a former pharmaceutical research scientist with over 10 years of pharmacological research in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. Seths new book ANABOLIC PHARMACOLOGY is available now at www.Ergogens.com. [Seth Roberts, 2009. All rights reserved. For informational purposes only, not to be considered as medical advice or an endorsement of the use of illegal substances.] References:
1. Schanzer W: Metabolism of anabolic androgenic steroids. Clin Chem, Jul;42(7):1001-20, 1996. 2. Fortunati N, Raineri M, Cignetti A, Hammond GL, Frairia R. Control of the membrane sex hormone-binding globulin-receptor (SHBG-R) in MCF-7 cells: effect of locally produced SHBG. Steroids, 63(5-6):282-4, 1998. 3. Fazzari A, Catalano MG, Comba A, Becchis M, Raineri M, Frairia R, Fortunati N. The control of progesterone receptor expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells: effects of estradiol and sex hormonebinding globulin (SHBG). Mol Cell Endocrinol, 172(1-2):31-6, 2001. 4. Frsti A, Jin Q, Grzybowska E, Sderberg M, Zientek H, Sieminska M, etal. Sex hormone-binding globulin polymorphisms in familial and sporadic breast cancer. Carcinogenesis, 23(8):1315-20, 2002. 5. Catalano MG, Comba A, Fazzari A, Benedusi-Pagliano E, Sberveglieri M, Revelli A, et al. Sex steroid binding protein receptor (SBP-R) is related to a reduced proliferation rate in human breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 42(3):227-34, 1997. 6. Fissore F , Fortunati N, Comba A, Fazzari A, Gaidano G, Berta L, Frairia R. The receptor-mediated action of sex steroid binding protein (SBP , SHBG): accumulation of cAMP in MCF-7 cells under SBP and estradiol treatment. Steroids, 59(11):661-7, 1994. 7. Fortunati N, Fissore F , Fazzari A, Berta L, Benedusi-Pagliano E, Frairia R. Biological relevance of the interaction between sex steroid binding protein and its specific receptor of MCF-7 cells: effect on the estradiol-induced cell proliferation. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, 45(5):435-44, 1993. 8. Sanchez-Medal L, Gomez-Leal A, Duarte L, Guadalupe Rico M. Anabolic androgenic steroids in the treatment of acquired aplastic anemia. Blood, 34(3):283-300, 1969.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Anabolic
By William LIewellyn
ResearchUpdate
Warning: Opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of this magazines publisher or its editorial staff. MD does not condone any form of illegal drug use for bodybuilding or for any recreational purpose. MD also does not condone abuse of legal drugs for any purpose.
This month, I want to review another detailed report on the prevalence of counterfeit performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). This particular study comes from the Centre for Sport and Exercise Research at Newman University (U.K.), working in cooperation with the Drug Control Centre analytical lab at Kings College in London. The study involves the analysis of mainly oral and injectable anabolic steroid products, but also several samples of recombinant human growth hormone (somatropin) and other ancillary and performance-enhancing drugs. The testing was ordered in response to an increase in reports of injection-site abscesses by bodybuilders in the United Kingdom. While this series of testing took place in the U.K., given the global nature of the steroid trade these days, it should hold strong relevancy to underground markets worldwide.
In addition, there were several other non-steroid products sent for testing including clenbuterol, albuterol, ephedrine, clomiphene, furosemide, and levothyroxine. For the injectable products, a total of 38 were submitted for analysis. Again, these consisted mainly of traditional anabolic/androgenic steroids such as testosterone, nandrolone, methenolone, trenbolone, and boldenone.
Testing Methods
The laboratory testing protocols used for this investigation were fairly basic. With regard to the active constituent, the lab focused on determining if the listed drug was present in the product. There was no quantification of steroid dosage. As a result, we do not know if any of the products were overdosed or underdosed. As per this testing, a product is considered counterfeit only if the drug listed on the label is not found. This, of course, presents a great limitation, as many counterfeiters will put the correct steroid in their products, just not in the correct amount. There was also a test for any bacteria content in the injectable products; however, the results for each were not provided, so we do not know which individual items were contaminated. The most detailed part of the investigation seems to have been the acquisition of raw steroid powder
samples for comparative analysis. In some cases, the researchers seem to have gone to great lengths to obtain the drugs from their original manufacturers: Samples of methenolone, methenolone enanthate, and mesterolone were obtained directly from Schering (makers of Primobolan and Proviron). Samples for nandrolone decanoate, nandrolone phenylpropionate, and Sustanon (various testosterone esters) came from Organon. Stanozolol was obtained from Sterling-Winthrop, and clostebol from Farmitalia. Their sample for methandrostenolone even came from Ciba, the original marker of Dianabol, which has been off the market for decades now. While this does not hold much relevance to the results, I found it fairly interesting, and worth including.
The Drugs
A total of 57 drugs were submitted for analysis as part of this report. Although the exact source of the drugs was not identified, it was stated that all were obtained from the black market. A total of 19 oral products were submitted. These consisted mainly of oral steroids such as methandrostenolone, oxymetholone, mesterolone, and stanozolol.
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anabolic steroids tested, a total of 15 (45 percent) were determined to be counterfeit. With regard to the five growth hormone products tested, four (80 percent) were counterfeit. As would be expected, the drugs with the lowest likelihood of being counterfeited were the non-steroid ancillary drugs, were are generally much more widely available, traded without the same legal controls, and known to generate the least profit for dealers. Category Percent Counterfeit Oral Steroids 27% Injectable Steroids 45% Growth Hormone 80% Anti-Estrogens (none) Beta Agonists (clenbuterol, albuterol)
(none)
Tests on EcoOils
Although few brand names were included in the report, two of the products listed were known steroid sachets labeled as Indian Aromatherapy Oil. The report listed the source as a website called 821.in, and incorrectly identify these products as topical steroids. In fact, these are injectable steroids. The sachets, which do not list the exact steroid contents of the packaging, are usually shipped in small envelopes to conceal the drug from customs officers. Customers would go to the website for the products and reference the code on the sachets against a list to identify the true drug contents. The code on one product (TEP) refers to testosterone propionate, and on the other (TE3) a 300 mg/mL Sustanon blend. The results for the sachets were not perfect. While the testosterone propionate sachet did have the correct active drug, the Sustanon sachet contained testosterone, but the esters did not match what was supposed to be inside. The researchers incorrectly identified December 2009
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AnabolicResearchUpdate
Injectables Containing Substituted Drug (Counterfeit)
Product Label 1 Boldenona 50 2 Nandrolone decanoate 3 Primobolan depot 4 Sustanon 5 Trenbolone 80 6 Unlabelled 7 Sachet 2 Www.821.in te3 Product Claimed Drug(s) Found Boldenone undecylenate T. Propionate Nandrolone decanoate T. Enanthate Methenolone enanthate Nandrolone phenylpropionate 4 ester T. blend Incorrect T. Blend (enanthate) Trenbolone enanthate Trenbolone acetate Growth hormone rhGH material present (22 kda peak, only) 4 ester T. blend T. prop, cyp. Deca.
both as counterfeit, perhaps because they did not correctly match the supposed contents of each product. These particular products are actually known to U.S. Customs already. In early 2008, the DEA sent out a bulletin warning to other law enforcement about the existence of these products. The DEA further identified them to the public as coming from the EcoOils operation. The EcoOils website was shut down in response, and the operation is reported to have been closed. Sachet manufacturing/smuggling operations like this, however, continue to operate.
In Closing
While the anabolic steroid trade remains stronger than ever, the quality of substances being traded has degraded since the enactment of strict prohibitionist policies in the west. Regular readers will know this is something I comment on very often. This latest study provides further evidence of the eroding quality of the black market steroid supply. The results seem to be somewhat in line with previous testing efforts,
Know Your Gear! William Llewellyns ANAth BOLICS 9 Edition is available NOW. Order your copy of this 800-page anabolic steroid reference guide today by calling 888-918-7888 or visiting www.AnabolicsBook.com. December 2009
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ANABOLICSQ&A ANABOLUICSA
ANABOLICS Q&A is a monthly session with William Llewellyn, author of the bestselling anabolic steroid reference guide, William Llewellyns ANABOLICS, 9 th edition. William is widely regarded as one of the worlds foremost authorities on the use of performance-enhancing substances by athletes and bodybuilders. If you have a drug or supplement-related question that you would like to direct to William, dont hold back. Please e-mail it to QandA@AnabolicsBook.com. William will answer the most interesting and pertinent questions right here each month.
By William Llewellyn
Q: I am 73. I am a bodybuilder and still competing. I use testosterone cream 100 mg/0.5 ml, at an amount of 0.5 ml per day. Can I use the testosterone cream all year round, or do I have to cycle it? I have been taking the cream for eight weeks. I then have three weeks off, during which time I take Androtest, which is a testosterone booster. Also, is this enough to restore my own testosterone production, or have I to use the PCT mentioned in your book? A: It is great to hear from a competitive bodybuilder at 73. You are an inspiration. The dose you are taking appears to be along the lines of what you would expect with a traditional hormone replacement therapy regimen. At 73 years young, your body is probably not producing optimal amounts of this hormone on its own. Staying on transdermal testosterone indefinitely is not unusual if you arent producing enough of the hormone naturally. Of course, I am not your physician, and cant speak to what he/she finds is appropriate for you. With regard to the product you mention; if I have it correct, this appears to be a natural dietary supplement. It contains (among other things) tribulus and an extract of eurycoma longifolia root (Longjack). While tribulus doesnt have much clinical substantiation yet, longjack has been clinically proven to increase testosterone levels, at least to a small degree. Natural products like this, however, are studied under normal hormonal conditions, not post-cycle. I would tend to think a traditional PCT would be much more reliable for restoring natural testosterone production. You also mention a PCT/off-cycle period of only three weeks, which is insufficient for full recovery. This can take more than a month in most cases, sometimes much longer. At best you would be on the way to recovery right
when you start the testosterone cream again. If you want my advice, I would speak to your physician and see if there is a better option; either longer periods of time off, or (more likely) a long-term (permanent) approach to managing low testosterone production with transdermal testosterone. Q: I am from South America, Colombia where it is hard to get anabolic steroids. So I browse the web to know more about these so I can get to buy them. I am about to buy some anabolic steroids to start a cycle but I want to know about these products and how legitimate they are. The website is (site withheld), where they have many of these products. I dont know the reference, if they are counterfeit or fake steroids. Can you help me? A: Ive withheld the names of the company and products you sent in, as I dont want to get Muscular Development in any legal trouble. While the truth may be the ultimate defense, I have been around this industry long enough to know that American companies will sue at the drop of a hat, no matter how right or wrong they may be. So I think it best to keep the names out, otherwise Steve Blechman is likely to get a call from some angry attorney tomorrow, threatening to sue if they dont retract what I wrote. I can tell you a bit about the company you have referenced, though. For the careful reader, it should serve as plenty of a warning. You gave me a website that seems to specialize in the sale of traditional oral anabolic steroids (Anavar, Dianabol, Anadrol) to people in the U.S. The company is actually based in the U.S. however, even though they try hard to make it seem is if they reside outside. This is the www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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first major red flag. If you think steroids are difficult to find in Colombia, try the U.S. Granted we have a huge black market here, but the law never tolerates open sale like this. If this company sold actual illegal steroids, they would have been closed long ago. What this company does do, like several other companies, is go to great efforts to make you think you are buying steroids, with very steroid-sounding names and bottles/pouches that resemble black market drug items. They are, however, actually dietary supplements. You will not find what you are looking for here. Be sure to look very closely and make sure you are not doing business with a site like this, which is only interested in taking your money and pawning off (in this case worthless) supplements on you, not the anabolics you are looking for. I am surprised to hear that you are having such trouble locally. I know that Colombia doesnt have a thriving black market, but there are enough domestic veterinary and human pharmaceuticals in production that I would expect you should be able to find them through local pharmacies and veterinary suppliers. Maybe it would be worth trying to order through the mail, but domestically? Either way, good luck, and be careful shopping. Remember that if you are looking for traditional oral and injectable steroids, you wont find them from a website in the U.S. Q: I have a question on reliability of two certain product lines. The first is British Dragon. The second has been shut down for some time and I do know that the name has been assumed to be an underground manufacturer, QV? Are these products legit? A: Since you seem to know something about these companies, I am going to take legit to mean only contains real steroids. The answer to this is not going to be a simple yes or no, so bear with me a little. First, lets discuss British Dragon (BD). This operation ushered in the modern explosion of large-scale underground steroid manufacturers. While underground labs were in existence long before BD, this operation seemed to bring this business to a new level. For a long time, the BD products were widely sold on the black market, and had a very good reputation among consumers. Counterfeiters haunted this company from nearly day one, however, so there were always issues with checking for December 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com
security features and trying to avoid the knock-offs. The British Dragon operation was closed down by an international cooperative law-enforcement effort some time ago. Since then, weve seen the brand continue to thrive on the black market, all at the hands of a variety of enterprising counterfeiters, not the original partners. There are too many counterfeiters still making/selling the BD items to give you any assessment of quality. You should know also, that I have heard from one of the owners of a British Dragon website. He informed me that a new company will emerge with this name, and it will be both GMP-compliant and registered officially. Time will tell if this materializes. For now, be very careful. Until this operation officially launches, counterfeiters will be making all the BD products. As you correctly noted, the second company is also closed down now. This is Quality Vet (QV), a former Mexican veterinary producer. QV also had a very good reputation at one time. Until several years ago, this was one of the largest and trusted vet producers in Mexico. They too were closed, due to the efforts of an international lawenforcement operation. I believe the QV products you are asking about come from a well-known supplier/counterfeiter in Asia named IP . I tested one of the products recently, and it did appear to be accurately dosed and free of gross contamination. Of course, I cant say anything for sure, given the uncertainties of the counterfeit market. As you may have seen me write quite often, when you are dealing with counterfeiters (as opposed to registered labs and established companies), you are always taking additional risks. Clandestine labs often use sub-pharmaceutical-standard materials, and make their products in less-than-sterile conditions. This may lend these products to have many potential types of contamination, from bacteria to heavy metals. I would never suggest someone knowingly use an underground or counterfeit steroid product, given these risks, though admittedly I have no horror stories at this time to report about the QV items. Just be careful. WL Know Your Gear! William Llewellyns ANABOLICS 9th Edition is available now. Order your copy of this monster steroid reference guide today for 25 percent off by calling 888-918-7888 or visiting www.AnabolicsBook.com. MD 305
AnabolicEdge
Smith squat, leg press, and leg extension. Muscle biopsies were obtained before and 24 hours after exercise, whereas venous blood was collected before, immediately after and 24 hours after exercise. Free testosterone levels were greater in younger participants at all time points in addition to a greater increase in the younger men imme5 diately post-exercise. This certainly explains why young men are plainly more anabolic then older men. And certainly, why the need for testosterone replacement therapy may be required in the older male population. Weight training itself can elevate testosterone levels. For instance, in one study six healthy men (26 years old) performed a knee extension exercise protocol on two occasions separated by 1-3 weeks. Rest preceded one trial and a high-volume upper-body RE or resistance exercise protocol designed to increase circulating T preceded the other trial (i.e., high T [HT] trial). They found that circulating T concentrations remained stable during CON. Alternately, HT significantly increased T concentrations above resting values (+16 percent). Thus, they found that acute elevations in circulating T potentiated muscle AR content following resis6 tance exercise. ried non-fathers. Second, among fathers, individual differences in parenting effort, as well as variations in mating effort, predict morning T levels in fathers. Indeed, men highly investing in parental care show lower morning T levels. Moreover, among men under 40, polygynous men show higher morning T levels than monogamous 7 men. So there you have it. Blame it on testosterone! The more you got, the more youd rather, you know, seek outside love and affection. Hey, its what the science shows. Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is vice president of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has a Ph.D. in muscle physiology and is chief executive of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. References:
1. Tricker R, Casaburi R, Storer TW, et al.: The effects of supraphysiological doses of testosterone on angry behavior in healthy eugonadal mena clinical research center study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1996, 81:3754-8. 2. Bhasin S, Storer TW, Berman N, et al.: The effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on muscle size and strength in normal men. N Engl J Med, 1996, 335:1-7 . 3. Cohen J, Collins R, Darkes J, et al.: A league of their own: Demographics, motivations and patterns of use of 1,955 male adult non-medical anabolic steroid users in the united states. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2007 , 4:12. 4. Gentile MA, Nantermet PV, Vogel RL, et al.: Androgen mediated improvement of body composition and muscle function involves a novel early transcriptional program including igf-1, mgf and induction of beta-catenin. J Mol Endocrinol, 2009. 5. Roberts MD, Dalbo VJ, Hassell SE, et al.: The expression of androgen-regulated genes before and after a resistance exercise bout in younger and older men. J Strength Cond Res, 2009, 23:1060-7 . 6. Spiering BA, Kraemer WJ, Vingren JL, et al.: Elevated endogenous testosterone concentrations potentiate muscle androgen receptor responses to resistance exercise. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2009, 114:195-9. 7 . Alvergne A, Faurie C, and Raymond M: Variation in testosterone levels and male reproductive effort: Insight from a polygynous human population. Horm Behav, 2009. 8. Saraiva KL, Silva AK, Wanderley MI, et al.: Chronic treatment with sildenafil stimulates leydig cell and testosterone secretion. Int J Exp Pathol, 2009, 90:454-62.
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ExtremeMuscle Enhancement
By Carlon M. Colker, M.D. FACN
MUSCLE MASS
and the Law of Accommodation
L
muscle to re-accommodate and expand in size to fill the iving in a home on a mountain ridge with spabigger space. This technique, though it truly works to cious windows and large decks, its the ideal place expand the fascia, is filled with perils. In addition to the for indoor plants to flourish (or so one would obvious dangers of infection, another effect often not conthink). But the sad reality is that if I even attempt to hansidered is the fact the fascia is being forced to stretch and dle the care of my own flora, the resultant disaster can thus so often tears. only be described as complete botanical decimation. So Though any method of muscle building, even just naturwhile I love plants, I certainly cant profess to have a al weight training, will invariably strain, stress, and split the green thumb. Yet the same cannot be said for my dear surrounding our muscles, there is mother who has always had a knack When injected into the fascia no functional damage because it hapfor making plant-life flourish. muscle, synthol stretch- pens in a gradual way. When synthol is What astounds me to this day is the es and ultimately tears injected in too high a volume and too degree to which her plants grow. Even the surrounding fascia frequently, the muscle bellies artificially the most anemic little sprig around her enough to allow the inflate in such dramatic fashion that the seems to rapidly grow at an exponenmuscle to re-accommo- fascia is split wide open. As a result, the tial rate to monstrous proportions. It date and expand in size functional integrity of the muscle is proturns out that one of her tricks is the to fill the bigger space. foundly compromised, producing what I frequency with which she re-pots her This technique, can only describe as a droopy sac. Ive plants. Common greenhouse knowlthough it truly works seen it in practice and it is certainly edge stands to reason that a plant will to expand the fascia, is shocking to look at. only grow to accommodate its conOf course, thats not the only techfines. In other words, if the pot filled with perils. nique used to blow muscles up remains small, so will the plant. Only beyond the limit of the surrounding fascia. Though siteby successively replanting into increasingly larger vesspecific injections with large volumes of fat-soluble sels, will a plant become significantly larger. Lo and testosterone can achieve a similar fascia-straining effect, behold, the same is true for muscle. when abused in the traditional way for large-scale mass Muscles are surrounded by a sheet of fascia that combuilding, even high-dose testosterone will not lead to presses and contains it in the same way a pot does to a large changes in the compartment of the fascia. The plant. While it adds support, protection, tissue integrity, and same can be said for growth hormone. It simply does potentiates a certain degree of functionality, it is also a limnot directly influence the fascia, though indirectly these iting factor in muscle growth. Much like the way the growth of a plant is limited by the size of the pot, so is muscle limit- drugs alone or in combination can certainly be said to strain the constraints of the fascia simply by combining ed by the confines of the fascia. It is for this reason that their influence with the intense brand of weight training I peculiar muscle-expanding drugs like synthol actually work describe in my book. to create bigger-looking muscles. There have been a number of other non-pharmaceutical When injected into the muscle, synthol stretches and techniques discussed over the years in both the published ultimately tears the surrounding fascia enough to allow the www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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myostatin are otherwise healthy, yet are well-muscled. scientific realm as well as the lay press, intended to conThose same individuals with a little bit of training gain tend with the fascia and its constraints on building big musslabs of muscle. But they do this to a degree and proporcles. While there is a paucity of published research in this area of techniques to promote greater fascia muscle accom- tion far greater and with a much higher ceiling than even that achieved by high-dose combination abusers of modation, there are a number of anecdotal methods. I growth hormone and testosterone. recall one of the first people to talk about the subject was In addition to the many myostatin-null animal examVince Iron Guru Gironda. Hes a long-since-passed old ples like the Belgian Blue bull and the Piedmontese timer; most guys today would never recognize the name. breeds (born without the gene to produce myostatin) and But I consider him a major figure in the history of bodythe increasingly identified number of humans born with building, because he was an innovator in diet, training, and low or no myostatin, it is now well-known that their health other muscle-building techniques. I didnt agree with much is not adversely affected. In fact, neither is their muscle of what he professed; he was as controversial a figure as function, despite the immense muscle belly girth. This is in any in the sport, and was somewhat difficult in person. sharp contrast to artificial muscle-expanding techniques Nonetheless, he made me think. And thats worth gold. which, when utilized too aggressively, lead to a functional Vince was arguably the first in our sport to openly reccompromise of muscle. I believe low levels of myostatin ognize and discuss the fact that muscle growth is limited, in and the accompanying concomitant high degree of musaddition to our individual genetics, by the constraints of a tight fascia surrounding each muscle. As such, he had a the- cle mass, along with preserved health and functionality, can be explained by fascia having on it receptors for myoory that you could manually break up the fascia to loosen it statin. So in the absence or low concentration of myoand create more space for the muscle to grow into. He felt statin, not only do muscles grow much more easily, but this could be achieved with a specialized massage techthe tension of the fascia itself is released to allow for nique involving excruciatingly deep and pointed pressure. greater accommodation of a larger muscle in a safe and This pressure was applied in the most painful way you can comfortable way. imagine, using the maximum amount of pressure tolerated While the pharmaceutical industry continues to experiin the smallest possible region at the center of the muscle ence the pitfalls of developing drugs that irreversibly block belly, and for the maximum duration. Basically, its torture. production, there are natural While I sense Vince was right in theory, Myostatin has long myostatin ways to achieve this objective. As my since the very few people that I knew since been identified book Extreme Muscle Enhancement that tried it couldnt stand it, I quickly th goes into its 4 edition, along with a shelved the idea in my mind, right next as responsible for to other cockamamie cogitations like inhibiting the growth plethora of information about how to jumping out of a plane head-first to get effectively build muscle, I discuss of muscle, so lower most rid of your headache. Nevertheless, the specific dietary and training techniques levels of myostatin idea stayed with me and, as always, he designed to lower serum myostatin. In produce higher levels keeping with this, my decade-long made me think more about the fascia and finding ways to expand its limits. research into a natural myostatin of muscle growth. Some also profess different verinhibitor has also come to fruition in sions of manual stretching to potentiate fascia room in the form of the now commercially-available MYO-T12. In order to accommodate bigger muscles. I suspect that, admittedly shameless self-promotion, it is the truth that much like the Iron Gurus technique, it is a technique my MYO-T12 is the only dietary supplement of its kind with real merit, but similarly, you wont find published supported by published scientific research showing it can science to support this anecdotal stretching theory truly reduce human myostatin levels. The most recent clineither. The fact is that Im convinced it works. The idea is ical study on MYO-T12 showed a high-grade short-term that after a muscle reaches maximum pump in a worksuppression of myostatin in 100 percent of the human test out, you stretch it through a full range of motion and in study subjects, with an average reduction in blood levels a specific range that stresses the largest area of muscle of myostatin of 46 percent in only 12-18 hours. belly circumference. Of course, it seems to reason that if So the moral of the story brings us back to the plant you train through a full range of motion, which you idea that being, a plant can only grow to a certain point should, there may be less need and thus less benefit to as dictated by the size limit of the pot it sits in. In this way, such a technique. recognize that there may be other factors that you must Although like all the other ideas, it currently remains the- contend with when trying to make stubborn muscles grow. oretical; it is my own novel belief that myostatin is actually No matter how hard you train, there are certain factors, like a factor that influences fascia, in addition to its well-reportthe limits of muscle fascia accommodation which, when ed effect on muscle. The presence or absence of myostatin not addressed, will limit your bodybuilding success. is perhaps the most important single influence of muscle growth. Myostatin has long since been identified as responDr. Colkers book, Extreme Muscle Enhancement: sible for inhibiting the growth of muscle, so lower levels of Bodybuildings Most Powerful Techniques is available myostatin produce higher levels of muscle growth. Animals by calling 1-800-310-1555 or ordering the book on-line at and humans that naturally lack the gene needed to produce www.prosource.net.
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Busted! LegalQ&A
By Rick Collins, JD
Whats the update on your planned skydive? Did you actually make the jump? Im not a great fan of heights. Thats exactly why I chose throwing myself out of a perfectly good airplane to raise money for charity. The late August event was billed as my Leap for Life by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and in local news reports. My first-time jump took place at Skydive Long Island, the only local drop-zone flying to a heart-pounding 13,500 feet. Skydive instructor Rich Winstock and cameraman Marko Markovich were awesome. I was also joined in the plunge by James Villepigue, co-author of my new book to maximize your physical and mental mojo, Alpha Male Challenge
(in stores now and at www.alphamalechallenge.com). The scariest part of the jump was hanging my legs over the side of the open plane door. Once youre in free fall at speeds of over 120 mph its an insanely fun adrenaline rush! The parachute glide down is scenic, and my landing was fine like sliding into home plate. Check out the Rick Collins Skydive video on YouTube or at www.facebook.com/rickcollinsesq. Skydiving helped me push my limits, hopefully inspiring others to explore new ways to challenge themselves. More importantly, I raised nearly $14,000 surpassing my goal of one dollar per foot of the drop to help the ACS continue to make strides in cancer research and services. You can still donate
through the ACS webpage at www.leapforlife.org. Please help! Hmmmm Parting question: Skydiving is extremely dangerous, but if its fundamentally American to allow you to do it anyway, why is our government so insistent on restricting your freedoms to make informed adult decisions about taking physiqueenhancing supplements and other substances for purely cosmetic purposes? Rick Collins, JD, CSCS [www.rickcollins.com] is the lawyer who members of the bodybuilding community and nutritional supplement industry turn to when they need legal help or representation. [ Rick Collins, 2009. All rights reserved. For informational purposes only, not to be construed as legal or medical advice.] I
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Repeat Offenders
W
hen you think of an offender, one assumes they have done something wrong. What offense did they commit? In this instance, the offense of winning consistently, the same show every year. The Atlantic City Pro Bodybuilding show promoted by Ron Goldstein was all about Auckland. Not the city of Auckland in New Zealand, but Lisa Auckland. Not just in 2009, but ever since the shows beginnings. Since 2006, Lisa Auckland has won the Atlantic City Pro Championship and has been in the top five of the Ms. Olympia. Cathy LeFrancois repeated herself at the New York Pro repeating from a win in 2008, and Iris Kyle is going for a repeat at the Ms. Olympia here in a few weeks. Since 2006, Iris has held the title of Ms. Olympia. This year she is going for her fourth consecutive repeat as well. What does this tell us? What is it about repeating something that inspires us? Does repeating a win make us more of a champion? One thing for sure, repeat winners tell us that there are greats in each sport. Greats that do the same show over and over, seeking to repeat their consistency and championship performance. Every sport has them. During the early 90s, the Chicago Bulls were the untouchable team, known for having one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history, and inspiring the term three-peat for their three-time NBA championship, which they actually did twice: winning six championships in eight years time. But all six of those championship teams really came down to just one standout player: Michael Jordan. Which makes the We are the champions motto true, of course, for the team at large, but made basketball into what it is today: a highly individualized sport, with singular star status, not so far from tennis or golf, and of course, bodybuilding. Arguably, it is only through individual sports that women are able to attain the same powerhouse status as men: consider womens tennis stars Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and the Williams sisters. In every tennis competition, there are both mens and womens professional divisions. It would be unheard of for the USTA to have the Australian Open without a womens professionals single championship but the Australian Pro has never had a womens bodybuilding division. What this tells us is that womens professional bodybuilding doesnt have nearly as many shows as the mens bodybuilding, including the Open and the 202 & Under, an increasingly popular field of competition, allowing many more men chances to compete at the Olympia, than the women. What opportunities did women have this year to qualify for the top competition, the Ms. Olympiathe goal of every female professional bodybuilder? For those who were not qualified already, there were December 2009
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only a handful of shows: obviously the Ms. International kick-started the bodybuilding season in March, but after that, the only shows available for women were the New York Pro (May), the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships in Tampa (August) which was nearly cancelled for the women for lack of funding and the Atlantic City Pro (September). Other than these three shows in the United States, professional women competitors have had no other opportunity to compete in 2009. Last year in August of 2008, the Europa Super Show in Dallas offered prowomens bodybuilding. However, this year the womens bodybuilding division was nixed leaving women one less opportunity in an already shrunken pool. So I ask you: is it truly repetition, or is it just that there are so few shows to pick from that the roster is nearly the same, show after show? IFBB Rule 4.5.5(b) states that: At Open competitions, the top three finalists qualify for the Ms. Olympia. If any of the top three finalists are already qualified, up to a maximum of three previously-unqualified athletes may also qualify. For example, if the top finalist is already qualified, the qualification nd rd th shifts to the 2 , 3 , and also 4 place. While this is a great rule, offering up an extra spot, should one become available, it is still not the same as winning a show in order to qualify. Rather, it is a win by default. If there were more shows for women, would there be a bigger and more diverse pool of December 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com
talent in the Olympia, which would, in turn, draw more of an audience? On the other hand, there are women who have received their pro card and have competed infrequently, if at all. Im sure there are reasons, but is this productive to the sport? Perhaps a use it or lose it policy would be beneficial. Over and over, it is the women bodybuilders who feel themselves to be the consistent underdog of the sport. And I have to admit Im definitely a fan of the underdog, the dark horse who pops up unexpectedly and steals the show. Im an athlete and I love all sports of course, bodybuilding, then basketball, then tennis. So as I watched the U.S. Open this past month, did I want Serena Williams to win? No. Not because she isnt a great player but to see the mother Kim Clijsters come back from a 27-month retirement and kick everyones ass brings me satisfaction. Its the comeback athletes who really get me going. And why shouldnt they? They are not the Queen Bee, they are the worker bees: they work hard day after day, and come in and win unexpectedly. So, we are left with the repeat offenders. Winning consistently, show after show. The repeat champion is one thing; the Queen Bee buzzing around in the honeycomb while the worker bees remain loyal. What about the one who decides to fly the other way and jumpstart her own hive? The potential exists, of course: a new competitor who suddenly swarms the spotlight. I MD 319
Got a question for George Farah? You can ask him directly on the MD website and have George personally answer your question! Go to www.musculardevelopment.com, MD Forums, MD Staff and Pros, Q and A for George Farah.
KAI GREENE
The Predator
By Kai Greene
326 MD
next day. Every workout, every cardio session, every posing practice, every meal of my diet food and every hour of sleep take me one step closer to my goal. I have to sign off now. Were heading back to Golds in a few minutes for shoulders. My weights are still up and Im feeling strong. Oscar is pushing my kicked ass as only he can! I cant tell you what a difference it makes having him here every step of the way to push me and make sure I give it my all, at each and every workout. I also have to give shout-out to my sponsor, MuscleMeds. I signed a two-year contract extension and I can happily say Im living my dream of making a living doing bodybuilding! It wasnt long ago at all that this was only a distant dream that seemed many times as if it would never come to fruition. The company is the best and I am very happy to be part of their team. Im also glad to be able to represent them at the shows, and I hope to become their very first Mr. Olympia champion under contract very soon.
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VICTOR MARTINEZ
TheTrueVictor
By Victor Martinez
I have been using mostly barbells for chest since I started training over five years ago, though now I mix in a Hammer machine or two as well as some pec deck or cable crossovers. My chest is way behind my shoulders and arms, and I keep reading about using dumbbells. I find them hard to balance, plus the weights I can use are nowhere near as heavy. With that being said, I dont see how dumbbells can really help me with these limitations. You already answered part of your question when you mentioned how difficult it is to keep your balance and stay in the groove when you use dumbbells. Because they are independent and not connected like a bar, its literally twice as much work to control them and keep your form tight. You see that extra work as being irritating, but its really what makes dumbbell presses so effective. They force your chest, and even the supporting and stabilizing muscles around it, to work harder. When it comes to exercises, almost every time, harder means better results. Why do barbell squats make your legs grow better than a leg press or a Smith machine squat? Theyre harder to perform. You can say the same thing about barbell rows vs. cable or machine rows, or chin-ups vs. lat pulldowns. I dont know anyone who ever built a great back without chins and free-weight rows. You can build a great chest with barbells if you have a solid mind-muscle connection and you can get quality contractions and a full stretch on your reps using a bar. A lot of guys cant, and their front
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Sergio was so far ahead of his time with his crazy mass and tiny waist. He paved the way for future stars like Lee Haney and Ronnie. You could almost call him The Prototype. Oliva was so dominant in the three years he was Mr. Olympia that in 1968, they just gave him the trophy because not one other man was willing to get onstage and compete with him! Sergio could have kept winning and probably should have. He got the short end of the stick a couple times against Arnold. Once he was told by someone on the judging panel that they couldnt see him too clearly because the curtain behind him was black, and his skin was too dark. What a bunch of bullshit!
Lee Labrada Mass with class, born in Cuba and raised in Texas; probably should have won at least one Mr. Olympia title in his day. Lee turned pro as a middleweight and went on to win seven pro shows, was runner-up to Lee Haney twice at the Mr. Olympia, and never placed any lower than fourth in the seven times he posed on the Olympia stage. Labrada was one of those guys who was never the biggest physique MD 331
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BRANDEN RAY
By Branden Ray
StraightTalkfrom
TheBrooklyn Knight
There Is Glory In Defeat
The irony of bodybuilding is that weeks and months of training are all for a few moments, matter of fact, minutes onstage. Four quarter-turns and eight mandatories and for few, a new beginning but for most, its back to the beginning. This was my first thought when my name was called for second at the USAs. I felt that I had climbed a mountain and lost my grip when I was almost at the apex. At that very moment of defeat, all one can feel is humility as the invasive question resonates: What did I do wrong? I had to discover those answers quickly, because my climb would start immediately for the Nationals in November. Once I started my climb, I realized that my map to the top was more lucid. I had a game plan. I also realized that I didnt fall all the way to the bottom. I was starting at a much higher point. My conditioning held up, and everything started to come in earlier than my prep for the USAs. My skin was thinner, my hams never lost the split, and I didnt put on much water. What I learned is that there is glory in defeat. The glory comes from learning from each experience, every prep, and every show. I learned how I reacted to certain foods, supplements, rest periods, cardio, etc. I will be better every time I step onstage, I promise you that.
Lets Do It!
I am now training with Shawn Flexatron Rhoden, Overall Winner of the North American Championships. I was impressed by the pics of Shawn at the weigh-ins of the show, and knew that he was going to take the show. I didnt know that he lived five minutes away from me until a friend of mine asked if I knew him. As soon as Shawn and I finally met, we were like, Lets do it!
Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.
Shakespeares Macbeth
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I admire her determination that has brought her much success. She will be the youngest competitor at the Ms. Olympia, but already has more than 10 years of competing under her belt. The discipline of her academic life carried over into bodybuilding, and vice versa. Shes hardcore at everything she does, and is just getting her feet wet in her career and on the pro stage. I look forward to being a firsthand witness to all that shes destined to achieve. Many people heard me screaming like a nut at the show because I was so proud of her second-place finish behind her idol, the great Lisa Aukland. My support is genuine because Im a fan of bodybuilding, male or female, and she looked awesome. My support is biased, however, because I get to see the canvas of the artist before the masterpiece is presented.
! W N E M N LU O C
Shawn is an incredible training partner and a muchunderrated poser. Hes been helping me a lot on my presentation because he didnt just come from nowhere hes a veteran of the sport and has a wealth of knowledge. We are both coached by Hany Rambod, so we apply the FST-7 training principle. Here are the muscles and exercises that we apply FST-7 to: Hams: seated leg curls Calves: calf raises on leg press Chest: cable crossovers Back: Hammer Strength low row machine Tris: skull-crushers Biceps: machine preacher curls Ive also narrowed my grip on chin-ups and have been doing a lot more behind-the-neck lat pulldowns, which has made a huge difference in my back development. Shawn Ray gave me this tip when we were in San Diego for the 619 Muscle event at Powerhouse Gym (shout-out to Pete for an incredible event!) The advantage of a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip versus a very wide grip is that the lats are stretched more when youre hanging. The behind-the-neck lat pulldown is like mimicking a rear double bicep. I dont go heavy, and focus on contracting my traps and rhomboids. This is great for anyone trying to add muscle and detail to their upper middle back.
Go, Big K!
My highlight of the year was watching my girlfriend, Kristy Hawkins Ph.D., qualify for the Olympia. While many believe that bodybuilders do nothing but eat, train, and sleep in order to be successful, Ive witnessed Kristy wake up at 6 a.m. to do 45 minutes on the StepMill, work in the lab from 9 p.m.-8 p.m. standing up most of the time and not missing a meal, then squat 315 pounds for 10 reps, and leg press 24 plates and still knock out another 45 minutes on the StepMill. December 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com
By Rodney Roller
RAW POWER!
system. But then something totally unexpected happened. After the light-heavies, an intermission was called. My pumping up had been for nothing. By the time I got onstage after pumping up again, 90 minutes had passed. All the carbs in me were long gone and I couldnt get a pump to save my life. Im known for my crazy vascularity, but you couldnt see one frigging vein on me! I went out onstage flat and washed-out looking, and you probably know the rest. I wound up seventh place in the Masters Heavyweights and didnt make top 15 in the Open.
and planned on tightening up about five or six more pounds for the North American. I got back home a week before the contest, and my trusted friend, IFBB judge Maz Ali took a look at me. He was very happy with what he saw, and we decided to cut way back on fat and carbs for the next few days to really dial everything in perfectly. We also decided to only carb load for one day. In the past, Ive noticed that I look great after that first day of loading, then tend to start spilling over. The amount was also reduced from my typical 1,000 grams of carbs on that day to 300. I would rather err on the side of caution. Being that I am short and thickly-developed, I can afford to be a bit flat, as long as Im super-sharp. But with that type of physique, being just a little off makes a big difference. The show was moving fast, and I started pumping up as soon as the lightheavyweights lined up to go out onstage. I had waited until then because I didnt want to lose my pump, especially since I didnt have an abundance of carbs in my
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As I write this, my next culinary adventure is going to be baking a pecan pie from a secret recipe a 90-year-old lady from Hacketts Farm apple orchard up in Vermont was nice enough to share with me. I grew up in South Carolina, and my late mom used to make the most incredible fresh pecan pies. How do you train to support both the power and the hypertrophy aspects that make you so unique in the world of bodybuilding today? There are so many guys who are strong but not so impressive in terms of muscle mass, and also plenty of huge guys who arent as strong as they look. Very few like you, who are both! I have always been the type of person that if my lifts are not going up, then I always felt I wasnt pushing hard enough and thought I wasnt growing. In other words, I equated strength increases with mass gains and did my best to keep pushing for more all the time. Even though in my videos you see me lifting very heavy weight for low reps, I typically train very heavy, but keep my reps in the 8-10 range. I also do a lot of drop sets with much lighter weight and stretch and contract the muscle fully, to completely exhaust the muscle. There is the misconception out there that I am all about moving big weights and not so much into working the muscle hard not the case at all. As Ive said in one of my interviews, I train like a bodybuilder, not for power. I just happen to be a strong bodybuilder.
! W N E M NLU O C
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Next Up For Me
Its been a couple weeks since the North Americans, and Im back up to 250 pounds. I was a little bummed after the show, but I talked with Steve Blechman and he really lifted my spirits. He said, Rodney, I didnt bring you on with MD to be the best competitive bodybuilder we have those guys. Youre a freak, and youre strong as a bull the readers love that stuff. So now Im getting really psyched to do some more intense, hardcore training videos with Robbie for MD TV. If you liked the ones Ive done before, you aint seen nothin yet! As for shows, Ill probably do the Masters Nationals again next July. This year was a great training year for me in that I didnt have any injuries, and I was able to add a good four pounds of quality muscle. I should be able to pack on another four to six more pounds before its time to start dieting again for that show. Did I say diet? Thats a word I dont even want to think about right now! Thanks to Steve Blechman, Maz Ali, Gerard Dente, and as always, my wife and kids for putting up with me through all this madness.
When I look at the powerlifters and strongmen today, many of them have a sloppy appearance like they dont train at all. They just look like big fat dudes. How do you avoid that look, or do you put on significant weight in the off-season? Im 56 and I just competed at the Masters Nationals at a weight of 225. I probably could have been a little drier and detailed at 218 or so. During the off-season I basically eat whatever I want, but I always keep a close eye on my waistline. I generally eat very healthy and still take in all my protein, and other supplements like the Eponox, Novatest, Epoblast, a multivitamin, a multi-mineral and digestive enzymes. However, I love sweets and pizza so I will have the shit food, too, when I feel like it. But I do have one rule I dont ever break I will always keep my abs visible. I have been as heavy as 270 in the past, but felt like shit all the time and could hardly tie my shoes. Never again do I want to feel like that! Last year I stayed a comfortable and fairly lean 255, and felt great. Its really all a matter of personal preference. I have to look and feel a certain way or else I am simply not comfortable. Apparently other guys arent as concerned, or maybe not concerned enough to say no to the Chinese buffet and cheesecake! What kind of training regimen would you recommend to an intermediate bodybuilder who wishes to develop the power and size you have gained? I always stress to beginners to learn the basics and learn to do them with perfect form. Too many beginners get caught up
Got a question for Rodney Roller? You can ask him directly on the MD website and have Rodney personally answer your question! Go to www.musculardevelopment.com, MD Forums, MD Spotlight, for Rodney Raw Power Roller. www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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December 2009
MARK ALVISI
MARK of a CHAMPION
Life After Dieting
With the USA behind me now, I can finally relax and eat some of the things I wasnt able to for the whole prep period. One thing I really enjoy is simple pasta with meat sauce. What Italian doesnt appreciate that? Im really not eating much junk at all, believe it or not. Im so used to eating clean that its second nature to me now. Its just a relief to not have to be as strict and precise with everything I eat. When Im dieting, everything I eat is weighed or measured. Now I can chill out on that, and even eat out at restaurants more. I had to cut out shakes for the 12 weeks of my diet, but now Im having two MyoFusion shakes from Gaspari Nutrition every day delicious! Im also back to using SizeOn both before, during, and after training, which I couldnt do before because of all the carbs. Mainly, Ive been getting my life back in order. After the USA I was in L.A., Tampa, Dallas, and then an appearance up at a huge Max Muscle retail store in Lincoln, Nebraska with Zivile Raudoniene and UFC legend Tito Ortiz. Im a fan of Titos and had met him once before through a friend of mine in Las Vegas, but this was much better because I got to hang out with him while we sat there for five hours signing autographs. Since then, Ive been home just doing all the chores and errands that I fell behind on with all that traveling going on. Im staying in very decent shape at about 235240, and I can still see my abs and obliques. I put on 35 pounds in two weeks after a contest a couple years ago and vowed to never do it again. Talk about uncomfortable the water retention had my blood pressure so high that it felt like my head would explode if I bent down to tie my shoes!
By Mark Alvisi
I was hoping you could give us a brief summary of what your carbup process looked like for USAs. I felt you came in with the perfect combination of fullness and dryness, which enabled you to beat the incredibly conditioned Lee Banks. How many days did you spend depleting/carbing up? How much did you cut back your carbs and how much did you add back in? And, what did your water intake look like? I know Hany is fan of carbohydrates, so Im pretty much assuming you did a carb-up. I dont think you have to be a fan of carbohydrates to know that eating them before a contest is critical to filling out the muscles. Even the guys who do the no-carb diets have some carbs in those final days. I started depleting my carbs on the Friday before the show, which was exactly a week before my prejudging (big pro qualifiers like the USA and Nationals are held over two nights). Still, I never went anywhere near zero my carbs were ranging from 100150 grams from that Friday all the way until the end of the following Tuesday. On Wednesday, I started to load. My protein was alternating from meal to meal with tilapia and filet mignon, and my carbs would be either red or white potatoes. I ate every two hours and got about 75 grams of carbs at each meal. It averaged out to about 600-700 grams a day. I kept that up all the way until the end of the contest, because past experience has shown that my metabolism revs super-high in those last couple days and I drop weight very fast if Im not careful to keep loading the carbs. I started cutting my water on Thursday afternoon. From then until Friday morning, I had about a liter of water in all. From that point on, I would only sip when I was extremely thirsty and had cotton-mouth. You saw how dry I got for the show you dont get that look without a little suffering! For me, thats the hardest part of the whole process. Going without water is a very unnatural thing to put your body through, and you feel like total crap. www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
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What split do you think would be better for overall growth? Day 1: Chest and triceps Day 2: Back and biceps Day 3: REST Day 4: Delts Day 5: Legs Day 6: Repeat Day 1: Chest and back Day 2: REST Day 3: Triceps and biceps Day 4: Legs Day 5: Delts Day 6: REST Day 7: Repeat
I pick about three mass-building exercises per muscle group, and sometimes finish off with an isolation movement. I like the second one, except that training chest and back in the same workout is too much. I would do them on different days. You could either combine chest with shoulders, or pair up both chest and shoulder days with one of the upper arm muscles (biceps or triceps). Why not try this? Day 1: Chest and biceps Day 2: Legs Day 3: REST Day 4: Back Day 5: Shoulders and triceps Days 6 and 7: OFF That gives you three full days of rest a week, and rest is really when your muscles recover and grow. It also gives you weekends off from the gym so you can have a life!
I was wondering how a high-level bodybuilder keeps himself organized, especially with the diet. I have to really keep track of my diet. I guess it helps when I write everything down to keep track of everything. I hear some guys keeping everything on Excel spreadsheet, but Im not really familiar with the program Im old-school, man I write all that stuff down in a notebook! You can be more organized and make it look all nice and neat on your computer, but it serves the exact same purpose. As long as you are putting the information down somewhere, youre good. I am 16 and eating absolutely everything I can, as I am trying to grow. I get about 4,500-5,000 calories a day, and 350 grams of protein. Thats coming from four solid meals a day, as well as three weight-gainer shakes. Lately, my stomach and sides have been killing me. About an hour or so after I eat, I have this weird ache in my sides that concerns me. Have you ever experienced anything like this? Any ideas on what the problem may be and how to fix it? It could be any number of things. It may be stress on the kidneys from a lot of water retention. I would maybe reduce your sodium and add in some cardio to see if it helps. Im assuming you may be really bloated, which can be very uncomfortable. Also make sure you drink over a gallon of water a day! Its even more important to stay hydrated when you have a high protein intake, because the kidneys are working harder than usual.
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I loved the video on MDTV of you at the Metroflex. I was wondering if you normally train with a workout partner or prefer to work out alone? How long do you stay at the gym? I definitely do prefer to train with a partner. Having that person there to spot you and help make things safer gives you that extra confidence to go a little heavier and do that extra rep or two without having to have that fearful voice in the back of your head saying, Easy there buddy, you might get hurt! In the whole off-season between the Nationals and when I started my diet for the USA back in April, I did train with a partner. But once I started dieting, our schedules just didnt mesh anymore. He has a regular day job, and my whole schedule revolved around my cardio, my meals, and my weight-training workouts. A lot of people dont realize how critical meal timing is in contest prep, or even in bodybuilding in general. You want to train after your last meal has had time to mostly digest, but you cant let too much time go by between that meal and the workout or else you risk slipping into a catabolic state. So rather than go out of our minds trying to coordinate
all that, I just trained on my own. I was doing 45 minutes of cardio twice a day, and my weight training workouts were anywhere from an average of 90 minutes to as long as two hours if I was breaking up the workouts to hit two different body parts in a day, such as the day I do quads in the morning and hamstrings and calves later on. On those days, I was in the gym close to four hours in all. And yes, it was getting to be a bit much, even for someone like me who loves the gym! I have noted reading the Q&As that you recommend doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. You recommend this as the best way to decrease body fat. It is very difficult for me to gain lean muscle mass. I currently do not do any cardio, since I have been focusing on gaining lean muscle mass. With my recent gains in muscle mass I have noted that my waistline has grown as well. I have not taken any body fat measurements, but it does not take a genius to know I have gained fat, along with muscle. I do not want to risk losing any muscle. If I do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, do I risk losing muscle mass? If the answer is yes, what I can do to prevent losing muscle mass while at the same time decrease overall body fat? There are two key things you can do to minimize your risk of losing lean muscle tissue when doing A.M. cardio. First, your final meal of the night before should be something that digests pretty slowly so you get a sustained, time-release effect of amino acids. Red meat is perfect, and so are whole eggs or casein. Something like egg whites or chicken breast would not be as good. In the morning, you dont want to eat anything before your cardio because this would detract from the fat-burning effects. What I do after taking my fat-burner product (I cycle between Mitotropin and Cytolean V2 from Gaspari Nutrition) is to have 10 grams of L-Glutamine and 5,000 mg of BCAAs. These have zero calories, but do safeguard against getting into that dreaded state of negative nitrogen balance and the horrible catabolic environment that no bodybuilder ever wants to be in.
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EVAN CENTOPANI
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EVAN CENTOPANIBEASTFromTheEAST!
I just have to say your arm on the cover of the September MD issue looks HUGE! Theyre so big they look computerized. Did your arms grow easy off the bat or did they start off slow, then blow up? Thank you. I had aboveaverage-sized arms before I ever picked up a weight. I wish I could attribute it to something spectacular and ingenious I did in the gym that I could pass on to you, but honestly, its mainly genetics. My arms have always grown ahead of everything else. But if it makes you feel any better, my chest and my legs have always taken a lot of brutally hard work to see gains in. Please be so kind as to settle this quandary for me. Some bodybuilders say that if you want to be big, you have to lift big. Others say that the weight is secondary to feeling the muscle work and getting a pump. What do you think? You need to challenge yourself and put out serious effort, but weight itself is simply a means to an end. The weight is not the goal, even though it seems like thats the way most guys in the gym think. If you are a powerlifter, then obviously your goal is to move as much weight as possible. This is bodybuilding. Nobody gives a shit how much weight you can lift when youre up onstage and the judges are comparing your physique to the guy next to you. If your legs suck but you can squat 600 pounds and the guy next to you has awesome wheels but never uses more than 315, guess what? Your 600-pound squat means jack shit. Why do I take my deadlifts from a rack and not the floor? Someone posted a video clip of a big Russian dude named Konstantinov doing deadlifts off the ground with close to 800 pounds for four reps, as part of a suggestion that I start doing my deads this way. That set was impressive as hell. But to be honest, I really dont make the weight my focus. I dont like lifting from the floor because I feel it puts my back in a compromised position. Johnnie Jackson is definitely strong as hell and he has a great physique but I dont think being able to deadlift all that weight really amounts to all that much on a bodybuilding stage. When youre onstage, no one gives a shit how much you deadlift, how much you bench, what your measurements are, etc. You just look how you look and its either good enough to win or its not. I appreciate the advice people have been trying to offer me about how I can deadlift more weight. So far, I havent felt like my back development has been dependent upon the weight I use. But if I ever hit a wall and my development slows down and I cant attribute it to anything else, then maybe I will make weight more of a focus and start setting poundage goals. www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
354 MD
EVAN CENTOPANIBEASTFromTheEAST!
Do you keep a training log or another way of keeping track of your lifts? I have been for about three years now and Im at a sticking point in a lot of my exercises, (incline bench, flat bench, bent rows, to name a few). I have juggled new exercises and am stuck with those, too. Its getting discouraging seeing the same weight and the same reps every week. Do you think I should abandon the book altogether and maybe lift by feel and not worry about beating the book? I was never one to write things down. I have said at various times that I was going to start, but I never do. I feel like every day is different, every year youre a different person etc., so who cares what you did a year ago? I dont think its realistic to think you are going to get stronger every workout week after week, year after year, forever. That just doesnt make sense to me. Otherwise you would see people bench pressing two thousand pounds and squatting two tons! I think training intensity and just pushing yourself is most important. Again, if this wasnt bodybuilding, then Id say that is your game and you need to make it your concern. But just as a powerlifter doesnt try and look a certain way or work on capping off his delts or thickening his upper pecs, why would a bodybuilder try to lift a certain weight? My advice is to ditch the book for a while and see what happens. You can always go back to it. Do you guys notice a theme this month yet? The idea is to use the weights to work the muscle, not use your muscles to work the weights. My buddy Justin Miller said that, and he is a smart man when it comes to all this stuff! Do you prefer cardio post-workout or do you feel it should be done at a separate time of the day? Usually I do either the elliptical or the StairMaster for 30 minutes, then I have my amino acid stack, dextrose, and glutamine. I have mixed emotions as to when I should do my cardio. When do you feel is the right time to do it and why? I think cardio is best first thing in the morning and/or at night before bed. Post-workout is tough because if you train with the type of intensity necessary, a) post-workout cardio is too draining, and b) it leaves you waiting way too long between meals. After intense training you should eat and the longer you delay that meal the more you compromise your recovery and growth. My Current 8-Day Split: Day 1: Quads Day 2: Off Day 3: Chest & Triceps Day 4: Back Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: Day 8: Off Hams and Calves Biceps, Delts, Abs Off and what type of pullover do you do? Do you do the old-school Nautilus machine like Dorian and Mike Mentzer used, straight bar cable pulldowns, or a dumbbell? I think dumbbell pullovers are good for the back, but you have to really get your form down so the triceps arent doing the work; its not easy. Id use a Nautilus machine, but all we have at my gym is a Bodymasters model and its too narrow for me to fit into! I want it to work so bad that every now and then Ill try and squeeze into it, only to find that I still dont fit. I guess thats a good thing, because the idea is to get wider across the back and shoulders as a bodybuilder, not narrower. I wanted to know your opinion of Dorian Yates training style. Did you ever try anything like that in the past? And also, what do you think of supersets? Everybody in my gym is doing supersets all the time, including an old guy and his trainer, and they both look really good. I dont mind doing one superset in my training, but all they do is supersets, and theyre always saying Come on Maxime, do supersets, thats the best way to gain muscle! I think that pretty much any training technique can work www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
I have a question about pullovers, an exercise we dont seem to hear much about. In the off-season, do you like to use pullovers for either back or chest,
356 MD
EVAN CENTOPANIBEASTFromTheEAST!
if done correctly and for a certain period of time. Training to failure, high-intensity, volume, supersets, drop sets, etc. are all great if you work hard and use good form. Just give different things a try and eventually piece it together in a way that incorporates everything into a formula that works well for you. Just keep in mind that everything works well for a certain amount of time, and then the only way to start seeing results again is to switch things up. How often do you cheat during the week? Meaning, how often do you go out and eat something thats not on your diet, like sushi, buffalo burger and fries, fajitas, stuff like that? I have been eating out a lot lately. It started with a couple of weddings and cookouts and now Ive been doing it about three times a week. Im gonna cut it out very soon. Do you think something like this is a good shock to the metabolism? If we are talking about the offseason here, which I assume we are, I cheat whenever I feel I need it or whenever I really crave something. That usually ends up being two or three times a week. I think that, depending on your metabolism and your caloric needs, throwing in some different foods here and there is a good thing. I wouldnt do it just to do it, like scheduling a certain amount of cheat meals that you feel like you have to eat, but if you feel you need it or would benefit from it, you should have it. my friends, and just normal life. Balance is important to me, and I dont know how healthy it would be for me personally to live and breathe nothing but a contest for that long. In Kais case, I do think it was an excellent move but you reading this now know better than I do how it all panned out in the end.
Special Thanks
I have to say a huge thanks to Universal Nutrition and the whole bunch over there Mike, Phil, Eric, Greg, Michelle, and Jason. I feel so fortunate to be part of your team. Thanks to Steve Blechman, as always, and my girlfriend, Erica. And I also want to give a shout-out to Larry at Bridgeport Lobster in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This is where I have been getting all my seafood lately: cod, tilefish, and red snapper, scallops, and oysters. I have been eating a lot of fish lately because I feel I digest and assimilate it better than other protein sources like red meat. If youre a bodybuilder and you have been avoiding fish for whatever reason, you dont know what youre missing! I
Got a question for Evan Centopani? You can ask him directly on the MD website and have Evan personally answer your question! Go to www.musculardevelopment.com, MD Forums, MD Staff and Pros, Q and A for Evan Centopani.
358 MD
TheBigBad WOLF
By Dennis Wolf
I shattered my kneecap just over two years ago and havent been able to train legs properly since without it getting very sore. So I just stopped training them altogether. I know you damaged your knee a while back too, so any tips or input on how to train legs with an injury like this would be appreciated. Also the injury was a multi-fragmentary fracture of the right patella. P .S. Best of luck in the Mr. O this year hope you do some damage! I am writing this a couple weeks before the Olympia, but this issue of MD wont be out until the show is over so lets hope your wishing me good luck helped! But seriously,
thanks for your support. Sorry to hear about your knee. An injury like that is very serious and you cant simply jump right back into normal leg training any time soon. Of course you should consult with a doctor and probably a physical therapist about rehabilitating the knee, but I will tell you what I did since you asked. For a long time, about 12 or 16 weeks, I just did very light, very easy training for the legs. It was really just to get some blood flowing in the lower body and to maintain flexibility. Every couple weeks, I would increase the weights just a little bit, so my knee had the chance to grow stronger very gradually and I was not risking hurting it again. Every workout, I was very careful to notice if the knee was hurting or not. You have to be vigilant in these cases, because hurting an injured area again can be even worse than the original injury. Thats really all I did. You have to be extremely patient and you cant get discouraged. Injuries happen to just about everybody in bodybuilding, and its up to you if you let them stop you or not. Look at a guy like Branch Warren. Hes torn a biceps and both triceps, but now his arms are better than ever! I remember reading years ago about Kevin Levrone winning the Arnold Classic only a year after tearing his pec and I think Victor Martinez did that, too. So you just have to have a good attitude this is the most important thing. Dennis, I didnt know you came to India (guest posing at Aurangabad IFFB Asian championship). Damn, if it were closer to my home, I would have definitely attended that one; I am a huge fan of yours! Did you get to see some sights or was it just plane lands...guest posing... plane flies back? Im so sorry you werent able to make it! I definitely did have a good time in India, but you are correct about how tight my schedule was. There was no time to go see any cool stuff in the place. All I really saw was the airport, the hotel, the venue, and that was it. Driving to the hotel from the airport and to the contest, I got a chance to at least look around and see what the country looks like a little, but not much else. I do want to get back there another time and actually see more of India. There is a lot of history there and a whole different culture
362 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
DENNIS WOLF
I am having trouble building up my chest. I have long arms, so most of the time my delts do most of the work. Do you have any suggestions on how I can use more chest than delts? A lot of times in a case like yours, it helps a lot if you try using a wider grip. The range of motion isnt as complete, but it does seem to take the shoulders out of the movement. Trust me, I know all about shoulders taking over when youre trying to hit your pecs! You also need to start from scratch and work on your mindmuscle connection by using a OUT much lighter weight, going very CHECK t.com pmen lo e v e rd slowly with your reps, and la COMP LETE E! muscuF OR VERAG focusing on squeezing the chest ST CO CONTE as you push up and feeling it stretch when you do the lowering portion of every rep. Dont worry about how much weight you use, because this is what stops most guys from ever training correctly and working the muscle properly. You are better off pressing 200 pounds and working your pecs very hard, instead of using 400 pounds and only working your shoulders and triceps!
also had and still has many loyal fans all over the world. Every time he would come out onstage the whole place sounds like thunder when they yell RUUUUUHHHL!! Ralf Moeller Ralf was an OK bodybuilder; he did compete at the Mr. Olympia at least one time. But he was very tall and it would have taken him a lot more muscle mass to look as big as the guys he was trying to beat back then, like Lee Haney, Mike Christian, Lee Labrada, and Rich Gaspari. Instead, he became a very successful actor in Hollywood. Ralf had a nice part in the movie Gladiator, which I bet just about all of you have in your DVD collection. He was also in Beerfest, as well as the Conan TV show and a few Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. He always plays a bad guy, which is funny if you ever met Rolf talk about a gentle giant! Jusup Wilkosz Jusup was a good friend of Arnolds and was himself a very good bodybuilder. He was third place at the 1984 Mr. Olympia, the first year Haney started winning, and was top three in many other pro shows in the early and mid 80s. Jusup only competed for six years as a pro, but his conditioning was ahead of his time. www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
364 MD
I never met Achim, but all the people who train at my gym know him. He was one of the first really huge guys to come along in the early 90s around the same time that Dorian and Nasser came on the scene. Achim, like me, was known for having very wide and round shoulders. He made ninth place at his first pro show the 1991 Mr. Olympia, when Haney won for his eighth and last time. But Achim only competed a few more years and then tried to be a wrestler or something. Frank Hillebrand Frank was kind of like Achim. He did very well at his first pro show, which was also the Mr. Olympia. He got seventh place at the 1990 Mr. O in Chicago, the only year they did steroid testing at the Olympia. Frank was known for his huge legs, but his upper body never quite matched them. He only competed a few more times and I heard he is a very successful personal trainer in Las Vegas. Dennis James I know you think I made a mistake, but Dennis was born and raised in Germany, even though his father was an American soldier (there are a lot of people in Germany like this because of the U.S. Army bases). But
because he was always a U.S. citizen too, he turned pro in the USA. I am proud to call Dennis a good friend of mine, and I am also a fan. When I first saw him compete a couple years ago, Dennis was so crazy big and full that I could not say much more than Wow! If you like freaky mass, it doesnt get much freakier than Dennis James. Ronny Rockel Ronny is a very nice, quiet guy and I think sometimes this has hurt him onstage when maybe he doesnt seem as confident or hungry to win like the other guys. His physique is underrated, and I hope he gets more attention dropping down to the 202 class. Anja Langer I had to mention a couple of the best German women weve had. She only competed three times after winning the German Championships in 1986 but in two of those contests, she got second and fourth at the Ms. Olympia! Ive met her twice and she is a really nice woman; maybe competing just isnt her thing. Anja Schreiner I cant say I really know much about Anja, but she was very good for the couple years in the early 90s when she competed. She won the Ms. International and placed third, sixth, and eighth at the Ms. Olympia. I www.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
366 MD
Training Journal
They say if one is good, two is better, right? Well, having two kids is better. The new baby is doing great, and Xavier is a great big brother. I thought having one kid was tough when it came to training; now having two does make it harder. It is just more motivation for me to train harder and to value the time I have to train more. I need a bigger house now; all this kid stuff is taking over my living room and bedroom. Nothing like falling asleep with a Ninja turtle in your back, and a pink blanket. I have made some great progress over the last few months; my chest is getting bigger and my back is filling out. I am very happy to say I will be ready come this May. I am starting my contest diet in January and I cant wait till the end product is here in May. I want to tell Steve thanks for having faith in me and letting me be a part of Team MD. Also want to tell Rick Bayardi thanks for helping out with my bodybuilding show, and letting me use his gym for all the training videos and the ABC events. Also thanks to Universal Nutrition/Animal who has been our main sponsor the last two years of the show we could have not done it without you guys! Thanks.
training. Whatever I ask him to do, he does. Instead of giving me lip or complaining like some pros I have known in years past, Pedro does it with a smile until the pain gets to be too much, of
course! He went into the show as a total unknown and still managed to place sixth out of 22 pros in the 202 division. I believe he has so much potential that I didnt want that to be the end of the season for him. I got together with a couple other people and we put the money together to send him to the Atlantic City Pro show being held a week before the Olympia. I wouldnt be a bit surprised if he ends up qualifying for the 202 Showdown at the O. As for my other 202 pro, Stan McQuay, hes doing very well, too. The size and density he needs will be coming, because he is training like a man on a mission now that hes down in Venice and Im pushing him past the limits he had in his head for so long. When I started working with Stan, he had never pressed anything heavier than a pair of 105s for incline dumbbells last week he did a good set with 150s!
Got a question for Charles? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com and you could see it answered right here in MD!
PEDRO BARRON
ThePRO Creator
By Hany Rambod
! NEWS FLASH
I am shocking my calves with tri-sets every other workout. Here is the routine: (5 of these tri-sets in 16-6 rep range) Toe raises on hack squat machine Standing calf raises Standing reverse toe raises on a block Is this a good routine or just overkill? My calves are currently 16 inches cold. They grew half an inch in the past four months with my normal workout. I would try to push the reps past 20. Calves are one body part that typically responds better to higher reps, due to their high percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers. Dont lower the weights to get the higher reps just rest a few seconds every time you hit failure if you have to. This would be the rest-pause technique. The combination of high volume, higher reps, and heavy weight will help tremendously to stimulate growth in the calves, which can be a notoriously stubborn muscle group. Ive started using the FST -7 system for a couple of months now, and Im loving it. In one of your videos on MuscularDevelopment.com, you mentioned something about Mark Alvisi and his prep how he tends to harden up in the bottom half of his body first, and then his upper body starts sharpening up a bit later. You also noted how you have to be careful with his diet and carb intake, or his legs could lose size and look stringy. I have the opposite problem. My upper body gets really lean very fast, and I can appear to have 5 percent body fat when looking at me from the waist up. But my legs and glutes still look soft. I have very
I just learned that two of my clients, Fouad Abiad and Ben Pakulski, have signed on to become the newest members of Team MD. Im very happy for both of them and I know they are going to be excellent additions to the magazine and the website. Fouad and Ben are up-and-coming stars with limitless potential, and its going to be exciting to see what they are both capable of in the next few years. Ive spoken to both of them and they are very enthusiastic about being part of MD. Im looking forward to working with Fouad and Ben, and improving the impressive packages they both brought to the fall pro shows they competed in. One thing is certain about these two: their best is yet to come. And thanks to Steve Blechman and MD, youll be along for the ride as these two young guns get bigger and better! well-developed quads, and they get lean eventually, but I still tend to carry a lot of body fat in my glutes and hamstrings. What do you recommend when prepping for a show, as far as dieting and training goes, so I dont start losing size in the upper body as I diet my ass off to get the lower half ready? The real key here is to never let yourself get too heavy in the off-season. If you can stay within 10-15 pounds of your competitive weight, you wont have to work so hard to get lean. Any time you have an excessive amount of fat to lose, you run a serious risk of losing lean muscle tissue along with that fat. By keeping your body fat lower in the first place, you will be able to dial in your legs while at the same time maintain the size and fullness of your upper body. You should also look into a yohimbine-based fat burner. Im a big believer in using yohimbine to get rid of stubborn body fat in the lower body. Usually its women who have problems with shedding fat there, but there are also plenty of men out there with similar issues. How many exercises should be done when training in FST-7 style for beginners, intermediates, and advanced trainers? And do they all use 7s for all body parts, or is that something that you do more of as you become more experienced? Beginners should do just two base exercises, which would be compound movements, plus one isolation exercise done in FST-7 style. Using chest as an example, you might do incline dumbbell presses and flat dumbwww.musculardevelopment.com December 2009
378 MD
ThePROCreator
bell presses for your two base exercises, and incline dumbbell flyes for your 7s. A beginner should only use 7s for one body part a week, typically the area that needs the most improvement. Intermediate trainers will do three base movements plus one isolation exercise for 7s. They should do the 7s for no more than two given body parts per week. Advanced trainers will also do three exercises in standard style, plus one movement for 7s, but they can now do 7s for all body parts. Also, advanced trainers might do a compound movement rather than an isolation exercise for their 7s. What is the best fish to eat for bulking, and the best fish for cutting? Due to its high caloric content as well as the amount of good fats youll find in it, I recommend salmon as the top choice for off-season bodybuilders. If youre trying to lean out, tilapia is the best choice. Its a smaller fish with far less calories and a lower fat content, and its smaller size also lends itself to smaller serving sizes important when you are attempting to stay in a caloric deficit. Tilapia is also less likely to have the dangerous levels of metal toxicity that you often see with tuna. Of course, too much of any one fish over time can be a bad thing, so its not advised that you eat either salmon or tilapia for all your meals every day. Another piece of advice I can offer is to buy your fish fresh whenever possible. Fresh fish tends to be less fishy smelling and tastes better too. If fish ever smells overly fishy, chances are its not very fresh and you shouldnt buy it. Ive heard you talk before about protein shakes versus amino acids, and that you prefer your clients to take aminos. Why is that? Amino acids get into your system much faster than protein shakes do. Most people tend to use shakes as meal replacements instead of eating solid food. As I have pointed out before, the human body simply processes real food better than protein powders. Time after time, I have noted that the more shakes a bodybuilder drinks as opposed to consuming more whole-food meals, the flatter and softer his muscles appear to be. Every time I have an athlete stop drinking shakes and eat all whole food, its never long before he takes on a fuller and harder appearance. The best thing about amino acids is that you can take them 30 minutes before a meal to help keep your body in an anabolic state, and then eat the meal itself. All the athletes Ive worked with who do this have been very impressed with the results. I know you advocate the use of GlycoCarn. Im curious what dosage is ideal, and when you should take it? This is one product that I have witnessed some very significant results with. Bodybuilders experience lower lactic acid levels, increased recovery, and pumps that literally last all day as opposed to the hour or two (at most) you will see, even with the best arginine-based nitric oxide products. Were also experimenting with another application of GlycoCarn that nobody has thought of previously, and I will update you on that next month. The doses Ive seen as most effective have ranged from a gram and a half to 5 grams, depending on the bodyweight of the individual. A 120-pound figure competitor will obviously not need to use as much as a 250-pound bodybuilder. Typically, athletes will take half the dose before workouts, and the remainder during the workout. For more information on GlycoCarn, visit their website at www.GlycoCarn.com
My First Supplement
Its commonly known among my clients that I have been designing my own supplement formulas for some time now. Until recently, any talk of making these products available to the public was just that, as I had been too busy with other projects and job responsibilities for several years to devote the needed time. But recently, I teamed up with a company Im involved with named Evogen to develop the first of several formulas for athletes. This flagship product is called EvoP1-Alpha, and its designed to be used both pre and post-workout. Its one I tested successfully on a wide range of athletes, ranging from local to professional bodybuilders as well as figure, fitness, and bikini competitors. Ingredients include ultra-soluble BCAAs, several forms of L-glutamine, creatine pyruvate, and a profile of B vitamins as an anti-stress pack. The formula comes pre-dosed with the exact amounts of each nutrient designed to elicit a truly sick pump while training, and then get you started on the recovery process immediately after the workout. I was adamant about acquiring only the highest-quality ingredients so the absorption rates are sky-high. Best of all, EvoP1-Alpha is stimulant-free. The problem with most nitric oxide products is that theyre loaded with caffeine. So you may feel a heck of an energy kick working out, but the vasoconstricting properties of the caffeine cancel out the vasodilating effects of the other ingredients. Sadly, the end result is that you hardly see any difference in your pump. Thats definitely not the case with my product! Another huge advantage to EvoP1-Alpha is that it contains zero carbs. Other products of this type often contain sugar, so using them while dieting would be counterproductive. EvoP1-Alpha is versatile and suitable for use, whether youre in off-season building mode or trying to shred up for a contest. You can visit www.EvoGenNutrition.com for more information.
Visit www.hanyrambod.com or www.fst-7 .com for previous articles, news, an interactive forum, video clips, and member profiles and blogs. Youll also find updates on my current clients and who is preparing for upcoming contests. Free registration gives you full access to all of it. And now, due to popular demand, FST-7 shirts are finally available! Got a question for Hany Rambod? You can ask him directly on the MD website and have Hany personally answer your question! Go to www.musculardevelopment.com, MD Forums, MD Staff and Pros, Q and A for Hany Rambod.
380 MD
By Lee Priest
406 MD
www.musculardevelopment.com
December 2009
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