Australian Ironman Magazine - June 2014 s192x

BUILD

A

ROCK-SOLID

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

PHYSIQUE

AND

LIFE

SHREDDING

SECRETS A time-tested ripping regimen

• Full coverage of shows • Aussies at the Arnold

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JUNE 2014

+ IFBB Bikini Pro Anna Starodubtseva + Mini-routines for maximum gains + The best between-sets rest for mass

VOLUME 21No. 5

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CONTENTS JUNE 2014 Volume 21 No. 5 48

Blow Up Your Back

54

One at a Time

66

Arnold Classic 2014

84

Shredding Secrets

90

Meals for Muscle

96

Anna Starodubtseva

FEATURES

48

Roger Lockridge lays out a Power/ Rest Pause Drop program to get your rear view smoking.

Former Mr. Australia Darren Vartikian’s controversial training philosophy — bilateral only.

All the action from the pro shows, Aussies at the Amateur and we speak one-on-one with Arnold himself.

Tony DiCosta has a time-tested ripping regimen to get you freaky shredded. He did it and he’s in his 60s. It works.

Our overview of the fitness industry’s prepared meals phenomenon.

We chat to the Russian IFBB Bikini Pro about her life, her training and her recent trip to Australia.

84

102 Fat Chance

Dayne Hudson lays down the law about saturated fats and the butter vs. margarine biffo.

106 Mini-Routines for Maximum Gains

Greg Zulak outlines how to use quick bonus blasts for muscles lacking mass.

132

Guns to Cannons

Ellington Darden, Ph.D., tells how to add an inch to your arms in a few weeks with a new slow-mo negative technique — complete workouts included.

6 / Australian Iron Man

66 96

132

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Read extra content from Stuart McRobert about changing the shape of your pecs.

p. 28

Watch a video demonstration of Nick Nilsson’s hanging body weight pullovers.

p. 66

Watch video of Dennis Wolf’s Arnold Classic routine.

p. 68

Watch video of Shawn Rhoden’s Arnold Classic routine.

p. 69

Watch video of the Arnold Classic Men’s Pro posedown. For more Arnold Classic 2014 material, see our website www.ironmanmag.com.au

p. 134 See Edwin ‘Truck’ Brown’s before and after photos. p. 145 See a photo gallery of Wet ’n’ Wild model and IFBB pro Amy Wright.

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CONTENTS

REGULARS

JUNE 2014 Volume 21 No. 5 12

News and Views

22

Train to Gain

30

Eat to Grow

Your first stop on the bodybuilding news train.

Bodybuilding is not a race.

The anabolic potential of chromium.

36

Train, Eat, Grow

42

Gym Gospel

60

A Bodybuilder is Born: Generations

Change-to-gain concepts and mass-packing power.

82

Smart Training

110

Naturally Huge

112

Anabolic Research

116

Twig to Big

Scott Goble’s looking forward, looking back.

Coach Charles Poliquin discusses the best between-sets reps.

22

John Hansen outlines body part splits.

Jerry Brainum explores plant-based supplement side effetcts.

Part 2 of Vince Del Monte’s guide to building a rock-solid physique — and a life.

126

118 At the Movies Muscle movie news and reviews.

Limits are in your mind.

126 Body Conquest

Ingrid Barclay on flexibility, HIIT cardio and the pump-up.

Australian Iron Man PUBLISHER Silvio Morelli MANAGING EDITOR Ben Stone NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Keith Rozario EDITOR Daniel Hedger [email protected] EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Molly Morelli ART DIRECTOR Javie D’Souza GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Adam Summers James Steer Zeenia Lakhani Adibowo Rusli Lysha Moniz Diep Nguyen Jonathan Rudolph EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Vance Ang, Ingrid Barclay, Clint Morris, Dayne Hudson, Scott Goble, Darren Vartikian, Fiona Flanders

PHOTOGRAPHERS Charlie Suriano, Darren Burns, Rob Czempinski, Jason Ellis COVER PHOTO David Morin by James Ellis ADVERTISING Rebecca Hards Ph: (03) 9574 8999 [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: Australia

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Iron Man USA The Australian edition of Iron Man Magazine is Copyrighted © 2013 and published by Blitz Publications & Multi-media Group Pty. Ltd. under license from Bushi Pty. Ltd. DISCLAIMER Opinions and viewpoints expressed in Australian Iron Man do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publishers. Responsible individuals or organisations with something valid and relevant to say will, whenever possible, be given the opportunity. Reproduction of any material without written permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited. The acceptance of advertising does not necessarily imply endorsement of services or products. All articles, photographs and other materials submitted for publication in Australian Iron Man must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Contributions are submitted at the sender’s risk and while all possible care will be exercised we cannot accept responsibility for loss. For location of our , please see www.blitzpublications.com. au/privacy-policy

FOUNDER 1936-1986 Peary & Mabel Rader PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR John Balik ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Warren Wanderer DESIGN DIRECTOR Michael Neveux EDITOR IN CHIEF Stephen Holman ART DIRECTOR Fernando Carmona SENIOR EDITOR Ruth Silverman EDITOR AT LARGE Lonnie Teper ARTICLES EDITOR Laurie Perry

“IRON MAN Magazine from the United States is one of the major sources of the articles and photographs in this issue. The copyright in all such material is the property of IRON MAN Magazine. The IRON MAN mark is owned by World Endurance Holdings, Inc., and is used under license from its exclusive licensee IRON MAN Magazine.”

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If you want to grow like a pro, you know you need protein and lots of it. That is exactly what you get in each scoop of Ultra Whey Pro—22 grams of pure protein power in its most convenient, delicious, easily mixable form. Grow like a pro with Ultra Whey Pro. Only from Universal. web: www.UniversalUSA.com | email: [email protected]

PUBLISHER’S LETTER RECOVER YOUR BEST

Justin Firgaira Natural Mr Univers, Mr Olympia, Mr Australia

Photography: AMPT Imaging

BY SILVIO MORELLI

TR3 (Total Recovery Phase 3) GEN-TEC NUTRITION’S “TR3” (Total Recovery Phase 3) is an advanced Post Workout Recovery Formula designed for bodybuilders, fitness competitors and strength training athlete’s with a goal of improved recovery, increased strength and lean muscle mass. TR3 contains the worlds fastest digesting proteins and advanced sustained release carbohydrate blend along with a specific blend of micronutrients to maximize your Recovery and create the Ultimate Anabolic Drive after training. Product Information 08 8362 5965 Visit gen-tec.com.au facebook.com/GenTecNutrition

On track

W

ell, we’re almost halfway through the year. It went quickly, didn’t it? It seems like only yesterday we were enjoying the heat — or complaining about it, as the case may be. So as the weather gets colder, it’s possible that your motivation will start to wane. That’s why it’s beneficial to the importance of maintenance. Bodybuilding and fitness is a lifestyle. It’s about being proactive in your training, in the kitchen and staying on track throughout. Having a set routine in place is the best strategy to prevent backsliding. As the great Lee Labrada has said, “The biggest problem people have in trying to build their bodies is lack of a clear, concise plan.” To help you along in formulating a plan and sticking to it, this month’s edition is stacked with all the best information you’ve come to expect from Iron Man. Our body part workouts this issue include ‘Guns to Cannons’ where Ellington Darden shows you how to add an inch to your arms and Roger Lockridge’s strategy to ‘Blow Up Your Back’, while Tony DiCosta shares his ‘Shredding Secrets’. Plus, former IFBB Mr. Australia Darren Vartikian explains his controversial views on the benefits of a unilateral training system in ‘One at a Time’. If you’re in need of a bit of extra motivation, there’s no better way than to check out Iron Man’s massive coverage of this year’s Arnold Sports Festival. Not only have we got great photography and analysis of the male and female pro shows, we have a special article on the Australians whose hard work garnered them a spot in the

Arnold Amateur Show. It’s so inspiring to see our Aussie athletes competing on the world stage in a prestigious competition like the Arnold. This year I was lucky enough to attend the expo in Columbus, Ohio and saw firsthand how much charisma and expertise Arnold Schwarzenegger brings to proceedings. In fact, I was fortunate enough to get an exclusive one-on-one interview with the Austrian Oak himself, which you can read on page 80. I can tell you this much: we are in for a huge treat next year when the Arnold Classic Australia brings its enormity to Melbourne — with Iron Man and Blitz Publications as its official media partner, no less. So expect big things over the coming year from our magazine, both print and digital, and the Arnold Australia. Elsewhere in this issue, we speak to Russian Bikini Pro Anna Starodubtseva, Dayne Hudson from TV’s Fit’n’Flexed talks saturated fats and IFBB superheavyweight Scott Goble looks back at the trends that have shaped bodybuilding while gazing into the future. We also take a look at the recent explosion of companies supplying prepared meals to trainees and provide an overview of what’s available out there in ‘Meals for Muscle’. , it’s a lifestyle that we’re aiming for. Train smart, eat right and stick to your plan. If you can do that, we’ve got you covered for the rest.

www.ironmanmag.com.au

RECOVER YOUR BEST POST WORKOUT FORMULA

TR3 (Total Recovery Phase 3) GEN-TEC NUTRITION’S “TR3” (Total Recovery Phase 3) is an advanced Post Workout Recovery Formula designed for bodybuilders, fitness competitors and strength training athlete’s with a goal of improved recovery, increased strength and lean muscle mass. TR3 contains the worlds fastest digesting proteins and advanced sustained release carbohydrate blend along with Chromium Pic to create the Ultimate Anabolic Drive post exercise. TR3 is fortified with the following ingredients to TOTAL RECOVERY; BCAA’s, Glutamine 320, Creatine 320, Bromelain, Vitamin C and E, Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B6, Magnesium and L-Tryptophan, Arginine AKG and L-Lysine Consuming TR3 immediately after exercise supplies the body with all of the essential nutrients at this crucial time to maximize your Recovery and create the Ultimate Anabolic Drive. Size: 1.6kg / 20 serves

Product Information 08 8362 5965 Visit gen-tec.com.au facebook.com/GenTecNutrition

Justin Firgaira Natural Mr Univers, Mr Olympia, Mr Australia

Photography: AMPT Imaging

Flavours: Watermelon, Banana, Mixed Berry

NEWS & VIEWS

DIABETICS

Diabetic Bodybuilding, a new Facebook group, has been set up by Australian competitors Chad Arenson and Adam Waite. Both type1 diabetics, Adam and Chad decided to create an outlet for fellow bodybuilders sharing their condition. “I know when I first started I had no one to look to or turn to in regards to my insulin and controlling sugars with such a strict workout and diet resume,” Adam says. “Our goal is to inspire other diabetics around the world to know that having this disease is not a negative — it can provide rewards if management is applied and that’s what we set out to do.” You can check out the page at facebook.com/diabeticbodybuilding.

Daniel Repeti

Sorry, Christine

Rob Czempinski

Adam Waite.

A new study has examined bodybuilding and powerlifting in of their benefits on muscle size and strength. The study, by Brad Schoenfeld and colleagues, concluded that “both bodybuilding- and powerlifting-type training promote similar increases in muscular size, but powerlifting-type training is superior for enhancing maximal strength”. Importantly, this study was carried out on well-trained subjects, not unfit people, and made a point to make sure that the training was ‘volume-equated’. That is, the volume was held constant between the bodybuilding and powerlifting groups. Dr. Layne Norton welcomed the results of this study on his Facebook page, saying, “For a long time I have thought that volume was the major driving factor as why higher reps seemed to produce more hypertrophy in bodybuilding vs. powerlifting routines. Now we have evidence to this idea. Brad Schoenfeld demonstrates that powerlifting and bodybuilding training produce similar hypertrophy when volume is held constant but powerlifting produced better strength gains.” The study can be found in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

In the previous issue of Iron Man, you might have noticed a little…well, make that a big eff-up in our FitX coverage. The sole Women’s Fitness competitor in the IFBB Amateur Grand Prix was erroneously listed and captioned as Belinda Day. Now, as far as anyone can tell, this person does not exist —or at least, she never competed at FitX. In fact, it was the amazing Christine Ray (pictured) who won that class and we can only blame the error on poor hearing, too much pre-workout or sheer stupidity. (To see more of Christine, check out our Arnold Classic coverage starting page 66.) Whatever happened, it’s clear we owe Christine an apology. Please forgive us, Christine Ray. It’s a name we can now never forget.

PNBA Down Under INBA Australian president Tony Lanciano announced in May that in 2015 the PNBA — Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association — will launch in Australia. There will be three PNBA Pro Elite Qualifier Shows, each at the Australian Fitness & Health Expos held in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. “At each show I will award to the top three from each division return flights 12 / Australian Iron Man

and accommodation to compete as a pro and represent Australia at the World Titles, Dubai, Natural Universe USA or Natural Olympia USA,” Tony said on Facebook, confirming his new title of ‘PNBA Australian Promoter’. In order to qualify, a competitor must win an Open or Overall division. There are exciting times ahead for the INBA/PNBA! www.ironmanmag.com.au

Darren Burns

LIFT FOR SIZE AND STRENGTH

New resource for

N A BA O U C W ST K R IN A LI A

NEWS & VIEWS

Keep up-to-date with the latest bodybuilding news and events at

ironmanmag.com.au/news

A number of studies have observed that the incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease correlates with latitude and rises in winter, but a biological cause has remained unclear. Martin Feelisch, from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, and colleagues completed a study that suggests that sunlight alters levels of the small messenger molecules nitric oxide in the skin and blood, reducing blood pressure. The researchers exposed the skin of 24 healthy individuals to ultraviolet light from tanning lamps for two sessions of 20 minutes each. In one session the volunteers were exposed to both the UVA rays and the heat of the lamps. In another the UV rays were blocked so that only the heat of the lamps affected the skin. The results suggest that UVA exposure dilates blood vessels, significantly lowers blood pressure and alters nitric oxide metabolite levels in the circulation, without changing vitamin D levels. Further experiments indicate that performed stores of NO in the upper skin layers help mediate those effects. Say the authors, “Our data provide mechanistic insights into an important function of the skin in modulating systemic [nitric oxide] bioavailability, which may for the latitudinal and seasonal variations of [blood pressure] and cardiovascular disease.” The study has been published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Getty

INGREDIENT REMOVED FROM SPORTS DRINK US soft drink company Coca-Cola announced in early May that it would be removing a controversial ingredient from some of its products. Coca-Cola says it will be removing brominated vegetable oil from its Powerade sports drink, a common ingredient in US soft drinks that is nonetheless banned in many countries. Last year, PepsiCo’s Gatorade sports drink was the target of a petition on Change.org by a US teenager. PepsiCo responded by phasing out BVO from its drinks. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in the US had been using BVO, which was developed as a flame retardant, in some of their products, including the soft drinks Mountain Dew and Fanta. Brominated vegetable oil is also not approved for use in Japan, India or the European Union. Thankfully, Coca-Cola Australia does not use this ingredient in the Australian Powerade. 14 / Australian Iron Man

BIG IN

BRAZIL

The Arnold Classic Brasil is done and dusted for the year, with Texan Steve Kuclo taking out the top prize. Juan Morel, Jonathan Delarosa, Lionel Beyeke, Toney Freeman and Marius Dohne rounded out the top six, with many expressing shock at Beyeke’s placing. To many, he was the standout on stage. Adopted Aussie Michael Kefalianos placed eighth, just behind Dutch sensation William Bonac. In the Fitness, Bethany Cisternino took first, with Regiane DaSilva, Danielle Ruban, Whitney Jones, Ryall Graber-Vasani and Marta Aguiar making up the top six. The Arnold Brasil was also notable for Melbourne’s own Tony Doherty taking on the role of MC for the event, a huge honour. Hope he brushed up on his Portuguese! www.ironmanmag.com.au

Jason Mathas

The big benefits of a little sun

Steve Kuclo.

NEWS & VIEWS

Stay home on Mondays! According to new research by the National Heart Foundation of Australia, more people are diagnosed with serious heart conditions on Mondays than any other day of the week. That includes heart attacks. Rachelle Foreman, Health Director of the foundation, said the data suggests people ignore warning signs and delay treatment until after the weekend. “Early diagnosis and treatment of any heart problem, especially a heart attack, is vital for your chances of survival,” she said. “No matter what day of the week, understanding and recognising the warning signs is the key to getting help fast.” People who treat their symptoms within an hour have the greatest chance of survival. So , if you think you’ve having a heart attack, don’t be silly: call 000 immediately.

Worlds collide

When Australian Iron Man publisher Silvio Morelli was at the Arnold Sports Festival in March this year, he ran into some familiar faces at the expo. Here he is with US-based Iron Man writer Roger Lockridge. You can check out Roger’s great article ‘Blow Up Your Back’ on page 48 of this issue.

Getty

REAL MONDAY-ITIS

Stacked

STAGE

The 2014 NPC/IFBB Pittsburgh Pro held in early May was notable for the quality of its guest posers. Promoter of the show and NPC President Jim Manion managed to get this stacked line-up of guest posers on stage at the same time: Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Branch Warren, Dexter Jackson, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay and Victor Martinez. Fitness champ Adela Garcia represented the ladies’ ranks, while Jay Cutler and Shawn Rhoden were also scheduled to appear. Kai Greene posted a photo of himself next to Big Ramy on social media, saying, “We are from two different worlds. Two different cultures with different beliefs and ideas. We love bodybuilding, and in that two different people aren’t so different after all. I encourage everyone to keep an open mind. Each and every one one of us on this world are different. Embrace the difference; being different makes all the difference.” From all reports, Greene looked like he was almost ready to step on a competitive stage, while his fellow bodybuilders were definitely still in their off-season. But all will be revealed come September at the Olympia.

COFFEE REDUCES RISK

Increasing your coffee intake may decrease your risk of diabetes. That’s according to new research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes), which found that increasing coffee consumption by around oneand-a-half cups a day (around 360ml) over a fouryear period reduces the risk of type-2 diabetes by 11 per cent. However, changes in tea consumption were 16 / Australian Iron Man

not found to be associated with type-2 diabetes risk. “Changes in coffee consumption habits appear to affect diabetes risk in a relatively short amount of time,” the authors said. “Our findings confirm those of prospective studies that higher coffee consumption is associated with a lower type-2 diabetes risk and provide novel evidence that changes in coffee consumption habits are related to diabetes risk.” www.ironmanmag.com.au

NEWS & VIEWS

THE VANCE ANG’LE WITH VANCE ANG

Jake takes some time

The other half of the Doherty Dynamic, Amanda Doherty will be promoting her own show, set to occur July 5 this year. Aptly titled Amanda Doherty’s IFBB All Female Classic, the show caters for Bikini, Figure, Fitness and Physique competitors. This successful business woman, mother and IFBB Figure Pro has become a role model for working mothers across the country inspired by her perseverance, hard work and genial demeanour. The event is set to take place at the Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin, in Melbourne.

Silvio Morelli

AMANDA’S classic show

A bit of a shock from NABBA pro Jake Nikolopoulos, who had been training for October's NABBA Mr. Universe in the UK this year. Jake took to Facebook recently to announce that he will no longer be competing at the Universe. “For me to make the impact needed I must take some time to put on size and bring up weak areas on my physique,” the BSN-sponsored athlete said. “The time off will be essential for me to bring a much improved package to the stage. Like everyone, I need to make decisions best for my career and me.” We wish Jake the best of luck and hope to see him back on stage sooner, not later.

Jake Nikolopoulos in 2012.

Warner Brother Home Entertainment Australia

DID YOU KNOW?

18 / Australian Iron Man

The menacing and faceless villain of Mad Max 2 was played by a Swedish powerlifter named Kjell Nilsson. Aptly called ‘The Humungus’ in George Miller’s iconic post-apocalyptic movie, Nilsson was certainly a memorable villain with an impressively intimidating bodybuilder’s physique.

To Vance about any material for the Ang’le, email Vance at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can write to: The VanceAng’le P.O. Box 4075, Mulgrave, Vic. 3170.

VANCE ANG

If you want to write to Australian Iron Man for any reason at all, email us at [email protected]

www.ironmanmag.com.au

Alan Ryan

You might not equate Korea with bodybuilding, but the recent NABBA/WFF Korea Championships in Daegu, Korea would suggest otherwise — with a whopping 5000 people flooding the auditorium! A successful initiative by NABBA/WFF World President Graeme Lancefield has certainly yielded phenomenal results, with Korean WFF competitor the strength of his federation Kim Ji-Hyun. growing beyond the confines of Europe, where the federation has always remained highly popular. Undoubtedly this eastern expansion is certainly an ideal strategy for proliferating both this federation and the sport as a whole.

Getty

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BEFORE

BEFORE

CURRENT BODYBLITZ

GRAND CHAMPIONS • Wendy Jenner • Eddie Leeson

TRAIN TO SIZE MATTERS, SO...

IN THE TRENCHES

Bodybuilding is not a race

A

lot of young guys I talk with these days want to get huge. I can relate to that. So did I at their age. The difference is, they want to be huge yesterday. When I try to explain that building a truly exceptional physique is going to take anywhere from five to 10 years in most cases, they either laugh or become outraged. They aren’t willing to wait more than a year to go from looking very average to looking like a pro bodybuilder. Thanks to some misinformation they are being spoonfed by dolts, they honestly believe it can be done — as long as they take enough test, tren, EQ, GH, insulin and a few other magical potions. Many of them don’t even want to start training until they can be on a ‘pro bodybuilder’ stack of drugs. Why is it that the guys of my era, whether we knew about drugs, weren’t in such a hurry to get big? My theory is that we lived in a much ‘slower’ time in general. Before the internet there was no email. We had to write letters, put stamps on them, drop them in a mailbox and wait a week or weeks to get a reply. Reaching people on the phone wasn’t always easy. There were no cell phones, so you had to call people at home or their workplace, leaving messages and hoping for a call back. Photos were taken with cameras that used film, and you had to take the film somewhere to get it developed. Now it’s 2014. You can reach anyone at anytime via phone, e-mail, text message, instant message, Facetime or Skype. ‘Phones’ these days are really personal computers. You can people in any number of ways, take photos and videos and send them in a second and go online to look up anything. It’s all about faster, faster, faster! So I don’t blame the younger generation for expecting to get the physiques they want right away.

22 / Australian Iron Man

What bothers me is that so few seem to talk about training or nutrition, as they feel those factors are almost insignificant compared to drugs. They believe that we of the older generations and especially those of us in the bodybuilding industry have been keeping a ‘secret’ from them — that drugs are all that matter. Don’t get me wrong. Drugs are absolutely part of the equation for the freakiest physiques — but they are just a part. Training and nutrition are more important and always will be. There I go again, trying to keep the young guys from getting huge, right? Nope. Not at all. Often when I read comments on Facebook from young guys who spout the mantra that drugs are all that matter and proudly boast about their big cycles, I click on their profiles to see what they look like. Most of them don’t look as good as kids their age who compete in natural contests, and a lot of them look like typical 18-to-23-year-olds with a bit of muscle. None look remotely like pro bodybuilders, even though they are using the same drugs in the same amounts. Why? Because you can’t rush a great physique. Can a guy pack on a lot of size in a year or two of massive drug abuse? Sure, I suppose so. But most of them don’t look very good, and they certainly don’t look very healthy. I started training more than 30 years ago, in the early ’80s, never having heard the word steroid. My goal was to be much, much bigger, and I never thought for a minute it would happen fast. I knew it was going to take years. I didn’t even break 200 lbs (91 kg) until I had been training for six or seven years. Did I feel cheated that the process took so long and my gains were so slow? Not at all! I loved training, as I still do, and I saw it all as a challenge. It became my lifestyle, and it made

me a stronger person in many ways that had nothing to do with the gym or muscles. Once that ion was in my soul, I knew it would never leave. And it hasn’t. Whether I ever compete again, I will always train. So I suspect that many of these kids today won’t last. By taking the amounts of drugs that many of them do from the start, a lot of them will develop health problems. At the very least they won’t be able to afford spending thousands of dollars a year on gear for very long. Some will quit once they don’t see what they want in the mirror, and most won’t see what they want because they lack the rare genetics that elite bodybuilders are born with. Those are the lucky ones. Still others will just keep raising their doses, believing that it’s the only solution to reaching their goals. If three grams a week isn’t doing the trick, bump it to five. Then seven, 10 and so on. I hope that isn’t an accurate prediction, but I fear it is. If I could sit down one-on-one with each of them, I would do my best to make them understand that bodybuilding is not a sprint. It’s a lifelong pursuit in which you can and should continue to improve for many years. There should not be such a frenzied rush to fulfill your ultimate potential as fast as possible. If you were building a house, would you expect to go from a vacant lot to a finished home in four or five days? Probably not. That house would almost certainly have issues down the line due to the rushed construction. So it would be with trying to make 10 years’ worth of progress on your physique in one year. Eventually, you’ll have problems. I urge those of you who are young or who are close to young people starting on their bodybuilding journeys to understand that Rome wasn’t built in a day — and neither is a great physique. — Ron Harris www.ironmanmag.com.au

Neveux \ Model: Toney Freeman

GAIN

It takes most trainees years to look even remotely like a pro bodybuilder. Be patient, or you may suffer the consequences. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Australian Iron Man \ 23

TRAIN TO GAIN GROW WITHOUT PLATEAU

MASS MOVES

Hamstring helpers

Triceps:

Q: I’m having some problems getting my hamstrings to respond. My quads are growing steadily, so now my legs are not balanced. I can promise you that my form is clean and I train to failure. I generally do three sets each of lying leg curls, seated leg curls and stiff-legged deadlifts right after I finish quads. How I can get my hams going here? A: Do not feel bad. Every one of us, with the possible exception of Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, has one or more body parts that lag behind despite our greatest efforts. Your program is very reasonable, and if you are truly training to failure in good form, it’s likely that your hamstrings are stubborn and need some special attention. It’s like a student who needs extra tutoring to make good grades — you have to attack your hams in ways that highly responsive body parts may never need. Luckily for you, I have plenty of experience in this area and will be happy to provide you with some key steps you can take that should get your hams on the path to hypertrophy. 1. Train your hamstrings before you work quads. Squats, leg presses and lunges are very demanding movements, and by the time you get to hams, 24 / Australian Iron Man

2.

3.

4.

5.

you cannot help but be somewhat exhausted. Flip the script on that, and watch how much more intensity you can drive into your hamstring work. Focus on the eccentric contractions. I have found that the hamstrings are particularly responsive to negatives that last for four to six seconds and are followed by rapid concentric contractions. Use a tempo of 6/0/X on all leg curl movements and a 4/1/X tempo on stiff-legged deadlifts. Train the hams unilaterally. Trust me when I tell you that you will feel every inch of any leg-curling exercise far more when you do it one leg at a time. Think of single-leg leg curls just as you would one-arm concentration or preacher curls. Change the order of exercises so that at some workouts you start with a stretch movement — like stifflegged deadlifts, hyperextensions or straight-leg good mornings — and at others you finish with one. Try training your hamstrings twice weekly for about a month, and see if they need a bit more stimulation than other muscle groups to manifest growth. Good luck! — Eric Broser

I recently received a note from a trainee who was having elbow pain training triceps. Heavy skull crushers, or lying extensions, used to be his favorite exercise — but not since the pain started. He was losing his arm size. He asked if I had any suggestions. Of course! Even without elbow pain, I have discovered a ‘quick-and-dirty’ triceps combo that produces excellent growth in the upper arms, and the first move uses no elbow flexion. How is that possible? One of the key functions of the long head of the triceps is moving the upper arm from overhead down, as in a pullover. So the combo to grow for new triceps gains without elbow pain is dumbbell pullovers supersetted with skull crushers using the same dumbbells. Lie on a bench just as you would for skull crushers, with a dumbbell in each hand that will allow you to get about 12 pullovers. At failure, do lying extensions, lowering the dumbbells to the sides of your head. Your long heads will be prefatigued from the pullovers, so the extensions will not overstress your elbow ts. — Steve Holman

Neveux \ Model: Phil Heath

Neveux \ Model: Mark Perry

Unconventional combo to grow

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TRAIN TO GAIN HARDGAINER

Q: What’s the best way to perform the dumbbell bench press? A: Have an assistant hand you the dumbbells one at a time while you’re in position on a bench, especially if you’re using very heavy dumbbells. With two assistants you could receive both dumbbells at the same time. The alternative is to get the dumbbells into position by yourself. Sit on the end of a bench with the ’bells held vertically on your thighs. Centre your hands on the handles. Keep your elbows bent, your chin on your chest, your back rounded, and, with a thrust on the ’bells from your thighs, roll back on the bench, and position your feet as you would for a barbell bench press. With your forearms vertical and your hands lined up with your lower pecs, inhale fully to fill your chest, pull your shoulders back, and immediately begin bench-pressing. With dumbbells you don’t have to position your hands as if holding a barbell. Use a parallel grip or one somewhere between that and the barbell-style pronated grip. You can change your wrist position during the course of each rep if that feels most natural for you. If the backs of your hands, wrists and forearms are in a straight line during the dumbbell bench press — or any pressing movement — the dumbbells could fall out of your hands. Your hands must extend rearward sufficiently so that you can grip the dumbbells securely, but don’t let them extend your hands to the maximum, because that could mar your lifting technique and injure your wrists. (Grip the dumbbells firmly; the slacker the grip, the less action from the flexors on the palm side of the forearm, which translates to less muscular counteraction to the rearward bending.) Use a medium-wide grip, and press in a similar pathway to the barbell version — vertically or with a slight diagonal line toward your head. Keep 26 / Australian Iron Man

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Neveux \ Model: Jorge Betancourt

Q&A: Best dumbbell pressing technique

the ’bells moving in tandem, as if they were linked. Don’t let them drift outward from your torso or let one get ahead of the other. Don’t use an exaggerated range of motion. Descend to a point no deeper than you would with a barbell. Pause at the bottom for a second (while staying tight), and then press up smoothly, under control. Pause for a second at the top, or until the dumbbells are stationary, and smoothly perform the next rep. Your control may be poor at first, but with practice you’ll develop control over the dumbbells. Fixed-weight dumbbells usually increase in increments of five pounds or 2.5 kilos. So going up usually means a total increase of 10 pounds (4.5—5 kg), which is large. Stick with a pair of dumbbells until you can comfortably do several reps more than your target count before going up in weight. If you use adjustable dumbbells, you can use smaller increments than five pounds provided you have small disks. Even if you use fixed-weight dumbbells, you can attach two small disks to each dumbbell. Use strong adhesive tape and ensure that the disks are securely attached. Over time, build up to the weight of the next pair of fixedweight dumbbells. For proper balance

attach the small disks in pairs to each dumbbell, one at each end. A better choice: Small magnetic plates. A spotter should crouch behind your head, ready to provide assistance. If that becomes necessary, he or she should apply force with one hand under each elbow — but it’s strictly for assisting you to get a tough rep up in correct technique. A single person can’t simultaneously take a pair of ’bells from someone who fails on a rep. If that happens, you’ll need two spotters. Don’t push this exercise to failure. Even when you’re training hard, stop one rep short of failure so you don’t risk losing control. That could cost you an injury. Even an alert spotter may not be able to prevent loss of control of both dumbbells. A spotter or, better still, two spotters can take the dumbbells off you at the end of a set. Alternatively, get off the bench while holding the dumbbells: Lower the ’bells to your lower torso; keep your forearms, arms, shoulders and chest tight; and lift your bent knees as high as you can. With the ’bells touching your thighs and your chin on your chest, immediately throw your feet forward and roll into a seated position. It’s especially easy to do if a spotter places his or her hands under your shoulders and helps you to roll up. — Stuart McRobert www.ironmanmag.com.au

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Q: I’ve been training for about 20 years (I’m 44), and I’m getting my 14-year-old son into it. He’s been working out about four months, breaking in, but I still do not want him to go heavy. I have him using your 4X method, which is great at his stage. I was thinking about the Progressive-Speed 4X version as well, specifically the speed set to help build the power fibres. Is that a good idea at his age? A: First, what you have him doing now is perfect. Moderate-weight growth-threshold 4X is fantastic for young teens getting into lifting. Heavy weights may damage young ts early on, so it’s a good idea to get neophytes gradually acclimated. For the uninitiated, standard 4X is taking your 15-rep maximum but only doing 10 on four quick sets, taking 35 seconds between them and going to failure on the last one. If you get 10 on set 4, you add weight to that exercise at your next workout. The weight is moderate and all sets should be strict — lift in one second, lower in three. And therein lies the problem with ProgressiveSpeed 4X for young trainees. For Progressive Speed you take your 15RM again but do set 1 as an X-centric set — lift in one second and lower in six; sets 2 and 3 you do standard style — lift in one second, lower in three; and set 4 is X-celeration, or speed, style — each rep lasts about 1.5 seconds. The last set is fast reps, but each should still be done under control — no throwing. The problem is that most teenage boys are very ego driven; they want to lift as heavy as possible to show they’re strong. In other words, your son may start jerking and throwing the weights on that last set to get a lot of reps or demonstrate that it’s easy for him and he needs more weight. I discuss that in the e-book The Ultimate Super-Size Crash Course. Jordon Williamson, the 18-year-old subject who gained 18 lbs (8 kg) www.ironmanmag.com.au

Neveux \ Model: Todd and Leo and Howard

Triple-threat mass-building sets

of muscle in 12 weeks, used heavy pyramid training, downward-progression 4X and TORQ (high reps) — no Progressive Speed. I intentionally avoided PS 4X because I know all too well the ego of male teens and the propensity for cheating to get more reps or use more weight. You, on the other hand, have 20 years of experience — and know the consequences of heaving and jerking even lighter poundages. You would be fine using PS 4X — and it can help you activate more growth fibres. Still, you shouldn’t show your son yet. Keep him learning the exercises and getting in touch with the target muscles. Once he has more lifting experience, introduce him to standard heavier pyramid training to build his foundation. Have him read in The Ultimate SuperSize Crash Course about how Jordon used it in rotation with 4X and higherrep sets. Jordon’s story and complete workouts are included, which should motivate your son — and you, as you’ll also find alternate workouts without heavy pyramids for older bodybuilders. In a few years your son may be ready for PS 4X, but keep a close eye on him if he tries it. Throwing and jerking your reps is a sure way to generate injury-causing stress rather than mass-building success. — Steve Holman

TRAIN TO GAIN

MAD SCIENTIST EXERCISE OF THE MONTH

Hanging body weight pullovers A powerful move for deep gut grooves

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Start by pulling yourself up into the half-way position of a chin-up — arms bent at 90 degrees — and hold it there. Bring your knees up so your hips and knees are also bent 90 degrees. Now you start the ‘pullover’ movement. The key here is not what you actually do but what you try to do. Focus on bringing your elbows down toward your knees (the pullover movement originates in the upper body), pushing forward and down with your arms. Obviously, since your hands are locked onto the bar, your upper body won’t come down — your legs will come up. It’s the intention of that movement that you’re looking for. It will force the tension into the lats and the full sheet of the rectus abdominis rather than hitting the lower abs and hip flexors (you want to keep your hips bent 90 degrees with very little to no movement in them during the exercise).

Come all the way up until your upper body is horizontal. Now your free reverse the movement in-site app & scan page under control, keeping for viDeo tension on your abs the whole way down until you return to the start position with your arms, hips and knees bent at 90 degrees. Do not lower your legs down into the standard hanging leg raise position — keep them up and bent to maintain tension in the abs. Now go directly into the next rep. This is going to be tough, and it’s going to shred your abs. Repeat until you can no longer control the movement, and then come down off the bar. The first time you do these, you will feel it very strongly in your abs, and your lats are going to get some work as well. What’s more, you won’t have to ever do a single crunch or sit-up again! — Nick Nilsson

Photos courtesy of Nick Nilsson

hether you’re competing or you just want to look good at the beach, a set of six-pack abs is a must-have for a complete physique. Simple crunches and sit-ups are not going to cut it. If you want to develop a set of eye-catching abs and you’re ready for a challenge, this exercise will be your new best friend. It’s one of the best abdominal exercises I’ve ever found, and it’s going to shred your rectus abdominis. It looks a lot like hanging leg raises; however, you do it very differently from a standard leg raise. Instead, you convert the leg raise into what basically becomes a hanging body weight ‘pullover’ or ‘front lever’ type of exercise. All you’ll need is a chin-up bar. Strengthwise, you’ll need to be able to do at least 10 or more good chinup reps. This one isn’t a beginner exercise, and it does require some solid upper-body strength.

28 / Australian Iron Man

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EAT TO G NUTRITION WITH A GET BIG MISSION

NUTRITION SCIENCE

hromium is an essential trace mineral, which means it’s required for human nutrition but in small amounts. The notion that chromium is an essential mineral first surfaced with studies on rats conducted in the 1950s. Rats deprived of chromium became glucose intolerant. Not long after the initial rat studies, other studies with humans who were on intravenous feeding also showed symptoms of glucose intolerance, along with weight loss and inflammation of peripheral nerves, in those who got no chromium. The symptoms reversed after chromium was added to the intravenous formula. Brewer’s yeast, a popular supplement with bodybuilders in the ’50s and early ’60s, was thought to contain a ‘glucose tolerance factor’ that enabled you to use carbohydrates more efficiently. Scientists conjectured that the GTF was a complex consisting of chromium, along with the B-vitamin niacin and a few amino acids. In fact, that was strictly a guess, since no one was ever able to determine its precise structure. What was known was that brewer’s yeast was rich in chromium. In fact, it’s one of the best natural sources. Other food sources include whole grains, and mushrooms, with tiny amounts found in coffee, tea and even red wine. Chromium is thought to work by increasing the effectiveness of insulin. Among other functions, insulin ferries glucose into cells for use as an energy source. Insulin is also the most ‘fattening’ hormone in the body, since it favours the production and storage of body fat from excess calories. In recent years science has revealed a lesser known function of insulin: it can provide anabolic effects in muscle. In reality, however, it’s more of an anticatabolic activity, in that it blunts muscle breakdown. On the other hand, insulin may provide some anabolic effects when accompanied by a high

30 / Australian Iron Man

The trace mineral chromium is thought to have fat-loss and musclebuilding properties — but does it?

blood level of essential amino acids. Precisely how chromium makes insulin more effective isn’t known. One theory suggests that it aids insulin in binding to cell receptors. Another suggests that it promotes the release of substances that aid insulin activity in the cell. A number of studies have examined whether chromium is useful for treating diabetics, who are known to excrete it more readily and are also insulin insensitive. They have had mixed results, with some showing beneficial effects, and others showing little or no effect. One reason for that may be the fact that chromium is not well absorbed. Even sources such as chromium picolinate, which has a higher uptake rate, have an average absorption of less than 3 per cent. So getting a true therapeutic effect from chromium may require larger

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The chromium paradox C

doses. While the suggested daily dose of chromium is 200 micrograms, studies showing beneficial effects have featured as much as 1,000 micrograms a day. Chromium’s reputation regarding insulin has made it popular with bodybuilders and those seeking fat loss. Since insulin has some anabolic effects, the idea is that chromium, by increasing insulin effectiveness, would give an anabolic boost. It was bolstered by a series of studies published in the late 1980s that featured high school football players given either chromium picolinate or a placebo. Those who got the chromium had increased muscle mass, strength and fat loss. The problem is, the studies didn’t control for calorie intake, and it could be that the athletes who gained muscle simply ate more. In addition, the studies used calipers to check body composition, a technique that is considered inexact and crude. Later studies that used more sophisticated body comp methods and sought to replicate those initial favourable studies saw no changes in muscle mass, strength or body composition in those who used chromium supplements. Since insulin in the presence of excess calories favours body fat storage, chromium was also touted as a ‘fat-loss supplement’. Here again, the notion was that if chromium did indeed make insulin work better, the body would have less need to secrete larger amounts of insulin, thus producing less body fat synthesis. It sounded good on paper, but once again, when put to the test in well-controlled studies, chromium proved no more effective than a placebo in promoting fat loss. Then there was the controversy about toxicity. One study, which involved exposing isolated hamster ovary cells to a large concentration of chromium picolinate, found damage to DNA, which is required for efficient cellular www.ironmanmag.com.au

ROW replication. Such damage is considered a mutagenic process, which means there’s a possibility of tumour formation. The study was criticised because of its isolated-cell design. No actual cells in a human body would ever be exposed to the amount of chromium used in the study because chromium is poorly absorbed. On the other hand, it’s also known that chromium is stored in the body in various compartments, with some retaining it far longer than others. How that affects health isn’t known. A couple of other scattered case studies have shown some possible toxic effects of taking chromium. One involved a woman who took 1,200 to 2,400 micrograms of chromium a day for five months in an effort to lose body fat. She developed kidney failure. Another woman took 600 micrograms of

and-mineral, meal-replacement and even protein supplements. As a result, a bodybuilder who uses those supplements every day can ingest a hefty dose of chromium without even realising it. Considering chromium’s low absorption rate, you would think that it wouldn’t be a problem — or would it? The new study was designed to test whether chromium supplements actually do boost insulin sensitivity, since the evidence is conflicting. The study featured a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised design, considered the gold standard among science studies. The subjects consisted of 31 non-obese people, aged 20 to 50, who showed no signs of either a chromium deficiency or insulin resistance, such as persistent elevated resting blood glucose. They used no

The unexpected and shocking finding: Those with the most chromium in their bodies showed a deterioration of glucose sensitivity. chromium a day for six weeks and also developed kidney failure. A 24-year-old bodybuilder developed rhabdomyolysis, or rapid muscle breakdown, after taking 1,200 micrograms of chromium picolinate. Even so, none of the individual case histories ever linked the medical problems directly to chromium. Some forms of chromium are without question not only toxic but also carcinogenic, meaning cancer causing; for example, the industrial form of chromium used on car bumpers. That form is called hexavalent chromium, while the type found in food and supplements is trivalent chromium. Trivalent chromium is considered safe. More recently, an alarming study was published about chromium that has special significance for bodybuilders and others who use the supplements.1 Chromium is not only sold as a standalone supplement but is also often included in various mineral, vitaminwww.ironmanmag.com.au

medications that would affect their blood glucose. They were given either a placebo or 500 micrograms of chromium picolinate, twice daily. After a few weeks the subjects switched, with those who got the chromium now getting the placebo, and vice versa. As mentioned, it was a double-blind study, meaning that neither the scientists nor the subjects knew which was the real chromium until the end of the 16-week experiment. The results showed no difference in insulin sensitivity with the chromium or the placebo, but there was an unexpected and shocking finding: Those with the most chromium in their bodies showed a deterioration of glucose sensitivity. That, of course, was precisely the opposite of what would be expected with a chromium supplement. Since no one was obese or had high blood glucose at the start of the study, those factors could not

have affected the results. Urinary chromium measures indicated that the subjects had been compliant, and the technique used to measure insulin action was the most accurate available. Measurements of gene activity also failed to find any abnormality that would explain the paradoxical drop in glucose sensitivity in those with the highest retention of chromium. So the researchers concluded that chromium not only doesn’t increase insulin sensitivity in the non-obese but in large doses may actually increase insulin insensitivity. Several questions come to mind about this study. For one, since the subjects weren’t obese and had no indications of a prior chromium deficiency, would the same results occur in obese people, who are prone to excess insulin release due to lack of insulin sensitivity? What about those who have a chromium deficiency? Surely the negative results would not apply to them either. And diabetics, who already have problems with insulin, often lack sufficient chromium, so this research may not apply to them. As for bodybuilders, perhaps those who are not carrying excess body fat need to be more conscious of their chromium intake, but of the 31 subjects in the study, only four showed an insulin insensitivity effect after using chromium. That could be an idiosyncratic reaction that doesn’t affect everyone, only those who for some reason absorb more chromium. Finally, whenever you take in rapidly absorbed carb sources, you lose chromium. For that reason alone I’d suggest that most bodybuilders and other active people who consume carbohydrates don’t have to worry too much about getting too much chromium. — Jerry Brainum 1 Masharini, U., et al. (2012). Chromium supplementation in non-obese, non-diabetic subjects is associated with a decline in insulin sensitivity. BMC Endocrine Disorders.12:31 Australian Iron Man \ 31

EAT TO GROW RECIPES

NUTRITION NOTES

Couscous salad

Food facts

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sweet nutty flavour it imparts to dishes when used fresh and raw. Served warm or chilled, couscous salad will last for a couple of days in the fridge, but is at its absolute best eaten immediately after preparation.

his salad has a light and delicious feel, although it is high in energy. It’s open to a myriad of variations, according to your taste. My version focusses on asparagus, which I love for its crisp tenderness and the

NUTRITION (for four portions) Energy. ..........10462kJ Fat . .........................43 g Sodium . ......... 1621mg Carbohydrate .....310g Protein . ................174g

INGREDIENTS

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Chef’s notes ■ Lamb, beef, or lean pork strips could also be used. ■ No salt is necessary due to the saltiness of the feta, which is a perfect foil for the sweet and sour components of honey and lemon. ■ Asparagus is a natural diuretic. Some bodybuilders (including me) like to use it pre-comp for its diuretic properties. Another little bit of trivia about asparagus is that it makes your urine smell funny! Furthermore, I heard recently that only 75 per cent of the population has the gene to smell ‘asparagus wee’, so if you eat lots of asparagus and think your wee doesn’t smell, you may just be missing that all-important gene. ■ This dish will provide up to six serves depending on your preferred portion size. It is very high in energy (and sodium from the feta) so would be excellent pre-workout fuel.

2 cups water 2 cups couscous 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into paper-thin strips 3 bunches baby asparagus, cut into 5mm pieces 1 cup chopped parsley 125g low fat feta, finely diced 1 large red capsicum, finely diced ½ cup chopped garlic chives Juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Olive oil spray

32 / Australian Iron Man

Darren Burns

METHOD

1. Place water in a saucepan and bring to boil. 2. Add couscous and stir well. 3. Place a lid on saucepan and turn off heat. 4. Stand for up to five minutes to allow water to absorb. 5. Place couscous in a large bowl for mixing the salad. 6. Spray a non-stick pan or griddle pan lightly with olive oil spray and heat on moderate. 7. Cook chicken strips completely on one side before turning. You should get a nice caramelisation on the strips, which will add body and flavour to the salad. 8. When chicken is ready, add all remaining ingredients to the couscous and toss lightly.

Fiona Flanders is a qualified chef and physique competitor. She holds a Diploma of Hospitality, Cert IV in Commercial Cookery and placed first in the Ms. Physique Masters 50+ at the 2013 INBA World Pro-Am Natural Championships.

That can affect your workouts, weight and wellness Greek yoghurt has been named “the single best food for shedding pounds” by Harvard researchers. According to the December ’13 Health, the scientists analyzed the eating habits of 120,000 people for 20 years and determined that people who ate more Greek yoghurt lost pounds without trying. Tomato juice can help reduce t pain. According to the November ’13 Better Nutrition, a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that subjects who drank 1.4 cups of tomato juice daily for 20 days significantly lowered inflammation. Oatmeal may reduce your chances of getting sick. How? According to the November ’13 Better Nutrition, “Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of fibre that enhances the ability of immune cells to move quickly to infection sites and eliminate bacteria.” Red wine is good for cardiovascular health, but it may also lower your risk of dementia. According to the December ’13 Bottom Line Health, red wine increases your HDL, the ‘good’ cholesterol, and that improves brain function, lessening your chances of contracting dementia. — Becky Holman

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AgINg wITh mUSCLE

Do you really need a vitamin D supplement? The Lancet Endocrinology study has been all over the news because of its results — that there are zero to little benefits to be gained from taking vitamin D supplements. What?! So many other studies have shown that more than 80 per cent of the population is vitamin D deficient — which is a big problem because D improves everything from disease prevention (immunity) to fat loss. Ah, but a closer look at the Lancet study reveals the truth. According to nutrition researcher Jerry Brainum, “The dose of D in the Lancet examination was 400 to 800 units a day; however, the majority of studies that do show health benefits from D suggested…an intake

of about 2,000 units a day.” In other words, the flawed Lancet study undershot the beneficial dose of vitamin D by more than half. (It reminds me of the study done in the ’80s that showed that anabolic steroids don’t work — again, because the researchers used miniscule amounts that did nothing. C’mon, guys. Sheesh.) Now, the 800 I.U. of vitamin D in the study may sound like a lot, but get this: only five minutes in the summer sun produces about 1,000 I.U. of vitamin D in our bodies. Most people should be taking 2,000 to 5,000 units per day, depending on sun exposure, especially in the winter, when we need to boost our immunity against colds and flu. And it’s not expensive.

Items in Eat to Grow by Jerry Brainum, Becky Holman, Steve Holman, Fiona Flanders, Ninette Terhart, Jose Antonio, PhD and Ron Noreman.

SUPERFOODS

Cabbage can heal You see it in the market and most commonly prepared in a side dish of coleslaw; however, this vegetable has more nutrition and healing properties than you may know. Cabbage has a long history as both a food and a medicine, according to The George Mateljan Foundation for the World’s Healthiest Foods. Red cabbage is unique even among the varieties of this vegetable in that it provides about 30 milligrams of anthocyanin, a dietary antioxidant, in each halfcup serving. White cabbage, the most commonly eaten variety, provides about 50 milligrams per half cup. Packed with vitamin K, cabbage also has cholesterol-lowering benefits if steamed — its fibre-related components do a better job of binding together with bile acids in the digestive tract when they’ve been steamed. So take advantage of this great vegetable. www.ironmanmag.com.au

BONE BUILDERS

Vital vitamin K We hear a lot about vitamins A, B, C, D and E, but what about the ones found further down the line? Vitamin K is the most overlooked vitamin for bone building and heart protection, and it comes from various sources. Vitamin K1 is found in many vegetables, and K2 is produced by bacteria. K is essential for the proper formation and activation of gla proteins, a key inhibitor of soft-tissue calcification, preventing it from depositing in the vessel walls. According to Susan E. Brown, Ph.D., “It appears vitamin K plays an important role in keeping calcium in the bones and out of the arteries.” Foods rich in vitamin K1 include cooked kale, broccoli, spinach, mustard greens, brussels sprouts, asparagus and green leaf lettuce. Vitamin K2, most beneficial for maximal bone health, is found mainly in fermented foods such as yoghurt, ripe cheese and fermented soy. Puts a whole new spin on the phrase ‘Special K’, doesn’t it? Australian Iron Man \ 33

EAT TO GROW ANABOLIC DRIVE

High-protein diets Do they have dangerous consequences?

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an you eat too much protein? An interesting question that suggests a second question: When does ‘too much’ actually occur? Is three grams per pound (0.45 kg) of body weight a day too much to consume? What about two grams? What’s interesting is that the scientific literature tends to define ‘high-protein’ diets relative to the RDA, which is a paltry 0.8 grams of protein daily per kilogram of body weight. Now, if your standard is that ungodly low, then, heck, anything would seem high. It would be like measuring your height against a group of pygmies and saying that you’re tall. A recent study looked at whether a high-protein diet affected the immune system in response to a large volume of high-intensity exercise. Eight welltrained cyclists performed two separate weeks of high-intensity training while consuming either a high-protein diet of three grams per kilogram of body weight or an energy-and-carbohydratematched control diet that contained half the protein. Three grams per kilogram is equal to 1.4 grams per pound of body weight. So it’s 40 per cent higher than the typical recommendation of one gram per pound daily. In this study the high-intensitytraining weeks were preceded by a week of normal-intensity training under the control diet. The researchers discovered that high-intensity training performed during a high-protein diet was associated with fewer symptoms of upper-respiratory-tract infections, or URTI, than high-intensity training performed during a normal diet. So a high-protein diet may reduce the incidence of URTI in athletes by preventing training-induced impairments in immune-surveillance.1 In another study, scientists determined the effects of a prescribed weight-loss diet with 0.8 vs. 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily in overweight and obese men.2 Isn’t it odd that they described 1.4 grams per kilogram as high? To me, that ain’t high. That’s the pygmy comparison. In any event, let’s see what happened. 34 / Australian Iron Man

A high-protein diet can do more than just build muscle in hard-training athletes.

The 12-week diets were 750 calories less than the subjects’ daily needs, with the main difference being protein content. Both groups lost comparable body weight and fat; however, the high-protein group lost less lean body mass than the normal-protein group. The researchers concluded that “energy restriction effectively improves multiple clinical indicators of cardiovascular health and glucose control, and consumption of a higher-protein diet and accomplishing weight loss when overweight vs. obese help men preserve lean body mass over a

short period of time.” So, when it doubt, just eat more protein. — Jose Antonio, Ph.D. 1 Witard, O.C., et al. (2013). High dietary protein restores overreaching induced impairments in leukocyte trafficking and reduces the incidence of upper respiratory tract infection in elite cyclists. Brain Behav Immun. Published online October 10. 2 Tang, M., et al. (2013). Normal vs. high-protein weight loss diets in men: effects on body composition and indices of metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring). 21:E204-210. www.ironmanmag.com.au

ThE NUTRITION ALChEmIST

Paleo, primal and traditional diets Part 1: The street-smart caveman

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efore I get into the above subjects, I want to mention a small format change. With so much to say about holistic nutrition, I am a bit frustrated with being limited to only one topic a month. So at the end of each column I will blast out a random holistic concept for the readers to ponder. Think of it as a Tweet from a technology-challenged author. There’s a lot of buzz about the Paleo diet. It’s very popular among CrossFit athletes as well as others. It’s based on anthropological principles as much as nutritional ones. The basic premise is that our genetic ancestors were hunters and gatherers until the advent of modern agriculture — about 10,000 years ago. Skeletal remains of humans from that period indicated that they were taller and stronger than their agricultural descendants. Ten thousand years is a tiny blip in our genetic evolution of approximately two million years. Our DNA is essentially the same as that of our pre-agricultural ancestors. So, the theory goes, we are genetically adapted to eating game, fish, small animals, leaves, roots, seasonal fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts. Grains and legumes, a.k.a. beans, are largely indigestible without additional processing and therefore not thought to be in our ancestral diet. (They still contain a great many antinutrients, a subject for a future column.) Additionally, milk and milk products were largely unavailable from wild animals, so they are excluded from the classic Paleo diets as well. There is much to like about the Paleo philosophy if you can get over the fear and the emotional attachment to excluded food groups — especially grains and dairy. The diet emphasises high-quality protein sources such as grass-fed organic beef and game, pasture-raised poultry, wild-caught fish and cage-free high-omega-3 eggs. Organic vegetables are emphasised as well as quality fat sources such as nuts (macadamias and almonds especially), coconut products, coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil. Whole eggs and grass-fed meat may be consumed daily

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since the Paleo philosophy states that saturated fat and cholesterol are only harmful when consumed with a highcarbohydrate diet. I largely agree with this premise. Fats are the primary fuel in Paleo eating rather than the carbs prevalent in the standard Western diet. As I have preached for the past 20 years, good fats are a superior fuel source on which your body was designed to run. Paleo is a modestly high-fat, moderate-to-low-moderate-carb diet. If you implement it properly, you should not miss the excess carbs. If it fuels those insane CrossFitters, who are perpetually in motion, it can fuel a bodybuilder, so don’t set up any preconceived objections. Concentrated carbs for an active strength athlete would consist mostly of sweet potatoes and purple potatoes after training and two medium-sized servings of lower-glycemic fruit such as apples, blueberries, raspberries and cherries at other times of the day. Some Paleo cookbooks advocate honey and maple syrup. I would avoid those except maybe occasionally in small quantities. The whole concept is that the hunter-gatherer diet was high in protein, plentiful in natural fats (both animal and vegetable) and moderate in carbs. Most of your daily carbs come from the vast array of vegetables advocated in the diet. Try to hit all the colours of the rainbow for a wellbalanced variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals. Other acceptable

carbs you can have occasionally in lieu of a serving of fruit include roasted chestnuts (my theory), pumpkin and butternut squash. For help in keeping within your daily fat and calorie needs, I have found a few products that make the transition easier — they look and taste like carbs but are largely healthy fat. Stuff like Paleo bread, unsweetened coconut milk or cream for my coffee. Yes, this huntergatherer continues to drink gourmet organic high-quality coffee a couple of times a day and definitely before training. It’s a diet, not a religion. Full disclosure: I started the Paleo diet with minor modifications (like the coffee) about a month ago, and I will keep readers abreast of my progress and discoveries in future columns. My initial impressions have been a huge reduction in food cravings, efficient digestion, stable blood sugar and energy to spare. I truly believe that in order to be a legitimate nutritional authority, one should be open minded enough to experiment with intelligently formulated nutritional concepts. Random holistic shout-out: Sluggish thyroid? Try eliminating fluoride-containing toothpaste and oral-care products. Fluoride competes with thyroid hormone receptors on the cellular level. Xylitol-containing toothpastes do everything for adult teeth that fluoride-containing ones do and more. Add a fluoride-free peroxide gel for a whitening boost. — Ron Noreman Australian Iron Man \ 35

Train, EaT, Grow

Muscle-Training Program 175

Train, EaT,

Grow From the Iron Man Training & Research Centre By Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux

T

here’s no doubt that when it comes to building muscle, you must change to gain. In other words, you expose the muscle to a new stress for anabolic success. Of course, in the beginning that change comes via adding weight to the bar. You get stronger frequently, putting increasingly more stress on the muscle fibers so they thicken. It’s progressive resistance pure and simple. What happens, though, when you become advanced and are no longer getting stronger often — not to mention the fact that you want some sarcoplasmic, or energy-fluid, expansion as well? The simplest option is to shuffle your exercise order. We usually follow the Positions-ofFlexion protocol, which calls for three exercises in this order: midrange, stretch and contracted. So, when we train biceps, the routine looks something like this (standard POF routines are listed in the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday workouts on pages 38 and 40): Midrange: Dumbbell curls Stretch: Incline curls Contracted: Concentration curls A good change-to-gain exerciseorder shuffle uses modified 36 / Australian Iron Man

pre-exhaustion, putting the contractedposition move first, like this: Contracted: Concentration curls Midrange: Dumbbell curls Stretch: Incline curls You can do standard heavy sets, resting 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes between them. Or you can do 3X and 4X sequences, resting 35 seconds between sets, using your 15-rep-max weight all the way through but doing 10 reps per set. The strategy of completely isolating the biceps first and training only one side at a time provides a unique stimulus — and the exercises you do afterward will feel completely different. It’s especially good for legs, hitting extensions first for three or four sets then moving to squats — whoa! You’ll have to use less weight, but you’ll feel your quads working in new ways, guaranteed. Will that stimulate new growth even though the poundage is lighter? You bet. The quads don’t know weight; they only know fatigue. Change to gain is one way Steve helped Jordon Williamson gain 18 pounds of muscle over the summer. Jordon used standard heavy POF alternated with modified pre-ex POF

that incorporated 4X and TORQ — tension-overload repetition quantity. For example, here’s how his alternate biceps routine looked (similar modifiedpre-ex programs are listed in the Friday workouts on pages 38 and 40): Contracted: Concentration curls 4 x 10 Midrange: Barbell or dumbbell curls 4 x 10 Stretch: Incline curls (TORQ) 3 x 30, 20, 15 For TORQ you use your 30-rep max all the way through, resting 45 seconds between sets. The pump is awesome, and the target muscle gets a high-end tension time it’s not used to — more change to gain. When you add different intensity tactics, like TORQ, to the mix, the combinations are almost endless, even with the same three exercises. Here’s one of Steve’s favorite quick biceps blasts that starts with supersets: Superset Incline curls (3X) Standing dumbbell curls (3X) Concentration curls (4X)

3 x 10 3x7 4 x 10

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Model: Mike O Hearn

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Australian Iron Man \ 37

Train, EaT, Grow IRON MAN Training & Research Centre Muscle-Training Program 175 M: Wide-grip dips (4X) S: Flat-bench flyes (3X) C: Cable crossovers (4X) M: Pulldowns (4X) S: Dumbbell pullovers (3X) C: Stiff-arm pulldowns (4X) M&S: V-handle cable rows (4X) C: Bent-arm bent-over laterals (4X) M: Cable upright rows (3X) S&C: Dumbbell shrugs (3X) M&C: Incline knee-ups (4X) S&C: Ab Bench crunches (4X)

4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 3 x 12 4 x 10 4 x 10

Tuesday: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves M: Squats (4X) S: Sissy squats (3X) C: Leg extensions (4X) M&S: Semi-stiff-legged deadlifts (4X) C: Leg curls (4X) M: Knee-extension leg press calf raises (4X) S: Machine donkey calf raises (3X) C: One-leg calf raises (3X) S&C: Seated calf raises (4X)

4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 12 3 x 12 3 x 12 4 x 12

Wednesday: Delts, Triceps, Biceps, Forearms M: Arnold pressess (4X) S: One-arm cable laterals (3X) C: Seated laterals (4X) C: Seated bent-over laterals (3X) M: Close-grip bench presses (4X)

4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 12 4 x 10

S: Overhead extensions (3X) C: Pushdowns (4X) M: Undergrip chins or pulldowns (4X) S: Incline curls (3X) C: Concentration curls (4X) SuPeRSeT C: Reverse curls C: Wrist curls Rockers

3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 12 3 x 12 1 x 20+

Friday: Chest, Back, Calves S&C: Cable crossovers (4X) M: Low-incline dumbbell presses (4X) S: Flat-bench flyes (3X) C: Stiff-arm pulldowns (4X) M: Pulldowns (4X) S: Dumbbell pullovers (3X) C: Bent-arm bent-over laterals (4X) M&S: V-handle cable rows S&C: Dumbbell shrugs (3X) M: Cable upright rows (3X) C: Standing calf raises (3X) S: Leg press calf raises S&C: Seated calf raises

4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 12 3 x 10 3 x 12 3 x 12 2 x 20, 15

Exercises with three or more sets listed are performed in 10x10 style; that is, take a weight with which you can get 15 reps, but do only the designated number; rest 30 to 40 seconds, and do another set to the same rep count. Continue until you perform all sets. If you get the designated rep number on your last set, increase the weight at your next workout. M = midrange, S = stretch, C = contracted

A good change-to-gain exercise-order shuffle uses modified pre-exhaustion, putting the contracted-position move first. 38 / Australian Iron Man

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Model: Lukas Osladil

Monday: Chest, Back, Abs

Another option is a Vince Gironda favorite: Reduce the rest time between sets each week. He uses the same weight for the incline curls and standing dumbbell curls. Once he finishes the inclines, he stands up and immediately does eight reps on the curls — not only change to gain but pain to gain. For triceps he likes dumbbell pullovers and lying dumbbell extensions for the superset, and then he finishes with pushdowns. If you want to stick with the standard POF exercise order — midrange, stretch and contracted — for, say, five weeks, you can gradually www.ironmanmag.com.au

increase volume as your change. How will that work? Here’s a sample week 1 quad routine, with all the exercises done in a 3X sequence: Midrange: Squats Stretch: Sissy squats Contracted: Leg extensions

3 x 10 3 x 10

to 4X; say, leg extensions. Week 4: Make all exercises 4X; that’s 12 total sets. Week 5: Depending on how you’re recovering, you can make this a 3X subfailure week for supercompensation or keep going up the ladder, taking an exercise to 5X.

3 x 10

Week 2: Add a set to one exercise. For example, use 4X for squats. Week 3: Upgrade another exercise

The progressive volume is simple and works well to hit the target muscle methodically with new stress each week — an extra set. Australian Iron Man \ 39

Train, EaT, Grow IRON MAN Training & Research Centre Home-Gym Program 175 Monday: Chest, Back, Abs M: Decline dumbbell presses (4X) S: Flat-bench flyes (3X) C: Incline flyes (4X) M: Chins (4X) S: Dumbbell pullovers (3X) C: Stiff-arm kickbacks (4X) M&S: One-arm dumbbell rows (4X) C: Bent-arm bent-over laterals (4X) M: Dumbbell upright rows (3X) S&C: Dumbbell shrugs (3X) M&C: Incline knee-ups (4X) S&C: Full-range bench crunches (4X)

4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 3 x 12 4 x 10 4 x 10

Tuesday: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves M: Squats (4X) S: Sissy squats (3X) C: Front squats or old-style hack squats (4X) M&S: Semi-stiff-legged deadlifts (4X) C: Dumbbell leg curls (4X) M: Loose-form donkey calf raises (4X) S: Donkey calf raises (3X) C: One-leg calf raises (3X) S&C: Seated calf raises (4X)

4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 12 3 x 12 3 x 12 4 x 12

Wednesday: Delts, Triceps, Biceps, Forearms M: Arnold presses (4X) S: Incline one-arm laterals (3X) C: Seated laterals (4X) C: Seated bent-over laterals (3X) M: Close-grip bench presses (4X)

4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 12 4 x 10

S: Overhead extensions (3X) C: Kickbacks (4X) M: Undergrip chins or rows (4X) S: Incline curls (3X) C: Concentration curls (4X) SuPeRSeT C: Reverse curls C: Wrist curls Rockers

3 x 12 3 x 12 1 x 20+

Friday: Chest, Back, Calves S&C: Flat-bench flyes (4X) M: Low-incline dumbbell presses (4X) S: Decline flyes (3X) C: Stiff-arm kickbacks (4X) M: Chins or undergrip rows (4X) S: Dumbbell pullovers (3X) C: Bent-arm bent-over laterals (4X) M&S: One-arm dumbbell rows S&C: Dumbbell shrugs (3X) M: Dumbbell upright rows (3X) C: Standing calf raises (3X) S: Donkey calf raises S&C: Seated calf raises

4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 12 3 x 10 3 x 12 3 x 12 2 x 20, 15

Exercises with three or more sets listed are performed in 10x10 style; that is, take a weight with which you can get 15 reps, but do only the designated number; rest 30 to 40 seconds, and do another set to the same rep count. Continue until you perform all sets. If you get the designated rep number on your last set, increase the weight at your next workout. M = midrange, S = stretch, C = contracted

Model: Luca Pennazzato

He uses the same weight for the incline curls and standing dumbbell curls. Once he finishes the inclines, he stands up and immediately does eight reps on the curls.

40 / Australian Iron Man

3 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10 3 x 10 4 x 10

You’ll have to gauge when you’re teetering on the edge of overtraining, as that’s the ideal time to back off and supercompensate for full recovery and even more growth. Another option is a Vince Gironda favorite: Reduce the rest time between sets each week. Start with 4X on every exercise, but rest 60 seconds between sets. The following week cut the rest time down to 50 seconds, and so on. That’s a great way for those who aren’t aerobically fit enough to start at 35 seconds to adapt gradually — and, of course, the muscles benefit, too, with serious sarcoplasmic growth. As an aside, Vince used to take trainees all the way down to 20 seconds between sets. Now, that’s some wicked pain to gain! Want to build muscle fast? Browse hundreds of workouts at

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Gym Gospel

Looking forward,

looking back

This month, rather than explore what is happening in the bodybuilding world now, I am going to look back into the history books and look forward into my crystal ball. I’d like to explore just how training, dieting and supplementation have evolved and where they may be headed in the future. By Scott Goble Training Trends

whole new hardcore heavy-duty era throughout the ’90s, which saw volume drop and intensity rise. For the past 10 years, bodybuilders have stayed true to the belief that you must rest to grow and it’s become commonplace to hit each muscle group just once a week, albeit with more volume than Dorian advocated. I see a new trend evolving and I believe it will only gain momentum, a trend that will see a great increase in training frequency and

volume. The fear of overtraining will fade away and bodybuilders will be in the gym more often, performing more sets and reps. I like the logic — why stimulate a muscle to grow once a week if you can stimulate it to grow twice, or three times perhaps? There are already a few industry leaders popularising this approach, training for muscle size, but also training for metabolic enhancement leading up to a show, lessening the need for cardio.

Sting Sports

Training has been through numerous trends. We had Arnold’s double split, six-day-a-week training in the ’70s and early ’80s, where each muscle group was pounded two or three times per week. Then we evolved to the threeon/one-off or four-on/one-off split of the mid-to-late ’80s; none other than the greatest bodybuilder of that era, Lee Haney, told us to ‘stimulate, not annihilate’. Dorian Yates ushered in a

42 / Australian Iron Man

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GYM GOSPEL FREE WEIGHTS VS. THE REST

Weight training, out of necessity, has its roots in free weights. It’s all the early bodybuilders had. A couple of basic cable machines came onto the scene but most of the best bodybuilders stuck to the basics. In the late ’70s and even more so the early ’80s, Nautilus were the machines of choice with their clever cams that tried to mimic a muscle’s strength curve. In many ways ahead of their time, they worked well for the people who aligned with their lever lengths biomechanically and were as useless as scrap metal for those that didn’t fit their dimensions. When Hammer Strength machines became popular in the ’90s and were quickly copied by many other brands, bodybuilders quickly jumped on board, believing they had found a safer and more comfortable way of stimulating muscle than free weights. The future, in my opinion, is accommodating resistance. This form of training is mostly associated with the use of bands and chains, which allow a load to either increase or decrease at a specific part of the range of motion. This in turn allows the athlete in question to more efficiently overload a muscle with maximum tension throughout the entire rep. Regardless of how sophisticated bodybuilders become with their training, in the ’70s, now and in the future, the biggest guys will probably be the ones with the heaviest squat, deadlift and bench press — and that will never change.

Dorian Yates ushered in the era of low volume and high-intensity.

44 / Australian Iron Man

Michael Neveux

DIETING

Eating was a simple thing in the early days of bodybuilding: eat lots, eat protein and eat your veg. Even though there weren’t a whole lot of studies ing this methodology, the bodybuilders were right — they needed that extra protein and calories in order to efficiently grow. The ’80s and early ’90s saw the low-fat era reach its peak. Fat was the enemy and suppliers tried desperately to eliminate it from all their products. Bodybuilders got in shape, but the world got fatter. There was a rebirth of sorts in the early 2000s of the Atkins diet and the ketogenic diet, both high in protein and extremely low in fat. It was met with outrage by the medical community. The bodybuilders got in shape, the world got fatter. Now I think dieting has changed again, or at least I hope it has. We are becoming wiser, we are looking for a better way and, more than any other aspect of bodybuilding, we are watching our nutrition.

It’s a fact that a healthy bodybuilder will be a better bodybuilder if all other variables remained the same. I see good bodybuilding diets taking into consideration natural essential fats like omega-3 and 6; I see them addressing fibre; I see them with a variety of foods to cover a wise spectrum of nutrients and I see them with multivitamins and superfood supplements to ensure deficiencies are avoided. I also see science catching up with many of the industry experts who utilise nutrient timing to give their clients an advantage. While there is little hard science to nutrient

timing, there is more and more anecdotal evidence to suggest it works. I think the future will provide us with the solid scientific evidence to back up the practical experience of bodybuilders around the world who believe that it’s not only what you eat that’s important, but when you eat it.

SUPPLEMENTATION

Starting off basic, supplementation was literally dried and/or powdered whole food. The first bodybuilding-style supplements available were powdered milk and desiccated liver tablets. As bodybuilders became more aware of www.ironmanmag.com.au

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an increase in training frequency and volume will lessen the need for cardio.

46 / Australian Iron Man

the importance of protein, a whole new market sprung up due to this demand. Protein powder went from unflavoured egg and milk proteins to the delicious whey proteins we have in hundreds of different brands today. Then creatine arose and likely was the cause of a huge growth period for sports supplementation. Not only did it work but it was naturally derived and perfectly safe. To this day creatine is and should be one of the most popular supplements on the market. BCAAs and EAAs have a strong following and plenty of research to back up their use, but it is the almighty pre-workout that now dominates the supplement market. I don’t see this changing anytime in the future. This is the era of instant gratification and no one wants to sip on aminos during training in the hope they will benefit when they can pound down a pre-workout 20 minutes before training and start to experience its effects before they pull into the gym parking lot. While pre-workouts will go from one banned stimulant to another, the formulators constantly trying to stay in front of the governing bodies, I see the market shifting back to its roots. More and more bodybuilders are gravitating back to the whole-food formulas. They want less and less artificial flavours and preservatives. They care more about their health. Who knows? Desiccated liver tablets might be back in fashion soon! In many ways this article is a study in the more things change, the more they stay the same. Weight training is just that — the lifting of weights; as fancy as we get, nothing beats moving a barbell through space in a way your body is designed to lift it. If you want to build muscle, there is still no better way than with a large quantity of a variety of whole foods. When it’s time to growth through supplementation, you better ensure the very building blocks are in place before looking at the tubs of powder that promise miracles. Scott Goble is an IFBB superheavyweight champion and personal trainer based in Melbourne. He is the event and sales manager for the FitX Expo and his sponsors include Cyborg Sport, Sting Sports, Muscle Meals Direct and Mass Nutrition. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Darren Burns

Michael Neveux

More and more bodybuilders are gravitating back to the whole-food formulas. They want less and less artificial flavours and preservatives.

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Blow Up Your Back with Power Rest/ Pause Drop

Model: Chris Faildo

By Roger Lockridge • Photography by Michael Neveux

www.ironmanmag.com.au

Australian Iron Man \ 49

BLOW-UP YOUR BACK

POWER Rest/Pause Drop Back Blast Deadlifts (warm-up) 2 x 15-20 R/PD* 1 x 3-5(2), 5(2), 5(2) Pull-ups (warm-up) 1 x 15-20 R/PD* 1 x 3-5(2), 5(2), 5(2) Bent-over rows (warm-up) 1 x 15-20 R/PD* 1 x 3-5(2), 5(2), 5(2) *R/PD designates a rest/pausedrop set, as follows: • Pick a weight with which you will reach failure at three to five reps, and do that; rest five seconds, and then go to failure again.

• Reduce the weight by the same amount, and go to failure; rest five seconds, and then go to failure one last time.

L

et’s cut through all the puns and corny phrases. You want to get big and strong and feel powerful. You want to walk into the gym feeling that you can pick up whatever the hell you want. Are you willing to do what it takes to reach those goals? If so, then read on because I’ve got your formula right here.

50 / Australian Iron Man

You may have read about my Rest/Pause Drop program in previous issues of Iron Man. You pick a weight that you can lift for six to eight reps and go to failure; rest five seconds, and go for more; then drop the weight, and repeat twice. It’s like doing six sets in one. For this variation we kick it up a notch.

The point is to pound the heaviest weight you can while keeping the intensity as high as possible. I call it Power R/PD. Instead of using a weight that you can get six to eight reps with, you go heavier — starting with your three-to-five-rep max. If you think this will be easy, think again. It will be tough, but if you want the power, you will find a way to be tougher.

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Model: Skip La Cour

• Reduce the weight by 25 per cent, and go to failure; rest five seconds, and then go to failure again.

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Model: Derik Farnsworth

Model: Idrise Ward-El

The first requirement: Get a partner. You will be using some heavy weights and doing long sets, so having a partner to spot you, help you strip weights to speed up the workout and push you on when you want to quit is essential. To put it another way: Don’t do this alone! Deadlifts. These aren’t the king of exercises; they’re the king of kings. Nothing is more basic than picking up a weight and putting it down. It’s also the most basic form of demonstrating power and the most effective way of improving overall strength. If you have back issues, wear a belt — or if you must, use a rack. Do two warm-up sets with lighter weight so you can prepare yourself physically and mentally for an epic encounter with the iron. After your warm-ups, load on your three-to-five-rep max. If you can do six reps, you need to go heavier. Put every ounce of energy into pulling that bar up, and let nothing stop you. Once you reach failure, rest five seconds, and go for one or two more. After reaching failure a second time, strip 25 per cent of the weight off the bar and keep going. (This is where that partner will come in handy.) Repeat the pattern two more

Australian Iron Man \ 51

Model: Lee Priest

BLOW-UP YOUR BACK

times — by the time you’re finished, you will have done around 20 reps. Pull-ups. I prefer a neutral grip, with my palms facing each other, but if you like wide-grip pull-ups, do those instead. If you are strong enough, use extra weight on a belt or chains around your shoulders. If you aren’t strong enough to pull your own weight, use an assistant or do lat pulldowns instead. Perform one warm-up set, and then do the same thing you did with the deads. 52 / Australian Iron Man

Bent-over rows. If your grip is starting to fail at this point, use lifting straps to ensure that you can hold onto the bar. Warm up and stretch before doing your work set. That’s crucial to keeping nutrient-rich blood flowing to the muscles being taxed. Also focus on using good form. It will be tough after what you’ve already done, but you must maintain form to prevent injury. After you perform your Power R/ PD set on bent-over rows, stretch a bit more and get plenty of water

because you’re done — and your back will be well done. Roger Lockridge has been featured at Bodybuilding. com and written for Labrada Nutrition. He was named the 2009 Bodybuilding. com Male Writer of the Year. To him, send e-mail to [email protected].

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THE BENEFITS OF A UNILATERAL TRAINING APPROACH In this extract from The Biomechanically Correct Training System, former IFBB Mr. Australia Darren Vartikian controversially warns against training in the way you’re probably quite used to — bilaterally.

n

o matter what the goal, the end result of any form of resistance training exercise should be about creating and maintaining a healthy state of mind and body. The body is designed so that its natural warning system of malfunction will activate — as pain, swelling and discomfort — if inappropriate resistance exercise is executed. Ignoring the warning system’s signals will ultimately lead to varying degrees of short- and long-term structural damage. Traditionally, resistance-training exercise is executed in a bilateral fashion using the prime moving muscles on either side of the body. The barbell bench press, barbell deadlift and barbell biceps curl are just a few examples of common bilateral exercises. There is no doubt that bilateral training is a very fast way of achieving muscle size, power and strength. Unfortunately, the desired results can also cause collateral damage — structural injuries to muscles, ts, connective tissue and nerve fibres. There is also the financial burden to rectify related injuries (medical and therapeutic practitioner costs) and the psychological frustration due to physical pain or exercise restriction, which can be long term.

attempts to hit the bullseye, causing unintended damage to the rest of the target in the process. Damage to the body (whether short- or long-term) — in the form of soft tissue tears and strains, bone degeneration or general aches and pains caused as a result of bilateral training — results from one of two things: • Repetitive strain to the muscles, ts and connective tissues. • An imbalance of muscle development or strength and conditioning, ultimately related to inappropriate and inefficient movement patterns. So while there is no disputing that bilateral training enables an individual to lift a greater amount of weight, resulting in quick gains in size, power and strength, unfortunately, this can also have negative consequences: • Exercising muscles bilaterally increases the compensatory effect, hampering one’s

awareness and eliminating the ability to correctly analyse strength, weakness and the injury potential of corresponding muscles on either side of the body. • It can lead to the formation of dangerous lifting habits, such as using accelerated momentum (through bouncing, swinging or thrusting of a weight) to try to overcome mechanical disadvantage. Moving a weight using accelerated momentum byes two of the body’s natural protective mechanisms — muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs — increasing the risk of injury. • It increases the potential for hyperstimulation of the nervous system, increasing the risk of exhaustion

potEntial risKs of BilatEral training

One way to describe the potential risks of bilateral training is to compare it to someone using a shotgun for target practice. Many pellets or bearings encased in the bullets would be dispersed during the shooter’s www.ironmanmag.com.au

Unilateral training keeps the prime moving muscle ‘honest’: it eliminates the lifting of unrealistic amounts of weight and places limbs, ts and muscles in the best possible leverage position so that optimal strength during an exercise can be attained. Australian Iron Man \ 55

One at a time

Examples of unilateral leg exercises.

Unilateral lying leg curls.

Unilateral leg presses.

The most valuable benefit of unilateral training compared with traditional bilateral resistance exercise is awareness. Unilateral stiff-legged deadlifts.

Unilateral leg extensions. 56 / Australian Iron Man

or burnout to the body as a whole and necessitating the need for more rest. Consequently, progress is slowed. • Lifting greater weight increases training intensity, energy expenditure and the length of rest periods, making movement between sets and exercises slow. This leads to longer time spent working out. • The need for a safety net (in the form of a spotter) is synonymous with bilateral training. Lifting heavy weights necessitates having someone close by in case help is required. This means either having

to rely on a training partner or constantly having to ask someone for help (which may annoy the person asked).

EntEr: unilatEral training

All bilateral muscles of the body function independently. In many instances, they do so during everyday activities such as walking, running, swimming, writing, eating and so on — all while using one limb at a time. Recognising, therefore, what is already a natural process of independent function, the BMC Training System is built on the view www.ironmanmag.com.au

One at a time

Exercising muscles bilaterally increases the compensatory effect, hampering one’s awareness and eliminating the ability to correctly analyse strength, weakness and the injury potential of corresponding muscles on either side of the body.

that all resistance training should be executed in a unilateral fashion — one side and one muscle at a time. Unilateral resistance training allows a prime moving muscle to function in its most natural path of movement, accurately coordinating body parts to capitalise on leverage and balance so that replication of precise biomechanics can be attained for maximum results and safety during an exercise. This type of training is highly advantageous during instances when a prime moving muscle may execute more than one action or function, allowing the corresponding muscle on the other side of the body to work independently and efficiently, without competition or compromise.

BEnEfits of unilatEral training

Everyone — be they male or female, young or old, elite athlete or resistance training novice — can reap the benefits that unilateral resistance training has to offer: • Unilateral resistance training is an 58 / Australian Iron Man

ideal way to introduce the elderly to resistance exercise, as it comes without the stigma of intimidation often associated with traditional bilateral resistance training — such as a fear that lifting a weight may harm or injure. • It is also useful in rehabilitation after injury, providing essential, direct and specific control of muscle movement. • Unilateral resistance training defies any perception that resistance exercise is a time-consuming, boring chore that will only cause acute or chronic injury. The most valuable benefit compared with traditional bilateral resistance exercise is awareness. Awareness includes knowledge about the strength or weakness, and overall function, of a prime moving muscle. This insight allows precise analysis, empowering an individual with information about related issues and areas of the body, and expediting assessment and comparison. Unilateral training transfers complete ownership of a resistance

weight used during an exercise exclusively onto a single prime moving muscle, heightening the need for greater focus, which in turn decreases the contribution from accelerated momentum. The reason why some injuries can occur in striving to develop balanced muscles is accelerated momentum. This generally occurs as a result of muscle exhaustion, imbalance in muscle strength, poor mental focus or just plain ego. A classic example of accelerated momentum is as follows: an individual executing a barbell curl with too much weight begins to generate movement through the hips, back and shoulders to raise the weight instead of the intended prime moving biceps muscles. Unilateral training keeps the prime moving muscle ‘honest’: it eliminates the lifting of unrealistic amounts of weight and places limbs, ts and muscles in the best possible leverage position so that optimal strength during an exercise can be attained. In addition, a muscle may carry out multiple actions, necessitating movement in varied directions and angles. Unilateral training accommodates this perfectly, accurately coordinating body parts free of restriction for optimal function and injury reduction. That same versatility enables a prime moving muscle to be isolated during an exercise so as to precisely target a contraction of aspects that relate to the upper, lower, outer and inner fibres; this increases the potential for complete development of a muscle’s size and strength.

symmEtry

Symmetry, in the context of resistance training, means that the muscles either side of the centre of the body are similar in appearance (size and shape) and function. They are effectively mirror images of each other, thus improving overall balance and structural integrity of the body. Barring genetic factors, unilateral training enables superior muscle development.

saving timE

Time is a precious commodity most cannot afford to waste, making unilateral training the ideal form of resistance training for those with a busy lifestyle. A unique aspect of www.ironmanmag.com.au

Bilateral movements can lead to dangerous lifting habits, such as using accelerated momentum (through bouncing, swinging or thrusting of a weight) to try to overcome mechanical disadvantage.

unilateral training is the allotted time of a workout. At face value, unilateral training might seem timeconsuming; in fact, the opposite is true. The isolating nature of this type of training means reduced resistance weight that, in turn, decreases the exhaustion of the body as a whole. This enables faster recovery and shorter rest periods between sets and exercises, resulting in a reduced workout time.

injury prEvEntion

Prevention of injuries is a critical and integral feature of unilateral training. This goal is achieved by distributing resistance weight and musclegenerated force through a natural movement pattern, which protects muscle, ts and connective tissue. Another element of injury prevention and balanced muscle www.ironmanmag.com.au

The need for a safety net (in the form of a spotter) is synonymous with bilateral training.

development are motor units. A single motor neuron that connects to skeletal muscle fibres is referred to as a motor unit; it is the communication link between the brain and skeletal muscle, enabling muscular contraction. Skeletal muscles are made up of multiple motor units, making varied movement patterns a necessity, so that the total contraction and stimulation of a prime moving muscle occurs. This guarantees proper development. Unilateral training is the appropriate method to achieve this objective.

for assistance from someone they don’t know; there may be concern, for instance, about the individual’s level of experience with resistance training exercise. Exercising one limb at a time affords the opportunity, circumstances permitting, of using the opposing limb (or other limbs not being used to assist during an exercise); this eliminates the burdensome need to rely on others. So : Just because everyone is doing it does not mean it is right.

no nEEd for spottErs

Darren Vartikian is a former IFBB Mr. Australia and has been ionately dedicated to health and fitness for nearly three decades. His book The Biomechanically Correct Training System is available from triangleofhealth.com.au.

Relying on another person to assist during a workout can be very frustrating. A time to meet has to be coordinated, and the other person needs to turn up on time. An even greater concern for many is asking

Australian Iron Man \ 59

A Bodybuilder Is Born: GENERATIONS

LIMITS ARE IN YOUR MIND Episode 44 By Ron Harris Photography by Michael Neveux

I

t was the day after my 41st birthday, which had been remarkably unremarkable. Hitting 40 the year before had been a big deal and had marked a milestone in my life. Luckily, I had already gone through my midlife crisis years before, the way some women start menopause early, so I wasn’t dealing with any major angstridden searches for the meaning of my existence or questioning choices in my mate or career. I already had a sports car (though not the red Porsche convertible most envision) and a wife who was nearly my age but looked much younger, so my birthday was really just another day. I did stop to ponder that in some Third World countries, 41 was probably the average life expectancy. If you made it that far in those rough places, you were probably a great-grandfather too. I was at the gym training legs, which is the only workout I no longer did with my wife. I would blame her new obsession with CrossFit, but the truth is that we became incompatible on leg days long before that cropped up. When 60 / Australian Iron Man

one person is forever trying to get quads and hams like Tom Platz and the other doesn’t want to add so much as one more ounce of muscle to her legs, it makes for a mismatched training duo. We usually ended up arguing. I would get upset that she only needed a minute to recover from squatting

“WE ALL HAVE SOME LEVEL OF GENETIC LIMITATION, BUT THE FACT IS THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE EVER ACTUALLY REACH IT. MOST NEVER PUT IN THE TIME AND EFFORT BECAUSE THEY’VE SET LIMITS ON WHAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE, OR THEY BELIEVED IN LIMITATIONS OTHERS TOLD THEM EXISTED.”

135 lbs (61 kg), while it took me a good two or three before I could hit another set with 315 lbs (143 kg) to 405 (184). Having an irrational aversion to making anyone wait for me, it killed me to see her standing around looking like I was holding her back from continuing on with her workout, and I often accused her of impatience. That was all in my head of course, which further got on her nerves. After a while it was clear that we needed to do legs on our own. My companion now was my iPod, feeding me the soothing strains of Slipknot, Godsmack, Metallica, Pantera and Marilyn Manson. I worked at my own pace, did the exercises I needed to, and all was well again. Occasionally, I would train legs with one of a handful of guys at the gym if they happened to be starting when I was. On this unseasonably hot day in late September, my client’s dad was walking toward the corner of the gym where most of the leg-training equipment resided. “Got legs today, Jeff?” I queried. Indeed he did, and he was happy www.ironmanmag.com.au

Model: Robert Hatch

www.ironmanmag.com.au

Australian Iron Man \ 61

Model: Mike Morris

A BODYBUILDER IS BORN

62 / Australian Iron Man

“i liKe doing [sQuats] last now beCause i don’t need to go as heavy to get the same feel in my Quads, and it’s a lot safer on my baCK.”

Model: Hunter Labrada

for both the company and the motivation. All you had to do was look at Jeff to know that leg day was not his favourite. It had been less than a month since our frank conversation in which I let him know that unless he put in some seriously hard work building up his back and especially his legs, he shouldn’t even think about stepping on a bodybuilding stage again after 30 years, as he planned. So we got down to it, doing leg extensions, leg presses, lying leg curls and seated leg curls before I picked up my stuff and headed over to the squat rack “Whoa, what, we’re doing squats?” Jeff asked, incredulous. “Yeah, I like doing them last now because I don’t need to go as heavy to get the same feel in my quads, and it’s a lot safer on my back,” I explained. “I actually got the idea from Jay Cutler, who I think you would agree has some decent wheels on him.” “Yeah, but I’m 52 years old,” he stammered. “I shouldn’t be squatting.” I looked him up and down. “Really?” I asked. “So, if I’m 41 now, when do I need to stop?” That threw him for a loop, and it took him

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a minute to formulate a comeback. “It’s not like my legs are going to get much bigger anyway,” he explained. “You can’t really build your legs once you’re past 40.” Jeff stated that as if were a fact, not the decades-old myth that it was. “If your legs were already huge, I might agree with you,” I began, “but you’ve never worked them very hard.” He was about to dispute that but instead shrugged his shoulders. He knew that it was true. “Let me tell you a story told to me by two-time Arnold Classic champion Kai Greene,” I said. “When Kai was a teenager back in Brooklyn, a female personal trainer noticed his potential and decided to help him out by showing him how to do all the basic bodybuilding exercises. One day he asked her why they never trained calves. She said, ‘Oh, well, you’re African-American, so you’ll never have good calves.’” “Wow,” Jeff commented. “What a bitch.” “Indeed,” I concurred. “But Kai decided that was a bunch of crap and started working his calves that very day just to spite her and prove her wrong. Today, Kai does not have the best calves in the sport, but they sure ain’t bad. If he had believed the bull that working them was a complete waste of time and he had no chance of ever building them, they would still be the sticks they were when he was younger. Kai was also told he would never amount to anything in life and later that his dream of being a top pro bodybuilder was impossible. Guess he showed them, didn’t he? Two Arnold Classic titles and two runnerups at the Mr. O ain’t too shabby.” “Yeah,” Jeff agreed. “When you were on the way to making your fortune, I’ll bet a lot of people tried to discourage you and tell you to settle for more mediocre goals, didn’t they?” He nodded. “They sure did. And when the real estate market crashed, all I heard was how I was going to lose everything I had.” “Good thing you didn’t listen, huh?” I asked. “So why would you pay any more attention to those morons who say there is some magical age cut-off where you can’t squat and you can’t build an ounce of muscle on your legs? Can’t you 64 / Australian Iron Man

Model: Kai Greene

A bodybuilder is born

“Kai was also told he would never amount to anything in life and later that his dream of being a top pro bodybuilder was impossible. guess he showed them, didn’t he? two arnold ClassiC titles and two runner-ups at the mr. o ain’t too shabby.” see how ridiculous it is? We all have some level of genetic limitation, but the fact is that very few people ever actually reach it. Most never put in the time and effort because they’ve set limits on what they can achieve, or they believed in limitations others told them existed. So, Jeff, are you gonna do some freaking squats with me now, or what?” He did them, and his form had a lot of room for improvement — probably because he had only done three or four sets of squats in the past 20 years. I was patient, though, and would not let him give up. By the end of the workout he was starting to get the hang of the proper movement, and I could see he was encouraged. “I never went down deep like that; it’s a lot harder,” he noted. “Ass to the grass, “I replied, “because nothing will build your

quads and hams like full squats. Just don’t plan on going up or down any stairs for a couple of days.” He looked alarmed at that, but I did feel it my duty to warn him about the intense soreness that would be settling into his entire lower body by the evening. Setting limits on what you can and can’t do is the worst form of self-sabotage. Once you are able to overcome those negative perceptions, you are well on your way to being all that you can be. What will you ultimately achieve? I can’t tell you for sure, but I can promise you that you are capable of more than you think you are, and you will never know until you break free from the shackles of limiting beliefs and give it all you can. Ron Harris is the author of Real Bodybuilding, available at ronharrismuscle.com. www.ironmanmag.com.au

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B

y now you probably know that things went pretty much true to form at the latest version of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, which was held in Columbus, Ohio, on March 1. Pre-contest fave Dennis Wolf, carrying 270 pounds (122 kg) of hardcore beef on his 6’ frame, muscled his way to a unanimous victory in the 11-man field. That doesn’t mean that everyone agreed with the decision — but, then again, does everyone ever agree? I had no problem with the big guy from , who now calls Las Vegas home, winning the show, but others, like US Iron Man Publisher John Balik, felt that Shawn Rhoden, who once again trailed Wolf by one placing (Dennis was third at the ’13 Olympia, Rhoden fourth), should have left the Veterans Memorial Auditorium with the first-place check for $130,000. For that matter, J.B. would have placed Cedric McMillan in second, with Wolf third. Two things are no secret regarding my thoughts on Wolf’s physique: 1) He’s an imposing fella, sporting impressive, wide shoulders and back, a small waist, good quads and excellent conditioning; 2) his lack of calf development is more apparent due his otherwise dominating presence, and for that reason I didn’t place him above Phil Heath or Kai Greene at last season’s Olympia (although I would have been okay with him edging Kai). Some folks think my sentiments about the weakness in the calf region are out of proportion. They point out

Rob Czempinski

Rob Czempinski

The top 6 Pro Men.

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that others, like the Big Nasty himself, Ronnie Coleman, have won the Sandow multiple times with inferior calves. Well, they weren’t that inferior, and the rest of him was so dominating it more than compensated. Rhoden does have a classic physique, with lines reminiscent of Ken ‘Flex’ Wheeler, who co-owns (with Dexter Jackson) the all-time record of four Arnold Classic wins. Still, I felt that Super Shawn wasn’t as sharp as he’d been at the past two Olympias, and my vote — albeit a nonofficial one; they still don’t give the emcee a say — would have put Rhoden in second. It’s a case of apples and oranges, of course — a larger, thicker man against a cat who’s not as huge but has superior lines, a smaller waist, etc. Dorian Yates (sans calves, of course) vs. Wheeler, if you will. And we know who won when those two legends did battle. The biggest news of the ASC, at least for me, was the vastly improved performance of McMillan, who finished one slot behind Rhoden. I was getting tired of predicting, ever since he tore up the NPC Nationals in 2009, that Big Mac was going to be a great pro. He did win the New York Pro in 2012 and the FIBO show last year, but he also had subpar showings at the ’13 ASC (sixth), New York Pro (12th) and Olympia (12th). Now, Cedric still wasn’t at his best in Columbus, but he’s narrowing the gap. At 6’1” and around 265 lbs (120 kg) he has the size and the shape to battle anybody on stage, at any contest. Tighten up even more, Ced, and you just may fulfill the predictions of those who called you the “next Lee Haney”. Australian Iron Man \ 67

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

1. Dennis Wolf.

4. Victor Martinez. 68 / Australian Iron Man

6. Branch Warren.

8. Brandon Curry.

2. Shawn Rhoden.

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3. Cedric McMillan. www.ironmanmag.com.au

All Pics this spread Roland Balik

11. Fred Smalls.

Victor Martinez looked better than I’ve seen him in recent times, and I agreed with his fourth-place finish. He’s approaching his 41st birthday, but don’t think the Dominican Dominator doesn’t have plenty of gas left in his tank. Evan Centopani was in good shape and held his own in the deepest ASC line-up in years (even without the injured Roelly Winklaar), making a solid fifth-place landing. At 31, Centopani still has time on his side and, at just under 6’ and 260 lbs (118 kg), he looked better than he did at the ’13 Olympia, where he finished 13th, and should still be considered championship material. Two-time ASC winner Branch Warren, who turned 39 two days prior to the event, rounded out the top six. Branch was packing an insane amount of muscle but wasn’t able to prove that his ‘off’ showings at the past two Olympias (fifth in 2012 and ninth last year) were just bumps in the road. This warrior has had a great career, with six pro wins, including the two ASC victories, along with five Most Muscular awards, and finished second at the Olympia in ’09. Is that career winding down? Ask me again at the end of the contest season. Ben Pakulski, who finished behind only Jackson a year ago, fell to seventh in the tougher field, followed by Brandon Curry (eighth), Toney Freeman (ninth), Ed Nunn (10th) and Fred ‘Biggie’ Smalls. Okay, so Toney could only manage a ninth-place finish in Columbus, but the man turns 48 at the end of August! I thought the X-Man looked pretty darn good, nearing the halfcentury mark or not. , men enter masters divisions at 40 in NPC events; this guy continues to go pose for pose against the best in the

world. I tip my cap to Toney Terrific. Biggie may have ended up at the end of the line-up, but he was first with the crowd with his alwaysentertaining posing routine. The posing award, which he won in 2013, was removed from the agenda (along with the Most Muscular trophy), but I’m giving Smalls the honour again this year. Of course, it’s lacking the 10 grand that came with it last season, but Biggie was the biggest of them all when it came to supplying the most enthralling routine of the show.

212 department

The inaugural Arnold Classic 212 contest got the event off to a terrific start, with three of the top-four finishers from the Olympia 212 Showdown taking to the Vets Memorial stage. As expected, James ‘Flex’ Lewis walked off with the $25,000 checque for topping the field, as he did at the past two Olympias, and once again David Henry ended up in the runner-up slot. The 212 contest produced one surprise, though — Aaron Clark upset Jose Raymond and Hidetada Yamagishi in the battle for third. Clark, the ’12 NPC USA Light-heavyweight winner, was in great condition — some folks even felt that he could have slipped by Henry into second. Yamagishi, making his 212 debut, landed in fourth, with Raymond in fifth and Charles Dixon, who stands 5’3” and change, rounding out the top six. The 5’5 1/2”, 210-pound (95 kg) Lewis told me backstage that this will be his last year in the 212. He’s taking off the 2015 season to pack on more muscle (it was hard even to type those words) and then will return in 2016, at 32, to take on the big guys. I think he’ll acquit himself quite well.

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7. Ben Pakulski. www.ironmanmag.com.au

5. Evan Centopani.

9. Toney Freeman.

10. Ed Nunn. Australian Iron Man \ 69

3. Aaron Clark.

Roland Balik

4. Hidetada Yamagishi.

Roland Balik

Roland Balik

6. Charles Dixon.

1. Flex Lewis. Top 6 212 line-up.

PUMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE THE BATTLES FOR THE FITNESS, FIGURE AND BIKINI INTERNATIONAL

By Ruth Silverman

itness: Grishina the Queena. Pole fitness was the much ballyhooed new sport at the Arnold Sports Festival and astonishing as those athletes were, they had to take a back seat to Oksana Grishina, who climbed a pole of her own to slide past defending champ Tanji Johnson into the and Fitness International title. The routines were particularly

— brought her into second overall, while Tanji, whose last-minute routine switch, which was inspired by the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl win, proved her undoing, had to settle for third. Cisternino, who won the physique round (Grishina won the routines, natch), took fourth in the line-up of 14, and Trish Warren turned in a solid performance to round out the top five.

F

70 / Australian Iron Man

good this time, with Ryall Graber, Allison Ethier, Michelle Blank, Amanda Hatfield, Whitney Jones, Bethany Cisternino, Danielle Ruban and Melinda Szabo getting high marks from this reporter. Not to be overlooked, however, was veteran Regiane DaSilva, whose two-sided ‘Barbie Girl’ performance was the best we’ve seen from her perhaps ever. It — and her improved physique

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Rob Czempinski

Rob Czempinski

5. Jose Raymond.

Roland Balik

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

all — which was not to say that she was ‘ripped’. Titone and her tiny waist, 11th last year, have been steadily moving up, and her presentation was spot-on. Still, the judges seem to have a predilection for Camala’s balanced, statuesque body (she was sixth last year), and I was not surprised to see her end up in the third spot. Titone took fourth, her best showing ever at a major competition, and Lewis was fifth. Wilkins might not have been on stage, but she certainly had an effect on the line-up. Everyone seemed to be trying to match — or beat — the conditioning she displayed in winning the Olympia last fall. If I had five bucks for every pound of leg mass lost in that effort, I’d be a wealthy woman. Bikini: The cult of Kalt. Lest you think that the changing of the bikini guard at the Olympia — where Ashley Kaltwasser and Yeshira Robles outsassed established champs like

Nathalia Melo and India Paulino — was a fluke, the judges made themselves clear in Columbus. Kaltwasser got a unanimous thumbsup for first (they like her; they really like her), while Robles landed solidly in second. What’s up with that? I found myself defending the judges’ choice in a contest wrap-up video with Dave Palumbo and Tad Inoue at RxMuscle.com. If she’s “not as conditioned” as some of the others and they choose her, perhaps that’s the point. Ashley’s 5’5” physique features a long torso and a tiny waist flaring out to a rounded…Well, you get the idea. Whatever your theory, the cult of Kalt is definitely in fashion. Moving up in the line-up of 16 was everybody’s favorite, Amanda Latona, who earned her best placing yet at a major by taking third. Melo, who won the Olympia in 2012, was fourth; Stacey Alexander landed in fifth; and

Rob Czempinski

Figure: If it ain’t broke. After Olympia champ Nicole Wilkins pulled out of the Figure International due to injury a couple of weeks before the show, there was little question that it was defending champ Candice Keene’s to lose, and she didn’t. Some wondered whether defending runnerup Heather Dees would look good enough to challenge for the win in the line-up of 17. She didn’t — which is to say that she repeated in the runner-up spot and so was not exactly chopped liver. Those places were pretty well established in the callouts. The suspense, then, came in the form of placings three through five. The judges worked Candice Lewis, Camala Rodriguez McClure and Ann Titone in every possible combination, but who did they really like for third? Lewis, third at this show last year with her pretty physique, was perhaps the most conditioned we’ve seen her, abs and

Figure Pro line-up. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Australian Iron Man \ 71

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

Fitness winner Oksana Grishina.

Figure winner Candice Keene.

defending champ Paulino had to settle for sixth. Best moment. Celebrating my 20th trip to what is now called the Arnold Sports Festival, and as always it was action packed. Because of the projected tearing down of the venerable Veterans Memorial Auditorium, more than 72 / Australian Iron Man

the usual number of memories were triggered. I recall how much the event has changed (no more lunch for the media after the men’s judging) and how much remains the same (Arnold’s corny charm as he interviews the winners — did he really check out the figure champ?). This

Bikini winner Ashley Kaltwasser.

year’s most special moment took place on Saturday night when my boss, US Iron Man publisher John Balik, received the Arnold Lifetime Achievement Award. I was totally farklempt even before he thanked us all in his thoughtful acceptance speech. Well done, Mr. Balik. And well deserved. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Fitness Pro line-up. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Aussie Figure Pro Amanda Doherty.

All Pics this spread Rob Czempinski

Bikini Pro line-up.

Arnold with Oksana. Australian Iron Man \ 73

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

AUSSIES AT THE

ARNOLD 2014 Report and photography by Rob Czempinski

James Cant.

Sophie Guidolin.

74 / Australian Iron Man

www.ironmanmag.com.au

Limping out of one of the worst winters in US history, Columbus, Ohio, reserved some of the bitter chill for our 13 Aussie athletes as they arrived to compete in their respective divisions at this year’s event. The annual Arnold Sports Festival amasses 18,000+ athletes across 45+ events including this, the eighth annual Arnold Amateurs.

H

ere’s the heads-up on the basic running of the event. All of the pre-judging is held at the Veterans Memorial (Vets). The Fitness division pre-judging has two separate rounds — routine and body — and each round represents 50 per cent of their score. The pre-judging runs swiftly as continual streams of athletes, across all divisions, are put through their respective pre-judging criteria. Progressively, throughout the day’s events, the judge’s scores are tabulated while the athletes nervously wait backstage for the announcements and postings of those through to the finals. Each class/category in the men’s and women’s Physique, Fitness, Figure and Bikini call 10 finalists whereas the Men’s Bodybuilding only the top five. These athletes continue their Arnold Amateur competition into the final round, culminating with the awards and trophy presentation. The finals for the Masters Figure, Men’s Masters and Classic divisions are held immediately after their pre-judging at the Vets. The remaining finals and trophy presentations are held at varying times over the Friday and Saturday on the Arnold Fitness Expo Stage inside the Greater Columbus Convention Centre. Top five in Men’s Bodybuilding, Men’s Masters, Men’s Classic and Women’s Physique finals perform individual free posing routines to their supplied choice of music. OK, so here’s how it played out for our Aussies: Thursday. The Men’s Classic bodybuilding had two classes with the short class kicking off at 4 p.m. so it wasn’t long until our first Aussie athlete, Takis Venios, was on stage in the Classic Talls. This was the largest Classic division I had ever seen — massive in both competitor numbers and the physiques displayed. Takis was in good nick but today he was simply out-muscled. The routine round was the first of the two rounds that make up the Fitness division. In a meagre performance by our Aussie, Christine Ray’s ‘dancey’ routine was lacking the strength, flexibility and endurance elements that score well and fulfill the judging criteria, indicating that she may have been carrying some sort of injury. Bikini Class A (Short) Bikini competitor Sarah Allen offered a slightly tighter version of her physique

Takis Venios.

aussies at the arnold results Lightweight U70 kg 6. Neil Gardner

Light Middleweight U80 kg 13. Paul Jayilian 15. Pedro Relvas

Men’s Classic Tall (Over 175 cm) 22. Takis Venios

Men’s Physique C Class 9. Scott Porter

Men’s Physique D Class 3. James Cant

Fitness Short 6. Christine Ray

Figure D Class 6. Eliyan Lobez

Figure E Class 2. Andy Forbes 4. Emillie-Jean Bisgrove-Cole

Figure Masters Medium 5. Jodie Parker

Bikini C Class 11. Sarah Allen

Bikini D Class 5. Sophie Guidolin

with well-rounded delts sitting nicely upon her shoulders and faint lines running through her quads, but going by her callouts in this and other divisions, I can only assume she was judged, possibly, too hard/muscular for the bikini class on the day. It was in the very next division where we had Sophie Guidolin’s slender, leaner Australian Iron Man \ 75

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

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Scott Porter.

Neil Gardner.

Paul Jayilian.

Pedro Relvas.

physique receiving the earlier, more favourable callouts, further adding to my previous assumption. Going by the callouts, Sophie looked to be through to the finals. Having earlier performed her routine, Christine was back for the body round and in a much stronger showing, which had her in the first comparison callout. Hopefully Christine’s pleasing X-frame, sweeping quads, small waist and full delts had scored well enough to place her inside the top 10 for the finals. The Figure divisions were chock full of talent and our next Aussie was in the D Class. Eliyan Lobez’s excellent shoulder-to-waist ratio, conditioning and stage presence bought together an impressive package that should see her well inside the top 10 and progressing into the finals. It was very close between our two Aussie athletes, Emillie-Jean Bisgrove-Cole and Andy Forbes, in the F Class as both presented fantastic physiques with slight differences in conditioning. Andy was a little tighter and drier than Em but I wasn’t sure if that was working for or against her in the judge’s eyes. Going by the callouts and comparisons, it was quite possible our girls were jousting for the first few placings. Both were easily through to the finals and brought closure to the day’s events around 10.30–11 p.m. Friday. Just the 10-minute walk from the hotel, across the bridge and back to the Vets had me numb to the core. The sub-zero temperatures plummeted even further when you added the wind chill factor and it wasn’t until around 8.30 a.m. — a full 30 minutes after arriving — that I could actually feel my hands again! In a strong Figure Masters field, Jodie Parker was the first Aussie for the day. Jodie’s balance and conditioning was bang-on, landing her in the first comparison callout. Jodie was in great nick but didn’t have the overall size and structure as the forerunners. Should be very close to a top five finish The Men’s Physique had incredible numbers. All up, 134 competitors across six height classes. After qualifying for the Arnold Amateurs in his very first comp, Scott Porter backed up his rapid rise when called for comparisons amongst the forerunners of this division. This should see the former NRL player returning for the finals. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Sarah Allen.

Emilie-Jean Bisgrove-Cole.

Andy Forbes. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Christine Ray.

Young gun James Cant has a ripper physique and such a strong stage presence. Forever drawing your eye and displaying his cheesy grin, this definitely works for him and scores well with the judges. James was clearly through to the finals and I personally had him taking out this division. Next was the awards/trophy presentation for Figure Masters divisions. It was a very stoked Jodie Parker who was awarded fifth place in a quality line-up. The under 70 kg Bodybuilding division was an incredible, quality line-up, which (after researching) included a former world champion (2011) and last year’s Arnold’s runnerup competing on the same stage as our former Aussie pro Neil Gardiner. Although Neil qualifies for the Masters (by quite a few years), and may have had an easier run into the finals among his peers, he didn’t appear too far off the leaders and could possibly crack the top five in the open weight class. Pedro Relvas and Paul Jayilian rounded out the Aussie BB blokes and had them both competing in the under 80 kg division. Pedro was in great condition and Paul looked to have added some size since his last Arnold appearance. Both guys were a little outsized compared to those inside the top 10 but in this deep field of 24 athletes, both held their own. Both look to be placed around the middle of the pack. It was approximately 1.30–2 p.m. and the urgency for food, loo and allowing enough time get to the Arnold Fitness Expo Stage inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center for the 5 p.m. Physique Finals outweighed watching the remaining men’s BB divisions. Skilfully navigating my way through the meandering hordes attending the expo, I arrived at the expo stage replenished and ready for the Physique finals. The main expo stage is enormous. I mean it’s really, really big. So much so that MC Shawn Ray could easily announce the athlete’s full name and country (state for USA) well before the athlete could complete the walk from the back to the front of stage! Commencing with the under 163 cm Women, we moved through the height classes where, in this round, the 10 finalists, as a group, would complete their compulsories (poses for women and quarter turns for guys) before leaving stage. Only the top five would return. Australian Iron Man \ 77

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

Christine Ray during her fitness routine.

Jodie Parker.

Women’s Masters Bodyfitness top 5. 78 / Australian Iron Man

As Scott’s class (174–178 cm) were exiting stage after completing their quarter turns, I thought he could still be in the mix and may sneak into the top five. Next class (178–182 cm) produced another strong round for James. No doubt he was in the top five and still my pick to take it out. While we eagerly waited for the men’s top five to be called back onto stage for presentations and placings, the women’s five finalists from both classes performed their individual free posing routines. Unfortunately, Scott was missing from the final five from his class but just to be on this stage, cracking into the top 10 in only your second show, speaks volumes as to the potential Scott has in this division. Our confident young Aussie James Cant was in the final five in his class. At the youthful age of 20, James’ chiselled, athletic physique is balanced and symmetrically proportioned. Devoid of any arrogance, his strong stage presence and charisma is only bolstered by his beaming smile and relaxed attitude. Although I had him taking it out, he was awarded third place and, given the incredible line-up, at such a prestigious world event, third was nothing short of a massive, monumental result. The guy who placed first in James’ class went on to win the overall Men’s Physique title. James Cant… James can…and will very soon! [And, of course, he did — winning his Pro Card at FitX the next week — Ed] Without haste, the time was nigh for the Pro Figure International, Pro Fitness International and Pro Men’s 212 Finals commencing back at the Vets. I bravely trekked through the arctic blizzard that engulfed much of the Buckeye state. Consequently, the prolonged exposure to the Siberian conditions and my depleted immune system capitulated into a serious case of ‘man flu’. Special mention: Our only Aussie Pro, Amanda Doherty, epitomises such as role model, ambassador, motivator, inspiration and icon. Amanda has previously graced the prestigious Arnold stage and I vividly recall the 2003 Fitness International with Amanda repping Oz. The incredible mother of four produced a career-best result placing a very creditable 10th. Before the final placing of my lens cap, I hope to have the pleasure of getting a shoot with www.ironmanmag.com.au

MenÕs Physique 182cm top 5.

Women Bodyfitness over 169cm top 5.

one of the enduring pioneers and icons of our sport. Saturday. Drawing on every ounce of my intestinal fortitude, I dragged my weary bones into the press pit at the expo’s Main Stage for the amateur finals. It was fantastic to see Fitness competitor Christine Ray make the final 10. Christine placed sixth but will progress swiftly with the inclusion of specific elements into her routine as her package is bang-on. Our first Figure finalist was Eliyan Lobez in D class. At the completion of the quarter turns, Eliyan, as one of the 10 competitors making the first finals, looked great and we should have but didn’t see her inside the top five. Even after a further 48 hours had ed, the Figure Class E continued to be hotly contested. The final washwww.ironmanmag.com.au

Eliyan Lobez.

up produced magnificent placings for our Aussies girls, with Andy Forbes awarded second place and EmillieJean Bisgrove-Cole a solid fourth. Only five points separated second to fourth. Huge congrats to both for an awesome contest and the spectacular results you both achieved. The last Aussie athlete on the 2014 Arnold Amateur stage was Sophie Guidolin. After completing the quarter turns with the 10 finalists, I didn’t expect Sophie to be called in the final five. Not that she wasn’t deserving. I had it close but I was stoked to see her walking out with the final five in the B Bikini Class. Awarded the very creditable fifth, the Aussie lasses smashed it up. Barely able to muster the strength to pull on a beanie, and in a semiconscious state, I somehow found

myself lying in a crumbled mess back in my hotel bed. While the man flu ravaged my lifeless corpse for several long hours that afternoon — and missed the pre-judging of the Pro Men and Bikini International — there was no way I wouldn’t make the finals. As the events of the 2014 Arnold Sports Festival drew to closure, the Arnold train continues to roll on, progressively gaining momentum, diversifying and spreading worldwide; 2015 is the birth year of the Arnold Australia. And perhaps it’s just a sign of the times, but 2014 has seen the final events to be held at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The building is set for demolition, where for one last time we witnessed nearly 1000 amateur athletes from 62 different countries descend upon its stage. Australian Iron Man \ 79

ARNOLD CLASSIC 2014

The OAK and I WHEN SILVIO MET ARNOLD By Silvio Morelli

With the expansion of the Arnold Sports Festival empire into Australia next year — and Blitz Publications and Multi-Media the official media partner — it was with huge anticipation that I met the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger for an exclusive interview. The man is super-busy but he managed to give me a few moments of his time to talk about fitness, the festival and coming to Australia.

Silvio Morelli: Thank you very much for allowing time with you. You’ve devoted a major part of your life to bodybuilding and in doing so inspired countless others to do the same. But the rate of obesity in Australia and America is continuing to climb. How can we bridge that divide? How can we encourage more people to pursue a healthy lifestyle? Arnold Schwarzenegger: Well, we have been on a very successful fitness crusade for the last 45 years and I would say that the amount of people that have started working out has increased tremendously. I 45 years ago you couldn’t find a gymnasium when you travelled around the world. Now, anywhere in the world, there’s a gymnasium. But not only that, every sporting club, every military base, every fire station, every police station, every high school — they all have weight rooms now. So everything has turned around. I think that weight training is a means to ultimate fitness, strength and to improving your own sport. So the fitness crusade has been successful, more magazines are being sold than ever before, more food supplements are being sold than ever before — and also, more gym equipment is being sold than 80 / Australian Iron Man

ever before. And you can see how popular this convention is, which we’re bringing to Australia next year. We are the number one event in Ohio here of the whole year. We have 200,000 people here [at the expo] — we have 50 different sports, we have 18,000 participants. It’s really extraordinary.

together. The same was with martial arts; when they were fighting over martial arts styles, we brought them all together and said, ‘Have your own competitions here.’ And so everyone is very happy.

SM: The event started off as a bodybuilding competition. How did it evolve to include all the different sports?

SM: The Arnold Sports Festival expands into Australia next year. What made you and the Lorimers decide to partner with Australian promoter Tony Doherty and bring this amazing event to Australia?

AS: The bodybuilding events became so popular that the less-popular sports, which didn’t get much of an audience, came to us and said, ‘We would like to be part of the Arnold Classic.’ And we said, ‘Absolutely.’ We promote sports — all sports, not just bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is our anchor and we made it our foundation but we welcome any sport. So we’ve had cheerleading competitions come us, we had gymnastics competitions come to us, we had archery competitions come to us, pole dancing….all these different sports that normally don’t get a huge crowd. Here they have tens of thousands of people walking through and watching them, so the idea is to not alienate anybody or to say, ‘You’re not really a sport, we are not interested’. We want to bring everyone

AS: Well, you know, we are big irers of Tony. I have also known [IFBB Australian President] Paul Graham for many, many years, since the late ’60s; we’ve been very good friends and he promoted the Mr. Olympia in 1980, which I won in Sydney, Australia at the Opera House. Tony of course has been known as a great, great national promoter, not only for bodybuilding but also with the [FitX] expo and to bring all the different manufacturers of clothing and equipment and food supplements together, so we’re gonna do it now bigger than he has ever done. And we are challenging him to step it up — even though he is already doing the greatest job — we are challenging him to basically go the next step up. www.ironmanmag.com.au

MELBOURNE 2015 MARCH 13TH, 14TH & 15TH

www.arnoldclassic.com.au See page 47 for details

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smart training

Best between-sets

rest for mass By Charles Poliquin

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longer a muscle is stressed, the less rest it needs between sets. Because variety is an essential training principle, I believe it’s also important to vary your rest intervals. Despite the established cause-andeffect relationship of varying rest intervals, failure to do so limits

adaptation to the training stimulus. This concept has yet to be validated in the scientific literature, but it has been my experience that it positively favours the rate and magnitude of strength and size gains — especially with elite athletes. In addition to reps and sets, there are several other factors to consider when

The more reps you perform, the lighter the weights you must use and the less rest you need.

Neveux \ Model: Dan Decker

Q: I see everything from 30 seconds to four minutes as the best rest to take after each set. Which should I use for building muscle mass? A: The most important principle to consider about rest intervals and how they affect bodybuilding is that there is an inverse relationship between reps and rest: The more reps you perform, the lighter the weights you must use and the less rest you need. Most American exercise physiologists recommend a 1:5 ratio of work-to-rest for training the ATP- system, which is the energy system involved in high-intensity muscular contractions. A 1-to-5 ratio means that whatever time it takes you to complete a set, it takes you five times as long to recover adequately from the set. Still, not everyone is in agreement with the Americans in the field. Canadian exercise physiologist Norman Gionet believes that a 1:5 ratio does not provide sufficient recovery for the ATP- system; he recommends a ratio of 1-to-12-to-18. The late sprint coach Charlie Francis was also a strong believer in long rest intervals. He suggested a ratio between 1:20 and 1:30. I am in full agreement with that. A nervous-system cell takes five to six times longer to recover than a muscle cell. So, even though energy stores may be nearly replenished by a ratio of 1:5 or 1:6, your nervous system has not recovered enough to activate effectively the fast-twitch fibres responsible for muscle growth. And if the nervous system cannot activate the fast-twitch fibres, what is the point of performing another set? Although counting repetitions is a convenient way to determine work performed, it is more precise to consider how long it takes to complete a set. The amount of time it takes to complete a set is referred to as the ‘time under tension’, or TUT. As with reps, the

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Neveux \ Model: Doug Brignole

Varying your rests between sets will trigger more muscle growth.

determining rest intervals. I’ll address three of them here: training experience, muscle mass and strength levels, and aerobic fitness. Training experience. Tolerance to short rest intervals with loads in the 60 to 80 per cent range (six to 20 reps) is a function of years of accumulated training. The lactate build-up resulting from that type of training is tolerated only by the well-conditioned trainee. Therefore, rest intervals must be shortened for advanced trainees only, as in beginners the lactate build-up will interfere with proper exercise performance. In fact, to prevent excessively high lactate build-up, I frequently alternate upper- and lower-body exercises in the workouts I prescribe. Muscle mass and strength. The bigger and stronger a trainee, the longer the rest interval should be. There appears to be a direct linear relationship between the length of the rest interval and the bodyweight of the trainee. Thus, a heavyweight bodybuilder would need a longer rest period than a lightweight. Aerobic fitness. The more aerobically fit an athlete is, the shorter the rest interval should be — that’s the theory. The problem is that aerobically www.ironmanmag.com.au

fit individuals are normally weaker and have physiques with minimal muscle mass. It’s also been my experience that they tend to rush between heavy sets to maintain a high heart rate. Apparently, they have a hard time grasping the concept of resting for a long time between heavy sets to bring about neural adaptation. Unfortunately, a high heart rate by itself does not lead to maximum strength and mass gains. A weightlifter or strength athlete must emphasise complete recovery, but a bodybuilder has two choices when selecting the rest interval: nearly complete recovery or incomplete recovery. Here’s an example of inadequate rest and decreasing weight. This method allows only 60 seconds’ rest so that energy stores are not completely resynthesised. You tend to fatigue at about 10 per cent per set (four or five reps): Set 1: 100 lbs (45 kg) x 10, rest 60 sec Set 2: 90 lbs (41 kg) x 10, rest 60 sec Set 3: 80 lbs (36 kg) x 10, rest 60 sec Set 4: 70 lbs (32 kg) x 10, rest 60 sec That option is often used by bodybuilders for the ‘pump’ sensation that comes with it and is associated with high levels of growth hormone and lactic acid. It also increases the storage of glycogen and

phosphagens and the associated enzymes for their metabolism. That method creates hypertrophy but not for the same reason that heavy sets with long rests do. Heavier weights and longer rests favour growth of the contractile proteins, while the above method promotes hypertrophy through energy substrate storage. It follows that to stimulate maximum muscle mass, you need a combination of methods. Bodybuilders should use both types of recovery systems: nearly complete and incomplete. The bottom line is that you need to vary the rest intervals to trigger optimum progress in bodybuilding. Charles Poliquin is recognised as one of the world’s most successful strength coaches, having coached Olympic medalists in 12 different sports, including the U.S. women’s track-and-field team for the 2000 Olympics. He’s spent years researching European journals and speaking with other coaches and scientists in his quest to optimise training methods. Australian Iron Man \ 83

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www.ironmanmag.com.au

shredding

secrets a time-tested ripping regimen

By Tony DiCosta • Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: David Morin

e

ven if you don’t hit the beach all that much, getting shredded for summer is a goal of many of us. But if you don’t start soon, there’ll be no time to waist (forgive me) in shedding the extra weight and bringing out not only the must-have six-pack but also every other cut possible in the hard-earned new muscle you added over the winter. Why should you take my advice? Because I have trod the path of transformation myself, and many of the techniques I used to get my bodyfat down to below four per cent for the ’13 IFBB North American Championships — where I won the 60-andover division and the 50-andover bantamweight class and,

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ultimately, qualified for a pro card — can help you get in shape whether your goal is the beach or the bodybuilding stage. Here are some things about me that you may find relevant: 1) These techniques have proven successful for my personal-training clients and for many I’ve advised over the years. 2) I am genetically average, not a gifted mesomorph who is naturally lean and muscular, so I’m not inclined to gain or shed weight easily. 3) I have never had the advantage of using illegal anabolics to assist me in reaching my potential. 4) I live in the real world. I work full-time; I have a family and a mortgage.

Item 4 is particularly key for this article. Everything I suggest here had to the test of ‘Is it practical?’ Basically, if you can’t afford it, you don’t have time for it, or it makes everybody around you mad at you, then you will likely miss your goal. I will show you how that question factors into all of my shredding suggestions. That said, there is a bit of serious craziness in the pursuit of extreme conditioning; if you really want to enter the realm of the superlean, if you aspire to be a person who inspires others on the beach or in the gym (no matter what your size or age), you need to be prepared to go the extra mile. That will take doing things you have never done and being more ‘perfect’ than you ever Australian Iron Man \ 85

shreDDing secrets

occurring during athletic training is hunger. That’s right, get used to it. I keep in mind the words of IFBB pro Branch Warren: “I go to bed hungry; I wake up hungry.” That leads us to the first secret.

CalCulate Your Calories

Once you have settled on a diet menu (what you will eat) and the meal timing (when you will eat), you must establish your maintenance calorie level; that is, how many calories you need to stay at the same weight. From there you subtract calories to establish a weekly weight loss you can live with. That will tell you how much you can eat. You cannot guess at this. There are a number of good ‘calorie calculators’ to be found on the internet. Just punch that term into your favourite search engine, and chose one that allows you to factor in levels and frequency of exercise and a few other details. Subtract 300 to 500 calories from your maintenance to begin with, and work your way downward from there (as you probably will need to).

Everything I suggest here had to the test of ‘Is it practical?’

thought you could be. Most athletes never get there. Maybe you think I am going to give you a really killer diet. I’m not. The bodybuilding magazines and websites are full of them (darn good ones too). Find one and stick with it. What I am going to do is lay out a series of techniques you have probably already

heard about but never tried. (Maybe these ‘secrets’ aren’t so secret after all.) Putting it all together is what will make the difference between a nicely lean eight per cent physique and a shredded, “What planet is he from?” four per cent. Know this going in: The one constant in any true ripping phase

Model: Ako Rahim

the Calipers Don’t lie

In the beginning your scale and your mirror will be helpful in gauging your fat loss. Ultimately, though, you can’t trust either of them. If you get your nutrition, rest and training right, you may find yourself in an extremely anabolic state, putting on muscle even as you are dieting. Your muscle gains may just keep pace with the fat loss, in which case your scale may tell you that you need to cut more calories when you are actually doing great. Even your mirror will fail you as you get deeper into cutting up and are looking so closely at yourself that you can’t tell if you’re really seeing changes. That is when a set of calipers comes to your rescue. A caliper-based skinfold test (done in either three sites or seven) will quickly and cheaply tell you exactly how you are doing. An inexpensive set of calipers with instructions can be had from any number of bodybuilding suppliers, such as Bodybuilding.com.

You are onlY human

Learn to recognise when the urge to eat is driven by something other than the biological need for nutrients. 86 / Australian Iron Man

Pillar of strength and highly-trained athlete though you may be, recognise that you will be dealing with the same emotions that every minivan-driving soccer mom on a diet goes through. You will need to distinguish true www.ironmanmag.com.au

physical hunger (brought on by a below-maintenance calorie intake) from ‘emo-hunger’, the emotional urge for the comfort of eating during times of stress (a shredding diet itself being a source of stress) or the needs of habit (a pizza during your football game). Learn to recognise when the urge to eat is driven by something other than the biological need for nutrients.

Popcorn? That’s right! A few grams of this highfibre wonder will pop up into a big bowlful to keep you from going crazy during a movie at home.

have a Fall-baCk position

Take a lesson from the annals of warfare. Good military leaders plan in advance what they will do and where they will go if a battle goes against them. It will be a position that can be defended easily and will keep the unit from losing any more of the valuable ground previously gained. For you and me that means having something to fall back on when the stress of

Model: Ben Booker

Putting it all together is what will make the difference between a nicely lean eight per cent physique and a shredded, “What planet is he from?” four per cent. training, dieting (and sometimes life in general) just becomes too much. It will be some form of low-calorie food that will satisfy your craving without causing you to lose a lot of previously gained ground. My fall-back snacks are beef jerky and popcorn. Don’t laugh. If you buy the right beef jerky — be very careful, as some flavours contain a ton of sugar — it can take forever to eat the stuff is so tough. Plus, you take in a good amount of protein. And popcorn? That’s right! A few grams of this high-fibre wonder will pop into a big bowlful to keep you from going crazy during a movie at home. But (and this is a big but) you pretty much have to pop it yourself — without adding a ton of butter or a lot of salt. You can, however, spray it with some olive oil or coconut oil and get in a little good fat and flavour at the same time. Sprinkling on some stevia works great too.

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SHREDDING SECRETS

attention to getting a full stretch, as your abs are rarely worked in that range. I did it, and my abs were fuller and deeper than when I did daily high-rep work. Also, because a fully detailed midsection completes the shredded look, pay close attention to your external oblique and serratus anterior muscles. Do not work your obliques or transversus abdominis with waistline-widening weighted twisting movements but with contraction movements such as hanging knee-ups to the side.

solve the CarDio ConunDrum YourselF

Model: Ken Yasuda

Don’t bother debating whether steady-state or high-intensity-interval training will burn a few more calories. Use both — on different days, of course. That’s where the practicality test comes in. Let’s say yesterday was leg day and a quick 20 minutes of

FinD Your ‘stimulant sWeet spot’

HIIT would kill your already tortured quads, but an hour of steady state won’t work because your boss doesn’t want to hear that you are in training for the Mr. Oshkosh title when you’re late for work. Skip the gym trip and take a fast half-hour walk around the block. That will work great because of the next ‘secret’.

There are many highly effective thermogenic diet aids on the market. I find them very helpful when used with proven fat-burning supplements such as raspberry ketones, CLA, green coffee bean and others. Here’s the secret: Too much stimulation will bring on stress (just as too many cups of coffee can), and stress will bring on cortisol — which will stop your body from burning fat and cause it to store calories faster than a squirrel stashing acorns for the winter.

Instead of doing daily, timeconsuming ab marathons, work your midsection one or two times per week using enough resistance to hit the 12-to-15-rep range. Pay particular 88 / Australian Iron Man

praCtise intermittent Fasting

Instead of doing daily, timeconsuming ab marathons, work your abs one or two times per week using enough resistance to hit the 12-to-15-rep range.

Model: Tamer Elshahat

Work Your abs as You WoulD anY other musCle

In the beginning your scale and your mirror will be helpful in gauging your fat loss. Ultimately, though, you can’t trust either of them.

Basically, that means skipping breakfast. Emerging research has proven what I found out on my own: Going without food for a minimum of 12 to 14 hours, usually between your last feeding in the evening and lunch, is great for burning fat while preserving muscle. Combined with the morning cardio of your choice — fasted, obviously — you won’t find a better way to lose fat. And practical? www.ironmanmag.com.au

You have the added benefit of one less meal to prepare, and the cost savings add up too. It takes a little getting used to, but it becomes easy after a while. For a treat — and to ‘reload’ — have a nice breakfast, with carbs, on the morning of one leg day per week.

CYCle Your Carbs

I do not advocate super-low-carb diets. I have used them effectively, but they fail the practicality test. Life just gets too hard on a ‘keto’ diet, and you will probably lose a lot of muscle (not to mention friends) along the way. Instead, time your carb intake based on your energy needs and use. Try this: After your intermittent fast, keep your first meal high in protein and low in carbs (or devoid of them). That will continue to promote fat burning. In the two-to-

three-hour window before your next workout, however, be sure to get enough slow-to-medium-fast carbs — anything from apples to brown rice to sweet potatoes — to power you through a good workout. Then, immediately after your workout, get in 30 to 50 grams of fast carbs. Wait at least an hour before having a high-protein meal. Your last meal of the day should be high in protein and low in carb.

the Devil is in the Details

What kind of secret is that? Well, to get into a freaky-lean state, you will have to pay attention to myriad small details that can make the difference between success and failure. Many of them you will have to discover for yourself, but here are a few I learned (some the hard way):

1. Never shop when you are hungry. 2. Always have your diet food prepared in advance or at least ready to cook quickly. 3. Mercilessly remove from your diet any traces of sugar or other fast carb that can spike your insulin. If

I do not advocate super-low-carb diets. They fail the practicality test. Life just gets too hard on a ‘keto’ diet, and you will probably lose a lot of muscle (not to mention friends) along the way. in doubt, water is your beverage of choice — and lots of it. When you are in the Twilight Zone of getting shredded, even tiny things like substituting zero-calorie creamers for milk in your morning coffee can make a difference. Taking noncaloric BCAAs before bed and in the morning will keep you anabolic. And the final secret is…

Your Diet began beFore You starteD Dieting

Corso Photographic

This is probably the hardest secret to embrace. Super-leanness is a year-round proposition. Outdated ‘cutting and bulking’ cycles fail the practicality test, putting too much stress on your mind, your body and everyone around you. It’s far more impressive, effective and healthful to stay relatively lean all the time. Enduring 12 weeks of painful dieting and cardio only to rebound to an even chubbier state is such a waste. Try to make these so-called secrets a part of your lifestyle and you will be rewarded on a daily basis — not just when the siren call of summer beckons you to the beach.

Tony DiCosta. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Tony DiCosta, who’s in his 60s, is a successful national-level masters bodybuilder. Australian Iron Man \ 89

The PREPARED MEALS revolution In recent years, there has been a bit of an explosion in prepared meals programs and companies. These aren’t the weight loss meals designed for people who need to restrict their caloric intake in order to lose excess fat. The companies we’re concerned with are those that cater to the bodybuilding and fitness industry, the companies that create prepared meals designed to build lean muscle and maintain mass. Either available at gyms or delivered to your door, these meals for your bodybuilding needs are only the crest of a new wave of nutritional resources at your disposal. 90 / Australian Iron Man

Note: All nutritional information provided by the companies. www.ironmanmag.com.au

MEALS FOR MUSCLE

CORE Powerfoods www.corepowerfoods.com.au

Born in the western suburbs of Melbourne in 2010, CORE Powerfoods emerged to service the growing interest in nutrition-based fitness programs. Working closely with its early customers, CORE Powerfoods developed COREpak — an innovative nutrition concept that effectively preserves high nutrition and great taste in an easy-to-heat convenience meal. The two founding directors, Jacob Richardson and Sean Worth, bring experience from diverse backgrounds in sports, commercial cooking, retail and the elite fitness industries. Together they saw an opportunity to provide high nutrition food in the crossover between elite sports, extreme fitness and general health markets. CORE Powerfoods remains completely focused on providing high nutrition, high convenience, great tasting food. On this simple philosophy, CORE Powerfoods has quickly established itself as the industry leader. With the recent launch of our Autumn menu, CORE’s 34 unique products continue to set the industry benchmark for flavour and nutrition. In recent weeks, the New School pack has become our top selling meal and boasts high-performance macros, lean cuts of chicken tenderloin, authentic homemade Portuguese marinade and fresh, local vegetables.

Sample nutritional :

New School

New School’s moist chicken tenderloins are ignited with a burst of citrus and a hint of chilli. Green vegetables provide a clean and refreshing balance. Built from a traditional Portuguese recipe, New School is a memorable taste experience. Selling point: High nutrition, extensive range, superior taste. Availability: All product is sold through our network of retailers — quality gyms, health clubs and specialist supplement stores — in Victoria and Western Australia and soon to launch in other states.

Serving size: 350g Energy Protein Fat, total – saturated Carbohydrate – sugars Sodium

Average per serve 1390kJ 63.6g 5g 1.4g 4.3g 1.7g 99mg

Average per 100g 396kJ 18.2g 1.4g 0.4g 1.2g 0.5g 28mg

5.4

www.fivepointfour.com.au At 5.4, we pride ourselves on delivering delicious, healthy meals to your door every week. Making a lifestyle change and eating right used to mean giving up some of your favourite foods, but not anymore. 5.4 started as a small scale, personal kitchen delivery service. Initially, we catered for clients five days a week, four meals a day, hence the name 5.4. However, as we progressed, we listened to our clients and manipulated daily meals to three a day. This provides not only flexibility for those of us who lack the time to sit down for breakfast but also better value and easier management of our clients’ fridges and freezers.

Sample nutritional :

Shepherd’s Pie Serving size: 450g Energy Protein Fat, total – saturated Carbohydrate – sugars Sodium

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Average per serve 3330J 51.7g 35.2g 10.5g 62.4g 16.2g 215mg

Average per 100g 740kJ 11.5g 7.8g 2.3g 13.9g 3.6g 48mg

Each meal plan is based specifically around our customers’ needs, working to achieve their goals while providing along the way. At 5.4 we focus on deg meals that meet our customers’ individual requirements. Our emphasis is on lifestyle. From busy professionals, working parents to fitness fanatics — we cater for everyone! Our Shepherd’s Pie is one of our most popular meal options. The biggest change? We swapped the typical mash on top for sweet potato, and loaded it up with veggies so it’s big on flavour and will fill you up after a big workout. Meals are delivered in a health certified polystyrene container, complete with dry ice packs to ensure meals are always cold. Selling point: Delivered direct to your door. Availability: Available in South East Queensland from Noosa to Tweed Heads, Brisbane to Toowoomba and Ipswich.

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MEALS FOR MUSCLE

Zuji Nutrition www.zujinutrition.com.au

Zuji Nutrition began as a project to provide meals for INBA Pro Justin Firgaira while flying to America and training for Musclemania 2012. Zuji understands that for a professional, athlete eating is part of your job. Because of this we take no shortcuts on product or process. Things that set our Athlete’s Focus range apart from other ‘meals’ on the market include: • Strictest portion control in Australia with biggest standard size serves • AIS- and AFL-compliant recipes — no creams or other undesirable ingredients, performance only. • Modern cooking techniques — we don’t bake or fry; our meats have less denatured protein • Only company to spiral chill our meals — more nutrients locked in than blast chilling, longer shelf life, no preservatives Today our meals are available at serious gyms and supplement stores across Australia. World title athletes across multiple sports rely on our meals day in day out. Just ask Joel Ramintas, Ange Galati, Aaron Curtis, Chris Bradford, Paul Jayilian, Wayne Howlett and many others; they’ve tried everything on the market, and they all chose Zuji Nutrition.

Sample nutritional :

Zuji’s Chermoula Chicken with Sweet Potato Moghrabieh is a meal for sustained high energy featuring lean Australian chicken breast with a Moroccan-style seasoning and the superfoods freekah and mogriabieh. Along with sweet potato, this meal is a complete carbohydrate solution for maximum energy — either for post-workout or when you need a calorie surplus. Selling point: Spiral chilled meals for longer shelf life, locking in more nutrients. Availability: Available in gyms around Victoria.

Chermoula Chicken with Sweet Potato Moghrabieh Serving size: 400g Energy Protein Fat, total – saturated Carbohydrate – sugars Sodium

Average per serve 2400J 59.4g 14.8g 4.0g 45.7g 5.7g 267mg

Average per 100g 600kJ 14.8g 3.7g 1.0g 11.4g 1.4g 67mg

Workout Meals Delivered www.workoutmeals.com.au

It’s not a one size fits all world, so why are your meals? Everyone’s individual nutritional needs can vary day to day, person to person. Workout Meals offers a menu designed by ‘The Nutritional Chef’ who is Le Cordon Bleu trained, with customised quantities catered to your requirements. YOU build your custom meals on our ordering system; perhaps you’d like 220g of chicken, 170g veg, 70g brown rice OR no carbs at all? No Problem! YOU choose the amount of protein, YOU choose the carbs, YOU choose the vegies! Build your meals according to your own requirements by selecting the quantity of each ingredient. You control and build all meals while checking your macronutrients of each meal on our dynamic nutritional information . Simply said, we’re unique, just like you. Sample nutritional :

Chicken Grab & Go Energy Protein Fat, total Carbohydrate Sodium

94 / Australian Iron Man

Average per serve 479cal (2004kJ) 39.7g 9.5g 27.6g 113.2mg

Our meals are always delivered fresh, never frozen, twice per week, ensuring freshness and convenience. While 99 per cent of our meals are custom made and that’s the main focus of our business, we do have Grab & Go packs if you’re just getting started and don’t know what to try. Grab & Go meals give you the option of pre-measured meals — Slim Meals aimed at fat loss and Mass Meals aimed at building lean muscle. Selling point: Custom made fresh (not frozen) meals for your specific requirements and delivered to your door. Availability: Currently available in Sydney.

www.ironmanmag.com.au

Get RIPPED... Delavier’s Core Training Anatomy is your guide for increasing core strength, stability, flexibility, and tone. Whether you’re just beginning your routine or looking to enhance an existing conditioning program, Delavier’s Core Training Anatomy presents the most eective exercises and workouts for the results you want. It’s all here, and all in the stunning detail that only Frédéric Delavier can provide.

Order online at ironmanmag.com.au

96 / Australian Iron Man

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Interview by Daniel Hedger • Photography by Marco Ovando Hi Anna. Thanks for talking to Australian Iron Man. Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into bikini competing? Have you always been into fitness? I have always been an active person. I loved and participated in all kinds of sports in my teens. The older I got, the more I started going to the gym, but with a lack of knowledge in training and nutrition, I couldn’t achieve the physique I’ve dreamed of. Doing cardio for an hour-and-ahalf and thinking less is more, I kept my meals to a minimum (at around one or two a day), not understanding why results weren’t knocking at my door. That routine kept on until I discovered weightlifting. As soon as I established a proper diet to go along with my newfound love for weights and heavy lifting days, results finally showed up. Seeing constant progress, www.ironmanmag.com.au

I decided to see how I’d stack up in a bikini competition and entered a show. My first show I won my class and Overall; right after, I signed up for five more shows in a three-month period and the rest is, as they say, history. It all started as a hobby, which I managed to turn into a career that I absolutely love.

You turned pro at the Arnold Classic 2013. How has your life changed since then? Arnold Classic 2013 felt like a fairy tale, I couldn’t believe I was there, let alone had won my class and Overall — I was overwhelmed with emotions. What made it much more satisfying is that my preparation for the show was exhausting and stressful. I being in a cab on my way to the airport to leave for the show, telling my boyfriend over

the phone that this was going to be my last competition and I was going to give up, but life had other plans for me. Earning that overall title and professional status was life’s reward for everything I put myself through to get ready for that show and after winning, I couldn’t just stop, so once again, I was hooked. I strongly believe in destiny and took that as a sign that I should do my best to make the most out of any opportunity that’s put in front of me. My life changed completely after that event and it changed in the best way possible.

Take us through your average workout week. Be as detailed as you like. I usually work out 5–6 days a week. I perform 4–5 weightlifting workouts a week and 4–5 cardio sessions a Australian Iron Man \ 97

ANNA STARODUBTSEVA

week depending on my contest prep stage. I always change my workouts according to my current goals. If I am trying to cut down a little, I add some more cardio to my regimen; if I try to gain some lean mass, I cut down my cardio and increase weight lifting, but heavy lifting is always in my regimen. This is the base of my routine. I also like to implement plyometric exercises to my workouts; I believe it is very beneficial, especially for us women. My split looks something like this: Day 1: Legs, cardio Day 2: Cardio in the morning, shoulders later in the day Day 3: Cardio in the morning Day 4: Back Day 5: Plyos, cardio Day 6: Legs, cardio Day 7: Rest

What is your favourite exercise to do? Why? My favourite exercise is probably abductor machine. I have a few variations of using this equipment and it allows me to target my glutes to feel the burn.

What is your least-favourite exercise? Why? I hate training my shoulders, because it’s one of my weak points. I push myself to the max during every workout, even though sometimes it feels like torture to me, but seeing major improvements over the years motivates me to push harder.

What is your nutrition like? Do you have a specific nutrition strategy? My diet is pretty simple. I eat 5–6 small meals a day; I include lean protein in each meal. I vary healthy fats and carbs depending on my current goals. If I’m getting ready for a contest, I like to cycle my carbs; usually it’s high-carb day followed by three low-carb days. On my low-carb day I increase my healthy fats intake and I decrease it during my high-carb days. I’ve tried many variations of dieting throughout the years and feel like I found one that works perfectly for me. I am very happy with my current diet plan.

Is there much difference between your off-season diet and your precontest diet? I try to keep my shape consistent and healthy all year round. It’s not just 98 / Australian Iron Man

diet for me — it’s a lifestyle. There are minor tweaks, but all in all they are both very similar.

Do you have a favourite cheat meal? I love my cheat meals, who doesn’t? Nothing beats a nice, big, juicy burger with fries. I have a few favourite restaurants in New York and almost all of them are burger ts. I try to stay away from sugar, but rarely — every once in a while — I’ll indulge in some nice desert.

Can you give us a list of your competition achievements so far? New Jersey State Championship 2012 – 1st place and Overall Brooklyn Grand Prix 2012 – 1st place New York Grand Prix 2012 – 4th place New England Championship 2012 – 5th place

NPC Eastern Show 2012 – 1st place Arnold Classic Amateur 2013 – 1st place and Overall (Won pro card) Pittsburgh Pro – 14th place New York Pro – 13th place Tampa Pro – 13th place St. Louis Pro – 16th place Arnold Classic Bikini International 2014 – 16th place

When can we next see you on stage? My next competition is the New York Pro; it will take place on May 17, 2014 in New York. I’m very excited to step on that stage again and show my improvements to the judges and the crowd. Last year at this show I came in 13th place.

What would be your advice to someone thinking about competing for the first time? www.ironmanmag.com.au

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The most important thing to keep in mind while getting ready for your first contest is that you have to do it for yourself, go in with an open mind and live the experience without any expectations. Ultimately, regardless of your placing, you are already a winner for putting your foot forward and your prize is the body you’ve built. Don’t get discouraged if you didn’t place well, there will always be another contest and plenty of room for improvement.

Tell us about your work with Optimum Nutrition. I have been sponsored by Optimum Nutrition for almost a year now and I am extremely happy and grateful to be a part of the most respected brand in the industry. Optimum Nutrition treats their athletes like family; I’ve met so many people through ON and look forward to continue working with them for years ahead. It truly is an amazing company to be a part of and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve been taking ON supplements before they sponsored me, so to be approached by a brand you love and believe in is a dream come true. Since I’ve been in the fitness industry, g with ON has been one of the best things that has happened to me thus far.

What are your favourite supplements? Amino Energy is number one for me. I take it every morning before my cardio and it gives me muchneeded energy along with all essential amino acids. Number two would be Platinum Hydro-Whey. I take this protein in a shake right after my cardio and I love every single flavour they have. It’s a very clean product that I can also include into my prep for contests, which is very helpful and convenient. Aside from those two, I also take Opti-Women on a daily basis. I recommend ON to everyone.

Thanks for chatting to us, Anna. Anything else you’d like to add? I’d like to thank you for this opportunity. Having recently visited Australia with team ON — I fell in love with this country. It’s very beautiful and unique; I look forward to my trip back here sometime next year. 100 / Australian Iron Man

www.ironmanmag.com.au

FAT CHANCE THE BIG FAT TRUTH ABOUT THE SATURATED FATS AND THE BUTTER VS. MARGARINE DEBATE. By Dayne Hudson

Muscle growth and fitness myths will forever prosper. Older gym rats will always down incorrect knowledge, thinking they’re doing the right thing. And in the world of nutrition, the same things occur. So it has been with the debate over saturated fats and butter vs. margarine. 102 / Australian Iron Man

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m

argarine has long been touted as a healthy alternative to butter, but how true is this? It’s long been thought that saturated fat (found in butter) is bad for our heart health, and polyunsaturated fats, specifically omega-6 fatty acids (like corn oil, found in margarine) could be the better option. Well, truth is, saturated fats aren’t as bad as we once believed. A study just released in March of this year1 added further weight to another handful of reports, which have concluded that saturated fats really aren’t putting our heart health at risk as much as we initially thought. In fact, the evidence against banning saturated fat is increasing — and quickly. So, where did this idea of saturated fat being terrible come from? Blame it on the notorious Seven Countries Study from decades ago that examined saturated fat intake and heart disease among just over 12,700 men2. It merely just showed a correlation between the two and, just like that, everyone was convinced. But just like other studies I’ve spoken about before, it was poorly designed, failing to take into smoking rates, how often participants exercised and sugar intake. Even worse, they left out data from more than 10 other countries and didn’t shed light on any of the other nations that had a high intake of saturated fat and next to no heart disease.

It’s as bad as going to the drivein theatre on a push bike — what’s the point?

tHe trutH

A recent review of a whole heap of saturated fat and heart disease studies (meta-analysis) concluded, “There is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease.”3 And this is not just a one-off; other studies have also come to similar conclusions about saturated fats.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 So is some butter to be avoided? Absolutely not. The key here, as it often is, is moderation. Also, although it’s still not a 100 per cent certainty, data11 also suggest that saturated fat may just increase testosterone — a handy hormone as far as your muscles are concerned.

SO IS SOME BUTTER TO BE AVOIDED? ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE KEY HERE, AS IT OFTEN IS, IS MODERATION.

It’s OK to consume some butter — but easy on the maple syrup and pancakes!

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fAt chAnce

Butter vs. margarine

So, we’re happy to give butter the approval, but what about margarine? When the myth of butter and saturated fat was born, many turned to margarine as a ‘healthy’ alternative — but were they really doing themselves any favours? A meta-analysis from 201012 reviewed the literature into polyunsaturated fats and their effects on people in relation to cardiovascular disease. One of the good points of this study was the attempt to examine the different reactions to the two main forms of polyunsaturated fat: omega3 and omega-6. (Keep in mind that margarine is very high in omega-6 fatty acids and butter is very low in them.) The meta-analysis found that increasing intake of omega-6 did not induce any positive health effects, although a blend of omega-6 and omega-3 did. The bad news for omega-6 was that a small statistical trend for omega-6 to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. To quote from the paper: “Advice to specifically increase intake (of omega6 polyunsaturated fat)…is unlikely to provide the intended benefits, and may actually increase the risks of (coronary heart disease) and death.” In 2013, those same researchers revisited their review, and included another old study, which they went back to review13. That old study was the Sydney Diet Heart Study, completed between the years 1966 and 1973, which examined 458 men aged 30–59 who had experienced a recent coronary event. And what did the meta-analysis conclude? “Substituting dietary linoleic acid in place of saturated fats increased the rates of death from all causes, coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. An updated meta-analysis of linoleic acid intervention trials showed no evidence of cardiovascular benefit. These findings could have important implications for worldwide dietary advice to substitute omega 6 linoleic acid, or polyunsaturated fats in general, for saturated fats.” Ouch. It was a good idea to trawl back over old studies, armed with fresh information from the years that followed. However, the original conclusion remains the same: there was an increased risk of death in the men consuming a diet rich in 104 / Australian Iron Man

One source of omega-3 fatty acids is flax oil and flax seed.

A diet high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats doesn’t seem to be good for your heart health.

omega-6 fatty acids, with risk of death elevated by 62 per cent. But as far as the new findings go, things got even worse! Those who were eating the thenrecommended healthy heart diet

experienced increases of up to 74 per cent of dying from heart disease, and 70 per cent for cardiovascular disease. What was thought to preserve and protect heart health did exactly the opposite. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Some saturated fat in your diet may be OK, just probably not so many chips.

“But what about the Mediterranean diet?” I hear you say. “It has next to no saturated fat!” Yes, but it is LOW in omega 6 polyunsaturated acids, which might just mean, at this stage, they are the best fats to avoid. A study14 in the April 2013 New England Journal of Medicine concluded that a Mediterranean diet “substantially reduces the chance of a cardiovascular event, or stroke, amongst those at high risk”. This particular diet relies heavily on monounsaturated fat sources, such as nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc. So, at this stage, one thing looks relatively clear: a diet high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats doesn’t seem to be good for your heart health.

COnCLusiOn If you go by this research, it’s clear that butter is a favourable choice to margarine and that throwing out butter for the so-called ‘healthy alternative’ is a myth. That’s not to say omega-6 fatty acids should be avoided completely, but the idea that they should be chosen over saturated fats, based on the available literature, is inaccurate. www.ironmanmag.com.au

At this stage, it appears that monounsaturated fats and saturated fats should only be consumed in moderation, with omega-6 fatty acids to be kept as limited as possible. What we know so far is that saturated and monounsaturated fats are NOT ‘bad’ and omega-6 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, don’t seem to be the way forward for improving heart health. Although more research is required, it seems currently that saturated fats aren’t the devil they were once labelled to be. Dayne Hudson is the host and creator of TV show Fit’n’Flexed, soon to be seen on the Ten Network. You can watch the show and read plenty more interesting articles from Dayne on fitnflexed.com. References (1) Chowdhury R et al. Association of Dietary, Circulating, and Supplement Fatty Acids With Coronary Risk: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):398-406406. doi:10.7326/M13-1788 (2) Keys A. Coronary heart disease in seven countries. Nutrition, 1970. (3) Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, KRAUSS RM. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):535-46. (4) Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease: the discrepncy between the scientific literature and dietary advice. Hoenselaar, R. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, High School of Arnhem

and Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Nutrition. 2012 Feb;28(2):118-23. (5) The questionable role of saturated and polunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. The Ravnskov U. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 1998 Jun;51(6):443-60. (6) Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and composistion of human aortic plaques. Felton CV, Crook D, et al. The Lancet, 1994 Oct 29;344(8931):1195-6. (7) Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox. Knopp RH, Retzlaff BM. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004 Nov;80(5):1102-3. (8) Dietary fats and health: dietary recommendations in the context of scientific evidence. Lawrence GD. Advances in Nutrition, 2013 May 1;4(3):294-302. (9) Dietary saturated fat intake, is there really an association with coronary heart disease? Rehman MS, Student RI. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, 2012 Apr;62(4):411. (10) Saturated fat, carbohydrates and cardiovascular disease. Kuipers RS, de Graaf DJ, et al. The Netherlands Journal of Medicine, 2011 Sep;69(9):372-8. (11) Volek JS, Kraemer WJ, Bush JA, Incledon T, Boetes M. Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol 1997;82:49-54. (12) Ramsden CE, et al. n-6 fatty acid-specific and mixed polyunsaturate dietary interventions have different effects on CHD risk: a metaanalysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr 2010;104:1586-600 (13) Ramsden CE, et al. Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis BMJ 2013;346:e8707 (14) Estruch R, M.D et al. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet. N Engl J Med 2013; 368:1279-1. April 4, 2013.DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1200303. Australian Iron Man \ 105

mini-routines for

maXimum gains

use QuicK bonus blasts for groups lacKing mass

By Greg Zulak • Photography by Michael Neveux

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B

ack in the early 1970s there was an exceptional British bodybuilder named Brian Eastman. He trained six days a week, but he didn’t do full workouts for each muscle group every time he went to the gym. Sometimes he did what he called ‘mini-workouts’ — just four or five sets for a muscle instead of a full routine. Minis are an ideal way to give much needed muscle groups extra work without overtaxing the nervous and recovery systems. How would that work with a onebodypart-a-day split? Here’s how it works for me. On my physique the quads, hamstrings and chest are the worst muscle groups, while my back and delts are the best. So I do the extra work for my chest and my quads on different training days. Many bodybuilders don’t realise that it’s not necessary to do a complete workout to give a muscle extra work. Just four or five sets added to another day’s workout is enough to help stimulate more growth but not so much that you risk overtraining. Here’s the routine I use: Monday: Quads, calves Tuesday: Pecs, lats Wednesday: Hams, lower back, glutes Thursday: Rest or calves Friday: Quads (mini), delts, traps Saturday: Chest (mini), arms Sunday: Rest or begin cycle again My mini-quad routine on Friday consists of just four sets of old-style hack squats — holding a barbell behind my glutes. My mini-chest routine on Saturday consists of four or five sets of bench presses, which not only gives my pecs a good workout but also works the triceps strongly. Using these short, intense little blasts, I can train my chest and quads more than once a week yet not have to worry about overdoing it. With a thoughtful choice of exercises you can create mini-workouts for other muscle groups too. For instance, on arm day you can do four sets of www.ironmanmag.com.au

reverse-grip chins as part of your biceps training, which will give your lats a nice hit as well.

on arm day you can do four sets of reverse-grip chins as part of your biceps training, which will give your lats a nice hit as well. Although the above routine is devised to avoid overtraining, some people may need more rest and recovery time. If that’s your situation, you may be better off training on a two-days-on/one-dayoff schedule while still working each muscle group directly once a week — plus the mini routines. The longer split looks like this: Day 1: Quads, calves Day 2: Pecs, lats Day 3: Rest Day 4: Hams, lower back, glutes Day 5: Quads (mini), delts, traps Day 6: Rest Day 7: Chest (mini), arms Day 8: Rest Day 9: Cycle begins again Naturally, you should do miniworkouts for your worst muscle groups. While mine are quads and pecs, yours may be delts and lats. In that case you do the lats mini on delt-and-trap day and the delts mini on arm day. Four or five sets of wide-grip chins or pulldowns are a good choice for delt-and-trap day along with a mini of seated rotating dumbbell presses, behind-the-neck presses or laterals on arm day. You get the idea. Australian Iron Man \ 107

MINI-ROUTNES FOR MAXIMUM GAINS

mini-blasts with supersets I have had great success using miniroutines, specifically ones with supersets. Here are a few examples — I usually do three rounds: Mini-delt workout: One-arm cable laterals supersetted with one-arm cable upright rows. Mini-biceps workout: Incline curls supersetted with standing dumbbell curls. Mini-triceps workout: Two-dumbbell pullovers supersetted with lying dumbbell extensions. Mini-quad workout: Front squats supersetted with back squats. Mini-lat workout: Wide-grip pulldowns supersetted with undergrip pulldowns. Mini-ab workout: Crunches supersetted with planks. Notice that you don’t have to move to another piece of equipment to do the second exercises for any of these combos — and in most cases you’ll use the same weight for both exercises. Of course, you won’t be able to get as many reps on the second one. For example, on incline curls say you get 10 reps. Then, when you stand up and launch into standing dumbbell curls, you will probably get only five or six reps. This superset mini-workout concept enables you to cram quite a bit of concentrated work into an extra workout for a lagging muscle in a very short time. — Steve Holman

The really nice thing is the flexibility you have with these. If you feel your muscles will benefit from a few extra sets, you can do them. If you feel you haven’t completely recovered from your previous workouts, you don’t have to do them. It’s up to you. If you are going nowhere on your current routine, give the mini-routine concept a try. Adapt it to fit your own needs, and you should see some very nice gains, assuming you eat enough protein and get enough calories. I’ve added two inches to my thighs and an inch and a quarter to my upper arms in the past two months — proof positive that mini-workouts can lead to maxi gains. To get Greg Zulak’s free e-book on building maximum muscle size, visit his website, www.gregzulak.com. 108 / Australian Iron Man

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LAL HA

I TRAL

A

A

US

NATURALLY HUGE

Setting up a solid

body part split By John Hansen

Q: How can I set up a muscle split that has me training four days a week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday? I want to give delts priority because they’re lagging, but I don’t want to overtrain them or overlap with chest and triceps. Your advice is greatly appreciated. A: Your training split will depend on your training experience and your ability to recuperate. A bodybuilder who is relatively new to training — six months to two years — can usually train each muscle group twice a week and still recuperate and grow. Also, younger trainers can train more frequently because

they seem to recover much more quickly than older ones. When I was in my early 20s, I trained four days a week, working each muscle group twice a week. I used the pushpull system, working chest, deltoids, triceps and calves on Monday and Thursday and legs, back, biceps and forearms on Tuesday and Friday. If you want to focus on delts, that might not be the best choice for you. Although you would avoid overtraining your deltoids, because you’re working all the pushing muscles in one workout, you’re also in danger of tiring out your delts too much during the chest work to specialize on them afterward.

The push-pull workout is great for focusing on the basic exercises and building up size and strength. As you become more advanced and start using more resistance in your workouts and want to focus more on the individual muscle groups; however, it makes sense to split up your body into three or even four training sessions instead of just two. For example, if you trained your body over three workouts, you could work chest and arms — triceps and biceps — on the first day, legs and abs on the second day and shoulders and back on the third day. That would be an excellent routine for you because

Neveux \ Model: Samuel Dixon

Your training split will depend on your training experience and your ability to recuperate.

110 / Australian Iron Man

www.ironmanmag.com.au

Neveux \ Model: John Gioffre

If you’re focusing on delts, the push-pull split may not be the best choice for you.

you would be able to focus all of your efforts on your deltoids by training them first on the third day, and you wouldn’t have to worry about overtraining them because you don’t do any other pressing movements — for chest or triceps — on that day. In order to get more out of your workouts, you may want to add a rest day to your schedule. When I’m using the three-days-on/one-day-off training cycle described above, I like to take an extra rest day after the first two days of training. Here’s how that workout looks: Day 1: Chest, arms, calves Day 2: Abs, legs Day 3: Off Day 4: Delts, back Day 5: Off www.ironmanmag.com.au

Cycle begins again If you’re going to stick with training four days per week, you can still use that split, but you may have to be a little creative in of what days you want to take off from training. You don’t want to work chest and delts back to back, as both of those muscle groups either directly or indirectly work the deltoids. Here’s a schedule for training four days a week and using the three-day split:

WEEK 1

Monday: Chest, arms, calves Tuesday: Abs, legs Wednesday: Off Thursday: Delts, back Friday: Off Saturday: Chest, arms, calves

WEEK 2

Monday: Abs, legs Tuesday: Delts, back Wednesday: Off Thursday: Chest, arms, calves Friday: Abs, legs

WEEK 3

Monday: Delts, back Tuesday: Off Wednesday: Chest, arms, calves Thursday: Abs, legs Friday: Delts, back John Hansen has won the Mr. Natural Olympia and is a twotime Natural Mr. Universe winner. Australian Iron Man \ 111

ANABOLIC RESEARCH

Side effects and plant-based

supplements By Jerry Brainum

112 / Australian Iron Man

as being a more direct source of testosterone than DHEA, since it was a step closer in the synthesis pathway to being converted into testosterone. Subsequent studies, however, many of which included bodybuilders, showed that andro, similarly to DHEA, could take an alternate pathway that involved

conversion into estrogen. Andro did share another property with DHEA, in that both substances more reliably boosted testosterone in women than they did in men. After andro appeared, a number of other pro-hormones were developed and marketed commercially. As

The third-generation pro-hormones worked because they contained actual anabolic steroids, cataloged in a 1968 book by Vida, that had been considered too dangerous to market. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Neveux \ Model: Zdenek Voprada

A

s I’ve noted frequently in this column, there is a huge demand for supplements that have the ability to boost natural anabolic hormones, specifically testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1. Insulin is also considered to be an anabolic hormone, in the sense that it helps prevent excessive muscle breakdown. In that way it tips the balance toward anabolic, or building, effects in muscle and away from catabolic, or breakdown, effects. No specific supplement is touted to boost insulin, since simple carbohydrate will effectively do it. The other anabolic hormones are also affected by food intake, but there is still a strong desire to boost them into the high-normal range for bodybuilding purposes. In the early ’90s a new class of supplements came along to meet that need. The first of these ‘pro-hormones’ to hit the market was DHEA, in the ’80s, but the early DHEA supplements were of poor quality and were eventually removed from commercial sales. In the mid-’90s the first of the true pro-hormones was introduced, androstenedione, which was an intermediary in the testosterone pathway. Specifically, it was produced from DHEA and was just an enzymatic step away from being converted into testosterone. DHEA wasn’t as effective, as it could diverge into other pathways considered less desirable; for example, it could be converted into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, a metabolite of testosterone linked to prostate problems, acne and male-pattern baldness. Or the DHEA could wind up as estrogen, which can cause problems in both sexes. Androstenedione, or ‘andro’, as it was colloquially known, was d

expected, most were targeted for use by bodybuilders and other athletes, who ostensibly wanted the benefits of increased testosterone without the risk of using anabolic steroids or other drugs. The reports of the various pro-hormones’ effectiveness were mixed. Some s reported significant gains in muscle and strength, while others reported nothing. A few even mentioned side effects normally associated with anabolic steroids, such as acne and male-pattern baldness. The scientific studies on many of the second-generation pro-hormones also proved disappointing, with the majority showing little or no benefits but significant risk of some of the same side effects that often occurred with steroid use. So you had supplements that brought many of the same side effects as steroids but with none of the hopedfor benefits, such as muscle gains.

The problem was, there was a good reason that the steroids had never been marketed commercially. Most showed too high a risk-to-benefit ratio. Simply put, while they usually did have pronounced anabolic effects, their side effects proved too common and too serious for any company to contemplate marketing them. The studies that found the effects were conducted on animals. The actual possible human side effects were never examined, since the decision not to market the drugs was already made. In fact, it was only when the same steroid drugs were resurrected as ‘prohormone’ supplements in the early 2000s that their potential toxicity became apparent. Since they were oral drugs, s often suffered from liver toxicity that was similar to or even exceeded that produced by existing oral steroids. Still, they were effective

The highest estrogen readings occurred in those who ate the most soy protein — not surprising, as soy is rich in phytoestrogens.

www.ironmanmag.com.au

LAL HA

US

I TRAL

A

in boosting muscle size and strength, as they were actual drugs. These new category of supplements came to include drugs known as ‘designer steroids’, for which no research at all existed. Many were developed for the express purpose of beating athletic drug tests, as testing procedures depended on having an existing profile, or ‘fingerprint’, of a drug. No such profile existed for the designer steroids, since they had never been on the market. As with the hapless animals that had been exposed to some of the formulas in the ’60s, humans who used the third-generation pro-hormones soon developed some serious side effects that were documented as case histories in various medical journals. That caught the attention of the United States Food and Drug istration and led to an amendment being added to the Anabolic Steroid Control Act in 2005 that resulted in the removal of most of the tainted pro-hormones from the market. Even so, you still see some of them today, often in internet ads. Although they are clearly illegal, a

A

A lot of that changed with the introduction of the third and final generation of pro-hormone supplements. This group did prove effective, and many s reported gains in muscle size and strength. Normally, that would suggest a placebo effect: The s believed that the supplements would work, so they did. But there was more than a placebo at work. The third-generation pro-hormones worked because they contained actual anabolic steroids. To call these supplements ‘prohormones’ was inaccurate, since in many instances they were actual anabolic steroids that had been synthesised 40 years earlier but never marketed by pharmaceutical companies. Most of the formulas for those old steroids were cataloged in a 1968 book by Vida. So it didn’t take much effort for someone with a background in steroid chemistry to look up the structures of the old hormone drugs and then introduce them to the market as ‘new’ pro-hormones.

ANABOLIC RESEARCH

Just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. Arsenic is natural. few unscrupulous companies attempt to cash in on the demand for ‘natural testosterone boosters’ by selling them in defiance of the law. Recognition of the fact that so-called designer steroids are being sold as over-the-counter supplements recently led Congress to introduce a new law, the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014, which lists 25 current steroid additives in supplements and makes them illegal for sale. The law is also worded to prevent new formulas from being introduced. Perusing the labels of some of the alleged testosterone-boosting supplements that are still being peddled often reveals esoteric ingredients. Some use more common ingredients but disguise them by listing alternate names. An example is DHEA, which can still be sold legally. Many of the current pro-hormones are based on DHEA — but the labels instead list an alternate chemical name for it. In other cases, various ingredients that almost no one has ever heard of are listed. If you research them, you’ll find that most are plant based and are entirely legal. The salient questions for potential consumers: Are they effective, and are they safe? Regarding effectiveness, the honest answer is, no one knows. The research on many of them is scant, to say the least, usually involving a couple of animal studies, with no human data whatsoever. That’s an obvious problem — what happens in animals doesn’t always translate 114 / Australian Iron Man

into human physiology. Sometimes it does, however, but without any human research, it’s a shot in the dark whether these plant-based ingredients work. Another aspect to consider: Just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. Arsenic is natural, but it’s certainly not safe. The safety question of various plant ingredients found in supplements was recently examined.1 The study lasted six months and featured 740 trained subjects, including 420 bodybuilders, 70 cyclists and 250 fitness athletes. All had trained for at least a year, averaging one to two hours a day, three to six days a week. Of the 740 subjects, 26 said that they regularly used some type of plant-based supplement. As expected, 45 per cent itted that they had no knowledge of what those ingredients did. Lab tests of those using the plantbased supplements showed no signs of organ toxicity or damage. Most of the other lab values didn’t differ from what happened in control subjects, who didn’t use the supplements. Still, 15 of the 23 subjects who did use them showed marked hormonal changes — that’s 65 per cent. Specifically, 10 of the men showed a significant increase in progesterone, which, although produced in both sexes, is considered primarily a female hormone. Fifteen other subjects had abnormal estrogen levels, with five (two females and three males) having dramatic increases in estrogen. Two

male subjects showed increases in both estrogen and testosterone. What caused the changes in those using the plant-based supplements? The highest estrogen readings occurred in those who ate a lot of soy protein. That isn’t surprising, since soy is rich in phytoestrogens, which are plant substances that can act as weak estrogens in the body. The men with the higher progesterone levels consumed supplements containing ecdysteroids, which are insect hormones that some studies show may influence testosterone. Those with higher testosterone ate high doses of soy protein and products that contained ecdysteroids and tribulus terrestris, a plant-based supplement long touted to boost testosterone. Some studies, however, show that it more preferentially increases estrogen when used by young men. That, along with the soy, could for some of the higher estrogen levels seen in a few of the male subjects. While soy may boost estrogen when eaten in larger amounts, it also to some extent inhibits 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT. That would have the paradoxical effect of boosting both estrogen and testosterone when soy is used in larger quantities. The authors suggest that the primary problem with some of the plant-based ingredients is that they boost estrogen; however, smaller doses of soy have never been shown to do that. Indeed, smaller amounts of soy phytoestrogens are known to interfere with estrogen binding to its cellular receptors, which actually blocks estrogenic effects. So, if this study shows anything, it underscores the wisdom of the old saying, “Only the dose determines the poison.” 1 Borrione, P., et al. (2012). Consumption and biochemical impact of commercially available plantbased nutritional supplements. An observational pilot-study on recreational athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 9:28.

Jerry Brainum has been an exercise and nutrition researcher and journalist for more than 25 years. He’s worked with pro bodybuilders as well as many Olympic and professional athletes. You can visit his website at www.jerrybrainum.com. www.ironmanmag.com.au

TWIG TO BIG

A guide to building a rock-solid

physique and a life

pArt 2

By Vince Del Monte

L

ast month I discussed how becoming a dad is absolutely incredible but that nothing can prepare you for it. It is a huge game changer. Being the father of a newborn is incredibly challenging. If you’re also trying to gain or maintain lean muscle and eat healthfully, it’s even more so — but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your own health and physique, You just need to meet the challenges head-on. I discussed sleep and stress, diet and focus. Now let’s look at the remaining challenges: Challenge 4: ability. Needing and using ability is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Some people find they do better with ability at all times. Others just need it during particularly challenging times. Your ability may be something as small as having a buddy at the gym to check your progress or run sprints with you. What I chose to do was hire renowned coach Ryan Faehnle to write my workouts and meal plans, eliminating all guesswork and giving me a structured, progressive program to follow. Hiring a coach is one of the smartest things I’ve ever done — I’ve never believed in being your own coach. Anytime I’ve coached myself, I’ve gotten worse results. This way I not

only benefit from Ryan’s incredible knowledge and unique techniques but also get to hand over the reins to someone else so that I can focus on other responsibilities. I still need to manage my business and a team of 10 people. I need to and help my wife. But I also need to have definite goals to hit and a specific program to follow. By letting Ryan create my workouts and meal plans, I freed myself up to focus on those things. I realise that not everyone can afford to hire a great coach, and I’m not saying you can’t get results on your own. I will say, though, that you’ll always get faster results if you can find someone to help you stay

Neveux \ Models: Andy and Sam Haman

Find someone to help you stay able to your workouts and meals.

116 / Australian Iron Man

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Focus on what’s important, and create a schedule that reflects it.

able to your workouts and meals. a community, either locally or virtually. Partner up with a friend who’s interested in working together. Enter a transformation contest with a deadline. Follow a program designed by someone you look up to. Spend a few bucks on a program so that you have some money at stake. Donate money to a charity you hate if you don’t achieve your goals by a certain deadline. There are many ways to hold yourself able.

Neveux \ Model: Todd Smith

Challenge 5: time. You used to have a lot of it. Now you don’t. Even if your schedule was already jammed before the baby came, it’s completely covered up now. Aside from focusing on what’s important and creating a schedule, the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to get some help. No matter how amazing your wife is, she’s not superwoman. Don’t expect her to be able to take care of the baby and everything having to do with your home life as well. She may have a job outside the home, just as you do. Do whatever you can to help each other, but don’t be afraid to get help from others. Even if you can’t afford to pay for a cleaning service or gardener or whatever else, maybe you can barter for it. If you’re an ant, perhaps you know someone who can maintain your yard in exchange for help with his taxes. Maybe your wife’s a hairstylist and knows someone who would gladly clean one morning a week in exchange for free haircuts or colour. You get the idea. Let the in-laws and your parents or your friends help out when they offer. It’s temporary, and it’ll save your health and your sanity and keep your marriage healthy as well. I leave you with one last tip that has become my mantra whenever the baby is pushing us to our limits: “This too shall , soon to be replaced by something else.” It’s one of my favourite quotes and is so appropriate to raising a newborn. , it’s just for a short time — although I hear that the bigger the baby becomes, the bigger the problems become! Take steps to make sure that you stay on track so that you don’t have to start from square one when it’s over, and to cherish every single moment with your newborn, as they are moments you’ll never get back. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Australian Iron Man \ 117

AT THE MOVIES

Muscle movie news By Clint Morris

ExpEndablEs 3 CharaCtEr postErs!

A whole heap of character posters for this August’s Expendables 3 – starring the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Terry Crews and Ronda Rousey – have hit the www. Here’s a few to whet the appetite.

tErMinator: not gEnEsis

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions have announced the start of filming on the new Terminator — and it seems it’s no longer titled Terminator: Genesis now. Filming is now underway in New Orleans. The Terminator reboot is being directed by Game of Thrones and Thor 2’s Alan Taylor from a script by Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (Drive Angry) and will star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke (no relation), Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi and Byung Hun Lee.

FishEr’s Cyborg vs. aFFlECk’s batMan

Stage actor Ray Fisher has ed the cast of what will until further notice be known as Batman vs. Superman, taking on the role of Cyborg. Fisher s Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg and Amy Adams in the superhero skirmish. Cyborg, or Victor Stone, will not play a major role in the initial film, however will become more involved as the Justice League franchise progresses. “I think he would create an incredible bridge between superheroes and humanity,” said Cavill of the Cyborg character on a DVD feature. Filming is currently taking place in Michigan, USA, for a May 6, 2016 release.

50 CEnt in FEMalE 007 FliCk

Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson has ed the cast of an untitled spy comedy starring Melissa McCarthy. Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), the film — at one stage known as Susan Cooper — tells of an operative, played by McCarthy, who goes into the field for the first time. Jude Law plays a suave spy and Jason Statham plays an overconfident, clumsy spy. ‘50’ is said to be playing himself.

sMashing grEat nEws

Legendary bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno will lend his voice to the character of The Hulk — so he won’t be seen, just heard — in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. The Pumping Iron legend also provided the vocals for the emerald avenger in the first film. 118 / Australian Iron Man

www.ironmanmag.com.au

baCk in a Flash

That on-again off-again Flash Gordon movie is back on again…for the moment. 20th Century Fox has secured the rights to the comic strip fave, consequently tapping Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne (co-writers of the next Star Trek film) to write the movie. The duo will work from an outline penned by George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau). No director has been set, but it should go without saying that Nolfi would likely be in the mix, though. The last Flash Gordon film was released in 1980.

stillEr thE ChippEndalE

Ben Stiller is in talks to play a lead role in Alan Ball’s Chippendales movie. And no, he’s not playing one of the dancers. I Am Chippendables, to be written and directed by True Blood alum Ball, is an adaptation of the Rodney Sheldon book about Steve Banerjee, an immigrant who went from pumping gas to running a high-end nightclub that evolved into Chippendales. As the male-stripper concept became a phenomenon in the 1980s, Banerjee was consumed by excess and competition. After hiring a New York choreographer to polish the all-male dance troupe, he became wildly rich, and just as paranoid, hiring a hitman to murder the choreographer when negotiations went sour. Stiller, in a rare dramatic role, would play the New York choreographer hired to sparkle the band.

bad nEighbour For assoCiatE

Zac Efron will star in and produce a feature film based on John Grisham’s bestseller The Associate. The Bad Neighbours star will produce the drama, via his Ninjas Runnin’ Wild production outfit, alongside Red Wagon Entertainment’s Lucy Fisher and Doug Wick. Grisham’s legal thriller was originally published in 2009. The story follows a Yale Law School grad (Efron) who is blackmailed by a group of criminals. He’s told he must take a job at the world’s largest law firm, where he’ll be spying on their work in a dispute between two powerful defence contractors worth billions.

AT THE CINEMA transCEndEnCE (Roadshow)

Christopher Nolan’s cinematographer Wally Pfister makes his directorial debut on what might as well have been a reboot of The Lawnmower Man II: Beyond Cyberspace. Johnny Depp, video-Skyping in performance, plays Will Caster, an expressionless artificial intelligence researcher who, with his team — including wife Rebecca Hall — has been working on a machine that possesses sentience and collective intelligence, an event he calls ‘transcendence’. At a presentation, Caster is shot by a protestor. Desperate to save her husband, Mrs. Caster s Will’s consciousness into a computer. Lo and behold, it works and computer Caster strives for more and more power. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Jack Paglean’s script tries to have something deep, smart and thought provoking to say but it needed a more experienced director to pull it off. Pfister fills his frame with many pretty things, but none is a substitute for the enthusiasm, punch and direction the movie needs. And though the rest of his cast is fine (Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy and Kate Mara all give performances better than their co-star Mozilla Beta Depp XP 2.0), Depp gives a boorish, lazy and somewhat creepy performance. Had his character at least started out likeable and engaging, we might’ve been able to invest more in his character’s plight.

Expect the poster to be littered with quotes such as “Beautiful cinematography…”, “Looks pretty”, “Shot magnificently”, “Scenic”, and “If you loved the Dummy’s Guide to Defragging your Computer.. you’ll love Transcendence!” Australian Iron Man \ 119

AT THE MOVIES

thE aMaZing spidEr-Man 2 (Sony)

The aptly-titled Marc WebbÕs second Spider-Man film is a lot more confident, entertaining and enjoyable a film than its 2011 predecessor. The action sequences are marvellous, the visual effects are brilliant Ñ especially the Spidey swinging scenes; itÕs amazing how far technology has come since Sam RaimiÕs Spider-Man trilogy. Brit Andrew Garfield is even better second time around, giving a likeable, very droll and at times somewhat dominant turn as MarvelÕs lightest superhero. While not quite of the calibre of Spider-Man 2, let alone some of the other superhero films that have shocked critics into awe spasm (high-five Captain America: The Winter Soldier), itÕs definitely a sling in the right direction for SonyÕs questionable exercise in recycling. As the film opens, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is battling crooks when he should be sitting alongside sweetheart Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) at his high school graduation; Spider-Man has clearly taken priority over the relationship. While trying to keep his relationship intact, ParkerÕs forced to deal with a couple of time-intensive tasks: save the city from building-zapping mutant Electro (Jamie Foxx), and resist the urge to help dying friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), for fear the favour will not only reveal his secret to the world but put dangerous information into the hands of someone who might be able to sway from a straight path. The immense action sequences rule in the film Ñ perfectly staged, spectacularly captured and bursting with energy, they easily steal attention. The rest of it is 120 / Australian Iron Man

bad nEighbours (Universal)

entertaining but less because of the writing and more because of the various thesps involved, like the always-likeable and plucky Stone, impressive newcomer DeHaan and Garfield, who has really made the role of Spider-Man his own. But entertaining drama doesnÕt mean affecting drama. ThereÕs something very feigned about the films emotional, button-pushing beats Ñ you donÕt much care about the villainÕs plight; the moments of family drama donÕt quite play. The dramatic moments havenÕt been as well tuned as the expensive action and effects sequences. That said, while the 2011 reboot was little more than a serviceable distraction, the sequel is a huge improvement Ñ big, entertaining, and intriguing. Like SpideyÕs suit at the end of a hard dayÕs work, the franchise needs a bit more work before the cynics are truly won over, but thereÕs enough in this to at least guarantee most will be back for a part three.

Good-guy neighbour Seth Rogen takes on wild fraternity boy Zac Efron in a rather filthy comedy Ñ somewhat of a throwback to the smutty laffers of the Õ80s Ñ reminiscent of the classic John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd comedy Neighbors. A couple in their 30s (Rogen and Rose Byrne) with a new baby arenÕt too pleased to discover a college fraternity has rented out the house next door. Hoping itÕll convince the party boys to Ôkeep it downÕ perpetually, the couple set off to make friends with their young neighbours Ð and, after spending a night drinking and partying with them, believe theyÕve formed a bond built on mutual respect. But the parties and noise continues. Things sour between the neighbours when the couple decide to call the police, resulting in an all-out war between the houses. The thinly plotted two-hander (or is a three-hander? Rose Byrne, playing RogenÕs wife, has been added to the Australian posters for the film) is heightened by fun performances. In addition to the main trio, Dave Franco, playing EfronÕs bestie, and Lisa Kudrow, as the college dean, are a hoot. In her funniest role to date, AustraliaÕs Rose Byrne might just steal the show here Ñ but Zac EfronÕs chiselled frame definitely deserves a clap too. www.ironmanmag.com.au

ACHIEVE A

BREAKTHROUGH

IN SIZE and strength

Men’s Body Sculpting (2nd edition) by Nick Evans, MD, FRCS

Visit ironmanmag.com.au or call (03) 9574 8460 to order

AT THE MOVIES

noah (Paramount)

As impressive as it is perplexing, rebel filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Black Swan) moulds a number of different tones, ideas and shooting styles to tell the story of a shaggy man who had his way with animals. The Genesis tale is fleshed out considerably in an epic-sized production that combines drama, adventures, thrills and llamas. Russell Crowe is Noah, the man chosen by ‘the Creator’ to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before the great flood hits. The Creator, you see, is pissed off that man has turned into a sinful screw-up, so he’s starting again, planning to only keep the animals, since they are, and have always been, innocent. With family in tow Noah begins to build an ark — something for the animals to seek shelter until ‘the new beginning’. When the

neighbourhood nasties get wind of what he’s up to, they of course want the lifesaving boat for themselves. Seemingly under pressure to craft a film that’ll appeal to all ages, demographics, religions, and voting committees, Aronofsky plays darts with a mix of different things here — in the hopes a couple of elements stick. There’s Malickesque why-we-are-here philosophy and visuals, there’s epically staged battle sequences, there’s a few minutes of Peter Weir’s The Mosquito Coast in here and even a couple of creatures from a discarded Neverending Story sequel. The idea here might also have been to tell a Sunday school tale a little differently, and while some of it works, a lot of it is just head scratching. Wonky mix aside, another of the film’s problems is its weight. The

length of the movie, bordering on twoand-a-half-hours, definitely doesn’t do the product justice. The sluggish pace works against the emotional attachment the film hopes to snare with its audience. Yes, there’s some beautiful visuals filling the screen during those languid bits, but film is supposed to entertain, no? Where Noah works best is as a tense psychological drama about a man’s battle from within, and also — no surprise — once the flood comes. Despite its issues, Crowe, as good as ever, manages to hold the audience’s attention with his complex, commanding turn as the grey-shaded hero. Steve Carell didn’t quite manage that in Evan Almighty. The question remains then, did I like it or not? Well, that’s hard to answer. It’s not as simple as saying just yes or…Noah [Oh dear — Ed].

AT THE DVD STORE thE lEgEnd oF hErCulEs (Roadshow)

If movies were rated by the amount of muscle in them, this would get five stars. In the same way that Batman Begins served as an origin tale for its iconic title character, The Legend of Hercules chronicles the younger years of the mythical Greek hero. Hercules (Kellan Lutz) falls for the princess betrothed to his evil brother Iphicles (Liam Garrigan). King Amphitryon puts an end to it by sending his offspring to faraway terrain, hoping Hercules will be killed. Hercules survives, though, and with new friend Sotiris (Liam McIntyre), journeys back to his homeland to stop the wedding. Big on bulk, low on entertainment value. 122 / Australian Iron Man

www.ironmanmag.com.au

call 03 9574 8460 or visit www.ironmanmag.com.au to order

AT THE MOVIES arE wE oFFiCially dating? (Universal Sony)

Known as That Awkward Moment in the U.S. [Congrats, Universal, you found two awful titles for this film — Ed], this indecisive romantic comedy tells of three 20-something friends who make a pact that they’ll all stay single. As expected, the trio (played by Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller) end up meeting ladies who pose a great risk to the concordat they’ve taken. The movie has its moments — the male leads have some funny stuff between them — but on the whole it’s a forgettable bit of fluff.

nyMphoManiaC: voluME 1 (Paramount)

out oF thE FurnaCE (Roadshow)

Out of the Furnace tells the story of a man (Christian Bale) who is released from prison after serving four years to find a sibling brutally murdered. Abandoning all hopes of a peaceful homecoming, he sets off to exact revenge on his brother’s killer (Woody Harrelson). Complete with a trio of great turns, ace music by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, and built with a unique, unpredictable structure that guides the action in a compelling way, Scott Cooper’s film is well worth a watch.

Less the soft porn flick you might have expected and more an intriguing and rather classy character study, controversial director Lars von Trier’s film sees a self-obsessed young woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) recounting her sexual conquests to an older gentleman (Stellan Skarsgård) who has rescued her from the streets. Gainsbourg and Stacy Martin share the role of Joe (the latter as younger Joe, in flashbacks), the young woman whose obsession with sex ultimately destroys both her reputation and way of life. Christian Slater, Udo Kier, Uma Thurman, Shia LaBeouf, Connie Nielsen, and Sophie Kennedy Clark also star. The sequel, Nymphomaniac: Volume 2, isn’t nearly as good.

spin City: sEason 4 (Man) By this point, the Michael J. Foxstarring sitcom was galloping like a racecourse, with the comic superstar and his show winning the same kind of bravura notices his earlier sitcom Family Ties had. Soapie vet Heather Locklear had recently been introduced to ‘sex-up’ the show, and it worked — the Melrose Place star and Fox had surprisingly effective chemistry, resulting in one of TV’s funniest and fieriest duos. This season introduced hard-nosed secretary Stacey Paterno (Jennifer Esposito). The strength of Spin City was in its casting — all the parts were so terrifically cast, even some of the third fiddle characters. 124 / Australian Iron Man

truE blood: sEason six (Warner)

When we last left Sookie (Anna Paquin), she and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) were trapped in the compound where they’d just come face to face with a resurrected Bill (Stephen Moyer) looking not-so ‘good vampire’ anymore. Season Six kicks off with our heroes fleeing the compound, Louisiana Governor Burrell (Arliss Howard) declaring war on vampires, Alcide (Joe Manganiello) finding himself smack-bang in the middle of a love triangle, and Jason picking up a mysterious old man (Rutger Hauer) whom he suspects may be the legendary vampire Warlow. A highlight of the season is Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) summoning Sookie’s dead parents so she can get answers to some questions that have been troubling her for quite some time. Entertaining but not nearly as much as earlier seasons; it’s no surprise True Blood was recently cancelled. www.ironmanmag.com.au

This hard-core guide includes more than 100 of the most effective exercises to enhance the three power movements, proven mental strategies, sample programs, and periodisation plans for increasing absolute strength, power, and flexibility. Whether you’re serious about powerlifting or simply seeking a proven approach for developing strength and power from one of the most accomplished athletes in the sport, Powerlifting is a must-have.

Available from the Iron Man store at ironmanmag.com.au

BODY CONQUEST

Troubleshooting Q&A

Dumbbell bench press. 126 / Australian Iron Man

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This month, Ingrid talks flexibility and weight training, changing up your HIIT cardio and the all-important backstage pump-up. By Ingrid Barclay Q: I require decent flexibility to perform my work. I am about to embark on a weight training program and have heard that lifting weights can impact flexibility. What are your thoughts? A: Weight training won’t affect flexibility — inactivity reduces flexibility. If you perform weight training exercises through the full range of motion, this will actually increase your flexibility. Someone like Jay Cutler or Kai Greene may lose flexibility, but that is due to their sheer bulk. But if you go to a bodybuilding show, you can often see heavyweights doing the splits as part of their routine (Fred ‘Biggie’ Smalls comes to mind)! So much for ‘loss of flexibility’. For maximum flexibility, stretching should be performed in addition to your weight training. An easy way to fit stretching into your routine is to stretch in between sets. To maintain good flexibility, you should stretch three or four times per week. To increase flexibility to the maximum level possible, you need to stretch on a daily basis. I hope this assuages your fears.

hormones) and your level of cortisol (a catabolic hormone that breaks down muscle tissue) increases. If you find your workouts going longer than an hour, you should reassess your split routine, decrease your volume somehow,

either by dropping your sets, number of exercises or even your rep range or by decreasing your rest time in between your sets. Most trainees can continually show great progression in workouts lasting from 30–45 minutes.

Unless you have the sheer size of Jay Cutler, your flexibility shouldn’t be affected by weight training.

Q: Ingrid, you tend to talk quite a bit about keeping things ‘short and sweet’, to get in, train and get out of the gym. How long should my workout last? A: Yes, I am a bit of a fan of ‘short and sweet’ although I have certainly done plenty of workouts in the early days that dragged out for up to an hour-and-a-half. This is one of the reasons that I have stopped selling PT sessions in hour blocks. Let me explain: I think an optimal workout would last about 45 minutes. This is largely due to the hormonal responses that begin to go on in your body if you insist on going over and beyond this length as a natural trainee. Overly lengthy workouts become extremely taxing on the endocrine and nervous systems. After about the 40-minute mark, your growth hormone begins to plummet, as does your testosterone levels (anabolic www.ironmanmag.com.au

Australian Iron Man \ 127

Add tyre flips to your HIIT if you’re getting bored of cardio.

To change up your HIIT workout, try one of the workouts on pages 128 and 129.

MHP

Q: In the past three to four years I have switched from the old school steady-state cardio to HIIT most of the time, especially after following Skip La Cour and Max-OT (maximum-overload) training. I am now getting quite bored with this method of cardio as well, but I understand the importance of doing some cardio for body compositional and health benefits. Any new and interesting suggestions? A: HIIT has certainly superseded slow steady-state cardio — and with good reason. However, it doesn’t have to be a case of either/or. So I have a couple of suggestions for you. Firstly, you could continue to stick with HIIT type sessions but mix it up more than what you do. So, for example, you could take your sessions outside. Being out in the external environment actually means that you will burn more calories too! Check out the boxes on pages 128 and 129 for some examples of outdoor HIIT workouts. So there are three really different HIIT-based cardio sessions that you could consider. Now alternatively, as you are bored, what you could also consider is a new type of cardio that I have introduced to my clients called ‘3-in-1’ cardio: • Warm-up for 10 minutes doing any light exercise. • Interval 1: 20 seconds of sprinting on any mode (i.e. type of equipment you use). Rest interval of 40

MHP

BODY CONQUEST

The driveway workout Equipment required: Step or bench/chair

128 / Australian Iron Man

MHP

Workout: 20 jumping jacks Jogging — 3 minutes 10 burpees with push-up Body squats — 2 minutes 20 walking lunges Shuttle runs — 3 minutes 50 mountain climbers Push-ups — 2 minutes Burpees — 2 minutes 20 triceps dips High knees — 2 minutes 20 curtsey lunges Full sit-ups — 2 minutes 50 mountain climbers Body squats — 2 minutes 15 jump squats Shuttle runs — 3 minutes 20 bicycle crunches 50 mountain climbers Cool down — 3 minutes of stretching www.ironmanmag.com.au

Outplaying Maccie* in fetch Equipment required: • Truck or tractor tyre (the heavier you can get the better) • Sledgehammer • 3 plyometric jump boxes (increasing in height if possible ,e.g. 30, 60 and 90 cm) • Aqua bag or barbell • Kick pads • Tennis ball or Kong ball

Method: 1. Perform a sledgehammer + tyre chase (20 strikes of sledgehammer to the tyre, throw the sledgehammer to the side, and flip the tyre up 15 metres, sprint back, grab the sledgehammer, sprint back, 20 strikes, repeat the process back to starting position, and finish with 20 more strikes).

• Dog (preferably not a greyhound)

2. Jump onto and over the plyometric jump boxes in sequence 10 times.

• A training partner with a tennis racquet or good throwing arm!

3. Perform 10 frog jumps as high as possible.

4. Picking up the aqua bag to the chest or barbell over the shoulders, lunge 15 metres up and 15 metres back to starting position. 5. Line up against the dog, and get your training partner to throw/hit the ball out. Try to beat the dog to the ball by sprinting and ensure you are lowering yourself to scoop the ball and return it at a jogging pace (this is great for stretching the hamstrings). Perform this 10 times with minimal rest in between. * My dog!

seconds. So work/rest ratio is 1:2. Do this for 10 minutes. • Next, complete 15 minutes of slow aerobics on another mode at 50 per cent HR max. • Lastly, complete one more interval of a 30-second sprint, alternating with 90 seconds rest. Work/rest ratio is 1: 3 (10 minutes duration). • Do this one or two times a week, using different modes and mode mixes every time. Q: I am going to be competing in my first bodybuilding show in a few short months. I have no idea about the pumping up procedure backstage. Could you enlighten me, as I understand it’s important and I want to do it right? A: For you to look your best on stage, you are well advised to pump up correctly. If I were you, I would liaise as best you can with the backstage crew, the marshals and stewards. You need to time your pump-up so that you are pumped up enough but not overly pumped — and this can be tricky. Especially as, between federations/

Take your sessions outside. Being out in the external environment actually means that you will burn more calories too! Fun in the sun Equipment required: Skipping rope, dumbbells, medicine balls, step or bench Workout: 11 stations with one-minute rotations. Repeat twice. 1. Skipping 2. Turkish get-ups 3. Squat press 4. V-crunches 5. Medicine ball slams 6. Burpees 7. Renegade rows 8. Mountain climbers 9. Farmers’ walk 10. Step-ups 11. Push-ups www.ironmanmag.com.au

Take your cardio outside to stop your workouts from getting stale. Australian Iron Man \ 129

BODY CONQUEST

Getty

When you pump up backstage, you are best to concentrate on your weaker or trailing body parts to bring them up to balance with your best body parts.

states/individual promoters, shows can run dramatically behind scheduled time — and sometimes even ahead of time. So you need to keep your ears peeled to when your division is likely to be up on stage. Try to time your pump-up so that you begin warming up your muscles about 15 minutes before stage time. Interestingly, not everyone’s ‘routine’ or ‘circuit’ backstage is the same. This is because you are best to concentrate on your weaker or trailing body parts to bring them up to balance with your best body parts. I have listed below a suitable little routine that I often use with competitors but, of course, tweak it according to your own personal strengths and weaknesses: Calf raises V-crunches Push-ups Bent-over rows Overhead press Side raises Triceps kickbacks Biceps curls

15 reps 12 reps 10 reps 12 reps 8 reps 12 reps 8 reps 10 reps

You might repeat this three-to-four times. I would keep the reps at a medium 130 / Australian Iron Man

For you to look your best on stage, you are well advised to pump up correctly. tempo. You don’t want to get so hot that you are dripping sweat everywhere, as there is nothing worse than a patchy, oily, streaking tan. You also don’t want to be huffing and puffing, but rather with nice, slow and steady controlled breathing. Try to find a quiet spot backstage if you can and make certain you have a towel to perform your v-crunches and push-ups on the floor, as you don’t want your top coat or oil, if you use it, to pick up dirt and other particles off the floor. A note on thighs: I would avoid unwarranted pumping of your thighs as this will destroy your separation and definition in them. So do a few freestanding squats to warm them up ever so slightly and put a bit more sweep in the outer thigh. If you are fortunate enough to have great quads, consider

not doing anything with them at all, as they might completely overpower your calves (unless you are Mike Matarazzo). to emphasise the pump in your weedier body parts, and lightly pump your strong pints. So, for example, if your arms are small and you have great delts, you don’t want to overdo the delt warm-up or you will simply draw more attention to the fact that your arms are lagging. While it may be tempting to show off your best body part, don’t if it is at the expense of bringing a weaker body part to the judges’ attention. Keep in mind that judges are looking for weaknesses not strengths, so don’t make it easy for them! Ingrid Barclay is the owner of Body Conquest, an elite personal training service specialising in contest preparation for men and women. Ingrid is a Master Trainer of 23 years, author of Go Figure and a NABBA/WFF judge who has helped numerous competitors to compete at their very best. Ingrid can be ed on 0424 180 093 or through [email protected] www.ironmanmag.com.au

25th anniversary edition

The movie that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a household name! Directed by Robert Fiore and George Butler, Pumping Iron is a documentary about the lead-up to the 1975 Mr Olympia contest, where Arnie was competing for his sixth consecutive Olympia title. But the new stars on the scene, Lou Ferrigno and Franco Columbu, were there to stir things up. The movie with heart, soul and lots of muscle.

to order: Call (03) 9574 8460 www.ironmanmag.Com.au

132 / Australian Iron Man

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Guns to Cannons add an InCh to Your arms WIth a neW neGatIve-traInInG teChnIque By Ellington Darden, Ph.D. • Photography by Michael Neveux

E

very gym has a guy who has the biggest arms — the man with the largest biceps and triceps. Here’s a two-week challenge for that man, or for any guy who wants bigger arms — quickly.

“20 1/8 InchEs!”

That’s what Truck Brown’s left arm measured on the first contraction, in an unpumped, cold condition. A muscular 20inch (51 cm) arm is almost big beyond belief. You have to see one up close to comprehend it — and Edwin “Truck” Brown had one for the first time in his life. “I’ve been working out for more than 25 years,” said the 5’10”, 238-pound (108 kg) 43-year-old, “but my arms have never before been so big. And get this: I’ve been training on Dr. Darden’s X-Force, Negative-Accentuated Routine for only two weeks.” Understand that Truck is not on growth drugs, nor has he ever taken any — and he has not entered a bodybuilding contest in 15 years. Like millions of guys who consider themselves bodybuilders, Truck reads the muscle magazines but trains for his own satisfaction and personal goals. www.ironmanmag.com.au

It’s my belief that newly discovered techniques involving negative-accentuated training, which I’ll discuss later, are powerful stimulators of muscular size. This type of exercise, properly understood and strictly practiced, has the potential to take a natural, drug-free trainee to a higher level of growth than was possible in the past. Before I describe this unusual arm routine, however, let me supply some background to set the stage.

ExamInIng thE Roots

Arthur Jones, who invented the popular Nautilus machines back in the 1970s, was fond of saying, “If you want to make an impression on people, don’t begin your campaign at the bottom, or even the middle — start at the top.” Jones introduced his initial Nautilus machines at the ’70 AAU Mr. America contest in California because he wanted to get the attention of the best-known bodybuilders in the world. Soon he made with such men as Bill Pearl, Boyer Coe, Red Lerille, Sergio Oliva, Franco Columbu, Arnold Schwarzenegger and a teenager named Casey Viator, who — with Jones’s help — would win the Mr. America title in 1971.

Jones knew that the bodybuilders with the biggest arms were, in fact, the best subjects for his equipment, especially his initial biceps/triceps machine. “A large muscular arm can be more thoroughly congested with growth stimulation than a small arm,” he would say, “and you can see with your naked eye the growth effects on larger arms much better than smaller arms.” Thus, I was looking for the man with the largest arms at Gainesville Health & Fitness, where I was involved in a research project related to training people on a new type of exercise equipment that contained a tilting weight stack. The tilting weight stack enabled you to perform the negative phase of a repetition with 40 per cent more resistance. It was called X-Force.

a LIttLE about x-FoRcE

X-Force equipment, manufactured in Stockholm, is only available at two places in the United States. One is Roger Schwab’s Main Line Health & Fitness in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and the other is Joe Cirulli’s Gainesville Health & Fitness in Gainesville, Florida. The X-Force machines in the two clubs are working prototypes. Australian Iron Man \ 133

guns to cannons

Model: Andre De Castro

I met Mats Thulin, the inventor of X-Force, in 1984. He was a distributor of Nautilus equipment throughout your free in-site app Scandinavia. After & scan page he developed for gallery the concept of a tilting weight stack supplying 40 per cent more resistance on the negative phase, he invited me to Sweden in 2008 to try the equipment. I was impressed and helped him get his X-Force equipment into Schwab’s and Cirulli’s fitness centers. Throughout 2012, I used Cirulli’s club in Gainesville as my home base for research with X-Force equipment. In fact, my work with 145 of Cirulli’s club will be published in 2014 in a 336-page book, The Body Fat Breakthrough: Tap the Muscle-Building Power of Negative Training and Lose Up to 30 Pounds in 30 Days. Please note that you do not need access to X-Force equipment to do this big-arms course. As you’ll see, you can apply a brand-new negativeaccentuated technique to whatever equipment you have available. The majority of my 2012 research related to fat loss and the selecting, instructing, training and dieting of fat and out-of-shape of Gainesville Health & Fitness. In my spare time, though, I wanted to lasso the biggest bodybuilder at the club and challenge him in an unusual manner.

134 / Australian Iron Man

Model: Dan Decker

this type of exercise, properly understood and strictly practised, has the potential to take a natural, drug-free trainee to a higher level of growth than was possible in the past. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Model: Ahmad Ahmad Model: Jonathan Lawson

Focus intensely and : You have more strength in the negative than the positive. If you just completed a 30-second positive, you’re still strong enough to do a final 30-second negative.

EdwIn ‘tRuck’ bRown

Cirulli’s club in Gainesville has got to be the most populated fitness center in the United States — 28,000 at the main club, 1,000 or more of whom would classify themselves as bodybuilders. One man stood out even among the bestbuilt bodybuilders — and that was Truck Brown. He was a former high-school football player who had settled into a www.ironmanmag.com.au

laid-back lifestyle. At one time he was married, but now he was divorced, and he had no children. His day job was in the landscape and pestcontrol business. His night job was devoted to training on the second floor of Gainesville Health & Fitness, where all the free-weight equipment was located. Only rarely did he, or any of the bodybuilders, walk downstairs and try the selectorised machine exercises. The X-Force

equipment was at the far side of the machine area, and it was looked upon as foreign by most of them. My idea was to get Truck involved in a special program, which I would personally supervise. If I could add some significant size to his already big arms, it would open the door for more bodybuilders to try negativeaccentuated training. I convinced Truck to trust me for two weeks. He agreed not to do any training other than my program for four workouts spread over two weeks. During my special routine, we focused on doing one set on eight X-Force machines twice a week. Each workout lasted only 15 minutes. The results? Measurements of Truck taken on May 9, 2012, and May 24, 2012, revealed the following data: • His body weight went from 234.75 (106.5 kg) to 238 pounds (108 kg) Australian Iron Man \ 135

Model: Hidetada Yamagishi

guns to cannons

for a gain of 3.25 pounds (1.47 kg). • His percentage of body fat decreased from 16.4 to 12.2, for a fat loss of 9.46 pounds (4 kg). • A 9.46-pound fat loss plus a 3.25pound body weight increase equals 12.71 pounds (6 kg) of muscle gain. That’s 0.9 pounds (0.40 kg) of muscle growth per day for 14 days, which is phenomenal. • In other words, Truck lost fat and built muscle at the same time at a near-explosive rate. • His right upper arm contracted went from 19.125 inches (48.57 cm) to 19.75 (50 cm), for an increase of 0.625 inches (1.58 cm). • His left upper arm contracted went from 19.5 inches (50 cm) to 20.125 (51 cm), for an increase of 0.625 inches (1.58 cm). • His chest went from 51 inches (129.5 cm) to 53.25 (135 cm), for an increase of 2.25 inches (5.7 cm). • His waist went from 36 inches (91.4 cm) to 34.75 (88 cm), for a decrease of 1.25 inches (3 cm). • His right thigh went from 25.375 (64.4 cm) inches to 26.5 (67.31 cm), for an increase of 1.125 inches (2.85 cm). 136 / Australian Iron Man

neGatIve traInInG and hormones From a review of the scientific literature, combined with my studies in Gainesville, I believe the correct application of negative-accentuated training makes a deeper inroad into a person’s starting level of strength, one that goes deeper faster than is possible with other training methods. My research shows that this deeper inroad influences at least six hormones with the following actions: • Stimulates growth hormone from the pituitary gland, which up-regulates the production of both insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and mechano growth factor (MGF). GH also facilitates the use of fat as fuel. • Activates IGF-1, which is released by the liver and is relevant to muscle adaptation. • Targets MGF, which kick-starts the muscle-hypertrophy process. • Mobilises interleukin 6 (IL-6) within the muscle itself, where it merges into the blood to help overcompensate for inflammation from intense training.

• Triggers interleukin 15 (IL-15), which encourages muscle-to-fat cross talk and promotes building muscle and metabolising fat simultaneously. • Directs the anabolic effects of insulin from the pancreas on both muscle and fat. Negative-accentuated training, by inciting the body’s natural hormones, provides an important new way to build muscle and lose fat rapidly. In fact, this is the most cutting-edge advancement I’ve ever applied in my 50 years of bodybuilding. Furthermore, I believe that negativeaccentuated training and its much deeper inroads brings into action a previously unknown hormone, one that coordinates and enhances the six hormones discussed above into a championship team. Called upon once a week, this unknown hormone plus the teamwork — with the help of food, water, rest and sleep — can build muscle, burn fat and reshape your body into the lean, strong machine that it was originally designed to become. More on that in Part 2. —E.D. www.ironmanmag.com.au

• His left thigh went from 26 inches (66 cm) to 27 (68.58 cm), for an increase of one inch (2.54 cm). Take a look at Truck’s before-andafter photos by scanning this page. You can definitely see significant differences in his upper arms, waist and thighs. If you want to experience the growth-stimulation effects of negative-accentuated training, here’s the special routine that Truck followed. As there are only two gyms in the United States that have X-Force equipment, adaptations have been made using a technique that I applied in my Breakthrough book. I call it 30-30-30.

30-30-30: nEgatIvE, PosItIvE, nEgatIvE

This technique can be applied to any exercise or machine that produces a similar result to X-Force training. The name refers to a 30-second negative, followed by a 30-second positive, followed by a 30-second negative. In other words, your time under load is the key factor, and your goal is two 30-second negative half reps with a 30-second positive half rep in www.ironmanmag.com.au

Model: Tyrus Reed

Losing fat while building muscle is one of the remarkable characteristics of properly performed negativeaccentuated exercise.

between. I’ve tried and tested 30-3030 for more than three years. The half reps actually vary between 20 to 30 seconds, but 30-3030 is the goal. When you can achieve the goal on any exercise, increase the resistance by 5 to 10 per cent at your next workout. Now, here’s the kicker: You must be able to do 30-30-30 with 80 per cent of the resistance that you can handle for a regular set of 10 repetitions to failure. Believe me, it will be quite challenging the first time you try it, but you should get the hang of it during your second trial. , the ideal negativeaccentuated format involves twice as much negative work as positive work. That’s twice as much time, 60 seconds, on the negative vs. 30 seconds on the positive. Here are some instructional points: • It’s best to have a spotter help you initially. On a machine exercise the spotter assists in getting the movement arm to the top position. Then, while looking at a watch or a big clock with a second hand, he or she gives you a running count on your first negative half repetition: five seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds (halfway down), 20 seconds, 25 seconds and 30 seconds. Reverse the movement and start a positive: five seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds (halfway up), 20 seconds, 25 seconds and 30 seconds. Reverse the movement and begin a finish negative: five seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds (halfway down), 20 seconds, 25 seconds and 30 seconds. Smoothly stop. • In free-weight exercises, such as the barbell curl and dumbbell triceps extension, a spotter can assist you in getting the resistance to the top, or you can simply cheat the weight into position. On the chinup and dip you’ll need a box at the bottom, which enables you to use your legs to step up into the top position. • Your spotter also has to be attentive to your slow movements. If you get stuck (it will probably occur initially during the positive portion), he or she needs to assist you just enough to get you through a certain range and back off. Be sure to record your stopping accurately. For example, if you did 30 seconds on the negative,

22 seconds on the positive and 30 seconds on the negative, your notation on your workout sheet would be 30-22-30. When you can finally achieve 30-30-30, increase the resistance at your next workout. • Proper breathing is essential for success with slow, negativeaccentuated repetitions. The key is to take short, shallow breaths. You should emphasise exhalation more than inhalation, especially during the finish negative. It’s especially important that you don’t hold your breath. Follow the guidelines suggested below in performing these negativeaccentuated 30-30-30 routines.

nEgatIvE-accEntuatEd woRkouts FoR aRms

There are two routines, A, which you perform on Monday, and B, which you do on Thursday. Both involve stacking exercises in twos and threes, with minimum rest between the stacked exercises. Routine A begins with a bang. The chin-ups and dips, performed 30-3030, will get your attention in an eyeopening way.

routIne a 1) Chin-ups, 30-30-30 2) Dips, 30-30-30 suPERsEt 3) Barbell curls, 30-30-30 4) Lat pulldowns, 30-30-30 suPERsEt 5) Dumbbell triceps extensions, 30-30-30 6) Barbell bench presses, 30-30-30 suPERsEt 7) Machine leg curls, 30-30-30 8) Leg presses, 30-30-30

1) Chin-ups, 30-30-30: Organise your chinning bar with a sturdy box or bench at the bottom so you can step up to the top. Climb into the top position with your chin above the bar. Hold the bar with an underhand grip and space your hands shoulder-width apart. Have a watch or a big clock with a second hand in plain sight, or have a spotter help with the counting. Remove your feet from the chair or bench, and stabilise your body. Australian Iron Man \ 137

guns to cannons

Lower your body by unbending your arms slowly, inch by inch. Be halfway down at 15 seconds. Lean back slightly and look up. Your knees should be bent and your ankles crossed. Continue to lower inch by inch until you reach a dead-hang position. Try to get there in 30 seconds. Perform the turnaround smoothly, and begin the positive phase.

Bend your arms slowly, one by inch, and be halfway up at 15 seconds. Try to reach the top at 30 seconds. If you can’t do a slow, 30-second positive, you’ll have to do it faster: in 10, 12 or 15 seconds. Perform the turnaround at the top, and start the finish negative. Again, try to be halfway down at 15 seconds and all the way down in a dead hang at 30 seconds. Put your feet back on the chair or bench, and exit the chinning bar. 2) Dips, 30-30-30: Place a box or a bench between the parallel dipping bars. Climb to the top position, and straighten your arms. Note: The bottom, finish position occurs when the backs of your upper arms, viewed from the side, dip below your elbows. You reverse the movement at that point. Have a watch or a big clock with a second hand in plain sight or a spotter to help with the counting. Remove your feet from the chair, and stabilise your body. Follow the 30-30-30 instructions described above. 3)Barbell curls, 30-30-30: Load a barbell with an appropriate weight, about 80 per cent of what you can normally curl for 10 repetitions. Take a shoulder-width underhand grip on the bar. As you stand with the barbell, use some upward momentum, and curl the weight efficiently to your shoulders. Anchor your elbows firmly against your sides, and begin the negative. 138 / Australian Iron Man

Model: Daniele Seccarecci

negative-accentuated training, by inciting the body’s natural hormones, provides an important new way to build muscle and lose fat rapidly. Follow the 30-30-30 instructions described above; then place the barbell on the floor, stand, and move immediately to the lat pulldown. 4) Lat pulldowns, 30-30-30: Grasp the pulldown bar on a lat machine with a shoulder-width underhand grip, and be seated. Stabilise your lower body properly. Pull the bar down to your chest efficiently, which lifts the resistance, and ready yourself for the negative. Pause briefly with the bar touching your upper chest. Your elbows should be down and back and holding steady. Unbend your arms and begin. Follow the 30-30-30 instructions described above. 5) Dumbbell triceps extensions, 30-30-30: Sit on a bench. Grasp a dumbbell at one end with both hands. Press it overhead. Pull your elbows in tight and keep them close to your ears throughout the exercise. Bend your elbows and follow the standard 30-30-30 instructions. Only your forearms and hands should move. When you finish, move quickly to the bench press. 6) Barbell bench presses, 3030-30: Set up a barbell with an appropriate resistance on the racks of a flat bench. Lie on your back on the bench. Grasp the barbell with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms and bring the barbell to a ed position above your sternum. Now follow

the standard 30-30-30 instructions. 7) Machine leg curls, 30-30-30: There are several versions — lying, seated and kneeling. The most popular is the lying leg curl. Lie facedown on the leg curl machine with your knees on the pad edge. Hook your heels and ankles under the roller pad. Make sure your knee ts are in line with the axis of rotation of the movement arm. Grasp the handles on the edge of the bench to steady your upper body. On your own or with a spotter’s assistance, get the movement arm efficiently to the contracted position. Follow the 3030-30 instructions above, and then move immediately to the leg press machine. 8) Leg presses, 30-30-30: There are many versions of the leg press machine. This one requires a diagonal movement arm, or footboard. Sit in the machine with your back against the angled pad and your buttocks on the seat bottom. Place your feet on the footboard, with your heels a shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward. Straighten your legs and release the stop bars of the machine (be sure to lock them at the end of your set to secure the footboard). Grasp the handles beside the seat or the edge of the seat during the exercise, and follow the standard 30-30-30 instructions. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Focus intensely and : You have more strength during the negative than the positive. If you just completed a 30-second positive, you’re still strong enough to do a final 30-second negative. Doing it successfully is key. If you are like most trainees who have just completed their first negative-accentuated routine, you’ll want plenty of water, followed by a carbohydraterich snack and a long nap. Routine B provides two stacks of three exercises and one stack of two, while Routine A includes three stacks of two exercises. Here’s a look at Routine B.

routIne B tRI-sEt 1) Barbell curls, 30-30-30 2) Lat pulldowns, 30-30-30 3) Negative-only chins, 1 half rep performed very slowly for 30-60 seconds tRI-sEt 4) Dumbbell triceps extensions, 30-30-30 5) Barbell bench presses, 30-30-30 6) Negative-only dips, 1 half rep performed very slowly for 30-60 seconds suPERsEt 7) Leg extensions, 30-30-30 8) Leg presses, 30-30-30

Perform all of these exercises in the 30-30-30 manner described above except the negative-only chins and dips. For those you do the negative, or lowering, stroke only for 30 seconds.

YouR bEst EFFoRt

Those are the instructions. Try a practice session with the slow chins and dips, since each requires a little learning. A training partner is also helpful. Make sure you place a barbell for the biceps curls next to the lat machine or chinning bar and the dumbbell for the triceps extensions near the bench press or parallel bars. It’s important to move quickly from one exercise to the next. , you do only four workouts spread over two weeks. www.ironmanmag.com.au

Give each exercise and each routine your best effort. Rest is equally important. Four workouts in 14 days means 10 days of rest. That’s right: 10 days of no training. Muscular growth does not occur during the training. It happens during rest, usually while you are asleep. Try to get nine hours of sleep each night — and even a daily nap, if possible. Get good nutrition, and don’t skimp on calories. I reinforce the concept of eating small and mediumsized meals more frequently and staying well hydrated. That’s exactly what Truck did, and even though he ate plenty of calories, he still lost body fat daily as he gained muscle. Losing fat while building muscle is one of the remarkable results of properly performed negativeaccentuated exercise.

PRooF PosItIvE In nEgatIvE tRaInIng

Truck Brown’s results got the bodybuilders at Gainesville Health & Fitness talking all kinds of trash. Once I had their attention, I was able to recruit a group of 15 bodybuilders to go through a full six-week negative-accentuated program. In Part 2 of this discussion I’ll share the results of that study, with more before-and-after photos and measurements. I’ll also connect the study to my main research in Gainesville, which unraveled

rest is equally important. Four workouts in 14 days means 10 days of rest. that’s right: 10 days of no training. muscular growth does not occur during the training. It happens during rest, usually while you are asleep. the importance of negative work and hormone stimulation (see the sidebar on page 139), and present detailed routines and recommendations for fat loss at ‘breakthrough’ rates that go beyond anything I’ve experienced in my four decades of doing research. Ellington Darden, Ph.D., is the author of more than 50 books, including The Nautilus Book, The Nautilus Advanced Bodybuilding Book, Massive Muscles in 10 Weeks, A Flat Stomach ASAP and The New High-Intensity Training. His latest book covers his research at Gainesville Health & Fitness, The Body-Fat Breakthrough: Tap the Muscle-Building Power of Negative Training and Lose Up to 30 Pounds in 30 Days. Australian Iron Man \ 139

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BODYBLITZ

Coming full circle Troy Matthews had the BodyBlitz Challenge change his life more than 10 years ago. So when he found his life coming off the rails, he turned once again to the thing that had worked for him in the past.

f

or me this is a life story that has come full circle and shown me that habits, attitude, behaviour and mindset shape our path in life. I went through a tough patch in my life over 12 years ago and, like most, I hid behind it with excessive drinking and bad eating habits. Early in 2002 I came across the BodyBlitz Challenge, which inspired me and gave me the drive to assess my life and make the change I knew I needed to make. I became a BodyBlitz monthly winner in 2002 and from this my whole life changed. I did my Certificate 4 in fitness and ended up going back to my love of martial arts. I became a certified krav maga instructor in 2004 and brought two beautiful kids into the world. Looking back, I can honestly say that the BodyBlitz challenge not only turned my life around, but gave me one. By 2006 I had worked hard at my self-defence school and personal training business and built my dream home from the ground up, By 2009 I had built a successful self defence school and opened a retail store selling designer clothing, UFC wear, martial arts training equipment and sports supplements. Throughout these years I maintained a love for Iron Man and weight training. I had achieved the lifestyle and career that I’d dreamed of. So how did I wind up back here? And how did I come to be lazy and overweight with my life spinning out of control?

after

Measurements Height Weight Chest Waist Calves Arms Thighs

Before 180 cm 105 kg 118.5 cm 111 cm 43 cm 40.5 cm 65 cm

142 / Australian Iron Man

After 180 cm 88.5 kg 118 cm 93.5 cm 42 cm 41.5 cm 63 cm

before

Some may say it was circumstances, bad luck or hardship, which to a point may be true, but over the years I have learnt that circumstances can be overcome, bad luck can turn around and hardships can make you stronger. So, I will be honest and say I am here because of bad habits/attitude, poor behaviour and my mind going to a bad place, which in turn took my life to that same bad place. Around 2009 my marriage began to break down, eventually leading to a divorce, which in turn set off a chain of events that led to selling my dream house and losing everything. The nail in my coffin was going from my comfortable family life and seeing my kids 24/7 to being a lonely, depressed single dad who only saw his kids 50 per cent of the time. I thought I was fine and continued to run my retail store six days a week and my self-defence classes at night. Soon, anger and depression set in and I fell back into old habits. I started drinking heavily and taking the easy fast food options. When I had my kids I was Dad but when I was alone I became a drunk and started to become a regular on the nightclub scene. I became an ‘armchair’ instructor; I stopped leading by example because I got too unfit to keep up with students, so I barked orders. I would open my shop late due to partying and failed to keep up with bookwork and stock, etc. Put bluntly, this behaviour and mindset had destroyed my whole life’s work. Within two years, rising debt due to poor management forced me to close my retail store and my krav maga school had gone www.ironmanmag.com.au

Sample diet Breakfast: 5 eggs (4 whites, 1 whole) with broccoli, carrot and capsicum Fruit & nut muesli or oats Mid-morning: Protein shake Apple/banana with yoghurt Lunch: Chicken breast, steak, vegetables, brown rice, rice noodles or salad (Mainly done as stir-frys, in a rye wrap/ sandwich or a meat portion with salad) Mid-afternoon: Protein shake Piece of fruit Dinner: Chicken breast, steak or lean beef mince Mix of vegetables Vermicelli rice noodles, brown rice or potato 30 minutes before bed: Protein shake from around 30 students with a mixed class and women’s only classes to about half the students and closing the women only classes. I turned 40 last November. Everyone said, “It’s all downhill from here, life’s over,” continuing with, “You used to be so fit and driven.” This flicked a switch in me

before

www.ironmanmag.com.au

that had been turned off for many years. One night, I was drunk, as usual, and got up to found my Iron Man 2002 monthly winner’s magazine. As I read, tears ran down my face and I am not ashamed to say that my own story inspired me to make a change. I knew what I had to do. The next morning I woke up and went to the newsagent to get my Iron Man copy. I knew the power this challenge could give me and it would also keep me in check. My photos shocked me and as soon as I submitted my entry, my mindset and attitude changed instantly. That’s when the penny dropped. This isn’t just a 12week challenge — this is a life-changing moment. The strength, discipline, commitment and never-quit attitude that comes from this challenge will help me to not only get back the dreams I lost but give me the chance to create new dreams and never look back. I set up the old gym, wrote up my diet plan and put together a training program. I then recruited my housemate Sarah, who was also in a bad place, asking if she would like to be my gym buddy instead of my drinking buddy. We became a team and both came out winners. A few weeks into the challenge, I realised I’d have to do this through Christmas, New Year, school holidays and several business trips away but I said bring it on! Each day I got stronger and my mindset was back. I went from a drunk to not having a drop, even through Christmas and New Year. I cooked up

after

Sample workout Monday: Morning — 20 minutes cardio: spin bike/punching bag/pad work Evening — Krav maga (self-defence class), 20 min boot camp-style warmup (push ups, sit-ups, squats, running games, pad drills etc.) Tuesday: Morning — Full upper body workout Evening — Krav maga, 20 min boot camp-style warm-up Wednesday: Morning — 1 hour boxing class Evening — Krav maga, 20 min boot camp-style warm-up Thursday: Morning — Lower body workout (legs and abdominals) Evening — Krav maga, 20 min boot camp-style warm-up Friday: Morning — 20min cardio, spin bike/ punching bag/pad work Saturday: Full upper body workout Sunday: Rest

Sundays doing bulk meals to avoid the bad choices and I always packed protein powder, good food and clean snacks when going out or away. I was so focused and goal driven again and it felt amazing. When you set goals, train and eat right it creates discipline, commitment, goalsetting and a great attitude to life, which in turn flows into your everyday living giving you a great life. So I am now ‘full circle’, back here with BodyBlitz, using it to get my life back on track. Since I took on the challenge, my mindset has changed — my goals are now being smashed and my businesses are now succeeding again. My Hervey Bay school has doubled in students and the day I finished the challenge I announced that I’d be opening a third KMB Combat training centre on the Sunshine Coast. It is not the training and eating right — it’s the flow-on effect! It’s the discipline, drive, commitment and mental attitude that comes from training and eating right that flows into everything you do in everyday life. Thank you, Iron Man and BodyBlitz for bringing my life back full circle! Australian Iron Man \ 143

GIRLS OF WET ’N’ WILD 2014

Amy

WET ’N’ WILD

144 / Australian Iron Man

your free in-site app & scan page for gallery

Amy How did you come to be in the calendar? I was on the right beach at the right time [laughs]! No, seriously, I was doing swimwear modelling before I made the switch to sports modelling, and this shoot took place somewhere in between. Where do you hail from? Originally from Melbourne; I was living in Perth for several years when this photo was snapped on Trigg Beach. What did you want to be when you grew up? I don’t think I had any real direction as a child but I was a very physically active kid. I never thought I would end up being an athlete! I just knew I wanted my life to be extraordinary. What is your relationship to the fitness industry? I am lucky to call myself an IFBB professional athlete! You obviously keep yourself in great shape. Tell us about your fitness routine. Weights! Resistance training, of course. Before I discovered the gym, I was mad for Pilates and yoga, which I still try and incorporate where I can. When this [Wet ’n’ Wild] photoshoot took place, I had only just decided to take on the challenge of training and competing in my very first season. What’s your favourite exercise? I really like seated cable rows. Also, I’m really into lying hamstring curl dropsets at the moment [laughs]! What’s your least favourite exercise? Squats. Overrated. Do you prefer weights or cardio or do you change it up? I have to it to being one of those nuts that really enjoys zoning out with my music during cardio — but that’s only once or twice weekly when I’m not preparing for a show. Weights are always the first choice, and I do love the feeling of walking out of the gym with that sense of accomplishment from a muscle group burrrrrning! Have you ever competed or considered competing in a bodybuilding/fitness comp? My first season of IFBB competitions was March 2012. I won my division at the World Championships later that year, then again a week later at the Euro Arnold

Classic in Madrid. I was awarded pro status, and life has never been the same! Are you strict about your diet or are you a sucker for the bad stuff? Do you have a nutrition plan? I love food. I’m from Melbourne, so I adore restaurants, coffee, Japanese food... the list goes on. I try to find a balance year round and obviously weekly free meals when I’m preparing for a show. Do you use supplements? Sure do! My supplements vary depending on what my goals are at the time but I always have a protein shake post-workout. I also think glutamine and magnesium are indispensable. What is your favourite male body part? I respect developed quads on a man. What is your own body part that you like the best? My back! What advice would you give to someone wanting to start out in the modelling and fitness industry? Be true to yourself…A cliché, I know, but it’s so easy to lose who you were when you began your journey — and the people who were there in the beginning. Your triumphs will be so much more satisfying being shared with those that were there when you started. When you get the opportunity to have some time to yourself, what do you usually get up to? My family all live a long way from the city out where I grew up, so spending time there with them is my first choice. Who is the person you ire most from the fitness world? Who is your hero? I look up to Amanda Doherty and any busy mum who somehow manage to incorporate fitness and health into their lifestyle. I also really ire the physiques of Amanda Latona and Michelle Lewin. Just looking at these women makes me want to get up and train! I would have to say my heroes are various doctors and nurses I’ve had the privilege of working alongside in my nursing career. What they can achieve in a single shift trumps anything you can do in the gym or on a stage and there’s no trophy or accolade for them at the end of the day. They just go home and do it all again the next day. Australian Iron Man \ 145

The squat rack is typically reserved for the veteran lifter: most new inductees into the iron game spend most of their leg training days milling around the leg press, leg extension and, if they’re adventurous, the hack squat. This is a shame, as anyone who knows anything about lifting knows that the squat is one of the exercise kings when it comes to achieving results. But the idea of hanging a heavy bar across your shoulders and traps is bound to make most people double over in pain at the thought. And when you watch some lifters shaking redfaced with a heavy barbell across their bare shoulders, their inability to stabilise the weight sees them flirt with

danger and horrendous injury on a weekly basis. Not anymore. Let me introduce you to the Manta Ray: the training aid that’s ensuring that all trainees enjoy the benefits of the squat, pain free. It’s a super-solid plastic training device that clips to the barbell and moulds to your shoulders, providing a comfortable, smooth and, most importantly, safe lifting experience. Without a training aid, there is a natural propensity to push your head forward during the squat to keep the barbell balanced. As most physical therapists will tell you, this is the worst position for your neck to be in, as it places the spine under a great deal of unnecessary pressure.

With the Manta Ray training device, you can be sure that you will feel comfortable under heavy resistance, naturally allowing you to maintain a stronger and safer posture during your heavy work sets. Pick up the Manta Ray today and ensure that your quads are the only body part feeling the burn the next time you do squats.

The most significant advancement in freeweight training in 75 years. Lets you focus on squat movement and technique rather than discomfort, numbness or shearing muscle trauma. Unique weight distribution principle takes the bar off your deltoids and vertebrae, transfers weight across your trapezius muscles and reduces risk of injury.

se single exerci re powerful mo a n’t is e hieve Fact: Ther the squat. Ac re body than ti en e th ng for buildi ering! pain and suff ins with no ga us do en em tr

Testimonial “If you’ve ever felt vulnerable to injury - or just flat out uncomfortable - doing squats, the Manta Ray will give you a whole new perspective on ‘The king of mass movements’ and help produce the quality quads you desire.” Steve Holman Author, IRON MAN’S Mass-Training Tactics: SizeBuilding Strategies for home or Commercial-Gym Bodybuilders

The Manta Ray is available online at...

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www.sportzblitz.net/onlinestore YES! I want my squats to be safer and more comfortable so my quad growth explodes. Rush me the Manta Ray immediately. Enclosed is my cheque, money order or credit card details for $69.95 plus $8.95 p&h. Post: PO Box 4075, Mulgrave, VIC 3170 (Make cheque/money order payable to Australian Iron Man Magazine Phone: For credit card orders, call (03) 9574 8460 Fax: Complete order form and fax to (03) 9574 8899 Email: [email protected] Name:

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Jay Cutler

Watch three-time Arnold Classic winner and four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler in his early days. These high-quality Älms by Mitsuru Okabe document Jay’s hard work and long road to glory. New, Improved and Beyond takes you through Jay’s high-intensity and highvolume workouts, while Ripped to Shreds is a pre-contest documentary about Jay’s preparation for his third consecutive Arnold Classic. Region free, NTSC.

Get inspired Call (03) 9574 8460 WWW.IRONMaNMaG.COM.aU

IRON MAN INTERACTIVE Praise for Hudson Just read Dayne Hudson’s latest article in Australian Iron Man Mag (IM#21-4) on the ‘15 Fitness Myths’. Great work Dayne! It’s articles like that which set the mag ahead of the pack. Roll on next season of Fit ‘N’ Flexed! — John Ball, via Facebook

Hot HIT I’ve been training high-intensity style since becoming a bodybuilding fan in the late ’70s. Mike Mentzer and his Heavy Duty were my primary influences, but I also dug up old Arthur Jones articles and his Nautilus bulletins. It all made so much sense. Plus, it gave me gains I would never have experienced with volume training, as I’m a hardgainer type. Anyway, I just wanted to give a thumbs-up to the feature on Markus Reinhardt [‘Heavy Duty Returns’, Volume 21, No. 3] by David Young. It’s good to see a bodybuilder with such an impressive physique training in the one-set-to-failure mode. It obviously works for him. I think for most people it’s just too hard to do correctly — slow-rep tempo and to all-out failure. Too bad. Bodybuilders today don’t know the gains they’re missing. — Red Williams, via email Be sure to check out the article on negative-accentuated training by Ellington Darden, Ph.D. in this issue. Ellington worked for Jones at Nautilus for many years and wrote The Nautilus Bodybuilding Book, as well as many other HIT tomes. — Ed

47 Ronin DVD giveaway Courtesy of the kind folks at Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Iron Man has 10 copies of Keanu Reeves’ new flick 47 Ronin to give away. Set in 18th century Japan, 47 Ronin is visually stunning with impressively detailed special effects, costuming and set design that encapsulates the feel of ancient Japan. With seamless choreography of rituals and fight scenes, 47 Ronin is a must-see action-packed thriller that will have you strapped to your seat. It’s available on Blu-Ray, DVD and Ultraviolet from May 22 but for your chance to win a free copy, simply tell us:

In 25 words or fewer, why do you want to win a copy of 47 Ronin?

Email your answer to [email protected] with the subject line ‘47 Ronin’, your postal address and whether you’d prefer a Blu-ray or DVD. The 10 most original and creative answers will receive a copy.

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Gym Follies

twitter.com/AusIronMan and conditions for 47 Ronin DVD Competition

by Ken Best

Got something to say? Email: [email protected] www.ironmanmag.com.au

1. Entry is open to all residents of Australia except employees of the promoter and their immediate families and agencies associated with this promotion. 2. The promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever that is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury of suffering or sustained in connection with any of the prizes offered except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law. 3. All entries become the property of the promoter. 4. The promoter accepts no responsibility for late, lost or misdirected mail or for any prizes damaged in transit. 5. The promoter is Blitz Publications & Multi Media Group Pty Ltd, 1 Miles St, Mulgrave, Victoria 3170. 6. To enter the competition, entrants must answer, in 25 words or fewer, why they want to win the prize. They email their answer, with the subject line ’47 Ronin’ and which format (Blu-ray or DVD) they would prefer (while stocks last). 7. The competition will be judged by a appointed by the promoters, and will be judged on the originality and creativity of the answer. will consist of the editor. 8. This is a game of skill, and chance plays no part in determining the winner. 8. Prizes are non-transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash. 9. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondences will be entered into. 10. By entering this competition, you consent to Blitz Publications & Multi-Media Group Pty Ltd giving your mailing address to product suppliers, in the event that you are a winner, for the purpose of delivering your prize. Your address will not be used by Blitz Publications & Multi-Media Group Pty Ltd or the supplier for any other purpose. Australian Iron Man \ 149

WHAT’S NEW ISOBURN

SAMPLING SYSTEM

BSN

Beastbox

The science of weight loss doesn’t have to be complicated. Put in the hard work, make smart nutritional choices and you can turn your body into a fat-burning machine. BSN Pros have developed the all-new Isoburn to help your fat-burning potential while promoting toned muscle and metabolism. Each serving provides 20 grams of 100 per cent whey protein isolate along with a powerful blend of green coffee extract, L-carnitine, and LeptiCore. Because the formula is stimulant free, you can mix up a great tasting shake any time of the day or night

Beastbox has been created for individuals wanting to train harder, recover faster and perform at their best all year round by finding the right products for their individual needs. Beastbox get the opportunity to try pre-workouts, intra-workout BCAAs, post-workout shakes, protein bars, meal replacements and everything in between via a box of samples that is delivered to their door year-round. Over the course of a year, will have access to over 100 different products for less than one dollar a day. Save money, find the right products and start dominating life like a beast! SPECIAL OFFER FOR IRON MAN READERS: Sign up and receive 30% off your first box! Use promo code: IRONMAN (valid to May 31st, 2014).

For more information, visit www.bsnonline.net

Find out more at www.beastbox.com.au

SPORTS PERFORMANCE APPAREL

AMINO 5.0

Virus

Human

With its fabric technology and years of active apparel design experience, Virus intend on serving individual athletes’ needs with the best in fabric, fabrication and design. Virus’ Cool Jade technology has been developed to reduce skin surface temperatures for use in high temperatures. Similarly, their Coffee Charcoal technology is designed specifically for use in cold weather. Virus also uses Bio-ceramic technology, developed for rejuvenation and to counteract fatigue. This technology was first used in bands applied to surgeons during lengthy operations to decrease fatigue and add stability to their hands. Their studies have proven that this technology fights arthritis, adds to nerve and muscle regeneration and helps relieve toxicities in the human body.

What makes Human Amino 5.0 GH-IGF1 booster different from over 100 amino acid formulas in the market? We are talking about recovery as a key for muscle building. Recovery has been the key for modern sports in the last decade. Human formula to other formulas, with the addition of 1500mg of l-lysine and 1500mg of l-ornithine to increase your natural production of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 serum levels after heavy-resistance exercise in strength-trained athletes. With no sodium, no calories and no colour, Amino 5.0 mixes completely in water with a refreshing Punch Blast flavour. Available from ND Fitness, www.ndfitness.com.au

For more information, visit www.virusintl.com.au

150 / Australian Iron Man

www.ironmanmag.com.au

RITUAL

THERMOWHEY

ANS Performance

Bulk Nutrients

A great workout begins with proper preparation. Your diet, your mindset and energy levels all play a role in the success of your training. What you take as a pre-workout supplement can often make or break your performance. Imagine a product that could help you exceed previous boundaries; provide you unmatched energy, stamina and focus to elevate your game to your highest potential. Imagine a product that could replicate the unstoppable and indestructible feeling you had at 18. Imagine a product that delivered cutting-edge science at clinical doses and wasn’t loaded with sugar, fillers or made you crash. Now stop imagining — you’ve just found it. Ritual is the next generation pre-workout supplement that combines unmatched scientific ingredients and dosages with real world limitless performance. Containing beta-alanine, l-citrulline, creatine monohydrate, trimethylglycine, vitamin C, vitamin B12, the patented AgmaPure and xanthaurine, as well as the Performance Protocol complex, consisting of N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, DN1000, caffeine, PEA, hordenine, higenamine and AstraGin, this is your new pre-workout Ritual.

Bulk Nutrients’ Thermowhey combines the best rapid and prolonged absorbing proteins with a variety of 10 clinically assessed fat burning ingredients. It is an extremely lean protein containing less than 1g of fats and carbs per serve. It is the ultimate fat burning protein. Purchase directly from www.bulknutrients.com.au

Available from Elite Distributors, www.elitedistributors.com.au

ELASTICISED LIFTING WRAPS

PALEO BAR

Sting Sports

Blue Dinosaur

Sting Sports produces lifting wraps for both wrists and knees. Both feature heavy duty woven elasticised cotton wraps for maximum and are designed to assist lifting confidence and performance. The knee wraps assist and stability through a range of motion and are 80 inches long and three inches wide. The wrist wraps are 18 inches by three inches and assist wrist , stability and are designed to reduce hyperextension injuries. They also feature easy fastening and adjustment with a hook and loop closure.

Blue Dinosaur Ginger Nut Paleo Bars are a clean, honest snack, made from only five real-food ingredients. They have no gluten, soy or dairy, and are free from added sugars, flavours and preservatives. Made from just almonds, organic sulfur-free Turkish apricots, organic sulfur-free coconut, organic coconut oil and just a hint of ginger, these bars taste similar to a moist ANZAC biscuit, and they offer plenty of natural protein and long-burning energy to keep you going. Available online and from gyms, health food stores and cafes across the country. Check out www.bdpaleo.com for more information.

Available at leading sports specialist retailers.

www.ironmanmag.com.au

Australian Iron Man \ 151

WHAT’S NEW TR3

ULTRA ISO WHEY

Gen-Tec Nutrition

Universal Nutrition

Gen-Tec Nutrition’s TR3 (Total Recovery Phase 3) is an advanced post-workout recovery formula designed for bodybuilders, fitness competitors and strength-training athletes with a goal of improved recovery, increased strength and lean muscle mass. TR3 contains the world’s fastest digesting proteins of free-form amino acids, di- and tri-peptides (hydrolysed WPI) and WPI for a fast and direct replenishment of the body’s amino acid pool to create a positive nitrogen balance. Gen-Tec’s sustained release carbohydrate blend of 85 per cent maltodextrin, 10 per cent fructose and five per cent dextrose monohydrate is a tried and tested formula to maximum glycogen replenishment and create the crucial anabolic drive post-exercise. Chromium picolinate has been added to insulin sensitivity thereby enhancing the anabolic effect. Consuming TR3 immediately after exercise supplies the body with all of the essential nutrients at this crucial time to maximise your recovery and create the ultimate anabolic drive.

Whey proteins are complete proteins that provide the essential aminos your body needs. It is rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and glutamine. Gram for gram, these superior whey protein isolates (WPIs) have more protein and less fat and carbs than their counterparts, whey protein concentrates (WPCs). Ultra Iso Whey from Universal Nutrition contains only 100 per cent ultra-filtrated whey protein isolates with zero carbs, zero sugar, zero fat and zero lactose. With Ultra Iso Whey, you get a full spectrum whey isolate protein shake that mixes easily with a spoon and goes down easy. Best of all, Ultra Iso Whey is so clean, you can actually taste the difference. Available in leading supplement stores Australia wide. For more information EMI Nutrition www.eminutrition.com.au

For more information, visit www.gen-tec.com.au

RTG ‘READY TO GROW’ BARS

ALL NATURAL HYDRO WHEY

International Protein

F1 Nutrition

International Protein has finally launched its first protein bars. Recognising that consumers don’t always want to drink their protein but they still want a quality product without unwanted additives, International Protein has developed a range of all natural protein bars. Made using familiar natural ingredients such as whey protein, wholesome nuts and real fruit, the RTG bars complement International Protein’s popular RTG protein drink and feature 20g protein per bar, high fibre, gluten free, all natural (no artificial sweeteners, flavours, colours or additives, and most importantly, they don’t contain any sugar alcohols such as maltitol or sorbitol which can leave you bloated or upset in the stomach. Available now in Peanut Butter Caramel and a Strawberry Coconut, with a third heavenly flavour, Double Choc Coconut, available soon. Now you can eat easy and train hard.

With 100 per cent hydrolysed whey protein isolate, all naturally flavoured and sweetened with stevia, F1 Nutrition’s All Natural Hydro Whey packs 27g of the purest, fastest and highestabsorbing protein on the planet into each 30g serve. It has zero fat, zero carbs, no sugar, no lactose and no gluten; it tastes sensational and is so pure it can be mixed with a spoon or no more than two shakes of a shaker. For more information go to page 63 or visit www.f1supplements.com.au/HydroNatural

For more information, visit www.international-protein.com 152 / Australian Iron Man

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SUPER GRIPPER The adjustable hand-strength and fore-arm-muscle exerciser that crushes all the others. Research shows that grip strength can increase your bench press and help you build bigger biceps. It can supercharge your workouts and give you a handshake like an industrial vice.

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IRON MAN BOOKSHOP Here is all the information you need to get that body you've always dreamed of having. Choose from our selection of handy texts to help you on your way to becoming a bodybuilding champion. INCLUDING: Iron Man's Ultimate Guide series and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding.

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Ironman’s Ultimate Guide To Arm Training Complete proven arm training workouts. Step-by-step methods used by champion bodybuilders.

Ironman’s Ultimate Bodybuilding Encyclopedia Ironman’s Ultimate Bodybuilding Encyclopedia is your get-big bible packed full of training tips and secrets

Serious Strength Training Finally you can hone your workouts with the most effective, efficient exercises and get the gains you deserve for your sweat and effort. 302 pgs.

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2014 CALENDAR OF EVENTS INBA www.inba.com.au MONTH

May May May May June June June

DATE

10 17 18 25 1 22 28

EVENT

LOCATION

STATE



Tropix A Natural Physique Titles Perth Natural Classic Melbourne Natural Classic Brisbane Natural Physique Titles City Natural Championships All Female Muscle & Fitness Classic INBA/PNBA

Townsville Entertainment Centre Kingsway Indoor Stadium Moonee Valley Race Club Sleeman Centre Chandler Castle Hill RSL Club Moonee Valley Race Club Slovakia, Central Europe

QLD WA VIC QLD NSW VIC

0447 599 499 0403 165 496 0451 042 542 (07) 3265 3553 (02) 9633 2661 0451 042 542 0418 166 790

NABBA/WFF www.nabba.com.au MONTH

May May May May May June June

DATE

11 17 18 18 25 7 21

EVENT

LOCATION

STATE



Salt Water Classic Christchurch Grand Prix South Pacific Titles International Championships Southern Hemisphere Titles NABBA World Championships WFF Universe

Darwin Christchurch, Perth Melbourne Gold Coast Belfast, Northern Ireland Seoul, Korea

NT NZ WA VIC QLD

Chris Hosking Leanne & Alex Simays, +64 212 515 837 Tony Bate, +61 419 048 847 Graeme & Pina Lancefield, 03 9480 5975 Mark & Leah Ryan, +61 413 743 520 Graeme Lancefield, +61 408 350 983 Graeme Lancefield, +61 408 350 983

ANB www.anb.com.au MONTH

DATE

May

24

June June

1 7–9

September

TBA

September

21

September September

27 28

EVENT

LOCATION

STATE



Natural Mania Fitness & Bodybuilding Championships Coral Coast Classic ANB Asia Pacific International Physique, Figure, Fitness Model Championships Bodybuilding & Fitness Mania Championships Queensland State Bodybuilding, Figure & Fitness Model Titles NSW Central Coast Natural Physique Titles SA Supernatural Mania Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships

Union Hall, La Trobe University Jupiters Casino TBA

VIC

Maria McCarter, 0417 055 922

QLD QLD

J & R Barnes, 0429 900 323 Steve Jones, 0414 751 924

Vasto Club

WA

Eatons Hill Hotel and Function Centre Davistown RSL Woodville Town Hall

QLD

Maria, 0417 055 922 or David, 0426 263 655 Russell Brereton, 0412 099 555

NSW SA

Mick Moss, 0412 656 548 David Salamon, 0426 263 655

IFBB www.ifbbaustralia.com.au MONTH

EVENT

LOCATION

STATE



TBC October

DATE

TBC TBC

South Pacific Championships South Australian Championships

TBC TBC

TBC SA

October October

TBC TBC

West Australian Championships Queensland Championships

TBC TBC

WA QLD

October

TBC

NSW & Australian Championships

TBC

NSW

TBC Grace and Andrew Crawford, 0416 304 260 Mike O’Mara, 0414443254 Paul and Carole Graham, [email protected], 041040 530

WNBF www.wnbf.com.au MONTH

DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

STATE



September

28

Melbourne Championships

Clocktower Centre

VIC

October October

12 26

Queensland Championships Asia-Pacific Championships

QLD SA

TBA

TBA

NSW Championships

Brisbane Thebarton Theatre, Torrensville Sydney

Luke Morrissey, 0412 731 505, Sarah Morrissey, 0404 876 243 [email protected], 0438 688 869

NSW

[email protected], 0406 965 885

Please forward calendar updates or changes to [email protected] Australian Iron Man Magazine keeps you posted on all shows of interest throughout 2013. 156 / Australian Iron Man

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Get the body and the results you want

The Strength Training Anatomy Workout books are your guides to serious muscle development. They include proven programming for strength, power, bodybuilding and toning. Inside you’ll learn the best exercises for building up and strengthening each muscle; how to determine weights, repetition and frequency; and strategies for accelerating recovery. It’s all here and in all the stunning detail that only Frederic Delavier can provide.

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