"WBJMBCMF BU
PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGIES
REVOLUTIONIZING THE SPORTS NUTRITION INDUSTRY
FOR OVER 20 YEARS ®
100% ULTRAMYOSYN WHEY 22g Protein Over 4g of BCAAs from Protein 120 Calories 3g Carbs
, , , ,
2lb. & 5lb. sizes available
PROTEIN ® REVOLUTION , , ,
6
30g Protein 270 Calories 22g Carbs
6
6
,
4 Carb Blend with Waxy Maize
Neuro-Energy Blend
,
2.5lb. size only
BECAUSE YOU JUST CAN’T FAKE
ULTRAMYOSYN WHEY ISOLATE 30g Protein Over 5g of BCAAs from Protein 130 Calories 1g Carbs
, , , ,
2lb. & 5lb. sizes available
100% MICELLAR CASEIN ®
XTREME SIZE UP 60g Protein9 3g Creatine9 79g Energizing Carbs 9 3g Glutamine9 580 Calories9
, , ,
25g Protein Over 4g of BCAAs from Protein 120 Calories 5g Carbs
, , , ,
2lb. size only
, ,
6lb. size only
6Per 2 scoop serving.
Per 4 scoop serving.
©2015 MET-Rx® USA, Inc.
14-M7-1212-eax
**Use in conjunction with an intense daily exercise program and a balanced diet including an adequate caloric intake. †22g protein comprised primarily of whey along with trace amounts of protein which naturally occur within other ingredients.
STRONG.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
GET Your Toal Training and Nuriion Plan By Ron Harris
5 1 . 2 0
s e r u t a e f
HE MASTER OF MUSCLE
es Training Wih he Ageless Dexer Jackson Ron Harris
JU
BACK!
Ho Aim “La Mar Iner Pee
eroid Round Table Wih he Top 3 Muscle Legends of he ‘90s: Dorian Yaes, Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone By Ron Harris
18
musculardevelopment musculard evelopment.com .com February 2015
departments THE WEIGHT ROOM 26
MD PEOPLE
28
HOW I SEE IT By Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray and Dorian Yates
34
BODYBUILDING MECCA By Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger
By Adina Zanolli
TRAINING ON THE COVER: DORIAN YATES
38
PHOTO BY BILL DOBBINS
How Important Are Acute Post-Exercise Hormonal Elevations to Hyper trophy?
TRUE BRIT By Peter McGough
By Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., CSCS, FNSCA
By Dan Solomon
FAT LOSS With Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Victor Martinez, Evan Centopani, and Justin Compton
By Adina Zanolli
By Steve Blechman & homas Fahey, Ed.D.
By 4-Tme Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler
PERFORMANCE
50 ARNOLD’S CORNER By Ron Harris 151 THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
DRUGS
By Steve Blechman & homas Fahey, Ed.D.
By 8-Tme Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney
By Steve Blechman & homas Fahey, Ed.D.
By 8-Tme Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman
By Steve Blechman & homas Fahey, Ed.D.
130 TESTOSTERONE Long-erm Benefits of
By Dexter Jackson By Steve Blechman & homas Fahey, Ed.D.
By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
By Ron Harris
he Optimal Tming of Leucine Consumption
By Dorian Yates
By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
70
SUPPLEMENT PERFORMANCE Natural estosterone Stack By Victor R. Prisk, M.D.
By William Llewellyn
158
By Rick Collins, JD, CSCS
By Stephen E. Alway, Ph.D., FACSM
164 TRAINERS OF CHAMPIONS By IFBB Pro Guru George Farah, he Pro Creator Hany Rambod, Master rainer Charles Glass and IFBB Pro/Contest-Prep Specialist Fakhri Mubarak
HEALTH & PERFORMANCE By Steve Blechman & homas Fahey, Ed.D.
By Steve Blechman & homas Fahey, Ed.D.
Metamorphosize Your Physique With Ecdysteroids By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
126
Kaged Muscle: Phase 1 Anabolic Growth Stack By Anthony Ricciuto
82
MUSCLE BUILDER OF THE MONTH MHP: 4D ROPIN By Anthony Ricciuto
136 BODYBUILDING SCIENCE Resistance raining + Occlusion raining = Greater Muscle Power By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
INSIDE STACK 22
EDITOR’S LETTER By Steve Blechman By Angela heresa Frizalone & Manda Machado
MD 19
BY STEVE BLECHMAN, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
AND THE REAL DOPE Six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates was given the nickname “the Shadow” by MD’s Peter McGough in 1986 because his massive physique would cast a shadow over his competitors, and also because Dorian always kept in the shado he wasn’t like other up-and-coming competitors who would attend ever large bodybuilding show to networ and schmooze with people in the industry; he was never seen unless he was competing. There was an element of mystery about Dorian: he didn’t say a lot, so he always k the other competitors guessing w t was going on inside his head— and what were the machinations behind Dorian’s enduring dominance. Fans of Dorian and other iconic bodybuilders have also wondered about the amount of PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) used by pros who reached the heights of competitive success. In this month’s MD, Dorian Yates bravely comes forward to set the record straight in an exclusive MD round table with the top three muscle legends of the ‘90s— Dor ian Yates, Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone— in Part I of a groundbreaking, MD exclusive “The Real Dope on Bodybuilding!” on page 100. When it comes to the stacks used by some of the biggest pros in professional bodybuilding, there is a ton of lies and misinformation published on the Internet. “The cycles I have seen posted that I supposedly did— they were all bullshit. Who knows what I used?
22
“THE CYCLES I HAVE SEEN POSTED THAT I SUPPOSEDLY DID— THEY WERE ALL BULLSHIT. WHO KNOWS WHAT I USED? EVEN MY WIFE AT THE TIME DIDN’T.” —DORIAN YATES
Even my wife at the time didn’t,” Dorian tells MD’s Ron Harris. Dorian’s steroid use is explored in greater detail by Daniel Gwartney, M.D. in this month’s Fat Attack column, “The Dorian Era: the Science Behind the Stack” on page 66. What may surprise many readers is that Dorian’s drug use, as well as Kevin Levrone’s and Shawn Ray’s, was much simpler and more rational than the “more is better” and “anything goes” attitude espoused by those who accomplish much less. The fact that Dorian has conveyed many of the tools used to achieve a physique with extremely low body fat is all the more impressive because he did so while retaining a superior amount of lean mass in comparison to most of his challengers. Bodybuilders like Dorian Yates, as well as millions of men who pound the iron in gyms around the world, know the importance of setting goals and having a plan of action to meet those goals. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” is an unwritten law of building muscle. MD’s Ron Harris, a competitive bodybuilder who has covered the industry for over 20 years, shares his expertise on getting huge in “Get Huge in 90 Days! Your Total Training and Nutrition Plan” on page 88. Justin Compton emerged as the breakout athlete of 2014 when
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
ELO
T STEVE BLECHMAN
PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PETER MCGOUGH
SENIOR EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
ANGELA T. FRIZALONE DENISE GEHRING
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
the 26-year-old won the Europa Show of Champions in Orlando last April. Justin’s meticulous training and nutrition built a massive, sweeping physique that t hat promoted speculation that he is a looming Olympia contender. c ontender. In “Justin Compton Talks Back!” an exclusive interview with MD’s Peter McGough on page 108, bodybuilding’s hottest new star outlines how he aims to put on a “Lat Lat Show” at March’s Arnold Classic. Classic.“Orlando was by by far my best-ever condition, but I’m still not satisfied satisf ied with it, it,” ” Justin tells MD.“I think I was at about 95 percent. This time, I’m going to push myself harder and go for f or 100 percent.” Dexter Jackson’s bodybuilding career has been distinguished not only for his competitive record of excellence, but also for Dexter’ Dexter’ss longevity in the sport. At 45 years old, he’s he’s won every major title tit le there
ALAN DITTRICH, JR.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ALAN GOLNICK
MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR
LISA STEUER
SENIOR WRITER
RON HARRIS
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
STEPHEN KOLBASUK
SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
DAN SOLOMON SHAWN RAY BOB CICHERILLO
MEDIA ASSOCIATES SENIOR SCIENCE EDITOR
MICHAEL J. RUDOLPH, PH.D.
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
THOMAS THOMA S FAHEY, ED.D. DANIEL GWARTNEY, M.D. VICTOR R. PRISK, M.D. M.D.
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
is to win, including the Mr. Olympia, the Arnold Classic four times and the Masters Mr. Olympia. It’s only because Dexter’ss physique is so well Dexter’ balanced and proportional that you might not immediately realize that he has one of the best chests in the business. In “The Master of Muscle: Chest Training With the Ageless Dexter Jackson” on page 118, Dexter talks chest training and give you some tips for building your own treasure chest. Lights, camera … WTF happened?!!! That was the reaction from millions of bodybuilding fans when they tuned in to watch the televised broadcast of the t he 2014 Mr. Olympia contest. In “Does NBC Stand For No Bodybuilding Coverage?” on page 126, Dan Solomon looks at the anticipation leading up to the broadcast of the program, and the collective shock at the nonairing of the telecast. The rest of the book is packed to the binder as usual— with all the latest cutting-edge research and information on bodybuilding by the industry experts and insiders who make it all happen. See you next month!
GREGORY JAMES PER BERNAL JIMMY CARUSO DAN RAY
MEDIA PRODUCER
JESSICA COLLEY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF www.musculardevelopment.com
ADINA ZANOLLI
DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR/ DESIGN CONSULTANT CONTRIBUTING VIDEOGRAPHERS
CHRIS HOBRECKER
JORDAN BLECHMAN NICK DEL TORO, ADAM SILVER
ILLUSTRATOR
BILL HAMILTON
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
ANGELA T. FRIZALONE (239) 495-6899
DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
TODD HUGHES 416-346-3456
CORPORATE OFFICE
CIRCULATION CONSULTANTS
800-653-1151 631-751-9696 IRWIN BILLMAN RALPH PERICELLI
TO ORDER A SUBSCRIPTION:
1-800-653-1151
CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
(631) 751-9696 1-800-653-1151
Advanced Research Research Media, Inc. reserves reserves the right right to reject any advertising at its discretion. Advertisements Advertiseme nts meet legislation legislation within country country of origin. MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT (ISSN 0047-8415) is published monthly by Advanced Research Research Media, Media, 21 Bennetts Bennetts Road, Suite 101, Setauke Setauket, t, NY 11733. Copyright© 2010 by Advanced Research Media. All rights reserved. Copyright under the Universal Copyright Convention and the International Copyright Convention. Copyright reserved under the Pan Am Copyright. Rate: $49.97 per year (USA); $79.97 per two years (USA); foreign: $79.97 per year. Nothing appearing in MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT may be reprinted, either wholly or in part, without the written consent of the publisher. Send editorial submissions to: MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, 21 Bennetts Road, Suite 101, Setauket, NY 11733. Stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited submissions. All letters, photos, manuscripts, etc. sent to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT will be considered as intended for publication, and MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT reserves reserves the right to edit and/ or comment. Periodical postage paid at Setauket, N.Y. 11733, and at Glasgow, KY 42141. Postmaster: Send address changes to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, 21 Bennetts Road, Suite 101, Setauket, NY 11733-9704. Advertising Office Phone: Phone: (239) 495-6899. PRINTED PRINTED IN USA
MD 23
THE TH E
FEBRUARY 2015
OF BODYBUILDIN BODYBUILDING G
SIGHTINGS FROM THE 2014 EUROPA IFBB PRO PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADINA ZANOLLI
BRANCH WARREN:
BODYBUILDING AND MAINSTREAM APPEAL: WOULD TELEVISION MAKE A DIFFERENCE? BY SHAWN RAY, DORIAN YATES
JUST CALL HIM
BY BEV FRANCIS AND
'ROCKY' 'BRANCH LOVES TO PROVE PEOPLE WRONG. HE'S MADE AN ENTIRE CAREER OUT OF IT.'
COMPETITION PREP, THEN VERSUS NOW
DORIAN YATES: THE LAST HURRAH!
BY ADINA ZANOLLI
SEE PG. 40 MD 25
THE
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
26
PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADINA ZANOLLI AND DAN RAY
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
MD 27
THE
WITH SHAWN RAY, DORIAN YATES AND KEVIN LEVRONE Muscular Development is proud to bring you “How I See It,” featuring three IFBB Hall of Fame bodybuilders, and legends of the industry that we are honored to have on Team MD. Between Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone, they have a total of six runner-up finishes at the Mr. Olympia, and Dorian Yates won the Mr. Olympia title six consecutive t imes.
WOULD TELEVISION MAKE A DIFFERENCE? “MANY HAD HOPED THE TV BROADCAST OF THE MR. OLYMPIA THAT NEVER HAPPENED WOULD BRING MANY NEW FANS TO PRO BODYBUILDING FROM THE MAINSTREAM PUBLIC. DO YOU THINK TV EXPOSURE WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, OR IS OUR SPORT ONE THAT CAN ONLY BE APPRECIATED BY A CERTAIN, SELECT GROUP OF PEOPLE, MOST OF WHOM LIVE THE BODYBUILDING LIFESTYLE THEMSELVES?”
Shawn ray The relevance of the now-infamous “non broadcast” of the 2014 Mr. Olympia contest to professional bodybuilding not being on television has run its course. I personally believe the Internet killed tele vision as it relates to overall “exposure” of our sport to a worldwide audience, as did the “live” interactive contest coverage that Muscular Development provides online. The average fan now has the opportunity to interact with Hall of Fame athletes and topquality reporters who are on location with updated comments, photos and even video clips as it happens in real time. There once was a time when a portion of our sport’s loyalists hoped that television would help propel bigger paydays
through the years. That leaves bodybuilding to fend for itself and remain a subculture of the sports world that survives from within. The highly anticipated TV broadcast of the 2014 Mr. Olympia contest coincided with the 50th anniversary Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend. As the sport’s longest-running contest was about to make its television return to a national, yet uneducated audience, it would have been a grand opportunity to salute the founding fathers of our sport, Ben and Joe Weider, and pay homage to the passing of the early pioneers, Larry Scott and Sergio Oliva, who collectively won five Mr. Olympia titles. While it was a novel idea to bring the sport back to national television prominence, I believe that the program not airing did nothing to hold us back or slow us down as a whole. Our competition numbers, sponsorships, athletes and worldwide audiences are at record-
THA T MAKES OUR SPOR T SO GREA T. 28 MD
musculardevelopment .com February 2015
PROTEIN # ZEROCARB 100% ISOLATE PROTEIN
REAL ATHLETES.
REAL SCIENCE.
™
AVAILABLE AT THESE RETAIL AND ONLINE OUTLET
DISTRIBUTED BY
®
THE
HOW I SEE IT!
breaking numbers. And, the promotion and publication of our sport from within is operating at lightning speed with regard to contest results and c overage. The non-airing of the 2014 Mr. Olympia contest served as a humble warning for us as industry insiders to continue to step up our coverage, and continue to provide our sport’s loyal and new followers with the best contest coverage possible through any means necessary. That’s why Muscular Development continues to raise the exclusive competition coverage bar, heads and shoulders above other media outlets. When I want the best contest coverage of our sport’s number one event, the one source that will never let me down is TEAM MD, online and in
Dorian Yates Some of you who are a bit older might recall that there actually was quite a bit of bodybuilding coverage on television in the 1980s and through at least the mid-‘90s. Most of it was in the USA on networks like ESPN. There were one-hour event specials for the Mr. Olympia, the Ms. Olympia, the USA and National s. There were also a couple of workout shows on every week with guys like Lee Haney, Shawn Ray, Cory Everson and so on. So you would think that if TV exposure was ever going to lead to bodybuilding becoming a mainstream sport that you would see being watched in bars and so on, that would have been it. But what I never realized until after I stopped competing was that unless you’re already very much into bodybuilding, it’s painfully boring to watch. There are no goals being sco red, no amazing plays on the court or the field, nothing remotely athletic is happening. In our contests, you are seeing the end product of many thousands of hard workouts and good meals, as evidenced in the physiques.
print. We have Editor-in-Chief Steve Blechman to thank for that, as he continues to be the contest coverage visionary who carries the flag for competition coverage worldwide. If only the television networks would be so kind and generous in their efforts to promote our sport as Mr. Blechman has been throughout the years and into the future! In the end, it was a noble effort by American Media, Inc. (AMI), promoter Robin Chang, David Pecker, NBCSN and all parties involved, and it goes without saying that the industry and I appreciate the efforts and attempts to share what we do with a national television audience. It is in fact the “effort” to expand that makes our sport so great. Twitter: @sugarshawnray
r than s in a a boxing match for the first time and understand that the guy who knocks out the other guy or who gets in twice as many punches is the winner. They can turn on a soccer game and immediately figure out that the team that gets the ball into the other team’s net the most times wins. It’s just common sense. So I don’t think those two broadcasts, or even had there been two dozen, would have brought too many more fans to our sport. It’s just not something the average person who isn’t involved in bodybuilding would find interesting enough to sit there and watch for an hour. They might watch for a few minutes, then decide they’ve seen enough. Most bodybuilding fans, even if they don’t compete themselves, are usually “bodybuilders” in the sense that they devote large amounts of time and energy into trying to become bigger and more muscular. That’s why they are able to appreciate seeing the world’s
THEY’RE ALL FUCKING HUGE, SO NOW WHAT? And as for those physiques, you need to be very familiar with the sport and what our ideals are before you can appreciate what you’re looking at. The average person would see 20 guys competing in the Mr. Olympia and say, OK, they’re all fucking huge, so now what? They don’t understand what they are supposed to be looking for. For that, one of us would have to sit there and explain what criteria the judges are using as a
30 MD
best physiques, and it’s why they can differentiate between Phil Heath, Kai, Wolf and so on. They follow the pro contests because it’s exciting to them to see who can display the best package of size, shape, structure, condition and presentation. But the average person really can’t make those kinds of distinctions, so they lose interest in watching it very quickly. Facebook: Dorian Yates
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
THE
HOW I SEE IT!
KEVIN LEVRONE To be honest, I don’t think it would have made a big difference. One reason is that it seems like most people don’t watch anywhere near as much TV as they used to. Instead, they are on their smartphones checking out Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites. How many people were those two broadcasts on Saturday afternoons really going to reach? If you want a sport to reach a large audience, it needs to be on every week the way football games are. But let’s assume for a minute that a million people had watched those broadcasts of the Olympia Weekend. How many of them would have found it interesting enough to start following our sport? It’s been my experience over the years that the general public can’t really relate to what it is we do. They will find it odd or amusing, but that’s about it. They certainly can’t understand how it’s judged. For that, you need an experienced, educated eye. I’ve had people outside the sport tell me that all the guys look exactly the same to them, so it makes no sense how one guy gets first and others get second, third and so on. I’ve also had the reaction that there is something very strange about huge, muscular men oiled up, wearing what’s basically
Back in the day, I learned that the hard way. If I went out wearing a tank top and shorts, I would get all kinds of stares. Some of them were in awe or appreciation, but a lot of them were disapproving or borderline disgusted. Eventually, I started making sure I was fully covered in baggy sweats when I was out among “regular” people. Our sport is a hard sell. Look at our magazines. MD is right there on the newsstand with Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, People, Cos mopolitan, etc. How many people pass right over MD and the other bodybuilding magazines every day when they could just as easily pick them up and start checking out what bodybuilding is all about? The only way I could see us starting to gain more fans is if a major Hollywood celebrity like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
CHANGE THA T. got a lot more involved and made his millions of fans aware of it. But how many of them would get inspired to become bodybuilders and true bodybuilding fans? It’s a niche sport that appeals to a certain group of people, and I’m not sure a couple of TV broadcasts would have done much to change that. Twitter: @LevroneKevin Instagram: KEVINLEVRONE www.levronereport.com
32 MD
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
THE
e k k t t e a
l n u ag e e i g gh h t t s o s o u ut t , ga gam m e over
The action overseas hasn’t died down yet! We’ve got three new athletes from outside of the United States who are qualified for the 2015 Mr. Olympia! Looks like the 51st edition of Joe Weider’ Weider’ss Mr. Olympia is going to be quite the melting pot! CAN FLEX LEWIS DOMINATE IN 2015?
It’s no secret that Flex Lewis did not look his all-time best at the 2014 212 Olympia Showdown. One of the biggest stories to watch in the 2015 competition season will be the battle for the top 212 titles. Brazil’s Eduardo Correa took a very close second to Lewis at the 2014 Olympia Showdown, and has emerged as the one to watch in 2015. For For years now, now, Lewis has been the one to watch going into the big shows, but now it appears there the re has been some room left for doubt. I’m not counting Flex out. If he can return to his physique from 2012, no one has a chance. Time to sit back and grab your popcorn. This should be an exciting season for fans of the 212 Division. WILLIAM BONA BONAC C TAKE TAKES S RUSSIAN RUSSIAN PRO PRO
ESSA OBAID WINS IN CHINA
Although qualified Although qualified for for the 2014 Mr. Olympia, Essa Obaid chose to stay home, as his mother was gravely ill. He was not on the sidelines for long, though. He was instrumental in getting the Dubai Pro up and running after many delays, and was a constant presence that entire weekend. Then, he turned around and headed to China, where where he took the win and Olympia qualification. Although there were only five men competing, one of those men was a very very well-con well-condition ditioned ed Ronny Rockel. A win here was no small feat.
IFBB Pro William Bonac certainly made the rounds in 2014. Described by many as a mini m ini Kai Greene, he packs more muscle, pound-for-pound, than many of the taller guys he competes against. His placings in 2014 were all over the place, ranging anywhere anywhere from first to 15th. It took him until August to firmly qualify for the Olympia at the Sacramento Pro. His luck (hard work) took a turn for the better at the last show of the season, when he took the win in Russia at the Grand Prix Fitness House Pro. Like China, this was a smaller sm aller lineup, but again, Ronny Rockel was among those he had to beat. Will he now take time off to work with his guru, Neil Hill, or will we see him take on some shows in the early part of the season? It remains to be seen! MOE BANNOUT TAKES A WIN IN PHOENIX PHOENIX
We can stop using phrases like ever the bridesmaid to to describe Lebanese athlete Moe Bannout. No, he wasn’t the favorite going in to the Phoenix Europa Games. We’d have to give that title Johnnie Joh nnie O. O. Jack Jackson. son. That didn’t didn’t
stop Bannout from coming in and taking what was his— the win. Jackson Jack son sported sported his trade trademark mark upper body. It was just ridiculous, ridic ulous, but the legs just did not match— leaving room for his competition. Bannout, lacking good lines and just put toget together her strangel strangely y, had the size and condition that no
one in Phoenix could touch— proving prov ing that shows can be won on condition. He outconditioned every man on that stage and was rewarded for his efforts with the victory.. victory
Ryallll Gra Rya Graber ber
OF THE MONTH
One of my favorite fitness competitors is Ryall Graber from Canada. She took the 2013 competition season by storm with a physique and a routine that were hard to beat and fun to watch. In 2014, she was a constant in shows in the Fitness division. She continues to be very vocal about her support of the division, and I have no doubt we’ll see her onstage all around the world in 2015.
We’ve been here, there and everywhere! everywhere! As I write this, I’ve just replied to a few emails I received from some of our overseas readers. If we’re coming to an area where you live, or you think we need to, drop me a line at
[email protected].
MD 35
THE
WITH BOB CICHERILLO
FEBRUARY 2015
BOB IS HOME FOR A MUCH-NEEDED REST BEFORE THE MARCH MADNESS BEGINS!
__ ____ then every side … the Golden Era, the ‘80s, the ‘90s (al-
‘60s to the ‘70s.
the athletes have now … it was brutal. First, calorie cutting was part of the plan. The bodybuild-
ITUDE. TI TU TIICULAR FOR T ES T TE OOK … NO T IT TO WHA T T T you went to the spa. Hell, there wasn’t even mod-
if you were lucky, you had one of the pulldown pieces that actually had a SEAT! protein, cut fat out and carb-deplete as the contest got closer. If you had to make a weight class, it was even more stringent. There was no “cheat day,” no “refeed” and no seven to eight meals per day— all of that would’ve been blasphemous to the tradition of being “hardcore.” You simply would’ve been looked at as someone who didn’t have what it took … no testicular fortitude … automatically relegated to last place in the minds of the boys at the gym (a fate worse wo rse than actu actuall ally y losin losing g onstag onstage). e). There were no sugar substitutes, no designer peanut butter or butter-esque products … just chicken (plain), fish (plain), white rice (plain), oatmeal (plain)
fair share, or held back for any moral reasoning. reasoning. am
phases. Not only unnecessary, but usually resulting in a Russian roulette-style of hit or miss. Like everything else in life … it seems to t o be overkill, overthought overthought and over-the-top over-the-top.. Speaking of “over-the-top,” weren’t the movies better in the ‘80s as well? ■
Bob Cicherillo is the IFBB Athlete Representative and one of bodybuilding’s best-known personalities. He is an IFBB pro who placed first and Overall as a Super Heavyweight in the USA Championships and first in the Masters Pro World. Bob is host of over 20 bodybuilding shows throughout the season, including the Mr. Olympia.
36
musculardevelopment musculard evelopment.com .com February 2015
THE BODYBUILDING HISTORIAN
dorian yates: The last contest for this month’s cover man, Dorian Yates, was the 1997 Mr. Olympia. At the time no one, not even the six-time Sandow winner, knew it would be his final flexing appearance. Here’s the back ground to The Shadow’s competitive finale.
38
dare give up until it’s absolutely clear you can’t compete. Other wise, you will spend the rest of your life thinking, could I have done it?” The main worry for the then 35-year-old was the uncertainty: would the swelling and bruising disperse before the Olympia? And even if it did go down, what would the triceps look like? He was prepared to go through all the discomfort and suspense. But he The 1997 Mr. Olympia contest was schedhad no guarantee that it wouldn’t uled for September 19th and 20th at the Terall be in vain. race Theater in Long Beach, California. At 6:00 In those last three weeks he p.m. on Sunday, August 31, three weeks prior couldn’t do any pressing moveto the Olympia, the phone rang in my Santa ments, and even with most pulling Monica home. My wife, Anne, answered and movements he had to train very told me Dorian Yates was calling. It was 2:00 carefully with light weights. For a.m. Monday in the U.K., and I instantly thought chest, all he could do was the pec this is not good news. deck; for delts, just lateral raises. Dorian quickly told me he had been doing The only body part he could train a pullover and press movement for triceps in properly was legs. Looking back, his morning workout at his Temple Gym in Bir- he reflects, “You don’t realize how mingham, when during the pullover part of the much you use the triceps as a stamovement he felt “something go bang in my bilizing or supporting muscle until left shoulder.” This sensation was followed by you damage it. Even gripping with the most excruciating pain. He knew straight my left hand was difficult.” away the triceps had been torn. He recalled He didn’t practice the mandathat it was much more painful than when he tories or his free posing routine tore his left biceps nine weeks prior to the ‘94 for those three weeks, because Mr. Olympia. even flexing the left triceps caused He continued, “It was so painful, I think I inflammation of the elbow. He just went into shock because it was as if, after the nursed the left triceps and was initial agony, I couldn’t feel anything. I thought scared to death that he would … that’s it, no Olympia. Everything I’ve done damage it via any stress. this year has been for nothing … it’s over.” He couldn’t get an MRI (magnetI gave him words of wait-and-see encouric resonance imaging) in England, agement, but it was the lowest I’ve ever heard and it wasn’t until September 10, him. when he stopped over in New York Within 36 hours, his whole upper arm on his way to Long Beach, that he swelled up, the triceps was totally distorted had an MRI done on the damaged and his arm was bruised right down to the triceps. He was told there he would wrist. Weeks later he told me,“It was the only have to wait a week for the results. time in my life I’ve thought, I can’t fight this! On Friday, September 12, seven Every time something had happened to me, I days before the Olympia, he arthink, why me? I feel like somebody’s testing rived in California. The next day me to see whether I’m worthy or not.” my wife, Anne, and I visited him at the Residence Inn, Costa Mesa. THE SHADOW FIGHTS BACK Also there was Dorian’s then-wife By Tuesday, his mind began to fight back. Debbie and close friend Steve He thought, “Even though my training from Weinberger. We were the only here on in is going to be all screwed up, I was ones, plus Steve’s wife Bev Francis in shape, I knew I could do it. I adopted the and Stuart Cosgrove, Dorian’s same attitude I had with the biceps tear: don’t physiotherapist back in the U.K.,
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
who knew of the injury. It would be kept under wraps until after the Olympia. Dorian showed us the arm. The swelling had disappeared and the muscular configuration of the triceps appeared normal. But the bruising, which was every color of the rainbow and then some, was still there, but false tan would mask it. He was thankful that at last he knew he could compete without the injury standing out like a red flag.
HANGING BY A THREAD Since tearing the triceps, he had lived with constant uncertainty— the fear that it would suddenly break down again and swell up. He went for a shower and then we heard him cry out in pain. He was drying himself after a shower when a searing pain shot through his left triceps. He thought, “No, please not now!” He immediately applied an ice pack and after a few hours it was clear it wasn’t going to swell up again. He admitted he was now almost paranoid about anything involving the triceps. The incident reinforced the need to desist from practicing his posing. He had to save everything for the day. On Tuesday, September 16, he got the results of the MRI and it was bad news. The triceps tendon was torn three-quarters of the way off the bone, so it was attached to the bone along only a quarter of its length. His triceps and Olympia hopes were literally hanging by a thread. That year’s Olympia was held over two days: prejudging on Fr iday, September 19 th and the finals a day later. Throughout the prejudging, his thoughts were consumed by the triceps. From a 17-year perspective, he says, “Constantly, I told myself to Be very very, careful when you hit a pose. Don’t squeeze hard with that left arm. Normally during a prejudging I’m thinking, Yeah! Let’s get down to business . This time, I was thinking, I hope to hell they don’t call me
INSANIT Y ?
OR
“I was really pleased with the physique I presented at the 1997 Olympia. The tribulations of the final weeks confirmed how important the off-season is. That’s when you make all your gains. I proved that having 14 years of intensity workouts in my training log built a density of muscle that was not going to disappear overnight. I got away with doing a fraction of the work I planned to do in the last few weeks, and still came in bigger and just as hard. This contest wasn’t easy for me in a psychological sense. Throughout the count-
again. I’d rather just stay back here. Once the prejudging was over, I felt a wave of relief because all I would have to endure on Saturday night was my three-minute posing routine and the posedown, not a two-hour prejudging.”
THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR The next night as he clutched his sixth Sandow and stood onstage with Joe Weider, none of the 2,500 crowd knew of the injury. Neither did they know that they had witnessed the supreme blood-and-guts performance by a man whose spirit and soul refused to wilt in the face of the most intense pressure. He stood before them as the sport’s ultimate warrior. He also stood before them for the last time. Postscript: The damaged triceps was operated on in New York on October 28, 1997, but healing and strength gains were slower than expected. By the summer of 1998, he still couldn’t train with 100 percent capacity. He felt he needed more time, so he withdrew from defending his title at the 1998 event and would aim to return in 1999. The comeback was not to be. In midSeptember, just a month before the 1998 Olympia that was being staged in New York’s Madison Square Garden, he realized he would never regain full power in the left triceps. At the start of the evening Olympia finals, dressed in a dark suit, Dorian duly told the Madison Square throng that they would never see him compete again. The realization of what he was saying drew a collective gasp from the 5,000 attendees, and he left the stage to deafening applause. That was 17 years ago, and he still has a fantastic fan base and is respected as the thinking man’s bodybuilder, and he’s on the cover of this issue of Muscular Development. That only happens to a legend, which
Dorian Yates tr uly is. down, I was thinking, You’ll be competing against the best in the world and you’re not training flat out. “A lot of people will say that my experiences prove that I train too heavy, too hard and that maybe I’m crazy. I say I train intelligently, but I also train with a passion— so I’m constantly walking a fine line as I explore the limits of my capabilities. I don’t take the view that I don’t need to improve, that I’m good enough to keep winning the Olympia, so why risk injury? Maybe that’s the smart way to do it, but for me that approach lacks passion. If I’m going to do the Olympia, I’ve got to give it my best in the gym to be at my best onstage. That means pushing myself to the limit. If you don’t overstep your limit, how do you know what your limit is?” —Dorian Yates
THE
fEATURING DAN SOLOMON
struggle His name is Branch Warren and or as long as I can remember, he’s been making me look oolish. Jus o be clear, i’s no his aul and he cerainly doesn’ do i on purpose. The blame lies solely on my (significanly narrower) shoulders. The ruh is, his willingness o suffer, o def he odds, has made him bodybuilding’s real-lie Rocky Balboa. I’ve doubed him rom he beginning. I’ve quesioned his physique and I’ve le him off o more “predicions” han I can remember. There’s perhaps no singular individual who has so consisenly made me look as clueless. And guess wha?! I’m no he only one!!! To pu i simply, Branch loves o prove people wrong. He’s made an enire career ou o i. A he 1993 Teen Naionals, here was a surgery, more hearbreak and more reason o kid named Jay Culer compeing in he heavydoub his uure. weighs. Branch, back in hose days, was a ligh In one o he mos improbable comeback heavyweigh. They each won heir weigh class sories o he modern era, jus six monhs aer and despie hose who el Culer would ake he surgery, Branch somehow managed o he crown, Branch sole he show, winning he overall Teen Naional ile. o he injury, his paricipaion in he cones was His pro career wouldn’ begin or anoher exraordinary in and o isel. He clearly had no decade, bu when i did, he rend coninued. As chance o acually winning … RIGHT?!?! his criics dismissed him, he jus go beter. And Well, you already know how his sory I don’ mean “beter” in he pedesrian sense o ends. Branch won he cones. In less han he word. I mean BETTER as in, NEARLY THE six monhs, he wen rom he surgery able o BEST IN THE WORLD! he winner’s circle, a one o his spor’s mos And I’ve been doubing him every sep o presigious evens. He never had a chance! he way. Bu who could blame me? In 2008, as And ha’s exacly he way he wans us o eel. he was preparing or he Olympia, he slipped on Bu he ruh is, Branch Warren ALWAYS has a a fligh o sairs. While atemping o break his chance … because he’s wired differenly han he res o us. He’s hungrier han mos who he bone! The injury required surgery. Branch oppose him and, o his credi, he ransormed apped ino his superhuman abili o recover. his physique rom reaky o (dare I say) “symOne year laer, only one man sood beween merically reaky.” Branch and a Sandow rophy. The 5’7” Texan This pas Sepember, as he closed in on his was he 2009 Olympia runner-up … and no40h birhday, Branch claimed a spo among he body saw i coming. op six a anoher Olympia. How many o you In 2011, he had his bigges momen when he prediced ha? Guess wha?! Branch doesn’ deeaed Dennis Wol o win he Arnold Classic. care wha you hink … and he cerainly doesn’ And jus when I was ready o sar believing care wha I hink. He will evenually reire as in him, he suffered anoher caasrophic inone o he mos decoraed champions o all jury! While in Alana or a gues appearance, ime, wih a résumé ha speaks infiniely louder Branch was in a parking lo. As he sory goes, han any o my misguided predicions. I’ve been he slipped on he pavemen, alling on o his wrong abou him rom he sar. My days o le leg, earing he endon in his quad. More doubing Branch Warren are over. ■ Dan Solomon is he Senior Feaures Edior a Muscular Developmen. For nearly 15 years, Dan has conduced many of he mos prominen bodybuilding inerviews of all ime, including memorable visis wih Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Weider and oher icons of he spor. Creaor of he popular “PBW Radio” program, Dan has served as moderaor of he Olympia Press Conference and lead commenaor a many of he world’s bigges bodybuilding evens. Follow Dan on Twiter @DanSolomon100 and une in o PBW a sore.musculardevelopmen.com/pbw.
40
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
™
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
N O W
MuscleTech® researchers have been raising the standard in protein quality for nearly 20 years – and they’ve done it again. Introducing the all-new Essential Series proteins. Featuring cold-processed microfiltration, ultra-pure ingredient sources, and awardwinning flavor systems, Essential Series proteins are better than best-in-class – they’re in a class of their own! Measure any Essential Series protein against what you’re currently taking, and you’ll quickly realize what this truly means. Make the switch today! MUSCLETECH .COM
Platinum Iso-Zero uses nothing but the highest grade 97% purity whey protein isolate and delivers an ultra-premium product with zero fat, carbohydrates, sugar or lactose.
WHEY
ISO-WHEY
Platinum 100% Whey is powered by an impressive amino acid profile that delivers 5.5g of BCAAs, 4g of glutamine, and 11.6g of EAAs.
With a filtration process that reduces lactose, ash, and fat, Platinum 100% Iso-Whey delivers the bioactive protein fractions you need in a premium formula.
BEEF PROTEIN
For Platinum 100% Casein, we spared no expense, as micellar casein is the only protein ingredient on this label. The ultimate in slowrelease proteins!
Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2014
Platinum 100% Beef Protein features only high-quality, isolated beef protein that’s undergone advanced hydrolysis to deliver everything you want, and it’s free of fat, sugar, cholesterol, and lactose!
THE
The action never ends at www.musculardevelopment.com. As with all major websites, Team MD doesn’t rest on what we’ve done in the past. With new content added every day, if you miss a day, you might be behind. Here’s a look at what’s going on now!
OMINI
I’ve often brought up our stellar lineup of athletes, but our lineup of commentators is no less amazing. Peter McGough, Bob Cicherillo, Shawn Ray, Dan Solomon, Kevin Levrone and newcomer to the scene, David Baye, make up our panel of experts. You’ll find at least one of these guys at every major show in 2015. If you’d like to know where to find the guys, always check the contest threads in the No Bull section of the forums. While you’re there, leave a comment. David Baye got his star t by weighing in on the various contest threads. It’s a fact— participating in the forums can lead to a job!
O
I was backstage working at Steve Weinberger’s NPC Easterns in New York when I noticed that a thread about one of the competitors was getting a lot of buzz. See? We really do watch those forums! I took off in search of competitor number 50, Dominick Cardone. I found him backstage and put him in contact with MD publisher Steve Blechman. He ended up winning the overall title at just 21 years old. Thanks to forum member guruhonza for bringing him to my attention, and a big congrats to Dominick!
FEMALE COVERAGE Yes, we cover females on the MD website too! Lately, we’ve featured IFBB Pros Bo jana Vasiljevic and Sabrina Taylor in our popular “In the Trenches” series. Sabrina is already qualified for the 2015 Women’s Physique Olympia Showdown, so you can bet we’ll feature her again throughout her prep this year.We’d love to know which women you’d like to see more of in 2015, so come weigh in at the forums or send me an email.
where to find team md There will be no rest for Team MD in 2015! Again, we’ll be covering all of the major men’s bodybuilding shows and pro qualifiers in 2015. We’ve got NPC and IFBB calendars listed on the site, and we typically begin our coverage a week out or more. If you want to know where we’ll be or if we’re covering a show, it’s as simple as coming to the forums!
LEE H ANEY SET TO BLOG FOR MD I’m a call screener. I admit it. When a number called last week that I didn’t recognize, I ignored it. As it turned out, it was one of the greatest men our sport will ever know, Lee Haney, calling to tell me he was ready to get his blog started! I called him, and we chatted back and forth about what would go in his blog. He had a lot of ideas, and I’m excited to get his first submission. As with anything Lee does, I’m sure it will be a success! ■ Thanks for all the support in 2014; we’re ready to put some new ideas in play in 2015! If you have an idea, drop me a line at
[email protected]. I love hearing from all of you!
42
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
C������-E��� R�������
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
a Significant Training Load LESS IS MORE WITH KETTLEBELLS. DOING ONLY A FEW EXERCISES FOR 10-20 MINUTES, THREE TO FOUR DAYS PER WEEK BUILDS WHOLE-BODY, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS YOU CAN USE. This hrowback equipmen from he 19 h cenury builds
srengh, power, flexibili and cardiovascular endurance and prevens back pain. I is fun, challenging and safe— provided you use good body mechanics and proper raining echniques. A sudy led by Jakob Vingren from he Universi of Norh Texas in Denon found ha a ketlebell swing workou consising of 12 ses of swings wih a 16-kilogram ketlebell for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of res, riggered subsanial increases in esoserone, growh hormone, corisol, lacae, hear rae and perceived exerion ha were consisen wih inense physical raining. Ketlebell workous involve few exercises and don’ ake very long, bu hey’re no easy. Give ketlebells a ry! (Journal of Srengh Condiioning Research, 28: 2793-2800, 2014)
GROWTH HORMONE INCREASES AS A RESULT OF EXERCISE. This is hough o influence proein synhesis and fa meabolism. A sudy from he
U.S. Army Research Insiue of Environmenal Medicine led by Bradley Nindl showed ha growh hormone increases were greaer during a wo-hour aerobic workou han during a one-hour aerobic workou, one-hour weigh workou, or wo-hour weigh workou. The resuls migh help explain he amoun of exercise necessary for significan weigh loss. Mos sudies show ha people mus run a leas 20 miles per week o rigger significan weigh loss hrough exercise alone. This finding migh have somehing o do wih he amoun of exercise necessary o increase growh hormone subsanially. (Medicine Science Spors Exercise, 46: 1917-1927, 2014)
Resistance During Weight Training MANY SERIOUS WEIGHT TRAINERS USE ELASTIC BANDS TO PROVIDE VARIABLE RESISTANCE
Bands migh increase power, rae of force developmen and speed. A Universi of Louisiana Sudy showed ha elasic band raining increased maximum bench press srengh beter han free weighs alone. Anoher sudy using squas found ha he addiion of elasic bands during raining increased he rae of force developmen. Elasic bands add anoher dimension o weigh raining ha could help promoe power, srengh and muscle hyperrophy. John Wilson and Mathew Kriz f rom New Zealand provided pracical guidelines for incorporaing elasic bands ino srengh and condiioning programs. (Srengh and Condiioning Journal, 36(5): 1-8, 2014)
Srengh ahlees, for
muscle h rained su hree ses consised and Condi 00 0
er wih a program designed specifically o promoe and colleagues found ha ing workous gained muscle mass equally, bu ing workous produced superior srengh gains. The bodybuilding workou consised of ing workou
C������-E��� R�������
Less During Second Workout ALMOST EVERY ATHLETE KNOWS THAT MUSCLE SORENESS DECREASES WITH SUCCESSIVE WORKOUTS. Surprisingly, re-
search on his phenomenon has been resriced o unrained people. Brazilian scieniss, in a sudy on srengh-rained ahlees, found ha muscle soreness and markers of inflammaion were less during a second workou designed o cause muscle damage. Ahlees performed four ses of eigh reps of eccenric bench presses (negaives or lenghening conracions). Eccenric exercise creaes more muscle ension han concenric (shorening) or isomeric conracions, and is linked o muscle cell damage. Muscle soreness and markers of inflammaion (creaine kinase and prosaglandin E ) were markedly less during he 96 hours following he second workou. Inense raining riggers he formaion of proecive proeins ha make muscles and endons less suscepible o injury. (Journal of Srengh Condiioning Research, 28: 2961-2966, 2014)
With Protein Synthesis MOST SPORTS REQUIRE A COMBINATION OF ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH. Bodybuilders,
for example, perform weigh-raining exercises o increase muscle mass, and aerobics o decrease fa. Convenional wisdom is ha aerobics inerfere wih srengh and muscle mass developmen. A sudy from he Universit of São Paulo in Brazil showed ha simulaneously raining for srengh and endurance did no aler gene acivit associaed wih muscle hyperrophy. However, raining for srengh resuled in greaer changes in muscle mass han performing inerval raining or endurance raining. (Journal Srengh Condiioning Research, 28:3215-3223, 2014)
THE TRX DEVICE IS BASICALLY A NYLON PARACHUTE CORD THAT YOU ATTACH TO A BAR, DOORJAMB, OR TREE LIMB. I is a
in a variet of moions ha overload he core muscles. Swiss balls resemble large beach balls ha are used o provide insabilit during exercise. Core muscle sabilit is criical for back healh and spinal sabilizaion during exercise. Ronald Snarr and Michael Esco, from he Universit , found ha performing planks wih he TRX device or Swiss balls provided greaer loads o he core muscles han radiional sable planks. They measured loading wih elecromyography, which measures he elecrical acivaion of muscles. TRX and Swiss balls are pracical ways . (Journal of Srengh Condiioning Research, 28: 2298-3305, 2014) 46
MD
HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT), ALTERNATING SHORT AND INTENSE EXERCISE BOUTS WITH REST, RESULTS IN RAPID INCREASES IN FITNESS. A Canadian sudy on HIIT found ha
wo weeks of raining increased maximal oxygen consumpion by 17 percen, exercise capacit by 22 percen, glycogen sorage by 28 percen and cirae synhase (a measure of cellular oxygen consumpion) by 38 percen. A sudy from he Universit of Georgia led by Nicholas Gis found ha performing four ses of burpees a maximum inensit for 30 seconds, followed by four minues of res, produced a physiological load ha was similar o HIIT workous on a saionary bike. Ahlees can use a variet of high-inensit echniques o build finess quickly. (Journal of Srengh Condiioning Research, 28:3033-3040, 2014) musculardevelopment .com February 2015
We’re supplement pros who’ve done this before Lifted a few million lbs & downed a few thousand scoops of protein With over 150 years of combined experience We bring you the family to rule them all
Get Your Sample Pack Today
ruleoneproteins.com 100% REAL PROTEINS
100% REAL AMINOS
0% SPIKING
0% BS
C������-E��� R�������
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
MORE THAN 66 PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE OBESE OR OVERWEIGHT. Many use
calorie-free arificial sweeeners o help hem lose weigh. Die sodas, for example, have been around since he early 1960s, ye obesit raes have exploded since hen. Several recen sudies have shown a link beween obesit and being overweigh, and he use of non-nuriive sugar subsiues. Bu, hese sudies didn’ show ha hese producs caused he problem. An Israeli sudy showed ha arificial sweeeners increased insulin resisance and changed he composiion of inesinal baceria ha promoed obesit. This sudy was . (Naure, 514:181-186, 2014)
Low Calcium Linked to Weight Gain A REVIEW OF LITERATURE BY SCIENTISTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHILE CONCLUDED THAT LOW LEVELS OF CALCIUM IN THE DIET ARE LINKED TO WEIGHT GAIN AND
This opic is conroversial, bu he auhors poined ou ha no sudy has shown ha increased dieary calcium riggers weigh gain. Low calcium inake riggers increases in viamin D, which increases appeie. Low calcium also increases inflammaion in fa cells, which simulaes fa sorage. Mos people don’ consume enough calcium. Increasing calcium inake is safe and economical. Increasing calcium inake also improves he healh of bone and muscle. (Nuriion Reviews, 72:627-637, 2014)
Dietary Protein in Athletes Trying to Lose Weight WEIGHT LOSS IS A DIFFICULT PROBLEM IN ATHLETES BECAUSE THEY MUST MAINTAIN MUSCLE MASS AND PERFORMANCE CAPACITY AS THEY LOSE WEIGHT. A review of lieraure by Suar Phillips from McMaser Universit in Canada concluded ha high-proein dies were
bes for promoing weigh loss in ahlees. He cauioned, however, ha increasing dieary proein tpically comes a he expense of carbohydraes. Ahlees use carbohydraes as fuel almos exclusively a exercise inensiies above 65 percen of maximum effor. Proein can help mainain muscle mass during severe deficis in calorie inake, bu his will come a he expense of energy necessary for inense exercise ha requires carbohydraes as fuel. The bes sraegy for weigh loss is o creae a small caloric defici, increase proein inake and mainain adequae carbohydrae inake for inense raining. This is a diffi cul balancing ac for ahlees. Bodybuilders mus balance he need for fa loss, mainenance of muscle mass and he energy necessary for inense raining. (Spors Medicine, 44 (supplemen 2): S149-S153, 2014)
L-Tryptophan Decreases Food Intake L-TRYPTOPHAN IS AN ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID, WHICH MEANS IT
I is found in high concenraions in egg whie, spirulina, cod, soybeans and Parmesan cheese. I is imporan in he synhesis of he brain chemical seroonin as well as he viamin niacin. An Ausralian sudy from he Universit of Adelaide, led by Rober Seiner, found ha infusion of L-Trypophan prior o a meal increased feelings of fullness and decreased energy inake. People wih he highes blood levels of rypophan had he lowes food inake. The sudy showed ha L-Trypophan is a powerful regulaor of hunger and saiet (fullness). (Journal Clinical Endocrinology Meabolism, 99: 3275-3284, 2014)
48
MD
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
THE BODY GOES INTO A METABOLIC CONSERVATION MODE DURING CHRONIC DIETING. During sarvaion, meabolic rae
slows and appeie increases, making i very difficul o susain prolonged low-calorie dies. Calorie shifing is a weigh-loss echnique involving periods o low-calorie dieing ollowed by several days o normal eaing paterns. The heory behind he mehod is ha meabolic conrol mechanisms never ener he sarvaion mode. An Iranian sudy showed ha caffeine supplemens promoed weigh loss and prevened weigh regain during calorie-shifing dieing. Caffeine prevened reducions in resing meabolic rae and helped suppress hunger. (Iranian Journal Pharmacological Research, 13: 707-718, 2014)
White Fat BODY FAT EXISTS AS EITHER WHITE OR BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE. Whie a is used o sore excess
energy. Excessive levels are linked o healh problems such as diabees, high blood pressure, hear atack and sroke. Brown a is a highly hermogenic issue, which means ha i urns ood energy ino hea insead o soring i as a. Rolando Ceddia and co-workers rom York Universi in Canada, in a sudy
o whie a. The effecs were greaes when he animals were ed a high-a die. Exercise inereres wih he a sorage capaci o whie adipose issue by making i more hermogenic. (Journal o Biological Chemisry, published online Ocober 25, 2014)
Low-Carbohydrate Diets Best for Weight Loss WEIGHT-LOSS EXPERTS HAVE ARGUED FOR NE ARLY 50 YEARS ABOUT THE RELATIVE MERITS OF LOW-FAT AND LOW-CARBOHYDRATE DIETS FOR WEIGHT LOSS. A one-year sudy led by
Lydia Bazzano rom he Tulane Universi School o Public Healh and Tropical Medicine concluded ha low-carbohydrae dies were superior o low-a dies. The low-carb group ae less han 40 grams o carbohydraes per day, while he low-a group ae less han 30 percen o daily calories as a. A 12 monhs, he low-carb group los nearly eigh pounds more han he low-a group. The lowcarb group also showed greaer changes in hear disease risk acors such as high-densi lipoproein (HDL), raio o oal o HDL choleserol, and riglycerides. The es subjecs were a diverse cross secion o races and ehnic groups. Mos sudies, however, showed no difference in weigh loss a 12 monhs beween low-carb and low-a dies. (Annals Inernal Medicine, 161: 309-318, 2014)
MD 49
C������-E��� R�������
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
Muscle Growth CRANBERRIES, PEPPERMINT, OREGANO AND PRUNES. IT IS USED IN A VARIETY OF COSMETIC PRODUCTS AND CAN INHIBIT THE GROWTH OF SOME TYPES OF CANCER CELLS.
A Korean sudy ound ha ursolic acid supplemens combined wih weigh raining increased srengh and muscle mass more han weigh raining alone. The supplemen appeared o work by increasing levels o irisin in blood. Sudies have shown ha irisin also makes a cells more hermogenic (calorie burning). I is ound in Advanced Molecular Labs’ (AML) Thermo Hea. Ursolic Acid and has recenly been shown o increase brown adipose issue (BAT) or brown a. BAT normally generaes body hea by vigorously burning body a by a process known as non-shivering hermogenesis. The abilit o burn a wih BAT represens a promising way o improve a loss. (Korean Journal Physiological Pharmacology, 18: 441-446, 2014)
People lose one o wo percen o heir muscle mass per year afer age 50, and hree percen per year afer age 60. Sarcopenia increases he risk o diabees, alling, racure and decreased mobilit. Nuriional expers recommend proein supplemens, essenial amino acid supplemens (paricularly leucine), HMB supplemens and weigh raining o preven sarcopenia. These simple, cos-effecive soluions could have a major impac on healh care spending in America. (Age and Aging, published online Sepember 21, 2014)
Endurance Training WE REPORTED THE RESULTS OF A STUDY SHOWING THAT SUPPLEMENT-
The same research group showed ha he viamins also hampered adapaions o endurance raining. The sudy, which was led by Gøran Paulsen rom he Norwegian School o Spors Scieniss, concluded ha high doses o viamins C and E (1,000 milligrams per day or C and 235 milligrams per day or E) inerered wih raining-induced changes in miochondrial proeins. The miochondria are he powerhouses o he cells and he ceners or energy meabolism. The viamins did no inerere wih maximal oxygen consumpion or running perormance. anioxidans ha reduce ree radicals— highly reacive chemicals produced naurally during meabolism. Excessive levels have been linked o cell damage, suppression o he immune sysem and premaure deah. However, hese chemicals also promoe adapaion o exercise sress. Some oxidaive sress is good, while excessive oxidaive sress is harmul. (Journal o Physiology, 592: 1887-1901, 2014) 50 MD
Synthesis in Older Men MUSCLE LOSS IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IN OLDER MEN. Proein supplemens are proven mehods or spar-
ing muscle mass and promoing proein synhesis in older aduls. Jared Dickinson and colleagues rom he Universit o Texas Medical Branch in Galveson deermined ha supplemening leucine-rich essenial amino acids afer resisance exercise enhanced he anabolic response o raining and increased he sensiivit o muscle o amino acids. Leucine is an imporan rigger or proein synhesis. Weigh raining increases amino acid ranspor ino muscle, which also promoes proein synhesis. The combinaion o key amino acids, paricularly leucine, and weigh raining are imporan and effecive echniques or preserving muscle mass in aging men. (Journal Nuriion, 144:1694-1702, 2014) musculardevelopment.com February 2015
VITAMIN D IS PRODUCED IN THE SKIN IN A REACTION INVOLVING CHOLESTEROL AND SUNLIGHT. I is also
consumed in he die. I is imporan or bone healh bu i migh also help preven some kinds o cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression and demenia. Ausrian scieniss ound ha viamin D is also imporan or esoserone synhesis in esicular cells in he laboraory. They isolaed issue rom human eses and added viamin D in combinaion wih lueinizing hormone and IGF-1, boh o which simulae esoserone producion. The addiion o viamin D enhanced esoserone ormaion. I is no known wheher hese resuls apply o supplemenal viamin D in living people. (Journal o Clinical Endocrinology Meabolism, 99: 3766-3773, 2014)
MUSCLES EXERT FORCE WHEN THEY CONTRACT CONCENTRICALLY (SHORTEN), ECCENTRICALLY (LENGTHEN) OR STATICALLY (ISOMETRIC WITHOUT MOVEMENT). Whey proein supple-
mens enhance he response o resisance raining. Danish researchers rom Aarhus Universi ound ha he pe o muscle conracion used during raining (concenric or eccenric) had no effec on he size o eiher muscles or endons when accompanied by whey proein supplemenaion. High-leucine whey proein promoed hyperrophy o muscles and endons regardless o he pe o resisance raining. (Scandinavian Journal o Medicine Science, Spors 24: 788-798, 2014)
ADDING A HIGH PROTEIN COMPONENT TO A MEAL REDUCES APPETITE AND CUTS FOOD INTAKE. An Iranian sudy ound ha eeding 65
grams o whey proein 30 minues beore a main meal was more effecive han eeding 60 grams o soy proein or decreasing appeie, oal caloric inake, body mass index and wais circumerence. The sudy showed ha proein eeding beore meals riggered a subsanial change in eeding paterns and body composiion, and whey proein was more effecive han soy proein. (Nuriion Research, 34: 856-861, 2014)
Does Not Aff Consuming proein and amino acids afer weigh raining promoes proein synhesis, and migh enhance he raining effec. Ahlees also consume carbohydraes afer exercise o promoe glycogen resynhesis in he muscles and liver. A sudy rom Maasrich Universi in he Neherlands ound ha consuming proein and carbohydraes ogeher delayed he absorpion o proein bu had no effec on proein synhesis during five hours afer a meal. The sudy showed ha while carbohydraes delay proein absorpion, hey have no effec on proein synhesis in eiher young or old men. (Journal Clinical Endocrinology Meabolism, 99: 2250-2258, 2014)
MD 51
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
C������-E��� R�������
SEVERAL LARGE POPULATION STUDIES FAILED TO FIND ANY LINK BETWEEN CONSUMPTION OF SATURATED FATS, WHICH ARE HIGH IN MEAT, AND THE RISK OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. However, many
sudies have shown ha consuming greaer quaniies of red mea increases he risk of hear atack. Several sudies from he Cleveland Clinic found ha increased acivi of baceria linked o red mea digesion increases he risk of hear disease. TMAO, a byproduc of he amino acid carniine and inesinal baceria linked o eaing red mea, is relaed o an increased risk of hear failure. The researchers suggesed ha esing for TMAO migh help predic an increase risk of hear disease. (Food navigaor.com, November 5, 2014)
the Metabolic Syndrome THE METABOLIC SYNDROME IS A COLLECTION OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS THAT INCLUDE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, INSULIN RESISTANCE, ABDOMINAL FAT DEPOSITION, ABNORMAL BLOOD FATS, TYPE 2 DIABETES, BLOOD-CLOTTING ABNORMALITIES AND INFLAMMATION. The incidence of
he meabolic syndrome increases wih age and is a leas parially relaed o decreases in muscle mass, which makes i more diffi cul o regulae blood sugar. A review of lieraure led by Paul Sorace from Hackensack Universi Medical Cener in New York concluded ha while aerobics were mos imporan for hear disease prevenion, resisance exercise should be included in he well-rounded physical acivi program because of is effec on muscle mass and he risk facors of he meabolic syndrome. (ACSM’s Healh & Finess Journal, 18 (6): 24-29, 2014)
Prevents Prostate Cancer EXERCISE PREVENTS COLON AND REPRODUCTIVE CANCERS IN MEN AND WOMEN. Mark
Is Good for the Liver
Magbanua and colleagues from he Universi of California, San Francisco, in a sudy of 71 men wih a low risk of prosae cancer, showed ha genes conrolling cell cycling and DNA repair were upregulaed in men who paricipaed in hree
per week. Boh he duraion and inensi of exercise were imporan. Regular exercise reduces he risk of deah from all causes. The effecs of exercise on cancer risk are no and overraining can influence he risk of some cancers. (Cancer Causes Conrol, 25:515-523, 2014)
BETHESDA, MARYLAND FOUND THAT COFFEE DRINKING PROTECTED THE LIVER. They examined daa from more han 27,000
people who paricipaed in he Naional Healh and Nuriion Examinaion Survey. People who drank he mos coffee (more han four cups per day) had lower levels of liver enzymes such as ALT, AST and GGT. Coffee conains anioxidans such as gluahione ha proec liver cells. Liver disease, such as cirrhosis, is a serious public healh issue. Cirrhosis of he liver is a disease where scar issue replaces healhy liver cells, which impairs liver blood flow and meabolism. Nearly 26,000 people each year die from he disease, which makes i he 12 leading cause of deah in America. I usually sems from alcoholism and hepaiis C. Oher risk facors include cigarete smoking, dies high in sauraed fas, environmenal poisons, geneic predisposiion and long-erm use of some oral anabolic seroids. (Hepaology, published online Ocober 30, 2014) 52
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
C������-E��� R�������
MOST COACHES BAN OR DISCOURAGE DRINKING ALCOHOL DURING THE SEASON. They believe inuiively
ha drinking and raining don’ mix. A review o lieraure by researchers rom he Universi o Padova in Ialy concurred wih his long-sanding ahleic pracice. Shor-erm or longerm consumpion o alcohol inereres wih proein synhesis. Alcohol inereres direcly wih he mTOR pahway in muscle, which is largely responsible or muscle growh. I inhibis wih he acivi o IGF-1, which is a powerul muscle growh acor, and i also alers he acivi o lueinizing hormone, which regulaes esoserone producion. Alcohol increases corisol levels, which promoes proein breakdown and suppresses he immune sysem. Moderae alcohol consumpion (one o wo drinks per day) has litle effec on proein synhesis— a leas in young aduls. (Nuriion & Meabolism, 11:26, 2014)
the Causes of Muscle Cramps UNTIL RECENTLY, SCIENTISTS ROUTINELY BELIEVED THAT DEHYDRATION AND ELECTROLYTE DEPLETION CAUSED MUSCLE CRAMPS. Every locker room had sal pill dispens-
ers. Ahlees wih cramps were reaed wih fluids, elecrolyes and general sreching. An obvious problem wih his hypohesis was ha only acive muscles ended o cramp during or afer exercise, even hough dehydraion and elecrolye depleion occurred hroughou he body. An ineresing lieraure review by Andrew Buskard concluded ha muscle cramps mos likely have many causes. Overacivi o neural srucures such as muscle spindles and Golgi endon organs probably play cenral roles. However, conribuing acors such as dehydraion, localized issue elecrolye disurbances, exercise-generaed meabolies and meabolic hea producion could also be imporan. (Srengh and Condiioning Journal, 36 (5): 44-52, 2014)
Injuries HAMSTRING INJURIES ARE EXTREMELY COMMON IN SPORT. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY CAN BE DIFFICULT TO TREAT, RECUR FREQUENTLY, AND CAN BE POTENTIALLY CAREER ENDING. A review o lieraure by
researchers rom New Zealand concluded ha we have litle evidence or he effeciveness o common medical reamens or hamsring injuries. These mehods include RICE (res, ice, compression and elevaion), enzymaic preparaions o reduce inflammaion, preparaions o decrease blood clos, nonseroidal ani-inflammaory drugs, coricoseroids, mesoherapy (injecions o homeopahic medicaions), anabolic drugs, plaele-rich plasma, hyperbaric oxygen herapy and surgical repair. None o hese echniques have proven effecive in he long run. Hamsring injuries pically occur during hip exension, ye leg curls remain he primary exercise or reaing hem. Srenghening he hamsrings hrough hip exension exercises and sreching remain he bes way o rea and preven hese injuries. Running and sprining uphill beore he spors season has also proven effecive or prevening hamsring injuries. (European Journal Spors Science, 14: 743-751, 2014) 54
MD
musculardevelopment .com February 2015
C������-E��� R�������
NAC (N-ACETYLCYSTEINE) IS AN AMINO ACID DERIVED FROM L-CYSTEINE, AND FOUND IN DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS THAT FIGHT FREE RADICALS. Free radicals are highly reacive
chemicals produced naurally during meabolism. Excessive and chronic elevaions o ree radicals break down cell membranes, desroy DNA, rigger muscle soreness and proein breakdown, impair he capaci o he immune sysem and lead o
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
cardiovascular disease. Physicians ofen use NAC o break up mucus accumulaion in he lungs in condiions such as emphysema, pneumonia, bronchiis and uberculosis. However, a German sudy rom Hannover Medical School ound ha NAC migh inerere wih absorpion o nirie in he kidneys, which could have a negaive effec on niric oxide meabolism— an imporan chemical or issue blood flow. NAC helps buffer he effec o excessive ree radical accumulaion, bu i could inerere wih niric oxide meabolism. Avoid pre-workou anioxidan supplemens such as NAC, aurine, viamin C and viamin E o assure maximim perormance and exercise adapion. (Inernaional Journal O Cardiology, 177: 30-33, 2014)
Prevents Fatigue CREATINE MONOHYDRATE AND BETA-ALANINE INCREASED POWER OUTPUT AND SLOWED THE ONSET OF FATIGUE DURING REPEATED WINGATE TESTS (30-SECOND MAXIMUM SPRINTS ON A STATIONARY BIKE)— ACCORDING TO A TURKISH STUDY. Creaine monohydrae improves exercise
perormance, paricularly during weigh raining and high-inensi inerval raining. Alanine and carnosine are imporan chemicals ound in muscle ha affec srengh, muscle size and meabolism. Alanine is an amino acid ha provides energy during exercise and prevens neuromuscular aigue by increasing issue carnosine levels. Carnosine is a dipepide (combinaion o wo amino acids) ound in mea ha is composed o he amino acids alanine and hisidine. I is criical or proein synhesis and breakdown, and may help preven nerve degeneraion and diabees. Supplemening he die wih bea-alanine and creaine monohydrae or 22 days or one monh increased high-inensi exercise capaci more han a placebo (ake supplemens). (Journal Spors Medicine Physical Finess, published online Ocober 7, 2014) BACK WHERE I COME FROM, WE HAVE UNIVERSITIES— SEATS OF GREAT LEARNING, WHERE MEN GO TO BECOME GREAT THINKERS. And when hey come ou, hey hink deep
houghs and wih no more brains han you have. Bu hey have one hing you haven’ go: rosine supplemens. Duch researchers ound ha consuming supplemenal rosine increased he capaci or deep houghs (concenraion) bu had no effec on creaivi. Tyrosine is a precursor o dopamine, a brain chemical ha conrols hough processes. Tes subjecs ook a single dose o eiher wo grams o L-rosine or placebo (ake rosine) beore perorming a series o menal asks. Tyrosine improved concenraion, and could be an imporan supplemen or ahlees, sudens and magazine wriers. (Psychological Research, published online Sepember 26, 2014)
Thoughts
Repeated Sprint Performance MOST STUDIES SHOW THAT SUPPLEMENTAL NITRATES IMPROVE ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE BY ABOUT FI VE PERCENT. Oher sudies ound ha oods conaining niraes, such as bee-
roo exrac, improve blood pressure conrol and sexual perormance in men. Niraes simulae niric oxide producion by he cells lining he b lood vessels, which enhances blood flow o muscle and oher issues. An Ausralian sudy led by Kris Marin rom he Universi o Canberra Naional Insiue o Spors Sudies ound ha nirae supplemens had no effec on repeaed high-inensi inermiten sprins o exhausion. The es subjecs consumed 70 milliliers o beeroo juice wo hours beore exercise. The supplemen had no effec on speed or average power oupu. The researchers concluded ha nirae supplemens have no effecs on high-inensi exercise perormance. (Inernaional Journal Spors Physiology Perormance, 9: 845-850, 2014)
56 MD
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
A SYNTHETIC STIMULANT CALLED DMBA, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN TESTED IN HUMANS, IS PRESENT IN AT LEAST 12 POPULAR DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS SOLD THROUGH MAJOR OUTLETS SUCH AS AMAZON. COM— ACCORDING TO A HARVARD UNIVERSITY STUDY LED BY PIETER COHEN. The chemical is srucurally similar o DMAA (AMP cirae) ha
was recenly banned by he U.S. Food and Drug Adminisraion (FDA). The sudy analyzed he chemical composiion of 14 weigh-loss supplemens and found DMBA in mos of hem. Supplemens were markeed o improve performance, promoe weigh loss and enhance hough processes. The safe or effeciveness of his chemical in humans is unknown. However, DMAA— a similar simulan sold as a nasal spray unil 1982— has been linked o cardiac arrhyhmias and sroke. I is no known wheher repors of adverse effecs of DMBA have been filed wih he FDA. (Drug Tesing and Analysis, published online Ocober 8, 2014)
Gains BODYBUILDERS OFTEN TAKE VITAMINS C AND E SUPPLEMENTS TO PREVENT ILLNESSES, SUCH AS THE COMMON COLD, TO PROMOTE CONNECTIVE TISSUE REPAIR AFTER INTENSE TRAINING, AND TO PROTECT SOFT TISSUE AGAINST FREE RADICAL DAMAGE. A
sudy led by Gøran Paulsen from he Norwegian School of Spors Scieniss concluded ha high doses of viamins C and E (1,000 milligrams per day for C and 235 milligrams per day for E) inerfered wih raining-induced muscle growh and srengh gains. Viamins C and E are powerful anioxidans ha reduce free radicals— highly reacive chemicals produced naurally during meabolism. Excessive levels have been linked o cell damage, suppression of he immune sysem and premaure deah. However, hese chemicals also promoe adapaion o exercise sress. Some oxidaive sress is good, while excessive oxidaive sress is harmful. Ahlees should srive o ge viamins C and E hrough he die in foods such as oranges, vegeables and plan oils, and avoid high-dose supplemens. (Journal of Physiology, published online Ocober 31, 2014)
CITRULLINE IS AN AMINO ACID THAT IS CONVERTED TO ARGININE, WHICH INCREASES LEVELS OF NITRIC OXIDE— AN IMPORTANT CHEMICAL THAT REGULATES BLOOD FLOW THROUGH-
A sudy led by Kim van Wijck from he Neherlands showed ha supplemening wih 10 grams of cirulline before a one-hour bike ride a 70 percen of maximum effor proeced he gu from injury and increased blood flow o he spleen, compared o a placebo (fake cirulline). The spleen is an imporan blood reservoir ha increases blood volume during exercise. Oher sudies found ha , which increases caloric expendiure and promoes fa burning. Cirulline increased levels of hormone-sensiive lipase by 150 percen, which promoed fa mobilizaion and use. Cirulline is an underappreciaed supplemen ha improves fa burning and muscle blood flow, and proecs he gu from injury during exercise. (Medicine Science Spors Exercise, 46: 2039-2046, 2014)
HMB IS A BREAKDOWN PRODUCT OF THE AMINO ACID LEUCINE. Mos sudies have found
ha HMB increased muscle mass, srengh and physical performance. I works by increasing proein synhesis and prevening proein breakdown. Supplemens conaining HMB someimes Nuriion Research and Developmen found ha he calcium sal varie of HMB was he mos biologically available form of he compound. The animals were given oral supplemens in hree differen doses. HMB is an effecive bodybuilding supplemen, bu some forms work beter han owhers. (Journal Nuriion, 144: 1549-1555, 2014) 57
MD
C������-E��� R�������
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
INCREASED HEMATOCRIT (PERCENT OF YOUR TOTAL BLOOD VOLUME THAT IS COMPOSED OF RED BLOOD CELLS) AND HEMOGLOBIN (THE PROTEIN IN YOUR RED BLOOD CELLS THAT CARRIES OXYGEN) ARE SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS OF TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN AGING MEN. These changes increase he risk o dangerous blood clos and sroke. Also, increased hemoglo-
bin levels are accompanied by greaer blood iron levels, which increase he risk o coronary arery disease and sudden cardiac deah. Luke Beggs rom he Universi o Florida and colleagues ound ha esoserone alered iron meabolism and simulaed red blood cell producion independenly o dihydroesoserone. They measured blood changes during esoserone supplemenaion wih and wihou concurren adminisraion o finaseride— a drug ha blocks dihydroesoserone ormaion and is used o rea male patern baldness. Men experiencing increases in hemaocri and hemoglobin during esoserone herapy should donae blood regularly or sop aking he supplemens. (American Journal o Physiology Endocrinology Meabolism, 307: E-456-E461, 2014)
House Passes Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED A BILL DESIGNED TO LIMIT “DESIGNER” ANABOLIC STEROIDS IN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS. Supporers o
and Strength
he bill claim ha he legislaion is needed because some supplemen manuacurers add chemically manipulaed subsances ha are similar o banned anabolic seroids. The bill gives he Drug Enorcemen Adminisraion (DEA) he power o add addiional subsances o he lis o regulaed anabolic seroids. This law, i passed by he Senae and signed by he presiden, could have a paralyzing effec on spors nuriion. Nuriional supplemens such as whey proein, leucine, cirulline, HMB and creaine monohydrae have molecular effecs on muscle mass and srengh ha are in many ways similar o anabolic seroids. The DEA could creae a slippery slope leading o he unnecessary regulaion o he spors supplemen indusry. (The Hill, Sepember 15, 2014)
ATHLETES HAVE USED ANABOLIC STEROIDS SINCE THE 1950S. While he pracice has been airly
widespread, paricularly in recreaionally acive men, we have litle inormaion on he long-erm effecs o susained seroid use. Swedish researchers rom Umeå Universi ound ha men using seroids or five o 15 years showed improvemens in muscle srengh ha were dose-dependen: men who ook higher doses were sronger han aged-mached conrols who didn’ use seroids. Seroid users also showed greaer increases in lean leg mass, muscle fiber size, muscle cell nuclear densi and muscle capillary densi. This sudy on humans agrees wih animal sudies showing ha seroids lead o adapaions ha provide long-erm advanages in muscle physiology. (PlosOne, 9 (9): E105330, 60
MD
Problems in Aging Men AGING MEN OFTEN EXPERIENCE SIMULTANEOUS PROBLEMS WITH LOW TESTOSTERONE OUTPUT, URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS LINKED TO PROSTATE GLAND ENLARGEMENT, AND PROSTATE CANCER. Tesoserone-block-
ing drugs are ofen used o rea prosae enlargemen and cancer. A review o lieraure by scieniss rom Tulane Universi School o Medicine in New Orleans concluded ha esoserone replacemen herapy does no worsen urinary rac sympoms linked o prosae enlargemen. Also, men wih prosae cancer can receive esoserone supplemens i he cancer is managed effecively. (Sexual Medicine Reviews, 2: 112-120, 2014) musculardevelopment.com February 2015
DRUGS C������-E��� R������� Limiting Testosterone Prescriptions TESTOSTERONE PRESCRIPTIONS INCREASED FROM 1.3 MILLION IN 2010 TO MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION IN 2014. Much of he increase was due o aggressive ad-
verising o “comba low T.” A subcommitee of he U.S. Food and Drug Adminisraion (FDA) from he Endocrine Socie recommended ha esoserone prescripions be limied o men wih low esoserone levels (hypogonadism). They also recommended large-scale sudies o deermine he effecs of esoserone supplemens on he long-erm risks of cardiovascular and prosae disease. Mos, bu no all, sudies show ha esoserone supplemens increase muscle mass and srengh, improve sexual performance and enhance mood in aging men. Oher sudies found ha supplemens increase he risk of cardiovascular disease. (Endocrine News, Ocober 2014)
Bodybuilding Supplements MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO, A STUDY LED BY RON MAUGHAN AND COLLEAGUES FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM FOUND THAT MORE THAN 25 PERCENT OF BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS SOLD ON THE INTERNET CONTAINED BANNED DRUGS. Things haven’
changed much since hen. A sudy from he Insiue of Pharmaceuical Science a King’s College London found ha 23 of 24 bodybuilding supplemens esed conained banned subsances. Several of he producs conain doses high enough o rigger significan anabolic effecs. These were European spors supplemens, so i is no known wheher hese resuls apply o producs sold in he Unied Saes. (Drug Tesing Analysis, published online Ocober 6, 2014)
SALBUTAMOL (ALBUTEROL) IS A DRUG USED TO TREAT BRONCHOSPASM IN ASTHMA AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE. IT IS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES AS VENTOLIN HFA, PROAIR HFA AND PROVENTIL HFA, AND IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN EXTENDED-RELEASE TABLET. I is chemically similar o he banned
drug clenbuerol bu he World Ani-doping Agency (WADA) allows inhaled salbuamol (maximum 1,600 micrograms over 24 hours). A French sudy, using 12 healhy non-ashmaic fi males, found ha salbuamol improved maximal power and oal work oupu during a calf muscle endurance es compared o a placebo (fake salbuamol). The drug caused a sligh increase in muscle pH (less acid), bu he researchers did no hink ha his accouned for he improvemens in performance. The drug mos likely aced as a cenral nervous sysem simulan. (Scandinavian Journal Medicine Science Spors, published online Sepember 17, 2014) 62
MD
Bald Spots RUXOLITINIB, A DRUG USED TO TREAT BONE MARROW CANCER AND HIGH RED BLOOD CELL LEVELS, IS EFFECTIVE FOR TREATING A BALDING DISEASE CALLED ALOPECIA AREATA. This pically involves round bald
spos on he scalp, bu can affec hair anywhere on he body. This disease ends o run in families and is common in people wih auoimmune diseases (body’s immune sysem urns on iself). A Columbia Universi sudy on mice wih he disease showed ha oral ruxoliinib caused near complee hair regrowh wihin five monhs of reamen. The side effecs of he drug include shingles and weakened immuni. (Naure Medicine, published online Augus 17, 2014)
musculardevelopment .com February 2015
™
the latest from renowned sports nutritionist Victor Conte
X PEDITE
™
is an innovative pre-workout drink mix designed to energize your mind and body for more powerful and
SNAC System Founder/CEO
effective workouts.
X PEDITE
™
This product is not
was designed to
only used for high-
support and improve:
intensity athletic
Energy
activity, but also to
Physical Strength
ignite an energy and
Mental Focus
performance boost
Reaction Time Stamina & Endurance
as needed.
Performance
of energy that also includes effective performance enhancers, then XPEDITE is for you! XPEDITE contains a potent ingredient called R-Lipoic Acid or R-LA, which is not included in the lion’s share of preworkout/energy products available. Some researchers believe R-LA may eventually be acknowledged as one of the most important nutraceutical compounds on the market for cellular energy production. It has been shown to improve the body’s utilization of glucose and may also increase the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the muscle cells. Likewise, this scienti�c formula contains biotin, taurine and L-carnitine, which further support the optimal blood sugar levels needed during high-intensity exercise. As a bonus, these ingredients support fat loss by increasing glucose uptake by muscle tissue, which helps to prevent fat cell deposition.
which transmit nerve impulses. U.S. soldiers undergoing various psychological and physiological stress tests were given tyrosine to measure its effects on performance. The researchers found that they were more ef�cient, alert and had faster reaction times. In addition, XPEDITE contains phenylalanine which may help to elevate mood and enhance concentration. XPEDITE also includes citrulline malate which may boost athletic performance and recovery by accelerating the elimination of the toxic byproducts of protein metabolism and the removal of ammonia and lactate from the blood. Finally, beta-alanine is a precursor of carnosine, which regulates important aspects of cell metabolism that may provide stamina and energy-enhancement bene�ts.
XPEDITE also contains the amino acid tyrosine, which is a precursor of the brain neurotransmitters epinephrine (adrenalin), norepinephrine and dopamine,
* Additional scienti�c research and selected references available at snac.com
FREE SAMPLES
800-697-2086
AVAILA BLE
WWW.SNAC.COM
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.
C������-E��� R�������
Common in Cyclists BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL UROLOGIST IRWIN GOLDSTEIN CAUSED A STIR IN THE CYCLING COMMUNITY WHEN HE DECLARED, “THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF MALE CYCLISTS: THOSE WHO ARE IMPOTENT AND THOSE WHO WILL BE IMPOTENT.
confirmed Dr. Goldsein’s opinion. Cycling caused injuries o he urogenial sysem in men and women. Up o 91 percen o cycliss experience genial numbness afer rides lasing several hours. Nearly 25 percen o cycliss suffer rom erecile dysuncion (ED), an incidence our imes greaer han age-mached runners or swimmers. Cycliss also have an increased risk o priapism (prolonged, unwaned erecions), blood clos in he penis, low sperm couns, hemoglobin in he urine, sress on he spermaic cord, inflammaion o he prosae gland and elevaion o PSA es resuls (a marker o prosae enlargemen and cancer). Increased pelvic sress during cycling decreases circulaion, compresses nerves and inereres wih he meabolism o cells lining he blood vessels ha supply he penis. People who ride a bike hree hours a week or more have he greaes risk o developing nerve and circulaion problems in heir urogenial organs. Improved saddle design migh reduce he problem. (Sexual Medicine Reviews, 2: 93-101, 2014)
Smoking Increases the Risk of Erectile Dysfunction ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION (ED) INCREASES IN SEVERITY WITH THE NUMBER OF CIGARETTES SMOKED PER DAY AND THE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT MEN SMOKE— ACCORDING TO A META-ANALYSIS INVOLVING MORE THAN 50,000 MEN. Researchers rom Tongji Medical College in China ound a posiive dose-re-
sponse relaionship beween he ED and he quani and duraion o smoking. There was no evidence ha men go used o he effecs o cigarete smoking— he more hey smoked, he worse he ED. Many young people smoke because hey hink i makes hem look sexy. The ruh is, he more hey smoke, he less likely hey will be able o have sex. (Journal o Sexual Medicine, 11: 2376-2384, 2014)
for Sex Therapists SEX RESEARCH SHOWS THAT PREMATURE EJACULATION (PE) IS AFFECTED BY CULTURE, EDUCATION, RELATIONSHIP STATUS, RACE, AGE, SEXUAL EXPERIENCE, hisory o sexually ransmited diseases or
preven HIV inecion. H rom Queen’s Universi
he eff ivi
we have diff healh and at
online Ocober 6, 2014)
64
MD
urinary rac inecions, poor healh, emoional sress, loss o income, , hisory o sexual harassmen and childhood abuse. Men wih PE hink oherwise. A survey o 376 premaure ejaculaors by David Rowland and Cody Neal rom Valparaiso Universi in Indiana showed ha mos men hough hey lacked conrol or were aroused oo quickly. Few cied erecile dysuncion, relaionship problems or medical reasons or heir premaure ejaculaion. Differences beween percepions abou PE and oher reasons make premaure ejaculaion a sicky problem or physicians and sex herapiss. (Journal o Sexual Medicine, 11: 2554-2561, 2014) musculardevelopment musculardevelopment.com .com December February 2015 2014
nder: an App For One-Night Stands ANY PLAYER WILL TELL YOU THAT VOLUME IS AN IMPORTANT KEY TO GETTING LAID. Guys who go o a bar, hi
up on a couple of ladies, and hen walk away wih heir ail beween heir legs when hey ge rejeced are in for a drab and unexciing sex life. Daing services such as eHarmony and mach.com miss he poin when hey have people fill ou complex forms abou heir personal characerisics and likes and dislikes. A compuer app called Tnder has brough hings back o basics. People are shown phoos of likely prospecs in he area, and hen decide wheher hey like or dislike he person based on heir appearance. If wo people push he like buton, hey have he opporuni o hook up. he app has been an incredible success, atracing 50 million acive users. he average person accesses he app 11 imes per day and spends nearly 10 minues per session. I expands he pickup bar from a small room o he enire world. (he New York Tmes, Ocober 29, 2014)
PREMATURE EJACULATION IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS MORE THAN 30 PERCENT OF MEN. Delayed ejaculaion, on he oher hand,
ecs only one o four percen of men. However, he condiion is sexually frusraing and can be diffi cul for couples rying o conceive. A review of lieraure by Daniel Shin and Aaron Spiz from he Universi of Souhern California concluded ha no clear-cu reamen exiss for his condiion. Possible causes include age-relaed sensaion loss, nerve problems relaed o diabees, psychological problems and relaionship culies. In bodybuilders, longime use of anabolic seroids can decrease gonadal funcion and rigger delayed ejaculaion. Anidepressan medicaion can also cause he problem. Alpha-1-adrenergic drugs such as imipramine, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine migh be effecive “off-label” drugs for reaing his problem. (Sexual Medicine Reviews, 2: 121-133, 2014) SEX IS AN ENJOYABLE AND ESSENTIAL PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, BUT A SORE BACK TAKES THE FUN OUT OF IT.
Eigh-five percen of men will have back pain a some poin in heir lives. Back exper Suar
Doggy-Stle Sex on he Spine
in Canada and co-workers found ha doggy-sle sex was he leas sressful o he male spine. he researchers measured spinal biomechanics during sex using wo missionary posiions, spooning and wo forms of doggy sle. Doggy sle wih he woman’s arms ousreched pu he male spine in an uprigh, neural posiion, which placed he leas sress on spinal nerves and disks. (Spine, 39:1633-1639, 2014) MD 65
ack
By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
THE DORIAN ERA THE SCIENCE
BEHIND THE STACK Though there is no longer any plausible deniability for the professionals that their natural gifts and hard work are the only factors in creating those incredulous physiques, there remains a sense of magic as to how such works of living art are created. Much like that iconic scene from “The Wizard of Oz,” six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates has “pulled back” the curtain on professional bodybuilding. As he was responding to an open interview, the specifics remain clouded, but the details that can be gleaned are eye-opening. The following relies upon Mr. Yates’ comments, but is not endorsed or confirmed by him. In this issue of Muscular Development,Yates discusses some of the drugs employed during his tenure as Mr. Olympia (1992-1997). In response to numerous questions, Yates has conveyed many of the tools used to achieve a physique with extremely low body fat, all the more impressive as he did so while retaining a superior amount of lean mass in comparison to most of his challengers.
HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND GENETICS First, it is critical to note that drugs being mentioned are not safe to be used outside the supervision of a qualified health professional. Though the risk is manageable, these drugs are potent and can lead to adverse effects. It is also illegal to obtain these drugs other than through a licensed pharmacy in the United States. Some are not even available via that route. Second, though physique-enhancing drugs are the “elephant in the room,” there would be little benefit from this presumptive drug panel without providing the correct
066 MD
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
conditions. Not uncommonly, “normal” people (including bodybuilding fans) make gestures implying “pill popping” or injections behind the back of professional bodybuilders. It is not undeserved, but most pros would still be different from “normal” people based upon their genetics, discipline and extreme work ethic. So, do not forget that the drugs discussed below work for professional athletes such as Yates because the athletes have: • The necessary desire o pursue excellence or recogniion. • Willingness o accep he risk o serious adverse effecs, harm or even deah rom heir pursui (no unlike mos elie ahlees). • Willpower sufficienly srong o mainain a liestle o sacrifice and pain. • Physical gifs ha allow hem o rain a a level no achieved by mos people. • Geneics ha respond o he condiions hey creae. • Resources ha provide hem wih raining aciliies, drug access and dieary advice o advance oward heir goals. • A level o awareness o quickly recognize when hings are “no righ.”
A LEAN AND DRY PHYSIQUE The pre-contest drug routine Yates outlined strongly supports a lean and dry physique. As opposed to his offseason staples of relatively high-dose testosterone and nandrolone esters, along with daily Dianabol, Yates chose different anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) during his pre-contest phase. Note, he continued to use testosterone, but lowered his dose to 300 milligrams per week. This dose agrees with the minimal threshold dose necessary for promoting muscle hypertrophy in young adult men. Yates did not mention the use of aromatase inhibitors— Nolvadex was more prevalent at the time— but it is likely that he reduced his testosterone dose to a minimal dose effective for his goals, and discontinued the Deca (nandrolone) and Dianabol to minimize the presence of aromatizable steroids (testosterone and Dianabol), as well as the estrogenic and progestinic stimulation evoked by nandrolone. Water retention is also a factor with all three of his off-season AAS. 2,3 The other two injectable AAS used during his pre-contest phase include Parabolan and Primobolan, two non-aromatizable AAS well known for providing a “dry” physique. Use of highly androgenic AAS agrees with reported observations that AAS with strong affinity for the androgen receptor also act on precursor cells such
that they reduce the formation of new fat cells (adipogenesis), and reduce the effect of estrogens in existing fat cells that promote fat storage.5 Trenbolone, the steroid component of Parabolan, is capable of promoting fat loss despite not being a substrate for 5-alpha reductase (meaning it is not turned into a super-androgen like testosterone being converted into DHT); trenbolone has three times the affinity for the androgen receptor as compared to testosterone.6,7 Primobolan is a wellregarded “cutting” AAS, presumably because it does not aromatize. Anavar (oxandrolone) was the sole oral AAS used during his pre-contest phase. Oxandrolone is regarded as a “mild” AAS, but has the same propensity for causing liver strain as other 17 alpha-alkylated oral steroids. It is remarkable that oxandrolone has been reported to decrease abdominal fat in numerous studies at a dose of 20 milligrams per day or lower; Yates reported taking 50 milligrams per day.8.9 One proposed mechanism involves increased fatty acid oxidation (fat burning) in t he liver, and a resultant increase in ketone production. 10
In addition to AAS, Yates admitted using human growth hormone (hGH), apparently utilizing hGH as an anabolic; he saw little anabolic benefit at a dose of four IU/day (within clinical
replacement protocols). Two issues may account for this— anabolic effects occur at a higher threshold than the lipolytic effect; and Yates’ body mass was much so greater than the “normal” person that he likely was underdosed based on bodyweight.11 When he increased his daily hGH dose t o eight IU, he noted better results, stating, “It helped kickstart me to the next level.” hGH is thought of as a “growth” hormone, but a more pronounced and useful effect is an increase in lipolysis (breakdown of stored fat). This lipolytic effect occurs at a lower dose, which allows one to avoid the increased water retention noted at the higher doses necessary for muscle growth.12,13 Further, Yates noted that he added insulin to his regimen in 1997, presumably after six years of hGH misuse. It is not surprising that a substantial gain in size with the combination was experienced, as hGH may antagonize the anti-proteolytic (preventing muscle breakdown) effects of insulin in the muscle. 14 The observation by Yates that he only experienced abdominal distension when he added insulin to his drug regimen is interesting, as hGH is usually blamed for the distended bellies seen onstage during the late 1990s. Of course, insulin has nothing to do with f at loss in a bodybuilding drug regimen, as its effect on the fat cell is the opposite— promoting fat storage.
itude espoused by those who accomplish much less.
MD 067
ack FOR FAT LOSS Three final comments were offered by Yates relevant to his fat-loss drug protocol. Two stand in contrast to the actions of some of his contemporaries; another followed the standard for that period. First, there was a wave of DNP use to facilitate a rapid and extreme fat loss among elite and recreational bodybuilders. This was due in large part to the strong following enjoyed by steroid guru Dan Duchaine. DNP is a chemical uncoupler. This means that it “disconnects” the energy-producing function from the calorie-burning function in the mitochondria of the cell. The cell is not getting as much energy,
Yates has conveyed many of the tools used to achieve a physique with extremely low body fat, all the more impressive as he did so while retaining a superior amount of lean mass in comparison to most of his challengers. so it burns more calories to finally get its ATP needs fulfilled. A consequence of this is that the additional calories burned are let off as heat, raising the body temperature considerably. More than one death has been attributed to DNP use. Yates clearly stated he never used DNP, and his approach to his entire drugsupport actions was one of caution and effectiveness. Thyroid hormones, especially T3 (aka Cytomel), are effective fat burners frequently used by bodybuilders and perhaps more so by fitness competitors. Though effective at increasing the metabolic rate (boosting the number of calories burned at rest or during exercise), thyroid hormone misuse can result in long-standing suppression of natural thyroid hormone production. Additionally, the more active T3 has a narrow window, and to reach the concentration where fat loss is increased causes non-specific catabolism. This means you lose muscle faster as well. Many bodybuilders depend upon T3 to guarantee their metabolism is not
068
MD
slowed by overtraining or hypocaloric diets, even with a low body fat. 16 hGH given at doses similar to those reported by Yates have been shown to suppress the release of TSH (pituitary hormone) without lowering free T4 or free T3 during a 21-day trial. It is unknown if hGH protects or suppresses thyroid function over the course of months or years at the doses taken by this group of men. If the dose becomes elevated to an unsafe level, heart arrhythmias can occur. Though no bodybuilder has reportedly died from T3-associated arrhythmia, the risk is present. This is magnified in the presence of stimulant drugs. Yates again reported that he did not resort to the use of thyroid medications, which may explain how he was able to retain so much lean mass when he was in “show shape.”
ANABOLICS AND AGONISTS The last element in his fat-loss regimen was clenbuterol, a potent and selective beta2-agonist. This means it is a very strong drug that acts on the “adrenalin” receptor involved in muscle function and the breakdown of stored fat in fat cells. Clenbuterol remains in strong demand, though the practical use of it is complex due to receptor downregulation. The anabolic effects of clenbuterol reported in animals has only been repeated in humans using doses that would be deadly if not used with a beta1-blocker to prevent a racing heart beat. Clenbuterol is in a class by itself as a stimulant weight-loss drug, and is not marketed in the United States other than the black market. Yates did not detail his clenbuterol schedule, which would have been enlightening. Top bodybuilding physiques appear to be magical, but for those who find drug use appalling or unethical, they would be no more than illusions. Dependent upon the base of hard work, dedication and genetics, the genie in the bottle is a mixture of androgens, anabolics and agonists. One must recognize the effort and sacrifice made by these men and women, but realize the magic is not alchemy, but chemistry. Mr. Yates was frank and honest in his revelations. It should be noted that his drug use, as well as Kevin Levrone’s and Shawn Ray’s, was much simpler and more rational than the “more is better” and “anything goes” attitude espoused by those who accomplish much less. Kudos to those men for allowing us a glimpse behind the curtain.
References: 1. Sinha-Hikim I, Artaza J, et al. Testosterone-induced increase in muscle size in healthy young men is associated with muscle fiber hypertrophy. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2002;283:E154-64. 2. Yule AG, Macfie J, et al. The effect of an anabolic steroid on body composition in patients receiving intravenous nutrition. Aust N Z J Surg 1981;51:280-4. 3. Freed DL, Banks AJ, et al. Anabolic steroids in athelics: crossover double-blind trial on weightlifters. Br Med J 1975;2:471-3. 4. Vernon BG, Buttery PJ. The eff ect of trenbolone acetate with time on the various responses of protein synthesis of the rat. Br J Nutr 1978;40:563-72. 5. Gupta V, Bhasin S, et al. Effects of dihydrotestosterone on differentiation and proliferation of human m esenchymal stem cells and preadipocytes. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2008;296:32-40. 6. Yarrow JF, Conover CF, et al. 17beta-Hydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one (trenbolone) exhibits tissue selective anabolic activity: effects on muscle, bone, adiposity, hemoglobin, and prostate. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2011;300:E650-60. 7. Yarrow JF, McCoy SC, et al. Tissue selectivity and potential clinical applications of trenbolone (17betahydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one): A potent anabolic steroid with reduced androgenic and estrogenic activity. Steroids 2010;75:377-89. 8. Schroeder ET, Zheng L, et al. Effects of androgen therapy on adipose tissue and metabolism in older men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004;89:4863-72. 9. Lovejoy JC, Bray GA, et al. Oral anabolic steroid treatment, but not parenteral androgen treatment, decreases abdominal fat in obese, older men. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1995;19:614-24. 10. Vega GL, Clarenbach JJ, et al. Oxandrolone enhances hepatic ketogenesis in adult men. J Investig Med 2008;56:920-4. 11. Hoffman AR, Strasburger CJ, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of an individualized dosing regimen for adult growth hormone replacement therapy in comparison with fixed body weight-based dosing. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004;89:3224-33. 12. Copeland KC, Nair KS. Acute growth hormone effects on amino acid and lipid metabolism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994;78:1040-7. 13. Fryburg DA, Barrett EJ. Growth hormone acutely stimulates skeletal muscle but not whole-body protein synthesis in humans. Metabolism 1993;42:1223-7. 14. Fryburg DA, Louard RJ, et al. Growth hormone stimulates skeletal muscle protein synthesis and antagonizes insulin’s antiproteolytic action in humans. Diabetes 1992;41:424-9. 15. Grundlingh J, Dargan PI, et al. 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP): a weight loss agent with significant acute toxicity and risk of death. J Med Toxicol 2011;7:205-12. 16. Pakarin en A, Häkkin en K, et al. Serum thyroid horm ones, thyrotropin and thyroxine binding globulin in elite athletes during very intense strength training of one week. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 1991;31:142-6. 17. Sgrò P, Guidetti L, et al. Effect of supra-physiological dose administration of rhGH on pituitary-thyroid axis in healthy male athletes. Regul Pept 2010;165:163-7.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
AVAILABLE AT
performance
By Victor R. Prisk, M.D. er
vening he conversion o esoserone o esrogen. This aromaase-inhibiing acion also reduces eedback on he piuiary by esrogen, in urn raising lueinizing hormone (LH) producion o boos esoserone levels.5 Sudies in humans have demonsraed a perormance-enhancing effec o 100 milligrams o an aqueous exrac o TA in boh men and women, increasing srengh and muscle circumerence. Treamen wih 400 milligrams o TA exrac or five weeks resuled in significan increases in oal and ree esoserone concenraions and muscular orce in senior-aged men and women. An increase in ree esoserone in women was hough o be due o a decline in sex hormone-binding globulin concenraions; hus more ree, biologically acive esoserone. So ar, his makes TA he only compound ha has acually been shown o increase esoserone concenraions, muscle mass and srengh in men and women.
ANDROSTA-3,5-DIENE-7,17-DIONE (AD) Muscular Developmen is always on he cuting edge when i comes o perormance enhancemen. This monh, readers have he opporuni o learn he ruh abou how some o he greas buil heir massive physiques. I is no surprise ha his involved “supplemenaion” wih esoserone and is anabolic counerpars. Wheher hey’re used legally or under-he-able, hese compounds are commonplace in proessional spors arenas. Supraherapeuic doses o esoserone enanhae a 600 milligrams per week improves uncion and srengh wih litle adverse effecs in older orhopaedic paiens. High doses o esoserone are needed o improve lean mass and srengh in healhy individuals wih oherwise normal esoserone levels.3,4 The average male produces abou seven milligrams o esoserone per day, ~50 milligrams per week, wi h a normal plasma level ha ranges beween 300 o 1,000 ng/dl [nanograms per decilier]. A dose o 300 milligrams per week is expeced o bring levels up o above 1,500 ng/dl a he end o he week beore he nex dose. The benefis o building muscle occur a approximaely 300 milligrams per week and greaer. As a reerence, he pical amoun o esoserone injeced or hormone replacemen herapy is ~100 milligrams per week or 200 milligrams every oher week. Alhough esoserone herapy a high doses seems o be relaively sae (oher han he pical hair loss, gynecomasia and skin changes), i also causes a dose-dependen decrease in “healhy” HDL choleserol. Furher, synheic seroids, especially oral versions, are meabolized by he liver, lending o greaer endencies or li ver oxici and unavorable effecs on blood lipids like HDL. I is he cardiovascular effecs o long-erm, high-dose seroid abuse ha concern me mos as a physician. Wih all ha being said, why don’ we jus ry o be Mr. O naurally? Cerainly we can boos our esoserone levels wih supplemens, nuriion and high-inensi exercise echniques. Unorunaely, boosing hem enough o be Mr. O is a oally differen proposiion. Besides, o be Mr. O, you really jus have o know how o pick your parens. Considering he sacks reviewed by he likes o Mr. Dorian Yaes and his legendary counerpars, I’d like o review he sacking opions rom he “naural” side o hings. Sacks ofen include esoserone-boosing agens, esrogen-limiing agens, GH/IGF axis boosers and insulin sensiizers. In he ollowing subses, I will presen o you he “naural sack” wih he mos scienific promise o achieve he physiologic opimizaion o your anabolic poenial.
(TONGKAT ALI, TA) The root of TA is traditionally boiled and consumed as a tonic for aphrodisiac effects and energy in men in its native regions. The bioactive compound eurycomanone has
70
been shown to increase testosterone levels and sperm production in animal models. TA extracts work via a few mechanisms. One is by enhancing the enzymes that produce DHEA, a precursor of testosterone. More interestingly, eurycomanone appears to act as an aromatase inhibitor, thus pre-
AD is a meabolie o 7-Keo DHEA (3-deoxy-7-oxoDHEA). Alhough DHEA and 7-Keo DHEA do no seem o resul in significan androgenic effecs, AD appears o ac as an aromaase inhibior and is markeed as an esrogen blocker. Laboraory sudies sugges ha he 3-deoxy androgens may ac as aromaase inhibiors. 8 Caution: even though this is a derivative of the relatively safe DHEA and 7-Keto DHEA, studies in humans are scarce.
ASTAXANTHIN + SAW PALMETTO This is an herbal combinaion ha inhibis he enzyme 5-alpha reducase (convers esoserone o DHT, or dihydroesoserone) and aromaase. In one sudy, his supplemen produced increases in serum esoserone levels up o 60 percen while decreasing esrogen and DHT. Doses o 800 milligrams and 2,000 milligrams were shown o equally raise esoserone levels, while he 2,000-milligram dose suppressed esrogen levels. A recen sudy has demonsraed ha his combinaion o compounds decreases esrogen levels a a proprieary dosage o 1,200 milligrams per day. Cau- tion: industry-sponsored studies could lead to bias.
(20-HYDROXYECDYSONE, ECDY) Ecdy is an insec seroid ha is markeed as a esoserone and perormance-boosing supplemen. Unorunaely, a human supplemenaion sudy in 2006 a a dose o 200 milligrams per day ailed o show any improvemens in body composiion or raining adapaions. However, more recen sudies in animal models sugges oherwise. A sudy in ras recenly suggesed ha Ecdy could boos muscle growh hrough increasing serum IGF-1 and decreasing esrogen levels. 12 Ineresingly, urher evaluaion showed ha Ecdy aced on a specific esrogen recepor on muscle cells in culure. This could mean ha Ecdy would sill acivae esrogen-driven muscle growh while decreasing sysemic esrogen levels. More research is sure o come on his compound.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
N E W !
BREAKTHROUGH!
ROB EPIQ ATHLETE @robwaslowski
THE GAINS EPIQ™ PHOSPHATIDIC ACID delivers an ingredient shown to build 5.3 lbs. of muscle at the University of Tampa. All-new PHOSPHATIDIC ACID from EPIQ™ is one of the most advanced musclebuilding formulas available, delivering double the muscle gains and boosting strength by 60%! Its potent 750mg dose of the purest, most bioavailable form of oral phosphatidic acid – Mediator PA – helps you maintain elevated PA levels for hours for unbelievable muscle-building results! Only patented Mediator PA is certified for the highest purity with a highly specialized testing procedure known as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy – so don’t settle for generic, under-dosed formulas with questionable ingredients. Get real results with the only patented form of PA that’s delivered in every serving of EPIQ ™ PHOSPHATIDIC ACID. Get it exclusively at GNC.
NEW
AFTER 8 WEEKS (LBS.) The phosphatidic acid group gained 2x the muscle as the placebo group after 8 weeks. ) . s b l (
6 5
MORE!
4 3
GAINED 5.3 LBS. OF MUSCLE IN 8 WEEKS
• 60% STRENGTH INCREASE
2 1
PHOSPHATIDIC ACID
0
GROUP
GROUP
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT
EPIQRESULTS.COM Read label before use. © 2014.
performance MELATONIN Melaonin has been shown o have profound ecs on he IGF-1 axis. Melaonin is a sleep aid ha increases deep sleep onse. Growh hormone is released during deep sleep. IGF-1 is a hormone ha is produced in response o growh hormone secreion, among oher simuli, and is an imporan player in muscle anabolism. A sudy by Oner e al. comparing supplemenaion of melaonin o supplemenaion of esoserone in ras produced fascinaing resuls.13 Casraing ras induces muscle arophy caused by a loss of he anabolic effec of esoserone produced by he esicles. In heir sudy, he scieniss found ha melaonin supplemenaion increased soleus (calf) muscle weigh and fiber diameer in casraed ras jus as well as supplemenal esoserone. The researchers noed ha here was a srong IGF-1 presence wihin he melaonin-reaed muscles. This sudy concluded ha melaonin is as effecive as esoserone in he prevenion of muscle arophy hrough acion on he IGF-1 axis. Furhermore, in a 2007 sudy, Willoughby and colleagues a Baylor Universi showed ha single-dose melaonin supplemenaion could affec he GH/IGF-1 axis.14 In his sudy, a dose of five milligrams of melaonin significanly increased GH levels and lowered he compeing hormone, somaosain. Alhough IGF-1 levels were no affeced, he levels of IGFBP-3 were increased in males. IGFBP-3, or insulin-like
growh facor binding proein-3, is an IGF-1 binding proein ha helps prolong he half-life of IGF-1 in he plasma. Melaonin has long been a mainsay in my evening supplemen regimen.
FOENUM-GRAECUM) Fenugreek is known o have ani-diabeic properies and an abili o boos esoserone levels. Ineresingly, i conains an unusual amino acid, 4-hydroxyisoleucine, so far found only in fenugreek, which has ani-diabeic properies of enhancing insulin secreion and sensiivi under hyperglycemic condiions. 15,16 Is abili o raise esoserone levels and improve insulin acion explains is abili o produce an anabolic effec in humans and ras. 16 In addiion o doubling esoserone levels, fenugreek has even been shown a a dose of 500 milligrams o significanly impac boh upper- and lower-body srengh and body composiion, compared o a placebo in a double-blind, conrolled rial. 17
VITAMIN D Viamin D is a hormone made from choleserol, jus like esoserone. Viamin D also urns on a nuclear recepor jus like anabolic seroids. You mus hink of his “viamin” as a vial hormone. Is funcion goes way beyond simply improving calcium absorpion for healhy bones. Muliple sudies have shown how imporan viamin D supplemenaion is for improving
Dr. Vicor Prisk is a board cerified orhopaedic s urgeon and IFBB professional bodybuilder in Pitsburgh, PA. Dr. Prisk is an acive member of he GNC Medical Advisory Board and creaor of he “G.A.I.N. Plan.” He is an NCAA All-American gymnas, champion swing dancer and NPC Welerweigh Naional Champion. References: 1. Amory JK, e al. Preoperaive supraphysiological esoserone in older men undergoing knee replacemen surgery. J Am Geriar Soc 2002;Oc;50(10):1698-701. 2. Mecalfe D, e al. Anabolic seroids in paiens undergoing oal knee arhroplas. BMJ Open 2012;Sep 22;2(5). pii: e001435. 3. Bhasin S, e al. Tesoserone dose response relaionships in healhy young men. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Meab 2001;281:E1172-E1181. 4. Sinha-Hikim I, e al. Tesoserone-induced increase in muscle size in healhy young men is associaed wih muscle fiber hyperrophy. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Meab 2002;283:E154-E164. 5. George A, Henkel R. Phyoandrogenic properies of Eurycoma longifolia as naural alernaive o esoserone replacemen herapy. Andrologia 2014;Sep;46(7):708-21. 6. Low BS, e al. Eurycomanone, he major quassinoid in Eurycoma longifolia roo exrac increases spermaogenesis by inhibiing he acivi of phosphodieserase and aromaase in seroidogenesis. J Ehnopharmacol 2013;Aug 26;149(1):201-7. 7. Henkel RR, e al. Tongka Ali as a poenial herbal supplemen for physically acive male and female seniors— a pilo sudy. Phyoher Res 2014;Apr;28(4):544-50. 8. Nagaoka M, e al. Srucure-acivi relaionships of 3-deoxy androgens as aromaase inhibiors. Synhesis and biochemical sudies of 4-subsiued 4-ene and 5-ene seroids. Seroids 2003;Aug;68(6):533-42. 9. Angwafor F, e al. An open label, dose response sudy o deermine he effec
72
muscle srengh, especially in viamin D-deficien older individuals. Viamin D levels in he blood have been correlaed o muscle cell conracili, srengh and posural sabili. Viamin D deficiency has also been correlaed o insulin resisance and meabolic dysfuncion. Supplemenaion wih viamin D3 a 1,000 o 2,000 IU per day may improve he acions of leucine and insulin in boosing muscle proein synhesis. 18 There are a large number of esoseroneboosing supplemens ou here ha coun on he placebo effec in unsuspecing bodybuilders. The ineresing hing abou mos of hese herbal supplemens is ha hey feel like hey work. For insance, alhough he science is weak for Tribu- lus terrestris in producing increases in esoserone, i acually has beneficial effecs in boosing sex drive and erecile funcion. Alhough i may no make your muscles harder, i makes you feel harder elsewhere. Jus because a supplemen acs as an aphrodisiac doesn’ mean i acs like esoserone in building muscle. Furhermore, even if a naural esoserone booser doubles your esoserone level from 400 o 800 ng/dl, his is a far cry from he effecs of supplemenaion wih he real deal. I cerainly can’ say ha he daa supporing naural esoserone boosers is srong. Your bes be is o ea los of proein, rain exremely hard, ge los of res and ry combinaions of he above sack while hoping ha you have he geneic poenial o be Mr. Olympia. ■
of a dieary s upplemen on dihydroesoserone, esoserone and esradiol levels in healhy males. J of he In Soc of Spors Nur 2008; 5:12. 10. Anderson ML. Evaluaion of Resetin on serum hormone levels in sedenary males. J In Soc Spors Nur 2014;Aug 23;11:43. 11. Wilborn CD, e al. Effecs of mehoxyisoflavone, ecdyserone, and sulfopolysaccharide supplemenaion on raining adapaions in resisance-rained males. J In Soc Spors Nur 2006;Dec 13;3:19-27. 12. Parr MK, e al. Esrogen recepor bea is involved in skeleal muscle hyperrophy induced by he phyoecdyseroid ecdyserone. Mol Nur Food Res 2014;Sep;58(9):1861-72. 13. Oner e al. Melaonin is as effecive as esoserone in he prevenion of soleus muscle arophy induced by casraion in ras. An a Rec (Hoboken) 2008;Apr 291(4):448-55. 14. Nassar E e al. Effecs of a single dose of N-Acel-5-mehoxyrypamine (Melaonin) and resisance exercise on he growh hormone/IGF-1 axis in young males and females. J In Soc Spors Nur 2007;Oc 23 (4):14. 15. Haeri MR, e al. Non-insulin dependen ani-diabeic acivi of (2S, 3R, 4S) 4-hydroxyisoleucine of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) in srepozoocininduced pe 1 diabeic ras. Phyomedicine 2012;May 15;19(7):571-4 16. Aswar U, e al. Effec of furosanol glycosides from Trigonella foenumgraecum on he reproducive sysem of male albino ras. Phyoher Res 2010;Oc;24(10):1482-8. 17. Poole C, e al. The effecs of a commercially available boanical supplemen on srengh, body composiion, power oupu, and hormonal profiles in resisancerained males. J In Soc Spors Nur 2010;Oc 27;7:34 18. Salles J, e al. 1,25(OH)2-viamin D3 enhances he simulaing effec of leucine and insulin on proein synhesis rae hrough Ak/PKB and mTOR mediaed pahway in murine C2C12 skeleal myoubes. Mol Nur Food Res 2013;Dec;57(12):2137-46.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
P R E - W O R K O U T
THE MOST ADVANCED CLEAN SENSORY PRE-WORKOUT EXPERIENCE Engineered with 7 super-extreme and cutting-edge, premium ingredients, it is unlike anything you’ve ever tried. The unique, clean formula was designed to help you shatter your personal records and workout plateaus. #Shatter™ SX-7™ truly does work!
Peak ATP® (Adenosine 5’-Triphosphate Disodium): Hard-training subjects who supplemented with PEAK ATP in a 12-week human clinical study at the University of Tampa increased strength by 147% more than subjects using a placebo. Even better, these same subjects gained 8.8 lbs. of lean muscle vs. the placebo group, who only gained 4.6 lbs. – that’s 90% more lean muscle. Beta-alanine: #Shatter™ SX-7™ contains a 2,400mg dose of beta-alanine in 2 scoops to help boost your muscle carnosine levels. Caffeine: #Shatter™ SX-7™ provides a potent dose of the stimulant caffeine for increased focus, endurance and energizing effects. Myristica fragrans: A rare seed that contains a premium compound called myristicin, which contributes to the unique sensory experience.
Holy basil: An adaptogenic herb that contains ociglycoside I, rosmarinic acid and triterpene acids like oleanoic and ursolic acid. Grains of Paradise: Contains the pungent compound 6-paradol.
Facebook logo is owned by Facebook Inc. Read the entire label and follow directions. © 2014
MUSCLETECH.COM /# SH ATT ER SX 7
EXCLUSIVELY AT
update
By Michael J.Rudolph, Ph.D Senior Science Editor
Your Physique With Ecdysteroids a mehyl or ehyl group linked a he C-17 posiion. This difference in chemical srucure is very imporan, uences biological acivi, meaning differen chemical srucures pically manies differen uncion in he body. Thereore, while ecdyseroids and esoserone/anabolic seroids are srucurally similar, his significan deviaion a he C-17 posiion mos likely yields differen acivi in he body, which plausibly explains he lack o androgenici and esrogenici o he ecdyseroid.
he use o he seroid molecule o chemically enhance muscle size and srengh daes back o he 1930s when esoserone was firs isolaed and characerized as a compound ha promoed subsanial muscle growh. This discovery led o he subsequen use o esoserone and is synheic derivaive, he anabolic seroid, o build muscle mass and power. However, human consumpion o boh esoserone and anabolic seroids produces unwaned androgenic and esrogenic side effecs, such as prosae hyperrophy and breas issue developmen (gynecomasia), respecively. More recenly, a class o naurally occurring seroid compounds, known as ecdyseroids, were discovered ha effecively promoe anabolic muscle growh wih essenially no androgenic or esrogenic side These compounds are naurally produced in many differen organisms including he insec ,
74
where hey regulae imporan lie-cycle processes including meamorphosis and reproducion. In addiion, plan ecdyseroids uncion as proecive oxins agains plan-eaing insecs. Human consumpion o ecdyseroids has been shown o influence several physiological uncions ha enhance muscle size while simulaing a loss, making hem an atracive alernaive o esoserone and anabolic seroids. OF ECDYSTEROIDS There is one key difference in he ecdyseroid chemical srucure, relaive o esoserone and anabolic seroids. The ecdyseroid has a polyhydroxlylaed, alkyl side chain atached a he C-17 posiion o he seroid molecule ha is beween wo o 10 carbon aoms long, while esoserone only has a hydroxyl group, and anabolic seroid molecules have eiher
ESTROGENIC EFFECTS Tesoserone and anabolic seroids bind and acivae he nuclear seroid recepor, producing boh anabolic and androgenic effecs. On he conrary, ecdyseroids only elici an anabolic effec4,5, likely because o he previously menioned srucural differences beween ecdyseroids and esoserone/anabolic seroids. These differences preven ecdyseroids rom binding o he nuclear seroid recepor and also rom simulaing androgenic effecs. In ac, ecdyseroids apparenly bind and acivae a differen recepor1 han he one preponderanly acivaed by esoserone or anabolic seroids, which generaes a poen anabolic effec. Tesoserone and anabolic seroids can also undesirably mimic esrogen uncion afer being modified wihin he body by he aromaase enzyme. This modificaion, known as aromaizaion, produces a more esrogen-like seroid ha
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
N E W
HALF THE COST OF THE LEADING PRE-WORKOUT COMPETITOR
SMART PRICE. SIX STAR HAS THE BEST TASTE, BEST RESULTS, AT THE BEST VALUE! Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion is from the makers of MuscleTech , America’s , so you know it’s a premium formula you can trust. Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion has clinically validated amounts of key ingredients, and gives you more energy, focus and intensity, all while delivering the explosive muscle pumps you expect! Trust Six Star PreWorkout Explosion for the best formula, best taste and best results!
SixStarPro.com
SMART PRICE. MuscleTech® is America’s #1 Selling Body Building Supplement Brand based on cumulative wholesale dollar sales 2001 to present. Please read entire label before use. © 2 014
update
promoes more esrogen-like uncion. In conras, ecdyseroid consumpion has been shown o have no esrogenic side effecs. For example, one sudy by Prabhu and Nayar looked a he consumpion o he ecdyseroid 20-hydroxyecdysone and he esrogenic compound esradiol in adul emale ras o compare he relaive esrogenic response. The resuls showed ha 20-hydroxyecdysone caused absoluely no esrogenic effec when compared o esradiol. Once more, he unique ecdyseroid chemical srucure likely prevens he aromaase enzyme rom aromaizing he ecdyseroid, hus precluding any esrogenic effec. AS POTENT AS DIANABOL? Many differen ecdyseroids have been isolaed wih varying chemical srucures, and hus differen levels o anabolic poency. So, some ecdyseroids are mos definiely beter han ohers a packing on muscle mass. Experimens concerning he anabolic acivi o 14 differen ecdyseroids assessed which were he mos poen by measuring lean body mass gains in male ras afer ecdyseroid ingesion. This sudy also had a group o ras ha were given he well-known anabolic seroid Dianabol so a comparison could be made beween he anabolic ec o ecdyseroids and Dianabol. Asonishingly, his sudy ound ha he anabolic effecs o wo ecdyseroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone and urkeserone, were comparable o Dianabol. O course, while hese resuls are cerainly inriguing, he anabolic influence o ecdyseroids in ras may be differen in humans, underscoring he need or addiional sudies in humans.
GROWTH AND STRENGTH Several invesigaions have shown ha muscle proein synhesis is acivaed by ecdyseroid consumpion in differen animals.9-11 Moreover, he observed anabolic influence in hese animals rom ecdyseroid inake corresponded wih improved srengh or physical perormance, suggesing ha ecdyseroids may also increase size and srengh in humans. 9-12 To see i ecdyseroids influenced muscle growh in humans, a sudy by Gorelick-Feldman e al.13 looked a he influence ha ecdyseroids had on muscle proein synhesis in developing human muscle fibers, or myoubes. The resuls showed ha ecdyseroids do increase muscle proein synhesis in myoubes wih wo ecdyseroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone and urkeserone, eliciing he mos poen response increasing proein synhesis by 20 percen. Alhough he abili o increase muscle proein synhesis in myoubes is noable, i has ye o be shown wheher ecdyseroids can acually increase muscle size and srengh in humans. However, seeing ha ecdyseroids increase muscle size and srengh in oher animals suggess ha hey will suppor muscle anabolism in humans as well.
FAT BURNER AMPK AMPK is he cells’ energy regulaor, pically becoming acivaed when cellular energy is low. Upon acivaion, AMPK recharges cellular energy by urning up energy producing processes such as a acid oxidaion, which ulimaely reduces body a. A recen sudy by Kizelszein e al. 14 showed
For mos o Michael Rudolph’s career he has been engrossed in he exercise world as eiher an ahlee (he played college ooball a Hosra Universi), personal rainer or as a Research Scienis (he earned a B.Sc. in Exercise Science a Hosra Universi and a Ph.D. in Biochemisry and Molecular Biology rom Sony Brook Universi). Afer earning his Ph.D., Michael invesigaed he molecular biology o exercise as a or over eigh years. Tha research conribued seminally o undersanding he uncion o he incredibly imporan cellular energy sensor AMPK— leading o numerous publicaions in peer-reviewed journals including he journal Nature . Michael is currenly a scienis working a he New York Srucural Biology Cener doing conrac work or he Deparmen o Deense .
76
ha, in addiion o he ecdyseroid muscle-building eec, adminisraion o 20-hydroxyecdysone significanly reduced body a by 41 percen in mice even while being ed a high-a. Ineresingly, he changes in body a levels were accompanied by an increase in adiponecin producion by a issue. Because adiponecin increases a acid oxidaion by acivaing AMPK15, he resuls rom his sudy sugges ha adminisraion o 20-hydroxyecdysone can reduce body a by up regulaing adiponecin expression and increasing AMPK-driven a loss. In conclusion, he unique molecular srucure o he ecdyseroid provides many beneficial effecs, including an anabolic response comparable o he well-known seroid Dianabol. Moreover, his poen anabolic punch comes wihou many o he side effecs associaed wih anabolic seroid use. On he oher hand, he promising muscleenhancing qualiies o he ecdyseroid do come wih a ew drawbacks. For one, he effecs o ecdyseroids have no been adequaely esed in humans, meaning more invesigaion is needed in order o conclusively define hese compounds as bona fide muscle builders. ■
Reerences: 1. Bahori M, Toh N, e al. Curr Med Chem 2008;15(1), 75-91. 2. Gelman DB, Pszczolkowski MA, e al. J Insec Physiol 2007;53(3), 274-284. 3. Dinan L. Phyochemisry 2001;57(3), 325339. 4. Sergeev PV, Semeikin AV, e al. Biull Eksp Biol Med 1991;112(10), 393-395. 5. Syrov VN. Nauchnye Doki Vyss Shkoly Biol Nauki 1984;(11), 16-20. 6. Huber R and Hoppe W. Chem Ber 1965;98(7), 2403-2424. 7. Prabhu VK and Nayar KK. Experienia 1974;30(7), 821.
8. Syrov VN. Pharm Chem J 2000;34(4), 193197. 9. Sopka P. Aca Soc Zoo Bohem 1999;63, 367-378 10. Laon R and Dinan L. J Insec Sci 2003;3, 7. 11. Kraky FO, Hejhalek L, e al. ZiVocisna Vyroba 1997;42(10), 445-451. 12. Chermnykh NS, Shimanovskii NL, e al. Farmakol Toksikol 1988;51(6), 57-60. 13. Gorelick-Feldman J, Maclean D, e al. J Agric. Food Chem 2008;56(10), 3532-3537. 14. Kizelszein P, Govorko D, e al. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Meab 2009;296(3), E433-439. 15. Yamauchi T, Kamon J, e al. Na Med 2002;8(11), 1288-1295.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
Powered to
Perform
*
It's all about maintaining your performance, right? Our ultimate black stack is the power of NO2 BLACK FULL CYCLE® with up to 1250% more nitric oxide ‡ to impact the full cycle of training performance. BLACK POWDER ULTRA® boosts training energy and power. It all adds up to explosive performance, endurance and dominance. Nothing stacks up against MRI. * *These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. ‡ Based on preliminary experimental research. ©2015 Medical Research Institute.
mri-performance.com
of the month JACKS TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
TROPIN imporance of opimizing one’s naural hormonal sae. We all know he muscle-building effecs of esoserone, growh hormone (GH), insulin and insulin-like growh facor-1 (IGF-1), and he role hey play in urning an average physique ino a FREAK! The reali is ha your muscles don’ grow while you are raining, bu raher during ha overnigh break we call sleep. This is when he body builds and repairs damaged muscle issue from he onslaugh performed earlier ha day in he gym. MHP has recenly launched a new mass-building formula looking o dial in muscle growh like never before.
GROWTH MATRIX Based on he laes cuting-edge research, he R&D Team a MHP has designed 4D TROPIN. This formula is a synergisic blend of anabolic ingrediens specifically designed o opimize four powerful muscle growh acivaors— esoserone, GH, IGF-1 and mTOR. This unique combinaion will creae he ulimae anabolic environmen for simulaing muscle growh and seting he fa-burning furnace ino overdrive, even during sleep.
Key ingrediens in 4D TROPIN have been shown o naurally increase esoserone levels. We all know “es is bes” because nohing packs on he beef quie like i. I helps o build muscle, increase srengh and aggression, and urns you ino a sallion in he bedroom. Tesoserone largely funcions as a “ranscripion facor,” which binds o he nucleus of he cell and simulaes DNA o “ranscribe” or make insrucions for he body o make a s pecific proein on a messenger molecule (mRNA). This message is hen carried ouside he nucleus o he cyoplasm, where ribosomes are locaed and manufacure proeins. Tesoserone also seems o block he caabolic hormone corisol from binding o is recepor. I also has an imporan role in acivaion of he nervous sysem, supporing heighened srengh, power oupu and muscle growh.
HORMONE PRODUCTION Anoher hormone ha simulaes muscle growh and repair is growh hormone. If you hough all i does is build muscle, hink again. Growh hormone is also a powerful regulaor of fa meabolism. Wha’s more, GH has muliple ecs on adipose issue, including increasing he densi of bea-adrenergic recepors in adipose, a highly lipolyic (fa burning) recepor. To make his even beter, i increases hormonesensiive lipase (a fa-burning enzyme) and also compees wih he insulin recepor, hereby blocking insulin’s fa-promoing acions.
INCREASES mTOR ACTIVATION When developing 4D TROPIN, MHP researchers creaed an advanced, never-before-seen Triplex mTOR Acivaion Technology. While mos formulas simply use he amino acid leucine, 4D TROPIN uilizes a riple-acion, anabolic mixure of leucine, leucine pepide and leucine meabolie. This Triplex mTOR Acivaion Technology clearly ses 4D TROPIN apar from he compeiion, and produces a powerful anabolic response unlike anyhing ever creaed.
ANABOLIC ACTION One of he mos powerful arges simulaed by GH is IGF-1, a growh facor proein ha possesses numerous anabolic properies and is a major simulaor of muscle growh. IGF-1 can promoe proein synhesis and lower proein breakdown. Wha makes IGF-1 so ineresing is ha i also works hrough a unique mechanism of saellie cell acivaion. To help undersand his beter, saellie cells are dorman cells ha surround a muscle fiber. When muscle fibers are
Modulating Growth Complex! • Helps build rock-hard muscle in no ime a all • Increases growh hormone by up o 321% and IGF-1 by up o 24% • Jacks esoserone levels hrough he roof! • Increases mTOR acivaion for unprecedened anabolic acion • Helps burn fa o help dial in hose abs • Increases anabolic sleep quali for maximum muscle recovery • Shus down corisol dead in is racks
78
By Anthony Ricciuto
damaged, saellie cells divide, elongae and fuse o he muscle fiber. As hey fuse, hey “donae” heir nuclei o he fiber. One very imporan fac is ha if hey do no fuse o a muscle fiber, growh is sopped.
IMPROVES SLEEP QUALITY This powerful formula conains a synergisic blend of ingrediens scienifically designed o opimize he quali of sleep, so ha you can achieve an opimal hormonal balance. This will resul in maximized muscle building and fa burning. 4D TROPIN does his by increasing key signals in he brain ha faciliae sleep. leads o elevaed levels of he caabolic sress hormone corisol, which promoes muscle wasing and belly fa sorage. By improving sleep quali, 4D TROPIN will help o lower his caabolic hormone, hereby proecing valuable muscle.
MY RUN WITH 4D TROPIN One of he many perks of providing you wih supplemen reviews every monh is he fac ha I ge o ry ou new formulas even before hey hi sore s helves. When I saw he breakdown for 4D TROPIN, I jus couldn’ wai o ge my hands on i. I decided o run i for four full weeks o see if i lived up o he claims. I am a fan of differen nightime formulas, so I jus had o give his a sho o see how i urned ou. Firs off, from he very firs dose, I slep like a baby. Wih my mind always running a million miles per minue, hinking of he many projecs I have on he go, falling asleep is no always as easy as i sounds. I ook i abou 30 minues before bedime and by he ime I lay my head down, I was ou like a ligh. Even beter was he fac ha I didn’ wake up during he nigh as I usually do. This made me feel super refreshed in he morning wihou feeling groggy. The recovery from my workous was amazing. Wih my busy schedule, I ry o ge in he gym four o five days per week on average, wih a day off in beween. While aking 4D TROPIN, I was raining seven days in a row and sill fel like I could go o he gym he nex day. This normally would have had me drained o he max, bu wih 4D TROPIN I never fel beter. I am elling you, if you are looking o help opimize your raining recovery and ruly ake advanage of he anabolic hormone response while you sleep, hen 4D TROPIN is jus wha you have been waiing for! ■ For more informaion, visi mhpsrong.com.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
stack
By Anthony Ricciuto
Phase 1 Anabolic Growth Stack TRAINER OF THE STARS When i comes o world-class celebri rainers, Kris Gehin is on a level of his own. His fame and feaures on Bodybuilding.com has made him a household name, geting over 50 million views from all over he globe. When acors, celebriies and he world’s upper echelon wan o ge in shape, hey urn o Kris o ransform heir flabby, frumpy physiques o one of chiseled granie. When I heard ha he recenly launched his own supplemen line, I jus had o ge my hands on i o see exacly wha i was all abou. KAGED MUSCLE: NO-BULL SUPPLEMENTS Kris has launched six producs ha are no based on sales hype, bu conain ried-and-rue ingrediens ha have he scienific basis o provide resuls. Kris isn’ here o pull your chain and sell you a sory. In fac, Kris has gone he exra mile o make sure ha his line of supplemens are far superior o he majori of hose ha line supplemen sore shelves, and I’ll explain why. While oher companies are caugh up in scandals of amino spiking and oher shenanigans ha desroy he image of he indusry, Kris waned o bring forh a supplemen line ha he could ruly be proud of. This is why he creaed KAGED MUSCLE— o give back o he indusry he loves so much wih producs you can rus! ALL-STAR LINEUP Now, I know you are as excied as I am o see wha Kris Gehin has in sore. So le’s ake a look a he firs round of KAGED MUSCLE’s newes producs.
• Free of banned substances, and tested by the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG). • Third-party tested (with a MICROPURE quality guarantee) before being released, to verify that what is on the label is in each product. • Manufactured in a state-of-the-art GMP and TGA facility. • Genuine! Each KAGED MUSCLE product has an ID number that is as unique as a fingerprint— you can enter the number from your product at Kagedmuscle. com/authenticate to verify that your product is authentic. For more information, visit kagedmuscle.com.
80
KAGED BCAA Branched-chain amino acids (BCCAs) are a bodybuilder’s go-o supplemen for recovery, muscle growh and prevening muscle breakdown. The sad hing is ha mos BCAAs on he marke are made from duck feahers and human hair … WTF! KAGED MUSCLE is one of he few companies ha feaure a vegan, insanized BCAA formula, Kaged BCAA. • Non-GMO, non-allergenic and uses a 100 percen vegan fermenaion process ha is vasly superior o he compeiion. • Dissolves rapidly and compleely in waer, wih no gri or floaies associaed wih oher brands. • Comes in boh capsules and powder. KAGED GLUTAMINE Gluamine has sood he es of ime, and is sill a favorie of mine. KAGED MUSCLE uses he rademarked MICROPURE Gluamine, giving you he bes on he marke. • Vegeable fermenaion process gives you more bang for your buck. • Non-GMO, gluen free, uses vegeable-based capsules and is BSE/ TSE free.
L-TARTRATE • Helps promoe fa burning hrough he conversion of fa acids ino fuel. • Superior o ordinary L-Carniine. • Helps your recovery from inense raining sessions. • Promoes hormonal balance by . KAGED PURCAF • Everyone loves caffeine o help hem burn fa or for geting amped-up for heir raining session. • Why use synheic caffeine when here is somehing beter? • PURECAF is an organic caffeine ha is a KAGED MUSCLE exclusive ingredien ha you won’ find anywhere else. • Feel he diff makes.
KAGED L-CITRULLINE • 100 percen pure pharmaceui. • Fermenaion derived as opposed o synheic. • GRAS-approved. • The only cirulline acually manufacured in he USA. • Don’ ge fooled … oher companies use cirulline malae because i provides only half he dose of L-Cirulline. KAGED HYDRO-CHARGE • The ulimae “flavor wih benefis” produc o help ge down sraigh-fill powders. • Can be consumed by iself as a zero-calorie beverage, making i ideal for dieing. • Conains no sugar, and is suppored by is Specra ORAC Marix. • Conains five essenial elecrolyes from ender coconu waer. • Supercharged wih HYDROMAX for nex-level hydraion. • Works grea wih all KAGED MUSCLE producs. REAL-DEAL MUSCLE So as you can see, he research and developmen eam along wih Kris’ counless hours of hands-on research has pu ogeher some very innovaive producs. While oher companies have been cuing corners as of lae, geting caugh in numerous scandals ha have rocked he indusry, KAGED MUSCLE is here o urn hings around. This awesome lineup had me soked— and believe me, I have seen jus abou everyhing. If he quali of wha you pu in your body is of op concern— and i should be— hen KAGED MUSCLE goes above and beyond he call of du o provide you wih he highes quali ingrediens and compounds ha ge he job done. So ake i from me, KAGED MUSCLE is going o be a supersar in his ever-changing indusry— and jus remember you heard i here firs!
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
KAGED MUS�LE UNKAGED INNOVATION
WWW.KAGEDMUSCLE.COM
performance
By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D. Senior Science Editor
CONSUMPTION simple ones. While here are many differen anabolic pahways in he human body, he one ha has he greaes impac on muscle growh involves he synhesis o complex muscle proeins rom simpler building blocks, known as amino acids, where he accumulaion o muscle proein semming rom his anabolic process ulimaely drives muscle growh. In erms o die, i is well esablished ha muscle proein levels can be increased considerably afer consuming he amino acid leucine, especially during and afer weigh raining. This occurs primarily because leucine consumpion acivaes he nurien-sensing molecule mTOR— which direcly urns on muscle proein synhesis while inhibiing muscle proein breakdown, causing muscle proein accumulaion ha drives muscle growh. LEUCINE The direc link beween leucine CONSUMPTION and muscle anabolism has engenDURING AND AFTER dered he idea ha more leucine consumpion should be beter or WORKOUTS PREVENTS muscle growh. Unorunaely, ha THE AMPK-DRIVEN jus is no he case— as leucine consumpion also riggers adBREAKDOWN OF LEAN diional anabolic processes ha BODY MASS, WHICH ecively lower he amoun o ENHANCES THE available energy o he muscle cell, making he consumpion o HYPERTROPHIC leucine beore exercise derimenal RESPONSE OF o perormance. In addiion, leucine inake beore raining alers brain MUSCLE TISSUE. neurochemisry, resuling in sluggishness ha hinders perormance. As a resul, leucine supplemenaion proocols mus ake ino accoun he emporal influence o ingesion in order o opimize muscle growh, while also allowing or ample producion o energy and he righ neuroransmiters or maximum perormance in he gym.
WORKING OUT STIMULATES MUSCLE GROWTH Several sudies have shown mTOR acivaion by leucine inake direcly showed ha leucine consumpion shorly afer working ou increased mTOR acivi or several hours pos-workou, leading o greaer muscle proein synhesis as compared o an exercised group ha was no ed leucine. A second invesigaion by Pasiakos e al.2 demonsraed ha consumpion o leucine immediaely er exercise increased muscle proein synhesis by as much as 33 percen.
82
MD
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
A he same ime as leucine consumpion enhances muscle proein synhesis afer resisance raining, i also decreases muscle proein breakdown during and ollowing exercise by acivaing mTOR he enzyme AMPK. AMPK [AMP-acivaed proein kinase] is he muscle cell’s energy gauge ha promoes he breakdown o proein ino amino acids when muscle cell energy is low, so he amino acids can be used or energy o resore he cell’s energy saus. Thereore, leucine consumpion during and er workous prevens he AMPK-driven breakdown o lean body mass, which enhances he hyperrophic response o muscle issue.
CELL ENERGY As previously menioned, he anabolic ec o leucine is no always bes or perormance in he weigh room. This is especially rue when consuming leucine beore hiting he gym, as leucine acivaes he conversion o glucose ino glycogen while simulaneously prevening he breakdown o glycogen ino glucose. Boh o hese oucomes considerably reduce he available energy necessary or muscular conracion. O course, reduced muscular conracion will decrease srengh oupu, which a he end o he day compromises he abili o gain muscle mass and srengh.
MUSCLE GROWTH Insulin is he mos poen muscle-building hormone produced in he human body, possessing he abili o drasically increase muscle proein synhesis and enhance muscle growh. Insulin achieves his musclebuilding effec by binding o he insulin recepor and seting off a cascade o signaling evens ha evenually acivaes he enzyme mTOR, riggering muscle growh. 7,8 However, insulin signaling is very sensiive o oversimulaion, where oo much insulin signaling can rapidly rigger negaive eedback mechanisms ha urn down insulin-driven muscle growh. In addiion o he well-known influence ha , one o he more poen insulin acivaors is leucine. Ineresingly, several sudies have shown ha insulin resisance can occur wih increased amino acid consumpion, especially he branched-chain amino acid leucine. 9,10 The exac mechanism by which leucine modulaes insulin sensiivi is currenly unclear. The decreased insulin sensiivi may be associaed wih greaer insulin secreion induced by leucine 11,12, poenially inducing insulin resisance. O course, insulin resisance rom oo much leucine consumpion would reduce all o insulin’s anabolic properies, meaning a decrease in muscle proein accumulaion and hereore muscle growh.
PROMOTES SLUGGISHNESS AND FATIGUE The cenral nervous sysem (CNS), composed o he brain and spinal cord, serves as he main “processing cener” or he enire nervous sysem ha conrols all he workings o your body. Neurons, or nerve cells, are he core componens o he CNS ha uncion o receive and coner all o his body-regulaing inormaion by neuronal signaling. Each neuronal signal is convered a he nerve ending or synapse ino chemical signaling via neuroransmiters ha diffuse across he synapse o adjacen neurons— riggering urher signaling down he neuron, evenually conrolling many differen bodily uncions. Seroonin is a neuroransmiter secreed wihin he neuronal synapse ha induces sleep and drowsiness. Inense exercise has been shown o increase he release o seroonin in he brain, puaively conribuing o exercise-induced aigue. Iniially, i was hough ha he increase in seroonin alone riggered aigue. However, i uenced more specifically by an increase in he raio o seroonin o anoher neuroransmiter known as dopamine.13 The neuroransmiter dopamine has well-defined roles including increased menal arousal, improved moor conrol and greaer levels o moivaion, which all end o improve exercise perormance. Ineresingly, a recen sudy by Choi e al. 14 showed ha leucine compeiively inhibis dopamine producion by prevening he upake o he dopamine-precursor rosine ino he brain. Since greaer brain dopamine uncion improves physical perormance, he finding ha leucine reduces dopamine levels in he brain highlighs why leucine consumpion, especially beore exercise when moivaion and energy levels are paramoun, may have a derimenal influence on physical perormance. In conclusion, leucine’s capaci o rigger anabolic processes, such as muscle growh and glycogen producion, makes he iming o leucine consumpion very impor an. While leucine consumpion during and afer lifing weighs effecively prevens muscle breakdown while enhancing pos-workou muscle proein synhesis, consuming leucine beore your workou appears o have several drawbacks ha negaively influence exercise perormance, indicaing ha leucine consumpion beore raining likely prevens opimal uncion and achievemen. ■
Reerences: 1. Walker DK, Dickinson JM, e al. Exercise, amino acids, and aging in he conrol o human muscle proein synhesis. Med Sci Spors Exerc 2011;43, 2249-2258. 2. Pasiakos SM, McClung HL, e al. Leucineenriched essenial amino acid supplemenaion during moderae seady sae exercise enhances posexercise muscle proein synhesis. Am J Clin Nur 2011;94, 809-818. 3. Manders RJ, Koopman R, e al. The muscle proein synheic response o carbohydrae and proein ingesion is no impaired in men wih longsanding pe 2 diabees. J Nur 2008;138, 1079-1085. 4. Sandri M. Signaling in muscle arophy and hyperrophy. Physiology (Behesda) 2008;23, 160-170. 5. Di Camillo B, Eduai F, e al. Leucine modulaes dynamic phosphorylaion evens in insulin signaling pahway and enhances insulin-dependen glycogen synhesis in human skeleal muscle cells. BMC Cell Biol 2014;15, 9. 6. Hillier TA, Fryburg DA, e al. Exreme hyperinsulinemia unmasks insulin’s effec o simulae proein synhesis in he human orearm. Am J Physiol 1998;274, E1067-1074. 7. Biolo G, Declan Fleming RY and Wole RR. Physiologic hyperinsulinemia simulaes proein synhesis and enhances ranspor o seleced amino acids in human skeleal muscle. J Clin Inves 1995;95, 811-819. 8. Guille C, Prod’homme M, e al. Impaired anabolic response o muscle proein synhesis is associaed wih S6K1 dysregulaion in elderly humans. Faseb J 2004;18, 1586-1587. 9. Newgard CB, An J, e al. A branched-chain amino acid-relaed meabolic signaure ha differeniaes obese and lean humans and conribues o insulin resisance. Cell Meab 2009;9, 311-326. 10. Tremblay F, Lavigne C, e al. Role o dieary proeins and amino acids in he pahogenesis o insulin resisance. Annu Rev Nur 2007;27, 293-310. 11. Filiputi E, Raacho A, e al. Augmenaion o insulin secreion by leucine supplemenaion in malnourished ras: possible involvemen o he phosphaidylinosiol 3-phosphae kinase/mammalian arge proein o rapamycin pahway. Meabolism 2010;59, 635-644. 12. Yang J, Chi Y, e al. Leucine meabolism in regulaion o insulin secreion rom pancreaic bea cells. Nur Rev 2010;68, 270-279. 13. Acworh I, Nicholass J, e al. Effec o susained exercise on concenraions o plasma aromaic and branched-chain amino acids and brain amines. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1986;137, 149-153. 14. Choi S, Disilvio B, e al. Oral branchedchain amino acid supplemens ha reduce brain seroonin during exercise in ras also lower brain caecholamines. Amino Acids 2013. For mos o Michael Rudolph’s career he has been engrossed in he exercise world as eiher an ahlee (he played college ooball a Hosra Univer), personal rainer or as a Research Scienis (he earned a B.Sc. in Exercise Science a Hosra Univerand a Ph.D. in Biochemisry and Molecular Biology rom Sony Brook Universit). Afer earning his Ph.D., Michael invesigaed he molecular biology o exercise as a ellow a Harvard Medical School and Columbia Universit or over eigh years. Tha research conribued seminally o undersanding he uncion o he incredibly imporan cellular energy sensor AMPK— leading o numerous publicaions in peer-reviewed journals including he journal Nature . Michael is currenly a scienis working a he New York Srucural Biology Cener doing conrac work or he Deparmen o Deense on a projec involving .
MD 83
muscle plan
By Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D, CSCS, FNSCA
TO HYPERTROPHY? hormones are imporan o muscle growh. Physiologically, hormones are subsances secreed by glands ino he bloodsream where hey inerac wih arge issues o carry ou various uncions. Hormones ha are specific o muscle anabolism include esoserone, growh hormone (GH) and insulin-like growh acor (IGF)-1, among ohers. I levels o hese hormones are chronically low, muscle growh will suffer. On he oher hand, supraphysiologic exogenous adminisraion o anabolic agens will rigger exreme muscle developmen, ar beyond wha can be accomplished wihou heir use. Several decades ago researchers observed ha anabolic hormonal levels were elevaed immediaely af Subsequen research showed ha rouines involving muliple ses o moderae reps (eigh o 12 repeiion maximum) wih relaively shor res inervals (~one minue beween ses)— in oher words, a pical bodybuilding proocol— maximized pos-exercise hormonal spikes o a greaer degree han a low-volume powerlifingpe rouine.2,3 These observaions ulimaely led o he hormone hypohesis, which proposes ha muscle-building rouines should be srucured o jack up sysemic concenraions as high as possible o rigger a maximal anabolic response.4,5 In heory, high levels o circulaing hormones increase he likelihood o ineracion wih recepors during a period when he muscles are primed or anabolism, enhancing he capaci or proein synhesis.6 The greaes pos-exercise spikes are seen wih GH, where levels have been repored o increase by as much as 290-old over baseline. I’s ineresing o noe ha he compelling body o evidence indicaes ha he anabolic ecs o GH secreed by he body are primarily carried ou via poeniaing he acions o IGF-1. Thus, he increases in GH would seemingly only have growh-relaed relevance in he conex o greaer IGF-1 secreions. And indeed, here is evidence ha IGF-1 levels are elevaed pos-exercise as well as hose o circulaing esoserone , alhough hese increases in hese hormones are markedly less han wih GH. Based on hese observaions, he obvious quesion is: do ransien hormonal spikes play a role in muscle growh?
Several sudies have in ac shown srong correlaions beween acue hormonal increases and muscle hyperrophy. The firs o hese sudies ound ha acue GH elevaions were highly associaed wih he degree o boh pe I and pe II fiber growh in a cohor o 11 recreaionally-rained young men.10 A subsequen sudy in 16 young men (eigh srengh ahlees and eigh physically acive individuals) repored a high correlaion beween he exen o pos-exercise esoserone release and increases in quadriceps size. Boh o hese sudies were carried ou wih a relaively small number o subjecs, however, o draw meaningul conclusions. More recenly, Wes and Phillips12 conduced a larger rial in 56 unrained men ha showed only a weak posiive correlaion beween acue GH spikes and increases in pe II fiber area. These elevaions were deermined o explain approximaely eigh percen o he variance in muscular gains. Moreover, he op responders in he group were no differen in erms o heir acue esoserone, GH and IGF-1 responses, compared o hose in he botom o he group. The issue wih all o he aoremenioned sudies is ha hey looked a correlaions. A popular axiom in science is ha correlaion does equal causaion. In oher words, jus because wo evens occur in parallel does no necessarily mean ha one causes he oher. The primary way o deermine a cause-effec relaionship is by conducing a conrolled rial. In his case, here have been a couple o welldesigned sudies ha have invesigaed he opic o ineres. Wes e al. recruied 12 unrained young men o perorm single-arm elbow flexion (i.e., biceps curls) on separae days designed o elici eiher a low- or high-hormonal release. In he low-hormone session, subjecs perormed biceps curls only (hree o our ses o eigh o 12 repeiions) while in he high-hormone session, he opposie arm perormed he same biceps rouine ollowed immediaely by a bou o lower body exercises (five ses o 10 repeiions o leg presses and hree ses o 12 repeiions o leg exension/leg curl superses). Afer 15 weeks o raining, hyperrophy increased significanly in boh arms, wih no differences noed beween he low- versus high-hormone condiions. These findings are consisen
“Don’t worry about trying to structure your routine to jack up post-exercise hormone pro- duction. Instead, focus on ma- nipulating training variables to produce an optimal combination of tension, metabolic stress and damage. Ultimately, this is the key to maximizing your muscu- lar potential.”
84
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
muscle plan wih previous research rom he same lab, showing ha muscle proein synhesis was similar pos-exercise regardless o he exen o hormonal elevaions.13 In combinaion, resuls rom he wo sudies indicae ha acue hormonal elevaions are no involved in hyperrophic adapaions. Recenly, however, researchers in Norway employed a similar sudy design o ha o Wes e al., bu weaked he proocol so ha lower body exercise was perormed beore he arm curl in he high-hormone condiion. In conras o previous findings, he highhormone condiion resuled in significanly greaer increases in muscle growh, implying ha sysemic elevaions were responsible or he increased hyperrophy. The reasons or he inconsisencies beween sudies are no clear, bu he auhors hypohesized ha i may be relaed o he need o spike hormonal levels prior o arm raining. The proposed mechanism is based on speculaion ha lower body exercise causes a hypoperusion ha impairs ranspor o anabolic hormones o he arm muscles when leg raining is perormed er upper-exremi exercise. While such a hypohesis may seem logical, research has shown ha ha delivery o esoserone, growh hormone and IGF-1 o he elbow flexors is no influenced by exercise order.15 Thus, i remains quesionable as o wheher hormonal elevaions were in ac responsible or differences in findings, or perhaps ha some oher acor was involved. When reconciling he research, i’s dificul o say or sure wheher acue anabolic hormonal elevaions have an effec on he hyperrophic response o resisance raining. One hing does appear clear, however: i any such effecs do indeed exis, hey will be o minor consequence o he overall magniude o growh. Far more imporan o muscular adapaions are subsances called myokines, which are secreed wihin he working muscles in response o mechanical loading, largely independen o acue sysemic acors. These subsances are sensiive o mechanical ension, meabolic sress and muscle damage generaed during raining. Botom line: Don’ worry abou rying o srucure your rouine o jack up pos-exercise hormone producion. Insead, ocus on manipulaing raining variables o produce an opimal combinaion o ension, meabolic sress and damage. Ulimaely, his is he key o maximizing your muscular poenial. ■ Brad Schoeneld, Ph.D., CSCS, FNSCA is widely regarded as one o he leading auhoriies on raining or muscle developmen and a loss. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed sudies on various exercise- and nuriion-relaed opics. He is also he auhor o he bes-selling book, The M.A.X. Muscle Plan, and runs a popular websie and blog a www. lookgreanaked.com.
Reerences: 1. Skierska E, Usupska J, e al. Effec o physical exercise on plasma corisol, esoserone and growh hormone levels in weigh lifers. Endokrynol Pol 1976;Mar-Apr;27(2):159-65. 2. Kraemer WJ, Marchielli L, e al. Hormonal and growh acor responses o heavy resisance exercise proocols. J Appl Physiol 1990;Oc;69(4):1442-50. 3. Kraemer WJ, Gordon SE, e al. Endogenous anabolic hormonal and growh acor responses o heavy resisance exercise in males and emales. In J Spors Med 1991;Apr;12(2):228-35. 4. Goo K, Ishii N, e al. The impac o meabolic sress on hormonal responses and muscular adapaions. Med Sci Spors Exerc 2005;Jun;37(6):955-63. 5. Hansen S, Kvorning T, e al. The effec o shorerm srengh raining on human skeleal muscle: The imporance o physiologically elevaed hormone levels. Scand J Med Sci Spors 2001;Dec;11(6):347-54. 6. Crewher B, Keogh J, e al. Possible simuli or srengh and power adapaion: Acue hormonal responses. Spors Med 2006;36(3):215-38. 7. Takarada Y, Nakamura Y, e al. Rapid increase in plasma growh hormone afer low-inensi resisance exercise wih vascular occlusion. J Appl Physiol 2000;01;88(1):61-5. 8. Velloso CP. Regulaion o muscle mass by growh hormone and IGF-1. Br J Pharmacol 2008;06;154(3):557-68. 9. Wes DW, Burd NA, e al. Elevaions in osensibly anabolic hormones wih resisance exercise enhance neiher raining-induced muscle hyperrophy nor srengh o he elbow flexors. J Appl Physiol 2010;Jan;108(1):60-7. 10. McCall GE, Byrnes WC, e al. Acue and chronic hormonal responses o resisance raining designed o promoe muscle hyperrophy. Can J Appl Physiol 1999;Feb;24(1):96-107. 11. Ahiainen JP, Pakarinen A, e al. Muscle hyperrophy, hormonal adapaions and srengh developmen during srengh raining in srenghrained and unrained men. Eur J Appl Physiol 2003;Aug;89(6):555-63. 12. Wes DW, Phillips SM. Associaions o exercise-induced hormone profiles and gains in srengh and hyperrophy in a large cohor afer weigh raining. Eur J Appl Physiol 2012;Jul;112(7):2693-702. 13. Wes DW, Kujbida GW, e al. Resisance exercise-induced increases in puaive anabolic hormones do no enhance muscle proein synhesis or inracellular signalling in young men. J Physiol 2009;Nov 1;587(P 21):5239-47. 14. Ronnesad BR, Nygaard H and Raasad T. Physiological elevaion o endogenous hormones resuls in superior srengh raining adapaion. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011;Sep;111(9):2249-59. 15. Wes DW, Coie LM, e al. Resisance exercise order does no d eermine posexercise delivery o esoserone, growh hormone and IGF-1 o skeleal muscle. Appl Physiol Nur Meab 2013;Feb;38(2):220-6. 16. Schoeneld BJ. The mechanisms o muscle hyperrophy and heir applicaion o resisance raining. J Srengh Cond Res 2010;Oc;24(10):2857-72.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
A GOAL YOU CAN ACHIEVE! I believe that “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” The first component in achieving anything is to set a clear and distinct goal of what it is you want. It must be specific! Once you do that, you need to design a plan of action to achieve it. Finally, you need a specific time frame within which to reach that goal, i.e., a deadline. It’s the lack of those three factors that keeps most of you spinning your wheels and not making gains. You have vague, hazy goals that you’d like to be bigger, but how are you going to do it? How much will you gain, and by what date? Another factor that keeps many from improving their physiques is stagnation in your workouts. You keep doing the same workouts over and over again: same exercises, same reps and sets, yet you expect to see new growth. That’s the definition of insanity— repeating the same actions but expecting a different outcome. It doesn’t work that way. If you keep giving your muscles what they’ve always gotten, they will have no physiological “reason” to adapt and grow. Only by forcing them to do things they’ve
never done— be it in terms of heavier loads, different exercises, rep schemes, rest periods and rep tempo— will you stimulate growth. For 90 days, you are going to keep your muscles constantly guessing— and growing! First, I want you to write down your bodyweight goal. How much do you want to gain? Keep in mind that we want a minimum of what you gain to be body fat, and we want a realistic amount of muscle mass you can put on in 90 days. If you’re past the beginner and intermediate stages of training, something like 10-12 pounds is very achievable. If seven to eight pounds of t hat is new lean muscle tissue, you’re doing pretty damn good. For those who think eight p ounds of muscle isn’t much, go ahead and p ut eight pounds of raw steak on a cutting board. Now imagine that evenly distributed over your body in the form of new muscle. That’s a lot more impressive than you thought! So right now, map out when your 90 days is up, and then write down in a journal, “I will weigh X on X date.” Got it? Good, now let’s talk about how you will get there.
YOUR TOTAL TRAINING AND NUTRITION PLAN
88
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
BY RON HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREGORY JAMES
AYS MD 89
90
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
VOLUME: WEEKS 5-8
THE 90-DAY
BREAKDOWN You hear it all the time: the basic compound movements are the ones that give you the most “bang for your buck.” It’s simple mathematics, really. These are the exercises that involve multiple muscle groups at once and allow for the heaviest loads to be used. You probably thrived on them in your early days of training, that magical but fleeting moment in time when you seemingly grew bigger and stronger by the day. A routine made up mainly of free weight basics is how legions of men around the world have built solid foundations of mass for many decades. Chances are you have gotten away from a lot of these movements, instead incorporating more isolation, machine and cable exercises because that’s what “advanced” trainers do. Forget about those for the moment. For Phase 1 of your “Get Huge in 90 Days” program, you will return to the foundation of basics. You won’t be focusing on one body part at each workout and attacking it from every conceivable angle. Instead, you will pour your efforts into just a handful of bad-ass barbell and dumbbell movements, and overload all your major muscle groups for straight sets in the eight to 10 range after warming up. There will be no direct arm work, and don’t even think about adding that or anything else to your workouts. Rest assured that your biceps and triceps will get more than enough carryover work from heavy back, chest and shoulder training to maintain their size. If your arms happen to be overtrained from too much work on a regular basis, you might even see some growth occur from giving them the chance to fully recover. But in the meantime, you will be attempting to increase your weights on all the basic movements in the routine, week by week, in that eight to 10 rep range. Use good form, and rest only as long as you need to. Each workout should be able to be completed in an hour.
Now it’s time to switch things up. Your joints will probably need a break from the very heavy loads, so for the next four weeks we’ll be lightening things up. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean the workouts will be any easier. The intensity will still remain high, but now we increase the reps and slow them down a bit. The goal here is to achieve fullblown, tight pumps in every muscle group. It will be more of a traditional bodybuilding split, focusing on one or two body parts per workout in order to hit them with several movements from various angles of push or pull. Isolation movements enter the picture too, and machines and cables are tools added to the program. Instead of lifting in an explosive manner, we slow the reps down so they’re more of a squeeze. You’ll also be emphasizing the negatives. Combined, this is all going to give your muscles maximum time under tension.
WEEKS 9-12 In the third and final phase of your 90-day program, you will combine the best of both worlds. Each workout will feature both compound basic free-weight movements as well as isolation exercises using free weights, machines and cables. Your reps will range from as low as eight to as high as 30. You will do some sets in the standard straight set fashion, while others will incorporate intensityboosting methods such as supersets, drop sets, rest-pause and multiple sets done consecutively with very little rest. You will use various rep tempos. In the process, you will be stimulating all your muscle fiber types and assaulting your muscle groups with a barrage of hellish effort. As long as your nutrition and rest are on point, this is when you will really see the rewards on the scale and in the mirror.
MD 91
PHASE 1 – BASIC BLITZ WORKOUT DAY 1 Exercise Flat Barbell Bench Press Barbell Rows Military Press (seated) Dumbbell Rows Barbell Upright Rows (shoulder-width grip) DAY 2 Exercise Squats Lying Leg Curls Standing Cal Raises
Sets and Reps 4 x 8-10 4 x 8-10 4 x 8-10 4 x 8-10 4 x 8-10
Tempo* 0/0/1 0/0/1 0/0/1 0/0/1 0/0/1
Sets and Reps 8 x 8-10 5 x 8-10 4 x 12
Tempo 0/0/1 0/0/1 1/1/1
*Tempo is the rep speed, in seconds. The first number is the positive, the second number is the time to pause and emphasize the contraction, and the third number is the negative, or speed you will lower the rep. For Phase 1, you will lif the weight in an explosive manner to recruit the maximum amount o ast-twitch muscle fibers. You will not pause at the completion o the rep, but you will control the weight back down into the start position or a one-second count. **Two sets using a wide grip, and two sets with either a neutral (palms acing each other) or underhand, shoulder-width grip.
A routine made up mainly of free weight basics is how legions of men around the world have built solid foundations of mass for many decades.
DAY 3: OFF DAY 4 Exercise Sets and Reps Chin-Ups 4 x 8-10** Incline Barbell Press 4 x 8-10 Deadlifs 4 x 8-10 Seated Dumbbell Press 4 x 8-10 Dips 4 x 8-10 T-Bar Rows 4 x 8-10 Add weight i you can on chin-ups and dips. DAY 5 Exercise Front Squats Leg Press Romanian Deadlifs Seated Cal Raises
Sets and Reps 5 x 8-10 5 x 10 5 x 10 4 x 10
Tempo 0/0/1 0/0/1 1/0/1 0/0/1 0/0/1 0/0/1
Tempo 0/0/1 0/0/1 1/0/1 1/1/1
DAY 6: OFF, REPEAT
92
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
YOUR MASS-GAINING DIET Meal 1:
3 whole eggs, 4 egg whies, 1 cup o oameal (dry measure), 1/2 cup rui o choice mixed ino oameal. You may add sausage or ham o he eggs. Meal 2: Large chicken breas, 2 cups o whie rice. You may add sauce o your choice o he rice or flavor. Pre-Workou: Pre-workou ormula conaining simulan, pump-enhancing iems and creaine. Inra-Workou: Begin sipping pos-workou shake halway hrough workou. Pos-Workou: Shake wih 50-60 grams o whey proein, 60-100 grams o as-digesing carbs, 10 grams o BCAAs, 5-10 grams o creaine. Meal 3: Chicken or urkey breas, large swee poao. Meal 4: Proein shake wih 1-2 pieces o rui Meal 5: 10-12 ounces o salmon, 2 cups o whie rice. Meal 6: 10-12 ounces o seak, 1 cup o mixed nus. eal 7: Pro
Quality food leads to quality gains, and garbage food will only make you gain fat. NOTES ON YOUR NUTRITION The above die is merely a guideline, and you may subsiue oods accordingly as long as he general ramework remains he same. Meals should be spaced wo o hree proein source. There is a world o difference beween a chicken breas you buy rom he marke and grill yoursel and a 10-piece box o Chicken McNugges, or example. Even hough his is an off-season die aimed a puting on weigh, ha weigh should be mosly in he orm o quali muscle. Chea meals and reas are accepable a ew imes a week, bu quali gains, and garbage ood will only make you gain a. You should be geting 1.5 grams o proein per pound o bodyweigh. As or carbohydraes, sar wih wo grams per pound and adjus rom here based on your resuls. I you aren’ gaining a all, increase by 50 grams a day or a week and check again. Keep adding unil you do see bigger numbers on he scale. I you are puting on
more a han muscle, decrease by 50 grams. Soon you will find he righ amoun where you are gaining primarily muscle along wih a bi o a. Don’ skimp on healhy as like lean red mea, fish and nus. You will need o keep a ood log o manage your nuriion properly. There are many good websies ha lis he calories and macronurien breakdowns o various oods. One excellen one I’ve see is www.calorieking.com. I is a lo o work o wrie down all your meals and work ou he calories and macros, bu i’s he only way you can ruly be in conrol o your nuriion. Even i you do decide o cu back on your carbohydrae inake, do keep a subsanial amoun o carbs in your pre-workou meal, your pos-workou shake, and he meal ha you should have abou an hour laer. Your las meal o he day should have as in i, so i akes longer o diges while you sleep. Saying anabolic and avoiding caabolism, or he breakdown o muscle issue or is amino acids by he body, is key in making gains. Finally, ha’s also why a proein shake a some poin in he middle o he nigh is paricularly valuable. Have i
premixed in your rerigeraor, and drink i whenever you ge up o use he bahroom a some poin beween going o sleep a nigh and geting up in he morning. Jus his one small change has helped many guys I have known break pas a plaeau.
REST AND RECOVERY I’s been repeaed ad infinium, ye i always bears repeaing. I doesn’ mater how hard you rain or how perec your workous are ploted ou. I you don’ recover rom he workous, no muscle growh will occur. Afer nuriion, no respecing he need or proper recovery is where mos guys go wrong in heir pursui o greaer size. Firs up, you need o sleep a solid eigh hours a nigh. I ha means you can’ wach as much TV or have o cu back on your hours online, so be i. Take naps i you can, oo, unless you’ve ound naps make i ougher o ge o sleep a nigh. Limi your ouside physical aciviies, including cardio. For you younger guys, I wouldn’ do any cardio or he 90 days o his program. I you’re over 35, i’s a good idea o keep a moderae amoun in or healh purposes. Three 30-minue sessions a week should suffi ce, and don’ go all-ou on hose by any means. Jus do enough o break a swea and ge your breahing and hear raes elevaed. All hree raining phases have you . Resis he empaion o skip res days and keep raining coninuously. The workous have been designed o avoid overlap beween body pars on consecuive days, and again— you mus ully recover o grow. I would be remiss i I didn’ menion seroids, since some o you ou here do use hem. Seroids grealy enhance recovery, bu I sill sress he need or hose res days ha are buil in. For hose o you raining naurally, and especially i you’re 35 or older or work a demanding job, you migh even choose o ake wo res days beween workous i you’re saring o eel run down. I would srongly sugges ha everyone ake wo ull days off beween Phase 1 and 2, and again beween Phase 2 and 3. Simulae he muscle wih hard work, eed i and res i. Tha’s he simple ormula or gains!
HUGE? READY, SET, GO! Now you have a clear goal, a solid plan o acion o ollow and a deadline o reach your goal by. Record your workous and meals, as well as your bodyweigh once a week, in a journal. This will no only give you a record o look back on, bu i will also serve as a quick reerence as he weeks go by o make sure you’re on he righ rack. I’s a new year, and now you can creae a bigger, beter version o you wih resh new muscle mass!
MD 93
You will be stimulating all your muscle fiber types and assaulting your muscle groups with a barrage of hellish effort. As long as your nutrition and rest are on point, this is when you will really see the rewards on the scale and in the mirror.
94
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
PHASE 2 – REPS AND VOLUME WORKOUT DAY 1: CHEST AND TRICEPS Exercise Sets and Reps Incline Dumbbell Press 4 x 12-15 Pec Flye Machine 4 x 15 Machine Bench Press 4 x 12-15 Cable Pushdowns 4 x 15 Overhead Dumbbell Extensions 4 x 15 Seated Dip Machine 4 x 15
Tempo 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2
DAY 2: BACK Exercise Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns Supported T-Bar Rows Underhand Pulldowns Seated Cable Rows Cable or Machine Pullovers Dumbbell Shrugs
Sets and Reps 4 x 15 4 x 15 4 x 15 4 x 15 4 x 15 4 x 15
Tempo 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2
DAY 4: SHOULDERS AND BICEPS Exercise Sets and Reps Seated Dumbbell Press 4 x 15 Dumbbell Lateral Raises 4 x 15 Rear Lateral Machine 4 x 15 Dumbbell Upright Rows 4 x 15 E-Z Bar Curls 4 x 15 Hammer Dumbbell Curls 4 x 15 Cable Curls (short, straight bar) 4 x 15
Tempo 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/1/2
DAY 3: OFF
DAY 5: LEGS Exercise Leg Extensions Lying Leg Curls Squats Leg Press Romanian Deadlifs Walking Lunges Standing Cal Raises *per leg
Sets and Reps 4 x 20-25 4 x 15 4 x 20 4 x 20-25 3 x 15 3 x 20* 4 x 20-25
Tempo 1/1/2 1/1/2 1/0/2 1/0/2 1/0/2 1/0/1 1/1/2
Stimulate the muscle with hard work, feed it and rest it. That’s the simple formula for gains!
DAY 6: OFF, REPEAT
MD 95
PHASE 3 – THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS WORKOUT DAY 1: CHEST AND BICEPS Exercise Sets and Reps Tempo Flat Dumbbell Press 4 x 8-10 1/1/2 Incline Hammer or Smith Press 3 x 12-15 1/1/2 (Do hese res-pause: 6-8 reps o f ailure, res 10 seconds, 3-4 reps o failure, res 10 seconds, 2-3 final reps o failure.) Pec Flye Machine 3 x 12 1/1/2 superse wih Seated Bench Press Machine 3 x 15 0/0/0 Alternate Dumbbell Curls 3 x 8-10 1/1/2 Reverse Barbell Curls 3 x 12 1/1/3 Machine Curls 3 x 15-20 0/1/1 (Do hese as drop ses: 8-10 reps, drop weigh o ge 5-7 more, drop weigh o ge 4-5 more.) DAY 2: LEGS Exercise Sets and Reps Tempo Seated Leg Curls 3 x 12-15 1/2/2 Leg Extensions 3 x 12-15 1/2/2 Squats 4 x 20,15,12,10 1/0/2 Hack Squats 3 x 12 1/0/2 Leg Press 3 x 20, 2 x 30-40 1/0/1 (Final 2 ses are res-pause: 12-15 reps o failure, res 10 seconds, 10-12 reps o failure, res 10 seconds, 10-12 reps o failure.) Lying Leg Curls 4 x 8-10 2/1/3 (Res only 30 seconds beween hose ses.) Seated Cal Raises 3 x 10 2/2/4 Standing Cal Raises 3 x 15-20 2/2/4 DAY 3: OFF DAY 4: BACK Exercise Sets and Reps Tempo Wide-Grip Chin-Ups 5 x 10-12 0/1/1 Rack Deadlifs (rom knees up) 4 x 8-10 1/0/1 Barbell Rows 4 x 8-10 0/0/1 Seated Row Machine 3 x 12-15 2/1/2 (Hammer Srengh or oher pe wih ches pad) Underhand Pulldowns 4 x 10-12 0/1/1 Cable Pullovers 3 x 12 0/1/1 superse wih High Cable Pull to Upper Chest 3 x 12 0/2/1 (This is a hybrid angle beween a pulldown and a row— you can use he same bar and seup you are using for he pullover.) DAY 5: SHOULDERS AND TRICEPS Exercise Sets and Reps Tempo Seated Dumbbell Press 4 x 8-10 0/0/1 Machine or Cable Lateral Raises 2 x 40-60 1/1/1 (Do each of hese 3 ses as you would “up and down he rack” ses wih dumbbells. Do 3 increasingly heavier “ses” of 8-10 reps, hen make your way back down he weigh sack wih 3 drops, again geting 8-10 reps each ime.) Bent Lateral Raises 3 x 12 0/1/1 Machine Overhead Press 4 x 12-15 0/0/0 (Res only 30 seconds beween hose ses.) Rope Pushdowns 3 x 15-20 0/0/0 EZ-Bar Skull-Crushers 4 x 10-12 1/1/2 (Do hese on a decline bench.) Overhead Cable Extensions 3 x 12 1/1/1 Close-Grip Bench Press 4 x 10-12 1/1/2 (Use a Smih machine for his, and experimen wih a reverse grip o see if you feel your riceps acivaing more srongly wih ha hand posiion. Be sure your hand spacing isn’ oo narrow, as his will cause wris pain.) DAY 6: OFF, REPEAT
96
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
After nutrition, not respecting the need for proper recovery is where most guys go wrong in their pursuit of greater size.
MD 97
MD EXCLUSIVE!
A Steroid Round Table With the Top 3 Muscle Legends of the ‘90s Dorian Yates, Kevin Levrone and Shawn Ray By Ron Harris Photography by Bill Dobbins here have always been plenty of lies and misinformation about steroids and other PEDs (performanceenhancing drugs). Things took a turn for the worse as the Internet made it possible to disseminate bad information at a rate and scale previously unimagined. In recent years, we’ve seen a flood of selfproclaimed drug experts, many of whom post anonymously, hold court on which drugs to use, how to use them and in what amounts. More than a few gain credibility with their target audience by claiming to be current or former pro bodybuilders, or to be advisers to them, even going so far as to list in detail the drug regimens of top bodybuilders, past and present. Understandably, their ulterior motives typically entail soliciting their own consulting services as drug gurus, or in some cases actually selling drugs. Getting the pros to talk about drug use, and particularly their own, is a tricky situation at best. First you have the legal ramifications of admitting to illegal drug use, as well as the damage to your public image (even though all of us who have been around the sport for any length of time are fully aware that drugs are part of the game). That’s why we went to these living legends of the sport, all of whom are long since retired, to get the real scoop on drugs: their opinions on them, their experience as users and more. Nothing was off limits, and the frankness of some answers will surprise you. Remember, this is not secondhand or thirdhand information— for once it’s directly from the champion’s mouths.
100
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
on bodybuilding MD 101
he
on bodybuilding When did you first become aware that steroids were used in bodybuilding? SR: I first became aware of steroids in bodybuilding toward the end of my teenage years, around the time I was preparing for the IFBB Junior Mr. World in Sydney, Australia at age 20. When I look back at the time I spent onstage as a professional bodybuilder, I cannot do so without thinking about the time when like many bodybuilders on the brink of becoming a pro, I had to take a deeper look into the pharmacology aspect of the business. As a beginner climbing up the ranks of the sport and winning nearly every contest I entered, I was encouraged by my mentor, John Brown, a former twotime Mr. Universe and three-time NABBA Mr. World, to steer clear of
“My cousin Chico came over to my house with a bottle of testosterone cypionate and a syringe, and said, ‘Here you go.’ But I had no idea how to load the syringe and do the shot, so I asked him to please do that for me. I don’t even know how much he gave me.” —Kevin Levrone drugs and stay true to the basics of bodybuilding. I was advised that there will be a “time and a place” when I would have to take a closer look at the interior side of the sport where boys become men, a scary contemplation to be sure, but one I knew I’d have to face eventually. Not everyone who comes into the sport of bodybuilding has the advantage of being befriended by a professional who makes his living solely from the sport, where his advice can help shape one’s decision-making process and approach to the business and longevity side of the sport at the beginning of a career. I for one am and always will be eternally grateful to my friend and mentor for his guidance and message of restraint in my early beginnings of manhood. DY: From day one when I first
102
touched a weight, I was aware of their existence. That was when I was about 15-16 and more involved in karate. I used to read Joe Weider’s old Muscle & Fitness ]
and they would mention gear a bit now and then. But of course there was very little information to be found about steroids in print at that time. It was like a secret, underground thing that you only found out about once you became part of the gym world and started talking to the older guys. It’s not like today where you can do a Google search and come up with a million websites and forums discussing every aspect of gear and its use. KL: I was pretty naive about all that. I used to read the magazines and wanted to look like those guys, but I had no idea there were these drugs called steroids that they used. I just bought the supplements and trained hard. Then, after I had been training for about a year, I told my cousin Chico I wanted to do the 1990 Maryland State show coming up in a few months. Chico was a bodybuilder and had done that show before. So he said to me, “If you want to look good enough to win a show like that, you’re going to need to use steroids.” I said, “What are those?” Chico told me they were drugs, and they probably weren’t good for you, but all the guys used them. How old were you when you did your first cycle of steroids? Do you feel you were old enough? What was the cycle, and what type of results did you experience? SR: I had just turned 20 and was coming off my overall victory in the NPC Teenage National Championship in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a time of trepidation for me. I knew this chemical aspect was present, however I just never wanted it to be a part of my economy as an athlete. Yet I also knew there were beneficial aspects to help growth, recovery and condition, and that these drugs were designed to aid and assist bodybuilders in their progress and competitive edge. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, but like the majority of bodybuilders with
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
any credible measure of success, I too would have to cross this bridge to get to the other side. I was on the verge of becoming my own person, making adult decisions, and this would for sure be one of them. I did a very light cycle of Anavar and Winstrol V for six weeks for that contest, and found myself in the victory circle again, a mere five months after becoming the best teenage bodybuilder in America. I was now the best junior champion in the world, at 20 years old. What was strange to me about the introduction of steroids into my training regimen was that I had already believed in my “genetic potential” by winning all those teenage competitions over the past three years, but I came to doubt myself as I grew out of that division because I would be competing against older guys who were bigger and more mature than I was. I felt drugs would be a necessary addition at the next level of competition, based on the information I was constantly receiving from those who were more experienced in the game than I was. I felt like I trained a bit harder, with more purpose and hunger while using the drugs because I was told, “Steroids don’t just work because you take them, you have to make them work for you by training harder than ever before and dieting harder than everyone else!” It seemed like a psychological mindfuck of sorts, but I also knew that I was desperately trying to dot the I’s and cross the T’s to be the best in the world, not simply be pretty good! The bar was raised very high for me with each victory, and my purpose in the sport was constantly being put to the test in the form of my mentor, John Brown. He wouldn’t allow me to become complacent, and took my training to another level once I introduced steroids. We trained longer and harder than ever before, took naps necessary for complete recovery, and also increased calories for growth and recovery. These were things that were not a part of my teenage contest preps, because victory came easy to me in those years. Now that I had moved on to the next level of competition, victory would have to be earned because the landscape
and playing field would be quite different! These were no longer other kids I would be up against, but grown men with many years more training than I had. I was 23 years DY: old and had decided to enter my first competition after a year and a half of training, in which I had made excellent progress. I knew the others who would be competing would be using gear, and I wanted to even the playing field. It was a very deliberate decision that I didn’t take lightly, and I did as much reading as I could first. At 23, I feel I was old enough. At that age, you are fully matured physically, you’ve reached your full adult height, and so on. Even though I hadn’t been training terribly long, I had already managed to develop my physique to a decent level. Looking back, I may have been able to win that contest without using anything. I did one six-week “building” cycle of 20 milligrams of Dianabol a day, which took me from 215 at 5’11” to 235. Those were the most dramatic results I ever saw from steroids. I took six weeks off the gear, then at eight weeks out from my contest I began using 15 milligrams of Anavar per day, as well as one shot of Primobolan a week, which was 200 milligrams. I competed at around 210-215 and won that contest. EFBB [Britain’s equivalent of the NPC] officials were there and convinced me to represent the United Kingdom the following weekend as our heavyweight at the IFBB World Games. I placed seventh, and competed with men like Berry de Mey and Matt Mendenhall, both of whom were the top amateur heavyweights in their respective nations at that time. KL: Like I said, I did my first cycle of steroids when I was 24 years old, almost 25, at six weeks out from my first contest. By then, I was a grown man and making all my own decisions in all aspects of life, since both of my parents had passed away. My cousin Chico came over to my house with a bottle of testosterone cypionate and a syringe, and said, “Here you go.” But I had no idea how to load the syringe and do the shot, so I asked him to please do that for me. I don’t even know how much he gave me, but I had one shot a week for six weeks. That was it. The first week, nothing happened. Another
“Using drugs as a teenager is a waste and can be potentially harmful to future growth and development. Those who advocate teen use or encourage teens to use steroids are being grossly irresponsible.” —Shawn Ray
MD 103
he
on bodybuilding
“It was like a secret, underground thing that you only found out about once you became part of the gym world and started talking to the older guys.” —Dorian Yates
104
week went by, still nothing. I was starting to think steroids didn’t do anything, but in the third week I started getting stronger all of a sudden, and looking fuller. I was training at a little health club called National Fitness, but at that point I decided to join a Powerhouse near me in Linthicum, Maryland, where a lot of serious bodybuilders and powerlifters went. There were a lot of guys using gear in there … and a few guys there sold it, too. I didn’t know I was supposed to diet for the show. I was working in construction all day back then, so that burned up a lot of calories. My dinners would be a Double Whopper with cheese from Burger King, and ice cream from McDonald’s. Before that six week cycle, I was 198 pounds. By the end, I was 206 and much harder looking. I won the heavyweight and overall. A year later, I did the same thing at the NPC Junior Nationals and then turned pro at the Nationals in the fall of ‘91 at 236 pounds. How young is too young to start using steroids? SR: I can’t speak for others when asked,“What’s good for them?” I have never professed to being a trainer or a guru, and I won’t pretend to be one now. I have never advised an athlete on when a good time to start juicing is, nor have I ever been interested in another bodybuilder’s career that way. It’s just never been something I was interested in, since I wasn’t interested in coaching anyone. Sure, I trained with different athletes and sometimes guided their progress on the business side of the sport, but I was never interested in what drugs they took or needed to succeed. I can only say that using drugs as a teenager is a waste and can be potentially harmful to future growth and development, supervised or not. Hormonally speaking, teenagers are growing regardless, and should let their natural hormones develop without introduction and interruption of synthetic drugs. Those who advocate teen use or encourage teens to use steroids are being grossly irresponsible. DY: I would advise anyone under the age of 21 to avoid using gear. You have to be mature first. If you start using too early, you can prematurely fuse your epiphyseal growth plates and half your skeletal
“The gear out there now is junk compared to what we had 20 years ago.” —Kevin Levrone growth. And I can say that most bodybuilders I have known who started using when they were teenagers never did well beyond their teen years. That brief blip on the radar was their peak as competitors. Besides which, at that stage in your life, your body is producing ample amounts of testosterone naturally. It’s foolish to not take advantage of that while you can, because it doesn’t last much longer. So as far as I am concerned, anything under 20 years of age is too young. And even then, there is always a health risk with using any drug. For me, it was a calculated risk. I used them to tur n pro, and if I didn’t, I was fine with just training naturally. I also gave myself only one pro show to see where I stood. If I couldn’t be a top pro, there was no point in continuing on. I would have stopped using gear, and looked into doing more in the gym industry as I already owned one successful gym at the time. Unless I was making a very good living as a pro bodybuilder, there was no way I would have continued using steroids. KL: My quick answer would be, no one under 21 should be using gear. Even though I was older than that, it was still a tough decision for me to make. I worried that people in my family would find out I was using steroids and think less of me. I also knew that there might be other consequences, but I was willing to make that sacrifice because I loved bodybuilding and wanted to be the best at it. Anyone, no matter what their age, should carefully weigh out all the pros and cons before deciding to use drugs. Did you believe in taking time completely off drugs for portions of the year, or did you always “cruise” on a low dose? SR: As soon as the Mr. Olympia concluded every September, I remained drug free until the new year, every year.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
DY: As I said, I would intersperse two four-week periods between my three eight-week cycles in the off-season. Aside from that, I was consistently on, but my doses were moderate. KL: About halfway through my pro career, I had become famous for how much time I took off gear. It would be a full six months out of the year that I didn’t use anything. People thought I was crazy or lazy for doing it that way, and not trying to be huge all the time. But once I saw how well I responded to the juice, I realized I didn’t need much of it, and I sure didn’t need to be on it all the time. I could start up at 12 weeks out from a contest, and put all my muscle back on and get ripped by the time the show came around. We see steroid cycles of top pros, both past and present, posted online— always from an anonymous source that claims to have coached the athlete in question, trained with them or known someone who did one of those. Have you ever seen one that seemed accurate, or do you think they are all completely fabricated because most people will accept them as being legit? SR: I have never seriously cared nor have I ever been interested in what other athletes take or do regarding drug use. I personally believe what they do is personal to them and of no concern to me. I liken this attitude to another person’s sex life. I mean, really … what business is it of ours anyway, and to whose benefit? It’s their life and their journey— let them live it as they please and do what they want, so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone. DY: I can’t speak for all of them, though I have seen a few attributed to me that were absolutely fake. I saw one site that had the supposed cycles of everyone from Steve Reeves, Arnold to 50 Cent. Obviously most or all of them are made up. I talked in MD about what I used 20 years ago; I’m sure things have changed since then. But look, I’m retired now and I have the freedom to say what I want and be honest. Current athletes have pressure from sponsors and officials not to discuss their usage. But back to the cycles I have seen posted that I supposedly did— they were all bullshit. Who knows what I used? Even my wife at the time didn’t. The only guys who did were my training partners at the time. Leroy Davis was my longtime training partner, and he typically used the same things I did. I can assure you he isn’t posting our cycles on the Internet.
KL: Unless the cycle came directly from the pro himself, like we are doing in this article, it’s almost certainly bullshit. People try to pass off so much crap as facts online, when it’s either something they came up with or just their opinion. I can’t imagine any top pro taking huge amounts of drugs for years without suffering serious health problems. It’s just satisfying for a lot of guys out there to see these crazy cycles that the champions supposedly do and say,“OK, that’s why he looks like that and won all those shows, he did tons and tons of
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, but like the majority of bodybuilders with any credible measure of success, I too would have to cross this bridge to get to the other side.” —Shawn Ray drugs— that’s why I don’t look like him.” There is a lot of arguing about the amount of steroids the “average” pro uses these days. Some claim the total milligrams for gear each week ranges from 3,000 to 10,000. Do you believe some pros and top amateurs are using outrageous amounts? And if so, do they actually need that much or are they using far more than they need to? SR: I defer to the previous answer I just gave you. Many of these pros take large doses of anabolics, HGH, insulin, alcohol, tobacco, food, supplements and so on. At the end of the day, as an individual with my own c areer, issues, personal life, family and business, do you really think I’d spend five minutes of my life wondering about what anothe r bodybuilder is putting in his body? I can’t stop him, I more than likely d on’t even know him …. so what’s the point of or the use of me having knowledge of what he is taking? I can’t use any information on drug use another person is doing and apply it to myself, as if we will achieve the exact same end result with two ent irely different DNAs. I am Shawn Ray Productions, meaning my focus and energy goes into me and
mine, and what works for me is a result of knowing my body— end of story. Yet there does seem to be a mistaken belief out there in the trenches that duplicating a specific person’s specific drug cycle will yield the exact same results in anyone, essentially giving you that person’s exact physique! That’s so off base it’s not even worth debating with anyone. KL: I never knew what people used back in the day, and I don’t know what they use now either. I only know what I used and what worked for me. At some point, the receptors have to shut down. There has to be a point where only some of what is being t aken is actually having an effect. You talk about guys allegedly using 10 grams of gear a week. Come on! That’s enough drugs for a 2,000-pound horse, not a 250-pound human. I don’t buy it. And if anyone really is using doses like that, they’re either not too br ight, don’t care about their health one bit, or both. Hold off on answering, Dorian, I want to add to that. One reason some have speculated that today’s bodybuilders use so much more is that the drugs now are often fake or terribly underdosed, whereas in the old days, gear was typically far more legitimate and potent. Do you agree or disagree? DY: I do hear about very heavy doses being used nowadays. People come to me in the U.K. and Spain to be trained, and often they are on 5,000 milligrams a week or more of gear. That’s totally unnecessary. And I do believe the lower quality and potency of what’s around these days is part of it. In the ‘90s, everything we used was pharmaceutical grade. 250 milligrams of test was always 250 milligrams, and you didn’t have to worry that it was 200 or 100 milligrams. There was no blackmarket, underground gear yet. Now, it’s the total opposite. There is very little pharma-grade gear about; it’s almost all underground stuff made God-knows where by God-knows-who. So how can you know what you’re really getting? Is it the drug it’s supposed to be? Is it the dose it claims to be on the label? I sincerely doubt it. There is f ar more profit to be made in substituting cheaper drugs and by underdosing products. I hear guys tell me they are on three of four grams of test a week. Bollocks! If you were really using that much test, your blood pressure would be through the roof and you would be retaining so much water you’d look like a blowfish.
MD 105
he
on bodybuilding
SR: I personally think there is a lot of fake gear on the market, and the athletes fail to exercise their due diligence to test what they take to ensure the quality is accurate. However, I also know that the vast majority of bodybuilders today, both pro and amateur, start their careers using anabolic steroids without ever building a foundation or a firm base from which to build upon. Hence, if you start your bodybuilding off with the introduction of steroids, after the first phase of initial gains, you have nowhere to go as f ar as building upon “quality muscle” because it was all built synthetically. This leaves guys with bloat and swelling, but no real hardcore foundation of muscle that was built by the sweat of the brow! When we talk about the lack of muscle quality these days versus in days gone by, this factors in heavily. KL: Steroids back then were higher quality. Fewer companies made them, and nearly all of them were major pharmaceutical companies. Syntex used to make Anadrol 2902 tabs that were 50 milligrams each and very strong. The stuff out there now can’t compare to it. The GH being used then was Humatrope by Eli Lilly, and it was the best. Now, people get it only from AIDS patients. Most guys use cheap Chinese crap that’s much weaker. The Winstrol V we used to use came in amps and would crystallize in the syringe. Now there are tons and tons of different drugs from so many underground labs I’ve never heard of . Guys try to ask me what I think of this or that drug, and rarely do I have any idea what they’re talking about. But I am sure the gear out there now is junk compared to what we had 20 years ago. The prevailing attitude still seems to be that “more is better” when it comes to drugs among many of today’s bodybuilders. How much do you think an athlete actually needs, or is that a very individual, case-by-case issue? Do some guys require far less than others, while others legitimately need to use very large doses to make the same gains or hold the same size that others do? SR: There is no question the old adage of “more is better” is applicable in today’s bodybuilding mentality, based on the size of the athletes. But make no mistake— in my era of the ‘90s, the bodybuilders were at an average alltime high as it relates to size and mass! There was no bigger era in the sport than the ‘90s, and I can honestly say I bet they were using a fraction of what
106
today’s athletes are using overall. The proof is in the “muscle quality.” Just look at the detail and condition of the pros in the ‘90s by comparison, including the biggest guys, and you will see much more clarity, separation and density based on the hardcore foundation the guys built for themselves back then, and the longevity of their careers too. They knew it would be a marathon and not a sprint. How many of the guys today are here one year and gone the next? DY: Speaking for myself, I took as little as possible to get the desired effects. If results were not satisfactory, I would increase only as needed, which is the logical way to go about it. If you can get good results on 1,000 milligrams, for example, why take 2,000? I knew powerlifters who would use as much as two grams of test cypionate a week in the ‘90s. That was crazy to us. I can’t comment on what the average amounts used or needed are. I only know what I did and what worked for me. Up until
never agreed with was the idea that as you went on, you needed to continue increasing your doses to keep seeing the same results. I never increased my amounts, though I did make small changes. My cycles went from six weeks to eight, and I added in Nolvadex as an anti-estrogen. Putting on size was never that hard for me. My off-season weight was about 278. At my first Mr. Olympia, I was 227 pounds, shredded to the bone. That was probably my best condition ever. I had been 233 winning the Night of Champions a few months before that. I competed many other times between 240 and 250, with my highest stage weight of 257. All that really changed was my training and my diet.
“I hear guys tell me they are on three of four grams of test a week. Bollocks! If you were really using that much test, your blood pressure would be through the roof and you would be retaining so much water you’d look like a blowfish.” —Dorian Yates my first pro win at the 1991 Night of Champions, I always kept my total amount under 1,000 milligrams a week. Taking large amounts of test simply was not done in the ‘90s, from what conversations I did have with other guys. We would stack a moderate amount of test with either EQ [Equipoise] or Deca, and use orals with that. Now, with all the access to underground gear, it’s very common apparently for guys to use three to five grams of test alone before adding in other compounds. I really can’t tell you a whole lot about what my peers used, because I was isolated in Birmingham and not privy to what the boys over in the States were doing. Regardless, it wouldn’t have affect ed me. I did things my own way and could care less what others did. KL: I think how much a person needs is probably a case-by-case basis. I mean, if you look at doses for many different prescription medications, the doses will vary for different people. One thing I
, the Next month in Part II
legends talk in detail about which drugs they used and in what amounts (including cycles), name the drugs that worked best for them, discuss side effects they experienced and reveal what they use today, years later, to maintain normal hormone levels.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
108
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
JUSTIN COMPT
TALKS
BACK! BODYBUILDING’S HOTTEST NEW STAR OUTLINES HOW HE AIMS TO PUT ON A “LAT LAT SHOW” AT MARCH’S ARNOLD CLASSIC Interview By Peter McGough • Photography by Gregory James Your next contest will be the 2015 Arnold Classic in Columbus next March 7. (This will be Compton’s first contest since his winning the Europa Show of Champions in Orlando last April. A performance that made the 26-year-old the breakout athlete of the year, and promoted speculation that he is a looming Olympia contender.) How’s your prep been going? It’s gone better than I thought in terms of gains. After Orlando, I thought a gain of eight quality pounds was possible, but I didn’t put any cap on it . I was 244 pounds in Orlando so I was planning to show up at the Ar nold at 252 or so. I thought my off-season high would peak at around 282, but in fact I hit 290. The thing is I didn’t slow down or kick back after Orlando, and am
now confident about being contestready in Columbus at about the 254 to 256 mark— 10 or 12 pounds heavier than Orlando. Where will the most noticeable size improvements be? My legs will be bigger, but primarily I put a lot of focus into improving my back and hamstrings. So what was your general plan to improve your back? With back, I’m aiming f or overall improvement. That means width, thickness and detail. I don’t really have a problem with my traps and rhomboids, so I haven’t had to do too much direct work on them. It’s greater width and thickness that I’m after, so I’m really concentrating on attacking the lats and lumbar area. The aim is to create a more dramatic sweeping taper, with deeper thickness and definition.
MD 109
What was the main thrust of executing your strategy? I concentrated more than ever on using absolutely proper form, so all the stress possible is going on the area of the back I was working at the time. I also used more intensity techniques like forced reps, drop sets and supersets to lengthen a set and extend the time the muscle was under stress. I’ve been working back twice a week for about two years now, and it really did improve. My belief is if something works, keep doing it. Are the two back workouts you do each week the same? (For Justin’s Body Part Split and Typical Back Workout, see accompanying sidebars.) No, they’re different. In the first workout I will do more pulling movements than rowing movements, and in the second I’ll reverse that figure. I change the exercises around a lot, but it’s still all the standard stuff like pulls, T-Bars, rows and pullovers. I also mix the rep range up and kick in with drop sets, forced reps and supersets. Are there any traditional back movements you keep away from? Deadlifts. When I started training 11 years ago, I got good results from them, and I feel beginners and intermediates should definitely use them as a foundation early on. But it got to the point where I was using such heavy weights that I thought there was a risk of thickening my waist, and that’s the last thing I would want to do. Although you use free weights, I know . Machines enable you to isolate the working muscle more by taking secondary muscles out of the game. For instance, on many back exercises the biceps and forearms will come into play, and that alleviates the workload on the lats, which you are trying to put under maximum stress. Machines allow you reduce the intervention of secondary muscles to an extent that is not possible with a lot of free weight exercises. Is there a key element that you would highlight as a priority for training back? Yes, but this element applies to all body parts. I believe proper technique and full range of motion are the two key factors in making muscle gains. You must use a weight that allows you to employ those two fundamentals. I don’t look at the numbers— whether it’s two plates or 10 plates— if it feels heavy, it’s heavy enough. Don’t go loading on impractical poundages just to make you look like a hero. If the weights you use cause you to struggle and use poor form, then that’s a giant roadblock to making musclebuilding progress. How do you mentally prepare for a workout? Ten minutes before a workout,
110
I take time out to mentally prepare myself for the torture I’m about to inflict on myself. In my mind, I map out what’s ahead of me in terms of exercises, sets, reps and poundages. From then on it’s like it’s all locked and loaded, no backing out— all that is left for me to do is pull the trigger. Sometimes those 10 minutes will take place in the parking lot, sometimes in the locker room, but I always take that 10 minutes. I just feel that by having that mindset going on to the gym floor, by actually thinking and calculating what I have to do in a workout, will make the session more productive. The bottom line is, I have the workout on lockdown before I start. What happens if, for one reason or another, your energy levels are low and having set yourself a 12-rep target, you’re done at eight? Does that sidetrack you? No. I don’t get down about it or
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
Notes
“IF YOU DO THE EXERCISE RIGHT, YOU WILL GET OPTIMAL BENEFIT FROM THE EXERCISE RATHER THAN HAVING TO ARRANGE AN ER VISIT TO CHECK OUT A JOINT OR MUSCLE INJURY. BY NOT MOVING THE WEIGHT FROM A TO B IN PROPER FORM, YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON HUGE GAINS.”
SPLIT FOR COLUMBUS Sunday: Ches, abs Monday: Back, calves Tuesday: Dels, abs Wednesday: Ches, calves, hams Thursday: Back, abs Friday: Arms, calves Saurday: Quads, hams
a) Jusin rains arms and dels only once a week, because he feels hey are his mos dominan and easy-orespond body pars, and he doesn’ wan hem o overpower his ches. A balanced physique is his goal. b) He says he would do quads wice a week if he could, bu has found in he pas ha when he works hem wice his paellar endons and knees ge inflamed. So he setles for once a week so as no o exacerbae he problem. c) In he 12 weeks before he 2015 Arnold Classic, he will rain seven days a week: meaning an asonishing 84 sraigh days. He rained for 70 sraigh days before he 2014 Europa cones. He found ha raining every day allowed him o burn off fa more cienly while reducing his cardio program. And doing less cardio gave him more energy wih which o atack his workous.
MD 111
try to persevere with the risk of hurting myself. I just accept that’s it’s one of those days when I’m hitting the wall.What I’ll do is continue to failure or ask for some forced reps and reduce the weight for the following set. As long as you go to failure and fatigue the muscle completely you’re doing the job, whatever your energy levels. On the other hand, if I set myself a target of say 10 reps and then suddenly find I have a strength surge and go past the 10, I’ll keep going until I reach failure. Then I’ll add more weight to the next set. Any other mental aspects of training? During every set, I really concentrate on each stage of the movement and what I’m trying to accomplish at that point. I visualize what that exercise is doing to the muscle I’m targeting. I get into a habit of fusing my thoughts with the movement. I also do a lot of flexing of the muscles being worked between sets, so that I’m constantly aware of the function of the body part I’m training and what effect I’m trying to have on them. For the most part I use a rep range between 10 and 15. That highish rep range means you get the blood flowing
112
WORKOUT Exercise Sets Reps La Pulldowns 1 20 * La Pulldowns 3 10-15 Close-Grip Pulldowns 3 10-15 Cable Rows 3 10-15 One-Arm Machine Rows 3 10-15 Barbell Rows 3 6-8 Pullovers 3 10-15 * Warm-up se Jusin incorporaes a mixure of forced reps, drop ses and superses. Someimes i will be he las se of an exercise; someimes i will be for all ses of an exercise. There is no se patern of when he employs hem— he invokes hem insincively as he sees fi as he workou proceeds.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
“MACHINES ALLOW YOU REDUCE THE INTERVENTION OF SECONDARY MUSCLES TO AN EXTENT THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH A LOT OF FREE-WEIGHT EXERCISES.”
The bigges misake I see is guys wih free weighs using a jerky kind of moion o move he weigh raher han using proper echnique. You mus use proper echnique in order o force he muscle o do all he work. If you do he exercise righ, you will ge opimal benefi from he exercise raher han having o arrange an ER visi o check ou a join or muscle injury. By no moving he weigh from A o B in proper form, you’re missing ou on huge gains. I also see a lo of guys no pulling heir elbows back far enough on rowing and pulling movemens. By sopping shor, hey are no geting he full musclebuilding benefi of he exercise. Wih hese movemens, he key o growh is o pull your elbows back as far as possible. —Justin Compton better and for longer, which leads to a greater pump. The first exercise of the typical routine we have listed here (see accompanying sidebar) is lat pulldowns. Fill us in on what’s going on here. This exercise does hit the upper middle back and rhomboids, but
the focus here is really attaining more lat width. At the top of the movement, I always stop short of the arms fully outstretched position because that allows the biceps to take over a bit of the workload. By not fully extending the arms, you keep the stress permanently on the lats. When I pull the bar down, I do like an almost reverse motion of a shrug. So instead of having my shoulder blades up, I make sure I pull them down and push my chest up. That way, you really keep the pressure on the lats at that point, particularly the upper lats. I use as wide a grip as possible, as that takes the arms out of the movement a little more and gives the lats more to do. The second exercise is closegrip pulldowns. Expand on that. The difference between this form of pulldown and the prior one is that on the close-grip version, the elbows are close in to your body, while in the previous exercise they’re out from your body. The close-grip version tends to get the upper lats more than the first
MD 113
exercise.When I pull the bar to my lower abs at the bottom position, I pause for a second and squeeze, to cause maximum stimulation of the lats. Then you move on to cable pulley rows. This exercise, done correctly, is great for adding upper and middle back thickness. The important thing here is to keep the upper body still and perpendicular to the floor. Any swaying of the torso will allow momentum to take over and lessen the pressure on the back muscles being worked. I use a poundage with which I can employ strict style. When I pull the handles into my stomach, I pause for a second and squeeze the lats for maximum stress. Next are barbell bows, which are the fourth movement in your workout. This is my main back thickener. I do these with my body around a 60-degree angle, so that you can put more stress on the whole line of the lat muscles. If you bend any further forward, you cover less of the complete lat insertion. I pull the weight up to my chest and down again in a controlled fashion. I don’t stop at my chest— it’s just one nice steady, fluid motion. I reduce the reps to the sixto-eight range so I can use some quite heavy poundages for this, the main mass builder in my back repertoire. Then it’s on to one-arm machine rows.What’s the difference between this and barbell rows? The barbell allows you to use heavy poundages in pursuit of gaining maximum mass. But with the mechanics of this one-arm version, you get a deeper range of motion because you can pull your hand way behind your body and really squeeze and stress the lats. Like I said earlier, machine movements enable a more controlled and stricter motion than is possible for free weights. And so we come to the sixth and final exercise, pullovers. This my finishing exercise for back. It’s great because it doesn’t involve the arms at all. It really helps you attack the lower back and build overall lat thickness. Because they really isolate the lats better than any exercise, you really can get into a flowing rhythm with pullovers and achieve a great pump to Kentucky, so we won’t get many chances finish the workout. to see each other. I’ll be doing the You have signed for the majority of my prep, particularly diet. It’s supplement company Evogen, critically important in the last two weeks owned by contest-prep expert Hany when you’re gliding into a show that you monitor what’s happening and make Rambod, who gets Phil Heath ready for contests. Last year, you did all day-to-day changes to keep on track. I’ll your own contest prep. Will you now be doing all that. Hany and I met in San be having input from Hany? Jose [where Rambod lives] when I signed He’s in Califor nia and I’m in for him and he gave me an assessment
114
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
ROUTINE FOR Exercise Deadlifs Cable Rows Lat Pulldowns
BEGINNERS Sets 4 4 4
Reps 8-10 12-15 12-15
INTERMEDIATES Exercise Deadlifs One-Arm Rows Close-Grip Pulldowns Pullover Hyperextensions
Sets 4 3 3 3 3
Reps 8-10 12-15 12-15 8-10 To ailure
“THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS TO KEEP THE UPPER BODY STILL AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE FLOOR. ANY SWAYING OF THE TORSO WILL ALLOW MOMENTUM TO TAKE OVER AND LESSEN THE PRESSURE ON THE BACK MUSCLES BEING WORKED.” of my physique. He made good some suggestions on how to make certain improvements from a training angle. So he’s more involved in the training than he is in the nutrition, which basically I’m doing on my own. Anything else we should loo k for when you walk out for the Columbus prejudging? Well, another asp ect where I’m
challenging myself to improve is on my level of conditioning. Orlando was by far my best-ever condition, but I’m still not satisfied with it. I think I was at about 95 percent. I can do more in that area. In the two weeks before Orlando, I think I actually took my foot a little bit off the gas, because I thought I was ready at that point. I think the scale got to me. I saw my
weight fal ling quickly, so I slowed up a little. This time, I’m going to push myself harder and go for 100 percent. To achieve that, I’m giving myself two extra weeks of contest prep to prepare for the Ar nold; for Orlando it was 10 weeks— this t ime it’s 12, and I’ll be flat to the boards all the way into the show. I guess I have to learn to suffer a bit more.
MD 115
118
musculardevelopment.com February 201
AGELESS DEXTER JACKSON IN PRO BODYBUILDING
BY RON HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREGORY JAMES February 2015 musculardevelopment.com
Bodybuilding, like all sports, is one you can’t compete successfully in at the highest levels forever. Just as there are no 60-year-old running backs in the NFL, there are no 60-year-old bodybuilders placing in the top five at the Arnold Classic or the Mr. Olympia, and certainly not winning contests, except f or the very rare occasions a Masters Pro show is promoted featuring several advanced age categories. The training and dieting take their toll on those who reach the very top. Consider that Dorian Yates retired in 1997 at the age of 35 after a pro career that spanned just over seven years. By that point, he had tor n a biceps and a t riceps, and knew his days as champ were done. Ronnie Coleman had a longer career, but retired in 2007 at the age of 43 with spinal and nerve issues. His last good showing had been two years prior at the age of 41, when he won his eighth and final Mr. Olympia title. Even Jay Cutler only made it to 40, with his last win at the age of 38 before tearing his biceps. The only man ever to stay on top past the age of 45 was “Ageless” Albert Beckles, who won his last contest at the age of 52 in 1991 in Niagara Falls. Now, almost a quarter-century later, Dexter Jackson is the man most deserving of that “Ageless” moniker. At 45 years old, he’s won every major title there is to win, including the Mr. Olympia, the Arnold Classic four times, tying the all-time record set by Flex Wheeler, and the Masters Mr. Olympia to boot. Just weeks before his 45 th birthday, he placed fifth at the Mr. Olympia and won his 20 th pro show in Dubai. Unlike the Mr. Olympia winners discussed above, his body is still holding up perfectly well.
MD 119
Dexter’s name hardly ever comes up, but it’s not for lack or worthiness. His pecs are thick and full from clavicle to sternum, and splintered with crevasselike striations. Few chests today stand out the way his does in poses like the side chest and most-muscular. It’s only because Dexter’s physique is so well balanced and proportional that you might not focus on his chest, or any one body part for that matter. As ironic as it seems, we only tend to laud praise on those with great body parts if they happen to be lacking in other areas, or don’t have particularly pleasing shape and symmetry. Since Dexter does, you tend to gloss over just how good individual parts are, which is actually the ideal situation and what all bodybuilders are supposed to strive for.
A PROPER FOUNDATION
Usually by the mid-40s, bodybuilders find it impossible to maintain all their muscle mass. Getting into proper contest condition also becomes an insurmountable task, as the twin terrors of a slower metabolism and loose skin conjoin to thwart even their best efforts. Not so with Dexter, who is if anything bigger and fuller than ever, and continues to live up to his nickname “The Blade” by hitting the stage with his trademarked razor-sharp cuts from head to toe. Equally impressive for a man that’s been training for over 25 years, he has never suffered a training injury and in fact, is pain-free aside from minor aches
120
and pains that have to be expected after lifting heavy more than half his life. As a man only two months older than him yet riddled with injuries and pains, I take my hat off to Dexter. Not only does he represent the over-40 crowd with honor, but he also proves that it’s possible to maintain a spectacular physique long past the age when most assume it’s futile to even try.
IN THE BUSINESS When we talk about the best chests in pro bodybuilding, there aren’t a whole lot of men today who are mentioned. Certainly
Over the past couple years in MD, I’ve been delving into the conundrum of why it is that thick, powerful chests used to be a dime a dozen in our sport and weak pecs were unheard of, whereas now we are seeing more and more lackluster development in competitors even at the highest levels. Dexter’s history of chest training only confirms what many others have expounded on, that getting away from the raw basic movements even in beginners is setting the stage for developmental issues related to the pectorals. “When I started out back at the very end of the ‘80s and as the ‘90s were just beginning, guys in the gyms still had that old-school mentality that barbell pressing was fundamental to building a good chest,” Dexter tells us. “On chest day, pretty much everybody would do flat barbell presses, incline barbell and declines. I don’t even recall too many guys using dumbbells. One phrase that really sunk in when I heard the older guys say it back then was ‘barbells build muscle.’ That’s why we all did plenty of barbell rows, deadlifts, military presses and squats and built a solid foundation of size and strength with them.” Dexter might be seen using dumbbells and the Smith machine today in his chest workouts, but that’s only because he’s already paid his dues with more than two decades of workouts that featured plenty of barbell work. For those of you still in that stage where you are in dire need of muscle mass, you would be wise to leave the machines alone for the time being and become friendly with the barbell movements.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
BENCH PRESS Dexer only go away from his exercise a few years ago, bu he credis i wih he majori of he developmen you see oday. Though he never rained exclusively for srengh and also never used very low reps, he sill became quie srong on i, handling 405 for 10 reps a his bes, weighing only 240 pounds. The fl used o be he core exercise of every ches workou for bodybuilders he world over, bu in recen years i’s falling ou of favor due o an infamous repuaion for leading o pec ears and shoulder problems. “Those hings happen because guys don’ warm up enough, hey go way oo heavy, and hey don’ use proper form,” Dexer explains. “I never jumped ino a heavy weigh on he bench press righ away— ha’s insane. Insead I would sar wih 135 for 15, hen 185 for 12, 225 for 10, and hen sar my work ses. My reps were never under eigh, and mosly righ a 10. You’ve go o remember ha you’re doing his exercise o build your ches, so focus on good conracions insead of worrying abou being he guy a he gym who can bench press he mos.” Though he does his fla pressing on he Smih machine or a Hammer Srengh machine now, i’s only because his ches has all he hickness i will ever need. “Anyone who sill needs more size should be on ha fla bench, period,” he declares. “If you rain smar, you have nohing o worry abou.” A quick noe on he humbless grip you see Dexer using here. Many bodybuilders do find hey are able o recrui heir chess beter wih i, bu you absoluely mus mainain a secure grip on he bar and never le i roll ou of your hands. If your grip isn’ he greaes, you migh wan o reinforce i wih wris wraps. And of course, any ime you perform he fla barbell bench press, have a good spoter for safe purposes.
AND MOST-MUSCULAR.
MD 121
ABOUT BEING THE GUY AT THE GYM WHO CAN BENCH PRESS THE MOST.” STAYING INJURY FREE IS ALSO KEY A vital component of Dexter’s longevity and success in the sport is that he’s managed to avoid injuries while his peers have torn various muscles and have had to deal with horrendous pain in areas like their lower backs, shoulders, knees and elbows. This is not simply a matter of luck on The Blade’s part. In addition to always taking plenty of time to warm up and using weights that are within his abilities to handle properly, he’s also displayed above average common sense over the years. Nearly all of you reading this who have incurred injuries will recall that they didn’t simply come out of nowhere. More likely, you felt a weird pain or sensation that was your body’s way of telling you something wasn’t right. Bodybuilders being stubborn creatures, more often than not we ignored those warnings and kept on training— that’s hardcore! It’s also incredibly stupid. “Any time I ever felt something that didn’t feel right, I stopped the workout,” Dexter reveals. “Not only that, I wouldn’t train that area again until everything felt fine again, even if that took a couple of weeks of leaving it alone. People would tell me I was missing valuable training time, but my response was that if I tore a pec or my rotator cuff, I’d lose a heck of a lot more time in the gym.” Now, let’s hear Dexter talk about some of the most productive movements you can use to pack on some serious pec beef.
DEXTER’S TRAINING SPLIT
122
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday:
Quads Chest and calves Back Delts and hams Arms
ROUTINE Flat Barbell Bench Press Incline Barbell Bench Press Dumbbell Flye or Pec Deck
4 x 8-10 4 x 8-10 4 x 8-10
DEXTER’S CHEST ROUTINE Smith Machine Incline Press Smith Machine Flat Press Dumbbell or Machine Flyes
5 x 10 4 x 10 4 x 10
DUMBBELL PRESS Dexer has never been oo much of a fan of dumbbell pressing for ches, bu he recognizes ha i’s a beter opion for some. “I’ve known some guys who were jus never able o ake heir shoulders and riceps ou of ches-pressing movemens unil hey swiched from barbells o dumbbells,” he ells us. “They are definiely ougher o balance, and you can’ go as heavy wih hem, bu for some people hose are good hings,” he noes. One advanage many have found wih dumbbells is ha hey allow you o bring your arms in oward he midline of your body as you press, which can faciliae superior conracions. I should be said ha if you are doing any press from a given angle wih eiher a barbell or dumbbells, i’s redundan o duplicae he same angle in he same workou wih he oher. So if you are doing fla barbell bench presses, here is no need o do he dumbbell version also.
(NOT SHOWN) No impressive ches is lacking hickness in he upper porion under he clavicles, ye we see plen of chess where mos of he developmen is in he middle and lower regions. You should always include an incline pressing movemen in your ches workous, as Dexer does. If you do lack ha upper pec “shelf,” Dexer advises beginning all your ches workous wih an incline press. “You’re fresh in he gym and you can push as much weigh a ha ime,” he poins ou. “Anoher hing I ell guys who need more upper ches is o lower he bar higher up on he ches near he botom of your hroa insead of down close o he nipple line. Tha pus more sress on he upper ches. If you find ha hurs your shoulder joins, ry moving he poin you lower he bar a couple of inches.”
CABLE CROSSOVERS Dexer believes ha a good ches workou needs only wo or a mos hree pes of presses, and one flye moion. Normally in his off-season, he prefers dumbbell or machine flyes. When he ransiions ino conesprep mode, he’s more ap o use he cable crossover insead. “I has a differen feel o i, and you can also adjus he pulleys a differen angles o feel he ches work in specific areas.”
MD 123
DEXTER’S 20 PRO WINS (SO FAR) 2002 British Grand Prix 2003 Show of Strength Championships 2004 Iron Man Pro 2004 San Francisco Pro 2004 Australian Pro 2005 Arnold Classic 2006 Arnold Classic 2007 Australian Pro 2008 Arnold Classic 2008 Australian Pro 2008 New Zealand Pro 2008 Romanian Pro 2008 Mr. Olympia 2011 FIBO Power, Germany 2011 Masters Pro World 2012 Masters Mr. Olympia 2013 Arnold Classic 2013 Australian Pro 2013 Tjuana Pro 2014 Dubai Open
LONG PAST THE AGE WHEN MOST ASSUME IT’S FUTILE TO EVEN TRY. 124
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
DIPS Dips are somehing ha Dexer has done more so or his riceps han his ches, bu he highly recommends hem as an alernaive o decline pressing, an angle o pressing ha’s allen ou o avor and use over he years. “Producive ches raining is all abou hiting he pecs rom all he angles,” he noes. “I you lean orward, sress is shifed away rom he riceps and pu on he ches.” Dips can be incorporaed in a couple o differen ways in your ches rouine. You can eiher add weigh wih a bel and use hem as a heavy pressing movemen, or do hem wih bodyweigh only a he very end o your workou or a final muscle fiber-spliting pump.
BUILD YOUR OWN TREASURE CHEST Few of us will ever own a chest that looks like De Jackson’s. But that’s OK— the man is a genetic marvel of the highest order, as evidenced by his stunning pr career. That doesn’t mean you can’t optimize y development by following his lead. Pay y free-weight movements, train smart and safe, and y can have the very best chest possible. And who kno Maybe you too can look and feel amazing at the ag
t oo ? 45! MD 125
DOES
STAND FOR
N O
BY DAN SOLOMON
C OVERAGE?
The date was June 12 th, 2014, a day of celebration, a victory for everyone who loves bodybuilding as much as all of us here at MD. It was a day f or muscle-bound men and women to pound their chests, raise a glass and scream triumphantly from the rooftops. The news traveled fast. It unified us. The public validation we craved had finally arrived. The subject line on the press release declared, “ American Media and NBC Sports Group Announce Partnership for the 2014 Mr. Olympia Competition.” The words were music to the ears of bodybuilding fans everywhere, especially those who couldn’t make the trip to Vegas. In the quote-filled press release, Lou Ferrer, a senior-level executive at NBC Sports said, “We look forward to br inging the bodybuilding world’s most prestigious event back t o television for its 50 th annual contest.” Within the well-insulated world of bodybuilding, it became the year’s biggest st ory. It dominated social media and we bragged about it to anyone who would listen. It no longer mattered what “team” you were on or who you rooted for. This news belonged to all of us. We celebrated together as our sport finally received its long-overdue embrace from a major television network. NBC Sports, the same company that does business with the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball, was giving us a precious piece of their coveted real estate. A great day to be a bodybuilding fan!
OCTOBER 18, 2014— AUDIENCES GATHERED!! The day had finally arrived. The team at the NBC Sports Network and American Media had collaborated to produce the Olympia Weekend as a 90-minute telecast. According to the initial announcement, the production would “ highlight various aspects of the Mr. Olympia competition, featuring some of the sport’s biggest stars including Kai Greene, Dennis Wolf, Branch Warren, and Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay as they
126
attempt to wrest the coveted title from defending champion Phil Heath.” The actual event had taken place a coup le of weeks earlier, but fans were counting the days for the rare opportunity to watch bodybuilding’s biggest stars seated at the same t able as NBC’s storied peacock. The telecast was set to air at 1:30 p.m. EST. Reports had begun to circulate that a few hardcore gyms were hosting “viewing parties ” for
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
fans preferring to witness this historic coverage in the company of fellow bodybuilders. As for me, I was attending a bodybuilding event in Houston with my friend and colleague Bob Cicherillo. We decided to sneak away from the contest venue to watch the telecast at the hotel. This was simply TOO BIG to relegate to the DVR. We wanted to enjoy it along with the rest of the world. As we made our way back to the hotel, we double- and triple-checked the start time. Every TV schedule confirmed that it would air at 1:30 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network … and we were ready!!!
THE CANCELLATION SERVES AS A NOT-SO-SUBTLE RE- ALITY CHECK FOR A COMMUNITY DESPERATE FOR VALIDATION.
without presents! The telecast was canceled … and we never even saw it coming.
WHO TO BLAME? Perhaps more than any other endeavor, bodybuilding is a spor t of accountability.When things go wrong, we seek answers. In the case of the Olympia television debacle, fans sought to identify the guilty party. Let’s face it— we live in a world where victims are comforted by their pursuit of the perpetrator. In this case, it really isn’t clear who’s to blame. Up until now (at the time of this writing— November 2014), there have been no public explanations. However, sources have confirmed that the cancellation was “content related,” giving way to a reasonable assumption that an 11th-hour decision was made after previewing the 90 minutes that were set to air at 1:30 p.m. on October 18th. There have been other theories, but few of them deserve space on these pages.
FROM HERE? The clock turned to 1:30 and, right on cue, the commentators welcomed everyone … except there was one unexpected change. We weren’t watching a bodybuilding contest! Phil Heath, Kai Greene and Dennis Wolf were nowhere to be found! Instead we were looking at the body of a very rare, vintage RollsRoyce. WE WERE WATCHING A FUC#&NG ANTIQUE CAR AUCTION!!! We feverishly started pounding the buttons on the remote control, making absolute certain that we were watching the correct channel. We even scrolled through social media in hopes that someone, ANYONE, would point us in the right direction. Perhaps there was a last-minute schedule change. We wanted answers! We searched everywhere. Unfortunately, there were no answers. No announcements. No clar ification. No apology. NOTHING. We learned later that the telecast had been canceled. The biggest story of the year disappeared into a cloud of smoke, similar to the kind that might come from the exhaust pipe of that vintage Rolls-Royce. The day had suddenly become bodybuilding’s version of Christmas morning …
128
The cancellation serves as a not-so-subtle reality check for a community desperate for validation. While the bodybuilding industry enjoys unprecedented growth and increases in popular ity, a glass ceiling remains— reminding us that the world at large simply isn’t ready for us. The steroid narrative remains a lightning rod, while muscle-bound, scantily clad men in posing trunks may forever be a tough sell. Perhaps we should abandon the pursuit of mainstream acceptance and simply keep it (and protect it) as our own. A case could be made that major television could strip the sport of the many characteristics that make it our passion. Hall of Fame bodybuilder Shawn Ray offers this perspective: “Sad as it is that we missed an opportunity to enjoy the spotlight, our sport endures because of the passion of its occupants. And if media attention is what you crave, the best coverage and editorial will always come from media outlets like the one you’re reading right now. The best formula is to let the insiders tell the story of bodybuilding. As for the outsiders, they have a choice. Join us … or sit at home watching antique car shows on television.”
MD INSIDERS SOUND OFF Here’s more of what some of our MD insiders had to say about the cancellation of the Olympia telecast: PETER MCGOUGH, MD SENIOR EDITOR
“The ac ha he Olympia elecas was replaced by a car aucion ells you all abou how highly NBC prized Phil Heah’s ourh annexaion o a Sandow. Bu he blun ruh is even i i had been shown a prime ime on Saurday nigh on NBC’s main channel, he program would no have elicied one new ollower o bodybuilding, save or hose wih he laen bodybuilding iron bug which would have riggered heir enry ino our subculure a some uure poin. The ac is you’re eiher ino bodybuilding or you’re no— and i you’re no, i’s as boring as waching a ake an dry.” SHAWN RAY, HALL OF FAME BODYBUILDER
“The cancellaion came as a bi o a surprise, considering hey had deployed a ull film crew o cover he weekend, ye never finished he business on he specified air dae. In he ‘90s, boh amaeur and proessional bodybuilding enjoyed coverage on ESPN, bu i suddenly disappeared in he new millennium. So you can image he exciemen o our indusry o hear o is reurn o mainsream elevision. I’m cerain he nework has a myriad o reasons or no airing he finished produc. They may no have known he proper way o cover he evens and hen edi i or elevision and develop a soryline. I also begs he quesion as o wheher hey had he properly educaed auhorit figures in place o guide he process and narrae he journey. While he 50 anniversary o he Mr. Olympia may no have made i o naional elevision, we sill ensured he documenaion o he hisoric even wih he help o pioneers and visionaries like Muscular Developmen and is publisher, Seve Blechman. I can live wih ha, as he World Wide Web allows us o reach audiences ar greaer han even wha naional elevision can provide.” RON HARRIS, MD SENIOR WRITER
“This is only my personal heory, pure speculaion, bu my bes guess is ha once he NBCSN producers go a good look a he Mr. and Ms. Olympia compeiors, hey suddenly realized ha viewers would auomaically associae hem wih heavy seroid use. As we all know, PEDs are used in jus abou every proessional spor— however, only in bodybuilding are hey used specifically o creae a reakish, “superhuman” appearance o exreme muscle size and definiion ar beyond wha is capable naurally. Regardless o he hard work and dedicaion, no o menion elie geneics, here is also a srong pharmaceuical elemen involved. Those o us in he indusry hardly even hink abou ha aspec o i, bu o he ouside observers, he obvious drug-enhanced look is wha hey ofen ocus on. The real losers here are hose o us who love bodybuilding and were eagerly anicipaing he chance o see i on elevision again or he firs ime in nearly 20 years. As someone who used o be involved in ESPN’s coverage o evens like he Mr. and Ms. Olympia and he Arnold Classic, I was very happy o see TV once again showing an ineres in showcasing our spor and is op ahlees. I was very disappoined ha NBC Spors chose o pull he plug, bu I can’ say I’m surprised.”
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
www.USPlabsDirect.com
TM
Branden Richards // TEAM USPlabs Athlete* Copyright USPlabs, LLC. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information in this ad should not be used as an indication or prediction of your individual results. These products are meant to be used in conjunction with a proper nutrition & exercise program. Your results are completely dependent upon the amount of effort you put into it, which includes eating & exercising properly. You should consult your healthcare practitioner before beginning any such plan. All examples are for illustration purposes only. USPlabs is not affiliated with, and its products are not endorsed by, the United States Pharmacopeia, Rockville, MD. *Endorsers began their relationships with USPlabs as product users before endorsing the company. USPlabs’Endorsers may have been remunerated for their endorsement.
TESTOSTERONE
By Daniel Gwartney, M.D
OF Generally, when people discuss he effecs o anabolic seroids— benefis or harm— hey are reerring o evens ha occur over a shor period o ime. Only recenly have researchers and clinicians aken a longer view o he meabolic effecs o esoserone replacemen herapy (TRT). Dr. Farid Saad o Bayer Pharma, manuacurer o Nebido (esoserone undecanoae), has published a number o aricles looking a he laency o maximal benefis rom TRT in men who have been reaed or several years— how quickly or slowly benefis ully arise (six monhs o six years or longer). 1,2 O course, his has received litle press; especially in comparison o he highly dispued speculaion ha an associaion beween TRT and cardiovascular disease may exis i you il your head, squin and nudge around he daa a bi (o course, ha does no include oherwise healhy, nonelderly men). Aside rom some righul revelaions, such as hose exposed by he Eas German doping scandal during he Cold War era (lae 1945 hrough he 1980s), here is litle published daa on he long-erm effecs o anabolic seroids used or exended periods o years or decades. The Eas German program was harmul o many ahlees, bu realize ha hey were iniiaing he use o anabolicandrogenic seroids (AAS) as early as age 10 in boh boys and girls. 6 This patern o coerced pediaric AAS abuse is no relevan o he discussion a hand. In a healhy adul male, moderae AAS use/misuse is generally well oleraed in hose no predisposed o cloting disorders or psychological effecs (e.g., changes in mood, emergence o subclinical depression, provoked anger responses, alered libido). Cerainly, here is a risk o long-erm suppression o endogenous (naural) esoserone producion and erili, as well as legal consequences i obained illicily. However, in he issue o ineres— skeleal muscle— wha is he long-erm ne effec? Are here changes ha occur over ime ha make he muscle “beter” or “worse?”
130
MR. OLYMPIA Beore geting ino he mea o he aricle, i is ineresing o noe ha he cycles described in his issue o Muscular Developmen by six-ime Mr. Olympia Dorian Yaes are similar o hose deailed in he sudies. Mr. Yaes described eighweek, off-season cycles (hree imes a year inerspersed wih our-week “off” cycles) consising o esoserone eser (750 mg/ week), sacked wih eiher nandrolone decanoae (500 mg/week) or equipoise (boldenone undecanoae— dose no specified), along wih daily oral Dianabol (50 mg/day). His pre-cones cycle differed, bu his off-season AAS use was consisen wih he subjecs in soon-o-be-discussed sudies. Mr. Yaes does acknowledge laer periods wherein his AAS cycles were as much as 60 percen greaer (weekly dose), bu wih le addiional (sel-repored) benefi. The populari o esoserone and nandrolone were recorded during he period reerenced by Mr. Yaes, as documened in a repor o drug esing perormed in Flanders, Belgium. Tesoserone and nandrolone remain “oundaion” agens in curren anabolic regimens. 8 Numerous sudies o ineres ollowed subjecs who had several years o resisance raining, along wih AAS use, ofen compared agains drug-ree powerlifers or weighrained subjecs.9-14 As well, comparison groups o drug-esed powerlifers were repored o demonsrae he possible effecs o AAS on muscle srucure and perormance over a range o five o 15 years use in wo recen sudies.11,14 Collecively, hese sudies span a period o greaer han 30 years. In 1984, i was noed ha weighlifers ollowing heir own AAS cycles ouperormed “clean” weighlifers significanly in erms o increasing size, srengh and muscle fiber area (a measure o he size o each muscle fiber under a microscope). The findings suppored he auhors’ heory ha “srengh raining in combinaion wih adminisraion
o androgenic-anabolic seroids causes improvemens in seleced neuromuscular parameers.” This was acually airly groundbreaking a he ime, as mos research was designed o prove ha AAS provided NO benefis in regard o ahleic enhancemen— a saemen included in he package inser o pharmaceuical AAS a ha ime. The concluding line o he absrac in ha sudy undersaed wha had long been obvious: “These changes may be greaer han hose o caused by he srengh raining alone.” As science finally acceped ha supraphysiologic AAS misuse increased muscle size and srengh, atenion urned o he changes occurring wihin he muscle o accoun or he observed increase in size and srengh. Muscle as a issue is similar o a rope, consising o numerous srands ha combine o provide ensile srengh (abili o wihsand sreching orces). These “srands” are “muscle fibers” and each fiber is an individual cell. Nearly unique among he issues o he body, skeleal muscle fibers are muli-nucleaed. This means ha insead o each cell having one nucleus— like an egg has one yolk— conaining he DNA ha conrols he cell’s uncion and srucure, skeleal muscle cells conain several nuclei ha conrol “zones” wihin he muscle cell. Each nucleus can only manage so much “space” (cyoplasm— he cell’s “insides”). This means ha here is an absolue ceiling as o how large a muscle fiber (and collecively, he whole muscle) can ge, UNLESS i can increase he number o nuclei he cell conains. Some readers wih a basic undersanding o biology may iniially hink ha he nuclei already in he muscle cells would increase in number hrough a process called miosis— he “duplicaion” o all he DNA in he nucleus o generae a second nucleus in mos cells. However, his is no he case. Miosis only happens when a cell is geting ready o divide ino wo brand-new and separae cells— each aking a nucleus wih i. In he skeleal muscle cell, here is no a second
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
TESTOSTERONE muscle fiber being generaed rom wihin. New muscle fibers can be creaed, as will be discussed laer. The process ha happens in skeleal muscle, when he need or a larger muscle (hyperrophy) is presen, involves some pre nea mechanisms (rom a nerd poin o view). There is a pool o precursor cells wihin he “neighborhood” o he muscle fibers called saellie cells. Typically, hey are jus around, dorman and no doing anyhing o conribue o muscle size or uncion. However, when he condiions suppor muscle hyperrophy, hese saellie cells sar dividing (here is an example o miosis) and some begin differeniaing— his means hey sar looking and acing like “grown-up” cells. When he righ signals are presen, such as hose generaed by exercise or he use o cerain growhpromoing acors (e.g., AAS, mGF, IGF-1), hese grown-up saellie cells merge wih he exising muscle fibers and are assimilaed like a Borg rom “Sar Trek: The Nex Generaion.” The nucleus o he saellie cell is now included in he muscle fiber, increasing he number o myonuclei in ha cell. To pu i clearly, he increase in nuclei in he muscle fibers comes rom “ouside”— he saellie cells. So, as he nuclear number goes up, he amoun o “space” (muscle volume) each nuclei is managing (nuclear-ocyoplasmic raio or N-o-C raio) goes down. In a seting where he muscle was near is maximal allowed (by N-o-C raio limis) size, he addiion o new nuclei rom saellie cells allows ha muscle fiber o ge bigger— achieving he goal o bodybuilding. CELLULAR CHANGES The measures o ineres in he mos recen sudies were he overall perormance (srengh), size (fiber area) and cellular changes (myonuclei coun) in resisance-rained AAS users versus non-users. Following he 1984 sudy ha repored greaer orce producion (srengh) and muscle fiber area, a laer sudy in 1999 looked a he muscle fibers more closely. Boh groups had he same proporion o fiber pes— someimes reerred o as slow-wich and as-wich, hough he classificaion is more complex han ha. So, assuming ha he groups had similar proporions prior o AAS use, no change in fiber pe was eviden. However, he AASusing lifers had significanly larger muscle fibers (as expeced), bu i was also repored ha he myonuclei coun was higher and more nuclei in he muscle fibers were cenrally locaed in he cell, meaning hey were more acive in regulaing cell uncions. Even more exciing, here was evidence o “developmenal” muscle fibers, meaning no only were he exising muscle fibers geting larger, bu he signals creaed by exercise and he drug regimens were simulaing he generaion o NEW muscle fibers. This is called “hyperplasia” and is a second, and poenially more significan pahway o growh. I is ineresing ha a 2010 sudy noed ha he saellie cell populaion o AAS-using powerlifers differed rom hose o drug-ree
powerlifers. 12 This may be indicaive o AAS having a direc effec on he “desiny” o saellie cells. Jump o 2005, when a sudy beween AAS-using lifers and drugree powerlifers repored ha (again), he AAS-using men (wih an average nine years o use, 938 mg/week o esoserone and oher AAS) had larger muscle fibers o all pes, more myonuclei, wih more myonuclei being cenral (more acive). 11 However, i was ineresing ha his sudy was designed o compare wo differen muscle groups, he rapezius (raps) and he vasus laeralis (quads); as well, he shor-erm use o AAS compared o long-erm use was compared. The repored resuls o wo prior sudies were used or he comparison groups o AAS users. 10,15 The effec o AAS was noably differen beween he wo muscle groups, wih he raps showing a greaer effec on muscle fiber hyperplasia (new muscle fibers), whereas he quads had a larger nuclear-o-cyoplasmic raio. This means he quads were nearing heir maximal size, as he N-o-C raio is he “ceiling” o growh. Consisen wih prior sudies, AAS users had significanly larger muscle fibers (61% or pe I fibers and 44% or pe II) and more myonuclei per fiber, as well as more fiber area (size) per myonuclei. The AAS users had muscles ha were larger, capable o geting larger and were capable o geting closer o he N-o-C raio ceiling. For reerence sake, he fiber area in he raps o he AAS users was 58% (pe 1) and 33% (pe 2). In 2014, a paper was published looking a many o he same eaures, bu also looked a capillary densi (blood flow in he muscle) as well as orce producion measures. No surprisingly, he AAS users again had greaer lean mass, more myonuclei and surprisingly, a greaer capillary densi. However, he AAS users did no show a saisically significan increase in fiber area (he average fiber area or AAS users was 15% greaer han drug-esed ahlees, compared o a roughly 50% increase noed in prior sudies). Perhaps even more surprising was he finding ha AAS users developed muscles ha were less orceul. This means he muscles were larger and sronger, bu no as srong as he drug-ree muscles when adjused or muscle mass. Well, here are a couple o issues wih his sudy ha ake away rom some o he value. Firs, he subjecs in he AASuser group were significanly older han he drug-esed group (41 versus 29). While all AAS users had greaer han five years exposure o AAS, he cycles were widely varied. Worse, here was no consisency regarding a doping schedule, wih many o he AAS users being off-cycle a he ime o esing. Anoher issue is ha he drug-esed ahlees were all compeiive powerllfers, and he calculaions o srengh (orce) were based upon 1-RM (one-repeiion maximum) personal records in he bench, squa and deadlif. Measured orce was perormed using a simulaed squa wih 105° o range (below parallel). This is a amiliar movemen or powerlifers, bu is no likely amiliar o bodybuilders using 1-RM weigh. The AAS users consised o bodybuilders, srongman
“If prior exposure to AAS increases myonuclei number for years past use, then past or long-term users may unknowingly be promoting their long-term survival and independence.”
132
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
TESTOSTERONE he effec o raining sle on he muscle perormance measures could have been clarified. Over he las several decades, i has been shown ha AAS use can promoe increases in skeleal muscle size and srengh. Though no sudy has been specifically designed o find he hreshold concenraion, he resuls o several sugges ha he minimum dose required o affec change in a healhy, adul male exiss near 300 milligrams per week o esoserone or nandrolone eser. 16,17 As noed by several papers, he anabolic effecs in muscle are dose-dependen. I is ineresing o noe ha observaions and repored cycles by experienced AAS users sugges litle addiional benefi in srengh wih more han 1,500-2,000 milligrams per week o oal androgen exposure, and a concomian increase in acue adverse effecs. However, fiber area seemed o be dose-dependen beyond his range. An ineresing applicaion would be he herapeuic
compeiors and powerlifers. In ac, he subjecs using he highes dose o AAS perormed wors on several measures relaive o muscle mass, leading he auhors o propose a ceiling o AAS-augmened orce. One migh invesigae o see i an associaion exised beween he subjec, his spor o choice (likely bodybuilding), raining sle and wheher he was “on” or “off” cycle. The orce producion o he drugesed powerlifers were all closely clusered, whereas he AAS users varied widely, as did heir raining sles, drug regimens and hormone levels a he ime o esing (some were hypogonadal). AAS LIFTERS VS. ‘CLEAN’ LIFTERS The auhors atemped o develop an algorihm o differeniae AAS users rom “clean” lifers. They also acknowledged ha AAS use, combined wih resisance raining, “could induce enhancemens in boh muscle mass and srengh,” and ha he improvemens are AAS dosedependen. I anoher group o drug-esed bodybuilders was included,
Reerences: 1. Haider A, Yassin A, e al. Effecs o long-erm ”: resuls o observaional sudies o pooled analyses in obese hypogonadal men wih pe 2 diabees. In J Endocrinol 2014;2014:683515. doi: 10.1155/2014/683515. 2. Saad F, Aversa A, e al. Onse o effecs o esoserone reamen and ime span unil maximum ecs are achieved. Eur J Endocrinol 2011;165:675-85. 3. Finkle WD, Greenland S, e al. Increased risk o non-aal myocardial inarcion ollowing esoserone herapy prescripion in men. PLoS One. 2014 Jan 29;9(1):e85805. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085805. 4. Vigen R, O’Donnell CI, e al. Associaion o esoserone herapy wih morali, myocardial inarcion, and sroke in men wih low esoserone levels. JAMA 2013;310:1829-36. 5. Morgenaler A, Luneneld B. Tesoserone and cardiovascular risk: world’s expers ake unprecedened acion o correc misinormaion. Aging Male 2014;17:63-5. 6. Franke WW, Berendonk B. Hormonal doping and androgenizaion o ahlees: a secre program o he German Democraic Republic governmen. Clin Chem 1997;43:1262-79. 7. Delbeke FT, Desme N, e al. The abuse o doping agens in compeing body builders in Flanders
134
wih aging. Animal sudies have shown ha he increase in myonuclei persiss or decades in humans, leading researchers o sae, “Anabolic seroids have been shown o increase he number o nuclei; hus, he benefis o using seroids migh be permanen … ” 18 A laer animal sudy showed ha muscle cells reaed wih supraphysiologic esoserone exposure and resisance (overload) raining developed a greaer number o myonuclei (66%). Afer he esoserone was sopped, as well as he exercise, he increase in myonuclei was reained or a leas 10 percen o he ra’s lie span, and when exercise was reinroduced (wihou any esoserone given), he muscles o hese ras grew 31 percen bigger. 19 Ras who were no given esoserone earlier showed no increase in muscle size. Weakness and sarcopenia (low muscle mass) are eaures o aging associaed wih increased poor healh, or morali. I prior exposure o AAS increases myonuclei number or years pas use, hen pas or long-erm users may unknowingly be promoing heir long-erm survival and independence. ■
(1988-1993). In J Spors Med 1995;16:66-70. 8. Cohen J, Collins R, e al. A league o heir own: demographics, moivaions and paterns o use o 1,955 male adul non-medical anabolic seroid users in he Unied Saes. J In Soc Spors Nur 2007;4:1226. 9. Alén M, Häkkinen K, e al. Changes in neuromuscular perormance and muscle fiber characerisics o elie power ahlees sel-adminisering androgenic and anabolic seroids. Aca Physiol Scand 1984;122:535-44. 10. Kadi F, Eriksson A, e al. Effecs o anabolic seroids on he muscle cells o srengh-rained ahlees. Med Sci Spors Exerc 1999;31:1528-34. 11. Eriksson A, Kadi F, e al. Skeleal muscle morphology in powerlifers wih and wihou anabolic seroids. Hisochem Cell Biol 2005;124:167-75. 12. Lindsröm M, Pedrosa-Domellö F, e al. Saellie cell heerogenei wih respec o expression o MyoD, myogenin, Dlk1 and c-Me in human skeleal muscle: applicaion o a cohor o powerlifers and sedenary men. Hisochem Cell Biol 2010;134:371-85. 13. Nordsröm A, Högsröm G, e al. Higher muscle mass bu lower gynoid a mass in ahlees using anabolic androgenic seroids. J Srengh Cond Res 2012;26:246-50.
14. Yu JG1, Bonnerud P2, e al. Effecs o longerm supplemenaion o anabolic androgen seroids on human skeleal muscle. PLoS One 2014;9:e105330. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105330. 15. Sinha-Hikim I, Roh SM, e al. Tesoseroneinduced muscle hyperrophy is associaed wih an increase in saellie cell number in healhy, young men. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Meab 2003;285:E197-E205. 16. Hargens F, van Sraaen H, e al. Misuse o androgenic-anabolic seroids and human deloid muscle fibers: differences beween polydrug regimens and single drug adminisraion. Eur J Appl Physiol 2002;86:233-9. 17. Friedl KE, Detori JR, e al. Comparison o he ecs o high dose esoserone and 19-noresoserone o a replacemen dose o esoserone on srengh and body composiion in normal men. J Seroid Biochem Mol Biol 1991;40:607-12. 18. Bruusgaard JC, Johansen IB, e al. Myonuclei acquired by overload exercise precede hyperrophy and are no los on deraining. Proc Nal Acad Sci U S A 2010;107:15111-6. 19. Egner IM, Bruusgaard JC, e al. A cellular memory mechanism aids overload hyperrophy in muscle long afer an episodic exposure o anabolic seroids. J Physiol 2013;591:6221-30.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
science
By Michael J.Rudolph, Ph.D Senior Science Editor
POWER ensi ighs a around 60 o 80 percen of your one-repeiion maximum 1RM). This level of inensi improves srengh, in par, g greaer neuromuscular acivaion of fas-wich muscle fibers over ime, which ulimaely leads o superior force producion ed srengh. On he oher hand, he use of ligher weighs o 30 percen of your 1RM, or low-inensi pies he weaker-conracing, slow-wich muscle fibers very litle, if any, gain in srengh. Tha is, unless you perensi raining while parially resricing blood flow o he scle group using a raining echnique known as occlusion is raining mehod, despie using ligh weigh, acually provokes c able srengh gains by specifically simulaing he hyperrophic response in fas-wich muscle fibers. However, unlike i raining, occlusion raining does no increase he level scular acivaion of he fas-wich muscle fiber— meanlusion raining combined wih high-inensi raining could be used o increase boh fas-wich muscle fiber size and neuromusion levels for exraordinary gains in srengh.
MUSCLE Opimal srengh is pically achieved by high-inensi raining requiring he use of
In fac, considerable research ino srengh raining has clearly shown ha raining wih a high inensi of 70 o 90 percen of your 1RM elicis he bes gains in srengh. The use of heavier weigh augmens srengh, principally by inducing greaer neuromuscular acivaion of faswich muscle fibers ha conrac more quickly han slow-wich muscle fibers and promoe greaer srengh.3
FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS Occlusion raining involves ighly wrapping, usually wih wris or knee sraps, he area jus above he argeed muscle in order o mildly resric blood flow o he working muscle. The resricion of blood flow preferenially acivaes fas-wich muscle fibers by reducing oxygen levels, making he muscle cell produce energy
136
wihou oxygen, or anaerobically. The obligaory producion of anaerobic energy resuls in he exclusive acivaion of fas-wich muscle fibers insead of slow-wich fibers, because faswich muscle fibers prefer anaerobic respiraion for energy— whereas slow-wich fibers prefer aerobic energy producion.4-6 Consequenly, despie he use of he ligh weigh during occlusion raining, his pe of raining specifically simulaes fas-wich muscle fiber conracion. Since he fas-wich muscle fiber produces greaer muscular conracile forces, heir argeed acivin due course develops greaer srengh.
MUSCLE FIBER GROWTH Acivaion of he enzyme mTOR simulaes muscle proein synhesis and inhibis muscle proein breakdown, resuling in increased muscle mass. A sudy by Fujia e al. esablished a link beween occlusion raining and mTOR acivaion leading o muscle proein synhesis and muscle cell growh. In his sudy, six male subjecs performed four ses of 15 repeiions of leg exensions a 20 percen of heir 1RM, wih
30-second res inervals wih and wihou he occlusion echnique. Remarkably, he occlusionrained group showed an increase in mTOR acivi ha was hree imes larger han he group exercising under normal condiions. This sudy also showed ha occlusion raining led o an increase in IGF-1 levels ha were comparable o hose seen in oher sudies where he subjecs performed high-inensi resisance exercise. This subsanial increase in IGF-1 plausibly acivaes mTOR and muscle proein synhesis. Moreover, because occlusion raining paricularly acivaes fas-wich muscle fibers over slowwich fibers, his posiive influence on muscle proein synhesis from occlusion raining likely occurs primarily in fas-wich muscle, causing heir preferenial growh.
BOOSTS SIZE AND STRENGTH In order o see wheher high-inensi raining combined wih occlusion raining could acually increase size and srengh, wo recen sudies invesigaed he affec of his combined approach on muscular hyperrophy and srengh.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
science In boh sudies8-9, young, male subjecs iniially compleed high-inensit srengh raining in he bench press and squa. One group in he sudy hen perormed occlusion raining ha involved 30 repeiions a 20 percen o heir 1RM, ollowed by hree ses o 20 repeiions a 20 percen o heir 1RM, wih 45 seconds o res beween ses. The resuls o boh sudies showed a larger increase in squa srengh in he occlusionrained group— while one o he sudies also demonsraed superior srengh developmen in he bench press, along wih greaer increases in ches and upper arm growh, indicaing greaer muscle growh. Taken ogeher, hese wo sudies clearly indicae ha occlusion raining combined wih radiional srengh raining can be very eecive a increasing boh size and srengh. TRAINING APPROACH While occlusion raining is beneficial especially when combined wih high-inensit raining, i mus be done correcly o avoid poenial injury. The proper occlusion raining involves ighly wrapping, wih wris or knee sraps, jus above he exercised muscle— making sure no o wrap oo ighly, as his indicaes complee blood flow resricion and could be dangerous. In addiion, i is criical o mainain blood flow resricion hroughou all ses, bu you should never occlude a muscle or more han 30 minues a a ime. 10 Typically, our ses are perormed righ around
138
20 o 30 percen o your 1RM, wih he firs se consising o 30 repeiions ollowed by hree ses o 15 repeiions— wih less han one minue res beween ses o produce he remarkable muscle-building effecs rom occlusion raining. Wha’s more, rom wha I’ve seen in he lieraure and in he gym, when occlusion raining is perormed along wih heavy weigh raining, he occlusion work usually works bes when i ollows he high-inensit work— as he opposie order would likely preclude he effecive use o heavy weighs, because o he considerable muscle aigue rom occlusion raining. In summary, he combined use o high-inenraining wih occlusion raining simulaes considerable srengh because o he complemenary enhancemen o as-wich muscle fiber size and neuromuscular acivaion. This collecive approach ulimaely resuls in a greaer number o larger, more powerul as-wich muscle fibers paricipaing in a more orceul muscular conracion, producing exraordinary levels o srengh and power. ■ For mos o Michael Rudolph’s career he has been engrossed in he exercise world as eiher an ahlee ), personal rainer or as a Research Scienis (he earned and a Ph.D. in Biochemisry and Molecular Biology rom Sony Brook Universit). Afer earning his Ph.D., Michael invesigaed he molecular biology
o exercise as a ellow a Harvard Medical School and Columbia Universit or over eigh years. Tha research conribued seminally o undersanding he uncion o he incredibly imporan cellular energy sensor AMPK— leading o numerous publicaions in peer-reviewed journals including he journal Naure. Michael is currenly a scienis working a he New York Srucural Biology Cener doing conrac work or he Deparmen o Deense on a projec involving . Reerences: 1. Kraemer WJ and Raamess NA. Med Sci Spors Exerc 2004;36(4), 674-688. 2. Rhea MR, Alvar BA, e al. Med Sci Spors Exerc 2003;35(3), 456-464. 3. Hakkinen K, Alen M and Komi PV. Aca Physiol Scand 1985;125(4), 573-585. 4. Idsrom JP, Subramanian VH, e al. Fed Proc 1986;45(13), 2937-2941. 5. Kaz A and Sahlin K. Aca Physiol Scand 1987;131(1), 119-127. 6. Moriani T, Muro M and Nagaa A. J Appl Physiol 1986;60(4), 1179-1185. 7. Fujia S, Abe T, e al. J Appl Physiol 2007;103(3), 903910. 8. Yamanaka T, Farley RS and Capuo JL. J Srengh Cond Res 2012;26(9), 2523-2529. 9. Luebbers PE, Fry AC, e al. J Srengh Cond Res 2014;28(8), 2270-2280. 10. Loenneke JP, Wilson GJ and Wilson JM. In J Spors Med 2010;31(1), 1-4.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
Pharmaceutical-Grade D-Aspartic
Acid
Performance Edge® DAA PureTM is pure, pharmaceutical-grade, safe & natural D-Aspartic Acid.
Each daily dose of Performance Edge® DAA PureTM delivers a full 3 grams of pure, 100% pharmaceutical-grade
Performance Edge® DAA PureTM uses only 100% pure D-Aspartic Acid manufactured under exacting pharmaceutical standards.
form available. Beware of substitutions of L-Aspartic Acid, the mirrored twin of DAA.
www.daapure.com *These statements have not be en evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
ANA BOLIC RESE A RCH
BY WILLIAM LLEWE LLYN
A
: os-cycle herapy, or PCT or shor, is pically regarded as one o he mos imporan pars o an anabolic seroid cycle. For hose unamiliar, i is he concep ha ancillary medicaions can be used o help resore normal esoserone producion more quickly a he conclusion o anabolic seroid use. This would help he individual beter mainain muscle and srengh gains, and noice ewer pos-cycle side effecs, which migh oherwise be problemaic due o a period o prolonged hypogonadism (low esoserone). Jus abou all anabolic drug expers agree on he imporance o a PCT program. Where here is ofen disagreemen, however, is exacly wha consiues a proper PCT program. This is an area wih litle acual medical research, given he off-label use in which hese drugs are being applied. This has lef boh users and physicians a bi in he dark. There are many compeing heories, and a plehora o recommended drugs. This monh we’re going o review one o he more recen PCT recommendaions o make he rounds: he use o riporelin. Triporelin, or TRIP or shor, is a synheic analog o gonadoropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Some are describing his drug as he mos powerul PCT pharmaceuical ye developed. In ac, by some accouns TRIP is an agen ha is so effecive, a single dose is all one needs o ge heir original (pre-seroid) level o esoserone back. Accordingly, i is he firs “one and done” soluion o wha was previously a drawn-ou muli-drug program. Is his rue? Are we ready o drop all hose oher common PCT drugs? Is TRIP ruly he “single-sho PCT soluion” bodybuilders have been dreaming abou or decades? Le’s ake an up-close look a his drug and he sudies behind i, o see i any o his hype is well ounded. HOW GNRH ANALOGS WORK TRIP is an analog o GnRH, which shares is biological acivi. GnRH is one o he firs messengers in he hypohalamic-piuiary-esicular axis (HPTA), which regulaes he endogenous producion o esoserone in men. This messenger is normally released by he hypohalamus, and signals he piuiary gland o release boh lueinizing hormone (LH) and olliclesimulaing hormone (FSH). LH is he primary signaling molecule used by he body o insruc he eses o release more esoserone. Likewise, we regard GnRH as playing an imporan and posiive role in he synhesis o esoserone. Logic would hen sugges ha injecing a synheic orm o GnRH would be a ready way o increase naural esoserone producion. No so as. GnRH has a very careully balanced role in he process o esoserone synhesis. The hypohalamus normally releases his mes-
142
senger in brie cyclic pulses. Researchers learned soon afer experimening wih exogenous (ouside he body) GnRH ha flooding he body wih excess hormone quickly shus down he enire axis. Synheic GnRH urns ou o be one o he mos reliable compounds or suppressing, no increasing, endogenous esoserone. In a medical seting, ha is exacly wha his drug is used or, in ac. Triporelin is prescribed o lower esoserone levels during prosae cancer. This, o course, is an effor o minimize androgen simulaion o prosae cancer cells and couner umor growh. So how could a drug ha is applied o lower esoserone in paiens be used o help bodybuilders recover heirs? PCT METHOD AND SUPPORT Proponens o using TRIP or PCT acknowledge is poenial or hormone suppression, and have suggesed a very careul and conservaive mehod o use o ge around i. Firs, TRIP is o be aken in one single injecion. The dose recommended is usually 100 mcg [micrograms]. Tha is all: one dose o 100 mcg. I you cycle anabolicandrogenic seroids several imes per year, TRIP is no o be given more han hree imes in ha year, a mos once every our monhs. The drug isel is aken righ when your synheic seroid levels have dropped, a he very beginning o he pos-cycle period, when your androgen levels are a heir lowes. In some cases, TRIP is incorporaed ino anoher PCT program. In oher cases, i is he sole agen o use. In all insances, he single injecion is said o have he benefi o jumpsaring he HPTA axis afer a long period o inerrupion. The PCT recommendaions or TRIP are no being made compleely in he dark. There are a ew papers published in he medical journals on his pe o applicaion or GnRH agoniss. One involving riporelin in paricular seems o lend suppor I is a case sudy involving a 34-year old recreaional bodybuilder wih a significan hisory o seroid use. The man was presened o his physician wih pical signs o hypogonadism (loss o energy, libido and muscle) afer sopping seroid use. His hypogonadism was persisen in his case, in spie o his use o radiional PCT drugs like HCG and clomiphene. This physician reaed he man wih one single dose o riporelin, in an effor o simulae he HPTA again. As a resul o his single dose, his hypogonadism was ully resolved wihin one monh. Oher successul case sudies on he reamen o hypogonadism have been presened wih similar drugs. One is buserelin, which is also a synheic GnRH agonis, in his case one ha is normally aken inranasally.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
A case sudy ound ha dosing 30 mcg hree imes daily successully increased esoserone o he normal range in a 37-year-old man wih pospuberal onse hypogonadoropic hypogonadism. he drug coninued o simulae esoserone elevaions even afer one year o reamen, wih no downregulaion. Anoher sudy ound recombinan GnRH adminisraion o successully elevae esoserone levels in a 37-year-old (coincidenally, no he same guy) ormer seroid user suffering rom hypogonadism. he proocol here was a daily injecion o 200 mcg GnRH on hree consecuive days, or a oal dose o 600 mcg. His esoserone level remained wihin he normal range or a ull year afer his shor period o reamen, wih no addiional drugs used. DOES IT HOLD UP TO SCRUTINY? he case sudy on riporelin is ineresing. However, while case sudies are good, hey lack he weigh o placebo-conrolled rials. In he academic world, hey amoun o litle more han observaions. I we go a bi broader and review he daa on GnRH agoniss as a whole, we see similar case sudies, bu nohing large and conrolled o sink our eeh ino. So, wih his done, we can perhaps sar o make some early judgmens. Firs, here is some reason o hink a single injecion migh suppor esoserone release. GnRH analogs have been used o es he responsiveness o he HPA, and diagnose delayed puber in some paiens. he case sudies also look good. So here is some logic here. A he very leas, i probably won’ harm your recovery. Wha abou he broader suggesion o relying on riporelin alone or PC? his is a big leap, and one here appears o be litle medically published suppor or making a his ime. A imes when he lieraure on a paricular subjec is lacking, I like o deer o hose wih he mos firshand experience. For his discussion, one o he bes o speak wih is Dr. Michael Scally. Dr. Scally developed he PoWeR PC Program I ofen reer o, arguably he mos widely reerenced seroid PC program in he world. He developed his program afer years o reaing ormer seroid users, and documening heir responses o
differen medicaions. I was involved in a recen group discussion where Dr. Scally was asked abou he one-dose use o riporelin or PC. His response was very concise. “I is a very poor reamen and has ailed in over a dozen imes I have reaed.” So here you have i. One o he mos respeced PC expers in he world has ried i on his paiens, and ended up no a big an. I do have o give his opinion quie a bi o weigh. SUMMARY Could his “one sho and you’re done” PC mehod work? Perhaps i could. Maybe i was he direc cause or he man’s recovery in he cied case sudy. Sill, we shouldn’ uproo years o ried-and-esed progress wih oher PC mehods based on such speculaion. I is way oo early o do ha, in my opinion. I’d say i is even oo early o sar adding riporelin o your PC program. Tme will ell i his drug has meri. For now, I’d sugges examining wha is much more widely esed, namely he PoWeR PC Program. Very quickly, his involves he use o hCG, Clomid and Nolvadex. hese drugs are iniiaed ogeher a he conclusion o seroid use. hCG is aken or 20 days, a a dose o 2,000 IU every oher day. Clomid is aken or 30 days, a a dose o 50 milligrams wice per day (100 mg). Nolvadex is aken a a dose o 20 milligrams wice daily (40 mg) or he ull 45 days. ha program seems o work well or mos who use i. I wouldn’ deviae my ocus o oher, newer agens now. Le ohers experimen, and hopeully log some solid daa. I will, o course, keep his drug on he radar here a ARU. ■ Reerences: 1. Pirola I, Cappelli C, e al. Anabolic seroids purchased on he Inerne as a cause o prolonged hypogonadoropic hypogonadism. Feril Seril 2010;Nov;94(6):2331. 2. Iwamoo H, Yoshida A, e al. A man wih hypogonadoropic hypogonadism successully reaed wih nasal adminisraion o he low-dose gonadoropin-releasing hormone analog buserelin. Feril Seril 2009;Sep;92(3):1169.e1-3. 3. van Breda E1, Keizer HA, e al. Androgenic anabolic seroid use and severe hypohalamic-piuiary dysuncion: a case sudy. In J Spors Med 2003;Apr;24(3):195-6.
DOES SORENESS EQUAL GROWTH? DO YOU FEEL IT MEANS YOU TRAINED HARD ENOUGH TO STIMULATE NEW GAINS, OR DOES IT JUST MEAN YOU DID SOMETHING DIFFERENT? HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET SORE, AND WHAT USUALLY MAKES THAT HAPPEN?
I hink soreness is a good way o judge wheher or no you did enough in he gym. I you don’ eel any soreness a all, i migh mean you didn’ rain hard enough ha day. I you are so sore ha you can hardly move a muscle or a ew days, you did oo much. I know my limis, and I don’ always ge sore. Does ha mean you aren’ going o grow? I’m no sure abou ha. My shoulders very rarely ge sore, and hey are one o my bes body pars. My legs always ge sore, and my ches and back do oo. The only ime everyhing ges sore is when I ake a ew weeks off rom raining, bu ha happens o everybody. Bu like I said, soreness can be a way o rae i wha you did was enough or oo much. I hink i you rain legs and ge so sore ha you can hardly walk or hree days, ha’s way oo much.
“To reiterate what Lee Haney was famous for saying, ‘Stimulate, don’t annihilate.’” —Evan Centopani
144
Soreness can mean a lo o hings. Obviously you damaged he muscle issue o some exen. Bu how did ha damage come abou? For example, i you do 1,000 ses o anyhing, you will be incredibly sore, bu would i simulae growh? My eeling is, probably no. Soreness is no necessarily an indicaor o ha. I hink i makes much more sense o simulae he muscles inensely, ye wihou expending so much energy and damaging he muscle so much ha i can’ repair and grow. I you make a muscle so sore ha he pain is crippling or somehing like five days, you’re no going o grow. You caused oo much damage. I’ve noiced in he pas ha i I’m sore or a day afer a workou and he day afer ha i’s mosly dissipaed, ha’s when I make my bes gains. You wan a muscle o eel igh and a litle sore he nex day, bu no more han ha. To reierae wha Lee Haney was amous or saying, “Simulae, don’ annihilae.” People ake he concep o inensi and go overboard wih i, doing oo many orced reps, drop ses and so on in heir workous. I you do his oo ofen, your muscles will sar o look and eel fla, and your joins and ligamens begin o ache. Those , requency or all o he above. I hink i makes sense o ake seps o avoid excess soreness. John Meadows recenly developed his own inra-workou ormula or ha purpose. He alks abou raining in erms o digging a dich, and recovery is geting ou o ha dich. Wih he righ nuriens aken in during a workou, you can dig a fiveoo dich insead o a 10-oo one. As ar as soreness, I wouldn’ seek i ou o he exreme.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
To be hones, I don’ know. I’ve had awesome workous where I ully expeced o be crazy sore he nex day, and I wasn’. A oher imes, I’ve had workous ha I didn’ consider o be anyhing special where I did ge really sore. Usually soreness comes rom doing an exercise you’ve never done beore, or haven’ done in a long ime. Techniques like drop ses and orced reps can make you sore oo. Higher volume han normal will do i. I don’ really pu much sock in DOMS [delayed onse muscle soreness] being a marker o a producive workou. I preer o go by he pump. Tha’s somehing you know righ hen and here wheher you’ve achieved i or no, and I hink pumping he muscle as much as possible is going o lead o growh, as long as you’re no using very ligh weighs. My legs, ches and back always ge sore. My arms probably ge sore once or wice a year. I can’ even remember he las ime my calves go sore. Shoulders, occasionally.
Soreness is a ricky hing. For he longes ime, I would wai unil he day afer my workou o judge how good i had been, based on how sore I el in ha body par. I I wasn’ sore, I figured I had ailed even hough I hough I had worked really hard. I hink ha’s naural or all bodybuilders. You seek ou soreness o validae ha you’re raining as hard as you should be. You pa yoursel on he back a litle when you ge really sore, and you kick yoursel a litle i you’re no. Bu afer a while, I sared o noice ha I would have workous where I go grea conracions and had a perec connecion wih he body par, I was using very decen weighs and I would ge crazy pumped— bu here was no soreness he nex day. I knew in my hear ha workou was awesome, so afer a while I sopped associaing soreness wih he workou being more or less producive. Recovery has a lo o do wih soreness. I find ha when I am get o res, eaing very well and supplemening properly, I hardly ever ge sore. The one hing ha does seem o do i or me is whenever I do a lo more volume han usual or a body par in a given workou. I you mainain a pump and all ha lacic acid is building up or somehing like wo hours, you’re going o ge sore or sure. And I welcome i!
“Any change, anything that the body isn’t used to, will be a shock and will make you sore. But say you decided to try a CrossFit workout. That would probably make you incredibly sore, but you’re not going to get bigger from it.” —Justin Compton February 2015 musculardevelopment.com
I eel like soreness could go eiher way in erms o producing gains. I I did 10 ses o 100 reps on he bench press, or example, I am sure my ches and ron dels would be killing me or a leas a couple o days. My ches wouldn’ grow, hough. Any change, anyhing ha he body isn’ used o, will be a shock and will make you sore. Things like drop ses and superses, especially i you don’ normally do hem, will cause soreness. Those migh make you grow. Bu say you decided o ry a CrossFi workou. Tha would probably make you incredibly sore, bu again, you’re no going o ge bigger rom i. I’m usually sore all he ime in one area or anoher. I push i pre hard in my raining, as in way pas ailure. Bu when I ry new echniques, he soreness goes o anoher level. Recenly I was ou in Caliornia, and Hany Rambod pu me hrough a leg workou. I have a eeling he was on a mission o orure me! I recall one se o his FST-7 “sevens” ha was paricularly brual. Normally, you do seven ses wih abou 30 seconds o res in beween. Bu on each o hose, he did somehing differen like orced reps, a saic hold or a srip se. I was he hardes leg workou I had done in years, o be hones. I rain very hard, bu Hany was able o push me even harder. I sure wasn’ going o qui on him a any poin. I was embarrassing a one poin when I almos passed ou during Hany’s workou, bu I recovered. The workou was on a Monday, and my legs were killing me unil Saurday. The soreness was mosly in my hamsrings, which is wha we were ocusing more on, since hey need o come up a bi o mach my quads. Bu soreness does seem o be an individual hing, even down o wha body pars ge sore or us. For insance, my ches always ges sore, even when I don’ do anyhing crazy or i. My quads are like ha oo. Bu i’s rare ha my back or my calves ge sore, and I don’ hink my arms have ever been sore.
MD 145
QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED IN YOUR YEARS AS A BODYBUILDER? AND, DO YOU HAVE ANY SNAPPY COMEBACKS THAT YOU HAVE COME UP WITH TO THEM?
When he movie “Generaion Iron” came ou, i had been over a year since my pars were filmed. Tha was he year I had been incarceraed or seven monhs wih he immigraion saus issue, and my pars wer sho only a ew monhs aer I go ou. I was sill in he process o regaining he muscle size and densi I had los in ha ime. So ob y I was down in size. Bu when he movie was released, I was more or less back o my normal size. So many people came up o me who had seen he movie and said, “Wow, you go a lo bigger! Wha have you been doing?” I guess i wasn’ a supid quesion unless hey knew my siuaion, bu I answered wih he ruh. I said I had been liing w and eaing a lo o ood. You do ha, and you grow! Once in a while, people will ask me wha’s going o happen o me when I sop liing. I know wha hey are hinking, ha all my muscles will urn o a. Bu since I never plan on no liing, my hones answ , “I I have sopped liing, i means I’m dead.” And maybe my avorie one is when people ask or some workou ips, bu hey have o add, “I don’ wan o ge oo big.” To paraphrase wha Arnold used o say when people said hey didn’ wan o look lik him, I ell hem, “Don’ worry, you won’.”
“People will ask me what’s going to happen to me when I stop lifing. I know what the are thinking, that all my muscles will turn to at. But since I never plan on not lifing, my honest answer is, ‘I I have stopped lifing, it means I’m dead.’” —Victor Martinez
No mater where I go, people wan o know how much I can bench press. I answer wih he ruh, which is ha I don’ know. I’m a bodybuilder, and I don’ rain o ge sronger. I ha’s no good enough or hem and hey sill need o know, I jus say I can bench press five plaes on each side. I’s no rue, bu i seems o saisf hem because i mus sound like wha hey hink I should be able o do. My avorie silly quesion is, “Do you work ou?” I smile and say “Yes, a litle bi.” Some guys migh ge ended, because we rain so hard and or years o look his big— and you would hink i’s obvious ha nobody looks like an Arnold Classic winner or someone who places op hree in he Mr. Olympia cones wihou working ou! Bu I undersand ha a lo o people don’ know any beter. We see superheroes and acion heroes in movies who are very big and muscular, and hey never work ou. They jus look ha way. Someimes people ask me i I’m a wresler. I’ve also been old I would be a good “bad guy” or he WWE. Those guys are on he road somehing like 250 days a year, plus hey ge badly injured all he ime. No hanks!
146
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
“Do you work out?” I say no. I’ve told people I’m a swimmer or a pro table tennis player, and they don’t seem surprised. “How much can you bench? How much can you lif?” One time I was at a gas station, wearing one o my “Branch” sleeveless shirts, and a guy told me I looked a lot like Branch Warren. I said I get that a lot. In Brazil, some big bald guy with a goatee told me people mistake him or me all the time. I ound that odd, because even though he was a big dude, he was nowhere near as big as me, and a lot taller. Sometimes when I’m out in really rural areas, people ask me i I’m a “rassler,” or wrestler. But it’s all good. I don’t expect most people to know what bodybuilding is all about, and I sure don’t expect many people outside o the sport to know who I am.
u work out?’ I say no. I’ve told peopl I’m a swimmer or a pro table tennis player and they don’t seem surprised.” —Bra ch Warren
OP ion that annoys me when I’m prepping or a show is, “How do you in the final weeks I eel beat-u , but that’s part o the pro that peak condition. The t during those times that’s ating is, “How do you ?” I say, “Well, I’m training to win, so th t’s what I would like to happen!” I k ow people are just trying to ation and show their interest and supp rt in you, even i they don’t know much a bout what it is I do. I’ve even about to ask guys or girls hows how they eel, but I catch mysel nd instead tell them they look great an to keep up the good work. It’s usually b st to offer an encouraging her than ask a question. Another q estion I get that’s unny is, n you lif vague! Some imes they will ask i I can
MD 147
EVAN CENTOPANI cont. hem (probably, bu I’m no going o ry) or a car (How? Lif he rear bumper up a ew inches, or press a car over my head?). Then here’s one I don’ ge oo much because I don’ go ou much, especially o places like bars and clubs. Bu bodybuilders can ge his quesion a any pe o gahering: “How can I ge in shape?” The only reason I don’ like his quesion is ha 99 percen o he ime, i isn’ sincere. This person has no inenion o ollowing hrough on any o he advice you migh offer hem. And i’s a serious quesion, because hose o us who are in good shape like o offer help and insigh o hose who genuinely wan o improve hemselves physically. Bu mos o he ime, i’s coming rom someone who doesn’ respec your ime and has no problem wasing i jus o make conversaion. Usually i he quesion is sincere, he person asking i is already making some pe o effor o exercise and ea righ. I hey’re sanding here wih a beer in one hand and a ho dog in he oher, chances are ha anyhing you ell hem will go in one ear and ou he oher.
Oh boy, I hink I have some good ones! Someone a he gym saw me he oher day. I was abou 300 pounds and carrying a leas 30 pounds more muscle since he las ime he saw me. His quesion? “Do you sill compee?” No, I’m geting bigger and bigger or he hell o i! I jus said, “Yeah, I’m a pro now and will be compeing nex spring.” Anoher one I ge a lo is, “How many hours a day do you spend in he gym?” I blows heir mind when I ell hem I ge my workous done in abou an hour. They honesly expec ha I rain or eigh hours every day. I hink ha’s wha hey wan o hear, because hen hey could say, “Well, I have work and oher suff o do, I don’ have all ha ime o work ou like you.” Someone saw me in cones condiion one ime and asked me, “So do you have o die o look like ha, or do you jus ea whaever?” I acually laughed ou loud beore explaining ha yes, I definiely have o die. I migh have been ha same day ha I saw a guy siting on he Hammer Srengh incline press machine eaing a Subway sandwich and drinking a ginger ale. I guess he doesn’ have o die, bu I sure do. I ge he “How much do you bench” quesion a lo. I really don’ bench press, bu i wouldn’ mater. Any ime I’ve ried o come up wih a pre close esimae, hey always know someone who can do 100 pounds more. And people always know someone bigger han you, oo. I was in Wal-Mar no oo long ago when a guy sopped me and said, “Man, you are huge!” I hanked him, righ beore he wen on o ell me his broher used o work ou and he was he same size as me. I jus said wow, ha’s grea! Bu meanwhile, I was hinking, was his name Jay Culer? There seem o be a lo o hese myserious reaks. My sae o Kenucky only has hree acive IFBB pros ha I know o— me, 212 compeior Tricky Jackson and Brad Davis. I don’ know where all hese oher monsers have been hiding ou. ■
148
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
A CUT ABOVE ADVICE FOR NEW BODYBUILDERS I’m 21 years old and now I am geting very serious abou bodybuilding. When I do somehing, I do i o he bes o my abili, shooing o be he bes. I wan o go pro and one day be in he running or he Mr. Olympia! My quesion is, now being where you are and afer all your accom- plishmens and wih your experience in he spor/liesle, wha advice would you give me and any oher upcoming bodybuilder ha you wish you would have known when you were geting sared? This migh sound weird, bu here’s nohing I wish I knew back hen ha I don’ know now. By ha I don’ mean ha I knew everyhing— ar, ar rom i. I made misakes, I learned as much as I could, and I did i on my own. When I firs sared a age 18, I only had wo goals in mind. The firs was jus o become a bodybuilder, which mean raining hard and eaing well on a consisen basis. Beyond ha, I knew I waned o compee airly soon and see how I did. By 19 I was he Teenage Naional Heavyweigh Champion, bu rom here I knew i would be a big sep o succeeding in he Men’s Open ranks. I sruggled financially or a ew years in my early o mid-20s, and ha’s wha moivaed me o sar promoing mysel wih hings like T-shirs and auographed 8x10s. Since his was sill a ew years beore he Inerne ook off, I markeed hose by sending ou flyers adverising my merchandise any ime I answered an mail. Wih he ease o websies and emails we have now, i’s hard
you did it on your own.”
and seal and how much money I paid or posage when you can do i all so much aser and cheaper now. Tha’s how my mail order business sared, which evenually grew o include my DVDs and my clohing line. Once he Inerne was in place and more and more people go online, I ook advanage o ha as a markeing ool wih my own websie, and laer wih he social neworking sies as well. People marvel a my success as a businessman, bu o me here was never a quesion ha I had o be. I you wan o compee and atain sar saus in his spor, you need o be able o finance yoursel. You can be like mos and dream ha a sponsor or sponsors will do all ha or you, bu good luck wih ha. I’d raher ake i ino my own hands insead o leaving i up o ohers. And once you sar winning shows and making some money, you can’ sop capializing on opporuniies. When I was doing so well winning shows around 2002-2004, I invesed in real esae. So looking back, I’m acually glad I didn’ have many people showing me he way or giving me advice. There’s a cerain saisacion ha comes rom knowing you did i on your own. GOING HEAVY ON SHOULDERS Wha’s he mos you have ever pressed or shoulders? Back a he Gold’s in Worceser, MA in he early o mid-1990s, behind-neck barbell presses were a very popular lif, and somehow everybody wen up o 405 on i. Obviously ha mean ha he spoters were ofen doing a pre heavy uprigh row! I recall being able o do a ew good reps wihou much help a all. In 2006 and 2007 my main pressing movemen or shoulders was he sanding barbell press. I can say or sure ha I did hose reps on my own! I wen up o 315 on sanding presses. Tha’s one exercise ha involves a lo o echnique. I you ge away rom i or a while and come back o i, you find you can’ handle anywhere near as much weigh. I I did i oday I would probably have a rough ime wih 225, bu wihin a ew weeks I would be back up o hree plaes. For dumbbells, I have done he 160s or eigh o 10 reps, bu I don’ eel he need o go quie ha heavy anymore. I sill go up o he 140s. And I should noe ha I will have someone pu hem on my legs, bu I like o kick hem up ino he sar posiion by mysel. I jus eel like I have beter balance wih hem ha way as opposed o having hem handed o me a shoulder level. ■
MD 149
WITH 7-TIME MR. OLYMPIA ARNOLD SCHWARZENE BY RON HARRIS
ARNOLD STYLE remendous leaps in he area o nuriion over “Boh Franco and I used o approach a cones acuhe las our decades, and in many ways we have. Thanks ally under our compeiion weighs, and hus had o gain o a greaer ineres in general in socie abou how we ve pounds or so in he final week. This mean we didn’ ea and how various oods affec our healh, appearance have o resric our dies oo much, and we ended up eeland perormance, even he average person on he sree ing beter and sronger, and looking a lo beter. Bulking has a greaer awareness and base level o knowledge up, I believe, is a misake, and now ha here is a Grand Prix circui o proessional coness, which he pros have abou nuriion han he did in generaions pas. Bodybuilders have always been a ew seps ahead o even o be ready or week aer week, he pracice o becoming he medical world when i comes o he subjec, since we overweigh and hen dieing severely is geting o be a use our bodies as experimens hing o he pas.” o see how various nuriens and A couple o hings need o combinaions hereo affec our be menioned here. Today’s physiques or beter or worse. bodybuilders oen cycle seroids Smugly, I had assumed ha coninuously, wih brie breaks Arnold Schwarzenegger and his here and here o allow heir peers were quie backward comsysems o deoxif. In Arnold’s pared o modern-day bodybuildera, i was pracically unheard ers in erms o heir inormaion o o use drugs ha oen. In he and heories on nuriion. Tha’s -season, hey would usually why I was quie surprised o see rain naurally and sayed lean. how much o heir pracices sill Bodyweighs would come down hold up oday. In he book significanly. Thus, Arnold was known or being a lean 210-215 in Bodybuilding For Men, Arnold lays ou some very solid advice ha his off-season, and would only can be applied jus as successinroduce gear ino he equaion ully in 2014 as i was in 1974. when i was ime o prepare or Firs, le’s look a he off-seahe Mr. Olympia, where he comson pracice o “bulking up.” We peed a anywhere rom 225-240 en hink o i as an old-school pounds. I’s rue ha i ook lonpracice. In he 1940s and all he ger o make muscular gains wih way hrough he 1960s, i was comhis pracice, and ha gains were monplace or bodybuilders o gain probably limied overall since excess amouns o body a in heir hese men didn’ have he advanbeter was beter. ques o make gains. In addiion o age o heavy drugs and heavy eaing mainly whole eggs, red mea and poaoes, i was ood inake or much o he year. Bu hen again, size also pical o drink a gallon o whole milk every day— a all coss was no he prevailing noion in hose days. and in some cases, even heavy cream! By he 1970s, mos Bigger was no beter— beter was beter. The idea o had abandoned ha pracice. Arnold acually sernly limiing a gain sill makes a lo o sense oday, regardadvised agains geting oo heavy in our ques o grow: less. Wheher or no you need o remain lean or any “One hin I can give is no o ‘bulk up,’ or le yoursel compeiions or appearances, exra body a will only pu on a lo o exra a weigh during your raining ha make hings harder or you when he ime does come will only have o be dieed off or he cones. Bodybuildo rim down or any reason. You’re beter off saying ers are ap o do his because being heavier makes hem in decen shape, even as your sole purpose or cerain eel bigger, bu his is an illusion— ha exra weigh is no phases o your year is o grow.
150
ABOUT DIETING: “Dieing or bodybuilding requires discipline. To keep your relaive a weigh down, you simply can’ ea as much as you would like. Even when you are geting enough nuriens, you may sill eel deprived. One way o ease his is o ake up some orm o high-calorie workou in addiion o your raining in he gym. Remember, or every 100 calories you burn up running or riding a bicycle, ha is anoher 100 calories you can add o your die wihou gaining any weigh.” The pracice o doing cardio as par o cones preparaion really didn’ come ino vogue unil he lae 1980s, oddly enough. Perhaps no coincidenally, cardio ook on greaer prominence as “ bulking up” o ever-heavier off-season weighs became rouine. When you say in decen shape year-round, very litle cardio is needed o achieve cones condiion. Speaking o condiion, his saemen rom Arnold was clearly way ahead o is ime: “When you have wo bodybuilders o equal developmen, i is he one wih he cus— he mos definiion— who is going o win.” This is ruer now han i ever has been. Cus and deails win shows, especially rom he back. You can have a lineup o compeiors ha all look ripped rom he ron, bu when hey urn around, he hamsrings and glues separae he ew who are in sickening condiion rom he res, and he winner will be one o hem. To hi ha coveed near-zero body a percenage, say airly lean all year, add in as much cardio as needed, and be sure o die on no more calories han you acually need, regardless o your hunger or cravings. ■
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
WITH 8-TIME MR. OL
Wha is “The Awe Facor”? The easies answer is, when you see i, you know! I’s a disinc quali ha separaes a bodybuilder ar apar rom he res o he pack. I sops you in your racks, fills you wih admiraion, and creaes a hunger o become a bodybuilder. Only a ruly beauiul physique can do his. As a youngser, I used o read magazines like Muscular Development, and Muscle Training Illustrated and was mesmerized by he images o men like Arnold, Robby, Serge Nubre, Frank Zane, Ed Corney and Sergio Oliva. Le’s pu Sergio in his own caegory, because he was The Myh! All hese men had a angible presence. They were he epiome o wha bodybuilding was supposed o represen, and i’s wha we all aspired o look like. As a een, I envisioned mysel developing ha look: he symmery and balance o Frank Zane wih his vacuum wais, and he mass o Arnold and how he ook up he whole sage, and overpowered his opponens. I also admired he flawless presenaion o Ed Corney and how he glided across he sage, and Robby Robinson, The Black Prince, who looked perec in every pose. All he bodybuilders I’ve menioned had remendous shoulder-o-wais differenials and could display a vacuum wih hands overhead as well as in he ron double biceps and ron la spread poses. Now I look around, and all I see are massive men wih big gus and big buts! My heroes all garnered admiraion rom he general public and many, like me, aspired o look like hem. Can we say he same abou oday’s pros?
LET’S GET MORE SPECIFIC NOW. THERE ARE THREE DIMENSIONS TO THE AWE FACTOR AS I SEE IT. 1. Symmery and balance o body pars. 2. Musculari— clear muscle separaion and muscle mauri/fine deails. 3. Presenaion, or he abili o presen he overall package in an arul way ha connecs wih he audience and draws hem in. The sars o yeseryear never needed o signal o he audience o cheer and applaud or hem!
I believe The Awe Facor was sacrificed once mass became he mos imporan acor in bodybuilding. As a resul, wha I see now is pro bodybuilding geting smaller and smaller. Meanwhile, Men’s Physique is growing exponenially
because i appeals o he ideals o physical beau. I’s a look he general public finds ar more appealing, and i’s ar more markeable. Think abou how much more markeable bodybuilding used o be. Dave Draper and Arnold were all over films and TV. I mysel had my own workou shows on ESPN and TBN, plus a shoe conrac. Tha was possible because he general public admired us. We promoed healh and finess, no becoming a shapeless mass monser wih a hick wais. Who really wans o look like ha? Does ha look in any way healhy? Look a he numbers a NPC shows, all he way rom local and regional o he naional shows. There are usually wice as many MPD compeiors as here are bodybuilders. Wide shoulders apering down o a small wais is he male ideal going back o ancien Greece. How did bodybuilders lose ha? One reason is he dies. We used o avoid bee, bu oday’s bodybuilders ea plen o i. Bee is grea or building muscle, bu our bodies don’ diges i well, and i can lead o proruding bellies. Some have said I was he firs “mass monser” Mr. Olympia champion, since I was he firs one o compee a over 240 pounds. Ye I sill had a nice aper and was able o hi a vacuum like Frank Zane and Robby. Afer me, i became all abou mass a all coss. Symmery, balance and muscle quali became less imporan as he years wen on. Changes in raining mehods were definiely a acor ha had an impac on The Awe Facor. When I alk o bodybuilders now, he majori o hem only rain a body par once every seven days. And hey look like i! They’re big, bu he balance and muscle mauri are missing. I also see a lo o injuries. You never heard abou Arnold, Zane, Robby, Alber Beckles or me earing our pecs, quads or biceps. We had he righ raining sysems in place, and we undersood ha a grea physique akes ime o craf. You can’ rush i. I you do, bad hings happen and he end resul isn’ pre. Again, when your primary concern is building he bigges body you can, i’s no going o be he bes body. I don’ see anyone righ now wih ha Awe Facor, bu here are men ou here raining who have ha poenial. I’s all a mater o doing hings he righ way, and we can ge The Awe Facor back. Nex Monh: How o rain and ea or The Awe Facor! ■ Would you like o rain wih eigh-ime Mr. Olympia Lee Haney? Lee offers boh online and personal raining or ouo-own guess. Visi www.leehaney.com or a complee lis o services! Check ou videos rom he IAFS workshops a www.youube. com/user/IAFSCerificaion. For more inormaion, please visi he websie a www.iascerificaion.com. Go a quesion or Lee Haney? You can ask him direcly on he MD websie and have Lee personally answer your quesion! Go o www.musculardevelopmen.com, MD Forums, MD Saff and Pros, Q and A or Lee Haney Zone.
MD 151
WITH 8-TIME MR. OLYMPIA RONNIE C
TRANSITIONING BACK TO TRAINING
also need o se somehing sr places ha I used
you would ransiion rom no lifing a all back o using heavy weighs ha you did? How gradually did you k o hose, and how long did i usually ake o ge our usual weighs? Also, how did you o mainain so much mass wih hree no raining? I’ve seen picures o he end o hose phases and you s as big as ever! ason I sared aking he hree
cause i keeps coming up in various
i. I sure didn’ do ha all he ime. I know people l hink I was a superhero, bu come on now!
TRAVELING DURING PREP
emped o keep up
, and herniaed a disk squating
e n
e ha my body needed a much sanial break afer compeing. he year rom he gym and k in January. I did in hose hree ven i i looked ’. I would o down rom 0 so ha’s 30 aybe because I an i didn’ look like When I sared workain, I would begin wih al o my usual weighs. So i rk up o 200-pound dumbbells
you have been abl rain and ea he you needed o i y been flying all ov world like ha ba hose days? 12 weeks ou once
on now!”
l ocus 100 percen on ! Now s
or fl
do boh o hose hings a he 00s, and so on or all my exercises. I usu-
r he Arnold Classic, because ha’s a huge expo usry and my ans expeced o see me looking way when I would be here a my sponsor’s weekend. I would basically jus go up five or a week in all my exercises, jus nice and o my joins and endons were able o ad jus a lit e bi a a ime o he heavier loads.
SQUATS AFTER SURGERY? ha since you have new hips, you plan o heavy squating. You’re over 50 years old ou really hink ha’s a good idea? a was jus wha docor said— ha I could us abou how careul I needed o be wih my cial hip joins, and he le me know ha hey s srong as mine used o be years ago. So i I go back o really heavy squas, my hips would e. I will be happy o ge back up o 315 and say or a ew ses o good reps, like 12. There is no do 600-700 ounds like I used o all he ime. I
152
ono your ile means you have o a solid hree or our monhs ou o your ye devoe pre much every waking minue raining, eaing, resing and various her adjusmens. There was no way I could done ha and been on he road, especia going ou o he counry like I do now so en because my brand is sold all over he wo Missing meals, missing sleep and workin a srange gyms real lae a nigh finally ge a chance is par o h was compeing, ha was cepable. ■
CHECK OUT RONNIE’S WEBSITES ronniecoleman.net, bigroncoleman.com,Facebook: Ronnie Coleman Signature Series, Instagram: @RonnieColeman8
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
WITH 2008 MR. OLYMPIA DEXTER JA
WITH THE LEGENDARY CHARLES GLASS You have been raining for a quarer-cenury now, and you obvi- ously know how o rain a an exper level. Some have quesioned why you would need Charles Glass o rain you. Obviously here mus be a good reason, since you spend a lo of ime and money o rain wih him in LA, across he counry from your home in Florida. Tha’s almos like asking why op MMA fighers or boxers need rainers and coaches— don’ hey already know how o figh? Of course I know how o rain. Bu even as long as I’ve been doing his, I don’ know everyhing. We all end o ge setled ino doing our favorie exercises, and our workous can be pre much he same for years. I love Charles’ raining sle, and how he is able o come up wih new hings ha shock your muscles by working hem differenly han wha hey’re used o. And hen here’s Gold’s Venice. I’s no he same as i was 20-30 of equipmen, wih some really unique pieces you won’ even find in some of he beter gyms in places like Florida and New York. The amosphere is full of energy, oo. There are sill a good amoun of pros and op amaeurs raining here, plus some celebriies who are very serious abou heir workous. When I’m home in Jacksonville, I’m he only high-level compeior a my gym. I’s ough o moivae yourself o rain in ha warrior zone when you’re already he op dog. When I’m ou in Venice, I see Shawn Rhoden all he ime, plus Brad Rowe, Hide Yamagishi and ohers who come ou jus like me o The Mecca. I can’ really explain how good Charles Glass is a wha he does. You can ge an idea from waching videos, bu unil you acually have him pu you hrough a workou, you can’ ruly appreciae he man’s skills.
SHARP AT AGE 45
HOW MUCH REST BETWEEN SETS?
You’ve been competing or many years now. I know you’ve done very well many times, and there have also been a ew times when you didn’t do as well as you had hoped. How do you pick yoursel back up mentally afer a contest when things didn’t go the way you had hoped or planned they would? Forunaely for me, I usually eiher win or place very highly. I’ve never been ou of he op 10 in he Mr. Olympia all hese years, and he las ime I was ou of he op five in any show oher han he O was over 12 years ago. I don’ ge angry or upse when I don’ win, because you can’ win ‘em all. I’m graeful ha I have 20 pro wins now, including a Mr. Olympia and four Arnold Classic iles. I’ve been in over 70 shows now, and I’m sill doing really well. Aside from winning he Arnold and he Dubai Open his year, I placed op five in he Mr. Olympia and won hree oher op-hree spos. Considering I will be 45 by he ime his issue comes ou, I hink ha’s pre good! This is my job, bu I’m sill having fun wih i oo. If you asked me 10 years ago if I hough I would sill be doing his, I would have laughed. Bu here I am, 15 years as a pro and sill making a good living and placing high. A his poin, jus being in hose firs callous and knowing I am in he mix in spie of all he alen ha’s come up in he spor over he las few years is a grea feeling. I guess I didn’ really answer your quesion, because I don’ ge down on myself er shows, win or lose. If I do sar dropping lower and lower down he ranks, ha will jus be my cue ha i’s ime o walk away. I hink I will have he sense enough o go before ha happens.
How much res do you hink bodybuilders should ake beween ses? I ge a beter pump if I res less, bu I am able o use more weigh if I ake longer ress. I know he pump is imporan, bu heavy weighs are oo. How do I srike a good balance beween hose wo hings and my res periods? There is no universal answer, so I always ell people o res as long as you need o. Some people need a litle more ime beween ses. If I am raining by myself, I usually ake abou 60-90 seconds beween ses. If I am wih a raining parner, or wo, ha dicaes he res imes. You res as long as i akes he oher guy or guys o do heir se. I acually find ha wo raining parners, wih no alking I should add, is he perfec pace for me. I les me ge my srengh back and my breahing back o normal, bu I say warm and keep my pump oo. ■
154
Visi Dexer’ s official websie : dexerheblade.com. You can also follow Dexer on Twiter @MrOlympia08 and on Insagram a mrolympia08. Go a quesion for Dexer Jackson? You can ask him direcly on he MD websie and have Dexer personally answer your quesion! Go o www. musculardevelopmen.com, MD Forums, MD Saff and Pros, Q and A for Dexer Jackson.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
WITH 4-TIME MR. OLYMPIA PHIL HEATH BY RON HARRIS
consisenly excellen condiion. I’s so consisen ha on he rare occasions he doesn’ look nearly perec, such as aer his bou wih ood poisoning righ beore he 2009 Mr. Olympia or coming in a bi fla or Friday nigh’s judging, here is widespread uproar and proclamaions ha “Phil is off!” Le’s pu i his way, his “off” is sill ar beter han mos pros a heir very bes! So o course, given his saus as he greaes bodybuilder in he world, aspiring champs are eager o know his secres. As wih any pro, hey are very curious o see his exac macronurien breakdowns in hopes o emulaing his success. This may be disappoining o mos o hem, bu Phil is a litle more simple and less abou exac numbers when i comes o his die meals. Firs, he discusses his proein sources. “In my mind, i’s six o eigh meals a day,” he begins. “Generally hey run abou 65-70 grams o proein, so i you’re doing 10 ounces o cooked-weigh proein, you’re gonna ge ha. Then I decide wha pe o proein I’m gonna use. I can’ jus ea egg whies all day, or chicken, or seak. They all ge assimilaed differenly, and my bigges hing is o make sure my digesion is good. So i you only ea seak all he ime, you jus can’ because i akes oo long o chew, hen diges. The bigges hing wih me or bodybuilding is paying atenion o your digesion. I you can’ process ood a cerain way, hen how are you going o ea five o 5,000 calories? I’s jus no going o work.” Nex, Phil addresses his carb choices. “There are so many differen carb sources. I don’ do brown rice a whole lo anymore. I I were one o hose guys who had a hard ime geting in shape, I’d ea i all he ime. Bu i burns hrough me so as, hen I sar going really fla and reak ou. My muscles require more dense carbs. So I’ll do whie rice, red poaoes, yellow or whie poaoes, swee poaoes, whole-whea pasa or rice pasa. I jus depends on how I’m looking.” Here’s where Phil makes a clear disincion beween he way a seasoned compeior such as himsel
If a four-time Mr. Olympia doesn’t need cheat meals, why do you?
approaches dieing as opposed o hose wih ar less experience, who haven’ ye learned heir bodies and need a more srucured plan. “I’s jus like insincive raining. You’re going o have some pe o insincive dieing as well, because dieing is very dynamic. A lo o guys, hey’re jus geing involved in his spor. They have o have a cerain die, because hey’ve never really done i. And i hey do, hey don’ do everyhing righ. They sar cheaing and so on. I’ve kind o learned over he years wha works and wha doesn’. I ake ons o noes, ons o picures. Can I ge away wih eaing a bunch o junk? Probably. Bu ha’s he las hing I wan o do geting ready or he show.” Tha brings us o he conroversial subjec o chea meals. A huge percenage o boh amaeur and pro compeiors no only include hem, bu oen depend on hem o keep heir sani. I’ve even heard o many amaeurs who choose heir prep coaches based on wheher or no hey allow heir cliens o have chea meals! I should no come as a surprise ha Phil Heah is ar more disciplined and dedicaed o being he bes han hose pes, who won’ even embark on a die i i’s going o be “oo sric.” “I’m no doing chea meals or anyhing like ha, which sucks,” he admis, showing he is human like he res o us. “You kind o wan ha, bu my rainer, Hany Rambod and I, we normally say, why don’ we add more as in; some avocado, differen pes o fish, seak meals or a higher carb inake raher han o jus go ou and say, ‘OK, go ou and have a burger.’ I know a lo o rain-
ers jus say, ‘I jus ell my guy o have a cheeseburger and some ries.’ I’s like yeah, ha’s cool, bu you’re no gonna ge a lo o proein in ha meal. More han likely, i you ell a guy o have a chea meal, he’s gonna go o McDonald’s. I you’re smar, you’re gonna make a burger a home. Who wans o do ha? You’re no going o do ha. You’re gonna go a o a nice grocery sore, ge some 96 percen lean ground bee, and make a nice burger? (Noe: his is wha Hany recommends.) No, you’re gonna go ea garbage and 2-3,000 calories. You’re gonna be a bloaed mess. Those cheas are supposed o help you ge beter, o rese your body a lit a desire in your brain.” Many o you who compee need o read ha las secion again, and show i o hose you know who also compee, paricularly women. Hal he phoos on Insagram posed by compeiors in Figure, Bikini and Women’s Physique seem o be shos o almond buter, baked goods or sraigh-up junk ood ha hey jusif needing as “chea meals” essenial o he die process. I a our-ime Mr. Olympia doesn’ need chea meals, why do you? You can raionalize i any way you like, bu Phil poins ou wha should be obvious. Clean, quali ood is wha makes physiques look heir bes. I you can’ bring yoursel o ea ha way or 12-16 weeks, you should rehink wheher or no you have wha i akes o go ar in compeiion. ■ Source: “Mr. Olympia Phil Heath and Marc Lobliner on How to be Great,” video on www.Tger Fitness.com.
MD 155
WITH 6-TIME MR. OLYMPIA DORIAN YA
CHANGE THE SHAPE OF MUSCLE I have a flat biceps. Is it a genetic predisposition, or can it be trained to get the desired peak and shape? Boh he shape o your muscle as well as is lengh is geneically predeermined and canno be alered. You can influence hings somewha by emphasizing cerain aspecs o a muscle hrough your exercise selecion. For example, I know ha when I sopped doing heavy hack squas or a ime, he ouer sweep o my quadriceps was less pronounced. Bu your muscle lengh, meaning where i insers, can’ be changed. I recall ha afer earing my biceps in 1994, several people— and hese were people who should know beter— said ha I should do more preacher curls o “fill in he gap” by building my “lower biceps.” There was no muscle issue in ha gap, jus as a person wih calves ha inser very high can’ make his calves inser any lower no mater wha exercises he does or hem. Anoher bodybuilder asked me how o fill in he gap in his mid ches, bu ha was jus he way his pecs insered, a couple o inches away rom he midline o he body. As ar as adding a peak o your biceps, he bes you can do is rain your biceps and ge hem bigger. Their shape will be whaever i was mean o be. Sergio Oliva and Kevin Levrone boh had huge biceps, bu heirs were ooball-shaped wih no peaks. Even Arnold himsel, known or having some o he bes biceps peaks o all ime, had a much beter peak on one o his biceps han he oher. The one wih he beter peak was he one he used in all single biceps poses. Obviously, Arnold rained boh his biceps he same. You ofen see ha many bodybuilders have riceps ha are longer or have a differen shape rom one side o he oher, oo. The botom line is ha here’s nohing you can do abou i anyway, so don’ boher worrying abou i. Train hard and be he bes you can be.
156
MY TRIP TO AFRICA The laes rip I ook wih my wie Gal was o wo counries in Arica, Kenya and Uganda. We sared off by doing a seminar a Eccenric Approach Finess in Nairobi, Kenya’s capial. I’s a high-end gym owned by a ormer raining clien o mine. In reurn, he arranged or a hree-day saari in he Masai Mara Naional Park. I was Gal’s firs rip o Arica, and we were able o see lions, giraffes, elephans, cheeahs, baboons, hippos and many oher animals in heir naural habia. We me Masai ribesmen as well. Back in Nairobi, we also checked ou some o he poorer pars o he . We ound a couple o rooms crammed wih homemade exercise equipmen ha someone had dubbed “Gold’s Gym,” complee wih he logo pained on he wall. I hough Temple Gym was basic and hardcore, bu his place made i look posiively posh in comparison. From Kenya, we spen hree days in Uganda. I had been here 15 years ago, bu I waned Gal o have he chance o go up o he mounains and see he mounain gorillas oo. This ime, I go o si down abou wo meers away rom a big silverback or a good 30 minues. He looked over a me, and I le him know I recognized he was he alpha, so he wen righ back o munching on his leaves. I was happy o hear ha hanks o he governmen working wih he people in ha area, hey have been able o increase he gorilla populaion rom 600 when I was here las o 800. And jus as a side noe or any who may be wondering, Arica is a very large coninen and we were housands o miles away rom anyone wih Ebola! ■ For information on DY Nutrition, visit www.dorianyatesnutrition.com. To inquire about Dorian Yates Gym franchises, see www.templegyms.com. Got a question for Dorian Yates? You can ask him directly on the MD website and have Dorian personally answer your question! Go to www. musculardevelopment.com, M D Forums, No Bull, The DY Zone.
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
N
U
T
R
I
T
I
O
N
BY STEPHEN E. ALWAY, PH.D., FACSM ILLUSTRATIONS BY WILLIAM P. HAMI LTON, CMI
A compuer or oher elecronic device works day in er he new files are added, he compuer
a bench presses and flyes. These exercises pecoralis muscles, bu he more medial regions o he ches can become underdeveloped relaive o he ouer areas. Likewise, doing pressdowns or monhs may leave your riceps a bi sale. I his sounds like you, hen you have a perec reason o reboo your program by adding Smih machine close grip-bench presses. This exercise reboos he sleeping fibers in he pecoralis o he ches, especially along he sernum. The close grip and sricness o Smih machine close-grip benches can be , bu being ougher makes he resuls o his reboo all he more saisfing.
BARBELL BENCH PRESSES
158
MUSCLE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION The pecoralis major muscle ataches o and moves he humerus bone o he arm hrough he shoulder (glenohumeral) join. The pecoralis major muscle has wo heads. The clavicular head lies along he anerior, lower surace o he clavicle (collarbone). The sernocosal head originaes rom he manubrium (he op porion o he sernum) and ribs. The clavicular and sernocosal heads converge on a groove near he head o he humerus bone. Boh heads o he pecoralis major muscle adduc he humerus bone (draw he arm oward he midline o he body) and medially roae he humerus a he shoulder join. They also flex he humerus bone by moving he upper arm aneriorly (oward he ron o he body), and his is he major uncion achieved in close-grip bench presses. By moving he hands close ogeher, he arms are adduced, and he inner pars o he pecoralis muscles are acivaed mos srongly in his hand posiion. The riceps brachii muscle is also hammered inensely wih close-grip Smih machine bench presses. The laeral head o he muscle begins on he poserior par o he humerus (upper arm bone) near he shoulder join. The inner par or he long head begins on he scapula (shoulder blade) jus inerior o (below) he head o he humerus a he shoulder join. The medial head lies deeper o and beween he oher wo heads o he riceps. I covers wo-hirds o upper and poserior par o he humerus bone. The fibers rom all hree heads o he riceps come ogeher o atach o a common riceps endon ha crosses he elbow join o he ulna bone o he orearm. Conracion o he riceps brachii muscle exends he orearm a he elbow (sraighens he elbow join). In addiion, he belly o he long head o he riceps muscle is bes acivaed when he arm is moved poseriorly ino shoulder exension, and his happens very well in he
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
MACHINE BENCH PRESS You should warm up your shoulders and ches wih a ligh se or wo beore hit . Afer he warm-up, place a fla bench below he bar o a Smih machine. Load he Lie supine on he bench. Place your hands on he bar wih a pronaed grip (palms acing he ceiling and away rom your le narrower han shoulder widh. Roae he bar o disengage he sae clasps so ha you can move he bar. Lif he bar by exending (sraighening) Slowly lower he bar o where i jus barely makes conac wih he lower par o your ches. You should inhale as he Immediaely explode upward wih he bar, and exhale as he bar goes up a a high veloci. he high-veloci push will maximize muscle recruimen and srengh developmen in 4
6.hree minues5, and hen hi he nex se.
o maximize power gains, res beween one and a hal o
Smih machine keeps he exercise orm igh— and his should minimize poenial injuries in close-grip bench presses. High reps wih lower weigh on he Smih machine can give also you a grea pump, which can creae noable increases in mass ne or he Smih machine is ha i you can’ finish your se, you can roae your wriss and lock he bar saely ino he side rails. hus, you should no eel inimidaed or araid o go he wall on he las ew ses o your rouine. A ches or riceps lacking proper balance will kill your chances o aking he big sage. However, an upper body reboo wih Smih machine close-grip bench presses will pack mass on your riceps and pecoralis, and orce you o make room a home o show off your new rophies. ■ Reerences:
down posiion o close-grip Smih machine bench presses. Along wih he pecoralis and he riceps brachii, he close-grip bench press acivaes he anerior fibers o he deloid as he weigh is moved upward. Even he laissimus dorsi and eres major muscles o he upper back are acive, boh as sabilizers or he shoulder and when he humerus is exended a he shoulder. he fla barbell bench press limis he movemen o he glenohumeral join poseriorly (he roaor cuff muscles preven his poserior locaion) as he bar is being lowered. Unlike he barbell version, where orm can ge sloppy as he weigh ges heavier, which increases he risk or roaor cuff damage , he
1. Saeerbakken AH, van den Tllaar R, Fimland MS. A comparison o muscle acivi and 1-RM srengh o hree ches-press exercises wih differen sabili requiremens. J Spors Sci 2011;29:533-538. 2. Moore, KL and AF Dalley. Clinically oriened Anaomy. Fourh ediion. Balimore, Lippincot Williams & Williams, 1999; 685-781. 3. Ribeiro AS, Romanzini M, Schoeneld BJ, e al. Effec o differen warm-up procedures on he perormance o resisance raining exercises. Percep Mo Skills 2014;119:133-145. 4. Gonzalez-Badillo JJ, Rodriguez-Rosell D, Sanchez-Medina L, e al. Maximal inended veloci raining induces greaer gains in bench press perormance han deliberaely slower hal-veloci raining. Eur J Spor Sci 2014;14:772-781. 5. Tbana RA, Vieira DC, ajra V e al. Effecs o res inerval lengh on Smih machine bench press perormance and perceived exerion in rained men. Percep Mo Skills 2013;117:682-695. 6. Padulo J, Laffaye G, Chaouachi A, e al. Bench Press exercise: he key poins. J Spors Med Phys Finess 2014; in press. R40Y9999N00A140017 [pii] 7. Nicholson VP, McKean MR, Burket BJ. Low-load high-repeiion resisance raining improves srengh and gai speed in middle-aged and older aduls. J Sci Med Spor 2014; in press. S1440-2440(14)00144-3 [pii];10.1016/j.jsams.2014.07.018 [doi]
MD 159
[BUSTED!]
M
BY RICK COLLINS, J.D., cscs
L E R , D
Open any paper, browse he Inerne or urn on he elevision and you’ll see he laes scary news on esoserone (T). A new ra sudy links T o prosae cancer. Several new sudies purpor o link medical esoserone replacemen herapy (TRT) wih a higher risk o having a hear atack or sroke. An advisory commitee o he U.S. Food and Drug Adminisr ion (FDA) expressed concerns abou T overprescribing and cardiovascular ev Class acion lawyers wased no ime in filing CVE lawsuis or over 300 TRT plainiffs, combined as a mulidisric liigaion in ederal cour in norhern Illinois. I you’re on TRT, or hinking abou i, should you be alarmed? I asked Dr. Abraham Morgenaler, he Direcor o Men’s Healh Boson and an Associae Clinical Proessor o Urology a Harvard Medical School. He’s probably he world’s oremos exper on T and is known or his research and scienific wriing. A a ime when T hyseria dominaes mainsream discourse, who beter o help se he record sraigh? TESTOSTERONE IS UNDER FIRE THESE DAYS.WHY DO YOU THINK THERE’S SUCH A BACKLASH IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY AGAINST TRT?
Tesoserone use elicis a remarkable degree o passion, especially among hose opposed o i. Some o his appears o be a reacion agains over-he-op claims by supplemen providers and ani-aging enhusiass, some is barely disguised anipahy agains he pharmaceuical indusry, and I believe a lo o i comes rom individuals who are ani-sex. A similar sory played ou in he recen pas wih women and sex hormones also, where a very small repored risk in a highly publicized sudy (he Women’s Healh Iniiaive) caused a dramaic shif in our reamen o women wih menopause ha was never scienifically based. WHAT AREYOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RECENT JAMA [JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION] STUDY LINKING TRT WITH INCREASED HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES?
The JAMA sudy repored ha a group o esoserone-deficien men ha received T prescripions had 29 percen more CVEs (hear atack, sroke or deah) han a similar, unreaed group. This sudy has already undergone wo major correcions. Troublingly, neiher he auhors nor JAMA ediors disclosed ha he acual percen-
160
ages o individuals ha experienced an adverse even was lower by hal in he T group, and ha he researchers’ conclusion was derived rom a brand-new saisical mehodology ha has never been validaed. Even more concerning was ha he auhors subsequenly repored errors in heir daa ha involved more han 1,000 individuals, and discovered ha nearly 10 percen o he “allmale” populaion was acually women! Due o hese errors, more han 160 o he leading esoserone expers in he world, as well as 29 medical socieies, have called or reracion o his aricle, assering ha “he daa are no longer credible.” SOUNDS LIKE BAD SCIENCE. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE HIGHLY PUBLICIZED STUDY BY FINKLE ET AL., CLAIMING HIGHER CVE RISKS FOR MEN OVER 65 OR WITH A HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE? I WROTE A COLUMN ON IT A FEW ISSUES BACK, SHOWING THAT THE CVE RISK FOR MEN UNDER 65 WITH NO HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE WAS THE SAME AS THE RISK FOR SUCH MEN NOT ON TRT— AND THAT THE “ABSOLUTE” RISK FOR BOTH GROUPS WAS WELL UNDER ONE PERCENT.
Tha sudy was scienifically unsound. I compared hear atack raes in he 12 monhs prior o receiving a T prescripion o a period up
o 90 days afer he prescripion was filled, and repored ha he rae was 36 percen higher er he prescripion. However, since he daa refleced acual pracices by physicians and no an experimen, i mus be undersood ha any relucance o prescribe T or men wih recen hear atacks would resul in an arificially low rae o hear atacks prior o he prescripion. I his sudy were repeaed oday, wih all he recen concern abou T and hear disease, he rae o hear atacks prior o a prescripion could approach zero— which in urn would make i appear ha any appreciable rae er he prescripion would be higher even i he absolue hear ack raes were low. The mos imporan ac abou his sudy is ha acual hear atack raes were lower han expeced or all groups and subgroups in his sudy, including hose over 65. So ar, so good, bu say uned nex monh or more conroversial “T Talk” rom Dr. Morgenaler, including his houghs on prosae cancer risk. You won’ wan o miss i! ■ Rick Collins, JD, CSCS [www.rickcollins.com] is he lawyer ha members o he bodybuilding communi and nuriional supplemen indusry urn o when hey need legal help or represenaion. [© Rick Collins, 2014. All righs reserved. For inormaional purposes only, no o be consrued as legal or medical advice.]
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
with The Bodybuilding Wizard & Master Trainer Charles Glass
ANOTHER LOOK What are some things guys used to do in the gym that were very effective, but you just don’t see much of any- more? And why do you think those exercises have gone out of use? There are quie a ew hings, some o hem being very valuable and ohers no so much. For example, well ino he ‘70s and ‘80s, dumbbell pullovers were done as par o ches workous o “expand he ribcage.” Pullovers never could do such a hing, o course, because you’re alking abou your skeleon. Once you’re physically maure and have sopped growing in heigh, here’s nohing you can do ha will change your bones. Pullovers are sill a grea exercise or back day, bu mos bodybuilders find hey are able o isolae he las much beter using an acual pullover machine or mimicking he moion using a bar atachmen and a cable pulley, as opposed o lying on a bench wih a dumbbell. Then you have an exercise like he Jefferson Lif, which is like a deadlif done sraddling he bar wih one leg on eiher side. Kai Greene is he only modern compeior I can hink o who was sill doing hese, and even he go away rom hem a ew years back. You can see he difference in his hamsrings. A ew years ago, hey were on a whole oher level, maybe he bes in he spor. Now hey’re sill very good, bu hey don’ have ha pop and hang o hem like hey did when he was incorporaing Jeffersons on leg day. Anoher orgoten leg exercise ha bodybuilders used in he pas was sissy squas. They migh sound silly, bu ry hem righ afer leg exensions or any heavy press or squa. They orch he quads rom he hip all he way o he kneecap! I see changes in how people do sandard exercises, oo. On he fl close grip, as in jus inside o shoulder widh. Tha gave us he greaes range o moion. I see guys using a much wider hand spacing laely, and robbing he pecs o he range o moion hey need. As a resul, I see less ches developmen and more pec ears and shoulder problems. Bench pressing should never be done wih a wide grip unless you’re a powerlifer and have been coached o have perec echnique in ha sle. Speaking o range o moion, I see less and less o i in general now. Guys are doing more o hose choppy litle hal-reps jus so hey can use more weigh. I’s unny how we have so much more good inormaion available abou exercise, including ons o videos showing proper orm, ye orm appears o be geting worse. Finally, looking around Gold’s I see ha ewer and ewer people are doing drop ses anymore. I’s probably he simples and easies way o exend a se and make i work he muscle more inensely, bu I hink i’s slowly being orgoten.
164
“Guy has been growing and filling out his upper body to match his excellent legs, and you’ll see the biggest and best version of him yet.”
BODYBUILDERS TO WATCH IN 2015 Who do you see as the men to watch in 2015, both in the open and the 212 divisions? I will probably sound a litle biased alking abou hese wo 212 ahlees because I do rain hem, bu Hide Yamagishi and Guy Cisernino are boh going o make a real impac on ha division in he coming season. 2014 was Hide’s firs year in he 212s, and i was an adjusmen or him. Guy has been growing and filling ou his upper body o mach his excellen legs, and you’ll see he bigges and bes version o him ye. As or he reigning king o he 212s, Flex Lewis, here seems o be some debae as o wheher he’s going o move on o he open as previously planned, or remain in he 212 division. Personally, I eel he is all done being a 212 compeior, as he’s been growing and gaining oo much mass o say here. In he open class, my clien Shawn Rhoden had a grea 2014 season, aking second a boh he Arnold Classic and Arnold Europe, placing hird a he Mr. Olympia, and adding wo more wins o his record in Ausralia and San Marino. I eel you will see him move up he ladder anoher sep or wo in 2015. William Bonac rom Holland was a big surprise his pas season, wih so much hick, round muscle and superior condiion. He wasn’ a big name prior o his, bu you can be everyone will be waching him closely his coming year. Essa Obaid had big plans o come back beter han ever, and I will be working wih him o bring a new package o he sage. Las bu no leas is Big Ramy. We didn’ ge o see his bes in 2014. He had a respiraory inecion a ew weeks ou rom he New York Pro, which he sill managed o win, hen a hamsring injury leading up o he Mr. Olympia. I Ramy can say healhy and injury ree in 2015, along wih anoher year o hard raining and he muscle mauri ha brings, we migh finally see wha his reak is ruly capable o. and you could see i answered righ here in MD!
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
with the IFBB Pro George Farah
THERE ARE NO EXCUSES Edior’s noe: George received his email from an old friend ha he has no seen in years, and waned o share i wih MD readers. I hope his message finds you well, my friend. We me 20 years ago in Rocheser, New York. You were jus geting back in he hick o f i er your unforunae siuaion, and you were raining me. Those one-hour raining sessions wih our crew were more han mos people do in a week. George, I am no sure if his could ever make your MD column, since I “saing” somehing as opposed o “asking” a quesion. I’m wriing o le MD’s readers know a couple of facs abou you. The passion, commimen and love you have for BODYBUILDING, period, is why you are successful. George, your dedicaion o bodybuilding is no only eviden when i comes o being an imporan par of a pro bodybuilder’s plan, bu o anyone who is serious abou a “lifesle.” I have never used any gear, nor do I plan on doing so (keep in mind, I have no disrespec for he game … i jus was no in my plan). You always respeced ha, and assised me (and ohers) wih wha my plan needed o be. When we me, I was an-ou-of-shape, 175-pound, 25-year-old who was said o have an ahleic build (righ). We pu ogeher a plan ha involved eaing, sleeping and weigh raining he righ way, which was pre much he complee opposie of wha I was doing (I am sure you are chuckling, if you recall how misinformed I was). er wo years of eaing righ, I enered my firs wo naural bodybuilding compeiions and will never forge how hard I worked o finish h and fourh. Talk abou waning o qui righ here and hen— you always preached ha i’s abou improving “you versus you.” If you look beter a each compeiion, hen you ruly are building your body. You canno conrol wha ohers do or have (geneically). You can conrol wha you do— you need o give 100 percen, period. There are no excuses. I love my full- ime job, work 24/7, have a family bu sill find a way o ea righ and work ou for an hour. Coninue o keep i real, broher, as you always do. To MD’s readers, jus know when you hear a pro as respeced as George Farah sress he imporance of eaing, sleeping and raining righ and ha i really is no abou he gear, ake i o he bank. When you feel like quiting, jus hink abou why you sar ed. Take care, broher.
i ng , j us t . ” d r te s ta y ou
TONS OF GEAR TO GROW Guru, from listening to your seminars, it’s obvious that you tell it like it is. Is it true that in order to become a professional competitor or to compete in the Nationals, you need to take 2,000 milligrams-plus of testosterone? This is what one of my friends is telling me, and he placed in the top 10 at last year’s Nationals. Can you clear this up? Thanks in advance. Two grams plus? Wha he hell? Broher, maybe ha’s why he is only in he op 10 and no in he winner’s circle. I ge asked almos he same quesion a every gym I go o or a every show or seminar I atend. The righ answer is, absoluely no. Bu no mater wha I say or ell people, hey seem o never believe i. Then I ask myself, why do I boher even replying o such a quesion? The ruh is ha some smar people sill do lisen, and I jus hope ha you are one of hem. Broher, bodybuilding isn’ wha your local gym ras or people online are elling you. If I ell you ha my main Olympia guys ake less han people doing local shows, your reply will be somehing like, Yeah, righ, bu i’s he hones-o-God ruh. I don’ undersand why people sill make ha assumpion ha you mus ake ons of crap in order o grow. The ruh is ha bodybuilding is like he chain on your neck— if one link is missing, you’re no going o amoun o jack and squa, period. The firs hing you should be worried abou is your nuriional program. Is i perfecly and soundly pu ogeher? Are your workous consisen? Then how is your
sleeping patern? Are you get of res in order o recover and grow? The las hing you should be concerned abou is how much gear you’re aking. Botom line, like I said, is ha i’s everyhing, he complee picure— and no any one elemen, especially gear. Insead of lisening o wha people behind heir keyboards are saying, or lisening o wha your buddy in he gym is elling you, hire someone who has been here and done i hemselves— and mos imporanly, knows wha hey’re doing. Unil nex ime, be smar and don’ lisen o wha people are elling you, especially online. There are so many legends in heir own mind ou here, and I am sure he hings hey say are no coming from any knowledgeable books or sudies— i’s all coming from ou of heir minds. Say healhy and be smar, because here is always a life er bodybuilding. ■ George Farah is presening his opinions and he does no, in any way, shape or form, encourage or condone he use of any illegal or conrolled subsances. Nohing conained herein is o be consrued as medical advice. Use of any drugs and exercise regimen should only be done under he direcions and auspices of a licensed physician. The wrier does no claim o be a medical docor nor does he purpor o issue medical advice. Follow George Farah on Facebook a htps:// www.facebook.com/georgefarahdieguru or on Twiter @gvfarah. For more informaion, visi www.georgefarah.ne.
MD 165
with the Pro Creator Hany Rambod
M won his fi Evogen Nuriion eam. Here’s how ha came abou.
avors o GlycoJec.
N U Once he dus had setled afer I’d helped Phil Heah and Nicole Wilkins collec heir ourh Olympia iles and Jeremy Buendia earn his firs in Men’s Physique, Jusin and I sared alking abou him coming onboard. Alhough he was offered more money rom oher companies, he el ha Evogen was he eam ha would help ake him where he waned o go as an ahlee. We also discussed working ogeher on his cones prep. On he Evogen Facebook page, here is an inerview where he wen ino more deail, bu he gis is ha i will be roughly a 50/50 parnership. Jusin knows his raining and his nuriion, bu I will be here or him as a resource whenever he needs me. Jusin came ou o Caliornia or a ew days o rain wih me, and I am happy o repor ha according o him, he has “never been pushed so ar in a workou in his lie.” The leg workou we did was especially brual, and had his hams sore or nearly a week. We used a new echnique or FST-7 called “he chaos mehod,” designed o shock a argeed muscle group in various ways o break pas a plaeau and orce growh. I’ve used i successully in he pas wih boh Jay Culer and P hil Heah. Harnessing echniques, resuls can ofen be seen afer jus one o hese workous eauring he chaos mehod. They can effecively “break he glass ceiling”
166
THLETE
or a subborn body par. These workous are so inense and pu such high demands on he muscle isel along wih he CNS ha hey absoluely can’ be done on a regular basis. For he curious, I will be filming a new FST-7 insrucional video soon ha will demonsrae his as well as several oher echniques I’ve developed since he las video. I never make predicions wih ahlees, bu I do se e virually limiless poenial in Jusin. He has ha rare combinaion o very gifed geneics along wih a powerul work ehic and dedicaion ha make an ahlee very ough o bea. Jusin already has excellen size and srucure, wih a rare combinaion o hickness and roundness. Wha he sill needs is a beter lower la ie-in, and more o a hamsring drop rom he side o mach his awesome quads. These will be his prioriies as he rains or he 2015 Arnold Classic and beyond. I look orward o having Jusin Compon as par o he Evogen Nuriion amily, and o working wih him as he coninues o move up he ranks as an IFBB Pro. ■ Go a quesion or Hany Rambod? You can ask him direcly on he MD websie and have Hany personally answer your quesion! Go o www. musculardevelopmen.com, MD Forums, MD Saff and Pros, Q and A or, Hany Rambod. Insagram: hanyrambod, Facebook: Hany Rambod
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
with the IFBB Pro/Contest Prep Specialist Fakhri Mubarak
ESTROGEN be ound naurally in he body. While 96 percen o esoserone is used or oher purposes wihin he body, mos people concenrae on he hormone’s abili o creae physical change. Increased esoserone will lead o increased muscle mass and ahleic improvemens. While boh sexes manuacure esoserone in heir adrenal glands, he greaes amoun o he 19-carbon seroid hormone is creaed in he Leydig cells wihin he eses. Men produce approximaely seven milligrams per day, which is around 15 imes he amoun produced by women. Afer esoserone goes ino he bloodsream, 96 percen o 98 percen o i connecs o proeins called albumins and globulins, and is used or ranspor in he bloodsream. The remaining esoserone, known as “ree esoserone,” is able o reac wih oher cells o creae body changes. The more “ree esoserone” available, he beter chance ha he hormone can build bigger muscles. Various sudies have shown ha supplemening more han he pical “ree esoserone” has led o an increase in muscle in several differen ways. Tesoserone has been ound o increase muscle mass by increasing he amoun o muscle proein synhesis in he body. This has led o boh he increase in a-ree muscle mass and muscle size. Tesoserone, an anabolic hormone, has also been ound o limi he effecs o corisol, a caabolic hormone. Increased esoserone rumps he corisol, which usually breaks down muscle mass. Tesoserone has also been linked o an increase in he number o red blood cells. This improves oxygen flow hroughou he body, and can help o increase endurance in ahlees. There are many published sudies o esos-
addiional calcium. Tesoserone aids cerain muscle saellie cells, increases nirogen conen in muscles, and i simulaes anoher hormone, IGF-1. Many sudies have shown ha esoserone conribues o he high effec o muscle growh and enhances ahleic perormance. HGH is an anabolic hormone wih a wide range o effecs on he growh and developmen o our muscles and skeleal sysem. HGH, also known as somaoropin, is a pepide hormone ha simulaes growh, cell reproducion and regeneraion in humans and oher animals. I is a pe o miogen ha is specific o cerain kinds o cells. Growh hormone is a 191 amino acid, single-chain polypepide ha is synhesized, sored and secreed by somaoropic cells wihin he laeral wings o he anerior piuiary gland. HGH acs direcly on muscle cells by acing on specific recepors on he surace o muscle cells. This is because as a seroid hormone, HGH canno penerae he sarcolemma. Thus, i exers is effecs by binding o he recepors o muscle cells, where i acivaes a second messenger. Through his mechanism, human growh hormone direcly simulaes division and muliplicaion o muscle cells. HGH also simulaes he producion o insulinlike growh acor 1 (IGF-1) in he liver. I is a hormone similar o insulin, which simulaes a varie o growh effecs in muscle cells and issues. I also causes he body o secree amino acids o be used as building blocks or muscle, hus maximizing he growh and developmen o muscles. The producion o IGF-1 also simulaes proein synhesis so ha your muscles will grow and develop. I also riggers an increase in muscle mass hrough sarcomere hyperplasia. I makes
AT LEAST TWO TO THREE TIMES A YEAR.”
your body burn more glucose as addiional energy or proein synhesis. Because HGH makes you burn more available glucose or energy, you eel more energized wih increased viali. This makes you acive all around, and gives you endurance or exercise. Exercise has a role in muscle building by enlarging our individual muscles (muscle hyperrophy). This leads o greaer muscle bulk. Wih HGH, you can be assured o a greaer muscle mass and more muscle cells, wih an added androgen anabolic hormone. Esrogen, primarily hough o as a emale hormone, ensures ha he male body uncions properly. There are hree pes o esrogen: esriol, esrone and esradiol. Esradiol is he primary pe o esrogen acive in men. I plays a vial role in keeping men’s joins and brains healhy. I also allows sperm o develop properly. A hormone imbalance— or example, an increase in esrogen and decrease in esoserone— creaes problems. Too much esrogen in he male body can lead o gynecomasia, cardiovascular issues, increased risk o sroke, weigh gain and prosae problems. Too much esrogen can cause problems or men, le. As bodybuilders, we need our hormones o be in balance. Geting blood work is very imporan, a leas wo o hree imes a year, o check he hormones I’ve discussed above, as well as all oher healh panels. All bodybuilders should have an endocrinologis ha hey can run heir blood work wih. ■ To conac me, please email me a
[email protected]. I’m on Insagram a insagram. com/akhrimubarak_ceo_ibpro, on Facebook a htp://www.acebook.com/FakhriMubarak and on Twiter. Have a grea monh, everyone and as always: “Champions do wha compeiors don’!”
MD 167
YOUR DREAM JOB DOES NOT EXIST. YOU MUST CREATE IT. survey, 55 percent of working adults are in search of a new profession. So why not turn your passion for fitness and nutrition into your own business? • THE RIGHT CONCEPT • THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY • THE RIGHT TIME
OPEN A NUTRISHOP TODAY!
Erin Pugliese NUTRISHOP Athlete @ErinPugliese www.TrainStrongLiveSexy.com Image by: Eric Nelson Photography Location: Force 12 Training Center, Cudahy, CA
www.NutrishopUSA.com @NutrishopUSA NutrishopUSA We carry all the top brands and the latest cutting edge nutritional supplements at the guaranteed lowest prices!
. c n I , P O H S I R T U N ©
COLUMBUS, OHIO Columbus Convention Center and the Ohio Expo Center
arnoldsportsfestival.com
Arnold Kids Fitness EXPO at Ohio Expo Center
Pharmaceutical-Grade D-Aspartic
Acid
Performance Edge® DAA PureTM is pure, pharmaceutical-grade, safe & natural D-Aspartic Acid.
Each daily dose of Performance Edge® DAA PureTM delivers a full 3 grams of pure, 100% pharmaceutical-grade
Performance Edge® DAA PureTM uses only 100% pure D-Aspartic Acid manufactured under exacting pharmaceutical standards.
form available. Beware of substitutions of L-Aspartic Acid, the mirrored twin of DAA.
www.daapure.com *These statements have not be en evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
ELOP
172
T
MILLENNIUM MARKETPLACE
musculardevelopment.com February 2015
RESERVE YOUR SPACE- CALL 1-800-653-1151
MD 173
ELOP
T
MILLENNIUM MARKETPLACE
musculardevelopment.com February2015
RESERVE YOUR SPACE- CALL 1-800-653-1151
MD 175
