Flex

online now

(CHRIS LUND)ADD ONE INCH TO YOUR ARMS!The key to serious size is to take that mythical only-in-the-gym pump and turn it into permanent muscle. Sure, you can do some fast back-to-back exercises and push your pump through the roof, causing your clothing to fit tight. But just a few short hours later, that pump is gone, and you don’t have the muscle to show for it. The solution is to combine pump-type training with permanent size-and strength-building exercises, then allow for maximal recovery before beating your muscles into submission in the next workout. So head over to FLEXonline.com for a workout that will leave your biceps and triceps bulging.FLEXonline.com/ultimatearmworkoutGET HUGE—AND SAVE YOUR JOINTSBodybuilding is all about mass. And no bones about it: You must train heavy to get huge. The…

roelly’s mass recipe

Muscles are on the menu, and Roelly Winklaar is a master chef.At a Mr. Olympia weight of 265 pounds, he has created more lean meat than just about any other human who has ever breathed. His arms and delts, as abundant as beef shanks, are the most ginormous of all time, and the rest of him isn’t far behind.The Beast has a secret recipe for making muscle—lots and lots and lots of it—and he’s sharing it with you.STEP 1 PRIORITIZEIf you were contemplating a meal, this would be the “what do I want to eat?” phase or, more to the point, the “what do you need to eat?” phase. Bodybuilding is all about balance. Winklaar knows he can’t simply keep expanding his limbs. No, he needs to bring his chest,…

after the o

(PAVEL YTHJALL)Q Did you follow the results of the 2017 IFBB Pro League post-Olympia tour?Yes, of course, I keep up-to-date on all of that—not only because I’m Mr. O, but because I’m a fan of the sport. The tour was maybe a little anticlimactic this year, and I was not as enthusiastic about watching it as I usually am. Honestly, there’s no hype without me there. The past couple of years, it seems like the top two change every contest when I’m not there—you’d like to see someone at least threatening to dominate. I mean, Roelly won, and that was good to see. I expected more from Rhoden, and I expected Dexter to win at least one. Bonac was probably the most consistent throughout, but there was no one who…

bring the heat

KIM GUTIERREZBIRTH DATE: Dec. 14, 1985HEIGHT: 5'4"CONTEST WEIGHT: 110 lbsRESIDENCE: Santiago, ChileINSTAGRAM: @kimybikini fitnessALL ATHLETES who compete in the NPC or IFBB Pro League start somewhere, but often the timing is a matter of whom they can find to help them through that initial prep as they get ready for their first competition. Kim Gutierrez didn’t have that issue, because she got help from within the family.“My dad is a physical education professor and retired amateur bodybuilder, so he helped me,” she says. The daughter of Chilean descent saw the many benefits of competing, but there was one she didn’t count on. “I think that fitness allowed me to develop the courage to explore the world, take risks, and travel alone. Working hard to reach my goals and dreams of…

structure

(PER BERNAL)Q Are you making more room for downtime in your schedule now that you have a child?It’s changed everything now that I have my baby. Because I have balance, structure, and a routine that is based around family. Before there was time to move things around. Can’t do that now. Everything is structured, which is really what bodybuilding is about, so it works. The baby is on a routine, and so am I. What is challenging now is traveling—when I’m out on the road I crave that kind of structure.Q You are one victory away from tying Kevin Levrone’s career record of 20 pro victories. Is that meaningful to you?It’s amazing! Kevin Levrone is an idol of mine from when I was younger and still is to this day.…

window of opportunity

(CHRIS LUND)Q Some contest-prep coaches recommend taking an extended rest after competing, but others say to get right back to the gym. How do you feel about this?Without a doubt, I can empathize with the powerful desire to take some time off from the gym and a strict diet regimen right after a competition, since preparing for a show is absolutely grueling—both physically and mentally. But I consider it a grave mistake to shut everything down at this key time.While preparing for a competition, you spend a good 12 to 24 weeks training with the utmost focus, concentration, and intensity, since you are keenly aware that you will soon be standing onstage, basically naked, in front of a packed audience, flashing cameras, and a critical judging panel. But during this…