Tabla de contenidos para Jun/Jul 2015 en FLEX Australia

I was recently asked by a reader of FLEX’s brother publication, Muscle & Fitness, about winter training. Since it’s a season-appropriate subject, I thought I’d share my tips here. I trained through many a cold Austrian winter when temperatures would routinely drop to zero and below. I can remember workouts during which my hands actually froze to the bar and I had to rip them off! The main thing that I learned to make those workouts as productive and safe as possible was to take more time to warm up. Start your session with several layers of clothes on, and do what is today called a “dynamic warm-up”. This means calisthenics like jumping jacks and other body-weight movements that take your muscles through a full range of motion. The goal…

APPLICATION Bottom line, stretching before a lift is counterproductive. Instead, on the first exercise for each muscle group, select a weight that’s approximately 50% of the weight you’ll use for your work sets and rep out enough to feel a good burn. Do this a couple times before loading up the bar for your first working set. Once warmed up, you won’t need warm-up sets when doing other exercises for that muscle group. HYPOTHESIS Research shows that warming up a muscle before maximal exertion optimises performance and reduces the risk of injury. Because most muscle injuries are “pulls” or tears to muscles, tendons and ligaments, stretching the muscle before maximal exertion should help to avoid injury and allow optimised performance. RESEARCH A study performed at Victoria University in Melbourne involving…

Most guys at the gym tend to train the muscle groups they can see when they look in the mirror: Chest, shoulders and arms. However, the one part of the body that cannot be overlooked (both literally and figuratively) is the upper back. It has been said countless times that most bodybuilding contests are won from the back, and the best powerlifters and strongmen do have massive, very strong upper backs. So the question is, how do you develop a thick, V-tapered, super-strong upper back? Well, you just have to put the work into it! The most important thing is to always rotate variations of exercises to hit your back from all different angles. Having variety in your training routine will not only keep your body guessing, but it will…

You’re correct. Cutting sodium intake leads to dropping water. Unfortunately, reducing sodium causes your cells to release fluid only over the short term, which gives you a “drier” look. Consider this simplification of how the process works: water leaves cells when sodium outside cells is lower than the amount inside cells. And cells tend to swell with fluid when sodium outside cells is greater than the amount inside, as sodium seeks a balance between the two. So here’s the problem you’re encountering: you’re no longer dropping water because the sodium balance inside and outside your cells is likely equal. Here’s a much better strategy to create a drier look for the stage or a photo shoot: keep your sodium intake elevated (to normal levels) until about four days before the…

The bad news for bodybuilders is that very little nutrition research is targeted to them. The good news is that healthy, athletic people often have an even more profound response than those in at-risk populations. A recent study shows that consuming a diet high in bran from finger millet helps reduce problems such as inflammation, oxidative stress and imbalances in microflora in the GI tract in the obese. Interestingly, these are the same conditions that bodybuilders often endure when they’re following intense exercise and challenging diet plans. Every bodybuilder should consider adding supplemental or whole-food bran to his or her diet. Bran is, essentially, the outer portion of most grains and is low in impact carbs. Choose forms that contain smaller amounts of the starchy “germ” that increases insulin release.…

From the rawest beginner to Mr Olympia, everyone can benefit from a course in cutting-edge workout and nutritional advice. That’s why we’ve accumulated 80 top tips from the 35 male bodybuilders most likely to impact IFBB Pro League contests in 2015. These legends and future legends serve up their most effective exercise techniques, body-part routines, nutritional strategies, motivators and more. Use these tips to recharge your muscle-maximising program throughout this year – and beyond. GREENE DAY? A lot of our tips are supplied by Kai Greene. We’ve directed the spotlight at KG because this is a watershed year for the world’s No. 2 bodybuilder. He turns 40 on July 2. Only four of the 50 Olympia contests have been won by men in their fourth decades. What’s more, Greene has…

Q I’ve been killing it in the gym, but the gains are virtually non-existent. What am I doing wrong? Sometimes we push our muscles so hard that we don’t give our bodies the necessary downtime to repair and regrow. Competitors do it, too. Guys will prep for a show by hitting the same body part over and over without giving the muscle a chance to fully rebound. So the “push the weights up, push the weights up, push the weights up” method isn’t alwaysthe solution. Strength will come in time. The younger guys are hungry and want to build it all at once, but it really does take time – years, not weeks or months – for the muscles to come out fully and their details to mature. There is…

Q MY ARMS ARE GOOD, BUT I WANT TRICEPS THAT POP. CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME GUIDANCE ON BUILDING MY TRIS? I understand what you’re referring to. My arms were always pretty developed. Before I started training, playing basketball was a great workout for my biceps and triceps. But there were athletes like (former NBA player) Dan Majerle, who had impressive arms, and that motivated me to spend time on my triceps and biceps. I probably favoured triceps exercises because those muscles were useful in basketball. Later on, it was (pro bodybuilder) Kevin Levrone’s triceps that impressed me. It’s important to always keep changing up your training approach to every body part – the exercises, the angles and the variety of movements. Periodisation is important; train using higher reps one…

TRAINING TIPS Lift heavy. Use low reps to spur muscle growth. Never miss a meal. It’s a refreshing about-face to hear an IFBB Pro League bikini competitor complain about consuming too few calories and admit she doesn’t know her macro consumption for the week. Of course, Cristina Liberatore is afforded this luxury only because she’s in the midst of a hiatus from full-time competition. Since 2012, Liberatore has stepped onstage three times – at the 2012 IFBB Iowa Pro (10th), 2012 IFBB St Louis Pro (fifth), and 2013 IFBB St Louis Pro (ninth). Taking an extended break from the rigours of prepping for pro bikini competitions has enabled her to dedicate more focus on her day job as a marketing strategist and her marriage to IFBB pro bodybuilder Mike Liberatore.…

NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING CALORIES 543 PROTEIN 42 G FAT 23 G CARBS 40 G INGREDIENTS 170g salmon fillet (skinless, preferably wild caught), salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp light balsamic vinaigrette 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 3 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped ¾ cup cooked quinoa* DIRECTIONS 1 Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place salmon in small nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook until desired doneness, about 2–3 minutes per side (turn down heat if overbrowning occurs before desired doneness is reached; the fish should be slightly translucent in centre). 2 Mix balsamic vinaigrette with vinegar. 3 Put chopped spinach in large shallow bowl. Top with quinoa and salmon. Drizzle dressing over top. Toss if desired. *Cook according to package directions, omitting any butter or oil.…

Many bodybuilders don’t place cheese very high on their list of preferred foods. But when you take the following facts into account, you may reconsider upping your cheese consumption, especially when you’re trying to cut carbs. Cheese contains nearly as much protein per gram as beef or chicken. Cheese delivers more fats than high-protein meats, which helps slow delivery of protein, increasing the length of time aminos are available in your system. Many forms of cheese contain virtually no carbs. Many forms of cheese contain healthy bacteria known as microflora. Most whole-fat cheeses, including cheddar, blue (or “bleu”), and Swiss, are great choices for those seeking to cut carbs and increase the length of time that protein delivers aminos. However, reduced-fat/processed cheeses remove beneficial fats, replacing them with carbs. This…

Melbourne’s super promoter, Tony Doherty and living legend of our sport “The Austrian Oak” Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up to bring the first rendition of the Arnold Classic Australia to our shores. With the massive success of the FitX over the past several years and the IFBB Australian Pro show (the third longest running IFBB pro show in history, est. 2001), it was hard to imagine something better. But without a doubt this was something truly special that will leave a long lasting memory with all those lucky enough to have been in attendance. More than 4500 people in attendance at the Melbourne Exhibition Centres Plenary Hall were treated to the best professional Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini line-ups Australia has ever seen. The production value was taken up several notches with…

The decision to move from the open division to the 212 (96kg)-and-under class proved to be a wise choice for IFBB pro Baitollah Abbaspour. The Iranian gym owner and personal trainer entered a marathon of eight contests from April through October 2014, and he placed in the top five in all but one show. But his most impressive feat from last year: taking fifth at the Olympia 212 Showdown – a vast improvement from his 16th-place finish at the 2013 Mr Olympia competition. At 162.5cm and 95 kilos onstage, it’s Abbaspour’s shredded mass and eye-popping wheels that enable him to edge out opponents who might otherwise be considered structurally superior. WHAT REALLY STANDS OUT about Abbaspour, however, is what he stands up on – his legs. The mass, separation, and…

CRITICAL EYE  Dexter Jackson began his bodybuilding career as a 62-kilo bantamweight, and over the next 18 years, and nearly 45 additional kilos, he established himself as one of the best bodybuilders of his generation – until September 27, 2008, when the 38-year-old proved he was the best. Against all odds, Jackson dethroned then-two-time Mr Olympia Jay Cutler to become only the 12th man in history to hold the Sandow. Since then, the Blade has retained his edge, adding five more titles to bring his career total to 20. In this shot, Jackson eyes his physique during a workout, assessing strengths and weaknesses in his ever-constant quest to improve and perfect his physique.…

By its name you might think three-time Olympia 212 Showdown winner Flex Lewis’ Flextreme BullyCamp is a service that teaches adolescent punks and hooligans tolerance through hours of non-stop walking lunges. But, of course, if you thought that you’d be barking up the wrong tree. The BullyCamp is actually where Lewis breeds and sells American Bullies, a compact and muscular dog breed that is commonly referred to as the bodybuilder of the canine world. “It has been a low-profile business for a time now,” he says. “Some people associate a negative connotation with the breed… but these dogs are obedient, great companions, gentle with children and eager to please.” Head to flextremebullycamp.com for more info.…

HIT happens. For the past four decades, high-intensity training – popularly known as HIT – has been bodybuilding’s revolutionary philosophy. Countering both the prominent crank-up-the-volume ethos as well as the stimulate-don’t-annihilate school of moderation, HIT calls for maximum intensity with minimum sets. This has never been the dominant workout strategy. In fact, in its purest form it has been scorned, despite the phenomenal success of devoted HIT-man and six-time Mr Olympia Dorian Yates. That said, its lasting impact on how most bodybuilders train and recuperate has been great. In the first of a three-part series, we’ll explore HIT’s origins, its basic principles, and why turning up the intensity and down the volume may be a revolution worth joining. KEEPING UP WITH JONES Journey back to 1971 when reigning Mr Olympia,…

OPENING ARGUMENTS DEFENSE Larger muscle groups and compound movements should be performed first, followed by smaller muscle groups and isolation exercises. PROSECUTION The order of exercises is determined by which muscle group you want to emphasise, regardless of whether it’s a compound or isolation exercise. EVIDENCE 1 Studies show exercises placed at the beginning of a workout will allow more reps and sets regardless of muscle group or type of movement. 2 Research shows muscle groups trained at the beginning of a workout tend to grow more than muscle groups trained at the end of a workout. 3 Exercises done at the end of a workout will be negatively affected in terms of potential weight loads and number of sets (volume). 4 Pre-exhaustion techniques in which an isolation exercise is…

Quinoa is an ancient food from the Andes that has found recent popularity with both bodybuilders and mainstream Aussies. While it’s typically eaten as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed. One cup of cooked quinoa contains only 222 calories and more than 8 grams of protein. In addition, it delivers 3.5 grams of fats, 39 grams of carbs and more than 5 grams of fibre. This makes quinoa an excellent carbohydrate source for bodybuilders seeking low-impact carbs while dieting.…

Eat before you go to bed! That may sound shocking, but starving yourself while you’re trying to sleep won’t help you achieve your physique goals. Hunger pangs make it hard to sleep, too. You can stir up a protein shake (emphasising slow-digesting casein) or try this month’s Dude Food meal. Consume plenty of fibre with your bedtime snack. You can get fibre from whole-food sources, a standard fibre product or glucomannan – a bodybuilding-friendly source of fibre derived from the konjac plant and found in many products. With your last meal, include a dose of fibre to slow digestion. Fibre will also swell with water, helping fill your stomach to keep you from feeling hungry. Consume dietary fats to further slow digestion. The key is to eat enough that you…

1 Evan Centopani Evan came out posing to the theme music from the Schwarzenegger classic Conan the Barbarian. It fit his immense and powerful physique. 2 Justin Compton Justin started his routine with slow and graceful posing, fitting to his music. The crowd loved him for obvious reasons. He was fuller than prejudging where he probably didn’t need to be. 3 Brandon Curry Introduced as a father of four, he displayed pretty much the best upper body shape you will see. He had also dried out since pre-judging. A great showing for Brandon. 4 Toney Freeman Started off with a great entrance posing to some slick R&B music. Toney had filled out and dried out since pre-judging. 5 Dexter Jackson The Melbourne crowd loves this man and savoured every minute…

NO LOGO Why pay more for well-marketed national brands when lowbrow store brands of everything from pasta sauce to frozen vegetables and canned fish offer a cost advantage? BULK UP Without the added cost of packaging and advertising, be sure to raid the bulk bins for less expensive versions of staples like oats, nuts and seeds. Plus, you can purchase only what you need. TALK IT UP Get to know your produce manager, butcher and fishmonger. They can tell you when the prices of perfectly edible foods are most likely to be slashed for a quick sale as they approach their “sell-by” date. THINK BIG Look for meats like chicken thighs that are sold in family-size packs. Often costing less per kilo, they can be kept in the freezer for…

ROUND 1 The first workouts of the week will be a heavy-duty, all-out assault. Complete all the sets and reps of a single exercise, taking every set to or near failure, then swap body parts for the next exercise for its full set and rep scheme. Take sufficient breaks to build up your strength, but rather than continue to work that same muscle group again as in a traditional body-part workout, switch to the antagonist muscle. Once you complete that exercise, go back to the first muscle group and continue the cycle. The idea is to completely blast the muscle(s) via that particular exercise before attacking its antagonist partner. ROUND 2 The second workouts of the week will be lighter, high-set, fatigue-inducing punishment. Focus is on traditional superset/triset style workouts…

Meal 1* 200g chicken, 50g oatmeal, 4 eggs, 150g salad with cucumbers and tomatoes, 50g Muscle Nutrition’s IsoMuscle Meal 2 20 olives, 2 apples, 200g chicken, 200g pasta, 200g cooked vegetables, 5ml olive oil Meal 3 150g cooked Iranian white rice, 2 tomatoes, 300g yoghurt, 5ml olive oil Meal 4 300g fish, 2 potatoes, 200g cooked green vegetables, 50g almonds Meal 5 250g ostrich meat, 100g pasta, 1 banana, 150g salad with cucumbers Meal 6 Low-fat hamburger patty on two slices of oat-toasted bread, 150g yoghurt, 150g cooked vegetables, 50g MN’s IsoProtein *After his first and fourth meals and after training, Abbaspour consumes 10 BCAA caps from his sponsor, Muscle Nutrition; one serving of MN’s MacroMeal; and a shake containing MN’s GlutaMuscle (Glutamine). He also takes 2 capsules of MN’s…