FLEX is Australia’s and the world’s leading hardcore bodybuilding magazine. It delivers cutting edge information on diet, nutrition and muscle growth that will help you grow stronger faster. For those who are serious about their bodies.
Q You haven’t competed in decades, but you still call yourself a bodybuilder in interviews. Why? – JAMES B At the end of the movie Pumping Iron, after I win the Mr Olympia title, I make a speech where I tell the audience that I’m retiring from competition but I’ll never stop being a bodybuilder. I meant it then, and I feel the same now. If you think of bodybuilding in the broader sense not just as a sport but a lifestyle dedicated to the cultivation of one’s physical potential, and the mental and spiritual benefits that come along with it – why would anyone just quit? I’ve been a movie star, businessman, political leader and many other things in my life, but my first great accomplishment was becoming a…
Q When did you consider yourself a “real” bodybuilder? Oct. 8, 2002. On that day, I took a photo of myself and said, “I’m going to become a pro bodybuilder. No more basketball, no more other sports. I don’t know whether or not I’ll turn pro, but this is what I want to do.” I hadn’t competed yet, but I knew that was what I wanted, and I threw myself into the sport completely. I was like a sponge, soaking up all the knowledge I could and finding ways to progress as a bodybuilder. What did each of your Olympia wins mean to you? Were they all different? The first time is complete bliss – a literal dream come true. It takes a while to sink in. The second time…
1 Weight training and proper eating combined is the most direct way to build muscle and might. 2 Right living and quality rest contribute significantly to the lifter’s progress. 3 Genetic make-up is a determining factor in structural and muscular development, strength and rate of advancement. 4 Many people start weight training to achieve fitness goals, only to give up because they don’t reach their expectations quickly, and because the activity is demanding. 5 Immature trainers pursuing extraordinary goals are easy prey for marketing hype. 6 Early weight training requires order in exercises, sets and reps, and practice as the lifter focuses on form, muscle engagement, discomfort, endurance, exercise groove and pace. 7 Exercise and eating are basic and simple in form, yet tough in application. 8 Gain weight too…
JUAN MOREL Q What was the biggest lesson you learned after your first Mr Olympia? I was happy with the way everything played out, so I have no complaints as far as what I could have done differently. If you give your all during your entire prep, that’s all anyone can ask. Is the Olympia really that much bigger than any other pro contest or is it hype? Yes, it really is! I went to the Olympia two years in a row before I stood onstage, so I knew the scope of the contest. That prepared me, so I wasn’t totally overwhelmed. Also, several of my friends have competed in the O, so I knew what to expect. What areas are you trying to improve? I want to keep improving…
Q As a contest promoter, what is a common mistake you see competitors make? The biggest problem I see is that there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians. What a competitor needs is one Indian who says, “You look like shit. You’re not ready.” Competitors need to work on getting their tans right, they need to listen to their music and practice posing to it – not just the night before the contest, but also every day for weeks until they have it down. And then two times a week. And then three times a week after that just to get good at it. Do you think tattoos work against a competitor? I have a small tattoo on my biceps, and a lot of other pros have tattoos…
WEBB’S STATS AGE 29 OFF SEASON WEIGHT 118 KG COMPETITION WEIGHT 100 KG BEGAN TRAINING 2011 TRAINS 6-7 DAYS PER WEEK “I train chest twice a week to bring it up as I feel it’s a weak point on my body. I also t rain legs twice a week to break up the leg in to two. One day is quad dominant and the second is hamstrings dominant. “I also like to put an arm day in to help bring up my arms as I feel I don’t get a lot of size from just doing them with chest and back, so I like a day just for them! “A lot of my training is hypertrophy, so a lot of my reps are around 12-18 and sets of 4. During…
