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.
Ah, to be a beginner bodybuilder in 2016. First off, I want to congratulate you on deciding to pick up the iron and change your body. It will change your life, too. Second, I want you to know that there’s never been a better time to start weight training, no matter how old you are. There’s more information than ever on how to train and eat and more ways to become inspired. When I started out in the 1960s, I had nothing but this magazine and its pictures of Reg Park to guide me – and I guess you could say I turned out all right. Imagine what you can do with all of today’s resources at your disposal. As you begin your journey, I’ll offer the following “advices” (and…
“KEEP YOUR LEGS STRAIGHT AND TRY NOT TO SWING” How do you get such phenomenal abs? This is probably the question I get asked the most. I treat my abs like any other body part. If I’m trying to build them, I use heavy weights and low reps and give them 3 to 4 days rest in between workouts to allow the muscle tissue to repair. Closer to a show, I do fewer sets and introduce more intensity and circuits. I also vary my workouts. Don’t just do 40 minutes of crunches; break your abs down into upper and lower abs. There are lots of elements to think about. You have to make your waist smaller, build core strength and develop your obliques as well as your six-pack. Finally, remember…
“YOU’RE ACTUALLY INTENSELY FOCUSED ON ONLY YOUR MUSCLES AND PAYING NO ATTENTION TO THE METAL MOVING” — MAMDOUH ELSSBIAY 200 Average number of reps per week shown to maximise mass gains of the quadriceps. IT’S ALL IN THE HIPS On average, hip thrusts activated the glutes twice as effectively as barbell squats when using a 10 RM, according to researchers in New Zealand. T-BOOST University of Connecticut, US, research showed training with large muscle groups with heavy loads and shorter rest periods spiked testosterone for more than two hours after training. COUNT TO 3 Taking three seconds to lower the weight compared with one second may increase the spike in growth hormone sevenfold. MUSCLE DOES EQUAL POWER Research out of the University of Oklahoma, US, found that the performance of…
BIG RAMY Q What motivated you to start bodybuilding? My older brother brought me to his gym when I was 16. There were other bodybuilders there who had won local competitions, and he convinced me that if I tried, I could do better than them. I really did not think about it as a possible career until I won my first amateur competition – and after that it was all I wanted to do. Q What did you do after the competitive season? I went on a long holiday in Egypt with my wife and kids. It was great to relax and be a normal person. Q What are your go-to DVDs for motivation? Watching DVDs of Ronnie Coleman, Dennis James and Kevin Levrone helps me to remember why I…
Name: Mateo Vaihu Age: 40 Off season weight: 103-105kg Competition weight: 93-96kg Occupation: machine operator Began training: 2008 Reason for starting training: I was introduced to training with weights by a good friend, then it became a passion and a goal to strive towards. Training programme: my coach provides my programme. Each day is a different training session. Currently trains at: New York Fitness Papakura, Fitness Plus Manukau, 0-2-100 Gym Botany Favourite exercise: deadlifts and squats Role models/inspiration: my sponsor Moe Almoussawi, as well as my coach Salah Ibrahim. Plans and ambitions: giving 110 percent in all I do to make an impact on people’s lives. To become a great role model for all types of people. Most importantly to make a difference. I would like to thank: my sponsor…
When I think about my mass-building workouts and reflect on the changes I’d make while applying the experience and knowledge I’ve gained over the nutty years gone by, I realise that nothing has changed. I’m still me in an older body practising the same basic combinations to fulfill the same basic needs; eating the same basic menu to sustain the same basic muscle. Early on in the ’60s I trained each muscle group three times in a six-day workout week. Today, I think more rest is healthier and more productive. For most of you, I prefer a five-day week hitting the muscle groups twice each week. A three on and one off, two on and one off with maximum intensity and slugging pace sounds just about right. I used to…
