Tabla de contenidos para Feb/Mar 2016 en FLEX Australia

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…

SHE... … is not intimidated being the only female stunt double on a set. … likes a man who puts his muscle to the test with competitive sports. … is most attracted to a man who is not intimidated by her uncommon passions. … learned Filipino knife fighting from Dave Bautista on the set of Spectre. … loves cooking meals from her favorite Jamie Oliver cookbook. … is always looking for the next challenge and is working towards her helicopter pilot’s licence. … grew up on a farm and has been known to hunt (with a recurve bow), skin and cook her own food. … believes strongly in the humane treatment of animals, and unless she’s hunting her dinner, she eats a mostly vegetarian diet with the occasional wild fish.…

HYPOTHESIS Establishing the right training frequency can make a big difference in strength and mass gains. The proper frequency depends on the time required for recovery between training sessions. RESEARCH Sixteen well-trained subjects performed, in a counterbalanced order, eight sets of 10-rep max (10RM) one-arm seated rows, and eight sets of 10RM one-arm preacher curls using the contralateral arm. Strength and delayed onset muscle soreness were recorded at baseline, at 10 minutes and at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after each training session. FINDINGS Strength loss was greater following isolation vs. compound exercise. Also, at 24 hours after training, strength was still below baseline after isolation exercise whereas strength had recovered after compound exercise. Delayed onset muscle soreness was also greater and took longer to resolve following isolation exercise…

“If you want to be a champion, you can’t have any kind of outside negative coming in to affect you. So I trained myself for that. To be totally cold and not have things going through my mind.”Arnold Schwarzenegger Zane and Schwarzenegger first squared off at the 1968 IFBB Mr Universe, held in Miami, Florida. A tanned, refined Zane would beat out a massive but baby-soft Schwarzenegger on that occasion. Although they would compete against each other in the 1972, ’74 and ’75 Olympia contests, it was the disputed show in 1980 in which the two men most famously battled, both on and off the stage. Arnold was a master manipulator. He was really good at it. But in 1980, I saw him take it to a different level. You…

When I was first trying to make it as an actor, the parts that I was reading for were all the same kinds of characters. Filmmakers wanted me to play strongmen, bodybuilders or barbarians. It’s hard for me to argue with the logic (I’m not going to say I didn’t make a great Conan, of course), but because of all the muscle I had, most people just assumed I couldn’t do anything else. They didn’t consider me for comedies or dramas because they thought I should only be blowing things up or breaking things. I love Dwayne Johnson because he had to go through many of the same things that I did. At first, they looked at him and they said, “Oh, look at the size of this guy. Let’s…

Lewis references the cliché “failing to plan is planning to fail” idiom because, well, it’s true. Lewis relies on a 20-week prep period – the first 10 weeks are considered “off-season” and the next 10 weeks are “pre-contest” when he cleans up his diet to get superlean. It’s worth noting that within those 20 weeks, Lewis believes you can “grow into the show”, or pack on muscle up until about six weeks out. Here’s a synopsis: 1 “I spend a lot of time speaking with people who are doing their first show or may have done a show before and still don’t know what the hell they’re doing, and I tell them: this time next year, come back and do the same show. Focus on bringing up whatever body parts…

“Being Mr Olympia carried a magic completely different from that associated with other [bodybuilding] titles.” SERGIO OLIVA 2ND MR OLYMPIA (1967-69) Even today, some pundits assert that Oliva possessed bodybuilding’s best-ever arms. But his back wasn’t chopped liver. It exhibited upper-lat width that appeared to swallow his shoulders and upper arms, and seemed to be chewing its way down to his elbows. Much of that impression came from his propensity for vertical pulls of every kind: pull-ups, pulldowns, chins, you name it. The rest of his exercises were holdovers from his powerlifting days, pulling from the other direction: deadlifts, T-bar rows, etc. Oliva credits most of his back width and thickness to performing near-maximum deadlifts while he was a powerlifter, but when he changed to bodybuilding, he realised his technique…

Eating for mass isn’t an easy undertaking. After all, it can seemingly take forever to prepare all the meals necessary to fuel monumental growth. And if you tackle your repasts on a meal-by-meal basis, it’s likely you’ll end up cosying up to a soggy frozen dinner or idling in the drive-thru line for the sake of stealing back lost time. That’s why to keep your muscles fed and full in the best possible way, it’s time to employ a cooking method that requires some upfront effort but pays significant dividends down the road. We’re talking about ye-olde batch cooking. Long employed by Volvo-driving soccer mums to feed a hungry family, preparing large quantities of foods at once to be doled out over the days to come saves you serious time…

A quiz on Mamdouh Elssbiay’s all-inclusive chest workouts We journeyed to Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay’s “home office,” the appropriately mammoth Oxygen Gym in Kuwait City, Kuwait, to witness how the largest bodybuilder of all time is growing a chest to match the rest of his177cm, 143-kilo physique. Here are eight takeaways, presented in quiz form: 1 ) Big Ramy aims for 10 reps on every set. True False 2 ) Elssbiay does incline dumbbell flyes first in his chest routine. True False 3 ) The most common technique used in his chest routine is dropsets. True False 4 ) Elssbiay rarely goes heavy on the bench press. True False 5 ) Ramy takes a relatively wide grip when doing Smith machine presses and barbell bench presses. True False 6 )…

“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…

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…

A bodybuilder’s physique has traditionally been described as an X, complete with wide shoulders, a small waist and big legs. The term “V-taper” has evolved to describe Men’s Physique, a look focused on upper-body training. With the launch of the Classic Physique division in 2016, a new frame has been introduced to the mix. I’ll call bodybuilding “Bold X,” classic physique “X” and men’s physique “V”. Follow these pro tips to maximise your frame (shoulders, back, waist and legs) or build up into a bigger one.…

OPENING ARGUMENTS Defense Studies of resistance training show that taking sets to muscular failure produces significant gains. Forced reps can cause too much fatigue and delay training or prevent the proper loads from being used. Prosecution Forced reps may help lifters move past strength plateaus and lead to greater time under tension compared with stopping at muscular failure. Also, forced reps may increase metabolic stress, thereby increasing the anabolic effect of a set. EVIDENCE A six-week study showed no difference between size and strength gains when forced reps were incorporated. The number of forced reps performed did not affect gains even when it increased total training volume performed. Forced reps likely produce a greater spike in growth hormone compared with traditional reps due to additional metabolic stress and prolonging a…

If you haven’t been eating eggs because of concerns about cholesterol, listen to what dietitian Jim White, health fitness specialist and US Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics spokesperson, has to say: “Multiple recent studies found that the cholesterol in eggs does not contribute to blood cholesterol levels or put an individual at risk for heart disease.” One large egg contains 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and approximately 70 calories. Eggs also include choline, an essential nutrient that contributes to cell structure and mental function; lutein and zeaxanthin, anti-inflammatory antioxidants that promote eye health; lecithin, which supports cardiovascular health and may reduce cholesterol levels; and most important, leucine, an essential branched-chained amino acid (BCAA) that can produce an anabolic muscle response and decrease muscle breakdown. “Eggs also contain…

“Franco is pretty smart, but Franco is a child and, when it comes to the day of the contest, I am his father. He comes to me for advices. So it’s not that hard for me to give him the wrong advices.”Arnold Schwarzenegger Abbott and Costello. Heckle and Jeckle. Arnold and Franco. As inseparable as any team in history, Schwarzenegger and Columbu were at various times roommates, training partners and onstage adversaries, but always friends. The two men shared a contest stage eight times, most famously at the 1975 Mr Olympia, a contest in which Columbu won the under-200-pound (91kg) class and Schwarzenegger won the over-200-pounds and overall title. What a lot of people don’t realise is that Arnold would get nervous before a contest just like everyone else. In…

“I was brought up under great discipline, which meant that when I made up my mind, I had to follow it through. I had a master plan from the moment I arrived in America. That’s still in me… Every year, I make a plan. I do it. It will be done.”Arnold Schwarzenegger Dickerson took second to Schwarzenegger at the 1980 Mr Olympia, in what some say was the shape of his life. Although the competition was the subject of controversy with several contestants who protested the decision loudly, Dickerson accepted it quietly and with grace, something Schwarzenegger appreciated. In two years time, Dickerson would also ascend to the heights of the Olympia. The thing about Arnold is that he never seemed to take anything too seriously. Or maybe I should…

Back when everyone knew him as “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson was still laying the foundation of his amazing physique with a classic body-part training split. Lay the foundation of your own with this five-days-a-week programme that Johnson used around the time he starred in The Scorpion King (2002). The fourth column indicates the weights that Johnson was using at the time. Johnson trained abs twice per week, doing Swiss ball crunches for four sets of 25, holding a weight plate against his chest. DAY 1 SHOULDERS DAY 2 BACK DAY 3 LEGS DAY 4 ARMS DAY 5 CHEST…

1 Find a show There are several federations – including ifbbaustralia.com.au, wbffaustralia.com and wnbf.com.au – that hold competitions. Join the one that best suits your physique. You’ll need to register to become a member of your chosen federation, which is a requirement for competing. You’ll also need to pay a fee for each show (varies for each contest) and expenses like travelling to the show, posing trunks, getting a tan, meals, supps, etc. 2 Find a team Although bodybuilding is technically an individual sport, you’ll need help with your mandatory poses, your posing routine, assessing your physique objectively (rather than only through your bathroom mirror) and many other aspects, big and small. “I don’t know how somebody would have success in their first bodybuilding competition without having someone to lean…

“As the first Mr Olympia, I realised how important it was for the titleholder to be a good role model for the sport.” LARRY SCOTT 1ST MR OLYMPIA (1965-66) “The deltoids require real punishment to grow,” Scott insists. That’s his justification for every conceivable tortured variation of his favourite shoulder exercise: dumbbell presses. He did them up the rack or up and down the rack for six heavy sets, always finishing with burn sets (non-stop repeat sets, until no more movement of the dumbbell was possible). For some exercises he’d go “light,” which meant eight reps to failure. Heavy sets were a maximum of six, followed by a transition into those accursed burns. That was just the beginning. Scott would then further bedevil his delts with another 14 blistering sets…

“A contest is won beforehand in how you prepare. After that, you step onstage to convince people you are the winner. Of course, there are always a couple of other competitors who feel the same way, and part of the job is to sell your act.” FRANK ZANE 5TH MR OLYMPIA (1977-79) Muscularity is the qualifier for a Mr Olympia, but proportionality, asserts Zane, wins the title. Even now, he is considered the beau ideal of bodybuilding aesthetics. “When you speak of balance and proportions,” explains the former maths teacher, “those qualities must apply to all levels of the body: upper body/lower body, proximal-distal symmetry, relativity of muscle groups, and even something as specific as biceps-triceps-forearm ratio.” While training with Schwarzenegger, Zane’s arm development accelerated as he focused on improving…

CHILL OUT Leftovers can be safe to eat for up to a week if they have been chilled in a fridge set at an optimal temperature of 4°C. SUBZERO HEROES These recipes freeze well for future meals. But don’t freeze an entire batch of beef stew into one giant solid block. Instead, break up the dishes into different containers based on desired serving sizes for quicker freezing and thawing. To avoid the dreaded “freezer burn”, use a straw to suck out any excess air from zip-top bags. If using a solid container, lay a piece of baking or wax paper over the food. High-moisture items like stews expand up to 10 percent when they freeze, so leave some headspace between the top of the food and the lid. Containers should…

Chances are most FLEX readers don’t follow men’s gymnastics. But even if you just catch a glimpse of them during the Olympics or while flipping through the sports channels, you can’t help but notice that, in addition to their massive shoulders and forearms, most male gymnasts have phenomenal abdominal development. Not only was Mike Liberatore a gymnast in his younger years, he was also a college cheerleader. Holding his body steady in an iron cross on the rings and hoisting cheerleaders onto his shoulders and sending them spinning into the air taught him a thing or two about ab development, namely that strong abs are fundamental to lifting heavy as well as maintaining a strong back. He took the principles he learned before bodybuilding and kept training using many of…

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…

How many times have you slugged a pre-workout only to get to the gym and feel absolutely… nothing? The culprit of decreased sensitivity to pre-workout products is often the fact that many pre-workouts depend on stimulants like caffeine, which the body can easily adapt to. When you scan the label of a pre-workout product, you want to look for ingredients that increase strength and blood flow. The label on Mesomorph V2.0 tells you straight away that it’s a product built to optimise your performance in the gym as well as your recovery. Mesomorph V2.0 starts off with beta-alanine, a carnosineboosting amino acid. Beta-alanine has proven to significantly increase carnosine in the muscles, which allows for a delayed fatigue response and a quicker recovery; secondarily, it acts as a stimulant. Next…

“I was always dreaming about very powerful people — dictators and things like that. I was just always impressed by people who could be remembered for hundreds of years, or even, like Jesus, be for thousands of years remembered.”Arnold Schwarzenegger Ferrigno’s first meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger is documented in Pumping Iron, in the scene where Matty Ferrigno recounts his son’s awestruck reaction to meeting his idol. “Gee dad, he’s big,” was all the teenager could utter. Ferrigno’s own bodybuilding fortunes would eventually rise to the point where he would square off with Schwarzenegger twice – at the 1974 and ’75 Mr Olympia contests – taking second in ’74 and third, behind Serge Nubret and Schwarzenegger, in ’75. I always thought that Arnold was a fierce competitor. He refuses to lose…

“I hit some more shots, and the crowd was chanting, ‘Arnold, Arnold, Arnold!’ Then I bowed and walked off.” ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER 3RD MR OLYMPIA (1970-75, 1980) Schwarzenegger’s preference for supersetting chest with back in the same workout is soundly logical. Think of those two massive muscle groups as opposite sides of the same bodypart working with each other in an antagonistic manner: ie, as the chest expands, the lats contract and vice versa. That same antagonistic function occurs within each of those muscle groups: it’s particularly noticeable in Schwarzenegger’s bench-pressing style, where he draws his shoulders back and his scapulae (shoulder blades) together underneath him as he expands his chest, like the diastrophic creation of a mountain, as high as possible to meet the descending barbell. This form is in…

“Should I never achieve anything else, I can say I took eight Olympia titles. When my kids grow into adults, they can look back and say, ‘Yup! My daddy was the greatest bodybuilder of all time.’ ” LEE HANEY 8TH MR OLYMPIA (1984-91) “Optimum leg development requires power movements for the white part of the muscle cell, and rhythmic movements for the red part. If you back off from power movements pre-contest, or because of fear of injury or overtraining, the white part will gradually dissipate, so I keep power movements in my program all the way up to a show. Even though my style is a lot like a powerlifter’s,” Haney explains, “I am a bodybuilder, so my focus is on the sensation I’m creating in the muscle, rather…

2015 was a record year for Dexter Jackson. On March 7, he won his fifth Arnold Classic (record) and made his 14th Arnold posedown (record) in his 15th Arnold (record). And he did it all at 45, making him the second-oldest male winner of an open IFBB pro contest and easily the oldest winner of a “major.” On Sept. 18, when he strolled at his trademark glacial pace to centre stage of Orleans Arena, “the Blade” set another record, one that he’d shared for the previous year with fellow Olympia victor Ronnie Coleman. It was his 16th Olympia entry, more than any other competitor in the O’s 51-contest history. Jackson’s Olympia career, highlighted by his 2008 victory, spans from his rookie year in 1999 to the present with no signs…