Innholdsfortegnelse for Aug/Sep 2015 i FLEX Australia

Name: Paul Perkins Age: 52 Lives: Perth, WA Off season weight: 105kgs Competition weight: 97 Kgs Occupation: public officer Interests: travelling, rugby league, go-karting Began training: a long time ago Training programme: major body parts twice a week/six days a week routine Currently trains at: Goodlife Healthclubs, WA Favourite exercise: deadlift Reason for starting training: to complement my team sports Role model/inspiration: Frank Zane, Tony Freeman, Nick Jones and Scott Goble Plans and ambitions: to be a role model to older men. To continue to make a statement that age should never define you. I would like to thank: Ray Walton, Adam Baker, Mike O’Mara and Graeme Lancefield. COMPETITION HISTORY 2004 NABBA/WFF Western Australia Championships WFF Class One: 1st place. 2005 NABBA/WFF Western Australia Championships WFF masters: 1st place. 2005…

Mr O joined Fighter & The Kid podcast hosts Bryan Callen and Brendan Schaub for a conversation filled with expressions of mutual admiration. Heath elicited some respectful comments from the host for the poundages he could heft and then traded awe-filled gym stories about UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee. Schaub, a UFC heavyweight (and no stranger to hard training), couldn’t get over the discipline that top bodybuilders like Heath maintain year-round. Check out the conversation on YouTube. “I WANT TO BREAK THE RECORD WITH NINE MR. OLYMPIAS. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? NINE SOUNDS COOL, BUT 10 SOUNDS AWESOME.”— PHIL HEATH…

OPENING ARGUMENTS Defense Between sets, it’s important to rest by sitting or lying down to regain your strength and mental drive. Prosecution Sitting or lying down can inhibit motivation to continue your training session. EVIDENCE 1 Subjects who sat or lay down between sets were able to perform more work compared with subjects who stood or kept moving. 2 Not sitting after exhausting sets can prolong the sense of fatigue. 3 Active rest between sets may not allow complete myoglobin reoxygenation and/or phosphocreatine resynthesis. 4 Sitting allows for faster recovery of heart rate than standing. VERDICT WHEN POSSIBLE, SIT BETWEEN SETS Research shows more complete physiological recovery between sets when sitting or lying supine compared with active rest or staying on your feet. This greater recovery increases work capacity on…

One of the misconceptions about why alcohol is bad for a bodybuilder’s diet is that it’s high in carbs. Truth is, many forms of booze are quite low in carbs. Some red and white wines have less than four grams of carbs per 150ml serving. And vodka and whiskey are examples of hard alcohol with less than one gram of carbs per 45ml jigger. Even light beers contain few carbs. What booze is high in is – you guessed it – alcohol. It’s an infrequently mentioned fact that alcohol is actually a fourth macronutrient. Each gram of alcohol contains seven calories, and that’s where you find the preponderance of calories in wine and firewater. Of course, mixed drinks gain calories and carbs from what’s added to hard alcohol. The issue…

Bodybuilders are almost always ahead of the science curve on the benefits of many foods. One place where they have lagged, though, is in the benefits of including moderate amounts of butter in their diets. That’s because butter provides few nutrients in addition to the saturated fats it contains. Saturated fats were so demonised by both the medical community and bodybuilders that many bodybuilders cut these fats from their diets. But now we know that saturated fats don’t cause the long-claimed health harms and that they’re important for providing the raw materials necessary to build hormones such as testosterone. Whether you’re cutting carbs to reduce body fat or adding calories to increase muscle, butter can help support testosterone production.…

A little salt helps the workout go down – or at least sodium helps it go on for as long as you need. A 2015 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports concluded that sports beverages alone weren’t enough to support intense endurance training. But those who consumed additional sodium (for example, table salt) as well as more electrolytes performed significantly better in a half-Ironman despite reporting the same levels of perceived exertion. That means the group consuming salt and other electrolytes outperformed the placebo group. The takeaway is that consuming electrolytes before training may also help extend anaerobic endurance during your longest and most challenging workouts. Keep in mind that FLEX recommends keeping your daily sodium intake at least at a moderate level (2000…

Mamdouh Elssbiay is like two superheroes in one. The Hulk is his obvious doppelgänger. When Big Ramy stood in comparisons at the last two Olympias, it looked like an Avengers gathering. There’s Captain America next to Thor, both suitably superhuman. And yet they’re being dwarfed by the ludicrously large Hulk. Even humongous beings appear ordinary next to Big Ramy. But the fictional Hulk is a smashing, rampaging brute. If he were a bodybuilder, he’d power up bar-bending weights with a roar. And he’d scorn gym machines, leaving them for the Bruce Banners of the world. But not Elssbiay. Like Iron Man, he’s a machine aficionado. He trains in one of the world’s best-equipped gyms, and he relies on the latest contraption more than barbells and dumbbells to muscle up. For…

In many ways, the humble sandwich is the ultimate lunch for bodybuilders. Think about it: pile smart proteins and spreads with vibrant vegetables onto healthy bread and you’ve assembled something with the necessary carbohydrates, amino acids and antioxidants that plate pushers need to perform – and look –their best. But rarely do we put much thought into our sandwiches, settling for little more than the same old ham and cheese, and that can get stale fast – without providing you any advantage in the gym. Snap out of that boredom without expanding your waistline with this arsenal of protein-packed recipes featuring flavourful combinations that are perfect for lunchtime or any other time of day. SMOKED SALMON SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup light cream cheese 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill 3…

HADZOVIC’S STATS AGE 27 HEIGHT 180CM WEIGHT 86KG RESIDENCE NEW YORK, US TWITTER @SADIKHADZOVIC You can tell by looking at Sadik Hadzovic that he knows his way around a gym. That’s because it’s a job requirement. Well, for his second job, anyway. After Hadzovic finishes his day job as a real estate property manager, he puts in overtime at New York’s Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym in order to maintain his status as a top-tier IFBB physique pro. The 2015 Arnold Classic Physique winner has trained at Bev’s for years, absorbing workout knowledge like a sponge. Adding to Hadzovic’s training education were “old-school Dorian Yates workout videos” and his trainer, IFBB great Dennis James, the creator of MTUT (Menace Time Under Tension). “MTUT starts with a 30-second rep followed by three…

So you’ve got dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni. The prospect of eating each individually, cold and uncooked, is not very appetiSing. But stack them together and apply heat and you can bake the perfect cheat meal – pizza. This is the logic of giant sets, which combine four or more exercises into what is, in effect, one extended set. The sum is greater than the parts. “Going giant” has long been a way of upping workout intensity, but for some bodybuilders it’s more. It’s a training philosophy. For extended periods, you can cook up consistent gains by making giant sets the main dish of your routines. GOING GIANT First, let’s define some terms. A superset consists of a set of two exercises paired together, performed without rest.…

Better overall hamstring development is important for both symmetry of the thighs and protection against injury. In addition to quad developers like the squat and leg press, you should also be doing hamstring-specific movements such as stiff-leg deadlifts and leg curls. Research has shown lying leg curls do not stress the hamstring in identical fashion as stiff-leg deadlifts: leg curls activate the lower and outer portion (biceps femoris), while stiff-leg deadlifts place greater emphasis on the upper medial portion. For complete hamstring development, combine both leg curls and stiff-leg deadlifts. If the equipment is available, progress from lying leg curls to seated leg curls after six weeks or so. This will increase the degree of stretch on the hamstrings as long as you make a point to sit up straight.…

Calf development seems to be more dependent on genetics than any other muscle group. Even top bodybuilders can struggle to build their calves. But there are, effective strategies for maximising your calves’ genetic potential. The gastrocnemius has two heads: the medial (or inner) head and the lateral (or outer) head. Research has shown that you can shift the emphasis on either head by rotating your foot position in or out when doing standing calf raises. Inward rotation preferentially activates the inner head. Rotating the feet outward preferentially activates the outer head. For full calf development, use all three foot positions either in the same workout or alternate each time you train calves. “TURN FOR THE BETTER” CALF WORKOUT…

Coconut oil has gained popularity with athletes, including bodybuilders, over the past few years. This goes against the conventional wisdom from many years ago that argued you should avoid coconut oil because it was high in saturated fats. While the conclusion is wrong, the fact upon which it’s based is true: coconut oil is high in saturated fats. And that’s exactly why you should consume it. In fact, coconut oil derives about 90% of its calories from saturated fats. Now the preponderance of recent research and medical opinions recognises that saturated fats do not cause the damage of heart disease ascribed to them for decades. In fact, saturated fats are a healthy source of energy, and they provide the raw materials you need to support hormone production. Coconut oil provides…

Capsaicin is a popular ingredient in many fat-burning supplements, and you can also get it in many spicy foods. Research has long shown that capsaicin boosts metabolic rate and encourages your body to pull fat from storage to fuel activity. A new study presented last February demonstrates the effectiveness of consuming capsaicin to combat obesity. This effect was seen in both sedentary and active populations. So, it’s no great stretch to understand its implications for those with small or moderate amounts of body fat who want to prepare for a bodybuilding stage or photo shoot, or just get shredded. Choose a supplement that contains capsaicin or add more spicy foods such as chilli peppers, jalapeños or habaneros to your diet. Generally, the spicier a pepper, the more capsaicin it contains…

Name Mollie Stewart-Gibson Date of birth 21/02/1988 Lives Melbourne Height 161cm Contest weight 53kg Off-season weight 65kg Occupation Student and administration Hobbies/interests Show jumping Why did you start weight training? I started in year 12 at high school during my lunch break to help with stress. I loved how lifting weights made me feel strong and empowered. Where do you train? Natural Muscle in Ascot Vale, Melbourne Do you have a training partner? No, I enjoy the solidarity of training. I use my training as time out to myself. Techniques used? I like super sets. I use these to increase recovery time, not to increase intensity. I rest for about two minutes between sets. I’m a stickler for form. I like to be very controlled in all my lifts. Favourite…

What’s the first thing that pops out at you when you see Roelly Winklaar posing onstage or in front of a camera? His arms, perhaps? That’s what most people say, and the guns are huge – arguably the best of all time. But his wheels have now become equally impressive, giving him top-to-bottom symmetry that figures to make noise in the IFBB for years to come. ROELLY WINKLAAR STATS HEIGHT 170cm WEIGHT 112kg BIRTH DATE June 22, 1977 RESIDENCE Willemstad, Curaçao (Caribbean) NICKNAME The Beast or Samurai CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 2009 IFBB Arnold Amateur winner; 2010 New York Pro, 1st; 2012 Nordic Pro, 1st; 2013–2014 Chicago Pro, 1st; 2014 Nordic Pro, 1st HOW WINKLAAR MANAGED TO BUILD LOWER LIMBS THAT MATCH HIS UPPER ONES IS PRETTY SIMPLE: He stuck to the…

Q Which exercise is best for adding serious size to triceps? Close-grip bench presses, no contest. I always do them during my triceps workouts, and the reason is simple: the big benchers, like Kevin Levrone, always have great triceps. Here’s what I do: 1 Take a grip that leaves about 35cm between your thumbs and stop your descent about 7-8cm above your chest. 2 Press up and momentarily lock out. Your focus should be on trying to take the chest out of the exercise and on working the tris as much as you can. Obviously, you can’t take the chest totally out of the exercise, but you have to make that connection with your triceps to get the most out of it. CUTLER’S TRICEPS TAKEDOWN…

2 My goal is to make it to the Olympia stage. Whether it takes blood or tears, I will step onto that stage one day. 3 I love leg day to the point where I might have a leg fetish. If I could work on my legs all day I’d be happy. I love sexy legs. 4 A juicy burger and sweet potato fries are the perfect cheat meal. 5 My bikini top split when I was getting ready to go onstage once. I was devastated and embarrassed, but thankfully one of the girls offered me her extra suit. I frantically got changed and walked to the line-up, praying it fit. I had no idea what it looked like, but thank God it fit. 6 My dad loved Arnold Schwarzenegger;…

Q What kind of back routine were you doing before you won your first Sandow? I focused on range of motion and on holding the weight at its contraction point. My reps were a little bit slower, taking momentum out of the equation – which was a huge part of my development leading up to the 2011 Olympia. On the rowing exercises, for example, I was really just trying to get a solid contraction and a good stretch at the top. I had to learn to focus on form instead of pure strength. HEATH’S BACK ROUTINE…

HYPOTHESIS Research shows that training three to four times a week may be the most effective frequency to make gains. RESEARCH In a study from the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, subjects were divided into three groups to train with a different weekly frequency: twice per week (Tues, Thurs); three times per week (Mon, Wed, Fri); or four times per week (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri). Each group used the same full-body routine each workout. Strength improvements for bench press, lat pulldown and leg press were measured at four and eight months. FINDINGS Strength improvements were not significantly different among groups. However, the group training four times weekly did show a greater percentage change from baseline. CONCLUSION Although some studies have shown that training should be performed three, four…

OPENING ARGUMENTS DEFENSE A slow, steady and controlled tempo is safer and best for stimulating muscle hypertrophy. PROSECUTION Lifting too slow reduces the amount of weight that can be used and thus limits ability to add weight and make continued gains. EVIDENCE 1 It is speculated that slowing the tempo reduces momentum, thereby increasing tension on the muscle. 2 Increasing the tempo allows greater loads to be used, potentially increasing the anabolic stimulus. 3 Lifting weight using a quick tempo is believed to put the lifter at risk of injury. 4 When lifting speed is increased, form is often sacrificed. 5 Studies comparing different rep tempos have found no significant difference in hypertrophy between 0.5 seconds all the way up to eight full seconds. VERDICT Growth would appear to be…

Beef was one of the sacred cows of the Western diet in the ’40s and ’50s. Then it became a vilified food because many beef eaters died of heart disease – never mind the cigarettes, lack of exercise and Beefeaters gin they were guzzling. Today, though, we have a clear understanding of this quintessentially Aussie meat’s role in a bodybuilding diet: it’s beneficial for supporting muscle gains and provides satiety, so you don’t feel the need to consume excess carbs. Red meat is high in dietary fats and protein. For a time, science concluded (incorrectly) that heart disease was caused by consuming saturated fats. But that has been debunked. Not only are these fats not harmful, they provide the raw materials for hormones such as testosterone that support building muscle…

The good news is that you can get in enough protein, and it’s very affordable. First, though, FLEX needs to address a misconception you may have: you don’t grow exclusively from consuming protein – you need only about two grams per kilo of body weight each day. Let’s go a little on the high side, though, and use your target weight: you should aim to get in about 180 grams of protein every day. What you really need to support muscle growth is the proper amount of quality calories. Follow these budget-friendly tips. 1 Rely on inexpensive protein sources You can pick up many “lesser quality” foods that are higher in protein on the cheap. Keep in mind that you’re not a competitive bodybuilder getting ready for the stage. Not…

Aussies are eating less fruit than ever, with only around half of all Australians eating the recommended two serves of fruit per day, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Many body-conscious blokes might be avoiding fruit because of the fructose content, but if you’re eschewing fruit rather than chewing it, you’re missing out on any number of vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy body and strong muscles and bones. Take blueberries for instance – one of the best pound-for-pound foods available in terms of nutrient density. They’re low in calories, low GI, high in fibre and particularly high in vitamins C, K and manganese. Blueberries have also been researched for their brain protective and anti-ageing benefits, mostly due to the high quantity of anthocyanin,…

BLACK BEANS FIBRE 7.5G PROTEIN 7.6G CALORIES 114 KIDNEY BEANS FIBRE 5.5G PROTEIN 6.7G CALORIES 108 LENTILS FIBRE 7.8G PROTEIN 8.9G CALORIES 115 PINTO BEANS FIBRE 9.8G PROTEIN 10.6G CALORIES 184 The classic British breakfast includes bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and toast. The good news for bodybuilders is that everything on this plate is likely on your diet. You may want to make some slight modifications to what they serve in the UK, though. Instead of using processed baked beans with all the sugars and other additives, you can add a side of black or kidney beans or lentils. You should also flip out the white bread in favour of a wholegrain variety. Beans and lentils are very high in fibre, providing many health benefits in addition to…

On September 19, 1965, a standing-room-only crowd of 2500 rabid fans in the Brooklyn Academy of Music screamed as Larry Scott was (literally) crowned the first Mr Olympia. Exactly 50 years to the day, on September 19, 2015, in Orleans Arena, the 51st Mr Olympia will be staged. Only 13 men have won the 50 Olympias prior to this year’s edition. In their honour, we’ve assembled advice from the victor of each contest – from Scott’s initial two to Phil Heath’s recent four. Like tweets, no tip is longer than 140 characters, and affixed to each are hashtags regarding that year’s Olympia – its location and major story lines. This invaluable guidance from bodybuilding’s legends as well as the hashtag history lesson demonstrates that some things have changed while others…

Whether you’re in a T-shirt by the pool or onstage in posing trunks, peoples’ eyes are going to be drawn to your chest. And when you’re onstage at the Mr Olympia competition, owning a well-developed, perfectly proportioned set of pecs is critical to standing out among a crowded field of competitors. Just ask many past champs who’ve sported amazing chests: Sergio Oliva, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman. Four-time defending Mr Olympia Phil Heath wasn’t known for his chest early on in his professional career. The knock on Heath was that his arms and delts overpowered his pecs. People forget, however, that “the Gift” turned pro a little more than a year after he began competing – and that was only three years after he began lifting for…

Take a look around the next time you’re walking down the street. You’ll notice a lot of dissatisfied men—men who feel they have a bit too much Bruce Banner in them and not enough Incredible Hulk (the size and strength of the Hulk, mind you, not all the rage and destructiveness). Afterward, take a look in the mirror. Are you one of these men? If so, you need a training protocol that will considerably enhance your muscular size, strength, and power—if not quite to Hulk proportions, then, at the very least, surpassing Banner’s. To deliver such a program, we enlisted Hollywood celebrity trainer Eric Fleishman (aka “Eric the Trainer”), owner of the fitness company ETT Corp. (ericthe trainer.com) and a bona fide comic-book buff. “I based the following workouts off…

With the new Avengers movie, The Age of Ultron, in theatres now, FLEX is paying tribute to our favourite superhero, the Mean Green Machine himself, the Incredible Hulk. For bodybuilders, the Hulk is the Holy Grail of muscle. He gets mad, he gets big, he gets madder, he gets bigger and so on. (Think of the green skin tone as a bottle of 1980s fake tan.) So as a supplement to our other Hulk-related features, we’re bringing you the workouts and training strategies of five mortals who have come as close as anybody to matching the size and strength of the gamma-ray-induced mutant. “‘Big’ for me starts at 280 pounds (127kg).”— MARKUS RÜHL MARKUS RÜHL Born: February 22, 1972 Height: 178cm Weight: 130kg RÜHLS OF ENGAGEMENT Combine low-rep compound exercises…