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.
OVER THE TIME I’VE SPENT running this magazine, I’ve learned that bodybuilding has not only some of the planet’s biggest people but also its biggest hearts, too, and none more so than that of our cover guy, James “Flex” Lewis. Look beyond the Olympia wins and the 50cm-plus arms, and you’ll find a man as kind and charitable as any I’ve known. Born into humble beginnings, he built himself up by way of sheer grit and effort, rising through the amateur ranks in the UK, then as a pro in the US. And all along the way he’s remained good-natured and accessible to fans. In fact, he regularly conducts seminars in which he gives fans a chance to train with him and tap into his vast knowledge. Moreover, he devotes…
THAT’S STRONG, MAN An Auckland University of Technology, NZ, study compared the physiological responses of strongman training and traditional training. Strongman training increased post-workout fat burning to a larger extent, making it better for fat loss. ONE-SIDED A study out of the University of Central Florida, US, found that training only one leg for four weeks results in significant strength increases in the opposite leg without any change in muscle size or notable hormonal changes. HORMONE CONTROL Researchers from McMaster University, Canada, examined the effect exercise-induced changes in anabolic hormones and weight loads had on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Post-exercise anabolic hormonal rises are unrelated to and not predictive of training-induced gains in muscle mass or strength. NO ADVANCES Advanced training techniques are wasted on beginners. A study out of…
FAT NOT BAD Circulation published a study that suggests full-fat dairy products are healthier than skim or low-fat ones. People who ate higher levels of three different full-fat dairy products had a 46% lower risk of developing diabetes. CHOCO BOOST A Kingston Uni, UK, study reported that cacao beans – what chocolate is made from – contain epicatechin, a flavonol that increases nitric oxide in the body, which can open up blood vessels, allowing more blood to reach muscles. Dark chocolate helped subjects cycle longer and with a reduced oxygen load compared with those who just had white chocolate. JUST SAY NO! Researchers presenting at a meeting of the British Psychological Society reported that people who were bored kept going back for more and more helpings of unhealthy snacks like…
SHAWN RHODEN You’ve just signed with AMI/ Weider. How does it feel to be on the team? A: You mean to be a Weider athlete again. I’ve had the honour of signing with Weider in the past, and it’s a great opportunity to be able to do so again. It has always been a prestigious honour, and for me, it comes with the background of my having grown up in awe of the great Weider athletes of the past. How do you choose your posing music? A: Posing music needs to match both your personality and your physique. You don’t want to see a 300-pound guy posing to disco music or a 110-pound guy posing to heavy metal. Posing is an art, and your music has to match you and…
Q You’ve had a pretty gruelling schedule of travel and appearances most of the year. How did that change when you started O prep? I did move around a lot the rest of the year, but once I started prep, I hardly travelled at all. I might have hit the road for an emergency or taken a little short-distance road trip, but otherwise the only thing I travelled for was to meet with my nutritionist and trainer, Hany Rambod. I might have gone to Colorado to meet with Hany, to work out at Armbrust Pro Gym, but that’s about it. Q After six years at the top, what is the one question you wish people would stop asking? If I’m going to win in September. Q If they made a…
STATS ON BRIDSON AGE 23 COMPETITION WEIGHT 41.5kgs LIVES Hamilton, NZ INSTAGRAM @shredder_fit FACEBOOK Callum Bridson Fitness GYM Anytime Fitness (Avalon), Wintec and Fit Futures Gym. Pumping weights not only allows wheelchair bodybuilding champion Callum Bridson to out-muscle the competition come contest day. Crafting mass via heavy iron has also enabled the aspiring personal trainer and former basketball player to overcome the potentially debilitating effects of spina bifida, a birth defect that has rendered him paralysed from the waist down and susceptible to a range of complications (including bowel and kidney problems and cognitive impairment). For many, spina bifida is seen as a barrier to achievement – a disability that can make life extremely difficult. For Bridson, the notion of disability is simply that: a construct, open to personal interpretation.…
