Flex UK - March 2018

MARCH
2018
SIX
TIMES 212
MR OLYMPIA
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LEWIS
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FROM THE CEO By Nick Orton
him to the green room

for food, but he’d just say
‘I got a line’ (of fans). His work
ethic is inspiring.
Dorian has to be one of the

most fascinating bodybuilders.
His mind is a mystery, it’s like a
combination of high intelligence,
mixed with an intenseness which
is quite intimidating at times.
Interviewing Dorian is a tough
task because it demands serious
focus, due to his razor sharp
mind. It’s great to see him
enjoying life to the full nowadays
in Spain, I always sensed
resentment from him about the
press in the UK, because they
never acknowledged his massive
achievements. I have a lot to
thank Dorian for, because when
I started BodyPower, he was
the only one who said ‘yea, let’s
do it, I will support you’ and he
also introduced me to a guy who
I have a close bond to now - on
the very first BodyPower expo,
the week before we opened, our
headline athlete suffered an injury
and couldn’t travel, and Dorian
said to me ‘don’t worry, there’s
I
OFTEN DESCRIBE MY LIFE I met someone who has so much a guy who I think is going to be
as bizarre, and one of the life experience. He’s not only a a big star, I will invite him over,
highlights of that craziness is phenomenal bodybuilder, but also his name is Kai Greene’…Kai was
the massive BodyPower expo has a wealth of anecdotes and quiet, thoughtful and polite. He
in Mumbai, India, which I was at stories. His life has been so talked about art, books and
recently. Running these expos varied and colourful. literature. He was really
around the world is a pretty interesting. The crowd loved him,
strange thing anyway, but add My time with Flex got me and he’s been back to BodyPower
in the presence of high profile thinking about some of the other every year since. At the Mumbai
actors, politicians and athletes, characters that I’ve met through expo, he was nothing short of a
and the bizarre scale goes off bodybuilding – I’ve been lucky ‘superstar’, mobbed by the
the rails. On this show, my enough to meet most of the crowds, he handled the mic
guests included PCA poster ‘greats’ and I’ve been asked many like a seasoned pro and
boy Dean White; the enormous times who I think is the best…I’m worked the crowd masterfully.
Mr Universe Josh Maley; Head a huge Ronnie fan – that man is His development has been
PCA Judge Warren Dyson; rising pure machine, whether its astronomical.
physique star Zac Ansley; the training or business, he just
hilarious and talented Tom cannot be stopped, and I love the We are well into the planning
Coleman; superstar bodybuilder fact that he’s so straightforward. for the 10th edition of BodyPower
and actor Kai Greene; and the It would always make me laugh expo UK, and for this special
legendary Flex Wheeler. when he showed up at anniversary edition, expect to
I don’t often get much time to talk BodyPower with his six huge see a host of new, existing and
to the guests, and I didn’t know suitcases packed with tees and legendary athletes. 11-13th May
Flex very well, so wanted to chat vests – he would sit and sell every at the NEC
to him…I’m glad I did. Rarely have one himself. I used to try and get www.bodypower.com
6 FLEX | MARCH 2018

CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
David Pecker
UK EDITION
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Nick Orton
www.flexonline.co.uk
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER UK MANAGING DIRECTOR

Nick Orton Carl Walker
EDITORIAL ADVERTISING
UK MANAGING DIRECTOR HEAD OF ADVERTISING SALES
Carl Walker MUSCLE & FITNESS UK / FLEX UK
e-mail: c.walker@bodypower.com Samantha Lund
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US EDITION
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Chris Scardino
EDITORIAL ART
Brian Good, Zack Zeigler; Dave Ian Lee; Greg Merritt; Angelica Nebbia; Ramón Gamarra; Cynthia NG; Sean Otto; Anthony Nolan;
Andrew Gutman; Yeun Littlefield; Jeff Tomko; Marc Bailes; James Riley; Erica Schultz; Gaby Chiang
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Founder and Chairman Emeritus JOE WEIDER (1920–2013)
We assume no responsibility for returning unsolicited material, including but not limited to photographs, artwork, manuscripts and letters. Membership on the Editorial Advisory Board does not imply endorsement of any product or
service advertised in this magazine. Views expressed in advertisements and editorials are not necessarily those of FLEX or the Editorial Advisory Board. Reader discretion is advised. Please consult your doctor before beginning any
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THE SUDDEN PASSING OF
A FRIEND AND HURRICANE
IRMA’S LANDFALL WEIGHED ON
FLEX LEWIS IN THE WEEKS AND
DAYS BEFORE HIS SIXTH
CONSECUTIVE OLYMPIA 212
VICTORY—THEN DEATH THREATS
TWO WEEKS LATER RAISED IT
TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
BY JAMES RILEY PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL
8 FLEX | MARCH 2018

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 9
10 FLEX | MARCH 2018
came on Aug. 22, less than four
weeks before the O: the death of
close friend, workout partner,
and fellow IFBB Pro League
bodybuilder Dallas McCarver.
“Like me, in the small town where
he grew up, Dallas was a big fish in a
small pond,” Lewis says. He’d known
McCarver since McCarver was an
up-and-comer packed with potential
and living in Tennessee. The two
were living in two different parts of
the state—McCarver was in Knoxville
and Lewis was in Murfreesboro—but
knew of each other because of the
sport’s grapevine.
They became friends as athletes
at BSN. “I got to know him there. At
first he was a typical teen—he wasn’t
really mature. Maturity came from
his fast rise, getting his pro card so
was mid-July that I last early—what happened is that he
spoke with Flex Lewis, realized he had to treat the ‘sport’ as
while he was waiting in a professional job.”
an airport lobby for his Signed by Redcon1, McCarver
moved to Florida. “That’s when we
delayed flight to New
became close. He was like my little
Brunswick for the first Flex brother. Took him under my wing,
Lewis Canadian Classic. talked to him about the business side
While booming background of the sport. The guy was ungodly
voices relayed instructions superstrong. He was a remarkable
for red zones and white young man with a great heart. We
zones, I listened as a trained every day. He took the
woman from the airline Olympia off this year to focus on the
explained to Lewis that 2018 Arnold Classic. He was going to
because of the delay, push me hard while I trained for the
the meal on his flight had Olympia and he wasn’t dieting,
and then come 2018 I would be the
been cancelled.
one who wouldn’t be dieting, and I
Back on the phone a moment would push him while he trained for
later, he explained that he’d long the Arnold.
since learned the importance of “I’m still stunned by the loss. We
being prepared for those times trained together, we traveled to
when plans go off course—he’d contests together, we talked on the
packed a backup meal for this part phone every day, even when I was on
of his trip just in case. the other side of the world. He was
Olympia Weekend—where Lewis truly like a little brother to me, and
would be fighting for his sixth 212 beyond that, he had such potential.
Olympia title—was two months away, He would have won the Arnold one
and the Canadian contest would be day. He could have won the Olympia
the last event before he would begin one day.”
his prep in earnest. Lewis is, of all
things, a man who comes up with a IRMA ADDS
plan for getting things done, and he TO THE ORDEAL
has the tunnel vision that is Lewis was in Tennessee for
necessary to see it through to the McCarver’s funeral—where he
end. helped carry his friend’s casket—
when word of the advance of
TRAGEDY STRIKES Hurricane Irma spread.
The hardest hit to his O prep plan, “My wife, Ali, has lived in Florida
and to the Welsh Dragon himself, half of her life, and she knows to take
MARCH 2018 | FLEX 11

hurricanes seriously. We death or the threat of the
came up with a plan while hurricane. “Did it have an
we were in Tennessee, effect on my physique?
then went back home, I’m sure it did. I would
and about a week later— have said different at the
after boarding up the time to avoid negativity,
house, situating the but I was having good
dogs—we drove to days and bad days,
Orlando. Of course, we crying a lot. Even though
weren’t the only ones with I didn’t miss a workout,
that idea—a 2½-hour drive didn’t miss a meal, it was
took four hours. The next a lot of stress.”
day it would have been
eight hours and the day STILL DRIVEN
after that 14 hours.” Dominating his 212
Lewis and family found Olympia competition
themselves in Vegas 12 yet again, Lewis captured
days before the contest. his sixth win in convincing
“If anyone asked, I told fashion, to the point that
them I was OK. I told the greater battle onstage
myself I was OK. But now, seemed to be the one
five, six weeks later, I can for the runner-up spot.
see that I was so focused I remind Lewis that after
on the task ahead that the 2016 O, Mr. Olympia
my head was up my ass.” Phil Heath commented
He hadn’t had time to that he was sure he’d won
process McCarver’s when the athletes first
I WAS HAVING GOOD
DAYS AND BAD DAYS,
CRYING A LOT. EVEN
THOUGH I DIDN’T MISS
A WORKOUT, DIDN’T
MISS A MEAL, IT WAS
A LOT OF STRESS.”
GROOMING BY KATE SANDERS. SHOT ON LOCATION AT

EOS FITNESS, LAS VEGAS, NV
Classic, a contest in the U.S. I’ve
promoted for seven years now, which
was happening the same weekend as
the contest in Kuwait.”
Lewis did make it to the Asian Pro
212 in Seoul, South Korea, a contest
he’d won for the past three years.
This, too, proved more challenging
than in the past. He couldn’t find the
types of food he needed. No cream of
rice or chicken breast. He and Jose
Raymond and David Henry managed to
get food together that they could carve
up with and that Lewis’ digestive
system could handle.
After pre-judging, someone posted
photos from the contest’s pre-judging
that appeared to show Lewis in less
than optimal form. Never mind that
they were photos taken in between
poses, messages soon came in from
“fans” of another athlete in the contest,
attacking Lewis’ eventual win in the
show. The first messages were critical
THE IRONY IS of the physique displayed in the

photos, then they turned dark and
THAT WHEN THE threatening, promising violence against
OFFICIAL PHOTOS Lewis and his family.

“It was my last show of the year,
FROM THE and I’d been through a lot, and here
CONTEST CAME
I am getting death threats against
me and my family. It got so bad the
OUT, MANY OF THE IFBB Pro League had to step in.
I just wanted to go home at that point.
PEOPLE WHO I wanted to get out of there and forget
WERE TALKING about them.
“The irony is that when the official
CRAP CAME BACK photos from the contest came out,
AND DELETED many of the people who were talking

crap came back and deleted their
THEIR POSTS.” posts. It was like, ‘Oh, look at that!
Flex actually did win.’ ”
disrobed to go onstage, and I ask “Absolutely. Dorian Yates is a
if he had any similar sort of moment legend in my eyes. Arnold is the SINISTER PLANS
where he just knew he was going greatest of all time. This is coming What does 2018 look like to the 212
to win. from a kid from a small town in champ? Rest assured, he’s got things
“No. The moment you let super Wales sharing accolades with to keep him busy between now and
confidence set in, you set yourself the greatest of all time. It was a next September, when he will shoot
up for the fall. I train to knock out dream, and it is a dream I’m still for 212 O title No. 7. He’s planning on
my opponent. I never want to leave driven by.” spending more time with his wife and
it in the hands of the judges. I didn’t child, and he’s working on building
know that I won until they called DEATH THREAT... Sinister Labs, his new functional food
my name. I don’t like to be cocky— AT A SHOW? company, alongside his other
the furthest I’ll go is to say I will The post-Olympia contests overseas businesses.
train and do everything in my power are usually a big draw for Lewis, but Lewis has plans, but for now he’s
to win.” the stars didn’t align in a way that allowing himself to catch up with all
I ask him about the significance allowed him to participate in the 212 that has happened in the past few
of six, matching Dorian Yates’ O division contests in Prague and months. Then he’s going to do what
record, tying Arnold’s six Kuwait. “I really wanted to go—I’ve got he needs to do to get the job, face
consecutive wins—is the history a lot of fans out there I want to meet, the challenge, win the next contest,
of it meaningful to him? but there was a conflict with the Flex whatever it is, done.

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T
he intrigue into lifting AFTER CLIMBING KILIMANJARO,
probably first started when
James Hollingshead was at THERE WAS ANOTHER MOUNTAIN
home. His parents separated, TO CLIMB. WAS
BY DARREN THE MINDSET
NICHOLHURST PHOTOS BY ?????????????
leaving only distant memories of his
dad being present at the house. STRONG ENOUGH TO REACH THE
“After my parents split, I used to
grab the 5kg dumbbells that were
PEAK OF PRO STATUS.
floating around the house and lift /// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST
them every 30-40 minutes whilst /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY REBECCA ANDREWS
listening to music,” says James.
“This was like a therapy session to
me- I was just a young boy who was
trying to become a man like my dad.
It was the only way that I could feel
close to him. The time I spent lifting
sort of filled the void that was left
by his absence.”
As he got older, James’ passion for
lifting didn’t fade. One of his school
friends had a garage with a weights
bench, curling bar and few other
bits in it.
“These weights belonged to my
mate’s older brother. We really
looked up to him, we both thought it
was so cool to be strong,” he says,
reminiscing. “None of us were very
academic- it was all about who was
the strongest. I suppose we were
just finding the alpha male among us.
After school, we all hung out and
lifted. This was our way of bonding-
we were bonded by steel.”
But the equipment these young
men were using wasn’t adequate for
what they really wanted to achieve.
“I went and joined the leisure
centre because I wanted more out
of my workouts,” says James. “I was
only 14 at the time. We weren’t
allowed to use the weights, but we

did, breaking the rules as young the British finals, but the rookie The New Elevation
guys do,” he jokes. made the decision not to enter. The following year, Hollingshead
After a year, James outgrew the “At that point, I decided to take was on such a high from his
leisure centre and joined Pinks Gym, a year off,” he says. “I wanted to placings that he felt he could do
where he met his friend Luke- a dedicate a full year to growing my anything.
competitive bodybuilder. body.” “I got asked to climb Kilimanjaro
“I went to my first bodybuilding After enjoying this time to pack and I couldn’t say no,” he says. “As
show when I was 16,” recalls James. on dense, hard muscle, James was you can imagine, after all the years
“I was in astonished and felt totally ready for his next show. of beasting myself in the gym, this
in awe of the physiques lined up on “I felt great that day,” he says. was an exciting new challenge. I had
stage.” “I won my class but I also felt like a fear that life would flash past me
Despite being impressed, James I had even more to give. This is and I wouldn’t have seen anything,
wasn’t interested in bodybuilding at where I met JP (Jordan Peters), but then the time came to grab
first. Instead, he enjoyed power and who then became my coach. adventure by the horns.
strength training. I believe this is why I went on to “I was stood at the airport
“I spent a few years training and win the Juniors at the British.” with 26 other people that would
morphed into this very muscular In the following years, James’ be joining the trip. I felt as if a
physique unintentionally,” he says. progression continued, earning him huge weight had been lifted
“So, I thought I might as well try my many top placings, including a win in off shoulders. I wasn’t thinking
luck and do a bodybuilding show.” the super heavyweight class at the about bodybuilding at all. That
James was 18 when he first British. was a first.”
competed. “I was thrilled with this result but This feeling was a real eye opener
“I had no idea about prep, and not didn’t win the overall,” he says. “It for James. So many emotions went
a single clue what I was doing,” he was a good thing looking back that through his mind…
laughs. “Somehow though, I stepped Nathan De Asha won it though. “I was so excited. I hadn’t felt
on stage and placed 2nd.” I’m the first to admit I wasn’t ready excitement like that for such a long
This placing came with an invite to to go Pro at that stage.” time,” he admits. “I actually didn’t feel

like I was going to go back into
bodybuilding again.”
A new emotion emerged for
James every day that he was on the
Kilimanjaro. A new feeling of inner
strength was growing.
“We had to dig so deep every
step of the way to get it done. I felt
capable, but not as an athlete this
time. Instead, I felt capable as a
human,” he explains. “This journey
and these feelings taught me more
than I had ever imagined was
possible. I suddenly acquired a
whole new appreciation for what is
out there. I learned that an environ-
mental change can also change your
mindset. I know now that all good
things do exist.”
Back in the Game

After returning back from the trip,
James did get back into bodybuild-
ing, and eventually started working
more with Jordan Peters. This is
when he adopted JP’s training and
nutrition principles.
“JP taught me how to eat and train.
I realised that I was eating like a “Training will be more regimented mental to keeping the progression in
fitness model before,” he jokes. in the months to come,” he reveals. his training as fluent as possible.
“I adopted a whole new structure “I’m eating sensible, clean food James enjoys helping and teaching
now that JP was close to hand, every single day. I can’t waste any others via social media.
coaching not just my body, but my time. JP has taught me never to go “Social media is a really important
mind too. We become close friends, half-hearted in the gym- it’s all or tool in this industry,” he says.
and the ability to take the British title nothing.” “Particularly so that I can communi-
was within my reach.” cate with my followers and guide
Sure enough, when the day came The Principle them with questions that I answer,
there was nothing that was going “I do progressive overload, setting or educational videos I like to post.”
to stop the team. the bar and logging the numbers. James is supported by RAP
“I brought the best package Then I try improving on the numbers Media.
I possibly could, and I did go on to I have logged in my lifts,” James “RAP have helped me to get out
win,” James says. “I was confident explains. “I believe this technique is there, which means I can give back
I could take the overall too. essential if you want to improve and to the bodybuilding community,”
“When my name was called out get results,” he continues. “You have he says.
as the overall winner, I remember to work up from something. You “Now that I’m a full-time body-
thinking how the battle was over can’t afford to guess the numbers builder, I feel happy to dedicate
and I wouldn’t have to go through and get it wrong. Bodybuilding is a myself entirely to this amazing
it all again.” precision sport.” career. I do what I love, and I’m
Since the show, James’ weight By keeping these records, James totally happy.”
has gone from 107kg to 132kg and knows that he can track progress Intagram; @hollingshead89
he is still in a hard condition. and solve problems. This is funda- Content also on; trainedbyjp.com

Try this workout from James to achieve that hard,
dense and full muscle.
THE CHEST AND ARMS WORKOUT:
INCLINE FLY - 2 sets 5-9 reps DUMBBELL PREACHER CURLS -
into 1 set 10-15 reps 2 sets 5-9 reps into 1 set 10-15 reps

INCLINE MACHINE PRESS -
2 sets 5-9 reps into 1 set 10-15 reps
WIDE DIPS - 2 sets 5-9 reps into ROPE EXTENSIONS - 2 sets
1 set 10-15 reps 5-9 reps into 1 set 10-15 reps

CABLE FLY - 2 sets 5-9 reps into V BAR EXTENSIONS - 2 sets
1 set 10-15 reps 5-9 reps into 1 set 10-15 reps
,
E CELL S SWELLING
USCL HAVE
BLOOD, M THINK YOU
RIVERS OF PLIT TING PUMPS…
SKIN-S H THE
TO M A KE IT THROUG T PROGRAMME?
AKES MY Y3
WHAT IT T U S W EEK 3 OF
INFAM O Y THE
U T IT O U T TO ENJO - REP TRAININ
G.
AND G HIGH L
DIG DEEP
RE W A R DS OF REAL BY NEIL “YODA” HIL
AWESOME
Y3T has become WHY DO
synonymous with HIGH REPS?
adjectives pertaining There’s both mechanical and
to extreme intensity. systematic stress taking place
when your body endures high- rep
“Hell week” is another perfect training. Muscle fibres are exposed
description of Y3T (Yoda 3 Training), to new rep ranges that carry a bias
especially when we’re talking about toward sarcoplasmic hypertrophy,
Week 3, which has gained an predominately targeting type I
infamous reputation because of the slow-twitch muscle fibres. As
high-rep brutality deployed for total
a result, there is an uplift in “cell
muscle annihilation. This is not just
for “effect” though—high-rep training swelling,” which correlates with an
within the Y3T cycle is an immensely increase in sarcoplasmic fluid within
potent hypertrophy tool that can the muscle cell. Another noticeable nutrient transportation and
transform a stubborn muscle group hypertrophy-supporting by-product assimilation, both of which can
into one that turns heads. In this of high-rep training is a significant support recovery and growth.
bonus FLEX feature, I’m going to increase in blood flow into the Many muscle groups don’t
explain the fundamentals of Week 3 muscle. The sheath that envelops expand to their fullest potential until
OPENER: PER BERNAL
of Y3T and how it can help you the muscle, known as the fascia, they’re exposed to high-rep training.
achieve the best results of your life. becomes more elastic over time, This is often due to the fact the
There’s also a full Week 3
equating to more room for growth slow-twitch fibres have not been
programme to experience for
yourself. Brace yourself, s--- is within the area. With increased stimulated adequately. Many clients
about to get serious. blood flow also comes better of mine report significant increases

QUADS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Leg 3–4 12-15

Extension
Leg 3 (triple 20–25
Extension dropsets)
Leg Press 1–3 Warm up
Leg Press 3 (dropsets) 25–30
Dumbbell 2 20–30
Walking
Lunge
Barbell Squat 2 20–25
NOTES: Make sure you tense the thighs during
each set. Avoid total lockout on extensions to
protect the knee joint. Drive through your heels
when doing leg pressing and squat movements.
HAMSTRINGS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
High-stance 4 12-15
Leg Press
Standing 4 (dropsets) 20–25
One-leg Curl
High-stance 3 20–30
Leg Press
Barbell 3 20–15
Stiff-leg
Deadlift
NOTES: Tense hamstrings and glutes before
starting set to increase muscle activation
within the target area while reducing lower
back strain. Do not allow hips/backside to move
upward on lying leg curls, as this leads to a loss
of tension within the hamstrings.
BACK
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Seated 4 10-12
Hammer Row
Seated 3 (dropsets) 15–20
Hammer Row
Bentover 3 (dropsets) 15–20
Dumbbell
Row
in muscle volumisation once they of the high-rep part of Y3T
Lying 2 (dropsets) 15–20
complete their first full Y3T means that fat mobilization Medium-grip
programme. In my experience, and overall calorie expenditure Lat Pulldown
there are also significant increase. Hormonally, the Barbell Rack 2 (dropsets) 15–20
KRAUSE; PAVEL YTHJALL
THIS SPREAD: JOHANSEN
improvements in muscle separation body also becomes more Pull

after consistent use of higher rep optimized for fat loss. In short,
NOTES: Keep chest out and shoulder blades
ranges as well. Y3T Week 3 is extremely retracted to maximize back muscle stimulation.
Ultimately, high-rep training beneficial for anyone looking Avoid using torso-generated momentum to
improves muscle growth and to make positive changes to his move weight. Use lifting straps to avoid grip
conditioning. The sheer intensity or her physique. strength becoming a limiting factor.

HIGH REPS AND
MAX GROWTH
High-rep training is something very
few people ever experience, let alone
CHEST SHOULDERS
FROM LEFT: CHRIS LUND; CHARLES LOWTHIAN; CHRIS LUND
EXERCISE SETS REPS EXERCISE SETS REPS
apply correctly for an optimized
hypertrophic response. Doing some Incline Dumbbell Press 4 10-12 Standing Barbell 4 12-15
Power Press
dropsets at the end of a workout is Incline Dumbbell Press 4 15–20
not my idea of high-rep training. superset with Standing Barbell 3 (dropsets) 20–25
For optimized results with high-rep Incline Dumbbell Flye 4 15–20 Power Press
training, I believe it’s essential to Flat Smith 4 15–20 Standing Dumbbell 3 (triple 20–25
apply it within a periodized program Machine Press (dropsets) Lateral Raise dropsets)
that utilizes its high-intensity nature Cable Crossover 2 15-20 Lying Incline Barbell 3 (dropsets) 20–25
for extreme trauma to the muscle in (dropsets) Front Raise
a lower-volume format. For instance, NOTES: Keep shoulders retracted to maximize Rear Lateral Raise 4 (dropsets) 20–25
in Week 1 of Y3T, when the rep muscle fibre recruitment across the chest. Avoid
NOTES: Don’t lock out on pressing movements to
ranges are at their lowest overall, complete lockout (stop 2 to 3 inches short) on
sustain tension on deltoids. Avoid using
pressing movements to sustain tension on the
the volume of sets is higher as it’s torso-generated momentum to lift weight. Relax
chest rather than the triceps. Avoid dropping
less taxing on the central nervous traps and isolate the deltoids even if it means
below chest depth on pressing to sustain tension
system (CNS). using less weight.
on the pecs and reduce strain on shoulder joint.

TRICEPS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Cable Pushdown 4 12-15

Cable Pushdown 3 (dropsets) 20–25
Body-weight Dip 3 Max

Overhead Cable 3 (dropsets) 20–25
Extension
NOTES: Extend through the elbow and minimize
shoulder movement to further isolate the
triceps. Use a full range of motion to ensure
all three heads of the triceps are worked.
In Week 2 the rep ranges increase

to moderate, while the working set
number decreases slightly. Finally, in
Week 3 the number of working sets
are reduced further, yet the overall
intensity goes up significantly for
each working set due to the high rep
ranges. This formation means that
the CNS is afforded the time needed
to recover and adapt. If there is no
periodization in place, the CNS will
quickly become overfatigued,
leading to reduced muscle
performance and plateaus.
It’s fundamental that when
applying the high rep ranges in
Week 3 that there is acute intensity!
This acts as compensation for the
reduction in overall training volume
during this week. As such, the
muscle fibers and CNS are
stimulated to their maximal capacity
without falling into a negative
environment in which a potential
state of “over training” can set in.
With this level of intensity comes
high-threshold motor unit
recruitment, leading to global
muscle fiber stimulation.

MISTAKES
TO AVOID
The word intensity is often mis-
placed—but anybody who’s been
trained by me during a Y3T Week 3
workout will confirm that it’s f---ing
intense! Possibly the biggest error
people commit when applying
high-rep training is picking the
wrong weight and going too light.
As a result, they get to around 80% of
the target rep range and start to feel
the burn. That’s not Y3T high-intensity
high-rep training.
By approximately 50% of the
way through the set you should be
reduced to having to use rest-pause.
For instance, if the rep range on the
leg press is 60 to 80 reps, at around
30 reps you’ll need to pause for
a few seconds to recover. From
here you might be doing a handful
of reps at a time, breaking the set
down like this until you’re reduced to
singles. This accurately describes
how each set should feel, a vast
difference to what most people
perceive to be intense high-rep
training. Please make sure you
remember this when using Y3T,
because it will make the difference
between your experiencing the
benefits and not.
FINAL REP
In essence, high-rep training
should be intense, acute, and
lower in volume. If you’re able
to do 20 sets of high-rep training,
it is not intense enough, I assure
you. Keep the eccentric to two
seconds and the rest period
BICEPS CALVES to 90 seconds. The rep tempo
EXERCISE SETS REPS EXERCISE SETS REPS
prescribed for each workout
here ensures that the muscle
Barbell Curl 4 12-15 Seated 4 12-15
is exposed to sufficient time
Calf Raise
Barbell Curl 3 (dropsets) 20–25 under tension, creating the
Leg Press 3 (dropsets) 20–30 hypertrophic response necessary.
Preacher 3 20–25
Calf Raise
Curl The rest periods ensure that the
Straight-bar 3 (dropsets) 20–25 muscle fibres and energy
Seated 3 (dropsets) 20–30
Low-pulley Calf Raise systems are pushed without
Cable Curl experiencing too much rest.
NOTES: Avoid bouncing at the bottom of each Make sure you’ve eaten all your
NOTES: Keep arms tight to the side of torso to
rep to exclude momentum generated by the
reduce external momentum. Don’t allow meals and are mentally prepared.
KEVIN HORTON
Achilles tendon, improving isolation of the

torso-generated momentum to contribute You’ll need everything possible
gastrocnemius/soleus. Use an isometric hold at
toward weight lifted. Externally rotate wrist on
dumbbell exercises for more muscle fibre
the top of each rep to further increase muscle to get through these body-part
stimulation. workouts.
recruitment.

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INSPIRED BY THE WORLD OF FLEX MAGAZINE IN THE
ERA OF MASS MONSTERS SUCH AS DORIAN YATES
AND FLEX WHEELER, DEAN ‘THE GREAT’ WHITE HAS
BECOME A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.
/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST

/// PHOTOSGRAPHS BY FIVOS AVERKIOU

I
HAD THE CHANCE TO train after school every day. It felt What do you believe is the best
talk to Dean and find out as if all my birthdays had come at advice you could give a new-
once! comer to the sport?
how he is forging his way
I would say to take things slowly and
to becoming a hall of fame When did you pick up your first listen to your body. It only takes one
member- just like the body- copy of FLEX mag? small slip up, and this could affect
builders he has looked up to It was around the time I started your training forever. When you get
for so many years. lifting, so I would have been small injuries, you must work around
13 or 14 years old. I can remember them, so don’t ego lift and think it will
Dean, as a small boy, did you seeing Dorian, Flex Wheeler, Jay and be ok.
come from a sporting family? Ronnie in the mag, and mentioning
When I was a small boy I used to to James, my cousin and training What is the best advice you’ve
play football for my home town, partner, how they must not be ever received from someone
Frome Town, until I was 13. real. We were so in awe of their else?
phenomenal physiques, that we I’ve trained with two people,
Who was your first inspiring assumed they were all airbrushed. Dave and Eamon (both Mr. Britain
influence and why? We would then religiously follow the champions from around 1993) for
My dad was my first idol. He was workouts that were in each issue, the past couple of years. They’ve
the biggest person I had ever seen, hoping one day we’d be the same shown me how get through the
apart from bodybuilders in the size as them. hardest of workouts. These guys
magazines, and he was the reason I are hardcore when it comes to
started lifting. I used to go to the How long did it take for you to bodybuilding. They have helped
gym with him occasionally, but achieve your physique? me out a lot during most of my
couldn’t lift much as I was so young. I have now been training for competitions. When I’ve felt drained
On my 14th birthday we took a 10 years in total, really pushing from low carbs, they’ve showed
holiday to Malta, where he told me it as much as possible in every no pity and totally kicked my ass
that he had bought a gym so I could session. in the gym.

How do you structure your food,
and what does your meal prep
look like?
Food plans change all the time for
me. So, when I’m dieting for a show
the carbs slowly drop off over the How do you balance your work What has been the hardest part
weeks. When I’m bulking up in the life when you’re tired, drained of your life whilst competing?
off-season, I just make sure I’m and in the last stages of your To be completely honest, in the 3
getting in as much food as possible, diet…any advice for others? years I’ve been competing, I’ve not
and not eating as clean all the time. Obviously, I need to work enough had any majorly hard times. I can’t
When I have guest appearances, like to pay the bills and when it gets to complain about the diet and training,
my recent trip to India for example, the last stages of the diet and you’re as that’s all a part of it.
I keep my diet clean whilst still feeling really drained, you just have
ensuring I’m consuming enough to keep going and push through the Do you have any wise words to
calories to maintain my size. barrier. share with FLEX readers?
When you feel like giving up I had the chance to spend 5 days
What does your training because you have already done 8 to with Flex Wheeler in India and he
schedule look like? 9 hours work and you need to go said to me: “Don’t try and be like
My training schedule also changes a and train for an hour’s cardio- you somebody else. For example, don’t
lot. I always work on my weak body go do it. You don’t give up, nobody try and train your arms like some-
parts first and most frequently. owes you a thing. When you’re on body else. You need to be you, but
Right now, I’m not training arms, stage the judges don’t know or care be a bigger and improved version
I’m doing legs and back twice a if you do 10 hour shifts. They are of you, that way you will always
week to increase development in simply there to judge who is best on succeed.”
those areas. that day. I totally agreed with him, you can’t
be like somebody else. Use your
Where do you see yourself Who or what gives you the drive own gift.
career wise, in 5 years to be a competitive athlete?
(competitively)? Getting to the top and being Social Media Contacts;
I see myself at the top of the under the best at what I do is what Facebook: Dean ‘the great’ White
212 category internationally. drives me. Instagram: @dean_white93

00 FLEX | JANUARY 2018
/// BY DEAN LESIAK
/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOTOARTS BY JAY
MUSCLE
MASS
BUILDING
JANUARY 2018 | FLEX 00
T
he goal in the off- that heavy weight again. This If you seem to hold fat easily,
season is to grow explains why you need to pro- then start with 2 grams of carbs
as much muscle as gress with your weights in order per pound. The important thing
possible, right? to keep overloading the muscles is that you eat the same meals
Gaining muscle and gaining to keep the growth progress each day. This way, when you
mass can be two very different going. come to weigh in at the end of
things. It’s pretty easy to gain Keep in mind that your body the week, you will have an
weight. Common sense will tell only grows new fibres once the accurate reading and know
you that if you consume more muscle is fully recovered. This is whether to increase or decrease
calories than you burn, then you why rest is so important to your carb intake.
will gain weight. grow. If you train a muscle again If you’re gaining less than 3lb
But what kind of weight are before it’s recovered then you per week, you need to increase
you gaining? will just keep tearing the muscle your carb intake. On the flip side,
before it gets chance to grow if you’re putting on more than 3lb
Slow gains are new muscle. per week, you’re most probably
good gains gaining fat and should decrease
Growing muscle is a slow Nutrition your carb intake.
process. You have to train your Protein
muscle fibres to failure each As for nutrition, I recommend Fats
week, putting a progressive consuming at the very least Fat intake should be kept pretty
overload on the muscles and 1 gram of protein per pound low, but it’s important to ensure
causing trauma. This actually of lean body mass- or 1.5 grams you get good fats in.
tears the muscle fibres. These to be on the safe side.
tiny micro tears recover with Here are some examples
good rest and nutrition, and How many carbs? of good fats;
your body will heal the muscles. Regarding carbs, everyone is * A few egg yolks, one steak and
The body’s defence mechanism different. A rough guideline of one salmon meal every day with
against this is to grow extra 3 grams of carbs per pound of a big hand full of mixed nuts in
muscle strands, thus preventing lean body mass is perfect for your oats.
your muscle from tearing under a lean gainer. *Avocado with your vegeta-
bles gives you all the good fats
you need.
Be aware that hard gainers
(leaner physiques) can get away
with enjoying plenty of fats.
But if you put fat on easily, then
I recommend you keep your
meats as lean as possible.
Insulin
You can control your weight
solely through adjusting your
carbs. It makes sense to eat
carbs rather than fats, as carbs
are what causes the release of
insulin into the blood. Insulin is
highly anabolic, and is what
takes the glycogen and stores it
into the muscles. Each gram of
glycogen pulls in 3 grams of
water, making the muscles big,
full and strong. It also hugely
increases the uptake of amino
acids into the muscle cells to
help repair and build new mus-
cle. Therefore, a high carb diet is

directly responsible for the In fact, if you get really fat it’s The more insulin released, the
increase of protein synthesis. extremely difficult to gain any more likely it is that you will
Here’s the tricky part though… muscle. Here’s how it works… store more fat.
if your carb intake is too high, Muscle and fat both have So, the best way to grow lean
once your glycogen stores are receptors for insulin- the more muscle is to eat clean, but only
full, insulin will then store the muscle you carry the more eat sufficient carbs to grow
leftover glycogen as fat. The receptors you have to store without letting your body fat
days of bulking up and becoming carbs as glycogen in the muscle. percentage get out of control.
noticeably fat in the off-season The more fat you carry, the more For those of you who’ve
are long gone! receptors you have to store fat. competed and got super lean,
When your body fat percent- this is why after the show you
A better understanding age gets to high, your body will can binge on junk food for weeks
of nutrition favour fat storage by releasing before you start getting fat. But
Today, we have a much better more insulin. A fatter person then when you do start to gain
understanding of how the body could eat a 500-calorie meal and fat- you gain fat quick.
works. A body grows muscle release more insulin than a lean Eat clean. Gain clean. Gain
much faster on a lean physique. person who eats the same meal. fast.

BIGGER
BETTER
WIDER
HOW DID JEREMY BUENDIA LOCK DOWN HIS
FOURTH MEN’S PHYSIQUE OLYMPIA TITLE IN 2017?
BY TURNING UP THE VOLUME ON HIS WORKOUTS—
AND GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT SHOULDERS.
/// BY MICHAEL BERG /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL
Jeremy Buendia’s physique while certainly not a detriment to his overall

is the standard-bearer physique, weren’t all they could be. “That was
in the IFBB Pro League a lagging body part for the first few years I did
men’s physique division. The 27- the Olympia—especially the middle delts,” he
year-old California native has earned explains. “And it’s just so important for the
the nascent sport’s top prize—the Men’s taper in men’s physique, that wide-shoulder-
Physique Olympia crown—four years to-small-waist ratio.”
running. His solution? He went to work with his
Even more surprising is what he admits long-time trainer, Hany Rambod, tweaking
about his first three titles. “For a long time, Rambod’s FST-7 training protocol to blow up his
I was training my shoulders all wrong,” Buendia shoulders. “We prioritised lateral raise exercises,
confesses. “My technique was awful on a lot of putting them earlier in the workouts, did more
my delt exercises.” overall sets, and I put more energy into those
Consider it a matter of degrees, but his delts, workouts than I ever had before,” Buendia says.

“The training system has evolved to PRESS PLAY
“ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS incorporate new philosophies and Before laterals, Buendia presses—
I WAS DOING WRONG WAS new variations that Hany and I have
been using this past year that I hadn’t
typically dumbbells. “I like dumbbells
because they allow for a more
ENGAGING MY TRAPS AND done previously. That’s why I feel I’ve
made such big improvements in my
natural range of motion as opposed
to locking yourself in on a machine or
NOT OPENING MY LATS ON physique. I made the biggest and with a barbell,” he says. “I feel there’s
MY LATERAL RAISES,” most drastic improvements of any

Olympia competitor onstage.”
a better mind-muscle connection,
and I can more easily manipulate my
says Buendia, who took the 2017 tempos and techniques.”
Olympia stage a full nine pounds For example, once Buendia gets
heavier than in 2016. “If you open BUENDIA’S through his two to three warmup
your lats up and engage them, you SHOULDER WORKOUT sets and to his three to four working
minimize your trap activation. Like EXERCISE SETS REPS sets, he’ll sometimes incorporate
a lot of people, I used to pull my static holds—keeping one dumbbell
Seated Dumbbell Press 2–3, 10–15
shoulders back when doing laterals 3–4 (warm- overhead, arm almost straight but
and initiate the motion with my traps, up), 10, 8, elbow slightly bent to maintain
and that takes all the muscular 6, 10-20 tension while repping with the other
tension off the delts.” Dumbbell Lateral Raise 5–7 10–20 arm—alternating presses, partial
Now during his standing dumbbell reps, superslow or more rapid-fire
Alternating Dumbbell 4–5 10-15
laterals—which come second in his Front Raise reps, or often a mix of all the above
delt routine, after seated dumbbell in one workout. “They’re all different
Cable Behind-the-back 3–4 10–15
presses—“I’m pretty much doing a lat Lateral Raise
FST-7 training principles to increase
spread pose throughout the range the workout intensity,” he says.
Cable Front Raise 3–4 10–15
of motion,” he says. “FST is all about maximizing the blood
With Rope
Beyond that simple yet inspired flow to the muscles, expanding the
change in approach, Buendia Face-pull 4 10-15 muscle fascia, and prompting
introduced a number of FST-7 tricks Barbell One-arm 4 10–15 further growth.”
into his plan of attack. “I’ve been Lateral Raise For the four working sets, he
doing FST-7 since 2014,” he says. pyramids up while the weights
drop, starting at 10 reps, then eight,
then six with the 120- or 130-
pounders, before dropping the
weight for the last set to failure.
COUNTDOWN
The aforementioned dumbbell
laterals are next on tap, the first
of three lateral variations that
are peppered in throughout his
workout. “I like to do the dumbbell
version earlier in my workout,
when I’m not so fatigued and
I can maximise the impact on the
middle head of the delts,” Buendia
says. “By focusing so much on
the middle head, it improves
that ‘capped’ look by creating more
width.”
Through five to seven sets, he’ll
pyramid up, while also tossing in an
array of intensity boosters, such as
static holds and partial reps. “On
peak contraction holds, I’ll drop down
from a 50-pound dumbbell to 20 to
25, and then I may do a 5-4-3-2-1
pattern—I’ll hold the dumbbell in the
up position for a five-count, then do
five reps, hold for four seconds and
do four reps, hold for three and do
three reps, on down to one,” he says.

“On my first ,
exercise, the press, ,
I’ll do two sets ,
with a light weight— ,
probably less ,
than 50% of my ,
max—just working ,
on the range of ,
motion, opening ,
up my shoulders.” ,
“At the very end, I’m gassed, but I’ll
also add a few partial reps to push
my body past the threshold.”
FRONT AND CENTRE

Following laterals to the side are
alternating dumbbell raises to the
front, for four to five sets of more
FST-7-inspired madness. “I’ll do
some of the same things I do with
laterals, like peak contraction holds,
where I’ll come up for a two-count—
one-one-thousand, two-one-
thousand—then back down on each
rep, or partials, where I finish a set
with five or six quarter-reps. I also
adjust my grip placement on my
front raises, with some sets thumbs
up and some thumbs down to target
a slightly different part of the front
deltoid. I’ll switch off between
alternating and lifting the weights at
the same time, too.”
While most sets end in failure or
close to it, Buendia cautions that
overall pacing matters. “I push my
muscles to the point where I know
“If all I do is win the

contest but don’t do
anything with it
afterward, then being
the Men’s Physique
Olympia champion
doesn’t mean much.”
they can go. But I also understand
how to conserve energy to get me
through the full hour that I’m training
a body part,” he says.
Three to four sets of standing
behind-the-back cable laterals
follow, which engage both the middle
and rear heads. “Going behind the
back creates more stretch in the
deltoid, allows for a longer negative
motion on each rep, and stretches
the fascia around the muscle tissue,”
Buendia points out. “That’s a growth
trigger.”
Staying at the cable station, he’ll
switch out the D-handle attachment
for a rope, which he straddles for the
next movement, cable front raises.
“I don’t go too heavy, but instead
emphasize the squeeze at the top of
each rep,” he says. “I angle my body
forward about 45 degrees, basically
leaning as a counterweight to the
stack, and I’ll lift my arms up to about

chin level in front of me.” It’s three to many people do that wrong, using
four sets of 10 to 15 reps, including
two-count peak-contraction holds
their rhomboids or lower traps to
bring the weight back.”
JEREMY BUENDIA
BIRTH DATE Sept. 26, 1990
on the final five reps of each. To do the face-pull, stand in HEIGHT 5'8"
front of a high pulley and grasp WEIGHT 183 lbs (contest);
REAR-DELT FACE-OFF each end of the rope attachment 200 lbs (off-season)
With the end of the grueling session with an overhand grip, your palms BIRTHPLACE San Jose, CA
in sight, Buendia moves on to rear facing each other. Lift your elbows CURRENT RESIDENCE Murrieta, CA
delts—still on the cable apparatus, up to shoulder level and to the CONTEST HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2017
he prefers face-pulls to other sides. Now lean back to IFBB Men’s Physique Olympia, 1st;
common rear-delt moves like counterbalance your body against 2014 San Jose Pro Physique, 1st;
2013 Sacramento Pro Physique, 1st;
bentover raises and reverse the weight and, keeping your 2013 Greater Gulf States Pro
pec-deck flyes. “Face-pulls elbows elevated, pull the rope back Physique, 1st; 2013 NPC Junior USA
provide for a great stretch in the toward your head until your hands Championships men’s physique,
rear delts,” he explains. “Rear delts are alongside your ears. Squeeze, Class B and overall
(earned pro card)
can be tough to stimulate because then reverse to the start, not letting
WEB jeremybuendiafitness.com;
it’s harder to engage that mind- the weight stack touch down
Instagram @jeremy_buendia;
muscle connection, but the face- between reps. youtube.com/user/jeremybuendia;
pull makes that process easier. “Really reach forward and open Facebook @buendiaproperformance
It’s better than the reverse pec your lats on the negative,” Buendia
deck in my opinion because so stresses. He’ll do four sets of

BUENDIA’S
TRAINING SPLIT
DAY 1 Chest
DAY 2 Back
DAY 3 Shoulders
DAY 4 Rest
DAY 5 Arms
DAY 6 Legs
DAY 7 Rest or repeat Day 1
forgoes the typical array of intensity

boosters. “I rarely use partials or
peak holds,” he says. “When I can
no longer get a full, clean rep, that’s
when I stop.” Four sets for each
arm and he’s out.
MINTING THE TROPHY

While his workouts have grown
more challenging over the years,
thanks to Rambod and the FST-7
protocol, Buendia embraces them
as exactly what he needs to stay
ahead of the quality competitors
gravitating to men’s physique. As
the calendar turns to 2018, he has
a number of plans—including a May
wedding to fiancée and IFBB Pro
League bikini competitor Narmin
Assria—but one goal remains
steadfastly fixed in his mind.
“I got my eyes set on No. 5,”
the reigning Olympia champ says.
“I haven’t competed in any other
shows besides the Olympia the
past four years. Doing other
contests is great, but that’s the
top show, and my businesses
are booming, so I need to take
care of that.”
Those businesses include
contest-prep coaching, online
programs, and other products
available through his website
around 10 to 15 reps—although, as his hand, and readies himself to do jeremybuendiafitness.com, as
with all his exercises, he doesn’t one-arm barbell laterals. “This well as a newly launched clothing
count strictly, instead going until exercise forces you to stabilize the company, Vanquish Fitness
he’s cashed out his rear delts and barbell, and so when you lift it you (vqfit.com). “I’m trying to set a good
can’t do another rep cleanly— have to initiate and engage with example,” he says. “I want future
typically adding peak contraction the delt,” he says. “If you end up competitors to have something to
holds on the last set or two. swinging the weight at all and using live up to. If all I do
momentum, the barbell won’t stay is win the contest but don’t do
TO THE END balanced. It’s a great option for anything with it afterward, then
The final stop on shoulder day is the isolating and finishing off the lateral being the Men’s Physique Olympia
preloaded barbell rack. Buendia head.” champion doesn’t mean much.
grasps a 30-pounder, holding it Because this move is more I want to create value behind that
directly in its center so it’s steady in technically challenging, Buendia title for years to come.”

“I push my ,
muscles to the ,
point where I ,
know they can ,
go. But I also ,
understand ,
how to conserve ,
energy to get ,
me through ,
the full hour.” ,

THE KEY PRINCIPLES
OF HYPERTROPHY
T
his goal of increasing /// BY JOHN BUCKLAND /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHANE WATKINS
muscle size is exactly
HYPERTROPHY, OR MORE SPECIFICALLY MUSCULAR
what bodybuilding
athletes are working for. HYPERTROPHY IS THE ADAPTIVE RESPONSE
OF A MUSCLE TO GET BIGGER. THE MUSCLE CELLS
The ability of each of us to
accumulate muscle mass, or cause
THEMSELVES BECOME LARGER.
muscle size increase is controlled
and regulated by many factors,
some of which are beyond our
control.
Our genetics, greatly determine
the magnitude of our adaptive
response to stimuli and this is
individual and unique to all of us.
Which means, although we share
the same genetic makeup, (the
human genome) we have variability
in how we respond to stimuli.
In our case, as athletes looking
to increase muscular size this
stimulus is weight training.
Training stimulus is where we can
take control. If we apply the best
size, and commonly strength,
developing method of training, we
will reap the best adaptive re-
sponse, or in other words GAINS!!
So, the basic physiological
principals determine that we 2 Eccentrics shorten or contract. This phase of
are ORGANISM (human) - STIMULUS Eccentric loading or negatives as the lift will increase soreness, but
- (we apply) RESPONSE - RECOVERY they are sometimes referred to are is a great stimulus for adaptation
(aided by nutrition) - ADAPTATION the lowering phases of your lift. once recovery has been completed.
(the bodies response to the Lowering the weight slowly under Whether one type of mechanical
stimulus.) control does a number of things. loading or work type is superior to
The question is how do we apply Firstly, it increases the time under the other in both size and strength
the best forms of size, and strength tension (TUT) for the muscle and development is still not conclusive
increasing stimuli and what are they. therefore causes greater activation but there is significant evidence to
and ramps up intensity. Secondly, support that both types of loaded
1 Heavy Lifting we are around 30-40% stronger in contraction stimulate hypertrophy
Strength athletes and bodybuilders the lowering or eccentric phase of a albeit by differing mechanisms.*
have been using heavy basic lift than the concentric phase. Over
compound movements for decades. time this will cause a great strength 3 Metabolic Stress &
Using the progressive overload, we gain and allow more weight to be Cell Expansion or the
aim to lift more weight in subse- lifted in the concentric phase, which PUMP!
quent training sessions thus creating is progressive overload. Eccentric, Metabolic stress is where our friend
mechanical damage. This has been are the action of the working muscle lactate and lactic acid enters the
the staple of building not only a returning to resting length under picture. A large accumulation of
strong physique, but a larger one. load whilst the muscle is trying to lactate has been shown in cell

cultures to stimulate muscle
growth.
Studies using animal models have
shown ingesting caffeine and
lactate compounds also increase
muscle mass via many mechanisms
including increased muscle myonu-
clei and decreasing myostatin
levels**
Using high repetitions to aim for
the lactate burn and cause these
metabolic conditions inside the
muscle is crucial. So here we may
lower the weight to enable a large LACTIC ACID LACTATE
amount of lactate to accumulate and
engorge the muscle with blood and the muscle cell grows. Similarly, cell a set. For example, ten repetitions of
nutrients causing cell expansion or expansion which gives an increase a chest press, with a 10-20 second
the “PUMP”. of blood and nutrients to the muscle stretch, once the second have
One way to achieve high levels of results in engorgement, the cell passed, reps begin again and
lactate in the muscle is to work to perceives this swelling, the pump, the set continues until 3 stretches
momentary muscular failure, where as a threat and responds by of 10-20 seconds have been
you can no longer lift the weight. growing larger. Thus, high rep sets performed, the numbers or reps
This does increase lactate but if with little rest, taking the last set achieved will diminish as the set
this is done on your first set of an to failure will accomplish this. continues, but the set must finish
exercise it causes high levels of Additionally, lactic acid causes an with a contraction. Once again,
central nervous system fatigue and increase in localised muscle growth the stretch causes increased time
this limits the ability for muscle fibre hormone. under tension, increase in lactic
recruitment. This will affect subse- acid and also increase in mechanical
quent sets, reducing your ability to 4 Intra-set Stretching damage leading to an increase in
produce force and lower the volume This technique is performed by mechano-growth factors. This
of work done. So, to achieve loading a muscle and allowing it technique is applied to isolation
maximal growth stimulus, aim to to reach its resting length, mostly type movements.
reach muscular failure on last set described as a stretch. To explain Once you have applied these
of a given exercise and volume will this, we are looking to bring the stimulus types to your training, your
not be affected. origin of the muscle in question as genetically predisposed ability to
Lactate and its waste product far away from its insertion point. maximally gain muscle size will have
lactic acid, as mentioned previously, Once at the resting length the been activated. Now all you need
is viewed by the muscle cell as a loaded stretch is held for a pre- to do is recover and grow!
threat and in response to that threat scribed number of seconds with *Skeletal Muscle Remodelling in
Response to Eccentric vs.
Concentric Loading: Morphological,
Molecular, and Metabolic
Adaptations
Martino V. Franchi, Neil D. Reeves,
Marco V. Narici
Front Physiol. 2017; 8: 447.
Published 2017 Jul 4. doi: 10.3389/
fphys.2017.00447
**J Appl Physiol (1985). 2015
Mar 15;118(6):742-9. doi: 10.1152/
japplphysiol.00054.2014. Epub 2015
Jan 8.
Mixed lactate and caffeine
compound increases satellite cell
activity and anabolic signals for
muscle hypertrophy.
Oishi Y1, Tsukamoto H1, Yokokawa
T2, Hirotsu K3, Shimazu M3, Uchida
K3, Tomi H3, Higashida K4, Iwanaka
N5, Hashimoto T6.

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FOOD & SUPPS
NUTRITION TIPS TO FUEL TRAINING AND GROWTH
PHOTO BY: iSTOCK: R AVSKI
The HIIT Kitchen. “Recipes of the Month”. Papa sauce.

High intensity tasty food ideas. Try a healthy flavoured sensation. Ultimate tasty treat to add to any dish.
PAGES 58-63 PAGES 64 & 65 PAGE 66

FOOD & SUPPS THE HIIT KITCHEN

BY HIIT KITCHEN
HIGH INTENSITY
TASTY RECIPES

69 0
43g Kcal
Pr
77g C otein
a
20g rbs
Fats
Maple & Directions: 2. Cook the wholemeal pasta

Pecan Salmon 1. To make the kale sauce, according to package instructions
Ingredients: bring a pan of salted water to the and mix with the kale sauce.
120g whole wheat pasta boil and add half of the broccoli Sprinkle with crumbled feta and
90g salmon and kale. Place a lid on top and halved cherry tomatoes.
120g broccoli cook for 5 minutes. Remove 3. Heat oven to 200c. Brush the
45g cherry tomatoes lid and add spinach. Cook for a salmon with maple syrup and
60g kale further 20 seconds and drain, sprinkle with chopped pecan nuts,
30g spinach being sure to keep the water. Place place on a baking tray and bake for
2g maple syrup kale, broccoli and spinach in a around 10 minutes depending on
10g feta cheese blender and add around 200 ml of the thickness of the fish.
3g chopped pecan nuts the cooking water. Puree to a thick 4. Bring a pan of seasoned water
consistency adding more water if to the boil and add the broccoli,
necessary. cook for 2 minutes before adding
the kale. Cook for a further
1 minute before draining.

267g
35g Kcal
Prote
7.4g in
Ca r b
9.8g s
Fats
Chimichurri Steak Directions: and blend until smooth (makes

Ingredients: 1. For the Chimichurri sauce add enough for 5).
3 garlic cloves parsley, 1 pepper, coriander, garlic, 4. Once the steak has been
1 cup parsley lemon and lime zest and juice and marinated, cook in a griddle pan
1 cup corriander water to a blender and blend on full on a high heat for about 5 minutes
2 red pepper speed for 1 minute (makes enough each side. Cover with the
1 lemon juice/ zest for 5). remaining chimichurri and allow
1 lime juice/ zest 2. Take half of the chimichurri and to rest.
1 cup water use to marinade the rump steak 5. Drizzle the mixed peppers,
100g rump steak over-night. aubergine and courgettes with the
80g broccoli 3. For the pepper sauce, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper
57g mixed peppers cook the onion and remaining red and cook in the same griddle pan
57g aubergine peppers in a pan with 1 table until nicely coloured.
57g courgette spoon of olive oil until soft add 6. Cook the broccoli in boiling
25g red onion water to cover and simmer until seasoned water for 3 minutes.
2 tablespoons olive oil the water level has reduced
1 teaspoon ground pepper by half. Transfer to a blender

65 8
Kcal
5 3g
Prote
15.8g in
Fats
71g C
a r bs
Overnight Oats 3.5g blueberries 2. place oats into a bowl and add
Ingredients: 2.5g cacao powder blended mixture.
250g almond milk (1 cup) 1.75g dark chocolate 3. stir well and leave overnight
100g banana in a fridge.
65g rolled oats Directions: 4. add chopped strawberries,
13g strawberries 1. blend almond milk, banana, blueberries and mint lead to top
1 mint leaf, small dark chocolate, cacao. of oats.

39 6
38g Kcal
Pr
49g otein
Ca
3.3g rbs
Fats
Tandoori Chicken together the tandoori paste and and dice sweet potato, add
Ingredients: the yoghurt. to a pan and cover with
160g sweet potato (peeled and 2. Coat the chicken in the marinade seasoned water. Bring to the boil
diced) and leave covered in the fridge and cook for 8-10 minutes or until
130g cauliflower florets over-night. cooked through. Drain and allow
120g chicken breast 3. For the lentil dhal, cook the to cool on a tray. In a frying pan
10g spinach onion, cumin and half of the chili, add spinach and cook gently until
5g madras powder turmeric, ginger and garlic in a wilted. Add the sweet potatoes
20g yoghurt pan until soft. Add the lentils and and madras powder and mix
20g tandoori marinade water and cook gently until soft. together.
55g red lentils Take off the heat and add chopped 6. Bring a pan of salted water to
25g red onion coriander. the boil with the reamining turmer-
10g chili, ginger, garlic 4. For the mango chutney cook the ic. Add cauliflower and cook for
2g coriander remaining chili, garlic and ginger in 3 minutes.
90g apple a pan with olive oil for 5 minutes. 7. Place the chicken on a rack
90g mango Add the apple & mango and cook above a roasting tray and cook in a
10 g turmeric until soft. Transfer to a blender and 200c oven for 15-20 minutes. Once
blend into a course mixture (makes the chicken is cooked place under
Directions: 7 portions). a hot grill for 3-4 minutes to add
1. For the tandoori marinade mix 5. For the curried potatoes, peel colour.

312
32.2 Kcal
g
29.5 Protein
g Ca r
5g Fa bs
ts
Turkey roast dinner ham knuckle, chopped chestnut colander and return to the pan.
Ingredients: and cranberries. Crush with a potato masher, add
80g parsnip 2. Lay slices of turkey breast on the thyme and return to the heat.
80g sliced, raw turkey breast meat cling film and place the stuffing on Cook on a low heat while stirring to
50g carrot top. Roll together with the clingfilm remove excess water.
50g swede and tie each end. 5. Preheat oven to 200c. place the
40g brussel sprouts 3. Bring a pan of water to a simmer new potatoes and parsnips on a
40g new potatoes and place the turkey roll in, ensur- baking tray and drizzle with olive
30g chicken sausage meat ing the roll is fully submerged. oil. Roast in the oven for 20-25
20g ham knuckle Cook on a simmer for 20 minutes minutes or until golden brown and
3g cranberries or until the core temperature has cooked through. Once out of the
3g honey reached 72c. once cooked, oven, sprinkle the potatoes with
0.5g rosemary unwrap the turkey from the rosemary and drizzle the parsnips
0.5g thyme clingfilm and fry gently in a pan to with honey.
1g chestnut add colour. 6. Bring a pan of water to the boil
4. Add the chopped carrot and and add sprouts. Cook for 5
Directions: swede to a pan and cover with minutes and drain. Using the same
1. To make the stuffing, uncase the water. Bring to the boil and cook pan that the turkey was fried in,
chicken sausage and mix with the for 15-20 minutes. Drain in a colour the sprouts on a low heat.

4 29
37.9 Kcal
Pr
61g C otein
a
2.1g rbs
Fats
Turkey con carne with 125g kidney beans celery and garlic to the same
brown rice 1k brown rice pan add the salt and cook
Ingredients: (Makes 5 portions) gently for 5 minutes before
75g onion adding the paprika and cumin.
7g garlic Directions: Cook out the spices for a
100g carrot 1. Add a teaspoon of olive further minute before adding
75g celery oil in a sauce pan and fry the the turkey mince back to the
500g turkey mince turkey mince for 5 minutes pan. Now add the tomatoes and
5g cumin or until golden brown. Once kidney beans and cook gently
5g paprika cooked, transfer to a colander for 20-25 minutes.
200g chopped tomato and allow to drain. 3. Cook the brown rice according
5g salt 2. Add the onion, carrot, to package instructions.

FOOD & SUPPS MEALS OF THE MONTH
PHOTO BY: iSTOCK: TRAVELLINGLIGHT

Chicken Keema 500g lean chicken mince
400g tinned kidney beans
• Put the lid on, and turn the heat
up to high for 5 minutes.
& Beans (drained) • Open the lid, stir the chicken and
turn the heat down to low.
Time to prepare: 5 minutes Method: • Put the lid back on and let it cook
Time to cook: 40 minutes • Put the water in the pan, heat, for 15 minutes, stirring
Serves: 3 meals and bring to a simmering point. occasionally.
• Add onions, salt and garlic, and • Add kidney beans, mix it in and
Ingredients: cook onions until they soften. cook for another 5-10 minutes.
50ml water • If pan becomes dry, add some • Serve with rice or quinoa
1 onion chopped more water. (depending on your carbohydrate
1 tsp sea salt • Once onions soften, add requirements).
2 cloves garlic, minced passata, turmeric, coriander,
1 tsp turmeric cumin, ginger and garam masala Nutritional Info:
½ tbsp ground coriander into the pan.
Per Serving:
½ tbsp ground cumin • Let the sauce cook slowly for 5
100ml tomato passata minutes on a low to medium heat, Calories: 206kcal
1 tsp paprika stirring occasionally. Protein: 46g
1 tsp garam masala (optional) • Add chicken mince and mix it Carbs: 28g
½ tbsp freshly ground ginger together. Fats: 5g

BY AKASH VAGHELA
Popeye 1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garam masala (optional)
minutes on a low heat, stirring
occasionally.
Chicken Curry ½ tbsp freshly ground ginger • Add chicken and mix it together
100-150g frozen spinach • Put the lid on, and turn the heat
Time to prepare: 5 minutes 500g chicken up to high for 5 minutes.
Time to cook: 40 minutes • Open the lid, stir the chicken
Serves: 3 meals Method: and turn the heat down to low.
• Put the water into the pan, heat, • Put the lid back on and let it
Ingredients: and bring to a simmering point. cook for 15 minutes, stirring
• Add onions, salt and garlic, and occasionally.
50ml water cook the onions until they soften.
1 onion chopped • If the pan becomes dry, add Nutritional Info:
1 tsp sea salt some more water.
Per Serving:
2 cloves garlic, minced • Once onions soften, add
1 tsp turmeric passata, spinach, turmeric, Calories: 206kcal
½ tbsp ground coriander coriander, cumin, paprika, ginger Protein: 42g
½ tbsp ground cumin and garam masala into the pan. Carbs: 5g
100ml tomato passata • Let the sauce cook slowly for 10 Fats: 2g
PHOTO BY: iSTOCK: JOE GOUGH

FOOD & SUPPS BY PAPA BUENO
Papa Sauce Top Tip;

Pour the creamy mixture
Papa sauce is a great way
into a piping bag.
to add a delicious, creamy
Use 4 or 5 empty ice trays
flavour to salads and hot
and pour the mixture into
meals. It also offers the
them and freeze.
nutritional benefits of
Each frozen cube is one
some good quality fats.
serving of 13g.
Ingredients:
Nutritional Info:
3 large avocados.
170ml organic rapeseed Per 13g Serving/frozen
oil. sauce cube.
170ml organic cider Fat: 4g
vinegar. Carbs: 0.6g
150ml cold water. Protein: 0.1g
1 clove of garlic or 1 tsp
garlic puree.
1 tsp of crushed chilli
seeds.
Method:
• Halve and de-stone the
avocados.
• Scoop the avocado
flesh from the skin and
place in a blender.
• Pour the water,
rapeseed oil and the
cider vinegar into the
blender.
• Add the garlic puree and
crushed chilli into the
blender.
• Blend all the ingredients
until creamy smooth.
P H O T O C R E D I T: DA R R E N N I C H O L H U R S T

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10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
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NATURAL BODYBUILDER RICH GOZDECKI GROWS
AS A BODYBUILDER BUT ALSO AS A FATHER.
THIS IS HOW HE BALANCES HIS LIFESTYLE TO
BECOME THE BEST IN BOTH WORLDS.
FATHER AND GENETIC FREAK.
BY RICHARD GOZDECKI PHOTO CREDIT: SIMON HOWARD
PHOTO CREDIT: SIMON HOWARD
I
’ve been competing Eating between six and seven meals dedication around a day job,
in various sports from a per day and preparing all that food sometimes even two jobs. I myself
young age. I started out is time consuming and costly. work full-time for Rolls Royce and
as a junior national swimming Training intensity and frequency is also own a gym called The Workout
also key to ensuring growth and Mill in Leamington Spa. I have
champion, before becoming
maintaining the muscle shape and various commitments with my
a European indoor rowing
mass. sponsors, USN, and travel the
medallist, and held British All-important rest is often over- country supporting natural body-
powerlifting titles too. looked, but is essential for your building in my spare time.
body to grow and not become My point is that bodybuilding is a
Somewhere in the middle of all overtrained. Whether you perform hard, time consuming hobby, which
that I squeezed in a few WNBF fasted cardio or choose to do it post dictates your entire way of life, all
World and European bodybuilding workout, burning excess calories for the selfish pursuit of a better
titles. To this day, I consider myself always plays a part in getting in top physique, or to one day win that title
a bodybuilder, and probably always condition. Consistency, consistency, of your dreams.
will. consistency. That is what you’ll hear That’s fine by me, I love it. I relish a
Although every sport has its from every top athlete. challenge and I love the lifestyle.
challenges, bodybuilding is the only All day, every day, there is always
one that has structured my entire something to be focusing on to make BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
life. When I was competing, whether you a better bodybuilder. YOU HAVE CHILDREN?
it was the off-season or I was All that being said, even at Profes- In 2014 my wife Rebecca gave birth
dieting for a show, the sport of sional level, most bodybuilders to our first child, Henry. He was
bodybuilding became a lifestyle. have to fit all of that discipline and planned so I only have myself to

PHOTO CREDIT: FIVOS AVERKIOU

blame for what was to follow. Don’t
get me wrong, he’s the best thing
that has ever happened to me. But
seriously, having a child makes
bodybuilding hard work! I can’t tantrums, trips to the hospital, THIS IS HOW I STRUCTURE
remember the last time I had a full sleeping habits and many more MY WEEK
night’s sleep and the rascal is three ‘attributes’ have made my pursuit to Monday Chest and Tri’s
now. His fussy eating, boundless be a bodybuilder 10 times harder. Tuesday Back and Bi’s
energy, love for sweets, temper Like every dad out there, I’m deter- Wednesday Shoulders and
calves
mined to be a great dad. I also want
Thursday Legs
to continue to maintain this rig and Friday Arms
step on stage in the future. Saturday Off
So that is the challenge and right Sunday Off
here you’ll be able to see my journey
and how I get in shape whilst I try to keep weekends free.
balancing life, work, training, dieting, If I miss a session in the week
and hardest of all managing a for any reason I’ll try to catch
toddler. #dadbod it up at the weekend.
EXAMPLE OF MY HARD AND FAST

BACK AND BICEP ROUTINE
Back
4 x 12 Lat pull down or pull ups, (wide grip)
4 x 10 Close grip pull down (HEAVY)
4 x 12/12 Stiff arm pull down. 12 rope 12 straight bar.
4 x 10 Seated row HEAVY close grip

4 x 15 Over row with Olympic bar or smith machine, reverse grip.
Bi’s
3 x 15 Preacher Curl
3 x 20 Standing, single arm curl
Done and dusted in 60 minutes, protein shake and gone.

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KETO
PART 1
KING NOT MANY PEOPLE TRULY KNOW

WHAT GOES INTO A KETO DIET OR
ACTUALLY WHAT IT REALLY MEANS.
/// BY JOE BINLEY
/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN DENTON
KETO AUTHORITY JOE BINLEY,

WHO’S LIVED WITHOUT A CARB
MEAL FOR ALMOST A YEAR...
WILL EXPLAIN ALL IN THIS
TWO PART SERIES.

P H O T O C R E D I T : i S T O C K : T H I TA R E E S A R M K A S AT
W
ith the start of any new year
comes a host of weight loss and
detox diets, however, this year the
in-vogue diet actually has merit and a good
amount of history and research behind it.
We are talking about the ketogenic diet (aka keto).
The ketogenic style diet was first popularised
commercially by Dr Atkins.
What is the ketogenic diet?

The Ketogenic diet is one in which the body is forced
into a state of ketosis, this is done by severe restric-
tion of carbohydrates, the carbohydrates are then
replaced with dietary fat to make up ones desired
calorific intake.
Ketosis is a normal metabolic process. When the
body does not have enough glucose for energy, it
burns stored fats instead; this results in a build-up
of acids called ketones within the body.
There is however much confusion surrounding how
a Ketogenic diet should be structured, due to there
being many different iterations of this eating approach
being promoted in the mainstream.
Historical versions of ketogenic diets

Historically, the ketogenic diet was used as a thera-
peutic tool to help manage epilepsy and other medical
conditions. This diet composition required a very high

level of fat ratio vs the other macronutrients (proteins
and carbohydrates). The therapeutic application
requires 90% of daily calories coming from dietary fat
and the remaining 10% from a combination of protein
and carbohydrates.
Bodybuilding “keto” diets popularised by the
likes of Dave Palumbo generally fall into the
50 percent of calories from dietary fat range, with
proteins being much higher, with the thought pro-
cess being that the extra protein would spare lean
muscle in a calorie deficit… however, recent research
shows that ketones themselves are very protein
sparing and this style of diet often doesn’t result in
people applying the diet being in a ketotic state or
becoming fat adapted due to the protein level being
too high. Where the protein level is too high the body
converts the excess protein into glucose through a
process known as gluconeogenesis.
Modified ketogenic diet

This leads us to the keto diet style that is now
getting the fitness industry and functional health
practitioners excited; the modified ketogenic diet.
Here the composition of this diet puts the focus back
on dietary fat, with 75% of calories coming from fat,
20% percent coming from proteins and just 5%
from carbohydrates. These percentages set up the
framework for a well-formulated ketogenic diet,
however, there is room for customisation once one

becomes ketogenic, this generally follows a strict or, to store the excess circulating glucose into
2-3-week induction period. adipocytes (fat cells).
Despite these different approaches and applica- By limiting carbohydrate, we maintain lower blood
tions, the resounding theme is to specifically limit glucose levels, and negate the insulin response.
intake of carbohydrates - forcing the body into a state
of ketosis. How many carbohydrates can I eat?
Typical carbohydrate targets are to limit “net”
Why does carbohydrate restriction work? carbohydrate to 30g daily. “Net” carbs are simply
By limiting carbohydrate intake, the body has a better carbohydrates excluding sources of fiber, however,
control on blood glucose levels compared to when I feel the easiest way and optimal way to get into
carbohydrate is consumed, where the body will break ketosis initially is to limit total carbohydrate intake
this down into glucose that the body can use as a to 20g daily - with these carbs coming from green
source of energy. Where there is an abundance of vegetables.
carbohydrates to be used as energy there is a raise in
circulating glucose in the bloodstream (blood glucose) Replacing carbohydrate with fat?
that the body needs to regulate. This will make us fat, right? Well actually no. The notion
Blood glucose regulation is handled by the body we were all sold, that fat makes us fat, is flawed…
secreting the hormone insulin. Insulin is known as the As explained above, carbohydrate consumption will
storage hormone; its job is to essentially store the result in an insulin response, when insulin is present
glucose into either the muscle cell as muscle glycogen, the body cannot access stored body fat as a source
of energy. Essentially the body is in a state of energy
storage, as opposed to being in a state of energy
MODIFIED KETO DIET release.
75% Fat 20% Protein 5% Carbohydrates Eating dietary fat has little to no effect on blood
glucose levels, thus meaning that there is no insulin
response, leaving the body free to use both the dietary
fat intake and stored body fat as sources of energy.
Both dietary fats and fats released from stored
Carbs Protein body fat into the bloodstream travel to the liver where
5% 20% they are then turned into ketones which are a great
usable source of energy for the brain, muscles and
organs.
Fats
75%
Based on 3000 calorie diet
Fat 3000 x 0.75 = 2250 Kcal

2250 / 9 = 250g Fat daily
Protein 3000 x 0.2 = 600 Kcal

600 / 4 = 150g protein daily
Carbs 3000 x .05 = 150 Kcal

150 / 4 = 37.5g Carbs maximum daily
This is how a ratio based ketogenic diet would look for

an athlete based on a caloric requirement of 3000
calories, I would actually shift this slightly during the
adaptation phase.

Once this state is reached you are in a state of which I shall expand upon in
ketosis whereby the brain and tissues run off ketones coming articles.
as opposed to glucose and you’re on your way to
becoming a genuine fat burning machine! Cyclical – This is possibly the most popular version
of the ketogenic diet, and was first promoted by Dr
Once I’m keto adapted what’s next? Mauro Di Pasquale when he released his anabolic diet.
After the initial induction period of 2-3 weeks there are Later adaptations by Kiefer with carb night have also
many ways to personalise this diet to make it more of a raised awareness recently. The cyclical approach
lifestyle based diet, and/or performance-based diet. means that periodically carbohydrates will be reintro-
Three versions of the modified ketogenic diet that duced for a set time period varying typically from
are best known and applied are the standard ketogen- 1 meal to 1 day; for example, Monday - Saturday a
ic diet, targeted ketogenic diet and a cyclical ketogenic standard ketogenic diet will have been adhered too
diet. and on a Sunday carbohydrates will be consumed
before resuming with standard keto eating on the
Standard – This is very simple, its simply to continue Monday. This serves the purpose of allowing the
the same style of eating that that was used during the athlete to have a more flexible lifestyle and retain an
adaptation phase: 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% element of positive social interactions, plus also
carbohydrate. This is consistently adhered to 7 days a replenishing glycogen stores to fuel another week’s
week and calorific intake adjusted up or down once intense training.
adapted to fit the goal requirements. Whichever ketogenic diet approach you adopt,
when applied appropriately and diligently, individuals
Targeted – Here some carbohydrate’s are allowed, typically experience a very noticeable boost to mental
typically 30-50g, however, this can be increased and physical performance, alongside a reduction in
depending on the demands of the person/athlete body fat, and potentially an increase in lean muscle
adopting the diet. The key here is that these carbohy- tissue.
drates should be targeted around the workout period. Next month, we will explain how to create your own
This would mean taking in some carbs pre-workout, or ketogenic diet, calculating each part of the diet to your
intra, or some post-workout carbohydrates, however, requirements.
I would place the emphasis here on pre-workout
intake as its going to be used up during the workout to Joe Binley: founder of CustomizingKeto.com
fuel training and quickly allow the transition back into Instagram: @joeb_ad
ketosis after training. There are complexities here Web: www.projectad.me

Flex Wheeler
4 x IFBB Arnold Classic Champion
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
@bodypowerexpo @BodyPowerExpo BodyPowerUK BodyPower Expo

Kai Greene
3 x IFBB Arnold Classic Champion
TICKETS ON SALE NOW

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK YOUR TICKET, GO TO:
WWW.BODYPOWER.COM/TICKETS
GLUTE TRAINING SEEMS TO BE THE ‘IN THING’
AT THE MOMENT, AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS FULL
OF GLUTE TRAINING VIDEOS. LEICA SHOWS US THE
BEST WAY TO BUILD KILLER GLUTES.
/// BY LEICA GELSEI /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY LASZLO GELSEI
E
VERYONE HAS THEIR some special attention I will actually get
own theories, and in this my clients to stimulate it every single day.
Don’t forget- we need to stimulate the
article, I will outline mine.
muscle group 5 days per week and
These have been formed annihilate it twice per week.
through multiple hours of tried The exercises I favour for stimulation
and tested workouts on athletes are:
and committed individuals • Modified Glute Bridges
wanting the perfect hump.
• Swiss Ball Raises (2 types)
• Lunges
• Standing Kick Backs
Everyone needs glutes, not just the
girls, boys - you need some junk in your So here goes:
trunks too! Every day do a Glute Activation
A lot of good, basic lower body workout.
exercises do a great job of hitting the This will take around 5-10 minutes.
glutes and should be a fundamental part Remember- the glute may be a big
of any good leg routine. These exercises muscle but it doesn’t need big move-
include: ments to get the best out of it. These
• Full squats exercises will assist in the development
• Deep leg presses (without the lower of a rounder and fuller glute, whilst
back coming away from the pad) aiding in the separation of the glute/
• Deadlift (especially sumo) hamstring tie in.
• Romanian deadlifts As with shoulders, this should be
The key to getting the glutes to fire followed on a 5-day stimulation, 2-day
during the above exercises is activation annihilation basis.
in order for you to get the required Pick one of the exercises below,
stimulation. performing 4 to 5 sets, with nothing less
As I explained last month in my every than 20 reps per set. On each day of
day shoulders article, if an area needs stimulation, pick a different exercise.

Exercise 1
Modified Glute Bridges: Start with a flat bench and take a

dumbbell of your choice (ranging from 10-20kg). Sit on the side
of the bench and put the dumbbell between your thighs, closer
to your knees than your groin. When the dumbbell is secure,
take your bottom off the bench and rest on your elbows. Do
NOT take your feet too far forwards- ideally feet, knees to hip
should be at a 90-degree angle. Now we’re in our starting
position. Next, relax your glutes to feel the stretch, then raise
your hips, whilst squeezing the dumbbell to hip level. Do NOT
lean back- keep your back in an upright position at all times.
Once you are comfortable with this exercise, you will
perform each of your 20 reps with a 5 second hold at the top
of the movement, making sure you are squeezing the dumbbell
at all times.

Exercise 2
Swiss Ball Raises: (Straight Legs) Start this exercise lying face down on a mat. With straight legs, take the
ball in-between your ankles, squeezing the ball with your feet. Relaxing the top half of your body, hover the
ball just above the ground, then raise the ball as high as is comfortable, being mindful not to engage your
lower back. When performing this version, do NOT bend your knees in any way. Remember, your hips are
the pivot.
Once you are comfortable with this exercise, you will perform each of your 20 reps with a 3 second hold
at the top of the movement, making sure you are squeezing the ball and keeping your legs fixed straight.
Exercise 3
(Bent Legs) As above- but at all

times the legs are fixed in a bent
position. Remember, your hips
are the pivot.

Exercise 4
Lunges: Start this exercise with a 5kg weight plate and allow
enough room for 20 steps. (If space is a problem you can
perform this one on the spot).
The first set will be performed without the weight, allowing
you to master the movement. Take each lunge (step forward)
down to a 90-degree angle on both legs. Do NOT land your
rear knee on the floor at any time and do NOT lurch or lean
forward. Each step should be controlled and precise.
perform each of your
20 reps (steps) with the
5kg plate held in the
palms of your hands up
above your head, with
straight arms.
As you become
more confident, you can
hold the plate in one
hand, straight armed
above the head,
exchanging arms on
each set.
The purpose of
holding the plate above
your head, is to aid your
posture whilst lunging
for maximum glute
activation.

Exercise 5
Standing Kick Backs: Start this exercise with a

small-sized resistance band.
Intensity of resistance is your choice, but be mindful
not to go too heavy as this will activate your lower back.
Stand on one end of the band and place the other end
around your opposite ankle. Stand against a surface
that is not likely to move for support. Do NOT lean
forward- keep as upright as possible. Do NOT throw
your leg up as high as you can- we really do not want to
activate the lower back.
perform each of your 20 reps on each leg with a 2
second hold at the top of the movement. Each kick back
should be controlled, precise and with purpose.
An Example Exercise 3: Dumbbell between your legs),

Leg Press. Once your legs are Standing Squat machine, V Squat
Annihilation Workout: warm, start by putting your feet as machine or Lunges.
What you will find happening is that wide as the foot plate allows on the
once you have completed a few machine and just a little higher on Pick one of the above exercises
sessions of stimulation, your glutes the foot plate than you would on a and use a weight that’ll allow you
will fire much better in the following normal quad session. to perform 4 sets of 10-15 reps,
sample session. with a 5 second static hold in the
You will do 10 reps in this position, lowest position. Finish off set 4
Exercises 1&2: then move your feet (without with some rhythmical movements
Lying Leg Curls (on either a ma- re-racking the machine), closer to failure.
chine or on a bench with a dumbbell together, by bringing the feet one
between your feet). Super-set this foot’s distance closer to one Remember, every time you
with Romanian deadlifts (with either another. Perform another 10 reps in do this routine, when you get to
dumbbells or plates in your hands). this position. Again, move your feet, exercise 4, make sure you
one foot’s distance for another 10 choose a different exercise than
Working both ends of the ham- reps. Then do one last movement, the one you performed in the last
strings- perform the leg curls for which should allow your feet to be routine.
15-20 rhythmical, filling movements. together for your final 10 reps of the
Next, go straight to your Romanian set. Side Note:
deadlifts, performed with precise, Personally, I advise my clients
purposeful movements, for 4 sets of You will do four sets in total, with to stay away from traditional
8-10 reps. each set starting on a rotation of barbell glute bridges. Controversial?
feet out and working to bring your I don’t think so. You can use a lot of
Your hips are the pivot. Push feet in, and then back out to the weight on this movement and a
your pelvis out as far as your body outer position where you started. heavy barbell across your stomach
will allow without using your lower may not be the best idea for your
back, and then bring it back into a Exercise 4: body. Try the modified version
standing position, keeping your Choose from Squats, Sumo Squat outlined above and you will notice
glutes active. (Smith Machine or Free Bar or the difference.

P H O T O C R E D I T : S I M O N H O WA R D
74
FLEX | MARCH 2018
CARLY
THORNTON
RAW
EVOLVING
TRUTH LIKE MANY OTHERS IN THEIR LATE TEENS,
CARLY THORNTON DIDN’T HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP
WITH FOOD. “I NEVER THOUGHT VERY MUCH OF
MYSELF OR THE WAY I LOOKED” CARLY SAYS.
/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST

P H O T O C R E D I T : S H A N E WAT K I N S
S
he battled with her
mind and self-esteem,
suffering from mixed
emotions and self-
destructive thoughts”
“I was more worried about what
others thought of me than how I
actually wanted to be,” admits Carly.
Now, she realises that a lot of
people go through life like this, but
there was one thing she was always
sure of.
“I desperately wanted to change,”
she recalls.
It was this urge that lead her to
start training as a bodybuilder.
People often get confused by the
word bodybuilder, but it was never
Carly’s intention to get huge; she
simply wanted to improve her body
aesthetically and maintain a good
fitness level.
The Process
“I not only trained my body as hard
as I could, but I also trained my
mind,” Carly smiles.
This helped her to develop a more
positive outlook on life and indeed to
gain some self-esteem.
PHOTO CREDIT: AK IG AK_ANNAKELLE
Carly loved the positive changes

the weights room brought to her life.
“Training helped me to build a far
healthier relationship with food.”
she explains. “I began to eat for
gains rather than just snacking on
rubbish.”
After a few years of weight training,
it was suggested to the fitness fanatic
that she should compete.

“I loved the idea of competing, so
I started to prep for the figure
category, which I loved,” she says.
“I found prepping for the figure
category fascinating. It’s amazing to
see how someone can transform so
dramatically- both physically and
mentally. I was totally drawn in by it.
If you dedicate yourself to the
process, you will accomplish it.”
Changing Goals
Even though Carly really enjoyed
P H O T O C R E D I T: B O DYG R A P H I C S P H O T O G R A P H Y
competing in the figure category,
she observed how the market was
changing. This spurred her to
change her goals.
“I thought that I should focus more
on the commercial look in order to
stay relevant in the fitness market,”
she says.
Carly had also identified that in
order for her career to grow, her
social media and industry profile
also needed to be larger.
“For me, my goal was to have a
front cover on Flex and write
articles for them,” she says. “Al- present in the industry,” Carly says. show and became an IFBB Profes-
though this sounds so cliché and She then decided to compete sional League woman’s physique
can come across as a bit dumb, again as a bikini athlete as a means competitor.
I knew exactly what I wanted. of boosting her profile. This was Although Carly had earned this
No matter what it took, I was also to show her versatility and status, things still weren’t right in
determined to achieve this.” demonstrate a different look. This is her own mind.
something that very few athletes do, “Honestly, I still felt as if I was
Competing Had and an approach we rarely see in bottom of the bunch competing
Made Me Stronger the industry. against the best. It was like starting
Thanks to her newly adopted drive This stage of Carly’s competitive all over again, but this time against
and determination, Carly landed life really did grab people’s attention, the elite from all over the country.
front covers on some well known but once again it was time for a I wasn’t competing against the
magazines, as well as contributing change. burger physiques of the world,
articles to them. “When analysing my structure, I I was against the prime fillets now,”
“It was amazing when I think back, then realised I was more suited she jokes.
as I had so many knock backs, but I towards the new woman’s physique Carly competed in a further two
just never gave up,” she says. “I just category,” she recalls. Pro shows- one each year to allow
kept on emailing companies relent- This would be a big challenge, but adequate time for improvements
lessly until they said yes. she loved the notion of building yet between shows, especially now
Today people ask me how I got so another style of physique. that she was up against the best.
far in this industry. I tell them that “I knew that because I was a Pro, I
these days, people wait around Whole New Level had to do everything perfectly. Even
thinking that opportunity will just Physique training was a whole new my off-season meals were struc-
come to them. NO, it won’t. My level and was proving very demand- tured just the same as when I was in
advice is to put the hard work in, ing on her body. full competition mode,” she says.
and eventually you’ll achieve your “I’m not a gifted person when it
goals.” comes to building muscle. My body It Consumed Me
was beat after a year of training in Looking back, and realising now
Evolving order to reach my goal,” Carly says. that she was focusing on the
“I always knew that I had to keep But the ever evolving athlete did wrong thing, Carly admits she
evolving in order to stay current and reach that goal. In fact, she won her was completely confused.

92
FLEX | MARCH 2018
and I always accomplish it,”
she says.
“For once in my life, I’m FREE.”
Carly now trains to feel good all of
the time, she loves the freedom of
being able to go out when she wants
to and says she feels sexy again.
“When I competed, I was never
truly happy with my body, because
I was always trying to improve. Now
I love my curves, I absolutely LOVE
the Brazilian look, I mean who
doesn’t? If you don’t, then you are
mad,” she jokes.
Carly also has her own fitness
clothing range called Gluteywear,
and stocks scrunch butt leggings
to enhance womanly curves.
Carly now focuses on business
and supporting those who are going
through similar challenges in life, like
“Competing had consumed me, I that she never had before. she used to.
didn’t know who I was anymore and “With all the qualities that training Instagram
I wanted to live my life,” she con- has taught me, I now know I can carlythornton_ifbbpro
fesses. “I felt scared, lost and lonely apply this to anything,” says Carly. Gluteywear
with the prospect of walking away “If I want something, I just go for it. www.gluteywear.co.uk/shop
from the structured life that gave I use my energy and determination Email
me comfort and security, but I knew like I did when I was competing, ifbbprocarlythornton@gmail.com
it was no longer meant for me.
“I know some may think I’m making
a big mistake by walking away, but
TRAINING
when you want something so badly In general, Carly trains her upper body twice a week and lower
and you put all of your energy into it, body 3-4 times depending on how she feels, especially now she
you often forget about everything isn’t forced to train.
else. I even forgot about my friends, Day 1 Lower Body Day 2 Upper Body and Boxing
family and relationships,” she says.
“Bodybuilding taught me that a lot Day 3 Lower Day 4 Upper or a rest day
and helped me find myself, but Day 5 Lower
ironically I also lost myself towards
the end.
“No one tells you about how this
lifestyle will make you feel or how
it can affect your everyday life. We
only ever see the glamorous side
of the sport, not what it takes to
get there.”
Carly stresses that this doesn’t
happen to everyone, but this was
how it eventually made her feel, and
P H O T O C R E D I T S : S H A N E WAT K I N S
knows there may be others who

can relate to this.
Positive Note
On the flip side, Carly has gained
a lot from her journey as an athlete
in the fitness world. It taught her
discipline, structure and determina-
tion. She now has a powerful drive

/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOTOARTS BY JAY
DEAN LESIAK AND

MARTYN FORD
THE ULTIMATE
TRANSFORMAT
PART 2
ION
L
diet and training regimes during Dean explains. “We’re currently
AST MONTH,
this part of the process. only doing 25 minutes 3 times
we caught up a week, and we choose to do
with Dean ‘the fasted cardio.”
DIETARY UPDATES
protein’ Lesiak, “In order to ensure we don’t
and movie star ‘the The first change go too flat, and also to keep our
“As we previously discussed, metabolisms high, we are also
monster’ Martyn Ford. our fats and proteins have introducing a higher carb day.”
Flex is following their stayed pretty much the same, “Initially, we were on 600g of
transformation to show with little or no change,” reveals carbs a day, but then went down
Dean. to 300g a day. Now, once a week
readers exactly what it “As for our carbs, at first, we we have started to enjoy a
takes for them both to dropped them by 25%. Our higher carb day, consuming
get into top shape. weight was coming down nicely around 600g each on this day.”
at 2-3lbs a week. Then it slowed “At the moment, the weight is
Last time we spoke to them, to 1lb. When it slowed to this dropping off again, so we will
the lads revealed how they work extent we made the next keep the diet like this until the
out their nutritional needs, plus change, reducing carbs by a renewed weight loss subsides.”
gave us an insight into what’s further 25%,” he continues.
required physically to really “This got the weight loss moving
shape up. again.”
We caught back up with them
TRAINING UPDATES
both to see how they are pro- The second change Cardio
gressing, and discover the “When the weight loss slowed, “As mentioned earlier, we’re
changes they’ve made to their we started introducing cardio,” currently doing fasted cardio
3 times a week for 25 minutes.
These sessions are on a
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday,” says Dean.
“I prefer higher intensity
cardio, so we are doing interval
training. We train for 1 minute
fast, followed by 2-3 minutes at
a slow pace.”
“This is very effective for fat
loss, because whilst low inten-
sity cardio burns a higher ratio
of fat to glycogen than high
intensity exercise, the amount of
fat burned overall is higher when
you work at an intense level.”
Weights
“Every weights day is different
as we like to mix it up and keep
pushing the body out of its
comfort zone,” says Dean.
“We’re performing heavy
compound movements in every
session, followed by lots of drop
sets and super sets, as well as
pyramid sets- isolating the
individual muscle groups.”
“For the first exercise, we
always perform 3 good light
warm-up sets and then 3 work-
ing sets, getting heavier each
time and hitting failure. For
every exercise after this, we
perform 1 warm up set, followed
by 2 heavy sets to failure.”

“We generally try to hit
failure inside the 6-12 rep range.
On the drop sets, we may
perform as many as 30-50 reps.
We start out with a weight that
we can do around 5-6 reps with,
before dropping the weight and
increasing the reps. We repeat
this process until we hit com-
plete failure.”
Monday
Chest
1 Flat bench press or smith
machine press.
2 Incline hammer strength
press.
3 Super set dumbbell fly’s into
dumbbell presses.
4 Incline fly’s, and super set with
cable fly’s.
Tuesday
Back
1 Wide grip cable pull downs.
2 Barbell rows.
3 One handed plate loaded
machine rows.
4 Close grip cable rows, and
super set with pullovers.
5 Dead lifts.
Wednesday
Rest

Thursday Friday Saturday
Shoulders & Calves Biceps & Triceps Hamstring & Quads
1 Standing calve raises or smith 1 Cable push downs. 1 Lying hamstring curls.
machine standing on a block. 2 Skull crushers. 2 Seated hamstring curls.
2 Seated calve raises, and 3 Close grip barbell presses. 3 Stiff legged deadlift.
super set with donkey calve 4 Single arms rope push downs,
raises. and superset with single arm 1 Leg extension.
dumbbell over the head. 2 Squats.
1 Barbell military presses or 3 Hack squat.
smith machine front presses. 1 Barbell curls. 4 Vertical leg press, and
2 Dumbbell lateral raises. 2 Seated dumbbell hammer super set with pendulum
3 Barbell front raises, and super curls. squat.
set with cable lateral raises. 3 Preacher bunch. 5 Lunges.
4 Rear delt machine, and 4 E-Z bar cable curls, and super
super set with barbell set with reverse grip barbell Sunday
shrugs. curls. Rest

SHAUN JOSEPH-TAVERNIER
THE
WIZARD
WAY
/// BY NATHAN HARMAN
& SHAUN JOSEPH-TAVERNIER
/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY
I N S E T P I C T U R E P H O T O C R E D I T : M AT T M A R S H
PHOTOARTS BY JAY

MARCH 2018| | FLEX
MARCH2018 FLEX 105
35
that the front delt gets used too
much to move the weight back up in
the first part of the press. This
creates unwanted tension and
transitions from the pecs to the delt.
Making these small adjustments will
T
he chest- also known ‘WHAT CAN YOU DO TO help the chest to work properly and
as the pecs or pectoral STOP THE DELTS FROM recruit as many muscle fibres as
muscles. Always felt OVERTAKING?’ possible.
by the female species on a Many bodybuilders have great delts Find what suits you best and
night out, and always trained but lack that hanging chest. As with adjust the positions according to
on a Monday by gym rookies all body parts, it’s very important to what works and what doesn’t. This
determine which movement, angle won’t happen overnight and will take
on international chest day!
and exercises work best for you. weeks, months and even years in
Over the years, Shaun has had to One thing I have noticed is, most some cases.
change his style of training con- people press from the delts with
stantly, either because of injury, or little chest requirement and then
because certain exercises no longer finish off with a lot more triceps
gave him the contractions they once recruitment than necessary by lock-
did. He started his bodybuilding ing the arms out too much.
days off at Genesis gym, a gym One thing you can do to limit the
renowned for its strong guys. Run delts overtaking everything, is to
by Dave Beattie, a world power retract the scapula (also referred
lifting champion, you can under- to as the shoulder blades). When
stand why. Big benches and heavy you’re on the bench, or just stand-
deadlifts were the norm, giving ing, squeeze the scapula together,
Shaun that thick dense muscle. In and you will notice the chest will lift
recent years, a shoulder injury he and the delts retract- the chest will
incurred has given rise to many already look bigger. The lower back
issues, preventing the pecs from will be slightly arched and that’s
firing properly, and resulting in the okay, but please make sure the
loss of some of that great fullness elbows aren’t coming up too high
Shaun first had when he hit the towards the head in your pressing
stage a few years ago. With his movements as the tension can once
boulders for shoulders it’s very again leave the upper pec and hit
important that when he trains chest, front delts.
his delts don’t overtake any of the Some people will also notice
movement and full tension goes when they come down too low in
through the pectoral muscles. the eccentric part of the movement,

This is what Shaun does for also focus on creating a better tions, making them closer or wider
his chest development. range of motion and I love the according to what’s feeling good or
‘stretch’ part of the movement, not. Once again, everything is to
1) INCLINE CABLE FLIES creating great time under tension. failure, so I perform 20-30 reps for
ON A BENCH This really helps me to make sure all 5 working sets. I’m super pumped
SHAUN: “I like to warm up on the my joints, tendons and muscles are from the cables, so the weight is
cables as I feel I get a much better as warm as possible before in- never heavy, but heavy enough that
pump and don’t need to go so heavy creasing the weight in a pyramid I still can contract the muscle
in my pressing movements, as all the style. I normally do around 6 sets, properly and hit my targeted rep
blood and nutrients are in the starting on 10kg for around 2-3 range.”
muscle early on in the session. I can sets, before building up to 40kg for
my working sets. Everything I do is 3) INCLINE MACHINE PRESS
to failure, but I always aim for SHAUN: “I like to make sure I’m
around 20-30 reps for 5-6 sets. I hitting upper chest a good 2-3 times
never do below 20 reps on any of whilst training chest. It’s important
my chest exercises”. to try and maintain as much fullness
as possible whilst making sure the
2) MACHINE PRESS upper pecs lift, pulling the middle
SHAUN: “I’m pretty warm by this and lower chest up. On most people,
stage, so I do one warm up set, just the upper chest is the weakest part
to find my seating position and get and requires a lot of work. By this
used to the press movement. point I’m pretty tired, so I really need
Sometimes I’ll keep the seat slightly to focus on my form over anything
higher to work more on a decline else. I use a lot of slow negatives
position or will just have the seat and slow positives as well as static
height so I hit all over development holds and I like to use partials in a
of the pecs- lower, middle and controlled form towards the end of
upper. One thing I will always do is the set. I always make sure I never
continually adjust my hand positions lock out, as I want the tension to
until I can feel the muscle contract- remain on the chest throughout the
ing where I want it to. If it means movement. Over the last few years
using more of a supinated grip, then I’ve started to pose in the rest
I will adjust accordingly or vice period and stretch the muscle I’m
versa with a pronated grip. I will also working a lot more- I really believe
adjust the width of the hand posi- this has helped my growth”.

4) DUMBBELL PRESS plate a side and just rep it out. So
SHAUN: “You will notice this is the many pec tears are caused by this
first movement that doesn’t require and I’m not willing to risk anything by
a machine or cables. Over the years going too heavy. I really do love
I’ve had to adapt my training and do push-ups to finish and will some-
what requires less stress and times use a decline press as they
presents a lower risk of injury. I find are slightly harder. However, most
all these movements safer and more of the time I’m spent by this stage
productive. I love the stretch I get and would probably hit the deck
with dumbbells, but I’m so careful face first. I’ve also done a partial
not to go too deep as it will cause movement a few times over the
me injury. What I love about using years once I hit my full range of
dumbbells is that I’m not fixed and movement. Again, the beauty of
can adjust my elbows closer to my these is that I can adjust my hand
body. If I want to hit the inner lower position according to what part of
pec, I can also press near the nipple the pec I directly want to hit.”
area. If I want to hit the middle or
upper regions, I will take the elbows
away from the body and press from
higher up the pec. I start on the
20kg dumbbells for the first set, just
to get the body ready for the
movement. Then I increase the
weight up to 30-40kgs. Depending
on how tired I am, if I don’t hit the
required reps I will drop the weight
and continue to failure for 20 plus
reps.”
5) PUSH UPS
SHAUN: “This is my 5th and final
exercise. If I don’t do push ups, I will
do a barbell movement with one

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1 1.2
T 3 4
hese guidelines can Flare and spread your lats to Lastly, engage your shoulders
be applied to all of display your V Taper. Make and sit them onto your lats
your poses, and will sure that you work on displaying to showcase a strong top line
the full width of your lats by finding (symmetry and balance from
help to ensure that you are
a pose that suits your body. This shoulder to shoulder). Do not hunch
presenting yourself like a will enable you to present a strong your shoulders as you will lose width
Pro when it’s time to step X SHAPE to the judges. on the lats and look trap dominant.
on stage.
Always set your poses up from the
bottom of your body through to the
top. Imagine you’re stacking a tower.
2 2.1
This will help you to avoid missing
any check points.
Your CHECK POINTS are:
1 Stand with your heels turned in

slightly with your toes turned
out. Try to pull your heels together,
then grip the floor with your toes.
PHOTO CREDITS: EMMA HYNDMAN
Next, rotate your quads outwards

and engage your inner thighs.
Now your legs are switched on!
2 Lift your midsection and

engage your core to make the
abs visible, but do not crunch
down and shorten/compress the
abdominal section.

Additional Tips
To add to this, when you are
presenting to the front, slightly angle 3
the upper body forwards. When you
are posing from the back lift the
body and tilt backwards (towards
the judges) from the lower back.
This will also help to create an even
more impressive V Taper.
Master these steps and you will
never forget to engage anything.
Always stack yourself up from the
ground upwards, be strict with your
practicing and treat it like it’s a part
of your training.
In the run up to a competition,
bodybuilders should be DRILLING 3.1
their poses daily for at least
20 minutes with NO rest like it’s a
workout. If you’re lucky enough to
have a number of callouts on stage,
then you’re probably being placed 4
highly. This is very tiring and you will
need exceptional stamina. You don’t
want to start messing up your
posing just because you’re tired, or
even worse, passing out. You need
to be well prepared for show day,
making sure your poses are fixed
into your long-term muscle memory.
Come the nerves, stage lights and
adrenaline on competition day, that
‘simple’ task of posing is going to feel
much more taxing!
Applying these techniques to all of
your poses will ensure that you are
switching on, engaging and
presenting all of your hard work to
the judges with an impressive X
FRAME!
Instagram:
@Emma Hyndman - The Posing Pro
Facebook: @ThePosingPro
IMAGES:
Picture 1 / 1.2: Always
PHOTO CREDITS: EMMA HYNDMAN
set up from the bottom

to the top
Picture 2 / 2.1: Display X
Frame and a strong top line
Picture 3 / 3.1: Apply this
to all of your poses
Picture 4 / Lean back and
tilt towards the judges

/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY TAUSEEF ASRI
THE ‘CLASSIC’
K.I.S. DIET
BY BOBBY KHAN IFBB PRO
I
n a world of information
overload, it can be con-
fusing and daunting to
even begin to talk about
your diet. But I’m going to give
you some timeless advice.
It is advice I applied first
to myself, and what I’d like
to now introduce to you too.
I call it: the ’Keep it Simple’ method
(K.I.S). This is not just for the
beginning of your fitness journey,
but also the middle and right up
until the end.
One of the most essential
contributors to the physique I have
built, is food and supplementation.
The more quality food and supple-
mentation you put into your body,
the closer you will get to achieving
your goals. This has most certainly
been the case with me. However,
I would like to touch upon this idea
of quality foods. As an experienced
personal trainer and athlete, where the financial cost of achieving K.I.S Diet:
individuals who have an incredible the dream physique has become a Frozen Vegetables: Green Beans
drive often approach me seeking very influential factor. or Broccoli.
advice on how to achieve their In these circumstances, I always Frozen Fruit: Blueberries or
dream physique, but have limited advise the Keep It Simple – K.I.S. Strawberries.
knowledge on food and supplemen- Diet. If you are on a tight budget, Tinned: Salmon or Tuna.
tation. it’s important to have a plan in place. Basic Supermarket Brands:
As an example, I always analyse Food and great quality supplemen- Potatoes/Pasta/Rice/Oats/
the financial situation of the person tation is vital to developing and Wholemeal bread.
I’m trying to help, and from that maintaining your physique. But, with
information I advise them on what regards to food, if you cannot afford As an example, someone felt
foods they should be looking to buy. to buy fresh or organic, don’t worry, when I first started to train him, that
Increasingly, a pattern has emerged there are plenty of alternatives: eating fresh and organic foods was

FEBRUARY 2018 | FLEX 113
the only route to achieving a great
physique. What he did not realise
at the time was that there were
alternatives available that were
quick to prepare, and just as effec-
tive, as the results showed.
There are two key areas where

the K.I.S Diet excels:
1. Prep time – Very few people
have time to prepare green beans
and broccoli etc. All sorts of things
get in the way, with studying, work,
family and other issues. Buying
foods like frozen veg can save you
a lot of time. You simply boil or
microwave it for a minimum amount
of time, and it’s ready.
2. The economic factor – Be
realistic and honest with yourself, do
you have the funds available to buy
fresh or organic foods? If you do,
then that’s great. But, the likelihood,
as with most people, is that you
don’t have the funds to do so. The
K.I.S. Diet will certainly benefit you
here.
3. Buy a good quality protein
powder - I have found that having a
good quality protein powder will go a
long way in helping you achieve your
dream physique. As the great Arnold
Schwarzenegger says, “It can be
done without supplementation but
it’s not very practical.” We are spoilt
for choice with the great quality
supplementation available to us in
this day and age.
Finally, what you must remember

is that the K.I.S. Diet, fundamentally,
is an idea. An idea that is economical
with time and with money. Remem-
ber, time and money will always be
an issue in most of our lives, so it is
important that you are honest and
realistic with yourselves. But, that
does not mean you cannot achieve
your dream physique. The K.I.S Diet
may sound like a basic guideline or
compromise, but I can assure you
this is not the case and that it is
P H O T O C R E D I T : M AT T M A R S H
actually an incredibly powerful

tool that can help yield great results.
If you incorporate the K.I.S Diet into
your life and have absolute convic-
tion in it, I’m certain you’ll soon
agree.
“Train Hard & Smart.”
Bobby Klassik Khan

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completed.
PEAK
WEEK
The Right Way
IT SEEMS LIKE THIS TOPIC IS
SPOKEN ABOUT AGAIN AND AGAIN,
BUT NEVER REALLY SINKS IN?
/// BY ADAM HAYLEY & AKASH VAGHELA
/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN MARK
Sure, we could let it go and let everyone carry on in that final week prior to the show, why would you
doing their thing. But after constantly having competi- risk going to the extremes to try and improve by
tors send us over their ‘peak’ week plans that just 5% knowing that if you mess up, you’re going to look
make very little sense, eventually a tipping point is 50% worse?
reached. Aside from filling out a little, most people should
The first thing we want to preface is: We all do be able to just cruise into that last week.
things differently.
This means that we don’t expect you to follow our The Three Biggest Peak Week Mistakes
advice blindly, or that we’re an absolute authority. Competitors Make
But what we can say is that everything we give to In a system as complex as the human, there are very
our athletes has reasoning behind it – and is to the few times you can speak in absolutes. But when it
best of our knowledge at that current time. comes to some of the insanity we see in some peak
Girls: You need to remember that, unless you weeks, it’s fair to say the following three are absolute
compete in women’s physique or bodybuilding, your no-no’s:
goal isn’t to look ‘dry’, ‘shredded’ and ‘vascular’. If
you’re a bikini or figure girl, your goal is to come in 1) Completely pulling out sodium, weeks out
looking lean, full and healthy. from a contest.
These two categories are supposedly the most IF you have to manipulate sodium, it should be short-
‘marketable’, and the ones that draw other females term thing. If you’re removing sodium at 4-5 weeks
into the sport due to the ‘attainable’ condition required. out, that’s just plain ridiculous. Whenever we make any
Therefore, the aim of the game is not to be stood on manipulations, whether to water or sodium, the goal is
stage looking drawn and stringy while suffering from to make temporary shifts in renal hormones such as
cramping and dehydration. Aldosterone and Vasopressin.
Guys: Your goal IS to look dry, shredded and vascu-
lar. Now, providing you’ve worked your ass off and What people don’t realise is that these hormones will
given yourself long enough of a prep, you should rebound back. The body loves homeostasis (balance),
already be looking like this! and will often overshoot in order to try and achieve
The question is: If you are looking ‘on point’ this.

One study showed that over a 6-day period of it in the final 24-48 hours before the show. But if you
sodium restriction, aldosterone levels tripled. Aldos- get it wrong, disaster can strike physique wise.
terone plays a key role in maintaining fluid balance by
assisting in the re-absorption/retention of both water How?
and sodium. If we think about the menstrual cycle and Sodium is CRITICAL for blood volume. As soon as that
water retained through that – this is the same hormone drops, kiss goodbye to getting that pump you’re
controlling it. chasing backstage.
At the beginning of the trial, aldosterone sat at 2) Amateurs using prescription-based

10.4ng/100ml. diuretics.
At the local level (qualifiers), chances are that just
One day into the sodium restriction it went to turning up in ‘real’ condition will most likely be enough
11.7ng/100ml (nothing too crazy). to nail a top three position.
At 6 days in, it rose to 37ng/ml! There’s a reason many of the top guys in the
Not only is it illogical from a water manipulation sport are now also coming away from using
standpoint (the whole reason for doing so), it’s also prescription-based diuretics.
pretty dumb as we need sodium for certain glucose Most just take these drugs, not knowing the
transporters to work as well as to aid in muscle mechanism of action behind them. Or that there are
contraction. You know, the thing we do day in, day out different classes of them; loop diuretics, potassium
in the gym? sparing, thyazide etc.
There can definitely be a case made for manipulating
In ascending order of issues, the following can
happen:
The Good: You nail the timing and dose, and you
coming looking sharper (rare).
The Bad: You flatten out completely, struggle to get a

pump, possible cramping and end up looking worse/
smooth on stage (most common outcome).
The Ugly: Can be lethal. Both low sodium

(hyponatremia) and high potassium (hyperkalemia) are
possible outcomes of misusing prescription-based
diuretics.
You’re probably familiar with the marathon runners

that we occasionally hear about dying via ‘over
hydration’. What typically happens here is they drink
so much water they completely flush out their mineral
balance, and in particular sodium.
Also, consider that of the three chemicals used in
the lethal injection, potassium is the one that actually
stops the heart and is ultimately fatal. The other two
chemicals are used to sedate the person and cause
paralysis to the muscles.
If throughout your prep you’ve managed to work
out that you’re prone to water retention (and you’re
100% sure it’s not still just body fat that needs
to come off, which is more than likely the case),
then using an herbal diuretic such as ProjectAD’s
H20 Remoove can be a good alternative at increasing
the rate of diuresis, without the potential side effects
of the much more potent prescription drugs.
The three candidates we’d suggest could benefit

from using this product are:
• Females competing around their menstrual cycle
• Heavily stressed out individuals (cortisol binds to the
same receptor as aldosterone)

• Those using PED’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs) then suddenly jumping to 20-30 reps probably isn’t
that are causing them to retain more water than usual the wisest thing to do either.
What happens when you start a new training
Chances are that most won’t need to use the program, or introduce a new stimulus? You get sore,
above, and just still have body fat to lose! right? Well, this soreness is often accompanied by a
3) Completely changing training pooling of fluid (inflammation) around that area to aid in
I’ve seen it where competitors have either completely recovery. We’re usually too fat to see this. But, in that
stopped training a week out, or gone on the opposite final 5-7 days leading into the show, it will definitely be
way and hugely increased their rep ranges on exer- noticeable! Or at least should be, if you’re lean enough.
cises. Remember what we mentioned in one of the In that last week, the aim should be to keep training
paragraphs above – the body likes balance? The key pretty much the same. The only two things we’d alter
in peak week is to keep as many variables the same is: Stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure (same inflammatory
as possible. response above) and to shift legs to slightly earlier in
By completely stopping training a week out from the the week. Still train them, but not so close to the
show, the first thing you’ve just done is completely contest. Perhaps move them to the Wednesday before
changed your energy balance. Your body has gotten a Sunday show, for example.
used to expending ‘x’ number of calories per week on
your weights sessions, so not only are you about to BONUS Tip: Another Absolute…
carb/calorie load, but you’re also going to pull back on
one side of the energy balance equation and com- Be contest ready at least 7-10 days out from your
pletely skew things. show! Going into peak week looking half-baked and
(Please note: A gradual taper in cardio in this final hoping it will ‘fix’ you is only going to end in disappoint-
week to allow the legs to recover is fine for most.) ment. Don’t kid yourself. The goal of the peak week
Also, most of you may know about a process known is to touch up and refine your physique, perhaps
as ‘glut-4 translocation’. Put simply, it means that tightening it by 2-3%.
muscle contraction aids in shuttling glucose into If at a week out you’re sporting love handles and
our muscles cells. By training as usual while carb your ass still jiggles – that’s body fat. No matter how
loading, we’re aiding the process by giving our your friends word it, it’s not water. Pick a different
muscles a reason to store and hold onto glycogen, show and work harder.
thus remaining ‘full’. Now that we’ve covered what you shouldn’t do,
On the other hand, going from training in (for exam- we’re going to dive into three example peak weeks
ple) the 6-12 rep range throughout the entire prep and with (what we think) you should/could do:

NATURAL FEMALE COMPETITOR – HOLDING WATER
DUE TO EITHER STRESS OR MENSTRUAL CYCLE
• Keep water intake exactly the same right the way good hit of carbs, fat and sodium (eggs on toast
through ‘peak week’ that you’ve been drinking with salt/ketchup, sushi, smoked salmon and cream
through prep. For most, we’d imagine this to be in cheese bagel, McMuffin etc).
the 3.5-5 litre mark. • Switch over to easily digested meals every
• Keep sodium consistent throughout the entire 2-4 hours (chicken, white rice and almond butter)
prep. Approx. 1/8th tsp sea salt with each throughout the day.
meal plus condiments would be about right • ½ tsp sea salt with water + Reese’s PB cup either
for most. 2-3 classes before yours, or as you get called
• Train as normal – but move your last legs session to backstage.
maybe 2-3 days out from the show, As you can see from the above, it’s really
• Drop high intensity interval training (HIIT) at 7-10 nothing crazy. It’s keeping water and sodium
days out (if applicable). the same as you’ve done throughout prep.
• Taper steady state cardio (SSCV) through the week It’s dropping anything that could potentially
(if applicable). make you retain water (certain alcohol sugars,
• Drop any Yohimbine HCL products at 5 days out Yohimbine HCL etc).
(if applicable). From there, it’s a gentle carb up, just trying to give
• Use a herbal diuretic such as H20 Remoove around you a fuller look to your muscles.
3-4 days out from competition (this is for the For those females that get particularly stressed,
females that we suspect are retaining water). or are around menstruation, including the herbal
• 3 days out, depending on look, shoot for approx. diuretic can aid in excreting a little water safely as you
1.5-2x more carbohydrate than your ‘high’ day approach the show day.
through prep. E.g. 150g becomes 225-300g. The hit of sodium and peanut butter cup pre-stage
• 2 days out, either repeat or ramp the amount up/ will aid in pumping up / adding fullness to certain areas
down depending on the response. pre-stage. Remember, for classes like bikini the goal
• 1 day out, play carb intake amount by ear and isn’t to pump everything up and look huge and vascu-
judging by look, consider reducing carbs a touch lar. But, adding a little blood and fullness to the lateral
and increasing fats if look is achieved. shoulders for example, may accentuate a smaller
• Show day, have a decent sized breakfast with a waist etc.
NATURAL MALE PHYSIQUE COMPETITOR

• Keep water intake exactly the same right the way • 1 day out, use as a ‘refinement’ day. Adjust carbs/
through ‘peak week’ that you’ve been drinking fats according to the desired look.
through prep. For most, we’d imagine this to be in • Show day, have a decent sized breakfast with
the 4.5-7 litre mark. a good hit of carbs, fat and sodium (eggs on toast
• Keep sodium consistent throughout the entire prep. with salt/ketchup, sushi, smoked salmon and cream
Approx. 1/8th tsp sea salt with each meal plus cheese bagel, McMuffin etc).
condiments would be about right for most. • Switch over to easily digested meals every
• Train with your normal exercises and rep ranges. 2-4 hours (chicken, white rice and almond butter)
In the second half of the week, back off the loading throughout the day.
by 10-20% and reduce volume by 20-30% to allow • ½ tsp sea salt with 25g HBCD (Highly Branched
recovery. Cyclic Dextrin) either 2-3 classes before yours,
• Schedule your last legs session to maybe 3-4 days or as you get called backstage.
out from the show. Here you’ll note it’s not vastly different from the
• Drop HIIT at 7-10 days out (if applicable). female peak.
• Taper SSCV through the week (if applicable). The main difference is that the water intake is likely
• Drop Yohimbine HCL at 5 days out (if applicable). going to be higher due to more body mass in general.
• 4 days out, depending on look, shoot for approx. The carb up is slightly longer, and a little heavier – but
3x more carbohydrate than your ‘high’ day through still not overly aggressive.
prep. E.g. 200g becomes 600g. There’s an inclusion of highly branched cyclic dextrin
• 3 days out, repeat the carbs from the previous day alongside the sodium to help in the pump-up process.
if everything has gone as planned. For men’s physique, you really want to be focusing on
• 2 days out, lower carbs a touch and increase fats chest, side delts and upper back during your pump up.
to allow any ‘spill over’ to clear.

• Keep sodium consistent throughout the week
as you have done on prep. Approx. 1/8 – 1/4 tsp
sea salt with each meal plus condiments would
be about right for most.
• Train with your normal exercises and rep ranges.
In the second half of the week, back off the loading
by 10-20% and reduce volume by 20-30% to allow
recovery.
• Schedule your last legs session to maybe 3-4 days
out from the show.
• Drop HIIT at 7-10 days out (if applicable) .
• Taper SSCV through the week (if applicable).
• 6 days out, run a ‘carb depletion’ for three days
– reducing carbohydrate to between zero-100g
carbs per day.
• 5 days out, drop Yohimbine HCL (if applicable).
• 4 days out, start a herbal diuretic such as H20
Remoove, twice per day.
• 3 days out, aim for an aggressive carb load
of approx. 3-5x your bodyweight in lbs.
E.g. 200lb bodybuilder would have between
600-1000g carbs.
• 2 days out, either repeat or ramp the amount up/
down depending on response.
• 1 day out, evaluate ‘look’. If spilled, err on the side
of lower carbs, if borderline, consider doing 3 meals
with carbs and 3 meals without and increase fats
instead.
• 1 day out, drop water from the previous approx.
12 litres down to 4-4.5 litres.
• 1 day out, consider seasoning ‘every other meal’
or pulling sodium completely to assist in diuresis.
• 1 day out, increase H20 Remoove from 2 dosages
to 3. Add additional caffeine if tolerant.
• Show day, have a decent sized breakfast with
a good hit of carbs, fat and sodium (eggs on toast
with ketchup, sushi, smoked salmon and cream
cheese bagel, McMuffin etc).
• Switch over to easily digested meals every
ASSISTED MALE 2-4 hours (chicken, white rice and almond butter)
throughout the day.
BODYBUILDER – • 60-45min before stage time, 1 serving of a pump
HOLDING WATER product.
• 30-45min before stage time, ½ to 1 tsp sea salt
DUE TO USING PED’S. with 25g HBCD (Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin).
• At 2-4 weeks out, consider increasing your
aromatase inhibitor/anti-estrogen dosage. This peak gets a little more complicated due to the
• Stop any compounds that you think you think may fact that 1) These competitors are likely carrying
be causing you to retain water at 7-14 days out more lean tissue and even leaner than the previous
(e.g. testosterone, growth hormone etc). This isn’t classes, thus can handle a more aggressive carb up
black & white though, for some, this may ruin their 2) Their goal is to get that ‘full, dry and vascular’ look
look. Judgement call! we mentioned back in the opening paragraphs
• From day one of peak week, increase your habitual 3) Due to the PED’s being used, there’s a chance
water intake by 1-2 litres. For example, if you’re they’ll be retaining water – even after cessation of use
averaging 5 litres per day, you’d shoot for 7 litres. at 1-2 weeks out.
• Each day that goes by, increase water by 1 litre per As we approach that final month of prep, it’s not
day. We’d typically cap this at 10-12 litres depending uncommon to increase AI/anti-e usage. The goal during
on the size of the competitor. prep is to control not crush estrogen (although most

end up doing this by default). However, inside that run
up into prep, lowering it purposely can be advanta-
geous in helping to reduce water retention.
On top of that, we’ll typically cut out compounds
testosterone and growth hormone. Having said that,
some competitors can actually look better with it in
due to it aiding in fullness. It’s a call the competitor/
coach has to make.
In this peak we do manipulate water, by gradually
titrating it up we are setting ourselves up for the final
24hr before the show.
Sodium is kept moderate-high through the week.
Somewhere between 4,000-6,000mg is probably
about right for most. The real key is that you’re salting/
seasoning your food and that you’re consistent.
The actual amount doesn’t matter so much.
From where we carb deplete at the beginning of the
week, to allow for glycogen super-compensation. In
English, theoretically we’re increasing our storage
capacity – temporarily – for glycogen (stored carbohy-
drate). Allowing us to potentially increase fullness even
further than just a standard carb up.
We’ll then do a rapid 36-48 hour carb load, going as
high as 5x bodyweight (in lbs) depending on metabo-
lism. We’re actually aiming to push the boundaries
and cause a little blurring/spill-over here.
From 24-36hr before show day, we then switch
gears and start the ‘drying out’ process. This is
where we can manipulate water and sodium if
needs be. (Please note: you cannot dry out whilst
carb loading. To carb load efficiently you need both
water and sodium!)
We’ll also add in a third dose of H20 Remoove, and
potentially add extra caffeine throughout the day.
That final day before the show, we’ll adjust the carb
amount by ear. If we’ve loaded fully and caused that
slight spill, then chances are we will go higher fat and
lower carb. This also has the added benefit of topping
up intra-muscular triglyceride stores (an often over-
looked element of filling out).
We’ll reduce water from around 12 litres to say
4 litres or so. And we’ll also either reduce or cut
sodium depending upon the look. These two combina-
tions will increase diuresis – but – as we haven’t
completely cut water, we should still maintain fullness.
On show day we’re going to do three things pre-
stage:
45-60mins before we’ll use a pump product
(that you have used during prep! Do not attempt
something new unless you want to risk GI distress
and stomach cramps onstage!)
30-45mins before we’ll take on some HBCD along-
side 1-2g sodium (between a half and whole teaspoon
of sea salt).
There are different views on this, but my advice
when pumping up is to focus on your weaker areas
to try and bring ‘balance’ to your physique.
For example, I (Adam) have a weak chest but strong

shoulders. If I pump my
shoulders too much,
they over emphasise this
imbalance. In contrast,
by leaving my shoulders
and pumping up my
chest – they can almost
start to look on par with
each other.
On the other hand, if
you’ve got a great chest
that just hangs off of
your clavicles, but you
have weak arms – don’t
waste time pumping the
chest. Instead, try and
get as much blood and
volume as you can
through the biceps and
triceps.
And there we have it!
The perfect guide to
how you could potentially
approach your next peak
week!
Will the above protocols
work for everyone, every
time? No. They require
adjustments and aren’t
set in stone. But, follow-
ing the principles above
shouldn’t see you screw
up all of your hard work!
Two final bits of

advice:
1) If you have the chance,
run a mock ‘peak’ 2-3
weeks out from the show
2) If you don’t understand
how a mechanism works,
or why you’re doing it –
just leave it and keep
things simple.
Follow us on:
IG: @akashvaghela &
@adamhayley1 &
@rnt_fitness
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adamhayley.94 & www.
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RNTFitness
Email:
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www.rntfitness.co.uk

GUNS
BLAZING,
MOUTH
SHUTTHIRD-PLACE
OLYMPIA
FINISHER
WILLIAM BONAC
KEEPS IT
RESPECTFUL,
EVEN NOW THAT
HE’S IN THE IFBB
PRO LEAGUE’S
UPPER ECHELON.
HERE, HE OPENS
UP TO DISCUSS
HIS CAREER
GOALS AND HIS
KEYS TO HIGH-
CALIBER BICEPS
AND TRICEPS.
BY JOE WUEBBEN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PER BERNAL
LOOKS
LIKE WE
WILLIAM BONAC: Aside from the fact
that I like the champ and his beautiful
family, especially his mom,
I respect him. I mean, come on, he’s won
HAVE A the title seven times in a row now! Plus,

he handles himself well as our champion.
I get a lot of people talking bulls---, trying
SILENT
to break me on social media, and I’m not
even the champ. So imagine all the
bulls--- he has to deal with. In simple
KILLER
words, if you’ve achieved what Phil has,
or even half of that, then talk s---. If not,
please sit your ass down and
ON OUR
be humble.
With Heath in the middle of a long
HANDS.
string of Olympia titles, how do you
stay the course and not get
discouraged? Is it just a matter of
being patient and waiting for
Just like that, William Bonac has climbed your time to come?
up the Olympia rankings, and he’s now I can’t control Phil Heath and his WILLIAM
nipping at the heels of the seven-time team and what he does and
champ, Phil Heath. Bonac, originally what he looks like onstage. All I
BONAC
from Ghana but now living in can do is control me. I’m doing BIRTH DATE:
May 18, 1982
Amsterdam, placed 15th at the my thing, step by step, and I
Olympia in 2014, finished eighth and believe in myself and my team. HEIGHT: 5'7"
fifth the next two years, and in 2017 And yeah, patience is bitter, but WEIGHT: 225 lbs
he took third, just behind Mamdouh its fruits are sweeter than (contest); 235 to
240 lbs (off-season)
Elssbiay. honey.
But unlike the runner-up, Bonac’s BIRTHPLACE: Ghana
ascension up the IFBB Pro League Persistence must be RESIDENCE:
ranks has been a relatively quiet one. important for a professional Amsterdam,
the Netherlands
Meaning, no trash talk during the year bodybuilder, yes?
on social media and no bold Absolutely. It’s very important CONTEST HIGHLIGHTS:
2017 Mr. Olympia, 3rd;
declarations made at an Olympia Press not only for a bodybuilder but 2016: Nordic Pro, 1st;
Conference. He’s been so for anyone in life. Just when you Prague Pro, 1st; 2015:
cordial, so respectful, that you wonder feel like quitting, that’s when you Nordic Pro, 1st; Dayana
if Bonac lacks a bit of competitive fire. know your breakthrough is Cadeau Pro, 1st; 2014:
Golden State Pro, 1st;
He doesn’t, for the record. around the corner.
Russia Grand Prix, 1st
In this exclusive interview with FLEX,
SOCIAL: Instagram
Bonac explains why he’s steering clear And what about focus?
@william_bonac;
of the mud-slinging, while also sharing a What visions and goals Facebook @William
few insights into his personal interests do you tend to focus on BonacOfficial
and professional ambitions. The during the off-season, when
competitive juices are there, things get mundane, and
even if the trash talk is noticeably (and pre-contest, when the diet
refreshingly) absent. can be restricting and not
always fun?
FLEX: In recent post-Olympia I think about being the champ one day.
interviews with Phil Heath (2016 and That keeps me focused when the diet
2017), he’s had very good things to isn’t fun. In the off-season, I tend to keep
say about you. It seems like other my workouts going and resting my body
competitors like to talk smack to the for as long as it needs and still trying to
champ, but not you. Why have you keep it all lean. My short-term goal right
chosen not to engage in the now is winning the Arnold Classic. And
smack talk? after that, we’re aiming for the crown.

ARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE
Bonac’s simple recipe for working sets per workout each for months,” he says. “But each week
building bigger, more chiseled biceps and triceps. I do different exercises. For
biceps and triceps: example, one week I’ll do more
FAVORITE INTENSITY barbells and some machine,
PREFERRED REP RANGE: TECHNIQUES: Supersets and and the next week I’ll do more
12 to 16 reps. dropsets for both biceps and dumbbells.”
triceps; peak contractions for
TRAINING FREQUENCY: triceps. “I tend to feel the muscle CARDIO REGIME: “I don’t do cardio
Biceps and triceps each connection more [with peak in the off-season. During
trained once a week in the off- contractions],” Bonac says, my prep, it depends on my body
season (triceps trained “and it’s better for my elbows weight—that will tell me how much
with back, biceps paired with as well.” cardio I need to do. My average
chest) and typically twice cardio session takes about
weekly pre-contest. TRAINING VARIETY: “I change up 30 minutes, and I do this five to six
TRAINING VOLUME: Eight to 12 my routine about once every three days a week leading up to a show.”

CABLE CURL
If curls with a
straight bar
attachment put
too much strain
on your wrists,
use an EZ-curl
bar attachment
instead, where
the wrists are
angled slightly
inward.
QUICK AND DIRTY STRAIGHT-BAR

CABLE ARM WORKOUT
Perhaps you don’t have as much
EXERCISE SETS REPS
PRESSDOWN
time to devote to the gym as a For variety,
professional bodybuilder. And Cable Curl 3 12*
with crowded gyms early in the superset with alternate between
new year, leaving your training
station could mean losing it for the
Straight-bar
Pressdown**
3 12* straight bar,
rest of the workout. No problem. If
One-arm Cable Curl 3 16*
V-bar, and rope
you can secure a cable machine,
here’s a quick-hitting biceps and superset with attachments
One-arm Rope
triceps routine utilizing Bonac’s
Pressdown**
3 16* from workout to
aforementioned training
principles. Hit this routine two *On your last set, do 2 dropsets after
workout. Keep
times a week if possible, with at reaching failure with the starting weight. your elbows
least 48 hours between workouts,
switching out exercises for the **Squeeze the contraction in the triceps pinned to your
for 1 to 2 counts at the bottom of each rep.
ones listed as desired. sides (not flared
out) the entire set.

ONE-ARM
CABLE CURL
For the best
line of pull,
position
yourself so
that your
working
arm (not the
midline of
your body) is
directly in front
of the cable
pulley. Turn
your pinkie out
at the top of
each rep for
full contraction.
ONE-ARM
ROPE
PRESSDOWN
Make sure to
reach full elbow
lockout on
“JUST WHEN YOU FEEL every rep and
squeeze hard at
LIKE QUITTING, THAT’S the bottom. If
WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR you’re not able

to reach full
BREAKTHROUGH IS extension for all
AROUND THE CORNER.”

reps, lighten
the weight.

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1 SET ST ALL THE HOT
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142
CHRIS LUND
Is Flex Lewis the greatest 212 Partner Up. What I look for Jay Cutler. How the four-time
competitor of all time? in a good training mate. Mr. Olympia sprung his traps.
PAGE 139 PAGE 140 & 141 PAGE 142

ASK THE CHAMP
BY FLEX LEWIS, SIX-TIME
1ST SET 212 OLYMPIA WINNER
SETTING
RECORDS
ADDING TO THE
WIN COLUMN.
WINNING TRIVIA
With victories at the 2017
212 Olympia and the Asia
Grand Prix 212, Flex Lewis
extended his winning
streak to 16 consecutive
victories, a record in pro
bodybuilding. His sixth
consecutive win in Vegas
is an achievement
matched across all
IFBB divisions by only
a small group of the
sport’s all-time top pro
competitors. Add in
Lewis’ early victories—
the titles he took before
the winning streak
that has characterised
his domination of
the 212 field—and he has
amassed 19 pro victories,
a record surpassed only
by Dexter Jackson (28),
Ronnie Coleman (26),
Vince Taylor (22), and
Kevin Levrone (20). Says
Lewis, “Oh, man—
I would love to be top
three. That would be
crazy. Top five is unreal.”
19
2008 Europa Super Show 202
2009 Atlantic
City Pro 202
2011 British
Grand Prix 202
2012 British
Grand Prix 212
2012–2014
Prague Pro 212
2012–2017
212 Olympia
PER BERNAL
2014 San Marino Pro 212

2014 Arnold Classic 212
2014–2017 Korean Grand Prix 212

1ST SET THE PROPHECY
PARTNER
UP
WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A
GOOD TRAINING MATE.
What makes
a good training partner?
I’ve always had a training partner.

A training partner obligates you to
keep pushing, even when you’d
rather not. They also make the
workout go more smoothly: Try to
load a leg press with 20 plates by
yourself—you’d be there all day!
A good training partner gives his
all and is reliable. If you’re with
someone in the gym who’s giving
100%, then you’ll also go
at 100%. Because if you don’t,
he’ll shout at you until you do.
It’s important that he turns up
to train when he says he will.
There’s nothing worse than
agreeing to a time with someone brothers for 2½ years before
and getting all psyched up and meeting Steven Joel. We’ve
ready to train, and then he arrives trained together for eight or
30 minutes late. I often train during nine years, and we still do
the day, so this can be difficult for whenever I’m home in Liverpool.
me—since many people work 9 to 5. In that time, he has probably
At my level, I also need someone missed only four or five
who’s willing to train for me. If I train sessions. Steven is one of those
with someone who competes, he guys who could blow a lot of the
may need to focus on a particular pros in the U.K. out of the water,
area, like the back or legs, and it but competing is not his thing.
could mess up my routine if he He doesn’t want to put a pair of
prioritizes them. This is why I trunks on, but he loves training,
prefer to find someone who loves and if I want to do it at 4:30 a.m.,
training hard but doesn’t compete he’ll be there.
and is happy to train however I like. I have trained with guys like
A guy named Darren Smith Roelly Winklaar and Big Ramy
helped me get started in in Kuwait, but a guy called Kimo
bodybuilding when I was 19. He and is my main training partner
I trained together at his gym with there. A lot of guys change their
four or five others for a couple of training partners every few
years. People say you can’t train in weeks, but I tend to stick with
a group of six or seven, but if you’re the same ones. Good ones
giving it your all and want it badly are rare, so if I find one I get on
enough, you can train however you with and who has the right
want. qualities, we tend to stay
After that I trained with two together for years.

BY NATHAN DE ASHA
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

RETRO ATHLETE
BY GREG MERRITT
1ST SET
JAY CUTLER HOW THE

FOUR-TIME MR.
OLYMPIA SPRUNG
HIS TRAPS.
LET’S NOT DISCUSS
Jay Cutler’s career—the four
Mr. Olympia titles (2006-07,
2009-10), the 15 pro wins, the
unparalleled run of 25 shows
spanning 12 years, during
which he was always first or
second and was defeated only
by fellow Mr. O’s. Yeah, there’s
all that and much more. But
let’s talk training. Iron Jay was
both improvisational and
methodical. A high-volume
adherent, he never counted
reps, and he rarely knew in
advance exactly which
exercises he’d perform.
Mid-workout, he’d contemplate
what was still needed to hit
every area of a body part
before driving home. Even his
trapezius was attacked with
maximum intensity, focus, and
variety via three markedly
different exercises. This is in
sharp contrast to most
bodybuilders, who just throw
in a few rote sets of shrugs
at the end of their shoulder
routines. It’s that attention
to detail that helped make
FLEX FACT
Jay Cutler legendary.
With four wins and
six seconds, Cutler
CUTLER ON holds the record for
TRAPEZIUS the most top-two Mr.
TRAINING Olympia finishes.
“Work traps from
as many angles as
possible.”
“With shrugs, I don’t

hold contractions. I
just get full reps, up CUTLER’S TRAPS ROUTINE
and down.”
EXERCISE SETS REPS
“I’ve done traps with
Dumbbell Shrug 3 8-10
shoulders and back.
There’s no right way. Behind-the-back Barbell Shrug 3 8-10
But, for me, it just
CHRIS LUND
Upright Row 3 8-10

makes more sense to
work them at the end
of my back routine.”

THE SHOT
GAME
OVER
His back was big
when he won his first
IFBB Pro League
contest, the Canada
Pro Cup, in 1995.
By the time he won
his first Mr. Olympia,
it was the best in
the world, and it
continued to expand
throughout his
eight-year Olympia
reign (1998-2005).
But it wasn’t just that
back—it was also
the delts, biceps, and
the glutes and
hamstrings, dry and
shredded even as his
body weight scaled
ever higher. Whether
you prefer the early
250-pound version
or the near-300-
pound version of
later years, one thing
remained the same:
When Ronnie
Coleman turned his
back to the audience,
it was lights-out for
the competition.
PER BERNAL

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MARCH

Come and try before you buy

Call 01604 673000 or visit fitness-superstore.co.uk

him to the green room

Dorian has to be one of the

6 FLEX | MARCH 2018

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER UK MANAGING DIRECTOR

PRINTED IN UK BY PCP Tel: 01952 585585

President of the IFBB Professional League JIM MANION

8 FLEX | MARCH 2018

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 11

GROOMING BY KATE SANDERS. SHOT ON LOCATION AT

THE IRONY IS of the physique displayed in the

OFFICIAL PHOTOS Lewis and his family.

AND DELETED many of the people who were talking

14 FLEX | MARCH 2018

$PNQBSFQSJDFT 'JMUFSCZ 8BUDIWJEFPTPG 'JOEUIFMBUFTU

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 35

18 FLEX | MARCH 2018

Back in the Game

20 FLEX | MARCH 2018

22 FLEX | MARCH 2018

24 FLEX | MARCH 2018

28 FLEX | MARCH 2018

Leg 3–4 12-15

improvements in muscle separation body also becomes more Pull

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 29

30 FLEX | MARCH 2018

Cable Pushdown 4 12-15

Body-weight Dip 3 Max

In Week 2 the rep ranges increase

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 31

Achilles tendon, improving isolation of the

32 FLEX | MARCH 2018

DUAL RESISTANCE RATIO

2x 150lbs WEIGHT STACKS

7.5% OFF YOUR

Call 01604 673000 or visit fitness-superstore.co.uk

/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 35

36 FLEX | MARCH 2018

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 37

40 FLEX | MARCH 2018

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 41

Jeremy Buendia’s physique while certainly not a detriment to his overall

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 43

MY LATERAL RAISES,” most drastic improvements of any

44 FLEX | MARCH 2018

FRONT AND CENTRE

“If all I do is win the

46 FLEX | MARCH 2018

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 47

forgoes the typical array of intensity

MINTING THE TROPHY

48 FLEX | MARCH 2018

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 00

MARCH 2018 | FLEX 51

52 FLEX | MARCH 2018

11-13TH MAY 2018, NEC, BIRMINGHAM

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