SEPTEMBER 2018

THE ULTIMATE
BODYBUILDING
EDITION
LIVING THE
DREAM
DUSTY HANSHAW

BIG RON
‘UNSTOPPABLE’
STEROIDS www.flexonline.co.uk
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 INSIDE THIS MONTH SEPTEMBER 2018
IN EVERY ISSUE
8 FROM THE CEO NICK ORTON
FEATURES
16 THE ULTIMATE BODYBUILDERS
A showcase of the world’s most
notorious bodybuilders, honouring their
breath-taking achievements
48 OLYMPIA PREDICTIONS
The Olympia is looming, and FLEX asked
some of the best bodybuilders in the
world who they have their money on for
scooping the Sandow this September
52 LIVING THE DREAM ‘DUSTY HANSHAW’
A deep, envious story with a heart
sinking moment, resulting in the biggest
lesson to learn, from one of the nicest
bodybuilders on the circuit
60 RHINO ARMS
It’s all about growing Rhino size and
strength arms. Here’s how
64 THE MUSCLE UNIT
Rob Taylor, aka ‘The Muscle Unit’ invites
you into his gym for a barn door shoulder
session
70 ON THE PULL WITH GLENN ROSS
Strongman Daddy Glenn Ross takes you
through a step by step guide to pulling
a truck. Maybe one day you could work
your way up to a Jumbo jet like he did
74 STEROIDS THE TRUTH
The truth behind steroids. We answer
the questions you didn’t want to ask
70
6 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
FRONT COVER (RONNIE COLEMAN) CHRIS LUND
BACK COVER (IRIS KYLE) PER BERNAL
FEMALE SECTION
2
10
R. O
B LE M
U N S TOPPA arren
THE ditor D l
FLE X e t ’s persona
lh u rs ing the
Nicho w a tc h
n c e of atest
experie ne of the gre row
o f o e g
life all tim
ians of dy, but his
Olymp o
t his b ent
not jus ble commitm
b r e a k a s
un an
to his f
2 THE BEST BODYBUILDER EVER ‘IRIS KYLE’
A look into the life of the world’s most
accomplished bodybuilder of all time-
78 DOMINATE YOUR FIRST Iris Kyle
How to make sure you dominate your
rivals in your first lifting meet 8 BOOTY BLAST
IFBB Pro Louise Rogers is known for her
80 HIIT KITCHEN rock hard tush. Here is how to put some
Cook yourself some of the tastiest fire in your glutes
meals, making your food prep a big HIIT
14 WORK YOUR BUTT OFF
86 FODMAPS Carly Thornton is the Queen of diversity.
Are you experiencing workout killing She knows how to get your glutes into
intestinal distress??? Fodmaps may be submission no matter how stubborn
the culprit. Find out if you’re affected
16 THE ULTIMATE FEMALE BODYBUILDERS
P H O T O C R E D I T S : H A R P E N D E N S T U D I O S / K E V I N H O R T O N / F I V O S AV E R K I O U
88 ARE NUTRITION LABELS BS The industry’s finest female athletes.
Discover if what your nutritional label Take a look at the best built ladies in
says actually matches what’s in the tin the world
90 ELBOW PAINS STOP GAINS 22 SPEED QUEEN CYDNEY GILLON
If you have had elbow pains that stop How did Cydney Gillon go from track
you progressing, then this may change superstar to winning the Olympia Crown
your life in Figure? Here’s how!
94 TEMPLE TALKS ‘BUILD YATES LATS’ 28 LOOK PRIME POOLSIDE
Temple Gym, home of the barn door back Bikini Olympia champ Angelica Teixeira
of 6x Mr. O Dorian Yates. Here’s how he offers her tips on looking leaner and
built his iconic lats getting fitter for the poolside
102 DRAGON POWER 29 HOT BOD
Jamie Do Rego smashing a leg session This month’s hot bod is revealed to
for Flex. If you want big wheels, then inspire you to stay focused
here’s how to jack them up
30 THE PERFECT TAN
110 THE SHOT Everyone who competes needs a
A great image of the icons that gave us all perfect tan. Don’t step on stage without
what we have in fitness and bodybuilding reading this. It could help you stand out
today- Joe and Ben Weider like a pro
 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
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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
exercise or diet programme, or when making changes in an existing programme if you have any doubts about your health status.Every care is taken to assure the accuracy of the information in FLEX, but no responsibility can be
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Editorial articles relating to food supplementation and sports nutrition reproduced in this issue of FLEX, are for information purposes only and are not intended to solicit or otherwise promote any commercialised product
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The information in FLEX is intended to educate. Do not substitute it for the advice of a qualified health care practitioner.
 FROM THE CEO
Living in an
Ideal World
R
ecently, I was lucky enough
to get a tour of the most
amazing place, called
Auroville, which is a heavily
secured township deep into South
India. It’s heavily secured because
of its unique status, being the
only town in the world formed
and funded by a collaboration of
124 nations. Only those who have
been selected to live in Auroville,
or who have been invited, can
access the town.
The security check to get in was
thorough, and I wondered what could
be so valuable to warrant such heavy
security. Auroville is like no place on
earth – everyone is equal, no religion
is recognised, everyone gets paid the
same wage regardless of job
performed, inside the town no money
changes hands. My host for the day
8 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
By Nick Orton
the various facilities, and as no one
gets charged to use the facilities,
no one charges to help with looking
after things. “People just help to
keep things in order. As no money
changes hands, no one expects
payment, it’s just part of living here,”
Vikram told me.
It was explained to me that lots of
the residents had been high fliers in
was a fascinating guy called Vikram, their past, and that they came to
thankfully introduced to me by Auroville looking for a different life.
BodyPower athlete Bharat Raj. Vikram A place where they could contribute
had lived at Auroville for many years to society, but get away from the
with his family and prior to living here, egos, the ‘race’ and the pressure that
was a professional cricket player and is placed on us all to some extent. I
business man. He told me that left Auroville feeling as if my brain
he had enough of the competition had been taken out, scrubbed, and
and the inequality of life, he wanted replaced. Whilst I knew that living
something different, and so he shifted here was actually a real luxury and
to Auroville. His main role was that it’s highly unlikely most of us will
running the town’s gym, which had ever get to live in this place, I also
around 200 regular visitors, all of realised that whilst we won’t be living
whom trained for free. The gym at Auroville, it’s within our reach to
offered a basic but functional level of help others more…
equipment, along with a variety of @nickorton22
classes. Outside there were lots of www.aurovillefoundation.org.in
sports facilities and leisure activities, for details
like horse riding. The horses had
been donated, as had the equipment Nick Orton
in the gym. The residents of Auroville CEO BodyPower
helped maintain, clean and service www.bodypower.com
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 The
Unstoppable
Mr.O

00 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Sometimes
in life,
you see
something
or someone
you know
is going to
become
a huge
success.
/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL
/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS LUND/KEVIN HORTON

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 00

I remember seeing a guy back in
1991 who gave me that very
feeling. He was just starting to make
as a public accountant. A short while later,
he decided to move to Texas in the belief
there were more job opportunities there.
However, he struggled to find a job and
waves on the bodybuilding scene
and it was the World Amateur
Championships. Here, that guy
earned his Pro status.
I knew this guy
had everything
it took to
become
a real
legend.
There was
something
special about
him. At the time I
didn’t know what,
but looking back, it was
completely clear. Just like
our very own Brit-born
Dorian Yates, it was his
absolute love and passion
to become the best
bodybuilder he could. His
name was Ronnie Coleman,
and boy did he do everything
I’d predicted and more!
“To be honest with ya, I just
got a burning desire to be
successful in life. I’ve always
had it, I was pretty much born
with it,” Ronnie said in the first
interview I ever saw him give.
THE TREND
After studying for 4 years at
college, Ron first became certified
12 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
ended up taking a job
as a pizza delivery guy.
“Domino’s was the
hardest job I ever
had,” Ronnie says.
“I dreaded every
day working
there, but
I knew I was destined for
something better.”
Unhappy with his work situation,
the driven side of Ron’s mind kicked
in to remedy his career rut. He found
an opening at the Arlington, Texas
police station in the newspaper and
decided to apply. Ronnie successfully
gained the position of police officer
in 1989, at the age of 25.
“As you can see, the trend to
succeed was set,” he says on
reflection.
UNSTOPPABLE
GREATNESS
In a physical sense, Ronnie
knew he was different; he
knew that he was born with
the genetics and the
mindset to become
unstoppable. Even with the
amazing gift of genetic
propensity to build muscle,
he still ramped things up a
notch and took training
extremely seriously. Not one
thing was ever left to chance,
Ronnie was meticulous to the
highest degree.
 This next level application to every
aspect of his life is what propelled
Ronnie to grow the outstanding density
that made him probably one of the
biggest guys that will ever grace us on
the Mr. Olympia stage.
THE DRIVING FORCE
From the very beginning, there
has always been one man who
has pushed big Ron towards greatness-
Brian Dobson. Brian not only trained
Ronnie, but also founded MetroFlex
Gym, where he trained. Brian watched
the legend go through every stage
of his career development. From the
early days of Ron winning his first
shows, right through to all the
crazy weight squat videos and
even up to the present day. This
perhaps goes to show we are
only as good as the people we
surround ourselves with.
THE HURDLES
In the beginning, Ron was looked
upon as having too much water
retention up on stage, which resulted
in him appearing a little soft. He was
also criticised for having under-
developed quads and small calves.
So, the next time you hear someone
say they can’t grow their legs or
calves, you know they’re talking
complete BS! Due to his hard work
and determination to improve on these
areas, Ronnie eventually boasted some
of the biggest wheels in the whole
entire history of bodybuilding.
Not only did Ronnie have great
wheels, but even as an amateur,
other athletes would comment that
he had ‘Mr. Olympia standard arms.’
These comments helped inspire
Ron to push even harder and want
even more, eventually spurring him
to travel to Poland and try to make
a name for himself… and that is
exactly what he did! In Poland,
Ronnie completely overshadowed
his competitors and was awarded
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 13

1st place and a prestigious Pro-card at
the tender age of 27.
THE PRO LIFE
Ronnie couldn’t have chosen a harder
pro show to enter than his first. In
pure Big Ron-style, he threw himself
in at the deep end and entered the
1992 Chicago Pro Championships,
which featured a bombproof line-up,
including the likes of; Bob Paris,
Kevin Levrone, and Milos Sarcev.
These guys were quite possibly some
of the best in the business. In this
show, he only managed an 11th place
finish. Over the forthcoming years,
between 1992 – 1994, Ronnie
entered a further 10 competitions.
However, despite having great
genetics and a very high standard
of physique, the highest he managed
to place was 3rd.
14 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
THE REFUSAL TO GIVE UP
Known for his determination, there was
absolutely no way Ronnie was ever
going to give in and settle for 3rd place.
He pushed and pushed and tweaked his
diet until his unique look couldn’t be
ignored and that motivation eventually
paid off.
In 1995, at the age of 31, the
Olympian-in-the-making entered the
Canada Pro Cup.
This was a show that once again
featured some of the biggest names to
stand up against in the hope of a win.
Sure enough, Ron took the star-studded
line up on stage and this time, he beat
his opponents. All of a sudden, he had
outdone the likes of Rich Gaspari and
Milos Sarcev, causing a massive stir
amongst the professional pool of
bodybuilders. Ronnie had finally made
his name as a victorious bodybuilder,
by claiming first against such
established legends. He was now
set to become King.
A KING IS BORN
Over the 10 years that followed, Ronnie
was winning everything and completely
dominating every show he entered.
Over the period of this winning streak,
he accumulated an industrial sized
trophy cabinet. He was pretty much
unstoppable and it looked as if he would
never be forced from the top spot. In
this period, he matched the legendary
Lee Haney’s record of 8 Olympia wins
and consistently blew away his fellow
opponents like Lee Priest, Jay Cutler,
Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray. Big Ron
was going to be known as one of the
greatest bodybuilders of all time.
THE NEW BEGINNING
Much to the disappointment of King
Coleman’s fans, he eventually
announced his retirement after winning
the 2007 Mr. Olympia. The 15-year
record-breaking reign was to come
to an end.
“This is it for me at the Olympia and
September 29th will be the last time I
step on a Mr. Olympia stage,” he
announced. “I want to thank God, my
family, my friends, all the great fans
who have supported me over the years.”
I was very fortunate to get to spend
some time with Ronnie a short while
after his retirement. I had the greatest
opportunity to train with the legend that
is BIG RON COLEMAN. I have to admit,
I was a little dubious. I had watched this
man grow into one of the strongest
bodybuilders of all times.
I had competed to a high level myself,
but still nothing compared to the beast
himself. Either way, I was never going
to turn down the chance to train with
such an iconic bodybuilder.
Ronnie and I trained and
photographers took pictures and we
finished at about 1am in the morning.
It was a session I would never forget,
but during that session, I could see he
was holding back from pushing himself.
The reason for this was that he had not
long had surgery. But, as always, he
was never going to be beaten as his
passion for lifting is so deep in his blood,
he needed to have his fix of iron.

RONNIE’S COMMITMENT
TO THE FANS
The Ron that all true bodybuilding fans
love built his out-of-this-world physique
not only for himself, but for his fans.
His was completely devoted to
consistently improving and winning the
titles they wanted him to. Ron pushed
his physique to the limit, no other
bodybuilder was training like him, no
one else was lifting the weights he was.
He truly committed and gave his
fans his body.
Unfortunately, all this inhuman
strength and lifting eventually took its
toll on the champ, resulting in 7 back
operations including a gruelling surgery
that took 11 hours. Following this,
Ronnie underwent a double hip
replacement, which forced him to live in
a wheelchair for a period of time. This
would undoubtedly destroy many a
good man, having to deal with huge
amounts of recovery and enduring the
physical and mental stress of being
forced to live in a different way.
But, this still didn’t stop Ronnie
from doing his rehab and taking every
painful, frustrating step of recovery
while showing his fans who follow
him closely on social media that he
will never give in.
When I last spoke to Ronnie, he
assured me he is still going to attend
as many shows as possible to meet
fans, sign their t-shirts and do selfies.
His commitment is to the fans. In fact, Ronnie committed himself to the
he was asked after surgery whether fans and he still does to this day.
he had any regrets? So let’s all get our positive thoughts
“Yes, one thing,” he said. “My only and messages behind our legend
regret is that when I squatted 800lbs, I Big Ron and commit ourselves to
should have done 4 reps instead of 2. help him to recover. The rise of the
That is the only regret of my career.” new Ronnie is yet to come.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 15

 THE

ULTIMATE
BODYBUILDERS
A CELEBRATION OF
THE GREATEST BODY-
BUILDERS EVER TO
GRACE THE STAGE BY DAVE LEE & DARREN NICHOLHURST
P H O T O G R A P H S CO U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S
PER BERNAL, CHRIS LUND, KEVIN HORTON & BILL COMSTOCK

What makes something great? You can’t plan it. You can’t predict it. It just happens.
It’s the real-life drama unfolding right then and there, unscripted and unexpected,
that brings us to our feet and makes us say, “Yeah, I was there. I saw it. I remember.”
A moment of such magnitude requires everything is the ultimate proving ground. The journey to this
coming together at just the right time. You need an stage for each man is measured in the years com-
occasion big enough and important enough that mitted to perfecting the human form. Only a select
people will talk about it long after it’s over. You few possess the talent top the podiums across the
also need the right people. The kind who perform myriad of show., and their names are celebrated
their best when nothing less will do; that special across generations. With the 54th Mr. Olympia on
breed with the courage and resolve to do something the horizon, we take a look at the men who seized
great that people will never forget. the opportunity of a lifetime, immortalised their
In bodybuilding, amongst other revered shows names in the industry and, in the process, helped
there is the Mr. Olympia. Created by Joe Weider, it us remember that greatness endures.

16 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Larry Scott
■ Birth Date: 12th October,
1938
■ Died: 8th September, 2014
■ Height: 5'8"
■ Weight: 205 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1965–66
The Brooklyn Academy of Music,
NY, 1965. It began here. A small
but elite lineup; you had to be a
Mr. Universe just to step onstage.
There was no cash prize, no
big-money endorsements, not
even a Sandow—just the respect
and recognition that come with
being the absolute best. Larry
Scott, at age 26, was already the
most popular—and unofficially
the best—bodybuilder in the
world when he walked to the
centre of that stage. By the
end of the night, he would walk
into the history books as the
first Mr. Olympia and officially
the greatest bodybuilder in the
world. Scott defended his title
the following year, then retired
while still in his prime. Though
he staged a brief comeback in
1979 before retiring again,
Scott will always be
remembered as the young
phenomenon with the next-
generation physique who
ushered in the modern age of
bodybuilding. He died at age 75.

Sergio Oliva
■ Birth Date: 14th July, 1941
■ Died: 12th November, 2012
■ Height: 5'10"
■ Weight: 255 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1967–69
There was a reason people called
him “the Myth,” and perhaps
nobody captured it better than
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who
recalled his first encounter with
Sergio Oliva in his autobiography,
Education of a Bodybuilder:
“Then for the first time, I saw
Sergio Oliva in person.
I understood why they called him
‘the Myth.’ It was as jarring as if
I’d walked into a wall. He
destroyed me. He was so huge,
he was so fantastic, there was
no way I could even think of
beating him.”
After placing a respectable
third in his Olympia debut in
1966, Oliva returned the next
year to claim the throne vacated
by Larry Scott. From there, he
defended his title before
encountering his soon-to-be
nemesis, a 23-year-old upstart
named Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In 1969, Arnie gave the Myth a
run for his money. Then he beat
him in 1970. But the Austrian Oak
and Oliva would go on to battle it
out up to their final meeting in
1972, a contest that many
consider the most controversial
in Mr. Olympia history. Oliva went
on to compete again in 1984 and
’85 but with little success, taking
eighth place in both contests.
Regardless, the former king is a
reminder to all who saw him in
his prime that even though there
was bodybuilding before Oliva
and after Oliva, there will never
be an equal to the man known
simply as the Myth.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 17

 Arnold Schwarzenegger
P U M P I N G I R O N : G E O R G E B U T L E R / C O U RT E S Y O F W H I T E M O U N TA I N F I L M S
■ Birth Date: 30th July, 1947
■ Height: 6'2"
■ Weight: 250 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1970–75, 1980
We’ve all heard the story by
now. But if you sit back and really
think about it, it still sounds too
outlandish to be true: A kid from a
small European village comes to
America and becomes the great-
est bodybuilder in the world, mak-
ing his very name synonymous
with the idea of physical perfec-
tion. Then he gets into the movies
18 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
and becomes one of the most
recognisable celebrities of all time.
Then (yes, there’s more!) the for-
mer champion bodybuilder turned
Hollywood action superstar enters
politics and becomes the governor
of California. All this with a last
name that’s as hard to pronounce
as it is to spell.
If Arnold Schwarzenegger had
quietly stopped his public life after
winning his seventh Mr. Olympia
in 1980 (a record at the time),
he still would be remembered
by legions of fans. But what’s
enough for most people has never
been enough for Schwarzeneg-
ger. He always wanted to be
great at something; he just didn’t
know what it was—until he saw
Reg Park in a Hercules movie.
The young Arnold had found his
calling. He wanted to build heroic
muscles, star in movies, and be-
come famous. Of course, he went
on to do that and much more. With
an oversize personality to match
his muscles, he was a natural on-
stage and in front of the camera.
For bodybuilding fans the world
over, the boy from Graz, Austria,
will always be the Oak.

■ Birth Date: 7th August, 1941
■ Height: 5'4"
■ Weight: 188 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1976, 1981
Frank Zane
■ Birth Date: 28th June, 1942
■ Height: 5'9"
The Zane years. It was un-
precedented, and unlikely to
happen again. With Arnold
Schwarzenegger retired and
Franco Columbu’s career over
via injury, bodybuilding needed
a new king. Enter Frank Zane.
Standing 5’9” and weighing
185 pounds, the former math
teacher certainly didn’t look like
the prototypical bodybuilder.
He had a phenomenally athletic
build but lacked the traditional
size that everyone seemed to
envy. What he did have was
aesthetics, and plenty of it. Zane
was Michelangelo’s David come
to life but with better definition.
Zane’s muscularity rivalled that
of an anatomy chart. Those
aesthetics and a small, highly
Franco Columbu
He was the perennial sidekick.
Franco Columbu was Robin to
Schwarzenegger’s Batman. If
Arnold was somewhere, you
could bet that Franco was
nearby. It’s tough staying out of
the Oak’s shadow, so we’ll give
him that one. But if that were the
extent of Columbu’s contribution
to bodybuilding, we wouldn’t still
be talking about him 33 years
after he last competed. No,
Columbu won the sport’s highest
honour in 1976, and after suffer-
ing a horrific knee injury while
racing with a refrigerator on his
back in the 1977 World’s Strong-
est Man contest, he defied
the doctors and regained the
■ Weight: 185 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1977–79
sculpted waist and classic lines
were the weapons he used to
beat bigger and heavier foes.
His vacuum pose is a one-
of-a-kind move that the
bodybuilding world has
yet to see duplicated.
Olympia title in 1981. The Sar-
dinian Strongman was a true
powerhouse, as evidenced by
photos of 700-plus-pound dead-
lifts and bench presses of more
than 500. Want further proof?
Check out the scenes from
Pumping Iron in which Columbu
lifts a car out of a tight parking
space. Columbu also landed
several bit parts in film and TV
before starring in action flicks.
Boxer, powerlifter, strongman,
chiropractor, and actor: Columbu
will always be known as one of
the strongest pound-for-pound
bodybuilders and, if not for one
other man on our list, the strong-
est Mr. Olympia in history.
Chris Dickerson
■ Birth Date: 25th August,
1939
■ Height: 5'6"
■ Weight: 190 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1982
From 1981 to 1983, three men
held the title of greatest body-
builder in the world for a single
year. The middle man in that
span was Chris Dickerson,
possibly the least-talked-about
Mr. O in history, but not for lack
of achievement. Dickerson began
a competitive career that started
in 1965 and ended in 1994.
Along the way he won 24
contests (11 in the IFBB).
He won the O at age 43
and remains the oldest
Mr. Olympia of all time.
Retiring briefly after his
win, Dickerson returned
in 1984, and his last open
pro show was the 1990
Arnold Classic, where, at
51, he placed an astonish-
ing eighth. Still not fin-
ished, Dickerson donned
the posing trunks for a
final time in 1994, placing
fourth at the Masters
Olympia. The man known
for his diamond calves
and elegant posing was
also an accomplished
opera singer and remains
an active part of the
bodybuilding industry.

Samir Bannout
■ Birth Date: 7th November, 1955 ■ Weight: 195 lbs
■ Height: 5'8" ■ Mr. Olympia: 1983

It was the buildup, that to overpower his rivals, Bannout,

space right before the
big moment when Samir
Bannout pulled his
elbows back and placed
his hands on his hips to unfurl his
back in the rear lat spread. He
paused for dramatic effect, and
when the lower lats and muscles
of the vertebrae splintered
and popped, two words came
to mind: Christmas tree. Sure,
Bannout wasn’t the first to do
it, but nobody highlighted the
transition quite like the Lion
of Lebanon, making the new
“pose” a must-have moment for
photographers and competitors
alike. Never possessing the size
like Zane and Dickerson, relied
on proportion and details to
outclass the competition. Facing
a new crop of bodybuilders, led
by a 24-year-old named Lee
Haney, Bannout placed sixth at
the 1984 O. His five-spot descent
is the most of any reigning Mr.
O, and that year marked the
transition point between two
eras, the sub-200-pound Mr. O’s
and the 250-plus-pound beasts
who followed. The Lion won only
one contest after his Olympia
triumph, the 1990 Pittsburgh
Pro, and his last competitive roar
was at the 2011 Masters Pro
World, where he placed 11th.

20 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Lee
■ Birth Date: 11th November, 1959
■ Height: 5’11”
Haney
■ Weight: 252 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1984–91
It was a
no-brainer
to predict that
the first NPC
Nationals champ
was destined for great
things when, in his rookie
year of 1983, he won his pro
debut at the Night Of Champions
and placed third in the Olympia.
But no one could have foreseen
just how “TotaLee Awesome”
the 23-year-old Lee Haney
would become over the next
nine years. At the 1984 O,
the 238-pound, 5’11”
sophomore started a
winning streak that
remains unbroken to
this day.
Soon enough, the
comparisons with
Schwarzenegger started.
After all, the Oak’s record was
supposed to stand for
generations. But taller and wider
and with a chest, shoulders, and
back that were leagues ahead of
his contemporaries, Haney
removed any pretense of suspense
when the big O rolled around. With
the exception of 1989, when a
considerably downsized and flat
Haney was pushed hard by
5’5” 180-pound Lee Labrada,
there was never any real
doubt who the last man
standing
would be.
Besides his
1987 Grand Prix
Germany win, Haney
competed exclusively on
Olympia stages post-1984,
bringing his career win total
to 11. One can only wonder how
high that number would have
climbed had he competed more
often.
Haney will not be remembered
as the hardest-training or the
most conditioned Mr. Olympia,
but he will be remembered
as possibly the most gifted
next to Sergio Oliva. He
continued to improve
throughout his reign;
some years he was fuller
(1985), some years he
was sharper (1986), and
some years, much to the
dismay of his competition,
he was a combination of the
two. For his final and record-
breaking eighth win, Haney
tipped the scales at 252
pounds. We didn’t know it then,
but with his classic X-frame,
beautiful shape, and
overwhelming size, Haney
was not only a hybrid in the
mould of Oliva but also a
throwback to the classical
bodybuilding ideal that
the sport would come to miss.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 21
 Dorian Yates
■ Birth Date: 19th April,
1962
■ Height: 5'10"
■ Weight: 265 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1992–97
While others talked, Dorian
Yates simply toiled away in
his dank, hole-in-the-
wall gym in Birmingham,
England. He stayed covered
up for most of the year,
revealing the monstrosity
he was constructing only
for a few brief moments
weeks before the contest in
pictures that would psych
out the competition. Though
he wasn’t the winningest
Mr. O of all time (he bagged
six titles), Yates set a new
precedent for size and
conditioning. His sheer
size, a solid 265 pounds,
combined with his “grainy”
conditioning, made him
impossible to beat. And
despite a litany of injuries—a
result of his low-rep, super-
heavy-weight brand of
exercise—Yates rarely ever
missed a training session.
(There are even photos of
him training with his arm
in a sling after a left biceps
and right triceps tear.)
His intensity took its toll,
though, and in 1997, after
his sixth win, Yates retired.

Ronnie
Coleman
■ Birth Date: 13th May, 1964
■ Height: 5'11"
■ Weight: 296 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 1998–2005
A gargantuan among giants, “Big
Ron” is arguably the most dominant
Mr. Olympia winner ever, defending
his eight Sandows against top-notch
competitors like Jay Cutler, Flex
Wheeler, and Kevin Levrone. More
famous than his comic-book-worthy
muscle mass, however, were his
workouts. Coleman would routinely
put his body through the wringer—
once squatting and deadlifting
800 pounds for two reps—all while
yelling his famed catchphrases:
“Ain’t nothing but a peanut” and
“Yeah, buddy!” Coleman retired in
2007, yet he remains a fan favourite
in the industry.

22 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018


“Never give up.” We’ve all heard
it before, but nobody lived it quite
like Jason Isaac Cutler from
Worcester, MA. By now, his rise
to fame is bodybuilding lore,
starting with a heavyweight win
at the 1996 NPC Nationals to
earn his pro card, his first win in
2000 at the Night Of Champions,
and of course the contest where
he made his bones, the 2001
Olympia, where he finished a
controversial second to
Ronnie Coleman. For three
more Olympias (he skipped
it in 2002), he would have to
live with that placing and the
special pain that comes with
Jay
Cutler
■ Birth Date: 3rd August,
1973
■ Height: 5’9”
■ Weight: 265 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 2006–07,
2009–10
being only one step removed
from the top. Then, in 2006,
Coleman couldn’t hold back
the top contender any longer.
Cutler finally toppled the king,
and the roar of the Orleans
Arena crowd proved that
underdogs still make the best
stories.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 23
Phil
Heath
■ Birth Date: 18th December,
1979
■ Height: 5'9"
■ Weight: 250 lbs
■ Mr. Olympia: 2011–17
Phil Heath is the competitor
that fans love to hate. Often
perceived as arrogant—albeit
24 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
with seven Olympia wins to back
it up—Heath approaches each
Mr. Olympia with an unmistak-
able swagger. His fervent work
ethic and unwavering confidence
are apparent each time he steps
onstage. Heath’s conditioning is
always sharp, his back is always
detailed and thick, and, above
all else, his hunger to break
the standing record of eight
Mr. Olympia wins is fierce.
Despite his controversial fourth
O win in 2014, when a bunch
of fans thought the Sandow
belonged to Kai Greene, Heath
appears to be delts and quads
above the rest of the IFBB Pro
League men’s open lineup.
This upcoming Olympia
(held 13th- 16th September in
Las Vegas, NV) will be Heath’s
chance to tie two other legends
featured here— Ronnie Coleman
and Lee Haney, both eight-time
Mr. Olympias.
Shawn
Rhoden
■ Birth Date: 2nd April, 1975
■ Height: 5’10”
■ Weight: 240lbs
Shawn Rhoden, known as the Flexatron, made
his pro debut at the IFBB Europa Super Show
2010. He placed 11th at the 2011 Mr. Olympia
(Mr. Olympia debut), 3rd at the 2012 Mr. Olympia,
and 4th at the 2013 Mr. Olympia shows. In
2014, Shawn Rhoden took 3rd place in his bid to
become Mr. O and again 3rd place once again at
the 2015 Mr. Olympia, making it his second best
win. Rhoden currently holds his best Olympia
record from 2016, when he placed 2nd.

Steve Kuclo
■ Birth Date: 15th August, 1985
■ Height: 5’11”
■ Weight: 270lbs

In 2011, Steve earned his IFBB Pro bodybuilding status

at the USA’s in Las Vegas, NV. Not only did he win his
division, but he outshone them all by taking home the
Overall. This made Steve the one to watch.
Steve’s first win as a Pro Bodybuilder was in front
of his hometown crowd of Dallas at the 2013 Dallas
Europa, earning him an Olympia qualification. In 2014,
Steve’s career made a huge jump in the world of
bodybuilding when he won the title of Arnold Brazil
Champion and placed top 10 in world at the
Mr. Olympia.
Steve has had a dual career since he was 21, working
as a firefighter/paramedic for the city of Dallas. Steve
has been able to balance both careers throughout his
“fight to the top.” As of the end of 2015, Steve ceased
working as a firefighter to put his full focus
on bodybuilding.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 25

 Juan
Diesel
Morel
■ Birth Date: 2nd April, 1982
■ Height: 5’11”
■ Weight: 295lbs

He’s made a name for himself due to his IFBB

status, as well as his unorthodox approach to
training and eating.
Starting out as a successful handball player
and boxer, Juan found strength training while
working out in a boxing gym. He became
fascinated by the bodybuilding heroes he saw
in the magazines, and began chasing his dream
of joining them on stage.
After building a huge and well-proportioned
physique, he attempted to turn pro. He came
2nd three times at the NPC championships,
before finally landing a 1st and earning his
pro card. For Juan however, this was only the
PICTURE CREDIT: RAP MEDIA

beginning.
After years of professional level competing,
Juan managed to win several more
competitions. He developed a healthy view of
the sport and decided that he may never be Mr
Olympia, but that he would always strive for
greatness.

William
Bonac
■ Birth Date: 18th May, 1982
■ Height: 5’7”
■ Weight: 235lbs
Bonac was born in Ghana and spent his childhood there.
Later he moved to the Netherlands, where his bodybuilding
career began. At the age of 13, he started training to relieve
stress. After two decades of training, in 2014 he was on the
stage for the first time at the Mr. Olympia, where he finished
in 15th place. At the Mr. Olympia 2015, he was able to
improve and placed 8th. In 2016, Bonac reached 5th place
and in the following year finished 3rd. In 2018, he enjoyed
his biggest success to date by winning the Arnold Classic
in Columbus.

26 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Big
Ramy
Elssbiay
■ Birth Date: 16th September, 1984
■ Height: 5’10”
■ Weight: 295lbs

Elssbiay won his pro card by winning the overall title at the 2012 Amateur Olympia in Kuwait City,
just three years after he started training. In 2010, Elssbiay joined Oxygen Gym in Kuwait. By 2011, he
weighed 200 lbs; when he stepped on the 2012 Amateur Olympia stage, he weighed in at 286 lbs and
was declared the champion. In 2013, Elssbiay made his IFBB Pro debut at the New York Pro, where he
won. Will Ramy win the Mr O this year?

Markus
Ruhl
■ Birth Date: 22nd February, 1972
■ Height: 5’10”
■ Weight: 282lbs
Rühl began training at the age of 18 following a doctor’s
recommendation after sustaining a knee injury while
playing football. At 120 lb, Rühl began training hard six
days a week until deciding to compete at a professional
level five years later. During this period, he worked as a
used-car salesman until securing a sponsorship deal
with the famous brand Ultimate Nutrition in late 2008.
He possessed some of the biggest shoulders in
bodybuilding history, though controversy surrounded
his alleged use of site enhancement oil in several
areas, including the biceps and deltoids in his final
competitive years. Despite this, he had one of the
largest fan followings during his 8 appearances at the
Olympia.
 Flex
Lewis’ nickname, ‘Flex’,
originated on the rugby pitch,
not the weights room. Lewis was
Lewis
■ Birth Date: 15th November,
noted for flexibility during his
years playing elite level rugby in
his native Wales and this allowed
him to avoid any number of
1983 tackles. At Lewis’ first
■ Height: 5’5” competition, he met IFBB Pro
Neil Hill who convinced him to
■ Weight: 212lbs try the Y3T method of training.
Hill helped Lewis master the
28 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
rigours of diet planning and he
won the Junior Mr. Britain title
just four weeks later. After
establishing himself on stage in
the UK, Lewis headed to the US,
where he trained at Gold’s Gym,
Venice and Milos Sarcev’s
Kolosseum Gym. As a six-time
winner of Mr. Olympia 212,
Lewis is recognised as
possessing the world’s greatest
212 physique.
Eduardo
Correa
■ Birth Date: 20th June, 1981
■ Height: 5’5”
■ Weight: 210lbs
Eduardo’s first show was at a state
championship when he was 19 and he placed
first. The following year, holding only one year
of experience in the modality, he became
champion at both the Brazilian national
competition and the NABBA Mr. Universe.
Between 2003 and 2006, he lived in the USA,
during which he trained, competed and took
part in many of the main bodybuilding events.
Eventually he conquered the IFBB world title
in 2007, which earned him the right to
become a professional in bodybuilding. A year
and a half after this triumph, at 27 years of
age, he decided to debut as a professional in
the New York Pro Show in May 2009.

Roelly
Winklaar
■ Birth Date: 22nd June, 1977
■ Height: 5’7”
■ Weight: 245lbs

Hailing from the Dutch island of Caracao, Roelly has

built an impressive physique, becoming known for his
incredible symmetry, size and definition. However, he
didn’t decide on pursuing a career as a bodybuilder
until after surviving a near-fatal car accident.
Afterwards, he found his coach and friend, Sibil and
began his journey in the fitness industry.
Roelly earned his pro card in
2010, and has competed many
times at the Mr. Olympia, but is
yet to take a placing close
to Phil. However, his freaky
dense muscle bellies are
something that could rock the
line up if he peaked at the
right time.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 29

Sergio
Oliva Jr
Birth Date: 20th October 1984
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 255lbs
Son of the legendary 3-time Mr. Olympia
Sergio Oliva, also known as The Myth, Jr
has a lot to contend with and is coping very
well with his gifted genetics. When he first
began training, Sergio Jr was 20 years old
and 140lbs heavy. However, just three
months later, he added an incredible 30
pounds of muscle to his frame. Sergio’s
passion for bodybuilding and the invaluable
mentorship from his father is quite evidently
the reason he progressed so quickly in the
gym. With many amateur NPC successes,
another victory was looming; this time on
the professional IFBB stage. AT the 2017
New York Pro, Sergio once again proved
himself. His success in bodybuilding didn’t
go unnoticed. In fact, shortly after winning
the New York Pro, he was invited to
participate in the elite Arnold Classic
contest by the Austrian Oak himself.
30 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
Hidetada
Yamagishi
■ Birth Date: 30th June, 1973
■ Height: 5’6”
■ Weight: 220lbs
At the age of 25, Hidetada entered his first official
competition – the 1998 JBBF Japan Nationals. Impressively,
Hidetada placed 2nd in the middleweight division. This
gave him the drive he needed to pursue a career as a
bodybuilder. Over the following 3 years, Hidetada appeared
in a further 8 shows. He placed in the top 3 numerous times,
however, his greatest achievement came in 2001, when he
earned the IFBB Asian Amateur Championships trophy after
placing 1st. But that wasn’t all he took home, Hidetada had
also earned his pro card and became the first Japanese
IFBB Pro.
In 2007, Hidetada qualified for the Mr. Olympia show after
placing 3rd in the IFBB Sacramento Pro Championships that
year. In doing so, he became the first Japanese man to
appear in the Mr. Olympia in the history of the sport.
David
Henry
■ Birth Date: 24th February, 1975
■ Height: 5’5”
■ Weight: 203lbs

Henry’s career speaks for itself; he has won

9 IFBB competitions and has also appeared
at the Mr Olympia weekend 5 times. He
managed a series of top ten finishes between
2004 and 2005. He stepped on stage at the IFBB
Olympia Wildcard Showdown in 2005, with the
intention of qualifying for the most high-profile
show on earth. He won the show, as well as the
overall, finding himself standing side by side with
Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler at Mr Olympia
2005. Unfortunately, he only managed to land a
14th place in the show, but it was a great learning
curve for Henry and he was very happy to take
the $2000 he received for this placing.

Chris
Cormier
■ Birth Date: 19th August, 1967
■ Height: 5’9”
■ Weight: 250lbs

Cormier’s first Olympia appearance came in 1994,

where he placed 6th. The same year he also
participated in his first Arnold Classic and the
Ironman Pro Invitational, where he placed 4th and
2nd respectively. In 1995, he competed in his first
Night of the Champions tournament (now called
the New York Pro), where he placed 6th. In mid-
2006 Cormier was hospitalised with an infected
spine, which then led to extensive physiotherapy.
Now recovered, he has turned his efforts to working
with athletes all over the world, sharing the
knowledge and expertise he gained over his 30+
years in the sport, which included competing in
over 72 IFBB competitions, with 12 professional
wins and first runner-up a record 6 times at the
prestigious Arnold Classic.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 31

Branch Warren
■ Birth Date: 28th February, 1975
■ Height: 5’6”
■ Weight: 245lbs
Branch first competed in 1992 when he won the Amateur Athletic
Union (AAU) Teenage Mr. America competition. His first National
Physique Committee (NPC) event was the Teenage Nationals, which
saw him win again. The first time he competed in an IFBB event was
at the 2004 Night of Champions competitions, with an 8th place
finish. Eventually hitting the Mr. Olympia stage in 2005, he placed
8th. The following year, in 2006, he competed in his first Arnold
Classic for a 2nd place finish. Although slipping to 7th place in 2007,
he brought a better package to then take 4th place in 2008 and 3rd
in 2009, while winning the title of “Most Muscular”. Branch placed
12th in his 2nd Mr. Olympia contest in 2006 and 2nd in 2011, but is
yet to repeat that victory.

Johnnie
‘O’Jackson
Birth Date: 30th January, 1971
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 250lbs
Johnnie earned his pro card in 1998 at
the NPC Texas State Championships.
He is also one of few to have
regularly competed in the
Mr. Olympia since 2004 over
13 years, only sitting out in
2009 when he competed in
the “Mr. Olympia 2009
World’s Strongest Professional
Bodybuilder”.
Due to his strength, he has
often been referred to as the
world’s strongest bodybuilder.

00 FLEX | MARCH 2018

Nathan
De
Asha
Birth Date: 1988
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 240lbs
Nathan De Asha, also
known as “The Prophecy,”
is set to reign.
After winning some
local and national
amateur competitions,
Nathan managed to get
his pro card at the 2014
British Championships.
He made his pro debut in
2016 and has since
competed at Mr Olympia
and won 2 professional
competitions. Nathan has to be
one of the most down to earth
athletes in bodybuilding today.
He is seen as a possible Mr
Olympia winner one day, and
with every show he steps
into, it looks as if he isn’t
far away from taking home
the Sandow trophy.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 33

Dennis
‘The Big
Bad’ Wolfe
■ Birth Date: 30th October, 1978
■ Height: 5’11”
■ Weight: 260lbs
Dennis quickly rose through the bodybuilding ranks,
winning his pro card in 2005 and his first pro show just
one year later in 2006.
By 2015, Dennis had become recognised as one of the
greats of modern bodybuilding. Some of his best results
included placing top 3 in the 2013 Mr. Olympia, and
winning the elite 2014 Arnold Amateur Europe contest.

Ahmad
Ashkanani
■ Birth Date: 1985
■ Height: 5’3”
■ Weight: 212lbs
A member of the Kuwaiti Team Oxygen Gym,
Askanani is deemed as being the only person
capable of taking the Olympia title from Flex
Lewis. In 2010, he became the Asian champion
in amateur bodybuilding in the medium weight
category. A year later, in the lightweight
category, he won a silver medal at the Arnold
Amateur Europe competition. He then went on
to compete at the Olympia Amateur and Arnold
Amateur Europe as a medium weight. In 2015,
he won the title of Mr. Olympia Amateur in the
lightweight category. Ahmad has competed
twice at the Olympia now, both times placing
second. Is this year going to be the year he takes
the title?

34 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

Jose
Raymond
‘The
Boston
Mass’
■ Birth Date: 29th December, 1974
■ Height: 5’4”
■ Weight: 210lbs
After entering many bodybuilding
competitions as a young adult, Jose
qualified for professional status 4 times,
eventually accepting his pro card in 2009.
That same year, Jose was entered into the
‘Pro 202 and Under’ category at the Mr
Olympia weekend. He went on to take 6th
place at this show, proving that he had the
physique required to stand with the best in
the business. This success was followed
with a fourth at the same contest a year
later. After this, he won his first IFBB
professional show – the Europe ‘Battle of
Champions’. By this stage, Jose was
considered one of the top contenders in
the 202, later to become 212 class.

A
Celebration
of the
greatest
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 35
Cedric
McMillan
■ Birth Date: 17th August, 1977
■ Height: 6’1”
■ Weight: 280lbs

Coming from a military background, Cedric definitely learnt

how to focus on the goal in mind. During his time serving in
the forces, he made the decision to enter his first
competition – the NPC North Carolina. This proved to be a
great decision as he dominated the amateur leagues.
Although having made a big impact, he aimed to gain more
weight to enter the 2007 South Carolina State Show. He did
just that, eventually weighing in at 232 lbs. All the
determination had paid off. He won the Super Heavyweight
Class, and the Overall title that day.
In 2008, Cedric competed again, winning the Super
Heavyweight and the Overalls. This time around, he
weighed in at 242lbs.
After that competition, it was time to prepare for the
Nationals. Again, aiming to ‘up ‘his weight class for the
2009 show at the Florida State Nationals. It was during this
competition he turned Pro, winning his professional
bodybuilding card.

Dallas
McCarver
Birth Date: 9th April, 1991
■ Height: 6’1”
■ Weight: 300lbs

Dallas started competing in bodybuilding

competitions when he was 21 and made a name for
himself in the sport. In 2012, Dallas was the Overall
Winner and earned his IFBB pro card in the Super
Heavyweight class at the 2012 NPC North
Americans. From 2012 to 2015, he won 3 out of 5 of
his IFBB competitions. Dallas had been dating WWE
superstar Dana Brooke for several months. He was a
well-known figure in the bodybuilding world and had
a huge following on Instagram, garnering over 475K
followers. Unfortunately, Dallas Passed away on
August 22, 2017. He is remembered for his work
ethic and having a huge heart towards others.

36 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018


Vince
Taylor
■ Birth Date: 25 August, 1956
■ Height: 5’9”
■ Weight: 250lbs
Taylor won 22 IFBB titles during
his career. He also held a Guinness
World Record until it was
surpassed by eight time Mr. O
Ronnie Coleman with 26 wins.
Taylor holds the record for the
most Masters Olympia titles with
five (1996, 1997, 1999-2001). A
bodybuilding icon and legend, he
made a comeback to the sport at
the age of 50 by competing in the
2006 Australian Pro, where he
placed 3rd. He then went on to
compete at the 2006 Mr. Olympia,
placing 11th.
Dexter Jackson
■ Birth Date: 25th November, 1969 ■ Weight: 235 lbs
■ Height: 5'6"
By his own admission, Dexter
Jackson was never supposed
to become Mr. Olympia. But he
did, and he beat the second-
most-dominant bodybuilder
of the millennium to do it. You
have to go back to 1983 to find
the last man weighing less than
240 pounds (for the sake of
argument, we’ll round up Lee
Haney’s 238 pounds in 1984 by
two) to win the O. The Blade,
who started his career as a
137-pound bantamweight at the
1991 Jacksonville Champion-
ships (the contest’s first bantam
to win the overall), earned the
right to flex on IFBB pro stages
with a light-heavy and overall
win at the 1998 North American
Championships. For the next four
years, he never finished out of
■ Mr. Olympia: 2008
the top 10—including two ninths
and an eighth at the Olympia—
before scoring his first win at the
2002 Grand Prix England, which
was also the year he made his
first O posedown via his fourth-
place finish. The next four Olym-
pias consisted of a pair of thirds
and fourths (not in that order).
Jackson’s 2008 is one of the
best years in the modern era. He
won not only the Olympia but
also the Arnold Classic, making
him, along with Ronnie Coleman,
the only bodybuilders to hold
both major titles in the same cal-
endar year. (He also won three
other shows.) In an era when size
matters, Jackson’s O triumph
proved that bodybuilding still
rewarded stellar conditioning,
proportion, shape, and detail.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 37
Brandon
Curry
■ Birth Date: 19th October, 1982
■ Height: 5’8”
■ Weight: 255lbs
In 2008, having added 30 pounds of muscle that year
to his frame, Brandon out-shined his competition at
the NPC USA Championships, winning 1st place.
Not only did Brandon win the national show, he also
then became a professional bodybuilder as a result.
This meant he had a chance at competing against the
best athletes in the world on the IFBB stage.
During the following nine years, Brandon competed
in 24 professional bodybuilding contests. Some of his
most significant results during this period were 8th
place at the 2011 Mr. Olympia, 1st place at the 2013
IFBB Arnold Classic Brazil, 1st place at the 2015 IFBB
Toronto Pro Supershow and the victory at the 2017
Arnold Classic Australia.

Victor
Martinez
■ Birth Date: 29th July, 1973
■ Height: 5’9”
■ Weight: 245lbs
Victor’s first Mr Olympia came in 2004, where he placed
9th. He went on to place 5th in 2005 and 3rd place in 2006,
before eventually claiming 2nd place in 2007. In 2005
Ronnie Coleman predicted that Martínez would be his
successor as Mr Olympia. In 2007, Martínez took first at the
Arnold Classsic. A while later he finished second to Jay
Cutler at the 2007 Mr. Olympia contest. In January 2008,
Martínez underwent surgery to repair his left patellar
tendon which ruptured while he was performing warm-up
lunges. Due to the severity of the injury, he was unable to
compete in the 2008 Arnold and Mr Olympia contests.
After almost a year away from training and competition,
he started training again and having rehab. During the
9 months of hardcore training and attending to his knee,
he came strong and placed 2nd at the 2009 Arnold Classic
in Columbus Ohio by only 2-3 points, behind 1st place
Kai Greene.

38 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

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Evan
Centopani
■ Birth Date: 7th April, 1982
■ Height: 5’11”
■ Weight: 260lbs

During the course of his bodybuilding career,

Centopani has consistently placed highly in
competition. In his first show, he won the
heavyweight class and the overall title in the 2005
Bev Frances Contest. He then went on to win the
super heavyweight and overall titles at the NPC
Junior Nationals and second place in the super
heavyweight class in the NPC. In 2007, he won the
super heavyweight class and overall title for the NPC
National Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships,
where he earned his pro card.

Tony
‘The X-Man’
Freeman
■ Birth Date: 30th August, 1966
■ Height: 6’2”
■ Weight: 285lbs

Freeman’s first (NPC) competition was in 1993,

where he won the heavyweight class at the NPC
Junior Nationals. His first IFBB event was the Night
of the Champions competition, where he placed
11th. His first Mr Olympia appearance was in 2006,
where he placed 7th.

40 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

Dennis
‘The
Menace’
James
■ Birth Date: 31st May, 1969
■ Height: 5’8”
■ Weight: 258lbs

Dennis’ first Mr. Olympia was in 2000, where he

placed 11th. He went on to compete at a total of
7 Mr Olympia events. He eventually took an
excellent 4th place in 2003, which demonstrated
he had what it took to stand with the best on
Earth.
Now, Dennis preps many of the top athletes
on their quest to win the step onto the Olympia
stage.

Tom Platz
‘The
Golden
Eagle’
■ Birth Date: 26th June, 1955
■ Height: 5’8”
■ Weight: 225lbs

Platz became famous for his remarkable

leg development. He developed a high
intensity, high volume method of leg
training, which led to his unparalleled size
and definition for his time. Regardless of
what was found lacking elsewhere, it is still
widely claimed in bodybuilding circles that
Platz holds the mark for the best legs in
bodybuilding of his time and some of the
best legs in bodybuilding ever.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 41

Gustavo
‘The Great’
Badell
■ Birth Date: 3rd November, 1972
■ Height: 5’6”
■ Weight: 245lbs

Regarded by many as one of the best professional

bodybuilders of all time, having come 3rd multiple
times at the Mr Olympia, Gustavo’s first IFBB
appearance was in 1998. He competed at the IFBB
Grand Prix of Germany and took a respectable 9th
for his first show. Following this, he was invited to
compete at the 1999 ‘Night of Champions’ contest –
the predecessor to today’s New York Pro.
At this show, he placed 14th and his results were
quite lacklustre until 2002. He took a number of ‘did
not place’ results and only managed a 24th at his
first Mr Olympia.

Shawn Ray
■ Birth Date: 9th September, 1965
■ Height: 5’5”
■ Weight: 225lbs
At the age of 22, Ray stepped on the stage at the
1987 National Championships and with his 196lbs of
pure muscle he destroyed the competition, earning
his pro card and proving his potential to the world.
During the 1988-2001 period, Ray participated in as
many as 13 Mr. Olympias. He would often come
close, and arguably, many times he was the favourite,
but he was unlucky and never managed to get hold
of the famous Sandow trophy.
The closest he came was at the 1994 and 1996
Mr. Olympia, where he placed 2nd, both times to
Dorian Yates.

42 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Kevin
Levrone
■ Birth Date: 16th July, 1964
■ Height: 5’9”
■ Weight: 253lbs
Having won over 23 pro show
titles, and then having decided to
make a comeback for Mr. Olympia
at 51 years old, Kevin has always
been an athlete that shocks with
his achievements. Levrone
has been a contestant in as
many as 13 Mr. Olympias,
but was never quite able
to win the competition
and subsequently
earned the
nickname “The
Uncrowned King
of Mr. Olympia”.

Serge
Nubret
■ Birth Date: 6th October, 1938
■ Height: 6”
■ Weight: 218lbs

The 1975 Olympia was to be Arnold

Schwarzenegger’s last competition, and
Serge Nubret was the biggest threat. He was
believed to bigger, stronger and more cut
than anyone else competing. This was a big
worry for the judges. For Arnold’s last show,
the rumour was they were willing to do
anything to let him win.
Nubret was banned from entering the
competition 2 weeks before it started. The
judges informed him this was due to his
appearance in an erotic film that the
federation didn’t approve of. Devastated from
the news, Nubret stopped training almost
immediately.
 Lee Rich
Labrada Gaspari ■ Birth Date: 16th May, 1963
■ Height: 5’8”
■ Weight: 245lbs

After winning the 1984 World IFBB

Amateur Championships, Rich was
awarded a prestigious pro card.
Between 1985 and 1995, Rich entered
a massive 28 competitions, placing
highly in 6 Mr. Olympia shows. During
this period, he become very well-
respected as a leading bodybuilder
of his era. One of his biggest
achievements was winning the
Mr. Universe at 21-years of age –
becoming the youngest winner in
history and beating the previous record
set by Lou Ferrigno (Lou was 22 when
he won the Mr. Universe show).

■ Birth Date: 8th September,

1960
■ Height: 5’6”
■ Weight: 186lbs

In 1985, Lee entered his

first international contest,
the NPC World Amateur
Championships as a
middleweight. Despite the
tough competition, he
managed to place 1st and
earn his pro card. That same
year, Lee entered his first show
as a professional, the 1985 Mr.
Universe. He carried his success
as an amateur into his professional
career and walked home with the
trophy. Over the following 6 years
of his career, Lee placed in a further
17 competitions, winning 6 of them.
He gained more recognition with every
contest he entered, and was soon
considered one of the best
athletes in the industry.

44 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Lou
Ferrigno
Birth Date: 22nd February, 1962
Height: 6’ 5”
Weight: 285lbs
In 1975, Lou had his first taste of
stardom. He was involved in the film
“Pumping Iron” which documented
the build-up to the Mr. Olympia
competition that year.
Although he brought the biggest
frame to the show, he placed 3rd
behind Serge Nubret and Arnold
Schwarzenegger. However, his
appearance in the bodybuilding
documentary had kick-started his
acting career.
In 1992, at the age of 41, Lou
made his comeback to the stage
at the Mr. Olympia competition
that year. He placed 12th, and
Dorian Yates took home the trophy.

Flex
Wheeler
■ Birth Date: 23rd August, 1965
■ Height: 5’7”
■ Weight: 235lbs
Flex competed for the very first time in 1983,
but it wasn’t until 1989 he secured 1st place
at the NCP Mr. California Championships.
Having got the taste for wining, he continued
to compete throughout the 1990s and
2000’s, setting his sights higher and looking
towards Mr. Olympia where he placed 2nd
in 1993. During his long and healthy career,
he won numerous titles such as being a
5-time Ironman Pro winner and 4-time
Arnold Classic winner, and has also won
the France Grand Prix, South Beach Pro
Invitational, Night of Champions, and
Hungarian Grand Prix.
 Kai entered numerous
unofficial teen bodybuilding
shows in his youth. As he was

Kai
considerably bigger and more
developed than his piers, he
dominated every show he
entered. The success

Greene
continued towards the end
of his teenage years and by
the age of 19, he’d earned his
pro card in a natural
 Birth Date: 12th July, 1975 bodybuilding federation.
 Height: 5’8” By the end of 1999, Kai had
established himself as a
 Weight: 285lbs rising star by winning the
NPC Team Universe
Championship that year.
This wasn’t the only thing he
took home that year. Not only
did he walk away with the
trophy, he had fulfilled his
ambition of becoming an
IFBB professional bodybuilder.
At the age of 24, he’d earned
his pro card. At 34 years
old in
2009,
he

competed
in his first Mr. Olympia
competition. Although he
didn’t take home the trophy,
he did place a respectable
4th in a fiercely contested
line up, which included
Phil Heath, Branch Warren,
and Jay Cutler. Over the
following 5 years, the
Predator stepped on stage
at the Mr. Olympia a further
5 times, constantly improving
on his performances and
placing 2nd three times.
However, during this
period, he chose not to
compete in the 2016
Mr. Olympia for unknown
reasons, and now
concentrates on his business
and his true love of art.

46 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

Günter
Schlierkamp
Birth Date: 2nd February, 1970
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 300lbs

With a dream to become a

professional bodybuilder, the
young Günter entered his first
competition in 1990 at The
German Championships, in
the Junior division.
Günter blew the judges
away and overshadowed
his opponents. He took the
1st place trophy in his
debut. This gave him the
motivation he needed to rise to
the next level in his bodybuilding
quest. Günter entered a further 31
shows over the next 10 years, always
placing highly in almost every competition.
One of the great achievements of his career
was winning the 2002 GNC Show of Strength,
beating the likes of Ronnie Coleman in the
process. He then later decided to retire after the
2006 Mr. Olympia when he placed 8th, turning
his attention to other avenues like acting.

Lee Priest
■ Birth Date: 6th July, 1972
■ Height: 5’4”
■ Weight: 225lbs
Priest became one of the youngest men ever to turn
IFBB pro at the age of 20.
He competed successfully within the IFBB for 16 years
and has done total of 46 shows throughout his
bodybuilding career. Apart from bodybuilding, Lee is also
known for his enthusiasm for speed and driving racing
cars. He started racing when he was 32, having won many
races and titles in road racing, drag racing, and circle track.
His ultimate success on the track was when he won the
SCEDA Racing Championship in 2006, in California, and
Rookie of the Year in 2005.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 47

 DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL

With the biggest

contest in the world,
just around the
}corner. Flex decided
to ask the pros!
“Who do they think
will take home the
trophies this year?”
So, will this year be the year
that ‘The Gift’ Phil Heath
loses his crown to Bonac or
Ramy? Who knows? Or will
this be the return of Heath,
even better than his best,
P I C P ROV I D E D BY B R I A N RO S E / L O N D O N R E A L

after his operation last year.

Will the panel be looking for
mass, or the amazing
balanced lines of lean
muscle in Bonac?
Only the judges know what
criteria they are looking for
this year.
Dorian Yates
Here is what some OPEN 212 MR O
of the best in the 1st Phil Heath 1st Flex Lewis
world feel may happen, 2nd Big Ramy 2nd David Henry
do you agree? 3rd William Bonac 3rd Derek Lunsford

48 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 PHOTO CREDIT: CHARLES CLAIRMONTE

P H O T O C R E D I T: F E L I X S H U M AC K
PHOTO CREDIT: RAP MEDIA
Charles Clairmonte James Hollingshead Aaron Hudson
OPEN OPEN OPEN
1st Phil Heath 1st Phil Heath 1st Phil Heath 4th Nathan De Asha

2nd William Bonac 2nd Big Ramy 2nd Big Ramy 5th Roelly WInklaar

3rd Big Ramy 3rd Nathan De Ahsa 3rd William Bonac 6th Dexter Jackson
(I’m certain they want to change the
image of Olympia with DeAsha’s look)

212 MR O 212 MR O 212 MR O

1st Flex Lewis 1st Flex Lewis 1st Flex Lewis
2nd Derek Lunsford 2nd Derek Lunsford 2nd Derek Lunsford
3rd Jose Raymond 3rd Haidi Choopan 3rd Ahmad Ashkanani
(if he is competing) or David Henry
PHOTO CREDIT: ALEX ARDENTI

PHOTO CREDIT: PER BERNAL

PHOTO CREDIT: RAP MEDIA

Luke Sandoe Dusty Hanshaw Jose Raymond

OPEN OPEN OPEN
1st Phil Heath 1st William Bonac 1st Phil Heath

2nd Big Ramy 2nd Phil Heath 2nd Shawn Rhoden

3rd William Bonac 3rd Big Ramy 3rd William Bonac

212 MR O 212 MR O 212 MR O

1st Flex Lewis 1st Flex Lewis 1st Flex Lewis

2nd Derek Lunsford 2nd Derek Lunsford 2nd Jose Raymond

3rd Ahmad Ashkanani 3rd Jose Raymond 3rd Ahmad Ashkanani

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 49

52 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
‘LIVING THE
DREAM’
Dusty Hanshaw
We all dream /// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY TONY MANDARICH

of becoming
successful at
something-
whether it’s
to be a
great parent,
or the best
Olympian
ever.
Dusty Hanshaw was no different,
but with a father who set the bar of
achievement so high, most would
have rebelled and given up.
Instead, Dusty persistently
worked to please his dad
and he excelled at every-
thing he turned his hand
to. The long-term results
of this work ethic were
overwhelming.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 53

 In The Beginning
Dusty came from a hard-working background. His
parents moved from state to state across America after
as their careers progressed, leaving him to learn how to
look after himself from the age of 6. Dusty regularly
walked home from school and would stop off at
McDonald’s for food, knowing he would be home alone.
Eventually, the family moved to St Louis, Missouri,
where he randomly started watching hockey. Feeling
compelled to give it a try, Dusty confided in his dad.
“I was 12 years old when I went to my dad and told
him I wanted to become a hockey player,” recalls Dusty.
“My parents went right out and bought me everything I
needed to pursue my dream. From that moment on, I
didn’t look back.
Dusty’s coaches quickly noticed he had a natural
talent and moved him to a higher level.
“I was an aggressive player,” he recalls. “I knew
the quickest route across the ice was to move
in a straight line. So, I would always attack
and defend that at all costs. My dad was
so hard to please though! If I scored
5 goals, he would ask why I’d missed
the 6th!”
It was that aggressive fire that gave
Dusty the edge to push himself to
become pro.
“Most kids would have been
broken by someone like my
dad, but in hindsight, I can’t
thank him enough,” says
Dusty. “The high bar he
set forced me to raise
my game so much

that I was always playing better

than my opponents without even
realising it.
“I asked me dad when I could drive, if
I could move away to a professional
coaching team,” he recalls. “Most teens
would dread telling their parents they
wanted to move away, but luckily, mine
were happy for me.”
Having wealthy parents meant that
Dusty already had his first car, which they
had bought for him when he was just 14

54 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

years old. Just like
everything else in the
family, this was the best.
It was a 1966 Ford
Mustang convertible,
soon followed by a
Dodge Ram truck.
At 16, Dusty moved to Salt Lake
City Utah, where his pro hockey life
began. Unfortunately, this was short
lived. Only a year and a half later during
a tournament, a rough game left Dusty with
a severely damaged shoulder. His hockey
career was over.

Welcome to the Real World

For the first time in his life, Dusty felt lost.
“I panicked when I realised I’d have to
get a job,” he says. “Even my dad said
I was unemployable.”
Despite this remark, Dusty’s dad gave
him some vital advice. He said he
should first decide what he
wanted to do, then find the best
way to achieve it.
A first job at a car dealer-
ship tinting windows earned
Dusty a significant amount of
cash. Once again, for a
20-year-old guy, he was doing
well. He was even about to buy
his first home and had decided
to get married. But as usual, in
his dad’s eyes, the bar wasn’t
set high enough.
“I remember calling my dad

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 55

 and saying, ‘Hey dad, I’m getting married here in Utah,’ my
dad’s response was ‘I’ll come to the next wedding’,” he
sighs. I was used to these remarks, but no longer having
hockey in my life had left a large divot. The competitive
streak was lurking and I needed to use it. I realised I
hated being normal. I’d gone from being this feared
hockey player to an average Joe. I felt as if I’d lost my
identity.”
It was at that time Dusty decided to hit the gym. Being
strong as a kid gave him a great start in the weights room.
It wasn’t long before he spotted a poster on the wall- a
poster of a bodybuilding contest which was 6 weeks away
from that day.
“I saw that poster and at that moment I decided to
compete in something completely new just six weeks in
the future,” he recalls. “I had been training like any
normal guy in the gym. But that was it, I had no idea
what I was doing,” he laughs.
With no clue how to diet or prepare for a show,
Dusty made his own rules.
“I ate two cans of tuna every three hours,
and I did a bunch of cardio,” he says. “I
literally hated every single bit of what I was
doing. I couldn’t understand why anyone
would do it, and I vowed never to do it again.
I hated it.”
Luckily, being the stubborn guy he was,
Dusty was never really going to be beaten
and give up- it just wasn’t in his nature.
The day of the show arrived and he
stepped on stage at 180lbs with abs
and placed 3rd.
Still tinting windows at the dealership
and with money being no object, Dusty
was bored of life.
“I used to get moody every Sunday
without fail,” he says. “I dreaded going
into work on Monday so much to
do such a tedious job. My
wife could see the job
was affecting me
and suggested I
quit. I immedi-
ately handed
in my
resignation.”
In an
attempt to
find his
way, Dusty
approached
a friend who
owned a
chain of
supplement
stores. He knew

56 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 57
as he was doing something he loved. This new found
career progressed rapidly, and within just 5 years,
Dusty went from just working in the stores to owning
the chain.
Bodybuilding itself took off for Dusty when a
friend decided to film everything he did and
create a YouTube channel. This
allowed him to really be himself
and put out real content that viewers
could aspire to.
The channel created a following nobody could
have ever imagined, which grew Dusty’s popular-
ity to the same level as the Pros. Life began
ramping up momentum. Having fun
with fame and being successful
was at the top of his
priority list. This
came along-

58 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

was at the top of his priority list. This came
toys a guy could want- fast cars and bikes, a
alongside a win in his show that October in the
lovely house on a golf course and endless
2008 Border States. Once again, he was
pots of cash, but actually, he hated what he
enjoying life and living the dream.
was doing, and all these toys were merely a
“I pretty much will only do something if it’s
search for happiness which he never found.
fun, or it’s not worth my time,” Dusty says.
So, although the result of unhappiness
caused a man to take his own life, from this,
The Hardest Discovery a significant lesson was learned by his son.
Imaginable In honour of his dad, Dusty decided
In a shocking and unexpected turn of events,
everything had to be about becoming who
that December, the unimaginable happened…
he wanted to be. He knew he had to make
“My dad’s girlfriend called me to tell me she
things enjoyable and to apply that to every
was worried because his motorcycles were all
aspect of his life.
there, his truck was there, Capone his dog was
Today, Dusty is looked upon as being one
outside the office but he was nowhere to be
of the hardest working athletes in the
seen. At that point, fearing the worst, I instruct-
industry. Sponsored by Mutant, his fans are
ed her not to open the office door and dashed
loyal and growing continually. His YouTube
right over,” Dusty says.
channel provides a genuine insight into
“When I arrived, the police were at the scene
bodybuilding, along with some hilarious
and my worst fear became a reality. My dad
moments you don’t usually get to see with
was in the office. He had taken a gun and shot
athletes. Dusty knows he will never
himself in the head. My dad was dead,”
become Mr Olympia, but he doesn’t care.
There was a note left, and on that note was a
It’s all about enjoying what he does, which
message saying that this day was chosen. The
is providing his fans with what they want
date his dad had killed himself on and chosen
and expelling the myth that bodybuilders
to do so was December 8th 2008.
are hard, miserable people. Dusty is
“8 was my lucky number, 8 was my hockey
indeed an inspiration to all and it was an
number all the way through my career. It
absolute pleasure to bring this incredible
was symbolic to me, with a meaning of no
story to FLEX readers.
beginning and no end- it’s tattooed on
Instagram: dustyhanshaw08
my forearm. My dad knew that this
YouTube & Facebook : Dusty Hanshaw
day would be locked in my
memory forever,” Dusty
explains.

A Hard
Lesson
Learned
As much as
this was tragic,
Dusty adopted

a brave outlook in response to this

event. He recognised all those years of
never being able to please his dad had
a reason. It was never that he wasn’t
good enough for his dad, or that he
was a disappointment. It was a lot
more than that. Dusty’s dad was
pushing his son to do what he
couldn’t. His dad may have had all the

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 59

RHINO ARMS
The Cartwright Way!
Ryan Cartwright is a Classic Physique competitor and
online coach to his business @teammusclehype. He works
with male and female athletes of all levels from all over the
world. FLEX was curious as to how he built the guns that
blow away the competition.
Arms Rhino Style /// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOTOARTSBYJAY
This is Ryan’s current arms
workout. He starts with triceps,
as these are the larger muscle
group, making up two thirds
of the arms.

Triceps
1) Close Grip Bench Press
The first exercise
The first exercise is a compound
movement, for this, he uses a
close grip.
4 sets of 10-12 reps

Rhino’s Key Tip

“It’s all about your grip width.
The mistake you see a lot of people
make is taking their grip too narrow.
This directs stress onto your wrists.
Aim to take a shoulder width grip
and bring your elbows in close to
your sides.”

2) Skull Crushers
The next exercise is an over
the head movement. Ryan uses an
E-Z Bar and performs a skull
crusher exercise.
4 sets of 10-12 reps

Rhino’s Key Tip

“Be cautious not to do this movement
too fast. Ensure the lowering and
raising is done slowly. When the bar
touches where the hairline would be

60 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 61
 Biceps
1) Straight Barbell Curl
Again, Ryan starts with a suitable
compound movement. This allows him to move
a heavy weight without being weak in any part
of the movement.
4 sets of 10-12 reps

on the forehead, extend up to the straight arm position

without your elbows swinging in the direction of your
waist.”

3) Rope Push Downs

For the final movement, Ryan aims to isolate the triceps
individually, allowing balanced growth on both sides.

Rhino’s Key Tip

“Straight bar curls put a lot of stress on the biceps,
hence the reason they’re so useful for stimulating
growth.
Remember to start lighter and build up the weights
once the biceps and forearms are completely warm.
Don’t risk injury.”

He feels single arm rope press-downs are the best

exercise for this. He also uses a higher rep range to force
as much blood into the tricep muscle as possible.
4 sets of 15-20 reps

Rhino’s Key Tip

“Don’t race this movement. It is all about the squeeze and
full stretch, then back to maximum contraction. Full
movement is essential.”

62 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Rhino’s Key Tip
“When curling the bar up towards yourself, don’t
go past the point of contraction. You will know
when this is if you feel the weight suddenly
become easier. Try and stay high on the preacher
bench, not allowing the angle of the cable to drop.
If you bring the bar up so high you almost touch
your shoulders, you have probably lost
contraction.”

2) Alternate Dumbbell Hammer Curls

He then moves on to a movement that will
incorporate the brachialis muscle. He feels that
alternate hammer curls are the best for this.”
4 sets of 10-12 reps

Overall, Ryan believes the arms need slightly less

volume than other more significant muscle groups
such as legs or back. However, he says they can be
trained at a higher frequency.

Personally, he likes people to train them twice

a week if they are lacking.

3) Cable Preacher Curls

As with the triceps, Ryan likes to finish biceps with
a higher rep range and an isolation movement.
For this, he does cable preacher curls.
The reason for this is that it keeps maximum
tension on the bicep head all the way through
the movement.”
4 sets of 15-20 reps

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 63

64 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
///
///
BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @daz_the_bull
PHOTOGRAPHS BY HARPENDEN STUDIOS
ROB TAYLOR
G
rowing up, strong Looking for a new direction to channel
the strength and aggression towards,
explains. “When I go out with my wife and
kids for tea, I won’t restrict myself.”
and aggressive, Rob remembers picking up a copy
Rob was not of FLEX magazine when he was Cardio 30 mins bike on an
empty stomach
interested in playing 14 years old and being blown away by
what he saw.
football for his local “My first influence into bodybuilding was
Meal 1
100g oats
team like his brother Jay Cutler, he was a smart looking
1 banana
Matty. He needed to bodybuilder with a great business mind to
go with it,” recalls Rob. “Jay’s conditioning
30g whey isolate powder
channel his aggression and size, his crazy legs- it all instantly
10 egg whites
2 whole eggs
into something a little drew me in. Also, having just started out in

more explosive. So, the gym, I loved following his workouts.”

Jay Cutler was the epitome of the
Meal 2
when he left school American dream, and now that dream was
180g flank steak
300g sweet potato
and started a also Rob’s. He had lifted weights as far
100g broccoli
bricklaying back as his school days.
“I first started picking up weights with
apprenticeship, he also some friends from school, but only for
Meal 3
(eat 1.5hr before training)
started MMA. This a laugh and something to do in the
80g cream of rice
didn’t last as the evenings,” he says. “But I quickly developed
and loved the feeling of being strong and
50g blueberries

unsociable training powerful.”

50g whey isolate powder

hours began to affect It’s now been 17 years since Rob first
Meal 4
his ability to work. started perfecting his powerful physique
and he knows the importance of great
(eat directly after training)
100g white rice
advice and consistency. 180g chicken or white fish
“Never take shortcuts, you have to enjoy 100g broccoli
the process and learn from it, and don’t
believe modern day hype on social media,”
Meal 5
he advises.
180g salmon
300g white potato
Off-Season Gains Plan 6 x asparagus spears
If you’re wondering what you need to eat
to achieve a full, thick muscle bellied
physique, this is what Rob has each day
Meal 6
10 egg whites
as growth fuel.
Handful walnuts
“My food intake is just like pre-contest, 100g flank steak
with regards to eating clean sources of
carbohydrate, protein and fats,” he

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 65

 BACK / SEATED ROWS
Be Prepared 3 x 10 reps
You have all heard about how
hard it is to diet- the stress and
BICEPS Super set -
Overhand-grip row - 3 x 10 reps
WIDE PULLDOWNS
lack of energy, the low moments 3 x 12/15 reps (warm-ups) DUMBBELL SHRUGS
that will hit you. If you have 2 x 10/12 reps (working sets) 1 x 20 reps
never done contest prep before, 1 x 15 reps
then you will never understand WIDE T BAR ROWS 1 x 12 reps
3 x 12/15 reps (warm-ups) 1 x 10 reps
quite how an athlete feels.
2 x 10/12 reps (working sets)
You need to have experienced the
HAMMER DUMBBELL CURLS
diet yourself to understand the BENT OVER ROWS 4 x 10 reps each arm
stresses. 3 x 10/12 reps (warmup sets)
“If anyone has been on a 1 x 8/10 reps (working set + drop-set to PREACHER CURLS
failure) 1 x 15reps
calorie-restricted diet, they will
1x 12reps
know the last stages are mentally RACK PULLS 1x 12reps
and physically challenging,” says 6 sets x 8 reps 1x 10reps
Rob. “I manage this by training
when I have the most energy. Also,
I try to structure my carbohydrates
around training times to utilise
them as fuel.
“Looking for motivation whilst
dieting can also sometimes become
difficult. You have to keep reminding
yourself that this is only a period
that is leading to a goal and will
soon come to an end.
“Bodybuilding has taught me
self-discipline and all about
appreciation. This reflects on my
outlook on life. I advise finding a
balance between bodybuilding and
everyday life. Creating a happy
mentality will benefit your growth
in the gym.”

BEAST BODYPARTS
BREAKDOWN
MONDAY
Back / Biceps
TUESDAY
Chest / Triceps
WEDNESDAY
Legs
THURSDAY
Delts / Chest
FRIDAY
Arms / Calves
SATURDAY
REST
SUNDAY
REST

66 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

CHEST / LEGS
TRICEPS
SEATED HAMSTRING CURLS
5 x 12-15 reps
CABLE CROSSOVER
4 x 15 reps PENDULUM SQUAT
5 x 12-15 reps
INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS
5 x 12-15 reps increasing the weight LYING LEG CURLS
each set 5 x 12-15 reps

INCLINE DUMBBELL FLY SINGLE LEG PRESS FEET LOW

5 x 12-15 reps increasing the weight 5 x 12-15 reps
each set
SPLIT STANCE DUMBBELL
FLAT BARBELL BENCH PRESS SQUATS
4 x 10 reps + drop-set 5 x 10/12
(reduce weight by 50%) to failure
STIFF LEGGED DUMBBELLS
BODYWEIGHT DIPS RAISE
4 x 15 reps 4 x 12-15 reps

CLOSE BAR PUSHDOWNS LEG EXTENSIONS

4 x 12 reps 4 x 20 reps

OVERHEAD ROPE EXTENSIONS ADDUCTOR

4 x 12 reps 4 x 12-15 reps
(on the last set, drop-set to failure)
SEATED CALF RAISES
4 x 20 reps

ARMS /
CALVES
STANDING EZ BARBELL CURLS
1 x 20 reps
1 x 15 reps
1 x 12 reps
1 x 10 reps

CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS

4 x 10 reps

SINGLE ARM DUMBBELL

CURLS -
4 x 10 reps (each arm)

ROPE EXTENSIONS
4 x 10 reps

SPIDER CURLS
4 x 10-12 reps +
(1x drop-set to failure on set 4.)

SINGLE ARM KICKBACKS

4 x 10 reps (each arm)

CABLE PEAKS
7 sets of 8 reps
(15 seconds rest in between sets)

SEATED CALF PRESS

4 x 20 reps

SEATED CALF RAISES

21s (7 reps, toes inwards / 7 reps, feet
straight / 7 reps, toes out) x 1 set

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 67

DELTS/CHEST
REVERSE PEC DECK
5 x 10-12 reps

FACE PULLS WITH ROPE

5 x 10-12 reps

DUMBBELL SIDE LATERAL

RAISES
5 x 10-12 reps + (1 drop-set to failure on
set 5)

DUMBBELL OVERHEAD PRESS

5 x 10-12 reps

BEHIND THE NECK MILITARY

PRESS-
4 x 10 reps

DUMBBELL FRONT RAISES

4 x 10 reps

UPRIGHT ROWS
4X 10 reps

INCLINE BARBELL PRESS

4 x 10 reps

BODYWEIGHT PRESS UPS

4 x 20 reps

68 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

TIPS
Although Rob’s physique is very com-
plete, in order to compete competitively
at a Pro level, he knows he needs to
develop his middle-back thickness and his
upper-chest. To do this, he trains them
twice a week.
His delts and legs have always been
dominating muscle groups, so he only
trains those body parts once a week.
“The style of my training for each body
part is very much similar to the Dorian
Yates style of training but with more
volume and very short rest periods.
“I also like to include REST pause sets /
muscle rounds and drop-sets to push
blood into the muscle group I am training.
Training sessions are intense with short
rest periods.”
Contact The Muscle Unit Rob Taylor:
@therealmuscleunit

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 69

DADDY TALKS

WITH GLENN ROSS /// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY HARPENDEN STUDIOS

How many
times
did you
watch the
Strongman
events on
television
as a child?
Watching
them
pull cars, Well, in this article, Glenn ‘The Daddy’
Ross is going to give you his step by
pull planes or trucks weighing around
30 tons, you use every part of your

lorries or
step guide to pulling a vehicle. So body. Your hips, toe power, and the half
whether you’re training to be a strong- squat movement with your nose to
man, or just rescuing an attractive the floor are what will give you good

in Glenn damsel in distress on the side of the

motorway, here is how to do it…
drive. Alongside this, you must never
forget your pulling power on the rope.

Ross’ case, Pulling trucks has been one of the

This needs to be worked on and it must
never be underestimated how impor-

a jumbo
main events throughout the history of
Strongman. Some vehicles require a
different sort of technique, and if they
jet! are heavy, these need a slow, steady
pull. It’s advised that when having to
tant it will be. Most truck pulls are over
a course of 20-25 metres. The first five
metres of any pull is where the pain, the
power and the technique will hit even
the toughest of competitors.

70 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 00
 THE HARNESS SET UP
Once inside the harness, it should be
adjusted in this way. The shoulder-pad-
ded sliding areas need to be positioned
over the shoulder, going right over into
the trap area on the upper-back. Ensure
the pads are NOT too close to the neck
cutting off any circulation to the vitally
important jugular vein.
Ensure the lower-back section of
the harness has a good fist-sized
amount of play in it- this allows for
proper mobility of the hips and move-
ment of the back, keeping a direct drive
through the toes at all times. If it’s
too tight, you will be unable to obtain Fist gap at
the angle needed in the movement for the base of
harness
maximum drive.

PULLING
POSITION
STEP 1
You need your body in a half
squat position, and you must
have your arms fully out-
stretched ready for the pull on
the rope. The grip of the rope
must be fully locked in, maybe
using some liquid grip, prepared
for the dragging pull of the rope.

STEP 2
Ensure you are as low as possible,
beyond a 45-degree angle. If you
can, get as low as a 30-degree
angle. Remember, nose to the
ground almost.

72 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 STEP 3
Now that you’re at the cor-
rect angle with your arms
outstretched, you need to have
locked into your head that you
will be driving through your hips,
head low with your chin up (al-
lowing the airway to intake the
all-important oxygen. The last
thing you need is oxygen debt in
this event), but staying on your
toes at all times

STEP 4 STEP 5
As you’re waiting for the signal
to start, it is essential that both It’s not big strides that will keep the unit moving, it’s the short and sharp toe power
feet are together on the start movements. This allows the speed of the unit to increase up to around the 10-15-meter
line. To get the heavy vehicle distance.
moving, it’s your 45 -degree If the vehicle is moving quickly, then you can open your stride. If it’s not, then you need
angle, driving with both feet into to keep the momentum going with the short, sharp toe power movements, still staying
the 30-degree angle, the pull low, driving with your arms and hips as always. Head low with chin up.
of your arms and the powerful
half squat movement that will
begin to make the shift. Once it’s
rolling, as stressed before, it’s
the staying low, on the toes with
hips and arms pulling in synergy
that will keep the momentum of
movement going.

These are the essential win-

ning tips for such an event from
‘The Daddy’ Glenn Ross. By fol-
lowing these rules, you too can
make this your winning event.
The next up and coming
event in Stoke is at Northwood

Stadium-
The Ultimate Strongman Team
World Championship on Sunday
26th August.
www.ultimatestrongman.tv
Instagram;
@official_ultimate_strongman
@glennrossthedaddy
YouTube; Strongmantv
6
STEP
At NO time do you raise your body above the 45-degree angle, until you have the vehicle
across the line or you are forced to stop for some reason.
At NO point do you throw the rope away, until you’re told to stop by a marshal.
The reason for this is that as soon as you let go of the rope, your body will rise above
the critical 45-degree angle. This will cause you to slow and may cost you your
position to fail.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 73

STEROIDS Notice to readers:
/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL & SAV KYRIACOU

Flex magazine
and Sav Kyriacou
DO NOT CONDONE
the use of any
performance
enhancing substance
or take responsibility
for any individual’s
personal actions.

This article is purely to educate, and if

anything, discourage any form of drug
use. We hope you will see that develop-
ment comes from the basis of nutrition
and training, and without these in place,
NO drug is going to make you heavily
muscled.
Everything we will talk about comes
from many years of seeing and learning
what others are doing, from the Pro
ranks right through to the local gyms,
and also comes from personal experi-
ence.
This article is to be taken as opinion
only- not fact.

Why do athletes and

bodybuilders use
steroids?
What starts the whole process? What
makes the individual think they should
use this widely talked about drug?
Being a gym owner for 17 years, I
have heard and seen many individuals
suffer personal problems while using
steroids. Many of these people
shouldn’t have ever even considered

74 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

THE
TRUTH
using a drug. Many complain they still
can’t gain the muscle they thought they
would, especially after they started
using. A lot of the reason for lack of
gains, is down to training incorrectly.
This is usually for a number of reasons,
some of which are as a result of using
steroids.
So, before you consider taking any
substance, you need to ask yourself the
all important question… ‘Have I reached
my full genetic potential?’
Have you exhausted every angle to
gain size? Are you eating, resting and
training perfectly? And we don’t mean
for a month or six, we mean years,
consistently. If you haven’t, then leave
the thought of using to steroids well
alone.
How Does Steroids Help?
It is commonly believed that steroids
‘grow muscle’. The truth is, they don’t.
What they can do is to help with
recovery- some help more and others
less. This in turn will help the muscle to
grow, because it has recovered faster
than it otherwise would naturally.
Nandrolone Decanoate for example
is renowned for its increased recovery
ability and is sometimes used for
arthritis and even burns victims. There
are many types of steroids, some that
are incredibly toxic, and others that
aren’t. Some that will cause large
amounts of fluid retention, and some
that won’t.
One of the biggest myths is that some
steroids don’t give you water retention
and these types are thought of as
‘cutting’ steroids (fat loss agents). In
this train of thought, all other steroids
are therefore ‘bulking’ steroids. This is
ludicrous. In reality, every steroid could
potentially help with cutting, as they all
increase your metabolism.
The reason people see certain
steroids as ‘cutting’ and others as
‘bulking’ is down to the water retention
caused by some. This water retention is
due to increased oestrogen production.
This is indeed variable dependant on the
steroid you choose to take.
Another common mistake people
make is to eat excessively without
caring where these calories are coming
from. Massive calories DON’T mean
massive muscles. Many users believe a
drug can turn junk food into lean
muscle. Get real! Of course it won’t.
This sort of behaviour will just make
you fat and bloated. I have seen Pro
bodybuilders getting shredded on what
others would consider a bulking steroid.
In this case, they are eating very good,
clean calories and know how not to use
too much and to be clever and not
excessive.
Lifting Big Doesn’t
Always Help Growth
As we’ve established, steroids will
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 75

speed up muscle recovery. You may find
your strength has increased too. There
is a fine line between growing and
over-lifting. Again, you need to have the
fundamentals in place. Quite often,
steroid users over- lift. The truth is,
tendons and ligaments can recover
faster from poor form whilst taking
steroids, so whilst these users may
think they’re becoming stronger and in
turn will grow, actually, it’s just their
ligaments and tendons that are able to
take the strain and recover faster than
before.
Instead, go back to basics. Ensure
you’re actually stressing the muscle to
its maximum capacity in order for the
tissue damage to occur, then allowing
the body to repair it and increase its
size. It’s back to training wise again!
76 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
The other downside to steroid use
and incorrect training is that any size
gained whilst using is typically lost
afterwards. The psychology of an
individual in this situation is to stay on
the steroids so as not to lose the gains,
and this is a really bad situation to be in,
and very unhealthy.
Essential Advice
The first thing to remember is NOT to
use more than you should for the
specific amount of time. It would be
safer for the body to stay on the course
of steroids a fraction longer while using
LESSER dosages, than taking a lot in a
short period of time. For example, the
steroid Sustanon is one of the drugs
being widely used. You have to under-
stand what’s in the chemical make-up.
It contains 4 different testosterone
esters, all with different release
mechanisms. The strongest in the
compound is testosterone deconate.
This is made to be released very slowly,
hence the name Sustanon which is
taken from the word ‘sustain’, meaning
slow or longer lasting. The idea of it
sustaining in the body, is so that when
it’s used for medical treatments, the
patient doesn’t have to travel regularly
for continual injections.
People have been known to use four
or more Sustanon injections a week
(1000mg). This amount of test deco-
nate over a few weeks will shut down
the receptors due to the large amount
of sustained release chemical in the
body. So, it is in theory, better to do a
combination of testosterones that are
not of the same chemical structure,
therefore not saturating your receptors.
Other key things to remember are to
avoid the use of a steroid that was
never made for humans in the first
instance. The pharmaceutical compa-
nies would have made it for us if it were
possible! So, clearly there is a reason
why it was never made. For example,
Tren Acetate and Tren Enanthate were
never made for human use, only Tren
Hex (Parabolin) was made for human
use.
How Much?
Assuming the individual’s training and
diet is perfect and they are using a
small dosage of a steroid, they should
be seeing improvements and gains of
some sort. Don’t think that if you
increase the dosage more muscle will
be gained as a result. It really won’t. If
an individual was taking a small amount
of Dianabol and Stanozolol, (which
would be considered a very low amount
of mg for a course compared to a lot of
uneducated gym users) and everything
regarding their eating and training was
perfect, they could expect to gain 4-5kg
of pure muscle as a first-time user.
What to do First
This is difficult. To be honest, the best
thing to do first, is NOT to use a steroid.
But we understand that some of you
will. So, if you can be directed to a
better, safer a way, then we hope you
learn and listen. Firstly, NOT AT ANY
POINT should anyone under 21-25
consider using any steroid. The body is
at its highest point of hormone produc-
tion and is sorting out exactly how it
should be to perform naturally. Taking
a substance could ruin this natural
process and harm your levels for a long
time and possibly forever.
Get a blood test, pay for a GP to do it.
This might not show a great deal, but
may show an abnormality in your
system that could be affected by the
use of a steroid.
This is also a good thing to do before
any usage. The user can then do
another blood test after the cycle of
steroids in order to check if and how
they were affected. Subsequently,
measures can be taken to correct any
changes in the system shown in the
blood.
Remember, as we addressed previ-
ously, if you’re going to use, learn about
what you’re thinking of taking. It is
considered more controlled for the body
to use fast acting steroids so you don’t
over saturate your receptors (obviously
not taking large dosages daily either),
these would-be steroids such as Testos-
terone Phenylpropionate, Testosterone
Cypionate and Nandrolone Phenylpropi-
onate (NPP).
Monitored users show sensible
results using something anabolic and
also androgenic at the same time, for
example, Dianabol which is more
androgenic and Anavar which is less
androgenic (more anabolic). It’s
important not to over-saturate your
body.
How to Spot an
Adverse Effect
One of the things to bear in mind is that
everyone is different and may experi-
ence different adverse effects. So,
always monitor your body’s reactions
towards anything, even pre-workouts.
There are certain steroids that should
be avoided by certain types of people.
For example, Trenbolone in any sized
dose, or large amounts of Test, should
be avoided by anyone with a short
temper or aggressive nature. This type
of use will affect their everyday life, and
may cause rage. Also, people who have
a problem with their libido should stay
away from Nandrolone, and also
Trenbolone as this will make the
low libido considerably worse. This is
due to the increase in Prolactin levels.
There are chemicals out there that
doctors prescribe to counteract this
effect, such as Cabergoline, which is
designed to prevent the production of
Prolactin.
Woman and Steroids
Some women believe that using a
steroid (remember a male hormone to
be clear) will help them get lean. NO!
This takes us back to the notion that
certain steroids are for cutting, when
they are clearly NOT. If a woman takes
a male hormone, it will mess with their
menstrual cycle and increase body
hair, after the face and could change
the voice also. Male hormones will
confuse the woman’s natural hormone
levels which is damaging- especially
in later life.
AT NO POINT SHOULD A WOMAN
USE A MALE HORMONE.
Keep in Mind
As we said in the beginning, explore
every avenue before you consider using
anything at all. Ensure you have
followed correct nutrition and training
for many years to get the most from
your natural ability and genetics.
Never take advice from someone who
is willing to sell you something, it’s
probably a sales pitch, and he/she will
want to advise you to use large
amounts of drugs that you really don’t
need, just to make more money.
Or, to keep it simple,
JUST DON’T USE
STEROIDS.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 77
 Dominate Your First
Powerlifting Meet
Thinking of lifting big weight on the platform?
Follow these 10 steps to have the best first meet possible.

MAYBE YOU JUST

STARTED powerlifting.
Maybe you’re well into the
1,000-Pound Club. (Com-
bined, your one-rep maxes
for deadlift, squat, and
bench are more than 1,000
pounds.) Either way, it can
be intimidating to make the
transition from amateur
gym rat to competitive lifter.
To help you prepare for your
first meet, we spoke with
Brandon Smitley, a personal
trainer, competitive power-
lifter, and, with a 257kg raw
squat, the current world-
record holder in the 60kg
weight division. Here’s his
best advice.

1
FIND A COMPETITION
THAT ALIGNS WITH
YOUR GOALS. “One thing
that powerlifting has on other
sports is that you can compete
how you want,” Smitley says.
equipment will be used, and
whether the meet will offer a
monolift, a device that allows
you to squat in place without
“walking out” the weight.
He also cautions beginners
to avoid cutting weight. “It’s
stressful and exhausting,”
he says. “And no matter how
experienced you are at cutting,
you’re always stronger at your

3
“Some let you wear knee wraps. DON’T FORGET TO natural weight.”
Some don’t. Some allow 24-hour TAPER. A week before

weigh-ins. Some don’t. Some
drug test. Some don’t.” Decide
what you’re looking for, and you
can probably find it.
the competition, Smitley
forbids his athletes from lifting
anything over 40% of their
one-rep max. “You aren’t going
to get stronger a week out of
5
KNOW THY WEIGHT
JUMPS. According to
Smitley, the warm-up
areas are often packed, so “be
ready to work with potentially

2
EMAIL THE MEET competition,” he says. 10 people at once. This is why
DIRECTOR OR it’s helpful to know exactly how

4
FEDERATION CARB-LOAD WITH you plan to warm up, so that you
OWNER. He or she can give FAMILIAR FOODS. come in with a plan.”
A D A M S I LV E R

you important information, For Smitley, that’s

such as what their refund potatoes and rice, along with
policy is, which kind of high-quality chicken and steak.

78 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 BY SPENSER MESTEL

6 7 9
ENSURE YOU HAVE CHECK IN, THEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT
ALL YOUR GEAR. LOCATE THE FLY SHEET LIFTING—RELAX.
This includes squat TO FIND OUT WHEN Smitley has seen other
shoes, knee sleeves, a YOU’RE LIFTING. lifters pace between sets, but,
singlet, a belt, a foam roller, And then be prepared to wait up to over the course of hours, that’s
bands, your own chalk, and 90 minutes before you lift. a good way to exhaust yourself.
appropriate underwear. “Your nerves will be crazy

8
(Certain competitions require OPEN WITH A enough,” he says.
non supportive underwear, i.e., LIGHTER WEIGHT.

10
briefs.) Because meets can last Smitley recommends AFTER THE EVENT,
up to 12 hours, also bring plenty starting with, at most, 80% of your TAKE A BREAK.
of easy-to-digest snacks like one-rep max, because “stuff can go “Some people think,
cereal and granola bars. wrong.” You may be nervous, not ‘I had a crappy meet. I gotta go
squat to depth, or run out of time. work hard the next day,’ ” Smitley
says. “That’s the worst thing
you can do. That’s how you get
LARRY
“WHEELS” hurt.” His advice: Take off a week
WILLIAMS before going to the gym.
Age: 23
Height: 6'1"
World Records: 2
Best Total: 2,291
lbs (at 308 lbs)
Instagram:
@larrywheels

Meet Day
You’ll compete in three
lifts—the bench press, back
squat, and deadlift. For each,
you have three attempts to
lift whatever weight you like,
normally going up in weight.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 79

FOOD & SUPPS THE HIIT KITCHEN

37 9
g
32 .9 ser ving
g Pr
38g otein
9. 6 g Fa t s
C
5 3 6 ar bs
kc a
l

Seared Mackerel,
Marinated Vegetables &
Cannellini Beans
Ingredients:
l 2 fillets mackerel
l 60g courgette Method:
l 60g peppers 1 Dice the courgette, peppers and aubergine and sprinkle over the garlic, lemon zest,
l 25g tinned cannellini beans chopped parsley and olive oil. Leave to for 1-2 hours
l 20g cherry tomatoes
l 30g aubergine 2 Once the vegetables have marinated, place a frying pan on high heat and add the
l Zest of one lemon vegetables. Sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook for a
l Bunch parsley further 2 minutes
l 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 Pan fry the mackerel on high heat for 2 minutes on the skin side before flipping and
l 1 tablespoon olive oil cooking for an additional 1 minute

80 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 /// BY HIIT KITCHEN /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY HIIT KITCHEN

350
g
35.1 ser ving
g pr
11g otein
20.7 fat
g
3 4 5 car bs
kc a
l

Roasted Rib of Beef, Sweet

Method:
Potato Rosti, Grilled 1 To make the salsa verde, place all of the herbs with the garlic, capers and
Asparagus & Salsa Verde water in a blender and blend on high speed for 1 minute.
2 For the sweet potato rosti, grate the sweet potato and squeeze out any
Ingredients: l 1 tablespoon excess moisture. Add the thyme and form into 2 patties. Place on a non-stick
l 120g rib of beef capers baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180c
l 1 bunch parsley l 50 ml water
l 60g asparagus 3 Cook the asparagus from raw in a griddle pan for 5 minutes on a high heat
l 1 bunch mint
l 1 bunch basil l 100g sweet potato 4 Sear the beef on all sides in a hot pan before placing into a 180c oven for
l 1 clove garlic l 1 sprig of thyme 6-7 minutes.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 81

FOOD & SUPPS THE HIIT KITCHEN

g
r vin
g se
303 g protein
3 5 . 4 9 g fa t
15 . c a r b s
9. 3 g kc a l
347

Cajun Chicken
Salad
Ingredients:
l 1 chicken breast
l 1 tablespoon Cajun
spice
l 1 baby gem lettuce
l 30g diced mango Method:
l 5g chopped 1 Using a sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breast and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning. Cook in a
coriander shot griddle pan for 5 minutes each side or until thoroughly cooked through
l 1 tsp lime juice
l 10g tomatoes 2 Assemble the lettuce, tomato, and cucumber in a salad bowl
l ½ diced avocado 3 Place onto a place and place the mango and avocado on top.
l 10g cucumber 4 Place the cooked chicken breast on top and sprinkle with the chopped coriander and lime juice.

g
r vin
g se
388 protein
8 . 8 g
1 fa t
3 . 3g car bs
g
84 .1 3kcal
49

Wholemeal
Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
l 120g wholemeal
pasta
l 100g diced tomato
l 60g diced Method:
courgettes 1 To make the pasta sauce, place a saucepan on medium heat and add a little olive oil. Cook the onion,
l 80g diced mixed bell peppers, courgettes, garlic, and tomatoes for 7-8 minutes. Throw in the basil and cook for a further
peppers minute.
l 20g red onion
l 5g garlic 2 Cook the pasta according to package instructions
l 1 bunch basil 2 Mix the sauce and pasta thoroughly and serve cold

82 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 ing
se r v
311g protein
g
3 4 .6 g f a t
7.6 arbs
gc
16.4 1kcal
30

Pecan Crusted
Haddock,
Broccoli
Mash,
Balsamic
Roasted
Tomatoes &
Seared Method:
1 Floret the broccoli reserving the stalks. Bring a pan of seasoned water to the boil. Carefully drop in
Broccoli the broccoli and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Stalks 2 Drain the broccoli, reserving some of the cooking water. Place the broccoli into a food processor and
Ingredients: add some of the water. Blend until a thick puree has formed
l 120g fresh haddock
3 Place a frying pan on a high heat with a little olive oil and sear the reserved broccoli stalks for 4-5
fillet
minutes or until nicely coloured
l 1 head of broccoli
l 60g cherry tomatoes 4 Place the cherry tomatoes in a dry frying pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook until all of the
l 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar has evaporated
vinegar 5 Chop the pecans and sprinkle over the haddock fillet. Place on a baking tray and bake in an oven at
l 10g pecan nuts 180c for 10 minutes or until cooked through.

g
r vin
g se
563 g protein
39.7 g fat
2 .9 c a r b s
g
4 3 .6 al
kc
380

Roasted
Chicken
Breast,
Tabbouleh,
Wilted Gem
Lettuce,
Cumin
Yoghurt
Ingredients:
l 1 skinless chicken
breast
l 50g bulgur wheat Method:
l 10g pomegranate 1 Place a frying pan over a high heat with a little olive oil and colour the chicken breast for around 4
seeds minutes on both sides. Transfer to a baking tray and place in a 180c oven for 15-20 minutes or until
l 1 bunch parsley thoroughly cooked through
l 40g diced tomato
2 Cook the bulgur wheat according to package instructions, drain and allow to cool
l 1 bunch mint
l 3 spring onions 3 Once the bulgur wheat has cooled, add the diced tomato, mint, parsley, spring onions, pomegranate
l 1 lemon seeds and lemon zest & juice and mix thoroughly
l 1 baby gem lettuce 4 Separate the baby gem lettuce leaves and wilt in a dry pan for 3-4 minutes

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 83

FOOD & SUPPS THE HIIT KITCHEN

g
r vin
g se
185 protein
1. 3 g f a t
11g arbs
gc
11.9 kcal
61

Grilled
Pineapple
with Chilli,
Lime and
Frozen
Coconut
Yoghurt
Ingredients:
l 100g fresh
sliced pineapple Method:
l ½ red chilli 1 Place a griddle pan on a high heat and leave for 5 minutes.
(finely chopped)
2 Once the griddle pan is hot, carefully add the pineapple. Colour heavily on both sides.
l 1 lime
l 1 scoop frozen 3 Grate the lime zest over the hot pineapple
coconut yoghurt 4 Place a scoop of frozen coconut yoghurt on top and sprinkle the finely chopped chili on top.

ing
se r v
617g protein
3 2 g g fa t
8 .6 c a r b s
g
8 5 . 3 7 kc a l
53

‘The
Aftermath’
Protein
Shake
Ingredients:
l 1 handful of frozen
banana
l 25g scoop of oats
l 25g scoop of
vanilla whey
protein
l 1 teaspoon
cinnamon
l 2 dates
l 450ml almond Method:
milk 1 Place all ingredients in a blender, blend for 2 minutes until smooth and enjoy!

84 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

FODMAPS 101
If you’re experiencing workout-killing
intestinal distress, fermentable
carbs known as FODMAPs
may be the culprit.

4 STEPS
TO BETTER
DIGESTION
1. Work with a dietitian
knowledgeable with
ARRIVING AT THE GYM with a rumble in your tummy feels crappy FODMAPs.
and can sap any workout motivation. But for people with a nonstop
stir in the stomach—a chronic problem called irritable bowel syndrome 2. Ensure your diet is not
(IBS)—managing to exercise at all can be a demoralising chore. The only low in FODMAPs
symptoms of IBS are no fun—abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, but also well-balanced
diarrhoea—but, fortunately, you can combat most of them through and nutrient-dense.
diet. How? By eating foods low in FODMAPs, a group of carbs found
in most foods. Let’s take you through some frequently asked questions. 3. Endure three phases
of the FODMAP-
elimination diet.
What are FODMAPs? the small intestine, leading to a
G RO S S, P E T R /G E T T Y I M AG E S

“FODMAP” stands for cascade of digestive symptoms— 4. Preplan meals to

fermentable oligosac-
charides, disaccharides, mono-
saccharides, and polyols, which
are all decidedly fermentable
carbs. “FODMAP carbohydrates
are commonly malabsorbed in
gas, bloating, pain—in individuals avoid impulsive choices
with a sensitive intestine,” says that may upset your gut.
Kate Scarlata, a Boston-based
registered dietitian and author
of Feeling Tips for the FODMAP
Sensitive Athlete. These carbs

86 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 are found across a wide variety
of foods, although some foods
contain no FODMAPs at all.
How do they affect
digestion?
When FODMAPs are
malabsorbed, they pull water
into the intestine and are rapidly
fermented by our gut bacteria,
resulting in intestinal gas, says
Scarlata. “The excess water and
gas stretch the intestine, which
contributes to the onset of pain,
cramping, bloating, and altera-
tion in bowel habit for those with
a sensitive gut, as experienced
with IBS.” So cutting down on the
amount of high-FODMAP foods
in your diet may help improve
symptoms. But every person has
a different reaction, so a special
three-step elimination diet is the
best way to find out which foods
trigger your digestive system.
Which foods should
I avoid?
Unfortunately, Scarlata
says, it can be difficult to know.
Some fruits and veggies are high
in FODMAPs, like apples, arti-
chokes, and mushrooms, while
others, like blueberries, broccoli,
and pineapple, are low. “The diet
is very nuanced, and it’s best to
work with a registered dietitian
to help provide the most cur-
rent and accurate information,”
she says. “Although we love to
refer to Doctor Google for all our
ailments, digestive symptoms
should be reviewed with your
doctor to ensure you are not
missing alarm signs of a more
serious condition.”
Can I ditch FODMAPs
PA N N G U Y E N / G E T T Y I M AG E S
and still lift hard?
Yes. And you can still
gain muscle. Most protein-rich
foods do not contain FODMAPs,
like beef, chicken, turkey, pork,
fish, and eggs. “Some protein
supplements, refuel beverages,
and sports bars, however, may RESOURCES
contain hidden FODMAPs such
as agave, fructose, whey protein Easily find which foods to avoid
concentrate, inulin, or chicory with these FODMAP resources.
root,” notes Scarlata. “For • Monash University FODMAP
Diet (£7.99; iOS and Android)
adequate carb-refuel options, • FODMAP Helper (free with
choose low-FODMAP foods such in-app purchases; iOS and
as brown rice, baked potatoes, Android)
pineapple, gluten-free pasta, • katescarlata.com
sourdough wheat bread, oats, • monashfodmap.com
or quinoa.”
How long should this
elimination diet last?
It’s not long-term. It’s a
three-phase nutritional approach
that includes: the elimination WHERE
phase (all high-FODMAP foods TO FIND
are restricted for two to six
weeks), followed by the reintro-
FODMAPS
duction phase (FODMAPs are Galacto-
systematically reintroduced to Oligosaccharides:
help you identify your triggers), Mostly in nuts and
and lastly, the personalisation legumes
phase (tolerated FODMAP- Fructose: Some
containing foods are gently fruits, vegetables, and
added back into the diet). This sweeteners
plan will result in adequate FRUCTANS: Some fruits,
symptom control in about 50 to vegetables, and grains
70% of IBS patients. The goal Lactose: Mostly in dairy
is to eat well while still keeping products
tummy troubles to a minimum. Polyols: Primarily in
fruits, vegetables, and
processed foods
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 87

Are Nutrition
Labels BS?
Treating the info as gospel isn’t a best bet for bodybuilders.
OPENING ARGUMENTS
Defense
In 1990, the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA)
mandated that nutrition facts be
included on most food products,
providing breakdowns on macro­
nutrients and the percentages
that consumers should meet—
or limit—for one day. (These
nutrition facts are now showing
up on restaurant menus as
well.) The numbers may not be
perfectly accurate and precise,
but they are close enough and
average out in the end.
Prosecution
You might think the nutrition
labels would be extremely
accurate since they are
regulated by the FDA, but the
88 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
Stick to whole foods
like Arnold did and
nutrition labels won’t
make a big differ-
ence in your gains.
law says that food companies
can be off in their estimations by
up to 20%. So if you’re looking
at something with 500 calories,
it could actually contain 400 or
600 calories. That’s a big swing
and can affect your results if
By ADAM BIBLE
you’re trying to bulk up, get
lean, or just maintain a healthy
weight.
EVIDENCE
A 2013 study published in the
journal Obesity showed that in
an analysis of packaged snack
foods like biscuits and crisps,
the calorie counts were higher
by an average of 4%. Though this
discrepancy was due to higher
amounts of carbs, researchers
found that percentage of error
was low and generally accurate.
Restaurants were found to
offer 18% more calories than the
stated values, and frozen meals
sold in grocery stores had 8%
more calories than what was
printed on the label, according to
a 2010 study by Tufts University.
The authors also noted that a
5% bump in calories each day
for an individual requiring 2,000
calories per day could lead to a
10­pound weight gain in a year.
VERDICT
Although the nutrition facts
on food labels are hardly precise,
they do offer guidelines that are
close enough on average to keep
your goals on track. Plus, even if
there are some errors that skew
toward the positive side, those
larger amounts can be canceled
out by other estimates that
ended up being too low.
C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S ; T RU N K A RC H I V E
SENTENCING
Don’t assume that the nutrition
facts on food labels are the
be­all and end­all on what
exact amounts of nutrients
and calories are in a given food.
There will inevitably be some
variability, so treat labels as
a general guide to help keep
you and your diet on track. In
the end, you should be eating
mostly whole foods and limiting
anything that comes in a
package.
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 ELB S
‘STOOW PAINNS
P’ GAI
H
aving worked with many /// BY CHRISTOPHER PICKARD /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY HARPENDEN STUDIOS
athletes including
bodybuilders, it seems Don’t let bad elbows stop your gains!
that elbow problems are
widespread. Many Pro A 5-Step Plan to help Fix Common
bodybuilders who’ve lifted
large weights and put Causes of Elbow Pain in Bodybuilders
tremendous forces on their
structures for years end up
with re-occurring injuries like
spinal pain, bad necks from
over-development in the traps,
shoulder, elbow and many
others niggles that seem never
to go away.
What I aim to do, is to educate the
many ways to approach recovery and
repair of injuries. It’s not just clicking a
bone, and “off you go again,” as many
may think.
Along with physical, hands-on rehab,
I was also privy to a particular approach
to improving physical performance and
recovery through functional nutrition.
My mentor, Dr Bob Rakowski in Houston, Google so they can see precisely what the A Closer Look at the Elbow-
Texas, advises people like Paul Chek and muscles, ligaments and joints do, where The Approach to Total Healing
Charles Poliquin, two giants of the they are, and how they articulate and To help understand what is causing your
strength and conditioning world. His move. pain, it’s worth spending some time
patients include the NFL, NBA, Olympic, So, for the modern, internet savvy learning a bit more about the anatomy
WWF and other US sports stars. reader, there are already many excellent of the area, other than the two biggest
I get to pass on his knowledge to my articles and videos you can access that muscles that insert into it (the biceps
own World Champion and Olympic cover more detail about the basic anatomy and the triceps).
athletes, as well as to a number of of what I’m about to go through and will The elbow consists of 3 joints and
bodybuilders. help you to understand areas that are hard 3 bones.
to explain on paper.
Before We Start However, many of these articles and The bones: The humorous (the bone
First of all, I have to say that one of the videos are incomplete as they miss some between your shoulder and your elbow),
things I love about the internet is that I can vital ingredients that you need to heal and the ulnar (which is the main hinge at the
now send my patients to YouTube and get over your pain, so read on… elbow, and the inside of your forearm), and

90 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

the radius (the bone on the outside of your
forearm that allows you to turn your wrist
in and out). The most important joint
regarding causing pain is the humeroulnar
joint. You’ll understand why later on. The
other two are the humeroradial and
proximal radioulnar joints.

The muscles of the elbow are:

• The biceps
• The triceps
• The brachioradialis
• The pronator teres
• The supinator
• The anconeus
The wrist flexors (actually a group of
6 muscles) attaching to the inside of
your elbow
The wrist extensors (actually a group of
9 muscles) connecting to the outside of
your elbow
Of all the above it’s the triceps, the wrist
flexors, or the wrist extensors that are the
most likely causes of elbow pain, but it’s
worth learning about the rest.

How Widespread is Elbow Pain?

Official statistics say that even the most
common type of elbow pain (tennis elbow,
more on that in a moment), only affects
1-3% of the population. However, it may
be that the actual incidence of elbow pain
is higher, as many may not report it unless
it is severe enough to interfere with work,
sport or some other aspect of life. especially those lifting heavy weights. It injuries were the shoulder and the elbow.
can range from a constant, dull ache, to a Almost 50% of the bodybuilders in the
What about elbow pain in sharp, agonising, stabbing pain that stops study had some pain while training but
bodybuilders? you in your tracks.” very few had an injury severe enough to
According to sheerstrengthlabs.com, According to a published paper ‘Injuries stop them. So, the actual injury rate was
“The elbow is the most common part of and overuse syndromes in competitive and lower than in weightlifting, powerlifting or
the body for pain and injury in gym-goers, elite bodybuilding’ the most common team sports.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 91

 Common Types
of Elbow Pain
There are 3 types of elbow pain that
are most likely to be affecting the
young bodybuilder.
1) Tennis Elbow – the most common
cause of pain on the outside of the
elbow
2) Golfer’s Elbow – the most common
cause of pain on the inside of the elbow
Tennis elbow is due to damage and
inflammation of the common tendon of
the wrist extensors into the part of the
humorous called the lateral epicondyle.
Golfer’s elbow is due to damage and
inflammation of the common tendon of
the wrist flexors extensors into the part
of the humorous called the medial
epicondyle.
3) Pain to the back of the elbow,
around the olecranon
There are a couple of possibilities here.
One is caused by the ulnar bone
jamming into the olecranon fossa of the
humorous. The second is olecranon
bursitis, also known as ‘students
elbow’, and causes large, swollen
elbows.
If you have pain in the crease of the
elbow, it is most likely related to the
biceps or the brachioradialis, and the
advice below should help this too.
92 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
Common
CAUSES
of Elbow Pain
You may think we’ve just covered the
causes above, but in reality, these injuries
are the end result of the real reasons.
So, let’s have a look at them.
First of all, there’s just plain poor tech-
nique. The King (or Queen), of olecranon
killers is the classic ‘skull crusher’
exercise. Starting with the bar in front of
your face isn’t the bad bit, it’s the fact you
can then force the weight directly up, and
jam all that weight into the olecranon
fossa (smashing the joint together at
force- have a look online!).
Make sure the technique of all your lifts
is looked at by a professional trainer.
Next up is grip, which causes problems
in various ways.
If you think about it one of the actual
causes of golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow
is obvious – weak grip and wrist strength.
A less than optimal grip for a bodybuilder
is bound to cause elbow trouble.
A second grip related problem is
merely positioning of your wrist when
you are picking up and putting down
weights, as well as the technique
through various exercises. Too often
wrists flex or extend to get a little extra
movement.
The size of the bar or the dumbbell can
also be an issue – especially if you have
overlarge, or small hands.
An easy check for grip strength: can you
lift your bodyweight in each hand, and
walk 15 yards?
Maybe a not so apparent cause of elbow
pain is shoulder stability, especially
scapular issues. The biceps and the
triceps need a strong base in the shoulder
to work safely at full power in the elbow.
A genuinely unknown cause is a
weakness in your opposite gluteal muscle.
Yes, your butt can cause elbow pain. Any
skilled body worker with many years of
experience would have seen countless
diagonal patterns across the body, and the
gluteus to opposite shoulder is a well-
known one. Few, however, take the link one
step further and check elbow to opposite
glutes.
Another hidden cause of elbow pain is
the neck. All the nerves that control the
muscles of your shoulder, elbow and hand
originate in the neck. Tiny strains in the
neck can have far-reaching consequences,
even if you feel no pain there.
For neck issues, shoulder and gluteal/
hip stability you may need to get checked
by a sports therapist, physio, osteopath
or chiropractor.
An Extra Set of
Causes for
Olecranon
Bursitis
The fluid-filled sack, known as a bursa
that covers and protects the olecranon
can be irritated and caused to swell by
repetitive micro-traumas such as lifting
weights, but it can also become swollen
due to infection. Anything linked to
weakening the immune system may be
related to increased incidence of bursitis
here, such as various health conditions like
diabetes and medications such as steroids
and paracetamol.

5 Steps to fix the problem

The chances are, now you’ve got this far,
you already may have an idea of what you
need to do.

To help you further, here’s

precisely what to do:

 1) REST
Without adequate rest, there’s no way the
injury will heal. Make sure you get at least
8 hours of quality sleep each night and lay
off any exercises that aggravate your pain
for as long as you need to. This could be
weeks.
A lack of rest (along with step 5) could
be why you gained an injury in the first
place. Sleep and rest are when your
muscles grow.
 2) WHAT?
Figuring out what muscle, tendon or joint
is the cause of your pain should be visible
now. If it’s not, then seek some profes-
sional help.
 3) WHY?
You must address the underlying cause of
the injury. So, while resting your elbow,
work on grip strength (if you can), shoulder
stability, etc.
 4) PROGRESSIVE
Plan a progressive rehabilitation and
recovery program.
The first phase of rehabilitation is
about minimising the effects of
immobilisation and bringing down
inflammation. So, gentle, passive,
pain-free, range of motion exercises
(NOT stretching) and ice.
The next phase is about improving
nourishment and circulation, so heat,
gentle exercise and stretches.
Once pain-free mobility is regained, and
gentle exercise is pain free then progres-
sively build up the difficulty.
Ensure the core underlying causes are
fixed – shoulder, neck and glutes.
Throughout all these stages, skilled
massage, joint mobilisation, ultrasound,
cold laser, and other modalities will speed
up recovery and minimise long-term injury,
damage and motion loss.
 5) RAW MATERIALS
This fifth step is also a preventative. If you
have all the right nutrients going into your
body that you need not just to build
muscle, but also to repair cartilage and
tendon and bring down inflammation,
you’ll go a long way towards an injury-free
time at the gym.
A diet full of plants, high-quality
proteins and fats are essential at all times.
While healing from an ordinary elbow
injury, fish oil, turmeric and gelatine are
3 good supplements to try.
Fish oil and turmeric both help bring
down inflammation and promote tissue
repair. Gelatine is very high in the amino
acids proline and glycine, which are
essential for collagen repair.
YouTube: Christopher Pickard

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 93

Build
YATES
BY GUPS SINGH @TEMPLEGYMUK
///
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN TIERNEY
///
@ARTOFILLUSION_PHOTOS LATS
A HIT Training @templegymuk
s soon as I look at my
diary for the week,
my workouts are all
written down. Each
night before that specific Bent over
workout I mentally prepare my Rows
mind for what’s to come, WAR!
Or another famous quote used in
Temple Gym….Blood and Guts!
Take a guess where that famous
quote was from! Back has to be
my favourite and strongest
muscle group. I mean using the
same machines in Temple Gym,
Birmingham that built one of
the most extraordinary and
arguably the best back in the
world of Bodybuilding,
6 x Mr Olympia Dorian Yates.

MONDAY: Chest & Biceps

TUESDAY: Back & Rear Delts
WEDNESDAY: REST
THURSDAY: Shoulders & Triceps
FRIDAY: Legs
SATURDAY & SUNDAY: REST

How often should I train

my Back?
When speaking to different members
or clients and ask what they’re training
when they mention they’re training
back the first thing that comes to my
mind is power, thickness and width.
After legs (thighs) back is the largest,
and most powerful muscle group of the
body. With the back being such a large

94 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018


muscle group and a complex one at
that it baffles me when I hear mem-
bers say they’re training back 2/3 times
a week to get it bigger! Right away
I think of the recovery time for the
muscles to be repaired before training
again. Clearly, you’re not training
intense enough. Remember you don’t
‘get big’ in the gym, you stimulate the
muscle, away from the gym is where
you ‘get big’ with plenty of rest/
recovery time, plus your essential food
and vitamins. Training the same
muscle group more than once a week
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get
bigger and benefit from that, you need
to let the muscles fully recover before
attacking it again. Don’t do more
damage while it’s still recovering. Still
not satisfied? Pop into Temple Gym
for an H.I.T back workout, and you’ll
understand why once a week is more
than enough. Your lats is a powerful
muscle if you put it in the right place.
Can I incorporate any other
exercises with my back
workout?
When training back, I also incorporate
rear delts in this workout. I get asked
‘why?’ many times. As rear delts are
part of the shoulder structure, when
training back the rear delts are being
used/involved in most of the pulling
movements. It makes sense to take full
advantage of that.
Many also like to incorporate biceps
after training back as it’s the secondary
muscle that’s been involved. I find after
a complete back workout, the steam is
out the engine. I wouldn’t get the best
results from my bicep workout. That’s
why I incorporate biceps after a chest
workout. But I’m not against those that
do train biceps after training back. It’s
still effective.
How do I develop my
lower latissimus dorsi
(Lower Lats)?
Also known as ‘The Wings’ developing
the Lower Lats does take a lot of time
and knowledge. An impressive and
complete back is the development of
the lower lats along the complete
length. When you see most people
perform a back double bicep, the mid
trapezius, rhomboids, generally the
Bent over
Rows
whole upper back muscle groups are
visible, then as it goes down to the
lower lats it’s generally fading away to
nothing. That’s because people don’t
target the lower lats properly. The
most effective development for the
lower lats is barbell rows. Which
I will go into more detail in another
section covering this exercise. Also,
sing arm rows are very similar and as
effective as barbell rows, so there’s
no need to do both exercises in the
same workout, alternate it, so maybe
one week do barbell rows and the
other week single arm rows.
Many people confuse themselves
with the exercise ‘Wide Grip Pulldowns’
thinking it will help develop the lower
lats. A wide grip shortens the potential
length of the stretch, which is targeting
the upper lats. A ‘close grip pulldown’
lengthens the distance of stretch and
causes muscular stress throughout the
whole of the lats.
Now we are going to go into detail
about what exercises will help build
you a COMPLETE back. Starting with
my ultimate favourite, the famous
Nautilus pullover machine.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 95
 Pull over
machine
Is a warm up essential before
a back workout?
For the most effective workout and
results try to eliminate any aerobic or
deep stretching before your chest
workout. You are wasting your time &
recovery ability by overstretching.
You’ll maintain or even increase your
flexibility by performing all your weight
resistance exercises through a full
range of motion. Aerobics is counter-
productive, and it uses up a sizeable
portion of the bodies limited reserves
& resources, also known as recovery
ability. And this could be better used
for muscular growth.
But don’t confuse this theory with
not warming up before your back
workout. Warming up is essential in all
workouts and is imperative especially
for beginners.
What is the most effective
warm up?
The rotator cuff warm up. Warming up
the Supraspinatus muscle is more of
an injury prevention exercise, as we
train, the deltoids get stronger &
stronger. However, the internal tissues
aren’t getting any stronger. They get
overpowered and injured! Choose a
light, comfortable weight, rest your
96 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
elbow on a surface to keep your form comfortably. Very important: inhale on
tight and ensure the deltoids aren’t the negative movement, expand the
working. Alternate left & right. This diaphragm, and exhale when you
warm-up is essential for upper body power in the positive moment, squeeze
workouts, chest, back and shoulders. and hold when static. Like in all our
exercises remember to control the
2 SETS PER ARM – 12 Reps negative movement, in this exercise
count to 4 seconds, and the positive
Exercise 1: Nautilus pullover power it in, in a controlled manner.
machine or dumbbell pullovers Don’t get sloppy and lean forward and
With a slight warm-up done we are involve the abs and shoulders. We are
ready to hit back! The reason we do working the lats, so keep your spine
pullovers first is that it isolates the lats arched, don’t have your back rounded.
more where’s no bicep involvement. Have your elbows locked into the
Biceps are the weak link in a lat pad, and you’ll be driving in with the
movement and tend to give way first, elbows, again the beauty of this
whereas the lats can continue to be exercise/machine is that no biceps are
worked. If your gym doesn’t have a involved. Take note, the weakest
pullover machine not to fear, dumbbell movement is the positive part, the next
pullovers over a bench can be used as strongest is the static where squeeze
an alternative exercise. With the and contract. If you find yourself
pullover machine you will a fuller getting the weight down but can’t hold
range working the Lats 180 degree(full and control the negative, you didn’t get
range), however the dumbbells will it down using muscle power. You got it
only give you half the range, but still down with momentum. Emphasise that
gets the job done. Here at Temple Gym, negative.
Birmingham we are lucky to have the Doing this exercise allows your pull
famous Nautilus pullover machine, downs and rows to be even more
which grew the crazy lats of Dorian effective when you move on. The
Yates. second set increases the weight to
For the warm-up set, choose a where you can perform 10/12 reps.
weight you can perform 15 reps with Now after a couple of sets, your lats
will be ready for the all-important set.
The set we grow on, the working set!
This is where we go to absolute failure.
Get someone to spot you on this, as
you go to failure. When you can’t get
any more out of the positive move-
ments, there’s always a little left in the
tank for forced reps where you rely on
your spotter to pull in the positive with
you. Make sure they then wholly let go
allowing you to control the negative
movement. Try and go as slow as you
can, feeling the burn, with stress
focused on the lats.
1ST SET – 15 reps
2ND SET – 10/12 reps
WORKING SET – 6-8 reps – failure
Exercise 2: Hammer Strength iso
lat pulldown machine or close grip
Pulldown
Onto the favourite lat pulldown
machine, if your gym doesn’t have a
Hammer Strength pulldown machine
Pull over
Machine
using any conventional lat pulldown
machine will still be useful. With the
lats already worked and warm we don’t
need to do unnecessary ‘warm sets’ on
every exercise. Therefore this exercise
will only consist of 2 sets. I’ve noticed
some that use this machine with an
overhand grip which I can’t stand as it
limits the range of motion. The focus of
this exercise is to bring the elbows as
far back as possible, which gives us a
greater squeeze of contraction. To
maximise this, I use a curl grip rather
than an overhand grip which increases
my stretch/range of motion. This
exercise targets the upper lats.
An alternative can be close grip
pulldowns, (for both exercises). Keep
your elbows slightly bent as this helps
take the pressure off the biceps. This
keeps the stress on the lats. Keeping it
controlled and close to the body with
the back arched when you pull it down,
(a full range of motion) then stretch
out at the top and power down to the
top of your chest. Do not swing or do
half reps, keep the body still and don’t
round your back at any time or come
forward. This will take all the stress off
the lats, and you won’t get the contrac-
tion. This exercise will be targeting the
inner lats.
Again, another great exercise to get
assisted reps until failure. Releasing
the negative movement in a controlled
fashion.
1ST SET – 12 reps
WORKING SET – 6-8 reps – failure
Exercise 3: Barbell Rows
Here we are, ready for the big busting
back exercise, ROWS! The mass
builder, want to achieve a THICK /
DENSE back? Start rowing! Yes it’s as
simple as that, bread and butter, you
will have to put on some heavy
poundage, but again it has to be within
reason of good form, so no bouncing of
the knees or a rounded back! This is
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 97
targeting the mid back/lower lats.
The position of your body is crucial.
This took me a lot of patience and
98 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
practice to get right, but I finally got
into the right mechanical position to
execute this exercise. Your body should
Close Grip
Pulldown
not be parallel to the floor it’s more
upright at a 70 degree angle, as
opposed to the 45 degrees angle, this
puts your lower back in a stronger and
safer position (reducing the risk of any
injury) and it also put your lats in a
stronger pulling position where you can
use more weight. Lifting the weight
from the floor, do it correctly, keep your
hips to the floor and your head up.
Then we lift into position, lock it, and
your upper body is not going to move.
Keeping your back arched, and when
you release the negative, it should just
stretch out to just above your knees
until you row it back into midriff. You
can use either curl grip which includes
a lot of biceps. An overhand grip is just
as effective as it takes the stress off
the bicep and puts it all on the lats.
Your hand position should be quite
narrow, either shoulder width or a little
more in from shoulder width, the wider
your grip, the more your limit the
stretch of the lat (reducing the range),
again keeping your elbows slightly
bent.
Although we need to put on maxi-
mum poundage to create a dense back,
we must remember you have to be
realistic and not use too much weight
where you lose all form with momen-
tum taking over. A slight upper body
movement is likely to occur, but this
doesn’t mean complete loss of form,
but this is a leigh way. This is a power
exercise so being able to hold and
squeeze you won’t be able to do that,
get that barbell rowed into as intense
as you can into the midriff.
This is an exercise where you can’t
do forced reps, and your training
partner won’t be laying on the floor
trying to help you! However once you
can’t row it in entirely don’t lose form
and try and row it in by any means
necessary, try and get in ¾ reps or
½ reps (partial reps until failure) they
still count.
1ST SET – 12 reps
WORKING SET – 6-8 reps – failure
Exercise 4: Single Arm Rows
At Temple Gym, Birmingham we have
the Hammer Strength Single Arm Row
machine which gives us a full range of
movement compared to the barbell
rows, using this machine we can get
that extra stretch before rowing it in.
An alternative to this is single arm
dumbbell rows which is just as
effective, each week I alternate these
exercises. One week will be the
Hammer Strength machine the second
week will be dumbbell rows. Another
advantage is that you can work each
lat separately.
If you’re using the Hammer Strength
machine, keep your chest firmly on the
support pad, keep your shoulders back,
chest sticking out and back slightly
arched. With your working arm held
straight, before pulling your elbow as
far back as possible and without your
chest losing contact with the support
pad. Remeber not to twist the upper
body when rowing in. I’ve seen so many
people load up the plates on either side
and row the arm in, but then wholly
losing all form. Usually, with their
chest always leaving the support pad
as they lean back. You can still perform
a few forced and negative reps until
failure on this exercise.
For Dumbbell Single Arm Rows,
place your knee into the corner of the
bench, with your hand on it for support,
your standing leg should be out then
back. This will put you into a mechani-
cal position to pull the dumbbell into
your waist if you pull higher than the
waist, you’ll be targeting more the
traps and rhomboids. For the lats, we
want our arm travelling closely to the
body and into the waist and back down
again for a full stretch. With your
standing leg do not bend the knees or
bounce, the body must be in a strict
form with the lower back arched and
not rounded. It’s challenging to get
forced reps, so ½ reps would still be
useful, also on your working set use a
wrist strap as the forearms will give
well before the lats do.
1ST SET – 12 reps
WORKING SET – 6-8 reps – failure
Exercise 5: Rear Delts
This is a small muscle group which
completes the whole back. There are
two main exercises for this either using
dumbbells or a rear delt machine.
Being seated at the end of the bench,
with the dumbbell in front of you. Keep
your elbows slightly bent, using
minimal body movement. Raise the
dumbbells up and outward in an arc
position. Shoulder level would be the
ideal height to reach back. Then
squeeze and contract your delts and
control the negative back into the
starting position. Take note: try not to
get to a point where the dumbbells are
released, keep the tension and stress
entirely on the delts, once you’ve hit
failure, continue with partial reps until
you’re finished.
1ST SET – 12 reps
WORKING SET – 6-8 reps – failure
Exercise 5: Deadlifts /
Rack Pulls or Hyper Extensions
Probably one of the most essential
exercises! Compound = Growth! On our
final exercise with the lats totally
exhausted, we can now focus on the
lower back. No deadlift should be
performed directly off the floor, but to
mid-shin. Reason being is because the
bottom 1/3rd of the movement is all
glutes & quads, they are activated as
soon as you go lower than mid-shin.
That’s a different workout, for another
day. By going to mid-shin, we are
keeping all the tension on the lower
back. The lower back is activated more
as we are upright. Yes, Rack Pulls are
just as effective, the only difference
between rack pulls and deadlifts off
the floor is that it’s not being lifted off
the rack! So there’s no crazy theory
behind it.
I hear a lot of people that suffer
from lower back problems, ensure your
back is never rounded when perform-
ing this exercise and don’t put on
unrealistic weight, to often I’ve seen
people load the bar and try and lift a
weight with terrible form, keep doing
this and you’ll suffer some severe
injuries. So keep your head up and your
back flat, again having it rounded will
put you in a very vulnerable position, to
help with your form perform this in
front of a mirror.
An alternative to Deadlifts /
Rack Pulls are Hyper Extension.
Again keep a strict and full movement,
contract fully at the top and hold for a
second. You can perform these with
either a plate held to the chest if you
find your body weight to easy or with a
barbell behind the neck with realistic
poundage added. DO NOT lean entirely
back and crush your spine when
coming up, keep it straight and don’t
lean too far back with a moderate
strain. Do as many as you can with the
form perfect, once you start breaking
form put it down before you injure
yourself.
1ST SET – 12 reps
2ND SET – 10 reps
WORKING SET – 6-8 reps – failure
TIPS
aWhenever you do a lat movement,
you have to arch your spine, for the
lats to contract it’s got to be arched.
aTo get the full effect of the
resistance, ensure that you are set/
sitting at the right angle to perform
that exercise which puts maximum
the stress on the intended muscle
group trained.
aStretch your lats when perform-
ing an exercise for a full range of
movement and not half reps.
aThe idea is to eradicate all notion
of momentum.
aExercise is about movement, the
greater the range of the motion the
more significant the exercise, so
long there’s sufficient resistance
provided.
aAlways keep your arms/elbows
close to the body contracting the
lats.
aPull with the lats, not your arms,
mentally prepare yourself and
improve your mind – muscle
connection.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 99
 JAMIE DO REGO SHOWS THERE
IS MORE TO WELSH BODYBUILDING
THAN FLEX LEWIS.
/// BY JOHN PLUMMER /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOTOARTSBYJAY

Name a Welsh bodybuilder. Yes, we knew

you’d say Flex Lewis. The six-time Olympia 212
champion is, without question, Wales’ greatest
bodybuilder. But he is far from the only one. For a country with a
population of just 3 million, Wales produces more than its fair
share of bodybuilders with peaks as pronounced as the valleys
of their homeland.
 Lewis’ coach, Neil Hill, was
a granite-conditioned IFBB pro
in the days before his protégé stepped
onstage. Of the current crop, Jamie
Do Rego shows perhaps the most
potential.
He’s 25 years old and already
has an impressive résumé.
He won the juniors and the Welsh
overall title and is the Welsh light-
heavyweight winner. He’s now closing
in on his dream of becoming an IFBB
Pro League 212 pro. He doesn’t have
to look far for proof that it can be
done.
“Flex is definitely someone I look
up to and am inspired by,” Do Rego
says. “He’s done it all and is a role
model in the sport.”
Growing up, Do Rego, like
many Welsh boys, played rugby union.
At 15, he was told he was too small,
so he started lifting weights, and
within three years he had competed in
his first bodybuilding contest. “I
placed third in my first-ever British
finals in the teen category,” he says.
“Back then I was clueless and had
very little knowledge about training or
nutrition. But the disappointment of
not winning made me want to educate
myself more.”
Do Rego combines Portuguese and
Egyptian genetics with old-school
British gym mentality. “My strength,
I’d say, would be my delts and my side
shots. I feel pretty well balanced, but
there’s always room for improvement.
I still feel my back can come up even
though it’s made progress. My calves
are the bane of my life! My training
style has always revolved around hard
work. Lift heavy, hard, and all out.
Intensity, in my opinion, is the key to
building muscle. How you approach a
set is so important—you must give it
everything. Every set and every rep
counts.”
Do Rego usually builds up
to two to three all-out working sets
each exercise, then decreases the alternate focus each workout DO REGO’S LEG WORKOUT
weight for a pump set. “Generally, I’ll on quads and ham strings. He
EXERCISE SETS REPS
hit five to six exercises per body part,” trains calves separately with
he says. “I try not to over complicate arms. Leg Press 3 20
things. I have found that lifting heavy “I usually do a circuit-style Plate-loaded Sumo 5 10
with maximum effort and keeping workout for calves,” he says. Front Squat
things basic is the best approach.” “For example, 20 standing Vertical Leg Press 4 20–30
Since Lewis is known for his legs, machine calf raises followed by Leg Extension 4 10
we thought we’d ask Do Rego to 20 seated calf raises and 20
demonstrate a lower-body workout. partial calf raises, then repeat Single-leg Press 4 10–12
His leg sessions usually have an this for five sets.” Straight-leg Deadlift 5 12–15

104 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 LEG
PRESS
“Use the
warmup sets to
build the weight
up to a working
set,” Do Rego
says. “Do the
last working set
as a triple
dropset,
reducing the
weight by 50%
each drop and
repping out to
failure. The key
during this
exercise is to
keep the muscle
under constant
tension while
using a full
range of
movement, so
try not to lock
out during each
rep. Pump the
quads like
pistons!”

PLATE-
LOADED
SUMO
FRONT
SQUAT
“Plant your
feet wide and
angled out
so you hit the
hamstrings. Pause
at the bottom of
the movement for
two seconds
before driving up.
The pause here is
key: Sink deep into
JAMIE DO REGO the movement
AGE: 25 HEIGHT: 5'6" WEIGHT: 198 lbs
and really stretch
BIRTHPLACE: London, U.K. the hamstrings
RESIDENCE: Cardiff, Wales out. Keep your
CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Becoming overall Welsh feet wide and
champion while still a junior in 2015 pointed out to put
SPONSORS: Anabolic Designs and more stress on
Iron Monkey the hamstrings.”
SOCIAL: Instagram @jamiedorego; Facebook
@JamieDoRegoFitness
TRAINING ADVICE: “Keep it basic. Train
hard and heavy!”

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 105

 VERTICAL
LEG PRESS
“I call these pump sets:
I simply rep out to
failure and try to get as
much blood in the area
as possible. Once again,
focus on maintaining
constant tension in the
area and making the
muscle work without
any lockout.”

106 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 DO REGO’S
TRAINING
SPLIT
MONDAY
Chest, shoulders
TUESDAY Back
WEDNESDAY
Arms, calves
THURSDAY Legs
FRIDAY
Back, biceps
SATURDAY
Chest, triceps
SUNDAY Rest

“I HAVE
FOUND
THAT
LIFTING
HEAVY WITH
MAXIMUM
EFFORT AND
KEEPING
THINGS
BASIC IS
THE BEST
APPROACH.”

DO REGO’S
SAMPLE
MEAL PLAN
MEAL 1
60g cream of rice
10 egg whites
1 whole egg
MEAL 2
125g rice
250g chicken
MEAL 3
125g rice
225g salmon
Post-workout shake
2 scoops whey
isolate
MEAL 4
125g rice
300g chicken
MEAL 5
40g oats
14 egg whites
1 whole egg

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 107

LEG
EXTENSION
“Break this movement
down into five-second
phases—do five seconds
on the negative, five
seconds on the positive,
and maintain a five-
second contraction
at the top of the
movement, then repeat
the process. Doing it this
way will really blow your
legs up and allow you
to feel every fibre working.
Just remember to take
momentum out of the
movement and keep all
the effort on your quads. I
sometimes include some
single-leg extensions.”

SINGLE-LEG
PRESS
“The key to this exercise is to
perform the descent in a
slow and controlled manner.
Take two to three seconds to get
to the bottom, then explode up.
Really slow down the negative
phase: Feel every part of the
movement, pause and squeeze
hard, then explode on the
way up.”

STRAIGHT-LEG
DEADLIFT
“I do these as straight sets and
focus on pushing my heels and
hips back. I like to squeeze my
glutes hard at the top of the
movement and really feel the
contraction in my glute-hamstring
tie-in. Sometimes doing these
elevated on a platform will help
you get a better stretch on the
area you are targeting.”

108 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 TOP 3 LEG
MISTAKES
1 LOCKING OUT
“This is the most common
mistake I see. Keeping
constant tension is the key to
effective leg training. Locking
out not only kills tension in the
muscle but also is extremely
bad for the joints.”
2 INSUFFICIENT RANGE
OF MOTION
“You see this all the time
when people squat and leg
press. Partial reps have a
place, but a full range of
motion is what builds legs.”
3 NOT ENOUGH
INTENSITY
“I have never seen anyone
with a good set of legs who
doesn’t train all out. Intensity
is crucial, but many people
don’t have it when it comes to
legs. They train upper body
hard but slack on
leg day.”

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 109

The Shot /// PHOTOGRAPH BY AMINA CRUZ

110 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

IRON BOND
At the 2008
Mr. Olympia, brothers
Joe and Ben Weider
shared a quiet
moment together
amid the chaos of
the backstage activity,
and photographer
Amina Cruz captured
it in this impromptu
shot. The two began
their lifelong love of
bodybuilding during
their formative years
in Montreal, Canada,
and went on to form
the International
Federation of
Bodybuilders (IFBB)
in 1946. In 1965,
Joe created the
Mr. Olympia, the
sport’s highest
honour. Together,
they helped create
the bodybuilding and
fitness industry we
know today. Sadly, this
was the last time the
two brothers would be
together. Ben passed
away on 17th October,
2008, Joe on 23rd
March, 2013. As the
54th anniversary of
the Mr. Olympia takes
place this September,
FLEX remembers the
brothers of iron who
made it all possible.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 111

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 SEPTEMBER 2018

GET THE
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 BEST
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BODYBUILDER
EVER
Who is your
favourite
/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROLAND WALLISER

bodybuilder? Are
you a Dorian Yates
fan, or maybe
Kai Greene or
Phil Heath top
your list? Which
of these do you
think is the most
accomplished
bodybuilder of all
time? In actual
fact, none of them
are! It’s actually
10x Olympia
winner Iris Kyle
2 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX
3
P I C T U R E C R E D I T : F I V O S AV E R K I O U
 Phil may be the current Mr O,
having been crowned champion 8th
this September, but he still has a
long way to go before he reaches the
heights of Kyle’s trophy cabinet.
Iris Kyle is the most successful
bodybuilder of all time. Nobody else
has ever won 10 Olympia titles and if
there was still a female bodybuilding
category, we are sure she would still
be racking them up.

IN THE BEGINNING
Raised in a large family in Michigan,
Iris was no different to many other
youngsters. Like her friends, she loved
sport and soon began to excel in cross
country, softball and her true passion,
basketball.
Just like her fellow Olympian
Phil Heath, Iris was hugely inspired
by Michael Jordan and had no real
interest in lifting weights. This didn’t
come until much later when she was
18 years old and living in Orange
County California.
“When I lived in California, my friend
and I soon realised that everyone
around us was buff,” begins Iris. “They
all had fit, sculpted physiques, so my
friend and I decided to join a gym in a
bid to look buff too. We bought every
book and magazine possible to learn
about nutrition.”
It wasn’t long before the pair were
spending hours in the gym every day,
hunting down those abs and biceps
they both desired.
“Suddenly it dawned on us that we

spent so much time in the gym, we knew I wanted to sculpt a body

may as well both get a job there!” Iris
laughs. And they did just that.
Things got serious and the girls
began reading all the information they
could find on nutrition and training in
the local library. It was at this time Iris
set her sights on greatness.
“I was reading a copy of FLEX
magazine and saw a picture of Lenda
Murray; I was blown away by her,”
recalls Iris. “At that very moment, I
like hers.”
The picture was swiftly removed
from the magazine and placed onto
her refrigerator. From that point
onwards, it was Iris’ ultimate goal to
develop her own Olympian physique.
“YOU’RE SO BIG”
A short while later, a local promotor
named Butch Dennis happened
to be in the same gym as Iris and

4 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018


saw potential in the way she looked.
“I remember Butch suggesting I enter
the show he was hosting in 10 weeks;
it was the Long Beach Muscle Classic,”
she says. “I did- and I won.”
This was the beginning of a
phenomenal career that would make
her the most successful Olympian to
date. It was later that year she earned
her IFBB pro card at only 23 years of
age.
“My close friend supported me, but
my surrounding piers were shocked
with my physique,” Iris admits. “Even
my mum was shocked the first time
she saw me competing on stage.”
From that point onwards, she
distanced herself from family and
friends and chose to become very
isolated. She found this was the best
way to make the gains needed to
achieve the next goal.
“I didn’t open myself up to negativity
from people, because I was 3-4 hours’
drive away from friends,” says Iris.
“That way, they never saw how I was
changing in order to be able to pass
judgement. They would no longer see
me until I was in the magazines or
back on stage again.”
Iris knew the only way for her to
reach her goals and have any chance
of competing against her idol Lenda
Murray was to live the way she
desired, with no outside influences.
Life was to live, breath, eat and sleep
bodybuilding.
As the competitions came, the
trophies were racking up. Winning
every show she entered gave the
champion bullet-proof motivation to
carry on.
“I was unstoppable,” Iris smiles.
“I was so self-motivated and the
placings just drove me deeper
into my mindset to become the
best ever.”
THE TIME CAME
It was 2002 when Lenda Murray
returned from retirement to reclaim
her Ms Olympia title- and she won it
again in 2003. Both times, Iris came
second behind her idol. But, in 2004,
Iris walked on stage with the best
physique ever seen in the history of
women’s bodybuilding. She won both
titles, the overall and the heavyweight
title, beating the very woman who’d
inspired her to begin lifting and
training.
“This was an achievement that
for me was mind-blowing,” says Iris.
“I’d just beaten my fridge pin-up!”
Since winning the most prestigious
title in bodybuilding, Iris has seen
many changes. In 2005, the IFBB
changed the rules and abolished the
weight class system for Ms Olympia.
They also introduced the 20% rule.
The female athletes in bodybuilding,
fitness and figure were asked to
decrease their muscularity by 20%.
The decision from the judges to
decrease muscle cost Iris her Ms
Olympia title to Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia
in 2005, but drastic steps were taken
and as a result she rebounded and
regained her title in 2006.
The winning went on, as Iris battled
for eight further years, winning a total
of 10 Ms Olympia titles. Nobody has
ever reached or beaten that number.
At this point, she decided to hang up
her bikini and retire from the stage to
focus on business.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 5
THE HALL
OF FAME
So, why at a time when
gender equality is so
poignant throughout
the world, isn’t Iris Kyle
inducted into the Joe
Weiders hall of fame?
Times have changed
and females in every
profession, from acting
through to government
are now being given a
level playing field to men.
Maybe now is the time
to recognise the sacrifice
and achievements of this
incredible athlete?!
Iris has won more
Olympia titles than any
other bodybuilder to walk
the earth to date. For
her to be inducted would
complete the goal she set
out for herself many years
ago. Iris wanted to be the
best and she put every
ounce of effort in to be
just that and give the fans
the athlete they wanted.
She changed herself
and the world of female
bodybuilding, creating a
whole new level of athlete
for others to aspire to.
One day, Iris would like to
see a different method of
judging competitions.
“It would be interesting
to remove the judges and
give the audience the
ability to decide instead,”
she says. “This would give
more power to the fans, as
the fans are the reason we
bodybuilders put ourselves
through the pain and stress
of diet to become what
they want us to be.”
Iris will never shake her
addiction to bodybuilding
and she is living proof
that if you have a goal, no
matter how crazy, you can
achieve it!

6 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

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BOOTY BLAST

/// BY LOUISE ROGERS /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY HARPENDEN STUDIOS

I have been training now for approximately 15 years, and up

until I slipped a disc in my back, I had very few problems training
my glutes and developing muscle. However, after my back
injury I struggled for over a year trying to build my glutes; even
struggling to engage and activate the muscles in any way.
I started researching glute training in more detail, and I began
to follow some glute activation work. This helped me start to
engage the muscles and learn to activate them properly again.
However, I could no longer squat as I used to and following
doctors orders, I was advised to alter my training...

8 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 9

I organised my glute workouts so that
I was training them three times per week,
alongside other body parts. The sessions
would typically be high volume/high
tension. I would also begin by
incorporating glute activation exercises
before the workout for approximately
5-10 minutes, and lateral band work after.
My most effective exercise has been the
glute bridge and hip thrust.
When people ask me about the bands
I use, they’re inexpensive on Amazon and
come in various strengths. They have
become one of my greatest tools for glute
training.
Focusing specifically on the hip thrust,
10 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
Concerning my glute workout schedule
I will follow something along these lines:
HEAVY, LOW REP DAY
(Heavy resistance and low
repetitions, e.g. 6-8)
HIP THRUSTS
Sumo Squat
Dumbbell Deadlift
Reverse Lunge
3x6
HIGH REP DAY
(15-30 repetitions… alternatively
I may do supersets or giant sets instead)
Reverse Hyperextension
Bridges
Pull through
Hip thrusts or bridge
(Band work)
3 x 20
MEDIUM REP, SINGLE LEG DAY
(aim for 10-12 repetitions)
Bulgarian Split Squat or Dumbbell Lunge
Butt Blaster or kickbacks
Single Leg Glute Bridge
Single leg RDL
3 x10/12
this exercise can seem somewhat
daunting. In the past, I had sometimes
avoided it due to finding it a little
embarrassing...You can often see men Kickbacks
pass you gawping while you’re
performing the exercise! Never the
less, it is without a doubt the best
exercise for developing your backside;
it maximises glute hypertrophy and
metabolic stress on the muscle. If you’re
looking to try this exercise here’s a brief
how-to, although I strongly recommend
checking out Bret Contrerus’ guides to
performing the optimal hip thrust –
he is arguably the world’s authority
on hip thrusting!
 HIP THRUST

The Perfect Hip

◀
◀

Thrust
Begin by sitting on the floor, with your
upper back supported on a bench and your
feet on the floor, with a medium stance.
Hold a barbell across your hips – above
your pubic bone. As you thrust upwards,
you should be able to extend your hips and
lock them out. As you return to your
starting position keep the tension on the
glutes. During my last rep, I perform an
isometric hold, before completing the set.
Other exercises I regularly include in my
routine are as follows:

Dumbbell Deadlift
◀

Using an overhand grip, take your

dumbbells while standing hip-width apart
with a slight bend in your knees. Begin the
exercise by bending at your hips and
lowering your torso. Your back should
remain straight throughout the exercise –
be mindful not to curve it.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 11

DUMBBELL
DEADLIFT

Cable Kick Back

◀
Start by attaching a strap to your
right ankle, and connect it to a cable
resistance machine. With your hips
placed slightly back, with a hinge at
the hip. Your back should remain in a
neutral position, and ensure your
core is tight. Lift your leg (with your
glute) directly back behind you and in
line with your torso. You can
alternatively try other angles if you
wish! Once in line with your body
return the leg to the starting
position, and repeat. Alternatively, if
you do not have an ankle strap, you
can kneel with one leg on the bench,
and your other leg on the floor and
kick back from here. You can also
kick back from the floor.

CABLE
KICK BACK

12 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018


Dumbbell Lunge
◀
Standing with dumbbells either side
of you, keeping your torso upright, lunge
forward with your first leg – bending the
knee to a 90-degree angle, your back knee
should be a few inches from the ground.
With the leading leg, push upwards
through your heel and return to the
starting position, then repeat with
alternate legs. I tend to use longer steps
when lunging for more emphasis on my
hamstrings and glutes. An alternating
lunge which I find gives even more
emphasis on the glute muscles is the
curtsy lunge. I do find it a little tricky
because it’s particularly challenging if you
don’t have the best balance! If you would
like to try it, you start with your feet
hip-width apart, from here you step back
as if you’re going to curtsy, so for example
if you step back if your left foot it’ll cross
behind your right foot. Bend your knee’s so
that they both reach a 90-degree angle.
To be honest, it may sound a bit confusing,
but once mastered you’ll find it a simple
alternative to a dumbbell or barbell lunge.
DUMBBELL
LUNGE
Dumbbell
Sumo Squat
◀ ◀
Take a dumbbell and hold one end with
both hands (the dumbbell should be
vertical to the ground). Stand with feet
at a sumo stance (see photo). Start the
exercise by bending at your hips and knees
until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Your chest should be out, and your lower
back arched just slightly. As you reach the
bottom of the movement return back up
to your starting point and repeat.
DUMBBELL
SUMO SQUAT
DUMBBELL
SUMO SQUAT
SINGLE
LEG RDL
Single Leg RDL ◀
(Romanian Deadlift)
So, this exercise is probably the most
challenging, due to the execution, balance
and coordination required to perform the
exercise. To start the exercise, stand with
your feet shoulder-width apart and your
knees slightly bent. Raise one leg off the
floor, and without changing the bend in
your knees, hinge at the hip and lower your
torso until it becomes parallel to the floor.
Note that your back should remain neutral.
With a hold at the bottom, squeeze your
glutes and return to your starting position.
I would suggest starting with your body
weight only! I have often ended up all over
the place doing this exercise due to lack of
balance!
@louise_ifbbpro
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 13
WORK YOUR
BUTT OFF!!!
Most women want to build a great pair of legs and of you and then to the back while
the other leg is sturdy on the
glutes for that athletically pleasing look. At present, big ground. Swing back and forth for
legs are in fashion so, it’s all about training your glutes, 15 reps each side.

hamstrings, and lower back.
Not only will training legs give you a
great shape to your physique, but
strong glutes promote strength,
function and boosts confidence ‘Power
to the glute!’
Here are a few tips to
strengthen those glutes
Tip 1: Firstly, we need to warm up
those glutes and wake them up!!!
GLUTE ACTIVATION – This is to
enable you to fully engage the glutes
and other muscle groups during
training, allowing full range of
movement through thehips
and giving greater feeling in
the glutes.
By Carly Thornton IFBB Pro
Photographs by Harpenden Studios
• 3. DYNAMIC SIDE LATERAL LEG
SWINGS. Hold onto a secure bar
and swing one leg out to the side
and back, to cross over the other
leg, swing back and forth for 15
reps each side.
• 4. DYNAMIC FRONT TO BACK
SWINGS. Hold onto a secure bar,
and with one leg, swing out in front
TIP 2: Use the classic lifts (deadlifts,
squats, lunges) to create a strong,
balanced body.
The best glute building exercises are
multi-joint lifts that activate the glutes
and require them to do a lot of work,
thereby training and growing the most
significant number of muscle fibres.
They also have the added benefit of
producing a lot of metabolic stress,
which helps you lose body fat. Bonus
right there!!!

Lower Body Warm-up

Exercises and Glute
Activation Work –
• 1. RESISTANT BAND SIDE STEP
SQUATS. Come into a squat
position and take small, controlled
steps to the side for 10-12 reps,
both ways for 3 sets. Ensure the
hips stay low in the squat position
and refrain from any bouncing
movement.
• 2. GLUTE BRIDGES. Lie on the floor
with your knees up and feet firmly
placed on the floor around
shoulder width apart. Raise your
glute as high as possible without
EXERCISE 1. p
Dumbbell Deadlifts are your best bet to get great glutes because you can use a
extending at the lumbar spine and lot of weight. Below is an example of a Sumo and Romanian a deadlift, these
squeeze glutes hard for 2 seconds are two of my ultimate favourite glute builders:
on each rep. Perform 20 reps for 3 PERFORM 4 SETS.
sets. 12-15 reps for your initial set, then keep to the same weight for your final sets.

14 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 YOU HAVE TO
EAT TO GROW
YOUR GLUTES!!
Remember you cannot build those
beautiful, strong glutes without the
correct nutrition.
I like to push the carbs higher pre-
workout then take around 30-50g carbs
in my intra workout, followed by a good
serving of carbs post workout. I do find
that a lot of people are not hungry after
training legs so something easy on the
stomach may be better suited. For
example, cereal, wrap, Rice Krispy
squares or bananas. Find the right food
that works for you because consistency
is key to anything and we want all of
that hard work in the gym showing!

For online coaching contact Carly on

ifbbprocarlythornton@gmail.com
Outfit by www.gluteywear.com
INSTAGRAM ~@carlythornton_
ifbbpro and @gluteywear

EXERCISE 2. p
Include single-leg multi-joint
exercises to target the posterior chain,
such as lunges, step-ups, and single-
leg deadlifts allow you to specifically
target the glutes, which is beneficial
for two interrelated reasons:
1) It helps with greater glute muscle
activity, so you overcome a weak
connection from the brain to the
muscle.
2) Balances strength levels in the
glutes between the right and left
side of the body
PERFORM 4 SETS
10-15 reps. For your initial set, use a
higher rep range and then keep to this
weight for your final sets

EXERCISE 3.
Barbell Glute Bridges: These are an
excellent glute builder when you load
them with a barbell. They are highly
effective at isolating the glutes to build
EXERCISE 4. p
Sumo Squat: A powerhouse movement to build thickness and size, it hits the
shape and strength. hamstrings and glutes.
PERFORM 5 SETS There are so many variations, with a dumbbell, barbell, machine and also Smiths
10 reps with only 45 seconds between machine. Mix these up as they will target slightly different areas:
sets. On your last set, I want you to PERFORM 4 SETS
drop the weight by around 30% and 8-15 reps and really focus on the stretch of this movement, complete control
perform partial reps. throughout.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 15
 THE
ULTIMATE
FEMALE
BODYBUILDERS
A CELEBRATION OF THE
GREATEST FEMALE
BODYBUILDERS EVER
TO GRACE THE STAGE BY DARREN NICHOLHURST

It is how we act and what we do that makes us who we are, but it is

our accomplishments that define who we become in history.
Some of the most celebrated women like
Emmeline Pankhurst were ordinary women
with a family, but her actions as a political activist
and leader to the Suffragette movement gained
the rights for women to vote, changing the
course of history. She will never be forgotten. The
elite athletes are forging their own history, like Iris
Kyle, with the most Olympia wins than any other
person ever.
We are highlighting these ultimate female
athletes because they have made sacrifices and
given their fans inspiration and motivation to make
their own personal quests into the fitness world.
All these women are the best at what they do
and will hopefully provide more determination
to those who follow them. They will continue
to win medals, beat goals and immortalise
their names.

16 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Iris Kyle
 Birth Date: 22nd August, 1974
 Height: 5’7”
 Weight: 165lbs

Iris Kyle has been one of the most successful

bodybuilders of the 21st century. Her impressive
number of victories demonstrates her true talent
and passion for bodybuilding. She broke both Corey
Everson’s and Lenda Murray’s records. Since she
started competing she has been a force to be
reckoned with. Iris Kyle will certainly be remembered
in IFBB history as one of the most important athletes
to grace the stage. Iris Kyle won the Ms.Olympia in
2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,
2013 and 2014, making her the only bodybuilder to
have ever earned 10 Olympia titles.

Louise
Rogers
 Birth Date: 22nd May, 1982
PHOTO CREDITS: PER BERNAL/PIERDOMENICO FUMAROLA

 Height: 5’8”
 Weight: 135lbs

Louise is an NHS worker with a commitment to be

the best at everything she does. This dedication is
what gave her victory at the British Championships,
qualifying her to compete in the 2009 IFBB World
Championships in Lake Como Italy.
Louise placed 5th at the contest, which earned her
the illustrious Pro card. Since turning pro, she has
placed highly in many contests throughout the world,
ranking her as one of the best figure athletes to
date; all while still working in the NHS and personal
training in Bournemouth.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 17

 Lenda
Murray
 Birth Date: 9th November, 1951
 Height: 5’ 4”
 Weight: 153lbs

At the 1990 Ms. Olympia, Murray succeeded six-time

champion Cory Everson and defeated Bev Francis to
become the Ms. Olympia champion, a title Murray
would hold for six years from 1990 to 1995. At the
1991 Ms. Olympia, Murray won with the slimmest
margin of victory for any Ms. Olympia, edging out Bev
Francis by a final score of 31 to 32. Afterwards, she
would go on to win the Ms. Olympia competition in
1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995.

Oksana
P H O T O C R E D I T S : B O B G A R D N E R C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S /

Grishina
 Birth Date: 25th March, 1978
 Height: 5’ 3”
 Weight: 114lbs

In 2005 and 2006 Oksana was awarded the title

of “Best Non-Olympic Sportswoman of the Year”
in the Kaliningrad Region. While winning fitness
competitions on the international stage at the
European and World Championships, she finally
earned her IFBB Pro card to compete in the 2007
Olympia. She has been in the United States for over
PER BERNAL

three years and now lives in California. She continues

to work as a personal trainer, fitness consultant, and
fitness model.
Lisa Cross
 Birth Date: 4th April, 1978
 Height: 5’ 7”
 Weight: 187lbs
Lisa entered her first IFBB professional competition at
the 2014 Tampa Pro, where she placed 16th. In 2015,
Alina Popa became her coach and started training at
the Armbrust PRO Gym. The training paid off when
she went on to win the 2015 Omaha Pro, the first time
a professional British female bodybuilder had won an
overall professional competition since 1999.

Dana
Linn
Bailey
 Birth Date: 30th May,
1980
 Height: 5’ 4”
 Weight: 125lbs

Dana entered her first

figure competition in
2006 at the Lehigh Valley
Championships and
competed in figure up
until 2010. She taught
Physical Education at
Conrad Weiser Middle
School in Robesonia
PHOTO CREDITS: PER BERNAL/CROSSXTREME

Pennsylvania until 2007,

when she retired to focus
on her career. In 2010,
she decided to participate
in the very first physique
show, which took place in
2011. She won the overall,
received her IFBB Pro
card, and became the first
women’s physique pro in
the NPC/IFBB.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 19

PRESENTED BY
 INTRODUCING THE FIRST EVER

WELSH CHAMPIONSHIPS

22ND SEPTEMBER 2018

PRINCESS ROYAL THEATRE, PORT TALBOT,
SOUTH WALES, SA13 1PJ

FOR MORE INFO

WWW.BODYPOWER.COM - @BODYPOWEREXPO
MIKE & LEICA GELSEI - @MIKELEICAGELSEI
 In 2017, Cydney
Gillon became
the youngest
Figure Olympia
champ ever.

22 FLEX
 e n
From excelling at track sports to

e
competing on Survivor to winning the
rt1
Figure Olympia crown, Cydney Gillon
Pa

u
has wasted no time. And the
scary thing is, she’s just

Q
getting started.
B Y S T E V E M A Z Z U C C H I //

d
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
PER BERNAL

ee Cydney Gillon
AT H L E T E S NA P S H O T

p
Birth Date: Instagram:

S
14th September, 1992 @vytamin_c
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 140 lbs Sponsors/Supporters:
Get Flawless Hair,
Residence: Elite Tan Colorado,
Los Angeles, CA Tamee Marie Suits,
Website: Synergy Sports in
cakefactoryfitness.com Atlanta

or as long as she can remember, Cydney Gillon

has been fast. “We had this school race called
the Turkey Trot,” she recalls. “And I won it every
single year until I broke my ankle one year—all
the way from kindergarten through fifth grade.”
But that’s just kid stuff, sensing a trend here.
right? Not exactly. Since those Just because her rise has
early days in the Atlanta sub- been speedy, though, doesn’t
urb of Douglasville, GA, Gillon mean it hasn’t been interest-
has made a habit of arriving ing. Take, for example, how
ahead of schedule. She did her she got into bodybuilding in
first bodybuilding show at 14, the first place. When Gillon
cracked the UPenn track team was 5, her parents were not
at 18, reached the final four exactly fit. Dad Skip was push-
of Survivor: Kaôh Rōng at ing 400 pounds, while Mom
23, and last year became Tangelea was more than 200.
the youngest-ever Figure “And you know how kids have
Olympia champ at 25. We’re no filter?” Gillon says.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 23

 “I was like, ‘Mom, y’all are fat!’”
That wake-up call kicked off a
spectacular turnaround that
saw both her parents become
competitive bodybuilders.
Then they flipped the script
on their loud-mouthed daugh-
ter when the “junk food junkie”
developed high cholesterol at 12.
Mom corralled her diet, Gillon
started working out, discovered
her genetics were figure-friendly...
and never looked back.
Things got tricky in college—the
high school track star had to give
up the 300-meter hurdles event
and focus on 100-meter hurdles
“because it fits more of a figure
body type”—but Gillon’s pas-
sion for competition only grew.
Which is how, a week after her
first Arnold, she found herself
marooned on a Cambodian is-
land. “The most surprising thing
about Survivor is how real it is,”
she confesses. “Man, when I’m
sitting out there with all these
bug bites, sunburned and starv-
ing, I’m like, ‘Where’s the hotel?’ I
was in shock for a week.”
But in case you hadn’t noticed,
Gillon—who had never camped
and couldn’t even swim when
taping started—adapts quickly.
She lasted 37 days, becoming
a fan favourite who still gets
recognised in public.
And while she may not have
been the “Sole Survivor,” she
24 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
stands alone in figure. After TRAINING
top 10 Olympia finishes in 2014 GILLON’S TOTAL-BODY
and 2015, Gillon hired Damian WORKOUT
Segovia of Pro Physiques in DIRECTIONS: Perform the
Arizona as her coach and really following Survivor-inspired
hit the gas, placing third in 2016 workout. For each move, focus on
before last year’s unprecedented keeping your core tight. “You
shouldn’t have relaxed abs at all,”
win. advises Gillon, “and your posture
Oh, and would-be challengers should be like a straight line.”
take note: This speed queen has
EXERCISE SETS REPS
no plans to slow down. “I’ve never
felt as if I wanted to stop or take Around the 3 15
breaks,” she says. “Each show just World
lights a new fire, so I’m always
Battle 5 30 sec.
looking to get better. That keeps Ropes
me motivated, in the moment, Alternating
and ready for the next goal.” Waves
Considering Gillon’s track
Bear Crawl 4 10 per side
record, we’re betting she’ll get
there in a hurry.
Dumbbell 4 25
Squat
Concept2 4 60 sec.
Rower
Bear Crawl
With hands under shoul- Renegade 4 15 per side
ders, knees under hips, and Row
back straight, lift knees and
crawl forward, each hand and Rope Pull 1 30 sec.
opposite-side foot leaving
and landing simultaneously.
Gillon Says: “Make sure
you’re getting full extension
of the leg and the arm with
each crawl.”
TRAINING SPLIT*
MONDAY Shoulders
TUESDAY Legs
WEDNESDAY Yoga
THURSDAY Chest
FRIDAY Back
SATURDAY Yoga
SUNDAY Rest

*Gillon mixes in ab work three

times a week but doesn’t
specifically train arms, because
hers are naturally “super­
muscular” and keep their shape
through her other workouts.

Battle Ropes
Alternating
Waves
Grasp the ropes and bend
your knees. Alternately lift
and lower arms between
knee and shoulder level to
move ropes in undulating
waves. Go fast while
maintaining good form.

It’s not
a biceps
workout,
so keep
those arms
pretty
straight.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 25


Dumbbell Squat
Holding dumbbells at
shoulder height, drop into a
squat, then drive yourself up.
Gillon Says: “Keep your abs
tight and chest up, and don’t let
your knees go past your toes.”
26 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
Concept2
Rower
Set resistance and se-
cure feet under straps.
Grasp handle and slide
forward and back in a
full rowing motion.
GILLON’S GUIDELINES
For best results, heed the champ’s top training and nutrition tips.
1
KEEP IT SIMPLE posing, showcasing the body part
“A lot of people will try to that you’re working. That allows
H A I R & M A K E U P B Y N ATA L I E M A L C H E V
come up with a whole bunch you to focus, tap into the muscle
S T Y L I N G B Y E L I S A B E T TA R O G I A N I ;
of different fancy movements, but deliberately, and not lose form.”
3
it’s better to master the basics.
And don’t watch people on EVEN THINGS OUT
Instagram—they don’t always “Look in the mirror and
know how to train properly.” make sure you’re lifting the
2
same on each side. Sometimes
TRAIN LIKE YOU’RE people lean more to one side or
COMPETING pull harder on one side, and that
“Imagine yourself onstage creates imbalances.”
 Start

Don’t swing the

C L O T H I N G B Y RO G I A N I .C O M ; S H O E S B Y S K E T C H E R S

weights, just
slowly bring them
around. And
Around the World don’t go above
With feet shoulder-width parallel with the
apart, perform a lateral
dumbbell raise, then return lateral raise.
to starting position. Perform
a front raise, then press
weights overhead.
COMING SOON
Next month, in “Speed Queen: Part 2,”
we’ll feature Gillon’s delts routine.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 27


Look Prime
Poolside
With Labor Day looming, reigning Bikini Olympia champ
Angelica Teixeira offers her midseason
primer on looking lean, fit, and ready for poolside.
1
GET RESULTS BY THE
MINUTE. “If you’re trying to
drop those last few stubborn
pounds, high-intensity interval
training, or HIIT, is ideal after
your weight-training sessions,”
28 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018
No sleeves
means that
you better
start focusing
on your guns.
Teixeira says. “I personally like to
do intervals of 60:60—such as a
20-minute workout where, after
a warmup, you alternate all-out
bouts for 60 seconds with 60
seconds at a slower pace.”
By MICHAEL BERG
2
SUPERCHARGE
FAT BURNING. “When
I’m in my cutting phase
before a contest, I decrease
the weight I use for each set
and increase the sets and reps,
going up as high as four to
five sets of 15 to 20 reps per
exercise,” Teixeira says. “I’ll also
pair exercises into supersets
to cut down on my rest time.”
3
PRIORITIZE YOUR
ARMS. “There’s no
hiding your arms in
the summer,” Teixeira points
out. “So be sure to work them
hard. I’ll pair up biceps and
triceps exercises to crank up
the burn and enhance muscle
definition.” For biceps, she
performs four sets of 15 to 20
reps, supersetting preacher
curls with alternating
dumbbell curls and rope
pressdowns with overhead
cable extensions.
4
BUILD YOUR BASE.
“If you have some
color on your skin,
your muscle definition will
show more,” Teixeira explains.
“I’m not a big fan of tanning
machines—I like natural
tanning. I use a tanning spray
with sun protection level 15.
I prefer to tan in the morning,
8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and in the
afternoon, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.”
5
FAST-TRACK
WEIGHT LOSS BY
TWEAKING YOUR
DIET. “Break up your meals
into small portions every
three hours to speed up your
metabolism,” advises Teixeira.
“And decrease your calorie
and carbohydrate intake
while increasing your servings
I A N S PA N I E R
of whole, unprocessed
foods, focusing on protein,
vegetables, and good fats.”
 VITAL STATS
NAME:
Kelly Kavanagh
AGE:
26
TRAINS AT:
AbSalute Gym, Thurrock
INSTAGRAM:
@kelkavv
OCCUPATION:
Corporate Real Estate Bid Manager & Personal
HOT BOD
Trainer
ACHIEVEMENTS & GOALS:
A scholarship with the Army to become an officer
at Sandhurst
Black belt in Karate
2:1 University degree
I have competed in a number of bodybuilding
shows over the past 3 years and my aim is to reach
the Olympia stage by 30. I think everyone should
set goals that excite you and scare you at the
same time!
At the end of 2017, I qualified for the Arnold’s
IFBB show with the help from my coach @
ryanjohnbaptiste @team_rjb. This year, I am
entering the 2brospro amateur Olympia where I hope
to make a top placing and qualify for that pro card!
I want to show that it is possible to hold down
a full-time job whilst competing and still enjoy a
balanced life. I don’t believe successful people are
naturally gifted, they are the people that work hard
and never give up on their goals.
The most important advice I would give to anyone
looking to get in shape is to never compare yourself
against someone else; I aim to beat my own
physique each year. You don’t have to prove
anything to anyone except yourself!

/// PHOTOGR APH BY HARPENDEN ST UDIOS

The Perfect Tan
Everyone is
/// BY DARREN NICHOLHURST @DAZ_THE_BULL WITH LISA HAYES
/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY HARPENDEN STUDIOS

always so
focused on
peak week.
But why is it so important? There are
the obvious hurdles such as ensuring
you don’t get anything nutritionally
wrong. After all if you do you’re not
going to look your best on stage. Then
there are the things some people leave
until the last minute and don’t plan for.
For example, what if you’re in the best
condition you have ever been, but you
didn’t get your tan right?
Some inexperienced athletes may
think this will be fine, but it won’t!
You may start to hold fluid in the skin
and go smooth, losing definition. Or, you
may start to sweat and that sweat may
begin to run and streak. You may then
turn green in colour. This might have
worked for the Hulk, but only while sav-
ing the world!
Tan is just as essential as the rest
of the competition prep process. Why
would you risk failing at the last hurdle?
Remember, all pros know what tan

suits them, and how they should prep
for some 1-2 weeks before the actual
show day tan.
Lisa Hayes is one of the UK’s
best show prep tanners. She flies
all over the world ensuring the elite
athletes don’t fail their physique at this
crucial stage. Lisa is going to take you
through the process of achieving the
perfect tan.
Her career took off in 2013 when she
started to tan a few athletes who then
began winning their comps. Stars like
Tom Coleman, Emma Brooke, Kelly
Sephton, Darren Johnson and Luke
Sandoe to name but a few. Having her
tans being described as flawless by the
judges then led to Lisa being asked to
take over the WBFF tanning, as well as
working with many celebrities.
WHY?
These type of products or processes
balance the pH levels in the skin.
The skin can change during prep due
to the chemicals in sweat and anything
else that you may have in your system
that causes your tan not to develop
correctly, or may even cause it to turn
green.

30 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

 Essential Tips for Skin Prep
Competitors spend a lot of time and
money on being ready for a show,
but sometimes they fall short on
their skin prep leading up to it.
They will leave it until the very last
minute. I always recommend to my
clients that they start 2-3 weeks
out, so it becomes part of comp
prep life. The first things to be
affected by prep life are your skin,
hair and nails. So, you need to look
after them. It really helps to
exfoliate. The best thing for this
is a mitt, as it’s cheap and
effective and dry brushing your
skin sheds oils. Moisturise too,
Hair Removal
Shaving:
There is no right or wrong way with this.
It’s whatever you prefer. The good old-
fashioned method of shaving is my fa-
vourite. Shave the night before, but use
a hair conditioner for shaving cream, as
you get a closer shave. It also helps the
razor glide over your skin.
Hair Removal Cream:
If you’re using hair removal cream,
NEVER use it the day before tanning,
as tan doesn’t sit well on dry skin.
As you get closer to the show,
start using a pH wash and espe-
cially the night before your tan.
Sanex pH wash is a good option.
You can also use bicarbonate of
soda, or even Johnson’s baby wash.
it will sting and may cause redness to
the skin becoming very irritable and
may burn. Be gentle with your skin and
always do a patch test when using any
hair removal product. This this can
leave you with skin irritation as your
skin is thinner ... which can leave marks
that look unsightly under your tan and
can be extremely hard to cover up.
Waxing:
Whether you’re waxing or sugar waxing,
ensure that you do i t 5-7 days B EFORE
tanning. The reason for this
is that it can leave your skin with
blemishes or marks. I tend to
favour sugar waxing, as it’s a natural
product and you’re less likely to get
marks on the skin. If you opt for
regular waxing, let your tanner know
if you have any wax marks or burns
on the skin. These can be examined
and if need be, you can apply a
little barrier cream on the area to
preventing the tan appearing darker
in patches.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 31
 Nail Polish
This applies for the girls
and the guys. Clear
nail polish will stop
the tan absorbing into
your nails. This way,
once you have finished
competing, you can
remove the clear polish,
and you will still have
beautiful nails.

Tan Day Tip

On the day of your tan, you need to be
ultra careful. You don’t want to ruin all
the hard work. So, do not use deodor-
ant, body spray or perfume. If you do
this, the tan will go green. Wear loose
dark clothing, keep it simple and buy a
big t-shirt and loose bottoms that you
can slip into with ease. You don’t want
to wear something tight, as this will
wear away the tan on removal. Use flip
flops on your feet and wear your dark
baggy clothes to sleep in, so your skin
doesn’t stick together, and you will be
less likely to get the dreaded handprint
in the middle of your chest or on your
beautiful peach. If you put your hands
on your body when you sleep, then put
socks on your hands, so they look on
point. Yes, you’re going to get some tan
transfer on hands once you are posing
on stage, but it seems so much better
to step on stage with clear untanned
palms.

Glaze
So, you’re ready to step on stage, and
your tan is on point ... now we glaze.

Chill out and don’t panic. Glazing make you look like an oil slick.
should happen 20 minutes or so Remember that once you’re on stage
before you step on stage. The glazing and the spotlights are on you, you will
should enhance you . It should not start to sweat. If you have too much

32 FLEX | SEPTEMBER 2018

glaze, that mixed with the sweat will
cause you to over shine, and this will
cause your definition to be unclear with
the reflecting light possibly resulting in
a poor placing. It’s always good to ask
one of the official show helpers their
opinion, as they will know about the
stage lighting and if you have over or
under applied.

Tan Removal Tip

Soak in a bath of Epsom salts and
exfoliate with the undissolved salt, be-
ing careful not to scratch the skin. You
can also soak your body in baby oil for
20 minutes, then jump in a bubble bath,
and then also exfoliate. Both of these
methods will help to remove a lot of
the tan.
Once you’re out of the bath, dry
off using an old towel (the tan will
make dark marks all over it) and then
moisturise regularly. The amount of
tan that is typically used can dry your
skin out.

Contacts;
Facebook: Lisa Hayes
Instagram: @lisa_bestofthebest
E-mail: angels@pure-elite.com

SEPTEMBER 2018 | FLEX 33

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