If you’re a serious bodybuilder, but you’re not familiar with Vince Gironda, you owe it to yourself to get acquainted with his result-producing training methods and exercises as well as his diet tricks for fast fat loss and muscle gain.

Vince was a Hollywood gym owner and trainer back in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s who was way ahead of his time. I worked for him at his Vince’s Gym in Studio City in the ’60s, so I know from first-hand experience that his methods work–he was a genius at building muscle and burning fat in record time, which is why many movie stars came to Vince to get them in shape quickly for film roles.

Vince also trained the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, and Larry has nothing but praise for Gironda and his amazing methods. Vince was instrumental in Larry’s bodybuilding success, no question.

I recently came across an e-book that is a tremendous collection of Vince’s methods, quotes, workouts and advice. The title is Vince Gironda: Legend & Myth, and it’s by Alan Palmieri, who was one of Vince’s students.

Reading through this e-book flooded my mind with memories of Vince and the incredible results he used to get from those he trained. The subjects include:

Train 21 days, rest 7
Why a muscle has four sides
10-8-6-15 ab-etching program
Protein-fat diet for getting ripped
Best exercises for stubborn muscles
Exercise tempo
And much, much more

That last one, exercise tempo, is very important, as it’s one of the cornerstones of Vince’s muscle-building, fat-burning philosophy. Here’s a quote from the 300-plus-page e-book that explains:

“To increase muscle size, you must increase the intensity of work done within a given time. This means that it doesn’t matter how much work you do but how fast you do it. This is known as the overload principle.”

So Vince had a different view of overload–it wasn’t just about trying to lift more and more weight–it was about doing more work in less time, which was also known as his density principle:

“This principle explains why sprinters have larger muscle size all over their bodies than long distance runners. Although it is more work to run a mile than 100 yards, the sprinter is doing more work per second and as a result, his muscles will enlarge.”

A lot of what Vince said back in the ’60s is finally being proven by science, such as his density principle and his low-carb diet for fat loss. Vince has interesting twists on both of those that are explained in detail in the e-book (like steak and eggs for breakfast for maximum muscle size and fat loss).

Having known Vince and worked for him, I can honestly say that he is one of the all-time greatest bodybuilding trainers in history. And I highly recommend Vince Gironda: Legend & Myth for every serious bodybuilder’s training library.

–John Balik

Note: Vince Gironda: Legend & Myth is available with a number of free gifts, such as Vince’s 8×8 Workout System. For more information, go HERE.

Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA

Height: 5’11”  Age: 29

Weight: 194 contest; 210 off-season

Training: Monday: legs; Tuesday: chest, calves; Thursday: back, abs; He works shoulders and arms only three to four months out of the year.

Sample bodypart (legs): lunges, 500-700; leg extensions, 3 x 20; leg curls, 3 x 15; leg presses, 4 x 30; reverse hack squats, 3 x 12

Factoid: I work as a personal trainer, so there’s not much time for hobbies. I love my work and love training with big Will Harris; I’m a member of WPM—World Power Mutants (founder Will Harris).

IM: How old are you; where are you from?

ST: I’m 37 years old from Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

IM: What got you into lifting, and how old were you?

ST: At 14 years old I was getting bounced around the ice by the older and bigger guys in high school hockey. I knew that I needed to put on some size in order to stand my ground in front of the net, so I looked for guidance from my best friend’s brother, who was playing in the OHL and eventually made it to the NHL. Not only did working out improve his hockey game, but his physique was impressive too.

He set me up with a program to follow in my parents’ basement with the old cement-filled York weight plates, a bench and a York 2000 multigym. I covered my walls with posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme for inspiration.

I started lifting to improve my game, but it was the attention from girls that kept the fire burning.

IM: How often do you work out now?

ST: Five days per week.

IM: What’s your best training tip?

ST: Experience maximum muscle stimulation by including a variety of training protocols, rep ranges, rest periods and angles in every workout. For example, I may start off a leg workout by taking a page out of old-school classic physique artist Vince Gironda’s book and perform eight sets of eight reps on front squats with just 15 seconds’ rest between sets.

Then I’ll move on to three straight sets of glute/ham raises for six repetitions with 90 seconds’ rest.

Next I perform four drop sets of barbell split squats for eight to 12 reps with no rest between sets other than the time it takes to reduce the weight. That targets those muscle fibers deep down that often get neglected.

Next comes three supersets of leg presses for eight reps and jump squats  for 12 reps—no rest between exercises and 60 seconds’ rest between supersets.

I’ll finish off the workout with two straight sets of leg extensions and leg curls—targeting 15 repetitions with 30 seconds’ rest between sets.

That sample workout includes eight sets of eight, straight sets, drop sets and supersets. It includes rest periods of 0, 30, 60 and 90 seconds and reps of six, eight, 12 and 15. Combined and working in tandem, the variety of training protocols, rest periods and rep ranges skyrockets your results compared to using any one of them on their own.

That’s the kind of synergist strategy that makes the Metabolic Masterpiece workouts so incredibly effective at sculpting your body into a work of art.

IM: What diet tips have helped you achieve your lifting goals?

ST: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. If you’re serious about your physique goals, it’s critical to measure your nutrition intake. Otherwise you’re simply guessing where you need to improve and by how much. The food scale and online meal planner are priceless tools in my quest for attaining the aesthetically pleasing physique that I desire.

IM: What keeps you motivated to train?

ST: Number one, I’m fascinated by the ability of the human body to continue improving and building upon itself. I view physique training as an art form and my body as a work of art. It’s the attention to detail that excites the heck out of me. I love seeing new striations appear as I get ripped and thicker muscle bellies as I build up. I can look at my physique with a critical eye and understand exactly what I need to do in order to bring up a lagging bodypart in an effort to sculpt spectacular symmetry and perfect proportions.

Scheduling semi-annual photo shoots for the past couple years has provided me with the urgency to improve my physique every six months. I strive to see noticeable improvements in my appearance with each photo shoot.

This past year, at the age of 37, I took a huge step outside of my comfort zone by competing for the first time in a natural bodybuilding competition. There was no way that I was going to step onstage unless I looked the absolute best that I ever have. That was a huge motivator for me, and the hard work paid off with a second-place finish in my weight class. The young gentleman who beat me also won the junior division and the overall title. I’m now driven to climb up the ranks and win the title the next time I step onstage.

IM: What’s the biggest mistake you see in the gym?

ST: Lack of focus—mind/muscle connection—and control, with little or no intent to create adequate tension where it’s meant to be felt. Too many egos get in the way of properly executing an exercise for maximum benefits. I would love to see more guys reducing the weight and slowing down each repetition in an effort to isolate the target muscle as effectively as possible with minimal involvement from the supporting muscles.

IM: What projects are you currently working on?

ST: I’m continually adding to the Metabolic Masterpiece product line, designing workout programs that produce picture-perfect physiques, ready for photo shoots or the stage. Of course, you don’t need to compete or have professional photos taken—but you’ll be more than happy to know that you’ve sculpted a body that’s worthy of both.

Editor’s note: Learn more about Scott’s physique-focused training programs at abs.metabolicmasterpiece.com/how-to-get-ripped.

Photography by Jerry Fredrick at Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA

Height: 5’3”     Weight: 115

Age began training: I began training officially when I was 19 years old. I played all kinds of sports growing up—basketball, volleyball and track and field—but I never hit the weights until I went to college.

Reason you started lifting: I took a weight-training course at the University of Portland that sparked the fiery high any trainee gets after a great weight-training session. I loved the feeling of being on top of the world. It’s when you push for that last rep that your body is saying is impossible, but your mind power takes over and you just do it. It’s a reminder that you can always do more than you think you can.

Training: I train seven days a week. Not every day is high intensity, but I do try to get my blood pumping in some way or another every single day. I don’t break down my bodyparts by days. I assess my body and see what I’d like to improve on and make that my focus for the week while integrating my favorite bodyparts, such as biceps and back. I’ve heard great things about the body split method, but at the end of the day you have to evaluate your own body and see what works best for you.

Factoids: I grew up in the boonies in eastern Oregon in a town with a population of 1,000. I have seven siblings, so I always had someone to play with growing up. I didn’t know the meaning of privacy until I was 21 years old; that’s the first time I ever had my own room! I owned an exterior-house-painting business (brush and roll only) when I was 20 years old. I’m creating a fitness brand called OnePower, based on the idea that a sexy mind will bring about a sexy body.

Photography by Jerry Fredrick
Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA
Height: 5’6”

Weight: 136 off-season; 130 contest

Training: Sunday: quads; Monday: rest; Tuesday: upper body; Wednesday: glutes, hamstrings; Thursday: upper body; Friday: rest; Saturday: yoga

Sample bodypart (back): Wide-grip pulldowns, 3-4 x 10-12; Hammer Strength rows, 3-4 x 10-12; Hammer Strength pulldowns, 3-4 x 10-12; seated cable rows, 3-4 x 10-15; hyperextensions, 3-4 x 20-25

Factoids: The mother of three boys, she trains with her husband.

Bench press specialist Joe Mazza has made history by becoming the first man ever to hold records in raw, single-ply and multi-ply classifications.

The 165-pound powerlifting phenom set the all-time single-ply benching record in the 165-pound class on January 27 at the RPS North American Championships in Newark, New Jersey. Having already set the max bench press records in the multi-ply (705 pounds) and raw (482 pounds) divisions over the past three years, Joe pressed out 635 pounds in a single-ply shirt at the North Americans meet to crush the old record of 619.

A member of Team MHP for more than a decade, Joe has established himself as the best bench presser in history by simultaneously holding the all-time world record in three separate classifications.

For more information about Joe Mazza, Team MHP or any of the performance supplements Joe uses on a daily basis to be the best bencher on the planet, visit MHPStrong.com.

Photography by Jerry Fredrick
Location: Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA

Height: 5’7”    

Weight: 125

Why did you start training? I wanted to challenge myself, mentally and physically, with something new! As an athlete—a former gymnast—I have never done such a specific training program as this before. It’s a program where nutrition, workouts and lifestyle come together to sculpt the body with a focus, detail and purpose. I love it.

Training: Five days a week weights, six to seven days a week cardio

Bodypart split: Monday: plyometrics; Tuesday: back, core; Wednesday: chest, biceps, calves; Thursdays: legs, yoga; Friday: shoulder, triceps, calves

Sample bodypart routine (shoulders): Lateral raises, 3 x 15; front raises, 3 x 15; rear-delt raises, 3 x 15; handstand pushups, 3 x 10; seated rows, 3 x 11; presses, 3 x 15

Diet: I eat six meals a day. All meals are nutritionally balanced, clean and healthy. My diet consists of oats, sweet potatoes, chicken, fish, sometimes steak, green veggies, salads, avocados and almonds.

Factoids: I love to sing! I got one of my degrees in opera performance. So you might find me singing or humming randomly throughout the day. I was also an international elite gymnast as a child. I loved tumbling, flipping and twisting. To provide balance and a bit of serenity in my life, I do yoga. It keeps me in the moment, calm and focused.

Contact:

Facebook: facebook.com/1maggielane
Twitter: MaggieLane123
Instagram: MaggieLane123

Age: 66

How many days a week do you train? Three days on/one off or sometimes four on/two off. My workouts typically last 45 minutes to one hour.

How many sets do you do per bodypart? Heavy week about 10; light week 15 or 16. I do four or five sets per exercise, and I like 10, 8, 6, 4, 3 reps.

Do you do cardio? I do 15 minutes three times a week regularly.

In the off-season, when you’re trying to build muscle, what is your diet like? Solid, compact meals eight times a day. I eat every two hours—beef, half a chicken, potatoes, rice, soups, eggs and fresh sour bread. I eat about 2,800 to 3,000 calories a day.

Do you use a protein supplement? Yes, GAT Supertein protein. Love the chocolate. I also use their amino caps, Jet Mass and Recovery formula.

What do you like least about training? I love everything about training!

From the first it was clear that Casey Bunce had a story to tell. The question: “What do I need to know about you before we do this interview?” His answer: “I’m very determined, and I love my family.”

Determination is the word, all right. Though he’s earned two first-place finishes at Seattle’s prestigious NPC Emerald Cup, the 33-year-old, 245-pounds-in-contest-shape gym owner from Corona, California, has taken the long road in his bodybuilding career—and, as his bio would suggest, in life. That he’s triumphed this far shows just how determined the 6’ superheavyweight is.

“I was in recovery for over a year, first with a wheelchair, then a walker and crutches. My leg was severely atrophied.”

Raised in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley—not so far as the crow flies from the Riverside County town of Corona but a million miles in lifetime experience—Bunce spent his high school years in Las Vegas and in Lake Havasu, Arizona. He majored in kinesiology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and eventually moved to Washington state before coming to Corona, where he opened Construction Zone Fitness this year. Along the way he held numerous jobs—account executive at a mortgage bank and regional sales manager for electrical equipment, to name a couple—before making his way back to what he really wanted to do.

Casey’s contest résumé is short but impressive: In 2003 he took third in the heavyweights at the Gold’s Gym Classic and in ’04 was heavyweight champ at the Emerald Cup. Four years later, at the ’08 Las Vegas Classic, he earned another top trophy in the heavies, and after placing well at the California Championships in 2011, he moved up to superheavyweight, scoring another class win at Emerald Cup in 2013.

That four-year gap is the key to Bunce’s story, at least the part that features his true grit in the gym and on the contest platform.

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RS: Did you have a sports background?

CB: I played baseball and football, starting from the age of eight. I have always loved being competitive.

RS: When did you start working out? 

CB: In high school, when I starting playing football, but the football program didn’t make you lift weights, and I started to lift at home with my dad. He was very big into it and had all the necessary equipment in the garage. My dad was a very strong and large man, so I always wanted to be like him!

RS: When did you start competing? 

CB: After playing some college football, I joined a gym in Kirkland, Washington, and started working out more, focusing on more detailed workouts vs. the strength and power movements I was used to doing in the football program. I became workout partners with  a former Marine named Gary Hardin who competed in bodybuilding. After a few weeks he told me that I would make a good bodybuilder. I said, “Okay, what the heck? Let’s give it a try.” Gary guided me slightly, and with my science and nutrition knowledge from school I did a diet and preparation plan and was on my way to my first bodybuilding show [the ’03 Gold’s Classic].

RS: You were out of commission for several years. What happened?

CB: In 2005 I was prepping for the USAs. I’d just come off my win at the Emerald Cup and was feeling good about doing very well. I was at a birthday party and had an unfortunate incident with some bad people who showed up. They beat me up severely, kicking in my knee—and all over jealousy. It just goes to show that you have to pick the people you are going to have in your life very wisely. I had to undergo a major surgery and have my knee rebuilt with donor ligaments.

RS: How long before you could train legs again?

CB: I was in recovery for over a year, first with a wheelchair, then a walker and crutches, and, finally, toward the middle of the second year, I was able to work out that leg with light weights and get back into the gym on a normal schedule. My leg was so severely atrophied that it took another year and a half to get it close to the same size as the other leg; to this day it is still smaller, and if I do not train it regularly, it starts to atrophy. In April 2012 I had to have another surgery to help repair some of the left-over damaged cartilage.

RS: How did it feel to get back onstage?

CB: It was amazing! I am not going to lie—it was bittersweet. I was so happy to be doing what I loved again and that I came right back with a win, but at the same time I felt that if it had not been for that injury, I would be farther along with my bodybuilding career—who knows maybe even a pro—rather than feeling like I was starting over. That has passed now, and I just feel blessed that I can have the chance to get back onstage and be doing what I am passionate about.

RS: What are your competition goals now? Pro card?

CB: I would love to try for a pro card. Right now I am just taking it slowly, one show at a time. I may do the ’14 USA, but I am thinking of competing in December at the NPC Excalibur in Culver City, California, so I can get more comfortable being onstage as a superheavyweight. I know I need to work on my hamstrings and back width.

RS: How would you describe your training style?

CB: I really wouldn’t call the way I train a style. I just try to constantly mix it up. I believe that the muscle responds well to a new stimulus, so I try to add different movements and weight and rep ranges every week and keep it different than the previous week. That way I feel I can maximize my gains, keep my workouts short and still yield good results.

[For more on his training, see the sidebar on page 88.]

RS: How about your diet? How do you approach eating for mass gaining? For contest prep?

CB: My diet doesn’t change too much during my bulking periods because I try to stay fairly lean during the off-season. I just eat a few more higher-glycemic carbohydrates. Then I switch those to low-glycemic carbs when I cut down for the show. My body responds to certain foods very well, so I don’t change things much. That way I don’t get any surprises. My approach is very basic—I try to eat a well-balanced diet and add a few supplements to aid in nutrition. I do try to have one or two cheat meals a week to keep myself and my family sane. [Laughs]

RS: You mentioned how important your family is.

CB: Yes, I love my family! I am married to a wonderful woman named Yvonne; she is the reason I have become a better man. We have five kids. I have a beautiful stepdaughter, Amanda, who is 24-years old. I have a son, Dru, who is 16; I have a stepson, Nick, who is 15; and then my two youngest—twin boys, Jonathan and Jacob—are 14.

RS: Talk about your gym, Construction Zone Fitness.

CB: I have always been a personal trainer. Even when I had different jobs in different industries, I always seemed to be training people for extra money, and I loved it. When I moved back to California, I started building up my clientele, and then when the opportunity came, I jumped on it and bought the gym I was training people at. I wanted to make the gym bigger and busier, so I called some friends in Issaquah, Washington, Pete and Apple Grubbs, who own Construction Zone Fitness. We put our heads together and came up with an agreement. Now we have a Southern California location in Corona.

We are a fitness-oriented, family friendly facility. We do mostly weight loss and group fitness, and of course we do contest prep, nutrition coaching and education. We also work with [pro fitness star] Tanji Johnson at Save Fitness. Tanji and her coaches help a lot of our competitors with their posing, and they also do seminars.

RS: How do you juggle the activities and pressures of being a business owner, family man and competitive bodybuilder?

CB: It is very tough—that is for sure! I guess I just try to stay organized, focused and, most important, patient. Sometimes things get hectic, and that is just how life is. So if I can just try to be patient, things tend to work themselves out. If I let the stress get to me, it will effect all aspects—my family, my business, even my gains in the gym—so I try to pick my battles and not let too much of the little stuff get to me.

Editor’s note: To contact Casey Bunce, write to casey@czfitnessocal.com.  IM

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In the case of Hunter Labrada, it doesn’t take a Ph.D. in nutrition to know that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Considering the accomplishments of his pop, Hall of Fame bodybuilder Lee Labrada, that’s one mighty large apple.

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Not so long ago Hunter’s athletic desires centered around football, where his talents as a 5’9”, 210-pound running back/strong safety at Northland Christian High School in Houston earned him a scholarship to Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. A hamstring injury in his freshman year, however, set the stage for a new, yet very familiar, passion for Hunter, 21, the oldest of the three Labrada offspring (Lee and Robin, married 26 years, are also parents to sons Blade, 17, and Pierce, 14).

These days Hunter has his sights focused on becoming the next Labrada to walk on a bodybuilding stage with the well-known “Mass with Class” standards Lee crafted early in his career, more than three decades back. Though Hunter hasn’t made his debut yet (hold off on the laughter), the kid is clearly a larger, stronger version of Dad.

I caught up with the dynamic duo around 1 p.m. at the crowded Labrada Nutrition booth at the ’13 Olympia Expo in late September. Good timing; we were able to use their lunch break to head out to a quiet (okay, quieter) spot, where Lee and Hunter opened up about Hunter’s long-term goal of being recognized as one of the top professional physique artists in the world.

LT: Hunter, when did you first realize how revered your dad was in bodybuilding?

HL: You know, I saw the Olympia medals, the Arnold Classic medals around the house, but I never thought much about it. I’d say I was around 12 years old, and I went to my first Arnold Classic. I was about three feet behind him, walking through the crowd, and I saw this impressive wave of whispers, people saying, “Oh, my God, that’s Lee Labrada. That’s Lee Labrada!” I was not into bodybuilding at the time, but that got my attention. Eventually I came to realize how incredible a bodybuilder he was. It’s been a blessing to have such a legend in my corner.

LT: Lee, did you talk much about bodybuilding when Hunter, Blade and Pierce were growing up, perhaps suggesting a like-father, like-son scenario?

LL: Not at all. At home I wanted to be Dad, not a bodybuilding icon, to them. Of course we worked out—we have a gym in our home—and since they were little, they’ve seen me and Robin train.

LT: Hunter, when you were in high school a few years back, I wrote about your football exploits. Things have changed.

HL: Yes, football was my first passion, all through middle school and high school. I was head over heels, 100 percent in love with football. But I went through a transition my senior year, when I suffered a hamstring injury. I had to adjust my training, working around the injury, and eventually ended up doing what people would call a bodybuilding-split workout.

It got to the point where I started loving lifting for football more than playing football. I signed a letter of intent to play at Bentley University, just outside Boston. I did go my freshman year but ended up not playing. It was a great experience, but it was a little too far from home—and a little too cold—for me.

Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA

Age: 43  Weight: 277

Height: 6’

Sample workout: Leg extensions, 3 x 30; reverse hack squats, 3 x 20; seated leg curls, 3 x 30; leg presses, 4 x 20

Factoid: I got into competitive bodybuilding to challenge myself more and have a bigger goal for my workouts.

Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA

Age: 26  Weight: 148

Height: 5’7”

Sample workout: Decline presses, 4 x 8-10; flat-bench presses, 4 x 6-10; weighted dips, 4 x 6-12; DB bench presses, 4 x 6-10; DB pullovers, 3 x 8-12

Factoids: My dad was my biggest influence. He inspired me to train hard and never give up. I own Bishoy’s Gym in Los Angeles, and I won the ’05 INBA Natural Universe and the ’10 Natural Olympia contests.

Contact: Send e-mail to
BishoyHannaFitness@hotmail.com

Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, California by Jerry Fredrick

Sandy Lieu

Age: 25  Weight: 98

Height: 4’10”

Sample workout, lower body: Squats, 3 x 8-12; leg presses, 3 x 8-12; leg extensions, 3 x 8-12; leg curls, 3 x 8-12; hyperextensions, 3 x 8-12; split jumps + pop squats, 3 x 15-20

Factoids: I am OCD when it comes to organizing and cleanliness. I’m currently working on launching my website,
CutieBootyFit.com.

Emmanuel Delcour

Age: 33  Weight: 200

Height: 6’2”

Sample workout, shoulders and arms: Tri-set, 3 rounds: lateral raises x 15, DB front raises x 15, DB delt kickbacks x 15; tri-set, 3 rounds: military presses x 15, EZ-curl-bar curls x 15, rope extensions x 15; tri-set, 3 rounds: close-grip bench presses x 15, machine preacher curls x 15, 4-way neck machine x 15 (each way); cardio: bike, 35 minutes

Factoid: I work as a private French chef, cooking organic French fusion food, while also being a trainer and nutritionist.

Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, California by Jerry Fredrick

Age: 42  Weight: 118

Height: 5’4”

Sample workout (legs): Circuit 1—leg extensions, 3 x 15-20; sumo squats, 3 x 20; leg curls, 3 x 15; Circuit 2—good mornings, 3 x 15; cross-back lunges, 3 x 15; speed skaters, x 45 seconds; leg presses, 3 x 15; Circuit 3—Bulgarian split squats, 3 x 20; jump lunges, x 45 seconds; crossover lunges, 3 x 12; leg presses (narrow), 3 x 15; Circuit 4—adductor machine, 3 x 15; abductor machine, 3 x 15, pop squats, 45 seconds

Titles: ’13 GNC Los Angeles Figure Championships, masters figure 35 and over, A, 1st

Factoid: I was a torch bearer in the Olympic Torch Relay in 1986 and Miss June in the 2000 Hooters Calendar.

The Fitness International battle, in which Oksana Grishina and Tanji Johnson will once again duke it out without Adela Garcia in the way, should be intense. Last year Tanji prevailed, but at the Olympia in September Oksana took second over Tanji (behind Adela). Two weeks later at the Arnold Europe, Tanji, who had brought her best routine in years, beat Oksana. Then, at the Europa Phoenix, with Tanji not in the lineup, Oksana took the top prize. Are you getting the picture? The physique round may be only a third of the score, but it often makes the difference. Can Grishina, who won the routines in all-of-the-above cases, break the bridesmaid habit in Columbus? No reason why not.

A lineup of 15 leaves room for newer faces and repeat challengers like Whitney Jones, Babette Mulford and Melinda Szabo, along with all the usual top-six suspects. Fitness does indeed live.

We’re back with IRON MAN’s celebrated women’s news-’n’-gossip page—Pump & Circumstance—and just in time to talk about the lineups for the ’14 Arnold Sports Festival pro shows, which were announced just before Christmas. It’ll be hot battles in all the events, although the hottest story may be the dropping of women’s bodybuilding in favor of men’s 212-and-under bodybuilding. Not surprisingly, much of the buzz has been from those who are unhappy with the decision, but I wonder if any have considered that maybe Jim Lorimer and company looked at their program, saw they had one men’s competition and four women’s and decided it was time to even it out a little. It’s not as if they swapped the female flexers for men’s physique.

None of the contests that will take place at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio, on February 28 and March 1 (the last time for the Vets, which will be torn down; the contest moves to the Greater Columbus Convention Center in 2015) will be fiercer than the Bikini International. All five players will be back from the Olympia upset—in which relative newcomers Ashley Kaltwasser, Yeshaira Robles and Stacey Alexander took the top three over defending champ Natalia Melo and runner-up India Paulino. They’ll all have something to prove, but are we in for a rematch or a rerun?

I had my suspicions about the Olympia results—that Paulino and Melo looked a bit lean from the front next to the three fresh faces. According to the IFBB’s Sandy Williamson, who was the head judge, “It came down to who was in the best shape. It was pretty unanimous that the top three were in the best shape.”

Regarding Kaltwasser’s one-point win, she said, “They each had areas where they excelled over the others. Ashley has a more athletic body and was in great shape, Yeshaira has probably the best stage presence, and Stacey has a great body but needs a little more stage presence even though she has really blossomed this year.”

So, will Stacey blossom even more in 2014? Will Yeshaira squeeze past Ashley? Will Natalia, possessor of, arguably, the best butt in the biz, and India, who holds the title of “Least Likely Cop Ever,” come back to exact revenge? Your guess is as good as mine.

Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, California

Age: 32  Weight: 200

Height: 5’11 1/2”

Sample workout, chest*: Incline presses, flat-bench dumbbell presses, incline dumbbell flyes, pec deck flyes and machine incline presses—all exercises, 5 x 25, 20, 15, 10, 5; giant set of all exercises x 1

Bodypart split: No splits. I train five to six days a week, one bodypart a day, alternating upper- and lower-bodyparts. Whatever bodypart I’m working I bring to complete fatigue, alternating between compound and isolation moves.

Factoids: I studied public relations and economics at the San Diego State University, a far cry from my current professions— NASM Certified Personal Trainer, SAG-AFTRA actor and NPC men’s physique competitor. I’m also a big foodie and love to cook, particularly my mother’s duck confit.

Contact: facebook.com/brad.brisbin

*From a program created by IFBB men’s physique pro Ian Lauer, CSCS

Photographed at Gold’s Gym, Venice, California

Tony Morris

Age: 36  Weight: 196

Height: 5’10”

Sample workout, chest: Incline dumbbell curls, 1 x 15 (warmup), 4 x 10-12, 8-10, 6-8, 3(3).

Bodypart split: Every week is different, but the one thing that’s the same is the amount of effort I put into each and every set. I start each exercise with a warm up, approximately 70 percent of maximum effort totaling 15 to 20 reps. After that I take every set to absolute muscle failure.

Factoids: I worked with Channing Tatum as a male dancer in Tampa, Florida. Twelve years later I was at the “Magic Mike” premiere with Chan and some of the old group, watching a movie about our lives.

Contact: www.TonyMorrisFitness.com

This month’s Star Trainer should more properly be called “Star Trainee,” as it references the recent controversy over the weight-loss TV show, “The Biggest Loser,” in which 24-year-old Rachel Frederickson was thought to have lost too much weight. She dropped from 260 pounds to 105—at 5’4”—over the 7 1/2 months of the show, including 45 pounds lost in the last three months. She won the $250,000 grand prize, but it was almost overshadowed by the Internet backlash. Rachel was “emaciated,” “anorexic,” “not a role model,” and the show’s trainers were “shocked” at her appearance—and those were the nice comments.

IRON MAN’s Savannah Rose Neveux knows a few things about transformation, having done it herself and encouraged countless others through her popular blog, “Muffin Topless” (www.Muffin-Topless.com). She, too, had some thoughts on the controversy—and on keeping weight off after you’ve lost it.

What shocked you more, Rachel’s weight loss or the reaction?

Both had shock value, but the reaction to her weight loss was what really stunned me. I used to post transformations on my Facebook page. The pictures were for many a symbol of hope—that no matter your age, gender, height or starting point, you can make a positive change in your health and your life. Those transformations did inspire many, and the majority of comments were kind. But seeing others trying to diminish the hard work they put in was very draining—comments like, “They looked better before,” “Too skinny,” “E-e-u-ww, nasty,” “Too muscular,” and “Photoshop,” are unnecessary and cruel. I went on a blocking and deleting frenzy, hoping I could save those transformers the hurt of seeing the rude comments. It got to be too much, so I stopped posting the pictures.

Reality TV is not reality—for one thing, the contestants get to work at getting fit 24-7. What do you tell people who want to lose as much weight as fast as they do?

I explain that transforming one’s physique takes time and patience. A huge physical change does not happen overnight. Working hard and staying positive are key. Focus on reaching small milestones, and keep pushing forward despite setbacks, and you will reach your goals.

What would you tell Rachel Frederickson and others about transitioning from extreme-weight-loss mode to living a fit, balanced life?

Find a way of exercising and healthful eating that you actually enjoy and can maintain for the long term. Staying fit can be just as tricky as getting fit, but if you make healthy living a lifestyle, it becomes much easier.

Here are a few more tips for living in maintenance mode. They may seem obvious, but sometimes it’s the obvious things that trip us up.

• Practice moderation, not deprivation.

• Don’t let minor slip-ups turn into habits. If you gain some weight, don’t throw in the towel.

• Even a 10 minute workout is better than nothing. Get moving even on lazy days!

• Keep setting new goals for yourself so you have direction and motivation.

—Ruth Silverman