Eric DiLauro

Age: 37  Weight:  240

Height: 5’11”

Profession: CEO of Eric DiLauro Mr. Canada Pro Trainer

Sample workout, quads (with Bojana): one-leg extensions, 2 x 15-20 (per leg); leg extensions, 2 x 15; Precor squats, 3 x 12; seated leg extensions, 3 x 12; vertical leg presses, 3 x 15, 12, 10; free-motion squats, 2 x 15; walking lunges (light weight), 2 x 25 yards

Routine notes: 60-second rests between sets; focus on perfect form and slow negatives

Factoids: Canada’s National Superheavyweight champ in 2000, he played soccer from age three and competed as a semiprofessional. Later he competed in cross-country running and track and field before turning to bodybuilding. At Team DiLauro, he works with pro and amateur athletes in many sports, including Bojana Vasiljevic.

Contact: For training consultation, Mrcanadapro@gmail.com

Bojana Vasiljevic

Age: mid-20s

Weight: 105 (contest) 112 (off-season)

Height: 5’1”

Profession: Personal trainer and nutritionist; IFBB athlete

Bodypart split: Monday, chest; Tuesday, back; Wednesday, delts; Thursday, off; Friday, legs; Saturday, arms

Training notes: My training combines lots of track workouts and intervals with basic traditional weight training. I also like to throw plyometrics and swimming into the mix.

Factoids: She’s an IFBB figure pro working as a personal trainer and life coach out of Gold’s Gym, Venice. Originally from Serbia, she’s a former gymnast and track athlete, and she also competed in equestrian events. After high school she earned a degree in nursing and later got a degree in sports nutrition and fitness from Belgrade University.

Contact: FaceBook.com/bojanafit

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

Mark Loshelder

Age: 49

Weight: 190

Height: 5’9”

Profession: Parking lot striping contractor

Bodypart split: Monday: back, biceps; Tuesday: chest, triceps; Wednesday: legs; Thursday: cardio, abs; Friday: shoulders; Saturday, cardio, weak bodypart

Training notes: I train all ­bodyparts for 16 to 20 sets each, six to 12 reps per set.

How I started bodybuilding: I went to Gold’s, Venice, for my 16th birthday in 1981 and saw the Barbarian brothers and Casey Viator doing squats with six plates. They asked if I wanted to work in. That was it—I was hooked.

Competition history: Having competed as a light- and middleweight bodybuilder in the 1990s, I came back in men’s physique last year. In the 45-and-over division, I took second at the ’14 NPC West Coast Classic and fourth at the ’14 NPC Masters Nationals.

Factoids: I’m a scuba dive master and enjoy tropical vacations and backyard entertaining.

Sally Loshelder

Age: 56  Weight:  116

Height: 5’

Profession: Teaches kickboxing, Pilates, yoga and core conditioning

Bodypart split: Day 1: chest, biceps, abs, glutes; day 2: back, triceps, calves; day 3: shoulders, glutes, abs; day 4: legs, calves, abs

Sample workout, legs: Leg curls, 8 x 6-20; leg extensions, 6-8 x 10-15; leg presses, 8 x 8-30; squats, 5-8 x 8-15; cable split squats, 3 x 15, 12, 8 (double sets); T-bar stiff-legged deadlifts, 3 x 12-15

Training notes: Lots of tempo changes, ascending and strip sets and varying of body positions

Competition history: A champion lightweight bodybuilder in the 1990s, I recently returned in women’s physique, winning the masters division at the ’14 NPC West Coast Classic as well as the 45-and-over division at the’14 NPC Masters Nationals, where I also earned my IFBB pro card.

Factoids: I’m a volunteer for the Buddy Break organization and do missionary work and community volunteer services.

Christel Oerum

Age: 36

Weight: 128

Height: 5’8”

Bodypart split: day 1: chest, legs; day 2: biceps, back; day 3: triceps, shoulders

Sample workout, legs: triset: Butt Blaster, abductor machine, adductor machine—3 x 12-15 each; superset: leg extensions, Romanian deadlifts— 3 x 12-15 each; barbell squats, 4 x 8-12; superset: lying one-leg leg curls, 1 x 15 (per leg), calf raises, 2 x 20

Competition history: I competed in my first fitness model contest in October 2014.

Factoids: I’m a Danish national living in Santa Monica, California, since 2011. In 2014, I started a blog, TheFitBlog.com, with the goal of inspiring others to live the fitness lifestyle.

Contact: www.TheFitBlog.com

No matter how bad a day you were having or how much your life sucked at the moment, if you had the privilege to meet Greg for even five minutes, you would have probably walked away more confident and believing in yourself than ever before. He had that effect on people.

“I never wake up in the morning telling myself in the mirror what a great job I’ve done. Instead, I tell myself, ‘You better make today count ‘cause you don’t have too many more to play with.’”

He would bring out the best qualities in you and make you feel that you had a purpose in life. Whether he was speaking in front of thousands of people or just shaking hands and taking photos with fans, no one would leave without feeling richer for having met him. I’ve never met anyone in my life with so many talents. Luckily, he chose fitness to be a big part of his life, and through his videos, website and seminars, he became a mentor to thousands of people worldwide.

Greg used to say, “Normality is what weak people call living. It’s what I call death.” Thinking about this, I realize he was too good for this life.  Many things he did seemed to be extreme or unbelievably challenging, but that’s what made Greg who he was and that’s why we loved him.  He didn’t expect to be understood; he created his unique path in life. His energy was infectious—it spread to all of us and impacted us in a positive way.

Most of us get ready for the NFL season by prepping our fantasy teams and stocking our fridges with light beer. For the athletes who actually play, it’s another story—they must push themselves to the limit in their training and practice. Granted, our goal in terms of football is to watch from the comfort of our couches as they attack each other like gladiators in the Colosseum, but we also push ourselves to the limit in our daily workouts, don’t we? When it comes to training hard, what’s the difference between them and us?

For Chris Hogan, a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, the difference isn’t as great as you would think. Currently enjoying a breakout season with the Bills, where he is the number-three receiver in a talented group, Hogan’s success is something he has never doubted. Even so, it wasn’t long ago that few people would have envisioned Chris ever making it in the NFL.

In fact, the Ramapo, New Jersey, native’s path to the NFL was a rather circuitous one. He began his college athletic career playing Division I lacrosse at Penn State. Yes, you read that right—Hogan had played only one season of football since high school when he decided to take a shot at playing pro ball.

The change back to the gridiron wasn’t because Chris didn’t enjoy success with a stick. In fact, he was a four-year starter at midfield for the Nittany Lions and was a First Team All-ECAC selection as a senior after leading the team with 15 goals and nine assists.

After his final lacrosse season he transferred to Monmouth University to return to football. He played both offense and defense and made 12 catches, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Even so, with just one season of collegiate football on his résumé, he knew that getting noticed by NFL scouts would be easier said than done.

“I wanted to give the NFL a shot with no regrets,” says the 6’1”, 220-pounder. “So I got an agent and began to train for a pro tryout.”

His performance before the pro scouts belied his novice stature on the gridiron. Hogan ran a 4.47 second 40-yard dash and bench-pressed 225 pounds an impressive 28 times. Not bad for an athlete who was told at the start of his college sports career that he was far better suited for lacrosse than football.

After he signed to play on the practice squads of both the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins, Hogan knew that his dream was becoming real. It became even more real when he started getting calls from teams all over the league, including the 49ers and Colts. Still, as you can imagine, making the practice squad, receiving phone calls and just suiting on Sundays was simply not enough for Chris Hogan.

“It wasn’t my long-term goal, but making those practice squads was a good step toward it,” he recalls. “It was my way into pro football. I knew I had to take those opportunities and even take a few steps back when I was cut to keep learning and keep working toward being a wide receiver in the NFL.”

Now in his third year with the Bills, the 25-year-old is just coming into his own. In 2012 he didn’t play in any games, but he played special teams and receiver in all 16 games of the 2013 campaign, making 10 catches. In the six games he’s played in the 2014 season as of this writing, he has seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, already beating last year’s yardage total. With his offensive role growing at each game, he looks to make a solid impact as the Bills push for their first playoff birth in 15 seasons.

What does it take, physically and mentally, to be in the condition of a productive NFL wide receiver? “Strict, hard work,” Hogan says, “especially in the off-season. I have never been the type of person who likes to take time off. After the season ends, I will take a few weeks to relax and let my body heal, but them I am ready to start working out hard again.”

What truly motivates him in the gym year-round is proving that he belongs in the NFL. He gets up every day during both the fall campaign and off-season with the intent of showing the world that he deserves and has earned the right to play on Sundays.

“I am very fortunate to have a great trainer, Mike Guadango, who this year opened his new gym, Freak Strength, in Waldwick, New Jersey,” says Chris. “Working with him in the off-season helped me build greater strength, speed and agility than ever. It’s a combination of explosive, power-based movements; high-intensity giant sets; and balance and agility exercises. I went into training camp this summer in the best condition of my life.”

The off-season program devised by Guadango is very precise, using the “alactic capacity” system that prioritizes high-energy training in short, powerful bursts. That applies to cardio and movement exercises such as sprints and sled pushes, as well as lifting exercises. For the latter he does multiple low-rep sets separated by 30-second rest periods, which calls on fast-twitch fibers while increasing sustained explosive-energy capacity. That type of conditioning is perfect for football, where plays last just four to 10 seconds, with 45 seconds maximum between them. Hogan’s training is set up accordingly:

Monday.  Lower-body, with emphasis on acceleration and starts

Tuesday. Upper body

Wednesday. Lower body, with greater emphasis on top-speed movements

Thursday. Upper body

Friday Overall lower-body conditioning

He works hip and back mobility on every leg day and does shoulder-stability training with upper-body workouts. He also includes sprints and explosive medicine ball drills on most days.

An example of a lower-body circuit would include two sets of the following moves, doing six reps for each leg: front lunges, side lunges, reverse lunges and front cross lunges. He finishes the circuit with 10 single-leg hip thrusts, plus a 30-second front plank, and then follows with hill sprints, hurdle jumps and various squats.

Here’s a sample circuit for upper body, performed with short rests between sets:

Incline dumbbell presses,

30 percent 1RM 4 x 5

Single-arm cable rows,

25 percent bench press

1RM 4 x 10

Shoulder Shocker Circuit

Dumbbell shrugs 2 x 20

Lateral raises 2 x 10

Cuban presses 2 x 8

Dumbbell hammer curls 3 x 12

Banded pressdowns 3 x 15

The above would be preceded by a bodyweight circuit of pushups, pullups and more, plus sprints. (Note: To see Chris Hogan’s full off-season workout program, visit MHPStrong.com.)

Hogan’s in-season routine consists of three or four lifting days a week. The Bills’ training program focuses on total-body strength, power and explosiveness. The goal is to maintain strength and muscular balance while keeping the players fresh for Sundays. To that end the daily workouts include both upper- and lower-body resistance exercises, with primary attention on upper body, including basic movements such as bench presses, shoulder presses, lat pulldowns and rows, plus lunges, light squats and leg presses for the lower body. Stretching is also critical, and each workout ends with a strict core routine.

“My diet is pretty strict throughout the season,” says Hogan. “Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday consist mainly of protein, fruits and vegetables. Then, once Thursday hits, I start to add carbs like pasta and potatoes to boost my energy heading into the weekend. Friday is more of the same, and then on Saturday I will amp up the carbs a little more to prep myself for the game on Sunday. It really is not too difficult to stick to the diet, and having all my meals at the Bills’ practice facility helps a ton. But, then, of course, I have to allow myself an occasional cheat meal to keep my sanity!”

One additional performance boost Chris relies on is nutritional supplements.

“I’ve been using MHP supplements for the past year, and I can definitely say they have helped me get stronger in the gym and play better on the field,” he reports. “In particular I find that the TRAC Extreme-NO preworkout and Dark Matter postworkout have greatly improved my workouts and help me recover faster.”

Chris also uses Probolic-SR protein two to three times a day, takes an Activite Sport multivitamin and Releve joint compound twice daily. He enjoys Power Pak Pudding when he needs a high-protein snack and says that MYO-X has helped him build muscle and increase strength, even during the season.

“I’ve also been able to test out MHP’s new 4D-Tropin nighttime supplement, and it helps me sleep better, recover faster and get stronger.”

As he is breaking out on the football field, Chris is coming into his own off the turf as well. He’s been featured in recent news articles, gotten ESPN shout-outs and even made an appearance on the NFL’s fantasy football league this season—and he’s been invited to do several photo shoots, including this one for IRON MAN.

So when you’re doing your situps during commercial breaks of the Sunday football broadcasts, think about how hard you have to work to get what you want—and don’t ever sell yourself short. Chris Hogan will be the first to tell you that if you work hard enough, you can do anything. Having gone from a lacrosse player to a wide receiver in the NFL, he’s a perfect model for motivation.

Editor’s note: For more information about Chris Hogan or MHP nutritional supplements, visit
MHPStrong.com.  IM

Photos by Dan Gregory

1. Quick Stats - height, weight, age, measurements, bodyfat, max weight on reps?

Height: 5’ 2-3/4"
Weight:130 lbs,
Age: 32
Chest: 39 in
Waist: 29 in
Hips: 40 in
Bodyfat: 13%
Max Rep: 225 lbs Barbell Squatting (working on it!)

2. What is your transformation story. How did you get started with bodybuilding/fitness?

I used fitness to shape my life and have structure. It saved me in so many ways. I have to say for awhile growing up it wasn't in my life until I turned 12-13 years old. It was when I saw a show with a beautiful, fit, well-groomed girl and I thought, "That’s how I want to look!" From there I started paying attention on my own. Looking at magazines and trying to learn all I could about everything fitness. It wasn't until I was 15-19 that I started taking better care of myself, on and off, as I was a young adult who was still trying to find herself. But I learned through many books and researching to cook healthy. I learned to exercise properly. I found that the gym was my real, true home where I could block out the world and feel completely comfortable. It’s helped me through the roughest times in my life.

3. What was your lifestyle like prior to your transformation?

I think like many young people growing up. It was full of misdirection; too much fun not enough soul searching. When in my early teens, I used to write a lot of poetry, and take a lot of time out to connect with myself. After a few heartbreaks, I closed off. I stopped. I moved far away and wanted to “not think, not analyze, and not write...I was sick of it.” And then that took me to new places where I just lived life, had fun, and traveled. But it also made me become far away from myself. When I entered back into the gym I felt it was calling me to be there and reconnect and get to work.

4. Were there any unique challenges or circumstances that made your transformation particularly difficult?

Yes, many. Life always gets in the way or tries to. I learned it’s all about moderation. It’s not about what others want you to be or look. It's about being concerned with how you want to be or look. So I guess I would say, nothing bad as in a car accident or anything like that but more mental difficulties, breaking bad habits, dealing with others while you go through transforming, closing a lot of people off because they don’t understand. It’s not good to do these things, it’s better to find a balance. Especially if you're new to competing in the bodybuilding world.

5. What is your life like now that you've made a transformation?

It’s great! Except now I see food as a resource for goals as appose to “let’s eat and be happy!” Haha! Now it's “that’s a carb, that’s a protein, etc.” I can’t go places in town without people staring at me and what I am eating or commenting or joking. "Oh, that’s not for you, right? You don’t eat that stuff or drink that?” One time I ordered Chinese food for my cheat meal...And the delivery man came to the door and realized I lived there and said, "This isn’t for Jessica? She doesn’t eat this stuff??" So that is definitely different for me since I am very involved with social media to help motivate others.

6. What motivates you to keep going and push harder?

Challenging myself to be better. Loving and living a fit lifestyle. And, most importantly I feel more driven to push myself when I get messages that I have impacted someone in such a positive way that they are now making big life changes for the better!

7. What is your next goal? Where do you see yourself this time next year?

Hopefully getting more coverage to show people it can be done. Whether it's more books I publish, more informative website, speeches to the masses, or magazine spreads...the lists go on in my head. To keep getting great features that ultimately give someone that push they need. I hope I am more of a household name for all the right reasons. For being someone who has made an impact on someone’s life.

8. What is your current training philosophy?

Do the best you can no matter what. Not every day is going to be your best or your strongest but do your best anyway!

9. What is your full training routine?

Mine is tricky, I change it constantly...but a good example is:

Monday-Legs-Heavy/Abs/Foam Roll
Tuesday-Back/Biceps or a (push –pull) /Abs
Wed-Plyo/Cardio/Shoulders, Triceps/Abs
Thursday-Legs-Heavy or light depending on how tight I am../Foam Roll
Friday-A mix of all upper body, tweaking what I need.
Saturday and Sunday will be cardio or stretching, or a circuit/abs... and one of those days is a rest. Everything varies with weight and reps.

10. How did you come to formulate your first training routine?

I think it was with the help of a trainer many years ago. He showed me the right way a woman should train her body…

11. Favorite form of cardio?

I hate cardio! I’m not the girl who doesn’t need to do it either so I have to say the treadmill because I get so tired and lazy and can still do what I need to on it.

12. List your cardio routine :

Most days of the week: morning cardio. Then again later or after my workout.

13. What is your approach to nutrition?

I have many approaches! Learning what works for your body is important, don’t deprive yourself. Learn what foods are best for the body. I don’t do take out and eat junk. The only time is when I do a cheat meal, in which case it's lean ground turkey meat and spaghetti. I'm a big fan of moderation and making it work for your lifestyle! That’s what I preach when doing my clients' meal planning.

14. What is your daily diet?

Lately, two whey shakes a day, two snacks (protein and a carb & fat), one big salad with meat of choice (lean) usually Bison steak, and either a casein shake for bed. This is my diet now to get photoshoot ready and shed some extra weight fast.

15. Favorite clean eating recipe?

My protein pancakes!! I always change it up but I love how I make them!

16. They say that the pre and post-workout meals are the most vital meals for the day, what do yours consist of?

BCAA - something fast digesting to spike the insulin then usually the whey shakes with water. Then 45 minutes later I eat something like bison steak with green veggies…

17. What is your supplementation like?

BCAA
Multi
Whey
Casein
Magnesium
Fat Burners (for cardio)
Glutamine (before bed)

18. What has been your biggest accomplishment in the fitness field?

This interview right now! Huge dream of mine. Loved this magazine since I can remember..And when I published my book on Amazon and someone took a photo of it from Santa Barbara, I thought, "I finally did it! I finally reached around the world to people." That was pretty cool.

19. What are your best 3 tips for someone looking to reach their goal physique?

Give it Time, Consistency; Rest correctly. Learn good form and breath. Get started on learning about diet!!!!!

20. Favorite quote?

Strive for Progress not Perfection!

21. Where can we find you on the internet?

**www.JessicaKiernan.com - my training/meal plan site
https://instagram.com/JessicaKiernan
http://facebook.com/JessicaKiernanFanPage
http://www.Facebook.com/JessicaKiernanFitness
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/BodybyJess
http://linkedin.com/in/JessicaKiernan
http://plus.google.com/+JessicaKiernanOfficialPage/posts
https://twitter.com/Jessica_Kiernan

**YouTube Channel:
http://youtube.com/user/JessicaKiernanTV

Live Streaming:
www.hangwith.me/jessicakiernanfit & Periscope Jessica Kiernan

When Marissa Rivero McGrath sets her mind to something, she doesn’t mess around. The petite bikini phenom decided she would compete in January 2013—“It was kind of a New Year’s resolution type thing”—and before you could say, “quarter turn to the right,” she had picked a contest, hired a trainer and nailed down a pro card at the ’13 NPC USA. Encouraged by her coaches at Team Edge, she also moved from Miami to Los Angeles and snagged a serious slew of sponsors. When asked if she has a day job, McGrath, says, “I actually don’t. I’m sponsored and do online training here and there.”

You might say she’s living the dream.

Marissa, who’s married to IFBB pro bodybuilder Frank McGrath, has a background in dance and competitive cheerleading, but she was not into the weights when she began her adventure. Not surprisingly, she’s made up for lost time, as evidenced by what you see in the accompanying photos.

Let’s uncover a bit more about this buff beauty.

Name: Marissa Rivero McGrath

Place of residence:
Marina del Rey, California

Date of birth: May 9, 1989

Weight: 105 pounds

Occupation: IFBB pro athlete

Current sponsors: Prime Nutrition, 6 Pack Bags, Ravish Sands, Catered Fit and Ingrid Romero Custom Competition Bikinis

Favorite movie or TV show: Movie: Rocky III (“Eye of the Tiger”); favorite shows: Walking Dead, American Horror Story

Favorite healthful food: I love oatmeal and sushi—I can never have enough sushi!

Favorite cheat food: My favorite cheat will always be pizza—plain cheese or pepperoni—and chocolate ice cream, of course!

Current training program:

Monday: Glutes and hams

Tuesday: Shoulders

Wednesday: Back

Thursday: Quads, hams and glutes

Friday: Arms

Saturday: Full-body circuit—yes, more glutes!

Sunday: Off

Sample bodypart workout:

Legs

Walking lunges, unweighted

(warm-up) 1 x 50

Walking lunges, weighted 2 x 50

Superset

Smith-machine sumo squats

3 x 20

Smith-machine donkey kicks

3 x 20

Superset

Hip thrusts with

straight bar 3 x 20

Kickbacks on cable 3 x 20

Superset

Stiff-legged deadlifts 3 x 20

Weighted hyperextensions

3 x 20

Superset

Lying leg curls 3 x 20

Seated leg curls 3 x 20

IM:
Why so much glute training?

MR:
I glute train three or four times a week. I like having a bubble butt, and in order for me to maintain that, I’ve convinced myself I have to train glutes as much as possible—haha.  Glutes on a girl are as important as arms on a guy! You can never do enough kickbacks, in my opinion!

IM:
What has been the biggest mistake you’ve made with your training in the past?

MR:
My biggest mistake was my lack of weight training. Before I joined Team Edge and started competing, I was always in and out of the gym quickly. I would do my 45 minutes of cardio and abs, and leave. I was under the impression that lifting weights would make me huge. Boy, was I wrong!

IM: Cardio: love it or hate it? What type has worked best for you?

MR:
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with cardio. I wouldn’t necessarily say I love it, but when I’m done, I feel amazing! I’ve stuck with HIIT intervals, doing about 25 to 30 minutes five times a week, usually on the treadmill or bike.

IM:
If you could go back in time to when you first started training, what is one piece of advice you would give your rookie self?

MR:
Lift some weight, and do less cardio!

IM:
What does your current nutrition look like?

MR: Since I’m not dieting for a show right now, my meals are tracked more through macros. Here’s what a typical day looks like:

Meal 1: 3/4 cup oatmeal, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1 tablespoon peanut butter or almond butter

Meal 2: 4 to 5 ounces chicken, 1/2 cup rice

Meal 3: 4 egg whites, 1/2 avocado

Meal 4: Post-workout protein shake with 1 banana

Meal 5: Red meat, 6 ounces sweet potato

Meal 6: Ground turkey, salad with balsamic dressing

IM:
What supplements do you take currently?

MR:
Prime Nutrition’s Fat Burner; Phytoform, a fruits and greens replacement; EAAs, which are essential amino acids, glutamine and a chocolate protein powder.

IM:
If you could eat one thing all the time with no negative repercussions, what would it be?

MR:
Chocolate—I love chocolate!

IM:
What motivates you?

MR:
Besides constantly being inspired by all the photos I see via Instagram of other competitors, there’s no motivation for hitting the gym like a new set of gym clothes or sneakers—haha. Whenever I lose motivation, I Google some motivational videos and head to the mall to buy some new workout gear.

IM:
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

MR:
Earning my IFBB pro card in seven months with the help of my amazing coaches!

IM:
What’s your secret for getting sponsorships?

MR:
I’ve gotten asked this question a lot. There really is no secret to getting a sponsorship. Just do your thing, compete, work out, be you, and the sponsorships will come to you!

IM:
What is the number one philosophy you live by?

MR:
If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up!

IM:
What are the top three things on your bucket list?

MR:
1) Set foot on all seven continents, 2) learn to surf, 3) learn to speak another language fluently.

IM:
What projects are you currently working on?

MR:
I’m working on a few projects, including an e-book that I will launch with my website this year. Stay tuned!

What do you get when a natural born entrepreneur has a passion for fitness? A guy with a jaw-dropping physique who’s a force to be reckoned with in the supplement industry. Magnum Nutraceuticals president Markus Kaulius started developing his body around the time he was developing his business sense, as a teenager in Vancouver. The results? Well, just look at him—and check out his extensive line of pharmaceutical-grade sports supplements.

What fuels his quest for the very best in training and supplementation? Here’s the way he tells it.

IM: Let’s start with your hometown and where you live now.

MK: I was a Richmond boy most of my life—it’s a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia.

IM: Now for  your stats—age, height and ripped bodyweight?

MK: I’m 36 years old, 6’6” and 220 pounds.

When I was 13, I shot up to 6’4” and weighed a whopping 120. Needless to say, it is very hard for me to put on muscle.

IM: Do you have a sports background? If so, which ones?

MK: With my height, I was naturally drawn to basketball, but at 120 pounds, a light breeze would push me down. When I started putting on some muscle, it was so great to feel strong on my feet. And being 6’4”, I found it embarrassing not to be able to dunk! Squats fixed that in a hurry.

IM: How did you get into bodybuilding and weight training?

MK: With that height-to-weight ratio, I was picked on pretty hard in high school. I had no confidence and no direction. Something had to change. I started hitting the weights after a car accident showed me how frail I was. The endorphins took over my life pretty quickly! I gained confidence, focus and positivity—my outlook on life was forever changed.

IM: Who was your inspiration early in your career in the bodybuilding world, and who is your inspiration now?

MK: In the beginning, I was impressed with local guys who had a bit of muscle—it was something attainable. The huge dudes in magazines looked so fake and impossible to me. Having even a few pounds of muscle was all I hoped for.Today, I really look up to Mike O’Hearn. Mike is a lifetime natural athlete and shows us what the human body is capable of if you dedicate your life fully to self-improvement. Imagine the gains you can make if you planned every meal, worked out as hard as you could every time, didn’t drink alcohol, didn’t stay out late and all that. Mike is the only person I have met who has done this for decades, and his physique is incredible. After meeting Mike and learning what an awesome human he is, my respect and admiration of him amplified.

IM: As the president Magnum Nutraceuticals, you’ve accomplished a lot with the business side of the sport. Where do you get your work ethic?

MK: When my parents split, when I was seven, my mom, sisters and I moved to a small townhouse project. We were poor. I remember working almost full time at the Foot Locker at 14 years old, and when a full-time assistant manager spot opened, I really pushed the manger to give it to me. I am very thankful he didn’t! I learned a strong work ethic from a very young age, and I am pretty sure I will never take money for granted.

IM: You have to be very busy with your company, but you’re obviously still very serious about bodybuilding. How do you manage to squeeze in your workouts?

MK: Everyone is busy. It is a choice to make time for training no matter who you are or what is happening in your life. I love training. I love how I feel and the confidence and happiness that come with this lifestyle. I love seeing what supplements can do for the human body—driving me past any plateau that dares to challenge me. I am the Magnum guinea pig—I love trying our new formulas and seeing how hard the human body can be pushed on these pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. People would be amazed at how much extra time they would have in a day if they stopped going to the coffee shop—I have never had a cup of coffee—stopped going out at night to parties or clubs, stopped watching TV and stopped all the other negative things in their lives that eat up the time they could spend on training and improving themselves.

IM: How has your training evolved since you started?

MK: In the beginning, I feared big weights. I was always told that heavy weight equals injuries. I was the opposite of hardcore, or what you would call a beast!Now I am constantly keeping my muscles guessing. I train heavy some days and high reps other days. I mix up high and low intensity and make sure my muscles are full and exhausted with every workout.

IM: You have a great physique. How do you train? Please describe your training split and at least one day’s complete workout.

MK: First, thank you! I really enjoy my cutting phase more than any other. During my cut, I do five 60-minute cardio sessions and five 75-minute weight-training sessions per week. I implement supersets, drop-sets and jumps.

Here’s an example of an arm-day workout during my cut. The numbers listed refer to, in order, sets, reps and weight:

Cambered-bar curls 4 x 6 x 7
0Machine preacher curls 4 x 8 x 70, 50, 40, 30

Superset
Hammer curls 4 x 15 x 25
Dips 4 x 15
Skull crusher s4 x 6 x 90
Rope pulldowns 4 x 10 x 90, 80, 70, 60

Superset
Barbell curls 4 x 15 x 75
Pressdowns 4 x 15 x 120
Straight-bar wrist curls 4 X 40 45

Then I finish the day with a three-minute set of jumping jacks and side-to-side jumps—loud music, heart pumping, fat dropping.

IM: How do you change your work-outs for new stimulation?

MK: I probably do this to a fault. I make sure I am constantly doing different exercises, different weights and rep ranges, and different exercise orders. No two workouts are the same. I don’t know if this is best for my muscles, but it certainly keeps things interesting, and I enjoy it.

IM: What are some of your top tips or tricks for building muscle?

MK: Find some good supplements! People stay on their cheap supplements for years, even though they are getting no results. I don’t get that. When people try premium, pharmaceutical-grade Magnum supplements, they get results in days. Magnum offers guarantees on it, so there is no risk in trying. Also, find forms of exercise you enjoy. If you aren’t happy while you’re training, your body will flood with cortisol and gains will be very hard to come by. Try different exercises, different forms of cardio, different gyms even, and make sure you are enjoying your training.

IM: What is your diet like—low carb or higher carb? How many grams of protein?

MK: I am consistent with my diet. I eat clean. Food is fuel to me—it isn’t something I indulge in. My wife thinks I am crazy.Here’s a typical day of food and supplements:

Meal 1: Slow-cooked oats with blueberries; Magnum Quattro and Primer

Precardio: Magnum DNA, Serum, Tonic, Heat, Rocket Science and Big C

During cardio: In my bottle—Magnum Hi5, Opus and G

Meal 2: Chicken, yams and broccoli

Preworkout: Magnum DNA, Serum, Volume, Tonic, Heat, Rocket Science and Big C

During training: In my bottle— Magnum Hi5, Opus and G

Meal 3: Tuna, quinoa and asparagus; Magnum Mimic and Primer

Meal 4: Chicken, yams and broccoli

Meal 5: Steak, brown rice and broccoli; Magnum Mimic

Meal 6: 15 egg whites with 1 scoop Magnum Quattro

Meal 7: 2 scoops Magnum Quattro with 1 scoop Magnum Performance Greens

IM: You make a very wide variety of products. How did you come to start Magnum Nutraceuticals? What are some of the key products?

MK: I started Magnum in 2005, when I owned a few supplement stores. I was disappointed in the quality of products available and the lack of integrity I saw in the industry. Magnum was started with one focus: make the best supplements on earth regardless of cost. We focus on quality and integrity in all we do. Our top-selling SKU since day one is Magnum Thrust. It’s the best natural test booster and estrogen suppressant on the market. We also guarantee the deepest sleep of your life within seven nights on Thrust. People are also loving our new product, Magnum Hi5—the first pharmaceutical-grade amino acid formula that is not derived from human hair or bird feathers. We have three huge launches scheduled for 2015, one of which is Magnum Brain Damage®—this product is nuts! Readers can find out all about it at www.HardMagnum.com.

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Over the last decade, the popularity of the UFC has risen in meteoric fashion, and the career of Arianny Celeste has been along for the ride. As the longest-running Octagon girl in the history of the promotion, Celeste is a recognizable and indispensible part of the live fight experience, like the tenor of Bruce Buffer or the play-by-play by Joe Rogan.

A successful model and television host, Celeste has traveled the globe, promoting fights in Brazil, Japan, and Abu Dhabi. Her trademark blown kiss, seen by millions of viewers every month, is a little hint of pleasure before the bell rings and the pain begins.

Cat Begovic: Where were you born? Where does your exotic look come from?
Arianny Celeste: I was born and raised in Las Vegas. I went to Eldorado High School and UNLV. I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the last seven years. I’m mixed Spanish, Mexican, Apache Indian and Filipino.

CB: How did you first start model-ing, and how did your career develop?
AC: I started modeling when I was 16 years old, but I didn’t work much because I lived in Las Vegas. In Vegas, most jobs required girls to be over 21. Also I was rather shy. When I turned 21, I entered in the 2006 Octagon Girl contest because I was a student and I thought I would be able to win some money to help pay for tuition. I was surprised but super excited when I booked the job. As the UFC grew, I grew with them.

CB: You’ve been on several magazine covers, including Playboy. What was that like?
AC: When Playboy asked me to shoot, I was in a really great place. I had been with the UFC for a while and was really happy with my body and confident as a model. Of course, it’s little nerve-racking any time you have to shoot naked. But everyone there was so professional I felt super comfortable. Somehow in that environment, it seemed normal to be photographed naked. I had always admired girls in Playboy, so it was an amazing experience to shoot for them.

CB: Have there been any funny or awkward moments behind the scenes at the UFC?
AC: During the weigh-ins, the guys are almost naked. I have to stand there while being filmed live as they get undressed. Sometimes when the guys are overweight, they keep taking off their clothes and get more and more naked. Then, all of the sudden, they drop their shorts and are completely naked in front of the crowd. I have to stand there and try to look away while still posing for the camera!

CB: Over the years, there have been a lot of UFC Octagon girls. Why do you think you have become the most recognizable?
AC: I am very proactive and try to think of modeling and any opportunity as a business. I think sometimes models get used to people handing them things because they look pretty, but I take a more businesslike approach. With every job, I talk to people and network, and see if there are any new projects I can get involved in.

CB: Do you like all traveling that comes with the job? Is there any specific spot that took your breath away?
AC: I have been able to visit amazing places with the UFC staff, who are like family to me. I love traveling anywhere tropical with a beach, but Italy really took my breath away. The food, the people, the architecture is all so different than the US.

CB: Have you been involved in fitness your whole life?
AC: I was a competitive cheerleader and gymnast for 15 years. We always had to work out and stay in shape. I was the one they threw around in the air.

CB: What is your training philosophy like?
AC: I get bored easily, so I maintain my physique by switching it up between weight training, Pilates, cardio kickboxing, cycling, and circuit training. I’m not afraid to lift weights. In fact, it’s necessary for my petite frame.

CB: What’s your favorite body part on a guy?
AC: The ass and the obliques.

CB: You are surrounded by so many macho men, does that mean your romantic doors are closed for more sensitive guys?
AC: I like intelligent guys with drive and, yes, who are romantic. Macho does nothing for me.

CB: Who is your favorite fighter of all time?
AC: I’m an old-school girl. I love BJ Penn and Randy Couture. Both are talented with true fighters’ hearts.

CB: What’s next for you and your career?
AC: I host a TV show called Overhaulin’ on Velocity TV, and I’m a regular guest on Guy Codeon MTV. I’m always interested in the business aspect of modeling. I would like to manage girls who want to make a career in modeling. I only recently got a manager, so for most of my career I managed myself. I was the one making phone calls to promote myself, book gigs, and was involved in marketing myself. I think because I’ve done that for myself and have been successful, I would be a great manager.

CB: Are you on social media. If so, where can our readers follow you?
AC: I am all over social media. They can follow me here:
Instagram: @ariannyceleste
Facebook: facebook.com/therealarianny
Website: ariannyceleste.com
Twitter: @ariannyceleste

By Dr.Cat Begovic • Photos By Per Bernal

When it comes to finding beautiful women from exotic locales, there is no place like Los Angeles. Case in point: La Reina Shaw, an exotic stunner from Azerbaijan, a country seated at the crossroads between Eastern Europe and Asia. La Reina—model, fitness star, actress, and entrepreneur — came to L.A. to live out her dream. Her killer curves and mysterious smile makes us want to know more.

Dr. Cat Begovic: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. What was it like growing up? When did you move to the States?

La Reina Shaw: I was born in the Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. I moved to Germany when I was five and grew up there. I moved to the States when I was 20 to go to college. Since I was a child, I’d always wanted to move to the U.S. My grandfather was a world traveler and always told me how beautiful places were in the States, and I always imagined what it would be like to live there. I think I inherited my travel gene from my grandfather. I love to see different cultures, different cuisines, and I feel that traveling makes me very open-minded to people of different religions and all walks of life.

I grew up very open-minded, especially when it came to showing one’s body. Growing up, my grandfather had a big property on the beach and everyone was always running around in bikinis and enjoying the water. In Germany, we were always by the lake on weekends and everyone was very free, even naked. I was raised to think that loving your body and feeling free was natural and not a big deal.

CB: You have a very exotic look and a beautiful shape! I know Brazil gets all the hype when it comes to curvy women, but should we pay more attention to Azerbaijani women?

LS: I’m a mix. My grandmother is Armenian, and the rest of my family is Azerbaijani. I don’t know if women from Azerbaijan are known for being curvy [laughs]. My grandmother and three of her sisters have table-top booties, so I guess I got it from them!

CB: How did you get involved in fitness?

LS: I started working out a few years ago and became really passionate about it. It was exciting to see the changes in my body as I put work into it. About a year and a half ago I was approached by Dexter Jackson who asked me to join Team Blade. That was the starting point for everything. I competed in my first show four months later. The more I got into it I realized how much I loved it. It’s an amazing feeling when you work hard and see the results.

CB: How did you get into acting, and is that something you’re passionate about?

LS: I’ve always wanted to be an actress. When I moved to L.A., I met with a few agencies that picked me up right away. I’m now actively trying to get into the film and commercial world. I’m taking a bunch of classes and have been working hard to develop this.

CB: I see your name on various hip-hop sites. Have you been featured in any music videos?

LS: I’ve only done two music videos—one was Sam Smith “Money On My Mind,” and another was for a Mexican artist. I’ve gotten a lot of offers to do music videos, but I’ve turned them down.

CB: You have a fitness and training website as well as the clothing company Reign. How did each of those come about?

LS: I started my fitness and training website a few months ago. When I was working with Team Blade and training for competition, I was posting a lot on social media about getting in shape. I kept getting the same questions all the time about my workouts, diet, and training. So I developed my website and e-books to answer everything in great detail. It took a long time to create those plans! The clothing company Reign is fitness apparel. It’s super fun and sporty. I design the graphics part of it and have a great team that helps put together the final product.

CB: What does your training and diet look like?

LS: I do 30 minutes of cardio in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening, six days a week. Each day I focus on two body parts: glutes and hamstrings, shoulders and chest, back and biceps, and then quads and calves. I have an abs day where I mix it with a body part that I feel needs more work. On the sixth day, I usually do plyometrics and hot yoga, which helps me with flexibility. I only do cardio in the morning that day. My diet is really clean. For breakfast I have egg whites and oatmeal. Other than that I stick to chicken or fish and a vegetable. My nutritional philosophy is pretty simple. I combine a lean source of protein with nutrient-dense vegetables.

CB: What motivates you?

LS: Love is the greatest motivator of all! It brings me endless amounts of joy and pleasure encouraging other people and seeing them grow and reach their goals. The letters and e-mails I receive, the personal testimonies of people who have been successful because they have been following me certainly encourages me and motivates me to keep on doing what I’m doing.

Interview by Dr. Cat Begovic
Photography by Michael Neveux

Swedish import Caroline Aspenskog seamlessly combines hard muscle with feminine curves.

Iron Man: You just visited Los Angeles. How did you like it?

Caroline Aspenskog: Wonderful. I love America and I want to move there someday. I stayed in Santa Monica and trained at Gold’s Gym, Venice. I love the weather there and the food, but most of all I love all the positive people. It’s really a big difference from Sweden.

IM: How was it to be photographed for Iron Man Magazine?

CA: It was a big thing for me to work with a professional photographer and a great makeup artist! They took really good care of me, and I felt at home. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

IM: What made you to start competing in bikini fitness?

CA: I saw a picture of Nathalia Melo and decided from that day I would change my body to the picture of the dream body I had in my mind. I used to dance salsa and I love training, so this was a perfect way to combine those two. Hard training with a nice body and some salsa moves.

IM: Why bikini and not figure?

CA: Bikini is more appealing to me and it feels more natural for me. I also like the look of a bikini physique—curvy and feminine.

IM: How was it to compete at the Arnold Classic in Columbus?

CA: One experience richer, but of course it would have been more fun if my placing would have been higher.

IM: How did you eat and train for the competition?

CA: My diet consisted of low-fat, low-carb food with a high intake of protein. I did cardio twice a day and gym once a day with weights.

IM: What does your daily diet look like?

CA: Before morning cardio: One scoop of BCAA and Tartarus Fatburner from BMR Sports Nutrition. I do morning cardio every day for 45 minutes.

Breakfast: Half cup of oats, five egg whites, half an apple, half a banana, one Saluplex multivitamin cap, and omega-3 from BMR.
Snack: Half cup of kidney beans, baby spinach, tomato, cucumber, and three ounces of chicken.
Lunch: Half cup of kidney beans, half cup of whole-grain rice, three ounces of chicken, and baby spinach.
Snack: Half cup of whole-grain rice and three ounces of chicken or lean beef.
Pre-Workout: One scoop of BCAA from BMR, CLA, and Ketoz from BMR.
Post-Workout: One scoop of BCAA and one scoop of Protelux protein powder.
Dinner: One sweet potato and three ounces of lean beef.
Last Meal of the Day: One scoop of Protelux casein.

IM: How was you diet after the competition?

CA: This time I’m trying to be very good in the off-season, so I eat the same food I had in my pre-contest diet but bigger helpings of course. I also add things like fruits and berries, and I don’t push myself too hard. If I want to eat something good, I do it so long as I hold a good off-season shape. My main goal is to be around 120 pounds in the off-season. I compete at 112 pounds.

IM: What inspires you?

CA: I get inspired when I see someone that has a passion for something and does it to 100 percent!

IM: What’s your biggest success in life?

CA: My biggest success is that I have turned the thing I love in life—training—to my full-time job. I love that I can help people and do what I love and get paid for it.

IM: What is your biggest setback in life? And how did you move forward?

CA: My biggest setback in life was when my dad died at 49 years old; I was only 19. But I recall our last conversation we had. He told me, “Caroline, you should compete in fitness or model in fitness.” This was the last thing he told me before he died. My dad was a true gym rat, and he taught me to work hard and believe in myself. Everything he told me, I have done. That’s something I am very proud of, and I know he is too.

IM: What advice would you give to others?

CA: Work hard. Nothing in life comes free. And like Arnold says, “Ignore the naysayers, believe in yourself, and always finish what you have started.” The key to success is to finish what you have decided to start—only then will new doors open.

IM: What do you think about the future of fitness?

CA: I haven’t been in the fitness industry so long, so I don’t really know, but I think more people are starting to understand the importance of healthy living and to be fit is a status symbol today. So it will probably just get even bigger.

IM: Do you have any unique talents that few people know about you?

CA: Well, if I want something, I do whatever it takes to achieve it!

IM: What are three things on your to-do list?

CA: One, move to California; two, become a famous personal trainer; and three, live the American dream.

IM: Do you use any supplements—what and why?

CA: Yes, I use BMR Sports Nutrition. My favorite is BCAA, and I love the fat burners Tartarus and Ketoz. I also use Protelux protein powder, Saluplex multivitamin, Somatrix ZMA, CLA, and omega-3s from BMR.

IM: Why are plyometrics so important for bikini? Is it a must-do for bikini?

CA: Everybody works differently. Plyometrics are good for you to get strength and cardio at the same time. It works wonders if you want to tighten your glutes and legs. But I don’t want to say it’s a must-do for everyone! It works really well for me, and I enjoy the burn and the intensity.

IM: Can you tell us about your online coaching and personal training business? From what I’ve heard, you’re pretty busy.

CA: I have done online coaching and training for about two years and have worked with all types of clients. I adapt everything to the specific individual’s needs; that way they get the best results. Personal training is so much more than just training. The secret about good results is to be able to keep motivating people to push themselves. That’s what sets apart a good personal trainer from a bad one! To put it plainly: Everything is about motivation and how to find it and keep it!

IM: What advice would you give to girls who plan on competing in bikini?

CA: Build a solid base, work hard, believe in yourself! Get a good coach from the start to help you get on your way to your goals!

IM: Your T-walk is always outstanding. Do you spend a lot of time practicing that before your competitions, or does it just come naturally for you?

CA: Of course I practice my posing a lot, but I also have dancing to thank for it, and I do love to put on a show! So my T-walk feels pretty easy and natural because it reflects my personality.

IM: What does your future look like when it comes to training, competitions, and your career?

CA: The goal for now is to have a great and stable off-season, then to compete this fall, and then the future will show me when it comes to my career!

TRAINING SPLIT
Monday: Legs/glutes/abs
Tuesday: Back/shoulder/abs
Wednesday: Cardio/running and stretching
Thursday: Shoulders/abs
Friday: Legs/glutes/abs
Saturday: Cardio/running and stretching
Sunday: Rest day

Caroline Aspenskog
Country: Sweden
Height: 5’2’’
Weight: 120 pounds
Work: Personal trainer and bikini coach, motivator
Sponsor: BMR Sports Nutrition
Favorite diet food: Sweet potato
Favorite junk food: Hamburger
Dream vacation: Aruba
Motto: Nothing great comes without a sacrifice. —Miranda Kerr
Instagram: @aspenskog

Big dense pecs and eye-popping arms simply say a lot about you.  However, if you want to generate serious size and strength in the pecs, your training must take a turn toward greater intensity than any beginner program can possibly deliver. So if you’ve reached that place in your training where you’ve honestly assessed your pecs and have decided to take your chest development to the next level, try this Iron Man
intensity protocol.

PUSH THE LIMIT

One of the finest, yet traditional, intensity techniques is the superset. Although there are a number of variations on the superset, basically the approach calls for performing two different exercises back-to-back without rest in between. You only rest between supersets. Thanks to the greater stress placed on the pectoral fibers with supersets and the reduced rest time, the result is a shock to muscles that have acclimated to more standard training. You drive a greater volume of blood, packed with additional nutrients, leading to a solid pump and more growth factors for the tissues. In the long run, in addition to serious strength gains, the secondary result is a new wardrobe, because you’ll need some larger shirts.

WHY SUPERSETTING WORKS

When you launch into superset workouts, the first thing you should understand is that you will need to check your ego at the door, because you won’t be able to use the same weight you’re accustomed to when doing straight sets. Whether you’re doing an isolation-compound movement superset or a superset that shifts the angle from incline to flat bench positions, you’re essentially forcing your muscles to respond to a greater volume of work, with reduced rest time during the workout. This approach progressively taxes your resources during a workout more than single-set training, pushing the limits of everything, from cellular components to contraction chemicals to tendon and ligament elasticity. With proper nutritional support and significant recovery time, you will be rewarded with strength gains and larger, thicker and shapelier muscles.

Superset 1

Incline Barbell Press/Dip with Chains

This is considered a compound agonist superset, which means you target the same muscle group(s) with two different exercises. This is a serious combination for generating hypertrophy, because as you fatigue you’re forcing the muscles to recruit even deeper layers of fiber. The first movement targets the clavicular or upper pecs, the head of which originates in anterior clavicle. The barbell allows you to use a considerable amount of weight to pack flesh onto the upper pecs. The dips, which should be done with your torso leaning forward, target the sternal portion of the chest, the midline, where the muscle originates. Using chains increases resistance as your drive toward the top of each rep, or easily allows you to strip weight as necessary. After two warm-up supersets of 20 reps per exercise, you’ll do three working sets of eight to 10 reps of each exercise. Remember, there is no rest between the exercises, but you get between 60 seconds and two minutes of rest between each superset.

Superset 2

Flat barbell bench/flat bench flye

The advantage to this superset is that you won’t have to move from one station to another, which eliminates the problem of another gym rat taking one of your superset stations while you’re working on complementary movement. The presses will pump the blood into the area and stress the outer pec areas that tie in to the delts. The flyes will stretch out the chest area—by stretching the fascia, the muscle sheaths—to make room for additional muscle tissue. Three supersets of 10 to 12 reps are ideal here. Rest only (60 seconds) between supersets.

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Muscle sensation Mike Rashid, whose motto is “Train Your Mind as Hard as You Train Your Body,” explains his shoulder massifier step by step. His plan may test your muscles and your mind.

In this day and age, more people are picking up a barbell and getting their bodies tight, toned and muscular. But having brolic shoulders will get you more you-know-what than you can handle. There is nothing more physically impressive than entering a room full of people, even when you’re wearing dress clothes, and having a V-taper that makes everyone stop and stare. Visually that taper starts with the shoulders, the first thing to be noticed when you walk into a crowd.

The benefits of training shoulders properly are endless. They will increase strength in other lifts, such as your bench press. They will definitely come in handy when 400-plus pounds are straddling the upper part of your back while squatting. This is a bodypart, that if properly trained, will benefit so many other muscle groups that you may not realize how much it’s doing for you.

WHY HEAVY PRESS UP FRONT

If any of you have watched any of my many shoulder-training videos, you will see that I typically start off with a shoulder press using either a barbell or dumbbells. The reason for using either of these is simple: I like to start a bodypart off with what I feel is the most important exercise for that muscle group. I do the overhead press standing for a couple of reasons. Number one, because it’s more difficult that way, and I always choose the more difficult route when training and in life. Conquering more difficult tasks makes you stronger physically and mentally. Also, when doing standing overhead presses, you activate stabilizers in the core--lower back, obliques and abdominals—strengthening that important area for much of resistance training and performance. It also looks a lot more badass when you are strict pressing 225-pounds plus for reps.

VOLUME IS KEY

In my opinion, when doing the primary movement for a bodypart, in this case the shoulder press, if done properly (i.e., with the right intensity, proper rep ranges and proper weight)—that’s all you really need to do for that bodypart. However, I still do more, but I spend a lot of time on that primary movement. With the shoulder press, I won’t move onto the next movement until my shoulders feel extremely taxed. Done correctly, and with enough intensity, a shoulder press will work every head of the deltoids, your traps, your rhomboids, triceps, etc. That’s why the press requires so many sets, in my book.

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Heaven knows we have all seen them—the ones who simply cannot pass a mirror—or, for that matter, a storefront plate-glass window—without admiring their own reflection, often accompanied by a perfection-enhancing brush of the hair with the hand. And they like what they see.

For them the gym’s wall-to-wall landscape of vanity-feeding mirrors is nirvana. The rest of us, sweating and straining, work our butts off to live up to the promise of the future we see reflected on the gym walls, as yet just beyond our reach, like the proverbial carrot on a stick. And that glimpse is enough to keep us going.

“We bodybuilders are all narcissists,” stated a beginning trainee with whom I was having lunch. The rest of the non-bodybuilding world would strongly agree—because that is the way they view us. Is it true though? Are all bodybuilders narcissists? And if we are, is that all bad?

The answer depends on just how narcissistic a person might be. First, though, let’s clarify what narcissist means, because just catching your own eye in a mirror does not make you one.

True narcissism is a serious personality disorder. The traits that define narcissists include the belief that they are perfect, expectations of special treatment because they see themselves as special, arrogance, the exploitation of others without any regard for their feelings or concerns and—this is a biggie—the belief that others exist to serve the narcissist’s needs or they may as well not exist at all (witness Kurt Cobain’s oft-quoted remark, “I don’t care what you think unless it’s about me.”). To top off that list, at least 15 different types of narcissism have been identified. Whew! So clearly we are not talking about a little vanity here and there.

Most of us everyday amateur psychiatrists define narcissist as it was thought of for centuries before modern psychology came on the scene: Someone who is exceedingly vain, self-centered, fascinated with himself and controlling—the guy who always knows better than you how to do everything. We all know a few of those—both in the gym and out—they specialize in getting on our last nerve.

According to psychologist Christopher Barry, Ph.D., “Narcissistic people are great at first impressions—they’re likable and personable, and that take-charge attitude works in their favor. But people can take that aggressive personality for only so long before they get tired of you.” (Details, August 2013)

But wait! The “experts” also tell us that almost everyone has several of those traits to some degree (labeled “healthy narcissism”). To make things even more confusing, most so-called high achievers display many narcissistic traits on their way to the top. Indeed, the strong drive of narcissists and their desire to lead can be highly beneficial. Maybe the best approach is to recognize that we all have these tendencies. So, as you are standing in front of the dumbbell rack deciding which to pick up, how do you deal with yours?

The answer is the same one many successful people employ in dealing with their narcissistic leanings—they have learned how to balance them with reality. Because, if you’re standing at the dumbbell rack and you let your narcissistic tendencies get the better of you, you will pick up the heaviest weight, since it suits your ego and is more impressive to those around you. Never mind that you can’t perform lateral raises properly with that weight. We’ve all seen “ego trainers” like that in the gym, humping up the heaviest weight they can grab while giving a virtual seminar on how not to perform an exercise.

Yes, it is important to believe in yourself in any endeavor, and bodybuilding is no different. If, however, you fail to distinguish between healthy confidence and an unrealistic belief that you are special, you may just hobble away from a set of overly heavy squats with a newly injured knee. Sorry, but you are just muscle, flesh and bone like the rest of us—your body’s cells do not agree that you are special.

In terms of achieving your best physique, can indulging your narcissistic tendencies hold you back in other ways? You bet. Here’s a news flash: Effective bodybuilding is one of the most remorselessly honest pursuits—you must be brutally self-critical in your assessment of yourself.

What’s more, to critique your own physique effectively, you must seriously evaluate the input of others. High-level narcissists tend to value their own opinion while dismissing everyone else’s. They will ignore good advice from friends, trainers and fellow gym rats. When a well-intentioned “bud” (or a contest judge) says, “Dude, your arms are looking too big compared to your shoulders,” it just may be time to do fewer sets for arms and a few more for delts.

That said, there is a time to value your own opinion over everybody else’s—just not every time.

Narcissistic behavior is also linked to the stress hormone cortisol, according to a 2012 University of Michigan study. As physique athletes we work hard to control and manipulate hormones to maintain a metabolic environment conducive to muscle building and fat burning. Having a lot of cortisol creates just the opposite situation. In fact, so-called high-level narcissistic behavior has been shown to be detrimental to your health as well as personal relationships.

Susan Konrath, a psychologist involved in the Michigain study, states, “Narcissistic men may be paying a high price in terms of their physical health, in addition to the psychological cost to their relationships.” So, our physiques and our friendships will benefit from reining in any unhealthful narcissistic inclinations.

As bodybuilders we talk a lot about the importance of the mind/muscle connection. Who knew that one of the most effective ways of optimizing it was to take a simple piece of advice: Get over yourself?

By Tony DiCosta

Over the last few years, the fitness community has been going bananas over coconuts. Coconut water is a bona fide craze, and new evidence continues to mount about the health benefits of cooking with coconut oil. An animal study published in the July edition of the journal PLOS ONE examined the difference between subjects who consumed their fat in the form of coconut oil versus soybean oil, which is commonly listed as the ingredient “vegetable oil.” In the study, mice were given a diet composed of 40 percent fat. The fat source for one group was soybean oil and the other was coconut oil. Compared to mice on the coconut oil diet, animals on the high soybean oil diet showed increased weight gain, larger fat deposits, fatty liver, diabetes, and insulin resistance. Mounting evidence seems to suggest that it’s wise to limit your intake of vegetable oils (soy, corn, safflower, and sunflower oils) in favor of olive oil or coconut oil, even though the latter is mostly composed of saturated fat.

Most of you are very familiar with the barbell row. In gyms all across the country, you see guys and girls sloppily swinging a barbell to their abs as if they are doing some weird deadlift/row/clean combo. They are totally missing out on the benefits of what a strict row can offer.

A safer and more effective version is the barbell rack row. In this exercise, you row inside the power rack from a low pin and squeeze the weight up instead of swinging it. With each rep, pause at the sternum with full contraction for a second, then slowly lower the bar to the rack and reset. This is a great movement to bring up a weak or underdeveloped upper, middle, and even lower back (remember, the lats runs from the arms to the hips.)

Swinging the bar not only cheats you out of the potential benefits but also increases the risk of herniated discs and a litany of other issues as well. As someone who has a serious history of back injury (broken sacrum, multiple endplate fractures from L3-down, as well as not having any disc in L4–L5 and L5–S1,) I can speak on this subject with authority.

Since the traditional barbell row already puts you in a compromising position (hinged at the waist), you don’t want to be swinging the bar, especially when you’re in flexion and under a load. Instead, you want to be braced, stiff, and get a strong contraction with a full range of motion to enjoy the full benefit from this often-bastardized exercise.

Certain movements should be performed as explosively as possible, but this row is not one of them. The squat, bench press, deadlift, clean, and snatch should be done with speed and power. For exercises like the rack barbell row, which actually supplement the moves above, you should use control and try to focus on working the muscle rather than the movement.

To help make the exercise more efficient, I have made a few changes to it that will not only help you get bigger and stronger, but will also develop your core strength and enhance your longevity, in and out of the gym.

1. As with the squat, bench, and dead, you want to get into the position known as the “lifter’s wedge” or the “gorilla lean.” I learned this from renowned spinal expert Dr. Stuart McGill. You want your head up, lats down, and your trunk braced even before taking on a load. This will be the key for you in any movement.

2. Use a grip depending on your weakness. If you want to attack your lats a little bit more, go wider. If you want to hit the middle or the meat of your back, then you’ll want your hands a little bit closer. This is personal preference. I prefer somewhere in the middle because that allows me to get the best squeeze.

3. Start from a good stretched position while in the lifter’s wedge and not lower. Set the pins low, but not too low. At the same time, you don’t want it so high that you have no range of motion either.

4. Before you initiate the row, push your stomach out as if you’re about to take a gut punch. Make sure to brace your core. I don’t care if it’s 45 pounds or 450 pounds, one wrong move while being too “casual” (as Dr. McGill calls it) can end your days in the weight room. You must treat every rep as if it’s the hardest lift you will ever try.

5. Once you break the bar from the pins—using your back muscles rather than momentum—pull it to your sternum and contract your muscles as hard as you can for a second or two. Pull your elbows back and squeeze the bar into you. Then release the squeeze and lower the bar back onto the pins.

6. Pause in the bottom and reset the grip. Each rep will begin from a dead stop. You will not be using momentum the way you would with a squat or bench press or overhead press. You will be working the muscles required for this movement and not just the movement itself.

7. Don’t swing the bar, even when the reps get hard. Too many people have the habit of doggedly finishing sets even after their form has completely fallen apart. You do not get a badge of honor by resorting to anything possible to finish a set. This is about working the muscle, not hitting the number of reps you have in your head.

8. Focus on the movement not the weight. Weight will come. To piggyback off of number seven, this is not a movement that you should use to gauge true strength. This is more of an isolation-compound exercise. In other words, it has much more benefit than a side lateral or a lat-pulldown, but it’s still an accessory lift. Treat it as such.

9. I suggest not wearing straps in an effort to build up your grip strength. People throw around the phrase “functional training” a lot these days, and I can’t think of anything more functional than one’s grip. Once again, this is personal preference.

10. Keep the reps under 10 on this movement. I actually prefer five to six reps, as that range allows me to handle good weight but with perfect form. Any more than 10 reps and I’ve found it’s too hard to keep my form pristine. The goal is for each rep to be a mirror image of the last. Maintaining the integrity of the lift is the top priority.

By Brian Carroll

An early morning hit of aminos can set you on the path to fat loss for the whole day, says new research from the University of Missouri-Columbia. University scientists compared the benefits of consuming a low-protein breakfast (13 grams) to a high-protein breakfast (35 grams) and found that the high-protein breakfast prevented body-fat gains, reduced feelings of hunger, and prompted the subjects to voluntarily consume less food throughout the day. The researchers theorize that the protein helps stabilize glucose, which leads to steady energy levels and a more controllable appetite. The subjects who ate less protein, or who skipped breakfast, experienced swings in glucose levels that are associated with weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Alcohol is deeply intertwined into modern society. For years the media has quoted select studies that praise moderate alcohol consumption for its distinctive benefits to vascular health and the way it promotes nitric-oxide formation leading to improved virility. Yet plenty of other studies discuss its consumption as a serious health risk.

Alcohol and fitness have an oddly close relationship. Its use and abuse often carries over into our passion for competition in sports and strength training. Even the hardest of the hardcore in the fitness community are known to consume alcohol in excess. (Go hit some bars in Columbus, Ohio, the weekend of the Arnold Sports Festival and you’ll see what we mean.) Unfortunately, many people use alcohol for its powers to stimulate a feeling of well-being and reduce social inhibitions. It seems to allow athletes a momentary escape from the stress of continuous training.

A clinical study performed by scientist at John Moores University in Liverpool, England, states the case this way: “Alcohol use, particularly excessive alcohol consumption is one of the most serious health risks in the world. A relationship between sport, exercise and alcohol consumption is clear and long-standing. Alcohol continues to be the most frequently consumed drug among athletes and habitual exercisers and alcohol-related problems appear to be more common in these individuals.”

It seems that fitness enthusiasts think that training hard and eating clean can protect them from the damages of binge drinking. Not only is that idea false, it becomes less and less true the older you get.

Summoning Evil Spirits
Alcohol can be classified as either a food or a drug. As a food, it is quite calorically dense. At seven calories per gram, alcohol provides almost twice the calories per gram of either carbohydrates or protein, but still fewer than a gram of fat. Alcohol is often known as the anti-nutrient because it directly interferes with the body’s absorption, storage, and use of other nutrients. Calories from alcohol are considered empty because alcoholic beverages contain only negligible amounts of vitamins and minerals. It’s puzzling why anyone interested in building and maintaining an awesome physique would want to fuel their body with alcohol.

As a drug, alcohol is classified as a depressant and appears to have a two-part response: an initial sensation of excitement followed by depressive psychomotor effects. Men are less sensitive to the drug than women due to certain enzymatic reactions in their digestive system allowing them to dispose of the alcohol before it reaches their blood-stream.

As many studies show, alcohol truly consumed in moderation has been shown to offer multiple health benefits. If you are dead set on consuming a beer or drinking a glass of red wine every now and then, very little harm will come to you provided you also strength train, perform endurance work, and eat a clean diet rich in protein, essential fatty acids, and clean carbohydrates.

However, the very idea of moderate alcohol consumption as a health benefit is kind of a misnomer. Who really drinks alcohol moderately anyway? American culture glamorizes drinking beer or taking shots at every opportunity. It’s part of our sports and TV culture. Watch a game and have a few brews. Go to a concert or play and open up some red wine. Mexican food means margaritas. Sound familiar?

If you are drinking alcohol to get drunk, you must understand the following side effects you’re likely to experience.

Alcohol is directly converted to triglycerides (fat) in the human bloodstream.

• These triglycerides will then show up in areas where you are prone to store body fat, usually the gut for men and the hips for women.
• In men, alcohol consumption lowers testosterone and increases estrogen.
• For females (more so than males) it dramatically increases the effects of aging on appearance and leads to a host of other potential increased risks like osteoporosis and vascular damage.
• Alcohol’s effect on the liver can interfere with the production of adenosine triphosphate synthesis (ATP), a direct energy source for muscles.
• Alcohol will unwind any positive physique gains you made from your dietary efforts of the previous week.
• It can increase your causative risk factors for the many diseases of aging, including but not limited to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and diseases of the liver.

If your goal is to age gracefully and possess a quality physique with noticeable muscularity and definition and youthful features with strong skin elasticity, then you need to minimize your alcohol consumption once you hit 35. This will not only allow you to look better, your body will thank you with better health for years to come. Additionally, the mental and emotional benefits of limiting your alcohol consumption will be a boon to your relationships and allow you to live a life from a powerful platform. Here is our recommendation based on age range.

In your 20s: If you have above-average genetics and good insulin sensitivity, you can maintain a quality physique and still enjoy alcohol in moderation on weekends. And we mean moderation.

In your 30s: Once Father Time changes the equation in your early to mid-30s, continuing to binge drink leads to disastrous consequences to the composition of your body. Think estrogenic fat deposition (the dreaded “dad bod”), a beer gut, weak muscle strength, and a total lack of endurance both in the gym and in the bedroom. Yes, you read that right. Excess alcohol consumption can lead to sexual dysfunction. Over-imbibing can also impose permanent negative effects on the brain.

In your 40s: In addition to the problems already mentioned, drinking excess alcohol will destroy your skin. Your face will look leathery and aged, and your nose will appear permanently red and puffy. If you aspire to be fit well into your 40s but you’re still get-ting hammered on weekends, you need to ask whether you truly desire to be the best version of yourself. If so, what steps are you willing to take to ensure you live a life filled with great health and the best possible physique you can attain? By curbing your alcohol intake, you have everything to gain and only body fat to lose.

By Brett Osborn, DO, FAANS, CSCS, & Jay Campbell