Flex back issues from December 2004:
The pump explained! Find out why the pump may be the most underrated and important aspect of your training!(SPECIAL 4-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Dec 01, 2004 ... Nothing compares to the feeling you get when your muscles are pumped. A good pump can be inspirational. To watch your muscles explode in size as they challenge the very seams that tie your clothing together can be the motivation you need to train even harder. A good pump can also be ...
The write stuff.(ARNOLD'S PAGE)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Many leading figures from bodybuilding's past and present attended the Joe Gold memorial held in Santa Monica on August 20. One, whom I hadn't seen for many years, was Dick Tyler, West Coast editor of MUSCLE BUILDER/POWER (forerunner of FLEX and MUSCLE & FITNESS) from 1965 to 1971. When I ...
What's new is old.(JOE'S PAGE)
Dec 01, 2004; ... All the discussion about Russia's Alex Fedorov being bodybuilding's next big star is certainly compelling. After all, the idea of a big raw kid from Europe as a legitimate threat to many of America's greatest champions is an exciting story, no matter what the sport. This concept was even ...
Recipe request.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2004 ... I've been lifting on and off for half my life, but I never before put much thought into how I ate or how to follow a diet. I am starting to get into working out hard again this month. My longtime girlfriend, Samara, and I both like to be fit, so we sat down at our table the other night to ...
Ladies' man.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2004 ... I noticed one of your readers, Mike Shaw, wrote to Talkback in the August 2004 issue. He asked that FLEX discontinue the swimsuit and lingerie issues. I do not agree. The ladies who compete in the bodybuilding, fitness and figure divisions do not receive enough recognition as it is. They ...
Semper FI.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2004 ... I'm a marine stationed in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I notice you've occasionally had letters from soldiers in Iraq, and I wanted to let you know that we at home support FLEX, as well. Using your articles and beneficial information, I have managed to gain 35 pounds of shredded mass ...
Warm-up wonderings.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2004 ... I have some questions about warming up. What is the proper procedure on how to warm up for the three different stages of weight trainers: beginner, intermediate and advanced? I am 25 and do squats and bench presses with free weights. I have a hard time understanding everyone's version of ...
Major metamorphosis.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2004 ... Enclosed you will find my amazing transformation from an overweight 21-year-old single guy to a 28-year-old married father. The before picture was me at 251 pounds, with a 40" waist and at 29.5% bodyfat. The after picture was taken in July of this year on the eve of my first bodybuilding ...
On the defense.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2004; ... As I am currently incarcerated, working out is the one joy I have in my life, and FLEX is like an awesome bodybuilding supplement. In reference to your July 2004 Hard Times segment "Titanic Titus vs. Sugar Ray," I'd like to know where the hell Shawn Ray gets off trying to degrade one of ...
California dreamin'.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Look out, VIN. Step aside, ROCK. There's a new tough guy in town, and he's muscling in on your turf. Meet KEVIN LEVRONE, big-time movie-star action hero! Well, maybe he's not quite there yet, but he's on his way. That's right, the Maryland Muscle Machine has pulled up his East ...
Livin' large.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Here's how you'd live life if you were BOB CICHERILLO. RIDE | I have a 2000 Trans-Am (white) and an '86 Buick Grand National. NEXT RIDE | I'm trying to find a '59 Chevy with the cat eyes in the back. HOME | Playa del Rey. Some say Ply-uh, some say Play-uh ....
His and hernia.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... GEORGE "Bulletproof" FARAH has gone under the knife. Unlike his near-death experience after multiple gunshot wounds several years ago, this time the surgery was elective. "I had a hernia that I wanted to repair to improve the look of my abs," Farah told FLEX. "It turned out to be a big ...
New pro-position.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Since AMI became partners with the IFBB to run the Mr. Olympia, the rest of the pro bodybuilding circuit is in a process of evolution. Next year promises to be one of the most exciting ever for the pro circuit. Established contests such as the Ironman Pro, Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, ...
Hardcore Horton.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... <Pre> "Sweat is good. Fans are evil." --Handwritten motto on MetroFlex wall </Pre> Photographer KEVIN HORTON fell in love with the training home of RONNIE COLEMAN when we pulled into the gym's gravel parking lot to shoot the feature "Ain't Nothin' but a Peanut" published in FLEX's ...
Muscle in the middle.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... BOB CICHERILLO and CHRIS COOK guest star on an episode of FOX's Malcolm in the Middle, scheduled to air on November 14. In real life, the duo, who trained together for a year, are thoughtful and articulate champs, but on Malcolm they play stereotypical meatheads Walt (Cicherillo) and Nick ...
5-year plan: Craig Richardson; IFBB pro Craig Richardson tells us where he's been and where he's going.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... FIVE YEARS AGO Years ago, I got into trouble, but all that was behind me five years ago. I was competing as an amateur bodybuilder, and I was doing personal training. I've owned Craig Richardson's Body Sculpting for seven years now, and I've been married to my wife, JENNIFER, ...
Tangled Web.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004 ... FAN: Why is your Web site [www.musclebob.com] never updated? BOB ...
Nelson victorious.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... New York's COLETTE NELSON won the heavyweight and overall titles at the 2004 IFBB World Amateur Championships, held September 18-19 in Santa Susana, Spain. Nelson's victory was significant, as she was the first American gold medalist at the contest since PEGGY SCHOOLCRAFT won ...
Don't call it a comeback.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Remember VICTOR RICHARDS? Remember how he stunned the bodybuilding world with COLEMAN-like mass in the early '90s? Remember how he qualified for the pros by winning the Nigerian Championships, only to retire from competition under protest of what he felt to be a manipulative unjust system? ...
Lone-star lugfest.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... If everything's bigger in Texas, then just imagine what it's like when the biggest of the big get together at the nation's biggest amateur bodybuilding contest. The 2004 NPC Nationals, to be held in Dallas, Texas, on November 19-20, promises to be one of the biggest and best on record ....
Season and cook.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... You can bet the farm that CHRIS COOK will never be one of those braggadocian brats of bodybuilding who attain fame before manhood. At what is normally the still-learning age of 27, Cook knows more about humility and life than people double his age. Twice (2003 and 2004) he won his ...
10 reasons Ken Jones should be Mr. O.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... <Pre> 10 His muscle mass equals his aesthetics 9 Billie Jean is not his lover 8 Feathers, glitter and gloves 7 The easy article headlines ("Me and Mr. Jones," "Kenny Jones'Diary," "Ken, You Believe It?") 6 It would make his brother, Richard, very ...
Hawk's flight pattern.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... In 1983, DAVID HAWK was flying high with the NPC Junior Nationals light-heavyweight title under his belt. He would go on to win the USA Championships and the World Games in 1985 and compete in the IFBB until 1992, at which time he fell off the radar. Ten years later, he would suddenly ...
Marianna Komlos remembered.(HARD TIMES)
Dec 01, 2004; ... MARIANNA KOMLOS, British Columbian bodybuilder and popular FLEX Power & Sizzle model in the late '90s, passed away on September 26 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 35. Komlos, who had been living in Prince George, British Columbia, in recent years, became a ...
Choose your thermogenic wisely: not all thermogenics are created equal. Find out how to choose the one that's right for you.(SPECIAL 4-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Dec 01, 2004 ... As a nation, we spent billions and billions of dollars in 2003 on getting in shape. In fact, according to the "Supplement Business Report" published by Nutrition Business Journal, the US dietary supplement industry recently made an estimated $18.8 billion in annual sales. So then, why is ...
Pec-ing order: follow my lifelong learning curve to a perfect chest.(TRAINING)
Dec 01, 2004; ... I started bodybuilding when I was 16, which means I've been at this for more than half my life. The most exciting lesson I've learned so far is that the more I know, the more I realize I don't know. A bodybuilder's learning curve doesn't end when we finish a textbook--it's a ...
Midnight mass: what you eat before, during and after you sleep can make your physique an overnight success.(NUTRITION)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Bodybuilders need sleep to grow. The optimum amount is eight hours for most hard-training bodybuilders who want to continue adding muscle mass. During this time, you may not burn as many calories as you do at other times of day, but you nonetheless still burn calories. If you're a typical ...
Nutrabolics has gone beyond prohormones with HydroTest designer liposome testosterone enhancer.(SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION: Product Review)
Dec 01, 2004 ... HydroTest delivers a strong and effective dosage and form of Tribulus terrestris that's unsurpassed in the supplement industry. This pure and potent testosterone-enhancing formula alone gives you everything you need to pack on slabs of lean muscle mass and boost your sex drive. Nutrabolics ...
Myodrive by SAN.(SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION: Product Review)
Dec 01, 2004 ... If you are a young athlete desperately seeking to gain size, then SAN's Myodrive Massive Weight Gainer is your answer! Myodrive consists of an unrivaled matrix designed to pack on solid pounds of muscle mass instead of fat. Included with every serving is SAN's critically acclaimed Myoxx ...
LEANFIRE--advanced energy and weight-loss solution.(SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION: Product Review)
Dec 01, 2004 ... Staying lean may not be easy, but choosing an effective product is. LEANFIRE by INSTONE helps ignite your body's fat-burning furnace without ephedra or ephedrine. LEANFIRE keeps your metabolic systems optimized to support an active and healthy lifestyle. LEANFIRE contains 50 mg of 7-keto ...
The fitness trainer.(SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION: Product Review)
Dec 01, 2004 ... Otomix introduces the most comfortable, lightweight and breathable gym shoe you will ever wear. From the street to the treadmill, whether pumping iron or kickboxing, this shoe puts you in action! It features a customized fit for increased stability at the heel strike with optimal ...
Clinical study shows why NO2[R] dominates the nitric oxide category! Baylor University clinical trial confirms NO2's safety and performance-enhancing powers in hard-training athletes.(Breaking News from the Nation's #1-Selling Nitric Oxide Supplement)
Dec 01, 2004 ... In March 2002, after 5 years and millions of dollars of development, MRI introduced extended-release NO2, its super-powerful nitric oxide generator. It marked the biggest breakthrough in supplements in over 30 years, and placed MRI as the leading innovator of the industry. ...
The wild wild "World": in a world of freaks, Will "World" Harris is a superfreak.(TRAINING)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Step right up! Marvel at a man who claims to be 320 years old! He has fangs! He may or may not sleep in a coffin! Hear how he raised himself on the cruel streets of South Central Los Angeles! Watch him sometimes do entire workouts of nothing but 100-rep sets! Contemplate him weighing 360 ...
Superhero shoulders: amazing delts--how to build them!(TRAINING)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Think back to the first time you picked up a superhero comic book. It may have been Superman or Batman, possibly Spider-Man or Captain America. Now envision this scenario: some maniacal, but brilliant, evildoer is threatening the world and is holding a beautiful girl hostage. He's made his ...
Markus Ruhl.(Souvenir Poster)
Dec 01, 2004; ... So wide, he has to walk sideways through the gym doors. <Pre> EIGHT-WEEK SUPERHERO DELT ROUTINE EXERCISE SETSREPS Seated dumbbell presses 1* 20 4 15, 12, 10, 8 superset with ...
The king and eyes.
Dec 01, 2004; ... Brothers-in-arms BOB CICHERILLO and KING KAMALI may get cross once in a while, but their ...
Diet dangers: here's how to avoid dietary pitfalls so you can keep your muscles and shed fat.(NUTRITION)
Dec 01, 2004; ... When it comes to dieting, if you're like most bodybuilders, you tend to think in terms of losing bodyfat. When that's your only focus, though, you may be overlooking one of the most important--and complex--elements of the dieting process: your hormone levels. Hormones are crucial chemicals ...
Lethal weapon.(SPECIAL 4-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Dec 01, 2004 ... In The WWE[R], The First Law Of The Jungle Is Survival. The Second Is To Annihilate The Competition. RAW[R] Superstar Batista Enforces The Rules With Devastating Power. THE YOUNG ROOKIE SITS ON THE DRESSING ROOM TABLE, QUIETLY reflecting on the match about ...
How I became a pro champion: first, I became a tagalong.(PROFILE)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Thank God for the icons of bodybuilding, and thank God it takes maturity and professionalism to become one. They took this impressionable kid from the mean streets of Sacramento and Riverside, California, and through their unwitting example gave me hope, inspiration and loftier goals than ...
The 21-and-under club: get growing.(TRAINING)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Arnold Schwarzenegger won the 1966 Mr. Europe at 19, the 1967 Mr. Universe at 20 and, in 1970, his first of seven Mr. Olympias at 23. Lee Haney followed up his victory in the 1979 Teenage Mr. America by winning the 1982 NPC Nationals at 22 and, in 1984, he won his first of eight Mr. ...
The King and I: Bob Cicherillo knows King Kamali. He also knows Shari Kamali. And, yes, there is a difference.(PICTORTAL)(Cover Story)
Dec 01, 2004; ... FORCE PERSPECTIVE Chick and King. King and Chick. The guys go together like mortar and brick. To the bodybuilding public, they make a rather unlikely pair. Sure, neither man is afraid to speak his mind (not by a long shot), but whereas Bob "Chick" Cicherillo is viewed by many as a ...
DVD tales.(RANDOM ACTS OF MUSCLE IN CELEBRITYLAND)
Dec 01, 2004; ... * Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 sci-fi action flick Predator is one of his best celluloid excursions. A murderous space invader in the jungle has superpowers, including thermal vision, inhuman strength and invisibility. In other words, it's a worthy opponent for a seven-time Mr. Olympia ....
Digital synthol.(RANDOM ACTS OF MUSCLE IN CELEBRITYLAND)
Dec 01, 2004; ... * They keep their client lists confidential, but several computer editing companies now specialize in digitally enhancing filmed footage of celebrities. In fact, as high-definition technology grows more commonplace and thus details become more visible, there's a progressively greater need ...
Bigger Blade.(RANDOM ACTS OF MUSCLE IN CELEBRITYLAND)
Dec 01, 2004; ... * Credited under his given name, Paul Michael Levesque, professional wrestler and FLEX cover model (July 2002) Triple H makes his big-screen acting debut in Blade: Trinity, due to open in December. He plays villainous bloodsucker Jarko Grimwood in the third installment of the ...
Off the mat, onto the screen.(RANDOM ACTS OF MUSCLE IN CELEBRITYLAND)
Dec 01, 2004; ... * Television's pro wrestlers have been appearing in films since Gorgeous George in Alias the Champ (1949), but most such movies are low-budget curios, and many have gone straight to video. Things are starting to change. Recently, we've seen several pro grapplers thrust into ...
Wrestlers in the movies.(RANDOM ACTS OF MUSCLE IN CELEBRITYLAND)
Dec 01, 2004; ... <Pre> Hulk Hogan Rocky III (1982) Andre the Giant The Princess Bride (1987) Professor Toru Tanaka The Running Man (1987) Jesse "The Body" VenturaPredator (1987) "Rowdy" Roddy Piper They Live (1988) ...
Video-store shelf.(RANDOM ACTS OF MUSCLE IN CELEBRITYLAND)
Dec 01, 2004; ... * Dave Draper, 1966 Mr. Universe, appears as a Swedish athlete in the Cary Grant comedy Walk, Don't Run (1966). * Four-time Ms ....
Prudent protein: it's too important to waste.(NUTRITION)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Growing up in the sport, I heard from some of the big guys in the gym that in order to be their size, I'd need to ingest outrageous quantities of food. They were big, so I believed them, but I've since come to the conclusion that you don't need to completely stuff your gut every two hours ...
Question of the month: what was your biggest setback, and how did you get past it?(REFLEXIONS)
Dec 01, 2004; ... TOMMI THORVILDSEN IFBB PRO COMPETITOR "One of my biggest trouble spots hit when I moved to California from Norway six weeks before the 2002 Mr. Olympia. I was on my own, with only a bag of clothes. I had a Weider contract, but I did not know many people. I had no ...
MuscleTech goes inside with Jay Cutler.(SPECIAL 4-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Dec 01, 2004 ... ? Jay, my chest is terrible. This is what I've been doing: flat bench press (4X10), incline bench press (4X10), dumbell flyes (3X10), and Pec Deck (3X15). Any advice on what I could do with my program for a bigger chest? A Well, I basically had the same problem when I was ...
70-rep sets: hammer that muscle into forged steel--I dare you!(TRAINING)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Every blue moon, just to kill a muscle group, to shock it sick with fright at the thought that I'm either going to crush it into mush or it'll resist my assault with brain-sucking growth, I'll progress through my workout as usual. But when I get to my last set, something in my mind snaps, ...
Your nutrition problems solved; This month: testosterone-enhancing minerals, varying supplement regimens and last-minute abs.(NET GAINS)
Dec 01, 2004 ... Q | Are zinc and magnesium good for increasing testosterone? A | Yes, zinc and magnesium do boost testosterone under certain conditions. At FLEX, we advocate at least 15 milligrams (mg) of zinc per day and 400 mg of magnesium. These two minerals appear to be lacking in the diets ...
West street shuffle: 2004 NPC Team Universe Bodybuilding Championships.(CONTEST)
Dec 01, 2004; ... This year's NPC Team Universe Championships lived up to its reputation as one of the top national-level muscle cavalcades. For the ninth time, Manhattan's Tribeca Performing Arts Center hosted the country's most prestigious drug-tested amateur show. Somewhat of an enigma, ...
Featuring 2004 hall of fame inductee: Lee Labrada.(FACTOIDS)
Dec 01, 2004; ... EARLY HISTORY Lee Labrada was born on March 8, 1960, in Havana, Cuba, and arrived in America in 1962. At the age of 17, he was living and training in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1978, he entered his first bodybuilding contest, the Teen Mr. Jacksonville, and took first place ....
Cleveland rock hard: 2004 IFBB North American Championships.(CONTEST)
Dec 01, 2004; ... In this pro qualifier, light-heavyweight winner Brian Chamberlain scooped overall honors and a passport into the IFBB pro division by besting a strong field of seasoned vets and fresh-faced newcomers. The owner of Fitness Extreme gym in Exton, Pennsylvania, sported an ...
Groundyhog Day.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... "Eat by the clock, train by the clock and sleep by the clock. That's what I do. Every day's the same--it's Groundhog Day for me every day. Eat six meals, train twice, do cardio, sleep eight to 10 hours and my day is ...
Dorian Yates' unique lifts.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Here are four exercises that six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates did regularly, but most trainers don't. * Machine pullovers Performed on a Nautilus machine, pullovers stretch and contract the lats without involving the biceps. They also work the serratus. * One-arm ...
Cattle prod.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... "High reps never seemed to work for me when it came to calves. I used to do 60 reps and drop sets and all that. Then I just started piling weight on to machines and doing lower reps, and they started to grow. I think seated calf raises are especially important. Seated raises work the ...
Joint chiefs of strength.(FROM LAB TO GYM)
Dec 01, 2004; ... If you want to gain monster muscle mass, then you know the drill: lift heavy or go home. Heavy weights (in the rep range of three to six) better stimulate the fast-twitch muscle fibers, and those are the fibers that grow the biggest and strongest. Unfortunately, training heavy all the time ...
Train smarter, not harder.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... "The whole balls-to-the-wall mentality is often exactly what your body doesn't need. 'No pain, no gain' is the stupidest saying ever. My favorite saying is 'Train smarter, not harder.' I remember talking to [pro bodybuilder] Jim Quinn years ago, and he told me, 'You know, Bob, I know I'm ...
Lou Ferrigno's classic chest routine.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... <Pre> LOU FERRIGNO'S CLASSIC CHEST ROUTINE EXERCISESETS REPS Bench presses5 6-10 Incline presses 5 6-10 Decline presses 5 6-10 Dumbbell flyes ...
Charles glass' tips for personal trainers.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... * Spot every rep. Stay alert and close enough to quickly grab the weight. * Always be aware of your client's strengths, weaknesses and goals. Note that these may change at any time. * Always be aware of your client's physical and mental ...
A stretch in time.(FROM LAB TO GYM)
Dec 01, 2004; ... You've probably read it hundreds of times or even heard it spouted from some overzealous trainer at your local gym: "Always warm up and stretch before you lift weights." If this is your maxim, then it's time to get a new one. In the world of exercise science and sports medicine, ...
Faramarz aghazadeh's quadriceps routine.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... <Pre> FARAMARZ AGHAZADEH'S QUADRICEPS ROUTINE EXERCISESETS REPS Smith machine515-30 squats Leg extensions 515-30 Leg presses 515-30 NOTE: Aghazadeh trains ...
Thigh trisets.(GYM BAG)
Dec 01, 2004; ... "To shock your thighs, do three different exercises without stopping. I begin with 15 reps of squats, then walk right over to the leg press machine for another 15 reps. Immediately following those, I do another 15 reps of hack squats. This sequence continues for four sets. Because this ...