Flex back issues from February 2006:
Socks appeal.(ED'S PAGE)
Feb 01, 2006; ... This column is being written in late December and I just got off the phone with six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. In a season of goodwill and reflection, we spoke about times past and stumbled into reminiscing about those famous black-and-white shots of Dorian taken by Kevin Horton in ...
The strong arm of the law.(JOE'S PAGE)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Over the years, the police force has been a staunch supporter of FLEX and MUSCLE & FITNESS. The men and women of our nation's police departments put their lives on the line every single day in order to ensure our safety. I imagine that the job is the most challenging and stressful in big ...
Wildcard, wow!(TALKBACK)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Thanks to the Olympia organizers for the invite to compete in the Olympia Wildcard Showdown. I gave it my all, and I gave the audience a posing routine to remember. I had a great time. Thank you very much for the opportunity to stand on the Olympia stage, a dream of mine for 20 years. I ...
Meeting the Legend.(TALKBACK)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Joe Weider's 2005 Olympia Weekend was an incredible experience. It was my first time at the most prestigious bodybuilding show in the world. I saw Ronnie Coleman win a well-deserved eighth consecutive Olympia title. I was also privileged to watch Joe Weider and Arnold Schwarzenegger walk ...
Arm appreciation.(TALKBACK)
Feb 01, 2006; ... I just received my November issue of FLEX. It is a very good issue, and I am impressed with its updated look as well as its contents. I have been a loyal reader of your magazine since 1989. I am currently incarcerated, and I am still a loyal customer and avid reader (I come home June ...
Olympia fans weigh in.(TALKBACK)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Hey, everyone, give it up for Ronnie Coleman. He is the man! He presented a package that sublimely blended mass and symmetry, and his was the best physique onstage. Ron's midsection was tight and his abs were chiseled in there. His work ethic, physique and demeanor are divinely inspired. ...
Olympia reflections.(TALKBACK)
Feb 01, 2006; ... This was the first Olympia I saw and, man, was it heated! I was going for Ronnie Coleman all the way, but I gotta admit that Jay Cutler looked like a Mr. Olympia to me. His shoulders were freaky--he was in shape! I didn't want to admit it at the time, but he definitely could win. Nobody ...
Chick talk.(TALKBACK)
Feb 01, 2006; ... I'm a huge fan of FLEX, but I actually started as a wrestling fan and originally bought the magazine because Batista was on the cover [April 2005]. Since then, I haven't missed an issue! In the November issue, Bob Cicherillo says he thinks that bodybuilding should be more like ...
A pair of eights.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... LEE HANEY and RONNIE COLEMAN have several things in common. They're both 5'11", financially successful and world famous. They're also African Americans, devout Christians and southerners with easygoing dispositions. And, for at least one year, they're sharing the all-time record of eight ...
Sarcev, James cases revealed.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... After a year-and-a-half-long witch-hunt by federal authorities that often bordered on the ridiculous, major steroid-related charges against MILOS SARCEV and DENNIS JAMES have been dismissed. Rumors have been flying fast and furious since federal agents showed up at the Arnold ...
Supersized fame.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Women's bodybuilding contests may be struggling for an audience, but there was no shortage of interested viewers when a pro bodybuilder took her quest for a Ms. Olympia berth to the small screen. IFBB pro JOANNA THOMAS' documentary Super Size She, which detailed her road to qualify for the ...
Morris moves on.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Never mind that MIKE MORRIS finished last in his final contest, but having avoided a major health catastrophe, he felt like the night's biggest winner. Coming off a fifth-place finish in the 2005 Australian Grand Prix, "Popeye" Morris was gunning for the Toronto Pro when he noticed odd ...
Raw is Bob.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... As TRIPLE H's personal guests at this past Halloween's Monday Night RAW at the Pond in Anaheim, BOB "Thunderlips" CICHERILLO and I found ourselves in the enviable position of having primo 200-section seats and backstage badges. Yet, much like the insatiable Oliver Twist, Cicherillo wanted ...
Nationals ups & downs: beyond the winning headlines, here are the outperformers and the underperformers at the 2005 NPC Nationals.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... WHO'S UP * LEE BANKS (light heavyweight, sixth place) Floridian Banks had one of the best-conditioned and most pleasantly shaped physiques in the contest. His lack of a known name may have kept him from the posedown, so we're rectifying that here and now. Bank on Banks' future ...
Nationals four to watch: these four bodybuilders finished out of the running at the NPC Nationals, but each demonstrated posedown potential. Watch for them next time.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... * SHAUN CRUMP (heavyweight, seventh place) The winner of the 2004 North Carolina Championships made a successful leap to the pro-qualifier level, finishing ahead of 43 heavies. With a little more seasoning and thickening (especially in his back), 5'7" Crump could very well finish ahead of ...
Family trumps the O.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... One question could be heard on the lips of many over the course of Olympia Weekend: where's the nearest all-you-can-eat buffet? Another popular question: where's LEE HANEY? After all, the bodybuilding great's record of eight Olympia victories was likely to be tied, and so it only made ...
Classic stuff.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Once again, it's on. The Arnold Fitness Weekend (a.k.a. the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic), that is, and it's bigger than ever. With 15,000 athletes competing during the three-day extravaganza, the Arnold is 50% larger athletewise than the summer Olympics. Overall, 30 events, ...
Big down under.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Within hours after RONNIE COLEMAN tied the all-time Mr. Olympia record with eight titles, he was being whisked a third of the way around the world to his clamoring fans in Australia, where he spent the next three weeks canvassing the continent. Everywhere he appeared--Sydney, Brisbane, ...
Guru voodoo.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... "A lot of these guys rely on so-called gurus, who are mostly just wannabes, strutting around backstage like they're somebodies. I think some of these guys have helped guys get better than they could've been, but at what cost? Now ...
Upon further review.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... As you may have read in the November issue of this publication, DARREM CHARLES took umbrage to an observation I had made in my Toronto Pro report ("Northern Exposure," September 2005). "Darrem Charles walked away the winner as he had done at the New York Pro Championships on May ...
Cyber stars.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Got a question for RONNIE COLEMAN? SYLVESTER STALLONE? Ultimate Fighting Championship's CHUCK LIDDEL? ProSource is offering a direct link to these celebrities, along with a host of other athletes and experts at its recently launched online Fitness Forum. Once you register at ...
FLEX ellence.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... During the 2005 Olympia Weekend, bodybuilding host extraordinaire BOB CICHERILLO emceed the first annual FLEX Achievement Awards on the main stage of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The FLEX Awards honored athletes who distinguished themselves throughout 2005 as champions, both on- and ...
Gunter rocks Tahiti.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Tahiti is a small island and GUNTER SCHLIERKAMP is a large man, so it's no surprise that when he recently made a guest appearance there, the locals took notice. "When I flew in, there were over 500 people at the airport to greet me," Schlierkamp said. "The local papers covered it, and when ...
Tommy on the spot.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... You know the face, now it's time to learn the name. TOMM VOSS has appeared on numerous magazine covers and countless TV shows, including appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, since moving to the United States from his home in Luxembourg in 2002 (he was born in Denmark). So far, ...
Down 'N' out?(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The Chicago Health, Fitness and Nutrition Expo, created and promoted by former IFBB Vice President WAYNE DEMILIA, apparently belly-flopped right into Lake Michigan over the November 12-13 weekend. DeMilia's first foray back into fitness-event management was accompanied by several different ...
The Shawn show.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Denver, get ready for some extra-large guests come May 12-13. Retired bodybuilding superstar SHAWN RAY is teaming up with supplement company Vyotech for a new bodybuilding contest, the Shawn Ray Colorado Pro. The details are still being finalized, but here are some of the particulars as of ...
Blame it on the moon.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Usually, if you think of bodybuilders and full moons, you probably envision a rearranging of posing trunks followed by an unnecessary display of shredded glutes. For KEVIN LEVRONE, a full moon is a more fortuitous event. "I'm a Cancer. Full moons mean good luck for me. Whenever I competed ...
Troy, Troy again.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... After a stellar start to 2005 that included a controversial third-place finish in the Ironman Pro--controversial because many in attendance felt he easily could have been the winner over champ GUSTAVO BADELL and second-place finisher LEE PRIEST--TROY ALVES went missing for the better part ...
Dorian Yates unapproved.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... So how many Sandows does it take to get a free workout in this town? Apparently, even six aren't quite enough, as former Mr. Olympia DORIAN YATES found out. On a recent visit to Gold's Gym in Venice, California, the reception staff cast a shadow over Yates' workout plans by refusing him ...
Virtual posedown.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... VICTOR RICHARDS (1993) vs. RONNIE COLEMAN (2005) From the late '80s to the early '90s, VICTOR RICHARDS was hailed as the great uncrowned Mr. Olympia. The 5' 10" Richards earned IFBB pro status by winning the 1992 Nigerian Championships, but he refused to put his reputation on ...
Muscleaneous.(HARD TIMES)
Feb 01, 2006; ... * DEAD RECKONING After barely budging for decades, the world deadlift record was shattered at a meet in November 2005 when 22-year-old Icelander BENEDIKT MAGNUSSON set a new standard at 970 pounds just after England's ANDY BOLTON pulled 942 pounds. Expect the vaunted 1,000-pound mark to ...
Breaking supplement news: Hydroxycut Hardcore sets the new fat-burning standard! Team MuscleTech researchers have unveiled Hydroxycut Hardcore and made all other fat burners obsolete!(SPECIAL 6-PAGE SCIENTIFIC AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Feb 01, 2006 ... The fat-burning supplement market has been flooded with gimmick after gimmick for the last ten years. Supplements such as topical fat-loss creams, guggelsterones, synephrine, and ephedra-free ma huang have appeared--supplements that don't work. It's like a never-ending merry-go-round in a ...
Gym bag: take these insider tips to your next workout.
Feb 01, 2006; ... EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE "One thing I've learned in physical therapy is breathing is a major part of muscle contractions. You really have to think about your breathing when you're training to allow you to stimulate the muscle more and bring oxygen to the muscle. Never hold your ...
Never back down: Branch Warren (left) and Johnnie Jackson go row for row in the trenches of their Texas gym.(TRAINING)
Feb 01, 2006; ... "Come on! That's a light-ass weight! It ain't s--t! Olympia, baby! Get that Olympia back!" Branch Warren shouts. And so, two days after the Europa Super Show on September 17, 2005, less than four weeks before attaining the shape of his life for the Mr. Olympia, Johnnie Jackson reps out ...
Get Ripped in 12 weeks: is your lean bodybuilding physique hidden under a layer (or two) of fat? Don't waste another second--shred up for spring with this scientifically designed high-octane training, diet and supplementation program.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Veiny. Grainy. Striated. Shredded. Cut. Ripped to the bone. Whatever it's called, it's a condition any bodybuilder wants to achieve in his quest for mass. After all, why build reams of new muscle if you're just going to walk around like a bloated puffball, never showing it off? ...
The real secret to getting anabolic--can it be done naturally? Research confirms you can instantly trigger permanent muscle growth with LEUKIC[TM]--the world's first 100% anabolic compound!(NEW SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY!: SPECIAL 6-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Feb 01, 2006 ... So what exactly would it feel like to live inside an action hero's body for just a day or two? You know, just say you could somehow unzip your skin and slide right into the physique of a star athlete who carries significantly more muscle than you. Would you take your body on tour and maybe ...
Champ change: the top four finishers in the 2005 Mr. Olympia contest reveal their on-the-money tricks for mass improvement.(TRAINING)
Feb 01, 2006; ... An astute observer of a bodybuilding contest once said, "It's like watching a football game after it's over," the implication being that you miss out on all that brought about the final score: the sweat-drenched, lung-burning, muscle-ripping battles with the weights, the torture of ...
Fish facts: it's true--some of the best bodybuilding foods in existence lie under the sea.(NUTRITION)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Whenever the "best" bodybuilding foods are listed, chicken and beef are usually ranked ahead of fish. Not that fish is a forgotten protein source among bodybuilders, but, other than canned tuna, it's simply not as highly regarded. Fish, though, should get its due, as it not only helps you ...
The hole story: from the dawn of time, men have been doing squats--often incorrectly. Here's how to correct your form and build barbaric thighs.(TRAINING)
Feb 01, 2006; ... It's so brutally simple, a caveman could have invented it. Drape a heavy weight across your shoulders, bend at the knees as you lower your butt toward the ground. then give everything you've got to explode back up to an upright position. The squat is a fundamental, universal and central ...
"How I beat Mr. Olympia!" On October 15, 2005, Gustavo Badell did something every other bodybuilder on the planet wishes he could have done. He defeated the reigning Mr. Olympia one-on-one for the biggest upset in bodybuilding history!(SPECIAL 6-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Bodybuilding is often seen as an individual sport in which athletes spend most of their time in dark, secluded gyms, training their guts out and eating the unappealing foods that seem to define their warrior-like existences. Although this is definitely part of the sport. Gustavo Badell's ...
15 biggest controversies and shocking moments in bodybuilding history.(FEATURE)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Murder! Sex! Drugs! Political intrigue! More shocking than a backstage cardiac defibrillator, more outrageous than Ronnie Coleman teaching Pilates, FLEX has the scoop on the biggest tabloid headlines of bodybuilding. Some are all but forgotten; others are ...
Cook, eat grow: Jay Cutler's nutrition plan for growth isn't fancy, but it works.(NUTRITION)(Interview)
Feb 01, 2006; ... "When people come stay with me for more than one day, they think they're watching the movie Groundhog Day," Jay Cutler says. "Every day is just like the one before. That's what works. You do the basics, and you do them over and over. The more often you do them, the better the results ...
Best bis: build the arms you never thought possible with these seven new approaches to biceps bombing.(TRAINING)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Do we really need to sell biceps training to a reader of the leading bodybuilding magazine? Of course you want bigger arms. Of course you've already done more curling than an octogenarian hairdresser. We assumed those facts before you arrived here in the hardgainer department. So, without ...
The need for speed: with this expertly engineered program, you'll accelerate your muscle growth by manipulating the speed of your repetitions.(TRAINING)
Feb 01, 2006; ... You've undoubtedly tried different programs in search of more size and deeper cuts. You've gone high rep, you've gone low rep, you've pyramided up, you've pyramided down--hell, you'd do the freakin' Hokey Pokey every day if some study somewhere proved that it packed on muscle. ...
Steak your claim: Phil Heath attests to the benefits of the best bodybuilding food: red meat.(NUTRITION)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Phil Heath has taken the bodybuilding world by storm. At only 25, he made a dynamic entrance into the pro ranks--a milestone many bodybuilders take far longer to achieve. Heath attributes much of his fast-track success to two things: great genetics and a diet plan high in lean red meat. ...
Muscle gene activator!(THE FIRST SCIENTIFICALLY ENGINEERED: SPECIAL 4-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Feb 01, 2006 ... As you read this, there's cutting-edge research on musclebuilding being conducted overseas at a university laboratory in England ... research so groundbreaking it will change the way you think about building freakishly huge muscle and mind-blowing strength. It might even change your life ...
The will to win: super-heavyweight Bill Wilmore ends his 10-year odyssey for a pro card in triumph, taking the overall at the 2005 NPC Nationals.(NATIONALS)
Feb 01, 2006 ... It was redemption time in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 19. After consecutive runner-up placings, to Mat DuVall in 2003 and Chris Cook in 2004, Florida's Bill Wilmore rose to the top of the super-heavyweight class at the 2005 NPC Nationals and snagged the overall title. ...
Rating the musclebuilders: everything you need to know before you buy a musclebuilder.(SPECIAL 6-PAGE AD REPORT)(Advertisement)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Supplements have come a long way since the beginning. Powders, liquids, capsules, and tablets line the shelves of every supplement outlet. But before you run out to get your own supply, there are a few things you should know. Education is the key to getting effective supplements. Believe ...
Shear delight: Figure International champ Jenny Lynn has come a long way from her 4-H days.(Body SHOP)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Seeing her onstage, adorned in glistening rhinestones, her blond hair flowing and makeup applied, you'd never guess that beneath Jenny Lynn's figure persona lies the heart of a simple country girl. Sure, at first glance, she looks Gucci and Vogue all the way, but Lynn has been ...
H+Blocker a new science in muscular performance: researchers agree, H+Blocker is quickly becoming the hottest bodybuilding supplement in America. But what is it? How does it work? What does science say about it? And why you should use it.(Advertisement)
Feb 01, 2006 ... We all know how effective, and wildly popular, creatine has become. But has the next generation of bodybuilding supplementation finally arrived? New research from the United Kingdom, Russia, and Korea may be laying the foundation for a new performance aid called H+Blocker, which contains ...
8 week chest shocker: Bob Cicherillo and Chris Cook attack chest by confusing the hell out of it.(TRAINING)
Feb 01, 2006 ... When IFBB pros Bob Cicherillo and Chris Cook got together to train chest in front of FLEX photographer Chris Lund's lens, they brought with them an accumulation of four decades of training experience and the wisdom that comes with it. Twenty-seven of those years have been logged under the ...
Advanced nutrition.
Feb 01, 2006 ... SOY UPDATE In the world of protein, soy has gotten a bad rap. After all, it's a vegetable protein. How good can a vegetable protein be, right? According to new research, the vegetable protein from soy is damn good. In fact, soybeans contain all eight essential amino acids and ...
Question of the month: what was the highlight of your first Olympia?(REFLEXIONS)(Interview)
Feb 01, 2006; ... "Just stepping onstage at the Olympia was a dream come true. It was something I've been working toward since I was 18 years old. Twelve years of hard work finally paid off. "I started working out when I was 15 or 16 just to get bigger for sports in high school, I stuck with it ...
Hannibal on hold.(THE SHOW BIG REPORT)
Feb 01, 2006; ... In the third century B.C., Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca led a successful surprise attack on Roman territory by trekking over the seemingly insurmountable Alps. Now, in an equally surprising development, Vin Diesel plans to both star in and direct a movie version of Hannibal's life ....
Olympia spotlight: plus talent roundup.(NPC REPORT)
Feb 01, 2006 ... * It was time to hit Las Vegas again, this time for the year's IFBB crown-jewel event: the 40th Anniversary Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend at Orleans Hotel and Casino. The events started right away on Thursday, October 13, with the Olympia press conference. This year, it was presented a bit ...
Events.(Calendar)
Feb 01, 2006 ... IFBB FEBRUARY 18 IRONMAN PRO INVITATIONAL Los Angeles, California. Contact John Balik, (805) 385-3500. MARCH 3-5 ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER CLASSIC, MS. INTERNATIONAL, FITNESS INTERNATIONAL & FIGURE INTERNATIONAL Columbus, Ohio. Contact Jim ...
Product review: this month's special offers and freebies!(SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Techline Vita Tech Packs are designed for serious athletes seeking to maximize physical performance. Each Vita Tech packet contains a broad spectrum of performance-enhancing nutrients, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, lipotropics and digestive aids. The Vita Tech packets are ...
In praise of vacuums.(TRAINING)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Ask a bodybuilder today what it means to vacuum and he'll most likely talk about sucking up dirt from a carpet. But pose the same question to Leroy Colbert, Reg Park, Frank Zane or Ed Corney and they're sure to give you an entirely different response. Rather than sucking up dirt, their ...
Crossing Haney.(LEE'S WAY)(Interview)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Q | There's a photo of you taken at a contest in which your triceps are full of crazy cross striations. How did you achieve that look, and how can I get it? A | So I only showed cross striations in one single photo? Aw, shucks! I figured I had them all the time! I'm ...
Forearmed is forewarned.(ASK DORIAN)(Interview)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Q | My forearms are lagging pretty badly behind my upper arms. I know you didn't train your forearms, but any advice would be appreciated. A | You're correct when you write that I didn't train my forearms. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I never had to. My forearms were pretty thick, ...