MD №3 2009 USA

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Vo l u m e 4 6 , N u m b e r 3 , M a r c h 2 0 0 9

BUILD MUSCLE • BURN FAT • NO BULLSHIT!

116

Research: Fat Loss By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD

186

_{Fat Attack}

Arnold Era— Then vs. Now: Fat Loss

By Dan Gwartney, MD

104

Research: Training By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD

138

_{Research: Supplements By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD}

150

Research: Nutrition By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD

192

_{Nutrition Performance}Leucine UpdateBy Robbie Durand, MA

204

Supplement Performance

Potassium Bicarbonate & Egg ProteinBy Robbie Durand, MA

368

_{MuscleTech Research Report}

TRAINING

www.musculardevelopment.com March 2009

NUTRITION & PERFORMANCE

FAT LOSS

DRUGS

HEALTH & PERFORMANCE

THE WORLD’S

BIGGEST

BODYBUILDING

MAGAZINE!

160

_{Research: Drugs By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD}

182

_{Future Pharmacy By Douglas S. Kalman, PhD, RD, FACN}

310

_Testosterone

Arnold Era— Then vs. Now: Anabolics & Adjuncts

By Dan Gwartney, MD

342

_{The “Clear” Chemist By Patrick Arnold}

354

_{Anabolic Research Update By William Llewellyn}

358

_{The Anabolic Freak By David Palumbo}

362

_{Anabolic Edge By Jose Antonio, PhD}

378

_{Busted! Legal Q&A By Rick Collins, JD}

ARNOLD—

PUMPING

IRON!

288

328

_{Muscle Form+Function By Stephen E. Alway, PhD, FACSM}

374

Extreme Muscle Enhancement

By Carlon M. Colker, MD, FACN

380

_{Iron Mike: The Liberator By Mike Liberatore}

NEW!

386

The Predator By Kai Greene

394

_{The True Victor By Victor Martinez}

402

Mass With Class By Branch Warren

406

_{Lee Priest Confirmed! By Lee Priest}

412

Telling It Like It Is By Shawn Ray

NEW!

422

_{Branden Ray: Road To The USAs By Branden Ray}

426

The Big Bad Wolf: The People’s Choice

By Dennis Wolf

430

_{Erik ‘The House’ Fankhouser By Erik Fankhouser}

436

National Hero By Evan Centopani

440

_{The Pro Creator By Hany Rambod}

444

Contest Guru By Chad Nicholls

448

_{Trainer of Champions By Charles Glass}

128

_{Research: Health & Performance}

By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD

170

Research: Sex By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, EdD

206

_{Muscle Growth Update By Robbie Durand, MA NEW!}

322

_{Bodybuilding Science}

Low-Carb Ketogenic Diets—

They Burn Fat But What About Muscle?

By Robbie Durand, MA

350

_{No Juice Bodybuilding By Eric Broser}

NEW!

370

Ask The Doc By Victor Prisk, MD

NEW!

CUTTING

EDGE

RESEARCH!

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March 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com

FEATURES

30

32

_{Mail Room}Where Our Readers Rave & Rant

36

_{Who’s Hot! By Mike Yurkovic}

44

_{MD People}

54

_{The Romano Factor By John Romano}

70

_{musculardevelopment.com By Gregg Valentino}

298

_{Major Distraction By John Romano}

334

_{Ramblin’ Freak By Gregg Valentino}

454

_{Hot Shoppe By Angela T. Frizalone}

456

_{Web Directory}

458

_{MD Marketplace By Angela T. Frizalone & Manda Machado}

486

_{The Last Word By John Romano}

SILVIO GUNNING

FOR THE ARNOLD!

274 VICTOR:

NOTHING

CAN STOP

ME NOW!

228 BRANCH’S

MASSIVE

ARNOLD

PREP 250

PREDATOR KAI

HUNTS FOR

THE ARNOLD

CROWN 238

X-MAN

TRAINING &

DIET SECRETS

262 MD’S INSIDE STACK

82

FLEX CRITIQUEVICTOR vs. KAI vs. TONEY By Flex Wheeler

215

2009 ARNOLD CLASSIC PREVIEW BY FLEX WHEELER, FOUR-TIME ARNOLD CLASSIC WINNER

228

VICTOR MARTINEZ 2009: THE COMEBACK

OF THE DECADE?PART 3: ‘NOTHING CAN STOP ME NOW!’

BY RON HARRIS

238

‘THE PREDATOR’ HUNTS FOR THE ARNOLD CROWNTHIS TIME, KAI GREENE IS OUT FOR BLOOD!

BY RON HARRIS

250

BRANCH WARREN’S ‘MASS WITH CLASS’ ARNOLD PREPBY RON HARRIS

262

TONEY FREEMAN: THE X-MAN

PART 2: LOWER BODY & ARNOLD PLANSBY RON HARRIS

274

‘THE MATADOR’ MOVES IN FOR THE KILL!

SILVIO SAMUEL IS GUNNING FOR THE ARNOLD BY RON HARRIS

288

”PUMPING IRON” — THE FILM THAT STARTED IT ALL

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH GEORGE BUTLER, LOU FERRIGNOBY JOHN ROMANO

MAJOR

DISTRACTION

MAVI! 298

MD

25

Editor’s Letter By Steve Blechman

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V

ictor Martinez, the 2007 Arnold Classic winner, graces

this month’s cover of the 21st

annual Muscular Development, devot-ed totally to the Arnold

Schwarzenegger classic. This year, the whole MD team will descend upon Columbus, Ohio to bring you the best coverage we have ever given to a bodybuilding contest— as we do every year to honor the very best bodybuild-ing has to offer. Our subsequent issue featuring the coverage is just as antici-pated as this preview issue. So, let’s get right down to brass tacks.

First, on page 215, four-time Arnold Classic champion Flex Wheeler runs down the preview of the guys in the show and how he thinks they will fare, pitted one against the other. Weak points, strong points, and his predic-tions on where they will place. Then we move on to feature the top five guys who we feel have the best shot at victory.

On page 228, Victor Martinez is poised to make the comeback of the decade. The 2007 winner should have two Mr. Olympia titles under his belt by now, but as you know, fate saw it anoth-er way. This year, fighting back from the

surgery to reconnect his patellar tendon, Victor seems unstoppable. It should be very exciting to see him comeback and retake his Arnold Classic crown.

On page 238, ‘The Predator’ Kai Greene is also hunting for an Arnold crown and he’s out for blood. Kai is also coming back from an abdominal hernia operation. Can this amazing monster catch the champ? Has he ironed out the mass he added to his frame? These questions are sure to be answered sooner rather than later. One thing for sure is that Kai will bring down the house with a posing routine I’m sure you will be talking about for the rest of the year.

Page 250 brings you the contest prep of Mr. Blue-Collar Muscle, Branch Warren. ‘Mass With Cass,’ ‘The People’s Champ’— Branch embodies them all. He is a true champion and staunch devotee of everything hardcore. His appearance in Columbus is sure to shock and amaze us. Branch is also coming back after a debilitating triceps injury and all of our best wishes are traveling to Ohio with him.

On page 262, the biggest and bad-dest dude in the show, Toney

Freeman— also known to bring down

30

_MD

By Steve Blechman Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

editor

’

s letter

THE

ARNOLD

SPECIAL!

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the house with a stellar and outra-geous posing routine— blasts his lower body and talks about his plans to do damage at the Arnold. Toney is the original ‘X-Man’ and out of all the competitors onstage, he casts the greatest shadow. Watch out for Toney Freemen!

‘El Matador’— Silvio Samuel— makes an appearance on page 274 with his sword drawn, ready for the kill. He’s not the biggest boy in the pack, but his superior condition and

big round muscle bel-lies have made many a

giant run for cover. Silvio is that good. Everyone is waiting to see what he brings to Columbus.

Finally, on page 288, Senior Editor John Romano sits down with director/photographer George Butler and discusses the film that put Arnold on the map, “Pumping Iron.” With a spe-cial appearance by ‘Incredible Hulk’ Lou Ferrigno, discover what went into the making of the film that started it all.

Without “Pumping Iron,” none of us would be heading to Columbus this year!

Dr. Dan Gwartney’s two columns this month, Testosterone and Fat Attack, are both directed at the Arnold era. Both departments take a look at anabolics and fat loss during the

Arnold era, then vs. now. What did competitors do back then that they don’t do today? Are the competitors taking more drugs now vs. then? Are the diets more radical today? Did they train hard-er back then? Find out in Fat Attack on page 186 and Testosterone on page 310.

Finally, I want to add a warm MD welcome to 2008 USA champion Mike Liberatore. His new column starts this month on page 380. Welcome aboard, Mike!

That about does it for this 21st_{annual Arnold Classic special preview}

issue. The rest of the book is packed as always with the best cutting-edge research information, news and entertainment on building the body of your dreams by the very best our industry has to offer. We’re off to Columbus! See you next month.

Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

Steve Blechman

Senior Editor

John Romano

Senior Science Editor

Robbie Durand, MA Managing Editor Angela T. Frizalone Creative Director Alan Dittrich, Jr. Associate Editor Alan Golnick

Associate Art Director

Stephen Kolbasuk

Assistant Editor

Louise Powell

Contributing Editors

Carlon Colker, M.D.,Thomas Fahey Ph.D. Dan Gwartney, M.D.

Executive Assistant

Michele Gampel

Photographers

Chief Photographer: Per Bernal Mike Yurkovic, Dan Ray, Bill Comstock

Illustrators

Bill Hamilton, Fred Harper, Jerry Beck

Advertising

Advertising Director—Angela T. Frizalone (239) 495-6899

Corporate Office

800-653-1151, 631-751-9696

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Advanced Research Press, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertising at its discretion.

MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT (ISSN 0047-8415) is published monthly by Advanced Research Press, 690 Route 25A, Setauket, New York, 11733. Copyright ©2008 by Advanced Research Press. All rights reserved. Copyright under the Universal Copyright Convention and the International Copyright Convention. Copyright reserved under the Pan Am Copyright. Rate: $49.97 per year (USA); $79.97 per two years (USA); foreign: $79.97 per year. Nothing appearing in MUS-CULAR DEVELOPMENT may be reprinted, either wholly or in part, without the written consent of the publisher. Send edito-rial submissions to: MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, 690 Route 25A, Setauket, New York, 11733. Stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions, and no responsi-bility can be assumed for unsolicited submissions. All letters, photos, manuscripts, etc. sent to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT will be considered as intended for publication, and MUSCU-LAR DEVELOPMENT reserves the right to edit and/or com-ment. Periodical postage paid at Setauket, N.Y. 11733, and at Glasgow, KY 42141. Postmaster: Send address changes to MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, Box 834, East Setauket, NY 11733-9704. Advertising Office Phone: (239) 495-6899. PRINTED IN USA

Cover photos of Victor Martinez and Mavi Gioia are by Per Bernal

MD

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_MD

Ask The Doc

One of my favorite columns in MD is “Ask the Doc” with Victor Prisk. The doctor gives very practical and useful advice—not just to professional bodybuilders, but also to anyone who works out and might get injured. He’s very careful (and smart) to tell people to see their own doctor, while he discusses issues that might affect many lifters. Nobody likes to get hurt, but if you train regularly it’s bound to happen sooner or later. It’s good to know that Doctor Prisk and MD are in my corner, and there is somewhere I can go for help if and when I need it.

Vincent Tarangula, e-mail

Hardcore Special

Awesome issue with Metroflex Gym and all the guys who call this place home [Hardcore Special, February 2008]. This is the way training is supposed to be: no-bullshit, kick-ass and not always pretty. Too many gyms are becoming sissy hangouts where everything has to be neat and clean. It’s like being in a museum, not a gym. Don’t curse…don’t drop your weights…wipe down the benches…give me a f***ing break! And some of those members never shut up. They exercise their mouths more than any other body part. You just want to bitch-slap them, but that would get you kicked out of the gym.

Ron Paulson, e-mail

mail

room

Victor’s

The Man

I’m psyched about Victor making his comeback at the Arnold. I know he’ll mop the floor with the rest of the guys in the show. From what I’ve seen of him from the photos in MD, Victor has never looked better. He’s bigger, leaner and more determined than ever. Victor, you ‘da man!

Ronald Bixby, e-mail

Major Distraction

The women of MD’s Major Distraction are the hottest women on the plan-et! Each month is a smorgasbord of boobs, booty and personality. My all-time favorite is Alicia Marie. Sizzling hot, oh so fine and with a wicked sense of humor. I’ve seen tons of pictures of her, and the lady is beauty and strength personified. Alicia couldn’t take a bad picture if she tried. That girl would look gorgeous after she walked through a wind tunnel!

Marvin Patterson, e-mail

King Ronnie In Iraq

My name is Staff Sgt. Callahan. My buddy, Cpl. Dewoody and I found a painting of Ronnie ‘King’ Coleman while we were on patrol and we figured we would send it to our bible, MD. We just want to get a chance to get our picture in our favorite publi-cation. After being in Iraq for over a year, this was the coolest thing we ran into while on patrol and we had to share it with you guys. Thanks for being there, MD.

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Photographed by Mike Yurkovic

Enyta Romo: Aerial Acrobat,

California, USA

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MD _{www.musculardevelopment.com March 2009}

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Ma rch 2 00 9 w ww .m us cu la rd ev elo pm en t.c om

Desunka

Dawson:

NPC

Figure

Athlete,

Texas,

USA

MD

37 Alecia

Rankovic:

NPC

Figure

Athlete,

Arizona,

USA

Britt

Miller:

NPC

Bodybuilder,

North

Carolina,

USA

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38

MD _{www.musculardevelopment.com March 2009}

Kimberly

Isom:

Figure

Athlete,

Georgia,

USA

Tiffany

Rabon:

NPC

Figure

Athlete,

South

Carolina,

USA

WHO’s HOT!

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March 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com MD

39 Arina

Manta:

IFBB

Figure

Pro,

Australia

Enyta

Romo:

Aerial

Acrobat,

Ca

lif

or

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U

SA

Huong

Vo:

NPC

Figure

Athlete,

Arizona,

USA

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44

MD

By TEAM MD

Team MD presents highlights from the 2008 Arnold Classic!

MD

_People

FOR COMPLETE CHECK OUT

CONTEST COVERAGE!

CHECK OUT FOR COMPLETE CONTEST COVERAGE!

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March 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com _MD

45 www.fantamag.com

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MD

_People

46

MD CHECK OUT FOR COMPLETE CONTEST COVERAGE! CHECK OUT FOR COMPLETE CONTEST COVERAGE!

MUSCULARDEVELOPMENT.COM

www.fantamag.com

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MD

47

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MD

_People

48

MD CHECK OUT FOR COMPLETE CONTEST COVERAGE! CHECK OUT FOR COMPLETE CONTEST COVERAGE!

MUSCULARDEVELOPMENT.COM

www.fantamag.com

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MD

49

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THE WAY I SEE IT

The

Romano

Factor

By John Romano

500-WORD SUBMISSION FROM

THE MD ONLINE CREW…

Proud To Be Misunderstood

I remember being scared to walk into my gym the first time. Actually, I felt physical-ly ill just stepping through those doors. After years of judging people with visible mus-cle, I now aspired to be one. But bodybuilders are frequently misunderstood. I had lost 50 pounds before I got brave enough to head to the gym. I knew the minute I walked through the doors, I would be judged. I thought all heads would turn and stare at the short, fat woman entering the room. It was their turn to judge me the way I had judged them for years. I remember picking up magazines like MD and putting them quickly back down, mumbling, “That is freaky and gross. Who would choose to do that to themselves?” But in my journey to lose weight, I began weekly trips to the bookstore for inspiration. I started with Shape, slowly progressing through all the publications before graduating to MD. One Friday night I was feeling particularly sorry for myself. “No one has to work as hard as I do to look the way I want to look.” Thumbing through MD brought me to a picture of Markus Ruhl squatting under a weight heavier than I will ever know. Veins bulging. Eyes straining. Sweat pouring. He was certainly working harder than I was to look the way he wanted to look. Then came the realization, “Everyone in here is working harder than me. Every single person.” When I had turned up my nose all those times, I was jealous. Jealous of the hard work and dedication those people possessed. While I was struggling to move from morbidly obese to just obese, they were taking it to a level that only existed in my dreams. In that instant I knew it. “I must join a gym.” But after years of judging others, I was afraid of setting foot in a gym. Hadn’t they earned the right to say, “What are YOU doing here?” Hadn’t I turned up my nose long enough to take what was coming to me? But that never happened. Not once did anyone say to me, “What are YOU doing here?” They all KNEW why I was there! I weighed over 200 pounds. Where else would I be but in a gym working it off? Time passed. I got the weight off. And sometimes I think those guys were happier for me than I was for myself. In any good gym there is a community that becomes like a second family. If anyone were to hurt me, 15 guys from my gym would descend on them in an instant. But they would have done that when I was still overweight. They embraced me right away for working so hard to make goal. A coworker stopped me not long ago to say, “You’ve worked out too long. Your shoulders are too broad.” She didn’t understand why I smiled.

I am one of the misunderstood, and I am proud of it.

This month we are starting off with a special treat: a winning submission from a woman!That’s right, our very own FitAdina becomes our first-ever female winner of the contest— and about time, too! Not only was Adina the first woman to ever win the contest, but her submission won by the greatest margin. She captured a whopping 53 percent of the votes with her essay, Proud To Be Misunderstood.

54

MD

THE WAY I SEE IT, Adina’s submission is one of those works that transcends the bounds of ‘writing.’ Her essay is one that you read oblivious to sentence structure, syntax and punctuation— you simply ‘hear’ what it says. Loud and clear. For me, this is another of our members’ submissions to which I can easily relate.

As some of you may know, I started bodybuilding because I was a fat kid. Cruelty from the other kids prevented me from becoming morbidly obese, but it was the gym that got me out of the fat body and into the fit one. So, I can really relate to Adina’s story. What’s most remarkable about her transformation is that she knew absolutely nothing about this sport. I mean, she started out on NutriSystem! It was a picture of Markus Ruhl in MD that motivated Adina to get to the gym!

Now Adina is a permanent fixture in her gym, as well as in our online community; she’s a true inspiration. She’s always offering encouragement to people who face difficult issues— and not just about weight loss. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read her words of encouragement to others and marveled at the depth of her sensitivity. I’m really glad she decided to enter this contest and I’m grateful that her story is being published. Adina proves what Mr. G always says: Never give up, Never give up, Never give up!

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MD

55 50,000

Y

ou read that right. Intense meetings with the Boss

of all Bosses have put to rest the issue once and for all for 2009. As you cruise the expo floor this year, don’t bother asking directions to the MD booth. There won’t be one. If someone does give you directions, be wary.

Now, I wouldn’t take this as a bad thing. The costs involved in acquiring, staffing and running a MD-worthy booth at the Arnold are pretty big— and it runs us ragged. We’re not selling anything but good will. We feel we can do better by you if we concentrate on doing what we do best— covering the show. MD is a news organiza-tion and contest coverage is what we do best. Our resources and energies are put to better use covering the show rather than putting one on. So our absence at the expo is no shade. We are there to cover the show and you will be getting the best coverage from MD that you can get anywhere.

THE WAY I SEE IT,this is the best use of our valuable

resources. Last year, I had people stopping by the booth to see me and I was never there. Why? Because I was run-ning around with Palumbo, covering shit. We ran our-selves into the ground doing too many things at once. On

Saturday, between covering prejudging, interviews, the videos we shot, then getting back over for the evening finals and covering the after-parties, Palumbo and I sub-sisted on protein bars and goat whey. We scavenged from booths we knew— can you imagine the gas? We spent all of 12 minutes at the MD booth and didn’t get to bed until 5 in the morning, because we were putting up videos, pictures and articles on the website. MD will be at the Arnold this year in force, covering the show the right way. We just won’t be stuck in one spot on the expo floor.

Remember, the Arnold is much more than a booth at the expo— especially to us!

Speaking of Arnold, an idea came to me the other day. I’ve been watching the news, trying to digest Obama’s gazillion-dollar stimulus package and wondering about the other economic problems America faces and just what the incoming administration plans on doing about them. Well, I’m sorry to tell you, folks— I don’t see it get-ting better. If anything, it’s going to get worse, much worse— at least as far as our own pockets are concerned. Unfortunately, we have no choice now but to let this dis-aster run its course. Then we are going to need…

NO MD BOOTH AT THE

ARNOLD CLASSIC

In

December 2008,

muscu-lardevelopment.com forums exceeded my expectations and passed the 50,000-member mark

before the predicted 1stof January,

2009. This represents a quantum accomplishment, especially in light of the fact that getbig.com, rife with multiple gimmick accounts (MD.com has special software

that detects gimmick accounts and blocks them) can only boast 23,000 members, while having been around four times as long. I bring this up because it was the

douche bags over there who said we wouldn’t last six months.

We have achieved these numbers because we don’t tolerate bullshit. Unlike other boards, the vast majori-ty of our members are actually prac-ticing bodybuilders— men and women— plus an assortment of accomplished fitness and figure girls. The MD forums host a vast and intricately diverse subject matter

covering relevant topics ranging from diet, nutrition, contest prep, health, drugs, supplements, psychol-ogy, cooking, sex, religion, relation-ship issues and politics. And, of course there is the pit. You can inter-act with some of the industry’s biggest stars, scientists, researchers, gurus, amateur

and pro athletes, as well as seek advice from prominent members of the community on just about any topic. There is an outlet pertaining to just about everything, including hotly-debated topics by intelligent, competent members (some of them trainers), industry bigwigs, and even the boss of all bosses himself.

THE WAY I SEE IT, the success of the MD.com community is due in large part to the manner in which the community is maintained by the

staff of dedicated moderators. In any community, the cream usually rises to the top. Our case is no exception; our forums are completely self-run, with little to no overseeing by the MD staff. Our forum leaders, moder-ators, senior and super moderators

have established a chain of command and they enforce a

simple set of rules that were instigated from the very

beginning. This has success-fully accomplished the

desired effect— a free space to respectfully discuss and dis-seminate news and ideas with no censorship and no reprisal for speaking your mind.

MD.com has become the go-to place on the Internet to find the truth you seek regarding any aspect of bodybuilding, fitness and figure along with the most complete and in-depth contest coverage, photo galleries and interviews— both on MDTV and No Bull Radio.

Musculardevelopment.com has become a world unto itself and everyone is welcome!

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The Way I See It—

Romano Factor

B

y now Barack Hussein Obama has

been sworn in as our nation’s 44th

president. And many of you are still scratching your heads thinking, “What the hell did we do?” I believe before long the rest of you will be say-ing the same thsay-ing. Whatever travesty the democrats— lead by Obama— will inevitably spread across the country and suck out of our wallets, I blame the Republicans. How is it possible that out of all the competent, brilliant minds that call this country home, the best they could put up there is an old, tired, ex-Vietnam POW, with old ideas and the personality of the middle of a doughnut?

Obama won by default and now we are going to pay dearly. The mess this country is in is too vast and too

complicated for a mere mortal to resolve. We need someone bigger, stronger, smarter, more convincing. Someone who knows the meaning of hard work, setting goals, enduring hardship and setting a good example, far beyond that of any ordinary politi-cian. Building up Barack Obama in front of John McCain was like building up Mother Teresa in front of Attila the Hun. He won because his competition was horribly weak. As soon as Obama is out of the White House, we are going to need someone to build us back up— who better than a body-builder? We’re going to need Arnold. The question is not if he’ll be able to fix the country— of course he will— the question is, can he become Commander-in-Chief?

Arnold becoming governor of California during the recall election was no accident. He ran for governor just like he competed for the Mr. Olympia. Failure was not only not an option— it just didn’t exist in his mind. It is widely known among those of use who are familiar with Arnold the body-builder that Arnold stepped onstage knowing he won— not because Joe

Weider_{was pulling any strings, but}

because he was convinced of it. He was only showing up to pick up his Sandow. A mere formality. His victory preceded him because he also con-vinced everyone else he had won before he even stepped onstage.

In the race for governor, amid accu-sations of multiple gropings and his stand-up guy public apology— along with his appearance on Oprah where his wife Maria told the mostly female audience how he brings her coffee in bed— Arnold bobbed and waved and ran a meticulous campaign, with every step carefully calculated. He was always thinking three moves ahead. He did it with guile and sagacity and without slinging mud— unlike his fat girly-man opponents.

Of course Arnold won— who could ever doubt it?You can bet Arnold didn’t. He just showed up on election night to make the speech he’d been rehearsing for days, if not weeks.

So, now that he is in the twilight of his governorship, rumors are floating around that he’s thinking about the White House. If you step back and look at the whole Arnold story as it has been so far written, you’d have to agree that a couple of terms as president of the United States is pretty much a required chapter. Arnold loves power!

Obviously there are obstacles in his way. The first thing Arnold needs to terminate is that pesky little detail in the U.S. Constitution which basically limits those qualified to run for presi-dent to those having been born in the U.S.A. If Arnold is going to be presi-dent, then the Constitution will have to be amended.

56

_MD

ARNOLD FOR PRESIDENT!

“My fellow Americans, during the course

of this administration, ask not what your

country can do for you, but ask how

many reps you can do for your country!”

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58

_MD

When you think of it, such a requirement is kind of odd.

Technically, the only real Americans residing among us are the Native Americans whose ancestors met Christopher Columbus on the beach. In reality, the rest of us came from whence those first boats came. Indeed, to be born in the great U.S.A. makes you an American. Several gen-erations of you may have also been born in America and thus strengthen your claim; however, it’s safe to say that, at some point, your progenitors climbed out of the ooze on the other side of the pond. How come we never elect a Native American president? Probably because we’d all get our asses exiled back to Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, etc.

So, why can’t a guy who came over here from Austria become successful and then get elected president of the country which provided him with such an incredible opportunity? What better way to give back to the country that offered him such a bounty, than to offer to run it successfully for substan-tially less than his time is worth?

The state of California has the world’s fifth-largest economy. By the time Arnold wrestled it from the evil clutches of the incompetent Gray Davis it was a mess. Ever since then, he has been coming up with novel ideas and new approaches to lure business back to California, generate other sources of revenue and ease the burden of the taxpayers. Arnold is just what the entire country needs now and will probably need even more after Obama gets done breaking all his campaign promises. That’s not to say that Arnold is perfect. For instance, he tried a heavy cigarette tax like they did in NY and ran the price of smokes up to $7 a pack. It worked for a while, then people start-ed to realize that for three bucks more they could be smoking crack.

Be that as it may, I think Arnold’s conservative fiscal ideology is going to be even more important in the post-Obama economy; even more so if Hillary ever gets in. For the good of the entire country, the next moves in Arnold’s chess game are crucial. He needs to get out of California and make it to Washington— and probably

into the U.S. Senate. Once he gets there, the job of amending the Constitution becomes almost a slam-dunk, especially if the Democrats con-comitantly do what they always do— tax and spend. I know it’s a long shot, but as Lou Ferrigno says, “If anyone can do it, Arnold can.”

OK, so while I’m dreaming, let’s say all of this gets accomplished and it’s 2012 or 2016 and Arnold is getting sworn in as the next president. Just picture that! A young bodybuilder who came over here with $20 in his pocket ends up winning five Mr. Universes and seven Mr. Olympias, then is cast as an action hero and becomes an international superstar, raking in the highest paycheck in acting history. Then he uses shrewd business acu-men to parlay his movie paychecks into a billion-dollar empire; then he marries a Kennedy, gets elected gover-nor of California, becomes a US Senator and then gets elected presi-dent of the United States!

Can you imagine Arnold’s inaugural address? It would be on every radio station, TV station, Web cast, palmtop, you name it— in color with digital sur-round sound— maybe even a holo-graphic image! Arnold’s first words as president would resonate through the eardrums of several billion people in real time; the rest of the world would hear them a little later.

I could just imagine him saying, “My fellow Americans, this is the greatest country in the entire world!” Throngs of hopeful and energized citi-zens would erupt in applause. When the cheering died down, Arnold would continue, “But you are all too soft! We are the richest country in the world and 75 percent of you have the worst nutrition. Look at you! You are fat and unhealthy and unmotivated! You need to go to the chym. You need to work out! As president, I want to make it our goal before this decade is out that every man, woman and child will be training in the gym for at least an hour a day, five days a week! This is what Maria and I do every day with the chil-dren and we love it.”

You could believe it because Arnold is a man who puts his health and his family first. And what a relevant domestic issue this is today! Who

cares about some aberrant camel jock-eys in the Middle East, when America is going to get in shape with Arnold?

He’d continue his speech focusing on what’s important. “The obesity epi-demic is out of control in this country. Obesity is costing the health care industry billions of dollars a year in obesity-related illnesses. For America to succeed, nutrition as it is must change! Our bodies must be strong, to build a strong nation and as president it will be my first priority to get you into shape!” Just imagine the motiva-tion such a speech would instill!

“Before I address a single foreign policy issue, before we overhaul social security or reform the IRS or bail out another industry or do anything to stimulate the economy, you must stim-ulate your metabolism! You must get in shape!Your stomachs are too fat!”

In reality, fiscal policies are one thing, but how is America going to dig itself out of anything if no one can lift a shovel? “So,” Arnold would say, “my fellow Americans, during the course of this administration, ask not what your country can do for you, but ask how many reps you can do for your country!”

The inspiration Arnold would instill would foster a new sense of purpose for the entire nation. We wouldn’t be building dams or bridges, space sta-tions or visiting other planets. We would be staying home to get in shape and build our bodies and Arnold Schwarzenegger would be America’s personal trainer. How cool would that be? Would it work? It would if Arnold wanted it to; not since Teddy Roosevelt has America been united and motivat-ed to rebuild itself. After Obama, we are going to need to feel good about something. It might as well start with what we see in the mirror.

The moment Columbus’ foot touched down on this side of the world, he sowed the seed of the great American dream. In the following 600 years many, many would follow him chasing that dream, filling up this country with talented, dedicated, industrious foreigners eager for the opportunity the New World offered.

Inevitably, our history would become checkered by the achieve-ments of extraordinary immigrants

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who left their indelible mark on histo-ry. We all have our favorites, be they industrialists, political leaders, scien-tists, artists or entertainers.

Regardless of what brought them their notoriety, certain Americans will forever be a part of our history. The biography of President Arnold

Schwarzeneggerwould be the

crowning jewel of the great American success story. How great is the coun-try that can tell such a story? I can’t wait to read it.

America needs Arnold to be presi-dent less for his policies, his ability as a leader, his fiscal expertise, his morals or his mass appeal, but because in no other country in the world could it be said that a muscle-head could land on her shore with $20 in his pocket and end up running the place in just a few decades. Only one man in the whole world would be able to say that and he’d be ours— a bodybuilder.

In 2016, two presidential terms

from now, Arnold will be 69— five years younger than John McCain was when he made his bid for the White House. While the ‘That’s too old to be president,’ objection may have been valid for a war-torn former POW, it’s not valid for a bodybuilder. At 69, Arnold will just be hitting his stride. Then finally America will real-ize the change it so desperately needs. Look at what Arnold has done for Columbus, Ohio! We need Arnold to do the same for America!

“Bigger Stronger Faster” creator Chris Bell’s brother Mike has passed away this month. A published statement from Chris reads:

I worked on Chris’ film for three years as a consultant with Rick Collins; both of us also appeared in the film. I got to know Mike as the project progressed and instantly took a liking to him. He was one of those guys you just liked, right off the bat. Dave Palumbo and I had him as a guest on No Bull Radio after the film came out and his interview was very well received. I know Mike had some issues in his personal life but seemed content with the direction his life was taking after the film and his new-found sobriety was certainly a step in the right direction. I know Mike will be sorely missed.

The fact that Mike was involved at all in the

wrestling biz seems to have gotten him dumped in with any tragedy that may befall any pro wrestler, regardless of whether or not wrestling played any part at all in their death. Mike’s passing is sad enough for all who knew and loved him. But to find the following article in

The headline by Ron Johnson (senior writer) reads: “Two Years

wrestling career, passed away Sunday afternoon at the age of 37.”

The article went on to further mislead the reader with a plethora of errors about both Mike and the film, which only proves that ‘senior writer’ Ron Johnson did-n’t have a clue about his subject matter! His irresponsi-ble coverage of Mike’s death was another glaring exam-ple of the great job the national media has done misreporting and misrepresenting the case of steroids.

THE WAY I SEE IT,I couldn’t be more appalled at

this banal example of hack steroid journalism. Clearly, the medical examiner has not filed a report, but leave it to Ron Johnson to figure it out for us: it must have been steroids! And why the quick association to Chris Benoit? Steroids were not found to be the cause of whatever led him to kill his son, his wife and himself, but for some reason, Johnson takes it upon himself to

MIKE “MAD DOG” BELL

1971-2008

My older brother Michael, aka ‘MAD DOG’ in the wrestling world, passed away yesterday from experts. The cause of death is unknown and does not appear to be self-inflicted. up and I always wanted to be big and me to make my movie “Bigger Stronger

passing. He was on his way to getting his life back on track and he was taken away from us at such a young age. I Love You, Michael.

Your little brother, Christopher

unknown causes. He was residing at a sober living place in Orange County, CA and was celebrating 60 days of being clean and sober from any drugs or alcohol. His roommates found him dead in his room at about 2:30pm yesterday and he was pronounced dead on the spot by medical

My brother was my true hero growing strong like him. He was the inspiration for Faster” because I saw how the ‘American Dream’ negatively affected his sense of self-worth. I will always remember my brother as the nicest guy in the world, who sometimes got caught up in the wrong things. I am so sad right now over his

the Blanchard Report does nothing but add insult to injury, not to mention espouse the moral and

intellectual bankruptcy of those involved with the publication. As you’ll see from

the author’s report, Blanchard obvi-ously trolls from the bottom of the

barrel for their literary talent.

After Benoit Tragedy, ‘Roids Claims Yet Another Victim.”

The opening paragraph further inflames and incites the reader: “More than two years after the tragedy known as Chris Benoit, I was informed that WWE developmental star, Mike Bell, who had admitted to using steroids during his professional

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push aside the accepted data on steroids and jump to his own erroneous conclusions! What’s worse is that nothing stops him from writing them, nor his publish-ers from printing them! Here you have a deep ppublish-ersonal tragedy— a brother, a son, a husband and a good friend to many, who passes away from unexplained causes, but because he had spent a tiny part of his life as a wrestler and had admitted to using steroids, his existence is maligned by a single stroke on an idiot’s keyboard.

What’s really pathetic about Johnson’s lack of jour-nalistic integrity is that he hadn’t bothered to check a single fact. This wasn’t a story of a minor political issue or some kind of meaningless celebrity gossip— although it was written in the same regard— this was a story about someone dying! I could only imagine the uproar that would come from this Johnson moron if it was a member of his family who was being reported on erroneously after they died!

Let’s talk about data, folks. What does the accepted research say? First, steroids by themselves are not lethal drugs. Second, ‘roid rage’ is a term invented by the mainstream sensationalist media; it does not exist in academia. Steroids do not cause murderous rage. To say that they do, or to insinuate that someone died because of steroids— especially in absence of any kind of medical report— is not only irresponsible and

disin-genuous, it is also quite telling of the author’s and the publication’s moral, ethical and intellectual bankruptcy.

Alcohol has been clearly linked to episodic rage. The Benoit household contained alcohol and so did the bloodstream of at least one member of the family. Why no mention of any kind of alcohol-induced rage? Despite its presence in both the house and in Benoit’s system and in light of the prevailing and overwhelming data for its propensity to induce rage, alcohol was not once in two years ever mentioned as a possible motive in the tragedy. Just steroids— and Johnson had no data to support the claim.

Mike Bell’s and Chris Benoit’s deaths couldn’t be more different nor more separate from each other. There is absolutely not one single scientific fact that could possibly link the two, yet some insignificant hack reporter took it upon himself to jump on the media bandwagon and lump the two together. Both the Blanchard Report and its ‘senior writer’ have not only gypped the public out of the implied journalistic responsibility inherent in their position, but they have leveled a misinformed and slanderous attack on a griev-ing family, in their misguided attempt to sound

informed and important. Shame on them.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Chris Bell and his family. Rest in peace, Mad Dog. You deserve much

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By Gregg Valentino

muscular

development.com

SPONSORED THIS MONTH BY: www.musculardevelopment.com March 2009

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Hi…it’s me, Gregg…Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m whacked in the head…And so am I…WHAT??..OOPS, SORRY MY BAD…THEY SAY “Reality is just a crutch for people who can’t cope with drugs.”…WELL,

THAT’S WHY I CHOOSE TO GO TO www.MuscularDevelopment.com TO GET MY DAILY HIGH, MY DAILY DOSE OF REALI-TY...YEAH RIGHT…BY THE WAY, I’M DRINKING A PRO-TEIN SHAKE RIGHT NOW AND HALF OF IT SPILLED ON MY KEY BOARD WHILE I WAS READING QUOTES ON THE “NO BULL” FORUM...IRONICALLY I JUST WAS READING WHERE BRANCH WARREN WAS TELLLING FORUM MEM-BERS ABOUT DRINKING PROTEIN

SHAKES…HERE, READ IT FOR

YOURSELVES…“I usually drink a protein shake on the way home after I train. As soon as I get home I eat a meal, which is steak and potatoe.”…BRANCH REN…OH YEAH, BABE… BRANCH WAR-REN IS ON THE FORUM JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY!!!!… BRANCH IS VERY EASY TO TALK TO AND THE OTHER FORUM MEM-BERS LOVE TALKING TO BRANCH…AND SPEAKING OF BRANCH WARREN, HERE IS ANOTHER GOLD NUGGET FROM MY BOY BRANCH WARREN...POSTED October 14th, 2008, 09:20 PM >>> I am training hard again but still not 100% heavy yet. It has been 8 weeks since the surgery and there was very little atrophy. I think that is because of my very aggressive approach to rehab. By the end of the

month I should be balls to the wall again. My weight dipped to about 250 but I’m back up to 260 and climbing. All is well…I’M GLAD TO HEAR THAT FROM BRANCH’S OWN LIPS…I HOPE HIS INJURY RECOVERS REAL QUICK AND HE TAKES THAT SANDOW HOME HERE TO HIS MD FAMILY.

NOW TO ANOTHER ONE OF MY PALS, A GUY WHO I LIKE A LOT AND GET ALONG WITH WELL, SHAWN RAY…I RESPECT SHAWN VERY MUCH AND LOVE HIS WITTY SENSE OF HUMOR AND SHAWN IS ON THE FORUM EVER DAY TALKING WITH THE MEMBERS LIKE

THEY ARE HIS FRIENDS….HERE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUESTIONS ASKED OF SHAWN AND I LOVE HIS ANSWER

EVEN MORE… QUESTION: Shawn, what was your favorite Olympia that you were in if you have

one…SHAWN’S ANSWER: Of course my

1st one, I was a rookie pro, one day after my birthday in my backyard

here in LA! I was suddenly struck by the company I was

keeping (Haney, Labrada, Gaspari, DeMayo, Paris,

Love, Robinson, Samir, Strydom, etc.) I was way off my peak but I was like a kid with so much admiration and respect for these guys. I still had pictures of on my walls at home but standing there in the dressing room and onstage competing with them it was surreal and special!...AWSOME…I LOVE THAT REPLY, IT’S SO SHAWN…IF YOU KNEW HIM YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND.

OK, NOW WITH ALL THAT SAID IT’S TIME GIVE OUT SOME MORE JUICY (NO PUN INTENDED)

INFORMATION/ TEASERS FROM THE KING OF CONTEST PREP HIMSELF, DAVE PALUMBO…HERE ARE A FEW Q&AsTAKEN FROM THE MOST POPU-LAR BODUYBUILDING INFORMATION THREAD ON THE PLANET AND ONLY ON www.MuscularDevelopment.com

Q&A WITH DAVE PALUMBO aka HUGE285.

Q. Dave, I wanna add insulin to maximize growth and need help on the protocol and which insulin I

should use. I am sure there is

only one available over the counter and probably the one I will use.

A. HUMULIN-R is available over the counter. Try starting with 6IU in the morning with breakfast (and your GH) and then another 4IU about 4-6 hours later. If you tend to put on fat easily, I would avoid the insulin altogether!

Q. Dave, today though I introduced Clen and Cytomel, and following the same no-carb diet, my blood sugar levels went way up.

A. How much CLEN? I’ve seen this phenome-non before...Clenbuterol (if you take too much per dose) can screw with blood sugar levels of type 1 diabetics.

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WOW BRIANNE, THEY SAY “Your body is a tem-ple”…So now I just wanna know >> “Do you want ME to come over for midnight mass?”…yum...DAMN GIRL, YOU’RE HOT!!!...Stick with me, baby, and I’ll buy you rocks as big as diamonds. (LET’S SEE HOW MANY BOZOS READING THIS DON’T GET THAT LAST LINE...wink)…I’M SORRY BRIANNE, MUST TRY TO COM-POSE MYSELF & KEEP IN MIND THAT A hard-on doesn’t count as personal growth…YES, YES, YES I KNOW, I’m a naughty boy...I need to go to your room!...GOD DAMN IT, THERE I GO GETTING CARRIED AWAY

AGAIN...LET ME INTRODUCE THE FORUM BABE OF THE MONTH…

Name:Brianne Shaw

Forum name: maxinemuscle

Age:22 (my birthday’s December 9th!)

Zodiac sign:Sagittarius

Hometown:Urbandale, IA Height:5’3 1/2” Measurements: 34-24-36 Eyes:Blue Off-season weight:145 Competition weight:120

Favorite Food:Oatmeal protein pancakes with spray butter!!

Favorite Junk Food:Frosted sugar cookies & chips and salsa

Favorite Quote:“You can judge a man’s true character by what he does when no one is looking.”

Favorite Makeup: MAC, the only high-maintenance thing I own

Favorite Body Part to train: BACK

Your Best Asset (Body Part):Back and glutes. I get a lot of compli-ments on my glutes but I used to get made fun of all the time for it when I was growing up.

Future Plans/Goals:Right now I’m just focusing on work and putting more size on my frame. Trying to find the right balance for me body, fat-wise, and stay around that weight. Thankfully, this sport favors a little age. I’ll get back up there, I’ve got some time. For now it’s just time to build and define.

Wow! The past year has been crazy. I remember the days I used to check the grocery store magazine rack with hopes of seeing the newest edition of MD. NOW I’m in IT!!! Going from Nebraska out to California has been quite an excit-ing adventure. Havexcit-ing the honor of Q. Dave, If synthol is just the oil minus the steroids,

then why do people say it hurts to jab (the frequncy of jabs??) A. When 3cc of medium-chain fats is intro-duced into the muscle, the muscle cells release a ton of enzymes (lipoprotein lipase) that gobble up the fats. When all these internal enzymes are released from the cells, it

dehydrates the cell (oppo-site of volumizing it). This causes a prostaglandin reaction within the cell. Anyone who’s familiar with prostaglandin release will know that PAIN is

associated with it (think of a headache). I don’t recommend mixing steroids and synthol. The syn-thol can delay the absorption of the steroids since it tends to get “TRAPPED” in the muscle. Do NOT inject your GEAR into the same muscle groups you site injected with SYNTHOL.

Q. Dave, can I shoot my claves with synthol? A. YES, for calves use 3cc into each head of the gastrocnemius muscle (that’s 6cc per calf)...2x per week for the first 3 weeks...then 1x per week for as long as you can tolerate it.

Q. Dave, what’s your take on buying gear through mail order?

A. If you get a package seized that contains anabolic steroids, you can indeed go to jail. If it’s a small order, chances are it’ll just get seized and you’ll lose your money; however, if the order is

sizable, the feds can try to get you for purchasing with intent to sell. I’d stay away from ordering online!

Q. Dave, how do you inject IGF-1 lr3??

A. Intramuscular into the deltoid

imme-diately after training. WOW…LOTS OF GREAT INFORMATION

COMING FROM MD’s BIG PAPI DAVE PALUMBO…YOU THINK THIS IS GREAT STUFF????…THEN JOIN THE PARTY, THERE’S MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ADVICE FROM MASTER GURU DAVE PALUMBO ON THE NO BULL FORUM…BUT JUST LIKE LOTTO “YA GOTTA BE IN IT TO WIN IT”…I DARE YA TO JOIN.

If the government ever declared war on stupidi-ty, I think we on the forum would all get

nuked…OOOPS, ONE LAST THING, THE FORUM HAS BEEN VERY BUSY LATELY, IT HAS GROWN IMMENSELY IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS…WE HAVE WEEDED OUT (GOTTEN RID OF) A LOT THE TROUBLE-MAKERS AND WE HAVE KEPT THE TIME-WASTERS TO A MINI-UM…OH YEAH BABE, THINGS ARE GETTING REAL INTERESTING AND THE PROS ARE CHATTING WITH THE MEMBERS…I LEARNED ONE THING BY HANGING OUT ON THE “NO BULL” FORUM >>> “Never settle with words what you can accomplish with a flame thrower.”…“It’s perfect for insomniacs who don’t respond well to strong drugs.”

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being trained by one of the best pros in the industry (Gina Aliotti) has been a dream come true. Competing out here was the icing on the cake! For all those people who used to tell me I couldn’t do it and I’d never be good enough for the NPC stage, who’s laughing now? I’ve got an overall title and they’re still left talking about doing something! I love the power of weight training. There’s nothing better than the feeling I get after tearing up my body at the gym. Going into the gym and being able to lift with more intensity than most of those guys that suffer from ILS (imaginary lat syndrome) really makes my day. I love life and the opportunities I’ve been blessed with. My job allows me to travel and meet a lot of people in the industry and it’s my main focus right

now. I love it and couldn’t have asked for more..I’m blessed beyond belief! As for competing, I’ll get back up there. I’ve got some work to do on my shoulders, hams and my triceps. Until then, I’ll be putting time in at the gym, trying to outlift the boys and pick up the ones that I can’t! ha ha!

GOD DAMN, BIANNE IS A HOTTIE!!!!…Girls have an unfair advantage over men: if they can’t get what they want by being smart, they can get

it by being dumb…BUT…BRIANNE SHAW IS NO

DUMMY!!!…JUST A YUMMY HOITTIE WITH A GREAT

FUTURE AHEAD OF HER!!!!!...I’M SORRY BRIANNE, IT’S JUST THAT You look just like my second wife. Of course I’ve only been married once...

musculardevelopment.com

CEDRIC McMILLAN, OUR

COUN-TRY, AND THE IRAQ WAR…I GOT MAD RESPECT FOR CEDRIC…HE IS A REAL LIFE WARRIOR. “A WARROIR DOESN’T PICK HIS BATTLES, A WARRIOR IS TOLD WHERE HIS BATTLES WILL BE, THAT’S WHERE HE GOES AND FIGHTS WITH

HONOR.”…THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS

CEDRIC McMILLAN.

Name:Cedric Keenan McMillan

Date of Birth:August 17th

Place of Birth: Lancaster, South Carolina

Height:6’1”

Weight: Off-season 265-280lbs, contest 255-260lbs

Measurements:

Arms:19.5 cold, 20.5 pumped

Waist:33”

legs:30”

calves:18.5 cold, 19-19.5 pumped

neck:19”

Strongest Body Part:back

Years Training:Messing around since I was about 15, serious training for 10, competing for 5

Occupation:Instructor in the Army

Hobbies:Painting/drawing Where do you see yourself in 10

years?One of my weaknesses as a

person is that I don’t set long-term goals. I probably should but I’m kind of a “live for the moment” type per-son. In 10 years I’ll probably be 200 lbs lean as hell so I can start back smoking everybody on this 2 mile run again. (being heavy is hard) haha

What are your bodybuilding goals??

Of course every bodybuilder’s goal is to turn pro, but MY goal is to turn

pro and make a positive impact on the sport. With that, I mean I want to bring bodybuilding back to the mainstream like it used to be on ESPN back in the day. I want to turn pro and actually look like a pro should look. I don’t want to make it and then disappear. Competition Record:

2003 Palmetto Cup, novice overall 2003 S.C. State, junior heavyweight winner

2005 Carolina Clash, open heavy-weight winner

2007 S.C. State, super-heavyweight and overall winner

I need much bigger legs and arms. I want a real good sweep on the outer quad and real thick arms and forearms since they are so long and lanky (lol)

Who are your favorite bodybuilders and why?Arnold, Larry Scott,

Sergio, Dennis Wolf, Richard

Jones,and Ronnie back in 2002. I

like Arnold, Larry, and Sergio because of what they represent for me as the pioneers of modern bodybuilding. I like how Arnold and Larry had the small waists and the wide lats and big

arms, just nice flowing lines that con-nect together well. Dennis Wolf has the freaky shoul-der and quad sweep that I want sooo bad! I like the way his shoulders look in the most-muscu-lar pose too. Richard Jones had the overall package that combines today’s definition and detail with yesterday’s lines and sym-metry… just a pretty body, that’s how I want to be viewed. Ronnie back in ‘02 because I watched that unbelievable video every day, all day. That was the 1st video I had ever seen and it moti-vated the shit outta me! And showed me what BIG really is, and what mus-cle should look like!

“People seldom do what they believe in, instead they do what is convenient, then they repent !!!!”...BUT NOT CEDRIC, HE IS A GREAT INSPIRIATION AND A FUTURE BODYBUILDING CHAMPION…I HAVE MUCH RESPECT FOR CEDRIC McMILLAN, MY MD FORUM

BROTHER& MD FAMILY

MEM-BER!!!!!

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FLEX Critique

By Flex Wheeler

T

he 2009 Arnold Classic is shaping

up to be an all-out brawl between three incredible physique athletes. Leading the trio is Victor Martinez, the 2007 Arnold champ and Mr. Olympia runner-up, returning after sitting out the entire 2008 season due to a knee injury. Hot on his heels is ‘The Predator’, Kai Greene. Just a couple years ago, this humble yet passionate young man from New York City (also Vic’s hometown) was a struggling rookie who nobody really noticed or expected much from. Now he’s got

two pro titles and was third at the 2008 Arnold, only to Dexter Jackson and Phil Heath. Rounding out this elite group is the ‘X-Man,’ Toney Freeman, with five pro wins and a strong fifth place at the last Mr. Olympia. When confronted with three awesome ath-letes like these, most people’s reaction would be, “I wouldn’t want to be a judge.” I feel you on that one. But be judged they will in Columbus, and also here in the Flex Critique.

This month, I gave myself the unenviable task of breaking down

their physiques one aspect at a time to see how they compare to each other. These are only my personal observations and opinions based on having watched these guys compete many times, so I make no guarantees that the judges at the Arnold will see things the same way. Bodybuilding is a subjective sport where ‘the ideal physique’ exists only in the eyes and mind of the beholder. That being said, here’s how I would score Victor, Kai and Toney if they were onstage in front of me.

Victor, Kai And Toney:

3 Who Would Be King

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P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y P E R B E R N A L A N D B IL L C O M S T O C K

Biceps

Right off the bat, you should be able to see how tough this job is! All three of these men have tremen-dous biceps: nice full muscle bellies and mountaintop peaks. Kai has the shortest attachments of the three, but he more than makes up for it with those out-of-this-world double splits like Ronnie and Boyer Coe had. Three-way tie on this one.

Victor: 9

Kai: 9

Toney: 9

Triceps

Victor edges the other two out on the horseshoes. His are fuller and rounder, and look good in every pose. Both Toney and Kai could use just a bit more triceps development.

Victor: 9

Kai: 7.5

Toney: 7

Shoulders

Kai slips a little here in compari-son to the other two. Both Victor and Toney have super wide clavicles and thick melon delts. Kai’s bone structure gives him more of a ‘sloped shoulder’ appearance, and he does need more meat in the rear heads.

Victor: 9

Toney: 9

Kai: 7.5

Back

Not one of these champions lacks in the lat department, but all have slightly different shapes and attributes. Victor probably has the best overall combination of width and thickness, while Kai definitely has the market cornered on shred-ded detail and separation. His lats insert very low— almost too low, drawing attention to his short torso. Still, Kai does have a nasty back full of lumps and ridges. Then again, you can’t overlook Toney’s wide wingspan and tiny waist. Very close call here.

Victor: 9

Toney: 8

Kai: 8

Chest

This was another tough call. If you go by pure size and shape, it’s Victor by a landslide. But when you factor in detail and striations, Kai has the upper hand. You still have to acknowledge Vic’s superi-or development of the upper chest and factor that into the equation. The right side of Toney’s chest still shows the battle scar from his pec tear years ago, which unfortunate-ly does count against him when you’re being this nitpicky.

Victor: 9

Kai: 8

Toney: 7

MD

83 The Body Parts In Question

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Quads

Victor seems to be dominating a lot of these categories, but not this one. Toney has some of the best quads in the IFBB, and by far the best ever built by a man of 6’2”. Kai also has incredi-ble development, with probably the deepest and clearest cross-striations I’ve seen since the late Andreas Munzer. Kai takes this one by a slim but still respectable margin.

Kai: 9.5

Toney: 9

Victor: 7

Hams

Victor’s hamstrings have so much fullness and hang that you have to call them Butterballs. Grandma might throw those suckers in the oven to feed the whole family! Kai is no slouch here either, and definitely has superior detail. His hams look like bundles of

steel cables under the skin. Toney’s hams are pretty good too, just not quite as good next to these ham-hock heroes.

Victor: 9

Kai: 9

Toney: 8

Calves

Considering the ethnic make-up of these three dudes, you have to give them all props for building up respectable calves. Whatever muscle groups may have come easy for them, I guar-antee you calves were a pain in the ass to build! Victor’s calves insert the lowest, which is proba-bly why his are the best of this group. Victor: 8 Kai: 7 Toney: 7

FLEX

CRITIQUE

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FLEX

CRITIQUE

86

MD

The Bigger Picture

Mass

Three ‘all the way big dudes,’ as they say. The weights here range from 245 to 280, and the heights from 5’7” all the way up to 6’2”. For pure height-to-weight ratio, Kai would be the obvi-ous choice. But if you step back and really look at the physiques, your eyes tell a different story than the scale does. Victor: 9 Kai: 8.5 Toney: 8

Shape, Proportion

and Symmetry

Overall, you have to recognize that Victor shines here. You don’t win the Mr. Olympia (oops, my bad, he should have won) without having pretty phe-nomenal shape and proportion. Kai’s structure isn’t optimal, but he has done an amazing job with it. Toney’s shape is pretty damn good, just not quite as near-perfect as Victor’s.

Victor: 9.5

Toney: 8

Kai: 7

Conditioning

If you go by track records here over the past few shows, which is what we have to do, Kai is the only one to con-sistently bring that freaky sliced-and-diced look that makes your jaw drop. Victor came close at the last Olympia, and Toney certainly nailed it a few months ago in Las Vegas, but we have to base this one on who has proven they can do it again and again, like Dexter does. Only Kai can make that claim in this group.

Kai: 9.9

Toney: 8.5

Victor: 8

Scoring The Poses

(3 points for first place,

2 for second, 1 for third)

Front Double Biceps

Victor’s shape carries him here. Toney also has a hell of a front double biceps. This is not one of Kai’s best poses, and again that’s only due to his structure. I take nothing away from the guy. This is a pose where genetic shape and structure is everything,

assuming all the guys have a lot of mass.

Victor: 3

Toney: 2

Kai: 1

Front Lat Spread

Victor is the widest and thickest man in this shot. What really sets him apart from Kai and Toney is his upper chest development, which both the other guys can’t match. Even Victor’s quads don’t cause him to lose on this pose, because you’re too busy staring at the phenomenal size and shape upstairs. Toney’s amazing V-taper lets him edge Kai out on this one.

Victor: 3

Toney: 2

Kai 1

Side Chest

Great pose for Victor. This is where Toney and Kai both seem to show a chink in the armor with regard to tri-ceps, and it costs them. Neither looks bad, mind you, but we are trying to pick between three guys with damn near perfect physiques and some-body has to come out on top.

Victor: 3

Kai: 2

Toney: 1

Side Triceps

Victor again, for most of the same reasons. Kai isn’t too far behind, and his crazy cross-striated tri’s are pretty impressive in this pose. Toney’s triceps look a little flat here, and that hurts the overall visual impression.

Victor: 3

Kai: 2

Toney: 1

Rear Double Biceps

Another nail-biter. I promised myself I wouldn’t have any ties, and this one really tested my resolve. Victor has such amazing overall shape in this pose, but Kai has built such a thick back, etched and hewn with detail. I went back and forth on this one a few times before making a reluctant decision.

Kai: 3

Victor: 2

Toney: 1