With 
us today is Jacques "Sporty" Lewis. Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
Over the years developing a career as a fashion model but with a passion for fitness, learning about the new Men`s Physique division couldn’t have come at a better time. I truly like that fact that it`s catered to the main stream fitness model look. By being so intrigued by the new division I immediately buckled down on workouts and nutrition in order to become a fierce competitor against the best out there.
Antioxidants 
have become a hot topic in combating disease in recent years, and the list of these substances has grown thanks to extensive research which has been conducted and disseminated to the public. A particularly powerful antioxidant is curcumin. Curcumin, an extract which is derived from turmeric, has been used in Asian curries for many centuries and has also been used for treatment of arthritis and other health conditions. Only recently has curcumin received attention from the United States regarding its remarkable benefits as a potent antioxidant.
Perhaps the most exciting potential benefit of curcumin is that it may help to prevent and treat cancer by inhibiting cancer cell growth and the growth of blood vessels which feed into tumors...
With us today is National Level MP Competitor Dave Kantrowitz. Congrats 
on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I actually started off as a natural bodybuilder, but I was never able to put on the true mass necessary to compete at a high level. After taking about two years off to concentrate on training and building my body, the NPC changed the game entirely by introducing the new division. I knew that this was where I belonged and after my first competition in August of this year, I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to get back on stage as soon as possible.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you most recently competed?
This year marked my first year as a MP competitor. I started in August and competed in 6 shows. My season ended this year on the biggest stage of them all, the NPC Nationals in Atlanta, GA. It was an unreal experience to be surrounded by the best of the best and be able to meet and share the stage with current and soon-to-be IFBB Pro’s.
Recovery 
is a critical component of any sound training program and there are many ways it can be implemented. One can recover more passively via total rest or getting bodywork done (i.e. massage), or more actively through a variety of low to moderate intensity activities.
Personally speaking, passive recovery days have rarely worked well for me. They always tend to leave me feeling physically and mentally sluggish. Over time I’ve found that I received more benefit using an active approach that combines a low intensity resistance training circuit along with different flexibility techniques. This “Activation Session” creates a full body stimulus without placing too much stress on the musculoskeletal or bioenergetic systems.
I highly recommend doing this type of session away from the gym environment to avoid the temptation of morphing this activation session into a full-blown workout (i.e. “I’ll just do ONE set of Bench Press”…. and then its “off to the races!”).
A 
HEALTHY MEAL & NFL FOOTBALL
It’s a cold rainy winter day here in Hollywood. This is the time of year everyone starts seems to forget about eating clean. For whatever reason this is the time of year I tend to start clean it up and focus on getting a jump start on burning fat before the Yew Year.
Now just because I clean it up doesn’t mean it has to be bland. I like to enjoy my food so that means my healthy meal needs to taste amazing. Plus when I have a girl over they seem to appreciate a guy that can cook. (That’s a hint for all you guys serving plain chicken and brown rice to your girls)
So as I look around trying to come up with ideas of what I can make I happen to locate a crockpot hidden in the back of one of the cabinets. Sweet, that just made my life easier. All I have to do is throw everything in the crockpot and forget about it for hours.
With 
us today is MP Competitor Adam Bonilla. Thanks for joining us. First off, what made you decide to compete in the Men’s physique division?
Thank you! When I was younger I was very into bodybuilding I eventually got up to 217 at my biggest on my little frame for comparisons I was only 170 on stage at The Rocky. I kept that size on for a few years but it was a look that eventually got in the way of my everyday life and just wasn‘t worth it anymore. I really admire bodybuilders since I used to be one and know how truly difficult it is not only to carry around that size but to do the things necessary to carry around that type of size like eating all day every day, trying to get clothes that fit, dealing with people asking you to flex all the time and people thinking it’s okay to just go up and feel your arms. I don’t know how these guys do it day after day for years on end but I admire them for doing it. I like the Men’s Physique “athletic look” and I really like the freedom that Men’s physique allows me to have with my day to day life that bodybuilding didn’t allow. If I want to go hiking , play hockey or run a 10K having a more athletic frame allows me to do these things and still be more muscular than the average guy. Competing is just in my blood and I’ll always do it so Men’s physique gave me the opportunity to look the way I really want to look and still allows me the ability to challenge myself in making improvements to that look as much as bodybuilding did. The differences are BB is based a lot more on size and MP is based purely on aesthetics if you’re training right MP should be just as challenging in the gym but a totally different approach.
Sandra 
Wickham Fall Classic 2012
As always, this first show of the season was kicked off at the Sandra Wickham Fall Classic, in New Westminster, BC at the Massey Theatre on November 10th. Just based on the buzz generated from the exciting introduction of Men’s Physique at the beginning of this year, most people were expecting this show to be a big one. Well, we were definitely not disappointed with the turn-out of over 300 total competitors and a fully sold out theatre. To date this is the biggest show in the province. Men’s Physique had a total showing of 33 athletes, competing in three height classes.
Are 
you entering middle age with a renewed focus on a healthy lifestyle? Are you proud of what you have accomplished in the gym at your age? Are you excited that you have some gray hair but your six-pack is easily visible? If so, you might decide to show your new body to the world at a local men’s physique or sports modeling competition.
There is a place for every athlete at these competitions, including those in the “masters” divisions. However, unique challenges face older participants. In this article, we will focus on the four traits that you need to find success: conviction, compartmentalization, consistency, and concentration.
Joining 
us today is Mark Hartman. Congratulations. What made you want to compete?
Training has played a significant role in my life for a while now. I knew that the Men’s Physique Division would drive me to achieve my highest level of fitness to date. I just decided to do my first show and started training and dieting the next day.
Tell us a little bit about the show in which you just competed.
I just recently competed in the Mid States Natural Muscle Classic in Rockford, Illinois. I was shocked by how tall the other physique competitors were. At 5’10’’ I was shorter than the average height and ended up stepping on stage with the short class. At check in on Friday night it was obvious to me that the top 3 most conditioned guys were in that short class, so I knew I had to be on for prejudging the next morning.
Do
you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both? If so, then you just might have insomnia. What you might not realize is that you are not alone. Insomnia is actually the most common sleep disorder effecting more than 20 million adults in the United States. Individuals with insomnia:
· Lie awake for a long time before falling asleep,
· Sleep for only short periods,
· Are awake for much of the night,
· Feel as if they haven't slept at all, or
· Wake up too early
I
will never forget the first painful and humiliating day I worked out at a “real gym”. The place was called Future Man and as a skinny teen with no muscle and even less discipline I was anything but that.
Up until that point I had only been messing around with some old school machines and a few dust covered dumbbells at the High School gym near my house. I was just a beginner, knew nothing about training and was inconsistent at best. What I did know even then was that I wanted to build big muscles and look like the guys I saw on the covers of the body building magazines.
Not everyone who trains is pursuing a National championship title but we all have one thing in common, a desire to improve.
Meet .JPG)
one of the youngest MP Competitors around Alan McKearney. Congrats on a great showing and your awesome weight loss! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I enjoy the Men’s Physique division because it enables me to push my body to its natural limits, and still be able to compete at my age.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you just competed?
The competition I just competed in was my first. It was the Sandra Wickham Fall Classic, held every fall in New Westminster, B.C. This year was actually the largest show in B.C. history with 301 competitors...
We 
are going to do something a little off the wall for a FREE T-Shirt GIVEAWAY.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to get ready for the breif remainder of 2012 and the soon to be here 2013. In honor of the holidays we have a contest going on. All you have to do is sing the lyrics here and post the result on our Facbook page.
Again you must remember to post your song on our Facebook page to be considered for the T-Shirt! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mens-Physique/160785833977443
The winner will get a FREE RXMUSCLE T-Shirt AND their rendition of the lyrics will be played on PHYSIQUE STAR RADIO! http://www.rxmuscle.com/physique-star-radio.html
If you can't sing then have your girlfriend or mom or dad....really anyone do it for you! Again the winners that are played on PHYSIQUE STAR RADIO will win a FREE RXMUSCLE T-SHIRT!
What You'll Be Singing:
“Men’s Physique Is Coming To Town” (To the tune of “Santa Clause Is Coming To Town”)
Lyrics by Scott Fishkind
Meet 
MP Competitor Dewayne Triplett. Congrats on the physique you brought into Nationals! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I had been contemplating competing for quite some time. I always used the excuse of not wanting to walk around at 240 and above. When I found out about the Men's Physique Division, I went to the 2011 Jr. Nationals and decided I wanted to compete after watching that competition.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you recently competed?
I just competed in the 2012 National Championships. The competition was fierce. Everyone looked good. There were some outstanding physiques at this competition. I was in the D class which had a higher number of competitors than most of the other classes. The show was well organized. It made me feel proud to be an NPC athlete.
Motivation
is a facet of exercise that is vitally important for individuals seeking to maintain or reach peak fitness levels. If fact, maintaining the big MO is the subject of countless articles, videos and Facebook status updates. And, when you think about it, fitness trainers, coaches and boot camp instructors make a living helping to motivate people to try hard and to do more.
You may be asking yourself where motivation fits with diet, exercise and sleep. And, I would suggest that motivation isn’t in direct competition with the aforementioned but an underlying component of all three. If you’re motivated to reach your goals then you’re more apt to engage in behaviors that support those goals, right? You are more likely to eat the proper foods, training in #beastmode and bank the proper amount of Zs.
I 
recently had a chance to review individual and comparison photos from the 2012 NPC Nationals held in Atlanta. The show had an astounding 900 competitors across the various divisions and by the time all was said and done, 62 individuals became IFBB pros. When looking specifically at Men’s Physique, approximately 7 percent or 12 of the 177 entrants reached professional status.
As I clicked through the photos, I began to wonder what separated the winners from the “professional” winners. I mean let’s face it, anyone that’s on that stage is a winner, but rules dictate that only a handful can turn pro in a given year. In looking at the photos, you could point out physical differences between this guy and that guy but it’s almost like preferring a Ferrari over a Lamborghini. At the end of the day both cars are amazing. So what is it that separates one competitor from another?
No,
this is not another doomsday article designed to incite mass panic and overreaction, it is however designed to get you those “jacked”, muscular arms you desire! The trick is incorporating all muscle groups so that each one is worked uniformly. How many times have we seen the guy at the gym who does incessant curls so that his biceps are completely overdeveloped to the point of looking cartoonish, yet has little or no tricep development at all? DO NOT BE THIS GUY!!
Following is my Armageddon routine. I hope you are not scared of a little pain, because if your arms don’t start cramping or locking up after this workout, you are either not doing it right, or aren’t pushing yourself hard enough. This routine works best with three people so that you have enough time to rest in between supersets.
You will need:
A flat bench
Dumbbells (I use 35lbs)
A curl iron (25-35 lb. plates)
Long %20(1).jpg)
ago there was a man who each day walked to town around a large mountain, the same as many others did. Each day this man would pick up a stone from the mountain and place it to the side of his path, this went on for many years. Soon others began to do the same as they saw the man slowly moving the mountain from their path! Now, sometime the stones would fall down, sometimes someone else would put them right back, but most of the time they stayed right where they were placed. As more and more people joined in, the once mighty mountain was dwindled away to nothing and the path they ventured became a straight line! What is the moral of this story? Well, as individuals we can only do so much, but collectively we can move mountains! By committing to something greater than ourselves we are able to truly help this world and gain the most satisfaction in our own lives!
How does this apply to fitness?
I was 
recently approached by a client asking me my thoughts about a photographer who in their estimate was trying very hard to imitate my style and work processes. They asked "doesn't this bother you?" After giving it some thought the best response I could come up with is "not really." But allowing it to marinate a bit more I pose the question of "why should it bother me?" The reality is, without this person's own business or creative identity, the best they could ever hope to achieve would be almost as good as someone else.
In 
regards to active lifestyle nutrition, it’s important to eat not only for taste but more importantly for performance. As we condition and train to improve our bodies we should also be concerned about our overall mood and well-being. For many, working out is a “eustress” or positive response to stress and according to endocrinologist Hans Selye, “gives one a feeling of fulfillment or other positive feelings.”
In today’s hectic and fast-pace society it’s easy to become overwhelmed by life events. While working out may have originated for some as a goal or path toward weight management; an added benefit comes from one’s ability to use exercise as a stress management tool. Some studies have shown exercise to reduce the amount of cortisol, a hormone that causes stress while increasing the amount of endorphins, your body’s natural mood-lifting hormone.
Furthermore, we’re familiar with the concept that food is fuel to our bodies, so why not give the body fuel that will improve our workouts and our mood, a true “win-win .“
The 
2012 National Bodybuilding Championships MENS PHYSIQUE DIVISION Results
You probably already know that this past weekend was the last chance in 2012 to earn the coveted IFBB Pro card in the MP Division. This year they awarded 12 total Pro Cards for the MP Division. That sounds like a lot but they go quickly when around 170 National Level MP guys show up in hopes of taking one home.
There were a total of 6 height classes at the Nationals. Classes ranged in size from a low of around 20 competitors in a class to the largest classes having over 40. First and Second place in each height class earned their card.
The Final Pro Card Winners for the 2012 season are as follows:
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