Phil Heath Really Wants the Mr. Olympia Title
Friday night I enjoyed dinner with a number of large people, including Kevin Tomasini (winner of last year's NPC Excalibur and currently sponsored by Nutrabolics), and Phil Heath. Demetrius Alecos, promoter of the Fox Valley Bodybuilding and Figure Show, brought us all together on the eve of the event. My purpose in mentioning this isn't to tell you what Phil Heath ate for an off-season dinner meal (spaghetti and meatballs), what Kevin ate (he's too big to see around), or what I had for my weekly re-feed meal one week into a serious ketogenic diet (sun-dried tomato pizza with chicken breast and two glasses of red wine). Rather, I want to suggest that Phil Heath is one of the nicest IFBB bodybuilders to arrive in on the scene in a real long time. He's remarkable with fans, always smiling, personable, treating everyone as if they're special. Sadly, many pro's are smart enough to be good with the fans. What I found most interesting was the intensity Heath brought to his little talk from the podium onstage after his guest posing. He talked passionately of his pursuit of the Sandow at this fall's Mr. Olympia. The guy is ready to do battle, and wants to win the Olympia. No seconds, no settling; Phil Heath sounds like a guy determined to be the victor. He also talked about wanting to bring ‘80s and ‘90s sensibilities back to bodybuilding. I'm assuming that Heath was talking about proportion and aesthetics.
Protein Before Cardio?
Last week on Heavy Muscle Radio hosted by Dave and John, Dr. Scott Connelly made a point in his discussion about insulin resistance that should be repeated constantly. Bodybuilders should repeat this to themselves like a mantra until it's ingrained in their skulls. Dave made a point of clarifying with Connelly so the information was clear. Without going through too much of the science, here's what he said:
Consume a protein-only drink upon arising and before doing cardio, and you'll burn more bodyfat than if you did your cardio on an empty stomach!
Listen to the radio interview (Heavy Muscle Radio 4-20-09) and hear for yourself.
Jungle Warfare and Bad Ass Mass (ALR Industries)
Before anyone cries out that I'm a poster boy for ALRI products, so far in my experience their products contain what the labels state they do, and the effects on my body and physique are as advertised. Is there more you can possibly wish for from a supplement company? If you've been in this game long enough, you've spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on products that probably didn't hurt you, but didn't have their advertised effect (remember Weider's Anabolic Mega-Packs? I sure do, and at the time couldn't really afford the. Thanks for the expensive vitamins, Joe).
A week and ½ ago I added Jungle Warfare and Bad Ass Mass to my daily supplement program. Following label directions, and checking with Author L. Rea's thread on the RX Muscle forum to make certain I was doing this right, I'm gobbling 3 capsules of JW daily (spread out, with meals) and 2 capsules of BAM daily (12 hours apart, with meals.)
Read the great deal of literature available on these two products within the ALR Industries forum, at their web site, or do a search for John Romano's many comments on why he uses these particular supplements. Romano's evangelical testaments to their effectiveness spurred me to get a couple of bottles into my hands, and I'm happy I did.
Anecdotally, completely un-scientifically, I am certain that within two or three days my vascularity was more pronounced (I'm already quite lean and vascular in my legs and shoulders/arms), my skin felt a bit thinner, but most important, I'm stronger! Yes, with no other magical supplement aids, my upper and lower body strength has improved. As with all ALR Industries' products, there's a ton of science behind them, and it's all clear when I read it on the site or via Author's writing. The stuff works, bottom line!
I'm coming back from major big toe surgery in November, meaning no deadlifts or squats for months, and in fact no upper-body work for a few weeks post-surgery, it's been a long recovery for my lower body. One leg was 1 ½" smaller than the other two months ago, but now that I'm back to the squat rack and deadlifting, and the right leg is catching up. My point in all this is that Bad Ass Mass and Jungle Warfare immediately increased my strength in all major lifts, including bench press, rows, squats, and deadlifts.
I've a great deal of experience with supplement protocols, and find what Jungle Warfare and Bad Ass Mass are doing to be quite dramatic. According to Author L. Rea, he's been continuously using Jungle Warfare for a long time. Stay tuned for more reports. For the foreseeable future, they'll both be remaining in my supplement toolbox. (www.alrindustries.com).
Mitotropin - Gaspari Nutrition
I've completed my month using Gaspari Nutrition's Mitotropin. I went into this using Mitotroin as a fat-loss supplement, and used no other thermogenics or diet products during this time.
Mitotropin impressed me as I felt no stimulant effect, no jitters, and no rush after taking the yellow tablets. Each morning I took three upon rising, while making coffee. I'd have a couple of cups of coffee, and wait a half hour to 45 minutes before eating my first meal. On a couple of rare occasions I went to the gym and did cardio on an empty stomach with only Mitotropin and coffee in my gut, and experienced no problems. My second daily dose would be another three capsules in early to mid-afternoon, based around my workouts, post-workout shakes and meals. I'd look for a gap where it had been an hour and ½ since I ate, and at least another half hour before my next feeding. A couple of times I took three tablets late in the afternoon, and experienced some problems getting to sleep that evening. No surprise there, and Gaspari warns users about this in their literature.
Something interesting was that I often "felt" Mitotropin working. I know, what could be more unscientific than that statement, but having used damn near every thermogenic and weight-loss product ever sold over the counter, I know I experienced something interesting. I also felt a subtle bit of appetite control, but there's a chance that is self-fulfilling, as I tend to eat a bit less in the evening when I'm using fat-loss products.
Nothing dramatic took place with my physique in this month. My bodyfat decreased slightly, in the 1% range, but I honestly feel my efforts to consume less natural peanut butter or mixed nuts (I know, I have a problem) in the evenings had as much to do with this as the fat-loss product.
Cheers to whoever wrote and designed the "Comprehensive Diet, Training and Dosing Manual" in the Mitotropin box. This little booklet is beautifully laid-out and does a wonderful job of discussing topics such as carb-loading, healthy fats, food values, lots of discussion of protein, carb and fat sources, and even meal plans. The book is full of excellent material, and is a huge bonus to the buyer of Mitotropin.
Would I purchase a box of Mitotropin again? No. Do I feel I gave it a 100% chance? No, again. But what chance does any diet product have in the face of an extra thousand night-time calories once per week? (www.gasparinutrition.com)
Cereal Killer - The Unintended Consequences of the Low Fat Diet
by Alan Watson
I absolutely love this book! Buy several copies and give them to any friends who need nutritional help, especially your parents if they're still living. What a great title; what an important topic. Personal trainers should encourage all their clients to order one; then make certain they read it.
Watson brings a combination of food industry history, marketing and advertising, politics (oh, how important today), and large helpings of nutrition together in this very readable, interesting and potent book. I wanted to high-five him at various times while reading. Of course, he's preaching to the choir with me, and I hope I'm with most of you, but take this seriously. Nutrition means more than how large you can build your muscles, believe it or not. Your health forms the framework for all you wish to accomplish in the gym. Similarly, what you do in the kitchen is important for your body, fitness and health, as well.
Following are only a few of my favorite excerpts from Cereal Killer:
-Eat no more than 72 grams of carbohydrate daily.
-Cook and eat foods using coconut oil; diets high in soybean, corn and other highly processed vegetable oils place you at high risk for developing age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmologists say we are currently in an epidemic, as there has been a tenfold increase in macular degeneration in the last 30 years.
-Sugar and refined carbohydrates are the real culprits in causing low HDL and oxidized LDL in Americans - John R. Lee
-If there is a perfect food, it's eggs.
-One of the main causes of fatigue in many people, particularly women, is that they are not eating enough protein in the morning and at lunch - Robert Crayhon
-High-fructose corn syrup has no fiber or nutrients. Fructose raises triglycerides and actually increases insulin resistance, the root cause of Type II diabetes.
The book is amazing and provides essential reading. Diet Heart Publishing, 144 pp., $12.95. Available from amazon.com or from 1-800-229-3663 (www.DietHeartPublishing.com)
Schiek Competition Power Belt (Model 6010)
I've been attempting to beat the crap out of this belt, but cannot. I even let my competitive strongman friend .jpg)
Chad wear it for a few weeks, both in his gym workouts and at "The Farm." This is where I thought it might come to a sad end, as this group of crazy professional and aspiring pro strongmen lift stones, "run" with the yoke, drag trucks, lift massive steel logs, and perform all kinds of other wild odd lifts.
Knowing at times they drag heavy objects over the belt, and rest the logs on it during the lifts, I was certain he'd return the belt all messed up with leather hanging off it somewhere. John Schiek had told me the belt was basically indestructible, but you know how we are here at RX Muscle; we gotta push the limits and see for ourselves.
Schiek told me true; I'm wearing the belt now for max-effort deadlift and squat sessions, and it's almost like new. All Chad did was break it in for me, apparently. Other than some dirt, it's like brand new, still stiff, and massively strong. I've ruined a few belts in my competitive days, but I'm impressed with this product. There is no higher recommendation I can give to a competition-grade belt than to say high-level strongmen combined with myself cannot hurt it.
The Model 6010 Competition Power Belt is 10 cm wide, 9 cm thick. Meaning, it'll fit the biggest or fittest powerlifters or gym freak. Manufactured in the U.S. of genuine suede leather, it sports a double-prong stainless steel buckle. It's a beast and I like it!
(www.schiek.com) $69.95, 800-772-4435
Talk to me at [email protected]. See you next week!
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