USCULAR
USCU
LAR

EVELOPMENT
EV
ELOPMENT
GET

ULTIMATE

ARM
BLAST!

G R OW I N G
N OW !

2019 SPECIAL!

ARNOLD
CLASSIC
PREDICTIONS AND PREVIEW!

REDCON RAISES THE
BREAKFAST BAR, PAGE 60

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BURN 100% MORE FAT!
BUILD LEAN MUSCLE FAST!

MUSCULARDEVELOPMENT.COM

FEBRUARY 2019

DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 4th





R

ELOPMENT






EDITOR’s LETTER
BY STEVE BLECHMAN, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

2019 ARNOLD
CLASSIC PREVIEW

Who Will Be the
Last Man Standing?

8 MD

musculardevelopment.com February 2019


JASON BREEZE PHOTO

Antoine Vaillant has never won a pro show, but he’s a
champion and an inspiration to many. He has overcome
adversity and pushed himself to make improvements in size
and conditioning, and battled drug addiction— and won.
Antoine Vaillant has all the ingredients of a winner, pushing
himself every day in the gym to train harder and inspiring
others to do the same. The cover shot of Antoine is
designed to inspire you in the gym to train harder and
get ripped, shredded and build lean muscle mass.
Also to get pumped up for the 2019 competitive
season, beginning with this year’s Arnold Classic,
with one of the best lineups in years.
The Arnold Classic is part of the Arnold
Sports Festival, a mega-event held each year
in Columbus, Ohio that attracts athletes who
compete in a wide variety of sports. The Arnold
Sports Festival is one of the industry’s mostly
highly anticipated and iconic weekends and has
expanded to global appeal and success.
Muscular Development is proud to give
you the best coverage of the 2019 Arnold
Classic anywhere, in print and online at
musculardevelopment.com. I’d like to
take this opportunity to thank Hi-Tech
Pharmaceuticals, MD’s Arnold Classic
sponsor, for their support to make this
happen.

Redcon1 athlete Antoine Vaillant was
known as far back as his days as a teenage
competitor for his crazy delts and quads.
Arms are something he’s had to work a
little longer and harder to turn into an
impressive body part. In “21 Questions
About Antoine Vaillant’s 21-inch Arms” on
page 62, the man from Quebec explains
how he turned his guns into 21-inch cannons.
“I try to maximize every rep,” he tells us. “Before
every arm workout, I remind myself that I have to give it 100
percent because they need to grow.”
Brandon Curry is coming off two very successful seasons.
He kicked off 2017 with back-to-back wins in New Zealand
and Australia, took eighth at the Mr. Olympia, and finished
the season off with yet another win at the Ferrigno Legacy. In
2018, Curry made top five at the Mr. Olympia for the first time.


The 2019 Arnold Classic

21

2019 ARNOLD
CLASSIC
It was a historic Mr. Olympia, and the shock
waves were still being felt as 2018 wound to
a close. Some of the top stars disappointed
and slipped down in the placings, while
others climbed right over them. Normally that

would set the stage for the following year’s
Olympia contest, but this time we will be
seeing some rematches from Vegas shifting
over to Columbus, Ohio for the 31st annual
Arnold Sports Festival. With three former
winners including the reigning champion vying
for the Arnold Classic bodybuilding title, the
stage is set for a vicious battle for first place.
Classic Physique was only added to the Arnold
weekend last year, but it’s already stirring up
its share of anticipation. Let’s take a look at
who will be showing up in Columbus hoping
to be the last man standing, with contest
namesake himself Arnold Schwarzenegger
raising his hand in victory.

WHO WILL
BE THE
LAST MAN
STANDING
IN COLUMBUS?

92 MD

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

Questions
About

USCULAR


Antoine
VAillAnt’s

21- inch
Arms

OPEN BODYBUILDING
ROELLY WINKLAAR

Normally in a preview like this, if the defending
champion is in the lineup as William Bonac is
this time, he would be the heavy favorite. The
Arnold Classic has a long lineage of back-to-back
champions that includes Jay Cutler (who won
three in a row), Flex Wheeler, Dexter Jackson,
Kai Greene and Branch Warren. Even so, I see
Roelly Winklaar as the man to beat here. Roelly
vaulted to third place at the last Mr. Olympia,
ahead of Bonac and in the minds of many fans,
should have been second place rather than Phil
Heath. The Dutch Beast simply presents an
overwhelming total package of mass, shape,
structure (wide clavicles and a narrow waist) and
that freak factor that wows audiences and judges
alike. Roelly fixed his gut that was growing a
couple of seasons ago and seems to have taken
it to heart that lighter and more detailed is his key
to success. After taking fourth place in Columbus
last year, Roelly burned off 15 pounds in two

weeks to bring a much crisper package to the
Arnold Classic Australia, where he took the title.

By Ron HaRRis • PHotogRaPHy By Jason BReeze

Redcon1 Athlete Antoine Vaillant was known as far back as his days as a teenage
competitor for his crazy delts and quads. Arms are something he’s had to work a little
longer and harder to turn into an impressive bodypart. With that in mind, I came up with 21
questions for the man from Quebec about how he turned his guns into 21-inch cannons.
At what point do you remember first seeing huge arms either in a photo or in real
life and saying to yourself, I need arms like that?
I think it was the issue of MD that had the review of the 2013 Mr. Olympia contest
in it. I also used to go online and see pictures of guys like Ronnie Coleman, Kevin
Levrone and Jay Cutler. Gregg Valentino had his column then in MD, and I’d see the
pictures of his arms and say, what the fuck is that? Big arms have always been a
staple, like if you have big arms that means you’re strong. The first two exercises
I ever did were push-ups and preacher curls with those cement weights in plastic.
They had the red collars like an Allen wrench you had to screw on. But seeing all
those guys made me want big arms.
What was your early arm training like, and how did you go about putting your
workouts together?
I started off at home with just one barbell, one dumbbell, and a heavy bag like for

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

62 MD

MD 93

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com


musculardevelopment.com February 2019

COMMAN DMENTS

BY RON HARRIS

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

IntervIew by ron HarrIs • PHotoGraPHy by Jason breeZe
It’s been a pretty successful two seasons for Brandon Curry. He kicked off 2017 with back-to-back wins in New Zealand and Australia, thanks
in large part to the 25 pounds of fresh new muscle he’d packed on over four months far from home in Kuwait’s Oxygen Gym. He took eighth at
the Mr. Olympia, and finished the season off with yet another win at the Ferrigno Legacy. In 2018, Curry did just one show, the Mr. Olympia, and
made top five for the first time. Keep in mind, he had failed to place at the Olympia three times in a row at one point, and many of us felt “The
Prodigy” would eventually go down as someone who never managed to live up to his full potential and hype. He’s proved his doubters wrong,
and it’s starting to look like his best days are still ahead of him. I spoke to him shortly after he had returned to Kuwait to begin prepping for the
2019 Arnold Classic.
It’s very belated at this point, but
congratulations on making the top five at
the Mr. Olympia. Going into the show, did
you know you were probably going to place
better than ever?
Yeah, my coach Abdullah and I planned
for it, and we worked hard for it. We were
determined to break the top five this year,
especially after the 2017 Olympia. I was in the
first callout there and it looked like I had top
five, but I wound up in eighth.
You didn’t do any post-Olympia shows,
so I take it you were able to spend all that

time until you just had to go back to Kuwait
with your wife and kids?
Mostly. I had a couple of obligations I had

Then, when you lean out either for competition or merely for your own
satisfaction as many do each spring and summer, your physique has
improved since the last time it was witnessed in all its ripped and
tanned glory. Right about now, many of you are well into your annual
off-season phase. The following 10 commandments will aid you in your
quest and ensure success.

MD 83

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

72 MD

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

to travel for, but other than that I was home
being a football and soccer dad. My kids are
14, 8, 6 and 5 and they’re all busy.
What’s it like for them to have you being
over in Kuwait for such long stretches of
time? I know you’re not the first man in
history to be apart from his family to help
provide a better life for them, but it can’t be
easy.

You could compare it to a military family
where the husband or wife is deployed, and I
respect all those who serve. Of course, it’s a
given that I miss my wife and kids and they
miss me. But Brandy keeps them busy. We
have football players, wrestlers, and a yearround soccer player. She’s killing it, traveling

to different states to play. Brandy is always
busy running around taking them to practices
and games, and she also makes sure they
stay on top of their schoolwork too. It’s a lot.
You must be on Skype or Facetime
constantly when you’re in Kuwait.
Yes, Facetime is a lifesaver. My daughter
puts a lot of her games and her brothers’
games on Periscope for me to watch too. I’m
able to stay in the loop. One of son’s football
team just won the championship, another
son’s team went to semi-finals, and one will
be playing in the All-American Bowl at only 8
years old.
Refresh my memory, which sports did
you play growing up?
MD 73

SCHWARZENEGGER,

BEFORE
HE WAS


“AH-NULD!”
Charting the Early Stepping-stones of Arnold
Schwarzenegger as He Began His Climb to
Worldwide Fame By Peter McGough

Summer 1962
I think it was almost
meant to be because so many
things came together that
summer of 1962. I was 15
and playing soccer at the
stadium in Graz [Austria].
They started to introduce
weight-training exercises
such as squats to strengthen
us. And I instantly liked
the feeling of working my
muscles. Then at the local
lake on a Sunday, all these
athletes were there doing
things like the shot put,
wrestling, boxing, chin-ups,
and weight training. So at
that time I was becoming
very physique conscious.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF REG PARK

100 MD


Summer 1962
When I saw Reg on the

FIRST GYM VISIT
July 1962
I walked into the Athletic
Union Gym in Graz for the
first time and saw a bunch
of weightlifters doing cleanand-jerks, others doing
incline benches, while
others were squatting.
Often you’d hear someone
screaming out loud, as they
lifted the weights. It was just
like a torture chamber. It
reminded me of some kind

THE WRITING’S ON
THE WALL

JIMMY CARUSO ARCHIVE

During his incomparable career in bodybuilding publishing, Peter McGough
has interviewed Arnold Schwarzenegger countless times. Culled from those
interviews are the following quotes that encapsulate the life and times of
bodybuilding’s biggest-ever star, in Arnold’s own words.
cover of a magazine that
summer and learned his
story— how he went from

world’s best bodybuilder to
movie star— my instant goal
was to become another Reg
Park. I had no idea at that
point, how to do it. But I was
absolutely convinced that
this was going to happen. I
knew, “This is what I want
to do!”

angela t. Frizalone

Creative direCtor

alan Dittrich Jr.

Managing editor

alan golnick

senior Writer

ron harriS

senior sCienCe editor michael J. ruDolph, ph.D.
Contributing editors

MD SPECIAL FEATURE

THE FIRST SPARK


Steve Blechman

exeCutive editor
Brandon Curry Continues His Upward Climb

of OFF-SEAS ON GAINS
Cutting, or prep if you compete, is a process that some love (no, really), and some
despise. Eating a very strict diet that does not allow for most of the tasty foods many of
us crave, doing loads of cardio, and feeling hungry, exhausted and bitchy is an acquired
taste. But who among us does not enjoy the off-season? The off-season is really what
bodybuilding is all about for most people, since the main goal is “building.” It’s when
you add mass in general or focus on bringing up lagging body parts or aspects thereof.

EVELOPMENT
Publisher
editor-in-Chief

the

The 10
82 MD

MD 63

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

Summer 1962
Each lifter had a space
on the wall where at the

beginning of the workout
they would write their goals
for that specific workout.
Then in the next hour or two
they would turn that goal
into reality. I loved that. If
you wrote down 20 sets as a
goal but at 18 you felt done,
guilt would kick in and you
knew you had to do those
last two sets because it was
written on the wall.

committing myself publicly
to a goal so that I had to
follow through so as not to
embarrass myself. I didn’t
want people saying to
me, “What ever happened
to what you were telling
me about becoming a
bodybuilding, big shot?”
I didn’t want to have to
reply, “Er, well I changed
my mind. I had to eat too
much protein.” It just
didn’t sound right.

of gladiator setting where
people were training in the

most primitive way.

would be so numb from the
training, I often couldn’t
control the bike, and I’d fall
into a wayside ditch. Now
that’s “in the trenches”
training. It was a fantastic
feeling sitting in the ditch
with my arms aching.
My arms were so numb
that I couldn’t comb my
hair the next day, but the
muscle soreness meant my
muscles were growing.

COLD STEEL
A PLAN FOR LIFE
Summer 1962
From that early beginning
I was a big believer in

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

While some people thought “The Prodigy”
would go down as someone who never
managed to live up to his full potential,
Brandon Curry has proved his doubters
wrong. As he prepares for the 2019 Arnold
Classic, it looks like his best days are

ahead of him. Learn more in “The Prodigy’s
Progress: Brandon Curry Continues His
Upward Climb” on page 72.
The off-season is really what
bodybuilding is all about for most people,
since the main goal is “building.” It’s when
you add mass, make improvements and
focus on bringing up lagging body parts
before leaning out for competition, or for the
spring and summer. Many of you are well
into your annual off-season phase right
now. “The 10 Commandments of Off-season
Gains” on page 82 will aid you in your quest
and ensure success.
Who will be the last man standing at
this year’s Arnold Classic? The contest
promises to be one of the best in years,
an interesting mix that is being eagerly
anticipated by fans worldwide, as we will be
seeing some rematches from Vegas shifting
over to Columbus, Ohio for the 31st annual
Arnold Sports Festival. With three former
winners including the reigning champion
vying for the Arnold Classic bodybuilding
title, the stage is set for a battle for first
place. “2019 Arnold Classic Predictions”
on page 92 is bodybuilding’s most
comprehensive preview of who will have his
hand raised in victory by contest namesake
Arnold Schwarzenegger.

During his incomparable career in
bodybuilding publishing, Peter McGough
has interviewed Arnold Schwarzenegger
countless times. For MD’s exclusive Arnold
Classic preview, Peter has selected quotes

CRASH COURSE
I would ride my bike
home after every training
session. Because my arms

Saturday and Sunday
the gym was closed, so we
couldn’t work out. But we’d
force a window and sneak

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

into the gym. It was so cold
my hands would get stuck
on the chinning bar and I’d
rip the skin of my palms as
I ended a set.

ARMY LIFE
July 1965-July 1966
I served a one-year
compulsory service in
the Austrian Army from
July 1965. I went AWOL

in October 1965 so I could
go and win the Best Built
Junior Athlete in Europe
contest in Stuttgart and
then spent a week in the
army jail. Actually the
army was a luxury for me.

At home I only ate meat
once a week, and in the
army I had it every day.
Sometimes they’d order
me to do kitchen work at
night preparing food for
the next day. That was
ideal for me because I
would eat as much meat,
chicken and eggs that I
could find in the kitchen.

RELOCATING TO
MUNICH
August 1966
At the Best Built Junior
Athlete in Europe contest
I met Albert Busek, who
managed the Universum
MD 101

from those interviews that encapsulate

the life and times of bodybuilding’s
biggest-ever star, in Arnold’s own words.
“Schwarzenegger, Before He Was ‘AhNuld!’” on page 100 charts the early
stepping-stones of Arnold Schwarzenegger
as he began his climb to worldwide fame.
Muscular Development is your number
one source for building muscle, and for the
latest research and best science to enable
you to train smart and effectively. Our
team of physicians, industry experts and
research scientists has these reports on
improving performance this month:
“Sleep: the Silent, Key Player in Fat Loss
– Losing Sleep Makes It Harder to Lose Fat”
Fat Attack, page 38
“Citrulline vs. Arginine: Which Is Best
as NO2 Booster?” Nutrition Performance,
page 44
“Top 10 Classic Bodybuilding
Supplements” Supplement Performance,
page 48
“Get Jacked: Cut the Cardio” Muscle
Growth Update, page 54
“Arnold Era” Anabolics” Testosterone,
page 102
“Are Unilateral Exercises More Effective
Than Bilateral Exercises?” Bodybuilding
Science, page 104
The rest of the book is packed to
the binder as usual— making MD your

one-stop, most authoritative source for
optimizing muscular development with the
latest cutting-edge research on training,
nutrition, fat loss, performance-enhancing
drugs, muscle growth and bodybuilding
science— and exclusive information
from the industry experts, insiders and
bodybuilding legends who make it all
happen. See you next month!

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

thomaS Fahey, eD.D.
victor r. priSk, m.D.
J.a. gireSi

Contributing PhotograPhers
chief photographer JaSon Breeze
ian Spanier
michael neveuX
per Bernal
Jimmy caruSo
lloyD terry Jr.
Bill DoBBinS
JaSon elliS
online editor
Contributing
videograPhers

ron harriS

www.musculardevelopment.com
JorDan Blechman
nick Del toro, aDam Silver

advertising
advertising direCtor

angela t. Frizalone
(239) 245-8283

direCtor of neW
business develoPMent

toDD hugheS
416-346-3456

CorPorate offiCe
CirCulation Consultants

855-873-4970
irwin Billman
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CustoMer serviCe inquiries
855-873-4970
eMail:

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advertisements meet legislation within country of origin.
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MD 9




FEATURES

VO L . 5 6 , N U M B E R 2 , F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 9
the

Brandon Curry Continues His Upward Climb

IntervIew by ron HarrIs • PHotoGraPHy by Jason breeZe
It’s been a pretty successful two seasons for Brandon Curry. He kicked off 2017 with back-to-back wins in New Zealand and Australia, thanks
in large part to the 25 pounds of fresh new muscle he’d packed on over four months far from home in Kuwait’s Oxygen Gym. He took eighth at
the Mr. Olympia, and finished the season off with yet another win at the Ferrigno Legacy. In 2018, Curry did just one show, the Mr. Olympia, and
made top five for the first time. Keep in mind, he had failed to place at the Olympia three times in a row at one point, and many of us felt “The
Prodigy” would eventually go down as someone who never managed to live up to his full potential and hype. He’s proved his doubters wrong,
and it’s starting to look like his best days are still ahead of him. I spoke to him shortly after he had returned to Kuwait to begin prepping for the
2019 Arnold Classic.
It’s very belated at this point, but
congratulations on making the top five at
the Mr. Olympia. Going into the show, did
you know you were probably going to place
better than ever?
Yeah, my coach Abdullah and I planned
for it, and we worked hard for it. We were
determined to break the top five this year,
especially after the 2017 Olympia. I was in the
first callout there and it looked like I had top
five, but I wound up in eighth.
You didn’t do any post-Olympia shows,
so I take it you were able to spend all that
time until you just had to go back to Kuwait
with your wife and kids?
Mostly. I had a couple of obligations I had

72 MD

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

72


to travel for, but other than that I was home
being a football and soccer dad. My kids are
14, 8, 6 and 5 and they’re all busy.
What’s it like for them to have you being
over in Kuwait for such long stretches of
time? I know you’re not the first man in
history to be apart from his family to help
provide a better life for them, but it can’t be
easy.
You could compare it to a military family
where the husband or wife is deployed, and I
respect all those who serve. Of course, it’s a
given that I miss my wife and kids and they
miss me. But Brandy keeps them busy. We
have football players, wrestlers, and a yearround soccer player. She’s killing it, traveling

to different states to play. Brandy is always
busy running around taking them to practices
and games, and she also makes sure they
stay on top of their schoolwork too. It’s a lot.
You must be on Skype or Facetime
constantly when you’re in Kuwait.
Yes, Facetime is a lifesaver. My daughter
puts a lot of her games and her brothers’
games on Periscope for me to watch too. I’m
able to stay in the loop. One of son’s football
team just won the championship, another
son’s team went to semi-finals, and one will
be playing in the All-American Bowl at only 8

years old.
Refresh my memory, which sports did
you play growing up?
MD 73

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

THE PRODIGY’S PROGRESS

Brandon Curry Continues His Upward Climb
Interview by Ron Harris

The 10

COMMAN DMENTS
of OFF-SEAS ON GAINS

BY RON HARRIS

Cutting, or prep if you compete, is a process that some love (no, really), and some
despise. Eating a very strict diet that does not allow for most of the tasty foods many of
us crave, doing loads of cardio, and feeling hungry, exhausted and bitchy is an acquired
taste. But who among us does not enjoy the off-season? The off-season is really what
bodybuilding is all about for most people, since the main goal is “building.” It’s when
you add mass in general or focus on bringing up lagging body parts or aspects thereof.

Then, when you lean out either for competition or merely for your own
satisfaction as many do each spring and summer, your physique has
improved since the last time it was witnessed in all its ripped and
tanned glory. Right about now, many of you are well into your annual

off-season phase. The following 10 commandments will aid you in your
quest and ensure success.

10 COMMANDMENTS OF
82 THE
OFF-SEASON GAINS

By Ron Harris

The 2019 Arnold Classic

2019 ARNOLD
CLASSIC
It was a historic Mr. Olympia, and the shock
waves were still being felt as 2018 wound to
a close. Some of the top stars disappointed
and slipped down in the placings, while
others climbed right over them. Normally that
would set the stage for the following year’s
Olympia contest, but this time we will be
seeing some rematches from Vegas shifting
over to Columbus, Ohio for the 31st annual
Arnold Sports Festival. With three former
winners including the reigning champion vying
for the Arnold Classic bodybuilding title, the
stage is set for a vicious battle for first place.
Classic Physique was only added to the Arnold
weekend last year, but it’s already stirring up
its share of anticipation. Let’s take a look at
who will be showing up in Columbus hoping

to be the last man standing, with contest
namesake himself Arnold Schwarzenegger
raising his hand in victory.

WHO WILL
BE THE
LAST MAN
STANDING
IN COLUMBUS?

92 MD

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

OPEN BODYBUILDING
ROELLY WINKLAAR

Normally in a preview like this, if the defending
champion is in the lineup as William Bonac is
this time, he would be the heavy favorite. The
Arnold Classic has a long lineage of back-to-back
champions that includes Jay Cutler (who won
three in a row), Flex Wheeler, Dexter Jackson,
Kai Greene and Branch Warren. Even so, I see
Roelly Winklaar as the man to beat here. Roelly
vaulted to third place at the last Mr. Olympia,
ahead of Bonac and in the minds of many fans,
should have been second place rather than Phil
Heath. The Dutch Beast simply presents an
overwhelming total package of mass, shape,

structure (wide clavicles and a narrow waist) and
that freak factor that wows audiences and judges
alike. Roelly fixed his gut that was growing a
couple of seasons ago and seems to have taken
it to heart that lighter and more detailed is his key
to success. After taking fourth place in Columbus
last year, Roelly burned off 15 pounds in two
weeks to bring a much crisper package to the
Arnold Classic Australia, where he took the title.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

MD 93

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

92 2019 ARNOLD CLASSIC PREDICTIONS

Who Will Be the Last Man Standing in Columbus?
By Ron Harris

MD SPECIAL FEATURE

By Ron Harris

21

“AH-NULD!”

s

Question
About

Charting the Early Stepping-stones of Arnold
Schwarzenegger as He Began His Climb to
Worldwide Fame By Peter McGough

Antoine
’s
VAillAnt

During his incomparable career in bodybuilding publishing, Peter McGough
has interviewed Arnold Schwarzenegger countless times. Culled from those
interviews are the following quotes that encapsulate the life and times of
bodybuilding’s biggest-ever star, in Arnold’s own words.

THE FIRST SPARK
Summer 1962
I think it was almost
meant to be because so many
things came together that
summer of 1962. I was 15
and playing soccer at the
stadium in Graz [Austria].
They started to introduce
weight-training exercises
such as squats to strengthen
us. And I instantly liked
the feeling of working my
muscles. Then at the local

lake on a Sunday, all these
athletes were there doing
things like the shot put,
wrestling, boxing, chin-ups,
and weight training. So at
that time I was becoming
very physique conscious.

21- inch
rms
A60

IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF REG PARK

By Jason BReeze
• PHotogRaPHy
By Ron HaRRis
days as a teenage
far back as his
was known as
had to work a little 21
Antoine Vaillant
something he’s
with
Redcon1 Athlete
quads. Arms are . With that in mind, I came up
crazy delts and
competitor for his
impressive bodypart his guns into 21-inch cannons.

to turn into an
about how he turned
longer and harder
a photo or in real
man from Quebec
the
for
arms either in
questions
r first seeing huge
do you remembe
At what point
arms like that?
Mr. Olympia contest
need
I
,
2013
the
of
to yourself
, Kevin
had the review
life and saying
like Ronnie Coleman
issue of MD that
I think it was the online and see pictures of guys then in MD, and I’d see the
go
to
had his column

always been a
in it. I also used
Cutler. Gregg Valentinofuck is that? Big arms have
two exercises
Levrone and Jay
what the
strong. The first
arms and say,
pictures of his
that means you’re
weights in plastic.
have big arms
with those cement on. But seeing all
staple, like if you
preacher curls
had to screw
push-ups and
I ever did were
Allen wrench you
collars like an
your
They had the red
about putting
me want big arms.
how did you go
those guys made early arm training like, and
bag like for
What was your
l, and a heavy
?

dumbbel
one
workouts together
one barbell,
home with just
I started off at

100 MD

MD 63
ment.com

musculardevelop
February 2019
musculardevelop

62 MD

12 MD

y 2019
ment.com Februar

Summer 1962
When I saw Reg on the

cover of a magazine that
summer and learned his
story— how he went from
world’s best bodybuilder to

movie star— my instant goal
was to become another Reg
Park. I had no idea at that
point, how to do it. But I was
absolutely convinced that
this was going to happen. I
knew, “This is what I want
to do!”

FIRST GYM VISIT
July 1962
I walked into the Athletic
Union Gym in Graz for the
first time and saw a bunch
of weightlifters doing cleanand-jerks, others doing
incline benches, while
others were squatting.
Often you’d hear someone
screaming out loud, as they
lifted the weights. It was just
like a torture chamber. It
reminded me of some kind

THE WRITING’S ON
THE WALL

JIMMY CARUSO ARCHIVE

21 QUESTIONS
ABOUT

ANTOINE
VAILLANT’S
21-INCH ARMS

SCHWARZENEGGER,

62

BEFORE
HE WAS

Summer 1962
Each lifter had a space
on the wall where at the
beginning of the workout
they would write their goals
for that specific workout.
Then in the next hour or two
they would turn that goal
into reality. I loved that. If
you wrote down 20 sets as a
goal but at 18 you felt done,
guilt would kick in and you
knew you had to do those
last two sets because it was
written on the wall.

committing myself publicly
to a goal so that I had to
follow through so as not to

embarrass myself. I didn’t
want people saying to
me, “What ever happened
to what you were telling
me about becoming a
bodybuilding, big shot?”
I didn’t want to have to
reply, “Er, well I changed
my mind. I had to eat too
much protein.” It just
didn’t sound right.

of gladiator setting where
people were training in the
most primitive way.

would be so numb from the
training, I often couldn’t
control the bike, and I’d fall
into a wayside ditch. Now
that’s “in the trenches”
training. It was a fantastic
feeling sitting in the ditch
with my arms aching.
My arms were so numb
that I couldn’t comb my
hair the next day, but the
muscle soreness meant my
muscles were growing.


COLD STEEL
A PLAN FOR LIFE
Summer 1962
From that early beginning
I was a big believer in

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

CRASH COURSE
I would ride my bike
home after every training
session. Because my arms

Saturday and Sunday
the gym was closed, so we
couldn’t work out. But we’d
force a window and sneak

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

into the gym. It was so cold
my hands would get stuck
on the chinning bar and I’d
rip the skin of my palms as
I ended a set.

ARMY LIFE
July 1965-July 1966
I served a one-year
compulsory service in

the Austrian Army from
July 1965. I went AWOL
in October 1965 so I could
go and win the Best Built
Junior Athlete in Europe
contest in Stuttgart and
then spent a week in the
army jail. Actually the
army was a luxury for me.

At home I only ate meat
once a week, and in the
army I had it every day.
Sometimes they’d order
me to do kitchen work at
night preparing food for
the next day. That was
ideal for me because I
would eat as much meat,
chicken and eggs that I
could find in the kitchen.

RELOCATING TO
MUNICH
August 1966
At the Best Built Junior
Athlete in Europe contest
I met Albert Busek, who
managed the Universum
MD 101


BEFORE HE WAS
100 SCHWARZENEGGER,
“AH-NULD!”

Charting the Early Stepping-stones
of Arnold Schwarzenegger as He Began His Climb
to Worldwide Fame By Peter McGough

musculardevelopment.com February 2019


DEPARTMENTS
14 HOW I SEE It By Kevin Levrone
15 BODYBUILDING MECCA

By Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger

16 THE ANABOLIC DOC
By Thomas O’Connor, MD NEW
18 MD RANTS New Study: Anabolic Steroids
Linked to Premature Death
By Steve Blechman

20 MD GLOBAL MUSCLE BUZZ NEW
By Giles “Tiger” Thomas

24 DR. TESTOSTERONE NEW
By George Touliatos, MD


26 ASK THE RASCAL
By IFBB Pro Rosie “Rascal” Harte

NEW

28 THE SUPPLEMENT FAQS By Mark Glazier

INSIDE STACK

DRUGS

110 BIG RON By 8-Time Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman 104 TESTOSTERONE “Arnold Era” Anabolics
By Daniel Gwartney, M.D.
112 CLASSIC TRAINING CAMP
By IFBB Classic Physique Pro Chris Bumstead NEW 120 BUSTED! LEGAL Q&A
114 THE PROPHECY By Nathan De asha NEW
116 NEON BREON’S OLD SCHOOL
TRAINING CAMP

By Classic Physique Olympia Champion Breon Ansley

8

EDITOR’S LETTER By Steve Blechman

121 MARKETPLACE

By Angela Theresa Frizalone and Manda Machado

By Rick Collins, JD, CSCS


HEALTH &
PERFORMANCE
34 RESEARCH: HEALTH & PERFORMANCE
By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

42 RESEARCH: SEX
By Steve Blechman & Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

54 MUSCLE GROWTH UPDATE
Get Jacked: Cut the Cardio
By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.

108 BODYBUILDING SCIENCE

NUTRITION &
PERFORMANCE

Are Unilateral Exercises More Effective Than
Bilateral Exercises?
By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.

30 RESEARCH: TRAINING

USCULAR
USCU
LA
R
USCULA
LAR


By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

36 RESEARCH: NUTRITION
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

37 RESEARCH: SUPPLEMENTS
By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

48 NUTRITION PERFORMANCE

EVELOPMENT
EV
ELOPMENT
GET

ULTIMATE

ARM
BLAST!

GROWING
NOW!

ARNOLD
CLASSIC

Top 10 Classic Bodybuilding Supplements

FAT LOSS


Fat Loss By Team MD

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

Perfect Human Amino Acid for Human
Protein Synthesis

55 GAT™ SPORT NITRA WHEY
New Testosterone Support Shake!

PREDICTIONS AND PREVIEW!

32 RESEARCH: FAT LOSS

44 FAT ATTACK Sleep: the Silent, Key Player in

THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE FORMULA
Mentholated Sublingual Lozenge for Quick
Energy and Fat Loss

53 ALR INDUSTRIES HUMAPRO®

2019 SPECIAL!

By Victor R. Prisk, M.D.

By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D

43 MHP ADRENALINE DRIVE™:


Power the Pump Without the Stims

50 SUPPLEMENT PERFORMANCE

FEBRUARY 2019

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MUSCULARDEVELOPMENT.COM

40 RESEARCH: DRUGS

Team MD looks at these new products to optimize
your training, health and performance:

46 ALLMAX® IMPACT™ PUMP

Citrulline vs. Arginine: Which Is Best as NO2
Booster? By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.

By Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, Ed.D.

SUPPLEMENT SCOOP


DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 4th

ON THE COVER: ANTOINE VAILLANT
PHOTO BY JASON BREEZE

58 MILITARY TRAIL EREFORCE AND
GLAMOUR NUTRITION LOVE SPELL
Have Better Sex: Boost Testosterone
and Raise Libido

60 REDCON1 B.A.R.

Breakfast at the Ready With Incredible Taste
MD 13


BY Kevin Levrone

Kevin’s Adventures in Bodybuilding
Looking Backward With the Uncrowned Mr. Olympia

traveling around the world

I’m writing this in early December 2018, and
it’s been a crazy year of traveling the world to
promote my brand, Levrone Signature Series.
We are now in 68 countries, and I have been to
about 30 of them just this year. Right after the
Olympia, I went all over Russia, then to Iraq, the
Netherlands, and Macedonia. Russia is one of

my favorites because it’s so big and diverse. I
start off on the west side of the former USSR
next to Eastern Europe and make my way east
until I’m close to China. I might be in Moscow
for one day, then off to St. Petersburg for two
days, and so on. I was prepared for this hectic
travel schedule from my days competing in
the European grand prix tours. There were
times when we could do seven or eight shows
in just two weeks. We would typically travel
overnight by train or plane to the next city and
country once each show was over. I got used
to changing time zones, weather, languages
and cultures. Right now I’m headed to Dubai
for their big Dubai Muscle Show expo, to be
followed by almost two weeks back in India.
Luckily, I have my Levrone Signature Series
crew that helps facilitate my tours. They’re on
the ground before I arrive at each destination
setting everything up. Most days we hit four
to five nutrition stores, then conduct a seminar
in the evening in each city before traveling to
the next stop and doing it all over again. I love
being able to meet so many different people
from vastly different cultures. I’ve also had
the opportunity to train at some real hardcore
dungeon types of gyms in these countries.
They might have a lopsided floor, machines
that were made before I was born, and broken
equipment held together with duct tape, pliers

and vice grips! And often it’s freezing cold,
so you better bundle up. It’s cool because it
reminds me of the old-school powerlifting gyms
I started out at way back in the day.

what did i think of the
mr. olYmpia result?

14 MD

‘ronnie coleman: the king’

“You can see what made
him an eight-time
mr. olYmpia champion.
it’s his sheer willpower
and drive to keep
moving forward, no
matter what happens to
him. he’s not a quitter.
that’s what it takes to
be great at anYthing.”
can’t judge yourself on stage. That’s why we
have judges, and I believe they made the
right decision. There have been more than a
few Mr. Olympia contests in the past in which
the reigning champion showed up off his
game, yet still managed to win and hold on
to his title. I was on the losing end of those
controversial calls at least once. I’m not bitter

about it. The judges did the right thing at the
2018 Mr. Olympia, and I’m happy about that.
I remember talking about this to Joe Weider
years ago when I asked why it was so hard to
beat the reigning champ. Joe said, “If anyone
beats my Mr. Olympia, then my show is going
to be just like all the other shows.” Back then,
you really had to knock the champ out by a
wide margin. Then again, even if Lee Haney
or Ronnie Coleman were off their mark, they
still had enough mass to keep us from beating
them. Now we don’t have Mr. Olympia champs

Even though I am in that documentary and
I’ve known Ronnie for well over 20 years, I still
found it inspiring to watch. I walked away from
it feeling the same way I already did about
Ronnie. He has the heart of a lion. I’ve never
met anyone tougher than him, and I’ve been
around the world a couple of dozen times. You
can see from the documentary what made
him an eighttime Mr. Olympia
champion. It’s his
sheer willpower
and drive to keep
moving forward,
no matter what
happens to him.
He’s not a quitter.
That’s what it

takes to be great
at anything.
Ronnie deserves
that name, “The
King.” I don’t know anyone else in the world
who could go through what he’s gone through
physically, and is still going through, without
quitting or feeling sorry for himself. That’s a
winner’s mentality. Ronnie loves bodybuilding,
and you’ll never see anyone with his heart, soul
and spirituality. I call him all the time from the
road because he always inspires me. He’s a
beautiful person, a powerful man deep down
inside. In my opinion, he also happened to be
the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
Facebook: Official.Kevin.Levrone
Twitter: @LevroneKevin
Instagram: kevinlevrone

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

PER BERNAL

The right guy won. Shawn Rhoden was in
fantastic shape, and good for him. I wish I’d
won that title, but kudos to Shawn. I know Phil
wasn’t too happy about it, but you have to
respect the judge’s decisions. As a competitor,
you don’t know what you looked like up there
under those lights. You really can’t even go

by pictures or video. The bottom line is, you

outweighing the rest of the top five by 30-40
pounds like Ronnie, Dorian and Lee often did.
The judges are giving the title to whoever truly
deserves to win. It’s good for the sport, and
I’m already getting excited about the 2019 Mr.
Olympia. Imagine if Kai Greene comes back?
How incredible would that be? As for Phil, I’d
retire if I were him. He won seven titles; he will
go down as one of the greatest physiques of
all time, and he has nothing left to prove. He’s
The Gift! But that decision will be his alone to
make. I know that the surprising results of the
2018 Mr. Olympia set up 2019 to be the most
anticipated Olympia in decades.


BODYBUILDING MECCA
BY BEV FRANCIS AND STEVE WEINBERGER

WINTER AT THE MECCA

Time for
Off-Season Gains

Winter is no time to rest here at the East Coast Mecca. The hoodies and sweats come out, the body fat goes up a
little, and the weights get bigger and bigger – it’s the off-season and there is no more fun time to train. It’s a great time
to visit the Mecca and see your favorite bodybuilders moving some serious iron. And the added calories on the offseason diet put everyone in a great mood.
This month’s photos take a look back at a few sights from the NPC Nationals that ended the 2018 season and of

course some recent sights from inside the gym!

2019 NPC
NORTHEAST
CONTEST
SCHEDULE

February 2, 2019:
NPC Stage-Ready Workshop
(Syosset, NY)
FREE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Special Guests: Jay Cutler,
Angelica Teixeira, Juan
Morel, Arash Rahbar, Juliana
Malacarne, George Peterson
and more!
MORE INFO: www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast
March 30, 2019:
NPC Metropolitan
Championships (Teaneck, NJ)
MORE INFO: www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast

April 27, 2019:
NPC Jay Cutler Classic (Boston,
MA)
MORE INFO: www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast
Special Guest Poser: Four-Time

Mr. Olympia JAY CUTLER
May 18, 2019:
IFBB NEW YORK PRO (White
Plains, NY)
MORE INFO: www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast
May 25, 2019:
NPC NY Capitol
Championships (Albany, NY)
MORE INFO: www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast

Keep up with all the news at the East
Coast Mecca and the NPC NORTHEAST by
following us on Facebook and Instagram
(bevsgym) and check out www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast for the complete contest
schedule, entry forms, and ticket sales!

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

June 1, 2019:
NPC Bev Francis Atlantic States
Championships (Teaneck, NJ)
MORE INFO: www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast
July 5-6, 2019:
NPC Universe (Teaneck, NJ)
MORE INFO: www.bevfrancis.
com/npcnortheast

IFBB PRO QUALIFIER!

MD 15


ANABOLIC DOC
BIG MIKE

THE

By Thomas O’Connor, MD

16 MD

Knowing what chemo could do to the body, he was determined to stack
the deck against side effects and not let them further destroy the body
he had worked all his life to build.
diagnosis was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Mike remembers everything that was whirling
around in his head when he heard this. Was it
from Lyme? He remembered the tick bite he’d
had last summer at the beach. Is it my job?
Were there any dangerous chemicals at the
worksites? My food? Couldn’t be— I eat only
the best— organic, too. What does this mean?
Am I going to die? I feel fine.
During his visit to an oncologist, Mike was
told, “You’re what is considered stage IV, but
it’s a treatable— though not curable cancer.
We recommend chemotherapy, right away.

If you don’t do the chemotherapy, you have
maybe a year to live.”

In one week, Mike had an appointment
in the Northeast at one of the best cancer
centers in the world. The oncologist
concurred with the diagnosis of NHL stage
IV (bulky follicular B-cell type), but felt
that the chemo could be put off for a while
and that Mike would be a candidate for
a “watchful waiting process.” He ordered
Mike to immediately stop using any AAS
or supplements he had been using in his
weightlifting regimen. Mike complied and
immediately began to make his plan. He
was ready to battle this disease, and he
knew that chemo was going to be part of
that battle plan. But, knowing what chemo
musculardevelopment.com February 2019

GETTY IMAGES

Readers of the Anabolic Doc often ask for
more real-life clinical stories. I will present the
anonymized case of a patient who represents
a special kind of American hero to me— a
strength athlete and medical hero. Many of
us live the mantra of cardiac protection and
can stack the deck in our favor by following
the rules, but none of us— no matter how

jacked— are immune to cancer. Not even Big
Mike, as I will fictitiously call him.
Big Mike, age 43, is a good-natured red,
white, and blue American stud from the
Midwest. Mike matured from a “quiet and
chubby” kid into a confident young man once
he found his place in the world of sport. He
did a few seasons of other sports in high
school, but when he found powerlifting there
was no stopping him, and before long he
had developed himself into a hard- nosed
lifter. After high school, his dream was
to eventually have his own construction
company and to relocate to a place where
more work— and sunshine— was available
than in the Midwest. The focus and strength
he had developed as a dedicated lifter made
the work easy for Mike, whose sport had
also taught him the importance of observing
safety precautions. This approach made him
popular with his co-workers and respected by
his bosses. With his career and life as a lifter
well underway, Mike married his high school
sweetheart and moved to the South where he
had an opportunity to start his own company.
Bliss.
Here, however, is where the fairy tale
falters. Things start to fade when Mike, a
paragon of good health who never had more
than a cold in all his adult life, presented

himself to his doctor with what he thinks
is a chronic sinus infection. It’s already
cost him days off the job. The doctor finds
huge swollen lymph nodes on both sides of
Mike’s neck. His doctor conducted several
tests and then, being concerned, referred
Mike to a specialist. In spring of 2011, Mike’s
ENT doctors did an excisional biopsy of
the abnormally large lymph nodes. Their


He came to me because, he said, none of his physicians understood
that at his core he was a bodybuilder, and that this was crucial for the
healer to not only understand, but to support while he was healing.
could do to the body, he was determined to
stack the deck against side effects and not let
them further destroy the body he had worked
all his life to build (you brothers-in-iron can
certainly relate to that). Mike researched all
potential alternative/holistic treatments to see
what could fortify him for the fight of his life. If
you want to know anything about alternative
therapies for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
just call Mike. He’s a walking naturopathic
encyclopedia. His research into alternative
therapies convinced him to go on intravenous
vitamin C three times a week and to add in
lymph massages, infrared sauna therapy, and
colonics to fortify himself for what was ahead.
He continued to work and train as usual.

At first he felt great in the gym, as he was
smashing over 400 pounds on the incline
bench, but eventually it got harder and harder
to train. A longtime reader of my Anabolic Doc
column, Mike decided to make the journey to
Connecticut to see me. I remember thinking,
“This man has a bad form of lymphoma and
he’s coming to me for help? He has some of
the world’s foremost cancer experts to guide
him. What’s going on here?”
When Mike explained his reasons for
coming to see me, his words echoed those
I have heard from many men: he came to
me because, he said, none of his physicians
understood that at his core he was a
bodybuilder, and that this was crucial for the
healer to not only understand, but to support
while he was healing. It was clear that it was
from this core that Mike drew on the spiritual
power to wage war with cancer cells. He came
to me as a man, a lifter and a patient looking
for support. He was prepared to do the heavy
lifting for his treatment himself. I wondered
what role, in addition to his cancer, his sudden
withdrawal from AAS and supplements
had also played in the symptoms he was
reporting. I conducted my history and
physical exam and after my laboratory
review, I discovered that Mike was severely
hypogonadal. It was likely that sudden AAS

withdrawal, as well as the stress of his
disease, had caused Mike’s testosterone
levels to plummet.
Mike agreed to let me call his oncologist
to discuss the possibility of testosterone
replacement therapy. I made the call
that afternoon and found his doctor very
professional and, of course, brilliant in
terms of cancer treatment, as I knew he
would be. What was amazing to me was
February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

Mike’s case demonstrates how
having medical support to maintain adequate testosterone levels
during the stress of serious illness
can contribute to a good treatment
outcome by supporting a man’s
physical and mental health, and
providing a quality of life satisfying
enough to sustain him throughout
his ordeal.
that he had no input— either good or bad—
on instituting TRT in a patient with nonHodgkin’s lymphoma. I find it interesting that
one of the best cancer docs on earth had
no position on cancer treatment of this kind
while on replacement testosterone, given that
testosterone is one of the best medicines for
gaining strength and building up bodies, not
to mention that so many men— potentially
including patients with Mike’s diagnosis— are

already on these regimens.
We started Mike on testosterone
replacement therapy and soon he reported
feeling good again— good enough to sustain
his alternative treatment regimen and his
strength training, as well as having a good
quality of life in many other areas. A year

later, it was time to start chemo. His lymph
nodes were increasing in size, as were his
liver and spleen. His liver enzymes had
skyrocketed. He was started on a six-month
chemo regimen that would test any man,
rock-solid guys like Mike included. As the
months rolled on, Mike would call me and say,
“This chemo is no joke, but I’m feeling OK,
Doc.” And throughout this period, he lived like
few other patients on chemotherapy live: he
worked three weeks out of every month and
continued to train hard. After each treatment,
he would go home and “go to war with the
weights,” challenging himself to make sure
he was still strong. After multiple cycles of
chemo, Mike came out on top. His current
scans show no active cancer.
After all Mike has been through, when
he reflects on his journey, he says he would
like everybody who has to fight cancer to
understand a few basic truths about what
got him through it. First, he says, was the

importance of preserving his source of
physical, mental and spiritual strength—
maintaining his bodybuilding routine—
coupled with support from family, friends and
his medical team for the plan he’d made for
himself.          
Mike acknowledges that, as much of a
poison as chemotherapy is, it does the job of
killing the cancer cells. That’s the good part
of the chemo. But its undeniable assault on
the rest of the body needs to be addressed,
as well. This is where mainstream medicine
has something to learn from alternative
medicine— and from patients like Mike, the
real experts on their own lives and what
makes life worth living, worth fighting for. No
one will argue that Mike’s successful outcome
is anything less than a miracle of modern
allopathic medicine, but we have to also
consider the contribution of his pre-treatment
with alternative therapies, and that of TRT
to his ability to maintain a satisfying quality
of life throughout his illness. Mike’s case
demonstrates how having medical support to
maintain adequate testosterone levels during
the stress of serious illness can contribute
to a good treatment outcome by supporting
a man’s physical and mental health, and
providing a quality of life satisfying enough to
sustain him throughout his ordeal.

Now Mike is back at work. He went on to
win a lucrative contract to come up to New
York City to work on rebuilding those gorgeous
Freedom Towers in lower Manhattan. God
bless you, Mike, for what you do, and for what
you have taught us, bro!
I hope this helps.
Stay Strong and Healthy,
Dr. O
MD 17


MD

By Steve Blechman

New Study: Anabolic Steroids
Linked to Premature Death

Are We Surprised?
?
F
T
W

Anabolic steroid abuse has been
associated in the scientific literature with
the occurrence of serious cardiovascular
accidents in athletes. Cardiovascular side
effects include:

• Cardiomyopathy (enlargement of the
heart)
• Enlarged left ventricular mass
(hypertrophy)
• Arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation, ventricular
fibrillation, tachycardia.)
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Heart failure
• Hypertension (increased blood pressure)
• Thrombosis
Androgenic-anabolic steroid (AAS) abuse
can also cause:
• Lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
• Raised low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
• Raised lipoprotein(a), an independent
risk factor for heart disease
• Raised triglycerides
• Raised homocysteine
• Increased erythropoietin (EPO) produced
by the kidneys
• Increased platelet aggregation (blood
clot and the risk of myocardial infarction,
stroke and cerebral vascular hemorrhage)
According to a new study in the Journal of
Internal Medicine published on November 20,
2018, men who use anabolic steroids may be
linked to a higher rate of premature death.
What the fuck?
What else is new? We already know that
abuse of anabolic steroids can increase

the risk of cardiovascular disease. And we
already know that anabolic steroids are
abused by bodybuilders to achieve their
goals of packing on extreme muscle and lean
body mass. So, it doesn’t surprise me when a
report like this comes out!
In this study, 545 male subjects tested
positive for AAS in Danish fitness centers
between January 3, 2006 and March 1 2018.
Subjects were matched with 5,450 male
controls. In addition, 644 men who were
sanctioned because they refused to submit
to a doping test and 6,440 controls were
included as a replication cohort.

18 MD

The researchers determined, “Mortality
was three times higher amongst users of
AAS than amongst nonuser controls (hazard
ratio 3.0, 95% CI 1.3-7.0). The median annual
number of hospital contacts was 0.81 in the
cohort of AAS users and 0.36 in the control
cohort (P < 0.0001). Acne, gynaecomastia
and erectile dysfunction affected more than
10% of the androgenic anabolic steroid users,
and the prevalence of these disorders was

“Anyone with a
strong family history

of cardiovascular
disease should not
be bodybuilding and
abusing anabolic
steroids!”
significantly higher than in the control group
(P < 0.0001). The results could be replicated in
a similar cohort.”
In conclusion, the researchers said,
“Androgenic anabolic steroid users have an
increased risk of dying and significantly more
hospital admissions than their nonuser peers.
Side effects of AAS and their metabolites
were highly prevalent. Given the high rate of
androgenic anabolic steroid abuse, these side
effects are of public health concern.”
Now that we have further confirmation from
another study on the central harm of anabolic
steroid abuse in sports and bodybuilding,
it’s important that anyone using or abusing
anabolic steroids, who also has high risk
factors for cardiovascular disease— such as
high LDL cholesterol and low HDL, and most
important, family history of cardiovascular
disease (mother, father or sibling)— takes

charge of their health. My recommendation is
to see their cardiologist and get what’s called
a cardiac CT angiogram. This test will measure
your calcium score, and use of contrast, to

measure atrial wall plaque. The cardiac scans
today at major university hospitals give off
less radiation than previous years. I’m told that
one cardiac CT scan with advanced technology
exposes one to little radiation, equivalent to a
flight from New York to Los Angeles. Where
in the past it was equivalent to many chest
x-rays! This is a very non-evasive x-ray of the
heart and coronary blood vessels. This simple
test can determine the amount of plaque in the
vascular walls.
If you test positive with a high calcium
score and coronary vascular plaque,
your cardiologist can then determine
pharmacological treatment such as
aggressive statin drugs. This cardiac scan can
also take more extensive images of your heart
such as the size of your left ventricle and
ventricular hypertrophy, which is prevalent in
anabolic steroid users.
Again, I believe all bodybuilders and
athletes using and abusing anabolic steroids
with a family history of heart disease should
get these tests from their cardiologists! Anyone
with a strong family history of cardiovascular
disease should not be bodybuilding and
abusing anabolic steroids! I can’t emphasize
that enough. It just might save your life!
References:
1. H Horwitz, JT Andersen, KP Dalhoff. Health

consequences of androgenic anabolic steroid use. Journal of
Internal Medicine, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/joim.12850
2. Aaron L Baggish et al. Cardiovascular Toxicity
of Illicit Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid UseClinical
Perspective, Circulation (2017). DOI: 10.1161/
CIRCULATIONAHA.116.026945 
3. Anabolic androgenic steroids may be associated
with early coronary artery disease. 04 Nov 2017. Brazilian
Congress of Cardiology (SBC 2017). European Society of
Cardiology (ESC)

According to a new study in the Journal of Internal
Medicine, men who use anabolic steroids may be
linked to a higher rate of premature death.
musculardevelopment.com February 2019



MD GLO BAL
MUSCLE BUZZ

BY GILES
“TIGER”
THOMAS

My fellow muscle friends around the world, it is SO great to be back writing this new column for Muscular Development. You might remember
my Euro-Muscle Scene column that ran in MD from 2010-2014? Well, I’m back— and I’ve leveled up. Now it’s three pages instead of two, and
GLOBAL instead of just Euro. I’ve been crazy busy since I came back reporting at the Tampa Pro for MD in 2017. My good lady and fellow MD
columnist, IFBB pro Rosie “Rascal” Harte, was doing the pro Women’s Physique at that contest (scored fifth place) and online editor Ron Harris
asked me to assist him with some interviews. How could I say no? My happiest times from my 24 years working in bodybuilding media were

with MD. Since then for Muscular Development I’ve covered two epic Olympias, last year’s Arnold Classic and nearly 40 episodes of mine and
Rosie’s “MD Muscle News Weekly” show under my belt— all at the place I feel my happiest and most productive for this industry that I cannot
seem to want to ever leave. Tiger has returned, my friends, and he is having a blast.

MD Global
Muscle Radio

Big Ramy:
What’s
Next for Him?
After Ramy’s disappointing sixth place at the 2018 Olympia

20 MD

musculardevelopment.com February 2019

LEE HAGEN PHOTO

after placing runner-up to Phil Heath the previous year, I
think it came a shock to us all that Ramy was leaving the
Camel Crew at Oxygen Crew in Kuwait. I had heard over the
Olympia weekend (whilst I was out there) that there were
some changes possibly ahead for Ramy’s position
as Oxygen’s number uno. I hoped he would go
with either super-coaches Patrick Tuor or Neil Hill.
Both are very good friends of mine and I knew
Ramy would be in good hands whichever way he
went. He’s under the watchful eye of coach Neil
“Yoda” Hill. So, what’s next for Ramy?
After hearing Ramy was going to aim for

the New York pro again (he won it in 2013
and 2014), Neil told me: “There’s been a lot
of changes in Ramy’s life recently over the
last number of months, Giles, and I know
that he’s still undecided whether he’s
going to remain in Kuwait or go back to
Egypt, or even go to Dubai.” Neil added
that a key consideration is “making sure
he has stability and a foundation to be
working from as far as a contest prep is
concerned.”
Neil tells me that as of right now, Ramy is training
under him, but his next pro show and where Ramy will
settle to live is still very much to be decided. With Neil
in Florida, could we even see Ramy move to America
to be under Yoda’s full guidance 24/7? Is that what he
maybe needs to come back at the 2019 Olympia and
do what many, many fans believe he can accomplish—
become Mr. Olympia? I’m hopeful. A remodeled, overhauled
fan favorite Ramy with a more balanced look and totally
shredded is something I could absolutely see in that final
Olympia callout.

At the time of writing, we
have launched this next-level
podcast with great success.
When I discussed this idea with
my team members here at MD, I
was presented with a challenge
to bring something new, fresh

and innovative to bodybuilding. I
wanted this to be really special,
though. So I laid out my best-case
scenario of how I wanted it to be
from the outset, then my next bestcase scenario— and the next. For
the premiere episode, I got it all
exactly how I wanted. We teamed
up with Pumped Media in the U.K.
with full use of their podcast studio.
Best sound, lighting and overall
live production from Kris Clarke at
PM. We had my epic main ninja,
AJ the MD forum legend, fly over
especially from Norway to be my
co-host (he was amazing, as I’d
hoped) for my first two guests—
seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath
and seven-time 212 Olympia
champ Flex Lewis. Both replied
“no problem, Giles” when I asked
them to be my first two special
guests. I was blown away, and
here we are now, growing faster
and more furious every week. This
show is different from any other
in the industry— it’s a full two- to
three-hour podcast just like the
ones you might have seen world
podcast leader Joe Rogan do. But
this is bodybuilding’s own unique

version. If you haven’t seen or
heard it yet, then please check
out the video on YouTube and
musculardevelopment.com, and
the audio downloadable version
on SoundCloud. And wait until you
hear the stories AJ and I come out
with; you won’t believe your eyes
and ears.


Phil
Heath Coming Back?
As my very first guest on MD Global Muscle Radio, I discussed with seven-

JASON BREEZE

Kamal
Elgargni’s 2019 Plans
Back at the end of 2018, I traveled down to see

my good friend of 20 years Kamal at his gym, Better
Bodies in the U.K., to find out what his plans were for
the following year. I’ll be honest; my smugness levels
were off the charts after I commented to Ron Harris and
Steve Blechman at the Meet the Athletes event before
the Arnold Classic in Ohio last March that that one guy
who sat by himself with no queues of fans or even any
pictures to sign was “a potential winner, guys, trust me
on this.” Both looked at me as if I were high; I was not.

Just very well versed on the sheer quality of Kamal’s
physique. Even though we had big 212 names like Jose
Raymond and Dave Henry in the same contest, I knew
a “bang on” Kamal could potentially take them all out
like a silent ninja— deadly, in the blink of an eye. Yup, I
was right. He won the Arnold Classic 212— the very last
to do so now that the Arnold has dropped the 212 class
from the pro categories roster from the Columbus show.
Speaking to Kamal, he said confidently: “I’m going
to win the 212 Olympia next year, Giles. I’m starting
my prep for that in January.” That’s a nine-month prep,
people. Kamal ain’t playin’ here. After placing third
at the 2018 Olympia in the 212, many of us had him
a solid second behind seven-time champ Flex Lewis.
Also, it’s important to note that Kamal weighed in
205 pounds in Vegas, so he still has 7 pounds before
he reaches the 212 weight limit. Many of the others
struggle to make it down. Kamal doesn’t have that
issue, so he tells me he’s planning to come in only 2 or
3 pounds heavier with the same level of conditioning
he displayed at the Orleans arena next to the other 212
superstars. Past that, he wants to do one more year,
hopefully again as the defending champ and call it a
day at age 48 and retire, like a boss.

February 2019 musculardevelopment.com

time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath about what came next for him after Shawn Rhoden
took his title away in September 2018. “Phil, are you going to do the 2019
Olympia?” I asked. “It’s still 2018 right now, Giles, but let me say this. What

about an Arnold Classic? What about all of them?” he replied. With three Arnolds
currently in the Pro League’s hands, Phil clearly stated that the Arnold in 2020
in March in Columbus, Ohio was a strong possibility. Also the Arnold in South
America and the Arnold in Australia— all for his final swan song as he then
drops the mic and strolls off into retirement. Phil also hinted at even starting a
family at the Sunday seminar the morning after his Olympia loss (“What about a
little Gift?” he teased to the fans), so it’s clear that Phil, who turns 40 this year, is
thinking of a life after bodybuilding now.
Just last summer, I
think many of us fans
simply assumed that
Phil was unstoppable—
and in all likelihood
was going to win eight
or even (in his words)
“win 10, then bounce,”
indicating to me anyway
that his legacy would
be secured with nothing
more to prove. So here
we are a few months
later with Phil not even
hinting at a return to
the actual Olympia
stage, but to win a show
specifically that he tried
to win back in 2009 and
2010 when he lost those
two Columbus Arnold
Classics to Kai Greene. I

guess there’s unfinished
business, which I can
appreciate.
Personally and
selfishly, I’d like to see
Phil come back to the
2019 Olympia at his
all-time best with the
stomach nice and flat,
everything popping and
exploding in full 3D like
we always saw pre-2018,
and do what Jay Cutler
thought he’d never do too
back in 2009— regain the
Olympia title after losing
it. I think Phil is fully
capable of doing this, so
again we eagerly await
to see whether it’s ding
ding, round two against
Shawn Rhoden in Las
Vegas, or it’s scooping up
that one major show that
he’s still yet to win.
MD 21


MD GLO BAL
MUSCLE BUZZ

The Best
Version of
Flex Lewis Ever?

Was talking to Flex at the
Superstar Seminar at the Olympia.
The night before onstage, as he
held the 212 Olympia winner’s
trophy, he had announced his
retirement from the 212 class
looking his all-time best. Going out
on top, but straightaway I wanted
to know if he was ever coming
back, only this time as an open
competitor. I’d spoken about this
with Flex the year before, and his
opinion had done a complete 180.
2017 was an especially tough year
for Flex; his close friend Dallas
McCarver, who he’d see every day
in his Dragons Lair Gym, tragically
died four weeks out from the
Olympia. Then the hurricane hit
Flex’s town. It was all so much for
a pre-contest athlete to take, and
around that time Flex hinted to
me that he might never compete
again after that sixth straight title
attempt (that he won). Maybe it
was too much to process all at the

same time.
2018 saw the return of Flex—
and as stated, an all-time best
212 version of Flex Lewis taking
his seventh straight win. But, for
us who know Flex’s physique
perhaps best, we know that the
best version of Flex hasn’t been
at 212 pounds since after his first
Olympia win in 2012. After that
initial win, making the 212 limit was
a struggle for Flex and his coach
Neil Hill, so sacrifices had to be
made. Muscle, fullness and overall
impressiveness had to be lost. I
said to Flex, “I’ve got a figure in my
head, mate, of what I think you’d
be deadly at in the open” (it was
225 pounds). “226 pounds, Giles
… that’s my best look, mate,” Flex
replied. I was 1 pound out. Damn.
A 226-pound Flex Lewis on stage
at the 2020 Arnold for me is an
open Arnold Classic champion.
There, I’ve said it. It’s in black and
white, guys.  

22 MD

Tiger’s Take …


First up in this quick-fire round
of what I think and feel should
happen.
HADI CHOOPAN SHOULD
GO OPEN

Hadi Choopan should go open, NOT 212.
Why do I say this? I’ll tell you. I was one of
the few to see Hadi back at the end of 2017
in San Marino, Italy when Hadi jumped into
the open class taking second place, beating
Brandon Curry (third) and very, very nearly
taking out eventual champ Cedric McMillan
(who was very much “on” that day). As an
open competitor, Hadi is simply next level.
He has no weight restrictions, no loss of
fullness— and take it from me, he looks
simply unbelievable. I’ve only seen video
and photographs of him as a 212, but for
me he’s nowhere
near as impressive
when he strolls
out looking ready
to explode, as an
open. I say this
with one condition,
however. This
is only if he can
ever get his visa

to the USA. If he
can, then OK,
release the Middle
Eastern Beast and let him tear up the
Olympia stage and duke it out with the
likes of Kamal, Derek Lunsford and Shaun
Clarida. But as this scenario isn’t likely, I
say hold nothing back, unleash full Hadi
hell, fire and brimstone on all those other
open competitors at any other pro show
around the world. Then you will see the very
absolute best version of Hadi onstage.

TRUNKS FOR CLASSIC GUYS

Trunks not shorts? Classic class I’m
talking about here. My last time on stage
was back in England in 2013. I did Classic
in the amateurs and I got to wear proper
posing trunks, not those daft black shorts
that look like a throwback from “Pumping
Iron” in the ‘70s. These classic guys get
shredded and let’s face it— the glutes are a
body part that really highlight a competitor’s
condition. So if the Women’s Physique
ladies (I guess it’s the female equivalent,
right?) can wear normal contest bikinis, then
I think the Classic chaps should be able to
wear trunks, not those silly shorts— in my
humble opinion.


musculardevelopment.com February 2019