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IronMagazine.com™ LLC Newsletter

Date Published 7-01-2005

July Newsletter 2005

In this month's issue...  Editor's Note - by Robert DiMaggio  Featured - Ag-Guys.com  New Articles - Training, Diet & Nutrition  Expert Q & A - by Tom Venuto, Anthony Ellis & Lee Hayward  Jodi's Diet Corner - Don’t Forget Your Fiber  Member Spotlight - Wong Hong (aka asiansensation)  Product Review - Reaction Ball  Exercise of the Month - Squat to two hand Dumbell Press  Website Review - TheFitShow.com  Site Sponsors- Please visit! ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Editor's Note Hello Fellow Bodybuilders & Fitness Enthusiasts, We are proud to announce that IFBB Pro bodybuilder Wong Hong has not only joined the IronMagazine community, but he has also joined the IronMagLabs team. Read all about Wong Hong in this month's member spotlight! We have created a new product at IronMagLabs called Lean Fuel Extreme! This product will replace the first formula Lean Fuel XP. We believe this to be the most complete thermogenic on the market. Whether you are just trying to shed a few extra pounds or get ripped for a bodybuilding show Lean Fuel Extreme can help you attain your goals of losing bodyfat and preserving lean muscle. Give it a shot, we are currently selling it for only $24.99 directly from our website! Yours in Fitness, Robert DiMaggio - Owner/President ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Featured AG-Guys carries all of your research chemical needs. Unlike other fly by night sites or ones that started up last week, AG-Guys have been in business for three years. "J" at AG- guys took it over about 1 1/2 years ago, and basically runs a top notch operation. They hope to earn your business by continuing to provide top quality products at fantastic prices, as well as the best customer service in the industry. They use high-quality European products rather than low-grade Chinese compounds. Give www.ag-guys.com a try and you will be impressed and you will help support IronMagazine at the same time. Click here to view the July specials at Ag-Guys.com ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top July Articles Six Strength Training Falsehoods by Pete Sisco How to reach the next level in your Training by Tom Venuto Cortisol, Stress And Body Fat by Tom Venuto Work This ONE MUSCLE And Watch Your Gains SKYROCKET! by Jeff Anderson ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Expert Q & A by Tom Venuto      Do cardio & weights separately? Get the answer here! by Anthony Ellis      How to target your inner pecs for massive growth! Get the answer here! by Lee Hayward      What is the best time to do cardio? Get the answer here! ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Jodi's Diet Corner Don’t Forget Your Fiber Many of us try to live a healthy lifestyle and keep ourselves lean and fit. However, when we do our summer "cuts" we always lower our carbohydrates. By doing so, our bodies tend to lack an important benefit that carbohydrates provide...Fiber. Fiber helps lower LDL, reduces the risk of heart disease, prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and quite possible colon cancer and breast cancer. There are 2 types of fiber, Insoluble Fiber and Soluble Fiber. We need to make sure that we get enough of both fibers in our diet. Insoluble fiber promotes regular bowel movements, moves waste through the colon quicker, and controls PH balance in our intestines. You can get insoluble fiber from fruits, fibrous vegetables, flax seed and whole wheat products. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids, prolongs gastric emptying so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly, lowers total cholesterol which therefore reduces the risk of heart disease and regulates blood sugar. You can get soluble fiber from oats, oat bran, legumes, flax seed, and psyllium husk. One last note, for those on a low carb diet, I would highly suggest you get a fiber supplement such as psyllium husk and you make sure you eat enough green vegetables to ensure you get enough fiber in your diet. Be sure to read Jodi's "sticky thread" in the forums:  Guide to Cutting, Bulking & Maintenance ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Member Spotlight Name: Wong Hong (aka asiansensation) Age: 35 Height: 5' 9" Contest Weight: 220lbs Location: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) Years Competing: 10 Favorite Body Part: Back Strongest Body Part: Legs Favorite Supplements: Creatine, Glutamine and good quality whey protein. How Did You Get Started? I started bodybuilding when I was in high school back in the late 80's. I was on the track and field team and was required to lift weights for added power and strength. My body responded very well to weight lifting and I decided to become a bodybuilder What Workout Plan Worked Best For You? Back to the basic. Lots of compound movements like squats, military presses, deadlifts, barbell and dumbell rows, bench press, barbell curls, weighted dips, etc. These exercises are great for building good quality mass and thickness. What is your Basic Nutrition Plan? Moderate carbs, high protein and low fats. I eat enough carbs (mostly brown rice and sweet potatoes) just to fuel my training. I eat plenty of good proteins (lean beef, chicken breast, and buffalo meat) for building muscles and some fat (flaxseed and olive oil) for healthy organ functioning purposes. What Supplements Have Given You The Greatest Gains? Creatine monohydrate. I think it is one of the best supplements ever developed. It gives me the pump in my training ....that feeling all bodybuilders are looking for in a workout. Also, it makes me stronger and less tired/fatique during my workout. What One Tip Would You Give Other Bodybuilders/Figure/Fitness/and Normal People? Consistency is the key. Consistency in training, nutrition and sleep is important to building a good physique. Who Are Your Favorite Bodybuilders or Fitness/Figure Athletes? Lee Labrada, Lee Haney snd Bob Paris What motivates you in the gym? My desire to improve on my physique. I always want to come in better than my previous show. Biggest Pet Peeve? I do not like selfish people and people who boast a lot. What is one thing people don’t know about you? I am afraid of heights! What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a well known sportsman/athlete. Any advice for people thinking of competing? Do your homework in training, diet, posing, etc. Have fun on the day of the show. Show them what you have got (the hard work you have put in) and sportsmanship is as important as winning the show. What is your number one goal at this time? To promote the sport of bodybuilding throughout Asia through seminars, coaching and guest apprerances. I want to educate the Asians about fitness/bodybuilding as a lifestyle more than a sport. Who has inspired you the most and why? My dad because he came from a very poor family. He worked hard and believed in himself. He started as a driver for a construction company and ended up owning a very succesful contruction company of his own. He is also a good family man! You can see more pics of Wong Hong at his website: www.wonghong.net ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Product Review - Reaction Ball by Dale Mabry The reaction ball is a little yellow ball with 6 knobs around it. The use of the reaction ball is to improve first step quickness, hand-eye coordination, and, of course, reaction time. So I played around with this thing for a while and actually found 2 uses for it. The first was what it is intended for. This thing is hard to catch even after just 1 bounce and it seems the more it bounces, the harder it is to catch. When using it for this purpose, you need adequate rest and are not supposed to chase after it following 2 or more bounces. The second thing I found it useful for is a challenging form of cardio. If you do chase after it for more than 2 bounces you will notice that after dropping it 3 or more times, you are spent. My heart rate shot up immediately and was elevated for quite some time. Regardless of which way you use it, always be sure to have good form, ie. You are in the athletic position with a neutral spine. At a price of $8.95 on Amazon.com, you will get something that you can use alone, or you can play games (Included in the instruction manual) with 2 or more people. The one drawback is that the ball will start to crack after a week or so of continued use, especially if you throw it far. If you use it according to the instruction manual (Just dropping it, not throwing it) it will last quite a while. ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Exercise of the Month - Squat to two hand Dumbell Press by Patrick Ward This month's exercise probably sounds like a strange one and most of the guys out there are probably thinking this is a lame "girly exercise". Well, I know that it is not something you would traditionally find in a hardcore bodybuilder or Strength routine but I try and keep things fresh in here with exercises that you may not do if I didn't bring them to your attention. The reason I like this exercise is that it gets people moving. It fits nicely in a total body program. I like to have clients start with this exercise after we warm up (and usually train core as I start most of my clients workouts with core). Let's face it, most people in the gym are there to loose weight. A solid total body exercise like squat to two hand dumbbell press is a great way to get the blood flowing, get some calories burned and get the heart rate up right from the start of the workout. I urge everyone to give it a try. If you are using proper intensity this exercise can be brutal. The exercise itself is pretty simple and it also uses two of my all time favorite lifts, the squat and the overhead press. To start, grab some dumbbells. The exercise will start with the DBs at shoulder level with a supinated grip (that is palms facing you) like you would have if you were to do Arnold presses. From there make sure that your feet are about hip to shoulder width apart with your toes pointed slightly out (or if you are a die hard runner I like to them squat with toes straight ahead to make sure they are in proper running alignment and a good length tension relationship in the glutes and hips). From there with a good spinal position squat down through a comfortable range of motion. Then drive up and as you are coming up out of the squat you are going to press the DBs overhead rotating from a supinated hand position to a pronated hand position (now palms facing forward), just like Arnold presses. The added shoulder internal rotation really gives a nice burn to the anterior delts. One the DBs are overhead you can bring them back down to shoulder level, again rotating back to a supinated hand position. As you are lowering the DBs you may begin your decent into another squat. The constant movement between the two exercises like that will really beat ya up. If you need more time or are less coordinated, feel free to pause between each lift for a moment to regroup and make sure you are stable and then continue. Once you have the basics of the lift down there are ways I like to progress the lift. - a 3/2/1 (eccentric/static/concentric) or 3/2/X tempo are really tough. Squat down slowly to a 3 count. Pause in the hole for a 2 count and then either come up pressing in a slower controlled manner (3/2/1) or explode out of the hole and press in a more ballistic (but under control) manner (3/2/X). - Unilateral pressing can make this exercise tough since you are only holding one DB in one hand. The non working hand can go on your waist. Squatting with an unbalanced load like that can be rough but really good for your core (obliques). Also, you get the benefit of doing 10 reps on one side and then 10 on the other when you switch hands so that is 20 total squats per set!! - Unilateral squat and press is the hardest progression you can do. Squat on one leg and press with one arm, the arm that is the same side you are squatting on (ie, squat one just the left leg and come up pressing a DB in the left hand). This is real core work! It feel great and is a great stability. There are many other progressions you can move the exercise through. Those are just a few that you can work on. I really hope everyone gives this exercise a shot in their program. ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Website Review - ThFitShow.com by David Gill This month I look at a very cool site that Rob tipped me on to: www.TheFitShow.com. And man, is this a cool site, a totally new idea too! The Fit Show is a Chapman Media Group production based in California, headed by founder and President Travis Chapman. The Fit Show is the first of its kind. An internet style T.V show that will bring you the latest in fitness, supplements, and training information. The Fit Show "Team" is very dedicated to bring you the content that you want, with the athletes that you want to see. The Fit Show has just aired their very first episode on June 14th. Be sure to tune in to see your favorite fitness athletes each week on The Fit Show. This week's episode features Milos Sarcev and a mind blowing chest workout. He starts out with the basic principles of flat bench, then proceeds to incline bench, and then to flat bench dumbbell flys, then to incline flys, to decline flys. Be sure to listen to his comments on isolation from machines! He ends the workout with cables flys and crossovers. There is also footage from the 2005 Memorial Day Muscle Beach Classic. I really look forward to seeing more of these episodes in the coming weeks. It's a good way to get motivated for a good workout. It's also a great way to pick up pointers about training from featured pros. Tune in to www.TheFitShow.com. I do recommend you having a high speed DSL or cable connection though as you will need it. ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Site Sponsors ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top IronMagazine.com - Bodybuilding & Fitness Magazine IronMagazineForums.com - Bodybuilding & Fitness Community IronMagLabs.com - Bodybuilding Supplements