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Anabolic Freak of the Month: NAME: Michael Lockett AGE: 23 HEIGHT: 5’9” WEIGHT: 220 (contest) CONTEST HISTORY: 2005 NPC Natural Ohio 1 st Place Heavyweight and Overall (Jr. Men’s Division) 2005 NPC Bodyrock 1 st Place Heavyweight 2006 NPC Team Universe 1 st Place Heavyweight and Overall (earned Pro Card) SCHOOL ATTENDED: Cleveland State University CURRENT JOB: Personal Trainer at FITWORKS While visually resembling Lee Haney, Michael Lockett’s physique and story is all Ronnie Coleman. He started as a boxer under the guidance of his older brother but when his brother left for his tour in the U.S. army, Mike lost his focus for the pugilistic sport. Instead, his sister convinced him to start weight training and, as they say, the rest is history. In April of 2005, at only 22 years of age, Mike stepped onstage at Dave Lieberman’s NPC Natural Ohio Bodybuilding Classic and took home 1st Place honors in the Junior Men’s Division. What was even more impressive, especially in today’s world of performance­enhanced mass monsters, is the fact that Mike passed a strict urine­ collected drug test. Not one to rest on his laurels, in July 2005, Mike traveled out to the NPC Bodyrock to test the competitive waters among the rest of the “untested” NPC and he still managed to win his weight class in a rather convincing fashion. These victories along with the support of his family, friends, and co­ worker/manager Mark Sustin gave Mike the confidence to enter to most competitive drug­tested contest in the country—the NPC Team Universe Bodybuilding Championships in New York City, NY. With a combination of freaky size (especially in his arms, chest, and quads), impeccable conditioning, and good stage presence, Mike easily won the heavyweight and overall title and earned the right to represent Team USA at the IFBB World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships on October 26 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. What’s even more impressive is that Mike’s overall victory at the Team Universe qualified him for membership into IFBB Pro division. Not bad for his first time out! When asked what the future holds for Michael Lockett, he matter­of­factly stated, “To be the best bodybuilder I can.” If I’m not mistaken, Ronnie Coleman replied with the very same answer to that question immediately following his first victory at the 1999 IFBB Mr. Olympia. Female Bodybuilding:
Encouraged by her father throughout her childhood years, Malea Jensen excelled in basketball, softball, golf, and volleyball while at Spencer High School; however, she didn’t start lifting weights until her senior year of high school. She was determined to get stronger for basketball and softball which was her sports of choice at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Like so many other bodybuilders, Malea’s daily lifting became a ritual of love. “I originally decided to become a doctor because it sounded like a cool thing to do. I had no idea it took so much hard work and discipline.” Malea, or Dr. “J” as she’s known at the clinic, credits her bodybuilding lifestyle with preparing her for the rigors of college and medical school. According to Malea, in the past, she never thought about long term goals in bodybuilding. However, this year she set her sites on the NPC Team Universe Bodybuilding Championships where she hoped to qualify, like her good friend Colette Nelson did, for a trip to the IFBB World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships in Santa Susana, Spain. After many hard, arduous, years of competition, on July 15, 2006, Malea finally put it all together and presented a superbly conditioned physique and unanimously won the middleweight class at the prestigious drug­tested NPC Team Universe. “It was a dream come true!” When asked about the future, Malea quickly responds, “I hope to inspire others to take care of their bodies, to develop their minds, and to be peaceful spirits. In the movie, Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner is asked, “Is this heaven?” to which he responds, ”No, it’s Iowa!” Back in her home state of Iowa, Dr. Malea Jensen’s medical clinic is her small piece of heaven on earth. QUESTION: Dave, are there any new growth hormone preparations on the market. I read somewhere that there is a new GH­releasing pill that is under development. Any updates? ANSWER: Just recently, the drug company giant, Pfizer, created a short­acting growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) they call Capromorelin. This unique drug causes the body to release endogenous growth hormone (GH) in amounts comparable to those seen at puberty and in young adulthood. Dr. George Merriam of the University of Washington/VA Puget Sound Health Care System and colleagues tested capromorelin in 395 men and women aged 65 to 84. All were frail in some way; having fallen, lost grip strength, or just slowed down in walking. Patients who received capromorelin gained an average of 3 pounds (1.4 kg) in lean muscle mass after six months, and were better able to walk a straight line ­­ a simple test of balance, strength and coordination. One year later, they also showed an improvement in stair climbing. If you’re wondering when this new bodybuilding super drug is set to be released, Dr. Merriam offers caution. "It's very difficult to get a drug for normal aging on the market, because the FDA does not consider aging to be a disease and therefore sets the
bar very high." More than likely, the FDA is worried about the abuse potential in athletics which I’m sure will be extremely high with a drug that is packaged as a simple pill. According to my sources, Merck and Co. are also working on a similar drug; so I’m sure FDA approval can’t be far behind. QUESTION: Big Dave, I have read that Dianabol and Equipoise are chemically identical. The only difference is that Dianabol is simply orally activated. So why is it that I see injectable Dianabol (Averbol 25) from British Dragon? Wouldn't that just be Equipoise? And now I have heard of an oral version of Equipoise called Boldabol, wouldn't that just be Dianabol? ANSWER: Equipoise and Dianabol are two completely distinct compounds. Equipoise is chemically known as boldenone undecyclenate and Dianabol is methandrostenelone. Equipoise is a highly anabolic, slightly androgenic, compound that, in men, is excellent for putting on lean muscle without excessive aromatization and water retention. Dianabol, on the other hand, is a highly anabolic, highly androgenic compound that builds muscle while causing water retention, aggression, and acne. QUESTION: Quick question; for a woman, do you recommend taking GH only in the morning, or should I split it up into two doses to minimize water retention? What’s the best way to minimize water retention for a female? I find that depending on my monthly cycle, GH can make me retain more water than usual. Also, is it true that you can take up to 12.5 mcg of Cytomel (T3) without shutting down your own production of T3? ANSWER: With regard to GH injections, for women, I recommend taking a single 1­2IU dose first thing in the morning. The edema or water retention that occurs with daily GH shots can usually be controlled with a low carbohydrate diet; however, some individuals do notice tremendous tissue swelling while on GH. When it’s muscular swelling, it creates a full, skin stretching, look. When it’s fat or the internal organs that swell, it creates an awkward, unaesthetic, appearance that, especially in a woman, doesn’t bode well with the judges. As for Cytomel (T3), I suggest using it for contest preparation only. Usual dosages start out at around 25mcg/day and work up to around 75mcg/day. Thyroid hormone, like any other endocrine hormone, works on a negative feedback loop. When an exogenous source of T3 (Cytomel) is taken, the body slows downs the production of the pituitary hormone TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). This decrease in TSH slows production of thyroxin (T4) from the thyroid gland. However, once the Cytomel is discontinued, the pituitary gland will once again start producing TSH which will then stimulate normal levels of thyroid hormone. Bodybuilders that complain about getting fat and depressed following a contest are, coincidentally, the same individuals that stop working out, start eating like pigs, and
then sit around feeling sorry for themselves. I hardly see how this scenario is related to pre­contest Cytomel use. QUESTION: Dave, I love to hear you talk about all the ridiculous bodybuilding tactics that you’ve witnessed over the years. Can you think of any wacky bodybuilding practices that you feel are absolutely absurd? ANSWER: One of the more classic examples of Urban Bodybuilding Legends or, as NPC District Bodybuilding Chairman Steve Weinberger likes to call it, “Voodoo Bodybuilding” occurred while backstage at a local New York bodybuilding contest back in the 1990s. I was waiting in the pump­up room for my weight­class to be called, when, all of a sudden, I smelled this terribly offensive odor. Everyone in the room must have noticed it because the smell was so horrible that people were actually getting nauseous and light­headed. In fact, the scent was so pungent that it made the usual backstage smorgasbord of pro­tan, hot stuff spray, and posing oil smell like some exotic cologne factory. As I swayed back and forth, fading in and out of consciousness, I turned and smelled the culprit. Once pinpointed and identified, I, cautiously, asked him if I could give him a few words of advice. Confused, the competitor asked me if there was anything wrong with the way he looked. I assured him that his conditioning (in my estimation) was great for his first bodybuilding competition. The problem, I insisted, was, “You smell horrible”. He confided in me that he hadn’t showered for over a week because “someone at the gym” (99% of all idiotic advice seems to come from this hotbed of wisdom) told him that exposing the skin to water in the week prior to a contest could result in water retention. Not wanting to appear “smooth” onstage, he tried as hard as possible to stay clear of water (he hadn’t even had anything to drink in the last 2 days). Unfortunately for us bodybuilders, he did a very good job of sticking to his water­free strategy. QUESTION: I am a 26year old 5'8 female at about 150 lbs. However I am trying to tone up and lean out. My fiancé subscribes to your magazine and I read it in between sets or while walking the dreaded treadmill! I have learned a great deal. But I am stuck at this current weight. I am strength training for an hour 4 days a week and trying to do cardio for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. I have tried the craziest things. My fiancé is so frustrated because I am the only person that he can't help. I was eating 6 times a day (1200 calories); 40­60g carbs, 15­20g protein, no fat. I made no progress. He had me go down to 1000 calories; still no results. To top it off, I'm not even hungry when it's "eating time". Now I only eat about 600­800 calories a day because I don't get hungry. I am taking one ephedrine in the morning and one early afternoon. I bob up and down
between 147 and 151. If you didn't know me you'd probably think I was lying. I should be about 90 lbs at this point but I'm not. I recently went to the doctor to have my hormone levels checked. The doc says my TSH and thyroxin (T4) levels are fine. He did mention that my T3 levels were normal but on the low side. Maybe I'm not human! Please help. ANSWER: When you first started your “diet” regimen you were consuming way too many carbohydrates, too little protein, and no essential fatty acids. No wonder you weren’t making any progress! When you cut your intake down to 600­800 calories per day, you were eating way too little food (and probably the wrong composition of calories). This severe dietary restriction on your part caused your body to panic and think that it was in some sort of state of starvation. In response, it slowed down your metabolic rate by decreasing the rate of conversion of the inactive thyroid hormone (T4) into the active thyroid metabolite (T3). This fact is easily confirmed by your reported thyroid function test (TFT). Additionally, I suspect that the reason your appetite has been in the metabolic “toilet’ is that you’re taking ephedrine twice a day. In addition to promoting fat loss, it also acts as a central nervous system stimulant and appetite suppressant. What’s the solution to your problem, you ask? First of all, I would suggest eating 5 small meals per day (spacing them every 3­4 hours). These meals should consist of approximately 30 grams of lean protein from sources such as fish, chicken breast, Omega­3 eggs, high quality whey protein, and lean sources of red meat. Additionally, it’s imperative (especially for woman) to consume adequate amounts of essential fatty acids (EFAs) every day. Choose from flax seed oil, fatty fishes such as salmon and swordfish, raw almonds, or walnuts for good source of essential Omega­3 fatty acids; and take Evening Primrose Oil pills (3­6g per day) for a great source of the essential Omega­ 6­fatty acid, GLA (gamma linolenic acid). Finally, carbohydrates should be your “expendable” nutrients since they only serve to elevate insulin levels and, as we all know, insulin stores calories as fat. These simple modifications to your meal plan will help transform your body from a fat storer into a fat mobilizer. One more thing, try to avoid taking stimulant­based fat burners since not only do they raise heart rate and blood pressure, they also stress out the body and cause excessive Cortisol release which, in the long run, will cause you to lose lean muscle and thus reduce your metabolic rate. QUESTION: Dave, in all your MD articles, you always suggest long, moderate dose, AAS cycles (around 12­16 weeks in duration). I notice that after 5­6 weeks of cycling, weight gains pretty much stop and in order to keep adding weight, doses need to be raised. I can only think that the reason growth slows/stop after 5­6 weeks is because the body is fighting back with cortisol and receptor down regulation. Won’t raising doses mid cycle force the body into new growth? My question is; wouldn’t it be better to cycle for 5­6 weeks using a low dose of AAS. This way your body won’t have to fight back so much and gains can be maintained with a good HCG/Clomid cycle for 3­4 weeks? Would this be good for long term growth? What do you think about the following cycle?
Week 1­6: 600­800mg Anabolics Week 7­10: HCG and Clomid ANSWER: The definition of homeostasis is the desire of the body to remain the same. What this means is that in order to gain or lose weight, you must first disrupt the homeostatic set point that the body accepts as being normal. Once disrupted, gains or losses must be sustained for extended periods of time (in my experience, 6­9 months) if they are to become permanent. Imagine, for a moment, the yo­yo dieting approach of most overweight Americans. As soon as these individuals reach their desired body weight, most of them stop eating correctly and, within weeks, regain all the weight. Why does this occur? The reason is simple. Their bodies have not fully accepted the weight loss as being permanent. In other words, the old set point (the overweight one) is still in place. Because you asked, I must say that your seemingly logical approach is flawed. Following your scheme is like taking 3 steps up the proverbial “staircase of success” only to take 2 steps back down. Why? It’s because you’re not giving the body sufficient time to accept the new muscle gains as being permanent (establishing a new set point). Another important concept that you need to understand is that anabolic steroids exert most of their muscle­building effects not by directly stimulating protein synthesis, but by decreasing recovery time, increasing strength, and decreasing cortisol levels. In reality, the initial burst in size you observe in the first 5­6 weeks is due mostly to water retention. As I’m sure you’ve noticed in the past, this weight increase is quickly lost when you stop taking the drugs. Likewise the only reason you notice additional weight gains when dosage of anabolic steroids are increased is because of additional fluid retention induced by the drugs. Once again, the best way to add lean muscle tissue and sustain the gains— changing your old set point­­ is to employ moderate dose cycles (1000­1300mg total per week) for 5­6 month cycle time frames. At the pace you projected in your cycle, it will take you 10 years to make any significant gains. Here’s my recommended mass cycle: WEEK # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TESTOSTERONE CYPIONATE or ENANTHATE (mg/week) 750 750 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 EQUIPOISE (mg/week) 300 300 450 450 450 450 450 300 TRENBOLONE (mg/week) 75 150 150
11 12 13 14 15 16 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 500 225 225 225 225 225 150 Prison Bodies: “Big” Sanlee Bennett wrote to me about his workout partner Joe Lee Williams. According to Big Bennett, Mr. Williams is over 50 years old, eats junk food all day long (baloney sandwiches, cakes, and donuts), and does absolutely no cardiovascular exercise. What’s ever more amazing is that he doesn’t have the slightest notion of the difference between a carbohydrate, fat, or protein. Take one look at his picture and then try to fathom this fact; Joe Lee Williams has been incarcerated for the last 23 years of his life. Think about it; who knows what this guy might have looked like if he were a free man the last 2 decades of his life. Ronnie Coleman may have had some competition! Mike Marrs, Allen “June Bug” Gregg, Tyrone Wood, Brent Goodman, and Kevin Fann are all members of the 500+ Pound Bench Press Club at Manchester Kentucky Federal Correctional Institution. In the annual LIFT OFF, this year’s winner was Brent Goodman with a 540lb press. By the look at the “team” photo, you can see that these guys mean business when it comes to their workouts. Ask yourself this question; how many top notch gyms around the country can boast 5 lifters who have toppled the 500lb mark? I don’t know of too many. Nice job guys! At 5’7”, 190lb, with 5% bodyfat, Garry Preval writes from Mid­Orange Correctional Facility in Warwick, NY. One look at his photo and it’s quite apparent that Garry takes his lifting very seriously. “I’ve found peace in the sport of bodybuilding. I’ve become a more logical thinker and I’ve learned to cope with stress in a constructive manner.” When he’s finally released Garry wishes to become a certified personal trainer. Another passionate desire is to compete onstage as a natural bodybuilder. I have no doubt that he’ll turn quite a few heads once the judges get a load of his physique. Any prison inmates (state or federal) who think they’re worthy of appearing in MD, send your photos and story to: Dave Palumbo P.O. Box 1122 Seaford, NY 11783 To purchase my book, Perfect Prison Physique, please send a $25 money order to the above address or order online at www.davepalumbo.com.