0 Bodybuilding Legend Samir Bannout - June 2010

Thanks to bodybuildingpro.com for this amazing pic of Bodybuilding Legend Samir Bannout shot in late June 2010 - damn he looks amazing!

Looking for Muscle-Building Supplements but a bit confused? Make it easy and SAVE$$! Order a MUSCLE-BUILDING STACK at Bodybuilding.com.

0 Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum Results and Video

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum

June 27th, 2010

In one might be the greatest shock to hit the MMA world, the Last Emperor has fallen...

Showtime Card

Fabricio Werdum defeats Fedor Emelianenko via submission (triangle choke with armbar)

Cung Le defeats Scott Smith via second-round TKO

Cris Cyborg defeats Jan Finney via second-round TKO

Josh Thomson defeats Pat Healy via submission (rear-naked choke)

Undercard

Chris Cope defeats Ron Keslar via TKO

Bret Bergmark defeats Vagner Rocha via unanimous decision

Yancy Medeiros defeats Gareth Joseph via KO

Bobby Stack defeats Derrick Burnsed via split decision

Fedor vs. Werdum Fight Video

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0 Watch 2 Pounds Of Fat Get Torched Before Your Eyes

Every wonder what 2 lbs of fat being torched before your very eyes looks like?

Well wonder no more...

Check this out:

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that combining that kind of a workout with a diet that supports fat loss, and your body will have no choice but to shed that extra body fat.

And if that appeals to you, head on over to http://www.YourBeachBodyBootCamp.com and take advantage of the completely free 1-week trial I'm offering.

And if you've already entered your name and email address at my bootcamp website, please use this link to activate your free 1-week trial instead.

http://www.shanemillerfitness.com/bootcamp/trial.php

If you like the video and want to see more like it, just let me know down below in the comments section.

0 The Skinny Bastard Solution

I don't have good genetics to grow...

My metabolism is too fast...

I can't eat enough food...

I burn calories faster than I can get them in...

Sound familiar?

Well it's a load of crap!

Well, not entirely, but for the most part they're just excuses to explain why you don't get the results you're after.

Yes, some people do have more potential than others, but it's rare that "potential" limits muscular growth until years of training and significant muscle has already been added.

So what limits muscle growth and what can we do about it?

It all comes down to desire, and that I'm sorry, is not something I can help you with.

As a 15 year old kid trying to become the next Mr. Olympia, I knew all about desire. I ate tons and trained tons. But I was eating lots of fruits and veggies, and not enough meat and potatoes. I was interested in nutrition as it pertained to building muscle, and low fat was all the rage, so I ate as little fat as possible... Big Mistake!

I also had severe exercise A.D.D.

I blindly went from one training program to the next, never sticking to any one program long enough to see any results.

Each huge guy that came into the gym must have had some secret, so I'd stop whatever program I was on and try to follow the next guy.

I pretty much stayed the same weight for the first three years, until I finally found a training partner who I trained with consistently for the next three years (thanks Jason!) and I gained quickly moved from 18 years old and 145 lbs to 21 years old and 165 lbs.

Next, a new training partner (thanks Dan!) and I went from 21 years old and 165 lbs to 24 years old and 185lbs.

My success in gaining muscle always lay in finding the right program and sticking to it, as well as eating more than ever before.

With that, here's the best diet and training program for skinny bastards to pack on serious muscle size and strength!

Diet Solution For Skinny Bastards

If your goal is to build tons of muscle and you're a hardgainer, the solution is not very technical, but I'll give you a quick breakdown of what you should be eating.

Breakfast (pick any 6)

Oats, Eggs, Waffles, Protein Shakes, Omelettes, Fruit, etc... and that's just for breakfast.

Mid-Morning Snack

Your mid-morning snack should be something that will really get you hungry for a huge lunch, so we're looking for something that's going to spike the hell out of your insulin. So... let's go for a large Dairy Queen Blizzard.

If you're a kid in school, your snacks can be chocolate bars, chocolate milk, and PB&Anything sandwiches!

Lunch

Lunch should include hamburgers, leftover pizza, PB&A sandwiches, leftover steak, leftover chicken, salad is good for nutrition, but you'll need to completely soak it in dressing to get enough calories from it!

If you're a kid in school, the school cafeteria will have Lasagna and Pizza... go back for seconds, thirds, and when nobody's looking, sneak around behind the counter and steal whatever's left on the tray!

In fact, eat as much as you can get your hands on without getting expelled from school!

Wait a minute... screw that.. if you get expelled, you can eat straight through from the time you wake until you go to bed! Hit it!

Mid-Afternoon Snack

Your mid-afternoon snack should be your highest calorie meal of the day.. since you can sneak off without anyone noticing you and gorge yourself without grossing out anyone you know seeing you. A 12" meatballs Subway sub should do it! Oh, and I always asked for 2-4 extra meatballs and they would just charge me an extra buck or two.

(Your mid-afternoon snack might also be your pre-workout meal or your post-workout meal.)

Dinner

Dinner should involve a full plate of meat (steak, fish, chicken, etc...), a full plate of starch (rice, potatoes, pasta, etc...) and of course you do need veggies... although if building massive amounts of muscle is most important to you, if you fill up on too much veggies, you won't grow.

Just make sure you find a full fat salad dressing you can drench your salad and veggies in so that you'll like the taste enough to force them down, and make sure you eat them last so if you do fill up too soon on the other stuff.. then oh well!

Dessert

All skinny bastards should eat dessert every night after dinner. But don't eat it immediately following dinner as you should not have enough room for dessert if you ate enough at dinner.

Go sit your butt down on the couch, conserve as much energy as possible, watch a few TV shows, then head back to the fridge and eat absolutely everything that you can possibly eat, be it ice cream, yogurt, left-over anything, PB&Anything sandwiches... just anything and everything!

Got a brother or sister who steals food off your plate? Or who eats more than their share of food during the day, leaving you with little choice for dessert... EAT THEM TOO!! That way you get back the food they stole from your plate and then some!

The takeaway point about your diet if you're a skinny bastard hardgainer who thinks they can't gain weight is this...

And I'm not exactly sure about the best way to convey this... but think of every opportunity to eat as your last for a very long time. As you eat, keep thinking that your next meal might not be for weeks or months... and you'll probably get enough food down to finally start building muscle.

The Skinny Bastard Training Solution

If you're a classic hardgainer who has a difficult time gaining mass, your workout needs to be simple.

Week 1

Day 1

Squats 5 sets of 5, increase weight every set.

Dips 5 sets of AMRAP

Wide Grip Pull-ups 5 sets of AMRAP

Farmer's Walk 4 sets of 100 steps, increase weight every set.

Rest 1-2 days

Day 2

Deadlifts 8 x 3 reps , increase weight every set.

Split Squats 5 x 12, 10, 8, 8, 8, increase weight every set.

Bench Press 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6, increase weight every set.

Bent-Over Barbell Rows 5 x 12, 10, 8, 8, 8, increase weight every set.

Barbell Curls 3 x 8, increase weight every set.

Rest 1-2 days

Day 3

Squats: 5 x 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, increase weight on every set.

Military Press 4 x 12, 10, 8, 8, increase on every set.

Pushups 3 x AMRAP

Chin-ups 5 x AMRAP

Weighted Plank 3 x ALAP

Rest 1-2 days

Week 2

Day 1

Deadlifts 5 x 5, increase weight every set.

Weighted Pushups 5 x 10, increase weight every set.

Weighted Chin-ups AMSAP x 3 reps, increase weight every set.

Barbell Curls 3 x 10, increase weight on each set.

Hands-to-Forearms 3 x 20 each direction.

Rest 1-2 days

Day 2

Squats 6 x 3, increase weight every set.

Step-ups 4 x 12, increase weight every set.

Incline Bench Press 6 x 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 6 increase weight every set.

Bent-Over Barbell Rows 5 x 12, increase weight every set.

1-DB Farmer's walk 4 x 100', increase weight every set.

Rest 1-2 days

Day 3

Barbell Clean and Press 4 x 8, increase weight every set.

Deadlifts 4 x 10, increase weight every set.

Dips AMSAP x 5 reps, increase weight every set.

Inverted Rows 4 x AMRAP

Mountain Climbers 4 x 30

Notes:

1. AMRAP = As Many Reps As Possible

2. AMSAP = As Many Sets As Possible, which means continue doing more sets until you can't complete another set with increased weight with good form.

3. Always increase weight on each set if possible with good form.

4. Do not train to failure on any exercises except those with AMRAP.

Conclusion

Use the "SeeFood" diet, meaning eat absolutely everything you see, and put this program to work for the next 6-12 months, and you should expect maximum muscle mass and a huge increase in strength.

If you have any comments, please leave them below.

0 Acupuncture And Back Pain – What To Expect From This Ancient Pain Relief

If you are experiencing back pain, you probably have tried many ways to alleviate the pain and discomfort.  You may also be frustrated because nothing has helped.  If that's the case, it may be time to take another avenue – an ancient one.

What do you know about acupuncture?  In the past, the process of acupuncture was not discussed and was clouded in mystery.  The look of acupuncture was scary. 

Is acupuncture mystical, magical or medicinal?  Acupuncture is none of these things.  In fact, the process is tried-and-true, having been used for thousands of years in ancient medicine. Acupuncture helps with many ailments, from smoking cessation to headaches to back pain.

The short explanation

Acupuncture involves using needles that are no thicker than a hair. These needles are used to unblock the energy pathways of the body. Acupuncture tools are now regulated by the FDA and all needles are sterilized and used one time only.

The body is composed of energy that runs throughout along lines called meridians. Acupuncturists use meridian maps to help them know where to place the needles for treatment. When we are ill, suffering from back pain, an energy pathway is blocked. This blocks the blood flow and causes stagnation in the tissues leading to toxin buildup.

The needles are placed at these meridians to restore the flow of energy. They also facilitate toxins to flow out of the body via the lymphatic system. Once the energy or chi is restored, the back pain will resolve itself. The muscles of the back will unknot and the spasms will calm down.

The first appointment

Do your homework first. Choose a reputable acupuncturist who has been licensed. Tell him or her about your back pain history and any medications that you are using, as well as any allergies. Your practitioner will inform you of any risks, no matter how slight. There is a chance of bleeding, soreness or pain at the insertion site.

You will be given a gown or towels to cover you modestly while the acupuncturist works. You will more than likely be lying down on a comfortable table. Let the practitioner know if you feel any discomfort or pain. Most people don’t feel anything as the needles are applied.

Some people feel energized right away.  However, it may take a few sessions for you to feel the full effects. For people with intense pain, heat might be applied to the area in question for a more intense treatment.

Acupuncture is considered an alternative treatment for back pain which is gaining in popularity very rapidly. When you are frustrated with the results of other treatments, this ancient method may be the answer for relieving your back pain for once and for all.

------------

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0 Ottawa Boot Camp Member Loses 4 lbs In Just 3 Weeks

Here's an email I received from one of my bootcamp members yesterday.

Hi Shane,

I won't be able to make it to tomorrow's class, and while I know I don't have to inform you of sessions that I can't make, I wanted you to know because I am taking this program very seriously, and I actually feel BAD and am very disappointed that I am forced to miss my workout tomorrow!

I wanted you to know that you are having a very positive impact on me and I am feeling very motivated by your Ottawa Bootcamp program. Although I am very tired after an early morning rise and a long day at work, I feel I have more energy than ever to tackle all the things (and more) that I need do.

In addition, as I am working so hard physically, its motivating me to make a bigger effort to improve my eating habits - still, I am not perfect, but I feel the small changes I've made to date have definitely made an impact.

I jumped on the scale today and I am down 4lbs from when we started!

Talk about motivating!

This is just what I needed to see - and so soon in the program is so awesome... and I wanted you to know!

Having said all this, I know that the road ahead will be challenging - it's easy to see results fast if you work hard in the beginning but the real challenge is in maintaining the hard work to keep progressing towards the goal!

In the past, I might have given up when it gets tough, but with your help, Shane, I'm confident I'll reach my goal and finally get in the best shape of my life!

- Name Withheld

--------------------------------------------------------

Well thank you very much for your email, and I promise to keep my end and do everything in my power to help you get there!

:)

Shane

0 American Gladiator Jamie Reed Kovacs Kicks Butt at the Eye of the Tiger Strongman Challenge

Makes me want to get back into the gym so I don't get beat by a girl - even though she is an American Gladiator!








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0 Female Bodybuilder Akila Pervis Backstage

My only problem with this video of Female Bodybuilder Akila Pervis is that it's too short - I could watch Akila pumping up all day...

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0 2010 NPC Jr. Nationals Men's Bodybuilding Results and Photos

2010 NPC Jr. Nationals Men's Bodybuilding

June 17th - 19th, 2010

Rosemont, IL

2010 Overall Champion: Matthew Lowden

Super Heavyweight

1. Dusty Hanshaw

2. Shiloe Steinmetz

3. Anthony Tenuta

4. Michael Wright

5. Andy Fiedler

James Mulvey

Mathew Locke

Matt Zuber

Eboni Wilson

Nicholas Palermo

Brandon Lyons

Carlos Rodriguez

Heavyweight

1. Matthew Lowden

2. Rafael Jaramillo

3. Alexey Forak

4. Tony Friedrich

5. Matt Burzacott

Shawn Simonet

Dan Hawtin

Allen Richards

Ryan Fulton

Josh Barnett

William Harter

Michael Ely

Mark Crain

Josh Hadan

Caleb Blanchard

Marion Benton

Thomas Hurd

Brad Rowe

Brad Davis

Light Heavyweight

1. Rob Roppo

2. Brian Hoydic

3. Julius Page

4. Bobby Anderson

5. Shelby Starnes

Adam Lamb

Joseph Petreycik

Chuck Gilcher

Brandon Oettchen

Marc Snyder

Lee Richards

Brendon Doherty

Anthony Ranz

Philip Bordelon

Nedzed Sacipovic

Joe Petreyek

Frank Capobianco

Brian Baze

Malcolm Tears

Tim DeHollander

Middleweight

1. Eli Blahut

2. Tyler Mike

3. John Durante

4. Lawton Bacon

5. Glen Montgomery

Mark Samples

Clarence Harris

Geno Frissora

Matt Ammann

James Wickstrom

Josh King

Thomas Rutherford

Tony DArceneaux

Doug Porterfield

Welterweight

1. John Dewey

2. Chuck Williams

3. Pedro Yanga

4. Chris Weiss

5. Jeff Black

Lightweight

1. Christopher San-Juan

2. Shawn Boutwell

3. Ori Atkins

4. Jason Theobald

5. Ryan Freeman

Schuyler Wulff

Christopher Juan

Frank Mogovero

Jason Allinder

Sal Ferreira

Todd Krcilek

Bantamweight

1. Jeffrey Beaudry

2. Curt Markgraf

3. Brandon Turner

4. Angel Trujill

For Contest Photos Go Here:

2010 NPC Jr. Nationals Men's Bodybuilding Photos

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0 WOW - Lower Body Workout Of the Week - Jun 16 - 2010

This week's WOW is a lower body strength workout with a lot of core emphasis.

As you progress through the workout, make sure to keep your focus on bracing your abdominals throughout each movement.

Top to bottom time 75 minutes including all warm-ups.

Foam Roller: Quads, Hams, ITB, T-Spine, Lats

Tennis Ball: Piriformis

Dynamic Stretching: Quads, Hams, Hip Flexors, Pecs, Lats

Activation: Glute bridges, band x-walking, band pull-aparts behind neck

Skipping 5 minutes

Mobility: Cossack squats, Kneeling kip-ups

Strength Training:

1 ) Safety Squat Bar High Box (1-2" above parallel) Squats 4x5

2) Trap Bar Deadlifts 3x7

3) Reverse Lunges from 6" box 3x9

4)Glute & Ham Raises 5x8

5A) Grappler Barbell Twists 3x15

5B) Band X-Walking 3x12

Foam Roller: Quads, Hams

Tennis Ball: Piriformis, Glute Medius

Give this workout a try and let me know how it goes in the comments section below!

0 Top Five Reasons Slow Cardio Sucks

The debate over the effectiveness of traditional cardio continues, even though a mountain of evidence unequivocably proves the superiority of high intensity conditioning training for fat loss.

If you're at all unconvinced, here's my top 5 reasons that high-intensity interval training is superior to traditional (boring as hell) slow cardio.

1. Laws of Physics always prevail!

When you're giving it your all, it takes more fuel. It's like stepping hard on the gas pedal in your car! If you burn more fuel, your body mass decreases. That means you burn more fat. Simple!

2. Increased Metabolic Rate = More Fat Burning 24 hours a day!

High-intensity interval training has a significant effect on 24 hour energy expenditure. This means you continue to burn fat day and night!

Are you going to tell me you'd prefer to limit it to JUST the time you spend on the exercise bike watching reruns of Dr. Phil?

Please, allow me to hammer my head against the wall... I think it would be less painful!

Which brings me to the next point...

3. High-intensity interval training is ANYTHING but boring!

High-Intensity interval training can involve hundreds of different exercises, and when you have to give it 100% at all times, boredom does not even enter your mind!

Trust me on this one... my bootcampers are ANYTHING but bored!

Isn't that right guys?

4. Develop Strong Powerful Muscles!

High-Intensity interval training exercises impose significant loads and high rate-of-force development, creating much stronger, and far more powerful (expression of strength) muscles which improves overall athleticism.

5. Prevent Overuse Injuries

Traditional, slow, boring, low intensity cardio trains your body to economize fuel. Not burn through it like crazy. And while economizing fuel, your body also tends to get "movement" lazy, and repetitive stress injuries are common.

Whether it's the arches of the feet, the ankles, knees, hips, low back, or even shoulders, slow cardio makes it easy to practice poor posture, and lazy movements which can result in all sorts of overuse injuries.

Does all this mean slow cardio has zero benefit?

Not at all!

And slow cardio can be used to supplement high intensity work. It can even help with recovery between high-intensity workouts.

But reliance or over-reliance upon slow cardio for fat-burning... is the big mistake!

0 New Interview With Bodybuilding Legend Casey Viator

Casey Viator! The name itself implies raw power and almost superhuman potential. It fits. He emerged on the bodybuilding scene in the early 70's like a bolt of lightening, or a high powered locomotive driven by high octane diesel. in the same vein, his workouts were often described in a very similar manner. Arnold Schwarzenegger, after visiting the Nautilus compound and seeing the mighty Casey train, described Viator as "a gym monster". Somewhat ironically, after Casey won the AAU Mr. America title, he was already being compared the aforementioned Austrian Oak; at age 19!

No wonder bodybuilders at the time were stunned by this new champ. His thick, defined physique, raw power and intense training found thousands of fans, admirers and want to be imitators. There was, and is, only one Casey Viator though. One youngster, who was admirer, also competed in the 1971 Mr. America, also at age `19, finishing tenth on his first try. Not too bad, either. His name was Mike Mentzer. He spoke to Casey at the show and was stunned to learn that the massive, defined Viator was training a mere three times a week for less than 2 hours. At the time, Mentzer, like almost everyone else at the contest had been training up to three hours or more a day, six days week. Tough, when you work 12 hour days and want to have a life outside the gym.

A one time Arizona resident for several years, the occasionally nomadic Casey also lived in Florida, and spent his professional bodybuilding career mostly living in California, though originally from Louisiana. No matter where he resided though, his was often the most powerful thickly muscle physique in whatever gym he trained at. How was Casey able to develop such a thick, powerful, leanly muscled physique that dominated the best amateurs in the country and do it a couple years out of high school. Incredible genetics to be sure. But more than that. But lets let Casey tell the rest..

1. How did you get into bodybuilding?

My uncle started me training, and it took off.

2. Who or what were your early influences?

Arnold and Sergio were a great help in the beginning.

3. How did you come to work with Arthur Jones?

He witnessed my intensity with training and hired me on the spot.

4. What was it like winning the Mr America at such an early age?

It was one of my best accomplishments, and very exciting to win over all those older well trained guys.

5. Which other famous bodybuilders did you train with?

Mike Mentzer and his brother were great training partners.

6. What was your experience like training with them?

It was very competitive type of workouts, trying to outdo each other all the time.

7. You were famous partly for your enormous strength and HIT training. Did you always train like that?

Yes, at 13 I had brutal training intensity , I also had that certain intensity that carried through my pro career.

8. Have you made any modifications to your training as you have gotten older?

Yes , I train 3 days a week and still train hard, I don`t know any other way to train.

9. You lived in Arizona for several years. What brought you here? What did you like about it? dislike?

I had a home in Tucson for 8 years, and had a gym in my pool room, and I trained many clients in my home.
Arizona is a nice quiet place to live and get away from LA, which is where I came from.

10. Anything else you would care to share with Examiner readers?

Please check out my website , www.caseyviator.com.
I have a great line of products and services everyone needs.
Thanks
Casey

Bodybuilding.com's TOP 50 selling products!

Source: examiner

0 GENr8 Signs IFBB Figure Pro JulieAnn Kulla

Top IFBB Pro Figure competitor JulieAnn Kulla is now a part of the GENr8 supplement company as she has signed an endorsement contract with them.

JulieAnn says, “I am honored and beyond blessed to be a part of Genr8! Anthony Almada and the team have been so supportive and we're all ready for a great year ahead. I respect GENr8's approach to evidence-based nutrition products, one’s I rely on and use daily! Thank you All!”

JulieAnn’s next competition will be the 2010 IFBB Europa Battle Of Champions Pro Figure.

All the latest and greatest Bodybuilding.com Deals in one place! Check them out NOW!

0 IFBB Pro Figure Rule Change for 2010

Beginning immediately following the 2010 IFBB Figure Olympia the IFBB will be eliminating the one piece round and keeping only the two piece round.

Should keep the contests shorter and more interesting...

2010 IFBB Pro Figure Rule Change

Need a BETTER WORKOUT? Find one here FREE! Only at Bodybuilding.com.

0 Four Year Old Boy Does 1500 Pushups Sets Record

I'm not sure about you, but I feel like there's something wrong here with this picture.

In the video you're about to watch, a 4 year old kid is exercising under the wise (or maybe not so wise) guidance of his grandmother, and mother I presume.

Click here to watch the video:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6581900n&tag=mg;mostpopvideo

Now don't get me wrong, I think it's great that kids get lots of physical exercise, but having such a defined exercise "goal" as strength training at such a young age is undoubtedly going to rob this youngster of socializing and unstructured play that will further his athletic development down the road more than his current narrowly focused routine.

I'll admit though, he's doing the best stuff for a kid if you're to do strength work... all bodyweight exercises, no actual weight lifting. But...

The problem I see is that those instructing him, seem not to be leading by example in any way, but rather to be simply enabling his young obsession.

If his exercise routine were only 15-20 minutes per day, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but by 4 years old, managing 1,500 pushups in just 40 minutes... I imagine he's spending at least 40 minutes if not more each day training for such a feat... and of course it's all under the (*ahem*) wise guidance of his expert "in-the-trenches" family members.

As a coach, and as a father, as much as I hope that my kids grow up to embrace strength training as a means to develop a strong and healthy body, I will only encourage it as a means to improve performance in another physical activity (sport)at first.

I will strive to encourage my kids to try many different sports, and become a team player, and at the right age, introduce appropriate strength and conditioning workouts to facilitate improved performance in their sport, and not just for the sake of setting records at young ages.

Coming from India, and judging by the apparent state of dis-repair of the gym they're in, probably a poor part of India, I wonder if this is the parents way of trying to get publicity, in hopes of somehow garnering financial support from what their child is doing.

My thoughts are that if the parents hadn't pushed the kid to keep at it so much, he might have gotten bored with it and just wanted to go play with the other kids. Although he does seem to be enjoying himself in the video.

I don't agree with this kind of thing... but maybe I'm off base.

What do you think?

I'd love to hear your comments on this topic. Please leave them in the comments section below.

0 Victor Conte on Boxing, USADA, Steroids, Blood-Doping, EPO

I’m now a part of the anti-doping movement. I’m trying to help those at WADA [The World Anti-Doping Agency,] and, USADA [The United States Anti-Doping Agency] to develop more effective anti-doping policies and procedures. And that’s what I’m doing now, and I’m very outspoken about it.

The difference is that here is what people fail to realize, and that’s that from 1984, which is when I founded BALCO, and until the year 2000 — so, for 16 years — I did things the right way. The only thing that I did was to do comprehensive blood and urine testing of athletes, and to develop individualized nutrition programs for them.

But it got to a point, for me — and this doesn’t make it right, because it was certainly wrong, and it was certainly a mistake — but I had gotten to a point where I thought differently. I had gotten to a point when I realized that Olympic officials and those that control major league football and baseball were enabling, harboring, and, promoting this culture of drug use in sport. And I made the bad decision to join that culture. It was a huge mistake, and I wish now that I had never done it.

That point was in 2000, and, of course, I did that for the years 2000, 2001, 2002, and, 2003. So, for four years, I was about helping athletes to circumvent these testing policies. Once BALCO was raided, I realized how I had been reckless, and that I had put many others at risk — Victor Conte.

FanHouse caught up with former BALCO founder, Victor Conte, to get his view on why a fighter would benefit from steroids or EPO, as well as his explanation as to how a competitor’s illicit drug use can escape detection by not only by the sport’s current drug-testing system, but, also, that employed, for the first time in boxing history, by The United States Anti-Doping Agency for the May 1 clash between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley.

As a refresher, USADA tested Mayweather for both blood and urine on March 22, April 1, April 13 and then on the night directly after the fight. Mayweather reportedly provided urine only on April 3, April 6, April 21 and April 24.

Meanwhile, Mosley provided both blood and urine on March 23, March 31, April 12 and directly after the bout on fight night. Mosley supplied urine on April 3, April 6, April 21 and April 24.

FanHouse: Can we begin with the concern for EPO in boxing?

Victor Conte: Well, you’re specifically asking about the significance of the phrase, ‘19 hours.’ And yes, EPO will clear the system in less than a day. But that number is a mean average — the 19 hours.

So what that means is that you only have to do an injection of EPO to maintain the intial stage. When we first started using the drug, it the initial stage was called, ‘The corrective phase.’ And that when typically you do it three times a week for two weeks.

And you monitor your hermaticrit — the percentage of red blood cells — and then, you re-test, and if you hit the mark, then you thereafter can go to the second phase, which they call ‘The maintainence phase.’ As you know, there’s the uses of EPO for cancer patients and kidney failure patients and HIV patients.

Can you please continue to clarify what’s going on here with this, and what you’re getting at?

Okay, so, now, here is what typically these athletes can do. They’re sophisticated. They will use EPO, and let’s just say that their normal hermaticrit starts out within a boxer. Say he starts out with a baseline hermaticrit of 44 percent. After using EPO, for two weeks, it goes to 52 percent.

What do those numbers mean?

That means that you have your total whole blood volume is approximately 44 percent red bood cells and 56 percent serum, which is the fluid portion of blood. When you produce more red blood cells, then the percentage of the red blood cells compared to the total whole blood volume becomes higher.

So you have more red blood cells and oxygen molecules which attaches to hemogloein on the red blood cells, and that’s what fuels and carries your nutrients to the rest of your tissues. You will absolutely have great recovery, and you will have far better oxygen uptake and utilization.

It will really serve you in the later rounds. However, this is important to understand. When they test the blood, they look at the percentage.

Can you provide me with an example of that type of examination or testing of the blood?

As an example, with cyclists, for example, Tour De France cyclists. They test the blood, and if it comes back higher than 50 percent on the side of the red blood cells, they don’t ban them, but they suspend them for two weeks for what they call ‘Health concerns.’

Okay? So you don’t want your baseline hermaticrit to be over 50 percent. They like to target it and keep it at 49 percent. Increasing it from 44-to-49 percent, however, will certainly increase your performance.

Okay, so, can you please apply that to boxing?

So let’s back up, hypothetically, okay, to Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather when they were signing or negotiating for their fight, or in the case of the Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight.

If somebody were advising them, they could have used EPO throughout for two weeks, if someone were advising them on how to do it, just like the cyclists do, and they could have previously extracted some of these red blood cells and put them in the refridgerator.

Okay? So then, five weeks out from the fight, coming in, they can’t use EPO, because they’re being randomly tested and that might be discovered even though the EPO only stays within your system for a day.

But you can re-infuse your own red blood cells. And if you are shown how to re-infuse your red blood cells, they can’t detect that.

But they can detect the percentage increase, correct?

But they can detect the percentage, exactly.
If you’re re-infusing the blood and that percentage starts to drop down, you know, as you’re preparing and training for the fight, then you can just re-infuse some of their previously withdrawn red blood cells by intravenous injection.

They can re-infuse that and they can keep it at a steady level of 49 percent all the way up to the fight. So now, that’s all undetectable by USADA.

Is that called blood-doping?

That’s called blood-doping.

What different types of EPO are there?

Well, you know, there are a number of them. Do you mean brands or are you talking about the different generations?

I mean the ones that would be most applicable to the situation in which it would likely be used to achieve the effects that a boxer might want to achieve?

Well, let me explain something, because I see where you’re going with your questions here. And, let me say this. That, the reason that I don’t believe that this testing that the United States Anti-Doping Agency did for the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight was truly random…

And I heard over, and over, and over, that it was going to be, ‘Random, random, random.’ But that is not random when you start five weeks out from a fight, and then you do blood tests until three weeks out from a fight, testing for a couple of weeks, and then you have no blood testing for a final 19 or 18 days.

I know that the threat is there of them blood testing at any time, and that that means that it could be random, but in this particular case, in the end, it really wasn’t. Now, you started out by asking ‘What is it that a boxer could do?’

Yes, I mean, what desired effect could a boxer get out of this?

Here’s something that you have to realize. Let’s take an Olympic athlete that is subject to this USADA-type of testing, and they’re preparing for a competitive season that leads to the Olympic games — whether you’re an Olympic track athlete, a swimmer, boxer, whatever.

So that’s going to be in an August time-frame, of, let’s say, for preparation for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The year before, October, November, December, January, during those months, they can use anabolic steroids in conjunction with an intense weight training program.

And they can develop an explosive strength and speed base. That’s going to serve them nine months later at the Olympic games. So, in other words, if it’s before that fight, all that they had to do before the start of the testing — I believe on March 22 for a May 1 fight?

They could have been using testosterone for three months before that date, and the benefits would carry over that five weeks until the fight.

And, in fact, what people don’t understand, and we’ll talk specifically about anabolic steroids, now, is that you perform far better when you’re a couple of weeks off of steroids than you do when you’re on steroids.

Why is that?

The reason is that steroids work through a process called ‘Cell-voluminaztion.’ So it makes you pumped, and you give yourself more nutrients and fluids inside of the cells. And it helps you to grow and it helps you to become stronger, but it also makes you tight. You lack in flexibility and speed.

If you taper off of steroids for two weeks, you can regain a normal water balance and you are faster and more powerful than ever. So, what could have happened is that for two months, let’s say, before this March 22 date they used with Mayweather and Mosley, a boxer could have used anabolic steroids.

This is hypothetical here. And then, they go off of them. Well, then you’re still, believe me, the benefits of using two months of testosterone or anabolic steroids are still going to be there five weeks later. You are going to retain a lot of the strength and the speed from using the steroids.

So that’s a way that you can beat the testing?

You can totally beat the testing, and it’s not random because it starts five weeks out from the fight. Random is 24/7, 365 days a year. It’s not five weeks before a fight.

When I hear this, ‘Random, random, random,’ well, what about the five weeks before the USADA testing began when either fighter could have been using anabolic steroids?

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0 Arnold Sports Film Festival to Debut at the 2011 Arnold Sports Festival

Arnold Sports Film Festival to Debut in March 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Arnold Sports Festival and Ideas United today announced that the first Arnold Sports Film Festival will be held March 4-6, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio, in conjunction with the Arnold Sports Festival.

The Arnold Sports Film Festival (ASFF) will be committed to the discovery, nurture and presentation of the best short-form international filmmaking focused on personal athletic endeavor. The ASFF will complement and extend the largest multi-sport event in the world, which was founded in 1989 by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The ASFF will build on the Arnold Sports Festival’s decades-long commitment to highlighting achievement in individual sport and athletic competition.

Produced in partnership with Ideas United – the creators of Campus MovieFest (CMF), the world’s largest student film festival – the ASFF will seek films and filmmakers who explore the journey, perseverance, and triumphs of individuals who participate in athletic expression and competition.

“We couldn’t be more excited to combine the power of film with the passion of athletics for this one-of-a-kind showcase,” said David Roemer, CEO of Ideas United and Co-founder of Campus MovieFest. “We feel honored and privileged to partner with the Arnold Sports Festival while leveraging our experience of providing filmmakers with unforgettable opportunities.”

Filmmakers of all ages will be invited to submit films less than 15 minutes in length to the ASFF in a variety of categories including narrative, documentary, animated, and broadcast films. The films should explore the lives, efforts, inspirations, and hopes of people striving for achievement in individual athletic pursuits ranging from bodybuilding to boxing, gymnastics to judo, table tennis to weightlifting, grappling to skateboarding.

“Arnold and I welcome this opportunity to join in partnership with the long-established and highly successful Campus MovieFest team,” said Jim Lorimer, co-promoter of the Arnold Sports Festival. “The CMF program focus has been on affording students throughout the nation the chance to compete as film producers and directors. This goal fits perfectly with our youth-oriented Arnold Sports Festival program. Short film submissions will also be encouraged from film production artists of all ages throughout the nation and the world.

“The film focus will be on the athletic endeavors and motivations of the individual athlete. Why does the athlete do it and what does it mean in his or her life? The stories will be of great human interest and the ASFF winner will be invited to spend a day on a Hollywood movie set with Arnold in addition to other prizes.”

The Arnold Sports Film Festival encourages both traditional and alternative storytelling, combining creativity and excellence in cinema with the drama of athletes determined to be the very best. In addition, Ideas United will bring the ASFF to more than 50 colleges, universities and high schools as part of Campus MovieFest. CMF provides students with everything they need to create short movies for free and will extend the ASFF reach to more than 100,000 college students.

The ASFF – through a renowned entertainment and sports industry jury that will include Gov. Schwarzenegger – will award significant prize packages to winning filmmakers during the Arnold Sports Festival. The ASFF will be held at the Arena Grand Movie Theater in downtown Columbus.

Filmmakers, partners, and media may learn more at www.arnoldsportsfestival.com before submissions open in July 2010.

The Arnold Sports Festival
The Arnold Sports Festival is the largest multi-sport festival in the nation featuring 18,000 athletes competing in 45 sports and events, including 11 Olympic sports. The Arnold Sports Festival was founded in 1989 by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer of Worthington, Ohio. The Arnold Sports Festival attracted a record 175,000 attendees to Columbus over four days in 2010. The 2011 Arnold Sports Festival will be held March 3-6, 2011. For more, visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com

Ideas United
Ideas United creates immersive, experienced-based events — including Campus MovieFest and College Battle of the Bands – for premier brands and organizations around the world. Since 2000, IU has provided over 300,000 students with everything they need to create incredible short films and music thanks to corporate partners including AT&T, Apple, Panasonic, and more. Winners have walked away with over $2 million in prizes and seen their creations at Cannes, Paramount, in-flight on Virgin America, and on AT&T phones. For more information, visit campusmoviefest.com and collegebattleofthebands.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Brent LaLonde
Arnold Sports Festival
615-431-2600
brent@arnoldexpo.com

Ajay Pillarisetti
deas United
318-792-2477
apillar@ideasunited.com

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