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S T E V E P I C K L E S
M U S C L E & F I T N E S S
U K A N D E U R O
E D I T I O N S

BY JOHN PLUMMER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER BAILEY
BOR
WINShe’s been a national champion in
Poland and Britain but fitness star
Farina Skowronska won’t be happy
until she’s the best in the world
1 2 6 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 2 7

For Skowronska, taking part
is secondary to winning, and if
finishing first isn’t possible she
moves on. “I don’t do half
measures,” she says. “Competing
is fun but at the end of the day
I want to win and I give every-
thing I can.”
Skowronska’s determined
attitude isn’t immediately
obvious. She’s fun, outwardly
chatty and hyperactive but
childhood in Poland toughened her
up.
“We were very poor,” she says.
“The first time I ate chocolate I was
12 and the only time we had bananas
and oranges was at Christmas. I could
never imagine going for a holiday.
It seems strange to think about it
now but that’s how life was.”
Sport and fitness was her passport to
a better life. Skowronska threw herself
into gymnastics and was good—very
good—but not good enough to compete
internationally. “When my coach told
me I was devastated,” she says.
Fitness competitions, which are
judged on a combination of a routine
and aesthetics, were an ideal alternative
for someone who could tumble and
enjoyed lifting weights.
She won her first contest, and the
first of four junior Polish champion-
ships, when she was still 13. She also
won the European junior title and two
senior Polish titles and finished third at
the junior world championships until
another promising pursuit came to a
Karina Skowronska gave up gymnastics
at the age of 13 when she was told she
wouldn’t make it to the top.
She then won six national fitness
titles before a serious injury left her
thinking she would never fulfil her
goal of winning a world title so she
quit again.
Now, at the age of 25, Skowronska
is attempting to scale the summit of
a third sport and typically, she isn’t
messing around.
In her first year on the interna-
tional bikini fitness circuit she
has won silver medals at the
IFBB Amateur Olympia
in Prague and the
European
Championships
in Spain, as
well as a gold
medal at the
UK Nationals.
KARINA SKOWRONSKA
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Bydgoszcz, Poland
Lives: Cambridge
Height: 167 cm / 5 ft 5½ ins
Weight: 60 kg / 132 lbs
Career Highlights: Silver medal
at 2014 IFBB amateur
Olympia Prague;
2014 UK Nationals champion
Ambition: To step on the pro
Olympia bikini stage
Sponsors: Decibel
To Contact: On Facebook at
Karina Bikini UKBFF
1 2 8 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

juddering halt at 18.
“I tore my Achilles and quad muscle
while doing my routine,” she says.
“For four months I couldn’t walk
properly and afterwards I was told
I would never come back to the level
I wanted.”
Again, she didn’t fancy hanging around
to make up the numbers so she stopped
competing and went to university, doing
international studies.
Her course took her from Poland
to Italy and then England, where she
met a man and stayed. But don’t bank on
Britain being her home forever. “I have
the kind of personality that means I can’t
stay in one place for long,” she says.
A couple of years ago she got wind of
the bikini fitness craze that is sweeping
the world. “I really liked how the girls
looked and thought it was something
I could do,” she says. “I also like the fact
that the posing isn’t so strict because I’m
a bit of a wild child and my personality
comes out on stage.”
Skowronska arrived at this year’s
UK Nationals an unknown but wowed
everybody with her symmetrical
proportions, conditioning and stage
presence.
Victory qualified her to represent her
adopted country at the IFBB European
SUPER
LEGS
Skowronska performs this
superset workout for legs
and glutes:
l Superset 4 x 20 single-leg
presses on each leg with 4 x 12
low squats on Smith machine
using a wide stance
l Superset 4 x 12 good
mornings with 4 x 12 stiff-
legged deadlifts, focussing
on the glutes
l Superset 4 x 12 cable
kickbacks with 4 x 12 single
leg raises on the Swiss ball
wearing ankle weights
I’MABIT
OFA WILD
CHILDANDMY
PERSONALITY
COMESOUTON
STAGE
“
”
1 3 0 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

competed at the Bikini Olympia,
changes every four weeks.
But she usually trains six times a
week. “I don’t like long workouts so
I have shorter, more intense sessions
lasting about 45 minutes,” she says.
Half her workouts target
lower body; the other half
focus on upper-body.
A session usually
consists of three
supersets or six
regular exercises.
Reps vary. Because
her quads are already
well developed, she
tends to do as many as
20 to shape rather than
build but she goes as low
as eight or 10 for glutes and
hamstrings, which needs a
little filling out. Occasionally
things get completely shaken
up with 10 sets of 10 reps
without rest.Skowronska eats six
or seven meals a day but because
she gets lean easily she doesn’t have to
do much cardio. “Each week I do either
3 x 15 minutes of high-intensity cardio
or half an hour of steady cardio four
times a week.”
For someone so tiny, she packs some
power. She can squat 70 kg and used to
deadlift 140 kg but stopped because she
feared it would thicken her waist.
“My legs are good but I would like to
have a little more muscle on my upper
body,” she says. “I have to be careful
though because it is bikini, and you
can’t be too big.”
Having a coach who understands this
gives her confidence. “I don’t take other
people’s advice,” she says. “I just follow
the plan laid down by Michelle.”
The plan has proved stunningly
successful so far. But for Skowronska,
silver is not enough. Competing is all
about women and she won’t be found
wanting through lack of effort.
“Determination is definitely my
main strength,” she says.
Championships and the
Amateur Olympia, where
she proved she was no
one-hit wonder with
her two silver medals.
She’s delighted with
her progress but
typically wants more.
“I would like to be a pro,”
she says. “The Olympia is what
I dream about.”
She hoped the Arnold Classic
Europe, the UKBFF British
Championships, and the
IFBB World Champion-
ships, which were all in
her schedule for the end
of 2014, would take her
closer to that dream.
EAST MEETS WEST
Skowronska is part of an eastern
European takeover of UK bodybuilding
and fitness. At last year’s national
championships, Hungarian-born
Eszter Pati and Slovakian-born Karolina
Botkova won the two bodyfitness height
classes. Anita Bekus, who used to
compete with Skowronska in Poland,
won the short class bikini fitness title.
Skowronska says they share
a similar work ethic. “Nothing was
given to us,” she says. “Sometimes
here people expect things in life.
I didn’t have any expectations
but I worked hard.”
Some attribute her success to
genetics, which annoys her
considering she has
spent 20 years training hard. “I say
to people, ‘if you think I’m lucky you
are more than welcome to come to
the gym and train with me and see
what I do’.”
Her programme, devised by Michelle
Brannan, the only British female to have
IWANTTO
WINANDIGIVE
EVERYTHING
ICAN
“
”
FOR MORE GREAT ADVICE
from Farina’s coach Michelle Brannan,
please check out our new Bikini Body
Fitness e-book at www.muscle-
fitness.co.uk/bikinibook

PUNCH
ATA
TIMEKIWI ROBERTBERRIDGE
TALKS ABOUTHOW HIS
RELENTLESS POWER AND FITNESS IS HELPING
HIM MOVE INTO WORLD TITLE CONTENTION
BY DAVID ROBSON
PHOTOS BY DAVID ROBSON AND LOUIE ABIGAIL
MUSCLE & FITNESS 8988 MUSCLE & FITNESS

The Kiwi bruiser has put away 17
opponents by knockout and holds a near
flawless record of 21 wins, one loss and a
controversial draw.
Known as “The Butcher”, Berridge is
famed for dishing out power punches
from the first bell to the last, or at least
until his opponent is rendered uncon-
scious.
Having never met the canvas and with
his only loss coming in a 10-round battle
with undefeated Aussie titan Blake
20, he was far from the skilled pugilist
he is today.
“I originally played soccer and just
wanted to get fit so I went down to the
local gym and was introduced to
boxing,” he says. “I was chucked in for
sparring and had some amateur fights,
of which I won 12 and lost 15. At first
I was nervous. You forget everything
you’re taught and each fight seems to
last forever. Amateur fights are only
two-minute rounds, but it takes forever
to hear that final bell.
“I never thought of turning pro but
after doing so and having a few wins
I thought I could make something of it.
I started training harder and got
hungrier. The pro division suited
my style of fighting better.”
Shortly after turning pro aged 24,
Berridge teamed up with his current
trainer and manager, Vasco Kovacevic
Caparello, Berridge believes he is now
just two or three fights away from a
world title shot.
“My endurance and power are my
biggest strengths and I can keep going
through the rounds,” he says. “My speed
may not always be there, but I always
have the power.”
Having claimed the WBC Asia Boxing
Council Light-Heavyweight belt in July,
Berridge’s latest win against Argentin-
ian Mariano Riva—again by KO—
and has improved steadily ever since.
“Rob’s what we call a slow starter,” says
Kovacevic. “In the amateurs it was all
about points. In the early stages of his
pro career, however, Rob showed his
dominance with raw power. When
people were giving it to him he was
taking it and giving it back harder. It was
then most people started taking a fall.”
According to the expert trainer,
Berridge’s work ethic is second to none.
“That’s what it all comes down to. He is
already New Zealand and Asian champ
and he will be world champ. There is
no doubt he will be going to the top.
Whoever I put in front of him I know
he will deal with them in one way or
another.”
As for Berridge’s primary motivation
to keep developing his craft? “I just love
to fight and like being in the ring,” he
says. “It feels like home. It keeps you fit
cemented his position as a legitimate
title contender.
HARDWORKER
When we caught up with Berridge
he was preparing to fight fellow
New Zealander Daniel MacKinnon
on 16 November.
Physically imposing and heavily
tattooed, Berridge is a fearsome sight.
But when the Auckland-based fighter
first fought on the amateur circuit, aged
L
ight-heavyweight boxer Robert Berridge, 29, is known for his
knockout power. The New Zealand Professional Boxing
Association title holder demonstrated this when he TKO’d top
Aussie prospect Serge Yannick in April 2013, a performance
that underlined his credentials as a rising star and future world title
contender.
Landing a solid
left against
Blake Caparello
Going to work
on the inside
Nathalia
Melo
90 MUSCLE & FITNESS

and healthy, and lets me earn money
from something I love. I’ve always
wanted to be a professional sportsman
and I wasn’t going to make it in soccer
so I’m happy to have found boxing.”
OLD-SCHOOLTRAINING
The consistently on-point Berridge is
unabashedly old school in his training
approach. The Butcher prefers heavy
bag work (10-12 rounds per session)
and countless hours of sparring to
endless running and more modern
training approaches.
“I run about twice a week in the
evenings for 6-7 km, which is a lot for
me because I hate it,” he says. “I’m all
for workouts based on raw power and
old-school circuit training.”
Having lifted personal bests of 215 kg,
120 kg and 180 kg on the deadlift, bench
press and squat, respectively, Berridge
is known as the strong man of his
division. His approach has remained
more or less identical to that which
prepared him for his first pro fight in
2009.
“It’s always been pretty raw, but I
have just increased the amount I do and
the intensity overall,” he says.
Although this approach has garnered
him a long succession of victories, the
quietly determined champ has recently
begun to include Olympic lifting and
supplementary movements, such as
sledgehammer strikes to round out his
combative arsenal.
“We tend not to do any fancy stuff,”
says trainer Kovacevic. “We just focus
on what works for Rob, including 6-10
rounds of sparring per session against
multiple partners, though we have had
trouble finding opponents who can last
the rounds with him.”
Berridge’s utilisation of a greater
variety of specific strength training
methods, coupled with extensive pad
work with another of his trainers, Cleve
Langdon, has resulted in faster and more
explosive striking for the Kiwi. “We’re
trying to diversify and see what we can
come up with,” says Kovacevic. “Rob’s got
the power, so if we can get him exploding
faster, he is going to be transferring that
explosiveness into faster punches. We’re
rounding out his game.”
Berridge readily admits to his
weaknesses. “I’m an offensive fighter
and don’t really have much of a defence
at the moment. But as the competition
has got harder I’ve had to learn how to
fight on the back foot too. You can’t
“MYENDURANCE AND POWER
ARE MYBIGGEST STRENGTHS”
92 MUSCLE & FITNESS

always go forward for 10-12 rounds.
Now, I’m looking to throw combinations
and pick those angles.
“The fight against Serge Yannick
wasn’t too good but my strength and
power held out for eight rounds and
I knocked him out.” Rather than just
“wanting to rip someone’s head off”,
Berridge is now focusing on “picking
the shots rather than just swinging my
punches around”.
RESTANDNUTRITION
The week before a fight, Berridge rests
his weary muscles and fine-tunes his
technique. “We just remove weights a
week before the fight so we can rebuild
the fast muscle fibres,” says Kovacevic.
“Rob doesn’t understand light weights;
for him it’s heavy or nothing so we just
cut them out completely.”
When it comes to nutrition, Berridge
is not as cutting edge as many of his
contemporaries. “Right now, I eat when
I want,” he says. “I make sure I get
enough BCAAs and electrolytes but
basically I just eat whatever.”
He currently eats three or four times
a day and snacks on protein bars and
biscuits. “When my tummy says it’s
hungry I go and eat.” But this approach
may be about to change.
“I finally have a nutritionist who is
currently working on a plan,” he says.
“For now, though, I’m making the most
of eating whatever I want until I receive
it. When I have the training and nutrition
together I’ll be unstoppable.”
Driving Berridge to be at his best are
his family and a deep love of boxing.
Watching him fight, it is apparent he
is completely absorbed by the business.
As he methodically stalks down his
opponent and, with expert timing,
launches a devastating right rip to the
body followed by his patented left hook
to the temple, he is in complete control
of the movement.
Berridgelovestheindependenceof
boxing.“Igotfedupwithteamsports,”
hesays.“Havingtorelyontenotherpeople
onthefieldwasn’tforme.Withboxingit
comesdowntoyou.Ifyoumessup,it’syour
fault.Ilovebeingabletodeterminethe
outcome.”AndtheproudKiwicontinues
todojustthat,onepunchatatime.M&F
“ROB DOESN’T
UNDERSTAND LIGHT
WEIGHTS; FOR HIM IT’S
HEAVYOR NOTHING”
94 MUSCLE & FITNESS

Alkaline
DIETSThereisgrowinginterestinthebenefits
ofeatingfoodswithhighalkalinity.
Butjustwhatarethesebenefits?
AdrianHodgsonassessestheevidence
GETTYIMAGES,PAVELYTHJALL

One of them is their alkaline-promot-
ing property, which helps balance the
acidity of some foods. The theory goes
that, in basic terms, you should aim to
consume more alkaline-based foods
than acidic foods to avoid the build-up
of acid (a condition called acidosis) and
maintain a healthy pH balance. This
has been coined the “alkaline diet .1
Much has been talked about alkaline
diets but few people know what they
are about. So here is an overview and
some information on why they are
important.
BASICPRINCIPLES
All living organisms and cells operate
within a pH range to ensure they
function and survive. In humans this
balance is known as homeostasis, and it
is vital for optimal functioning. The pH
range extends from acidity (scores
between 0-7) through to alkaline
(scores between 7-14).
The human body as a whole sits at
a pH of 7.4, which is ever so slightly
alkaline. But skin is slightly acidic
(pH 4-6.5); blood is tightly regulated
to be neutral (pH ~7); and the
stomach is highly acidic (pH
1.5-3).
The body is able
to balance or
buffer pH to
ensure
homeostasis.
It does this
specifically
through the
kidneys, and this
function explains the
varying urine pH range
from 4-8. In comparison,
blood and tissues remain
neutral or slightly alkaline.
Therefore only the kidneys
and urine are at risk of
becoming acidic from the
food we eat. But the
build-up of acidity in the
kidneys, known as acidosis,
has been linked to a number
of side effects.
Eating protein-based
foods, such as meats, fish,
eggs and dairy, can cause
acidosis. It happens when
amino acids metabolised in
the liver form hydrogen,
which lowers pH.
Alkaline-promoting foods,
such as fruits and vegetables,
which are high in potassium,
calcium and magnesium help
to prevent this by balancing
the acidic load in the kidneys.
THERISKOFACIDOSIS
Acidosis is a particular problem
among older people. As the body ages,
its ability to remove hydrogen dimin-
Do you remember being told
by your parents to “eat your
greens” because they would
help you grow? They wanted
you to get adequate nutrients,
such as vitamins, minerals
and phytonutrients in your
diet. But there is even wider
recognition of the benefits
of greens these days.
RESULTSHAVESHOWN
THATWOMENAGED
17-79YEARSONAN
ALKALINE-HEAVYDIET
HADLESSBODYFAT.
ALKALINE FOODS ACIDIC FOODS
HIGH MEDIUM LOW HIGH MEDIUM LOW
Dairy/Eggs Soya Cheese Unprocessed Milk Butter
Goat’s Milk Ice Cream Yoghurt
Goat’s Cheese Buttermilk
Whey Protein Cottage Cheese
Meats Beef Turkey Venison
Pork Chicken
Shellfish Lamb
Sugars Stevia Maple Syrup Raw Honey Aspartame White Cane Sugar Processed honey
Brown Sugar
Vegetables/Beans Spinach Lettuce Carrots Kidney Beans Pinto Beans Fried/RoastedVeg
Broccoli Green Beans Tomatoes
Garlic Beets Mushrooms
Onions Celery Cabbage
Fats and Oils Olive Oil Flaxseed oil Coconut Oil Corn Oil
Nuts Almonds Chestnuts Peanuts Pecans Pumpkin Seeds
Walnuts Cashews Sunflower Seeds
Fruits Lemons Dates Oranges Blackberries Rhubarb Plums
Watermelons Grapes Bananas Cranberries ProcessedJuices
Mangos Apples Pineapple Prunes
Bluberries Avacado
Grains Wild Rice Wheat White Rice Brown Rice
Quinoa Pasta Corn
Buckwheat
The aim here is to try and consume mixtures of foods from both alkaline and acidic sources.
As you well know, in order to support skeletal muscle growth and adaptation, high protein diets
are needed. Based on alkaline diets, a mixture of greens from alkaline-rich source should be
consumed at the same time.
120 MUSCLE & FITNESS MUSCLE & FITNESS 121
ARTEMFURMAN

ishes, which is why older people are
more prone to problems such as chronic
renal failure. Age-related acidosis is
linked to accelerated loss of bone
mineral density and atrophy of skeletal
muscle. Older people are often encour-
aged to eat alkaline-rich foods to
prevent these problems.
But are younger, healthy people
who train regularly and consume high
protein diets, which are usually high
in acidity, at risk?
BONEHEALTH
Consuming calcium, both phosphate
and carbonate, can help to boost
alkalinity and maintain normal pH
levels. The body does store calcium
but most of it is derived from the diet.
But if someone is on a high protein, high
alkaline diet, their body could release
calcium from the bones to maintain a
healthy pH balance.
This doesn’t usually cause a problem
because the intestines are able to absorb
high amounts of calcium from food to
compensate for the loss of calcium
from the bones. But intestinal
absorption of calcium is regulated
by vitamin D and very few of us
today consume enough vitamin
D to benefit from this.2
This
has left both young and old
alike at increased risk of
fractures and frail bones
(osteoporosis). 3
However, the scientific
evidence to support a link
between alkaline
diets, vitamin D
and bone
health is weak.
This link may
only exist in
people with very highly
acidic conditions, most
notably the elderly.
For now though,
considering that most of the
UK population is vitamin D
deficient, alkaline-rich
diets may offer good
nutritional support to
prevent the development
of weak and fragile bones.
ALKALINEDIETS,
HOWEVER,DO
APPEARTOBE
IMPORTANTFOR
OVER-60SIN
HELPINGTO
CORRECTTHE
SIDEEFFECTSOF
RENALFAILURE
ANDLOSSOF
MUSCLEMASS
SKELETALMUSCLE
High protein diets help to maximise
the growth of skeletal muscle through
exercise. So it seems counterintuitive
to suggest high protein diets cause
acidosis in the kidney, which in turn
could be linked to an accelerated rate
of skeletal muscle atrophy.
Older people who are suffering from
chronic renal failure (acidosis) can also
experience increased skeletal muscle
breakdown. Acidosis in the elderly is
thought to reduce the release of growth
hormone and insulin growth factor 1,
both of which are important in
growing and maintaining skeletal
muscle mass.
It has been suggested that correct-
ing acidosis may prevent the loss of
muscle mass in the elderly. Dawson-
Hughes et al 4
supported this idea by
showing that 65-year-old adults who
had more potassium in their urine,
which is indicative of a high alkaline
diet, had greater skeletal muscle mass
over a three-year period.
MEASURE
YOUROWNPH
The variation in urine pH is
reflective of the acid and
alkaline balance in the body.
The pH of urine can be
measured simply using
litmus paper, which
changes colour with solu-
tions of varying pH. Litmus
paper is easy to get hold of
from the internet. Applying
a small sample of urine (usu-
ally the second pass of the
day) to the paper will give a
result. The simplest way of
ensuring alkaline / neutral
pH is to eat a mixture of
alkaline and acidic foods
from the table provided.
ALKALINE-RICHDIETS
MAYOFFERGOOD
NUTRITIONALSUPPORT
TOPREVENTTHE
DEVELOPMENTOFWEAK
ANDFRAGILEBONES
ALEXANDERRATHS
STOCKPHOTO
ERICASCHULTZ

REFERENCE:
1. Schwalfenberg GK (2012) The alkaline diet: is
there evidence that an alkaline pH diet benefits
health? J Environ Public Health 2012: 727630.
2. Close GL, Russell J, Cobley JN, Owens DJ,
Wilson G, Gregson W, Fraser WD, Morton JP
(2012) Assessment of vitamin D concentration
in non-supplemented professional athletes and
healthy adults during the winter months in the
UK: implications for skeletal muscle function. J
Sports Sci 31: 344-353.
3. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Willett WC, Wong JB,
Giovannucci E, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B
(2005) Fracture prevention with vitamin D
supplementation: a meta-analysis of rand-
omized controlled trials. JAMA 293: 2257-
2264.
4. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Ceglia L (2008)
Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older
adults. Am J Clin Nutr 87: 662-665.
5. Welch AA, MacGregor AJ, Skinner J, Spector TD,
Moayyeri A, Cassidy A (2013) A higher alkaline
dietary load is associated with greater indexes
of skeletal muscle mass in women. Osteoporosis
International 24: 1899-1908.
6. Ceglia L, Harris SS, Abrams SA, Rasmussen HM,
Dallal GE, Dawson-Hughes B (2009) Potassium
bicarbonate attenuates the urinary nitrogen
excretion that accompanies an increase in
dietary protein and may promote calcium
absorption. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94:
645-653.
Adrian Hodgson is a doctoral researcher
at the University of Birmingham, specialis-
ing in nutrition for optimal performance
and training adaptations. He has worked
with elite and amateur athletes in a
variety of sports and is employed by
Glanbia Performance Nutrition as a
performance nutritionist for Optimum
Nutrition
Similar results have also been shown
in younger adults. Welch et al 5
showed
that women aged 17-79 years on an
alkaline-heavy diet had less
body fat.
In this limited number of
studies, an
alkaline-heavy diet was defined as the
equivalent to five to six servings of fruit
and vegetables per day, while still
consuming a fairly high protein diet of
1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of
body weight.
Studies have also shown that acidosis
could be corrected in adults aged over
55 on high protein diets (1.5g/kg) by
taking alkaline-rich salts for 41 days.6
Doing this also reduced protein
breakdown, as measured by nitrogen
balance, which led to greater skeletal
muscle growth.
So there are signs of benefits, but for
now there is little hard evidence to
support high alkaline diets as a way of
promoting the building and mainte-
nance of skeletal muscle mass in fit,
young and healthy adults. Alkaline diets,
however, do appear to be important for
over-60s in helping to correct the side
effects of renal failure and loss of muscle
mass.
WHATDOESTHISALLMEAN?
Alkaline diets are an interesting
approach to tackling physiological
pressures placed on the body by food.
But are they more of a fad or are they
truly beneficial to all?
There does appear to be some merit
in following alkaline-rich diets. It may
offer some benefits to bone health but
evidence that it will increase skeletal
muscle in young, healthy, trained adults
is lacking.
In my opinion the real value of an
alkaline diet is that it encourages
us to eat a wide variety of foods,
particularly greens. So keep
heeding your parents’ advice and
make sure you eat your greens. M&F
THEREISLITTLEHARD
EVIDENCETOSUPPORTHIGH
ALKALINEDIETSASAWAYOF
PROMOTINGTHEBUILDINGAND
MAINTENANCEOFSKELETAL
MUSCLEMASSINFIT,YOUNG
ANDHEALTHYADULTS
124 MUSCLE & FITNESS
STOCKPHOTOSTOCKPHOTO

BY MATT TURNER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT MARSH
20
FROM POT-BELLIES TO SIX-PACKS: HOW RUGBY UNION
PLAYERS HAVE GONE FROM FLABBY AMATEURS TO
SOME OF THE FITTEST PROFESSIONALS ON THE PLANET.
YEARS OF
GROWTH

GETTING BIGGER
Just how much have players changed in
20 years of professionalism? It’s difficult to
say exactly. Pre-1995 figures are practically
non-existent. But according to Paul Pook’s
book Complete Conditioning for Rugby
players’ bodyweight had increased by
approximately 16 kg on average from
the 1980s to 2010.
That was accompanied by a drop in
body fat levels, so today’s players aren’t just
bigger; they’re leaner too, with the average
now around 8-12%.
At the Six Nations this year the average
forward weighed 111 kg and a back weighed
92 kg compared to 106 kg and 87 kg,
respectively, at the 1999 World Cup. Sixteen
forwards tipped the scales at over 120 kg
while 18 backs weighed in at 100 kg or
more. One look at England’s under 20s side
will tell you players are set to get bigger
still.
“A back now is as big as a forward from
20 years ago,” says Simon Worsnop, the
RFU’s national academy fitness adviser.
“At international level, a prop who doesn’t
weigh 120 kg is starting to struggle.”
Worsnop, who has worked in rugby
since 1994, was England under 20s’
strength and conditioning coach for seven
years. He now sets training guidelines for
the RFU, producing policy documents
informing schools and academies how to
make young players stronger, fitter athletes.
He’s seen these changes first hand. In fact,
he’s helped make them happen.
130WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMMES
OF ENGLAND PROP
MAKO VUNIPOLA,
THE HEAVIEST PLAYER IN
THE 2014 SIX NATIONS
120WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMMES
OF FRANCE CENTRE
MATHIEU BASTAREAUD,
THE HEAVIEST BACK IN THE
2014 SIX NATIONS
111AVERAGE WEIGHT
IN KILOGRAMMES
OF A FORWARD
IN 2014 SIX NATIONS
6NUMBER OF FORWARDS
IN SIX NATIONS
THAT WEIGHED LESS
THAN 100 KG
W
With the 2015 rugby
union world cup a year
away, and a new
domestic season just
starting, one thing is
certain—the players
have never been
stronger.
Today’s rugby stars
are among the fittest
sportsmen in the
world. Not only are
they capable of
performing at their
best for 80 minutes
of gruelling collisions,
endless all-out sprints
and strength sapping
breakdowns, they also
pack their shirts with
plenty of lean muscle.
Premiership champi-
ons Northampton
Saints, who agreed to
be photographed for
this feature, provide
compelling evidence
of that.
It’s a far cry from
the old days. We’re
not saying players
were in bad shape
before the game went
professional in 1995
but if you wanted to
look good you were
unlikely to model
yourself on the big
names back them.
Now, a rugby player’s
physique is some-
thing to aspire to.
“WE’VE HAD 85 KG
DUMBBELLS
COMMISSIONED
FOR THE NEW
TWICKENHAM GYM
BECAUSE PLAYERS
ARE SO STRONG NOW”

Naturally,thisgrowthinleanmusclehas
beenaccompaniedbystrengthgains.Former
EnglandpropAndySheridanwasonceheld
upasoneofthestrongestplayersinthe
worldbecausehecouldbenchpress215kg
andsquat275kg.
Thosenumbersarebecomingthenorm.
“We’vehadtohave85kgdumbbells
commissionedforthenewTwickenham
gymbecauseplayersarejustsostrongnow,”
saysWorsnop.“Acrosstheboardthecurrent
Englandplayersarethestrongestwe’veever
had.”
FITTERANDSTRONGER
Thegamehasbeenprofessionalfortwo
decadesnowbutuntilrecentlyapproaches
tostrengthandconditioningatmanyclubs
wasanythingbut.
“Alotofplayershadneverreallydoneany
strengthtrainingbeforeprofessionalism,”
saysWorsnop.“So,clubsbroughtinlocal
fitnesstrainersorbodybuilderstowork
withtheplayers.”
Itworked…toapoint.Anythingwasan
improvementonnothingbutthetraining
playersdidintheearlydayswasfarfrom
sportspecific.
Fitnesswasthemainfocus.Coacheswith
anathleticsbackgroundcameinandhad
playersdoinglongdistancerunsandbasic
conditioningcircuits.
“Theyusedtodocircuitsofthepitch,
whichisokforgeneralfitnessbutnot
specifictorugby,”saysWorsnop.Thesewere
doneasawholeteamanddidn’ttakeinto
accountthevariedneedsofplayersin
differentpositions.Alooseheadprophas
A WEEK
WITH THE
SAINTS
Current Premiership champions
Northampton Saints epitomise
the modern rugby union club.
We spoke to strength and
conditioning coach Marc Finney
to get an idea of a typical training
week at the elite level.
MONDAY: Players undergo screening
to measure performance and training
readiness. “We’ll assess the central
nervous system and how fatigued they
are,” says Finney. “We’ll do something
like a dynamic bench press or vertical
jump tests and measure creatine kinase
levels to get a decent picture of their
readiness to train. They’ll then do some
lower body strength work.
TUESDAY: This in an optional session
but most players will come in for an
upper body workout. Players who didn’t
get much game time at the weekend will
do some extra conditioning work.
WEDNESDAY: Peak loading day.
This is a full body power workout.
“It’s a feel-good session,” says Finney.
“We want them to be explosive and
dynamic. We do a range of Olympic
lifting, bodyweight and jump training,
and medicine ball work. It’s a short
session—half an hour of power.”
Afterwards, players will do some low
volume individual athletic development
work on core strength, hamstrings and
glutes.
THURSDAY: Day off
FRIDAY: Team run-through
SATURDAY: Game day. After the
game players do an individually-tailored
recovery session in the gym and have
some soft tissue massage.
SUNDAY: “We don’t make that day too
prescriptive,” says Finney. “There’s an
injury clinic if there are any issues but
the expectation is they’ll do some hydro
and follow a stretching and mobility
routine on their own.”
“PLAYERS NOW SQUAT,
DEADLIFT AND DO
OLYMPIC LIFTING”
1 4 8 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

verydifferentrequirementstoawinger
whenitcomestorunningfitness.
Now,everythingispositionspecificand
thefocusonrunninghasswitchedtoafocus
onworkcapacity—theabilitytoperform
repeatefforts.
Abackwillhavetoperformcountless
repeatsprintsinagame,maybechasingan
attackingkickupfieldbeforeimmediately
turningtosprintbackdownfieldtohelp
defend.Theirworkcapacitytrainingwill
thereforeworkonrepeatsprints.
Foraforward,repeateffortinthescrum
ismoreimportantsothey’lldoworkthat
involvesthemdrivingwithaweightina
scrummagingpositionsuchassledpushes.
MORELEGTRAINING
Thesameistrueofstrengthtraining.Before,
playersinallpositionsfollowedsimilar
routineswiththeemphasisonbodyweight
movementsandmachinebodybuilding
exercises.
“Itvariedacrossclubsbutmostdidvery
littleinthewayoffreeweightsandnoleg
workatall,”Worsnopexplains.“Atsome
clubsthatwasstillthecaseuntil10years
ago.”
Thesedays,theapproachismore
scientific.Youwon’tfindasinglePremier-
shipclubwithoutateamofstrengthand
conditioningcoaches,backedbyinterns,
physiosandmedicalstaff.
Thefocusissquarelyonproducingbetter
rugbyplayerswhoarestrongerandmore
resilienttoinjury.Whereclubsonce
employeda“one-size-fits-all”approach,
orsimplydividedplayersintoforwards
andbacks,today’scoachesproduce
personalisedplansforeachplayer.
“It’sindividuallyspecificintermsof
age,trainingage,therequirementsofthe
position,individualweaknessesandhow
thedirectorofrugbywantstheteamtoplay,”
saysWorsnop.“Thereismoreemphasisnow
ontotalbodystrengthandlegstrengthand
lessonmirrorstrength.”
Trainingageisimportant.Thereason
today’syoungerplayersarealreadyasbig
andstrongastheirseniorcolleaguesisthat
theystartedliftingweightsmuchearlier.
“Whenaplayerjoinsaclub’sacademy
systemthey’reindividuallyassessedand
givenprogrammestoaidtheirlong-term
athleticdevelopment,”Worsnopexplains.
FIVE KEY
EXERCISES
FOR RUGBY
Simon Worsnop, the RFU’s
National Academy Fitness
Adviser, selects five key
rugby exercises.
1 BACK SQUAT: The “king of
exercises”, when done correctly.
The squat develops leg and trunk
strength, important in the scrum and
collisions during a game. Improved leg
strength can also transfer to better
acceleration and aid in developing
horizontal force via the use of sleds.
2 HANG CLEAN: This develops the
power to move big weights quickly. It
trains the player to rapidly extend the
hips, a movement that’s essential in
jumping and contact situations.
3 BENCH PRESS: This develops
upper body pushing strength. Pushing is
useful in handing off opponents and
getting up from the ground quickly.
Variations using bands, chains, and a
Smith machine throw can be used to
develop different aspects of the
strength-power continuum.
4 ROMANIAN DEADLIFT: This
develops the antagonist muscles to the
squat and also helps prepare the body
for the hip extension of the hang clean.
If the lower back is fatigued during the
season, i.e. through scrummaging, then
a specific hamstring exercise like the
Nordic should be used.
5 WEIGHTED PULL-UP: Along with
prone rows, these are used to develop
upper body pulling strength and the
musculature of the upper back.
Good assistance exercises
include: Single-leg squats, lunges,
plank variations, and rotational
trunk exercises.
“THERE IS MORE
EMPHASIS
NOW ON LEG
STRENGTH”
1 5 0 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

“Thatbuildsthefoundationsforamuch
bigger,strongerplayer.Orjustastronger
playerifyoudon’tneedthemtoputweight
on.”
Now,bythetimeplayersreachelite
leveltheyhaveyearsoftrainingexperience
behindthemsoit’snowonderthey’re
gettingbigger.
Afterbuildingastrongfoundationat
youthlevel,they’llstarttodomore
rugby-specifictraining.Therearemachines
thatmeasuretheforceaplayercanproduce
whiledrivingagainstaweightinascrum-
magingposition.Othersmeasureaplayer’s
accelerationoverashortdistanceandthe
poweroftheirimpactwiththehitshield—
simulatingchargingintoatackle.
KEYLIFTS
Becauserugbyisatotalbodysport,
compoundliftsanddynamicmovementsare
vital.Whereoldtrainingmanualssuggest
playersperformawidevarietyofpush-ups
orarangeofmachineisolationexercises,
playersnowsquat,deadliftanddoOlympic
lifting.
“Squattingisgreatbutobviouslysome
playersaren’tsuitedtoit,”saysWorsnop.
“Forthem,someformoftrapbardeadlift
orlegpressisagoodalternative.Olympic
liftingandtheirderivativesaregreatfor
developingpower,asareboxjumpsand
plyometrics.Youalsoneedtodosome
unilateralworklikelungesandBulgarian
squats.”
Strongman-styletraininghasalsobecome
animportantpartofmanyclubspro-
grammes.“It’sreallyuseful,”saysWorsnop.
“Itmimicsthemultidimensionalnatureof
rugby.Mostfreeweightexercisesinvolve
workinginasingleplanebutstrongman
seesyouworkingthroughseveral.”
Rugbyhaslongembracednewideas
butinthepastclubshaveoftengonetoo
farincopyingtechniquesthathavebeen
successfulinothersports.“Afewyearsago
somecoachesmaybegotalittlecarriedaway
withWestsideforawhile,”saysMark
Finney,strengthandconditioningcoachat
PremiershipchampionsNorthampton
Saints.“Nowpeoplehavestartedtorealise
thatwhilethat’susefulforcertainplayersat
certaintimes,it’snotforeveryone.People
arecherry-pickingthebestbits.”
Ratherthansimplyblindlyadoptingnew
trainingstyles,coachesareanalysingthe
techniquesofdifferentsportsandtesting
howtheycouldbeappliedtorugby.It’sall
aboutproducingplayerswhoarebetterable
tocopewiththedemandsofrugby,rather
thansimplygettingstronger.
“We’renotNorthamptonSaintsWeight-
liftingClub,”saysFinney.“Thepriorityis
makingtheplayersasrobustaspossibleand
hopefullygetsomeperformanceenhance-
mentaswell.We’dlovetogeteveryone
runningfaster,jumpinghigherandsoon,
butjustmakingthemstrongandfitenough
togetthrough80minutesofrugbyevery
weekistheprimarygoal.”
StrengthunderpinseverythingFinney
doesatNorthampton,butifthatstrength
can’tbeappliedtorugbyit’sworthless.
“It’saboutthatblendbetweenathleticism
andstrength,”heexplains.“Wetrytowork
alongallelementsoftheforce-velocity
curve.It’snotjustaboutliftingheavy
weights,it’saboutbeingexplosive.Wedo
workonmaxstrengthbutyouhavetobe
abletouseitproperly.That’swhywedo
thingslikemedicineballthrowsand
plyometricswhereit’smoreaboutforce
developmentthanjustpurestrength.”
THEFUTURE
Willplayerscontinuetogetbigger?It’s
unlikelywe’llseeplayersgettingasbigas
someAmericanfootballers.Rugbyplayers
needtobemuchmoremobileduetothe
natureofthegame,they’dbeatasignificant
disadvantageweretheytogettoobig.
“Theseasonisalsomuchlonger,”says
Worsnop.“It’sthereforemuchmoredifficult
tomaintainbodymass.Youalsogetlesstime
preseasontoprepareandgetbigger.That’snot
tosayplayerswon’tcontinuetogetbiggerand
stronger,though.”
1 5 2 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

THE
ON COFFEECOFFEE IS RECEIVING MORE ATTENTION IN THE
SPORTS NUTRITION MARKETFOR ITS PERFORMANCE-
ENHANCING EFFECTS. BUTHOW EFFECTIVE IS THIS
NATURAL SOURCE OF CAFFEINE?
DR ADRIAN HODGSON LOOKS ATTHE EVIDENCE AND
RECOMMENDS WHICH TYPES OF COFFEE TO DRINK
BEFORE EXERCISE TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
KOSMOS111

Now, about 70 million cups of coffee are
drunk in the UK and 1.6 billion cups are
consumed worldwide each day.1,2
Each cup is a consequence of where
the bean was sourced and the complex
grinding, blending, roasting and
extraction process.
The roasting process is responsible
for producing different flavours, aromas
and forms, such as instant coffee and
filter coffee. It is also responsible for
changing the composition of coffee,
which, in turn, may impact on the effect
it has inside our bodies.
A coffee bean is largely made of water,
carbohydrates, protein, lipids, caffeine,
and a group of compounds known as
chlorogenic acids and quinides.3
In fact,
caffeine only makes up 2% of all
ingredients in coffee, with robusta
coffee having twice as much caffeine as
arabica coffee.4
The majority of the
coffee consumed in the UK comes from
arabica beans.
How coffee is extracted also helps
determine its final composition.
Compared to instant coffee, filter coffee
typically has a higher concentration of
caffeine, chlorogenic acids and qui-
nides.5
This is because instant coffee is
produced from ground coffee and is
heat-treated under high pressure, which
extracts a number of the compounds. It
is then frozen or spray dried to remove
moisture, which produces coffee
granules.
THEPREPARATIONOFCOFFEE
There are many different coffee
preparation processes, including:
Paper filter
Instant coffee
Percolator
Moka
Espresso
Cafetière
Boiled
The main differences between each
process are the volume of water used,
the amount of time the water is in
contact with the bean and the tempera-
ture of the water. These determine not
only taste and aroma, but also the
amount of caffeine in the brew.
Generally, preparation methods
involving a greater contact time of water
to bean and the water being applied at a
higher pressure result in more caffeine
being extracted from the coffee.
Interestingly, despite being made in a
smaller amount of water, espressos
typically have a lower extraction of
caffeine from the bean because the
water has very little time in contact with
the bean. Therefore, a single cup of filter
coffee or cafetière will contain more
caffeine than an espresso.
COFFEEANDEXERCISE
PERFORMANCE
The benefits of caffeine for performance
have been known since 1978.6
This early study actually used
caffeinated coffee, rather than pure
caffeine (anhydrous caffeine). It showed
that consuming 330 mg of caffeine as
coffee one hour before exercise meant
cyclists were able to cycle for 20
minutes longer than when they drank
decaffeinated coffee.
Since then, a lot of interest has been
C
offee was discovered in Ethiopia many
centuries ago when arabica beans were
found to give a stimulatory effect when
chewed or crushed.
Since then Coffea arabica and robusta coffee
beans have been used to produce many varieties
of coffee worldwide.
given to pure caffeine, rather than
coffee. Studies have shown
benefits to how muscles con-
tract—delaying the onset of
fatigue and increasing power
production during both
endurance and short,
high-intensity exercise.7
Caffeine also has been
shown to bind to receptors
in the brain that increase
motivation, arousal and
focus.8
This means caffeine
could have far-reaching
benefits in many sports,
such as boosting endur-
ance, speed, power, and
strength.
HOWMUCH
CAFFEINE?
For some time, the optimal
dose of caffeine was believed to
be between 3-5 mg per kg of
bodyweight.9
This corresponds
to 240-400 mg of caffeine for an
80 kg individual, which is the
equivalent of four or five cans of Red
Bull, up to four strongly brewed filter
coffees, or a concentrated pre-workout
supplement.
While these doses are definitely
effective at improving endurance-based
exercise lasting 15-60 minutes, benefits
to cognitive and skill-based tasks have
been observed at lower doses—e.g. 1-2
mg/kg bodyweight.8,10
This is highly
applicable to sports involving not only
skill and mental focus but also endur-
ance, such as team sports.
“A SINGLE CUP OF
FILTER COFFEE
OR CAFETIÈRE WILL
CONTAIN MORE
CAFFEINE THAN
AN ESPRESSO”
ISTOCKPHOTO

Adrian Hodgson is a doctoral researcher
at the University of Birmingham, specialis-
ing in nutrition for optimal performance
and training adaptations. He has worked
with elite and amateur athletes in a
variety of sports and is employed by
Glanbia Performance Nutrition as a
performance nutritionist for Optimum
Nutrition
For further reading on the performance
benefits of caffeine, please see
http://www.muscle-fitness.co.uk/
features/article/stimmed-out
SOURCE QUANTITY CAFFEINE CONTENT(MG)
Small filter coffee 240 ml 250
Medium filter coffee 360 ml 375
Large filter coffee 480 ml 550
Percolated coffee 150 ml 64-124
Cafetière (time dependant) 150 ml 60-200
Instant coffee 150 ml 40-108
Single espresso - 75-175
Tea (1 minute) 150 ml 9-33
Tea (5 minutes) 150 ml 20-50
Chocolate bar - 12-15
Red Bull 250 ml 80
Cola 330 ml 36-46
Pro Plus - 50
To hit caffeine recommendations, use
the examples above as well as the table
to obtain the amount of caffeine before
exercise.
DOESCOFFEEIMPROVE
PERFORMANCE?
The performance benefits of caffeine
largely come from anhydrous caffeine
rather than coffee. Surprisingly, very
few studies have actually used coffee as
a form of caffeine supplementation,
despite many athletes today turning to
coffee for its performance-enhancing
effects.11
Youmayhaveheard,eitherfromthe
mediaoranutritionist,thatcoffeedoesn’t
improveexerciseperformanceandis
thereforenotworthtakingbeforeyou
train.
Thisthinkingstemsfromastudyin
1998,whichshowedthat4.5mg/kgof
anhydrouscaffeineimprovedrunning
timetoexhaustionwhenconsumedone
hourbefore,butwhencaffeinatedfilter
coffeewasconsumedatthesamedoseit
hadnoeffect.12
Thereasonforthelackofeffectwas
thoughttobethatthechlorogenicacids
foundinfiltercoffeeinterferedwiththe
physiologicalroleofcaffeineinthebody.12
Butchlorogenicacidsareonlyfoundat
verylowconcentrationsinthebloodafter
drinkingcoffee.Therefore,it’sdifficultto
concludethatcoffeeisn’tusefulfor
athletesifthecaffeinedoseisofan
optimalconcentration.
Lastyearastudyrepeatedthe1998
experiment.11
Theonlyrealdifferencewas
thattheperformancetestwasatimetrial,
whichismorerealistictowhatathletes
mayperformonaregular
basis.Thestudyused
anhydrouscaffeine(5mg/
kg),instantcaffeinatedcoffee
(5mg/kg),instantdecaffein-
atedcoffeeandaplaceboone
hourbeforeexercise.
Whenathletesconsumed
caffeine,eitherasanhydrous
caffeineorcoffee,performancewas
improvedbythesameamount.This
improvementoccurreddespitethefact
thatchlorogenicacidswereshowntobe
highlyconcentratedinthecaffeinated
coffeeandnotintheanhydrouscaffeine.
Thisnewlypublishedresearchshows
thatcoffeecanstillbeonthemenuprior
toexercisedespitewhatpreviousreports
ornutritionistssay.
WHATTOLOOKFORINACOFFEE
Youcanuseanykindofcoffeetohitthe
recommendations,providingthetotal
doseofcaffeineishighenough—at
minimum,1-2mg/kgisrequired—but
selectingconcentratedcoffeesmayhelp.
Dothisbyselectingpreparation
methodsthatextractahighamountof
caffeine,suchasfilter,Frenchpressor
espressos.Theidealtimetodrinkitis60
minutesbeforeexercisebecausethisisthe
timeittakesforcaffeinetoreachits
highestconcentrationintheblood.
Formanyathletes,consumingcaffeine
atthehigherendofthesedosesisdifficult
becauseitcancausestomachupsetsand
cramps,dizzinessandrestlessness,which
incertainsportscouldhaveanegative
effectonperformance.
It’sthereforeadvisabletostartwith
lowerdoses.Sowhatareyouwaitingfor?
Getdrinkingthatcoffee!M&F
For references to this article go to www.muscle-fitness.it/scientific-references
IMAGESOURCE

TABATA
TRAINING
THIS
ULTRA HIGH
INTENSITY
PROTOCOL
HAS BEEN
AROUND FOR
SOMETIME
NOW
BUTWHO IS
USING IT
AND HOW?
NICOLAJOYCE
FINDS OUT
PAVELYTHJALL

But hands up who knows what it
really is? Or why it’s said to be so
effective and how you can incorporate
it into your training routine? We set
out to discover the answers.
It is named after Professor Izumi
Tabata, who was working as an
advisor to the Japanese Olympic
speed skating team when he was
asked to analyse the effectiveness of
the head coach’s high intensity
training technique.
What he found was remarkable:
very short, ultra-intense bursts of
energy seemed to improve fitness
better than other forms of high
intensity interval training.
“Other forms of high intensity
interval training have you working
harder for longer but for worse
results,” Tabata, Dean at the Graduate
School of Sport and Health Science at
Ritsumeikan University in Kusatsu,
Japan, tells Muscle&Fitness.
“In clinical trials, Tabata improved
both aerobic and anaerobic capacity. I
concluded that it’s not the intensity
that results in improved fitness but
the shorter recovery time. And it’s
this specific system of 20/10 that is
the most effective at improving
aerobic and anaerobic fitness.”
20/10 refers to 20 seconds work
followed by 10 seconds recovery. For
Tabata, this is repeated eight times so
your total training time is just four
minutes.
The continuous nature of the protocol
means your aerobic energy system has to
work extremely hard. In fact, it never gets
a chance to rest completely. And each
20-second work period is balls-to-the-
wall, placing a massive demand on your
anaerobic energy system.
Why four minutes? A protocol much
longer than this would see the intensity
drop below the level needed to force
results from your body.
THEFOUR-MINUTE
WORKOUT
Tabata is hugely efficient—a tempting
prospect for those of us who are pushed
for time and don’t want to spend hours in
the gym. But how does it produce results
in such a short amount of time?
Tabata puts maximum stress on the
aerobic and anaerobic systems, which
pushes athletes to their limit and helps
them to derive maximum benefits.
It’ll have you working for far less time
than traditional endurance cardio or
volume-based hypertrophy training,
which allows more time to recover. Train-
ing volume will be minimised but fitness
gains won’t be damaged.
This all sounds good but make no
mistake if you want Tabata training to
work you need to sweat for your gains.
“Intensity is the key stimulus that
provides the training results,” says
Richard Scrivener, presenter and master
trainer for Premier Training Interna-
tional. Put simply, Tabata has to feel
extremely difficult for it to work.
Tabata is catching on: British Cycling
and many Premier League football teams
use it to boost fitness. But what about
bodybuilders, strength athletes and
mixed martial artists?
In one study using MMA fighters,
researchers found that Tabata raised
lactic acid levels to between 8-20
millimoles per litre, a range likely to be
greater than that experienced in a fight,
and was therefore deemed to be effective
at preparing MMA fighters for the
metabolic demands of competition.
UCMMA fighter Nick ‘Headhunter’
Chapman trains for endurance, strength
and power. He regularly follows either
the specific Tabata protocol or variants
that incorporate very short, explosive
bursts and minimal rest.
“I incorporate Tabata protocols into
my conditioning six weeks out from a
fight,” says Chapman. He sometimes does
six rounds of five minutes, doing 20
seconds on and 10 seconds off throughout
each round. Five minutes is the length of
a round in MMA so it duplicates that. “It’s
awful! But it works,” he says.
“We use many different types of
equipment to keep the body guessing…
Airdyne bike, rower, heavy bag, pads,the
prowler, sometimes body weightexer-
cises, treadmill, and the new UniKurve
XTRHV*. This type of training not only
pushes my anaerobic threshold up,
allowing me to exert more power for
longer without fatigue, but it also helps
with fat burning, which is great when I
need to make weight. Tabata training is
a vital part of my fight preparation.”
HOWTO START
Should you use Tabata training princi-
ples when you next step into the gym?
When, why and how can you utilise the
science behind Tabata training for
fat-loss or even hypertrophy? “Aerobic
capacity is important for strength and
power athletes,” Scrivener explains. “It
helps boost recovery between bouts, sets
and intervals, so you can maintain higher
power output while you’re working.”
Ifyou’veheardofhigh
intensityintervaltraining
(andwhohasn’t),you’ve
probablyheardofTabata:
aspecificintervaltraining
protocoldesignedto
delivermaximumresultsin
minimumtime.
TABATA
FOR MUSCLE
AddTabata at the end of your resistance
training session as a short-term training
stimulus. Include it in a training block
then move on.
WEEKS 1TO 3: Do 2 or 3Tabata sessions
WEEK 4: Do 1Tabata session to deload
WEEK 5: Move on to your next training
phase (which doesn’t includeTabata)
EXAMPLE: At the end of your arms workout,
do a four-minuteTabata bicep blast. Using
dumbbells or cables, perform strict curls for
the 20 second work periods.You’ll get at
least 10 reps per 20 second work period;
that’s 80 reps in four minutes. Fitter
individuals might achieve 15 reps per set,
resulting in over 100 reps in four minutes.
“YOU CAN DOA
HUGEAMOUNTOF
VOLUME INTHOSE
FOUR MINUTES”
PAVELYTHJALL

Ben Lauder-Dykes, a competitive
bodybuilder and personal trainer at
Lomax Bespoke Personal Training,
Nutrition and Wellbeing took us
through how he uses Tabata training
protocols. “Tabata is definitely not only
different but better than other forms of
high-intensity training,” he says. “It
works on training density and that’s the
appeal for guys training in the gym. You
can do more work, get more muscle
recruitment and greater calorie burn,
yet you’ve only trained for four minutes.
“Who doesn’t have time for that? I
know so many bodybuilders who will
set the alarm early, get up and do a
fast-paced 30 minute walk. I’d rather
find four minutes at the end of a training
session, and spend 30 more minutes
sleeping to help recovery.”
Lauder-Dykes’ advice on how to use
Tabata in your own training depends on
your goal. “Tabata is just another
training tool,” he says, “but it makes you
more time efficient. You can use it as CV
intervals—running, rowing, boxing—for
fat loss and conditioning, or as a
resistance tool—using dumbbells or
TABATA FOR
FATLOSS
Add one four minute round of cardio
Tabata to your training or try five different
Tabata cycles within a 20 minute interval
session.
“For fat loss clients, I’d useTabata towards
the end of their training block,” says
Lauder-Dykes. “It’s a great conditioning
tool.And it gets people fitter, so they can
work harder, and stay leaner.”
But remember, it’s only four minutes,
so exert maximal effort; whatever
that means to you (it’s all relative).
The final word goes to Professor
Tabata:
“If you doTabata just twice a week,
you will soon see improvement in
your appearance and fitness levels.
I wouldn’t recommend doing the
routines more than four times a
week, and not on consecutive days,
as it is extremely tough on your body
and it will need time to recover.”
70 MUSCLE & FITNESS
JOAQUINPALTING

bodyweight—to add massive amounts of
volume and boost hypertrophy. The
bottom line is that you can get a huge
amount of volume in during those four
minutes. And volume is one of the main
training principles for hypertrophy. For
advanced gym-goers who need to
incorporate new ideas to get results,
Tabata is a great way to add volume
without hours in the gym.” M&F
REFERENCES
n Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, et al. (1996).
Effectsofmoderate-intensityenduranceand
high-intensityintermittenttrainingonanaerobic
capacityandVO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc 28
(10): 1327–30. doi:10.1097/00005768-
199610000-00018. PMID 8897392.
n Tabata I, Irisawa K, Kouzaki M, Nishimura K, Ogita
F, Miyachi M (March 1997).Metabolicprofileofhigh
intensityintermittentexercises. Medicine and
Science in Sports and Exercise 29 (3): 390–5.
PMID 9139179.
n (Terada et al http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/11356760).
WANTTO START
USINGTABATA?
HERE ARE
RICHARD
SCRIVENER’S
GOLDEN RULES…
1. WARM UP WELL—at least 10 minutes:
five minutes of low-moderate intensity
cardio and five minutes of whole body
mobilisation. Make sure you practise the
moves you’ll be using in theTabata protocol.
2. DON’THOLD BACK—in the published
research subjects reached an intensity of
170%VO2max. Work below this and you
won’t replicate the protocol’s original
purpose.
3. CHOOSE A MAXIMUM OFTWO
EXERCISES, ideally ones that engage the
whole body (rowing or cycling, heavy bag
work, bodyweight jump variations,
compound lifts) because these will
recruit enough muscle mass to raise
VO2.Too many exercises will dilute the
workload and won’t recruit enough
muscle mass to raiseVO2.
4. COOLDOWN PROPERLY to
minimise blood pooling and help clear
metabolic waste.Your legs will feel very
heavy if you’ve performedTabata properly.
“IT’S NOTTHE INTENSITYTHAT
RESULTS IN IMPROVED FITNESS
BUTTHE SHORTER RECOVERYTIME”
*To see Chapman put through his paces
with a UniKurve XTRHV, please visit
www.muscle-fitness.co.uk/unikurve
Muscle & Fitness has written the
definitive book on the benefits of
incorporating HIITinto your training
programme. For more info, please see
www.muscle-fitness.co.uk/books
ARTBREWER,ART@ARTBREWER.COM
CheckoutourgreatrangeofHIITvideos
atwww.muscle-fitness.co.uk/videos
72 MUSCLE & FITNESS

THE
SKINNYTop trainer PHIL LEARNEY
gets to the core of abs
training to help you build
a shredded six-pack
BY PHIL LEARNEY
ONABS
GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
6 2 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 6 3

SAXON
SIDE BEND
HITS
The obliques
This old-school move is just as
effective as when it was first
developed more than 100 years
ago by strongman Arthur Saxon.
Not only will it really target your
obliques but the overhead press
hold will build your core stability.
1Stand with feet shoulder-width
apart and press two light
dumbbells overhead, keeping
your arms slightly bent. For stability
ensure you brace your glutes and
core.
2With the dumbbells pressed
overhead, bend over as far as
possible to your left side—keeping
the weights under control.
3Returning to the upright
position then repeat the
same movement to your right side.
You should feel it hit your obliques.
TRY4SETSOF8-10REPSEACHSIDE
DAVIDYELLEN
PATRICKHOELCK
If you’re training for a cover model
physique, chances are a set of razor-
sharp abs is top of your wish list.
A well-developed chest and set of
biceps are impressive but a shredded
mid-section is the crowning glory of a
first class physique. Yet although
everyone wants show-stopping abs,
few know how to get them.
Let’s be clear from the start: it takes
more than a few crunches. There is no
magic pill but hard work, consistency
and the right diet will set you on your
way.
The best place to start, however, is
to know the science behind a six-pack.
Understanding the anatomy and the
key muscle movements will make it
much easier to build a concrete core.
The information that follows, along
with our five lesser-known but
super-tough abs blasting exer-
cises, will equip you with all you
need to know to build a stellar
mid-section. You’ll never want
to wear a t-shirt again.
RECTUS ABDOMINIS
Anatomy
We all know this muscle as
the ‘six-pack’. But there
are actually eight sections
to the muscle. The muscle
is separated vertically by
the linea alba and
horizontally by the
tendinous intersections
so you get the striking
grid shape. It might look
like eight separate abs but
this is all one muscle.
Movements
The rectus abdominis is a primary
flexor of the spine, which happens
when the upper torso moves towards
the pelvis like when you do a standard
crunch.
It is also a hip flexor, which happens
when the legs or feet come up towards
the pelvis as in a bicycle crunch.
It stabilises the midsection to anchor
the torso and ribcage, allowing large
limb-orientated movements to produce
more force while still having a stable
base.
M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 6 56 4 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

TOE-TOUCH
CRUNCH
HITS
The rectus abdominis
When it comes to the crunch, this is
one of the best moves out there.
Lifting up your legs means you have
to bring your shoulders off the floor
to reach your toes giving a much
deeper contraction.
1
Lie on the floor and raise your
legs straight up so they are
90 degrees to the ground.
2Reach up with your hands and
crunch your torso by trying to
touch your toes. Hold it there for a
second for a harder contraction.
TRY3-4SETSOF15-20REPS
QUICKTIPS Perform toe-touch crunches(3–4 sets of 15–20 reps) at the end of a workout
DAVIDYELLEN
“It’s a gym
myth that you
can hit the lower
and upper abs
separately
”
6 6 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

ALLIGATOR
WALK
HITS
and transverse
abdominis
An unusual abs exercise with plenty
of bite, the alligator walk on your
hands makes you contract your
abs isometrically while you drag a
sled or a weight behind you. That
means your abs get worked trying
to keep your spine straight and
your hips and lower back from
collapsing while you walk.
1Get into the press-up position
with your feet rested on a weight
sled. Make sure your arms are
under your shoulders and your abs
and glutes are braced for support.
2Walk forwards on your hands,
keeping your body braced and
rigid in the position you started in.
TRY3SETSOFWALKINGASFARAS
YOUPOSSIBLYCANANDBUILDUP
It’s widely believed you can hit the
lower and upper abs separately but
this is just a gym myth. You can’t target
a specific area of the rectus abdominis
because it’s all one muscle.
Whenyoucontractyourabsyoushould
feelitfromtoptobottom.Whenpeople
domovestargetingthe‘lowerabs’,they’re
probablyonlyworkingtheirhipflexors.
Createfullflexionbybringingtheupper
torsotowardsthepelvisandthepelvis
towardsthehead.
Exercises
Anything involving trunk flexion will
target the rectus abdominis so any
crunch variant will be effective, particu-
larly standing crunches, which let you
extend the muscle further. To fully
lengthen your abs, your back has to move
in a neutral curve.
Most people make the mistake of doing
crunches with their backs flat on the
floor, moving to a curved back position.
This encourages thoracic rounding and
thoracic hyper-kyphosis. Instead, you
should start the movement with a neutral
spine, finishing with your torso flexed.
You can also use hanging leg raises and
variants, such as knee raises or Roman
chair raises to make it easier. A full range
of movement is critical on all abs moves.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
OBLIQUES
Anatomy
The six-pack isn’t the only showpiece
midsection muscle: the obliques are
equally impressive. Who wouldn’t want
a set like Bruce Lee’s?
Anatomy-wise you have the external
and internal obliques. The external
obliques are found either side of the
rectus abdominis, running from your
ribs to your hips. Beneath them are
the internal obliques.
Movements
Muscles work on movement planes
and abs are no different. The rectus
abdominis works on the frontal plane
but the obliques work on the rotational
plane.
Both sets of obliques are responsible
for the rotation of the trunk. If you
rotate to the left, the internal oblique
contracts on that side while the
opposing external oblique contracts—
and vice versa.
They also control lateral flexion—
as in side crunches. Together, they help
in the flexion of the spine and stabilise
and compress the abdominal wall.
Exercises
Any movement with a torso rotation
will target your obliques. This includes
movements like the cable woodchop
where you begin in an upright position
and pull the cable down and across the
body, or rotational movements like
sprinter sit-ups, which give you
rotation and flexion at the same time.
People go into a rocking chair
position—sitting up off the floor
balancing on the pelvis—they grab a
medicine ball and rotate left to right.
Also wall slams with a heavy ball on
the end of a rope.
Basically anything that rotates in a
vertical or horizontal plane will work
them out.
TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS
Anatomy
The transverse abdominis functions
similarly to a weight belt. While other
muscles are key in dynamic movements,
this muscle only really acts as a stabi-
liser, and is found beneath the other
abdominal muscles.
Movements
The transverse abdominis compresses
the abdominals and helps create
QUICKTIPS
If this is too easy, wear a weighted vest or place a weight plate on the sled.
Loading the movement will increase the difficulty dramatically, so be conservative.
DAVIDYELLEN
M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 6 96 8 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

MACEBELL
GRAVEDIGGER
HITS
The obliques and
rectus abdominis
This exercise is as grim as it
sounds. A favourite of 20th century
strongmen, it will hit pretty much
every muscle fibre in your mid-
section as your abs work hard to
rotate your torso while remaining
stable. You probably won’t have a
macebell so use a barbell with a
weight tightly clipped into one end.
1
Grip the bar like a shovel—the
closer your hands are together,
the harder the movement.
2Push your hips back and bend
your upper body over as if you
were about to dig a hole.
3Explosively extend your hips so
you are upright and raise your
arms as if you were shovelling
earth over your shoulder. Each set,
switch the hand that’s on top and
the side you shovel over.
TRY3SETSOF8-10REPSEACHSIDE
VARIANT
An equally great variant is to make
a lateral shovelling motion. Set up
the same way, but place your
bottom hand on the butt end of the
bar. Wind up to one side, then
rotate to the other without pivoting
either foot (like bailing water).
DAVIDYELLEN

SPREAD-
EAGLE
JACKKNIFE
HITS
Many abs moves try to take the
hips out of the equation to target
the abs more. But this exercise
allows you to strengthen both the
abs and the hips in one fell swoop.
You can throw in a medicine ball to
make it even tougher.
1Start flat on your back with your
legs spread in a ‘V’ shape with
your arms stretched out behind
your head.
2
Sit up explosively—bringing
your torso up while simultane-
ously raising your wide-apart
legs and hips off the floor. As
your body comes up, finish with
your arms stretch through the V
of your legs.
TRY2-4SETSOF10REPS
QUICKTIPS Perform the spread-eagle jackknife at the end of a lower-body day. Aim for 2–4 sets of 10
DAVIDYELLEN
“A full range of
movement is critical
on all abs moves
”

intra-abdominal pressure, along with
the diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles.
It, therefore, has little to do with
motion. It stabilises the lumbar spine
and sacroiliac joint and works with
the pubic symphysis. Basically, it’s the
muscle that keeps your abdominals tight
but it isn’t very strong, hence why you
wear a belt when performing heavy
back squats. The belt compresses the
abs, creating intra-abdominal pressure
and keeping you stabilised.
Exercises
Working the transverse abdominis is
all about pelvic position. Pelvic floor
exercises will help—basically how
you tilt your pelvis. Planks can work it.
You also need to alter your breathing
with a technique called diaphragmatic
breathing. As you breathe in, contract
your diaphragm to expand your abdo-
men. As you exhale, pull your stomach in,
causing the muscle to work isometrically.
DIET
If you want to see your abs in all their
glory, diet is critical. If you’re carrying
too much body fat, you won’t see them
no matter how much you train.
Men tend to hold more fat around
the stomach, while women tend to store
more fat around the hips and thighs.
The body naturally wants to preserve
fat around your midriff, which means it’s
the most stubborn area to lose it from.
CARDIO
Whether you do cardio or not all
depends on whether you need it to
create a calorie deficit. Any kind of
metabolic conditioning—whether it’s
HIIT or steady state—that increases
blood flow will help mobilise fat from
stubborn areas. Metabolic conditioning
also improves the efficiency of fat
breakdown so the fitter you are the
quicker you’ll lose body fat.
TIPSTO LOSE FAT
1 RESTRICT CALORIES
If you want to lose fat you have to
reduce your calories below what
you would normally eat. This creates
a ‘calorie deficit’, which will help the fat
loss process. But don’t stay in calorie
deficit for more than three to four days
or your body will get used to it. Bring
your calories back up every fourth
day while ensuring you keep a constant
baseline amount of protein in your
diet to stop muscle being burned off.
2 DON’T CUT CALORIES
TOO FAST
If you reduce calories too fast you
will lose body fat from everywhere,
but your body will then work harder
to preserve the fat around the stomach
(in men) or hips and thighs (in women).
You’ll lose fat from the chest and
shoulders but find it’s stored more
around the stomach, hips and thighs
so all you’re doing is shifting fat around,
rather than burning it off.
3 NO PRE-WORKOUT CARBS
Avoid carbs pre-workout when trying
to lose fat, otherwise you’ll just burn
carbs as energy rather than dipping into
fat stores. You have to be in a low insulin
state to mobilise fat. Just eat good fats,
such as nuts, avocados, eggs or olive oil
and protein. Protein will increase
glucagon, which helps mobilise fat as
fuel by kicking off the process of
gluconeogensis. This causes the body
to break down metabolites other than
glycogen.
CAPTURE
74 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

BecominG
CAESAR
u BY MATT TURNER u
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY
OF STARZ ENTERTAINMENT
TODD LASANCE, WHO PLAYS
JULIUS CAESAR IN THE SERIES
u SPARTACUS u
WAR OF THE DAMNED
REVEALS HOW HE PUT ON
6 KG OF MUSCLE FOR THE ROLE

Shortly before the DVD release of the
third and final series in the trilogy,
Spartacus: War of the Damned we spoke
to Julius Caesar actor Todd Lasance
about how he got in shape to play a
younger, more action-oriented version
of one of history’s most famous figures.
Like many modern actors Lasance
had some experience of training. “I’ve
always tried to keep a basic level of
fitness,” the Australian explains. “I’ve
done gym work fairly regularly, a bit of
cardio and endurance work and I’ve
played sports most of my life so I’ve
always been doing something. Just
nothing like this.”
He had heard rumours that training
for Spartacus was tough but wasn’t
prepared for the beasting that followed.
“I had no idea what I’d let myself in for,”
he says, “I knew there was a certain
expectation that came with the show
and was aware of the Spartacus image
but I didn’t realise just how tough it
was going to be.”
CIRCUITSFROMHELL
Lasance got a rude awakening at the now
infamous Spartacus boot camp, which
was a four-week training camp for all
cast members to ensure not only that
they looked the part but also that they
had enough strength and endurance to
see them through six intense months of
shooting the action-packed series.
“I was only there for two weeks, as my
character wasn’t introduced until
episode two, but boot camp was insane,”
he remembers. “Tyrone Bell (the lead
trainer on the series] put us through
some devastating circuits. There was
one that at the time was just stupid, but
was well worth it in the end.” (See the
S
partacus is one of the hottest TV shows of
recent years. Its spectacular blend of sex and
gore and its compelling storyline has proved
a worldwide hit.
The success of the series, which was broad-
cast on Sky One in the UK, is in no small part
due to the amazing physiques of the actors. The cast put in
a tremendous amount of work to build epic bodies that give
the series an authentic feel without the use of computer-
generated imagery.
Heatingup:ThefinalseriesofSpartacus
bringsthestorytoitsdramaticconclusion.
I’dneverbeen80ginmylife,
butatmypeakI’dgonefrom
75to81kg,”

accompanying boot camp routine ‘Train
Like Caesar’). “For the afternoon circuit,
we’d do each exercise for 10 minutes,
30 minutes total. The only rest we’d get
was maybe a few seconds between each
exercise as we waited for someone else
to finish. It was crazy!”
During these sessions almost the
entire cast trained together. “It was a
great motivator, having everyone there
with you,” Lasance says. “The girls were
there, too, doing more or less the same
things as the guys, so it really pushed
you to keep going. No one wanted to let
the side down.
“When you were doing a circuit, you’d
be desperate to keep up with the guy in
front of you, while also being aware that
there was another guy right behind you
and not wanting to slow him down.
Knowing everyone else was working
just as hard as you meant you never
wanted to ease off.”
To prevent boredom, Bell constantly
varied the exercises. “At one point he
even had us doing part of the US Army
selection test,” Lasance explains. This
saw the cast doing as many push-ups
and sit-ups as they could in two
minutes, and running a two-mile course
in the quickest time possible. “Things
like that kept you guessing. By the end of
boot camp though, we really were ready
for filming.”
TODD
JAMES
LASANCE
Date of Birth:
18th February, 1985
Birthplace:
New South Wales, Australia
Lives:
Los Angeles, California
Height:
183 cm / 6’0”
Weight:
81 kg / 178 lbs
Role:
Julius Caesar
Best Lifts:
50 kg dumbbell press and 400 kg leg
press
Toughest On-Screen Opponent:
Manu Bennet who plays Crixus
Ambition:
To star in feature films
Brains andbrawn: Caesar’s
intelligence andscheming
is matchedby his physical
prowess.

TRAININGONSET
Boot camp, however, was just the
beginning. During the six months
shooting that followed the cast had to
maintain and hone their hard-earned
physiques. Each actor sat down with
Bell to discuss the look they wanted
their character to achieve. “Tyrone
prepared a personalised training and
nutrition plan for every cast member,”
explains Lasance. “Unfortunately, I
went and chose the hardest pro-
gramme.”
Lasance wanted his Caesar to be as
buff as possible so he was placed on a
hypertrophy programme. “I set myself
the target of getting up to 80 kg as I’d
never been that big in my life,” he says.
“I’m lucky in that I’ve always been
pretty lean but with that I’ve always
found it hard to gain muscle.”
For the most part, Lasance followed a
standard hypertrophy programme,
doing sets of 15, 12, 10 and 8 reps. “To
keep things interesting, Tyrone
switched things up every now and then
so I also did a bit of powerlifting and
more endurance-based work,” he says.
Lasance shifted weights he had
previously dreamed of. “I got up to
doing dumbbell presses with 50 kg in
each hand and leg presses of about 400
kg, nine plates on each side. Don’t ask
me to do that now though!”
With training taking place after each
day’s shooting, the pace was relentless.
“We’d be working 14-hour days,”
Lasance says. “For six months, I was up
at about 5 am, filmed all day, and was
then in the gym until 9 or 9.30 pm every
night. I wouldn’t be having my dinner
until around 10 pm.”
Nevertheless, he was thrilled with the
results. “I started out at about 75 kg but
by my peak I was up to 81 kg with
virtually no body fat. I actually sent a
picture of myself to a mate of mine the
day I hit 80 kg because we’d been having
a competition to see who could get there
first!”
TYRONEBELL:
LEADTRAINER
THE LEAD TRAINER EXPLAINS
HIS APPROACH WHILE
WORKING ON SPARTACUS.
“Wetrainedingroupsbeforewestarted
shootingthenewseason.Ithinkthat’s
key.Ifyou’vegotatrainingpartner,you’re
goingtopushyourselfthatmuchfurther.
Theresultsarealsogoingtocomefaster
thanifyouweretrainingsolo.Youcan
attackatrainingsessionwithmore
confidenceandgotofailurewhenyou
knowyourpartner’sgotyourback.
Ifsomebodyiscompetingina
bodybuildingshoworafitnesscompeti-
tion,theyhavetopeakforthatday.Having
someonepeakthroughsevenmonthsof
shootingisimpossible,butwecanget
themclose.Itcomesdowntodiet,which
is80%oftheequation.Whentheyhave
keymomentsduringtheseason,likeasex
scene,thenI’lltreatitlikeabodybuilding
show.I’llcarb-depletethemandcarb-load
theminashortamountoftime.Ithasto
beprecise.
Amust-havesupplementfortheguysis
L-glutamine.Theyliveonit.Forrecovery,
it’ssoimportant,andI’drecommenditfor
anyone.Ifyou’reunderstress,your
cortisollevelsarehigh,andyou’vegotto
bringthosedown.IswearbyL-glutamine.
It’spriceless.
I’mafirmbelieverineatingwholefoods
asmuchaspossible.Nomatterhowbusy
youare,youcangetthosein.Investina
goodslowcooker.Putyourmeatand
vegetablesintherebeforeyouleavefor
workandit’salldonewhenyougethome.
Itcouldn’tbeeasier.
Peoplegetcaughtupinexercisefads.
Ifyouwanttoputonsize,old-school
trainingisstillthebest.Ifyouwanttoget
big,liftbig.Ifyouwanttogetshredded,
keepyourdietstrictandgetyourcardio
in.Whateveryourgoalis,consistencyis
moreimportantthananything.”
BeforeSpartacus,Iknewdiet
wasimportant,butI’dnever
trulyrealisedhowimportant.

Training was primarily for aesthetics
but there was also a functional element
to it. “I’d say around 90% was probably
to look the part but it was also geared
towards us being able to cope with
shooting so many fight sequences,”
Lasance explains.
Unlike many modern productions,
the Spartacus guys do most of their
own stunts so endurance and functional
strength were vital for preventing
injuries. “I think there was only one
thing I didn’t do myself in the whole
season,” he recalls. “Sometimes we
would shoot the same fight sequence
a dozen times or more in one morning.
We had to have good levels of stamina
to be able to do that.”
Each fight sequence was painstak-
ingly choreographed and the swords
they used are as close to the real thing
as you can get without compromising
safety. For that reason, stuntmen took
the actors through each routine until
they were as close to perfect as possible.
“Keeping the timing right when
you’re on your tenth, eleventh, twelfth
take takes a lot of endurance,” Lasance
explains. “If you’re fighting someone
like Manu Bennett, who plays Crixus,
you can’t afford to miss a beat. When
he’s fighting his eyes just glaze over and
he really goes for it. When I’m blocking
against him, I’m really fighting for my
life!”
Towards the end of filming, things
began to get particularly tough. “The
end of the series involves a lot of epic
battles, and my character has a lot of
fighting to do,” Lasance says. “By that
point, you’re really physically drained,
but you still want to give it your all to
maintain that authenticity. That was
probably the toughest part of the whole
series.”
CHANGINGDIET
Since then Lasance has had time to
relax but he has carried some of the
lessons he learned on Spartacus into
his own training. “I’ve tried to incorpo-
rate little bits here and there, but the
nutrition side is what’s really made
an impact,” he says.
“Before Spartacus, I knew your
diet was important, but I’d never truly
realised just how important. I’d always
been a traditional three meals a day
guy and I thought as long as I got my
protein everything would sort itself
out.”
For this role Lasance ate seven meals
a day. That was easy enough to manage
during boot camp but less so when he
was filming. “While the studio
provided some of our meals, a lot had to
be prepared at home so I’d be cooking
masses of chicken breasts all the time,”
Lasance explains.
“At the studio we had two tables at
lunch: one for people eating normally
and one for those who were really
trying to get lean. The lean table was
full of really good foods, lots of
proteins, good fats, and healthy
carbs, particularly kumara, which
is Kiwi for sweet potatoes.”
Besides whole foods, Lasance also
took tribulus supplements to boost
testosterone, and plenty of protein
shakes. “Protein shakes were a great
meal replacer when we were filming or
I just didn’t have time,” he says. “I must
have gone through 500 kg of the stuff!”
The hard work paid off. Lasance and
the other cast members really do look
the part, resembling some of history’s
fittest warriors, and their physiques
add authenticity to the series. The only
pity is that partacus: War of the Damned
is the final instalment of what has been
a swashbuckling celebration of muscle
and fitness. M&F
TRAIN LIKE CAESAR
HEREISTODDLASANCE’S
BOOTCAMPROUTINE
MORNINGCIRCUITCOMPRISES
EXERCISE SETS REPS
DEADLIFT 3 10-15
PULL-UP 3 FAILURE
DUMBBELLROW 3 10-12
INVERTEDROW 3 FAILURE
BARBELLCURL 3 10-15
WEIGHTEDBENCHDIP 3 FAILURE
BENTOVERPOWERBAGWIPE* 3 20
LANDMINE** 3 20
*Holdapowerbagorsandbaginfrontofyou,bendatthewaist,andswingitfromsidetoside;
usecoretensiontostabiliseyourbodyandsteadytheswing.
**Addaweighttoabarbell,stabilisetheotherendthenholdtheendwiththeweightandswingthebarbell
fromsidetoside.
AFTERNOONCIRCUITCOMPRISES
HOWTODOIT:
Performeachexercisefor10minutesstraight.
Itshouldtakeaboutoneminutetodo10reps—ifittakesyouless,usetheremainderofthatminutetorest.
Continueuntil10minutesareup.
Completeallsetsofoneexercisebeforemovingontothenext.
Theentireworkoutwilltake30minutestocomplete.
Donotrestbetweenexercises.
EXERCISE REPS
CLOSE-GRIPCHIN-UPWITHBANDASSISTANCE 10
MEDBALLSIT-UPTHROW* 10
SLEDGEPULL** 10
*Throwaheavymedballagainstawallatthetopofeachrep.Catchandrepeat.
**Load60-80%ofyourbodyweightonasledgeandsprint25metreswithit.
Restfortheremainderoftheminute.
Spartacus: War of the Damned,
is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Trainingwas 90%to lookthe
partbutitwas also necessaryfor
shootingso manyfightsequences

DEUTSCHER
JUNIORENMEISTER
2013
(GESAMTSIEGER)
VONALBERTBUSEK
FOTOS:REINERDAHMS,
ERICHJANNER,
MANFREDZANKER
ÜberragenderJunioren-Gesamtsiegerbeider
DeutschenMeisterschaft2013inWiesloch:
MikeSommerfeldausSandhausen/BadenWürttemberg

Bodybuilding begannwechselte erauch die
Schule und die im Sport sukzessive
entwickelte Disziplin und Konzentration
konnte ernun auch in derSchule nutzen und
damit seine Leistungen deutlichverbessern.
Seine Lehrerunterstützten Mike
entsprechend und schließlich konnte Mike
die Mittlere Reife mit einem Noten-
durchschnittvon 1,4 abschließen. In der
Annahme, dass derSport- und Fitness-
Kaufmann derideale Beruf fürihn sei
begann ereine entsprechendeAusbildung.
Allerdings musste erfeststellen, dass er
sich in diesem Beruf nichtwohl fühlte und
sich fürdieAusbildung zum Kaufmann im
Einzelhandel entschied und damit sehr
zufrieden ist.
SeinenWettkampftraum erfüllte sich
Mike dann 2011 und debütierte gleich mit
einem Sieg. Durch seine fürBodybuilding
sehrgünstige Knochenstrukturund eine
schöne Muskellinie konnte man dem
17-Jährigen eine erfolgreiche Sportkarriere
prognostizieren.Aberauch bei sehrguten
Anlagen muss man sich durchbeißen,
speziell in einerso erfolgreichen BB-Nation
wie Deutschland. DieWelt stand Mike offen,
ermusste nurdie Grundregeln beim
kontinuierlichen Muskelaufbau beherzigen.
Wenige Wochen nach seinem 19.
Geburtstag errang Mike Som-
merfeld einen ebenso über-
ragenden wie sensationellen
Gesamtsieg bei der 54. Deuts-
chen Meisterschaft. Mike hat
sich damit nicht nur in eine sehr
ruhmreiche deutsche BB-Liste
eingetragen, er hat auch mit der
Idealnote gewonnen. Eine
Leistung, die man gar nicht hoch
genug einschätzen kann und die
an einen so überragenden
Junior-Gesamtsieger wie
Gerhard Pfister erinnert, der
1982 ebenfalls erst 19 Jahre alt
war. Noch erstaunlicher wird
Mikes sensationeller Sieg wenn
man das Ergebnis der D.M. 2012
als Vergleich heranzieht. Im
Vorjahr wurde Mike bei seiner
ersten deutschen Junioren-Meis-
terschaft Siebter und verpasste
damit das Finale. Der D.M.
Junioren-Gesamtsieger 2012,
Dennis Arnold, gewann eine
Woche vor der D.M. 2013 bei der
Junioren-Europameisterschaft in
Spanien die Silbermedaille und
war damit auch für die „Deutsche“
haushoher Favorit, die er zum 2.
Male gewinnen wollte. Dass Mike
nun Dennis in einem großartigen
Wettkampf so klar bezwungen
hat war eine der ganz großen
Überraschungen der „Deutschen“
2013 und es belegt welch hohes
Leistungsniveau in Wiesloch
gezeigt wurde.
In einem Dorf nahe Heidelberg
aufgewachsen bekam Mike schon in
frühesterKindheit Einblicke in das
Hanteltraining und den BB-Lifestyle, da
seine Eltern aktiv Bodybuilding betrieben.
Im Dorf ging es sehrfamiliärzu und Sport
wurde groß geschrieben. Mikeversuchte
sich in mehreren Sportartenwie Fußball,
Handball, Leichtathletik, Geräteturnen,
Schwimmen – und blieb schließlich imAlter
von 12Jahren „an derHantelstange
kleben“,wie erselbst sagt. Das damalige
Home-Gymwareinfach zuverlockend und
Mike trainierte dort mehrmals in der
Woche.Allerdings überwog damals der
Spaß deutlich mehrals die Intensität und
Effektivität. Mit 14Jahren kam Mike
erstmals in ein „richtiges Fitness-Studio“
undwarendgültigvom „Eisen-Virus“
infiziert. Es dauerte nureinJahrund in Mike
wurde derWunsch, es einmal auf die
Bodybuilding-Bühne zu schaffen, immer
größer.Videos und Reportagen über
Bodybuilderund Meisterschaften
steigerten seineAmbitionenwochweiter.
Kai Greene und Ronnie Colemanwurden für
ihn zu großenVorbildern und sind es heute
noch. Nach eigenem BekenntniswarMike
bis zurEinschulung in die Realschule kein
guterSchüler. Zeitgleich als erintensiv mit
GesamtsiegmitIdealnotebeider
D.M.2013fürMikeSommerfeld
D.M.2013,SiegerehrungJuniorenklasse2v.l.:DennisArnold,Hamburg(2.)
MikeSommerfeld,Sandhausen(1.),MarkusGotzhain,Mainz(3.)
DerWettkampfzwischenMikeundDennis
gehörtezudenHighlightsderD.M.2013

Mike hatte 2011 gute bis sehrgute Erfolge
und setzte sich für2012 das Ziel möglichst
gut bei seinererstenTeilnahme an der
deutschenJuniorenmeisterschaft
abzuschneiden. Dass erdann mit dem 7.
Platz das Finale knappverpasstewarnicht
nach seinem Geschmack und aus dieser
Erfahrung heraus erwuchs derfast
unstillbare Hungernach Erfolg für2013.
Dabei hätte sich Mike durchaus Zeit lassen
können, denn dieJunioren-Altersgrenze
wurde inzwischen auf 23Jahre erhöht.
Nicht so Mike, erwollte es jetztwissen und
setzte alles auf die Frühjahrssaison 2013.
In Spiros Memos fand erden fürihn idealen
Coach und seine Freundin, seine Eltern,
sowie sein ganzes persönliches Umfeld hat
Mike ganz bewusst in sein großesVorhaben
„2013“ eingebunden und sich selbst damit
auch unterDruck gesetzt. DerPlan ging auf
und Deutschlands Bodybuildingsport ist um
eine außergewöhnliche Erfolgsgeschichte
reicher. Dreimal ging Mike 2013 an den
Start und dreimal sicherte ersich denTitel
mit dem Gesamtsieg bei der„Deutschen“
als krönendenAbschluss. Im Detail
schildert Mike im nachfolgenden Interview
wie erdiese fürihn sicherunvergessliche
Wettkampfsaison erlebte.
ALBERTBUSEKIM
GESPRÄCHMIT
MIKESOMMERFELD
MUSCLE&FITNESS:Herzlichen
GlückwunschzumJunioren-Gesamtsieg
beider„Deutschen“2013.Trotzstarker
GegnerhastDueinstimmiggewonnen.
WarstDuDirselbstauchsosicher?
MS: Im Gegenteil! IchwarderAuffassung
bestenfalls unterdieTop 4 zu kommen.
Gegnerwie derVize-EuropameisterDennis
Arnoldwaren fürmichwie unschlagbar.Vor
allem gegenAthleten anzutreten die
mehrereJahre älterund zugleich erfahrener
sindwarfürmich schon eine ganz große
Sache.
M&F:WoundwielangehastDuDichfür
dieFrühjahrssaisonvorbereitet?
MS: Zusammen mit meinem Coach Spiros
Memos bereitete ich mich 8 Monate auf die
Wettkämpfe 2013vor. Ich startete mit
einem Plan in dieAufbauphase, dann in eine
Qualitätsdiät und nahtlos in dieWettkam-
pfdiät.Trainiert habe ich in meinem
Lieblingsstudio, im BodybuildingVerein
Walldorf. Hierfühle ich mich amwohlsten
und habe auch immereinenTrainingspar-
tner.
M&F:Duhastschonmit12Jahrenmit
demTrainingbegonnen.Washaben
DeineElterndazugesagt?
MS: Meine Elternwaren immersehrdavon
begeistert, dass ihrSohn dieselben
Interessen teilt und soviel Herzblut in so
jungenJahren in diesen Sport steckt. Beide
stehenvoll hintermirund besuchen auch
jede Meisterschaft um mich anzufeuern.
MeinVatertrainiert sogarim selben
Sportstudiowodurchwiruns beimTraining
oft gegenseitig pushen können.
M&F:WannwarfürDichklar,dassDu
DichauchimWettkampfmessenwillst?
MS: Mit 15Jahrenwurde derBühnensport
MIKESOMMERFELDWETTKAMPFERFOLGE
JAHR WETTKAMPF KLASSE PLATZIERUNG
2011 INT.DEUTSCHEMEISTERSCHAFTNABBA FITNESS 1.PLATZ
2011 INT.DEUTSCHENEWCOMERMEISTERSCHAFTNABBA FITNESS 1.PLATZ
2011 MR.UNIVERSEWFF LEISTUNG 5.PLATZ
2012 DEUTSCHEJUGENDMEISTERSCHAFTDBFV ÜBER75KG 2.PLATZ
2012 BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERGISCHEMEISTERSCHAFTDBFV ÜBER75KG 2.PLATZ
2012 DEUTSCHEMEISTERSCHAFTDBFV ÜBER75KG 7.PLATZ
2013 DEUTSCHEJUGENDMEISTERSCHAFTDBFV ÜBER75KG 1.PLATZ
2013 BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERGISCHEMEISTERSCHAFTDBFV ÜBER75KG 1.PLATZ
2013 DEUTSCHEMEISTERSCHAFTDBFV ÜBER75KG 1.PLATZ
ErsterVergleichzwischen
MikeundDennis
MikeundDennis(rechts)
imRückenvergleich
84 MUSCLE & FITNESS

richtig interessant, da ich schon dreiJahre
trainierte und auch die ersten kleinen
Erfolge sahwollte ich mich mitJungs in
meinemAltermessen.Wettkampf, egal in
welchen Bereichen, ist fürmich die
Belohnung fürharteArbeit.
M&F:WiesahDeineWettkampfdiätfür
2013imDetailausundwelcheNahrung-
sergänzungenhastDudabeigenom-
men?
MS: DiesesJahrarbeitetenwirso genau
wie noch nie. Mein Essen, mein Schlaf,
meinTrinken, meinTrainingwarauf das
Genauste geplant.Auf die Minute genau
wurde mein Essenverteilt und auf das
Gramm genau abgezählt.Also alles sehr
streng. Supplemente habe ich in der
Vorbereitung eherwenigerbenutzt. Die
wichtigsten Supplementewaren BCAAs,
Proteinpulverund Glutamin.
M&F:Duhastsicherschonviele
Trainingssystemeausprobiert.Nach
welchemtrainierstzuzurzeit?
MS: Als kleinerJunge habe ich mich
durch sämtlicheTrainingsmethoden
gekämpft und so ziemlich alles auspro-
biertwas es gibt. Doch mittlerweile habe
ich fürmich entdeckt, dass es fürmich am
besten ist auf meinen Körperzu hören
und zu fühlenwo Bedarf herrscht. Das
soll heißen, dass ich total unvoreingenom-
men in meinTraining gehe und erst kurzvor
Trainingsbeginn entscheidewelche
Übungen ich benutze undwie ich diese aus-
führe. Dadurch gebe ich meinem Körper
immerneue Reize und erkann sich an keine
Routine gewöhnen.
M&F:HattestDueinenTrainingspar-
tner?
MS: Ja klar, ohne geht’s nicht! Mirist es
besonderswichtig eine Kontrolle fürjede
Wiederholung zu haben um ein optimales
Training zu gewährleisten.Außerdem kann
einTrainingspartnerdeine Leistungsfähig-
keit nochmal steigern.
M&F:WaswarendiegrößtenHerausfor-
derungenbeiderVorbereitungfürdie
Frühjahrssaison2013?
MS: DiesesJahrwardie ersteVorbe-
reitung in derich inVollzeit arbeitete. Das
hieß 4 Stunden Sport amTag und 9
Stunden arbeiten. Daswarschon sehr
MikeSommerfeldmitseinemFreundund
CoachSpirosMemosalsGesamtsieger
beiderLandesmeisterschaft2013in
BadenWürttemberg
Ganzsouverän
undmiteinersehr
kreativenKür
begeisterteMike
dieZuschauerbei
allenAuftritten
86 MUSCLE & FITNESS

anstrengend. Dazu kommt, dass ichviel
Wert auf Beziehungen lege, aberich konnte
mit meinerFreundin und meinen Freunden
während meinerVorbereitung nursehr
wenig Zeitverbringen.
M&F:WievereinbarstDuWettkampfund
Beruf?
MS: Zum Glück habe ichwährend meiner
Wettkampfvorbereitung sehrviel Unters-
tützungvon meinem Betrieb erfahren! Der
Beruf ist mirsehrwichtig. Man muss immer
mit beiden Beinen auf dem Boden stehen
um sich abzusichern.Also ist ganz klar,
MIKE
SOMMERFELD
PERSÖNLICHE
ANGABEN:
Geburtsdatum:
19.04.1994
Wohnort:
69207 Sandhausen
Sternzeichen:
Widder
Beruf:
Kaufmann im Einzelhandel
Hobbys:
Paintball Schwimmbad
Lieblings-Menü:
Cordon Bleu mit Pommes
Ich bin aktiv seit:
2006
Ich mache Wettkämpfe seit:
2011
Meine sportlichen Vorbilder sind:
Kai Greene
Mein nächstes sportliches Ziel ist:
Qualifikation zur Weltmeisterschaft
Lebensmotto:
Nothing great ever comes without a
sacrifice
MASSE UND GEWICHTE:
Körpergröße:
173 cm
Wettkampfgewicht:
83 kg
Off-Season-Gewicht:
94 kg
Arm:
45 cm
Taille:
86 cm
Brust:
124 cm
Waden:
45 cm
KRAFTLEISTUNGEN:
Bankdrücken:
180 kg
Kniebeuge:
250 kg-
MikeSommerfeldverpasste
beiderD.M.2012mitPlatz
7nochknappdasFinale
MitbemerkenswerterVerbesserungsicherte
sichMikeSommerfeld2013inBaden
WürttembergseinenzweitenvondreiTiteln
88 MUSCLE & FITNESS

dass derBeruf dieselbe Priorität hatwie
derWettkampf.
M&F:BetreibstDuzurzeitnochandere
Sportarten?
MS: Nicht auf Leistungsebene. Doch mit
Freunden eine Runde kicken oderBasket-
ball spielen ist immerdrin.
M&F:HattestDuinderVorbereitung
Verletzungsprobleme?
MS: Nein zum Glück nicht! Ich achte auch
sehrdarauf mich nicht zu überschätzen.
EineVerletzung kann dirdie ganze
Bodybuilding-Karriere ruinieren, also ist
Vorsicht das erste Gebot imTraining.
M&F:WaswarDeinglücklichster
MomentimSport?
MS: DerMoment auf derDeutschen
Meisterschaft diesesJahr, als Dennis und
ich Hand in Hand als die beiden Letzten im
Schwergewicht auf die Bekanntgabe des
Siegerswarteten. In diesem Moment
schossen mir1000 Gedanken durch den
Kopf.Jede Sekunde in derich gelitten habe,
jederSchmerz imTraining, die schlaflosen
Nächte - einfach alles. Da stand mirschon
die ein oderandereTräne in denAugen.
M&F:WiesehenDeinekünftigenZiele
aus?
MS:? Ichwill im Spätjahr2014wieder
angreifen.Wenn alles nach Plan läuft
international um einfach mal auf einer
neuen Ebene zu schnuppern.Welche
Wettkämpfe das seinwerdenweiß ich noch
nicht genau.
M&F:WiesiehstDudieEntwicklungim
BB-Leistungssportganzallgemein?
MS: Ich bin damit absolut zufrieden. Ich
trainiere jetzt schon siebenJahre und
konnte ständig Erfolge feststellen. Mirist
besonderswichtig keinen Stillstand in der
Entwicklung zu haben, die Konkurrenz
schläft ja auch nicht.
M&F:HastDunochetwasaufdem
Herzen,dasDuhierveröffentlichtsehen
möchtest?
MS: Jetzt,wo sich derSturm etwas gelegt
hat, konnte ich einige Gedanken fassen um
mich bei den Menschen zu bedanken die mir
diesenWeg so unglaublich erleichtert
haben!An allerersterStelle steht hiermeine
MIKESOMMERFELDERNÄHRUNG WETTKAMPFVORBEREITUNG
ZEIT MENGE/LEBENSMITTEL
FRÜHSTÜCK 50GWHEYPROTEINMIT70GHAFERFLOCKEN
1.MITTAGESSEN 200GPUTENFLEISCHMIT200GKARTOFFELNUND100GGURKE
ZWISCHENMAHLZEIT 40GWHEYPROTEINUNDEINAPFEL
2.MITTAGESSEN 200GPUTENFLEISCHMIT150GKARTOFFELNUND200GGURKE
VORDEMTRAINING 30GWHEYPROTEIN
NACHDEMTRAINING 30GWHEYPROTEIN
ABENDESSEN 200GPUTENFLEISCHMIT300GTOMATEN
NACHTSNACK 40GCASEINPROTEIN
MIKESOMMERFELDWOCHENTRAININGSPLAN
WOCHENTAG MUSKEL ÜBUNG SÄTZE WH
MONTAG BEINE BEINSTRECKERZ.AUFWÄRMEN 3 15-20
BEINE KNIEBEUGEN 4 8-12
BEINE BEINPRESSE 4 8-12
BEINE KNIEBEUGEMASCHINE 4 8-12
BEINE AUSFALLSCHRITTE 2 20
BEINBIZEPS LIEGEND 4 8-12
BEINBIZEPS HYPEREXTENSION 5 20
WADEN WADENHEBENSTEHEND 5 15
WADEN WADENHEBENSITZEND 5 20
DIENSTAG RÜCKEN LATZIEHEN 4 10-12
RÜCKEN T-BARRUDERN 4 8-10
RÜCKEN RUDERGERÄT 4 8-12
RÜCKEN ÜBERZÜGEAMKABEL 4 15
MITTWOCH BRUST SCHRÄGBANKDRÜCKEN 4 8-12
BRUST BUTTERFLYMASCHINE 4 8-12
BRUST KABELZUG 4 8-12
BRUST KURZHANTEL-FLIEGENDESCHRÄG 3 8-12
DONNERSTAG SCHULTER MULTIPRESSEFRONTDRÜCKEN 4 8-12
SCHULTER KH-SEITHEBENVORGEBEUGT 4 8–12
SCHULTER KH-FRONTHEBEN 4 8–12
SCHULTER BUTTERFLYREVERSE 4 10-12
BAUCH HÄNGECRUNCH 4 20-30
FREITAG BIZEPS SZ-CURLS 4 8-12
BIZEPS KH-KONZENTRATIONSCURLS 3 8-12
TRIZEPS ENGESBANKDR.MULTIPRESSE 4 8-12
TRIZEPS TRIZEPSDRÜCKENAMKABEL 3 8-12
TRIZEPS KH-ARMSTRECKENÜBERKOPF 3 8-12
WIESIEHTEINTAG
DEINERERNÄHRUNG
AUS,WENNDUNICHTIN
WETTKAMPFVORBEREITUNG
BIST?
WennichnichtinVorbereitungbinesseich
sehrabwechslungsreich.Trotzdemachteich
sehraufeinstabilesGrundgerüstanProteinen
undKohlenhydraten.Danndarfesaucheinmal
Burgersein,dennochbleibteinTeilmeines
EssensimmerPutenfleischundReis.
LIEBLINGSREZEPTIN DER VORBE
REITUNGSZEIT
PROTEINPUDDING
50gWheyProtein,Zimt,1Apfel
Zubereitung:50gWheyProteinindieMikrowelle
biseszueinerfestenMasseaufgeht.Apfelin
StückeschneidenundmitZimtverfeinern.
ImBodybuildinge.V.Walldorf zogMikefürdie
Wettkämpfe2013diehärtesteVorbereitung
seinernochjungenWettkampfkarrieredurch
MikebeiseinertäglichenEssenszubereitung
90 MUSCLE & FITNESS

bezaubernde Freundin, die mirmein Essen
gekocht hat nachdem ichvon 4 Stunden
Sport und 9 StundenArbeit nach Hause
kam, die mirjedenTag gesagt hatwie sehr
sie mich liebt, obwohl ichwährend derDiät
derungemütlichste Mensch derWeltwar.
JedenTag,von morgens bis abendswarsie
fürmich da! Und mein Coach Spiros, der
jede freie Sekunde fürmich geopfert hat um
alles perfekt zu machen!Auchwenn ich ihm
nachts um 03:00 UhrBilderschickte
wusste ich, dass ich inwenigen Minuten
Antwort und Rat erwarten konnte; denn
sein Handywarniemals aus.An dieser
Stelle auch ein herzliches Dankeschön an
seine Frau die durch jede Nachricht
gewecktwurde. Sie hat mirjedenWett-
kampf erleichtert indem sie immerin meiner
Nähewarund sich so sehrum mich
gekümmert hat! Durch diese Zeit, diewir
miteinanderverbracht haben, fühle ich mich
bei euchwie bei einerFamilie aufgehoben.
Danke auch an all meine Freunde, die mir
jedenTag guteWorte in mein Hirn geprügelt
habenwenn ich mental am Endewar. Meine
Familie, die immerhintermirsteht, meine
„bald“ Schwiegereltern die nachts durch
meine Kochorgienwach gehaltenwurden
und sich niemals beschwert haben. Danke
fürall dasVerständnis! Ohne euchwürde
ich jetzt nicht dort stehenwo ich jetzt bin.
Danke fürdiesewundervolleWettkam-
pfzeit 2013! M&F
MikemitseinerFreundin
MikeSommerfeldtotalfokussiertzu
BeginnseinerVorbereitungfür2013
Nomenestomen:„FinestinFitness“
–MikeSommerfeldsetzteseinZiel
konsequentum
EinhöchsterfolgreichesTeam:
MikemitseinerFreundinund
seinemTrainer
Mit17JahrenstarteteMikeseine
Wettkampfkarriere–miteinemSieg
92 MUSCLE & FITNESS

VV
PORTRÄT
VALERIA
AMMIRATO
VON ALBERT BUSEK
FOTOS: VALERIA AMMIRATO, FRITZ HEGEMANN, BERNHARD SCHUBER
ALS NEWCOMERIN GELINGT DER DREIFACH-SIEGERIN
EINEN FULMINANTER „BIKINI-START“!
VALERIAAMMIRATO,FOTOGRAFIERTVONFRITZHEGEMANN

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