Muscle & Fitness (February 2020)

Marcello helps you

overcome these

slumber hurdles for

a more complete

night’s rest.



B Y A N D R E W G U T M A N



GET THE

PERFECT

NIGHT’S SLEEP


According to Marcello,
there are four significant
barriers preventing you from
getting quality z’s: light, noise,
temperature, and pain. Here’s
how to conquer each.















OBSTACLE No. 1:
OU’VE ALWAYS University. He was also a recent LIGHT
KNOWN that sleep is guest on the Muscle & Fitness
beneficial to your well- podcast, Reps. “If your opponent Light is what dictates our sleep-
being because, well, it is not fatigued and you are, even wake cycle. When the sun is
makes sense—the more if you may be more talented, shining, it’s time to get up and
Y you sleep, the less tired you are going to be at a disad- move, and when it’s dark,
you feel. But how sleep impacts vantage.” it’s time to sleep.
our bodies is far more essential How much of a disadvantage? Tech devices like smartphones
and nuanced than we thought. According to a Stanford Univer- and tablets seriously screw
“New studies have catapulted sity study, 11 basketball players with this cycle, as they emit blue

sleep into this whole new level were instructed to get a mini- light, a wavelength of light that
of awareness, which many of mum of 10 hours of rest per suppresses our sleep hormone,
us thought was common sense,” night for five weeks. After five melatonin.
says Brandon Marcello, Ph.D., weeks, the athletes recorded Marcello recommends two
a high-performance specialist faster sprint times and a 9% things for this: 1) Put your phone
who has worked with Olympic increase in free throw accuracy away an hour before bed, and
and professional athletes and is and three-pointers. 2) invest in a pair of blue-light-
a former director of Sports Marcello points to another blocking glasses. “Some only
Performance at Stanford study in which 24-year-old men block about 25% of blue light,
who got five hours of sleep per though,” he says. “Look for a
night ended up with testoster- brand that offers a higher
one levels equivalent to a 40- percent of protection.”
Next, you’ll want to make sure
NEW STUDIES year-old’s after just one week. that your room is dark. “Very, O P E N E R : S H U T T E R S T O C K . T H I S PAG E : S Y LV I E T I T T E L / U N S P L A S H
It doesn’t end there. Logging
HAVE less than six hours of sleep per very dark,” Marcello says. “You

CATAPULTED night cuts your cancer-fighting don’t want any light peeking

SLEEP INTO A cells in half, lowers your libido, through your curtains, and cover
up lights from your TV with
and prevents your brain from
NEW LEVEL OF clearing itself of cellular debris. electrical tape, and make sure
AWARENESS. “Sleep doesn’t guarantee you the your alarm clock doesn’t give

best game of your life,” Marcello off too much light.”
says. “But it stacks the odds in
your favor.”



1 0 2 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

GET BETTER SLEEP

































































OBSTACLE No. 2: OBSTACLE No. 3: OBSTACLE No. 4:
NOISE TEMPERATURE PAIN



Unpredictable noise—a loud “The ideal temperature for Lastly, Marcello says that a
garbage truck rolling down the sleeping is 67 degrees Fahren- throbbing lower back or achy
street or a kitchen pot falling— heit,” Marcello says. “It’s not shoulder can be enough to
can disrupt your sleep even too hot or cold that it’ll wake disrupt an otherwise quality
if it doesn’t wake you up, someone up.” This is pretty night’s sleep. He recommends
according to Marcello. “It may straightforward advice, but finding a good physical thera-
not awaken you, but it can Marcello notes that it can be pist or chiropractor and
pull you out of deeper sleep a battle between partners who also investing in a quality
and throw off your sleep sleep in the same bed. “Some mattress. “Everything is going
architecture, and you won’t like it hot, and some like it to be individual to certain
feel as rested the next morn- cold,” he says. Buy a cooling people,” he says, “but avoid a
B E C C A S C H U LT Z / U N S P L A S H “Buy a white noise machine,” partner and play with the that handles the transfer of
pad for the cold-blooded
waterbed and find a mattress
ing.” The solution is simple:
thermostat to find a happy
Marcello says. This works
motion better.”
medium. “It doesn’t have to
because you become familiar-
ized with the dull sound, which
be 67 degrees on the dot,”
helps lock out more disturbing
Marcello notes.
and unexpected noises.






F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 0 3

THE BUILD YOUR SLEEP SANCTUARY
STRONGER B Y A D A M B I B L E

THE URGE TO Getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night is key to your fitness

SLEEP AFTER goals, be it to get leaner, to gain size and strength, or to improve

LUNCH, THE your 5K time. But to achieve sweet slumber, you need to create the
MORE SLEEP perfect bedroom for sleeping. Here’s our guide for the best sleep
gear this season to make sure your time in bed is well spent.
DEBT YOU

HAVE.








MATTRESS
COOLING PAD





PAY YOUR DEBT


Whenever you stay late at
work or watch “just one more”
episode of Law & Order, your
body keeps track of those lost
hours of sleep and accrues what
BLUE LIGHT GLASSES
Marcello calls sleep debt. If you
need eight hours and you get
only six, then you owe your

body two hours. (Marcello notes
that it’s not an exact 1-to-1 ratio
$
of hours needed to hours owed,
but it’s easier to understand.)
WEIGHTED BLANKET
The theoretical ceiling to
sleep debt is 50 hours, and it
takes a while to pay back. Also,
there’s no surefire way to tell
whether you owe your body
hours in the sack, but Marcello
PILLOW
has a trick: “If, after lunch, say
between noon and 3 p.m., you
start to nod off and need a
stimulant to stay awake—you
have a sleep debt,” he says.
“The stronger the urge, the
more debt you have, and it’s
not your lunch that makes you S Y LV I E T I T T E L / U N S P L A S H
sleepy. Studies have shown that

up to 47 dietary combinations
were not the cause of post-lunch
by S u be Sp e e. t om $ 99; pu ple.com
drowsiness, sleep debt was.”





1 0 4 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

GET BETTER SLEEP


















SLEEP AID












SLEEP HEADPHONES

























NOISE MACHINE SLEEP APPS










SHEETS
SLEEP MASK
















b






BLACKOUT CURTAINS


F


d e o ou s eep p u y u






F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 0 5

DOING THE








IMPASTA






















1 0 6 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

IMP LINGUINE WITH

N-DRIED TOMATOES


SERVES 1


o sauce 1. Mix pesto with vinegar.
negar 2. Place shrimp, pasta, kale,
, grilled tomatoes, and garlic in a
rimp serving bowl. Toss with
the pesto sauce. Enjoy
oked immediately or chill and
nguine serve later.



kale leaves
THE MACROS
tomato
493 58g 52g 9g
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS FAT
esh garlic


F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 0 7

PASTA DISHES



















SERVES 1








































































a
o
ZUCCHINI .

IS HIGH IN d

POTASSIUM, th the remain-
san.
WHICH

LOWERS ACROS

BLOOD 461 47g 48g 10g

PRESSURE. CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS FAT




1 0 8 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

SERVES 1









ace steak, broccoli,
p ay. Add broccoli and tomatoes, and pasta in a
strips tomatoes and cook about 2 serving bowl. Toss with the
Salt-free Mexican minutes, stirring occasionally. cheese sauce. Top with
seasoning 2. Sprinkle steak with Mexi- cilantro and jalapeño to taste.

Sea salt can seasoning and salt to
¼ cup natural salsa con queso taste. Add to skillet and cook
THE MACROS
(nacho cheese sauce) 1 minute per side, until pink
440 35g 58g 10g
1 cup cooked whole-wheat inside. Stir broccoli and
CALORIES PROTEIN CARBS FAT
penne pasta tomatoes until broccoli is


F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 0 9

/

PASTA DISHES





ED SHELLS &
STA CHEESE WITH

SHRIMP,
BROCCOLI&



SERVES 1 N NOT PICTURED)
SERVES 1



























r

th
ar-
rlic
rimp


milk
ly add
ransfer
add
g g g er medi-
se melts.
sparagus,
ving bowl.
heese mixture.
n.



MACROS
5g 55g 10g
OTEIN CARBS FAT












IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE TASTE OF
WHOLE-WHEAT PASTA OR CAN’T DIGEST

IT WELL, YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE QUINOA

OR RICE PASTA INTO THESE RECIPES.

THE DIFFERENCE IS MINIMAL.



R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 1 1

FIX YOUR
















DEADLIFT
















NOW





















> Rounding your back


during deadlifts doesn’t

just look ugly—it can put

you at serious risk for

injury. Here’s how to right


your deadlifting wrongs.



B Y A N D R E W H E F F E R N A N , C . S . C . S .






N THEORY, NO MOVE IS EASIER THAN THE DEADLIFT. You bend
over and pick up a loaded barbell off the floor. But experienced gym rats
know that the mechanics of the move are full of nuances that are surpris-
ingly hard to get right. One tip you hear a lot from trainers is to keep your
lower back arched throughout the lift—but the moment many lifters start
I lifting heavy weight, their lower-back arch is the first thing to go. Why this
happens is a thornier question than you might think. To answer it, we tapped
Jordan “the Muscle Doc” Shallow (themuscledoc.com), a chiropractor special-
izing in sports and performance and a sponsored powerlifter who can squat
and deadlift more than 600 pounds. Here are his top five reasons your back

goes out of whack when you pull that bar off the floor—and how to fix them.



1 1 2 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

REASON #1:



YOU’RE WORRIED


ABOUT THE WRONG



PART OF YOUR BACK





our problem might not
be a problem at all, says
Shallow. The area of
concern is the lumbar
Yspine—between your
rib cage and your pelvis.
Rounding the thoracic spine
or upper-back area—which
extends from the base of your
neck to the bottom of your rib
cage—is far less problematic.
“The thoracic spine is sup-
ported by your ribs,” Shallow
says. “Many of the strongest
deadlifters in the world round
there.” (For proof, pull up
videos of the late Russian
powerlifter Konstantin
Konstantinov.)
The upper back isn’t immune
to injury, of course, but round-
ing it forward on the deadlift
doesn’t usually cause prob-
lems. Focus on the lower back

instead. If it bows out at any
point in the lift, you may be
setting yourself up for injury.
To fix that, read on.



































M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 1 3
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

R E A S O N # 2 :



YOUR LATS


ARE WEAK





  ost lifters rightly

think of the deadlift
as a hamstring and
glute builder, which
it is. But just as
important a player for proper
execution of the lift are your
lats—those slabs of sinew on
the sides of your upper back.
Prime movers in exercises
like rows and pulldowns, the
lats also serve another es-
sential function: “They help
stabilize the spine,” Shallow
says. If your lats are weak, he
explains, your spine is likely
to round forward when you




the classic pullup: “If you can’t
do one rep with your body
weight, then your lats aren’t
strong enough to deadlift,”

Shallow adds.
Another lat builder that
Shallow recommends is the
rope straight-arm pullover.
Place a bench with one end
near a low-pulley machine,


cable. Lie on your back with


the rope, and extend your


chest. Keeping your arms


upper arms until they’re near


the move, keeping your


throughout the move.








1 1 4 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

FIX YOUR DEADLIFT









R E A S O N # 3 : lower back extended and your
trunk stable while you pull big
weights off the floor.
YOUR CORE IS To fix the problem, Shallow IF YOU CAN’T


UNSTABLE recommends three different DO A PULLUP,
types of core movement—one
THEN YOUR
for each of the three primary
planes of movement: LATS AREN’T
he main function of the 1. One move in which you STRONG
core—the group of resist extension, which works ENOUGH TO
muscles that surround the core on the sagittal (front-
the front, back, and to-back) plane. Example: ab DEADLIFT.
 T sides of your waist—is to wheel rollout.
prevent unwanted motion in 2. One in which you resist side
your spine during everyday bending, which emphasizes
and athletic movement. core activation in the frontal
So if your lower back rounds (side-to-side) plane. Example:
when you deadlift, core weak- side plank variations.
ness is a prime suspect. The 3. Finally, one in which you
muscles in your abdomen, resist twisting, which teaches
lower back, and the sides of the core to stabilize in the
your trunk are very likely not transverse (rotational) plane.
up to the task of keeping your Example: single-leg deadlift.





























O P E N E R : E D G A R A RT I G A . T H I S S P R E A D : P E R B E R N A L .





























F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 1 5

FIX YOUR DEADLIFT




























































it means the outside of their Your feet will roll slightly out-
R E A S O N # 4 :
legs.” The actual hip joint, ward, toward your pinkie toes.
Shallow says, is several inches Many lifters also don’t know
YOUR TECHNIQUE closer to your midline. So if how to hinge properly, he

adds, which causes their lower
you struggle with losing prop-
STINKS er form in the move, experi- backs to round whenever

ment with a narrower stance, they bend at the hips. “You can
which creates a straighter address that problem using a
on’t let the simplicity line of pull off the floor. While dowel,” he says: Hold the stick
of the deadlift fool you’re at it, Shallow adds, vertically against your spine—
you—the technique is activate your arches: “Grip the one hand holding it against
tough to get. floor with your feet,” he says. your lower back, the other
  D The deadlift is a subtle holding the stick near your
move, requiring careful atten- neck. Unlock your knees and
tion to a handful of details. fold forward: Your tailbone, up-
That’s one reason many life- per back, and the back of your
time powerlifters set personal MANAGING head should remain in contact
records decades into their FATIGUE IS with the dowel the whole time.
training: It takes them that THE KEY TO If it does, you’re good to
long to perfect their form. deadlift—lightly at first, mak-
Some of the highest-payoff PERFORMING ing sure you maintain the E D G A R A RT I G A . O P P O S I T E : P E R B E R N A L
technique tips, Shallow says, BETTER IN same form with weight in your
are proper stance and correct THE GYM. hands. If you lose the points of
hip action. “Most people don’t contact with the dowel, then
understand what hip width lay off deadlifting until you

means,” he says. “They think can complete this drill.



1 1 6 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

R E A S O N # 5 :




YOU’RE TIRED





inally, if everything
else is dialed in—your
technique is on-point,

your core is stable, and
  F your lats are strong—
you might simply be...tired.
And this fatigue can put
the brakes on your deadlift.
If you’ve ever been forced
to take some time off from
the gym, you may notice
you return stronger. That’s
because a tired muscle is not
as useful as a rested one.
“Managing fatigue is key
to performance in the gym,”
says Shallow. “Especially on
the deadlift.” Even if you do
the lift once a week, you still
may burn out, he says, espe-
cially if the rest of your train-
ing for the week contains
lower-back heavy moves
like squats, Romanian dead-
lifts, and good mornings.
So, if all else fails, look
at your program. If your
lower back doesn’t ever get

a break, cut all such moves
from the rotation for two
weeks, then return to a
program that’s lower-back
heavy no more than one to
two times per week. You’ll
get stronger, and your back
will love you for it.



























M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 1 7

> Your diet and workout may be on point,

but the filthy habits you haven’t changed

since high school may be sabotaging other

areas of your health. We’re here to fix and

eliminate some disgusting traits.





































































































1 1 8 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 1 9

FREE WEIGHTS
HAVE 362

TIMES MORE

GERMS THAN

THE AVERAGE
TOILET SEAT.









/

FIX YOURSELF






AVOID THE GRIND



IF YOU’RE A NIGHTTIME teeth
grinder, you may also be clenching

those pearly whites when you’re
trying to set a new squat PR.
“Research shows that three times
the amount of force is used grind-
ing during the day versus the
evening,” explains Inna Chern,
D.D.S., an NYC-based dentist. Over
Chalk may leave the gym a mess;
not wiping your sweaty bench time, this can lead to issues like
can leave the next guys sick. jaw disorders (temporomandibular
disorders or TMD), headaches,
even damaged or worn-down teeth.
If you happen to catch yourself
KEEPING YOUR BODY in the mirror biting down midlift,
OUT OF HARM’S WAY Chern says to consider trying a soft

appliance mouth guard. “Even one
from a pharmacy is totally fine to
IF YOU DON’T THINK TWICE ment. “Use them,” says Pete wear during a workout.”
about keeping germs at bay in Van Zile, principal scientist at Mouth breathers (we’re looking at
the gym, here’s something that GlaxoSmithKline consumer you, runners and cardio junkies),
may make you reconsider. In health care, “especially during listen up: “When you breathe
late 2017, fitness equipment cold and flu season. Viruses can mostly through your mouth, your
review website Fitrated teamed live on surfaces hours after an salivary flow goes down, similar to
up with EmLab P&K for a study infected person touches them.” dry mouth, which can increase the

on how much bacteria is found Avoid touching your hands risk of cavities and plaque buildup,”
on gym equipment. to your eyes, nose, and mouth explains Chern. A quick fix: Try
The results are nasty. The mid-workout, and wash your lowering your workout intensity to
experiment found that free hands immediately after you accommodate closing your mouth
weights have 362 times more finish your session. and breathing through your nose.
germs, treadmills 74 times Another sneakily germ-
more, and exercise bikes carry filled culprit: your cellphone.
Your lifts may
more than 39 times the amount “Chances are you put your be increasing,
but the grind
of bacteria you’ll find on an phone on the floor, or on a
may literally
average toilet seat. bench, or on another piece of be shrinking
your teeth’s
“Before joining a gym, you possibly dirty equipment,” enamel.
may want to ask about its explains Elliott. “You might
cleaning practices to ensure wipe down machinery but not
things are being wiped down the phone that was on that
O P E N E R A N D T H I S S P R E A D : S H U T T E R S T O C K
with bleach-based products on sweaty, germy surface.”
the regular,” explains Tania Be sure to wash your face
Elliott, M.D., clinical instructor before your workout, but despite
at NYU School of Medicine. the urge, avoid using moisturiz-
“All-natural products may not er. “If you use moisturizer, when

be the best in this situation.” you go to wipe away your sweat,
But don’t completely rely you may be pushing residue in
entirely on the staff. Most that will clog your pores and
studios and commercial gyms cause acne,” Heslin says. Mois-
have wipes readily available for turize post-workout after you
members to wipe down equip- cleanse your face again.


F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 2 1

SUDSING UP

YOUR SCALP


IS WASHING YOUR HAIR after
every workout a necessity or
more based on personal prefer-

ence? “It’s not necessary to
shampoo it every single time, but
if you find you are drenched in
sweat, like after a cardio work-
out, then it might make you feel
cleaner,” explains George Papani-
kolas, an L.A.-based celebrity
hairdresser and master hair
stylist for Matrix. In fact, washing
your hair too frequently could
have some negative effects. “It’s
not that it’s necessarily bad, but
washing every day strips the hair
of its natural oils, which could
actually dry out your scalp and
cause it to produce more oil,
making your hair greasier much
quicker,” Papanikolas explains.
“If you find your hair is really
greasy, it may seem counterintui-
tive to not wash it every day, but
it allows your scalp to have more YOUR POST-WORKOUT
of a balance.” FRESHEN-UP ROUTINE





TO SHOWER OR NOT to shower, when you can to reduce the risk
that is the question. “The longer of spreading infection.
sweat, oils, and stuff stay on your “Think of it like riding the
skin, the more chance you’ll have subway or public transporta-
of getting fungal infections, tion—we don’t always sweat, but
rashes, and acne, so it’s best if you’re touching the poles and
to shower right away after a handrails, you want to wash
workout,” explains Amanda your hands because so many
Doyle, M.D., a dermatologist at people come into contact with
New York’s Russak Dermatology. the same space,” she says.
If you’re not doing a heavy No matter when you choose to
workout, and there isn’t much shower, be sure to get out of your
perspiration or sweat, you can wet, sweat-drenched clothing
delay the shower and use an right away. “You can develop
antibacterial cleansing wipe in rashes or acne from pores getting

the interim. clogged if you stay in your damp
Just be sure you test the wipe gym clothes,” Heslin says. Jock
first on a small section of your itch, which is a fungus on the
body to check whether it’s skin in the groin area, is another S H U T T E R S T O C K
compatible with your skin, possible result if you stay in
suggests Doyle, and still shower those nasty workout shorts.



1 2 2 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

FIX YOURSELF






AIRING YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY SELF-CARE LAUNDRY LIST



ATTENTION, all hat wearers! it’s probably best not to wear
When was the last time you them for more than one work-

washed that baseball cap that’s out without a good washing.
seen its share of sweaty work- “We do have natural oils on our
outs? If you’re noticing acne body, and wearing the same
around your hat line, you may clothing will increase the risk of
have found your culprit. “No breakouts and infections,”
one is going to wash their hat Doyle explains. Plus, that gear
after every run, but if your hat comes in contact with other
has a cotton insert pad, wipe people’s germs, too, so while
that down with alcohol, and you may not have sweat a lot in
wash your face before you put that hoodie, it’s possible you
on the hat, so your skin is clean wore it on a machine where
and your pores won’t get another person got sweaty and
clogged,” explains Heslin. spread his or her germs. “Use
And, while you’re at it, even antibacterial spray and wash
though some of your gym your athletic wear frequently,”
clothes may pass the sniff test, says Doyle.

























































S H U T T E R S T O C K









F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 2 3

DO

TWIST
THE


























> Improve your speed, power, and mobility with this workout

from NBA trainer and Beachbody trainer Amoila Cesar.






























C O R E F O C U S

R O TAT I O N R O U T I N E


DIRECTIONS:





E X E R C I S E S E T S R E P S

3









3


3







is a Beachbody trainer
and transformation 3
specialist.



/

ROTATIONAL CORE MOVES




















































































































Shot on location at Coast Fitness, Hawthorne, CA
1 2 6 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

1. HANGING
BENT-KNEE WIPER


Q Hang from a bar with an
overhand grip that’s slightly

wider than shoulder width.
Q Bend your knees 90
degrees and raise them to
waist height.
Q Rotate your hips as you
dip your knees from side to
side in an arc (like a wind-
shield wiper).
Q Each sideways dip is 1 rep.






2. DYNAMIC PLANK TAP


Q Assume a pushup
position (body straight
from head to heels), but
with your weight on your
forearms instead of your
hands. Your elbows should
be directly beneath your
shoulders, and your fore-
arms should be parallel.
Q Without rounding your
back, raise your right foot

and rotate your hips as
you draw your right knee
forward diagonally under
your body, tapping it with
your left hand.
Q Return to the starting
position and repeat, this
time tapping your left knee
with your right hand.

































F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 2 7

ROTATIONAL CORE MOVES




3. CORKSCREW (not shown)

Q Lie on your back with
your legs together and your
arms on the ground by your

sides. Raise your legs so that
they’re perpendicular to
the ground.
Q Keeping your head and
shoulders on the ground,
raise your hips and twist
them to the right so that
your legs rotate in the
same direction.
Q Return to the starting A
position and repeat, this
time twisting your hips
to the left.
Q Continue alternating sides.






4. CLIMBER COMPLEX


Q Assume a pushup
position with your
arms straight, your
hands in line with your
shoulders, and your
body straight from

head to heels.
Q Raise your right foot
and draw your right
knee directly toward
your chest.
Q Without letting your C
toes touch the ground,
bring your right knee
to your left elbow and
then to the outside of
your right elbow.
Q Return to the starting
position.
Q Continue for 30 sec-
onds and then repeat
on the other side. (For
an added challenge,
don’t let your raised
foot touch the ground

until the 30 seconds for
that side are up.)







E
1 2 8 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

B










































D






































F

ROTATIONAL CORE MOVES



5. ROTATIONAL LANDMINE


Q Stand with your feet outside of your left hip. As
shoulder-width apart, hips you swing the dumbbell
back, and knees slightly up, squeeze your glutes,

bent, holding a dumbbell straighten your knees, and
in both hands beside your thrust your hips forward.
right hip. As you swing it down, push
Q Keeping your core your hips back and bend
engaged and arms straight, your knees slightly.
swing the dumbbell up to Q Repeat, this time swing-
shoulder height in front ing the dumbbell from left
of you, then down to the to right.























































































1 3 0 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

6. REVERSE LUNGE WITH DUMBBELL ROTATION


Q Stand with your feet Q At the bottom of the
about hip-width apart movement, keep your
and hold a dumbbell by back rigid and twist the

the top with both hands dumbbell over your
under your chin. right leg. Turn back to
Q Keep your back straight the center, press the right
while stepping backward foot into the ground, and
with your left foot and step the left leg forward
lowering the left knee to return to the original
almost to the ground. starting position.
























































































F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 3 1

YOU SUPPLIED THE QUESTIONS, WE FOUND THE ANSWERS


A WINTER







THRILL





From heart-fluttering

Valentine’s decadence to a































































































1 3 2 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

When it’s cold, I like


to stretch more. But is


there such a thing as


stretching too much
Is it true that
during a workout? tart cherries

are great for
improving
sleep? And
what season

Yes, there is! Static done by moving the body part is best for
stretching, which is several times through a range finding and
when you hold a of motion. This creates blood buying the
muscle in a sustained flow and lubricates and warms super fruit?
A position for a period of up the muscles, tendons,
time, can do more harm than and joints. The emphasis of
good. If you’re tight, in pain, or static stretching should be
not properly warmed up, performed at the end of your
you’re almost certain to end full exercise regimen. According to a study
up pulling or straining some- published in the Journal
thing. Also, if something feels KAREN JOUBERT, P.T., A of European Nutrition, the
tight or hurts, start your cherry juice group is high in
is a physical therapist in Beverly
workout by doing some melatonin. There were increas-
Hills: @dr.karenjoubert.
dynamic stretching. This is es in total sleep time and sleep
efficiency with cherry juice
supplementation. The study
concluded that consuming a
concentrate of tart cherry juice
helps increase melatonin, which
improves sleep duration and

quality in healthy men and
I use the same cream to shave both women. While tart cherries are a
my face and chest. Is that OK? And is summer fruit, you can enjoy
there a difference between men’s and them this winter and year-round
women’s shaving cream? frozen, dried, or as a juice.









We recommend using a gel and use a razor. As far as
shave gel or cream—they the difference in men’s and
A provide lubrication women’s creams? Women’s
between your skin and your may have more fragrances
razor to reduce skin irritation. and may have added moistur-
This will yield a closer and izers for smoother legs.
smoother shave for your body RITCH VIOLA TO TRY
S H U T T E R S T O C K a really hairy chest to smooth, is the founder of Everyman Jack: tart cherry juice, go to cherrish.net.
and face. One tip: If going from


use clippers first to reduce
@everymanjack.
hair length, then apply a shave


1 3 3
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

A S K








I forgot to
prepare for
Valentine’s Day
last year. What’s

a quick dessert
in case I screw
up again?








If you’re in
a bind, try
A this
guilt-free
chocolate-
cinnamon fruit
salad. It can be
whipped up in


also a fun and
romantic way to make
dessert together. Plus,
fruits around Valentine’s
can be romantic.


YOU’LL NEED
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp thick honey
2 scoops chocolate
protein powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp liquid vanilla

extract Even if it’s cold outside, I feel like I
1 cup mixed berries get better workouts outdoors. Is
(raspberries, straw- that possible?
berries, blueberries, or
blackberries)
¼ cup almond slivers


DIRECTIONS It’s not just you. Nature thought patterns about them-
Q In a bowl, mix yogurt, has a powerful effect on selves. Working out in green
honey, protein powder, A the brain, reducing a space can up your game by
cinnamon, and vanilla. specific kind of stress and allowing workout-induced
Q Add berries, then gently depression-related activity in endorphins to take the lead.
mix with yogurt. the prefrontal cortex called So a few outdoor workouts
Q Sprinkle almonds on top rumination. A study revealed into your gym routine can give
and serve. that participants who exer- you a natural energy boost.
cised in a natural environ-

ARRON SAIN ment showed reduced neural ANDREA MARCELLUS
activity in the prefrontal
is the chef for NFL All-Pro is the author of The Way In: S H U T T E R S T O C K
Aaron Donald: @arron_sain. cortex and reported a lower- @andrea_marcellus.
ing of repetitive negative


1 3 4 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0



1 52 BACK TO BASICS
1 5 6 ON THE RISE
1 5 8 5 TIPS
16 2 FLEX 101

16 4 PROFILE
16 6 FLEXPIRATION
16 8 RETRO
1 9 8 NPC MONTHLY
2 0 0 ASKED AND
ANSWERED













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ROAD TO NOWHERE

Born Feb. 2, 1970, Günter
Schlierkamp grew up on a farm
in Germany. When he was 12
Günter. and saw Conan the Barbarian,

he realized there were physically

superior beings among us called
bodybuilders. At 16, he was
finally allowed to join a gym, and
his farm-trained 6'1" frame filled
Turns. out quickly. A few years later, he

won the heavyweight classes
of the German, European, and
World Championships. The
G-man finished a shocking sec-
ond in a show behind only Ronnie
Coleman in 1995, his second pro
year. Soon thereafter, like his
idol, Arnold Schwarzenegger, he
moved to Southern California.
Then came a lot of nothing. In
24 pro shows from 1996–2001,
Schlierkamp finished in the
money only three times, and
even then just barely. Some
years he received a special invite
to compete in the Mr. Olympia.
Other pros grumbled about it,
but in the end it didn’t matter
much because he always left
on a proverbial slab, gored

through the heart. Bodybuild-
ing’s sacrificial lamb was 15th
in the 2001 Olympia. He was
huge but not huge enough. He
had a fitness-model face, but
As Günter HE WON ONLY ONE PRO his blocky physique was likened

Schlierkamp turns show, but what a show it was. In to a Frigidaire. And his detailing

the big 5-0 on Feb. 2, a career that spanned 13 years failed to wow. The genial, giant
German was perpetually smiling,
and 39 contests, Günter Schlier-
we celebrate the kamp made the top three only so we assumed he was content
German giant’s three times. It’s been close to to place low and coast on his
two decades since he last com-
Weider contract. There he was
milestone by peted, and he might have faded again, beaming at us from yet
revisiting his into history if not for the fact that another magazine cover.

preparation for his his victory hit bodybuilding like In fact, Schlierkamp hated the
lone IFBB Pro League a tornado. Somehow, someway, losses. Eight pro years and not
a single title, and all the while
he conquered Ronnie Coleman
win, still considered in the middle of the king’s record he toiled daily in Gold’s Gym in

the greatest upset in run of eight Olympia wins. As Venice, CA, where Flex Wheeler,
Schlierkamp turns 50, we ex-
Chris Cormier, and other Conan-
the sport’s history. plain how Güntermania won’t like conquerors were trained
B Y M & F E D I T O R S be forgotten. by Charles Glass. They were


F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 1 4 3

FLEX_GÜNTERS GUIDE











the cool kids. He was the loner,
the foreign exchange student,
never invited to the best party. It
gnawed at his guts. Had he come

so far from that Teutonic farm to
go zero for 24? Would he retire
never having fulfilled his poten-
tial? He was stuck. He needed a
change—a big change.


GLASSWORK


A former collegiate gymnast,
Charles Glass won the middle-
weight class of the 1983 NPC
Nationals and IFBB World Cham-
pionships. Like Schlierkamp, he
shuffled through a middling IFBB
Pro League career. He was noted
for his pec and delt density and
razored abs, but he was cursed
with narrowness. His highest
finish was a fourth in the 1995
Masters Olympia. By then, he
was already muscledom’s most
celebrated trainer.
Glass, a mainstay in Gold’s
Venice since 1978, has seen a
lot of pro bodybuilders come

and go. Few of them had the
untapped everything of Schlier-
kamp. “When I first met Günter
in Gold’s years ago, I thought,
‘Damn, that guy’s got a lot of po-
tential to go places,’ ” Glass says.
“But for years he thought I didn’t
want to train him, and I thought
he didn’t want my help.” After GÜNTERMANIA phenomenon known as Günter-
his 15th in the 2001 Olympia, mania had taken hold of the body-
Schlierkamp sheepishly asked During the three weeks between building world, but Mr. Olympia
Glass if he could train him. Glass Schlierkamp’s improbable wouldn’t get punked in some new
enthusiastically agreed, and af- fifth-place finish at the 2002 contest in New Orleans. Before
ter consulting judges, he zeroed Olympia—where he received a and after the workout, I joked with
in on three areas his new trainee standing ovation from a crowd Schlierkamp about beating Cole-
most needed to improve: upper that felt he deserved to contend man in the SOS, but he dismissed
pecs, delts, and back thickness. for the title—and his unfathom- the possibility. Not gonna happen.
The duo began a 12-month able victory over the reigning He wouldn’t even allow himself

journey to turn those weak- Mr. O at the Show of Strength, I to dream so big. Instead, he was
nesses into strengths. Neither trained with Schlierkamp under aiming for another loss. But if he
man could have predicted how Glass’ tutelage. At the time, it could rise to second in a rematch
well they would succeed. didn’t seem momentous. Yes, the against three of the four men who



1 4 4 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0



FLEX_GÜNTERS GUIDE


























































DAMN, THAT
GUY’S GOT

A LOT OF

POTENTIAL TO
GO PLACES.









What follows are the biggest
changes Glass made in Schlier-
kamp’s training to transform him
from an also-ran in ’01 to the
would beat him at the Olympia, fly up to the ceiling.” man many thought should have
that loss would feel like a victory. Never mind that he never won won the Sandow in ’02. Günter-
So then what would an actual again or that he never cracked mania lives.
victory feel like? When the mas- the Olympia top three. He was A L L P H O T O G R A P H S B Y R O B E RT R E I F F/ C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S
ter of ceremonies said, “History in the Olympia top six the BELT UP
is made here tonight,” Schlier- ensuing three years. In 2006,
kamp’s legs went limp. Almost he slipped to a still respectable Little-known fact: Charles Glass
fainting, he collapsed. He knelt 10th. He never announced his always wears a training belt. OK,
on the stage, striking it with his retirement, but don’t expect maybe not when he’s sleeping
fist, as if to convince himself it Schlierkamp to ever pull a or showering. But all day long in

was material and not a dream. Kevin Levrone. He has moved Gold’s Venice, under his sweat-
He cried. “It just came out of me,” on. Today he and his wife, Kim shirt—and he always wears a
he says. “I didn’t want to stand. I Lyons, own Bionic Body, a holis- sweatshirt—he has a weight
didn’t want to sit. I just wanted to tic gym in Hermosa Beach, CA. belt cinched up. In part, this is



1 4 6 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0