PREVIOUS
NEWS!

My Steroid Follies
Some one the other day asked me if I had ever contemplated using steroids? Yeah, every time I watch the Ronnie DVD. But seriously, yes I have, to the point of holding a loaded syringe in my hand.

My story starts 10 years ago just after I had purchased Australian Muscle. I felt that I had to put on some serious size to look credible in this industry. I did my research on the net and by talking to a lot of people, but my major break through came when I enlisted the help of someone in the know to get me started. I put my trust in him by getting him to fully draw up my first cycle of anabolic steroids. I was prepared to do and take everything he suggested even though I really had no idea about what I was doing.

The cycle was organised, a price was agreed to, and I paid him up front. My first cycle was couriered to the shop (thinking back now, how stupid was that) in a small brown package. There it was in my quivering hands, a full 16 week cycle of the "gear", along with syringes, alcohol swabs, detailed instructions on what to take, when to take it, and how much to take. I couldn't wait to get home and get started. But first I needed to research about injecting and injection sites. The more I researched, the more nervous I became, but still resolute to go ahead. Injecting, especially self injecting steroids can be a complicated process. There's risk of hitting a nerve (extremely painful from what I've heard), or injecting into a vein (which can be fatal), and the potential of developing painful pus oozing abcesses. Still I was determined to go ahead.

I had discussed this with my wife before going ahead. Let me tell you, my wife was against me using steroids, but accepted that it was my decision. I decided not to tell her. I know a lot of people that deny any steroid usage to their spouses. Someone I know actually invited their whole family over to a BBQ and then dropped the steroid use bombshell to them all over lunch, imagine how that went? He did that because he did not want to lie to them, but there's no way I'd be able to do that.

That night I stood in my bathroom with a loaded syringe in my hand, pants around my ankle, and a texta mark on my arse, ready to go to the next step in my bodybuilding endeavours, when I looked in the mirror and saw a hypocrite. I would have to lie to my family, my friends, and my customers. How would I explain my potential muscle increase.....creatine? As for bodybuilding competitions? I knew I didn't have the genetic potential to be Mr Australia, let alone Mr SA. What was the point? 

That same night I poured hundreds of dollars worth of steroids down the sink and joined my wife in the lounge. As corny as all this sounds, it's absolutely the truth.

"I haven't got time to eat!"
Do you go to the toilet throughout the day? Do you smoke? How many cups of coffee do you drink?
Well in all these instances you could have eaten, or at the very least had a protein shake.
Even the "I cant put on any weight" speech, by the time it took you to stand there and rattle that off you could have been eating food.
Some tips on maximizing your time, go to coles and buy glad sandwich bags, take the time to fill them with protein powder, make a whole heap of them and take them with you where ever you go, just add them to a bottle of water, presto….. EASY. Also I go the Woolies at 8:45 pm, they usually clear out roast chickens sometimes for as little a $3:00ea. I'll buy 2-3 and feed off them for a couple of days. Another thing I used to do when I was on the road. I had a couple of shakers with a serve of protein in them, and just bought water or milk to add to them during the day.
Another tip, add calcium casineinate to a night time shake, good mass builder. And consume your protein powder even on days off, this is just as, if not more important.
There's no reason why you can't implement any of these tips, just excuses.

   INBA News

Human Growth Hormone Detectable 
The World Anti Doping Agency who took over the role of the IOC as the Body responsible for the drug testing is on the verge of releasing information that Human Growth Hormone is detectable. 
The precise time the testing will commence has not been released, to act as a deterrent. However, athlete samples since the Athens Olympics are been kept for the purpose of testing for Growth Hormone. At next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Human Growth Hormone has already been included as a test. Initially testing is conducted from blood samples. However, once laboratories can fingerprint a drug in blood they quickly formulate the knowledge to detect the chemical in urine. At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the detection of EPO in blood was herald as one of the most significant discoveries in drug detection, yet by the 2004 Athens Olympics, it was a just another drug analysed in a urine test. 

Drug Detection 
Many people have questioned the number of athletes failing drug tests lately. The 2004 Athens Olympic games had the highest number ever of athletes return positive drug tests – over 30 adverse tests. Are more athletes cheating now? Research indicates the opposite – more are getting caught. At every Olympics the gap between cheating and detection narrows significantly. 
One aspect many athletes don't consider is the massive amount of money and research poured every year into drug detection. Consider this: the INBA pay about $800 a test. How many tests are been conducted by hundreds of Countries on their Olympic athletes every year? ASDA alone conducted 1,644 tests on Australian Olympic athletes in 8 months leading up to the Olympic Games. How many other sports and groups like the INBA pay-per-service for drug testing? What about Countries who drug test their massive police forces and military personnel? Can you imagine the many millions of drug tests conducted every year? Now you can imagine how much money is involved in drug detection. It's a multi-billion dollar industry. It's one very serious business and one that evolves rapidly. 
Every year WADA spend US$7 Million on research to improve detection of steroids in urine. The new detection methodologies and improve analytical techniques greatly enhance the ability of the INBA to deter cheats from entering our events. INBA drug-free members should look at the latest drug test figures with more confidence than ever before. 
And at the end of the day, Bodybuilding should be the most honest sport in the world. Natural bodybuilding shouldn't be about "catching the cheats", competing in Natural bodybuilding should not be about "passing the test" because as a sport, bodybuilding has organizations that do not drug test. There is an open road for those in this sport who want to use chemicals to assist their goals. And, we have a united sport; the majority of bodybuilders on both sides of the "Vitamin S" fence have admiration for each other. In fact, it is my experience that non-naturals despise those who cheat, as much if not more, than the Naturals. So why cheat in Natural bodybuilding? 

ASDA to name Names 
ASDA Chief Executive, John Mendoza, has announced that changes to ASDA legislation passed by the Senate will allow ASDA after July 30, 2004 to publicly name athletes who produce a valid drug infraction. "This will allow greater transparency and provide another deterrent to individuals who break their sports anti-doping rules." He said. - ADSA December 2004 Newsletter 

For more INBA News vist www.inba.com.au

2005 Ironman Pro March 19th
Bravo Badell by Team Flex
As the day's prejudging callouts indicated, Gustavo Badell was indeed the judges' favorite at the 2005 Ironman Pro. The Brazil native was dramatically larger than he was even at this past October's Olympia, thanks in large part to the instruction of his mentor, friend and "brother" Milos Sarcev. Badell and Sarcev both assured that, despite his excellent conditioning at this show, he'll be considerably sharper at the Arnold. 
For the second year in a row Lee Priest played the role of bridesmaid despite achieving a condition that was right up there with his best. Priest's posing routine was suitably dramatic and surprisingly graceful and his Sergioesque victory pose remains jaw-dropping. 
Troy Alves took third despite being Team FLEX's pick for overall honors. While Alves wasn't the biggest guy in the show he may have had the best shape and was probably the best conditioned. After promising to nail his condition for the past two years Alves finally delivered on his promise in a big way. 
Dynamic Marvelous Melvin Anthony copped fourth place with a physique marked by impossibly tiny joints and full muscle bellies. If he were to nail his conditioning Melvin could make things very easy for IFBB judges. As it was, he thrilled the crowd like no other athlete tonight and was awarded the Vince Gironda posing award and $1000 for his efforts. 
King Kamali is finally beginning to fulfill his potential, bringing his legs up and presenting better conditioning than we've seen from him in many a show. 
Craig Titus showed his extreme displeasure with his sixth place finish by dropping to his knees and then storming offstage. 
Most in attendance felt David Henry was placed several spots too low in seventh. He had arguably the best back in the entire show and a waistline most women would envy. Great shape and fullness. 
Boos resounded as Mark Dugdale was announced in eighth. His legs were unbelievably developed and defined, quite possibly the best in the contest and his upper body wasn't too far behind. Team FLEX had him in the top five. 
Mike Morris is another with mighty impressive legs. His quads trump even Dugdale's. A better taper would surely move him up a few notches in future shows. 
Rounding out the top ten was Idrise Ward El. Despite various muscle tears Idrise displayed a big, showy physique that doesn't fail to impress. 
Albert Busek was presented with the Artie Zeller Commemorative Award for his contribution to bodybuilding photography. Jim Lorimer was given the Peary and Mabel Rader Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as one of bodybuilding's greatest promoters, a talent he'll soon be displaying in Columbus. 
Congratulations to Gustavo Badell, whose future is as bright as any's in our great sport and to John Balik and his entire Ironman Pro team for another job well done! 

Lee Priest's 2nd place is a great boost for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 20th. Troy Alves and Chris Cormier will also headline this years show. 

Gustavo Badell 1st, Lee Priest 2nd

Troy Alves 3rd, 275lb Heiko Kallbach 15th

Check out more pictures at www.flexonline.com

2005 IRONMAN PRO Final Results 
1. Gustavo Badell
2. Lee Priest
3. Troy Alves
4. Melvin Anthony
5. King Kamali
6. Craig Titus
7. David Henry
8. Mark Dugdale
9. Mike Morris
10. Idrise Ward El
11. JoJo Ntiforo
12. Rusty Jeffers
13. Eduard Van Amsterdam
14. Frank Roberson
15. Heiko Kallbach
16. Jimmy Canyon
17. Youssef El Zein
17. Derik Farnsworth
17. Christian Lobarede
17. Francesco Mazuato
17. Jocelyn Pelletier 
17. Massimo Valli
17. Hidetada Yamagishi

Jocelyn Pelletier (the white, puny guy). How the hell did this guy get his pro card?

Letters To The Editor

Letter Of The Month

Hey Buddy-
How are you-
Hope all is good for aussie muscle, you and your family-
Thanks for the latest issue ...even though there are heaps of bb sites on the net, I always look forward to getting your newsletter....it is one of the few out there that isn't a pimp for the supplement industry, and gives your readers the real deal on bb, and more importantly, points out the BS that is constantly put out to novices to take advantage of their inexperience and passion coz they know the'll swallow it....

I've been hitting the weights for over 20 years now, and with all the "advancements" and "cutting edge training and supplement" programs, I've found the same thing you hammer home in your newsletter...consistent heavy training, consistent proper nutrition, and consistent rest, and you will consistently grow...

My routine hasn't changed in 15 years (since I stopped powerlifting)...I follow the Dorian Yates split Day 1; Chest and Bi's, Day 2: Legs, Day 3 REST, Day 4: Delts/Tri's, Day 5: Back, Day 6: REST (though I usually do "Truck Pushes that day....3 to 4 times pushing my truck up a slight incline for about 100 meters...talk about an ass-kicking workout), then on day 7, start the split all over again, unless I think I need another day of rest...-

Keep my sets and reps fairly low (Back/Chest/Legs 10 - 12 worksets, reps in the 5 - 8 range, basic movements, no foo-foo exercises)...for Delts,/Bi's/Tri's, 6 - 8 worksets, reps in the 6 - 10 range- 

As far as nutrition, no suprises here either...250 grams of protein per day, and regulate my carbs and fat depending on how I feel and whether I want to be more cut or not...I'm 6' 1 ", weigh 220, and am at a consistent 8% Body Fat (had it measured last week in a tank)...not too bad for a 48 year old drug free lifter (though I do supplement with Creatine, Glutamine, and Ephedrine (stocked up before our govt decided it was "Dangerous" and banned it....freakin unbelievable)

It never ceases to amaze me when I walk into the gym and there'a a fella doing bi's, and an hour later, when I've finished blasting my chest, back, or legs, and the guy is STILL doing bi's !! And a year goes by, and the guy is STILL using the same low weight and is still small and skinny....you wonder if they will EVER catch on !

Hey check this out, the other day a fella comes up to me at work and says, "I just met your wife at the Pete gym"...I say "Are you sure, my wife doesn't train there" ....and he says this girl is like 5' 3" and built like a national level competitor and is australian"....I'm like "Hmmmm, I guess that was Naomi"....so I get home and ask her if she trained in the Pete gym that day and she say's no....so I'm like "What are the chances of TWO National Level Australian woman BB's in the same town" ?....Anyway, a few weeks later I am training in the Pete gym and this girl comes up to me to ask if she can use the machine I'm on and she is BULIT, and is an Aussie....so I say, "you must be the girl everyone thinks is my wife"....I explained the whole story to her, that Naomi was my wife and won the SABBA Adelaide contest a few years back and is now ranked over here....she had a good laugh and introduced herself...her name was Leanne Adams...she is from Queensland and said she used to train with Christine Envall and won the Ms Olympia natural contest...have you ever heard of her ? She seemed very nice, maybe her and Naomi will hook up-

That's about all for now my friend....we miss you (and we miss OZ too) Keep up the good work...your articles and advice are a source of sanity in a wilderness of idiots.....You are helping to guide folks to success in our sport by telling them the TRUTH instead of blowing smoke up their asses to try products that don't work...your integrity is something that the other publications don't have and never will....

V/R
Steve 

Editor: Hey Steve, I miss you guys as well, especially the coffee you bought me when you visited. I think I know who you are talking about, except I knew her as Leanne Allen. She was married to an American and said she was going back to the US. Let me know if it was her. I've attached a picture below. If it's the same, girl she won the INBA OZ and Natural Olympia

A customer once asked me why protein powders have a warning on them regarding suitability for children and pregnant women. Thanks to Nutra Life Health and Fitness, here is the answer.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

FORMULATED SPORTS FOODS LABELLING

Under the current Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code, there are specific labelling requirements for products which are intended for use as 'Sports Foods".

These formulated sports foods include special weight gain formulations, high protein or high carbohydrate supplements and some weight management products that will be used by sportspeople and athletes as part of their nutritional support programmes.

These products often contain relatively high levels of vitamins, minerals, special amino acids, herbs and other ingredients not normally found in foods for intended for general or everyday use.

Because these 'specially formulated sports foods' are generally designed for a special purpose and may not be suitable for general use by some sectors of the population, the Australia New Zealand Food Authority has ruled that the label of any formulated sports food (irrespective of type or purpose) intended for sale in New Zealand or Australia must carry the following warning statements;

SPECIALLY FORMULATED SUPPLEMENTARY SPORTS FOOD

THIS FOOD IS NOT A SOLE SOURCE OF NUTRITION AND SHOULD BE CONSUMED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A NUTRITIOUS DIET AND TOGETHER WITH AN APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL TRAINING EXERCISE PROGRAMME

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE OR PREGNANT WOMEN

SHOULD ONLY BE USED UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION

These statements are intended to draw attention to the fact that these foods are intended for special use, and their content and ingredients are designed to assist sportspeople and general athletes by providing specific nutrients which may be needed in greater amounts than those required by the general population or provided from the general diet.

These foods also have detailed instructions for use including dose and frequency, which sets them apart from normal food products. 

There will be instances where these products will be suitable for some individuals specifically exempted by the above warning statements and these should be considered on their merits, taking account of the individual product and its suitability for the consumer concerned.

Information supplied by:
Shailer Cottier
Technical Services Manager
January 2005 

SUBSCRIBER COMPETITION
People please, doesn't anyone want to claim their prize? For the past couple of months, the winners have not come forward to claim their prizes. From now on if you want to win, you must make the effort. The best letter each month wins. Make a comment about this months newsletter or whatever. E-mail or snail mail me.

Saturday March 19th 
Saturday March 26th
This month I have 2 Super Saturdays because of the Easter break.
Ask me for 15% off everything
10:00 AM  til 3:30PM

Can’t make it in? Just call me on the day with your order and pay by credit card, or visit the new Australian Muscle E-Store for convenient on line shopping (details below) and pick your order up later on during the week.

FREE BODYFAT TEST

Australian Muscle now offers free bodyfat testing. Just come into the shop with your height in centimetres and I can do a bodyfat test on you using the TANITA bodyfat monitor. The test is non intrusive, quick, and FREE!!

SUBSCRIBER COMPETITION
People please, doesn't anyone want to claim their prize? For the past couple of months, the winners have not come forward to claim their prizes. From now on if you want to win, you must make the effort. The best letter each month wins. Make a comment about this months newsletter or whatever. E-mail or snail mail me.

MARCH SPECIALS

Triaxalon 500

100 Capsules
$69:95

Hardcore Book

$44:95

Battle For The Olympia 2003
$49:95

Wild Bull L-Glutamine
300g $39:95
500g $59:95
1kg $79:95

N.B. All Prices are in   AUD.

WHAT'S NEW?

 Hardcore by Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie Coleman's Complete Guide to Weight Training

Do it Ronnie's Way!!

In this brand new book from the publishers of Muscle & Fitness and FLEX , multi-time Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman -the most dominant force in bodybuilding today -reveals his amazing training secrets. For the first time in one complete collection, Ronnie outlines his championship workouts for every bodypart, along with the tips, tricks and dieting techniques he used to craft his incredible 287-pound physique.
In this power-packed, full-color, 176-page book, you'll find: 

Detailed instruction on over 50 of Ronnie 's all-time favorite exercises 

Every meal of his off-season mass-gain plan,and the precontest diet he uses to get sliced and ready for battle 

Specific advice on getting more from your workouts than you ever thought possible,maintaining your motivation, increasing your strength,and more! 

A special Q&A where Ronnie answers questions straight from his fans.

$44:95

The Pre Contest Bible

Get Shredded Beyond Belief!
For The First Time, The World's Best Bodybuilders
Reveal Every Detail & Secret For Achieving
Insanely Ripped Contest Condition!

Finally, there is one book, one comprehensive reference source, that gives you the EXACT CONTEST PREPARATION BLUEPRINTS of over 30 of the world's best bodybuilders. Now you can see the exact ins-and-outs of how Mr. Olympia winners and top pro & national champions get into incredible, shredded, contest-winning condition. 
You'll Get the Exact Details of Everything the Best Bodybuilders in the World Do, From the Day They Start Their Contest Preparation to the Minute They Step Onstage!
THE PRECONTEST BIBLE reveals every secret and every precise detail of how more than 30 top national and pro bodybuilding champions maximize muscle mass while getting ripped to the bone to reveal vascular, grainy, striated contest-winning muscle.

Every profile is in the same format, making the information you need both easy to find and compare. Here's what you'll learn about all these amazing athletes:

Precontest Training and Cardio
·Exact Workouts, Including Sets, Reps & Body Part Splits 
·Duration, Intensity and Frequency of Cardio 

And, you'll get two incredible bonuses!
·Ronnie Coleman's complete, exact workout for EVERY BODYPART as he prepped for his mind-blowing "Redemption" victory at the 2003 Mr. Olympia! 
·Jay Cutler's exact set-by-set workout for EVERY BODYPART that he used to win three consecutive Arnold Classic Championships!

Precontest Diet and Supplementation
·Exact Meal-By-Meal Breakdowns, Including Precise Food Measurements, Meal Frequency, Water Intake and Cheat Days 
·Full Supplement Programs 

The Last Week
·Food Intake and Water Manipulation 
·Carb Depletion and Loading 
·Contest Day Meal Plans 

The Finishing Touches
·Precontest Tanning Regimen, Including Product Choices 
·Posing Preparation 
·Backstage Pump Up and Last Minute Preparation 

Personal Info
·Athlete's Website, Major Titles, Birthdate, Contest and Off-Season Bodyweights, How Long They Prepare for a Contest 
·What do they like most and least about getting ready for a show? What do they want to eat the minute the show is over? When do they think they achieved their best condition and which other athletes do they admire when it comes to getting in shape? What really motivates them to achieve greatness onstage and stay disciplined when they don't want to make the necessary sacrifices that day?

$69:95

AST Triaxalon 500

A potent herbal formula for natural testosterone production.
Each capsule of Trioxalon 500 contains 500 milligrams of Tribulus Terrestris, an herb grown in various parts of the world and used medicinally for it virilizing effects. Studies have shown a better than 50% increase in testosterone levels when taking the Tribulus Terrestris herb. 
Trioxalon 500 exerts its testosterone elevating effect through the increase in luteinizing hormone (LH). LH is responsible for "telling" your body to produce testosterone. One interesting fact: Steroids suppress LH, thus reducing and sometimes shutting down your body's production of testosterone. Trioxalon 500 counters this side effect very effectively.

100 Capsules
$69:95

Jay Cutler -Ripped To Shreds DVD

Jay's "right before contest preparation".
Filmed February - March 2004 right before his third consecutive win at the Arnold Classic 2004. Jay is in awesome condition and as big as a house.
See his whole body training routine with Jay in superb condition.
210 minutes in total length, two DVD set.

$79:95

Rhul - Made in Germany 

For the first time ever, Markus gives an inside view of his life. From off-season to competition diet, from his public persona to the hardcore gym workouts, from his early teenage years to the latest competitions - you will get to know Markus privately and more closely than ever before. 

English and German soundtracks. 

$69:95

Dexter Jackson

Full body workout filmed 2 weeks out from the 2004 Mr Olympia with bonus footage from the GNC and Las Vegas Pro Shows. 

$59:95

Victor Martinez 

Full body workout filmed 2 weeks out from the 2004 Mr Olympia with bonus footage from the GNC and Las Vegas Pro Shows. 

$59:95

Troy Alves 

Full body workout filmed 2 weeks out from the 2004 Mr Olympia with bonus footage from the GNC and Las Vegas Pro Shows. 

$59:95

Mr Olympia 2004

New Double-DVD Set! Mr. Olympia Prejudging and Finals on two DVD discs - 3 hours of muscle and all the excitement of the Olympia.

KING RONNIE crowned by the Governator! Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger walked onto the Olympia stage holding the Sandow trophy and presented it to Ronnie Coleman for tying his record. Both men stand only one victory away from all-time leader Lee Haney. See the fantastic new “Challenge Round” introduced by Sylvester Stallone and hosted by WWE star Triple H where each of the top six Olympia finalists called each other out for mano-a-mano poses to determine the final placings.

$129:95

I do have other DVD's in stock also. Call or e-mail me on 08 83730735 for more details.

DVD's also available are;

WHAT'S THE GOSS?

Gossip is sourced from various sites such as muscletime.com, getbig.com, nuclearnutrition.com, ironmagazine.com 

Muscle Ute
Those of you who have been to the shop recently may have noticed the new Aussie Muscle Falcon Ute. Yes, I have lashed out and bought a 2001 model EA ute. Finished in a striking dark blue duco with green and gold sign writing depicting the flexing kangaroo, it's an eye catcher. I want to see just how eye catching this ute is. If you see the Aussie Muscle ute on the road, call me on 8373 0735, and tell me where you saw it, and you will win a prize. The first person to call me each month wins the prize. Seeing the ute in the shop carpark, in my driveway, or at Limbo Gym, does not count. 

Speaking of hot cars. If you think your beast deserves recognition, bring it in to Australian Muscle and I'll take a picture of you and your pride and joy and place it on the Aussie Muscle website.

IFBB Australian Pro Grand Prix 2005
The event is being held March 20 at the Melbourne Convention Centre. Chris Cormier and Dexter Jackson are confirmed to appear with more pros signing up every day. Last years show was great and this years looks to be even bigger.

Please contact Tony Doherty at Doherty's Gym for tickets. http://www.dohertysgym.com/index.asp

Max's Muscle TV
Max's Muscle TV can now be seen on channel 31 on Wednesday nights at 7:30. Muscle TV is an informative show on weight training and fitness. Tune your tv to UHF31.

Each week Muscle TV will bring you the latest from the world of bodybuilding and fitness, including the stars, training and nutrition advice, news, who's who, special features, plenty of muscle, and much, much more.