My passion for weight-training began in high school, when both the baseball and swim team coaches forbid us from lifting weights. What greater incentive did I need to sneak into the weight-room after the coach left? Blam, I was hooked! By my senior year of high school I was no longer competing in team sports, but was avidly reading muscle mags and over-training (and under-eating at the same time).
Over the years the fire of lifting and learning about training and nutrition has remained strong. I've fluctuated from years in the 235-240 pound range when powerlifting to a current 200 pounds at 9-10% bodyfat. If I've learned one thing, it's that gaining and holding lean bodyweight at this age is freakin' difficult. But I'm working out with a 26 year old who is like a giant wound spring in the gym, strong as hell and relentless, so I stay young!
Back to why this column is here: I am fascinated by the endless variety of training aids, supplements promising the next big thing, and the sheer volume of information and passion in this world for strength training and bodybuilding. I'm going to help sort through the mass of "stuff" out there and let you know what some of these products are really like, whether in my "real world" gym and life testing they appear to work, and what the experience is like.
I'm going to test ‘em, I'll guinea pig myself and my gym-rat training partners, and you'll read about the results here. Non-scientific, real-world experience and testing; no white lab coats. Plenty of sweat and yelling and logical, experience-driven work, and you'll read about the results, good or bad.
Let's get started!
Rambles
As a long-time veteran of the print publishing world, nothing happening in the bodybuilding magazine sector surprises me today. Ad pages are dramatically down, and as revenues decline, so do page counts. As more and more people utilize the Internet for their news, single copy sales of magazines shrink dramatically. Considering that there is very little profit, if any, from newsstand sales in the first place (ABC-audited sales numbers are used to keep ad rates high, and the whole newsstand distribution business is a black hole on a good day), I'm not surprised that both Weider and Muscular Development are not taking big booths at the Arnold Classic this year. Who really knows which of the hundreds of pages of ads in Flex or MD are paid for, and which are trade-outs?
People don't realize just how much money is involved in a big presence at the Expo. I worked for Biotest/Testosterone when we had a huge booth at the Arnold Classic a few years ago, and the costs were stratospheric. Booth space is the least of the expenses; labor, product giveaways, flights, lodging, meals, and everything else adds up.
Still, there is nothing like the Arnold Classic Expo; the tribe gathers in one place for three days. Relax into the Expo-shuffle, enjoy the people-watching, talk to people at the booths and learn!
VersaGripps Pro
Bodybuilders, powerlifters and strongmen (and women) have long debated the necessity for lifting straps, usually used for deadlifts, rows and shrugs. Some argue that the aid they provide lets your forearms and grip off the hook, while others claim the assist in throwing around heavier weight more than sets off the advantage. Bottom line, it's up to you to decide whether you wish to use straps. If you're a bodybuilder, strap up. A powerlifter or strongman probably won't choose to.
Here's great news for the pro-strap crowd: VersaGripps Pro are one of the best strap products for weight-training I've ever wrapped around my wrist. Over the years I've trained with all manner of different straps and hooks, but these pleasingly heavy-duty devices are rugged, simple and wildly effective while remaining comfortable.
Once your VersaGripps are strapped around the wrist, comfortably above the bone, you'll have a self-supporting grip that's comfortable at all weights, angles and stresses. The relatively short grip is custom-engineered with a material that slightly holds its shape while you wrap it around the bar, and it does not slip! One wrap and you're ready to rock, even with your second hand. Easy to use, comfortable as hell, no pinching of the wrist, and strong. What more could a lifter want in a lifting or gripping strap?
My initial deadlifting sessions with the VersaGripps Pro were entirely satisfying, and response from two training partners seconded this reaction. The bar doesn't slip whatsoever, that doesn't even feel like a possibility, and within seconds of approaching the bar I was ready to go. A friend of mine, professional strongman Jason Bergman, believes in pulling the bar immediately after setting up, and these VersaGripps make it easy. Pulls were strong and true, with no minor adjustments or getting used to the feel. As I'd broken a small bone in my left wrist earlier this winter falling on ice, I was sensitive to pain and stress in that area, but I'm tickled to report no problems whatsoever.
VersaGripps are not a gimmick; these are the real thing, a superb high-quality lifting aid that works well with bars and dumbells alike. My VersaGripp Pro straps do the job in a top-notch manner. They're tough as nails and stronger than I am!
Steroid Nation by Shaun Assael
ESPN Books, $24.95
I fully realize this book has been out for nearly a year and received good play in the bodybuilding universe. John and Dave have interviewed author Assael on the radio, and a decent portion of our readership probably know of it. But in today's world, where Alex Rodriguez is holding nationally-broadcast press conferences to talk about his steroid use, the importance of books such as "Steroid Nation" cannot be over-stated.
"Steroid Nation" proves to be a fascinating, refreshing read. Author Assael set out to write a contemporary history of anabolics in sport and our culture, and beginning with the competitive bodybuilding world of the 1970s, he pulls off this complex feat. While bringing to life seminal characters such as Dan Duchaine and Victor Conte of BALCO fame, crossing paths with Jose Canseco, Lyle Alzado, Arnold Schwarzenegger, RX Muscle's John Romano, and infamous chemist Pat Arnold, Assael has written an entertaining and informative story, even-handed and unbiased. Can you imagine such a thing in this hype-ridden, exploitative society of today?
I was fascinated to realize I knew, had met or had contact at one time or another with half the characters making up this story. I guarantee you'll find yourself reading slowly, taking it all in, while Duchaine and the other larger-than-life figures stalk the pages. This is compelling, entertaining, and a much-needed work.
Contact John Koenig at [email protected]
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