Yep. I was 100% dominated and controlled by our favorite hormone. Testosterone. What a beautiful hormone it is. It is the hormone that truly makes the world go round.

I read once that a man’s natural testosterone productions decreases by 1% every year after age 30. That being said I am always looking for ways to keep myself equal to that toady 20-something year old who had no problem jumping in the shower at 1:44am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning after that “hey r you up? i want to see u” text message and driving 20 minutes to get to the other side of the city.

The last couple years when I get those 2am booty call TEXTS I give it some thought and ask myself how comfortable in bed I am and how much gas is in my car and usually I put my phone on silent and curl up with my body pillow.  It seems like these days if it isn’t right in front of me or I don’t trip over my shoe laces on my Reebok Zigs and right into it then I am not going to go out of my way. Oh, hell. I’m getting older.

Enter: Z-TEST by NDSNutrition.

I’ve used “the real thing” in the past. I messed with the andro products of the late 90’s yesteryear. I know about these OTC products. Placebos if anything. Right? Maybe…

A quick stop at a local GNC in Northbrook, IL to say Hello to a buddy of mine who works there on the way home a few weeks ago is what caused me to find Z-Test. Sample packets of the product was on the counter prompting my buddy to give me a handful telling me to give it a shot since he’s been hearing good things about it. Pffft. Salesmen. Suuuuure. Riiiight.  I’m never one to turn down free sample packs and not give a supplement a crack, though.

I took 3 of those oily blackish-green capsules that night and for the next 5 days and this is what I noticed…

1. Vivid dreams: More than likely from the ZMA (Vitamin b6, Magnesium and Zinc). I’ve been saying this since 1998 that ZMA gives me weird colorful dreams.

2. Restful sleep: I usually wake up in the middle of the night right around Witching Hour to empty my bladder but these days I’ve been sleeping through the stabbing pain of my ureters holding in the flow. I am guessing it was the natural full body sedatives and sleep inducers such as melatonin, GABA and the L-Dopa (Also a mood enhancing agent).

3. Woodrow Wilson: Yes. By the 3rd morning I woke up with something I haven’t woken up to in about a year. A Woodrow! Someone was awake before I was.  My guess it was from the nice dose of tribulus, iNdole-3 Carbinol, the DIM (diinolymethane) and the chrysin which is touted to be an estrogen inhibitor that stood the test of time.

After the 6th day I was out of the Z-TEST. I called up my GNC guy and asked him what a full bottle ran. I decided…. Why not?  I picked up my bottle and used it every night. It made me look forward to bedtime and look forward to waking up to see if ol’ Woodrow would be Up & At em’ before me. That and then some. I got back on my normal routine of “twice a day” morning & night.

On top of it all I can always gauge my testosterone levels by how oil my skin gets and if I get a breakout of acne on the back of my neck. Well? I find myself running a paper towel over my head and seeing my hand print in the sheet of Brawny and running some Stridex on the back of my neck and shoulders. The last time I had acne on my shoulders was when I was shooting real testosterone.

All of those symptons are a good thing. SMALL price to pay to have the T in your tank on “FULL”.

I have to say I like ZTEST. NDS/PMD Nutrition produced a fine product here. I think it’s a little over priced, though but for a guy in my position it’s a good investment, not a purchase. It’s an investment.

I haven’t gotten stronger in the gym as I think that has more to do with energy levels and calories than anything else but I will say that I had a fun weekend and found myself in the shower at 2am manscaping and scrubbing thinking about the fastest way to get to travel and how I am going to cover my tracks the next day.

HM: OMG! All the time! And it pisses me off because I was named after Hayley Mills from the original “Parent Trap” – not the one with Lindsay Lohan – and it is spelled Hayley with TWO Y’s!!!! LOL! Haley’s comet is spelled like so. And yeah, people call me Haley’s Comet all the friggin time and depending on who they are, I will correct them, LOL.

MW: You’re a genuine Bostonian, correct? Why the move to cold windy Chicago? Which city has better food?

HM: Well yea…but not really…I grew up a half hour west of Boston in the boring ass suburbs, and actually never spent any time in Boston. I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve even been there. True story. Ummm…LOL you clearly don’t know me! I couldn’t care less about food LOL…Unless I’m dieting that is…But I really never ate normal people food…Never went out to eat a lot…And when I did I ALWAYS got just a cheeseburger. Hence why “Cheeseburger” was actually my nickname in my old gym haha. But Chicago deep dish is pretty fantastic, and they have some massive burgers! I’d save Chicago wins – but I really never gave Boston a chance. I’m finally living like a kinda normal person for the first time in 5 years here: going out, going out to dinner, eating non-bber food lol. It was fun until I realized I lost 10lbs since I’ve lived here! Nooo!!! LOL!

MW: Red Sox fan? Is it true you have New York Yankee toilet paper?

Ahahahaa!!! Lol if there was toilet paper that existed with ANY logo on it I would soo get it lol! Naw I really don’t care about baseball or the huuuge rival between Boston and NY. Like realllyyy don’t care. I’d rather watch a bodybuilding show. Or watch Law and Order SVU LOL!

MW: You’re still in your early 20′s. You were 12 when I was your age. What age were you when you got into bodybuilding and what about it captured your interest?

HM: Shut up LOL! I’m an old soul! So there! LOL! I was 18. It was my Christmas break from college. I was on myspace and saw my first fbb. I almost died! I fell in love immediately and the rest is history. I’m sure people are actually probably bored of hearing that story from me LOL. But yea, I went to the gym the next day, and decided I was gonna get huuuge lol!! I think everyone should be jacked. It’s just that simple.

MW: How did you go about competing? Did somebody prompt you or encourage you? Who were your earliest influences on the competitive scene?

HM: Hah! I befriended Dave Pulcinella and Chris Zimmerman on Myspace. If not for them, I don’t know what I would have done! They both took my under their wing, as many others did, and taught me everything they knew. They were instrumental in shaping my bodybuilding career. Dave and Chris kept trying to convince me to compete, and my response was always, “I’m not big enough yet!!!” There’s actually a scene where I say that in Raising the Bar 3 with Chris, Dave, and Mike Pulcinella LOL. And in fact, that summer I competed for the first time. Dave brought me around to every bodybuilding he knew and made them tell me I was in fact big enough, and convinced me I’d look muuuch bigger when I was lean. He also told me every day for months that I WAS in fact, big enough lol. Finally, I decided I would do the Delaware – Dave did my diet, as he always does – and I won. That show, and the East Coast Classic, a week later, was where I made my mark in the industry. If not for those two knuckleheads I don’t know what would have happened instead!

MW: Genetically you have an advantage over most girls who get into bodybuilding. Was it relatively a natural thing for you?

HM: Sure. I also worked harder that any sane human being should ever work lol! I was totally nuts, like I mean NUTS! Completely OBSESSED and most people in the industry know that lol. Until I felt I had finally gotten “huge”, I was unstoppable. Eating 6-9 meals a day, every two hours on the dot, made sure I got at least 8 hours of sleep a night, never missed a workout, woke up in the middle of the night to eat, and trained as hard as I possibly could. Nuts! I didn’t go out, I didn’t drink, I didn’t really talk about anything besides bodybuilding and getting jacked for literally 4 years straight. My grades in college actually suffered dramatically freshman and sophomore year (until I got injured) because I would chose training over writing a paper or studying for an exam any day. Somehow I got it together junior and senior year and managed to raise my GPA enough to get into graduate school. Wheww! Lol! Oh and yea, not only did I wanna get “huge”, but I had this whole mission to do it naturally too. I wouldn’t touch a drug – I had a whole ego thing about it. Hence why my first National Show was Team Universe – tested show. I wanted to show everyone you could get your pro-card naturally and change female bodybuilding forever. Too bad they’re getting rid of bodybuilding now, so it really didn’t matter…

MW: What do you like most about competing? The body transformation or the structure of a contest prep?

HM: I HATE competing!!! Lol! Which is why I am done!!! The Delaware, my first show, Dave couldn’t make it. I was beyond disappointed. I couldn’t think about anything else the whole day. When I won, if you see the video, there was zero enthusiasm in my face…I just wanted him to be there. The only show I actually enjoyed was winning the East Coast Classic. Dave was with me every second of the day, and nothing could have made me happier than winning that show – for us. We had worked so hard for that – he was so proud of me. I looked like an animal and I knew it. Team Universe – Dave had to go to a wedding and couldn’t make it – ANDDDD I got sick/dehydrated and almost died. I’ve never felt worse in my life. I thought I was getting 3rd the whole day: it was one of the worst days of my life…Until they said my name for 1st place at the night show…I was in total shock. I felt relieved but not even happy because I didn’t get my pro card. Team Universe, last time, Dave, and a few other very important people to me were there. We had a blast and I will treasure our time together forever…However, besides that – it was a fucking disaster. I was finally in the best shape of my life, and to get there I learned to despise bodybuilding and competing. I dieted soo hard for soo long, and it showed…A WEEK BEFORE THE SHOW!! I was sooo stressed out about WINNING MY STUPID PRO CARD that my body went from a shredded freak 5 days out, to a watery mess the day of. It was beyond devastating. I wasted 5 grand and 5 months of my life to lose everything to stress taking over my body. The best part was that me and Dave were skyping towards the end of my prep because I was too tired to take pictures anymore for him – so I literally have NO evidence of all that hard work. Ugh….Grrr! That prep changed me…And I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. The more I dieted, the worse I felt, and the more I questioned what the hell I was doing this for. Which is why I’m living like a semi-normal person now! Ahhhhh! Soooo, to answer your question, lol, I like nothing about competing, it seems. The diet is easy for me, I pretty much eat a contest diet year round. I like doing cardio, and I like training. However when I feel like I am literally dying, and don’t want to move, never mind do 1-3 hours of cardio a day, or lift weights. Everything about the process becomes something I DREAD. After two consecutive years of that, I can’t find anything I like about competing.

MW: How many shows have you done and what do you feel was your best showing?

HM: Just said it in my previous rant – Delaware State and East Coast Classic. No pressure, bodybuilding was still fun back then…It became work after that. It was all about the PRO CARD. WINNING. Doing whatever it took. Suffering more than anyone should ever voluntarily suffer in their lives. And for what – to do all that work and it to disappear right before the show?! No thanks. My body thinks I’m killing it when I diet, and I have to diet hard as fuckkk to get any results.

MW: How did you approach the dieting process? Keto girl or are you a carb cycler? Who helped you out with that?

Dave Pulcinella always did my diet. Noo keto! I already get light-headed every time I stand up and subsequently collapse on the floor throughout the day NOT on a keto diet. I get so tired I can barely get off the couch. And it’s like that the majority of my prep. It was like that whether we carb cycled, did no carbs, did lots of carbs, even when I used someone else as a nutritionist briefly – the only thing that happened was I still felt like total shit but lost muscle. The dieting process does not agree with my body at all. Everyone I’ve talked to has said they’ve never heard of anyone having the reaction I do to normal contest preps. My body just isn’t cut out for it I guess. I feel like a hangover times about a million the whole time, to the point where I’m too tired to even pick up my phone. I don’t talk to anyone, I get completely isolated. I’ll even get too tired to go on the computer. Then I get depressed, and just look at the clock all day until I can go to sleep. What a life to live…I won’t do that to myself one more time.

MW: The NPC seems to be drifting away from Female Bodybuilding. Where do you see it going in 2-5 years? Will serious competitive female bodybuilding exist?

HM: Yeah, no kidding! I heard from reliable sources it was GONE as of 2012. Another reason I don’t care that I’m done competing for good. No they will not exist. It’s Physique now. Look at the recent shows even – there are only a few fbbs! There are already a million Physique chicks! It was genius creating that category. The girls don’t have to get enormous and can keep their femininity – it’s bodybuilding from the 80s! Which was the best! Hot chicks with muscle – that’s what it’s all about. Although I love the huuge chicks – not everyone supports that. No support – no money – no female bodybuilding. Very sad.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Hayley McNeff continues to eat cheeseburgers and train religiously at various diners and gyms in Chicagoland. If you’d like to reach Hayley, you can do so via Facebook. Stay tuned for a future exclusive interview with the delicious Hayley…only on MuscleWeek!

It’s one thing for a restaurant to be cavalier about serving fatty, fried foods and feces-coated meat that has to be served well-done (to burn the bacteria off) without giving a shit about your health, but it’s quite another for an eating establishment to gloat about its menu and the resultant health consequences of eating artery-clogging, cholesterol-laden burgers loaded with saturated fats by calling itself the ‘Heart Attack Grill’. But that’s precisely what one burger chain restaurant had the cojones to do, and for once, a restaurant has lived up to its advertising.

Hahaha, I get it. Heart Attacks are Funny!

On Saturday night, a man suffered a heart attack while dining at the Heart Attack Grill. According to Bridgett, one of the waitresses who works there, the man complained of chest pains shortly after taking a few bites out of his ‘Triple Bypass Burger’ (I’m not making this up — see the Menu)

The restaurant chain, whose gimmick is mocking the millions of (predominantly overweight) Americans who die of heart attacks each year by poking fun at heart disease, has its waitresses dress up as scantily clad ‘nurses’ and calls its owner a ‘doctor’.

So it was no surprise that neither the owner, a “Doctor” Jon Russo or his staff or fellow patrons took the matter seriously.

Basso told Fox News, “One of the nurses came back to me and said, ‘Dr. Jon, we’ve got a patient who’s in trouble.” Basso called 9-1-1 and EMTs arrived shortly thereafter and were able to stabilize and treat the victim, who is alive and enjoying his 15 minutes of fame.

The restaurant, which just opened in October 2011 boasts a menu that includes such items as ‘Flatliner Fries’ and ‘Bypass Burgers’. Using basic math, one can quickly derive that a single meal at Heart Attack Grill can easily exceed 7500 calories. And while one meal there probably won’t be enough to induce a full scale coronary, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. And by ‘right direction’ I mean ‘the grave’.

Like Planet Fitness, which mocks its own members’ efforts to get into shape by offering them free bagels, pizzas, and candy, Heart Attack Grill offers FREE meals to customers who are dangerously obese — that’s right — patrons over 350 lbs eat FREE!

Seriously, Heart Attack Grill owners: If you’re going to facilitate the death process like Dr. Kevorkian, perhaps you could at least offer life insurance as a menu option to go with the deep-fried, beer-battered onion rings?

Keeping in tune with the dark humor and tasteless concept, the victim’s fellow patrons, passersby and customers did nothing to help him — unless by ‘help, you mean whipping out their iPhones and Androids and taking photos and videos of what could easily have been the man’s final breaths.

“Tourists were taking photos of him as if it were some type of stunt,” Basso said, adding that they would never go that far to make the news.

Quadruple Bypass Anyone? Bwahahaha!

Sure, Dr. Jon, whatever you say. Keep telling yourself that you sent out Press Releases to the national media to warn diners of the dangers of unhealthy food and not to drum up attention and business for your restaurant. Someone just might believe you.

In case you think this whole thing is just a publicity stunt, here’s an actual video of the man being taken to the ambulance on a gurney.

It should also be noted that 550 lb. Heart Attack Grill spokesman Blair River died last year at the age of 29. Hahaha! Get it! Their spokesman was so fat, he dropped dead! Oh, lordy! I can’t stop laughing. And neither can the Heart Attack Grill. All the way to the bank.

MuscleWeek: Tell us a little about yourself, Rob. Where did you grow up? What do you do for a living?

Rob Krieder: I grew up in southern Maryland. Very rural and country. My grandfather, who was a farmer, gave my parents a few acres to build a house on and that is where they still are living to this day. I get most of my genetics from my grandfather. Hard working man, with huge arms and forearms and a heart of gold.

I have been running a personal training business since 1998, RK BODIES (www.rkbodies.com). I managed health clubs and was a fitness director as well, but I got tired of making the clubs a lot of money, and I myself, only seeing a fraction of that. I’ve always done things my way, and always will.

MW: How did you fall into this cult known as the competitive bodybuilding world? Was sand kicked in your face, too like most of us?

Nope, no sand kicked in my face. I was the stocky kid in school. During lunch, we would always have arm wrestling challenges and me and another kid were the champs.

I picked up a Muscle and Fitness and Flex magazine at a 7-11 when I was about 14 and read those suckers from front to back. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I did my best to apply it all in the basement of my parents house using my fathers sand weights. I kept educating myself through magazines and Arnold’s Encyclopedia of Body Building. I grossly over trained for a couple of years trying to emulate the pro’s routines, not realizing they were all juiced up. It wasn’t until Dorian Yates came on to the scene and his high intensity/low volume approach became popular. The more rest I gave myself, the more I grew.

MW: Would you say you are now over the hump? On your way UP the hump one constantly worries about their nitrogen balance and thinks whey protein will help “build muscle”. Over the hump means if you miss a meal you know you’re not going to shrivel up and drop 60lbs and evaporate into nothing. It means you put your fanny pack away and don’t look down on men with hair on their legs. Which side of the hump are you on?

RK: I was obsessed at an early age, and I am glad I grew out of that quickly. I am educated, with a Bachelors in Exercise Physiology (Cum Laude), so I got over the hump a long time ago. I don’t look down upon anyone. Fanny packs, bad bad memories. How about tight skinz pants back in the day as well. Funny shit.

MW: Did you at one point have a true interest in winning a pro card?

RK: I still do. I hope to obtain that fucker in 2013 at Masters Nationals. I is just a personal goal, one I have had since I was a kid. I have experienced everything a pro body builder has already, except the pro card. I have been sponsored by Twinlab, MHP, MuscleTech and now Big Bitch Formula (www.bigbitchformula.com), I have traveled the country, working booths at show, tons of photo shoots, interviews, videos, magazines cover and features etc etc. I have done it all pretty much. Has it changed me or made me a better man? Not really, but it has made me realize body building isn’t a mean to an end. I will never make a career of body building. I just enjoy doing it. I wouldn’t have competed in over 30 contests in 20 years if I didn’t.

MW: What would have that really given you besides an annual bill to “renew” it?

RK: To pay for your pro card in the first place is the most absurd thing EVER. It may help my business slightly with the added title of IFBB pro body builder. That’s about it.

MW: Do you dabble in seedy ways to make money like majority higher level competitive bodybuilders do? You don’t have a pseudonym somewhere in cyberspace such as Zeus Maximus, do you?

RK: Too fucking funny. I have had so many people contact me for private posing, web cam shit etc. I have morals. I couldn’t live with myself if I did any of that crap. The only person I have a pseudonym for is my fiance. Gotta keep things new and exciting right ? lol

MW: It’s public knowledge now in the bodybuilding world over your distaste and mishap with hiring George Farah. You claim he was not invested in you and was very flaky like a typical bodybuilder despite your handsome payment to him. Tell us a little about that.

RK: We had a run in down in South Beach, Miami this past Nationals. I paid him for 16 weeks of contest prep. I heard from him the first 4 weeks and didn’t hear a peep until our paths crossed in Miami. I asked what happened ? He said what do you mean? I said, I haven’t heard from you in 12 weeks. He tried to turn it around on me, I haven’t heard from you. I said, George I paid you to be my coach, if you don’t hear from me, wouldn’t you feel obligated to at least check in with me ? He said, I lost your email. Someone broke into my garage/car and stole my lap top. I shook my head, knowing you don’t need your lap top to access your address book. I said, you have my number also. He said no I don’t. I showed my phone with his number on it. I said look, I am not hear to argue, can I get a refund, since I feel I paid for a service that I didn’t get ? He said, yeah sure, whatever to make it better. Have I seen any type of refund ?? NOPE. After my radio interview on RX MUSCLE, in which I told the same story, he probably got his panties all up in a bunch.

MW: What possessed you to hire George in the first place? Why George over somebody else such as a Chris Aceto or “Diamond” Dave Palumbo?

RK: I was going to go with Palumbo. The dude is pretty smart. However, a couple good friends of mine suggested Farah, so I did. I thought you get what you pay for ($1500) and Palumbo was much cheaper. Boy was I wrong. I may work with Palumbo for the 2013 Nationals, but to be honest, no one knows my body better than I do. I did consult with someone this past Nationals who was good, but if I had done things my way the final couple of days, I would have done much better.

MW: Is competitive bodybuilding in your future cards still?

RK: Indeed. I love this shit. I don’t give a flying fuck where the judges place me. I won’t kiss anyone’s ass either for a better placing. I do this to challenge myself. It is always a journey I enjoy. It is like therapy I suppose. Until I find another hobby/activity that challenges me in the same way, I will always be a body builder.

MW: What frustrates you the most with the way competitive bodybuilding is governed by the Usual Suspects and power brokers?

RK: Politics man…just politics. During the run in with Farah, he said I had a guy in your weight class place in the top five. I said who? I wont name names, but he said he placed fifth. I knew who it was and threw my arms up in the air and said, well that explains it. That is the only way someone with a fat ass and zero conditioning could make it in the top five.

MW: It seems like Men’s Physique is growing and bodybuilding is dwindling. Just look at the numbers. Why do you think more guys are choosing the Men’s Physique route?

RK: It is more mainstream. It is not as hard core. Body building has gone in the wrong direction the past 15 years. Bigger is not better. It has gone so far to the extreme that I don’t believe it will come back. But its the fans doing. No one wants to see a dude they see on the street every day. They want freaks. It is a freak show, but now the Physique division is great for the women admirers as well as the homosexual population. One thing about the NPC, they are smart business men.

MW: Competitive bodybuilding seems to be a game of alchemy, sorcery and chemical wizardry more than ever. I know of guys still on the local scene barely cracking the Top 5 in a light heavy class that use year around and exceed dosages up to 2g a week and possibly up to 10 unites of serostim daily. Is this facilitated by the way bodybuilding is governed?

RK: Its gone way way overboard. I say, if you don’t have the genetics to be a body builder, pick another hobby. You aren’t gonna make it past the local scene. People who use so much gear just on the local scene, make zero sense to me. This chemistry shit isn’t healthy. People are fucking with their long term health and longevity. I have learned the hard way regarding all of that also. Been there and done that with crazy dosages. I was strong, but bloated me, gave me high blood pressure and nose bleeds etc. Felt horrible all of the time. That ain’t fun to me. For the past several years, I have only touched stuff around contest time. If I cannot grow in the off season from eating lots, training like a beast, resting lots etc, then I am not cut out to be a body builder. Again it goes back to genetics man.

MW: Delusions of Grandeur seems to be an ailment affecting many competitive bodybuilders. In your early years of all of this did you think streets of gold and a lifestyle of a baller was waiting for you eventually?

RK: More people are realizing now that unless you are a Heath or a Cutler there is less than no money or opportunity for you. Like I said above, I have done it all except receive my pro card. It has helped my business etc. I know there isn’t a career in it for me. I learned this years ago. It’s all about balance. Most body builders are extremist for some reason or another. Body building is used to cover up insecurities as well. When something is done at one extreme, the other end of that extreme is waiting right around the corner. Universal balance man.

MW: You seem to be a smooth cat and Playa.  How many Figure girl Industry chick ass have you white washed?  Be honest.

RK: Out of respect and love for my fiance, I will not divulge that information. Let’s just say, I sowed oats here and there, when I was young, dumb and full of………BOOM !

MW: Is dating a competitor chick really all that? The ones I dated were all fit for a straight jacket and Thorazine drip.

RK: Chicks who get into the sport are just as fucked up as a lot of body builders. Covering up insecurities x 100. As for the ones who get on the juice, why the fuck do you want to have facial hair, a raspy deep voice, a manly face, zits, and a huge clit ? Well maybe the huge clit ain’t so bad for em. Easier to get off BOOM !

MW: Where does Rob Kreider see himself in five years?

RK: In 5 years, I will be married with kids, partnered with my boy Bobby Haire with Big Bitch Formula, kicking the supplement industry in the ass, and also opening a gym with him as well.

MW: Who are some of the best people in the bodybuilding industry that you admire and can actually call a friend?

RK: Mat Duvall, Troy Moore, Fred Smalls, Vinnie Galanti, Derek Farnsworth, Lee Priest.

MW: Who shouldn’t be expecting a Christmas card from you this year or anytime soon?

RK: George Farah !

MW: Marry. Fuck. Kill. Ready? Ava Cowan. Jessica Paxton. Erin Stern.

RK: I am engaged man brother. I wouldn’t marry or kill any of them, soooooo…….

MW: How can people get ahold of you for nutritional prep and contest coaching? Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free.

RK: My personal/business website is www.rkbodies.com. My sponsor Big Bitch Formula is gonna come on strong in 2012. The BEST tasting whey…ever. NO BS. www.bigbitchformula.com

MW: Name Association. I drop a name and in one word tell us what comes to mind.

George Farah: Fucking douche bag!

Steve Blechman: Wise

Steve Weinberger: The Godfather

Aaron Singerman: I don’t know who he is.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Bodybuilding.

RK Bodies – Personal Training in Washington, DC, Bodybuilder, Model

Move over Firehouse, there’s a new Sheriff in town. One with a better location. And better food.

At Muscleweek, we all know how important it is to prevent catabolism at all times. And at Gold’s Gym in Venice, that sentiment is on display every morning as I see cars circling around and around the front parking lot, passing up an abundance of available spaces a mere 200 feet away in the rear parking lots, solely to prevent the devastating loss of muscle tissue that is sure to accompany those extra 400 steps. Not only could those steps break down an athlete’s hard-earned muscle, but the mere thought of having to walk a few extra yards is enough to induce a cortisol release that could stunt growth for up to eleven years!

No way. At Gold’s Gym, we circle until we get our spot. And if we can avoid walking back to the car, driving the one block to the Firehouse, circling for parking and walking from the Firehouse lot into the restaurant itself, then the muscle we save could very well make us an Olympia contender by month’s end.

All of which brings me to Muscle Monster Meals — a brand new restaurant on wheels that is currently occupying valuable Google street real estate in front of Gold’s Gym in Venice. Owned and operated by Leilani Madrid, a stunningly beautiful woman of Hawaiian descent, Muscle Monster Meals offers fare ranging from steak to pork to chicken, with a slightly islander twist together with bodybuilding staples like broccoli, yams, and brown rice. Leilani, a member of the gym, came up with the concept two years ago and then spent the next twenty months caught up in the bureaucratic log jam also known as the Los Angeles County Permit System.

With the paperwork finally complete, Leilani and Muscle Monster Meals opened shop on Gold’s Venice’s doorstep last Monday and the rest, as they say, is bodybuilding history. For my fellow Gold’s trainees teetering on the brink of catabolism following a cardio session consisting of two miles on the treadmill at precisely 3.2 MPH, do not despair. Salvation lies inside the green monster of muscle meals.

Despite my cold and congestion, I sampled the steak and brown rice, and if the stray dog’s incessant whining and begging was any indication, the food is fresh, aromatic, and delicious (okay, I gave him half my bowl).

Bob Bowl, consider this your 30 Notice to Vacate.

by Jay Stern

Yesterday’s feature on University of Georgia cheerleader Anna Watson focused primarily on how easily the mainstream media routinely gives a pass to athletes on the steroid issue — even when the visual evidence is overwhelming.

Take for example, Mark McGwire. The dude went from a slim, freckle-faced boyish slugger to a jacked, Popeye-armed, acne-coated behemoth, and yet no one dared to question (or even bring up) the issue of steroids in the face of Mark’s tell-tale visual markers. No, a stray bottle of a legal supplement ‘accidentally’ left in public view in his locker was all the excuse anyone needed to overlook the obvious.

Or take Marion Jones, the muscular, Gold-medal winning, uber-athlete track star. She was married to and coached by a known steroid user, exhibited many of the physical traits (squared up jawline, enhanced muscularity, and extremely low bodyfat) of a steroid user, and most importantly, was running faster than any woman in the history of the world. And yet, not a single member of the mainstream media had the balls to mention what was so obvious in bodybuilding circles: The gal was juiced.

So while I’m not entirely surprised by the media’s reaction, I AM somewhat surprised by some of the public comments rolling in. After all, the media has an obligation to fact-check and must be wary of speculating on a negative sports angle too much, so as to avoid losing press passes, access to players or locker room privileges. But what’s the public’s excuse for being so stupid and naive? How is it that after having nearly EVERY single top baseball player of the 90’s (Bonds, McGwire, Canseco, Sosa, Rodriguez, Bagwell, Palmeiro, Clemens) admit to or get caught juicing, after the world’s fastest men (Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, Tim Montgomery, Dwaine Chambers, Justin Gatlin, Kelli White) get caught juicing, after the best defensive player in the NFL(Merriweather) gets caught juicing, after the top cyclists admit to doping, after every muscular UFC fighter gets caught using steroids, there somehow remains MILLIONS of morons who refuse to accept that STEROIDS ARE EVERYWHERE. Has no one read the Mitchell Report? If not, here’s a link to the actual Mitchell Report. Or read the names of the 52 NFL Pro Bowlers popped for illegal substances here.

Common Sense > Drug Test

Do I have Anna Watson’s bloodwork to prove she’s a juicer? Of course not. Nor did I possess the blood results of UFC Female Fighter Christiana ‘Cyborg’ Santos when I referred to her obvious steroid use. But one positive drug test later, I was vindicated. This is a blog — not a court of law. We don’t need to PROVE Anna Watson is on steroids beyond a reasonable doubt. If that was the standard for reporting, no one would ever break ANY story. But when a fitness expert such as myself sees a young woman with certain physical traits that I have personally observed hundreds of times in my lifetime as being associated with the use of anabolic steroids, I’m going to call it as I see it.

Don’t believe me? I went ahead and questioned some of the world’s most esteemed and elite personal trainers at the Mecca of Bodybuilding — Gold’s Gym in Venice — by showing them a single photo of Anna flexing her biceps. Here are their responses:

IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and 4-time Ironman Winner turned Celebrity Personal Trainer Chris Cormier: (Laughs) “C’mon man. Of course she’s juiced. Look at her face.”

Former IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and Trainer to the Stars like 50 Cent, Charles Glass: “She’s not natural. You can tell by her face. She’s definitely using a little something extra.”

Elite Personal Trainer Rico McClinton: (Laughs) “Why would she even say that (she’s natural)? Of course she’s not.”

Elite Personal Trainer Sean K: “C’mon! Do you even need to ask? I’ve been training women for 20 years and they cannot build that level of muscle naturally.”

There is only one reason why people continue to believe that hyper muscularity can be achieved without the use of steroids: GULLIBILITY.

But take it from Muscleweek or the Experts: You, the general public, are being PUNKED!

Just because an athlete claims he or she is steroid-free doesn’t make it true. Athletes lie. Bodybuilders lie. Juicers lie.

Having oodles of muscles and claiming to be steroid-free is the inside joke of bodybuilders everywhere. And if you believe it, then the joke, my friend, is on YOU.

It’s no secret that MuscleWeek Senior Editor Shane Ray gets around. The wives, girlfriends and ex-wives of many a Chicago bodybuilder can certainly attest to that. But what many readers may not know is that for many years, Shane was deathly afraid of flying. In fact, it wasn’t until his former girlfriend dragged him by his eyebrows to watch her compete at the 2009 USA that he finally overcame his aerophobia.

Lately, on MuscleWeek’s dime, he’s been traveling this great nation of ours meeting up with some of the largest and most interesting personalities in bodybuilding. So during a hiatus from crashing bachelorette parties with Joey Swoll and Craig Golias in Vegas, Shane sat down with an IFBB Pro who has been MIA for the past two years. Despite being a top 5 Olympian for several consecutive years, some might say that Gustavo Badell never really gained the respect that usually accompanies such a lofty position. So, drink in hand, Shane sat down in the Venetian Lobby to interview one of the top bodybuilders on the planet — Gustavo Badell.

Gustavo

MUSCLEWEEK: It’s an honor to have you sit down with MuscleWeek. No introduction needed. Tell us what’s new in your life. I understand you’re in Las Vegas now.

GUSTAVO BADELL: I’m in Las Vegas most of the time. I don’t know for how long, because I’m selling my house and trying to relocate to Florida. What’s new in my life is that I now have my own gym with a partner in Spain. I’m very excited to come back onstage and I’m concentrating all my energies in my prep.

MW: Las Vegas has a seriously vibrant and happening bodybuilding culture there. I don’t think it’s so much Venice Beach anymore. Is Las Vegas where you need to be training and focusing on bodybuilding? Does it not get distracting sometimes?

GB: I think Las Vegas has the most perfect fitness environment in the world. I enjoy very much preparing for contest here. I don’t get distracted in Las Vegas, actually I get more focus.

MW: The Mecca of bodybuilding gyms is Gold’s on Flamingo. LVAC being a close second. Which gym do you prefer and why? Is “Flamingo” your home?

GB: I love Gold’s Gym in Flamingo. The environment there is just fantastic! Not only for me but for anyone with a passion for the sport. I also train at the one in Eastern sometimes, which is closer to my house, or in occasion LVAC in Eastern, but there is none compared to “Flamingo”.

MW: You’ve been around the pro bodybuilding for a while. Some argue you most definitely peaking in the mid 2000’s with the 2004 & 2005 Mr. Olympia being your pinnacle. Do you feel you can duplicate that look and level of muscularity and conditioning again or are you going for something new for Gustavo Badell?

GB: After two years off stage I’m preparing for a new Gustavo Badell. I’m training hard, never cheat my diet, very strict with the plan. I have a lot of discipline and determination and with that I believe anything is possible, even to duplicate my best condition. We’ll see, but one thing is for sure, I’m hungry again and will come back strong to get my place back.

Gustavo Locker

MW: Your last show was in 2009 which was The Atlantic City Pro where you placed First and then you took a surprising 13th at the Olympia. Was taking almost 2 full years off strategic and part of the master plan or were you forced to take a step back for other reasons?

GB: After the 2009 Olympia, I was very upset and disappointed because all my hard work wasn’t getting me to where I expected, so I decided to take some time off and go adventure with some business opportunities presented. It wasn’t really planned but I can tell you today that it was a good move. My body was exhausted, so was my mind so I definitely needed some time off. My body is refreshed now and responding better.

MW: Back when you were placing high at the big shows and were considered a serious threat in ANY show you would enter who was your nutritionist? Who is your nutritionist now or have you always did your own prep?

GB: I’ve been working with many nutritionist experts in the field since 2004. Pretty much every other prep has been with a different nutritionist with different philosophies and they have all been good. I have great respect for all of them who have been in my corner at some point of my career. Now, as far as training, I have always done my own thing. I have my own philosophy of training . Every athlete at this level is responsible for training and that definitely shows when you step on stage and have to pose over and over.

For this year’s Arnold, I’m prepping with my friend Chris Aceto. We are working hard, each doing its job, but also trying to enjoy the process.
MW: What prompted you to get back on stage? A burning desire to release the competitor in you or is it for the fans? Family?
GB: It was a little bit of everything. Fans had a lot to do with it, as it also did my desire to get back where I feel myself, onstage. It has also been a great motivation the challenge of been off resting for two years and get back on that strict discipline needed to compete. Not many people are able to do that so that motivates me. I want to proof to myself and everybody else that when your mind is set and determined and you give it a 100% everything is possible (as corny as it may sound).
MW: Gustavo, you’re a married man. You’ve been married to Jessica for some time now. In my experiences and travels it has taught me that serious bodybuilding and marriage mix like oil and water. How do you make it work with your wife how is it she has been supportive all of these years?
GB: It’s not easy, especially with kids, but we see it as a team work. Jessica has always liked the fitness lifestyle, by the way we met each other in a gym, so that helps a lot. Honestly, we have been married for quite some time now and I can’t remember we have had a problem or argument because of anything related to bodybuilding. We argue like any other couple do but it’s usually for other reasons. Actually I believe the sport kind of brings us closer.
Gustavo BW
MW: If you never were a professional bodybuilder what would you be doing?
GB: I think I probably would be an economist which was what I was studying in college or maybe a boxer or UFC fighter since I was also boxing when I started in bodybuilding.
MW: The IFBB has changed over the last two years. There is a new Mr. Olympia in Phil Heath and now incorporated are new Divisions such as Bikini & Physique. What are your thoughts on the theory that the IFBB is straying away from what built them in BODYBUILDING promoting the softer more lax divisions?
GB: Well, the prize money in the Olympia and Arnold for pro male bodybuilding is still the highest in the sport. Based on that I think things haven’t changed that much, at least not yet. I believe the IFBB is trying to grow and attract more fans and this new divisions bring in more variety and therefore more public and more money. But, male bodybuilding is the center, and it should always be because it’s the hardest discipline and what has inspired the others
MW: It seems less opportunity is present for professional bodybuilders to make a living in the industry. Outside the Top 5 guys placing in the money slots, the pickings are slim. Is it the general economic times or is the industry just simply evolving?

GB: Right now I’m starting again so I haven’t really paid much attention. The economy has affected other sports and pretty much everything, so it could be in part responsible. Maybe it is combination of factor.
MW: So you harbor no resentment for the Men’s Physique Guys? It appears they are landing more magazine covers and grabbing more contracts with supplement companies.
GB: No resentment, good for them! We all need to eat! I believe this is a test period for IFBB, magazines and supplement companies in an attempt to survive in this difficult times. We’ll see what happens. But, I need to say, with all due respect, that you might be able to see 1,000 great physique guys but you won’t be able to see that many top, great bodybuilders because it is just a harder discipline, it takes more hard work. Bodybuilding is about being as big as you can be with almost no fat in your body maintaining a balance in your muscle groups which is very difficult to achieve and takes more time and sacrifices. It should also have greater rewards.
MW: Speaking of supplements, let’s be honest. No brand names. No name dropping. What do you use that is Over The Counter? I saw a diet prescribed by Hany to a professional bodybuilder who I will not name who pointed out to me that NO supplements are prescribed. Just food. Are you big on using supplements, Gustavo?

GB: I do believe in supplements. Some are better, some are worse, but they help provide for the high demand of our body. I respect other competitors and other philosophies and although nothing replaces food, in my opinion supplements help.

MW: Over the last couple years we’ve seen some deaths in the competitive bodybuilding world. What kind of precautions do you take to ensure you won’t be on that list anytime soon? Everyone knows serious competitive bodybuilding has it’s risks -vs- rewards.
GB: People die everyday for many reasons regards of their lifestyle. I try to be more old school, training harder, having a healthy diet and don’t go crazy or take shortcuts. I do what I can to protect my body like going to my doctor every 12-18 months to see how everything is working. I hope God doesn’t call me yet.
Gustavo BW2
MW: Consider this scenario: Your son tells you he wants to follow in your foot steps and be a serious Top Tier Professional Bodybuilder. What do you say to him?
GB: Well, I would try my best to persuade him to choose otherwise. This has been a passion for me that I decided to do for a living. I definitely will try for my kids to explore other career options.
MW: Moving on. How do you relax in Las Vegas when not in competition mode? Do you even bother with The Strip or do you pretty much keep it low key?

GB: I don’t usually visit the strip. I’m a family man and my free time in Las Vegas is to visit more parks or take a trip to LA to take them to Disney, Universal and all those nice parks.
MW: Who is your “industry wife”? I know you’re a family man and I respect that but which girl in the industry makes your blood flow? For me it’s still Monica Brant.

GB: I think they all look great, but can’t really tell you I have one.
MW: What are 3 things you never leave the house without?

GB: My cell phone, house keys and gym bag.

MW: What is your favorite thing about bodybuilding? Is it the structure of the prep? The change in yourself before your eyes?

GB: Everything. How amazing is the body how it changes when you do the right thing. But, most of all I think is the challenge it is and knowing that I’m one of the few that can do this. Not many can handle it.

MW: What can we expect from you at the 2012 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio?

GB: A Gustavo that will give a 100% like he always has. I will enjoy the show and try to make it as entertaining for the fans as I can.

MW: Do you have anything you would like to plug or promote? How can someone get in touch with you for sponsorship or any opportunities for representation?

GB: People or companies interested in contacting me for guest posing, seminars or sponsorship can do so by email at gjbadell@aol.com or can also look me up on Facebook.

Bonus Round of Rapid-Fire Questions:

Favorite Movie? The Godfather

Favorite Gym? Gold’s Flamingo

Favorite Actor? Al Pacino

Favorite Exercise? Deadlift

Favorite Cheat Food? Pasta

Favorite Clean Food? Fish

Drink of Choice? Vodka Cranberry

Favorite Travel Destination? Italy

Squats or Leg Presses: Squats

Barbells or Dumbbells: Dumbbells

MUSCLEWEEK: Thanks for joining us, Gustavo. We wish you the best of luck in 2012!

GUSTAVO BADELL: Thanks Shane. I appreciate it.

11. What do you think needs to be done to make female bodybuilding more mainstream and as popular as Figure or Bikini in the NPC or IFBB?

I don’t think they even want to make it mainstream…I think they want to keep everything within the industry…From what I understand… But if it hypothetically were to become mainstream – Physique is where it’s at. Although they’re already getting leaner and leaner each show – and that is not mainstream…The general public doesn’t wanna see girls with striated glutes. Period. I give it 5 years before Physique chicks get enormous and super shredded. Same thing happened to Fbbing. They’ll keep having to make a new category every 5 years lol! Orrrrrrr STOP REWARDING the big, shredded to the bone girls…When they created Physique they were specifically told to NOT be as conditioned as bodybuilding so it could become more mainstream…And that ideal has quickly vanished! Not to take credit away from my girls that work their asses off, literally! But I’m just sayin.

12. Okay. Fun stuff. If you were stranded on a desert island. All alone. The island had a gym. Would you still train? What 3 items would you bring with you if you KNEW you would be stranded there?

Hells yea!!! My lifting belt, FOOD, and my sleeping pills lol. Can’t sleep without em! Nothing to do???? EAT! SLEP! TRAIN! LOL. By the time they found me I’d look like Kim Chesvesky lol.

13. What kind of guys do you go for? Is it common practice for female bodybuilders to want their male counterpart?

Big huge massive bber guys…mmm! Lol! Big, huge, lean, tan, hairless, big, preferably Italian, yeahhh…Lol! But if you’re not Dave (Pulcinella), you probably can’t look like that AND have a personality, never mind an IQ worth stating! Bodybuilders have always laughed in my face when I’ve said I want a huge bber who’s smart, and has a personality! They don’t exist! If the whole world juiced, trained their asses off, shaved their whole bodies, tanned, and dyed their hair dark – the world would be such a hot place lol!

14. Ready? Marry. Fuck. Kill. Kai Green. Evan Centopani. Frank McGrath.

Why do I have to marry or kill anyone?!?! Ugh! Fine.

Fuck = Kai. Ummm…I’m having trouble with the Kill…Hmm…Sorry Frank…I luv ya buddy but I gotta kill ya! Evan’s a sweetheart, so I guess I’d marry him (if I believed in marriage).

15. If you found a magic lamp and out comes a Genie and he gave you ONE WISH. What would that wish be?

Oooohhhhh…..I’d go back and not make a mistake I made that hurt someone I love very deepy. My life would be completely different right now.

16. What’s one thing about Hayley McNeff that not many people know about?

Um I love chick flicks!! And I’m a hopeless romantic. I do in fact have a girly side, just not many people get to see it, hehe.

17. Besides your studies and hitting the gym what else really interests you?

Um what else is there?! Lol just kidding. Um, seriously though… I like going out to dinner and eating cheeseburgers…? I think everyone already knows that though. I like drinking bud light lime with my chick friend’s from school at bars around Chicago – the city is awesome.

Yea really all that matter to me right now is getting awesome grades so I can get a killer job as a psychologist and live my dream! And being jacked must happen at all times! Ps, really hard juggling those two…I feel so small right now! I have finals this next week – not gonna see the gym for yet another week! That’s like 3 more lbs gone right there lol!

18. Do you have any obscure hobbies? You don’t collect dead fly’s or keep your toenails in a jar in your closet do you?

Hobbies…I don’t know the meaning of the word…If I do anything it’s 100%. Hobby – implies it’s part-time…Uhh yea no. I collect muscles! Lol! I can think of an addiction: texting! I have a problem…Lol

19. Where does Hayley McNeff see herself in 5 years?

Working as a psychologist in a correctional facility, and hopefully more jacked than I am now! I would love to work in a psych ward at some point as well, and eventually own my own practice when I get older.

20. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

Lol EVERYONE! Dave Pulcinella, Mike Pulcinella, Carrie Avila, Jerry Ward, Jerry Beck, Colette Nelson

Word Association: I drop a name. You put the first word that comes to mind. Ready?

I’m not doing ONE word. Can’t do it dude.

Dave Pulcinella: The most loving, amazing person I’ve ever met. I am blessed to have you in my life.

Steve Blechman: Uh I know I know that name, and he’s important…??

Derek Anthony: Nut job! Lol! Love ya Derek!

PJ Braun: Louis’s fake fb bf

Aaron Singerman: Jewbacca!

Steve Weinberger: Severe/In charge

Iris Kyle: Die hard bodybuilder/nuts about bbing! Lol

——-

Many thanks to Hayley for being such a great sport. If you’d like to be featured/interviewed on the #1 Ranked Bodybuilding Website — MuscleWeek — please drop us a line or submit your info via our contact page. MuscleWeek will work with you to promote and help raise your visibility as an athlete and public figure.

His name is George Lopez and he’s an amateur bodybuilder/physique model out of Chicago. More importantly, he’s a damn cool dude who exhibits the physique that most gym-goers aspire to. MuscleWeek sat down with G-Lo recently to learn about what makes this pussy magnet tick.

MW:  Wassup George! Tell us a little about yourself. Give the readers a little BIO so we can get familiarized with you.

GL: Well. First thing is I am fucking sexy, Shane (no homo) That’s what people really need to know. LOL!. I’m kidding. Kind of. I love Dubstep music even though I have no idea how to dance to it. I work at a health food store and I’m actually in nursing school. I’m going to be a Murse. I train at XSport Fitness in Chicago and I love being big. I’m 5’7 and 191lbs and I have visible abs. Other than that I am considering training in MMA since I think serious bodybuilding is a joke. 

MW: How often do you hear comments about the boring comedian George Lopez? You don’t think he’s terribly funny do you?

GL: All the time. I always get… “Oh! George Lopez. I watch your show at night.” I usually roll my eyes or sometimes I give them a “Fuck yourself” but only if I am feeling nice. 

MW: How did you fall into this mess called Bodybuilding? Was it sort of a transgression from sports like so many?

GL: I don’t have a crazy story. Like most kids I was 5′ and weighed 90lbs and wanted to have a 6-Pack because I thought girls would like it then after a short time training I blew myself up to be a monster. 

MW: Do you just train to be BIG or do you have aspirations to strut it on stage?

GL: I used to. I thought it would be cool to compete but after a while it wore off. I like being big, I like to train hard and I like looking fly but when I realized what you have to do to be competitive on stage I was like… Ehhh. Forget that shit. 

MW: I like hearing that, George. Competition is not for everyone and you’re right. You have to do some serious gambles medically and legally to compete. Do people hassle you about getting in stage?

GL: Yea. Sometimes. Guys I know in the gym are always asking me and always telling me I should. One guy called me a “waste of muscle” and I told him to get fucked because I use my muscle to my advantage. I like to eat and fortunately I have good genetics so I don’t get fat but I don’t want to eat bland food every day to get on stage to win a stupid sword or some t-shirt or something. 

MW: How does someone your age grow so much muscle so quick? Good genetics or do you have a “good hook up” ?

GL: LOL! I have crazy genetics. Even when I was little I was still muscular. I remember being like 13 and older guys would ask me if I worked out and how much I benched. It was crazy. People forget. It’s 99% genetics if you ask me. I could probably not diet ever and eat junk food and get on stage and win but I don’t want to. 

MW: What are more of your most impressive lifts? I hear you have some pretty crazy lifts and exercises you’re particularly strong in?

GL: Nothing too crazy. I can incline barbell press 315 for 10 reps without a spot. The other day I was squatting 465 for 10 without a belt or knee wraps. I can probably go heavier but why risk injury? I’m already jakked to shit. 

MW: What do you like most about bodybuilding?

GL: I could be standing in the dark and still feel like there is a spotlight on me. 

MW: Working in a health food store that has a major sports nutrition section, do you ever get delusionites coming in asking you if you shop sells steroids?  You ever get customers who think a tub of Cell Teck is going to make them HUGE?

GL: Every single day, man. I am sick of it, too. The other day this douche comes in and returned a half used tub of Cell Teck. I asked him what was wrong with it he said “Oh. It didn’t work.” Then he bought Size On with his refund money and left. Haha. Like that’s going to work. Guys come in all the time thinking after one protein shake they are going to wake up looking like a pro bodybuilder. 

MW: George, you’re a young good looking cat (no homo!). You have a killer physique. How often do schmoes and creepy men with a fetish for muscle try to Holla at you in the gym?

GL: All the time. It’s worse on facebook. I get e-mails every single day with guys asking me direct how much I would charge them to let them have sex with me or they ask me if I am gay. I just block them after that. Know what’s crazy is I know a lot of bodybuilders from the gym who take guys like that up on their offers. 

MW: You ever get people on facebook privately messaging you about “sponsorship?”   How do you handle it?

GL: I usually block them. They first try to sound legit like they have connections to supplement companies and movies or they know people in music who are shooting videos so if I show interest they ask me for naked picture to “show their boss” then I just block them. Hahahaha!

MW: So you never got down with meeting some weirdo in a hotel room some where along Cicero Ave near Midway Airport to give them a strip tease for a few hundred bucks?

GL: Hell no! I know bodybuilders that would, though. It seems like most of them do that stuff. Not me man. I’m all about Vag. 

MW: How does at your age and physique have a girlfriend? Aren’t you constantly tempted to plow every single slut with a lower back tattoo in a 30 miles radius?

GL: It’s hard when I am literally walking testosterone but I have a really good girl and been with her 4 years. I usually just jagg off when I feel the urge and go to sleep then I forget about it. 

MW: Marry. Fuck. Kill.     Ready?    Hayley McNeff.   Monica Brant.  Dana Linn Bailey.

GL: I’d marry Hayley McNeff. I see her in the gym all the time. I want to bounce a quarter off of that ass. I’d fuck Monica and Dana at the same time and wouldn’t kill them afterwards. Okay, fine. I’d kill Dana and keep Monica in my rape dungeon for 10 years.

MW: If you were stuck on a desert island and knew you were going to be there forever and the island had a fully equipped gym. Would you still train?

GL: If it was just me on there? No. Hell no. I’d just jag off on the sand all day long. 

MW: You seem to post lots of pictures of yourself on facebook. What’s the strategy behind that? Is that D.L. for some DTF broad to private message you?

GL: Hahaha. No. I never get that from girls just gay guys who want to see me naked or want to give me money to have sex with me. Most girls know I’m taken so they show some respect. I know a lot of hoe’s who don’t care, though. I can’t stand hoe ass bitches, though.

MW: If you had unlimited funds and access to anything. Outline for us what you would use to get even bigger.

GL: If I had unlimited funds I wouldn’t be in the gym. Ever. I’d be living it up. Having lots of money trumps having muscle any day. You think Mark Zuckerberg isn’t having fun somewhere right now? To answer your question, though. I’d do a pro cycle and get crazy huge. 

MW: What do you see for the future of men’s bodybuilding? Is it going to be shattered by the introduction of Men’s Physique?

GL: Bodybuilding is dead, man. You know that. It isn’t even cool anymore. Bodybuilding is so 3 years ago. Guys like Jay and Phil are eventually going to be on the stripper pole for their “private sponsors” when their supplement contracts dump them for some MMA guy or Men’s Physique guy. Men’s Physique is where it’s at now. Women want to be with a Men’s Physique guy. Dudes want to be with a bodybuilder. That’s why I don’t want to get bigger. I like being where I am at now. 

MW: Pick just one supplement. Just one. What do you use or believe in most?

GL: Protein powder because it’s actually something your body needs and it has calories. 

MW: How does someone contact Big George Lopez if they wanted to touch your muscles, fondle your balls, or just jerk it to you from across a seedy motel room. E-mail address? Facebook? Where can you be found?  Any shout outs to anyone? Want to plug anything?

GL: They can e-mail me at glopez175@yahoo.com or find me on facebook. I’d like to give a shout out to Hayley McNeff. Holla at me in the gym, baby! Also to you guys at Muscleweek. I read Muscleweek all the time and laugh my ass off. You guys are brutally honest about bodybuilding. 

The year of 2010 brought us the hip hop club anthem from The Far East Movement G6 but in the dietary supplement  world a new company rose out of the ashes like a Phoenix which happens to be their logo.
Enter: Redefine Nutrition. Redefine made big waves in the nutritional supplement/sports nutrition industry with their FINAFLEX line. An innovative company looking to change the game and the way it’s played in this market offering new ideas in formulation of products and unique combination of compounds using what is proven to have effect on body composition and ridding itself of useless fillers and other junk that is used to make a product looked “stacked to the max”.

Last week I was able to try a sample packet of their Rest/Recovery formula known as G8. Sleep aid formulas have been getting popular as of late. We’ve always heard that we grow and change from rest or when we sleep and the most savvy of serious trainers know that natural release of growth hormone is released during deep sleep. There is definitely something to be said about the benefits of quality sleep. Something so misunderstood and so abused. We live in a society that dubbed the phrase “Sleep? Overrated. I’ll sleep when I’m dead”. Lack of deep sleep accelerates the aging process and gradually works against our complex human bodies wrecking havoc in a long run and blunting real gains and change we work so hard to induce.

I know what it’s like to lose sleep. Being a rotating shift worker who still hit the weights I often find myself at night tossing & turning trying or flipping my pillows over and over again. I’ve tried Tylenol PM and even Nyquil but both can make me feel groggy and achy the next morning. Then I tried G8.

I knew based on some of the ingredients that I would have to try it on a day when I don’t have to be up at 6am for work so I picked “my Friday” and poured one packet (one serving) in a glass of water right around 11:00pm. It turned the water into a green murky color but to my surprise it was quite easy to drink. The Lemon Freeze tasted like juice with a slight hint of that medicine-like aftertaste. Tolerable.  Like usual I laid in bed and posted on Muscleweek.com and did my round of creeping facebook and downloading music. By 11:30 my eyelids were heavy and sand filled my eyes. I knew it was time to log off and post another day.

What I noticed 11hrs later…

That’s right. I slept like a slumbering dragon for an uninterrupted 11 straight hours. Not once did I toss & turn or wake up to empty my childlike bladder.  Here are the dynamics on how it works:

Recovery/Sleep Inducing Matrix – It has L-Glutamine, L-Arginine and L-Dopa in it. L-Dopa is known to be a mood elevating compound that studies show has an effect on our serotonin levels or “feel good hormones”. Glutamine & Arginine I am guessing to support anti-catabolism while we sleep giving us a trickle of important amino acids in our bloodstreams. Also, it has phenibut in it which is actually a prescription drug in Europe used for sedation and promoting calmness and well-being. Very powerful and works much better than the active ingredient in Benedryl in my opinion.

Mood Elevators: Besides the L-Dopa it also contains Tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine and 4 butanoic acid, 2 amino -3 propanoic acid.  All chemistry jargon for other active ingredients that can help increase a positive feeling of well being, recovery and restoration of body functions impaired by lack of quality sleep such as sex drive and sensation.

It has Vitamin C and Vitamin B6 in it which I am not sure why exactly. I’m surprised it doesn’t have Magnesium and Zinc in it giving it a ZMA feature.

I woke up feeling as light as a feather and full of energy that can’t be obtained from some STIMULANT or favorite thermogenic. Nothing was aching and it didn’t take me time to “get going”. I wasn’t groggy or crabby like I usually am in the morning before I start my day with coffee and newspaper. I was Alert & Orientated and ready to take on the day. In other words. I felt young, ready, willing and able.

If anything I would say that a full serving might be a bit too much. Most people work most days during the week and I am inclined to believe that a full serving may make you sleep through your alarm on your cell phone and miss work or be very late. The way I would advise to use this product would be on the days you have OFF the next day where you can afford to sleep in a bit but if it were to be used on a nightly basis I would recommend that a half serving or 3/4 serving be used to assess your personal tolerance. I also would suggest it be cycled and tapered off a little. In other words it should be used strategically and responsibly. It’s very effective and worth the price of admission.