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REVIEW - BATTLE FOR THE OLYMPIA VIII 2003 (DVD)
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DISC 1
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Melvin Anthony
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Melvin Anthony in winning form at the 2004 Night of Champions.
Photograph © Ron Avidan of GetBig.com. Reproduced with permission.
Melvin Anthony trained at Powerhouse Gym:
Powerhouse Gym
Chatsworth, California
1-818-775-0300
In the sequence, Melvin explains that he had a good training season, putting on some serious muscle size and is looking forward to the Olympia. Stan McQuay appears towards the beginning of the video, and is seen briefly in some other sequences. Melvin introduces his trainer, Pano Fragoulis, who has been helping him with his prep. At the time of shooting, Melvin was 16 days out and currently weighing in at 240 pounds with a 28 inch waist! He was on medium / low carbs at the time, but his strength levels seemed ok given how close he was to the time of the contest. Melvin stated that he was doing cardio every fifth day. Many pro bodybuilders do cardio much more frequently, some doing it every day for over an hour in the time leading up to competition. It is quite clear Melvin was blessed with great genetics to stay lean without having to overdo the cardio. Melvin's workout looks like this:
BACK:
- Warm up with low weights / low reps, doing rows for back, using applying the continuous tension principle.
- Rows using the leg press machine (very unique way to do them). Similar to the action of machine rows. Doing 225 for 15 reps.
- Cable Rows With Strap Handles, which help improve the range of motion. He does this while supersetting the movement with hyperextensions for the back.
As motivation, Melvin says "Top 3" during some of the sets. He is an excellent bodybuilder and it's obvious he is on a mission to beat himself and show his personal best on stage. Eventually during his back workout, Melvin takes off his shirt to train. He shows us that he has a 28 inch waist - his 28 inch belt is down to the last notch and there is still a little room left over. At 240 pounds and ripped, this is a remarkable achievement. One thing bodybuilding today gets a ton of flak for is the size of the waists of the current competitors. The price paid for bulking up so much is often seen in the form of a larger waist. Melvin proves that there are bodybuilders out there today who have not had this waist development happen to them yet. Melvin's training partner shows up - Ronny Camacho who came first in the 2003 NPC Tournament of Champions. Melvin tells us how hard Ronny has worked and Ronny's ambition to turn pro, stating that he has the genetics and the work ethic to do it. Melvin drinks a shake during his workout for energy, which contains no polyurethane. He states that drinking diet drinks will cause stomach pains and warns fellow bodybuilders to be careful with diet drinks.
TRAPS:
Melvin has a unique method for doing shrugs, similar to the 21s method for working biceps. He uses three target areas for the traps, for seven reps each (for a total of 21 reps). Melvin's target areas are back, side, and front dumbbell shrugs.
After the shrug workout is complete, Melvin hits the poses. He does the following poses (in order): - Left Side Relaxed
- Back Relaxed
- Right Side Relaxed
- Front Relaxed
- Front Double Biceps
- Front Lat Spread
- Left Side Chest
- Right Side Triceps
- Rear Lat Spread
- Rear Crucifix
- Rear Double Biceps
- Abs / Thigh
- Hand on Hip Most Muscular
- Hands Clasped Most Muscular
- Most Muscular
- Right Side Chest (Modern Version)
After the posing, Melvin is pretty tired, stating that the workout itself is easier than the posing! No doubt, it does get tired to flex so hard for such a long period of time, and while the bodybuilders make it look easy on stage, it is only after a lot of time and effort that that illusion is possible.
Overall the Melvin footage was high quality. Melvin has a classic physique. Where bodybuilding today is about mass, Melvin manages "mass with class", maintaining a tiny waist and classic lines where still having enough muscle to do damage in top shows.
Troy Alves
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Troy Alves at the 2003 Pro Ironman Contest.
Photograph © Ron Avidan of GetBig.com. Reproduced with permission.
Troy Alves trained on Thursday, October 9, 2003 at the following gym:
Fitness 1 Gym
Glendale, Arizona
1-602-504-3988
Troy starts by introducing himself and his training partner AJ - although as far as I know AJ is not a pro bodybuilder, he was in great shape! Honestly, many bodybuilding competitors have had or currently have a physique like him. No doubt he has the potential to become a pro bodybuilder if he ever decides on that. Troy didn't say too much about the ambitions of AJ, so I assume he trains recreationally. Troy said AJ was a great training partner, consistent, always on time, and a great help to motivate Troy in his training and contest prep. The workout started early in the morning, at 9:05 AM. His back / trap / biceps workout looked as follows:
BACK
- Wide Grip Reverse Chin Ups (with Straps).
- Machine Rows With Belt (Using 225, 315, 405 pounds for reps).
- Dumbbell Rows (using a 150 pound Dumbbell) for three sets.
- Machine Rows for Back (Using three plates per side for three sets).
- Dumbbell Shrugs (Three Sets).
During the workout, between sets, Troy introduces his parents, John & Iris Alves, both of whom claim to have given Troy his great genetics for bodybuilding. Troy states that it was half and half. Troy takes off his shirt before doing a set of rows and looks fantastic. He claims he is on low carbs and looking flat, but it is clear his muscles and full and round. Maybe not as full as they would have been on a higher carb day, but he certainly looked good. His chest separation, in every possible way, was just incredible. His upper chest separation was really amazing, and I have seen few bodybuilders with that level of separation. Others who come to mind would be Markus Ruhl and Franco Columbu. AJ also took off his shirt during that sequence, showing his great shaped - good overall muscularity and good abs as well. Very lean for someone not nearing a competition. We also get the chance to meet Troy's beautiful wife Tara. Troy explains how she inspires him to get where he is, and encourages him to make continual improvements to his physique which allows him to show his competitive best on stage. He was 229 pounds during the time of the shooting, saying he hopes to make it on stage at 224 or 225 pounds. Troy explains that a large part of his appeal in bodybuilding competition is that he looks ordinary in clothes, but when he poses he comes alive. This is true when you consider Markus Ruhl - Although Markus is enormous, when he poses, he doesn't get all that much bigger. He is so huge as it is, that his muscles are already popping off of him - posing doesn't really change that very much. With Troy, he may look "ordinary" in street clothes (ordinary people have 22 inch arms?), but when he poses his muscle jumps out at you. For your information, Troy is also a great poser, very fluid and graceful in his movements and transitions from one pose to the next. Troy knows that he has a classic physique and that he needs to capitalize on that. Very few bodybuilders know what they should shoot for. Shawn Ray KNEW he had achieved near perfection with his physique when he turned pro. So since those days, he made it his goal to maintain his body weight while trying to improve things like conditioning. He knew he wasn't going to be able to play the size game and focussed on his strengths. Similarly, Troy stated on this DVD that he knows his strong points are his posing, symmetry, and balance. I do believe that Troy will not go overboard on mass, and instead, do what it takes to emphasize his symmetry. Next troy went into his traps workout:
TRAPS:
- Dumbbell Shrugs (Three Sets).
Like Melvin Anthony in the previous sequence, Troy focussed just on dumbbell shrugs for his traps. A simple, basic movement to help build trapezius muscularity. He claims that his jaw is very tight and his face is thin due to the extreme dieting required for the show. He says it makes chewing difficult! You can tell by looking at Troy's face that he is very dieted down. Next comes Troy's biceps workout:
BICEPS:
- Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curls (Two Sets).
- Machine Preacher Curls (Three Sets).
- Double Biceps Cable Curls (Three Sets).
Troy does some posing in between sets. He poses his biceps to show the pump, and states he has 22.25 inch arms.
This is followed by Troy hitting some poses. He does the following:
- Front Relaxed.
- Left Side Relaxed.
- Rear Relaxed.
- Right Side Relaxed.
- Front Double Biceps.
- Front Lat Spread.
- Brief Front Most Muscular Variation.
- Right Side Chest.
- Right Side Triceps.
- Rear Double Biceps.
- Rear Lat Spread.
- Abs / Thigh.
- Hands Clasped Most Muscular.
- Right Thumbs Up Pose!
The thumbs up pose seems to be standard in the world of professional bodybuilding.
Dexter Jackson
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Dexter Jackson photo from the prejudging of the 2001 Mr. Olympia Contest
Photograph © Ron Avidan of GetBig.com. Reproduced with permission.
Dexter Jackson trained on Friday, October 10, 2003, at the following gym:
World Gym - Jacksonville, FL
1-904-821-5101
www.worldgym-jacksonville.com
Dexter pulls in in a really nice car, explaining that he needed to take a year off from bodybuilding, but now he's back. He says World Gym in Jacksonville is a great gym to train at, with new equipment and a staff that treats members with respect, saying that respect goes a long way. His training partner is Gabriel Lopez from PhatMuscle.com, and Dexter commented that he was going to help endorse his product line. Dexter also introduces us to Vince Pannozzo - the owner of the gym. Dexter then goes to work on the nice new equipment available at the gym starting with shoulders:
SHOULDERS:
- Machine Front Military Presses - 135 pounds for warmup, followed by 225 pounds for working sets. Dexter supersets these with dumbbell side lateral raises. He then goes up to 275 pounds using the same superset scheme.
He takes off his shirt and trains with his tank top on between sets. He does a right set chest pose wearing his tank top. As well, when he is doing the side lateral raises, it is extremely clear that Dexter has a world class physique, but also world class conditioning. He delts are deeply striated. This is incredible for a guy who claims to not do cardio to get shredded!
BICEPS / TRICEPS:
- Barbell Curls with Cambered Bar.
- Triceps Cable Pressdowns Superset with Dip Machine Pushdowns and Reverse Curls with Long Cambered Bar
Dexter does four sets in drop set fashion. Followed by another three sets in the same fashion. Dexter is obviously a fan of the superset, supersetting his triceps as well as his shoulders. In fact, Dexter seems to be a fan of training intensity principles in general, as he employed drop sets for his biceps, as well as the supersetting he did. He does some right and left biceps posing in between his triceps sets. He follows this up with posing, doing the following poses (in order): - Hands Clasped Most Muscular.
- Right Side Chest.
- Rear Double Biceps.
- Hands Clasped Most Muscular.
- Most Muscular.
- Front Relaxed.
- Rear Lat Spread.
- Right Side Relaxed.
- Hands Clasped Most Muscular.
To me, the main appeal to Dexter's appearance on this DVD were his use of training intensity principles while working out, and also his stunning conditioning. He was the most shredded competitor on stage during the 2003 Mr. Olympia Contest, and if what he says is true (that he never performs cardio), it is amazing the kind of genetics he has. Rumour has it he did cardio for the first time ever at the 2004 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, where his conditioning was brought to a whole new level.
Claude Groulx
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Claude Groulx, 2003 Master's Mr. Olympia Champion with his Sandow and competitor medal.
Photograph © Ron Avidan of GetBig.com. Reproduced with permission.
Claude Groulx trained on the night of Friday, October 10, 2003 (15 days out), at the following gym in Miami Beach, Florida:
Idol's Gym
South Beach, Florida
1-305-532-0089
Four weeks before shooting for this DVD, Claude Groulx had won the 2003 Master's Mr. Olympia competition, where he got his body fat to a record low 3.5 - 4%. He said he did this by doing more cardio - as much as 1-1.5 hours a day for six weeks pre-contest. Then Claude started his biceps workout:
BICEPS:
- Standing Barbell Curls.
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls.
I liked Claude's biceps routine. Nice and simple. The biceps are a small muscle, and stimulating growth is does not require high volume, unlike some other muscle groups (chest, back, thighs). From there, Claude went on to perform his chest workout:
CHEST:
- Machine Incline Press (Two plates per side, followed by three, then three plus a 25 pound weight per side for two sets).
- Pec Deck Flys.
- Cable Crossovers.
- Machine Incline Press (Two sets).
The machine presses were not performed on the Smith Machine. He took off his shirt in between sets and hit some poses during the workout - a left side chest, and a right side triceps pose. After performing a set of flys, he did a hands on hip most muscular and some side posing. In between other sets of flys, he did a front lat spread, most muscular, and some other front posing. His conditioning and muscle quality looked excellent during shooting (there was very good lighting at this gym as well).
SHOULDERS:
- Machine Side Lateral Raises (two sets).
- Front Dumbbell Raises (both dumbbells at once - (two sets)).
- Rear Pec Deck Flys (four sets).
- Machine Shrugs (three sets).
Claude stated during the training sequence that he was planning on retiring in 2-3 years (2005 or 2006). He said that he had two or three bodybuilders approach him for help with show preparation for the Mr. Canada competition. He did some posing in between his sets, and said that he felt he had the experience necessary to help others with their show prep. He then did the following poses (in order):
- Front Relaxed..
- Front Lat Spread.
- Front Double Biceps.
- Left Side Chest.
- Rear Lat Spread.
- Abs / Thigh.
- Most Muscular.
Claude mentioned during the posing sequence that he was available for propositions for contracts at the time of shooting (October, 2003). Claude can be reached at his website, www.claudegroulx.com, or by e-mail claude@claudegroulx.com if you are interested.
Darrem Charles
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Darrem Charles, at the 2004 Night of Champions Contest, where he placed 2nd.
Photograph © Ron Avidan of GetBig.com. Reproduced with permission.
DVD producer Mitsuru Okabe caught Darrem Charles on Saturday, October 11, 2003 - two weeks out from the show, where Darrem trained at the following gym:
Fitness First
Deerfield Beach, Florida
1-954-698-6495
fitnessfirstclubs.com
Darrem started his workout with the required right thumbs up pose, dominant in bodybuilding today (joking). He was helping train a local master's competitor who described Darrem as "Tremendously inspirational, and without a doubt, the best poser in the world of bodybuilding, past, present, and future." Then Darrem went on to start his triceps routine:
TRICEPS:
- Triceps Pushdowns - Long Cambered Bar (four sets).
- Triceps Cable Rope Pulls (three sets).
- Triceps Kickbacks (three sets).
And his biceps routine:
BICEPS:
- Seated Two Arm Dumbbell Curls (four sets).
- Standing Cambered Barbell Curls (three sets).
- Machine Preacher Curls.
After a hard set, Darrem joked "If anyone would have told me it would be this hard, I would have picked up golf or something."
Darrem followed his workout up with some posing, doing the following poses (in order):
- Front Side Relaxed.
- Right Side Relaxed (showing his front, then back).
- Back Side Relaxed.
- Left Side Relaxed.
- Front Double Biceps.
- Front Lat Spread.
- Right Side Posing.
- Back Right Biceps Pose.
- Right Side Most Muscular.
- Right Side Chest.
- Rear Double Biceps.
- Back Christmas Tree Shot.
- Rear Lat Spread.
- Left Side Relaxed.
- Right Side Biceps.
- Left Side Triceps.
- Abs / Thigh.
- Hands Clasped Most Muscular.
- Most Muscular.
- Front Right Biceps Pose.
Overall, Darrem proved to be a hard training bodybuilder in his sequence. He also has damn good taste in cars! A bit expensive for me, but an awesome looking ride, nevertheless.
the rest of the Review can be found here http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/battl...ympia2003.html
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