Being held since November 7 on immigration issues, Martinez had little choice but to step aside at this time. In fact, he may find himself actually deported back to his home country of the Dominican Republic if a federal judge makes that decision on January 6. The government has to either release him, deport him or charge him with a crime within 90 days of being detained.

The trouble began for Martinez, 38, when he returned from the IFBB Arnold Europe on October 11. He actually won the show and has seen his career on a huge upswing after a brief lull. His green card had apparently expired and Martinez failed to apply for a new one. Coupled with the fact that he has been convicted of a felony in the past, this spelled disastrous as Martinez found himself in front of a United States Customs agent at the airport.

At an earlier hearing, the judge denied Martinez bail and ordered him back to his 6 X 8 cell in New York.

The 2007 Arnold Classic champion will have to straighten out his immigration status and hopefully will have that opportunity while living in the US. With the start of the IFBB contest season nearly upon us, Martinez will need extra time to get back into shape with this unexpected span of inactivity and no choice of what his diet consists of. The best case scenario is that he misses three months, and even that is a long stretch for a professional bodybuilder to have no control over his daily life.

The entire sport of bodybuilding awaits the announcement of Martinez’s fate next month. If deportation occurs, he would still be able to compete at overseas shows, but the ‘Big Two’ of the Arnold and Olympia will have to wait until Martinez either applies for another green card or citizenship.

VICTOR MARTINEZ – CONTEST HISTORY

But no one expected him to not even place.

Now Wolf has his sights set on getting back to respectability at the New York Pro. He has a new trainer in former IFBB pro Patrick Tour and their plan is to use a heavy duty training style, which Wolf likened to the same that Dorian Yates used in his prime. But training and size has never been the issue with the massive German. His nutrition and contest preparation timing became the focus of his failure last year.

In a new video posted on Flex Online, Wolf stated that his nutritionalist decided to not cut his carbs and then he carb-loaded three days out. Wolf immediately felt that something was wrong and it showed on stage. He had no striations and appeared soft and puffy.

With his next show six weeks away, Wolf appeared to be massive on the video clip but is he going to have enough time to cut down? This is as important a contest for him as any other he has competed in. To come on stage in anything but peak condition will be a risky endeavor, indeed. A once-promising career that has been sidetracked can become completely derailed if Wolf has a bad showing in the Big Apple.

DENNIS WOLF CONTEST HISTORY

2006 Europa Super Show – 7th

2006 Mr. Olympia – 16th

2007 New York Pro – 3rd

2007 Keystone Pro Classic – 1st

2007 Mr. Olympia – 5th

2008 Mr. Olympia – 4th

2009 Mr. Olympia – 16th

Fouad Abiad, who placed second in Tampa, dropped to fourth. Other disappointments were Edward Nunn (seventh), Leo Ingram (ninth) and Johnnie Jackson (13th).

It is rare that everyone agrees with the judges in a bodybuilding contest and the two-day event at the Dallas Convention Center was certainly no exception. Following the prejudging, it appeared that James and Stubbs would be battling it out for the crown. James appeared sharper than when he won in Tampa and Stubbs, hoping for a career-best finish, had to feel confident going into the finals.

Wilmore snuck into the top three by the evening and qualified for his second Mr. Olympia. Stubbs, if he chooses to compete, will be making his first trip to Vegas. Abiad previously qualified with his Tampa finish.

After going eight years without a professional win, James won the 2001 Hungarian Grand Prix. Now he has two stateside this summer alone. He finished eighth in the 2009 Olympia and another top 10 finish in bodybuilding’s deepest and most prestigious show of the year would be quite an accomplishment for the 40-year-old. Although he may look better than he did a year ago, DJ will also be facing some quality names that missed out the last time around due to injury.

Kai Greene, Branch Warren and Victor Martinez will join an already stacked line-up that includes defending champion Dexter Jackson, Jay Cutler, Phil Heath and Dennis Wolf. For James to defeat any of those favorites, it will be very difficult. He may have peaked now and to go through another contest preparation in five weeks may be too  much to ask for, especially someone entering their fourth decade.

EUROPA SUPER SHOW RESULTS

1 – Dennis James

2 – Bill Wilmore

3 – Joel Stubbs

4 – Fouad Abiad

5 – Robert Piotrkowitz

6 – Ben White

7 – Edward Nunn

8 – Tarek Elsetouhl

9- Leo Ingram

10 – Alfonso Del Rio

11 – Grigori Abyan

12 – Marcus Haley

13 – Johnnie Jackson

14 – DeShaun Grimez

15 – Lionel Brown

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows.”

Times have changed and society has moved on from radio to high definition television, but that simple statement rings true as much now over seven decades later. The main difference is that ‘The Shadow’ is not a vigilante crime fighter, but rather a six-time Mr. Olympia.

England’s Dorian Yates shares the same nickname as the old time radio hero and ruled the bodybuilding world from 1991 to 1997. He still is heavily involved in the sport after retiring with his Temple Gym chain and as a staff writer for Muscular Development magazine. These days Yates has taken on another task in training Jason Arntz, the 37-year-old New Jersey native who has been a regular on the new IFBB 202 circuit.

“I usually do my own dieting and contest preparation for the past 10 or 11 years, ” Arntz said after a guest posing appearance at the NPC Empire States. “Now I’m working with Dorian Yates and I’m going to take a little different approach. If you’re going to learn from somebody it might as well be the best. So we’ll see what we can cook up with him this year.”

Arntz current weight is 220 so it will be fairly easy to make weight come September at the 202 Olympia. “I eat pretty good all year,” he said, so a strict diet for me is the last three or four weeks. But I’ve been dieting for the last three weeks and going to kick it into gear starting on Monday (July 20).”

Since turning pro in 1998, the 5’5″ Arntz has found the terrain difficult against the bigger competition. Oddly enough he had his best finish in his rookie show. Arntz placed fifth at the 1999 Toronto Pro and then had to wait until the 202 division was formed to see anything higher.

At the 2008 New York Pro 202, Arntz finished in the top three and then placed fourth in the first 202 show at the Mr. Olympia. That show was sort of a test run to gauge interest in that division and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Proving that point is the fact that this year the posedown and placings will be announced on the Olympia stage at the Orleans Arena as opposed to the expo stage, something that Arntz definitely approves of. ”I’m real happy about that,” he said. ”You felt like a second-class Olympian (at the expo).” Being tutored by the great Dorian Yates will definitely make Arntz feel like a first-class citizen, especially if he can win the title this year.

JASON ARNTZ COMPETITION HISTORY

CYTOMEL IN ACTION

An interesting property of Cytomel is its ability to up-regulate the beta-2 adrenenergic receptors in fat tissue. Since drugs such as Clenbuterol (also widely used in contest prep.) are known to down regulate these receptors, using Cytomel with Clenbuterol may assist in reversing this phenomenon and thus prolong the effectiveness of the Clenbuterol. Another argument for using the two compounds together would be the fact that Clenbuterol has a protein sparing effect, which helps to curtail the catabolic effects of Cytomel on muscle tissue. Due to the catabolic effect of Cytomel it is always recommended to take it with some kind of anabolic substance to prevent (or at least reduce) the loss of lean muscle tissue.

USING CYTOMEL

Due to the fact that Cytomel is an extremely powerful drug, it is always recommended to start by taking a low dose and then gradually increase this until you reach a dose that you are comfortable with. The length of time you should stay on each dose before increasing it should be at least 3-4 days, however the ideal amount of time before increasing doses would be 1-3 weeks. The doses should also be increased by no more than 12.5mg at a time to avoid shocking your thyroid too much. It is also recommended that you never go above 75-100mcg per day since by the time you reach the 50mcg mark some shutdown of natural thyroid production will be experienced. The effect Cytomel has on natural thyroid production also makes it extremely important that you never stop using this drug ‘cold turkey’ – which could cause a rebound effect where weight gain would be experienced as the thyroid tried to regain normal function. With this in mind, always reduce your intake of Cytomel gradually. This will allow your thyroid to slowly adjust to the loss of its ‘pharmaceutical assistant’ and smoothly transition back to normal (pre-drug) function.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON CYTOMEL

There have been many scare stories in circulation regarding the use of Cytomel over the years. The main one being that if you take exogenous T3 your thyroid will be dependent on it for life, as it will be unable to function without it. The fact is that ANY substance you take to ‘assist’ your body to carry out a process it is used to executing on its own will lead to an impairment of the natural function once the ‘help’ has been removed. This impairment is usually temporary though and your body will re-adjust to the new situation and ‘normal service’ will be restored. This is why it is important to taper as it avoids shocking the system – which would occur if the drug were abruptly withdrawn.

Another speculation involving Cytomel is that it may actually enhance protein uptake in the muscles when used in the off-season in combination with anabolic steroids. This is based around the fact that supplemental T3 significantly enhances the uptake of nutrients into the mitochondria. However, T3 also increases their oxidation rate (the rate at which they are burned as energy) so it is more than likely that any increase in protein intake would be quickly burned as energy rather than stored in the muscle. As previously mentioned, the main reason for taking anabolic steroids when using Cytomel is to preserve muscle tissue, not to actually increase muscle growth.

At the end of the day, the main purpose of taking exogenous thyroid hormone is to accelerate the metabolism and speed up fat loss. Taken correctly, Cytomel executes this task flawlessly and, when taken in tandem with Clenbuterol, there is no better pre-contest fat loss cycle….end of story!

N.B Cytomel is available from www.napsgear.net

Leigh Penman began her writing career in 1980 when she started her own weekly music column in a Scottish newspaper. From there she went on to writing for all the major music publications in the UK at that time, including ‘Record Mirror’, ‘Sounds’, ‘New Musical Express’ and ‘Number One’. Her work included interview such celebrities as Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and David Bowie.

The late 80’s saw her moving into writing for nutrition companies and eventually bodybuilding magazines. She rapidly gained a reputation as being one of the top female writers on the bodybuilding scene and was a contributing editor on ‘Muscle & Co’, ‘Bodybuilding Monthly’, ‘Strength Athlete’, ‘Health & Fitness’ and ‘Fit Body’. She was also a major contributor to the Arnold endorsed magazine ‘Bodypower’ –where she went on to establish the position of ‘Show business Editor’. In addition to this she held the position of Ladies Editor for ‘Physiques International’

In between all this she has written for Personal Development magazines and organizations –including Tony Robbins UK division. Has collaborated on book projects with Leslie Kenton –the original Raw Food and female empowerment guru – and written for computer magazines…..and now she is with Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness magazine, Bodybuilding.com, RX muscle.com, Species Nutrition and of course musclesportmag.com!

She is a certified personal trainer, hypnotherapist and has been working out since the age of 15.

Trenbolone is one of the most popular drugs used by bodybuilders today and, when you look at the stats, it is not hard to see why. A very potent androgen with strong anabolic activity, Trenbolone is an extremely effective hardening and cutting agent. In fact, it is considered indispensable when it comes to pre contest preparation. However, it is also extremely valuable in the off-season as it creates a rapid build up of strength and muscle mass. In fact, the anabolic effect is often compared to testosterone or Dianabol with one very important difference – it does not convert to estrogen. This is what truly sets it apart, as most mass building drugs readily aromatize, leading to many estrogen related problems (e.g. water retention gynecomastia).

Due to the lack of water retention, the gains when using this drug are more easily maintained on discontinuing its use. In addition to this, a very hard and defined appearance can be achieved. Also, since gynecomastia is not an issue, there should not be any need to add an anti-estrogen as long as Trenbolone is the only steroid being used.

Due to the highly androgenic nature of this drug an increase in the burning of body fat is observed and a much tighter physique can be achieved without having to resort to extreme dieting.

TRENBOLONE- POINTS OF INTEREST

• Trenbolone is more potent than testosterone with an effect being gauged as three times as strong on a milligram for milligram basis. It is also four times as anabolic as Deca Durabolin and ten times as androgenic. This makes the majority of the weight gained on this drug lean, quality muscle.
• Trenbolone also creates an increase in the levels of the hormone IGF-1 (Insulin like Growth Factor-1) which is highly anabolic within muscle tissue.
• Trenbolone has a stronger binding affinity to the androgen receptor than testosterone. This feature is a major contributing factor to the process of anabolism and fat loss.
• By promoting nitrogen retention and protein synthesis within the muscle Trenbolone allows the food you eat and the nutritional supplements you take to be used more effectively. It also reduces levels of the catabolic hormone cortisol.
• Trenbolone is also involved in the production of red blood cells and increases the rate of glycogen replenishment (both of which contribute not only to stamina but also to recovery from workouts)

SIDE EFFECTS

A reduction in aerobic capacity is the most common complaint with Trenbolone. This is thought to be caused by bronchial dilation resulting from an increase in prostaglandin production. The condition known as “Tren Cough” is often a complaint registered with users of the Acetate version (Trenbolone is available in Acetate and Enanthate forms). Androgenic side effects may also be experienced which include oily skin, aggressive behavior, acne and hair loss. For this reason women would be advised to stay away from this drug.

DOSAGES

If using Trenbolone Enanthate, doses are normally in the 200-600mg/day, since the ester length of this drug is reasonably long. This is usually split up into twice weekly injections.

Trenbolone Acetate is usually administered in a daily dosage of 37.5 -75mg and, although a potent solitary steroid, it is often combined with other drugs for greater effect. This would be Winstrol or Primobolan for cutting purposes and Dianabol or Testosterone for mass building cycles. The addition of Dianabol or Testosterone would also increase the level of water retention experienced.

Due to the strong impact Trenbolone has on endogenous (within the body) testosterone levels the use of a drug such as HCG and/or Clomid is recommended on concluding a cycle (preferably a combination of the two). Without this strategy it may take some time for the hormonal balance to return to normal.

N.B. Trenbolone – and all products mentioned in this article – can be found at www.maximedicine.com

Leigh Penman, in addition to be a staff writer at MuscleSport Mag, has been writing for bodybuilding magazines, websites and nutritional supplement companies since 1985. Whilst residing in the UK, she earned the reputation of being one of the top female writers in bodybuilding-related media. Her credits included being a contributing editor on all the magazines in production as well as filling the shoes of Ladies Editor and Showbiz Editor on two publications (the later being on Arnold’s sanctioned magazine, ‘Bodypower’). During this time she also competed successfully on four occasions (placing in the top four in all contests).

Relocating to New York in the late 1990s she focused her writing attention to crystal healing techniques and metaphysics – however, she still maintained a five day workout schedule during this time and gained her personal training certificate.

Having also studied pharmacology in relation to sports performance, her writing began taking her in that direction until the present day which sees her embarking on a return to the magazine world, as well as extending her web-related work in the bodybuilding and fitness field.

Leigh has been working out for close to thirty years so she is clearly a writer who ‘walks her talk.’
She can be contacted personally at zeal2heal@yahoo.com

By Leigh Penman

CYTOMIX represents a very unique and highly effective approach to optimizing the functioning of the thyroid gland. The principle effect of thyroid hormones is to increase the metabolic rate and therefore enhance the burning of body fat for energy. In CYTOMIX you will find a very potent mix of T3 (active thyroid hormone) and T4 (inactive thyroid hormone).

ADVANTAGES OF THYROID HORMONE SUPPLEMENTATION

Bodybuilders favor the use of thyroid hormones during contest preparation as they greatly assist the process of removing excess body fat. During strict diets when calories are reduced there is a corresponding reduction in thyroid activity, drugs such as CYTOMIX can alleviate this problem by supplying the body with an exogenous form of thyroid hormones and thus restarting the whole fat burning process.

CYTOMIX contains 60mcg Liothyronine Sodium (T3). Liothyronine Sodium has been shown to up-regulate beta-2 adrenergic receptors in fat tissue. When fat is broken down in the fat tissues of the body (a process known as lipolysis) and enzyme called Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) plays a key role. In order for HSL to be activated epinephrine and norepinephrine (known as catecholamines) are required. These catecholamines bind to the beta-2 receptors and thus by adding T3 supplementation and subsequently up-regulating the beta-2 receptors there is a corresponding increase in HSL which leads to an increase in fat burning.

Although T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone, T4 (Levothyroxine Sodium) converts to T3 via your body’s natural metabolic pathways (which involves the action of an enzyme known as deiodinase). By supplying a small amount of T4 in this preparation you give your body the option of converting it to its active form should your body be able to utilize an additional amount. This also reduces the risks involved with over stimulating the thyroid by taking a full 80mcg of T3.

IMPORTANT NOTE

If you are not taking anabolic steroids when using thyroid medication your body may start to use muscle tissue for fuel. For this reason, thyroid supplements are usually the last thing added to a pre contest diet since it is the loss of stubborn body fat that is the prime objective and not the loss of lean tissue. You may also want to increase your protein intake as a further insurance policy against muscle wasting. It is also recommended that use of thyroid medication should not be more than six weeks in duration. The use of Clenbuterol with CYTOMIX is often recommended since Clenbuterol has mild anabolic properties and can spare muscle tissue. CYTOMIX is often alternated with Clenbuterol in order to maintain a fat burning environment in the body and avoid the inevitable tapering of Clen’s effects if it is used for long periods of time.

It should also be noted that CYTOMIX is a very powerful form of thyroid supplementation and dosage should not exceed one tablet a day. Which could be split to achieve two equal doses.

CYTOMIX and CLEN-40 (a very potent 40mcg Clenbuterol tablet) are available from www.24hourmedstore.com

Leigh Penman, in addition to be a staff writer at MuscleSport Mag, has been writing for bodybuilding magazines, websites and nutritional supplement companies since 1985. Whilst residing in the UK, she earned the reputation of being one of the top female writers in bodybuilding-related media. Her credits included being a contributing editor on all the magazines in production as well as filling the shoes of Ladies Editor and Showbiz Editor on two publications (the later being on Arnold’s sanctioned magazine, ‘Bodypower’). During this time she also competed successfully on four occasions (placing in the top four in all contests).

Relocating to New York in the late 1990s she focused her writing attention to crystal healing techniques and metaphysics – however, she still maintained a five day workout schedule during this time and gained her personal training certificate.

Having also studied pharmacology in relation to sports performance, her writing began taking her in that direction until the present day which sees her embarking on a return to the magazine world, as well as extending her web-related work in the bodybuilding and fitness field.

Leigh has been working out for close to thirty years so she is clearly a writer who ‘walks her talk.’
She can be contacted personally at zeal2heal@yahoo.com.

In the last few years Clenbuterol has replaced Ephedrine as the drug of choice when it comes to fat loss and contest preparation in general. Clenbuterol is used throughout the world as a bronchodialator and, when used this way, it is highly effective with a low level of user complaints. In terms of fat loss, ‘Clen’ (as it is frequently called) is what is known as a
Repartitioning agent – meaning that it will increase your ratio of Fat Free Mass to Fat Mass.

Clenbuterol belongs to a class of drugs known as sympathomimetics. These drugs affect the sympathetic nervous system in numerous ways. It is specifically a selective beta-2 sympathomimetic, stimulating the beta-2 receptors, which creates a thermogenic effect, directly stimulating fat cells and accelerating the breakdown of triglycerides to form free fatty acids. Animal studies have also shown it to be quite anti-catabolic and/or anabolic which obviously leads to its attractiveness amongst bodybuilders – particularly during the pre-contest phase. However, it has to be said that these studies have been restricted to animals and there is little real evidence of Clenbuterol having muscle building/sparing properties in humans. This does little to tarnish its reputation as a great adjunct anabolic – used both off-season and pre-contest.

ACTIVE LIFE

Another attractive quality of this drug is its extremely long half-life in the body – which gives it an active life of approximately 34-36 hours. This makes it easy to maintain steady blood levels with a single or twice daily dosing schedule. Interestingly enough, Clenbuterol has never been approved for use in the USA (perhaps the drug companies would not find it profitable enough). This does little to affect its availability on the black market however, with many foreign preparations being readily available.

DOSING AND SIDE EFFECTS

Clenbuterol is generally a drug where you have to gradually assess your own individual tolerance level. Basically, it is advisable to start with 20mcgs upon rising. If the side effects (possible anxiety, shaking and sweating) are not too pronounced, then the same dose can be repeated later in the day. Men generally end up in the range of 2-8 tablets a day. Women usually find 2-4 to be very effective.
As previously suggested, Clenbuterol does have a fair amount of side effects – most of which will be familiar to anyone who has used CNS stimulants. Along with a slight increase in body temperature (due to the thermogenic effect) users may experience shaky hands, insomnia, sweating, increased blood pressure and nausea. These side effects usually become less noticeable once the user becomes accustomed to the drug. They are also dose dependant – which is why it is always advised to begin on a low dose in order to gauge your tolerance level.

DRAWBACKS ASSOCIATED WITH CLENBUTEROL USE

One of the main drawbacks with this drug is that after a couple of weeks it seems to stop working for most people. This is due to the fact that it can cause a down regulation of the beta-receptors in the pulmonary, cardiac and Central Nervous System. One way to sense this down regulation is when you no longer feel an elevation in body temperature following administration. This suggests that the substance is no longer exhibiting a thermogenic effect. At this point increasing the dosage would not be very effective and a break of at least two weeks should be taken before it is used again. This accounts for the popular two weeks on/two weeks off method of administration. There is however much controversy in this area. Some say it can promote fat loss for approximately 4-6 weeks, though any strength gains can usually only be felt for 3-4 weeks (probably due more to the stimulant properties rather than any real anabolic effect).

The use of anti-histamines such as Benadryl or Ketotifen every 3rd or 4th week may help prevent this tolerance to some extent – although they should be taken at bedtime since they will cause drowsiness.

It has also been found that Clenbuterol depletes the body of the amino acid Taurine, so you may want to supplement with this during a cycle of Clen.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

However you decide to incorporate this substance into your program, you must always start low and never go above 8 tablets a day (with a complete maximum being 200mcgs). Monitor your blood pressure and keep it at (or below) 140/90. If it goes above that, or if side effects become intolerable use your common sense and decrease the dose.

ENHANCING THE EFFECTS

Many competitive athletes find that the fat burning effects of Clenbuterol can be enhanced by combining it with thyroid hormones (particularly Cytomel). The thermogenic effect in this instance can be very powerful. When combined these cutting agents can even counter the fat storing effects of strong aromatizing androgens. A Clenbuterol/thyroid mix is also common when using growth hormone, as it seems to increase the thermogenic and anabolic effect significantly.

Leigh Penman, in addition to be a staff writer at MuscleSport Mag, has been writing for bodybuilding magazines, websites and nutritional supplement companies since 1985. Whilst residing in the UK, she earned the reputation of being one of the top female writers in bodybuilding-related media. Her credits included being a contributing editor on all the magazines in production as well as filling the shoes of Ladies Editor and Showbiz Editor on two publications (the later being on Arnold’s sanctioned magazine, ‘Bodypower’). During this time she also competed successfully on four occasions (placing in the top four in all contests).

Leigh has been working out for close to thirty years so she is clearly a writer who ‘walks her talk.’
She can be contacted personally at zeal2heal@yahoo.com or you can also check her out at New York’s favorite metaphysical store www.stickstoneandbone.com.