525-pound Squat for ‘Small’ Running Back

Try earning a living in a workplace where you’re considered one of the ’small guys.’ And this isn’t some 9-to-5 office with a bunch of cubicles, a mailroom and a secretary that is the apple of everyone’s eye. No, this is survival of the fittest, where every yard counts.

Leon Washington may be only 200 pounds in an occupation where 300 is common, but he doesn’t take the easy way out. Being a punt and kick returner in the National Football League is an occupation that doesn’t find health insurance salesman knocking at their front doors. When Washington wants to ‘take it easy’ on himself, he is the third-down running back who has a knack for moving the chains.

His secret? Working out his lower body in the offseason, enough to max out at an incredible 525 pounds on the squat rack. Continue Reading »

When Bodybuilders Turn Pro…

Recently, MuscleSport Mag had the pleasure of doing a one-on-one interview with Gregg Valentino, who is a top staff writer in ‘Muscular Development’ magazine. His ‘Ramblin’ Freak’ column is just one of his contributions each month to the famous publication and is known throughout the industry as the type of writer that pulls no punches and tells it like it is – if it pisses off some people or not. (Part Two of this interview also appears in the October issue of New York Sportscene magazine.)

Being around professional and amateur bodybuilders his entire adult life, Gregg Valentino has noticed one consistency during the progression of their careers. “A guy will win an amateur contest and then turn pro,” he said. “A year later, he’s a totally different bodybuilder.”

The difference, Valentino says, is usually 20 pounds bigger and ripped. “I think it takes a lot of money to be a pro bodybuilder with all the drugs.” While that may sound shocking to some, the obvious is blatant and to have a frank conversation about the subject, denying that there is steroid use in the sport of bodybuilding is detrimental. It is there and has been for a long time.

Continue Reading »

Aesthetic Dexter Jackson Unseats Jay Cutler for 2009 Mr. Olympia

The following article will appear in the November 2008 issue of New York Sportscene magazine.

Heading into the 2009 Mr. Olympia contest, the two names being thrown around were Jay Cutler, the two-time defending champion, and an up and coming Dennis Wolf. Three other names heard often were of the men who were to miss the show due to injury: Victor Martinez (the 2007 runner-up), Branch Warren and Kai Green.

Dexter Jackson kind of stayed under the radar, which was quite all right by him. While Cutler and Wolf trained all year for the show, Jackson was piling up first place trophies at the Arnold Classic, Australian Pro and New Zealand Grand Prix. When asked two days prior to the Olympia if dieting down and all of that preparation and travel would be a detriment to him, Jackson replied, “You just have to know how to pace yourself. It’s not going to affect me in any way. I’ll still be 110 percent on that stage.” Continue Reading »

The Ramblin’ Freak Speaks his Mind About Steroids in Sports

The following article will appear in the October 2008 issue of New York Sportscene magazine. (www.nysportscene.com)

At Arm’s Length

Gregg Valentino Flexes his Opinion About Steroids

The old saying “Don’t throw stones in a glass house,” doesn’t apply to Gregg Valentino. When he talks about anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs, people listen. It’s sort of like that old Payne Webber television commercial. You see, Valentino has no problem admitting to steroid use that would probably eclipse every baseball clubhouse in the late 1990s.

“I was up to 4,000 milligrams of testosterone a week, and that’s not even counting the equipoise,” he said, not bragging but just being truthful. When you inject such high quantities of juice in your body, it should come as no surprise that Valentino laid claim to having the largest biceps in the world. At one point during the height of his usage, his arms were an astronomical 28 inches. Continue Reading »

The Black Prince Reaches Out to the Olympic Swimming Champion

By Robby Robinson

MuscleSport Mag is lucky enough to have the one and only Robby Robinson as a contributor to our publication. We hope you all enjoy his input, as we certainly did.

Dear Michael,

Congratulations on your Olympic sweep. Your athleticism was truly awe-inspiring to watch. I asked my friend Joe Pietaro at MuscleSport Mag and New York Sportscene magazine to forward this letter to you. 

When I learned of your 12,000 empty calorie eating regime, I became concerned not only about your health and longevity as an athlete, but also about the billions of people around the world that you are now in a position to influence. It wasn’t so much the quantity of calories that was a shock, as their quality. One can argue that your diet has worked for you so far, but your short-term choices can lead to serious long-term consequences. Massive quantities of refined carbohydrates at one sitting trigger the pancreas to excrete an over-abundance of insulin, creating the possibility of becoming a diabetic. And while fats in your meals will help slow that reaction a bit, your fats, from what I read, are all saturated. They will deposit in your arteries and give you high cholesterol. Being an athlete does not negate the effect of these foods, but being young allows you to get away with it for now.  Continue Reading »

2008 Arnold Classic Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships

In a world that revolves around money, even the sport of bodybuilding must make adjustments. The difference between amateurs and professionals in sanctioned International Federation of Body Building events is prize money being awarded to the winners. At the recent Amateur IFBB Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships held at the Arnold Schwarzenegger 2008 Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, money was no object.

Continue Reading »