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2 GAINZ FALL 2017                         WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM            NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
                                GAINZ
                                Ben Yosef | Publisher / Editor-in-Chief
                                    Bill Piche | Contributing Editor
                               Bill Smith & Lynn Carlson | Illustrators
                               Michael Brooks | Director of Photography
                            Natural Gainz Magazine is based in Jersey City, NJ.
                          Natural Gainz is brought to you by MiBoLife Publishing.
                                    For additional information contact
                                      info@mibolife-publishing.com
                    Natural Gainz is a monthly digital download magazine focusing on the
                       Training, Nutrition, and Lifestyle of HARDCORE, Drug-tested
                                         Bodybuilders & Powerlifters
                           Natural Gainz is available by subscription and per issue.
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                     No liability is assumed for the information provided within Natural
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                      expressed are those of the writers. The text on all pages of Natural
                      Gainz does not provide medical advice on exercise or diet. Specific
                        medical advice should be obtained from a licensed health-care
                    practitioner. Always check with your doctor before beginning any type
                      of exercise program or using any product mentioned or advertised
                                            within Natural Gainz.
3 GAINZ FALL 2017                             NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
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4 GAINZ FALL 2017        WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM   NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
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  Karl Hall: Reigning Champ
                                                                         Karl Hall
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        Ben is the Founder and President   Bill is lifetime drug-free          Lynn and Bill have been a           Michael is a creative and highly
        of MiBoLife Publishing (Natural    Powerlifter. In 1989 he pulled an   writer/artist team since 1978. In   accomplished Professional
        Magazine International, Natural    over triple bodyweight deadlift     the late 90s they teamed up with    Photographer. He has an
        Gainz Magazine, Natural Bikini     of 600lbs at 193lbs bodyweight      Bill Piche and PUMP was born.       extensive background in
        Magazine, & Vigorous               that ranked 49th in the nation in   It's been a wild ride through the   developing innovative, unique
        Magazine). He is also a the        the American Drug-Free              world of practical Bodybuilding     and appealing images. A second
        Founder and president of the IPL   Powerlifting Association that       and goofy fads.                     generation shooter, Michael
        (International Physique League)    year. Bill created the Cyberpump                                        Brooks has a true passion for the
        and the UPCA (United Physique      network (Cyberpump.com) in                                              human form that transcends
        Competitors Association). Ben is   1995, one of the oldest training                                        fashion, fitness and commercial
        a Lifetime Drug-free               sites on the Internet. Bill has                                         genres. As the Director of
        Bodybuilder, and the creator of    written numerous articles for                                           Photography for MiBoLife
        the MD-7 Training System.          various publications including                                          Publishing and the International
                                           HARDGAINER, Powerlifting USA,                                           Physique League, Michael Brooks
                                           Monster Muscle, and various web                                         travels across the country
                                           sites.                                                                  shooting top Physique Athletes.
                                                                                                                   Michael Brooks Photography is
                                                                                                                   based out of Madison, WI. and
                                                                                                                   available for bookings world-
                                                                                                                   wide. Check him out online at
                                                                                                                   michaelbrooksphotography.com
7 GAINZ FALL 2017                                                   WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                                     NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
 THE GAINZ PLAN                                                                       FALL 2017
WHAT A YEAR FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PHYSIQUE LEAGUE!
Wow! What can I say? Season #2. 14 contests, including our 1st international
shows in Tahiti, French Polynesia. IPL APEX II, with many more states and
countries represented than we had last year…
   Just amazing. Huge THANK YOU to everyone who took part in our second
season. You all are what makes the IPL possible. As I write this, wrapping up on
2017 and gearing up for our third season, I just feel so incredibly proud of what
we have all accomplished. I have no doubt that season three will even be bigger
and better.
    AND, as I write this, we have yet to choose a cover model for the next issue of
Natural Gainz… Hmmm, who will it be??? Stay tuned. And, see you all in the new
year!
           ben yosef editor-in-chief
 8 GAINZ FALL 2017                                     WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM               NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
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        Doré DeBartolo   Brittany Warner
                                                      Much of the reason
                                                      Women’s Athletic was so
                                                      awesome at the 2017 2nd
                                                      Annual         IPL       California
                                                      Championship on May 20th in
                                                      Rancho Cordova, CA was a
                                                      stand out superstar named
                                                      Heather Randall.
                                                         Heather was just spot on in
Age: 33               Age: 52                         Cali. Apparently she really did her
Height: 5’4”          Height: 5’6”                    homework. Everything about
                                                      Randall’s     presentation      just
                                                      popped. Randall basically nailed it
                                                      in this class and earned 160
                                                      points (out of a max of 180), the
                                                      second highest score of the entire
                                                      contest. Needless to say the IPL
                                                      Pro Card was all hers. With the
                                                      level of quality in IPL Pro
                                                      Women’s       Athletic,    Heather
                                                      Randall makes a wonderful
                                                      addition.
                                                         Ilana nailed it at the 2017 2nd
                                                      Annual IPL Arizona Championship
                                                      on May 28th in Mesa, AZ. Already
                                                      an IPL Figure Pro (Open &
                                                      Masters) Ilana had her 
 10 GAINZ FALL 2017           WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM     JACKED! IPL WOMEN’S ATHLETIC PROS
                     sights set on Pro status in yet   HEATHER RANDALL:                     “MY PREP CALORIES
                     another division. Women’s         Earning my Pro Card feels            WERE ROUGHLY THE
                     Athletic.                         amazing. I truly did not
                        At fifty-one years young,      expect it! When I initially          SAME AMOUNT I’M
                     Lea brings a package to the       agreed to compete in the                        EATING
                     stage that can compete with       May 2017 show, it was just
                     athletes decades younger. In      for fun.                                    CURRENTLY,
                     fact, she battled it out with                                                    BUT MY
                     twenty-seven year old, Katie
                                                                                                 PROTEIN WAS
                                                       YOSEF: HOW HIGH DO
                     Conway, who came in 2nd           YOUR OFF-SEASON
                     place in the Open. Needing a      CALORIES GET, AND HOW                           REALLY
                     minimum point total of 168
                     for the Pro Card, Ilana Lea
                                                       LOW DO YOUR PREP
                                                       CALORIES GET?
                                                                                                    HIGH AND
                     earned 191 in Masters, and                                                     MY CARBS
                     203 in the Open. More than        LEA: As to calories, because
                     enough points to earn her         I don’t fluctuate between
                                                                                                    AND FATS
                     way into the IPL’s elite group    seasons, my calories are                   WERE LOW.”
                     of Women’s Athletic Pros.         always between 1,650 and
                                                       1,900.
                     BEN YOSEF: CONGRATS
                     ON YOUR SUCCESS! HOW              RANDALL: Off-season, I can
                     DOES IPL PRO STATUS               eat as much as 2,100 calories
                     FEEL?                             a day. I’m currently
                                                       consuming around 1,800                                     IPL PRO
                     ILANA LEA: Thank you so           calories most days of the                            HEATHER
                     much! It feels great to be a      week, with one day that is                           RANDALL
                     Pro in the IPL. It’s a            just above 2,000 calories.                         MICHAEL BROOKS
                                                                                                            PHOTOGRAPHY
                     wonderful reward for the          My prep calories were
                     years of hard work and            roughly the same amount
                     dedication. The IPL treats its    I’m eating currently, but
                     competitors so well. It really    my protein was really
                     feels like they care.             high and my carbs and
                                                       fats were low.
11 GAINZ FALL 2017                           WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                     JACKED! IPL WOMEN’S ATHLETIC PROS
                     YOSEF: WHAT IS YOUR              Everything from the poses,               “IT ALLOWS THE
                     STAGE WEIGHT AND OFF-            outfits, hair, and even                 COMPETITORS TO
                     SEASON WEIGHT?                   makeup feels simpler. I was
                                                      stoked that I wouldn’t have                DISPLAY THEIR
                     LEA: My weight is same all       to wear high heels and a                  MUSCULARITY,
                     year-round. Recently it’s        glitzy bikini. Anyone who
                     been between 129 and 132         knows me knows I live in my               WHILE KEEPING
                     pounds.                          gym clothes. So, wearing a                          THEIR
                                                      sports bra and booty shorts
                     RANDALL: On stage day,           is much more my style.                        FEMININITY.
                     my weight was about 115,                                                        I LOVE THE
                     pounds. Maybe a pound or         YOSEF: YOU TWO ARE
                     two less. I currently weigh      PACKING AN IMPRESSIVE
                                                                                                     LOOK OF A
                     between 120 and 125,             AMOUNT OF MUSCLE.                                 STRONG
                     depending on the day.            HOW MUCH HAS
                                                      GENETICS IMPACTED
                                                                                                      FEMININE
                     YOSEF: WHAT EXCITES YOU          THIS?                                              BODY!”
                     ABOUT THE IPL WOMEN’S
                     ATHLETIC DIVISION?               LEA: In my opinion, genetics
                                                      help. However, without hard
                     LEA: The IPL Women’s             work and dedication, even
                     Athletic division excites me     genetics won’t be enough.
                     because it allows the            Let’s put it this way… my
                     competitors to display their     siblings don’t have the                                   IPL PRO
                     muscularity, while keeping       physique I do.                                     ILANA LEA
                     their femininity. I love the                                                       MICHAEL BROOKS
                                                                                                          PHOTOGRAPHY
                     look of a strong feminine        RANDALL: I’m
                     body!                            naturally petite. I’m
                                                      small boned and in
                     RANDALL: The Athletic            the past have not
                     division excites me because      had much
                     it’s different from the Bikini   muscle
                     and Figure divisions.            definition. Now, however, my
12 GAINZ FALL 2017                            WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                  JACKED! IPL WOMEN’S ATHLETIC PROS
                     training has been a huge part of      metabolism very healthy                            “HONESTLY, MY
                     the GAINZ I’ve seen, especially       throughout the years, so that                   TRAINING HASN’T
                     in the last three years.              allows me to have lots of
                                                           flexibility in my diet. I eat a great            CHANGED AT ALL.
                     YOSEF: WHAT IS YOUR                   balance of fats, proteins and                   IT’S MY DIET THAT
                     TRAINING LIKE?                        carbs (including starches). And, I
                                                           don’t deprive myself of                                 ALLOWED
                     LEA: Since my goal is to              anything.                                                   ME TO
                     compete at least till I’m 100, I
                     make sure not to over train or        RANDALL: For stage, I ate lean                          SHRED SO
                     get injured. I train about 8 hours    meats, egg whites, green                                   WELL.”
                     a week. My training is a              veggies, sweet potatoes, brown
                     combination of weight training,       rice and oats. I used Herbalife
                     cardio and yoga.                      products to supplement. After
                                                           stage, I took a few months off
                     RANDALL: I do CrossFit 5 to 6         to replenish my stores. Now,
                     days a week. When I was               I’m tracking macros, sticking to
                     training for stage, I asked my        a macro plan and utilizing
                     coach, Patrick Laverty, if I should   nutrient timing, which I love!
                     change any part of my training.
                     He said, “Nope. You will be just      YOSEF: YOU TWO ARE ALSO
                     fine.” Midway through my 16           COMING IN REALLY LEAN.                                             IPL PRO
                     weeks, the gym I attended             WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO                                        HEATHER
                     closed. I joined a new one and        GET YOUR CONDITIONING TO                                     RANDALL
                     switched out 2 days of CrossFit       THIS LEVEL?                                                MICHAEL BROOKS
                     for an Olympic Weightlifting                                                                       PHOTOGRAPHY
                     class.                                LEA: I think I come in lean due
                                                           to the fact that I don’t fluctuate
                     YOSEF: WHAT IS YOUR DIET              in weight during the off and
                     LIKE?                                 on season. Years back I used
                                                           to fluctuate 8 pounds and I
                     LEA: My diet is a NON rigid           didn’t like it, so I don’t do
                     healthy diet. I’ve kept my            that anymore.
13 GAINZ FALL 2017                              WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                              JACKED! IPL WOMEN’S ATHLETIC PROS
RANDALL: Honestly, my training hasn’t                             “BUILDING MUSCLE WILL MAKE YOU MORE
changed at all. It’s my diet that allowed me                           CONFIDENT WITH YOUR OWN BODY.“
to shred so well.
                                                                                Lift weights and, for the women, don’t
YOSEF: WHAT TIPS CAN YOUR OFFER                                             be afraid of becoming bulky. The majority
TO COMPETITORS WHO ARE LOOKING                                                  of women won’t bulk up like guys do.
TO MAKE GAINZ, AS WELL AS TO                                                       Building muscle will make you more
THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE                                                    confident with your own body. Take
IPL WOMEN’S ATHLETIC DIVISION?                                              mandatory rest days to allow recovery and
                                                                                                to repair tired muscles.
LEA: Step out of the mentally of on and
off-seasons and figure out how to keep                                          YOSEF: WHEN CAN WE EXPECT YOU
yourself conditioned and lean all year-                                                 BACK ON THE IPL STAGE?
round. And, do it by constantly
replenishing your body, instead of                                           LEA: I plan to be back to stage as soon as
depleting it. How exactly? Well, everyone is                                   possible. Hopefully by the spring, if not
different in this way, so it’s hard for me to                                                                   sooner.
give specifics.
    Work out and train with a long future in                                 RANDALL: I may possibly be back for the
mind. Don’t drive your body into the                                        Fall 2018 show in Sacramento. I’ve got time
ground. You only have one body, and you                                                                      to decide.
want it to function for a long long time.
Build muscle through hard work and with
lots and lots of recovery time. don’t over                                     YOSEF: ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD
train. Workout smart and listen to your                                                            LIKE TO ADD?
body!
                                                                               LEA: Thank you again for giving me the
RANDALL: In the off-season, eat to fuel                                     opportunity to be featured and compete in
your body, whatever that looks like for                                                this great organization! Go IPL!
you. If needed, find a reputable nutrition
coach to help you figure out your macros.                                   RANDALL: It’s such an honor to be able to
Make it a priority to move daily, whether                                    share a bit about my experience prepping
                                                     IPL PRO
it’s hitting the gym or just going for a hike.                                      and competing. Thank you for this
                                                  HEATHER
                                                                                                  opportunity! GAINZ
                                                  RANDALL
                                                 MICHAEL BROOKS
14 GAINZ FALL 2017                                PHOTOGRAPHY                         JACKED! IPL WOMEN’S ATHLETIC PROS
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                   Yady                 Alisha           Coretta       Christy              Doré            Betty               Kaylin
                  Cedeno                Gray              Ward         Byxbee             DeBartolo        Guerrero             Payne
        Vanessa                                                                                                                              Mary
        Campos      Julia               Ilana            Alison       Melanie               Misti            Frauka             Nina        Onyango
                  Hubbard                Lea             Satran       Giroux               Sowell            Kozar              Olsen
                            Tabatha                       Sheri                   Yady                  Alison                   Tunde
                            Barbarisi                    Bomhoff                 Cedeno                 Satran                   Milstein
                                                 Ilana             Nancy                        Misti                   Julia
                                                  Lea              Hays                        Sowell                 Hubbard
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   MARCH 31 @ GRAHAM THEATER
             45955 THOMAS ROAD
 CHILLIWACK, BRITISH COLUMBIA
                     V2R OB5
        PREJUDGING 11:00AM TO 2:00PM | FINALS 3:30PM TO 7:30PM
                      NOVICE | MASTERS | OPEN
                       ●BODYBUILDING ●FIGURE
                   ●ATHLETIC ●BIKINI ●SPORTS MODEL
                    ●BEACH BODY ●FITNESS ANGELS
                    ●EVENING GOWN ●KIDS FITNESS
                      ●INSPIRATION DEDICATION
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                                                                 IPL PRO
                                                                 JULIA HUBBARD
Weak or 'lagging' muscles are a common
problem for many bodybuilders and frequent
exercisers. Many people have areas on their
body they feel do not show the same rate of
muscle growth, even though they work at them
just as hard.
    There can be many reasons why certain muscles do
not make the same gains as others. Some believe the
problem is not physical, but rather neural, and that it
can be overcome by a 'mind over matter' approach. The
truth is a little more complicated than that.
         The biggest limiting factor is always going to be
     your genetics; however hard or often you train, your
    muscles are never going to get any bigger than your
   genetic makeup allows for. However, there are things
       you can do at every stage of your workout to help
      those stubborn muscles grow as much as possible.
                                                   
17 GAINZ FALL 2017                                           WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM   BREAK FREE OF YOUR LIFTING PLATEAU!
                                     “START BY SITTING DOWN AND HAVING AN
                                     HONEST LOOK AT YOUR STRENGTHS AND
                                     WEAKNESSES.”
                                         This is where a technique called specialization comes
                                     in, targeting specific muscles and introducing new
                                     exercises to stress your muscles in a variety of ways,
                                     leading to increased muscle growth.
                                         Start by sitting down and having an honest look at your
                                     strengths and weaknesses. Consider hiring a personal trainer
                                     for at least a few sessions. They will easily be able to help
                                     you identify weaker areas and set out a plan to overcome
                                     them. If that isn't an option for you, try examining your body
                                     closely in a mirror.
                                         Do your research, and don't forget the basics! Too many
                                     people train year after year, failing to reach their true
                                     hypertrophic potential because of fundamental flaws in their
                                     programme, such as not using enough weight, or incorrect
                                     nutrition.
                                         Once you have identified any problem areas, make sure
                                     you prioritize them during your workout. Work them first
                                     every time while your concentration is at its highest and
                                     your body is fresh. Slight variations in your workout can also
                                     make a huge difference by hitting the muscle from a
                                     different angle - try varying your stance, grip, intensity, and
                                     rest periods, which can all help stimulate muscle growth.
                                         Train the stubborn muscle group twice a week - once
IPL PRO CHAMPION                     with a full workout and one at half strength. It is vital that
JULIA HUBBARD                        you take at least 2 rest days between training weak muscle
MICHAEL BROOKS                       groups to allow adequate time for them to repair and grow.
PHOTOGRAPHY
  18 GAINZ FALL 2017   WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                    BREAK FREE OF YOUR LIFTING PLATEAU!
IPL PRO CHAMPION
JULIA HUBBARD
                                   “TRAIN THE STUBBORN MUSCLE TO FAILURE.
MICHAEL BROOKS
PHOTOGRAPHY
                                   THIS SIMPLY MEANS YOU CANNOT COMPLETE
                                   ANOTHER REP USING THE CORRECT FORM.”
                                      On the days that you are due to train a lagging muscle
                                   increase your carbohydrate intake, ideally by 25-50 grams in
                                   your pre and post-workout meal. These extra nutrients will not
                                   only help you train harder, they will also aid in your recovery.
                                      A common problem you may find with a lagging muscle is
                                   that stronger muscles around it overcompensate for the
                                   weakness, further exacerbating the problem. So, although it may
                                   sound strange, instead of hammering a weak muscle with more
                                   weights/reps every chance you get, you may need to actually do
                                   less of a certain exercise which is contributing to the problem.
                                   Instead of always considering which factors to strengthen a weak
                                   area, instead consider what exercises you could take away to
                                   give the muscle the best possible chance to increase in size.
                                      Training with a partner can be effective when training to bring
                                   up a lagging muscle -- they can 'spot' you, meaning you are able
                                   to lift heavier weights with more confidence, and also provide a
                                   boost with verbal stimulation and motivation.
                                      Train the stubborn muscle to failure. This simply means you
                                   cannot complete another rep using the correct form. Many
                                   bodybuilders choose to train this way, pushing each set until
                                   they cannot complete any more -- the reason for this is the
                                   intensity that is created. The key to training to failure is to always
                                   use the correct form -- the risks of injury this way are minimal,
                                   while the gains you make are maximized; your muscles will
                                   respond incredibly well, increasing in size and strength. You need
                                   to push yourself until it is simply not possible to complete
                                   another rep in strict for m -- if you aren't doing this, you will
                                   never see the best possible results.
    19 GAINZ FALL 2017   WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                      BREAK FREE OF YOUR LIFTING PLATEAU!
                       IPL PRO CHAMPION   “THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP TO REMEMBER
                     JULIA HUBBARD
                        MICHAEL BROOKS    WHEN DEALING WITH A LAGGING MUSCLE
                          PHOTOGRAPHY
                                          IS TO STAY PATIENT!”
                                              However, this means listening to your body and knowing
                                          when to stop. Training to failure means pushing your body
                                          to its personal limit and then resting. Then, once you have
                                          completed your rest time (usually between 2-6 minutes),
                                          your body will then be ready to complete the sets to failure
                                          again.
                                              Stay focused throughout your workout. Use the
                                          mind/muscle connection to your advantage. You need to
                                          visualize the muscle in your mind and concentrate as much
                                          as you can on the execution and the form of your
                                          movement. Ensure you are just as mentally focused at the
                                          end of your workout, as you are at the beginning.
                                              Your body repairs and grows when you sleep. So, it's a
                                          really good idea to get some extra sleep the night before
                                          and after you train a weak muscle group. This gives your
                                          body more time to heal, leading to more efficient muscle
                                          growth.
                                             Hopefully the tips contained within this article will have
                                          helped you to identify any weak areas on your body and
                                          given you some ideas of how to overcome them.
                                          Remember, everyone is different and you may need to
                                          experiment with different ways of doing things to find the
                                          methods that work for you. The most important tip to
                                          remember when dealing with a lagging muscle is to stay
                                          patient! The best progress in bodybuilding is always
                                          measured in months and years, not weeks. GAINZ
20 GAINZ FALL 2017         WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                      BREAK FREE OF YOUR LIFTING PLATEAU!
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         Elli                 Beth                     Tawnya                Ana                      Naia               Karen                  Tawnya                Ivonne
        Sigala                Cote                      Cline              La Belle                   Day                Basler                  Cline                Grecco
                  Amber              Aurore               Katie           Annie           Tiffany            Rebecca          Laura             Tasha            Dawn
                  Daniell            Cottet              Jeffers          Minkler        Mickalson            Unruh          Baumann            Hunter           Davis
                  Debbie             Melanie             Sunni            Dana            Ivonne             Tunde           Johanna             Naia            Nikki
                  Leedy               Bassi              Ewing           Helgeson         Grecco             Milstein          Paco              Day             Smith
                  Charlotte          Monica              Lylian          Beatrice        Priscillia           Victoria         Renee            Tunde            Allison
                  Svensson           Corona            Muttakyawa         Igeria         Cancian              Guthrie          Reese            Milstein         Troxell
                  Brianna           Christian            Mary            Veronika         Kristen            Andressa         Caroline          Alison           Sunny
                   Jeans            DeAngelis           Pagano           Antolini         Perez              Chappelle       Tsutakawa          Satran           Miller
        Heimana         Christina             Shelbi          Ashley            Sunny           Jenny               Karen              Regina        Charmaine             Dawn
        Mairoto         Kydinova               Ray          Quakenbush          Miller       Langomazino           Demarco             Bailey        Bruington             Davis
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 APRIL 14 @ COVINA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
        104 NORTH CITRUS AVENUE | COVINA, CA
    PREJUDGING 11:00AM TO 2:00PM FINALS 3:00PM TO 6:00PM
              NOVICE | MASTERS | OPEN
        ●BODYBUILDING ●FIGURE ●ATHLETIC ●BIKINI
              ●SPORTS MODEL ●BEACH BODY
            ●FITNESS ANGELS ●EVENING GOWN
         ●KIDS FITNESS ●INSPIRATION DEDICATION
ENTRY FORMS // TICKETS // INFORMATION // MAGAZINES         @ INTERNATIONAL-PHYSIQUE.COM
At 47 years young (and a mother of five) Sunny
Miller decided to enter the world of Physique
Competition. In 2017 she would step on stage for the
very first time, choosing the 2017 2nd Annual IPL
California Championship on May 20th in Rancho
Cordova, CA.
   Miller was one of the most prolific athletes to hit the
IPL Cali stage. She presented one of the most impressive
physiques of the show with full, round, muscularity. Good
conditioning, and a style of presentation that was an
inspiring blend of elegant maturity and timeless
youthfulness.
   In Cali, the Evening Gown division was STACKED.
Included were Novice, Masters 50+, Masters 40+, and
Open. And in Cali, one woman OWNED this division.
Sunny Miller. After Winning her IPL PRO CARD in 
23 GAINZ FALL 2017                                     WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM   EVENING GOWN GAINZ
                     Bikini Masters, and Open, Sunny        BEN YOSEF: Congrats on all of
                     Miller reemerged in Evening            your success on the IPL Evening
                     Gown. An overflow of adjectives        Gown stage! You are really
                     can be used to describe what           bringing the heat it that division!
                     Sunny presented on the Evening         [laughs] How are you feeling
                     Gown stage in California. Elegant…     about all this?
                     Regal… Stunning… Radiant… to list
                     a few.
                         From her choice of gown (a
                                                            “…THERE COMES A TIME TO
                     double-slitted black number which      BRING IT, IF YOU’RE GONNA
                     received perfect 10’s across the
                     judging panel) to her amazing
                                                            BRING IT. [LAUGHS]”
                     physique, to her superb posing
                                                            SUNNY MILLER: [laughs] Well,
                     and presentation, Sunny Miller
                                                            there comes a time to bring it, if
                     brought the IPL Evening Gown
                                                            you’re gonna bring it. [laughs] The
                     division to new heights. Needless
                                                            Evening Gown division allows us
                     to say, Miller clenched 1st place in
                                                            to really sprinkle some of our own
                     Masters 40+ and IPL MASTERS
                                                            flavors (I.e., physique, classy, sexy,
                     PRO CARD, and Open 1st place
                                                            sultry, style of gown and with a
                     and IPL OPEN PRO CARD.
                                                            smile). It can also be that, “This Is
                         Shout out to Elly Niezen, who
                                                            My Fight Song” redemption
                     was the best we have seen her on
                                                            revamp woman, empowered life
                     the IPL stage, and who also
                                                            moment. I like that IPL offers this
                     presented a fantastic look, which
                                                            category.
                     earned her 1st place in Evening
                     Gown Masters 50+. This win
                                                            BEN: Nice! Well said. You splashed
                     landed her in the Masters Overall,
                                                            onto the IPL stage for the first
                     where she then presented quite a
                                                            time at the California
                     challenge to Sunny. But in the end,
                                                            Championship back in May. You
                     it was Miller for the Overall title.
                                                            were very impressive in the Bikini
24 GAINZ FALL 2017                WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                                   EVENING GOWN GAINZ
                                             division earlier in the day where
                                             you won your IPL Pro Cards in
                                             Open and Masters. Congrats
                                             again, by the way!
                                                But when you came out in that
                                             black Gown for the Evening Gown
                                             division, the audience’s collective
                                             jaw dropped. Did you know you
                                             would have that kind of impact?
                                             “ALL I KNEW WAS THAT I
                                             WANTED TO GET THE
                                             ATTENTION OF THE JUDGES.
                                             [LAUGHS] I’M GLAD THAT
                                             DRESS FOUND ME.”
                                             [LAUGHS]
                                             SUNNY: Thank you very much, Sir.
                                             I had absolutely zero concept of
                                             what was about to happen or how
                                             the reaction of the audience was
                                             going to be. All I knew was that I
                                             wanted to get the attention of the
                                             judges. [laughs] I’m glad that
                                             dress found me. [laughs]
                                             BEN: You are a Pro in both Bikini
                                             and Evening Gown. Is there
25 GAINZ FALL 2017   WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                     EVENING GOWN GAINZ
                     anything you do differently with           throughout my gym life and adult
                     regards to training for each?              years. I love doing lower body training.
                                                                I will do Legs/Glutes Monday and
                                                                Friday (3 circuits of 3;3-4 sets; 10-20
                     “I’VE HAD STRONG LEGS,                     reps). On the days between, I will
                     QUADS, SINCE HIGH SCHOOL                   always add lighter stationary moves
                                                                like Wall Sits, Skaters, Squat Pulses,
                     AND COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL                     Lying Down Hamstring Curls etc.
                     DAYS.”                                         But I incorporate moves that help
                                                                keep my legs strong, long, lean
                     SUNNY: Yes, I believe I may                looking, and not bulked up. I’m 5’5”, so
                     incorporate more exercises that help to    I need the optical illusion type of
                     elongate and promote lean muscle           training. [laughs]
                     (yoga, Pilates, Barre). Then my weight
                     training is always 5 days a week. That’s   BEN: That makes for a really good
                     just life. And 2-3 times a week I may do   Segway. In the Evening Gown division,
                     the classes.                               competitors are not penalized for
                         My fitness goals have always been      "muscle.” The International Physique
                     to stay strong, lean and fast, to be fit   League is just that… a physique-
                     and flexible whether in a dress or a       focused league. So, physique
                     bikini. Tadahhhhh                          development is a good thing, in all
                                                                divisions.
                     BEN: So, let's talk quads! [laughs] The       But, in the Evening Gown division,
                     way your quads were poppin'... we were     presentation is huge. Probably more so
                     all just like "whuttttt????" In a good     than in other divisions. In Evening
                     way [laughs] What is your leg training     Gown, competitors must present their
                     like?                                      physiques in an elegant, feminine, way.
                                                                You clearly have this mastered. What
                     SUNNY: I’ve had strong legs, QUADS,        would you say are keys to packing a
                     since high school and college volleyball   muscular physique, yet maintaining the
                     days. My training days stuck with me       aforementioned level of presentation?
26 GAINZ FALL 2017               WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                                EVENING GOWN GAINZ
                                            and stand up straight, how to be graceful
“THE WAY WE SIT, STAND AND                  and lady like. Polite and point your toes. I
WALK CAN MAKE OR BREAK A                    like to say that my grandmother was
                                            channeling through me at the time of my
GRAND ENTRANCE OR                           WIN.
INTRODUCTION.”                                  When asked which doll I wanted to
                                            play with, Barbie or Wonder Woman? I
SUNNY: Great question. Sexy is a space      chose Wonder Woman. Strong, sexy,
inside ones mind, first. It’s a character   beautiful, and could protect herself.
that comes to life when the right time      Barbie, not so much.
comes. I think for me personally, as a
woman who loves weight training and         BEN: I love it! When can we expect to see
has been doing it for over 20yrs, through   you back on the IPL stage?
my 4 pregnancies and during a time
when it wasn’t so popular for girls and     SUNNY: IPL 2017 was such a GREAT
iron to mix because we’d get bulky like     experience that it wasn’t difficult for me
guys... that’s when I decided I’d heard     to decide IF I’d return for the 2018 IPL
enough and I wanted to show other           season. The difficult part now is WHEN
women that being strong and sexy at         and WHERE? [laughs]
the same time was the ACTUAL RESULT             I love traveling and meeting new faces,
of training with weights.                   and the way the IPL Competition calendar
    Another physical aspect that I feel     is set up, it makes my mind wander.
contributes to keeping a balance            [smiles] I’d like to do Arizona, Texas, New
between strong and sexy is a confident      York, Canada or Tahiti, and California... So,
POSTURE. The way we sit, stand and          I’m gonna sit down and really map this
walk can make or break a grand              out because I still need to go for both my
entrance or Introduction. My                Pro Masters Debuts in Bikini and Evening
grandmother passed this year at 101         Gown. Then, I’m looking at entering
years of age. She was a professional        amateur Fitness Angels and Sports Model.
stage dancer (like Fred Astaire and         So, I think that’s enough to plan for now.
Ginger Rodgers). She taught me to sit up    [laughs] GAINZ
 27 GAINZ FALL 2017                                  WWW.NATURAL-GAINZ.COM                  EVENING GOWN GAINZ
CLICK
                                     FEATURING THE LATEST IN IPL
                                        NEWS & EXCITEMENT!
                                  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ipltalkweekly
ENTRY FORMS // TICKETS // INFORMATION // MAGAZINES   @ INTERNATIONAL-PHYSIQUE.COM
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        Alejandro              Pat            Richard            Steven              Cobe          Andrew            Anton          Tommy            Zyrian              Angel              Jason
          Sigala              Vega             Puou              Perez              Mouton          Kang              Aiu             Do            Apurillo             Aulet              Lubag
  Ramont            Solomon              Maurio            Chris             David            James         Steve              Anan         Noel                Kyle      Andy       Tony           Henri
  Mittchell          Taylor               Hill            Wallace           Schmell           Niezen        Poyer            Suthiwong      Pao                Clarke    Anzures     Mena           Hiro
                 Roy                  John               Roy              Richard             Kenny         Ramon             Vernon        Angel                Steve      James      Henri
               Aurentz               Koloch             Pingol             Puou              Schrock        Valdez            Ginnis        Aulet                Poyer      Niezen     Hiro
                        QUICK HITS & TIPS!
                                                                 3 Buffet Eating Rules
                                                                 For MASSIVE GAINZ
                                                                 #1 consume sufficient amounts of
                                                                 protein and a green vegetable. So
                                                                 these plates will be chicken and
                                                                 broccoli and chicken and green
                                                                 beans. After 2-3 plates of protein,
                                                                 there's very little room for
                                                                 carbohydrates. So, I may consume
                         The Case for Grass-                     very small portion sizes of mashed
                                                                 potatoes or spaghetti.
                                   fed Beef                      #2 Finish with a salad and or some
                        #1 Contains Omega-3 and 6 fats           fruit, like pineapples, to aid in the
                          which are essential for health.        digestion of food.
                              #2 Contains high levels of         #3 Always park your car half a block
                         Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).         or farther away! This 5-10 minute
                              #3 Contains high levels of         walk will aid in digestion, and will
                                      essential vitamins.        help with burning calories as well as
                         #4 Contains increased levels of         relieve you of that satiated
                         other essential micro-nutrients.        sleepiness!
                         #5 Contains increased levels of         – Karl Hall [IPL Pro Men's Bodybuilding
                         other essential micro-nutrients.        Reigning Champion]
                                            – GAINZ STAFF        Michael Brooks Photography
                     Closely Monitor Your Athlete Children
                     I worry for the youth of today, especially the ones that are involved in sports
                     that require size and strength. I have spoken to a number of sixteen and
                     seventeen year olds, who have told me the pressure that they are being put
                     under by their coaches to bulk up, just to get a place on their local teams.
                        I would advise any parent to closely monitor their children at that age who
                     are involved in any sport that requires size and strength. If you think for one
                     minute that your son is naturally bulking up on creatine or protein powders
                     that you can buy in your local health food store, you are very much mistaken.
                                        - From “The Dark Side Of The Sport: A Steroid Story” By Marcus Power
30 GAINZ FALL 2017                                             www.natural-gainz.com                           NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
                               QUICK HITS & TIPS!
A Case For Competing In A Drug-
tested League                                                       Bench Press
“After the first several shows I decided, while it was fun               Tip For
to push myself and I looked better every show, I was
not really getting anywhere in some of the other (non
                                                                        Massive
drug-tested) leagues. I was ready to retire from the              Muscle GAINZ:
sport, when we discovered the IPL, and in my 1st IPL
show I earned my Pro Card in Bodybuilding and
                                                                    Explode Up
                                                                      Many people wind up
Athletic. This motivated me to keep going, push a little
                                                                         getting stuck in the
harder, and see how far I can go.”
                  -   Doré DeBartolo [IPL Bodybuilding, Figure,
                                                                  middle or top part of the
                          Fitness Angels, and Sports Model Pro]         bench press motion.
                                   Michael Brooks Photography        This problem is often a
                                                                         result of coming up
                                                                      without enough force.
                                                                   Although it is important
                                                                            to always lift in a
                                                                     controlled motion, you
                                                                      shouldn't be afraid to
                                                                    use a lot of force to get
                                                                     your bar up. Lifting the
                                                                  bar too slowly can cause
                                                                    your triceps to become                 Can New Pro
                                                                       overly strained while               Vincent Tinerino
                                                                     your chest is still ready             Dethrone The
                                                                    for more. This issue can
                                                                  exacerbate discrepancies                 King?
                                                                   between the strength of                 What’s next for big VT?
                                                                  your chest and arms that                 Well, many think he is
                                                                    will only become worse                 ready to face King Karl
                                                                   as you add more weight                  Hall for the title Belt.
                                                                                   to the bar.             Take a look at these pix
                                                                                – GAINZ STAFF              and see what ya think…
                                                                                                                    -   Michael Brooks
                                                                                                                          Photography
                                                                                                                               GAINZ
   31 GAINZ FALL 2017                                              www.natural-gainz.com          NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
CLICK
                       Brittany                 Mary                        Julia                Kaylin                   Doré
                       Warner                  Onyango                     Hubbard               Payne                  DeBartolo
        Vanessa   Chelsea         Heather          Monica          Ilana             Nina       Jamie         Coretta         Kristy   Alison
        Campos    Cancian         Randall          Corona           Lea              Olsen   Schellenberg      Ward           Janak    Satran
                                       Christine            Christina             Julia               Ilana
                                      Aghazarian             Lefoc               Hubbard               Lea
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                                                    NOVICE | MASTERS | OPEN
                                       ●BODYBUILDING ●FIGURE ●ATHLETIC ●BIKINI ●SPORTS MODEL
                                      ●BEACH BODY ●FITNESS ANGELS ●EVENING GOWN ●KIDS FITNESS
                                                      ●INSPIRATION DEDICATION
                                    PREJUDGING 11:00AM TO 2:00PM FINALS 3:00PM TO 6:00PM
ENTRY FORMS // TICKETS // INFORMATION // MAGAZINES    @ INTERNATIONAL-PHYSIQUE.COM
                                 Mistakes. We all make them, and in many
                                 areas of our lives. However, there is no need
                                 to beat ourselves up over them. BUT, there
                                 IS a need to correct them, especially when it
                                 comes to making GAINZ.
                                    In this article we identify some of the
                                 biggest lifting mistakes that Bodybuilders
                                 make. This is by no means a comprehensive list
                                 of mistakes. Not even close. A list like that
                                 could fill all the pages of this magazine, and
                                 then some. Instead, we chose just six of the
                                 most common mistakes that will wreak havoc
                                 on your GAINZ and keep you from achieving
                                 your true potential. Read on. 
34 GAINZ FALL 2017   www.natural-gainz.com            AVOID THESE SIX BODYBUILDING MISTAKES
While aiming for more GAINZ, which we all are, you must be very
careful. Adding weight for the sake of weight is not a good thing. You
may be surprised how many lifters (and maybe even you) are actually
using weight that is much too heavy for them to manage properly.
YOU MAY EVEN BENEFIT FROM DROPPING
THOSE POUNDAGES A BIT FURTHER.
To test this, pick a few exercises and try scaling back on your working
weights by 10% to 20%. When you do this, focus on form and really
feeling the muscle you are targeting. Take notice if you feel anything
different in the movement. More muscle activation? A better, more
thorough pump? Most likely yes, to both. You may even benefit from
dropping those poundage's a bit further.
    After two to three weeks, start ramping the weight back up in small,
manageable increments. But, be sure to maintain the same razor sharp
technique. You will be surprised to find that you will soon be back to
your previous poundage's and even beyond. But, now with much more
quality muscle activation…and GAINZ.
SQUATS, SQUATS, AND MORE SQUATS. The GAINZ you stand to make
utilizing this tried and true legacy exercise are unparalleled. You are
hitting thighs, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Everything. It is true
that some people have lower back or pelvic tilt issues that either limit
35 GAINZ FALL 2017                                           www.natural-gainz.com   NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
them in this movement or prohibit them from preforming it in a
safe way. But, this is no reason to skip leg training entirely.
TRY THEM ALL, AND BE SURE TO
EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT LEG AND
FEET POSITIONS TO ADD VARIETY TO
YOUR TRAINING.
If the squat poses a challenge for you, then blast the heck out of
Leg Presses. There are many variations of leg pressing machines and
apparatuses. Try them all, and be sure to experiment with different
leg and feet positions to add variety to your training. But, the
bottom line here is, TRAIN YOUR LEGS. And, don’t forget about
those calves.
When looking to loose weight, many will rapidly ramp up their
cardio efforts. Yes, getting your heart rate up is a good thing. But
lifting weights should not be traded in for cardiovascular exercises
like Treadmills and Stairmasters. Keep in mind that lifting weights is
what will shape and develop the physique you are after.
     Instead of aggressively hitting the cardio machines, instead ramp
up your weight training, and adjust your diet first. Then add in
cardio in small increments. You may be surprised that you may only
need to incorporate10 minutes or so of HIIT cardio (like sprints on a
Treadmill) in order to reach your goals.
36 GAINZ FALL 2017                                          www.natural-gainz.com   NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
                                                                                                                              CLICK
…IT IS YOUR PHYSIQUE. AND ONLY YOU ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF IT.
                                                                                                    NATURALMAG
                                                                                                    Celebrating Drug-tested
Improper form is one of the biggest mistakes a Bodybuilder can make. People often “Ego                Physique Athletes
Lift”, using too much weight for their exercises. They rock, jerk, and throw up the weights,
which not only looks silly and drastically decreases the effectiveness of their training, but all
this can even cause injury.
    As is mentioned in mistake #1, people should not increase the weight until they can
properly perform an exercise with good form and a full range of motion. Once the form is
mastered and muscle isolation is achieved, then and only then should more weight be added.
Lacking adequate sleep here and there won't have a significant impact on your workouts. But
if this persists and becomes habitual, it can result in subtle changes in hormone levels
effecting muscle recovery and energy in the gym...and elsewhere.
    Therefore, rest and recovery are critical to your GAINZ. Keep in mind that the more GAINZ
you want and achieve, the more time you will need to recover.
Yes, a gym partner can have a wonderfully positive impact on your training. Spots on those
heavy GAINZ-producing sets, encouragement, accountably. So, we are not saying don’t have
a partner. Just don't depend on them. Bodybuilding can be a group event, but at the end of
the day it is your physique. And only you are responsible for the development of it. GAINZ
  37 GAINZ FALL 2017                                          www.natural-gainz.com
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                   Tawnya               Naia                 Elli                                                Tawnya
                    Cline               Day                 Sigala                                                Cline
        Annie     Chelsea     Doré       Tiffany    Beth             Lylian   Aurore       Jenny      Naia            Julia      Nicole
        Minkler   Cancian   DeBartolo   Mickalson   Cote              M.      Cottet         L.       Day            Hubbard     Pickett
        Monica     Fany      Laura       Pamesia    Nikki            Sunni      Jenny     Johanna     Vickie          Caroline   Debbie
        Corona    Ahmin     Baumann       Moore     Smith            Ewing    Lambrecht     Paco    Francovich       Tsutakawa   Leedy
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                                                                                                  2017 2ND
                                                                                                ANNUAL IPL
                                                                                              TEXAS STATE
                                                                                                   PRO/AM
Alisha Gray was incredible at the 2017 2nd
Annual IPL Texas State Pro/Am on August 5th
in Houston, TX. Five months prior, at the 3rd
Annual IPL Southern Championship, Alisha
made her IPL Figure debut. At that contest
Alisha was impressive, taking 1st place in
Figure Novice and earning a respectable 3rd in
the Open.
   The Open winner there was none other than the
dominant Yady Cedeno. Needless to say Gray was eager to
redeem herself and had her eyes locked on the coveted
IPL Figure Pro Card. Ditching the Novice and opting only
to enter the Open on August 5th in Houston, Alisha Gray
nailed it. That being said, it would not be an easy win as a
comparable Marisha Robinson proved to be a solid threat
and Alisha’s most formidable challenger in the Open. 
 40 GAINZ FALL 2017                                     www.natural-gainz.com   NEW IPL FIGURE PRO ALISHA GRAY!
    The two would push each other, earning very close scores
in each of the six judged categories. However, in the end it was
Alisha Gray who pulled ahead landing in 1st place, becoming
the IPL’s newest Figure Pro. And just two weeks later Alisha
landed on the front cover of Natural Gainz Magazine.
    There is no doubt that Alisha Gray will be a force on the IPL                         ONCE I GOT
Pro Figure stage. It will be very exciting to see how she
matches up against IPL Pros like Mary Onyango, Christy
                                                                                              BACK, I
Byxbee, Betty Guerrero, Julia Hubbard, Ilana Lea and fellow IPL                               TALKED
Texas Pros Yady Cedeno and Misti Sowell.
                                                                                            WITH MY
                                                                                           COACH TO
BEN YOSEF: Alisha! Congrats on          Pro Card. What made the                                 GET A
your win at the IPL Texas state!
You really nailed it at that show. It
                                        difference between those four
                                        months? What did you do?
                                                                                           DIFFERENT
has been a few months now since                                                            WORKOUT
that day. Has the excitement died
down yet? [laughs]
                                        A: Well, I talked to the judges to
                                        get some feedback on what I
                                                                                             PLAN OF
                                        needed to improve on. Once I got                    ATTACK.”
ALISHA GRAY: Not yet! It's only         back, I talked with my Coach to
the beginning for me!                   get a different workout plan of
                                        attack. So, I did a lot of Pull Ups,
B: Yes! I would agree with that!        Deadlifts, Isolated Leg Extensions,
You made great improvements             cardio cardio cardio!!!!! Plus, I
between the Southern                    changed my meal plan as well.
Championship where you landed
in 3rd place Figure Open and the        B: Your whole physique is pretty
Texas state where you placed 1st        amazing and your back really
in Figure Open and won your IPL         stands out. We all know how
 41 GAINZ FALL 2017                                        www.natural-gainz.com   NEW IPL FIGURE PRO ALISHA GRAY!
important that back pose is for       A: Marisha Robinson is a great
the Figure division. What was the     young lady. Being that we
game plan to bring your back up?      workout together, I knew she
And, what tips can you give to        would come with a great
Figure girls who need more back?      package. So, competing against                   A GREAT TIP
                                      someone who grinds just as                          I WOULD
A: Pull Ups, Bent Rows, and           hard as I did… it was awesome
posing every single day. A great      competing against her.                               GIVE MY
tip I would give my fellow Figure                                                           FELLOW
Girls to bring that back out is be    B: I am sure you have seen
sure to include Pull Ups. When        the caliber of Figure Pros on                          FIGURE
doing them, make sure you keep        the IPL Campus. Is there                            GIRLS TO
your chest up and arch your back      anyone that you are
just enough to feel the squeeze.      especially looking forward to                    BRING THAT
Also, doing two second holds will     going up against?                                  BACK OUT
do the trick!
                                      A: Honestly, they are all an                      IS BE SURE
B: At the Texas state, Marisha        amazing group of competitors.                    TO INCLUDE
Robinson was pretty impressive        So, it would be an honor to go
as well. You won five of the six      against them all. But my top two                  PULL UPS.”
scored categories and you both        would be Mary Onyango and
tied in the Conditioning round.       Yady Cedeno!
And, the other rounds where you
beat her, it was only by a point or   B: Ha! Yes, two incredible
two. This means that you were         athletes, indeed. Speaking of
both really close. What is your       Many Onyango… She is now at
take on Marisha Robinson?             the top of the chain with regards
42 GAINZ FALL 2017                                      www.natural-gainz.com   NEW IPL FIGURE PRO ALISHA GRAY!
to IPL Pro Figure. She is a two-       B: Can you talk a bit about the
time IPL Pro Figure Champion as        focus and dedication that it takes
well as the reigning IPL APEX Pro      to achieve what you far so far?
Figure Champion. She is basically,
according to title, the best in the                                                             …YOU
                                       A: I live by the 3D's of Law
IPL. How do you think you would        Discipline, Dedication, and                            WILL SEE
do against Mary? [smiles]              Desire! Discipline by staying                            ME ON
                                       on track with my meal plans
A: First off, I want to congratulate   and my workout routines.                                THE IPL
Mary Onyango for all her awards
and accomplishments with IPL.
                                       Dedication meaning                                     STAGE IN
                                       every single day I put
Her physique is amazing. I have        150% into prepping for a                                 2018.”
so much respect for her. She is a      show. Desire because I am very
true motivation for me. But going      passionate and hungry to be the
against her… I'm not training for      best I can be in this sport and
second place, so it will be a great    anything I put my heart into.
fight for 1st place. [smiles]
                                       B: I like it. When can we expect to
B: Ha! Nice! Mary is also #1 in IPL    see you back on the IPL stage?
Pro Women's Athletic. Do you
have any interest in entering that     A: That's a great question to ask.
division, or any other IPL             Hopefully we will have some Pros
divisions?                             come to the show on March 17th
                                       in Houston! But, you will see me
A: Yes, I do actually. This is only    on the IPL stage in 2018. GAINZ
just the beginning for me. So,
stay tuned!
43 GAINZ FALL 2017                                       www.natural-gainz.com   NEW IPL FIGURE PRO ALISHA GRAY!
          IPL FIGURE PRO
            ALISHA GRAY
MICHAEL BROOKS PHOTOGRAPHY
CLICK
CLICK
         Teva    Richard     Nick       Zyrian
                                                           Richard           James
        Ah-min    Puou     Torgerson   Apurillo
                                                            Puou             Niezen
                                                   Nate
                                                  Niezen
         Noel    Emeka       Jose      Danniel                       Henri
         Pao     Nwuba      Salazar    Giraldo                       Hiro
CLICK
                      Priscillia       Stephanie          Elli     Annie       Mimi            Dore
                      Cancian           Chomyk           Sigala    Minkler     Irvin         DeBartolo
        Aurore                                                                                              Lylian
                       Fany             Laura           Brittney    Ashlee     Ivonne         Kerisha
        Cottet        Ahmin            Baumann          Truman     Shepard     Grecco        Lumsden      Muttakyawa
            Felicia          Johanna               Angel'a M                            Frauka            Caroline
                                                                    Jenny L.
            Sexton             Paco                  Jones                              Kozar            Tsutakawa
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                                              NOVICE | MASTERS | OPEN | PRO
                              ●BODYBUILDING ●FIGURE ●ATHLETIC ●BIKINI ●SPORTS MODEL ●BEACH BODY
                             ●FITNESS ANGELS ●EVENING GOWN ●KIDS FITNESS ●INSPIRATION DEDICATION
                          PREJUDGING 10:00AM TO 2:00PM FINALS 4:00PM TO 10:00PM
ENTRY FORMS // TICKETS // INFORMATION // MAGAZINES       @ INTERNATIONAL-PHYSIQUE.COM
Lessons Learned For Training
          There have been many training lessons learned during the 38 years I have been training.
           There are some that I feel are more critical to avoid for a sustained ability to train for life pain free. I am going
             to present them in a format with "before," representing three decades ago and "after," representing lessons
                                                                                learned and what I recommend today. 
49 GAINZ FALL 2017                                     www.natural-gainz.com                                                 TRAINING
BIG THREE LIFTS:
                                                                                 “Proper technique is of the
Before
   I focused primarily on the big three (squat, bench press, and
                                                                                 utmost importance, and so
deadlift) as the way to gain the most muscle mass, period. The focus
was on using the most weight I could lift in each lift and 1-rep
                                                                                  is how each repetition is
maxes. Technique was somewhat important, but in the end it was
about how to lift more weight no matter what. Failing to perform a                       executed.”
repetition where form breaks down was just fine.
   Very often, I would literally go to total failure and put my lower
back in a compromised position. I was able to gain a lot of strength
and muscle, but there was a cost. I suffered several injuries to my
lower back, legs/knees, and shoulders/chest. Today, I have to work
around these injuries by keeping them in mind, constantly.
After
    The big three need to be used very wisely. Because they are very
effective in building muscle, they can also be very destructive to the
body when done improperly. Performing lower reps all the time
puts a great deal of strain on the body and joints. I never perform
another repetition if my technique is about to break down.                repetition, in every exercise. This was a primary goal in every
    Proper technique is of the utmost importance, and so is how           workout and specifically on my work sets.
each repetition is executed. I have basically retired the powerlifts in
my routine because of past sins in performing these lifts improperly.     After
Health, longevity in being able to train, and being pain-free when
                                                                             I now feel there is no reason to accelerate the bar and explode
training are more important.
                                                                          on every repetition. What I have found is that acceleration creates
                                                                          excess and unneeded force and wear and tear on the body. You
EXPLOSIVE REPS:                                                           should work to make your repetitions as smooth as possible and
                                                                          every repetition should look the same, regardless of the weight
Before                                                                    used. I am extra careful on the turnarounds in performing all
                                                                          repetitions. I never jerk or hump the weight to get the weight
    I would try to be explosive and accelerate the bar on every           started.
   50 GAINZ FALL 2017                                          www.natural-gainz.com                            LESSONS LEARNED FOR TRAINING
NUMBER OF REPS:                               “Your muscles have no idea what is putting the tension on
                                                                     them. Today, I use only machines.”
Before
    I would perform only five rep sets or lower. I considered
anything over five repetitions “high reps.” I almost never went
above five reps in any exercises. That includes any exercises outside
of the powerlifts.
After
   I should have been performing higher repetitions most of the
time in my training rather than lower reps most of the time,
especially for the lower body. I never perform five repetition sets
unless it is after many drop sets prior and the weight is being
reduced as a drop set. In fact, for legs I believe higher rep ranges of
twenty to fifty is actually better overall for hypertrophy.
FREE WEIGHTS VERSUS MACHINES:
Before
                                                                          Today, I use only machines. I am able to focus better and when
   Back when I first started lifting and for many years I did not have
                                                                          there is a selectorized weight stack it allows me to quickly change
access to any machines. However, I did not think much of any
                                                                          the weight and easily perform drop sets because I now lift alone. I
machine with respect to effectiveness and had a negative
                                                                          am a big fan of Hammer Strength machines. I prefer lifting alone
perception of using a machine and thought it was cutting corners. I
                                                                          now due to the pace I use in my training.
used only barbells and dumbbells. However, even with a greater
access to machines it is not likely I would have used any. The
mindset was that machines are not as effective as using barbells          AMOUNT OF WEIGHT:
and dumbbells.
                                                                          Before
After                                                                        I used as much weight as possible in every exercise and would
   Your muscles have no idea what is putting the tension on them.         cheat on the movement at times during a set.
   51 GAINZ FALL 2017                                          www.natural-gainz.com                            LESSONS LEARNED FOR TRAINING
                                                                          “Phony gains occur in the gym each and
After                                                                         every day under the guise of adding
   Today I use as much weight as possible, but only if I can pause
and contract with each repetition and actually feel the muscles                           weight to an exercise.”
being targeted without any slop in my reps. There is no cheating. I
am getting much better workouts than when I was younger and
only focused on adding weight. This has also reduced the
unnecessary wear and tear on my body.
WARMING UP:
Before
   Warming up was necessary, but I minimized it as much as
possible because I did not want it to impact in any way my working
set weights. I would rush through warmups and the only real reason
I could see to warm up was to get my body ready for the real
weight. I would take very large weight jumps to minimize warmups
as much as possible. If I felt anything off during my warm ups, I
completely ignored it.
After                                                                     Before
    Today, a proper warm up is critical and is like an insurance            I used to try and add weight to the bar every workout. I felt if I
policy. The insurance of being able to lift weights for life, without     was not adding weight to the bar, I was not making progress.
pain. I am now very methodical when I warm up. You do not crank
full throttle into a race car so why would you try and throttle up full   After
with your body or throttle up too quickly? I take weight jumps with          The thinking that you can add weight to the bar every workout is
a totally different mindset. I would rather over warm up, so to           outright stupid and completely impossible, in reality. One just has to
speak, rather than not warm up well enough.                               do the math. Let’s say you squat 250 pounds for 10 repetitions. If
                                                                          you add just 5 pounds a week for one year, that would mean you
ADDING WEIGHT:                                                            would be squatting 510 pounds for 10 repetitions in a year's time.
                                                                          Phony gains occur in the gym each and every day under the guise
   52 GAINZ FALL 2017                                          www.natural-gainz.com                             LESSONS LEARNED FOR TRAINING
                                                                          “I really did not know what hard training
of adding weight to an exercise.
    What typically happens is form breaks down and slop in the             was with weights until I started cutting
movement occurs with the adding weight. I now look to focus more
on the execution of workouts first for progression. This means how I                    my rest time between sets.”
am performing each repetition in each set and how I am able to
keep focused during an entire set especially when it gets extremely
difficult.
REST TIME BETWEEN SETS:
Before
     The rest time between sets was totally random. I was biased to
rest significantly between sets due to being a competitive
powerlifter. However, I had a training partner most of the time and
tended to go right after he did.
   Often, there was extra time at random. I did realize that during a
powerlifting meet there would be long periods of waiting. Before a
powerlifting meet, I would take a lot of time between working sets
to simulate this.
After
   Time is a huge factor in exercise! I certainly wasted a lot of time
in my training and I also put in a huge variable into my training
from workout to workout. I now take just long enough to change
the weight in between sets and exercises. My rest time probably
averages 10-15 seconds.                                                     What I have documented in this article are some of my major
   I really did not know what hard training was with weights until I     lessons learned in over three decades of training. An even bigger
started cutting my rest time between sets. I now believe you should      miss in the last thirty years has been with respect to nutrition and
be trying to cram as much quality work in the shortest amount of         diet. Probably the biggest takeaway I can give you is to keep
time possible.                                                           learning and keep your mind open! GAINZ
   53 GAINZ FALL 2017                                         www.natural-gainz.com                            LESSONS LEARNED FOR TRAINING
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                                  Vaiana         Felicia        Aurore          Doré               Beth           Naia           Lylian             Rachel
                                   Turi          Sexton         Cottet        DeBartolo            Cote           Day             M.               Balunsat
              Elli                 Liliya         Victoria          Amber                 Tracie              Misti            Amyrica              Sasha
                                                                                                                                                                     Sunny
             Sigala               Masliuk         Guthrie           Daniell               Fretty             Sowell            Centeno              Hills            Miller
         Julia        Christina      Ghislaine       Claudine        Naia           Sunny             Victoria        Tawnya             Felicia        Caroline    Rachel    Dawn
        Hubbard        Lefoc          Piirai          Kirby          Day            Miller            Guthrie          Cline             Sexton        Tsutakawa   Balunsat   Davis
                     Written by Bill Piche. Illustrated by Bill Smith and Lynn Carlson (www.drdraw.com)
                                                                                        GAINZMAG
55 GAINZ FALL 2017      www.natural-gainz.com                                  NUTRITION | TRAINING | LIFESTYLE
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