One problem, I had the ambition but zero ideas on how to go about achieving it. Then one day, while eating breakfast at a restaurant, I saw one of the trainers from the local gym. He looked like he was 300lbs of
pure muscle. I wanted that look. The next day I joined his gym and was faced with a whole new set of challenges. Primarily, I had no idea how to train. First, I turned to the muscle magazines for advice. I tried various workout routines and made a little progress.

My reading led me to believe that the supplements advertised in the mags were the real secret. I spent hundreds of dollars monthly looking for the combination of supplements that was right for me. Unfortunately, none of the products worked as advertised. I was discouraged, but at the same time, I was gaining knowledge. I began eating cleaner. I started to see some quality results by ditching the fast foods and sugars for whole meats and complex carbohydrates.

Fast forward a year or so, I had a conversation with a professional bodybuilder. I asked him the same question that probably a hundred others like me had asked. "How can I get bigger?" He told me that he was personally eating beef liver tablets like candy. I immediately started researching and wore out Google looking for "the best liver pills." All signs came back to Beverly International's Ultra 40. I ordered two bottles and started taking ten tablets per day. The tablets are defatted liver, nearly pure protein. As the months passed, the lean muscle came.

I learned that what the magazines and internet made look easy, was in reality, the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. However, I was hooked and continued learning more and more about my body. As I progressed, I realized that I was not taking in enough amino acids to maximize my muscle gains. So, I did my research and came back to Beverly for their Mass Aminos tablets. Mass Aminos was a game-changer. I finally was reaching my full potential and, within a year, had gained enough confidence to compete.

I pushed my body to the absolute limit during my contest prep and was devastated when I didn't win. I looked good but not as good as I thought. I learned from my defeat and went back to the drawing board. I realized that fitness was a mathematical equation as simple as 1 + 1 = 2: Hard work plus consistent dieting equals success. The amount of focus needed to achieve the physique of your dreams is incredible.

Diet is something I still haven't mastered

Off-season, I'm pretty relaxed. My foundation eating is to be sure to include a dozen eggs and 2lbs ground turkey each day (along with 30 each Mass Aminos and Ultra 40 liver tabs) plus some nut butter each day. But carrot cake, cookies, and cheeseburgers are the nutritional devils in my life (which I try to enjoy in moderation). I don't think you need to have an extreme diet all year. Learn your body. Understand what you can eat and what you can't. Whatever I eat throughout the day, I make sure I complete my foundation eating.

Everything changes with contest preparation. Every gram of protein, carbohydrate, and fat is ever so important. A typical contest diet entails 12 egg whites, 2lb of ground turkey, oatmeal, cabbage, and unsalted nut butter daily. My favorite supplements are Ultra 40 and Mass Aminos. First thing in the morning, I take 6 of each along with my essential vitamins (A, B-Complex, C, D-3, E). At each meal, I take eight more Ultra 40 and Mass Aminos. These supplements have worked great for me in preserving my precious muscle during extreme dieting and cardio.

Sodium is cut by nearly 90%. Sodium acts like a sponge in my body that absorbs water. When I remove sodium, I have minimal water retention. I don't cheat, I don't miss meals, and I don't skip workouts. At this stage in prep which is around three weeks out, I am like a robot. Each day becomes a repetition of the last. Stick to and complete the process in its entirety, and you will reap the benefits.

Competition training is brutal

Typically, in the off-season, I lift for high reps to failure with lighter weights. While training for a contest, my trainer, Rory Sessions, pushes me to the brink of exhaustion using heavy weights and high reps. I have never been a fan of lifting heavy, but his method completely transformed my physique. I entered the Arnold Classic Amateur with a transformed body – an extreme amount of clean and lean muscle. I took 4th in that show.

Unfortunately, Covid hit as soon as I made it home from Ohio. Gyms were closed everywhere, and I didn't lift for three months. My weight increased to 265, but the 3-month rest healed my body completely. The Olympia was a few months away. Rory and I went right back where we left off. What I learned from the last show is that recovery was an issue because of the heavier weights. Beverly International had the answer.
I increased my Ultra 40 and Mass Aminos and added ZMA 2000 for nighttime recovery. This stack prevented me from losing muscle while I dropped body fat. Showtime, I gave all I had left in the tank and earned a 2nd place performance at the Olympia Amateur. Rory is the king of training, and Beverly International is the king of supplements.

Training Tips

• Don't count reps; take every set to failure.
• Don't always wear headphones when you train; get in tune with the soundtrack of your body.
• Get your sleep. Get your sleep. Get your sleep.
• Hit calves from 3 angles – toes to the front, toes out, and toes in.
• Hit abs daily.
• Perform Pull-ups and Dips daily no matter what.
• Get your sleep, lol.
• Be humble enough to take advice.
• Fasted morning cardio is king. Cardio before sleep is queen.
• Only use the scale as a reference. It's not the judge of your fitness journey. How you look in the mirror and how your clothes fit is the actual scale.

Diet Tips

• Drink distilled water to pull the water out of your system as the contest approaches.
• Eat cabbage every day. It's a natural anti-inflammatory.
• Watch your sodium. Water retention looks the same as body fat on stage.
• Protein is essential for building muscle. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore, get some protein in every meal.
• Don't force yourself to eat 6-7 meals a day to lose fat. In competition prep, I only eat 3. Find what works for you.
• Drink black coffee before your workout. You will thank me later.
• I drink fresh parsley tea daily. It's a natural diuretic.

Supplement Tips

• Take Ultra 40 beef liver tablets and Mass Aminos every meal. 1 per 10lbs of your bodyweight.
• Never underestimate the power of Vitamin A, B-Complex, C, D-3, and E. Beverly's Super Pak and FitTabs contain huge doses of them.
• Take digestive enzymes at every meal. Beverly's Multiple Enzyme Complex is a good one (and inexpensive).
• Don't live on protein powder. Moderation is key. I use it 10 minutes after my workout. Both Muscle Provider and UMP.
• Take ZMA 2000 before bed. It helps recovery and will also give you a great night's sleep.
• Creatine is good, but don't abuse it. I take five grams immediately after my workout.
• I drink a shot of apple cider vinegar every morning.
• Dandelion root is another natural diuretic. I take it in the morning and before bed.

Cardio

• Off-season: Every other day for 30 minutes first thing in the morning. I lose weight relatively fast, so I don't go mental during the off-season.
• On-season: Yes, I go mental. 30-45 minutes fasted cardio in the morning and another 30 minutes before bed. But I will adjust depending on how I look in the mirror.

Training

• Off-season: 1.5 hours max in the gym, working my entire body. Everything from calves to arms gets worked.
• On-season: I work my "show" muscles in the afternoon - abs, calves, forearms, and delts. Everything is high reps. There's no time limit; I stay in the gym till I'm finished.

Sample Evening Training Sessions

Monday: Chest

• Machine Chest Press 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, start with 45lbs on each side, increase weight every set
• Machine Incline Press 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, start with 45lbs on each side, increase weight every set
• Standing Triceps Extension 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 (60 lbs) Push-ups 100

Tuesday: Back

• Lat Pulldown 8 x 50, 50, 50, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, start with a moderate weight, add weight every set
• Seated Lat Row 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, start light, add weight every set
• Deadlifts to Hang Clean with Olympic Bar 135 lbs, six sets to failure
• Pull-ups 100

Wednesday: Shoulders

• Shoulder Press Machine 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10
• Dumbbell Press 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 (25, 35, 45, 55, 65lbs)
• Lateral Raises 6 x 50, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 (15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40lbs)
• Push-ups 100

Thursday: Arms

• Pull-ups 100
• Dips 100
• EZ Curl 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 (60 lbs)
• Standing Triceps Extension 5 x 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 (60 lbs)

Friday: Legs

• Pull-ups 100
• Dips 100
• Walking Lunges 8 x the full length of the gym, up and down
• Leg Press 8 x 100, 80, 50, 40, 30, 20, 20, 10, start with 2-45’s each side, add 1 plate every set
• Leg Extension 8 x 40, 40, 40, 40, 30, 30, 20, 10, start light, add 1 plate each set
• Leg Curl 8 x 30, 30, 30, 30, 20, 20, 20, 10, go up 1 plate each set

Working out is a never-ending push for perfection. Enjoy the journey and take your training seriously. But as with everything in life, you must learn moderation. Take a break from working out sometimes and eat that burger. It will increase your motivation to push harder in the future.

Day 1

SQUAT
4 sets of 6-8 reps

If you are looking for a tremendous butt-building exercise, you would be hard-pressed to do much better than the traditional back squat. Back squats place a significant load on your posterior, namely the glutes and hamstrings. To execute a back squat with proper form, I recommend practicing first with an unweighted bar as these types of butt exercises require practice to perfect.

Begin with a barbell resting behind your head at your shoulders. Keeping your weight on your heels, begin descending slowly into the back squat keeping your chest lifted. Drop your hips until they are parallel with the floor. As you start to come back up from your back squat, be sure that you are utilizing your glutes and hamstrings by squeezing your glutes to help you rise back to the top. It is critical to keep the core tight during this challenging exercise. Go relatively heavy using a full range of motion.

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT
4 sets of 8-10 reps

With the Bulgarian split squat, the glutes are very active in the eccentric phase for control and hip stability while also at deeper hip flexion ranges. I love exercises that challenge both your glutes and your balance while engaging stabilizing muscles to allow you to get the most out of the movement. This exercise targets the front of your leg with your back leg there to offer some balance support.

Stand lunge-length in front of a stable bench or stability ball. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest the top of your left foot on the bench or ball behind you. Lower your body until your front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. Press through your front heel and squeeze your glutes as you rise from the single-leg lunge position.

One thing to remember about the Bulgarian split squat is that it takes some trial-and-error to find proper foot placement to perform the exercise comfortably. Feel free to use a stable bench as you learn the Bulgarian split squat, but for advanced athletes, few things are better than a stability ball to make this one of the most challenging butt workouts out there!

BARBELL THRUSTERS
4 sets of 12-15 reps

Ready to take things to the next level and make one of the great butt exercises work for your whole body? Meet the barbell thruster. Cross fitters have known for some time that combining a powerful front squat with a push press is a full-body slam dunk that will help you get stronger and increase your functional fitness.

Those looking to build the best butt possible will appreciate the barbell thruster even more. Begin holding a weighted barbell at your shoulders, hands in an overhand grip, and elbows squeezed together and lifted. Sit back, pressing through your heels and keeping your core strong as you descend into the front squat portion of the barbell thruster. Sit until your butt is parallel with the floor. With power, press upward, pushing with your legs and arms at the same time. You end this exercise in a full overhead press keeping tight alignment all the way through from the barbell, shoulders, hips, and heels.

This exercise will be challenging when you first incorporate it into this routine following squats and split squats, so use a very light poundage.

Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein

Start at the beginning with the highest quality, best-tasting protein on the market. This delicious 5-star protein powder will simplify your diet by helping you build and preserve lean, strong muscle and lose fat. In my experience, UMP will help you gain powerful muscle naturally while boosting your metabolism to help you lose fat. I recommend including 1-2 shakes per day.

Beverly International Mass Aminos

This one-of-a-kind formula is a valuable aid for building and preserving muscle. Bodybuilders, powerlifters, weekend warriors, collegiate athletes, and everyday fitness enthusiasts of all ages report gaining strength and getting leaner when using Mass Amino Acids tablets. Mass is the most effective form of protein supplementation available for increasing nitrogen retention and lean mass.

Beverly International Ultra 40

Ultra 40 is an all-natural performance enhancer obtained from cattle that graze on the grassy, fertile hillsides of Argentina. Each tablet contains 100% Argentine beef liver loaded with a powerful array of vitamins and other growth factors that support optimal blood and muscle health and much more. Many women consider Ultra 40 to be one of the best supplement investments they've ever made.

Beverly International FitTabs

Restore your energy and performance, diminish stress, and rebalance your entire body with this multivitamin custom-made for the fitness lifestyle. It's used by nearly all of my figure and bikini competitors, and the impact it makes on your hair, skin, and nails is incredible!

Beverly International Glutamine Select

Glutamine Select is all about recovery, and it supports the fastest possible improvements in the appearance and performance of your physique by tackling a little-known but pervasive condition known as "anabolic fatigue." Use before, during, and or after training. You can also take Glutamine Select between meals to sustain blood sugar levels while dieting. It is best mixed in a water bottle or shaker cup and sipped.

In my twenties, I began adding size to my frame while working as an auto mechanic and putting myself through school to earn my Bachelor's degree. It was the 80's; Rocky III had just come out and became my favorite movie. I was inspired by Stallone and his new physique along with the song, Eye of the Tiger. I decided it was my time to evolve myself, and I entered a contest without any knowledge. I took 5th place at Mr. Akron.

Along came the 90's and I'm managing Nutrition Services at various hospitals. I met my wife Karen, and we bought a home in the little town of Canal Fulton, OH. In 1999 I met Sandy and Roger from Beverly International. I sent "Polaroids" bi-weekly to Roger, and he crafted and adjusted my nutrition plan based on the photos. With his guidance, I continued to improve and took 3rd place in the 1999 Natural Ohio Classic and first place in the 2000 Powerhouse Classic. Karen gave birth to our son, David, in 2000 and our daughter, Jordan, in 2003. A career relocation to East Lake, FL, started the new millennium for us.

Lifting and personal goals gave way to family goals. I coached David in baseball, soccer, and football. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to coach him through high school. I was the "Cheer Dad" to Jordan, and we traveled the state to competitive cheerleading events (as well as spotting her in the living room as she perfected her back handspring).

A few more years passed. David and Jordan were moving on to college. I looked at myself and found that at 54, I weighed 221lbs (almost 75 pounds heavier than when I had competed 20 years prior). In September, I made it my mission to get back in shape. I started working out again, paying attention to my diet, and started to feel and look better. I began wondering, "Could I get back on stage?" I sought advice from a former Natural Mr. Universe, John Hansen, and started using Beverly products again. UMP, Mass Aminos, Ultra 40, and Lean Out helped me reduce my waist from 42" to 34" while adding muscle.

The Covid pandemic came along, but I still set my sights on entering the NGA Hurricane Classic in September of 2020. I entered the NGA Hurricane Classic at 179lbs, 42 pounds less than when I started my prep. I took 3rd in the Masters Bodybuilding 50+ division. The judges' critique was that I had good muscle size and symmetry, but I needed to get leaner. Six weeks later, I entered the NGA Central Florida Fall Classic. I lost another 12lbs and 2" more off my waist in those six weeks, coming in at 167lbs with a 32" waist. The addition of Beverly's 7-Keto MuscLean and GH Factor to my supplement plan helped me accelerate my fat loss while maintaining muscle mass.

Those additional six weeks of training, cardio, dieting, and my Beverly supplement plan paid off. I was awarded 1st place in Masters Bodybuilding 40+ (at 54 years of age) and 3rd in Open Mens Bodybuilding.
My new goal is to win a Masters Overall Bodybuilding competition. Six months to go, and I have already started getting ready. I will continue to improve and get harder and leaner with Beverly International products. I'm not only a Beverly product user but also a retailer of Beverly products. If you are looking in the Tampa Bay area to find Beverly products locally, go to www.docmusclesupplements.com
I am also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/james.lucas.5832 and Instagram @docmuscle10. Please follow or reach out to me.

Workout Plan: 2 Days On – 1 Day Off

I follow the same basic workout plan both off-season and pre-contest. The only difference is the addition of cardio during pre-contest. To illustrate, I've listed a recent workout from my training journal. Since machines differ, some of the weights listed may be different if performed on another machine. But this is an excellent approximation of what my actual workout looks like. Remember, I am 54 years old, weigh in the 170s, have laid off for 20 years before coming back, and am 100% natural.

Day 1: Back, Biceps

• Pullover (90x12, 160x8, 170x7, 170x7)
• 1-Arm Lat Pulldown (70x10, 80x8, 80x8 )
• T-Bar Row (90x10, 125x8, 145x6)
• Cable Row (65x10, 85x7, 85x7)
• Hyperextension (BWx25 x 3 sets)
• Barbell Curl (70x10, 90x8, 90x8)
• Hammer Curl (40x10, 45x8, 45x7)
• Concentration Curl (20x12, 25x10)

Day 2: Abs, Legs

• Leg Raise (30, 25, 25)
• Crunches (25, 20, 20)
• Leg Extension (80x15, 95x12, 110x10)
• Leg Press (180x12, 360x10, 540x10, 590x8)
• Hack Squat (270x12, 470x8, 470x8)
• Leg Curl (90x10, 110x7, 110x7)
• Straight Leg Deadlift (135x12, 185x10, 225x8)
• Glute Machine (60x15, 60x12, 60x12)
• Seated Calf (90x15, 140x10, 140x9)
• Standing Calf (120x12, 135x10, 150x8)

Day 3: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

• Bench Press (185x10, 225x8, 245x6, 245x6)
• Incline Press (185x8, 205x6, 205x6)
• DB Flyes (70x8, 75x6, 75x6)
• Machine Pullovers (80x12, 90x10, 100x8)
• Military Press (90x12, 160x8, 170x6, 170x6)
• Lateral Raise (30x10, 35x9, 35x9)
• DB Shrug (75x8, 80x6, 80x6)
• Triceps Pushdowns (70x12, 80x10, 90x8)
• Lying Extensions (40x10, 50x9, 60x7)
• Dips (12, 10, 10)

Cardio Plan

For contest prep, I perform the same workout as above, but with added cardio. I have NO favorite cardio but used the treadmill, elliptical, Stairmaster, and bike to burn extra calories.

12 weeks out:

15 minutes on the elliptical machine every other day

8 weeks out:

20 minutes a day every workout day

4 weeks out:

20 minutes of elliptical on workout days and 20 minutes Stairmaster on my off days (or went for a ride on the bike).

Meal & Supplement Plan

This is the basic meal plan that I used to reduce my weight from 220lbs to 179lbs and my waist from 42” to 34”.

Meal One

• One scoop UMP
• ¹⁄₂ cup oatmeal
• ¹⁄₂ cup blueberries
• 6 Ultra 40
• 6 Mass Aminos
• 2 Lean Out
• 3 7-Keto MuscLean

Meal Two

• One whole egg
• 6 egg whites
• 1 Ezekiel muffin
• 2 Lean Out

Meal Three

• 6oz tuna fish
• 130g sweet potato
• 3oz broccoli
• 6 Ultra 40
• 6 Mass Aminos
• 2 Lean Out

Meal Four

• UMP Protein Shake
• 2 slices Ezekiel bread
• 2 Lean Out
• Three 7-Keto MuscLean

Meal Five

• One whole egg
• 7 egg whites
• 1 slice Ezekiel bread
• 6 Ultra 40
• 6 Mass Aminos
• 2 Lean Out

In addition, I use Quadracarn throughout the year as a precursor to increase testosterone production. I always feel leaner, stronger, and have more energy with it. I also use Energy Reserve before weights and cardio. It gives me a pick-me-up for those exhausting days in the gym.

Final 6 Weeks' Meal Plan

My weight dropped 12 lbs and my waist another 2 inches. I kept my protein up, lowered my carbs, increased my fats, and added cardio. The Mass Aminos and Ultra 40 liver tablets helped keep my energy up and maintain as much muscle as possible. (From what the judges said, I kept most of that hard-earned muscle and symmetry while gaining a lot more definition.)

I used UMP Angel Food Cake in my coffee instead of creamer to get in more protein and add a little variety. It mixes easily and tastes like French Vanilla creamer.

I also added GH Factor during this phase of my diet. Take 12 capsules daily - 6 upon arising and 6 before bed. Alternatively, you can take 2 with each meal and 2 before bed.

Meal One

• One scoop UMP
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 6 Ultra 40
• 6 Mass Aminos
• 2 Lean Out
• three 7-Keto MuscLean

Meal Two

• One whole egg
• 6 egg whites
• 1 slice Ezekiel bread
• 2 Lean Out

Meal Three

• 6oz chicken
• 3oz broccoli
• 6 Ultra 40
• 6 Mass Aminos
• 2 Lean Out

Meal Four

• UMP Protein Shake
• 2 Lean Out
• three 7-Keto MuscLean

Meal Five

• 6oz salmon
• 3oz broccoli
• 6 Ultra 40
• 6 Mass Aminos
• 2 Lean Out

Even after I became a wife and mom, I never stopped showing up at the gym; it was a part of my life no matter what. In my late 20's and early 30's, I competed in NPC figure and bodybuilding contests. I won my class at multiple shows and was even featured in Beverly's No Nonsense magazine. But by 2010, I was burned out. Our family was stationed overseas, and it seemed like the perfect time to try something new. Long-distance running became my new athletic activity. I completed three half marathons in Europe, and by the time we moved stateside to Colorado, I had the running bug.

Colorado is a hotbed for long-distance trail running, and it did not take long before I finished my first full marathon. My next challenge was ultra-running. I had completed both 50k and 50-mile races by 2014.

Now I was in my 40s and ready to go back to figure competition, this time in the figure masters division. I contacted Rachel Wade at Focused Fitness for guidance. Rachel had helped me with nutrition, training, and Beverly supplement plans when I first stepped on stage. Even though I have been a practicing NASM-CPT for the past 17 years, I needed someone to help me stay accountable. Even the coach needs a coach!

We discussed expectations and agreed that I couldn't compare myself to my condition more than a decade earlier. I had a lot of work to do. Muscle loss had ramped up in my late 30's. While my diet was solid, I knew I needed to add more protein to improve my body composition. I needed to gain muscle and lose body fat, so I started with what I call the "Baseline Bev Stack." I took UMP twice a day every day along with Ultra 40, Mass Aminos, FitTabs, Lean Out, and Glutamine Select.

During the first six weeks, I made significant progress combining my "Baseline Bev Stack" with a 5-day training plan and some cardio. It was March 2020, I was right on track and had picked out a few local summer shows in Colorado to make my 10-year return to the stage. What could go wrong?

Then Covid-19 showed up!

The local gyms closed up. I had no choice but to move my training to my garage. Fortunately, my husband, Lucas, and I had some equipment set up in the garage, including a squat rack, resistance bands, barbells, plates, and a set of dumbbells from 5-45 pounds. I had to become creative and modify my workouts to fit my equipment. Lucas is handy with welding equipment, and he quickly made me a pulley system to replace resistance bands on my heavier exercises. For cardio, I had an old exercise bike and the local school track to get it done.

As the weeks clicked by, I started adding some HIIT sessions at the track. In mid-May, I was performing a sprint session and tweaked my hamstring. I modified my training a little to let it recover. It was coming along fine until one day when I was playing with my son in our backyard. I planted my foot to run and felt pain shoot up my leg. My leg was swollen, bruised and the pain was unbearable. Later that week, it was confirmed that I had torn my hamstring in three places. I was angry. I had made so much progress. Just a few days ago, I was on top of the world. I was in the nutrition zone; I could even see my abs! Now I was injured badly and would need weeks, if not months, of rehab before I could train my legs and glutes.

There was a ray of light in my misfortune. My scheduled shows were canceled due to Covid restrictions. The contests' cancelation gave me breathing room to heal and be ready to compete by late fall. I shifted my training to a six-week gaining cycle. My favorite training schedule for muscular weight gain is what I've dubbed the "Coat Rack Plan." I cut my reps in half, doubled my sets, and added weight every week to add as much upper body size as possible. See page 10 for a complete illustration of the "Coat Rack Plan."

I used the designated leg day to do additional therapy work. I treated rehabbing my hamstring like it was my job. I spent nearly all of my free time in the PT facility doing compression therapy, red light treatments, and balance exercises. Soon I was able to get back on the bike for moderate therapy and light leg work. My nutrition plan was crucial during this time for healing and to limit fat gain. I upped my Ultra 40 and Glutamine Select, switched from Mass Aminos to Density, and added Muscle Synergy to assist my muscle gains and healing.

I had pretty much recovered by August and was ready to crush the last 12 weeks of contest prep for the OCB Natural Viking. I added sessions of outdoor stair climbing on a set of 310 steps built on the side of a mountain 15 minutes from my home. I burned hundreds of calories on those stairs while giving my glutes and legs the extra work they needed. The local gyms started reopening, and I was able to add leg presses, power squats, and traditional leg machine exercises back into the plan. I upped my reps and increased cardio each week as my body grew leaner, harder, and more muscular. I began practicing my posing 3-4 days a week for 15-20 minutes, plus traveling to Denver to work with posing coach, Nick Natt once a week.

Finally, it was contest time. I was now 41years old and had never looked better. My husband, son, and I flew to Minneapolis, MN, and I competed in the 2020 OCB Natural Viking. I entered both the Open and 40+ Masters divisions. With Covid restrictions in place, the contest flew by. Before I knew it, I had won my OCB Masters Figure Pro Card and finished 3rd in the Open division against six other women, some half my age. I was thrilled, but it was over so quickly that it was difficult to take it all in.

Despite my success, I decided to take the stage one more time in 2020. By the time I returned to Colorado, I had entered the OCB Natural Tampa and went right back into contest prep mode. My celebration meal would have to wait. I was pretty sure that the OCB Tampa show would have some of the absolute best natural figure athletes in the country. When I hit the stage in Tampa, my intuition was proven right. These ladies looked incredible. Pre-judging was intense. We were compared for over 25 minutes, quarter turn after quarter turn. Boy, was I glad I had put so much time into my posing practice! When pre-judging ended, I felt like I had done an hour of cardio. However, I had also secured myself a placing in the top 3 in both divisions. It was a terrific day, and for the first time, my daughter Deirdra was able to be my backstage helper. What a fantastic way to wrap up my year!

Since Tampa, I have wasted no time getting right back to training, my "Baseline Bev Stack," and slowly adding protein and carbs to my diet to accommodate another growth phase. I plan to make my 2021 OCB pro debut at the 2021 OCB Yorton Cup Pro Championship. With my "tough as nails" mindset, I know that I will be bringing my best all-natural figure package to the stage in 2021.

Meal and Supplement Plan

Carb Cycling works best for my body. I keep my carbs low five days a week, and then I eat a carb meal in place of Meal 5 on Monday and Thursday to replenish glycogen.

Meal #1: 3 egg whites, 2oz chicken, ¹⁄₂ grapefruit, coffee

Meal #2: 4-5oz chicken or whitefish, 4 cups salad veggies, 1tbsp oil and vinegar dressing

Meal #3: 1-2 scoops UMP

Meal #4: 4-5oz chicken or turkey breast, 4 cups salad veggies or 2 cups green beans/zucchini, 1 tbsp oil and vinegar dressing

Meal #5: 1-2 scoops UMP

Monday and Thursday (in place of Meal 5): 4oz sweet potato, 4oz green vegetable, ³⁄₄ cup oatmeal, 1tbsp butter, and 4oz banana

Baseline Bev Stack

I started with my "Baseline Bev Stack" of UMP (per my meal plan), Ultra 40 Liver tabs & Mass Aminos (3 with each meal), FitTabs (2 with meals 1 and 4), Lean Out (2 with each meal), and 1-2 scoops Glutamine Select (pre and intra workout).

Stage Worthy Beverly Stack

At eight weeks out, I continue my "Baseline Bev Stack" (substituting 3 Density for 3 Mass Aminos at each meal), take 1 Multiple Enzyme Complex with each meal, and add the following supplements to complete my "Stage Worthy Beverly Stack."

Upon waking: Three 7-Keto MuscLean, 2 Energy Reserve, one scoop Muscle Synergy powder, and 6 GH Factor

Pre-workout: Three 7-Keto MuscLean, 2 Energy Reserve, one scoop Muscle Synergy powder

Before Bed: Six GH Factor

I also mix 1-2 additional scoops of Glutamine Select in a blender with ice and Mio water enhancer for a fantastic "Muscle Slushie" after training or whenever I need to ease my hunger pangs.

Workout Plan

Ladies, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LIFT HEAVY! I've made the most progress by far by embracing what I call the "Coat Rack Training Plan." I have used this plan off and on for years to add size and strength, especially in my upper body.

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

• Incline BB Press 6x6
• Flat DB Press 6x6
• High Pulls 6x6
• Heavy Laterals 3x8 each (front, side, rear)
• Triceps Pressdown 6x6

Day 2: Legs

• Leg Press 6x6
• Squat 6x6
• Hack Squat 6x6
• Leg Curl 5x8
• Leg Extension 4x10

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Chest (light), Shoulders, Triceps

• Incline Speed Bench Press 8x3 (50-60% of Day 1)
• Flat DB Press 6x6 (85% of Day 1)
• Shoulder Press 6x6
• Lying French Press 6x6
• Incline Dumbbell Kickouts 4x8

Day 5: Back, Biceps

• Reverse Grip BB Row 6x6
• Lat Pulldown 6x6
• Seated Good Morning 6x6
• Barbell Curl 6x6
• Preacher Curl 6x6

Days 6-7: Off

Notes

• The key to the success of this program is that you DO NOT start too heavy. On 6 x 6 exercises, begin with a weight you could perform 12 reps with on week one, but only do the prescribed amount.
• Progress at a pace that allows you to continue to get all 6 reps on all 6 sets each of the first five weeks. Do not increase the weight by more than 5% or at most 10% any given week.
• The final week is an all-out max effort! (If you reach failure before week 6, you started too heavy or tried to progress too fast.)
• High Pulls – this is a powerful and explosive version of upright rows. Start with the bar just above your knees and explode the weight up above your sternum – keeping your elbows high.
• Speed Bench Press – Lower the bar in a controlled manner and explode up as fast as possible with the bar. Speed is the real key to this exercise – it is far more critical than weight. Rest no more than 45 seconds between sets.
• Dumbbell Kickouts on Incline Bench – lay on an incline bench face up. Start with the end of the dumbbells resting on your chest with your palms facing down towards your hips. Extend the dumbbells with your triceps. In the finishing position, your arms should be extended as if they are at the finish of an incline barbell press. Lower to your chest and repeat. This workout focuses on Bulk and Power, emphasizing shoulders, chest, and pressing strength, aka your "Coat Rack."

Fast forward two years, and I was back living in Iowa due to some tough economic times. I realized that I needed to learn a skilled job to be successful in life. Since I enjoyed and was good at working on cars, I felt I could apply those same skills on aircraft. I devised a plan to join the Marine Corps as an aircraft mechanic to gain experience, and then when I got out, I could land a job at one of the many aircraft manufacturing plants in Southern California. During my time in the Marines, I made a point of consistently lifting weights. I added 10 pounds of muscle during boot camp - just from all the physical activity and good meals - I wanted to keep progressing. I even purchased 180 pounds of plates and dumbbell handles to take with me on deployment to the Far East.

Upon leaving the service, everything worked out as planned, and McDonnell Douglas hired me in Long Beach, where I worked on the MD80 program. When Boeing bought them in 1997, the commercial airplane production line was phased out, so I moved over to work on the C-17 Air Force cargo plane for my final years. After 25 years at Boeing, I was laid off and then got hired at SpaceX, where I worked on the F9 Falcon rocket for the first few years and then the Dragon capsule. After six years at SpaceX, I retired at the age of 62. During my years at McDonnell Douglas/Boeing, I worked the swing shift, which was perfect for me.

I was able to train in the morning when my energy level was highest, and the crowds at the gym were minimal. However, while working at SpaceX, it was mandated that we work 10-hour shifts, so the only time I had to train was on the weekends (and only then when they didn’t make the Saturdays mandatory too!) Despite being limited to just training one day a week, I was still fortunate to maintain the physical condition I did. The best thing about now being retired is training any day I choose.

My competition journey began after leaving the service in 1986. I joined a Gold’s Gym in Orange County and trained for two years before entering the Southern California Bodybuilding Championship. I won the Tall Novice Division and Overall Novice. A couple of weeks later, I entered the Orange County Muscle Classic and placed fifth. I was pleased with this placing since it was a National qualifier. I trained for another year and gained more size before entering the Ironman (now called Excalibur) and placed near the back of the pack in the heavyweight class. I just couldn’t compete against guys at that level who had 20-30 pounds of lean mass over me. I became discouraged and gave up thoughts of further competition.

As I’ve grown older, I am very fortunate that my metabolism has stayed very high. I am never more than a few pounds away from contest condition, which gives me an advantage in Masters competitions. It is much easier for me to achieve the level of conditioning needed to be competitive.

In 2020, I planned to go back to the Southern California contest I won as a Novice and attempt to win it as a Master, but the show was canceled due to COVID. Instead, I entered the NPC Iron Games Classic Physique over 45 class (the highest age class available) in November and won overall. That qualified me for the Masters USA event in December, where I could earn a Pro Card. At the Masters USA, I won the over 50 C division but not the overall title, thus missing my goal of earning a Pro Card. I’m currently contemplating entering the NPC Teen, Collegiate, and Masters Nationals this year. It has an over 60 class and could offer me a better chance at earning a Pro card.

Workouts

For many years I trained Monday - Friday and then took the weekends off but now that I am retired, I train four days on and one day off. I start each exercise relatively light and increase the weight until the final two or three sets are at my top weights for the day.

Day 1: Shoulders, Chest

Cable Lateral Raises 5x10-15

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 5x10-12

Rear Deltoid Machine 4x10-12

Pec Deck 5x10-12

Incline DB Flys 5x10-12

Incline DB Press 4x10-12

Cable Crossovers x10-12

Day 2: Back
I have two mildly herniated discs from an injury sustained over 30 years ago and spinal stenosis at three locations in my back, so I can’t do anything bent over. I use machines that have a chest pad for support for all rowing movements.

Warm-up with elastic band-assisted Pull-Ups 4x10

Lat Pulldown 4x10-12

Seated Machine Rows 4x10-12

Seated Machine Rows Low Position 4x10-12 (This machine duplicates the range of motion that I would get from T-bar rows if I could do them.)

Straight-Arm High Cable Pulldown 4x10

Shrugs 4x10-12

Day 3: Legs

Leg Extensions 2x15-20 (as a warm-up for my knees)

Leg Press 5x10-15

Lying Leg Curls 4x10-12

Leg Extensions 5x10-15

Seated Leg Curls 4x10-12

I do some Hamstring and Quad stretches to finish up.

Cardio

For different periods over the last 30 years, I have ridden mountain or road bikes at least once a week. I currently get in a 28-mile road ride about every six weeks when my off training day falls on a Sunday. For contest prep, I did 30 minutes on a treadmill at a fast walk every morning starting ten weeks out from the Masters USA.

Nutrition and Supplements

Although many pro bodybuilders recommend eating six meals a day, my system just can’t process food fast enough to achieve that even with an excellent digestive enzyme like Beverly's Multiple Enzyme Complex. That means the three meals a day I consume have to be very nutrient-dense and supplemented with Muscularity, Mass Amino Acids, Density, and Ultra 40.

Regular Daily Meal Plan

Soon after waking, I have a quick snack of four Belvida breakfast biscuits with organic almond butter before setting off on my morning dog walk with ReMax, our German Pinscher.

Meal One

(Training Days) One scoop Muscle Provider, 1 scoop Provosyn, 1 tbsp MCT oil (Parrillo CapTri), and one banana mixed in 12oz pineapple juice. I have used this delicious combo for many years as an easily digested pre-workout meal.

(Non-Training Days) Three scrambled eggs with either a bowl of oatmeal, pancakes, or French toast.

Meal Two

(Training Days) One scoop Muscle Provider, 1 scoop Provosyn, 45 grams powdered sweet potato and oats (5% Nutrition Real Carbs) mixed with 8oz pasteurized egg whites, 4oz cold water, and 1 tbsp flaxseed oil.

(Non-Training Days) 6oz Boars Head London broil roast beef and one slice of horseradish cheese on two pieces of multi-grain bread.

Meal Three

6oz chicken (white and dark meat), 4oz Calrose rice, 2¹⁄₂ tbsp honey sesame sauce.

Daily Supplements

Density 5 tablets upon waking

Muscle Provider and Provosyn with meals 1 and 2 Mass Aminos 6 with each meal

Ultra 40 liver tablets 6 with each meal

Quadracarn 3 tablets with each meal

ZMA 2000 3 capsules before bed

Pre Contest Adjustments

Meal 1: 12oz pasteurized egg whites, 1 tbsp MCT oil, 45 grams powdered sweet potato and oats.

Meal 2: One scoop Muscle Provider, one scoop Provosyn, 16oz cold water, and 1 tbsp flaxseed oil.

Meal 3: 6oz white meat chicken, 3.2oz (uncooked) Calrose rice, and 2oz honey sesame sauce.

Pre Contest Supplements

Muscle Provider and Provosyn (meal 2)

Density 5 tablets upon waking and 5 with each meal

Ultra 40 liver tablets 6 with each meal

Quadracarn 3 tablets with each meal
ZMA 2000 3 capsules before bed

Closing Thoughts

It’s very gratifying to have someone approach me in the gym, ask my age, and be surprised when I tell them. They usually come back with, “I hope to look as good when I reach your age.” I encourage them never to stop training and be consistent.

Growing up, even though I was active in sports, I never fully appreciated or understood the importance of nutrition. Long hours after school for practice and games created long periods of time without proper nutrition which led to cravings, eating processed snacks or fast food all in the interest of time. Friends might have categorized me as, “stocky” or “thick”. There was muscle in there, but the fat covered it all up.

By the time I reached college, things went from busy to chaotic. Attending classes as a full-time nursing student, holding down a part-time job, and late night study sessions made my eating habits that much worse. There was no time for sports in my very demanding schedule and while I “tried” to get to the gym when I could, my eating habits were deplorable and access to healthy food on a college campus back then was like trying to find a snowball in Hawaii. Ordering from the local pizza places, grabbing fast food, and trips to the campus store in addition to the three squares I tried to eat at the university cafeteria sent this healthcare hopeful from “thick” to 3-D. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. Wasn’t I supposed to be epitomizing health?

I did what so many women fall prey to, cutting way back on calories, exercising like mad, and of course hydration wasn’t even something I considered in the health equation. I indeed lost weight (based on the number on the scale), but retrospectively, I know I sacrificed muscle too due to my ignorance about what I ate/drank.

Food Obsessed and Feeling Guilty

This yo-yo dieting continued throughout my college career and by the time I graduated, I had become food obsessed. Binging, and then feeling guilty about it, only to crash diet again to even the score, at least in my mind. My relationship with food was an unhealthy one. I became a group fitness instructor and worked for a major club in the area, but despite teaching three times per week, plus what I was doing on my own, I was still that chubby aerobics instructor. I was of the mind-set that it was just my body type because with all the exercise I was doing, I must be very healthy right?!

As I matured, married and started a family, exercise had essentially ceased. Sure I went to the health club every January along with the rest of the country, only to find excuses and stop going by March. I jogged when the nicer weather rolled around and I would toss a video or two into the VCR (yes, I’m old!) once in a while and jump around in my living room to “take the weight off once and for all”, but like all quick fixes, it never lasted and I would end up feeling bad about myself.

I remember seeing Cory Everson on every fitness magazine cover and when my subscription to Oxygen arrived I would covet the amazing physiques I would see on the featured women. I wondered how they did it and then would think to myself that I would love to compete. Just as quickly, I would dismiss the thought as I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror. It’s genetic, I would convince myself; some women are just naturally lean and can build muscle easier than others.

I remember attending a family picnic, going into the kitchen to assist with the meal service and seeing a photo of me and my husband that had been taken the previous summer. I didn’t like what I saw. Why did I not take better care of myself? That was the turning point for me. No more excuses. My children were grown and while work was always going to be there, I had to start making the time to take care of me. If for no other reason, I needed to get healthier.

I joined the gym, started doing regular cardio sessions and then hit the weights. It was fairly benign initially, but as I began to see changes, my passion to get better grew. I felt as though I wasn’t seeing the changes I wanted based on the effort I was putting in, something was missing from the equation. If effort is in direct proportion to success, I should have been Donald Trump.

Nutrition, No Nonsense and Julie

A friend and I were chatting during our workouts and we began talking nutrition. The subject of protein powders came up and soon we were debating about which ones were better, had better taste, mixed well, etc…Soon he produced a copy of No Nonsense magazine and suggested I take a look because the articles were very good and he had learned some fresh ideas from the work-out plans that were listed. I tossed the magazine into my gym bag and didn’t give it a second thought.

A few months later, my husband and I took a week’s vacation in South Carolina. I grabbed my gym bag as an additional travel item. I stuffed the bag full of shoes, my hair styling devices and various other things that don’t fit well in your suitcase without taking up too much room. After we arrived and I began to unpack, I noticed the No Nonsense Magazine and sat down to read it. As I perused the pages, I admired the many stunning physiques and read of a woman who professed she could get me there.

Well, I couldn’t dial that phone fast enough; I wanted to learn the secret as soon as possible. I contacted Julie Lohre and began to work with her on my goal to get on stage, including attending her competition prep class in KY. It was through this process that I began to learn the significance of nutrition and hydration. There was so much more that I didn’t truly understand and appreciate. It is those intricacies that took me from good to great!

The difference that improved nutrition made was indescribable and within the year, I was seeing significant progress and began making plans to purchase my suit, shoes and work on posing and stage presence.

I stepped up my game and hired a trainer to really hone my symmetry, posing and stage skill. When I hit that stage for the first time at 44, it was one of the proudest accomplishments of my life. I have learned that anything worth doing is worth doing right. That luck is in direct proportion to hard work; the harder you work, the luckier you get and boy I was feeling lucky!

Figure and Womens Physique Competitions

I took second place in three divisions in 2011 in the INBF association, figure tall, women’s fitbody and the novice division. I competed in another show that same year in the NPC association and took first in my class and second overall. The following year at two NPC shows, I took first in my class and won the overall at both venues securing the title of Ms. Buffalo and Rochester. That same year I became a grandmother for the first time, I was on cloud nine!

This year I was fortunate enough to return to the NPC Northern Kentucky, the region where it all began with Julie and take the overall in womens physique. It was the best homecoming being surrounded by familiar faces whose love and support have been there all along.

Since my journey to the stage began, I have become a certified trainer and find sheer joy in sharing what I have learnedwith others. My husband who has watched me make this amazing transformation has now joined me in this sport and did his very first bodybuilding competition at the NPC NKY taking 6th in his class. I am so very proud of him!

My take home message to you is this: you can’t possibly get where you need to go without a road-map. Know what you need to do and how you need to do it to make your endeavors successful. Take time to care for yourself and even if you never compete, making a better and healthier you makes you a champion in the competition of life! I extend my best to you in your individual journey to a better you.

1: Ultimate Muscle Protein (UMP)

• To increase the size of your muscles, you’ve got to work them hard in the gym and then feed them high-quality protein throughout the rest of the day. That’s why protein supplements like UMP, Muscle Provider, and Provosysn (the latter two are discussed below) are a “must have” in the Muscle Size Stack for Men.
• Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and protein is a key building block of muscle tissue. Drinking a shake made with UMP is a simple, delicious way to supply your body with ample doses of all of the amino acids that it requires to build muscle as quickly as possible.
• UMP contains more in the way of “slow-release” proteins than other protein supplements. This makes it especially useful as a meal alternative in the morning, afternoon, or before bed. UMP’s proteins will supply your muscles with amino acids for several hours so that they can continue building without interruption until the next meal arrives. The fewer interruptions, the faster your muscles will increase in size.
• Drinking a UMP protein shake is like having dessert. (You’ll find an entire menu of “Cool, Creamy Shake Recipes” at www.BeverlyInternational.com).

2: Ultra 40

• Ultra 40 is a highly concentrated beef liver tablet. It is naturally rich in nutrients and growth factors that support healthy iron levels, red blood cells, muscle building, energy, and stamina.
• Bodybuilding “gurus” of the 1950s and 1960s such as Vince Gironda and Rheo Blair compared the profound physique and performance enhancing effects of liver tablets to steroids -minus the side effects, of course. They recommended that their clients consume up to 100 or more tablets daily. (Keep in mind that these liver formulations were less concentrated than Ultra 40; 25 Ultra 40 tabs are equivalent to 100 of the old school tabs.)
• Ultra 40 uses the highest grade of liver obtained from grass-fed, pesticide- and hormone-free cattle raised in Argentina. The facilities in which the cattle are raised are inspected by SENASA, the Argentinean equivalent of the FDA.
• Ultra 40 is popular with elite bodybuilders, some of whom have been using it for decades to maximize muscle size and performance.
• For more information about Ultra 40, refer to e-newsletter issue #42. (Go to www.BeverlyInternational.com, scroll to e-Newsletter archive under Extra Info.)

3: Mass Amino Acids

• Mass Amino Acids is an amino acid nitrogen technology with an ingredient profile unlike anything else on the market. It is principally used to increase muscle size and speed up recovery from workouts.
• The most distinguishing ingredient in the Mass Amino Acids formula is a partial hydrolysate of casein. This ingredient, which can cost twice as much as a whey protein hydrolysate, packs up to 500% more amino acid nitrogen than other products.
• The partial hydrolysate of casein in Mass Amino Acids is rich in peptide-bonded amino acids (PBAAs). Studies suggest that PBAAs are absorbed rapidly and possess up to double the anabolic potency of regular food This may explain why some users of Mass Amino Acids report that they are able to gain muscle mass while cutting (losing body fat).
• Users who combine Mass Amino Acids and Ultra 40 commonly gain several pounds of lean muscle mass in 6-8 weeks.

4: Quadracarn (Essential for men 35 years of age and older)

• Quadracarn is an ideal carnitine formula for men 35 years of age and older in search of all-around health and performance enhancement.
• Distinguished by its four types of carnitine, Quadracarn is most frequently used to help:
  • boost muscle energy & stamina
  • boost testosterone & muscle anabolism
  • quicken recovery from workouts
  • enhance muscle tone, definition and fullness
  • support healthy blood sugar control
  • support healthy circulation
  • enhance sexual potency

Provosyn Optional, but recommended.

• Provosyn is Beverly’s newest high-quality protein formula. It may be used as an alternative to, or in addition to, UMP and/or Muscle Provider.
• If you think you may be a “hard gainer”, then give Provosyn a try. Its formula is based on a secret protein-combining strategy used by bodybuilding nutrition gurus of the 1950s and 1960s, such as Rheo Blair. Provosyn contains a precise ratio of protein from 100% whole egg, Grade A milk protein isolate, and 100% natural beef.
• Provosyn users quickly fall in love with the rich, satisfying taste and texture, not to mention the benefits. They report that it helps them build muscle, feel pumped, and even get cut.

Muscle Provider Optional, but recommended.

• Like UMP, Muscle Provider is a high-quality protein supplement. It may be used as an alternative to, or in addition to, UMP.
• Muscle Provider contains more in the way of “fast-release” proteins than other protein supplements. This makes it great for use right after lifting weights, when your muscle cells are revved up and ready to build muscle protein.
• Many men use MP as their post-workout protein and reserve UMP for use as a meal alternative in the morning, after-noon and/or evening.
• If, for budgetary reasons, you decide to go with only one protein, don’t sweat it. You can’t go wrong choosing UMP or MP. Either one can be used post-work-out and as a meal alternative.
• When considering your budget, keep in mind that by using UMP and MP at the same time, each for a particular occasion (e.g. MP post-workout vs. UMP in the afternoon or evening), they will last longer.

I was 46 years old and had spent more than half of my life in the gym. My wife and I had been going to the same gym for over 10 years. Three of our six children were active participants in various fitness regimens and one of my daughters had 3 competitions under her belt. Like many of you, I had trained hard, built a good amount of muscle and followed what I thought was a good diet. I lived in a smaller community, was one of the bigger guys around, and looked good in the gym. However, when no one was around; when it was just me, my wife and my fam-ily, I shared my dreams of becom-ing a competitive bodybuilder.

Tell me if you ever heard this one? I thought that if I could just put on another 20-30 lbs. then maybe I could compete sometime. The more I thought about the task at hand of building all that muscle and looking like the guys in the magazines, the further and further my dream drifted away out of my reach.

Then one day as I was going through my normal routine, chance happened (di-vine intervention). The general manager of my gym, Jeremiah Forster, a former Beverly employee and cover man for No-Nonsense, and I were discussing my wife and a few struggles she was facing with her personal training. By the end of the conversation the focus drifted to me. The question was asked, “So, are you ever going to compete?” I had thought about it, but I simply replied that I needed to pack on some mass before even thinking about looking at a show. Jeremiah suggested that we have a formal consultation the next day.

The following day Jeremiah tested my body composition. I weighed 215lbs with 8.9% body fat and slightly less than 20lbs of fat on my body. I was leaner than I thought! Jeremiah told me I could go on dreaming forever or start getting ready to compete NOW. He said I definitely had enough muscle to hold my own against bodybuilders half my age and was lean enough to do a show in 4 months. By the end of the consultation, I had my diet, a new workout and a specialized supplement regimen that were targeted to my specific needs. (See Nutrition, Training, and Supplement sections for the specifics.)

Jeremiah said we could negotiate on diet and training, but there would be zero negotiating on supplements. He went on to explain his history with Beverly Interna-tional, the integrity of the company and the supreme trust he had in the products. It would be Beverly and Beverly ONLY!

I had about 16 weeks to drop 10lbs of fat and build a little muscle in the process. Since I’d already been eating a clean bodybuilding diet for many years, Jeremiah and I decided that I would need a strict and precise plan – zero deviation, zero temptation, and no guess work.

Jeremiah formulated my plan on an Excel spreadsheet. Each of my meals was calculated down to the ounce. I had to stick to the exact foods, the exact amounts. There was no gray area. Hey, if I just wanted gym muscles I could eat like everyone else. But if I wanted to look great on stage, I had to eat with precision in a way that not too many people are willing to do.

Each week we would test my body fat, discuss my overall feedback, and adjust the nutrition and supplements based on my results. I was eating more food (from more nutrient dense sources) than previously, taking fewer supplements (but better quality and in a targeted plan), and after 1 month my results were:
 

4 lbs. of fat lost and 4 lbs. of muscle gained. My weight stayed the same, but I was getting bigger and leaner at the same time. In just a month I went from a “wanna be” bodybuilder to someone who not only could see the road ahead, but already was visualizing how I was going to look on stage. The results from my Beverly Supplement regimen were al-most immediately noticeable. I’d never put on muscle so quickly, never recovered so quickly, or even felt this good. I had taken some Beverly in the past but never exclusively or in a precision plan. My physique looked completely different in a month. Soon my daughter and I weren’t the only Beverly users in the family. My wife used at least 5 of the products, and the rest of my family and many of my friends started using Beverly. If you visited our house, you’d literally see that half of our pantry is Beverly.

Fast forward to 1 month out. I was under 200 lbs. and looking ripped, but Jeremiah cautioned me. He said I still had a couple of pounds to lose and those 2-3 pounds would make a huge difference on how I looked on stage. He told me many guys look phenomenal in the gym a month out, but are unwilling to go through the very difficult final 4 weeks that takes you from looking great in the gym to great on stage.

Let me tell you, that last month was tough! I can see why many bodybuilders either give up entirely or start alienating everyone around them with their selfish attitude. But my entire family was there for me. They were my rock, my support, my encouragement and my light when I needed them most. I don’t think they fully understood how much their participation helped. They went to the gym with me (getting into the best shape of their lives as well). They held me accountable to my diet; they videotaped my posing sessions, offered their critiques, and continually gave me feedback.

My nutrition the final 4 weeks was quite challenging. My diet became more re-strictive while my cardio increased. I felt depleted, I was tired and my brain was telling me to quit. I’d find myself drooling when the Food Network was on TV. My only refuge was my wife, my fam-ily, and the confidence that the plan was working.

At the beginning of my diet the low-calorie day was only about 500 calories less than the high-calorie base diet. But, as the show got closer, the fat got harder to lose. Jeremiah started making the low-calorie day more restrictive (progressively fewer carbs and calories) while keeping my base diet the same. With 2 weeks to go Jeremiah made a final adjustment that would strip the remaining extra one pound of fat off me. Now, I’d follow one day on the base diet with 2 low-calorie days. This simple change made all of the difference in the world. I went from ripped to shredded.

I met with Jeremiah one final time eager to see what my final week would look like. I had buddies who told me about all this crazy stuff they did during their final week. But to my surprise, Jeremiah’s changes were minimal. He told me that if I was in great shape a week out that I was going to look great the day of the show. He re-introduced carbs on Wednesday, starting off very high and then tapering them down each day into the show. My water intake followed the same protocol – higher intake on Wednesday and a little less each subsequent day. My sodium intake decreased some but was never eliminated. I took in enough carbs to refuel my depleted glycogen stores and I was very careful of my water, sodium and potassium balance. My carbs consisted of mainly white potatoes (due to being simple and loaded with potassium) as well as sweet potatoes and rice cakes.

By the day of the show I was full, hard, dry and shredded. Every-thing came together just as Jeremiah promised. I looked even better than I had dreamed. Some people don’t like getting on stage, but not Joey Martinolich. I hammed it up, nailed my posing routine and looked like a polished pro on stage. My goal from the beginning was to get to the show and look like I had been therefore. I walked away with two 1st place trophies, but the best part was sharing those moments with my wife, family and friends. I can honestly say that all the work and suffering was worth it and I had the time of my life.

Since that show I have competed again and was even better at my second show. Now I am happy to take all the love, support and knowledge that I experienced get-ting ready for my first show and help others who share my dream with support and advice.

I think bodybuilding is more than dudes grunting, pushing weight and looking at ourselves in the mirror. It is more than getting in a speedo, throwing some oil on and flexing in front of a lot of people. Bodybuilding to me is the battle we all face between what we have the capacity to achieve and what we settle for. Don’t give up on your dreams!

Now let me show you what I did to make this transformation.

Advice  from Joey's trainer Jeremiah Forster

I have more than 20 years’ experience as a per-sonal trainer. I started as a “contest prep coach” in 2000 when I was taught how to do so by Roger and Sandy at Beverly International. I have helped several clients accomplish what they thought impossible. These range from dreams of representing themselves on stage with pride in their first contest to numerous 1st places. I am happily married with 4 beautiful children. My online training business has now turned into a fitness ministry. www.jeremiahforster.com
 

Training

Over the years I have prepared hundreds of training programs. These workouts range from basic bodybuilding training to very complex optimum performance training, kettlebells, etc. As Roger once told me, “All training works until it stops working.” No matter what your goal is, PROGRESSION is a universal truth that never lies. Progression is a deliberate increase in your repetitions, weight, decreased time between sets or the amount of time under tension. Every workout plan should have a component of planned progression. Once progression cannot be made in any of the above scenarios, then and only then should your workout be changed. There is no magic length of time to a workout, there is only progress. If you are still progress-ing, you are doing the right workout; if you are not, then you should change your workout. That brings up a good point, how do you know you are making progress if you are not tracking your progress? How many notebooks or notes on phones or tablets have you seen in the gym? I suggest you start recording your workout today.

DIET

As with training there is no one diet that is the end all and be all. However, certain body types react differently to different foods and macronutrient ratios. PRECISION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR NUTRITION. If you are precise in following your base diet, you or your trainer will be able to adjust it easily to attain a specific goal – whether it be fat loss, muscle gain, or contest prep. Your results become a mathematic equation not a hope and a prayer.

SUPPLEMENTS

I do not believe you need 20 different supplements to be successful. Start with a basic supplement plan of the essentials that you take year round. Then add a couple more that will help you achieve your specific goal. I’d rather you concentrate on really getting the maximum benefit from 2 or 3 targeted supplements, than see you trying everything under the Sun. Which do you think is more effective? One pill of 20 different supplements or 2-3 scoops each of Muscle Synergy, Creatine Select, and Glutamine Select per day? Once you choose the correct supplements be sure to take the recommended amounts or even a little more, to see the most benefits.

CONTEST GUIDANCE

Before your contest prep begins, search your soul, look in the mirror, and have a long, hard talk with yourself. Are you willing to make the sacrifices that contest prep requires? If the time isn’t right yet, it’s okay to put it off. Starting something and then quitting can be damaging to your spirit, finishing something is empowering. Don’t just go through the motions of your contest prep, do it with excellence. Give your best effort day in and day out to your diet, training, cardio, and posing. Why? Because little is more satisfying than knowing you gave your heart and soul to achieving something. In my experience, pure and full dedication always produces life's sweetest rewards.

I have been blessed to have the love of my life as my training partner for the last eight years. Sharing our passion in life has been incredible for us. So how did this all begin? My first experience with weight training came in the form of a Christmas present when I was 10. My parents gave me a plastic water weight set, two dumbbells, a barbell and a few plates. Yes, they were hollow and designed to be filled with water to add resistance; however, whenever I was thirsty I would just open up a dumbbell and take a drink. It was like a thirst quenching drop set.

I started weight training in earnest during my fresh-man year of high school hoping to put some weight and muscle on my skinny 5’9”, 135 pound frame. I wanted to participate in football and track. I also desired to stop getting picked on by upper classmen. I didn’t know a lot at the time about bodybuilding, but I admired the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger and would read anything about him I could get my hands on. By the be-ginning of my sophomore year I had gained ten pounds, and had begun to transform my physique. So began my love of bodybuilding.

As a high school athlete, Beth stood out in basketball and volleyball, but had no prior experience with body-building before meeting me. When we started dating she became interested in working out and started going to the gym with me. It took a few months and countless requests for spots, before she started hinting around that maybe we could become training partners. At first I was skeptical. I had never had a female training partner and never known anyone who had successfully trained with their significant other. I was quite wrong to be worried!

We clicked as training partners from the first moment, feeding off each other’s energy and instinctively knowing how and when to push one another. We started training together in 2006 and by 2007 we were getting ready for our first show.

We have competed in ten shows together. We’ve both earned our NGA and WNBF drug-free pro cards, Beth in figure and me in bodybuilding. She is coming off a great 2013 season with an overall win at the INBF Cardinal Classic and a class win at the NPC Natural Northern. I have won my weight class in all but one tested show. That loss was to the eventual over-all winner and it fueled me to train even harder. More importantly, it compelled me to maintain consistency with my supplementation and nutrition regimen. Since then I have been undefeated in tested shows. I have four overall wins: NPC Monster Mash, NGA Fall Classic, INBF Cardinal Classic and NPC Natural Northern. My most memorable achievements are the two competitions where Beth and I took the overalls together. The feeling of us as a team on stage together at the end of the night is something I will cherish for a life time.

In the remainder of this article I will share our nutrition, supplement, and training programs. We encourage you to study them, adapt them to your own programs, or follow them exactly and see if you can get the same results that we achieved.

 
Diet

During our contest prep, Beth and I eat the same foods except for the portion sizes. This makes it much easier for us to shop and prepare our meals together. We’ve noticed that we lose fat and our strength in the gym actually increases when we start on the diet and supplement plan listed below.

Meal 1 Pancake made with UMP, egg whites, 1 whole egg, uncooked plain oatmeal, blueberries and/or blackberries. 1-2 cups coffee or green tea, roughly 1 liter of water.

Meal 2 Chicken breast or ground turkey breast, brown or white rice, green beans or broccoli.

Meal 3 Tilapia, sweet potato or brown or white rice, green beans or broccoli or asparagus.

Pre-workout meal 1 scoop Muscle Provider or UMP and 1/2 cup un-cooked oatmeal. I either blend this in a shake or cook it as oatmeal. Either way it’s delicious and digests very quickly. We put 2 scoops of Beverly’s Glutamine Select plus BCAAs in our water bottles for the gym.

Post workout meal Blend together unsweetened almond milk, water, spinach, 6oz pasteurized egg whites, 1 scoop Muscle Provider and 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal. I also take my Beverly Creatine Select at this time.

Meal 4 Any combination of the above, one food from each category, protein, carbohydrate and vegetable.

Meal 5 Chicken breast and a large mixing bowl size salad, consist-ing of red and green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, red and green peppers. Dressing consists of 3 tablespoons Bragg’s unpasteur-ized apple cider vinegar mixed with a little mustard and a packet of Sweat Leaf natural stevia. It tastes like honey mustard and is healthy. (No complex carbs at dinner.)

Condiments Mustard, hot sauce and anything we can find that is sugar free.

Water We drink when we are thirsty, at least 4-6 liters a day. Usually a little more if the temperature is high. However, I don’t believe in drinking gallons and gallons of water a day. This just flushes out your sodium, electrolytes and may tax your kidneys.

Supplements

Meal 1: Multivitamin, 3 Quadracarn, 4 Ultra 40 liver, 4 Mass Amino Acids, 2 Lean Out

Meal 2-3: 4 Ultra 40, 4 Mass Amino Acids, 2 Lean Out

Meal 4: 3 Quadracarn, 4 Ultra 40, 4 Mass Amino Acids, 2 Lean Out

Meal 5: 3 Beverly ZMA 2000

My Daily Meal Plan:

One thing I can tell you that has definitely changed for me is my nutrition. It went from Pop Tarts and fast food to chicken, eggs/egg whites, lean beef, turkey, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and veggies! I now eat 6 meals throughout the day, spread 2-3 hours apart. This way I’m never hungry or too full. I also drink at least 1 gallon of water per day. If I’m trying to lean out for a contest, I’ll substitute ½ of a grapefruit for my oatmeal in Meal 1 and about 8-10 stalks of asparagus for my sweet potato in Meals 3 & 5. During contest prep, I have carb up meals on Mondays and Thursdays at Meal 6. That consists of 1 cup oats, 8oz sweet potato, 1 cup broccoli, and 1 banana.

Meal 1 8:00am: 3 egg whites 1 whole egg, 3-4oz lean beef; ½ cup oats

Meal 2 11:00am: Chocolate UMP shake 2 scoops mixed with cold water

Meal 3 2:00pm: 6oz chicken breast; 6oz sweet potato

Meal 4 5:00pm: Same as meal 2

Meal 5 8:00pm: 6oz chicken breast; 6oz sweet potato

Meal 6 11:00pm: Chocolate UMP 2 scoops mixed with water to pudding consistency PB2 sprinkled on top

I always buy in bulk and prep our meals for up to 2 or 3 days prior, except for breakfast. I always cook our breakfast fresh every morning which is an egg/beef omelet! For me, having our meals prepped in advance creates less stress throughout the day. We can just grab our container, throw it in the microwave and eat! If you are someone who is gone most of the day, I would suggest having some type of cooler to keep your meals in. Along with having all of your meals in one place, it keeps them cool and you have them right there with you so you’re not tempted to swing through a drive thru. A food scale really helps with weighing out your portions, especially if you’re cooking for more than one! If you would like more information please visit our website at www.nnpt.net.

Presentation

Sandy asked me to include some tips on presentation. Even though this is only going to be my 3rd year in competition, I think I can give you some good pointers. The first is walk, walk, walk! I cannot stress enough how important your stage presence is. It’s very important that you look and feel confident on stage. I am constantly practicing my walk no matter if I’m 10 weeks out from a show or 2 days out. You cannot practice enough! On the day of the show you may be tired, hungry, thirsty, fatigued, nervous or scared. Trust me, I’ve been all of those! You’ll want to be able to power through those emotions, dig deep, and own that stage. Always keep a smile on your face. Think about all the hard work you put in to that very moment and how beautiful you look. Practice alone, in front of a mirror-not too much though! You don’t want to get in the habit of always seeing yourself when you practice, so make sure to practice without the mirror too! Practice in front of people and have someone video tape you while you walk so you can see what others see, and possibly some things you want to change or work on. I promise you- once you get it down you’ll be able to do it no problem. If you’ve never posed before it can be a little overwhelming. I tell my clients this all the time. First, find which poses are the most comfortable for you. Then work on putting them together in your walk. You’ll want the whole presentation to flow. It takes time, but you’ll be glad you practiced when the show comes and your confidence will shine. Good luck!

In closing, I would like to thank my fiancé, Mark for all of his wonderful help with my training and nutrition along with the best support I could ever ask for. It is such an honor to be learning from such an amazing, smart, and talented person. Also, to Roger and Sandy for having an extraordinary product line. I will never use or recommend any-thing else!

As regular readers of No Nonsense already know, BI users and followers of our diet methods have been achieving this type of look for years. A physique where shape, symmetry and a pleasing athletic, muscular look is rewarded. It’s the type of overall physique that the majority of men will see and say, “That’s what I would like to look like”. And most women will prefer looking at!

Best of all it’s a look that’s realistically achievable for most aspiring natural competitors with hard work, dieting and proper supplementation. Going to “extremes” is not necessary and it can be balanced with your real life that includes jobs and families.

This is a brand new division and we’re going to get you way ahead of the curve by presenting a complete program to achieve the “Classic Physique”. Whether your goal is to compete, or to just do it for yourself, in the remainder of this article we’ll provide a 3-Phase Nutrition Program, a specialized 2-Phase Workout including “Feeder Workouts” to help you develop your “Classic Physique”, and if you wish to compete, we’ll also include a Presentation Section to help you better show off your “Classic Physique”. In closing we’ll include a Table of Classic Physique measurements to give you specific body part goals to shoot for.

“Classic Physique” Nutrition

Your Classic Physique nutrition plan is designed help you gain and retain muscle while you lean out. You should start your diet for the contest as early as possible. Don’t wait until the last minute. The earlier you start, the more time you will be able to spend in Phase 1 (the Musclebuilding phase). There are 3 diet phases in all. Each one emphasizes excellent food choices which will allow you to keep gaining muscle where you need it while you whittle away fat from your waist and other problem areas.

Start the Phase 1 nutrition plan at least 16-20 weeks out from your contest date. The first phase is designed to help you gain as much muscle as you can while increasing your muscularity. But even this early in your preparation, you should still focus on achieving that classic small waist, so losing fat is also a priority. Train as heavy and hard as possible, but use textbook form and concentrate mentally and physically on improving any weak points in your physique. The recommended high protein foods and quality supplements will allow you to continue to make improvements to your physique so make every training session count.

Note: In the meal plan below if you weigh less than 165 lbs reduce meat and carb portions listed by 2oz. (All meats are weighed prior to cooking.)

If you have any questions at all about our supplements be sure to call our Beverly Advisor Team at 1-800-781-3475.

This is the first “precontest diet” that you’ll follow. In general you will switch from Phase 1 to Phase 2 at 8-10 weeks out. If you think that you are not leaning out fast enough go to Phase 2 at 10 weeks out; if you’re on track wait until the 8-week mark.

Note: As before, if you weigh 165 or less, reduce the meat portions by 1 or 2 ounces in each of the listed meals. (All meats are weighed prior to cooking.)

Phase 3 is a no-frills, no nonsense, basic precontest diet program that works for nearly everyone. However, you should stay with your Phase 2 Plan as long as you are getting results in terms of improved conditioning. Don’t change just for the sake of change.

Kick in the Phase 3 plan at 4 to 6 weeks out and only if your progress has stalled.

I am a busy girl so I like to keep things simple. I do all of my meal planning and prep for the week on Sunday afternoons. It takes about 3 hours but saves me loads of time during the week and it keeps me on track. I cook 10 skinless chicken breasts at a time in the crock pot with salt and pepper, Flavor God seasoning, and 2 low sodium chicken bouillon cubes. I bake tilapia with lemon juice and a little pepper. I pre-cut all of my veggies, separate them into servings and I place them all into disposable steamer bags for easy storage and cooking. Meals #2 and #4 are UMP Strawberry shakes. I prepare them the night before by adding 2 scoops to a shaker bottle with about 10oz water. I then put it in the freezer overnight. I take the frozen shake with me to work and by the time I’m ready to drink it, it’s a slushy! I LOVE it.

Weight Training

I work a sedentary job from 7:30-4:30 daily, and then go right to the gym where I meet my husband. We train together for 1.5 – 2 hours, six days a week. We work with one of my coaches, Rob Quimby, on two of those days.

Rob and I focused on leaning out my legs while also improving shoulder and chest mass. Although I have a decent amount of muscle in my legs, I tend to carry some excess "baggage" there too. I trained them twice a week in completely different ways to lean them out and expose those detailed lines. My favorite leg exercises are squats alternating with 150# sled pushes. Here are the basic parameters for my training:

• Trained each body part twice weekly

• Focused on weight for reps (12-15 reps per set/4-5 sets each exercise/Increased weight with each set/Enough weight that the final few reps of the final set are very challenging and near failure)

• Use a lot of supersets

Cardio

20-30 minutes of fasted HIIT cardio first thing in the morning on the treadmill, 6-7 days per week- incline jog/sprint.

Evening cardio following weight training: 20-30 minutes on the stationary bike 5-6 evenings per week.

The Results

I competed in my first show in March of 2015, the NPC Natural Ohio. I was thrilled to garner second place in the Women’s Physique Open “A” Class and win the overall in the Master’s Women’s Physique division. Four weeks later, I competed in the NPC Kentucky Derby and placed third in both the Women’s Physique Open Class “A” and Master’s Women’s Physique Class. It was a great start to what I know will be a challenging but rewarding experience in Women’s Physique. A big thank you to my awesome coaches, my amazingly supportive husband and family for helping me battle through this huge accomplishment.

Maximum Potential

So why did Frank LaGarde make the decision to contact Beverly International? “My initial goal was to maximize my potential in order to get the very best results when competing,” Frank says. He started reading the No Nonsense Newsletter around 2000, but didn't try the products until 2003.

“When I first started bodybuilding, I was not using Beverly. But I decided to give Beverly a try. I noticed that the people winning at the shows were being featured in the No Nonsense Newsletters as loyal Beverly supplement users. That was proof enough for me!”

“I've been using BI supplements for so long, I do not have anything to compare it to. I guess that's pretty good.”

“I first met Steven Wade at the Beverly booth at the Arnold Classic, I believe it was 2002. We talked about the different products, mostly the protein powders.” When Frank decided to begin using Beverly he sent an email detailing his goals, and Steven was the Beverly Advisor Team member who replied. The two men crafted a contest diet that he has been using to this day. “Why change, if it's working?”

Frank's use of Beverly supplements is very diverse. His favorite products include Ultimate Muscle Protein (UMP), Provosyn, and Quadracarn.

In his off-season, Frank takes one scoop of UMP and one scoop of Provosyn, two to three times daily. He also adds in four Ultra 40 tablets and four Mass Aminos twice daily, first thing in the morning and in the evening post-workout. For overall vitamin/mineral support, he has a Super Pak in the morning. To fuel his training, he has two scoops of Glutamine Select post-workout or three scoops sipped during training. He wraps his intake up with Quadracarn, three tablets, three times a day.

Like many successful bodybuilders, Frank's supplement intake makes minor increases as the competition approaches. This is to protect against muscle loss when calorie intake and metabolism are more strictly controlled. He increases his intake of Ultra 40 and Mass Aminos to four of each with every meal (five times a day). He increases this to a sixth dose of the two products as the diet continues. Beverly’s Creatine Select is added in to keep his muscles full of creatine when glycogen may be a bit low. The contest prep period also includes two Lean Out and four Muscularity with each meal. GH Factor is also included with six capsules in the morning and another six before bed. As a final support, Frank includes three 7-Keto MuscLean capsules in the morning, followed by a second similar dose in the afternoon.

I have always exercised in one form or another.

When I was younger, raising kids, and building a practice, I was limited to quick trips to the gym or a workout in the basement. Once my children were grown and my practice was more established, I had more time to devote to my fitness and became really involved in endurance sports. My first 5K led to a half marathon, which led to a full marathon and before I knew it, I had completed over 60 full marathons, including one in every state. I finished a hundred mile run from Key Largo to Key West.

I became interested in triathlons and worked my way up to a full Ironman. Training at that point consisted of 100-mile bike rides in the morning, 2-mile swims in the Detroit River in the evening, and running as often as I could. I snuck in some cross-training with weights a couple times a week, but for the most part my exercise was aerobic in nature.

That all changed when my wife, Sandy, convinced me to attend a bodybuilding show with her. She had undergone a recent transformation, losing over 40 lbs with weight training and macro-focused dieting. Her gym was sponsoring the show and I reluctantly agreed to go. I was inspired by the dedication and commitment of the athletes that competed. I told my wife “next spring we are going to be on that stage”.

As a runner, my philosophy regarding nutrition was that I could eat and drink whatever I wanted, and I would just run it off. My weight was good, but I didn’t always look or feel the greatest, and as I got older my blood work was not so great. My cholesterol was climbing, and my blood sugar was bouncing around. I knew some disciplined eating would be good for me. I hired a coach, who gave me some starting macros. Because I was still running and cycling while I was training for my first show, my macros were pretty generous. I ran four marathons while I was training for my first show, so I was really putting my coach to the test. But with a solid nutrition plan and supplementation with Beverly products I was able to drop from 162 lbs to 147 lbs and still maintain lean muscle mass. The 2019 ANBF 3D Fit show went well for me. At the age of 55, I took first in four of the six divisions I competed in, and earned a pro card from the ANBF in Classic Physique and in Master’s Physique.

I had been using UMP for years and recommending it to my patients and training clients. However, when I started competitive bodybuilding, I researched the rest of the Beverly products line by reading prior issues of “No Nonsense” and I even made a few phone calls to the Beverly Advisor Team with questions. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them for advice, they are very helpful and knowledgeable with sports nutrition.

Biggest Challenges

I love weight training and natural bodybuilding, but I’m not ready to give up endurance sports. When my calories start dropping during show prep, it can be difficult to have enough carbohydrates to fuel a long run. Timing is critical, so I try to consume most of my carbs pre- and immediately post workout so that they are a source of fuel and glycogen replenishment. If you are going to consume any high-glycemic carbs it is important to do it during this window. At any other time try to consume low glycemic carbs so your insulin is not spiking later in the day. I also try to take most of my supplements around this window. I feel like my body is like a sponge during and after exercise and much more likely to absorb macro and micronutrients.

Timing of workouts can also be a challenge. I need to put enough training days between a hard leg day in the gym and my long runs or speed days. Heavy leg days need to be avoided for about 5 days before a race.

Future Goals

Now that I completed my 50-states goal, I am going to try to run a full marathon on every continent, so races in South America, Africa and Antarctica are on the horizon. In between I want to focus on adding some muscle to my legs and shoulders (not an easy task for a runner in his fifties!) so I can better compete in the classic physique bodybuilding category as a pro.

It was at the 2004 Kentucky Muscle show that Iryna met Sandy Riedinger. “I asked Sandy for her feedback on my physique and how I can improve because I knew deep down inside that there is no turning back for me!” Iryna not only received competitive guidance from Sandy, but she was introduced to the Beverly International products, which have contributed greatly to her progress.

Iryna has created a foundation and support system of like-minded women that bolsters the support she receives from her family and clients. “Meeting so many wonderful and strong women inspires me to continue. I am now officially hooked! I approach my daily workouts with great enthusiasm.” She looks forward to her training sessions each day, as it helps her relieve stress, sharpen her focus and discipline and continually challenge and improve herself. “Staying healthy and fit is necessary for me to have the energy to balance my busy life. It is necessary for me to stay sharp in all areas... mental, physical and emotional... and is something that my healthy lifestyle affords me.”

Since starting, Iryna has become a student of the game, learning everything required to optimize her training, nutrition and supplementation. This has allowed her to share that knowledge with her clients, both those that train in her commercial gym and those she helps through her online coaching business (www.irynamccraw.com). Their progress mirrors her own and not only has driven the success of her coaching, but made her work extremely fulfilling. “I can't imagine myself living without working out and the way it makes me feel.”

Supplementation Guidelines

Iryna has been taking Beverly International supplements since 2004! “I subscribed to the Beverly No Nonsense magazine and also received one of their books about the benefits of taking BI products. It provided easy, step-by-step guidance for beginners all the way up to advanced bodybuilders.” Beverly is more about passing on proper knowledge than selling products. That said, they also have a line of supplements of the highest quality. “Our bodies must recover with best available supplements on the market,” says Iryna. “You can’t go wrong with Beverly. I have been using it for years and it works!”

The Beverly line of products have become a consistent part of Iryna's daily intake. She also lists the Super Pak and/or Fit Tabs among her regular purchases, and adds in 7-Keto MuscLean and Lean Out as a contest approaches. “I also take them during work travel and family vacations.”

The Beverly International products are well-regarded by all members of the McCraw family. Iryna's husband Ron also set a goal to feel better overall and lose weight (he lost 50 pounds) and included Beverly supplements in his diet. 14-year old son Daniel, who plays football, uses Glutamine Select for post-workout recovery. “My 3-year old daughter Eva even likes to sip on my vanilla UMP shakes!”

Since her livelihood is based on providing results, Iryna also makes it a point to recommend Beverly products to all of her clients. “The changes with using Beverly have been unbelievable!” says Iryna. “Supplements help my clients to stay focused and always on top of their game. They are busy people so if I can teach them to incorporate a shake and supplements into their routine, it will easily fit into their hectic schedule and keep their energy levels stable. And the taste of Beverly’s protein is truly the best. I dedicate my life to helping people who want to achieve their goals, and Beverly is a helpful part of that.”

Iryna McCraw serves as a great example of how a person can make the decision to go from a life of quiet desperation to accomplishing amazing things. “With the right nutrition, training, supplements, unwavering focus, determination and belief in yourself, magic happens! I truly believe that there is nothing that is unattainable. Trust yourself. Trust results. Trust Beverly!”

Life’s Demands

My career is very demanding. I am a retail store manager for a large home improvement company. I work long hours and have to remain somewhat flexible as my schedule can and does often change. Passion for my job is an understatement. And it’s a good thing since much of my pay is tied directly to job performance. During this latest contest prep, a new element was thrown in the mix. Our company is continually looking for ways to give back to our community. Last fall we took on the challenge of completely remodeling a duplex which had been given to a homeless Army Veteran and his family. Although rewarding, I worked on Balancing Life’s Demands with Bringing my Best to Stage the project 12 hour days, 7 days per week for a month in order to complete it on time. This was smack dab in the middle of my contest preparation. I continued to make my lifts in the gym (before or after work) and keep my diet on point whether I was home or on the construction site.

Even more important than my job, is my family. My son plays football for Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. Of course I wanted to see him play, so I took several nine hour round trips to Iowa on Saturdays to watch his games. My daughter, a junior in high school, was cheering for Friday night football games and performing on a competitive cheer squad. I didn’t miss out on those either.

The point is I did not compromise the important things in life (being a good husband, parent, leader, co-worker, etc.) for bodybuilding, but I still stepped on stage looking my best. In the remainder of this article I’ll tell you how I got into bodybuilding and provide my training program, diet, and supplement program. This has helped me continue to make muscle gains while dropping body fat, as well as allowing me to stick to my diet while on the job site, traveling to my son’s games, and attending my daughter’s cheering events.

Why I started bodybuilding

I have always been an athlete, was a four letter athlete in high school, and even played a couple years of college football. I trained with weights throughout, but after my organized sports career was over and life stepped in, my lifting became an “on again, off again” (mainly off) proposition. One day in 2006, as my wife and I were getting ready in the bathroom she mentioned that I looked like I had put on a few pounds. That’s all it took. Off to the gym I went. I started with a typical three day per week program, much like how I had trained for athletics. Then I added a fourth day, and eventually a fifth. After a few years of steady training a friend suggested that I think about competing. I did some research and in 2010 I took the plunge into competition. I made a respectable showing, and then took 4 years off to live life. But, the itch returned. I decided to compete again in the OCB Midwest States in November of 2014. I was hoping to attain my natural pro card but the competition was of an extremely high caliber. I was still able to place fourth in the master’s class, and fifth in my open class.

Training, Cardio, Nutrition, and Supplements

Here is one of the best parts of my program – my training, nutrition, and Beverly supplement programs allowed me to step on stage having done NO cardio! That’s right, no cardio! To be honest with everything else I had going on, I don’t know if it would have been possible to do the kind of cardio I had always done for past contests.

In the training program below, almost all exercises were supersetted. This had a two-fold positive effect of cutting down my time in the gym while keeping my heart rate elevated and allowing me to burn more calories each workout.

Train 4 on 1 off, Repeat.

Core exercises are performed at the end of workouts on days 1, 2, and 3. On day 4, I performed a special superset designed to cut up my quads (which were lacking).

My Specialized Beverly International Supplement Stack

A specialized supplement stack of Beverly products helped me achieve and maintain balance in my life. UMP made it convenient to stay on track while road tripping to college games or locally for cheer. I felt better and had more energy, drive, focus, and improved health. Week after week I continued making muscle gains while dropping body fat. You read that right; I was building muscle and losing fat at the same time as a drug free athlete. When my day was done, ZMA 2000 helped me sleep like a rock. The Quadracarn/Muscularity combo helped me drop fat without cardio while Density helped me retain max muscle.

 
Why did I use Beverly? My trainer said that it was the only brand he would recommend. That got me researching their products, and after learning about Beverly’s quality and reputation, I decided to go all in. I am so glad I did. I truly believe my prep experience would have been a much different outcome if not for Beverly. Having prepped for contests with and without Beverly International supplements, I can say that with Beverly I gained more muscle, and had more energy and FOCUS.

The key to this program’s success is the incremental increase in workout poundage, nutrition, and nutritional supplements each week. Be sure to start at a comfortable level in each of these2035 three key progress areas. Progress gradually, but consistently in each area each week.

This workout program is based around a 1 on/1 off, 1 on/2 off training split. This type of split allows you to work really hard, yet still get maximum recovery. This routine has produced WONDERS in size and strength gains across a wide range of population bases. Chances are it will do the same for you.

A Note about Poundage Progression:

Here are some guidelines you can use to get the most out of your “Muscle Size” workout. Increase the poundage a small amount (and don’t be afraid to use the 2.5lb plates) the next workout if:

• A. Rep range is 2x6 or 2x3 –and you can successfully get 6 reps (or 3 reps) on both sets
• B. Rep range is 6-8 or 6-9 – and you can get the top number on the 1st set, and 6 or more on each of the remaining sets. Ex: 9,7,6.
• C. Rep range is 8-12 and you can get 12 on the 1st set; or rep range is 10-15 and you get 15 on 1st set, etc.

If you want to gain muscle and strength, while losing fat give this program a try for 16 weeks. If the workout is more than you are accustomed to, start with 1 or 2 less work sets on each exercise. Then gradually work into the full routine. But, even if you are used to training more often or with more volume, please don’t add anything to the routine. It is tested and proven to be one of the most effective workout plans ever. Combine the “Best Muscle Size Workout Plan for Naturals” with the “Gain Muscle and Lose Fat” nutrition and supplement plan for the next 4 months and be ready to see a dramatic positive change in your physique, body composition, and strength.

Best Muscle Gain Workout

You’ll do the following 4 workouts over a 9-day period, then start over on day 10. Add weight, whenever you can get the top number of a particular rep range on all sets for that exercise.