Victor's Gym Jan 04
WAR OF WORDS
Hey Victor, I'm a huge fan of yours. I think it's so cool that you don't get into shit-talking battles with other IFBB pros. You show so much more class and professionalism than the other guys. Please tell me- from an insider's view- why is it that all these top bodybuilders are fucking fighting all the time?
Well, first off, some people will tell you that it's good for the sport to have pros disrespecting each other. These people think that talking shit hypes up the sport and gets us more publicity. If the only reason a fan is into bodybuilding is to hear about gossip and fighting, I think that's pretty sad. This is bodybuilding. Our fans should be picking up this magazine to check out great physiques and learn new things about the sport.
Everybody has their own personal problems and differences, but I think we, as professionals, should carry ourselves higher with a little decorum and respect. We have to respect ourselves and others in this field. If two pros don't like certain things about each other, they need to take care of it face to face instead of trashing each other in a magazine or spreading gossip on the Internet.
I've noticed that talking shit on websites is the big new trend. It seems some guys like to hide behind computers while they post trash about other athletes. I think this is a really chicken-shit way of handling personal differences. I mean, you've got to work with these guys! You compete with them all the time, or work with them at guest appearances! You don't want to act in such an unprofessional way because it will affect your environment very badly.
Frankly, the whole sport could be a little more professional. Fighting and gossip can really make our sport look cheap on top of rumors about steroid abuse. We are bodybuilders. We are a combination of professional artists and athletes, and stuff like that can turn this awesome sport into nothing more than a stage show.
If a pro bodybuilder were to come up and air his problems with me to my face, and it looked like I would have to fight, well, it would be like when I was growing up in my old neighborhood. For example, remember the argument between King Kamali and Craig Titus? How long did that carry on in the magazines and websites? A little over a year, or maybe even longer! In my old neighborhood, we always said, "Why argue?" An argument can take days, months or years when you can just fight and get it over with in a couple of minutes.
All the shit talking and stuff does cause interest in the sport, just like with wrestling. But with wrestling, you know that's going to happen. It's a little staged, don't you think? When talking trash happens in bodybuilding, it is a real shocker. Everybody wants to read about who's arguing with who. In my opinion, bodybuilding can still be very interesting without all the shit talking. What bodybuilders can do to be more interesting is saying something like, "The next person I'm going to beat on stage is so-and-so," and that person can come right back with, "Well, this person can't beat me because of..." They can go back and forth battling it out over their physiques- not over some stupid rumor or gossip, like whose wife slept with whom! When you get into vicious shit like that, it's a whole different story. Having some on-the-job rivalries is okay, but keep it on a professional level, so the whole sport can progress.
OLD SCHOOL BACK BOMBIN'
Victor, my man! First off, I want to wish you well, ‘cause you obviously have a successful and bright future in bodybuilding. Second, I'm a big fan of bodybuilding and I'm trying to build a great-looking physique. I was wondering if your back workout in the October MD is your full back workout? Are there some more back exercises you would recommend?
That's my back workout, although I have to keep a lot of options open, so I can't say that it's my full back workout. I actually use a lot of variety in my workouts. It keeps me looking forward to getting to the gym and doing different exercises. I usually do more of the exercises I hate. You know, when people say to me that they hate deadlifts, I will tell them that they need to do more deadlifts! Deadlifts and chin-ups are the main exercises for my back, but I've noticed that those exercises are the ones people tend to neglect. I don't settle for doing less-effective movements, like lat pull-downs or seated rows.
I like to change up my back workout every time I train back. I go from wide-grip to close-grip chins and use a lot of free weights. Free weight actually gives me more range of motion and keeps it more "old school," which I'm more into than fancy machines. Free weights keep your repetitions flowing naturally with your body as opposed to getting into a machine. When you train old school, you have to balance the weights yourself and it builds up all the secondary muscle groups involved.
Some other back movements you might want to try are one-arm dumbbell rows. I like to do these on the bench, but the bench sometimes throws you off balance to the side when rowing with heavy dumbbells. I usually put my elbows and my forearm across the dumbbell rack, which keeps my back straight and lets me go above 150 pounds. When I'm doing less than 150, I put one knee and my right arm on the bench, while my left arm holds the dumbbell as I row that side of my back.
If you try this movement, put the leg opposite from the arm doing the movement a little straighter than the other leg. This will help you get more of a stretch when rowing. For instance, if you're rowing with the right arm, your left leg should be slightly straighter than the right leg. The right leg will basically just help you keep your balance and not fall sideways.
Also, I love doing T-bar rows. I don't put it in my standard workout, but it is an optional movement you can try. T-bar rows can either make your back or break your back. A lot of people tend to do this one wrong, either by not bending their knees enough, or by bending all the way forward.
When I do T-bar rows, I keep my body bent over at the waist, squat my knees a little and stay stationary while I row. I try not to move any further forward than two or three inches- just enough to get a slight stretch and go back up. We didn't have a T-bar row machine when I was growing up, so I just put an Olympic bar in one corner of my bedroom with a friend standing on one end of the bar, and I'd use the other end to row between my legs.
Nowadays, the T-bar machine allows you to make a full repetition with 45-pound plates. With the old school way of using just the bar, you'd use smaller (maybe 35-pound) plates. Forty-five pound plates would stop you from getting a full contraction.
I've noticed that the T-bar row is not really a popular movement anymore. Most people usually do the Hammer Strength machine version, which has you in a seated position with your chest up against the pad. I think that movement tends to cut your breathing out.
I always keep my reps between 10 and 12 when doing back. That's a high number compared to what I do for other body parts, but it really depends on how heavy I go that particular day. I will do one heavy workout, like a powerlifting day, and the next week I might go a little lighter with more feel in the movement.
THREE POINT CALVES
I was looking over the photos from the NOC and along with the rear double biceps shot everyone loved, your calves looked phenomenal! I've heard of, and tried, various methods to get my calves to grow, but they're incredibly slow to respond. I have high insertions, so I know I can't do anything about that, but what would you suggest for training frequency and intensity?
I'd try to do more three-point calf movements. The first movement is called the "pigeon toe," which means you balance your feet with your heels pointed outward and your toes pointed in. The second movement is to point your feet straight ahead. The third movement is to balance with your heels touching each other and your toes pointed outward. This is the lazy boy's way of working calves, but it can add a lot of size if you do them right.
Here's how I do it: First, put your feet together straight. Go up on your toes for the first movement and do 10 reps. Second, put your heels together and position your toes facing out like a "V" shape. Do 10 reps. Last, turn your toes so they are facing inward and your heels are outward, and go up on your toes for 10 reps. That's 10 reps for each angle; the ten reps at all three angles count for one set, so the whole set is actually about 30 reps. If at first you die out and can't make all 30 reps, rest for a few seconds and get right back on it until you finish. Every position point is like a mini-set and once you complete all three points without a break, you've done one set.
Each of the three positions hits all areas of the calf. Don't forget that your calves consist of a group of muscles, just like anywhere else on your body. When you do the three-point movements, you're hitting the whole muscle. After I do one set of three-points, I'll start over, but change up the positioning. If I started with my heels facing out the first time, I'll start with the opposite direction for the next set. Changing up the sets puts more strain on the calves and allows you to grow by attacking them from different angles. This may sound kind of weird, but it does work.
The exercises I like best for calves are the toe raise on the leg press, standing calf raise and seated calf raise. I train calves every two days- one day on, two days off. I like waiting two days between calf workouts; I think it's way better to allow your calves to rest a little. They recover fast, just like abs, so you have to put the same amount of strain on them as you would another body part. Every other time I train them, I only do two exercises with less reps (around eight per exercise), but heavier weight. I find that varying my workouts that way works better than doing them once or twice a week, but you'll have to try it yourself to see what works for you.
Usually, the people who say training calves once a week is enough are the ones gifted with huge calves to begin with. My calf insertions are high, too, and it took a while for me to build them up. Anyone who has followed my competitions from year to year would notice how much they've changed. All I used during this growth period are three-point movements, and I intend on staying with them.
Just remember, when I do the three-point movements, whether on my heavy day or light day, I tend to not use extremely heavy weights. I'll go with moderate resistance instead, so I won't lose proper form. When you go extremely heavy doing several sets back to back, obviously your form will suffer. Here is my calf workout:
[Note to Layout Team: This might fit better in a table with background row & column colors.] - JB
Day 1 - Moderate Weight
Warm-ups
Seated Calf Raise
45 pounds x 50 reps
45 pounds x 40 reps
Standing Calf Raise
30 pounds x 50 reps
30 pounds x 50 reps
Work Sets
Seated Calf Raise
Position One - toes in: 10 reps
Position Two - toes forward: 10 reps
Position Three - toes out: 10 reps
Repeat, starting with position three.
Standing Calf Raise
Position One - toes in: 10 reps
Position Two - toes forward: 10 reps
Position Three - toes out: 10 reps
Repeat, starting with position three.
Leg Press Toe Raise
Position One - toes in: 10 reps
Position Two - toes forward: 10 reps
Position Three - toes out: 10 reps
Repeat, starting with position three.
Day 2 - Off
Day 3 - Off
Day 4 - Heavy Weight
Seated Calf Raise
Position One - toes in: 5 reps
Position Two - toes forward: 5 reps
Position Three - toes out: 5 reps
Repeat, starting with position three.
Leg Press Toe Raise
Position One - toes in: 5 reps
Position Two - toes forward: 5 reps
Position Three - toes out: 5 reps
Repeat, starting with position three.
Day 5 - Off
Day 6 - Off
Repeat calf routine one day on, two days off, etc. The second routine on should be with heavier weight, two exercises, and only five reps on the three-point movements.
DOMINICAN DIET
Yo, what up, Vic? Hey, I just wanted to know how you diet with all the Dominican food at home? Also, are you natural? I'd love to know if a person can really get big off a good diet and a protein shake here and there. Congrats on the NOC, you're making all us Dominicans proud!
Dominican food is my diet! I eat rice and beans every day, but you should know that I don't eat much fried food at all. Beans are a great source of protein. I'm talking about red and black beans- not refried ones. I also eat a lot of chicken and steak year-round. Since I eat clean all the time, you gotta have the best seasoning ever, and who uses better seasoning than Hispanics? Another way I keep up my protein is by eating a lot of good pollo guisao, a Dominican dish of seasoned, stewed chicken.
Am I natural? I'm just as natural as the chicken you eat. Look, anyone can get big in the bodybuilding world without taking drugs. But you also gotta remember that you can't overtrain when bodybuilding drug-free. However, you still have 400 grams of protein in your diet and that'll give you some good size. The thing is to eat enough each day and train really hard. You won't have a freaky, ridiculous Mr. Olympia look, but you can still be a big motherfucker. It all depends on your determination.
I started out naturally and built a lot of muscle on my own without taking anything other than good food and hard training. The ones that don't start off naturally actually have the disadvantage. You've got to remember that. If you start taking drugs right off the bat, your body will be at a loss in the long run. It won't be able to improve when you do have to train drug free between cycles.
Ronnie Coleman is a good example. He was huge to begin with and even had 21-inch arms in college. When he started to get freaky, it almost looked like it happened overnight. You didn't even see Ronnie in the Olympia lineup and the next thing you know, he's up there taking first place. Even when Ronnie was a kid, he had 21-inch arms, so he's always been big.
The best part of being part of this sport is representing the Dominican community. I hope I make Dominicans proud of me. We do have a lot of ball players, but we don't have many bodybuilders who can represent the entire Dominican nationality. Way before you saw Dominicans in the IFBB mainstream, there were so many different ethnic backgrounds in the sport of bodybuilding: Cubans, African-Americans, Caucasians and Asians. Now, guys will stop by the gym and tell me how proud they are to be Dominican just because I'm representing them in bodybuilding. I think it's awesome! And I also think it's just the beginning of a bigger trend.
HIP FAT LOSS ADVICE
I would like to know what I could use to lose weight that I gained after I had a total hip replacement in 1998. I'm 28 years old, 5-foot-11 and my weight is 240 pounds. Right now, it's difficult for me to do my job as a correctional officer. I have to be in shape to do my job but because of my hip replacement, I can't do cardio. I would like to lose as much weight as I can without losing any muscle and strength. What kind of cycle would you recommend for a guy like me?
Wow, you sure were young to have such major surgery! Congrats on trying to keep yourself in shape.
First off, my advice as far as dieting goes is pretty easy to follow. When I want to drop weight before a contest, I stop eating complex carbs, like potatoes and rice, after 5 p.m. and I switch to vegetables. I consume most of my carbs in the morning, which is a good way to lose more weight. Don't ever go to zero carbs. Stick to a low-carb plan, but don't stop eating carbs completely because you do need some in order to maintain strength. Vary your diet to include low- carb days consisting of one meal with carbs. By low carb, I mean keep your carbs under 100 grams a day and stay between 100 and 150 for moderate carb intake.
You can accelerate the process of losing weight by using a product such Ripped Fuel, or anything with guarana extract in it. Products with this ingredient can actually help you burn extra fat when you work out.
If you eat beef in your current diet, another way to get leaner is to drop the beef and go with leaner meats like turkey and fish. Fish is one of my key meals during the off-season. I like flounder especially. You can make it easier to eat lean meats by using a good seasoning when you cook. My favorites include Adabo, which is a Dominican spice kind of like Mrs. Dash, and Sofrito. Adabo will make any kind of meat, fish, or chicken taste good. Even if you are a terrible cook, add some Adabo and it will disguise any badly cooked food! It's not spicy at all and it won't burn your tongue- it just has a very, very good taste. You can find Adabo in most stores. I usually buy mine in the little bodegas that are all over the Bronx and Brooklyn. I use these spices on everything in my whole diet, up to maybe three days before I do a show.
In my workout, I believe that less rest between sets helps with cardio and also burns more fat. This worked for me at my Nationals victory about three years ago, which was before I even started doing cardio. At that time, I was holding onto a little bit of weight and I needed to get leaner, so I started trying less rest between sets, only about 30 seconds. I still use that method as I get closer to a show.
BANGING BENNIFER
¡Acabo de oír que mi perra preferida Jennifer Lopez se rompió para arriba con ese gatito Ben Affleck! ¡Ésta es grandes noticias! ¿Qué usted piensa de Jennifer, un Latino caliente, ahora estando disponible? ¿Usted la cogería?
[Translated] I just heard Jennifer Lopez, my favorite, broke up with that pussy Ben Affleck! This is great news! What do you think about Jennifer, a hot Latino, now being available? Would you bang her?
Oh man, lemme tell you: No matter what songs she makes, what movies she makes, or how much money she has, she's still Jenny from the Bronx. She's still just a Puerto Rican woman. If J Lo acts like most of the women I know from the Bronx, she's probably pretty tough to handle. Those women love to argue! I don't know if Ben can handle a woman like that. He seems like an easygoing guy.
My friend Audrey Warner designed a suit for J Lo to wear on the cover of Rolling Stone. It was the one with a metal bra and panties, with the sword. Anyway, my friend Audrey said that J Lo is a total bitch!
You know, Big Pun did so much for his people before he died and Fat Joe is doing a lot for his people in the Bronx, too. These are well known Puerto Rican rappers from the Bronx. They've done well and made a little bit of money- not like J Lo- but they've worked hard for their community, trying to make life better for the people. I don't like to talk trash and I don't know J Lo personally. What I do know is that she hasn't done anything at all for the people in the Bronx, and that's why I feel free to talk about her.
MD SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE
Victor Martinez: Road to the Arnold Classic
Journal Entry: Five Months Out
Well, right now we're about four and a half months out from the Arnold. I'm weighing about 265 at the moment and my gains are improving, but I have to work more on my weak points. My calves and lats are getting thicker and I'm working on bringing them up even more. I'd say my chest is definitely improving more than my other areas, though. I'm focusing more on my lower pecs to just get that overall round thickness going from beneath, rather than just from the upper pecs. I'm doing deadlifts so I can get thickness in my back, too. It's important to get even thickness all over, so I don't look narrow from a side view.
I'm training my quads as heavy as I can now. After training them so hard for my last show, my ligaments were all swollen and I've had to come back slow with more intensity and less weight. I've been training with Heather Foster, who turned pro in women's bodybuilding in 2000, the same time as me. Heather's great to work with; she trains pretty hard and really pushes me. I'm still working with Victor Munoz. He has me doing fewer reps, but more powerlifting with different amounts of weight.
Out here in New York, we have this live exercise program on Channel 2 and Channel 7 that I do on Saturday, maybe once a month. It's coming out pretty good. Once I make the gym work, I'm going to open a small lounge- just a bar, not a nightclub. The inner city is a tough place to have a nightclub. You've gotta have the right connections, or they just want to close you down. This is a project that's been in the back of my head for a long time, but I'm ready to get it going. I want it to be a cool meeting place to get a drink, ‘cause I like to drink myself. I had a drink this past Sunday, mango margaritas at a crazy restaurant in Hispanola.
I'm eating clean, but not too clean. I put in enough calories to maintain myself during the off-season and have some extra calories for hanging out time. I'm having to cut back a lot, though. After the Olympia and the Nationals, there were a lot of parties and all those hangouts really did some damage, know what I mean?
Lately I've been catching a lot of movies, including "Matrix Reloaded" and "Terminator III." I'm a big movie fan. "Scarface" is my favorite. I've seen a lot of bootleg movies sold on the streets in New York. These computer geeks will sell you a movie and you can see it before it even comes out. I've been listening to a little music lately, too. I think the last CD I got was the soundtrack from "Last Dance." It's pretty good, if you like old school house. There are a lot of bootleg music CD's on the street too, but I don't buy that shit. I do want to say that I don't recommend or condone bootleg movies.
I've been doing a little traveling, too. I just got back a couple of weeks ago from Ft. Myers, Florida. It was cool; real quiet except for a lot of birds chirping in the morning. That drove me fuckin' nuts.
As I write this, Arnold just won the governor's seat. I think it's great that Arnold is going to be governor of California. This is just huge! Arnold has made it through so many obstacles to get where he is now. He started off with nothing, made himself big in bodybuilding, then in movies and now governor! This is beyond anyone's belief. I think people are going to look at bodybuilders in a whole new way and I think there's going to be a lot more people trying out the sport just because of him.
I've also read about these women who claimed Arnold groped them. C'mon! Some women are just oversensitive- hey, it's Arnold! How come any woman can grope a man, but not the other way around? I mean, I don't know what happened, it might have been a slimy man type of grope, but I think Arnold is too smooth for that. I think it's been exaggerated. What woman wouldn't want Arnold lookin' at them?
I gotta give some shout outs. The first one goes to mi mama Carmen. I also send a shout out to an awesome restaurant on 8th Street named Eva's. At Eva's, you can hook up with everybody who works out and wants to eat healthy. It's not a Dominican restaurant, it's owned by my man, Alex the Greek. Finally, I'm giving a shout out to Cooper and his sister, Dakota, for their inspiration and making me train harder.
Other than that, I'm just getting ready for the Arnold Classic. It's time for me to put my cards out on the table. I think I've got a great chance to win.