Written by Steve Blechman
30 November 2018

18december-md

Next MD Cover: Flex Lewis - Armed & Dangerous

 

Flex Lewis is now hailed as the undisputed greatest 212 bodybuilder of all time, with a physique famous for its shape, symmetry and balance. We’re proud to have Flex on the cover of this month’s MD, as we wrap up 2018 and highlight some of the year’s most notable developments— including Flex capping his career in the 212 division as a winner.

           

Now Flex’s mission is to compete in open bodybuilding, where he will be an even bigger threat. With his spot-on conditioning and symmetrical physique, Flex will be armed and dangerous when he stands next to some of the biggest men in bodybuilding.

           

When Flex began competing as a teenager, he was known as the Welsh kid with the fantastic wheels, but with an upper body that lagged sadly behind. His arms in particular paled in comparison to his legs, and many naysayers wrote him off as another one-body-part wonder who would never even out his musculature and ascend to the pro ranks. In “Locked and Loaded” learn the radical techniques Flex employed to turn a lackluster body part, his arms, into a strong point. His methods took him all the way to seven Olympia titles, so you can be sure they will get your guns growing!

           

2018 was filled with memorable bodybuilding moments. In one of the greatest upsets seen on the Mr. Olympia stage, Shawn Rhoden became the oldest man to ever win the title. James “Flex” Lewis wrapped up his illustrious career in the 212 division with a clear-cut seventh Olympia title, and Jose Raymond retired after 10 seasons as an IFBB pro and winning 10 shows including the Arnold Classic. Ron Harris looks at the “Top 12 Stories of 2018!”

           

It would be nearly impossible to find any great physiques that were built without heavy weights. Still, there are some very good reasons why you should consider taking a break from them for a few weeks and giving lighter loads a chance. Switching things up will lead to new gains in lean muscle tissue, especially if you’ve never trained with higher reps, as we learn in “Light Weight, Baby! Your 6-Week Plan to Pack on Size Without Heavy Weights.”

           

There’s no question that Chris Bumstead is a champion on stage, as a star of the Classic Physique division. In his first year as a pro at only 22 years old, he won two shows and took second at the Olympia. It turns out that Chris Bumstead is also a champion away from bodybuilding, as he managed to persevere against crushing odds to repeat his spot as Olympia runner-up this year, never once revealing to the outside world the ordeals he had been through. Read his story in “Classic Fortitude:Chris Bumstead Triumphs Over Near Tragedy.”

           

Athletes making comebacks are nothing new. Most of the time in bodybuilding, it’s injuries that take them out of the game. In the case of Antoine Vaillant, it was a serious drug addiction that led to him losing his contracts and winding up homeless for a time. In “The Greatest Comeback of 2018! Antoine Vaillant Returned a New Bodybuilder, and a New Man” on Antoine talks openly and honestly about his comeback at this year’s Toronto Pro, his constant vigil against relapse, and his continued plans to be a better bodybuilder as well as a better man.

           

Two-time Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu had more than an incredible physique; he had amazing strength. In one scene in “Pumping Iron,” Franco is shown lifting the back end of a car and swinging it over to the curb.The bodybuilding legend went on to appear in several more films and become a chiropractor, still practicing today at the age of 77. Catch up with Franco in “Franco Columbu: The Strongest Mr. Olympia of All Time Is Still Going Strong!” Also, check out Franco’s new column this month!

 

Muscular Development is your number one source for building muscle, and for the latest research and best science to enable you to train smart and effectively. Our team of physicians, industry experts and research scientists has these reports on improving performance this month:

 

“Hot Sauce: Peppers and Fat Loss”Fat Attack

WTF: the Real Beef on Meat Nutrition Performance

“Muscular Performance Benefits of Caffeine” Supplement Performance

Metformin: Fountain of Youth or Muscle Destroyer?Muscle Growth Update

“Anabolic Research Update” Testosterone

Effect of Rep Tempo on Muscle HypertrophyBodybuilding Science

 

The rest of the book is packed to the binder as usual— making MD your one-stop, most authoritative source for optimizing muscular development with the latest cutting-edge research on training, nutrition, fat loss, performance-enhancing drugs, muscle growth and bodybuilding science— and exclusive information from the industry experts, insiders and bodybuilding legends who make it all happen. See you next month!

 

 

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