Written by Steve Blechman
27 January 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editor’s Letter

By Steve Blechman

 

The Rise of Big Luke Sandoe

 

Luke Sandoe has that rare blend of ideal structure, plenty of mass, and pleasing shape that simply doesn’t come around too often. At 5-foot-8 and a full, crisp 272 pounds, Luke was one of the fastest-rising stars in bodybuilding last year, which was highlighted with a jaw-dropping showing at the Arnold Classic where he placed third behind Brandon Curry and William Bonac. Luke has some of the greatest potential we’ve seen in years; the Arnold Classic and even Mr. Olympia top six are certainly going to be within reach of this Redcon1 athlete, which is why he’s on the cover of this month’s MD.

 

The 2019 Olympia didn’t go as planned for Luke Sandoe. While most bodybuilders might not share their entire story as to why they didn’t meet their goals, Luke is no ordinary bodybuilder. In “Rise of the Juggernaut!The U.K.’s Luke Sandoe Has Big Plans for 2020,” he opens up about how his home life impacted his bodybuilding, and goes into detail about his brutally heavy training style and why it works best for him. Looking forward, Luke tells MD: “I feel like I found sixth gear in 2019, and I’m ready to go into seventh gear now. I have zero excuses to fail, and I will not.”

 

Ever since Steve Kuclo turned pro in 2011, he’s been man on a mission who has worked hard to add needed mass and balance out that big diamond in the rough physique. Steve turned pro at 255 pounds, and now brings 285 pounds of grainy, striated muscle to the stage, with far more muscle in his pecs and lats— and he has cracked the top five at the Arnold and top six at the Mr. Olympia. As Steve Kuclo begins his prep for the 2020 Arnold Classic, The Kingsnake and Allmax Nutrition athlete is finally in a position where people are talking about him as a favorite to win. Read more in “Steve Kuclo: The Kingsnake Will Strike at the Arnold Classic!”

 

Until Dorian Yates came along and started winning Mr. Olympia titles, bodybuilders trained each muscle group twice per week. When Dorian made recovery and overtraining household terms for serious trainers, that frequency dropped to once a week for most. Recently, PPL or Push/Pull//Legs has enjoyed a new resurgence in popularity. PPL is an excellent system for consolidating muscle groups of similar function in a way that allows for more chances to make gains. Used properly, it can deliver dramatic results. MD’s Ron Harris explains in “PPL on the Rise!Is Push/Pull/Legs the Ultimate Training Routine for Mass Gains?”

 

Though several men have been dubbed “The World’s Strongest Bodybuilder,” Johnnie Jackson could back that up by pulling 832 pounds at the 2012 Raw Unity Deadlift contest, at the age of 40. His workouts with fellow pro Branch Warren became the stuff of legend, studies in crushing power and blinding intensity. But in 2017, after adding two more wins to his résumé, Johnnie called it quits after a staggering 82 pro shows and 13 appearances at the Mr. Olympia. But as 2019 wound to an end, we learned that this Mutant athlete decided he wasn’t done just yet. Learn more in “The Mutant Returns! Johnnie Jackson Isn’t Retired Just Yet.”

 

Arash Rahbar had a stunning rookie year in 2016 in which he won his first two pro shows and then took the runner-up spot at the first Classic Physique Olympia to Danny Hester, but his career has had its share of ups and downs. In 2018 Arash won the premiere edition of the Legion Sports Fest, earning a qualification for the 2020 Olympia. The Dymatize athlete talks about his plan to be more competitive moving forward in “Arash Rahbar: Pushing Hard! After a Post-Olympia Win, He’s Determined to Climb Back Up the Ranks at the Olympia.”

 

It was only March 2018 that Kamal Elgargni made his 212 pro debut at age 46 and shocked many by winning the Arnold Classic, beating A-listers such as Jose Raymond, Dave Henry and Charles Dixon. Kamal has had one of the more unusual career paths of any IFBB pro competing today, winning overalls in shows that the shorter, lighter guys just never normally win. Read his story of facing and overcoming challenges in “Going Out the Champ,” an exclusive interview with the current 212 Olympia Champion Kamal Elgargni.

           

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:

           

Exercise and Growth Hormone Release”Fat Attack

Get Hard as Nails: Best Sexual Performance Nutrients Supplement Performance

“Beta-Alanine: the Muscle Buffer for High-Intensity Training” Nutrition Performance

Train Big Muscles to Get Strong MusclesMuscle Growth Update

Pumping Up to Get Hard: Does Viagra Boost Testosterone and Athletic Performance?Testosterone

           

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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