Written by Steve Blechman
20 July 2015

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Next MD Cover: Dallas McCarver with Paige Hathaway

 

 

Perfect timing is something that every bodybuilder strives for, and nobody knows this better than Dallas McCarver. In the last few years he has become a growing threat, putting on size while keeping his streamlined shape and classic V-taper. Dallas became the youngest man in history of the NPC to win an overall National title when he was crowned the 2012 Super Heavyweight and Overall IFFB North American champion at just 21 years old. He has made an impact in the industry at a time when size, condition and proportion are increasingly being rewarded, drawing attention to physiques that flow effortlessly, without hitting a speed bump of a big gut.

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I first heard about Dallas McCarver through Ed Connors, one of the founders of Gold’s Gym. Dallas began weight training in high school to help with his strength and conditioning for the football team. He also played football at Bethel University where he played fullback, and then pulling guard when he got so big. Dallas majored in psychology, so he was a man who could exercise his mind to build his muscle.

 When I saw some photos of Dallas a few years ago, I called him and asked him what his plans were. He told me he was going into the 2012 IFBB North American Championships, being held on Labor Day weekend. I told Dallas that he was going to win the North Americans before he went in. Dallas told me I was crazy.

 Weighing 241 pound, Dallas won the North Americans and turned pro. One month later in September 2012, I brought Dallas to Muscular Development and signed him to a contract as a sponsored athlete. I saw great potential in Dallas: he was only 21, and at 6’1” he had a great frame and structure. He just needed to fill out. Amazingly, he had only been competing for a year. In this month’s issue you will learn about Dallas McCarver’s evolution as a bodybuilder, and get his shoulder, back and abdominal training routine in “The Ultimate V’Taper Workout.”

 When I first spoke to Dallas, I told him it was important to keep his gifted V-taper, with wide shoulders and small waist. I told him not to grow too quickly, that he should put on size all over, except his waistline. And I told him to beware of excessive growth hormone and insulin, which can cause acromegaly of the gut (swelling and growth of soft tissue and organs), abdominal hypertrophy and fat storage. I advised Dallas to keep his midsection small, and that more isn’t always better as far as pharmaceuticals.

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This past May 23, Dallas made his pro debut at the California Pro and won the show at 265 pounds. Dallas won convincingly, at over 20 pounds heavier than the North Americans. Winning his pro debut, Dallas displayed great condition, improved quads, back, legs (not easy for a tall bodybuilder) and overall thickness. Even with the added weight and improved condition, Dallas’ waist was an inch smaller than it was when he won the North Americans. His plan now is enter the Mr. Olympia, for which he’s already qualified. It doesn’t matter how he places; Dallas is doing it for the experience, something that would benefit him more than taking time off from competing. His goals are to be the best bodybuilder he can possibly be; to come in with the same condition or better than the California Pro but a little fuller, especially in his upper body, and keep his V-taper.

 Is Dallas McCarver the shape of things to come, and the future of bodybuilding? I hope so; it would be good for the sport. Dallas is keeping the classic V-taper physique alive – he’s tall, has wide shoulders, flaring quads and a tiny waist. He certainly has a great future ahead of him. He’s got youth on his side, and he could still carry another 30 pounds of muscle on top of his pro debut weight. If Dallas keeps going it’s hard to believe what he can look like by age 30. He is definitely capable of being Mr. Olympia one day. Most importantly Dallas McCarver has a great mindset: the vision, passion, drive and hard work ethic that has built champions for generations.

 Being the king of New York doesn’t come easy. This month the New York Pro Champion gives us the lowdown in “Juan Morel” My 14 Most Productive Lifts! Get Growing with the 2015 New York Pro Champ.”

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Maxx Charles has been blasted by critics ranging from exercise experts to anonymous teenage trolls for his rep style. The training certainly works for him, and it could pump your pectoral also, as he relates in “Pump Your Chest to the Maxx! With the Haitian Sensation, Maxx Charles.”

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Tipped as bodybuilding’s next “big thing” in 2004, Alex Fedorov is in the midst of a remarkable and inspiring comeback. Included this month is Peter McGough’s interview in “Fedorov Returns.”

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The Men’s Physique Division represents an entirely new kind of bodybuilder. Are streamlined physiques where the sport is going and should other bodybuilders feel threatened? Dan Solomon looks at the evolving scenario in “The Future of Bodybuilding?”

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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:

 Fatt Attack – “Better Abs, Better Sex: a Scientific Approach.”

Nutrition Performance – “Capsaicin: Boosts Metabolic Rate and Testosterone While Dieting.”

Supplement Performance – “Omega-3 Update.”

Muscle Growth Update – “Increase Muscle Mass with Lactate!”

The M.A.X. Muscle Plan – “Split vs. Full-Body Routines: Which Is Best for Maximal Muscle Growth?”

Testosterone – “Testosterone and Sexual Performance.”

 Bodybuilding Science – “Rep Out for Strength.”

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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