Flex_USA_JulyAugust_2017_2

I MUST ADMIT, THIS DID
GIVE ME AN EXCELLENT
FOUNDATION FOR MY
EARLY DAYS IN THE GYM,
since I was already well-versed
in all the basic exercises,
proper form, and how to design
an effective workout. As the
years went by, however, and my
interest in lifting went from
simply “getting big” to building
a competition-level physique,
I began to ponder whether
or not I was missing something.
I would find myself looking
around the gym—at the barbells,
dumbbells, machines, cables,
and benches—conceptualizing
entirely new movements or
mentally creating unique tweaks
on the basics that I and everyone
else were performing daily. The
more profound my mind/muscle
connection became, the
more I began to understand
the need to expand my
exercise vocabulary so that I
could more completely exhaust
every fiber within a muscle.
At this point I was not only
training myself for higher levels
of bodybuilding competition but
also beginning to coach dozens
of others. The gym had become
my laboratory, and every day
was spent experimenting with
novel ways to train each muscle.
I would invent new exercises,
try varying angles of push/pull,
and often use machines to hit
body parts they were not even
intended for!
This practice (or more like
obsession) has continued to
this very day and eventually led
to one of my best clients giving
me the nickname “Merlin,” for
what he claims is my “nearmagical
ability” to transform
physiques and lagging muscles.
As I walk around the Mecca of
bodybuilding, aka Gold’s Gym in
Venice, CA, I am proud to see
members utilizing exercises
that I pioneered and introduced
via my articles or videos. As a
coach, there are few things
more satisfying than having a
fellow lifter come up to me and
say, “Thank you for showing
me those ‘Merlin’ triceps pushouts!
My arms have never been
this sore!”
Did someone mention triceps?
Well, I did promise to provide
some unique goodies to add to
your training arsenal! Let’s
unwrap a few that will be sure
to add some major thickness to
the backs of your arms.
GROOMING BY KELLIE KECK FOR ZENOBIA
168 FLEX | JULY/AUG ’17
SHOT ON LOCATION AT METRO FITNESS NORTH, WORTHINGTON WOODS, OH