The 
cyclical nature of things is very real and no different within the fitness community. One thing that seems to come to the forefront every so often is drama, but it certainly doesn’t have to! It seems anytime there is a mass of people doing one thing that spreads rather fast, many are waiting to combat it without even really looking into it. We must remember that there really aren’t a lot of absolutely brand new things being done; they just may have not been done in great numbers previously or in a while. We must also remember that for something to catch momentum there really must be something to it and that is where we should focus our efforts!
Meet 
the Man in The Shorts Matt Mankoff. Matt is a Men’s Physique competitor via soccer, boxing, mixed martial arts, and paintball! Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I grew up playing competitive club soccer and always had a hard time putting on some size. When they opened up the Men’s Physique Division it opened the doors of bodybuilding to guys like me who were in shape but did not have the genetics to compete against the bigger guys in bodybuilding...
With us today is Patrick
Bilicki. Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I have always been a fan of working out. I was going through a hard time in my life and took out my aggression in the gym and an IFBB Pro bodybuilder saw me and asked me if I was interested in the sport and competing one day. I have never looked back.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you most recently competed?
My most recent show was the USA Championships in Las Vegas in July. It was my first National show and I was third call out in a group of 39 people with 6 call outs...
This 
weekend marks the second to last chance for IFBB Men's Phyisque competitors to earn their way onto The Olympia stage this year. You know it's getting serious when former IFBB bodybuilders start crossing over into MP thinking that perhaps this division is more suited to them. With the addition of these former bodybuilders to the pool of seasoned MP competitors, a total of 21 men took the stage in the Men's Physique division.
The crossover of bodybuilders to MP brings up an interesting question which I have been pondering for well over a year. What if some of the "big" physique competitors crossed over to BB and worked to become the top 212 competitor in the IFBB? Take a moment to imagine it if you will. You would have a shorter stockier mass monster of a man standing next to a Zane'esque or Arnold'like physique on the big stage. Which physique would you choose? Mass or Aesthetics? We may be flirting with the re-evolution of Bodybuilding as we know it. Well enough of my rambling, let's get to the results of the show.
The competition, as expected, was quite stout. When all the dust settled, John Nguyen took 1st place and earned his way to the Olympia while the remainder of the top five earn points toward that same end. As of now, only the Top 3 have been announced.
The Top 3
1st John Nguyen 
2nd Stephen Mass
3rd Vincent Fiore
For complete results as they become available and competitor pictures click the following link: http://gallery.rxmuscle.com/index.php?contest=58&year=857
A 
question I get asked quite often is whether to use lifting straps or not. Depending on your goals the answer will be different. So let's look at two separate goals someone might have in the gym. The first individual's goal is to build as much strength a possible in all aspects of his training. You could even call this individual a power lifter.
The advantage of using straps for this individual is that he will be able to grip the weight better and lift more weight...
"The Man in The Shorts" 
today is Sedric Patterson. Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I love to work out and I kept being asked if I competed in shows and after talking to a few competitors and friends I decided I might as well try it out and ended up loving it.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you most recently competed?
I just competed in the Tokyo Joe’s Colorado State. I met a lot of great competitors and picked up a few pointers from some of the veteran competitors. It was a great learning experience.
Twenty IFBB MP Pro's are currently signed up to compete this weekend at the Europa. The showdown takes place in Dallas, Texas and is the second to last chance to qualify for The Olympia. This is going to be quite a shootout.
Have
you ever heard someone say that their pecs were too big? Of course not! I don’t think those words have ever been uttered aloud by anyone in the history of weight training. Everyone who is anyone desires a nicely developed chest, right?
If you tell anyone that you train, what is the first question that they typically ask you? You guessed it, “How much do you bench?” This is an age old question that will probably be asked for the rest of time. I have another question for you. What piece of equipment comes standard in most home gym systems? A bench, of course.
A 
total of 24 Men's Physique Pro's took the stage in Tampa this weekend. Per usual the competition was quite stiff. The guys were bringing their "A Game" with only a few more chances to earn a place on The Olympia stage. Tory Woodward walked away with the automatic qualification by earning first place. Collecting points in the Olympia race were Jeff Seid, Steve Mousharbash, William "The Breadman" Sullivan and Craig Capurso.
The Top 5
1. Tory Woodward
2. Jeff Seid
3. Steve Mousharbash
4. William Sullivan
5. Craig Capurso
To see pictures of all of the athletes click the following link: http://gallery.rxmuscle.com/index.php?contest=54
At this point, only two chances remain for the MP Pro's to find their way onto The Olympia stage. You can be sure the last two qualifying shows before "The O" will be stacked to the max.
There
have been many occasions in which I have heard a freshly nationally ranked NPC competitor declare that he or she will hit the national stage and easily snap up an IFBB Pro Card. While I applaud the competitor’s enthusiasm and drive, I cannot help but snicker to myself when I hear such a statement. Honestly, if it were that easy to earn a Pro Card, there would be Pros populating the country in droves. Alas, there are only a finite number of Pro Cards given out each year, and the competition for them is fierce.
In
last month’s article I discussed the often forgotten anterior calf muscles and the way they can be trained in order to enhance your overall calf development. This month I am going to take a look at the posterior calf muscles, how to isolate them and then will show you an example calf workout that will help you maximize growth potential for this most stubborn of body parts!
Research
shows that interval training, or alternating short bursts of energy with brief resting periods, can improve muscle and build endurance more quickly than traditional exercise.
Sprint. Run as fast and as far as you can for 20 seconds, then slow to a walk until you catch your breath. Repeat for 10 minutes.
Set a treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike for interval training. Most modern exercise equipment can be set to an interval training mode, which significantly increases the difficulty of the exercise for short periods of time.
Take quick walks. Fit some exercise into your work day and take 5-minute power walks. Take long strides and keep a brisk pace, or try going up and down stairs.
Whenever
I’m asked the question, “Do you lifts weights?” I will usually answer with “Well, sort of.” While it is true that weights are the primary tools used in my workout program, I don’t just “Lift things up and put them down!” Rather I am interested in using resistance for the purpose of stimulating my muscles.
Unfortunately, it seems that too often people go to the gym with the goal of improving their physique but what they really end up doing is carelessly pushing weights around. They seem to have no connection at all to the muscle contractions involved in the exercises they are performing. However, for me, training is all about the mind-muscle connection.
"Your
past doesn’t have to be your future!" -Francisco Colon
Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
What made me start competing was actually the pain of losing a dream. I was a National Team/ and Collegiate soccer player with the intentions of turning pro. Unexpected and horrific injuries soon followed. I had fallen into what thousands of athletes suffer from and that’s that loss of self-identity.
I fell into a depressive state when I knew my dreams and goals were over. I was always active in the weight room and ever since Men’s Physique was created, I was contemplating giving it a try. In the beginning I didn’t have the will to do so. After time had passed I convinced myself to give it a try.
Sure enough even though I didn’t place top 5 in my first show, I felt that feeling I had before. I could become something or someone in this sport. I could rebuild an image that was tainted, and create a new identity, new goals, and a new dream.
The pain from my past was a shadow of the pleasure I now receive from competing in this Men’s Physique division and the NPC.
More than 
170 MP Competitors took the stage at the USA's this year in Vegas with their eye on earning an IFBB Pro card. Keep in mind that there are no Masters classes at the USA's, only Open. This means that there are a ton of guys to be spread over six heigth classes and only one age class. When it was all said and done, 12 men placed well enough to earn their cards.
Overall
Xavisus Gayden
Congrats
on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
Well, it started a few years ago in the gym when a few fellow gym mates told me I should compete. I was always like, no, maybe next year. Well, this year I was walking up the stairs at my gym and saw some guys in the aerobics room. I thought to myself, “What’s this all about?” As I approached the room it was a group of guys posing for their up and coming competition. I was then told by another spectator that I should compete. At this point I thought “Why not?” So then I finally competed for my first time at the Colorado Northern Show where I won Overall in Novice and Open.
With 
us today is Cory Johnson. Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and after I graduated from high school in 2009 I started working out hard for hockey. I grew to love the time in the gym almost as much as I loved playing hockey and after seeing some results, I was there lifting hard every day.
I had always known about bodybuilding and just recently found out about Men’s Physique, but it never really crossed my mind to compete until I met my trainer Adam Bonilla. We talked about some things and I pretty much just decided to make the jump and do a show!
I’ve.JPG)
been involved in athletics and competition ever since high school, so I wanted to continue that athletic mindset after I graduated from college. I ran track in high school and in collegiate competitions, but there was no way I'd ever be fast enough to line up against Usain Bolt! Fortunately, I graduated into being a full-time gym-rat and personal trainer. And after being surrounded by various Men’s Physique Division competitors and bodybuilders it was only a matter of time before I made the choice to compete.
Be aware, if you're seriously intrigued with the idea of competing in Men’s Physique then you should give it serious consideration. Personal relationships can suffer. Your friends might not understand why you can't join them for pizza and beer. Unless your significant other is vested in the fitness lifestyle as well, you could very well come to blows when carbs are cut and cardio is high...
Congrats
on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I felt that my body type fit best with Men’s Physique. I like to challenge myself to be the best I can be.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you most recently competed?
I competed at Team Universe in New Jersey in the Men’s Physique Division.
How did you feel after pre-judging?
I felt very excited being called out in the top 5. I felt that I brought in my best physique...
Congrats 
on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
As crazy as it may sound, I never thought about competing in the NPC until I was repeatedly asked by gym-goers, “Do you compete?” Prior to my first NPC show, the March 10, 2013 Denver Open, I had never competed, and never given much thought to competing. It was only after doing research online, finding out about the NPC, in particular the Men’s Physique Division, in which I wanted to compete. So, at my first show, I took first place and overall that night. I took home 5 awards and I would consider that deciding to compete was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you just competed?
I just recently competed in the NPC Steel City Championship in Pueblo, Colorado. It was an amazing show! I took 1st place in Men Physique, Class C Open as well as 1st place overall in Men’s Physique Open. I also recently competed at Team U in NJ...
The
Masters Nationals experienced an incredible turnout. The IFBB awarded a high number of MP PRO cards (19) at this show, making many of these men's dreams come true. To earn a card at this show one had to pull off a first or second place in their respective height & age category. Nearly 70 Men's Physique men stepped on stage in the 35+ age group alone, while more than 50 stepped up in the 40+ groups. Following are your pro card winners and complete results, but first a quick word from one of the IFBB Pro's on site:
"Masters Men's Physique is no longer "old dudes in board shorts." I was thrilled to return to the event where my pro career began. But, I was not prepared to see how well conditioned, poised and charismatic the field of Masters MP came in this year. Not only have the competitors matured, but so has the division as a whole, which was reflected in the all around professionalism of the competitors and the focused energy they brought to Pittsburgh. Well done!"
-Michael Anderson
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