2011 IFBB "FLEX" Pro show - 1st show of the 2011 bodybuilding season

[tkD]

Hey I know this is a bit off topic, but I heard that Phil isn't doing the Arnold this year. Can anyone confirm this?

Not confirmed yet. But imo, I think he will skip it, which for the fans it will suck.

 

[nigster]

Judging by that one pic only, it seems to me, that Fouad has made some good gains.

 

[mvsf1]

Oh man, I must admit I'm very impressed by Fouad's transformation over this past year. He looks HUGE

 

[dilatedmuscle]

wtf fouad looks crazy

 

[BigBen]

lol i didnt know people still ate white rice.

 

[PistolPete]

lol i didnt know people still ate white rice.

Dude, Ive been thinking the same thing for a while! I keep seeing white rice in a lot of IFBB pros diets, and I just scratch my head. I've seen it in a lot of offseason diets, but I think thats because so many of these guys need such a large amount of carbs to say full/fuel their workouts that they turn to a very easily digestible carb source.

It's crazy that pros dieting for a show still turn to such a high GI carb. I realize the rate of absorbtion is slower having eaten the white rice with a protein and fat source (fish and avacado in this case), but whatever happened to good old fiber?? There's just about NONE there!

I wish I had a crazy amount of muscle that I could eat copious amount of white rice and still get shredded! lol

 

[BigBen]

ahahahah j grab a vial of insulin like these guys are doing. lol I cant honestly say that for sure but yea i agree with what yr saying.

 

[mvsf1]

lol i didnt know people still ate white rice.

I do, I hate the taste of brown rice. Anyway, I eat it with a good amount of chicken breast one hour prior to my training session and believe me, it's better than any intra-workout product.

 

[dilatedmuscle]

the smell of brown rice takes my appetite away... but when i wanna eat carbs i usually eat oatmeal or potatoes.

 

[nigster]

Update from Ben Pakulski:

Here we sit, just less than 11 weeks from the FLEX Pro. My first blog entry leading into the show, so an update as to what has gone on leading up to this point is in order.

I am currently living in the LA area and train 6 days a week in Gold’s Venice with Charles Glass. It is definitely a lot of change from my normal style of training and normal routine. Every year to this point, I have done my prep in the familiarity of my hometown of Toronto. Bodybuilding and anything in life is about learning so we will see how everything turns out in the end.

I know that I’m very focused, working hard, and definitely much bigger than I have ever been. I am in better condition and my waist is smaller than I had going into the show last year in NY (2010 NY Pro). My goal for this year is to be better; more complete and balanced. Not just the typical “bigger” that most guys strive for. Many of you know that I have always been an advocate of high volume training, but Charles Glass, does not share my belief. My volume has been greatly diminished and weights are staying much heavier. Maybe, that is what I can attribute being 310lbs and this lean at this point in my prep. Time will tell. I’m not typically one to throw around numbers so I will not get into that here. I’m looking to bring an improved V taper and largely improved overall package to the stage Feb 19.

I look forward to competing with whoever may show up at the show. I hope everyone is working hard. It’s going to be a great year!

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute or an hour or a day or a year, but eventually it will subside and something will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever” Lance Armstrong.

Ben Pakulski

No recent pictures.

 

[tkD]

December 13, 2010

10 Weeks Out and Getting Stronger!

It?s 10 weeks out from the first contest of the 2011 season, the FLEX Pro!! This has been the best week of training yet. Every workout was pushing new limits. My strength continues to go up, and Charles Glass and I are really seeing eye to eye on every aspect of every workout. Loving it!

I am particularly seeing great benefits in my bicep training and my overall back development. The man is truly the master when it comes to finding what needs to be corrected and finding the right exercises and angles to do it.

The one thing I enjoyed about this week was the meshing together of the ?Glass Style? workouts and the ?Pak Style? workouts. Nothing is more rewarding to me than leaving that gym knowing that I got my ass kicked and am primed for growth!

Current training split:
Day 1- am: back
pm: hamstrings
Day 2- am: Chest
pm : Biceps
Day 3- Quads
Day 4- Shoulders
Day 5- Back (and hamstrings at night every other week)
Day 6-Arms

Depending on the week, I may do 6 days in a row. Some weeks I may take a day off in the middle (after legs), depending on how I feel. If I do take the day off mid week, arms would then come after the off day and shoulders get pushed back.

That?s it for now, time to eat and grow!

Ben Pakulski

 

[tkD]

Fouad's updates

December 14, 2010


Mental Changes During the Diet

Most of you who have followed my personal blog already know I can get kind of crazy when getting ready for a show. I tend to do things like impulsively buy things and obsessive compulsive things like sitting in the same place when eating or watching the same shows day in and day out. We all settle into these little crazy patterns when we're getting ready for a show and to top it off this year I get to do it in the Canadian cold...aaahhhh, I love it!! Nothing makes you feel more like a warrior than getting your ass out of bed when your freezing cold, going outside bundled up in a beanie and gloves and cleaning off your car covered in snow, just so you can get your ass in the gym and feel even more pain! Most of you know I'm a little bit of a car nut and my Mustang is my baby, but it had to be put away at the first sign of cold, so I got the Jeep out and 4X4 is a wonderful thing when the roads are covered in ice and snow. It adds to my feeling of, nothing can stop me from getting to the gym and bringing the best my physique has to offer!

So on the physical side of things, my physique is coming along just the way Hany and I have things planned out. This morning I was sitting at a lean 269lbs and looking the best I ever have at this weight. Mentally though, I think my mind is starting to take me for a ride. I can't sleep anymore, can't eat my food during commercials and find myself buying my girlfriend food just so I can watch her eat it. How’s that for messed up? I've even started “cruising” the grocery store isles looking at food and I'm not even ten weeks out yet. There is something about being ahead of the game with your conditioning and cruising into the show that makes dieting harder. For me, it’s easier to feel the pressure of needing to get ready, but either way I will be shredded on Feb 19th!

As most of you saw, my upper body has gotten much thicker and I have been killing the legs forcing them to grow and catch up to my upper body. My goal when I started bodybuilding was not to have a few eye catching body parts, but more to have a complete physique from head to toe. I feel like I am close to my goal; a little more size in the calves and a little more size in the arms and I will be able to feel complete as a bodybuilder. Then I can let the judges do what they do. Here is a leg workout from yesterday, give it a shot!

1. Lying Leg Curls: 7 sets / 20 - 8 Reps (pyramid the reps down as the weight increases, try to
make your hams do all work for you even the light ones)
2. Leg Press: 5 sets / 20 Reps (very wide stance, feet low on the pad, increase weight on each set)
3. Hack Squat: 4 sets / 15-20 Reps (feet about 2" apart, increase weight on each set)
4. Single Leg Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4 sets / 10-12 Reps (use a heavy DB for this)
5. Single Leg Leg Press: 4 sets / 20 Reps (foot high and wide to hit adductors, quads and hamstring)

Some of you may not call this “'hardcore,” but if you see my legs you'll see that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

 

[mvsf1]

^^ Man, he looks great.

 

[tkD]

5 Questions with Ben White

December 15, 2010

FLEXONLINE.COM

IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and 2010 Tampa Pro winner Ben White took some time out of his preparation for the Flex Pro for a quick interview. With 10 weeks to go, Ben is dieting hard and looking for his second pro victory. FLEXONLINE will be checking in with Ben all the way up to the show: Look for some more interviews and even some training videos!

When The Showstopper gets going, five questions is far from enough, so we added five more for fun.

FLEX: What are your predictions for the Flex Pro?
Ben: My prediction is that I am going to win the Flex Pro. I?ve improved my legs, shoulders, chest, calves?actually my whole physique is new and improved! I expect to be between 245 and 250, bigger and harder than ever before.

FLEX: What has powerlifting done for you as a bodybuilder?
Ben: Power lifting gives me the size and strength I need to be a great bodybuilder.

FLEX: Why are you the ?Showstopper??
Ben: In power lifting meets I was always the last to lift and close the show?just like I will do at the Flex Pro in February.

FLEX: I?ve seen you as big as 280 and still showing some nice cuts?what does the Showstopper eat to put on that size?
Ben: A lot of steak. Steak, more steak and rice along with tons of sleep. I also can?t forget my golden tea.

FLEX: Can Ben White be Mr. Olympia?
Ben: HELL YES! Why not?



5 More Questions with Ben White (the uncensored version)


FLEX: Boxers, briefs, or commando and why?
Ben: Boxers, so my buds can breath

FLEX: Figure, fitness, bikini, or female bodybuilding?.whats your taste?
Ben: Any one of them?I like ?;em all.

FLEX: Is it true you can?t read?
Ben: I can read, just not to good with Canadian contracts

FLEX: What is the craziest offseason meal you?ve had recently?
Ben: 16 patties,32 slices of cheese on a bun with a lunch bag of fries

FLEX: What do you have to say to all the internet haters that have been riding you since you turned pro?
Ben: Make sure they keep saying BEN WHITE, I am always on their minds!

 

[mvsf1]

I don't like his attitude. He's a dick, and he has not the kind of phisique that allows being a dick.

 

[HeavyWeight_86]

I onestly don't see Dexter really joining this one. He's already qualified for the Olympia, and will probably also do the Arnold as usual, it has no point for him to do this show, Kai on the other hand might want to qualify early and sits out from the Arnold to nail it at the O, considering he's not able to peak more than once a year as he showed in both 2009 and 2010, but considering the progress Fouad is making, and how he's looking atm, I believe Kai would need to be in shape to take it home. Fouad has been very overlooked, and got robbed in both tampa and europa shows in 2009 at the behest of Dennis "pregnant gut" James, while he was the clear winner, full and conditioned. Hopefully the judges now will not blow him out now that he's a weider athlete, even tough the sponsorship you have shouldn't count, unfortunately it does, especially in this sport. Pakulski here is a wildcard, NY Pro 2010 he looked great, improved a lot in less than a year, but he has issues controlling the gut, and can't pose well, and still has to fix a bit his weak spots, wile Fouad's more balanced and complete.

 

[dilatedmuscle]

I onestly don't see Dexter really joining this one. He's already qualified for the Olympia, and will probably also do the Arnold as usual, it has no point for him to do this show, Kai on the other hand might want to qualify early and sits out from the Arnold to nail it at the O, considering he's not able to peak more than once a year as he showed in both 2009 and 2010, but considering the progress Fouad is making, and how he's looking atm, I believe Kai would need to be in shape to take it home. Fouad has been very overlooked, and got robbed in both tampa and europa shows in 2009 at the behest of Dennis "pregnant gut" James, while he was the clear winner, full and conditioned. Hopefully the judges now will not blow him out now that he's a weider athlete, even tough the sponsorship you have shouldn't count, unfortunately it does, especially in this sport. Pakulski here is a wildcard, NY Pro 2010 he looked great, improved a lot in less than a year, but he has issues controlling the gut, and can't pose well, and still has to fix a bit his weak spots, wile Fouad's more balanced and complete.

Dexter is a Weider athlete, its a Weider show. Its Flex magazines first self titled show, its not far fetched for them to shed out some money to their top athletes for big names and more hype to their first show.

 

[tkD]

Updates!

December 18, 2010

New Therapy to Stay Healthy

New Therapy

As most of you know that have followed my career or my personal blog, I am big into finding new therapies that can keep my body healthy and growing smoothly. About seven or eight months ago I started deadlifting (for the first time in my career). Each week I deadlift and when the legs are feeling good I also squat, as do most bodybuilders. Both these movements, along with a host of others that we perform, constantly are compressing our spines. This can lead to bulged discs, pinched nerves and many other issues, so I decided to do something about it.

Keep in mind this could be just part of my impulsive dieting attitude that comes to me every time I diet, but I'd like to think it?s because I was looking out for my health. About three weeks ago I was at Costco just wandering the isles (cuz I love that place!) and looking for things to buy. Ok, I confess, I was also looking at all the prepared foods and wondering if I could somehow convince Hany to work them into my diet. Anyway, after realizing there was no way in hell that was going to happen I moved on to sporting goods (don't worry, I already went through electronics..lol, I never miss it). In the sporting goods section I noticed they had an inversion table (allows you to hang upside down) and I realized this could really help me long-term.

I was able to control myself and not buy the thing but I did go home and for the next week I researched inversion tables and their benefits. Since our spines are constantly being compressed the only way to fully decompress the spine is actually to hang upside down, taking all the pressure off your spine. This actually stretches out the spine and allows more blood flow and better hydration to the discs and muscles around the spine.

Since I have had some lower back issues I decided this was the way I wanted to go. After speaking to Alvin Brown (Therapist in Pickering, Ontario) and Dave Cowie (Therapist in Windsor, Ontario) and both telling me they work well in conjunction with other therapies, I bought it. That was the fun part because after I got home and took the box out of the trunk I realized, I have to put this thing together! Not only did that bother me because I hate putting things together, but it also bothered me because when completed I was actually going to have to get in and hang upside down in it! I don't know if I trust my building abilities that much.

Regardless, I put it together and it went relatively smoothly. I did actually get in and hang all the way upside down to try it and all is well. As ordered by Alvin and Dave I was to begin on a slight incline and only for a few minutes a day. I am in my first week and am already noticing my back feels looser and not so stiff, especially in the morning when I wake up. Who knows maybe enough time upside down will make me taller??...lol.

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

 

[tkD]

December 17, 2010

Heading Home for the Holidays

I’m gearing up to head home for the holidays. Most of my family and friends think I’m nuts to leave California where it has been averaging about 75degrees for Toronto where it has been averaging -10Celcius (about 14degreesF). I’m never one to do something without seriously mulling it over and weighing all my options first.
Going home has a few tremendous benefits for me and I will share them here in my blog as it all happens.

I know I will be able to train hard, eat perfectly, and rest optimally. I will come back to California 6 weeks out with an even greater appreciation for the life that I am blessed to lead here as a pro bodybuilder.

I smashed a killer leg workout yesterday with Charles and his assistant trainer Paul. This one was the best leg workout we’ve had together and I was definitely fighting off losing my lunch on more than a few occasions. The best part of this leg workout for me, was having Chris Cormier in my ear telling my to give it all and make sure each rep was a good rep. Chris has been one of the guys I looked up to since I started the sport and I really appreciate him getting in my ear and evening stopping his workout to offer me a spot.

I do my best everyday in Golds Venice to make every attempt to help as many people as possible and bring back the camaraderie that once existed in the sport. So huge thanks to Chris for recognizing my tremendous desire and offering any type of motivation or assistance. Coming from him, it means a lot to me (and you can be damn sure I won’t be stopping any set short).

Here is the leg work out:

Leg press: 5 set of 15, 12,12,10, 8
Hack squat: 5 sets 20, 17, 15,12, 6 then 4 drops (descending set)
Vertical leg press (pushing with toes): 5sets 20, 17, 15, 10, 10 then 3 drops.
Walking lunges: 4 sets to failure
Leg Ext- I about 8-10 sets. Never count, just go until I’m cooked.

Train Hard,
Ben Pakulski

 

[Anabolicus]

Ben: My prediction is that I am going to win the Flex Pro.

The most delusioned pro in IFBB.