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November 2011JAYS PEC-TACULAR PLAN
BY GREG MERRITT // PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN HORTON
In some ways, Jay Cutler looks like the prototypical Mr. Olympia: ultrawide, gargantuan-muscled, lantern-jawed — a supersized superhero. But in at least one way he doesn’t fit in. Unlike multiple-Sandow winners Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman, he’s never been celebrated for his pec development. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Chest has been Cutler’s weakest bodypart, as it tended to flatten out on contest days. Of course, “weakest” is relative when discussing the winner of four Sandows, but Cutler is a perfectionist, always striving to eliminate even the smallest deficiencies. In the run-up to the Olympia, he kept chest at the top of his priority list and, like the legends who preceded him, left no detail to chance.
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TRAINING DAY: FLEX LEWIS
BY SEAN ANDROS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAVEL YTHJALL
Sometimes you have to look back before you can move forwards. So when IFBB pro Flex Lewis put together his blueprint for a bigger back, he reflected on the workouts of Olympia greats like Lee Haney, Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman. Each of these men had one thing in common: huge backs built with basic, old-school exercises and a relentless, hardcore attitude.
For Lewis, despite his early success onstage, his back was considered a weakness, and he knew it had to be thicker and wider once he faced competitors the calibre of David Henry and Kevin English. Lewis decided not to compete in 2010 with the sole purpose of growing. He put together workouts just like his predecessors had done. Then he went one step further.
Lewis took all the old-school moves and applied his own innovation to make them more effective. The result was put on display at the 2011 British Grand Prix, where the new and improved Flex Lewis dominated the 202 division. When he turned his back to the crowd, as Coleman would say, it was “Lights out!”
Don't miss this month's issue for the full story.
HARD CANDY
BY SEAN ANDROS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAVEL YTHJALL
HEATHER DEES WALKS INTO THE GYM WITH A SWEET SMILE AND A WARM HELLO. She seems like the kind of girl you could take home to Mum, but at first glance you wonder — is she hardcore enough for FLEX?
Minutes into our photo shoot, she wraps her hands around a 70-pound dumbbell and bangs out three sets of 10 reps of one-arm rows with ease, and the answer comes back a resounding yes.
Three years ago, a FLEX photo shoot featuring Pauline Nordin inspired Dees to get ready for her inaugural figure competition. Inspiration turned to effort; effort to dedication; dedication to success. Now her fellow competitors would be wise not to underestimate that sweet smile and warm hello.
Don't miss this month's issue for the full story.
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