musclemag arnold classic 2013 digital special issue

2013 arnold classic

more

Dexter Ties Flex’s Record !

+

02 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com

President, CEOTosca Reno Kennedy

EVP, Group PublisherTodd Hughes

Group Editorial DirectorBill Geiger, MA

Group Creative DirectorMichael Touna

Group Creative Adviser/ Editor-in-ChiefJohnny Fitness

Managing EditorSarah Wells

Deputy EditorDan Felipe

Copy EditorAngie Mattison

Online EditorAlex Zakrzewski

Art DirectorDerek Hounsell

Associate Art DirectorDarrell Leighton

Digital Creative LeadRyan Keaveney

Intermediate Web DesignerCameron Stevens

PhotographerGregory James

ContributorsMike Jenkins

Brandon Curry

Mastheadletter to readers “There are two times in life: now and too late!”Nowhere is this old adage more apparent than in the pub-lishing industry. In our modern digital age, if you don’t have the information your readers want when they want it, they will ( justifiably so) go and find it somewhere else.

Therefore, in keeping with a 40-year tradition of striving to provide the absolute latest bodybuilding news and infor-mation, MuscleMag is proud to present our Arnold Classic 2013 Digital Special Issue.

Rest assured, this is not a one-time experiment. Rather it’s just part of our greater commitment to revamping, re-evaluating and reinventing the way we do things so as to better benefit our valued readers.

Instead of sitting around complaining about how fickle audiences have become and griping about how things aren’t like they used to be, we’ve wholeheartedly committed our-selves to the new way of doing things. To put it plainly, we’re not only a print magazine anymore; we’re a complete, total-media bodybuilding resource.

So wherever you happen to be reading this, sit back, re-lax and experience the 2013 Arnold Classic firsthand through our one-of-a-kind photographs and expert report-ing and analysis.

Or you can wait six to eight weeks and see what our com-petitors have to say about the show!

Yours,Alex Zakrzewski Online Editor

musclemag.com

MARCH 2O13

06 Dexter Wins Fourth Title!

12 “The Blade” Dexter Jackson

16 Men’s placing 2–5

24 Men’s placing 6–13

38 Ms. International

42 Fitness International

46 Figure International

50 Bikini Internatinoal

56 Arnold Men’s Amateur

58 Arnold Strongman 1216

38

42

46

50

56

58

06

24


The mind-muscle connection… Every two-bit “guru” tries to sell you on the need to “feel the muscleworking.” But let me tell you, until you experience it yourself, you can’t understand. It is spiritual. Togo deep within and be so in tune with each synapse firing, each fiber splitting... Feeling and intuitiontaking physical form. Every transformative rep preconceived, from stretch to contraction. Fromconcept to reality, the mind compels the body to grow anew. This extraordinary union of brain andbrawn, free of distraction and diversion, is an intangible quality that sets apart the best. Here’s thesecret I know… That this crystal clarity is always just one tiny, potent, black scoop away. Bang back ashot of Animal Rage and you’re switched on, turned up and locked in. The powerful intensity, energyand performance actives coursing through your veins. This is concentration in concentrated form,bringing thought and action together in a glorious moment of unbridled force.This isn’t just working out,this is the mind-muscle connection, redefined. This is training on a higher plane. This is Animal Rage.


At age 43, there were those who thought Jacksonville, FL’s Dexter Jackson’s best years were behind him. His

contest placings had slipped since his 2008 Mr. Olympia title as other younger bodybuilders seemed to pass him by. But at least on the night of March 2 at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, The Blade proved he still has what it takes to bag a big one. And what a win it was. In his biggest payday ever, Dexter won his fourth Arnold Classic title — tying Flex Wheeler’s re-cord of four ASC wins — in taking the 25th anniversary event before a sell-out crowd. The Blade, who last won the event in 2008, recorded a perfect score in claiming the $130,000 first-place prize by a decisive margin over runner-up Ben Pakulski of Canada. You could call it redemption for a man seemingly long for-gotten, who was also coming off last December’s Masters Olympia title to run his win streak to two. The 5´6˝ athlete was competing in a record 14th Arnold Classic, and despite the ab-sence of the sport’s most elite names — Phil Health, Kai Greene, Jay Cutler, Dennis Wolf and Branch Warren, all sitting this one out in favor of September’s Olympia showdown — The Blade looked every bit as conditioned as he did when he was regu-larly winning the sport’s biggest contests a decade earlier. Ben is best known for his 22-inch calves, but the Pakman’s rapid ascent up the Arnold Classic standings (10th in 2011, fourth last year, second this time around) indicate that Canada’s best bodybuilder is a force to be reckoned with. With his super-freaky legs reminiscent of one Tom Platz, Pakman also earned his highest-ever placing in a pro event, taking second and re-ceiving a $70,000 check to go along with the contest’s Most Muscular Award, which netted him another $10,000. Georgia’s Toney Freeman is another seasoned pro that’s getting better competitions scores with age. Not only did the

conTesT rePorT

Jackson Ties record wiTh FourTh asc win

“You could call it redemption for a man seemingly forgotten.”

musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 07

conTesT rePorT


46-year-old’s third-place finish tie his highest placing ever at the ASC (Toney also placed third in 2007), it comes on the heels of his runner-up placing to Dexter at the Masters Olym-pia last December. With more height and size than his com-petitors — he’s 6´2˝ and competes at 284 pounds — the X-Man’s star is again on the rise as he’s now considered a bona fide threat to challenge in the Olympia. For his efforts, Toney took home a nifty 50 grand. Not to be left out of the 40-something club, Texan Johnnie Jackson raced to his best ASC finish ever, moving up three spots from his 7th place finish in 2011. Considered the world’s strongest bodybuilder, Johnnie overcame a four-point deficit after prejudging to claim the $30,000 fourth-place check. Rounding out the top five was Japan’s Hidetada Yamagishi. Hide (pronounced Hee-day), hugely popular back home, im-proved upon his previous best 8th place finish in 2010 ASC. Though he was in fourth after the afternoon judging session, he was knocked down a few places as he wasn’t as sharp during the finals. It seems every bodybuilding competition has its share of controversy, and for this event it was when South Carolina’s Cedric McMillan’s name was given sixth. A chorus of boos rained down when his placing was announced. The 2009 NPC Na-tionals super heavyweight champ may have been overlooked in the afternoon judging round but rebounded nicely at the night session to take the $10,000 prize. Fred Smalls is anything but, and if there’s any aspect of the show the bodybuilder from Delaware knows how to do well, it’s entertain. A crowd favorite, Fred’s routine was met with roar-ing approval, making him the obvious choice for the $10,000 award for the evening’s Most Entertaining Poser. Fred’s 7th place finish was also his best ever at a top pro show. The state of Indiana was also represented in the top 10 with 41-year-old Ed Nunn taking eighth. Coming off his fourth-place finish at the 2012 Masters Olympia, a contest some had him pegged to place just second in, the Hoosier has similar X-framed lines that make Toney Freeman so popular. Now living in Florida but originally from Trinidad, Darrem Charles, who placed ninth, has a long and respected 22-year pro career. In his 10 ASC showings, Darrem’s best finish was 6th, a feat he accomplished in 1998, 2003 and 2005. Though he hasn’t competed much in recent years, he’s still renowned for his conditioning, classic lines and entertaining posing. Just making the top 10 was Canada’s Fouad Abiad, who moved up a placing in each of the two past two years at the ASC. He was followed by Arizona’s Marcus Haley (11th), Greece’s Michael Kefalianos (12th) and Germany’s Ronny Rockel (13th). Last year, MuscleMag publisher Robert Kennedy was award-ed the Lifetime Achievement Award just a month before his passing. This year, the committee honored Rich Gaspari, who won the inaugural ASC title 25 years ago and is now president of Gaspari Nutrition. In a moving ceremony, Gaspari thanked Arnold, his family and his employees.

—Bill Geiger, MA

arnold classic resulTsMarch 2, 2013 * Columbus, OH

1 Dexter Jackson USA $130,000

2 Ben Pakulski* Canada $75,000

3 Toney Freeman USA $50,000

4 Johnnie Jackson USA $30,000

5 Hidetada Yamagishi Japan $15,000

6 Cedric McMillan USA $10,000

7 Fred Smalls** USA

8 Ed Nunn USA

9 Darrem Charles USA

10 Fouad Abiad Canada

11 Marcus Haley USA

12 Michael Kefalianos Greese

13 Ronny Rockel Germany

*Winner of Most Muscular Award and $10,000**Winner of Most Entertaining Poser Award and $10,000


© 2

013

Op

tim

um N

utri

tion

Inc.

USA (800) 705-5226 INTL (630) 236-0097

E A R N I N G Y O U R R E S P E C T

You spent countless hours pushing limits to develop an enviable physique, and building on those accomplishments won’t come any easier. We can relate. After setting the gold standard for whey protein quality, ON continues to redefine sports nutrition. Whether it’s

sourcing the finest ingredients or exceeding expectations with yet another breakthrough product, we’re always up for the challenge. It’s what defines us as a company. We will continue to raise the bar on quality and innovation because earning the respect of disciplined athletes is

well worth the effort.

TRUESTRENGTH.COM/BROCKBROCK CUNICO

men’s winner

1Dexter

Jackson


Dexter has always impressed me with his abil-ity to adapt and try new approaches to body-building. His connection with George Farah has had a revitalizing effect on his physique. I respect Dex a lot for his ability to perform at such a high level for so long. He is truly a mas-ter of the art of bodybuilding, and I congratu-late him on a well-deserved win. Keep laying a template and setting an example, Dex!

While I don’t believe he was 100%, Dexter was sharper than most of the field. He was obviously on enough to undisputedly take the show. So much muscle on such a shredded, symmetrical frame is very hard to beat, and he definite-ly stood out when compared to the other bodies in the lineup.

Pros Brandon’s ThoughTs


Take Brandon’s

on dexTer

14 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 15

He was too oily in prejudging yet could have used more oil at the finals. All in all, he didn’t appear to be quite as full as he was at the Masters Olympia.

cons Brandon’s ThoughTs

2Ben

Pakulski

musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 1716 MARCH 2012 | musclemag.com

Man, Ben is so freaky in his poses. He looked hard and dry with a noticeable improvement in size. You can just tell Ben’s been working hard. He really gets the crowd going.

Ben was not quite as impressive when he wasn’t posing, and something was off when he en-tered the stage. His back also lacked thickness and detail. Not the prettiest physique onstage but impressive nonetheless.


men’s FinalisTs 2–5


musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 1918 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com

3Toney

Freeman


I thought he could have been fuller. He needs a bit of pop to his muscle. It’s seems to me that he is losing leg size, as his wheels are not quite as massive as they used to be.


Toney came in dry, hard and very sharp from front to back. The X-Man was definitely on his game and deserved his placing.


4Johnnie Jackson



Unfortunately, his lower body did not seem improved. His legs were separated, but they lacked the size to match his upper body.


Johnnie is so massive up top! He was in pretty good shape and his muscles looked hard. It was definitely on for Johnnie!


5Hidetada

Yamagishi


I don’t believe bigger is necessarily better for Hide’s frame. He showed more abdominal distension than I’ve seen from him in a while. Maybe he just wasn’t controlling it well. His conditioning was sub-par, but this may have had something to do with his injury.


Hide appeared bigger and fuller at this show than I’ve seen in the past. I’m very surprised he came into this show looking this good considering his broken wrist. My hat goes off to him as he shows the true samurai spirit!


men’s FinalisTs 6–13


6Cedric

McMillan

I’m tired of hearing about this guy’s potential — it’s just obvious! He was bigger than I’ve ever seen him. He had the prettiest physique onstage, he performed with great confidence and he was having fun.


Judges are looking for this guy to nail it. They want to see his physique in all its glory. He just needs some hardness and dryness.


XXX MONTH 2012 | musclemag.com26 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com

7Fred

Smalls

Though his condition was not bad he could have been harder and dryer. His softness really started to show in his glutes and hams, as they lacked detail.


When Fred first came out I immediately noticed his increased mass. He’s been really putting in some work and his quads were sweeping like crazy. He put on the most entertaining performance of the night. His added thickness was apparent, especially in his chest.


Built like a truck and massive as f...That’s what you are and what you’re made of. No sugar, no spice…Nice? Shit, nice has got nothing to do with it.You weren’t born like this and don’t have anyone to thankbut yourself.You know that what you put in, you get out. So you spent the better part of your life bustingyour balls and making this machine one rep, one pack, and one meal at a time. We get it. We're thesame way. That’s why we’ve been making the best, most award-winning training pack in the worldsince 1983 in Animal Pak. Put in the work and we’ll put out the best. Let's see what you're made of.


8Edward

Nunn

9Darrem Charles


I felt that at the finals he was one of the sharpest in the show. He was dry from front to back and his glutes were in better shape than they’ve been in a while. I would have liked to have seen him compared in a high callout.

It was great to see Darrem back onstage. He performed and moved onstage as if he never left. I don’t remember his glutes ever being as striated as I saw them at the finals.

His upper body was a bit flat. He needs a bit more fullness and pop.

The first thing I noticed was that he had on a little too much oil. Then he turned around and appeared to be softer from the back. His physique lacks density.






10Fouad Abiad

Despite his low placing, I don’t think Fouad had a bad performance. He definitely looks to have increased in size!

He just didn’t stand out. He just doesn’t flow as well with the size i ncrease, and his lower back had a noticeable film on it.



CLEAN

ENERGY

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Getting psyched up for a physical challenge shouldn’t weigh down your performance with sugar, fat and way too many calories. ABB’s legendary Speed Stack® delivers intense energy with a nutritional profile clean enough for any cutting phase. Each 18 ounce bottle bangs out an impressive 250 mg of caffeinated energy with no sugar or fat and just 5 calories. Reach into the cooler and get a grip on greatness.

©20

13 A

BB P

erfo

rman

ce L

LC

Built .Greater Than

A Division of Optimum Nutrition

SUGAR0G

CALORIES51000

ENERGYSTACK

MG

AVAILABLE AT:

1-866-3539-ABB WWW.ABBPERFORMANCE.COM


11Marcus Haley

Marcus is a great entertainer and appeared to be having a great time onstage. It was definitely on for him. His old quad injury wasn’t even noticeable.


The biggest flaw I saw from Marcus was that he had trouble controlling his midsection. Belly rolling is not a good idea if you’re trying to hide distension. He was lean but could have been a tad bit drier.



12Michael

Kefalianos

13Ronny Rockel


After all these years, Ronny still has good muscles and solid structure. His hardness really comes out as he poses.

Mike showed why he is known for his wheels and razor-sharp conditioning. His wheels were definitely still there, and he appeared a bit bigger.

Ronny looked softer than normal. He lacked detail and was holding water. He also needs to make more of an effort to control the distension in his stomach. Most importantly, he just looked bored onstage!

Coming in a little heavier took away from his usually superior conditioning. Knowing Mike, he has many more shows ahead of him and is still waiting to peak!

Pros Brandon’s ThoughTsPros

Brandon’s ThoughTs



For a limited time, get a free “pump” at www.UniversalUSA.com/ShockTherapy

ms. inTernaTional


T exas’ Iris Kyle picked up a record seventh Ms. Interna-tional crown on March 1 in Columbus, OH, becoming the

most decorated bodybuilder of all time, male or female. With another perfect score and already the owner of a record-tying eight Ms. Olympia wins, it doesn’t appear Kyle will be bowing out any time soon, so those records she’s smashing will simply set new, higher marks. With the win, the 5´7˝, 160-pounder claimed the $25,000 first-place prize.

Unfortunately, somebody has to finish second and once again it was Miami’s Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia. Competing in the 50th professional show of her career, the five-time Ms. International winner herself settled for the $13,000 second-place prize. Debi Laszewski, who lives just up the I-95 in Ju-piter, finished second a year ago at both the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia and has only once placed outside the top five in a pro show since her pro debut in 2007, but settled for third this time around.

Slovenia’s Brigita Brezovac, who has cumulated three pro wins in her three-plus year pro career, came in fourth. Her best finish on the big stage was third at the 2011 Ms. Olympia.

No one has come as far as Canada’s Cathy LeFrancois, who finished dead last in her first Ms. International effort (19th in 1999), but won the lightweight category in the 2003 event. The

winner of three consecutive New York Pro Championships, and the shortest competitor onstage at 5´2˝, now has back-to-back top-five Ms. International finishes having placed fourth a year ago. This was LeFrancois’s 12th appearance at the Arnold.

–Bill Geiger, MA

ms. inTernaTional resulTsMarch 1, 2013 * Columbus, OH

1 Iris Kyle USA $25,000

2 Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia USA $13,000

3 Debi Laszewski USA $8,000

4 Brigita Brezovac Slovenia $5,000

5 Cathy LeFrancois Canada $3,000

6 Angela Debatin USA $2,000

7 Kim Buck USA

8 Olga Puzanova Russia

9 Tazzi Colomb USA

10 Jeannie Paparone USA

11 Eleni Kavva Greece

kyle runs away wiTh ms.inTernaTional — again

FrOM leFt tO rigHt:Angela Debatin,

Cathy LeFrancois,Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia,

Iris Kyle,Debi Laszewski, Brigita Brezovac

1Iris

Kyle

2Yaxeni

Oriquen-Garcia



3Debi

Laszewski

4Brigita

Brezovac

5Cathy

LeFrancois

6Angela Debatin


FiTness inTernaTional


in her 10Th Try, Johnson wins The FiTness inTernaTional

Grishina, who now makes her home in North Hollywood, CA, is a crowd fa-vorite with her tumbling, strength and flexibility moves that oftentimes defy human limits (if you haven’t seen her routine, check it out on YouTube). The three-time pro winner took home $13,000 — and possibly a leading role in a future Cirque du Soleil show? — for her efforts.

A consistent finisher, New Jersey’s Bethany Cisternino placed third. Cis-ternino won the 2010 Europa Super Show and was runner-up in countless others, including the St. Louis Pro and Fort Lau-derdale Cup last season. Back onstage after maternity leave, Texas’ Trish (and wife of Branch) War-ren finished fourth, continuing a string

of top finishes that included third at the Fitness International (2011) and fourth (2010) a year earlier. Brazilian native Regiane DaSilva, who now lives in Germany, finished fifth, just three points behind Warren. Now in her seventh Fitness International appear-ance, the former European champ’s highest placing at Columbus had been fourth in 2009.

–Bill Geiger, MA

ms. FiTness inTernaTional resulTsMarch 1, 2013 * Columbus, OH

1 Tanji Johnson USA $25,000

2 Oksana Grishina Russia $13,000

3 Bethany Cisternino USA $8,000

4 Trish Warren USA $5,000

5 Regiane DaSilva Germany $3,000

6 Ryall Vasani Canada $2,000

7 Kizzy Vaines United Kingdom

8 Nicole Duncan USA

9 Fiona Harris Canada

10 Amanda Hatfield USA

W ashington state’s immensely popular Tanji Johnson is a two-time

runner-up of both the Fitness International and Fitness Olympia, but she finally bagged the big one in taking the 2013 Fitness In-ternational crown on March 1 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, OH. With a perfect score in the swimsuit round combined with an athletic and acrobatic routine that took second in that round, she edged out Russia’s Oksana Grishina for the $25,000 first-place check. This was the 10th time that Johnson had competed in the Fitness International. Her impres-sive résumé is bookended by a win at the Arnold Classic Europe in 2011.

1Tanji

Johnson

FrOM leFt tO rigHt:Ryall Vasani, Trish Warren,

Oksana Grishina, Tanji johnson,

Bethany Cisternino, Regiane DaSilva



2Oksana Grishina

3Bethany

Cisternino

4Trish

Warren

5Regiane DaSilva


6Ryall

Vasani

Figure inTernaTional


keene secures decisive Figure inTernaTional win

FrOM leFt tO rigHt:Camala Rodriguez,

Candice Lewis,Heather Dees,

Candice Keene,Erin Stern,

Mallory Haldeman

W ith three-time defending champion Nicole Wilkins sidelined with an injury, the 2013 Ms. Figure Inter-

national at the Arnold Classic on March 1 in Columbus, OH, was a wide-open race for the title. Seven-time pro winner Candice Keene of Maitland, FL, won her biggest competi-tion ever, taking the first-place prize of $16,000. Keene fin-ished third at the Figure International, Figure Olympia and Sheru Classic a year ago but still managed a perfect score in the 11th rendition of the women’s event. With five pro wins in 2012 including the Bikini Olympia, Tampa’s Erin Stern was the odds-on favorite to win, but in-stead it was Utah’s Heather Dees who narrowly took the runner-up spot. Dees won the California Governor’s Cup a year ago and placed fifth at last year’s Figure International. For Stern, the fall to third was a bit of a disappointment given her collection of hardware after she won the Arnold Figure Europe, Australian Pro, Valenti Gold Cup and Sheru Classic in addition to her Oympia win. In fourth was Arizona’s Candice Lewis, who entered the competition having won five of the 10 pro shows she’d en-tered since 2011. Lewis had a record-tying year in 2012, winning five contests (Houston Pro, Fort Lauderdale Cup, Pro World, Omaha Pro and Wings of Strength). Rounding out the top five was Las Vegas’ Mallory Halde-man. A pro for less than a year, Haldeman took second in her pro debut in Tampa last August and fifth in the Figure Olympia.

—Bill Geiger, MA

ms. Figure inTernaTional resulTsMarch 1, 2013 * Columbus, OH

1 Candice Keene USA $16,000

2 Heather Dees USA $10,000

3 Erin Stern USA $8,000

4 Candice Lewis USA $5,000

5 Mallory Haldeman USA $3,000

6 Camala Rodriguez USA $2,000

7 Ava Cowan USA

8 Gennifer Strobo USA

9 Cheryl Brown USA

10 Kamla Macko USA

11 Ann Titone USA

12 Aleisha Hart Canada

13 Candice John Trinidad

14 Nicole Sims USA

15 Giada Simari Italy

15 Olga Morales Mexico

15 Natalie Waples Canada

1Candice Keene

2Heather

Dees



3Erin

Stern

4Candice

Lewis

5Mallory

Haldeman 6Camala

Rodriguez


I FBB bikini competitions may be only in their fourth year, but already Fort Lauderdale, FL’s India Paulino tallied her sixth pro

win on March 2, coming up with her biggest title yet on the profes-sional stage at the Ms. Bikini International at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH. In front of a sold-out Veterans Memorial Auditori-um, Paulino moved up a spot from last year’s runner-up finish to edge Brazil’s Nathalia Melo and claim the $7,000 first-place prize. Though as a sport it offers little more than women standing and turning onstage, the crossover appeal is obvious as the women’s competition is staged back-to-back with the men’s pro show. On Paulino’s heels was a competitor who knows the champion all too well considering she, too, lives in Fort Lauderdale. Melo was try-ing to bookend her huge win last September at the 2012 Bikini Olym-pia with the Arnold title. The five-time pro champ, who came in fifth on this stage a year ago, lost by just two points. Two years ago another Floridian, Nicole Nagrani, swept the Ms. Bikini International and Bikini Olympia titles, but she fell to third this time around. The full-time medical student at Stetson University in DeLand won both the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Tampa Pro and Sheru Classic titles a year ago. Finishing fourth was New York City’s Yeshaira Robles, who was making her first appearance on the Bikini International stage. Robles had a breakout rookie season a year ago, winning the Val-enti Gold Cup and Fort Lauderdale Cup while placing third in three other shows. Rounding out the top five was Centerville, OH’s Jessica Pax-son. The certified personal trainer is a former figure competitor who transitioned into bikini, having won the 2009 Jacksonville Pro to go with a pair of runner-up finishes. Paxson came in fourth at the inaugural Bikini International in 2011.

—Bill Geiger, MA

Paulino wins Bikini inTernaTionalBy razor-Thin margin

FrOM leFt tO rigHt:

Jessica Paxon, Nicole Nagrani,India Paulino, Nathalia Melo,

Yeshaira Robles, Jamie Baird

Bikini


1India

Paulino

ms. Bikini inTernaTional resulTsMarch 2, 2013 * Columbus, OH

1 India Paulino USA $7,000

2 Nathalia Melo Brazil $3,000

3 Nicole Nagrani USA $2,000

4 Yeshaira Robles USA $1,000

5 Jessica Paxson USA $1,000

6 Jaime Baird USA $1,000

7 Jennifer Andrews USA

8 Tiffany Marie Boydstor USA

9 Tawna Eubanks USA

10 Ashley Kaltwasser USA

11 Anna Virmajoki Finland

12 Lacey DeLuca USA

13 Abigail Burrows USA

14 Alexis Kaufman USA

15 Noy Alexander USA

16 Marcela Triban Columbia


2Nathalia

Melo


3Nicole

Nagrani

4Yeshaira Robles

I T ’ S E V O L V I N G.

B E W A R E.

a new look. new formulas.it’s a new age... for a whole new beast.


5Jessica Paxson

6Jamie Baird

arnold amaTeur


arnold amaTeur men’s BodyBuilding class winnersLightweight Champion Marcin Kosel Poland

Welterweight Champion Mahmut Irmak Turkey

Light Middleweight Champion Randolph Stephen Naranjo Venezuela

Middleweight Champion Charles Mario Soares Brazil

Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Dos Anjos Brazil

Heavyweight and Overall Champion Emiliano Dell’Uomo Italy

Super Heavyweight Champion Darren Ball United Kingdom

Lightweight Champion

Marcin Kosel

Middleweight Champion

Charles Mario

SoaresWelterweight

Champion

Mahmut Irmak

LightHeavyweight

Champion

Alex Dos Anjos

Light Middleweight

Champion

Randolph Stephen Naranjo

Heavyweight and Overall Champion

Emiliano Dell’Uomo

Super Heavyweight

Champion

Darren Ball

lalas rallies To win arnold sTrongman

arnold sTrongman


Commentary by Mike Jenkins, World’s Strongest Man, Team MHP Athlete

arnold sTrongman resulTsMarch 1–2, 2013 * Columbus, OH

1 Vytautas Lalas Lithuania $60,000

2 Brian Shaw USA $20,000

3 Mikhai Koklyaev Russia $15,000

4 Krzysztof Radzikowski Poland $10,000

5 Mike Burke USA $8,000

6 Mark Felix United Kingdom $6,000

7 Jerry Pritchett USA $5,000

8 Hafthor Bjornsson Iceland $3,000

9 Derek Poundstone USA $2,000

10 Adam Scherr USA $1,000

1,128 pound record

“The deadlift was nuts as nearly all competitors were lifting around 1,OOO pounds! England’s Mark Felix and Brian Shaw tied for an in-contest record of 1,122 pounds. Felix, the 46-year-old ageless wonder, then shocked the crowd by hitting an out-of-competition record of 1,128 pounds!”

“Lalas is the total package! He’s strong, fast and doesn’t give up. I think he was initially second-guessing himself on certain lifts because of his injury. However, in the end it

worked to his advantage because so many people counted him out and expected someone else to win, so he had nothing to lose.”

FrOM leFt tO rigHt:Vytautus Lalas (Lithuania), Brian Shaw (USA), Mikhail Koklyaev (Russia), Krzysztof Radzikowski (Poland), Mike Burke (USA), Mark Felix (UK), Jerry Pritchett (US). Thor Bjornsson (Iceland), Derek Poundstone (US), Adam Scherr (US)

There were four events: • The Austrian Oak (log lift)• The Manhood Stones • The Tire Deadlift • The Circus Dumbbell.4

“It was not known before the contest by anyone other than myself and a few others, but Lalas had not trained in 2–3 weeks because of a tear in his quad. That makes his victory even more impressive. At 5´10˝ Lalas is also the smallest athlete to ever win the Arnold Strongman Classic.”


L ithuania’s Vytautas Lalas won the final event, the Circus Dumbbell, doing a

one-arm overhead press with a gargantuan 275-pound dumbbell five times from the floor in 90 seconds, to come from behind and win the 12th annual Arnold Classic Strongman and claim the sport’s top payday of $60,000 and the Louis Cyr Trophy on March 2 in Columbus, OH. Brian Shaw, who led after three rounds, including a world re-cord in the Manhood Stones competition by lifting 540 pounds three times, came in second and took the $20,000 award.

Besides Shaw’s record, a number of other world marks fell during the two-day competition. Mark Feliz and Shaw both made 1,122 pounds for new world re-cords in the Tire Deadlift, and Krzysztof Radzikowski set a world record in the Austrian Oak with a three-time clean and two push-presses of 445 pounds.

In third was Russia’s Mikhail “Misha” Koklyaev, who bagged $15,000; fourth place went to Poland’s Krzysztof Radzikowski, who earned $10,000, followed by Colora-do’s Mike Burke, who took home an $8,000 prize.


“While it was disappointing not being able to defend my title due to injury, I had the pleasure of announcing the contest and really got to soak up what the athletes did. All the guys looked huge in the meeting and were anxious to get going.”

“The Austrian Oak log lift went as I predicted, and I wasn’tsurprised to see Poland’s Krzysztof Radzikowski

win the event. Vytautas Lalas and Mikhail Koklyaev from Russia took 2nd.”

“Vytautus Lalas and Mikhail Koklyaev were the standouts when it came to the 264-pound dumbbells,

hitting five and four reps respectively off the floor!”

264 pounds

“The stones were heavier than ever, with the big one weighing 54O pounds and the smaller one 452 pounds. The USA’s Brian Shaw ran away with this event with five reps. For me, the huge surprise was Thor Bjornsson from Iceland getting zero reps on the big stone. I know Thor to be an amazing stone loader, but this just wasn’t his day.”

“Another big surprise was the biceps injury to crowd favorite Derek Poundstone. He tore his right biceps attempting to load the 54O-pound stone. As a result he finished 9th.”

musclemag arnold classic 2013 digital special issue

Documents