Dexter Ties Flex’s Record !
c i s s a 3 l 1 c 0 2 nold ar
e r mo
Masthead
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musclemag.com 02 MARCH 2013 | 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
06
42 Fitness International 46 Figure International 50 Bikini Internatinoal 56 Arnold Men’s Amateur 58 Arnold Strongman
16
24
12
56
42 50 38 04 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
46
58
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CONTEST REPORT Jackson
“You could call it redemption for a man seemingly forgotten.”
Ties Record
with Fourth ASC Win
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 record 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 firstplace prize by a decisive margin over runner-up Ben Pakulski of Canada. You could call it redemption for a man seemingly long forgotten, 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 absence 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 regularly 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 superfreaky legs reminiscent of one Tom Platz, Pakman also earned his highest-ever placing in a pro event, taking second and receiving 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
06 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 07
CONTEST REPORT
ARNOLD CLASSIC RESULTS March 2, 2013 * Columbus, OH 1
Dexter Jackson
2
Ben Pakulski*
3
Toney Freeman
4
Johnnie Jackson
5
Hidetada Yamagishi
6
USA
$130,000
Canada
$75,000
USA
$50,000
USA
$30,000
Japan
$15,000
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
13
Ronny Rockel
Greese Germany
*Winner of Most Muscular Award and $10,000 **Winner of Most Entertaining Poser Award and $10,000
08 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
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 Olympia last December. With more height and size than his competitors — 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, improved 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 Nationals 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 roaring 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 fourthplace finish at the 2012 Masters Olympia, a contest some had him pegged to place just second in, the Hoosier has similar Xframed 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 awarded 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
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 09
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Men’s winner
1
Dexter Jackson Brandon’s
take on dexter
Dexter has always impressed me with his ability to adapt and try new approaches to bodybuilding. 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 master of the art of bodybuilding, and I congratulate him on a well-deserved win. Keep laying a template and setting an example, Dex!
12 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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 definitely stood out when compared to the other bodies in the lineup.
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 13
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
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.
14 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 15
Men’s finalists 2–5
2
Ben Pakulski
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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.
16 MARCH 2012 | musclemag.com
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
Ben was not quite as impressive when he wasn’t posing, and something was off when he entered the stage. His back also lacked thickness and detail. Not the prettiest physique onstage but impressive nonetheless.
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 17
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
Toney came in dry, hard and very sharp from front to back. The X-Man was definitely on his game and deserved his placing.
3
Toney Freeman
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
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.
18 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 19
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
4
Johnnie is so massive up top! He was in pretty good shape and his muscles looked hard. It was definitely on for Johnnie!
Johnnie Jackson
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
Unfortunately, his lower body did not seem improved. His legs were separated, but they lacked the size to match his upper body.
20 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 21
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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!
5
Hidetada Yamagishi
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
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.
22 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 23
Men’s finalists 6–13
6
Cedric McMillan
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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.
24 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
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.
7
Fred Smalls
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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.
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
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.
XXX 26 MARCH MONTH 2013 | 2012 | musclemag.com musclemag.com
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Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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.
9
Darrem Charles
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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.
8
Edward Nunn
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
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.
His upper body was a bit flat. He needs a bit more fullness and pop.
28 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 29
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
10
CLEAN ENERGY
Despite his low placing, I don’t think Fouad had a bad performance. He definitely looks to have increased in size!
Fouad Abiad
CONs 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.
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Brandon’s thoughts
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Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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.
11
Marcus Haley
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
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.
32 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
12
Michael Kefalianos
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
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.
13 Ronny Rockel
Pros Brandon’s thoughts
After all these years, Ronny still has good muscles and solid structure. His hardness really comes out as he poses.
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
CONs Brandon’s thoughts
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!
34 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 35
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ms. international
1
Iris Kyle From left to right: Angela Debatin, Cathy LeFrancois, Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia, Iris Kyle, Debi Laszewski, Brigita Brezovac
kyle runs away with Ms.international — Again T
exas’ Iris Kyle picked up a record seventh Ms. International 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 secondplace prize. Debi Laszewski, who lives just up the I-95 in Jupiter, 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
38 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
2
Yaxeni OriquenGarcia
Ms. international results March 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
9
Tazzi Colomb
10
Jeannie Paparone
11
Eleni Kavva
Russia USA USA Greece
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
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 39
4
Brigita Brezovac
3
Debi Laszewski
6
Angela Debatin
5
Cathy LeFrancois
40 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 41
fitness international
1
Tanji Johnson
in her 10th try,
johnson wins
the fitness international
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 International 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 impressive résumé is bookended by a win at the Arnold Classic Europe in 2011.
42 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
From left to right: Ryall Vasani, Trish Warren, Oksana Grishina, Tanji johnson, Bethany Cisternino, Regiane DaSilva
Ms. fitness international results March 1, 2013 * Columbus, OH 1
Tanji Johnson
2
Oksana Grishina
USA
$25,000
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
9
Fiona Harris
10
Amanda Hatfield
USA Canada USA
Grishina, who now makes her home in North Hollywood, CA, is a crowd favorite 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. Cisternino won the 2010 Europa Super Show and was runner-up in countless others, including the St. Louis Pro and Fort Lauderdale Cup last season. Back onstage after maternity leave, Texas’ Trish (and wife of Branch) Warren 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 appearance, the former European champ’s highest placing at Columbus had been fourth in 2009. –Bill Geiger, MA
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 43
3
Bethany Cisternino
2
Oksana Grishina
44 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
4
Trish Warren
5
Regiane DaSilva
6
Ryall Vasani
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 45
figure international
1
Candice Keene
Keene
secures decisive
figure international
W
ith three-time defending champion Nicole Wilkins sidelined with an injury, the 2013 Ms. Figure International 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 competition ever, taking the first-place prize of $16,000. Keene finished 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 instead 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 entered 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 Haldeman. 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
46 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
WIN
From left to right: Camala Rodriguez, Candice Lewis, Heather Dees, Candice Keene, Erin Stern, Mallory Haldeman
Ms. figure international results March 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
2
Heather Dees
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 47
3
Erin Stern
48 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
4
Candice Lewis
5
Mallory Haldeman
6
Camala Rodriguez
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 49
bikini
From left to right: Jessica Paxon, Nicole Nagrani, India Paulino, Nathalia Melo, Yeshaira Robles, Jamie Baird
Paulino wins bikini I international by razor-thin margin Ms. bikini international results March 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
12
Lacey DeLuca
USA
13
Abigail Burrows
USA
14
Alexis Kaufman
USA
15
Noy Alexander
USA
16
Marcela Triban
Columbia
50 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
Finland
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 professional stage at the Ms. Bikini International at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH. In front of a sold-out Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 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 trying to bookend her huge win last September at the 2012 Bikini Olympia 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 Valenti Gold Cup and Fort Lauderdale Cup while placing third in three other shows. Rounding out the top five was Centerville, OH’s Jessica Paxson. 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
1
India Paulino
2
Nathalia Melo
musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 51
B E W A R E.
3
Nicole Nagrani
4
I T ’ S E V O L V I N G.
Yeshaira Robles a new look. new formulas. it’s a new age... for a whole new beast.
XXX 52 MARCH MONTH 2013 | 2012 | musclemag.com musclemag.com
5
Jessica Paxson
XXX 54 MARCH MONTH 2012 | 2012 | musclemag.com musclemag.com
6
Jamie Baird
arnold amateur Heavyweight and Overall Champion
Emiliano Dell’Uomo
Middleweight Champion
Super Heavyweight Champion
Charles Mario Soares
Welterweight Champion
Darren Ball Mahmut Irmak
Lightweight Champion
arnold amateur men’s bodybuilding class winners Lightweight 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
56 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
Light Heavyweight Champion
Alex Dos Anjos
Light Middleweight Champion
Marcin Kosel
Randolph Stephen Naranjo musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 57
arnold strongman
“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)
lalas rallies to win arnold strongman Commentary by Mike Jenkins, World’s Strongest Man, Team MHP Athlete
“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 outof-competition record of 1,128 pounds!”
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 record 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 records in the Tire Deadlift, and Krzysztof Radzikowski set a world record in the Austrian Oak with a threetime 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 Colorado’s Mike Burke, who took home an $8,000 prize.
58 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
arnold strongman results March 1–2, 2013 * Columbus, OH 1
Vytautas Lalas
2
Brian Shaw
Lithuania
$60,000
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
“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.”
1,128 pound record
4
There were four events: • The Austrian Oak (log lift) • The Manhood Stones • The Tire Deadlift • The Circus Dumbbell. musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 59
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
264 pounds “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!”
60 MARCH 2013 | musclemag.com
“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.” musclemag.com | MARCH 2013 61