Planet Muscle

Hi Jeff. We just want to drop a quick e-mail and tell you that you have a great mag! We're a natural bodybuilding husband and wife team, currently preparing for the Natural Mr. and Ms. Universe Championships held in November in L.A at Venice high School.

Please check our site. http://www.myspace.com/magda.

Good luck! We truly feel that Planet Muscle is mostly about helping bodybuilders who do it mostly natural! As far as we are concerned, magazines should all be emphasizing natural organizations, as much as they do the steroid groups and the photos we get should be the same. Bodybuilding doomed itself to ever be considered an Olympic Sport precisely because it can’t be just like other sports and exist without drugs.

Non-thinking people originally set up and promoted the physique contests, and they cared most about lining their pockets. They paid lip service, but never did care much about the sport’s participants. You disagree? So show me the pro bodybuilder’s organized worker’s unions, or health care, or disability benefits? Some pro sport, huh? Meaningful stands should have been explored, if not taken, when steroids crept mightily into physique competition, back the late 60’s and early 70’s. The germination of work by people who did not care much, is what we see and have now, which is no respect, no health benefits and zero chance of ever being an Olympic Sport.

Have you guys ever heard of Mike “The Ripper” Bruce? He’s a strong guy who travels about making demonstrations at schools, youth groups and churches.

But what is different, is that he liftsover 300 pounds with the raw strength of his neck!

In fact we have, and here he is. This is pretty darn impressive we have to admit! Mike has produced a 5 DVD set called Phenomenal Power and Conditioning Training for Mixed Martial Arts. He is also coming out with one on total neck training (TNT,and he has it).

Reach him at rippermachine@hotmail.com

I picked up the Aug/Sep issue of Planet Muscle and enjoyed reading it, as always. I especially liked your story about Jennifer Micheli. She is very inspirational and motivational for a "babyboomer" fitness addict like me. As I started to get older (don't we all!), it suddenly dawned on me that if I wanted to stay in shape, I was going to have to put forth some sort of effort and do it consistently.

Instead of just “dabbling” in fitness, nutrition and workouts, I made the decision to make it a very large proactive part of my life.

At 51, I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and compete in a bodybuilding show. On June 23, I did the IFBB Jr. CA. in Pasadena. I took 4th in my age (Masters Figure 45 and over). It was a great experience. It was both fun and scary at the same time. It’s my personal belief that "baby boomers" need a diet and workout regime perhaps even more so than our younger counterparts. Diet and exercise is indeed the true "fountain of youth" and the key to healthier living. Thanks again.

Congratulations – a 4th place in your very first show of this caliber is excellent!

I have always loved your straight forwardness in your articles. You don't pull any punches and you say exactly what's on your mind. But my question is, how much of the pro bodybuilders gains are due to steroids compared to supplements. The reason I am asking is, I just started working out and I want to know if the supplements they are selling are worth it. Any ideas as to what I should be taking and what is just a waste of money? It drives me crazy to think that the majority of the gains are due to the steroids. Thanks in advance.

Yes, the supplements they may be associated with in the ads, are indeed worth it, but perhaps not because they may endorsing or talking about them, per se! What I mean by this, is once, I was at a seminar with the top 7 pros and several of the people in the crowd kept asking over and over about creatine (this was about 12 years ago when it was new), and since I was the moderator, I just went up and down the panel and asked them all about it, and at that time, none of them said they used creatine.

They did use protein 3-4 x a day in addition to meals. Creatine was new, but the point is, once the pro guys get into the steroid thing heavily, supplements end up making less and less difference. For example, someone injecting 1000mg of testosterone every 10 days is not going to benefit from a prohormone or T-raising agent.

These guys have enough water volume retention from steroids already, without compounding that with creatine. It is the great majority of builders who do not want to use drugs and/or risk fertility and heart side effects or jail, (the Feds just busted up some 26 internet steroid sites), who most benefit from all supplements, including creatine. You do have to accept physiology and biology that the body will not reach or achieve the same development as a steroid user may.

Overall, over a period of 10 years, of on and off use, I believe steroids would account for an increased muscle volume by about 30-40% of the whole body—and this is an immense amount.

A new charity auction event has been pioneered by MHP. Together with the juvenile myositis disease association and champion bodybuilder Victor Martinez, MHP held an online auction from 7/25 to 8/15. Victor Martinez was on “the auctioning block” where the winner got the chance to go in a training session with Victor.



The winning bid for the charity training session was $2,400 from Michael Douglas of East Orange, New Jersey. On Sept 1,as well as training, Michael and Victor, had lunch at Eva’s Restaurant in Manhattan.

But, the star of it all, was a very special girl named Gia... a 5-year old with Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Gia was Victor’s inspiration for this very worthy cause. MHP contributed $500 of nutritional supplements to the auction and 2 VIP tickets came from American Media for the Mr. Olympia. Mike got round-trip airfare on Southwest and a free stay at the Mr. Olympia hotel, the Orleans! Needless to say, Michael was very excited about the wonderful experience.

Herein -- Victor poses with Michael and Gia. Victor is a registered member of “Athletes against Autism” and will be hosting many upcoming events in the future with MHP.

I was really disappointed with your October issue of PM. On page 96 your article on sex and muscle, you do not have one black bodybuilding couple represented. What? You don’t think black men and women lift weights and keep in shape? We also buy your magazine and would it have killed you to at least show one black couple instead of all caucasians?

Well, I agree with you. In fact, I find many of my fellow caucasoids boring. But, in fact, we can’t run what we don’t get from the photo guys cause’ as of yet, we are not rich enough to commission, or pay for organized shoots and besides the other mags just shoot the same pros over and over…and over. But, as I say, if we get em’ we run them!

I read Planet Muscle. Thanks for highlighting companies like PowerBlock, Europa, At-Large, EFX, Gamma-o and especially Mile High Muscle and their MMF (Military Muscle Foundation, and all the others, that support and send special things to the troops overseas.



A Jamie Eason also salutes the troops! And here's a photo of Eric Hillman's Europa
power!