ALL ABS ALL THE TIME BY SHAWN PERINE FOR FORMER AMATEUR BODYBUILDER SAGI KALEV, MAINTAINING MODEL-PERFECT ABS IS A FULL-TIME JOB. HERE’S HOW HE DOES IT QUALITY VS. QUANTITY. For years the debate has raged in bodybuilding circles over the bodybuilder’s top priority: should he train for as much unadulterated muscle as possible, or should he aim for a muscular yet refined and aesthetically pleasing physique? It could be argued that up until the last decade or so, the proponents of quality held an edge. Pointing to the physiques of past bodybuilding champs from the ultra-symmetrical Steve Reeves to Frank Zane, they could proudly attest that mass, while by no means of insignificant value, should not be attained at all costs — namely, at the expense of quality. But it seems that in recent years the loyalists of gargantuan size have gained the upper hand as bodybuilders of all levels joined the race to out-mass one another. A well-worn mantra is more topical in the world of bodybuilding today than ever before: bigger is better. Learn it. Live it. Love it or leave it, mass for its own sake looks like it’s here to stay. A MAN APART Then there’s Sagi Kalev, a 32-year-old bodybuilding titleholder and top fitness model. “I’m not trying to get bigger,” he states. “I want only to keep getting better.” At 5'8" and 200 shredded pounds of serious beef, Sagi (pronounced Suh-gee) is by no means small. But size at all costs is a concept that’s as foreign to him as his home country of Israel must seem to the local denizens of Dallas, where he now resides. With a superlative blend of muscle size, proportion, shape and definition, Sagi has forged a physique that’s a comfortable cross between that of a top-level NPC competitor and a fitness cover model. Not surprisingly, he has proven successful in both worlds. “For me, having a balanced and conditioned physique is where it’s at,” says Sagi. “I like to look like a bodybuilder all year long, not just a few days for a competition. And I will never gain 30 or 40 pounds in the off-season. Bodybuilding is a full-time job for me, and any time I’m not in shape, I’m not doing my job.” And he isn’t speaking figuratively: bodybuilding is an integral part of Sagi’s existence, as well as his profession. As one of the fitness industry’s top up-and-coming models, he earns a healthy living by staying lean and muscular year-round. “I prepare for photo shoots as if they were competitions,” he explains. “I alter my training and nutritional intake just as I would for a show. In fact, I’d say that photo shoots are even harder than competing because they can last 3–5 days straight and I have to remain in shape that whole time. Not only that, but I may have only a month in between shoots, while a competitive bodybuilder might do just one or two shows a year.” LAND OF OPPORTUNITY Not that Sagi doesn’t have a firm grasp on the rigours of contest prep. Having been bitten by the bodybuilding bug at the age of 16, he began competing a mere two years later. A stint in the Israeli army — during which time he participated in Desert Storm — kept him offstage for 31⁄2 years. But his return to the posing dais was successful, winning him two consecutive Mr. Israel titles in 1992 and ’93. Shortly after establishing himself as his native country’s premier bodybuilder, Sagi felt a need to expand his horizons, try his luck as a smaller fish in a bigger pond and see how much he could grow. Although he was working on his degree in physical education at the time, he decided to transfer his credits — and his life — to the sunny climes of Orlando, Florida. “As soon as I came to America, I knew I belonged here,” says Sagi. “It’s harder to be a bodybuilder in Israel; I didn’t have the same access to food and gyms and all the things you need to be successful. Here I have everything going for me.” After completing his degree at the University of Central Florida, Sagi migrated west again, this time to California. Still a competitor, he branched out into fitness modelling after a talent scout noticed him training in a gym. Photo shoots and magazine covers soon led to television appearances. A year later, two friends moved to Dallas to open a Gold’s Gym and asked him to join them. A self-professed risk-taker, Sagi took them up on their offer and has become one of Dallas’ most successful personal trainers. He also resumed competing, taking the middleweight class at the 1998 NPC Southwest USA Bodybuilding Championships and the light-heavyweight title at the ’99 NPC Lone Star Bodybuilding Classic. But as his modelling and training careers boomed, Sagi’s interest in competing waned. “I began to realise that I could inspire more people through my modelling and training than I could through competing,” he notes. GIVING BACK Sagi takes his role as teacher and motivator very seriously, a fact that can be readily substantiated by his stable of more than 50 personal-training clients, legions of phone consultation clients, and members of both his Yahoo! fan club and his personal website (sagikalev.com). “It’s important for me to help them achieve their goals,” he states. “I’ve had so many people help me get where I am today that I want to return the favour to others.” Despite the hours Sagi devotes to inspiring and educating, he still finds enough time to improve upon his already impressive physique. “Every photo shoot I try to come in better than the last,” he asserts. “Instead of competing against other guys, I’m competing with myself from my last shoot.” It must be working, because he has been asked to guest-pose this summer at the 2004 Lone Star Classic, an honour typically reserved for pros. With a successful modelling career, the esteem of his bodybuilding peers and the ability to mentor to clients and fans, Sagi Kalev is making the most of the muscles he has spent the past 16 years sculpting. In fact, it seems he has managed to turn the quantity vs. quality argument on its ear, creating a new axiom in the process: Quality begets quantity. 8 KEYS TO UNLOCKING YOUR SIX-PACK BY SAGI KALEV 1 I like hanging knee raises because they’re great for working the difficult-to-develop lower-ab region, but also because they help give you better balance and really stretch the whole body. They also take pressure off your lower back, which is important for anyone with back problems. You can add resistance by holding a dumbbell between your feet. 2 I never hold a dumbbell behind my neck for added resistance when training abs. Using a cable with a rope attachment provides continuous tension throughout the motion. 3 I don’t have any rules when it comes to ab training; I like to mix things up to keep from getting bored. Many people are concerned with following a strict programme in which the order of the exercises never changes. For me, continually changing the movements keeps my mind fresh and my body guessing what will come next. 4 You can work abs every other day unless, of course, they’re really sore. I’ve found that they’re nearly impossible to overtrain. That being said, I think training them fewer than two times a week isn’t enough. 5 It’s really not critical whether you train your abs at the beginning or at the end of your workout unless you’re going really heavy that day; just do them. I’ll vary when I train them depending on how I feel that day. 6 Focus on contracting your abs in a very controlled manner throughout the full range of the movement. Cheating may help you do biceps curls, but it’s counterproductive when performing abdominal exercises. Swinging, momentum and any kind of body english serve only to take the stress off your abs and limit muscle growth. 7 I never think about a set number of reps to perform for an exercise; instead I concentrate on how my muscles feel. I know when they’re exhausted and when I have a little more left. Reps are good to use as a guideline, but if you’re supposed to do 10 reps of an exercise and you can do more, don’t stop just because you reached a preconceived number — keep going! 8 You must get your bodyfat down to a level where it doesn’t hide your hard work. I never use the word diet — it has a very negative connotation these days — but you need to pay attention to your nutritional intake to see your abdominal development. That means enough protein to feed your muscles, limited saturated fats, cycling your carbs throughout the day and getting enough water to keep your body hydrated. HANGING KNEE RAISE START: Hang from a chinning bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and your palms facing forward. Keep your feet together or crossed for stability. EXECUTION: In a slow and controlled manner, raise your knees as high as you can. Focus on curling your glutes up as if assuming a foetal position rather than keeping your back rigid. Pause at the top of the movement and forcefully contract your abdominals for a count of one while exhaling. In the same controlled fashion, return to a dead hang while inhaling. At no point should you be swinging. VARIATION: To make the exercise more advanced, keep your legs nearly straight, which provides extra resistance. Using straps can help take pressure off your wrists. LYING CABLE CRUNCH START: Position one end of a flat bench approximately 18 inches from a low pulley with a rope handle attached. Select a light weight the first time and adjust it to your strength later. Lie face-up on the bench with your head closest to the pulley, feet flat on the bench. Reach back and grasp the ends of the rope, or have someone hand it to you, and bring your hands up next to your ears. EXECUTION: Keeping your hands by your ears, roll your shoulders forward as if trying to bring them to your knees. They should rise only a few inches off the bench. Hold at the top and squeeze for a count of one as you exhale, then return to the start position. Never jerk the weight up; control it throughout the movement. VARIATION: To do this exercise without resistance, take the same position on a bench or the floor and clasp your fingers lightly behind your head. Lift your shoulders off the bench or floor while keeping your back rounded. CROSSOVER CRUNCH START: Lie faceup on the floor with your fingers lightly clasping the sides of your head. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. EXECUTION: Slowly rise off the floor, then crunch your body over to one side as you bring one elbow toward the opposite knee. Round your back as your shoulder blade comes up. This is a very short range of motion. Don’t attempt to touch your elbow to your knee, merely aim for it. And don’t just flap your arm across — you need to feel your obliques working. Return to the start in a controlled manner; repeat to the opposite side. VARIATION: Lift your feet so your legs are perpendicular to the floor. Reach your left hand toward your right foot, then return and switch sides. M&F Shawn Perine is a writer and graphic designer who lives in New York City. He publishes the bodybuilding website www.ironage.us

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