Cable machines are great, right? With a simple adjustment or two, there are loads of exercises you can perform and resistance through a wide range of motion makes them superb for all levels of gym user.
However, it also means they’re very popular, and therefore very busy. Plus, if you’re looking to increase your explosive power, cables may not be ideal; power training often requires a fast intense effort through a relatively short range of motion which causes weights and cables to jerk, potentially causing injury and certainly drawing some disapproving looks from reception.
So, here’s a nice little shoulder routine for explosive power which can be performed in the solitude of the pool. You will need to get hold of a set of webbed gloves for this.
Start with a fairly gentle warm up, 200-500m of regular swimming is ideal, try a few lengths with a pullbuoy held between the knees if you want to make sure the shoulders are fully prepped. Then position yourself at one end of the pool and get your gloves on. The key here is that the gloves create a tremendous amount of resistance and, like a rowing machine, it’s resistance which actually increases in proportion to the effort exerted.
The aim here is to generate an explosive surge of power throughout the motion of each exercise. The greater the force exerted, the greater the resistance as water is forced aside. As this routine is not load bearing, it places minimal stress on the joints which means it can be used for rehab as long as the exertion is scaled down. As a means to build explosive power, it is ideal for racquet sports, boxing, MMA, rugby, rowing, and of course swimming.
Exercise 1: Straight Arm Clap
Muscles worked: Anterior & Posterior Deltoid, Pectoralis Minor
Start position: With your back braced against the side of the pool and knees bent until the shoulders are fully submerged, hold the arms straight out to the sides, palms facing forwards (crucifix position).
Motion: Keeping the arms straight, bring the palms together in a ‘clapping’ motion. Once the hands are together, reverse the motion, forcing the arms back to the start position. You should be creating ripples but not splashing water. Aim for 10 reps in each direction, 20 in total.
Exercise Two: Side Raises
Muscles worked: All deltoids, infra spinatus, latissimus dorsi.
Start position: Again, back braced against the side of the pool, legs bent to submerge shoulders. Arms straight down by the sides, palms facing into the body.
Motion: Keeping the arms straight, raise the arms out to the sides to 90 degrees from the body (done dumbbell side raises? Same thing, really). Once at 90 degrees (palms now facing the floor) reverse the motion and force the arms back to the sides. Aim for 10 in each direction, 20 in total.Exercise 3: Front Raises
Muscles worked: & Posterior Deltoid, Pectoralis Minor
Start position: Same as for side raises, back braced against the side of the pool with knees bent to submerge shoulders. Arms straight down by the sides, this time with palms facing back.
Motion: Keeping the arm straight, and raising one arm at a time, raise the arm forwards to 90 degrees from the body. Again, this is much the same motion as a front dumbbell raise. Once at the 90 degree position, reverse the motion, keeping the palm facing down, and force the arm back to the side of the body. Aim for 10 reps in each direction on each arm, a total of 40 movements.
A variation on this one is to start in a partial lunge position, removing the back from the side of the pool. As this exercise works each arm separately, this variation creates a degree of torsion which works the core muscles.
These three exercises represent the equivalent of 6 cable exercises, complete four sets of each for a great alternative to your usual shoulder routine. To finish, leave the gloves on and swim as many front crawl laps as you can with a pullbuoy held between your knees.
Muscle Growth Plateaus
What Are Muscle Growth Plateaus?
If you have to ask, then you’ve never had one. A muscle growth plateau is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a serious weight trainer. No matter what you try, you just can’t keep on making the gains you’re accustomed to. You train, you eat, and you rest. Maybe you get a bit bigger, but the big mass gains still elude you. It sucks.
What Causes Muscle Growth Plateaus?
There are numerous possible causes of growth plateaus which is what makes them so annoying. Think of them like food intolerances; the symptom can be much the same in every case but the cause could be any one of several things. Like food intolerance, the best approach is to rule out each possible cause one-by-one.
Let’s start with over-training. Not to be confused with under-resting, over-training means hitting the weights too hard, too heavy, and too often. You’ll have other symptoms like soreness and possibly tightening of tendons and ligaments around large joints. Cut down on either the weight or the frequency with which you target each muscle group and allow more recovery time in between sessions.
Under-resting, simply not getting enough quality rest. If this is the cause of your plateau, it could be good news because you can literally sleep it away. Lack of quality sleep is a common problem for people who work shifts or late nights. During quality sleep your body undergoes the anabolic drive, a process we’ve mentioned before on this blog, which is a period of intense rebuilding and repair. If you’re not sleeping properly, or not sleeping for long enough, then your body has a reduced window in which to build muscle. Aim for at least 8 hours of quality sleep per night, lay off coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks within 6 hours of bedtime and consider either a supplement which enhances the anabolic drive like 17-T Somatocri-MX or a gradual release protein which works while you sleep like GRS-5.
On a smaller scale, you should also rest one to two minutes between heavy sets. You want your workouts to be shorter but of higher intensity. In short, rest is a great way to break through a plateau.
The next thing to rule out is being stuck in a rut. Most people know that you should aim to change your workout at least every six weeks but it’s amazing how many people simply forget. Switch out at least 50% of the exercises in each muscle group. If you’re short of ideas, either seek the advice of a personal trainer, or be creative. You’d be surprised at the results you can get by dropping all weights exercises on your back for six weeks and replacing them with variations of chins.
So, work through each of these possible causes and you should be blasting through your plateau in no time.
Five top tips for packing on muscle.
1) Reverse the pyramid. Most workout routines will recommend starting with a lower weight so that you can bang out a few more reps and increasing the weight with each set. If you’re looking to really pile on the beef you want to do the opposite. Start with a heavier weight, something which allows you to complete no more than 6 reps, then lower it as you progress through the sets.
2) Lift more weights. Obvious? Well, yeah. But you’d be surprised how many ‘hardgainers’ we get feedback from who are still doing four cardio sessions to 2 weights sessions each week. To gain weight, lift weight. Aim for at least four weights sessions each week and make sure that each body part has at least three days to recover in between. Stick to compound exercises like bench presses and squats to work the big muscle groups. Cut down or cut out cardio if your overall aim is to add mass, a good approach is to bulk up first with weights, then use some cardio (in conjunction with a maintenance weights program) to burn away fat afterwards and increase definition.
3) Protein, protein, protein. Of course, we’re bound to say this aren’t we, but it’s still a fact. If you aren’t consuming between 2 and 3g of protein per kg of body weight every day then you aren’t giving yourself much of a chance to build muscle. If you’re a 90-100kg male then you’re looking at a protein requirement of between 180g and 300g. Make sure your diet is rich in lean protein sources like tuna, chicken breast, and egg whites. Also remember to drink more water as your protein intake increases. Obviously a protein supplement is a simple way to add more protein to your diet but for mass gain you want to make sure it’s a high calorie protein source, consider Sci-MX Mass System or an all-in-one like Omni-MX Hardcore.
4) Carbs. In the ‘Atkin’s aftermath’ there has been a fundamental shift away from carbs but if you’re looking to bulk up, you need carbs almost as much as protein. Not only do they supply the energy your body needs to perform repairs, they also help stimulate insulin production which helps your body absorb compounds like creatine. To use the careworn metaphor, consider protein as the bricks and carbs as the mortar. Look for about a 40-40-20 ratio; that’s 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% good fat. Stick to sources of complex carbs like sweet potatoes, and brown rice & pasta. Avoid any processed sources like pastry and bread as they are often bristling with fat, salt and sugar.
5) Sleep yourself strong. Big weights mean big muscle breakdowns and that means you need rest. There’s a process which happens just after you fall asleep called the anabolic drive. It’s a process where the production of somatacrinin (the hormone which causes secretion of natural growth hormone and testosterone) peaks. During this period, the body is hugely active in rebuilding itself. Making sure you get enough sleep is crucial – rest as hard as you train, as they say. It’s also worth looking at a testosterone booster which works in synergy with the anabolic drive like 17-T Somatocri-MX and a gradual release protein like GRS-5 to keep you topped up when you need it most.
Every athlete knows the inner satisfaction that a PB brings. If that PB also brings a silver medal then it’s all to the good. Rower, Jon Gould chose a very opportune moment to set his best 2000m time; The National Indoor Rowing Championships at Birmingham’s NIA.
Jon competed in the sub-75kg lightweight category
Jon said of the event, “It’s horrible. Because it’s just on the edge of aerobic and anaerobic excercise, it’s very difficult to judge. Go out too hard in the first 1,000m and you risk ‘blowing up’ in the second. On the other hand, hold too much back and you’ll never set a decent time”. He added, “It’s a great event if you like being sick.”
Jon hammered out his 2,000 metres in 6:40.3. Enough to put him into second place but not quite enough to challenge Tim Male’s impressive gold medal time of 6:25.9. The lightweight category requires competitors to tip in at less than 75kg, which is where Sci-MX came in. Jon used GRS-5 Protein System as a combined meal replacement and recovery aid and took Pyro-MX Leanburn to shave off any lingering fat in the run up to the event. As you can see, he took to the podium looking lean and fit, as fit as could be expected by that stage anyway, so clearly the hours of training and proper nutrition paid off.
Despite some observers actually making him the underdog, Ben Smith stepped up every level of his game for September’s Ultimate Challenge Mayhem and was suitably rewarded with a tapout victory over Kiane Sabet.
Sabet, fighting out of London Shootfighters, seemed more than a little nervous on the big stage and simply couldn’t live with the power of Ben’s offence.
Ben, representing Team Titan and based out of Semtex Gym, never looked in difficulty, riding out an early flurry of punches as he twice shot for a takedown. Once the fight moved to the floor, Sabet did wrest back some degree of control, keeping Ben on the outside of his guard for a while.
But it wasn’t to be for the Frenchman, Ben’s superior strength and determination saw him slip past the side of Sabet’s guard and from there it was only a matter of time. Ben got himself into the mount position, survived one very determined buck from Sabet, and from there took complete control. The obvious route to victory would have been to simply let fly and pummel Sabet into next week but Ben opted for the (slightly) more elegant approach of an arm triangle.
The win makes Ben UK Superfight Heavyweight Champion and should open a lot of doors for the London based fighter.
Ben uses Sci-MX Nutrition’s Omni-MX Hardcore for muscle size pre and post-workout, GRS-5 Protein system and Lean Grow extreme to control weight, and Tri Omega EFA to help burn fat.
How to Prevent Muscle Catabolism
Keeping your body in shape is important, but so is awareness of the corresponding muscle catabolism risk, and how to prevent it. Muscle catabolism is caused when cortisol breaks down muscle tissue by activating the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, or UPP. This in turn is mainly caused by poor diet, excessive high-intensity exercise, and emotional stress, among scores of other potential sources. Elevated thyroid activity can cause the thyroid protein to initiate muscle breakdown. Low levels of plasma insulin can also trigger muscle deterioration.
Although it might seem counterintuitive to every diet plan you have ever encountered, one of the best and easiest ways to prevent muscle catabolism is to eat a great deal of food – as long as it is the right kind. Be sure to consume a fair share of nutrients that digest quickly, like whey protein, especially in the morning, since your body has not been privy to nutrients for the entire time you were sleeping. Egg whites are a recommended second choice if you do not have access to more quickly absorbed nutrients.
Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, or HMB, is a popular body building supplement. It is a metabolite of leucine, which is an important amino acid in the body. Leucine inhibits protein breakdown, stimulates protein synthesis, and reduces the activation of the UPP. Many foods contain tiny amounts of HMB, including grapefruit, alfalfa, and catfish. In supplement form, it is usually present as a calcium salt. To help combat muscle breakdown, it may be beneficial to ingest three grams of HMB a day. Sci-MX Nutrition’s HMB supplement provides fantastic post workout recovery support.
Making sure you are in control of your insulin level is a huge factor in fighting muscle catabolism. A periodic high-glycemic meal after working out will not only help you lose weight by controlling the amount of insulin in your body, but it will also spike your insulin level. This additional insulin will in turn stop the UPP pathway from functioning.
Fish oils, curcumin, glutamine, and arginine are also useful agents in the battle against muscle deterioration. Fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, which reduces muscle tissue breakdown by blocking the UPP. Curcumin, which is active in the spice known as turmeric, is an anti-oxidant that enhances muscle regeneration. Curcumin also blocks the loss of muscle protein. It is nontoxic, and may be a safer alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief associated with muscle strain.
Glutamine is another amino acid responsible for protein synthesis, among other important bodily functions. During metabolic stress (such as intensive exercise), the glutamine concentration in the human body drops, and must be stimulated. Supplementing the diet with arginine results in a positive nitrogen balance, since it increases muscle protein synthesis, and inhibits the enzymes that break muscle down (proteasome). It is necessary to replenish the body’s supply of both glutamine and arginine in order to stave off muscle catabolism. A combined BCAA supplement like Sci-MX Nutrition’s BCAA Nanostack can help here. You can also supply your body with additional Glutamine by taking a Glutamine supplement like Sci-MX’s L-Glutamine.
It is also very important to get enough sleep, as this allows your central nervous system to relax. Make sure to sleep for a full eight hours at night if possible, even if your body usually requires less. Additionally, set aside an hour or two during the day for a relaxing activity like reading or napping. During periods of rest, the body stops producing cortisol, which allows uninterrupted muscle growth. These restful segments of your day will prove invaluable to preventing muscle breakdown.
It is essential to prevent or minimize muscle breakdown during intense resistance training and gain muscle mass. When training hard, keep the risk of muscle breakdown in mind. Stop the problem at its root with whey protein, HMB, fish oils, crucumin, glutamine, arginine, and plenty of sleep.
In 2008 the number of surgical male breast reductions rose 44%, ‘moobs’ it seems are, literally and figuratively, a growing problem.
What causes moobs?
First, it is important to understand that moobs can have different causes. The most common is simply a buildup of fatty deposits on the chest, but moobs can be symptomatic of gynaecomastia or other medical conditions such as Klinefelter’s Syndrome. If your chest is tender or the tissue deposits are hardened, you should seek advice from your doctor as soon as possible. The buildup of fat under the skin on the chest can also be a side-effect of medication for conditions such as prostate cancer.
The suggestion that moobs are entirely due to an excess of oestrogen is often something of a fallacy. It is true that oestrogen causes fat to be deposited under the skin, as opposed to around the organs, and this includes the chest, but all men have some degree of oestrogen and only in cases where oestrogen levels exceed those of testosterone would this be the culprit. Again, in those situations other symptoms would be present and it would be advisable to speak to your doctor.
Assuming though that you have the more common or garden variety of moobs caused by donuts and TV, there are a few simple measures you can take to shrink your rack.
Cardio to get rid of moobs
Clearly, fat deposits anywhere on the body are best tackled with a dedicated fat burning regime and when it comes to burning fat, cardio is king. Introducing at least 30 minutes of dedicated cardio into your exercise program will, over time, dig into those stubborn deposits. The more you do, the more you’ll burn. In the gym, things like the stat bike or recumbent bike are ideal, and in terms of calories burned to time spent training, few exercises can hold a candle to jogging. Remember, you aren’t necessarily training to improve your aerobic fitness so it doesn’t have to be ‘eyeballs out’ – if you can answer a question but not hold a conversation you’re at about the right level.
You can also enhance the effects of cardio with a thermogenic fat-burner such as Pyro-MX Leanburn.
Weights to get rid of moobs
It doesn’t take a sports scientist to realise that focusing your weights program on your chest is the shortcut to losing your moobs. Cables are ideal as they give you resistance through a wide range of motion and assisted dips or chins can also have tremendous effects. Bear in mind though that weights alone, without cardio, may not have the effect you want, you can have a chiseled six-pack but if it’s hidden under a layer of fat who’s going to know? If your gym has an ‘arm bike’, get friendly with it, it’s a great combination of cardio exercise and resistance training on your chest and could make your moobs a distant memory very quickly.
Diet to get rid of moobs
Logically, burning fat off is only one side of the equation and reducing the amount you consume is equally important. Look for ways to cut out both fats and simple sugars. Switch from regular soft drinks to water or sugar-free cordial, reduce the amount of sugar in your tea and coffee (or the number of cups you drink per day). Skip dessert by all means but don’t skip meals, this can lower your basal metabolic rate which ultimately causes your body to store more fat, not less.
Be wary of foods which are marked ‘less than X% fat’ as these are often packed with sugar or carbs which are, potentially, just as damaging – always read the label. Try to increase the amount of fresh vegetables you consume and aim to get more of your daily calories from protein sources rather than fats or carbs – a low carb protein supplement like Sci-MX Diet Shake is ideal to replace one or two snacks per day and will drastically cut down your fat intake.
Finally, stick with it. Reducing fat is one of the most difficult fitness goals and you shouldn’t expect miracles. The only way to get there is perseverance but if you control what you eat, and train regularly, there is no reason that your moobs shouldn’t soon be a thing of the past.
Ice bath therapy has been championed by a wide range of high profile stars, from Paula Radcliffe to Eddie Izzard, but just how does sitting in an excruciatingly cold tub of water possibly help your body?
The principles behind using an ice bath to aid recovery are called vasoconstriction and vasodilation, in English this means the process of opening and closing blood vessels. The process of rapidly contracting blood vessels forces blood out and when they dilate again ‘new’ blood moves in. This type of active blood flow helps to transport waste products such as lactic acid away from the muscles which in turn reduces soreness and accelerates recovery. The process is a variation on what makes compression clothing and massage work.
Ice bath treatment causes the constriction part of the process, the cold water closing up the blood vessels in your muscles and forcing the blood out. Ice bath treatment is ideal to help muscles recover after long sessions of aerobic exercise. However it shouldn’t be confused with replenishment of blood glycogen which is best accomplished by consuming a recovery supplement such as Sci-MX Rapid Recovery Complex as soon as exercise is complete. Professional rugby players are often to be found drinking a recovery supplement while sitting in an ice bath after training.
The question of just how cold an ice bath needs to be is quite common. Do you need actual ice in your ice bath or is it worth just running a cold bath and hopping in when you get back from you run? Well, a bit of both. The fact is that any amount of vasoconstriction will push out some blood from muscles, but the colder the water the greater the vasoconstriction it causes and, thus, the more blood will be pushed out – hence ice bath rather than just cold bath. As a rough guide, if the water is cold enough to make you take a sharp breath when you get in, it’s cold enough to help. In an ice bath proper the water makes your muscles go numb, that’s even better as it means a large amount of blood has been displaced.
One word of caution, when you get out of an ice bath blood rushes back into your rapidly-warming legs and away from your brain which can cause dizziness. This isn’t physiologically damaging but it can easily cause you to lose your balance so take extra care just after an ice bath and, where possible, make sure you’re not the only person in the house.
From Tom Venuto…
Remember that movie with Jim Carey, “Dumb and Dumber?” And remember the sequel to that movie, “Dumb and Dumberer?”
Well, the low carb mania that is sweeping the globe today has reached a level beyond dumberer… It’s more like dumberererer (try to say that five times real fast)
There is an epidemic of “low carb stupidity” running rampant among millions of people throughout the world today – and fast food restaurants, food product manufacturers, supplement companies, and weight loss programs are capitalizing on it in a big way in 2004! The low carb diet is not inherently stupid, however. It can be quite beneficial within certain parameters and under the right circumstances.
The problem is that many practitioners are uninformed, misinformed, or simply lack the common sense and intuitive bodily wisdom to utilize the low carb approach intelligently. Many low-carbers don’t even know why they are on a low carb diet, they’re just following the followers. Not intelligent. Doing what everyone else is doing is always one of the surest, straightest routes to arrive at mediocrity.
Fortunately, there is such a thing as “low carb intelligence.” Hopefully, by reading my brief rant this month, you will increase your carb IQ, and soon join the ranks of the extraordinarily fit, lean and healthy “carbo geniuses”
Low carb stupidity #1
Selecting your beer or liquor carefully to make sure you have the brand with the fewest grams of carbs.
Low carb intelligence Avoiding alcohol if you’re trying to lose body fat. Drinking only in moderation if you’re trying to maintain your weight and be healthy.
Low carb stupidity #2
Believing any of the following: Low carbs diets are the only way to lose fat, low carb diets are the best way to lose fat, no one should ever eat a high carb diet, high carbs always make you fat, starches and grains make everyone sick and unhealthy.
Low carb intelligence Adjusting your approach according to your health status, your goals and your body type, not according to generalizations preached by dogmatic diet “gurus.”
Low carb stupidity #3
Going on the Atkins diet (or any other very low carb/ketogenic diet) with absolutely no idea why you’re doing it or how the diet works (going on it because “everybody” is doing it and because you see it advertised everywhere.) Low carb intelligence Studying the physiology and biochemistry of the low carb diet and completely understanding all the pros and cons. Then making an informed decision whether to restrict carbs based on your own personal goals, needs and heath status.
Low carb stupidity #4
Thinking that very low carb (ketogenic) dieting is a maintainable “lifestyle.” Low carb intelligence Understanding that reasonable (moderate) restriction of carbs can be a helpful short term strategy for fat loss, a good way to reach a peak, a legitimate method to control appetite, and an effective way for some people to control insulin. But also understanding that a balanced diet of natural foods is probably the most suitable of all the diets for health, lifelong maintenance and weight control.
Low carb stupidity #5
Believing calories don’t count if you just cut out your carbs (or not counting calories because it’s “too much work.”) Low carb intelligence Knowing that fat loss always did and always will boil down to calories in vs. calories out. Taking the time and effort to crunch your numbers (at least once), typing up your menu on a spreadsheet, keeping a diary, and/or using nutrition tracking software.
Low carb stupidity #6
Staying on a low carb diet that has stopped working (or never worked in the first place).
Low carb intelligence Adjusting your diet according to your results; understanding that a common definition of insanity (and/or stupidity) is to continue to do the same things over and over again, while expecting a different result.
Low carb stupidity#7
Believing that you don’t need exercise because all you need to do is cut carbs.
Low carb intelligence: Knowing that dieting is the worst way to lose fat and that exercise is the best way to lose fat (Burn The Fat, don’t starve the fat).
Low carb stupidity #8
Using the argument; “There’s no such thing as an essential carbohydrate” as justification for low carb dieting.
Low carb intelligence Realizing that textbook definitions of “essential” can be taken out of context to promote a fad diet and that just because there’s technically no “essential” carbohydrates (as there are essential amino acids and fatty acids) doesn’t mean carbohydrates aren’t “essential” in other respects.
Low carb stupidity #9
Using the argument, “You have to eat fat to lose fat” as justification for a high fat, low carb diet, without explaining it or putting it in context (exactly how much fat and what kind of fat?) Low carb intelligence Understanding the importance of essential and omega three fats (the good fats), but not taking any single nutritional principle to an extreme (such as, “If a little fat is good for you then a lot is even better.”)
Low carb stupidity #10
Saying, “All carbs are bad” or “All carbs are fattening.”
Low carb intelligence Avoiding generalizations, and instead, having multiple distinctions about carbohydrates (and other foods) so you can make better choices. For example: Low GI vs. high GI carbs Simple vs. complex carbs Starchy vs. fibrous carbs Natural vs. refined carbs High calorie density vs. low calorie density carbs.
About The Author
Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, freelance writer, success coach and author of the #1 best-selling e-book “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle” (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the World’s Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over 170 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN Magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Olympian’s News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. Tom’s inspiring and informative articles on bodybuilding, weight loss and motivation are featured regularly on dozens of websites worldwide. For information on Tom’s “Burn The Fat” e-book, click here. To subscribe to Tom’s free monthly e-zine, visit the Fitness Renaissance website here: www.fitren.com/subscribe.cfm
Shame on you: Five sporting frauds.
Thierry Henry’s handball left every Republic of Ireland football fan, not to say most of the impartials, incandescent with anger. Certainly it was a considerable injustice, but the following five sporting frauds certainly put it in perspective.
Sports Cheat 1: Spanish Paralympic Basketball Team
This must rank as one of the worse sport cheats in history. The 2000 Sydney Paralympics were not a complete disaster for the Spanish team. A sprinkling of medals; gold in Judo, Gymnastics, and Cycling; three silvers including a notable runner up spot in the football; and five bronze, would have seemed a reasonable haul to many nations. It was the gold they didn’t win however, which will be remembered the longest.
Spain’s paralymic basketball was rumbled by an undercover journalist who actually competed alongside them. Carlos Ribagorda revealed that official tests to establish intellectual disability had not been carried out and also claimed that teams in table-tennis, track & field, and swimming may be ineligible on the same grounds.
The accusation levelled at the basketball team led to an investigation which showed a staggering 10 out of 12 members of the squad were not, in fact, intellectually disabled. The ensuing scandal led the International Paralympic Committee to suspend eligibility based on intellectual disability and ultimately introduce new criteria. The Spanish team was stripped of their gold medals which were retrospectively awarded to, runners-up, Canada.
Sports Cheat 2: Panama Lewis
No less shocking is the case of boxing coach, Carlos ‘Panama’ Lewis.
Though still a trainer of some note today, Lewis’ career will be remembered for one sickening case of cheating which took place in 1983. Lewis was responsible for preparing the Panamanian hard man, Luis Resto, for his fight with the undefeated and highly promising Billy Collins Jr.
His preparations involved removing the padding from his fighter’s gloves and soaking the tape with which his hands were bound in plaster of Paris. What followed were, inevitably, ten of the most brutal rounds of boxing ever witnessed – it remains a tribute to Collins’ tenacity that he even survived the hammering Resto meted out with, effectively, hands of stone.
Resto won a unanimous points decision over Collins who, by the end of the fight, was nothing so much as mutilated, and it was only when Resto made the mistake of shaking hands with Collins’ father and cornerman, Billy Collins Snr, that his despicable plot was revealed.
Billy Collins Jr suffered permanent damage to his eyesight which ended his career in the ring. Some years later he was killed in a car crash which his father would claim was suicide. Resto and Lewis both received custodial sentences.
Sports Cheat 3: Michel Pollentier
Everyone gets ‘the stage fright’ from time-to-time but Michel Pollentier’s actions at a 1978 Tour de France dope test couldn’t be passed off as simply compensating for nerves.
Pollentier had stormed into the race leader’s yellow jersey with an impressive victory on L’Alpe d’Huez but it was that same stage win which would prove his undoing. Stage winners at Le Tour are always hauled into dope control. Pollentier thought he had foolproof system to get past the urine test undetected.
Using a condom filled with ‘clean’ urine and a pipe secured between his legs to simulate urinating, he attempted to give a sample to the controllers but was undone when another rider attempting the same deception had trouble with his apparatus and doctors discovered both men.
There is an unconfirmed story that, having used his wife’s urine, Pollentier’s sample revealed not only that he was drug-free, but also pregnant.
Sports Cheat 4: Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding’s name has become synonymous with cheating. Her rivalry with Nancy Kerrigan reached a spectacular climax in the run-up to the 1994 Olympic Games.
Harding, a national champion, and her husband hired Shane Stant who assaulted Kerrigan, placing her in hospital with severe knee injuries.
Harding denied any involvement but the courts disagreed and she received three years’ probation, 500 hours of community service and a $160,000 fine for her part in the incident.
Kerrigan recovered in time for the Games and went on to claim a silver medal. Harding finished eighth.
Sports Cheat 5: David Robertson
Because it is governed largely by self-regulation, Golf is a sport where ‘gamesmanship’ and cheating are often close bedfellows. Anyone who has stepped onto the links may find it hard to be overly judgmental of Robertson.
The 1985 Open in Deal, Kent, saw officials disqualify Robertson for ‘failing to replace his ball in the correct position’. A fairly unremarkable effort one might think, but Robertson makes the list due to the ingenuity and sheer audacity of his methods.
Presumably with some effort, Robertson would arrive on the green first and stoop to mark his ball. In fact, what he did was pick up the ball and, having balanced his marker on the end of his putter, he simply deposited the marker elsewhere on the green. He was said to have moved the ball up to 20 feet in some instances.
He was fined £20,000 and banned for 20 years from playing as a pro by the PGA European Tour.