Publisher’s Letter: Growth Spurt

Welcome to the biggest issue in IRONMAN's 66-year history. Yes, it's our annual swimsuit spectacular, and as usual Mike Neveux has raised the standard of creativity and photographic excellence. Because of the extraordinary size of the magazine we're able to have 50 pages of Mike's best-of-the-best photos, starting on page 174. Particularly noteworthy, not only for her beauty but also for her overall fitness lifestyle, is our cover model, Jennifer Micheli, who at almost 40 years of age shows what a lifetime of exercise and careful diet can create. She's a mother of three and an inspiration to all who aspire to lead the bodybuilding-and-fitness lifestyle.

Dan Gwartney, M.D., is an excellent bodybuilder and an extraordinary writer and scholar. Dr. Dan is one of a handful of authors in our field who combine the Platonic ideal of a strong mind and a strong body. Some very intelligent people are unable to distill the complex into the understandable for the rest of us, but Dr. Dan can. He's highly educated, with a creative mind, and he's also a pragmatic bodybuilder, a combination that has made him a great asset to the bodybuilding world in general and IRONMAN in particular. Unfortunately for IRONMAN, Dr. Dan has decided to redirect his energies and will no longer write for this publication. I remain a personal friend and admirer, and I wish him the very best in the future. He says good-bye on page 26.

IRONMAN has always been a believer in the fundamentals of bodybuilding. In Train to Gain on page 32 and the all-dumbbell workouts in the features that begin on pages 154 and 166, we revisit the extraordinary muscle-building potential of the power rack and the complete adaptability of the 'simple' dumbbell. As Vince Gironda once said, 'The dumbbell looks dumb, but you have to be smart to use it properly.' The two dumbbell features plus the information on the power rack will help you safely and swiftly reach your bodybuilding goals. They kick off an ongoing series that will help you get the most from these unmatched tools.

For those who thought Heavy Duty was gone forever with the passing of Mike Mentzer, you'll be happy to see that it's back in our pages. John Little, respected author of many books on bodybuilding, including Power Factor Training, is taking the high-intensity reins. Mike and John had a mutual admiration and respect for one another, and once the series gets going, I'm sure you'll agree that John is a worthy heir to Mike's Heavy Duty legacy. In the coming months John plans to cover Ray Mentzer's HIT training theories and Mike's intense sessions at Gold's Gym, Venice, with Dorian Yates, complete with candid photos. We think Mike would approve 100 percent.

The Mr. and Ms. Olympia contests are the ultimate professional bodybuilding competitions, and this year's brought the sport to a new high water mark, along with real controversy. The return of Juliette Bergmann to the competition stage after a 12-year hiatus and the near upset of Ronnie Coleman by Jay Cutler were the high and low points of the show, respectively. For Juliette it was not only a triumphant return but also a realization of her physique's almost unlimited potential. Jay got second place but secured his place in the fans' hearts as they gave him a winner's ovation. For the first time in his career Ronnie Coleman was booed. Of course, Ronnie was not responsible for his placing, the judges were. Ronnie and Jay remained composed, and they will go head to head again. The question remains: What does it take to unseat the champion? Our contest reports begin on page 260. You can also go to www.ironmanmagazine.com and click on our Contest Coverage to check out the hundreds of photos there and decide for yourself. We'll have more on the controversy in the next issue, when we present an in-depth interview with Jay Cutler.