Cyber Wars: Kai vs Dexter vs Phil......THE FLEX CRITIQUE By Flex Wheeler CYBER WARS, OLYMPIA EDITIONAlong with the Cutler-Wolf showdown, the Jackson vs. Heath matchup is one of the most eagerly anticipated duels for September’s Olympia. Dexter came out ahead once more at the Arnold, but clearly Phil has made up serious ground. But an even greater portent for the future unveiled itself when at that same show, Kai Greene surprised everyone and established himself as a definite threat with a controversial third-place finish (some, myself included, thought he should have been second). He then rode that wave of momentum to sweep the field at New York and notch his second pro victory. On the heels of this overwhelming performance, there’s no denying that he’s earned a spot, along with the aforementioned names, as a pre-game favorite. So this month, as the countdown begins to bodybuilding’s Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics all rolled into one, MD’s Kai Greene faces off against rivals Dexter Jackson and Phil Heath in an unprecedented edition of Cyber Wars, the Olympia Edition. It’s two against one, but the Predator has the arsenal and the heart to fight to the finish. Let the games begin!
Dexter “The Blade” Jackson5’7”
230 pounds
Thick, detailed back
Striated delts
Peeled hams and glutes
Flowing lines
Perfect shape and symmetry
2-0 vs. Phil
1-0 vs. Kai
Kai “The Predator” Greene5’8”
258 pounds
Magnificent guns
Wheels from hell
Wide, thick, full back
Supersized his physique while retaining terrific lines and shape
Stripped glutes and hams
0-1 vs. Dexter
0-3 vs. Phil
Phil “The Gift” Heath5’9”
230 pounds
.50 caliber guns
Cannonball delts
Brick-thick roundness
Shredded glutes and hams
0-2 vs. Dexter
3-0 vs. Kai
Never before have I pitted three such equally matched combatants. It’s not a matter of apples and oranges. This isn’t mass versus aesthetics. All three are shape freaks with extreme conditioning. Kai, Phil and Dexter are obviously cut from the same cloth. But each has his unique strengths and weaknesses and it is these minute disparities that will spell the difference between victory and defeat.
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SYMMETRYKnown for their symmetry.
No apparent weaknesses.
The Verdict: TIE
SHAPEA hallmark of their physiques.
All possess incredible roundness and fullness, but Phil is exceptional.
The Verdict: PHIL
PROPORTIONNo glaring weaknesses for Phil or Kai, but with the exception of calves, Dexter is a little bit more solid.
The Verdict: DEXTER
MASSExcellent degree of size relative to their frames.
With his wider structure, Kai carries the most muscle and displays greater thickness and depth.
The Verdict: KAI
CONDITIONINGThe “ace in the hole” for all three.
Kai and Phil are more or less even, but neither man has the consistent crispness of The Blade’s trademark.
The Verdict: DEXTER
POSINGIt could go either way…get serious! No contest.
The Verdict: KAI
Now we come to the comparisons. Kai takes center stage, with Jackson and Heath flanking. They strike the first pose…
FRONT DOUBLE BICEPSAll three men are very impressive out of the gate. Fabulous guns all around, with each one different from the next. Kai has the quintessential split baseball biceps with the highest peaks. Phil’s are more football shaped but they, too, have a deep split and stand up high in their own right. Dexter’s are round and full. All three have sweeping triceps. Ditto for tight waists and flaring quads. Kai and Phil have a slight edge in thigh separation over Dexter, but Heath lacks their taper.
The Verdict: KAI
With each man so close to utter perfection, it’s nearly impossible to pick a clear favorite. But Kai edges out Phil with greater taper and he beats Dexter with overall size and deeper quad cuts to draw first blood.
SIDE CHESTAlthough both Kai and Phil both need a little more work on their chests, it doesn’t seem to be hurting them in this pose; great thickness throughout Phil’s upper body with striations radiating outward from his pecs. Kai’s a little fuller in the outer pecs and has more volume, thanks to his structure. Dexter is balance personified, with one of the most proportionate pecs in the business. All three have alien separation and striations to their wheels, with Kai taking the cake for sheer hanging-off-the-bone muscle.
The Verdict: DEXTER
This one was oh so close. Kai got the better of Phil with his size and fullness, but then got sliced by the Blade’s sharp edges. He’s got the most pleasing lines of all three (which is saying a lot, in this company).
FRONT LAT SPREADVery different shots all the way around. Phil’s highlights his overall thickness, while Dexter’s is all about detail. But Phil’s lack of overall width and Dexter’s high insertions are readily apparent, too. Kai has both with lats that go down low from east to west.
THE VERDICT: KAI
As he unfurls his lats to push Dexter and Phil aside, it’s apparent that he’s got what the other two lack, along with the same degree of separation and striations. Coupled with his powerful legs, he’s got the desired X-frame locked.
SIDE TRICEPSTalk about horseshoes! All three have tremendous triceps. Phil and Kai exhibit the kind of cross-striations reminiscent of the great Samir Bannout when he captured the Olympia in 1983. Dexter’s lateral heads are very prominent. Of course, quads, hams and glutes are flawless on all three.
THE VERDICT: PHIL
Dexter tries to topple Kai, but has a hard time due to the bigger man’s size. But Kai has his own problems with Phil. I’ll never get tired of saying it, but the Gift is nearly unbeatable here with those striated, ham-hock triceps and split wheels. The rest of his upper body maintains its thickness nicely.
REAR LAT SPREADLet’s start south of the border. Phil has those unreal calves and Kai’s aren’t too shabby, either. Dexter must step aside to these two gentlemen in this respect. But from there, it’s pretty much a dead heat. All three have carved-out hams and deeply etched striations across their glutes. It’s perpetually Christmas with these three lower backs. From there though, things get interesting. Phil has done a terrific job of bringing up his back, but it’s still not on par for total width. Dexter has done the impossible and improved his back despite being in the later stages of his career (and some would argue his best). I was shocked at the newfound width to his wings at the Arnold. Kai’s rear lat spread is one of his most impressive shots. Will it be enough to topple his adversaries?
THE VERDICT: KAI
With lats that insert into his hips and spread out to either side of the stage, Kai takes the prize. He’s got the most width and fullness along with all the details.
REAR DOUBLE BICEPSPhil’s back has yet to display the muscle maturity of his legendary delts and arms. That’s one of the reasons he lost out to Dexter at the Arnold— and the reason he will eventually lose out to Kai. Kai is spectacular with width, thickness and low insertion points. He’s got great separation and definition from top to bottom. Dexter’s back, particularly the twin anacondas snaking up his spine, is a work of art. It’s thick, with some of the most intricate details in the sport.
THE VERDICT: DEXTER
The Predator preys on the Gift’s lack of width and depth. He then stands back-to-back with Jackson, each straining to outdo the other. Kai has the overall size advantage. However Dexter’s greater separation and detail can’t be denied.
ABS & THIGHAll three men have tight waists, but Phil’s lats tend to disappear in this pose and Kai has a bit of a short torso, which can make his waist lean toward the blocky side. All three have excellent quad mass, with Kai obviously in the lead, though Dexter’s separation is slightly behind the other two.
THE VERDICT: DEXTER
Dexter has the smallest waist and the deepest abs and serratus to take this pose.
MOST-MUSCULAREach man is stupendous in all variations on this theme. Super mass overrun with lines and striations.
THE VERDICT: DEXTER
Heath’s arms are overpowering his torso and Greene’s still in need of greater chest and delt mass, while Jackson is sheer perfection. Dense, sculpted beef rampant with fissures and cracks covering every inch of his frame gives him the victory.
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WINNER DEXTER JACKSONIt was close, but in the end the seasoned perfection of The Blade was too sharp for the Predator— for now. Overall, Dexter has superior lines and polish. His physique is the epitome of the classical ideal. Phil is coming up, but at this stage, Kai is closer to narrowing the gap on Dexter. To take that final leap, he will need to focus on refinement rather than size. He’s got enough mass to avoid being out-muscled. Given his structure, the size game would be a mistake. He needs to bring up his chest and delts while keeping his waist drum tight. The overall package, particularly conditioning, will take him closer to that elusive top spot. I can’t wait to see what happens in the real world when these warriors take the stage in September.
Tema: Cyber Wars: Kai vs Dexter vs Phil......THE FLEX CRITIQUE By Flex Wheeler (Pročitano 10224 puta)