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 By: Kris Gethin
Texas is polluted, dangerously so. It was ranked the highest in carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 out of all 50 states, fifth-highest in sulfur dioxide emissions, and third-highest in nitrous oxide emissions. At a rapidly increasing rate a distinctive amount of muscle has also intoxicated the Texas population bringing the attention of the bodybuilding world to the place these colossal cowboys call home. Texans hope on a massive scale such as some of its mantels of muscle like Johnnie Jackson, Quincy Taylor and of course, the big nasty - Ronnie Coleman, but... Today I want bring your attention to another one of its residents - Branch Warren. Not that you need any persuasion to draw your attention to him as he has the natural ability to fixate onlookers only like a hypnotherapist can. Branch doesn't swing a pendant though, he backpacks 254lbs of Texan prime beef that has been fed on steaks the size of Volkswagens and heaves murderous amounts of weight within the confounds of the Metro Flex gym that tally to numbers greater than Chris Cormier's recent medical bill. Bodybuilding.com interacted with the mighty beast merely a week prior to the competitor feast he was about to chew on at the 2006 Olympia. The following is an in-depth interview conducted with Warren as he relaxed in his Texan habitat minutes after one of his murderous workouts in the sweltering heat in Brian Dobson's hardcore hangout - Metro Flex gym.
[ BW ] Some people think I am very shy. I'm not shy at all, I'm just very quiet. My wife would probably be better at answering this but I would have to say I am focused, extremely intense and a hard worker. When I'm not working I like to go fishing and camping, and very seldom do me and my wife ever talk about bodybuilding.
[ BW ] I can go one better than that - we are planning to go on a bear hunting trip soon in Mexico.
[ BW ] Some people have said to me that I should have won it but Jay has some awesome legs and I think it could've gone either way.
[ BW ] I think it could be because sometime after that show I took a break and I had other commitments to attend to, and on top of that I have suffered some injuries, but now that I have the stability in my life to be a full time Pro bodybuilder I am able to make my leaps and bounds.
[ BW ] Yes you will. I can break it down like this. I weighed in at 238lbs for the Arnold in March and when I weighed myself this morning a week out for the Olympia, I am at the same body fat weighing in at 254lbs.
[ BW ] I'm not looking forward to it because it means holding the condition a little longer. It doesn't pose a concern for me at all because we are all in the same boat and I did it without a problem as an amateur when I competed at the Nationals.
[ BW ] Not really. I just have to wait a little longer before I can eat or drink.
Do you fear that these ferocious workouts will result in the magnitude of injuries "The Shadow" endured or possibly the amount Sandow trophies he collected? [ BW ] I hope the latter. I have had my fair share of injuries in the past that I think is a direct result of my training style but I actually feel better now than I ever have. I am more conscious now to do everything I can to keep injuries to a minimum, for instance I will have weekly chiropractic care and muscle activation technique manipulation on a regular basis. I warm-up rigorously and always stretch out. I used to warm-up with 315lbs on bench press but these days I will start with a single 45Ib plate on each side.
[ BW ] I think it's all of the above. I haven't really spoken to Dorian but from what I have read about him and witnessed from his training video we both train similar and push ourselves 100% at 100% of the time and this is probably a major contributing factor to why I display the grainy condition like Dorian.
[ BW ] I have no immediate plans to move. I have recently bought a very nice house here in Texas and all of my friends and family are here, but in the future, if we want to try living in another part of the world for a while, Australia will definitely be the place.
[ BW ] I get into my vehicle which used to be my Hummer but now that has been traded for a Yukon. I drink a cup of strong coffee on the way to Metro Flex gym whilst listening to some crazy heavy metal and thinking about what I want to look like next time I stand on stage. It's a 20 minute drive to the gym so by the time I get there I'm ready to go to war.
[ BW ] No I don't. My training regime is constantly changing so I don't log anything down.
[ BW ] I have my own gym, my wife and I have a freight company that delivers throughout the world which takes up a big chunk of our time.
[ BW ] (Laughs) I don't think I want to reveal that one Kris.
[ BW ] When I was a teenager I wanted to get big so bad that I took someone's advice and ate every piece of junk I could find - pizza, burgers, ice cream you name it. It was immediately after a show, I went from 185Ib to 220Ib in the space of a week and as a result I felt absolutely miserable. I quickly came to my senses and stopped eating for an entire day and went to the gym to do some cardio before getting into a realistic routine.
  Click Image To Enlarge. Gorging On Junk Food Won't Give You These Results. View More Pics Of The 2006 Arnold Here.
[ BW ] I have an awesome training partner (Jay Moore) and I don't want to down play him at all but I think my training would remain the same whether they are there or not - balls to the wall!
[ BW ] Here you go again asking me to predict. You know I don't predict Kris but I have just got off the phone from Johnnie who is in Atlantic City about to compete there. I wish him all the luck and I always root for him unless I'm competing in the same show, so if I got first and he got second that would be the perfect finish in my eyes.
Atlantic City Pro Top 5 Results
 Click Image To Enlarge. Johnnie Jackson At The Atlantic City Pro. View More Pics From The Atlantic City Pro Here.
[ BW ] It's on July 7th 2007 in Houston Texas. It's called the Branch Warren bodybuilding, fitness and figure extravaganza. There will also be a powerlifting competition there that will receive cash prizes. If anyone is interested in participating they can call Brian Dobson of Metro Flex gym who is co-promoting the show with me on (817) 465 9331. I will also have regular info in my column every month in Muscular Development as well as a small feature in an upcoming FLEX publication.
 Click Image To Enlarge. You Can Find Regular Info In My Column. View More Pics Of The 2006 Arnold Here.
[ BW ] First and foremost, my wife who has made a huge impact on my life in the last couple of years. Brian Dobson of Metro Flex gym and I would like to thank my mother for teaching me a lot. It took me time to figure her advice out, but she was right.
[ BW ] (Laughs) I don't think I do.
[ BW ] Yes, when I was on my honey moon in Australia after the G.P. there. I went into the spaw with my wife and I was told a manicure would be good to get the Pro Tan off. But when she started digging at my toes I had to quit.
[ BW ] Man, I have had all sorts of weird sexual emails.
[ BW ] (Laughs) I don't sing bro. The girliest CD I own would have to be Christina Aguilera.
[ BW ] My wife. She's a figure competitor.
[ BW ] No problem Kris. Good questions by the way.
Branch Warren is a man that is not easily penetrated. Beholding this mutation of muscle within the confounds of Metroflex gym is like encountering a desperate wild animal that has just been fitted with restraints. I was fortunate enough to have an up close and personal account of Warren's excessive force recently when I had the fearful privilege of torturing my triceps with him whilst I was in Texas for the Europa Super Show.
 Click Image To Enlarge. Up Close With Branch. "Come on muthaf#@*%r" he frequently screamed at himself to enrage his spirit before using the Dip Machine like a one night stand. If Branch was trying to impress me he did so quite convincingly by braking the machines plate bar due to the hefty amount of poundage he had stacked on that totaled more numbers than Chris Cormier's recent medical bill.
 Click Image To Enlarge. Now That's Impressive. With members like Ronnie Coleman, Johnnie Jackson and Branch Warren combined, Metroflex owner Brian Dobson may have to consider playing Celine Dion through the gym whilst subsiding the uncontrollable animals with a delicate dash of relaxing Lavender if he would like to keep the his weights pen intact.
Writing and photography - Kris Gethin.
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