Craig, what's up with the after-party shit? I just read about some chick getting fingered on the dance floor and this other guy smoking ketamine? Talk about a wild party! When is the next one?!

Yeah, well, I don't quite understand all that myself. I was hoping for this really nice write-up by Ron Harris in Muscular Development, since he was covering the party. Then I read the write-up, and he's talking about some girl getting fingered on the dance floor and somebody doing a drug called ketamine. I'd like to straighten this out right here.

First of all, when I throw on my productions, I throw them at very classy, high-level clubs with security all over the place. There's no way anybody's gonna get away with passing around a drug vial on a dance floor and snorting it without security seeing it. Unless, of course, Ron was the one doing ketamine. If he was the one doing it then I understand him writing about it, but there is absolutely no way he saw people passing around a vial without them getting caught.

We need to concentrate on the good things that these parties do for people, especially in our industry. First and foremost, they bring the athletes, the fans and the sponsors together in a casual setting where they can talk and make connections, look back on the jobs they've just done on stage, and celebrate the achievements they've just made. We don't need somebody coming to these parties and writing a total fantasy. If Ron saw anybody doing ketamine, they're not gonna tell him what they're doing! I've never even seen that at one of my parties. I'm not gonna say I haven't seen people doing drugs in nightclubs. My God, that's in every nightclub in the United States. But I don't believe anybody was f'n doing ketamine! What did Ron do? Walk up to somebody and say, "What's that? What are you snorting?" Anybody with common sense knows that unless he was snorting himself, it was totally bogus bullshit!

And, if there was a girl getting fingered on the dance floor, that happens at every night club in the United States, but nobody wants to hear about it! He wrote about it like somebody forced it upon this girl.

I will tell you something right now- if this did happen at one of my parties, I would love for this girl, if she reads my column, to drop me an e-mail so I can press formal charges on the person that did it to her! I just don't believe it happened. If in fact it did happen, or if it ever does happen, I think the girl should go to security or to the police and tell them immediately. I think it's a total fabricated lie to hype up his article, unless he saw a couple of people doing it with total consent on the dance floor. I'm just saying that anytime I'm out in a club and something like that happens, security immediately goes over and tells the people to quit. I didn't see anything remotely close to any of that going on at my party. All I saw was people having a good time! If somebody was fuckin' on the dance floor, I would have heard about it immediately. Everybody runs up to me and tells me what's going on, especially if a girl was crying.

Now, I don't doubt that a girl got fingered on the dance floor. Like I said, that happens at every nightclub and I have no control over anything like that. But seriously, if somebody was fuckin' on the dance floor at the House of Blues, they would have been arrested immediately. People would have been screaming "Omigod, look at that!" It's ridiculous! I know for a fact that there was no pro bodybuilder on the dance floor having sex. I am absolutely positive that was a total fabrication.

In the write-up, the way Ron describes his wife and talks about her is not only disrespectful, but it makes him look foolish, to say the least. Talking about how every black man in Mandalay Bay wanted to fuck his wife's brains out!? To talk about your wife in that manner in a column is not only disrespectful to your wife, but the racial remarks were totally uncalled for. If you can't bring your wife to a party and handle men hitting on her, then I suggest you don't bring your wife to a party. That will happen in any nightclub in the United States. I don't think Ron should be proud about the way he talked about his wife at all. You don't say those things about your wife, no matter how fine you think she is. You just say, "My wife looks beautiful. Men were all over because she was gorgeous." You don't have to go into explicit detail. It's crazy!

I thought Ron's article was disgusting. Ron has written columns on me before, and I by no means want to burn any bridges here with any writers, but I don't want that kind of coverage at my parties. I don't believe what was written. I didn't see anything he wrote about.

The night of the party, Ron came to my wife and thanked her for the party on the dance floor, said he and his wife were having a great time and he was coming to the next party. He was so messed up when he came up to my wife that she had to back up a second because he was spitting in her face! What's so sad about the whole thing is that he thinks he did a good write-up and that it was exciting, cool and good for the party. It's not! It was an absolute travesty for my party. I don't need those kinds of write-ups and I don't appreciate it. Until a retraction is printed, Ron Harris is not going to be allowed at one of my parties. And that's it.

Any other write-ups I've seen about the party talked about how much fun they had, how many people were there, how many girls were there, how many beautiful people were there and how much it was an asset to the sport. Ron writes about drug abuse and girls getting fingered on the dance floor, and I don't appreciate it. You know, Muscular Development should look at that. They're one of the sponsors of the party. They don't need that kind of write-up either. As good a writer as Ron is, this has made him look foolish and I am very disappointed. That's all I'm gonna say about it.

DEADLY PROTEIN
I'm on the bodybuilding path. Right now, I'm consuming 200 or more grams of protein a day and maintaining a low-carb intake. But my girlfriend is a registered dietician and she's telling me my protein intake is dangerously high and could cause internal damage. Is this true?

If you're training to be a professional bodybuilder, or even an amateur bodybuilder, that means your activity level is higher. Common sense will tell you that if you're training and you're tearing down muscle and rebuilding muscle, of course your protein intake can be higher. You're gonna need more protein to heal more muscle. If you're an Average Joe, yeah, the amount of protein you're taking in may seem way too high. However, this is the viewpoint of the "mainstream" dietician who may not understand the concept of bodybuilding. Your protein intake is fine as long as you are training hard and building muscle. Now, if you are trying to build muscle, I am not one who believes in a low-carbohydrate diet. I think high carbs and high protein is better all around for building muscle.
You see, your girlfriend is looking at it as a registered dietician who has been taught and educated for the general public, and the mainstream public is not active like bodybuilders are. To her it looks like you're eating way too much protein, but that's not the case at all. Dieticians today are being educated to help people who are not bodybuilding. But, again, as a bodybuilder, you need extra protein and your body can assimilate it quite easily.

THE KILL ZONE
Craig, how's your training going? I can't wait to see you compete again because you improve with every single show. If you keep it up and your placings go up, who knows how high you can get! I keep reading that you're a fan of the 12-20 rep range. Do you think all trainers should use this training style? Do you use this range for all muscles year-round?

First of all, thanks for noticing that I improve with every show. Since I came back to the sport in 2000, I've told everybody I will improve every time I walk on stage, and there will come a day when I am top five in the world. I don't care who I have to surpass, it will happen. I told a lot of people that 2003 would be a good year for me, but 2004 will really be the year that I pass a couple of gentlemen up. I'm going to actually get in the mix and start leaving an impression on the judges and be known as a force. That's what's gonna happen this year. I know it. I can see it in the mirror. I know who I can beat and who I can't beat.

Unfortunately, right now I have the flu, and I've had it for three days. I went to the doctor this morning and I'm stuck lying on the couch with my laptop for the next few days to try to get over it. But at nine weeks out, I'm in five-week condition, so I'm fine as far as my training's going. In a couple of days the flu will be over with and I'll be right back at it.

Anybody who's reading this column right now will be seeing me at the Arnold Classic on March 6, and that's when I'm gonna present the new Craig Titus, who's taken the last year off to prepare for this show. I specifically skipped the Olympia to put on more muscle and to carve, separate and make my muscle more grainy. I plan on placing well in the top five, but my goal is the top three. By the way I looked in the mirror as of yesterday, I truly believe that if the show is judged on how the people look who are in the show- not on names or past appearances- I will be in the top three.

Anyway, about the rep range, yes, I am a firm believer in high reps, but with high intensity. I call it blood volume training, as many of you know. The whole idea is to force as much blood into the muscle as possible in the shortest amount of time. When you do a set and you force blood into the muscle, you should wait a short period of time and do another set. What's happening is that you're forcing more blood in before the blood has even had a chance to release from the muscle! Therefore, you get better growth, better density and better volume. That's what I shoot for when I train. It's the kill zone as far as muscle building goes.

I use a 12-20 rep range all year ‘round and I wait about 45 to 55 seconds between sets. All trainers should try it and see how they like it. The first time I tried it, I absolutely loved it. Now, I might go two or three months like that and then I'll go a week or two with some max weights and heavy, low-rep sets. Remember, though, everybody's different, and you've got to see if it works for you. Give it a couple of months to see how it goes.

THE MAN IN BLACK
‘Sup, Craig? You look better than ever, man! I wanted to get your reaction to the news of the deaths of John Ritter and Johnny Cash. Keep kickin' ass on and offstage!

Any time you lose people that have had such a positive effect on other individuals' lives, it's a tragedy. These two gentlemen, they've done so much good in the world and they created so much good and happiness in people's lives. It really reminds you that everybody's gonna die someday and that nobody's immortal. It's just something you have to put behind you and remember them for what they were. They were just really classy individuals and they will be missed. For me, personally, John Ritter will be missed in my household because I can remember him making me laugh many, many, many times over the years. Of course, I'll never forget Johnny Cash's Christmas songs during the holiday season.

ONE SQUAT, ONE GROWTH
I'm in the 82nd Airborne Division currently deployed in Iraq. I have always been a fan of bodybuilding and a big fan of yours. They just opened a gym for us over here and I've been taking advantage of our equipment. I'm trying to build muscle, but I have two bad knees. I would love to hear your advice on supplements as well as ways to build my legs without doing more damage to my knees. P.S. Congratulations on beating Kamali! Hopefully, that will shut him up!

First, and foremost, my props to you, your entire regiment and the entire military over there in Iraq. You guys are doing an awesome job and you have my mad respect. My hat's off to you all.

My training style is perfect for the problem you have with your knees because I do 12 to 20 reps, but I don't use maximum weight. What I would suggest if you are training extremely heavy is to change the weight to moderate, go for a higher rep range and shoot for more blood volume so you don't risk injuring your knees. They'll get a chance to heal. Maybe, later on, if you're not having any more problems, you can go a little heavier. I think, however, that you'll find the 12 to 20 rep range is going to be very effective.

If you're having trouble with your knees, I don't suggest doing hack squats. I would suggest any kind of leg press, possibly a front squat and leg extensions. Those are great quad exercises without causing any further injury. You must do leg extensions first to make sure there's a lot of blood in and around the joints before you go on to your other exercises. I would do 16 sets, 12 to 20 reps a set.
Here's a sample routine, CT style:

Exercise Sets Reps
Leg extensions
(medium weight)
16 sets
12-20 reps

Front Squat
(medium weight)
16 sets
12-20 reps

Thank you for your comments on beating Kamali. Kamali is a formidable opponent and there's no telling what will happen in the future. I know the guy is going to be in shape, so hopefully, I can just continue to move up the ladder and continue to leave Kamali behind me. Only time will tell, and as far as work ethic and drive go, he's a good bodybuilder. We will see what happens.