MARIO STRONG'S NATURAL MUSCLE NEWS

2015-12-31T05:13:00.000-10:00

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2015-12-31T03:17:00.007-10:00

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MARIO STRONG SPEAKS

2010-04-09T04:45:00.005-10:00

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Host Alex Lubarsky interviews Mario Strong on various topics including: bodybuilding, steroids, nutrition, training, longevity, and the medical field.

REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

2010-04-08T01:02:00.005-10:00

The embodiment of personal responsibility, discipline, and commitment to a life built on the foundations of optimal wellbeing and impressive corporal aesthetics. Mario Strong's book tells the story of a mans life, his trials, disappointments and inspiring successes in the pursuit of becoming a champion in the field of bodybuilding, a sport that later had to have "Natural" preface the name to differentiate it from the drugs that came to soften its chiseled and Herculean image.

Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder is a human-interest story about one man's insight into the world of bodybuilding. This compelling book explores how Staten Island bodybuilder Mario Strong implements his passion for natural bodybuilding to achieve his quest of health, strength, and longevity. However, his path towards accomplishing these goals is seen not without obstacles as he chronicles his unique history in a sport filled with nostalgia, hope, humor, ego, deceit, pharmaceuticals, pain, and death. Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder also features tons of beneficial advice. From muscle-building workouts to fat-loss programs, you will find its in-depth natural bodybuilding guide not only informative, but also entertaining and inspirational as well. This fully illustrated book is a must read for the layman and athlete alike!

AVAILABLE HERE

JIMMY WHITE VICTORIOUS AGAIN

2010-04-07T02:38:00.004-10:00

Staten Island bodybuilding champion Jimmy White returned to the physique stage after more than two decades away from the spotlights. The FDNY firefighter lit up the stage with a combination of flawless presentation and balanced muscularity to capture the much sought after over-45 division of the NPC New Jersey State Championships. The 46 year old, natural-for-life bodybuilder, marveled the audience as he narrowly missed winning the overall novice title. Jimmy now qualifies to compete in the NPC Masters Nationals.

JOHN FAMA HELPED COACH JIMMY WHITE INTO WINNING FORM

REMEMBERING JACK LALANNE

2010-01-29T04:20:00.000-10:00

I was shocked to hear the sad news of Jack's passing. It seemed as if he would be with us forever. He will be missed, greatly. The following is an excerpt from my book, "Mario Strong: Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder." THE GODFATHER OF FITNESS As a youngster during the early 1960s, I would watch a fellow that wore a fitted jumpsuit, and who occasionally was accompanied by his wife and dog. During the daily morning program, he would jump up and down while inhaling and exhaling to musical sounds. This person intrigued me and every morning I would join my mother in performing the exercises that this fitness buff was demonstrating. Each morning before school, I would get a couple of chairs and place them in front of the black and white television set in the living room. When the show began, we were ready to perform the various exercises exactly as directed by this robust individual. For me, it was my first attempt at any form of proper exercise. I was just a kid and the only exercise I ever got was playing ball or running from my father when I did something wrong. However, this man made me curious and I began asking myself what this exercise stuff was all about. He always seemed cheerful, vibrant, and full of life. This is something that I also wanted to possess and as the years passed, the seeds of fitness he planted inside of me grew into a strong oak tree that still flourishes today. More than a half century after this natural for life bodybuilder first became a household name, Jack LaLanne, is still going strong as he and his wife, Elaine, continue to inspire millions of people worldwide as to the benefits of proper exercise, nutrition, and good, clean living. Thanks Jack, for being a shining inspiration when I needed it. - Mario Strong

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jack LaLanne was prodding Americans to get off their couches and into the gym decades before it was cool. And he was still pumping iron and pushing fruits and vegetables decades past most Americans' retirement age. The fitness fanatic ate well and exercised — and made it his mission to make sure everyone did the same — right up to the end at age 96, friends and family said. LaLanne died Sunday at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast, longtime agent Rick Hersh said. The cause was respiratory failure due to pneumonia. "I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for," Elaine LaLanne, LaLanne's wife of 51 years and a frequent partner in his television appearances, said in a written statement. Lalanne, who had heart valve surgery two years ago, maintained a youthful physique and joked in 2006 that "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my image." "He was amazing," said 87-year-old former "Price is Right" host Bob Barker, who credited LaLanne's encouragement with helping him to start exercising often. "He never lost enthusiasm for life and physical fitness," Barker told The Associated Press on Sunday. "I saw him in about 2007 and he still looked remarkably good. He still looked like the same enthusiastic guy that he always was." LaLanne credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform others' lives, too. "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne said. "Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."

Jack LaLanne poses at home with a replica statue of himself

His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s. LaLanne and his dog Happy encouraged kids to wake their mothers and drag them in front of the television set. He developed exercises that used no special equipment, just a chair and a towel. He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer. When he turned 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show. At 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco — handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat. Ten years later, he performed a similar feat in Long Beach harbor. "I never think of my age, never," LaLanne said in 1990. "I could be 20 or 100. I never think about it, I'm just me. Look at Bob Hope, George Burns. They're more productive than they've ever been in their whole lives right now." Fellow bodybuilder and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger credited LaLanne with taking exercise out of the gymnasium and into living rooms. "He laid the groundwork for others to have exercise programs, and now it has bloomed from that black and white program into a very colorful enterprise," Schwarzenegger said in 1990. In 1936 in his native Oakland, LaLanne opened a health studio that included weight-training for women and athletes. Those were revolutionary notions at the time, because of the theory that weight training made an athlete slow and "muscle bound" and made a woman look masculine. "You have to understand that it was absolutely forbidden in those days for athletes to use weights," he once said. "It just wasn't done. We had athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out. "It was the same with women. Back then, women weren't supposed to use weights. I guess I was a pioneer," LaLanne said. The son of poor French immigrants, he was born in 1914 and grew up to become a sugar addict, he said. The turning point occurred one night when he heard a lecture by pioneering nutritionist Paul Bragg, who advocated the benefits of brown rice, whole wheat and a vegetarian diet. "He got me so enthused," LaLanne said. "After the lecture I went to his dressing room and spent an hour and a half with him. He said, 'Jack, you're a walking garbage can.'' Soon after, LaLanne constructed a makeshift gym in his back yard. "I had all these firemen and police working out there and I kind of used them as guinea pigs," he said. He said his own daily routine usually consisted of two hours of weightlifting and an hour in the swimming pool. "It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a daughter, Yvonne. Associated Press writer Polly Anderson contributed to this report.

*****

FILE - In this Feb. 20, 1980 file photo, Jack LaLanne pumps iron in the gym in his home in Hollywood, Calif. LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down and pump iron for decades before exercise became a national obsession, has died. He was 96. (AP Photo, File)

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FILE - In this March 5, 2005 file photo, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, jokes around with fitness expert Jack LaLanne after presenting LaLanne with the Schwarzenegger lifetime achievement award the finals of the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down and pump iron for decades before exercise became a national obsession, has died. He was 96. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File) ******

FILE - In this Oct. 15, 1979 file photo, American physical fitness buff and showman Jack LaLanne marks his 65th birthday by towing 65 boats a mile on Japan's Lake Ashinoko near Hakone, southwest of Tokyo. LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down and pump iron for decades before exercise became a national obsession, has died. He was 96. (AP Photo/Thugufumi Matsumoto, File)

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FILE - In this Nov. 7, 1975 file photo, fitness expert Jack LaLanne, 61, comes out of the chilly water after a successful swim from the Marin County side along the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco. Lalanne made the swim underwater, shackled and handcuffed, while towing a 2,000 pound-laden boat as an additional handicap. LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down and pump iron for decades before exercise became a national obsession, has died. He was 96. (AP Photo, File)

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Bodybuilders See Kidney Damage With Steroids

2009-12-11T05:49:00.013-10:00

By KATIE THOMAS – New York Times
Published: December 9, 2009

Many competitive bodybuilders take anabolic steroids to achieve their freakishly exaggerated physiques. That is no secret. But steroids can be only one part of an extreme regimen that can wreak havoc on the body.
Human growth hormone, supplements, painkillers and diuretics can also be used to create the “shrink-wrapped” muscles so prized in the aesthetic. And the high concentration of muscle mass puts stress on the body, as if the lifter were obese.

FLEX WHEELER

Lifting weights in the gym is “extremely healthy for you,” said Kenneth Wheeler, a former elite bodybuilder known as Flex. “But if you want to be a bodybuilder and compete at the highest level, it has nothing to do with health.” A relatively rare form of kidney disease forced Wheeler to retire in 2003 at age 37, and he needed a kidney transplant later that year.
Determining the extent of the damage that bodybuilders inflict on themselves is difficult, in part because there is little interest in financing studies on such an extreme group, and because bodybuilders are not always honest about what they take. That is why a case study published last month by a top kidney journal is generating interest in the nephrology and bodybuilding communities. It is among the first to assert a direct link between long-term steroid use and kidney disease.
The study began 10 years ago when a kidney pathologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York noticed that a bodybuilder had an advanced form of kidney disease. Curious, she started looking for similar cases and eventually studied 10 men with serious kidney damage who acknowledged using steroids. Nine were bodybuilders and one was a competitive powerlifter with a similar training routine.
All 10 men in the case series, published in November by the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, showed damage to the filters of the kidney. Nine had an irreversible disease known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis — the same disease contracted by Wheeler — even though the men in the study did not have other apparent risk factors. Their disease was worse than in obese patients with a higher body-mass index, suggesting that steroids — combined with the other practices — might be harming the kidneys.
Among the study’s most persuasive details is the story of a man, 30 years old at the time, who damaged his kidneys after more than a decade of bodybuilding. The patient’s condition improved after he stopped using the drugs, discontinued his regimen and lost 80 pounds. But it worsened after the man, who became depressed, returned to bodybuilding and steroids.
“These patients are likely the tip of the iceberg,” said Vivette D. D’Agati, the lead researcher. “It’s a risk. A significant risk.”
Several experts not affiliated with the study said that while the claims were intriguing, the study’s value was limited because it focused only on intensive steroid users and because the bodybuilders’ layered training practices had to be taken into account. “I think it’s hard to be certain what’s causing their kidney disease,” said William Bremner, chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington and an endocrinologist who studies steroids.
D’Agati said, “It’s probably multiple factors that are converging in these patients, but the common entity in all of them is anabolic steroids.”
One participant in the study, Patrick Antonecchia, 46, competed in powerlifting and strong man events for more than 25 years and said he used steroids, supplements and a high-protein diet to attain feats such as pulling a 40,000-pound truck. He ended his career and stopped using steroids about a year ago, and in February received a diagnosis of serious kidney damage. His doctors warned him not to use the drugs again. “They said: ‘Pat. Don’t. Because it comes back,’ ” he said.

PATRICK ANTONECCHIA

Antonecchia has lost about 50 pounds and said he misses the attention his 290-pound frame attracted: “The toughest thing now is it was my identity for 25 years. Now, when people see me, they say, ‘What happened to you?’ ”
Jerry Brainum writes a column for Iron Man Magazine called Bodybuilding Pharmacology and said he welcomes more research on the subject. “I found it very alarming, quite frankly,” Brainum said.
Since the 1990s, at least eight accomplished bodybuilders have died at a young age, and in addition to Wheeler, another six were forced to stop competing because of serious illness, often involving kidney disease.
The main source of information for bodybuilders is word of mouth and experimentation, Brainum said. “These guys have no guidance, they talk among themselves, and they don’t even tell the truth to each other,” he said.
The risk-taking has been made worse by a trend toward ever larger physiques among the sport’s top competitors, some said. Jay Cutler, who won the 2009 Mr. Olympia contest, weighs almost 40 pounds more than Arnold Schwarzenegger did when he won the title in 1974, even though Cutler is five inches shorter.
“Each decade you have a guy that comes along that sets new standards and you say O.K., now I’m going to have to take it to the next level,” said Shahriar Kamali, a professional bodybuilder known as King.
The International Federation of Body Building and Fitness reserves the right to test for steroids and human growth hormone at the professional level, and testing is done on a random basis, said Bob Cicherillo, athlete representative for the federation, which is the main governing body for bodybuilding.
But several bodybuilders said the testing was nearly nonexistent, and Cicherillo said he could not provide specific figures on competitors who tested positive. In addition, the chairman of the organization’s medical commission, Robert M. Goldman, is a leading champion of the anti-aging effects of human growth hormone, a drug that is banned by most sports governing bodies.
James Manion, who runs the professional division of the federation, did not return several calls seeking comment.
Some bodybuilders expressed doubt that their practices were dangerous, pointing to former competitors who are still healthy in their 70s. They attributed the deaths of elite bodybuilders to the abuse of over-the-counter painkillers and diuretics, not steroids. The bodybuilding federation tests for diuretics at professional events, although competitors said they are still used.
Bodybuilders said that they were unfairly singled out as drug abusers when athletes in most other sports were also using performance-enhancing drugs. “Like anything else, it’s use and abuse,” Cicherillo said. “We’re the ones who are visual. We’re the ones who walk around, and you see us with the big muscles.”
Wheeler said he was convinced steroid use did not cause his kidney disease, although it might have made it worse.
The patient whose case was the centerpiece of the kidney study said he was most likely predisposed to develop the condition. “The drugs weren’t the reason I got sick,” said the man, who declined to be identified because his steroid use was illegal. After taking a year off from steroids and bodybuilding because of the kidney disease, the man, age 34, is returning to competition. His symptoms have worsened, a sacrifice he said he is willing to accept.
“It’s just really hard to walk away from it,” he said. “I know I can only do this until my early 40s, so I really want to give it my all now.”

MUSCLE PARADISE

2009-09-03T06:23:00.000-10:00

THE ORIGINAL GOLD'S GYM WAS THE MECCA OF BODYBUILDING

by Sean Hyson and Brandon Guarneri

If there’s a heaven for guys who lift weights, it would have to be a re-creation of the original Muscle Beach of the ’40s and ’50s, and the bodybuilding scene in Venice, Calif., circa 1970. For a span of about 40 years, everything a guy could enjoy about the fit lifestyle was at his fingertips in Southern California. You could pump iron in a hardcore gym with your buddies all morning and chase girls on the beach all afternoon. You’d go to a restaurant, get a seven-egg omelet for a dollar, and then glance over at the next table and see Steve Reeves or Arnold Schwarzenegger looking back at you. And maybe one day, while you were showing o on the parallel bars on the beach or making a human pyramid with nine other guys, a director would stroll by and ask if you wanted to be in a movie.

Of course, a place this perfect couldn’t last. But the legacy of the eras survives, and it has transcended the bounds of Los Angeles County and the bodybuilders themselves. Their “good time” has become our everyday routine. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, every time we touch a dumbbell, cut a carb from our diet, or strike a pose for our girlfriends, we’re emulating an age in which a bunch of so-called muscleheads laid the foundation for modern fitness. And all they were trying to do was have fun in the sun.

The Cradle of MuscleWhile the exact origins of Muscle Beach are in dispute, numerous sources credit one woman with starting it all. Kate Giroux, a local physical-education teacher, convinced the city of Santa Monica in the mid-1930s to supply the public with a tumbling mat (though some argue it was just a strip of carpet) and some gymnastics equipment, such as a pommel horse and rings. The gear was set up on 200 square yards of sand just south of Santa Monica pier. “During the Depression, the only recreation for people was the beach,” says Bill Howard, a former bodybuilding champion and resident. “It was free.” Naturally, local athletes—particularly gymnasts and acrobats, at first—took notice and began using the equipment to practice their flips and tumbles in the open air, while also escaping their economic blues for a time. Regular folks began to crowd around to watch the stunts, and as the site grew in popularity, city officials supported it, ultimately installing proper weight-training equipment and a platform for stunt shows.

Around this time, Muscle Beach found its first hero, another woman, named Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton. Despite her nickname, Stockton was regarded as 118 pounds of perfect feminine proportions—muscular and strong (she once clean and jerked 135 pounds) yet lean and soft enough to make any man drool. Stockton provided perhaps the earliest evidence that lifting weights didn’t have to make women bulky or masculine but could instead give them tremendous strength and athleticism. She and her future husband, Les, were early celebrities on the beach, taking part in weightlifting contests and acrobatics displays that included hand balancing, throwing people into the air and catching them, and stacking 10 or more men toward the sky, one on top of the other. Witness the events just once, people say, and it was impossible not to want to get behind the weights and see what you could do, too.

During this time, in the midst of World War II, word of the physical and cultural anomaly taking place in Southern California began to spread across the globe. GIs on leave in Santa Monica would get an eyeful and relay pictures and stories to people they met overseas. After the war, there was a buzz practically everywhere people exercised about “this place in California where people run around with their bodies hanging out,” says Howard. Though at the time weight training and bodybuilding were considered strange pursuits adopted mostly by narcissists and insecure men, the message most were getting was that on Muscle Beach, no such rebuke existed. By the mid-’40s, everyone who trained, including bodybuilders, circus performers, and movie stunt people, was doing it in Santa Monica.

From that motley melting pot, a unique and wonderful camaraderie grew. The performers and contestants at the Muscle Beach shows (presented free of charge) made no money for their efforts, participating instead for the love of sport and for fun. Though they played to audiences of several thousand on a weekly basis, the muscle folk themselves remained a relatively niche group of around 50 members, and they exchanged health and nutrition ideas as well as gut-wrenching workouts. “People would ask us, ‘What can I do to get another inch on my arm?’ or ‘How can I get started with exercise?’” says Howard. “We were on the covers of muscle magazines that went around the world, so anybody who was interested in fitness was there.” It wasn’t long before nearby Hollywood came calling, snatching up champion lifters and bodybuilding pioneers such as Reg Lewis and Steve Reeves, and casting them as leads in the popular “sword-and-sandal” epics of the 1950s and early ’60s. And suddenly, the men lifting weights on the beach became celebrities. “It would be like you going into the gym and running into someone famous,” recalls Howard, “but it wasn’t a big deal for us. These were the people who were around you every day, and you could train with them.”

And so things continued... until one day in 1959, when Muscle Beach lost its innocence forever. A scandal erupted in which several bodybuilders were accused of raping underage girls. A week or so later, bulldozers arrived in the middle of the night and leveled everything. The particulars of the case are still highly controversial. “It’s not on any police records,” says Howard. “Many think the city squashed it.” Rumors abound: Some believe the incident was actually statutory rape between only one man and one girl; others say there were more pressing reasons for cleaning out space on the beach (such as to create parking for the city’s growing population). Since then, the conspiracy theory has only grown—especially since the charges against the accused were eventually dropped. But most people agree in the end that city leaders believed Muscle Beach had begun to attract a bad element and had to be closed.

Though one era had come to an end, weight trainers would not be out of a home for long. The seeds of bodybuilding culture had been sewn in Santa Monica, but they would grow to huge proportions just two miles south in Venice.

Bodybuilding’s New MeccaBy the early ’60s, some of the original Muscle Beach training equipment got the chance to resurface in a new facility in Venice. Nicknamed the Dungeon, the gym was a far cry from its old beachfront. Located in a basement that got no sunlight and offered only heavy weights, the locale became a refuge for hardcore bodybuilders and a harbinger of modern fitness’s transition from acrobatics to pure muscle. As such, it made the ideal training ground for many famous bodybuilders to get their start, including muscle-magazine icon Dave Draper. The camaraderie lived on as well. The Dungeon had no official owner, and everyone who trained there contributed a few dollars for rent. “It would be a horror story for anybody today,” says Draper, winner of several titles, including Mr. Universe, “because the equipment was so dilapidated. But it was wonderful to work under those circumstances. You had to improvise. You didn’t know anything better, because this was all you had.”

While the Muscle Beach lifters worked to regain their footing, other gyms began to pop up as well, all hoping to satisfy a new generation’s taste for iron. One such place was Vince Gironda’s gym in the San Fernando Valley. Of all the training gurus of the day, Gironda remains one of the most respected, as so many of his theories about exercise and nutrition have been proven true. He knew that ab exercises didn’t automatically trim the waistline and that fat intake supported testosterone. “Vince helped me win titles when I was in my 40s,” says Bill Howard, who took home the Mr. America title in 1974. “He was more into the aesthetic look of muscle,” he says. It was this change in thinking and training—a move from functional athletic skill to the idea of transforming muscle into art—that ultimately gave rise to the bodybuilding of today.

Just around the corner, the most famous and enduring training center of its time was getting its start. Gold’s Gym opened in 1965. Founded by Joe Gold, a bodybuilder who had done a stint in Mae West’s traveling male revue, Gold’s offered a unique blend of the romance and glamour that the original Muscle Beach personified and the intense bodybuilding training that made the Dungeon and Gironda’s gym such productive places to work out. “The gym was a cinder-block building with nothing on the walls and a concrete floor,” says Ric Drasin, a bodybuilder and professional wrestler who frequented Gold’s, later designing its legendary muscleman logo. At about 2,000 square feet, the gym contained some very bare-bones equipment, including homemade barbells and dumbbells—enough for about 50 guys at a time to work out with. “It was also just a few blocks from the beach,” says Joe Weider, fitness-magazine magnate and mentor to many bodybuilders of the day, “so all the champions gravitated to it.” After an intense workout, the men could walk to Venice Beach and work on their tans or show off their pumps to gawking onlookers.

It wasn’t long before Dave Draper and most of the future cast of Pumping Iron (including a 245-pound, gap-toothed Austrian) were calling Gold’s home—sometimes quite literally. Since the cash prizes in bodybuilding at that time were paltry at best, Gold allowed a number of homeless bodybuilders to sleep on the gym’s shower-room floor and even on the roof. “Joe wasn’t looking to make a lot of money,” says Draper, recalling that most of Gold’s early members weren’t even required to pay gym dues. “He was just putting a place together for the guys.”

Gold’s enormous generosity went hand in hand with his ferocious enforcement of gym rules. No music, no dropping weights, and no silly behavior, or you were out (nevertheless, stories of crazed antics remain—see “Muscle Memories,” at right, for some examples). The strict atmosphere provided for some balls-to-the-wall workouts, the likes of which set a precedent for how to conduct oneself as a bodybuilder. “The first thing that came to my mind when I walked in the first time was that I had to train harder,” says Lou Ferrigno, who had already captured back-to-back Mr. Universe titles when he arrived in 1976. “It was all blood, sweat, and tears in there.” More than a construction site for monstrous physiques, Gold’s also served as a cultural meeting ground. Whether bodybuilders arrived seeking greater motivation, the fellowship of training around icons such as Schwarzenegger, or a chance to test their resolve against that of other determined champions, men flocked to Gold’s from around the world. “And they would be accepted right off the bat,” says Drasin. “If you were from another country, that was even better. It was a melting pot of ideas, and everyone got along.” For these reasons, the gym came to be called the mecca of bodybuilding.

Muscle MediaAlthough Gold’s reputation was solid, it took Joe Weider (and his magazines Muscle Builder and Muscle Power—forefathers of our own Men’s Fitness) to cement the gym’s legendary status. In an age when bodybuilding was reviled by the media, Weider celebrated it, distributing information on the sport to newsstands around the world. “I believed that men who worked out and were strong were comparable to the ancient Greeks,” says Weider, who sold his magazine empire in 2002 and recently co-authored the book Brothers of Iron. “The Greeks did feats of strength, and our bodybuilders would more or less do the same with their workouts. I wanted to carry on the Greek tradition—building the perfect body.” By photographing bodybuilders in loincloths and sandals against the backdrop of California’s ocean and canyons, Weider created a heroic, cinematic, and indelible image of the pumped-up male body—and he sold it with great success. Arnold Schwarzenegger saw it in Austria and dedicated his life to looking the same way. Lou Ferrigno saw it in Brooklyn and did likewise. “That got our attention,” says Ferrigno. “Everyone knew that to be the best, you had to come to California and be a part of Gold’s Gym.”

Though Weider did much to publicize the benefits of training with weights, he wasn’t the first to do so. Bob Hoffman, a weightlifter, had been publishing a revolutionary fitness magazine called Strength and Health since the mid-1930s. Hoffman’s agenda was very different from Weider’s. He wanted the world to know that weightlifting (explosive lifts such as the clean and jerk and the snatch, as seen in the Olympics) was the best route to athleticism and power. (Hoffman, like the rest of the planet, believed that bodybuilding was self-indulgent and, worse, nonfunctional.) However, Weider shrewdly observed that bodybuilding training, with its attention to building each muscle group evenly and minimizing body fat, would ultimately have broader appeal. “I figured that for every one guy who wanted to lift heavy weights, there were at least 10 guys who wanted a beautiful body,” says Weider. “When World War II began, the Army took the weightlifters, and weightlifting competition was dead. That’s when bodybuilding really began to rise.” Though Hoffman continued to fight Weider and his bodybuilders, his magazine lost momentum. By the 1960s, Weider’s publications ruled the muscle media. Fitness aficionados no longer cared if you could lift 500 pounds—but it was particularly important that you looked like you could. The magazines’ focus on aesthetic body development buried the more attainable athletic look and functionality that ruled the day at Muscle Beach . Back then, physique contests were only one part of the festivities, and they usually included some exhibition of strength and flexibility in addition to muscle posing. Now bodybuilders would only be required to flex onstage. The quest for gargantuan size and sharper definition led to the popularity of then-legal anabolic steroids, and the overall health of the participants became more questionable. “I was a natural bodybuilder for 15 years,” says Bill Howard. “But then I couldn’t get into a contest. We’d lie and say to each other that we weren’t using steroids, but then we’d look at each other in the gym and think, ‘That son of a bitch is, so I’m going to, too!.”

The Golden AgeMuscle historians and fans refer to the 1960s and ’70s as the golden age of bodybuilding. It was the era of Arnold , bodybuilding’s all-time most charismatic and visible champion, and Pumping Iron, the docudrama that introduced muscle mass to the masses. The physiques were awe inspiring yet conceivably attainable, and as with Muscle Beach before it, men trained to be part of a brotherhood—not for a purse. But mostly it was a helluva fun time to be alive.

Muscle Beach had a resurrection of sorts in the Venice Beach “pit,” a small, city-run club overlooking the Pacific where bodybuilders could train outdoors again. While the serious training was still done a few blocks away at Gold’s, the pit allowed the bodybuilders to show off for crowds and work on their suntans. “They would save one for the sun,” says Howard. “After their main workout, they’d go out and do a little extra work at the pit, showboat a little, and have fun with the public.” The lifters particularly enjoyed attention from the ladies. “We didn’t really need pickup lines,” says Ferrigno. “The women felt an instant attraction—it was like having a bear for a boyfriend. They felt protected and safe with us.”

Though L.A. today is notorious for its gridlock traffic, that wasn’t so in the 1970s. “It was easy to get around,” says Drasin, and even beachfront property wasn’t out of a young man’s price range. “I paid $225 a month for two bedrooms, two baths, and a sundeck,” he recalls. “That’s probably $2,000 today.” Bodybuilding food wasn’t hard to come by, either. The men had their fill at places like Zucky’s Deli and German’s, “where you could get a seven-egg omelet with ham and cheese for a buck,” says Drasin. Afterward, they would drive to the House of Pies for dessert. And if you think they needed a lot of cardio to burn it off, think again. “We used to get lean by using higher repetitions and a strict diet,” says Howard. “If you were doing eight to 10 reps normally, you switched to 14 to 18 to get lean and hard.”

Muscle Goes MainstreamUltimately, the golden age outgrew itself. The fame that Pumping Iron, the Weider magazines, and Arnold Schwarzenegger brought to the area led to a mass influx of would-be bodybuilders and businessmen looking to capitalize on the craze. “All the guys who had made bodybuilding what it was had gotten older and moved on,” says Drasin. “New personalities began coming in. The training changed—there were more steroids. And there started to be other places to train, too. It wasn’t only in California anymore.”

But the more bodybuilding and fitness spanned the globe, the more people became nostalgic for their Muscle Beach and Venice origins. Today, these gyms and beaches are viewed by competitive bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts alike as sacred ground, giving “the mecca of bodybuilding” a more literal meaning. In 1991, Howard finally saw his beloved Muscle Beach restored when the city of Venice allowed him to refurbish and reopen the weight pit under the official name of “Muscle Beach.” He now hosts contests and shows there that are akin to what he first saw 50 years ago in Santa Monica.

Weight training today is bigger than ever, and it’s the No. 1 fitness activity among regular folks. Nutritional-supplement sales are a multibillion-dollar industry, and diet books sell millions. “Every diet you see—whether it’s the Zone or anything else—is all the same,” says Drasin. “Everything is a bodybuilder diet. It’s all about high protein and low carbs to build muscle and lose fat.” Even Gold’s Gym has worldwide appeal, with gyms in 26 countries and a membership that numbers more than three million. Ferrigno, who still trains in Venice, has come to grips with the expansion while also carrying the torch of yesteryear. “Nowadays, we have actors and rock stars and regular people working out here,” he says. “But everybody respects the bodybuilders because this is our home. We got here first.”

STATEN ISLAND TRAINER SUCCEEDS

2009-08-06T03:39:00.001-10:00

Personal Best: Linda Cuang

Ralph Barbato instructs Linda Cuang at Intoxx Fitness in Tottenville. Barbato, a personal trainer, helped Ms. Cuang lose 100 pounds in 10 months. (Staten Island Advance/Tevah Platt)

STATEN ISLAND, NY - AUGUST 2010

Hard work does pay off. Just ask Linda Cuang.

Battling a health condition, feeling hopeless and wondering if there was anything else she could do about being significantly overweight, Ms. Cuang took a major step to change her life.

Weighing over 260 pounds, Ms. Cuang, a 40-year-old Huguenot mother of four, met with Ralph Barbato, a head fitness director at a South Shore gym. Barbato, of Intoxx Fitness in Tottenville, was a perfect fit, as he knew first-hand how Ms. Cuang felt.

He had previously lost over 100 pounds on two separate occasions. He knew exactly how to work with Ms. Cuang, as long as she was willing. "She was 266 pounds," he said. "I could tell that she was hurting on the inside."

When they first met, Ms. Cuang told Barbato she wanted to lose 60 pounds. "A lot of people love the concept of losing weight, but a lot of hard work goes into it. You know who's for real and not for real," said Barbato, noting that he once helped a man in Bayonne lose over 150 pounds.

Ms. Cuang stuck with a training regimen that included working out five times a week and completely revamping how she ate. "Nutrition is about 60 to 70 percent, and the rest is exercise," according to Barbato. "We started working out and it went from there," said Ms. Cuang. "As I started seeing the results, it was easier and easier. It gave me more motivation (to keep at it)." By July, after 10 months of training, Ms. Cuang reached her limit - and beyond - by losing not just 60 pounds, but 100. "It gives me a lot of confidence, in ways you couldn't imagine," she said.

When asked what advice she has for folks looking to shed weight, she said it's best to start small, and everything else will eventually fall into place. "When I started feeling healthier with exercise, that prompted me to want to eat better, to be healthier on the outside and on the inside," Ms. Cuang said.

Barbato said Ms. Cuang is a perfect role model for others trying to lose weight, because she wasn't sure what to do at first. Once she figured it out, however, she stuck with the plan and achieved her goal, and more. People need to stay on top of their physical condition early in life, because it's harder to erase being overweight as a person gets older, Barbato cautioned.

"Stay active. Stay off the computer, stay off the video games," he said, referring to younger people.

To learn more about Ralph Barbato, go to:

Breakthrough Fitness Personal Training

Ben Weider dies at 85

2008-10-20T02:18:00.003-10:00

Ben Weider with Arnold Schwarzenegger

MONTREAL - Ben Weider, Montreal's baron of bodybuilding, who became an internationally renowned Napoleonic scholar and philanthropist, died Friday, October 17, 2008 at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.
His death comes six days before he was to inagurate the permanent gallery housing his multi-million dollar Napoleon Bonaparte artifact collection at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
He was 85.
The funeral will be 1 p.m. Monday at Papermans.
Weider published several books on Napoleon and contended that the French Emperor was poisoned in exile on St. Helena.
In his more than sixty years of involvement in bodybuilding, as Founding President of the International Federation of Body Builders (I.F.B.B.), Weider and his older brother Joe anticipated, then led, the worldwide fitness revolution and legitimized the sport of bodybuilding.
The I.F.B.B., founded by the Weiders in 1946, has more than 170 member national federations worldwide and sanctions thousands of amateur and professional competitive events.
"I don't know of anyone who, starting with nothing, who did as much as he did. He was downright heroic," said his biographer, Mike Steere. "To do what he did, to accomplish what he did in face of poverty and prejudice, is nothing short of heroic."
Ben Weider was born in Montreal Feb. 1, 1923, to Jewish Polish immigrants. He and his brother Joe dropped out of grade school to support the family and worked in garment sweatshops and restaurants before he enlisted in the Canadian Army and serving during World War II.
Originally, Weider wanted to be an architect, but because he was Jewish, he was denied entry-level positions in Montreal architecture firms,. He worked with his brother Joe to put out a physique magazine and helped him operate his mail-order business in weight lifting equipment.
Weider became the promoter and producer of physique contests and traveled the world as an ambassador of bodybuilding, introducing the sport overseas and organizing new national federations of the I.F.B.B. In 1947, Joe moved to New Jersey, later moving the U.S. Weider enterprises to Southern California, while Ben remained in Montreal.
Weider is survived by his wife, Huguette Derouin, and their three sons Louis, Eric, and Mark.
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From a 2001 interview...Ben Weider, interviewed by Rob Wilkins. Why did you and Joe decide to start the IFBB and how did you come up with the name?Joe and I founded the IFBB in 1946. We did this because the American Athletic Union (AAU), who controlled bodybuilding in Canada at the time decided at the last minute to pull a sanction and threatened to blackball any athlete who participated in our competition. This was at the behest of Bob Hoffman. We were so upset that we formed our own Federation. When was the first IFBB competition and where was it held (how many athletes were involved, how many fans attended the competition, how much did the tickets cost)?The first competition was held in 1946 in Montreal, Canada. Approximately 60 athletes participated, the theatre was packed with 1,200 people and it was organized at the National Cultural French Canadian Centre. Tickets cost $2.50 Since there were already established bodybuilding organizations, how did you persuade other countries to change their alliance and join the IFBB? It was through dedication, devotion and passion, and the supply of detailed information that gradually allowed other Federations that existed around the world to join the IFBB. What were some of your major obstacles? There were 2 major obstacles. The first one was NABBA. Eventually, we were able to break their control of bodybuilding, based on the fact that they organized a World Championships every year in London. Since their competitions were only held in London, this showed that they were not serious in regards to being an international Federation and, therefore, with time, other countries realized this and joined the IFBB. The other obstacle was that people did not accept bodybuilding as a sport. Again, we had to break down a lot of prejudice, but we succeeded. Like a prophet spreading the word of bodybuilding, how many countries have you visited during the past fifty-five years?I have been to slightly over 100 countries in the past 55 years. In respect to the IFBB, what has been your biggest success and what has brought you the most disappointment?The most difficult challenge I had was to get the IFBB recognized by the International Olympic Committee, pursuant to Rule 29 of the Olympic Charter. The background of my efforts were as follows: I had 6 meetings with Avery Brundage, the President of the IOC at the time, and he refused to grant bodybuilding recognition every time. The Lord Killanin, who replaced Avery Brundage, also refused to recognize bodybuilding in at least 9 or 10 meetings that I had with him. In fact, one evening I was at the same table with him, on a cruise on Lake Geneva, in Switzerland. The IOC had invited the Presidents of the International Sport Federations to join with the IOC officials. During the evening I asked The Lord Killanin if he would recognize bodybuilding. He said, "Sure, of course." He thereafter took a sip of his drink and said with a smile, "But over my dead body." Convincing the Russians to join the IFBB was another difficult thing I have had to do. It took a minimum of 25 years of persistence and patience to get them to accept bodybuilding. In China, it was also extremely difficult, but much easier than in Russia. Another problem was convincing all the Arab countries the importance of working in unison. At one time, they were argumentative amongst each other and not getting proper results. Through the hard work and the successful diplomatic efforts of many, I am proud to say we now have a cooperative and strong unified Arab Federation and its headquarters is in Dubai. Baron Pierre de Cobbertin, founder of the modern Olympic games, designed the interlocking circles as a representation of the Olympic movement in 1913. The IFBB also has a symbol--a man and woman striking a muscular pose, which is recognized as the symbol of the IFBB and featured on such items as the official IFBB stationary, IFBB flags, etc. What is the history of this symbol? Are the two featured athletes anyone in particular? The original IFBB crest had a male bodybuilder on it. It did not represent anybody in particular. As our sport progressed, and we included women bodybuilding, we wanted to give equal exposure to both men and women, and we, therefore, included the woman on the IFBB crest. The design was completely changed and modernized and it is still being used today. The 2-featured athletes do not represent anybody in particular. Regarding Bodybuilding and Drugs: For many years now, drugs have been one of the main issues in the sport of bodybuilding? Do you feel there is a problem with the use of performance enhancing drugs in bodybuilding? What is the IFBB doing to cut down on the number of athletes using drugs?Drugs have been a problem for bodybuilders as it has been for all sports. The IFBB follows the IOC anti-doping rules and we are making tremendous progress. All national Federations are obligated to test their athletes before they are allowed to compete. The results have been great. For example, on May 15th, I received a fax from the Antidoping Centre, Moscow, Russia, stating that the laboratory had conducted 18 random doping tests to include the category winners and all tests came back negative. These results emphatically show that the IFBB is very serious in regards to following the IOC doping program and that we will remain diligent in implementing an effective doping control program. The bottom line is that the "Get Tough" policy is being enforced by the IFBB and now starting to bear fruit. Regarding Fighting Apartheid through Sport: In 1975 the classic bodybuilding movie, "Pumping Iron" was filmed in South Africa, a country at the time under the system of apartheid. How were you able to convince the South African officials to treat the black athletes in the same manner as the whites? One of my greatest achievements, which gave me enormous satisfaction, occurred in South Africa in 1975. The Minister in charge of sport and other portfolios, Dr. Piet Koornhof, was a bodybuilding fan and his dream was to organize a bodybuilding Championships and the Mr. Olympia competition in South Africa. I informed Dr. Koornhof that I would like to organize this event in South Africa, but he had a big problem with regards to apartheid. He asked me what he could do to assure me that South Africa is worthy of this event. I told him that he must allow black athletes to participate, just like the white athletes. He agreed. I thereafter told him that the athletes must stay in the same hotels like the white athletes. He also agreed. I then told him that the black athletes must eat in the same dining room and participate on the stage at the same time like the white athletes. He also said, "Yes," and gave me a letter to this effect. The IFBB, therefore, organized the Mr. Olympia competition in 1975 and Arnold Schwarzenegger was the winner. Several black athletes placed in the amateur competitions. I am extremely proud of the fact that I was the first to break through the unjust wall of apartheid in South Africa Regarding Women's Bodybuilding: As the President of the IFBB, what direction do you see female bodybuilding going in the future?With regard to female bodybuilders, we are moving towards the fitness bodybuilder. A female bodybuilder who has an athletic physique but who could also demonstrate it in various fitness forms. Will a new judging criteria be established for the fitness bodybuilder? In regard to the women presently competing in the IFBB, what will be the most drastic change you envision they will encounter in regards to becoming a fitness bodybuilder?The judging procedures for the fitness bodybuilder will be modified accordingly. The IFBB has published a new "IFBB Amateur Rules Fitness" book, which includes all the procedures for judging a fitness bodybuilding competition. It explains the routines that the women must do and the characteristics that the judges are looking for. The proper posing routines are properly explained in the document. What led to the IFBB making this change? We are making this change because we want to make women's bodybuilding more mainstream. It will interest a larger portion of the population, increase our sponsorship and increase the prize money for the women competitors. Most important, it will keep our women athletes healthy and this new look will help increase their potential for a number of endorsement contracts. Will this change help unify the women's IFBB pro division and eliminate the need to have two separate weight classes and two different Ms. Olympia's each year?There will be a few modifications to the women's bodybuilding fitness rules that we are currently discussing and will implement. But for the most part, everything else will remain the same. The National Physique Committee (NPC) has recently created a new Figure division. Will the IFBB investigate the possibilities of developing a professional level figure division?Eventually the IFBB will develop a professional level for figure women as well. Regarding Bodybuilding and the Olympics: To say the least, your first petition to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for recognition was not a success. Former IOC President Lord Killanin, commented, "Sure. But over my dead body." I guess at that time you knew your work was cut out for you. How did you react to such a discouraging response?I have already replied to the question regarding my petition for International Olympic Committee. I do wish to add that the more they refused my request, the harder I worked. I did not let anyone deter me from my goal. In 1998 after more than 50 years of appealing to the IOC board, the IFBB was granted recognition status. What is the current status on obtaining final Olympic acceptance?I am presently working on obtaining permanent recognition for the sport of bodybuilding from the International Olympic Committee and thereafter obtain participation status in the Olympic Games, which will be organized in Athens, Greece, in 2004. When the IFBB finally does receive permanent recognition, how will bodybuilders qualify for the Olympics? Who will select them? And finally, how long will their qualification status last for?When the IFBB finally does receive permanent recognition and participation in the Olympic Games, the National Federations will still be responsible for the selection of the teams and the control over athletes who will compete. Bodybuilders will qualify for the national team by winning their national championships. However, before they are allowed to compete, they must pass a doping test by an IOC accredited laboratory. Throughout the years, you have had dozens of meetings with 3 IOC Presidents (Avery Brundage, Lord Killanin, and Juan Antonio Samaranch) and spent millions of your own dollars in quest of Olympic approval. What do you feel has been the biggest hurdle preventing bodybuilding from obtaining full and final Olympic acceptance?The greatest hurdle in obtaining Olympic recognition was to explain the importance of bodybuilding as a sport. This took time but we overcame that negative perception. The biggest hurdle in getting bodybuilding accepted as an Olympic sport has been the misconception that bodybuilders do not have any skills and do not participate in a sport. It took a long time for me to convince them that bodybuilders have many skills, even more than other athletes. Some of the skills that they require are: - Proper training, in order to build a symmetrical physique, in order that every part of the body is in unison with the rest. - They have to learn how to eat sensibly, in order that they are in great shape for a competition. - The final skill is that they were obligated to display their physique with music, in a coordinated presentation In your opinion, how does IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch view the sport of bodybuilding?President Juan Antonio Samaranch, of the IOC, views bodybuilding in a very positive light, otherwise he would not have attended the European Championships, which were held in Lausanne, Switzerland, last year. As a matter of fact, it's due to President Samaranch's recommendation that we held our IFBB European Men's Championships in Lausanne. Regarding Napoleon: You are recognized worldwide as a leading authority on the Emperor Napoleon. What sparked your interest in him?What sparked my interest in the Emperor Napoleon can be summed up in three words: "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity." I believe that there should be no discrimination whatsoever against people because of color, race, politics or religion. Napoleon was such a person, and I believe in the same basic principles he did. As the President of the International Napoleonic Society, what are the goals of the society?The goal of the International Napoleonic Society (INS) is to educate and inform people of the truth about the Emperor Napoleon. He was one of the most enlightened leaders of the world, and a man ahead of his time. For more information related to the INS, I encourage you to visit our web site at http://www.napoleonicsociety.com/ Recently, the media has covered the story on the controversial death of Napoleon and your investigations related to his death. For many years it was thought that Napoleon died from cancer. But after thirty years of thorough research and samples of Napoleon's hair, you proved he was murdered. How did you go about this investigation? Did you face major resistance from historians? The investigation about proving that Napoleon died of poisoning and not of cancer was complicated, lengthy, and took a lot of research. In the memoirs written by the people who shared the exile with Napoleon, they listed all of the symptoms that Napoleon suffered from. These symptoms had nothing to do with cancer, which was the official version of his death. When comparing all of the symptoms that were described by the eyewitnesses that shared exile with Napoleon and comparing them with a list of symptoms of arsenic intoxication, both lists were identical. We, therefore, knew that Napoleon was poisoned, but to prove this, we had to make analysis of arsenic on Napoleon's hair, which confirmed my thesis that he was poisoned. You basically have eyewitnesses, at the time, giving you the symptoms of Napoleon's illness, which are arsenic intoxication, and you have modern science confirming that this is so. On October 12, 2000, you received the highest Order in France, the French Legion of Honor, an award created by Napoleon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802. When you were notified that you had received this award, how did you feel and what does receiving this prestigious award mean to you? Receiving the Legion of Honor medal, which Napoleon Bonaparte created, was a highlight in my life. Napoleon believed in "fraternity, liberty and equality," and so do I. This is why I have included in the IFBB Constitution the following paragraph: "There will be no discussion or debates for political, racial, or religious reasons." Regarding the future of Bodybuilding: The IFBB presently has 172 members in its federation. How much more growth can occur and what do you see as the sport's biggest obstacles?The biggest obstacle at the moment is getting bodybuilding to participate in the Olympic Games and the IFBB is working diligently to obtain this goal. More than 100 national Olympic committees recognize the IFBB and this list continues to increase. As far as growth, there is no limit on how large the IFBB can become. Do you feel the Internet will play a large role in the promotion of bodybuilding in the future?The Internet plays a major role in promoting bodybuilding and making it more popular and acceptable to sport leaders in all countries. Each month, over 2.6 million people visit http://www.ifbb.com--the/ official web site of the IFBB. In the 70's and 80's, IFBB bodybuilding competitions routinely appeared on the major television networks. Will bodybuilding return to prime time TV in the near future? Has there been thought to providing IFBB competitions on pay per-view? Bodybuilding still appears on television worldwide. The one-hour programs, like in the past, no longer exist but bodybuilding is shown regularly on television in over 100 countries. We are working on a program to show the IFBB competitions on pay per view programs. Currently, of the 110 current IOC members, 33 have participated in Olympic Games and all commissions of the IOC have athletes as representatives. Will the IFBB consider following the IOC and create a board of its former competitors to address issues and concerns?Our officials are people who have been involved in sports and are elected to the Executive Council. The IFBB does not appoint anyone to the Executive Council; they are all elected and recommended by their national Federations. What's left for you to do Ben? Do you have any goals or challenges left to conquer? Is retirement on the horizon for you?Retirement is certainly not on the horizon for me. My job now is to assure strong leadership in the IFBB in order that when I resign, the Federation can continue to grow.

World's Largest Physical Culture Collection Gets $1 Million and 25 New Artifacts

2008-10-20T02:16:00.004-10:00

JOE & BETTY WEIDER WITH PRESIDENT WILLIAM POWERS

October 13, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — The world's largest physical culture collection, located in the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports at The University of Texas at Austin, has received a $1 million gift from physical fitness icons Joe and Betty Weider, along with their pledge to donate around 25 unique paintings and sculptures from their personal collection.
This is the second $1 million gift the Weiders have given to The University of Texas at Austin. To acknowledge the Weiders' generosity and honor their lifetime of achievements in the field of physical culture, the Stark Center announced that its galleries related to the history of exercise and fitness will be known as the Joe and Betty Weider Museum of Physical Culture.

Joe and Betty Weider with President William Powers Jr.
"Physical culture" is a broad term that originated in the 19th century and that refers to many ways of promoting strength, health and vigor. The attainment of health and strength could be through purposive exercise regimens like running, resistance training, cycling, swimming, athletics, field sports and walking, as well as through proper eating habits, recreation and rest. Reflecting the breadth of the term, the Stark Center collections include books, magazines, photographs, correspondence and artifacts related to physical fitness, sports, nutrition and alternative medicine.
The Weiders' involvement with The University of Texas at Austin began in 2004 when the Weider Foundation pledged $1 million to create the Joe Weider Physical Culture Endowment Fund. Interest from that fund has supported work related to the Todd-McLean Physical Culture Collection, a donation to the university from Drs. Jan and Terry Todd, longtime faculty members in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education and record-setting competitive lifters.
At the time of their first $1 million gift, the Weiders indicated that another $1 million would be forthcoming when the university provided a large space to serve as permanent home for the Todd-McLean Collection. In 2006, the Todds secured a $3.5 million gift from the Nelda C.and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, and that gift triggered The University of Texas at Austin's decision to allocate 27,500 square feet of space at the north end of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the collection. The collection was named in honor of Lutcher Stark, who served on the University of Texas System Board of Regents for 25 years.
Fulfilling their promise, the Weiders presented their second $1 million gift and pledged paintings, sculptures, books, photographs and other rare artifacts from their private collection.
Joe Weider, a legend and pioneer in the history of weight training and physical fitness, began his over 60-year career in 1940 with the publication of a small magazine called Your Physique. As the magazine grew, it sparked a national interest in weight training and led Joe and his brother Ben to found the International Federation of Bodybuilders to oversee the emerging sport. Over the next six decades, Joe Weider added equipment and food supplement divisions to his corporate holdings and greatly expanded his publishing efforts.
His fleet of magazines, which he sold in 2004, has included Mr. America, Muscle Power, Muscle & Fitness, Muscle Builder, Shape, Men's Fitness, Living Fit, Prime, Health and Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Cooks, Senior Golfer and Flex. Weider is the author of over 40 books and training courses that have been influential in creating a systematic approach to bodybuilding. In the 1960s, Weider elevated the sport of bodybuilding to new heights with his creation of the Mr. Olympia contest and his decision to help bring Arnold Schwarzenegger to America. As governor of California, Schwarzenegger paid homage to Joe Weider's promotion of physical fitness by designating July 9, 2007, as Joe Weider Day in California.
"It's a pleasure to get to work with the Todds to help them preserve, among other things, the history of fitness, weight training and bodybuilding," said Weider. "The Todds and Betty and I share a similar goal—to educate others about exercise, health and good nutrition."
Betty Weider, one of the most sought-after "supermodels" of the 1950s, began weight training as a teenager and attributes the longevity of her career to a lifelong interest in nutrition and exercise. After her marriage to Joe in 1961, Betty became the female symbol of Weider Health and Fitness, appearing in advertising and on covers of the Weider magazines. Realizing her influence as a role model for young females, she began writing about exercise and nutrition and urged her husband to create an exercise magazine just for women.
In response, Joe launched Shape magazine in 1982 and it quickly became one of the Weiders' most popular and financially successful publications. Betty has authored or co-authored numerous fitness books, including "Better and Better: Six Weeks to a Great Shape at Any Age," "The Weider Book of Bodybuilding" and "The Weider Book of Bodybuilding for Women."
"Jan and I never could have assembled the collection that forms the basis of the Stark Center," said Terry Todd, who co-directs the Stark Center with his wife Jan, "or raised the funds to build the center without the help of people like Joe and Betty Weider and members of the Stark Foundation Board of Directors. We've done what we can do personally, and we'll continue to contribute to the support and work of the center as long as we're able. But we're just two people, and our dreams are larger than our pocketbooks. With friends like the Weiders and the Stark Foundation board our dreams are coming true—we are deeply grateful for this magnificent gift and excited about the Weider Museum."

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

4 charged in steroid investigation

2008-07-23T07:10:00.007-10:00

Posted on the DAILY WORLD

By Alexandria Burris – July 23, 2008

A seven-month investigation resulted in St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office narcotics detectives seizing approximately 60 bottles and 600 doses of anabolic steroids worth $15,000.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz called the seizure the largest in the parish's history, with approximately 100 people, between the ages of 17 and 50, identified as anabolic steroid users.
The seizure is a part of a larger investigation of illegal steroid use in St. Landry Parish.
Detectives also identified 15 anabolic steroid dealers. Four people have been arrested on charges of distribution and possession.
"This is a bigger problem than we thought," he said during a press conference held Tuesday.
The network of illegal anabolic steroid activity is not isolated to St. Landry Parish. Guidroz said his office is working with other Acadiana law enforcement agencies and federal agencies to investigate more reports of illegal steroid use. More arrests will be made and warrants will be issued.
"We have outstanding warrants for some of the individuals, and we are working on interviewing others. Depending on their level of cooperation determines whether they will be arrested or not," he said.
The following have been arrested for distribution or possession of steroids:
· Ty Johnson, 540 N. 4th St. , Eunice, charged with distribution of a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance (anabolic steroids), possession with intent to distribute a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance (anabolic steroids), illegal carrying of weapons, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to distribute a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance (Lortab).
· Holly Fontenot, 540 N. 4th St. , Eunice, charged with possession with intent to distribute a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance (anabolic steroids), illegal carrying of weapons, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance (Lortab) and obstruction of justice.
· Adrian Savoie, 2633 Ducharme Road , Opelousas , charged with possession with intent to distribute a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance (anabolic steroids), two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance (anabolic steroids).
· Terri A. Kirkpatrick, 2633 Ducharme Road , Opelousas , charged with possession of a legend drug (Lidocaine) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Guidroz said the investigation started after his office received a tip about young men injecting steroids at local gyms. He would not identify the gyms involved in the investigation.
Some people were traveling into the parish to purchase the drugs illegally, he said.
Detectives seized hypodermic syringes, Viagra and the steroids Winstrol, testosterone, Clenbuterol, Nolvadex and Trenbolone Enanthate. They also seized weapons.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, anabolic steroids are typically prescribed to people with anemia or to men who cannot produce testosterone.
Guidroz said many of the customers are student athletes and St. Landry Parish professionals.
"We're not talking about people that are unemployed. We're talking about people that have great jobs with big companies," he said.
Guidroz said he would not identify the names, occupations or companies of identified users. They cannot be charged with a crime unless they are physically found with drugs, he said. Some high school football players have also been identified.
"We're doing the very best to identify them, their families, their coaches and school administrators and we're going to tell them what to look for," he said.
The arrest of former Port Barre High School football player Alexander Aymond, Opelousas Catholic senior Dylan Guillory and three other men in May is connected to the current investigation, Guidroz said. Aymond and Guillory allegedly were in possession of testosterone and Trenbolone.

REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

RACHEL McLISH PRESENTS THE

2008-05-30T02:25:00.012-10:00

Rachel Mclish Beauty and Fitness Festival

The world premier Rachel Mclish Beauty and Fitness Festival… Coming to the spectacular Mirage Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas, Columbus Day Weekend, October 7th-10th, 2010.

The Festival will include an expo, a symposium, seminars, a 5K for charity, parties, receptions, celebrities, entertainment, and the event highlight… The Rachel Challenge, an amazing opportunity for fit, beautiful women to break into the entertainment industry.

Do you have what it takes to win a part in a movie? That’s The Rachel Challenge!

For all information on the Festival go to http://www.rachelmclishfestival.com/

About Rachel Mclish:

Rachel McLish, proclaimed by Muscle and Fitness Magazine as “The woman who started it all” is America’s pre-eminent fitness icon. The First Ms. Olympia, World Champion Bodybuilder, actor, body wear designer, and author, is preparing to launch her third book, T L C…Tighter and Leaner to the Core.

Her love and dedication to fitness and nutrition is evident in her first two books, Flex Appeal, by Rachel, which addresses all aspects of health, fitness and proper weight training; and Perfect Parts, a comprehensive, yet simple approach to getting in great shape with an emphasis on “spot toning” every “part” of the body. Both books debuted on the New York Times bestseller list.

Born on June 21, 1958, Rachel McLish’s breakthrough victories, together with her natural beauty, created a whirlwind of media attention that still recognizes her as one of the sports top personalities. Her fame and visual appeal have made her a regular guest on many top rated national television and radio programs. She has been featured on over 70 magazine covers worldwide and has starred in the films Pumping Iron II: The Women, Ravenhawk, and Aces: Iron Eagle III. Rachel has also hosted and starred in the prime time CBS special “Woman of the 20th Century” and her exercise video for New Line Cinema, “In Shape with Rachel” debuted at #3 on the national video charts, and continues to sell strongly. Ms. McLish also created “The Body Co” line of active wear for K-MART (with over 72m in annual sales, according to Women’s Wear Daily) and has received numerous honors including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Federation of Bodybuilding, one of the largest and most powerful sports federations in the world with over 169 member nations. She is also a member of the Chancellor’s Circle at the University of Texas for her generous donation and support of her alma mater, The University of Texas, Pan American.

On Labor Day of 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger presented Rachel Mclish with the World Gym Hall of Fame Award for her contributions to the sport of bodybuilding. The following year found Rachel honored again, this time with her “star” placed on the Venice Muscle Beach Star Walk of Fame.
Having the unique distinction of being the first-ever national, Ms. Olympia and international female bodybuilding champion; with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Physical Education and continued higher education in Exercise Physiology and related studies to her credit, Rachel McLish remains a highly sought-after personality to lecture on fitness, diet, beauty, youth maintenance, vitality, and faith. Her timeless message, punctuated with her unique perspective and classic beauty continues to sell out audiences wherever she appears.

Contact: Rsamuels@invitationentertainment.com

STRONG VIDEOS

2008-05-22T02:56:00.011-10:00

NATURAL MUSCLE BUILDER

Images of the natural for life bodybuilder on stage and in the gym.

FEELING STRONG NOW - ROCKY STEPS

2007 images of natural for life bodybuilder Mario Strong in the gym and running up the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia.

CALIFORNIA AND BUST

While attending the 2007 NGA Bodybuilding Championships Mario Strong performed a dangerous feat of strength by blowing up a hot water bottle.

MARIO STRONG TALKS ABOUT ANABOLIC STEROIDS

While attending the 2007 NGA California Bodybuilding Championships Mario Strong discussed the growing problem of anabolic steroids.

BODYBUILDING LEGEND LEON BROWN

In 1995 Mario Strong presented physique artist Leon Brown with the Staten Island Bodybuilding Award for excellence in the sport.

BODYBUILDER JOE CARRERO ON CNBC

National bodybuilding champ Joe Carrero discusses the California real estate market on CNBC 2006. http://www.JoeCarrero.com

1977 STATEN ISLAND BODYBUILDING COMMERCIAL

This film ad played alongside the movie "Star Wars" for several months throughout Staten Island theaters in 1977.

9/11 BODYBUILDING FIREFIGHTER Lt. EDDIE D'ATRI REMEMBERED

In 2002 former Mr. Staten Island and FDNY firefighter Lt. Eddie D'Atri's two sons Anthony and Michael received the Staten Island Bodybuilding award in behalf of their father.

WORLD NATURAL BODYBUILDING CHAMPION KATHY UNGER

In 1996 Mario Strong invited WNBF World and Universe Natural Bodybuilding Champion Kathy Unger to guest pose at his premier NGA Eastern Regional Classic.

WORLD NATURAL BODYBUILDING CHAMPION EDDIE HERNANDEZ

In 1996 Mario Strong invited WNBF World and Universe Natural Bodybuilding Champion Eddie Hernandez to guest pose at his premier NGA Eastern Regional Classic.

MARIO STRONG EXPLODES HOT WATER BOTTLE

In 1995 Staten Island bodybuilding legend Mario Strong appeared in front of a sold out crowd.

JOE CARRERO POSING AT THE 1991 NPC USA COMPETITION

Staten Island bodybuilder Joe Carrero posing at the 1991 NPC USA Bodybuilding competition. To learn more about Joe, go to JoeCarrero.com

SYLVESTER STALLONE RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

In 2010, Arnold Schwarzenegger presented Sylvester Stallone with a lifetime achievement award for his tireless dedication as a proponent for bodybuilding, health, and fitness. To learn more about the history of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone go to MarioStrong.com

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

2008-05-20T10:57:00.008-10:00

In 1983, I had the pleasure of training with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the original Worlds Gym in Santa Monica, California. One thing about Arnold that stood out among the other champs was his ability to feel an exercise deeply into his muscles. Watching him train you could see the fullness of his muscular structure with each rep he willed his body to perform. We both trained with medium to heavy poundages performing each repetition through a full range of motion. Arnold liked to joke around between sets, and occasionally would send a few words accross the gym to where Franco Columbu was training just to get him going. Franco, who has a great sense of humor would always swipe back at Schwarzenegger, sending the gyms members into an uproar. Bodybuilding to Arnold was a celebration of life with each day bringing more joy to his life.

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

NIDA Info & Facts: Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)

2008-05-20T10:44:00.005-10:00

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones. “Anabolic” refers to muscle-building, and “androgenic” refers to increased masculine characteristics. “Steroids” refers to the class of drugs. These drugs are available legally only by prescription, to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence. They are also prescribed to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases that result in loss of lean muscle mass. Abuse of anabolic steroids, however, can lead to serious health problems, some irreversible.

Today, athletes and others abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and also to improve physical appearance. Anabolic steroids are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months (referred to as “cycling”), rather than continuously. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In addition, users often combine several different types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects (referred to as “stacking”).

Health Hazards

The major side effects from abusing anabolic steroids can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol). Other side effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling. In addition, there are some gender-specific side effects:

· For men — shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, increased risk for prostate cancer.

· For women — growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice.

· For adolescents — growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. This means that adolescents risk remaining short for the remainder of their lives if they take anabolic steroids before the typical adolescent growth spurt.

In addition, people who inject anabolic steroids run the added risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis, which causes serious damage to the liver.

Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from abuse of anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, but researchers report that extreme mood swings also can occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to violence. Depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute to dependence on anabolic steroids. Researchers report also that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.

Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to alleviate some of the negative effects of anabolic steroids. For example, a study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment center for dependence on heroin or other opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused anabolic steroids before trying any other illicit drug. Of these 9.3 percent, 86 percent first used opioids to counteract insomnia and irritability resulting from the anabolic steroids.

Extent of Use

Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey *

MTF annually assesses drug use among the Nation’s 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. Annual** use of anabolic steroids remained stable at under 1.5 percent for students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades in the early 1990s, then started to rise. Peak rates of annual use occurred in 2002 for 12th-graders (2.5 percent), in 2000 and 2002 for 10th-graders (2.2 percent), and in 1999 and 2000 for 8th-graders (1.7 percent). Eight-graders reported significant decreases in lifetime and annual steroid use in 2004, as well as a decrease in perceived availability of these drugs. A significant decrease in lifetime use was also measured among 10th-graders for 2004.

Most anabolic steroids users are male, and among male students, past year use of these substances was reported by 1.3 percent of 8th-graders, 2.3 percent of 10th-graders, and 3.3 percent of 12th-graders in 2004.

Anabolic steroids are:

· Synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones (androgens). They promote growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic effect) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgenic effects), and also have other effects. (The term "anabolic steroids" will be used throughout this bulletin because of its familiarity, although the proper term for these compounds is "anabolic/androgenic" steroids.)

· Used by doctors to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence, and also to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases.

· Legally available in the United States only by prescription. Anabolic steroid abusers obtain drugs that have been made in clandestine laboratories (sometimes with poor quality control standards), smuggled from other countries, or diverted illegally from U.S. pharmacies.

· Distinct from steroidal supplements. In the United States, supplements such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione (street name Andro) can be purchased legally without a prescription through many commercial sources including health food stores. They are often taken because the user believes they have anabolic effects.

Anabolic steroid abuse is:

· Increasing among adolescents, and most rapidly among females. The 1999 Monitoring the Future study, a NIDA-funded survey of drug abuse among middle school and high school students across the United States, recorded that 2.7 percent of 8th-graders, 2.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 2.9 percent of 12th-graders reported having taken anabolic steroids at least once in their lives. These figures represent increases since 1991 of approximately 50 percent among 8th- and 10th-graders and 38 percent among 12th-graders.

· Probably widespread among athletes and would-be sports competitors at all levels, although few data are available to provide exact estimates of prevalence. Many anabolic steroid abusers are unwilling to report the practice, because the International Olympic Committee and many other amateur and professional sports organizations have banned anabolic steroids.

· Motivated in most cases by a desire to build muscles and improve sports performance. Some individuals are motivated by erroneous perceptions of their own bodies (that is, a mistaken belief that they look underweight or obese) and others by a desire to prevent recurrence of physical or sexual attacks they have experienced.

Anabolic steroids are taken:

· Orally as tablets or capsules (Anadrol® [oxymetholone], Oxandrin® [oxandrolone], Dianabol® [ methandrostenolone], Winstrol® [stanozolol], and others); by injection into muscles (Deca-Durabolin® [nandrolone decanoate], Durabolin® [nandrolone phenpropionate], Depo-Testosterone® [testosterone cypionate], Equipoise® [boldenone undecylenate], and others); or by ointment preparations rubbed into the skin. Doses taken by abusers can be up to 100 times more than the doses used for treating medical conditions.

· In combinations, a practice called "stacking." Abusers frequently take two or more anabolic steroids together, mixing oral and/or injectable types, sometimes adding drugs such as stimulants or painkillers. The rationale for stacking is a belief-which has not been tested by science-that the different drugs interact to produce a greater effect on muscle size than could be obtained by simply increasing the dose of a single drug.

· In cyclic dosage regimens, a practice called "pyramiding." At the beginning of a cycle, the person starts with low doses of the stacked substances and then gradually increases the doses for 6 to 12 weeks. In the second half of the cycle, the doses are slowly decreased to zero. This is sometimes followed by a second cycle during which the person continues to train, but without drugs. Abusers believe that pyramiding allows the body time to adjust to the high doses, and the drug-free cycle allows time for the body's hormonal system to recuperate. As with stacking, the perceived benefits of pyramiding have not been substantiated scientifically.

Health consequences associated with anabolic steroid abuse include:

· In boys and men, reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, difficulty or pain in urinating, baldness, and irreversible breast enlargement (gynecomastia).

· In girls and women, development of more masculine characteristics, such as decreased body fat and breast size, deepening of the voice, excessive growth of body hair, and loss of scalp hair, as well as clitoral enlargement.

· In adolescents of both sexes, premature termination of the adolescent growth spurt, so that for the rest of their lives, abusers remain shorter than they would have been without the drugs.

· In males and females of all ages, potentially fatal liver cysts and liver cancer; blood clotting, cholesterol changes, and hypertension, each of which can promote heart attack and stroke; and acne. Although not all scientists agree, some interpret available evidence to show that anabolic steroid abuse-particularly in high doses-promotes aggression that can manifest itself as fighting, physical and sexual abuse, armed robbery, and property crimes such as burglary and vandalism. Upon stopping anabolic steroids, some abusers experience symptoms of depressed mood, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, headache, muscle and joint pain, and the desire to take more anabolic steroids.

· In injectors, infections resulting from the use of shared needles or nonsterile equipment, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and infective endocarditis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. Bacterial infections can develop at the injection site, causing pain and abscess.

To encourage youths to avoid anabolic steroid abuse:

· Present a balanced picture of what these drugs can do for them and to them. Most adolescents know that anabolic steroids build muscles and can increase athletic prowess. Research has shown that failure to acknowledge these potential benefits creates a credibility problem and can actually make youths more likely to try the drugs.

· Make use of the authority of coaches and the team ethos. In the most promising program currently under study, coaches and team leaders are trained to educate team members about the effects of anabolic steroid abuse, both desirable and adverse, in the general context of training. They also provide information about nutrition and, of course, exercise and other training techniques for improving performance without the steroid abuse by as much as 50 percent and also reduces alcohol abuse among teammates.

· It is uncertain whether drug testing programs can discourage anabolic steroid abuse. However, the first scientific studies of this practice are currently under way.

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

A Return to the Golden Age

2008-05-20T10:33:00.005-10:00

An Interview with Dr. Ellington Darden
by Chris Shugart

Sideshows Vs. Museums

Today, competitive bodybuilding is a freak show. From the late 1960's to the early 1980's - the Golden Age of bodybuilding - it was an art exhibit.

The magic decade was primarily the 1970's. The physiques were large, yet symmetrical and artistic. These were the types of bodies once carved into stone by the Greeks, the epitome of power and male aesthetics. In 1976, the Whitney Museum even "exhibited" muscular men (including Arnold Schwarzenegger) in a show called "Articulate Muscle: The Body as Art."

Along those same lines, I was lucky enough last summer to visit Kim Wood, an old Nautilus buddy of mine from the 1970s, who was also strength-training coach of the Cincinnati Bengals for almost 30 years. Kim is retired now and has a home in Cincinnati that contains a most remarkable collection of vintage barbells and dumbbells.

I counted 42 antique barbells, and that was in just one section of one of his multiple training areas, which he has located in and around his home. Many of his barbells are true collector items and a few are more than 100 years old. Talk about adding some variety to your workout, you'd probably never become bored from rotating in and out of Kim Wood's old-school equipment.

This photo reveals a small section of Kim Wood's collection of old barbells and dumbbells. The large blue dumbbells on the floor are from the Milo Barbell Company, which was started by Alan Calvert of Philadelphia in 1902. Above the blue dumbbells, resting on boxes, is a huge globe barbell, which was lifted in the early 1900s by strongman Warren Lincoln Travis. The green globe barbell in the racks is a Milo Tri-Plex, and to the right are two Milo Du-Plexes. Mixed in are several solid Sandow barbells, which came from England. On the floor and on the wall are a few Milo kettlebells, with the original weights still inside. Along the back windows are some chromate-finished kettlebells from Black Iron Strength and on the floor are globe dumbbells and kettlebells made by Osmo Kiiha. On the racks to the near right are some retro barbells from Atomic Athletic.

T-Nation: Now, we're talking a lot about classic physiques, but what about classic diets? Do you have any insights to how these guys ate for muscle?

Dr. Darden: When I started training in the 1950s, there was only one health food store in metro Houston, and that was downtown. Funny, it was called Sunshine Health Foods, and it was anything but sunshine.

It was dark and vitamin smelling, and there was this little old woman, who must have been at least 80, who ran the place. She looked like the witch from "Hansel and Gretel." She told me once that she didn't even take a bath in tap water, that she had all her water flown in from Hot Springs, Arkansas.

But my oh my, that old woman was a super salesperson. She carried Bob Hoffman's products and sold Strength & Health magazine. She even had me take off my shirt one day and show her my muscles, which weren't much to look at when I was 15 or 16 years of age. But according to her, I had what it took to be a "real he-man," as she called the guys in Hoffman's magazines.

So, I'd leave every three or four months with a sack full of hi-protein powder, vitamin pills, wheat germ oil, and liver pills. And everything tasted awful. You had to hold your nose to get it down. But I took the stuff for a couple of years.

But I also ate three good square meals a day of what was called the Basic Four Food Groups: milk, meat, breads-cereals, and fruits-vegetables. I think most bodybuilders at that time did pretty much the same: they consumed protein powder (if you could get the stuff and could tolerate the taste) and ate plenty of nutritious food. No one back then had ever heard of the word "ripped." We all wanted what was called "muscular bulk." I never knew you were supposed to diet down to enter a physique contest until I read about it in 1967.

When I first visited California in 1963, many of the bodybuilders out there were consuming two or three quarts a day of certified raw milk. Most bodybuilders and lifters were big milk drinkers.

So, classic eating for bodybuilding was far different then the eating for bodybuilding today. There has been a huge improvement in products manufactured today, as far as taste, mouth feel, and nutrition. Of course, it's debatable whether many of the products are necessary or needed.

T-Nation: You know, what always strikes me looking at these classic physiques is that they seem very attainable. In fact, I know a lot of guys who are always disappointed with their physiques, yet they look as good as many bodybuilders of the 50's and 60's who scored magazine covers! What's going on here? Have steroids wiped out the idea of what a healthy, muscular body can look like? Have we forgotten... or developed unrealistic expectations?

Classic symmetry and muscle: Steve Reeves through the years.

Dr. Darden: You know, I believe a lot of it goes back to unrealistic expectations. A training buddy of mine from the 1960s used to say that if he ever got maximum development throughout his body, then he'd "overdevelop" two areas: his shoulders and his triceps. His reasoning was that he never saw a man whose shoulders were too broad, or who's hanging triceps were too large.

I'd have agreed with him back in the 1960s and 1970s. But now, it's ridiculous. In the pro contests you see overdeveloped shoulders and triceps, plus overdeveloped everything else: buttocks, quads, hamstrings, pecs, traps - and most grotesquely - bloated, disproportionately shaped midsections.

I believe you're right, Chris. Steroids and other drugs, as well as the injectable shaping agents, have almost destroyed the image of how those healthy, athletic physiques of the 50s and 60s looked. That's why most of the bodybuilders who competed from 40 to 50 years ago can hardly even thumb through the current group of muscle magazines.

And to actually attend a professional bodybuilding show is downright embarrassing - not only what you observe on the stage, but what you see in the audience. Can you imagine, Chris, inviting your parents and relatives to join you in Las Vegas for the next Mr. Olympia? After the contest, you might never be welcome in West Texas again!

T-Nation: Probably not! I find the classic physiques (pre-1980) inspiring. I have no desire to look like today's pro; I don't think many people do. But can pro-bodybuilding ever make a return to the Golden Age physique? Or is that like trying to get toothpaste back into the tube?

Dr. Darden: That's a very good question. If we could unite enough guys who possessed enough savvy to just say "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more," then maybe a movement back to more of a Golden-Age type of physique could emerge.

You know, T-Nation has a big influence on the bodybuilding community, not only in the USA, but worldwide. Perhaps a challenge needs to go out to T-Nation regulars.

Recently, in fact, I talked with Tim Patterson about reinventing that Golden-Age look. The Iron Game needs the next Steve Reeves, Boyer Coe, or Casey Viator - a teenager with the potential and drive to succeed - to step forward, avoid the drugs and distractions, and lead the way back to the future. No doubt, this would bring real excitement - and perhaps, sanity - to bodybuilding.

T-Nation: Sounds like something that's much needed. Thanks for the interview, Dr. Darden!

This article was reprinted from T-NATION Bodybuilding's Think-Tank

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

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MUSCLE MURDER

2008-05-20T08:30:00.011-10:00

THE DEATH OF MELISSA JAMES

Professional bodybuilder Craig Titus and his wife, Kelly Ryan, were arrested Friday December 23, 2005 in Stoughton as fugitives in the slaying of a woman whose body was found last week in Ryan's burned-out luxury car abandoned off a remote desert highway.

Titus, 40, and Ryan, 33, were arrested by federal agents and local police at the Shaw's Plaza in Stoughton and were being held in nearby Canton, FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz said. The two towns are about 15 miles south of Boston. Members of the FBI stormed into a Stoughton nail salon Friday afternoon -- where Ryan had planned to get her pedicure -- and arrested Titus and Ryan, who looked vastly different from the way they normally appear.

An FBI spokesman in Las Vegas said the two are expected to be returned to Las Vegas next week. Titus and Ryan were being held on a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on a warrant issued Dec. 20 in Las Vegas. Titus is wanted on state murder charges, and Ryan was sought as an accessory to murder. Titus and Ryan also are charged with third-degree arson.

Titus told Las Vegas police that he'd had a secret romance with the dead woman, Melissa James, 28, court records show. In an interview with police before they disappeared, neither Titus nor Ryan admitted any involvement with James' slaying. She had worked as a live-in personal assistant to the couple at their Las Vegas home. Her charred body was discovered Dec. 14 in the trunk of Ryan's burned red 2003 Jaguar in a remote spot southwest of Las Vegas. Titus and Ryan told a friend last week that they planned to go to a country that does not extradite people to the United States, according to a police report submitted to Las Vegas Justice Court. Titus told a business partner that he intended to meet a friend in Boston, liquidate his assets and leave the country, police said.

Details of police interviews with the bodybuilding couple were provided in a document seeking an arrest warrant for Titus, Ryan and Anthony Gross, 23. Gross was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas and charged with accessory to murder and third-degree arson. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance Tuesday. The married bodybuilding couple remained free after telling detectives that James had been fired and evicted Dec. 13 because they believed she had been embezzling from them, and that they suspected James stole Ryan's car. According to court records, the couple claimed James was embezzling money from their bodybuilding business in Vegas. Titus and Ryan had not previously reported the financial theft nor the missing vehicle, police said. Titus told a detective that his wife was not aware of his affair with James. He told police he booked a hotel room Dec. 12 for two nights and spent most of one night there with James. James was last heard from when she spoke with her mother in New Jersey by cell phone shortly before noon Dec. 13.

Four days later, Amanda Polk, a bodybuilder who trained with Ryan, told police that Ryan told her she'd found James dead from a drug overdose and that she thought Titus had someone get rid of the body. Credit card receipts and security videotapes show that Ryan bought seven half-gallon bottles of charcoal starter fluid and a barbecue tool set at a Wal-Mart store in Las Vegas about 3:30 a.m. Dec. 14. The videotape shows her and a man putting the items in the back seat of a red mid-sized car similar to a Jaguar. Phone records showed Titus called Gross early Dec. 14, police said. Gross told investigators he met Titus, who drove the red Jaguar while Gross bought a can of gasoline and followed in his pickup to a remote area off state Highway 160. Gross told police Titus took the gas can, disappeared, and then jumped in the pickup.

Gross said he drove back to Las Vegas, but the two never discussed what happened.

Authorities later found James' body in the trunk of the burned Jaguar with white fabric around her neck and duct tape across the face. A suitcase was found in the back seat, along with the charred remains of a barbecue tool set. Police said James was found dashed with lighter fluid and duct tape on her face. The Clark County coroner determined James was probably asphyxiated, police said. The 5-foot-9-inch, 250-pound Titus won titles at the June 1996 National Physique Committee USA Championships and competed in Mr. Olympia events. Titus pleaded guilty in Louisiana in April 1995 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute the party drug ecstasy, and served two years in jail for steroid-related offenses from 1997 to 1999. Ryan is a past Fitness America and Fitness International winner.

March 29, 2006 UPDATE:

Kelly Ryan participated in the brutality that culminated in the death of her personal assistant by using a Taser gun on the victim, beating her and helping to inject the woman with a massive dose of morphine, Ryan's self-described best friend told a grand jury.

In her testimony to the grand jury that indicted Ryan and Ryan's husband, Craig Titus, on murder charges, Megan Pierson, 25, also said Titus demonstrated how he strangled 28-year-old Melissa James, according to the grand jury transcripts.

Pierson told the grand jury that she and her husband, Jeremy Foley, were at Ryan and Titus' southwest valley home on Dec. 13, the same day authorities suspect Titus and Ryan's live-in assistant was slain.

Pierson testified that Ryan told her that a confrontation had occurred between her and James at the home because she and Titus suspected James was stealing from them and was planning to steal their identities.

Ryan is a 33-year-old past Ms. Fitness America and Ms. Olympia runner-up, and Titus is a 40-year-old past place-winner of international Mr. Olympia competitions.

"They had gone into Melissa's room and found, opened up, a lock box that had credit cards, copies of credit cards, a (home equity line of credit) statement ... and copies of IDs," Pierson said.

She said Titus was especially angry at the discovery.

"Very, very pissed," Pierson said, adding that Titus said, "There is three things that you don't mess with. That's friends, family and his money."

Pierson said Ryan told her that during a confrontation with James, she had taken a Taser gun away from James, then used it on James.

"It, I guess, stunned her in the back of her neck, but she (Ryan) didn't have it up high enough, so it just kind of got her attention," Pierson told the grand jury.

"And Kelly tried to do it again, and she, I guess she didn't have the voltage up high enough, so she yelled for Craig, and Craig came upstairs, picked Melissa up, brought her downstairs into the living room and supposedly body slammed her (James) and started beating her up," Pierson testified.

Ryan told Pierson that after the beating, James "took a Xanax" and went to bed, Pierson said.

"While she was sleeping, Kelly went into her room and punched her in the face," Pierson said.

"She (Ryan) said that she punched her a couple of times, she showed me the marks on her knuckles from it, and she said that ... Craig was holding her down and told Kelly to get the morphine and she shot a whole needle of morphine into her leg," Pierson said. "She said she was very resilient because it didn't do anything to her."

Later that evening, Titus demonstrated to Pierson "how you can strangle somebody," and then he demonstrated a chokehold for Pierson.

"He did it on me, and you instantly stop breathing," Pierson said. "It scared me the way that he motioned, the way that he showed it on me.

"Craig just walked in and started talking about it and, that's how, he started talking more about how he said that he killed Melissa," Pierson said.

"He said that he was joking around, but that is how he had killed Melissa, by strangling her," Pierson said.

"I mean, he was laughing, so I really did not believe he was serious," she said.

Pierson said that Titus then mentioned James' body was in his wife's car and that Titus said he was going to drive the vehicle to Red Rock, "scatter clothes around the car and set it on fire and make it look like a rape."

Pierson's testified before the grand jury earlier this month, and the grand jury wound up indicting Ryan and Titus on charges of murder and arson in the death of James.

Twenty-three-year-old Anthony Gross is charged with being an accessory to the killing and with arson.

Authorities allege Titus and Ryan killed James, then burned her body in Ryan's Jaguar off state Route 160 in the desert outside of Las Vegas. The burning car was discovered Dec. 14.

Pierson said when she and her husband left the home of Titus and Ryan the night of Dec. 13, Titus gave the couple a gym bag.

"We said our goodbyes, and there was a gym bag next to my purse," Pierson said. "I grabbed my purse, walked out and Craig said, 'Hey, wait, you forgot this,' and I said 'What is this?'"

"He said, 'Oh, don't worry about it, I talked to Jeremy about it; he said it was OK to have it at your house for a couple of weeks,' " Pierson said.

"He said that he knew the police were going to be coming to his house the next day, and he acted like he just didn't want whatever was in the bag in the house while the police were there," Pierson said.

The following day, she said, she looked in the gym bag and saw "a Taser gun, a stun gun, a gym rope, and something else for one of the Taser guns or stun gun," Pierson said.

Pierson said she turned the items over to police, and according to grand jury transcripts, authorities found other physical evidence that corroborated Pierson's account.

An analysis of the Taser gun indicated it had been fired multiple times on the day James was slain, and Las Vegas police crime scene analysts found remnants from the discharge of a Taser gun inside Titus and Ryan's home.

Also, a medical examiner told the grand jury that James had a high level of morphine in her body at the time of her death.

When questioned by a prosecutor in front of the grand jury, Pierson admitted she did not tell police what she knew when first questioned by police because "at first I was protecting Kelly."

It was all "very upsetting," Pierson said. "It's very depressing. ... I thought I knew her better than this."

Pierson said she was frightened by Titus. Nevertheless, she agreed to meet with Titus and Ryan a few days after Dec. 13 at an acquaintance's house.

"Kelly was playing dumb, saying that 'they (police) think we did it,' and Craig said that they were going to go to Greece," Pierson said. "He said, 'It's no big deal. Kelly is going to continue to compete there, everything will be fine,' and he said he only needed two witnesses to say that she (James) was overdosed in the front seat of the car and that they'd get off."

Ryan's attorney, Tom Pitaro, declined to comment on the grand jury transcripts Tuesday because he had not read them yet.

Titus' defense attorney, Richard Schonfeld, declined to comment on the specifics of the transcripts, but he said the veracity of the evidence is expected to be challenged in District Court. He previously said that Titus' accusers have significant credibility problems.

Authorities allege that Titus and Ryan first told police they did not know what happened to James. They later said they found her dead of a drug overdose, then panicked and burned her body.

UPDATE :
Prosecutors added two new charges against Kelly Ryan. "The primary difference is that we have now charged Kelly Ryan with the murder of Melissa James," said Robert Daskas, prosecutor. Ryan is charged with kidnapping as well.

Daskas called it premature to say whether authorities would seek the death penalty based on upgraded charges.

Titus, 41, who made his first appearance in a Las Vegas court, previously faced murder, accessory to murder and third-degree arson charges. He is also now facing an additional charge of kidnapping.

Ryan, 33, had appeared Tuesday on accessory and arson charges in the slaying of 28-year-old Melissa James, a former fitness instructor who moved last year from Lambertville, N.J. to live with Titus and Ryan. Her charred body was found Dec. 14 in the trunk of Ryan's burned Jaguar off a desert highway outside Las Vegas.

Neither Titus nor Ryan was asked Wednesday to enter a plea to the amended complaint. They remained shackled to other Clark County jail inmates as they sat two rows apart. At one point in court, it appeared Titus turned to his wife and mouthed the words "don't say nothing."

Titus' rippling arm muscles stretched the fabric of his blue jail uniform. He offered a one-word reply when he and Ryan stood and Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure asked each if they understood the charges. "Absolutely," Titus said. "Yes, sir," Ryan said.

Daskas declined Wednesday to describe a motive for the slaying. The complaint accuses Titus and Ryan of using a Taser stun gun, administering morphine or a related drug, and asphyxiating or suffocating James with a fabric or wire around her neck.

Their lawyers have maintained Titus and Ryan are innocent of the charges. "On behalf of our client, he is 100 percent not guilty," Boston-based lawyer Steven Boozang said as he and Las Vegas lawyer Richard Schonfeld met reporters outside the courtroom.

Ryan's lawyer, Tom Pitaro, was not immediately available for comment. Bonaventure, who had planned to consider bail for Ryan, scheduled a formal bail hearing Feb. 10, and a preliminary hearing March 29.

An alleged accomplice in the case, Anthony Gross, also appeared in court Wednesday, although charges against him remained the same.

Gross, 23, was arrested Dec. 21 and has pleaded not guilty to accessory to murder and third-degree arson. He remains under house arrest after posting $13,000 bail.

His lawyer, Louis Palazzo, noted Wednesday that Gross remained in Las Vegas and cooperated with police when he was interviewed after James' body was found. "I'm certainly not going to let him be a scapegoat in connection with this case and we'll meet these charges head on."

Gross told authorities he bought a can of gasoline and followed in his pickup while Titus allegedly drove the Jaguar to a remote spot outside Las Vegas, took the gas and set the car afire. Gross told police he drove Titus back to Las Vegas, but they did not discuss what happened.

"He's a young man who probably looked up to Mr. Titus who you know had gained celebrity status," Palazzo said.

Titus and Ryan were arrested Dec. 23 in Stoughton, Mass., near Boston, and returned last week to Clark County jail.

Boozang has denied the couple fled Las Vegas to avoid charges after being interviewed by police in the case. He said they had intended to spend the Christmas holidays with friends in the Boston area, and left town before charges were filed and arrest warrants were issued Dec. 20.

Titus won a 1996 bodybuilding championship and competed in Mr. Olympia events. Ryan is a past Fitness America and Fitness International winner and Fitness Olympia runner-up.
(KLAS-TV, Las Vegas)
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

UPDATE: 10/2006
BODYBUILDERS CASE: Murder-for-hire plot alleged

Man suspected of trying to have Titus-Ryan witnesses killed
A man with ties to bodybuilder Craig Titus has been charged with trying to hire a hit man to kill three witnesses in Titus' high-profile murder case.

Titus and his wife, Kelly Ryan, are charged with murder in the December death of their personal assistant, Melissa James, 28.

According to police reports obtained Friday by the Review-Journal, Nelson Ronald Brady Jr. of Las Vegas was arrested this week on three counts of solicitation to commit murder. Detectives allege in the reports that Brady met with an undercover detective posing as a hit man in May, then paid $1,500 as a down payment to have the three potential witnesses in Titus' murder case killed.

Police reports identified two of the targets as Megan Pierson Foley and her husband, Jeremy Foley. The pair, who are considered crucial witnesses in the case, told a grand jury that Titus and Ryan had made incriminating statements about James' demise.

A third target of the plot, according to police reports, was Anthony Gross, who is charged with helping Titus and Ryan dispose of James' body.
Authorities said Friday night that they had not charged Titus or Ryan in the murder-for-hire plot.

Clark County prosecutor Robert Daskas declined to comment when asked whether anyone else would be charged. Daskas did confirm, however, that Brady and Titus were once housed together at the Clark County Detention Center and that police had recorded phone calls between the two men.

"Titus and Brady were housed together at the Clark County Detention Center, and we have confirmation that when Brady was released from jail, they stayed in telephone contact," Daskas said.

Titus' defense attorney, Marc Saggese, said Titus had nothing to do with any plan to kill witnesses in his case. Saggese described Brady as a drug-addicted loner who was acting on his own.

The attorney said he does not believe Titus will be charged.
"It's smoke and mirrors -- a game," Saggese said. "They know they could not substantiate this. There's not a shred of evidence to support the premise that Craig had anything to do with this."

Ryan's attorney, Greg Denue, said his client has had nothing to do with Brady. "Even if any of this is true, it doesn't show any involvement with my client," Denue said.

In December of 2005, James' body was found in Ryan's burning Jaguar off state Route 160.

Titus, 41, and Ryan, 34, are celebrities in the fitness world. Titus is a past place finisher in the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition and Ryan is one of the most accomplished female fitness athletes in the nation.

Authorities said the two killed James by beating her, using a Taser on her, drugging her with morphine and duct-taping her face at Titus and Ryan's southwest Las Vegas home. Police allege they then secured the help of Gross in taking James' body into the desert, where it was set ablaze.

Pierson Foley told a grand jury earlier this year that she and her husband were at Titus and Ryan's house in the hours before James' body was found, and that Titus and Ryan made incriminating statements about James' death. Pierson Foley said Ryan told her that during a confrontation with James, she took a Taser gun away from James and used it on her.

"It, I guess, stunned her in the back of her neck, but she (Ryan) didn't have it (the Taser) up high enough, so it just kind of got her attention," Pierson Foley told the grand jury.

"Kelly tried to do it again, and she, I guess she didn't have the voltage up high enough, so she yelled for Craig, and Craig came upstairs, picked Melissa up, brought her downstairs into the living room and supposedly body slammed her and started beating her up," Pierson Foley testified.

Ryan told Pierson Foley that after the beating, James "took a Xanax" and went to bed, Pierson Foley testified.

"While she was sleeping, Kelly went into her room and punched her in the face," Pierson Foley said.

"She (Ryan) said that she punched her a couple of times, she showed me the marks on her knuckles from it, and she said that ... Craig was holding her down and told Kelly to get the morphine and she shot a whole needle of morphine into her leg," Pierson Foley testified.

Later that evening, Titus demonstrated for Pierson Foley "how you can strangle somebody," and then he demonstrated a choke hold for Pierson Foley, according to her grand jury testimony. "He did it on me, and you instantly stop breathing," Pierson Foley said.

"Craig just walked in and started talking about it and, that's how, he started talking more about how he said that he killed Melissa," Pierson Foley said.

According to police reports, in March police developed an informant at the Clark County Detention Center named Deem Cassim. Cassim is jailed for the December 2004 robbery of 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg "Fossilman" Raymer outside his Bellagio Hotel room.

Cassim told homicide detectives that he had been approached by Brady, a fellow inmate, "for the contract killing of Anthony Gross and the possible contract killing of two other witnesses in the case against Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan," police reports state.

"Cassim believed Brady and Titus were in contact with each other, had discussed details of Titus' case, and discussed what needed to be done with Gross," a police affidavit states. "Cassim said Brady gave him details about the use of a Taser only the police and Titus would know."

Cassim explained to Brady how the killings could be coordinated from inside the detention center, according to the reports. Cassim would contact a hit man on the outside, and when Brady was released, he would meet with a go-between and "provide them with an envelope containing the up front money, a picture of Gross, Gross' address, and the names of any bars or clubs Gross frequented."

When Brady was released from custody, several phone calls between Brady and Cassim were recorded by police. In one phone call, the men discussed financing the slayings and the need for the hit man to provide proof of the victims' killings by producing photos of their dead bodies.

Two separate meetings between Brady and the go-between, an undercover detective, were set up at an area Starbucks, police reports state. Brady failed to show up to both meetings.

According to police reports, Brady did show up at a third meeting with the undercover detective and produced two envelopes containing $500 each. In a meeting that was taped by police, Brady was heard discussing how one of the envelopes was for a "book publication."

When detectives later opened the envelopes, they found the money, a photo of Gross and personal information about Gross and the Foleys, according to the reports.

In a subsequent meeting with the undercover detective, Brady produced $500 more and wrote down an address where photos of the dead bodies could be sent, according to police.

According to police reports, Titus spoke with Brady twice by phone from the Clark County Detention Center during the investigation and the conversations were taped.

In one conversation, Titus and Brady talk about a "book publishing deal," according to the reports.

"Brady said that he had been on the Internet to see which characters are going to be in the book," according to a police affidavit. "Brady says he knows how to keep those characters from being in his book. Titus said, 'Yeah. No (expletive). Yeah, from the screen play, yeah."

The two men also discussed money briefly, and Titus mentioned a "publisher," according to authorities.

"Brady says yeah, but they want some money, and I've been trying to drum up money to get these people to give their stories, and that's what I need help with," according to a police affidavit. "Brady says he needs 'ten.' Brady tells Titus he is going to walk."

A second phone conversation between Titus and Brady was recorded on May 19, the day of the second meeting between Brady and the undercover detective, according to police.

"Brady tells Titus he is taken care of," a police affidavit stated. "Brady says he is talking about 'the book.' Brady tells Titus they will be making money on that book. He tells Titus that the book has been paid for. Titus changes the subject.

"Titus tells Brady the types of vehicles that targets 'number two' (Megan) and 'number three' Jeremy drive," the affidavit said. "Brady says 'That's not going to be an issue, those two, anyway.'"

Daskas said Friday night that police made sure the three targets of the plot were never in danger.

"We have zero tolerance for someone who's willing to manipulate the outcome of a prosecution by harming citizens who provide information to law enforcement," Daskas said. "Both Metro homicide detectives and our office have monitored this particular situation very closely for several months to ensure that these witnesses were never in harm's way."
Titus and Ryan are scheduled to go to trial in January.

Review-Journal writer David Kihara contributed to this report.

UPDATE MAY 31, 2008

The celebrity bodybuilder couple accused of murdering their assistant will save the county the trouble of a trial. Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan finalized a plea deal with prosecutors late Friday afternoon, avoiding a trial set to begin Monday.
Over two years ago, police found the remains of Melissa James in a burned- out car in the desert. Titus and Ryan fled the state and changed their appearances, but were captured in Massachusetts after a national manhunt.
The district attorney's office says it's a fair deal. It's one both the victim's family and detectives in the case agree with, because it makes Craig Titus admit to murder and his wife to helping destroy evidence.
"I think both defendants recognize that a train was coming down the tracks and either they resolved it today or we were going to go to a jury trail and leave it up to a jury," said prosecutor Robert Daskas.
With the couple both facing possible life sentences for murder, Titus moved to save his wife.
"As we approached trial, Craig Titus became more and more worried about the exposure his wife was going to have to first degree murder," said Titus' attorney Marc Saggese.
Titus agreed to plead guilty to second degree murder in the death of his live-in assistant Melissa James, along with kidnapping and arson.
"He did accept responsibility and that is evidenced by his entering into a guilty plea," said Saggese.
By admitting to the murder, Ryan was cleared of the charge and given a plea deal of battery with a deadly weapon and first degree arson.
"She was faced with more serious charges -- significantly more serious charges. We feel that this is a fair resolution for her," said Ryan's attorney Michael Cristalli.
She now faces no criminal liability in James' death. But with overwhelming evidence, both had to admit to arson.
"We had strong evidence that they purchased lighter fluid that was used to ultimately light the car with Melissa James in the trunk," said Daskas.
The prosecutor says, while there are unanswered questions about James' murder, details are finally coming out.
"We've always believed, and I think the guilty pleas reflects that there was a confrontation between Kelly and Melissa and that Craig intervened, and ultimately it was Craig Titus that killed Melissa James," said Daskas.
Titus has asked to speak at his sentencing so he can apologize to James' mother, who was once a close friend.
"He has never had an opportunity to talk to her or say he was sorry or to discuss how this unfolded," said Saggese.
Titus faces 15 to 55 years in prison. He has already served two and a half years. Kelly Ryan's attorney says he has asked to argue for probation for her charges.

UPDATE: August 2008

Craig Titus Sentenced
Craig Titus was sentenced to 21-55 years.. Kelly Ryan was sentenced 6-26 years in prison.

Notes....

Craig Titus pleaded guilty on May 30 to second-degree murder, kidnapping and arson. Kelly Ryan pleaded guilty to arson and Nevada’s equivalent of no contest to battery with a deadly weapon.According the sources, Kelly read a statement, and could not stop crying. Then Craig came up, said he was sorry, and called himself a coward for his acts, and apoligized.

Then Maura James came up, and begged the judge for the maximum sentence, and asked for a gag order on Craig and Kelly. The judge decided not to impose a gag order, then procedeed to lecture Craig and Kelly, and then he threw the book at them, and gave them whatever he could. Kelly’s sentence of 6 to 26 years means that in 6 years, she will be eligible for parole, although she has served close to 3 years, with a maximum of 26 years she can spend in jail.

Craig’’s sentence of 21 to 51 years means that in 21 years, he will be eligible for parole in 21 years, less time served already. Both defendants and the mother of the slain woman shed tears during an emotional and sometimes contentious sentencing that featured Titus' first on-the-record account of James' death and a challenge by Titus' lawyer of his sentence. Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass stopped the sentencing hearing briefly and met behind closed doors with defense lawyers and prosecutors after Titus' lawyer stood and complained he was “blindsided” by the imposition of a 21-year sentence. Defense lawyer Marc Saggese said he had been assured before Titus pleaded guilty May 30 to second-degree murder, kidnapping and arson that Titus would have a chance at parole after 15 to 17 years.

The plea deal avoided trial and spared Ryan from pleading guilty to murder. She pleaded guilty to arson and entered an “Alford” plea, or Nevada's equivalent of no contest, to battery with a deadly weapon. The judge reconvened the hearing and told Saggese he could seek to invalidate the plea agreement, but that would open Titus to facing life in prison under the more serious charge of first-degree murder. Saggese said outside court he would ask Titus if he wants to appeal. Titus had claimed the couple found James dead of an overdose, panicked and disposed of the body. But the judge declared from the bench that she didn't believe a word of Titus' account of James' death and the couple's gruesome attempts to dispose of her body. She dismissed Titus tears as “crocodile tears.” “He's a murderer,” Glass said. The judge said she also was not swayed by Ryan's sobbing plea for forgiveness from the court and from James' mother, Maura James, of Lambertville, N.J. James, who spoke of the pain of her daughter's death “at the hands of people she thought were her friends,” implored the judge to consider how her daughter died and to impose the maximum possible sentence. “I am truly, truly sorry,” Ryan said. “I know I did not kill. But I did aid in the events. I know I was not in a state of mind emotionally or physically to make the right decisions or to, oh God, to take appropriate control of what was happening.”

Titus, in his turn to address the court, declared himself “ashamed and sickened of my actions after Melissa passed away,” and said he was so affected by drug abuse that he “wasn't thinking straight.” “I let drug use get way out of control in my home,” he said. “I failed my wife. I failed my family. And most regretfully, I failed Melissa, who was my friend.” Titus had a drug history. He served almost two years in federal prison after being convicted of selling Ecstasy in October 1995. He got probation, but it was revoked when he tested positive for steroids. He was released in April 1999. Friends told police that Titus and Ryan used the prescription painkiller OxyContin, and a witnesses testified that Titus once bought $500 worth of morphine. Both Titus and Ryan told police they injected the synthetic opiate Nalbuphine, and that Ryan tried methamphetamine.

In pretrial documents, prosecutors also raised the issue of steroid-induced aggression sometimes called “roid rage.” Through his lawyer, the heavily muscled Titus maintained Friday that James' death was an accident – that he beat and body-slammed her several times in a drug-fueled rage after arriving home to find James fighting and using a Taser stun gun on Ryan. Saggese said Titus and Ryan then heard James ransacking her room, and later panicked after finding her dead of a drug overdose. “There was no premeditation,” Saggese said. “He went too far. His actions caused the death of Melissa James.” “Then, all of the brutal chain of events starts,” Saggese said, “once they decide they're going to dispose of the body.” Prosecutor Robert Daskas said James' head was encased in duct tape, and showed the court graphic photos of a “death mask” formed by her face when it peeled away with the heavy tape during her autopsy. Daskas said James was beaten, drugged, stunned with a Taser, injected with morphine and strangled before she was “burned beyond anybody's recognition” in the trunk of Ryan's car. But he said investigators could never say for sure whether James was still alive in the back of the red Jaguar caught on videotape outside a Wal-Mart – where Ryan bought charcoal starter fluid and a backyard barbecue set at 3:30 a.m. – or at a gas station where Titus, Ryan and a friend allegedly bought another $2.66 worth of gasoline. The barbecue set was later found burned in Ryan's car. The friend, Anthony Gross, 26, remained free Friday without bond awaiting a separate trial on felony accessory to murder and third-degree arson charges. He has pleaded not guilty, and is due in court for a status check next Tuesday. Gross is accused of meeting Titus and Ryan at the gas station and driving them back to Las Vegas after they set Ryan's Jaguar ablaze in the desert outside Las Vegas.

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

LONGEST WORKOUT IN HISTORY

2008-05-20T08:23:00.012-10:00

PRESS RELEASE

On the 6/7 of May, 2006, Thijs Althof, Aad Althof and Robbert-Jan van Heeckeren are going to give a try for the longest work-out in the history of bodybuilding and fitness. They will go for the record at Strada Sports in the town Vorden (Netherlands). They will train with dumbbells, barbells and cardio fitness equipment and will try to set a record of at least 24 hours.

At the moment they have a coach: Leon Averdijk and a medical staff assistant: Melle Steringa. Also Peter Bartels will control the record keeping. Every hour they will have a 5 minutes rest period (NBBF rules), and they will can get 5 minutes of time extra for injuries occurring during every 5 hours, both athletes must also stay in the gym for the entire period.

They are sponsored by: XXL-Nutrion, Bardolino, Sport-tietje, Horizon sports, Panatta, Dalphin Sportdranken, Strada Sports Aannemersbedrijf Dostal B.V., Robbert's Sportfood, Restaurant Olde Lettink, Multimedia Productions, Sportfood.nl. Some of these are big names in the Holland bodybuilding scene.

It's the first time in this kind of sport there will be a record, no one else has tried to set one before! They have trained more then a year to go for this record. Former Ms. Olympia Julliette Bergman, of the NBBF (Netherlands Bodybuilding Federation) will be on hand to acknowledge the record and to possibly lobby both athletes into the IFBB.

Both athletes can be contacted at gokualthof@hotmail.com for press info and sponsorship.

UPDATE

Dear Sport friends,
On 7 May 2006 Thijs Althof, Aad Althof and Robbert-Jan van Heeckeren have done the longest work out ever in the bodybuilding-sport in Strada Sports Vorden (Netherlands). We have done a work out for more than 24 hours!!!!!!, and trained all body parts very hard in the style of bodybuilding training !.

It was a big challenge for us to train the longest workout ever and promote the sport in a positive way. The workout was like hell for us because a normal training is for an hour or two hours. During the last year we had a special training, food and supplemantation-programs and trained sometimes 5-6 times a week. Also we had special training session for testing our programs extreme intensity from 4 a 5 hours!. The attempt cost us 3 a 4 kg of bodyweight because it was an extreme training and it was warm weather in the Netherlands

On 6-7 May 2006.
With the help of Leon Averdijk (coach), Peter Bartelds, Melle Steringa, Dennis Eijkelenkamp and our great sponsors/fans, we have brought a new record to our sport!. Also a special thanks to Julliette Bergman (former Miss Olympia), Liona Bergman, the NBBF and the IFBB because they made it possible to settle this new world record.

It feels great to be a world record holder in our sport and help and promote our sport in a positive way. A lot of press coverage was given over our attempt and yesterday a local television station had an item about it every hour during their local programming. The coming days we will rest and start a new supplementation and food program to stay in shape.
If you want more information or pictures, you can contact us on gokualthof@hotmail.com .
Sport greetings,
Robbert-Jan van Heeckeren Aad Althof Thijs Althof
(Netherlands)

ENTER ROBBERT TRIPPLE'S WEB SITE HERE

Adriën Robbert-Jan en Thijs bij "De tien van Marlies" op TvGelderland. Ze staan op nummer 1 met het meest bijzondere record van de afgelopen 50 jaar!!

Pumping iron with Condoleezza Rice

2008-05-20T08:18:00.003-10:00

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will flex more than her diplomatic muscles when she demonstrates her personal workout regime on network television this week.
In an unusual departure for such a high-profile official, Rice not only pumps some iron, but also discusses how she manages to stay fit during her continual globetrotting and reveals strategies for coping with high-calorie banquets.

"She is tough, I have to tell you," said Barbara Harrison, a news co-anchor with the NBC4 channel in Washington who persuaded Rice, 51, to put on her gym sweats and participate in a regular segment on health and fitness.
"She is amazing. The amount of weights she handles and the endurance she has ... As a person who has exercised all my life, I was very impressed," said Harrison, who joined in the workout at the State Department gym with Rice and her personal trainer.
"She looks good throughout the whole workout," Harrison added.
Americans wanting to catch a glimpse of their chief diplomat breaking a sweat will have to get up early.
The relevant news segments -- each lasting a few minutes -- will be broadcast over three days, with each one starting at 5:45 am (1045 GMT).
According to Harrison, Rice talks about managing her fitness regime when traveling and how, during official banquets, she manages to stay within her calorie range "and not insult anybody by not eating something that they've gone to great lengths to prepare."
Harrison said she hoped the segments would inspire others with hectic work lives to keep in shape.
"We see her as one of the busiest people in the world," she said. "The fact that she can squeeze in a workout in the middle of her incredible schedule, suggests the rest of us should be able to do the same thing."

UCSF Expert Offers Steroid Advice

2008-05-20T08:13:00.006-10:00

With two new books detailing San Francisco Giants player Barry Bonds' alleged steroid use and the continuing controversy about the health consequences of steroid abuse, casual readers have reason to be confused. When is a steroid not a muscle-building steroid?

Anthony Luke, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in orthopaedic surgery and a primary care sports medicine specialist, offers this timely perspective.

Q. What are steroids anyway?
A. Steroids are hormones that occur naturally in the human body. There are two common groups of steroids: anabolic steroids and corticosteroids. Corticosteroids have legitimate medical uses and are prescribed to treat inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, asthma and skin conditions. Anabolic steroids are analogues of testosterone, the main male sex hormone responsible for many functions, including tissue growth. These steroids can be manmade and chemically manufactured to mimic the effect of testosterone in the body.

Q. What do anabolic steroids do?
Anthony Luke
A. Athletes and other individuals sometimes take anabolic steroids for their muscle-building potential - to bulk up, enhance performance, increase endurance, reduce recovery time from tissue damage and improve physical appearance. Because they are based on the male hormone, users can behave more aggressively. However, some may even suffer from severe mood swings and uncontrolled aggression and violent behavior, or "'roid rage."

Q. How are steroids used?
A. Steroids can be injected, swallowed in a liquid or pill form, or used topically by rubbing a cream into the skin. Athletes often take steroids in cycles to try to avoid developing negative side effects and avoid tolerance to the desired effects of the drug. "Stacking" is also common. This is where more than one steroid is taken at a time, often in combination with other drugs to enhance the drugs' effects, to reduce side effects and to avoid detection during drug testing.

Q. What would you tell a patient who is either using or considering using steroids?
A. First of all, I would tell them using steroids for athletic purposes is illegal in the United States. I would then explain the harmful effects of steroid use on the body. Using steroids even intermittently can cause both acute and irreversible damage to the body. The negative health problems may not appear for years after the drugs are taken, but are nonetheless very serious. Life-threatening side effects include heart conditions such as coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy, cancers involving the liver, prostate, testes and brain, and blood clots. Cases have been described of users becoming paranoid, delusional and depressed, resulting in violence or suicide.

Q. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 325,000 teenage boys and 175,000 teenage girls are using steroids. Are steroids especially dangerous for young adults?
A. The use of steroids by teen athletes is concerning. Steroids can cause bones to fuse together early, stunting growth. Excessive acne and stretch marks are visual changes that suggest steroid use. The drugs can also cause breast growth in males, which is especially disturbing for teens. Females may have an irreversible deepening of the voice, baldness and hair growth on other parts of the body such as the face. Men are also at risk for sterility, while women often experience menstrual irregularities. This may prevent young adults from becoming future parents.
Source: Vanessa deGier
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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

Lou Ferrigno Files Lawsuit Over Brothers Store

2008-05-20T08:08:00.003-10:00

By WAYNE PARRY
NEWARK, N.J.

- As "The Incredible Hulk," Lou Ferrigno probably would have ripped off his shirt in anger. Instead, he‘s suing his brother over trademark rights to a fitness equipment store.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Trenton, claims the store has a green awning, portions of the interior are green, and one green wall is covered with photos of Ferrigno in bodybuilding poses, as well as in his trademark green makeup for his role as the Hulk.
"This is bullying," said Scott Wilhelm, lawyer for the defendants. "Andrew and his wife have been running their business for over 20 years, and now, for the first time ever, Lou wants to shut them down."
The lawsuit claims the "defendants deliberately chose a trade name incorporating the Ferrigno name in an effort to profit from the reputation and renown of Lou Ferrigno."
The 53-year-old actor, who lives in
Santa Monica, Calif., says in court papers that he has no interest or involvement in the store. His lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday.
Andrew Ferrigno and his wife live in Bethlehem, Pa. Wilhelm said his clients intend to fight the lawsuit, whose claims, he said, are "without merit."

UPDATE

Thursday, May 18, 206

By TOM QUIGLEY

The Express-Times

GREENWICH TWP. A federal magistrate has ordered Andrew Ferrigno and his television star brother Lou to settle their legal dispute over Ferrigno Fitness.

The Route 57 fitness store, which Andrew Ferrigno owns, is at the center of a federal lawsuit brought by Lou Ferrigno against his brother in early January.

On Wednesday, a federal magistrate ordered the brothers to seek an out-of-court agreement through a court-appointed mediator. Andrew Ferrigno's wife, Janie, is also a defendant and co-owner of the fitness shop.

"Mediation is a good idea," Phillipsburg attorney Scott Wilhelm said. "It's worth the effort in this case."

Wilhelm -- who represents Andrew Ferrigno, 52, of Bethlehem -- said it's a good opportunity for both sides to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the trademark rights case.

Lou Ferrigno, 53, of Santa Clara, Calif., claims in the suit his brother and sister-in-law are unlawfully trading on the name and image of the former action star, featured in the 1970s TV show "The Incredible Hulk."

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Trenton, claims the store has a green awning, portions of the interior are green, and one green wall is covered with photos of Lou Ferrigno in bodybuilding poses, as well as in his trademark green makeup for his role as the Hulk.

The lawsuit asserts that the "defendants deliberately chose a trade name incorporating the Ferrigno name in an effort to profit from the reputation and renown of Lou Ferrigno."

"On numerous occasions, Lou Ferrigno and members of his family have been contacted or approached by strangers or acquaintances who believe that Ferrigno Fitness is 'Lou's store,'" the complaint reads.

"We just think it's ludicrous and ridiculous," Andrew Ferrigno said Wednesday. "I've been in business more than 20 years."

Andrew Ferrigno said he and his brother have always had "a great relationship."

The Ferrigno brothers worked out together as young boys in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn years ago.

He said his brother Lou called him a couple of days before the suit was filed.

"His comment was it's strictly business and don't take it personally," Andrew Ferrigno said. He said he initially felt ashamed about the whole thing.

"Now I'm adamant," he said. "This is costing me money."

He said the photos of Lou Ferrigno in his shop were signed by the former actor and presented to his family.
"Those pictures were signed to my children," said Andrew Ferrigno, the father of one daughter and two sons.

The lawsuit also accuses the Warren County business of cyber squatting by registering the Internet domain name www.ferrignofitness.com. Lou Ferrigno says he has been using that corporate name for his own business ventures.

Andrew Ferrigno said he offered to change the Web site to settle the suit and his brother refused.

"He's very hard-nosed about this," he said.

Wilhelm has said Lou Ferrigno wants to shut down his brother's store and described the lawsuit as "bullying."

Newark attorney Anthony P. Callaghan, who is among the attorneys representing Lou Ferrigno, could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

Andrew Ferrigno said he and his late father, Matthew, moved the business from Brooklyn to Greenwich Township more than 20 years ago.

The mediation is not binding and the case could still go to trial.
***

This is what the http://www.ferrignofitness.com/ website says:

"In answer to the questions that have been raised concerning the disclaimer put on our website concerning Lou Ferrigno, I would like to explain in the following paragraph. I Andy Ferrigno have been in the Fitness business since 1980 doing business as Ferrigno Fitness . For the first fifteen years of business I had the pleasure of working side by side with my father Matt Ferrigno . We built a great business by manufacturing quality fitness equipment at a price that people can afford. We treated every person as an individual and built a solid reputation on honesty and integrity. In 2001 after my father developed stomach cancer which later turned fatal, I moved my family out to Bethlehem Pennsylvania and closed our New York store. I now have only one location which is located in Stewartsville New Jersey which has been open since 1980 and use the same ideas that made us so successful in the past. Unfortunately we are currently being sued by Lou Ferrigno my brother for the rights to the Ferrigno name .

After my fathers death my brother Lou befriended me and my wife and I thought we could rekindle a relationship that was estranged many years earlier, He however used my friendship as a chance to attack me and my family. He levied a Law suit against us knowing full well all the facts that I outlined above. He did this knowing full well that my wife was battling stage two breast cancer. I worry about her everyday and thank the lord for every precious moment that we spend together. Currently my wife is under a great deal of anxiety and stress because of this ridiculous law suit , but I know that God will guide our path. Please read the attached article and realize that life sometimes can be a rocky road however if you stay on course you will eventually reach your goals. Thank you all for reading my story and may God bless you as he has done for me and my family."

Pumping Iron in the name of Jesus

2008-05-20T08:03:00.004-10:00

By JULIA MARSH

NEW YORK - 2005 COLUMBIA NEWS SERVICE

As a rapt audience watched from the pews of the Church of the Nazarene in Ephrata, Pa., Aaron Foster raised a flaming 10-foot log over his head. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Foster used to play professional football. Now, as a member of the Power Team, he puts his muscle into serving God as an evangelical, bodybuilding preacher.

"We're here to wage war on the devil," said Craig Lemley, 41, the Power Team leader. The team, a group of 20 muscular ministers, preaches by feats of strength. The group gives five-day performances, which unfold like a mix of a sporting event, a fire-and-brimstone sermon and a rock concert and regularly draw crowds of 3,000 to churches and community centers across the nation. For a $500 fee, the Power Team also visits schools and encourages students to choose bench-pressing instead of drugs and alcohol.

As the group's popularity has soared, it has also drawn increasing criticism. Some pastors see the team's approach as a watering down of the Bible's message. And the American Civil Liberties Union has sought to prevent the team from performing in schools, charging it with violating First Amendment laws by handing out religious material after performances.

During events, Lemley, the current Oklahoma state bodybuilding champion, breaks through blocks of ice with his head and then compares his physical strain to the suffering that Christ endured. He explained the appeal of the Power Team's preaching style: "People like the spectacular; we live in a WWF world," he said, referring to the World Wrestling Federation. Pointing to his sweat-stained tank top, Lemley said, "I'm not your typical church evangelist in a suit and tie."

Sore muscles and broken bones are the cost of Lemley's preaching style, but he said that shoeboxes full of letters from fans who thank him for inspiring them to quit drinking and resist premarital sex have convinced him that the team's methods are productive. He claims the team inspires about 100,000 people a year to pledge their dedication to Christian faith.

Throughout the two-hour performance at the Church of the Nazarene, Power Team members announce a "moment of truth," then start bending frying pans like burritos and smashing their heads through slabs of concrete, all to the thumping beat of an evangelical hip-hop singer called the Prodigal Son.

"We're fishing in the lost," Lemley declared during the performance. "We didn't come here just to break bricks."

After smashing through the concrete, Lemley drew an analogy to people breaking through their personal walls of bitterness, insecurity and addiction. "Breaking bricks will never change your life, but the message of the cross will," he said after the show.

"I like to see that husky muscle when they're working," said Gladys Weller, a regular churchgoer who attended the event with her adolescent grandchildren.

After the performance, teenagers swooned around the team members as they autographed broken pieces of brick. Ryan Harting, 14, had come to see the show on three consecutive nights. "It's like a Happy Meal," he explained. "You get to see things being broken and you get a Christian message."

Dayton Cassel, 18, was less impressed by Foster's bulging muscles than by the number of his peers who, at Lemley's urging, went to the front of the church and publicly committed themselves to the tenets of Christianity.

The pastor of the Church of the Nazarene, 59-year-old B.W. Hambrick, gladly paid the team's $8,000 performance fee as a way to lure in new congregants.

But other religious leaders are critical of the group's methods. "It's hard enough to compete for people's attention with the various entertainment on television," said Phil Scovell, a 54-year-old pastor in Denver. "After the Power Team, no one's going to want to sit and listen to a regular preacher."

The commercialization of the team, which sells dog tags with scripture and kung fu-style headbands at events, also bothered Scovell.

At the end of the performance in the Pennsylvania church, the stage looked like a fraternity house after a party weekend. Amid the shattered concrete, broken chains and melting puddles of smashed ice, Hambrick, the pastor, crossed his arms and smiled. Three hundred converts were penciling in their contact information on promise cards in the church's cafeteria.
"The Power Team," he said, "is wonderfully effective."

Your time is up: Steroid testing comes to state high schools

2008-05-20T07:47:00.007-10:00

By

JEFF OFFORD

Burlington County Times

Matt Hoffman's body still isn't big enough. His times in the 40 are fast, but they could be faster.

Hoffman, a lanky 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior at Burlington Township High School , works out regularly during the offseason. He lifts weights, he runs, he tries to eat the right foods. Yet, no matter how hard he tries he can't build the body that others his age have already built.

What's a teenager hoping to play college football to do?
“It's frustrating because you see guys work out less than you do and they still get bigger than you do,'' Hoffman said. “In my case, it's not because they're on anything. I know the guys I work out with. They get big fast, but that's just the way their body is built. But I'm different. I'm always forced to catch up.

“Did I ever think about taking steroids? Sure. It's crossed my mind. But they're just not good. They're not morally right.''

Ethically unacceptable to some, too dangerous for others, steroids have still become a quick fix for many scholastic athletes in the United States.
Not strong enough to be noticed by a college recruiter?
Take steroids.
Not quick enough?
Take steroids.
Not always tough enough?
Take steroids.
“They're dangerous,''
Burlingtong Township
football coach Tom Maderia said. “You look at their side effects and it's scary. Heart problems, cancer, you name it. But the urge is there. The pressure to get a college scholarship nowadays is enormous. Let's face it. Kids aren't taking steroids to make their teams better. They're taking them to get a scholarship.''

Earlier this month, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association — the governing body of scholastic sports in the state — gave preliminary approval on a plan to make New Jersey the first state in the nation to institute a drug-testing policy for high school athletes.

If the plan — initiated by state Sen. Richard J. Codey — is approved next month, high school athletes who compete for a state championship, either individually or as part of a team, can be randomly tested starting next fall for about 80 banned substances ranging from amphetamines to steroids.

Players will be tested either before or after a competition. Any athlete who fails the test will be prohibited from participating in scholastic sports for a year.

Many Burlington County Coaches and players applaud the idea of steroid testing, but say the policy doesn't go far enough. Of the 240,000 high school student athletes in the state, only about 500 will be tested.
The tests could also become an economic burden for an already tapped out state school budget.
“It's a difficult situation right now either way,'' said Willingboro athletic director David Riley, a former football and track coach who played both college and professional football in the 1980s. “It would take a lot to test everybody, but you really should test everybody. But at least this is a start. At least now people are aware there's a problem.''
There's a Problem, All Right
Obviously, not all kids who play high school sports are juiced. Most student athletes — even those who take their sports seriously — would rather compete the natural way.
Others — and their numbers are growing — have found nature lacking.
“I'm not sure how many athletes I compete against take steroids,'' said
Willingboro sprinter Jasmine Rich. “But I see a lot of big girls out there. I'm not really that big myself, but sometimes I feel like a 9-year-old next to those girls. It's not fair. It's cheating and they shouldn't be allowed to cheat.''
Many schools in the state already have ways of finding out if a player has been taking a performance-enhancing substance.
At Shawnee, which has one of the largest student populations in the county, a coach can recommend an athlete be tested by school doctors. According to Tim Gushue, the school's football coach, if a student is displaying some of the tell-tale symptoms of drug or alcohol abuse the school can ask that student to get tested by school doctors. Steroid use falls under that criteria.

“I'm going to instruct him to go our school doctor to get tested,'' Gushue said. “If he refuses, then he can't play for my team until he's tested by his own doctor and receives a clean bill of health. That's it.''

If the NJSIAA gives final approval of the plan on June 7, there will be another course of action.

“Obviously, there's good points and bad points about what the NJSIAA is trying to do,'' Gushue said. “I still believe education plays a big part, and that's a teacher and a coach's responsibility. We need to educate our students on steroids and the harm they can do. We know steroids are out there and we know kids are taking them.

In 2003 the federal Centers for Disease Control estimated that 6.1 percent of the country's high school students had taken steroids without a doctor's prescription at least once. In New Jersey, a survey that same year found that 3.1 percent of the state's student athletes had experimented in steroids.

A 2004 survey conducted by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy found that 19.7 percent of eighth-graders, 29.6 percent of 10th-graders, and 42.6 percent of 12th-graders reported that steroids were “fairly easy” or “very easy” to obtain.

Besides New Jersey, two other states — California and Florida — are considering statewide testing.
“Ten years ago, these drugs were almost impossible to get,''
Willingboro football coach Nelson Hayspell said. “Now, you can get them anywhere. The people who dish these drugs out to kids all run in the same circles. Kids go to health clubs nowadays. I'm not saying that health clubs distribute steroids, but there are people working out there who know how to get them. It's all a matter of who knows somebody, who knows somebody else, who knows somebody. It's drug dealing. Steroids are illegal, just like cocaine.'' Take At Your Own Risk
Concerned about the future health and well-being of today's teenagers, Codey began pushing for high school testing in New Jersey while serving as governor last year.
Codey, and avid sports fan who still enjoys coaching youth basketball, created a task force on steroid use last July. He released the official report from that task force in December.

“We've all seen the statistics and read the articles about the impact that steroids are having on kids,'' said Codey, announcing that New Jersey would be the first state to take comprehensive statewide action to address the issue of steroids. “This is a growing public health threat, one we can't leave up to individual parents, coaches or schools to handle.

“This report puts us at the forefront in dealing with the problem of ster-oids. Today, we are putting this plan into action and becoming the first state in the nation to address this problem on a state-wide level.”

Bob Baly is an assistant director at the NJSIAA who is helping to spearhead the organization's attack on performance-enhancing drugs. Baly knows all about the risks that steroid use brings.

Steroids can increase lean body mass, strength, and aggressiveness. Steroids can also reduce recovery time between workouts, which makes it possible to train harder.

Steroid use also can lead to a long list of health issues, including liver cancer, heart attacks, high cholesterol and infertility. For men, steroids can lead to shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, and an increased risk for prostate cancer. For women the effects can cause facial hair, baldness, changes in the menstrual cycle and a deepened voice.

For teenagers, steroids can prematurely stop the lengthening of bones, stunting growth.

Yet, high school athletes are still willing to take the risk. That's why the NJSIAA has decided to set the pace in scholastic testing.

The NJSIAA has yet to determine exactly what type of procedure will be used to test scholastic athletes. Taking blood from an athlete is one possibility. Urine also can be examined, but a good steroid — a steroid that is hard to detect — has an easier chance of going undetected during that procedure. Taking a hair sample from an athlete is another way of detecting performance-enhancing drugs.

As of right now, the NJSIAA plans on testing only athletes who compete for a state championship. But what about the player who knows that his team has no chance of reaching a state championship?

“We believe that most student athletes anticipate contending for a state championship before the season begins,'' Baly said. “This policy would make it such that an athlete would think twice before taking steroids, knowing that there's a chance he might get caught.''

Not all steroids are illegal. Many doctors prescribe steroids for patients with cancer or low blood counts. Many patients suffering from AIDS are also prescribed steroids.

Taken illegally, without a prescription, without guidance and in heightened quantities by an athlete looking for a physical edge, steroids can cause serious health problems.

“I would never take those things, never,'' Maderia said. “I see players just taking supplements bought at a nutritional store. Hey, I know they're legal. But you know what, I'm not taking those, either.''

Making A Difference. Does Codey and the NJSIAA have all the answers?
Does anybody?
Major League Baseball has recently curtailed the use of steroids among its players, but only after the United States Congress forced the issue. Other professional sports leagues — the NFL, the NBA and the NHL — have had stringent policies against the use of performance-enhancing drugs for years, but even their commissioners will admit that keeping every player clean can be an arduous task.

According to Baly, there will be more random tests done on athletes involved in “high risk sports” — football, wrestling, boys and girls swimming, baseball, boys lacrosse, and boys and girls track — than in other low risk sports, like golf.

“There's no way I would take steroids,'' said Hoffman, who will switch from lineman to linebacker this fall to better utilize his speed. “There's too much of a risk. You're going to get bigger and stronger if you take them, but at what cost.''

Sometimes, it's a big one.

“Do I think it's a big problem in the high schools in our area? No. But I think it's a good deterrent,'' said Mark Haines,

Rancocas Valley's head athletic trainer. “You can't deny that it's out there and kids are doing it. I don't think it's a problem in our area with the programs we have, as much as it is in other states where the pressure is there to get big in some of those big football programs.

“No matter what you do, testing is a tough thing, especially steroid testing. It's expensive. I think it's a good start, doing it at the championship level. Kids will know if they get there that they'd better be clean.''

Baly said that the final determination on what medical company will administer the tests has yet to be determined, but that the tests will be done on site.

No matter where it's done or how it's done, next season's testing will be a step in the right direction.

Other states may have bigger steroid problems among its high-school aged students than

New Jersey, say county administrators, teachers and coaches. But no other state in the nation will have a plan to stop steroids like this state.

“I don't think it's a problem in girls sports at all,'' said Brooke Cantwell, a senior and the goaltender of Moorestown's nationally ranked girls lacrosse team. “I don't know anyone that does it. But obviously it's better to prevent it than to let it happen then try to stop it.

“I don't see why you would ever need it. There are so many programs out there that can make you stronger, that can make you better without using steroids. I don't see a need for them. Unfortunately, other people must have different opinions.''

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

Hospitals prepare for growing ranks of obese

2008-05-20T07:08:00.007-10:00

Increasing number of U.S. care centers offer wider doors, stronger beds

As Americans keep getting bigger, hospitals are revamping themselves to accommodate an influx of obese patients.

When these patients check into a hospital, they are increasingly likely to find themselves in a room with a wider doorway than the 42-inch standard, a bed that holds up to 1,000 pounds and a ceiling lift system to move them to the bathroom.

Toilets in such a room are extra-sturdy and mounted to the floor instead of a wall.

The number of obesity, or bariatric, surgeries performed each year has quadrupled since 2000, according to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. The procedures generally involve surgically shrinking the stomach and bypassing the intestines to cause the patient to absorb less food.

The obese - often defined as weighing 20 percent or more than medically recommended levels - are also more likely to suffer from chronic medical ailments like diabetes and severe joint problems, bringing them into the hospital.

As a result, more hospitals are making capital investments to set up separate wings and whole floors for obese patients to keep up with demand.

"There is a huge volume of patients that need services, and until we get a better pill for weight loss, we have a big problem," said Daniel Jones, chief of bariatric surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

One-third of Americans are obese by U.S. health standards, which measure a person's body fat. The prevalence of obesity has doubled in that past 25 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and experts predict a steady rise in coming years.

In January, the 585-bed Beth Israel hospital opened a new bariatric unit after gutting an entire floor to construct 30 new rooms with specially-designed weight-bearing beds.

"Before, we just sent (bariatric patients) anywhere, like at the Holiday Inn," Jones said. "But the problem with that is you need the right equipment and medical staff who are specially trained."

Tenet Healthcare Corp., the second-biggest U.S. hospital chain, recently issued requirements for an obesity program - including infrastructure-readiness - at its 71 hospitals.

About 30 Tenet hospitals offer bariatric programs, according to Paulette Sams, director of general surgery.

The number of U.S. hospitals running obesity programs rose 45 percent to about 840 in 2004 from 2002, according to a survey of about 4,600 hospitals by the American Hospital Association trade group.

San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital, which with 1,000 beds is the largest U.S. long-term care facility, is building 24 new bariatric rooms designed with ceiling lifts that can route patients to extra-sturdy toilets.

"We are planning for the future, for this burgeoning obesity epidemic nationally," said Associate Administrator Lawrence Funk. "We would be remiss if we did not."

Laguna hopes the investment will pay off with a reduction in staff injuries, which are common when medical staff deal with the obese population without special equipment, Funk said.

At the 425-bed Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin, about 7 percent of new rooms from a recent expansion are specially equipped to handle bariatric patients.

John Balzer, vice president for planning and development, said the $3,200 per room in extra costs was insignificant.

"Even on a project with 10 percent of beds set up this way, it is difficult to show an impact on costs," he said.

Tenet's Sams said that when a hospital specializes in bariatrics, it attracts more of these patients, not just for surgeries, but also for the wide variety of medical care they typically need.
"You are going to have the large population show up at your door if you do these surgeries," she said.

Besides the boost in business, hospitals that specialize in bariatrics also benefit because government and private insurers are more likely to cover the procedures at attractive reimbursement rates.

The U.S. Medicare program recently said it would only pay for such surgeries at centers certified by medical societies, and private insurers are following that lead, officials said.

Hill-Rom, the hospital furniture unit of Hillenbrand Industries Inc., said sales of its bariatric line are growing rapidly, although it would not provide specific data.

"The first thing to increase was bariatric bed orders, and we expanded the product line to meet demand," said Design Director Dennis Gallant. "Trailing that is the redesign or design of rooms specifically for that purpose."

Tenet will often buy some larger furniture for general use because the additional cost is so small.

For example, Sams suggests replacing an operating table with one that can sustain 1,000 pounds, twice as much as the standard version.

"It's not that much more expensive," she said, "and you have hip surgery patients and heart patients that are extremely large."

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

T/E Ratios and Steroids: The Gray Areas of Athletics

2008-05-20T07:06:00.005-10:00

Frank D. Georgiana Jr

Frank D. Georgiana Jr., Library Assistant at Penn State University, Fayette, The Eberly Campus in Uniontown, PA presented a faculty colloquium at the campus on April 13, 2006. The seminar was entitled, "T/E Ratios and Steroids: The Gray Areas of Athletics."

In conjunction with his presentation, he wrote a "Guest Commentary" entitled "Steroids Continue to Pose Great Health Risks, Particularly Among the Young." This editorial was published in the May 24, 2006 edition of the Uniontown Herald-Standard Newspaper. Also, two other guest commentaries regarding steroids and gene therapy as a performance-enhancing drug were written by Frank and printed in the Herald-Standard in July and August 2005.

Frank did extensive research over eight months. His document is 145 pages in length.

Frank gathered knowledge from medical and scientific experts, collegiate and professional sports organizations and athletes who took anabolic-androgenic steroids. His findings were educational, informative and new. For example, the popular nutritional supplement, creatine, will cause kidney damage if taken on a daily basis. After the initial loading phase of creatine, the supplement should be taken for ten days on, then ten days off to avoid damage to one's kidneys. This new fact is according to the only board-certified endocrinologist/nutritionist in Western Pennsylvania, Dr. Ramesh Khurana.

Frank has been studying kinesiology, applied nutritional biochemistry and the other biological sciences that relates to athletic performance since 1965. He is consistently updating and adding information to his present work. Frank is currently seeking a book publisher.

Frank D. Georgiana Jr addresses the audiance

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

The Greatest Bodybuilding Show

2008-05-20T07:05:00.004-10:00

STEVE REEVES AND HIS WIFE ALINE WITH DAN LURIE IN 1977

On September 8, 1973, I had the pleasure to attend Dan Lurie's WBBG World Bodybuilding Championships in New York City. The show featured guest posers Sergio Oliva, Frank Zane, Dave Draper, and Kenny Hall. Among the dozens of competitors that night were Chris Dickerson, who won the Pro Mr. America, and Boyer Coe, who won the Pro Mr. World. It was a great thrill to see all the champs flex their stuff but they were shadowed by what was about to come...

"Finally, the much anticipated event that drew thousands of muscle builders from all over the country had arrived. Dan Lurie's heavily promoted appearance of the legendary Steve Reeves at the 1973 WBBG World Championships was about to become a reality. Those loyal to this Herculean legend held tight onto their seats as a stage wide movie screen lowered to the floor. All eyes stared forward, not daring to miss a second of this historic moment. Suddenly, the screen filled with images of the movie "Hercules Unchained", revealing this perfectly developed being, whose symmetrical structure could have only been created by the Gods. No mare mortal was he, standing there beneath the great coliseum's entrance, holding two heavily steeled chains on both sides of his muscular physique. HERCULES, the filmed echoed loudly across the theater, bringing the now standing room only crowd into a near frenzy. HERCULES, screamed this thunderous voice again as it sent legions of fans into a moment of disbelief, as they witnessed this immortal figure pull down the great coliseum walls with his seemingly inhuman strength. HERCULES, HERCULES, roared the film, as jolts of lightning flashed across the screen, electrifying every muscle in the house and sending hundreds in attendance rushing towards the stage. Then suddenly the moment of a life time had come. Onto the center of the stage walked Dan Lurie, Steve Reeves, and his wife Aline. There they stood, side by side, smiling and waving in awe at this sea of Herculean admiring fans. In an instant, without notice or cause, one massive fellow jumped from the seating area and onto the stage as he rushed towards a startled Steve Reeves and his wife. Acting with instinct Dan Lurie immediately ran in the direction of this crazed intruder and blocked the guy's path to Reeves like a pro wrestler, by grabbing and thrusting this unwanted spectator off the stage and into the hands of security personnel. The crowd cheered and applauded wildly with relief as Dan, Steve, and his wife Aline walked over to the microphone to address the crowd at the greatest bodybuilding show ever held".

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

Abbye Stockton of Muscle Beach fame dies at 88 in California

2008-05-20T07:02:00.004-10:00

AP on Bakersfield Californian 6/30/06 AP

Abbye Stockton, a pioneer of female weightlifters who helped establish the popularity of Muscle Beach and inspired women through columns in a fitness magazine, has died. She was 88.

Stockton, known as Pudgy since she was a child, died Monday at her home of complications of Alzheimer's disease, according to daughter Laura Stockton.

"Her biggest contribution was that she was strong and muscular but also managed to maintain her femininity," her daughter said Friday. "She was very attractive, and she was also very concerned with helping others, to share what she had learned about being healthy and fit."

Born in Santa Monica, Stockton was a 19-year-old telephone operator in the late 1930s when she and future husband, Les, began frequenting the area just south of the Santa Monica Pier established for those devoted to "physical culture."

The couple, who married in 1941, performed various routines at Muscle Beach, including the "high press," in which she lifted a 100-pound barbell over her head while balancing atop her husband's hands.

"In those days, lifting weights was considered unfeminine," Stockton told Sports Illustrated Women in 2002. "People used to say that if women worked out, they would become masculine-looking or wouldn't be able to get pregnant. We just laughed because we knew they were wrong."

Stockton organized the first Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned weightlifting competition for women in 1947 and wrote a column in Strength and Health magazine from 1944 to 1954.

"When you look at Pudgy's life, you have to understand what a powerful symbol she was," said Jan Todd, a professor in the department of kinesiology and health education at the University of Texas at Austin and co-director of the Todd-McLean Physical Culture Collection.

"She was years ahead of other women in terms of interest in training with weights and using weights to create a figure that is really now our modern, ideal figure - muscular but not too muscular," Todd said.

A 5-foot-1, 115-pound blond, Stockton drew admiring stares and whistles on Muscle Beach. The two-piece bathing suits she wore added to her allure. Stockton also attracted the attention of newspaper and magazine photographers, appearing on the cover of more than 40 magazines.

"Pudgy was one of the greatest athletes I've ever known," fellow Muscle Beach alum Jack LaLanne told The Los Angeles Times. "She was a bodybuilder, a gymnast, an acrobat. She did everything. She was an exceptional human being."

After World War II, the Stocktons did occasional exhibition shows. In 1948, the Stocktons opened the Salon of Figure Development, a women's gym. Two years later, they opened the Stockton Studios, adjacent men's and women's gyms.

Les Stockton died in 2004. Besides her daughter, Stockton is survived by her brother, Dr. Thomas B. Eville.

A memorial service was pending.

Are juniors on the juice?

2008-05-20T06:59:00.006-10:00

By MORGAN LEE

The Times

Over the past decade, steroid use has become a hot-button issue in almost every facet of sports.

Baseball has seen its name tainted by performance-enhancing drugs. With each Olympics, fans grow more accustomed to seeing winners stripped of their medals after a positive test. And no Tour de France is complete without a major doping bust.

But steroid use stretches beyond professional sports, and it now appears that even the high school game is no longer safe from suspicion.

Media outlets throughout the nation have taken on the subject of steroids in high school after prep athletes from California, Arizona, Texas and Connecticut were recently caught using performance-enhancing drugs. And with the emphasis on prep players getting bigger, faster and stronger, the lure of a shortcut to high performance has proven too strong for numerous athletes.

Yet while coaches and administrators around Northeast Georgia say they haven't experienced the problem of steroids firsthand, it is an issue they admit they are wary of.

"We're very interested and cognizant of it," said Gordon Higgins, spokesman for Hall County schools. "We certainly encourage all of our coaches to talk to their players about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs."

A national issue

The numbers are scary.

According to surveys and medical studies from sources such as the University of Michigan, Harvard, the Centers for Disease Control, and Merck, somewhere between 2.5-11 percent of high school aged boys have taken or are taking steroids.

In 2003, the CDC estimated that 300,000 high school students took steroids without a prescription. It also reported that steroid use in high school students more than doubled between 1991 and 2003.

Numbers like those -- along with incidents like one in Plano, Texas, where Taylor Hooton, a student athlete at West Plano Senior High, committed suicide in 2003, many believed connected to his use of steroids -- have gotten the attention of school systems and even state legislatures.

Of the 10 states with the highest rates of student participation in high school athletics, each either has a statute or has considered one within the past year aimed at discouraging steroid use among high school athletes.

Georgia currently has no law on its books to control prep steroid use.

In 2005, six states (Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia) passed measures concerning prep steroid use. The statutes range from harsher penalties for athletes who are caught using steroids, to harsher penalties for those caught selling steroids. Virginia carries the toughest sanctions, suspending high school athletes who have been caught using performance-enhancing drugs for two years.

New Jersey will become the first state to enact state-wide testing for steroids when it begins the 2006-07 school year. The law, which passed in June, will randomly test players on high school teams that qualify for state tournaments.

In Texas, players are required to make a drug-free pledge and take an educational program on the dangers of steroid use.

In Hall County schools, players are tested for recreational drugs, such as amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, opiates and pain killers. But there are no tests for steroids yet.

"The problem right now is that steroid testing is cost prohibitive," Higgins said. "It costs $25 for a regular drug test. Steroid tests will cost us at least $200 per test."

Cost is also an issue for Gainesville City Schools, which currently doesn't test its athletes.

"Right now, we just can't afford (testing) as a school system," Gainesville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Ballowe said. "I'm personally for it, because it's better not to give a kid an excuse to do wrong.

"I'd really like to see (drug testing) become mandated with state standards."

With no state statutes, and the sharp costs of steroid testing, many school systems believe education is the best way to keep players clean.

An ounce of prevention

In many cases in Northeast Georgia, coaches and teachers are the first line of defense in the battle to keep steroids out of prep athletics.

Gainesville football coach Bruce Miller says that means keeping close tabs on players and letting them know just how dangerous steroids are.

"One thing you've got to do is talk about it; don't pretend it's going away," said Miller, who says he's had no experiences with steroids at Gainesville but is always on the lookout. "You've got to educate."

That means showing kids the right way to compete, and, when possible, showing them the wrong way, too.
"You want to give the players examples of pro athletes who have done things the right way," Miller said. "Also, when you can, you bring speakers in who have done things the wrong way, so that they can see firsthand what can happen."

Steroid use causes long-lasting and potentially devastating effects in its users, including, shrinkage of the testicles and impotence in males. In females, steroid use can cause shrinkage of the breasts, increase in facial hair, deepened voice and menstrual problems.

Users of both sexes can experience an increase in acne, wild mood swings often known as "roid rage," depression, paranoia and hallucinations.

Even so, there are athletes at every level willing to risk their health in order to gain any edge on the playing field.

"I call this generation the microwave generation," said Miller. "They want results now and a lot of times, they're looking for a quick fix. As a coach, you have to make sure they know that's not the right, or safe, thing to do. We definitely do that at Gainesville."

Riverside Military Academy football coach Doug Dixon agreed.

"It's good that (steroid use in athletes) has come to the forefront so that we can learn and understand the detriments it can do to you," said Dixon. "You've got to educate your players. Whether it's good or bad, they've got to know what's going on."

Dixon says all of Riverside's athletes are educated not just on the dangers of steroids, but on everything from nutritional supplements to proper diet.

"We talk to all of our kids involved in our weight program about nutrition and all the details about weight lifting and what it does to the body," Dixon said. "We also talk to them about steroids and even nutritional supplements; try to educate them.

"If one young man is doing (steroids), it's a problem."

Matt Stowers, Chestatee High's strength and conditioning coordinator, also believes that education is a reason he hasn't seen any cases of steroid abuse.

"We tell the kids about the long-term effects, and we talk to them about steroids in health classes," said Stowers, who teaches health at Chestatee. "I don't think it's a problem. I've never seen any cases."

Neither has Buford High athletics director and longtime football coach Dexter Wood, who says he depends on assistant coaches to help keep tabs on players and identify any at-risk students.

"We are definitely wise enough to know it's out there," Wood said. "Even some of the nutritional supplements like creatine are alarming. I really lean on our athletic trainer and (football coach) Jess Simpson to keep track of the kids.

"And maybe I was too trusting, but I just haven't had many cases where I've been suspicious of it."

Recent North Hall graduate and star football and baseball player Brandon Garcia says his coaches kept him well informed of the dangers of steroids.

"(Football) coach (Bob) Christmas and (baseball) coach (David) Dyer always did a good job of making sure we knew the dangers of steroids, and we knew as players there were severe consequences for getting caught," Garcia said. "I don't know of anyone that was using steroids, but you always hear the rumors."

Keeping up

So how do coaches, teachers and administrators ensure that they are up on the latest issues with steroids?

"A lot of it simply is the sharing of relevant knowledge," Dr. Ballowe said.

Just like trading game film, coaches say they are able to keep up with new trends by keeping open dialogues among themselves. Coaches also attend seminars, including GHSA sanctioned events, and talk to local doctors and trainers.

"I have talked to some doctors, and 'Bigger, Faster, Stronger' (a weight training program) circulates tapes about it (steroid abuse)." Miller said.

"We're staying in tune with the issue," West Hall athletics director Dr. Greg Williams said. "Our coaches go to all the clinics, and they talk to their players about it. It's also brought up in drug education classes."

It's a different world than the one in which Miller saw in the early 1980s, when coaches knew little about what to look for or how to spot potential problems.

"I was an assistant on some football teams in the early 80s where, now that I know the signs of it, it certainly seems suspicious," Miller said.

As much as knowledge of performance-enhancing drugs has progressed in the past two decades, high school steroid issues will continue to evolve and change, much as it has in professional sports.

"If we had an epidemic, I'd look into (steroid testing)," Dr. Williams said. "We have no evidence of it here. I hope it stays that way, but there's always a chance that it could change.

"I'm up for anything that will help our kids," East Hall High football coach Tim Marchman said.

As coaches, Miller says that should be the top priority.

"Any coach that would sacrifice a kid's future for the sake of winning a game by letting an athlete get on steroids doesn't belong in high school coaching," Miller said.

(Times sports reporter Bill Murphy contributed to this report.)
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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

Report shows steroid use has dramatically decreased

2008-05-20T06:53:00.007-10:00

July 6, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) has released a five-year report that indicates positive drug tests for steroids in intercollegiate athletics has dramatically decreased, though the total number of student-athletes tested for steroids has increased.

"These results are really encouraging and are the direct result of an on-going partnership between the NCAA and member institutions to continue to strengthen drug testing efforts by providing education and awareness programs," said Jerry Koloskie, incoming chair of the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports and senior associate athletics director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "The education and awareness programs warn student-athletes of the potential negative consequences of using performance enhancing drugs and nutritional supplements that may be contaminated," Koloskie said.

In year-round testing, 49 student-athletes tested positive for steroids in 2004-05 as compared to 90 student-athletes testing positive for steroids in 1998-99 and 92 positive tests in 1999-2000. An all-time low of 46 student-athletes tested positive for steroid use in the 2003-04 year-round testing program, in which 8,980 student-athletes were tested. A total of 10,094 student-athletes were tested for steroids in the 2004-05 year-round testing program.

In postseason drug testing, only two student-athletes tested positive for steroids in 2004-05. An all-time high of eight tested positive for steroids in 1996-97, while none tested positive for steroids in the postseason in 2003-04. A total of 1,516 student-athletes were tested for steroids in the 2004-05 championship testing program.

The report showed that positive results for stimulants have increased since 2001-02. Fourteen student-athletes tested positive for stimulants in the postseason drug testing program in 2004-05, as compared to 13 positives in 2003-04 and 10 positives in 2002-03 in the postseason. However, the study does not indicate how many student-athletes are taking prescribed medication for legitimate medical concerns, which may have an influence on the increase of stimulant positives.

The 2004-05 season also marked the first time that a student-athlete has tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine as part of the year-round testing program. The NCAA began testing for ephedrine in the year-round program in 2002 following the death of several athletes in which ephedra was implicated. In 2004, ephedra was removed from over-the-counter supplement products by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

The report indicated a rise in the number of positive results for street drugs in the 2004-05 postseason testing program. This includes two positive results for cocaine, one of which also tested positive for THC. A total of 17 student-athletes tested positive for street drugs in 2004-05 as compared to only 10 testing positive in 2003-04.

In the year-round testing program, the 2004-05 data includes "failure to show" numbers for the first time. A total of 17 student-athletes failed to show for drug testing in the year-round testing program. A failure to show represents student-athletes who were selected for drug testing and failed to show for the drug test. Under NCAA protocol, student-athletes who fail to show for a drug test are declared ineligible and receive a one-year sanction from competition. The CSMAS plans to monitor "failure to show" numbers in future reports.

The NCAA conducts postseason testing in all divisions, all sports, and year-round drug testing of all its student-athletes in Divisions I and II. The Association also began random summer drug testing for select sports in 2006. In addition to the NCAA drug testing program, many NCAA colleges and universities and athletics conferences also conduct their own drug testing programs. The NCAA national office also provides educational materials to its member colleges and universities to warn of the hazards of substance abuse. More information about NCAA drug testing can be found at www.ncaa.org/health-safety.
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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

WHY BILL PEARL IS ENTERING THE 1971 N.A.B.B.A. Mr. UNIVERSE

2008-05-20T06:49:00.003-10:00

Bill Pearl

Below is an article written by George Coates for Iron Man magazine in early 1971

Bill Pearl is almost 41 years old. He has once again decided to enter N.A.B.B.A.'s famed Mr. Universe Contest to be held as usual in London in September. I'm sure many people are wondering why should this man who has been at the top longer than any other physique star lay his hard-earned reputation as the world's best-built man on the line against fellows half his age? There are many reasons.

Bill, like a lot of other people, loves the sport he has done so well at for over 20 years. He hates to see the game being abused in any shape or form. He is particularly appalled at the methods certain top physique men are resorting to in their quest for greater muscle size. Bill has a 14-year-old son and he swears if his boy has to take drugs and do some of the other crazy things these physique men are doing, he would sooner his boy never touched a barbell.

We all know that so many young men have radically changed the course of their lives, always for the worse, through the use (or should I say OVERUSE) of tissue-building drugs. Rumour has it that some men in the weight game have actually died as a result of taking these drugs. Bill wants to do all in his power to rid the weight game of DIANABOL and its counterparts. These drugs have their part in medicine, but they are NOT needed by ANYONE who desires to be healthy, fit and strong through the use of barbells!

Another reason that Bill has decided to enter this, his final contest, is due to the fact that for years he has silently endured ridicule and uncouth comments by a certain magazine with "the trainer of champions" at the helm. For years this magazine would provoke people like Bill, Reg Park and the one and only John Grimek by running "polls" to supposedly determine who was the world's greatest bodybuilder. In the final ratings, all three would appear way down their list. It got to be quite ridiculous! They would be rating men who would look like boys standing next to this trio of giants way up on their top ten, or top twenty, or whatever.

Last year things came to a head when an article was published attributed to Arnold Schwarzenegger, hurling rather unwarranted remarks at certain top liners, most of these being aimed at Bill Pearl in particular. I know Arnold Schwarzenegger. He would never write an article of that nature. He is a nice young man with a fantastic physique, currently associated with an organization that took similar advantages of Reg Park many years ago. In fact, Arnold and Earl Maynard (Mr. "U" of 1964) were visiting Leo Stern and me about six weeks ago, and believe me, big Arnold has nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for Bill Pearl. Being the gentleman he is however, Arnold would not comment.

Bill knows the only way he can compete fairly against anyone will be on neutral ground with fair and impartial judging. In other words, the N.A.B.B.A. Mr. Universe Contest!

Late last year, Bill and Leo Stern embarked on a one-year plan to prepare Bill and have him in the greatest shape of his life to compete in London. They had spared no efforts in this their final and most important undertaking. Every two weeks Bill and Leo get together and I feel deeply honoured to be allowed the privilege of attending most of these meetings, as the three of us will be associates in producing many magazine articles in the future.

To say Bill looks fantastic right now would be a gross understatement. As I write, the annual Mr. California Contest to be held in Los Angeles is only three days away. Bill is the guest poser in what may be his last public appearance in the United States. Most of the drug users will be in the audience and I will state here and now Bill will shock them right out of their seats.

Leo took some pictures of him last weekend and he is in unbelievable condition. You will be seeing some of these pictures soon. After the Mr. Universe Contest is over Bill and Leo will be disclosing some of the methods Bill has used to attain this fantastic condition. One or two phases of Bill's preparation for the Mr. Universe contest are closely guarded secrets and will be told after the great event.

Bill and Leo both hope all the top liners enter this year to decide once and for all the question, "Who is undeniably the greatest of the modern day bodybuilders?" I know one thing for sure and so does Bill, they don't play favourites in London. You have to be the best man there or you don't win. People like Oscar Heidenstam, Bert Loveday, Colin Sheard, Hal Wrigley and the rest of the judging panel are the most knowledgeable in the world.

I sincerely hope Bill Pearl can do it! I personally hope he can bump off the very best of the drug users and anyone else on the scene besides.

While the rest of the bodybuilding world awaits with bated breath what could prove to be the greatest ever N.A.B.B.A. Mr. Universe contest, Bill Pearl will be training with a vengeance and a quest. The quest being to put the game back on its feet where it belongs. To show everyone connected with the game that it's possible to attain the physique they desire without resorting to the dangerous practice of using drugs. In this writer's humble opinion, it's not only dangerous, it's absolute madness. Bill Pearl will be using the sane and sensible methods he has always believed in with one or two innovations, which will be made public at a later date. I hope all readers of this magazine will join me in wishing Bill Pearl success in his final venture as a physique contestant.

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Legendary bodybuilder Bill Pearl lives a disciplined and consistent life

By LJ Anderson
Published February, 2011
Daily News Columnist

Growing up in the 1930s and '40s with only a distant role model to read about in Strength and Health magazine, young Bill Pearl knew that he wanted to be a bodybuilder. He was determined and even waited two years during World War II -- when iron was at a premium -- for his first set of York barbells. That patience eventually paid off for him in the fledgling sport as Pearl began earning bodybuilding titles in 1953, when he was named Mr. Southern California. He went on earn Mr. California, Mr. America, Mr. USA, and was a five-time Mr. Universe titleholder.

Today Pearl lives in Oregon, where, at 80 years old, he still works out six days a week and is a model of discipline in his drive to remain strong and physically fit. He also continues to teach the rest of the world what he knows through his best-selling books (www.billpearl.com) including "Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women."

Q: What initially sparked your interest in bodybuilding?

A: Probably insecurities, and looking for recognition. I started when I was 11, and knew that if I lifted weights and got bigger and stronger, I'd get more attention. I also had an older brother who was constantly pounding on me, so that was an incentive. Weight lifting wasn't accepted in those days, though. My dad told me that if I did more work around the house -- instead of lifting weights -- the house would look a lot better. And in 11th
grade, when the track team coach found out that I was lifting weights, he actually kicked me off the team. It was thought that you would become muscle-bound, and it would ruin your athletic ability. One of the reasons I persevered was because people told me that I couldn't do it, and I wanted to prove that they were wrong. Everything I've ever done that was worth anything has come from the persistence (I developed) in weight training.

Q: How did you learn how to weight lift, and progress in the sport of bodybuilding?

A: I admired John Grimek, who was one of the first Mr. Americas in the 1940s, and he was like my mentor even though I'd never met the man at the time. But everything back then was trial and error. If you tried something and it seemed to work, then you continued to do it. Because I was a relatively good athlete in high school -- and I think it was because of my weight training -- I got recognition that I probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I was the type of kid who would roll up my T-shirt and show off my arms. Also, I followed Strength and Health magazine like a Bible, and you could buy it at a drugstore at the time. When I got it, I would stick it under my coat so people couldn't see what I was buying.

Q: What training advice do you have for non-professionals?

A: It's about consistency, and if you're going to train or exercise three or four days a week, make sure that you don't let anything else take that time away from you. I would also like to see everyone spend a little time on themselves every day. I wake up every morning and spend a little bit of quality time on me before I try to take care of the rest of the world. I like to say that there are 24 hours in the day, and I'll give the world 22 hours, but I'm not going to give 24. So if you enjoy going on a walk or bird watching, or anything that makes you feel good about yourself or about the world, I think it's smart to do.

Q: What does your daily routine consist of now?

A: I get up every day at 2 a.m. and spend about 45 minutes to an hour reading, meditating a little bit, and deciding what I want to do with the rest of my day. We have a big barn behind our house where I train, and I'm in there at 3:45 a.m. six days a week. I go through regimented weight training from 4 a.m. until about 5:30 a.m. and then go back to the house, clean up, and go to work in our little office, where we sell exercise equipment and books. We work until about 1 or 2 p.m., then take it easy, and come the next day, we do the same thing all over again. We're in bed by 7 p.m. every evening, but we live in a very small town and we're not night people, and thank God I have a wife who will put up with it.

(In terms of diet), my wife and I have been lacto-ovo vegetarians for the last 45 years or so -- which means we don't eat any red meat, fish or fowl. We'll have homemade soups, breads and beans, and we eat about 15 different things that my wife makes. I probably consume about 3,500 calories per day at the maximum. We're kind of stringent-like in everything else we do. Some people have a tendency to socialize with food, but we are more used to using food as a fuel. I can say that I'm having a good life, enjoying myself, and I still laugh -- so I have absolutely no complaints at all.

Pain Is Not My Enemy; It Is My Call To Greatness

2008-05-20T06:45:00.002-10:00

By Henry Rollins (Lead Singer for Black Flag and The Rollins Band)

I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself completely.
When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me "garbage can" and telling me I'd be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn't run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn't going to get pounded in the hallway between classes.

Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you'll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me a hard time. I didn't think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my adviser. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class. Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard.

Mr. Pepperman could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn't even drag them to my mom's car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. Pepperman's office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn't looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing.

In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn't want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in. Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. Pepperman would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my
books flying. The other students didn't know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn't say shit to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron.

I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn't want to come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn't ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you're not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone's shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr. Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body. Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live.

Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole. I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban
homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind. The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds."

REMEBERING MUSCLE BEACH

2008-05-20T06:40:00.004-10:00

By Harold Zinkin with Bonnie Hearn

Book Excerpt "Where Hard Bodies Began"

During these early years on the Beach, our band of eager athletes spent weekends and the long days of summer working out and honing our skills in the cool breezes of the Pacific. Those I shared the sand with in the mid-to late- thirties were the true founders of Muscle Beach, the people who established its reputation and witnessed its growth as a unique contribution to physical fitness. It is their stories that I want to share with you in this book.

At Muscle Beach, Russ Saunders learned the techniques that landed him jobs in major films such as Singing in the Rain and The Three Musketeers, roles that made him one of the top stuntmen - if not the top stuntman - in Hollywood. And it was at Muscle Beach that I first got the idea that led to my inventing the Universal Gym Machine. (I didn't call it the Zinkin because I was afraid no one would know who I was.) It was there that Vic Tanny, the master promoter and gym entrepreneur, came up with the concept of a Mr. California contest and many other competitions that brought recognition and honor to those of us who won. And it was there that women such as Relna Brewer and Pudgy Eville Stockton proved that attractive women could and possibly should lift weights - including live, human, male weights, when they felt like it. At Muscle Beach, we learned and shared information about nutrition, with less sophistication, but with the same passion that health-conscious people of all ages discuss healthful eating today.

The Beach we visited every weekend was a magnet for fitness leaders around the world. When John Grimek (who became the first and second American Athletic Union-sanctioned Mr. America in 1940 and 1941, as well as Mr. Universe in 1948) attended the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin, the Europeans bombarded him with questions about "that beach in Santa Monica." The strength magazines were full of Muscle Beach photos. Tenor Mario Lanza visited in disguise. Jane Russell pursued her husband-to-be Bob Waterfield there. Colorful figures like wrestlers Gorgeous George, Pepper Gomez and Baron Leone mingled with the movie stars. It began as a place where a few friends could work out in the sand and grew to include a mismatched but amiable group of athletes, circus performers, wrestlers, college gymnasts, movie stunt people and just about anyone else who wanted to join. On weekends the crowd of spectators could easily top ten thousand, all lining the sidewalk to watch amazing stunts.

Jack LaLanne, a weekend visitor, was already a star to those of us who knew that this fitness-preaching, vegetarian kid wasn't a nut. At Muscle Beach, Jack was in his element, and he didn't have to worry about the many who disregarded his accomplishments. Jack and I still laugh about how we met, and of course, we each tell a slightly different version of the story. I'd heard about Jack LaLanne for a long time. I knew that he'd started a modern-day health club in 1931 in Berkeley, that he could do a thousand pushups, and that he had quite a reputation as a wrestler. Jack had also heard about me, and we were both curious about each other.

JACK LaLANNE

Some people shake hands when they're introduced, and some make small talk. Although Jack and I may have engaged in both of those polite gestures, I remember only what followed - a furious wrestling match in the surf and on the sand. Right away I knew I was dealing with someone who, like me, didn't have the word "quit" in his vocabulary. He claims we were at it for ten minutes, but I know it had to be closer to fifteen or twenty. When Jack says there was no winner that day, he's being kind. I was so tired I couldn't see straight. He was like a crab that just kept crawling, crawling, crawling over the wet sand. Even after all these years I wouldn't want to wrestle with him again.

I look today at a photograph taken of Jack, me and a few other fellows: from Stuntman Russ Saunders with the top, Gene Miller, Jack LaLanne, Moe Most, all of them balanced on a guy doing a full backbend - me. Although many of my sixth-grade classmates had predicted that I would become a strong man in the circus, this stunt took more than strength. It took us two years of practice to be able to hold that pyramid in position long enough for a photograph. I usually worked in the second position on a pyramid, but I was the understander here, and I knew we had a small margin of error in the balancing process. We'd already been practicing with Moe standing on my backbend while holding another person. Adding another body on top was the next natural step. It was the only time we ever did it. Almost fifty years later to the day, we saw a photograph of Russian acrobats doing it in an acrobatics magazine. When Paula Unger Boelsems visited Russia, she saw our photograph on the wall of a gymnasium. The pose has yet to be repeated in the United States.

I remember how, almost magically, as participants, we became as close as one body, each of us giving up any independent role we originally felt. When I look at that photograph today, I see not just our bodies, but our faces - Gene, happy and secure on top; Jack, as always, determined to meet whatever challenges life handed him. Beneath Jack stood Moe, a wonderful understander in many of the photographs you'll see in these pages. In its upside-down state, my body was stretched to its limits and my face was all smiles. Even in this exaggerated pose, I loved every minute I spent at Muscle Beach. I couldn't imagine anything I'd rather do.

All of us - from top to bottom in that photo and in the rest of the photos I'll share with you in this book - were full of hope. Maybe that's part of the reason Muscle Beach is such a source of interest for many today. That hope carried us farther than we could have guessed at the time.

Those who didn't understand what we were doing called us "Muscleheads," just as others with different abilities were called "Eggheads." Although the term stung at the time, history has proven that we were on the right track, and that "muscle" isn't a dirty word. As you look at more than sixty years of photographs and read all the memories that go with them, you will realize that those times played a great part in the success of numerous fitness greats. More legends were shaped per square foot at Muscle Beach than anywhere else in the world.

The Beach certainly made a difference in my life. It taught me to think about fitness, to think about possibilities rather than impossibilities, about my own strengths that went beyond my muscles. In 1945, I won first place in my division at the AAU National Weightlifting Championship competition. That was on a Saturday. The next day, in the same place, the same room, I placed second in the Mr. America contest that Clarence Ross won. It was quite a weekend. I never became that strong man in the circus, but I was once dubbed the Henry Ford of Fitness. It was a title that, like being named the first Mr. California, both embarrasses and pleases me. In 1960, the first of five patents was issued for my Universal Gym Machine. Although I knew that the Universal was an essential product for schools and the military, I wasn't sure how to get it there. Between 1960 and 1963, we sold just one per month. In 1964, we sold one per week, and in 1965, we sold one unit per hour. Universal was purchased in 1968 - a multi-million-dollar sale - and I continued as chief executive officer. If I'm proud of anything, it's that machine and the fact that there probably isn't one professional athlete in the world who hasn't worked out on a Universal at least once. If that machine turned me into the Henry Ford of Fitness, keep in mind that I learned to drive, metaphorically speaking, at Muscle Beach.

Muscle Beach really was glue. You became a part of it. You became a part of the activities. There wasn't anywhere else in the world where you could find that kind of life or get to know people like these.

Muhammad Ali once said, "The man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at thirty has wasted twenty years of his life." At seventy-six plus, I view that world with very different eyes today. Yet my goal here is to shut my eyes and take you back to the early days of the original Muscle Beach. It was the birthplace of the fitness movement. Indeed, it's where many hard bodies began. So many fitness greats got their starts there. But we were kids, remember? And what kids care about, Muscle Beach delivered in spades. In a word -fun. Fun - that's the way it started.

HAROLD ZINKIN

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Anabolic Steroid Abuse and Cardiac Sudden Death

2008-05-20T06:30:00.007-10:00

A Pathologic Study

Vittorio Fineschi, MD, PhD; Giorgio Baroldi, MD; Floriana Monciotti, MD; Laura Paglicci Reattelli, MD; Emanuela Turillazzi, MD, PhD

From the Division of Forensic Medicine, University of Foggia, Italy (Drs Fineschi and Turillazzi); the Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, University of Milan, Italy (Dr Baroldi); the Division of Forensic Medicine, University of Siena, Italy (Dr Monciotti); and the Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy (Dr Reattelli).

Context.-Androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) used for improving physical performance have been considered responsible for acute myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death.

Objective.-To establish the relationship between AAS and cardiac death.

Design.-Case report.

Patients.-Two young, healthy, male bodybuilders using AAS.

Main Outcome Measures.-Pathologic cardiac findings associated with AAS ingestion.

Results.-The autopsy revealed normal coronary arteries. In one case, we documented a typical infarct with a histologic age of 2 weeks. A segmentation of myocardial cells at the intercalated disc level was observed in the noninfarcted region. This segmentation was the only anomaly detected in the second case. No other pathologic findings in the heart or other organs were found. Urine in both subjects contained the metabolites of nortestosterone and stanozolol.

Comment.-A myocardial infarct without vascular lesions is rare. To our knowledge, its association with AAS use, bodybuilding, or both lacks any evidence of a cause-effect relationship. The histologic findings in our 2 cases and in the few others reported in medical literature are nonspecific and do not prove the cardiac toxicity of AAS. A better understanding of AAS action on the neurogenic control of the cardiac function in relation to regional myocardial contraction and vascular regulation is required.

Androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) are used worldwide to help athletes gain muscle mass and strength. They are beneficial in athletic competition and are particularly beneficial for power lifters, bodybuilders, student athletes, and fitness enthusiasts. The real incidence is difficult to evaluate, but a recent study indicated that more than 1 million Americans are current or former users. The intake of these steroids has been associated with vascular complications, cardiomyopathy, coronary atherosclerosis, and cardiac hypertrophy, and in several clinical reports, intake was associated with an acute myocardial infarct. However, to our knowledge, only 7 sudden cardiac death cases have been examined after the patient's death. In 2 other sudden-death cases, the cause at autopsy was imputed to be pulmonary venous thrombosis. A right cerebellar hemorrhage spreading into the pons and ventricular systems was the cause of death in another case. In the latter case, a histologic examination of the heart revealed an area of fibrosis in the inferior myocardium that was consistent with an old myocardial infarction; coronary arteries were normal.

This article discusses 2 sudden death cases in healthy bodybuilders who were using androgenic anabolic steroids. The cardiac pathologic findings are analyzed.

REPORT OF CASES

Case 1

A 32-year-old bodybuilder suddenly lost consciousness during a weight lifting workout at the gymnasium. After an unsuccessful resuscitation attempt, he was pronounced dead because of an instantaneous cardiac arrest. Two weeks earlier, he had experienced an episode of chest pain that lasted a few minutes, with pain radiating to his left arm. According to relatives and friends, the patient did not consult a doctor and continued his training, believing that the pain was caused by his physical activity. For several months he was taking testosterone propionate (700 mg/ wk) and nandrolone (200 mg/wk) parenterally, and he was taking stanozolol per os (70 mg/wk). His medical history was unremarkable.

Postmortem Findings.-The body was that of a well-built man (height 189 cm, weight 90 kg) with prominent muscular masses. The 450-g heart was normal in shape, with no cavity dilatation. Its dimensions (14 × 14 × 4 cm) and wall thicknesses (17-mm left ventricle, 11-mm interventricular septum, and 5-mm right ventricle) all fell in the normal range. The heart weight as a percentage of body weight was 0.5%. The pericardium, cardiac valves, endocardium, and coronary arteries were normal. In particular, the latter and their major branches were cross-sectioned at 3-mm intervals, with no gross evidence of lesion or lumen reduction. The coronary arteries arose from normally located and patent ostia possessing normal anatomic disposition. The posterior descending branch originated from the right coronary artery. The myocardium was usual in appearance except for one grayish zone in the internal half of the anterior-lateral wall of the left ventricle. It corresponded to 20% of the whole left ventricular myocardial mass, including the interventricular septum. No thrombi were noted in the cardiac cavities. Ten samples of the coronary arteries; 2 of the atria; 8 of the anterior, lateral, and posterior left ventricle; and the anterior and posterior interventricular septum were taken for histologic examination and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin.

Histologically, the grayish area corresponded to typical infarct necrosis with a histologic age of approximately 15 days. The lesion was characterized by dead, hyperdistended myocardial cells with sarcomeres in registered order, circumscribed at its periphery by young collagen tissue containing numerous macrophages. External to the infarct necrosis was a large layer of contraction band necrosis formed by hypercontracted, deeply eosinophilic myocardial cells with rupture of the myofibrillar apparatus in anomalous bands, with no macrophagic reaction. At other cardiac sites, the pathologic findings were represented by occasional foci of contraction band necrosis and few fibrotic microfoci in the internal portion of the posterior left ventricle and interventricular septum.

In all of the myocardial samples, segmentation of the myocardial cells at the intercalated disc level or widening of the cells at this level with bundles of distended myocardial cells alternating with bundles of contracted myocells was found. Granular disruption of the myocardial cells was occasionally observed. The coronary artery sections proved to be normal, with no evidence of any pathologic change. Both gross and histologic examinations of other organs did not reveal any pathology.

Case 2

A 29-year-old bodybuilder was found unconscious in bed one morning in his apartment. A cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempt, performed by a physician, was unsuccessful. According to his medical practitioner, he had no history of disease. Family members and friends reported that he had been using anabolic steroids parenterally (nandrolone 250 mg/wk and stanozolol 350 mg/wk) for several months.

Postmortem Findings.-The body was of a well-built man (weight 72 kg, height 166 cm). All organs were normal. In particular, the dimensions of the heart were 11 × 10 × 5 cm, the weight was 390 g (0.54% of body weight), and the wall thicknesses were 19 mm for the left ventricle, 13 mm for the interventricular septum, and 6 mm for the right ventricle. All of the cardiac components were normal, according to the previously described examinations. Histology did not reveal any pathologic changes in the extramural and intramural arterial vessels, valves, and epiendocardium. Only occasional, isolated myocardial cells with contraction bands and segmentation of the myocardial cells similar to those seen in the other case were noted.

Toxicologic Analysis

In neither case did urine screening detect cocaine, amphetamines, or other abused drugs. Gas chromatographic mass spectrography of urine showed 19-nor-androsterone, 19-nor-etiocholanolone, and nor-epiandrosterone (metabolites of nandrolone), as well as 3-idrossi-stanozolol and 3-idrossi-17-epistanozolol (metabolites of the anabolic steroid stanozolol) in both subjects.

COMMENT

The number of autopsy cases of sudden and unexpected death associated with AAS use is not sufficient to establish whether or not an AAS cardiotoxicity exists or to explain the mechanism of the sudden cardiac arrest.

In our cases, and in most of those reported in medical literature, lesions at any level of the coronary system were absent, even in the presence of a myocardial infarction. Our first case is the only one with histologically documented infarct necrosis among young athletes abusing AAS. Histologically, this silent or almost-silent infarct occurred approximately 2 weeks before the terminal episode and did not impede the athlete's habitual, vigorous physical training. The sudden cardiac arrest is most likely related to adrenergic stress, documented by the extensive, early contraction band necrosis and triggered by the terminal physical effort. The absence of lymphocytic infiltrates or myocardial fibrosis in our 2 cases supports the lack of a toxic effect both of AAS and other toxic factors linked with lymphocytic infiltration, as reported in 3 other cases. Lymphocytic infiltrates are rarely found in normal healthy subjects who die accidentally. Cardiac hypertrophy, in our cases, was minimal. This mild hypertrophy is probably related to the increased muscular mass after hard physical training.

Although, to our knowledge, no unifying hypothesis has emerged to account for the occurrence of these sudden cardiac deaths, it is possible to implicate many intravascular, vascular, and myocardial etiologies. Increases in total cholesterol occur with anabolic steroids, and this has been shown to augment the coronary artery response to catecholamines. Anabolic agents have also been shown to enhance this pressor response to catecholamines in rodents. Several animal studies have led to the speculation that AAS may interact with exercise-induced adaptations of the cardiovascular system to produce unfavorable effects. Sympathetic neurons, instrumental in nervous control of the cardiovascular system, may be affected by AAS administration when it is combined with exercise. Other studies have indicated that testosterone can both selectively inhibit extraneuronal uptake of neuroamines and increase the vascular response to norepinephrine.

The cause-effect relationship among AAS, bodybuilding, and myocardial infarction presently lacks solid evidence. However, the concept of cardiac arrest caused by catecholamine myotoxicity associated with ventricular fibrillation is suggested by (1) the finding of contraction band necrosis or disseminated focal necrosis, as encountered in other cases, and by (2) an experimental study in which AAS, administered in combination with exercise training, induced degenerative changes within the intracardiac sympathetic neurons of the mouse.

In conclusion, a more complete pathologic study with strict clinical case correlation of acute myocardial infarctions and AAS use is needed. In addition, we need more information regarding the role of AAS effect, particularly in relation to an adrenergic control, on the coronary vessels and myocardium.

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Using steroids to build bulging muscles can also trigger catastrophic loss of brain cells

2008-05-20T05:36:00.004-10:00

The drugs are known to raise levels of the male sex hormone testosterone.
A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry by Yale School of Medicine found high levels of the hormone killed off nerve cells.
The researchers believe the effect might explain why some steroid users become aggressive and suicidal - a condition known as hyper excitability.
The condition is well known in the bodybuilding world, where it is referred to as roid rage.
Lead researcher Professor Barbara Ehrlich said: "Next time a muscle-bound guy in a sports car cuts you off on the highway, don't get mad, just take a deep breath and realize that it might not be his fault."
The Yale team exposed cultured nerve cells to testosterone, and found that it triggered programmed cell death (apoptosis).
This is a natural process that in normal circumstances plays a key role in clearing away damaged cells which might be harmful.
However, when healthy cells also become suicidal, it can cause severe problems, and has been implicated in neurological illnesses, such as Alzheimer's and Huntingdon's disease.
Apoptosis is characterized by membrane instability, DNA fragmentation, and the activation of "executioner proteins", known as caspases.
Aggressive hamsters
A recent US study published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience found normally placid adolescent hamsters given anabolic steroids become incredibly aggressive.
The effects lasted almost two weeks - the equivalent of half their adolescence.
Post-mortems revealed changes in the hamsters' brain activity.
Dr Richard Melloni, who led the research at Northeastern University in Boston, said it was likely the findings applied to humans.
John Brewer, director of the Lucozade Sports Science Academy, said the findings were not surprising.
"People think steroids are banned because they are performance enhancing, but the second, equally important, reason is that they are known to have a major negative effect on people's health.
"This study provides further evidence for why we should never give in to people who want to use steroids and drugs in sport. The moment we do that we will have a major hit on the health services, as use will cascade down the pyramid of sports."

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Alcohol and your health: Weighing the pros and cons

2008-05-20T05:34:00.003-10:00

Consider these points when weighing the risks and benefits of alcohol use.

For every article you read about the benefits of alcohol consumption, another seems to warn you of its risks. You might find such conflicting information confusing and frustrating.
Though moderate alcohol use seems to have some health benefits, anything more than moderate drinking can negate any potential benefits. Moderate drinking is defined as two drinks a day if you're a male under 65, or one drink a day if you're a female or a male over 65.
So should you avoid alcohol? Or can you continue to enjoy your glass of wine with dinner? It's up to you and your doctor. Here are some points on alcohol consumption for you to consider.

Health benefits

Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It may:

Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and intermittent claudication

Reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack

Possibly reduce your risk of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes

Lower your risk of gallstones

Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

Health risks

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including:

Cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer

Pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides in their blood

Sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease

Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure

Stroke

Brain atrophy (shrinkage)

Cirrhosis of the liver

Miscarriage

Fetal alcohol syndrome in an unborn child, including impaired growth and nervous system development

Injuries due to impaired motor skills

Suicide

What counts as a drink?

A drink is defined as 12 ounces (oz.) of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits. Again, keep in mind that people age 65 and older shouldn't drink more than one drink a day. With increasing age, adults break down alcohol more slowly, leading them to become intoxicated more quickly and increasing alcohol's damaging effects.

Who shouldn't drink alcohol?

People with certain health conditions shouldn't drink any alcohol, as even small amounts could cause problems. Don't drink alcohol if you have:

A history of a hemorrhagic stroke

Liver disease

Pancreatic disease

Evidence of precancerous changes in the esophagus, larynx, pharynx or mouth

If you have a family history of alcoholism, be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking, as you are at higher risk of alcoholism. And if you're pregnant, avoid alcohol entirely because of the health risks for your unborn baby.

In addition, alcohol interacts with many common prescription and over-the-counter medications. Check with your doctor, if you take:

Antibiotics

Anticoagulants

Antidepressants

Diabetes medications

Antihistamines

Anti-seizure medications

Beta blockers

Pain relievers

Sleeping pills

If you combine alcohol with aspirin, you face an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. And if you use alcohol and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), you increase your risk of liver damage. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration requires all over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers to carry a warning label advising those who consume three or more drinks a day to consult with their doctors before using the drug.

What to make of all the evidence

Weigh the pros against the cons of moderate drinking and decide whether drinking is OK for you. Be sure to consult your doctor if you have questions or are unsure.

Above all, don't feel pressured to drink. Few medical experts, if any, advise nondrinkers to start drinking. But if you do drink and you're healthy, there's no need to stop as long as you drink responsibly and in moderation.

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Secondhand smoke: Avoid dangers in the air you breathe

2008-05-20T05:29:00.006-10:00

Breathing in the toxins in secondhand smoke can cause a variety of health problems, including lung cancer and asthma. Understand more and see how to avoid the dangers.
You don't smoke because you understand the dangers. But what about that thick cloud hanging in the air at your favorite restaurant? What about the haze left behind after your guests have departed after a night of partying? And what about the cigarette your spouse has left burning in an ashtray just a few feet away from your infant?

Are they all a danger, too?
Yes, they are. Compelling evidence indicates that secondhand smoke is a health hazard. And it's nearly as bad as smoking itself. Rich in toxic chemicals, secondhand smoke may play a role in causing or contributing to a number of health problems, from cardiovascular disease to cancer.
But secondhand smoke is often avoidable. Take steps to safeguard yourself and your loved ones from secondhand smoke.

Toxins in secondhand smoke
What exactly is secondhand smoke? It's two different forms of smoke from cigarettes, pipes or cigars:

Sidestream smoke. This is smoke that wafts from the burning tobacco product.

Mainstream smoke. This is smoke that the smoker exhales.

Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke, passive smoking, involuntary smoking and a newer, more descriptive term, tobacco smoke pollution.
Regardless of what you call it, both types of secondhand smoke contain harmful chemicals - and a lot of them. Specifically which chemicals are present depend on the type of tobacco product, how it's smoked and the paper in which the tobacco is wrapped. More than 4,000 chemicals make up the haze of secondhand smoke. And more than 60 of the chemicals in cigarette smoke are known to be carcinogenic, which means they may cause cancer.
Some of the substances found in secondhand smoke that are known or suspected to cause cancer include:

Formaldehyde

Arsenic

Cadmium

Benzene

Ethylene oxide

Here are a few other chemicals in secondhand smoke that might sound familiar, along with their effects on health:

Ammonia - irritates your lungs

Carbon monoxide - hampers breathing by reducing oxygen in your blood

Methanol - toxic when inhaled or swallowed

Hydrogen cyanide - interferes with proper respiratory function

The dangerous particles given off in secondhand smoke can linger in the air for hours. Even breathing them in for a short time - as little as 20 or 30 minutes - can harm your health in a variety ways. And breathing in secondhand smoke over years can be all the more dangerous.

Adult health threats from secondhand smoke
Health experts have recognized the relationship between secondhand smoke and health risks for decades. Research exploring these connections is ongoing.

Some of the known or suspected health risks include:
Cancer
In 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency placed environmental tobacco smoke in the most dangerous category of cancer-causing agents, and subsequent research has upheld that status.
Secondhand smoke is a known risk factor for lung cancer. Experts believe that secondhand smoke is to blame for roughly 3,000 deaths from lung cancer in adult nonsmokers each year in the United States. Secondhand smoke is also linked to cancer of the nasal sinuses. It's also been linked to cancers of the cervix, breast and bladder, but the evidence hasn't been as compelling as the link to lung cancer.

Heart disease
Secondhand smoke harms the cardiovascular system of nonsmokers in many ways. For one thing, it causes coronary heart disease, such as a heart attack. It also damages blood vessels, interferes with circulation and increases the risk of blood clots. It's estimated that some 35,000 nonsmokers die of smoking-related heart disease in the United States every year.

Lung disease
Chronic lung ailments, such as bronchitis and asthma, have been associated with secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke is also associated with chest tightness at night and feelings of breathlessness after physical activity.

Children's health threats from secondhand smoke
Secondhand smoke has a marked effect on the health of infants and children. They're more vulnerable than adults because they're still developing physically and generally have higher breathing rates, which means they may inhale greater quantities of secondhand smoke than do adults.
For children who live in households where someone smokes, the effects are worst during the child's first five years, since the child may spend the bulk of that time with a smoking parent or guardian. Ironically, infants are at the highest risk of secondhand smoke from their own mothers. A child who spends just one hour in a very smoky room is inhaling as many dangerous chemicals as if he or she smoked 10 or more cigarettes.

Here's a look at some of the main health problems in infants and children associated with secondhand smoke.

Growth and development
Women who are exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are at higher risk of having babies of slightly lower birth weight. This can cause a host of health problems for the baby, such as cerebral palsy or learning disabilities. Women who actively smoke during pregnancy expose their developing baby to passive smoke - the chemicals may pass through the placenta - and put them at risk of lower birth weight. Scientists are studying the link between secondhand smoke and growth delays and congenital malformations.
A developing fetus exposed to secondhand smoke may also be at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). But evidence that post-birth exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS is inconclusive.

Asthma and other respiratory problems
Secondhand smoke may cause asthma in children. In children who already have asthma, secondhand smoke can make episodes more frequent and more severe.
Secondhand smoke is also tied to lower respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, especially in those younger than 6. It's also associated with irritation of the upper respiratory tract and a small reduction in lung function.

Middle ear conditions
Children living in households with smokers are more likely to have a buildup of fluid in their middle ear, which is an indication of chronic middle ear disease (otitis media).

Other health problems related to secondhand smoke
For both adults and children, secondhand smoke is linked to a variety of other health problems, including:

Chronic coughing, phlegm and wheezing

Eye and nose irritation

Reduced lung function

Irritability and annoyance

Dental cavities

How to avoid secondhand smoke
Limiting exposure to secondhand smoke may seem easy, but sometimes it isn't. Secondhand smoke is both an individual health issue and a public health issue, with social and governmental influences.

The public health level
Some issues involving exposure to secondhand smoke are matters of public health policy. For instance, smoking is now banned on all U.S. domestic airline flights and all interstate bus travel, and is restricted on trains traveling within the United States. In addition, some, but not all, communities have tackled the issue by banning smoking in certain places, such as restaurants and airports. Likewise some, but not all, employers have enacted smoking bans or restrictions.

Be pro-active:

If you can't go to your favorite restaurant because it allows smoking, you can work to change laws in your community.

If your employer hasn't banned smoking, you can push for restrictions, such as limiting smoking to certain areas, or encourage smoking-cessation programs. Although finding a new job often isn't an option, it may be something to consider, especially if your health has already been affected.

As an added benefit, in addition to reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, these community-level and workplace smoke-free policies have proved to be among the most effective ways to reduce overall smoking rates among adults.

The individual level
If you're not comfortable taking on activist-type duties, you can still take steps to limit your exposure to secondhand smoke on an individual basis.

Don't allow smoking inside your home. If family members or guests want to smoke, ask them to step outside. Don't rely on an air conditioner or an open window to clear the air. Running the air conditioner may remove the visible smoke, but it doesn't remove the dangerous particles from circulation. An open window doesn't provide adequate ventilation, either.

If visitors refuse to go outside to smoke, designate a special room for smoking and close it off from the rest of the house and don't let children in that room. But note that even designating a special smoking room doesn't eliminate secondhand smoke - it can still seep into the rest of the house and put others at risk.

Choose smoke-free care facilities. If you take your children to a child care provider, choose one with a no-smoking policy. The same goes for your aging parents. If they live in a long term care facility, make sure it's smoke-free.

Don't allow smoking in your vehicle. If someone must smoke on the road, stop at a rest stop for a smoke break outside the car.

Patronize businesses with no-smoking policies. Many restaurants and other establishments are entirely smoke-free. Support them with your business.

When you absolutely must share a room with people who are smoking, sit as far away from them as possible.

If your partner smokes, have him or her refrain from smoking indoors, just as you would with houseguests. Encourage your partner to quit smoking completely.

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

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Teens and smoking: What parents can do

2008-05-20T05:25:00.005-10:00

If you can help your teenager resist taking that first puff of a cigarette, you will dramatically improve his or her odds for a longer and healthier life.

Nearly 90 percent of adult smokers took up the habit before they turned 19 - in other words, before they were old enough to realize they might not live forever. By middle age, they've learned otherwise, often in the hardest way possible. One out of every three smokers can expect to die of a disease caused by cigarettes.

If you can help your teenager resist taking that first puff, you will dramatically improve his or her odds for a longer and healthier life.

What's the attraction?
Adolescents turn to tobacco for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it's a form of rebellion, or maybe they just want to fit in with a particular group of friends. They may believe cigarettes will improve their concentration or help them lose weight.
Some teenagers see smoking as part of their identity or persona. They may feel more macho, sexy, independent or grown-up when they smoke.

An addictive drug
Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes. For some people, it is as addictive as heroin. Nicotine enhances the release of a number of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that are associated with pleasure, appetite suppression and relaxation.
Most adolescents believe they can quit smoking anytime they want. But they become just as addicted to nicotine as adults do. In fact, adolescents typically become addicted at relatively low doses of nicotine. A teenager who smokes just one cigarette a day may have withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit.
Seventy percent of adolescent smokers wish they had never started. Two-thirds have made at least one unsuccessful attempt to quit.

Helping them quit
Nearly 23 percent of high-school students and more than 10 percent of the middle-school students in the United States smoke cigarettes.
Lecturing about the evils of tobacco does more harm than good. Warning about the long-term health effects of smoking isn't effective, either. A better approach is to focus on problems that cigarettes may be causing them now:

Chronic cough

Reduced stamina

Bad breath

Yellow teeth

Stinky clothes

Another factor is the expense. A pack of cigarettes a day costs more than $75 a month - nearly $1,000 a year. That would buy two movie tickets or a music CD every week.

Nicotine replacement
Researchers are now investigating whether nicotine gum or patches are safe and effective smoking cessation aids for adolescents. But because some research suggests that adolescents tend to use nicotine replacement therapy inappropriately, it may do more harm than good.
In a 2003 survey of more than 4,000 adolescents, 30 percent of current or former smokers had used nicotine replacement products while continuing to smoke - a medically dangerous practice. Among adolescents who had never smoked, 18 percent also reported using nicotine patches or gum.

Associated risks
Teenagers who have a best friend or parent who smokes are more likely to start smoking themselves, partly because they have easier access to cigarettes. Poor school performance and cigarette smoking also seem to be related. Teenagers who do well in school seem less likely to start smoking.
Race is another risk factor. White adolescents are much more likely to start smoking than their black or Asian counterparts.
Children who begin smoking at an early age also are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as alcohol use, drug use and unprotected sex. They also have a greater risk of becoming long-term smokers.

Other forms of tobacco
Regular cigarettes aren't the only tobacco risk for adolescents. Some teenagers use cigars, smokeless tobacco or candy-flavored cigarettes imported from overseas - in the mistaken belief that they are less harmful or addictive. Even middle-schoolers use these alternative forms of tobacco. For example, 6 percent of middle-school students smoke cigars. This percentage doubles for high-school students.
More than 2 percent of American high-school and middle-school students smoke bidis (bee-dees) or kreteks (cree-techs). Bidis are small, thin, hand-rolled cigarettes imported from India. They can come in sweet flavors such as chocolate, cherry or mango. Kreteks are also known as clove cigarettes. Both deliver higher concentrations of nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar than conventional cigarettes do.
Some adolescents favor smokeless tobacco, possibly because of its popularity with baseball players and race-car drivers. Users place the product between the cheek and gum, then suck on it and spit out the juices. This form of tobacco is more popular with boys than with girls, with 11 percent of high-school boys and 5.6 percent of middle-school boys using it.
Smokeless, or "spit," tobacco causes oral cancer and can lead to nicotine dependence. Teenagers who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers.

Girls versus boys
In 2001, the rates for cigarette smoking were about the same for adolescent boys and girls. At that time, girls' smoking rates had remained steady for 13 years, having risen substantially since the 1970s. Over the same period, however, boys' smoking rates had steadily declined.
One explanation for this difference may be that girls are more likely than boys to start and continue smoking in an effort to control their weight. The higher rates of depression girls experience also may play a role in their smoking, as depression is common among smokers of both sexes.
In addition, girls become dependent on cigarettes more quickly than boys do. Adolescent boys typically develop symptoms of nicotine dependence in 183 days, compared with 21 days for adolescent girls.

Be a good example

If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do to help keep your children off cigarettes. Only 2 percent of adolescent smokers have nonsmoking parents. By contrast, 15 percent of adolescent smokers have both a mother and a father who smoke.

If you can't stop smoking, do the next best thing:

Don't smoke in your children's presence.

Avoid smoking in the house or car.

Don't offer cigarettes to your children.

Don't leave cigarettes where your children can get to them.

Parental disapproval of smoking, even from smoking parents, can help prevent adolescent smoking. Counseling children not to smoke must begin in grade school, since 25 percent of adolescents have smoked an entire cigarette before age 13. You may want to role-play with your grade-schooler, helping him or her practice what to say if offered a cigarette.

Helpful middle-school programs focus on:

Resisting peer influence to smoke

Educating students about the negative social effects of smoking

Decreasing the acceptability of tobacco use by young people

While your children may not have a strong desire to start smoking, they may lack a strong resolve to not smoke. Adolescents who lack this anti-smoking resolve are more likely to take up the deadly habit.

Countering the smoking mystique
To counteract the glamorized image of cigarette smoking in advertisements and movies, show your children how smoking has affected the health of your relatives and friends. Point out that smoking is allowed in fewer and fewer public places, and that a growing number of people ban smoking from their homes.
It seems cruelly ironic that smoking often begins as teenage rebellion - an attempt to assert independence. The end result, though, is dependence on a product that is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths a year. Keeping your children smoke-free will greatly increase their chances of living long, healthy lives.

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

An Interview with Anti-Steroid Campaigner.... Steve Michalik

2008-05-20T05:20:00.009-10:00

STEVE MICHALIK

By David Robson

Steroid use in bodybuilding has always been a contentious issue. Many feel steroids should be outlawed for health and ethical reasons; while an equally large number believe their use is essential to success in bodybuilding.

Presently the steroid debate is raging as the IFBB (the world's largest professional bodybuilding federation) contemplate a complete ban on these substances. Many feel this would spell disaster for the bodybuilding industry, as all pro-bodybuilders are thought to be steroid users, supplement companies, bodybuilding publications, and pro shows rely on these athletes to generate revenue for their respective enterprises.

Others believe that bodybuilding simply would not be the same without the massive physiques that currently grace the stage. Without steroids, the attainment of these physiques would be impossible, and the paying public would have to settle for natural contests with their less massive contestants. Many would refuse to support bodybuilding if the "hardcore" element was removed.

Conversely, a growing number of people are supporting natural bodybuilding, and shunning steroids and their adverse effects. Steroid use has been shown to result in a number of health conditions including heart failure, cancer, kidney problems and psychotic behaviour.

Their use is also viewed as unethical in that they clearly give an unfair edge to those willing to sacrifice their health and risk breaking the law (steroid use for athletic purposes is illegal). Indeed, many are beginning to question the need to promote these clearly harmful substances through the current professional bodybuilding movement.

One outspoken anti-steroid campaigner is former Mr. America, and inventor of the Intensity or Insanity training system, Steve Michalik.

No stranger to steroid use/abuse, Steve, 57, has suffered greatly in his quest for physical supremacy. Steroids almost killed Steve, but he eventually broke free of their grasp and now lectures on their risks while promoting steroid-free bodybuilding at every opportunity.
An expert on steroid abuse and one who has been there, Steve talks about the dangers of performance enhancing drug use with a large degree of authority - he would love to see them banned from bodybuilding and truly believes an alternative will be found in the near future. I recently spoke to Steve on the subject of steroid use.

Hi Steve. Give the readers some background on your bodybuilding career. What are your current bodybuilding goals?

Steve Michalik: I started to be interested in bodybuilding when I was eight years old. After being abused by my parents, I was determined to be strong enough and develop the self-confidence to live a good life. My family doctor had some old bodybuilding magazines that he let me borrow. I realized that bodybuilding was something I could do by myself without my parent's permission and the outcome depended solely on me.

At sixteen, I entered my first contest. It was a novice competition and I won. After that I entered the Junior Mets and placed 2nd. The following year, I won the Open Mets and went on to win the NY State, East Coast, Apollo, Most Muscular Man in USA, Mr. USA, Mr. America, and the heavy division of the Mr. Universe.

At 57 I still train hard and love it. I am also an outspoken anti-steroids advocate and currently lecturing as well as doing TV and radio shows on the topic. I also promote natural bodybuilding contests and have my own Mr. America's bodybuilding team who compete all over the country. If anyone is interested, they can contact me at steve@mramericas.com.

[ Q ] What are some of the biggest changes you have noticed in bodybuilding since you last competed?
Steve Michalik: Bodybuilding had a greater following in my day, and much more exposure and acceptance with the general public. The physiques were all very unique back then and it made the contest very interesting. Now, everyone looks the same - big, bloated physiques with no form or symmetry. If you changed heads, you wouldn't know who was who.

[ Q ] You achieved great things in bodybuilding yet had to stop competing. Describe the circumstances surrounding your retirement from bodybuilding?
Steve Michalik: I was doing very well and felt if I had continued after the '72 America, I would have accomplished a lot more. Unfortunately, severe circumstances in my personal life sidetracked me. When I finally got back on track at the Mr. Universe contest, it had all come tumbling down after a severe car accident left me paralysed and basically ended my bodybuilding career.

It took me five years to recover and when I did, I was all those years behind everyone else. I basically had to start from scratch to rebuild my physique. One of the main problems I encountered was that I was no longer able to train heavy. My back, which was injured in the accident, could no longer support that kind of training. Also, I never fully recovered the feeling in my muscles. Nevertheless, I got back and competed in the IFBB for almost ten years, but never again came close to what I was. It was very frustrating. My love of the sport and the comradely of bodybuilding kept me going. Eventually, however, my system just broke down and I had to give it up or die.

[ Q ] What is your fondest bodybuilding recollection and what do you regret most?
Steve Michalik: My fondest recollection was coming back after my accident and posing in the Florida Grand Prix to the cheers of my fans; and also, meeting Larry Scott in person. He's just dynamic and legendary.

I do have two regrets:
The first, and by far the foremost, was the day I decided to take anabolic steroids. My second regret was not taking Joe Weider's invitation and moving out to LA.

[ Q ] You have been vocal on the issue of steroid use. What really qualifies you to talk so passionately on this subject?
Steve Michalik: I almost died from it. Then I met my present wife, and we wanted to have children, but my levels were so low that we had a very difficult time. Then there was the liver and artery disease, and the loss of my friend Lyle Alzado. I've certainly had some experience with the stuff and know what it really can do first hand.

[ Q ] You may have heard the IFBB had considered a complete ban on steroids. What is your view on this stance? Do you feel steroids have any place in bodybuilding?
Steve Michalik: Like everything in life, you must break it down to build it back up. Out of chaos comes order. At first there would be confusion. Some will desperately complain while others will leave and try to find another venue to compete in. Steroids are fake muscle and degrade bodybuilding. They are a lie. I know. I was part of it. Bodybuilding would eventually benefit and then grow into a more accepted sport. Now it's just a freak show with anyone outside of bodybuilders not caring. Nobody in the real world knows who is champ.

[ Q ] Many "hardcore" bodybuilding fans would still like to see steroids in bodybuilding as they actually enjoy the freakiness of the physiques created by them. Many feel the removal of steroids will harm the industry. What are your thoughts on this?
Steve Michalik: If you look carefully at who is responding to your question it is those few die hard bodybuilding fans that crave sensationalism and big is better (well yes sometimes but not always). People cannot own things they feel the can never have understand the reality of. In the early years of bodybuilding myself Zane, Coe, Dickerson, Viator, Tinerino, and all the other unique body shapes (and please forgive me for leaving out all the great physiques of that era) there was a special look to everyone, just like an automobile where there are many different styles to choose from. Humans want choice and today's physiques all look the same.

[ Q ] What are the biggest problems stemming from steroid use in your view?
Steve Michalik: Get this - steroids are harmful to the individual, to the family, and to society. They effect everyone's thinking process.

[ Q ] The psychological effects of steroid use have been debated for some time. Do you know of any research to support steroid induced psychosis or "roid rage'. How common is this?
Steve Michalik: The negative psychological effects of steroids are not debatable - just live with one of these guys. But if you must have some semi-scientific proof, just look at menopausal woman. Or witness the changes in a woman's behaviour after childbirth or during that time of the month. It's all related to hormones and emotion. So do you think the male population would be immune to hormonal changes induced by steroids? I don't think so.

[ Q ] Why did you decide to use steroids? What were the biggest changes you observed in you physique after using them?
Steve Michalik: After I won the Mr. America - I went through some bad times. I didn't train and I was quite sick. I was asked to compete in the '75 Universe and had 6 months to train for it, so I decided I would give steroids a try. Once you take them, you're hooked. I didn't like what they did to my body. They bloated my mid-section, and I never quite got back in that incredible shape I had in '72 - that 27" waist and 54" chest that was the cornerstone of my physique.

[ Q ] How long did it take you to come off steroids and what problems did you face doing this?
Steve Michalik: I couldn't come off steroids. Every time I would try, I'd feel like garbage. There's also a lot of pressure from promoters and fans to be big. I finally was forced to come off when my body shut down.

[ Q ] As steroid use has increased, have the physiques changed for the better in your opinion?
Steve Michalik: The physiques of today are big and ugly. They have no form, no symmetry. I don't care what anyone says, you can't compare the excellence of a Frank Zane to the freakish Ron Coleman. It's like buying a Ferrari and turning it into a Hummer.

[ Q ] You are a vocal anti-steroid campaigner but at one point you were prolific user of these drugs. Why did you stop using steroids and what message do you have for the countless young aspiring athletes who continue to use them?
Steve Michalik: When we used steroids in the seventies, no one knew about the side effects or any possible future problems. Doctors administered them to us and they worked. As you got bigger, your responsibility to self lessened. With this lessening of responsibility, came a cocky attitude about side effects and a dumb sense of immortality. When you finally come back to your senses, and become self again, you look back at what you did and what you became. After that, the only good thing to do is try to make up any damage you may have committed to yourself and others. My way of trying to undo my mistakes is to help others. This is planet Earth, a place full of deceit, lies, scams, and a whole bunch of frightened beings trying to survive. Cheating is rampant. Ethics and morals are but fleeting memories of a race that values the almighty dollar more than their very soul; where honour is replaced by winning at any price. I am always pleased when I meet some young man or woman whose integrity is unshakable. Unfortunately, they are few and far between.

(Q) What do you suggest as an alternative to steroid use? Is there anything that comes close to replicating the effects of steroids?
Steve Michalik: There is definitely an alternative to steroids. The answers are in the science of the nature of muscle and the basic concepts of time, space, energy and matter. I have been working to perfect this science, and so far the "test studies" are remarkable. If one just looks at the work Darwin has done and his basic theories, you will find the answers - I have. I hope to publish these exciting answers and the solution to the problem of steroids once and for all.

[ Q ] Where do you see bodybuilding heading? Where would you like to see bodybuilding heading?
Steve Michalik: I see bodybuilding slowly fading into a cult status unless new, fresh ideas are pumped into its old heart.

[ Q ] What would you like to achieve on the anti-steroid front?
Steve Michalik: I would like to see others step up to the plate of life and take some responsibility and stop the lies to everyone about how they got so big. Certainly, it's not that ridiculous "one body part a day" routine, or some super shake. Its insulin loading, it's growth hormones, and it's biochemical manipulation of the hormones and cells.

I appreciate your time Steve. Do you have any final thoughts?
Steve Michalik: Anyone interested in contacting me for any reason, please feel free to do so at my website at http://www.mramericas.com/

Or you can e-mail me at steve@mramericas.com.

David Robson can be contacted at davidrobson19@hotmail.com

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE

Dying to Be Arnie

2008-05-20T05:16:00.007-10:00

ANDREAS MUNZER

THE OBSERVER
Andreas Munzer dreamed of emulating his hero, fellow Austrian and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. In this special report, Jon Hotten traces two careers - one of riches and fame that may yet lead to the White House, and another that ended in drugs and disaster.
He went to the stage as hard as a bag full of nails. He looked like the eighth wonder of the world up there: 17 stone of muscle and bone and not much else. He was huge and dense and cut. He had 21-inch arms, a 58-inch chest and enough junk in his bloodstream to kill a horse. It was certainly killing him. He lived in agony. If he had still had the will to turn his head to the left, he would have seen other men like him, Godzilla's of the iron game. To his right, the same. They looked barely human.

They looked like a sub-strain, a spin-off, a genetic joke.
He was so dry that his lips kept sticking together. His body was arid. The last of his sweat rolled slowly down him, streamed by his deep striations. It left light streaks in his tinned tan. Andreas Munzer fixed his feet harder into the floor and squeezed his unsteady muscle one more time.
The other guys still had some zap and heft and zing left in them. Kevin Levrone, 'The Maryland Muscle Machine', was ripped and zipped; Kenny 'Flex' Wheeler was as austere and beautiful as a Greek statue; Paul Dillett had a chest by Jackson Pollock, splattered with fat chunks of vein; Vince Taylor brought out his galactic shoulders; Shawn Ray ran as thick as a bull, front to back. It was a war of the strangest kind. Huge men in spangly thongs shoved each other aside so they could hit muscleman poses. There were 4,000 people watching them do it and they were going off while they did. The Veterans' Memorial Arena was a mushroom farm of jumping muscle. Most of the crowd were bodybuilders of a sort themselves - there were women who could have beaten the living crap out of you.

Andreas Munzer already knew that the game was up. This was the final round of competition, the pose down - a concocted crowd-pleaser. It existed mainly to allow the judge's time to verify the scores. Levrone, Ray and Dillett jumped from the stage and walked into the stalls so the fans could see them close up. They posed for photos. They gripped and grinned. Munzer held on at the edge of the platform. There, perhaps one more judge might catch the final nuances of his development. Perhaps one more judge might move him up by one more place. Perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger himself would look up from his seat in row two and understand that Andi's head had blazed with his name for 20 years. Perhaps then he would finally get his due and perhaps it would tip the balance of his life. His name was Andreas Munzer. For a decade, he had been the greatest bodybuilder in the German-speaking world.

Head judge Wayne DeMilia called the last six competitors into line. Schwarzenegger now stood in the wings ready to present the prizes. He had not been a bodybuilder for a long time; it had been 16 years since he was Mr. Olympia 1980. But he remained the talisman of muscle. The Arnold Classic contest was named after him, promoted by him and dedicated to his glory.
In professional bodybuilding events, results were announced in reverse order. Andi would die soon, but he wouldn't die wondering. DeMilia said: 'Sixth place ... winning five thousand dollars ... from Austria ... Andreas Munzer...'

Andreas Munzer picked up a slim check and a joke trophy. The applause was thin and slow. The crowd already had Munzer sixth. This was how things often were at the top shows. The consensus of years informed results. The judges had muscle memory, too.
There was a truism in bodybuilding: be born black or German. These were the favored genetic lines. Through them, muscle thrummed down generations. Andreas people were farmers, 'simple with weather-tanned faces' as the press would later describe them. They lived a mile or so from the Modriacher Stausee reservoir near a village called Pack in the rural Austrian region of Styria. They ran a dairy business that just about kept them afloat. Andreas Munzer absorbed their ethic of stoic self-improvement. He was a quiet boy and a hard worker. Munzer paid his dues in the fields. He liked to play the trumpet in a local band, a Musikkapelle. During the summer, he played football. During winter, he skied.

Andreas Munzer was hired as a toolmaker in Flach, a town 10 kilometres from the farm. He didn't have a car so he took the bus. Between finishing work and catching the bus home, Andreas had a two-hour wait. 'To loaf about and drink beer was not his thing,' his father Killian said. Andreas joined a gym instead. Passing time waiting for a bus home, he connected with his strange fate. Andreas Munzer got big quick. The weight hooked up with those juiced-up Germanic genes. Ethics of work and sacrifice ran deep in Andreas , too. His muscles began to haul him out of obscurity.
Andreas Munzer God was Schwarzenegger. Arnold was Austrian. Moreover, Arnold was Styrian. Arnold came from Thal, Andreas from Pack. Arnold took up bodybuilding after seeing a muscleman working out by a mountain reservoir. Andreas grew up by one. Arnold became the greatest bodybuilder in the German-speaking world. Andreas Munzer was striving towards that end. Arnold was a seven-time Mr. Olympia. Now he was a movie star, perhaps the planet's most driven man.

In the gyms, everyone was juicing. To succeed in professional bodybuilding, you had to. But you had to do many other things too. If winning pro shows was as easy as taking steroids, every loser iron-junkie, every tragic muscle rat, would be Mr. Olympia.
Somehow, somewhere, at some point, Andreas Munzer joined in. He had no choice. In chess, there is a position called zugzwang, where you must make a move, even though that move will cause you to lose. Drugs were Andreas zugzwang. Drugs were bodybuilding's zugzwang.
As he became more successful, Andreas Munzer moved to Munich, where he was known as one of the nicest men in a sport mostly populated by meatheads, narcissists, egoists, attention-seekers, over compensators and the terminally aggrieved. It was a sport that demanded extremity, so it attracted extremists. Andreas was no such thing.

But he had made the deal. The Munich Andreas would play the zugzwang. He hit some heavy cycles: he injected two ampoules of testosterone a day; he took the oral steroids Halotestin and Anabol; he combined them with Masteron and Parabolan; he used between four and 24 units of the growth hormone STH. Steroids aided muscle repair and general recovery; they allowed him to train with greater intensity. He combined different steroid types to maximum effect. He found that STH, the synthetic growth hormone, mimicked human growth hormone; it made everything grow - muscles, bones, organs, tissues. He ate 6-8,000 calories a day to nourish his muscles. He used insulin to stimulate his metabolism and churn the calories more quickly; he used at least five aspirin tablets each morning to thin his blood and help with the pain of training; he used ephedrine and Captagon to increase his intensity on the weights.
Fifteen weeks or so from competition, he would begin a rigorous diet designed to reduce his body fat. He would come down to 2,000 calories a day. In the days and hours before a show he used Aldactone and Lasix, both diuretics, to rid himself of the last of his water. Most pros would get close to competition shape once or twice a year. Anything else demanded too much; Andreas maintained a reputation for always being in shape, or close to it.

The stomach pains had begun some months before Andreas Munzer went to Columbus, Ohio, for the 1996 Arnold Classic. At first it was just more pain, and pain was the currency of muscle. Andi paid it little heed. It dug in and nestled down with all the other pain: the agonies of training, the banal deprivations of dieting down, the pulls, nicks, strains, jags and twists of the gym. But it kept coming back and its payload was different. A connoisseur of pain like Andreas would soon have been able to tell. He would have been able to recognize it and rank it as something special in the pain game, something more exotic than the stuff he usually bore. He began to mention it to friends at the gym. He tried some health cures that would strengthen his stomach lining. Perhaps if Andreas Munzer had quit training then, if he had turned away from the withering deprivations of another round of competition and stopped juicing he might have survived. Instead, the boy from Pack made himself ready to compete in front of the boy from Thal, in front of his hero.

After his sixth place at the Arnold Classic on 2 March 1996, Andi's mood remained low. 'Man, why don't you laugh?' a German official had said. 'You're the best white guy behind five Negroes.' Andreas Munzer was never going to laugh at that. Best white guy. Best German speaker. All of the pain and deprivation, all of the gym seminars and pain-filled nights for those worthless epithets.
On the morning of 13 March, Andreas stomach pains became intense. His gut was swollen and hard. His bill had come in. He was fairly sure that this time he couldn't meet it. The debt was too big. The agony grew.

He was taken to hospital. Doctors there diagnosed the bleed, but could not prevent it continuing. He was transferred to the University Clinic. At 7pm, surgeons decided to operate to stop the bleeding inside Andreas stomach. Andreas Munzer came through the operation, but his problems had multiplied catastrophically. His blood was viscous and slow-moving. His potassium levels were excessively high. He had been dehydrated by the diuretics he used in the days before his last competitions. His liver was melting. A post-mortem would find that it had dissolved almost completely. Andreas body went into shock. After his liver failed, his kidneys did too. He was offered a blood transfusion, but it was too late. Andreas heart held out for a while - he had always had a big heart - but by morning Munzer had joined the ranks of the bodybuilding dead.

Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a wreath from Hollywood to Andreas Munzer's grave in Styria. The message was simple. It read: 'A last greeting to a friend.'

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REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL BODYBUILDER

AVAILABLE HERE