Memory Lane

[fit226]

I was reading another thread and it got me thinking about some things back when i started...i hope you enjoy

I remember when i first started bodybuilding and dreaming of being and getting bigger like it was yesterday...This was now 21 years ago for me. I remember hanging pictures of Joe Bucci (crazy peak on his biceps), Dean Caputo. My first musclemag was bought in the states and had Mike Matarrazzo on the cover on a beach with a girl after winning the USA's...

I remember reading about amino acids, vanadyl sulfate, Borax, Cybergenics and Muscletech ads were non exsistant. I remember reading about Ben Weider and his wife and all the ads with his mistress Chris Sare. I remember reading about Laura Crevalle and Lenda Murray battling over the Mrs Olympia. I remember fitness contests were not even a thought. I remember reading about Denise Rutowski, Lee Haney, Lee Labrada, Shawn ray was on the rise. I remember reading about Ray Mcneil (who was shot in the face by his wacky wife) I remember thinking the thing that wrapped around your neck and kept your arms secure for barbell curls was a must! I remember thinking the bigger the weight belt the bigger i'll get! I remember thinking pasta, tuna and italian dressing mixed all together was the staple of a bodybuilding diet. Whey protein wasn't even spoken of. I remember waiting 3 months after a contest to find out who won in the magazines as there was no such thing as the internet for updates. I remember curling my first barbell and thinking my forearms were going to snap in half. I remember benching 90 lbs with my plastic weights and feeling 'accomplished" I remember thinking that you can get to the size of the guys in the magazines if you just ate, trained and lived bodybuilding. I remember thinking that if i don't get to the gym tonight i am going to get smaller. I remember thinking if i wasn't eating i wasn't growing. I remember thinking skipping rope is all i really need to build big legs. I remember thinking i am 14 why don't i look like the guys in the mags after training for a year. I remember rolling my sleeves up and tightning them to show off my progress. I remember my first day in a commercial gym. I remember seeing my first pro bodybuilders (bob weatherhill, Laura Binetti and Scott Abel) I remember my first pair of crazy wear gym pants. I remember thinking if your gonna be a bodybuilder you have to have a fanny pack. I remember listening to my tape walkman while working out. I remember doing 10 mins of cardio and being pooped. I remember the WBF starting and seeing guys like aaron Baker, David Dearth, Gary Strydom, Jim Quinn, Eddie Robinson all take the deal.

These are some of the things i remember. If you have any other memories from that era, by all means post them....I loved that time of training and would love to hear them.

[Ritch]

I can remember going through some mags (muscle and fitness) that belonged to my friends father. Never liked the competion look of the bodybuilders, was always more into the off season mass type look. Then a friend showed me mm2k. I was so hooked. Drugs of all kinds have always fascinated me. Dan Duchaine would write about them and had his poo poo humour articles that brought me to tears laughing. Man I could not wait for that mag to come out once every 2 months... Then it went fag city.

Can remember going to bed at 9:30 (latest) on school nights because I had to get up at 5:30 to make my lunches that would only fit in a grocery bag. Breakfast back then was 2 yolks, 4 whites, 2 pouches of oatmeal (the sugary kind), 2-3 bowls of frosted flakes, with a banana sliced on it and I`d drink a few glasses of milk with that. I remember trading my crap lunch food for fruits with other students. At one point for lunch I`d eat a portion of macaroni (2 cups) with horse meat (6-8 ounces) then have 2 peanut butter jam sandwiches, cookies, dip bars, pudding and a fruit. Was eating like this all day. Can remember my dad freaking out because I`d eat way too much, man do I understand him now. Also can remember passing gas every 5 minutes due to all this eating. Also remember not staying up too late on saturday because Sunday was leg day. No matter what weather, my dad always brought me to the gym on Sunday. There was no bus service on Sunday where I lived. Can remember my dad telling me to not let the gym take over my life, but went against his advice. Kind of regret this now.

[wmk]

horse meat (6-8 ounces)

How does horse meat taste? Is that even legal in Canada? I know in Alberta, we have a horse slaughter plant that ships the meat off to Europe/Asia, but I never seen it for sale here.

[4031]

I remember when Ronnie Colman was on Jay Leno and he said he was all natural, and i believed him. I remember when Bill Phillips said HMB felt like deca

[BritishColumbian]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NSf_tTrEQCM/SCg_-SOLAWI/AAAAAAAAGVw/F6jiNRwHrHY/s400/16+He-Mullet.jpg

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/DCImages/About%20Design/Business%20Essentials/Invention/Sony_Walkman_MED.jpg

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/burts_bandit_580.jpg

http://www.derekspratt.com/Images/Personal/High%20School%20-%20Weight%20Lifting.jpg

[Ritch]

How does horse meat taste? Is that even legal in Canada? I know in Alberta, we have a horse slaughter plant that ships the meat off to Europe/Asia, but I never seen it for sale here.

It may even be in your grocery store, it is here. Horse meat is very lean, tastes kinda strong. Can remember everyone complaining about the smell of it when I reheated it at school. I`m sure if you went to a butcher shop, they would have horse meat.

[macka]

I remember when almost all gyms had iron weights exclusively. Those old guys at the Y using the belted vibrating machines to loosen the love handles. I remember seeing a "total gym" for the first time. The Y had posters from the 60's showing old school exercises like the snatch, DL, clean and jerk, etc. When the weight rooms were downstairs hidden from sight, or up 2 flights of stairs (which made leg day "fun").

[BDH]

My funniest memory was my buddy and I ordering 3 Cybergenics kits each and getting a call from Franco Santoriello... My buddy got a call as well... Franco lived in Matewan, NJ, so when my friend told him he was from Mattawa (ON), Franco said "really? You're probably right down the street from me... Im looking out my front door right now... do you see me???"

In retrospect, I dont think Franco was very bright...

[PdH]

I remember driving to Buffalo to get a Cybergenics kit as they weren't available in Canada. Being 19, I figured there's no way I'll get this stuff across the border if I declare it. It's CYBERGENICS!! Border dudes stopped me, found the pack, fined me, and sent me on my way with my now doubly priced pack of vitamins.

[thedonald]

Anyone remember HotStuff? then HotStuff 2? This was state of the art, pro-bodybuilders/astronaut science fiction muscle building stuff! Not roids, but not food? what the hell was it??? Had to have it though, that and the original Ultimate Orange by Duchane.This was back when roids just got banned. They were still sold out of gym bags in the locker room back then, and all really good stuff.

[AndrewB40]

I remember when everyone used to do heavy behind the neck presses

I rememeber when the smith machine wasn't used by the biggest guys in the gym

i remember my friend showing up in school in grade 11 with a prescription for dianabol because he told the doctor he wanted to gain weight

I remember when i used to warm up with most olympic bar movements with a 45 on each side

i remember when I could do the same heavy weight week after week with no pain

i remember trying to eat 10000 calories a day without really knowing the caloric content of most foods

I remember bringing a bottle of weider inosine to school and convincing my biology teacher that it was in fact steroids

I remember protein drinks bought at the gym has one-2 table spoons of crap protein powder, juice, ice cream and a frozen banana so it wouldn taste like shit, come to think of it there wasnt very much protein in this drink

I remember Met Rx costing $120 a box when it first came to canada

I remember going to weider headquarters in the section of Montreal called TMR I beleive and buying a book with the best of some Muscle and fitness bodypart and nutirtion articles hoping i would see ben weider or some visiting pro. incidentally my dad's company later used to sell strapping to weider's home equipment manufacturer north of montreal and the sales manager went to meet with ben

I remember being so hungry for knowledge in the pre internet days yet so oblivious until the early 90's when trial and error atarted to pay off.

I also look back at those times when i was so naieve and oblivious with such fondness as my love of working out back then made up for any mistakes. If enthusiasm rather then good genetics(plus a dozen other variables) had been a m,ajor formula to sucess in bodybuilding I waould have been Mr Olympia 25 times already. Instead I can look fondly back when my dreams were innocent and be grateful that I treat my life today like this again.

i had alot of fun writing this

[Ritch]

^^^ Awesome! A prescription for d ball...

[hommes]

and that was the good ol days, ah how i miss them.

[guym]

Remember - believe it or not - someone out there is having his/her good old days.........right now. :)

[countrychic]

It may even be in your grocery store, it is here. Horse meat is very lean, tastes kinda strong. Can remember everyone complaining about the smell of it when I reheated it at school. I`m sure if you went to a butcher shop, they would have horse meat.

ohhhhhhhhh man I could NEVER eat horsemeat.

[fit226]

I remember when everyone used to do heavy behind the neck presses

I rememeber when the smith machine wasn't used by the biggest guys in the gym

i remember my friend showing up in school in grade 11 with a prescription for dianabol because he told the doctor he wanted to gain weight

I remember when i used to warm up with most olympic bar movements with a 45 on each side

i remember when I could do the same heavy weight week after week with no pain

i remember trying to eat 10000 calories a day without really knowing the caloric content of most foods

I remember bringing a bottle of weider inosine to school and convincing my biology teacher that it was in fact steroids

I remember protein drinks bought at the gym has one-2 table spoons of crap protein powder, juice, ice cream and a frozen banana so it wouldn taste like shit, come to think of it there wasnt very much protein in this drink

I remember Met Rx costing $120 a box when it first came to canada

I remember going to weider headquarters in the section of Montreal called TMR I beleive and buying a book with the best of some Muscle and fitness bodypart and nutirtion articles hoping i would see ben weider or some visiting pro. incidentally my dad's company later used to sell strapping to weider's home equipment manufacturer north of montreal and the sales manager went to meet with ben

I remember being so hungry for knowledge in the pre internet days yet so oblivious until the early 90's when trial and error atarted to pay off.

I also look back at those times when i was so naieve and oblivious with such fondness as my love of working out back then made up for any mistakes. If enthusiasm rather then good genetics(plus a dozen other variables) had been a m,ajor formula to sucess in bodybuilding I waould have been Mr Olympia 25 times already. Instead I can look fondly back when my dreams were innocent and be grateful that I treat my life today like this again.

i had alot of fun writing this

Thats awesome bro!...keep the memories coming guys and girls.

[Seth]

ohhhhhhhhh man I could NEVER eat horsemeat.

Tastes like watered down beef...

[theboss]

where would one get horse meat if they felt so inclined?....not that i do....just curious....

[BDH]

where would one get horse meat if they felt so inclined?....not that i do....just curious....Im gonna go out on a limb here and say you could possibly obtain it from... wait for it...

A HORSE...

[The Grim Repper]

hahahaah

[theboss]

Im gonna go out on a limb here and say you could possibly obtain it from... wait for it...

A HORSE...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!

[St]

where would one get horse meat if they felt so inclined?....not that i do....just curious....

Aylmer,Quebec sells in at Metro.

[AndrewB40]

I remember scouring all the stores for the latest Muscle and Fitness

I remember when Musclemag was not much bigger than a comic book and had many as many spelling mistakes and typos as a typical post I write

I remember when you could join the gym and they would actually write you a routine every 2 months if you wanted for no charge

I remmember when cardio equipment was a couple of old school stationary bikes with no tv, no earphone attachment, nothing digital.

I remember having the first edition of Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding that had mostly black and white photos and how inspiring it was

I remember doing that arnold double split in the above book for that one summer in 1987. I don't recall making much in the way of gains but it was one of the funnest times of my life.

I remember being able to full squat 10x10 with 225lbs with under a minutes rest(I had a watch on)

I remember being able to behind the neck press with a barbell for 6-8 reps with 225lbs and no pain

I remember Gamma Oryzonyl, Boron, Insoine, Vanadyl Sulfate, Cybergenics, weider muscle builder.

I remember making oatmeal mixed with designer protein like the ad in the magazine and thinking how much it tasted like shit

I remember when protein bars were no more then sawdust and old chinese newspaper held together with peanut butter

I remember any so called edible bodybuilding food always having carob in place of chocalate

I remember working at swiss chalet as a kid and having all that chicken at my beck and call when nobody was looking.

I remember seeing in one of my first muscle and fitness an article of sylvester stallone training hwere he is incline db pressing with 85lbs dumbells and thinking that I will never be able to do that(seriously my self esteem was in the toilet that day, I was "home gymed" at that point with the york and weider ste ups which would never hold 85lbs let alone 50)

I remember that the first time I benched 315lbs(2 reps in fact) I was 19, had my blue sony walkman with welcome to the jungle blaring on cassette

I remember when you could still be hardcore without acting like an asshole to others

I remember when hardcore did not mean disrespecting the gym equipment

I remember when plate were made of steel and not the stupid wide ass rubber plates and dumbells

I remember when if your form was shitty and/or you were carrying on screaming like a a cat with its tail caught in a door while lifting something that did not resemble a max poundage/effort you were ridiculed and offered to be shown the right way

I remember when the gym gossip about someone being on the juice there was no mention of the details.

I remember when people who juiced actually became big and strong, and trained legs as hard as everything else.

I remember when insulin and gh were things used by only diabetics and those with dwarfism

I remember being being on a 2 day slpit, a 3 day split, a 4 day split.

I remember hitting bodyparts once a week before it became fashionable.

I rememember supersetting chest and back together and getting a great pump

I remember when wanting to superset didnt involve event planning and you didnt have to turn your back to lose your equipment

I remember when hanging a towel or weight belt over a loaded barbell meant you were still using it.

I remember when people put there weights back exactly where they got them

i remember when cleaning the dumbells to press them was how you started any dumbell presses.

I remember when most of the gym worked legs and it was usually squats, leg extension and leg curl

[macka]

I remember making oatmeal mixed with designer protein like the ad in the magazine and thinking how much it tasted like shit

I remember when protein bars were no more then sawdust and old chinese newspaper held together with peanut butter



so what does shit taste like and how do you know?

You had peanut butter protein bars? lucky bastard

[AndrewB40]

so what does shit taste like and how do you know?

You had peanut butter protein bars? lucky bastard


I fell in the sewer once