It all began with barbells, weights, and dumbbells. Joe and Ben Weider's I, Brute Enterprises decided to square off against Bob Hoffman's York Barbell for the lucrative weightlifting equipment business. With commercial gyms being a rare luxury and weight training still largely being viewed as a subversive activity, home gyms were the only option for most muscle wannabes.
If you're in the New York area-- specifically "The City"-- you don't have a lot to choose from when it comes to good, old-fashion, hardcore gyms. That is, unless you want to leave the island. . . and that can be a pretty daunting task for most folks. Once you're in Manhattan you just don't want to have to leave and go to another borough, for anything; let alone working out.
"Of all the bodybuilders you've worked with, who showed the greatest potential?"
Without hesitating, Bob Gruskin replied, "Jeff King." He also tells me that Jeff was one of the hardest training athletes he's worked with (although Defendis takes the top spot there).
It's rare for potential and work ethic to meet in one lifter, which is why there are so few men like Yates or Coleman. The third ingredient "luck" was the one factor Jeff King lacked. His untimely rise in the turbulent politic waters of bodybuilding kept him from capitalizing on the other two traits.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) has become a staple in post cycle steroid therapy. Unfortunately, lately, HCG has become almost impossible for most people to get. FDA and DEA crackdowns have many people scared shitless to order from overseas pharmacies (even if they did carry HCG). Most domestic underground labs don't carry HCG and the ones that do charge an arm and a leg for it. This has left a huge hole in steroid cycles and post cycle therapy. And has left many in our community scrambling like crazy to get it.
Nerve Impingement Syndrome (NIS) is caused by the misalignment of a joint, which can occur for a number of reasons, including incorrect exercise, a sports or repetitive motion injury, even stress or a poor diet. This misalignment is known medically as a Subluxation and it can not only affect your ability to recover from workouts it can:
The sports of powerlifting, bodybuilding and strongman competition seem to attract a colorful crowd. With literally millions of participants and a monthly carousel of athletes being profiled in each of the multitude of monthly muscle and strength magazines, a handful of athletes have stood out over the past three decades. They stand out for their trailblazing lifting, their unique personalities and their dominance of the competition. All were driven by their hunger to be bigger and stronger. Most importantly, each of these iron icons stands out because of their ability to inspire us. For this reason, we call them... THE HARDCORE 12!
"What's the deal with these Metal Militia guys? Aren't the Westside Barbell guys the ones to beat?"
My friend Josh has been lifting since college but this was the first time he had ever been to a powerlifting meet. This was the first question he'd asked in awhile. In fact, I thought he would still be pissed at me. About an hour ago, I had blocked him from making a pass at a curvy 5'10" blonde with a nose-ring and a cheap blotchy-blue tattoo on her arm.
For his very high profile role as the mastermind of the greatest sports doping scandal in history, Victor Conte is a very unassuming man. He's more apt to call me up and ask what my son is going to be for Halloween than anything earth shattering. Yet, he does frequently call about things of varying magnitude. Whether they be the latest foibles of the federal agents that tracked him since the famous BALCO bust of 2003, or the latest scandals in Track and Field, or the deposition of certain performance-enhancing criminals, whenever the caller ID says "Victor Conte" I know I'm in for the day's most interesting call
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is an emerging treatment in a new health sector known as Orthobiologics. It is hailed as the ultimate solution when it comes to the acceleration of healing in terms of tendon and muscle injuries as well as osteoarthritis. It was initially used over 20 years ago in the Dental Community to enhance wound healing in cancer patients with jaw reconstruction. Soon afterwards its application was extended across many fields of medicine from cardiovascular surgery to orthopedics. It is now being used to accelerate the healing of muscle and tendon injuries in the athletic community, but just what exactly is this treatment and, more importantly does it really work
"He has definitely national-level potential, especially if he can bring his upper body up to the level of his legs," Jeremiah told me. "He's got awesome legs!"
The Jeremiah on the other end of the phone was my friend Jeremiah
Forster. Not only is Jeremiah a top-level competitor, but he is a master at getting
top bodybuilders, fitness competitors and regular civilians into shape. Jeremiah
alerts me whenever he spies someone on the rise that might make me consider
dusting off my camera. Since I respect Jeremiah's opinions and know that he
does not tend to be easily impressed, I set up a time to make the two and a
half-hour drive to Kentucky to see the wheels on his latest protégé.
My first meeting with Dave Uhlman took place at the palatial Gold's Gym in
Erlanger, Kentucky a week before the Ohio state championships. We also got
together later (three weeks after the Ohio) at Terry Bryan's Fitness Center in
Cincinnati - where the accompanying photos where taken. That's right, these
photos were taken three weeks (and one vacation to Cancun) after his contest.
The Collegiate Nationals is an undisputed talent showcase, attracting young rising stars from across the country. One unheralded standout from a past contest was not the overall winner, but rather the 28 year-old mass of heavyweight sinew that chased him to a close second place in their class, Brett Becker. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Becker first showed his athletic prowess on the soccer field. As a standout in high school, the 5'9" naturally muscular athlete even got to play a little soccer in Germany. Unfortunately, this dream came to an abrupt conclusion when he tore both of his hamstrings, effectively ending his chance to be the second coming of Pele´. It was at this point that soccer's loss became bodybuilding's gain. In an athlete profile from 2003 (which has not been shared with fans until now) we get to know Becker and learn some of the things it took to build his physique.
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