The Chronicles of “B”

One of my most favorite times are the times I get together with my training partner and dear friend Susan.  Not only do I enjoy how we push each other in the gym I really enjoy the off times when we can get together and just discuss the sport that we love.  It is so enjoyable to have a conversation with someone who just "Gets It" meaning she’s been there and done that and when we speak of the feelings we get from lifting we can actually feel that because we’ve both been there at one time or another. 

The other day after our workout we stopped for a cup of tea and as always the topic of conversation was bodybuilding.  I asked Susan what was her first exposure to bodybuilding.  She replied that a friend who was a bodybuilder introduced her to it and when she saw what kind of changes she could make to her physique she was hooked. 

She asked me the same question and I had to stop for a moment and think waaaaaaay back.  My very first exposure to bodybuilding, though I really didn’t know it was bodybuilding was the Charles Atlas Course that used to be in every comic I read as a kid.  I’m sure some of you remember the ad of the skinny guy getting the sand kicked in his face by the bully and having his girl stolen.  Of course the guy takes the Charles Atlas course, pumps up and comes back and kicks the bully’s ass. 

The first time I actually saw a bodybuilder was the great Dave Draper.  It was on an episode of the Beverly Hillbillys and Granny was gonna cure him of his barbells disease.  LOL!!  I remember thinking how awesome it would be to have a physique like that. 

The first time I really got the fever to build my body was after seeing a picture of Frank Zane on a magazine cover.  I was just blown away by how cut and how perfect he looked and I knew that was what I wanted to look like.  Unfortunately though I was too busy with other sports to really take bodybuilding seriously.  I mean lets be real bodybuilders don’t get signed to million dollar contracts like All Star Centerfielders. 

Looking back now though I really regret that decision.  Now that I’ve seen the changes I’ve made to my body at the age of 52 I’ve been thinking that maybe just maybe I had the genes all along to affect that kind of change.  Had I started as a young man who knows how far I may have developed my physique.  But alas that moment of clarity escaped me as a young man in search of fame and big money.

Now my goal is to be an evangilist for the older lifter.  I want to preach the word of the church of Iron to all those over 50 who might want to get into the sport but lack the knowledge or the direction.  I want to help blaze that trail and bring all those former couch potatos to the alter. 

I would love to see the the ranks of Mens Masters rise and maybe some glorious day even see the Masters class return to the Olympia!  Just think of the great old school bodybuilders on the stage once again competing with each other.  That would be so great.  Maybe some day….if I continue to work really hard…maybe I could even stand beside them.  Now that would be awesome. 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 9:00 am and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.