Some time ago I published an article here on the 'death wish' in bodybuilding. For those who haven't read it, and shame on you, it focused on the most obvious problem with the sport I love - it is killing people. This isn't mere hyperbole. Over the past three decades, a significant number of bodybuilding… Continue reading Are Steroids Killing Bodybuilders?
In 1967 Sergio Oliva, one of the greatest bodybuilders to ever grace the sport, won the Mr. Olympia. The previous two years Larry Scott had won the title but, following Scott's retirement, the floor was open for Oliva to step into the spotlight. The Cuban bodybuilder, and former Olympic weightlifter, was himself new to the… Continue reading Lost Footage of the 1967 Mr. Olympia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o391Xd0ycSM&feature=youtu.be The Mr. Olympia contest is still the pinnacle of the bodybuilding calendar. Previously on this website we've looked at the competition's contest report which spoke of the great Larry Scott, who swept all other challengers aside. Well, thanks to STG Strength and Power we also have video footage of the competition itself. Looking at the competition… Continue reading Rare 1965 Mr. Olympia Footage
For those of us whose bodybuilding heroes are from the IronAge, finding our place in the land of modern bodybuilding has been tough. We feel out of place. Our heroes and our IronAge ideals often seem incompatible with the world of bodybuilding. As we struggle to reconcile bodybuilding's past with its changes, it is our… Continue reading Robert Paris, ‘Defining the Iron Age’, Ironage.us (c. 2003)
The following workout comes from the wonderful A Portrait of Dorian Yates: The Ultimate Bodybuilding Guide from the Ultimate Bodybuilder by the late Peter McGough. For those who don't know, Peter was one of bodybuilding's most authoritative journalists for several decades. He was intimately linked with Dorian and it was Peter who bestowed Dorian with… Continue reading Dorian Yates’ Olympia Winning Workout
Cards on the table, I was a huge Flex Wheeler fan growing up. Coming to bodybuilding at the tail end of the Dorian Yates era, I was convinced that Wheeler would be the next multi-time Olympia. In my defence, this is what we were being told repeatedly in Weider magazines from the time. Dorian was… Continue reading Why Did Flex Wheeler Withdraw from the 1997 Mr. Olympia?
The Olympics are finally here! And I could not be more conflicted. As a weightlifting/powerlifting/bodybuilding/CrossFitting fan, I love watching all manner of strength displays. Because I have a romantic soul, Olympic weightlifting is the event that I always look forward to. In fact, one of my first memories of physical culture was seeing clips of… Continue reading When Did Bodybuilders Stop Doing Olympic Lifts?
In 1990, Paul Solotaroff interviewed Steve Michalik in one of the most fascinating interviews in all of bodybuilding. Struggling to come to terms with his post-bodybuilding career, Michalik spoke candidly about his use, and abuse, of anabolic steroids. At the end of the interview, the reader is left with three thoughts Steve Michalik was incredibly… Continue reading The Death Wish in Bodybuilding
I sat poised watching the clock with my finger in the ready position. I knew to get the desired seat I would have to have my ticket ordered the second that it went on sale. I called with speedy precision and connected with the agent who took all the needed information and we both waited… Continue reading Jeff Preston, ‘The 1991 Mr. Olympia: The End of an Era’, Iron Age (c.2003)
The Olympics are finally here! And I could not be more conflicted. As a weightlifting/powerlifting/bodybuilding/CrossFitting fan, I love watching all manner of strength displays. Because I have a romantic soul, Olympic weightlifting is the event that I always look forward to. In fact, one of my first memories of physical culture was seeing clips of… Continue reading When Did Bodybuilders Stop Doing Olympic Lifts?
