Muscle Beach History - by Stuntmovie

[Mr. MB]

When I drop by Worlds Gym, La Crescenta, Ca (one of my old stomping grounds) I run into Clint. Time has graced this man. His physique and wrinkle free smooth face is that of a man 30 years younger.

I mention my good friend Troy Alves in part because all we talk about is the Golden Days. His office wall pics look like this thread. He lives in the past and refuses to injest or shoot crap and go after the big boyz. He a grandpa turning 45, and does he take HRT?...most likely. But so do I. I have tested below 200 at the Docs. "Andropause". You mention Zane and he says..."Now thats what i'm talkin about". Troy was one of those guys you hated in high school. 19" arms playing soccer. Go figure. Watching Troy train is epic. Watching him eat humbles me. He can bankrupt a Sushi joint in an afternoon. Reminds me of the prime rib dinners I consumed with Steve Reeves. Yet, he will not sacrifice his wasp waist for anything.

[njflex]

SOME very good points made here last few posts men,,,,i agree and try to pattern a build towards these types,train/eat to be strong and still lean but holding onto some asthetics my efforts allow...

[funk51]

I believe that Clint is now married to the very beautiful, former Cathy Gelfo (also a former girlfriend of the late Mike Mentzer).

Dale Adrian won the '75 Mr. America (AAU) and was touted as another "Larry Scott".  Clint won the Tall Division and Dale the Medium Height class.  I cannot recall who won the Short Division...No.... Wait!  It was Pat Neve!  Ron Tuefel, Manny Perry and Dave Johns are all long gone now.  Robby Robinson placed somewhere down the line as did (I believe Mike Mentzer).  They later on jumped the AAU ship and signed up with Weider, Inc.

As to the 212 division, it is still loaded with short men that are too big for their height.  As a friend used to say, their  stomachs are so big they should call them "waste lines".  There is zero class and all ass (i.e., striated glutes - YUCK!) in today's bodybuilding.  As previously stated, the dais is void of talent.   The majority of the people that populate this forum get all butt hurted when you tell the truth and the truth is anyone can be big and strong on drugs.  Anyone, including them.

Reeves used to say that if you didn't have enough testosterone to be a bodybuilder then perhaps you should take up something more appropriate, like tiddly winks.  I blame the size queen judges.  A bunch of sick Boo Boo Bearcubs in heat.  I also tend to think that the film "Pumping Iron" is somewhat responsible as the world saw the difference between Mr. Olympia or Mr. Universe calibre competitors and the ones in the Mr. Boiled Peanut carnival contest shown in the film (the one where Katz was guest posing).

I do not see this changing anytime soon unless as mentioned elsewhere in the forum, Arnold steps in and declares enough is enough and that gross, huge legged, fat gutted, belly dancing fruits of the loon are not what they are looking for.   And enforces it through sound judging and proper placement of competitors.  The size queens will squeal like the piglets they are.

Here's to the days when men were men, muscle was functional and the titles of  Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia actually meant something to not only the lifters but their families and friends as well.

[funk51]

 ;)dale and one denny gable pic.

[funk51]

 :)75 mr a and the year reg lewis entered mr o because  of the flap over lack of contestants to challenge the big two arnold and sergio.

[stuntmovie]

I'm having a difficult time keeping up with all these posts so you gotta excuse me if I overlook some of your interesting comments, but here's something that I recall about Dale Adrian.

Dale was a guest poser shortly before or shortly after he won the Mr A and the event was held in conjunction with a powerlifting event that we held on the beach during the hot afternoon hours.

We had constructed a 'lifting platform' on the sand without realizing that is would eventually 'sink' towards one side or another .... so by late afternoon the competitors were performing heavy deadlifts while standing on the platform that tilted very noticeably towards the left or maybe it was the right.

But everyone was having a great time in the sun so there were no complaints but this was most likely the only time in the history of powerlifting that the squating and the deadllifting were performed at a 45  degree angle .... an exaggeration of course, but I think you can visualize it the way is really was.

So while all this lifting was going on, Dale decides to get a sun-tan!

And since 'tilted' powerlifting can get somewhat boring, Dale fallls asleep in the sun and manages to get a three hour nap.

Dale is one of those fair haired white guys who should have taken the sun in 20 minute bits and pieces, so that 3 hour nap 'over-baked' him and he was 'cooked' to a bright red lobster color which got even 'redder' when he showed up on stage to do his guest posing routine.

Light colored hair, bright white teeth and blue trunks .... when he finished his routine, we  didn't know if we should offer him a round of applause or simply stand and salute him.

If  anyone is in contact with Dale these days, I'd sure like to contact him. Last known location was at one of the Y's or one of the gyms in the So Cal LA basin.

[stuntmovie]

MB, I've met Troy on a good number of occasions and was successful in predicting his overall victory when he received his IFFB card which caused a lot of arguments on one of these internet boards.

Can you elaborate a bit more on your meal with Reeves.

Speaking of eating ..... There was a time when the bigger bodybuilders from Golds in Santa Monica used to go shopping in one of the larger SM super markets and simply fill up their stomachs by strolling up and down the aisles and eating to their heart's desire with no need to stop by the check-out stand.

Did you ever participate in one of those super-market 'fast food raids"?

[njflex]

MB, I've met Troy on a good number of occasions and was successful in predicting his overall victory when he received his IFFB card which caused a lot of arguments on one of these internet boards.

Can you elaborate a bit more on your meal with Reeves.

Speaking of eating ..... There was a time when the bigger bodybuilders from Golds in Santa Monica used to go shopping in one of the larger SM super markets and simply fill up their stomachs by strolling up and down the aisles and eating to their heart's desire with no need to stop by the check-out stand.

Did you ever participate in one of those super-market 'fast food raids"?

he looked great winning the usa's then,,,,always liked his build.huge arms for his frame,great upper body.pro a long time ,,KUDOS..

[Primemuscle]

The physiques were fantastic back then. Now it's a science experiment. The muscles just look like bloated water retention. Bodybuilding was really gaining in popularity in the late 70's and early 80's. Now it is really going from a sub culture to a side show. Contests were every where back then and now just a few minor and major ones remain. Judging from the magazine sales that have always been the back bone of bodybuilding it's on life support. If there is any positive it's that fitness is bigger than ever with guys who work out. Men's Health out sells all the bodybuilding magazines combined. I guess it's not a bad thing. It use to be Strength and Health. Now bodybuilding is bloat, oil and drugs.

All things change. I am wary of saying anything that smacks of being a "good ol' days" kind of comment, because these kinds opinions are often attributed to older folks who are mired in the past. Incidentally, PEDs have been around for a very long time. I took them in the 60's.

[stuntmovie]

I've finally been able to take a closer look at the photos that Funk has been posting and some of them have kicked my memory banks with some little bits of memorabelia ...

Especailly Dave Johns and Ronnie Teufel ....

DAVE JOHNS ..... Was one of many BB competitors whom I held in high regards. Dave won the Mr. A or the the NPC National Title the year that Mae West presented him the overall award at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

I was backstage that year and Bert Goodrich tapped me on the shoulder and then Mae West  said , "Pardon us!" and I moved aside to let the both of them proceed on stage to make the overall presentation to Dave.

While backstage it was kind of evident that Mae could not see too swell and was actually a very old lady who needed the assistance of someone like Bert but once they left the wings Mae West became Mae West!

And she became Mae West in all her Mae West glory ..... for you new kids on the block, Mae West was once the epitome of camp sexiness with a comedic twist.

So Dave got the trophy that year, but I've failed to mention his good friend and training partner who I appreciated most of all whose name once again I have forgotten......

But he was a counsilor for wayward kids who was genuinely concerned about kids in trouble and dedicated his lifetime to rectify any problem other than his own.

SOmetimes you meet people who impress you for a lifetime and Dave and his training partner fit that mode perfectly.

A few years after I had the opportunity to meet Dave, he passed away as a result of something called Legionaire's Disease which was somewhat of a mystery back then.

[stuntmovie]

PRIME, I might have met you at the pharmacy. It was around 1961 or 1962 when I first entered the pharmay and asked for ANAVAR (I think it was Anavar back then) and got my first little container of roids in the form of pills after a 10 minute wait without a prescription.

It's been a while but we used to refer to those little blue or pink pills as "Little Footballs". (Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here.)

I do recall using them for about a period of 6 weeks and then I got a slight pain in my side and a doctor friend told me that that slight pain was normal and to lay off it it got any worse.

It did get worse so I did lay off but I did notice a slight gain in muscle density and strength.

Was training very hard back them so maybe that short period of roid usage had nothing to do with it.

Never did use injectable because back then they were considered taboo and it wasn't till around 1965 or so that injections began to become somewhat popular.

[stuntmovie]

RONNIE TEUFEL: I can kind of recall being in Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica the week before the Mr A or the National BB Championshps when a few of the top competitors were prepping for the contest and discussing who else would be coming into Santa Monica to enter and win the title… (Whatever that title was at that time!)

The most talked about individual was Ronnie Teufel who was expected to arrive at Gold’s a few days before the contest ....  and a few of the Gold’s member were determined to give him a bad time when he showed up.

So two or three days before the contest Ron did show up and was prepared for a final workout at Gold’s but within ten minutes after he came into the gym, he left and stood outside the window looking in with a sad look on his face.

You gotta realize that Ron was a young kid back then  and one of the favorites to win the overall, so he had no idea of the hostility he would be meeting his first night in what would soon become the Mecca.

I stepped outside to say “Howdy“ but he simply said something like, “They hate me in there!”.

And then he left and returned for his final precontest workout when the gym was relatively empty an there was no one in there to harrass him just because he was a young competitor from someplace back east with the potential to win the overall.

I forget how Ron placed that year but the day after the contest we held a meeting at the SM Civic Auditorium and Ron was present and it was too early for the meeting so we had a decent conversation outside and somehow the subject of HAWAII entered the conversation and Ronnie said, "Where’s Hawaii?” and I pointed out to the Pacific ocean in a westerly direction and Ronnie looked … and said , “I can’t see it!”.

That  was the good kid that I’ve long remembered and we stayed in contact a few times  for about a year or so  discussing his training and plans via tape recordings which I’ve lost long ago.

Ronnie is another bodybuilder who passéd away way too early at the age of 49  but I have forgotten the details of his early dimise.

1975 TEEN AMERICA (AAU)
1975 TEEN MR. USA / 1ST SHORT CLASS (AAU)
1977 MR. AMERICA / 1ST SHORT CLASS (AAU)
1978 MR. CALIFORNIA (AAU)
1978 MR. USA OVERALL WINNER (AAU)
1979 MR. AMERICA / 1ST SHORT CLASS (AAU)
1980 IFBB MR. INTERNATIONAL / 2ND LIGHT HEAVY WEIGHTS
1981 IFBB WASHINGTON GRAND PRIX / 5TH PLACE
1982 IFBB NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS / 7TH PLACE

For more info on someone whom I remember as a great young competitor and hard trainer, go here ....>>>> http://www.ronteufel.com/

[funk51]

on dave johns workout partner was it powerlifter dave shaw. john's must of only worked out with other gus named dave.

[funk51]

 

[stuntmovie]

FUNK! Once again, you are correct! It was Dave Shaw who trained with Dave and a very great man indeed.

I believe that he is still among the living.

[funk51]

FUNK! Once again, you are correct! It was Dave Shaw who trained with Dave and a very great man indeed.

I believe that he is still among the living.

i think so.hossein s, dan mackey, chuck collaras.

[stuntmovie]

Some bodybuilders do crazy stunts but one such bodybuilder was 'crazier' than the rest.

You might have met this guy back then,Mr MB, but I think he was from the northern part of Cal.

His name was Mike Dayton (and probably still is, I hope !).

He had a strength act and the main part of his act was ..... hanging by the neck!

And he'd hang by the neck just like cattle rustlers used to in the good old days about 6 feet off the ground for a good number of seconds before falling back to the ground.

Check it out on YouTube.

[funk51]

Some bodybuilders do crazy stunts but one such bodybuilder was 'crazier' than the rest.

You might have met this guy back then,Mr MB, but I think he was from the northern part of Cal.

His name was Mike Dayton (and probably still is, I hope !).

He had a strength act and the main part of his act was ..... hanging by the neck!

And he'd hang by the neck just like cattle rustlers used to in the good old days about 6 feet off the ground for a good number of seconds before falling back to the ground.

Check it out on YouTube.

[funk51]

mike dayton was in the first WSM. he practiced CHi mind control . he wanted to jump off the golden gate bridge and survive it but he settled for a lesser bridge and wrecked his leg. his sister laura worked for one of the muscle rags back then. muscle digest not sure though without checking.teenage mr a aau mike dayton. saw him on merv griffin break police handcuffs.

[The Scott]

Dan Haggerty of "Grizzly Adams" fame was in "Muscle Beach Party" (1964).

Larry Scott and Chet Yorton among other greats of the 60s are in the film. Steve Merjanian too.

I like the way women looked then, especially so the swim suits they wore. 

[stuntmovie]

Muscle Beach Party ..... Don Rickles as the boybuilding coach.

[stuntmovie]

HERE COME THE LADIES! As I  witnessed it …..

Back in them old days (the  ‘70’s) when most of you GetBiggers were still to see the light of day, any  lady who dared to join a gym and train with the guys was a definite rarity.

In fact in most cases …. It wasn’t even allowed.

So all the gyms would either have a separate training area for the ladies or have hours or days during the week when the gym was for the exclusive use of the girls.

But that was soon to change  …..  and to the best of my recollection that change was initiated by a young lady by the name of Lisa Lyon who not only trained at the same time as the men trained but she also trained with the men … most of whom were top bodybuilding contenders.

She was  born in 1953 in
Los Angeles, California, USA and joined Gold’s Gym  in Santa Monica around 1978 but I could be mistaken on the exact date.

I don’t think that Lisa was the first Gold’s Gym Santa Monica female member, but I’m pretty sure that she was the first Gold’s Gym Santa Monica female member who trained with the guys and did a hell of a good job keeping up.

She only competed once but she helped the women’s side of the sport gain initial media attention. She won the first IFBB Women’s World Pro Bodybuilding Championships in Los Angeles on June 16, 1979, and immediately became a one-woman media-relations activist on behalf of the sport.

She was photographed by Helmut Newton and Robert Mapplethorpe and was the first female bodybuilder to appear in Playboy (October 1980).

To the best of my recollection, Lisa was the first frmale competitor who broke the ice and trained along side of and with the guys.

[stuntmovie]

Next up .... CORY !!!

And a guy named JEFF.

Then RACHEL,
THEN CARLA.
THEN LENDA!

[funk51]

HERE COME THE LADIES! As I  witnessed it …..

Back in them old days (the  ‘70’s) when most of you GetBiggers were still to see the light of day, any  lady who dared to join a gym and train with the guys was a definite rarity.

In fact in most cases …. It wasn’t even allowed.

So all the gyms would either have a separate training area for the ladies or have hours or days during the week when the gym was for the exclusive use of the girls.

But that was soon to change  …..  and to the best of my recollection that change was initiated by a young lady by the name of Lisa Lyon who not only trained at the same time as the men trained but she also trained with the men … most of whom were top bodybuilding contenders.

She was  born in 1953 in
Los Angeles, California, USA and joined Gold’s Gym  in Santa Monica around 1978 but I could be mistaken on the exact date.

I don’t think that Lisa was the first Gold’s Gym Santa Monica female member, but I’m pretty sure that she was the first Gold’s Gym Santa Monica female member who trained with the guys and did a hell of a good job keeping up.

She only competed once but she helped the women’s side of the sport gain initial media attention. She won the first IFBB Women’s World Pro Bodybuilding Championships in Los Angeles on June 16, 1979, and immediately became a one-woman media-relations activist on behalf of the sport.

She was photographed by Helmut Newton and Robert Mapplethorpe and was the first female bodybuilder to appear in Playboy (October 1980).

To the best of my recollection, Lisa was the first frmale competitor who broke the ice and trained along side of and with the guys.

this poster was on a lot of guys walls, was even used in a movie once. sean penn's brother chris was one of the stars so movie was pretty obscure.

[funk51]

 ?how many do you know?