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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: oldtimer1 on September 20, 2024, 03:05:49 PM
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I know. Not this crap again. Thinking I'm going to get it. 700 pages long. This is sure to put RMJ11 into a tail spin. Anyone read this? It's on Amazon.
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Royalty incoming...literally...
(https://media1.tenor.com/m/cen2XKBt-HcAAAAC/jack-faps.gif)
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Mentzer Endorses President Trump 🇺🇸
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Perhaps get the free sample kindle version first to se rid you like the writing style? Something like this seems very hit or miss.
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I know. Not this crap again. Thinking I'm going to get it. 700 pages long. This is sure to put RMJ11 into a tail spin. Anyone read this? It's on Amazon.
Apparently it's well written from a litterary standpoint. Well researched and meticulously detailed. . I actually considered getting it. I came across John Hansens interview of the author and couldn't justify handing over my cash to that guy. Came across like a typical PNW beta schmuck.
(He's not from PNW, he's French but strongly reminded me of the PNW brand of beta male.)
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Sticky Pages Of Peace :D
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Idk I think it would be better if John Little wrote it because he knows the most about Mentzer.
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Recently saw the TV adaption of this on the Biography Channel. True story.
I swear!
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Recently saw the TV adaption of this on the Biography Channel. True story.
I swear!
Nicolas Chemla will win the Pulitzer Prize with this sublime piece of literature
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Nicolas Chemla will win the Pulitzer Prize with this sublime piece of literature
Agreed!
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🇺🇸
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🇺🇸
Thicker than French toast
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This should be moved to fetish thread
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I know. Not this crap again. Thinking I'm going to get it. 700 pages long. This is sure to put RMJ11 into a tail spin. Anyone read this? It's on Amazon.
There's an 80% chance this is just 700 pages of gay erotic fiction. Christ, it was probably written by that fudgepaki RMJ in his never ending rage over Mentzer and the HIT guys.
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This should be moved to fetish thread
;D
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This should be moved to fetish thread
The author of this book is pure, unbridled schmoe. I have no doubt he's been choked to damn near death between two thighs and a penoris. I'm also certain he owns the entire volume of lukas Osadil cinema and has probably been thrown around a motel room by Bruce Patterson, only wearing grape smugglers. Im not sure of the grass stained sneakers though.... he doesn't seem like the type to make such a fashion faux pas.
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700 pages? I don't want to know that much about anybody.
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I know. Not this crap again. Thinking I'm going to get it. 700 pages long. This is sure to put RMJ11 into a tail spin. Anyone read this? It's on Amazon.
A waste of money, not because it´s Mentzer but i have not bought any Bodybuilding related books in years..what will they teach me now? do i care about their old stories?. Most of it is online & has been recycled over the years.
Flogging a dead Horse
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"Just watched the legends show. John hansen interviewed some a guy who just wrote a new book about mike mentzer. I was curious what this guy had to say about mike that hadnt been said before.
Nope. Nothing new. The same old bullshit from this guy that's been said by every other mentzer geek ever...
About 10 minutes into the interview the guy starts in on Arnold, what a terrible person arnold is but mentzer is full of virtue. Then the matter of fact, forgone conclusion that HIT is scientifically proven to be superior blah blah blah.
Can't mike exist on his own? Or does his existence matter only in comparison to arnold.? It's truly bizarre and more than a little pathetic."
Great review from BeakDoctor, sums up the methzer cult.
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I read the Bill Pearl biography Beyond the Universe. It was a really good read. Surprisingly Robby's biography was interesting too though I seriously doubt he wrote it. Pearl wrote his with the assist of another writer. Pearl has sold a lot of books in his life. Mentzer is a very interesting character in this sub culture of a sport. I'm not a fan boy of Mentzer though I was in 1975 to 1980 or so. I never put down volume trainers or low set trainers who use heavy weight to failure. I know nothing about the author of the Mentzer biography. Never saw the interview with him that a few of you guy have seen.
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I read the Bill Pearl biography Beyond the Universe. It was a really good read. Surprisingly Robby's biography was interesting too though I seriously doubt he wrote it. Pearl wrote his with the assist of another writer. Pearl has sold a lot of books in his life. Mentzer is a very interesting character in this sub culture of a sport. I'm not a fan boy of Mentzer though I was in 1975 to 1980 or so. I never put down volume trainers or low set trainers who use heavy weight to failure. I know nothing about the author of the Mentzer biography. Never saw the interview with him that a few of you guy have seen.
Bill Pearl was a good guy or at least to me on the phone. Of course most of us have never met them in person..or at least not for a long period enough to know them.
Books are misleading & tend to tilt towards the authors opinions.
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There's an 80% chance this is just 700 pages of gay erotic fiction. Christ, it was probably written by that fudgepaki RMJ in his never ending rage over Mentzer and the HIT guys.
I laughed out loud over this. You might be right.
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This book is definitely a big problem for the 1 Mentzer hater on this board. He has a lot of accounts dedicated to insulting Mentzer.
But the “upside down coffee cup challenge” has ruined his entire agenda.
KOREA
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FLEX ON THE HATERS MIKE
FLEX ON THE SMALL HANDED BORING BITCH
FLEX ON THE WEAK INCEL
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I had Amazon points, so I bought a copy. I'll post a review as it gets read.
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Ok, I'm a chapter in, this is a biography, but not really. It's historically based fiction, it reads like if you took bits and pieces of historical fact then wrote bits of fictional story around them to make it flow like a fiction novel. Also the translation from French to English is a tiny bit off in wording to the American ear. The writing is also polished in a bad way, like he was purposely trying to make the story sound important instead of organic.
It isn't unenjoyable thus far, just not what I'd consider a biography.
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Ok, I'm a chapter in, this is a biography, but not really. It's historically based fiction, it reads like if you took bits and pieces of historical fact then wrote bits of fictional story around them to make it flow like a fiction novel. Also the translation from French to English is a tiny bit off in wording to the American ear. The writing is also polished in a bad way, like he was purposely trying to make the story sound important instead of organic.
It isn't unenjoyable thus far, just not what I'd consider a biography.
I fuckin knew it. Chapter 2 will be the start of the full blown man-man ass sex. We'll know if RMJ is the writer if Arnold is the top and Mentzer is the bottom.
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I had Amazon points, so I bought a copy. I'll post a review as it gets read.
That’s why you’re POTY
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"Just watched the legends show. John hansen interviewed some a guy who just wrote a new book about mike mentzer. I was curious what this guy had to say about mike that hadnt been said before.
Nope. Nothing new. The same old bullshit from this guy that's been said by every other mentzer geek ever...
About 10 minutes into the interview the guy starts in on Arnold, what a terrible person arnold is but mentzer is full of virtue. Then the matter of fact, forgone conclusion that HIT is scientifically proven to be superior blah blah blah.
Can't mike exist on his own? Or does his existence matter only in comparison to arnold.? It's truly bizarre and more than a little pathetic."
Great review from BeakDoctor, sums up the methzer cult.
RMJ11 always leaves hints that he and Beakdoctor are the same person 😂
They both rant about HIT training.
They both are eternally offended that Mike used amphetamines.
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Up to chapter 3.
Chapter 2 was basically like the first. Historical fiction. For instance, he has Mentzer going to train with Russ Knipp. just named "Russ" in the book. Bill Pearl being enamored with a young Mike, and how smart he was in 1965. Also, the author didn't know that Olympic lifting was based on 3 lifts in 1965. Just saying the Clean and Jerk was the important one.
No pure gayness, but lots of fruity descriptions of men's physiques and their attributes - Bouncing buttocks, etc..... Also there is a small subplot involving Mentzer's father thinking physique bodybuilding is gay, and his worry that the sissies will turn Mike out. There's a funny part in the book were Mike's father is buying Mike a Big 12 twelve weight set from York, and raging that he'll have to kill the Faggots if they lay a hand on Mike.
Also a lot of wondering and supposing what 1950's, 60's America was like by the French author.
He also slobbers on about how smart Mike was.
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It's not unenjoyable, just quirky. It's an unreliable narrator's love letter to the Mentzer mystique. Do not spend your money thinking you'll learn any new history or training ideas from it.
Onward.
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Up to chapter 3.
Chapter 2 was basically like the first. Historical fiction. For instance, he has Mentzer going to train with Russ Knipp. just named "Russ" in the book. Bill Pearl being enamored with a young Mike, and how smart he was in 1965. Also, the author didn't know that Olympic lifting was based on 3 lifts in 1965. Just saying the Clean and Jerk was the important one.
No pure gayness, but lots of fruity descriptions of men's physiques and their attributes - Bouncing buttocks, etc..... Also there is a small subplot involving Mentzer's father thinking physique bodybuilding is gay, and his worry that the sissies will turn Mike out. There's a funny part in the book were Mike's father is buying Mike a Big 12 twelve weight set from York, and raging that he'll have to kill the Faggots if they lay a hand on Mike.
Also a lot of wondering and supposing what 1950's, 60's America was like by the French author.
He also slobbers on about how smart Mike was.
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It's not unenjoyable, just quirky. It's an unreliable narrator's love letter to the Mentzer mystique. Do not spend your money thinking you'll learn any new history or training ideas from it.
Onward.
Thanks for the review. I'm not getting it.
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Summary of chapter 3.
Opens with a young Mike making plans to win the Mr America by the early 70's. Segues into Mike's relationship with Dave Mastorakis, who Mike met at a contest before supposedly. The author guesses at what Dave's life was like in the the mid 60's. Dave goes to PA to spend time with Mike. Mike visits with Dave in Mass. Mike goes back home depressed because he can't match Bill Pearl's aura in the magazines.
Ray Mentzer show up a decent amount in this chapter, where we see him almost take a beating for tearing one of Mike's muscle magazines, and being annoying while Dave is there.
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Can't tell if the writer is gay, straight, or just French. The writing has a pronounced feminine feel to it now.
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Chapter 4 -
Mike is now smoking weed and enjoying The Beatles (the author loves The Beatles for some reason, fuck The Beatles), and making trips down to York to train with the York lifters. During one of these trips, Mentzer is accosted by Doc Ziegler in a somewhat homo-erotic fashion, demands Mentzer stop to talk weight lifting and get felt up.
He is allowed to leave after making an appointment to see Zeigler in a few days. After a history lesson on steroids and Zeigler, Mentzer is prescribed his own bottle of Dianabol by the Doc.
We are starting the Steroid Era of Mentzer fan fic.
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This chapter was so absurd, that it was highly enjoyable. If these summaries are interesting I can keep going or let them rest.
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Chapter 4 -
Mike is now smoking weed and enjoying The Beatles (the author loves The Beatles for some reason, fuck The Beatles), and making trips down to York to train with the York lifters. During one of these trips, Mentzer is accosted by Doc Ziegler in a somewhat homo-erotic fashion, demands Mentzer stop to talk weight lofting and get felt up.
He is allowed to leave after making an appointment to see Zeigler in a few days. After a history lesson on steroids and Zeigler, Mentzer is prescribed his own bottle of Dianabol by the Doc.
We are starting the Steroid Era of Mentzer fan fic.
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This chapter was so absurd, that it was highly enjoyable. If these summaries are interesting I can keep going or let them rest.
I for one am enjoying your summaries, keep up the excellent work. Some of the things I was hoping to get out of the book summaries was the following that I am shocked I do not know about Mentzer after all the posts here:
1) What was his favorite song? (perhaps Beatles, who I loathe)
2) Why the moustache? (I'm sure there must be a whole chapter on this).
3) Why not more vitriol towards Zane?
4) What were his politics? He espoused Ayn Rand, so I'd think tended conservative?
5) Any pets?
6) What was his favorite bodypart?
Little tidbits like these really bring a fellow to life.
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One more chapter for the night, because it was dooze -
Chapter 5 -
Opens with Mike developing hellish stretch marks from the Dianabol. He's also horny and jacking off like a madman to a copy of Henry Miller's "Tropic of Cancer" He just can't stop jacking off at home, at school. etc.... During that Summer, Mentzer visits with Dave Mastorakis. Mastorakis is, himself involved with a schmoe's wife, One day Mike meets Mastorakis's lover, and she deflowers him in a forest while they're high.
The reader is treated to an extended scene where he describes how he thinks Mentzer fucks.
Meanwhile Ray Mentzer is becoming the Apple of his father's eye. A football star with a secret drinking habit, but more of a man than Mike.
Mike wins the small Penn contest he was training for, but his father doesn't understand how posing for old perverts will help Mike pay for his schooling, etc..... It was then Mike decides to join the Air Force to be out from under his parents thumb.
This chapter also marks the first time Arnold shows up, Mentzer notices his inhuman figure in the muscle magazines.
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I for one am enjoying your summaries, keep up the excellent work. Some of the things I was hoping to get out of the book summaries was the following that I am shocked I do not know about Mentzer after all the posts here:
1) What was his favorite song? (perhaps Beatles, who I loathe)
2) Why the moustache? (I'm sure there must be a whole chapter on this).
3) Why not more vitriol towards Zane?
4) What were his politics? He espoused Ayn Rand, so I'd think tended conservative?
5) Any pets?
6) What was his favorite bodypart?
Little tidbits like these really bring a fellow to life.
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The author has Mentzer loving sci-fi - Star Trek, 2001, Space Odyssey, and Phillip K Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". And also being a fan of Nietzsche.
No Beatles songs mentioned, just that he liked Revolver and Rubber Soul, especially Rubber Soul.
The book makes him out to be a pragmatist, with some hippy tendencies romantically, but it's still early.
No pets mentioned. Mike's mom was Italian, which surprised me.
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The summaries are great, Bb. Please keep them up.
The author definitely comes off as a homosexual with a huge crush on mike. This book is his love letter.
I got that impression watching his interview but some of your comments confirm it a little bit more.
He described his interest in bodybuilding as "coming out" and he looks like he never lifted a day in his life.
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This book is definitely a big problem for the 1 Mentzer hater on this board. He has a lot of accounts dedicated to insulting Mentzer.
But the “upside down coffee cup challenge” has ruined his entire agenda.
KOREA
The book is a bigger problem for a flaming tard like you.
Jesus christ, just look at the retarded homo shit you just posted "Flex on Mike" "Flex on this. flex on that...
Do you realize how creepy and cringe you are?
For the last time, I don't hate Mike, and I sure as fuck don't hate amphetamines, but Mike's fans are the largest collection of misfit toys, rejects, weirdos, groupies, schmoes and retards, like yourself. I swear it must be a pre-requisite to be flaming schmoe on the autism spectrum just to be accepted by his fan base.
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Thanks for the review. I'll be getting it.
I'm sure you will enjoy it 😉
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Ok, I'm a chapter in, this is a biography, but not really. It's historically based fiction, it reads like if you took bits and pieces of historical fact then wrote bits of fictional story around them to make it flow like a fiction novel. Also the translation from French to English is a tiny bit off in wording to the American ear. The writing is also polished in a bad way, like he was purposely trying to make the story sound important instead of organic.
It isn't unenjoyable thus far, just not what I'd consider a biography.
His life was mostly fiction and fantasy anyway.
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Chapter 6 / Last of Part I -
Brief overview of Arnold, Bill Pearl, Larry Scott, and Sergio, and Weider's California scene.
The book is kind to Pearl, he's seen as an old lion being phased out by the flawed newcomer Arnold. Larry Scott is seen as a bust for Weider, and old man type that can't embrace the sex and drugs lifestyle of new California. A goof that went home to be a Mormon family man.
The book is very unkind to Sergio, in the way that liberals are to Blacks. Sergio is seen as a simple, brash darkie. A man content with drinking Pepsi, eating pizza, wearing "African" gold chains, and tight pimp clothes. One that Weider needed for his physique, to appease blacks, and to battle Whites on stage. But who could now be forgot in the age of Arnold.
Arnold being set up as the arch-villain here. Complaints about his breast like pecs, thin legs, etc.... Lots of schmoe and homo talk. the Wag Bennett cuckolding rumors are trotted out. As are references to other rich schmoes, like a Dr Strangelove, an LA powerbroker that loved to watch bodybuilders pose through a two-way mirror nude, the bodybuilders sometimes getting hard at their own image.
Arnold is also seen as uncaring towards his family in Austria, or his new girlfriend in the US. He only fears one man, who he's heard rumors of from Pearl, and out East -
Mentzer.
Franco Columbu also makes a brief appearance in this part. Dismissed as a dumb, brash Sardinian that Arnold cajoles Weider into bringing to the US, so he could keep Arnold company and Arnold could keep him out of trouble.
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Does it have never before pics from Arnold and Mike confrontation backstage at the 80 Olympia?
WooooSHHHHHHHHHHH 10.4.80
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Does it have never before pics from Arnold and Mike confrontation backstage at the 80 Olympia?
WooooSHHHHHHHHHHH 10.4.80
No pics so far. They're selling it as a biography, but it's just a long story with facts from magazines and interviews woven into the tale here and there. It's just a story, kinda enjoyable, but nothing important.
I doubt we'll get a true Mentzer bio, everyone is dead that was important to the tale, and Mentzer was a recluse through a lot of his life.
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Chapter 6 / Last of Part I -
Brief overview of Arnold, Bill Pearl, Larry Scott, and Sergio, and Weider's California scene.
The book is kind to Pearl, he's seen as an old lion being phased out by the flawed newcomer Arnold. Larry Scott is seen as a bust for Weider, and old man type that can't embrace the sex and drugs lifestyle of new California. A goof that went home to be a Mormon family man.
The book is very unkind to Sergio, in the way that liberals are to Blacks. Sergio is seen as a simple, brash darkie. A man content with drinking Pepsi, eating pizza, wearing "African" gold chains, and tight pimp clothes. One that Weider needed for his physique, to appease blacks, and to battle Whites on stage. But who could now be forgot in the age of Arnold.
Arnold being set up as the arch-villain here. Complaints about his breast like pecs, thin legs, etc.... Lots of schmoe and homo talk. the Wag Bennett cuckolding rumors are trotted out. As are references to other rich schmoes, like a Dr Strangelove, an LA powerbroker that loved to watch bodybuilders pose through a two-way mirror nude, the bodybuilders sometimes getting hard at their own image.
Arnold is also seen as uncaring towards his family in Austria, or his new girlfriend in the US. He only fears one man, who he's heard rumors of from Pearl, and out East -
Mentzer.
Franco Columbu also makes a brief appearance in this part. Dismissed as a dumb, brash Sardinian that Arnold cajoles Weider into bringing to the US, so he could keep Arnold company and Arnold could keep him out of trouble.
This is all fantastic and thanks for the info above.
What is the "flaw" with Arnold from the book's perspective? Arnold succeeded for himself and bodybuilding beyond the wildest dreams of anyone alive in 1965.
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This is all fantastic and thanks for the info above.
What is the "flaw" with Arnold from the book's perspective? Arnold succeeded for himself and bodybuilding beyond the wildest dreams of anyone alive in 1965.
Just the standard stuff that was leveled at young Arnold between 1965-71 -
Long monkey arms.
Pecs with too much lower pec development giving them a saggy look.
Weak shoulder development in relation to his width.
And weak legs, especially calves.
Also the author doesn't seem to like Arnold's uncaring take no prisoners attitude. He gives the example of Arnold skipping his brother Meinhard's funeral in Austria to stay in America with Weider as an example of this.
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Also on Mentzer's moustache, the author claims it was in emulation of Sandow, who Mentzer read when he was starting out -
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2495/0882/files/sandow1_large.jpg?v=1538425238).
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Part 2, chapter 7 (1971 ish.)
This was basically a love letter to Arthur Jones, and how smart the author thought he was.
It opens with Peary Rader, Mabel, and Ironman getting props for being a truthful magazine and good people.
Mentzer meets a young Casey Viator, and his hope to win the 1971 Mr America is dashed, he knows he can't beat the 19 year old phenom. But Casey fills his mind with tales of Jones and Jones's brief workout system. Mentzer heads off to find a semi-retired Dave Mastorakis to see if he can get him interested in competitive bodybuilding again. The author is also kind to Casey, his physique and work ethic.
Mentzer is seen not liking Air Force life, but he is respected for his physique and physical presence. He finds solace in the library and his medical training courses.
The rest is about Arthur Jones mainly -
Jones lost millions of dollars and personal property in the flip of Zimbabwe to Rhodesia, but being among the animals there taught him about life and exercise. Crocodiles about base instincts, elephants and lions about the need for rest after big efforts, etc....
Jones hated Arnold, saw him as an open homosexual hustler, drug user, and peddler, and that is why Arnold was never offered a Nautilus contract. He invited Franco and Arnold down to Florida in 1971 to help with Nautilus testing, and stopped the car they were riding in, and threatened to fight Arnold on the side of the road if him and Franco didn't stop talking in a mix of English, Austria, and Italian.
Jones didn't like that Arnold talked bad about Joe, Betty and Weider corp behind Weider's back while he was there. Also how Arnold treated women in his tales of cocksmanship.
[You can read about Arnold and Jones here - http://www.arthurjonesexercise.com/GodLaughs/GodLaughs.html don't ask me what chapter though.]
Apparently Mentzer had an easier time getting in with Jones because Viator's parents started to ask for more money on behalf of Casey.
Mentzer begins a phone friendship with Jones, who introduces him to the philosophy of Objectivism. He invites Mike down to Florida. Meanwhile, Mike and Brother Ray start to experiment with an early version of the Heavy Duty system on their own.
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End chapter.
Edit - There was one other funny thing, a sneak dis of Oliva again. How he trained with Jones, and how his huge, dark skinned body must've looked in the wildness of Jones's compound. Perhaps wrestling a lion or ape (I forget the exact animal).
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Part 2, Chapter 8 -
Quick read, with a lot of fiction I'm betting.
Opens to find Dave Mastorakis meeting the Mentzer brothers at the apartment they share with 2 other dope smoking brothers. Mentzer's smoking weed, and depressed over the death of a close childhood friend, Jimmie* in Vietnam. Mentzer's taste in music has changed, while he still listens to the Beatles, he's also getting darker and more primal with Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, and Led Zep. He especially likes the psychedelic rock of PF.
They all decide to go to a Rolling Stones concert to lighten the mood. There he is enlivened again by the women, and hard charging rock of Jagger and co.
End of chapter.
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* Can't tell if Jimmie is real, fiction, or a pastiche of different people from Mentzer's boyhood. Jimmie was supposed to be an early work out partner, that introduced him to life, music, etc.... outside of PA.
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The book is very unkind to Sergio, in the way that liberals are to Blacks.
Can't tell if the writer is gay, straight, or just French. The writing has a pronounced feminine feel to it now.
Made me laugh out loud
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Part II, Chapter 8 -
Opens with Charles Gaines at Cannes raising money for "Stay Hungry". Then backtracks to Gaines and George Butler meeting Arnold and The Weiders.
The author makes mention that Ben was content to let Joe have America, Ben would handle the rest of the world, and in the 70's, a big part of that was the Middle East which Gaines and Butler were invitied to. A story is then told of Mike Katz being the star of a tour of Iraq the IFBB was doing. Mike being a Jew wasn't keen on the idea, but the shear strength of Iraqi schmoedom won out, and Katz was treated like a king during his time there.
It the goes into how Arnold had earlier met Gaines and Butler to see if they could make the PI book together. but did not trust them. Seeing them as learned guys, but that they had won him over by comparing him to the sculptors of old, creating the perfect image of man. (Arnold hated writers, because the euro press had written that he was a big dummy when he tried to present himself as cultured.)
Arnold also liked that blue blood Gaines and Butler were a ticket into high society.
Arnold regaled them with gossip, and tales of dirty tricks, like getting the curtains changed to black at the Essen Olympia, so that Sergio would look washed out against them. But he also didn't tell them how how he made a mistake giving the Nazi salute, thinking the Germans would find it funny. They did not.
It's also recounted how they took Arnold to visit Barbara Walters, and her first thinking Arnold was a idiot ("big donkey" were her words). But his charm managing to win her over, and get them a spot on her show.
Doubleday showed no interest in the PI book, nor did anyone want the film version of it that was to follow. Still they soldiered on, securing publishing from Simon and Shuster. A reviewer from the New York Times calling it "homo-bait". But still it sold well, so they also went to Cannes to secure money for the Pumping Iron and Stay Hungry film.
Butler and Gaines also admit that they had high hopes for Cannes, as Europe was traditionally more nudity and homo friendly, and it also attracted avant garde people from NY and LA.
Chapter closes with the PI money secured in Cannes as well as money for the film Stay Hungry. Stay Hungry opens to rave reviews, which establishes more good will for a Pumping Iron Film.
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Part 2, Chapter 9 -
The year is 73, and Mike is again depressed, his bodybuilding hampered by a shoulder injury, and not loving military life. He takes Ziegler up on an offer for him to work for a few hours a week. The offer extends to Ray also. There he had them test and run tests on others using an early electronic muscle stimulation machine.
He'd also regale Mike with tales of Sayle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Selye), and of the right wing Japanese writer Mishima (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Mishima). Mentzer was supposedly very taken by Mishima's Sun and Steel novel, where he examines the link between the body, fitness, and the mind, and how they work and balance or change each other.
Fast forward to mid 1974, Mentzer is free from the Air Force and heading to Florida to work with Jones. (Jones had also rehired Viator at this point and the "Colorado Experiment" was still big news at this point.), he quickly grows bored with Jones, and heads back to Maryland to enroll in med school. Ziegler also finds him work as an orderly. There, at school, he meets Kathleen, his first serious girlfriend. And by 1975, he is back in serious training with Ray, and occasionally Dave Mastorakis.
Also in 75, he and Dave take a trip to California for the Mr Universe. It is supposedly Mentzer's first time out west. He marvels at Gold's Gym, watches some of Pumping Iron being filmed, and meets Arnold for the first time. Mentzer is both nervous, and somewhat off put by Arnold's braggadocios nature, and somewhat mean spirited joking.
It's the night of the 75 Universe and Arnold and Weider have stacked the audience with everyone from old bodybuilding stars to the cast of "Stay Hungry". Mike takes third that night, and accidently annoys Robby Robinson by stealing his thunder that night. Robby was 1st, but many were abuzz at Mentzer's return.
Backstage he supposedly meets Pearl, who has some kind words for him. Their moment is undone by Joe Weider, who eyes Mike up and down, and requests a meeting in the morning. Mike celebrates by going to Monty Python's "The Holy Grail" with Dave. Weider's car will pick Mike, Dave, and Robby up late in the morning. Robbie is regal in physique, but wearing his tattered gym clothes. Mentzer takes it as Robby's "Fuck you" to the establishment/Weider, and admires it somewhat.
They wander the Weider offices, which are done up absurdly in fancy French furniture, vases, taxidermy, and paintings of stripped to the posing strap Weider champs adorning the walls. They are later greeted my Joe and Armand Tanny, gym owner, and old time bodybuilder. Armand will interview Mentzer for Weider's magazines, at the end Mentzer will make a bold prediction for print -
"In a year from now, I'll be as good as Arnold."
Three weeks later, Dave, Mike, and Ray are in Mass for the Jr Mr America. Mike wins, Ray takes second. The crowd marvels at the brotherly tag team. Mike relishes the title, but still wants the real Mr America title. He gives himself one year to get there.
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We're now half way through the book.
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Part 2. Chapter 10 -
1976, MSG, the Mr America show.
Arnold is annoyed at having to help judge it, secretly wanting to retire in 1974, only sticking around for pay, and to help his burgeoning film and real estate career. He'd rather be hobnobbing with Gaines or Butler, who have taken a shine to Arnold teaching how to dress, and introducing him to the rich and powerful over $1000 power lunches.
For the privilege of this new found power, he allows himself to pose for museum exhibits, gay artists (Mapplethorpe), women's magazines, etc.... Indeed, once almost landing a project with Warhol.
To help sell Arnold in the film, Weider and Arnold conspired to have Sergio Nubret removed from competition. First, Arnold appealed secretly to any powerful South African that would listen, that having a Black potentially win the contest would be bad for Apartheid, and South Africa as a whole. When that didn't work, Weider offered Nubret a guaranteed win at the next Olympia if he'd let Arnold have this one. Serge refused. So instead, they had the IFBB ban him from the contest for taking slightly erotic photos and videos. Then, after a depressed Nubret lost weight and shape, he was magically allowed to compete again*.
But back we go now, to the 76 Mr. A, were Arnold would vote for Roger Callard, in the author's view to spite Mentzer. It doesn't matter, as Mike would take the contest anyway.
(76 Mr A line up - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=739480697970813&id=100057266688869&set=a.586692056583012 ).
After winning the Mr A, and a three year absence, Mike decides to visit his parents. His mother is proud, and his father is too. But the mood sours when Mentzer tells his father, he will not retire and get a job, but rather train for the Universe, and then the Olympia. His father leaves the room, and later ignores the topic.
---------------------------------------------
* That was Nubret's story, see here - https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik79.htm , mid page.
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Thanks for the write ups BB. Do you think the author is angling to have Dave Mastorakis as Mentzer's gay lover?
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Part 2, Chapter 11.
Late 76, Montreal, Mentzer's first Universe try. Boyer Coe and Lou Ferrigno greet him backstage, both giving him a great chance at winning in their opinions, but to his shock Ben Weider ignores him. Then he sees that Ben was introducing Robby Robinson to all the judges and heavyweights in the room, and he understands he will not win, The fix is in.
He does not hate Robinson, it isn't his fault, and what if Robbie really did win honestly tonight?
In the morning, after a few moments with Weider scribe Jack Neary, Mentzer is headed back to his pre-med studies in Maryland. He will not stop training, instead, he will document everything and experiment. Low caries, high calories, zig zagging calories, he tries it all. He monitors steroids, he monitors sweat levels, etc..... Everything matters.
He also develops an interest in Zen Buddhism, specifically the type offered by Shunryu Suzuki ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunry%C5%AB_Suzuki ). Mike digs Suzuki's approach that everything should be done simply, with attention and intensity.
Mentzer also starts to believe he can will things into being. That visualization, plus concentration, plus an understanding of how the body works, will allow him to win.
Mike also moves from an interest in psychiatry to an interest in anti-psychiatry. His new belief that self governance is the best medicine, and access to drugs, sex, any pleasures, or even suicide was the key to freedom.
The start of 77 is busy for him. He is invited to the premier of Pumping Iron. He starts to envision his own star power. He also sees flaws in his fellow champions - Arnold, an unrelatable oaf with an accent. Franco, a wild, satyr looking crude goatherder. Lou, a sleepy giant. Katz, a balding ogre of a man.
Mike began to see himself as the most civil of these men.
After the Pumping Iron premiere, he is invited on a two week European tour, where he not only bodybuilds, but enjoys the finer things Europe has to offer - food, museums, libraries, night life.
When he arrives home, he is greeted by a letter from Joe offering him a job writing for Weider in LA. Mike had impressed Weider, Tanny, and Neary that day months back.
Weider, himself, wanted to hedge his bets in the bodybuilding world by hiring Mentzer. He could feel Arnold moving away from him, developing his own empire. So he sought out three bodybuilders to take his place - Mentzer, Robinson, and Zane. Robinson, a hero for black youth. Zane, an Apollo or David like figure with his lean and aesthetic physique. And Mentzer, a Herculean throwback to the strongmen of yore.
But Weider decided to throw the most energy at Mentzer, feeling he had the most drive, intelligence, and vision of the three.
So off Mike left, with brother Ray in toe. He had some disdain for the Gold's Gym crew blindly following Arnold, and standard bodybuilding dogma. So he sought out a new band of friends - Jack Neary, Danny Padilla, and a few other not so famous, and sometimes foreign bodybuilders.
Mentzer was also finding fortune in his mail order courses that he named "Heavy Duty". Heavy as in serious, Duty as it was a man's duty to train, whether he liked it or not.
It was coming up roses for Mentzer till November of 77, when he'd square off against Kal Szkalak, who had beaten him recently once before. While ahead on points during the pre judging, Mentzer allowed himself to come in overconfident at the night show, leading to a surprise when Kal was declared the winner.
Mike, when home, throws himself into preparation for the 78 Universe. A show he'd go on to win with a perfect score. And to make it better, Bill Pearl would present the trophy.
But as there is light, there must also be darkness. Weider has been growing tired of Mentzer's dismissal of other Weider bodybuilders, and Weider training methods. He sees it alienating his customers. But Mentzer will not budge. It is Heavy Duty or no way. Thus began a war of words, spoken, and in print, between Mike, Joe and Weider associates. Weider insists "The Weider Principles" work and Mentzer used, and uses versions of them to build and maintain his base. Mentzer for his part, tells everyone Weider is wrong, and Arnold trains poorly.
Mike thinks the Universe win will quell things, but it doesn't. In fact, Weider isn't the only one growing tired of Mike. Arnold has called Joe to issue a warning "Tell Mike to stop talking about me in public, or I will do everything to end his career." Joe tells him to take Arnold's threat seriously.
--------------------------------------
That's it for tonight, the last hour or so I've just been running on pure schmoe powered autism. We'll start again tomorrow :).
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Thanks for the write ups BB. Do you think the author is angling to have Dave Mastorakis as Mentzer's gay lover?
He's quite taken by Dave. It's almost like a mini- Mastorakis biography inside of the Mentzer one. Mastorakis helped him a little with the book, so maybe he's honoring him by giving him a lot of page space, but he's also writing him in to be very feminine and soft. He worries about Mentzer, he follows Mentzer like a puppy dog. He's getting cheated on by his wife, etc....
This French author loves the sneaky put-down.
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Part 2. Chapter 10 -
1976, MSG, the Mr America show.
Arnold is annoyed at having to help judge it, secretly wanting to retire in 1974, only sticking around for pay, and to help his burgeoning film and real estate career. He'd rather be hobnobbing with Gaines or Butler, who have taken a shine to Arnold teaching how to dress, and introducing him to the rich and powerful over $1000 power lunches.
For the privilege of this new found power, he allows himself to pose for museum exhibits, gay artists (Mapplethorpe), women's magazines, etc.... Indeed, once almost landing a project with Warhol.
To help sell Arnold in the film, Weider and Arnold conspired to have Sergio Nubret removed from competition. First, Arnold appealed secretly to any powerful South African that would listen, that having a Black potentially win the contest would be bad for Apartheid, and South Africa as a whole. When that didn't work, Weider offered Nubret a guaranteed win at the next Olympia if he'd let Arnold have this one. Serge refused. So instead, they had the IFBB ban him from the contest for taking slightly erotic photos and videos. Then, after a depressed Nubret lost weight and shape, he was magically allowed to compete again*.
But back we go now, to the 76 Mr. A, were Arnold would vote for Roger Callard, in the author's view to spite Mentzer. It doesn't matter anyway, as Mike would take the contest anyway.
(76 Mr A line up - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=739480697970813&id=100057266688869&set=a.586692056583012 ).
After winning the Mr A, and a three year absence, Mike decides to visit his parents. His mother is proud, and his father is too. But the mood sours when Mentzer tells his father, he will not retire and get a job, but rather train for the Universe, and then the Olympia. His father leaves the room, and later ignores the topic.
---------------------------------------------
* That was Nubret's story, see here - https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik79.htm , mid page.
I never heard this that Nubret turned down a guarantee from Weider. Talk about stupid.
Also Mentzer having a shitty relationship with his dad is sad and explains a lot
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He's quite taken by Dave. It's almost like a mini- Matorakis biography inside of the Mentzer one. Mastorakis helped him a little with the book, so maybe he's honoring him by giving him a lot of page space, but he's also writing him in to be very feminine and soft. He worries about Mentzer, he follows Mentzer like a puppy dog. He's getting cheated on by his wife, etc....
This French author loves the sneaky put-down.
Who doesn't? I think that plus writing the book make him a true Getbigger.
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Good stuff BB....thanks.
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Part 2, Chapter 12 -
1977 -
Opens with Gaines, Arnold, and crew at Ritchie's restaurant, a post Gold's hotspot. Gaines is marveling at Arnold, and what he's become good and bad. Butler and Gaines have taught Arnold how to dress, how to talk, and how to move in high society. Gaines is starting also to see how Arnold uses people, like a shape shifter. He sees that Arnold doesn't want just power and money, but political power.
By 1977, and after Pumping Iron, Arnold no longer needs them or their introductions. It is around this time he meets Maria Schriver at a tennis match. She isn't the prettiest girl he's been with, but she's well bred, the type of child that was protected from the world and its cruelty. In Arnold, she'd find a soft rebellion against this coddling. And Arnold, well, he'd hopefully become part of an American Dynasty. And if it didn't work out? Well, at least he'd enjoy Hyannis Port.
Arnold dressed in his best preppy attire would set out to woo the Kennedy clan, and that he did. They marveled at his physical prowess, and his fine manners (taught to him by Butler and Gaines), and even his Violin playing that he picked up years later for "Stay Hungry". Any minor transgressions were dismissed by his not being fully accustomed to America.
By the time he met Bobby Jr, a huge bodybuilding fan, he new he was in.
Back at Gold's they wondered how the Kennedy's would take Arnold's conservative, strike that, authoritarian views? Arnold stifled any ill thoughts. "To each his own" he said, dismissing them. He did not care what other bodybuilders thought of his relationship. They were his lapdogs, who were they to question?
Speaking of bodybuilding, he has to deal with the matter of Kal Szkalak, who is causing Weider grief.
Szkalak is demanding to be paid for ads, lots of them. Weider feels that promotion in his magazines is pay enough. Kal is starting legal rumblings.
That is when Arnold put his master plan to work. He's convinced Kal to gather up other bodybuilders, and try to start a union. He'd even show up at their meeting with Ben to show support. Kal manages to have Robby, Padilla, and others to come on board. The day of the meeting, they all await King Arnold, even Ben. Arnold arrives late, and kisses Ben on the cheek, and whispers his loyalty oath into Ben's ear, and leaves.
With that, the bodybuilders union is over, and Kal is one of the main guys holding the bag.
Kal would further get the message when he'd lose to Frank Zane at the 78 Olympia. Kal would then hit his famous Christ pose, and leave bodybuilding forever.
( https://i.ytimg.com/vi/V910eo_k9VQ/hqdefault.jpg ).
Now a few months later, what about Mentzer? Arnold thinks, as he readies for a Tonight Show appearance to promote Conan, a role he almost didn't get after asking super producer Dino De Laurentiis, why "a tiny man like him would need such a big desk?".
( https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2010/11/11/ap5703270198_slide-e8bb30ba5e4c0aaa29ce18cfad1e28fb5ec1ab86.jpg ).
Arnold notices a copy of "Muscle Builder" laying about, and picks it up he sees Mike on the cover, his body perfect, his large bulge in full view.
( https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FyWS9JSWcAkfG5O?format=jpg&name=900x900 )
Annoyed at this, he opens it to find a glowing report on Mentzer, and his training system, how could Joe do this?. At this moment, Arnold decided the both need to be punished.
Joe, himself, has stayed up to watch Arnold. His young protege. Sure, Arnold his hurt him a bit, leaving him for high society, but that is forgiven. Surely he will mention Joe on this show, one of the biggest in America........
The time comes, the host asks - "There must have been someone that helped you along the way?"
Arnold stares in into the camera.....
"No, nobody, never. Really, I made it to the top all on my own."
----------------------------------------------
The author really did go on about Mentzer's dong, I didn't just add that in to my rewrite/summary.
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A lot of fiction and speculation. Some of it borders on slander.
Serge was disqualified because he got repeated warnings from the IFBB not to compete in other federations to which he gave Ben the finger. He also acted in low budget European movies that were considered at the time in the US as soft porn. Serge was in the best shape of his life for the 1975 Olympia but stopped dosing and training when he heard he wasn't going to be allowed to compete. Even with that bump he looked amazing.
The author writes about bulges in the bodybuilding pictures. I have a feeling what team the author belongs to. Not that there's anything wrong with that. No homo.
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Part 2, Chapter 13 -
Short chapter, Mike and Wayne Gallasch scouting photography locations in California. Wayne took most of those great beach shots of Ray and Mike. Mike wants to shoot among the oil wells and machinery, as well as the beach.
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Part 2 Chapter 14 -
Filler chapter - 1979 -
Some highlights -
Mike once made enough from Heavy Duty courses to own two homes. One in the Palm Springs. He enjoys the desert and the mountains in the distance, and is humored that it is only a few hours away from Area 51. It is a small villa, but he is proud of it. He sends pics home, hoping to make his father proud.
He plans to make the most out of his California/Weider experience, sometimes working 20 hour days.
He's defeated Robby Robinson at the Pro Cup in Florida, but there is still Zane to contend with. Also he's taken on a lot of overseas seminars. Visiting Italy, Japan, etc.... He visits the Sistine Chapel, Zen Temples in the moments he can spare.
That's not all the good news. He's signed with a major publisher for a series of fitness books, and sold 40,000 Mentzer posters worldwide. He's also a guest on the Merv Griffith show, Merv teases Mike that he wants to be "The thinking man's bodybuilder." Mike is annoyed, but proud of what he's put together.
Then, two weeks before the Night of Champions, he starts to feel unease, but he is comforted by Kathleen, and the nice little life they've built for themselves.
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He's quite taken by Dave. It's almost like a mini- Mastorakis biography inside of the Mentzer one. Mastorakis helped him a little with the book, so maybe he's honoring him by giving him a lot of page space, but he's also writing him in to be very feminine and soft. He worries about Mentzer, he follows Mentzer like a puppy dog. He's getting cheated on by his wife, etc....
This French author loves the sneaky put-down.
Dave “Mad Max” was schmoeing way before there was Jay Cutler. I really admire Dave “Mad Max”
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On audiobook? :D
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On audiobook? :D
Nope, just paperback or digital in French or English. Maybe buy the paper back if interested, it's rough on the eyes digitally, 700+ pages.
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Part 2, Chapter 14 -
It's Spring of '79, and Mike is in New York for the Night of Champions.
He is staying with a friend.
A gay friend.
An old gay friend.
The gay friend is Gabe, a psychiatrist 20 years his senior, whom Weider introduced him to. Gabe's homosexuality doesn't both Mike, instead he fills his mind with thoughts from books in Gabe's library. Gabe is a researcher too, having spent time in Russia studying what isolation can do to a man. Mike is captivated by this.
One day Gabe shows Mike something special, the "Mr Bare Chest Calendar". The cover, drawn in Tom of Finland style, shows an unnamed caricature of Mike, bare-chested, in full leatherman regalia. He finds the image attractive, even sexy. He's annoyed that the artist has modified his face a bit, but he's still thrilled to have become an icon.
Indeed, he recently sat for an interview with "The Advocate", America's biggest gay magazine*. He sees nothing wrong with appreciating a well developed body.
Gabe sees his chance, he moves closer to Mentzer, and gentle places his hand on Mentzer's thigh. Mike brushes him aside, "That just not my thing".
The next week he learns his mother is sick, dying, He cannot concentrate on the NOC, and takes 3rd behind Robinson, and Padilla. He takes an emergency trip to Pennsylvania after the show. His father, who, recently divorced his mother, won't be there. He has plans with his new family.
Mike sees her crumpled in the hospital bed, he stays with her as long as he can, but he has to return to LA. Two weeks later, she will pass. He cannot drive, the thought of what just happened is making him suicidal.
In Pennsylvania, he attends the funeral with Ray, and Maryann. A much older half-sister that was grown up before the brothers were teens.
Back in LA, the depression has worsened for Mike. He drinks, he won't eat, he lays around lifeless. Kathy doesn't know what to do with him. It is like the light went out behind his eyes, and no one can find a way to turn him back on. She suggests a religious answer, that Mike's mom is in a better place.
He tells her there is no God.
Mid July, weeks from the Olympia, an intervention is planned. Mastorakis calls to check on him, and at the same time, Jack Neary, Weider writer, pops in to do the same. Jack leaves him with a copy of Wagner's "Twilight of The Gods" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0PpTPvbr-4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0PpTPvbr-4)).
There in the darkness, as he listens to the record, and reflects on Dave and Jack's visits, he decides he will do the Olympia.
In about 3 weeks, he adds ten pounds to his frame, and he his lean. He feels confident. But Zane is bolstered by Arnold and his crew, some who will be judging the show, Reg Park, and Paul Graham.
Zane is cut, and a master poser, but Mentzer thinks the 30lbs he has over Zane, plus his confidence will prove out tonight. But it doesn't. Zane is Mr Olympia 1979.
And it supposedly came down to posing. Zane was far too polish for the excitable Mentzer.
Zane doesn't know it, but he's in trouble too. When Arnold, who was doing the color commentary for CBS as Zane how it felt to win, Zane replied "Great, it almost feels as good as when I beat you in 1968". This would be Zane's last Olympia win.
After the shock of loss, Mentzer reassess his priorities. There will be 1 more big show. If he does not win the Olympia, he will retire. He has almost the full year to make it happen.
------------------------------------------------------
The Advocate cover, their opening line is funny enough -
(https://i.postimg.cc/4dks5FxB/14.jpg).
Also this was a very gay chapter, at one point he references Mike's "Hot Shaft".
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At his peak, Mike was making 200K a year. In today's money it's almost a million. He sunk his money into a fitness magazine that he did almost everything on his own A to Z. He worked long hours with little sleep while using speed. The mag was a flop.
He also was duped into buying outdated video making equipment like cameras, editing machines and the like. He made a few videos but that was a flop and no one in the industry wanted to buy the outdated gear he spent a fortune on.
He had two residences that he soon lost.
His long time girlfriend Cathy dumped him too for another bodybuilder named Clint Beyerle who was stable. He had money. I believe he was a chiropractor and might have even owned a plane.
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Just wanted to keep up the thanks and praise, great job!
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At his peak, Mike was making 200K a year. In today's money it's almost a million. He sunk his money into a fitness magazine that he did almost everything on his own A to Z. He worked long hours with little sleep while using speed. The mag was a flop.
He also was duped into buying outdated video making equipment like cameras, editing machines and the like. He made a few videos but that was a flop and no one in the industry wanted to buy the outdated gear he spent a fortune on.
He had two residences that he soon lost.
His long time girlfriend Cathy dumped him too for another bodybuilder named Clint Beyerle who was stable. He had money. I believe he was a chiropractor and might have even owned a plane.
Maybe Clint was a volume trainer and Cathy was tired of HIT.
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Multiple short chapters, 4-9 pages each -
---------------------------------
Mike visits Dave on personal and Nautilus business (photoshoot). Nautilus business is booming.
They drive through many blighted and under employed areas. Mike ponders the relationship between unemployment and gym use. He also thinks back to the the film "The Warriors" he just saw, and ponders the upswing in violence during unemployment. He concludes that, as men stop building, stop having a physical outlet for their energy, etc.... they turn to violence or fitness or both. That is why you see phrases like "kill it" or "give it all you've got" in gym culture.
He writes an article about it in Weider's mag, ending with -
"As the century comes to an end, it is no longer men that build machines, but machines that build men."
---------------------------
Mike watches "Meetings with Remarkable Men" -
.
And he ponder the difference between Charlatan or Prophet. He also thinks back to the original G I Gurdjieff writings, and the few insights (grammar, mathematics, mysticism) he got from them.
------------------------------------------
Mike is the subject of ridicule at a high society party because he doesn't believe in physic abilities ( e.g. fortune tellers, conjurers, etc....).
---------------------------------------------
Mike and friends experiment with ayahuasca. He sees a colony of tarantulas resting on a rock wall and watches them eat, move, rest.
--------------------------------------------
Mike is sluggish. The 20 hour days and dieting are taking a toll. He worries he might die from the contest prep or at the show. He finds himself collapsing sometimes, his mind wanders. He went on a junk food binge he didn't remember (chips, cookies and chocolate) and cost $50 in 1980 money.
It is 3 weeks before the Olympia.
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End of Part II
Olympia Day -
Mike is in Sydney, at the Opera House, mere minutes before taking the stage. A palace of glass, concrete and steel a marvel to behold. Mike enjoys the wonderment of it all. Mike is also a palace, a palace of polished and refined muscle. Just a few days ago at Gold's, the lifters and Joe Weider himself were shocked at the physique Mike displayed.
As he readies himself, he think of it as a new era for bodybuilding. Arnold has been named "Sexiest Man" by many magazines, Lisa Lyon is posing for bigtime artists , and Playboy, "The Incredible Hulk" is one of the biggest shows on Tv.
But, still, there is a bad feeling in the air.
Arnold has secretly been training for months, under the guise that it was for his Conan role. He was only supposed to to do color commentary for CBS, but announced early this morning that he his coming out of retirement, shocking the crowd.
Arnold and the others busied themselves the night before watching Muhammed Ali's "The Last Hurrah", the name for his bout with Larry Holmes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfQ-sTJChOA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfQ-sTJChOA).
Arnold blusters that he doesn't understand how people like Ali, a loudmouth Black that deserted his country? That became a Muslim? Ali Bomaye his ass! But, Arnold has been watching Ali for years, there is much to admire, the talk, the way his fans admire him. He is bigger than his sport, correction, was bigger than his sport. The lackluster fight with Holmes saw to that. "Only Arnold is bigger that his sport" he thinks to himself in a moment of self adulation.
Arnold told Ricky Wayne he wouldn't compete, Zane too, in fact, he convinces Zane to compete with a bum shoulder. What they also don't know is Arnold is making a documentary of it all. "The Comeback" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp_6G9hQiZE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp_6G9hQiZE)), Helmed by friend, and Olympia promoter, Paul Graham. The crew was snuck in under the guise of being part of CBS.
Mike knows why Arnold is going to do it, to show him who's boss. He now understands way Arnold would taunt him in Golds, stop and pose in front of him, and bad mouth him to anyone that would listen. It got so bad Mike and Ray took to training at night to avoid him.
It all came to ahead that morning in Sydney, where at the athletes meeting, where he called Arnold a child, and Arnold called him fat. The two almost coming to blows before Ben Weider and Bill Pearl stopped them. Joe Weider rushing in to take Arnold to safety.
At the pre-judging, they are shocked by Arnold's conditioning. Unworried now, how can he win with a body like that? Mentzer thinks Arnold is on Coke, as he watches Arnold speed through his poses, ignoring some. Sweating, eyes bugged, and with a maniac's smile on his face.
A few hours before the main show, Arnold shakes Mentzer's hand, and tells him to forget their dust up in the morning. Bygones can be bygones. Pearl witnessing this, pulls Mike aside, and tells him to watch out, Arnold forgives nothing.
--------
Mike watches the others at the main show. Zane poses to Pink Floyd masterfully. Dickerson majestically to Dionne Warwick. It is now Mike's turn, He'll once again pose to Wagner's "Twilight of The Gods". He sets the crowd on fire, for his final pose he extends his arms overhead, forming a tower of chiseled muscle.
Mike has finished 5th. The roar of 5000 disappointed fans can be heard echoing through the building. Weider is scared to come on stage.
Others are not happy either. Dickerson exclaims "bullshit!". Zane drops the 3rd place trophy as soon as he's off stage.
Arnold exits by a back way, he has no time for losers. He is sure he still has the admiration of the crowd.
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Part III
Post 1980 Olympia -
Mentzer is at the 1981 Mr America, he thinks he'll probably be giving the trophy to a kid he just wrote an Article on. Tim Belknap. He isn't a fan of the kid's physique, but he can't help but appreciate the sheer size he brings to the stage. Mike ponders the effects of insulin and steroids in combination.
He still feels rage at the 1980 Olympia, but is heartened that 20+ competitors have decided to boycott the 81 Olympia. And CBS, who has spent millions has shitcanned the whole thing, thinking it a shame. Mike knows the truth is on his side.
Mike also notices a woman at the America, Kathleen has left him months before. Mentzer wants to get back in the saddle. Mike has slowly build himself back up to, he figures, 80% of his old physique. Mentzer swears he heard Arnold whisper "Fuck Nautilus" just before he exited the stage.
Mentzer felt like shit after that show, and Kathy did also. Adding to the heartache, was the fact that Weider booked cheap flights that wouldn't be good for about a week, everyone was stranded. Mike arrived home empty and depressed.
And then the magazines came. All in shock and disgust at what had happen. Peary Rader of Ironman mentioning that they had to do a lot of editing of bad words written in disgust in many of the letters.
Boyer Coe and Dickerson met with Terry Todd, powerlifter, and CBS's head of "muscle" programing to describe what happened. And to explain to CBS what happened. Todd uttered f-bombs, and agreed with many assessments that Arnold was coked up. Boyer and Dickerson could only shyly smile as Todd ranted and cycled trough film
Todd also wanted to know why Franco fucking Columbu was allowed to hand Arnold a towel, and why Arnold moved to a new spot on stage? Dickerson told him it was a ruse by Franco to tell Arnold to get under better light. Todd and CBS decided to drop it from air. They also found that the the judges were changed to Arnold friends like Dr Walczak, etc.... by Graham. CBS also considered sending the whole thing over to Mike Wallace and 60 minutes to look over.
Dave and Mike looked over tons of photos with John Balik, future owner of Ironman. He had it down to Dickerson or Mentzer. Arnold was way off. Ironman would chose Mentzer, not Arnold for their Olympia issue.
Mike was invigorated by all of this.
-------------------
Mike meets a man named Rex Dante in Las Vegas. Dante is an expert in "Neuronal Reprogramming". Mentzer marvels at Dante and his smarts. He recommends that Mentzer look into the works of Ayn Rand. Mentzer finds himself in Venice, buying a copy of "The Fountainhead". He quickly falls in love with it. Disregarding Miller, Nietzsche, and Mishima, and their chaotic energy. Rand was the way.
He believes that "The Fountainhead" is his story. It was written for him to find.
Sydney was just a stumbling block on a greater path.
Indeed, other things were happening.
An interview with GQ. A spot on the "Superstars" sports competition show coming up that he was training for. He's also seen the wonder of VCRs and VHS. He loves the thought of personal video, and has started production of a "Heavy Duty" tape line, hoping to have them out by early 82.
The projects will come, the truth will come.
---------------------------
At the 81 Mr America, Mike takes time to meet with super fan and gay schmoe, Drew. He can't stand that Mighty Mentzer has lost. He's even gone to see Weider in person to protest. Warning Joe that he'll go to the press about the dark, gay side of bodybuilding, Arnold, and Weider enterprises. Joe tells him bodybuilding is a subjective sport, and has him softly thrown out. But he does promise to try and fix things.
Everyone is starting to see Weider renege on promises. Artie Zeller hasn't been getting his plane tickets to attend shows, Joe's dragging his feet about giving Mentzer the promised head editor job at "Muscle and Fitness".
He feels Arnold is pulling the strings.
As he presents Belknap the Mr America award later that night, he hears "Mentzer!" and "Olympia", and laments that the America doesn't mean as much anymore.
Later, he figures he should try and find Sandra, that cute little bodybuilder he saw earlier. He would find her, and fuck her later that night.
Weeks later, he competes on the "Superstars" show, he's sixth* . He's shown the world that bodybuilders can be real athletes, but he still wishes he'd did better.
------------------
At the 1981 Olympia, only 4 of the promised 21 athletes actually sit it out. 17 take the stage. In the end, bodybuilding is a sport of little money and few chances, you take them where you can get them. Boyer Coe sits it out because he's been smart with his money, and lined up lots of work not involving the Olympia. He also has a sneaky suspicion that Arnold will see that his friend Franco gets it this year.
And that is what's happened.
Mentzer has come to see Arnold as a booeyman that lords over every thing in the IFBB now.
Later he'll learn that his old gay schmoe friend Drew that confronted Weider not long ago, has died. The official ruling is suicide. For a brief moment he wonders if Arnold may have had a hand in it. Then the thought disappears.
--------------------------------------------
Some reports say he placed 8th.
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So glad I didn't buy this bullshit book.
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Part III
Post 1980 Olympia -
Mentzer is at the 1981 Mr America, he thinks he'll probably be giving the trophy to a kid he just wrote an Article on. Tim Belknap. He isn't a fan of the kid's physique, but he can't help but appreciate the sheer size he brings to the stage. Mike ponders the effects of insulin and steroids in combination.
He still feels rage at the 1980 Olympia, but is heartened that 20+ competitors have decided to boycott the 81 Olympia. And CBS, who has spent millions has shitcanned the whole thing, thinking it a shame. Mike knows the truth is on his side.
Mike also notices a woman at the America, Kathleen has left him months before. Mentzer wants to get back in the saddle. Mike has slowly build himself back up to, he figures, 80% of his old physique. Mentzer swears he heard Arnold whisper "Fuck Nautilus" just before he exited the stage.
Mentzer felt like shit after that show, and Kathy did also. Adding to the heartache, was the fact that Weider booked cheap flights that wouldn't be good for about a week, everyone was stranded. Mike arrived home empty and depressed.
And then the magazines came. All in shock and disgust at what had happen. Peary Rader of Ironman mentioning that they had to do a lot of editing of bad words written in disgust in many of the letters.
Boyer Coe and Dickerson met with Terry Todd, powerlifter, and CBS's head of "muscle" programing to describe what happened. And to explain to CBS what happened. Todd uttered f-bombs, and agreed with many assessments that Arnold was coked up. Boyer and Dickerson could only shyly smile as Todd ranted and cycled trough film
Todd also wanted to know why Franco fucking Columbu was allowed to hand Arnold a towel, and why Arnold moved to a new spot on stage? Dickerson told him it was a ruse by Franco to tell Arnold to get under better light. Todd and CBS decided to drop it from air. They also found that the the judges were changed to Arnold friends like Dr Walczak, etc.... by Graham. CBS also considered sending the whole thing over to Mike Wallace and 60 minutes to look over.
Dave and Mike looked over tons of photos with John Balik, future owner of Ironman. He had it down to Dickerson or Mentzer. Arnold was way off. Ironman would chose Mentzer, not Arnold for their Olympia issue.
Mike was invigorated by all of this.
-------------------
Mike meets a man named Rex Dante in Las Vegas. Dante is an expert in "Neuronal Reprogramming". Mentzer marvels at Dante and his smarts. He recommends that Mentzer look into the works of Ayn Rand. Mentzer finds himself in Venice, buying a copy of "The Fountainhead". He quickly falls in love with it. Disregarding Miller, Nietzsche, and Mishima, and their chaotic energy. Rand was the way.
He believes that "The Fountainhead" is his story. It was written for him to find.
Sydney was just a stumbling block on a greater path.
Indeed, other things were happening.
An interview with GQ. A spot on the "Superstars" sports competition show coming up that he was training for. He's also seen the wonder of VCRs and VHS. He loves the thought of personal video, and has started production of a "Heavy Duty" tape line, hoping to have them out by early 82.
The projects will come, the truth will come.
---------------------------
At the 81 Mr America, Mike takes time to meet with super fan and gay schmoe, Drew. He can't stand that Mighty Mentzer has lost. He's even gone to see Weider in person to protest. Warning Joe that he'll go to the press about the dark, gay side of bodybuilding, Arnold, and Weider enterprises. Joe tells him bodybuilding is a subjective sport, and has him softly thrown out. But he does promise to try and fix things.
Everyone is starting to see Weider renege on promises. Artie Zeller hasn't been getting his plane tickets to attend shows, Joe's dragging his feet about giving Mentzer the promised head editor job at "Muscle and Fitness".
He feels Arnold is pulling the strings.
As he presents Belknap the Mr America award later that night, he hears "Mentzer!" and "Olympia", and laments that the America doesn't mean as much anymore.
Later, he figures he should try and find Sandra, that cute little bodybuilder he saw earlier. He would find her, and fuck her later that night.
Weeks later, he competes on the "Superstars" show, he's sixth. He's shown the world that bodybuilders can be real athletes, but he still wishes he'd did better.
------------------
At the 1981 Olympia, only 4 of the promised 21 athletes actually sit it out. 17 take the stage. In the end, bodybuilding is a sport of little money and few chances, you take them where you can get them. Boyer Coe sits it out because he's been smart with his money, and lined up lots of work not involving the Olympia. He also has a sneaky suspicion that Arnold will see that his friend Franco gets it this year.
And that is what's happened.
Mentzer has come to see Arnold as a booeyman that lords over every thing in the IFBB now.
Later he'll learn that his old gay schmoe friend Drew that confronted Weider not long ago, has died. The official ruling is suicide. For a brief moment he wonders if Arnold may have had a hand in it. Then the thought disappears.
Arnold probably had Drew killed.... along with Mike & Ray Mentzer, within 24 hours of each other (just prior to his run for California State Governor)
We already know Arnold’s gay lover (Paul Graham) went to prison to cover Arnold’s ass.
Then Arnold became friends with the former director of the CIA, George Bush Sr.
Currently Arnold is used in the Fake News propaganda network.
And of course, Arnold is anti-Trump.
-
All of get big should keep writing chapters. It would read like less fiction than this book. I present chapter 14.
Mentzer after the 1980 Olympia spent 10K on coke. He called his connection to Frank to get a thick ass prostitute to his house. After getting her naked he got a straw and inhaled multiple lines of coke off her fat ass. He tried to get it up to fuck her but he was off cycle and all his hormones were all fucked up. He then tried to convince the hooker to pee in his mouth but she ran out of the place half naked realizing he was insane. He kept yelling, "You know I beat Arnold."
Finding himself alone he started trying to call everyone he knew about the Olympia. He called Boyer, Zane and Dickerson. No one picked up. He then decided to have a thumb war with himself. He found every time he won he also lost. He passed out having dreams about eating a giant marshmallow. When he got up his pillow was gone and he had feathers in mouth. Fearing he ate a bird he started crying, swearing he would never do drugs again till at least next Friday.
Calling Weider he wanted know if he was going to hell for eating a bird alive. Joe growing tired of his insanity said he would run the question through the Weider research clinic and get back to him as he ate a pastrami sandwich. Deciding the only way to forget the night was to train. Being off cycle and being sloppy fat he knew it would be a challenge.
Hitting Gold's he saw Robby. He knew he had to hide his wallet. Then he saw Arnold's picture on the wall. It seemed no matter where he was in the gym the eyes of Arnold followed him. He canned the work out and left after only doing one set on four exercises. He suddenly had a great idea. What if he became a personal trainer and trained guys for 15 minutes and then told them they had to recover for 10 days before he would train them again? He could get a ton of clients and he would barely have to work. Arnold seeing that Mentzer left the gym pulled himself from behind the wall where he was staring out at Mentzer through the eye holds he made in his poster hanging in the gym.
-
Any mentioning skim milk?
Out of the 771 pages how many contain something a Schmoe would find titillating, from the summaries it seems at least 250?
-
Any mentioning skim milk?
Out of the 771 pages how many contain something a Schmoe would find titillating, from the summaries it seems at least 250?
About 1/2 that so far, but the man knows how to schmoe it up. Where there is schmoe content, it's high quality.
No mention of skimmed milk.
-
So glad I didn't buy this bullshit book.
I'm curious, what were you expecting? Looks like it's running about 15-20% Schmoe content, how high would get you to buy?
-
The post 1980 Olympia and 1981 stuff and his being invigorated and the Superstars stuff seems to run against what I always figured was the conventional wisdom that the 1980 loss sent him into a tailspin from which he never recovered. Anxiously waiting to see what the next chapters bring because in only 2-3 short years Bodybuilding really changed forever with first Bannout's incredible condition in 1983 and the ushering in of the Haney era in 1984. He could have never beaten 1984 Haney.
-
The post 1980 Olympia and 1981 stuff and his being invigorated and the Superstars stuff seems to run against what I always figured was the conventional wisdom that the 1980 loss sent him into a tailspin from which he never recovered. Anxiously waiting to see what the next chapters bring because in only 2-3 short years Bodybuilding really changed forever with first Bannout's incredible condition in 1983 and the ushering in of the Haney era in 1984. He could have never beaten 1984 Haney.
Yeah, his only chance was 81 or 82. If he lost again in 81 to Franco he would probably gone homicidal.
-
I'm curious, what were you expecting? Looks like it's running about 15-20% Schmoe content, how high would get you to buy?
Is English your second language? You're writing in English borders on a sixth grader level of education.
-
▫️
-
1982 -
Mike has locked in seminars and writing work for much of the year. It will take him to Europe, Canada, England, and Japan. He enjoys the work, much of it centered around making people see that Arnold, and by extension, the entire fitness industry is wrong. The pros sell you the high volume scam, and the bodybuilding companies profit from it, mainly by selling you supplements to deal with the overtraining.
There are no multiple ways, only the Mentzer way.
Mike enjoys being a teacher, in his glasses, cord jacket, white shirt, and trousers. His muscular physique still obvious. He also enjoys that he can spend time with Ray, and other European lifters, who he sees as more thursty for actual knowledge. And his ex, Kathy, who still helps him with projects from time to time.
In Amsterdam, he helps Dr Jan Voss develop the theory that there aren't fast or slow muscle fibers, the fibers can simply switch depending on what they're called to do. The fiber color is a function of temperature, metabolic activity, etc..... Mike also adds that every lift should be slow and controlled. Speed is just momentum, and it doesn't cause growth, just injury.
Conan has taken Europe by storm. Mike must admit he loves the film. Milius is a great writer and director. And Arnold is great for simple physical roles. Mike enjoyed the themes of honor and manhood winning over a degenerate culture.
Back in LA, he splits his time between Palm Springs, Golds Gym, and Mastorakis's apartment. He'll let Kathy keep the old apartment. All he asks is for his books, clothes, and records. Most material possessions are a burden he believes. Dave and Mike are a pair of swinging dick bachelors now. Dave and his wife are splitting because she hates California, and wants a normal New England life. Dave has eyes for Melissa, a girl at his gym. Mike thinks maybe he should track down Sandra, the girl from the Mr A, that has sorta become an "on again, off again" with him.
Mike hopes Weider will let him have the long promised editorship of Muscle and Fitness this year. Mentzer's articles have taken a darker turn. He writes of stresses, and conflicts of the mind that can sap energy, and warns to think hard before becoming a pro. He also writes how the narcissism bodybuilding creates can affect one's life.
Meanwhile Arnold writes simple articles on getting big, and the magazines sell an unreachable dream to simple people. Mentzer hates it.
-
Enter Dorian -
In a small basement gym in Birmingham, a man fresh out of jail has come to train. The gym is called Temple, and has become a temple to the young men that train there now that the ship yards, mines, mills, and factories have closed down stripping many men of their identity. In six months, Dorian has grown to know every nook and cranny of the gym. He spends more time there than at the small apartment he affords as a slaughterman.
He believes in Mentzer and he believes in Heavy Duty. An older member mocks Mentzer as a whiny bitch who knows nothing, Dorian turns up his walkman and ignores him.
But he secretly wonders if the annoyance might've been right that day, as he prepared to take the stage at the Mr Birmingham. The gym owner, his friends, and all others have told him he has what it takes. He thinks back to 78, when he was 16, and saw Robby Robinson, and later, Mentzer on the cover of Muscle Builder. He finds an interest in the strength they project, especially Mentzer. His friends would tease him about admiring "guys in their underwear", but it didn't last long.
In Mentzer's writings, he finds a mentor. A father figure, he'd claim later.
-
Working Out -
In the waiting room Mentzer watches a bank of TVs, some set silently to news. Others to MTv, and its barrage of sound. Mike marvels at how fit everyone's become, and how their clothes match some of the ones you'd see at Gold's. In his hands, he holds the latest issue of 'Work Out", the magazine he's started, and helmed for nine issues as editor and chief.
He is there to meet the main investor's man, if everything goes well, they will double their circulation, and launch near worldwide. He sees it as the intellectual's fitness magazine.
After his articles on the Olympias, he was kept by Weider for about a year, then asked to leave. Mike didn't mind leaving, Weider had taken to making him write about "The Weider Principles", and then editing out or "correcting" anything Mike wrote that Joe didn't like, including things about Heavy Duty.
One day, while delivering his articles to Weider's office, he found that the editor job was filled by a new man. It was then that Weider ushered him into an office, and told him why he wouldn't get the job. "Muscle and Fitness/Muscle Builder cannot be Mike Mentzer Magazine, this new editor will be fair to all methods. You can of course have your column, and a page for Heavy Duty advice."
Mike didn't understand, but he now knew Weider was simply a spineless, honorless old man.
He also knew for the truth to prevail, he'd have to start his own thing. But first he'd do some work for Arthur Jones again.
As Mike, Ray, and their girlfriends settled into Florida, they were also shocked at what Nautilus had become. The Jones compound was now the size of a small military base. First Jones conquered the college football market, then the NFL, many teams attributing their winning to Nautilus programing. Jones also had his sights set on the women's market, winning over Victoria Principal, and in a major victory, Bo Derek. Both were Nautilus girls.
Mike and Ray were to give demonstrations, help develop new machines, and design training programs. Boyer Coe, also with Jones at the time, would work on demo films, manuals, and the like. Boyer also worked hard to get Nautilus in the high-end yuppy Sharper Image catalog.
Things did not go well for Ray though. After refusing to demonstrate a computer added Nautilus machine for Time Magazine reporters, fearing that he might overtrain or injure himself, Jones sent him and his girlfriend back to California.
A few weeks after Ray left, Mike grew bored, and decided he wanted out too. Much of his time at Nautilus was spent watching alligators and crocodiles.
Jones learning of Mike's wish to leave, just asked him to return the company car.
Mike tried to fill his days with more seminars, but he'd grow bored with this also. He could feel the gym winds blowing back toward him in a volume training direction.
The first issue of "Working Out" hit the newsstands in December of 1984. He drank huge amounts of coffee and went back to prescribed amphetamines to get it done. It was not a hardcore magazine, but a softcore one by design. You would not be embarrassed to set it on the counter of the grocery or book store. For the man or woman that wanted to be really fit, but not a grotesque cartoon.
Mike is being ushered in to meet with Krueger, the man who controls the money. The only thing that sits upon his desk is a Apple Macintosh. Mike is an Apple fan, his girlfriend once auditioning for their commercials. He notes that Krueger doesn't greet him all that friendly.
Krueger asks him a simple question - "Are you happy with this last issue?"
Mentzer doesn't understand.
Krueger points out page after page of Mike inadvertently and advertently going after the magazine's advertisers. Gyms, supplement companies, etc..... He also feels Mike's writing is too obtuse for the average reader. They can't sell it. Mike is told they won't be publishing anymore, the money is going elsewhere.
He is crushed by this.
-
Post "Working Out".
Sandra hasn't been happy with Mike for a longtime. In fact, she's been keeping more time with sponsors, she has about a dozen schmoes. She tries to keep them a secret from Mike, but she thinks he knows.
Things haven't been good since Florida, it was so lonely there. All Mike would do is read, talk about "Heavy Duty" and smoke, the latter making him stink. And when they fuck Mike can't maintain a hard on. The schmoes give her the love she desires, they look at her like a Goddess.
During the "Work Out" era, things stayed cool. Mike wasn't interested in love making, just telling her he loved her. Sometimes asking why she won't pick up the phone for him when he's out of town.
She meets with Dave Mastorkis, she thinks the loss of "Working Out" has broken him. He complains of headaches, and sees Weider, Arnold, or both, depending on the day, as the cause for its ending. It scares her. He talks of it constantly. She also thinks that he's hired a private eye to watch her, and even stalks her himself when she won't see him.
She asks Dave for help.
Dave is blindsided by the change in his friend. Dave suggests couples therapy. Mike did it with Kathy, and it fixed him for a while.
Later, Dave is greeted by a ranting phone message Mike left asking why the "Brainless shit would stick his fucking nose into Mike and Sandy's business?" Dave hears a cruelty, a slurred ugliness in his voice as the message tape plays on. Dave's never heard that before. He stops the message, and tries not to think of Mentzer anymore.
-
The headaches are worse. He can't stop them. He feels like a horror movie zombie stumbling around with its head split open by a machete or axe.
He's being held by the bank's security guard. He doesn't want to fight anyone, but the size and strength he still has is seen as a threat. He can feel the guard's own muscles against his. He tries to understand what they are telling him, but he doesn't get it, it's a like a foreign, alien tongue. He knows he didn't take out loans, he never ordered those cash transfers.....
The cops are here now to cuff him, they throw him in the back of a car.
About an hour ago, he'd been sitting in the bank's waiting room, in his dirty sweat suit, looking at everyone with a dead eyed stare. Mike doesn't know if these are people or clones. The bank manager comes out to greet him, he's annoyed. Mentzer's been here twice before, and he's told him he must pay back the money.
Mike is out of money, he doesn't understand this.
For the last three weeks he's been secluded in Palm Springs, on a diet of wine, vodka, and speed. He can't tell you how much he's had, but from the bottles that litter the floor, it's a lot. In his mind, he can hear, and see conversations he's had, fights he's been in. The IFBB has ended their association with him. Restaurants won't serve him.
Everywhere he goes, he sees Arnold's handiwork. Like he was being watched by the unblinking red eye of the Terminator.
Kathy had finally got married to a Mentzer lookalike, how easy he'd been replaced.
Then came the real nightmare. The bank has called. He also notices unopened letters from them on the ground.
The automatic bill payments have stopped. Money has been transferred to foreign accounts. Lines of credit are being pulled. Loans have been made using his house as collateral.
Mike was never one to keep records. Then his mind clicks on a possible answer, the accountant he'd giving power of attorney to after Kathy left. Mike can't find him, he's gone ghost.
Now on his third try at the bank, he's being told to perhaps sell his house to cover his debts. The last real thing he owns.
"You son of a bitch, you flithy son of a bitch!" he screams.
"You'll have to leave." the manager says in the non-confrontational tone they're taught.
Mentzer bangs on the manager's desk, hard, breaking a few things. He's demanding his bank records. Security rushes in, and then the cops.
Two weeks after that, the house is gone.
If he wasn't a totally broken man then, the next news will shatter him.
His father is dead. Despite there ups and downs he loved the old man, who taught him the value of hard work, about honor, about never bowing or breaking.
Mike now has nothing.
He scrounges up the money to go to Pennsylvania. Those at the service will note that Mike looks bitter, and not totally coherent, but they keep it to themselves.
-
Back now in LA, Mike will vanish for 5 years. Vague reports will pop up about him being institutionalized, of incidents like the one at the bank. The truth is, no one knows what happened for certain in most of those unremembered years.
Ray opened a gym in Torrance, Ca, and helped him for a few months as Mike tries to clean up. Ray has a reputation himself. He's lost high society clients like Sly Stallone, by calling them lazy, fat, babyish or any one of a host of other things. He's also fallen into the speed trap.
One day Mike beats a client of Ray's for not respecting the "Heavy Duty" system. Ray commits him before he can get into anymore trouble.
Out again, he sleeps in shelters, on the beach, in his car, or on the couch of any old friend that offers. Sometimes he tries his best to clean up, and sneak into the library to sleep among the stacks. He feels his calmest there.
One day he swears he sees his father, and chases after him. It's not, and the annoyed man and Mike almost come to blows.
Sometimes he smokes snipes he's picked up from the street. The bits of pre-smoked cigarettes cooling his nicotine and tobacco urge.
At Gold's Gym, they talk of nutty old Mentzer. Some say he drinks his own piss. Others say he's violent, beat a man in an inch of his life. Others say he's come to Gold's looking for speed. Other times to find Arnold, once even doing so, and almost fighting him in the parking lot. There was even a rumor he was arrested for directing traffic nude, using a road cone as a bullhorn, and ranting about aliens.
-
At the hospital, where Mike is usually committed, they work to try and mitigate some of the damage he's done to his brain with the amphetamine use. They ask him a battery of questions. After awhile, all he can do is cry, and wonder where it went wrong.
It's 1988, and life is good for Dave Mastorakis. He's become a trainer to the stars, he counts Jane Fonda, Leonard Nimoy, David Soul, and Sharon Stone among his clients.
He hears a knock at the door, a square figure. He opens it to find Mentzer there, wearing his old seminar clothes, holding what looks to be a shaving kit. He doesn't know what to think, they haven't talked since Mike left that message long ago. David is a little fearful. He's heard the Gold's stories, and Ray, himself, told him the Arnold parking lot story is true. Ray also told him about Mike beating up that client.
Mike wanders in like a mental patient, and asks to use the bathroom, he has a parole appointment. Mike looks around at all of Mastorakis's new wealth. Mike is already in the bathroom shaving before Dave can do much. He tells Dave that Weider killed his magazine. Dave stays silent. With that, Mentzer turns, hugs him, and rushes out the door, only stopping to warn Dave that Weider is after him, so keep their meeting a secret.
-
It was John Balik that rescued Mike in the end. He had seen him staring into a diner window as Arnold pitched "Total Recall". The man that stood before Balik was grubby and barefoot, but unmistakenly Mentzer. He walks over and offers to buy Mentzer a health shake, a mainstay at the diner.
Mentzer tried to put on a happy face as he laid the whole sordid deal out for him. At the end of their talk, Balik offers Mike a column in Ironman, and some free ad space every month.
After that, things came fast. He became a trainer again, and secured a spot at Gold's. Some gossiped, but he kept keeping on. The nature and speed of "Heavy Duty" workouts meant he could train 2 to 3 times as many people per day compared to the average trainer.
Somedays he hated arguing with the non-believers, but that was soon to change.
-
It has taken Dorian less than a decade to make it to the top, and now in 92, Chris Lund has arranged for Dorian to final meet his mentor. They meet at Gold's, Dorian walking straight to Mike, ignoring everything else. He is moved, but shocked at Mentzer's appearence. The giant glasses, the gut, the tabacco stink. But he wasn't going to judge too harshly, he has come to learn from the master. That day he trained biceps with him. They made plans to train again.
Mentzer, himself, was curious about growth hormone. He wanted to learn everything he could about it from Dorian. With each training session, he thought of himself like Dorian's personal Dr Frankenstein.
-
The limo is huge. Mike wants to impress Dorian. Dave, Mike, Ray, Dorian, and his wife are all stuffed in it. Dave can't stop marveling at Dorian's forearms. Both Mentzers are amused by this ,"Yeah Dave, they're huge, probably the biggest forearms in the fucking world." Mike says. Dorian, good heartedly acknowledges Dave, and tells him he had quite the physique back in the 80's.
Mentzer tries not to care about the Olympia anymore. A year ago, he walked into Gold's, and had to be told Dorian thanked him publicly at his first Olympia win. As Mike watches a grainy recording of it. He can feel something changing. A wound starting to scab over. He wasn't Mr Olympia, but he had some validation on the Olympia stage.
After Dorian's mention, business is really booming. Gold's has a hard time handling all the calls to the front desk. Mike hires an assistant, installs a few new phone lines, and figures out a way to take credit cards. As soon as their credit card clears, they're ready for training. Much of it, involves him telling them to stop training, and call back in two weeks. Their bodies need to rest.
Mike sees other pros embrace him. Lee Labrada uses a system similar to Heavy Duty, Aaron Baker is a client. Actors too, Kyke MacLachlan of Twin Peaks, and supermodel Linda Evangelista.
By the end of the year, Mike has made half a million dollars.
For Dorian's second win, Mike is his guest of honor. Mike is personally touched when Dorian insisted, even when Mike suggested it might be a bad idea, given his history with the contest, Arnold, and Weider.
-
As the Limo pulls up to the Palm restaurant, they exit like a hurd of buffalo, Dorian's tiny wife lost in the shuffle. As they sit, Mike talks to Dorian about philosophy. The waiter brings huge plates of lobster. Dorian tries them for a bit, but is annoyed by the shells. Embarrassed, he asks if he can have a steak instead, rare.
The waiter eyeing them all this time, asks Dorian if he's a footballer, or perhaps a wrestler? Mike cuts in, "That's the most muscular man of all time!"
Back in Venice, Dorian and Mike walk the boardwalk back to Dorian's hotel. Dorian looks around, and can't understand why there's so many homeless in the richest country in the world.
"It's the American dream. You can reach the top, but if you don't work hard enough, you wind up in the gutter." Mike says with a cold, serious tone.
-
Mike sits alone in his apartment. It's a two floor duplex on Reef street, in the area called Marina Peninsula. It was the first big thing he bought when the money started rolling in. It's only real decorations are a giant portrait of Ayn Rand, and a cityscape by Ed Ruscha.
Mike is exhausted, it's been 3 years of hard work. The revised version of "Heavy Duty" is selling like hot cakes, and would sell even more if Mike would tour Asia or Europe again, but he no longer has the stomach for long flights.
It was an ambitious work, with a new clarity. He opens with a quote from Ayn Rand, and gives credit to Jones, and offers praise to Sergio, Casey, Dorian, Lee, Aaron, and others.
He even has kind words for Arnold, praising his power of will to become one of the best bodybuilders.
He receives tons of calls and orders, but unlike the past, he just feels tired now. He, Dorian, and Ray have started PhD sportswear. The PhD standing for "Philosophy of Heavy Duty", Ray had taken the reins on it for Mike and Dorian.
Ray also had his first heart attack. It scares Mike. Both for himself and Ray.
Mike's body is falling apart, he has severe neck pain from a damaged cervical spine, that he attributes to too much youthful squatting. To keep up with the work, he's gone back to steroids, and drinking. Also amphetamines and morphine, depending on the mood he needs. He no longer wants to give lessons at the gym, content to just handle phone clients, and hand out cookie cutter programs.
-----------
Dave isn't sure how to answer Dorian as he meets him in Gold's after a photo shoot. Dorian is now the three time Mr Olympia, and Arnold is starting to poke at him in print. The Shadow has fought him off gamely, and is now asking for Mike. Dave doesn't want to tell him the truth.
Mike has gone nuts again. He's developed an infatuation with the long dead starlet, Jane Mansfield. He believe her not dead, but hiding in New York. He will go there to track her down, and marry her.
Ray and Dave roll their eyes at this, but they know his mind is gone again. Mike give Dave his client list as one last gift.
After an unsuccessful New York trip, he heads down to Florida to see Jones. Jones, a recluse of his own, is at first happy to hear Mentzer is there looking for him, but then he hears Mentzer rambling like a lunatic into the intercom. He asks security to send him away.
-
The year is 1995,
Mike has been asked to stop training at Gold's, the official reason is he doesn't have the proper personal training credentials. He tells them to stick it up their ass.
Instead, he'll strike out on a new venture with Richard, a young upstart, and former PhD student that has come from the east coast to find Mentzer, and hopefully launch a new line of Mentzer books and videos. Mike likes the cut of this kid's jib.
Hope turns to anger upon first meeting, when Mike leave him stranded for a hour at the airport, then tells him to just take a cab. As he enters the Reef street apartment, Mike doesn't greet him warmly, just a "Hey Buddy" before he goes back to watching a LaserDisc copy of Blind Justice*. It's one of his favorite films, he sees it as a metaphor for freedom, individualism, and heroism.
-------------
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwFZlRP-u0c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwFZlRP-u0c).
-
A lot of fiction and speculation. Some of it borders on slander.
Serge was disqualified because he got repeated warnings from the IFBB not to compete in other federations to which he gave Ben the finger. He also acted in low budget European movies that were considered at the time in the US as soft porn. Serge was in the best shape of his life for the 1975 Olympia but stopped dosing and training when he heard he wasn't going to be allowed to compete. Even with that bump he looked amazing.
The author writes about bulges in the bodybuilding pictures. I have a feeling what team the author belongs to. Not that there's anything wrong with that. No homo.
Serge was never going to beat Arnold - no legs, No calves, No Back, Hell he did everything possible to
Not stand straight on as he looked awful straight on - Thats why he was always twisted.
-
1998 -
Mike is in Argentina for tourism. Sex tourism. He sees nothing wrong with it, he's taken up whoremongering the last few years. He likes it, simple supply and demand. He even still sees Sandra from time to time. She gives him relief, he pays her rent. The women he likes physically usually aren't smart.
He'll also do some training and business. Roberto, who paid his way down here, wants to establish a South American arm of "Heavy Duty". Roberto is asking him to develop a new, more flexible version, with perhaps more volume. He's refusing, in the past few years, he's trained 2000+ clients, with no need for more volume. If fact, he sees the need for more rest, perhaps limiting training to once every 5-8 days.
During the night he dreams of Kathy. He wishes it could have worked, there will alway be a hole in his soul for her.
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1999 -
John Little is woken up in the middle of the night from his Canadian slumber by Mike, his wife wishes he'd hang up, or at least wouldn't pick up this late at night, but Mike and him have developed a deep friendship.
Usually it's productive, but sometimes it takes an odd turn, like the time Mike told him President Clinton invited him on a trip to the moon. It is the ying and yang of Mentzer, for the good, you must have the bad, or at least, the delusional. Mike rambles on about how Jones is a God among mortals. The Golden Ratios, and the secrets of the Nautilus shell.
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2000 -
Sandra is sitting there, annoyed. A hard look on her from too much alcohol, drugs, steroids, and night life. James, Mike's straight laced accountant is trying to get her to tell him where Mentzer is. She hates James. James, himself, just wants to be done with the whole mess. He can't take this bitch, Mike, or the problems anymore.
Mike has vanished again.
Moreover, he's become loose with his money. He pays hookers, he pays drug dealing friends's bails, he pays Ray's bills, and he pays Sandra's.
James thinks back on all the wasted opportunities.
Richard had left, he handled the personal training certificate part of Mike's business before he got pissed and left. PhD sportswear is gone too, after Mentzer started screaming at Dorian when Dorian asked him about it.
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2001 -
Mike briefly adopts a young bodybuilder he found on the beach. Mike, taken with the boy and his understanding of philosophy, allows him to stay at his house sometimes, where they'd get drunk and high, and listen to each other's rambles. Sometimes, when drunk, Mike could get violent, tossing things, and busting up his upstairs bedroom.
One night the boy hears a boom, and finds Mentzer has fallen down the stairs in a drunken stupor.
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June 10, 2001 -
Mike has cervical surgery after that fall, but that doesn't stop him from trying to complete what might be his greatest work, a DVD version of the newest version of "Heavy Duty". For hours he has polished the script, mixing exercise science, as he sees it, with Radian and objectivist philosophy. All while his young protege preforms the exercises on film.
Ray is has advanced kidney failure from Berger's disease, a rare genetic condition. Doctors have warned him about it for years. It will be fatal. Three days a week, for 4 hours a clip, he must sit for dialysis. Mike usually keeps him company.
Mike and Ray got a surprise call from Arnold, offering cash and well wishes. Mike is secretly touched, but turns down the help.
Mike is set to have his first million dollar year, but Ray is dying, and can't work. Both his kidneys are gone. Mike ready himself to donate a kidney to Ray. During their last visit, doctors find major clotting happening with Ray's blood. They tell Mike to get checked too, the clotting problem is probably genetic.
They'll also tell the brothers Mike is too unhealthy for organ donation. The DVD set will be there last project together probably.
Later at home, after a day of filming, Ray goes straight to bed. Mike heads to his computer. He adds to his website, readies mail orders, and takes a morphine shot.
He also works on his first fiction novel, "The Integrated Man", about a young bodybuilder and his girlfriend that set off to correct societal dogmas, and in turn, elevate the human race. He stops to send his Canadian friend John an email about the good things in his life the past few weeks.
-
It is James that calls Dave to tell him, Dave having moved back to New England after one last body building fling, taking 3rd at the Masters Mr World.
Ray had found Mike gone on the floor. Since Ray has missed a dialysis appointment, they sent someone over to check on them. Ray had climbed back into bed, and died.
-
There it is, my summary of the book. I reworded, and shorten some things, but I think the original feel of the book is captured here. When I first opened it, I really wanted to hate the thing. I have a dislike for historical fiction that bends the line between fiction and non-fiction too much. I also hate when foreign writers try to imagine the America of the past. But still, after a while, I found myself mostly enjoying the book.
7.5/10
I hope you got something out of it.
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There it is, my summary of the book. I reworded, and shorten some things, but I think the original feel of the the book is captured here. When I first opened it, I really wanted to hate the thing. I have a dislike for historical fiction that bends the line between fiction and non-fiction too much. I also hate when foreign writers try to imagine the America of the past. But still, after a while, I found myself mostly enjoying the book.
7.5/10
I hope you got something out of it.
I really enoyed the write up, thanks for taking the time to do that.
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I really enoyed the write up, thanks for taking the time to do that.
Thanks :).
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I've been researching little parts of of the story I didn't know. For instance, he names Cathy Gelfo - Kathleen in the book, which I knew. I wonder if Jullie McNew is the model for "Sandra" in the book. She was a girlfriend after Cathy, and she matches the general description of Sandra physically in the book -
https://www.instagram.com/musclemommiez/p/C6_7B1ErqDn/?img_index=3 .
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Mentzer never recovered after the 1980 Olympia, he was really fucked up mentally. Even when he was about to croak Arnold contacted him to help him financially, he was still bitter
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Thanks :).
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I've been researching little parts of of the story I didn't know. For instance, he names Cathy Gelfo - Kathleen in the book, which I knew. I wonder if Jullie McNew is the model for "Sandra" in the book. She was a girlfriend after Cathy, and she matches the general description of Sandra physically in the book -
https://www.instagram.com/musclemommiez/p/C6_7B1ErqDn/?img_index=3 .
Clearly Mike wasn't a lover of Big Boobs.
-
There it is, my summary of the book. I reworded, and shorten some things, but I think the original feel of the book is captured here. When I first opened it, I really wanted to hate the thing. I have a dislike for historical fiction that bends the line between fiction and non-fiction too much. I also hate when foreign writers try to imagine the America of the past. But still, after a while, I found myself mostly enjoying the book.
7.5/10
I hope you got something out of it.
Great job, BB. Nice job summarizing the chapters.
It seems like an engaging read.
The main character in Blind Justice looks like he could be a sibling of Mike and Ray.
Overall a really sad story. Sounds like Mike had psychiatric problems bubbling beneath the surface all along, but could probably manage it as long things were going ok. It seems he had bad habits that made it difficult for him to manage his mental health, like his drug use for example.
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Mentzer never recovered after the 1980 Olympia, he was really fucked up mentally. Even when he was about to croak Arnold contacted him to help him financially, he was still bitter
It must have been totally humiliating begging his nemesis to pay his bills. Arnold again proved he was the bigger man by helping Mike.
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It was John Balik that rescued Mike in the end. He had seen him staring into a diner window as Arnold pitched "Total Recall". The man that stood before Balik was grubby and barefoot, but unmistakenly Mentzer. He walks over and offers to buy Mentzer a health shake, a mainstay at the diner.
Mentzer tried to put on a happy face as he laid the whole sordid deal out for him. At the end of their talk, Balik offers Mike a column in Ironman, and some free ad space every month.
After that, things came fast. He became a trainer again, and secured a spot at Gold's. Some gossiped, but he kept keeping on. The nature and speed of "Heavy Duty" workouts meant he could train 2 to 3 times as many people per day compared to the average trainer.
Somedays he hated arguing with the non-believers, but that was soon to change.
Was this health shake diner The Good Earth in Marina Del Rey? God I used to love that place.
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Everything about Mike Mentzer is just depressing. Reading g this and just about everything else related to this sad man is just a chronical of depression, delusion, addiction. He had small blocks of rational times it seems had he the right therapy perhaps he could have done some good.
He lived in a delusional state of greatness in his mind yet was a hapless miserable man that some folks just.blindly follow his ramblings that have been proven ti.e and again to be useless misinformation and theories
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Everything about Mike Mentzer is just depressing. Reading g this and just about everything else related to this sad man is just a chronical of depression, delusion, addiction. He had small blocks of rational times it seems had he the right therapy perhaps he could have done some good.
He lived in a delusional state of greatness in his mind yet was a hapless miserable man that some folks just.blindly follow his ramblings that have been proven ti.e and again to be useless misinformation and theories
were you his therapist?
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Was this health shake diner The Good Earth in Marina Del Rey? God I used to love that place.
Venice. The other clues he gives was that the main business was shakes, and Balik lived / worked steps from it.
-
There it is, my summary of the book. I reworded, and shorten some things, but I think the original feel of the book is captured here. When I first opened it, I really wanted to hate the thing. I have a dislike for historical fiction that bends the line between fiction and non-fiction too much. I also hate when foreign writers try to imagine the America of the past. But still, after a while, I found myself mostly enjoying the book.
7.5/10
I hope you got something out of it.
Absolutely fantastic. Excellent work and everything this site needs. Highest kudos!
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June 10, 2001 -
Mike has cervical surgery after that fall, but that doesn't stop him from trying to complete what might be his greatest work, a DVD version of the newest version of "Heavy Duty". For hours he has polished the script, mixing exercise science, as he sees it, with Radian and objectivist philosophy. All while his young protege preforms the exercises on film.
Ray is has advanced kidney failure from Berger's disease, a rare genetic condition. Doctors have warned him about it for years. It will be fatal. Three days a week, for 4 hours a clip, he must sit for dialysis. Mike usually keeps him company.
Mike and Ray got a surprise call from Arnold, offering cash and well wishes. Mike is secretly touched, but turns down the help.
Mike is set to have his first million dollar year, but Ray is dying, and can't work. Both his kidneys are gone. Mike ready himself to donate a kidney to Ray. During their last visit, doctors find major clotting happening with Ray's blood. They tell Mike to get checked too, the clotting problem is probably genetic.
They'll also tell the brothers Mike is too unhealthy for organ donation. The DVD set will be there last project together probably.
Later at home, after a day of filming, Ray goes straight to bed. Mike heads to his computer. He adds to his website, readies mail orders, and takes a morphine shot.
He also works on his first fiction novel, "The Integrated Man", about a young bodybuilder and his girlfriend that set off to correct societal dogmas, and in turn, elevate the human race. He stops to send his Canadian friend John an email about the good things in his life the past few weeks.
This makes it sound like he died from the morphine shot or drugs. Google says cardiovascular disease but doesn’t seem like much of a build up here to that.
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This makes it sound like he died from the morphine shot or drugs. Google says cardiovascular disease but doesn’t seem like much of a build up here to that.
There's an epilogue at the end that says that morphine use and heart failure were listed as contributing factors. I know that most things say heart failure, but I've never seen the official autopsy report. I wonder if this guy got his hands on it. From the acknowledgment/thanks page at the end, he lists a lot of heavy hitters that were part of Mentzer's inner circle that he became friends with.
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Making $500K-$1 million last couple of years is surprising, I didn’t think he had a pot to piss in. The amphetamines did him in eventually. Speed induced mental illness. What a waste.
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Everything about Mike Mentzer is just depressing. Reading g this and just about everything else related to this sad man is just a chronical of depression, delusion, addiction. He had small blocks of rational times it seems had he the right therapy perhaps he could have done some good.
He lived in a delusional state of greatness in his mind yet was a hapless miserable man that some folks just.blindly follow his ramblings that have been proven ti.e and again to be useless misinformation and theories
X2.
Didn't really know a whole lot about him but assumed his worst years were mid to late 80's and then Balik got him a job and he was writing for Muscle and Fitness then his association with Dorian all sounded like he redeemed hi.self nicely over the last decade of his life but the reality is his life was pretty tragic ever since 1980, even making good bank in the 90's he was still nuts. And just like every other mentz-ophyte this obviously queer author goes off the rails on the Arnold bullshit. I always thought that was somewhat humorous how a deranged mentzer thought Arnold was ruining his life but it's actually pathetically sad.
Would've liked to know more about the client he beat up, trying to fight Arnold in the parking lot of Golds, and sabotaging his own clothing company with Doz. The fact that gullible retards were paying this guy for his half-hearted training courses, to the tune of 500K - 1Mil a year, while he wad barely coherent says a lot about his fanbase.
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Would've liked to know more about the client he beat up, trying to fight Arnold in the parking lot of Golds, and sabotaging his own clothing company with Doz. The fact that gullible retards were paying this guy for his half-hearted training courses, to the tune of 500K - 1Mil a year, while he wad barely coherent says a lot about his fanbase.
Apparently, the guy Mike got into it with at Ray's gym was just a regular member. He was talking to Mentzer, said HD was probably bullshit because all the pros did crazy high volume, and Mentzer took off and tackled the guy. Ray and a bunch of others pull them apart, and Ray sent him right back to the hospital the same day.
Nothing about the Arnold fight except that little bit.
The Dorian thing is true, but I never heard of it, but Dorian posted these pics a few years back -
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=808884117272466&id=100044526542489&set=a.209769233850627&locale=gn_PY .
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=373691234125092&id=100044526542489&set=a.209769233850627 .
(https://i.postimg.cc/VLhrpc2B/356906385-808884100605801-1630764230057643000-n.jpg).
(https://i.postimg.cc/k5TdY7p7/236792737-373691244125091-3717498851545518065-n.jpg).
" Throwback to 1994!
This was a sports clothing line that I was going to release with Mike Mentzer, but it never got off the ground for various reasons.
I think it’s pretty cool…what do you think? "
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Making $500K-$1 million last couple of years is surprising, I didn’t think he had a pot to piss in. The amphetamines did him in eventually. Speed induced mental illness. What a waste.
The mental illness started in 1980.
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Apparently, the guy Mike got into it with at Ray's gym was just a regular member. He was talking to Mentzer, said HD was probably bullshit because all the pros did crazy high volume, and Mentzer took off and tackled the guy. Ray and a bunch of others pull them apart, and Ray sent him right back to the hospital the same day.
Nothing about the Arnold fight except that little bit.
The Dorian thing is true, but I never heard of it, but Dorian posted these pics a few years back -
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=808884117272466&id=100044526542489&set=a.209769233850627&locale=gn_PY .
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=373691234125092&id=100044526542489&set=a.209769233850627 .
(https://i.postimg.cc/VLhrpc2B/356906385-808884100605801-1630764230057643000-n.jpg).
(https://i.postimg.cc/k5TdY7p7/236792737-373691244125091-3717498851545518065-n.jpg).
" Throwback to 1994!
This was a sports clothing line that I was going to release with Mike Mentzer, but it never got off the ground for various reasons.
I think it’s pretty cool…what do you think? "
Thanks for the extra info.
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Mike & Ray had shitty health genetics as they had a host of
serious ailments. How many other family members also suffered.
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Great thread!!
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Great thread!!
How 's Wes ?
have you got date for operation ?
I have a Benign Tumour & opted to have it removed , now its a waiting game
Oh & my blood tests show I'm likely diabetic, Got to have them re-done.
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$500K - 1 million in 2000 money is like $1-2 million now. Plus if he had only hung on a few more years the really big globalization and social media money would have been pouring in. His 50s and 60s could have been great times for him.
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Making $500K-$1 million last couple of years is surprising, I didn’t think he had a pot to piss in. The amphetamines did him in eventually. Speed induced mental illness. What a waste.
methzer wasn't making anywhere near those figures. Pure fiction.
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Mike & Ray had shitty health genetics as they had a host of
serious ailments. How many other family members also suffered.
It seems like a lot of athletes with great genetics for sports or muscle building have bad genetics for longevity.
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Mike was delusional, he wanted to be like Joe Weider. Joe was nice enough to bring Mike back into his circle and allow him to write articles for his thong parade magazines.
Mike only appealed to the skinny lazy non steroid group that believed they could look great following his HIT shit by doing the absolute bare minimum. 😂😂😂😂
Mike was a charlatan at best. No different than the wild west potion hukster selling all in one ointments.
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More biased crap about old meth head
i=NHXDUyagXqUKAkZt
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Mike was delusional, he wanted to be like Joe Weider. Joe was nice enough to bring Mike back into his circle and allow him to write articles for his thong parade magazines.
Mike only appealed to the skinny lazy non steroid group that believed they could look great following his HIT shi by doing the absolute bare minimum. 😂😂😂😂
Mike was a charlatan at best. No different than the wild west potion hukster selling all in one ointments.
He was clever in the beginning but just lost the plot... one workout a month ;D
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He was clever in the beginning but just lost the plot... one workout a month ;D
Sisco & Little later claimed one workout every 6-12 months in their Static Contraction Training course. ::) Lift every January 1st and you'd be done for the year.
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Sisco & Little later claimed one workout every 6-12 months in their Static Contraction Training course. ::) Lift every January 1st and you'd be done for the year.
I know. Totally insane. Funny how those two never gained anything from that at all. One's still a skinny methzer nut hugger and the other is a fat fuck. It almost like hit type training doesn't work...oh wait it doesn't. 😆
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I know. Totally insane. Funny how those two never gained anything from that at all. One's still a skinny methzer nut hugger and the other is a fat fuck. It almost like hit type training doesn't work...oh wait it doesn't. 😆
Most of the testimonials were from weekend golfers.
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Most of the testimonials were from weekend golfers.
No surprises there. These so called testimonials are always from guys that simply don't want to train hard and long. Hit appeals to the persons lazy side convincing them that there going to make amazing gains from doing the absolute bare minimum.
I've even debated with John Little and asked him to substantiate his claims and guess what? He couldn't do it. Even on his YT channel he can't show any proof of hit being the superior way to bodybuild. The guy is just another snake oil sales man milking the methzer kool aid.
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Sisco & Little later claimed one workout every 6-12 months in their Static Contraction Training course. ::) Lift every January 1st and you'd be done for the year.
:D
Wonder if these guys do 1 set ..
i=SmgWccytV-DKwlmX
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^^^ Prisoners are some of the best people to study on training methods
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No surprises there. These so called testimonials are always from guys that simply don't want to train hard and long. Hit appeals to the persons lazy side convincing them that there going to make amazing gains from doing the absolute bare minimum.
I've even debated with John Little and asked him to substantiate his claims and guess what? He couldn't do it. Even on his YT channel he can't show any proof of hit being the superior way to bodybuild. The guy is just another snake oil sales man milking the methzer kool aid.
Moral of the story.......then don`t train using HIT and stop making a zillion threads about it.
You`re fucking insanely obsessed just like John Little except in reverse.
Seek some fucking help you fucking loser.
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Moral of the story.......then don`t train using HIT and stop making a zillion threads about it.
You`re fucking insanely obsessed just like John Little except in reverse.
Seek some fucking help you fucking loser.
My, we really are triggered aren't we? Better change your prescription as your current one obviously isn't doing you any good. By the way, if you don't like the threads then don't read them. Simple....like yourself.
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My, we really are triggered aren't we? Better change your prescription as your current one obviously isn't doing you any good. By the way, if you don't like the threads then don't read them. Simple....like yourself.
I`m triggered? LOL ;D
If anyone posts anything contrary to your ridiculous non-essential beliefs you either alter their post or meltdown.
Oh the irony !! ;D
Go fuck yourself with your obsessed small minded dogma you dickheaded fucking idiot... pursuing something that is long gone and basically meaningless that only retards such as yourself give a shit about!
Do you actually lift.....very doubtful.
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"I`m triggered?"
Indeed you are.
"If anyone posts anything contrary to your ridiculous non-essential beliefs you either alter their post or meltdown."
Nope. No meltdown on my part. I'm not the one ranting and raving nor suffer from having a fragile ego like yourself.
"Oh the irony !!"
No irony on my part.
"Go fuck yourself with your obsessed small minded dogma you dickheaded fucking idiot... pursuing something that is long gone and basically meaningless that only retards such as yourself give a shit about!"
Obviously you have anger issues. Best get a different prescription along with plenty of rest before you burst a blood vessel and do yourself a mischief. 😉
"Do you actually lift.....very doubtful."
Honestly, though, who asks that in real life even? It's so cringy...like yourself.
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I`m triggered? LOL ;D
If anyone posts anything contrary to your ridiculous non-essential beliefs you either alter their post or meltdown.
Oh the irony !! ;D
Go fuck yourself with your obsessed small minded dogma you dickheaded fucking idiot... pursuing something that is long gone and basically meaningless that only retards such as yourself give a shit about!
Do you actually lift.....very doubtful.
waste of tiem Wes the Kids to far gone.
lets wait for the re-worded posts ::)
That's the best it can do.
I do wonder what it's mental age is.
Arguing over how a man did or didn't train - someone hes never met.
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Waste of time Wes you've gone too far gone.
lets wait for the worded posts that actually state the facts ::)
That's the best way to do it.
I do wonder what you're mental age is.
Stating facts over how a man did train by providing proof.
He's showing us up and we're getting triggered by it all.
😉
Fixed.
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😉
You're Pathetic - Fixed.
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You're Pathetic - Fixed
That you are. Glad you agree. 😉
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::) FFS try to act your age not your shoe size.
It's a Man's internet Forum do act like one.
.
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.
Replying to your own quotes now, huh? You really are confused.
And as it for being a "Man's" internet forum I suggest you spell words properly like an adult before posting. Presentation is everything. 😉