Getbig Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness Forums
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: The Viking on May 10, 2006, 03:21:53 PM
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This picture is frome a few yaers ago, he still looks awesome.
Great arms still!
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geneticly hes so gifted i dont think he will ever get small,he still looks solid
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This picture is frome a few yaers ago, he still looks awesome.
Great arms still!
synthol ::)
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That has to be one of the smallest shirts I have ever seen! How old is The Myth now?
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That has to be one of the smallest shirts I have ever seen! How old is The Myth now?
i believe hes 79 in that picture.
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i believe hes 79 in that picture.
no he is more like 56 in that pic that is if its from 1995.
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This picture is frome a few yaers ago, he still looks awesome.
Great arms still!
I doubt any of that is actually muscle ::)
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no he is more like 56 in that pic that is if its from 1995.
u sure bro?
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synthol ::)
;D
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I doubt any of that is actually muscle ::)
Lucius, how do you get by in life?
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u sure bro?
He was born on the fourth of July, 1941.
http://sergiooliva.com/bio.html
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Lucius, how do you get by in life?
What are you talking about? ::)
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What are you talking about? ::)
how long have you been on this board and look at your post count....you're scaring me man. Then you go and say Sergio doesn't have any muscle anymore...he's still got some muscle on him, look a little closer at the pic. How long you been following bodybuilding? not trying to rag ya but it can't be more than what 6 months....some of the stuff that comes out of your mouth....it's like "huh???"
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how long have you been on this board and look at your post count....you're scaring me man. Then you go and say Sergio doesn't have any muscle anymore...he's still got some muscle on him, look a little closer at the pic. How long you been following bodybuilding? not trying to rag ya but it can't be more than what 6 months....some of the stuff that comes out of your mouth....it's like "huh???"
I've been on this board for many years and have had the account since August of 2004. I've been following bodybuilding for 7 years. I just think Sergio looks very soft there.Oh wait, I forgot........... ::)........ ;D
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I've been on this board for many years and have had the account since August of 2004. I've been following bodybuilding for 7 years. I just think Sergio looks very soft there.Oh wait, I forgot........... ::)........ ;D
alright...well..whatever . He's old, give him a break. I only remember you from a couple of months ago that's why I asked..just seems like a ton of posts for such a short period of time....
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alright...well..whatever. He's old, give him a break. I only remember you from a couple of months ago that's why I asked..just seems like a ton of posts for such a short period of time....
You are right about the posts. Before March I had 5 . I am making up for lost time ;D
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Lucius is a natural post hero. Nobody can beat his drive and determination to get to the top of the forum world.
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Lucius is a natural post hero. Nobody can beat his drive and determination to get to the top of the forum world.
I am glad to see a fellow ambitious person. I don't think most people understand us ;D
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Sadly, he's a bit overweight today but will forever be know as The Myth. As well as 1972 Mr. Olympia. ;D
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how long have you been on this board and look at your post count....you're scaring me man. Then you go and say Sergio doesn't have any muscle anymore...he's still got some muscle on him, look a little closer at the pic. How long you been following bodybuilding?
The golden rule with him is an almost complete lack of content in every post. ;D
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The golden rule with him is an almost complete lack of content in every post. ;D
My posts say things ;D
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I'm new to this board but the reason I'm here is to set the record straight about a few things. A friend of mine, who's a member, mentioned this post so I thought I would provide some facts. I met Sergio Oliva (not Olivia) in 1974 at Chicago Health Club. He was, as he would say, "unbelievable." There was no doubting this. He had a wasp waist that connected to the most perfect chest and shoulders. Not to mention his huge arms. When you first meet him your jaw drops and all you can do is stare in disbelief at this human sculpture of perfection.
Sergio never ever took Synthol and I can guarantee he never knew what that crap was. He never used GH either. I know this first hand and I also know everything he took.
Sergio defected to the US from through the Cuban Olympic Team in the 60s. He was a Lt. in Batista's army. The scar on his right bicep is from a shotgun blast caused by a rebel soldier. He was told he would never use that arm again but it's actually his bigger arm. The other arm has a better shape. This was the first time he was shot. The second time was in 1986 by his wife Arlene.
He can never return to Cuba or he would be jailed. He couldn't even attend his mother's funeral.
After his move to Chicago he later became a Chicago Cop (through political connections) after a short stint as a Tailor. At the time he wanted to become a cop, there was an age requirement and he was too old so he had to come up with a birth certificate to show he was younger. His fake birth certificate made him 10 years younger. His bodybuilding age was always 10 years younger. I don't believe his birthday was on the 4th of July but was just an easy date for him to remember. Sergio is actually close to 70 + or - a year or two.
Sergio is the cousin of famous baseball player Tony Oliva but they never had a relationship.
After I moved back to Illinois from Arizona in 1985 I trained at Oliva's Power and Beauty Gym. In 1986 wife Arlene shot him just below the liver with a .38 during a domestic dispute. Sergio contracted pneumonia in the hospital and they had to cut through his lat muscle. This is one of the main reasons he couldn't make a comeback since the lat atrophied and hung like a boob. He and Arlene reconciled for a while and had their daughter. A short time after his return to training I became his training partner and he mentioned that Arlene was going to be gone soon for good and asked me to manage his club. Soon after that he and Arlene did split for good.
We became close friends and I handled all of the gym business, most of his personal business and my wife was his accountant.
Sergio has grown up kids from his first marriage but he wasn't close to them. He's retired from the Police Department now and lives with his daughter Julia and son Sergio JR. in Chicago.
Sergio's photo above was taken around 2000 and the guy next to him in the photo is his long time friend Jack who lives in Florida. Sergio has had just about every joint replaced so he really can't train heavy or he'll destroy the replacement joints. I was recently told I need shoulder replacement but I'm going to wait since the doctor said I would have to give up training the way I'm accustomed to. Thanks to all the injectable Testosterone.
I hope this information clears up some of the rumors. I do agree that Sergio is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time and truly genetically gifted. If you have any questions please post them and I'll come back to check.
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I'm new to this board but the reason I'm here is to set the record straight about a few things. A friend of mine, who's a member, mentioned this post so I thought I would provide some facts. I met Sergio Oliva (not Olivia) in 1974 at Chicago Health Club. He was, as he would say, "unbelievable." There was no doubting this. He had a wasp waist that connected to the most perfect chest and shoulders. Not to mention his huge arms. When you first meet him your jaw drops and all you can do is stare in disbelief at this human sculpture of perfection.
Sergio never ever took Synthol and I can guarantee he never knew what that crap was. He never used GH either. I know this first hand and I also know everything he took.
Sergio defected to the US from through the Cuban Olympic Team in the 60s. He was a Lt. in Batista's army. The scar on his right bicep is from a shotgun blast caused by a rebel soldier. He was told he would never use that arm again but it's actually his bigger arm. The other arm has a better shape. This was the first time he was shot. The second time was in 1986 by his wife Arlene.
He can never return to Cuba or he would be jailed. He couldn't even attend his mother's funeral.
After his move to Chicago he later became a Chicago Cop (through political connections) after a short stint as a Tailor. At the time he wanted to become a cop, there was an age requirement and he was too old so he had to come up with a birth certificate to show he was younger. His fake birth certificate made him 10 years younger. His bodybuilding age was always 10 years younger. I don't believe his birthday was on the 4th of July but was just an easy date for him to remember. Sergio is actually close to 70 + or - a year or two.
Sergio is the cousin of famous baseball player Tony Oliva but they never had a relationship.
After I moved back to Illinois from Arizona in 1985 I trained at Oliva's Power and Beauty Gym. In 1986 wife Arlene shot him just below the liver with a .38 during a domestic dispute. Sergio contracted pneumonia in the hospital and they had to cut through his lat muscle. This is one of the main reasons he couldn't make a comeback since the lat atrophied and hung like a boob. He and Arlene reconciled for a while and had their daughter. A short time after his return to training I became his training partner and he mentioned that Arlene was going to be gone soon for good and asked me to manage his club. Soon after that he and Arlene did split for good.
We became close friends and I handled all of the gym business, most of his personal business and my wife was his accountant.
Sergio has grown up kids from his first marriage but he wasn't close to them. He's retired from the Police Department now and lives with his daughter Julia and son Sergio JR. in Chicago.
Sergio's photo above was taken around 2000 and the guy next to him in the photo is his long time friend Jack who lives in Florida. Sergio has had just about every joint replaced so he really can't train heavy or he'll destroy the replacement joints. I was recently told I need shoulder replacement but I'm going to wait since the doctor said I would have to give up training the way I'm accustomed to. Thanks to all the injectable Testosterone.
I hope this information clears up some of the rumors. I do agree that Sergio is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time and truly genetically gifted. If you have any questions please post them and I'll come back to check.
Excellent post. It's nice to hear from someone who actually knows such a well respected bodybuilder!
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I can't believe he got back together with a women who shot him WTF?
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CS, thank you. I got to eat dinner with Sergio at a show he appeared at in Columbus, OH. Great guy. Always smiling and had a lot of stories. We laughed a lot. He said he was still in the gym 5 days a week (when he wasn't traveling). One of the greatest BBers in the history of the sport.
-J
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What did the great Sergio take? And how did he train. Would mean a lot if you could at least answer one of my questions as Sergio is my favorite bodybuilder. Thanks.
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I'm new to this board but the reason I'm here is to set the record straight about a few things. A friend of mine, who's a member, mentioned this post so I thought I would provide some facts. I met Sergio Oliva (not Olivia) in 1974 at Chicago Health Club. He was, as he would say, "unbelievable." There was no doubting this. He had a wasp waist that connected to the most perfect chest and shoulders. Not to mention his huge arms. When you first meet him your jaw drops and all you can do is stare in disbelief at this human sculpture of perfection.
Sergio never ever took Synthol and I can guarantee he never knew what that crap was. He never used GH either. I know this first hand and I also know everything he took.
Sergio defected to the US from through the Cuban Olympic Team in the 60s. He was a Lt. in Batista's army. The scar on his right bicep is from a shotgun blast caused by a rebel soldier. He was told he would never use that arm again but it's actually his bigger arm. The other arm has a better shape. This was the first time he was shot. The second time was in 1986 by his wife Arlene.
He can never return to Cuba or he would be jailed. He couldn't even attend his mother's funeral.
After his move to Chicago he later became a Chicago Cop (through political connections) after a short stint as a Tailor. At the time he wanted to become a cop, there was an age requirement and he was too old so he had to come up with a birth certificate to show he was younger. His fake birth certificate made him 10 years younger. His bodybuilding age was always 10 years younger. I don't believe his birthday was on the 4th of July but was just an easy date for him to remember. Sergio is actually close to 70 + or - a year or two.
Sergio is the cousin of famous baseball player Tony Oliva but they never had a relationship.
After I moved back to Illinois from Arizona in 1985 I trained at Oliva's Power and Beauty Gym. In 1986 wife Arlene shot him just below the liver with a .38 during a domestic dispute. Sergio contracted pneumonia in the hospital and they had to cut through his lat muscle. This is one of the main reasons he couldn't make a comeback since the lat atrophied and hung like a boob. He and Arlene reconciled for a while and had their daughter. A short time after his return to training I became his training partner and he mentioned that Arlene was going to be gone soon for good and asked me to manage his club. Soon after that he and Arlene did split for good.
We became close friends and I handled all of the gym business, most of his personal business and my wife was his accountant.
Sergio has grown up kids from his first marriage but he wasn't close to them. He's retired from the Police Department now and lives with his daughter Julia and son Sergio JR. in Chicago.
Sergio's photo above was taken around 2000 and the guy next to him in the photo is his long time friend Jack who lives in Florida. Sergio has had just about every joint replaced so he really can't train heavy or he'll destroy the replacement joints. I was recently told I need shoulder replacement but I'm going to wait since the doctor said I would have to give up training the way I'm accustomed to. Thanks to all the injectable Testosterone.
I hope this information clears up some of the rumors. I do agree that Sergio is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time and truly genetically gifted. If you have any questions please post them and I'll come back to check.
Superb post. Just wondering what you mean by bolded sentence?
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I can't believe he got back together with a women who shot him WTF?
Tough love ;D
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What did the great Sergio take? And how did he train. Would mean a lot if you could at least answer one of my questions as Sergio is my favorite bodybuilder. Thanks.
He took synthol and he trained by lifting bottles of synthol ;D
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He took synthol and he trained by lifting bottles of synthol ;D
Please don't compare Flex Wheeler or Kevin Levrone to Sergio.
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I don't believe his birthday was on the 4th of July but was just an easy date for him to remember. Sergio is actually close to 70 + or - a year or two.
He looks excellent for being that age.
A few questions if I may --
I've heard several times that Sergio had a falling out with Weider, and an ugly one at that. In fact, Sergio is report to dispise Weider to great lengths. What do you know about this? Why is this so, if it's true?
I believe the 1972 Mr. O was Sergio's best showing by a slight margin. He bought an awesome physique to that show and should have won but was robbed [many claim] by The Governor. Was Sergio pissed about this as much as was reported? Did he feel it was a Weider doing?
What did Sergio have against Lee Haney and his reign as Mr. Olympia? He's [Sergio Oliva] stated in the past that Haney should have won some Sandows but not all?
How did he aquire the nickname "The Myth?"
After arriving in Florida, why did he make the move to Chicago not long after? I believe it was the late 1960's, correct?
In his prime, how strong was Sergio? Any facts and figures?
Which physique, if any, does Sergio admire of todays crop? I know he's publically stated Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray [though I cannot recall where I read it] but anyone else?
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He looks excellent for being that age.
A few questions if I may --
I've heard several times that Sergio had a falling out with Weider, and an ugly one at that. In fact, Sergio is report to dispise Weider to great lengths. What do you know about this? Why is this so, if it's true?
I believe the 1972 Mr. O was Sergio's best showing by a slight margin. He bought an awesome physique to that show and should have won but was robbed [many claim] by The Governor. Was Sergio pissed about this as much as was reported? Did he feel it was a Weider doing?
What did Sergio have against Lee Haney and his reign as Mr. Olympia? He's [Sergio Oliva] stated in the past that Haney should have won some Sandows but not all?
How did he aquire the nickname "The Myth?"
After arriving in Florida, why did he make the move to Chicago not long after? I believe it was the late 1960's, correct?
In his prime, how strong was Sergio? Any facts and figures?
Which physique, if any, does Sergio admire of todays crop? I know he's publically stated Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray [though I cannot recall where I read it] but anyone else?
Brutal number of questions ;D
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Some answers..
In Conversation with Sergio Oliva
By Brian D. Johnston
BDJ: How did you meet Arthur Jones; what lead to your involvement with him?
SO: Jones initially contacted me from Deland, Florida. He wanted me to fly to Daytona olvement with him? Beach to check out what he was doing, and to give an opinion of his machines. So, I flew down and tested them, and I found them to be quite different from other, regular machines. He then asked if I wanted to go through one of his routines while under his supervision. And I said, "yes." It was very intensive... very powerful... and very different from other routines.
BDJ: Provide an example of a routine you did at that time.
SO: Jones would put you in a routine starting with legs. The exercises were carried to the point where you could not possibly do any more reps -- to the point of not being able to move the weight. A routine, for instance, would have you start with a squat to muscular failure. Then when you were finished, he would put you in the Nautilus squat machine and that combination would beat the hell out of you. By the time you finished, you would not have the energy to do anything. Then he has you immediately doing the regular free weight bench press, followed by a Nautilus chest machine... then more exercises for the remainder of the body.
BDJ: So, Jones had you alternate between free weights and machines?
SO: He would only recommend the machines, but I wanted to use free weights also. But when we started to get close to the competition, there was no way I could do both... no way. The machines alone would do it for me. If you don't use the machines the way we did, then it's a piece of cake and you can easily include other exercises in between. But with Jones's method, there is no way... you keep going until you can no longer move. And when you think you're going to rest, he has you going to another machine! By the time you get to the other machine, you feel like you're going to die, pushing yourself to the maximum again. When finish, all you can do is lay down on the floor.
BDJ: Did Jones train in your presence, and if so, did he train that hard?
SO: He had his own routine and method of using those machines. I saw other people use the machines, but it was not the same way that Jones used them. He had a machine for each muscle, and they way he used them and instructed people to use them, it felt like you were going to throw up. Sometimes he would get people to use machine after machine, and when you thought you were finished, he would get you to do a squat! It was unbelievable.
BDJ: A legendary workout had you train immediately after Casey Viator, performing a full body workout. Reports indicate that you could not complete the workout very well and was reduced to using relatively light weights in order to complete it. Is that account very accurate?
SO: Yes. That was my very first workout when I went down to Florida. Casey already lived there with Jones and was used to the workouts. I wanted to also workout, and I thought, "Jesus Christ!" I believed that I could not do it, having trained so hard for so long. That's when he put me through all the machines. By the time I got to the last one, I thought I was going to throw up on the floor. But as you continue going every day, your power, endurance, determination increases so much that you are able to handle that kind of routine. It was the way that he did it that was different. Too many people used them like they were using free weights pumping and resting.
BDJ: I believe you may be the only person to officially develop a muscular arm with a height (from the top of the biceps to the bottom of the triceps) greater than the height of one's head. Did this phenomenon occur while training with Jones?
SO: This occurred with Jones, around the time of the 1972 Mr. Olympia in Essen, Germany. You see, Jones tricked everybody. He would invite them down and pay for the trip to test his machines. Everyone went down... Columbu, Arnold, Zane... everybody. And as soon as you arrived he would start measuring your arms cold, then he would tell you how much you can increase in a couple of days, and nobody would believe it. All those Weider magazines claiming 21-22" arms would have everyone coming down to 18-19"... and the only 20.5" cold was my arm. After going through his workouts, my arm was almost an inch bigger, and that happened for everybody. Arnold's arm was 19.75", and Weider had him in the magazines with 22.5". It was ridiculous -- all their measurements came down when Jones measured them. It was during that time that Jones measured my arms and my head, and I couldn't believe that my arms were bigger than my head... I didn't pay attention up to that point.
BDJ: I believe your initial meeting with Jones was around the same time that Arnold beat you during that very controversial Mr. Olympia in Essen, Germany?
SO: Yes, it was around then that we started training together, but was actually about a year before when I started training with Arthur to prepare for the Mr. Universe in London.
BDJ: The one picture I remember of you from Essen, Germany was when you held your arms up over your head -- it was very striking. You're also, perhaps, one of the few who can hold that pose and look good?
SO: Ah, yes, the Victory Pose. A lot of bodybuilders try to do it, but the problem with the Victory Pose is that you have to have so much muscle. Your lats have to be tremendous, and the waist very tiny. Plus the lats have to be linked to tremendous triceps and the chest has to be huge; otherwise you look flat from the front when you raise the arms. And when you work your way up, the forearms have to be huge, otherwise they look small connected to the triceps. And that pose came out of no where; I did it, but don't know how or why. I was posing in a country in the 1960s, I lifted my arms up, and everybody went bananas! From that day on everybody started calling me the Myth, and named it the Victory Pose. And after that if I didn't hold that pose they wouldn't let me off the stage (laughter).
BDJ: Judging from past photos, I believe you were your biggest while training with Jones.
SO: No question about it. And it's too bad... I should have stayed with him. When I went to London in 1970 for the Mr. Universe, everyone knew I beat those guys, including Bill Pearl... I was given second place. From there I was to go to the 1971 Mr. Olympia, in Paris. I spoke to Serge Nubret who asked that I go to the Mr. Olympia since Joe Weider wouldn't be there to fix the contest. I then flew to Paris, and while there Joe found out I was going to compete. And he refused... he would not let me compete. He said I was suspended for a year because I competed in the non-IFBB sanctioned Mr. Universe in London the year before. He used any kind of trick. He allowed me to do a posing exhibition, but not compete. In 1972, the Mr. Olympia promoter called everyone to go, and everyone did. But Joe didn't want Arnold to go, but Arnold wanted to compete. (I have nothing against Arnold, he has done very well; many people used him in the beginning, then he used them.) Arnold competed in Essen. By that time, the training I had with Jones allowed me to win the contest by miles. People are still talking about Essen '72. Even Arnold himself said that he didn't win, that it was nothing but politics... it was nothing but politics, but they gave it to him. After that contest Weider put the promoter out of the promotion business. Serge Nubret used to be the big man when it came to running contests. Weider also put him out of the business because Serge did not want to run the contests the way Weider wanted to run them his way with the placings predetermined.
BDJ: After you left Jones's instruction and went your own way, did you continue training with a HIT approach, or did you return to volume training?
SO: Well, I went back to free weights because I did not have access to his machines. I was definitely more powerful after the experience and was lifting more on the free weights than ever before. I did maintained the same intensity afterward, however.
BDJ: The reason I brought that up is that previous issues of muscle magazines, and throughout various Weider encyclopedias and books, it suggested that you performed a much higher volume of training, up to 15-20 sets per muscle group.
SO: I definitely did not do that many sets, but don't forget I didn't have the machines, which were much more intense -- requiring less volume in comparison to free weights. So I had to make up for the reduction in quality. It's politics, the Weider bullshit magazines. But they control everything. If you try and fight it they will do everything to get you out of the way. They control all the contests, equipment and bodybuilders. And bodybuilders have to go with Weider because where else are they going to compete? They have to bend and go with them. But me, I did not care. When I went to Weider I was already Sergio Oliva, so he could not say that he 'made' me. People already knew me from before and that I was with the AAU before going for the IFBB. He could not use me, perhaps to the point where he could claim that he took me out of my mamma's belly.
BDJ: Well, Weider claims to be Trainer of Champions.
SO: When he took Arnold under his wing, Arnold was already competing in London, England for Mr. Universe. He only trained a few people, but that's the propaganda. They also call him the 'Master', but I don't know the master of what... maybe the master of breaking your back and your brains. A lot of politics, and it's too bad. For the younger bodybuilders they have no choice. If you use the drugs, have the physique and want to make money, then you have to go with him. Otherwise, don't use the drugs because you won't have any other place to go. It's all Weider: the Mr. Olympia, Mr. Universe, Night of Champions. They have every body back and front.
BDJ: What opinion do you have of Arthur Jones?
SO: Anything I have to say about Jones is good. He is the only honest man I met in bodybuilding. If he says "I'm going to pay you so much", he does. If he says that he's going to train you a particular way, and next year you're going to look a certain way, then you will look that way. He's the type of person you like to be around; the type of person you like to deal with since he won't screw you or use you. Totally different from those other assholes. And everyone who went down to Florida knows that. And it's too bad... if Jones was the one running all the competitions, there would have been a lot of changes. He should have been the one to run the Mr. Olympia and other contests.
BDJ: What is your opinion on the competitors of today, compared to your competition days?
SO: When I see what they are going through, and what they have to take to be what they are... I wouldn't want it. You can even see how differently the muscle develops on bodybuilders of today versus those of the sixties. The amount of steroids that they use is way over the limit. And that's why you see those physiques... they're tremendous.
BDJ: I find most of the physiques today look like one another; almost clone-like. Competitors of the sixties and seventies each had a special unique look or style.
SO: Yes, they all look the same. And if they have a little bit of shape, they all have the same kind of shape! They all have the same look. And it's hard to differentiate one from the other.
BDJ: What are your thoughts on some of the past Mr. Olympias, in regards to political tampering? How about the 1979 Mr. Olympia between Zane and Mentzer?
SO: Mentzer all the way. There is no doubt about it. But don't forget, Mike came from the outside; Zane was with Weider. Don't let anybody fool you. Zane, Arnold, Columbu, Haney... all those guys were under contract. Now, Lee Haney is my friend and I have a lot of respect for him, but there is no way in the old days that Lee Haney would have won the Mr. Olympia. His physique is unproportional -- a man with a back, but no arms or calves. Then there's Dorian Yates. He has a belly like a cow and no arms. That is not a complete physique. That is not proportional or symmetrical. But being under contract.... Now, if they put Zane and Mentzer together in a contest that was not Weider dominated then Mike would have won. Zane knows that, and Zane is my personal friend.
BDJ: Do you think Haney deserved any of the Mr. Olympia wins?
SO: He may have deserved some Mr. Olympias, but not all... not the guys he competed against. But, he knows. Everybody knows.
BDJ: Could you relay your own experience with drug use?
SO: This is an area of great interest for people. I don't care who wants to take steroids, because that's a personal choice... that's his life. Now, today, everybody has access to them. I even saw in one of the big magazines that Arnold denies having used them, but Arnold was one of the first to bring steroids over to America. And everybody in the old days used them: Zane, Columbu, myself, Arnold, Larry Scott, Harold Poole, Dave Draper, and even Steve Reeves. There's no way to deny it. It wasn't much, nothing like today. But the development of drugs is much different. I used decca and dianabol, and that was something really big at the time; and decca was not considered that bad. It was even prescribed by doctors to help make your bones strong. Today you have guys weighing 200 pounds, and six months later they weigh 250-300 pounds! So you know these guys are taking something unbelievable. When they say they haven't taken any thing, you know that it's phony.
BDJ: I could only imagine what you would look like if you have access to the drugs of today.
SO: Geez... I wouldn't even want to think about it. My God... (laughter). We used to talk about the big deal of taking decca and dianabol. Now the talk is about growth hormone. I see what they are using... the way they look... I tell you, it's scary... I would pass on that. Anybody can go work out and get a physique without steroids, and that is what I recommend. The drugs today is not worth the money or the way it makes you look. The consequences later are going to be big.
BDJ: I notice a lot of people take steroids because they are too lazy to train hard mostly teenage boys.
SO: Yes that's what it is. But they're making a double mistake. When you take steroids you have to train even harder... otherwise the excess weight later turns into fat. If you train hard, eat well with quality protein, and take a good vitamin and mineral, then you can achieve a good physique. And a good physique comes from about 45% of your genes, whereas the rest is from training. So, if you're going to be something, then you're going to be something. If you're not, then you're not. But with all those steroids, you're going to be one of the group... you're not going to be different. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone... to my friends or any of my family.
BDJ: You're still training to this day. Tell us about it.
SO: I'm 60 years old and I go to the gym five days a week. I enjoy going to the gym very much. When I competed I trained 5 days a week, year round. I'm not like some of the competitors who only trained for six months for a contest then laid back.
BDJ: Physique wise, who do you consider to be the best bodybuilder?
SO: There are a few. One of the best right now is Flex Wheeler. I also like Shawn Ray and Ron Coleman. I compare myself to Flex Wheeler, a little bit. He reminds me of myself, with a tiny waist. My back was much bigger, though. He is the only one with a really complete physique.
BDJ: Your last year of competition was 1985. I've heard from some spectators that they did not care whether you won the contest; it was worth attending just to see the legendary Oliva. Tell us about that.
SO: I could have entered that contest much better, and much bigger... that night was not the same physique that I always carried. I felt sick, like a Zombie. I followed my wife's suggestion in changing my diet. I've always had a problem with my diet. Thank God I had good genes to be able to eat what I want. So it seemed everything that I ate, I turned it into muscle. Anyway, she wanted me to follow the diet that Frank Zane followed. But she made a mistake. The diet was all right for Frank Zane's metabolism, but for me, it was not doing the job. I had no power to train and I felt too weak to workout... it was a disaster. If I did it my way, I would have looked unbelievable. The second thing is, and I found this out, that even if I looked like King Kong and cut, they would have given me the same placing. Weider indicated no other placing for me but eighth.
BDJ: A similar thing happened to Mentzer in Sydney, Australia, in 1980 when they gave him fifth place.
SO: That's right, and believe it my friend. And I could not do any better than eighth place because all those guys on the stage are the same ones endorsing his vitamins, proteins, magazines, equipment... I didn't do anything for him, because he didn't do anything for me. As a matter of fact, he took away from me. But I decided to come back for that contest. And who picks the judges? Weider. So, how can you win?
BDJ: What projects and plans do you have for the immediate future?
SO: I regularly do seminars and guest appearances. And I do my seminars different from everyone else. I tell it like it is and allow the audience to ask me questions. Other bodybuilders only talk about the good things. I talk about the good and the bad. People don't always want to hear about the blue and the red, but the black and the white. That is why I'm asked to do seminars all over the world, and people really enjoy them. I'm also working with someone on a book about my life story and competition days. I was supposed to do this book before, but I like to say things they way they are and it was difficult to get interested writers willing to put it all on the line. I don't push or drink protein powders and I won't endorse things I don't believe in. So, in a business sense, I was bad for the business. And this also affected some of the contests in which I competed. The book will discuss these things, but also my Olympic lifting days before bodybuilding, when I prepared for the Pan American games, when I prepared in Russia, all the sports I did in Cuba to escape... basketball, volleyball, boxing, running... I was doing everything, but the competition was too high. I did so much in life that it is not necessary to add or take away from my stories, but it is hard to find someone willing to print the truth. I will tell about the politics and the contests Joe fixed. A lot of people will be against it, and a lot of people are going to know a lot that they don't already know. also, I'm also still working on the police force with about 6-7 years to go.
BDJ: Thank you for your time.
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Sergio used to pump up for 2 hours before a contest, and actually look less impressive onstage beacuse of this, he lost alot of cuts, especially in his legs. Arnold did use this to Sergios disadvantage
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Sergio used to pump up for 2 hours before a contest, and actually look less impressive onstage beacuse of this, he lost alot of cuts, especially in his legs. Arnold did use this to Sergios disadvantage
Why didn't you tell him to stop? :-\
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I did bro, but he said he did it to give the other guys a fair chance. ;)
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I did bro, but he said he did it to give the other guys a fair chance. ;)
He paid for his arrogance. That's a shame :-\
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Wow, so many questions in such a short time. I'll try to answer as many as I can remember.
In the 70s Sergio used Dianabol since there really wasn't mush else to use. When we were training we used Anadrol 50, Sustanon, Test, Halotestin, Deca, Winstrol V and a few others. Pretty much what ever we could get our hands on. We had a Pharmacist about two blocks from the gym who would fill up our bag.
Sergio didn't really need drugs to be big and he didn't respect guys that thought this was the only way to make gains. One of the most amazing things I can remember about training with his was watching his arms pump up. His arms would grow and grow during the workout. Quite a sight.
His workouts were always brutal. If I complained about the pace, he'd go crazy and bury me. We did Chest and Back on the same day, triceps and bicep on another and Legs and shoulders. We trained six days a week and each body part twice a week. Between 20 and 30 sets per body part. About an hour and a half per body part. Some supersetting was involved.
Before his arthritis got bad he hit it hard and heavy. When he did squats it looked like he invented the movement. Perfect form all the way.
Watching him squat barefoot with his heels on a 2x4 looked painful but his feet were like leather and pretty gross. I said his toenails looked like sawblades.
He always trained barefoot.
Sergio had a falling out with the Weider's over many things but it started with Sergio's early demands for $$$ from photos and the communication barrier due to Sergio's poor English. Sergio didn't trust anyone and especially since he was new to this country. I guess he thought everyone was out to screw him.
Then Sergio did some unsanctioned competitions and they decided to ban him from the IFBB during his peak. I think this was a bad decision for everyone involved but Weider went on to make his fortune while Sergio was pounding the beat as a cop and making very little off his name. In the 70s Weider used to call Sergio at Chicago Health Club and Sergio would come to the front desk and when he found out it was Joe, he'd hang up on him. They finally agreed to get together in the mid 80s and I know Sergio was embarrassed with his placing in the 85 Olympia.
I remember when I was training with Sergio a new Muscle and Fitness Magazine came out and it had what was supposed to be Sergio's workout routine. It said that Sergio didn't do bench press and that was on a day we were benching. I showed him the article and he laughed. Laughed all the way to the bank. I really think the Weider's brought Sergio back to humiliate him and make as much off of his name as they could. He was very popular in New York.
I remember in 1989 when Weider came out with a new clothing line and some workout equipment they asked Sergio to make an appearance at Fox Valley Mall in Illinois. I went with him and a limo picked us up. For this appearance Sergio was only paid $500. This is to a guy who received $3,000 for an appearance in the 60s. Sad but true.
He was offered a part by Arnold in Predator but made too many demands and wanted too much money so they told him to forget about it. They found another bald black actor for a lot less. Sergio did several Spanish Movies. One was Called El Pader Negro or something close to that. I never saw any of them but I hear they're pretty bad. I'm sure you can find them in a Spanish Video Store, if you really want to have a laugh.
To the guy that had dinner with Sergio, I'll bet there was a mess on the table after dinner. I ate with him too many times and it always looked like a bear invaded a picnic. He never believed in tipping either so I was always afraid to return to a restaurant with him for fear or receiving a saliva or snot burger.
I know he never really thought much of Lee Haney and always commented on how he liked Shawn Ray. I remember Albert Beckles visiting the gym once and Sergio was off in the corner laughing at how small guys in the Olympia were. the stories were never ending.
I don't know what brought Sergio to Chicago from Florida but it was probably for opportunity.
The Myth was a name he was given since no one really believed that there was a guy this big. His arms measured larger in diameter than his head.
Larry Scott didn't like Sergio or what he brought to the sport but you can't please everyone.
Sergio won the Mr America uncontested. He had to enter contests at the last minute or under another name since no one wanted to go up against the MYTH. I remember that he told me the competitions he did in Mexico were a joke and the guys were real small. He easily received 200 trophy's and some are truly amazing, made of marble and brass with horse drawn chariots. Nice stuff compared to the shit they hand out now.
Too bad he missed out on the best years of his life, married a goofy bitch and things went the way they did. History of the sport may have been different had he just went along for the ride. He always said Arnold was a lucky son-of-a-bitch. I think it was a lot more than luck.
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Great post, CS!
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PS
I saw the 72 Olympia on tape and Sergio clearly won but Arnold outsmarted him and Weider also knew he could make more money with a young white kid that he could mold to his own advantage. No one was going to make Sergio change his ways and Sergio thought his body alone could take him to the top. He needed a good handler.
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This is some damn good reading, thanks for sharing your stories with us CS.
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Awesome thank you for the reply and all the information! Sergio was the king of bodybuilding! Hey what kind of strengh did he have? I know he trained more for the pump.
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We were doing bent over rows with 405
Always pretty heavy weights but in the end it was sad. Now I'm going through what he went through in the late 80s. I have no cartilage in my shoulders and this is from the crap I put in my system in the 80s. It's bone on bone and I have to get cortisone injections so I can train and sleep until I decide to have the joints replaced.
Enjoy it while you can.
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We were doing bent over rows with 405
Always pretty heavy weights but in the end it was sad. Now I'm going through what he went through in the late 80s. I have no cartilage in my shoulders and this is from the crap I put in my system in the 80s. It's bone on bone and I have to get cortisone injections so I can train and sleep until I decide to have the joints replaced.
Enjoy it while you can.
:-\ Damn bro that sucks. And you blame the juice on it, why? because it masked the pain and you didn't know if it was too much?
Also if you could tell me just a little more about the feats of strengh and when you trained with him. I heard he was doing 315 inclines like it was nothing. You must've been pretty freaking strong to keep up with the Myth!
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He looks excellent for being that age.
A few questions if I may --
I've heard several times that Sergio had a falling out with Weider, and an ugly one at that. In fact, Sergio is report to dispise Weider to great lengths. What do you know about this? Why is this so, if it's true?
I believe the 1972 Mr. O was Sergio's best showing by a slight margin. He bought an awesome physique to that show and should have won but was robbed [many claim] by The Governor. Was Sergio pissed about this as much as was reported? Did he feel it was a Weider doing?
What did Sergio have against Lee Haney and his reign as Mr. Olympia? He's [Sergio Oliva] stated in the past that Haney should have won some Sandows but not all?
How did he aquire the nickname "The Myth?"
After arriving in Florida, why did he make the move to Chicago not long after? I believe it was the late 1960's, correct?
In his prime, how strong was Sergio? Any facts and figures?
Which physique, if any, does Sergio admire of todays crop? I know he's publically stated Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray [though I cannot recall where I read it] but anyone else?
Judging from those questions, It look's like you know more of Sergio than Sergio himself!!!
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guy sittting beside him is wat chris cook will look like in 40yrs lol
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The Myth was definetly at the front of the line when they gave out the good genes. Still crazy(big) after all these years.
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CS: great stories man....i have some questions
what exercised did he use for the different body parts....also what poundages did he handle on bench press, squat and deadlifts. What weights did he use for curls, skullcrushers? Is it true he did 10-12 reps with 315lbs in the military press? Did he use alot of dumbbell exercises?
What rep ranges did he use? Did you guys go to failure?
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Alexxx, I know my joint problems are directly related to using that cheap crap Testosterone Cypionate. I'm just thankful it didn't destroy my heart, hips and knees. I only train four days a week now and each body part once a week but I make the most of my time in the gym. After training with Sergio I became a high priced trainer off of what I learned from him. I'm no longer training people since I got tired of it and now a days it seems everyone's a trainer.
I thought I was going to learn the great secret of bodybuilding when I trained with Sergio and I actually did. I learned that it was nothing but hard work and that if you didn't kick your own ass every time you went to the gym, you were going nowhere.
Look around the gym you train at. How many guys look the same as the day they started? Most of them.
How many come and go? Got a membership for Christmas but decided working out just wasn't for them and gone by New Years. Couldn't make the commitment. It's a lifestyle I've been living for 30 + years.
Sergio's gym had no air conditioning and we would workout until we were about to puke and beyond.
You never know what's going to happen ten or twenty years from when you took that stuff. Would I do it again knowing what I do now? HELL NO! Man, think of it, shoulder replacement. Sergio had his shoulders done over ten years ago. I'm only 53. The doctor told me shoulder replacement is for someone 60 to 80 years old. Ex-rays showed no cartilage and the shoulders are bone on bone. I used to easily press 225 behind the neck but now I can't do anything behind the neck.
Squats are out since I can't reach my hands back far enough to hold the bar so now I'm left with leg press and hack squat but like i said, I make the most of it. Remember, don't cry later for the shit you do now. I'm not.
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Alexxx, I know my joint problems are directly related to using that cheap crap Testosterone Cypionate. I'm just thankful it didn't destroy my heart, hips and knees. I only train four days a week now and each body part once a week but I make the most of my time in the gym. After training with Sergio I became a high priced trainer off of what I learned from him. I'm no longer training people since I got tired of it and now a days it seems everyone's a trainer.
I thought I was going to learn the great secret of bodybuilding when I trained with Sergio and I actually did. I learned that it was nothing but hard work and that if you didn't kick your own ass every time you went to the gym, you were going nowhere.
Look around the gym you train at. How many guys look the same as the day they started? Most of them.
How many come and go? Got a membership for Christmas but decided working out just wasn't for them and gone by New Years. Couldn't make the commitment. It's a lifestyle I've been living for 30 + years.
Sergio's gym had no air conditioning and we would workout until we were about to puke and beyond.
You never know what's going to happen ten or twenty years from when you took that stuff. Would I do it again knowing what I do now? HELL NO! Man, think of it, shoulder replacement. Sergio had his shoulders done over ten years ago. I'm only 53. The doctor told me shoulder replacement is for someone 60 to 80 years old. Ex-rays showed no cartilage and the shoulders are bone on bone. I used to easily press 225 behind the neck but now I can't do anything behind the neck.
Squats are out since I can't reach my hands back far enough to hold the bar so now I'm left with leg press and hack squat but like i said, I make the most of it. Remember, don't cry later for the shit you do now. I'm not.
Wow I had now idea. Sorry to hear than man.
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Sergio's bicep workout was almost all done on a preacher bench with a small Olympic straight bar and an easy curl bar. Usually 10 - 12 reps with around 150 lbs. or more.
Don't forget, when I trained with him he was coming back after being shot but still very strong and about 250 lbs. body weight. At one time after he was shot he was down to 200 lbs and looked pitiful. Sometimes we would do reps of 15 on the bench with 315. Before being shot he was big into wide grip chins for back. Before a competition he could do 100 reps with his body weight. Don't forget, he was a power lifter before he was a bodybuilder and he didn't build that muscle from lifting light weight. Some of the guys that trained with us were doing 500 lb + bench.
When I was preparing for a competition he was forcing me to do 50 reps on the bench press with 225 and I was hurting. He was always trying new things and never afraid to make changes.
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His workouts were always brutal. If I complained about the pace, he'd go crazy and bury me. We did Chest and Back on the same day, triceps and bicep on another and Legs and shoulders. We trained six days a week and each body part twice a week. Between 20 and 30 sets per body part. About an hour and a half per body part. Some supersetting was involved.
There's not much feedback anywhere on this anywhere, and what i'd read previously dating back some decades basically suggested that Sergio didn't train particularly hard given the genetic advantages. Not so?
Too bad about Predator-he should have taken it for the exposure at least. Any idea why he wasn't in Pumping Iron? A more accurate BB movie would've shown him at least briefly along with a few others, he deserved it.
He probably would've been better off training in Venice for the exposure; in Chicago he was off the radar.
Any idea what he thinks of Coleman?
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Pumpster, don't ever believe that Sergio didn't train hard. Even when he was suffering from sever joint pain he still gave it his all.
Not sure what he thought of Coleman since I haven't seen Sergio in years. I would imagine he wasn't in the Pumping Iron movie because he was banned from the IFBB and didn't compete in those contests. Besides, that movie was to promote Arnold. We all know Lou was the best in that contest. Who were they kidding? Even Arnold knew it when Serge Nubret said to Arnold, no one can take you and Arnold replied with, look around. Lou was just another guy screwed by Joe Weider. Fortunately Lou made a good living so it didn't matter much.
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Thanks, PI departed from the book for understandible reasons and became a star vehicle but it's still unfortunate that it wasn't more representative. Especially for posterity, would've been invaluable. There was no acknowledgement from the producers that it was restricted to Weider but it was.
It wasn't that close; Lou didn't have the refinement, muscle maturity or volume relative to his height. He was physically bigger, sure; a few more years of training would've made him more interesting. Sergio should've been in that contest but I think a coronation and lack of real competition were in the interests of the script.
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Judging from those questions, It look's like you know more of Sergio than Sergio himself!!!
Yeah, I read as much as I could about The Myth growing up which was hard at times because he did very little interviews. Much of the information available about Sergio was duplicated from one source to another or it was a case of "I heard from a friend of a friend" kind of stuff. The man amazed me with his mass . . . and still does. In fact, until Paul Dillet hit the stage, I'd never seen anything remotely resembling The Myth in size, mass, enormity call it what you will.
Segio was simply the epitome of "size."
CS,
Your input into this thread is priceless.
A couple more questions if I may --
Where did the miss-spelling of his name come from? It's only a few short years ago that I realized it was "Oliva" and not "Olivia." Was it a publication that got it wrong and it stuck, or did he actually spell his name differently for some time?
Is it true that it was Bob Gajida [sp] that convinced Sergio to enter bodybuilding or was it something Sergio decided on after seeing the caliber of competition in magazines?
Look at the size and detail in this rare back shot . . . amazing!
(http://digilander.libero.it/mrolympia2/so32.jpg)
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He was offered a part by Arnold in Predator
oh my god.....that would have been the coolest thing of all time!
CS, your contributions to this thread have been incredible. theres so little out there about sergio these days.
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oh my god.....that would have been the coolest thing of all time!
CS, your contributions to this thread have been incredible. theres so little out there about sergio these days.
I was thinking the same thing. Would've loved to see the myth on Film. Expecially a popular action movie.
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Yeah, theres always been a mystery of sergio, cuz of weider. Like Rott, I always tried to get info in the early 80's and none was found. His comeback was only a few pics in muscle builder.
He was "unbelievable" in shape and mass.
This is the best thread on getbig to me. :)
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CS,
I have heard that Sergio used to have a jar of Dianabol and would just reach in and take a small handfull at times. Any truth to that?
What was Sergio`s competitive weight in the 70s?
I heard a story about Arnold and Weider in Mexico viewing a contest. Sergio was also there......Sergio was in the crowd and was getting kind of pissed at what he was seeing....So he went on stage and took his shirt off and the crowd went wild and starting asking for Arnold to join him....Arnold and Weider were purportedly pretty shocked and didn`t come up on stage. They were then booed real loud while they were cheering Sergio. Can you elaborate on any of that?
What has Sergio said,if anything, about Steve Reeves?
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Thanks guys. It's my pleasure to share some of the greatest training times of my life. There are hundreds of stories and good and bad times that I could talk about. I can go on for hours talking about his crazy but interesting life.
I think one of the big problems with Sergio and movies is his butchering of the English language. This hurt him a lot and he's still difficult to understand. Even though he's been in this country about 50 years, he still has a thick Cuban accent.
I do believe the Bob Gajda had some influence on Sergio's bodybuilding but I'm not sure to what degree since that was before my time.
I've only heard Sergio's last name pronounced Olivia by some black dudes but other than that I never heard it any other way than Oliva. Only one I in Oliva.
I remember being at the gym one day before Sergio and I trained together and he came out of the locker room with only a towel around his waist. This was about week before the 1985 Olympia. All I could think of is, HOLY SHIT! The only thing better was seeing him in the 70s when he was at Chicago Health Club in his prime. They should have charged admission. At the time I think I would have paid.
To see him on the street in his Chicago Police uniform was really impressive. He looked like The Thing from the Fantastic Four, only darker and he had all his fingers and toes.
Sometimes you would see him in his squad car parked in front of his condo asleep with the air conditioning on or right after roll call he'd come back to the gym and take a nap at the front desk in his chair with the speaker from the police radio against his ear.
I could never repay him for what I learned and I thank him for that. Everything he ever did in bodybuilding wasn't a science, it was from pure instinct and what his body told him to do. There's no such thing as the Weider Principle. That's all a bunch of advertising and promotional bullshit and Sergio would be the first one to admit it. I once jokingly said to him, do you use the Weider Principle? He laughed his ass off.
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I swear i´ve heard many people say "back in Sergios days NOONE used more than 200 mg Deca a week and 5 dbol aday, and people thought that was much"
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Man again CS thats awesome! :)
You guys trained with other bodybuilders at all like say Nubret or Arnold?
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I don't believe that Sergio was ever foolish enough to take handfuls of anything. I used to inject him and also get him a lot of his supplies but I never ever remember him abusing drugs. He was against that sort of use and considering what it did to his joints, he's against them now more than ever.
I'm not sure of Sergio's competitive weight and some of the stories about him are made up but the one in Mexico wouldn't surprise me if it were true. Sergio was never afraid of competition since he was a true champ. He was also arrogant and that pissed a lot of people off.
Arnold could have never beat him in a fair and square show that had politics removed.
I once asked Sergio if he thought Arnold would have beaten Lee Haney if both were in their prime and he said Arnold would have easily taken him. Sergio liked Arnold and I never heard him say a bad word about him. You can't blame Arnold for the the actions of Joe and Ben Weider. It was only business.
In 1989 Arnold invited Sergio to be a VIP Guest the the first Arnold Classic in Ohio and Sergio went and had a great time.
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When I watch pics of Sergio it´s like they have timewarped someone from the future back to the 1960:ies. Like a terminator sort of thing, but to destroy all bodybuilding competition.
CS:
Sergio trained with Arthur Jones for awhile and said in interviews he made some great gains then. Did he ever speak about this to you, if so what did he have to say about it? Thanks for contributing
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The only guys that trained at the gym were locals, a wrestler and a few other Cops. Surprisingly, we had a lot of local drug dealers training there and I don't mean the guys that dealt steroids. We also had a few other strange charactors like most gyms do. Don't forget, this was a small neighborhood gym with about 200 members. Sergio used to say he didn't really care about how many members he had, it was just a gym for him to train at. After his divorce he lived in the upstairs office. The day he moved in to the office, he and one of the other guys from the gym pushed Sergio's big screen TV down the middle of the street for about 6 blocks. That was quite a sight. One of the cops called to investigate said it looked like a gorilla pushing a TV.
We once had a visit from a MS. Olympia contender Margo Seline (I think that's the way to spell it) who trained there for one day and the time Albert Beckles visited. The local news came by to bug us once in a while but mostly to ask stupid questions about steroid use. Everyone knew Sergio.
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The only guys that trained at the gym were locals, a wrestler and a few other Cops. Surprisingly, we had a lot of local drug dealers training there and I don't mean the guys that dealt steroids. We also had a few other strange charactors like most gyms do. Don't forget, this was a small neighborhood gym with about 200 members. Sergio used to say he didn't really care about how many members he had, it was just a gym for him to train at. After his divorce he lived in the upstairs office. The day he moved in to the office, he and one of the other guys from the gym pushed Sergio's big screen TV down the middle of the street for about 6 blocks. That was quite a sight. One of the cops called to investigate said it looked like a gorilla pushing a TV.
We once had a visit from a MS. Olympia contender Margo Seline (I think that's the way to spell it) who trained there for one day and the time Albert Beckles visited. The local news came by to bug us once in a while but mostly to ask stupid questions about steroid use. Everyone knew Sergio.
hahaha that must be quite a sight.
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Regarding Arthur Jones and Nautilus.
I believe it was only business. Sergio and Casey Viator were invited to the Jones residence (mansion) to spend the weekend, try out the equipment and get paid. On Sunday Sergio and Casey wanted to collect their money and leave so Author Jones took them to town and Jones happened to have a key to the bank. Sergio said this doesn't look good, me being a black man going into a closed back on a Sunday. Arthur Jones told Sergio not to worry since he owned the bank.
Sergio also designed and endorsed equipment for Hunk. In his gym he had Flex and Hunk equipment and only used machines to supplement free weights. I didn't care for the Hunk stuff but the flex machines were nice.
There were no Nautilus machines in the gym.
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While I still got you here.. ;D
What kind of routine did sergio do for those amazing triceps. And since you trained with him did yours also respond by appearing fuller like Sergios?
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Adonis, Sergio never mentioned Steve Reeves but the guy in the picture (first post of this thread) with Sergio, Jack, carries a photo of Steve Reeves in his wallet. Strange but true.
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Adonis, Sergio never mentioned Steve Reeves but the guy in the picture (first post of this thread) with Sergio, Jack, carries a photo of Steve Reeves in his wallet. Strange but true.
Very interesting. Steve Reeves is one of my heros.
What were steroid cycles like back then? I don`t see Sergio as the type at all to use year round like some of today`s competitors.
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Also,
Who did Sergio consider his toughest competiton? What did he think of Frank Zane?
Think you can convince Sergio to visit Getbig?
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Also,
Who did Sergio consider his toughest competiton? What did he think of Frank Zane?
Think you can convince Sergio to visit Getbig?
I second that and would also like to know about serge nubret.
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Alexx, Sergio's triceps routine was fairly simple. We did closegrip bench superset with one arm cable pull downs and pushdowns (alternating) Actually my triceps were pretty big. I still prefer tricep extensions or French Curls with the easy curl bar. Lots of basic stuff..
Me in 1989
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Sorry, I don't know much about the doses guys took in the old days but I know they were much more conservative than now-a-days. Don't believe that Sergio took large doses of anything because it's not true.
I don't think Sergio operates a computer or would be able to figure out how to get Online. His friend handles his Web site.
He would probably need a keyboard with extra large letters. Like one of those phones with the giant numbers.
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Sorry, I don't know much about the doses guys took in the old days but I know they were much more conservative than now-a-days. Don't believe that Sergio took large doses of anything because it's not true.
I don't think Sergio operates a computer or would be able to figure out how to get Online. His friend handles his Web site.
He would probably need a keyboard with extra large letters. Like one of those phones with the giant numbers.
In my opinion, you and the guys of your era are the pinnacle of bodybuilding. I can imagine how appalled Sergio is with what we see on stage today with the large waists and amalgamation of mismatched synthol and site injected body parts.
Was form strict or loose with you guys?
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Excellent info & stories CS.
Of all the Original Greats, I don't recall ever having seen Sergio in person... even once.
Arnold, Nubret, Robby, Danny, Franco, Scott, Zane, Mentzer, Platz, Draper, Corney, Clancy Ross, Grymko, Waller, Zabo, Vince Goronda... but I don't think I've ever seen Sergio, strange.
Thanks again for the great action.
-Tom
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CS: Kudos on this Sergio thread. You wait a long time, and sift through a good bunch of crap (in a good way ;D) on GetBig, but observations like yours make it all worthwhile. Many thanks.
ps. Someone needs to make sure that this info. gets to Keith so he can permalink it on the History board.
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Excellent info & stories CS.
Of all the Original Greats, I don't recall ever having seen Sergio in person... even once.
Arnold, Nubret, Robby, Danny, Franco, Scott, Zane, Mentzer, Platz, Vince Goronda... but I don't think I've ever seen Sergio, strange.
Thanks again for the great action.
-Tom
Tommy, he was at the olympia expo at one of the booths. It was great, I bought a pic and had him sign it. It was a front lat spread from 1974, Mr world he said. Its crazy man, Ill try to scan it and put it in here later........ He looks like an average old black brotha now. No taper or anything.
Big giant rings on tho!! Good stuff.
But he talked with me and my wife for at least 20 minutes. I asked about ricky wayne, and he went on a Joe weider tangent..LOL It was great. Maybe he'll be there this year
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sure, if you can scan it, be nice to see
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Adonis, the form used was pretty strict. We didn't lift our ass on bench or anything like that but sometimes we used a little body English to get that last rep or two. We always spotted each other. Sergio liked to have coffee with his workout for energy.
I'll bet that autographed picture looks like someone signed it with their toes. Did Sergio sign it in front of you? I remember his wife used to sign all the pictures from his mail order business because his hand writting is such a mess.
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Adonis, the form used was pretty strict. We didn't lift our ass on bench or anything like that but sometimes we used a little body English to get that last rep or two. We always spotted each other. Sergio liked to have coffee with his workout for energy.
I'll bet that autographed picture looks like someone signed it with their toes. Did Sergio sign it in front of you? I remember his wife used to sign all the pictures from his mail order business because his hand writting is such a mess.
Thats for damn sure LOL. He was all over the place. Ill post it after i get home from taking my daughter to see "The wild". movie.
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This is a great thread. Someone should make it a sticky in the history section. I love these old stories, Sergio was a huge inspiration to so many.
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Sadly, he's a bit overweight today but will forever be know as The Myth. As well as 1972 Mr. Olympia. ;D
1.I don't know if this refers to the controversial 72 olympia where Arnold squeeked by Sergio is a very close , controversial show in Essen , Germany that year, near Arnold's home town.
2. Sergio was a 3 time straight Mr O winner from 67-69 , and defeated by Arnold in 1970.
3. As for the heavy comment, gee whiz guys , the man is retired from the sport, RETIRED. Nobody cracks on Henry Aaron because he can't hit a big league fastball like he did in his prime. I guess we should expect the champs to never age or retire? Or if they did retire, they better not change how they look or we won't respect what they did in their prime???? wtf???
4. SYNTHOL???? wtf ??? His arms always defied belief long before Synthol was a product. His long full muscle bellys are legend and why do you think they called him "the Myth".
Sergio is a bodybuilding legend who had a jaw dropping physique that was incredible when in his prime. The ignorant nature of some these comments is also beyond comprehension ::)
Do some of you really know so little about the history of bodybuilding and what the sport or former champs were all about?????
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This is mostly a positive thread, Howie. Yes theres some of the usual "synthol" crap in here, But for petes sake, their debating if that little muscle girl, "lil hercules" has synthol too.
Always a few idiots, i guess. Long live Sergio. ;D
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This is mostly a positive thread, Howie. Yes theres some of the usual "synthol" crap in here, But for petes sake, their debating if that little muscle girl, "lil hercules" has synthol too.
Always a few idiots, i guess. Long live Sergio. ;D
Thanks for the reality check, it just bugs me when they attempt to degarde a legend like Sergio and lump him in with all the other idiots is my beef.
Thanks, and no I am no reallu upset, just wanted to set the record straight is all.
Howard
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I am glad to see a fellow ambitious person. I don't think most people understand us ;D
And wouldn't care to understand either.
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I
After his move to Chicago he later became a Chicago Cop (through political connections) after a short stint as a Tailor. At the time he wanted to become a cop, there was an age requirement and he was too old so he had to come up with a birth certificate to show he was younger. His fake birth certificate made him 10 years younger. His bodybuilding age was always 10 years younger. I don't believe his birthday was on the 4th of July but was just an easy date for him to remember. Sergio is actually close to 70 + or - a year or two.
CS, you think Sergio was born around 1931 and not 1941?
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What did the great Sergio take? And how did he train. Would mean a lot if you could at least answer one of my questions as Sergio is my favorite bodybuilder. Thanks.
Legend has it Sergio never did much juice. Legend has it he trained on a diet of pepsi and hotdogs.
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Tough love ;D
Yeah, too the extreme!
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Sorry, I don't know much about the doses guys took in the old days but I know they were much more conservative than now-a-days. Don't believe that Sergio took large doses of anything because it's not true.
I don't think Sergio operates a computer or would be able to figure out how to get Online. His friend handles his Web site.
He would probably need a keyboard with extra large letters. Like one of those phones with the giant numbers.
Is Sergio a larger than life figure in real life as he seems? I love the shots of him in PI where he has the cue stick. And him eating like a horse.
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Excellent post CS, the best in a long time. Sergio is a true legend of bodybuilding. Sorry to hear about your joints. It doesn't happen to everyone, i guess you're just extremley unlucky. Thanks for sharing you're memories, keep them coming please!
Adonis, its painfully obvious you're just itching to go on the gear.
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I'm not sure of the exact year but I do know he's more than 11 years older than I am so his birthdate is closer to 1931 than it is 1941 and his age is right around 70. He's only a few years younger than Beckles. Where's Albert?
I don't believe he was ever into the hotdogs and Coke or Pepsi. Sergio ate for free or half price at most of the restaurants in his Police District so there was no need for him to eat junk. I had many meal with him and he ate a lot of chicken but he ate like everyone else. I do remember a photo of him in a magazine in the early 80s and his stomach was bloated and they referred to him as a butterball but I never saw him in that condition. He was lazy as everyone about doing abs or cardio but I never knew him to be a fat pig. This is a guy that had total control of his physique.
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Damnnn CS looks like training with Sergio has paid off for you! You look pretty great yourself! What was your best placing?
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Alexx, I never did that many shows. Three shows total and I got 3rd place in the Mr Chicago 1989. I think I was something like 18th in the Continental USA but that was my first show and it was a national qualifier. I was way out of my league for my first show. My timing was off, the guy that took first place in the light heavy saw me a week later and said if the show were today I would have beat him. Timing is so critical. Maybe a pizza before the show would have helped. We were doing zero carbs for a few days of the last week before the show and then started carbing up about three days out from the show. That was tough.
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Do you think Sergio has left the weights behind now CS due to his joints etc? It seems nowadays Sergio wears the long sleeves, suits now compared to the cut shirts he used to wear.
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CS, why do you say taking Testosterone Cypionate ruined your joints? Would taking Sostenon been better?
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CS great contributions. Sergio is a true legend and it's great to get some insight about his training. Thanks for making this one of the best threads ever on Getbig!
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I do believe Sergio is now limited to what he can do in the gym. If he were to train anywhere near the way he trained in the past he would destroy the shoulders and other joint replacements in no time and need it done again. The replacement is meant to last for the rest of the life of the recipient and to relieve the chronic pain.
From what I've learned about the different testosterones including the Sustanon it destroys the cartilage. It can be described as degenerative joint disease.
I've also heard this from doctors. I don't know if this will happen to everyone who uses it but I know a few people, including myself, and that's too many. I know Serge had some other health related problems associated to the juice but I don't want to go into his medical history. Lets just say he was a little too old in the 90s to be messing with that stuff anymore.
We should never mention the name Sergio Oliva and Synthol in the same sentence. I said it before and I'll say it again, he never heard of that stuff and it wasn't even around in his day so it's a no brainer. He was a champion without drugs but the drugs made him that much better. Look at how puny Frank Zane, Lee Haney and Franco are now.
From what I've seen of the results using Synthol, it appears that the muscle doesn't even move and it looks as fake as a boob job.
I think in Sergio's later years it was a matter of vanity and wanting to keep the size. We all go through that and he's not someone who's going to go down without a fight. The last time I took anything androgenic was 1995 and I didn't like the way it made me feel so I stopped after two weeks. Been drug free ever since and never miss workouts. I feel I'm training as hard as ever but not able to push the same weights due to the shoulder problem. Intensity is better than ever. Legs and arms are still going strong. I'm sure I'll do it until I can no longer lift. Just don't forget that there are other things in life and it's okay to miss a workout once in a while. Don't worry, you won't shrink. There's no reason to be obsessed. Enjoy it while you can.
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CS, an absolutely phenominal thread on the man that still holds everyone in total awe, even Arnold!
They don't him "The Myth" for nuthin!
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CS, an absolutely phenominal thread on the man that still holds everyone in total awe, even Arnold!
They don't him "The Myth" for nuthin!
(http://ironage.us/yabbse/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=10220.0;id=13735;image)
Hey I can't view that pic cause you banned me from ironage so next time upload it via attachment. Thanks!
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dont worry its one of the pics thats already been posted.
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Alright I can view it now he changed it. I have that pic but it is always impressive.
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Actually I think that one is high res and captures all over the Myths prowess! Thanks mr. Preston.
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I don't remember ever seeing that photo.
That looks to be from when he was around 30. He wasn't really at his peak there. He made gains so fast. He could probably wrap my workout belt around his waist twice.
Here's a funny Sergioism.
We had a desk top private pay phone in the gym and someone knocked it on the floor and it wasn't working so Sergio called for service on it. The service guy shows up and fixes the phone and then walks to the back of the gym to tell Sergio that there was a charge for the repair. Sergio refused to pay and the guy said he'd have to take the phone so he walked to the front to get the phone. Sergio ran up to the front with his bad knees and chased the guy down the stairs, out the door and the guy ran down the street screaming like a little bitch. He didn't take the phone and he never came back. Smart move on his part. He probably crapped his pants. I know I would have.
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LOL, That would've been scary for sure. Like a Brhama bull , chasing you down. :o
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CS, why do you say taking Testosterone Cypionate ruined your joints? Would taking Sostenon been better?
This is the only stuff I took when I competed. I took a cc a day for about 6 months. Haven't taken anything since. Got me strong as hell and no side effects at all.
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This is the only stuff I took when I competed. I took a cc a day for about 6 months. Haven't taken anything since. Got me strong as hell and no side effects at all.
Kieth... just curious which did you take Testosterone Cypionate or Sostenon? Iwas never able to handle even a small dose (1 cc a week) Testosterone Cypionate so I can't imagine taking 1 cc a day.
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Kieth... just curious which did you take Testosterone Cypionate or Sostenon? Iwas never able to handle even a small dose (1 cc a week) Testosterone Cypionate so I can't imagine taking 1 cc a day.
No just cyp. Ray was so amazed how much I took and wasn't effected negatively at all even with the tempr thing. He called Dave Procop who at the time was doing an article on the use of steroids and their affect on the users minds and increasing temper. So he called me at the gym and interviewed me over the phone just asking me some questions. I'm not even sure they made it in the article. But I took it pretty reliously for 6 months prior to the Worlds. After that I just quit and never touched a thing again. And in the mid 90's I was getting as strong as I was when I was taking 10 years before.
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No just cyp. Ray was so amazed how much I took and wasn't effected negatively at all even with the tempr thing. He called Dave Procop who at the time was doing an article on the use of steroids and their affect on the users minds and increasing temper. So he called me at the gym and interviewed me over the phone just asking me some questions. I'm not even sure they made it in the article. But I took it pretty reliously for 6 months prior to the Worlds. After that I just quit and never touched a thing again. And in the mid 90's I was getting as strong as I was when I was taking 10 years before.
Like I said I could never even take 1cc a week of Cyp. I'd get 400-500 huge zits on my back, chest and shoulders... horrible. I don't know how people get away with it.
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CS: what did you and sergio do for chest and other body parts? what was sergios favourite exercises?
what rep ranges did you guys use? CS this is a fucking nice thread...
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I posted the better pics on Iron Age years ago because they kept using the same lame ones over and over again. PM'd them suggesting that he deserved better pics but of course they didn't listen so I just posted them.
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.
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someone who saw sergio train said he was a big beleiver in half or partial reps,they said when he benched he only went up around halfway and did that on most of his exercises,i guess his body responded to these half movements very well,after all,sergio was a monster and it worked all to well
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Excellent info & stories CS.
Of all the Original Greats, I don't recall ever having seen Sergio in person... even once.
Arnold, Nubret, Robby, Danny, Franco, Scott, Zane, Mentzer, Platz, Draper, Corney, Clancy Ross, Grymko, Waller, Zabo, Vince Goronda... but I don't think I've ever seen Sergio, strange.
Thanks again for the great action.
-Tom
Who impressed you the most and why?
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someone who saw sergio train said he was a big beleiver in half or partial reps,they said when he benched he only went up around halfway and did that on most of his exercises,i guess his body responded to these half movements very well,after all,sergio was a monster and it worked all to well
I guess he wasn't Animal ;D
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Has anyone here actually tried only going up half way?...It makes the bench press movement much harder.
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Has anyone here actually tried only going up half way?...It makes the bench press movement much harder.
i tried that once,doing the 21 method,i went 7 reps half way up,seven from half way to lock out,then 7 full which i couldnt complete,lol,it was brutal but what a pump
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Who impressed you the most and why?
I've got to say Grymko. He was in near top shape at the time, 1982-83, I think. I was young and his size and vascularity was just insane.
Most of those that I listed, were no longer in their best condition, so it's kind of a tough question to answer. I'd see Arnold all the time at Oak Productions on Main Street, but he was far from big. I've seen Robby in good but not best condition. Draper was very cool when I meet him.
Padilla, Nubret, Zane.. were all pretty cool, but no longer in their prime shape, but friendly & laid back.
It's just weird that in all the years of contest, awards ceremonies, training, Expos, seminars, etc, I've still never seen Sergio. Weird.
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grymco always impressed me with those huge ass delts,that one famous shot of him outside golds is awesome
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/ipkiss/petegrymkowski2.jpg)
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/ipkiss/petegrymkowski2.jpg)
His lower pecs look kind of odd :-\
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His lower pecs look kind of odd :-\
Like a woman's breast odd?
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Like a woman's breast odd?
Maybe so :'(
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Sergio only did partial reps when he was having problems with his shoulders since his range of motion was screwed up. Sergio trained pretty much like everyone else but very intense. As I said before, there was no science. It was pure instinct. Look at the guy. He was a f*cking monster at a time when bodybuilders weren't all
that big. He was so ahead of his time. Imagine what he'd look like with a little GH. As far as I know he never took any.
There was no screwing around when he trained and he hated interuptions. Don't we all? One good tip I can give you is stay
focused and don't spend your time in the gym socializing.
Over the years I heard a lot of, I heard
Sergio did this and someone told me Sergio did that. I also hear a lot of oh, I know Sergio, we were good friends and if you asked Sergio if he knew the guy he'd shake his head no.
Everyone knows him or would like to. He's the kind of guy you'd love to sit down with and ask a million questions.
I remember once some guy came to the front desk at the gym
and Sergio and I were just sitting there talking
and all of a sudden he starts asking us about steroids. Now we don't even know who this guy is. I think he had just joined.
Sergio looked at me, winked and then pretended to fall asleep,
leaving me to listen to this asshole go on and on. Every so often one of his eyes would open a little and he'd smile when the guy wasn't looking.
We had guys join because they wanted to take steroids
and thought that was part of the membership.
Boy,were they disappointed.
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Great stories CS. Keep throwing stuff in when you have time.
Maybe you can get Sergio to post in this thread.? I talked with him at length at the Olympia expo, maybe we could see him there this year again.
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Awesome post CS, I have a question about Sergios training. In a few books (HIT type) I have read that Sergio was at his biggest when training under Art Jones tutorlage, is this true? If not what method seemed to work the best for gaining size?
Also how was he able to keep a waistline of that size while producing enormous thigh mass?
Thanks,
Lawrence
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He was at his best, in 1972 and 1978.
His waistline was extremely narrow, he was blessed with that, but there is a negative thing about that, when he's a bit out of shape, this makes his midsection very smooth, it is like, his belly moves forward.
Waist size is not getting wider, but going further, I think that was a kind of negative thing in his carrier.
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It is correct that Sergio was in the best shape of his life around the time he did some promotional stuff for Arthur Jones but Arthur Jones didn't have anything to do with Sergio's success. Only Sergio was responsible for Sergio.
Sergio's tiny waistline was all genetics and nothing more. He did use Thiomucase before a show. Both cream and injectable. The old Thiomucase cream had Formaldehyde in it and this removed water from under the skin. I wouldn't recommend using it now since Formaldehyde is a cancer causing agent. There's another drug that's used and available here in the US for removing fluid from under the skin and that's called Wydase.
There were times Serge blew up like a lot of other bodybuilders do when they're not competing be overall he had a great waistline and I don't ever recall him being out of shape to the point of looking fat. I'm sure there were times in his life where he go a little crazy with foods he shouldn't have been eating but we all stray from time to time. I know I do. I remember he once told me that he watches what he eats during the week and has a day for pigging out and pretty much eating what he wants. Also, with age his waistline has expanded some but he still looks great for a man his age.
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It is correct that Sergio was in the best shape of his life around the time he did some promotional stuff for Arthur Jones but Arthur Jones didn't have anything to do with Sergio's success. Only Sergio was responsible for Sergio.
Sergio's tiny waistline was all genetics and nothing more. He did use Thiomucase before a show. Both cream and injectable. The old Thiomucase cream had Formaldehyde in it and this removed water from under the skin. I wouldn't recommend using it now since Formaldehyde is a cancer causing agent. There's another drug that's used and available here in the US for removing fluid from under the skin and that's called Wydase.
There were times Serge blew up like a lot of other bodybuilders do when they're not competing be overall he had a great waistline and I don't ever recall him being out of shape to the point of looking fat. I'm sure there were times in his life where he go a little crazy with foods he shouldn't have been eating but we all stray from time to time. I know I do. I remember he once told me that he watches what he eats during the week and has a day for pigging out and pretty much eating what he wants. Also, with age his waistline has expanded some but he still looks great for a man his age.
Wydase was popular with Pro's in the early eighties for getting that finished look. I remember Dennis Tinnerino raving about it to Grmko and I during lunch shortly after the 1981 Olympia.
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Keep it coming CS, great read.
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Bump for some more Sergio stories! ;D
What was his diet like? Did he prefer red meat or stick to mostly chicken and fish precontest? Did he low carb it before a show? Do you have any stories of when you guys when out to eat? Did he ever hit on waitresses? Was he a womanizer?
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We went out to eat a lot. He ate lots of chicken but Grecian Chicken is hardly diet food. Sergio ate normal and didn't require any special diets unless he was ready to compete. He has a great metabolism. Once again his great genetics played a major role. You can't use someone else's diet. Your diet/caloric intake have to be tailored to your metabolism. I believe it's the same for training.
He ate chicken, fish, egg whites and lean red meats. I always noticed he had a lot of bananas in the car when he was getting ready for a contest. Sergio used some supplements but mostly what Joe Weider sent him for free. I used to get him cans of Chocolate Metabolol II because he liked the taste. He always had a big cup of coffee with his workout when we were training.
When we would go out to eat and he brought the kids, it was a disaster. When it was time to leave, the table was a mess. He wasn't a big tipper. It's not that he was cheap, he was just a lousy tipper. After a big meal and receiving dinner for half price, he would leave a $2 tip. This is because he believed that the waitress was making an hourly wage and really didn't need the money. I remember he would tip the delivery guy from the Chinese restaurant $1. I asked him about it and he said, he gets money for the delivery. I remember the delivery charge for Pekin House was $1. so the guy made a whopping $2.
I wonder how many times the delivery guy blew his nose in the food. I never ordered out with him.
Sergio was very much a ladies man. He was always on the prowl and the ladies loved him back. That's about all I'm going to say about that without getting graphic but the stories I could tell. Some things will have to remain in my head.
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CS, thanks again for the info, it's awesome to hear first hand. OK question, Sergio mentioned that at the 1985 Olympia his wife talked him into dieting different and Sergio commented on how he could not diet like Frank Zane and that is why he felt he looked stringy. What did he do different? Lower carbs? Higher? Did he ever do cardio? BTW, I was there in 84 when he held up little Sergio for the audience to see, awesome to be able to see him live.
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This thread is full of great information. Carry on!
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This thread is full of great information. Carry on!
Uh, ok..thank you for your contribution.. ;)
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I met Sergio and Arlene in Sydney in 1981. He came out to do a seminar and pose at a contest my ex Roz and I were involved with running. Sergio trained at my gym a few times and he came to my place for a party. Roger Walker and Lincoln Webb were there as well as other Mr Australias. Sergio was a down to earth guy and I respected him because no one bought him. I have to laugh at CS saying Sergio was a ladies man. Well, I asked Sergio about the gals who hang around contests hoping to score with the guest poser. His reply still makes me laugh, "Those days are gone!"
I would go up to Sergio when he was training at my gym and he would be sipping coffee in between bench presses. He never used much weight then and I think he injured his elbow because they were not the same as when he was at his peak. He did say something about injuring his elbow. Anyway, he told me he couldn't train with me yapping to him. So I went to talk to Arlene. She was a white gal from Georgia. Hell, I wondered how he went over when she brought him to meet her parents. So I asked her that question and she avoided answering. Finally she said, "They liked him." Can you imagine a white family having a big black dude show up in their home as guest of honour! The deep south and all. Anyway, Arlene always wore that funny cap. She was an attractive lady and since I share Sergios interest in women it was obvious to me that they were not suited. She seemed pretty smart and though Sergio was no dope he was hardly educated. Well, I finally told her that I didn't think it would last between them. From the look on her face I think she knew that, too. Maybe she thought Sergio was going to make a lot of money or something. When she shot him I wasn't surprised but Sergio told the officials it was an accident. I thought he was shot twice. Anyway, he eventually got custody of the children so that is a sad story all round. If you met Sergio you couldn't help but like him. My kids adored him and he posed for photos with them and knew how to treat kids. I can't help feeling that maybe he was messing around with another woman and Arlene found out. She seemed like a woman you wouldn't want to betray.
I had to pick him up at his hotel to bring to Castle Hill for the posing show. Arlene didn't come. Well, you should have seen him. It was warm weather and there he was in black tight fitting trousers with a sort of sash around the waist. He wore a red tight fitting singlet and he looked absolutely huge. Naturally he wore a heavy gold chain. It was fun talking to him about Arnold and the old days. He had some sort of boots on and was at least 6 feet then. I am about 5-10 and he was much taller than me then. He told me he weighed about 240 pounds and was quite large when you consider how small his waist was. There he was walking down the street and everyone was looking at him. Gosh, I had never felt so small!
Sergio began his posing routine with the lights out and in the kneeling position with head bowed. Then the lights gradually were turned on and he rose like a cartoon character. You have to understand that the Sydney audience had the Olympia the previous year and Arnold was the biggest guy seen here. Well, the audience was almost silent. Sergio did his routine and left the stage to a big ovation. The audience kept clapping but Sergio refused to do an encore. That was that. He did a short duo routine with Bev Francis so there were the best male and female bodybuilders on the stage at the same time. I asked Sergio why he didn't do an encore. He insisted the audience didn't clap enough. Heck, it was because their mouths were still open and people were too shocked to even respond. I don't think he ever accepted that.
He told me he couldn't go to the beach any more because kids would follow and hound him.
I laugh at Joe and Ben Weiders sense of humour. Well, Bev Francis got 8th place when she competed in Las Vegas in 1983. Sergio got the same placing! I told him not to compete because he wouldn't get a fair deal. I also told Larry Scott when he was here in 79 but Larry went ahead anyway and didn't do well. Before Sergio arrived in Australia I went out and paid about $10,000 for a 2 1/4 Rollieflex SLX camera system because I wanted to take photos of Sergio. When I saw that his condition was a bit smooth I wasn't that interested. The lighting at the posing was a bit dark so it wasn't good for photography and I didn't get any shots of him on stage. Then he told me he wanted $1000 to pose for photos and I lost all interest. No way I would be able to sell those images.
Sergio gave a seminar a couple of days later at City Gym. Typical of most bodybuilders who have never been to college he had no idea what a seminar was. He merely answered questions and if the right questions were not asked then the audience learned nothing. He was candid about his answers and everyone like him. He admitted to drug use but said he didn't take much. He didn't give any specific details.
When he was at the gym he wanted to do some reverse curls on a pulley apparatus I had made there. That was before I had my factory where I design and build my own equipment. Anyway there was a skinny gym member using that curl apparatus so Sergio asks if he can work in with him. The guy was delighted to share the machine. There was about 60 pounds on the machine and Sergio took a couple of plates off and did slow reverse curls with about 40 pounds. The other guy literally shook his head. How did Sergio get that big if that is all the weight he lifted? He had maybe 15 inch arms while Sergio was huge. The people who saw him signing photos after the show were amazed at how big he looked just sitting there. Those forearms were huge.
Sergio came to Sydney about 10 years before but just passed though on his way to Queensland. He was surprized that he had to take another plane to get there. You should have seen him coming through customs. He was wide as could be and everyone looked. They had a press conference for him and I remember one Asian reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald asking him how much he paid for his suit. Sergio needed tailor made suits as you can imagine. Well, he said it was about $500. The reporter asked him if that was dollars? "Yes, we deal in dollars!" was Sergio's reply. The guy was witty.
I asked Sergio about Arnold and he said Arnold was a nice guy. Contrast that to when I asked Arnold in 74 about Sergio. "He's a pig!" Arnold said that about all the black bodybuilders I mentioned including Robby Robinson, Chris Dickerson, Bill Grant, etc. I told Arnold he was prejudiced. "No, I just don't like any of those guys." was Arnold's reply.
It is a pity that Sergio didn't use other people the way Arnold did. Arnold did say that if he had Sergio's body he would have beaten a guy like himself. Sergio was totally independent and who could blame him for thinking he was unbeatable. Imagine if you could see that image in the mirror every day.
He told me a funny story about Bertil Fox. Well, they were supposed to compete in a contest and Bertil was in the bathroom in one of the toilets. Sergio knew he was in there. You know how there is often a little crack that you can see outside the booth? Well, Sergio took his shirt off and did some poses in the mirror to check his condition. He knew Bertil was watching. Sergio enterred that show and won. No one saw anything of Bertil! Apparently Bertil had second thoughts about competing after seeing Sergio.
Sergio lost to Bob Gajda in the Mr America AAU contest and that was ridiculous. Sergio was very upset and wanted to be Mr America. He knew he couldn't win the AAU contest so when he competed in the Weider shows he won just about everything he enterred. At one contest he enterred the Mr America and Mr Universe and the lads weren't happy about it. He just wanted to be Mr America. I think he took the trophy but the other guys sort of split the places.
When Sergio showed up at the Olympia in 1967 he caused a sensation. Former golden boy Larry could see he was not going to beat Sergio. One year no one showed up to compete against Sergio. The prize money in those days? $1,000. Yep that is all they got. What cheapskates the IFBB were. Sergio refused to do the butt kissing that Arnold was good at. Well, Arnold had a plan and used whatever and whoever to win and advance his career. He did shows for the judges so that when they were judging the Olympia who did they place first? The 1980 Olympia proved that and I have the score sheets somewhere. Sergio believed he was the best and just had to show up on stage and he would get the trophy. He was prevented from competing after a while and had to compete in the Dan Lurie contests where he continued to win.
I respect Sergio because he did it his way and he is still probably the best big guy every to be featured in bodybuilding magazines. The Olympia has been controversial since Arnold started competing in 1970. Sergio is a good man and one of the few honest guys out there. In the old days just about everyone denied using drugs. I laugh today when all old timers say they didn't take much and then you discover they took Decca and Dianabol and heaps of other stuff, too. The smart guys didn't use too much or for very long. Those guys who were at the top had long careers and the accumulated effects of drug use has come to haunt them in later years.
I credit Arthur Jones with getting Sergio to be his best. There is no way Sergio could have achieved that on his own. Had he embraced everything Arthur had taught him maybe the history of our sport would be quite different. No wonder Sergio wasn't impressed with the guys who won after he retired. When you know you are better than the guys on stage it must be a bitter pill to swallow.
I will see if I can find some photos of Sergio's visit to Australia. He was quite the guy and I wish him nothing but the best.
Vince Basile,
Mr Canada 1970
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I remember reading that Sergio won a title called the MR. Olympus in the late 70's, anyone know anything about this show?
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I met Sergio and Arlene in Sydney in 1981. He came out to do a seminar and pose at a contest my ex Roz and I were involved with running. Sergio trained at my gym a few times and he came to my place for a party. Roger Walker and Lincoln Webb were there as well as other Mr Australias. Sergio was a down to earth guy and I respected him because no one bought him. I have to laugh at CS saying Sergio was a ladies man. Well, I asked Sergio about the gals who hang around contests hoping to score with the guest poser. His reply still makes me laugh, "Those days are gone!"
I would go up to Sergio when he was training at my gym and he would be sipping coffee in between bench presses. He never used much weight then and I think he injured his elbow because they were not the same as when he was at his peak. He did say something about injuring his elbow. Anyway, he told me he couldn't train with me yapping to him. So I went to talk to Arlene. She was a white gal from Georgia. Hell, I wondered how he went over when she brought him to meet her parents. So I asked her that question and she avoided answering. Finally she said, "They liked him." Can you imagine a white family having a big black dude show up in their home as guest of honour! The deep south and all. Anyway, Arlene always wore that funny cap. She was an attractive lady and since I share Sergios interest in women it was obvious to me that they were not suited. She seemed pretty smart and though Sergio was no dope he was hardly educated. Well, I finally told her that I didn't think it would last between them. From the look on her face I think she knew that, too. Maybe she thought Sergio was going to make a lot of money or something. When she shot him I wasn't surprised but Sergio told the officials it was an accident. I thought he was shot twice. Anyway, he eventually got custody of the children so that is a sad story all round. If you met Sergio you couldn't help but like him. My kids adored him and he posed for photos with them and knew how to treat kids. I can't help feeling that maybe he was messing around with another woman and Arlene found out. She seemed like a woman you wouldn't want to betray.
I had to pick him up at his hotel to bring to Castle Hill for the posing show. Arlene didn't come. Well, you should have seen him. It was warm weather and there he was in black tight fitting trousers with a sort of sash around the waist. He wore a red tight fitting singlet and he looked absolutely huge. Naturally he wore a heavy gold chain. It was fun talking to him about Arnold and the old days. He had some sort of boots on and was at least 6 feet then. I am about 5-10 and he was much taller than me then. He told me he weighed about 240 pounds and was quite large when you consider how small his waist was. There he was walking down the street and everyone was looking at him. Gosh, I had never felt so small!
Sergio began his posing routine with the lights out and in the kneeling position with head bowed. Then the lights gradually were turned on and he rose like a cartoon character. You have to understand that the Sydney audience had the Olympia the previous year and Arnold was the biggest guy seen here. Well, the audience was almost silent. Sergio did his routine and left the stage to a big ovation. The audience kept clapping but Sergio refused to do an encore. That was that. He did a short duo routine with Bev Francis so there were the best male and female bodybuilders on the stage at the same time. I asked Sergio why he didn't do an encore. He insisted the audience didn't clap enough. Heck, it was because their mouths were still open and people were too shocked to even respond. I don't think he ever accepted that.
He told me he couldn't go to the beach any more because kids would follow and hound him.
I laugh at Joe and Ben Weiders sense of humour. Well, Bev Francis got 8th place when she competed in Las Vegas in 1983. Sergio got the same placing! I told him not to compete because he wouldn't get a fair deal. I also told Larry Scott when he was here in 79 but Larry went ahead anyway and didn't do well. Before Sergio arrived in Australia I went out and paid about $10,000 for a 2 1/4 Rollieflex SLX camera system because I wanted to take photos of Sergio. When I saw that his condition was a bit smooth I wasn't that interested. The lighting at the posing was a bit dark so it wasn't good for photography and I didn't get any shots of him on stage. Then he told me he wanted $1000 to pose for photos and I lost all interest. No way I would be able to sell those images.
Sergio gave a seminar a couple of days later at City Gym. Typical of most bodybuilders who have never been to college he had no idea what a seminar was. He merely answered questions and if the right questions were not asked then the audience learned nothing. He was candid about his answers and everyone like him. He admitted to drug use but said he didn't take much. He didn't give any specific details.
When he was at the gym he wanted to do some reverse curls on a pulley apparatus I had made there. That was before I had my factory where I design and build my own equipment. Anyway there was a skinny gym member using that curl apparatus so Sergio asks if he can work in with him. The guy was delighted to share the machine. There was about 60 pounds on the machine and Sergio took a couple of plates off and did slow reverse curls with about 40 pounds. The other guy literally shook his head. How did Sergio get that big if that is all the weight he lifted? He had maybe 15 inch arms while Sergio was huge. The people who saw him signing photos after the show were amazed at how big he looked just sitting there. Those forearms were huge.
Sergio came to Sydney about 10 years before but just passed though on his way to Queensland. He was surprized that he had to take another plane to get there. You should have seen him coming through customs. He was wide as could be and everyone looked. They had a press conference for him and I remember one Asian reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald asking him how much he paid for his suit. Sergio needed tailor made suits as you can imagine. Well, he said it was about $500. The reporter asked him if that was dollars? "Yes, we deal in dollars!" was Sergio's reply. The guy was witty.
I asked Sergio about Arnold and he said Arnold was a nice guy. Contrast that to when I asked Arnold in 74 about Sergio. "He's a pig!" Arnold said that about all the black bodybuilders I mentioned including Robby Robinson, Chris Dickerson, Bill Grant, etc. I told Arnold he was prejudiced. "No, I just don't like any of those guys." was Arnold's reply.
It is a pity that Sergio didn't use other people the way Arnold did. Arnold did say that if he had Sergio's body he would have beaten a guy like himself. Sergio was totally independent and who could blame him for thinking he was unbeatable. Imagine if you could see that image in the mirror every day.
He told me a funny story about Bertil Fox. Well, they were supposed to compete in a contest and Bertil was in the bathroom in one of the toilets. Sergio knew he was in there. You know how there is often a little crack that you can see outside the booth? Well, Sergio took his shirt off and did some poses in the mirror to check his condition. He knew Bertil was watching. Sergio enterred that show and won. No one saw anything of Bertil! Apparently Bertil had second thoughts about competing after seeing Sergio.
Sergio lost to Bob Gajda in the Mr America AAU contest and that was ridiculous. Sergio was very upset and wanted to be Mr America. He knew he couldn't win the AAU contest so when he competed in the Weider shows he won just about everything he enterred. At one contest he enterred the Mr America and Mr Universe and the lads weren't happy about it. He just wanted to be Mr America. I think he took the trophy but the other guys sort of split the places.
When Sergio showed up at the Olympia in 1967 he caused a sensation. Former golden boy Larry could see he was not going to beat Sergio. One year no one showed up to compete against Sergio. The prize money in those days? $1,000. Yep that is all they got. What cheapskates the IFBB were. Sergio refused to do the butt kissing that Arnold was good at. Well, Arnold had a plan and used whatever and whoever to win and advance his career. He did shows for the judges so that when they were judging the Olympia who did they place first? The 1980 Olympia proved that and I have the score sheets somewhere. Sergio believed he was the best and just had to show up on stage and he would get the trophy. He was prevented from competing after a while and had to compete in the Dan Lurie contests where he continued to win.
I respect Sergio because he did it his way and he is still probably the best big guy every to be featured in bodybuilding magazines. The Olympia has been controversial since Arnold started competing in 1970. Sergio is a good man and one of the few honest guys out there. In the old days just about everyone denied using drugs. I laugh today when all old timers say they didn't take much and then you discover they took Decca and Dianabol and heaps of other stuff, too. The smart guys didn't use too much or for very long. Those guys who were at the top had long careers and the accumulated effects of drug use has come to haunt them in later years.
I credit Arthur Jones with getting Sergio to be his best. There is no way Sergio could have achieved that on his own. Had he embraced everything Arthur had taught him maybe the history of our sport would be quite different. No wonder Sergio wasn't impressed with the guys who won after he retired. When you know you are better than the guys on stage it must be a bitter pill to swallow.
I will see if I can find some photos of Sergio's visit to Australia. He was quite the guy and I wish him nothing but the best.
Vince Basile,
Mr Canada 1970
Awesome post. I read it through and enjoyed every bit of it. Thanks Vince!
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one of the greatest
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Yes, Sergio is a ladies man and Arlene also got around. This was one of the reasons they got into a fight, he slugged her and she shot him once just below the liver. They both messed around a lot or should I say every chance they got.
The story in the paper was that they had gotten in to an argument over who was going to take out the trash. Right!
This was to keep her out of jail. They split and she went home to stay with her family in Alabama. When ever they were together it was as if they were worlds apart. They had absolutely nothing in common. The biggest surprise was when she came back and they got together for about another year, had another child and split again for good. They fought all the time and it actually seemed like he hated her or was just trying to get back at her for shooting him. Always mocking her and making faces behind her back. I can't say she wasn't deserving of it. Remember, she ended his bodybuilding career. She sure was goofy and together they were like oil and water.
Arlene once won the Ms. Illinois title and had a great body. She looked great for someone who had two kids or no kids. Sergio and Arlene met in the 80s when she was working for the Chicago Health Club. Her ex-boyfriend, Al Philips, was one of the owners. Sergio used to send her flowers at the club all the time. They even fought publicly before they married.
I remember Sergio talking about meeting Bev Francis. He said at first he thought she was a man.
I have no idea what his diet was like at the time of the 1985 Olympia since I wasn't privy to that information at the time. In 85 I was training at the Chicago Health Club down the street. I trained there until they said I had to join and then decided to go to Oliva's. One day I was in the gym and there was only one other person training that day. It was Sergio and we both happened to be doing arms that day and he needed a spot. He invited me to train with him and from that day on we trained together most of the time. I do remember not being able to lift my arms above my head that night. When his work shifts would change he sometimes came in to train around 4pm. I couldn't do the late in the day workout and have always trained early in the morning. Even now I'm in the gym at 6am.
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Natural Al, the Olympus competitions were more unsanctioned shows Sergio did to piss off the Weider's and it kept him out of the IFBB even longer. If he had only gone back to the Weider's and said I'm sorry the history of bodybuilding may have gone another way. I guess we'll never know.
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Getting a close-up look at a bodybuilding legend's life is so interesting.
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I was a bit worried about making the comment about what I suspected led to that shooting of Sergio. I guess Sergio had a bad case of gym owner's disease. That is when the owner sees some gal join up who he fancies more than the Mrs! If they both worked at the gym that would have been a disaster.
Some of the top guys have a small number of gym moles who fancy having sex with the champions. So he would have had offers and being a guy it is hard to turn down. The trouble starts when a guy spends too much time elsewhere or one of those gals phones home or some other nasty business.
You are right, CS, about the mismatch. Hell, I thought I had more in common with Arlene. That relationship didn't make sense to me but you never know when it comes to love. I guess they gave it a fair go and they were just not compatible. Sergio's life has been an interesting one for sure. I hope someone writes a book about what he did and achieved. His story would make a great movie but who could you get to play him!
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I was a bit worried about making the comment about what I suspected led to that shooting of Sergio. I guess Sergio had a bad case of gym owner's disease. That is when the owner sees some gal join up who he fancies more than the Mrs! If they both worked at the gym that would have been a disaster.
Some of the top guys have a small number of gym moles who fancy having sex with the champions. So he would have had offers and being a guy it is hard to turn down. The trouble starts when a guy spends too much time elsewhere or one of those gals phones home or some other nasty business.
You are right, CS, about the mismatch. Hell, I thought I had more in common with Arlene. That relationship didn't make sense to me but you never know when it comes to love. I guess they gave it a fair go and they were just not compatible. Sergio's life has been an interesting one for sure. I hope someone writes a book about what he did and achieved. His story would make a great movie but who could you get to play him![/color][/size]
They'll never find an actor who could look exactly like Sergio but the general public would never know the difference anyway. Someone like Michael Jai White with a bald head and bulked up a bit bigger than his role in Spawn or Universal Soldier the return. He's a pretty decent actor with a great physique. If he came in big and hard, I think he'd do justice to the part.
(http://jewel.morgan.edu/~igillis/mjai2.jpg)
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This guy was a monster in universal soldier! Great thick chest! Lots of bodybuilding potential!
Thanks for the stories guys!
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This guy was a monster in universal soldier! Great thick chest! Lots of bodybuilding potential!
Thanks for the stories guys!
He would be a good choice because a huge bodybuilder would look unrealistically large.
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From what I remember, Sergio didn't mess around with anyone from the gym. He mostly kept it outside the club. We didn't have that many members to begin with and most of the girls were mutts.
How about Michael Clarke Duncan to play Sergio? He'd have to learn a Cuban accent and be able to butcher the English language.
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From what I remember, Sergio didn't mess around with anyone from the gym. He mostly kept it outside the club. We didn't have that many members to begin with and most of the girls we're mutts.
How about Michael Clarke Duncan to play Sergio? He'd have to learn a Cuban accent and be able to butcher the English language.
He's waaaayyyyy taller than Sergio though people outside of bodybuilding would never know and he does look a bit like Sergio.
(http://www.club-soft.ch/cinema/ligne/ligneverte04.jpg)
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We were doing bent over rows with 405
Always pretty heavy weights but in the end it was sad. Now I'm going through what he went through in the late 80s. I have no cartilage in my shoulders and this is from the crap I put in my system in the 80s. It's bone on bone and I have to get cortisone injections so I can train and sleep until I decide to have the joints replaced.
Enjoy it while you can.
Same with my shoulders. The Orthopedic surgeons (3) all gave me the same diagnoses. I practically live on pain killers. Trying to get in the right position to sleep sucks. I am putting it off as long as I can. All the internet chat I've had with people who had shoulder replacements say they made a mistake doing it. "The range of motion hasn't changed much and the pain, though not as bad, is still their". Hip and knee replacements are done to the tune of about 400,000 each. With shoulder replacement, it's only 30,000. Let me know if you're going to get it done, or after. I search for success stories, but haven't found 1 yet.
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Yes Micheal is the biggest actor!
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When we would go out to eat and he brought the kids, it was a disaster. When it was time to leave, the table was a mess. He wasn't a big tipper. It's not that he was cheap, he was just a lousy tipper. After a big meal and receiving dinner for half price, he would leave a $2 tip. This is because he believed that the waitress was making an hourly wage and really didn't need the money. I remember he would tip the delivery guy from the Chinese restaurant $1. I asked him about it and he said, he gets money for the delivery. I remember the delivery charge for Pekin House was $1. so the guy made a whopping $2.
Being a lousy tipper, except in the case of bad service, is the definition of cheap.
Sergio = Great Physique = Bodybuilding Legend = Cheap Fuck
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Buffbodz, the cortisone injections worked great for me and made it a lot easier to sleep. I'll just keep getting them until they don't work but my workouts are much better. Hey, for $35 with insurance for two shots and no pain, that's a bargain.
I don't know what pain killers you're taking but stay clear of Vicodin or any of the similar drugs since they will only aggravate the condition once they wear off. Ask me how I know.
I was taking Elavil 10mg at bedtime and once that stopped working I would switch to Tramadol 50 - 100mg. You can mix these with Ibuprofen but that got old so I went for the Cortisone and have been pain free for two weeks now and my range of motion has improved. He said it could work for as long as 8 months or not. The injections weren't that bad and I consider it a lot easier than a prostate exam or going to the dentist. The end result sure is better. Sure beats joint replacement.
I guess Michael Clarke Duncan would have to wear his shoes on his knees to play Sergio.
Okay, he was cheap with some things and generous with others. Mostly generous with himself. He did buy me a great bottle of Cologne once and it wasn't cheap but I'm sure he got a great deal on it.
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FWIW, as someone who has had shoulder problems, you're far better off getting a very occasional cortisone shot to get rid of the pain while simultaneously removing or going lighter onall exercises that directly contributed to the problem. If not, the problems will eventually return and result in lifelong pain and possible surgery.
Substitutes exercises and other preventative measures like higher reps and differing sequences of exercises that ensure better warmups are the best solution.
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CS! thank you for answering pretty much everyone of my questions. I can't even think of any more for now. ;D
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I hope CS and vince will keep adding memories of the myth to this thread. Is this a sticky yet? Its the first one i go to when i log on!! Thanks ;)
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It used to be a sticky. Not anymore?! >:(
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It used to be a sticky. Not anymore?! >:(
It was a sticky for one day!!..........some one with weider love must have changed his mind. >:(
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They could be heroes, just for one day... :-\
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They could be heroes, just for one day... :-\
Cool avi sig! 8)
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Cool avi sig! 8)
Thanks. I thought it would help humble people before Jesus ;D
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The exercises that I've eliminated from my workouts are behind the neck presses, behind the neck pulldowns and any type of chins since these would make my shoulders ratchet like stripped gears. Also, as long as I keep my bench weight to a moderate level, like no more than 245, I'm okay. Usually I'll do more sets and reps but I seem to have found my limits and what kills my shoulders. Doing both triceps and biceps on the same day also aggravated my shoulders so I split them up. Hanging from a chin bar feels great and everything pops but even the Orthopedic Surgeon said I'm better off with the cortisone and to wait until I can no longer tolerate the pain. So far I have to agree with the Doctor. I guess if he was out to make some quick $$ he would have suggested I have the surgery so I appreciated his honesty. This is the same thing Sergio Oliva was going through in the late 80s. It was brought on while he was in the hospital. I wouldn't doubt his not being able to train made the arthritis symptoms worsen. I'd like to continue to train for another ten years and then weigh my options.
There are no supplements that will help this condition so save your money for the cortisone shots.
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CS are these articles acurate regarding sergio's training?
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He's waaaayyyyy taller than Sergio though people outside of bodybuilding would never know and he does look a bit like Sergio.
(http://www.club-soft.ch/cinema/ligne/ligneverte04.jpg)
LOL! Duncan is not really that tall... he's walking on a 10"-12" platform. Check out where his waist is in reference to Tom Hanks head.
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LOL! Duncan is not really that tall... he's walking on a 10"-12" platform. Check out where his waist is in reference to Tom Hanks head.
That's true, but he is still pretty tall.
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This has appeared on GetBig before but I'm sure some of you haven't seen it - so here it is
Click here to watch Sergio_Oliva_1985 (http://media.putfile.com/Sergio_Oliva_1985)
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this thread have had me totally locked reading for an hour now. awesome!
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Alexxx, I didn't train with Sergio in the old days but a close friend of ours did and I do remember him supersetting Chest with back and he did superset bench with wide grip chins and cross bench dumbell pullovers. I can also tell you that when he did cross bench pullovers he didn't bend his elbows as most do and he kept his ass down. When I was training with him we were supersetting deadlift and bent over barbell rows with the cross bench pullovers and we were lifting very heavy weight.
He had changed his routine whenever he thought of something new so over the years it changed quite a bit.
Sorry, I couldn't see the 1985 Olympia video you posted but I have it on tape somewhere. I remember seeing it at the Admiral Theater piped in live from Brussels on the big screen. Lou Ferigno, wife Carla and daughter were sitting right behind us. Lou looked very small at the time. Lou is one of Sergio's biggest fans. Lou has always said that Sergio is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. I agree.
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sergio made arnold a better bodybuilder imo,arnold had to try that much harder in training,diet,posing ect cause of that massive sergio in the picture,so it made arnold a better bodybuilder
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Alexxx, I didn't train with Sergio in the old days but a close friend of ours did and I do remember him supersetting Chest with back and he did superset bench with wide grip chins and cross bench dumbell pullovers. I can also tell you that when he did cross bench pullovers he didn't bend his elbows as most do and he kept his ass down. When I was training with him we were supersetting deadlift and bent over barbell rows with the cross bench pullovers and we were lifting very heavy weight.
He had changed his routine whenever he thought of something new so over the years it changed quite a bit.
Sorry, I couldn't see the 1985 Olympia video you posted but I have it on tape somewhere. I remember seeing it at the Admiral Theater piped in live from Brussels on the big screen. Lou Ferigno, wife Carla and daughter were sitting right behind us. Lou looked very small at the time. Lou is one of Sergio's biggest fans. Lou has always said that Sergio is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. I agree.
Thats a brutal workout. Did you guys go for higher reps with the deads?
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CS are these articles acurate regarding sergio's training?
I would think that it's fairly accurate due to one thing: Sergio hated Weider and his publications and Lurie was at war with Weider at the time. So I tend to trust that it would please Sergio to help Lurie one-up Weider.
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I would think that it's fairly accurate due to one thing: Sergio hated Weider and his publications and Lurie was at war with Weider at the time. So I tend to trust that it would please Sergio to help Lurie one-up Weider.
You are starting to make sense. The dieting must be having a good impact on you or that cup of wip cream in the morning. ;)
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Yes... I'm actually regaining some brain power... I dieted too hard too fast so I was kinda of a zombie 2 months ago... all better now. BTW, shoot me an email at christianthibaudeau_1@hotmail.com I have some documents that might interest you.
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Look at that cutout from a mag above. Man Sergio ownes Arnold bad in that shot, and he is even standing a good 2-3 feet closer to the camera which makes Arnold look bigger too. Total Ownage by the Myth.
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Yes... I'm actually regaining some brain power... I dieted too hard too fast so I was kinda of a zombie 2 months ago... all better now. BTW, shoot me an email at christianthibaudeau_1@hotmail.com I have some documents that might interest you.
Recently declassified Soviet-era military papers? :o
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This picture is frome a few yaers ago, he still looks awesome.
Great arms still!
I love how his hands are 6 times bigger than the other guy's hands
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In the photos posted by Alexxx you can clearly see that Sergio's quads and calves are bigger and better, his delts are clearly larger, better shape and definition. Arnold's delts sloped down. Overall he has more muscle maturity than Arnold and was years ahead. The only advantage Arnold had was standing in the middle of the stage and being taller. He had a better stage presence. Listen, I think Arnold was ahead of his time for his age, size and year he was competing in but he wasn't in Sergio's league. He was so close behind Joe Weider he had sh*t stains on his nose.
Lets forget Sergio is black and has a thick Cuban accent and make everything equal for Sergio and Arnold. I know, Arnold had an accent to but he took speech classes and continued his education. Sergio didn't. Arnold was driving a Rolls not long after arriving here.
Put them in shows all the way up to 1980, have fair and square judging and Sergio would have kicked the crap out of Arnold and everyone else and would have held the Olympia title longer than all of them combined. As I said earlier, bodybuilding history would have told another story.
Alexxx, Sergio wouldn't sit down and tell you the weight he used for any given exercise so personally I think that whole article is bogus, just like the ones in Muscle and Fitless.
He doesn't know what weight he's going to use from workout to workout. Things change quickly. If he did tell them his actual workout, and I know he wouldn't, he might have told them something he did in the past. Pro Bodybuilders usually don't give out their routines.
As I said before, they pay him and write a story using his photos and name. That's it.
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:o
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:o
Now those are serious pipes.
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Sergio's movie. I saw it in Venezuela many years ago. It was pretty good and Sergio looked massive in this movie. I had never heard of Sergio until I saw this movie and yes, my jaw dropped when I first saw him.
"This was one of the few Mexi-movies Mil Mascaras made without the usual plethora of gaudily-costumed wrestling heroes that usually followed him around from film to film. In this one, Mil tries to convince a massive dockworker to become a wrestler with him in the ring, while simultaneously trying to keep the big guy safe from a gang of murderous thugs who are out to kill him. Sergio Oliva plays the "Black Power" in this film, and your jaw will drop when you see the massive physique on this giant. (Why anyone would mess with this guy is beyond me!) "
http://www.santoandfriends.com/MEXICINE/BlackPower.htm
He also did a western in Mexico called Los Temibles. That one was not any good, but worth watching just to see Sergio in it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284553/
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Sergio's movie. I saw it in Venezuela many years ago. It was pretty good and Sergio looked massive in this movie. I had never heard of Sergio until I saw this movie and yes, my jaw dropped when I first saw him.
"This was one of the few Mexi-movies Mil Mascaras made without the usual plethora of gaudily-costumed wrestling heroes that usually followed him around from film to film. In this one, Mil tries to convince a massive dockworker to become a wrestler with him in the ring, while simultaneously trying to keep the big guy safe from a gang of murderous thugs who are out to kill him. Sergio Oliva plays the "Black Power" in this film, and your jaw will drop when you see the massive physique on this giant. (Why anyone would mess with this guy is beyond me!) "
http://www.santoandfriends.com/MEXICINE/BlackPower.htm
Was it better than Hercules in New York? ;D
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Was it better than Hercules in New York? ;D
Anything is better than Hercules in New York.
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Freaky Sergio.
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he looks phenominal.... crazy legs
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And to remember that legs were not a prioritized musclegroup around this time. Sergio owns everybodu once again. I would like to have seen him come in a few pounds harder, Arnold came ripped and had Wieders cock up his ass which was enough to pull over the win and start the very popular gay4pay trend that bodybuilders of today have mastered along with legtraining.
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Arnold came ripped and had Wieders cock up his ass which was enough to pull over the win and start the very popular gay4pay trend that bodybuilders of today have mastered along with legtraining.
gay4pay..WTF R U babbling about, unless you were involved?
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I highly doubt Arnold ever did any gay for pay!
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Arnold came ripped and had Wieders cock up his ass which was enough to pull over the win and start the very popular gay4pay trend that bodybuilders of today have mastered along with legtraining.
Where do you come up with this crazy bullshit?
You guys sure have come up with some great photos of Sergio. I'd still love to see El Poder Negro.
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That Arnold rumour has been going around for years.... where have you been not to have heard it? Whether there is any truth to it is something only Arnold and his benefactors (lol) would know. Bodybuilding and gay have been and forever will be joined at the hip. That is just the way it is. At least for pro bodybuilding.
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A friend of mine ran into Sergio at the Post Office last week and he said he couldn't have weighed more than 150 lbs.
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A friend of mine ran into Sergio at the Post Office last week and he said he couldn't have weighed more than 150 lbs.
No way! maybe he finally decided to just stay fit by doing cardio and no weights.
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A friend of mine ran into Sergio at the Post Office last week and he said he couldn't have weighed more than 150 lbs.
When i met him at the olympia he was at least 220lbs. Had a big yellow button up shirt on with big white pockets on it. It was the kind you dont tuck in, and he looked like a big old dude.
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sergio could have both legs amputated and still weigh more then 150lbs
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Will not let this great thread die!!
Is that samir in the background?
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Sergio was a genetic freak beyond his time...he doesnt look anything like he did. I see him from time to time at local shows/expos here in Chicago. His gait is a little unsteady...he is a liiiitle bit unalert but he is funny because when heis out in public he dresses like an old pimp.
At the Illinois State Show last May...he wore a gleaming white suit with red shirt, black tie...mirror like black Stacey Adams shoes...and enough rings, chains and bling bling to make Mr. T look naked.
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Still hits the greatest back double bi that ever lived.
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Sergio was a genetic freak beyond his time...he doesnt look anything like he did. I see him from time to time at local shows/expos here in Chicago. His gait is a little unsteady...he is a liiiitle bit unalert but he is funny because when heis out in public he dresses like an old pimp.
At the Illinois State Show last May...he wore a gleaming white suit with red shirt, black tie...mirror like black Stacey Adams shoes...and enough rings, chains and bling bling to make Mr. T look naked.
Stacy Adams are shit shoes. Ghetto as hell and cheaply made.
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Stacy Adams are shit shoes. Ghetto as hell and cheaply made.
I buy s tacey adams shoes if Im using them for one night only hahah made in italy right ?? hahah
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Is that samir in the background?
Nope that is freddie mercury from (Queen)
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I buy s tacey adams shoes if Im using them for one night only hahah made in italy right ?? hahah
hahah Hell no!
They are junk...I sell upscale shoes on EBAY at a good volume. Prada,Gucci,Santoni,Bally,Salvatore Ferragamo,Bruno Magli
Those are real shoes....Stacy Adams is generic junk.hahhah Thats what wannabes wear.
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hahah Hell no!
They are junk...I sell upscale shoes on EBAY at a good volume. Prada,Gucci,Santoni,Bally,Salvatore Ferragamo,Bruno Magli
Those are real shoes....Stacy Adams is generic junk.hahhah Thats what wannabes wear.
What's your username on Ebay, TA?
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hahah Hell no!
They are junk...I sell upscale shoes on EBAY at a good volume. Prada,Gucci,Santoni,Bally,Salvatore Ferragamo,Bruno Magli
Those are real shoes....Stacy Adams is generic junk.hahhah Thats what wannabes wear.
Bruno Magli I like, Pradas too, but I ussually get clarks or just a ton of Aldos ...
Adonis what about Air Force ones ?? do you sell collectable Nikes ?? thats what I spend all my discretionary money on!!
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Look what I started...
This thread is rapidly starting to become as gay as John Mark Karr not wanting to use a spoon to eat his frozen yogurt.
Bunch of 'straight' guys talking about styles and manufacturers of shoes...
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Look what I started...
This thread is rapidly starting to become as gay as John Mark Karr not wanting to use a spoon to eat his frozen yogurt.
Bunch of 'straight' guys talking about styles and manufacturers of shoes...
Nah but those are collectable nike dunks that go for 400 bucks and up!!
Jordans too
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This picture is frome a few yaers ago, he still looks awesome.
Great arms still!
all drugs
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bump
(http://www.schwarzenegger.it/mro/oliva/so205.jpg)
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Thanks CS, this is an awesome thread. I sure would like to hear some more stories. One question. When Sergio was an up and coming bodybuilder, who did he look up to? Which was his favourite bodybuilder when he was younger? Thanks.
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bump :)
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Hands down my favourite bodybuilding footage of all time. This was shot in London the day after Sergio lost the '72 Olympia. There are times during this footage where the camera focuses on Sergio's biceps & lats, and he almost looks too big. I can't imagine what people must have thought about Sergio at the time.
SERGIO!!!!
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Hands down my favourite bodybuilding footage of all time. This was shot in London the day after Sergio lost the '72 Olympia. There are times during this footage where the camera focuses on Sergio's biceps & lats, and he almost looks too big. I can't imagine what people must have thought about Sergio at the time.
SERGIO!!!!
Great video in the first link, thanks. I agree.
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Yeah those are ideal proportions!! Imagine the public seeing Sergio! That would be awesome to watch!