RICH GASPARI went down hill after 1990...

[BigAnt]

Gaspari was the very first bodybuilder who had cross-striations and striated glutes!  Freaky veins everywhere...He brought a new level of conditioning to bodybuilding...he trained very intense.  I am friends with one of his older training partners. He would train to failure on every set!  Heavy barbell rows super-setted with wide pull downs, super-setted with low pulley rows, doing 4 sets of each would be one exercise-set for his back workout...he didn't do this every workout, but my buddy did train back with him on this sequence.

He made the best of his genetics and placing 2nd to Haney is a very good accomplishment, now a successful business person with a beautiful wife...he ain't doing to shabby!

[TheGoldenPrince]

Gaspari was awesome at his peak...unreal definition.

[Mr Anabolic]

Veiny yes, but gifted?   

Rich was not gifted.  He had below average genetics (upper body).  He was an overrated great white hope.  His arms sucked, his back sucked, he was blocky and his shoulders were narrow.  However, he did have a good work ethic.

Haney absolutely destroyed him in every Mr O contest.

[Figo]

Veiny yes, but gifted?   

Rich was not gifted.  He had below average genetics (upper body).  He was an overrated great white hope.  His arms sucked, his back sucked, he was blocky and his shoulders were narrow.  However, he did have a good work ethic.

Haney absolutely destroyed him in every Mr O contest.

He had him beat on most of the shows, but there were close-calls, even being a Rich fan, I'll say Haney had the best overall package (with flaws), but Haney got gifts, one was Labrada getting shafted, the other was Ray getting the wrong end of the stick.
Rich had a good look, not Mr O, unfortunately, but a good powerful look.

[the shadow]

Veiny yes, but gifted?   

Rich was not gifted.  He had below average genetics (upper body).  He was an overrated great white hope.  His arms sucked, his back sucked, he was blocky and his shoulders were narrow.  However, he did have a good work ethic.

Haney absolutely destroyed him in every Mr O contest.

think again junior...

[Van_Bilderass]

Genetically flawed and his body did not respond as well to AAS as other bodybuilders, or perhaps he wasn't using enough.

Yeah right.  He responded absolutely beautifully to the drugs. He was a champion at a very early age. The  problem if there was any was his structure, and muscle bellies. Compared to the population in general he had magnificent genetics for muscular development.

[SWOLETRAIN]

those are some freaky pics.......

[americanbulldog]

His physique lacked that crazy hardness quality of his early career,heart attack rumours every year ,his body stopped responding to it's regimine eventually.

I heard his body stopped responding to T3. 

[chris_mason]

Last time I saw him he looked to be in good health.  I think that was about a year ago.

Chris

[Cleanest Natural]

I keep reading about how Rich had below average genetics or just average genetics.  Looking at things like waist-to-shoulder with ratio, his slightly bowed lower legs, and short biceps I suppose there is some truth to this.  But looking at other things like the ability to pack on the mass and achieve that shrink-wrapped skin look on contest day (when it really matters) then Gaspari was rather gifted in this regard.  During the 80's Rich was able to beat many supposedly gifted bodybuilders who for one reason or another could never get their crap together on the day of the contest. 

exactly...DIVISION...how in the world did u reach the conclusion that a guy like gaspari placing 2nd in the olynpia nonetheless has average genetics?

[BEAST 8692]

he didn't respond well to anabolics?

i don't get it. to my eyes he was easily the most muscular and conditioned bber of his generation. he set the standards here. his flaws were aesthetics and shape which have little to do with drugs and a lot to do with genetics.

put it this way. of all the bbers competing with him (including haney) gaspari had the physique that was most unatainable without drugs.

[the shadow]

genetics or not gaspari worked his ass off to compete at the highest.drugs do play a major role in bodybuilding.take for instance ronnie coleman.till 1998 virtually every pro bodybuilder made coleman lok like a bitch.ronnie coleman trained his ass off to be mr olympia and what worked for him and what works well fro every pro bodybuilder is steroids. i don't consider genetics  anything in pro bodybuilding.the simple thing is train as hard as you can and juice as hard as you can.thats what pro bodybuilding is all about....he just did the same thing for too long though but still rich will always be considered as true bodybuilding legend..

[DIVISION]

Yeah right.  He responded absolutely beautifully to the drugs. He was a champion at a very early age. The  problem if there was any was his structure, and muscle bellies. Compared to the population in general he had magnificent genetics for muscular development.

Bildernugga.....

I'm not sure whether it was his limited genetics or whether his body didn't respond to the AAS as well as other bodybuilders, but he just didn't have the structure and size to beat Haney.  Sure he came in 2nd, but his ceiling didn't allow him to be #1.

exactly...DIVISION...how in the world did u reach the conclusion that a guy like gaspari placing 2nd in the olynpia nonetheless has average genetics?

Average to below average genetics combined with hard work and AAS = Gaspari.

If it was the AAS, perhaps he needed more or different drugs.

If it was genetics, the AAS wouldn't matter anyway.

It he was that gifted, he'd have beat Haney for the Olympia at least once.

he didn't respond well to anabolics?

i don't get it. to my eyes he was easily the most muscular and conditioned bber of his generation. he set the standards here. his flaws were aesthetics and shape which have little to do with drugs and a lot to do with genetics.

put it this way. of all the bbers competing with him (including haney) gaspari had the physique that was most unatainable without drugs.

Gaspari had better conditioning than Haney, but Haney had the pleasing physique and better structure.

Haney was the complete package, while Gaspari was the ultimate underdog who peaked at #2.

His prime was only about two years and then injuries and overtraining ruined his body.



DIV

[Cleanest Natural]

somehow you think peaking at no 2 in the world is average...jesus...did u play any sports competitively?...any...

[Matt C]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/johnh2.htm

[bigmikecox]

this is sad..what happened.a guy wich everyone thought was the uncrowned olympia ended his career on a sad note..just look at his record after 1990..

http://musclememory.com/show.php?a=Gaspari,+Rich

He was done after the 1989 Olympia.  Vince Taylor and Labrada had caught him and Shawn Ray was just around the corner.  I think his body just gave out, sort of like what happened to Nasser.

[Jr. Yates]

I have an old Flex mag with him and eddie robinson doing extensions with the 200lbs dumbell. cool photo shoot.

[the shadow]

I have an old Flex mag with him and eddie robinson doing extensions with the 200lbs dumbell. cool photo shoot.

damn eddie and rich were one of the true hard core trainers ever..they moved heavy weight like it was nothing