Friends and training partners..........

[michael arvilla]

Now that i look back i realize i was fortunate to train with some really "genetically gifted" guys,at the time i just saw them as my friends (and i took the fact that they both had 20" arms as normal...and i had to catch up to them!)
Both Stan and Chris weighed around 270 -280 lbs at around 5 ft 10" 5 ft 9" each.....i was always the smallest weakest one out of the three (when i met them i had just joined the gym and looked pretty much like i do in this "before pic" lol except with longer hair)
i soon got in with their crew (which was by and large powerlifters who competed in bench press contests)
i slowly but surely grew bigger and stronger (and was in fact the first one to reach 300 lbs in our crew altho most of it was fat lol)
i never realized how lucky i was to train and learn from these guys (we all just ate/lifted and "bounced" in night clubs in those days)
now they are both married/with kids and one is fat and the other pretty skinny
it's been a long and crazy ride (this thing called bodybuilding) and i have had a blast!
(no lol im not done yet!)
as i get older and reflect tho................those were great times!  (when all we had to worry about was "lifting and eating and having fun")
just thought id share with you guys
 

[michael arvilla]

We were always "ragging on" each other..............a couple things that stand out
I Told Chris after i had taken a short layoff from the gym "Muscle has memory"
he said "yours must have amnesia then"
Another time.................i took my T-Michael sweat shirt off in the gym in front of "the crew" and said "i just wanna see what's going on with my physique"
Chris says very loudly " Not Much"

we musta went thru about 5 gyms and 8 - 10 niteclubs over a 15 yr period!
(Both met there future wifes in the niteclubs that we worked at)

good times!

[tbombz]

Cool stories Michael.

Those guys are jacked.

[michael arvilla]

Cool stories Michael.

Those guys are jacked.

 Thx man!........................ yea they were (out of the three of us i had the worst bodybuilding genetics/....6 ft 2" long limbs/lotta space to fill up/was 155 lbs when i started lifting at age 25 when i met those guys)

now im the only one still training/bodybuilding...........

[wes]

I can relate Mike........most of the guys I trained with are long done and look like hell for the most part.

[Butterbean]

I Told Chris after i had taken a short layoff from the gym "Muscle has memory"
he said "yours must have amnesia then"
Another time.................i took my T-Michael sweat shirt off in the gym in front of "the crew" and said "i just wanna see what's going on with my physique"
Chris says very loudly " Not Much"

What song are you playing 

[kimura]

Cool pics -  I remember when the guy on the left was 318 lbs.  I measured his arms at 22" cold.

[michael arvilla]

I can relate Mike........most of the guys I trained with are long done and look like hell for the most part.

Thinking back now blows my mind! (in the gym i trained at we had Mike Matarazzo,Paul DEmayo,"Big" Dan Smith,Jay Cutler, many national level bodybuilders,Steve Cantone,Lucio Paoulini,Matt Kline,Louie Desoliis,etc etc)

what a great time/atmosphere...........at the time i didn't know any better and thought this was normal!
that everyone was 270 lbs at 8% body fat with 22" arms........and why wasn't i?!?!?!?!?!?  why didn't i look like these guys>?!!!??!!?? it drove me crazy   lol!

[TacoBell]

Wow look at that before pick!

What color was your Pontiac Firebird?? 

[michael arvilla]

Wow look at that before pick!

What color was your Pontiac Firebird?? 

Green   (seriously)

[michael arvilla]

What song are you playing 

 "Home Sweet Home" by Motley Crue ........................

[wes]

Thinking back now blows my mind! (in the gym i trained at we had Mike Matarazzo,Paul DEmayo,"Big" Dan Smith,Jay Cutler, many national level bodybuilders,Steve Cantone,Lucio Paoulini,Matt Kline,Louie Desoliis,etc etc)

what a great time/atmosphere...........at the time i didn't know any better and thought this was normal!
that everyone was 270 lbs at 8% body fat with 22" arms........and why wasn't i?!?!?!?!?!?  why didn't i look like these guys>?!!!??!!?? it drove me crazy   lol!

I trained in the same gym as Richard Roy(NPC Nationals competitor and WABBA Mr. World),Carl Richards(NPC Nationals),Jeff King(No credentials needed),Matt Dufresne(Mr. USA,Mr. America,Mr. Universe),Artie Prince(NPC Nationals),Joe Gomes(Nationals & NABBA Universe),Chris Aceto,(WHO? LOL )Pat Hayes(Nationals),Rick Samson,(NABBA Universe competitor)and a slew of other guys.

Just a few still look just OK.

[dr.chimps]

What song are you playing 

Ha! I was thinking either air guitar or just finished pissing off the patio deck, myself. 

[TacoBell]

Dude....its evident that you were meant for bodybuilding, it took you some time to develop your muscles but check out the THUMBS UP POSE!!!!!!
Yes, you're a natural!
 

[michael arvilla]

Dude....its evident that you were meant for bodybuilding, it took you some time to develop your muscles but check out the THUMBS UP POSE!!!!!!
Yes, you're a natural!
 

                   (lol ima scan a pic from college for a laugh!)

[michael arvilla]

Here is a pic of me from college (around 1986 -87 dressed up for halloween)
clearly my superior bodybuilding genetics are on full display!

[TacoBell]

Yea sure, Halloween 

 

[knny187]

Mike, I never realized you had piss poor genetics to start off with

Your friend in the picture above on the right....had alot of potential

[TacoBell]

I'm pretty sure that's how Mike dressed daily in the 80's.

Oh theres no question....multiple pairs of leather pants I'm sure.

[Method101]

if branch warren had dogshit genetics you guys would be twins.

[michael arvilla]

Mike, I never realized you had piss poor genetics to start off with

Your friend in the picture above on the right....had alot of potential

 Chris Hadley................ye s he did! ....only bodybuilding show he ever did he won his class (New Englands Bodybuilding championships sometime early mid 1990s) without really even dieting (he ate pizza hut- pizza before pre-judging)
along with meeting and working with guys like Paul Demayo we also met his "dealer"and chris got hooked on painkillers and eventually Heroin .........never competed again, tore his bicep working construction and is "all done" now
Chris IMO could have been a pro (and a good pro!)
quads,calves he had all the body parts in freakish size!

[michael arvilla]

if branch warren had dogshit genetics you guys would be twins.

  Gee thanks.................. .......LOL!

[knny187]

Chris Hadley................ye s he did! ....only bodybuilding show he ever did he won his class (New Englands Bodybuilding championships sometime early mid 1990s) without really even dieting (he ate pizza hut- pizza before pre-judging)
along with meeting and working with guys like Paul Demayo we also met his "dealer"and chris got hooked on painkillers and eventually Heroin .........never competed again, tore his bicep working construction and is "all done" now
Chris IMO could have been a pro (and a good pro!)
quads,calves he had all the body parts in freakish size!

Just from a fuzzy photo & non conditioning...I bet he could of done well in the nationals if he put his mind to it & hit the gym hard

[Boost]

Hey mike,
have u got any pics of you hitting some mandatories?
Good Delts btw!
Do u train your shoulders heavy? I have a problem developing my delts

[michael arvilla]

Just from a fuzzy photo & non conditioning...I bet he could of done well in the nationals if he put his mind to it & hit the gym hard

  here is some better pics of Chris from the only time he competed (he looked like the guest poser in a good way compared to everyone else!)