Flex Wheeler - 1998 Iron Man Pro - DVD PICS!!!

[Figo]

I agree with you Wes.  I mean look @ Flex and the lines he had - just awesome!   And look @ Lee Labrada there - looks just awesome also and only weighed in @ like 190 @ about 5'6 I think if my memory servers me correctly.  The thing with Lee was he would "think" about what he was doing with his training and  "supplementation" - training only 4x a week and going light on the supps. Flex on the other hand just took all he could get his hands on and is now on dialisis  (I think)  waiting for a kidney or maybe he got a new one already - whereas Lee  just got in great condition again almost 2 decades later because he just didn't abuse himself back then.

just my 2 cents.

5'4" ranged between 180-190 in his pro career, if not mistaken

There is a general consesus from bbers of his era, that he was the epitomy of a pro. Much like ray, haney and gaspari, they were all consumate pros,  thats why, as you said, they had longevity, and long and strong careers.

Labrada was a great bber, one of my favorites of all time

[Figo]

Phil Hernon recalling his meeting Lee Labrada:


When I was an "up and comer".....like 50, 000 other "up and comers" back in the early 90s, Brad Hollibaugh invited Lee Labrada to come up to our gym in Vancouver, Washington, to give a seminar. During the seminar I was studying Lee and thinking that he was not that big.......heck, I was training for the USA and was around 240 at that time and 4 weeks out. We spoke after the seminar and he asked me about my life, what my plans were, what I did for work, etc.....I told him I was training for the USA and that was my job......I had given up teaching to pursue my "career" and was just training. He looked at me all crazy and said, "You don't have a job? A back up plan"? Well, yes, I could still sell drugs if I did not win, and shoot for the USAs the next year...( Hey, I was young) .....He told me to meet him at the gym the next morning.

We met at the gym around 6 am before his plane left and he told me to train....he wanted to watch me. I busted my ass and got all pumped up and I showed him what I looked like. I was so proud............until he took his clothes off. HE BLEW ME AWAY!....awesome hardness, shape, vascularity........no wonder he was runner up at the Olympia! Then he spoke about life........how he was an engineer and worked full time while he turned pro and had a back up plan and you cannot put all your eggs in one basket.........IF I had only listened I could have saved myself 2-3 years of misery sitting in a jail cell from AAs sales in 1998. At that point my life was practically over as I knew it.......no more competitions, no more photo shoots...OVER........Bot tom line.......Train hard and if turning pro is your goal go for it but have a tback up plan........a REAL job, schooling.....Life...... have a life........or you may not have much of a life.

Phil hernon

[MB]

I'm not a Flex fan, but his '93 AC showing was by far his greatest ever.  What he presented there was the best physique to ever win the Arnold, better than '01 Coleman. 

[njflex]

Phil Hernon recalling his meeting Lee Labrada:


When I was an "up and comer".....like 50, 000 other "up and comers" back in the early 90s, Brad Hollibaugh invited Lee Labrada to come up to our gym in Vancouver, Washington, to give a seminar. During the seminar I was studying Lee and thinking that he was not that big.......heck, I was training for the USA and was around 240 at that time and 4 weeks out. We spoke after the seminar and he asked me about my life, what my plans were, what I did for work, etc.....I told him I was training for the USA and that was my job......I had given up teaching to pursue my "career" and was just training. He looked at me all crazy and said, "You don't have a job? A back up plan"? Well, yes, I could still sell drugs if I did not win, and shoot for the USAs the next year...( Hey, I was young) .....He told me to meet him at the gym the next morning.

We met at the gym around 6 am before his plane left and he told me to train....he wanted to watch me. I busted my ass and got all pumped up and I showed him what I looked like. I was so proud............until he took his clothes off. HE BLEW ME AWAY!....awesome hardness, shape, vascularity........no wonder he was runner up at the Olympia! Then he spoke about life........how he was an engineer and worked full time while he turned pro and had a back up plan and you cannot put all your eggs in one basket.........IF I had only listened I could have saved myself 2-3 years of misery sitting in a jail cell from AAs sales in 1998. At that point my life was practically over as I knew it.......no more competitions, no more photo shoots...OVER........Bot tom line.......Train hard and if turning pro is your goal go for it but have a tback up plan........a REAL job, schooling.....Life...... have a life........or you may not have much of a life.

Phil hernon

A CLASS ACT ON AND OFF STAGE.

[wes]

5'4" ranged between 180-190 in his pro career, if not mistaken

There is a general consesus from bbers of his era, that he was the epitomy of a pro. Much like ray, haney and gaspari, they were all consumate pros,  thats why, as you said, they had longevity, and long and strong careers.

Labrada was a great bber, one of my favorites of all time

Same here,a true class act,with a classy physique.

[Jaime]

I feel vindicated in my opinion looking at the pics.

Lee was all class, he should have had a few O's.

[delta9mda]

like others have said, narrow shoulders and arms way too big.

[bigbobs]

Despite most people thinking he looked better in 93, if a 93-Flex was onstage in 98 against a 98-Flex...the 93-version would be placed lower by the judges.

[Jaime]

Despite most people thinking he looked better in 93, if a 93-Flex was onstage in 98 against a 98-Flex...the 93-version would be placed lower by the judges.

Underlying point being? Bodybuilding judging is ridiculous.

[NarcissisticDeity]

Despite most people thinking he looked better in 93, if a 93-Flex was onstage in 98 against a 98-Flex...the 93-version would be placed lower by the judges.

No he wouldn't

[Ronnie Rep]

Met Lee Labrada when he won the Nationals as a middleweight in Miami! He was very cordial cool guy!

[njflex]

Met Lee Labrada when he won the Nationals as a middleweight in Miami! He was very cordial cool guy!

neat.

[bigbobs]

Underlying point being? Bodybuilding judging is ridiculous.

Underlying point being the Dorian nuthuggers who say that 93 Dorian would beat anyone who competed in 98 and later use Flex Wheeler as an example saying that 93 Flex lost to 93 Dorian on the assumption that judges would have placed 93 Flex ahead of 98 Flex.

Almost anytime someone posts pics of a pro earlier in their career compared to later (after they've grown bigger, often waist included, losing definition, or are suspected of using oil) the consensus is "he looked waaay better earlier in his career!" but what looks aesthetically pleasing to getbiggers is usually not what judges have rewarded in contests.  Much of the placings comes with "paying your dues" or being an expected winner (such as Dorian in 96-97).

[NarcissisticDeity]

Underlying point being the Dorian nuthuggers who say that 93 Dorian would beat anyone who competed in 98 and later use Flex Wheeler as an example saying that 93 Flex lost to 93 Dorian on the assumption that judges would have placed 93 Flex ahead of 98 Flex.

Almost anytime someone posts pics of a pro earlier in their career compared to later (after they've grown bigger, often waist included, losing definition, or are suspected of using oil) the consensus is "he looked waaay better earlier in his career!" but what looks aesthetically pleasing to getbiggers is usually not what judges have rewarded in contests.  Much of the placings comes with "paying your dues" or being an expected winner (such as Dorian in 96-97).

It has nothing to do with aesthetics it has more to do with conditioning and how well that carry that extra mass

Flex 1993 was better than 1998 because he was much sharper overall and most contests with all things being equal will be won by the guy who is usually in better condition.

[Parker]

Despite most people thinking he looked better in 93, if a 93-Flex was onstage in 98 against a 98-Flex...the 93-version would be placed lower by the judges.

Actually, people (the judges and the fans) kept waiting for him to replicate his 93 AC look, possibly the closest he got was the 97-98 ACs.

[Skeletor]

If recent Olympia placings are anything to go by, this "natural freak" version of Flex would win (followed closely by an oily "Flex circa 2000" version):

[bigbobs]

It has nothing to do with aesthetics it has more to do with conditioning and how well that carry that extra mass

Flex 1993 was better than 1998 because he was much sharper overall and most contests with all things being equal will be won by the guy who is usually in better condition.

Most pros are better conditioned earlier in their careers when they carry less mass, but their placings improve more so in future years after growing (even if its at the expense of condition) and "paying their dues." 

[NarcissisticDeity]

Most pros are better conditioned earlier in their careers when they carry less mass, but their placings improve more so in future years after growing (even if its at the expense of condition) and "paying their dues." 

Again with all things being equal what separates a winner from a loser? conditioning. Flex 93 would beat Flex 98 because he's better conditioned everything else is ' equal '

enough with ' paying their dues ' that's Nasser talking , try thinking for yourself.

[RS]

Phil Hernon recalling his meeting Lee Labrada:


When I was an "up and comer".....like 50, 000 other "up and comers" back in the early 90s, Brad Hollibaugh invited Lee Labrada to come up to our gym in Vancouver, Washington, to give a seminar. During the seminar I was studying Lee and thinking that he was not that big.......heck, I was training for the USA and was around 240 at that time and 4 weeks out. We spoke after the seminar and he asked me about my life, what my plans were, what I did for work, etc.....I told him I was training for the USA and that was my job......I had given up teaching to pursue my "career" and was just training. He looked at me all crazy and said, "You don't have a job? A back up plan"? Well, yes, I could still sell drugs if I did not win, and shoot for the USAs the next year...( Hey, I was young) .....He told me to meet him at the gym the next morning.

We met at the gym around 6 am before his plane left and he told me to train....he wanted to watch me. I busted my ass and got all pumped up and I showed him what I looked like. I was so proud............until he took his clothes off. HE BLEW ME AWAY!....awesome hardness, shape, vascularity........no wonder he was runner up at the Olympia! Then he spoke about life........how he was an engineer and worked full time while he turned pro and had a back up plan and you cannot put all your eggs in one basket.........IF I had only listened I could have saved myself 2-3 years of misery sitting in a jail cell from AAs sales in 1998. At that point my life was practically over as I knew it.......no more competitions, no more photo shoots...OVER........Bot tom line.......Train hard and if turning pro is your goal go for it but have a tback up plan........a REAL job, schooling.....Life...... have a life........or you may not have much of a life.

Phil hernon

We need to start a thread on Labrada.  Some pics and some board members reviews of when they met Lee in person.  For some reason I for one like reading about personal encounters others have with some of theses guys - Especially Labrada - A guy who actually thought about what he was doing and just not following the heard / training more / eating more / blowing up on GH and slin just because others think this is the way to go.

[Kulutues]

these photos prove that paul dillett was the most developed BBer ever

hi paul

[hazbin]

these photos prove that paul dillett was the most developed BBer ever

hi paul

compare

[GigantorX]

It has nothing to do with aesthetics it has more to do with conditioning and how well that carry that extra mass

Flex 1993 was better than 1998 because he was much sharper overall and most contests with all things being equal will be won by the guy who is usually in better condition.

Wasn't it around 1998 when Flex was in the beginning stages of his kidney (or was it liver? Both?) problems? I remember him having all sorts of problems with water retention and the like around this time and onto the 2000's.

[Figo]

Flex had great shape as an amateur

When he finally dialed it in 92, 93 he fulfilled his promise

Then car crashes, ninjas and listening to other peoples hype, fucked him up

Got lazier, trained less, upped the dose, crash dieted, relied on oil, gh, diuretics more, and fried his kidneys

Gifted but lazy and looking for short cuts, thinking the good times would roll


Imagine putting the gifts guys like dillet, cormier and flex had into guys with extreme work ethic like platz, gaspari, shawn ray

[njflex]

Flex had great shape as an amateur

When he finally dialed it in 92, 93 he fulfilled his promise

Then car crashes, ninjas and listening to other peoples hype, fucked him up

Got lazier, trained less, upped the dose, crash dieted, relied on oil, gh, diuretics more, and fried his kidneys

Gifted but lazy and looking for short cuts, thinking the good times would roll


Imagine putting the gifts guys like dillet, cormier and flex had into guys with extreme work ethic like platz, gaspari, shawn ray

ray was more on the other guys side he might have been shorter,narrower but lb for lb had some of the fullest ,round bellies going and ripped to the bone.and yes he trained his ass off.

[ChristopherA]

Flex had great shape as an amateur

When he finally dialed it in 92, 93 he fulfilled his promise

Then car crashes, ninjas and listening to other peoples hype, fucked him up

Got lazier, trained less, upped the dose, crash dieted, relied on oil, gh, diuretics more, and fried his kidneys

Gifted but lazy and looking for short cuts, thinking the good times would roll


Imagine putting the gifts guys like dillet, cormier and flex had into guys with extreme work ethic like platz, gaspari, shawn ray

I think Dillet's back woulkd have sucked no matter what but Cormier should have been a world beater. One of the most perfect frames to ever go on stage