Danny PADILLA - He kept getting better!

[Kwon]

Being that tall, his head would have the size of a Kwon-approved corn silo

Thusly, the Corn Silos of Peace

[Ronnie Rep]

Roger Schwab, the former head judge of the IFBB whom I worked for, said Danny Padilla was the most complete bodybuilder he ever saw.

Did you work at Main Line Fitness?

[MCWAY]

PADILLA, his later look was pretty impressive, even if his midsection thickened up a bit. Could have probably gone longer, he seemed to have more gas in the tank... WBF thing prolly didn't help.

The WBF thing probably put more money in his bank account than he ever made in his life.

[tres_taco_combo]

being a tall dude, i am kinda into my own type

[SilverSpoon]

Did you work at Main Line Fitness?

Yes.

From 1998-2001.

[Mr.Mojo]

Great bodybuilder

[Max_Rep]

Saw Danny at his peak in Rochester, NY along with Pete Grymkowski as guest posers at a local bodybuilding show. Most impressive bodybuilder I have ever seen proportions wise. Danny walked down the aisle about 2 feet from me after he posed. You couldn't put another ounce of muscle on his frame. Wide isn't the right word. He was imposing even at 5'2".

I wonder if a lot of commenters on this site have actually seen any of these top guys in person. I mean the ones that comment negatively. Guys like Padilla are the ultimate in muscle development. You can't get any better than them.

I competed in that contest... the Empire State.

[Humble Narcissist]

The WBF thing probably put more money in his bank account than he ever made in his life.

Yes.

[oldtimer1]

From what I hear he did most of exercises with five sets of twelve reps with the same weight. I read he tried the low set and heavy weight route and he said he got better results with volume.

[IroNat]

From what I hear he did most of exercises with five sets of twelve reps with the same weight. I read he tried the low set and heavy weight route and he said he got better results with volume.

Yes, that's true.  Danny had no weaknesses.  Perfection.

[The Scott]

Yes, that's true.  Danny had no weaknesses.  Perfection.

That he was.  He possessed a superb physique that was a smaller version of Arnold but perhaps even more balanced.  He was not just robbed by  the IFBB and the Weiders, but royally fucked over. 

[Max_Rep]

From what I hear he did most of exercises with five sets of twelve reps with the same weight. I read he tried the low set and heavy weight route and he said he got better results with volume.

I trained with him for 5 weeks in 1977 and also interviewed him in Iron Man around 2000 and yes almost everything was 5 sets of 12 with the same weight. The only exception was with his warm-ups for squats, and Bench. Occasionally he'd work in a heavier rep range for a month or two doing 5 sets of 8 instead. Depending on if it was off-season or he was getting ready for a contest, he'd do 2 exercises per body part (off-season) and as contest time grew closer, he'd add a 3rd and then a 4th exercise.
 

[Humble Narcissist]

I trained with him for 5 weeks in 1977 and also interviewed him in Iron Man around 2000 and yes almost everything was 5 sets of 12 with the same weight. The only exception was with his warm-ups for squats, and Bench. Occasionally he'd work in a heavier rep range for a month or two doing 5 sets of 8 instead. Depending on if it was off-season or he was getting ready for a contest, he'd do 2 exercises per body part (off-season) and as contest time grew closer, he'd add a 3rd and then a 4th exercise.

Was he strong?

[Straw Man]

Was he strong?

Well if you take him at his word he claims a 405 incline press in that video on the prior page (around the 4:20 point in the video)

Seems like total bullshit to me

[IroNat]

Well if you take him at his word he claims a 405 incline press in that video on the prior page (around the 4:20 point in the video)

Seems like total bullshit to me

He's got great levers for lifting.  I've stood next to him.  He's built like a tank. Unreal thickness.

[Straw Man]

He's got great levers for lifting.  I've stood next to him.  He's built like a tank. Unreal thickness.

Perhaps but I'm still not buying him inclining 405

[Max_Rep]

Was he strong?

Yes for his weight but he rarely trained heavy. Keep in mind that on 5 sets of 12 the rest was only long enouph for his training partner to do his set. Here is a video of a shoulder and bicep workout.

 

[Humble Narcissist]

Inclining 405 at his size does seem like bullshit.  Maybe it was a Jimmy Pellechia lift with 3 spotters deadlifting the weight.

[IroNat]

How much could Franco incline?

[IroNat]

Padilla...

[Hypertrophy]

Here's a 154 pound guy doing a rep on a flat bench at 410. Yet a full gassed Danny Padilla couldn't do the same on the incline? This board really has gone to shit. Doesn't anybody but a handful of guys actually lift, lol?

And here is more on the guy who did it: https://gravitus.com/blog/ufpwrlifter-path-to-410lb-bench-press/

[illuminati]

That he was.  He possessed a superb physique that was a smaller version of Arnold but perhaps even more balanced.  He was not just robbed by  the IFBB and the Weiders, but royally fucked over.

He did most certainly poses a very balanced & Great Physique.
Maybe his short stature & not being very “Big / Heavy” went against him.
On a physical level he really had no weak body parts.

[illuminati]

Here's a 154 pound guy doing a rep on a flat bench at 410. Yet a full gassed Danny Padilla couldn't do the same on the incline? This board really has gone to shit. Doesn't anybody but a handful of guys actually lift, lol?

And here is more on the guy who did it: https://gravitus.com/blog/ufpwrlifter-path-to-410lb-bench-press/

True to some extent - I Powerlifted & competed at a high level
I benched 180kg at 75kg in strict competition.
That didn’t give me big full muscles - I was strong & muscular yes Not a bodybuilder physique though.
Plenty of very large muscular men I could easily out lift.

When I turned to bodybuilding I still lifted relatively heavy - Only had to train in a completely
Different style to powerlifting to grow larger muscle size.

Im not saying Danny couldn’t bench 400+ only what difference does it make if he could
or Couldn’t. He was a Bodybuilder & Had a Great Physique.

[Hypertrophy]

True to some extent - I Powerlifted & competed at a high level
I benched 180kg at 75kg in strict competition.
That didn’t give me big full muscles - I was strong & muscular yes Not a bodybuilder physique though.
Plenty of very large muscular men I could easily out lift.

When I turned to bodybuilding I still lifted relatively heavy - Only had to train in a completely
Different style to powerlifting to grow larger muscle size.

Im not saying Danny couldn’t bench 400+ only what difference does it make if he could
or Couldn’t. He was a Bodybuilder & Had a Great Physique.

I agree - being strong doesn't necessarily track with voluminous muscles. We have sarcoplasmic hypertrophy coming into play.
But Danny said he was a powerlifter, much like Franco Columbu was. So it's much more believable that he retained a lot  of power.

[oldtimer1]

Having a big bench I bet is his one trick he can do. What can he power clean. Bet he couldn't do 225lbs.