Benny trained for a few years at a small gym that I worked at (Barlow's gym then Kasey's gym) in Torrance, Ca.
I first saw him when he walked in with Ray Mentzer. Ray was huge but Benny was a bit on the fat side. He had just completed a spot in one of Chuck Norris' movie. He was good friends with Chuck and would train Chuck at the gym.
Benny was the most intense and dynamic personality I've ever met. Yes, he bordered on being a mad man but he was very friendly, personable and had a great sense of humor. He always had the gym crew laughing. He once commented that he got his genetics from his mom side and when she would take him to the zoo as a kid the gorillas use to whistle at her.
I found him very articulate, intelligent and surprisingly well read. I was/am a bit of book worm and was at UCLA at the time and when we would have discussions he seemed very familiar with the classics and often quoted passages verbatim.
Benny trained with ferocious intensity. Just really took it to the limit. When I moved to Gold's Venice in the late 80s early 90s I was struck at the lack of intensity in the pros. Flex, Cormier, Aaron Baker, and especially Paul Dillet, never came even remotely close to Benny's intensity. Watching the utterly jaw dropping impressive physique of Dillet literally sleep walking through his workouts really drove home the fact that, as far as bbing, champions are born not made. Sure you have to put in the work, but if you don't have the genetics you end up being a failed bber living in cave hanging rocks from your balls.
