GASPARI in his prime

[Irongrip400]

Met Rich in 1988 at the EFBB north West show at Southport, he was guest posing.
He asked me to be his PT after we shared a urinal, Rich didnt wash his hands after leaving so I didnt decide to return his calls about the training, I didn't relish shaking hands with him if we met again.
I pestered me for months after because he said he needed a new approach to dethrone Haney.

How history would have been changed if had only been more hygienic.





PS, the only part of that thats true is the fact I met him.

A bit like or resident gimmick esfitness stories. (except he doesn't even meet anyone)

I picked up on this the last few times you did it. It's funny, keep it up. 

[SomeKindofMonster]

He was very good for his era. This was a time when not everyone
site injected delts. Now, everyone has capped delts but rarely
a striation. Our current Mr. O looks to have much scar tissue on those
incredibly round delts but they look smooth.
Compare Dex & Phil when they hit a Crab MM.
Rich was very complete with no real weak bodyparts.
After the 1988 Olympia he never seemed to get that skinless
look again. I didn't think he looked that great when he won the 1st Arnold.
Compare any Olympia showing up to then and it kills his 89 Arnold look.
Gaspari hit his all time peak at 23 at the 1986 Pro Worlds.
Here he talks about it with John Hanson & there is a little bit of footage.
Starts at 16:00 min. till around 20 min.
He said it hurt him because the judges expected that look & he could never
quite duplicate it again although close many times.

[SomeKindofMonster]

Rich Gaspari - 1987 Mr. Olympia (MASSIVE)

He looked really good in that post 1987 Olympia Grand Prix against
Haney. I could watch that GP & make a case for Rich winning. He was
more complete than Haney at that show especially waist down but Haney's
height & structure ruled the day.

[oldtimer1]

I worked with a guy that was a sometime training partner of Gaspari. I got out of work and the guy I worked with Mike called me over to his car. Gaspari was with him.  This was in his prime. He was wearing shorts and his legs looked like skinned dinosaur legs. This was when he was one of the top bodybuilders on the planet. Gaspari had a reputation back then for being one of the hardest trainers alive.

[SomeKindofMonster]

The guy was crazy hard & grainy looking at his peak.
Go fullscreen and check out
1:23 Back - Unreal looking
2:40 MM variation
3:31-3:32 Hands on hips MM crazy legs too.

[CT_Muscle]

Damn freaky. Underrated wheels!

MOST OVERRATED BB EVER!!!
Never has 2nd place looked so bad, nevermind a consecutive O runnerup   

[The Abdominal Snoman]

Wasn't he the guy who started hiking up the posing trunks to show off the ripped glutes? Labrada had ripped glutes but didn't feel the need to gay it up like Gaspari did.

[Bevo]

Labrada was 10x the bber gaspari was

Lebrada still looks better than gaspari today

[Grape Ape]

Labrada was 10x the bber gaspari was

Gaspari would be a 3x Olympia winner if not for Haney, won the AC, and changed the game with his conditioning.

Labrada won Gran Prix shows and the NoC......

Gaspari >>>> Labrada.

[bigmc]

Gaspari would be a 3x Olympia winner if not for Haney, won the AC, and changed the game with his conditioning.

Labrada won Gran Prix shows and the NoC......

Gaspari >>>> Labrada.

ultimately it depends who was taller

a smaller man can never be better

[Nether Animal]

Gaspari was taller. 

[Bevo]

Gaspari would be a 3x Olympia winner if not for Haney, won the AC, and changed the game with his conditioning.

Labrada won Gran Prix shows and the NoC......

Gaspari >>>> Labrada.

By that logic Phil Heath will prob go down as the best bber ever

He's better than Kevin, flex, Nasser, Shawn, etc

Labrada was runner up twice to Haney and beat gaspari 3x at the O compared to gaspari beating him twice


Gaspari was a OVERRATED bber

[Grape Ape]

By that logic Phil Heath will prob go down as the best bber ever

He's better than Kevin, flex, Nasser, Shawn, etc

Labrada was runner up twice to Haney and beat gaspari 3x at the O compared to gaspari beating him twice


Gaspari was a OVERRATED bber

Why would someone who won the most coveted title in the sport more than anyone else in history NOT go down as the best bber ever?   

[beakdoctor]

MOST OVERRATED BB EVER!!!
Never has 2nd place looked so bad, nevermind a consecutive O runnerup   

You must not know who Branch Warren is.

[Parker]

Isn't Rich the one who will go down in history as the one who made Vic Richards meltdown and to never compete in the pros?

[Simple Simon]

The guy was crazy hard & grainy looking at his peak.
Go fullscreen and check out
1:23 Back - Unreal looking
2:40 MM variation
3:31-3:32 Hands on hips MM crazy legs too.

he was way over at the 87 Olympia, came in too waterlogged, tried to chase Haney for size, he was much better in 88

[Bevo]

Why would someone who won the most coveted title in the sport more than anyone else in history NOT go down as the best bber ever?  

Getbig doesn't seem to agree that Phil is better than flex, Shawn, levrone, Nasser, etc

Let's say Phil wins 9, do u agree he's better than Ronnie, Arnold, Dorian, Haney??

Branch was a two time Arnold winner and runner up at the O, so by your logic is he better than chris Cormier since chris never won the Arnold?

[Bevo]

You must not know who Branch Warren is.

Pretty much everyone competing in this era of bbing except dexter

[Tarantula157]

 

[Tarantula157]

Conditioning 

[HockeyFightFan]

Gaspari is closer to the camera and in focus, Haney is further back and out of focus.

Rest assured, Gaspari never had a better back than Lee Haney

[Mr Anabolic]

MOST OVERRATED BB EVER!!!
Never has 2nd place looked so bad, nevermind a consecutive O runnerup   

100% agreed.  His arms sucked, he was blocky and narrow.  His bacne didn't help either.

[bgm]

Gaspari was definitely overrated. No doubt Lee Labrada had a better physique.

[ratherbebig]

i used to go to the same pancake house as gaspari in new jersey back in the 80s, he wasnt a very big eater, he used to order just one pancake and then cover the whole plate with whipped cream, he said it got him energy for days. i didnt think much of it at the time but looking back i wonder what my physique would've looked like had i only ordered the same thing.

[BIG AL MCKECHNIE]

I always thought Gaspari was over rated shite when I saw his pics in magazines but when I bought the video from the 1987 Olympia I realised he actually looked quite impressive.