Tim Belknap was so underrated

[Danimal77]

The first bodybuilder in the early 1980's to ever take insulin not realizing the effect it had on him.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=203082210896682

[Flexacon]

He has no gut so it looks like it had zero effect 

But in all seriousness he does seem to have a rounder muscle look you expect to see more on modern day pros.

[BB]

He bred high end boa constrictors for a while after he retired from bodybuilding. Interesting how many bodybuilder get into reptiles.

[harmankardon1]

Nice physique, still has detail also... Unlike most guys today.

[IroNat]

He was a diabetic for real.

[mcluvin]

Yes he was a diabetic and I believe he was instrumental in the introduction of insulin to some of the non diabetic bodybuilders. Great guy that helped me a lot back in the day. He did a seminar one day where he trained shoulders and arms the answered questions at my gym. It was great.

[funk51]

he was like platz with a better upper body.

[fredrollon]

Ah, good. The biennial Tim Belknap appreciation thread. 

Some more here:

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=645214.0

Tim had great arms and legs.
If we are being critical, didn't have the biggest chest and back was missing thickness or -something Platz notably had- serious detail , which might've compensated for the lack of thickness.

Still, for all that, thought Tim ,at his best, presented his body very well.

1985 (the video in OP's Facebook link)

Looked incredible in the side and front twisting shots, which didn't emphasise his narrow clavicles, his one glaring weakness.

[fredrollon]

He bred high end boa constrictors for a while after he retired from bodybuilding. Interesting how many bodybuilder get into reptiles.

Heh. Never heard of this before.

Googled and ,yes, apparently there was a Tim Belknap who bred boa constrictors ,but surely this can't be  "our" Tim Belknap? 

[IroNat]

He wasn't underrated.

He won the Mr. A. in '81

He won the NABBA Mr. U in '85 and the short class in '84.

Pretty impressive.  Was he going to win the Olympia?  No.

He had weaknesses that prevented him from winning against other top pros.

[Vince B]

We all remember Tim. When he did the insulin his body looked bigger and more vascular but not better. Plus the gyno didn't look good.

[BB]

Heh. Never heard of this before.

Googled and ,yes, apparently there was a Tim Belknap who bred boa constrictors ,but surely this can't be  "our" Tim Belknap? 

Yeah, I heard it years ago, and thought it was a mistake, but people in the trade swore it was him. And then a while back Palumbo talked about trying to get Tim on to discuss snakes, bodybuilding, etc....

Here's an old post (scroll to #3), where another breeder mentions that it was indeed him - http://reptilescanada.com/threads/amarali-or-not-amarali.20120/ .

[fredrollon]

Here's an old post (scroll to #3), where another breeder mentions that it was indeed him - http://reptilescanada.com/threads/amarali-or-not-amarali.20120/ .

What an interesting guy.



"In the mid 80's about 20 -30 Amarali arrived within a few shipments and pretty much since then no Amarali have been imported.

Breeders like Lemke, Joe Terry, Kerry King and Tim Belknap (he was a body builder who graced the cover of Muscle and Fitness many times) were the first to breed these animals and what we have today are the offspring of those few imports that arrived some 20 plus years ago."


The former World's Strongest Man from the 1980's, Geoff Capes,  is champion budgerigar breeder in the UK, which I find more incongruous.

So ,boa constrictors? Why not?

[funk51]

any pics of fred belknap ?   Fred Belknap

1982

Mr Midwest - AAU, Teen Short, 2nd

1983

Teen Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st

© MuscleMemory

[Body-Buildah]

shredded mass monster in his day
freak who had a unique look

ive been to the belknap mall in Maine (pronounced "Bell"-"Nap").

[OlympiaGym]

5’4” tall at best

[_bruce_]

He bred high end boa constrictors for a while after he retired from bodybuilding. Interesting how many bodybuilder get into reptiles.

Maybe he thought it was living peptides.

[Humble Narcissist]

We all remember Tim. When he did the insulin his body looked bigger and more vascular but not better. Plus the gyno didn't look good.

He did the insulin all the time because he was type 1 diabetic.  They can't stop taking it.

[LanceD]

uh, where is he now...

[Humble Narcissist]

uh, where is he now...

As of January he was alive and well.

https://www.neckberg.com/en/tim-belknap-bodybuilding-diabetes

[Coach is Back!]

I thought I read somewhere he had became a Pastor?

[BB]

I thought I read somewhere he had became a Pastor?

Yes, someone asked about him on a reptile board in the early 2000's -

   
"Tim is no longer producing boas...he parted with his collection to finish seminary & become a minister/missionary full time. He's now busy with his ministry, wife & child.

Hope this helps!!!

Kara - NERD"

Also the Kerry King mentioned in the Boa post is the guitarist for the band Slayer. Belknap and his friend Lloyd Lemke were friendly with him. King was a snake breeder off and on for a number of years.

[Coach is Back!]

Yes, someone asked about him on a reptile board in the early 2000's -

   
"Tim is no longer producing boas...he parted with his collection to finish seminary & become a minister/missionary full time. He's now busy with his ministry, wife & child.

Hope this helps!!!

Kara - NERD"

Also the Kerry King mentioned in the Boa post is the guitarist for the band Slayer. Belknap and his friend Lloyd Lemke were friendly with him. King was a snake breeder off and on for a number of years.

Thanks for that...

[joswift]

[Primemuscle]

Nice physique, still has detail also... Unlike most guys today.

If you're referring to the linked video Belnap does not look 62 years old, which is his current age.