Off the beach and into the dungeon. warning actual history

[funk51]

https://muscleandbrawn.com/bodybuilders/mr-universe-bodybuilder-bruce-randall/

[SweetDaddySiki]

How come Bruce didn't have loose skin after that weight loss? Good article!

[Humble Narcissist]

How come Bruce didn't have loose skin after that weight loss? Good article!

He was young when he bulked and only had that size for a short period of time.

[IroNat]

How come Bruce didn't have loose skin after that weight loss? Good article!

He did have some.  You can see it in his guest appearance on I've Got A Secret.

[pamith]

Muscle Beach Gym
The Dungeon, 1963


I have collected over the years an impressive file of tough workouts to review. You see, in 40 years I've rarely missed one, and not one was easy. Training all out with meticulous form and mild sound effects always defined my style.

My most vivid tough workouts are set against the backdrop of the Muscle Beach Gym in the early '60s. This famous, beloved relic once located on the unspoiled shores of Santa Monica was relocated by the encouragement of the city council to the underground basement of a collapsing retirement hotel four blocks inland.

A very long, steep and unsure staircase took me to a cavernous hole in the ground with crumbling plaster walls and a ceiling that bulged and leaked diluted beer from the old-timer's tavern above. Puddles of the stuff added charm to the dim atmosphere, where three strategically placed 40-watt light bulbs gave art deco shadows to the rusting barbells, dumbbells and splintery handcrafted 2x4 benches and sagging milk crates.

You have no idea how proud I am to have this theater and the real life plays that unfolded day after day as part of my experience. It's pure gold.

The magic didn't come from the pharmacist; it came from the soul, the era, the history in the making, the presence of uncompromised originality yet to be imitated.

Those years I got to the gym between 5:30 and 6:00am while the city slept, curiously content in getting a head start. By the time I left, perhaps 3 or 4 other creatures would descend the lonely steps and reluctantly take up arms. I like the company I keep when I'm alone, I like the sounds of silence; I like the uncluttered space. With a crowd of one there's no one to complain or groan, no self-consciousness, no dividing of attention, no one to impress.

My workouts today bear a striking resemblance to that hardcore iron locomotion of years ago. Achievement and age instruct me to limit my workouts to five per week instead of six. Three days on, one off; two days on, one off is quite satisfying. Hammered joints and insertions convincingly suggest I use lighter weights and discard a pocketful of somehow replaceable exercises. I'm doin' fine.

It was in the Dungeon in '63, '64, '65 & '66 that tough workouts took place. What kept me going without missing a beat is another story. There was no glory except a rumor of respect and reputation amongst the underground bodybuilders and weight lifters. People in the real world sincerely frowned at us; a musclehead, misfit, a bewildered loser who's harming himself and isn't doing us any good either.

Man, has that concept taken a spin.

My toughest workouts took place in the middle of those formidable years way back when. I had training partners from time to time, and one in particular, Dick Sweet, pushed me, encouraged and goaded me to those otherwise unapproached limits.

There existed on the far end of the caving rack a set of 150lb dumbbells, awesome in length with pipe handles and suicide welds on the ends. These unwieldy contraptions could be further enlarged by strapping five-pound plates on either end with strips of inner tube. You got it -- giant rubber bands. Getting them together took two guys, some muscle and engineering. Getting them overhead took temporary insanity. We won't talk about the 60-degree incline bench of wood and ten-penny nails wedged against the wall. Never did get a good look at it in the dark.

On the third rep of the third set, the rubber band snapped and slapped me in the face. Some guy standing in the shadows snickered. Shortly thereafter a 5-pounder bounced off my forehead; I saw it coming. This made me serious. I had two sets to go and no more rubber bands. A short length of rope got me through the last two sets.

Did I tell you I was supersetting? Workouts without supersets were not workouts at all. I was doing bent-over lateral raises with 60s. The welds this time were on the inside of the dumbbells, and cracked, not dangerous but sloppy. Every third or fourth rep the web of my left hand between the thumb and the index finger got pinched in the crack. This, too, made me serious. Good thing there's not much nerve ending and the blood flow was light or I'd have never finished my workout.

All I had left was upright rows with that rusty, comfortably bent bar over by the beer puddle, and side-arm laterals with the 50s. The 50s were tight and balanced like trophies, the best in the house.

I'm not reading a book

[funk51]

&t=51s

[IroNat]

What he said was 32 weeks to go from 401 to 183, then 3 years to train for the Mr. U and gain to 235 in '59.

It is said he went from 401 in August '55 to 183 in March '56.

https://muscleandbrawn.com/bodybuilders/mr-universe-bodybuilder-bruce-randall/

He competed in the Mr. America in '56 and '57 and the Universe in '58 and winning in '59.

1956-1959 is the 3 years of training

Randall was 6'2".  Very impressive physique.

[funk51]

Tragic last years of Musclemag founder
Remembering Robert Kennedy
By LA Muscle on 27.08.2015 04:02 pm
RATE:   

By: Peter Robson

I started to go to the gym in my late teens. I loved the feeling of pumping Iron, getting my body bigger, getting abs, getting more attention from the ladies and just generally feeling great! Bodybuilding was amazing. You could sculpt your body any way you wanted and when you are young, anything you do in the gym seems to give great results!

Musclemag International
I used to read Muscle & Fitness and Musclemag magazines avidly. I couldn’t wait for the next issue to come out. Musclemag was a particular favourite of mine just because of the way it was put together. It always had great cutting-edge stories, sexy ladies and big good looking, healthy and happy bodybuilders. It was exciting to read. It had passion, it had flair and most of it came from its founder.

Like many businesses that have a passionate person behind them, Musclemag was different. You could see that from a quick glance through the pages. Years later it changed slightly and became more of an advertorial magazine - possibly due to financial pressures. For a good few years, Musclemag was a fantastic magazine and gave joy to many many bodybuilders.



Musclemag International, as it was known then, was the brainchild of Robert Kennedy. He was the driving force and creative director of the magazine and you have to admit, he was a pretty special man. However what is not so widely known is how tragic his final years ended up being. Life is like that. You never know when tragedy can strike and when those “amazing years” seem hard to get back. Some people are lucky and have many years of happiness and great times. Others, like Robert Kennedy go through a tragedy that seems to change the course and ultimate ending of their life.

Robert Kennedy built an amazing body for himself!
Robert Kennedy was a school teacher who was passionate about bodybuilding and started out a media empire through his passion. He was a prolific author with over 50 books to his name, and entrepreneur, opening up dozens of fitness shops in the 1990s. Robert Kennedy is also credited with discovering and helping launch the careers of numerous fitness models and bodybuilders including the beautiful Trish Stratus, Victoria (Vicky) Pratt, Miss Olympia Cory Everson, actor Roland Kickinger and Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman. Arnold Schwarzenegger was also a long-term friend and was regularly featured in Musclemag.



In his editorials and his magazine columns for Musclemag, Robert Kennedy always came across as happy and a man with a great life. Kennedy had two children, a son named Braden and a daughter named Chelsea, with his first wife. In 1998 however, Kennedy and Braden who was then 11 years old at the time were in a horrific car crash. Kennedy was thrown from the car but his son Braden suffered severe brain damage and would thereafter require round-the-clock care. Sadly, Braden died in March 2011 due to pneumonia complications. After the accident, Kennedy's first wife committed suicide - many say due to the pressures of caring for Braden.



Arnold Schwarzenegger with Robert Kennedy
In February 2012 Robert Kennedy was diagnosed with cancer. Ironically, he never smoked and lived a healthy lifestyle. He tried many alternative methods to beat it, such as high doses of vitamins and eating clean but the cancer spread and he succumbed to it. Arnold Schwarzenegger paid a surprise visit to Robert in hospital in his final days. The action star knelt by Kennedy’s bedside to hold his hand, while the pair reminisced about old times and shared some jokes. Despite being very weak, Robert posed for a last photo with Arnold.



Robert Kennedy died on April 12, 2012 in his Caledon Hills, Canada home. He was surrounded by his second wife and family. The magazine Musclemag International ceased publication on June 7, 2013 after Robert Kennedy Publishing declared bankruptcy.

RIP Robert Kennedy and thank you for making the lives of many bodybuilders so much more exciting.

Tagged: arnold schwarzenegger, bodybuilding, muscle, musclemag international
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[funk51]

   

&t=48s

[ThisisOverload]

&t=51s

Ape arms.

Could tie his shoes without leaning over.

[Humble Narcissist]

Ape arms.

Could tie his shoes without leaning over.

He probably didn't know how to tie shoes.

[Titus Pullo]

I'm not reading a book

Why not, mate?  If the content is good, I'd read one book after another.