5 Year Anniversary Special
5 Year Anniversary Special, Part Two
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast continues its celebration of our 5th Anniversary with Part Two of this special episode featuring some of our favorite interviews over the last five years. Included in this episode are clips of interviews with Chris Cormier, Vince Taylor, Samir Bannout, Tim Kimber of Gold’s Gym, Mike Katz, Earl Maynard and Danny Padilla.
Episode aired on July 26th, 2022
5 Year Anniversary Special, Part One
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast celebrates its 5th Anniversary on this special episode. In Part One of the 5th Anniversary special, host John Hansen shares some of his favorite episodes since the podcast first began on July 5th, 2017. Included in this episode are interviews with Chris Dickerson, Boyer Coe, Peter McGough and Wayne Gallasch, Berry DeMey, Jerry Brainum and Phil Williams as well as some classic stories about Sergio Oliva, Rock Stonewall and Tim Belknap.
Episode aired on July 18, 2022
4 Year Anniversary Special
4 Year Anniversary Special, Part Three
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For the final installment of the 4th Year Anniversary Show for the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, host John Hansen picks some of his favorite excerpts from interviews on the podcast from the last four years.
Included in Part Three of the 4th Year Anniversary are Peter McGough talking about how much he admired Larry Scott (10:15) and when he started his publication Pumping Press and his memories of the early NABBA Mr. Universe contests from 1970 and 1971 (15:30), the Bob Gruskin Tribute with Tom Terwilliger, John DeFendis and Jerry Scalesse (25:30), Jerry Brainum talks about Franco Columbu when Franco first arrived in America (32:36) and a funny story when Arnold got into a fight at Gold’s Gym (39:44). Ellington Darden talks about meeting a 17 year old Boyer Coe at a powerlifting/bodybuilding meet in Texas (44:15), Marc Martinez talks about going to the famous Gold’s Gym for the first time in 1977 (52:45), Boyer Coe talks about competing in the 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe and then traveling to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the AAU Mr. World contest (1:00:15) and his crazy experience competing in the 1969 NABBA Mr. Universe in London (1:09:54). Tom Terwilliger and Joey Fulco talk about bodybuilding in the 1970’s and how the sport is so different today (1:17:37) and Jerry Brainum talks about meeting Bill Pearl when he was a teenager (1:26:24) and his thoughts on meeting Sergio Oliva for the first time at the 1966 IFBB Mr. World contest (1:33:40). At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “I Am Grateful to Joe Weider” about Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1978 written by Rick Wayne for the February, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
4 Year Anniversary Special, Part Two
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Continuing the celebration of the 4th Year Anniversary of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, host John Hansen shares clips from some of his favorite interviews over the past four years.
Included in Part Two of the 4 Year Anniversary Show are 6x Ms. Olympia Cory Everson talking about the dangerous blood clot that almost ended her career and her decision to stop competing in the Ms. Olympia (11:25), Tony Pearson and Phil Williams share some hilarious stories about iconic gym owner George Turner (22:00), film editor Dave McVeigh talks about editing the film “Raw Iron”, the documentary about the making of the film “Pumping Iron” (38:00), Charlotte Parker, Arnold’s publicist during the height of his film career, talks about the vision she had of Arnold as a movie star (54:18), Jack Neary, former writer for Muscle Builder Magazine, tells some great stories of hanging out with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the late 1970’s (58:25), Barbara Outland, Arnold’s former girlfriend and the author of the book “Arnold and Me”, talks about Arnold’s attitude towards competing and his amazing self confidence (1:15:00), Ed Connors talks about his purchase of Gold’s Gym in the late 1970’s and how he and his partners transformed the gym into the Mecca of Bodybuilding (1:27:28) and author John Little discusses Bruce Lee’s relationship to bodybuilding and his incredible skills as a martial artist (1:38:45). At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article “Another Gold Crusted Olympia Under His Belt, Mr. Serendipity Goes His Alchemic Way Forward” by Rick Wayne for the February, 1978 issue of Muscle Builder magazine (1:53:24).
4 Year Anniversary Special, Part One
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To celebrate the 4th Anniversary of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, host John Hansen shares excerpts from some of his favorite interviews over the last four years.
Included in Part One of the 4th Anniversary Special are interviews with 1982 Mr. Olympia Chris Dickerson talking about competing in the NABBA Mr. Universe for the first time in 1970 (17:07), 3x Mr. Olympia Frank Zane talking about competing against Bill Pearl in 1971 and training with Arnold Schwarzenegger (30:32), 1978 Mr. America Tony Pearson talks about when he first moved to California and meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger for the first time on Venice Beach (37:34), 1991 Arnold Classic Champion Shawn Ray talks about being mentored by John Brown (43:10), 1969 Mr. America and Mr. Universe Boyer Coe talks about meeting Sergio Oliva and Bill Pearl for the first time (50:54), 1985 NPC Nationals winner Phil Williams talks about winning the NPC Nationals, the last time he saw gym owner George Turner and getting ready to compete in his first pro show (1:01:57), 8x Mr. Olympia Lee Haney and 1989 Arnold Classic Champion Rich Gaspari talk about training together back in 1984 (1:15:22), and Tom Platz talks about his mental prep to compete in the 1981 Mr. Olympia in the best shape of his life (1:34:12). At the end of the podcast, John Hansen reads the article “Frank Zane: Portrait of Persistence” written by Armand Tanny in the February, 1978 issue of Muscle Builder Magazine. (1:43:10).
2 Year Anniversary Special
2 Year Anniversary Special, Part Three
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In Part Three of the 2nd Anniversary Special, host John Hansen picks some clips from a collection of his favorite interviews over the last two years of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Included in Part Three of the 2nd Anniversary Special are clips of Jerry Brainum talking about Arnold and Franco training at the original Gold’s Gym in Venice, California in the early 1970’s, Franco Santoriello talking openly about his addiction to drugs when he was competing in bodybuilding, Glenn Kneer talks about his experience competing against Tim Belknap in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s and meeting Sergio Oliva for the first time ever in Chicago, Jon Lloyd talks about bodybuilding in San Francisco in the 1980’s including stories about Bob Reis, Gary Strydom, Boyer Coe, Bronston Austin and Mike Mentzer. Also included in this special are Dale Ruplinger talking about his emotional comeback to competition after tearing his bicep in 1986 and Jerry Brainum talks about Arnold’s response to steroids and his early stories of Frank Zane in California.
2 Year Anniversary Special, Part Two
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In Part Two of the 2nd Anniversary Special, host John Hansen picks some of his favorite clips from interviews over the last two years of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. In Part Two of the Anniversary Special, excerpts from shows include The Ed Corney Tribute show featuring guest Roger Schwab talking about Corney’s amazing performance at the 1977 Mr. Olympia, 1974 AAU Mr. USA Pat Neve talking about meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger at Gold’s Gym in 1973, Boyer Coe remembering his years competing as a teenage bodybuilder, meeting Sergio Oliva at the 1966 Jr. Mr. America contest and his experience competing at the 1969 NABBA Mr. Universe. Also included in part two of the 2nd Anniversary Special is 1983 AAU Mr. America Jeff King talking about his contest prep for winning the America that year and Ken Sprague telling the story of buying Gold’s Gym in the 1970’s and how he helped director George Butler shoot the movie “Pumping Iron” at the gym in 1975.
2 Year Anniversary Special, Part One
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast is celebrating its Two Year Anniversary Special with this special edition of the podcast in which host John Hansen shares some clips from some of his favorite shows over the last two years. Included in Part One of this special anniversary are Jerry Brainum talking about Larry Scott and Harold Poole at the 1966 Mr. Olympia contest, Phil Williams talking about gym owner George Turner and bodybuilders Ray Mentzer and Gunnar Rosbo, John DeFendis relating his story of Steve Michalik’s brutal training methods, Joey Fulco talking about training at Michalik’s Mr. America Gym, Manuel Perry’s stories about training at Gold’s Gym for the first time and working out with the legendary Robby Robinson and Steve Davis talking about training at Vince’s Gym and working out with Frank Zane in the summer of 1977.
1 Year Anniversary Special Edition
To celebrate the One Year Anniversary of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, host John Hansen has put together two special editions of the podcast featuring excerpts from some of his favorite interviews.
1 Year Anniversary Special, Part Two
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast is celebrating its One Year Anniversary with this special edition of the podcast in which host John Hansen shares excerpts from some of his favorite shows over the last year. Included in Part Two of the special One Year Anniversary show are interviews with Shawn Ray, Rich Gaspari, Dan Solomon and Peter McGough (Season 4 – The 1990 Mr. Olympia), Boyer Coe and John Brown (Season 5 – The NABBA Mr. Universe contest) and Dave Mastorakis and Jerry Brainum (Season 6 – The Larry Scott Years).
1 Year Anniversary Special, Part One
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast is celebrating it’s One Year Anniversary with this special edition of the podcast. Host John Hansen shares clips from some of his favorite interviews conducted for the show in the last year. Included in Part One of this special one year anniversary podcast are excerpts from interviews with Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors author Randy Roach, Pumping Iron author Charles Gaines, Roger Callard, Dorian Yates, Lee Haney, former IFBB Head Judge Roger Schwab, Danny Padilla, Roy Callender and IFBB Judge Winston Roberts.
Season 8 – Women’s Bodybuilding
John Hansen interviews guests about the wonderful world of Women’s Bodybuilding. John talks about the early days of Women’s Bodybuilding when the sport started in the late 1970’s up to it’s peak in the 1980’s.
Season 8, Episode 3 – Janet Tech
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Janet Tech, one of the top female bodybuilders in the 1980’s, talks about competing during the early days of Women’s Bodybuilding. Janet talks about how competitive women’s bodybuilding was in the ’80’s, winning her pro card at the 1988 NPC Women’s Nationals and World Championships and competing as a pro in the Ms. Olympia contest. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads two articles from the February, 1989 issue of Flex Magazine including the contest report on the 1988 NPC Women’s Nationals and Tony Pearson’s article on Symmetry.
Season 8, Episode 2 – Cory Everson
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Cory Everson, 6 Time Ms. Olympia and one of the most popular women bodybuilders in the history of the sport, is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Cory talks about how she started competing in bodybuilding after her career as an athlete ended in college. Cory’s great structure and work ethic allowed her to rapidly progress in bodybuilding by winning the 1984 NPC Nationals and the Ms. Olympia all in the same year. Cory went on to dominate the sport of Women’s Bodybuilding during the 1980’s, winning six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles from 1984-1989. Cory talks about her bodybuilding career including the influence of her ex-husband and coach Jeff Everson, the time in her career when she almost lost her leg due to a blood clot, the pressure she was under to win the Ms. Olympia every year, the popularity of women’s bodybuilding in the 1980’s, the training and diet program she followed to win the Ms. Olympia title and her television and movie career after she stopped competing.
Season 8, Episode 1 – Ruth Silverman
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Ruth Silverman, former editor at Flex Magazine and IronMan Magazine, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about the history of Women’s Bodybuilding. Ruth and host John Hansen discuss the beginning of women competing in bodybuilding competitions, what made women’s bodybuilding so popular in the 1980’s, the influence of the movie “Pumping Iron 2 – The Women” on the sport and what is the ideal physique for women’s bodybuilding. At the end of the podcast, John Hansen reads an article from the January, 1978 issue of IronMan Magazine called “Zane Wins Mr. Olympia” written by Roger Schwab detailing all the events that occurred at the 1977 Mr. Olympia contest.
Season 7 – Old School Bodybuilding
John Hansen interviews bodybuilders and other guests who talk about the Old School Days of Bodybuilding and what it was like to be a bodybuilder in the 1960’s, ’70’s and ’80’s. This was a time when the sport of Bodybuilding was largely unknown to the public and the gyms were hardcore but fun places to train.
Season 7, Episode 165 – 1982 In Review, Part Two
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast celebrates the end of each year by looking back 30, 40 and 50 years at the events in the world of Bodybuilding. On this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, we go back 40 years to the year 1982 to talk about the major professional bodybuilding competitions from that year. Guest Jerry Brainum joins host John Hansen for Part Two of his interview to talk about the top three major IFBB pro contests from 1982 including the 1982 Mr. Olympia, the IFBB Pro World Championships and the Night of the Champions contest. Included in the discussion is Chris Dickerson’s victory at the 1982 Mr. Olympia in London, Albert Beckles winning the Night of the Champions over IFBB newcomer and NABBA Mr. Universe winner Bertil Fox and Beckle’s victory at the Pro World Championship over Boyer Coe. At the end of the podcast, John Hansen reads two articles pertaining to the 1982 Mr. Olympia. The first is called “Dickerson Is New Mr. Olympia” written by Garry Bartlett from the March, 1983 issue of IronMan Magazine. The second article is titled “Chris Dickerson Wins the ’82 Olympia” written by Bill Dobbins for the first issue of Flex Magazine (April, 1982).
Episode aired January 13th, 2023
Season 7, Episode 164 – 1982 In Review, Part One
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast celebrates the end of each year by looking back 30, 40 and 50 years at the events in the world of Bodybuilding. On this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, we go 40 years back to the year 1982 to talk about the major competitions from that year. Guest Jerry Brainum joins host John Hansen for Part One to talk about the top amateur competitions from that year. Included in the discussion is start of the NPC organization with the first NPC American Bodybuilding Championships won by Lee Haney and the 1982 AAU Mr. America contest won by Rufus Howard. At the end of the podcast, John reads two articles from 1982 – “Howard Wins AAU Mr. America” written by Al Antuck from the November, 1982 issue of IronMan Magazine and “Another Viewpoint – The NPC American Bodybuilding Championships” also written by Al Antuck from the March, 1982 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired January 9th, 2023
Season 7, Episode 163 – 1972 In Review, Part Two with Jerry Brainum
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast continues its end of the year celebration by looking back 50 years at the year in Bodybuilding circa 1972. Guest Jerry Brainum joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to discuss the major IFBB competitions from 1972 including the 1972 Mr. Olympia with Sergio Oliva vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 1972 IFBB Mr. Universe won by Ed Corney, the 1972 IFBB Mr. World won by Mike Katz over Ken Waller and the 1972 IFBB Mr. America also won by Ed Corney over Leon Brown. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads two articles from 1972. The first is from the July, 1973 issue of Muscle Builder magazine titled “The Dark Shadow Over Arnold’s Sun” written by Rick Wayne and the second article “Has Success Spoiled Arnold?” also written by Rick Wayne is from August, 1973 issue of Muscle Builder Magazine.
Episode aired January 1st, 2023
Season 7, Episode 162 – 1972 In Review, Part One with Jerry Brainum
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast celebrates the end of each year by looking back at the Bodybuilding world 50, 40 and 30 years in the past. On this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, guest Jerry Brainum joins host John Hansen to talk about the year 1972. In Part One of their interview, Jerry and John talk about the 1972 AAU Mr. America contest won by Steve Michalik. They also discuss the 1972 NABBA Mr. Universe contest won by Frank Zane in the Professional class and Elias Petsas in the Amateur division. At the end of the podcast, John Hansen reads two articles from IronMan Magazine. The first article is called “Physiques of ’72…The Year in Review” written by Franklin Page from the May, 1973 issue of IronMan Magazine and the second article is titled “The Death of Bodybuilding” written by Steve Michalik from the September, 1972 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired December 25, 2022
Season 7, Episode 161 – Rich Gaspari – “Gaspari” The Documentary
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Rich Gaspari, 1989 Arnold Classic Champion and 3x Mr. Olympia runner-up, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about a new documentary about his life called “Gaspari”. Rich also talks about bodybuilders turning pro today and how hard it was to get a pro card in the 1980’s, recovering from his recent neck surgery, the importance of Bodybuilding History, his relationship with Joe Weider and the reality of getting older. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “The Knee in the Back that made Gaspari Rich” written by Jeff Everson for the December, 1985 issue of Flex Magazine.
Episode aired December 11th, 2022
Season 7, Episode 160 – Joe Abbenda, 1962 AAU Mr. America
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Joe Abbenda, 1962 AAU Mr. America and NABBA Mr. Universe winner, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Joe talks about how he began bodybuilding as a teenager and the early gyms he trained at in New York. Joe also tells the stories of when he started competing in bodybuilding and traveling to the national level competitions. Joe was one of the few bodybuilders who was able to win both the AAU Mr. America and the NABBA Mr. Universe competitions in the same year. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the 1983 Mr. Olympia report written by Rick Wayne for the February, 1984 issue of Muscle & Fitness Magazine.
Episode aired November 15, 2022
Season 7, Episode 159 – Rick Wayne, Part Three
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1967 IFBB Mr. World Rick Wayne joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Three of his interview. Rick is regarded as one of the best writers in the bodybuilding industry. He worked for Joe Weider’s Muscle Builder and Flex Magazines for many years and he is the author of The Bodymen, Muscle Wars and the Three More Reps series of books. In addition, Rick was one of the best bodybuilders during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, winning the 1967 IFBB Mr. World and placing high in many other top level competitions. In Part Three of his interview, Rick talks about the Arnold-Sergio rivalry, Joe Weider’s relationship with Arnold, how Rick trained for his bodybuilding contests and his thoughts on Mike Mentzer, Bertil Fox, Serge Nubret, Frank Zane and Steve Reeves as well as his relationship with the eccentric Vince Gironda. At the end of the interview, host John Hansen reads the article “Now the Real Story of the ’84 Mr. Olympia!” written by Rick Wayne for the March, 1985 issue of Flex Magazine.
Episode aired November 6th, 2022
Season 7, Episode 158 – Rick Wayne, Part Two
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Rick Wayne, 1967 IFBB Mr. World, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of his interview. Rick was one of the best writers in the bodybuilding industry. He wrote for Joe Weider’s Muscle Builder and Flex Magazine during the Golden Era of Bodybuilding and is highly regarded as the best writer to write about bodybuilding. Rick was the author of the books The Bodymen, Muscle Wars and all three of the Three More Reps books. In Part Two of his interview, Rick talks about getting to know the real Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Sergio-Arnold feud, Sergio’s comeback at the 1984 Mr. Olympia, Rick’s injury before the 1976 Mr. Olympia and Rick’s thoughts on the current state of Bodybuilding. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Arnold: Saint or Devil” written by Rick Wayne from the April, 1981 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.
Episode aired October 31, 2022
Season 7, Episode 157 – Rick Wayne, Part One
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Rick Wayne, 1967 IFBB Mr. World, is the guest this week on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Rick was one of the best writers to write for Joe Weider’s magazines Muscle Builder/Power and Flex Magazine for many years. Rick authored the books Muscle Wars, The Bodymen and all three of the Three More Reps books. In Part One of his interview, Rick talks about how he started bodybuilding as a kid living in St. Lucia. Rick also tells some early stories of meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 1966 NABBA Mr. Universe, working for Joe Weider as an editor of Muscle Builder/Power and Flex Magazine and the influence of the bodybuilding magazines during the Golden Age of the sport. After the interview with Rick Wayne, host John Hansen reads the article “The IFBB Celebrates a Super Anniversary” written by Rick Wayne from the April/May, 1971 issue of Muscle Builder Magazine.
Episode aired October 24, 2022
Season 7, Episode 156 – Red Lerille, 1960 Mr. America
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1960 AAU Mr. America Red Lerille joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about his long career in bodybuilding. Red won the 1960 AAU Mr. America and his class at the NABBA Mr. Universe in London. Red became a gym owner in Louisiana after his bodybuilding career ended and he now owns Red Lerille’s Health and Racquet Club in Lafayette, Louisiana, one of the biggest gyms in the country. Red was also a mentor to the great Boyer Coe and he talks about coaching Boyer when he was a young man. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “How I Became a Mr. America” written by Red Lerille from the July-August, 1960 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired October 17, 2022
Season 7, Episode 155 – Bill Pearl Tribute with Boyer Coe and Richard Baldwin
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Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. World Boyer Coe and 2x Middleweight Mr. America winner Richard Baldwin join the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to offer their thoughts and memories of the great Bill Pearl who passed away on September 14th at the age of 91. Boyer and Richard talk about the time they first met Bill, how powerful Bill Pearl was on the posing platform, Bill relationship with Arthur Jones, Bill’s last Mr. Universe win in 1971 and Bill’s guest posing at the 1978 AAU Mr. America contest. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “The Bill Pearl Story” written by George Coates from the March, 1972 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired September 26, 2022
Season 7, Episode 154 – Tom Muscolino
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Tom Muscolino took 2nd place at the 1969 AAU Teenage Mr. America contest as well as competing in the 1969 AAU Jr. Mr. America and 1970 AAU Mr. America. Tom talks about the state of bodybuilding in the 1960’s and how the competitions were judged back then. Growing up in Chicago, Tom also had a chance to train at the famous Duncan YMCA during the ’60’s and he was able to watch Sergio Oliva train at his peak. Tom tells the stories of watching Sergio win the Mr. Olympia contest in New York from 1967-1969 and losing the Olympia to Arnold in 1970. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the introduction to Bill Pearl’s book Getting Stronger in which Bill tells the story of how he started bodybuilding.
Episode aired on September 20th, 2022
Season 7, Episode 153 – Dave DeYoung and Larry Bernstein
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Dave DeYoung, owner of the famous Quads Gym in Chicago, Illinois is joined by his long time friend Larry Bernstein, 1983 AAU Mr. America Short Class winner, to talk about Quads Gym and the great bodybuilders who trained there over the last four decades. Dave talks about starting up Quads Gym with his partner Tom Milanovich, his memories of the great people he met during his years running the gym and some of the famous bodybuilders who trained at his gym. At the end of the interview, host John Hansen reads the article “Arnold as I Know Him” written by Frank Zane for the May, 1972 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Aired September 11, 2022
Season 7, Episode 152 – Wayne Gallasch, Part Two
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In Part Two of his interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, photographer and videographer Wayne Gallasch talks about some of the legendary bodybuilders he filmed over the last 50 years. Wayne is responsible for filming some of the most classic bodybuilding competitions along with some of the most legendary bodybuilders in the history of the sport. At the end of the interview, host John Hansen reads the article “Bertil Fox – His Story” written by Wayne Gallasch from the September, 1977 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired on August 9, 2022
Season 7, Episode 151 – Wayne Gallasch, Part One
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Wayne Gallasch has been filming and photographing the best bodybuilders in the world for over 50 years. In Part One of his interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, Wayne talks about how he started as a bodybuilding photographer and videographer and what has kept him going in the business for all these years. Wayne also shares his thoughts on some of the iconic bodybuilders he has met over the years including Serge Nubret, Frank Zane, Chris Dickerson and Boyer Coe. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Reflections on the two Mr. Universe contests” written by Wayne Gallasch for the May, 1972 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired on August 2nd, 2022
Season 7, Episode 150 – John DeFendis, Part Two
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1988 NPC USA Champion John DeFendis talks about his amazing comeback after a five year layoff to win the 1988 NPC USA Championships in Las Vegas on Part Two of his interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. John talks about taking third place in the 1979 AAU Mr. USA at only 20 years old, his many attempted comebacks in the 1980’s, the potential of Steve Michalik and his big win at the 1988 NPC USA after a five year layoff. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Highstakes Gamble” written by Julian Schmidt for the December, 1988 issue of Flex Magazine.
Episode aired on July 4th, 2022
Season 7, Episode 149 – John DeFendis, Part One
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1988 NPC USA champion John DeFendis is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. In Part One of his interview, John talks about competing as a teenager, his first meeting with 1972 Mr. America Steve Michalik and his experience training with Steve using the Intensity or Insanity workout program. John also talks about how extremely hard training helped to shape his character and develop his will to win. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Jackpot in Las Vegas for John DeFendis” written by Bill Reynolds for the December, 1988 issue of Flex Magazine.
Episode aired on June 27, 2022
Season 7, Episode 148 – Joe Nazario
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1978 IFBB Mr. International winner Joe Nazario is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Joe talks about how he started bodybuilding while serving in the Air Force, his early competitions, winning the 1978 Mr. International, training in California vs. New York and overcoming a severe back injury. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Joe Nazario Defeats the Injury Demon” written by Bill Reynolds for the March, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder & Power
Episode aired June 20th, 2022
Season 7, Episode 147 – Stoney Lee Grimes
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Stoney Lee Grimes, former training partner of Lee Labrada and one of the best amateur bodybuilders in the 1980’s, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Stony talks about how he started training as a teenager living in Texas, meeting Lee Labrada, working for Bill Phillips at EAS, competing in the top national level competitions in the 1980’s and his experience training with Lee Labrada. At the end of the interview, host John Hansen reads the article “Lee Labrada – Mass with Class” written by Steve Holman for the March, 1988 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired on June 14, 2022
Season 7, Episode 146 – Jeff King and Matt DuFresne, Part Two
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1983 Mr. America and Mr. Universe Jeff King and 1989 Mr. America and Mr. Universe Matt DuFresne are the guests on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of their interview. On this episode, Jeff and Matt talk more about their bodybuilding careers including traveling around the world doing seminars and exhibitions, Jeff’s attempt at competing in the IFBB and their thoughts on getting older. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “How I trained for the Mr. America and Mr. Universe” written by Jeff King in 1984.
Episode aired on June 1st, 2022
Season 7, Episode 145 – Jeff King and Matt DuFresne, Part One
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Two Mr. America and Mr. Universe winners join the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast on this episode. Matt DuFresne, 1989 AAU Mr. America and NABBA Mr. Universe, is interviewed on the podcast along with his friend Jeff King, 1983 AAU Mr. America and NABBA Mr. Universe. In Part One of their interview, Matt and Jeff talk about their early days of training in Massachusetts and competing as teenagers before winning the Mr. America title in their early 20’s. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the 1983 Mr. America report from the January, 1984 IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired on May 25, 2022
Season 7, Episode 144 – Roger Schwab on past Mr. Olympia contests
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Former IFBB head judge Roger Schwab joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about some of the articles he wrote for IronMan Magazine back in the 1970’s and ’80’s. Roger and host John Hansen talk about the contest reports that Roger wrote for the 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1986 Mr. Olympia contests. At the end of the podcast, John reads the article “Zane Wins Mr. Olympia” written by Roger Schwab for the March, 1979 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Episode aired on May 17, 2022
Season 7, Episode 143 – Lee Haney, Rich Gaspari, Samir Bannout remember Eddie Giuliani
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Bodybuilding Legend Eddie Giuliani passed away on May 1st, 2022. On this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, 8x Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, 1983 Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout and 1989 Arnold Classic champion Rich Gaspari reflect on the impact that Eddie had on their careers, meeting him at Worlds Gym in California and what a special person he was. Lee, Rich and Samir also talk about how many of the Bodybuilding Legends from the Golden Age all lived long lives compared to many of the bodybuilder’s today. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads Part Four of the 1981 Mr. Olympia report written by Rick Wayne for Muscle & Fitness magazine.
Episode aired on May 10, 2022
Season 7, Episode 142 – Eddie Robinson and Franco Santoriello
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On this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, former IFBB Pro Bodybuilders Eddie Robinson and Franco Santoriello talk about their time competing against each other during the 1980’s. Franco and Eddie both competed in the 1984 NPC Teenage USA, each winning their weight classes and Franco winning the overall. Eddie got his revenge at the 1989 NPC USA Championships where he beat Franco in the light heavyweight class before winning the overall. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads Part 3 of the 1981 Mr. Olympia report written by Rick Wayne in Muscle & Fitness magazine.
Episode aired on April 26, 2022
Season 7, Episode 141 – Tony Pearson, Phil Williams, Tom Terwilliger, Part Two
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Former IFBB Pro Bodybuilders Phil Williams, Tony Pearson and Tom Terwilliger come together for an interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. In Part Two of their interview, Phil, Tony and Tom talk about the promise of Mixed Pairs competition, the unfortunate passing of Matt Mendenhall last year and their experiences competing in their very first competition. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Phil Williams – King of 1985” from the March, 1986 issue of Muscle Training Illustrated magazine. John also reads an article written by Lisa Lyon called “Why I Like Male Bodybuilders”.
Episode aired on April 19, 2022
Season 7, Episode 140 – Tony Pearson, Phil Williams and Tom Terwilliger, Part One
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Bodybuilding Champions and former IFBB Professional Bodybuilders Phil Williams, Tony Pearson and Tom Terwilliger join the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part One of their interview. Phil, Tony and Tom discuss a variety of different subjects including concentration during a workout, training in their 60’s, memories of Dave Draper and Chris Dickerson, Mixed Pairs posing and the start of women’s bodybuilding. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Mr. Olympia Report, Part II” written by Rick Wayne from the April, 1982 issue of Muscle&Fitness Magazine about the 1981 Mr. Olympia contest.
Episode aired on April 11, 2022
Season 7, Episode 139 – David Hawk, Part Two
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David Hawk, 1985 NPC USA Champion and one of the most popular pro bodybuilders in the 1980’s, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. In Part Two of his interview, David talks about winning the 1985 NPC USA overall title over Matt Mendenhall and then winning his class at the 1985 IFBB World Games in London. He also talks about competing as an IFBB Pro in contests such as the Night of the Champions and the Pro World Championships in Columbus, Ohio. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Olympia ’81, Part 1” written by Rick Wayne from the February, 1982 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.
Episode aired on March 17, 2022
Season 7, Episode 138 – David Hawk, Part One
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David Hawk, winner of the 1985 NPC USA and IFBB World Games, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. In Part One of his interview, David talks about how he got started in bodybuilding while playing football in high school, competing in the teenage bodybuilding competitions and winning the Teenage Mr. America in 1982. At the end of the interview, host John Hansen reads the article “Dave Hawk Soars” by Jim Manion for the January, 1986 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.
Episode aired on March 10, 2022
Season 7, Episode 137 – John Citrone
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John Citrone, one of Britain’s best bodybuilders, talks about his great career on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. John took first place in his class at the prestigious NABBA Mr. Universe from 1966-1969. After retiring from the sport for many years, John made a comeback to competition as a Masters competitor, eventually winning the Masters World Championships 6x and the Masters Mr. Universe contest 5x. Today, at 78 years old, John is still in fantastic shape and he reveals his secrets for longevity and health in bodybuilding.
At the end of the Podcast, John reads the chapter about John Citrone from Bill Pearl’s Legends of the Iron Game, Vol. 3 and the article “The Wisdom of Gaspari” from the July, 1989 issue of Flex Magazine.
Episode aired on March 1st, 2022
Season 7, Episode 136 – Charles Gaines remembers George Butler
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Charles Gaines, the author of the book Pumping Iron and Stay Hungry, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about his friend and partner George Butler, who passed away last October 21st, 2021. George directed the movie “Pumping Iron” and also was the photographer of the book Pumping Iron. Charles talks about how he and George first met in 1972 on an assignment for an article about bodybuilding for Sports Illustrated magazine, the idea for the book Pumping Iron, meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger and the challenges in publishing the book and getting the movie made.
At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son Joseph Baena from the March, 2022 issue of Men’s Health magazine written by Andrew Heffenan. John also reads the article “Cutting Some Fancy Figures” written by Charles Gaines for the July 10, 1972 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Episode aired on March 1, 2022
Season 7, Episode 135 – 1991 In Review, Part Two
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness magazine and IronMan Magazine, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of his interview about the year 1991 In Review. Jerry and host John Hansen talk about the top amateur competitions from that year including the 1991 NPC USA Championships won by Mike Matarazzo, the 1991 IFBB North America won by Ray McNeil and the 1991 NPC Nationals won by Kevin Levrone and featuring an all star line-up of future champions. Jerry and John conclude the podcast by talking about the 1991 Mr. Olympia contest, won for the 8th time by Lee Haney. At the end of the podcast, John reads the article “An Interview with Lee Hayney, 1982 American World Champion” by Doris Barrilleaux from the April, 1983 issue of Muscle Training Illustrated magazine.
Episode aired on February 16, 2022
Season 7, Episode 134 – 1991 In Review, Part One
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness Magazine and IronMan Magazine, is the guest for this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Jerry and host John Hansen discuss the year 1991 in Bodybuilding. Included in the discussion in Part One is the 1991 IronMan Pro Invitational won by J.J. Marsh, the 1991 Arnold Classic won by Shawn Ray and the 1991 Night of the Champions won by Dorian Yates. At the beginning of the podcast, Jerry and John talk about the recent deaths of Tom Prince, 1997 NPC Nationals winner, and the legendary Marvin Eder who passed away last week at 90 years old.
Episode aired February 8th, 2022
Season 7, Episode 133 – Chris Dickerson Tribute with Boyer Coe, Roy Callender and Bill Neylon
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast devotes this episode as a tribute to the late Chris Dickerson who passed away on December 23rd, 2021. The guests for this tribute include 4x Mr. Universe and Mr. America Boyer Coe, Mr. Universe and Professional Mr. Universe Roy Callender and NPC judge Bill Neylon. Boyer, Roy and Bill share their memories of Chris. Boyer talks about competing with Chris back in the 1960’s, Roy remembers his battles with Chris on the Grand Prix circuit in 1980 and ’81 and Bill talks about what a gentleman Chris was with his fans. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Elegance is the Game, Dickerson’s the Name” written by Bill Reynolds and Armand Tanny for the January, 1980 issue of Muscle&Fitness magazine.
Episode aired on January 27, 2022
Season 7, Episode 132 – 1981 In Review, Part Two
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Jerry Brainum is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to review the year 1981 in Bodybuilding. In Part Two of his interview, Jerry joins host John Hansen to talk about the 1981 Mr. Olympia contest, one of the most controversial events in the history of bodybuilding in which Franco Columbu won his second Mr. Olympia title over Chris Dickerson, Tom Platz, Roy Callender and Danny Padilla. At the end of the podcast, John reads a chapter from the book Muscle Wars written by Rick Wayne called “The Greatest Booing Contest of All Time” about the 1981 Mr. Olympia.
Episode aired on January 19, 2022
Season 7, Episode 131 – 1981 In Review, Part One
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Jerry Brainum joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to review the year 1981 in the world of Bodybuilding. In Part One of the interview, Jerry and host John Hansen talk about the 1981 AAU Mr. America contest won by Tim Belknap from Rockford, Illinois, the 1981 IFBB Mr. Universe contest in which Lance Dreher from the USA won the heavyweight class and the 1981 NABBA Mr. Universe won by John Brown in the amateur class and Robby Robinson in the pro division. Jerry and John finish off their discussion talking about the IFBB Pro Grand Prix events in 1981 including the Night of the Champions won by Chris Dickerson. Jerry and John also talk about the WABBA organization promoted by Serge Nubret and the Pro World Cup won by Sergio Oliva. Finally, they talk about the spectacular shape achieved by Boyer Coe who won the World Cup Grand Prix in Montreal held after the 1981 Mr. Olympia contest. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads two articles from the October, 1981 issue of Muscle Builder magazine including the 1981 IFBB New England Grand Prix where Albert Beckles defeated Chris Dickerson written by John Balik and the 1981 Night of the Champions written by Roger Schwab. John also reads an article about Boyer Coe winning the World Cup Grand Prix written by Denie from the April, 1982 issue of Muscle Training Illustrated magazine.
Episode aired on January 12, 2022
Season 7, Episode 130 – 1971 In Review, Part Two
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Jerry Brainum joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of his interview about the year 1971 In Review. In this episode, Jerry and host John Hansen talk about the 1971 NABBA Mr. Universe in which Bill Pearl won his 4th and final Mr. Universe over Sergio Oliva and Reg Park. Then, Jerry and John discuss the 1971 Mr. Olympia contest in which Arnold Schwarzenegger won his second title unopposed because Sergio Oliva was suspended from competing that year. At the end of the podcast, John reads two articles about the 1971 NABBA Mr. Universe and the 1971 IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia.
Episode aired January 5th, 2022
Season 7, Episode 129 – 1971 In Review, Part One
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Jerry Brainum joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for our annual end of the year in review. On this episode, we go back 50 years to 1971 to review the major bodybuilding events from that year. In Part One of the episode, Jerry and host John Hansen talk about the 1971 AAU Mr. America where Casey Viator won the contest at only 19 years old. Also discussed in this episode are the 1971 IFBB Mr. America where Ken Waller beat Boyer Coe for the title and the 1971 IFBB Mr. USA/Mr. World where Ed Corney and Franco Columbu won the overall titles. At the end of the episode, John reads an article from June, 1972 issue of Muscle Builder magazine about the 1971 IFBB Mr. USA and Mr. World contests.
Episode aired on December 25th, 2021
Season 7, Episode 128 – Steve Brisbois, Part Two
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Steve Brisbois, former pro bodybuilder in the 1980’s and ’90’s, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of his interview. In this episode, Steve talks about the drug testing that was used for the 1990 Arnold Classic, competing in the 1992 Mr. Olympia in Helsinki, Finland and witnessing the death of Mohamed Benaziza during the Grand Prix tour in Europe following the Mr. Olympia, an event that caused Steve to retire from the sport of bodybuilding. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “The Tail End of the Comet” written by Dick Tyler from the July, 1969 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Episode aired December 22, 2021
Season 7, Episode 127 – Steve Brisbois, Part One
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Steve Brisbois, 1986 IFBB Amateur World Champion in the Bantamweight Class, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Steve talks about when he started competing in bodybuilding and his rapid rise to international competition. Steve was the only bantamweight competitor in history to win an overall national championship when he won the Canadian Nationals in 1986. Steve also talks about winning the IFBB Mr. Universe in the bantamweight class that same year as a natural bodybuilder. Finally, Steve talks about competing against the big boys in the professional competitions and the drug testing at the 1990 Arnold Classic. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article written by Frank Zane for the August, 1980 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine about his preparations to win his fourth Mr. Olympia contest that year.
Episode aired 12/15/21
Season 7, Episode 126 – Rick Newcombe
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Rick Newcombe, author of the new book The Magic of Lifting Weights, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Rick talks about his experiences of working with some of the legends of bodybuilding including Franco Columbu, Frank Zane, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his time spent as a training partner of Bertil Fox. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “The IFBB Celebrates a Super Anniversary!”, the contest report of the 1970 IFBB Mr. Olympia/Mr. World/Mr. America contest written by Rick Wayne for the April/May 1971 issue of Muscle Builder Magazine.
Episode aired on December 7th, 2021
Season 7, Episode 125 – Ed Connors and Tim Kimber – Gold’s Gym in the ’80s
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Ed Connors and Tim Kimber, two of the owners of Gold’s Gym in the 1980’s, talk about how they acquired the gym and made it into the biggest gym empire in the world. Ed and Tim also talk about how much Hollywood and the media loved bodybuilding in the ’80’s, the start of Women’s Bodybuilding and how they created the great atmosphere of Gold’s Gym. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “You Are Dave Draper” from the August-September, 1980 issue of IronMan Magazine as a tribute to Dave Draper who passed away on November 30, 2021.
Episode aired on December 1st, 2021
Season 7, Episode 124 – Jerry Brainum and Phil Williams talk about recent deaths in Bodybuilding
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness and IronMan Magazine, and Phil Williams, 1985 NPC Nationals champion, are the guests on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. In Part Two of their interview, Jerry and Phil continue their discussion about all the recent deaths in the world of bodybuilding and what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article from the April, 1980 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine “The Two Faces of Lou Ferrigno” written by Bill Reynolds.
Episode aired on November 16, 2021
Season 7, Episode 123 – RIP Shawn Rhoden, Mr. Olympia
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2018 Mr. Olympia Shawn Rhoden passed away on November 6th, 2021 at the age of 46. On this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness and IronMan Magazine and Phil Williams, 1985 NPC Nationals overall winner, discuss the tragic passing of Shawn and his legacy as a bodybuilder. Jerry and Phil also talk about some of the other recent deaths in the bodybuilding world. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article “Arnold: Life With and Without Steroids” written by Armand Tanny from the August, 1978 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Episode recorded on November 9th, 2021
Season 7, Episode 122 – Jose Raymond – 2021 Mr. Olympia Predictions
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Former 212 Pro Bodybuilder Jose Raymond makes his predictions for the 2021 Mr. Olympia contest in the 212 Bodybuilding and Classic Physique divisions in Part 2 of his interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Jose talks about the potential of Derek Lunsford winning the 212 Bodybuilding division over reigning champ Shaun Clarida. Then Jose makes his predictions for the Classic Physique Olympia. Will Chris Bumstead win his third title easily or will he face competition from newcomers like Bryan Jones and Robert Timms as well as top contenders like Terrence Ruffin and Alex Cambronero? At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Arnold: His Life and Good Times” written by Armand Tanny from the June, 1975 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Season 7, Episode 121 – Dan Solomon talks about 2021 Mr. Olympia
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast features two interviews this week. Jose Raymond, one of the best 212 Pro Bodybuilders in the sport, gives his predictions for the 2021 Arnold Classic and the Mr. Olympia contest. In Part One of his interview, Jose talks about the favorites for the two big professional contests of the year and then offers his picks for the top placings. In the second part of the show, Mr. Olympia President Dan Solomon previews this years Mr. Olympia, taking place in Orlando, Florida from October 7th-10th, 2021. Dan talks about the changes this year to the Expo, the stage design, the press conference and the Pay-Per-View broadcast. Dan also remembers the legendary writer Peter McGough who passed away at the end of last year. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article from the April-May, 1978 issue of Muscle Builder magazine called “Close Encounters of the 5th Kind” written by Armand Tanny about the winning career of Kal Szkalak, 1977 IFBB Heavyweight Mr. Universe.
Season 7, Episode 120 – Lee Haney, Rich Gaspari, Lee Labrada and Shawn Ray
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast is proud to feature an all-star line-up of Bodybuilding legends including 8x Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, 1989 Arnold Classic Champ Rich Gaspari, 2x Mr. Olympia Runner-up Lee Labrada and 1991 Arnold Classic Champion Shawn Ray all together to discuss the upcoming 2021 Mr. Olympia in which they will all be featured commentators at the event. They also talk about which Mr. Olympia contests inspired them when they were young, how important posing is in competition and what was their favorite Mr. Olympia contest that they competed in.
Season 7, Episode 119 – Tony Pearson, Tom Terwilliger and Phil Williams, Part Two
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In Part Two of their interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, guests Tony Pearson, Tom Terwilliger and Phil Williams talk about their experiences of turning pro in the 1980’s, competing in their favorite pro contest, the art of posing and the differences between bodybuilding in the ’80’s compared to today. At the beginning of the podcast, host John Hansen talks about the recent passing of bodybuilder Matt Mendenhall, the news that bodybuilding legend Leon Brown has terminal cancer and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s response to his “Screw your freedom” comment. At the end of the podcast, John reads an article about Matt Mendenhall written by Jeff Everson for the July, 1984 issue of Flex Magazine.
Season 7, Episode 118 – Tony Pearson, Tom Terwilliger and Phil Williams, Part One
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This episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast features three great champions from the 1980’s including Tony Pearson, 1978 AAU Mr. America, Tom Terwilliger, 1986 NPC Nationals Light Heavyweight Champion, and Phil Williams, 1985 NPC Nationals overall winner. In Part One of their interview, Tony, Tom and Phil talk about their bodybuilding careers during the 1980’s including the amateur competitions that led to their professional careers and some of the struggles they faced in climbing the ladder in the world of bodybuilding. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “The Unhappiest Mr. America” about Tony Pearson winning the 1978 AAU Mr. America contest written by Rick Wayne for the February, 1978 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Season 7, Episode 117 – Marc Martinez, Part Two
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In Part Two of his interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, Marc Martinez talks about the interviews he conducted in putting together his documentary “Dream Big” about the Golden Age of Bodybuilding. Marc also talks about the challenges of making a movie and when the movie will be released. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article from the May, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder magazine titled “I’ll Win Mr. Olympia a Third Time – Here’s Why” written by Frank Zane.
Season 7, Episode 116 – Marc Martinez, Part One
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Marc Martinez, director of the upcoming documentary “Dream Big” joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about his new movie in Part One of his interview. Marc explains what got him interested in bodybuilding when he was a teenager and some of the memories of Gold’s Gym in the 1970’s and his inspiration for making a documentary about the Golden Age of Bodybuilding. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the contest report of the 1978 Mr. Olympia contest written by Rick Wayne from the February, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Season 7, Episode 115 – Lee Haney and Roy Callender
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Lee Haney, 8x Mr. Olympia, and Roy Callender, one of the top pro bodybuilders in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, are the guests on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Roy and Lee talk about the training strategies that allowed them to build their legendary physiques, what today’s bodybuilders are doing wrong in their training and how important it is to create iconic poses. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article from the September, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder magazine called “The Winnah!” written by Bill Reynolds about Roy Callender after he won the 1979 Pro Mr. Universe in Australia.
Season 7, Episode 114 – Mike Mentzer Tribute – John Little, Part Two
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Bodybuilding Legend Mike Mentzer passed away 20 years ago on June 10th, 2001 at the age of 49. In Part Two of his interview with the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, author John Little continues his discussion about the life and legacy of this bodybuilding legend. John talks about the pro bodybuilding career of Mentzer, including his two Mr. Olympia appearances in 1979 and 1980. John also talks about Mike’s addiction to speed, how he lost everything at one point of his life and his resurrection from his addiction. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads “The Thinking Man’s Bodybuilder”, an article about Mike Mentzer written by Jack Neary for the October, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Season 7, Episode 113 – Mike Mentzer Tribute – John Little, Part One
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Mike Mentzer passed away on June 10, 2001. To remember the passing of this bodybuilding legend on the 20th anniversary of his death, author and film maker John Little joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to discuss the life of Mike Mentzer. In Part One of his interview, John talks about the competitive career of Mike Mentzer from 1970-1980. Included in this interview is the 1971 AAU Mr. America won by 19 year old Casey Viator, the 1976 IFBB Mr. America won by Mike Mentzer, the 1976 IFBB Mr. Universe held in Montreal, Canada, the 1977 IFBB Mr. North America, losing the 1977 Mr. Universe to Kal Szkalak and the 1978 IFBB Mr. Universe where Mike scored a perfect 300. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen read the article about the 1976 IFBB American Bodybuilding Championships written by Jack Neary for the January, 1977 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Season 7, Episode 112 – Chris Dickerson Update with Anibal Lopez and Bill Neylon
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Anibal Lopez, former WBBG Mr. America, and Bill Neylon, NPC Florida judge and competitor, join the podcast to talk about their friend Chris Dickerson. Chris has been confined to a nursing home for the last year after breaking his hip and suffering a heart attak.. Anibal and Bill, along with some other friends of Chris, went to visit him a couple weeks to cheer him. Both Anibal and Bill give an update on Chris’s health and his prognosis for the future. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “The 1980 Olympia Report” written by Jack Neary for the February, 1981 issue.
Season 7, Episode 111 – Who Looked the Best in the Mandatory Poses, Part Two
Jerry Brainum, Tom Terwilliger and Phil Williams discuss the topic of “Who Looked the Best in the Mandatory Poses” during the Golden Age of Bodybuilding (from the 1960’s to the 1980’s). In Part Two of the interview, Jerry, Tom, Phil and host John Hansen look at the Rear Double Biceps, the Rear Lat Spread, the Overhead Abdominal Pose and the Most Muscular Pose and make their choices of the bodybuilder who looked the best in each pose.
Season 7, Episode 110 – Who Looked the Best in the Mandatory Poses, Part One
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Jerry Brainum, Tom Terwilliger and Phil Williams join host John Hansen to discuss which Golden Age Bodybuilder (1960’s to 1980’s) looked the Best in the Mandatory Poses? In Part One of the interview, Jerry, Tom, Phil and John look at the Front Double Biceps, Front Lat Spread, Side Chest and Side Triceps poses and pick their favorite bodybuilder for each pose.
Season 7, Episode 109 – Alq Gurley
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1990 NPC Nationals Champion Alq Gurley joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about his bodybuilding career. Alq talks about how he started training for bodybuilding, his first bodybuilding competitions and his rapid rise to the top of the national amateur bodybuilding scene and his career as a professional bodybuilder during the 1990’s. Alq also discusses the change in bodybuilding towards the mass monsters in the 1990’s and his reason for retiring. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads the article “Belknap Wins Mr. America” by Dave Sauer from the November, 1981 issue of IronMan Magazine and “How I Saw the Mr. Olympia and the Top Six Men” by Steven Robinson from the March, 1982 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Season 7, Episode 108 – Glenn Knerr and Larry Bernstein, Part Two
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John Hansen interviews Glenn Knerr, 1986 AAU Mr. America and Mr. World, and Larry Bernstein, 1983 Mr. America and Mr. World – Short Class, for the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. In Part Two of their interview, Glenn and Larry continue their discussion about bodybuilding in the 1970’s and ’80’s including their memories of meeting some of the iconic bodybuilders of their generation including Lance Dreher, Frank Zane, Boyer Coe and Mohamed Makkawy. Glenn and Larry also talk about what it was like to compete against 1981 AAU Mr. America Tim Belknap. At the end of the podcast, John reads the article “Tim Belknap – The New Hercules” by Franklin Page from the May, 1981 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Season 7, Episode 107 – Glenn Knerr and Larry Bernstein, Part One
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John Hansen interview 1986 AAU Mr. America Glenn Knerr and 1983 AAU Mr. America – Short Class winner Larry Bernstein about Bodybuilding in the 1980’s. Glenn and Larry reminisce about competing in bodybuilding in the 1970’s and ’80’s in the Chicago area before working their way up to the top of the national level (17:33). They also talk about competing as teenagers, what made them get started in bodybuilding and some of the legendary bodybuilders they met during their years of competing. At the end of the Podcast, John reads the article “How I Lost the Mr. Universe (and What It Taught Me)” written by Mike Mentzer from the October, 1987 issue of Muscle & Fitness Magazine (1:07:30). John also reads emails from last week’s interview with Charlotte Parker (04:31).
Season 7, Episode 106 – Charlotte Parker
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Charlotte Parker, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s personal Public Relations Manager, is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about how she managed Arnold’s film career during his peak years in Hollywood. Charlotte talks about working with Arnold and how she believed that he could be the biggest movie star in the world. Charlotte started promoting Arnold with the film “Conan the Destroyer” (1984) and “The Terminator” (1984) and she was instrumental in creating the iconic image that made him the biggest movie star in the world. Charlotte also talks about her working relationship with Joe and Betty Weider and Joe Gold and his promotion of World Gym. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an excerpt from the revised edition of the book Pumping Iron about the year 1980 in Bodybuilding.
Season 7, Episode 105 – John DeCola, Part Two
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1969 IFBB Mr. America John DeCola joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of his interview. In this segment, John talks about competing in masters competitions, the difference in the size of the competitors from 1969 to 1970, how he modified his workouts and diet as he got older and judging the 1970 Mr. Olympia contest. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article from the March, 1970 issue of Muscle Builder magazine written by Rick Wayne about the 1969 IFBB Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions.
Season 7, Episode 104 – John DeCola, Part One
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1969 IFBB Mr. America winner John DeCola is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about his bodybuilding career. In Part One of his interview, John talks about how he started bodybuilding after high school and the training and diet program he followed when he started bodybuilding. John also talks about his experiences of competing in the AAU competitions before switching over to the IFBB, standing onstage with bodybuilding legends like Frank Zane, Don Howorth, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Oliva and the role of steroids in bodybuilding during the 1960’s. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article titled “Frank Zane’s Amazing Deltoid-Training Blitz” written by Jack Neary from the July, 1977 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Season 7, Episode 103 – Jack Neary, Part Two
Jack Neary, former writer for Muscle Builder magazine, is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about writing for the magazine in the late 1970’s. In Part Two of his interview, Jack talks about some of the bodybuilders he met while working for the magazine including Kal Szkalak, Robby Robinson, Lou Ferrigno and Frank Zane. Jack also talks about the controversial 1980 Mr. Olympia contest in which he wrote one of the best contest reports written about that particular event for Muscle & Fitness Magazine. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads two articles from Jack Neary from Muscle Builder magazine, the first one is a profile piece about Robby Robinson and the second is a flash report of the 1979 Night of the Champions won by Robby Robinson over Danny Padilla.
Season 7, Episode 102 – Jack Neary, Part One
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Jack Neary, one of the best writers for Muscle Builder/Power magazine, talks to the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast about his memorable years working for the magazine. Jack relates stories of hanging out with Arnold Schwarzenegger, working for Joe Weider, his friendship with Mike Mentzer and what really happened when Kal Szkalak took some of his photos out of Joe Weider’s office. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads two articles from the July, 1978 issue of Muscle Builder magazine, “Santa wore a Robby Robinson T-Shirt” written by Rick Wayne and “Blood is Thicker than Water” written by Jack Neary.
Season 7, Episode 101 – Tony Pearson and Phil Williams on George Turner
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1978 AAU Mr. America Tony Pearson and 1985 NPC Nationals Champion Phil Williams join the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to reminisce about the legendary gym owner George Turner from St. Louis. Tony and Phil both trained under George when they started training as teens and they have lots of stories to share of working out with George at his gym. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article about Tony Pearson’s seminar from the June, 1979 issue of Muscular Development magazine.
Season 7, Episode 100 – Mike “The Ripper” Sable
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Mike “The Zipper” Sable is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about his wild career in Bodybuilding. Mike explains how he started training at Valencia Health Club in California with the goal of competing in bodybuilding. Mike discusses his many experiences competing in several bodybuilding organizations including the AAU, the AFAB, WABBA and NABBA. He recalls some fun stories of guest posing overseas at the peak of his bodybuilding career and how he got the nickname “The Zipper”.
Season 7, Episode 99 – Jerry Brainum, 1990 In Review, Part Two
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness and IronMan Magazine, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to review the year 1990 in Bodybuilding. Jerry and host John Hansen talk about the drug tested NPC USA and NPC Nationals Championships, including the winners Aaron Baker and Alq Gurley. Jerry also talks about the potential of Edgar Fletcher and meeting a drug free Ronnie Coleman at the 1990 NPC Nationals. Finally, Jerry and John discuss the 1990 Mr. Olympia, the only drug-tested Mr. Olympia in history, including the reason the IFBB decided not to drug test any more contests and the impact the WBF had on Joe Weider and the IFBB.
Season 7, Episode 98 – Jerry Brainum, 1990 In Review, Part One
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness and IronMan Magazine, is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to review the year 1990 in Bodybuilding. Included in the discussion is the decision of the IFBB to drug test the major professional contests that year, the inaugural 1990 IronMan Pro Invitational, the 1990 Arnold Classic and the 1990 Night of the Champions contest. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article about 1974 AAU Mr. America winner Ron Thompson called “The Mr. America Struggle” from the November, 1974 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Season 7, Episode 97 – Jerry Brainum 1980 Year In Review, Part Two
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness and IronMan Magazine, is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about the year 1980 in Bodybuilding. In Part Two of the interview, Jerry talks about the 1980 Mr. America contest won by Gary Leonard, the 1980 IFBB Mr. Universe contest held in the Philippines and the Night of the Champions contest won that year by Chris Dickerson. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article from the 1980 issue of IronMan Magazine called “Another Viewpoint of the Night of the Warriors” written by photographer Steve Robinson about the 1980 Night of the Champions contest.
Season 7, Episode 96 – Peter McGough Tribute
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The Bodybuilding Legends Podcast pays tribute to Peter McGough (1949-2020), the great writer and bodybuilding historian who was the editor-in-chief of Flex Magazine. Peter passed away on December 29th, 2020 after a long battle with cancer. Included in this episode are clips of interviews with Peter from 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Peter talks about how he started his own bodybuilding publication called Pumping Press in England, his memories of watching the NABBA Mr. Universe competitions in 1970 and 1971, working for Joe Weider during the Golden Era of Bodybuilding, the importance of bodybuilding magazines and why today’s bodybuilders should concentrate more on developing better posing routines.
Season 7, Episode 95 – Jerry Brainum Reviews 1980 in Bodybuilding – 1980 Mr. Olympia
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness and IronMan Magazine, is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about the year 1980 in Bodybuilding. Jerry and host John Hansen talk about the controversial 1980 Mr. Olympia contest where Arnold Schwarzenegger won his 7th Mr. Olympia after a five year layoff. Jerry and John talk about all the competitor’s in that historic event as well as the backstage events that occurred including the heated competitors meeting and the selection of the judges. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article about all of the competitors in the 1970 AAU Mr. America contest won by Chris Dickerson from the September, 1970 issue of IronMan Magazine.
Season 7, Episode 94 – Jerry Brainum Reviews 1970 in Bodybuilding, Part Two
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Muscle & Fitness and IronMan Magazine, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to continue his discussion about the year 1970 in Bodybuilding. Included in Part Two of his interview is the 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe where Frank Zane won the Amateur division and Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Pro category. Jerry also talks about the 1970 Mr. Olympia in which Arnold beat out Sergio Oliva for the title. At the end of the Podcast, host John Hansen reads an article from the 1970 issue of IronMan Magazine about the 1970 AAU Mr. America where Chris Dickerson won the overall title.
Season 7, Episode 93 – Jerry Brainum 1970 Year in Review, Part One
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Jerry Brainum, former writer for Joe Weider’s Muscle & Fitness Magazine and IronMan Magazine, is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to review the year 1970 in Bodybuilding. Jerry talks about the 1970 AAU Mr. America where Chris Dickerson became the first African-American bodybuilder to win the title. Jerry also talks about the impact of 18 year old Casey Viator taking third place at the 1970 Mr. America. Finally, Jerry discusses the 1970 AAU Mr. World contest in Columbus, Ohio where Arnold Schwarzenegger first defeated his rival Sergio Oliva.
Season 7, Episode 92 – Jose Raymond, Part Two
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IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Jose Raymond joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of his interview about the upcoming 2020 Mr. Olympia competition. Jose starts off talking about the other contenders for the 212 Olympia before offering his predictions for the Mr. Olympia contest. Jose talks about the impact of Phil Heath competing again in the Mr. Olympia and his chances of winning his 8th Mr. Olympia title. At the end of the interview, host John Hansen reads the article “Mr. Olympia Revisited” about the 1976 Mr. Olympia contest from the January, 1977 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.
Season 7, Episode 91 – Jose Raymond, Part One
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IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Jose Raymond joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about the upcoming 2020 Mr. Olympia competition. Jose and host John Hansen talk about the 212 and the Classic Physique divisions in Part One of his interview. Jose and John discuss who is favored to win the Classic Physique Olympia, the judging criteria for Classic Physique, the power of great posing routines and the favorites for the 212 Olympia. At the end of the Podcast, John reads an article from the March, 1978 issue of IronMan Magazine about Chet Yorton who just passed away last month from a heart attack.
Season 7, Episode 90 – Dan Solomon on the 2020 Mr. Olympia
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The President of the Mr. Olympia competition, Dan Solomon, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about the upcoming competition to be held December 17-20, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. Dan talks about the difficult decision to move bodybuilding’s biggest event from Las Vegas to Orlando, Florida with only 5 weeks to go. Dan talks about the details of the 2020 Olympia weekend including the Pay-Per-View broadcast. Dan also shares the memory of his first Mr. Olympia contest and how he feels about Mr. Olympia predictions. At the end of the Podcast, John Hansen reads an excerpt from Rick Wayne’s book Muscle Wars about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Oliva in the years 1967-1968.
Season 7, Episode 89 – Mario Nieves, Part Two
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Mario Nieves, 1977 AAU Jr. Mr. America winner, joins the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of his interview. Mario talks about his decision not to use drugs for most of his bodybuilding career, how he started up his motorcycle club over the world and his stories about appearing in movies like “Code of Silence”, “Above the Law” and “The Color of Money” and working with actors Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Tom Cruise and Paul Newman.
Season 7, Episode 88 – Mario Nieves, Part One
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1977 AAU Jr. Mr. America Mario Nieves talks to the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast about his career in bodybuilding. Mario talks about how he started bodybuilding after moving to Chicago from Puerto Rico, training with the great Sergio Oliva at the Duncan YMCA, developing his physique without using steroids and how Arnold Schwarzenegger compared to Sergio when they were in their prime in part one of his interview. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads an article about Mario from the July, 1978 issue of IronMan Magazine after Mario won the Jr. Mr. America title in 1977.
Season 7, Episode 87 – Tom Terwilliger and Joey Fulco, Part Two
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Tom Terwilliger and Joey Fulco join the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast for Part Two of their interview. Tom and Joey talk about what they would have changed if they could go back in time and compete again, Joey talks about his daughter making the finals of the TV show “The Voice”, the drugs Serge Nubret used to get ripped and both of the guys talk about the Golden Age of Bodybuilding compared to today’s Bodybuilding scene.
Season 7, Episode 86 – Tom Terwilliger and Joey Fulco, Part One
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Tom Terwilliger and Joey Fulco return to the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast in Part One of their interview to reminisce about training at the hardcore bodybuilding gyms as teenagers. Tom and Joey talk about competing in the teenage bodybuilding competitions in the 1970’s, being mentored by legends such as Steve Michalik and Tony Pandolfo and what drove them to be champions.
Season 7, Episode 85 – Dwayne Broadway
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Dwayne Broadway talks about his long bodybuilding career for the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Dwayne explains how he got into bodybuilding at a young age and started competing successfully as a teenage bodybuilder, beating out top champions like John DeFendis, Tom Terwilliger and Casey Kucharyk. Dwayne also talks about his decision to never use steroids and remain natural through his bodybuilding career, eventually competing the WNBF organization and winning his pro card after winning the Natural Mr. America and Natural Mr. Universe.
Season 7, Episode 84 – Ed Connors and Mel Chancey, Part Two
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In part two of their interview for the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, Ed Connors and Mel Chancey talk about golden age of bodybuilding from Gold’s Gym in the early 1990’s. Ed and Mel talk about the marketing genius of Rich Piana, the time when Mike Matarazzo and Flex Wheeler almost came to blows at Gold’s Gym, why hardcore training is missing from the bodybuilding community today and the Rock’s new docudrama about Mel’s life.
Season 7, Episode 83 – Ed Connors and Mel Chancey, Part One
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Ed Connors, former owner of Gold’s Gym, Venice, California, and Mel Chancey, former leader of the Hell’s Angels in Chicago, join the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about when they met in the early 1990’s at Gold’s Gym in Part One of their interview. Ed and Mel reminisce about meeting Mike Matarazzo, the intense atmosphere at Gold’s Gym in the ’90’s and all the great talent in pro bodybuilding during those years. Mel also talks about his friendship with Hulk Hogan and appearing on the HBO television show “Oz” in 2001-2002.
Season 7, Episode 82 – Dan Morrow
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1980’s Teenage Bodybuilding Champion Dan Morrow is the guest on the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast to talk about his teenage bodybuilding career. Dan talks about how he started lifting weights at 14 years old in Pennsylvania and started competing in bodybuilding competitions at 17 years old. Dan also talks about meeting Bob Gruskin, competing and training with Jeff King and his thoughts on competing in the 1980 Teenage Mr. America and Teenage Mr. USA.
Season 7, Episode 81 – John Taylor
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1980 Teenage Mr. USA John Taylor talks to the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast about his career in bodybuilding. John talks about how he started bodybuilding while wrestling in high school, meeting Bob Gruskin and training at Steve Michalik’s gym in New York. John also talks about being coached by 1969 Mr. America Jon DeCola and competing against Jeff King and Paul Jean-Guillaume at the 1980 Teenage Mr. USA contest.