• The Gladiators are back! (9/11)

  The hit T.V. show that graced our screens over a decade ago is about to grace our screens one again. The American Gladiators, which puts the average American up against the fierce force of the super athlete, has been running casting and fitness tests around Gold’s gym in Venice. The producers of the original Gladiators show have been casting bodybuilders such as Gary Strydom, Marika Johansson and David Hughes amongst others which will be very exciting for the world wide audience and even better for the bodybuilding world. It has been said that the recording of the entire eight weeks series will be filmed in as little as four days. Contenders are will have their fitness test casting this coming weekend at the Venice Golds Gym .

• 2008 Will Be Ronnie’s Swan Song (9/11)

  Get your tickets for the 2008 Mr. Olympia pronto if you want your chance to see the former eight times (and possibly nine times) champion for the last time because this will be the last occasion that Ronnie Coleman will stand upon the bodybuilding stage. “Win or lose I will not be competing at the Olympia anymore,” Coleman said this week.

  1997 was the year that Coleman upset the bodybuilding world and snatched the first of eight Olympia victories only to lose for the first time last year. Again, people are predicting that Ronnie is the underdog to the current champion – Jay Cutler which could spell trouble for the people in Vegas who get bitten by the betting bug. A wounded Ronnie is a dangerous one and at the end of this month we will know if those fears will push him to fight or flee.

• Darrem Dominates Again! (9/11)

  The consistent veteran Darrem Charles took home the spoils once again in 2007 which seems to be an annual occasion for the balanced bruiser who is originally from Trinidad. Charles as of late has had some small issues trying to bring his back up to the ripped condition of his anterior body parts but in Montreal he seemed to find the formula to a winning combination of sliced and diced muscle all round. Most agreed that this was the best condition that Darrem had brought to date which kept up a winning streak that he has managed to uphold for the past six years. This is Darrems eight pro win to date and not expected to be the last. He goes into the Atlantic City Pro show this coming weekend in an attempt to take that record to nine.

• Can Cormier Comeback? (9/11)
  

  Without a doubt, Cormier’s 4th place at the Montreal Pro is nothing to be frowned upon. Only last year he was bed bound for weeks with a major spinal injury and was left with a dark cloud hanging over his career as a competitive bodybuilder. However, finishing out of the top three for Cormier caliber is somewhat of a let down and possibly a loss considering that he has still been hyped as the one guy who has the potential to take an Olympia title back to his LA residence. Chris showed up slightly smaller all round, most noticeably in his legs and his back and appears that he has completely torn off the left tricep which obviously hinders the symmetry that he has been known for and what he has fallen back on when his condition has let him down. The people who finished above him, Darrem Charles, Quincy Taylor and Johnnie Jackson in the past wouldn’t have posed a threat to Cormier but his rise back onto the competition stage may have been a little premature.

  Chris will compete in this weeks Atlantic City show to hopefully qualify for this months Mr. Olympia and to redeem himself, which I’m sure he can if he manages to dry out and fill up from his Montreal form.

• Tokyo troubles (9/10)
  I don’t normally write a feature that includes me but on this occasion I feel the necessity is convenient. I have just returned from a tour of Asia where I played role of a physique model for a famous celebrity photographer named Peter Svenson, and also as his assistant for the photographic seminars he was holding in each country.

  Upon the arrival to our hotel in Tokyo I decided to locate a decent gym for a much needed hardcore chest workout. When I entered the conveniently equipped gym I was shocked to be told that I couldn’t train in their facility and was promptly asked to leave. When I questioned why the rejection, I was told it was because I bared tattoos on my arms. After several other gym staff and the floor manager backed up this claim I told them that I would return with a long sleeve top to cover my apparently unsightly art. “No, we already know they are there and that is forbidden in this country” I was told.

  I left with my tail between my legs and was reduced to an hour of plyometrics in my hotel gym which had as much helpful equipment as what was unfortunately exposed to me by the lady boys in Thailand.

  I later found out that the only people in Tokyo that bare body art are those associated with the Mafia. Tattooed tourist beware.

• Robinson back with Weider (9/10)
  Not quite, but he is about to grace the pages of the very magazine empire he spent years in court battling over money and principles.

  The famous bust which shows Joe Weider standing proud with his arms crossed looks very impressive from all angles, rightfully so when you consider that those arms belonged to the “Black Prince”, Robby Robinson. Robby posed for the bust as it was sculpted but was later left with a bitter taste in his mouth when he saw that Uncle Joe had put his own head on top of Robinsons beautifully proportioned physique. That ended up in a court confrontation, and Weider stopped putting any pictures of Robby in their magazines over fear of further legalities.

  Fast forward to September, 2007 and Robby is back with a feature that is sure to stand the bodybuilding world to attention. Robby had a shoot for FLEX magazine last week training with his protégé Chris Cormier whom he is helping to prepare for the Atlantic City Pro and then hopefully onto the Olympia. At 61 years old, Robby was as ripped as Cormier which goes to show that bodybuilders can age like wine given proper supplementation, nutrition and training attention and all those very commodities are found on this very site.

• Naturaly clean comeback (9/10)
  The former Arnold Classic champion and bodybuilding legend Flex Wheeler is on the verge of another comeback to the bodybuilding stage as a complete natural in an attempt to make statement of his unbelievable and superior genetic potential.

  Several years ago, Flex was forced into retirement following kidney failure in which he needed a transplant to save his life. A donor from his church kindly stepped forward and Flex stepped back from bodybuilding as a competitor but moved on as a successful photo and editorial journalist. “I want to see what I can bring to the table as a drug free bodybuilder. The only thing that is holding me back is knowing there would be people relishing the chance to gloat if they beat me, which is bound to happen with my handicap,” said a healthy appearing Wheeler.

  Various people, including his former trainer Charles Glass, have been quick to point out that Flex shouldn’t burn his candle at both ends and keep his legendary status where it is – in the past, and his health for the future

• Muscle Beach on Fire (9/10)
  Labor Day weekend at bodybuilding’s Mecca – Muscle Beach was hot with a buzz as was the weather. The sweltering heat didn’t burn out the spirits and enthusiasm of the crowd as a sporting Icon – Jack Lalanne was entered into the Bodybuilding Hall of Fame. Jack had been the recipient of the Lifetime achievement award at the Arnold Classic this year and continues to deserve his accolades for his contribution to the sport of health, fitness and bodybuilding. “If man doesn’t make it, don’t eat it”, he shouted to the huge Californian crowd. Former Mr. America and Pumping Iron icon – Bill Grant was also inducted and looked at least 20 years his 60 year junior as he flexed his biceps for the camera’s.

  Local resident Joe Tong took the overall trophy for the Labor Day amateur bodybuilding event.

This was originally posted on ProSource.net.

Reposted from ProSource.net:

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 12:43 pm and is filed under Celebrity Spotlights, Training Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.