My bad…your right! He did die from cancer, however, struggled with dieuretics from time to time. I got confused with him using the GH that led to the death, not the cutting agents!

I trained with Chris in Bakersfield CA in 1985 when we both wrestled at Cal State Bakersfield. I was …at the time…training with Tom Touchstone..Mr California 1985. When I used Charles Glass for assistance, we trained from time to time together in different sessions. After football, we hooked back up in the early 90′S with Chris, Flex, Paul, and Rico. Chris is a good guy! He is making a comeback after a bacterial infection in his lower spine. He’s training with Robby Robinson these days at Golds Venice. Dude, Robby is so intense! I think it’s a very good thing for Chris.. to keep him focused.

Golds is getting back to the ‘good ol days’! Lots of pros training there again!

Don’t know if you are still reading this thread — I have been away for a couple of weeks. What do you mean Sonny died of diuretics?? Sonny died of cancer, didn’t he? My head kind of spun (no, not around - heh heh) when I read that.

When did you train with Cormier? I wish you could tell me who you are - I am dying to know.

Dave also displayed slight problems with anger management during his short lived stint as the manager of the Powerhouse Gym (also gone) on Main St in Huntington Beach. He made numerous very loud threats of physical violence mostly to people literally half his size during peak hours. It’s rumored that his employment was terminated for threatening the wrong person who was actually the property manager and the lease was subsequently jeopardized.

The Main St Powerhouse was a great gym due to its location. Many episodes of Muscle Magazine were filmed there, lots of BB stars trained there and it was on its way to becoming the new BB Mecca but because of the continuous turnover of managers who knew nothing of how to run a business it simply went away. Dennis Newman, JJ, Shawn, Barry DeMey, Serge Nubret were a few of the regulars there besides Will and Norm Dabish who owned the chain. It was a great place to hang out.

Now there’s the Gold’s on Adams in HB but it will never be what the other gyms were. They recently remodeled and are attempting to recoup the cost by increasing the dues with existing contracted members and are losing business by doing so. I hear they’re all going to 24 Hour Fitness.

Living in NB you must train at Club MetRx (just a guess). Being a super heavyweight which takes a lot of maintenance leaving little time for anything else have you plans for life after BB? I did not continue to the level you are at, what websites post your photos, I’d like to root for your last show. Hope you win.

Mike Matarazzo had a heart attack ..twice in the last year..However, he is still alive. He has some sort of hereditary type thing? I saw him at the Venice Cafe a week ago. When Mike was competing , he ate about five pounds of beef a day. I want to say it did something to his arteries along with all the gear he took! Mike is a great guy!

I’m not a pro bodybuilder! I’m up in the National level in the Super Heavy Weights NPC. I’m doing the Muscle Mayhem Championships in May, in KC. It’s one of Chad & Kim Nichols NPC shows. I will follow up with a showing at the USA’S in July. The USA’S are held in Vegas. I just moved back to So Cal from Vegas recently do to a transfer my wife had to go through with her job. I’m in the Newport Beach area.

Sonny Schmidt was a good friend. Sonny was always positive and had a big smile on his face. We trained clients at the same gym in San Diego. Sonny never could figure out how to dry his skin out to achieve that “grainy look”. So sad that he had to die from dieuretics. Same with Andreas Munzer…the most SHREDDED person I’ve ever seen in my life..to this day..PERIOD! Also MO MO fell into the dieuretic trap. Back then..and still to this day..the judges want you to walk on stage (half dead) with a ton of muscle. The judging didn’t kill those guys though. There’s a line that all of us bodybuilders know, and some of the guys will cross that line. If you do, there’s a coin flips chance that you will survive from dehydration. It’s very scary! Just ask Ken “flex” Wheeler.

LOL..OTFC…Those were the good ol days! I trained with Chris Cormier for a while back in that time. Sometimes I have to go back down memory lane to keep myself grounded, with all the new methods of training, drugs, and overall life!

Your right Shock, If I brought those names up to the average Joe, they would think I was from another planet. But you know what I’m talking about! After all, this is kinda a bodybuilding site. It seems that some of these peeps know the sport and know who some of the old school cats are! I’ve been competing since 1985. This will be my last show! I promised my wife…NO MORE FISH AND OATMEAL…LOL..

Sorry about the long post rant! It’s some of the best times of my life..that I’ll never forget!

Kinda sad, given how much these guys and girls think they are celebrities. Titus was a good example. He always assumed everyone knew him. But really only jailhouse thugs and other muscle heads who followed the sport knew of him.

I could ask 50 people on the street today in my hometown “Who are Melvin Anthony, Chris Cormier and Milos Sarcev?” and no one would be able to answer.

You sent me through a time warp with all those names - LOL They were all the hot shots when I was competing. I went to the National Fitness America Pageant a couple times in CA. Venice was pretty neat then. I didnt know it had changed so much. That is too bad - but I guess all things change.

Saw Melvin Anthony today. Also, BIG Lou! Back in the day, I forgot to add to the list, “MAD MIKE” Matarazzo. And if you will? Craig Titus..lol. Also, a blast from the past.. Mike Christian, and Paul De Mayo R.I.P Paul!

I graduated, went to college, and after transferring to a great company in West L.A moved into an apartment in Venice.

Gold’s is dead, MuscleMag is now a clothing boutique, Muscle Beach is a rust pit with crackheads…

What the hell happened?

What do I do now? I drag myself into the gym 4 days a week at 6am. LOL

I show horses and you?

Rocky Mountain Region??? Ok are you in my back yard? I am from the denver area. Where are you at?

Don’t have any Jaycott stories - but I do remember that whole time.

As a writer, I really loved Rick Wayne. He used to write for Flex - think he was the editor before my time, not sure. But he was a kick in the pants. That would be some stuff to go back and look at. No one writing today has his character or ability.

That was when bodybuilding was a fun read.

Don’t miss bodybuilding one tick. If I had, I’d be querying for jobs in that industry. I haven’t for a long, long time. I have maintained writing for a company that I started with back in 2000, and will continue that, but that’s non-bylined work.

All seriousness, the bodybuilding industry was a nice training ground and start as a writer. Served me well for years. Very happy to have made the transition into the mainstream though.

No doubt you value bodybuilding and the “scene” more than mainstream news, and think that anyone would miss that world if they left it. I don’t, actually.

After a career in that industry that spanned from 1988 to 2002, it was really enough. I also believed, correctly, that I was good enough to transition into the mainstream.

As for “keeping a column” - it’s pretty hard to keep up with what someone eats for breakfast at the Fire House every morning when you live a few states away. Photos opps get pretty lean at that point.

But truth be told, when Craig blustered and threatened Kennedy that he would sue him (Bob’s biggest fear in the world, btw) because he was livid that I would dare expose his threats and bad behavior, I had already moved to another state.

Writing Venice gossip from the Rocky Mountain region is challenging.

Quite frankly, in hindsight, having received threats on my life from Craig and his henchman at Max Muscle, I found the bodybuilding world a lot less appealing. It’s an industry of boneheads, thugs, druggies and apparently a growing number of murderers.

I felt I could do better.

But I don’t mind you telling whatever story you need or want to tell. I’m pretty sure I know who you are, and I expect it.

I would encourage anyone who thinks they have mainstream talent to query outside the category. It’s quite worthwhile.

Sorry you have been so deeply hurt by my sarcasm and comments about grammar. I am puzzled as to why you are so affected by it, but c’est la vie.

Give us some dirt from back in the day! Like when all the Pros would pose for Dr Jaycott for steroids. Remember that? And he got busted and told a Grand Jury that they were amino acid shots! How Barry Bonds of him!

L8

You are the only one on the grammar soapbox. Must be rough not having a column and having to resort to blogs to get your editorial fix, huh?

Disappointed you couldn’t come up with a better analogy. Venice stories relate to your past, which involved writing and being a grammar nut, did it not?