My Entry into Weight Training

My intro to weightlifting and bodybuilding probably began around 1963 when I saw this magazine cover:

Muscle Builder

I would have been 11, and spent my 60 cents on the magazine at the local market. My adopted brother (who was 10 years older) and I were messing around with a home gym set he had. When I mentioned the photo of the large puffy blonde guy named Draper, he cautioned me in a serious tone that "those muscles are all fake ... you can grab their arms and paralyze them." Fortunately, I never listened to him. Nevertheless, we kept on in a sporadic way, lifting 2-3 times a week in the garage. At the time, the only exercises I knew were military presses and curls. In retrospect, probably not a bad start for an eleven-year-old. Helped me lead my little league in home runs. But even better than that, I had my first visitation with the magical experience of the "pump." Even then, I knew it was a thing to be cherished.

Later, as a thirteen-year-old high school freshman, I found this on a local magazine rack:

Mr. Universe

Same guy, only this time ... WOW!! You mean weights could make you look like THAT??? My mind spun with the possibilities. Coincidentally, my football/wrestling coach was a big fan of the use of weights for conditioning and strength gain. You could say he was far ahead of the curve, so to speak, because lifting was considered taboo for sports. Not us. We lifted all year, except during the actual seasons when we did regular conditioning and drills. I loved it. My coach's methods definitely worked as we were CIF (SoCal) champions as a team in wrestling and league champs in football.

For me personally, that period was the building of a foundation. I went from being a pudgy (Mom's great Italian cooking ...) 5'-5" 140 lb freshman to just under 6'1" and 200 as a senior. As to the lifting, it was mostly the basics: bench, military, squats, and leg presses. We also mixed in a lot of curls and dips. A combination of big weights and pump city that I still practice and enjoy. Workouts were 3 times per week for 1-2 hours a session. Supersets without knowing what the word was. Coach Meisner's general philosophy was, "do it until it hurts, then do 3 more reps." Arnold would chant the same mantra a decade later. By the time of graduation (at 17), I was maxing the Universal leg press machine at 440 for 10 reps, doing military presses with 180, and benching 320. I should have been well on my way to that cover shot.

Then, however, a funny thing happened. I graduated. Not having access to the weight room, and not heading straight to college, meant I also had no weights. Even in Southern California in 1970 there wasn't exactly a gym on every corner. So, I headed into another love: motocross racing. The second most physiologically demanding sport (after soccer) fit me well and I headed into the pro ranks in the highly competitive SoCal scene. While it definitely kept me in shape, the muscle mass was headed elsewhere. And, because weight is a disadvantage of sorts, I took my bodyweight as low as 162. Very thin on my frame, but highly conditioned and effective for racing. It worked, as I was in the lexicon of the sport, "Very Fast." Often stupidly fast.

By 1973, thanks to marriage and family, the motocross career was coming to an end. A broken leg meant no rent. No future in that, as sponsorships were far less lucrative than today. Thankfully, "Holiday Spa and Health Clubs" (the precursor to Bally's) were beginning to sprout up all over in response to the budding fitness craze of the 70's. My "motocross fitness" was quickly receding, so I joined. I was home again and responded quickly. Maybe too quickly, as I overshot the limited equipment at my disposal. 60 lb db's and a Universal Machine didn't cut it for long. One of the guys who trained in the Anaheim club (a former Mr. California) from time to time just to catch a quick pump, mentioned he also trained at Zuver's Gym in Costa Mesa. He suggested that's where I really ought to be. Although it was 15 miles from home, I went there.

I was awestruck. The place was a huge room behind Bob Zuver's house with a 20' Gorilla out in the driveway and a foot-thick stone door. Behind the door were huge sweaty guys lifting unimaginable weights; some free and others on strange looking custom-designed machines. Whatever they were doing, I wanted to do it. I had stumbled upon nirvana. I might have been one of the big guys at Holiday Spa, but not here.

I threw myself into it, moving to a 6 day split, 2 hours per day. Kept that up for the next 6 years, going up as high as 245 in bodyweight with a 3-lift total around 1800. Without knowing it was right, I ate 6 meals a day. Anything that wouldn't eat me first. Although I never counted, the calorie total was probably 6-7 thousand. I needed every one as I was going hard on a construction site for 8-10 hours before hitting the gym. That said, Summers were always meant for cutting down to the 215-220 range.

Hit a couple of snags when I decided to return to college. Carrying a full load, working, and having a family left little time for training in the early 80's. Again for law school in the early 90's. However, each time I went back I found I could get right back into the groove within a month or so. Still amazes me, but I tend to believe that it is the foundation built early on that is just being rebuilt. Knowledge is power. OK, maybe a sprinkling of good genes. As I find myself again in that position, coming off last year's back injury, a comforting confidence that it will all come home soon is there. Even now at 48. Still, a consistent approach is far more productive if time allows.

This bio/intro would be less than complete without the requisite family and career stuff. Still married to the same incredible woman going on 28 years. Truly "soul mates." We may set a modern record in the marriage department if I last long enough. Not sure how she puts up with me, though. 2 great kids, 22 and 20. Although an attorney, I use my construction background (and licenses), along with my JD to consult, advise, and act as expert witness for others in construction litigation. With my recent move to Nevada, I'm also starting a practice as a Mediator and Special Master for such cases http://canadjudicate.com throughout the southwest. It's a career move I'm very excited about as it fits both my background and personality perfectly. Also working on a couple of writing projects, both professional and popular.

Finally, to sort of complete the circle here, a couple of years ago I stumbled on to the "Iron Online" website of the same Draper guy referenced in the first paragraph of this little story. 35 years and a lot of water under the bridge later, he's still training. I still find him inspiring. Now, even more so. Although he still has a few muscles, this time it's for more than just the muscles.

Bill Luttrell

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