Post by yendor on Aug 1, 2006 18:16:10 GMT -7
Here's the original copy of the interview that ran in MuscleMag back in November 2002:
RUSTY JEFFERS
SLUGGING IT OUT
By
Rod Labbe
Here’s a question you won’t find in Trivial Pursuit: who are Bodybuilding’s most unrecognized and least appreciated warriors? If you answered “Amateur Bodybuilders,” you’re right--move up a few spaces and take control of the board!
Amateur Bodybuilders toil in solitary silence, without benefit of much-needed press coverage and monetary sponsorship. What keeps them motivated, when the rewards are so minimal (even non-existent)? Ask them--go on, ask them. Their answer will always be the same: a love for Bodybuilding. A desire to be the very best they can be. Personal satisfaction. The completion of a life-long goal.
Love for Bodybuilding.
Rusty Jeffers is one such muscle warrior. He’s spent two senses-shattering decades slugging it out on the Amateur circuit, reveling in each triumph, then putting it behind him for that next competition, another shot at Glory. There have been disappointments along the way, moments of self-recrimination and serious, oftentimes discouraging, doubt. Yet, while others falter, crushed by circumstance, Rusty perseveres. Why?
Love for Bodybuilding.
In that twenty-year span, this driven athlete (with a complete, orb-popping physique) has grown from naïve kid to wily, seen-it-all veteran. The lessons learned (and experienced) have served him well, put food on his family’s table, and hardened a resolve fueled by Ambition and Desire. Such an incredibly jacked Bodybuilder doesn’t deserve anonymity. Could it be the Amateur curse, a perception that no one wants to read about the travails and triumphs of an “unknown?”
Rusty remains undeterred. Somehow--call it brains, intuition, whatever--he’s made Bodybuilding work. His dark, intensely masculine looks have won him a slavish following as Carl Hardwick, ultimate hirsute icon and the toughest badass this side of a young, rough-edged Marlon Brando. Calendars, photo sets, films, magazines, greeting cards, CD roms, personal appearances, Rusty’s been there, done that…and he’s underscored it with a remarkably sharp--some might even call it deadly--sense of humor.
Carl Hardwick has met the masses…but hey, what about Rusty Jeffers, man and individual?
Well, he’s right here, of course, in the pages of MuscleMag. Say hello to Rusty Jeffers, anonymous muscle warrior, no longer!
RUSTY JEFFERS
SLUGGING IT OUT!
1. You know what? I am so blown off my feet by the Amateur pool, today. Wall to wall beef! And look at you, Rusty--you’re unbelievable! Where’s the publicity? We should be seeing you guys!
RUSTY: Beats the hell outta me! I’ve been working my butt off in this sport for more than 20 years, and the coverage I’ve received could fit on the head of a pin. If you’re not making the Olympia top ten, publicity is almost non-existent.
2. Well, ok, I’ll do my bit to balance the scales. Ahem! Ladies and gents, may I introduce Rusty Jeffers, Muscledom’s best-kept secret!
RUSTY: That’s what I like to hear! Right now, I’m feeling mighty good--between 220 and 225--at the top of the Heavies. Maybe I’ll even be a Superheavyweight by my next contest. When it’s the off-season, I get up to 240-245…and that’s not fat, just full. I’m 5’9” ½--mustn’t forget the half--and I can carry a lot of muscle! Check this baby out, dude! (flexes one massive calf)
3. Yikes! A weapon of mass destruction!
RUSTY (chuckling): nuts, boy, you ain’t seen nuthin’, yet! Just gotta get my Pro card; then I’ll finally be satisfied with the crazy world of Bodybuilding.
4. Being in MuscleMag could be just the “kick” your Bodybuilding career needs.
RUSTY: Oh, yeah, winning is cool, but to be featured in a highly respected, popular magazine, that’s the best, as far as this cat’s concerned. When you approached me for an interview, I thought, wow, a legitimate writer, and he wants to hear my story? And for MuscleMag, yet? Awesome!
5. Try to show a little enthusiasm there, big daddy!
RUSTY: I’m cool, I’m cool. You’re sifting through a list of questions. Has my life been reduced to a few index cards?
5. No, man, I always have a handy-dandy list--it’s the only way I can keep my nuts together. We’re gonna be all over the map. Any objections?
RUSTY: Naw. You’re callin’ the shots, bro.
7. All right, buckle yourself in, Rusty, cause we’re about to begin! My foot is on the gas pedal…
RUSTY: Safety harness secured.
8. Open your memory book for us, Mr. Jeffers. What kind of boy were you--introverted, extroverted? Geek or jock?
RUSTY: Geek? f**k, no! As a kid, I lived in Colorado and was into all the usual kid stuff: skateboarding, Frisbee, anything physical. Personality-wise, I was introverted--stayed to myself a lot, a quiet sort. My family did the outdoor thing, lots of hiking, skiing, granola head Boulder, Colorado type of activities! But I was definitely not a geek!
9. Ok, scratch the geek thing. Were you a dreamy kid? With aspirations of saving the world? And what about fears--have any?
RUSTY: Wow, dreams…I wanted to be a weightlifter when I was young, but I later refined that dream into Bodybuilding. Strength has always interested me…I automatically related having muscles to being strong. Some kids liked guns, motorcycles and stuff. I thought strong guys were the coolest! My fears? I had no real fears. Not as a kid, anyway! I was fearless!
10. Did you grow up in Boulder?
RUSTY: Yeah, I grew up there, until high school, and then my dad was transferred to Tucson.
11. How about college?
RUSTY: College was never part of my plans! I really didn’t like school! I knew I probably wanted to work with my hands, like construction or something in the building industry, but going to school? An ordeal! I was just glad to graduate and get the heck out of that prison!
12. So, strength’s always turned you on, huh?
RUSTY: I began maxing on the bench in grade school and always had the biggest bench on the block…in 7th grade, I benched 210 pounds, at a bodyweight of 140! None too shabby. My buddy, Stevie Stanton, and I used to sneak into the high school weight room. Junior high kids weren’t allowed in there, and we had to lift like maniacs so they wouldn’t suspect us! I worked out all that summer, before we moved to Tucson.
13. By your freshman year, you must’ve been a house!
RUSTY: High school is where I totally got into lifting weights. I joined the football team for their weight room--I didn’t give a rat’s ass about Football. Same with Wrestling. I just wanted to train. See a pattern there? When I learned how to weld, I put together my own gym. From that point on, Rusty’s gym/torture chamber was open for business!
14. With you as gym master?
RUSTY: Oh, hardcore, bro, hardcore! I cracked the whip relentlessly! Almost the entire neighborhood trained there. We’d do donkey raises for a half-hour at a time--maybe that’s why I have such good calf development! We used to do 50 sets of benches, every day. Can you imagine the overtraining we were inflicting on ourselves? But f**k, we didn’t care. Competition among us was fierce; that’s what charged my blood. I enjoyed pitting myself against the metal and against other guys. Still do, obviously.
15. From the neighborhood iron house to a competition stage--not exactly a cakewalk.
RUSTY: Let me tell you how that happened, because it’s really quite funny. When I was 14, I’d heard there was going to be a weightlifting contest, so I showed up, ready to prove myself. I had no idea it was a Bodybuilding competition! Luckily for me, I’d been swimming and had on a speedo. That’s the honest to God truth! They lined us up on stage and started calling off poses. I had no idea what was going on. I looked down the line and imitated the best I could. Very, very awkward, and something I’ve never forgotten. Needless to say, I didn’t place!
16. Destiny was whispering in your ear, Rusty!
RUSTY: Yo, I like your phrasing! That describes the experience exactly. Bodybuilding has been a quest; that’s how I looked at it then and how I look at it today. A quest for physical perfection. Most of the time, I’m dissatisfied…but once in a while, I hit it, baby, that perfect spot, and the world becomes a wonderful place. When I’m on my mark, nothing can describe the feeling.
17. “Getting big” seems to be every young Bodybuilder’s goal. The same for you? And is bigger always better?
RUSTY: Yeah, I wanted to gain muscle mass, and it just kind of happened--genetics helped me out there, I think. I’m no monster, but I look big enough on stage and in photos, and I do love that camera! At one show in particular, I was the shortest Heavyweight, and everyone else was tall--I mean, frickin’ tall! They were making nutsty comments to me like ‘what the hell are you going to do on stage, short man?’ I never even opened my mouth until we were lined up. Then, I looked over my shoulder--or should I say, above my shoulder--and said ‘hey, boys, step into my office, and I’ll show you how it’s done. That’s when I won the Overall at the NPC LA!
18. There are plenty of guys who are huge, plenty of guys who are ripped, but not everyone has the talent to put those pieces together. Your secret?
RUSTY: It’s all presentation! Aren’t you tired of seeing a string of mandatories during a posing routine? God help me whenever I’m forced to watch that! My 30-second run in the prejudging immediately sets me apart. The crowd goes nuts, even if they don’t know me from Adam. Once, I even heard someone yelling, ‘Mentzer lives!’ That made me smile. I don’t do flowery posing; I’m into a strong, muscular, graceful display.
19. I like the way you’ve incorporated classic shots from guys like Mike Mentzer, Zane, and Dave Draper. A decidedly cool aesthetic.
RUSTY: Without a dynamic posing style, you’re a soulless physique. Presentation can make or break any Bodybuilder, I don’t care how famous. My own tutorial in Posing 101 began when I joined the now defunct Tucson Health Studio, run by Carlos Rodriguez. There was a little posing area in back of the men’s locker room, and that’s where he coached me on all the basics, which I needed very badly! Man, the sweat would pour right off me! Well, my next show was the 1981 Teen Arizona, at age 17, and I won! The head judge said I’d earned a perfect score in posing. All that work had paid off, and I realized the extreme importance of presentation.
20. How many hours do you spend perfecting a routine?
RUSTY: Hours and hours, literally. At least, half an hour a day. Oh, yeah, at least that. Posing’s what you do on stage, and luckily for me, no one else seems to bother much with it!
21. You’re a double-threat, being both an incredibly talented Bodybuilder and top-flight physique model. Are you generally pleased with your photographs, or do you see mainly the flaws?
RUSTY: The modeling shots are ok, since I’m not so anal about angles and such. For contest and Bodybuilding photos, I go crazy, picking apart stuff like lighting, angles, moods interpreted, crisp focus, and timing. Those things are vitally important. Entire careers have hinged on good photos, and a bad picture can set you back. It’s so hard to control all the variables at a competition. There’s not enough light, or a flash washes you out, you might have a weird expression on your face. Studio and location work bring out the best in every Bodybuilder, myself included.
22. You’ve got the look down as a model, but competitive Bodybuilding has been a tougher nut to crack. Earning that elusive Pro card must be your Number One goal, huh?
RUSTY: Man, you said it. Not a lot of guys win their cards every year, and that’s probably a good thing!
23. When you don’t place as highly as expected, do you ever say ‘f**k this crap, I’m through?”
RUSTY: God, never! If I don’t win, I’m the one to blame. Instead of whining or being pissed off, I go to the judges and ask their opinions. This is an invaluable tool! Don’t depend upon friends or other lifters for feedback! Go right to the source. It’ll be factual, reliable and have no prejudice. After I’ve listened carefully, I scour my contest photos. The weaknesses are usually as plain as the nose on my face. I’m objective and study everything with a steely eye.
24. What about the iron game, itself? How would you improve it?
RUSTY: Rarely would I ever use gross to describe a Bodybuilder, but growth guts must go! Stretch marks are another huge turn off--they result from years of doing the yo-yo thing, going up and down the weight ladder, like so many guys do. That can wreck your momentum and self-esteem, not to mention your skin. I just keep on trying to grow, year after year, without taking extended periods of time off. My size stays about the same, even when I don’t eat or train a lot. It’s there to stay, though I certainly love to train! It’s better than chowing…well, almost (laughs)!
25. You’ve been right there, man, right in that sweaty iron pit--give us an insider’s scoop.
RUSTY: You mean, backstage at a Bodybuilding show?
26. Yeah. There must be so much freakin’ tension!
RUSTY: Backstage, it’s a whole different world. People will either act insecurely or just the opposite, with extreme confidence. I prefer to stay quiet and wait until they call my weight class. Here are the typical personalities you’ll encounter:
(1) The Trainer. He’ll be holding court, spouting off about how to train for a show and invariably making himself sound like an ass.
(2) The Amateur. This guy keeps asking what he did wrong or apologizing for his condition. Stares at everyone and looks like he’s gonna walk out.
(3) The Self-Proclaimed Winner, who struts non-stop and talks as loud as he can. This personality usually places 2nd through 4th and screams like a baby when he doesn’t win!
27. Very astute! How about on-stage?
RUSTY: On stage, you’re unaware of anyone except yourself. I usually try to jump in front for a lunging shot and then get the f**k out of there! If you bump elbows during a posedown, tempers can flare. But I dig the posedown, because that’s where I can knock off some great Mentzer, Zane, Corney, and Arnold shots. Meanwhile, everyone else is doing the same front doubles, side chests, yawn, yawn, yawn.
28. Once the show’s over, do you break out the champagne? Win or lose?
RUSTY: Tempers are mostly spent after a show. The sore losers leave very fast, and everybody is high-fiving, sharing candy and home-baked goodies, congratulating one another…I even got a dozen roses delivered to me! No more games/names/posturing, etc. If I think I’ve placed badly, I talk with each judge and take what he or she has to say seriously. Crying the usual ‘I don’t know what the judges are looking for’ schtick annoys me to no end.
END OF PART I!
RUSTY JEFFERS
SLUGGING IT OUT
By
Rod Labbe
Here’s a question you won’t find in Trivial Pursuit: who are Bodybuilding’s most unrecognized and least appreciated warriors? If you answered “Amateur Bodybuilders,” you’re right--move up a few spaces and take control of the board!
Amateur Bodybuilders toil in solitary silence, without benefit of much-needed press coverage and monetary sponsorship. What keeps them motivated, when the rewards are so minimal (even non-existent)? Ask them--go on, ask them. Their answer will always be the same: a love for Bodybuilding. A desire to be the very best they can be. Personal satisfaction. The completion of a life-long goal.
Love for Bodybuilding.
Rusty Jeffers is one such muscle warrior. He’s spent two senses-shattering decades slugging it out on the Amateur circuit, reveling in each triumph, then putting it behind him for that next competition, another shot at Glory. There have been disappointments along the way, moments of self-recrimination and serious, oftentimes discouraging, doubt. Yet, while others falter, crushed by circumstance, Rusty perseveres. Why?
Love for Bodybuilding.
In that twenty-year span, this driven athlete (with a complete, orb-popping physique) has grown from naïve kid to wily, seen-it-all veteran. The lessons learned (and experienced) have served him well, put food on his family’s table, and hardened a resolve fueled by Ambition and Desire. Such an incredibly jacked Bodybuilder doesn’t deserve anonymity. Could it be the Amateur curse, a perception that no one wants to read about the travails and triumphs of an “unknown?”
Rusty remains undeterred. Somehow--call it brains, intuition, whatever--he’s made Bodybuilding work. His dark, intensely masculine looks have won him a slavish following as Carl Hardwick, ultimate hirsute icon and the toughest badass this side of a young, rough-edged Marlon Brando. Calendars, photo sets, films, magazines, greeting cards, CD roms, personal appearances, Rusty’s been there, done that…and he’s underscored it with a remarkably sharp--some might even call it deadly--sense of humor.
Carl Hardwick has met the masses…but hey, what about Rusty Jeffers, man and individual?
Well, he’s right here, of course, in the pages of MuscleMag. Say hello to Rusty Jeffers, anonymous muscle warrior, no longer!
RUSTY JEFFERS
SLUGGING IT OUT!
1. You know what? I am so blown off my feet by the Amateur pool, today. Wall to wall beef! And look at you, Rusty--you’re unbelievable! Where’s the publicity? We should be seeing you guys!
RUSTY: Beats the hell outta me! I’ve been working my butt off in this sport for more than 20 years, and the coverage I’ve received could fit on the head of a pin. If you’re not making the Olympia top ten, publicity is almost non-existent.
2. Well, ok, I’ll do my bit to balance the scales. Ahem! Ladies and gents, may I introduce Rusty Jeffers, Muscledom’s best-kept secret!
RUSTY: That’s what I like to hear! Right now, I’m feeling mighty good--between 220 and 225--at the top of the Heavies. Maybe I’ll even be a Superheavyweight by my next contest. When it’s the off-season, I get up to 240-245…and that’s not fat, just full. I’m 5’9” ½--mustn’t forget the half--and I can carry a lot of muscle! Check this baby out, dude! (flexes one massive calf)
3. Yikes! A weapon of mass destruction!
RUSTY (chuckling): nuts, boy, you ain’t seen nuthin’, yet! Just gotta get my Pro card; then I’ll finally be satisfied with the crazy world of Bodybuilding.
4. Being in MuscleMag could be just the “kick” your Bodybuilding career needs.
RUSTY: Oh, yeah, winning is cool, but to be featured in a highly respected, popular magazine, that’s the best, as far as this cat’s concerned. When you approached me for an interview, I thought, wow, a legitimate writer, and he wants to hear my story? And for MuscleMag, yet? Awesome!
5. Try to show a little enthusiasm there, big daddy!
RUSTY: I’m cool, I’m cool. You’re sifting through a list of questions. Has my life been reduced to a few index cards?
5. No, man, I always have a handy-dandy list--it’s the only way I can keep my nuts together. We’re gonna be all over the map. Any objections?
RUSTY: Naw. You’re callin’ the shots, bro.
7. All right, buckle yourself in, Rusty, cause we’re about to begin! My foot is on the gas pedal…
RUSTY: Safety harness secured.
8. Open your memory book for us, Mr. Jeffers. What kind of boy were you--introverted, extroverted? Geek or jock?
RUSTY: Geek? f**k, no! As a kid, I lived in Colorado and was into all the usual kid stuff: skateboarding, Frisbee, anything physical. Personality-wise, I was introverted--stayed to myself a lot, a quiet sort. My family did the outdoor thing, lots of hiking, skiing, granola head Boulder, Colorado type of activities! But I was definitely not a geek!
9. Ok, scratch the geek thing. Were you a dreamy kid? With aspirations of saving the world? And what about fears--have any?
RUSTY: Wow, dreams…I wanted to be a weightlifter when I was young, but I later refined that dream into Bodybuilding. Strength has always interested me…I automatically related having muscles to being strong. Some kids liked guns, motorcycles and stuff. I thought strong guys were the coolest! My fears? I had no real fears. Not as a kid, anyway! I was fearless!
10. Did you grow up in Boulder?
RUSTY: Yeah, I grew up there, until high school, and then my dad was transferred to Tucson.
11. How about college?
RUSTY: College was never part of my plans! I really didn’t like school! I knew I probably wanted to work with my hands, like construction or something in the building industry, but going to school? An ordeal! I was just glad to graduate and get the heck out of that prison!
12. So, strength’s always turned you on, huh?
RUSTY: I began maxing on the bench in grade school and always had the biggest bench on the block…in 7th grade, I benched 210 pounds, at a bodyweight of 140! None too shabby. My buddy, Stevie Stanton, and I used to sneak into the high school weight room. Junior high kids weren’t allowed in there, and we had to lift like maniacs so they wouldn’t suspect us! I worked out all that summer, before we moved to Tucson.
13. By your freshman year, you must’ve been a house!
RUSTY: High school is where I totally got into lifting weights. I joined the football team for their weight room--I didn’t give a rat’s ass about Football. Same with Wrestling. I just wanted to train. See a pattern there? When I learned how to weld, I put together my own gym. From that point on, Rusty’s gym/torture chamber was open for business!
14. With you as gym master?
RUSTY: Oh, hardcore, bro, hardcore! I cracked the whip relentlessly! Almost the entire neighborhood trained there. We’d do donkey raises for a half-hour at a time--maybe that’s why I have such good calf development! We used to do 50 sets of benches, every day. Can you imagine the overtraining we were inflicting on ourselves? But f**k, we didn’t care. Competition among us was fierce; that’s what charged my blood. I enjoyed pitting myself against the metal and against other guys. Still do, obviously.
15. From the neighborhood iron house to a competition stage--not exactly a cakewalk.
RUSTY: Let me tell you how that happened, because it’s really quite funny. When I was 14, I’d heard there was going to be a weightlifting contest, so I showed up, ready to prove myself. I had no idea it was a Bodybuilding competition! Luckily for me, I’d been swimming and had on a speedo. That’s the honest to God truth! They lined us up on stage and started calling off poses. I had no idea what was going on. I looked down the line and imitated the best I could. Very, very awkward, and something I’ve never forgotten. Needless to say, I didn’t place!
16. Destiny was whispering in your ear, Rusty!
RUSTY: Yo, I like your phrasing! That describes the experience exactly. Bodybuilding has been a quest; that’s how I looked at it then and how I look at it today. A quest for physical perfection. Most of the time, I’m dissatisfied…but once in a while, I hit it, baby, that perfect spot, and the world becomes a wonderful place. When I’m on my mark, nothing can describe the feeling.
17. “Getting big” seems to be every young Bodybuilder’s goal. The same for you? And is bigger always better?
RUSTY: Yeah, I wanted to gain muscle mass, and it just kind of happened--genetics helped me out there, I think. I’m no monster, but I look big enough on stage and in photos, and I do love that camera! At one show in particular, I was the shortest Heavyweight, and everyone else was tall--I mean, frickin’ tall! They were making nutsty comments to me like ‘what the hell are you going to do on stage, short man?’ I never even opened my mouth until we were lined up. Then, I looked over my shoulder--or should I say, above my shoulder--and said ‘hey, boys, step into my office, and I’ll show you how it’s done. That’s when I won the Overall at the NPC LA!
18. There are plenty of guys who are huge, plenty of guys who are ripped, but not everyone has the talent to put those pieces together. Your secret?
RUSTY: It’s all presentation! Aren’t you tired of seeing a string of mandatories during a posing routine? God help me whenever I’m forced to watch that! My 30-second run in the prejudging immediately sets me apart. The crowd goes nuts, even if they don’t know me from Adam. Once, I even heard someone yelling, ‘Mentzer lives!’ That made me smile. I don’t do flowery posing; I’m into a strong, muscular, graceful display.
19. I like the way you’ve incorporated classic shots from guys like Mike Mentzer, Zane, and Dave Draper. A decidedly cool aesthetic.
RUSTY: Without a dynamic posing style, you’re a soulless physique. Presentation can make or break any Bodybuilder, I don’t care how famous. My own tutorial in Posing 101 began when I joined the now defunct Tucson Health Studio, run by Carlos Rodriguez. There was a little posing area in back of the men’s locker room, and that’s where he coached me on all the basics, which I needed very badly! Man, the sweat would pour right off me! Well, my next show was the 1981 Teen Arizona, at age 17, and I won! The head judge said I’d earned a perfect score in posing. All that work had paid off, and I realized the extreme importance of presentation.
20. How many hours do you spend perfecting a routine?
RUSTY: Hours and hours, literally. At least, half an hour a day. Oh, yeah, at least that. Posing’s what you do on stage, and luckily for me, no one else seems to bother much with it!
21. You’re a double-threat, being both an incredibly talented Bodybuilder and top-flight physique model. Are you generally pleased with your photographs, or do you see mainly the flaws?
RUSTY: The modeling shots are ok, since I’m not so anal about angles and such. For contest and Bodybuilding photos, I go crazy, picking apart stuff like lighting, angles, moods interpreted, crisp focus, and timing. Those things are vitally important. Entire careers have hinged on good photos, and a bad picture can set you back. It’s so hard to control all the variables at a competition. There’s not enough light, or a flash washes you out, you might have a weird expression on your face. Studio and location work bring out the best in every Bodybuilder, myself included.
22. You’ve got the look down as a model, but competitive Bodybuilding has been a tougher nut to crack. Earning that elusive Pro card must be your Number One goal, huh?
RUSTY: Man, you said it. Not a lot of guys win their cards every year, and that’s probably a good thing!
23. When you don’t place as highly as expected, do you ever say ‘f**k this crap, I’m through?”
RUSTY: God, never! If I don’t win, I’m the one to blame. Instead of whining or being pissed off, I go to the judges and ask their opinions. This is an invaluable tool! Don’t depend upon friends or other lifters for feedback! Go right to the source. It’ll be factual, reliable and have no prejudice. After I’ve listened carefully, I scour my contest photos. The weaknesses are usually as plain as the nose on my face. I’m objective and study everything with a steely eye.
24. What about the iron game, itself? How would you improve it?
RUSTY: Rarely would I ever use gross to describe a Bodybuilder, but growth guts must go! Stretch marks are another huge turn off--they result from years of doing the yo-yo thing, going up and down the weight ladder, like so many guys do. That can wreck your momentum and self-esteem, not to mention your skin. I just keep on trying to grow, year after year, without taking extended periods of time off. My size stays about the same, even when I don’t eat or train a lot. It’s there to stay, though I certainly love to train! It’s better than chowing…well, almost (laughs)!
25. You’ve been right there, man, right in that sweaty iron pit--give us an insider’s scoop.
RUSTY: You mean, backstage at a Bodybuilding show?
26. Yeah. There must be so much freakin’ tension!
RUSTY: Backstage, it’s a whole different world. People will either act insecurely or just the opposite, with extreme confidence. I prefer to stay quiet and wait until they call my weight class. Here are the typical personalities you’ll encounter:
(1) The Trainer. He’ll be holding court, spouting off about how to train for a show and invariably making himself sound like an ass.
(2) The Amateur. This guy keeps asking what he did wrong or apologizing for his condition. Stares at everyone and looks like he’s gonna walk out.
(3) The Self-Proclaimed Winner, who struts non-stop and talks as loud as he can. This personality usually places 2nd through 4th and screams like a baby when he doesn’t win!
27. Very astute! How about on-stage?
RUSTY: On stage, you’re unaware of anyone except yourself. I usually try to jump in front for a lunging shot and then get the f**k out of there! If you bump elbows during a posedown, tempers can flare. But I dig the posedown, because that’s where I can knock off some great Mentzer, Zane, Corney, and Arnold shots. Meanwhile, everyone else is doing the same front doubles, side chests, yawn, yawn, yawn.
28. Once the show’s over, do you break out the champagne? Win or lose?
RUSTY: Tempers are mostly spent after a show. The sore losers leave very fast, and everybody is high-fiving, sharing candy and home-baked goodies, congratulating one another…I even got a dozen roses delivered to me! No more games/names/posturing, etc. If I think I’ve placed badly, I talk with each judge and take what he or she has to say seriously. Crying the usual ‘I don’t know what the judges are looking for’ schtick annoys me to no end.
END OF PART I!
