Just about everyone can appreciate the beautiful flowing lines of Frank Zane at his peak, the regal shape of Serge Nubret, or the classic balance of Lee Labrada. I admire what each of these guys has accomplished. Given a choice though, I'd pick the mind-boggling mass of Paul DeMayo, the freaky thickness of Dorian Yates, or the over-powering size of Victor Richards.
"I was always impressed by both musculature AND the idea of strength," Nick Lavitola said as he leaned across the table towards me. His passion for pushing the physique and the strength envelop was apparent by his wide smile and the excited tone in his voice as he recounted his past. His success at both was also evident, both by his thickly developed physique and slew of victories in bodybuilding and powerlifting.
Back when it was more common to be a two-sport strength athlete, Lavitola was one of the best. His physique victories include a slew of regional victories (class wins in the '83 NPC East Coast and the ‘87 NPC Eastern USA), top national level placings (tenth and ninth in the NPC Nationals ‘84-85, a third and fourth in the AAU Mr. America ‘89-90) and the short class in the '88 AAU Mr. World.
Many of you will recognize the name GAT since the infamous Derek Anthony is their spokesperson. It's time to give them their due credit as a top supplement company with a full line of products. Charles Moser has been at the helm for a decade, recently changing the name of his company from German American Technologies to the snappier GAT.
Although forced into retirement ten years ago by a genetic disease (ulcerative colitis), Mike Francois still has a strong following in a sport known for its short memory. Some may attribute his popularity to his meteoric rise - winning the Nationals on his second attempt and then dominating in his first three pro shows, including a decisive victory over Flex Wheeler
at the 1995 Arnold Classic.
If you are not familiar with Westside Barbell or the revolutionary training techniques pioneered by the club's founder Louie Simmons, here is a quick primer:
Westside Barbell is named after a famous (perhaps the first) powerlifting gym in Culver City, California during the sixties, which was when the sport was first being solidified from what was often called the "Odd Lifts." While Olympic lifting was the popular iron sport of the time, powerlifting utilized "slow lifts" that were popularly practiced in the gym. Over time, this evolved into the three core lifts of the squat, bench press and deadlift.
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