VINCE GIRONDA THE LEGEND TODAY by Leon Bach Thad met Vince once before, but this morning I was going to interview him, Since our first meeting I'd heard so many wild tales about him, I had begun to believe I was doing some- thing quite unreasonable—much like going before the dragon, Twas to meet him at 9 a.m. at his famous Vince's gym in North Holly- wood, California. I arrived a little early, giving myself more time to sweat and worry about what horrors might befall Soon he pulled up beside me, came bounding out of his truck with a polite nod and shot into his gym, I followed. His gym looks like something out of Jules Verne novel, unchanged since its inception 43 years ago. I looked over at him, and there he was, stand- ing behind the counter like Captain Nemo at the helm of the Nautilus. He motioned me to sit. I asked him if I could use my tape recorder, to which he replied with another question, How else could I remember the voluminous material with which he would bury me? Throughout the interview it be- ‘came apparent that this man was not a man to be feared—respected, yes, but not feared. It was evident that those working out in the gym con- sider Vince to be a father figure, one whoworried and cared about them. Itwas also evidenttome that Vince is not a man after money. He could have had all he wanted by now, and then some. No, his heart is full of integrity and the satisfaction of know- ing that there are those who truly appreciate this man who has made helping others a way of life Twantto thank Ron Kosloff for the hours of preliminary work he put into the genesis of this article. It was his original taped material on Vince that ‘compelled me to do this interview. IM: Do you have any new theo- ies that you're exploring VG: Well, you know I've been 34 IRONMAN February 1990 {Im his young, competitive days Vince Gironda displayed a rugged si that helped shape bodybuilding ing and teaching so-called rev- olutionary bodybuilding principles for 40 years, and as time goes by people are finding out that they are ‘more true today than when I set them, told people 40 years ago not to do bent-over squats; you'll just get a big ass, Now what they're doing to ne- gate what I said is to say that big asses are beautiful. I told them about the sissy squat—you see that in the ma- gazines. Now they are starting to do sissy squats. I told them diet is 85 percentof bodybuilding, both gaining and losing; it’s all nutrition. Now they're starting to say that. Itold them the biggest mistakes they made are overtraining. Now they are starting to say that. [’mnot getting any credit for it, as usual. For God’s sake, in body- building you have to do less but with intensity and in a shorter amount of time. German scientists proved that 150 years ago. It’s not how much work you do, it’s how fast you do it. Like a sprinter, like a gymnast—they don’t overtrain, We're taught from birth that the more we do, the greater our rewards. Well, that's just got to do with making money; it’s got noth- ing to do with building the body.IM: Why do you think that people consider your ideas on nutrition so radical? VG: They don’t have my knowl- ‘edge. Who’s going to compete with me? Actually, they try. They read women’s magazines, they read news- papers, and it’s all misleading. What goes down comes around. My con- cepts are now coming back around, Totally ingesting cholesterol does not build up cholesterol. I have people eating a dozen or two eggs every day. Everybody that’s on my high-egg diet has knocked down their cholesterol levels. I’m talking about some elderly men. Larry Scott was considered to be defined, and he was living on two quarts of cream every day. IM: Do you think it’s possible for a natural bodybuilder to win a competition today? VG: If I train them, Here’s one right here, Mohamed Makkawy. Nobody believes that he wasn’t on steroids. He should have beat Haney. This guy really had a body. He was a genetic superior, plus, because of his height, he also had a real attitude. He needed to win. He’s a very handsome guy, but when you're 5°2"I guess it's hard. He nevershowed itthough. You should have seen him pose. I was a dancer and choreographed a routine for him. Ittold a story. IM: Do youattend competitions? VG: Why? Why would I want to attend a drug festival?! They are all on drugs. Why don’t I go to any con- tests? Because I've seen the best. I've been to contests with Mohamed be- cause I had to go. I sat through an entire afternoon of prejudging, and it gets pretty boring. IM: But they hold natural... VG: [Screaming] But they don’t know how to work out. That's why they look so terrible. The natural shows aren't making it, because people want to see freaks. They go to see something unusual. It’s unfor- tunate that the people who end up doing this and winning the trophies are ending up the losers. Is a kidney or liver really worth another inch on your arm? They don't know that bigger isn’t better. Bigger where? They get intestines this big [makes the shape of a football in the air). They have potbellies when they ‘backs to the audience. Their intestines grow. But there's one ‘muscle that doesn’t grow; it shrinks. ‘They lose their sex drive. IM: How do you feel about women bodybuilders? VG: Both men and women have gone too far with it. The women are on steroids every bit as much as the ‘men are. It’s unfortunate that they’re starting to want to look like men. Why in the hell would women want to look like men? It’s only going to change when the criteria change and govern- ing bodies change. I've noticed a lot of people who at one point had pretty g00d bodies. But they continued to get bigger and bigger. Bigger is better supposedly. It’s follow the leader. The worst guy you could follow around in the gym to learn how to work out is a champion. He doesn’t when he was where you are now. IM: What other mistakes do bodybuilders make? VG: First, you've got to have a trainer. Every athlete in the world has a trainer—someone to tell you what's ‘wrong with your physique. Someone to tell you how to create an illusion, how to cover up the flaws. You can’t work out like everyone else works out, because you're built differently genetically. That's number one. But the biggest mistake is over- training. Hell, I did it myself when I first started, and I got nowhere. I in- vented the damn word “overtrain- ing”; itcame out of this gym. Another stupid thing they all do is run, It creates overtonus—muscle tissue loss, Their hormone levels drop. IM: Do you ever use aerobics in training? VG: This is aerobic! Ican give you exercises that will have you on the floor, and I can make it progressive. Aerobics are not progressive. Itis ex- cellent for tightening up and reduc- ing, but if you're trying to gain muscle and size, forget it. Editor’s note: Vince is more than willing to help aspiring bodybuilders, but be forewarned—he will not tolerate having his time wasted, or yours. If you seek Vince’s guidance, be serious. You can train one-on-one at Vince's Gym five days a week for $250 per month. Contact Vince's Gym, 11262 Ventura Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91604. ad Puta Little Musele in Your Gift-giving. 12 BIG ISSUES ONLY $24.00 Includes Gift Card IRONMAN is the perfect gift for the dedicated weight-train- ing enthusiast. Every issue is packed with detailed training in- struction, the latest research on. nutrition and exercise, body- building news and the most in- spirational and powerful photography in the sport. Give IRONMAN, the ultimate gift of muscle. Call 1-800-447-0008 VISA and MASTERCARD U.S. ORDERS ONLY. IRONMAN February 1990 35