One time at the Glendale Y I forgot my workout shoes. In the old days bodybuilders used to train barefoot. They all did. In 1973 Arnold, Frank Zane, Dave Draper, all the champs trained barefoot. Pictures in the muscle magazines in the 60s and early 70s all pictured bodybuilders training barefoot. And many trained shirtless as well. Now proper training shoes and shirts were required.
I remember in the mid 70s training shirtless in the Marin College weight room.
It was different now.
So one day I got to the Glendale Y and was suiting up in the locker room and I discovered I had forgotten my shoes. I couldn't go home an get them, I was all psyched for my workout!
“I forgot my shoes!” I said to Chuck, my training partner. “Adolf will kick me out!”
“Don't worry,” Chuck said. “Just stay behind me.”
We went up to the weight room and started working out. Adolf wasn't there at the moment so we were doing pretty good. Then Adolf entered the area.
“Oh shit!” I said.
“Don't worry,” Chuck said.
Then this guy stripped off his training clothes. Except for these briefs with no back. Seriously! He was all hairy and disgusting looking, and he wasn't built that good. But in his mind he must have thought he was the next Mr. Olympia.
One of the women almost threw up. It was one of the most disgusting sights I ever saw.
But it sure saved my butt. Adolf was too busy trying to get that guy off the floor to pay attention to me and my bare feet.
When I wanted to go workout with the Nautilus machines I would drive out to Gold's. My usual routine when working out with the Nautilus machines was this: I always did free weights for bench press and squats. In my view, the Nautilus machines are best used for exercises with a circular motion, as in the pullover, curls, triceps extensions and lateral raises. Resistance through the full range of motion.
Plus, I always liked keeping my totals in the bench and squat.
Nautilus also had a great low back machine and an ab crunch machine that worked upper and lower abs at the same time.
The Nautilus shoulder machine worked the shoulders two ways. Seated press and lateral raise. Remember, I preferred free weights for the press. But this machine gave me the option of working the shoulders both ways at the same workout station. So I would superset the seated press with lateral raises which gave my shoulders a great pump.
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