Universe Championships

And then coming into the Mr.

Universe, Reg changed John Isaacs' plan.

And then I found a letter from Reg after the universe where Reg talked about their training that John Isaacs was doing.

And this is about a year or two later.

So we can kind of piece together more or less exactly what this Mr.

Universe competitor was doing in the lead up to his Mr.

Universe and then in the sort of the months before the Mr.

Universe and then again coming out of that as quite an advanced bodybuilder.

Mr.

Universe.

That's Mr.

Universe.

Ashley says, though, there is a contest called Mr. America.

That all sounds very familiar.

And a couple of years later, he won the Mr.

Universe.

And this is a really cool routine.

There's an exercise in here we've not ever discussed.

Lou Ferrigno is known around the world as a legendary bodybuilder, Mr.

Universe champion, and of course, the original Incredible Hulk.

But behind that iconic physique is a story of overcoming adversity, extraordinary discipline, and decades of commitment to physical health.

Lou has dealt with significant hearing loss since childhood, something that could have been turned into a limitation, instead has been turned into motivation.

So basically, that was a wake-up call, knowing that I don't have his support group, support.

You know, you became Mr.

Universe as a very young guy, and, um, when you look back on that now, those few decades ago, um, what was it like for you to understand discipline, and, and what do you wish more younger people would have regarding discipline today?

The fact that, um, don't compete with other people, knowing that you have your dream and you s- have to sacrifice.

Das waren schöne Zeiten.

Dort hab ich dann früh angefangen zu arbeiten, so mit 14, so Gartencenter und hatte das Glück, dass dann der Klaus Blömer – Klaus Blömer hieß er, glaub ich – kam, der Bodybuilder, Mister Universum, sah mich dann und sagte: „Hast du Lust, bei uns im Garten?" Ich so: „Okay." Ich war grad 14, hab da mitgeholfen, Garten zu machen und so.

Und hab dann so beim, beim Caritas dort nebenbei gearbeitet.

Die hatten so ein Jugendzentrum.

Think of it as like the NFL AFL.

But that's what makes the Olympia so special is the IFBB was like, all right, cut the shit.

All of the Mr. Universes from all of these different federations, your champions are going to come together and we're going to host the Mr., not universe, Olympia.

And we're going to see who's the best of the best.

But all that to say, all these federations are having their own competitions and it really kind of like crystallizes in the Olympia eventually.