Melvin Anthony – 2001 Ironman Pro Invitational

[FK86]

Some thoughts:

- Melvin was a high-volume trainer. He did 20 sets per body part twice a week.

- Vince Taylor-like biceps

- I hate the dancing posing routines and any hand gestures or ear cupping toward the audience. I give Melvin a pass here because the transition is cool and to have that kind of individual control over each muscle is impressive.

- Ironman lighting on point as usual. Why can’t they get the guys that light these shows to light all of them?

- John Brown is a name you don’t hear too often but is always held in high regard when it is. Shawn Ray talked about him the most and the crazy workouts he did. John had a physique similar to Serge Nubret.

- Cormier won this show. The Real Deal was drier and more separated, especially in his back. Melvin could hang with him from the front but was softer and holding water from the back.

- Cormier’s posing routine was weird. Belly dance and male stripper movements.

 

[Biggerp73]

(1) Where did you hear he trained 20 sets per body part twice per week?

(2) Absolutely phenomenal physique on Melvin

(3) About the posing - I agree. Dancing isn't a good look. The point is to make the body look like a statue, awesome, classy, and glorious. Not to make it erotic or "fun" or anything like that. Melvin was great at doing the former, but unfortunately did too much of the latter also. Cormier was the same way, although he didn't as much of the latter usually.

(4) Both the lighting and the camera angles used at these shows these days are absolutely pathetic. The lighting, for obvious reasons - check out something like the 1999 British grand prix, and compare it to what you see in the Olympia. It's just absolutely stupid and only hurts the pockets of the owners. Camera angles - PLEASE stop giving us side views. We want to see the competitors, from the judges table, all together, in every pose. No other view.

 

[3BILLS]

I remember he was on blind date lol

 

[lookslikesausage]

I always felt like the male stripping dance type of stuff looked bad b/c of how prevalent schmoes are in bodybuilding and that's obviously a very taboo topic and and not something most bodybuilders want to openly associate themselves with. Then again, maybe it could be for some of their fans and/or an advertisement of sorts. I don't know, maybe i'm way off with that?

 

[finephysique]

Melvin brought a bit of fun to the stage and made bodybuilding accessible to those who didn’t just want to look at big guys being very serious and straining to hold in an oversized gut.
Not the best ever bodybuilding physique but one I would have taken it over most of the physiques of the time.
Cormier actually came to live in Ireland for a while quite a few years ago he was just someone who enjoyed to party and also brought a bit of that onto the stage.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

I always felt like the male stripping dance type of stuff looked bad b/c of how prevalent schmoes are in bodybuilding and that's obviously a very taboo topic and and not something most bodybuilders want to openly associate themselves with. Then again, maybe it could be for some of their fans and/or an advertisement of sorts. I don't know, maybe i'm way off with that?

In my area it was a required rite of passage to male strip at least a few times if you were going to be a competitive bodybuilder. At least that was what my coach told me. Of course I could have been the victim of an extended practical joke...

It does make you better at pose transitions

 

[FK86]

(1) Where did you hear he trained 20 sets per body part twice per week?

I was an avid reader of FLEX from '03-'07, with having a subscription from '05-'07. That was right in the middle of his competitive peak, so they had a few training articles on him. While the magazines were notorious for printing fake workouts at one time, during this period they were somewhat accurate because corresponding videos would confirm it. For example, what they printed for Coleman is what we saw in his videos. Anyway, the few that I have on Melvin had him doing 20 sets and his split was a straight-six with everything getting hit twice a week.

I always felt like the male stripping dance type of stuff looked bad b/c of how prevalent schmoes are in bodybuilding

I had to look up what a schmoe was in the context you’re referring to. It seems like there’s something for everything nowadays.

 

[lookslikesausage]

I was an avid reader of FLEX from '03-'07, with having a subscription from '05-'07. That was right in the middle of his competitive peak, so they had a few training articles on him. While the magazines were notorious for printing fake workouts at one time, during this period they were somewhat accurate because corresponding videos would confirm it. For example, what they printed for Coleman is what we saw in his videos. Anyway, the few that I have on Melvin had him doing 20 sets and his split was a straight-six with everything getting hit twice a week.




I had to look up what a schmoe was in the context you’re referring to. It seems like there’s something for everything nowadays.

There's a much more generic and popular term that would probably be as appropriate and more easily understood that gets abbreviated with two letters and a number that i won't name.