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Changes in the Bodybuilding Culture since the 80s

The equipment is mostly the same. Barbells, DB, cables. Machines are better but nothing groundbreaking. Some of the older ones are my preferences. Powders taste better. Training techniques are similar just repackaged. Drugs are mostly the same. GH and insulin have changed thins some. Mostly it is still eat big, train big and sleep big.
Interesting. I actually don't think machines are much better, if they're better at all. In fact, I'd put the Flex Hack Squat and the old Nautilus Pullover machines against any machines that are similar in existence today. I actually believe the golden years of resistance equipment (at least ones mostly used by bodybuilders) was the late 70's (innovation) and 80's (execution). A lot of the old Nautilus stuff was excellent. A lot of Flex's equipment was amazing IMO. Bodymasters made some good stuff too.

Flex got hurt badly by a lawsuit in the 90's as did Icarian (another great company). Quite a few of these companies got sued by some dumbass who got hurt. Most then went on to be absorbed by bigger companies (Icarian by Precor, Flex by Startrac). Who's making great stuff today? Prime? That's really Strive who made AMAZING stuff in the early 90's. Many love Hammer but most of their stuff hasn't changed much since the 90's and some of their pieces are basically plate-loaded adaptations of old Nautilus pieces. What i'm getting at is that i don't believe there are many unique, or better for that matter, machines being produced today.

One company who i believe is making great strides is Panatta Sport. Arsenal is also great (they're actually the newly branded incarnation of Nebula who made wonderful pieces in the early 2000s). It's also important to note that aren't nearly as many companies even making resistance equipment like there were in the 80's when the fitness boom was happening. The big money is in the cardio pieces. The thing that changed IMO is the free weight stuff (bars, racks, plates) from companies like Rogue and them and all of the companies who are producing mostly those three items have Crossfit to thank for their success and popularity.
 
Interesting. I actually don't think machines are much better, if they're better at all. In fact, I'd put the Flex Hack Squat and the old Nautilus Pullover machines against any machines that are similar in existence today. I actually believe the golden years of resistance equipment (at least ones mostly used by bodybuilders) was the late 70's (innovation) and 80's (execution). A lot of the old Nautilus stuff was excellent. A lot of Flex's equipment was amazing IMO. Bodymasters made some good stuff too.

Flex got hurt badly by a lawsuit in the 90's as did Icarian (another great company). Quite a few of these companies got sued by some dumbass who got hurt. Most then went on to be absorbed by bigger companies (Icarian by Precor, Flex by Startrac). Who's making great stuff today? Prime? That's really Strive who made AMAZING stuff in the early 90's. Many love Hammer but most of their stuff hasn't changed much since the 90's and some of their pieces are basically plate-loaded adaptations of old Nautilus pieces. What i'm getting at is that i don't believe there are many unique, or better for that matter, machines being produced today.

One company who i believe is making great strides is Panatta Sport. Arsenal is also great (they're actually the newly branded incarnation of Nebula who made wonderful pieces in the early 2000s). It's also important to note that aren't nearly as many companies even making resistance equipment like there were in the 80's when the fitness boom was happening. The big money is in the cardio pieces. The thing that changed IMO is the free weight stuff (bars, racks, plates) from companies like Rogue and them and all of the companies who are producing mostly those three items have Crossfit to thank for their success and popularity.
I have to agree that the older machines are made way better than the modern stuff. It’s not even close.
 
I have to agree that the older machines are made way better than the modern stuff. It’s not even close.
there really are currently only a handful of companies making actual machines that are worth a damn today and many of them are old machines that have been slightly modified (Arsenal/Nebula, Prime/Strive). The sad thing to me is that it really wouldn't take a lot to recreate some of those incredible pieces from the 80's and 90's that so many loved. Remember Flex's plate loaded Lat Pulldown? Strange that no one has made something very similar today. There are clones coming out of China but i don't believe that machine is protected by patents or anything? The only decent Hack left today is Arsenal's/Nebula and Startrac's which is basically the same as the Flex. Why don't more companies make a Hack that has the same angle as Flex's or an adjustable foot plate like Neblua? Back in the day a bunch of companies made Hacks with an adjustable foot plate. It's little things like that. Seems like little though goes into today's machines or maybe the people designing them aren't bodybuilders or maybe the first thing they think about is avoiding lawsuits. I don't know. I just know it's rare to walk into most gyms and see things like a good Hack Squat or even a Pullover machine. How many modern day gyms have a Donkey Calf Raise? Remember Nautilus with their chain drive? That shit was awesome. Felt very different than most pieces from today that utilize Kevlar and/or pulley cable. I'm sure the cost was the issue but still, it's hard not to miss that stuff and those little things that made those pieces so much different from today's stuff.
 
there really are currently only a handful of companies making actual machines that are worth a damn today and many of them are old machines that have been slightly modified (Arsenal/Nebula, Prime/Strive). The sad thing to me is that it really wouldn't take a lot to recreate some of those incredible pieces from the 80's and 90's that so many loved. Remember Flex's plate loaded Lat Pulldown? Strange that no one has made something very similar today. There are clones coming out of China but i don't believe that machine is protected by patents or anything? The only decent Hack left today is Arsenal's/Nebula and Startrac's which is basically the same as the Flex. Why don't more companies make a Hack that has the same angle as Flex's or an adjustable foot plate like Neblua? Back in the day a bunch of companies made Hacks with an adjustable foot plate. It's little things like that. Seems like little though goes into today's machines or maybe the people designing them aren't bodybuilders or maybe the first thing they think about is avoiding lawsuits. I don't know. I just know it's rare to walk into most gyms and see things like a good Hack Squat or even a Pullover machine. How many modern day gyms have a Donkey Calf Raise? Remember Nautilus with their chain drive? That shit was awesome. Felt very different than most pieces from today that utilize Kevlar and/or pulley cable. I'm sure the cost was the issue but still, it's hard not to miss that stuff and those little things that made those pieces so much different from today's stuff.
I think you’re spot on with it not being made by bodybuilders and the like. it’s all about cheap, mass production so they can sell in bulk to chain fitness clubs. It’s more profitable to supply a planet fitness with generic, cheaply made machines that fat housewives will barely use. I’ve heard arsenals equipment is poor quality. The industry is saturated today with quantity over quality from the competitors to the gyms, the equipment, etc.
I talk about it often but I’m lucky enough to have access to a lot of Nautilus, Flex, etc.
 
I don't know much about BB because I've basically have been on a 5x5 reg for about 8 months and prior was doing some cardio. I will say that I have been reading the book Muscle 'Confessions of an unlikely Bodybuilder' by Samuel Wilson Fussell and it has really opened my mind towards BB.
 
I don't know much about BB because I've basically have been on a 5x5 reg for about 8 months and prior was doing some cardio. I will say that I have been reading the book Muscle 'Confessions of an unlikely Bodybuilder' by Samuel Wilson Fussell and it has really opened my mind towards BB.
Incredible book! I've read it a few times. It's one of the few books that really gets deep into the psyche of what it is to be a bodybuilder. The way so many men build an identity around having muscular and strong bodies and sadly without that, many feel emasculated and/or incomplete people. It's really the only book that i've ever read that encapsulated the psychology of the obsession aspect of bodybuilding (not for everyone but for many). Never read anything else that even came close.

Just like the saying "getting old ain't for sissies"; well neither is losing 10-30 lbs after a cycle or losing a ton of weight after giving up PEDs for good. Hate to say it but i really loved in the book when Sam Fussell namedrops and talks about his encounters with pros. Also loved just the general discussion of various bodybuilders of that time (many of whom were not famous) and also some of the stuff that was written about bodybuilders publicly that many of us are too young to know about (he mentions Platz's kidney stones and an interview Platz gave to a publication about how and why he started using PEDs in the first place).

Believe it or not, HBO was in talks to make Muscle a series based on his book but that fell apart. I get the impression maybe Fussell was not willing to give HBO the amount of control they wanted in the making of the series and also that he might just a tad out there.
 
Interesting. I actually don't think machines are much better, if they're better at all. In fact, I'd put the Flex Hack Squat and the old Nautilus Pullover machines against any machines that are similar in existence today. I actually believe the golden years of resistance equipment (at least ones mostly used by bodybuilders) was the late 70's (innovation) and 80's (execution). A lot of the old Nautilus stuff was excellent. A lot of Flex's equipment was amazing IMO. Bodymasters made some good stuff too.

Flex got hurt badly by a lawsuit in the 90's as did Icarian (another great company). Quite a few of these companies got sued by some dumbass who got hurt. Most then went on to be absorbed by bigger companies (Icarian by Precor, Flex by Startrac). Who's making great stuff today? Prime? That's really Strive who made AMAZING stuff in the early 90's. Many love Hammer but most of their stuff hasn't changed much since the 90's and some of their pieces are basically plate-loaded adaptations of old Nautilus pieces. What i'm getting at is that i don't believe there are many unique, or better for that matter, machines being produced today.

One company who i believe is making great strides is Panatta Sport. Arsenal is also great (they're actually the newly branded incarnation of Nebula who made wonderful pieces in the early 2000s). It's also important to note that aren't nearly as many companies even making resistance equipment like there were in the 80's when the fitness boom was happening. The big money is in the cardio pieces. The thing that changed IMO is the free weight stuff (bars, racks, plates) from companies like Rogue and them and all of the companies who are producing mostly those three items have Crossfit to thank for their success and popularity.
As this post is about the 80's anything such as Hammer Strength would be considered new, and i like them myself. And can't really compare them to the old Nautilus. As the Nautilus used a cam and hammer doesn't on the pieces i have used, so i find the feel quite different. And rarely see them wearing out or breaking. I found many things from the 80's and before were built along good sounding ideas and not along more ergonomic lines and didn't pan out. I liked the idea behind pneumatic equipment but that didn't work out from my experience. Same with universal multifunction machines. Pullover machines in general i have got no benefit from. I didn't fit well into many of the the older machines. And my shoulders would rub on the pullover machines. But personal preference is what liking is all about. Many companies that came out with good ideas as well during this time. But from another perspective that i was thinking along that made many machines bad was from maintaining and keeping the machines running and functional without wearing out and breaking. There were many pieces from some of the manufactures that you brought up that i liked as well. But they also had many/most other things in their lines that i didn't care for. So I couldn't say they had a great product. In a perfect world i would pick certain machines from different manufactures across the decades for my own gym, but that ain't happening.
 
Interesting. I actually don't think machines are much better, if they're better at all. In fact, I'd put the Flex Hack Squat and the old Nautilus Pullover machines against any machines that are similar in existence today. I actually believe the golden years of resistance equipment (at least ones mostly used by bodybuilders) was the late 70's (innovation) and 80's (execution). A lot of the old Nautilus stuff was excellent. A lot of Flex's equipment was amazing IMO. Bodymasters made some good stuff too.

Flex got hurt badly by a lawsuit in the 90's as did Icarian (another great company). Quite a few of these companies got sued by some dumbass who got hurt. Most then went on to be absorbed by bigger companies (Icarian by Precor, Flex by Startrac). Who's making great stuff today? Prime? That's really Strive who made AMAZING stuff in the early 90's. Many love Hammer but most of their stuff hasn't changed much since the 90's and some of their pieces are basically plate-loaded adaptations of old Nautilus pieces. What i'm getting at is that i don't believe there are many unique, or better for that matter, machines being produced today.

One company who i believe is making great strides is Panatta Sport. Arsenal is also great (they're actually the newly branded incarnation of Nebula who made wonderful pieces in the early 2000s). It's also important to note that aren't nearly as many companies even making resistance equipment like there were in the 80's when the fitness boom was happening. The big money is in the cardio pieces. The thing that changed IMO is the free weight stuff (bars, racks, plates) from companies like Rogue and them and all of the companies who are producing mostly those three items have Crossfit to thank for their success and popularity.
I agree as I prefer many of the older leg press machines as well as calf machines and the pec dec.
 
As this post is about the 80's anything such as Hammer Strength would be considered new, and i like them myself. And can't really compare them to the old Nautilus. As the Nautilus used a cam and hammer doesn't on the pieces i have used, so i find the feel quite different. And rarely see them wearing out or breaking. I found many things from the 80's and before were built along good sounding ideas and not along more ergonomic lines and didn't pan out. I liked the idea behind pneumatic equipment but that didn't work out from my experience. Same with universal multifunction machines. Pullover machines in general i have got no benefit from. I didn't fit well into many of the the older machines. And my shoulders would rub on the pullover machines. But personal preference is what liking is all about. Many companies that came out with good ideas as well during this time. But from another perspective that i was thinking along that made many machines bad was from maintaining and keeping the machines running and functional without wearing out and breaking. There were many pieces from some of the manufactures that you brought up that i liked as well. But they also had many/most other things in their lines that i didn't care for. So I couldn't say they had a great product. In a perfect world i would pick certain machines from different manufactures across the decades for my own gym, but that ain't happening.
Sure. There is not one company that hit a home run with every piece they made, although personally, i don't think i ever used a piece from Flex that outright sucked. In my experience, the majority of the older machines from the 70's and 80's, as long as the proper maintenance was followed, the machines lasted. I have some myself that are from the late 70's or maybe early 80's. They're in perfect working order. If i had a gym and was picking up pieces from the past, i don't think you could go wrong with Strive, Flex, and Nautilus. A few Bodymasters and Cybex and you're all set.
 
**broken link removed**
This picture was taken at the gym I train at and used to work at. Powerhouse Gym Highland Park Michigan.
To the left in the original Powerhouse Gym tank top is owner Will Dabish and in the green shirt is Norm Dabish his brother and also owner but now deceased. Both great guys to work for.
In the middle is of course Samir Bannout who won the Mr. Michigan in 1978. So this picture was taken shortly before that show.
To his right with no shirt on is Don Ross who also won Mr. Michigan in 1971.
Great Picture. Thanks for posting it.
 
This picture was taken at the gym I train at and used to work at. Powerhouse Gym Highland Park Michigan.
To the left in the original Powerhouse Gym tank top is owner Will Dabish and in the green shirt is Norm Dabish his brother and also owner but now deceased. Both great guys to work for.
In the middle is of course Samir Bannout who won the Mr. Michigan in 1978. So this picture was taken shortly before that show.
To his right with no shirt on is Don Ross who also won Mr. Michigan in 1971.
Great Picture. Thanks for posting it.
Who's the guy in the black coat with the beard?
 
I remember these 2 battling it out year after year.

32272115156.jpg
 
Haney vs Gaspari was the Coleman vs Cutler of the '80s. Gaspari kind of burned out quick though. He turned pro quite young and was awesome in '86, '87, and '88. Then he just kind of lost it and dropped to 4th. Won the inaugural Arnold in '89, but was never the threat he was in those aforementioned three years after that.

This is only my speculation, but I think he hit the gas pretty hard. Especially in '87. It was obvious with the back acne and how thick he got. He's also looking kind of lumpy with gyno these days. I'm not trying to hate on him, he's one of my favourites. Just an observation from how he compares to someone else from that era like Labrada who looks awesome today.
 
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Haney vs Gaspari was the Coleman vs Cutler of the '80s. Gaspari kind of burned out quick though. He turned pro quite young and was awesome in '86, '87, and '88. Then he just kind of lost it and dropped to 4th. Won the inaugural Arnold in '89, but was never the threat he was in those aforementioned three years after that.

This is only my speculation, but I think he hit the gas pretty hard. Especially in '87. It was obvious with the back acne and how thick he got. He's also looking kind of lumpy with gyno these days. I'm not trying to hate on him, he's one of my favourites. Just an observation from how he compares to someone else from that era like Labrada who looks awesome today.

Rich didn't have the best genetics as far as shape is concerned. In that time period the other physiques/better physiques began to show up. He had a good run. Being second to Haney was quite an accomplishment and being the inaugural Arnold Classic winner is pretty cool!!
 

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