I've admired Franco Columbu since I first saw him in the 1977 World's Strongest Man competition.
At 5'5″, he is quite possibly the strongest bodybuilder ever. He most certainly is the strongest guy ever under five and a half feet.
Franco started his athletic career as a skinny boxer; he routinely knocked out his opponents. After losing the boxing bug, he moved on to weightlifting and powerlifting, where he set some pretty high standards. In fact, he held world records for considerable lengths of time.
One of the most fascinating exhibits of raw power is seeing Franco do his strongman stunts. He routinely deadlifts 700 pounds for reps, blow up a rubber hot water bottle, and lifts a car while somebody changes a tire.
In that 1977 WSM, Franco was nearly crippled when he was competing in an event where the competitors had to run a distance with a refrigerator on their backs! Franco stepped on a pebble (I think) and his leg bent in a way it never should have.
After extensive surgery and physical therapy, he went on to win the 1981 Mr Olympia (he had already won once in 1976, serving, at that time, as only the 4th bodybuilder to ever hold the title).
Prior to 1981, Franco studied to become a Doctor of Chiropractic and succeeded just before his Mr O victory.
It is reported that Franco ultimately bench pressed over 500 pounds.
He has starred in many movies and he's written several books. I just finished reading Coming On Strong, kind of like Franco's version of the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, Education of a Bodybuilder.
Franco Columbu was truly a unique character back in the early days of what I consider to be the beginning of the modern era of bodybuilding.
Question: What can I do to lose weight safe and fast?
Answer: The best approach is multi-pronged when you want to lose weight the safe yet fast way.
I suggest you train with weights and do some cardio. But don't do them in the traditional sense.
Do them together! In between heavy weight sets, perform about 40 seconds' worth of cardio, never resting between alternating weights and cardio.
My buddy Nick Nilsson has the best muscle-building and fat-loss system I've seen. He calls it “Metabolic Surge” and it's superb for doing what you want to accomplish.
Fad diets are a sort of diet plan or aid that aims at losing weight, usually in a relatively short time. Fad diets attract a large number of people who suffer from weight problems and are helplessly looking to some way of arriving at a shapely physique. The problem with fad diets is that their fat-reducing effect is temporary and results in quick regain of weight. What is worse is that most of these diets are harmful to health.
Fad diets are not as new as they might seem at first. These date back to the mid 19th century when an obese Londoner was prescribed such a diet on experimental basis. Now, after a century and a half, fad diets have become popular among people with weight problems. Teens and young adults especially flock to fad diets for answers to weight problems.
Fad diets are usually centered on a higher consumption of fats or proteins while stressing to go easy on or, in some cases, completely cut out carbohydrates. It is the low intake of carbohydrates that brings about rapid weight loss. In fact, this rapid loss is the loss of water that glycogen has stored. With loss of glycogen, the large amount of water stored in it is also lost and body weight drops. The fats are still there and as the fad diets are given up, the body regains its proportion of water lost. Weight is put back on as fast as it was lost.
Normally, carbohydrates remain the source of energy for work. With fad diets, the carbs are no longer there so the body starts using the stored fat, breaking it down. This may appear beneficial but in fact it is not. In the absence of carbs, fats cannot be completely oxidized and put to work. Hence, the body feels fatigued and weak. In addition, the ketone molecules resulting from the fat-breakdown accumulate in the blood and are excreted out via urine, causing dehydration.
Given the harmful health effects of fad diets, it is important for us, especially the weight-conscious people, to recognize and beware of these diet plans. Watch out for diets that:
Promise quick weight loss
Publicize before and after pictures
Present weight-loss testimonials
Tend to limit natural food choices
Require a large sum of money
Fad diets may be popular, but they can greatly hurt your body. Be careful with any diet or exercise program and ask your doctor to be sure it is safe.
I hit a plateau in my lifting and my weight gain. I was stuck at 150 lbs for a little over a year. When I started drinking the milk, I gained 5 lbs in this first two weeks. My gains slowed, so I started adding protein powders and fruit into my milk a couple times a day, and I was able to add another 5 lbs. I eat 3 meals a day WITH the milk. My bench press and shoulder presses also increased significantly after I put on the weight. I'm now 160 lbs, I put on some fat, but mostly muscle in my chest, arms and shoulders. I have a very small frame and fast metabolism, so drinking milk is the only way I am able to get the most calories at the cheapest price. No more spending 800 dollars a month on food when a 3 dollar gallon of milk can give me the same benefit. Also remember to take pictures of yourself before you start the program, because you won't notice your gains by looking in the mirror every hour. The gains come slowly but surely.
Want Faster Results?
Look, I know how hard it is to build muscle. Trust me when I tell you it took me 20+ years to figure it out. But once I did--BAM!--muscle appeared almost overnight. Give me your email address and I'll send you the keys.
Frank Zane is my all-time favorite bodybuilder.
I've admired 