Montag, 1. September 2014

IRON AGE - Bill Pearl, the gentle giant and the TRUE champ of the world of iron and steel.

Hey folks, back in action again. Haha, back then when I did this post in the first place (long before it now finally comes up), damn, it really had been a while, a long while, since I did and wrote something or anything up here, hm, but after this is also now already quite some time ago and all you maybe never noticed this particular break of or in action, nah, but back then you pretty sure noticed in general that nothing ever happened up here and this back then since freaky fucking ages. Okay, but that's life, I mean sometimes or often or maybe even in most parts (at least that's what you may can think from time to time) things refuse to work out like they once had been planned to work out, hm, anyhow. After some time ago I finally started working on this all here again this is all nowadays nothing but history but this very one post or article here was anyway the first post I wrote when I started working and writing on and for this very blog here again, okay, and so now enough of the nostalgic words and so now here we go again, finally, and so, yeahr, let's roll...!!!



So, okay, my dear readers, with this said enough of breaks in the flow of the working schedule and the process of writing this very one here and now and so right and straight direct back into the action and the flow of things, and up next is a new dose of the IRON AGE posting series, and like you all should know already this posting series is solely and totally dedicated to Bodybuilding from it's early beginnings up to the present day which means more or les the present day or maybe better: up to "more present times". So far we all traveled already from the late 19th century (with also some short earlier stops, too) up right into the first decades of the 20th century, and we became known and showed our honour, gave our respect, and payed our tribute to some of the greats and greatest of old (and ever), namely and in particular the godfather Eugen Sandow, the almighty John Grimek, the standard setting Steve Reeves, and the powerhouse Reg Park. And also we already traveled through the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, and the 1970's to finallyso far ending up in the year of 1980 and at the 1980 "Mr. O" which saw the 7th (and in this case heavy controversial) victory of Arnold "The Oak" Schwarzenegger, and now it's up for more stuff to come from out of the halls of the IRON AGE. And this time here and now will see us paying our tribute, showing our prespect, giving our honour, and prooving our knowledge with a post dedicated to some of the great ones of that time, the 1950's to the 1970's, and definitely one of the greatest- and I definitely mean one of the GREATEST- ever. Now this is the tribute post to honour and show respect to and for Bill Pearl, the gentle giant of Bodybuilding and a if not even in some ways and sense THE true champ of the world of iron. In my book Bill Pearl holds together with John Grimek the second position of the best and greatest- yes, remember: GREATEST- Bodybuilders of all times ever- and also here and now I definitely mean EVER-, and this somewhat like sort of pretty close up to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the almighty and über-mighty-one, who sits after all still above all else on the throne of Bodybuilding. But this takes away nothing of(f)/from Bill Pearl (and also John Grimek, too). Bill pearl, in every sense a if not the true champ and one of the by far most GREATEST EVER, definitely and totally, period. I think that's for now enough of the introducing small talk, so here we go finally again on and on, kicking it off again with the tribute post to honour Bill Pearl, one of the very GREATEST in each, every, and all sense of it of all times. Here we go, honour day.

The legendary and larger than life Bill Pearl.


A TRUE CHAMP IS DISTINGUISHED BY HUMBLENESS...

- BILL PEARL -

...AND NOT BY ARROGANCE!!!

The young Bill Pearl in
his golden days.
Bill Pearl. Where to start...?!? So much, so many, all important. Hm, okay, yes, okay... then let us try it here and with this: Bill Pearl was one of the most succesful Bodybuilding champs of his time and with a shining power far over this certain time period above/beyond, but no matter how big and how many successes he celebrated in his life and carreer, he never ever got spoiled by fame and glory, NEVER, he always stayed true and he always stayed humble, he stayed authentic and sympathic, he stayed beside or adding to this all also simply and in just one short single word: human; and this thru and thru. He was born back in 1930 at the 31st of October and this in Pineville, Oregon/U.S.A. as a son to his parents, a son who should later become named and crowned the "World's Best-Built Man of the Century" (for more than only just reasons) and become one of the greatest and most dominant champions ever in the history of Bodybuilding with winning several major titles of his era and this includes his five triumphs at the NABBA "Mr. Universe" contest(s), what was in fact not only the but THE title of and in the world of Bodybuilding of his time.  Now let us have a closer look at one of the greatest ever, on him and his life and on him building one of the greatest and most adorable physiques ever and becoming a legend of his very own. By the way, then let us also say that Bill Pearl is of Indian descent with having blood lines grounded in the Indian strain of the Nez Perce and he was also back then in Pineville, Oregon/U.S.A. born in or into their reserve.

A older grown Bill Pearl, still in first
class over the top shape.
So, like already said Bill Pearl was born on the 31st of October of the year of 1930 and he first ever saw the light of day in Pineville, Oregon/U.S.A. but he used to grow up in Yakima, Washington/U.S.A. to where his family later moved, and wheh he was born he was given his name William Arnold Pearl by his parents, and so Bill was sort of his nick name (and it was the name he gained larger than life fame with) and also so we see that the two greatest Bodybuilders of all times both carried the name of Arnold... nice side quote... but that just said in a "by-the-way"-way of saying/writing things. Right from the start already in his early and young years as a kid and a teenager he was interested in gaining muscle mass and building up the muscles of his body. He was just weighing around 50kg when he was a young teenager and so together with his brother Harold he started to train and to work out. They did this with several different and by themselves build machines and were practising one hell of a big bunch of very different exercises, all basically without any plan, system, or sense of it all behind it to back it all up. Finally then one day Bill Pearl found his first ever issue of the "Strength & Health" magazine in a store and he bought it and the flame was enlightened even bigger, hotter, and brighter. In this issue he saw for the first time ever a real set of weights, dumbbells and barbells and he realized promptly that this stuff would be more than just a benefit for his training and work outs and the goals he wanted to archieve with working out. So he wanted to have such a set and all summer long he worked his hands to the bone to make the money to finally buy it. And so he did. But he should get them finally then two years later. During the war, we speak of the second world war, iron and steel were scarce stuff and also needed for other purposes then to make weights, dumbbells, and barbells for Bodybuilders and Strength Sportsmen out of it. The already mentioned "Strength & Health" issue featured of course also pictures of and reports about (great) Bodybuilders of that age and time, like for example the demigod like Steve Reeves and the outstanding one in a million John Grimek, both we know already since the tribute posts to their honour(s) and both had been the biggest influence of and for the young Bill Pearl to set goals for the physique he once wanted to archieve one day. (But also the legendary Clancy Ross was one of the idols and heroes of Bill Pearl.) Some water down the river later on he even became personal friends with no one else than John Grimek, who helped him to develop and create one hell of an outshining breath taking posing. It was also no one else than John Grimek who gave him the council to show proofs and feasts of his strength during his shows live up on stage to get the crowd going on even more. John Grimek gave him this good meant and wise council based on his own experiences that he made over his great career. Beside this and maybe above all Bill Pearl, who worked himself deeper into the world of iron and steel, Bodybuilding, Weight Lifting, and Strongmen sports, was a admirer of the forever immortalized Eugen Sandown (we know him also- latest- since the tribute post to his honour up here) and as a honour and tribute to him Bill Pearl imitated some of the poses of the almighty Eugen Sandow, something displayed for example in Bill Pearls famous book (the german title:) "Wege zum idealen Körper" and I think in English the title of this book was "Keys to the INNER Universe" (a book that featured more than over 1.500 weight training exercises and was weighing around five pounds, a monumental work and book and the unrivaled most complete of its kind of his time and age, and one that you can buy today only antiquarian and this for totally abstruse prices over several hundred Euro bucks). As a teenager Bill Pearl was practising mostly every sort of sport important to a teenager: Football and Softball, swimming and athletics and he was great sprinter, so he was running the 100 yards in 10,3 seconds and this when he carried already 84kg of strong muscles with him. He also did Wrestling (the authentic olympian one, not the Sports Entertainment T.V. one WWF/WWE, TNA style thing) and even he was warned that the weight training would slow him down in his movements more and more if he would do it on and on he proofed all of that naysayers totally wrong with becoming more and more fit and also more and more fast and quick with doing his weight training further on. He finally joined the legendary "YMCA" Gym in Yakima, Washington/U.S.A. and lifted, pressed, squatted, and curled very industrious his weights, dumbbells, and barbells on and on. In 1950 he graduated from High School and was also already a famous athlete. This lead to several and many universities offering him scholarships if he would come and become a student of their faculties. But Bill Pearl had enough of school and all this stuff and also he wanted to travel the world and to serve his country, do his duty, and so he joined the U.S. Navy. And as soon as he was a Navy man he joined the Navy wrestling team, and so he could live out his two greatest passions and hobbies, travelling and wrestling, and also serve his country and then also got payed for it on top of it. Sounds like a good deal, right? Right! And promptly he won at the 13th annual Navy District-Championship at the Pacific Northwestern Championships. But that wasn't even all what he loved to do and in what he was great in doing it: He was a talented and gifted musician and played the saxophone in a great way and he did this for example at dance events of the Navy, and beside this he even worked as a journalist. And it was due to his journalistic jobs when he randomly met Leo Stern, a author, photographer, Bodybuilding expert, and the 1946 AAU Mr. California by himself in person. A life long friendship and also a solid and the whole career of Bill Pearl lasting trainer (Leo Stern) - athlete (Bill Pearl) relation should finally be the result of this randomly encounter back then of Bill Pearl and Leo Stern.

"Got guns?" (Bill Pearl
in a relaxed pose)
In 1952 then Bill Pearl had already obtained his first proper Weight Lifting and Bodybuilding training plans and work out schedules designed by Leo Stern for him and Bill Pearl also joined Leo Sterns "Health Club" Gym in San Diego, California/U.S.A. for training and working hiss ass off. During his U.S. Navy time Bill Pearl was stationed at the submarine "Nereus" in San Diego, a perfect match you may can say. (Just for the record and by the way: Later on after his Navy days Bill Pearl worked also, just as one example, for "North American Rockwell" as a or better the consultant for physical fitness of the astronauts of or in their then aerospace program when he was just 35 years old. A very fascinating and inspirational person and life in general, and so really one of the greatest ever in far more than just one way or sense, period.) He trained long, intense, hard, and heavy with the weights, crushed the dumbbells and exterminated the barbells strictly following Leo Sterns work out schedules. He trained at least three days a week, with focussing particularly on his stubborn bodyparts. Even when his appendix was removed from his body the operational way in a clinic he allowed his body just a few days to rest from the operation, only the most needed rest, before he got back to the Gym and lifted, pressed, culred, and sqautted the weights again like he did before. He absolutely loved to work out and was totally dedicated to the world of iron and their specifically rules and requirements. True passion! Back in the "Health Club" he promptly started training focussed on and for the AAU Mr. Southern California, and what is their to say: It all payed off and in the February of the year 1953 he then won this certain title, and already just two months later in the April 1953 he also won the AAU Mr. California. And there he not only won but also was elected as the athlete with the best legs and also as the most muscular athlete. And then again just two months later in the June 1953 he totally made this year his very own with winning the highly reputated AAU Mr. America title. For this competition he used to expand his work outs to a split work out plan with six work outs a week. But in the exact same hard and passionated way on which he worked on his muscles he also worked on his californian "sun skin" and also again and again on his posing routines. (It had his reasons that he pretty much was the only one who dared and who conquered in incorporating a routine of Eugen Sandow.) Then the U.S. Navy, proud of him, of their man, helped him out with clearing the field so that he was able and allowed to go to England and compete at the NABBA Mr. Universe for the first time ever, and he totally conquered with winning the NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe in 1953 in a triumphant way. During this time he lived in the U.S. ambassy in London. And 1953 was just the first year of and for Bill Pearl in competetive Bodybuilding, and he already and promptly made it totally to his year. What a great way to kick a career really off, impressive. And this even more when you keep in mind that it was no one else than Leo Stern himself who at first though that Bill Pearl wasn't Mr. America material, like Stern said/wrote in a article in the "Strength & Heath" issue of the September 1953. But Bill Pearl proofed them all wrong. And Leo Stern was very soon convinced by this young wildfire, due to the smart and passionated training of Bill Pearl and also due to the fact that his body reacted in a impressive way on/to the pumping iron training. Leo Stern also desribed Bill Pearl as a very modest and humble person, and as a athlete with an enormous potential, and from then on it was offcicial that Leo Stern was the trainer of Bill Pearl. (Leo Stern died in the September of 2009 at the age of 88 years. R.I.P Leo Stern.)

When sport becomes
body-art: Bill Pearl.
After his Navy time Bill Pearl moved to Sacramento, California /U.S.A. where he opened up with his money that he gained during his Navy service time his first ever Gym and the first Sport-/Fitnessstudio/-center of many more to come in the future adding to it. The opening of his first Gym was the starting point for one of the most succesful and also for one of the by far most long lasting careers in the iron game and muscle business. Bill Pearl created individual training routines for each of his different clients, and it was his deep believe that every different individual person and body needs his own individual training routine, aimed individual at the specific body needs. For him there was no work out schedule or training routine that would benefit all and everyone, it was all about nothing else than total individualty as the only right and correct approach for working out and training routines. (And he was and is right with this, without a single doubt.) He believed that also persons who don't do competitions needed definite changes in their exercises, set- and rep-patterns to achieve ongrowing gains and succes as well as to obtain or better maintain their joy and pleasure  of and with their training and work outs. Bill Pearl also hold the idea dear to his mind that we all needed to re-think the goals we set for ourselves again and again, because only then we can see how far we've already come, if it's still making sense, and also to maintain pleasure, energy, and enthusiasm to go on and on even through the fire and the most worst to come (and we're not talking just about sports here, this is by far more about life in its entirety). For this purpose Bill Pearl created dynamic and creative work outs that also, especially during the months of winter, featured disciplines of the Olympian Weight Lifting and the Powerlifting. This interest was born because of suggestions that Leo Stern, John Grimek, and the U.S. American Weight Lifter Tommy Kono, a superstar of his time in his discipline who was a two time Olympian Victor who holds 26 world records and 37 U.S. records in four different disciplines, made in conversations and discussions with him. Beside his great victories and his impressive and enormous talent Bill Pearl was not anyhow something like "perfect" or maybe "unbeatable" or so, and he by himself would never ever have asserted something anyhow like this. His first ever loss/defeat he suffered through in 1956 when Jack Delinger beat him at the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe in the "sting-battle" for the over-all-victory. To answer this defeat Bill Peal only knew one way to do it right: To work ever harder and to train even more intense. And so in 1961 he returned to London on the stage of the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe and won unrivaled with a wide and long distance between him and his rivals on stage. Back then he trained his usual six days split, four sets with ten reps with heavy weights and also a lot of training for his "stomach/belly-muscles". And beside this he was doing a lot of running. Also he does a lot of relaxing stuff and exercises and he tried to warm up for competitions in a relaxed way and without hunting for a extreme muscle pump, in contrast- for example- to Sergio Oliva (we will pay our tribute to this legend later on, trust me), and because of this Bill Pearl was able to pose in a more relaxed and more "flowing" way, in a more elegant way, so did Leo Stern says one day.

Bill Pearl showing a dominant
javelin Thrower pose.
Now to some of Bill Pearls training routines and work out ways, or maybe better to some aspects of it: Back in 1953 when he was preparing and working out for the 1953 AAU Mr. America he was doing the Benchpress with a close/tight grip/handle for many, many reps with 140kg and even more and he was doing Squats with "deep breaths", again also for many reps and with around 160kg per rep. This are unusual exercises (today maybe even more than back then) and also very exhausting exercises, and it are exercises of a high pace that have a huge impact on the chest with expanding the whole chest in a fantastic and also, again, impressive way. Due to exercises like this he earned and gained a scope/ambit of his chest of around 137cm. He also did around or even more than 300 reps of sit-ups, crunches, and leg-raises, and so in all his six work outs a week Bill Pearl did over 1.000 reps for his "stomach-/belly-muscles". No wonder that he was always in such a great and phenomenal shape. Over many years Bill Pearl competed against the best Bodybuilders of the whole world of his time and age and he won all the most important titles back then and this not only once. With this he pretty much proofed that he was more or less all the time in nothing but a fantastic shape and top condition. In the November 1954 he married his first wife Sylvia Frazier, with who he got three kids, Kimberly, Phil, and Renee. But all his very busy work and life with business and sports did no good for the marriage, and finally they got divorced. After this Bill Pearl decided that it was time to re-think things and to cut off what was just too much and to refocuss his life quite a bit. And so he sold nine of his sport studios in California and moved in 1962 to Los Angeles, California/U.S.A. where he bought the famous "George Redpath Gym". In the April of 1967 he married his second wife Judy Rogers with who he is still married today, and who was and is also a big fan and supporter of Bodybuilding and Fitness-Sports. Both moved from Los Angeles to Pasadena and both had there for then many years long another Gym going on. Then in 1965 inspired by Reg Parks legendary late triumph of the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe Bill Pearl started again to work out and train harder and more intense. And in 1967, when he competed again at the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe, he won the title again. At his last or final NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (Over-All) Victory in 1971 he was 41 years old and weighed 109kg and demonstrated arms with an scope/ambit of 54cm. He defeated Bodybuilding stars and Mr. Olympias like Sergio Oliva as well as Reg Park (who was by far more slim than before, like Frank Zane roleplayed it already to him and the whole world), and the outcome of the best had been:
(1.) Bill Pearl
(2.) Sergio Oliva
(3.) Reg Park
Arnold "The Oak" Schwarzenegger who was in one hell of a phenomenal shape wasn't allowed to compete at the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe after he was under contract to the IFBB of the Weider Brothers who tried to become the solely dominant force in Pro Bodybuilding and denied their brightest and biggest star to give fame to a competition of a rival federation like the NABBA. It's really very sad, because this would have been the greatest battle ever, the best of the best ever together on stage in a legendary battle for the victory against each other. But history went different, so let us stop thinking about this right again here and now. beside his famous posing Bill Pearl was also famous, well-known, and highly-reputated for his great demonstrations and feasts of strength live on stage when he bended iron-rods, inflated hot water bottles untill they exploded, or teared apart car license plates, just as examples. And also due to such feasts of strength he was an international well-seen star on all different kinds of shows and competitions in the world of iron sports.

Bill Pearl on the cover of an
issue of the infamous
"Muscle Mag".
Amongst all the here already mentioned and portrayed athletes Bill Pearl was the first here portrayed one who got in contact with something new that hit Bodybuilding (and ALL other sports world wide) like thunder and lightning and should later on change the game forever, we talk about steroids. He used steroids two times in his life and career and competed two times on steroids, both times in the 1960's. He openly talked and wrote about it and his experiences with it, and he stated out very clearly and precisely why he refused and denied to use them again and further on even though steroids had a very strong and benefitting impact on his body and his gains and shape, but also on his psyche/mental health, and this was anything but good, with pushing him into a bad feeling and pretty negative mental situation so that after this experiences he turned down and returned to the natural approach. This show of strength with talking open and freely about steroids and his experiences with the use of them and also working out this topic in his books and standing for it and also for the negative effects and his future refusal of steroids make him even more great and to a even greater legend of the iron sport. (Steroids will be a topic we will deal with later on, so stay tuned for it.) Bill Pearl is also maybe the most prominent and for sure the most succesful Vegetarian Bodybuilder with turning Vegetarian at the age of 39 in 1969 and remained it up to the present day, with being a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian. This sets him even more apart from the rest and gives him a even more exclusive position in the world and history of Bodybuilding. And, by the way, this tells you everything about what his nutrition was scheduled together and how his meal plans were and are composed.

Bill Pearl: His physique,
his credo, his legacy. 
Beside this all Bill Pearl was also a very active and highly reputated author, he worked as a teacher who gave several many different seminars, managed a wide distance of very different Gyms and Fitness-Studios, worked as a consult (especially in cases of nutrition and training, of course), and he trained a lot of the future Pro and Amateur Bodybuilders of the world, like for example future Mr. Americas and future Mr. Universes and Mister Olympias like Chris Dickerson (Mister Olympia in 1982), Boyer Coe, and Dennis Tinerino. With this all Bill Pearl is one of the greatest champs and heroes of Bodybuilding of all times and highly respected by all really interested and informed fans of the world and sports of iron, loved and honoured by them all and this for more than just good and justified reasons. He is living proof that sport, healthy vital nutrition and a responsible lifestyle really keep you fit and healthy, vital and active. He never ever forgot about the Weight Lifting training and so still today he does his training with getting up at three o'clock in the morning and training six days a week. He starts with cardio training followed by stretching, and then his normal work out with weights starts off, to retain muscles and strength as far as it is possible. Around 4:30 o'clock his wife Judy joins him. They work out for around two hours and then start into the rest of the day. Bill Pearls success in the world of iron and in particular in Bodybuilding influenced many of different future champs. Today "Bill Pearl Enterprises Inc." gives/sells countless proofed systems, programs, and counselor-magazines as well as books and you can book seminars concerning/dealing with several different aspects and approaches of Bodybuilding. And the old school approach of Bill Pearl, friendly and individual, is still marking the work of "Bill Pearl Enterprises Inc." today. He wrote many famous and today pretty much legendary, thoughtful books dealing with Bodybuilding and Fitness-Sports, the most famous one I've already mentioned before above. The fame of Bill Pearls goes strong even today, and all the different Bodybuilding federations show him their honour and their respect. He was always to big for all the conflicts between the different federations, and so he is still today. His glory and fame will perhaps and hopefully never end, and also his work continues on, as well as his engagement for Bodybuilding. Today he lives with his wife Judy on a two hectare big ranch in Medford, Oregon/U.S.A., together with around two dogs, two cats, two turtles, and some parrots. In his free-time he collects Oldtimer-Cars, bikes, coins, and training-equipments. The nearly almighty Larry Scott (just wait for him) once said, that a true champion is distinguished by his modesty, and not by arrogance. He was and is totally right with this. And Bill Pearl is the living proof. Bill Pearl himself once said, that he always just wanted to give something back from all the luck in life that he got, and it is exactly this what he did up to this present day. Bill Pearl always was and still is and forever will be a true shining pearl of a true champ in a mass of idolized champs that proofed themselves way too often as being nothing else than a fake and cheap joke of a bad imitation of what a true champion really is.

One of the best physiques
ever created: Bill Pearl.
Now as we are heading straight towards or into the closing chapters of this very posting or article here let us have a closer and more detailed look at all the titles that Bill Pearl had won during his career and also on all the honours he earned and that were dedicated to him. First his triumphes during his Bodybuilding career:
- 3rd place at the "Mr. San Diego" in 1952
- "Mr. Oceanside" in 1952
- AAU "Mr. Southern California" in 1953
- AAU "Mr. California" in 1953
- AAU "Mr. America" in 1953
- NABBA Amateur "Mr. Universe" in 1953
- "Mr. USA" in 1956
- NABBA Pro "Mr. Universe" in 1956
- NABBA Pro "Mr. Universe" in 1961
- NABBA Pro "Mr. Universe" in 1967
- NABBA Pro "Mr. Universe" in 1971
- WBBG "World's Best Built Man" in 1974
A damn fucking impressive list. Also here it's easy to see and even more easy to state and say that Bill Pearl was definitely one of the best and of the greatest damn fucking ever, point and fact. Now we will have a close look on the honors that had been given more than just justified over sort of four decades to him, so let's go:
- 1978 = Bill Pearl entered the WBBG Hall of Fame
- 1988 = Bill Pearl entered the "Pioneers of Fitness" Hall of Fame
- 1992 = Bill Pearl entered the "Gold's Gym" Hall of Fame
- 1994 = Bill Pearl was honored to be the guest of honour of the "Association of Old Time Barbell & Strongmen"
- 1994 = Bill Pearl entered the Joe Weider Hall of Fame
- 1995 = Bill Pearl entered the "Oscar Heidenstam Foundation" Hall of Fame
- 1995 = Bill Pearl achieved the "AAU Lifetime Achievement Award"
- 1996 = Bill Pearl entered the "American Powerlifters Federation" Hall of Fame
- 1997 = Bill Pearl was crowned the "Sports & Fitness Man of the Year" of the "International Chiropractors Association"
- 1999 = Bill Pearl entered the IFBB Hall of Fame
- 2000 = Bill Pearl achieved the "Spirit of Muscle Beach" award
- 2001 = Bill Pearl achieved the Lifetime Achievement Award of the "Society of Weighttraining Injuries Specialists"
- 2001 = Bill Pearl achieved the Lifetime Achievement Award of the infamous "World Gym"
- 2002 = Bill Pearl achieved the Canadian Fitness Award
- 2002 = Bill Pearl achieved the Lifetime Achievement Award of the "National Fitness Trade Journal"
- 2003 = Bill Pearl achieved the "Iron Man Lifetime Achievement Award"
- 2004 = Bill Pearl was honored with the "Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award"
- 2006 = Bill Pearl achieved the "PDI" Lifetime Achievement Award
Again a by far more than just impressive list, and also all this honors given to him, Bill Pearl, had been and still are more than only justified. And also this list is a perfect proof for what was written by me earlier before above, that Bill Pearl always stood and still stands above all the federations and their feuds and also that he was so big and such a great star and person in general that he isn't just honored and cheered up to by Bodybuilding federations and Bodybuilders, but also by all others into the iron game and also by a lot of people that are not on the active side but more on a more medical and/or scientifical and also on a economic side of all the things. Again this prooves him to be a TRUE champ, definitely and without a single doubt.

Bill Pearl showing a great
vacuum pose.
And now we're into it, the very final chapter of this very post/article. Now we will have one last look on some examples of his training routines, also on his speciality what means his triceps and how he worked them out, as well as we will have also a look on his maybe best ever mass of scope/ambit of his great physique that he achieved at the age of 37 at the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe in 1967. So, let us start with some examples of his work out routines back then, and back then means here in this very case of his work out schedule back then when he trained in 1967 for the NABBA (Pro) Mr. Universe. He trained back then a six days split work out schedule with two different training days of which he trained every training/work out day three times a week with only resting on (the) sunday(s). Day One he trained at Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Day Two then every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. And, like already said, every Sunday then was his rest day. Now we will see what and how he trained on this training or work out days.
Day One:
- Alternately Rotation Sit-Ups for one set of 100 reps
- Leg-Raises on the Incline Bench for one set of 100 reps
- Sit-Ups with dumbbells on the Incline Bench for one set of 100 reps
- Bendings to his opposite foot with a dumbbell for one set of 100 reps
- Lateral Raises on the Incline Bench for four sets each of eight reps
- Pull-Ups with a tight grip for four sets each of eight reps
- Lateral Raises with bent arm for four sets each of eight reps
- Pull-Ups with a medium or center grip for four sets each of eight reps
- Lateral Raises on the Negative Bench for four sets each of eight reps
- Pull-Ups with a far or wide grip for four sets each of eight reps
- Front Press for four sets each of eight reps
- Bented Push-Ups with additional weights for four sets each of eight reps
- Neck Press for four sets each of eight reps
- Barbell Curls on the Incline Bench for four sets each of eight reps
- Lateral Raises with dumbbells while standing for four sets each of eight reps
- Dumbbell Curls on the Incline Bench for four sets each of eight reps
Day Two:
- Sit-Ups for one set of 100 reps
- Alternately Leg-Raises for one set of 100 reps
- Side-Tendings with a dumbbell for one set of 100 reps
- Leg-Crosses while lieing for one set of 100 reps
- Dumbbell Curls while standing for four sets each of eight reps
- Lateral Raises on the Incline Bench for four sets each of eight reps
- Dumbbell Curls on the Incline Bench for four sets each of eight reps
- Lateral Raises while lieing for four sets each of eight reps
- Biceps Curls while lieing for four sets each of eight reps
- Prevented Lateral Raises with the cable strain for four sets each of eight reps
- Leg Stretches for four sets each of eight reps
- Calf Raises while standing for five sets each of fifteen reps
- Hackenschmidt-Squat for four sets each of eight reps
- Calf Raises while sitting for five sets each of fifteen reps
- Leg Curls for four sets each of eight reps
- Calf Raises at the leg Press for five sets each of eight reps
This was Bill Pearls work out schedule when he prepared for the 1967 NABBA (Pro) Mr. Universe, and he won the competition, and he won clearly and dominant. Try it out yourself, if you think you can stand it. This work out schedule or training plan led him to gain the following impressive scope/ambit masses in 1967 at the age of 37 with being 1,80m tall and with weighing 107kg:
- Neck = 46cm
- Chest = 137cm
- Upper Arm(s) = 50cm
- Waist = 84cm
- Calf(s) = 48cm
- Thigh = 72,5cm
This had been his victory masses in 1967, and many guys out there consider the physique Bill Pearl back then in 1967 as his and also as one of the in general best shape and form ever. Now some last words to his trademark or speciality: His triceps. Most folks out there think first of his triceps when the talking comes to Bill Pearl. And this for good reasons. Because he managed to form some of the very best triceps ever in the history of the iron sports in general and in the history of Bodybuilding in particular. He trained them mostly very often, he trained them with a high volume, and he trained and formed them with just a few exercises. Here's a view on his basic and infamous classic triceps work out:
- "Skullcrushers" to the forehead for four or five sets each of it for six to eight reps.
- "Skullcrushers" on the Incline Bench for four or five sets each of it for six to eight reps.
- "Skullcrushers" while lieing with dumbbells for four to five sets each of it for six to eight reps.
(Note: "Skullcrushers" = Triceps Extensions)
He did this often three times a week and the result had been 54cm arms that led him to win the NABBA (Pro) Mr. universe title five times in his carreer, so maybe try it, he what means Bill Pearl couldn't be that much wrong with it after all.
Now that's all what I got to say to or write about Bill Pearl to honour him and give out my deepest respect to him, one of the GREATEST of all times and the prototype of what and how a real and true champ is and has to be.
Bill Pearl, THE TRUE CHAMP amongst too many false fake idolized ones, a inspiring example for all of us. Hail to the king!!!

Bill Pearl: The proof of how great
Bodybuilding can be and really is.

Bill Pearl: The TRUE Champ!!!

Now that's it for this post, I hope you've enjoyed it. Next up will then finally be the tribute post to give honour and show respect to no one else than the legendary Larry Scott, the first ever crowned "Mr. Olympia" in the history of Bodybuilding in general and in the history of the IFBB and the "Mr. Olympia" in particular. We will have a close and good look on his life as a Bodybuilder and on his mark that he left on the sport. And we shouldn't forget that Larry Scott is definitely pretty much sort of the prototype or ideal of a or the great Bodybuilder of the Californian scene of the 1960's and its golden days of classic Bodybuilding. So you can expect a lot of interesting stuff to come to honour Larry Scott, a true Bodybuilding giant, icon, and legend. So stay tuned for it to come as soon as possible up and online and ready to read here on your dear the "Manslaughter Thug Life" blog. And so much already "THX!!!" for your interest. Cheers and keep on pumping. /// Andy


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