Bodybuilding interviews

[wincjw]

Enjoy

CRAIG TITUS:

MZ: How, when and why did you first start bodybuilding?

CRAIG TITUS: When I was in high school, I was 5'6" and graduated at 140 pounds. I lifted weights in school but never gained that much muscle because of making my weight class for wrestling. I wrestled in the 132-pound class my junior and senior years. During my senior year in 1983, I would sit and read the muscle magazines, looking at and admiring athletes like Mike Christian, Robby Robinson and Lee Labrada. I was amazed at how awesome they looked. I knew I wanted to become a bodybuilder.

Straight out of Riverview High School [in Texas], I began training so that I could one day walk on stage [at a bodybuilding show]. The funny thing is I actually grew three more inches in height by the time I was 19 years old. Five years after deciding to pursue my dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder, while living in Houston, I walked on stage at the 1988 Houston Bodybuilding Championship weighing a mere 176 pounds-and I won the overall. I was hooked. As the years passed, I won the overall in my next five shows.

I turned pro and fulfilled my dream at the 1996 USA Championships. I dedicated this victory to my son Aaron, who passed away in 1989.

MZ: There was a "scandal" at the 1995 U.S.A. What exactly happened there?

CRAIG TITUS: Prior to the 1995 USA, I had been going back and forth from L.A. to Louisiana battling my conspiracy charge. Rumors were circulating around the contest hotel in Denver like you wouldn't believe. People were actually saying that I was going to jail for 20 years. The one that really made me mad was, "If Craig wins this show the DEA is going to arrest him on-stage." I guess it was my fault, but I was trying to keep my personal life from affecting my placing in the show or my career for that matter. Maybe I should have issued a press release, letting the pubic know what was going on. You definitely learn from your mistakes. The gossip that comes out of a person's mouth never ceases to amaze me.

Five months prior to the USA in Denver, the magazines were picking me as the winner.The prediction was that I was the one to beat, and of course believing the hype. What a big mistake that turned out to be. When I lost to Phil Hernon that day, a man that I have beaten twice before, I was furious. I stormed off stage. I somehow felt that the rumors of jail delayed me in turning pro. After cooling down and realizing what a big mistake I made, I came to the conclusion that I lost because I simply wasn't good enough to be a pro yet. A thought that would fuel my pursuit of greatness in the IFBB.

To this very day, some people believe I lost because of my troubles with the law, but I myself think I lost because I wasn't good enough. Walking off stage, well, show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.

M.Z.: Why is Muscular Development's John Romano so anti-Titus? Please be specific.

C.T.: Again this all starts at the 1995 USA in Denver, when John came to my room for an exclusive interview on my troubles with the law as well as me walking off stage. I explained to Romano in great detail my case and let him know that the government would not have convicted me if I cooperated with the authorities. In other words, give them information so that they could indict other bodybuilders. John wrote the article for Muscular Development where he defended my integrity and set the record straight in my defense. It felt good to finally get the truth out and put an end to all the rumors of being a rat as well as going to jail. As a matter of fact, Lonnie called the authorities in my case to see if I was cooperating with the law in Louisiana. Without talking to me first, Romano wrote another article stating that I was a rat. It was devastating to see this in an international magazine or in any print for that matter. He tore my character apart and I was not going to stand for it.

Why in the hell was Romano so concerned if I was a rat or not? The only people who are concerned if someone is a rat or not are criminals. So I did a little investigating and found out that Romano is no more than a common thief. He committed telemarketing fraud, where he would call unsuspecting people and make false promises over the phone to steal their hard-earned money. This kind of scum targets the elderly, who have a hard time defending themselves; what a man. Who in the hell does he think he is to judge me? This pathetic human being actually had the balls to smear my name. Every time I am asked anything about Romano, I state exactly what I think of him...this is why he is so anti-Titus.

He constantly makes derogatory statements about the NPC and IFBB, along with the heads of those two organizations, both of whom have enabled Romano to make a living from the sport of bodybuilding that his wife participated in for many years. Romano went so far as to have cartoons of Lonnie Teper and me printed in Muscular Development magazine, where he again made a failed attempt to make us look silly. I'm sure I haven't seen the last of Romano smearing my name. I'm not angry. I just feel sorry for the lost soul.

M.Z.: You did have some sort of beef with Ironman's Lonnie Teper as well. Can you explain?

C.T.: The beef I had with Lonnie started at the USA in Denver [in 1995]. Lonnie and I were good friends prior to the show and are really good friends now. As a matter of fact, we still laugh our asses off at some of the things we said about each other in the mags. I can't remember exactly what was being said but I do remember when it started. I was told at the contest hotel in Denver that Lonnie was spreading the rumor that I was going to jail. To think I actually listened to John Romano when he told me -- that is something I still regret to this day. So, thinking John was a man with integrity, I believed what he said and confronted Lonnie. Because of all the pressure I was under, getting ready for the show combined with the frustration that my good name was being jeopardized, I was ready to blame anyone for the rumors. After telling Lonnie to shut his mouth, in the hotel restaurant, I later found out he was discussing whether the rumors were true or not and had genuine concern for my well-being. To say the least, I felt terrible. Lonnie and I are very good friends and he is definitely an asset to the sport of bodybuilding. Getting on his bad side was not a good idea.

M.Z.: Do you think the sport of bodybuilding is dying or just changing?

C.T.: From what I understand, the crowds at the Arnold Classic and the Olympia are getting larger every year. Bottom line, these people aren't showing up to see the expos. They're coming to see the bodybuilders perform. No bodybuilders, no expos. When a nutritional company introduces itself to the market, whom do they have representing their product? A bodybuilder. When a fitness clothing line hits the scene, bodybuilders wear the clothes. Literally, every major nutritional company, the big guys, Met-Rx, Weider, Twinlab, and even EAS are who they are because of bodybuilders. Big money. So do I think the sport is dying? Hell, no. It's more popular than ever. The only thing that is changing is the athletes.

M.Z.: Do you think the magazines that are choosing to feature natural bodybuilding and women's fitness are selling out?

C.T.: Natural bodybuilding, I guess that's kind of like the "natural" NFL or the "natural" boxing association, or how about the "natural" track stars in the Olympics. I'm so sick of hearing about natural bodybuilding. Point is, every sport has athletes who use enhancing drugs. The tragedy of the decimation of an athlete's character and career does not come from using steroids; it comes from the illegality of being caught. So the question should be, "When does a bodybuilder consider himself natural?" When he decides to quit after 10 years of using 'roids and finds it convenient for the pages of an All-Natural magazine, or when he realizes he can't make it as a pro bodybuilder and becomes a model and starts taking acting classes. Don't get me wrong --- I respect any bodybuilder whether he is natural or not, but is he "natural?" I don't know and the point is that I don't give a damn. Just don't tell me how natural you are because I don't want to hear it. Any magazine that promotes an athlete's career is an asset to the sport but when its pages are used to downgrade the sport as a whole, it is selling out.

As far as magazines choosing to feature women's fitness --- hell, no I don't think they're selling out. They're selling magazines, and some of them to me.

M.Z.: Any final words for your fans out there?

C.T.: I would like to thank all the people who have believed in me during my career and have stood beside me through good and bad. Thank you for your letters and cards. They are such a positive force for me and give me more fuel and strength to be the best I can be in the IFBB, I will be back on-stage very soon and I will be a champion.

Never let anyone or anything take away your dreams. What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger.

[wincjw]

VIC RICHARDS:

T.S.: Hello Vic, I have to tell you I didn?t think I was going to be able to track you down?after all you have been all but absent in the sport since 1994. What have you been up to lately?

VR: Basically I just got tired of all the politics within the sport. My heart was not in it anymore, so I decided to take some time away to focus on my education and some business ventures.

TS: Why don?t we do this Vic, tell everyone how you got started in bodybuilding.

VR: It was actually a bit of an accident. Back in 1982 I was playing football in high school and never touched a weight, yet at 15 years of age I was already 215 pounds and strong as an Ox. All my friends thought I was some sort of freak of nature because while they were busy hitting the weights to get stronger for football, I spent my time doing other things. Yet whenever there was a strength challenge, I always came out on top. One day a bunch of my friends and I took a trip down to Venice beach, basically to catch some waves and see the girls in bikinis. While we were walking around the Venice beach walk, this bodybuilder stopped me and asked me who I was and what I competed in. When I told him I did not even work out, He couldn?t believe it. He asked me my age and was shocked when he found out I was only 15. He said: "Kid, right now in your shape you would whip every teenagers ass in any competition, you got to come see Gold?s Gym with me" So off we went.

TS: And what was that like?

VR: Well I remember going into the gym and seeing all this bodybuilders flexing and staring at themselves in the mirror, walking around without shirts on. The guy who brought us there was pointing different people out saying "That?s Mr. America?..see over there, that?s Mr. Universe and over there that?s Mr. World" and so on.

TS: What did you say to him when he was pointing out all the champions to you at that time?

VR: Actually I did not care about any of those ego filled guys and told him I did not care and was not impressed. After he went through his litany of who?s who, I just wanted to know one thing.

TS: And what was that?

VR: Who in the hell the two animal twin brothers where in the back corner bench pressing 500lbs. wearing overalls, flannel shirts and work-boots. To me I never saw anything like them in my whole life. At that moment I knew that was what I wanted?Not to look in the mirror at myself, but to train with the passion and intensity of those two monsters.

TS: I assume you are talking about David and Peter Paul??The Barbarian Brothers.

VR: Exactly, I was totally awe struck. But it gets better. Right after I pointed them out, One of them yells over in a mean growl: "Hey you!" I thought, rather I hoped he was talking to one of my friends, but I soon realized it was me he was pointing to. I said yes in a very nervous manner and he barked back something about me having what it takes to train with them and to come over there. I could not believe it. And that is how I got my start in bodybuilding. Back in 1982 at the age of 15, I began training with the Barbarian brothers.

TS: Damn, they were awesome back then, that must have been really exciting, how did you like the training?

VR: It was exactly what I needed. To them training was about the moment, a spiritual quest between you and yourself, no mirrors, no crowds, no applause. Training was sacred and training was hard and training was heavy. Within a few years I had gotten so big and strong, that I actually surpassed both David and Peter in terms of size and strength

[wincjw]

TS: That is pretty amazing, what else was going on there at that time?

VR: Well after I was training there for about a year, I remember seeing this guy walk in and everyone was crowding around him because he had just won the Mr. America. Now I had seen a lot of the professionals throughout the year, but this guy was different, I never had seen a bodybuilder as freaky looking as him before. So, like a little kid, I ran up to him to ask him some questions and that?s when I got my first sour taste of the sport?..The Bad Attitudes. As soon as I opened my mouth, he turned to me and screamed for me to get away from him and not to disturb his training. Now I can understand if he would have said "Son, I cannot be disturbed when I am training, but I will be happy to answer your questions when I am finished" But instead he humiliated me in front of the whole gym, and I left very embarrassed and upset.

TS: Who was that bodybuilder?

VR: Tim Belknap

TS: Did you ever see him after you made a name for yourself and tell him about how he treated you?

VR: Strangely enough about a year later, I had made such tremendous progress and started making a big name for myself, so one day in Gold?s, he came up to me and was super nice and said "Hey Vic, man you look amazing, what are you doing to get so big" or something to that effect.

TS: What did you say?

VR: I said, you don?t remember me do you? He was confused and so I told him about what happened last year and he was backpedaling saying that he didn?t remember doing that and that he was sorry. To me I could have embarrassed him and evened the score, but that would have only brought me to his level. He knew I had surpassed him in terms of his physique and that was enough for me.

TS: That?s a pretty funny story. It amazes me how guys who nobody knows who the hell they are 5 miles out of Venice Beach California, have the attitude of overpaid actors and actresses or overpaid football players. It is a shame that they don?t realize in the greater scheme of things they are as insignificant.

VR: Right, that is one of the things I hate about the sport. The backstabbing, the politics, the attitudes. It is just not my thing. All I care about or ever cared about is training. To me training is like meditation. I can focus on my inner self and do not have to worry about judges or anyone else for that matter.

TS: Well Vic, I remember reading about you for the first time in 1987?.I think then you were like 280lbs. when everyone else was 240-250?How come you didn?t compete then

VR: Well you have to understand, I did two competitions as a teenager (one of them against Rich Gaspari who was 2 years older than me) and after my second competition, which I won, I remember walking into the parking lot carrying my trophy and having it literally fall apart in my hand because it was such a piece of junk. At that point I thought to myself, "All this hard work for a trophy that can?t even stay in one piece" So I decided to just get totally enveloped in my training and get as big as I could

TS: Well you certainly did that?.There was talk in the late 1980?s and early 1990?s that you were going to enter the NPC USA CHAMPIONSHIPS. In fact I remember waiting in anticipation to see you come out on stage and dwarf everyone on stage. Why did that never happen. I mean, you were doing a lot of guestposing for the MUSCLEMANIA shows and I think you were hitting the stage at a pretty hard 292lbs. Remember this is back when Haney was doing his last Olympia at 243lbs. and Dorian was coming on at 240lbs. So to me I thought you would crush a hell of a lot of people seeing how you were outweighing everyone by 40 or 50 lbs.

VR: This is pretty interesting. You see, bodybuilding is all about power and control. The competitors are nothing but pieces of meat to the powers that be. I was getting a lot of guest posing work for NPC sanctioned shows, and the powers that be felt it was unfair that I was not an I.F.B.B. Pro. Basically they were putting pressure on the promoters not to allow me to guest pose. I felt they were trying to get me to compete in the NPC for the sole purpose of making me look like a fool on stage.

TS: How would they do that if you came into a show in shredded condition 50 pounds heavier than your nearest competitor?

VR: Oh come on, do you really think that the best man wins? I was not going to be made a fool even if for only one show. Nobody was going to force me to compete.

TS: Then how come you competing in the Nigerian Championships to get your Pro-Card in 1992?

VR: That is a funny story. You see, after the heads of the NPC and the IFBB were putting pressure on promoters to not hire me for guest posings, I simply went over to Europe and made a killing. Their power was not immediately felt over there. However, it wasn?t long before I started to feel their wrath, and even the guest posings over there began being cancelled due to fear of reparations from the powers that be. It was around this time that I had gotten a contract with Joe Weider?who is really a great guy?and even Joe was getting a lot of pressure for me to have to compete. Everyone thinks that Joe controls the sport, but he really doesn?t. There are a lot more powerful people behind the wheel.

TS: So Joe told you that you had to compete in the Nigerian Championships to keep your contract?

VR: No, Joe just said that I needed to compete and get my pro card. Now obviously, the powers that be, thought I would have to due the NPC Nationals, North American, or the USA to get my pro card, and this would be their chance to teach me a lesson. Except they forgot one small detail.

TS: Which was?

VR: I held duel citizenship in both the USA and in Nigeria. So I simply flew down to Nigerian and did what essentially was to me, a guest posing. Of course, I was so far ahead of the other competitors that I easily won. I got my pro card, and of course got to keep my contract?.for a while anyway.

[wincjw]

LEE PRIEST:

LEE I HAVE TO TELL YOU, SEEING YOU EVERY YEAR COME IN SHREDDED AND HUGE AND STILL PLACE BEHIND PEOPLE LIKE DILLET AND RAY MAKES ME LOSE ALL HOPE THAT BODYBUILDING WILL EVER BE A TRUE SPORT. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHY YOU GET PLACED BELOW SOMEONE LIKE SHAWN RAY WHO HAS NOT GAINED SO MUCH AS 5 POUNDS OF TISSUE SINCE FIRST TURNING PRO BACK IN 1987. I MEAN, IF WE TOOK THE TOP BODYBUILDERS FROM 1987 AND HAD THEM SOMEHOW COMPETE TODAY, NOT ONE OF THEM?EXCEPT FOR LEE HANEY---WOULD BE ABLE TO COMPETE AT EVEN LOWER CALIBER PRO-SHOW. BE HONEST AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

I don?t know? Some people say it?s the height thing with me only being 5?5??, but Shawn is only 2 inches taller than I am. They say he?s got the perfect symmetry, and I really don?t feel my symmetry is any better or worse than his is, but mass wise I have a lot more mass than Shawn does.

I also think, with Shawn, since he?s been around so long, he walks on stage and automatically gets placed in the top 5. The same thing happens with Flex. Now with Flex he almost always deserves it, but on occasion he has come in less than sharp and still gets placed high, hell sometimes he even wins. Remember the Iron Man a few years ago when Aaron Baker looked insane and he lost to and out of shape Flex? I honestly think the judges are too lazy to sometimes even look up to see who is actually in shape and who isn?t. If an unknown comes along, like Marcus Ruhl, and he is the best on that day, he should win. Yet they place guys who are known and not in shape ahead of him, and this poor guy is left wondering what he has to do to get a fair deal. Again I think it goes back to the judges being too lazy, they know someone like Flex is entering a show and they automatically place him in a top spot before they ever even see what he looks like.

THIS IS TRUE, BUT THE BIZARRE THING WITH SHAWN IS THAT HE IS NOT IN THE LIMELIGHT ALL THAT MUCH, ALL HE DOES IS ONE SHOW A YEAR.

I guess we just have to put it under the category of the Bermuda Triangle or Rosewell?..No one is really quite sure why these mystical events occur, but they do?

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THIS OFFSEASON AND UPCOMING CONTEST SEASON?

For the offseason?.EATING! Actually I only have 2 months left before I start my contest prep for the NOC

ARE YOU GOING TO DO A MASS COURSE BEFORE THAT?

I don?t know?.don?t push me (laughing) Have I got enough time to do one?

WELL YOU HAVE 8 WEEKS BEFORE YOU START YOUR CONTEST PREP AND THE MASS COURSE WOULD ONLY BE 4 OR 6 WEEKS?.

I might then?.I might?If I am a good boy, I might?.Then I?ll do the NOC and Mr. Olympia. So if I have time I will do the mass course you map out for me, then I will go into pre-contest for the NOC. Then I have about 2 months off and then start dieting again for the Mr. Olympia.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY OF EATING IN THE OFF SEASON FOR LEE PRIEST. JUST YESTERDAY, I WAS SENT AN ANONYMOUS GOSSIP COLUMN THAT CLAIMED YOU WERE SPOTTED EATING 2 LARGE PIZZAS BY YOURSELF. BUT I THINK YOU ARE A SLIGHTLY MORE RELIABLE SOURCE ON THE MATTER

Well seeing how I don?t like pizza all that much, that story is pretty much shot. When I go to a place like McDonald?s I?ll typically order 2 hamburgers, small fried, a shack and 6 chicken nuggets. I never eat large amounts at any one sitting I just eat what I want all throughout the day, constantly picking at food.

WHAT ARE YOU WEIGHING RIGHT NOW?

Well I just got over stomach flu last week, which made me lose 12 lbs., so I?m currently 242. Getting back to the ridiculous claims about people seeing me eat in a restaurant, I?d love to know who they are seeing because I rarely go out to eat. To me it?s hit the drive through and go home.

WHAT IS YOUR TRAINING LIKE?

Well, I normally like to keep it heavy if I can, unless I?m injured and have to go light which I hate. I like to do between 6 and 8 reps per sets and a minimum of 16 sets per bodypart, sometimes 20 and for legs even more?.but that?s because I?M AN ANIMAL (jesting and laughing ).

WHO ARE SOME OF THE BODYBUILDERS OUT THERE THAT IMPRESS YOU

I?ve always liked the freakier types of physiques. Tom Platz, Phil Hill, Eddie Robinson, Mohammed Benazzizia and of course Dorian. I really liked Dorian because of his work ethic. You could see that he busted his ass when he trained. The guys today give you every excuse in the world not to train and use nothing but machines. Although bodybuilders don?t get a lot of money, the money they do get often makes them lazy. If you look, you can see that some of the pros looked better and trained harder when they were amateurs fighting to win a pro card.

WELL EVEN ARNOLD WAS NOTORIOUS FOR TRAINING 3 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR AND THEN NOT TOUCHING A WEIGHT FOR THE REST OF THE TIME, AND IF YOU SEE PICTURES OF HIM IN HIS "OFF SEASON" HE?S A SCRAWNY AND SOFT 200LBS.

Right. I can respect Arnold for what he accomplished, but to me I really admire and respect someone like Dorian because he always worked hard and busted his but in the gym every day. Now days, I see some of the top pro?s training and it?s a joke. As soon as the set starts to become uncomfortable they stop. They never push themselves to the point of real pain or discomfort. You never see them crawling out of a gym after training. They look like they just woke up from a nap. It?s sad to see when someone has genetics 10 times better than Dorian, but trains 30 times less hard. They are satisfied with less than their best. To me, my best is all that matters?.I would be disgraced even if I won the Mr. Olympia and new I only gave it 70% my best. There?s no honor in that.

HOW DO YOU FEEL DORIAN WOULD FAIR AGAINST RONNIE COLEMAN NOW?

I think Dorian at his best (1993) would easily beat Ronnie. Dorian might not be as symmetrical as Ronnie, but all over he was more complete and in better condition at his best.

LAST QUESTION: ANY PREDICTIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR?

Yes?Lee Priest will get screwed no matter what he does and I guarantee no matter how I look at the N.O.C. there will be someone there they place ahead of me.

[verbatim9]

I read that lee Priest interview before. it's a good one.

[pu12en12g]

Originally Posted by wincjw

LAST QUESTION: ANY PREDICTIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR?

Yes Lee Priest will get screwed no matter what he does and I guarantee no matter how I look at the N.O.C. there will be someone there they place ahead of me.

LMAO

Lee = awesome

[JIGSAW]

Originally Posted by wincjw

LEE PRIEST:

#1 but mass wise I have a lot more mass than Shawn does.


#2 If an unknown comes along, like Marcus Ruhl, and he is the best on that day, he should win. Yet they place guys who are known and not in shape ahead of him, and this poor guy is left wondering what he has to do to get a fair deal.

1. Hmmmmmm, I dunno about that one....
2. HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.