REFLECTIONS OF A NATURAL
BODYBUILDER
LET ME INTRODUCE
MYSELF
I am a natural for life bodybuilder! Some
prefer the term physical culturist. I have never used steroids, growth
hormones, diuretics, or any drug – illegal or prescribed – for the purposes of
building muscle, getting ripped, or gaining strength; and I never will. In
fact, I have never used drugs to get high, drank alcohol to get a buzz, or
smoked cigarettes to look cool. My main reasons for bodybuilding are health and
vitality. The cosmetic side of the sport is 
secondary to me. Sure,
I like having baseball size biceps and superhuman strength. However, for me
there is the bigger picture, one that is much greater and long lasting. For
decades, I have poured gallons of sweat at the gym and have followed a natural
bodybuilding lifestyle with several main goals in mind. Those goals are the
quest of vibrant health, fitness, muscle, strength, and longevity. These are
the goals I reached for since I first picked up a barbell, and they remain like
a fire within my heart that still rages today as I continue on my life’s
journey.
It has been more than four decades since my father first showed me how
to lift weights. Like all new trainees, my working knowledge on the subject of
weight training was very limited in those early days of my muscle-building
career. Through the years, I studied and applied different theories related to
physiology and nutrition and applied them to my bodybuilding regimen. Over
time, it became clear that all my efforts brought valuable gains and rewards my
way. Eventually, my knowledge on the subject of physical culture peaked and I
began to teach others the benefits of living a natural and healthy lifestyle. I
was, and remain someone who practices what he preaches. I am a representation
of my practice, and I motivate others to aim toward a healthier way of life.
For years, I flirted with the idea of writing a book on the subject of
natural bodybuilding but never had the focus and desire to dedicate my time to
such a lofty project. That all changed in 2007 while attending John Carrero’s
NGA California Physique Championships. Suddenly, a fire was ignited within me,
encouraging me to put on paper what I had experienced in the sport. I had
already created a popular bodybuilding Web site that was loaded with pages of
entertaining and informative material, but now, I felt it was time to create
something more substantial. I wanted to create something a person could hold in
his or her hands and look to for guidance and reference, and then share what
they learned with others. I wanted to write a book about my history in the
sport of bodybuilding and describe in detail some of the muscle building
principles I have discovered and have found useful. I also wanted to send a
message to those that believe drugs are necessary to be successful in
bodybuilding. This book is such an animal!
Through my involvement in the sport of
bodybuilding, I have made many good friends as well as a few archenemies along
the way. I have been a gym owner, trainer, competitor, judge, author, promoter,
and just about everything else related to this wonderful sport. I have had the
pleasure to workout with some of the biggest names in bodybuilding and have
judged those that have judged me. I have trained thousands of students and have
learned that each and every one is unique with different needs and goals to
meet. I have traveled the country to participate in physique competitions and
have enjoyed meeting the many faces of bodybuilding. I have learned much over
the decades and have lived the very words that I preach. For the most part my
memories in bodybuilding are ones that I cherish: they bring a smile to my face
whenever I reflect upon them.
As I look to what has changed over the last forty years in bodybuilding,
I sometimes relish the days of true Guts and Glory, when camaraderie existed
among the bodybuilders and when there was hope that our sport would one day
become a recognized Olympic sport. That hope has long vanished because of the greed
and egos of those unable to see the truth of their ill-gotten gains. Outside
the natural bodybuilding movement, the sport has become nothing more than a
sick lie. Today, the forefathers of physical culture must be turning in their
graves, because the enormous anabolic cloud that has darkened the sport of
bodybuilding rains with the blood of those too weak to escape its deadly grip.
Some people recognize the term natural
bodybuilder as describing someone who does not take steroids, growth
hormones, or diuretics for the purpose of building muscle and gaining strength.
In my eyes, it goes even further than that. I believe that a natural
bodybuilder is one that not only shuns muscle-enhancing drugs, but also follows
a lifestyle that brings him somewhat closer to nature. We are all from this
earth and it is paramount that natural bodybuilders make a conscious effort to
attain radiant health by means of living a healthy lifestyle through the proper
application of nutrition, exercise, rest, and positive thinking. It is mostly
through these basic key factors that optimum health and fitness can ever be
realized.
This book is a guiding light for those seeking a healthy alternative to
the anabolic scene. It has definitely been a labor of love in expressing my
feelings and beliefs on paper. If one person in a thousand can understand my
words then the effort has been well worth it. In this book, you will find some
funny stories as well as some tragic ones about some of the experiences and
people who have crossed my path in this complex sport. Not every person
mentioned in this book is a natural bodybuilder. Some are friends that I have
come to know through my involvement in bodybuilding, while others are mentioned
as a reference. Some of the names in this book are fictitious, while others
have been omitted to avoid litigations. Since I am realistic, I know that there
are those who may not follow the same philosophy towards bodybuilding that I
do, but nevertheless, have something positive to offer. Most importantly, we
all share a great passion for the sport.
This book, Reflections of a
Natural Bodybuilder, is a natural muscle building and fitness-training
guide mixed with nostalgia, sport, personality, story, and humor. I have
created this unique book for bodybuilders, physical culturists, athletes, and
the average laymen seeking muscular development, strength, health, and
longevity. In this book, two main themes prevail. One is living a healthy and
long life through natural bodybuilding, and the other focuses on the dangers of
drugs within the sport. It is disappointing that the latter has to be discussed
in a book that is meant to be a guiding light towards health and longevity, but
that is just the reality of the times. It is my hope that the knowledge and experience
presented in this book enrich the reader’s life.
The following is a short
book review by a friend of the author:
This review of Mario
Strong’s Reflections of a Natural
Bodybuilder, is one of the most difficult of reviews that I ever
volunteered to compose. Mind you, the reader, my experience was limited to four
years of being appointed as the ‘sole’ film critic of my college newspaper. The
Author, Mario Strong, is a friend, thus the dilemma teeters, should I be
‘brutally’ honest, or decline the review? This dilemma yielded to my
choosing the former option.
The author, allows the
reader to view a personal window into his private life; mostly in previous
years. The book’s family album is a nice touch, reflecting on the honesty and
sincerity of the author’s pen. How can anyone believe what is written, if he
doesn’t believe in the author as a person? So, one may initially think,
"Is the author, Mario Strong, selling and or endorsing some b.s.? That may
be the first question as to the motive of the author’s book. As I read on, I
discovered that the author’s main motive, and maybe sole motive, is to be
strictly informative. On the high side, the information is motivational. I
almost wanted to take notes and keep them as cheat sheets. On the low-end, some
of the material may be repetitive. But, the repetition is necessary to
reinforce the concept that Mr. Strong is presenting the reward of ‘if you
follow the information the right way to bodybuilding,
you will be healthy and possibly live a long life.’ Mario informs the reader
that the short-cut ‘steroid’ way to bodybuilding is not only cheating one’s
internal system, and being morally wrong, but it is dangerous and one can die
before their time. There are no shortcuts. Lift those weights and diet the
correct way! Mr. Strong is talking about serious bodybuilding, a commitment,
serious nutrition along with serious muscle groups. Yes, this is a serious, no-holds
barred book.
Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder is written in layman’s terms -
so put the dictionary back on the shelf. You may also want to ditch the
chocolate chip cookies or that bag of processed potato chips. On a personal
note to the author, I tend to think of Mario as a good ol’ Brooklyn Boy
from Staten Island who writes as he speaks. Or is it the other way around? In
short, the book is helpful, informative, easy to read and enjoyable. For the
health conscious individual, run, do not wait to purchase the book. It’s about
time we all take off the training wheels and get going to a healthier lifestyle.
Mario
Strong: Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder
By Mario Strong
Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder is a human-interest
story about one man's insight into the world of bodybuilding. This compelling
book explores how Mario Strong implements his passion for bodybuilding to
achieve his quest of health, strength, and longevity. However, his path towards
accomplishing these goals is seen not without obstacles as he chronicles his
unique history in a sport filled with nostalgia, hope, humor, ego, deceit,
pharmaceuticals, pain, and death.
Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder
also features tons of beneficial advice. From muscle-building workouts to
fat-loss programs, you will find its in-depth bodybuilding guide not only
informative, but also entertaining and inspirational as well. Included are detailed
topics on assessing your individual genetic potential, anatomy, nutrition, recuperation,
positive thinking, exercise physiology, longevity, steroids, and much, much
more.
This fully illustrated
book is a must read for the layman and athlete alike!
466 Pages – $14.95 BUY NOW