TÍTULO II - PROCEDIMIENTO
SECCIÓN 8: RÉGIMEN DE REGULARIZACIÓN DE OBLIGACIONES
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Frozen
in Time
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His conversion to bodybuilding occurred after he met a man named Randy Coyle at a local training cen- ter. Coyle not only knew all the nu- ances of proper training, but he was also the inventor of some unique training equipment. Under Coyle’s guidance Bill began training in an organized fashion, doing basic ex- ercises that focused on large muscle groups, such as squats, bench press- es and barbell rows. From the start he particularly enjoyed training his arms, and they responded according- ly, to the extent that Bill later became famous for his massive biceps devel- opment. Coyle’s training suggestions proved effective, as Bill gained more than 35 pounds of muscle.
At 17, Bill began competing in bodybuilding, with his initial venture being the Mr. High School New Jersey contest in 1963. He placed fifth but was victorious the following year at a well-known local show called the Mr. Suburban.
In 1967 he placed 10th in the AAU Mr. USA, and the following year he won the Mr. New Jersey title. His two greatest victories, however, occurred a few years later, the first at the ’72 WBBG Professional Mr. America competition, which was held in New York. I attended that show with my mother, and when Bill broke down in tears after being announced as the winner, my mom asked, “Do all bodybuilders cry when they win?” I told her that while they rarely cry when they win, they often cry when they lose.
In 1973 Bill won the IFBB Mr. World title, which enabled him to turn professional in that organiza- tion. He commenced upon a lengthy pro-bodybuilding career that ended with his appearance at the ’94 Mas- ters Mr. Olympia, where he placed eighth. Over the years he became known for his perennially ripped 5’9”, 185-pound physique, and he was popular with audiences because of his use of props, such as fog and strobe lights, which he pioneered in his contest appearances.
Bill married at age 19, a union that produced three great sons, Bryan, Jason and Christopher, the oldest of whom is now 40, and his sons have given him eight grandchildren to dote on. A later marriage produced Bill’s youngest child, 13-year-old Justin.
These days Bill has a thriving personal-training business and has started his own food supplement company, Bill Grant Nutrition. He continues to train regularly, draws fans at his personal appearances and is a popular emcee of body- building and fitness shows. Last July he was honored with the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame Award, which was presented to him by IRON
MAN publisher John Balik at Venice
Beach.
An old joke asks, “Who lies in Grant’s tomb?” One thing for sure, it isn’t Bill Grant, who seems to have blunted the effects of aging through exercise and nutrition. Let’s see how he does it.
JB: Is it ever
too late to begin a regu- lar bodybuilding program?
BG: No, you can start at any age.
In fact, recent medical studies show that people as old as 70 to 80 can build strength and add some mus- cle. The gains don’t come as fast as when you’re young, but the health benefits are far more apparent when you’re older.
JB: What are the primary changes you’ve made in your training from what you did in your younger days?
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BG: I still train
in the same man- ner, using the
same level of training inten-
sity as I did 30 years ago. The
major difference is in the train- ing frequency. I used to train four days a week, working each muscle group twice on a split routine. These days I work out only twice per week, training each muscle group only one or two times weekly. I’ve found that the decreased train- ing frequency lowers the incidence of injuries and allows me to fully recover between workouts.
JB: Take one muscle group and compare the way you trained it in the past to the way you train it now.
BG: Let’s focus on arms. I train my
arms in the same manner as I did years ago. I prefer doing supersets involving biceps and triceps, say bar- bell curls immediately followed by triceps pushdowns for four sets of 12 to 15 reps. I do train lighter than I did in the past to avoid putting excessive strain on my joints and ligaments. I’ll then do another biceps/triceps superset, finishing off with a few sets of wrist curls and reverse curls for forearms.
JB: Do you find that it’s harder to stay muscular and prevent fat gains with the passing years? Has your metabolism slowed?
BG: I’ve been blessed with a good
metabolism, and that has allowed me to maintain good muscle qual- ity while producing insignificant fat gains. My training, in concert with my naturally speedy metabolism, allows me to eat more of what I like without worrying about getting fat. As such, I don’t follow what most would call a strict diet.
JB: Why do you think that some bodybuilders look good as they age, while others seem to lose muscle and gain fat?
BG: I think a lot of it relates to
favorable genetics—also continued training and good nutrition prac- tices. As I said, my metabolism has allowed me to be a little loose with my nutrition in that I can eat a few so-called forbidden foods, such as ice cream and even occasionally french fries. But I still try to ensure that I get all the required nutrients for good health.
JB: Since many studies show that you are only as old as your cardiovascular system, what do you do to maintain your cardio fitness?
BG: I’ve never done any regular
aerobic workouts because my high metabolism made them unneces- sary for fat loss. For cardiovascular conditioning, I’ve always used a rapid training pace, with little rest between sets and plenty of super- sets that feature zero rest between
exercises. That style of rapid training seems to offer some beneficial car- diovascular effects.
JB: Have you made any dietary concessions to age?
BG: While I eat almost anything
that I want, I never eat a lot. The quantities are small, so the total ca- loric intake isn’t that much despite the inclusion of a lot of, shall we say, nonstandard bodybuilding foods. When Arnold used to diet for con- tests, he would never cut out any foods but only lower the size of his portions and overall food intake. I prefer a similar style, though my diet would not exclude so-called junk foods.
JB: What food supplements do you use and why?
BG: I use my own supplement,
called Creatine Cocktail. Also a high- quality milk protein supplement, liver tablets, amino acids and multivi- tamins. I wish creatine supplements had been available when I competed years ago, as they have proved a huge asset to my training. I think that supplements are integral to main- taining muscle mass and heath.
JB: But what about the fre- quent statements made by dietitians and other medical professionals that most supple- ments are just snake oil and superfluous for bodybuilders and other athletes. They add that all the nutrients required for muscle growth can be obtained from ordinary foods. What’s your take on that?