2 comments about Mike Mentzer's Hit Exercise Bodybuilding.

1. Considering the routines used by some of the worlds great BB's, the remarkably short but highly intense routine detailed here presents a whole new world of thought on the subject. Very interesting. Have never seen anything like it. The time saved alone through such a short routine makes it worthwhile.



2. Got this video because I wanted to make sure I understood this exactly. Sometimes a visual is much better then reading it. Also as a personal trainer I want to make sure I'm doing things correctly for my clients. Great video and gives a new twist to training even if it's olds chool.

4 comments about Branch Warren: Unchained Raw Reality Bodybuilding.

1. For participants and/or fans of the sport of bodybuilding, this is a must see. The gym sessions with Branch are uncensored but ring true and are well filmed. Most of the sequences are in black and white, which adds to the intense effect. Branch is as hardcore as they come, and I have tremendous respect for his work ethic and determination which brought him to the world of professional bodybuilding. The training sessions amply explain why he has already won and placed in several top competitions (including a top 10 in the Olympia).
   
   There is also a second disc in the package, which shows Branch at home with his wife and that is also very well done. He is a multi faceted athlete and individual, and this is highly recommended as a top viewing experience.



2. In watching this dvd, I found myself put off by how these guys showed no respect for the weights & the gym itself. Tossing the plates around like rubbish. I know if these guys were at any of the hardcore gyms in Sydney,Australia, Like ex-wrestlers Paul Graham or Billy Moore's Gym's they'd have been neck cranked & thrown out of their weight rooms pretty bloody quick.
   
   I've seen Arnold work out. He'd put the weights away for the simple respect of any other gym member to use & wipe down the bench with his towel so as not to leave his sweat behind.
   Now Branch is a strongman, no doubt. Everything else about this dvd was good but boys. put your TOYS away neatly so the other kids can play with them okay?



3. I used to workout at Gold's Venice back in the 80's and this brought back memories of training in same gym around real Pro's. Now I'm back working out again and this video is a education watching the warmups, their choice of exercies and the pace they work at. So if you want a peek into real pro's prepping for a contest in a hard core gym this is the video to check out.



4. This Video is an eye opener for the level of intensity that is required to achieve the top in Bodybuilding. As with all endeavours total focus and effort is the path to excellence. Use the insight to decide how you might apply a focus and intensity to anything that you want to excel at.

2 comments about Flexing with Monty.

1. "Flexing with Monty"
   
   Destined for Cult Status
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Broken Glass Pictures, a new company, brings us "Flexing with Monty", a film that was fourteen years in the making and is destined for cult status. It is a look at Monty (Trevor Goddard), a bodybuilder, and how the gym lies at the very core of his being. He is narcissistic bigot who is the very epitome of machismo (at least in his mind). His younger brother, Bertin (Rudy Davis), shares his world and the fact that Bertin is emotionally wounded adds to the film. One day, Lilith (Sally Kirkland), a Catholic nun, who is soliciting funds for an unusual charity, appears and this is what triggers a change in the way Bertin relates to Monty which ultimately results in his downfall.
   Directed by John Albo, we get a personal vision of a film that is both original and daring. During the filming, stat Trevor Goddard died and shortly before that one of the producers also dies and there was a question as to whether or not the film would ever be finished. Now we have it and it is bizarre and an experience to watch. It is very funny and very sensual and unlike anything you have seen before. I am not going to ruin the experience by telling you any more about it aside from saying that is a film you will want to watch over and over again.



2. have you ever tried to lay an egg in a swamp?" This is asked by a nun after a nude bodybuilder bends over and farts at her. This moment is topped when a stark-naked Sally Kirkland compares her breasts to "bobbing, blood-shot eyes." Interested yet? No? How about watching a scene in which a nude man masturbates in a bird cage? Good grief. As one reviewer noted, this is an original film. And in truth, I've never seen anything like it. And hope not to again. Ridiculous and tedious in every way imaginable, this is an unmitigated mess. I can easily believe it took years to make. The director and producers must have been turning in soda bottles for nickels because I can't imagine anyone would want to finance this with his own money.

2 comments about Joe Weider's Bodybuilding Training System 4 DVD Set.

1. These are the same priciples bodybuilders have used for over 20 years. Weider is far the best way to learn, i loved the DVD set and was cool to see all the bodybuilders in it. For beginners to advanced, i even got some tips I didn't know about. Best out there for sure.



2. The info on these DVD's is the real deal. most of the books and DVD's made since joe weider have just copied
   his work, but they mess up in one way or another.
   Buying this is a lot better than throwing your money away on a personal trainer with a two day degree
   
   Also search for
   The Weider System of Bodybuilding
   
   [...]

5 comments about Karen Voight - Streamline Fitness (A.M./P.M. Workout).

1. The A.M. routine is pretty killer--it's fast-paced and gets your blood pumping immediately, which can be a little tough if you've just woken up. The workout centers around using either weight balls or hand weights(your choice). And lifting weights is what it's all about. I only did this portion of the video for a couple of weeks and noticed a significant difference in the sculpture of my arms.
   
   The P.M. routine pounds your abs with modified pilates moves for about 15 minutes before switching to yoga. I didn't like the PM routine as much, but that might be because I'm not a fan of yoga. The ab workout portion felt good, although exhausting.
   
   The video production values are cheesy--the music is kind of lame and the inter-cutting of grainy black and white footage with color footage seems amateur. The P.M. backdrop is downright hilarious with the moon painted on a scrim. But the exercises are strong, and Karen Voight remains a good DVD teacher. The 25 min. A.M. workout in particular is great and worth every penny.



2. This video doesn't always leave me sore, but finishing it is difficult for me *every time*. Now, let me tell you that despite that there is *absolutely NO dread factor*! LOVE Karen Voight~she's beautiful, fit, knowledgeable, and an excellent instructor. This is my favorite video of hers and one that I reach for cosistently amidst the very many on my shelf. (((((HUGS))))) sandi



3. This DVD really is a wonderful DVD with two routines, one for the morning and one for the evening, which blend a variety of different moves and exercises in two workouts tha really works you out. Stretching, ab work, and poses to exercise you arms and legs. It is all here.



4. This is a great workout video. Eventhough it includes two workouts, I usually stick to the AM workout, which focuses on upper and lower body toning. I love that I can get a total body workout done in a half hour and feel like I have accomplished something. You will not build much or any muscle with this workout, but it is great for weight loss and toning. I always have so much energy when I do this video on a regular basis.
   
   I have used this video when I have been at a variety of fitness levels and have always gotten something out of it. It's a great video when you are trying to get in shape, lose weight and tone your body. Like her other videos, this one is very effective and you see results right away. I have also used this video as a compliment to heavier resistance training, to maintain muscle tone and endurance. I am now 6 months pregnant and the AM workout has been absolutely perfect, since all of the exercises are done standing up. I purchased videos specifically for pregnancy, but got rid of them all since I liked this one so much more. You won't reget this purchase.



5. I have used The Body video with Elle MacPherson and Karen Voight on and off for years and wanted another workout with the same effectivenss and easy-to-follow instructions. The AM workout is perfect, only 25 mins long but quite tough if done with weights and very effective. Very pleased with it.

3 comments about Echo Park.

1. The movie itself isn't bad, but what I like best is the locale. Echo Park is a neighborhood that, while it might not be the safest place, has a lot of character. I also enjoyed watching a younger Tom Hulce work with an offbeat script. The ending is too abrupt and the movie gets rather bizarre at times, but at least it is unique. And it is more unique in a good, rather than bad sense.



2. I've only seen this thing once, but loved it. I cannot believe that a movie this good isn't released on video.



3. Echo Park is an extremely funny movie, filled with some classic humor presented by a trio of truly quirky characters. Perhaps Susan Dey's best movie of all time! The character that is an Arnold Schwarzenegger wannabe is terrificly funny! This film is more timely now than ever!

5 comments about Stay Hungry.

1. I'm sure this movie was written just to showcase 3 great stars: Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's a story about a guy trying to save his gym from being taken by the bad guys. Ho hum! It's a riot to see the biggest of the big (Arnold) standing next to the smallest of the small (Sally Field). She's so cute! Nothing much here except 2 great movie stars and early Arnold with packed-on muscles.



2. I thought this was a romance drama with Jeff Bridges and Sally Field. It was the dumbest movie I've ever seen! I couldn't figure out what they were doing. "The Governator," Arnold Schwarzenegger is a philosopher/ body builder and Mr. Olympia contestestant. I couldn't understand what he was saying. Save your money. Buy King Kong ('76) instead.



3. This movie is so bad...I mean...uh...how can I describe how bad it is? It's so bad...it's just terrible. Even if you had an obsessive desire to see a young Sally Field nude, or Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the violin in an inbred-hillbilly ho-down,this movie would still make you angry for the time lost. The exaggerated southern drawl, the many pointless scenes, the horrible scenery and outfits, the abysmal acting. Roger Mosely (TC from Magnum PI) was the best character and actor in this bomb.



4. This movie was not what I was expecting at all. For some reason, I thought it would be a movie about the gym experience set in a large city during the 1970s. In fact, it's a movie about the transitioning south and about a gentleman who doesn't have the skill or interest to maintain his inheritance.
   
   I watched the movie because of Schwarzenegger, although he was cast badly in this supporting role, which should have gone to a native southerner (or at least someone who could pretend to be). But any strengths in the movie are entirely attributable to Bridges and Fields.
   
   The film is based on a novel by Charles Gaines, who (I now note) went on to co-author the famous Pumping Iron. Not a great film by any measure, and arguably not even a good or enjoyable film, I at least want to check out the novel now to see what it's like.
   
   I watched this film on a Friday afternoon when I was treating a sinus headache with margaritas and couldn't do much else anyhow. It wasn't bad in that context. You could save it for a rainy day like I did. Ever ponder the possibility of all the contestants from a Mr. Universe contest pouring out onto a city mainstreet in Alabama?



5. This is a definite Rent, there are a few lines that are pretty good. The story line is god awful but if your a muscle head there are some lines and parts to die for, I mean its freaking Arnold!
   Anyways ya rent it~

5 comments about Karen Voight: Firm Arms and Abs.

1. Karen is such a brilliant instructor and to me, she's one of the most motivating because she comes across as so encouraging and kind and cues so well that you end up giving it your all. I still love this workout and pull it out every now and then.
   The upper body program is a little challenging, but when it comes to toning, you want challenging so you can see nice defined muscles. You do everything from curls and flies and then there's a great stretch. For the abs section, it's easy to follow and there is modifications that you can do as you do it more often and you get stronger at it. I like that because it's always giving you something to work towards.
   You need weights and a step bench if you have one, and I think this is such a brilliant workout. I love doing it and it's all under 45 minutes. You will feel this the next day or two and see results fast if you do it regularly. I really like this and highly recommend it.



2. I wish I knew all the excercises were done on bench before I purchsed the DVD.
   Hopefully I will be able to do some of excerises on the floor or standing.



3. Good arm toning.Abs exercises are so so.Would not say bad but for the advanced they are not challenging enough.As to arms exercises in my opinion they are perfect.



4. I really enjoyed the arms segment of the video. I recommend having multiple weights available depending on your strength level. I needed 3 lbs for shoulders, 8-10 lbs for biceps, and 5 lbs for the rest. My arms were shaking after completing the workout the first time... it works! Great for beginners.
   
   The stair-stepper bench was not really necessary as there were no step routines included for the warm-up or the workouts. She uses it as a seat, and to prop up her leg during the arm segment. She uses it as an inclined bench for the abs section. I did the ab section on a mat to cushion my back and still felt the burn.
   
   I agree with another reviewer that the abs section was a bit light and will be good for beginners. I simply did some of the exercises at double her speed or raised my upper back off of the mat to increase the intensity.
   
   Finally, I liked that this video had no cardio interruptions. I know that trainers insist on lots of cardio before strength training, however, it's easier to add your own exercises before you start than to fast forward through things you don't like. I'm very pleased with my purchase.



5. I think that this is a good DVD, but it was more aerbics and less focused on "strength" than I wanted. I was hoping for more free weight exercises.

5 comments about Bigger, Stronger, Faster*.

1. 3.8 stars
   
   Chris Bell succeeds here when he keeps things personal. Describing his youthful worship of Ahnold and Sly, talking with his brothers about their steroid use, detailing the collapse of his dream of moving to Cali and becoming a champion lifter. But as the movie goes on, the increasingly obvious pro-steroid slant skews what seemed like objectivity to the point that by the end, one wonders which steroid manufacturers helped finance this film.
   
   The nadir is the "Steroids 101" section, wherein Bell attempts to seem unbiased and present just the facts, ma'am. Yes, your testes shrink while using...but they grow back when you stop! Yes, women's reproductive systems change...but it...uh...it...umm, well they may not return to normal. But on to the next, positive point! It's moments like this, glossing over the many physiological negatives of artificially bombarding your body with many times its natural production of hormones, that ultimately derail this film.
   
   Bell seems balanced for a while, then his weird, subtly expressed regret over not taking juice earlier in his career kicks in and he becomes a cheerleader for 'roids, interviewing only doctors who are on the fence, and ignoring the many who could show the other side. Any serious juicehead will tell you that to counteract the many side-effects of 'roids, a ton of other chemicals must be taken to protect the liver and various other body parts that go into crisis in the unnatural roided-up state. How can that be healthy?
   
   But Bell seems content with the argument, expressed by many pro athletes here, that "everyone's doing them, so to compete, I must too". The deeper moral issues of that stance are avoided, and the movie even ends with Bell blaming the "American way of life" for causing steroid abuse, or use, or whatever it is. That's weak. No one made these guys want to look like the Hulk (they all admit that early on they wanted to look like comic book characters...seriously), but it's society's fault? At least man up and admit that cheating is cheating and lying is lying, even if the entire world is doing it. Little mention is made of the many champions who have not stuck needles in their body every day to win, by the way. That's a telling fact.
   
   In spite of these issues, Bell and his family are very sympathetic, nice folks, and that's what makes this doc work. They seem like truly good people, and Bell is unflinching in his honesty about them. If only he'd been so even-handed with the negatives about 'roid use. Shrinking testes and uterine damage are not minor issues to be dismissed lightly. Instead, this is all seen as the price one must pay to play with the big boys.
   
   The main problem for me with BSF is that it really does make 'roid use seem like it's ok for kids, despite weak warnings. Bell's brother teaches high school football and admits that he juices but always lies to his students and their parents about it, for their own good of course, not his; the movie then shows his players praising his great build and how it's "all-natural". I'd love to see a follow up doc about how they reacted to the truth, and his lies. It's that sort of backhanded semi-honesty that makes this film suspect. If it was truly ok to use 'roids, this sort of lying wouldn't be necessary. People are scared of 'roids for many reasons; the lying they engender seems like a good one.
   
   I really liked Bell, and his intentions, and perhaps there are many positives about steroids. But he is just as guilty in his one-sided arguments as those who condemn 'roids are in theirs. And, unfortunately for Chris' side, the anti-roid folks do have the moral high ground. Yes, America is a win at all costs nation...but so what? We are meant to to hold ourselves accountable to a higher standard than the idiots who surround us, not as Americans, but as human beings.
   
   There are some very fine scenes where Bell challenges specific people's views on steroids, such as the father whose son killed himself while on 'roids and antidepressants; the dad is unwilling to accept that the antidepressants may have been the problem (as they very often are; it is a sick crime and a pox on Big Pharma's heads that so many kids have killed themselves while on these meds, and that it's been so hushed up. Someone PLEASE make a doc about it!). That scene and a few others show Bell's truly good heart and gentle nature, and made me appreciate his efforts here even when I didn't agree with all of his ideas. The early scene with the guy living in his van waiting to be a star took balls to include, damning as it is to Bell's own dreams. Very nice, Chris. More documentarians should have your self-effacing attitude.
   
   The extras have some moments of good humor, and bad weirdness, like the guy sucking horrible goop out of his biceps with busted needles. Why wasn't that in the movie? Probably because it's a little too close to the truths about steroid use, and the insanity that infects their users, that this movie does not want to address.
   
   All told, this is worth watching, even if just to see how some really nice folks let themselves be swept up in a win at all costs mentality, and rationalize it all away. Which also sums up our recent financial debacles and so much else in this country, in fact. Maybe I'm just kidding myself...maybe it is all about winning. But if you have to lie to everyone around you to do it, while making your body grow in ways nature never intended, is it really worth it?



2. Anyone who is into documentaries or any sort of Sport/Fitness/weight training should get this movie.



3. This is a troubling piece. It follows the depressing, dysfunctional, suicidal lives of Mr. Bell and his family who are all suffering greatly from obesity and severe inferiority complexes.It attempts (and fails) to justify their turning to steroids in an effort to cover up their own feelings of inadequacy in life.
   Perhaps the most troubling facet of the documentary is the fact that Mr. Bell concludes that the reason people use steroids and cheat to win, is because that is the American way. Anyone who goes along with that premise is blind to the fact that most Americans are fair and have integrity and would rather lose than win by cheating.
   Bell, in keeping with his own admission to lying and cheating, takes a few cheap, below-the-belt political swipes at President George W. Bush by accusing him, without presenting the slightest bit of evidence, of condoning the use of steroids before he was elected President of the United States for two consecutive terms by the American people.
   We feel that this documentary focuses in on a very few freak-show celebrity types and presents them as American heroes, which, of course, they are not. Most Americans would not characterize them as heroes either. Upon the premise that these are heroes the entire documentary is built, and upon this premise the justification of the use of steroids to cheat is founded. It simply DOESN'T WORK!!!
   "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" (Should have been named "Bigger, Stranger, Fatter") lacks balance and represents, we believe, the lowest form of journalism, the typical propagandaesque type of work previously produced by the same people in other works of questionable value. Its a hard sell, replete with rationalizations and faulty logic, for something dispicable and disgusting.



4. This DVD has shown me the reality of bodybuilding and the myths behind steroids that are just not true. I think this video was very informative, and a must see for all who workout and want a better looking body.



5. Advertisement for steroids
   
   With the premise of trying to appear objective, this film is highly biased in favor of taking steroids. As others have already commented, self esteem issues and ego factors play a major role here. The logic is more or less, if you can't beat them, join them. Unfortunately, this type of mentality is growing in our society. This type of thinking is like justifying cheating on a test we do not have the skill or ability to pass to get the reward regardless of the consequences (beyond the physical) which is not even mentioned or probably even considered. Maybe instead of cheating, we should accept and realize our physical limitations or maybe work even harder on our true skills.
   Partial facts and information is shown, most in favor of using steroids instead of providing all of the information, research and facts about the topic. Any reputable professional in the fields of nutrition or medicine is not going to condone taking steroids. Any that do, either have a bias in favor of steroids or have what they say taken out of context or segments cherry picked to make them sound as if they are saying something else (we should be all to familiar to this from news media).
   
   Not an objective look at the topic and riddled with fuzzy logic.
   
   Justifying taking steroids to compete or look good because everyone is doing it, reveals personal weakness and an utter lack of integrity.

5 comments about Pumping Iron (25th Anniversary Special Edition).

1. "Pumping Iron" is an outstanding documentary on the small world - at least in the 70's - of bodybuilding. It is prescient in focusing its attention on two future movie stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Louis Ferrigno, who where both at their twenties and at that time known mostly by readers of fitness magazines (but ignored by the general public).
   Arnold was then the king of bodybuilding competitions. He had already won 5 times the most important one - Mr. Olympia. Ferrigno was striving to challenge his hegemony. The film directors were very happy in showing the sharp contrast between the realities of these two giants.
   Arnold trained in Gold's Gym, a fief of bodybuilders in a sunny California. There he trained seriously, but also laughed at and with his friends.
   Ferrigno trained in the Brooklyn. His only mate, who happened also to be his trainer, was his father. His gym was dark, grim, small, with some out-of-shape costumers freightened by that huge guy and his merciless set of exercises.
   Arnold says in the movie that to him training is like an orgasm. The feeling of the "pump" in his muscles provides the same sensation is sleeping with a woman. As he spends most of his time training, he dares to explain that he lives an almost perfect life. This reality seems to be very far away from that of Ferrigno. For the viewer, this Italian descendent only wants to beat Arnold and become the new Mr. Olympia, but it seems that he doesn't take any special pleasure from his harsh daily activities.
   These two hugely different life conceptions would clash in 1975 Mr. Olympia contest, in South Africa, as shown in the documentary.
   Don't miss the extra features, specially the making of, called "Raw Iron". It shows the difficulties faced by the producers to finance the film. Surprisingly, one of the ways they found to get enough money was promoting an exhibition of bodybuilders in the Whitney Museum, a renowned New York institution. The bodies of those athletes were displayed there as sculptures. That's exactly what the extremely charismatic Schwarzenegger states in the beggining of the documentary: the human body is like a sculpture, and the bodybuilders carve it according to their sense of harmony and beauty. The challenge of doing this with our own body cannot be underestimated.
   Highly reccomended for all, not only for those who love to get some "pump" in the gym.



2. This is THE DVD of Bodybuilding. Some might pass thinking that its some kind of workout video or instruction...IT IS NOT. Its a genuine movie/documentry from the 70's. This DVD has some things you just gotta love. First and foremost is Arnold...the heelish king of the bodybuilding world. Arrogant, commical, using low tactics to harrass and disrupt his competitions training, such as one instance he is doing squats with a fellow Bodybuilder at which time when the guy struggles Arnold like a good squating partner sarcastically quips "Come on...lets get serious", or another when he calls everyone from the beanpole to the superfreak in the gym "Big Mike, Big Tony, etc". Arnold has charisma in rare form as he showdowns with Lou who is adversary of sorts. Split shots create the story of the two's run at Olympia. Lou is a simpleton, but a monster and is potrayed as the underdog...who never reaches the threshold of victory, as it belongs to Arnold regardless. His father his confidon whom you can tell he knows is no benefit. The communion affect between the bodybuilders is the real story.



3. My partner has the original VHS recording of the sme movie, and I decide to surprise him with a more media-current
   way to watch it. The video was clear, with no scratches, skips, or blemishes.



4. I don,t know how the film is because I bought it for a gift for someone. They couldn,t find this anywhere but I was able to get it here, just as advertised, great price, and fast shipping.



5. This IS the iconic body building film on DVD featuring
   Arnold Schwarzenegger,
   Lou Ferrigno,
   among other greats,
   The quality of this DVD transfer from the original 16mm film is fantastic,
   sharp, clear, plus loads of extra's / special feature's,
   Five Star !!!!!