September 1, 2005

A Brief History about the Coverage of Canadian Bodybuilding, and the Lack Thereof

I would like to welcome all of you bodybuilding fans to Doug Schneider’s new online magazine, SeriousAboutMuscle.com, which will be dealing with all things related to bodybuilding in Canada.

I confess that I was very flattered when Doug approached me to contribute "my two cents' worth" to his online publication. I have known and worked with Doug covering the Canadian scene for the past several years and have found him to be genuinely interested and very passionate about the development and future of Canadian bodybuilding.

Other than my monthly "Canadian Corner" column in MuscleMag, there is very little coverage of what is happening on the Canadian scene in any other publication. I have made it no secret that it really annoys me that we are so badly ignored south of the border. Fortunately, Flex’s Steve Wennerstrom has fought for our cause – he is the only U.S media guy who acknowledges that there are some world-class athletes north of the border! He has done a lot for our female athletes, getting them exposure in Flex and Women’s Physique World. But, that still leaves our men pretty much undiscovered. I guess I am very fortunate that I forged a strong relationship with publisher Robert Kennedy over the years. As a result of this friendship, he has allowed me to say and do just about anything I want in "Canadian Corner." So all Canadian bodybuilding fans owe Bob a huge debt, for without his generosity, fans of Canadian bodybuilding would be in the dark and would have no idea as to how our sport has grown for the past 25 years.

I first became interested in bodybuilding back in 1965 – yes, you read it right, 40 years ago! One could call me a fan from the "Jurassic age" when a 200-pounder was considered a huge bodybuilder. For example, in 1976, the slender, ultra-ripped Frank Zane won the Mr. Olympia weighing a hulking 187 pounds. In contrast, Ronnie Coleman, who is about the same height as Zane, won the Olympia last year weighing a staggering 287 pounds, an astounding hundred pounds heavier! (Anyway, I am getting a bit off the subject – I will expand on this at a later date in "Bartlett Blasts.")

Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, we saw very little on Canadian bodybuilding in the magazines. I bought all the magazines and didn’t even know that there were bodybuilding competitions in Canada. Living in a small rural area of New Brunswick, I thought I was the only person who trained with weights, as no one else seemed interested. In those days, it was hockey and softball, and anyone who worked out with weights was considered an oddball. I took my share of teasing from schoolmates and those who were jealous of my above-average physique. In fact, when I didn’t want to go out drinking or smoking dope I was nicknamed "Nature Boy"! I was never one to follow the pack. Sadly, some of my school buddies who lived a less-disciplined lifestyle are now no longer with us.

In spite of not fitting in and not partying with the school jocks and sports stars, I continued to do my own thing, which was to grab the latest bodybuilding magazines and head to my room. Through the words of then-great bodybuilding writers such as Dick Tyler, I was taken on a magical trip to the beaches of Santa Monica where legends such as Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer, Larry Scott, Dave Draper, and Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled the sun-baked sand. That was my fantasy in those early days – I didn’t even know that Canada had a national contest.

Imagine my total surprise when, reading an issue of the popular cult bodybuilding magazine Iron Man, I saw an article on Canada’s then Mr. Canada, Walter Milner. Walter had just won the 1975 Mr. Canada championship and created quite a stir with his fantastic physique. In fact, that particular issue featured him on the cover. Now I was really fired up – Canada did have bodybuilding competitions, and the sport was alive and well. We just didn’t have any form of media coverage or outlet for those interested in our sport back then.

For some reason, the Weider magazines ignored bodybuilding in Canada, which is ironic when you consider that both Joe and Ben are from Montreal and got their start there. Even to this day, we see very little about Canadian bodybuilding in Flex or Muscle and Fitness. Considering that the IFBB headquarters are in Montreal, I personally burn hot when I think of all the history and know of many deserving athletes that have been ignored in these magazines for the past 30 years. Yes, Canadian bodybuilding is very small in comparison to United States-based bodybuilding, but we should have received some form of coverage and recognition – a page or two in each issue would not have been too much to ask. As I mentioned before, thank God for Robert Kennedy and MuscleMag, because we now have a legacy and historical documentation of our great Canadian athletes and national-championship winners. Even the provincial class winner from the smallest province in Canada has the opportunity of getting his or her photo published in MuscleMag, one of the world’s oldest and most recognized bodybuilding publications. What are the chances of that happening in the other top-name magazines from the United States? Well, my friend, you should go out and buy a lottery ticket, as your chances of winning are better!

So, let’s work together to get Canadian bodybuilders as much coverage as possible, as Doug and I, and David Ford from Alberta who will also join us on SeriousAboutMuscle.com, are working to do. There is a lot of room out there in cyberspace and we intend to occupy a big piece of it!

Look out, the Canadians are coming!

...Garry Bartlett
garryb@seriousaboutmuscle.com

SeriousAboutMuscle.com contributor Garry Bartlett is the leading authority on Canadian bodybuilding, fitness and figure. Garry's "Canadian Corner" column has appeared in MuscleMag for over 25 years and has provided an unsurpassed level of exposure and publicity for Canadian bodybuilding, fitness and figure enthusiasts.