Project HUGE: Why I Can't Stop Thinking About Lydia Cheng's Daughter
Posted July 23, 2007 at 2:59 PM by Ben Nadel
I posted last week about my exciting encounter with Lydia Cheng's (from Pumping Iron II) daughter. Well, since then, I have not been able to get it out of my head. At first, I thought it was just the enjoyment of having talked to a very attractive woman. But when something like that happens, the joy and excitement only last for a few hours before I return the daily grind. My current excitement, while now beginning to wane, has lasted much longer than it should have.
I started to really think about what was going on and I think I finally figured it out. As I was explaining to Clark Valberg last night, it has been so long since I have really connected with anyone on a strength and fitness level that when this really cute girl actually started talking to ME about Pumping Iron, Pumping Iron II, and the IFBB, I think it really rattled me right to the core.
I was transported back to the time in my life where working out was actually a priority; where it was me and the boys going to the gym together to work out, eating meals together, sitting around watching Pumping Iron or Blood And Guts or Ronnie Coleman videos, early dinners, late night cardio sessions, or just hanging out as friends. It was a real comradery and a huge highlight of my young life. As cheesy at it sounds, (there might be others who understand this) it was a real brotherhood of Iron. We each had our own personalities and we each contributed individually to the common good, but our goals were all more or less aligned and our interpersonal support were positive and consistent. As such, it wasn't just about working out, it was about community and about life style.
I would give a lot to have just a little bit of that magic back in my life and I think talking to Lydia Cheng's daughter really stirred up that nostalgia in me.
Reader Comments
I know how you feel Ben. Here's to the "good ol' days" of serious lifting with the crew.
I remember I used to tell people that pain was just weakness leaving your body.
Unfortunately, all those insane workouts have left me with altogether different forms of pain!
Ben,
You didn't by any chance used to drink Ultimate Orange during the old school workouts? You know, the formula developed by the late Dan Duchaine? How about the *real* Hot Stuff that is now long gone? Or Cybergenics with the amazing Franco Santoriello on the box?
Don't laugh.....I actually used Met-Rx when it came in 2 canisters, one labeled "Base" and the other labeled "Plus". This when when Jeff Everson and Lee Labrada were selling it!
Did you ever read Muscle Media? I have the original issue as well as most every other one since.
R.I.P. the good old days. ;-(
Totally unrelated and somewhat random thought, he he. The "Brotherhood of Iron" you were referring to above instantly gave me this mental picture of Connan the Barbarian, but with Ben as Connan, lol.
@Aaron,
You get it. I used to work out with guy, Dave, who would ride me if ever wimped out or came across as tired. I remember one time I was on the leg press with him and I was like "Can't do any more reps" and he was like "Don't act like you're f**king tired! I'll tell you when you're tired" and then he proceeded to stand on the re-racking latch so that I couldn't lock the sled... it got 6 more reps out of me... granted, I couldn't walk or perform a decent set for the rest of the workout, but it was an interesting lesson to learn.
@Alex,
I think my first protein was by Larry Scott, which came with an instructional video on how to perform "scott curls". It tasted like ass and needed an industrial strength blender just to mix half way decently with milk.
Muscle Media was high quality. I think the first issue that I ever bought was actually the 40th Birthday celebration issue of the Austrian Oak. I still have it somewhere. MM was harder to find than a lot of the other magazines for some reason. Never knew why, cause it was so much better. Now, I am a muscular development guy - they seem to have really good articles on supplements and nutrition and lifestyle stuff.
@Boyan,
There used to be an awesome site and I think it was called the Brotherhood of Iron. It had the most badass logo; it was this enourmously ripped dude in some armour with a huge double-sided Axe. They all these rules about what it meant to be in the "Brotherhood". Can't seem to find it anymore.
"You didn't by any chance used to drink Ultimate Orange during the old school workouts? You know, the formula developed by the late Dan Duchaine? How about the *real* Hot Stuff that is now long gone?"
wow. talk about a flashback..
the /real/ hot stuff.. i used to take that before my morning workout... nothing could stop me on those days. it set the tone for the whole day.
You know, I spoke with a very well knows supplement guru and chemist a few years ago who has made headlines in the past few years. Although he did not have direct evidence, he knew the creators of both Hot Stuff and Met-Rx and though it was well within reason that both contained illicite drugs at one point.
Hot Stuff was long rumored to have included Dianabol in its early batches. The little pink triangle Dbols from Thailand were cheap enough at the time to micronize and include in the formula. Who knows if it's true, but it certainly generated a HUGE following early on until it was pulled from the stored shelves (Hmmm.).
Met-Rx was rumored to have included Clenbuterol. Knowing Scott Connelly (its creator), I doubt this. But, I there was talk of him not being in full control of the manufacturing process, and it being added by some other "partners" in Met-rx. Clen can really f-up some folks, so I am less likely to believe this one.
Remember HMB - "Feel like Deca"?!
@Alex,
Its funny you mention that, because in the current issue of Muscular Development, they were talking about product contamination with banned substances. I can't remember what line it was, but they tested some line of products recently and apparently 3 or 4 of the 12 products had packages that tested positive for banned substances.
Crazy stuff.
Talking to an attractive woman is refreshing and sometimes might put your emotion in little trauma. Perhaps you can see the time when you are very young and inexperienced and you try to empress a woman and you start talking to someone very attractive. Then the result that she does not care and you feel very unwanted and perhaps ferris wanli can and might be very confusing to you. So the only way is to just talk what you can take out of it and strt a new page. Other times you just want to understand many details that have nothing to do with reality and start to encounter many obstacles.
