Christmas Approaches

The months just slip by and here we are again deep into the contest season with some surprising results and some exciting developments.  Bodybuilding survives another year and some more great physiques come on the scene. The Forest Gym is now well and truely on the map after Troy Brown and Michelle Jones take the Overall Titles at the UKBFF British Finals.  Both of them well deserved their success and are great advertisements for Bodybuilding. With Inga Neverauskiate winning at the Dutch GP as well it was a great day particularly for the Marilliers and their expertise as advisers and coaches.

My Congratulations to Everyone.

This year The Forest Gym is having a bumper time all round with memberships up and we have been busy right through the summer.   Has everyone stopped going on holiday as they struggle to pay their vast mortgages or meet the capital and running costs of a BMW or Porsche?   Our membership has been boosted by Crawley Borough Council opening the new K2 Leisure Centre near to us. In moving from the old leisure centre they have changed the atmosphere from that of a Sports Centre to a Fitness/Leisure Centre.  The K2 gym has good quality equipment and big bars and dumbells, etc but the  atmosphere is not one conducive to serious training.  The new Leisure Centre is more expensive, of course —  this has become a problem with all the big commercial gyms in Crawley.   Virgin now charges about £50 per month and some are even higher.  Our gym is still a hardcore Bodybuilding and Power-Lifting Gym — Kerry Kayes said we had an old fashioned gym; I think he meant just a few steps up from spit and sawdust — but we do get results and some keep-fit members have been with us for over 20 years.   But where else in the SE can you work out in a gym [admittedly without any plastic palm trees] for as little as £190 per year — the equivalent of two pints of lager per week — at northern prices.

Open Day

Our building is owned by Crawley Borough Council and is located in a general recreation centre on the south side of Crawley.  Here, we have been having an Open Day every September for the last few years and on September 16th I had the pleasure of escorting the Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Sally Blake and her Consort — also a Crawley Councillor — as well as the Council Portfolio Holder for Leisure & Cultural Services, Councillor Beryl MeCrow, around the whole centre.  The councillors were very impressed with what they saw — not just in The Forest Gym but in all the groups that operate in the centre.    The Forest Recreation Centre came into being by chance but has developed over the years to become a very impressive contributor to leisure facilities in Crawley.  It is important that we keep councillors informed of what we do and how important these facilities are for a whole range of minority sports and recreations in Crawley.

The Lake Returns

On this web site we have shown many pictures of Tilgate Forest in the area around The Forest Gym.   Not many people seem to realise before they have been here that we really are in a forest.  Tilgate Forest was the area where the first dinosaur remains were discovered in England in the 19th century. Behind the gym was a small lake which has been drained of water for the last 2 years because the supporting banks at one end were collapsing.   Contractors will shortly complete re-building work and we will be able to show you the new layout with grassy banks and picnic areas for sun-bathing after a hard workout.

Can England Play Football?

Our Gym memberships is holding up well this year.  We did have a drop during the World Cup but numbers quickly recovered once it was clear that England would never win.    That was before Croatia!!!!!!!  So Steve McClaren and Tel Boy are the dynamic duo we have been waiting for ??????   Are they the future?  Can we look forward to that future which is to come?   Of course not!!

PDI Shows

ON 22nd October the PDI show organised by Wayne deMilia takes place in Hackney.  The star is set to be the great Lee Priest, who seems to be slowly going mad.    His tattoos are spreading and he was hospitalised recently with an infection in the middle of one of the tattoos on his delts.    Was the infection caused by the skin being pierced by his latest tattoo up-dates or was it something else?    There still is a rumour going around that the IFBB is trying to entice Lee back into the fold and to overlook his misdemeanour in entering — and winning — the PDI NOC in New York. Although there are some quality bodybuilders who have signed up with PDI, it still needs more really big names to back the new organisation and present real credibility.

Stars of Tomorrow

On the 29th October the annual Stars of Tomorrow will take place at the Beck Theatre in Hayes.   This contest has been running for about 25 years now, organised for most of that time by Julian Fienstein.    This great idea for a show has been a kicking off point for many first-timers.  The add-on of an Open Contest gives an early opportunity for experienced bodybuilders to qualify for next year’s Finals.  We will have competitors there and we will have many gym members giving their support. 

Pics in the Forest

We are expecting Eric Guy to visit us sometime soon with a top bodybuilder to take more pictures in Tilgate Forest.  The leaves are falling now and on sunny days there are rich brown and orange colours all around us.  Should get some great results — providing the sun shines

Mr. Olympia 2006

Results:
1. Jay Cutler*
2. Ronnie Coleman*
3. Victor Martinez*
4. Dexter Jackson*
5. Melvin Anthony*
6. Gustavo Badell*
7. Toney Freeman
8. Markus Ruhl
9. Dennis James
10. Gunter Schlierkamp
11. Vince Taylor
12. Branch Warren
13. Johnnie Jackson
14. Darrem Charles
15. Troy Alves

Jay Cutler finally wins the Big O. It must have been close but it may be that Ronnie Coleman upset the judges with his use of cloak and silly wig in his posing routine — the Moses look.  Both men were BIG. Jay probably had the edge this time as Ronnie’s body starts to show the first signs of the wear and tear of competition at the top level.   Neither was shredded and neither has a particularly small waist; they were pushed hard - I think - by Victor Martinez.  For me, based only on seeing the pictures, Victor was the winner. Melvin Anthony and Dexter Jackson were also in great shape — it looked a best ever condition for Melvin.  Gustavo Badell seems to have committed himself to awesome size — and he certainly has it — but I feel he would look much better with a lighter bodyweight and a less bloated waist. At this show, the judges had a need to decide between old fashioned mass and new sleek 21st century Bodybuilders.  Victor Martinez must be favourite for Mr. O very soon.

Looking at the other competitors who could have expected to do well; Dennis James went for the Ronnie look and was over-bulky and not ripped; Mustaf Mohammad was very smooth; Gunter Schlierkamp looked smaller, unbalanced and not sharp; Markus Ruhl was big and with mind blowing upper body mass; Branch Warren was big and sharp[ish] in the upper body but smooth in his legs; Ronnie Rockel suffered from being a non-American, perhaps, although his back could be better; Paco Bautista was freaky, weird with the most awesome legs on the planet; Vince Taylor [at 50] was better than many bodybuilders half his age; newcomer Dennis Wolf has awesome shape, plenty of muscle but was not sharp.   Germany provided 4 of only 5 non-Americans in the show.

How did the whole Olympia weekend go?    I have not yet spoken to anyone who was there and there seem to have been few detailed reports on the net.    I still suspect that this will be the last Mr. Olympia organised by AMI and they will be seeking to sell the rights to anyone with a few dollars available.   The event seems to have been well attended in spite of everything.

Little-Known Facts No.92

As the building of the new Wembley stadium grinds on with few people having any idea when it will be finished or what it will cost — we know it will be at least £250,000,000 over budget, with a total cost approaching £1 billion — it is worth recalling that the original Wembley Stadium was built in 1923 by Robert McAlpine in 10 months - start to finish - and at less than the budget. Why is it that every major project these days is a cock-up?   Is it perhaps that they are handled by the chattering class mates of Tony Blair rather than by proper engineers?

Wilfred Sylvester

We picked up the bad news recently that Bodybuilding Star of the 60s and 70s, Wilfred Sylvester had died after a longish illness.  Wilf was a great little bodybuilder who won lots of NABBA contests.    He was only just over 5ft tall but he had great proportions and by the standards of the time was always in good condition.    Our commiserations go to his family and friends and a hope that he will be able to

Rest in Peace.