The Vintage Bodybuilding Magazine website is focused on preserving the history of bronze, silver and golden era bodybuilding through the presentation of magazine articles from my vast collection of bodybuilding magazines. The website will also place a special focus on Australian Bodybuilders and the contests they competed in.
Those who regularly visit the site will be able to not only learn about the stars of yesteryear through the competitions, training routines, interviews and pictures of the vintage magazines.
Enjoy stepping back decades and reunite with the champions of yesteryear – Bill Pearl, Mike Mentzer, Franco Columbu, Sergio Oliva, Larry Scott, Casey Viator, Serge Nubret, Chris Dickerson, Chuck Sipes, Steve Reeves, Reg Park, Chester Norton, Clarence Ross, Armand Tanny, Jack Delinger, Irvin “Zabo” Koszewski, Melvin Wells, Dave Draper and John Grimek.
Also, the champions that thankfully are still with us – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Al Beckles, Lou Ferrigno, Robby Robinson, Boyer Coe, Don Howarth, Samir Bannout and many more.
Then there are the pioneers of women’s bodybuilding and those that evolved it from its origins – Abbye ‘Pudgy’ Stockton, Lisa Lyon, Kay Baxter, Carla Dunlap, Cory Everson, Bev Francis and Rachel McLish. Their contributions to women’s bodybuilding were priceless and created an awareness that inspired future generations of women to the iron game.
Finally, I want to pay homage to my fellow countryman. The Australian bodybuilders of yesteryear and the magazines that promoted them. Rocco Oppedisano’s ‘Muscle Australia’ and Paul Graham’s Australasian Muscle & Fitness put the spotlight on such bodybuilding greats as Roger Walker, Bev Francis and John Terilli who were key players on the global bodybuilding stage. More importantly they highlighted the lesser-known champions that had made their mark both internationally and locally such as Peter Lindsay, Graeme Lancefield, Peter McCarthy, Les Spendlove, John Koziura and Sammy Ioannidis. I will also pay particular attention to the 1980 Mr Olympia which was hosted in Sydney Australia. Australia is known as one of the major sporting nations of the world and for some reason this key part of Australian sporting history has slipped through the gaps. We hope to create more awareness.
As for myself, my name is Michael Economedes and I have had a passion for the Iron Game since 1988. No sooner had I picked up my first dumbbell I was hooked.
The history of bodybuilding has always fascinated me and I would regularly seek out old bodybuilding books and magazines. Reading many of them over and over. I have always had a healthy and passionate love affair with bodybuilding. This is solely the result of being fortunate enough to walk into Terry Bennett’s Gymnasium, in my eyes the most special place on earth. Terry has long since passed but the passion for bodybuilding he instilled in me has not. With that I dedicate my contribution to this marvellous website to his memory. His gym was definitely my happy place and I have so many fond memories of my time in it. May his soul rest in peace.
I hope you enjoy the website as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.