Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gold's Gym Taught Me Everything

Roy training a client at Dix30

What was the sport of bodybuilding like in the early 70’s when you started to win titles?

It was for the uneducated and the musclehead, it was not yet appreciated for its athleticism. But that didn’t scare me off, at that age you’re proud to walk around with your big arms to impress the girls and I got hooked on winning.

How did you meet Arnold Schwarzenegger?

In 1977, Caruso, my trainer here Montreal, asked me to compete in Mr Canada and told me I could win. So I went and I won Mr Canada then went off to Paris to represent Canada at Mr Universe. A lot of people doubted me but I won it and when I came back, bodybuilding took off in Canada. After that, gyms started springing up and a magazine wanted to send me to Califormia to train with Arnold for as long as I needed to become a professional champion and we were always training at Gold’s Gym on Wilshire.

I stayed with Arnold at his house for two years in California and he trained me and that’s where I learned all my stuff. He was generous and kind. I actually met him in Munich years before, and another time in Florida. He was a big star there and we shared a hotel room in Florida and let’s just say that Arnold is no different today then he was then. When I came back from training with him, I won some professional titles and I finally got to compete against him in 1980 at Mr Olympia in Australia where he won! It was his big comeback. He is a very charismatic, very charming guy.

What was your greatest accomplishment?

Well sharing the stage with Arnold was one of my greatest achievements. I learned everything from him.

What was your greatest challenge?

I had to develop my calves and sometimes I cried working them, trying to shape them the right way. But you have to work with what you have. I had lemons and I made lemonade.

How has the bodybuilding culture changed?

It’s like night and day. Back in the day, gyms were dirty and guys didn’t care that much. Just like I said before, it used to be a sport for the working class guy but I knew it was changing when I was invited to the Gold’s Gym Classic in California and the building was as big as Gold’s Gym Dix30’s first floor and there were a lot of guys training there but not the big stars yet cause it was still middle class. That gym really changed my mentality about gyms.

And when Arnold came over and hooked up with the right people, everybody joined him and he capitalized on that. Arnold destroyed that image of the musclehead and completely changed the scene. Gold’s Gym was really in the centre of that movement.

Interview with Bodybuilding Hall of Famer Roy Callender (Part One)

 
Our first interview with Roy Callender. Why do you speak French and English? Because I know you are bilingual and I’m curious how you learned.

That is very interesting that you say I’m bilingual. I've only lived in Quebec in Canada. I've had offers to live in many other provinces, B.C., Ontario, but I just love Quebec and if I want to live and work here. I have learned it mostly from my clients at Gold's Gym Prestige Dix30 because a lot of them would hide the fact that they are bilingual or I never asked them and just started speaking their language. It came along like that.

Great. So how many years have you been here?

Oh you wanna know how old I am! I'm not telling you that! No, I came here in 1972 as a youngster where I competed and won Mr Canada and Mr Universe and then went back to Barbados in 1982. I opened a gym there which kept me busy but I was getting requests to give seminars all over North America, so in 1991 I moved back to Canada to be closer to my market. I met a guy from Newfoundland who came to be trained by me and stayed in Newfoundland for about four years but yearned for Quebec and so I came back.

And you're called a Master Trainer. What does that mean?

If you have won a world title in any sport; swimming, boxing, hockey, and you've trained yourself in this domain for 5 or 6 years and have been called to do seminars and train people, the Bodybuilding Federation will give you that title. And it stuck with me. I only know one other master trainer in Quebec, a champion diver.

It must draw a lot of people to train with you.

Yes, it's merit. I charge more and I can show the client that it's worth it. It also draws a lot of people to our gym (Gold's Gym Prestige Dix30), so I'm happy about that. (We will talk more about Gold’s Gym and more specifically why Roy chose Gold’s Gym DIX30 later in our interview.)

Could you tell me about your background. What drew you to bodybuilding and what titles have you won?

Well one lead to the other. As a youngster growing up in Barbados, everybody goes to the beach. And people started getting magazines there. I saw my brother and his friends posing in the mirror and talking about their chest, their pecks, their arms and all that and they wanted to do this bodybuilding thing. But they would never let me close to the bar; they all shared just one bar and some weights and by seeing him and his friends, I was encouraged to look the same way, so I used to sneak away and use their bar. They did everything on that one bar, only one between the lot of them.

 As I grew up, I trained with some of my friends who were the same age. Cause you know, we're weren't allowed to train with the older guys, but we started looking in the mirrors ourselves and getting big heads. We stuck with it until I left for England.

In England, my mother wanted me to study law but I used to go to the YMCA all the time and got hooked up with some guys there who liked training, started missing a lot of school, and deceived my mother, bless her soul. I started to bodybuild and there was more knowledge there in England and the food was better. A few months later, at 18, they asked me to compete. And so I went to compete and believe it or not, I won and my head got big and I wanted to keep competing. And I moved on from there: Mr London, Mr Southeast Britain, and Mr United Kingdom.




Stay tuned for the rest of the interview with Roy when he tells us about living and training with his mentor, Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Sticking to an Exercise Plan (Part Two)

(...continued)

6. Get on a “professionally-designed” - long-term program. The sooner you start seeing results, the more you'll want to keep training to continue them. Aimlessly hopping from workout to workout, or even worse, from machine to machine will only waste your time. Talk with a personal trainer who can customize a program that’s right for you and keep you constantly motivated.

7. Join an exercise class. The camaraderie you develop with your “classmates” should be enough to keep you coming back. Go with your spouse and tell each other how you are coming along. This will properly motivate both of you!

8. Keep a workout log. Recording your progress from session to session (or lack thereof) will show you what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. There's also a great feeling of satisfaction that comes from watching the amount of poundage you lift increase with each passing week.

9. Buy an iPod or portable CD player that you can take to the gym. Associating your workouts with fun music or “escapism” will make you not want to miss them.

10. Put a picture of your family or loved ones in your gym bag (especially your grandkids!). It will remind you of who you want continue to be healthy for…(although some say putting a picture of your competition or enemies is even greater motivation to be the best you can be!).

Sticking to an Exercise Plan (Part One)

OK, so you’ve started your program but need a little extra help staying motivated?

Here are a few tips:

1. Get an exercise buddy. They will help keep you motivated…and so will the guilt of standing them up. Even better, get your kids or even grandkids to come to the gym with you. You will get to have some “family time” and by simply trying to keep up with someone younger you will push yourself a little more.

2. Make a bet with a friend (or enemy). Placing a money wager that you will hit your goal by a certain date makes every workout count. It also puts your honor on the line!

3. Tell everyone you know about your fitness goals. That way, you will have that many more people to answer to. It will be hard to live it down if every person in your community knows you failed.

4. Buy yourself new exercise clothes, sneakers or a workout bag. Not wanting new and/or expensive equipment to go to waste will make you more apt to get off the couch and use it.

5. Go to the Gold’s Gym in your community. By seeing the Gold’s Gym regularly when you drive by you will eventually be drawn (or guilted!) in there to train.  If you workout with your spouse it will be at least a little harder to have both of you come up with a valid excuse why not to go – especially when it is SO convenient.

Stay tuned for the rest of our tips!

30-Day Hard Body Workout - Week 4

Hard Body Circuit

Perform this routine three times through, resting between sets for a few minutes. Unless otherwise specified, do 12-15 reps of each exercise, using a weight that is challenging but doable for a high number of reps. Rest time is active rest time, so you should be moving constantly!


1. Walking Lunge
 
Week 4 Add shoulder press

With your elbows below the wrists, hold a dumbbell on either side of your shoulders and press the dumbbells up until yours arms are extended. Lower dumbbells and repeat.

2. Plank

Week 4 Using a stability ball, hold for 45 seconds.
Works abs, back
Lie face-down on a mat. Push off from your chest, resting on your forearms and toes. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

3. Pushup

Week 4 Hands on ball

Place your palms on a stability ball, about shoulder-width apart.
Works chest, shoulders, abs, triceps
Lie face-down with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and your feet together. Keeping your body straight, push up.

4. Squat

Week 4 Add front raise

Start with dumbbells at your thighs, palms down. Lift the dumbbells straight up to shoulder height as you lower your legs.
Use a stability ball to support you during this series. Place the ball between your lower back and a wall. Put your feet a foot or two in front of you and slowly squat down until your butt is parallel with the floor, letting the ball roll up your back.

5. Crunch

Week 4 Add stability ball

Place a stability ball under the middle of your back and perform as usual.
Lie on your back with your legs bent, hands behind your head and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your neck relaxed, roll your upper back off the floor and then slowly return to starting position.

6. Dead Lift

Week 4 Add hammer curl

While fully upright, hold the dumbbells at your sides, your palms facing your legs. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells up toward your shoulders until your elbows can't bend any further. Slowly lower the dumbbells.

Rest 3 minutes before beginning the circuit again.

30-Day Hard Body Workout for Week 3

Week 3

1. Walking Lunge

2. Plank

3. Pushup

4. Squat

5. Crunch

6. Dead Lift

 

1. Add torso rotation
Grab a light medicine ball or a dumbbell. Hold it out in front of you as you step forward. While in a lunge position, twist once to the right, once to the left, then return to starting position.

2. Add a stability ball and hold for 30 seconds. Rest your forearms on the stability ball instead of on the mat.

3. Hands on BOSU
A BOSU is an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform; it looks like a stability ball cut in half. Place the BOSU soft side down and hold on to the edges while you perform the pushup.

4. Add shoulder press
Position a dumbbell on each side of your shoulders, your elbows below the wrists. Press the dumbbells up as you lower your legs.

5. Dumbbell half-curl down
Begin by sitting upright, feet flat on the floor. Holding a dumbbell at your chest, slowly lower your core down halfway. Hold for a second, then return to starting position.

6. Add upright row
While fully upright, lift the dumbbells straight up below your chin, leading with your elbows. Keep the dumbbells close to your body on the way up, letting your wrists bend.

Rest 3 minutes before beginning the circuit again.

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN!!

SATURDAY IS THE LAST CHANCE TO JOIN THE GOLD’S GYM DIX30 CHALLENGE!

Details: the entry fee is $80, unless you're already enrolled with a personal trainer then its 50% off or free.  Ask front desk for more information about entry fee if you currently have or plan on purchasing personal training.

Included with the fee:

- Daily communication with one of our designated personal trainers through email. You'll be able to ask anything and they will help you! For example, questions like “What should I be eating pre and post-workout?”

- Six 30-minute informative workshops that will be held each Friday. 
The names of the workshops: "Prepare to Win", "Protein is the Key", "The Right Carbohydrates", "Effective Weight Training", "The Fat Burning Zone (ICE training)", and "Does Fat Make you Fat?"
Each workshop will be instructed by one of our personal trainers and will end with a Q&A period.

- A chance to win $2000 cash for the overall Male and Female!! A chance to win $500 cash for age categories for both the Males and Females.

- Most importantly, a challenge for self motivation to get you into the best shape of your life just in time for the summer!! The sense of accomplishment and the feeling you have after the 12 weeks of transforming your body through your own strength is truly priceless.

- Visit the front desk at the latest by Saturday to enter the challenge or if you have questions.

- Last possible day to join is this Saturday, March 19th.


WHAT SHOULD THE PARTICIPANT WEAR ON MEASUREMENT DAY?

*Men are required to wear a pair of shorts that are not too long.
*Women, a 2 piece bathing suit is ideal.
*Privacy is a must so participants must wear their suits under sweats or something similar on picture/measurement day.

PHOTOS

Front and back photos will be taken. Photos will be used for contest purposes only.

For more information, please call us at (450) 904-GOLD.

30-Day Hard Body Workout- Week 2

Welcome back, folks! We know you're probably a bit sore from Week One but we guess you're also feeling stronger and more motivated for Week Two!

Our tone-all-over circuit takes six proven and powerful moves — lunges, planks, push-ups, squats, crunches and dead lifts — and amps up their difficulty each week to keep your muscles challenged. Pair these exercises with active rest (keeping your heart rate up during your "rest" time between sets) and you'll be eager to jump start your workout and fitness goals.

Do this workout three times a week, along with at least two hours of cardio a week, for the best results.

Hard Body Circuit

Perform this routine three times through, resting between sets for a few minutes. Unless otherwise specified, do 12-15 reps of each exercise, using a weight that is challenging but doable for a high number of reps. Rest time is active rest time, so you should be moving constantly!

1. Walking Lunge
Works glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Step forward several feet with your right foot, and bend down until your right leg forms a 90-degree angle and your left knee almost touches the floor. Push off your left foot and bring your legs together. Repeat on the opposite side.

Week 2: Pulse 1 to 8 to 1
Step forward with your right foot, holding the weights by your sides. Pulse up and down once while knees are bent. Bring your feet together and step forward with your left foot. Pulse twice. Work up to eight pulses in a row, then turn around and headed in the opposite direction, work your way back down to one.

2. Plank
Works abs, back
Lie facedown on a mat. Push off from your chest, resting on your forearms and toes. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

Week 2: Hold the plank position for 45 seconds

3. Pushup
Works chest, shoulders, abs, triceps
Lie facing down with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and your feet together. Keeping your body straight, push up.

Week 2: Feet on stability ball
Balance your feet on a stability ball behind you.

4. Squat
Works quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves
Use a stability ball to support you during this series. Place the ball between your lower back and a wall. Put your feet a foot or two in front of you and slowly squat down until your butt is parallel with the floor, letting the ball roll up your back.

Week 2: Add bicep curl
Curl up, with your palms facing up, as you lower your legs.

5. Crunch
Works abs, back
Lie on your back with your legs bent, hands behind your head and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your neck relaxed, roll your upper back off the floor and then slowly return to starting position.

Week 2: Dumbbell crunch
Hold a dumbbell at your chest, close to your chin.

6. Dead Lift
Works quads, hamstrings, glutes, lower back
Stand upright, your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs as you lower down, keeping your back straight and chest out. Slowly return to starting position.

Week 2: Add calf raise
Standing upright, rise up on the balls of your feet once.

Rest 3 minutes before beginning the circuit again.

If you're following this routine, we'd love to hear your feedback! Post your comments below.

30-Day Hard Body Workout

Feeling panicked about your body? We heard your distress call — and we have a solution. This routine from the Gold's Gym Fitness Institute will get your body streamlined for that wedding, party, or swimsuit.

This tone-all-over circuit takes six proven and powerful moves — lunges, planks, pushups, squats, crunches and dead lifts — and amps up their difficulty each week to keep your muscles challenged. Pair these exercises with active rest (keeping your heart rate up during your "rest" time between sets) and you'll be eager to jump start your workout and fitness goals.

Do this workout three times a week for a month, along with at least two hours of cardio a week, for the best results.

Hard Body Circuit

Perform this routine three times through, resting between sets for a few minutes. Unless otherwise specified, do 12-15 reps of each exercise, using a weight that is challenging but doable for a high number of reps. Rest time is active rest time, so you should be moving constantly!

1. Walking Lunge
Works glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Step forward several feet with your right foot, and bend down until your right leg forms a 90-degree angle and your left knee almost touches the floor. Push off your left foot and your bring legs together. Repeat on the opposite side.

Week 1 Regular, with dumbbells. Hold a weight in each hand, arms at your sides.

2. Plank
Works abs, back
Lie facedown on a mat. Push off from your chest, resting on your forearms and toes. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

Week 1 Hold the plank position for 30 seconds.

3. Pushup
Works chest, shoulders, abs, triceps
Lie facedown with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and your feet together. Keeping your body straight, push up.

Week 1 Regular

4. Squat
Works quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves
Use a stability ball to support you during this series. Place the ball between your lower back and a wall. Put your feet a foot or two in front of you and slowly squat down until your butt is parallel with the floor, letting the ball roll up your back.

Week 1 Regular, hands at your sides

5. Crunch
Works abs, back
Lie on your back with your legs bent, hands behind your head and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your neck relaxed, roll your upper back off the floor and then slowly return to starting position.

Week 1 Regular

6. Dead Lift
Works quads, hamstrings, glutes, lower back
Stand upright, your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs as you lower down, keeping your back straight and chest out. Slowly return to starting position.

Week 1 Regular, with dumbbells

Rest 3 minutes before beginning the circuit again. Be sure to consult our trainers if you have any questions and stay tuned for the next four weeks for more moves! 

Meet a Personal Trainer!

Suzanna Frank, an elite trainer at Gold’s Gym Prestige Dix30, describes her life as being extremely active. Her sporty lifestyle isn’t a recent phenomenon of course, for Suzanna exercise and movement were essential to her spirit from day one: “I was one of those kids that never stopped moving and got on everyone’s nerves!” In fact, in her youth Suzanna earned the impressive title of Junior Judo Champion in her homeland of Hungary.

Suzanna’s training style is to focus on her client’s goals and then work on achieving visible results. “I don’t go halfway,” says Suzanna, “if you train with me, we work to see results.” Suzanna works you hard but one of her mottos is: “You are inside your own body, not me, so you have to guide me through your process”. In other words, if you’re able to do more or feeling really sore…let her know!

Suzanna prefers to train her clients on two primary systems: the Power Plate and Kinesis. Kinesis, a system used by tennis players and golfers, tones your muscles without the strain of traditional weights through its multi-angle pulley system and the Power Plate stimulates your muscles so that you’re working exponentially harder and get faster results.

Suzanna doesn’t promise miracles, but she’s confident that with her help, you can lose weight, gain muscle mass, or reach any personal fitness goal that you have.

Come see Suzanna at Gold's Gym Dix30 today!

GOLD'S GYM PRESTIGE 12-WEEK CHALLENGE

GET THE BODY OF YOUR DREAMS AND YOU COULD WIN $2000!! OUR AMAZING STAFF WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH YOUR WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGES! 

ENROLLMENT BEGINS FEBRUARY 21, FEBRUARY 28, MARCH 7 AND MARCH 21! 

SEE RECEPTION FOR FURTHER DETAILS...

Khanh Le "before"

Khanh Le "after"

Valérie "before"

Valérie "after"

"Adriana Lima Gets Me to the Gym!" Part Two of Interview with Olivia Ambar

Adriana Lima for Victoria's Secret

GGP: Everyone knows it's tough to get to the gym! How do you stay motivated in your day-to-day life?

OA: It's kind of funny to say this but on my phone wallpaper I have a picture of (model) Adriana Lima and so every morning when I wake up (to my phone alarm), I see a picture of her and her beautiful body, and it motivates me to not gain weight, stay in shape and get to the gym!

GGP: Even while admiring Adriana Lima, do you still find ways to acknowledge your own body type and value its uniqueness?

OA: Oh yeah, the pictures are just for motivation. I know how I feel in my body and how I like to fit in my clothes and so my intention isn't to copy her or compare myself to her because I know when I'm comfortable and happy with myself.

GGP: How do you push yourself to the next level?

OA: When I'm with a trainer, it's really him or her that gets me to go further because when it's not enough, they push you to do more but on my own, when I see that it's getting too easy and I'm not challenged anymore, I know it's time to change it up. But you know, there's always an opportunity to do more, I'm not my own best trainer, so I think it's useful to return to a trainer periodically to update and challenge myself.

GGP: Do you consider yourself a success at this point?

OA: No, not yet! I'm on the journey but I still have a lot of things that I want to achieve.

Staying in Shape with Olivia Ambar and Gold's Gym Prestige!

In 2008, on the fifth season of TVA's popular reality show "Occupation Double", the French-speaking world met the young, beautiful Olivia Ambar. Ambar, a naturalized Canadian citizen who grew up in France, was eliminated from the show in its fourth week, but clearly left an impression on viewers who not only created a Facebook Fan page for her but continued to record her every move in Montreal gossip blogs where it was rumoured she was dating a certain Montréal Canadiens hockey player.

We interviewed Olivia to find out how she got in shape for her TV appearances and modeling shoots, and how she continues to stay motivated.

Gold's Gym Prestige: What first motivated you to start going to a gym?
Olivia Ambar: Well I like to feel strong and healthy and I feel stronger when I'm training plus I do a lot of photo shoots and need to look good for the camera and be in shape.

GGP: Do you always have a trainer when you work out or do you train alone?
OA: For now, I go alone, but when I first came to Gold's I had a trainer for six months and loved it. When I started working out, I had a lot to learn about the different equipment and techniques so I chose to invest in a trainer. Later, my priorities shifted and I decided to train on my own so I could use the extra money for traveling and savings. But if I have the choice, I prefer to use a trainer so I'll likely return to working with one in the near future.

GGP: Do you feel there's a big difference in how motivated you feel when you work out alone versus when you work out with a trainer?
OA: Yeah, especially on the machines where I might not push myself as hard compared to when a trainer is with me. When I'm not working out with a trainer, I prefer to go to the different classes (at Gold's), especially the spinning classes.

For the rest of this interview, stay tuned to Gold's Gym Prestige's blog...!