Erik
11-15-12, 12:02 pm
As I sit here, it's hard to believe that I have been involved in the Iron Game for twenty years. Within that time, I have been through loss, personal successes, failures and everything in between. I remember being inspired by all of the great lifters here in New Jersey but one instance sticks out in my mind above all else.
It was January of 1995 and I was 14 years old. World Gym of Bayonne was hosting a bodybuilding seminar with IFBB Pro Porter Cotrell, I was excited to go since I had never seen a pro bodybuilder up close before. When I got there, the gym was filled with bodybuilding fans from all walks of life but one group of lifters stood out above all else. There were about four or five of them, all Wearing Black jackets with the Diamond Gym logo. The Diamond Gym lifters all stood together, and they were by far the most intimidating group in the room.
I had never heard of Diamond Gym before, but I quickely realized that it must be one hardcore place since these guys looked bigger than Porter Cotrell! Each one of the Diamond Gym guys looked like they had the eye of the tiger and I couldn't help but notice how they all had huge traps bulging out of thier jackets. To be clear, these men were not built like the typical recreational bodybuilders of the time, they did not sport 28inch waists and what would be considered perfect perportions, but instead they each had a look of pure power and to me, that was far more impressive.
I later found out that the "Diamond Gym look" was due to the fact that Diamond Gym owner John Kemper was a big believer of the basic, compound lifts and most of the Diamond Gym guys followed his advice, which resulted in big, powerful lifters. I didn't make It to Diamond Gym until years later and within that time, I heard many stories of the brutally hardcore atmosphere of that infamous and legendary gym. to this day, I still consider Diamond Gym, along With Strong and Shapely, to be the epicenters of true new Jersey bodybuilding.
It was January of 1995 and I was 14 years old. World Gym of Bayonne was hosting a bodybuilding seminar with IFBB Pro Porter Cotrell, I was excited to go since I had never seen a pro bodybuilder up close before. When I got there, the gym was filled with bodybuilding fans from all walks of life but one group of lifters stood out above all else. There were about four or five of them, all Wearing Black jackets with the Diamond Gym logo. The Diamond Gym lifters all stood together, and they were by far the most intimidating group in the room.
I had never heard of Diamond Gym before, but I quickely realized that it must be one hardcore place since these guys looked bigger than Porter Cotrell! Each one of the Diamond Gym guys looked like they had the eye of the tiger and I couldn't help but notice how they all had huge traps bulging out of thier jackets. To be clear, these men were not built like the typical recreational bodybuilders of the time, they did not sport 28inch waists and what would be considered perfect perportions, but instead they each had a look of pure power and to me, that was far more impressive.
I later found out that the "Diamond Gym look" was due to the fact that Diamond Gym owner John Kemper was a big believer of the basic, compound lifts and most of the Diamond Gym guys followed his advice, which resulted in big, powerful lifters. I didn't make It to Diamond Gym until years later and within that time, I heard many stories of the brutally hardcore atmosphere of that infamous and legendary gym. to this day, I still consider Diamond Gym, along With Strong and Shapely, to be the epicenters of true new Jersey bodybuilding.