Bodybuilding's Dark Side: Why Young Athletes Die | Rich Gaspari DSH #801

Summary

Digital Social Hour – Episode #801: Bodybuilding's Dark Side: Why Young Athletes Die | Featuring Rich Gaspari

Release Date: October 13, 2024

In this enlightening episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly delves deep into the often-overlooked challenges within the bodybuilding industry by interviewing the legendary Rich Gaspari. Rich, a renowned professional bodybuilder turned successful entrepreneur, shares his journey, insights, and concerns about the dark side of bodybuilding, particularly focusing on the tragic trend of young athletes succumbing to the sport's pressures.

---

1. Early Life and Bodybuilding Beginnings

Rich Gaspari's passion for bodybuilding ignited at a young age. Reflecting on his early days, he recounts:

Rich Gaspari [01:02]: "I was sneaking into the Livingston College gym, which was part of Rutgers, when I was just 13 years old."

His dedication was evident as he committed to building his physique despite skepticism about his genetic potential.

---

2. Bodybuilding as a Science: Nutrition and Training

Rich emphasizes the importance of discipline and scientific approach in bodybuilding. He states:

Rich Gaspari [04:07]: "It's 24/7 that, you know, you have to sleep right, you have to eat right, you have to train."

His academic background as a pre-med student at Rutgers provided him with a unique edge, allowing him to approach bodybuilding with a scientific mindset. Rich credits this methodology for his success, highlighting that "nutrition is 75% of getting in shape and building a body" ([06:02]).

---

3. The Dark Side: Steroid Abuse and Health Risks

Addressing the critical issue of steroid abuse, Rich sheds light on its devastating impact on young athletes:

Rich Gaspari [08:04]: "There is an abuse in steroids that are used... guys are dying in their 20s and 30s because they're taking very, very high doses."

He warns against the misuse of harsh steroids like Trembolone, explaining the severe health consequences such as liver damage, strokes, and increased hemoglobin levels ([08:40]).

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4. Transition from Bodybuilder to Entrepreneur

An unforeseen injury led Rich to pivot from competitive bodybuilding to entrepreneurship. After rupturing a disc and facing paralysis, he found a new calling:

Rich Gaspari [10:40]: "I started a supplement company... I said, I can't use my body to make money now. I gotta use my brain."

This transition not only saved his career but also laid the foundation for what would become Gaspari Nutrition, a globally recognized supplement brand.

---

5. Building Gaspari Nutrition

Rich discusses the challenges and triumphs of establishing Gaspari Nutrition:

Rich Gaspari [11:16]: "My company at one point was valued at over 100 million. I was in over 70 countries."

He attributes the brand's success to building strong personal relationships and maintaining a legacy in the saturated supplement market. Rich advises caution to aspiring entrepreneurs:

Rich Gaspari [11:59]: "Don't get into it because it's a very difficult market to make money... I've seen so many people fail."

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6. Navigating a Saturated Supplement Market

With the supplement industry becoming increasingly competitive, Rich highlights the necessity of innovation and brand legacy:

Rich Gaspari [11:49]: "It's such a saturated market. The margins have eroded. You have to be a lot smarter."

His approach of traveling globally to meet distributors personally set Gaspari Nutrition apart, fostering trust and loyalty among consumers ([12:14]).

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7. Mentoring the Next Generation of Athletes

Rich takes pride in mentoring successful athletes like Flex Lewis and Hina Yamagishi, demonstrating his commitment to giving back to the bodybuilding community:

Rich Gaspari [15:07]: "I enjoy mentoring... it's great to see these people that were under my wing that are successful."

He emphasizes the importance of spreading knowledge and supporting others to achieve greatness ([15:30]).

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8. Personal Life: Family and Legacy

Beyond his professional achievements, Rich shares heartfelt insights about his family:

Rich Gaspari [26:05]: "I have a four-year-old son... I see that this kid's going to be something really special when he grows up."

He balances his demanding career with being a dedicated father, highlighting the personal sacrifices and joys that come with success ([26:04]).

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9. Reflections on Success and Maintaining Humility

Rich candidly reflects on his journey, acknowledging past mistakes and the importance of staying grounded:

Rich Gaspari [15:50]: "I went in the wrong direction some of the time... today I'm much wiser in learning from those mistakes."

He advises current athletes and entrepreneurs to prioritize passion and continuous learning over fleeting success ([13:25]).

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10. Conclusion: A Cautionary Tale and Inspirational Journey

Rich Gaspari's story is a powerful testament to resilience, intelligence, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. While celebrating his achievements, he also serves as a cautionary voice against the perils of steroid abuse and the pressures faced by young bodybuilders. His transition from athlete to a successful entrepreneur underscores the importance of adaptability and leveraging one's knowledge for long-term success.

Rich Gaspari [27:59]: "I want to retire. Not that I want to retire. I'll always work, but enjoy doing it where it's not about the money, it's more about building."

Through his narrative, Rich Gaspari not only inspires but also educates listeners on the multifaceted nature of bodybuilding, urging a balanced approach to health, discipline, and personal growth.

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Notable Quotes:

• Rich Gaspari [04:07]: "It's 24/7 that, you know, you have to sleep right, you have to eat right, you have to train."
• Rich Gaspari [08:04]: "There is an abuse in steroids that are used... guys are dying in their 20s and 30s because they're taking very, very high doses."
• Rich Gaspari [11:16]: "My company at one point was valued at over 100 million."
• Rich Gaspari [26:05]: "I have a four-year-old son... I see that this kid's going to be something really special when he grows up."

---

Rich Gaspari's journey encapsulates the highs and lows of the bodybuilding world, offering valuable lessons on perseverance, ethical practices, and the importance of a well-rounded approach to both personal and professional life.

Transcript

[Rish Gaspari]

You're spending years before you even get recognized. Like, it is a lot of discipline and hard work. Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

It takes years of building up, you know, a body. And then it's also the knowledge of nutrition. You know, you have to sleep. Right. You have to eat, right. You have to train. Right? And all that has to be continuous year after year after year, as you make gains.

[Rish Gaspari]

Ladies and gentlemen, Rish Gaspar here today. Got a legend in the building. From Jersey.

[Unknown]

Yeah, right.

[Rich Gaspari]

From. I didn't really realize. You told me you were born in the same town as I was born. You're a Central Jersey guy. Like, from. I. You know, I was. I born and raised. I was born in New Brunswick, but I was raised in Edison.

[Rish Gaspari]

Nice. That's where Gary Vee was raised, too, right? Gary Vaynerchuk, was he.

[Rich Gaspari]

I didn't even know.

[Rish Gaspari]

I'm glad you said Central Jersey, too, because people give me for saying that, but it exists, guys. Come on now. Central Jersey people say north or south? I'm like, nah, no, we're central.

[Rich Gaspari]

Central Bridgewater, New Jersey, Middlesex County.

[Rish Gaspari]

And what age did you start getting into lifting?

[Rich Gaspari]

I was pretty young. Like, you know, I was sneaking into the Livingston College gym, which was part of Rutgers. I was like, 13 years old.

[Rish Gaspari]

Damn. So they didn't question you?

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah, they. Well, what happened was they would leave the door open into this. It was like a big, you know, warehouse, and the gym was in there, so I would see the doors open. I kind of opened the door and just start training. And I guess they thought I was a student, but, I mean, I looked young, so I just thought maybe I just look young for a college student. But then eventually, one of the guys go, like, do you belong in a school? And I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Where's your id? I'm like, oh, I didn't bring it with me.

[Rish Gaspari]

That's funny, man.

[Rich Gaspari]

But, yeah, I started training in that gym because they had. You know, back then, there was not many gyms like it is today.

[Rish Gaspari]

The gym, they're everywhere.

[Rich Gaspari]

Everywhere. So it was basically, you know, a gym with the universal and free weights and stuff. So I got into going in there and training. I was. I. I was on a mission to be a Pro bodybuilder.

[Rish Gaspari]

At 13, you were already.

[Rich Gaspari]

I knew my destiny. The first time I saw Muscle Magazine, I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Hulk, Lu Fergno. And I saw a magazine. I was. I was playing ball with my friend, and then I happened to go into his basement. He had a stack of magazines all These muscle builder magazines.

[Rish Gaspari]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I went and started looking at him and for me, I started looking at these bodybuilders. I'm like, how does someone get like that? They look like superheroes, like these big muscular guys. So I started reading the magazines and then I started going to my friend's house just to get to read these magazines. Yeah, not really play with them, but I wanted to read the magazines. You know, I was like, oh, come on, let's play ball. I want to read these magazines.

[Rish Gaspari]

Yeah, they were popping back in the day. I just saw Sports Illustrated go under recently. But I feel like magazines these days aren't really.

[Rich Gaspari]

It's a shame, you know, I've been on close to 100 covers.

[Rish Gaspari]

Damn.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, as a, as a pro bodybuilder and now it doesn't mean anything, you know?

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Back in the day though, they were hot.

[Rich Gaspari]

It was everything. And that's how I was globally known as a, as a pro bodybuilder. Once, once I turned pro, winning Mr. Universe and I started competing in the professional shows, you know, which was the Mr. Olympia Grand Prix shows. That was basically growing my awareness where Joe Weider was the guy who ran bodybuilding. Yeah, but he had magazines all over. You had the American magazine, but then other countries would put it into their language. So then I would have covers all over the world.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

The thing that fascinates me with, with bodybuilding in particular is you're spending years before you even get recognized. Like it is a lot of discipline and hard work.

[Rich Gaspari]

Right, A lot of work, discipline, diet, just like, you know, I was talking about earlier. I was this 13 year old kid working out the gym, trying to do something to build some muscle. I didn't really see, you know, results until I was about 15 or 16. And then I started competing as a teenager back in the day. But yeah, it takes, it takes years of building up, you know, a body. And then it's also the knowledge of nutrition. It's not something where, you know, athletes just go and train. It's 24,7 that, you know, you have to sleep right, you have to eat right, you have to train. Right. And all that has to be continuous year after year after year as you make gains.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rish Gaspari]

And it sounds like for you money wasn't the number one reason you were doing this at the beginning.

[Rich Gaspari]

It wasn't about money. It was more about. I wanted to be the best bodybuilder in the world. And I was always told that I couldn't do it. There's another thing I Was known to. I was very, very skinny when I started.

[Rish Gaspari]

Okay.

[Rich Gaspari]

And you know, they told me I didn't have the genetics to be a bodybuilder, but I said, no, I can do it. I looked, you know, I read about other mag, you know, other bodybuilders in the magazine that they had, you know, they didn't have great genetics but they were able to build their bodies. So I studied it a lot when I was going to Rutgers University, I was a pre med student.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I was very much into, you know, I was on the dean's list and I was studying, you know, everything from nutrition to, you know, biochemistry. But I took everything, even in bodybuilding, I took it as a science. So everything I did when it came to nutrition or training with biomechanics, I took it as a science to be the best that I can be.

[Rish Gaspari]

Yeah, I think that's probably what separated you from other bodybuilders was the studying aspect.

[Rich Gaspari]

That was the thing. Because, you know, everyone sees someone with muscles and they think they're just a dumb muscle. And you know, you look at someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger is very intelligent, you know, but although for me, I took advantage of being this known as a dumb muscle head, but then behind I was a lot smarter. But, you know, I changed a lot of things in bodybuilding because when I started competing, the bodybuilders had very little knowledge on nutrition. So I studied more nutrition. One of the nutritionists I studied was Barry Sears, who believed in a 40, 40, 20 diet. Yeah, 40% protein, 40% complex carbs, 20% fat. And from that I used that as in my bodybuilding career instead of some of these guys. Just eat a lot of protein, don't eat carbs. That's how you get ripped. When you want to eat, just eat whatever you can eat to build, you know, bulk up. And I found like there's a science to how do you build muscle more effectively and efficiently. And it all comes down to nutrition. I believe 75% of getting in shape and building a body. So with nutrition, I love that.

[Rish Gaspari]

That's actually a big percent.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yes.

[Rish Gaspari]

Because a lot of people focus just on the fitness part.

[Rich Gaspari]

You could do all the training in the world and if you're not eating properly, it's, you're not going to make gains whether you want to lose body fat or whether you want to gain muscle. And believe it or not, because I was a really skinny guy, the hardest part for me was gaining muscle. And I was slowly increasing my caloric intake to try to Eat. And it's not eating McDonald's and pizza. It was eating healthy foods and bringing up my calories slowly so that my body acclimated to the calories so that those calories are used to build muscle and not build fat, you know? You know, build fatter.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I started on diets where eventually for me to get myself to be at about off season, around 245 to 50, I had to eat about 8,000, 7,500 to 8,000 calories a day.

[Rish Gaspari]

And that's healthy calories.

[Rich Gaspari]

And that's healthy calories. So let's see you eat like a pound of beef, you know, a whole chicken. I would. I would eat like, you know, two dozen eggs. Holy egg whites. Because I was, you know, limiting my fats, but eating high proteins and then eating only complex carbs. Not. Not simple carbs, not white sugar, not refined carbohydrates, you know, you know, I was eating brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

Some fruits. But when you try to eat healthy like that, eating 7, 500 calories, it's really, really hard.

[Unknown]

I bet.

[Rish Gaspari]

Dude, I don't think I can do that every day. And you did that for years, right?

[Rich Gaspari]

Did that for years.

[Rish Gaspari]

And then you would have to cut that weight in a certain amount of time.

[Rich Gaspari]

And then you would cut the weight and go, say, from 7, 500. And then because I would, I sped up my metabolism to be able to get acclimated to eating that much. I can diet on 3,000 calories, which still is a drop almost over half of what you're normally eating. Where a lot of people today, if you look what they're eating, average person doesn't eat enough. They eat probably around 17, 18, maybe 2,000 calories. Guys that are fat are usually eating a lot of the junk food or drinking a lot of soda and juices, and that's why they get fat.

[Rish Gaspari]

Yeah, that makes sense. It seems like every year there's a bodybuilder that passes away at a super young age. 20s, 30s. Why do you think that is?

[Rich Gaspari]

Well, from when I competed in bodybuilding and today, I mean, there is an abuse in steroids that are used. And, you know, listen, I'm not gonna deny that I didn't take steroids when I competed as a professional bodybuilder, but the doses that we used were much, much less. I'm still healthy, you know, at, you know, turning 60, I'm still healthy, in great shape. Training every day where guys are dying in their 20s and 30s because they're taking very, very high doses. It's funny now because you go on social media and see all these young kids talking about trend Tremblone.

[Rish Gaspari]

Yeah, I've seen that.

[Rich Gaspari]

And tremblone is like a really harsh steroid. And I've never taken even Tremblone when I competed. And when you read all the side effects that there is and these kids are taking it that haven't even, they're not even competing and they're just using tremble Tremblone for fun, you know, to use it and changes your attitude mentally is very toxic to the body. So, yeah, there's bodybuilders that are dying right now because they're abusing, you know, the whole, you know, steroids that are crazy.

[Rish Gaspari]

And people are injecting testosterone rather than focusing on what's causing low testosterone.

[Rich Gaspari]

And that's the thing. I mean, there, see, this is the thing. Testosterone should not be demonized when used properly. A guy my age, my testosterone levels are a lot lower than your test, than your testosterone. But what's found that when your testosterone goes lower and lower, you decrease muscle mass. There's a lot of other side effects, depression. So I go to a doctor who looks at what my free testosterone or my total testosterone is, and all I want to do is get it back to normal. So smaller doses that are prescribed by a doctor for health purposes, then it's not dangerous. But when a bodybuilder or a kid takes Testosterone, it takes 3, 4, 5, 6 times the doses what they should take. Then you're going to have adverse effects. You know, you're, you're going to increase hemoglobin or red blood cell count that's going to cause you to have a stroke.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

You're going to have liver damage. And a lot of these other things that happen from taking high doses.

[Rish Gaspari]

That's scary. Did you have any major injuries or health problems?

[Rich Gaspari]

I, I, well, nothing from steroids, but, you know, I've had some major injuries. What retired me is I basically, I was lifting very heavy weights. My, my best lifts, like on squats were 785, 525. I'm still, you know, pretty strong. But what happened is I ruptured a disc in my 30s when I was competing. And with that, it, it ruptured the disc. I caused total paralysis in my right.

[Unknown]

Oh, wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

And it basically put me into retirement.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

But while I was in bed, you know, saying, okay, I was making money off my body as a bodybuilder, what am I going to do? So I'm like, okay, I love, you know, the science of bodybuilding. I love the nutrition part of bodybuilding. And back then, supplementation was coming out more and more. So what did I do? I started a supplement company.

[Rish Gaspari]

Smart.

[Rich Gaspari]

And, and that's what I did. And, and sometimes I tell people, you know, getting injured and having this ruptured disc so that I was in bed for like three months was a blessing in disguise because I said, I can't use my body to make money now. I gotta use my brain.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

And that's how I started my supplement company.

[Rish Gaspari]

And you ended up making more off that than your whole bodybuilding.

[Rich Gaspari]

I made. You know, my company at one point was valued at over 100 million.

[Rish Gaspari]

Holy crap.

[Rich Gaspari]

I was in over 70 countries. We still are a global company in a lot of countries.

[Rish Gaspari]

Nice.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, I was, I was talking earlier that what happened to the supplement industry is because guys like me were in the forefront and making money.

[Rish Gaspari]

Now everybody wants to get so saturated.

[Rich Gaspari]

So it's such a saturated market. What's happening is, is we used to make really high margins in selling supplements, but what happened now is because there's so much competition, the margins have eroded.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

So you have to be a lot smarter. What's great about Gaspari Nutrition is it, it is a legacy brand. So because there's awareness of the brand, I still have sales to grow that brand.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

But I tell anyone who wants to get into the supplement business today, I say don't get into it because it's a very difficult market to make, to make money. Like, I made millions from it. And a lot of people just think they're gonna, you know, set up a brand and make millions and it doesn't happen like that.

[Rish Gaspari]

There's some big people that have tried launching their own supplement brands and hasn't.

[Rich Gaspari]

Worked out they failed. I've seen so many people fail in it. And you have to listen, you have to have, relate. You know, I'm a very relationship driven person and I've traveled the whole world to meet customers, to build up my sales. And that was part of how I grew the brand. And people like, how the hell did you get in, you know, Russia? How did you get in China? How did you get it? I went there. I would go there, meet with distributors face to face. And I felt that was the best way when you have a relationship with someone to get them to buy from you and they started selling your brand for you. And that's, that's what I did. And I just, for years, I just traveled around the world to build up my brand or travel, you know, in the United States at different places to build up the brand.

[Rish Gaspari]

Yeah, there's certain old school techniques that I try to do, like going to conferences, flying in person to meet face to face. I feel like it's a lost art these days with social media.

[Rich Gaspari]

It is so lost. And believe me, now I can learn from you. There's a lot more ways of making money now through social media and all the social networking and I've learned that as well because I said, you know what, I'm an old dog, but I have to learn new tricks.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

To build up and make more money.

[Rish Gaspari]

Do you still have the same hunger to make money?

[Rich Gaspari]

I really much enjoy what I do. You know, I've been, listen, I've been around a long time, so I've been through my ups and downs and had some, you know, issues. I personally with divorce and losing millions of dollars and then trying to, you know, gain back millions of dollars. So a lot of things have happened, but I still have a hunger because I enjoy what I do.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, I believe that being fit helps a lot because there's guys at my age that are totally, it's just a mess.

[Rish Gaspari]

Most guys your age.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah, they're just a mess. They're not, you know, they're not training, you know, they're like lazy, you know, I'm up at 5:30 in the morning every day, going to the gym in the morning, starting my day at 8:00 to, you know, work. And I'm very, I'm a very scheduled person and dedicated person to, you know, being structured. And I believe that structure is a big part of my success. And that's probably because of bodybuilding. You have to be very structured to be a great bodybuilder. So if you can take those attributes and put it into business, you can be successful. But constantly learning and evolving is very important because as you know, the market constantly changes and how you can make money today.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

So it doesn't sound like retirement in the books anytime soon.

[Rich Gaspari]

No, no, I, listen, I went to Italy and there's a, there's a guy, he's a, he's a, he's a famous producer of equipment called Rudy Panata. The equipment's Panada. He's, he's, he's making hundreds of millions making a brand. I went to go see, me, 72 years old, still training every day and still building the business and how he's going to get that business bigger. And I look at that and I said, well, this guy's 72, and he's still doing it, But I do it because I enjoy doing it, just like I see him doing it. So I said, as long as I can enjoy working, I'll continue to work.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rish Gaspari]

And I saw your mentoring some people. Flex Lewis is one of your clients, right?

[Rich Gaspari]

He was one of my. He was one of my athletes that I mentored. Hina Yamagishi, another athlete that I've mentored. I mentored many, many athletes.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

And I enjoy doing that. And, you know, it's great to see these people that were under my wing that are successful.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Financially, that's cool, because you could have just not helped out anyone. You could have just kept that information for yourself, but you chose to spread it.

[Rich Gaspari]

I'd rather spread the knowledge. And I still believe in doing that to helping people. Because it comes back to you tenfold.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

I do believe in that. I mean, you know, it's. It's. For me, even though I'm older, I. I don't feel I'm old. But, you know, people get to meet me, say, wow, you're the legend. You're Rich Gaspari. But for me, I'm just Rich Gaspari.

[Rish Gaspari]

I love that, man.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Because you probably had some battles with ego as you were winning competitions.

[Rich Gaspari]

You got to understand, I turned pro when I was 20 years old, so I was a very young pro, and then I got to travel the world. But, you know, when you're that young, a lot of times you make mistakes.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, because your ego goes too high. And that's kind of what happened in my life, you know, where I went in the wrong direction some of the time. And that's why today I'm much wiser in learning from those mistakes when I was younger, and I try to mentor even the guys that are very successful, saying, listen, here's the things that I did that you shouldn't do. I love happened to me.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Well, now it's amplified because of social media. So your ego is just 10 times bigger.

[Rich Gaspari]

It becomes so.

[Rish Gaspari]

Because if you get followers, you get views, you think you're the shit.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yes, exactly.

[Rish Gaspari]

You got to stay grounded, though, man. What age were you when you won your first competition?

[Rich Gaspari]

I was 17 years old, and I won a teenage competition. It was funny because I won the teenage competition at 17 years old. Then a year later, I went into another teenage competition. And what happened was I went. Because I was still a teenager, I said, let me compete in this show. I ended up winning the show and the heavyweight Happened to be a teenager that I beat. He went into the men's division and won the men's overall.

[Rish Gaspari]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I stayed as a teenage state in the teenage division, which I could have also won the men's division at 18. So I go, I'm 18, and this guy that I beat, you know, beat the men. So that means I must be pretty good. And, you know, when I was in New Jersey competing, a lot of guys would say, you know, you're just a big fish in a little pond.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I was like, what do you mean? I'm a big fish in a little pine. You can't beat all these guys, you know, Lou Fringno, all these different names. But I'm Platz.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I'm like, where these guys live? They live in California. So the mecca of bodybuilding now. It's not now bodybuilding spread everywhere. Actually, Las Vegas is now the Mecca. Bodybuilding, believe it or not. Yet more. More gyms here for bodybuilding. The Olympia's been here many, many years. But anyways, it was Venice, California. So I moved to Venice, California, because I said, you know what? I'm gonna beat all the top guys. I don't want to be a big fish in a little pond. I want to be a big fish in a big pond. So I moved to California to then start, you know, training and competing into the bigger shows.

[Rish Gaspari]

Interesting, the scoring. I'm interested in how they judge it because for me, I don't know much about the sport, but it's seems hard to judge that kind of stuff. Is it subjective?

[Rich Gaspari]

It's very subjective. But, you know, they basically judge on symmetry, balance, shape, aesthetics, definition. So all these things come into factor, you know, what's pleasing to the eye. There's two different types of physiques. You know, you have a Nepal and physique, which is more like a classic, you know, small waist. And then you have, you know, a Herculean physique, which is like a bigger type of body. And it. It on a day, whether those judges like more the aesthetic physique or more that really big physique, depends. You know, you can have a set of judges that'll vote for this guy one time and then the next day vote for the other guy.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

Because it's all that matter. As you said. It's. It's not. It's not something like when you. You get a touchdown in football.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

It's all subjective.

[Rish Gaspari]

That's what I mean.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

As a judge, what if you're friends with the. The Guy competing, you know what I mean?

[Rich Gaspari]

Well, that doesn't happen as much. You know, judges try to stay clear. I actually, I became a judge.

[Rish Gaspari]

Oh, nice.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, after I retired, what happened was I was, I had my athletes like Hide Yamagishi and Flex Lewis were my athletes.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I started judging and I did it more because I had a passion for the sport. So I got to judge Flex and because they were my athletes.

[Rish Gaspari]

You would give them tens.

[Rich Gaspari]

No, no, that was the difference. I ended up scoring them lower because I was so critical really on them that my scores were actually lower than what the other scores because I thought people are going to say like, oh, you're going to favor those guys because you're athletes. But I ended up getting a lot of, you know, flack from people saying, you should be judging. So I stopped judging. But I did it more because I enjoyed the passion of the sport to help and you know, I have a good eye for it, but I just said, no, I'm not going to do this.

[Rish Gaspari]

I know you got runner up a few times. Any losses? Three times for Mr. Olympia.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rish Gaspari]

So any of those losses still, still eat at you?

[Rich Gaspari]

I mean, listen, I'm. The person that beat me was an eight time Mr. Olympia. There's only two bodybuilders to get eight time Mr. Olympia, and that's Lee Haney. That's the guy I competed with and Ronnie Coleman. When I competed against Lee Haney, I told you I moved to California. Lee Haney was already five or six years older than me. He saw me in the gym, he was already pro. I wasn't a pro yet, I was an amateur.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

He saw how hard I trained and basically came up to me, said, hey kid, I'd love you to train with me and be my training partner. For me it was like, I'm going to learn from this top pro to be better now. Little did he know that a year later I'd be competing against him. But he was my men, I have to say, he was my mentor. And so the guy I lost against ended up becoming or beating Arnold Schwarzenegger's record and being one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time still to this day. So I don't feel as bad getting second place to one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. So it just meant that I was the second best bodybuilder of all time.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, but you know, I've won a lot of shows that I'm really proud of. I'm the first Arnold Classic winner. That's one of the biggest shows I won. Mr. World, Mr. Universe.

[Rish Gaspari]

Nice.

[Rich Gaspari]

And all these titles. You know, it was something that I also proved that even though they told me I didn't have the Gen X or they said I couldn't be the best, I ended up beating so many of the best genetically gifted bodybuilders in the world. You know, why is all mentality and in the sport, if you have a good mentality, you know, in competing and that's what I had, I was able to beat much, much better guys. Yeah, I was able to prepare more. I put all science into what I did when I competed with. When it came to the diet and my complex carbohydrates, writing down everything I did, how I trained, doing, you know, how I slept, leaving no stones unturned when it came to, like, presentation and posing and my hair color, everything.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

So when you put all those together, you ended up making a better package.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, to win.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Work ethic in your drive, man. Because there's certain genetics, like they had more muscle or something. Their bone density, density was lighter. Stuff like that you can't control, right?

[Rich Gaspari]

No. And. And that's the thing. Like, you know, Lee Haney had the combination of everything. He had the genetics and the drive.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

So then it was very hard to beat a guy like that. But there was a lot of guys that had great genetics, could just lift the weight and build muscle. Those are the guys. They didn't have the right drive and mentality. Yeah, those are just guys that I could beat.

[Rish Gaspari]

You see that in every sport, too?

[Rich Gaspari]

Oh, definitely. You see guys that have that mental drive and tenacity to be great and because they work so hard, end up being much better athletes than the guys who have more genetics.

[Rish Gaspari]

Absolutely. How tough was the transition for you after that injury, getting into business world?

[Rich Gaspari]

It was really, really hard. The transition for a lot of athletes to go from athlete to going into another world where you're not an athlete anymore. And it's very hard. Like, when I was competing in bodybuilding, I had the red carpet out. Going to any place that I went to, like, gyms, they just opened the door for me. So when I started my supplement line, I started saying, well, everybody was giving, you know, putting out the red carpet for me. So if I go to all these gyms, they're gonna. They're gonna definitely buy. When I found out that wasn't true, so I went to these places and I went door to door to door to door. And let me tell you something. It was a setback because when I got the injury, I had. I had Weider contracts, I was making money. I was living very well in my. In my 20s, where. And I was driving around a Porsche, beautiful house on the water, and then I lost it all because of the injury. So I had to move back to my parents house in my mid-20s, start over again. And it was really hard. And I took the car, you know, the Porsche I had. I bought a minivan so that I can use it to make deliveries with this brand that I took all my money and then started this business out of my parents basement.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

And grew it from there.

[Unknown]

Damn.

[Rish Gaspari]

That sounds like a really humbling experience.

[Rich Gaspari]

And that's the hard part about people, you know, taking those steps to go three steps back, to go four steps forward.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Rich Gaspari]

A lot of people make it very, very difficult because they're so used to being treated a certain way as an athlete. So then where I was wind and dine, as an entrepreneur, I have to wind and dine now my customers to get them to buy for me. And that's a much different experience than doing that, than trying to have somebody just doing anything for you.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, and that's what I was. And that's what I was happening when I was an athlete. And then as an entrepreneur, it all changed.

[Rish Gaspari]

Absolutely. I know you're a fan of the ufc. You've done some stuff with them. Did you ever have to put your body to work and fight someone?

[Rich Gaspari]

No, I never had anything to do with fighting anybody. I've never got into, you know, ufc. I enjoy watching it, but I'm, you know, that's one thing I'm not. I'm not. I'm a wimp when it comes to fighting.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Some people have so much muscle, but they can't fight.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah. And I don't claim to be a fighter.

[Rish Gaspari]

Yeah, people get heated in the gym. I've seen gym fights on, like, Instagram.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah. Really?

[Rish Gaspari]

All the steroid guys or whatever. But no one ever challenged you. That's interesting.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah. I'm not. I'm not a. I'm not a provocative guy that starts fights and.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

And if a guy's getting antsy with me, I usually can tone down the fighting. And, you know, I let people not, you know, win, but win mentally.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

So I don't get into fights because what the hell fights do for you?

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Make them think they won, but really, who cares?

[Rich Gaspari]

Step away from it.

[Rish Gaspari]

Who are your favorite fighters to watch in the ufc?

[Rich Gaspari]

That's A good question. I mean, you know, I had an athlete that was, I actually sponsored was Frankie Edgar. And what I liked about Frankie Edgar, he was like the Rocky Balboa of the ufc because he was get. He would get beaten and then come back and then beat his opponents. That's kind of why I liked him. And plus he was a Gasparri athlete.

[Rish Gaspari]

Nice.

[Rich Gaspari]

That I had, you know, for Gasparry. So that was a good one. I had Ronda Rousey as an athlete as well.

[Rish Gaspari]

Killed it.

[Rich Gaspari]

I signed up, I signed her up with Gaspari Nutrition before she turned pro.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rish Gaspari]

So you found her early.

[Rich Gaspari]

I found her early. And then she got. She not pro, but win the championships.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

Then when she got championships, you know, she was doing this, you know, endorsement of my brand, which I was paying her. Not nowhere near the amount of money that she was getting thrown out of her end up leaving me. But those are athletes that I had that, you know, I respected because they were, you know, for the brand.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Her story's nuts, man.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah. I mean, lived out of her car. What she, she basically before she became a champion, she was living out of her car, you know, to become this, you know, fighter. And, and then when she became a fighter and then she started winning all the fights and she. Remember she had that arm bar. Yeah, that was her technique to put everybody down and well, you can see the rest is history now that she's, you know, doing really well.

[Rish Gaspari]

She blew up and you just had a kid a few years ago.

[Rich Gaspari]

I have a four year old son. So a guy, old guy like me. Having a four year old son is not common. But you know, I love my son. He's. He's an unbelievable. Everyone said he's a clone of me because he looks like me and he's just acts like me and I see that this kid's going to be something really special when he grows up. And you know, having kids older, you respect them even more. Sometimes when you're younger, you're. You're so busy with your own life. Young. When you see, when you're older, you kind of look back and you look at these, these, this person that you're developing.

[Unknown]

Yep.

[Rich Gaspari]

Into who they're going to be.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

See that personality change, which is amazing because you can have, you know, siblings and they're all totally different on how their personalities they are and it's not something that's put by their parents, you know, their nature, nurture, you know, I think with kids. So.

[Rish Gaspari]

Absolutely.

[Rich Gaspari]

I love having my son and enjoying him and this is why. Another reason why I keep working is, you know, I want to, you know, retire. Not that I want to retire. I'll always work, but enjoy doing it where it's not about the money, it's more about building.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

What age are you going to start him lifting up?

[Rich Gaspari]

It's all. If he wants to lift. I will not force my son to get into training. You know, it's funny, my dad was totally against me getting into bodybuilding.

[Rish Gaspari]

Really?

[Rich Gaspari]

Well, I was. Okay. I'll tell you why I was, you know, I was a Rutgers student, a pre med student. I went from being a pre med student to saying, hey, dad, I'm gonna move to California to be a bodybuilder.

[Rish Gaspari]

That makes sense. That makes sense.

[Rich Gaspari]

So they were so upset with me, I said, if I don't turn pro in one year, then I'll go back to college and give up bodybuilding. Well, in that one year, I turned pro and then the rest is history.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Rich Gaspari]

You know, became this pro bodybuilder.

[Rish Gaspari]

And they supported you when you turned pro?

[Rich Gaspari]

They supported me. They didn't understand it at first.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

But when they see me traveling around the world making money, doing seminars and exhibitions and, you know, seeing that, you know, in one month I was making more money than my dad made in a year. So then they kind of like.

[Rish Gaspari]

So that's what happened to me, too. That's literally what happened to me. But it is crazy, like, yo, I'm dropping out and you pay the tuition, but I'm going to try this on my own.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah, do something. This is what I want to do. And so when you mentioned about my son, I want him to do what he wants to do, and I hope he finds a direction in what he wants to do and he finds what he wants to do, you know, of course, you want to always guide kids to do the right decisions and not just sit there and, you know, smoke pot and.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

Do nothing.

[Rish Gaspari]

That's what I did. Everyone did that in Jersey.

[Rich Gaspari]

Really?

[Rish Gaspari]

Not you probably, but everyone else did.

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Pot was big in Jersey in high school, man. There's nothing to do out there. Yeah, Jersey's a good state for families, but, like, there's not much to do.

[Rich Gaspari]

Well, down the shore is not bad.

[Rish Gaspari]

Oh, yeah, you were down the shore, right?

[Rich Gaspari]

Yeah. Well, I live now down the Jersey shore. It seems like there's more activity going on, but you're right. In the winter, it's freaking dead.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

Not like here in Vegas that there's so much to do.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

There was too much to do.

[Rish Gaspari]

Too much out here, man.

[Rich Gaspari]

And you know what you made a point is when I lived in Jersey, all I was doing was lifting weights.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

Because I isolated myself. I moved to California and I saw, wow, you know, beautiful sunshine, the beach, beautiful women. You know, I was in Los Angeles. It was. It was a bit of a distraction for sure. Said I came out here for a reason. I'm not going to get distracted by all this stuff that's going on over here. But that's what's hard. Most people get distracted.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah.

[Rish Gaspari]

Especially in LA and Vegas. Too many distractions out there. Did you run into the Jersey Shore guys when you were down the shore?

[Rich Gaspari]

They wanted to get sponsored by me, some of the guys, you know, because I grew my brand and then I looked at some of these guys to say that wasn't the kind of message I was trying to put out, you know, with my products.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Rich Gaspari]

So, yeah, I've known all. I know all those guys, but I didn't really, you know, sponsor them.

[Rish Gaspari]

I feel that was probably a good move.

[Unknown]

Rich.

[Rish Gaspari]

It's been fun, man. Anything you want to promote or close.

[Rich Gaspari]

Off with, just, you know, my brand has been around for 26 years. Aspiring nutrition. Want to get, you know, products, sports nutrition products, health products. We've grown the brand to do much, much more inspiring nutrition. I also have aspiring Ageless, which as I got older, I wanted a brand more for anti aging. That's why I came up with this. Barry Ageless.

[Rish Gaspari]

Awesome. We'll link it all in the video. Thanks for coming on, man.

[Unknown]

Thank you.

[Rish Gaspari]

Thanks for watching, guys, as always. See you tomorrow.