Rich Gaspari is a true legend of the sport.

Rich “The Dragon Slayer” Gaspari is perhaps one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time to never hold the title of Mr. Olympia. The man was and still is a mountain of muscular might with unique vascularity and a confidence that brought him a great number of championships. At age 51 the bodybuilding legend is still in tremendous shape that could even put younger men to shame. Just how did Gaspari, a man stricken with mononucleosis in his youth, become one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time?

Comic books. Sure it wasn’t his only reason, but Rich was an avid fan of comic book superheroes, particularly the Incredible Hulk. Though he may have been stricken by illness, Gaspari’s strong will helped him to persevere. Fictional characters would not be his only motivation for getting into shape. His father, a man with similarly powerful genetics, also proved to be inspirational to the legend. His father was strong in both body and mind from his time as a mason. Being small and sickly as a youth, Gaspari looked to characters like the Hulk, his hard working father, and the legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, for inspiration to one day shed his image of afflicted weakling and become a bonafide force of nature in the bodybuilding world.

His journey began at around age 13 when he started lifting weights and within just a few years of training he entered his first competition. He may not have won, but his thirst for knowledge and hunger for greatness had him seeking out ways on how to improve for the next time his stood on stage. It was that kind of mentality that led him to winning the Mr. Universe title at the age of 21.

 

Gaspari would go on to win other major titles and compete at the Mr. Olympia alongside the all time great Lee Haney. Though he may have come up short to Haney in three consecutive Olympia contests, there’s no question that Gaspari is amongst the best to ever have competed in the sport.

What made Gaspari such a force to be reckoned with was his powerful chest and chiseled abs. Take a look at the Dragon Slayer’s chest and ab workout to see how the bodybuilding legend carved out his shredded form in the gym.

Chest and Abs Workout

Chest

Incline Dumbbell Press – 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Flyes – 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Cable Flyes (decline) – 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Superset
Dumbbell Bench Press – 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Butterfly Pec Deck -4 sets, 8-10 reps

Abs

Crunches – 4 sets, 25-30 reps
Hanging Leg Raise – 4 sets, 25-30 reps

Try out The Dragon Slayer’s routine, the same routine he uses today, and see your chest and abs get ripped. Let us know you progress in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.