Rich Gaspari talks about the difference in how bodybuilders today train vs his time.
There has been a lot of debate about the quality of modern bodybuilding physiques compared to past eras. This is particularly true of the 1990s and early 2000s versus today. But regardless of your personal opinion on today’s bodybuilding physiques – there’s no doubt that the sport as a whole has evolved and changed decade after decade. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Rich Gaspari talks about the biggest difference in training tactics for bodybuilders today compared to his era.
Rich Gaspari is an old school bodybuilder. He trained old school even when he was in his prime. It’s the kind of mentality he always had. He’s also someone who has kept in touch with bodybuilding throughout the years even after his retirement. His dedication to Gaspari Nutrition and running the Arnold Classic Amateur competition keeps his finger on the pulse.
So during our latest video conversation with Rich, we wanted to ask him about the biggest differences between his era and today. But unlike the common debates that have been happening over the internet – we didn’t ask him about changes in physiques. Instead, we asked him what he thought were the biggest differences in how bodybuilders train today versus his era.
Rich Gaspari acknowledges that bodybuilding training and tactics have changed significantly. In his opinion, they’ve actually changed for the better.
“A lot of the mistakes we made the new guys are not making.” Rich Gaspari stated in our interview. He goes on to detail how the amount of knowledge and information bodybuilders have today is vast compared to his prime years. Some of this knowledge is due to advances in fitness science. Others are due to the internet allowing for faster and more direct ways of getting information no matter who you are or where you live.
More specifically, Rich Gaspari explains how bodybuilders today know how to push the limits of training without going too far. He details how during his prime years, he would push so far past exhaustion that he would eventually injure himself. Especially around the chest. He has a torn pec due to this. He thinks today’s bodybuilders know better than to make those kinds of mistakes.
He also believes that today’s bodybuilders know the importance of rest and take it more seriously than past bodybuilding eras. Rest is essential for muscle to repair. Without it, all the hard work in the gym becomes almost meaningless. Old school bodybuilders used to train ad nauseam with the belief that more is always better. Bodybuilders today understand the science behind it more – and make more conscious decisions regarding rest because of it.
You can watch Rich Gaspari’s comments in full by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
