Iron History

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04/09/2009 Entry: "4/10/2009: Part one of the June 29, 1988 letter from Charles A. Smith to Joe"

Part 1 of the June 29, 1988 letter from Charles A. Smith to Joe Roark

Dear Joe,
Thanks for yours post dated June 16th, arriving here yesterday, 28th. Thanks also for the enclosed copies of the Hepburn stuff.

I tore the house apart trying to find out what I had done with my copies and couldn't turn'em up. I guess when I ain't looking for them, there they will suddenly be.

Randall Strossen mentioned in one of his letters that he proposed to do an article on Doug and I told him what I knew, also intending to send him the Hepburn stuff but, as I said, was unable to find it. I recalled I had let you have it to copy and you had returned it. But thanks for your kindness, which is most appreciated. I didn't want Strossen to think I was bullshitting him when I said I had trained Hepburn, or, when he does interview that worthy, Doug had forgotten the role I played in his run to the world title, and brushes me off as a mere acquaintance.

The weather here is absolutely bloody miserable and I am sleeping very poorly. itching with heat rash, unable to cool despite the fan in my bedroom.

The Reverend has some very interesting material on Carlin Venus in which he is revealed as a colossal bullshit artist, one of those who buys his doctorate from a diploma mill. He, Venus, has also threatened to sue anyone who says he isn't a genuine Doctor, that is a PhD. I also understand his wife is an RN who helps run the vitamin mill which Venus runs- what a bloody name to be saddled with. In his claims he forgets to mention that the 400 pound rep presses he does with one arm- already yet- is done on some kind of a machine. Anyway, the Reverend, if in the right mood, might send you what he has on the Carlin Venus. It is eye opening and typical of all the bovine bowel movement floating around today.

I think it would be a pity if MuscleSearch suffered a demise, It is needed not only as a journal for the iconoclast, but as valuable history manual. It just amazes me how many blokes think, and truly and sincerely, that lifting just wasn't around before the advent of Hoffie and the Wunderful Wun.

You will find that there is little, if any, difference between the way the- champs- trained then and now. The only difference I can see is that, although they use the same exercises- apart from also those weird and wonderful machines around now- they train harder and longer, and are able to do this because of the shorter work week- if by some strange chance any of them do work in the sense that you and I understand work- and because things social and economic have improved so much from the 40s and now. Most people forget we have- that is the world has- undergone profound social, cultural and economic changes. When I was a youngster, the work week was 70 to 80 hours weekly, six days a week. Now it is down to 40 and even 35- five day and sometimes a four day work week. And of course we now have steroids which accounts for some of the giant bodies today, despite credits given to this or that Muscle Mogul's 'system' of training.