American Larry Scott is often referred to as the king of bodybuilders and bodybuilding legend. He became the winner of the first Mr. Olympia tournament, and also invented a unique method of pumping hands using the so-called "Scott bench", which can be found in many gyms around the world.
Biography: early years
Larry Scott was born on October 12, 1938 in Blackfoot, Idaho, USA. His ancestors were from Scotland. Larry's parents had their own farm. In addition to him, five more children grew up in the family. Soon they moved to the city of Pocatello, where Larry graduated from high school.
Scott has been very thin since childhood. He was noticeably behind in physical development from his peers. On this basis, Larry was very complex, and his peers did not miss the opportunity to mock him.
As a teenager, he decided to go in for sports. So, Larry was fond of jumping on a trampoline. This subsequently helped him in the training process when he entered bodybuilding.
Scott began pulling "iron" at the age of 16. He came to this hobby by accident. One day he came across an old bodybuilding magazine, on the cover of which was the famous athlete George Payne. Larry was greatly impressed by his muscles, especially his triceps. Under the athlete's photo there was an inscription that you, too, can achieve such results in just a month. Larry got the idea to become as pumped up as Payne. He read the magazine in one breath and immediately started training.
He performed the exercises, strictly following the recommendations from the magazine. Since he did not have simulators, he began to work with a trolley wheel. Three months later, the circumference of his arms was already 30 cm. Scott liked the result, so he began to practice even more actively than before. He read every issue of a bodybuilding magazine to holes.
He soon took second place in the school's Best Physique Graduate competition. It changed his life. In an interview, he recalled that then for the first time he believed in himself. Since then, he has tried not to miss a single workout.
In those days, the attitude towards bodybuilding in society was different than it is now. Athletes built muscle in a "natural" way. At that time, steroids were just beginning to appear, and not all athletes decided to take them. Larry refused "chemistry".
After leaving school, Scott continued his studies at the College of Aeronautics, which was located in California. In it, he studied electronics. His choice was thoughtful. At that time, the best bodybuilders lived in California. The Bert Goodrich Health Center was located next to the college. Within its walls, Scott continued the training process. Only now he was not of an amateur but of a professional nature.
Career
Soon Larry began to dream of training under the guidance of Vince Gironde himself. He was a very prominent bodybuilder for his time and a proponent of a diet high in fat and protein. The Gironde was also famous for its difficult character. Despite this, Larry agreed to train in his gym. Not only bodybuilders were engaged there, but also Hollywood stars. So, Clint Eastwood liked to go to the hall to the Gironde.
Larry studied with Vince for ten years. However, they never became friends. This did not stop the Gironde from calling Larria her best student. The coach was stingy with courtesies, but he possessed valuable knowledge, which he willingly shared with his charges. Thanks to Vince, Larry realized the importance of protein intake for the harmonious building of muscle mass. He also taught him to pose effectively.
Scott has done tremendous work on his body and began to participate in competitions. So, in 1959 he won the Mr. Idaho bodybuilding tournament. A year later, Larry finished third in the Mr. Los Angeles tournament. His next step was to participate in the more prestigious Mr. California tournament. Scott did not dream of winning, he hoped for at least fifth place. However, the judges unanimously considered him the winner.
In 1962, Larry became Mr. America. A year later, he won the middle class in the "Mr. Universe" tournament according to the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB). In 1964, Scott became the absolute winner of this tournament. At that time, it was the highest trophy in bodybuilding.
By 1965, Scott had developed into a superbly muscled athlete. His weight was just over 90 kg, and his arms were larger than the legs of an ordinary untrained person. His arms are still considered one of the best in bodybuilding history.
After receiving the title of "Mr. Universe", Larry paused training due to lack of motivation. After all, the main award was won, so there was no point in training hard. Then Joe Wader, the founder of the IFBB, came up with a new tournament and called it "Mr. Olympia". Subsequently, it became the most important international bodybuilding competition. This tournament was intended to help the winners of "Mr. Universe" find motivation for further training.
In 1965, Larry became Mster Olympia. In the history of bodybuilding, he will forever remain the first winner of this tournament. The next year, he was again the first.
Scott calls the secret of his success in bodybuilding dedication and perseverance. He tried and abandoned many techniques for working out the muscles of the hands, until he developed his own, later called "Scott's bench". The athlete himself called his own invention "music stand".
Personal life
Larry Scott was married. In 1966, he married a girl named Rachel. He lived with her until his death. In the marriage, five children were born: four sons and a daughter.
The last years of his life Larr suffered from Alzheimer's disease. On March 8, 2014, he was gone.
