“The Black Prince” Throws Barbs at Arnold and Weider, Steroids in Bodybuilding and Baseball
To be considered one of the pioneers and a legend in your sport is something that can never go away. Even if he never picked up a weight again, Robby Robinson would always be one of the elite bodybuilders of all time.
While most men at the age of 62 find more time to sit around than exercise and have a diet that make their doctors turn red, the man known as “The Black Prince” still busts it in the gym and has not ‘enjoyed’ as much as piece of pie in over 20 years.
Never one to not speak his mind during the ‘golden age of bodybuilding,’ Robinson still has that trait and it is part of what has made him so great while being understood in certain circles. He has his own opinion on some of the biggest names in his sport and others, like Arnold Schwarennegar, Joe Weider, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.
“I love my sport, but the business has to come out of the hole,” Robinson said. “All the money that ‘The Classic’ – they used to call it the ‘Arnold Classic’ – is making, that you only have a $150,000 paycheck?
“Bodybuilders have come up to me recently and said they’re not happy,” continued Robinson. “They deserve more. From the Weiders and from the Governor. No disrespect.”
Back in the 1980s, Robinson actually moved out of the United States to “escape the destructive politics of the business,” having strong feelings about corruption in bodybuilding and steroid abuse.
“There’s a lot of drugs in the sport,” he said. “To be 300 pounds and come down to 260 or 250. I think the government ought to do something.” Robinson made his point clear, but also was up front about his own use. “I never took drugs when I came here (to California from Florida) in 1975. The first time I got involved was two weeks before Mr. World. I took the shot – which was primo depot – and remembered going home and sitting down and the whole room started spinning.”
During his competing days, Robinson would not use steroids during the offseason, but said that when he was eight weeks out, he would take something every two weeks.
“I still practiced that until I retired,” he said. “Recently, B-12 was low in my body, and I know that was from steroid use.”
Regarding the popularity of the sport, Robinson feels that the powers that be are deliberately holding it back. “They’re trying to keep it down because of the drugs,” he said. “We’re not in a big light. It’s more of a sub-culture, a cult sport. It’s (stopping steroids) going to take away from it. The government will get involved – like (Roger) Clemens and (Barry) Bonds.”
Robinson feels that the baseball players named in the Mitchell Report are getting a “bad rap,” and all the injuries this season are not a coincidence.
“Take (Jason) Giambi,” he said. “When you use that stuff (steroids), you get blown up. When you stop, you’re weaker.
“Barry (Bonds) got nastier,” continued Robinson. “I love the guy, but c’mon!”
Very opinionated. Very intelligent. And very charismatic. That’s Robby Robinson. A bodybuilder who says that he will continue working out “until the end of time,” and no one would argue that.
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Originally Posted by joe2009
