Lou Ferrigno

[comicwiz]

Not sure what contributes to it.

 

I'd guess and say it has something to do primarily with the condition of the joints (moisture, density) and also posture.

 

Far as I can recall Arnold has always had great posture. So why'd he shrink when many don't? I haven't heard of him having joint issues--not that I'd know. I suppose you mostly hear of that when pro athletes have joint issues since it keeps them from playing, but not actors.

 

Genetics has something to do with it. But remember, these guys were using performance enhancing drugs in the "Golden" years of ergogenic aids. To this day, anabolics which promote growth aren't particularly good at localizing or targeting growth. GH, which is perhaps one of the most widely used, promotes growth of everything from bones to organs and everything in between, so it isn't unusual to see users (especially those cycling it for years) experiencing exaggerated biological transformation and loss of symmetry. The growth is also spurned by a retarded form of growth, susceptible to loss and shrinking, which is different from the kind of growth maturity achieved without the aid of anabolics, and which is both lasting and permanent. There was a rumour (not sure how much truth to it) that Arnold had to get calf implants because he just couldn't develop them as well as his upper body. Frank Colombo and The Myth, Sergio Oliva were much stronger than Arnold, but Joe Weider and the powers that be believed Arnold to be a better spokesperson and poster-boy for the bodybuilding industry.

[Park]

Does no one on the board have old family? Old people shrink. My 95 year old grandfather is 5 inches shorter than when he was a 19 year old in the army, and his posture is fine. People age differently. If Ahnold is an inch or 2 shorter than his prime it is related to his being a senior.

 

As discussed, people age differently for a whole bunch of reasons.

 

A quick Google search shows many reasons but shrinking is pretty common. My dad is 72 and he is two or three inches shorter than he was thirty years ago.

[fantastic_four]

Genetics has something to do with it. But remember, these guys were using performance enhancing drugs in the "Golden" years of ergogenic aids. To this day, anabolics which promote growth aren't particularly good at localizing or targeting growth. GH, which is perhaps one of the most widely used, promotes growth of everything from bones to organs and everything in between, so it isn't unusual to see users (especially those cycling it for years) experiencing exaggerated biological transformation and loss of symmetry. The growth is also spurned by a retarded form of growth, susceptible to loss and shrinking, which is different from the kind of growth maturity achieved without the aid of anabolics, and which is both lasting and permanent. There was a rumour (not sure how much truth to it) that Arnold had to get calf implants because he just couldn't develop them as well as his upper body. Frank Colombo and The Myth, Sergio Oliva were much stronger than Arnold, but Joe Weider and the powers that be believed Arnold to be a better spokesperson and poster-boy for the bodybuilding industry.

 

Steroids increasing height by an inch or so had never occurred to me. The calf thing makes sense since everybody's major muscle areas can differ in size a lot from the norm, although I certainly have no idea either whether he had implants. Varying musculature is the main reason the standard BMI scale needs self-adjustment once you realize how the parts of your body compare to other people. My dad and I are the exact same height, but I got my mom's hips, legs, and butt--his calves, hamstrings, butt, and hips are all noticeably narrower than mine.

[fantastic_four]

Does no one on the board have old family? Old people shrink. My 95 year old grandfather is 5 inches shorter than when he was a 19 year old in the army, and his posture is fine. People age differently. If Ahnold is an inch or 2 shorter than his prime it is related to his being a senior.

 

As discussed, people age differently for a whole bunch of reasons.

 

A quick Google search shows many reasons but shrinking is pretty common.

 

Having done such a search, my new best guess is vertebral compression over time. That's where the most give in the body seems like it would be in terms of vertical height.

 

I don't hang around many 75+ year olds, but when I am around them, they're usually sitting down, leaning on something, or have awful postures, so I can't tell anything. Plus I didn't see them 50 years in the past so I have nothing to compare them to.

[Calidream'n]

Frank Zane was awesome! One of the few from an era where a 175 pounder could beat someone 215, with just incredible shape. As a bodybuilder, I always have more respect for the guys from the 60's and 70's. It was more about genetics and hard work. They never had the supplemental advancements that we have today, and the money was not what it is today for the top guys.

Yup. "suppliments".

[Park]

Does no one on the board have old family? Old people shrink. My 95 year old grandfather is 5 inches shorter than when he was a 19 year old in the army, and his posture is fine. People age differently. If Ahnold is an inch or 2 shorter than his prime it is related to his being a senior.

 

As discussed, people age differently for a whole bunch of reasons.

 

A quick Google search shows many reasons but shrinking is pretty common.

 

Having done such a search, my new best guess is vertebral compression over time. That's where the most give in the body seems like it would be in terms of vertical height.

 

I don't hang around many 75+ year olds, but when I am around them, they're usually sitting down, leaning on something, or have awful postures, so I can't tell anything. Plus I didn't see them 50 years in the past so I have nothing to compare them to.

 

Compression does seem to be the most obvious that would apply to pretty much everybody. I saw something that women have a much greater chance of shrinking due to osteoporosis.

 

Short of doing some sort of study, family and family friends are gonna be the best ways to observe this. Also, give it another ten or twenty years and you will (most likely) see it in yourself as well.

[fantastic_four]

Compression does seem to be the most obvious that would apply to pretty much everybody. I saw something that women have a much greater chance of shrinking due to osteoporosis.

 

Short of doing some sort of study, family and family friends are gonna be the best ways to observe this. Also, give it another ten or twenty years and you will (most likely) see it in yourself as well.

 

Most of my family in their mid and late 60s haven't shrunk at all. My girlfriend's mom who is 67 claims she's shrunk an inch from 5' 9" to 5' 8", but after she said that I started comparing her to other people in her old pictures and I can't see good evidence that's she's right. My girlfriend also doesn't think she's shrunk much if at all, and she pays fairly close attention to height--on our first date she called me out for rounding up my height up half an inch from what I actually am. Her mom has osteoporosis which usually causes shrinking--not sure if she's just assuming shrinkage due to the condition.

 

So using my family as a measuring stick, looks like I can expect not to shrink over the next decade or two. When I was 16 and my dad was 39 we were the same height, and now at 42 and 65 we're still the same height.

[bababooey]

[comicwiz]

Frank Zane was awesome! One of the few from an era where a 175 pounder could beat someone 215, with just incredible shape. As a bodybuilder, I always have more respect for the guys from the 60's and 70's. It was more about genetics and hard work. They never had the supplemental advancements that we have today, and the money was not what it is today for the top guys.

 

Zane was awesome, but he took steroids. All the guys in that photo did.

 

Mike Mentzer probably was the first bodybuilder to completely overturn conventional wisdom when it came to training the right way. Prior to Mentzer, the megadosing that was going on in the Golden age of anabolics was happening more because these guys were severely over training.

 

Mentzer on the other hand revolutionized the bodybuilding industry by suggesting a high-intensity training regiment only needing to last as long as 45 minutes per workout, which made it possible to allow recreational and amateur bodybuiliders to properly recover without the assistance of anabolics.

 

The only reason why the names who won the O did so was because of the half-day workouts and anabolic megadosing, helping their muscles to recover and grow in ways regular diet and rest could not possibly achieve. If the average person were to workout even one session the way these guys used to train, it would literally put them out for several weeks and quite possibly for months.

[fantastic_four]

They're on my phone right now--I have them because my girlfriend is in them. Actually have them all in my web space and occasionally link them for friends and family. Same set are synced to my Windows computer at home and cycle every ten seconds on my desktop wallpaper. My girlfriend's uncle and sister are almost the exact same height as her mom, so the pics where they're all standing next to each other over the decades are what I've looked at.

 

I wish I could find one good online image browsing tool. Flickr and Picasa don't cut it for what I want. Mostly just want a good web-browsing gallery as well as easy ways to link individual pics (such as the ones in my sig line are linked).

[Goldeneye]

Lou Ferrigno is in my office...I wonder if he'll get pissed if I run up to him and snap a few pics?..

 

 

Have your wallet ready.

 

 

Worse yet, ask him to sign a magazine instead of one of his 8x10's.

I can back this up at Phoenix Comic Con 2012 I went up to his booth with my complete Incredible Hulk set and asked him to autograph. Lou asked if I wanted it personalized. I said no I don't like my stuff personalized. Lou then said $100. I thought he was joking with me so I pulled the 30 or 40 out the online con's site his auto cost was going to be. His handler said no its 100 because that price is for his 8x10 photo at the 30 or 40 when I said what the online price was. I walked away to speak with guest relations letting them know what the online price says and etc. They called up to find out what the deal was when they looked over the contract Lou did not sign a contract in which the price guaranteed what he would sign for. Lets just say Lou caused enough trouble last year to where the con didn't want him back. The media guests hate him because of his weird habits. George Takei told me he is one of the most inconsiderate man you can meet he will go into the staff/guest lounge remove all the meat from the sandwiches for himself leaving nothing for the guests. This story was also backed up by Brent Spiner as well.

[Dark Knight]

I went to high school with Lou Ferrigno Jr.

[comicwiz]

Lou Ferrigno is in my office...I wonder if he'll get pissed if I run up to him and snap a few pics?..

 

 

Have your wallet ready.

 

 

George Takei told me he is one of the most inconsiderate man you can meet he will go into the staff/guest lounge remove all the meat from the sandwiches for himself leaving nothing for the guests. This story was also backed up by Brent Spiner as well.

 

Believable, as the other thing these guys over did famously was their consumption of proteins.

[fantastic_four]

I went to high school with Lou Ferrigno Jr.

 

That him on the right?

 

[Dark Knight]

Yep! He definitely lost some weight since HS

[fantastic_four]

Carla Ferrigno has quite a figure. Looks like they've been married 32 years.

 

[fantastic_four]

Yep! He definitely lost some weight since HS

 

IMDB lists Ferrigno Jr. as 6' 2". He looks 3 to 4 inches shorter in that pic next to his dad. Bet his IMDB height is wrong--it's common for actor heights to get bumped by an inch or two.

[Dark Knight]

Yeah ferrigno jr is around 5"10/5'11.. I didn't remember him being any taller. He was in our football team that's for sure.

[Maccai3]

Yep! He definitely lost some weight since HS

 

IMDB lists Ferrigno Jr. as 6' 2". He looks 3 to 4 inches shorter in that pic next to his dad. Bet his IMDB height is wrong--it's common for actor heights to get bumped by an inch or two.

 

i've been bumping up my inches since high school

 

 

[fantastic_four]

Yep! He definitely lost some weight since HS

 

IMDB lists Ferrigno Jr. as 6' 2". He looks 3 to 4 inches shorter in that pic next to his dad. Bet his IMDB height is wrong--it's common for actor heights to get bumped by an inch or two.

 

i've been bumping up my inches since high school

 

Quote from my ex-girlfriend: "Guys think girls don't know six inches when they see it...they're so WRONG!' She's an electrical engineer though, so I suspect her judgment of distance is far better than most women.