Thursday, August 25, 2011

REVIEW BY AUTHOR AND FREELANCE WRITER, DAVID ROBSON





COVER OF ROBBY ROBINSON'S BOOK
THE BLACK PRINCE; MY LIVE IN BODYBUILDING: MUSCLE VS HUSTLE
▶ www.robbyrobinson.net/books.php

Adopting an approach used by its subject to achieve his legendary muscle size and shape, bodybuilding champion Robby Robinson’s long-awaited autobiography The Black Prince, My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle VS Hustle leaves nothing to chance in documenting the life of a truly extraordinary man with an amazing story to tell. 

Well written and with an absence of the incidental fluff that so often litters similar such works, this book, 200 pages of some of the most revelatory insights into the fascinating and oftentimes murky bodybuilding world ever put to paper, is quite simply among the best of its kind. Like the man himself, the book’s insights are presented in a classy manner, do not hold back, are engaging and forthright. 

Much more than a bodybuilding insider “tell-all”, The Black Prince, My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle VS Hustle charts the course of Robinson’s life to reveal what makes pro bodybuilding’s man of mystery tick. 


Widely considered one of bodybuilding’s true renaissance men, and certainly one of its most endearing and successful champions, Robinson helped to pioneer the celebrated aesthetical shape which many feel bodybuilding 
Robby Robinson Robby Robinson
Photo by Joe Valdez
has over recent years lost from its current mass monster ranks. 


Ushering in massive size combined with an unprecedented degree of class, symmetry and proportionality Robinson presented a very real challenge to the great champions of the ‘70s bodybuilding era, most notably seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger. 


Having spent his early years training and competing in the southern state of Florida, Robinson, an outspoken black man, encountered his share of unfair treatment, which was often reflected in his bodybuilding placements. To counter such prejudice he decided he would become so good that he could not be denied, regardless of who served to judge him on his physical merits. 

Robinson’s book opens with a detailed account of his early years, where many valuable life-affirming lessons were learned, and where his renowned creativity, zest for life and penchant for questioning authority were, in earnest, born. 

As his book reveals, Robinson would again encounter many more obstacles throughout his long and distinguished bodybuilding career, a journey which rewarded his training and dietary diligence with several championship wins, including that of the first ever Masters Mr. Olympia title in 1994. 

To overcome his many trials, of which are featured in his book, Robinson would take the one approach that has never betrayed him: he confronted them head on with dignity and integrity, a method that won him the respect of many and the scorn of a few influential movers and shakers. 

Never one of the flock and proudly independent, Robinson soaked up the bodybuilding scene he was immersed in for almost half a decade with a sense of detached objectivism that garnered him many unique insights into the various surroundings he inhabited throughout the different stages of his full and varied life. 



A key member of the Golden Age of bodybuilding elite, he trained with and influenced the best. True to the ‘rebel’ moniker which for many years he has been associated with, Robinson, in The Black Prince, My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle VS Hustle, not only provides unprecedented controversial commentary on the many shady practices and back room deals done within the hallowed ranks of IFBB bodybuilding officialdom, but also gives startling insights into the drug culture that infiltrated the pro game during his time at the top. 

Weaved into Robinson’s life story are his own experiences with performance enhancing drugs – including all of the substances he used at each stage of his bodybuilding career – and training and nutritional methods, where he fully documents his secrets to building a lean, muscular physique.


Robby Robinson             Robby in his 60s,
looking better than ever!
From traveling the world as a bodybuilding ambassador, living the high life and schooling bodybuilding’s best on what a real championship physique should look like, to living as an outcast, regrouping and coming back better and stronger than ever, Robinson’s book captures the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat and the real essence of what it means to be one of life’s enduring winners. 


From a man whose outlook on life and intellectual capacities are matched only by his magnificent physique comes a book that will make you laugh and cry while motivating you pump iron to build a formidable physique of your own. 


Reading this book you will, with each turn of the page, feel the intensity and passion for life that flows from a source whose words provide a welcome gift in a world of cynicism and doubt. 

Review by David Robson
Author of Heart of Steel: the Dan Lurie Story


TO ORDER ROBBY'S BOOK: 


ROBBY'S MEMOIRS PERSONALLY SIGNED BY RR






Wednesday, August 24, 2011

TWO DREAMERS




DESTINY IS ACHIEVING THE DREAM REGARDLESS THE PROFESSION 
ONE CHOOSES IN THE COURSE OF LIFE 


ROBBY ROBINSON - NIGHT OF THE CHAMPIONS 1979 SIDE CHEST
ROBBY ROBINSON - NIGHT OF THE CHAMPIONS 1979



Good day Mr. Robinson - 
I hope this message gets to you Mr. Robinson. I recently purchased your book and I read it the same day! I enjoyed your story and now am able to put together so many pieces of a puzzle that I thought were lost forever. For that alone, I thank you for writing your book.  
Our tales are similar. I left for LA in 1981 for the same dreams you had. As a young kid with an art background I too went to Woodland Hills and met with Joe Weider with hopes that someday to be a part of HIS “gang”. As in many cases that never materialized and I was an 18 yr. Midwestern kid living in Santa Monica but most importantly living my dream. 
My parents didn’t have a lot of money to help me so I worked at Frontrunners and all monies went to rent and food. As an artist I managed to find time to paint murals and did portraits which I continue to do today as this I feel is God given and I never want to take that for granted. 
I worked at the Santa Monica Place mall and still today love the atmosphere of Santa Monica & Venice. I trained at World Gym at 2210 Main St and became a regular and grew my hair long and colored it white (appropriately receiving the nickname “Blondie” from Joe Gold). It became my second home as it did for many in the day. The strange thing for me was see and getting to and become friends with Samir Bannout, Dean Tornabene… as a young kid it was a “wonder-like kinda thing”… hard to explain, but you know what I mean. 
Like all good things, my timeline had to come to an end and I came back to WI and got my college degree in Art/Illustration and now an involved with commercial real estate as well. After reading your book I feel this letter is 30 years past due so I wanted to write to you and let you know that respect has no timeline and I respect you more today than the first time I met you at World’s. 
I have to admit I could barely get out a “hello” to you as we shared a cable machine to do Tri-pushdowns, man, you were the reason I came out to LA and tried to make it. That was the last time our paths crossed. 
Your silence and determination have paved a mental path that I still follow. 
After reading your book I now feel I know a little better and had to wish you well. At 48 years old (yes we have to admit we all age) I still continue to train /eat and live right. I have a beautiful wife and two great kids. We have been fortunate as the past 4 years we’ve been back & forth to LA with our daughter who is a singer /actress which brings us back as a family to Santa Monica and we ALL train at Gold’s for the week which allows us to catch up with past friends out there. 
I have been fortunate to rekindle friendships with the Ferrigno family, Rico McClinton and stop by there when we are in town. At some point in time I hope I have the opportunity to have my son Sam meet you & shake your hand, true role models are hard to find, unless your name is Robby Robinson… 
Peace and good health you, Mike Maedke

MIKE MAEDKE - 
GLAD YOU ENJOYED MY BOOK - "THE BLACK PRINCE: MUSCLE VS HUSTLE". I CAN RELATE TO YOUR DREAM, MIKE. IT WAS GREAT READING YOUR LETTER, LIKE GOING BACK IN TIME, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO SLOW DOWN AS I READ YOUR WORDS. THOSE MEMORIES WERE ABOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

YOU HAD THIS FEELING OF BEING CAUGHT IN A ''TIME WARP SUSPENDED IN SPACE ''.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAD VERY LITTLE MONEY. WE STILL HAD THIS FEELING AND VISION EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO WORK ITSELF OUT FOR THE BEST. 

DESTINY IS ACHIEVING THE DREAM REGARDLESS THE PROFESSION 
ONE CHOOSES IN THE COURSE OF LIFE. 

GREAT TO SEE YOU HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR DREAM AND ENJOYING SUCCESS, WHICH INCLUDES TWO WONDERFUL KIDS AND A SWEETHEART. THOSE ARE THE REAL TREASURES. WISH YOU MUCH HAPPINESS AND CONTINUED SUCCESS. 

AS AN ARTIST MYSELF, ART TOO IS A PART OF MY BACKGROUND. I PAINT ON SILK THAT IS THEN MADE INTO KIMONOS BY THE SPONSOR OF MY BLOG; BODY AND ART. WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY JOY.

BEST ALWAYS, ROBBY ROBINSON


E-mail Robby for individual training, nutrition and supplementation plans, single training sessions amd consultations - ▶ info@robbyrobinson.net

BUILT- Double DVD - Robby's philosophy on bodybuilding, training and healthy lifestyle, and his workout approach for your best results ▶ www.robbyrobinson.net/dvd_built.php


MASTER CLASS - 4-DAY ONE-ON-ONE INTENSIVE TRAINING with ROBBY ROBINSON in GOLD's GYM VENICE - ▶ www.robbyrobinson.net/master-class.php

© ROBBY ROBINSON
▶ www.robbyrobinson.net
info@robbyrobinson.net

Sunday, August 21, 2011

BOOK SIGNING & SILK EXHIBITION IN VENICE


PRODUCERS / FILM MAKERS ZEKE ANDERS AND MARY WEST PUT TOGETHER THE VLOG BELOW OF ROBBY ROBINSON'S BOOK SIGNING AND ARTIST ARDEN NUTT'S HAND PRINTED SILK SCARVES AND KIMONOS SHOW. THE EVENT AT SMALL WORLD BOOK STORE, AS PART OF THE VENICE ART CRAWL WAS A BLAST FOR THE MANY THAT TURNED OUT.









PEACE, RR

E-mail Robby for individual training, nutrition and supplementation plans, single training sessions amd consultations - ▶ info@robbyrobinson.net

BUILT- Double DVD - Robby's philosophy on bodybuilding, training and healthy lifestyle, and his workout approach for your best results ▶ www.robbyrobinson.net/dvd_built.php

Read about RR's training and life experience, about other legends of Golden Era of bodybuilding and what really happened behind the scenes of Weider's empire - in RR's BOOK "The BLACK PRINCE; My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle" - available now on Amazon and Kindle - 
www.amazon.com/dp/1453717870 

YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN COPY OF ROBBY'S BOOK PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED BY RR IN RR'S ONLINE SPORTS FAN STORE - ▶ www.robbyrobinson.net/books.php


© ROBBY ROBINSON
▶ www.robbyrobinson.net
▶ info@robbyrobinson.net

Sunday, August 14, 2011

RR- MR LIFESTYLE ONLINE SHOW PREMIERS SEPT 4TH 5:00 PM-PST

ROBBY ROBINSON & ARDEN NUTT - MIKE NEVEUX FOR IRONMAN MAG


The First RR MR.LIFESTYLE SHOW 
will be ONLINE LIVE SEPT 4TH 5:00 PM PST.

DEBUNKING
THE BULK TO GET BIG MYTH
ONLY 24 GUESTS CAN PARTICIPANT IN ROBBY'S LIVE PRESENTATION WITH A QUESTION & ANSWER SEGMENT.

REGISTER BY EMAILING US. 
 WE'LL SEND YOU A PAYPAL REQUEST 
FOR THE $15.00 ENTRY FEE AND ACCESS CODE. 
IF YOU HAVE A CAMERA ON YOUR COMPUTER, 
YOU CAN BE SEEN OR CHOOSE NOT TO BE.
YOU'LL ALL SEE ROBBY.


IF YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE FORUM, 
YOU GET ONE FREE ADMISSION TO THE SHOW. 
LET US KNOW WHICH EVENING YOU CAN ATTEND.


ALL THOSE Q YOU HAVE BEEN WANTING TO ASK ME 
CAN NOW BE FINALLY ANSWERED.

PEACE,
ROBBY ROBINSON - MR LIFESTYLE







Saturday, August 6, 2011

REVIEWS ARE ROLLING IN!


THE BLACK PRINCE; My Life in Bodybuilding: MUSCLE VS HUSTLE BY ROBBY ROBINSON - BOOK COVER
THE COVER OF ROBBY ROBINSON'S MEMOIRS
THE BLACK PRINCE; My Life in Bodybuilding: 
MUSCLE VS HUSTLE 
As always with memoir, it’s a question of, is this person’s life worth writing about? In Robby’s case, the answer is, unequivocally, yes! His experiences are unique. No one else lived this story. I think this is precisely the right book Robby should have written. It’s as if he’s distilled every question that he’s been asked through the years, about his training, his life, and organized it perfectly in 200 pages. I learned a lot about the sport and all of the anecdotes, stories from his life are fascinating. The combination of teaching, tell-all and voice (his sense of determination and bravado are pitch-perfect: exactly right for the sport) make this a great read. 
Linda Davis, writer


Hello RR,  
just wanted to tell you how much I loved your book, it was a very easy read, and very informative . Anyone who considers themselves a bodybuilder must have your book ! I was always a fan of yours growing up in the 70's but after reading your book I became a bigger fan and admire your candor and determination.Peace and blessings,
Frank The Tank Robinson

www.robbyrobinson.net/dvd_built.php ● 
Robby Robinson's autobiography is a must read for all fans of the Black Prince and body-building enthusiasts alike. 
Growing up, Robby was my idol during what has been called the "Golden Age" of body-building. My respect and admiration for this man has grown tremendously after reading his life story. 
Here is a man of very humble beginnings who overcame many trails, tribulations and obstacles not to mention politics and racism to establish himself as one of the greatest body-building names of all time. 
Although perhaps not his intention, his tenacity, integrity, passion and commitment to be the best he could be that comes through each chapter of his book is both highly inspirational and motivational. 
He clearly demonstrates through the telling of his story that having a dream combined with a love of one's craft, dedication, hard work and an unwavering belief in oneself is a surefire recipe for achieving success and greatness in life. This man is a champion not only in body-building but in life. His book is a real page turner that has not only touched my heart but changed my life.
Gary Casaccio, M.D.

www.robbyrobinson.net/poster.php
Robby,
Just finished reading your book Robby.....As a BB enthusiast,and having followed all your foot-steps in Muscle-Builder/Flex, through the years, it was indeed a real eye opener....and you sir is to be highly commended for following your heart and staying true to yourself!!!....Highly recommended reading!!!! 
Tony Tsompanellis

Hi Robby,
Really enjoyed your book! Thank you for taking the time to write it and share your life story with everyone. The adversity and unfair treatment, that you experienced and still managed to move forward and not breakdown is most inspiring and encouraging. 
Thanks for shedding a light on the "true" world of bodybuilding, as many people, especially kids are gambling and throwing their lives away, in pursuit of a dream, which is more of a fantasy, portrayed by the magazines and the "business", not sport of bodybuilding. Compete for fun and no matter how you place, keep training as a means to enhance your life and not tear it down, with a fantasy lifestyle. 
www.robbyrobinson.net//dvd_master_class.php
People need to hear your story and kids need to be warned, about this fantasy business, in an effort to keep them grounded to the truth and to continue training in a healthy fashion, in an effort to extract the true benefits of bodybuilding. 
"Being your best" is what it's all about and you have done just that. 
Robby, you continue to inspire today and will lead the next generation into a healthy and balanced lifestyle, showing that true bodybuilding can be a healthy way to enhance one's life. You also serve to inspire the older trainer, to continue and not to give up to age or bouts of bad health. 
You have become like another Jack Lalane, leading by example!
Sincerely, 
Steve Speyrer
www.ClassicAnatomyGym.com

www.robbyrobinson.net/motivation.php
Hi Robby, 
I received your book yesterday and have so far read the first three chapters; amazing stuff, very well-written, an absorbing read. Thank you once again and you have a great day sir. Talk soon.Kindest regards 
David Robson, writer 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

A JOURNEY TO THE MASTER CLASS ENDS WITH WRITING THE FOREWORD FOR THE BLACK PRINCE

-- PAUL,
YOU CAME A WORLD AWAY TO TRAIN AT MY MASTER CLASS
THE FOUR-DAY JOURNEY WAS ONE TO REMEMBER. 

THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND SUPPORT. 
WISH YOU MUCH BODYBUILDING SUCCESS IN THIS YEARS MASTER COMPETITION. 

ROBBY ROBINSON

ROBBY ROBINSON AND PAUL GIBNEY, RR'S MASTER CLASS CLIENT AND THE AUTHOR OF FOREWORD TO RR'S BLACK PRINCE BOOK, MEETING FOR A LUNCH AT THE FAMOUS BODYBUILDING FIREHOUSE RESTAURANT IN VENICE, CA, DURING PAUL'S VISIT TO CALIFORNIA FOR TRAINING AND LEARNING ALL THE TRICKS OF THE GAME IN " MASTER CLASS WITH ROBBY ROBINSON" INTENSIVE
ROBBY ROBINSON AND PAUL GIBNEY, RR'S MASTER CLASS CLIENT
AND THE AUTHOR OF FOREWORD TO RR'S BLACK PRINCE BOOK,
MEETING FOR A LUNCH AT THE FAMOUS BODYBUILDING FIREHOUSE
 RESTAURANT IN VENICE, CA, DURING PAUL'S VISIT TO CALIFORNIA
FOR TRAINING AND LEARNING ALL THE TRICKS OF THE GAME
IN " MASTER CLASS WITH ROBBY ROBINSON" INTENSIVE
www.robbyrobinson.net//master-class.php

The Foreword to The Black Prince Book

Robby Robinson is an enigmatic figure in the history of bodybuilding. He is a genuine introvert in the genuinely extraverted arena. He is retiring whilst his physique is arresting. He is quietly spoken and of few words in an activity beset by hype and exaggeration.

To encounter Robinson makes him no less of an enigma. He is an impactful presence. He keeps to himself, even in company, and yet when he does interact, he is there in a fullness of engagement, a profound intensity of communication that very few human beings can offer.

When one relates to Robby Robinson, you encounter the history, the man, the physique and the bodybuilder. Of course, these aspects are all tied into the one person, but it is the interplay of these components of Robby’s personality that make him such a compelling figure.

The history is, in some ways, well known. He was and is a superstar bodybuilder; one of the most successful professional bodybuilders ever to take the stage. He won an IFBB Mr. America in 1975, drug-free, with a 29” waist and 20” biceps. His illustrious career included numerous World and Universe titles, Pro victories and culminated in a number of Masters Mr. Olympia titles.
And yet an even richer history lies in the background. A childhood in the Tallahassee woods, an extraordinarily different home life and the experience of racial prejudice in the southern states in a less enlightened era. His formative history made him a man of remarkable resolve.

Robinson the man is illustrated as his history becomes part of bodybuilding‘s history. Confronted with continued inequity and blatant unfairness, he did not sell out nor did he limp away defeated. He continued on, undaunted, letting his discipline and his physique do his talking. He remained the captain of his own fate. He kept his own sense of self whilst operating in a world that would (and has) totally unsettled and destroyed a great number of good people.

And then there is the Robinson physique. Now aged 64, he has returned to the drug-free 203lb 5' 8”physique that first boggled bodybuilding’s collective mind in 1975. Sitting opposite you, Robinson does not seem that big, except perhaps when you glimpse the triceps that seem to go on forever. But then he takes off his shirt and flexes ... and still he seems not so big... and yet he is huge.... As 20” upper arms still peak and bulge. Full muscle bellies crowd tiny joints. Flaring lats frame a minuscule, detailed waist, which suddenly explodes into sweeping, shredded quadriceps. He is both huge and small and rock hard. His physique still is a challenge to the observer’s capacity for perception and appreciation. He embodies the true bodybuilding aesthetic. He presents a physical and optical illusion which is paradoxically real and right before your eyes.

When Robinson walks, there is a feline grace to his movement. There is no waddling uncomfortable gait here, so often associated with the current 250lb+ competitor. An astute observer sees the fluidity of a champion athlete; the running back and the sprinter can still be seen in his carriage. His aesthetics are built upon a functional athleticism.

And most every morning at 8 a.m. at Marina Fitness in Marina Del Rey, the bodybuilder Robby Robinson can be found training. He might be training with and instructing a local bodybuilder, or an interstate bodybuilder or an international guest who has flown half away around the world to participate in his Master Class. Or he might be training with his partner or by himself. But Robby will be training. Each rep will be perfect, each set will be at a specific cadence, each workout will have a specific purpose. Each muscle group will be engaged fully whether he is doing warm up sets of preacher curls with 40lbs, or sets of 8 squats and dead lifts with 450lbs+ (which he still regularly performs). All exact, all focused, all without histrionics or antics. Just focused, precise effort.

Whether there is anybody else there or not, Robby is training. He is still learning about his physique, and its response to training and nutrition. If bodybuilding has a Zen practitioner, if bodybuilding has a venerable grandmaster of the art form, it is Robby Robinson.

This book is a chronicle of Robby Robinson’s exceptional life and the journey upon which it has taken him. You can glimpse his spirituality and his soul in the stands and positions that he takes. His gift to us? Robby Robinson, enigma though he may be, is what bodybuilding always has been about, what it should be about, and hopefully, what it may become again.

PAUL GIBNEY Ph.D.
Brisbane, Australia
July 2010

ORDER YOUR OWN COPY OF RR'S MEMOIRS PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED BY RR IN RR'S ONLINE SPORTS FAN STORE - ▶ www.robbyrobinson.net/books.php


PAUL GIBNEY JOINS ROBBY ROBINSON
FOR HIS MASTER CLASS