Guy Grundy's Interview With Penny

Penny - How were you approached to appear on the show?
Guy - I was training in Gold’s gym, I was approached by Alicia & Richard who where very nice & polite, we talked a little, then we set up a short interview at my house where I was asked some basic questions about my self & the sport as Richard did the filming.

Penny - What did you think of Louis?
Guy - I got on very well with Louie, he is pretty easy going although he is very professional about the way he goes about his work, The longer we where together the better we got on.

Penny - Where you given a tape of the show?
Guy - Penny I am so glad you asked that question, No, if I had any complaints it would have been the fact that I was PROMISED a tape of the show, I even phoned Alicia in London & left messages asking to obtain a copy as well as sending about 4 or so emails, though I never received a response, I was lucky to get a copy from a fan in London named James Stewart who sent me a copy, I have done a few documentaries & have NEVER had any of the people supply me with a video, even though I stated at the beginning that I was more than happy to do the show as long as I would be able to get a copy, so that is something that sours something that I quite enjoyed doing. Hey it’s human nature when they need you they do all they can but rarely do people remember what they agreed to do & even rarer is being given what you where promised, in all honesty that fact did lower my opinion of the whole documentary. The simple fact that they didn’t provide a copy of the video is a lack of tack & professionalism on there part, however the one person who cannot be held responsible for that is Louie as I am quite sure that he is not responsible for ensuring the video gets sent out, although he is the one most people would blame, so his staff should be more professional as it falls back on Louie & his great show.

Penny - What did you think of the program as a whole?
Guy - After FINALLY getting the tape & having it converted to the American system, I thought that it was very well done, I thought that it portrayed what happens in the sport & all the Bodybuilders both men & woman came across well. I was very impressed with the way they went about things.

Penny - Why do you think people are dismissive of bodybuilders?
Guy - I am a bodybuilder Penny, Dismissive is a very big word, I actually had to look that up in the Dictionary, Ok this is only my opinion, in this world anything that is different from what is considered normal is always put down, people have a hard time accepting anything that is not normal, I know from speaking to a million people & from how I interact (BIG WORD THERE HUH) with people they are always intimidated by big or muscular people, now if something makes a person feel bad about them selves they put it down, I know that EVERY body would like to have a nice body, not like me or some of the really big guys but a nice body is a great thing to have. Ask your self right now without thinking DO YOU WISH YOUR BODY WAS MORE MUSCULAR, what was the first thing that came to your mind, if you are being honest you said of course I do & anybody who is out of shape or whatever would like to be better developed, though for any body to admit to this that person would have to be very sercure in them selves & there are not a lot of those types of people around, in a round about way they are saying that they want something that they have not got & that they in some way wish they had what we do , perhaps not to the extent of where I have gone, but EVERY person likes to be thought of as muscular, so rather than say, he worked hard or well done they bring up STERIODS & every other negative thing they can think of, this is there insecurity which is there own personal issue, & if they looked at them selves & were honest they would realize this deep down , though it is human nature to attack something they have not got rather than praise it. Here is an example, when I meet some one say on a plane, as soon as they see me you can see straight away the look in there eyes, they are thinking oh please don’t let him sit near me, after 10 mins they are asking me how they can get big what they should eat regardless of there age, they are interested in what we do, as soon as they talk to me & realize that I am just a normal person in a large body they always become very positive, I would get emails sent from people I sit near on the plane about 70 % of the time continuing our friend ship, I am always learning & I pay a great deal of attention to how people react to me, at first they are always defensive but then they soon see me as a person & they then relax. One more thing I was once small so I have been on both sides of the fence, so I feel that I am in a better position than most to be honest about the way we are honestly viewed, I am not telling you this as a fact, It is how I see the situation. As a side note, I have been homeless at 15 I was unable to read or write until I was 13 as well as suffering from malnutrition as a youth, I have never been well educated, but I admire smart people, I plan on becoming a very good business man & that means I have to learn & educate my self, the people that are so much better at me in this area, I look to learn from them & I am the first to compliment them on there achievements even if I do not truly understand there goals at all times, I know & respect the amount of work that they have put into becoming who they are, I don’t hang shit on them or call them this or that , I simply show respect, if I have nothing positive to say , I don’t say anything regardless of what they do, so I cannot understand why others cannot appreciate people for there gifts.

Penny - What do you think of the female bodybuilders? Do you think they can still be feminine & attractive?
Guy - Penny if I may, I would like to officially apologize to the woman of the sport for the STUPID mindless comments I made about woman’s bodybuilding in the show, I have some very good friends that are female bodybuilders, When I commented on the woman I gave an opinion that was not of my own, & for that I am ashamed, I am aware of the overly muscular look that some of the woman have achieved, to answer this question with a simple yes or no answer is impossible, I do find the woman attractive up to a certain point, & as each woman is different some have a lot of muscle & I find them attractive & some I do not, it has a lot to do with the shape they have which is what bodybuilding is all about the perfect symmetry of the body, so yes I do find the woman attractive up to a certain point, but once they start to lose there femininity I loose my appeal, but you know what who really cares what I think, I am pretty sure any woman reading this that is at the level we are talking about cares less if I approve or not, have you ever actually REALLY talk to the ladies in Bodybuilding I honestly believe that they are more feminine in there actions & the way they carry them selves than most woman I meet. Also men do find them very attractive, I have never seen a female bodybuilder alone in my life ever, they always have men hanging of there arm, & that is the truth, so yes I do find them attractive as well as admire there dedication to the sport. Now who ever is reading this, I am only telling you the facts as I see them & since I am very much involved in the sport I feel that I am in a very good position to be a unbiased judge, my girl friend is not a bodybuilder nor have I ever really dated one, but I do give them a 2nd look.

Penny - You don’t exactly advocate insulin, but advise on the best way to use it. How do you feel about the other drugs & techniques, legal & otherwise, used in bodybuilding? Do you think that advice is the best way to go, to keep it healthier, rather than blanket ban or denial of information?
Guy - When it comes to drug use I have no opinion what so ever, as long as the person is harming no one but them selves & excepts all the possible risks they may or may not be faced with then that is there OWN choice, bodybuilders are VERY well educated when it comes to drug use believe me, I have talked with well known doctors or specialists & they are amazed at the knowledge that we have, it is not a matter of taking a few injections or tablets & bam you are huge, steroids are not dangerous even when abused for long periods of time, one thing that annoys me is how every one seems to know how they are killing us yet ask them to name one Steroid & they have no clue, I know that millions of people die each & every year from drinking & smoking & I even know the different types of alcohol & smokes that are available, so I know more about this real killer than they know about steroids, yet you do not see me going up to someone smoking or drinking & saying man you are stupid you are gonna die even though the chances are so much greater for then & I know more about the effects of these products than they do about the effects of steroids, what do you get from smoking lung cancer & bad breath & drinking what do you get liver disease & extreme bad health, I have not heard of one case where the death was medically announced to be caused purely by steroid use, I would actually be very appreciative if some one could produce such a case if it does exist, & shows that the death was due the 100 % because of steroids use only, I think I will be waiting a VERY long time, there have been a few deaths in relation to bodybuilding yes, but those death’s were not caused by STERIODS it is the diuretics that have done some damage, we now test for diuretic use at the top level so we are aware of the problem, what I am saying is we know what we are doing, I have strayed from the question a little, this is my one real bitch subject, don’t tell us what we should or should not do just as we allow you that same courtesy, insulin can be dangerous & to go into how to use it would take ages, so all I will say is , it is our life, we value our lives just as much if not more than most people, we are educated we are informed & regardless what any one does or says we will be the people we choose to be , so except what we do or ignore it, it affects you not , if you are really concerned, then from some one who is quite high in the sport we all appreciated your concern. We truly do, but from my experience & the experience of others we are in much less danger than most smokers & drinkers, why is smoking & alcohol legal because every one makes money from them, ask your self is this true or not, Also if I may, in the interview they asked this guy that was training legs about steroids & he went on admitting he has never taken steroids & then went on to say how some one recently died from steroids, well that person I knew, I did not know him well though he was good friends with my old training partner, this man died Officially from a blood clot in his leg, he had a wife & children & was a good man, then this idiot who knows nothing goes on about how steroids killed him, I was pissed about the question & it showed in the interview as I knew who this dickhead was referring to & I felt bad as his ignorance was casting stones at someone, this is what we have to deal with, I see this idiot in the gym all the time, I say nothing because he is not worth the trouble , but I hope that you can understand in some way what we go through , we are judged by people that have no idea & that sickens me, to the man in the interview I know who you are & you know who I am , I pity you as you are fool, one day I hope you understand how damaging your uniformed comments where, people all make mistakes, but when your mistake effects others, then you have to carry that burden.

Penny - Do you consider bodybuilding to be a sport, an art or a skill?
Guy - I have represented at state & national level in over 6 sports soccer, rugby league, rugby union swimming, running & cricket & bodybuilding is by FAR the most dedicated sport you can undertake, is it a sport, yes & no the judging sucks as no one knows what the best body should look like, it is all in the eye of the beholder, I know the look I like & others have there opinion, it is a personal choice, so judging is a tricky subject because of the reasons I have pointed out, As I have said I have been at a high level in many sports, bodybuilding to me is the greatest sport simply because I love it, also I carry my sport with me every where I go , I love the way I look, I am a bodybuilder & I am proud of it & sercure enough to understand others insecurities, is it a sport you bet it is.

Penny - How do you feel about what you do, is it about the buzz of building your self up, the pride in your body or the competitive aspect?
Guy - I love everything about it, the way I look the way I feel, the added confidence it provides me, & believe me woman are drawn to a nice body as are men. I love competing, when I competed at the World championships for the 1st time in Austria, I was back stage with so many awesome bodybuilders it was one of my dream’s come true, there where over 200 bodybuilders in that room all wanting to be the best, I love the atmosphere I love the challenge, it was my dream & I have now experienced that dream, I now have a new dream, I will be backstage in Spain with all these awesome bodybuilders at the World championships, the best bodybuilders from there respective countries will all there & on this day , I will be the best bodybuilder in that room & I will be a World champion. How many people out there are LIVING there dream, I am & that’s all I care about, my life, my choice, my opportunity to become what I have dreamed of being, am I lucky, Oh yeah

Penny - Does the idea of losing your figure scare you?
Guy - Ah Penny, I have loved the interview so far, BUT a man does not call his body his FIGURE, lets call it my Herculean mass of muscle, ha ha at the present time I am scared yes, but I know that as I grow in age so shall I in wisdom, I know that one day I will be old, that’s life, what I have now is important, live in the present, that’s why it is called the PRESENT because that is what it is a present from god, how you use it is up to you, I will always train, I am more than a body, I know that & I have other goals, this is a step to other things that in time will over shadow bodybuilding, but right now I am GUY GRUNDY I am a person that wishes to be a bodybuilder, in time this will change yes, but enjoy it while you have it, That’s what I am doing, what happens happens, how you deal with things defines who you are as a person, I know who I am so I am at peace. But I plan on holding onto as much muscle as I can, I can picture my self at 70 years old & still looking smooth. As long as I don’t loose my hair, my head was meant to be covered in hair.

Penny - How do you bodybuilders stop turning muscle into fat when they stop training quite so intensively (but still work out)?
Guy - A very good question, Muscle is very easy to keep once you have it, the longer you train the more you learn, take you for example Penny, I am sure that asking these questions is a lot easier than it would have been a couple of years ago, as you progress you learn, by modifying your training it is easy, I could go into a 10 page piece on this, but this is not one of the more important issues we are dealing with here in this interview. I could maintain my current look very easily, by training 3 times a week at 1-½ hours a session I could maintain my present muscle.

Penny - How much training do you have to do a day?
Guy - It all depends on the what stage of training, in the offseason I train about 10-12 hrs a week spread over 5 days or so a week, the off season for those that are not used to bodybuilding talk, is when you are a long way out from a competition, say 6 months or so, I really step up the training as a show gets closer, I start really hitting it hard from 5 months out, any longer than that, training at 100 % is impossible you cannot handle it either mentally or physically, anyone that says they can is FULL O SHIT, when it’s show time it all starts. I spend 2 hrs every day broken up morning & evening doing cardio which for me is walking or riding the stationary bike, then I train with weights twice a day 5-6 days a week at 1 ½ hrs a session that’s 3 hrs a day, then I pose every day for 30 mins, so at the most I would be training 50 hrs a week, I also train my baby Kiyoko for 30 mins 6 days a week as well, so as you can see it can be time consuming, but if I wished to maintain the way I look now with weights, I could modify my program & achieve this by training 4 days a week 1 ½ hrs a session easily.

Penny - What is your diet, & is there anything you love but deny your self to achieve your goals?
Guy - I have a very strong mind, I love basic food steak chicken & pasta, I rarely ever eat junk because it does not interest me, I eat junk maybe once a month, I am a bodybuilder, I choose to be this & to be the best I can, I love it, also I was not feed well as a youngster (suffered from malnutrition) so I appreciate what I have more because for so long I went without, that will NEVER happen to me again, But I do miss my ex wife Kelly’s low fat Cheese cake, ah now I am all depressed thinking about that bloody CHEESES cake, yeah I suffer just like every one else at times.

Penny - If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
Guy - I have a very clear path for my self, at this time this is my only dream, at one stage I believed that I was going to be a professional footballer injuries & living on the street put those dreams away, so if things had of been different I would be a rugby league player now, I used to be so into rugby league, But if I walk away from something I walk away,

Penny - Could anyone still be a bodybuilder, Charles Atlas style?
Guy - Anyone can build a physique like Charles Atlas, time’s have progressed & the look that Mr. Glass had in his day which was very impressive for the time is now very easy to posses with a minimal amount of training, I respect Charles Atlas more for his ability to market himself more than for his actual physique, I mean this in a totally professional view point, with today’s knowledge of training & getting in shape is now easier than ever before, It would be interesting to see how Mr. Atlas would look with the added benefit of today’s knowledge at his disposal all things move forward nothing stays the same.

Penny - Who do you look up to in the sport of bodybuilding?
Guy - I admire Dorian Yates for his drive & ability to come in such great shape year after year no man has equaled his overall condition, also Lee Haney the previous Mr. Olympia to Dorain Yates, he was not a loud or overbearing champion he was a total gentleman & a very spiritual man when you have that much faith there is nothing you cannot do, he is still loved by all, then there’s Craig Titus, I get confused as being CT at times, Craig is the total professional, look at what he has achieved since his release from prison, he is a considered a top 6 threat in any show he enters, I have seen Craig & he is going to shock a lot of people at the Ironman, he is the consummate professional as well as being one of a kind & a cool guy, though who do I look up to the most this shouldn’t require an answer but in today’s society unfortunately it does, God is the reason for everything we have in our lives, he is the creator & he is the only person that hold’s the top spot in my heart. Ask your self if you could be any one you choose include God in that list, who would you choose to be. There’s only really one choice.

Penny - If you had one message for all the bodybuilding naysayers, what would it be?
Guy - If you have nice things to say, say them if not bite your lip, what is right for one is not always right for another, before you cast stones at others have a look at your self, if you are at peace you observe you do not Judge, if you Judge you are scared, I am learning to not judge. As you may be able to tell I am a little spiritual, ha ha I believe in no religion as they all make no sense, I beleive in one God for everyone. When did you start up exciting new web site & what do you hope to achieve through it, is it successful ? I am releasing 2 new site’s www.FITNETUSA.com which will have the largest range of Bodybuilding & health products available at the click of a button 24 hrs a day delivered to your door, as well as every FREE piece of info that the sport can provide, you name it we have it at www.FITNETUSA.com that didn’t sound like a plug did, well if didn’t it sure was meant to be, & www.GUYGRUNDY.com this is my personal site, it has everything about me photos articles covers everything to do with me is on there, there is also a section of the Bio of my life where I tell you EVERYTHING where I was born my child hood, what I have done to get to this point in my life, yes about steroids woman you name it you can read it, this is all a free service as I hope by sharing my journeys people can live through me there bodybuilding dreams or help guide others so they can avoid many of the mistakes I have made along the way, many people will agree with what is written & many people will disagree, to me it matters not what your opinions are , all that matter is my opinion as I am me, so read what I have written & the updates as they appear, try not to judge listen & you may understand why I have taken this path, but make sure you buy all your bodybuilding needs at www.FITNETUSA.com Hey, I gotta pay the rent too!

Take Care,
Guy Grundy