The Toronto Supershow was this past weekend and I was in attendance on behalf of RX Muscle. I took this opportunity to relax, take in the show and hang out with old friends. I was thinking about it and I realized that it was the first pro show I had attended in over five years. Moreover, I was not obligated to be at a booth working; I was truly free.
I went through the entrance and all of a sudden this sensation stained my brain like a coat of pro tan.
I had no obligations, no booth and very little responsibility. Accordingly, I decided to set my legs on cruise control and roamed around the expo. It was nice to see the other side of a bodybuilding expo. I am used to sitting at a booth all day in a tank top or competing. The bottom line was that I wasn't there to do anything but watch the bodybuilding shows and experience the expo. I was appropriately outfitted with my girlfriend on my arm and a 100% cotton t-shirt (Kovacs sized of course). As I cruised through the expo, I ran into so many old friends, it felt like a high school reunion. I'd have to say that the coolest part of the show was that I had my fans coming up to me to get pictures and talk bodybuilding. If any of you are reading this, it was a pleasure to have met you.
Being the inaugural year for the Toronto Supershow, big names like Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, Tony Freeman, Bob Cicherillo and many others were in attendance. I have known these guys for years and it was great to get to see them after all these years. Again, it was fantastic to converse and mingle with fans throughout the expo. One guy sticks out in my mind more than anyone else. He came right up to me and pointed out that I wasn't carrying a towel and sweating profusely like I used to. Honestly, I felt flattered that he remembered me walking around in such detail that he remembered my towel/fan. Gary Bartlet is a photographer that I have known for many years, but I hadn't seen for a long time. He came up energetically and said, "Greg, great to see you! You look great! I heard you were dead!" He looked me over and checked my pulse. Once he had confirmed that I was not dead (or a zombie), he declared, "You are very much alive!" I was going to eat his brains, but I figured I might blow my cover.
A funny thing happens when you sit back and observe, you notice things you otherwise would miss. I noticed that a lot of bodybuilding fans think that their heroes are just that, heroes. We are expected to be at our biggest and leanest all the time. Sadly, we're human and we can't possibly hold our condition and/or size all the time. Even more astounding, many expected this even after we have retired! I repeatedly heard the same thing, "I can't believe how small he is." I overheard that comment several times and it was in reference to several different "legends". I found this amusing. In bodybuilding, we are judged on our appearance, so when our appearance fades it is apparent to everyone. Our appearance can be perceived as our relative "skill level". In other sports, skill level is demonstrated within the act, or performance, of the sport. When a bodybuilding enthusiast meets a legend that has long since retired, the legend will be smaller. The bodybuilder has retired, his skill fades and he gets smaller. However, in other sports, Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan will always appear to be who they are. You can't see their skill fading away even though they couldn't perform like they did in their prime. The idea or memory of how they used to perform is still in your head, unchallenged by a current visualization of the deterioration of their skill level. To bring it back to bodybuilding, why would it be surprising that Dorian Yates is smaller than he used to be? I am certainly not over 400lbs. anymore and I am certainly not incline-pressing 6 plates anymore. What I am trying to get at is that in bodybuilding, it is inevitable that when an IFBB Pro retires, he will get smaller and it has the tendency to let down enthusiasts' expectations. I have always heard that meeting your hero is always a letdown because they can never live up to your expectations. Maybe that is the phenomenon at work.
True bodybuilding fans possess an unwavering passion for the sport. I had forgotten this, but when you attend events like this, you can really see it. There was an amateur event held in conjunction with the professional event. It almost seemed like every amateur competitor had a goal or show in mind and they were training towards it. It was very inspiring to witness. While backstage, I was assisting a few athletes for their big moment on stage and it felt like I was stepping on stage with them. When they all did well, I felt like I shared in their success and did well too. As weird as it may seem, it felt really nice to be nervous for someone else's appearance on stage rather than my own.
It was an honor to have so many people asking me about my training and diet theories. It re-triggered a hunger within me to apply what I know to myself and be the best that I can be. Instead of throwing around ungodly amounts of iron, I espouse for a person to attain a cleaner, deeper stretch and contraction. Seeing the results that my athletes attain using my theories only verifies what I know. I am genuinely excited to continue helping others achieve their best.
In summation, I had a great time and my passion for bodybuilding is back. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my friends, peers and fans for making this first experience back on the pro scene a very pleasant and enjoyable one. I also would like to thank all the kind words about my column from people at the show. I appreciate all of you taking the time to read it. Kovacs is here to stay!
This article was edited by Jeff Pearce
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