WHO OR WHAT IS A MUSCLE MOBSTER?
BY STEVE GARDENER

Once, long ago, in a time when the dinosaurs were young and Mick Hart was only 150 he allowed an even older Ron Ball and a positively ancient David Gentle to write for his new magazine.

They both all, Mick included, arrived at an idea which, while named differently, amounted to the same thing.

Being a muscle mobster is working out, training with weights, lifting iron. It's being a bodybuilder, a physical culturist, a weightlifter or a Powerlifter. It's training when the doctor says not to and lifting iron even when in a wheel chair. It's using barbells, dumbbells, stones and Kettlebells, machines or springs.

It's writing about the history, the news right now and what we want to see in the future. It's taking pictures and putting them on the net for all to see. It's about sharing that joy you have for all things 'Iron' and sharing it with your 'Iron Buddies'.

It's going to even the smallest competition as well as the grandest. It's about competing, judging, promoting and coaching. Whether you wear a tiny pair of spandex trunks and pro-tan or a blue blazer and grey flannel trousers - you are both taking part. If you own the gym, instruct, or just train there, you're a Muscle Mobster.

These are the things about which Ron Bull called 'The Muscle Mafia' and David Gentle renamed 'Muscle Mob'. David mentioned a collective knowledge. He hinted at political power, sharing of trades and skills and more.

With Muscle Mob magazine doing what it can to gather these things together within it's 28-page monthly magazine I do what I can as publisher use all the help I can get from my readers to print show reports within weeks, not months, of the competitions taking place. On plain paper, not glossy, readers share stories, review videos, talk about and share their passions with other equally enthusiastic patrons.

I have met what Mick calls his 'No Bull Boys'. Together with their better halves we have enjoyed gatherings that have seen pals travelling 5000 miles or more for an afternoon of drinking, eating and better still chewing the fat.

I have sat down and eaten with my heroes when I visit the annual OHF awards dinner. With true veterans of the iron game like David Webster OBE and more I have heard ex Mr Olympia sing, seen Eddie Ellwood struggle one year only to return the next and pull the Inch dumbbell high and the next year watched Chris James push press the same 172 pound piece of pig iron overhead.

Tomorrow, or better still later today (it being 1.21am as I type this) I will attend the mass of another veteran physical culturist 98 year old Joe Assirati. At 95, while I tried to interview him, he had the enthusiasm of a teenager and talked of seeing Sandow flex, watching Hackenschmidt lift and more. Was Joe a Muscle Mobster? Oh yes.

What about you? Do you have to be 'natural'? No - we welcome all but focus on being responsible and healthy. Do we favour one part of the sport over another? No - sometimes we have more of one kind of an article than others and we pick the best from what we have. Is the magazine all old-time stuff? No - we have results and photos (if you send them in) from all of the
biggest competitions.

Being a muscle mobster is as much about taking part, not just being an onlooker as it is about buying a subscription. So if you've picked up a copy of this from a mate, or at the OH dinner or in a gym or muscle shop and think we might have something to offer you get in touch.