Joe Abbenda, 1962 AAU Mr. America and NABBA Mr. Universe winner, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Joe talks about how he began bodybuilding as a teenager and the early gyms he trained at in New York. Joe also tells the stories of when he started competing in bodybuilding and traveling to the national level competitions. Joe was one of the few bodybuilders who was able to win both the AAU Mr. America and the NABBA Mr. Universe competitions in the same year. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the 1983 Mr. Olympia report written by Rick Wayne for the February, 1984 issue of Muscle & Fitness Magazine.

Time Stamps:

1:30 - Mr. America and Mr. Universe winners in the same year

2:39 - The Rick Wayne Interviews

5:10 - Joint-Friendly Fitness

7:20 - Beginning of Joe Abbenda Interview

8:00 - When Joe started training

11:39 - The friendships in bodybuilding

14:40 - Working out in the gyms

17:00 - Reg Park's 5x5 workout

19:07 - Earning the athletic points for the Mr. America contest

24:00 - The Mr. America anniversary

25:00 - Joe's early competitions

28:06 - Competing in the Mr. America

31:50 - Bill Pearl's passing

35:00 - Winning the AAU Mr. America and the NABBA Mr. Universe in the same year

37:00 - A young Harold Poole

38:15 - Competing in the NABBA Mr. Universe

43:00 - Traveling to Europe

44:00 - Joe's career after bodybuilding

47:00 - Guest posing with Reg Park

56:00 - When Joe stopped competing

1:13:10 - Host John Hansen reads the 1983 Mr. Olympia report written by Rick Wayne from the February, 1984 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.

Links:

John's Online Training

Become a Patreon Sponsor

Joint-Friendly Fitness book

Bodybuilding Legends website

John Hansen Fitness

John's YouTube Channel