Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors

by Randy Roach

(Click here to visit Randy's website)

"Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors" represents a 4-year project which began in 2002. It originated as a request from the Weston A. Price Foundation for an article on the nutritional history of bodybuilders for their quarterly magazine. The article was finally published as "Splendid Specimens, The History of Nutrition in Bodybuilding" and released in late 2004. The piece was a very edited-down synopsis of one aspect of the book. Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale, who agreed to do the foreword, predicted very early that this project would become a full length book. He was correct since the final product could be 500 pages or more.

The scope of the research is much broader than the history of nutrition in bodybuilding. In order for that story to be told effectively, the legacy of the sport of bodybuilding itself would have to be thoroughly analyzed. This was, and still is, a formidable task since it requires digging back decades and even centuries into the origins of physical culture, strong man performers, the rise of weightlifting, the diversities of the medical healing philosophies and their interaction with the early physical culturists, and finally the nutritional pioneers who influenced the framers of the 20th century Iron Game.

"Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors" is due to be released in 2006

Randy Roach on Dan Lurie

Almost lost in the decades-long scuffle of the Weider/Hoffman dogfight was a man who made a significant impact on the muscle and fitness industry. Dan Lurie is truly one of the top framers of the growth of modern bodybuilding. He engaged and survived his own battles with the power factions of the industry to become a major entrepreneurial player who brought excitement, entertainment, and controversy at a catalytic time of the sport's evolving history.

It has certainly been exciting, entertaining, and controversial just interviewing Dan for this project. We have spent hours discussing, debating, laughing, and butting heads over his recollections of the past 60 years and trying to attain reconciliation with the written documentation. Even though we don't necessarily agree on everything, he is a integral character in my book with a story that needs to be told. Dan Lurie is but one of the many historical patriarchs who struggled and fought against a very resistant public to forge the foundation on which today's fitness industry stands.

With all of our discussions and debates, I will concede that he is one of the brighter lights in what is truly an industry full of muscle, smoke and mirrors.

Randy Roach

Author of "Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors"