Who is Larry Scott?
A sports legend is Larry Scott, also known as The Legend and The Golden Boy. He became the first athlete to have 20′′ arms and won the first-ever Mr. Olympia championships back-to-back.
Short Career of Larry Scott
Larry Scott pioneered the “Preacher Curls” and influenced bodybuilders of the golden period, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He wasn’t always a muscular legend, though; in high school, he was too short and tiny to play on the football and basketball teams.
Body Measurements of Larry Scott
| Full Name: | Larry Scott |
| ALIAS: | The Golden Boy |
| ERA: | 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980 |
| PROFESSION: | Professional Bodybuilder |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| AGE: | 20″ |
| HEIGHT: | 5’7″ (170cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 205 – 215lbs (88.5 – 93.0kg) |
Accomplishments
- 1959 Mr. Idaho, 1st
- 1960 Mr. California – AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
- 1960 Mr. Los Angeles – AAU, Most Muscular, 3rd
- 1960 Mr. Los Angeles – AAU, 3rd
- 1961 Mr. Pacific Coast – AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
- 1962 Mr. America, Medium, 2nd, and Overall
- 1963 Mr. Universe, Medium, 1st
- 1964 Mr. Universe, Medium, 1st, and Overall
- 1965 Mr. Olympia, 1st
- 1966 Mr. Olympia, 1st
- 1979 Canada Diamond Pro Cup, 9th
- 1979 Grand Prix Vancouver, Did not place
Biography
Young Years
Larry was born and reared in Idaho, America, and as a child, he was an avid sports fan. But when he was younger, he wasn’t big enough to play basketball and football in high school.
Larry had never lifted weights before. Instead, he joined the gymnastics team and excelled at tumbling to the point that he traveled with his state team.
Bodybuilding
When Larry was 18 years old and in his final year of high school, he came upon a bodybuilding magazine. The future legend was immediately motivated and started weight training.
He wasn’t exercising in a gym, though; rather, he was using a broken-down tractor axle as a dumbbell at the time.
Larry when he was younger, before he began training.
First competition
Larry entered his first contest, the Mr. Idaho show, in 1958. His efforts paid off, and in his first race, he took first place.
He became aware that he could be successful in the field after this victory. He had aspirations of being a fitness phenomenon.
Go to College in California
Larry didn’t take long to develop a love for exercise. He relocated to California in 1958, when he started working out at Bert Goodrich’s Hollywood Gym.
There, Larry first encountered “Mr. Muscle Beach,” Lou Degni, who adopted Larry and helped him build a fantastic physique.
Larry enrolled in Valley College during this time and declared an electronics major. In addition to starting his job as an electronics technician, he also found time to go to the gym.
The world’s best physique was attained thanks in large part to this commitment to fitness.
Encountering Vince Gironda
Larry Scott soon decided to change things up and joined Vince’s Gym. Here, he met the gym’s owner and legendary bodybuilder Vince Gironda, often known as The Iron Guru, who decided to teach the boy himself.
Larry made significant development under the direction of a legend and was prepared for his first significant contest, the 1960 AAU Mr. California.
Even though he was able to escape with the prize, this was just the beginning.
Champion
For the following four years, Larry worked on improving his physique and winning more competitions. He won four trophies during this time and finished in the top three in three competitions.
Using Vince Gironda’s techniques, The Golden Boy put on about 50 pounds of muscle by the time he was 26 and had sculpted an amazing figure. He turned his attention to more difficult challenges after winning the Mr. Universe titles in 1963 and 1964.
Olympia Mr.
The famed Mr. Olympia event, which Joe Weirder founded the following year and conducted its inaugural competition in 1965, was launched.
Joe exclusively invited top championship winners since he wanted the competition to feature the best bodybuilders in the world.
As the Mr. Universe champion from the previous two years, Larry entered 1965, Mr. Olympia, without hesitating. He was able to repeat his prior achievement and received the consensus top ranking.
By winning this competition, Larry was recognized as the best bodybuilder in the world. He wasn’t finished, though.
He came back a year later and entered the Mr. Olympia stage in 1966. The Legend succeeded in maintaining his dominance over the field and rose to fame.
Retirement
Larry Scott had won the first two Mr. Olympia competitions, reaching the pinnacle of his profession.
He believed he had accomplished everything in the business at this point. Larry wanted to put his marriage first and stay out of the spotlight.
After winning in 1966, The Golden Boy, at 28 years old, declared his retirement from professional bodybuilding.
Comeback
Larry decided to return to the sport in 1979 after a 13-year hiatus. He entered the Canada Diamond Pro Cup and the Grand Prix Vancouver at the age of 41.
However, his best finish was ninth. Larry once more hung up his boots after realizing that his prime was over.
The Mythical
Larry’s achievements in the fitness sector were honored in 1999.
Along with legends like Reg Park and Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was elected into the prestigious IFBB Hall of Fame.
Training
At his best, Larry worked out at the gym six days a week, concentrating on two or three different muscle groups each time. He did 8-10 reps in the same number of sets.
He made sure to exercise for a total of 12 hours per week, which equated to two 2-hour sessions every day. To keep blood in the muscle and maintain the pump, The Legend advocated for short rest periods in between exercises.
Larry never utilized what he saw as exceptionally big weights, surprising considering his size; the most he would lift for bicep curls was 150 lbs.
He utilized every piece of specialized equipment that could isolate muscle areas at Vince’s gym, and he attributes his improvement to these devices.
Nutrition
When Larry was competing, he had a unique diet. He ate primarily proteins like meat, cheese, and eggs with relatively few carbs and veggies.
To keep his body fueled and his metabolism robust, the Golden Boy attempted to consume 6–8 meals each day. He had whey protein in his diet, which he combined with milk and cream.
Diet Plan
Larry’s diet would have looked something like this:
- Meal 1 – Whey Protein, Milk, and Cream
- Meal 2 – Cheese
- Meal 3 – Any meat
- Meal 4 – Any meat
- Meal 5 – Whey Protein, Milk, and Cream
- Meal 6 – Any meat with Cheese
Supplements Stack:
- Whey Protein
- B Complex
- Liver Formula
- Hydrochloric Acid Tablets
Influences and Idols
Many bodybuilders from the golden period, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many contemporary athletes were influenced by Larry.
But Lou Degni and Vince Gironda served as his primary sources of motivation throughout his career.
What Can Larry Scott Teach Us?
Larry Scott has taught us to pursue our dreams no matter what. To achieve his aim of becoming the best physique in the world, he took the risk of relocating to California.
One lesson we can take away from Larry’s tale is that success comes from learning from successful people. By enlisting the assistance of Lou Degni and Vince Gironda, Larry went on to become a legend in his field.