Who Is Denny Gable?
Denny Gable was an actor and bodybuilder in the late 1970s. Denny worked out in Venice alongside people like Robby Robinson, Franco Columbo, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While he lived in California, he also made appearances in bodybuilding movies and periodicals.
Short Career of Denny Gable
Denny Gable was an exceptional gymnast as a child growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Denny gained the title of Iowa State Champion three times throughout his ten-year gymnastics career.
Denny Gable decided to relocate to California to pursue a career as a bodybuilder after graduating. Denny was 180 cm tall and weighed 83 kilograms when he arrived in Venice.
He attained his highest weight of 95 kilos after several years of intense weight training, as well as 130 cm of the chest and 49 cm of biceps.
Denny passed away after a heart attack on July 22, 2000, in Cedar Rapids. He is still regarded as a key figure in the Venice, California, bodybuilding scene of the late 1970s.
Body Measurements of Denny Gable
| Full Name: Denny Gable |
| DATE OF BIRTH: November 27, 1950 |
| ERA: 1960–1970 |
| PROFESSION: Bodybuilder, Actor |
| NATIONALITY: American |
| AGE: 71 |
| HEIGHT: 5’11” (180cm) |
| WEIGHT: 215 – 225lbs (93.0 – 102.1kg) |
| WAIST: 78 cm |
| THIGHS: 66 cm |
| CALVES: 43 cm |
| ARMS: 49 cm |
| CHEST: 130 cm |
Accomplishments
Acting Career
- Pumping Iron (1977)
- Sextette (1978)
Biography
Denny’s Childhood
Denny Gable was raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he was born. Denny was interested in gymnastics as a child and pursued it for more than ten years. He won multiple gymnastics awards during this time, including three state gymnastics championships for Iowa.
However, Denny eventually acquired a bodybuilding magazine. He was enamored by the magazine’s physical descriptions. Denny was inspired to the point where he chose to switch from gymnastics to bodybuilding.
Building muscle in California
Denny wasted little time in getting started on his plan of action. He moved to California right away after graduating, where he met Arnold and other well-known bodybuilders. Together, they all began their gym workouts and grew close.
In time, Denny and his training partner Robby Robinson rose to prominence as bodybuilders in Venice.
The two later made an appearance in Joe Weider’s training articles where they discussed the philosophies and methods they used in their training.
Death
Denny regrettably passed away too soon, leaving behind his loved ones, friends, and bodybuilding admirers. On July 22nd, 2000, he passed away at the age of 49. His death was brought on by a pulmonary embolism.
Denny is well known for his roles in bodybuilding-related movies and magazines. Additionally, he had an impact on the Venice, California, bodybuilding scene in the 1970s.
Training
Biceps and Delts
Denny made maintaining strict form during every workout his top goal. He kept his arms as straight as possible while performing slow, controlled movements to exercise his delts and biceps.
He performed five sets of each exercise, keeping his rep ranges for his shoulders between 6 and 8 and his biceps between 10 and 12.
The workout;
Delts
- Upright Rows, 5 sets of 8 reps
- Standing Cable Laterals, 5 sets of 6-8 reps
- Cable Crossovers, 5 sets of 6-8 reps
- Press Behind the Neck, 5 sets of 6-8 reps
Biceps
- Standing Barbell Curls, 5 sets of 10-12 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Curls, super set with Single Cable Curls, 5 sets of 10-12 reps
- Concentration Curls, 5 sets of 12 reps
Triceps and Forearms
Denny’s preferred exercises for building up his triceps were decline and sitting extensions.
Just as with any exercise, he adhered to proper form, and he was careful not to overdo it with large weights because these exercises are known to be difficult on the joints.
Denny used Joe Weider’s training techniques, such as forced reps and the muscle confusion theory, to push his workouts even further.
Denny performed numerous supersets with short rest intervals on his forearms. This secured the greatest number of outcomes in the shortest amount of time.
His go-to forearm workouts included Scott-bench reverse curls and wrist curls.
Chest Exercise
Even though Denny stressed variety in his training, the bench press was usually always the first exercise he performed for his chest.
Denny always said that if he had to choose just one chest exercise, it would be the bench press. He used the workout to sculpt a broad, enormous chest and build up his general strength in the weight room.
Denny performed a lot of incline presses to build his upper chest. He used movements like incline dumbbell flies as finishers for his chest sessions, which helped him develop bulk to his upper pectoralis.
Denny occasionally substituted bodyweight dips for flies as his chest finishers. He thought they gave his outer chest area more muscle and roundness.
Reverse “Attack”
Numerous sets of pull-ups, sitting cable rows, and T-bar rows made up Denny’s back workout. When he wanted to increase the size of his lats, these were his “go-to” exercises.
He would perform numerous T-bar rows and narrow-grip lateral pulldowns to target the muscles in his inner back. While Denny would stick to wide-grip pull-ups if he wanted to widen the width of his back.
Nutrition
Denny followed the traditional high-protein, low-carb diet of bodybuilders in the 1970s. Denny, like most bodybuilders of his day, ate for performance in the gym rather than flavor.
Bodybuilders like Denny were forced to rely on healthy, whole foods because supplements were hard to come by at the time.
He would consume a lot of egg whites, chicken, steak, fish, and milk to satisfy his daily protein needs, which may occasionally reach 250 grams.
Influences and Idols
Some of Joe Weider’s training concepts were incorporated into Denny’s regimen, and he used them to maximize his sessions.
Denny’s bodybuilding journey was also influenced by Robby Robinson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom he collaborated on training pieces for Weider.
How can Denny Gable teach us something?
Denny Gable relocated to California from Iowa to pursue his bodybuilding dreams. Although he already had a good career in gymnastics, he ultimately decided to pursue bodybuilding.
Even though it was a risk, Denny was rewarded for it. He developed a fantastic physique and rose to fame as a bodybuilding star in the 1970s.
Denny has demonstrated to us how a little gut and tenacity can go a long way. Don’t spend too much time thinking about something you are passionate about.
Take the “leap of faith” instead and pursue your goals in life. That is one method you can use to bring your goals to life, just like Denny Gable.