Who Is Frank Richards?
In the worldwide bodybuilding scene of the 1970s, Frank Richards, an IFBB professional bodybuilder, was well-known.
Although he was a resident of the UK, he was able to become friends with and compete with some of the greatest athletes the sport has ever known.
As a young student-athlete, Frank started lifting weights to enhance his sprinting ability. His youthful mind was greatly intrigued by this event, and he discovered a neighborhood gym named Catt’s gym.
He would advance his career from here. While Frank was in London, he was able to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger and become friends.
Frank received a request from this buddy to relocate to the US so he could compete with the finest. He would later succeed in other important competitions and relish each moment of his professional life.
Body Measurements Of Frank Richards
| Full Name: | |
| HEIGHT: | N/A |
| WEIGHT: | N/A |
| NATIONALITY: | British |
| PROFESSION: | IFBB Professional Bodybuilder |
| ERA: | 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 |
Accomplishments
Competitions
- 1967 Mr. Universe: Tall, 6th place NABBA
- 1968 Mr. Universe: Tall, third-place NABBA
- NABBA, the 1969 Mr. Britain winner
- 1969 Mr. Universe: Tall, NABBA, second
- 1969 Belgian Mr. World (IFBB), first
- 1970 Class 1, First Place NABBA Mr. Universe (London)
- 85th Mr. Olympia, 10th
- 3rd in the 1986 World of Champions
- World Pro Championships in 1986, third place
- 1987 Los Angeles Pro, third place
- Mr. Olympia, 14th in 1986
- 1987 Night of Champions – IFBB, unsuccessful attempt
- 1987 World Pro Championships – 9th place in the IFBB
- 1989 Arnold Classic – 12th place IFBB
- 1989 Melbourne Grand Prix – IFBB, eighth
- 1989 IFBB World Pro Championships, seventh place
- 1997, 12th place Arnold Classic
- 7th in the 1998 Melbourne Grand Prix
- With a spotter above him, Frank Richards completes a dumbbell bench press, displaying his enormous chest and arms.
Biography
Short Career Of Frank Richards
Frank excelled in physical education classes during his high school years in England in the 1960s. He was a great hurdler and a great sprinter, winning several competitive events at the county and national levels.
Frank also mentioned that his sprinting coach was brilliant and decades ahead of his time. He made him perform leg curls while wearing weighted boots to help him develop his running strength.
This was Frank’s first time lifting weights. He cherished the sensation of increased strength and muscle that weightlifting offered his body. He described it as his “baptism” into the bodybuilding sport.
Growing To Love Weightlifting
Frank understood that bodybuilding would be his sport as he approached his teenage years. He was desperate to locate a gym where he could use weights like the Americans he had read about in publications.
Fortunately, a boys club opened up close to Frank’s house in 1964. It contained weight lifting equipment, and Frank saw other individuals using them there for the first time.
“I can honestly say that day was the start of some of the most exciting periods of my life,” he said after some thought. For around eleven months, I worked out there.
While this gym was adequate for Frank’s needs, it eventually become tedious to work out there because it lacked the ambiance Frank desired.
Locating His Ideal Gym
His friend told him about Catt’s Gym after he had wandered around his neighborhood in search of a different gym. Although Catt’s gym was a wooden barn on a man’s property, it had charm and atmosphere (it still exists today).
Harry Catterall, the business owner, hit it off right away. Harry would later serve as his sports mentor. He trained Frank for free while accompanying him to events and would demonstrate how to finish workouts.
Frank discovered during this time that because bodybuilding is a dynamic sport, it’s necessary to always pay attention to your surroundings.
He stated, “Hang up your training belt because you have closed off intellectually when the day comes that you think you know everything about bodybuilding.”
Beginning His Career In Bodybuilding
Frank was aware right away that he would need to go to the USA if he wanted to become a well-known bodybuilder. He did so in 1964, and as he entered tournaments, he immediately started to meet some of the greats.
During that time, Frank had encounters with virtually every significant figure in the sport, including Franco Columbo, Frank Zane, and possibly the greatest athlete of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He claims that some of his fondest memories involve his time in London when he worked out with Arnold and stayed at a friend’s house.
While eating in London with Arnold and IFBB CEO Joe Weider, Joe enquired as to Frank’s interest in moving to the US to work for him.
This was a huge opportunity for Frank, and he seized it by flying to New York to meet Arnold while the actor was signing a contract for a movie.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Residence
In New York, Frank shared a residence with Arnold and regularly worked out beside him while discussing his scripts for movies.
While watching TV in the evening, they discussed their goals. Arnold would tell him that he wanted to work in politics and be the best bodybuilder in the world.
Along with Arnold and Frank, Frank was also flown to California where he trained at the Gold’s Gym, which at the time was the dream of every bodybuilder.
After he had been in America for a while, he felt the strain of being apart from his family “weigh down heavily.”
He made it home in time to participate in the 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe pageant in London, where he won the Class 1 title but finished one vote short of taking home the overall crown.
But at this point, his attention was on the 1974 IFBB Mr. Universe.
Experiencing A Serious Injury And Recovering From It
He once slipped into the rail track while performing his full-time duties for the British Rail department and heard his leg shatter “instantly.”
It was revealed that he had actually punctured his lung and nearly amputated his foot while also breaking his arm, neck, leg, and ribs.
Frank would eventually be rendered inactive for a full 11 years as a result.
He started his training again in 1984 at 200 pounds, which is 50 pounds lighter than his pre-fall weight. In just a few weeks, he claimed, “muscle memory had started to show itself, and the muscle had started to fill out.
Without actually attempting, I had gained 224 pounds after three months.
He was made to attend as a special guest at a nearby tournament, and the audience went wild. They were quite happy to see the local professional back on stage because they had not anticipated his comeback at all.
According to Frank Richards, they began chanting “Richards The Lionheart,” which caused his entire family and his training partner to break down in tears. The name endured.
Mr Olympia In 1985
Frank Richards received an invitation to participate in the 1985 Mr. Olympia in Brussels, Belgium, after word spread that he was returning to the bodybuilding scene.
He competed against some of the best competitors the world has ever seen, such as Tom Platz, Rich Gaspari, and Bob Paris, and ultimately finished the competition in tenth place.
Frank feels that, at the age of 40, he was achieving his goal of one-day turning pro and posing with the finest.
After this performance, he sustained a second, more serious wound when he was stabbed in a restaurant during a fight he didn’t start. He realized that it might be over for good at this time.
Teaching Seminars
After his injury, Frank Richards started working out for fun when he got back to England. He went back to Catt’s gym, where he first began working out with his friends and enjoying every second of it.
Frank continued to attend and give talks at regular US seminars for the rest of his professional life.
He relished every moment of exploring the nation he adored while conversing with longtime bodybuilders and more recent competitors who shared his interest.
What Frank Richards Can Teach Us?
Frank Richardsha demonstrated for us the potential of pursuing your passions. He started exercising in a converted barn, which piqued his curiosity.
Here, he discovered the environment he required to develop his physique, and his devotion carried him to the Mr. Olympia stage.
This intense passion couldn’t be broken up by two horrific injuries.
He continued to exercise well into his senior years and never looked back on a choice. Work hard and explore your passions if you want to pursue your fitness aspirations.