Who is Gunnar Rosbo?
Former bodybuilder Gunnar Rosbo from Norway competed against Mr. Olympia winner Lee Haney in his heyday.
Gunnar was said to as “a force of nature” and was renowned for his amazing forearms, which reached a height of 20 inches.
Short Career of Gunnar Rosbo
Gunnar Rosbo, however, never achieved his full potential in bodybuilding due to his struggles with alcoholism and poor eating habits.
Gunnar enjoyed eating hot dogs and getting wasted in pubs when he wasn’t practicing.
Even the day before a bodybuilding competition, he would show up drunk in the hope that the booze would make him look more ripped on stage.
This, along with neurological damage he sustained in 1982, caused Gunnar to quit bodybuilding early.
Despite his bad decisions and hasty departure from bodybuilding. Gunnar made a name for himself as the bodybuilder with the best set of forearms the sport has ever seen.
Body Measurements of Gunnar Rosbo
| Full Name: | Gunnar Rosbo |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | 225 – 235lbs (102.1 – 106.6kg) |
| ERA: | 1970, 1980 |
| PROFESSION: | Bodybuilder |
| NATIONALITY: | Norwegian |
Accomplishments
Bodybuilding Contests
1975
- Mr. Europe, Tall, 4th
1977
- European Amateur Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 5th
- Universe – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 6th
1981
- European Amateur Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
World Amateur Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
1982
- World Amateur Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
Biography
Unconventional Bodybuilding Methods
Gunnar Rosbo developed a reputation for using an unconventional method of muscle development during his bodybuilding career.
Gunnar spent the majority of his days eating hot dogs and consuming huge amounts of booze when he wasn’t working out in the gym.
Naturally, living this lifestyle ruined Gunnar’s hard work in the gym and caused him to lose the respect of his fellow bodybuilders.
Gunnar made some bad decisions, but he was still able to develop a body with some of the biggest forearms the “iron” sport had ever seen—over 20 inches long.
Gunnar’s enormous and well-defined forearms often left the audience in amazement whenever he made an appearance on a bodybuilding stage.
which was more prominent than the rest of his athletic body.
History of Gunnar’s Contests
Despite not living the healthiest lifestyle, Gunnar consistently delivered an outstanding physique to the stage.
1975’s Mr. Europe, Gunnar’s first significant competition, saw him finish an amazing fourth. Another impressive achievement—a top 5 finish in the European Amateur Championships—came two years later.
In 1981, Gunnar won the heavyweight division of the European Amateur Championships, earning him his first significant bodybuilding prize.
Drinking Before the Performance
Gunnar’s performances on stage were unexpected given that he sometimes arrived at events in a drunken state.
He thought that by consuming alcohol before the tournament, he would stay defined and shed more water weight.
On occasion, Gunnar would consume 24 beers and 750 ml of vodka the day before the event in the hopes of looking better than his rivals.
His Bodybuilding Career Is Over
Gunnar gave up bodybuilding after his final contest at the 1982 World Amateur Championships.
In addition to his drinking issues, Gunnar’s early retirement was brought on by a pinched nerve that caused one side of his body to deteriorate.
Gunnar prematurely quit bodybuilding, leaving everyone to wonder what he may have or could have been.
Training
Exercises for the Arms and Forearms by Gunnar Rosbo
Gunnar worked his biceps and triceps for 20 sets each when he was at his best. To maximize the size of his arms, he routinely used strategies like supersets, drop sets, and forced reps.
Gunnar flexed and posed in front of the mirror between each set. To “get deeper into the tissue,” as he put it, and to fully exhaust the trained muscle
He exercised his triceps and biceps for about 40 to 45 minutes.
Gunnar gave his forearms the same kind of intense training that he gave the rest of his body.
Gunnar used the largest dumbbells he could find at the gym to perform the farmer’s walk exercise for 30 minutes each day as part of his forearm program.
Nutrition
Gunnar worked very diligently and with great discipline during his training sessions. But when it came to his eating, it was an entirely different matter.
His diet consisted primarily of his favorite foods, such as hot dogs. He also drank a lot of booze in addition to this.
Gunnar was nevertheless able to develop a remarkable body, particularly in his forearms, while following this kind of diet.
What Can We Infer About Gunnar Rosbo?
Gunnar Rosbo had tremendous potential and was on his way to becoming a household name in bodybuilding.
However, Gunnar gradually started to vanish from the bodybuilding scene after turning professional in 1982.
In the end, Gunnar’s failure to take risks meant that he was never able to realize his full potential.
Even though Gunnar didn’t have the same luck as some other bodybuilders of the time.
He nevertheless made a name for himself as the bodybuilder of his generation with the most remarkable forearms.
The lesson we can take away from Gunnar and his experience is to seize every chance life presents you with since you never know how many you’ll have.