I remember his run against Hogan. His mobility was reduced. But his shoulders were way bigger than hogan. Nobody on planet earth had shoulders like Don. They were scary to even look at with those veins popping out
Have to agree with Don, the constant water work got him naturally strong. I do remember seeing old videos of how strong Dino was. Muraco seems so damn cool and laid back.
Muraco was such an athletic big man and he sold it in the ring so well. I gotta say I wanted to be built like him or Dino Bravo as a kid (big shoulders, massive chest and keg for a belly).
I got up to about 550 on squats and I loved them as they worked the whole body, though I was religious with all body parts back then. I had a sudden pinch nerve reaction in my upper left thigh, down on one knee, and realized (near 40 yrs old), I had to revert to reverse leg presses alone from then on, piling up the weights from all over the gym to get close to what I needed. A bit harder on the back that way than the knees. Never would touch steroids, already heard about them - I was 6' 4", only 215. Got a degree in fitness and nutrition too. Good ol' healthy days. I can listen to Don all day.
@Oprah30 that's so awesome. Being in my 50s my favorite time period for wresting is 78-84. I did stick around for a couple more years but then I stopped. However, I still watch all those old matches and Muraco is in that era!
My best bench was 325, incline press and overhead press was 225 x 8 reps. I was 5'6", weighed 155.squat was 450. I can't imathe feeling of doing a 500 pound bench and 600 pound squat.
Dino Bravo was Italian. Born in Italy, and his family immigrated to Canada. He was raised in Quebec and could speak French, but that doesn't make him a Frenchman and doesn't mean that the French of Quebec would get behind him as they did the Rougeaus.
I think Don was more jacked than Warrior and definitely Hogan when he became the Rock, was “managed” by Superstar, and wore the baby blues. Too bad he got fired, I think he would’ve had another solid run as the IC champ but they had him jobbing for DiBiase and Bravo before he left. Don was smart and wrestling was over for him so he went back to Hawaii and joined the Longshoremen’s Union. Now he’s in much better shape financially than the majority of old timers.
This was the craziest transformation ever in wrestling. Never hear anyone talk about it. At one Rumble Muracco was bigger than hogan and leaner than warrior (look back if you dont believe me) Funny his physique resembled dino but was better. Makes sense that trained together...
I think he could have done more that 500 lbs bench . I did a 515 and he was bigger than me . ( 5’9” 260lbs ) he had to be about 6’2” 300 lbs at one point
I regret never trying my one rep max for bench press and dead lift when I lifted weights for football. In my prime at around 6'5" & 265lbs I could bench 315lbs x 25 reps, not many could do that. And I could dead lift 630lbs for 10 reps. It wasn't hard for me. (Our strength trainer didn't like us lifting more than 500lbs for dead lifts because of injury risks) I had 29" quads, 38" waist, 63" chest, 23" biceps, 20" forearms, 23" neck (I trained at a gym that had a "Mr. Canada" contestant, he nick named me "Slabs" for my forearms). I only know these measurements because I had a suit and some shirts custom made. I was doing higher reps because I wanted to get leaner, I didn't want to get any bigger. I was wrong, I now think diet is the key to getting leaner but that was over 25yrs ago now. I never took any steroids.
I once did benched 455 for 34 reps, deadlifted 675 for 24 reps, and squatted 675 for 17 reps. I trained at at BJ’s gym sometimes with the Stampede Guys, and Steve Disalvo, Tom McGee, and Bill Kazmier were wrestling at the time there, and nicknamed me the God of Strength.
@@datacipheryou are saying you would have set a bench press World Record which would not have been broken until the early 2000's and no one has ever heard of you.
It was genetics that had him build massive shoulders...... I know because I've seen lots of guys myself included hammer the shoulders for years and still be nowhere like Don's
Muraco seems like a really nice guy. Was a big powerful man in his wrestling days.
I remember his run against Hogan. His mobility was reduced. But his shoulders were way bigger than hogan. Nobody on planet earth had shoulders like Don. They were scary to even look at with those veins popping out
Have to agree with Don, the constant water work got him naturally strong. I do remember seeing old videos of how strong Dino was. Muraco seems so damn cool and laid back.
He built his shoulders from muscle memory from surfing!!! HAHAHAHAAHAAH! The 305 lb shoulder presses probably helped just slightly...
Muraco was such an athletic big man and he sold it in the ring so well. I gotta say I wanted to be built like him or Dino Bravo as a kid (big shoulders, massive chest and keg for a belly).
I went down the rabbit hole and cant help but watch Don's matches from back in the day when they populate here on RUclips. Theyre so damn good!
I got up to about 550 on squats and I loved them as they worked the whole body, though I was religious with all body parts back then. I had a sudden pinch nerve reaction in my upper left thigh, down on one knee, and realized (near 40 yrs old), I had to revert to reverse leg presses alone from then on, piling up the weights from all over the gym to get close to what I needed. A bit harder on the back that way than the knees. Never would touch steroids, already heard about them - I was 6' 4", only 215. Got a degree in fitness and nutrition too. Good ol' healthy days. I can listen to Don all day.
He shops at our costco... cool dude. Lol
That's awesome! Have you ever approached him?
@@joeb2588 many times... dude is cool as hell. Start talk wrestling and he just lights up. Lol
@Oprah30 that's so awesome. Being in my 50s my favorite time period for wresting is 78-84. I did stick around for a couple more years but then I stopped. However, I still watch all those old matches and Muraco is in that era!
My best bench was 145. Whew!
My best bench was 325, incline press and overhead press was 225 x 8 reps. I was 5'6", weighed 155.squat was 450. I can't imathe feeling of doing a 500 pound bench and 600 pound squat.
Malarkey
That's a lot of weight for a 155 pound man.
600 pounds on the squat and 325 pounds on the bench as a natural at 155 pounds? I started laughing as soon as I I read that
The Magnificent one!
I heard Barbarian would bench 600
Dino Bravo was Italian. Born in Italy, and his family immigrated to Canada. He was raised in Quebec and could speak French, but that doesn't make him a Frenchman and doesn't mean that the French of Quebec would get behind him as they did the Rougeaus.
Its my understanding that French Canadian has more to do with b ing from the Quebec province moreso than being ethnically French .
Then he's Italian, not Canadian! That's great!
I think Don was more jacked than Warrior and definitely Hogan when he became the Rock, was “managed” by Superstar, and wore the baby blues. Too bad he got fired, I think he would’ve had another solid run as the IC champ but they had him jobbing for DiBiase and Bravo before he left.
Don was smart and wrestling was over for him so he went back to Hawaii and joined the Longshoremen’s Union. Now he’s in much better shape financially than the majority of old timers.
Don the original Rock
Al The Rock Rogowski ( Ole Anderson ) before him .
This was the craziest transformation ever in wrestling. Never hear anyone talk about it. At one Rumble Muracco was bigger than hogan and leaner than warrior (look back if you dont believe me) Funny his physique resembled dino but was better. Makes sense that trained together...
Don is the Hawaiian Baumhauer
Superstar Billy Graham could bench 600lbs in his hey day!!
I think he could have done more that 500 lbs bench . I did a 515 and he was bigger than me . ( 5’9” 260lbs ) he had to be about 6’2” 300 lbs at one point
Sd was natty, better looked like he trained compared to the others..... I would love to hear about Muracos steroid cycle
I regret never trying my one rep max for bench press and dead lift when I lifted weights for football. In my prime at around 6'5" & 265lbs I could bench 315lbs x 25 reps, not many could do that. And I could dead lift 630lbs for 10 reps. It wasn't hard for me. (Our strength trainer didn't like us lifting more than 500lbs for dead lifts because of injury risks) I had 29" quads, 38" waist, 63" chest, 23" biceps, 20" forearms, 23" neck (I trained at a gym that had a "Mr. Canada" contestant, he nick named me "Slabs" for my forearms). I only know these measurements because I had a suit and some shirts custom made. I was doing higher reps because I wanted to get leaner, I didn't want to get any bigger. I was wrong, I now think diet is the key to getting leaner but that was over 25yrs ago now. I never took any steroids.
I once did benched 455 for 34 reps, deadlifted 675 for 24 reps, and squatted 675 for 17 reps. I trained at at BJ’s gym sometimes with the Stampede Guys, and Steve Disalvo, Tom McGee, and Bill Kazmier were wrestling at the time there, and nicknamed me the God of Strength.
@@datacipher Very funny. 🤔
@@JamesSmith-sw3nk what's your problem?
Your max bench would have been in the 500-520 range. Hope that helps.
@@datacipheryou are saying you would have set a bench press World Record which would not have been broken until the early 2000's and no one has ever heard of you.
It was genetics that had him build massive shoulders...... I know because I've seen lots of guys myself included hammer the shoulders for years and still be nowhere like Don's