@Jeffrey Shaw me too.

@Jeffrey Shaw I had that one.

Great work, Markus. I've just resumed, 2 workouts in, from a 3 month hiatus due to spinal surgery. I didn't lose much size but, point being, I'm not a mesomorph so wasn't that big anyway. So, a very minimal loss after 3 months of not training at all is a win. Mike trained me several times in 1993 and 1998. He was and is a true influence and inspiration.

@Markus Reinhardt thanks Markus. 🙏🏋‍♂️

I first met and was trained by Mike in 1993 when I visited California from Melbourne, Australia. He was very focussed during our sessions as he took me through his Ideal Routine. Very intense. I recall a leg session at Gold's in 93. I know how to go to failure and I did. Mike did an aha remark that "Sir, you get intensity". The problem for me was that my hotel, The Cadillac, required me to walk competently and cross roads. Not today, I found a viaduct under the road. On that visit, every session, and we only did 3, the IR rotation, I gained 2kgs in 2 weeks. Not fat as my weights increased too. Fast forward, 1998, I'm back in California and Mike has moved to an excellent gym in Marina Del Rae. I called him, booked some sessions. He was great, again, super on board during the session which only lasted 15 minutes. Yes, it was his modified Consolidation Routine. Two exercises, 2 routines. Total failure, slow cadence, 4 up/ 4 down/ 2 second hold if required. I'm a veteran trainer, many years but not gifted for hypertrophy. On this Routine, bang, 2 kgs in 2 weeks, 2 workouts. Mike, after the sessions, was very engaging, personable and laconic with his sense of humour. During the session, 😬. I recall our Marina Del Ray sessions. Mike trained me and invited me to have lunch with him. My then girlfriend, now wife was there but apart from the conversation. Mike realised we were together. I suppose the accents gave it away. Once he did realise this, he very cordially invited her to join us. Mike had his demons, yes. Don't we all. My experience with him was always positive, intellectually invigorating, educational but, best of all, he was a thoroughly decent man. RIP, sir. 🙏🏋‍♂️

An addendum. I met Ray when he presented a seminar in Melbourne in, I think, 1986. Phew! He didn't f__ around or soft cell. He was very direct in his delivery, very clear, which I thought was great. I do recall his approach annoyed some people there. Ray responded intellectually but probably lacking some diplomacy. Ray was very intelligent, knowledgeable re HD and could put his point across. He was a very different character to Mike, who was staunch in his philosophy and prepared to discuss/debate, but always from a more personable perspective. Ray was a bit of a firebrand. Very smart but with a more abrasive manner. More aggressive. They are cornerstones of reason, proper exercise and the readiness to stick by your standards, despite the crowd. RIP to both men and iconoclast. 🙏🙏

@Lawrence Neal I love Ireland. Some background. My ancestor, just 18, a young girl, was sent as a convict to Australia for some petty theft. Seven years in NSW, which back then was a life sentence in a very harsh and dangerous land. She lived and died here. I first went to Ireland as a solo traveller in 1990. I loved it, the Irish ladies are simply magnificent. 💘 The men could drink a dam, which was a downfall one night in a bar by the Liffey. Never do a shout with Irish boys. We took the kids in 2009, they were 9 and 7. We were touring through Dublin and saw The Temple Bar. You know it's history. so, we went in ordered some drinks. After a while, we noticed that our son, Ciaran [7] was absent. I found him in the bar, on the bar, dancing to to band's Irish jig. The crowd clapping, him performing. Today, at 23, he is the state manager of a multi-national lending fund on over 200k p/a. His sister, Caitlin, now 25, has a double degree but, as you know, under the pump atm. She's going to Thailand on Saturday for some headspace but will come back for surgery. They grow so fast, Lawrence. Enjoy their "littleness".

@Lawrence Neal haha. No, a solo tour. 😉 I guess not too many get sloshed at the bar with those prices.

Great presentation!