Mike Ashley: Bodybuilding Legend

The sport of bodybuilding has very few household names, including Charles Atlas, Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger. But within the sport's avid followers, one of the names mentioned with respect is that of Mike Ashley, bodybuilding the natural way. Although he has never won the Super Bowl of bodybuilding, the Mr. Olympia title, he has been consistently in the top twenty for many years. Mike Ashley, bodybuilding legend, is like Alydar, the horse who came second to Affirmed in the latter's 1978 Triple Crown win. Although Affirmed won the Triple Crown, horse racing diehards loved Alydar more.

Consistently Strong

One of the attractive aspects of the sport of bodybuilding is that the athletes can compete for decades. You get to know them like you would a famous movie actor. Acting is part of the sport. As well as building and maintaining a masculine ideal body, a certain grace and poise on the competition stand is required when a bodybuilder goes into a routine to most effectively show off the results of his hard work building muscle.

Mike Ashley has been competing professionally since the 1980's and he's not stopping. He won the National American Body Builders Association's (NABBA) Mr. Natural America title in 1982; the International Federation of Body Builders (IFBB) World Light-Heavyweight Title and the Nationals in 1986; the National Physique Committee (NPC) National Title; the Detroit Grand Prix of 1987; and the Arnold Schwarzzenggar Classic in 1990. But Mike seems proudest of his three World Natural Bodybuilding championships.

Consistently Natural

Mike Ashley was born in 1959 and had to compete against the sport's ultra-huge superstars. Mike opened eyes by claiming that he was a natural bodybuilder. That means no steroids and no hormones but yet has the raised testosterone levels needed to make such massive muscle. A sports competitor who doesn't look for a chemical edge - how about that! To Mike Ashley, bodybuilding can include nutritional supplements, but those have legal minerals and proteins in it. To Mike Ashley, bodybuilding also stresses the importance of getting good sleep in order to make muscle.

Even though Mike Ashley has retired from competitions, he still is busy making product endorsements, doing public motivational speaking and promoting natural bodybuilding. When he's not doing that, he's greatly in demand as a bodybuilding coach. Part of the Mike Ashley bodybuilding coaching style is to create for you a calorie-laden, protein rich diet. One of his most famous clients is New York Mets player Julio Franco.