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Ultimate
"Mass" The young man was understandably nervous and anxious, as he waited for the mail carrier. What would the decision of the International Federation of Body Building be? Finally, after hours of suspenseful waiting, the mail arrived. Nervously, he ripped open the envelope and read the following message:
The letter was signed, "Bud Parker, IFBB American Director." Receiving such an exceptional endorsement, would be a thrill for any bodybuilder, regardless of his age. This endorsement set a precedent still unequalled in the history of Mr. America competition. Imagine what a pleasure it was for this bodybuilder, 15-year-old David Mastorakis.
Two years later, the renowned John Grimek, wrote a critique in Muscular Development Magazine about "The Teen Age Hercules," 17 years old, David Mastorakis. Among many complements, Grimek outlined some of David’s strength feats, at a bodyweight of 165 lbs. He listed a squat of 450 lbs., bench press 330 lbs., military press 235 lbs., and a curl of 150 lbs. If that is not enough, he cleaned 200 lbs., 35 times in succession. At that time, David’s measurements reflect: 170 lb. bodyweight, 45" chest, 29 1/2" waist, 16 1/2" arms, 24 "thighs and 16 1/2" calves. His training regimen included six days per week of free weight training, several hours per day, including a two-mile run after each workout. This would be one of the few times David paid attention to measurements or strength feats. This time-consuming training method produced good results; however, nothing like his future training method would. His future training led Muscle Training Illustrated magazine Editor, and photographer Denie Walters, to name him "The Mechanized Champion." A quote on the first page of Denie’s commentary, foresaw the future of David’s potential. It said, "A new space concept is needed. A definite phase of this new idea comes in what we call organic Architecture of the democratic spirit in the age of the Machine" ….Frank Lloyd Wright. David became a pioneer of futuristic exercise. His space ship, became the futuristic Nautilus machines, his Commander In Chief, was Arthur Jones. David was about to take wing into unexplored physical space. David’s friend, Mike Mentzer, competing in his first AAU Mr. America contest, met a young Hercules, competing in the same contest. The incarnate Hercules was Casey Viator, predestined to become the youngest Mr. America of all time. Casey informed Mike of a new approach to building maximum muscle in minimum time. The concept focused one using machines, not barbells. This new structure was named Nautilus equipment. The Architect of this concept, an intellectual mastermind, named Arthur Jones. The year was 1970. Mike raved to David, about this controversial paraphernalia, and Jones’ extraordinary exercise protocol. Mike understood the value in this rational use of a creative and productive tool. David too grasped the potential. They both leaped the abyss of barbells and joined the revolution to Nautilus. Mike, his intelligence sparked by Jones’s intense brilliance, was to become, arguably, the most intelligent and phenomenal bodybuilder of modern time. David would go on to become, conceivably, the most massively proportioned man, of his stature in his generation. David decided to redesign his present exercise protocol, eliminate the use of free weights, thrust aside the hours of day after day exercise, and set in motion the journey to become "The Mechanized Champion." There was one major problem with his rationale. In Western Massachusetts, the area in which David lived, Nautilus Machines were nonexistent. Unfazed, he decided to do the next best thing. He decided to capitalize on the omni-potent knowledge of Arthur Jones and adapt Nautilus exercise concepts to the free weight arena. David, strong-willed
and unfailing, decided to implement the "Negative Only"
training One major precondition for this training system is the accessibility of training cohorts. Negative exercise require the trainee, in this case David, to handle as heavy a weight as possible but not in the lifting segment of the resistance, as was and remains, the practice of bodybuilders for over 100 years. Instead, David would start the movement, holding the resistance, in the position considered the conclusion of the movement. The position of full contraction. Squatting as an example, began in the standing position and David would slowly lower into the squat position, which became the finish position. Then, the training partners would lift the weight upwards into the starting position, and the weight is again lowered slowly. The set would be finished when the trainee could no longer safely control the movement. At which time the training partners would take the weight from the trainee. Only one set was performed and six to eight repetitions were standard procedure. The recruitment of training partners was easy. David was not alone in recognizing the brilliance of Arthur Jones. Three of David’s friends were as excited as David was to pioneer the Negative Training Concept. A meeting was scheduled and the four fitness enthusiasts gathered in the cellar of Howie Haberman that would become the breeding grounds for discussions of this New Breed of training. Along with David and Howie, two others signed on for what became an experiment in punishment and pain. The Author of this article, Joseph Mullen, and Dr. Ken Knapp. They gathered twice a week, and quickly recognized the benefits of heavy duty Negative Training. Although the workouts were short in time, they were long in high-intensity. Massive weights became the rule of thumb. Eventually, the performance of Negative type squats required the help of five people. The squatting bar connected to two thick wire cables, hooked onto each end of the barbell. The cables ran, from the barbell, straight up to the ceiling rafters. Then along the rafters and hung from the ceiling, connect to each end of another long bar, which in effect, became a chinning bar. The negative squatting weight was 500 lbs. The squatter lifted the bar off the squat rack, and slowly lowered into a squatting position. Then, the real work would begin as the spotters attempted to help the person up from the full squat position. A few partners lifted the barbell on each end. The folks at the far end of the overhead cables, which connected to the bar, chinned themselves. The addition of their bodyweight, pulling on the cables, helped raise the squatter to a standing position. Then, a brief pause, and another repetition performed, and another, until finally the squatter’s muscles, and the spotters screamed enough, enough! It was a magnificent time of cooperation, camaraderie and the sharing of dreams. Before long, the weight was so heavy, we could not find enough training partners to lift the weights into the starting position. Now what? It was then that the Author of this article decided to open a gym and to provide the opportunity to carry on with advanced approach to exercise. Purchasing barbells, dumbbells, squat racks, hack machines and assorted other equipment from Ed Jubinville, the founder of the Jubinville Equipment Company, Sports Fitness of New England opened in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the early 70s. Ed Jubinville manufactured his version of Nautilus equipment, which he called "Scorpion Equipment." Equipped with cams to regulate the resistance, the equipment supplied major factors that interconnected to high-tech exercise. Ed helped pioneer concepts later known as "Variable Resistance and Full Range Resistance." Ed entered the high-tech revolution before any other equipment manufacturer, except Nautilus. David was appointed Manager of this facility, which was the first fitness center in New England to offer a modern approach to exercise. This equipment allowed David, and others, to enhance size and power, faster than ever. David continued his Negative Training Protocol. Before long, even Jubinville’s equipment was not capable of accepting enough weight to battle David’s strength. Then, a lucky break. A fully equipped Nautilus facility opened 20 miles away in the city of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. David and I joined that club. From that moment on, David surged forward and his physique resembled that of a Champion bodybuilder. Then, within a few months, the Nautilus Facility was in financial despair and was to close. I purchased the equipment and moved it to South Hadley, the site of the original high-tech facility. David continued his high-intensity, one set to failure workouts.
David was becoming well known. His physique and strength were unparalleled. Other gym owners in the area would not accept he was building his mass using high-tech equipment and limited training. Rumors spread that David did not use Nautilus; instead, he was training, in secret, at home and using barbells. This of course, was untrue. His reputation caused a national sensation. He appeared in articles touting his training regimen and exercise philosophy. He was named "The Mechanized Champion" in an article photographed and written by Denie Walters, then the editor of Muscle Training Illustrated magazine. Denie, in comparing the use of machines for bodybuilding purposes said:
The pictures accompanying the article featured David doing a number of Nautilus exercises. His workouts lasted a maximum of 35 minutes and involved massive poundage. He often used the full weight stacks on the machines, and added an additional 100 lbs. or more to bring the total to something within his strength range. David was featured on the cover of Muscle Development magazine and featured in the editorial titled, "Herculean Development," written by Franklin Page. Page stated:
Another magazine, Muscle Digest, in an article written by Bob Summer and photos by Bob Gruskin, said of David, "One set away from Victory." Summer wrote:
He was featured in a
"Bodybuilder Calendar" produced by Ed Jubinville in 1978
listed as David decided to drive, several times a week, from Santa Barbara, to Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA. and workout with Mike and Ray. He continued this commute for several months. Soon, he moved to Venice, trained at Gold’s Gym, and focus more on his competition training. The year was 1979. David placed 3rd in the Junior Mr. America. He became a Personal Trainer and worked at several of the premier Fitness Centers in the Los Angeles area. He worked in clubs such as Gold’s Gym, The Sports Connections, The Matrix, and The Santa Monica Athletic Club. In 1979, Personal Trainers were a prized commodity. Only 30 existed in the LA area. At present, the fitness business is swamped with so-called Personal Trainers. There are over 3,000 in the LA area. As David’s reputation grew, he became known as "The Trainer to the Stars." His client list expanded from bodybuilders to movie stars, sports stars, and company executives. His client list included: Sharon Stone, Jane Fonda, Kim Cattrell, Alanis Morissette, Linda Evangelista, Linda Rondstat, Donna D’Errico, Bubba Smith, Jerry West, Sidney Sheldon, Jon Peters, David Soul, Kyle MacLachlan, Leonard Nimroy, and the cast of Hill Street Blues, among others. David was riding high as his physique, notoriety, and bank account continued to improve. Life was great! Then in 1980 it came crashing down. He suffered a major muscle injury. It occurred as he was doing a set of negative parallel bar dips with 300 lbs. One of his pectoralis muscles was badly torn. Although he continued a limited amount of training, he could no longer perform the Heavy Duty training with Mike and Ray. Exercises were painful to perform, and his progress halted. The years, from 1980 until 1996, were personally successful and yet, disastrous on the physique and competition level. Hobbled by the chest injury he could not perform most upper body movements in his usual manner. He was discouraged and discontinued his training. High-level physique competition ceased. Although he seldom tested his strength, he mentioned that, before the injury, he was capable of 475 lb. full squats, bench presses with 385 lbs., and seated, overhead Nautilus presses for 10 repetitions with 300 lbs. Now, forced to train like a normal person, he was disheartened, stopped paying attention to his diet, and his bodyweight began to climb. For a number of years, he totally stopped training and his body returned to the look of an average person. He did no longer resemble The Mechanized Champion. At the same time, older injuries began to plague him. His lower back pain returned. When David was younger, he performed at least 500 sit-ups a day. This overuse syndrome ruined his lower back muscles. His scientific exercise program developed strong lumbar spine musculature, and prevented back pain issues. Without exercise, the lumbar spine muscles, as all unexercised muscles do, lost strength and muscle tone. David’s upper body inclined slightly forward, keeping tension on the lower back muscles, and creating high pain levels. He wallowed in self-pity. He was going through what metaphysical author Carolyn Myss calls "The Dark Night in the Forest." It would not last forever.
He began to restrict his diet. This is not an easy task for someone who is a master chief, and can turn a pebble into a delicious mean. He began to walk on a daily basis. On average, he walked 110 miles per week. His mind and body responded. It was now 1998! He set his sights on the 1998 ABA, Mr. World contest. Although the contest was only a few months away, David focused and began to train as close to the old days as possible. His workouts were, as always in past years, short in time and high in intensity. The high-tech exercises ranged from eight to ten or twelve in number. Exercises were carefully controlled, void of any explosive movements, and perfectly performed. He focused on quality of performance, not quantity. His caloric intake up to 2,000, not less than 1200 calories and always adjusted on a daily basis, according to his activity level. No supplements were ingested. His efforts paid off, as he received the 3rd place trophy in the Masters Class of the Mr. World contest. All went well, as slowly but surely, his body took on the shape of a Champion. At the same time, the personal training business in Los Angeles became over-crowded with too many Personal Trainers and too few clients. Everyone claimed to be an expert. In a media city like LA, those trainers with publicity connections rose quickly to the top. David, never one to blow his own horn was overpowered by the "star making machinery." Background and experience no longer mattered to the public. They favored image rather than substance. He recognized the warning signs. It was time to consider alternatives. He and his beautiful wife Tracy began to discuss moving to Massachusetts. It would be a difficult move for Tracy. She was born in California; her family lived there. As a flight attendant for Delta airlines, based in Los Angeles, she realized the corporate difficulty she would encounter in changing her home base to New England. However, she had visited Massachusetts, knew David’s family, was open to relocating, and supported David’s career move. David and Tracy made the difficult decision to return to David’s home state and they said goodbye to California. Now in this 50’s, the former Boy Wonder is more fortunate than most bodybuilders. He followed his quest, full-circle, from New England to California. He rose to the top of the physique world and acclaimed by fans worldwide. Envision the difficulty of leaving that all that behind. Surprisingly, upon his return, expecting smooth sailing, he instead experienced difficulties finding a job, like many people with wide-ranging knowledge and experience. One thinks that upon reading David’s qualifications, a potential employer would roll out the red carpet for him. That is not what happened. It was almost a year before he found a job. During that difficult
year, David received other demoralizing news. His great friends,
Mike and Ray Mentzer died a few days apart in California. A tremendous
loss for the bodybuilding world. This
was an enormous, emotional setback for David (and many others who
knew Mike and Ray). For months, he dwelled on the loss of his friends
of 30 years, and lost his interest in training. Ultimately,
he was able to transform that mind-numbing loss into a positive
force. He began training with a new passion. Presently, he is barely into his come back mission, but feeling optimistic and enthusiastic about the world of bodybuilding and his future within it. David MASS (as his fans now call him), is in the beginning stages of training for the Mr. Olympia title to be held, next year, in Greece. He zaps his total body; one set to failure, every four days and still believes in the value of high-tech exercise. He is a Fitness Coach at a major hotel in Springfield, MA., working primarily with athletes and corporate clients. His line of clothing is selling well, and he recently introduced, for sale, a number of awesome physique photos, which display his massive musculature and proportions at the pinnacle of his career. Secluded, living in the woods of a small town in Massachusetts, far from the hectic pace of LA, surrounded by neighbors who know nothing of his previous greatness, notoriety, or his future visions, he marks time and reflects on his earlier life. The good news, from his fans point of view is that the fire in his belly has returned. He is focused and keeping his eyes on the prize. He thanks his fans for their years of support and encouragement, and he wants one and all to know that — He’s baaaacccckkkk! To learn more from Joseph Mullen visit him at www.californiastrengthinstitute.com
and www.lifeforcefitnesstherapy.com
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David
remains the youngest person ever to compete in a Mr. America competition.
Although he did not place in this contest, the image of a 15-year-old
boy, competing alongside adults, still draws smiles of approval
and admiration, from those aware of that courageous
and president setting event. 
program touted by Jones. Negative training was hyped as enormously
result producing, and very difficult, compared to the standard procedures
of that time. Massive
muscle development and great strength was David’s objective.
Before long, as we know, he reached his objective.
Within
a year, the club moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, a greater
market base, a 7,000 square feet location, and more Nautilus equipment.
All of the previously
purchased types of equipment, barbells, dumbbells,
squat racks, and so forth were sold off, leaving nothing but Nautilus
equipment as the training tool.
Mr. Atlantic States, won the AAU Junior Mr. America, and placed
7th in the AAU Mr. America. Clearly,
David’s star was brightly shining. The West Coast beckoned!
A friend with connections in the fitness field drew David to Santa
Barbara. He answered the call and settled there. He soon discovered
that although jobs were abundant, there were no serious bodybuilders
in the immediate area. However,
now the triad of bodybuilding, Mike Mentzer, Ray Mentzer, and David
Mastorakis lived in one general area, ready to influence the bodybuilding
world. 
In
due course, David decided to claw his way out of this unhealthy
situation. The Champion within his soul ignited, and encouraged
him to begin his quest anew. He accepted the challenge! Newly
married, living a comfortable life in sunny LA, overweight and out
of shape, he made the conscious choice to reinvent his life. Slowly,
he began to construct a healthier lifestyle. 