Muscle is not beefy Bill Grant's only medium. Sure, the 48-year old bodybuilder from Union molded his skinny 110-pound frame into the chiseled physique that won him titles as Mr. America and Mr. World. But these days, he's using cable television to earn the same kind of fame.

The Suburban Gym - Grant's comprehensive fitness show - can be seen twice weekly on Suburban Cablevision's Channel 3, but Grant says he's hoping the half-hour program will soon make the move from the Jersey suburbs to national cable. "Right now we're talking with ESPN and one other station," he says. Divided into two fifteen-minute segments, the show features Grant interviewing nutritionists, physicians, and other health-minded types, while the rest of the program is devoted to exercises and techniques that are demonstrated in a gym right on the set. Dressed in casual workout clothes, Grant gives viewers the impression that he's just a good friend giving advice - not a Mr. World showing off his sculpted body. "Not everyone wants to look like me," he says with a chuckle. "It's a lot of work to get in shape."

Geared toward the beginner, the show stresses setting realistic short-term goals. A recent program featured an obstetrician talking about keeping in shape during pregnancy; others have offered everything from cycling techniques to a "cardio slam" aerobics routine. "You have to make your workout fun," Grant says. "You don't have to kill yourself at they gym."

Growing up in Orange, Grant started bodybuilding at age fourteen, and soon after began attending competitions. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger - whom Grant met and became buddies with while they were both working out at Gold's Gym in Southern California during the seventies - Grant has made his fair share of appearances in television shows, movies, and commercials. He's now applying that on-camera know-how to a screenplay he's writing about professional bodybuilding. If all goes well, the film could be in production soon; but for now, fame is taking on a decidedly local flair. "A guy pulled up next to me in North Caldwell the other day," Grant says, "and said, 'Hey, aren't you the Suburban Gym guy?'"

Magazine: New Jersey Monthly (January 1995)

Department: The Garden Variety

Section: Showbiz

Article: Body Language by: Jennifer Salvato