I first met Bill Grant in 1986, when we collaborated on an article for Muscle Training Illustrated (Dan Lurie's late, lamented bodybuilding monthly). He impressed me then as an ebullient man, vigorous and dynamic, with enough kilowatt power to light Los Angeles during a rolling blackout. At that time, Bill was fully into competitive mode, and I followed him around like a slobbering puppy to photo shoots, the beach, the gym, even an exhausting mountaintop hike.

What keeps this guy running? I wondered. Ambition? Or something more profound? Well, I observed (as every good journalist should), took notes, asked probing questions, caught some much-needed shut-eye, mopped my brow, drank gallons of iced water, steeled myself and observed again. Here's what I learned: Bill Grant had it all; he was at the top of his game, physically, mentally and, yes, even spiritually. Everywhere we went, people responded to him—they stared, whistled, begged for autographs, constantly interrupted our meals. All that attention struck me as bit invasive, but Bill saw it differently and handled each intrusion with charm and graceful humor. Copping an attitude just wouldn't do. He's of the old school, and he appreciated his fans.

Bill and I never let our connection drift. In the years since MTI we've built a good, solid friendship, sharing much of what makes life so challenging. When I began writing for IRONMAN , I asked if he'd mind sitting for a Legends interview. Bill was, not unexpectedly, shocked! “You're pulling my leg,” he guffawed. “Me? A legend?” The concept seemingly escaped him. Yet is anyone more deserving? I doubt it.

Bill Grant has proved himself to be one of bodybuilding's most durably ingratiating personalities.

His mark was made in the golden pre-“Pumping Iron” days, an incredible era populated by fellow legends Frank Zane, Chris Dickerson, Bill Pearl and Larry Scott. Like those muscle warriors, he continues to lead a healthy, fit lifestyle. This particular interview was conducted in a locker room, while Bill cleaned up after another grueling workout.

Would we expect anything less from a bodybuilding legend?

IM : Welcome to Legends of Bodybuilding, Bill.

BG : I tell ya, it's such an honor to be chosen as an IRONMAN legend! For once in my life, I'm speechless.

IM : Come on, bud. You can't be speechless. This is an interview.

BG : [Laughs] To be grouped with Steve Reeves, Larry Scott, Dave Draper and Zane. Those guys are heroes, real heroes. I'll do my best not to disappoint you.

IM : Still packin' some grade-A muscle there, I see. Mighty impressive!

BG : Trust me, every ounce of beef on this body is hard earned. I just finished a workout, and I'm pumped. Maintaining a high level of health and fitness isn't so tough when you've been doing it as long as I have. Granted, I don't train like I did at 19, but I still hit that metal mercilessly. The only time I relax is on the weekends.

IM : If you don't mind a little personal observation: You're what, 55? A senior citizen? Impossible!

BG : Fifty-five and proud of it. AARP, here I come!

IM : Must be true, huh? Life does begin at 50.

BG : This life did. There are guys from my old neighborhood who can't do anything at my age; they're either no longer here or can hardly get around. And don't ever ask ‘em to take their shirts off in public. Just won't happen. Oh, they used to laugh at me because I was always at the gym. Who's having the last laugh now? I feel great! It's important for younger bodybuilders to realize that once their competitive days are over, bodybuilding continues. If you lift and live for fitness, health will always be with you.

IM : The last time you competed was…

BG : The '94 Masters Olympia, a great experience.

IM : The first Masters O. Lots of champs came out for that– Chris Dickerson, Boyer Coe, Robby, Lou Ferrigno. A stellar cast, indeed.

BG : The '94 Masters Olympia was one of my career high points. It had been seven years since I'd last competed [at the '87 IFBB Night of the Champions], but I couldn't resist giving it one more shot. Everyone showed up in Atlanta. The guys you mentioned and more—Mike Katz, Ed Corney, the whole crew. We talked about old times, the fun we used to have lifting together, how Arnold kept everyone laughing. Ah, sweet nostalgia.

IM : Everybody looked incredible, and you just blew me away—rough and rugged as hell. Except, no ‘fro!

BG : Ha, ha! I look at my old pictures and see that ‘fro out to here, and I gotta laugh. I should've grown one for that show, ‘cause at the Masters I felt 20 years younger. It was a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Oh, we took the competition seriously, but none of us were out for blood. The show itself was flawless, absolutely flawless. The emcee was smooth as silk, and what an audience. Phenomenal! Standing onstage, hearing them roar, you're psyched. My adrenaline shot sky high!

IM : Does the memory rev you up enough to reconsider another Masters shot, perchance?

BG : Maybe, just maybe, I might experience something like that again, though I doubt it. I've moved on to other bodybuilding opportunities, without the stress of competition, even a friendly one. I want to help the guys who are currently competing by promoting bodybuilding and finding new ways to train, eat and learn. It's an interesting new phase of my career. The rewards are constant. There might not be any more contests in my future, but you'll never find me far from a gym.

IM : Let's drift back through time a bit, to the younger days of Billy Grant. Every legend has a start. What was yours?

BG : My friend, when you're 14, 110 pounds and 4'10”, wishing for muscles is an everyday fantasy. It's also great motivation. I was one of the smallest guys in high school and forever getting my butt kicked. Man, a girl actually chased me up a tree! Right then I decided to do something about the way I looked, about trying to put on size. My inspiration came from that desire and the muscle magazines. Steve Reeves, bless his soul, was such a remarkable role model. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to take off my shirt and have others admire me like they did Reeves, but I wanted to find out.

IM : Were you into bodybuilding from the get-go?

BG : You bet! I didn't always have competition in mind, but I was deadly serious about bodybuilding. Competition didn't become a factor until I was coaxed into it by a training fried named Randy Coyle. He got me to enter my first event at 17, the Mr. High School New Jersey contest. I placed fifth. The first title I won was Junior Mr. Suburban, in 1964 or so.

IM : All right. You're a little kid, with a dream about being a bigger kid. That's step one. But how'd you go from wimp to stacked?

BG : The main person who helped get me off the ground was Randy. He took me under his wing and showed me exactly what I needed to do. It was a monumental struggle, like an ant pushing a boulder uphill. We weren't exactly poor, but there just wasn't enough money in the coffers to support a growing bodybuilder. I earned my own money by working at a car wash or doing whatever I could. One of my sisters had a job, and she helped out by paying me to do her chores. It was touch and go for a very long time. Despite the many hardships, I managed to achieve what I set out to achieve.

IM : Which was, of course, to bring home the Mr. America title.

BG : Yeah, my dream. Winning the '71 WBBG Mr. America was the best experience. I'd worked seven long years to get that title. Being up there with trophy in hand, flashing bulbs going off around you, and everyone yelling your name—well, it can't be described. You've reached the height. The pinnacle. Mount Olympus. For me it's a moment forever frozen in time, vivid as a just-snapped photograph.

IM : And you followed that with an even bigger victory, at the '74 IFBB Mr. World.

BG : It was a Gold's Gym sweep. Arnold won the Mr. Olympia, and Bob Birdsong grabbed the Mr. America crown. The contest was held in Madison Square Garden. To make everything even more memorable, I also won Beset Arms, Best Abs, Best Back and Most Muscular.

Winning the Mr. World gave me an opportunity to be on the cover of Muscle Builder , and I was also able to sell my own bodybuilding courses, T-shirts and photos. On top of that, I began receiving fan mail and being recognized on the street. It's a crazy feeling, having a stranger come up to you and say how much he or she appreciates what you've accomplished. At first, I was flabbergasted by the attention. Like when you asked me to do this interview. I could only mumble thanks. I learned long ago not to take anything for granted. It could be taken away at any moment.

IM : You're a familiar face from those old, seemingly carefree, Muscle Beach days. It's a faster-paced bodybuilding scene today—but is it better?

BG : Is it better? In the sense that competitors receive more money, endorsement and modeling deals, film offers and television work, yes, conditions have improved. Today there are lucrative opportunities awaiting bodybuilders who are smart and savvy. The biggest negative change, I think, has to be the loss of camaraderie. That's what happens whenever money's involved. It's changed the way our sport is run and how bodybuilders think and feel about themselves. I'm afraid we'll never recapture our innocence.

IM : I agree, and it's very sad. The atmosphere at contests is so tension-filled.

BG : And where did that attitude originate? Not from us! We had a great time. At 10 in the morning we'd all meet at Gold's for our brutal daily workout. At noon, workouts done, we'd eat together and then head off to the beach for some sun. We also saw one another socially. I honestly don't know how often that occurs now. Bodybuilders today are growing up in an entirely different atmosphere. Things seem to be slowly getting out of control: liver dysfunction, kidney failure, hepatitis, heart attacks, you name it. I've been training now for 41 years and am grateful to have come out unscathed.

IM : What's your advice for the younger bodybuilders—those guys who are hot to be somebody?

BG : Number one, if you want to make friends and influence people, watch your mouth. Watch what you say. Bodybuilding's a very political business, and even things said in jest can hurt you. What you need to do is set a reasonable goal, train and try to reach that goal and forget about being a loose cannon. Think positively. I'm not saying you shouldn't have an opinion, but temper those opinions with thought. Be confident. Be cool.

IM : Is that part of the dark side of bodybuilding we hear so much about?

BG : There is a dark side, an underbelly. Anyone who's been in the sport for a while can tell you that, and there are many horror stories. Personally, I don't feel comfortable going into them. Naming names and putting others on the spot isn't forme.

IM : You're 55 years old, yet you could easily pass for a man on his 30s—and that's no bull. Are you like fine wine, improving with age?

BG : Bodybuilding is the only athletic endeavor where you get better with age, and yes, it is like fine wine. Older vintage, better taste! The only way to bring about mature muscle is through hard work, dedication and determination. And that takes time. If you want to become a champion, remember those words.

IM : Vets like Dickerson, Scott, Draper and Zane have kept healthy, ripped physiques while many younger bodybuilders burn themselves out, like candles with very short wicks. A sign o' the times?

BG : Unfortunately, you're right. The human body is a machine, and if you're constantly pushing the envelope, detrimental things could take a terrible toll. I'm from a different era. Steroids had just hit the scene, and everyone was very leery. We saw them more as finishers to a quality physique, not the basis for one. I'm a little nervous about where we're heading today, I really am.

IM : To play devil's advocate, critics might say the ‘60s bodybuilders are responsible for the steroids mess. They took that first scary step.

BG : There was very little information available. No one had any clue of what anabolic steroids could do to us in the long term. We took extremely small doses. It was a more naïve time. We're not naive anymore. No one goes into competition bodybuilding blindly, not now. Will today's champs make it to 40. 50 and beyond? The jury's out.

IM: The situation has reached ridiculous extremes with female bodybuilding.

BG : Let me just say this: The glory days of women's bodybuilding are now behind us.

IM : From this dog's POV, you've kept the old chassis in superlative working condition. Those hugh pythons look pretty lethal, dude?

BG : Biceps have always been my best bodypart. And if I had to name the weakest, calves would be it. I just never put a lot of effort into them. As I grew older, balance became more important. I slowly brought them up, and now they're in line with the rest of my physique.

IM : No conversation with Bill Grant would be complete without mention of Pumping Iron , book and movie. It's a genuine pop culture phenom.

BG : You ain't kiddin'! George Butler and Charles Gaines did more for the bodybuilding world than anyone, in my opinion. We all know how “Pumping Iron” helped launch Arnold's film career, but it also opened doors for so many others, including your truly.

IM : Your bodybuilding career took off long before “Pumping Iron,” didn't it?

BG : Yeah, I was around in the early ‘60s, though I didn't get much coverage. The first bodybuilding magazine to give me any real recognition was Iron Man —the entire back cover. Talk about elation! I bought as many copies as I could afford and showed everyone. They must've gotten sick of me, I was so thrilled. I've had a lot of covers, since then, but that Iron Man shot will always hold a special place in my heart.

IM : Another observation: You possess a natural, macho style. Whether at a show or in front of a camera, it screams testosterone. How much of that is image?

BG : None! Not one bit. What you see is what you get. There's nothing fake or contrived about my personality. On stage, where it counted, I went to town. I gave the audience everything in my muscle arsenal! Bap! Bap Bap! For photos it's the same way. I learned a long time ago how to present my physique: play up the good points and disguise the weak. It's all in the presentation.

IM : That brings me to your posing style—or, should I say, attack style. Another part of your muscle arsenal?

BG : It's essential. If you can't pose, you won't win. You've got to move, you've got to present your polished package in a graceful, masculine and powerful manner. Like Frank Zane said in your interview [“Legends of Bodybuilding,” August ‘01], you should showcase, to the best of your ability, what you've built. Sometimes people are natural posers, and I fall into that category. I used to love watching the greats pose. Larry Scott was amazing! I'd look at his pictures and try to emulate him. And I love music. I'd pose to disco, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Shawn Ray and Vince Taylor are expert posers. I never get tired of their routines. Sheer perfection.

IM : I hear you were voted sexiest bodybuilder of all time. Ain't no way you're gonna get out of here without giving me the skinny on that one!

BG : [Cracks up] Okay, it's true. That happened in the ‘70s, probably because of my stage show. I was the first bodybuilder to use colored lights, fog and strobes, all to create a sensual, sexy atmosphere for my posing routine. Bodybuilding's not only a great sport, it's entertainment. I wanted people to get up and out of their seats and join in the fun. One show I remember, in Vancouver—the Diamond Cup—I posed to Rod Stewart's “Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?” Afterward, in the elevator, Arnold put his big arm around me and said [ affects an Austrian accent ] “You put on a fahntahhhstic posing rrrroutine, Bill, rrrrreally incrrrredible.”

Some people thought it was a joke, but look at the routines today. I set a precedent. Did you know I was also the first bodybuilder to have ripped glutes?

IM : I thought that honor belonged to Rich Gaspari.

BG : Rich did have ripped glutes and an extraordinary physique, but I was the first to be recognized—in the ‘70s—as having ripped glutes. Maybe that's why I was considered such a sex symbol.

IM : Photo sessions went hand in hand with getting your sexy bodybuilding message to the masses. Were they fun?

BG : Yes and no. I enjoy prepping for a photo shoot. You sit around and joke between shots. But the sessions themselves are strenuous. The results are often breathtaking, but most people don't realize how much work goes into a good photo shoot. It can last two to three hours, and you have to be pumped and in competition shape.

IM : You mentioned the acting thing. How's that going?

BG : My size really limits what I can do. Let's be real, when you're 5'9”, 200 pounds, it's a little hard to cast you as a regular dude. I was and still am handicapped that way. One thing I'd love to do is an action film. If the opportunity ever came up, I'd jump right at it. A good script, an exciting storyline, and I'd be there in a heartbeat.

IM : Yeah, I can see you as an action hero, maybe even in a sci-fi flick like “The Terminator.” You've definitely got the right goods.

BG : Thanks. I think the first “Terminator” caught everybody off guard. Arnold made an awesome villain and really changed the stereotypical perception people had about bodybuilders. It would be way cool to act in a science-fiction film. Are you listening, producers and directors? I'm available.

IM : What film have been graced by the Bill Grant muscle machine?

BG : Besides “Pumping Iron,” I was in “Grunt: the Wrestling Movie” and “Runaway Train,” with Jon Voight. I also had a part in “The Hustler of Muscle Beach,” an ABC Friday Night Movie of the Week. During the '94 Masters Olympia, I participated in “Stand Tall,” a documentary about Lou Ferrigno's life. Between all that, I hosted a popular Comcast Cable TV fitness show and had my own New York radio program on WEVD, called “Fit for Life.” Each segment focused on full-spectrum fitness, sports medicine, diet and the holistic approach to promoting mind/body and spirit wellness. Then there were my TV appearances on ESPN, CNN, CBS, NBV, ABC and WOR. You name it, and I've probably done it!

IM : Whoa! I'm winded just listening to you.

BG : Organization. That's the secret. One important lesson I've learned over the years is to stagger priorities. I hate having anything hanging over my head. I'm a doer, not just a dreamer.

IM : Let's get back to “Pumping Iron” for a sec. It's a pivotal bodybuilding moment. Your feelings?

BG : Man, for the longest time we were considered buffoons, just a bunch of big-muscled guys with no brains. After “Pumping Iron” bodybuilding and bodybuilders had respect. People realized we were far from stupid. Many of us are college graduates. Frank Zane and Mike Katz taught school, for heaven's sake! Ken Waller was a pro football player, Franco went on to become a chiropractor. That certainly [took] a few critics aback.

IM : And the drug issue continues to give them a soapbox.

BG : Well, it's up to bodybuilding to change that view.

IM : Whenever I chat with you, your energy is barely contained. What's going on inside your head? Do you ever feel down?

BG : I very rarely let anything get me down. People have been discouraging me since I was 14. “You,” they'd laugh, a “bodybuilder? You're nuthin' but a bag of bones!” But that didn't matter. Their negativity made me want to work harder; it helped create positive energy and positive thoughts. Plus, I've had the strong support of my family, through thick and thin. There are days when I don't feel so up, sure. I'm human. Things can affect my mood, darken my thoughts, but I overcome the blues by thinking about my goals.

IM : You've taken the road less traveled.

BG : Yes, and it's been a difficult and bumpy road. I keep going, just the same. I don't quit. I've had to scrape, scrap and fight for everything. At least I can say, once I accomplish something, I've really earned it. In one sense I've been lucky—my personality is gregarious. It's great to get out there and spread the bodybuilding word, to do something positive for the well-being of others.

IM : In retrospect, haven't all the struggles, trials and tribulations been well worth it?

BG : I'm not complaining. There's a rhyme and reason for the way things unfold in my life. God has guided me this far, and I hope to have many, many more years on this planet. If I can live them in good health and enjoy all the beauty around me while giving something back to others, I'll die a happy man.

IM : Of late you've been branching out into charitable work, as well as business, correct?

BG : I believe very strongly in giving back to the community, and that's why I've devoted my time to several charitable organizations and causes, including the YMWCA and the Parkinson's Unity Walk. Businesswise, I'm branching out. Finding new and better ways to work out is a priority for any bodybuilding. I don't want to get injured doing exercises, and using heavy weights can sometimes be dangerous. That's why I'm endorsing the Bill Grant Super Swing, a squat machine built for people who have bad backs and can't squat. The only way I'd ever endorse anything is if I believed in it, totally. Want to give the Super Swing a try?

IM : Are you sure it won't break me in half or something?

BG : Just the opposite. Watch me. I'll go through a routine, and if this isn't the best squat machine you've ever seen, I'll hand you my Mr. America trophy—on a silver platter! How's that for a guarantee?

IM : Not bad. But before you demonstrate, what's that pretty little concoction you're quaffing?

BG : This? A creatine cocktail, from my own recipe. Want a sip/

IM : I'm game. Yum! Goes down real smooth!

BG : Ha! You didn't expect the stuff to taste so good, did you?

IM : Want the truth? Usually, those concoctions reek.

BG : As an athlete I'm always on a quest to find effective and safe supplements. And if you can't find the best, why not produce the best! So I put together Bill Grant Nutrition, The Next Generation of Sports and Performance Nutrition. There's a constant demand for good, value-driven products that work reliably and naturally—while being cost-effective. Take this Creatine Cocktail, for example. It's low in sugar—only five grams—and has up to 20 more servings in a two-pound bottle than any other leading brand. You can't go wrong with that kind of bargain! As a matter of fact, one of my favorite bodybuilders, Dave Draper, sells it at his two World Gyms in Santa Cruz, California, and online at www.davedraper.com.

IM : Jeez, Billy, is there anything you can't do? Champion bodybuilder, actor, model, TV personality, entrepreneur and bodybuilding's sexiest man. No wonder you're a legend!