Alison Brundage

[alison brundage]

DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE ECLIPSE TONIGHT !!!!
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Alison: She never had a choice

Everyone has life thrust upon them, arriving in the world with a mixed bag of advantages and disadvantages, not always in the proportions they would choose. 
Alison, at a very young age, became conscious; some may say self conscious, that she was in a category of her very own.  She was endowed with a propensity for muscularity, not a feature that most girls of that era would have chosen.  It’s possible that Alison may not have chosen it either, but then, she never had a choice.
Keep in mind that this was in the early 50’s; women’s bodybuilding was decades in the future, and even men’s bodybuilding was in its early stages. 
Fast-forward to the late 70’s, and at an age when many bodybuilders, women in particular, would be hanging it up, Alison and I crossed paths for the first time, when she and Bill came to get a lifting belt. Call it kismet.
She found herself in the process of being convinced, by a total stranger no less, that within a period of months, she would be standing onstage in a bikini, subjecting herself to the scrutiny of a bodybuilding audience, while competing for the title of Miss Hawaii physique. To say that there was a touch of apprehension on her part, when this subject was broached, would be an understatement.  I think her first reaction was to say, “I just came to buy a belt” or was it, “Bill, go start the car”.  Once we got past that little hurdle, it was “game on”.
All of her preparation was a process of converting individual muscle group contraction using weights, to multiple muscle group contraction with no weight resistance, all the while transitioning from one perfectly artistic position to another, and looking comfortable while doing it.  Sounds easy, doesn’t it?  As Bill was fond of saying, “It was all smoke and mirrors”.  Amazing how some clichés are perfectly appropriate.
It became the focus of all our training that Alison’s stage presentation would be our primary objective.  “It Just Doesn’t Matter” was the slogan that drove her training, but we put that on the back burner on contest night.
The rest, as they say, is history, as it became apparent from the initial lineup that the contest was, in fact, no contest.  Alison happened. Instead of a competition, it was more like her coronation.  Sort of like a debutante ball, minus the gowns.  Maybe a little oilier too, but then I’ve never been to a debutante ball…yet.
The months of preparation were intensive, but a distant memory at that moment.  Her devotion to the details made my job easier, as I had just tried to relieve her of the need to experiment.  The final product was a presentation that would have justified her being a guest poser in her first time on stage, this according to Bill Nelson, Hawaii NPC Chairman at the time.
I am proud to have been part of this quantum leap forward in Alison’s life, where her potential began to bloom into her legacy. I wish her fans on this forum could have seen her at her peak.  Alison’s abbreviated career is a matter of record, but suffice to say, she deserved her spot on stage as one of the best of the best. 
My feeling is, at her current age, with 3 months of preparation, that she would be highly competitive in an “over 50” women’s competition.  OK, we’ll give her 4 months. They have them for men, I say, why not?   Alison may have to be cajoled, or dragged, kicking and screaming into doing it, but in the end, would she really have a choice?

Yes......I was NOT a happy camper as a teen walking around looking like the hulk.
This is a pre-lifting, just me "normal" pic
Alison

[steved6464]

Landscaping with a machete.  Don't forget to switch arms now and then.  Alison is the only girl who was ever my friend, even though I had my share of girlfriends.      I think the laughter was her best ab exercise. We certainly did plenty of that.  If she got grumpy, she had Bill.  If I needed grief, I could get it from my girlfriend.  I am thankful that after 30+ years of meandering, that I was able to make contact with good friends who i thought might be just a memory.  I had a new article published on Starting Strength, Bill Starr: A Legend Walked  Among Us.  Maybe you can find it. 

[alison brundage]

Backatcha Steve ,
Cool Steve I'll look for the article.
BTW the eclipse here in Panama was covered with about as many clouds as I was in fat in the foto below.  Just a hint visible now and then. Pitty...try figure.
On friendship.....what Steve meant  was we enjoyed the hell out of each other without ever having a "relationship" if you know what I mean.   Muscle lusting minus the lust.....(Laughing........)
Alison

[jdm022]

Great pic Alison!!!


 
     
Funny that you hated being "The Hulk";  I dated several girls in high school and college who were also naturally muscular, and every one of them at some point, also commented negatively on their own "larger than normal muscularity."  Of course I complimented them highly on it and encouraged them greatly.  Hell...that was precisely why I found them so attractive.

Quick note: Alison, you have probably encountered the same thing, but one of my college girlfriends' legs were so muscular, especially her calves, that even just standing in line at the store she would get compliments from women and was constantly asked for exercise advice...she was definitely complimented 10 times more than the opposite...which I thought was very cool  

[alison brundage]

Image Shack GONE !!!!!!    All the Image Shack photos are gone and as well, I get a 404...site not found error when i try to log in or open the site.
Alison

[steved6464]

Alison,
Moveeguy asked several pages back about Harold Sakata. He was training at the Nuuanu Y when I was there with Tommy Kono.  He was Oddjob in the James Bond film.  He was the guy who threw his derby like a frisbee. I believe he wrestled under the name of Toshtogo.  He was a super nice guy, in the background of many of my lifting shots.  He died at the age of 52.  He was an Olympic lifter and, I believe, competed in the '52 Olympics.  I laughed when I saw the muscle lust comment.  When you call, i will arrange to send you articles that won't be published.  Maybe good for a laugh

[Timmon]

Image Shack GONE !!!!!!    All the Image Shack photos are gone and as well, I get a 404...site not found error when i try to log in or open the site.
Alison

Yes, According to a post on Twitter 18 hours ago, it may be 72 hours before full service is resumed, so don't delete anything!

[alison brundage]

Timmon.....whew...signs of life at Image Shack today!   Still can't log in to my account however........................yup on backup of the backed up backups.   Meanwhile I still have stacks of molding fotos in the closet which Moveeguy would so love to see out of the closet.  Alison

[alison brundage]

http://startingstrength.com/site/article/bill_starr_a_legend_walked_among_us#.Vgva5Jcxb3U

Steve's article on Bill Starr.....a good read !   It was MY good fortune to benefit from what Steve learned directly from his years with Bill Starr.  I never met Bill Starr ( smile) That's just how many folks that wrote testimonies to the man began their eulogies of him as Steve mentioned in his own article ....BUT through Steve, benefited from what he taught.  Bill Starr was a legend that walked among us .....

[alison brundage]

Oh wow...found this and bumped it up.  Brain surgery early 90's.   I had taken just for fun after the surgery.  My mom carried it in her wallet.  She'd whip it out to show her friends what her daughter looks like.  Great.....my mom was a kick....(picture my eyes rolling)                                   ....................ALISON

[zig563]

Glad to see Alison's old trainer visit and confirm what we all thought. Alison is as good as they come. She did it the old school way...which is much better for long term health.

We used to train like that in school...prior to high school when weights slowly began to come into training....but mainly b/c I played football. The weight room was rarely hit hard by any team other than the football team in those days. I went back to my old high school a decade back and the weight room was so much better than in the 80's....we had a few free weights a universal and one bench. Pushups and weights you had at home were the rule when I was hitting my teens.

[alison brundage]

Oct 2 2015   Image Shack BACK.  Slow .  Most of the photos are there...some are not.  Lets hope it gets fully restored, as they work on it.
Oct 9 2015   Image Shack has a number of dropped photos.  More problems methinks
Nov 2015  Image Shack restored 95% of client photos, the rest being lost.  They have discontinued FREE service.  Only paid members can now use the service

[alison brundage]

Just got back from another fantastic 5 days of surf !  Life is good
Alison

[steved6464]

Alison and Bill,
    Just on a computer and letting you know I'm still out there.  People say that about me a lot, like, "wow, you're really out there".  I had another memory for you.  Remember when Ginny Hontz trained with us at Deltoid House.  She was the January 1959 Playboy Playmate of the month.  I laughed when I read the part about coconut oil mixed with iodine for tanning.  That stuff would be a good substitute for Mace.  I hope you're training, or at least thinking about it. 
            Steve

[alison brundage]

Alison and Bill,
    Just on a computer and letting you know I'm still out there.  People say that about me a lot, like, "wow, you're really out there".  I had another memory for you.  Remember when Ginny Hontz trained with us at Deltoid House.  She was the January 1959 Playboy Playmate of the month.  I laughed when I read the part about coconut oil mixed with iodine for tanning.  That stuff would be a good substitute for Mace.  I hope you're training, or at least thinking about it. 
            Steve

I do hope you have photos of that because I don't remember her.   I was most likely "out there" at the time.   Yah...we had a dog show up and now is "our dog"...so now I am running the dog with my bike...doing curls...surfing...that's about it for this 70 yr old ex- FBB.
I'll call you......plan time
Alison