Kirkus Reviews QR Code
COMING ON STRONG by Franco & George Fels Columbu

COMING ON STRONG

By

Pub Date: March 10th, 1978
Publisher: Contemporary Books

Schwarzenegger's sidekick and current Mr. Universe, Columbu pumps out his muscle-building history--a boyhood in Sardinia and an aborted career as a prize fighter--in this latest addition to body-building lore. Actually, as a literary effort, this tops Schwarzenegger's volume, though Arnold's muscles are, finally, cuter. (Better co-authoring, one would suspect out of loyalty.) There are no exercises here. Just brief, well-recounted anecdotes of life behind the scenes at the gym and at the contests. One time, Columbu and Schwarzenegger told a hopelessly inept colleague that his style could be improved by uttering spine-chilling yells and groans during his posing routine. They sat back to laugh and so did we. One more glimpse into the psychology behind the drive to coat bone with inordinate layers of muscle.