| Russ Testo |
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Troy, NY 47 years of age 5’7", 173lbs. B.A. in Communications (Mass Media) State University of New York at Plattsburgh Worked in radio and television before bodybuilding became a profession. Started training at 14 years of age to gain weight and strength for ice hockey. Trained on and off through high school and college. Competed in first contest in June ’78; Bill Peal and Chris Dickerson were two of the judges. Trained at Steve Michalik’s Mr. America’s Body Shop in Farmingdale, NY in the summer of 1979. Won Best Poser in every contest that gave the award. Russ Testo is not known for winning bodybuilding titles such as the Mr. America, Mr. Universe, or Mr. Olympia. He is known for his posing; his unique and extra-ordinary way of displaying his physique in performance rather than in competition. His professional career as a guest poser started with an invitation from Arnold Schwarzenegger to perform at the 1981 Mr. Olympia. That performance led to entertaining audiences at four Mr. Olympias, two Pro IronMan Invitationals, 5 Arnold Classic Expos, the FIBO in Germany and Italy, Scandinavian Fitness Expo, the Mr. Olympia Expo and countless competitions in the USA and internationally. Russ has not only entertained bodybuilding audiences worldwide for the past years; His innovative performances have extended into other arenas, including the Americaid Motorcycle Rally, Bally’s Grand and the Resorts International Hotel in Atlantic City; an Hawaiian Promotional Tour in association with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and several other festivals, trade shows, corporate meetings, grand openings, a figure skating show and his most recent national appearance on the Fox News Channel’s "Fox & Friends." Russ is also well known for his stand against the use of anabolic steroids. |
1) What's your favorite Scripture? Proverbs 3:5-6. This is the Scripture verse that I use for my logo. I suppose my signature pose is of me leaning on nothing wearing a Fedora. This photo I sell the most of and it is also the cover photo of my video. In my logo I am leaning on a cross. The verse says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (NIV). Leaning on nothing is leaning on your own understanding. But when you lean on the cross, you "Trust in the LORD with all your heart…" And it is also my favorite, because as anyone who has my video knows, I have a posing routine to Proverbs 3:5-6. From 1985 to 1987 I took the Navigators 2:7 Bible Study. During that two-year commitment we memorized sixty-five verses. At the end of the first year, one of the requirements was a "half-day in prayer." It wasn’t an actual half-day, but it was three hours. During that time period I focused on the fifth verse (I don’t remember why) that we were required to memorize, which was Proverbs 3:5-6. And when it was time to share with everyone about their time with the Lord, after I shared, gave a physique artist’s interpretation of Proverbs 3:5-6. A second verse that has recently become a favorite is Philippians 3:13. However, I’ll explain in question 7. 2) Who were your childhood heroes? I’m pretty sure Superman was my first hero. My mother made me an awesome Superman costume to wear for Halloween when I was in first grade, at six years of age. That following winter in February 1964, the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show three weeks in a row. I was already a fan and my sister was buying their records. The music, the way they dressed, the way they talked, and of course the Beatle haircut. And as much as I thought all four were the greatest, John Lennon was my favorite. My understanding was he was the leader. He and Paul wrote and sang almost every song, his name was always on the 45 records we use to buy and it seemed like he stood a little forward and off to the right from wear Paul and George stood. When he played his guitar he did this little bounce with his knees to the beat. So I just didn’t listen to Beatle records, I imitated John Lennon by playing air guitar and bouncing to the music. I guess that is when I really started performance.Finally, I must mention "James West, United States Secret Service." If this does not sound familiar, I am speaking of the television program, THE WILD WILD WEST. It aired on Friday evenings at 7:30pm on CBS from 1964 to 1970 or ’71. The actor was Robert Conrad. Some of you reading this might remember him from "Hawaiian Eye." Now this guy was cool. He was handsome, had a good physique (for back then), strong, excellent fighter (could take on twelve men at one time), and all the tricks, gadgets, and gizmos that his partner Artemis Gordon (Ross Martin), use to make for him to get out of trouble was the ultimate. Before they produced the movie with Will Smith, I always thought if they ever made a remake of the show and there was an open call, I would give it a shot. I have a friend too is doing some acting that would be perfect for the Artemis Gordon part. Anyway, when I saw that movie I was disappointed. It just seemed like they made a big joke out of a really good TV show. Also as a footnote, I will add that a 1967 IFBB Mr. America by the name of Don Howorth appeared in an episode of the THE WILD WILD WEST as a Blacksmith. 3) If you could meet anyone from the Bible, who would it be and why? You can't say Jesus, we all want to and we prayerfully will one day! I have to give you more than one on this one. The first is Samson. All I really want to know is what his physique was really like. He is always portrayed as a big muscular man, but I can’t help but wonder if he was actually a pencil-neck. Then there is Paul, just because he’s Paul. Can you imagine what you would learn from him? I would say to him, "Please teach me how to be humble and Christ-like." Then I was thinking Job so I could ask him how he went through what he went through. However Adam would be cool, because he could tell me about the garden and how he named all the animals (Gen. 2:19-20). But speaking of the beginning, how about the archangel Michael? I would ask him about creation. I would ask about the revolt that Lucifer led and how and why he did it. Actually we know why. Isa. 14:13-14 says, "You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’" It was the sin of pride. But sin did not exist before this point. And in Ezek. 28:11-19, verse 15 says, "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you." So where did this prideful thought come from? It is more of a question of how. I would also like to know about the heavenly realms, what the earth was like before the flood, and describe the NEPHILIM, (Gen. 6:4). 4) What is a typical day in your life like? Training is usually the first order of the day. I know it shouldn’t be. The quiet time should be first and sometimes it is, but most of the time it is not. After training if I am not training someone else I will head to a diner if I am going to be out for a while before I head home. At home it can be any combination of making phone calls, answering phone calls, mail and e-mail, paying bills, helping my parents with different things, posing choreography for competitors, recording that routine on videotape, one-on-one posing lessons, practicing my own posing, taking care of video orders, reading, shoveling snow, mowing the lawn; doing station ID’s, commercial spots, and PSA’s for the local Christian radio station; eating meals in between and last but not least answering these questions for this interview that I have put off for six months. 5) What Biblical figure do you most identify with & why? I really do not have an answer to this question. 6) What trait do you like most about yourself? I suppose I really enjoy my posing and performance. The Lord has given me this ability to not just pose, but to communicate and interpret music using my physique as the medium. He allows me to feel very comfortable on stage that has also opened up some doors for acting and being part of the drama ministry at church. He has also given me the ability to teach and choreograph for competitors and I must add, with an extra dose of patience. And with all of this, through His grace I have been able to be a witness for His Name. 7) What trait do you least like about yourself? Everything has to be just right for me. I’m too picky. So this results in hesitation and taking too long to make a decision, which turns into PROCRASTINATION. I know I spoke about trusting in the LORD in question 1, but I’m not too good at it. And now I can tell you about Phil 3:13. It says we are to forget the past and reach toward the future. John MacArthur in his study bible writes, "The believer must refuse to rely on past virtuous deeds and achievements in ministry or to dwell on sins and failures. To be distracted by the past debilitates one’s efforts in the present." Well, because I didn’t move on things when I should have or could have I sometimes think it is too late and that I "shoulda, woulda, coulda." So, that is why Phil 3:13 has become a favorite verse recently; not because it is what I do, but because it is what I need to do. 8) How have you been able to represent God in your sport? I believe I started representing God when I guest posed at the 1982 German Bodybuilding Championships. Albert Busek, the promoter interviewed me at the banquet after the show and I remember thanking God. From there it grew to thanking the LORD GOD. Then I started selling shirts with myself in a pose that said POWER FROM THE SON. The top half of POWER was white and the bottom half was a light yellow. FROM THE SON was a brighter yellow. And the outline of myself was also yellow. It was to illustrate that light and power comes from the Son of God. I also had the Scripture Reference, II Cor. 4:6 on the shirt. The pose I used is the pose that I use for my Christmas cards. I am down on my right knee with my left leg out to the side and my hands are overhead crisscrossed at the wrist as I am looking up. II Cor. 4:6 says, "For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."(NIV) In the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s I said thank you to the Lord Jesus Christ after my performances, started to quote some Scripture and also started to pose to Christian music. And in 1995 is when I first posed to "Lazarus Come Forth!" by CARMEN at the Heartland Muscle Classic in Omaha, NE. I was very nervous about posing to this music. I could not help but think, there is no way the bodybuilding world is going to accept this. Sure enough God made it easier by providing the perfect time to debut that routine. It was the night before Easter, April 15, 1995. God blessed it that first night and every time since. The audience response was awesome, and it has been for…well, it will be ten years this April. Now on return performances, people ask me if I am going to do LAZARUS? And when I am able to perform this routine, it allows for a greater witness at the podium. This has also led to other Christian routines. 9) If you could change one thing in your sport, what would it be? If I could change only one thing, it would have to be the drug situation. I have always thought how awesome it would be, if there were a flawless drug test that no one could scam. A test that would be able to detect if you were taking drugs currently or twenty years ago. Then we would know who the true natural athletes are and we would find out if the IFBB/NPC and some of the so-called natural organizations are really interested in cleaning up the sport. However, if I could change two things, the other would be the POSING. And yes, this would be more realistic, being that a flawless drug test is…I would imagine far into the future. But yes, more emphasis on posing is needed and more than just quarter turns, mandatory poses and the posing routines. The subtitle of the PUMPING IRON book says, "The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding." Now it is both sport and art in the gym training. But it is more art during competition. When my friend and mixed pairs partner at the time gave me the title Physique Artist Extraordinaire, I really liked it. I had always considered myself an artist displaying my physique; so Physique Artist was perfect. And with my style of posing being a little extraordinary, the title was just right. But all bodybuilders are physique artists. The problem is the general public doesn’t know it. All they understand is a muscle-head in his underwear "flexing" and making faces that quite often resemble someone who is constipated. Like Richard Cavalieri a promoter with the NGA said to me, "The facial expression on stage should be exactly opposite of your facial expression in the gym training." Does the general public like to watch figure skating, ice dancing, ballet, sport dancing and other forms of dance, or the floor routine in women’s gymnastics? Yes. Why? Because there is music, movement, choreography, expression, interpretation and at times improvisation involved. Do we not have the same with posing? Yes. But it needs more emphasis. And it should not be so easy. For example, why are competitors told to put their heels together if they are not during the symmetry round? Why not take points off immediately for that? Gymnasts aren’t allowed a second chance if they did not point their toes the first time. How many competitors do you know who "put together" (choreograph really would not be an accurate term), their routine the night before? And how many organizations do not judge the evening posing routine? But you know what? In one way, I don’t blame the competitors. Why should a competitor spend any serious time practicing their posing or routine if it is not going to be seriously judged? On the other side of the coin the general public enjoys those sports that I mentioned above because they have a general understanding of what is right and wrong. Plus the TV commentators explain things. Posing could be so much more appreciated if the general public knew the "do’s & don’ts" and the right and wrongs to this beautiful art we call posing. I know this because when I give my posing seminar and there are people attending who are not really bodybuilding fans, they tell me the next day how much more interesting the pre-judging was, because they saw all the "do’s & don’ts" that I spoke about while they were watching the competitors. And now for a little promotion (How’s that for a segue?); for anyone who is in need of posing help, this is what I do. I won’t go into details, so please feel free to contact me at www.RUSSTESTO.com. 10) If you were to die today and go to heaven, what would you like to hear God say? First I would like God to ask me why He should allow me into His Kingdom? Then I would say, "Because Your Son, The Lord Jesus Christ paid the price for my sin by suffering and dieing on a cross. Because of Your Son’s blood, I have been forgiven and clothed with righteousness. And because Your Son defeated sin and death and rose again on the third day, I can also have eternal life. Thank you God, because I do not deserve this." Then I would like God to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. (Here’s the best part), Enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 25:21) (NKJV). In closing may I say thank you (1Thes. 5:18) to Bobby and Valentina Barker for this opportunity to be interviewed and to be a part of MidwestChristianBodybuilding.com. I also thank you both for your desire to promote the art and sport of bodybuilding in a healthy and positive way, and most importantly for your desire to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (1Cor. 10:31). God Bless you both and, "May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed" (Ps. 20:4) (NIV). |
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| And now it is our turn to thank you, Russ
for participating in our interview.
In the
short time that we have known you,
we have
come to count you as a friend and a
fellow
warrior for Christ. God bless you as
you
continue to spread the message of God
and
our savior Jesus Christ! |
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| FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POSING ROUTINES, PERSONAL APPEARANCES AND HIS VIDEO, Posing the Extra-Ordinary Way! VISIT RUSS' SITE AT http://www.RUSSTESTO.com OR EMAIL HIM AT RTESTO356@AOL.COM | |
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