Louis Gauthier

How many bodybuilders do you know who let themselves slide after reaching age 40? They may still lift, but their midsections seem to gain more mass then the rest of the body combined. Perhaps they may no longer have the goal of staying in shape, but those who continue to remain active within the industry (i.e., writing books and articles) need to walk the walk. And age should not have a bearing on the matter. I'm tired of hearing "we'll, he's almost 50... you can't expect him to stay in shape." Richard Winett can do it. So can Clarence Bass, Ed Corney, and Reg Park! And so can Louis Gauthier. Check out the accompanying photo, taken in December 2002, three months before his 80th birthday!

You may not have heard of Mr. Gauthier, a recent pen pal who first contacted me after reading a newsstand issue of Exercise Protocol. Mr. Gauthier has an extensive career in bodybuilding and weightlifting.

Born March 3, 1923, Louis Gauthier has been reading magazines for 61 years and, according to him, "From 1985 they all turned out to become catalogues filled with commercial ads; big 300 page magazines with 150 pages of ads." He also states, "I wish Exercise Protocol to be reborn again. It is a gem, a genuine masterpiece. It is the aristocracy of magazines with its philosophical intricacies of bodybuilding."
Louis began training in 1939 with the Charles Atlas method and became very proficient in gymnastics, including the high bar, Roman rings, parallel bars, and tumbling. He began Olympic style weightlifting after WWII in 1946 and up to 1958, when he reverted to bodybuilding (see top photo). At age 33, 5' 6" and 148 pounds, Louis' best lifts included a 230 pound press, 225 pounds snatch, and a 280 pound clean and jerk, for a 735 pound total. Louis also obtained a natural 15.5 inch arm, long before the days of anabolic steroids and modern bodybuilding methods. That's a pretty solid arm on a 5'6" frame. From 1941 to 1985, his bodybuilding methods were largely founded on Bob Hoffman's Strength and Health and Perry Rader's Ironman.

In 1999, and at age 76, Louis won a Certificate of Achievement and a gold medal (stating "outstanding achievement") from the Canadian Body of Works EAS challenge.

Today, at age 79 (and at the time of writing this spotlight), Louis has maintained a 14.5 inch arm and is revving up to regain some lost size and muscle mass. How's that for maintaining motivation and establishing goals?! He weighs 170 pounds with abs still showing, and a 15.5" neck and 15.5" calves.

It should be apparent the importance of enjoying your workouts, establishing long-term goals, and pacing your training (i.e., cycling) in order to avoid mental and physical burnout and, most importantly, injuries. Louis Gauthier has done so and, without question, remains a source of fitness inspiration for us all.

When I spoke with Mr. Gauthier on July 3, 2001, he reported an increase of five lean pounds of body weight, enhanced strength and nonexistent joint pain and strain since following I.A.R.T. technical methods for proper lifting. Since then his bodyweight has increased another ten pounds.

The increase in lean mass is significant since Mr. Gauthier has been exercising for several decades and is in his late 70s. Moreover, he no longer suffers from joint irritability that plagued him during the latter years of training. Proper exercise should not cause physical problems, but should help prevent and treat those problems.