A Short Profile of Vince, Los Angeles, and Myself By Ron Kosloff N/C of NSP Research Nutrition Last year,

in 2003, a customer called me and said that I should update and change Vinces courses, making them more modern-looking, glitzy in color, suggesting that they should be more "chrome plated." I told him thats for Joe Wieder and Bill Phillips and their garbage. Vinces courses are classics just as they are! Ill give you an example: When I used to go the Redford Theater years ago to sell Vinces courses and NSP supplements, people would look at Vinces little, simple courses and they would say "Twelve dollars for that!" or "Fifteen dollars for that! Im not paying that for something so small." I tried to tell these people that must mean that they were not interested in knowledge, that they were just interested in the glitz and the colored magazines with nude models on the cover, but thats not what Vince was all about. He spent 60 years of his life researching and teaching to give the world honest knowledge. His writings and teachings were in very simple publications. He would give a lot of his gym members, some of whom were also artists or typists, free supplements or a free membership if they would help him in creating these little courses, because Vince was not a rich man. He was a simple, simple man with ethics. He didnt love money. Being a fantastic bodybuilding teacher is what brought him into prominence, not lying, as a lot of people in this industry do. Being a simple man, Vince operated a simple gym. He drove a truck. His manner of dress was extremely casual. Financially, he died a pauper, but he was the richest man in the world in the knowledge of bodybuilding and training. Giving us that knowledge was his first and foremost endeavor. Last year a gentleman called me and told me a very heartening story of Vinces compassion for his fellow man. This mans father, who was an alcoholic, went to Vinces gym many years ago. Vince took the man in and let him live above the gym. He fed him and trained him for nothing. Talk about compassion! The man who called me said that if anybody ever says anything bad about Vince, they would have to deal with him personally. Vince did this because he knew the man had demons, referring to the fact that Vince himself had a battle "with the grape" (see The Wild Physique). In January 2004, a man by the name of George Carvajal from Hollywood, Florida, called me because he had read a few of the articles that I had written about Vince. Roughly 25 years ago, when George was 17 years old, he and his father had gone to California to Vinces Gym. He was shocked by how simple the gym was. He sat down to attend one of Vinces seminars and was surprised to see Vince standing there with no shoes, wearing sweat pants and a tank top. George was devastated because he was looking for the "Hollywood experience." He and his father were about to leave, but decided instead to stay to listen to what Vince had to stay. They were glad that they did because George said that he learned more about bodybuilding in that three-hour seminar than anybody else has ever taught him. What an absolute tribute to Vince! There, amongst the glitz and glitter of Los Angeles, Vince was able to emerge triumphant by presenting nothing but the truth, despite the fact that many others in LA were not telling the truth. A friend of mine calls LA the "Pus Pot of America." I like to refer to it as "The Land of Fruits and Nuts." Its been my observation that there are three types of people in the LA area: those who have money, those who think they have money, and the con artists with no morals whatsoever. Vince was none of these. He was just a plain, honest man with an I.Q. of genius status. I thank George for saying so many kind things about Vince. If I may prevail on your sense of right and wrong, the thing that most sickened me about the L.A. bodybuilding scene is when I discovered just how the up-and-coming, aspiring bodybuilder earned money to live, sustain himself, train, purchase steroids, eat, etc. I wont tell you, so youll have to use your imagination! Plus, I was floored when I further discovered that these so-called physical culturists also indulged in all of the illegal, seedy drug cultures of pot, cocaine, angel dust, etc. I got the impression that it is a very accepted part of the L.A. "cool scene," or as George said, the "Hollywood experience." Note: Vince wrote an article condemning the use of mindaltering drugs in Vince Gironda File #2.

Id like to relate one last story regarding Vince. In 2003 I heard from some cocky guy, whose name and location I dont care to remember. He accused me of selling and controlling Vinces courses just to make the money. I told him that Ive been selling Vinces courses for more than 25 years and Im not rich yet. Maybe he wants to give me another 25 years! Vinces wife gave me the rights to Vinces courses because I loved Vince -- he was my friend and I owe him for everything he did for me. And I must say that I think Ive earned that right. I have spoken to people for the last 25 years, trained them, helped them, and talked to them on the phone all on my dime and time. So I told this "a-hole" never to speak to me that way again, with such total disrespect. I told him, if you dont like it, I hope youre 6 4" and weigh 230 pounds, as I do. I told him where he could go and I hung up. Just as a point of information, I got what I have today not from selling Vinces courses or from selling NSP supplements, but from working six and seven days a week, often 58 hours a week, at General Motors. I worked in model engineering at the Tech Center for years before I took an early retirement to do what I do now! Thank you and feel free to call me if you have any questions, Ron Kosloff