This week, we take a nostalgic dive into the golden era of bodybuilding with Tom Touchstone, who recalls the moment he walked into the second-ever Gold’s Gym and found himself training alongside legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane. Long before bodybuilding hit mainstream fame with Pumping Iron in 1977, Tom was a teenager competing, learning through community, and witnessing firsthand how bodybuilders trained, recovered from injuries, and experimented with early anabolics long before personal trainers existed.
Tom shares stories from the gritty, trial-and-error days of old-school bodybuilding—when knowledge came from mentorship, gym floor conversations, and learning the hard way. From hypertrophy discoveries to pushing the body past perceived limits, Tom reflects on what that era got right, what he regrets, and what he’d never change about the journey.
Whether you’re a bodybuilding fan, fitness history nerd, or someone who loves hearing raw, authentic stories from the pioneers of the sport, this episode brings you back to where the modern fitness movement truly began.
TIMESTAMPS
02:48 How Tom got into the world of competitive bodybuilding
12:04 Underside of old-school bodybuilding
14:54 How bodybuilders learned without personal trainers
21:19 Achieving hypertrophy through trial and error
29:49 Pushing your body to discover its true capabilities
39:25 How exercise impacts every other part of Tom’s life
44:36 Tom’s biggest regret—and what he’d never change
ABOUT TOM TOUCHSTONE
Tom Touchstone is a former competitive bodybuilder and the 1985 Mr. California. Beyond bodybuilding, Tom has built a career as an executive pastor and community leader with a background in computer science, systems management, and social service leadership.
CONNECT WITH TOM TOUCHSTONE
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-touchstone-12040848/
🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST
Health and Fitness Redefined (now The Anthony Amen Show) takes a deep dive into the world of health and fitness as we overcome adversity, separate fact from fiction, and see fitness in a whole new light.
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🏋️ WHO WE ARE
Redefine Fitness helps you become the best version of yourself through small group training, personal training, special needs programs, post-rehab, weight loss coaching, and more. We treat you like family and support you through every high and low.
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🙋♂️ MEET THE HOST – ANTHONY AMEN
Anthony Amen transformed his life through fitness—from being out of shape and unmotivated to becoming a certified trainer dedicated to helping others rewrite their stories. He built Redefine Fitness to show people that
Learn More at: www.Redefine-Fitness.com
