Clarence Bass
Encyclopedia
Clarence Bass is an attorney and fitness writer. He is well known among elite fitness enthusiasts for integrating the most up-to-date scientific research on nutrition, weight training and aerobic exercise into a fitness lifestyle that has lasted almost 60 years. He is also known for his series of Ripped books, which chronicle how he brought his body fat down to 2.4% and became a past-40 bodybuilding champion. Bass also wrote a monthly question-and-answer column in Muscle & Fitness
bodybuilding magazine. He has kept detailed journals and photos documenting his fitness spanning almost 60 years. He continues to train and publish monthly articles on his website.
to a medical doctor and a nurse. Bass is a former Olympic style weightlifter. Bass graduated from Albuquerque High School
, University of New Mexico
, and UNM Law School. He practiced law in Albuquerque until 1994, when he stopped practicing to devote full time to other interests, including studying and writing about the fitness lifestyle. He was among 100 UNM graduates chosen by the Alumni Association to represent the "Best Efforts" of the university on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. In 2003, The Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen honored him with its highest award, The Vic Boff Award for lifetime achievement. Bass started training with weights at about 13 and garnered his first athletic award in 1954, when as a junior he won the State High School Pentathlon Championship. He also wrestled in high school, placing second in the State Championship as a senior. He then concentrated on Olympic weightlifting where he won many more trophies over about a 20 year period, including city, state, regional and national awards. His best Olympic lifts were: Standing Press 275, Snatch 245, and Clean & Jerk 325.
as low as possible, he started a diet high in whole foods and low in concentrated calories. On August 24, 1977 his body fat was measured at 2.4% at Lovelace Medical Center using hydrostatic weighing.
His first success was at the 1978 New Mexico bodybuilding championship, where he won Best Legs and Most Muscular. He then turned his attention to Past-40 competition. In 1978, he won the AAU Past 40 Mr. America, short class. In 1979, he won the AAU Past 40 Mr. USA, short class. In the USA contest, he also won the overall awards for Best Legs, Best Abdominals, and Most Muscular Man. In his final year of bodybuilding competition, he placed 2nd in the middleweight class of the 1980 Past 40 Mr. America. When asked by Second Wind author Lee Bergquist why he retired from competition in the best condition of his life, Bass replied, “I had nothing to gain and everything to lose.” He added, “I developed my reputation with new photos [every few years] and these contests aren’t a lot of fun.”
Encouraged by the success of his first book and his monthly column, Bass published a second book, Ripped 2. Ripped 2 is a training manual devoted to building and maintaining lean muscle mass. It also deals with the subject of training psychology. (Bass’ undergraduate degree is in psychology). As Bass’ training regimen and diet evolved, so did his books. In 1986, he wrote Ripped 3: The Recipes, The Routines and The Reasons. Ripped 3 includes 22 meal variations and introduced a new training concept: periodization, a training concept first developed in the former Soviet Union
.
From 1984 to 1994, Bass published the Lean Advantage series. The three books are a compilation of Bass’s question and answer column in Muscle & Fitness. In 1989, Bass published Lean for Life, which describes a balanced training regimen that places equal emphasis on cardiovascular training and resistance training. The book also emphasizes motivational techniques.
Bass and his wife started their bodybuilding, health, and fitness website, cbass.com, in 1996. Bass uses the website as a vehicle from which to write monthly articles in ten categories as well as to sell books and fitness related products.
Bass' 1996 book Challenge Yourself describes the evolution of his diet and training. At that point in time, his training included two workouts a week, one weight workout and one high intensity interval workout. He also began adding healthy fats, such as fatty fish and ground flaxseed, to his diet. The book also includes a series of photographs of his physique.
In 2002, Bass collaborated with Wayne and Tina Gallasch of GMV Productions to produce Ripped, The DVD, which complemented his books. Encouraged by the success of the first DVD, Bass and Gallasch produced The Second Ripped DVD in 2003. In 2004, he and Gallasch produced The Third Ripped DVD, which focused entirely on motivation.
Bass published his latest book, Great Expectations, in 2007. In Great Expectations, Bass tells how he combated expectations of age-related physical decline. He talks about overcoming two medical problems, hip replacement
and a bladder malfunction and explains the scientific basis for his positive vision for the future. The book also describes a "blueprint" for physical excellence at any age. Illustrating the success of his approach, Bass reveals what Dr. Waneen Spirduso, co-author of Physical Dimensions of Aging, called "one of the most remarkable 70-year-old bodies in the world."
Muscle & Fitness
Muscle & Fitness is an American bodybuilding magazine founded by Joe Weider, but now published by American Media, Inc.-History:Muscle & Fitness has a more mainstream focus than its companion publication, Flex...
bodybuilding magazine. He has kept detailed journals and photos documenting his fitness spanning almost 60 years. He continues to train and publish monthly articles on his website.
Early career
Bass was born in 1937 in Albuquerque, New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to a medical doctor and a nurse. Bass is a former Olympic style weightlifter. Bass graduated from Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque High School is a public senior high school near Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is a part of the Albuquerque Public School district. Enrollment at AHS stands at 1,803.-History:...
, University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
, and UNM Law School. He practiced law in Albuquerque until 1994, when he stopped practicing to devote full time to other interests, including studying and writing about the fitness lifestyle. He was among 100 UNM graduates chosen by the Alumni Association to represent the "Best Efforts" of the university on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. In 2003, The Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen honored him with its highest award, The Vic Boff Award for lifetime achievement. Bass started training with weights at about 13 and garnered his first athletic award in 1954, when as a junior he won the State High School Pentathlon Championship. He also wrestled in high school, placing second in the State Championship as a senior. He then concentrated on Olympic weightlifting where he won many more trophies over about a 20 year period, including city, state, regional and national awards. His best Olympic lifts were: Standing Press 275, Snatch 245, and Clean & Jerk 325.
Bodybuilding
In 1976, Bass began planning his entry into bodybuilding competition. To help keep his body fat percentageBody fat percentage
A person's body mass percentage is the total weight of the person's fat divided by the person's weight and consists of essential body fat and storage body fat. Essential body fat is necessary to maintain life and reproductive functions. The percentage of essential body fat for women is greater than...
as low as possible, he started a diet high in whole foods and low in concentrated calories. On August 24, 1977 his body fat was measured at 2.4% at Lovelace Medical Center using hydrostatic weighing.
His first success was at the 1978 New Mexico bodybuilding championship, where he won Best Legs and Most Muscular. He then turned his attention to Past-40 competition. In 1978, he won the AAU Past 40 Mr. America, short class. In 1979, he won the AAU Past 40 Mr. USA, short class. In the USA contest, he also won the overall awards for Best Legs, Best Abdominals, and Most Muscular Man. In his final year of bodybuilding competition, he placed 2nd in the middleweight class of the 1980 Past 40 Mr. America. When asked by Second Wind author Lee Bergquist why he retired from competition in the best condition of his life, Bass replied, “I had nothing to gain and everything to lose.” He added, “I developed my reputation with new photos [every few years] and these contests aren’t a lot of fun.”
Fitness writing career
In 1980, Bass wrote his first book, Ripped: The Sensible Way to Achieve Ultimate Muscularity, which detailed how he reduced his body fat to 2.4% and won his class in the Past-40 Mr. America and Mr. USA contests. In his book, he described what he did wrong as well as what he did right. For example, he described both the ups and the downs of his experience with steroids. He sent the manuscript to Bill Reynolds, then Editor-in-Chief of Muscle & Fitness. Reynolds liked the book and showed it to Joe Weider, who invited Bass to write a monthly column called "The Ripped Department." The column ran for sixteen years, making it the longest-running column in the history of the magazine. The same year, he and his wife Carol formed Ripped Enterprises, through which they sold his books and related items.Encouraged by the success of his first book and his monthly column, Bass published a second book, Ripped 2. Ripped 2 is a training manual devoted to building and maintaining lean muscle mass. It also deals with the subject of training psychology. (Bass’ undergraduate degree is in psychology). As Bass’ training regimen and diet evolved, so did his books. In 1986, he wrote Ripped 3: The Recipes, The Routines and The Reasons. Ripped 3 includes 22 meal variations and introduced a new training concept: periodization, a training concept first developed in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
From 1984 to 1994, Bass published the Lean Advantage series. The three books are a compilation of Bass’s question and answer column in Muscle & Fitness. In 1989, Bass published Lean for Life, which describes a balanced training regimen that places equal emphasis on cardiovascular training and resistance training. The book also emphasizes motivational techniques.
Bass and his wife started their bodybuilding, health, and fitness website, cbass.com, in 1996. Bass uses the website as a vehicle from which to write monthly articles in ten categories as well as to sell books and fitness related products.
Bass' 1996 book Challenge Yourself describes the evolution of his diet and training. At that point in time, his training included two workouts a week, one weight workout and one high intensity interval workout. He also began adding healthy fats, such as fatty fish and ground flaxseed, to his diet. The book also includes a series of photographs of his physique.
In 2002, Bass collaborated with Wayne and Tina Gallasch of GMV Productions to produce Ripped, The DVD, which complemented his books. Encouraged by the success of the first DVD, Bass and Gallasch produced The Second Ripped DVD in 2003. In 2004, he and Gallasch produced The Third Ripped DVD, which focused entirely on motivation.
Bass published his latest book, Great Expectations, in 2007. In Great Expectations, Bass tells how he combated expectations of age-related physical decline. He talks about overcoming two medical problems, hip replacement
Hip replacement
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe...
and a bladder malfunction and explains the scientific basis for his positive vision for the future. The book also describes a "blueprint" for physical excellence at any age. Illustrating the success of his approach, Bass reveals what Dr. Waneen Spirduso, co-author of Physical Dimensions of Aging, called "one of the most remarkable 70-year-old bodies in the world."