Back in the day, the legendary Steve Reeves was known, among other things, for his impeccable grooming. Hair, teeth, skin, fingernails – Reeves was Mr. Perfection. I’ve always thought the same about Lee Labrada. I remember having dinner with him once at a restaurant and, when he was finished eating, Lee immediately went and brushed his teeth.
But even more impressive, he was one of the few bodybuilders I’ve worked with who kept getting better and better right up to the time he retired. If Lee had come along a few years earlier, when the Mr. Olympia was held using two classes – over and under 200 pounds – he would have won the lightweight class, like Franco Columbu before him.
Lee had a great physique, but a small frame – 5’6’ at about 185 pounds. Small enough that, standing next to somebody like Lee Haney, he was just giving away too much size. But that didn’t prevent him from placing in the top 4 in 7 consecutive Mr. Olympia contests. And it didn’t prevent Labrada from showing up in great shape every time and continuing to improve his physique.
Lee Labrada’s trap development is evident in this photo.Josef Adlt
Earlier on, I always thought that his head seemed disproportionately large for his traps and shoulders. Not by a lot, but noticeable. But year by year Lee kept developing his traps and delts and when he decided to retire from competition and concentrate on his supplement business, he had pretty much brought everything into ideal proportion.
Lee Labrada went from bodybuilding to business success after retiringLabrada Nutrition
Lee has subsequently brought the same kind of intelligence and discipline to business that he did to competitive bodybuilding. Labrada Nutrition has been a great success and Lee has remained a significant force in the world of fitness and bodybuilding. At the same time, he has been and remains a devoted family man. One demonstration of that is the bodybuilding success of his son Hunter, who has rocketed up in almost no time to earn a place on the Mr. Olympia stage. Hunter has a much bigger frame than his father, a good thing in this age of muscle monsters. But he also seems to have inherited his dad’s discipline and work ethic, because no matter your genetics, you don’t achieve this kind of rapid success without a great deal of hard, consistent effort.
Lee Labrada improved every year up until he retired.Bill Dobbins
So, the “Labrada Effect” is being passed on from generation to generation. And, both of these bodybuilders, father, and son, should be role models for younger bodybuilders hoping to achieve the same kind of success: discipline, hard and consistent work, a “clean” lifestyle, and attention to detail.
When you are aspiring to greatness, EVERYTHING COUNTS!
Both Rich Gaspari and Lee Labrada were at a disadvantage from being too small in an era in which there was no lightweight category at the Mr. Olympia.Bill Dobbins
