I'm embarassed to concede that I just learned that Steve passed on about a year ago from today.

In my freshman year of college, not satisfied with the university gym (which would be unconscionable given today's tuition rates), I ventured outside the school to seek a gym suitable to my needs.
I went down the road to the (now defunct) Holiday Spa. Not the least impressed with the shiny chrome dumbbells, purple carpet and overabundance of machines in lieu of free weights, the salesman, to his credit, sensed this and suggested I go  a few miles down Hempstead Turnpike to the Mr. America's Body Shoppe, owned by a guy named Steve Michalik.

Steve Michalik? I had read the book Pumping Iron and Michalik was featured in a short chapter, wearing street clothes, retired from the sport, talking about bodybuilding's effect on his personal life. I knew he had captured both the Mr. USA and AAU Mr. America titles.

Surely enough, I went to the gym and was met by the manager, a man named Steve who looked the part. It was not, however, Steve Michalik but a fellow named Steve LaRosa, who brusquely asked me if I had ever lifted weights. The gym fees were ridiculously cheap, even for 1980's rates. I immediately joined.

I did not, however, see Mr. Michalik, until many months later, as our schedules never coincided.. The first time I did see him, he was doing standing dumbbell curls. It was the best form I had ever seen on any exercise. Every rep executed in a perfect arc, body rigid, no cheating, poetry in motion. Made every rep count. And Michalik made LaRosa, who had a back wider than some rooms, look small by comparison.

Soon after, when he expanded the gym  to 2-3x the size (without, inexplicably raising the fees), I had the honor and pleasure to meet Steve for the first time. He came up to me during my workout and introduced himself. We just hit it off great. I told him I did not understand how he could hold his fees after the expense of expansion. He replied non-chalantly that he just wanted to cover his overhead and have the gym accessible to all. I knew that he had trained with Lou Ferrigno at R & J in Brooklyn and he seemed impressed I knew (I was all of nineteen years old at the time) and he shared some stories about that. I also asked him about his horrific accident, when he was nearly crushed to death by a garbage truck while sitting in his car. I told him my mom thought he was handsome. His response was one of humility and he told me to thank her.

Soon after that, Hofstra had its first Mr. Hofstra competition. Feeling certain it would be drug-free, I hesitantly entered with my 15-3/4" biceps and 43" chest at 5'7 170 lbs. I volunteered this to Steve one day and he took significant time out, without any fee, to design a routine and diet for me. What I remember the most about the conversation was this: when I asked would I have to go the pharmaceutical route to be successful, do you know what his response was? He said one could build muscle with or without medication (how's that for a euphemism?) But, he said, with it, the results would come ten times faster. And that was it. He did not try to persuade me,  sell me anything. Here I was, a young impressionable youth, in awe of the guy, and he did the right thing.

And the story gets better. To make sure I was comfortable, he gave me a posing lesson after gym hours,when no one was around. and didn't ask for a dime. Class act all the way.

Turns out, his training partner was late, and he asked me if I could hang around while he knocked off his chest routine. I said of course. What I was treated to after that was a first class insight into what it was to train like a champion. In about a 1/2 hour, he completed more sets than I did in over an hour.
His partner showed up and got 6 reps on the flat bench. Steve said, "I'll get 10". And he did. This was after he had pre-exhausted his chest with isolation exercises. He moved methodically from exercise to exercise. The critic on the internet who said Michalik would go ballistic if you stared at him while he was working: I had a different experience. My gaze was fixed on the man the whole time and he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was gregarious between sets (all 10-15 seconds), sharing his thoughts, seeming to enjoy the awe and attention. He had some humorous thoughts about Mike Mentzer

At the end, he took off his shirt and posed. My jaw dropped. He really did have a 27' waist, and his chest was so pumped, you could stand underneath it in the rain and stay dry. He said, "you could have this body some day if you really wanted to". I had no answer.


And that's not the end. Because it was spring, and outdoor tanning was not feasible. he gave me the formula for a home-made tanning formula, consisting, if my memory serves me right, nivea lotion, several food colorings and iodine. He told me what to buy and he would mix it himself.
Next day I get to the gym and someone told me Steve's arm had practically fallen off shaking this concoction in a bottle. Generous guy.

Steve had a scheduling conflict, so he could not attend the show, but he had some people report back to him. Later, back in the gym, he congratulated me on my 4th place finish and told me he was proud of me. His wife was most supportive, also.

After I got tired of bodybuilding, I saw Steve about a year later at Hofstra. He was working with a female bodybuilder. He was most gracious and asked me what I was up to. While disappointed I was no longer training, when he walked to the elevator with Patti, I overheard him say, "fantastic guy, his name is Andy Chaplowitz". My self-esteem shot up about ten-fold.

So it is shocking as I read all the horror stories and the dark sides associated with him. I never had a cross word with him, the closest being when I was doing crunches on the floor and was in his way. Hell, it was his gym and he was a world-class bodybuilder, I was quite honored I got his attention.
To my credit, I never tried to be someone I wasn't. Unlike guys who come into the gym, all piss and vinegar, challenging him.  Frankly speaking, I did not have that killer instinct, my pain threshold was not what was required to be a competitive bodybuilder. I think Steve somehow recognized this and treated me accordingly.

All of us has a story, a past, and a lot of the things written about Steve, or that he revealed in interviews, gives insight. The abusive relationship with his father, an unfaithful wife. The insecurity when he didn't train and his bodyweight went down to 160 lbs. He was an ectomorph, genetically speaking.

I share this because my experience with Steve Michalik was all positive. When he asked where the contest was at Hofstra was, he was embarrassed that he had trouble spelling "multi-purpose room". Meanwhile, this guy was so well-versed in anatomy, biology, chemistry, human behavior, he could go to toe-to-toe with physicians,  psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. He spent countless hours in the library and it certainly raises the questions on whether someone really needs formal education to be intelligent. Steve was brilliant, articulate.

I will always remember the great Steve Michalik. I wish I could have helped. Rest in peace.