IronOnline Bash 01
Dr. Ken Leistner's Bash Report

I wasn't even sure why I went out to Santa Cruz other than to visit Dave and Laree and I could have done that at any time. I was attracted to the fact that Dan Martin (from the Garage Gym forum) would be there and of course, I wanted to help good friends.

I have known Dave since 1961 (yeah, that makes us old) and many don't know that he is originally from Secaucus, NJ, a town outside of the NY City environs that was known for pig farming in the 1950s. Dave and I both had the priviledge of sitting in the back of legend Leroy Colbert's health food store on 84th St. and Broadway in Manhattan, trying to learn all we could from Lee. Dave of course, learned quite well!

He later moved to Santa Monica with Weider in 1963 after winning Mr. New Jersey and I again caught up with him in 1967-68 in Weider's Santa Monica store.

The goal for me, was to catch up on old times and lend a hand in order to make their weekend a success. The gym they have is very nice; clean, well equipped, pleasant atmosphere without a lot of big egos running through the place, terrific and attentive staff.

I arrived Thursday, hooked up with Dan and had the very rare priviledge (and it is) to dine at the Draper home. The house is buried in the redwoods, much of it built by Dave and beautiful. Peaceful comes to mind immediately. Dan and I were taken with our good fortune and we spend much time discussing training, nutrition, the various Draper projects, and so much more.

I trained one of my NY clients who came down from doing business in San Francisco early Friday morning, dispensed information to those who asked for a few hours, then saved the barbeque sauce. I know it was California but the sauce was marinara; looked like it and tasted like it. Dan and I set out to save it with Susan's help, Laree's training partner— Everyone loved the chicken and beef on Saturday so I know we did. Potato salad, pasta salad, etc., for 150 or so with some culinary assistance from IOLers that dropped in so say hi-Len and Jamie, Doc Ray, Bill from Peoria, and a bunch of local friends of the Drapers. We got the food from the civic auditorium to walk in fridge space by the gym and we were ready.

The movie was great (Beverly Hillbillies starring Dave and the classic Don't Make Waves). Great, small local old timey theater. I recalled that when I first saw it in Green Acres theater in Valley Stream in 1967 with my training partner Jack (and he still is my training partner), every time Dave, Chet Yorton, or Reg Lewis moved a muscle, the whole crowd, typical rowdy New York guys into muscles, howled. When Dave hack squatted the bus, some guys stood up and screamed, "Look at his friggin' quads, Dave's the man!" I had all of those feelings sweep through me but this time, Dave was sitting one or two rows down and one row over. A trip!

Great dinner with Dan (the waitress noted his massive forearms!!!) and Saturday was more training in the early morning (stifflegged DL for me to loosen my airplane ruined back) then the seminar. A great turnout and great response, great information. Good juxtaposition of Dave's experience, my experience, historical perspective, and some science, and Dr. Mike Nichols all science and common sense input. It went 2-1/2 hours and with a break for food and bathroom, would have gone on for three more afterwards.

I hung in the gym answering questions for another hour, then joined the barbeque. Dan saved the day with some staff of the gym but Dan was the guy slinging the meat and chicken for hours behind temperatures that soared at the large bbq pit. Food was great, conversation better with lots of perspectives represented.

Ed Corney came-like the emperor showing up at your birthday party. What a treat and I was lucky enough to get a big hug from him and the words "Man, I haven't seen you in years". It was the best! Ed was the best, never has anyone uttered a negative word about him and if they did, they were lying because a gentler, nicer guy you would not meet in the game unless it was Dave.

The Drapers? The best, nicest, kindest, most open, warm, receptive hosts you could ask for and they tried to make 150 people feel at home and did it well.

More great muscle talk with Dave at Saturday dinner at Carpo's down the block from where I was staying and then farewells. For a muscle head like me, it was a trip, a great trip and well worth time out of the office.

What can you ask for that would top this? Dave had more information, common sense stuff that stands for the past forty years and a great attitude. Much motivation (I was even working abs hard today) and a great time. Laree made it go and she did it better than anyone else could have. Dan saved dinner for everyone by being the ultimate chef and of course, answered quite a few training related queries with aplomb. All in all, I'm ready to go again.

Dr. Ken

Click here to go to the next Bash page