How Leroy Colbert Developed his 21" Arms

[@tankoil]

R.I.P Leroy 🙏

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

Leroy also didn't get the 21" arms until after his motorcycle accident. He couldn't train legs anymore so he only did upper body exercises. 💪🏾

[@HaMashiachSaves]

So the secret is to skip leg day 😂

[@jawsfederation]

I heard he also took steroids for his injuries from the accident. So it makes sense that he grew them afterwards.

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

@@jawsfederation Where did you hear, read, or see that information from ?. Leroy had his accident in 1955. So he was only training his upper body from that year and afterwards.

[@Shawn-hs8qk]

His physique at 12 is crazy.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

It really showcased his genetic potential. That's the one thing that struck me about him...how insanely developed he was at just 12. He was born to be a bodybuilder

[@HerculesFit]

My God it was incredible

[@retrobilly1719]

Yes Like an adult at 12

[@cosmicrenegade369]

I agree

[@silverfox8801]

So peds at 12! 🤦‍♂️

[@georgewilkie3580]

I purchased a really nice York Olympic Barbell from Big Leroy Colbert in the Health Food and Lifting Equipment Store he used to own in New York City's East Side. He was just the nicest Guy. Very humble, and had a good sense of humor. It was almost closing time and no one else was in the store. We chated for about a half hour. I never forgot how brotherly he was, and of course I got a good look at his famous "Guns". HUGE, and perfectly shaped! God Rest Leroy's Soul.

[@BastardX13]

The photo of Leroy at 12 years old is as telling as it is astonishing. Gifted beyond measure. Please note the absolute supernatural quality, size and development of those fore arms. Major player in the Arms Race! Great work.

[@NattyLifeYT]

Excellent video bro! I loved the demonstrations. And Leroy posing at 4:00 WOW!! I mean he looked huge in his photos but seeing him stand next to other people like that shows just how gigantic the guy was..

[@HerculesFit]

Agreed! Guy almost looked like a young Kali Muscle as crazy as that sounds

[@shred9475]

hahaha u are funny af u believe u can achieve 21 in arms natty? u are very naive lol

[@NAVEENCHAURASIYAA]

Look like arnie on dball

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

@Nattylife tell me about it. That comparison always makes me wonder...but then seeing him at 12 years old...his development at such a young age showcases his incredible God given genetics...the man was born to be a bodybuilder

[@HerculesFit]

@@GoldenEraBookworm Facts! 💪

[@youtubecreators384]

Knowing how big human arms can get, naturally, I am super motivated to get 21 inch arms. I might never get arms that big. But I will never stop working for them. RIP, Leroy. Your legacy will live on for generations.

[@johnkelley6278]

You will get there ! In 1980 I achieved a 20 3/4 inch arm and I really didn't know what I was doing. This channel has so much info on arms you will surpass 21 inch !

[@youtubecreators384]

@@johnkelley6278 Thanks for the confidence boost.

[@HerculesFit]

Very motivating for sure! You got this 💪

[@shred9475]

u will never achieve that naturally under 15 % bf in 10 life times.

[@rinkuhero]

@@shred9475 yeah i'm surprised how many are just taking at face value that leroy is natural just because he says he is? like do they believe everyone is natural just because they say it?

[@johnkelley6278]

No other channel can you get workout routines from Leroy Colbert, Larry Scott, Chuck Sipes, Dave Draper ( all my favorite 4 of all time) then this channel. Best old-school iron pumping channel on KZbin!

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Thank you...more coming soon, on all the greats

[@sauter1]

The youtube channel MrYorkieLover Fitness Entertainment has the whole collection of videos Leroy had published until he passed away, I believe in 2015. Years back I used to love listening to his wisdom and enthusiasm even at an advanced age. I was very bummed out when later I heard he had left us. Oh, and he still had massive guns even in his 80s.

[@GaryFowlerPiano]

He had very pleasing upper body development. You rarely see these days

[@christopherseat9871]

One of the best body builder of all time

[@QueensNativeNYC]

He had a phenomenal physique.. The bodybuilders from that era were truly amazing.. They were big and muscular and look super healthy but not gross and strange like today's bodybuilders..

[@brettperkins4643]

He was blessed with incredible genetics

[@dr.barrier]

Love your channel! Thank you so much for demonstrating these exercises. Please do that with the rest of your videos that describe the workouts of these guys!

[@theironforce3000]

Fantastic breakdown. I dig the split screen training clips for better demonstration. - thats an awesome EZ curl BB! Never seen one that size 😮 I remember in an old video from Leroy years ago ( when he was still with us), he described the single arm / concentration curl almost like performing a 'scoop'. He may have called it the scooping DB curl, but I'm probably wrong with that term. .

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Thanks, I love the description because it puts the action into words so well...I'll make sure to use that in the future

[@marcelopili5495]

greetings from patagonia Argentina .Leroy Colbert . perfect body , and he was the wisdom of bodybuilding

[@HerculesFit]

Leroy Colbert was a Beast! Great vid on his training style 💪

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Thank you, I Appreciate it!!

[@NativeNordmann]

Oh man i’m going to try the Leroy curl tomorrow, i have allready decided it will by a staple, i imagine it’s going to hurt tho and i’m looking forward too it!! after all the conditioning over the years and doing hard manual labour on top of it i don’t get sore just tired and if anithing like a champ happens it’s out of this world. So it’s clear what i need to do i need to seek out the cramps and seek out the sorness cause and it’ll spice up my routine and bring me to the next level. Being too conditioned is boring as fuck, you feel like Saitama, no challange is enough. But hopefully the spice will come back if i seek it out whit specialiced exercises.

[@philhoughton3677]

Most definitely natural. I'm 53yrs old 6 ft 2 210 lbs 18 inch arms. All natural love it.

[@dormantmenace]

Thiers a massive difference between 18 and 21 inch arms naturally.. 70% of body builders with insain diet and workout regimen.. ON GEAR don't have 21's.. I built 19s naturally by 28 at 218lbs.. thier was no way I could of built 21s.

[@GottaGetN2Fitness]

Genetics could play a part in this as well

[@Devlin360i]

Old-School bodybuilders had healthier, sexier, more aesthetically-pleasing physiques compared to today's bodybuilders. They applied a more natural, balanced approach to their training, nutrition and drug use - focusing on symmetry, proportion and aesthetics, rather than sheer mass and size. Old-School bodybuilders had a more streamlined and natural look to their bodies with smaller waistlines and more pronounced V-tapers, while modern bodybuilders tend to have bulkier mid-sections and more exaggerated muscle size. Old-School bodybuilders focused more on building functional strength along with aesthetics, while modern bodybuilders prioritize mass and size above all else, which can lead to a less aesthetic physique. Old-School bodybuilders had a more natural and less drug-enhanced approach to muscle building in general. In contrast, modern bodybuilders abuse performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to a significant degree, which can cause bloating, acne, and other negative side effects that damage their body and health. Ultimately, the debate on which era of bodybuilding produced the best physiques is subjective and depends on individual preferences. However, I think that for most people the answer is pretty obvious. Vintage Physique by George Kelly is a nice read on the topic.

[@christopherjohn8521]

When I got my first weight set, it came with a few muscle Mags. In one there was Larry Scott with 20" biceps and Leroy Colbert with 21". No one else seemed to have them that large. Little did I know how hard that was to achieve. If he was natural, it what was freaky and one of a kind. I found out much later that Larry did get a little help with his massive arms. Leroy on the other hand seemed to have the genetics from a very young age.

[@russellgardener126]

These days we hear a lot about the importance of controlled reps, with a slow and controlled eccentric phase. I'm sure I saw or read somewhere that Leroy recommended doing reps as quickly as possible. Although that doesn't exactly align with what we see of him training in the old film excerpts. What do we know of Leroy and rep speed?

[@mrjakedog07]

Thanks for the demonstations, Carlos! Great video.

[@fender1000100]

He had crazy genetics like Reeves and Park. Miss his channel. Used to love to hear his pearls of wisdom. And stories about his life with the likes of Marvin Eder..

[@silverfox8801]

So he followed the Arnold Schwarzenegger school of taking steroids at 13 years of age!??

[@persianfire6139]

Pretty much. You certainly dont get the amount of mass he displayed at his best naturally, i say he started either at 13 or some point not long afterwards. People forget you dont make infinite linear progress, newbie gains last maybe 3 years then everything slows down drastically, and this guy ended up with a physique rivaling Schwarzenegger's and a whole host of other legends while the others had to take steroids, i mean you gotta laugh. 🤦‍♂😂😂😂😂

[@shred9475]

@@persianfire6139 😂😂😂💉💉💉

[@Muscle_Messiah]

Ive seen even more heavy Transformations(Not the Arms of course but Overall) in jail and i know this Guys have not takin steroids because they we're my cellmates(and all the Money went into Heroin anyway) ... It was absolutely amazing. They didnt even Drink Protein. That Made me realize all that we being told about eating and Training IS bullshit. I mean we d get about 80 Grams of Protein a Day ​@@persianfire6139

[@Magneticlaw]

That's quite the pet hypothesis you guys have got going, there....

[@silverfox8801]

@@Magneticlaw facts!

[@lastknownnatty]

Leroy is my favorite bodybuilder

[@jjnich4915]

Judging from how he looked at 15...I'd say it's possible he had one of the myostatin deficiency genes. The similar genes that Flex Wheeler has. Another point is that even to his 80's and 90's...Leroy could flex his bicep and he still had a muscle belly in his bicep at 85 years old and still trained his arms. It was like he trained his arms so much that it changed his actual DNA from training so much volume with his arms.

[@andrewwelch1040]

He looked like a young Victor Richards.

[@megabazus1775]

Wasn't natural they all used testosterone already in the 1940s / 50s, plenty of evidences been out there for years but people chose to close their eyes and ears cuz they like to cling to the hope that musculature like this can be achieved naturally, it can't im sorry to break it to you, even today with all the supps around and knowledge on diet & training you still gotta take synthetic hormones to attain this type of musculature with this level of swoleness, you can see his water retention its clear as day, unlike the bronze era who were true naturals, ripped but depleted.

[@jjnich4915]

@@megabazus1775 Where did I ever say or claim he was natty? I was just making the observation that even into his 80's he still had development in his arms. I never argued that he was natty. Nope I never said it or mentioned it. Not a single time. Do I bepieve he was on test? Yeah I think so but the guy was on HRT at 80 because his arms were still so big. So take your stupid little comment that has nothing to do with my comment and leave and take your stupid "natty or not" bs out of here so we can have an actual discussion about a Legend who is no longer with us.

[@megabazus1775]

@@jjnich4915 You were alluding to it. And you getting mad over it is proof enough.

[@jjnich4915]

@@megabazus1775 I was alluding to nothing. Just making the statement that he may have had a gene mutation...until you twisted my comment into something that it isn't to suit your needs or your agenda or whatever you are tryinng to spread and then you say I am the asshole for getting mad. Really? I am the asshole when I wasn't even talking about anything relevant to what you replied with. I get mad because it seems like you just wanted to have your opinion heard. If you are so passionate about it why don't you go make a video to explain why all these bodybuilders aren't natty? Be my guest I could not give a cent of my time to it because honestly I don't care if they are natty or not I admire their physique regardless and I will always strive to look like them whether I am natty or not? Did I say that in a way you could comprehend?

[@giovannyc3886]

You can get this behind your shoulder curl by using curls and curling behind the head from up high. Use both straight bar and V bar

[@jamesjoseph86]

Keep up the good work Carlos. Would love to see more videos on different bodybuilders who specialised? This is great content.

[@nathansmith5331]

It doesn’t matter what you do, if your on juice your going to get bigger

[@carolinebyrd8841]

Totally njoyed watchin' the vid and would like to see vids on women bodybuilders from the old days💪😁

[@Seanshank_Redemption]

Leroy posing in that backyard was awesome

[@joejacquesschulz8514]

Leroy Colbert said in one of his own videos that he sometimes trained so hard he once had to go to a hospital afterwards.

[@martinloo9543]

Leroy had great genetics. He didn’t need steroids and he was totally against it. I enjoyed watching his videos and he is well missed in the bodybuilding world.

[@AfrikanGod1]

Legend, Thanks for the deep breakdown! Very knowledgeable

[@tbirdboy]

Used to see pictures of him in MuscleMag in the 70's. Amazing physique.

[@malcolmjelani3588]

I'm still not 100% sure he was natural

[@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752]

In his time it didn't exist.

[@id6964]

He took DHEA, but I don't know much it works, maybe over longer period of time... He was BIG advocate of taking DHEA.... I took it for 3 weeks and didn't feel almost anything from it, maybe shoulders got bit stronger.

[@righteousiron8216]

Nice Information! Thank You Sir! 👍💪

[@brianf9615]

Leroy was right on!!

[@redating416]

Now we can see Worm talking, i like that, i like that.

[@lorddeathspit1124]

I miss Leroy’s videos he used to post on here.

[@dormantmenace]

Theres a massive difference between 18 and 21 inch arms naturally.. 70% of body builders with insain diet and workout regimen.. ON GEAR don't have 21's.. I built 19s naturally by 28 at 218lbs.. thier was no way I could of built 21s. Naturally and bin that lean. He's 1 in a million if that's the case

[@Trav1983]

I have an ez curl bar but that barbell is pretty cool I didn't even know they made those.

[@fc373cem]

Great video😊

[@SmokeDoggg91]

Bro those are scoop curls not concentration curls,similar exercise but much stronger contraction at the top of the movement with the scoops,Leroy swears it's what built his peaks 🗻

[@boboman67]

The kickback tricep extension are often mentioned as the most wasteless exercise, just mentioning. Its said over and over again, would pick a close grip floor benchpress instead.

[@WhyAreTheyOverHere]

Look at that vacuum! I followed him on his KZbin channel until his passing. It felt like losing a friend.

[@Ve-suvius]

His high curls look the same as Bertil Fox did when doing incline curls. Those would kill my shoulders and elbows. There's a video on KZbin of Bertil doing it.

[@chuggitymuggs]

He was one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, and his myyorkielover youtube channel is still going for sll who care to listen to his wisdom on training and life . Leroy’s methods are highly effective. Anyone who says otherwise just doesn’t know what the hell they’re doing.

[@richardbranson8658]

How do we know he was 12 in the photo... Any proof..? He could of been 16...and more likely therefore to of been using some type of enhancement

[@edithcallaway4316]

He may of been on a Charles Atlas course.

[@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752]

Muito legal Leitorávido (Bookworm) vc juntar vídeos seus executando os exercícios!

[@frankmendoza2363]

Another great cover !!

[@jackb7647]

Marvin Eder's best friend. They used to do dips with gym workers hanging off their legs

[@Ve-suvius]

Impressive physique. Very aesthetic.

[@shred9475]

it is mind baffling that natties are so desperate to believe that 21 in arms lean are naturally attainable 😂 99% of people on loads of gear cannot achieve 18 in lean let alone 21.

[@bullinvginshop9011]

They are attainable for a natural. Though for only one out of every 100 million people. God tier bicep genetics. Pretty good overall genetics for muscle growth. Would like to see how big he could have got his legs if he fed them as much volume.

[@megabazus1775]

You could buy methyl testosterone tabs through mags back then like we do supps today, it was advertised and wasn't even regulated. 15 year old Arnold was using, he was skinny but he was on em... no one would believe it if it wasn't for his trainer. Mike O hearn was taking them at 13.

[@lexluger6904]

@@megabazus1775 Arnold took Methyl androstenelone (marketing name Dianabol) a derivative, but yes, does the same thing.

[@ralf-5]

So he did roughly 90 sets of arm work a week? How do you recover from that?

[@takusungjung3894]

my opinion he was steroids most likely to believe otherwise would be stupid in general

[@ShivAusar]

Amazing bodybuilder!

[@nicholasraso6742]

awesome video

[@johnteill_]

jax from mortal kombat 💪

[@swordofhonor2]

I have to stept up my training

[@clausmatthau6517]

@GoldenEraBookwurm: 1000 Times Thank U, I learned so much from your Work! Nutrition-Tipps, Workout-Tipps. Really Really important Knowledge u present us. You are the Best man!! Greetz From Germany/Berlin

[@andrewwelch1040]

Look at the guys physique @ 3.03 better than most 25 year olds, and only 15 years old . Imagine being in school at that age with a kid who looked like that, would have gone home and thrown my weights away.

[@Bushey4545]

I actually went to high school with a lot of kids that looked like that maybe not by 15 but definitely 17/18

[@geraldfriend256]

A bro had a full beard in Junior high. Still waiting for mine to come in. I am 60.

[@josephkenevan7176]

@@Bushey4545 were did you go to high. Mars

[@stevegrady5134]

This was fascinating to watch as one of the most consistent features of all of the bodybuilding mags that I bought as a kid was the ad for Leroy Colbert's arm-training tutorial with the word-balloon above Leroy's picture saying, "See how I grew my 21" arms!" That ad is almost as famous as the Charles Atlas ad with the 'King of the Beach' comic strip!

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

I hear ya...wish I could find a copy

[@thedon9670]

The original Mike O'Tren

[@hemi5.7awdpursuit5]

Yes sir I do chin ups at work boy does it work better than regular curls. The pump is fuckin insane

[@capnceltblood5347]

Its called steroids...

[@klh93]

How often did he do these workouts? Didn't he train every 48 hours full body for these arm workouts or were these once every week to specialized?

[@davekennedy6315]

If you do your dumbbell bicep curls over your shoulder like that the only thing you will be guaranteed to achieve is injuries! Going up that high goes from biceps into a shoulder movement.

[@brianbadonde8700]

Leroy was big proponent of DHEA, it's not allowed for natural athletes in tested organizations, I don't think it really helps athletes though so I don't see why it's banned

[@mrxmry7763]

DHEA works, i checked mine, came back low, got it recommended to me so i started off with 25mg and immediately felt more energized, did that for a few months, went off for two months then on again bumped it up to 50mg, i definitely feel a bit enhanced. A couple of months on and then two off for safety sake, though studies have shown 50mg can be used for a year straight, while 25mg can be used for up to 2 years. I'll have to check levels again to see how well it works. Oddly enough its the only pro hormone still legal as far as i know, in the states. There's a reason why its banned in sports, I'd say if an athlete took 150-200mg he'd get the same effect as if being on a basic cycle like a mild anabolic.

[@brianbadonde8700]

@@mrxmry7763 all it did for me was give me anxiety so I stopped after just a few days, it can cause psychiatric problems on rare occasions

[@seH2i]

Thank you.

[@ajithsidhu7183]

@holden bookworm please do on his routine to even out his body

[@invisableobserver]

Carlos, I hope you start doing inspiring videos like this again

[@hectorantoniodejesusibarra7431]

I can do like 8 exercises with 2 series . But 10 with 3 series I can't Until I have very good cardio , and resting like 2 or 3 days after I do one day of workout

[@richardjeffrey1809]

He was one jacked dude all the way.Nice one.

[@nusense808]

Bertil Fox did his dumbbell curls in a similar fashion

[@KarlStev-h7l]

Was this done on separate day or on fullbody day

[@sergeykichuk2586]

This guy is not natural!

[@FINDTHENUMBERSTV]

MY DAD HAD THE PULLY WHEN I WAS A CHILD😍

[@alonsozambrano7073]

Been looking for this. It would be great to watch his full body routine for mass. Thanks

[@johnnycampbell7691]

Incredibly good genetics looking like victor richards and flex wheeler.

[@philliponfitness]

love leeroy rip

[@counterbalancelife4305]

1:32 If you have the genetics to look like that at 12, I have no problem with him having 19-20" relatively lean arms as an adult natural bodybuilder. He was born to have them and training brought them out. Those are rare genetics indeed. However, it's a mistake to think he had any training secrets. Better off asking his parents how to build big arms. Not sure about 21" though, especially in the era of D bol.

[@pareotrem]

Thanks for sharing! By the way, what is the best arm routine that you have tried, so far, from these freaks?

[@flex3065]

У тебя дома такой спортзал, но форма твоя просто удручает.

[@flex3065]

Интересная техника подъёма на бицепс.

[@brianbadonde8700]

3 full body workouts a week if sets are taken to failure is to much to recover from for me personally, 2 full- body workouts of a leg exercise a compound push and pull with one or 2 isolations with a core movement is what I can recover and improve on, some say you need a minimum of 10 to 20 sets a week for a muscle but how the hell could you possible recover from that, they must be doing sets with many reps in reserve

[@scottlapointe9682]

It’s hard to believe he was natural. But I will take him at his word .

[@shred9475]

he said he is natty so he must be lol

[@edithcallaway4316]

His genetics must've helped a lot.

[@michealgreforcyk3095]

R.i.p i like is vido he made for years

[@hilalilo79]

Evolution steroid 😂😂😂

[@donaldduke2233]

One of my favorite body builders of all time. I believe he was "natural". The 'road freaks look like anatomy charts with veins showing all over like somebody dumped a bucket of spaghetti all over them and they stuck to their skin. I much prefer the smoother look of a muscular physique with just enough fat to soften up the appearance.

[@richardlawson6787]

Plus you can see at age twelve he had great genetics

[@richardlawson6787]

I wanna be built like Leroy was at age 12 ..genetic freak

[@edithcallaway4316]

He's similar to Sregio.

[@josephkenevan7176]

The onythi g special about his workout was the every other day frequency with absolutely works But he also had the freakish genetics ever I always thought there was no way he was natural until I saw his 12 year old pictures one in minion genetics maybe best ever

[@josephkenevan7176]

Million not minnion

[@ВиталийЗавадский-з6ь]

Был бы русский перевод!

[@coin777]

4:15 xD

[@25inspector]

His volume was insane! Between the 3 full body workouts and all the arm specialization...He would have been putting at least 6 days a week, maybe even 7 and many hours of training daily. What it takes to be a truly great bodybuilder. It's a full time job.

[@richardlawson6787]

Wrong...muscle building isn't marathon training ..

[@25inspector]

@@richardlawson6787 Never said it was. Just look at the volume this guy did.

[@hashanfitness]

Natural 😨

[@malik_alharb]

1t 12 he was bult better than many guys in their 20's

[@Trysomieflexntjes]

Its that mike tyson natural

[@Jen-rm4gx]

The guy have a strong mine