How did you turn bodybuilding into a career?

How did you turn bodybuilding into a career?

Michael O'Hearn (American Gladiator) gives expert video advice on: How did you become an American Gladiator?; What kind of skills does it take to be a professional gladiator?; How did you turn bodybuilding into a career? and more...

I turned bodybuilding into a career early on, when I was about 19. When I was nineteen I met at Mr. Olympia , which is like the biggest show there is, a guy named Joe Weider. Joe Weider, you might know, brought Arnold Swartzanegger over from Austria. When I met him at 19 years old he said, "Son, you got to come to California, come to Gold's Venice and train and I'll put you in the magazines. I'll endorse you." I said, "Wow, that sounds like fun. Give me some time. I waited a while, then I went off and played some football and got a lot of pressure to take steroids. I said, "This just isn't me." That pressure at that time, I guess I was a bit selfish too. I wasn't a team player and I said, "The pressure of taking steroids and doing this isn't what I want." My heart dropped and went with what Arnold did. I said, "Okay." I called up Joe and told him I was coming down. I came down to California and started endorsing his products, being in the magazine and modeling. That's how I turned it into a business.