Mark "Poppa" Lewis Interview

Mark Lewis the owner of Poppa's Dungeon gym talks about his experiences with Rheo Blair and his famous Blair protein supplement. Also checkout his website at www.PoppasDungeon.com.

Q. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.

A. I am 64 years old and started training at around 20. I graduated High School in the 90 - 95 pound range. Smallest kid in the school with the exception of one girl.

I went to the gym to see if I could retard the progress of the rheumatoid arthritis that they said would put me in a wheel chair by the time I was 40. It didn't. Rather, I gained 60 pounds of muscle in 3 years which made me a bit of a stand-out from everyone else because I made steady progress and they did not. Soon I was answering a lot of questions. I trained about 1/2 as much as everyone else, (I'd do chest, shoulders and triceps in the time the others took to just bench.)

I studied like a mad man...things like nutrition, physiology, kinesiology etc. and before long was asked to teach women's fitness at the local YWCA. Based on the success of those classes, I put a gym in the basement of our house in 1983 and trained people part time. I went full time in 1989 until the economy tanked in 2004. All the local industries were laying off, so there went most of my clientele, and back to part time it was.

I have also lectured extensively and written for several periodicals, my favorite being the late Bob Kennedy's MuscleMag International.

Q. HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT RHEO BLAIR?

A. I believe I first read about Rheo Blair in Iron Man magazine.(Same place I first learned of Vince Gironda.) It was evident from the get-go that he was a pioneer in the field of nutrition. Just the fact that he steered away from soy protein revved me up.

I've always had a gift for sensing what's gonna work long term and what's not. I was quick to say "nay, nay" to 8 track tapes & players, Leisure Suits, Neru Jackets and soy protein.

Q. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO CONTACT RHEO?

A. Everything Rheo had to say made great sense to me, so I had to try is protein. It tasted so much better than everything on the market, and trust me, I tried them all!

Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF HIM?

A. I called Rheo to order a couple of tubs of protein, as I was positive I was going to love it. Rheo seemed to me to be a bit laid back, though he was more than happy to talk nutrition as well as training...but especially nutrition.

Maybe laid back isn't what I mean. Maybe approachable, or even humble would serve better here. Anyway, I liked him from the get-go. His passion for what he was doing was evident.

Q. WHAT DETAILS CAN YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE PROGRAM, HIS DIET, EXERCISE AND SUPPLEMENTS?

A. I don't recall much about Rheo's program per say, (what a crime that so much of his work has been "lost"), and to be honest, my training thoughts leaned more towards Vince Gironda than to Rheo. I was well aware that the 2 men knew and respected each other and I'm pretty sure there were some great exchanges of ideas between them.

I always wanted to dive full into Rheo's program with all of his supplements but it wasn't in the financial cards for me.

Q. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS YOU AND YOUR CLIENTS GOT FROM BLAIR PROTEIN?

A. Everyone I know that used Rheo's protein powder made gains, regardless of how long they'd been training or how long they had been training without progress. And most, if not all of them, were just drinking the protein mixed with milk or water like a shake.

Rheo actually suggested making it thick like a custard and eating it spread out throughout the day. Personally, I think if you looked at the canister you'd gain a pound or two of muscle. It was that good!

Q. ANY OTHER STORIES OR MEMORIES YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT RHEO BLAIR?

A. All my life I've torn ideas apart and put them back together to get to the truth in everything. The ideas of Rheo Blair as well as those of Vince Gironda, hold up to all scrutiny. The Medical and Scientific communities which ran 180 degrees to their "theories" now prove them as being valid. Who else can you say that about with any degree of consistency in any field of endeavor?

The changes that the sport of bodybuilding has gone through since the early 90's have not been for the greater good of the sport. There are really no notable bodybuilding periodicals out there any more, and if there were, I probably wouldn't read them. I don't even know who the current Mr. Olympia is...don't care.

Done correctly, just bout anyone can have a stand-out physique, great health and a huge sense of pride knowing they worked for what they have. I was never really "huge", but at 160 - 170 pounds with arms over 16" and a 27" waist turns heads. It also got me a swimsuit model for a wife! It's like Einstein knowing he was always the smartest guy in the room...but in a physical sense.

So, learn from the masters to reach your goals. Between Rheo Blair and Vince Gironda, you can't go wrong.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, supplement or exercise program. Individuals differ in response to supplements and so will results.