Is bodybuilding safe? The TMP” crew weighs in

Is bodybuilding safe? The TMP” crew weighs in

Dennis James has brought together a host of guests to join him, Milos Sarcev and Chris Cormier on The Menace Podcast. A recent episode featured two guests: Dave Palumbo of RX Muscle and former bodybuilding star Dennis Newman. All five men in this episode have a connection to the 1990s bodybuilding scene. Notably, Newman turned pro by winning overall at the 1994 NPC USA Championships. However, he couldn't celebrate this success for too long because he noticed already on stage that something was wrong.

“The white blood cells took over the role of the red blood cells and I lost oxygen,” Newman told the panel. "I couldn't catch my breath and I couldn't understand why. The photo shoots the next week were horrible."

Newman was diagnosed with leukemia, and as soon as he became famous, he was brought right back down to earth. Instead of competing in shows and qualifying for the Mr. Olympia stage, he tried to prevent the disease from progressing to a more serious stage. This battle would last three years, but Newman survived it. He returned to the stage in 1998 and became the first well-known bodybuilder to achieve such a feat.

Newman said, "It was the first of its kind for someone to come back (to compete) after battling cancer."

Newman competed professionally four times between 1998 and 2001 before retiring. He still trains but admitted he has no connection to the sport at the moment. He and the rest of the guys talked more about Newman's battle with leukemia, memories of Cormier and Palumbo, how the competitions worked in his day, and they all shared some entertaining stories.

You can join in on this episode by visiting the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel and sharing your thoughts in the comments section. While you're there, be sure to get a subscription so you can watch new episodes every Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.