25: Sponsorships, Scandals, and Superstar Brands: The Evolution of the Supplement Industry with Rich Gaspari

You might know Rich as one of the best bodybuilders of all time. Or you might know him for his quality supplement brand, Gaspari Nutrition, which has outlasted countless other brands since the 1990s.  Or you might know both! 

But on this episode you are going to learn things about Rich, his work ethic, and his resilience, that will make you even greater of a fan. 

And together with my co-host Vassilios, we do a deep dive with Rich on the evolution of the supplement industry over the past 30 years, looking at it through Rich’s eyes.

Rich Gaspari can be found on instagram @RichGaspari and Gaspari Nutrition can be found at www.gasparinutrition.com and Gaspari Ageless at www.gaspariageless.com 

Be sure to join the Facebook group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” to discuss episodes and follow the podcast tour as we travel the USA promoting the show.

Additional Resources:
-Need accountability for your ongoing posing practice? Jump on my weekly posing practice classes for all divisions and federations at http://www.weeklyposing.com
-Doing a show? Not sure if you are posing correctly? Come to a Learn To Pose™ LIVE Virtual Clinic! www.posingpractice.com 
-Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com
-FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com 
-FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com
-Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com 
-Support my podcast tour of The United States with a donation via Venmo! https://account.venmo.com/u/Michele-Welcome

Key Takeaways:
*Introducing Rich Gaspari and how he got started in the bodybuilding and supplement industry (2:05)
*The vibe of bodybuilding gyms in the 1980s (7:05)
*The importance of posing in bodybuilding preparation (12:30)
*Will Rich Gaspari compete again? (21:00)
*How and why did Rich start his supplement company Gaspari Nutrition (22:28)
*How did Rich bring Gaspari Nutrition from local business to global brand (27:00)
*How have sponsorships of athletes by supplement companies changed over the past 30 years? (32:40)
*How Rich recovered from filing bankruptcy and re-built Gaspari Nutrition (39:19)
*Rich’s advice on building a brand in today’s market (43:10) 
*Gaspari Nutrition's best selling product of all time (52:53)
*Gaspari Nutrition’s top selling products during Covid (55:02)
*How does Rich come up with new product ideas (55:43)
*What kind of quality control is there for products in the supplement industry? (57:02)
*Before its downfall, how did Blackstone Labs get away with spiking products with illegal ingredients where there is supposed to be quality control in the supplement industry? (59:11)
*Why did Rich start the Gaspari Ageless line of products (1:02:00)
*Rich’s thoughts on the current state of bodybuilding and the evolution of the open men’s division (1:04:45)
*Viewer Question #1 from Isaiah regarding trends with body conditioning (1:14:30)
*Viewer Question #2 from Jennifer regarding how to decide which supplements to take when you are just starting out (1:21:07)

Episode Mentions:
Lee Haney
Joe Weider
Big Ramy
Dennis James
Flex Lewis
Hidetada Yamagishi
Branch Warren
Jay Cutler
Phil Heath
Derek Lunsford
Shaun Claurida
Hadi Choopan
Paul Dillette
Kevin Levrone