Review: The Third Ripped DVD:  Motivation, With Clarence Bass

Prepare to be subtly, slowly drawn into a fascinating world of intense athletic motivation, which is sure to challenge and enrich your training—whatever you do—and your results.   This DVD begins easily, quietly,  with two gentlemen, who turn out to be elite master’s athletes, who are about to let you deep into their inner world of how they achieve their athletic success.  One of the gents, bodybuilding filmmaker/historian Wayne Gallasch, talks quietly, in even tones, with some questioning by the other fellow, who happens to be Clarence Bass, of legendary Ripped fame.  Once you settle in, you quickly sense this is no ordinary casual conversation, no mere shooting the kitchen breeze, but something special for bodybuilders, lifters, fitness and sports enthusiasts of every level.
 
     Instead, this conversation is a portal into the world of motivation, specifically athletic motivation or sports motivation, as Clarence and Wayne ease you into their world via an almost casual rendering of Wayne’s transformation from a fitness athlete (no small thing in itself) into the world’s best indoor rower at 500 meters, an astounding athletic metamorphosis.  Clarence leads on by some questions, gently coaxing, prodding, and pointing—not without some measure of pride—as it turns out, and he would have to be regarded as the catalyst for Wayne’s amazing athletic breakthrough.
 
     We can save most of the details for the DVD, but you can trace Wayne’s growth from an almost casual interest when Clarence, who had already been intensely training and testing himself in indoor rowing for a couple of years, shared his enthusiasm and knowledge about indoor rowing with Wayne, until Wayne tried it and, as we might say, got the bug.  Did he ever.

     The mere re-telling of Wayne’s progression from having a curiosity about indoor rowing into a full-fledged fall into the seductive allure of first self-improvement, then rowing for faster times, to chasing still faster times, personal bests, all growing challenges via submitting to and embracing the physical effort and yes, pain of effort (make friends with extreme lactic acid burn, breathlessness and fatigue),  doesn’t do justice to the enterprise.  Seeing it on the DVD does.
 
     Something  fascinating happens on this film. As Clarence and Wayne talk about the rowing, as they recount Wayne’s progression, the seemingly casual atmosphere of the kitchen conversation intensifies, the air becomes charged.  When you hear of Wayne’s impressive accomplishments in such a short time, punctuated by Clarence’s pithy and sometimes self-deprecating comments, it offsets nicely the nature of the beast:  challenging and achieving personal bests is a deep test of the body, mind and will, that needs to be approached seriously with resolve.

     As we move from talk to action, the DVD presents visual evidence of the rowing prowess, as Wayne goes for a serious, blazing demonstration.  We won’t tell you how it comes out, but not one to be confined to talking, Clarence also lines up and takes the pulling medicine, as he gears up for a shot.  Though he encounters a glitch in form partway through his mighty effort (he slips on the seat, causing precious time to be lost), the white-hot efforts burn through the camera.  Again, the honest and self-deprecating remarks by Bass add to the flavor of the post-effort commentary.

      With rare honesty and compelling insight, Clarence recounts how the rapid progress of Wayne, which threatened to eclipse mentor Clarence’s rowing achievements, also threatened to plunge Clarence downward  into a permanent over-training spiral in a desperate attempt to regain friendly competitive ground, to simply keep up.  This honesty that permeates this DVD is a hallmark of its value. 
     Eventually, lessons learned, Clarence is back on track—his own track—as he successfully continues to motivate, challenge himself, conquer and progress.  And Wayne just keeps on going.  It is a fascinating journey, almost a deconstruction,  into the process of the minds and motivation of what are a couple of  truly elite master’s athletes.
 
     The best yet:  Tina, Wayne’s wife, who grew up discouraged and not a participant in sport, came to be first intrigued by not only lifting weights (through Wayne’s example) but also indoor rowing.  Her progression is far more stunning than either her husband or Clarence’s, for they had been athletes, lifters, bodybuilders, fitness practitioners.  Tina had not.
 
     In less than a couple of years, Tina submitted herself to the school of learning and challenging and finding herself, and in an almost revelatory way, discovered a love for sport, for challenge, and a large capacity to achieve.  In short, Tina revealed an hitherto unknown interest and ability, and was soon rowing impressive times along with our two other sporting gentlemen.  She, too, shows her form and impressive ability onscreen.

    This DVD stirs the blood.  It is not merely motivational, but inspirational.  It would be something every athlete, competitor, or even fitness person should see.  It reminds us of possibilities, and yes, the caution is these are trained and perhaps even gifted master’s athletes, and everyone cannot achieve at the highest levels, but you can find yourself at whatever level you wish to participate—and that is what Clarence Bass emphasizes in his message—find your sport, compete with yourself.  The quest is really for self-mastery, the journey never ends, nor do the joys of the challenge and the work of the pursuit.

By Greg Sushinsky

Copyright 2005, Greg Sushinsky, All Rights Reserved.  
www.gregsushinsky.com