Dale Ruplinger

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The Fortuitous Odyssey of Dale Ruplinger: From Borrowed Trunks to a 230-Pound Colossus

Dale Ruplinger’s journey unfolded with an almost whimsical serendipity. An impromptu decision to borrow his brother’s posing trunks thrust him onto the stage of the 1979 Teenage Mr. Iowa, sans a routine, music, and adorned with a farmer’s tan. In a surprising turn of events, he clinched the third position, igniting the spark that would fuel his aspirations.

Setting his sights on the 1980 Mr. Iowa, Dale’s trajectory encountered an unexpected hurdle. A contest in a neighboring state, swiftly won, collided with the stringent rules barring participation within a year of the Mr. Iowa. Devastation loomed until a compromise was reached – forfeit the out-of-state title and trophies, and the stage would be his. The 1980 Mr. Iowa title was triumphantly claimed.

The subsequent years unfolded as a crescendo of victories for Dale. In 1981, he secured the Central USA championships. In 1982, he achieved remarkable success, winning the middleweight and overall titles at the USA Championships and also claiming victory in the middleweight category at both the Nationals and World Amateur Championships. Notably, he maintained a steadfast physique, weighing 173 and a half pounds at a height of 5 feet nine inches for all three triumphs in ’82.

However, adversity struck in 1984 with a debilitating biceps tear, temporarily halting Dale’s competitive journey until the Night of Champions in 1986. The astounding metamorphosis during this hiatus was nothing short of legendary – a 48-pound surge, rendering him a colossus at 230 pounds, boasting a 31 and a half-inch waist, 22-inch arms, and 32-inch thighs.

Intriguingly, his 1986 conditioning, immortalized in a single photograph, showcased him as one of the most massive bodybuilders, eschewing growth hormone and relying solely on the steroids and drugs available in that era. The surprising twist lies in his 17th-place finish at this remarkable size and conditioning.

Dale attributed this monumental size gain to a pivotal shift in his supplementation regimen. In 1986, he embraced the steroids regimen adopted by his peers, marking a departure from the more conservative doses he had employed before that year. The narrative of Dale’s odyssey resonates not only with triumphs on the stage but also with the nuanced choices and sacrifices that sculpted his formidable physique.

Dale Ruplinger Bodybuilding Competition History

1979
Mr. Iowa – 3rd

1980
Mr. Iowa – 1st

1981
Central USA Championships – AAU, Overall Winner
Central USA Championships – AAU, MiddleWeight, 1st

1982
Nationals – NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
USA Championships – NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
USA Championships – NPC, Overall Winner
World Amateur Championships – IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st

1983
Grand Prix England – IFBB, 8th
Olympia – IFBB, 12th

1986
Night of Champions – IFBB, 17th