A Legacy of Future Honoured
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into lives of others.” -Thucydides
The key to immortality said Benjamin Franklin is “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”, a quote that aptly applies either way to our much respected irongame icon the legendary Doug Brignole who passed into eternity last week.
Apart from writing several magazine articles, Doug co-authored a university sociology book, titled Million Dollar Muscle and another recent one titled, The Physics of Resistance Exercise, that’s redefining lifting movement behaviors for many sans any injury.
And I am sure it just a matter of time before his groundbreaking research work on biomechanics as applied to resistance training exercises, would be the go to reference book, to be read, discussed and further researched in exercise science classes at universities worldwide.
Anyone who had listened to Doug and read his works will know that – He CARED - for imparting to all, the right knowledge on biomechanics based on science and rational-logical reasoning that if used would help us all in negating the chronic stress on joints & injury that is part and parcel of many conventional exercise movements.
Hence in his honour I am mentioning below some posts & vdo tributes from many in the iron game had posted.
These posts will portray the passion and purpose sir Doug espoused for the irongame, and rising the bar on it and how true to the saying of the Athenian historian Thucydides a thread of our beloved Doug's legacy is woven into the life of the iron game fraternity.
Daryl Conant
With a heavy heart I am deeply saddened to say that my friend Doug Brignole has passed away. I am CRUSHED and devastated. Doug has helped me over the years and was a wealth of bodybuilding knowledge. We became good friends and he helped prepare me for the 2022 Mr. America contest that took place last weekend in Atlantic City. He flew all the way out from L.A. to be my coach. He spent the weekend with me and Joy and we talked for hours about bodybuilding and training. I just can't believe it! I was just with him. He was preparing to be a guest poser at the Mr. Universe on Oct. 22nd and was looking great. I am in total shock. I just can't believe this! I just talked with him a couple of days ago to thank him for all he had done for me. He was in great spirits and was getting ready to train. I am just devastated!!! He was an exceptional guy and a good friend. A couple of years ago me and Avery spent the day with him in L.A. and he took us around and showed us all the cool areas of L.A. He was a gracious host and I will never forget him. I just can't believe it I was just with him. I am deeply saddened and in shock.
Tom Anthony Roehl
I am also shocked. I am so sorry for your loss and the loss to the bodybuilding community. Most of all I pray for his family. Beyond bodybuilding are the friendhips. A bond, and community, that the discipline brings to us. Truely sorry for your loss Daryl.
Mitch David Carter
I was scrolling through my FB feed last night when I came to Bill Pearl's wife's post about Doug and it was like a punch in the gut that I didn't see coming. Shocking and sad. I wasn't as close to Doug as you were but I've always appreciated his kindness to me way back when and his willingness to talk frankly with me about the gym business. We last communicated on Sept. 14 about Bill's passing. It's the loss of a friend, the loss of a great representative of the sport, the loss of a wealth of knowledge, and for me, the loss of a cherished piece of my youth. 63. That's way too young and way too close to my own age. A real shock. I'm sorry, Daryl.
Bobby Conant
Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names. Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us everyday unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear as Doug was to you my son. Thinking of you and your emotions at this sad time of your life. Love you, Dad
Paul Erickson
The number one thing you should take away from Doug is don't let society, religion, politics, friends, family, etc. etc., designate who you are and what you can accomplish. If you truly want to do something, put your heart and soul into it, and hang around people that are going to help you accomplish it. Many people quit doing things because society tells them they're too old, they're not good enough, or they can't accomplish it. If you truly want to accomplish something, but your heart and soul into it and hang around people that positively motivate you. Most people give up their dreams and things they love too soon because society tells them they need act a certain way at a certain age.
Jack Garbarino
Doug Brignole was a friend of mine since the 80's where I met this young phenom who was so ahead of his time and I marveled at his meticulous approach to becoming a bodybuilder. He will be missed by not only me but by an entire bodybuilding community. At a early age of 19 he was featured on major news networks for ie " Eye On L.A" and Dr Wong's Muscle Digest , Iron Man Mag to name only a few.I remember Doug walking ripped and shredded in shorts on the campus of Passadena City College where we both attended junior college.Students were looking at this well dressed young man with manners and intelligence that exuded from his charisma. I was so proud to call him my friend and supported his new age concept in bodybuilding as a Frank Zane look alike which lol was a constant threat to the mass monsters who did not have the detail and striations he carried on his frame all the time .Doug could be ready back then for the stage in no time with a tan and conditioning that marveled the guys at Bill Pearl's gym in Pasadena on Green Street. To my idol and friend you will have a special dedicated wall in my gym where only legends get the honor .By legends I don't mean only physique but to a young man that identified his goals early on and pursued them like a tactician doe at a age where most guys don't have a plan in life.
RIP buddy and I will be missing too much to describe at this point .
Andrew N Dawn Moser
Doug Brignole October 13, 2022 You were Amazing & So Knowledgeable about sooo many things. You will still Live on in Our Hearts. I learned so much from You. Even though I had not yet met You personally I felt I Already did. You were always so very Kind n answered ?s I may have had, very Encouraging complimentary. Super Cool! RIP Friend Doug RIP You will be Missed by Many. Trying to Process this News... Sending Healing Prayers and Comforting Hugs to His Family, other Friends & Fans...Sharing in Your Sadness as You Remember Doug. Our Deepest Sympathy & Condolences Dawn n Andy
Lonnie Teper
I was just entering the fitness center to meet my class at East Los Angeles College when the urgent text from Joe Wheatley hit my cell at 11:59 am.
'VERY IMPORTANT!! CALL ME BACK!! VERY IMPORTANT!"
The tone of the messages prepared me for some bad news. I just didn't think it would be this depressing.
领英推荐
"DOUG BRIGNOLE FOUND DEAD THIS MORNING. HOUSEKEEPER FOUND HIM TWO HOURS AGO."
I had to sit back and absorb what the esteemed Muscle Beach promoter had just shared with me. Can't be, Brignole was always in good condition, still looked excellent as he was approaching birthday number 63 on December 15.
Especially good of late... he was prepping for a guest posing stint in Las Vegas in a few days.
He even planned to compete again--his final show, he claimed--would be in the Fall of 2023. Before that, Brignole would be the featured guest poser at Wheatley's July 4 event in Venice Beach.
As far as the cause of death, I only know what's been told to me so far....Brignole was found in in the front room of his apartment by his housekeeper earlier this morning. I'm not going to speculate on the cause of death; I'll let the medical examiner do tha with facts, not theories..
Brignold was raised in Pasadena, and attended La Salle High School and Pasadena City College. He cleaned the bathroom at Bill Pearl's Pasadena Health Club as a scrawny teen in exchange for a gym membership. How ironic that Brignole wrote a great tribune to Pearl on Facebook just a month ago after Pearl passed away.
Brignole had a sublime career on stage, winning several major titles over decades, including class victories at both the 1986 Mr. American and 1986 Mr. Universe. I called him the next Frank Zane. Check out his resume online if not familiar with him.
He interrupted his competition slate in 1984 to put all of his efforts in raising money to build the Brignole Fitness Center in Old Town Pasadena. It was a beauty.
An old livery stable was transformed into the most enjoyable facility I've ever worked out in. The gym business, however soured and Brignole moved out of his hometown and settled in the West Side nearly 30 years ago.
In 2009 I did a feature story on him in IRON MAN Magazine, and convinced him over lunch to compete again. It had been 10 years. He made his comeback at my NPC West Coast Classic, finishing second out of 12 tough competitors in both the 2010 and 2011 Masters 50+.
Brignole went on to become a highly sought out trainer, book author, guest speaker, writer and judge...he wrote several articles for lIRONMAN and was a judge at the Muscle Beach shows for many years.
Admittedly, our friendship diminished quite a bit when he left Pasadena. That happens when you go from seeing somebody on a daily basis to once or twice a year.
But, I will always remember the good times we had....at the gym, at the gym's annual Christmas Party (which cost Doug 10K), as roommates in Cabo San Lucas on a summer vacation with 8 others from the gym.
Need to stop now or I will bore you with another 1,000 words on what great memories I had during my friendship with this man.
Yes, we didn't communicate much at all during recent years and in looking back that was a mistake. It's too late to change that now. Please learn from my lack of judgement.
But you will always have a special place in my memory bank, Doug Brignole, you will be missed. RIP!
Glenn Bishop
The Legend Doug Brignole passed away this mourning at the age of 63. I consider his book to be one of two of the best books I ever read on the subject of body sculpting. The Physics Of Resistance Training is as much of a "gamechanger" in the science of Physical Culture Bodybuilding as the classic book of Vince Gironda's Unleashing The Wild Physique was back in the mid-70's.
Rest In Peace my friend.