Your Physique, Vol 5, No 4, Page 14, October 1945
"MR. AMERICA" represents the ideal man, superbly built with magnificent muscles and perfect proportions. Each year an effort is made to find this PERFECTLY DEVELOPED MAN. It's an honor sought by many, but only one can be given that title. The award this year went to CLARENCE ROSS a modest, quiet fellow who lives up to his ideals in every way, and a perfect example of a Clean Mind in a Strong Body - he appropriately serves as the IDEAL "MR. AMERICA".
I've known Clarence for a long time, and that it was his highest ambition to win this distinction, although to have that Title conferred on him - as "MR. AMERICA" was rather more than he dared hope. He was of the opinion he would require at least another couple of years or so of training to compete in this Great Annual Event. However, he not only took a chance by entering - but he was announced the "WINNER"!
This Contest was held at the American Legion Stadium at Hollywood, California, under the direction of Mr. David Matlin - and in conjunction with the Senior National Weight Lifting Meet is regarded by every body culturist as the outstanding event of the year.
There were a larger number of entries in this competition among outstanding physical specimens than in any similar event during the past four or five years. The thirty entrants included such men as Sam Loprinzi, Kimon Voyages, Gene Jantzen, Marvin Urvant, Cliff Beyers, Harold Zinken, K. D. Graham, E. Rodriquis as well as others who possess very pleasing, well-developed physiques.
These are the measurements of this year's "MR. AMERICA":-
Neck 16¾"; Chest normal - 47¼"; Biceps 17 3/8"; Waist-32"; Hips 38½"; Thigh 25 3/8"; Calf - 16 1/8"; Ankle 9"; Knee 15¼"; Wrist 7 5/8'" - at a height of 5' 9½" and a body weight of 185 lbs. These measurements were taken during a work-out in April, 1945.
Clarence was born in Oakland, California, October 26th, 1923.
Unfortunately, living conditions for him at home was no bed of roses at when he was seven his parents, because of marital differences; placed him in the care of the County where he remained for the following ten years, and attended school at Alameda and Oakland, California. Like most youngsters he played the usual school games, soccer, basketball but baseball was his favorite. Later he developed a keen interest in boxing and track, both of which took a considerable amount of his spare time. These two interests held his attention from the age of 13 to 15 at which time he became acquainted with a group of fellows who worked on apparatus such as the horizontal bars and flying rings. While doing a fly-away from the rings one day, a mistake in time left him with a broken arm. While his arm was healing he again became interested in track and was rewarded in later months by winning the Decathalon in inter-school competition in 1939.
The following summer vacation, Clarence and his friend, Steve Texaria, visited Ed. Yarick's Gym in Oakland, and it was here that Ross lifted his first weight. His attempt to press 100 lb. barbell met with failure; then his friend, Steve, stepped up and pressed it with ease. From that day on young Ross was determined to excel and started training consistently with barbells. Soon after this, Clarence and Steve started a small club of their own, by building a little gym in Steve's back garden. They had about thirty members and a total of around 600 lbs of weights. Both Ross and Steve trained steadily for a year and a half, which increased the body weight of Clarence from 135 lbs to 150 lbs. He was then 17 and obliged to quit school during his last year in order to support himself financially. Soon after this his friend Steve was drafted into the Service and Clarence lost his interest in training.
On his 18th birthday he enlisted in the Army Air Force and sent to La Junta Colorado, where he served as a mechanic. Nine months later he was transferred to Las Vegas, Nevada, and it was here that he and I first met, during the summer of 1943. I saw him 'working out' in the Post Gym and observed that he not only had tremendous strength but a rare and symmetrical development. He had extraordinary muscular definition and even with greatly increased bulk seemed capable of maintaining it. After a brief conversation we agreed to train together with the objective of acquiring more body weight and size. It was too hot to train during the day so we took our workouts between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in the mornings as this was about the coolest part of the day. However, this early morning training had its problems - although a short time later, Clarence was transferred to Physical Training Dept: - where together we worked out a body-developing program which was later included in the Post's Physical Training Program.
In November of 1943, Clarence entered his first weight lifting meet - this was an 'Odd Lifts Contest' - and included the 2 arm curl, abdominal raise, deep-knee bend, dead lift and prone press. He placed first in his class, lifting as a light. heavy weight, weighing then 169 lbs. While he was pleased at his showing and proud of his victory he was eager to compete in the regular Olympic Lifts Contest, which opportunity came May 20th, 1944 at the Western American Championship.
His weight of 170 lbs induced him to train down so that he could compete in the middle-weight class. He starved himself and trained very hard, weighing in at the contest at 164½ lbs. This loss of weight he discovered proved a mistake, because he was so weak he fell short of his usual lifts by twenty pounds. He placed third and came home a wiser fellow. However, cutting down his body weight wasn't entirely in vain because on resuming his training he gained a few additional pounds. During this time he was a 'moderate' smoker, and young Ross, like millions of others couldn't see that it did him any particular harm or was in any way responsible for keeping him from gaining weight. Too, he complained of headache. Anyway, he decided to quit smoking - his headaches disappeared and almost immediately, he was able to increase his weight and tipped the scale at 185 lbs. Now he doesn't smoke.
He, like other outstanding Body Builders, practices a variety of exercises with barbells, dumb-bells, cables. To give an idea of his strength these records speak for themselves: Military Press - 240 lbs. Snatch - 200 lbs; Clean and jerk 295 lbs. This snatch was performed at a body weight of 164½ lbs and he hasn't trained on it since, but was using the snatch as an exercise with 160 - 10 reps in the regular pull-up fashion, keeping the feet stationary throughout the exercise. As for curling, he has lifted 175 lbs at a body weight of 169 lbs, and has reached 185 at his present body weight. Prone pressing on a bench he has hoisted up 340 lbs with an arch; deep-knee bend 370 lbs, and a straight arm pullover of 150 lbs, on a 17½" bench touching the floor on each repetition, he has done 120 lbs - 10 reps.
Dumb-bells, he will tell you, are his favorites, and at which he excells, especially in the bent-arm lateral raises on a bench and Incline Press's. He uses 115 lbs 10 reps in both as an exercise. Recently he was featured in the "INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE" as cleaning dumbells while seated on a box. Young Ross tried this one day and lifted both styles from the floor and suspended 106½ and 107½ pound dumb-bells.
Clarence Ross is highly enthusiastic about each inspiring issue of "YOUR PHYSIQUE" and owe much to the help of this increasingly popular body-building magazine.
- Here is how the present "Mr. America" looked, just a few short years ago, after one year of barbell and dumbbell training.
- Here is what weight training has done for Clancy Ross. This photo of Clancy was taken a few months back, showing the great improvement that has taken place. To-day he has one of the finest physiques in America.
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