A month prior to entering this contest, Leo had been working up to 16 hours a day, preparing to open his new studio, "The Studio of Progressive Health Training" in San Diego. It was not the greatest of preparations for a contest. His measurements at that period were BWT 196 lbs., chest near 49", biceps 17 ½", later he grew even larger. He did however, lose weight for the Mr. California title and all those years could bench press 320 lbs. military press 245 lbs. and curl 190 lbs., great strength standards, even in today's terms, with no other assistance, than pure muscle power, built on good nutrition and sensible training. Leo like most of his contemporaries practiced and enjoyed lots of all around lifting, or "Odd Lifts," not only heavy dead lifts e.g. 500 lbs. plus, and squats over 400 lbs., but side presses with one hand of 210 lbs. etc.

Recently (1998) in a letter to me, Leo wrote and said, "We had a lot of fun with impromptu contests. I remember attempting to break Jack LaLanne's pressing of a 155 lb. barbell with a small inch diameter bar. He did 23 or 26 reps, and I was equaling it on my last rep, but failed to complete the lift and it came crashing down to my chest so hard I thought it was going to cut me in half. This was in Bert Goodrich's gym in Hollywood."

In early times Leo favored bench exercises like bent arm pullovers, and lateral raises, along with bench press. He also did lots of heavy dumbbell side bends for lifting strength and oblique development.

Leo's next and last gym was his Health Studio at 4294 Menlo Avenue, San Diego, (he sold it eventually in 1989) where he trained for the Professional Mr. America contest (editor's note: This is incorrect, this was actually Stern's Gym on Granada Ave. which Leo sold to Shannon Brown in 1994).

He first opened on May 13th, 1946 and recalls recently of working up to 90 hours a week to get it established making little if any profit, even later in his gym career he worked 11 hrs. a day 6 days a week. Not an easy job. Leo unlike today's promoters had a mountain of prejudice to climb, remembering how bodybuilders and weightlifters and general muscle trainers, were ridiculed and people put off through old chestnut arguments that "strong men die young" and weight lifters become "muscle bound."

Like Jack La Lanne said in Vic Boff's July 1998 newsletter, how fashions and beliefs have changed, "Then I was a crackpot and charlatan. Today I am an authority." Leo later said, "We did it because we enjoyed it. We believed in what we were doing and in any case. I didn't give a damn what anyone else thought." Nothing changes, Leo's attitude and tenacity and individuality never wavered or changed. He still doesn't suffer fools gladly.

To promote weight lifting, Leo and gym members hosted a range of events from exhibitions in schools and colleges to full scale Olympic lifting (this was during pre-Powerlifting days) and physique contests, along the way designing super posing trunks to allow bodybuilders better advantage to display upper thighs and lower abdominals along with a lot of photography.

From 1947, Leo staged physical culture variety shows to make it far more interesting for non weight lifting fans (i.e. the whole family were entertained not bored by endless limited lifting or compulsory posing.) The incredible 1940's World champion Olympic lifter John Davis gave exhibitions including "odd lifts." Later, the basic of these developed into full scale powerlifting. On June 24th 1949, a distinguished group of bodybuilders, lifters and officials met to consider forming a new professional association for the benefit in the main for its members and lifters. Reported and listed in Iron Man October 1949, it included such notaries as Bert Goodrich, Walt Baptiste, Gene Jantzen, Peggy and George Redpath, David Willoughby, Pudgy Stockton, and Peary Rader, also with Leo Stern, Frank Thompson, Walt Marcyan and several others.

Real people, real lifters, real bodybuilders. On June 25th and 26th the 1949 Mr. Professional Championships were held, which included both lifting and bodybuilding posing. John C. Grimek a possible contender had to miss it due to wife Angela's illness. It was held at the Embassy Auditorium and acts included Pudgy Stockton demonstrating lifting for ladies, and Armand Tanny single arm cleaning 250 lbs. Later Leo Stern and Bob McCune featured in an early bench press competition. Warming up with 250 lbs. they both made 356 lbs. with Bob McCune (a far larger guy than Leo) getting 371 lbs. for a then record lift. Leo lifted the same weight, but because he "allowed his back to arch slightly, was disallowed the lift" (although he did lift it). Have you seen the acrobatic, contortions and super arches of today's bench pressers in their special bench suits!?

​Other lifts followed for the contestants to drain their strength, hardly the best of warm ups for a physique contest, which concluded the lengthy program. Entrants were judged by an applause meter (great if you bring along a large family) With Armand Tanny top and Leo taking a respectful 5th place. Leo it was reported at the time, "looked better than ever, and is developing a ruggedness from his recent lifting activities that many pure physique contestants lack.".