Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar 1 and 2 are two installments of a groundbreaking documentary series that shows for the first time the gritty, day to day reality of what it means to live life as a bodybuilder.

In RTB1 we meet Dave Pulcinella, a bodybuilder since his teens, as he comes out of retirement to compete at the local level in his late thirties. We follow him and his girlfriend Jenn Emig, a figure competitor, as they prepare for 20 grueling weeks to compete in the 2004 Delaware State/East Coast Classic. Along the way the training takes its toll as they contend with family, fatigue and each other.

Here's a review...

RTB2 takes it to the next level. We follow Dave and Jenn to national contests as they attempt to turn pro. Their intensity increases as do the difficulties they must face. For this sport they will put their health, family ties and relationship on the line. What happens at the 2006 Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh will shock and surprise you!

Read the review...

Taken together, RTB1 and 2 are an intense, personal view inside a world that few people have ever seen. This is not a "set and reps" kind of bodybuilding video but a real life documentary that just happens to be about bodybuilding. RTB will make you laugh, cry and gasp. It is an unforgettable trip into the inner workings of a misunderstood sport and a powerful lesson in what it takes to be the best at anything.

Watch the trailer for RTB1...

You can purchase it here...

Watch the trailer for RTB2 here.../p)
You can purchase it here...

Much of the music for RTB2 was composed by Martin Bailey. Check out his MySpace page!

Ed Corney, one of the legendary stars of Pumping Iron, was gracious enough to not only watch Raising the Bar 2, but to write me a few lines about it...

"The DVD was great. I sent it off to my friend who does my web site after I watched it. He liked it quite a bit as well. Raising The Bar 2 is an excellent cautionary tale. It illustrates clearly how most of the basic elements that comprise what most people consider to be a normal life seem to inevitably fall by the wayside as an athlete supplants them with the singular overarching goal of being a champion in our sport.",
For those of you who are interested in such things, Ed Corney's new posing video can be found here...
http://www.edcorney.net/movie.html

Here's a clip from RTB2 that shows the dangers of this extreme sport...

This clip explains how difficult it can be to find a reliable workout partner...

In this clip we see Dave backstage at the Masters Nationals suffering through a recurring cramping problem ...