Next generation of Pierini Brothers

Long ago, my father and uncle both developed a joy of weightlifting in their early 20’s and were regular muscle-heads at the local YMCA.  I can only imagine what it would have been like having a brother as a gym training partner.

My father was the better of the two with the barbell squat lift while his younger and shorter brother with shorter arms pressed more among the two in the barbell bench press.  I’m sure they pushed each other to their own excellence which peaked prior to both of them becoming married men.

They were known as the Pierini Brothers at Ed Yarick’s Gym in Oakland, California, a popular go-to place for serious west coast iron heads during the 1950’s decade.

In fact, one year Ed Yarick’s Gym printed a cartoon-like Christmas greeting card that was sent to its loyal gym members and while neither my father nor my uncle made the cut as one of the several drawn characters, honorable mention of them appeared in the upper left hand corner as “Pierini Bros”.

Click photo for larger image and a better view.
Pierini Bros. honorable mention in the upper left corner.

Well my father and uncle are no longer alive here on planet earth and, since their departure, there haven’t been strength and fitness-oriented Pierini Brothers in my ancestral lineage.

Until now that is.

I’m a relatively new grandfather to two very young grandsons and thanks to these young brothers, there’s now a new generation of Pierini Brothers who may potentially represent a brotherly strength and fitness tradition started over 60 years ago. 

Who knows for sure at their early age of life what interests they’ll develop.  Whether their interests turn out to include strength and fitness like their great-grandfather and great-great uncle remains to be seen many years down the road.  So long as they develop into properly-formed men focused on living a good and honest life, I’ll be content and very happy.

But if they develop an interest in strength and fitness, that’ll be wonderful.  Then they can carry the family torch in tandem as the next generation of Pierini Brothers.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum