Troubling article from the AS board

[tripleV]

Check out the article at
http://www.realbodybuilding.com/steroids.html
I found this posted on the AS board and thought the ladies might want to read also.

 

[flex4life]

sad and scary... the pros I've known (men and women) told the same stories re: health issues, costs, 'have to do it to win'
I see these mag pics & wonder... how much further will it go before they really start dying off?

 

[poohbear]

Several leading questions, but interesting none the less

 

[tripleV]

yeah interesting, i don't know how to take it. all i can say is that is does "affect" me when I read it...how...i'm not too sure.

 

[wilson6]

This article was printed during the height of the BB magazine anti-steroid movement that went on in 1990's. If you look at things now, the same mags that were hard core BB mags that went to the PC movement in the 90's are back to hardcore BB and discussing responsible AAS use rather than condeming it as they did in the 90's. How much truth is there to this article and how many pro's does this represent? Who knows and who cares. Good tabloid journalism is about finding the worst of the worst to interview then making it sound like it is the norm amongst that population. Sure there is considerable drug abuse at the pro level, always will be. Is it to win or is it to be a freak or satisfy some other personal desire, or do they just say it is to win so they can pin their decision to use drugs heavily on someone else? It's not their fault, they have to in order to win. Yeah, whatever.

W6

 

[ann]

No ones holding a gun to anyones head ...... Its their body, their choice, and they made their beds, now sleep in it.

 

[Sassy69]

No ones holding a gun to anyones head ...... Its their body, their choice, and they made their beds, now sleep in it.

I think this article is indicative of the bb industry at the pro level. Let's face it, there's so little money in it as a sport, but there're obviously people who want to get into it. Especially if you are coming from the pure novice side (e.g reading the mags, think protein mix & cell tech will get into the fitness or Mr. O comps) - then the reality hits. There are plenty of local competitions are precious few that are actually "natural".

To make any money in this sport, the bottom line is market value - the public wants to see the freaky huge people. How much bigger is Ronnie Coleman than Arnold was? How much bigger will this year's Mr. O be? The womens' comp requirements are easing up a little - we've passed through the freaky big phase and now they are moving to a "softer" look - though its still not clear what the hell they are looking for. Figure & fitness are becoming the "preferred" look. But reality -- even the figure girls, who do not have to be huge and do not have to have fantastic strength, endurance and gymnastic skill are taking AS, diuretics, T3 and all the other secret ingredients so they look tight in 2 posing suits on comp day.

So, not it maybe doesn't have to get to the level that the interviewee is talking about, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening. Also people can choose to persue or not persue this as a career -- but those that do will probably get sucked into some level of chemical abuse along the way because that is the media and the industry demand to make it profitable. Very sad. But I think very true.

 

[ann]

What made me sad reading the article, wasnt the drug abuse ( because I know damn well they dont get that from creatine alone, as all the ads in the mags show ) but from anyone having to stoop so low, and sell your body for drug money. Now thats a sad individual..... its about the only thing in the article that kind of freaked me out.

 

[wilson6]

Selling one's body for drug money. Sounds like someone is trying to equate AAS to narcotics. Like I said, it was the era of anti-AAS by the mags. PC.....

Do some bodybuilders sell their bodies for AAS because they really want steroids or it is that life style that appeals to them and the AAS use is an excuse to pursue it? Maybe........

No one gets sucked into chemical use. Some want those physiques and they find out the reality of what it takes to get them. At that point they have to decide if that is what they want to do. It's still their decision.

There is nothing sad about any of this because it's still by choice.

Sad to me is when some little kid is shot and killed by his/her father who whacks out because his wife wants a divorce because she is tired of getting beat-up by him.

W6

 

[Sassy69]

Well, I guess its sad in the fact that a lot of people get into this sport because they love doing it - and if you happened to be heading in the direction of sports modeling, etc. the sort of "expected" requirement is the use of AS. It sort of perpetuates itself. In other words if you choose to NOT do AS, then you have to choose to NOT be a sports model or whatever was your goal -- the AS / abuse is the necssary byproduct.