By Mario Strong

Bodybuilding’s origins go back to the late 19th century. Back then the purpose of performing resistance type exercises was to not only build muscle and increase strength but to also improve one’s chances of living a longer more vibrant life. Today the forefathers of physical culture would turn over in their graves if they knew just how perverted the sport of bodybuilding has become.

The purpose of this discussion is not to talk about the dangers of anabolic steroids, growth hormones, insulin, diuretics and the many other sports related pharmaceuticals available today. We all know what’s going on within the sport and it’s disgusting.

What’s currently got me crazy is how outspoken and careless the so-called bodybuilding gurus have become. They will not only tell a trainee either in person, by e-mail or via the internet how to exercise and eat (which takes quite a bit of knowledge to do correctly) but will also blatantly prescribe what drugs to take and how to take them. I view all kinds of Social Media and there they are, with no medical degree whatsoever, talking without fear of repercussion on not only what drugs they take but what others should take if they want to see similar results. How this nonsense is not being regulated on the main social media sites and bodybuilding forums is beyond my mentality. What’s happening, or not, is that these geniuses have become complacent in spewing out their expertise (believe me they’re not) all for the cause of lining their wallets with your hard earned cash and to gain some high tech notoriety. If they were so intellectual they would have never put any of this crap into their own bodies to begin with, let alone tell someone else how to take it. Don’t worry, if you guys like to take risk life is going to throw some really hard curve balls at you along the way. Just give it a chance.  

Now, I personally know a lot of bodybuilders who have taken chemical enhancers to improve their physiques and outside of the muscle arena they’re decent people, as I’m sure is the case for most of today’s steroid users. My problem with what is going on is that its pure insanity. With all the bodybuilders who have died, or are suffering today with heart and/or kidney ailments, from the use of the mentioned chemical agents you would think the sport would revert back to the days of physical culture. Some are trying to make this happen but the vast majority of bodybuilders just want to get bigger, stronger, and freakier…now. The sad thing is that this is what the paying public wants to see, so what happens, the judges reward those with the freakiest physiques – the byproduct of this being that up-and-coming bodybuilders become influenced and take whatever drugs necessary to give  them the same type of recognition. Very sad, don’t you think.

The sport of bodybuilding has ripped away from its roots of physical culture, which were once deeply embedded in the soil of health and vitality. Today, the so-called steroid gurus are so close to the anabolic wall that they can’t see what horrors wait on the other side. Their realm is so far from nature that the norm for them and those they preach their gospel to is to use pharmaceuticals as a means to achieve their desired goals. So it’s only normal that they to go on social media sites and spew their blind belief to the ignorant wannabes.

I’ve had many arguments with steroid users over the decades and it’s like talking to a brick wall. They just don’t understand or care how their affecting their well-being with their ill actions. The problem is that the majority of them are very young, somewhere between their teens and thirties, and believe me the testosterone is ranging inside them during this time in their lives. They want to get big, they want to get strong, they want to get freakier and they want it all now. And the last thing that they’re going to do is listen to an aging natural bodybuilder, no matter how much knowledge and experience in the sport he may have.

I doubt if many will head my warning, heck, I can’t even get people to stop smoking, and we all know how that turns out for most of them. I’m just ranting my rage and disgust at how the wonderful lifestyle of physical culture mutated into an ego and monetary driven business/sport. Seems to be the way of the world in many endeavors today. Maybe if I’m lucky my words will reach one or two with open ears and the ability to see through the insanity.

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