Just finished watching a(nother) documentary on steroid use.
This one used Greg Valentino as the focus in a general overview of steroid use in bodybuilding. As documentaries go, it wasn't really good, but the parts that had Valentino in them were morbidly funny.

Just finished watching a(nother) documentary on steroid use.
This one used Greg Valentino as the focus in a general overview of steroid use in bodybuilding. As documentaries go, it wasn't really good, but the parts that had Valentino in them were morbidly funny.
I like Gregg Valentino. He's a funny guy. That documentary was very poorly done though. It's been discussed here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=25632&highlight=gregg).

I did a search but spelled the name wrong. Sorry.

That second picture looks like the vampires in Blade when wesley snipes sticks that blue antifreeze lookin' stuff in their heads.

I can't see how people that use steroids can be proud of themselves. I can honestly say any steroid use (other than medical reasons) erases ANY and ALL hard work the person has done.


Absolutely disgusting.

That second picture looks like the vampires in Blade when wesley snipes sticks that blue antifreeze lookin' stuff in their heads.

I can't see how people that use steroids can be proud of themselves. I can honestly say any steroid use (other than medical reasons) erases ANY and ALL hard work the person has done.


Absolutely disgusting.That's easily said but if you've worked your ass off and your competitor has worked his ass of but is taking drugs and you're not and you lose, it's small consolation.

I like Gregg Valentino. He's a funny guy. That documentary was very poorly done though. It's been discussed here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=25632&highlight=gregg).

Valentino is friggin' hilarious. Say what you will about him, but man, some of the things the guy says has me rolling on the floor. I'd probably like to hang with the guy, drink a few beers and listen to him BS awhile. His interviews really crack me up. He's got some good jokes too.

One thing I don't understand is how your biceps get so large but your forearms stay regular size? WTF?

That's easily said but if you've worked your ass off and your competitor has worked his ass of but is taking drugs and you're not and you lose, it's small consolation.


I'm talking about outside of competition.

Oh, and although I don't recommend using steroids, his arms didn't explode because of steroids, they 'exploded' because he injected them with synthol. This subject has been done to death in the other thread, though. :tu:

One thing I don't understand is how your biceps get so large but your forearms stay regular size? WTF?

I'm sure if he includes 3-4 sets of wrist curls in the 8-12 rep range following his bicep workouts, his forearms will catch up in no time flat.

I can't see how people that use steroids can be proud of themselves. I can honestly say any steroid use (other than medical reasons) erases ANY and ALL hard work the person has done.

Absolutely disgusting.

I understand what you're saying here and in response I say this:

1. I've seen people who have done 1 or 2 very clean cycles (clean eating, lots of water, good workouts, educated about what they were doing) and the results aesthetically (and probably internally) were amazing. I mean going from average fit joe to Men's Health cover model - and getting the appropriate responses from the females as well.

2. I've seen idiots who have done it and were sloppy and have distended guts and freaky delt peaks and focus points.

I've seriously considered doing them in the past and who knows what the future may bring, but as with everything in life (in my opinion) it's not necessarily what you do, but how you do it.

However, as a non-juicer, I can definitely relate to busting your ass in and out of the gym and slowly grinding out progress while seeing someone during and shortly after a cycle look amazing.

His right bicep looks flat on the top, like if you could put a saucer of milk. His left one looks like a ballon when you squeeze it in the middle and the bulges come out on opposite ends.

It might just be my views on fitness though. Function first, form second.

I would rather be able to function like I workout on a daily basis and not look like it, then look like it and not be able to function as such.

If you are open about your steroid use, and did it purely for aesthetic reasons, I wouldn't fault you all that much at all. You used it as a tool to achieve what you set out to do.

But if you are using it as a performance enhancer in a sport or just everyday life, I wouldn't respect any amount of hard work you have done or records you have broken. It is akin to cheating in my book.

Like bringing a gun to a knife fight.

Greg Valentino is a funny guy,i've seen that documentary 3 times now.
It's a shame that after all the work he did training before he went on gear,and then all the damage he's probably done injecting himself with all that crap,that he couldn't get arms that looked good!!.
I reckon his arms looked awful,all size,and a vile shape,with no symmetry with the rest of his body.Lets be honest,they looked like inflated condoms.
I think he looked pretty good before all that gear went in him,he really did make a bad career move when he did that,it certainly went pear-shaped for him from then on.i think you'll agree.:nono:

I can't see how people that use steroids can be proud of themselves. I can honestly say any steroid use (other than medical reasons) erases ANY and ALL hard work the person has done.


Tell that to Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, Mike Mentzer, Frank Columbu, Lou Ferrigno, Lee Hayward....

Anabolic steroids have helped them gain what they couldn't without but it took as much dedication as it takes a natural.

Compare the number of top bodybuilders who use anabolics with care and medical supervision, and then look at idiots who destroy their body on their own. How many are there of each?

If you educate yourself about steroids, you will realise that they are a powerful drug and it has caused a terrible mess in all sports but in today's world,genetics and willpower are not enough.

Top Olympic 100m sprinters now run under 10s. A few decades ago that was considered impossible. New training techniques and advanced clothing? Maybe but more importantly, advances in anabolics.

I hate seeing people on steroids when they do NOT need them and they abuse them. For example, the guy next door with an already good physique doing a downright ludicrous-amount cycle, gaining 20lbs of muscle in 12 weeks, not a single blood test or visit to the doctor,getting a liver problem and then saying "steroids are bad".:mad:

I just wish everyone was more open about their use. Like top olympic sprinters, lifters, bodybuilders and powerlifters alike. Unfortunately, the public is likely to blow it all out of proportion and call them "cheaters".

I don't use them because I have no need. I am young, studying and working to become a chartered accountant and I bodybuild as a hobby. What the heck would I do with a physique like Jay Cutler's?

Check out www.muscletalk.co.uk and have a look at people who take steroids with caution (and some who have not and try to learn now).

I can't see how people that use steroids can be proud of themselves. I can honestly say any steroid use (other than medical reasons) erases ANY and ALL hard work the person has done.

Absolutely disgusting.

I am not sure people realize how rampent steroid use is. I have to take the unpopular view with demon knight. The only reason our athletes are SOOO much better/bigger/faster/stronger in the last 30-40years has a lot to do with drugs (steroids and things like HGH and insulin growth factor and such). I would never advocate using them, but I will say if you actually educate yourself you'd learn that they are not that scary and can be basically completely safe. The people I've known researched their cycles, talked to doctors, and had their blood tested regularly to watch for abnormalities. Now a lot of people do not use them in a safe manor, but that is true with many many things, drugs or otherwise.

Even the NIH told congress that making them a ClassIII resricted substance was absurd, but congress did it anyway because of that canadian sprinter and subsequent outcry that he tested positive (how could an american lose!). Then you have Lyle Alzado who thought his brain cancer was because of steroids. This further made people demonize them... even Alzado's own doctor said there was no possible way they caused his cancer. Give this a watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73EC609GYD0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmYxHTu4Vi4&mode=related&search=

Our whole society's attitude towards sports and the quest to constantly be better and better has created this culture. I would be willing to bet most would be shocked if they knew just how many athletes in all sports take something against the rules. There are still no analytical tests for a number of these things (HGH being the biggest). I'd be willing to bet most top athletes in their field are not only genetic freaks, but most dope in some fashion. People just like to go nuts about everything... people should calm down. None of us need these drugs for what we are trying to do, I know I can get to where I want w/o them.

but in today's world,genetics and willpower are not enough.

Sorry, but I can't agree with that statement, but I do understand your point. Nobody actually needs to get bigger, faster, or stronger. A life can take any path. Those in competition may need steroids to win, but to survive in today's world it's actually rather sad how little people need beyond a job. Hence why most people don't work out at all. With everything available to us we are afforded opportunities for such extremes such as bodybuilding, where once muscularity was one of the chief signs of dominance.

I have nothing against steroid use in others, but I see it as black and white in my own case. Hard work and dedication to see how far nature intended for you to go vs. hard word, dedication, and injections to see how far you can step beyond nature's intentions. I'd like to see what my physiology was meant to do, personally.

Top Olympic 100m sprinters now run under 10s. A few decades ago that was considered impossible. New training techniques and advanced clothing? Maybe but more importantly, advances in anabolics.

That, to me, is where true competitiveness takes a hit. I find it a little depressing that the introduction of steroids means there have to be separate competitions. A golden age, by my understanding, is when everyone is on the same playing field. These advancements are not harkening in that wonderful era.

/End my opinion. Not a flame by the way, just felt like sharing the perspective I've formulated.

Nobody actually needs to get bigger, faster, or stronger. A life can take any path. Those in competition may need steroids to win, but to survive in today's world it's actually rather sad how little people need beyond a job. Hence why most people don't work out at all. With everything available to us we are afforded opportunities for such extremes such as bodybuilding, where once muscularity was one of the chief signs of dominance.


Don't worry mate, no flaming taken! It's a discussion after all.

True Hulking, I agree with what you said to an extent.

However....

Finding a job is not that easy. Finding a job you like even harder. Finding a job you love...now that's a true gem.

Take an example. You love sprinting. You've sprinted your whole life. There's nothing else you want to do. You've not made it into the olympics on your first try. You have a family to feed. Finances are tight. So, when your trainer tells you you have to take steroids (with complete medical supervision and guaranteed no risk whatsoever) to keep up with today's competition or get another job, what do you do?

Of course, no one needs to get bigger, faster and stronger...but I always try,everyday I work out to do just that.

I have a secure job which I like very much and I see no point whatsoever to take anabolics. But if my family,finances and future depended on it....that's a different story.

So, when your trainer tells you you have to take steroids (with complete medical supervision and guaranteed no risk whatsoever) to keep up with today's competition or get another job, what do you do?

You bring up quite a challenging scenario. I suppose you have me behind the 8 ball on this. I would say no job is worth your health but with no risk? Ehh I still wouldn't take them. A stiff upper lip and a new job. Personal values come first.

I don't demonize steroid users, nor do I think that steroids should be illegal. I believe that if you use them improperly, then you've dug your own grave. And I really can't fault many professional athletes for using them either, as they see anabolics as simply another tool to help get them to the next level - the same way that we here take all kinds of supplements, thermogenics, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc...All those things are useless without hard work, knowledge and dedication, but can reap great benefits in the correct environment...anabolics are viewed in the same light by the people who take them. What bothers me is when certain substances are expressly forbidden in a competition, and a competitor gets busted for using them (ala Floyd Landis in the 'Tour)...That is cheating, because it is an attempt to circumvent the competition rules. If the MLB decrees tomorrow that all players have to wear Adidas cleats, and a player is found wearing Nike cleats, then he is a cheater. The decree may be nonsensical or absurd, but even if it handicaps the competitors, all must play on equal footing. (okay, poor example, but you get my idea).

I don't consider using steroids as "bringing a gun to a knife fight", because the competition rules are known beforehand (i.e., all-natural BB competitions, vs. open BB competitions, etc.). If it is known beforehand that all the competitors in the fight are supposed to be using guns, then what is the problem? Besides, if you've never handled a gun before and you don't know what you're doing, then the gun is a severe handicap to you against the knife-wielder.

I personally don't use steroids simply because I have no reason to...I'm not a competitor in any arena, and I don't get jealous at the first sight of a guy who's more muscular than I. I don't have the financial wherewithal to buy anabolics, and most certainly can't be bothered with the constant measuring, injecting, etc. schedule. And, I admit it, I'm not prepared to have a heart attack, stroke, impotency, etc., 30 years from now because I might not have used them properly...or properly for my body. I'm not ready to risk not knowing enough. If you want to take that risk, then go right ahead. I won't lose any respect for you. Just let me know if you're using them before I enter into a decathlon with you, okay? I have infinitely more respect for people who take steroids than I do for people who are 300+ pounds and sit on their asses all day eating chinese food and McDonalds, blaming their "bad genetics" for their fatness.

I think it's absurd that our government (U.S.) would ban anabolics, Ephedra, or any other performance enhancer. If you count the amount of people who have died taking these substances, versus the amount of people who have died due to cigarettes, McDonalds, alcohol, automobiles, etc., the comparison is laughable. But you don't see huge campaigns to outlaw cigarettes, or McDonalds, or alcohol, etc. Anabolics aren't like recreational drugs - they don't guarantee addiction, and they most certainly don't impact society. They don't cause families to break apart, people to lose their jobs, etc. If I choose to take anabolics, my decision affects nobody but me. We have a lot of BS laws like that in this supposed free country. It starts with laws requiring you to wear a seatbelt if you're in a car (but not on a motorcyle), and goes all the way down to anabolics, ephedra, etc...The argument that is always made by anti-steroid people is that they're "protecting the children", or "what are kids to think when their role models are damaging their bodies just to compete", etc. Well, if we're worried so much about influencing the youth, then maybe we shouldn't let people who are obese be parents anymore. Have you ever seen the statistics on the correlation between a child's obesity and his parents'? And like our congressmen are such great rolemodels. Nothing but swindlers, embezzlers, and downright criminals (*cough, Gary Condit, James Traficant, Foley, DeLay, Clinton(s), McGreevey, etc., etc., etc...)

I'm sure if he includes 3-4 sets of wrist curls in the 8-12 rep range following his bicep workouts, his forearms will catch up in no time flat.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Shit Mastover, you made a joke!!!!!!!!