Jordan Shallow comments on recent deaths in bodybuilding, growing drug use, and the massive shift in physiques of modern bodybuilding.
While bodybuilding has always been somewhat taboo in the mainstream public due to perceived steroid use, the topic has become even more heated within the modern bodybuilding industry. Many coaches, experts, and past iconic athletes have gone on record stating they believe drug use has gone too far in modern bodybuilding. A recent string of tragic bodybuilding deaths, though unconnected, have further stoked the flames focusing on drug use and health in the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive, The Muscle Doc Jordan Shallow offers his opinion on PED usage in bodybuilding.
There is no doubt that PEDs are used in the sport of bodybuilding. In fact, this is true of nearly all professional sports. Those who want to achieve greatness are willing to do anything to reach that goal. This can also create a slippery slope. If athletes know the top pros are using PEDs, then they will feel they have to use them in order to stay in the same playing field. Then the cycle continues.
But perhaps it doesn’t have to be this way. During our conversation with Jordan Shallow, we fell onto the topic of health in bodybuilding and the recent deaths that have tragically plagued the sport. It should be pointed out that causes of death have not been revealed for nearly all of these cases. Regardless, it has caused a wave of bodybuilding icons, experts, and coaches to weigh in on drug use in the sport. Jordan Shallow believes there is a world where the same muscular results can be achieved while using less PEDs.
The common understand is this – if bodybuilding became more healthy, it would become less exciting with smaller physiques. While it’s true that bodybuilding will always demand some level of extreme risk taking – Jordan Shallow believes that the risks do not need to be anywhere near as high as they are today.
“Obviously it’s multifactorial and I don’t want to defame anyone or do anything like that,” Jordan Shallow states in our interview. He continues:
“But I think, you know, if we look deeper at exercise execution and we can set up exercises to maximally challenge muscle and get the greatest amount of return. We wouldn’t have to augment recovery the way we do with performance enhancing drugs and we can maybe expedite the ability for us to garner proper stimulus.”
It should be note that many pro bodybuilders have a vast understanding of exercise and how it works. That’s their job. But Jordan Shallow seems to believe that modern bodybuilding is taking a turn towards chemical solutions rather than deeper physical ones. Shallow admits that his statement is based purely on anecdotal evidence. But in his personal experience, he’s claimed that over the past 10 years or so – he’s had more conversations with bodybuilders about augmenting training with PEDs and less about further and deeper study of maximizing exercise.
This statement seems to also match others we have heard from older bodybuilding legends in the sport. Occasionally throughout our GI Exclusive interviews, veteran bodybuilders have claimed younger bodybuilders start turning towards PEDs much earlier. The common belief is that old school bodybuilders trained naturally much longer into their careers. They only turned to PEDs when they hit the maximum they could possibly push naturally.
Today, many veteran bodybuilders worry that young athletes turn to PEDs like steroids right away – before they even get a full understanding of what they can accomplish naturally. It must be noted that all of these statements are based on here-say. It’s anecdotal stories based on personal experiences. This can in part be classic rose-tinted nostalgia. A “my era is better than yours” mentality. But there also might be some truth to it.
The internet and advancements in science have changed the way PEDs are used by athletes (and even regular fitness enthusiasts) significantly. The drug world in bodybuilding is certainly not the same as it was 30 years ago. Perhaps Jordan Shallow is simply pointing out the same thing. That we are getting too much information and too many advancements too fast. That detailed knowledge is falling to the wayside in replacement of quick internet facts and easy to obtain PEDs.
What do you think? Watch Jordan Shallow’s statements in our latest GI Exclusive segment above and let us know your thoughts!