guardianactual
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
[ Q ] Pro. How would you respond to what Tony has just said? Will professional bodybuilding ever be natural?
[ Pro ] There is no way a pro bodybuilder could be completely natural. It is impossible to be competitive as an all time natural in pro shows. If there were a complete ban on all steroids in pro bodybuilding, then the competitors would be a lot smaller and less ripped and the promoters would lose the crowd.
True, drug abuse in pro bodybuilding is getting out of control and we probably do need some restraints. I still think they (the IFBB) should do something about the emphasis on freakiness. In my opinion, what inspires others is a physique that is hard enough to get, but attainable.
I have a physique that is not too big, like the mass monsters we are seeing more often nowadays, but bigger than lifetime drug-free bodybuilders. To achieve such a physique requires taking drugs, but within limits.
[ Q ] Pro has said there is no way a professional bodybuilder could be completely natural. In your view, Tony, should anabolic drug use be permitted in bodybuilding competition, as perhaps an option strictly reserved for pro athletes? Do you think, from a competitive standpoint, promoters, fans, athletes and the sport in general would stand to gain from any degree of drug use among the athletes?
[ Tony ] I truly feel that anabolic drugs should not be part of bodybuilding or any sport - period.
Look, the whole purpose of bodybuilding is building the body to be stronger healthier. So how can one do this if they are in a hospital bed from the use of steroids?
The world of competitive bodybuilding, to me, has become a freak show. There is no way in hell anybody off the street would want to look like these guys. It is just too much. Most of them are all out of proportion for their height. For instance, Arnold was his best at around 240 lbs on stage but he was 6'2".
Nowadays, the bodybuilders that are 240 are 5'6" and personally to me they look like crap. Yes I know this is my opinion, but lets face it, if you put 100 pounds of meat in a 25lb bag, what's that bag going to look like? When is enough, enough?
Bodybuilders have to understand this, and this comes straight out of Anthony Catanzaro's mouth: bigger muscles do not mean better muscles. It is all about balance and proportion, and you definitely don't need drugs for that.
It is a shame that competitive bodybuilding makes money on holding what I like to call freak shows instead of bodybuilding shows. But this is the road it has chosen and I truly feel that one day the competitors will realize it is just not worth the damage they are doing to themselves, just for a plastic trophy, some money and a pat on the back.
To me, the real champions are the guys willing to stay natural and true to their bodies. It is funny, but we all plant seeds in one another.
I'm happy to say that I planted a seed of trueness in other's by being a lifetime natural bodybuilder, and you can't beat that - even with drugs.
[ Q ] So how would an all-natural stance improve the sport Tony?
[ Tony ] It (an all natural stance) would generate many more bodybuilding fans around the world because the bottom line is bodybuilding started out with people wanting to make their muscles bigger and stronger and healthier. This results in the muscles looking beautiful as well.
For example, diamonds are the most beautiful creations to come from earth as rock, but it has to first be formed, cut and polished into perfection.
The diamond cutter examines the diamond and turns the rock into something truly amazing.
You see, it takes time and effort to build something beautiful, they say diamonds are forever, and so should be your work of art, your body sculpted and carved naturally just like that diamond.
[ Q ] Pro. Anabolic drugs are often cited as being health damaging. Is this reputation deserved?
[ Pro ] This way of thinking is completely false. If used intelligently, anabolic steroids are not harmful to one's health.
[ Q ] Do you agree Tony?
[ Tony ] Drugs will never make you healthy, I can guarantee you that. I know I lost my mother to cancer, and I know that drugs can keep you alive, but they can never help you to live a normal, balanced life.
You have to understand something: drugs are man-made-substances. They do not come out of the ground or from a tree, like fruits and vegetables do. You see, God made everything we need in life for us to survive a healthy long existence.
There are more people on depression medication now then ever before. Well then, why are there more depressed people in the world than ever before? There are more drugs to fight disease than ever before, so why are there more people dying of disease each day.
[ Q ] So how does it feel to be a drug free, all-natural champion Tony? Do you sometimes wonder what it would feel like to use anabolic drugs? Have you ever been tempted to use these substances?
[ Tony ] Being a natural champion is all I know, and all I will ever know.
I would never consider taking drugs to better my physique and performance.
"That would be like Jesus going into a crack house."
[ Q ] Pro. Some say that professional bodybuilders contradict themselves, as they use drugs, yet are involved in what is essentially a healthy activity? How would a bodybuilder justify drug use when aiming building a healthy, attractive physique?
[ Pro ] True, bodybuilding is viewed as a healthy sport, but drug use is widespread in this sport and in all other sports as well. It is not necessarily bad for one's health though.
Again, it is the wrong perception the public have regarding drugs or ergogenic aids. If one weight trains, does cardio, and follows a healthy diet, and does not abuse anabolic steroids and other bodybuilding drugs, in my opinion they will be as healthy as if they were completely natural.
[ Q ] Tony. Pro has just made a pretty big statement. Does the public have the wrong perception regarding drug use in bodybuilding? Is it not contradictory for bodybuilders to be using drugs?
[ Tony ] This is really sad. True, the public is usually always ignorant and, yes, it is good to learn all you can about the drugs you are taking, but at the same time who wants to know about the devil? I don't even want to look his way. I know that all good healthy and wonderful things come from God, and drugs are not one of them. Like I always say,
"If it's from God then its here to stay,
if it comes from the devil throw it away."
Unfortunately, kids today who are just starting out do not understand the whole concept behind bodybuilding. They look at a guy with muscles like myself, and just think, yes he's on drugs and in order for me to look like him I have to be on drugs too. This stems from a lack of knowledge and patience on their part.
I do not think the public has a very good understanding of what exactly goes into a world-class physique, but I do think it is a contradiction for bodybuilders to be using harmful drugs when they are supposed to be improving themselves.
No, I'm not on drugs, nor have I ever been. To this day I don't even know what they even look like. I wish drugs would just disappear in general, not just from the bodybuilding community but in the world of prescription and non-prescription medicine as well.
Its funny: drug dealers and users are thrown in jail, but if you think about it most of the world is on some type of drug, and the doctors and pharmacies are the biggest drug dealers and pushers of them all. But people do not look at it like that. They think because it is legal and prescribed by a doctor, that it is fine. We need to open our eyes and realise what is going on in the world today and that drug use is spiralling out of control.
[ Q ] Tony. Pro is pretty adamant that performance drugs, if used correctly, will not harm the bodybuilder. It does seem the bodybuilding community is divided on both the health and ethical implications of using anabolic drugs to gain a muscle-building advantage. Why do you think there is this division? What do you think are people's motivations for using drugs or remaining natural?
[ Tony ] Like I always say, I never question what a man or woman does for a living in order to pay the bills. Unfortunately, money is like the devil in this case. The drug users know the risks and downsides, but the money is root of all evil.
I'm sure there have been cases where bodybuilders who have started out natural and never thought about using drugs. But as time went on and the competition got harder, they were tempted because unfortunately in this sport there is no financial reward for being natural, crazy but true.
For example take a look at all the muscle-building products drug-taking bodybuilders endorse.
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larger than what it is now. It seems to me that the drug using bodybuilders are starting to understand themselves that the money is not worth the health problems.
[ Q ] That being said Tony, would the pro champions of today still be champions if bodybuilding were totally drug free? What other qualities are needed to make a champion?
[ Tony ] If the pro's today were no longer on growth hormones they would no longer be champions in that form of competition. They would be downsized.
I have seen drug bodybuilders come off the drugs and shrink so much that you couldn't even recognize them. It is like taking the air out of a balloon and just watching them shrink to less than what they stared with. Yes, this is the truth.
I have had guys come up to me and ask me what they could do because they are smaller and weaker now than when they were before they even started. Scary isn't it. Bodybuilders of today need a lot of different qualities such as perseverance and determination. Drugs will not compensate for a lack of these qualities.
[ Q ] Do you agree Pro? Are drugs needed? Would the pros become downsized as Tony has said?
[ Pro ] Sure, this would be the case. But with or without drugs, dedication, discipline, drive and will power and talent are still necessary qualities needed to make a champion. Drugs are no magic pills. Also, without anabolic drugs a pro bodybuilder would be downsized, but remember, it is more than drug use that makes a champion.
Training, nutrition and recuperation are equally as important. Concerning the loss in size bodybuilders are thought to experience, it all depends on how a bodybuilder goes off drugs.
If it is done correctly by slowly tapering off, and modifying their training and nutrition, one would keep many of the gains obtained from drugs, even during an off cycle. Again, you need knowledge about what you are doing. Know what you are putting in your body, its effects either good or bad, and when and how to do an on or off cycle.
[ Q ] But there have been times where drug-free athletes have attained steroid-like results. Does this not bring into question the need for drug use among all bodybuilding athletes?
[ Pro ] All champions possess tremendous will power; discipline and dedication and anabolic steroids can only build on these qualities to make a champion. I think some bodybuilders can definitely get amazing results without drugs.
[ Q ] Same question for you Tony. Are drugs a necessity for bodybuilding success among all bodybuilders at the high end?
[ Tony ] As far as the level of impact drugs would make on a bodybuilder, it would have a lot to do with his or her genetics for one. I would never turn into Ronnie Coleman if I took them. I do not have his genetics. The other main aspects would be diet and training.
Yes, guys who have trained natural and made great progress, like myself, have made their tremendous natural gains by training hard and eating right.
But no, a champion is not made with drugs; a champion is made with heart.
[ Q ] Pro. Let's say a beginning bodybuilder has weighed the information presented here and has decided to begin a cycle. What advice would you give? How would you balance your answer to give them advice on safety while highlighting the benefits these substances can have for them as bodybuilders?
[ Pro ] Start slow. Take the mild types and follow on and off cycles. Do get regular medical check-ups. Drugs are not magic pills though. Training, diet and recuperation are equally as important. If all these were followed in a first cycle, the bodybuilder would be stronger physically, have better recuperation and of course build bigger muscles while improving self-esteem.
[ Q ] Same question. What advice would you give Tony?
[ Tony ] Like I always say, "If you're in a car with someone who is going nowhere you can always get out and take the bus."
You don't need to take drugs to achieve a head turning physique. When I was a kid and first started out, I used to say to myself, "I know I can do this naturally if I work hard and commit myself." I look back today and would never change that decision for anything.
Life isn't easy. It takes great power and will to achieve the greatest in not only the physical but the mental as well. To me, drugs are poison not only for the body but the mind as well.
You Don't Need To Take Drugs
To Achieve A Head Turning Physique.
Remember this: if you stay natural to yourself, there is nothing in this world you can't accomplish. God has given us everything we need to be the best. God did not make drugs, man made drugs.
I know you can be the best if you believe you're the best. Remember a champion is nothing unless he is a champion on the inside as well. Look into your heart to find the champion in you and know that there's no drug on earth that can give you what God has already given you. Stay true to yourself and true to your body.
[ Q ] Thank you Tony and Pro for this excellent debate. I know the public will be better informed as a result.
[ Pro ] There is no way a pro bodybuilder could be completely natural. It is impossible to be competitive as an all time natural in pro shows. If there were a complete ban on all steroids in pro bodybuilding, then the competitors would be a lot smaller and less ripped and the promoters would lose the crowd.
True, drug abuse in pro bodybuilding is getting out of control and we probably do need some restraints. I still think they (the IFBB) should do something about the emphasis on freakiness. In my opinion, what inspires others is a physique that is hard enough to get, but attainable.
I have a physique that is not too big, like the mass monsters we are seeing more often nowadays, but bigger than lifetime drug-free bodybuilders. To achieve such a physique requires taking drugs, but within limits.
[ Q ] Pro has said there is no way a professional bodybuilder could be completely natural. In your view, Tony, should anabolic drug use be permitted in bodybuilding competition, as perhaps an option strictly reserved for pro athletes? Do you think, from a competitive standpoint, promoters, fans, athletes and the sport in general would stand to gain from any degree of drug use among the athletes?
[ Tony ] I truly feel that anabolic drugs should not be part of bodybuilding or any sport - period.
Look, the whole purpose of bodybuilding is building the body to be stronger healthier. So how can one do this if they are in a hospital bed from the use of steroids?
The world of competitive bodybuilding, to me, has become a freak show. There is no way in hell anybody off the street would want to look like these guys. It is just too much. Most of them are all out of proportion for their height. For instance, Arnold was his best at around 240 lbs on stage but he was 6'2".
Nowadays, the bodybuilders that are 240 are 5'6" and personally to me they look like crap. Yes I know this is my opinion, but lets face it, if you put 100 pounds of meat in a 25lb bag, what's that bag going to look like? When is enough, enough?
Bodybuilders have to understand this, and this comes straight out of Anthony Catanzaro's mouth: bigger muscles do not mean better muscles. It is all about balance and proportion, and you definitely don't need drugs for that.
It is a shame that competitive bodybuilding makes money on holding what I like to call freak shows instead of bodybuilding shows. But this is the road it has chosen and I truly feel that one day the competitors will realize it is just not worth the damage they are doing to themselves, just for a plastic trophy, some money and a pat on the back.
To me, the real champions are the guys willing to stay natural and true to their bodies. It is funny, but we all plant seeds in one another.
I'm happy to say that I planted a seed of trueness in other's by being a lifetime natural bodybuilder, and you can't beat that - even with drugs.
[ Q ] So how would an all-natural stance improve the sport Tony?
[ Tony ] It (an all natural stance) would generate many more bodybuilding fans around the world because the bottom line is bodybuilding started out with people wanting to make their muscles bigger and stronger and healthier. This results in the muscles looking beautiful as well.
For example, diamonds are the most beautiful creations to come from earth as rock, but it has to first be formed, cut and polished into perfection.
The diamond cutter examines the diamond and turns the rock into something truly amazing.
You see, it takes time and effort to build something beautiful, they say diamonds are forever, and so should be your work of art, your body sculpted and carved naturally just like that diamond.
[ Q ] Pro. Anabolic drugs are often cited as being health damaging. Is this reputation deserved?
[ Pro ] This way of thinking is completely false. If used intelligently, anabolic steroids are not harmful to one's health.
[ Q ] Do you agree Tony?
[ Tony ] Drugs will never make you healthy, I can guarantee you that. I know I lost my mother to cancer, and I know that drugs can keep you alive, but they can never help you to live a normal, balanced life.
You have to understand something: drugs are man-made-substances. They do not come out of the ground or from a tree, like fruits and vegetables do. You see, God made everything we need in life for us to survive a healthy long existence.
There are more people on depression medication now then ever before. Well then, why are there more depressed people in the world than ever before? There are more drugs to fight disease than ever before, so why are there more people dying of disease each day.
[ Q ] So how does it feel to be a drug free, all-natural champion Tony? Do you sometimes wonder what it would feel like to use anabolic drugs? Have you ever been tempted to use these substances?
[ Tony ] Being a natural champion is all I know, and all I will ever know.
I would never consider taking drugs to better my physique and performance.
"That would be like Jesus going into a crack house."
[ Q ] Pro. Some say that professional bodybuilders contradict themselves, as they use drugs, yet are involved in what is essentially a healthy activity? How would a bodybuilder justify drug use when aiming building a healthy, attractive physique?
[ Pro ] True, bodybuilding is viewed as a healthy sport, but drug use is widespread in this sport and in all other sports as well. It is not necessarily bad for one's health though.
Again, it is the wrong perception the public have regarding drugs or ergogenic aids. If one weight trains, does cardio, and follows a healthy diet, and does not abuse anabolic steroids and other bodybuilding drugs, in my opinion they will be as healthy as if they were completely natural.
[ Q ] Tony. Pro has just made a pretty big statement. Does the public have the wrong perception regarding drug use in bodybuilding? Is it not contradictory for bodybuilders to be using drugs?
[ Tony ] This is really sad. True, the public is usually always ignorant and, yes, it is good to learn all you can about the drugs you are taking, but at the same time who wants to know about the devil? I don't even want to look his way. I know that all good healthy and wonderful things come from God, and drugs are not one of them. Like I always say,
"If it's from God then its here to stay,
if it comes from the devil throw it away."
Unfortunately, kids today who are just starting out do not understand the whole concept behind bodybuilding. They look at a guy with muscles like myself, and just think, yes he's on drugs and in order for me to look like him I have to be on drugs too. This stems from a lack of knowledge and patience on their part.
I do not think the public has a very good understanding of what exactly goes into a world-class physique, but I do think it is a contradiction for bodybuilders to be using harmful drugs when they are supposed to be improving themselves.
No, I'm not on drugs, nor have I ever been. To this day I don't even know what they even look like. I wish drugs would just disappear in general, not just from the bodybuilding community but in the world of prescription and non-prescription medicine as well.
Its funny: drug dealers and users are thrown in jail, but if you think about it most of the world is on some type of drug, and the doctors and pharmacies are the biggest drug dealers and pushers of them all. But people do not look at it like that. They think because it is legal and prescribed by a doctor, that it is fine. We need to open our eyes and realise what is going on in the world today and that drug use is spiralling out of control.
[ Q ] Tony. Pro is pretty adamant that performance drugs, if used correctly, will not harm the bodybuilder. It does seem the bodybuilding community is divided on both the health and ethical implications of using anabolic drugs to gain a muscle-building advantage. Why do you think there is this division? What do you think are people's motivations for using drugs or remaining natural?
[ Tony ] Like I always say, I never question what a man or woman does for a living in order to pay the bills. Unfortunately, money is like the devil in this case. The drug users know the risks and downsides, but the money is root of all evil.
I'm sure there have been cases where bodybuilders who have started out natural and never thought about using drugs. But as time went on and the competition got harder, they were tempted because unfortunately in this sport there is no financial reward for being natural, crazy but true.
For example take a look at all the muscle-building products drug-taking bodybuilders endorse.
RELATED ARTICLE
larger than what it is now. It seems to me that the drug using bodybuilders are starting to understand themselves that the money is not worth the health problems.
[ Q ] That being said Tony, would the pro champions of today still be champions if bodybuilding were totally drug free? What other qualities are needed to make a champion?
[ Tony ] If the pro's today were no longer on growth hormones they would no longer be champions in that form of competition. They would be downsized.
I have seen drug bodybuilders come off the drugs and shrink so much that you couldn't even recognize them. It is like taking the air out of a balloon and just watching them shrink to less than what they stared with. Yes, this is the truth.
I have had guys come up to me and ask me what they could do because they are smaller and weaker now than when they were before they even started. Scary isn't it. Bodybuilders of today need a lot of different qualities such as perseverance and determination. Drugs will not compensate for a lack of these qualities.
[ Q ] Do you agree Pro? Are drugs needed? Would the pros become downsized as Tony has said?
[ Pro ] Sure, this would be the case. But with or without drugs, dedication, discipline, drive and will power and talent are still necessary qualities needed to make a champion. Drugs are no magic pills. Also, without anabolic drugs a pro bodybuilder would be downsized, but remember, it is more than drug use that makes a champion.
Training, nutrition and recuperation are equally as important. Concerning the loss in size bodybuilders are thought to experience, it all depends on how a bodybuilder goes off drugs.
If it is done correctly by slowly tapering off, and modifying their training and nutrition, one would keep many of the gains obtained from drugs, even during an off cycle. Again, you need knowledge about what you are doing. Know what you are putting in your body, its effects either good or bad, and when and how to do an on or off cycle.
[ Q ] But there have been times where drug-free athletes have attained steroid-like results. Does this not bring into question the need for drug use among all bodybuilding athletes?
[ Pro ] All champions possess tremendous will power; discipline and dedication and anabolic steroids can only build on these qualities to make a champion. I think some bodybuilders can definitely get amazing results without drugs.
[ Q ] Same question for you Tony. Are drugs a necessity for bodybuilding success among all bodybuilders at the high end?
[ Tony ] As far as the level of impact drugs would make on a bodybuilder, it would have a lot to do with his or her genetics for one. I would never turn into Ronnie Coleman if I took them. I do not have his genetics. The other main aspects would be diet and training.
Yes, guys who have trained natural and made great progress, like myself, have made their tremendous natural gains by training hard and eating right.
But no, a champion is not made with drugs; a champion is made with heart.
[ Q ] Pro. Let's say a beginning bodybuilder has weighed the information presented here and has decided to begin a cycle. What advice would you give? How would you balance your answer to give them advice on safety while highlighting the benefits these substances can have for them as bodybuilders?
[ Pro ] Start slow. Take the mild types and follow on and off cycles. Do get regular medical check-ups. Drugs are not magic pills though. Training, diet and recuperation are equally as important. If all these were followed in a first cycle, the bodybuilder would be stronger physically, have better recuperation and of course build bigger muscles while improving self-esteem.
[ Q ] Same question. What advice would you give Tony?
[ Tony ] Like I always say, "If you're in a car with someone who is going nowhere you can always get out and take the bus."
You don't need to take drugs to achieve a head turning physique. When I was a kid and first started out, I used to say to myself, "I know I can do this naturally if I work hard and commit myself." I look back today and would never change that decision for anything.
Life isn't easy. It takes great power and will to achieve the greatest in not only the physical but the mental as well. To me, drugs are poison not only for the body but the mind as well.
You Don't Need To Take Drugs
To Achieve A Head Turning Physique.
Remember this: if you stay natural to yourself, there is nothing in this world you can't accomplish. God has given us everything we need to be the best. God did not make drugs, man made drugs.
I know you can be the best if you believe you're the best. Remember a champion is nothing unless he is a champion on the inside as well. Look into your heart to find the champion in you and know that there's no drug on earth that can give you what God has already given you. Stay true to yourself and true to your body.
[ Q ] Thank you Tony and Pro for this excellent debate. I know the public will be better informed as a result.
