Tag: Originals
The Anabolic Doc: Don’t Be Fooled – Bodybuilders Suffer From Steroids Quietly
[embedded content]
The Anabolic Doc warns: Even healthy looking steroid users might be suffering in private.
Dr. Thomas O’Connor, aka the Anabolic Doc, has dedicated his entire career to studying the effects of steroids and other anabolic substances on athletes. He has always tried to bridge the gap between the hard truth of science, and the psychology and desires of athletes that use PEDs. He understands why athletes might be willing to take health risks for greatness. But he also wants to make one thing clear – long term steroid use will always have consequences.
While doctors and scientists have always been making such alarming claims, there are many who don’t believe it. This is largely due to the number of athletes who seem perfectly healthy after admitting to a career of steroid use. The Anabolic Doc wants doesn’t want people to be fooled – just because an athlete seems healthy in their older age, doesn’t mean they actually are. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, the Anabolic Doc explains how more often than not steroid users suffer quietly. Even if they outwardly appear to be healthy long term.
Most athletes who consider using steroids or other PEDs understand the risk they are taking with their health. Some athletes, in the pursuit of greatness, are willing to take that risk. But there are also a large swath of steroid users, both athletes and casual athletic individuals, who simply don’t know how bad the long term affects can really be.
This is due to the fact that famous athletes who get caught for steroid use, well, seem perfectly fine. Even long after retirement, a star athlete who had been caught doping seems to be living a normal healthy life. This kind of optics makes it easier to ignore the very real health issues that arise from long term steroid use. It’s this kind of optics that the Anabolic Doc wants to warn young steroid users about.
As the saying goes out of sight, out of mind. Things that are far off into our future are easy to ignore. This is especially true if there are no obvious warning signs publicly spoken about by iconic athletes. Outwardly, it appears that an athlete can use steroids, retire, stop taking steroids, and be perfectly fine – so long as they stop early enough. The Anabolic Doc can’t stress enough how untrue this idea is. While he can’t speak for every individual who takes steroids, his studies and experience prove this – most steroid users are suffering silently.
Dr. O’Connor details exactly the kind of private suffering that steroid users face down the road:
“We don’t know. Now, these men suffer quietly. I know, in this mind, because who comes to see me? They come to see me and they tell me the truth with their wife, their children, their mothers. And there’s a lot of tears. Because thy have heart disease and kidney disease. And they have psychiatric disease.”
The Anabolic Doc can’t speculate on specific high profile athletes or individuals – as he doesn’t know them personally. What he can rely on is the years of clients and data from studies that show how much suffering long term steroid users face. What goes on privately can be vastly different than what we see presented in public.
You can watch the Anabolic Doc’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Iain Valliere: There Are Only Two Ways To Beat Big Ramy At Mr. Olympia 2021
[embedded content]
Iain Valliere breaks down the two approaches to beating Big Ramy ahead of the Mr. Olympia 2021.
We are less than one week away from the biggest bodybuilding event of the year – Mr. Olympia 2021. This will be Big Ramy’s first chance to defend his champion status. Will he prove his win to be more than just a fluke? Or will he be another athlete to join the one and done list of single Olympia champions? Only time will tell – but in the meantime we spoke with qualified Olympia competition Iain Valliere on whether or not Ramy can be defeated. He thinks it’s a tough mountain to climb – but there is a slim margin to beat Ramy. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Iain Valliere details the only two ways that Big Ramy can be defeated at the Mr. Olympia 2021.
In 2020, Big Ramy showcased the greatest physique of his career. For the first time ever, his conditioning matched his enormous size. This made him a powerhouse and nearly unstoppable. Returning champion Brandon Curry could not hold up – nor could seven time former Olympia champion Phil Heath. Ramy was fully realized. It earned him a spot on the short list of Olympia champions.
It’s been a near year since that epic victory. We are just under a week before the Mr. Olympia 2021. This is our first time to see Big Ramy on stage competing again. Traditionally, Big Ramy’s biggest weakness has been the consistency of his conditioning. One year he will be close to on point. The next he would be completely off point. Just because Ramy won a Mr. Olympia title doesn’t mean the consistency problem will be fixed.
That being said, Big Ramy’s impressive physique in 2020 might also signal he has learned what is needed to keep his conditioning consistent. We’ll soon find out this weekend. During our conversation with fellow Olympia competitor Iain Valliere – we asked his take on Big Ramy’s physique and how he could be potentially toppled from his throne. The way Valliere sees it, there are only two viable tactics for defeating Big Ramy.
The first is to beat him in size. If a competitor can show up with insane size and conditioning to at the very least match Big Ramy – then he can lose the title. The second tactic is to look at Ramy’s weakness and exploit them. This means that a bodybuilder would focus less on size and more on absolute superior conditioning and aesthetics. Iain Valliere thinks that no competitor is currently poised to succeed with the first tactic. This leaves only conditioning and aesthetics as the superior route to defeat Ramy.
“I think there’s two ways to beat Ramy,” Iain Valliere stated in our interview. He continued:
“It’s going to come down to either a guy with really really crazy shape like a Brandon or a Nathan but compiled with really good conditioning. Or it’s going to come down to someone bigger with better conditioning. I don’t see anyone being bigger than Ramy so I think the way to beat Ramy is with detail and shape. I think trying to be bigger than the biggest guy is insanity.”
Looking back at the 2020 Mr. Olympia, Iain Valliere saw Brandon Curry as the closest competitor to take down Big Ramy.
“I think someone like Brandon last year could have closed that gap if his conditioning was a little better. Because he has the shape, he has the symmetry, he has that silhouette of, like, a very very dominant bodybuilder with the bubbliness and flow and tiny waist. Where he was just a little subpar was his conditioning in comparison [to Big Ramy]”
Iain Valliere goes on to state that Brandon Curry is still a superb athlete and is only critiquing his physique in comparison to Big Ramy. In fact, Iain Vailliere even takes himself out of the equation – stating that he is not in the right place to beat someone like Ramy at this year’s competition.
So it seems, according to Iain Valliere, the Mr. Olympia 2021 title will teeter on two factors. How on point Big Ramy is with his conditioning and how on point a rival competitor can raise the bar to exploit Ramy’s weaknesses. It all hangs on the delicate blade of a knife.
You can watch Iain Valliere’s full breakdown on tackling Big Ramy at Mr. Olympia 2021 by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Lukas Osladil: The Best Posers That Today’s Bodybuilders Should Learn From
[embedded content]
Lukas Osladil explains his unique posing style and lists off the best posers in the history of bodybuilding.
Lukas Osladil is a rising star in the bodybuilding world. Beyond his massive physique, Osladil showcases a very entertaining and unique posing routine whenever he competes. He performs splits and flips in a way that is shocking for a man of his size. It recalls the likes of Roelly Winklaar on occasion. Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently renewed his criticism of modern posing routines during the Arnold Classic 2021 broadcast. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Lukas Osladil lists of the best bodybuilding posers of all time that today’s athletes should watch and learn from.
Over the past decade, there has been a renewed conversation about the art of posing. While some fans may miss the beauty of posing in the Golden Era and even the 90s – things really came to a head when Arnold Schwarzenegger himself started to criticize modern posing. It went so far as to bring back a scored posing round in the Arnold Classic.
Despite this, there seems to be no big change in the overall culture of posing routines for modern bodybuilders. There will always be a select few who bring more originality into the routine – but most simply hit the mandatories and hype up the audience with some gestures.
One exception to this is Lukas Osladil. A pro bodybuilder with an impressive physique to match his impressive posing routines. He often fits in gymnastic-esque techniques into his routine much to the delight of fans. During our conversation with Osladil, we asked him to detail how he landed on his specific posing style.
We also asked Lukas Osladil who most inspired him in the posing world of bodybuilding. Specifically, we asked him to list his picks for the five best posers in bodybuilding history. At a glance, his choices were Shawn Ray, Kai Greene, Melvin Anthony, Vince Taylor, and Fred Smalls. While this interview took place just before the Arnold Classic – the conversation seems well timed. Arnold Schwarzenegger was very vocal during the broadcast about his dissatisfaction in modern posing. He felt they lack passion and most athletes could not hold a pose long enough.
So perhaps Lukas Osladil’s list of best posers can act as a research guide for today’s rising athletes. Osladil explains that he will spend on average two months preparing his routine. If more modern bodybuilders take this approach, watch some posing legends, and develop their own unique style – we just might have a second coming of beautiful posing in bodybuilding.
The bigger question is whether or not it 100% needs to change. Perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger is right about mandatories and athletes not holding poses long enough. But does the originality of posing absolutely need to come back? That’s up to personal preference. It can be something to further entertain fans – but it’s also not necessary to properly display the quality of a bodybuilding physique. So long as the mandatories are hit properly. Lukas Osladil’s posing may entertain – but does it improve his chance of winning a show?
As with all things – this might be a case of the bodybuilding culture changing – and older generations being unhappy with the new world as it leaves them behind. Also like all things – it’s likely that the art of posing will circle back eventually. All trends run in cycles. The question is how long will this one last?
You can watch Lukas Osladil’s full comments on posing in bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Samir Bannout Full Interview | Golden Era Stories, Thoughts On Big Ramy & More
[embedded content]
Watch the full uncut GI Exclusive interview with Samir Bannout.
Samir Bannout is a bodybuilder who came into his prime during the tail end of the Golden Era of bodybuilding. He’s also a bodybuilder who lived the American dream similar to athletes like Franco Columbu and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He came to the US with a passion for bodybuilding and became a superstar and Olympia champion.
Bannout is also a Mr. Olympia champion – falling into a small club of athletes who only won the title once. Despite retiring many years ago, he has remained vigilant in his passion for the sport – providing an entire training program to help improve and educate new generations of athletes.
Over the past few months we’ve released multiple GI Exclusive segments from our interview with Samir Bannout. Now we’re releasing the full uncut interview. This includes topics such as his thoughts on the rise of middle eastern bodybuilders, his first hand account of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s controversial 1980 Olympia win, and more!
Listen To Our Samir Bannout Interview On The Generation Iron Podcast
Our full length interviews are now also in podcast form! Subscribe to the Generation Iron Podcast for candid, full length interviews with the biggest names in bodybuilding, fitness, combat, and strength sports.
Listen to the full Samir Bannout interview here:
Samir Bannout’s First Hand Account Of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Controversial Olympia 1980 Win
Samir Bannout is a bodybuilding legend in his own right. He is a Mr. Olympia champion and considered by many to have one of the greatest physiques of all time. He was also present at the 1980 Mr. Olympia competition. We sat down with Samir via video chat for our latest GI Exclusive interview. During that conversation, we asked him to reflect on his first hand account of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return and the drama that ensued at Mr. Olympia 1980.
Arnold Schwarzenegger ultimately was crowned the winner of the Mr. Olympia 1980. This decision was so poorly received that Frank Zane threw his trophy to the ground and multiple athletes stormed off stage. It was clear that many disagreed with the judges decision.
So what about Samir Bannout? Did he disagree with the call? He makes it clear in our conversation that he felt Arnold Schwarzenegger did not deserve to win the Mr. Olympia 1980. In fact, while he does not have confirmation, he has heard many rumors from trusted friends in the industry. Rumors that imply that Arnold Schwarzenegger received help from the judges due to his rising star in Hollywood.
There are those who thought perhaps Arnold was scored more favorably because of how much power he held as a celebrity. Or alternatively, he was so beloved that the judges scored more on Arnold the icon rather than his conditioning.
“Yeah of course so many people got pissed off and I also believe they have the right to get mad,” Samir Bannout states in our interview. He continues:
“I THINK THE ASSUMPTION WAS THEN… DO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED OR WHY DID ARNOLD WIN? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, ARNOLD HAD A LOT OF FANS. AND HE’S ARNOLD. EVERYONE LOOKED UP TO ARNOLD. AND SO, I HEARD THAT SOME OF THE JUDGES LOVED ARNOLD. LOVED HIM AS ARNOLD. THEY DIDN’T CARE ABOUT HIS CONDITIONING THAT DAY. THEY VOTED FOR HIM AS ARNOLD AND THAT’S NOT RIGHT. ME PERSONALLY IF MY BROTHER WAS ON STAGE, DOESN’T DESERVE TO WIN, I WOULDN’T LET HIM WIN.”
Samir Bannout makes a point to state he has no proof of this. It’s a rumor he has heard from enough people to trust in the topic. That’s a testament to just how controversial Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1980 victory was. While all of these claims may simply be one day proven false – it’s the optics that led to such fervor.
Samir Bannout Answers: Is There A Middle East Movement Dominating Bodybuilding?
The GI Team is here to provide top news and original content for the new generation. The generation of bodybuilders who are pushing the sport to bigger and better places. Join The Movement. Become a part of Generation Iron!
Chef Rush On Recent Bodybuilding Deaths: We Need To Avoid Taking A Turn For The Worse
[embedded content]
Chef Rush comments on the recent string of deaths in bodybuilding and the future of health in the sport.
Last month, there was an unfortunate and tragic string of deaths in the bodybuilding world. While each of these deaths were unrelated, it sparked an avalanche of comments about the state of health in the sport of bodybuilding. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Chef Rush reacts to the recent deaths and comments on the current state of health in bodybuilding.
Before diving in, we want to make it clear that the recent series of deaths in bodybuilding were not directly related. In fact, many of these deaths have not had a cause of passing revealed. Some seemed to be more directly related to contest prep while others just a coincidence. Chef Rush’s comments here are not a direct reaction to the cause of death but instead a expanded conversation about bodybuilding overall health triggered by these recent passings.
Chef Rush, like many passionate about the sport of bodybuilding, was heartbroken over the number of recent bodybuilding deaths in the sport. Many of these deaths were in individuals who were under the age of 50. Each individual passing was a tragic loss. But it’s also raised questions about the current state of health in bodybuilding. Has it become too dangerous? Are these deaths a direct result to the bodybuilding lifestyle?
Chef Rush cannot comment about exact supplements, or even drugs, that athletes may be doing. Rush may himself be a bodybuilder – but he’s not a competitor. He would rather not speculate about what substances modern bodybuilders are taking. Instead, he comments on the overall perception of health in bodybuilding and how it can affect the sport as a whole.
Chef Rush believes that the more deaths that plague the sport, the more negative media attention the sport will get. This kind of attention will diminish the opportunities the sport has. This, in a sense, has already happened. Mr. Olympia was once aired on television – but has since fallen off broadcast TV – most likely due to the reputation of PED use in the sport. If these young deaths end up becoming more consistent – Rush worries that the future of bodybuilding will become even smaller.
“One thing I will say on the flip side of it is. Is that reporting on the deaths in the industry… and in the last 30 or 60 days it was X amount,” Chef Rush states in our interview. He continues:
“The one thing that you don’t want to happen is that it takes a turn for the worse. Where people start in the media, and I mean big media, start looking at it and shun it and say ‘here’s what’s happening.’”
Chef Rush goes on to say that this kind of negative perception can also affect future generations. Either by losing interest or, even worse, generating interest in even more unhealthy practices. Rush claims that, even today, he will have 12 year old kids ask him what kind of steroids they should take. He’s shocked at how young they are aware of that kind of drug use. The PEDs should come second, or never at all, before questions on how to train and diet. The mentality of the younger generation may be skewed.
Of course, this is all anecdotal evidence. In a sport as niche as bodybuilding, there are no real studies done to see if bodybuilding is actually more or less healthy today than it was in the past. Are there more deaths happening? Or is social media just bringing more instant attention to it? These are questions that will likely never have comprehensive answers.
You can watch Chef Rush’s full comments on health in bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Victor Martinez: How To Avoid Retaining Water Weight On Creatine
[embedded content]
Victor Martinez explains key tips on how to properly cycle creatine to avoid holding water weight.
Victor Martinez is an iconic long running pro bodybuilder who also featured in the original Generation Iron and has now started his own supplement company. To say he is knowledgeable about all things bodybuilding would be an understatement. While discussing about his supplement company, Superhero Labz, we asked him for some advice on creatine usage. In our latest GI Exclusive, Victor Martinez breaks down the key strategy to get the best results from creatine without retaining too much water.
Creatine is an amazing (and legal) supplement for packing on mass and muscle. It’s often one of the earlier supplements that serious lifters start to use. While it provides a wonderful boost to your gains, it also has a negative side effect. Over time, consistent usage can lead to retaining higher levels of water weight.
For casual lifters, this might not be a big deal. But for those who are looking to be shredded on top of all that muscle, this is a major problem. Double so for competitive bodybuilders. That’s why we turned to Victor Martinez for advice on how to best use creatine in your bodybuilding diet and supplementation.
Victor Martinez jokes at first – saying he could lie and recommend that lifters buy creatine monthly from his new company. But he honors transparency and trust. Which is why he admits that the supplement should be used on a cycle rather than non-stop consistently. Martinez relates to his own experience first using creatine, how it affected his body, and how he eventually adjusted to an optimized strategy.
Like nearly any lifter who starts using creatine, Victor Martinez saw immediate results. So long as you maintain training – creatine will help bulk you up with bigger muscle mass. It even helps provide the coveted pump during a particularly grueling session in the gym. But what Martinez quickly noticed was that the effects started bending more towards the negative. This happened approximately six to eight weeks into using creatine. He noticed that he was holding more and more water weight. He also noticed that he was no longer receiving the pump.
So he came off of creatine. The water weight diminished and he started feeling better again going into his training sessions. What Victor Martinez ultimately concluded, was that creatine needs to be cycled. That a bodybuilder should stop using the supplement about six to eight weeks in. Then come off the product and start again. Martinez took a three week break between using creatine. That seemed to keep everything in check.
Victor Martinez also suggests that a bodybuilder plan out their creatine cycles to match it up with peak week. He believes that if you are in the early stages of using creatine in the week of a competition – you’re in a good place. He’s stated he’s used creatine to hold water weight on purpose – to avoid looking completely flat Of course, it’s a delicate balance, you don’t want too much to make you look soft and puffy.
If you keep all of these tactics in mind, you’ll find creatine to be an extremely valuable weapon in your bodybuilding arsenal. You can watch Victor Martinez go into full detail about creatine cycling in our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
Ryan Terry: How Judges Feedback Can Do More Harm Than Good
[embedded content]
Ryan Terry warns of how relying too much on judges feedback might hurt your physique instead of help it.
Being a professional bodybuilder, Ryan Terry has had his fair share of competitions and interactions with the official judges. Being a subjective sport, there are times where an athlete might not agree with how he or she was scored. Terry knows this all too well throughout his years of competing. But ultimately, the judges are there for a reason and their advice should be heeded… that is unless it throws you off psychologically. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Terry warns of the dangers of relying too heavily on judges feedback.
Pro bodybuilding is just as much a battle with yourself as it is against the other competitors. At the end of the day, there’s nothing you can do to make another person’s physique worse. All you can do is focus on improving yourself. In that regard, reassessing and adjusting your tactics is important. A bodybuilder needs to have an open mind in order to find new ways to improve. That’s where judges feedback can be helpful. It’s direct insight into the mind of the very people who score you on stage.
But Ryan Terry warns of relying too heavily on feedback from the judges. Terry actually recommends to sometimes avoid feedback (whether it be from judges or online comments). This might sound counter intuitive. Why would you not want valuable feedback?
The whole endeavor has to do more with the mind than the body. Terry notes that if you try too aggressively to meet the feedback given by judges, you might actually throw your entire training and prep off balance. If you’re constantly second guessing your own process – that doubt will eat away at your confidence. Losing that confidence can be a big blow against progress.
Does this mean you should ignore feedback entirely? Not necessarily. Perhaps it depends on knowing yourself and how you will react. Ryan Terry clearly prefers to keep certain feedback off the table so he can stay laser focused without white noise throwing off his direction. Others love feedback and finds that it actually helps provide direction. It’s something each up-and-coming bodybuilder needs to discover for his or herself.
A perfect example of this is Bev Francis. Famous in her heyday for having one of the best female physiques in the history of bodybuilding, her journey through the years is well chronicled. While she is a legend in the sport, she was also a sort of victim to too much feedback. At a time when Women’s Open bodybuilding was finding its identity, Bev Francis was constantly adjusting the kind of physique she held on her frame.
Whether it was due to direct feedback or simply assessing the winner the judges chose – Francis often found herself ping-ponging between needing to put on more mass and needing to look more feminine. Due to this, she never won a Ms. Olympia despite believing herself that she deserved it.
The Ms. Olympia and Women’s Open Bodybuilding of that time might be an extreme case. A time when judges themselves were unsure of what the division champion should look like year after year. But it’s a good example of how feedback can ultimately drag you around and make you lose sight of an overall direction.
Ryan Terry seems to suggest that all feedback, even from judges, should come with a grain of salt. You should know your body better than anyone, even the judges. So that should always be kept in mind when getting feedback.
You can watch Ryan Terry go into detail about his advice for up-and-coming bodybuilders in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
INTERVIEW: The Surprising Reality & Prep Behind Jujimufu’s Viral Stunt Videos
[embedded content]
Jujimufu discusses the origins of his viral videos and the long hours of prep that goes behind each one.
Bodybuilder and fitness athlete Jon Call might be better known in the bodybuilding world by his nickname – Jujimufu. He’s a massive a jacked bodybuilder best known for his viral videos that often involve impressive flexibility and timing. More recently, he has dedicated himself to competitive bodybuilding – bringing him even more media attention as his physique improves. Now that he’s competing, how do his viral stunts play into his prep and does he fear setting himself back due to injury? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jujimufu explains in detail his viral stunt origins, the work it takes to pull them off, and more!
Jujimufu is a rare kind of bodybuilder. He displays incredible acts of flexibility and motion. Not only that – but he also has a funny personality that he puts on full display. He brings more absurdism and fun into the bodybuilding world. It’s refreshing – so it’s no wonder why he’s amassed such a following over the years. Jujimufu was originally a viral bodybuilder who didn’t compete – but as of last year he has decided to put his hat into the ring. He’s been prepping for bodybuilding competitions and his already massive following is excited to see his new and improved physique.
During our conversation with Jujimufu, he explained to us that competition isn’t his end goal. He simply wants to give it a shot due to his love and passion for massive physiques. Ultimately, he is passionate about many forms of fitness including martial arts and gymnastic-type flips and tricks. So being a competitive bodybuilder isn’t the end goal – he’ll always want to dedicate himself toward the viral stunt videos he’s so well known for.
Speaking of his viral videos, we dug in deep exploring everything that goes on behind the short but popular stunt videos. Jujimufu explains the origins behind his viral status. Since a very young age he was in love with fitness. He has been training in martial arts since he was a teenager and transitioned that into gymnastic stunts such as the splits and flips we see today.
After succeeding as a functional athlete, he felt the desire to build more muscle and size. This began his journey towards a more bodybuilding lifestyle. Fast forward to today and Jujimufu caught eyes for having the physique of a bodybuilder but the nimble movements of a gymnast. It’s a combination you rarely ever see – and it helped him become an internet icon.
While his videos are usually short clips – Jujimufu reveals that there is a massive amount of prep work that goes behind each stunt. He often starts small – with a germ of an idea that he practices to see if it’s possible. As he practices, the idea becomes bigger and bigger. Eventually, it becomes a sort of short form stunt spectacular. It’s at this stage that he has to begin prepping the actual plan for the official video.
The prep for shooting the stunt might be a surprise to many. These aren’t videos he just records on the fly. He spends hours, even sometimes days, preparing for the shoot. He has to make sure the stunt is as safe as possible and also work to get all of the tools he needs to pull it off. This includes getting a small crew together to film – and often a collaborator athlete to bring even more fun and exposure to the clip.
All in all, Jujimufu explains that a one minute stunt video might take hours of prep before it’s done. If you include his earlier practice work – it’s actually a total of days of prep. In a sense, this explains the difference between someone like Jujimufu and the copy cats who just try a stunt on the fly. That’s where the unnecessary injuries happen that cause more conservative folks to worry about the growing trend of viral stunt videos.
Jujimufu is an athlete and doesn’t want to get hurt. So he makes sure to take his videos seriously like they were a job. That means prep time and lots of it. You can watch him explain his entire process in detail by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Pro Natural Bodybuilder Colin Congo: Drug Tests Can Probably Be Beaten
[embedded content]
Pro Natural Bodybuilder Colin Congo gets honest about drug testing – claims no drug test can be 100% accurate.
With the Mr. America 2021 just around the corner, we are reconnecting with some pro natural bodybuilders from our time filming Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life. Colin Congo is a Men’s Physique pro natural bodybuilder set to compete at the Mr. America in October. We reconnected with Congo to discuss the realities of natural bodybuilding and drug testing in the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Colin Congo explains why he thinks the drug tests can be beaten.
Natural bodybuilding is often met with skepticism in the overall bodybuilding world. There is little evidence for that criticism except for gut reactions. Namely, that some natural bodybuilder simply look too massive and shredded to be possibly all natural. The biggest natural league in industry, PNBA/INBA, utilizes WADA drug testing for their events. This is the same drug testing used for the Olympics.
That’s a strong credibility to have for pro natural bodybuilding. So it seems the overall skepticism speaks to something bigger than just bodybuilding. In nearly all professional sports – fans believe that someone is getting away with using PEDs – whether there are tests or not.
But does this skepticism have any merit whatsoever? We asked this very question to Men’s Physique Pro Natural Bodybuilder Colin Congo. A featured athlete in Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life, we reconnected with Congo to dive deeper into his thoughts on drug tests and whether or not they are effective.
Colin Congo admits that he thinks that the WADA tests can be beat. That being said, he thinks that they ultimately do what they are meant to. Majority of athletes know they will be tested and have no interest in trying to beat it. And the WADA tests do catch PED users yearly in the league. The remaining small percentage of athletes who get away with it are a very small number.
That’s why Colin Congo doesn’t say anything even when he believes that there is a competitor on stage who is enhanced. Congo claims that he knows when he steps on stage, there will always be a chance someone is unnatural. In fact, he’s gone into competitions believing someone battling against him was enhanced. He never said anything. That person won the competition.
Colin Congo doesn’t see himself as the gatekeeper for drug testing. That’s what the federation is for. He also knows that many natural bodybuilders are often mistaken for being enhanced. Sometimes, it seems like something is impossible without the use of PEDs. But that’s the great thing about pro natural bodybuilding – they accomplish things that seem impossible. So Congo won’t call someone out without 100% evidence – because he could simply be wrong.
“This test can probably be beaten if I had to guess. And I know there are folks out there who are going to be on stage with me that are not 100% natural,” Colin Congo states in our interview. He continues:
“I know there are dudes out there that are 100% natural that just have absolutely gifted physiques. And they are going to look enhanced and they are going to just look like that. I’m not the gatekeeper for who’s natural and who’s not. I know I get up there and put my best physique on the stage. And I’m counting on the organization to hold those guys to the same standard that I’m holding myself to.”
Nothing can ever be 100% guaranteed. But a drug test on the level of WADA also helps create preventative measures that stop athletes from even thinking of trying in the first place. It’s like a sign that says, “You are being filmed.” Even if there is actually no camera filming – most people will assume that they are, in fact, being filmed and not steal from a store. Sure, some will call the bluff and cheat. But the measures in place help far more than nothing at all.
You can watch Colin Congo go into more detail about natural bodybuilding and drug testing in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Patrick Moore’s Outlook: Rushing Perfection Will Only Ruin His Physique
[embedded content]
Patrick Moore believes he will be one of the best in the sport… but he thinks rushing towards perfection is a mistake.
Patrick Moore is a pro bodybuilder with a lot of hype behind him and a somewhat rollercoaster of a career in past years. After a stellar win in 2019 at the California Pro, his placings have been a bit all over the place. He’s aware of that – and has been on a course correction in 2021 by focusing on less shows and more on improvements. His return to the California Pro 2021 showed just how much progress he’s made with a big win.
Patrick Moore’s physique, when at its best, shows promise of a potential future Olympia champion. Most certainly a top 5 competitor at the every least. That kind of hype can get into someone’s head – but he’s not worried. In fact, he’s in no rush to become the best – despite extreme confidence that he can deliver. In our latest GI exclusive interview, Patrick Moore explains how rushing towards perfection will only hurt his physique – not help it.
Patrick Moore has seen this happen time and time again, he’s almost fallen into this exact same trap himself. Up-and-coming bodybuilders catch a spotlight of hype. They then rush to become the best in the world within one year. They proclaim lofty goals of winning or placing top 5 in their very first Mr. Olympia. Almost always, this doesn’t happen. And a subsequent burnout follows shortly after.
Patrick Moore wants to avoid this. He believes that he has what it takes to become a Mr. Olympia champion – but he’s in no rush to have it happen this year or perhaps even the next. Pro bodybuilding is a long game. It requires muscle maturity, wisdom over many years, and constant tweaking and re-adjusting of contest prep to learn what works and what doesn’t for your specific body.
During a stretch in 2019 through 2020, Patrick Moore was in a sort of a rush. Or as he puts it, he was in a nearly year long contest prep. This was because he felt the need to do too many shows in a year. For his body specifically, the number of shows he competed in was not what was best for his physique. He suffered, his placings suffered. Add in a pandemic that re-adjusted the 2020 schedule – and his physique (and mind) was burnt out.
Going into 2021, Patrick Moore had a renewed mindset. He wanted to complete in less shows and focus more on improving his training, diet, and contest prep. So far, his renewed tactic seems to be working. He returned to the California Pro and reclaimed his champion title. Now he has his eyes focused squarely on the Mr. Olympia.
During our conversation, we asked Patrick Moore if he feels pressure to deliver. To become the perfect champion that many fans see is possible in his physique. Moore admits that he has an extreme drive to compete and win – but he’s learned to not feel the pressure when it comes to becoming the best. He finds that giving into that pressure leads to rushing your progress. Rushing past what is best for your body only leads to a drop in quality – not improvements.
That’s not to say he’s not working his ass off. He is – but he understands that patience is also a virtue. He can’t will himself into progressing faster than what’s right for his body. He has extreme confidence in his abilities – and wants to follow the plan through rather than rush it for extra size. He believes if he follows the plan – he’ll be Olympia champion in the future.
He also points out that bodybuilding is in a transitionary period right now. There are still some long-running pro bodybuilders competing that will soon drop out in upcoming years. He means this not as a criticism of them but as a fact of life. The new generation is rising – instead of rushing to beat the past generation, Moore wants to focus on what’s best for himself and let time treat him kindly.
“I don’t feel that much pressure there as to speed up because what I see what’s happening with a lot of the guys… A lot of guys that are older than me are close to being done,” Patrick Moore states in our interview. He goes on:
“And that’s not to be disrespectful to them. They’ve been here a long time. So I say that like their physiques aren’t changing a whole, whole lot because they are kind of maxed. They get more dense, they get harder because they have a lot of muscle. For me, I’m still growing and I feel like if I rush that process – then I can end up destroying my physique. And I think that’s what makes me a good prospect is that my physique is different especially in the open class. A lot of guys aren’t built the way I am.”
You can watch Patrick Moore go into full detail about his strategy to rise in the ranks of pro bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!