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October
1999
Introduction
Well, it's November, and time for another issue of Anabolic Extreme. I'd like to so hello to all of our new members and welcome back our veterans. Sit back, relax, and try and stay awake after eating that tryptophan laden turkey, this is my pet peeve article I caught some flack last month for last month's installment on steroid cycling for bodybuilders. Apparently some people thought the article was a bit too extreme, with just a tad too many mg's per week. You know what I think? I think it's time to take off the blinders and put down the game of Candyland. I must admit, when I started bodybuilding at age 16, I was as naïve as they come. I thought none of the monsters I worshiped in Flex and M&F took steroids, those were the sole domain of some evil alternate bodybuilding universe. The blinders are off now and if you don't like the truth in the message, don't shoot the messenger. The article detailed some incredibly high dosages, with some weeks totaling over 6 grams of steroid. That's what's now being used in the upper echelons of the sport. I know there are some of you that will never believe success at the top level of the sport requires that kind of drug use. I know that you'd like to believe that the bottle of winny and those 10 primo's you have hidden away are all it's going to take. No one likes the fact that the abuse of drugs in the sport has gotten to the point it's at today, especially the athletes themselves. You know what's caused this constant escalation of drug use in bodybuilding? A little thing called progress. Every individual who competes at the national and professional level of bodybuilding is a genetic freak. Don't think for a minute that I take anything away from these athletes because I'm honest about their drug use. All professional athletes use performance enhancing drugs. I know, I know the average weight of linemen in the NFL has increased by 40 lbs in the last thirty years because of Met-RX , right? Human beings constantly strive to better themselves. Whether it's running faster, jumping higher, hitting more home-runs, or being a better bodybuilder, we'll always try to take it to the next level. The other day I got into an argument with my girlfriend as to why bodybuilders are not respected and given the financial rewards that other athletes enjoy. My argument was that bodybuilders are looked upon as freaks by most of society and bodybuilding will always remain an underground sport. Her argument was that anyone can be a bodybuilder if they take enough drugs, and that they were not true athletes. I was initially deeply bothered that she felt this way. Upon reflection, I realized that the reason why people think bodybuilders are freaks and the sport will always remain underground is that most people think exactly like my girlfriend. What's really sad is that she is aware of the time and dedication it takes to reach the higher levels of the sport. Bodybuilders wear their sport. You can pass a professional baseball player on the street and not know he plays ball. You can pass a professional tennis player on the street and you'll never know he won Wimbledon yesterday. However, if you pass Nasser or Dillet on the street, even if you've never watched a bodybuilding competition before, you're going to know something's going on here. My usual reaction, even after all this time, is one of amazement expressed by, "Holy shit!" Most people will respond with "that's gross" or "how can he do that to himself." Is this the life you want to lead? To fill yourself with drugs and have most of society ridicule you? It must be, you've chosen to be a bodybuilder. And before you natural bodybuilders out there start crying "foul", this is directed to those of you that are "enhanced" so to speak. Natural bodybuilding, like it or not, will always be hidden in the shadow of organizations like the NPC or IFBB. Why do people hate bodybuilders so? Envy, baby, envy. Let's go back to the dawn of man, when the meanest, largest sonofabitch was the leader of the tribe. The man who was the strongest lead the tribe because he could crush anyone who opposed him He got to mate the most with the females because his progeny gave the tribe the best chance of survival. Cut to today. Today our leaders use their mental prowess, not brawn, to ascend to the heights of leadership. But those old primal fears and instincts still exist. Men still find themselves intimidated by other men who are larger and more muscular themselves. Women, despite what they may tell their 150 lb boyfriend, still find themselves inextricably attracted to a man with a powerful physique. Let me give you an example. If Bill Gates, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, knew his wife was going out for a night on the town with a fellow computer geek (no offense to computer geeks, I'm one myself), he probably wouldn't sweat it too much. However, if he knows his wife is going out with say, Jay Cutler or Milos Sarcev, he's going to be sweating bullets. Expecting that phone call at 4 in the morning, "Bill, honey it's been great and all but Jay and I have decided we have more of a future together. Oh, and I want half. Bye now!" Every man secretly wishes he had a better body and every woman wishes she had a man with a great physique. You have something they want that they can't have, so they hate you. Such is the price of fame. Stereotypes about bodybuilders bother me. Let me tell you about a compliment I get that I find really insulting. "Jason, you really speak so well!" "Jason, you wrote this? It's very well written!" Really. I'm sorry, what did you expect? "Me Grok. Me need food and steroid. Must find. Must lift heavy rock" I guess people are surprised to find that I use polysyllabic words when I write. Or that my articles aren't done in crayon. Is it an accepted premise that your brain atrophies as your muscles hypertrophy? If you've never been to a professional bodybuilding contest, you need to go. Professional bodybuilding shows make the Oscars look like a night out at the dog track. The first time I was ever at a pro show, I couldn't believe the people there. "Why aren't all these people in the movies?" I was thinking to myself. Men and women that were so beautiful it was shocking (no, I'm not gay). Well, this environment intimidates most "normal" people. Envy again. My last peeve for this article is the inevitable, "Do you take steroids?" How many times has everyone reading this article heard that question? I've gone through many different methods of dealing with this question, finally resulting in a multiple choice list I carry in my head and use according to the situation. The first, and most obvious choice, is to deny their use. "Steroids? Why, I don't take steroids! This is a result of massive amounts of food intake and long grueling workouts." Depending on how bloated you are and how many of your friends are around, this answer can result in a lot of snickering in the background. Second choice is to admit to their use in the past, but say you saw the light and have been clean for some time now. This allows the person asking the question the satisfaction of spotting a juicer, but still allows for acceptance as you obviously have demonstrated an understanding of the errors of your ways. The third option is to ignore the question entirely. The problem with this approach is that you are automatically branded a juicer through your silence. The fourth and final option is my favorite. It came about after I made the realization that anyone who would ask is probably an asshole. I mean, who asks personal questions like that? When asked I respond, "You know, when you looked at me, I realize that you thought I might take steroids. I mean, I do have a very muscular physique. Well, when I looked at you, I immediately thought, pedophile. But you noticed I had the class not to ask you if you fucked children." This approach works best in public situations so the individual who asks the question really is made to feel like an asshole. Try it sometime. Well folks, you've chosen to be a bodybuilder. You've got a long road ahead of you. The constant eating, training, and supplementation is just the beginning. Pretty soon, you'll get to deal with the stares, the comments, the shit-talking, and the stereotypes. Never forget that people will attack you, directly or indirectly, because they are envious of what you have achieved. We are bodybuilders. We are brothers in iron. Stand proud. Meuller out. Copyright 1999 Jason Meuller and Anabolic Extreme. This material may not be copied, reproduced, or transmitted without the express written permission of the copyright owners. |
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