[quote]Elegua360 wrote:
I’m thinking about the original post, the thing that started all of this.
I have to ask, what’s with you guys over-thinking other guy’s physiques? If you aren’t a male model, BB competitor, or screen actor, then why would you waste one moment of your life looking at another man’s body and wondering if you’re superior or inferior to that person because of one aspect of their physical symmetry?
For that matter, how pathetic is it to further quantify your own self-worth by wondering if they took drugs or not?
Worry about your own achievements, ffs.
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This is a good point, but we are all guilty of comparing and measuring up each other is almost all aspects of life (career, money, looks, car whatever). It is stupid, but we all do it to some extent. My view is if someone is more successful in something than myself (and I am interested in being more successful at that particular thing) then let me try to learn from this guy or gal. Their success is my success and vice versa.
Back to the bodybuilding natural vs enhanced, I can respect both. Each requires hardwork, tons for sacrifice and a level of dedication that is hard to find with the average person. Of course, the fruits of their labor will be dramatically different. I can understand the decision to go the steroid route, we all are looking for an edge to improve our progress and here is a proven method that works 99% of the time, tough to deny such a temptation. Drugs work 10 times better than any supplement we can purchase here, just a fact. It changes the rules by which your body response to exercise and nutrition. That is powerful.
If, like a popular member here recently stated, I want to go Pro, then it is a necessary fact: You will need all the discipline and hardwork you can muster AND a truckload of hormones & ancillary drugs. If you have the balls,pun intended, to go that route and that is what you truly want, how can I judge you on following your dreams? I too as a young buck wanted to be Mr. Olympia one day, I not so quickly realized its not in the cards for me and that is perfectly fine. I compete in small non-tested NPC shows sometimes against people who are very much on drugs and get beat, plain and simple. Is it because of the drugs I lose, no…but it certainly changes the type of physique one can bring onstage. Unless you are a true rookie, “growing into a show” is near impossible for a natural bodybuilder. Muscle & Fiction magazine continues to misinform many a young man.
I can identify with the statement You only go around once, you might as well go around with really big biceps. I think we all here love that. My question would be a benefit/risk ratio. Bodybuilders and particularly enhanced bodybuilders give up so much for a relatively small reward. What motivates someone to take such risks? Money? Very few really make large amounts of money and many of these bodybuilding cribs shows are a false representation of most bodybuilders. Fame? Ask the guy on the street who Jay Cutler is and he will say the QB for the Chicago Bears. The ablity to say they are one of the best in the world at something? Ok, I can respect that, we all can respect that. Success in any sport requires some level of risk, but at least the other risky sports like NFL with a 100% injury rate and something like boxing, getting pounded in the head is just not good for you, the athletes are very well rewarded. Now if my multi-million dollar NFL contract is on the line, I might reach for something for a little boost as well, which is one reason pro sports in general is a bunch of hypocrisy but that is another story.
Every user I have known personally loved being on, hated being off and at the end of the whole thing later felt like a moron for taking it.
That is not to say if you are a user you are a moron, just got this feedback from regular old school competive bodybuilding/powerlifting types, if you were Mr. Olympia I am sure you feel better about the whole thing.
