Getbig Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness Forums
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: AmonRa on October 05, 2014, 05:29:14 AM
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Do you think that Steve Reeves was a fake natty? Seems like he was a narcissistic self absorbed SOB and fake natty too. Great width.
(http://www.ifbbpro.com/wp-content/uploads/image/halloffame/SteveReeves1.jpg)
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natural bodybuilders is fake
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::)
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I think he was a legit natty, but he had 1:1,000,000 genetics and gave as much false hope to male America as juiced bb'ers do now with their retarded supps.
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I thought it was common knowledge that he juiced? Wouldn't have been much, but still, not natty.
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no
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Steve Reeves was the best of the true naturals. Superb in every way. The kind of face and physique that women love.
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Steve Reeves was the best of the true naturals. Superb in every way. The kind of face and physique that women love.
There's a lot of male 50+ homo love for Reeves here on Getbig.
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There's a lot of male 50+ homo love for Reeves here on Getbig.
I've known a few homosexuals that thought Reeves was very attractive. So what? I like women and the type of woman I have always been attracted to find Reeves type of physique to be very desirable in a man. I look more like a poor man's cross between Dave Draper and Steve Reeves, both of whom inspired me a great deal along with the Oak and Zane.
Steve Reeves is to me and many others of my generation and the one before it, the ideal physique. Bill Pearl once remarked that while he (Pearl) was definitely a very heterosexual man, when Reeves walked in the room everyone, including Bill, just stopped and looked. One of the most beautiful women I have known in my 50+ years of life adored Reeves. Her son is a dear childhood friend of mine and as such I would never dishonor him nor he by speaking poorly about her (i.e., in a sexual manner) but she with her admiration of the Reeves ideal also inspired me to strive for it.
It does no good to seek to discredit that which is truth and in Steve's case his physique was his own and not from a bottle.
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He's on drugs in that photo....I think he was natty early on but when he made the movies he was definitely on drugs.
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Steve was my trainer at the Bert Goodrich Hollywood Gym in the mid 1950s. Ciba labs little blue Dianabol pills were just showing up. My guess is natural the whole time.
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There's a lot of male 50+ homo love for Reeves here on Getbig.
I'd go about 1/18th gay for Reeves, a VERY long handshake, maybe even eye contact.
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reeves was a stud and had a physique 99% of GB couldnt touch. thats why he has to be on steroids.
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Compared to Arnold and other bodybuilders until today yeah, he can be considered natural or clean... I personally think that whatever there was available in those times, being testosterone or other stuff, Reeves for sure experimented with it at some point in his life... We are talking about a very narcissistic individual that would do anything to look good and always better...
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He probably used steroids during his life. BB's have always taken what's available at the time to improve their physiques.
What difference does it make anyway? Dude would still be considered one the greatest regardless.
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I thought it was common knowledge that he juiced? Wouldn't have been much, but still, not natty.
He would have needed a time machine you idiots.
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The Male Hormone by Paul de Kruif in 1945 :
(http://muscle.iuhu.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Male-Hormone-what-are-steroids.jpg)
Reeves had very good genetics for bodybuilding. Such as Lee Labrada for example. But after his shouder injury (1959), he could'nt train much. And his injury became worse. Nevertheless he managed to maintain good muscle mass. So I think he took some form of anabolic steroid during his last years as an actor. Mylène Demongeot and Valérie Lagrange said he was not even able to lift them during shooting.
I think he probably took something in 1948 also.
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Steve was my trainer at the Bert Goodrich Hollywood Gym in the mid 1950s. Ciba labs little blue Dianabol pills were just showing up. My guess is natural the whole time.
Mr. MB can you outline the way Steve trained and his diet when he was your trainer?
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I don't know that he ever claimed to be natty. I remember reading somewhere that he was one of the first to work with Zeigler but I am old and my memory sucks. But Mr MB was there.
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I believe that if he had knowledge of/access to hormones – he took them.
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He would have needed a time machine you idiots.
for someone who has been around as long as you, you seem ignorant of the fact that chemical assistance has been available since the 1940's and there were hundreds of products developed by CIBA and others before dianabol came on the scene.
I mean even John fuckin Grimek experimented with testosterone injections back in the day.
So why would Reeves need a time machine? Who's the idiot now? ;)
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No doubt he experimented here and there with some basic gear of his time.
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Lostsa old timer's heads gonna explode if you keep insinuating that the GOD STEVE REEVES was juiced. Stop now.
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Getbiggers agree he was juiced = he was natty.
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reeves was a stud and had a physique 99% of GB couldnt touch. thats why he has to be on steroids.
qft!
Instant recipe for hate.
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List of Steroid type drugs available to 1940's bodybuilders potentially -
Androsterone - (Schering - 1934)
Androfort (Richter - 1936)
Testosterone Propionate - Sterandryl (Roussel - 1936)
Testoviron (British Schering - 1936)
Virormone (Paines & Byrne - 1936)
Perandren (Ciba - 1937)
Neo-Hombreol (Organon - 1937)
Pantestin (Richter - ?? *at least 1941)
Erugon-S (Bayer - ?? *at least 1941)
Methyltestosterone - Metandren (Ciba - 1940)
Perandren Linguets (Ciba - 1940)
Glosso-Sterandryl (Roussel - 1941)
Neo-Hombreol-M (Organon - 1941)
Oreton M (British Schering - 1942)
Oraviron (British Schering - 1942)
Viromone- Oral (Paines & Byrne - 1942)
Testosterone Cypionate
Depo-Testosterone (Upjohn - 1951)
Methyl Testosterone being sold through an ad in Popular Science in 1948 -
http://books.google.com/books?id=fiYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA258&dq=methyltestosterone+hudson&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1niVU5r7CcqdyASxo4CAAQ&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=methyltestosterone%20hudson&f=false
FDA stops it 1950 or so -
http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/fdanj/bitstream/123456789/13388/3/174001130.txt .
Just offing it up, it's up to you to decide what you believe, personally post WWII is my start point where I start to listen, by then steroids, were in use helping the war wounded, had magazine press, etc....
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Methyl Testosterone being sold through an ad in Popular Science in 1948 -
http://books.google.com/books?id=fiYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA258&dq=methyltestosterone+hudson&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1niVU5r7CcqdyASxo4CAAQ&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=methyltestosterone%20hudson&f=false
Boom.
Steroids were common knowledge and easily acquired in the 1940's. Reeves surely used them..... being a bodybuilder and all ::)
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Steve would not place in the top 3 today in Mr. California. 'If' he took drugs, Ciba Labs Dbol was out in the open, with his amazing genetics he would have been HUGE. HUGE in today's standards. He was only a fantastic natural. Yes there were anabolics used primarily in medicine available in the 50's. I was a mere kid but did socialize with Steve, Larry Scott and Bill Smith when we all went to Rand's Roundup, an all you can eat prime rib joint. We did talk about Dbol. Word was that yes it made you bigger but it gave you massive zits and water retention. Reeves, Scott and Smith wanted none of that.
Bodybuilders in those days were physical culturists. They took handfulls of desiccated liver and brewers yeast tablets. Farted like cows. Sure there were a few guys who took Dbol and yes they were zit city. NOT the men who I speak of.
But alas manny of you will not believe this. Like broscience a lot of you perpetuate brohistory. ,
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reeves lifetime natural?
are u kidding?
for sure a steroid user
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Steve would not place in the top 3 today in Mr. California. 'If' he took drugs, Ciba Labs Dbol was out in the open, with his amazing genetics he would have been HUGE. HUGE in today's standards. He was only a fantastic natural. Yes there were anabolics used primarily in medicine available in the 50's. I was a mere kid but did socialize with Steve, Larry Scott and Bill Smith when we all went to Rand's Roundup, an all you can eat prime rib joint. We did talk about Dbol. Word was that yes it made you bigger but it gave you massive zits and water retention. Reeves, Scott and Smith wanted none of that.
Bodybuilders in those days were physical culturists. They took handfulls of desiccated liver and brewers yeast tablets. Farted like cows. Sure there were a few guys who took Dbol and yes they were zit city. NOT the men who I speak of.
But alas manny of you will not believe this. Like broscience a lot of you perpetuate brohistory. ,
What was the Reeves training and diet like?
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But alas manny of you will not believe this. Like broscience a lot of you perpetuate brohistory. ,
You mention Larry Scott, he admits he was taking dbol, low dosage as he said.
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Steve Reeves was the best of the true naturals. Superb in every way. The kind of face and physique that women love.
QFT what a handsome handsome man!!!
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You mention Larry Scott, he admits he was taking dbol, low dosage as he said.
I never saw Larry again after he went from Goodrich over to Gironda's Gym. What happened then...I don't know. I'm not surprised. Reeves and Bill Smith went Hollywood and Scott stayed in the Bodybuilding limelight.
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QFT what a handsome handsome man!!!
you wouldnt give him a second look when in a club wearing clothes and prime ronnie coleman is on the other side of the club
this is just a fact of life and female brain anatomy
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You mention Larry Scott, he admits he was taking dbol, low dosage as he said.
He lied.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-Kxxl5B-9M/TdCZqx8NscI/AAAAAAAADeM/-RB651dUJQM/s1600/larry%2Btwo.jpg)
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What was the Reeves training and diet like?
I only saw Steve eat when we all went to dinner. Amazing that they let a high school kid join them. He ate copious amounts of beef chased down by beer. I did sit next to him a few times at the health food bar downstairs from Goodrich. He ate yogurt with toasted wheat germ and black molasses on top...and a 50/50 coconut milk and carrot juice drink. I joined him and it was rather good.
I most remember Steve doing weighted dips and chins, hanging leg ups, overhead triceps press and heavy leg press He would often do seated behind the neck militarys. High reps and super slow. Along with dumbbell bench and curls I did about the same routine.
This was almost 60 years ago....ouch!!
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Steve Reeves won Mr America in 1947 and the NABBA Mr Universe in 1950. That was well before Dianabol was released about 1956.
The public in those days thought bodybuilders were musclebound, stupid and perhaps queer. Mirror athletes they were called. So
most of the guys who lifted weights had something to prove and they were strong and could do feats of strength. Steve lived in
the house on the beach owned by an old lady who demanded healthy living and especially nutrition.
I rather doubt that Steve took anything like testosterone in those days. What happened later in his career we do not know.
When you look closely at the champs from the 40s and early 50s you don't see any gynecomastia.
It was Grimek and not Reeves who experimented with Testosterone. He didn't benefit so abandoned them.
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you wouldnt give him a second look when in a club wearing clothes and prime ronnie coleman is on the other side of the club
this is just a fact of life and female brain anatomy
I have met Ronnie Coleman and didn't find him attractive. Yes he's a great bodybuilder and one of the best with incredible genetics. I love faces over physiques and happen to like more classic physiques anyway. Personsality is extremely attractive too and Ronnie is very dull and boring.
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I have met Ronnie Coleman and didn't find him attractive. Yes he's a great bodybuilder and one of the best with incredible genetics. I love faces over physiques and happen to like more classic physiques anyway. Personsality is extremely attractive too and Ronnie is very dull and boring.
ronnie is not dull and boring
he is pure of heart
true christian ambassador of jehova
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ronnie is not dull and boring
he is pure of heart
true christian ambassador of jehova
He is dull and boring. I talked to him on a plane flying to Dallas after the AC in 2007. I met so many other bodybuilders during the expo with much better personalities.
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QFT what a handsome handsome man!!!
you wouldnt give him a second look when in a club wearing clothes and prime ronnie coleman is on the other side of the club
this is just a fact of life and female brain anatomy
I have met Ronnie Coleman and didn't find him attractive. Yes he's a great bodybuilder and one of the best with incredible genetics. I love faces over physiques and happen to like more classic physiques anyway. Personsality is extremely attractive too and Ronnie is very dull and boring.
ronnie is not dull and boring
he is pure of heart
true christian ambassador of jehova
He is dull and boring. I talked to him on a plane flying to Dallas after the AC in 2007. I met so many other bodybuilders during the expo with much better personalities.
And the dumbfucks are off......
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you wouldnt give him a second look when in a club wearing clothes and prime ronnie coleman is on the other side of the club
this is just a fact of life and female brain anatomy
Baby Mama #11 in 3, 2, 1...
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I only saw Steve eat when we all went to dinner. Amazing that they let a high school kid join them. He ate copious amounts of beef chased down by beer. I did sit next to him a few times at the health food bar downstairs from Goodrich. He ate yogurt with toasted wheat germ and black molasses on top...and a 50/50 coconut milk and carrot juice drink. I joined him and it was rather good.
I most remember Steve doing weighted dips and chins, hanging leg ups, overhead triceps press and heavy leg press He would often do seated behind the neck militarys. High reps and super slow. Along with dumbbell bench and curls I did about the same routine.
This was almost 60 years ago....ouch!!
Awesome..
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List of Steroid type drugs available to 1940's bodybuilders potentially -
Androsterone - (Schering - 1934)
Androfort (Richter - 1936)
Testosterone Propionate - Sterandryl (Roussel - 1936)
Testoviron (British Schering - 1936)
Virormone (Paines & Byrne - 1936)
Perandren (Ciba - 1937)
Neo-Hombreol (Organon - 1937)
Pantestin (Richter - ?? *at least 1941)
Erugon-S (Bayer - ?? *at least 1941)
Methyltestosterone - Metandren (Ciba - 1940)
Perandren Linguets (Ciba - 1940)
Glosso-Sterandryl (Roussel - 1941)
Neo-Hombreol-M (Organon - 1941)
Oreton M (British Schering - 1942)
Oraviron (British Schering - 1942)
Viromone- Oral (Paines & Byrne - 1942)
Testosterone Cypionate
Depo-Testosterone (Upjohn - 1951)
Methyl Testosterone being sold through an ad in Popular Science in 1948 -
http://books.google.com/books?id=fiYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA258&dq=methyltestosterone+hudson&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1niVU5r7CcqdyASxo4CAAQ&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=methyltestosterone%20hudson&f=false
FDA stops it 1950 or so -
http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/fdanj/bitstream/123456789/13388/3/174001130.txt .
Just offing it up, it's up to you to decide what you believe, personally post WWII is my start point where I start to listen, by then steroids, were in use helping the war wounded, had magazine press, etc....
Talking about CIBA Dianabol not being there but this got ignored it seems... Revees used in my opinion, that takes nothing away from his legend and awesome physique...
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you wouldnt give him a second look when in a club wearing clothes and prime ronnie coleman is on the other side of the club
this is just a fact of life and female brain anatomy
you're on drugs if you really believe this.
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I think the last natural bb was Sandow. He was pretty dry so he may have used some form of amphetamines.
I also think a lot of the 70's guys took more than we think.
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Every generation thinks that their generation is where shit begins. It's comical...
1885
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Cocaine_for_kids.gif/330px-Cocaine_for_kids.gif)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Burnett%27s_Cocaine_for_the_hair_%28advertisement%2C_McClure%27s_1896%29.jpg/330px-Burnett%27s_Cocaine_for_the_hair_%28advertisement%2C_McClure%27s_1896%29.jpg)
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Queen Victoria and every kunt around smoked Opium in the 1800's
Gin was given out to keep the poor people drunk.
Kids got whored out early in the legal pedo brothels in London.
Victoria was fuckin her cousin prince Albert.
Times are innocent theses days by comparison.
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I only saw Steve eat when we all went to dinner. Amazing that they let a high school kid join them. He ate copious amounts of beef chased down by beer. I did sit next to him a few times at the health food bar downstairs from Goodrich. He ate yogurt with toasted wheat germ and black molasses on top...and a 50/50 coconut milk and carrot juice drink. I joined him and it was rather good.
I most remember Steve doing weighted dips and chins, hanging leg ups, overhead triceps press and heavy leg press He would often do seated behind the neck militarys. High reps and super slow. Along with dumbbell bench and curls I did about the same routine.
This was almost 60 years ago....ouch!!
I've read in various online sources that he always started with delts and then some combo of chest/back/arms and always ended with legs
Is this correct?
Do you recall the # of sets per bb or how long these full body workouts took to complete?
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(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=552027.0;attach=581836;image)
Overrated
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QFT what a handsome handsome man!!!
Every woman I have ever considered worth pursuing and dating has been a woman of class and taste. No girls, just women. And in my youth they were always older as that is what I prefer. A woman. Without fail, if shown a photograph of Steve Reeves they would state without hesitation that he was one of the most handsome men they had ever seen a photograph of and his body was a thing of masculine beauty. Sculpture made flesh is what one woman, an art major said nearly forty years ago.
Like Arnold, Park, Zane and a few others from the days of glory past, we will never see the likes of Reeves again.
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Every woman I have ever considered worth pursuing and dating has been a woman of class and taste. No girls, just women. And in my youth they were always older as that is what I prefer. A woman. Without fail, if shown a photograph of Steve Reeves they would state without hesitation that he was one of the most handsome men they had ever seen a photograph of and his body was a thing of masculine beauty. Sculpture made flesh is what one woman, an art major said nearly forty years ago.
Like Arnold, Park, Zane and a few others from the days of glory past, we will never see the likes of Reeves again.
Today they would be saying this about Rich Piano
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Today they would be saying this about Rich Piano
;D That would undoubtedly be true if I associated with white trash women, but I don't. ;D
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I've read in various online sources that he always started with delts and then some combo of chest/back/arms and always ended with legs
Is this correct?
Do you recall the # of sets per bb or how long these full body workouts took to complete?
I don't recall the order but the time was no more than an hour unless Steve was interrupted for jaw sessions. Three sets I recall. Last one to failure.
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We know he is more natural than today's so called natural BB. Bottom line he looked great back then.
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Today they would be saying this about Rich Piano
Littlerich just came in his pants :-X
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you're on drugs if you really believe this.
i went with baby mama to fibo 2011 and she wouldnt even look twice at jako de bruyn type of physique dudes walking around shirtless
when she saw coleman (who was still huge then) she lost her marbles completely and wanted his children
i base all my statements about women on baby mama
hope this helps
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reeves liked afew ciba-giegys with his morning bagel
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For me, the only reason I'd wonder if he was really natural was the routine that he supposedly used. It was a TOUGH full body routine with several exercises per body part (instead of the standard 1 per body part full body routine) and it appears he wasn't using light weights. Sure it was just 3 days but I would think it would be hard to recover and would lead to overtraining rather quickly.
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i went with baby mama to fibo 2011 and she wouldnt even look twice at jako de bruyn type of physique dudes walking around shirtless
when she saw coleman (who was still huge then) she lost her marbles completely and wanted his children
i base all my statements about women on baby mama
hope this helps
Baby Mama isn't representative of how most women think Halo.
LOL. There are probably women out there who find short, fat, bald men attractive. Doesn't make it the norm. :D
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List of Steroid type drugs available to 1940's bodybuilders potentially -
Androsterone - (Schering - 1934)
Androfort (Richter - 1936)
Testosterone Propionate - Sterandryl (Roussel - 1936)
Testoviron (British Schering - 1936)
Virormone (Paines & Byrne - 1936)
Perandren (Ciba - 1937)
Neo-Hombreol (Organon - 1937)
Pantestin (Richter - ?? *at least 1941)
Erugon-S (Bayer - ?? *at least 1941)
Methyltestosterone - Metandren (Ciba - 1940)
Perandren Linguets (Ciba - 1940)
Glosso-Sterandryl (Roussel - 1941)
Neo-Hombreol-M (Organon - 1941)
Oreton M (British Schering - 1942)
Oraviron (British Schering - 1942)
Viromone- Oral (Paines & Byrne - 1942)
Testosterone Cypionate
Depo-Testosterone (Upjohn - 1951)
Methyl Testosterone being sold through an ad in Popular Science in 1948 -
http://books.google.com/books?id=fiYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA258&dq=methyltestosterone+hudson&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1niVU5r7CcqdyASxo4CAAQ&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=methyltestosterone%20hudson&f=false
FDA stops it 1950 or so -
http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/fdanj/bitstream/123456789/13388/3/174001130.txt .
Just offing it up, it's up to you to decide what you believe, personally post WWII is my start point where I start to listen, by then steroids, were in use helping the war wounded, had magazine press, etc....
thanks! interesting
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Baby Mama isn't representative of how most women think Halo.
LOL. There are probably women out there who find short, fat, bald men attractive. Doesn't make it the norm. :D
No.
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No.
I'm sure there must be even if they number barely a dozen worldwide. You have people with strange fetishes for almost anything and everything.
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For me, the only reason I'd wonder if he was really natural was the routine that he supposedly used. It was a TOUGH full body routine with several exercises per body part (instead of the standard 1 per body part full body routine) and it appears he wasn't using light weights. Sure it was just 3 days but I would think it would be hard to recover and would lead to overtraining rather quickly.
From his book building the Classic physique.
Upright rowing 3x8-12
Press behind neck 3x8-12
Bent over laterals 3x8-12
barbell Bench press 3x8-12
Dumbbell incline press 3x8-12
Flat bench flys 3x8-12
Chins or pulldown behind neck 3x8-12
Low pulley rows 3x8-12
One arm Dumbbell rows 3x8-12
Standing Barbell curls 3x8-12
Incline Dumbbell curls 3x8-12
High pulley bench curls 3x8-12
Tricep pushdowns 3x8-12
Tricep extensions with Dumbbells 3x8-12
one arm cross over or Dumbbell cross faces 3x8-12
Half squats 3x8-12
Barbell hack lifts 3x8-12
front squats 3x8-12
Buddy assisted leg curl 3x8-12
calf raises(leg press machine) 1x20
Good mornings 3x8-12Partner assisted neck flexation 2x15
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Do you think that Steve Reeves was a fake natty? Seems like he was a narcissistic self absorbed SOB and fake natty too. Great width.
(http://www.ifbbpro.com/wp-content/uploads/image/halloffame/SteveReeves1.jpg)
I do believe they're people with great genetics for bodybuilding ,(me included) that don't need to take steroids to built a muscular and desired physique ...
If not human can achieve a physique like that naturally ..then we are a shitty race ( the human race in general)
Besides, that picture is more than 60 years old ...to think of steroids.
WoooSSSHHHHHHHH
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Well still a role model for me...infact I was on the steve Reeves society page today. Great info on there.
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I don't care one way or the other, but I find it amusing in a cruel way the sound of men's heads exploding at the circumstantial evidence presented to support the theory that Reeves was a juicer.
Hahaha!
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;)
http://www.stevereeves.com/
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Baby Mama isn't representative of how most women think Halo.
LOL. There are probably women out there who find short, fat, bald men attractive. Doesn't make it the norm. :D
doubt it bro
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I'm sure there must be even if they number barely a dozen worldwide. You have people with strange fetishes for almost anything and everything.
thank fck there is hope for me then.
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Steve Reeves took steroids I heard one of his peers talking about don't remember exactly but he did
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I was in rehab with his cousin...
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I was in rehab with his cousin...
What was he like?
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He was built when he was 15 in the 30's. He was built while he was in the Army during World War II. Was he juicing in the jungle? In the Army his nick name was The Shape. He was built decade after decade with no off season slack until his health went south. He won all his bodybuilding titles before the first anabolic steroid was made. Yes testosterone existed but what bodybuilder was using that in the 40's for physique purposes? This will never be settled. Fans of steroids will give the steroid user label to everyone to justify their use.
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He was built when he was 15 in the 30's. He was built while he was in the Army during World War II. Was he juicing in the jungle? In the Army his nick name was The Shape. He was built decade after decade with no off season slack until his health went south. He won all his bodybuilding titles before the first anabolic steroid was made. Yes testosterone existed but what bodybuilder was using that in the 40's for physique purposes? This will never be settled. Fans of steroids will give the steroid user label to everyone to justify their use.
Right. Reeves looked like Reeves at 15. People's basic look is their bone structure. Bodybuilding is like make-up for guys. Slack jawed guys with 50 extra lbs of rented muscle are common these days but Reeves still stands out.
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He used. Even John Grimek admitted to using Dianabol.
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He used. Even John Grimek admitted to using Dianabol.
Eugene Sandow?
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He used. Even John Grimek admitted to using Dianabol.
Dianabol was not even invented until 6 years AFTER Reeves retired.
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Dianabol was not even invented until 6 years AFTER Reeves retired.
Esfitness invented Dianabol
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Esfitness invented Dianabol
Not true, he was in rehab with Dr Ziegler. ;D
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Haters gonna hate.
Reeves may have used, but claims to have never used and no one has any proof he did, so the whole discussion is academic. I tend to think that Reeves was just incredibly genetically gifted, since his physique is superior to most of the rest of the bodybuilders of his day, but isn't overblown for his height and weight as most steroid users have been through history. A good example is Larry Scott, one of the early admitted users of steroids. He was 5'7'' and weighed 208 at his peak. That is a lot of muscle to pack on such a small frame, much more than previous BBs of his height had.
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He used. Even John Grimek admitted to using Dianabol.
Yes, Grimek and Reeves both used testosterone (isolated/developed in the 1930's) and later on, D-bol (first introduced by Ciba in 1958).
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Do you think that Steve Reeves was a fake natty? Seems like he was a narcissistic self absorbed SOB and fake natty too. Great width.
(http://www.ifbbpro.com/wp-content/uploads/image/halloffame/SteveReeves1.jpg)
REeves was using steroids just like the rest of those 50's BB"s like Reg park
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He used. Even John Grimek admitted to using Dianabol.
read all about it right here.
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REeves was using steroids just like the rest of those 50's BB"s like Reg park
What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
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read all about it right here.
I would but I don't have it. >:(
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From his book building the Classic physique.
Upright rowing 3x8-12
Press behind neck 3x8-12
Bent over laterals 3x8-12
barbell Bench press 3x8-12
Dumbbell incline press 3x8-12
Flat bench flys 3x8-12
Chins or pulldown behind neck 3x8-12
Low pulley rows 3x8-12
One arm Dumbbell rows 3x8-12
Standing Barbell curls 3x8-12
Incline Dumbbell curls 3x8-12
High pulley bench curls 3x8-12
Tricep pushdowns 3x8-12
Tricep extensions with Dumbbells 3x8-12
one arm cross over or Dumbbell cross faces 3x8-12
Half squats 3x8-12
Barbell hack lifts 3x8-12
front squats 3x8-12
Buddy assisted leg curl 3x8-12
calf raises(leg press machine) 1x20
Good mornings 3x8-12Partner assisted neck flexation 2x15
He did this routine 3 times a week in less than 1hour..??
And Wasn't using any P.E.D's
Would of liked to see him get through that lot What with loading & unloading the bar
If using any kind of real resistance & resting between sets & exercises in 1hr or less
Let alone recover & grow from three days a week of that & no "Help"
Those that want to believe he wasn't using good for you .... oh & I have a Bridge for Sale.
Either way if he was or wasn't what difference does it make he had a good physique.
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He did this routine 3 times a week in less than 1hour..??
And Wasn't using any P.E.D's
Would of liked to see him get through that lot What with loading & unloading the bar
If using any kind of real resistance & resting between sets & exercises in 1hr or less
Let alone recover & grow from three days a week of that & no "Help"
Those that want to believe he wasn't using good for you .... oh & I have a Bridge for Sale.
Either way if he was or wasn't what difference does it make he had a good physique.
6'1" 215 lbs with exceptional genetics , I feel bad for people who think he was on.
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6'1" 215 lbs with exceptional genetics , I feel bad for people who think he was on.
And likely Arnold was not using at the 80 Olympia
At a similar height & weight with his Genetics
Or any of the competitors at the 90 Drug Tested Mr Olympia
The Winners were drug tested & passed .
I feel bad for people who think they were on.
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And likely Arnold was not using at the 80 Olympia
At a similar height & weight with his Genetics
Or any of the competitors at the 90 Drug Tested Mr Olympia
The Winners were drug tested & passed .
I feel bad for people who think they were on.
Stop it , there is NO history of PEDs in bodybuilding until 1960 at the earliest , D-bols weren't even invented until 1956 , years after Reeves retired. There was a time when there were no drugs in bodybuilding , that was Reeves time. I always ask people to provide any proof of drugs in bodybuilding before Dr John Zeigler and York in the late 50s , I never got any. I got a few vague references & hearsay , nothing of value.
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Stop it , there is NO history of PEDs in bodybuilding until 1960 at the earliest , D-bols weren't even invented until 1956 , years after Reeves retired. There was a time when there were no drugs in bodybuilding , that was Reeves time. I always ask people to provide any proof of drugs in bodybuilding before Dr John Zeigler and York in the late 50s , I never got any. I got a few vague references & hearsay , nothing of value.
Stop it ::) Excuse Me - Who the heck are you.
And you can prove Arnold was using at the 80 Olympia
And who was using at the 90 Drug Tested Olympia - Those That Passed The Test Were Not
As Stated It Makes Zero Difference if Was or Wasn't - He had a good physique
It Matters Zero to Me either way.
You have your view & others theirs.
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Stop it ::) Excuse Me - Who the heck are you.
And you can prove Arnold was using at the 80 Olympia
And who was using at the 90 Drug Tested Olympia - Those That Passed The Test Were Not
As Stated It Makes Zero Difference if Was or Wasn't - He had a good physique
It Matters Zero to Me either way.
You have your view & others theirs.
Yeah I have a view that's based on facts , others have theirs based on hearsay/opinions. There is a pretty well established time-line for drug use in the sport. When someone says " He was on Dianabol " that's a laughable statement considering it wasn't even invented until almost a decade after he retired.
I'll stick with facts.
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From his book building the Classic physique.
Upright rowing 3x8-12
Press behind neck 3x8-12
Bent over laterals 3x8-12
barbell Bench press 3x8-12
Dumbbell incline press 3x8-12
Flat bench flys 3x8-12
Chins or pulldown behind neck 3x8-12
Low pulley rows 3x8-12
One arm Dumbbell rows 3x8-12
Standing Barbell curls 3x8-12
Incline Dumbbell curls 3x8-12
High pulley bench curls 3x8-12
Tricep pushdowns 3x8-12
Tricep extensions with Dumbbells 3x8-12
one arm cross over or Dumbbell cross faces 3x8-12
Half squats 3x8-12
Barbell hack lifts 3x8-12
front squats 3x8-12
Buddy assisted leg curl 3x8-12
calf raises(leg press machine) 1x20
Good mornings 3x8-12Partner assisted neck flexation 2x15
Was this in one session? 65 sets of peace!
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Was this in one session? 65 sets of peace!
that's over a set a minute.
Impossible taking into account loading bars and getting dumbells
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From what I recall, his workouts lasted roughly 3 hours.
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looks natural , great structure and muscle bellies though
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(https://i2.wp.com/nattyornot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Steve-Reeves-Body.jpg?resize=215%2C309)
Zoom in on the nipple area
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Stop it , there is NO history of PEDs in bodybuilding until 1960 at the earliest , D-bols weren't even invented until 1956 , years after Reeves retired. There was a time when there were no drugs in bodybuilding , that was Reeves time. I always ask people to provide any proof of drugs in bodybuilding before Dr John Zeigler and York in the late 50s , I never got any. I got a few vague references & hearsay , nothing of value.
Yer arse in parsley. JCG himself was quite open about his testosterone experimentation in the 40's and 50's.
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(https://i2.wp.com/nattyornot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Steve-Reeves-Body.jpg?resize=215%2C309)
Zoom in on the nipple area
many guys have slight gyno or puffy nipples without ever using drugs , it doesn't mean anything , especially considering the year that photo was taken
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Steve Reeves at age 15
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=53555.0;attach=59253)
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Steve Reeves at age 15
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=53555.0;attach=59253)
has slight gyno , was obviously using experimental steroids ::)
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Yer arse in parsley. JCG himself was quite open about his testosterone experimentation in the 40's and 50's.
Grimek tried testosterone in the late 50 under Zeigler NOT 40s don't know where you got that from? and he said it didn't do anything for him.
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Yeah I have a view that's based on facts , others have theirs based on hearsay/opinions. There is a pretty well established time-line for drug use in the sport. When someone says " He was on Dianabol " that's a laughable statement considering it wasn't even invented until almost a decade after he retired.
I'll stick with facts.
I get Reeves is your hero & you believe him to be whiter than white - if it floats your boat Good for you.
I see him as a good physique with decent genetics - if he did or didn't partake in drugs of any kind I really
Could not care less either way.
You have a view based on facts - Fair enough
Then the Fact that 1990 Mr O was Drug Tested- Fact is those athletes were not using drugs
Just like all sports people who take part in Drug Tested events.
You may believe that to be true - I don't believe it.
Drug testing Facts or not.
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I get Reeves is your hero & you believe him to be whiter than white - if it floats your boat Good for you.
I see him as a good physique with decent genetics - if he did or didn't partake in drugs of any kind I really
Could not care less either way.
You have a view based on facts - Fair enough
Then the Fact that 1990 Mr O was Drug Tested- Fact is those athletes were not using drugs
Just like all sports people who take part in Drug Tested events.
You may believe that to be true - I don't believe it.
Drug testing Facts or not.
I get Reeves is your hero & you believe him to be whiter than white - if it floats your boat Good for you.
I don't have any " heros " However if anyone in this " sport " can be seen as a positive influence it's Steve Reeves.
You have a view based on facts - Fair enough
Then the Fact that 1990 Mr O was Drug Tested- Fact is those athletes were not using drugs
No! because it's a fact that drug tests can be circumvented.
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I don't have any " heros " However if anyone in this " sport " can be seen as a positive influence it's Steve Reeves.
No! because it's a fact that drug tests can be circumvented.
" I don't have any " heros " However if anyone in this " sport " can be seen as a positive influence it's Steve Reeves." --
That's your opinion - I can think of many others as positive influences on this sport & some have likely used
or admitted using drugs of one kind or another.
"No! because it's a fact that drug tests can be circumvented " --
Yes indeed they can - it doesn't stop these sports people from repeatedly saying they havnt used drugs.
So we can surmise that it's a Fact very very many of them are lying both now & always -
extreme desire / dedication / will power, Wanting to be the best - doesn't always make for a very honest person especially as the uninformed Masses want to believe these people are not using drugs of one kind or another.
Hypocrisy when most of the masses Drink alcohol/ smoke cigarettes/ cannabis/ heroin
Take every available prescription & over the counter drug they can to make them feel better
and get through their days.
But sportspeople can't use drugs. ::)
Like I said you believe what you want.
It Makes zero difference to me.
;)
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I don't have any " heros " However if anyone in this " sport " can be seen as a positive influence it's Steve Reeves.
That's your opinion - I can think of many others as positive influences on this sport & some have likely used
or admitted using drugs of one kind or another.
No! because it's a fact that drug tests can be circumvented
Yes indeed they can - it doesn't stop these sports people from repeatedly saying they havnt used drugs.
So we can surmise that very very many of them tell lies - extreme desire / dedication / will power
Wanting to be the best - doesn't always make for a very honest person especially as the uninformed
Masses want to believe these people are not using drugs of one kind or another.
Hypocrisy when most of the masses Drink alcohol/ smoke cigarettes/ cannabis/ heroin
Take every available prescription & over the counter drug they can to make them feel better
and get through their days.
But sportspeople can't use drugs. ::)
I have no problem with steroids , I don't use them personally and think they should be legal for all adults to use. But again , the time-line doesn't work for Reeves.
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(https://i2.wp.com/nattyornot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Steve-Reeves-Body.jpg?resize=215%2C309)
I don't know if he was using anything or not but if he was he was a shitty responder. He's not really that big and I know quite a few people that are way bigger and still look like shit compared to Reeves. We all know the guys with overdeveloped front delts, weak triceps and no hamstrings.
Reeves structure was proportionate for bodybuild like Flex. There are high school kids that are totally natural that are his size. It wasn't how much muscle he carried it was the way his frame carried it.
Compare a prime Reeves to the current Mr. O.
Who would you rather look like?
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Grimek tried testosterone in the late 50 under Zeigler NOT 40s don't know where you got that from? and he said it didn't do anything for him.
Doesn't that just prove he was a liar? Millions of people use testosterone, obviously because it does something for them.
Fact - bodybuilders have been lying about this forever because they don't want people to give credit to drugs versus hard work. I've heard Craig Titus claim natural on TV Cripes sakes, that don't make it true.
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Oh let's just say he was natural and call it a day.
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Oh let's just say he was natural and call it a day.
^this
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I don't think a consensus of Getbiggers is the test for the truth of whether or not a champion from 1947 used testosterone or any other muscle enhancing drugs.
So what do we go by? Yes, testosterone and some other male hormone drugs were available in the 1940s and there was a popular book about the hormone and what it could do for men.
If we go by what the bodybuilders do today we would all assume those guys took whatever would help them win titles.
If we assume some got assistance from drugs what evidence do we have? There were NO reports or claims or charges of any bodybuilders using testosterone to build muscle. Nothing emerged
even after all of those guys died. No one said a word. That alone should be sufficient. I can tell you that by 1960 we all heard about steroids but no one fessed up. It didn't take long for that
information to be spread via magazines and other bodybuilders. It was considered cheating and not anything to be proud of. Some bodybuilders and weight lifters were using steroids after 1958.
The other way to look for evidence is to look for side effects like gynecomastia. Look at Steve Reeves and you won't find any signs of drug use.
Therefore we have to give those champions the benefit of the doubt and assume they were natural. That fits in with what we knew about what bodybuilding was all about in the past. In those
days bodybuilders were proud to be healthy, strong, and fit. The last thing that was acceptable was to cheat in some way and spoil the lifestyle. In those days if you had big muscles you were looked
down on as being muscle bound, egotistical, not that bright, and maybe even gay. They didn't need another reason for the public to have against what they did.
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He's dead and nobody will ever know for sure - However this level of size is achievable over time naturally. Use him as an ideal physique to shoot for and forget about all the useless questions.
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his broad shoulders and structure with narrow waist made him look bigger , otherwise his level of muscle looks naturally attainable in those photos
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I don't think a consensus of Getbiggers is the test for the truth of whether or not a champion from 1947 used testosterone or any other muscle enhancing drugs.
So what do we go by? Yes, testosterone and some other male hormone drugs were available in the 1940s and there was a popular book about the hormone and what it could do for men.
If we go by what the bodybuilders do today we would all assume those guys took whatever would help them win titles.
If we assume some got assistance from drugs what evidence do we have? There were NO reports or claims or charges of any bodybuilders using testosterone to build muscle. Nothing emerged
even after all of those guys died. No one said a word. That alone should be sufficient. I can tell you that by 1960 we all heard about steroids but no one fessed up. It didn't take long for that
information to be spread via magazines and other bodybuilders. It was considered cheating and not anything to be proud of. Some bodybuilders and weight lifters were using steroids after 1958.
The other way to look for evidence is to look for side effects like gynecomastia. Look at Steve Reeves and you won't find any signs of drug use.
Therefore we have to give those champions the benefit of the doubt and assume they were natural. That fits in with what we knew about what bodybuilding was all about in the past. In those
days bodybuilders were proud to be healthy, strong, and fit. The last thing that was acceptable was to cheat in some way and spoil the lifestyle. In those days if you had big muscles you were looked
down on as being muscle bound, egotistical, not that bright, and maybe even gay. They didn't need another reason for the public to have against what they did.
Vince - I don't agree with your points of view.
No proof as to whether he did or didn't
and I don't care either way.
Fact is mankind & his competitive nature / desire to be the best has from day one
sought ways to improve his performance.
It is not a recent thing at all.
Just drug testing & this whole natural load of bollocks thing.
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Not a natty....Just another liar.....Like John Grimek...and Marvin Eder...and a bunch of them.
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I think he was a natural faker.
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The History of Steroids in Bodybuilding
Periodically on the various internet bodybuilding forums someone makes a completely baseless statement about steroid use, when it started, and who was using them back in the 'old days'. When I see ignorance being masqueraded as fact I almost always feel compelled to join the discussion and refute some of the often outrageous statements being hurled about. I'm going to recap what's known about the history of anabolic steroid use in sports so I can refer people to this entry rather than go through it time and time again.
All reliable sources - publications by Terry Todd, John Fair, Randy Roach, Bill Starr, etc, as well as interviews and letters from John Ziegler, John Grimek, Bill March, etc - indicate that experimentation with testosterone for athletic purposes began in the U.S. sometime in either late 1954 or 1955. These 'trials' were short-lived, however, as the results were disappointing and testosterone use was deemed ineffective and carried the risk of harmful side-effects. A statistical analysis of Olympic-style Weightlifting performances published in the International Journal of the History of Sport concluded that Soviet athletes likely first used testosterone sometime between 1952 and 1956.
Dr. John Ziegler, physician for the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting team (i.e. the York team), described in interviews of learning about the Soviet use of testosterone injections at the 1954 World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna, Austria in October of that year. Some time after returning home, Ziegler convinced York affiliated lifters John Grimek, Jim Park and Yaz Kuzahara to be test subjects and receive testosterone injections. By Grimek's account, the results were disappointing. In a private letter, dated at the time, Grimek spoke of seeing nothing in the way of gains and quiting the injections because he felt he was actually regressing. Jim Park received only one injection which he claimed did nothing for him physically, but made him incredibly horny. It is unclear as to Kuzahara's experience but, in any case, it was not positive enough to warrant continued use and further experimentation was ceased. In light of the terrible side effects that Ziegler had heard of and witnessed Soviet users suffering, and lack of significant results in his own test subjects, no further experimentation with testosterone was tried by the York (U.S.) Weightlifting team for the duration of the 1950s.
This was not the end of Ziegler's involvement with steroids, however. Ziegler began work with CIBA Pharmaceuticals in 1955 to develop a testosterone derivative that would carry the anabolic properties of testosterone without the undesirable side effects. Preliminary results began coming in by 1956, and Dianabol was released to the U.S. prescription drug market in 1958 for use in wasting conditions. CIBA's competitor, Searle, beat them to the market, however, and introduced Nilevar, the first synthetic anabolic/androgenic steroid, to the prescription drug market in 1956 (used as a polio treatment).
In late 1959 (some claim as early as 1958, some as late as 1960) Ziegler decided to try the new Dianabol on some of the non-medal contending York lifters and enlisted Grimek to convince a few lifters to begin taking it under his (Ziegler's) supervision. Lower level or non-competitive lifters were chosen for the initial trials so as not to risk marring the performance of medal contenders at the upcoming 1960 Olympics (Dianabol was, at that time, a relatively untested drug and York chief Bob Hoffman was said to have feared trying it on his top lifters). Bill March, Tony Garcy, John Grimek, Ziegler himself and later Lou Riecke were the first Guinea Pigs, and the results were much more promising this time around.
From there, Dianabol use quickly spread to the entire York Weightlifting team. Now, up-and-coming York lifters and Strength and Health magazine writers such as Bill Starr and Tommy Suggs started letting the secret out to the bodybuilding community, and by the early-to-mid 1960s almost all high-level competitive bodybuilders were taking steroids in the weeks leading up to contests. This pre-contest cycling scheme by bodybuilders was based on the Weightlifters' practice of escalating steroid use in the weeks leading up to lifting meets - the logic being that just as the lifters wanted to be at their best (strongest) come meet day, bodybuilders wanted to peak at their biggest on the day of the contest. It didn't take long for steroid use to spill into the 'off-season' as well, as this allowed bodybuilders to build more ultimate muscle mass.
The man who would go on to become the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, gained 8 pounds of muscle in two months between the 1960 Mr. Los Angeles (in which he placed third), and the 1960 Mr. California (which he won, defeating the two men who had placed above him in the Mr. Los Angeles two months earlier). A year earlier he had won the Mr. Idaho weighing just 152 pounds. Larry credits Rheo Blair, and his protein powder, as being instrumental in his sudden improvement. However, considering Larry's dramatic gains from that point onward, and Blair's reported possession of Nilevar a few years earlier before he even moved to California, it is quite likely that this time in 1960 also marks Larry's first usage of steroids (something to which he admits but, to my knowledge, hasn't specified the date).
But the early 1960s did't mark the true origins of bodybuilder's regular use of steroids, however. In an early edition of his book Getting Stronger, Bill Pearl told of meeting Arthur Jones (founder of the Nautilus line of training equipment and father of the "HIT" style of training) in 1958 and learning of Nilevar from him. After a little further investigation, Pearl began a twelve-week cycle of the steroid and gained 25 pounds. At around that same time, Irvin Johnson (aka Rheo H. Blair - 'father' of the first protein powders) is said to have had Searle's Nilevar in his possession, though he isn't believed to have been widely distributing it to bodybuilders at that time.
So what can we gather from all of this? First of all, no bodybuilder or lifter was using synthetic steroids before 1956 - they didn't exist. Most likely, only the very highest level West Coast bodybuilders knew of them by 1958. From there it seems that knowledge of Nilevar and Dianabol to build muscle and strength was kept relatively in the closet until the early 1960s. After all, Hoffman did not want outside athletes to know his lifters' secrets and he was using their sudden gains via Dianabol to promote his supplement line and isometric training courses and racks. Bill Starr wrote that until he was a national calibre lifter with York in the early 1960s he had never heard of steroids. Reg Park (Mr. Universe 1951, 1958, 1965) said that the first he heard of them were in connection with rumours about East German and Soviet athletes during the 1960 Olympics, though he later heard of "steroids" being used on British POWs from Singapore in WWII as they were being nursed back to health in Australian hospitals. Chet Yorton (Mr. America 1966, Mr. Universe 1966, 1975) has said that he first heard of steroids (Nilevar) in 1964, and decided not to risk using them - Yorton went on to become one of the sports most outspoken campaigners against steroid use and founder of the first drug-tested, natural bodybuilding federation. The condition of national and world level bodybuilders appears to have taken a visible leap between 1960 to 1964.
As for testosterone itself, Paul de Kruif's 1945 book "The Male Hormone" is often cited as "proof" that bodybuilders knew of and were using testosterone in the 1940s. But even though testosterone had been identified by researchers and isolated in laboratory settings as early as the 1930s, it didn't receive FDA approval as a prescription drug until 1950 and, therefore, was produced only sporadically and in small batches for research purposes only, before that time. De Kruif himself made no connection between testosterone and possible athletic applications - his arguments were purely from the perspective of using testosterone to improve the vitality and health of aging men and those with specific conditions.
It has been said that John Grimek, upon reading publications such as de Kruif's, was inquiring about testosterone in the 1940s. But he would have had nothing other than a possible hunch that it could be used for athletic purposes, and no source or opportunity to experiment with it. It wasn't until 1954/1955 with Ziegler, that Grimek wrote of getting his first testosterone injections. It stands to reason that if even Grimek had no access to testosterone, and no knowledge of other top level bodybuilders or lifters using it before this - and as editor of Strength and Health magazine and second in command at York he certainly was in a position to know - then it is very unlikely that anyone in the west was using it for athletic/physique purposes before late 1954/1955. Given that these early experiments were unsuccessful and brief (likely because they knew little about dosing for increased strength and muscle mass), it is most likely that the first western bodybuilders began steroid use not with testosterone itself, but with Nilevar, sometime after 1956 to 1958. From there, Dianabol enters the picture at the elite level and by 1964 even the muscle magazines, such as Iron Man, were writing about what they called the "tissue building drugs".
For a western bodybuilder or lifter to be using testosterone before late 1954/1955 he would had to have known more about the biochemistry of testosterone and it's potential effects than any western sports physician - and have had access to what was then a relatively little known prescription drug. He would also had to have known more about how to effectively dose it than John Ziegler, who would go on to co-develop Dianabol just a few years later. As for before late 1954/1955, nobody in the west can say for sure exactly when the Soviets began using testosterone, but the likely date is sometime before October 1954 and possibly as early as 1952.
As mentioned, testosterone was first approved for prescription as a cancer, wasting and burn treatment in the U.S. in 1950. Before that it was classified as an experimental drug and not available even to physicians. For a bodybuilder to be using testosterone before 1950 he would not only had to have known more about the biochemistry, dosing and potential usage of it than anybody else in the world (including the research scientists working with it), but also have had access to what was then an experimental drug, isolated sporadically in limited amounts for controlled research purposes, and not produced in quantity.
For these reasons it can be stated with some certainty that Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, John Grimek, Jack Delinger, Reg Park, John Farbotnik, George Eiferman, etc - who all won major physique titles before the Soviets began using testosterone and before synthetic steroids were introduced in 1956 - were not using testosterone or steroids at the time of their Mr. America, Mr. USA and Mr. Universe wins. Furthermore, it is unlikely that any major title winner was a steroid user before 1957-58 (Pearl won the Mr. USA and Mr. Universe titles in 1956 before his knowledge of Nilevar). Some athletes' careers from the era, such as Reg Park's, do span the introduction of steroids into bodybuilding. In Park's case, he competed at 214 pounds when he won the Mr. Universe title in 1951, he weighed 215 when he won it the second time in 1958, and 216 when he placed 3rd in 1971 (at age 43 - he returned again in 1973 to place 2nd). If Park did jump on the steroid bandwagon when he learned of them in 1960, then they produced one pound of muscle in 11 years for him.
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Here is a photo of Steve that I edited.
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The History of Steroids in Bodybuilding
Periodically on the various internet bodybuilding forums someone makes a completely baseless statement about steroid use, when it started, and who was using them back in the 'old days'. When I see ignorance being masqueraded as fact I almost always feel compelled to join the discussion and refute some of the often outrageous statements being hurled about. I'm going to recap what's known about the history of anabolic steroid use in sports so I can refer people to this entry rather than go through it time and time again.
All reliable sources - publications by Terry Todd, John Fair, Randy Roach, Bill Starr, etc, as well as interviews and letters from John Ziegler, John Grimek, Bill March, etc - indicate that experimentation with testosterone for athletic purposes began in the U.S. sometime in either late 1954 or 1955. These 'trials' were short-lived, however, as the results were disappointing and testosterone use was deemed ineffective and carried the risk of harmful side-effects. A statistical analysis of Olympic-style Weightlifting performances published in the International Journal of the History of Sport concluded that Soviet athletes likely first used testosterone sometime between 1952 and 1956.
Dr. John Ziegler, physician for the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting team (i.e. the York team), described in interviews of learning about the Soviet use of testosterone injections at the 1954 World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna, Austria in October of that year. Some time after returning home, Ziegler convinced York affiliated lifters John Grimek, Jim Park and Yaz Kuzahara to be test subjects and receive testosterone injections. By Grimek's account, the results were disappointing. In a private letter, dated at the time, Grimek spoke of seeing nothing in the way of gains and quiting the injections because he felt he was actually regressing. Jim Park received only one injection which he claimed did nothing for him physically, but made him incredibly horny. It is unclear as to Kuzahara's experience but, in any case, it was not positive enough to warrant continued use and further experimentation was ceased. In light of the terrible side effects that Ziegler had heard of and witnessed Soviet users suffering, and lack of significant results in his own test subjects, no further experimentation with testosterone was tried by the York (U.S.) Weightlifting team for the duration of the 1950s.
This was not the end of Ziegler's involvement with steroids, however. Ziegler began work with CIBA Pharmaceuticals in 1955 to develop a testosterone derivative that would carry the anabolic properties of testosterone without the undesirable side effects. Preliminary results began coming in by 1956, and Dianabol was released to the U.S. prescription drug market in 1958 for use in wasting conditions. CIBA's competitor, Searle, beat them to the market, however, and introduced Nilevar, the first synthetic anabolic/androgenic steroid, to the prescription drug market in 1956 (used as a polio treatment).
In late 1959 (some claim as early as 1958, some as late as 1960) Ziegler decided to try the new Dianabol on some of the non-medal contending York lifters and enlisted Grimek to convince a few lifters to begin taking it under his (Ziegler's) supervision. Lower level or non-competitive lifters were chosen for the initial trials so as not to risk marring the performance of medal contenders at the upcoming 1960 Olympics (Dianabol was, at that time, a relatively untested drug and York chief Bob Hoffman was said to have feared trying it on his top lifters). Bill March, Tony Garcy, John Grimek, Ziegler himself and later Lou Riecke were the first Guinea Pigs, and the results were much more promising this time around.
From there, Dianabol use quickly spread to the entire York Weightlifting team. Now, up-and-coming York lifters and Strength and Health magazine writers such as Bill Starr and Tommy Suggs started letting the secret out to the bodybuilding community, and by the early-to-mid 1960s almost all high-level competitive bodybuilders were taking steroids in the weeks leading up to contests. This pre-contest cycling scheme by bodybuilders was based on the Weightlifters' practice of escalating steroid use in the weeks leading up to lifting meets - the logic being that just as the lifters wanted to be at their best (strongest) come meet day, bodybuilders wanted to peak at their biggest on the day of the contest. It didn't take long for steroid use to spill into the 'off-season' as well, as this allowed bodybuilders to build more ultimate muscle mass.
The man who would go on to become the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, gained 8 pounds of muscle in two months between the 1960 Mr. Los Angeles (in which he placed third), and the 1960 Mr. California (which he won, defeating the two men who had placed above him in the Mr. Los Angeles two months earlier). A year earlier he had won the Mr. Idaho weighing just 152 pounds. Larry credits Rheo Blair, and his protein powder, as being instrumental in his sudden improvement. However, considering Larry's dramatic gains from that point onward, and Blair's reported possession of Nilevar a few years earlier before he even moved to California, it is quite likely that this time in 1960 also marks Larry's first usage of steroids (something to which he admits but, to my knowledge, hasn't specified the date).
But the early 1960s did't mark the true origins of bodybuilder's regular use of steroids, however. In an early edition of his book Getting Stronger, Bill Pearl told of meeting Arthur Jones (founder of the Nautilus line of training equipment and father of the "HIT" style of training) in 1958 and learning of Nilevar from him. After a little further investigation, Pearl began a twelve-week cycle of the steroid and gained 25 pounds. At around that same time, Irvin Johnson (aka Rheo H. Blair - 'father' of the first protein powders) is said to have had Searle's Nilevar in his possession, though he isn't believed to have been widely distributing it to bodybuilders at that time.
So what can we gather from all of this? First of all, no bodybuilder or lifter was using synthetic steroids before 1956 - they didn't exist. Most likely, only the very highest level West Coast bodybuilders knew of them by 1958. From there it seems that knowledge of Nilevar and Dianabol to build muscle and strength was kept relatively in the closet until the early 1960s. After all, Hoffman did not want outside athletes to know his lifters' secrets and he was using their sudden gains via Dianabol to promote his supplement line and isometric training courses and racks. Bill Starr wrote that until he was a national calibre lifter with York in the early 1960s he had never heard of steroids. Reg Park (Mr. Universe 1951, 1958, 1965) said that the first he heard of them were in connection with rumours about East German and Soviet athletes during the 1960 Olympics, though he later heard of "steroids" being used on British POWs from Singapore in WWII as they were being nursed back to health in Australian hospitals. Chet Yorton (Mr. America 1966, Mr. Universe 1966, 1975) has said that he first heard of steroids (Nilevar) in 1964, and decided not to risk using them - Yorton went on to become one of the sports most outspoken campaigners against steroid use and founder of the first drug-tested, natural bodybuilding federation. The condition of national and world level bodybuilders appears to have taken a visible leap between 1960 to 1964.
As for testosterone itself, Paul de Kruif's 1945 book "The Male Hormone" is often cited as "proof" that bodybuilders knew of and were using testosterone in the 1940s. But even though testosterone had been identified by researchers and isolated in laboratory settings as early as the 1930s, it didn't receive FDA approval as a prescription drug until 1950 and, therefore, was produced only sporadically and in small batches for research purposes only, before that time. De Kruif himself made no connection between testosterone and possible athletic applications - his arguments were purely from the perspective of using testosterone to improve the vitality and health of aging men and those with specific conditions.
It has been said that John Grimek, upon reading publications such as de Kruif's, was inquiring about testosterone in the 1940s. But he would have had nothing other than a possible hunch that it could be used for athletic purposes, and no source or opportunity to experiment with it. It wasn't until 1954/1955 with Ziegler, that Grimek wrote of getting his first testosterone injections. It stands to reason that if even Grimek had no access to testosterone, and no knowledge of other top level bodybuilders or lifters using it before this - and as editor of Strength and Health magazine and second in command at York he certainly was in a position to know - then it is very unlikely that anyone in the west was using it for athletic/physique purposes before late 1954/1955. Given that these early experiments were unsuccessful and brief (likely because they knew little about dosing for increased strength and muscle mass), it is most likely that the first western bodybuilders began steroid use not with testosterone itself, but with Nilevar, sometime after 1956 to 1958. From there, Dianabol enters the picture at the elite level and by 1964 even the muscle magazines, such as Iron Man, were writing about what they called the "tissue building drugs".
For a western bodybuilder or lifter to be using testosterone before late 1954/1955 he would had to have known more about the biochemistry of testosterone and it's potential effects than any western sports physician - and have had access to what was then a relatively little known prescription drug. He would also had to have known more about how to effectively dose it than John Ziegler, who would go on to co-develop Dianabol just a few years later. As for before late 1954/1955, nobody in the west can say for sure exactly when the Soviets began using testosterone, but the likely date is sometime before October 1954 and possibly as early as 1952.
As mentioned, testosterone was first approved for prescription as a cancer, wasting and burn treatment in the U.S. in 1950. Before that it was classified as an experimental drug and not available even to physicians. For a bodybuilder to be using testosterone before 1950 he would not only had to have known more about the biochemistry, dosing and potential usage of it than anybody else in the world (including the research scientists working with it), but also have had access to what was then an experimental drug, isolated sporadically in limited amounts for controlled research purposes, and not produced in quantity.
For these reasons it can be stated with some certainty that Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, John Grimek, Jack Delinger, Reg Park, John Farbotnik, George Eiferman, etc - who all won major physique titles before the Soviets began using testosterone and before synthetic steroids were introduced in 1956 - were not using testosterone or steroids at the time of their Mr. America, Mr. USA and Mr. Universe wins. Furthermore, it is unlikely that any major title winner was a steroid user before 1957-58 (Pearl won the Mr. USA and Mr. Universe titles in 1956 before his knowledge of Nilevar). Some athletes' careers from the era, such as Reg Park's, do span the introduction of steroids into bodybuilding. In Park's case, he competed at 214 pounds when he won the Mr. Universe title in 1951, he weighed 215 when he won it the second time in 1958, and 216 when he placed 3rd in 1971 (at age 43 - he returned again in 1973 to place 2nd). If Park did jump on the steroid bandwagon when he learned of them in 1960, then they produced one pound of muscle in 11 years for him.
Grimek had 18 inch arms and low body fat.....Impossible drug free.....lots of naive people on here....They wanna believe...
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The History of Steroids in Bodybuilding
Periodically on the various internet bodybuilding forums someone makes a completely baseless statement about steroid use, when it started, and who was using them back in the 'old days'. When I see ignorance being masqueraded as fact I almost always feel compelled to join the discussion and refute some of the often outrageous statements being hurled about. I'm going to recap what's known about the history of anabolic steroid use in sports so I can refer people to this entry rather than go through it time and time again.
All reliable sources - publications by Terry Todd, John Fair, Randy Roach, Bill Starr, etc, as well as interviews and letters from John Ziegler, John Grimek, Bill March, etc - indicate that experimentation with testosterone for athletic purposes began in the U.S. sometime in either late 1954 or 1955. These 'trials' were short-lived, however, as the results were disappointing and testosterone use was deemed ineffective and carried the risk of harmful side-effects. A statistical analysis of Olympic-style Weightlifting performances published in the International Journal of the History of Sport concluded that Soviet athletes likely first used testosterone sometime between 1952 and 1956.
Dr. John Ziegler, physician for the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting team (i.e. the York team), described in interviews of learning about the Soviet use of testosterone injections at the 1954 World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna, Austria in October of that year. Some time after returning home, Ziegler convinced York affiliated lifters John Grimek, Jim Park and Yaz Kuzahara to be test subjects and receive testosterone injections. By Grimek's account, the results were disappointing. In a private letter, dated at the time, Grimek spoke of seeing nothing in the way of gains and quiting the injections because he felt he was actually regressing. Jim Park received only one injection which he claimed did nothing for him physically, but made him incredibly horny. It is unclear as to Kuzahara's experience but, in any case, it was not positive enough to warrant continued use and further experimentation was ceased. In light of the terrible side effects that Ziegler had heard of and witnessed Soviet users suffering, and lack of significant results in his own test subjects, no further experimentation with testosterone was tried by the York (U.S.) Weightlifting team for the duration of the 1950s.
This was not the end of Ziegler's involvement with steroids, however. Ziegler began work with CIBA Pharmaceuticals in 1955 to develop a testosterone derivative that would carry the anabolic properties of testosterone without the undesirable side effects. Preliminary results began coming in by 1956, and Dianabol was released to the U.S. prescription drug market in 1958 for use in wasting conditions. CIBA's competitor, Searle, beat them to the market, however, and introduced Nilevar, the first synthetic anabolic/androgenic steroid, to the prescription drug market in 1956 (used as a polio treatment).
In late 1959 (some claim as early as 1958, some as late as 1960) Ziegler decided to try the new Dianabol on some of the non-medal contending York lifters and enlisted Grimek to convince a few lifters to begin taking it under his (Ziegler's) supervision. Lower level or non-competitive lifters were chosen for the initial trials so as not to risk marring the performance of medal contenders at the upcoming 1960 Olympics (Dianabol was, at that time, a relatively untested drug and York chief Bob Hoffman was said to have feared trying it on his top lifters). Bill March, Tony Garcy, John Grimek, Ziegler himself and later Lou Riecke were the first Guinea Pigs, and the results were much more promising this time around.
From there, Dianabol use quickly spread to the entire York Weightlifting team. Now, up-and-coming York lifters and Strength and Health magazine writers such as Bill Starr and Tommy Suggs started letting the secret out to the bodybuilding community, and by the early-to-mid 1960s almost all high-level competitive bodybuilders were taking steroids in the weeks leading up to contests. This pre-contest cycling scheme by bodybuilders was based on the Weightlifters' practice of escalating steroid use in the weeks leading up to lifting meets - the logic being that just as the lifters wanted to be at their best (strongest) come meet day, bodybuilders wanted to peak at their biggest on the day of the contest. It didn't take long for steroid use to spill into the 'off-season' as well, as this allowed bodybuilders to build more ultimate muscle mass.
The man who would go on to become the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, gained 8 pounds of muscle in two months between the 1960 Mr. Los Angeles (in which he placed third), and the 1960 Mr. California (which he won, defeating the two men who had placed above him in the Mr. Los Angeles two months earlier). A year earlier he had won the Mr. Idaho weighing just 152 pounds. Larry credits Rheo Blair, and his protein powder, as being instrumental in his sudden improvement. However, considering Larry's dramatic gains from that point onward, and Blair's reported possession of Nilevar a few years earlier before he even moved to California, it is quite likely that this time in 1960 also marks Larry's first usage of steroids (something to which he admits but, to my knowledge, hasn't specified the date).
But the early 1960s did't mark the true origins of bodybuilder's regular use of steroids, however. In an early edition of his book Getting Stronger, Bill Pearl told of meeting Arthur Jones (founder of the Nautilus line of training equipment and father of the "HIT" style of training) in 1958 and learning of Nilevar from him. After a little further investigation, Pearl began a twelve-week cycle of the steroid and gained 25 pounds. At around that same time, Irvin Johnson (aka Rheo H. Blair - 'father' of the first protein powders) is said to have had Searle's Nilevar in his possession, though he isn't believed to have been widely distributing it to bodybuilders at that time.
So what can we gather from all of this? First of all, no bodybuilder or lifter was using synthetic steroids before 1956 - they didn't exist. Most likely, only the very highest level West Coast bodybuilders knew of them by 1958. From there it seems that knowledge of Nilevar and Dianabol to build muscle and strength was kept relatively in the closet until the early 1960s. After all, Hoffman did not want outside athletes to know his lifters' secrets and he was using their sudden gains via Dianabol to promote his supplement line and isometric training courses and racks. Bill Starr wrote that until he was a national calibre lifter with York in the early 1960s he had never heard of steroids. Reg Park (Mr. Universe 1951, 1958, 1965) said that the first he heard of them were in connection with rumours about East German and Soviet athletes during the 1960 Olympics, though he later heard of "steroids" being used on British POWs from Singapore in WWII as they were being nursed back to health in Australian hospitals. Chet Yorton (Mr. America 1966, Mr. Universe 1966, 1975) has said that he first heard of steroids (Nilevar) in 1964, and decided not to risk using them - Yorton went on to become one of the sports most outspoken campaigners against steroid use and founder of the first drug-tested, natural bodybuilding federation. The condition of national and world level bodybuilders appears to have taken a visible leap between 1960 to 1964.
As for testosterone itself, Paul de Kruif's 1945 book "The Male Hormone" is often cited as "proof" that bodybuilders knew of and were using testosterone in the 1940s. But even though testosterone had been identified by researchers and isolated in laboratory settings as early as the 1930s, it didn't receive FDA approval as a prescription drug until 1950 and, therefore, was produced only sporadically and in small batches for research purposes only, before that time. De Kruif himself made no connection between testosterone and possible athletic applications - his arguments were purely from the perspective of using testosterone to improve the vitality and health of aging men and those with specific conditions.
It has been said that John Grimek, upon reading publications such as de Kruif's, was inquiring about testosterone in the 1940s. But he would have had nothing other than a possible hunch that it could be used for athletic purposes, and no source or opportunity to experiment with it. It wasn't until 1954/1955 with Ziegler, that Grimek wrote of getting his first testosterone injections. It stands to reason that if even Grimek had no access to testosterone, and no knowledge of other top level bodybuilders or lifters using it before this - and as editor of Strength and Health magazine and second in command at York he certainly was in a position to know - then it is very unlikely that anyone in the west was using it for athletic/physique purposes before late 1954/1955. Given that these early experiments were unsuccessful and brief (likely because they knew little about dosing for increased strength and muscle mass), it is most likely that the first western bodybuilders began steroid use not with testosterone itself, but with Nilevar, sometime after 1956 to 1958. From there, Dianabol enters the picture at the elite level and by 1964 even the muscle magazines, such as Iron Man, were writing about what they called the "tissue building drugs".
For a western bodybuilder or lifter to be using testosterone before late 1954/1955 he would had to have known more about the biochemistry of testosterone and it's potential effects than any western sports physician - and have had access to what was then a relatively little known prescription drug. He would also had to have known more about how to effectively dose it than John Ziegler, who would go on to co-develop Dianabol just a few years later. As for before late 1954/1955, nobody in the west can say for sure exactly when the Soviets began using testosterone, but the likely date is sometime before October 1954 and possibly as early as 1952.
As mentioned, testosterone was first approved for prescription as a cancer, wasting and burn treatment in the U.S. in 1950. Before that it was classified as an experimental drug and not available even to physicians. For a bodybuilder to be using testosterone before 1950 he would not only had to have known more about the biochemistry, dosing and potential usage of it than anybody else in the world (including the research scientists working with it), but also have had access to what was then an experimental drug, isolated sporadically in limited amounts for controlled research purposes, and not produced in quantity.
For these reasons it can be stated with some certainty that Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, John Grimek, Jack Delinger, Reg Park, John Farbotnik, George Eiferman, etc - who all won major physique titles before the Soviets began using testosterone and before synthetic steroids were introduced in 1956 - were not using testosterone or steroids at the time of their Mr. America, Mr. USA and Mr. Universe wins. Furthermore, it is unlikely that any major title winner was a steroid user before 1957-58 (Pearl won the Mr. USA and Mr. Universe titles in 1956 before his knowledge of Nilevar). Some athletes' careers from the era, such as Reg Park's, do span the introduction of steroids into bodybuilding. In Park's case, he competed at 214 pounds when he won the Mr. Universe title in 1951, he weighed 215 when he won it the second time in 1958, and 216 when he placed 3rd in 1971 (at age 43 - he returned again in 1973 to place 2nd). If Park did jump on the steroid bandwagon when he learned of them in 1960, then they produced one pound of muscle in 11 years for him.
Grimek had 18 inch arms and low body fat.....Impossible drug free.....lots of naive people on here....They wanna believe...
Impossible for YOU perhaps. And I agree lots of naive people on here who want to believe EVERYONE was on since the dawn of creation. If you have something of substance to add feel free , We have a well established time-line of drug use in strength/bodydbuilding and Reeves predates that.
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TOMMYWISHBONE, The following is solely based on my personal experience. .........I knew Reeves back in the 1950's and talked with him and worked with him a few times up until he passed away. He was always impressed by my bench prsss ability when I was in my teens.
He was a friend of my dad's which I have written about years ago.
Here are the three reason why I believe that Steve was a 'natural'.
1. Genetically ...He was gifted. In the late 1950's one of the Oakland, Ca. newspapers interviewed his mother who claimed that her son never had a cold, nor a cavity. (She also said lots more good stuff which I have long forgotten.)
2. At one time shortly before he passed away we had an hour long conversation about the current use of steroids within the athletic world and Steve got very emotional and said that it will be a major problem in the future and even possibly cause the demise of bodybuilding.
3. The world of athletic competition was entirely different way back then!
To the best of my knowledge and as explained be a couple of experts in the field (close friends), roids were 'sort of a secret' maintained within the world of olympic lifting ..... mainly within the USSR.
Roids and the use of roids were 'almost entirely' a mystery within the bodybuilding world ... the number of whom was relatively minor than the vast numbers today.
4. Reeves sure don't look like he ever used any type of steroid ....even at his best!
Thanks for reading , TW
PS ,,,, Let me know if you want to know who those "experts" are/were. You might even know or have known them yourself.
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Reeves looks about as drugged up as Phil Heath looks drug free. Steve Reeves was one of the most handsome and well built men of all time. This is not a case of jealousy overtaking people but maybe, just maybe it all boils down to sour grapes.