Bodybuilders Stigma - Why Meatheads are perceived this way

[MikMaq]

It was not until I had a son that I finally took serious look at my own OCD/bodybuilding/drugged lifestyle that I had been leading for 20 years.  I realized I was role modeling horrible behavior to a little kid who thought I was a god and was going to imitate me and my behavior patterns.  By the time he was around 2+ he noticed I looked different and was "big".

That was when I knew it was time to drop the lifestyle and narcissistic/abusive/unhealthy ways I had followed due to my own body dysmorphia.  Now he is 7 and I'm "normal" sized.  No regrets.

Solid post.


I'm happy I figured this part out when I was young.


I still wanna juice to high heaven, but I know it won't be enough.

[MikMaq]

That'd be true (idk, maybe in US that is the rule), but I personally know medical professionals, lawyers, succesfull bussinessmans, etc (in almost 15 years I've know quite some people who are doing this activity) who are on drugs, and many of them are very stable individuals in many ways. I think some people (me included) just want to transcend the "human limits" and get even more of what's available in this world. I get a rush of even thinking about going "beyond current biological" limits, and that doesn't end with bb'ing.

This is Addict talk.

The reality is your not transcending shit. Your just engaging in one strange obsession.

[da_vinci]

most people just shift their focus toward smarter, more natural endeavours like studies, careers... doing so they re as obsessive as bodybuilders. It all depends of your upbringings, education, environment.

Some people have an ability to manage different endeavours in life at the same time.

Tho' I'm not talking about an attempt to become a "pro", that's futile and doomed to fail 99 times out of 100, but majority of people who are jacked and use juice doesn't even compete. The ones I know personally are usualy rich AND smart men who just want to be jacked in addition. You can't blame them. And test after age 30 should be prescribed for everyone that is eager to use it, to a certain dose it's only benefits. A small dose of GH too. For eldrely people, who are over 60-70 (depends on genetics) - test and gh (if they doesn't have a cancer) are a serious aid/way to postpone some serious health issues that come with aging.

[da_vinci]

This is Addict talk.

The reality is your not transcending shit. Your just engaging in one strange obsession.

Everything is an obsession, and yes, I'm obsessed about performance (bb'ing being just a part of a physical side. I enhance/stimulate my brain and some other biochemical processes that I'm aware of, naturally, at least currently). And I'm probably an addict, yes, but that's the same - addiction, obsession.. no difference, we are all addicted to something.

[APE907]

Solid post.


I'm happy I figured this part out when I was young.


I still wanna juice to high heaven, but I know it won't be enough.

The lifestyle destroyed marriage of 10 years and was destroying me.

Hardest part was going from 250lb "gym hero" whose whole identity tied to my look to being a normal guy.

I found after going off I lost all desire to train natural even though I had done it for 13 years before going on the sauce.

Wish I had not turned to dark side but I'm type whose gotta hold hands on stove for about 15 minutes straight before I figure out it is burning me and I should stop. 

Looking back venturing into drug scene was inevitable for me. I am type who would have never been satisfied without knowing my potential on them.

Took me long time to come back to GB and enjoy the humor and brutality without feeling horrible about no longer having a "physique".  Truth is this place still makes me laugh harder than almost anywhere else on interwebs.

[gracie bjj]

[quowhole bodybuilding is all that matters to me thing,i figured as long as i was paying the bills and supporting my wife it was cool. then my son comes along and i was still partying with the opiates but started slowing down,problem was i found out my intense pain from my herniated discs came back like a fury and it made it hard to brutal to train thru it.one day about 1 yr ago my son is in my room and i forgot i had some heroin on my desk and he was playing with it n i freaked the hell out, i took it flushed it and thank god my son never touched his mouth or put it in his mouth. he said daddy is that them bad drugs?i said no and he just said good i dont want u to do them.he was crying so i cried to then we hugged and i realized then that someone actually cared if i lived and didnt die, what a feeling to know that n its been a great ride so far.most of my life i was getting tossed around from relative to relative and never really had a chance to get a base with friends and it sucked, when i was 18 i was able to live on my own and thats what i been doing since thente author=APE907 link=topic=553700.msg7783557#msg7783557 date=1414189360]
It was not until I had a son that I finally took serious look at my own OCD/bodybuilding/drugged lifestyle that I had been leading for 20 years.  I realized I was role modeling horrible behavior to a little kid who thought I was a god and was going to imitate me and my behavior patterns.  By the time he was around 2+ he noticed I looked different and was "big".

That was when I knew it was time to drop the lifestyle and narcissistic/abusive/unhealthy ways I had followed due to my own body dysmorphia.  Now he is 7 and I'm "normal" sized.  No regrets.
[/quote]

im proud of u man for doing the right thing,people who never had alot of muscle and the good body never will know what its like to b normal looking again when u r used to going to beach and gym n having people stare at u like u did,thats hard as hell to mentally and emotionally get over that man,i cant imagine how hard it musta been for ya but u did the right thing,once u have a kid its not about u or me anymore its thier time to enjoy life also

[Cutlet767]

What bothers me about this industry is how people can find gratification in the use of drugs to create the physique. Don't get me wrong, I follow the pro circuit for entertainment, but it doesn't mean I see any logic in the means to their end. It's not even about the fact that you sill need to train hard and eat right - anyone who is serious about looking better automatically does this. No. It's the fact that they're living in a completely fabricated vessel... And the minute you take the needles away from the - stick them in a jail cell, in a hospital, or cut off their finances, they go back to looking like nothing! If they looked like *something* prior to the drugs, it wouldn't matter, because they'd just be recovering junkies.

What a worthless existence.

The best look is the "natural" look. as big and ripped as you can as long as the majority of the population doesn't suspect steroids.
Some lucky people with good genes can achieve this look naturally. The rest a low relatively safe doses of steroids can achieve this look.

That's the problem. No dose of steroids is "safe". Once you come off, you lose that look you're going for. It's still a crutch, just like with any IFBB pro. And depending on your genetic pre-disposition, you're still likely to screw something up.

The question now becomes... is it not worth it to put in a small decade of the one life you have towards seeing if you can build the best possible physique you can naturally, with complete and unrelenting attention to your nutrition and training? A physique you will actually get to keep without using drugs? A lot of the "smaller" natural guys are getting by or doing better just by looking shredded just the same as any average IFBB pro who doesn't crack top 15. And they don't have to worry about injecting every week to maintain their look. It's a fucking crutch. That should be the biggest deterrent from doing it.

[Kim Jong Bob]

What bothers me about this industry is how people can find gratification in the use of drugs to create the physique. It's not even about the fact that you sill need to train hard and eat right - anyone who is serious about looking better automatically does this. No. It's the fact that they're living in a completely fabricated vessel... And the minute you take the needles away from the - stick them in a jail cell, in a hospital, or cut off their finances, they go back to looking like nothing! If they looked like *something* prior to the drugs, it wouldn't matter, because they'd just be recovering junkies.

What a worthless existence.

That's the problem. No dose of steroids is "safe". Once you come off, you lose that look you're going for. It's still acrutch, just like with any IFBB pro. And depending on your genetic pre-disposition, you're still likely to screw something up.

The question now becomes... is it not worth it to put in a decade of the one like you have towards seeing if you can build the best possible physique you can naturally, with complete and unrelenting attention to your nutrition and training? A lot of the "smaller" natural guys are getting by or doing better just by looking shredded just the same as any average IFBB pro who doesn't crack top 15. And they don't have to worry about injecting every week to maintain their look. It's a fucking crutch. That should be the biggest deterrent from doing it.

but then the will take up the needle again amd look 10 times better then you in no time lål

[Cutlet767]

but then the will take up the needle again amd look 10 times better then you in no time lål

You are still dependent on the drugs to maintain the physique.

Believe it or not, a lot of naturals get to look just as shredded (although not as big) as the smaller bodybuilders who "don't want to use too much" given enough time put in (10 years) and attention to nutrition and training.

[da_vinci]

You are still dependent on the drugs to maintain the physique.

Believe it or not, a lot of naturals get to look just as shredded (although not as big) as the smaller bodybuilders who "don't want to use too much" given enough time put in (10 years) and attention to nutrition and training.

You are dependent on money if you want to stay rich...

[Parker]

That'd be true (idk, maybe in US that is the rule), but I personally know medical professionals, lawyers, succesfull bussinessmans, etc (in almost 15 years I've know quite some people who are doing this activity) who are on drugs, and many of them are very stable individuals in many ways. I think some people (me included) just want to transcend the "human limits" and get even more of what's available in this world. I get a rush of even thinking about going "beyond current biological" limits, and that doesn't end with bb'ing.

One doesn't need drugs to be stable.
If anything you just proved what uberman is saying.

[True]

Yes, body dismorphia and bodybuilding are serious illnesses. When you have nothing in life to be proud of, all you re left with is your physical appearance. They re not different than stupid but good looking women. Others compensate for their ugliness or weak physical appearance with diplomas , salaries, material goods... that's just the way it is, we re all vain animals.

But its not all black and white, and attractive people do much better in school than ugly people...

[Palpatine Q]

You are still dependent on the drugs to maintain the physique.

Believe it or not, a lot of naturals get to look just as shredded (although not as big) as the smaller bodybuilders who "don't want to use too much" given enough time put in (10 years) and attention to nutrition and training.

So what.

I enjoy being a Bodybuilder, and don't have any internal conflicts over it.

[da_vinci]

One doesn't need drugs to be stable.
If anything you just proved what uberman is saying.

I consider myself stable (and I was talking about enhancement, not stability. I've trained like a madman for about 10years before turning to the dark side, I'd do the same if for some reason I'd have to stop using stuff.) and bodybuilding is a great addition to my life experience. You know... sometimes you buy a car that's way over your needs (like mine), but it's just fun and... I can.

[gracie bjj]

I consider myself stable (and I was talking about enhancement, not stability. I've trained like a madman for about 10years before turning to the dark side, I'd do the same if for some reason I'd have to stop using stuff.) and bodybuilding is a great addition to my life experience. You know... sometimes you buy a car that's way over your needs (like mine), but it's just fun and... I can.

thats cool man,i drive a 84 vette and wish i could get a new one like u did but id be hurting my son cause it would tighten up the money somewhat. im just gonna keep driving the old vette and give my son everything i can possibly give him to make him happy

[BigNJ]

What an inspiring thread.. The minds we have here are just wow

[Natural Man]

Something that s never mentionned is the fact steroid users are basically self medicamenting themselves with powerful anti depressants without any profesionnal supervision when using hormones that deeply modify their mood and nervous system, the chemistry of neurotransmitters in their brains. This is why there s also a huge psychological crash when the drugs have to be stopped and why most completely lack the will power to lift at all anymore once they stop. This is also to avoid this crash , depressive mental states, that most simply dont want to stop.

But I guess it's asking too much to the typical uneducated, shortcut seeking, insecure meathead who just sees the bigger muscles and newfound attention from other shallow , uneducated individuals steming from having them as  the only thing that matters, completely blind to everything else that's involved especially how the drug addiction modifies the development of your internal organs. No wonder most bodybuilders are compulsive liars surrounded by empty followers, drug dealers and scam artists.

[Cutlet767]

Something that s never mentionned is the fact steroid users are basically self medicamenting themselves with powerful anti depressants without any profesionnal supervision when using hormones that deeply modify their mood and nervous system, the chemistry of neurotransmitters in their brains. This is why there s also a huge psychological crash when the drugs have to be stopped and why most completely lack the will power to lift at all anymore once they stop. This is also to avoid this crash , depressive mental states, that most simply dont want to stop.

But I guess it's asking too much to the typical uneducated, shortcut seeking, insecure meathead who just sees the bigger muscles and newfound attention from other shallow , uneducated individuals steming from having them as  the only thing that matters, completely blind to everything else that's involved especially how the drug addiction modifies the development of your internal organs. No wonder most bodybuilders are compulsive liars surrounded by empty followers, drug dealers and scam artists.

I think they stop going to the gym because they know without the drugs, it's largely pointless to even do anything since they're never going to progress anymore. This is, the exact reason why bodybuilders do it. It's the insecurity. Most of them simply never got the attention from girls, or from parents, or the respect from people. Many may have been bullied at school, and strongly feel the need to continue to validate themselves and prove they are somehow better than everyone.

It's not necessarily a shortcut for a lot of them. Many, if not all bodybuilders had been competing naturally and training with great understanding of their nutrition as naturals before moving on to the dark side to be fair. But, that move is always, always prompted by an inherent dis-satisfaction with their limitations and their physiques. Most of the time this is brought on by the unrealistic (and pretty much always juiced up) levels displayed in today's social media.

[Natural Man]

But its not all black and white, and attractive people do much better in school than ugly people...

Of course life is intrinsically unfair and cruel; what maters is wether you have something useful for others to comensate for what you lack, in order to adapt and survive.

Lots of people try to compensate for their shortcomings by overdeveloping others aspects of their lives; this is why bullied small dumb guys inject steroids to feel confident and dominant among other males. Remove the drugs there s nothing. Better educated kids develop their brains and study to become rich and buy power.

[Cutlet767]

This is Addict talk.

The reality is your not transcending shit. Your just engaging in one strange obsession.

Lol true.

The only bodybuilders/men's physique etc who don't get treated like freaks in person are the ones that respond well to the drug and still end up just pulling off the look of looking not natural, but looking aesthetic as hell anyway.

Of course life is intrinsically unfair and cruel; what maters is wether you have something useful for others to comensate for what you lack, in order to adapt and survive.

Lots of people try to compensate for their shortcomings by overdeveloping others aspects of their lives; this is why bullied small dumb guys inject steroids to feel confident and dominant among other males. Remove the drugs there s nothing. Better educated kids develop their brains and study to become rich and buy power.

This doesn't necessarily ring true in all cases, because sometimes even decent looking and genetically blessed guys end up using drugs. How do you explain Günter Schlierkamp....

[gracie bjj]

drug addicts come in all sorts of shape and sizes and some r extremely ugly while others look like movie stars,drug addiction doesnt discriminate. ive seen women and guys that seem to have it all,looks,money,freinds ect only to lose everything in less than a year and kill themselves or end up in jail,its a hard reality people face when drug addiction takes over a person

[da_vinci]

Plenty of generalizations and bias...

I could introduce some of you to people who use these drugs and the generalizations would end.

Cutlet>"
It's not necessarily a shortcut for a lot of them. Many, if not all bodybuilders had been competing naturally and training with great understanding of their nutrition as naturals before moving on to the dark side to be fair. But, that move is always, always prompted by an inherent dis-satisfaction with their limitations and their physiques. Most of the time this is brought on by the unrealistic (and pretty much always juiced up) levels displayed in today's social media. " -

It's about human nature which is exactly that (as a history has shown) - not to accept the "limitations". Or we would not be able to fly today. I don't accept certain limitations in life (and NOT perfect evolution process) and I won't accept them till my last breath, you and anyone else are free to act as you want tho'. But if I'm an athlete, of any field, I have a passion to be a great athlete. If I'm doing bussiness, I have a passion to do great bussiness, and so on. It's all relative.

[anabolichalo]

i dont think i'll ever work out off steroids again

it's totally pointless


unless maybe some jogging, situps and push ups once in a while

[da_vinci]

Of course life is intrinsically unfair and cruel; what maters is wether you have something useful for others to comensate for what you lack, in order to adapt and survive.

Lots of people try to compensate for their shortcomings by overdeveloping others aspects of their lives; this is why bullied small dumb guys inject steroids to feel confident and dominant among other males. Remove the drugs there s nothing. Better educated kids develop their brains and study to become rich and buy power.

I think you are biased, just like me. Your bias is: you chose not to use hormones, while being addicted to a physical fitness (even a small dose of test may make wonders), so you hope that everyone who use are losers, their health will fail and they will regret their use and it can't be anything else than that (so in the end you'd feel good for not "indulging"). I'm biased because I'm taking a risk and hope that I'll be able to manage the possible pay check some time in the future.
 If you are over 30 (you are), I'd suggest you take some good education on hormones and possible benefits (at small doses) for a long run. You know, hormones decline not for some "reason", but merely because everything else is declining in a body, and a substitute is very often better than a "natural downslide". You may end up finding out that you can compete with younger males (for your and your family survival) more effectively with an "artificial" help. Isn't it free for all and the goal justify any means to reach it?

BTW - testosterone has an ability to "sharpen" the thinking process, not just induce the artificial state of well being. Do you want to get dumber sooner than later?

[da_vinci]

i dont think i'll ever work out off steroids again

it's totally pointless


unless maybe some jogging, situps and push ups once in a while

I would work out, regardless. I have no issues of going off for a few months periodically and loosing size, nor would I have much issues going off for ever as I'm working on other parts of my life/personality too. Tho' for some reason the "stigma" is that everyone who's doing that is dumb, poor, uneducated and mentally challenged. Well maybe that's how it is is US, idk.