Anyone have an educated, realistic guess as to when Arnold first used anabolic steroids? I read somewhere that Arnold's old coach in Austria, forget the name, claimed Arnold took Dianabol, I think it was, at 13 years old. I think it came from that unauthorized biography of Arnold. Now that may sound like just a crazy rumor, 13 years old, a child! But these drugs were in fact given to kids and it has been documented. There was East Germany. Later even American docs gave them to kids like The Coach here on getbig.
But could Arnold have taken them at 13? I mean he did take them as a teen but 13 years old would be real early. I always thought early use could affect your "genetics" and your ultimate muscular potential.
Kurt Marnul. He was an ex bodybuilder and gym owner, who got to know Arnold and his brother. Apparently he liked the older brother's physique more, but Arnold was the one that kept coming back. As to when he first started, somewhere between 13 - 15 is the rumor by Wendy Leigh, who wrote the unauthorized biography that Arnold hated, and another biographer. She also stated that Rick Wayne was told by Arnold, that Arnold started at 13.
Laurence Leamer, the other Arnold biographer, states that a Dr. Karl Gerstl was involved later, as he was a student of Marnul, and friends with Arnold around the time he was 15.
A long history of Arnold's supposed drug history is cataloged in the book "Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors" by Randy Roach. It's a scholarly tome, that was well received in many circles -
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Muscle_Smoke_and_Mirrors/lOrf_dHX-RgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=kurt+marnul+steroids&pg=PA28&printsec=frontcover .
It should link to the Marnul part, then read down, also maybe read up, as there is lots of gossip in the preceding pages. Anyway, play with it a bit, as Google Books can be funny, as I'm sure you know.
(edit, I see you found it
! )
(edit 2 - Most of the book seems to be free to view, the really good Arnold gossip starts in Chapter 2 / page 25).
