Scholarly discussion: On the Origins of "Just the Finishing Touch"

[io]

The standard wisdom around here is that Bob Chick once said "drugs are only the finishing touch" in regards to anabolics in bodybuilding. I went looking for the origins of this quote and came across this bombshell:

Why is it my thesis?  I've never said anything remotely close to that...

So Mr Chick himself denies ever saying drugs were the "finishing touch". I searched the internet, and most of the people discussing it also attributed it to Bob but there didn't seem to be any definitive post or video of him saying anything to that effect.

However, there were a couple of people mentioning that one Arnold Schwarzenegger actually gave the "just the finishing touch" quote in an interview. However, I didn't see the actual video myself...

So what's the truth, Getbig? Who, if anyone, actually claimed that anabolic steroids were "just the finishing touch"?

[BB]

Article from 2005 -

"John Hansen, who won the Natural Mr. Universe title in 1992 and Natural Olympia title in 1998, remembers that when he first started training as a bodybuilder at the age of 14, he often competed against teenagers who were using steroids.

“They were available and I could have taken them at the time, but I wanted to build my body naturally,” he says.

An article in a muscle magazine inspired him to be a natural bodybuilder rather than relying on steroids to put on muscle mass. The story quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said that if you build your body with drugs, you'll have nothing left when you stop using them. Instead, Schwarzenegger advised the readers to eat the right foods, put on muscle size naturally and take the drugs as a finishing touch during bodybuilding competitions."

https://www.americanspa.com/news/underground-club-culture-steroids (natural bodybuilding part).

I do remember Arnold offering a variation of the "finishing touch" quote before, I believe in the big training book he put out.

[BB]

Late 80's Gaspari saying it at about 5:15 -

.

Whole video is good.

Edit, from "Battle for The Gold" about the 1988 Olympia. The steroid talk starts at around 36 minutes in, and goes on for about 5 minutes. There's a little on young Vic Richards just before it -

.

[Van_Bilderass]

My impression at the time is that Bob Chick didn't say exactly that, more like the spirit of the saying. And that was the funny part, constantly throwing it at him knowing he never said it exactly.

It's funny what Arnold said above, "The story quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said that if you build your body with drugs, you'll have nothing left when you stop using them." Exactly, Arnold showed that perfectly, he had nothing without the drugs. But he somehow claimed they were just a finishing touch for him. No, they built his whole body (of course along with the necessary training).

[beakdoctor]

My impression at the time is that Bob Chick didn't say exactly that, more like the spirit of the saying. And that was the funny part, constantly throwing it at him knowing he never said it exactly.

It's funny what Arnold said above, "The story quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said that if you build your body with drugs, you'll have nothing left when you stop using them." Exactly, Arnold showed that perfectly, he had nothing without the drugs. But he somehow claimed they were just a finishing touch for him. No, they built his whole body (of course along with the necessary training).

Jerry  Brainum claimed that by the mid 70's Arnold would go  cut way back on training in the off season.  He'd only workout 3 maybe 4 times a week , for maybe 30 mins and not verry hard either but would ramp up training as the contest drew near and ramp up steroid dose too.

He obviously had a great response to training and drugs. I wonder how hard and how often he trained when his interests had nothing to do with bodybuilding.  For example the years between 75-80. Was he even really training hard?

[falco]

For a guy blessed with good genes for building muscle, he might have the perception that training, nutrition and rest play a bigger part than steroids (albeit ALL being necessary for pro bodybuilding). For someone with just average genetics, drugs become more relevant in that equation, quantity wise.

[Van_Bilderass]

Jerry  Brainum claimed that by the mid 70's Arnold would go  cut way back on training in the off season.  He'd only workout 3 maybe 4 times a week , for maybe 30 mins and not verry hard either but would ramp up training as the contest drew near and ramp up steroid dose too.

He obviously had a great response to training and drugs. I wonder how hard and how often he trained when his interests had nothing to do with bodybuilding.  For example the years between 75-80. Was he even really training hard?

I don't know but I'm still pretty sure he didn't really train when he was off, some "exercise" yes. I remember he talked about not eating til completely full, having that self discipline and he seemed to go down in weight drastically, he wasn't addicted to the image.

For a guy blessed with good genes for building muscle, he might have the perception that training, nutrition and rest play a bigger part than steroids (albeit ALL being necessary for pro bodybuilding). For someone with just average genetics, drugs become more relevant in that equation, quantity wise.

Or he was just "protecting the children" from cruel reality 

[Hulkotron]

I think Bob Chick's statement on here was more along the lines of "Drugs are the last thing that make a bodybuilder a bodybuilder".  It might have been one of the other pros that used to post on here though.

[Dokey111]

back in the 80's Platz said that steroids were the equivalent of putting a coat of wax on your show car. 

[Sandrock]

Jerry  Brainum claimed that by the mid 70's Arnold would go  cut way back on training in the off season.  He'd only workout 3 maybe 4 times a week , for maybe 30 mins and not verry hard either but would ramp up training as the contest drew near and ramp up steroid dose too.

He obviously had a great response to training and drugs. I wonder how hard and how often he trained when his interests had nothing to do with bodybuilding.  For example the years between 75-80. Was he even really training hard?

Someone once claimed(can't remember who) they were around Arnold sometimes in the 76-80 period and that Arnold used 185 for squats and inclines during that time.

[Van_Bilderass]

I think Bob Chick's statement on here was more along the lines of "Drugs are the last thing that make a bodybuilder a bodybuilder".  It might have been one of the other pros that used to post on here though.

They all say that 

And it's true in a sense yet not if seen another way. It's really hard to put drugs, genes, diet, lifting, in range of importance. Some here may say diet is everything, many say diet is 80%, "you can do most things wrong as long as keep to your diet ," whereas someone else may say drugs are most important, "drugs allow you to make many mistakes," Tom Platz said this, drugs allowed you to make mistakes, such as missing workouts, and still come out no worse.

[io]

Late 80's Gaspari saying it at about 5:15 -

.

Whole video is good.

Edit, from "Battle for The Gold" about the 1988 Olympia. The steroid talk starts at around 36 minutes in, and goes on for about 5 minutes. There's a little on young Vic Richards just before it -

.

Wow, this dispels many myths. Your research is impeccable, the world of bodybuilding academia will never be the same. You may even win a Nobel Prize (of Peace).

[Humble Narcissist]

Jerry  Brainum claimed that by the mid 70's Arnold would go  cut way back on training in the off season.  He'd only workout 3 maybe 4 times a week , for maybe 30 mins and not verry hard either but would ramp up training as the contest drew near and ramp up steroid dose too.

He obviously had a great response to training and drugs. I wonder how hard and how often he trained when his interests had nothing to do with bodybuilding.  For example the years between 75-80. Was he even really training hard?

After Arnold's first retirement he looked like he weighed 180lbs. I know he was doing mostly cardio at that time.

[youandme]

Bob was still thinking it was the 80s and 90s of bodybuilding where there was a secretive nature of steroids. Odd to see how things have changed to being so hush hush to obvious and easy to find.

[Humble Narcissist]

Bob was still thinking it was the 80s and 90s of bodybuilding where there was a secretive nature of steroids. Odd to see how things have changed to being so hush hush to obvious and easy to find.

Dan Duchaine put an end to the secrecy.

[Flexacon]

Bob regularly logged in here for years after he had stopped posting. Maybe checking his inbox?

Other less famous Chick quotes.

On Heaths gut in the BDB "Even Zane had a gut when hitting the BDB". Someone posts a side on pic of Zanes BDB - No gut.

Few years back when he was athletes rep and a bunch of people suggested a classic division "never gonna happen".

On Hadi "He should stick to 212 as he wouldn't make the top 10 in open"

[youandme]

Dan Duchaine put an end to the secrecy.

Not many people knew who Duchaine was, you had to be into bodybuilding. Now you have average Joes and gym rats with access to instant information for instant results.

[Humble Narcissist]

Not many people knew who Duchaine was, you had to be into bodybuilding. Now you have average Joes and gym rats with access to instant information for instant results.

Yeah, but he got the ball rolling with his articles on Bill Phillips' MM2K.

[wes]

^^^^ Long before MM2K

[Humble Narcissist]

^^^^ Long before MM2K

True, but MM2K turned that into a bestseller. Only very hardcore bodybuilders read it before then.