Rumours most vile
Rumours abound that the titans of the pre-steroid “Silver Era” such as Reg Park, Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, John Grimek, and others did, in fact, abuse steroids with reckless abandon. I don’t know if these rumours are true or not. Nobody really can because the only people who know for certain are the men and […]
Righteous indignation
Saddest thing I ever saw in the gym was when I was lifting in this barebones 24-hour place (that actually closed at midnight, despite a giant banner out the front claiming they were open “24/7”). Anyway, this gym had an agreement with one of the local colleges to allow students to use their facilities at […]
The four horsemen of the pharmaceutical apocalypse
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have heard talk of these magical weight loss injections. Just last week, I saw an article where Wes Streeting (the health secretary) claimed half of his MP colleagues are taking the weight loss pokey poke. That in and of itself is neither noteworthy nor interesting. […]
The curious case of the fat-to-fit celebrity
Cannot help but notice the current trend of mostly middle-aged male celebrities suddenly getting “ripped” and “jacked” despite being a flabby mess in their prime. Maybe I am being harsh and they have just dialled in their training and nutrition. Or maybe they’ve done what a lot of vain and lazy middle-aged blokes are doing […]
“Healthy, natural, and real”
Was the caption of a photograph featuring the late, great Steve Reeves alongside a handful of other bodybuilders at a competition (if memory serves, it was the 1947 Mr America). Powerful words that are needed now more than ever considering the Fitness Internet is awash with drug addicts, people who lie about being drug addicts, […]
How the Fitness Internet can ruin your life
Behold a true story about how the “Fitness Internet” can ruin your life: About nine years ago, I was a newly minted personal trainer, plying my trade at a rundown 24 hour gym. (There were literally holes in the weightroom floor under the mats that you would fall into if you didn’t know about them.) […]
the true “genetic equaliser” in modern bodybuilding
Yesterday’s missive on the BMI prompted an excellent question from a Silver Era Secrets graduate (who shall remain anonymous): === “On the subject of the email, doesn’t the “BMI because muscle” thing capture PED users accurately? Granted, only very few people like Dan Ruhl, Ronnie Coleman or Dorian Yates and their ilk are blessed with […]
Slaughtering another sacred cow
One fitness sacred cow that needs slaughtering yesterday is the concept of “bulking and cutting”. Why? It is typically practiced in the manner designed by and for drug abusing bodybuilders. When used by those who are not part of this strange group, stress, frustration, and, often, illnesses physical and mental result. Think about it: Is […]
Arguably the best workout for the unsullied body
Yesterday, I mansplained the importance of having a “baseline routine”. Today, I shall mansplain some more: This way of doing things was pretty much the standard back when men (and some women) built strong, fit, and aesthetically pleasing physiques without abusing steroids or other PEDs. Why? I’m not entirely certain. Although I suspect it had […]
Why bodybuilders make dangerous idols
Client of mine who shall remain nameless was shocked when I told him a famous bodybuilder from the 1970s was a steroid abuser. The name of the bodybuilder is not important because basically all professional bodybuilders take steroids, unless they are competing in explicitly “natural” federations (but even some of them are on the sauce, […]