Mario Strong - Anabolic Revolution

ANABOLIC REVOLUTION

In 1977, while participating as a judge for Dan Lurie’s W.B.B.G. World Championships held at New York City's Madison Square Garden, I had the good fortune to be sitting alongside the honorary guest of the evening, Mr. Steve Reeves. During the shows intermission I introduced myself and broke into a conversation with the legendary Hercules. One of the topics I recall Steve Reeves being passionate about, was the use of anabolic steroids in the sport of bodybuilding. Long before the evolution of natural competitive bodybuilding took hold, Steve Reeves predicted that the sport would break into two different philosophies. He told me that bodybuilders who continued to abuse the use of chemical agents to enhance their physiques risked not only impairing their health but death as well. Decades later the Herculean legends predictions sadly came true as many amateur and pro bodybuilders alike died long before their time leaving a trail of dead bodybuilders across the globe.

Today, drugs in some professional sports have become mainstream. The hypocrisy of Major League Baseball early in the 21^st century served as a wake up call for an American culture that indulged in careless living by risking its health through fast foods, alcoholic beverages, smoking, recreational drugs, and the like. Before we can hope to see bodybuilding return to its roots in physical culture, we will first have to witness a 'new way of life' throughout our society.

Since the early days of physical culture, modern man has been searching for the elusive ''Fountain of Youth''. The promise of radiant health, enduring strength and a Herculean physique has drawn millions on this quest for physical perfection.

Through the early decades of bodybuilding, the forefathers of physical culture established basic guidelines for the muscle enthusiast to follow. Natural foods, resistance training, plenty of rest, and a positive outlook on life were the primary ingredients for achieving ones goals. The demand for knowledge on how to reach the stars would result in millions of booklets being sold by mail order, while magazine stands and bookshelves were continually restocked with the latest 'muscle building secrets'. Tons of steel and exercise equipment would find its way into the homes of thousands of Americans all across our nation. Health clubs and iron gyms would sprout up in local neighborhoods and towns, while physique competitions were held to determine who the best in the land was. The strong roots of physical culture were taking grip in our society, and the mighty oak of bodybuilding would soon branch out through every city in America.

A new 'way of life' became a reality for many as the 'body beautiful' movement swung into high gear. For decades the much traveled road to muscledom kept its promise, then by the mid-60's what seemed pure and natural took a wrong turn setting the course of modern bodybuilding down a dead end. The introduction of anabolic steroids into the sport of bodybuilding would usher in a new era of super sized and equally strong muscular physiques that would attract millions of young men and women with a desire to achieve the same naturally unattainable goals.

Along with the growth of the sport, the physiques continued to become bigger and more vascular as bodybuilders experimented with 'stacking' the latest in designer muscle enhancing pharmaceuticals. Magazine and ticket sales were at a peak and bodybuilding competitions were seen regularly on network TV. The popularity of the sport was soaring high. Then, what could have been mostly prevented by not promoting and rewarding individuals whose physiques were chemically altered became a reality as the widespread use of drugs in the sport became relevant.

Words such as steroids, cycling, and growth hormones became common place in our gyms, and juicing no longer meant enjoying your favorite health drink. Reports of bodybuilders on dialysis and with heart ailments became a frequent occurrence while the eventual death of several competitive pros hit home hard. What had been a dark cloud in a sport with such great potential turned into a storm that spread its vast shadow on a culture that once shined.

Our sport cannot escape the fact that since the early '90s, there has been a succession of tragedies and near-tragedies that cannot be dismissed as mere statistical coincidences. Just going from memory, the list of bodybuilders who have died prematurely since 1992, includes Momo Benaziza, Andreas Munzer, Curtis Leffler, Hans Hopstaken, Sonny Schmidt, Derrick Whitsett, Don Youngblood, Charles Durr, Don Ross, Mike Mentzer, Ray Mentzer, Paul Grant, Paul Demayo, and Fannie Barrios. Bodybuilders whose competitive careers were cut short by illness include Dennis Newman, Mike Francois, Don Long, Flex Wheeler, Tom Prince and Mike Matarazzo. The list of athletes that we know have experienced harum-scarum hospital visits with conditions in which their lives have been in danger includes Mike Matarazzo, Edgar Fletcher, Paul Dillett, Milos Sarcev, Nasser El Sonbaty, Bob Cicherillo and Mustafa Mohammad.

The sport of bodybuilding has reached a dangerous crossroad, where it seems that too many athletes (pro and amateur) have become walking time bombs, with the prospect of a future lived in poor health (or worse) being the only trophy they can look forward to. Consider the following lifestyle: use liberal amounts of steroids, growth hormone and insulin; kick in an array of exotic substances for God knows what; add huge quantities of food every two hours that severely overtax the human digestive system; throw in a heavy dose of painkillers (some narcotic in nature); adopt an MO that requires dropping 40 or 50 pounds twice a year in a 12-week period; peak on contest day by means of diuretics so as to be bone dry and severely dehydrated. We don't have to fund a Harvard research project to figure out that such a regimen is a recipe for physical disaster.

To save certain athletes from themselves, and to save the sport of bodybuilding, an overhaul of how physiques are judged must take place at every bodybuilding competition held in America and throughout the world. The powers that be must commit to returning competitive bodybuilding to the position where it is a celebration of life, not a shortening of it.

Organizations dedicated to natural bodybuilding and a healthy lifestyle have responded with an ‘anabolic revolution’ by calling for a return to the ideals set forth by the forefathers of physical culture. Physique promoters throughout the USA and across the globe have created natural bodybuilding competitions so athletes can compete on a level playing field without running the risk of ruining their health. Publications featuring natural bodybuilders are spreading the gospel of healthy living through proper nutrition and exercise. The televised media has developed new bodybuilding and fitness programs to inspire future generations of natural iron pumpers. And now, with the age of cyber space came upon us, the Internet has become a resource of concepts and opinions for bodybuilders to learn and express their views with other physique artist throughout the World. The new millennium is here and those dedicated to physical culture have begun to prevail as the radiant beacon of light from the torch of natural living begins to shine through the storm.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

The following well known bodybuilders died long before their time. Each was well liked and respected among their peers. They had families and friends and served as an inspiration to many. Whether their demise was from natural causes or self inflicted, they will be greatly missed. MarioStrong.com makes no inference as to what ultimately led to their untimely deaths.