How good do you guys think the drug testing in federations like the USAPL is? Are these lifters really drug free or can they use between meets if they’re careful. I would think it would be difficult with the out of meet testing and the targeted testing. I’ve seen some pretty impressive numbers put up by these folks and would like to believe it’s the real thing, but the sceptic in me always wonders. One of the women just benched two and a half times her body weight for a new record.
Hey I didn’t mean to step on any toes. I have often been asked this question about “drug-free” athletes. Prior to posting I ran a search and found most of the postings were from several years ago and things may have changed a lot since then. Some folks said the testing was a joke since only 10% of the athletes get tested, but don’t you automatically get tested if you medal? I don’t mean any disrespect, just trying to filter get some kind of grasp on what the truth is.
The testing is a joke in my opinion, it isnt like the USOC where you can get a call and be tested randomly that day in the off season. The USAPL has a limited amount of funding and so it cannot afford out of competition testing or to test many athletes at the competition for that matter. Personally I think the APF and IPA have the best system, there is the Amateur division which is tested, and the Pro division which is not tested. That way no one needs to lie about it and can be a little more honest.
I’m not sure about the organizations in the USA but by Louie Simmons own admission in an article here at T-Mag he said hasn’t stopped taking steroids for a lot of years. He said if he didn’t take them he wouldn’t be able to lift as much as he does. Any comments???
My opinion regarding steroid use is like that of helmet laws - I think it is a personal choice. Although I do not choose to use, that is my own personal decision. I don’t wear a helmet either when I ride and can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to argue that point.
The problem I have with it is with those who claim to be drug free and are not. Louie Simmons and the Westside boys are very honest about the subject. That is why we have drug tested federations and untested federations. If you choose to use, then you can compete in an untested federation and that’s fine with me. I have a real problem with those who repeatedly claim to be drug free and obviuosly are not. It’s like if Pamela Anderson were to claim her breasts are real - we all know better.
I have a tremendous amount of admiration for the men and whem who compete drug free because there’s gotta be a lot of pressure to take the other path. I look up to these folks and use their accomplishments as a benchmark that I can strive toward - yeah I know that sounds corny. Actually, I have great admiration for anyone who has the balls to step up to the platform and show what they’ve got.
Everytime I point out the accomplishment of a drug free lifter to someone, I get the same question - are they using drugs. Based upon the info here it seems that they are not as rigorously tested as I thought. I guess sometimes you’ve just gotta go on faith.
kike, Louie Simmons doesn’t compete in drug-tested federations, so it’s not a problem for him. I also wonder why you threw in the statement about him thinking that he couldn’t lift as much weight without the steroids. It doesn’t quite fit the subject.
It was just a comment… Like I said, I don’t know anything at all about the federations in the US so I really didn’tknow whether he competed in tested events or not, I just thought it was interesting, but again, pardon my ignorance! And I didn’t mean any disrespect by the comment I made, I just thought it was kind of interesting.