What Exactly Is Going on Here?


I came across some pictures of bodybuilders who have given up or have not been able to keep up their pro bodybuilding routines for different reasons.

My goal here is not to bash, or state that one way is the best way, but to have a discussion where I can possibly learn from it.

Take Vic Martinez for example. I know he was locked up and probably didn’t have access to weights as he would in the free world, but doesn’t this show that his approach to building muscle is only really applicable to assisted lifters.

What would cause some of these bodybuilders to not only give up PEDs (obviously the amounts some of them took has health implications) but to, from the looks of it, completely abandon lifting iron?


2


3


4

He looks like he is still lifting, but damn he has lost a lot of size

Apparently still around fitness. Would you take training advise from him?

6?


That ^ was 7 this is 8

Our boy Vic

Genetics plus drugs

[quote]eatliftsleep wrote:
Genetics plus drugs[/quote]

Serious question. Is it that their cells respond better to the drugs? Is that where the genetics come in?

When I think of genetics and drugs, I think of Arnold. He had the health issues some years ago and there were pictures that showed him in pretty poor shape. He was 60 or so at the time. Prior to that in the 90s, 00ts, he was without a doubt smaller than his Olympia days, but you could still see ‘The Oak’ in there.

Those are shocking photos, but is it uncommon for people who have reached the elite levels of something to then quit when they decline for whatever reason? I don’t think it is. Many people must either be obsessed with perfection or they will simply quit. Their passion is on or off. I have always been a long-term worker at things and while I never reach outstanding levels I also don’t quit easily. My guess is the elites are more prone to perfectionism. Others are okay with being in the top 2% and don’t need to reach 0.0002%.

I really don’t know any background on these guys but I would say priorities shifted. Obviously they were committing a lot of time and effort into maintaining their size. To me it looks like other things became more important to them. Whether this is family, a career, or whatever, dedicating less and less time to lifting they’re bound to lose the size they put on.

[quote]mbdix wrote:

What would cause some of these bodybuilders to not only give up PEDs (obviously the amounts some of them took has health implications) but to, from the looks of it, completely abandon lifting iron? [/quote]

Life.

People move on from previous endeavors. They let them go. And when you are competing at a level involving the highest standards in the world, whether it be Olympic sports, the NBA, NHL, NFL, pro boxing, MLB, there is room for practically nothing else, and you are likely to burn the hell out after some point. I mean burn out to the point at which you don’t even want to participate anymore.

Has anyone seen what Bo Jackson and Mike Tyson look like now?

Many of these people probably want to experience things they could not while they were living and breathing and thinking about their endeavor around the clock. Relationships were put aside or not tended to, if not wrecked. Some did not have children. Friendships were strained. They didn’t travel on a leisurely basis. And the list goes on and on. Maybe they now want to… well… you know… go home, watch a TV show, read some books, work on cars or do some other crafts… and to hell with the gym?!

[quote]mbdix wrote:

[quote]eatliftsleep wrote:
Genetics plus drugs[/quote]

Serious question. Is it that their cells respond better to the drugs? Is that where the genetics come in?[/quote]

They respond better to training, drugs, and nutrition–respond better to everything that is.

[quote]thegymismyshrink wrote:
Those are shocking photos, but is it uncommon for people who have reached the elite levels of something to then quit when they decline for whatever reason? I don’t think it is. Many people must either be obsessed with perfection or they will simply quit. Their passion is on or off. I have always been a long-term worker at things and while I never reach outstanding levels I also don’t quit easily. My guess is the elites are more prone to perfectionism. Others are okay with being in the top 2% and don’t need to reach 0.0002%.[/quote]

I would not say it is uncommon for an elite level athlete to quit competing when they fall off the top of the mountain. I would say it is uncommon for an elite to completely abandon their field, as it seems some of these people did. I’m sure there are examples of this happening in other fields, I am trying to think and I just keep thinking of ex elite level athletes that are still somehow involved in their field. In most pursuits it really takes a love for their craft to reach the elite level.

I agree with you that those images are shocking.

I’ll respond to Brick and David tomorrow. I didn’t see those post earlier.

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]mbdix wrote:

What would cause some of these bodybuilders to not only give up PEDs (obviously the amounts some of them took has health implications) but to, from the looks of it, completely abandon lifting iron? [/quote]

Life.

People move on from previous endeavors. They let them go. And when you are competing at a level involving the highest standards in the world, whether it be Olympic sports, the NBA, NHL, NFL, pro boxing, MLB, there is room for practically nothing else, and you are likely to burn the hell out after some point. I mean burn out to the point at which you don’t even want to participate anymore.

Has anyone seen what Bo Jackson and Mike Tyson look like now?

Many of these people probably want to experience things they could not while they were living and breathing and thinking about their endeavor around the clock. Relationships were put aside or not tended to, if not wrecked. Some did not have children. Friendships were strained. They didn’t travel on a leisurely basis. And the list goes on and on. Maybe they now want to… well… you know… go home, watch a TV show, read some books, work on cars or do some other crafts… and to hell with the gym?![/quote]

Tyson was never a bodybuilder but he still looks good …

[quote]mbdix wrote:
3[/quote]

This guy, as I am sure some of the others suffered some health issues. After competing for the time he did. I believe some kind of kidney disease or something.