“IFBB made a big mistake”: Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s solution to tackle steroid epidemic in bodybuilding world
Having been an essential part of the bodybuilding world for several decades now, Arnold Schwarzenegger has seen the sport evolve over the years. Even though Schwarzenegger has been open about using steroids in his prime bodybuilding days, the dosages that bodybuilders took during the golden era were minimal.
However, the sport has evolved ever since and in an attempt to get as massive as possible, athletes are taking dangerous amounts of performance-enhancing drugs.
According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, this is ruining modern bodybuilding. Despite being humongous in size and shredded to their bones, athletes often carry bubble guts on the stage and lack posing skills.
During a recent with Jenny Powell in Birmingham, UK, Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about what he believes can save modern bodybuilding.
"IFBB made a big mistake by taking posing out of the equation. And so the bodybuilders are making no efforts at all in Mr Olympia to really strike a pose, to be able to hold the pose if necessary for a minute, two minutes, or for five minutes," Arnold said. (19:38)
"Whatever it takes, if the judge asks you to pose, hold the pose. And don't go shaking, because otherwise you are on the wrong stage. Go back to the Mr Bulgaria competition or something like that. But don't stand on the Mr Olympia stage," he added.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's honest take on modern bodybuilders
Schwarzenegger believes modern bodybuilders have a terrible bubble gut due to the fact that are abusing steroids. Believing this to be the reason behind deaths of bodybuilders at young ages, Arnold Schwarzenegger stated that excessive amounts of growth hormone leads to these issues. He said:
"Today when you look at bodybuilders, you know, they have a lot of the times this huge stomach and they look like they are pregnant. Like six-eight months pregnant up there on the stage. And I think it has a lot to do with the growth hormones that they are taking. Because when you take growth hormones, it makes your muscles grow but it also makes your intestines grow." (16:41)
"Also they take other drugs that are very dangerous for your health and that's why you see every so often now, people actually dying. You know they are young, they are in their 30s, and they are dying because of taking too much of these drugs." (17:05)
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