How to make money with your body? "The sport of rich altruists"

Bodybuilding is a joyful and useful activity, not only for the body, but also for the soul. It is not without reason that many psychologists claim that only the person who is in good physical shape is truly happy. One can immediately recall the immortal saying “a healthy mind in a healthy body!” All this is true, of course, but all those who play sports, as well as those who are interested in specialized sports, should know that bodybuilding has its own line and limits, which are not recommended to be crossed under any circumstances.

Popular questions

Many people are very interested in the question: how do they become jocks? In other words, how do other people gain muscle mass and build strength in their muscles? How do they manage to carve out such an ideal, sculpted figure for themselves? Hormones? Motivation? Balance in nutrition? The answer is simple and at the same time quite complex - you need all of the above. Indeed, in order to build huge muscle mass and develop a sculpted figure, you need to follow certain requirements, which include various elements, from proper nutrition to a certain training technique. We will tell you about all this in order.

Student results

Before I finish the article for new visitors to my blog, I would like to introduce you to those who, like you, once visited my blog for the first time.

They, like you, also doubted, were afraid to try something new, were afraid of visiting the gym, but, nevertheless, through all the doubts, they decided to START.

In any business, the most difficult thing is to take the first step. Start doing things that are unusual for yourself in order to become what you want.

This is very difficult, and I understand you, but only you can make yourself strong, purposeful and beautiful.

10 Conclusion: All these people were also once unhappy with their bodies, but one day they told themselves that they could change it. Believe that you can do it, and you will be right.

The interesting thing is, if you say that you CANNOT, you will also be right.

Your whole life depends on your attitude. Only we set boundaries and boundaries for ourselves.

You can read even more reviews on this page.

Constancy

For everyone who has embarked on the path of bodybuilding and bodybuilding, there should first of all be one goal - consistency. It should be in the mode of food, sleep, training. It is very important to develop a stable habit of clearly delineating your day, otherwise it will be difficult to progress. This, by the way, fosters self-discipline and the ability to plan your life in general.

How to train for a beginner in bodybuilding?

Any sport is painted by its representatives, champions, the best of the best, but even the greatest athlete was once an ordinary youth, a beginner who had just come to the sport. What could be especially important for a beginner? For a beginner, and actually like for any person, the result is important. The topic of this article is “the initial path of a beginner and the speed at which he achieves results.” This topic is dedicated specifically to you, dear beginners and simply lovers of this amazing sport.

As soon as a young man embarks on the path of muscle training, he begins to realize all the complexity and obstacles that stand in his way. I want to achieve results as quickly as possible, especially considering the fact that the first year of training bears fruit quite intensively.

Understanding the goal

To answer the question of how those who want it become muscle builders, you need to know what exactly you want to achieve - just gain a little muscle mass and consolidate the result, or grow and develop over the years as a professional bodybuilder? In the latter case, we want to disappoint you a little - not everyone can succeed in the field of a professional athlete. But it’s always worth exercising for yourself, because a person’s physical condition depends only on himself. Some people come to bodybuilding and bodybuilding out of boredom, others from the desire to see real results, and others just want to stay healthy. There are many reasons for everyone, but the goal is one.

Exercises for training at home without exercise equipment

For the first time, you have a wonderful inventory: whether you knew it or not... This is your own body weight . With it (+ a little creativity) you can do all sorts of exercises. Even the very first thing that comes to mind:

• Push-ups (and all kinds of variations);
• Pull-ups (and all kinds of variations);
• Horizontal pull-ups;
• Reverse push-ups;
• Headstand push-ups;
• Biceps curl;
• Bodyweight triceps exercise;
• Lunges (and all kinds of variations);
• Squats;
• Bulgarian squats;
• Pistol squats;
• Lying leg curl;
• Romanian deadlift on one leg;
• etc.

This is by no means a complete list of exercises. You'll find a bunch more.

But this is enough to create one of your workouts. There are enough exercises in this list to make working out at home truly effective for building muscle. And it will be without any additional equipment and without exercise equipment or going to an expensive gym.

Add, for example, a resistance band , and now you can do dozens of other exercises (close-grip rows, presses with a band, swings with arms forward and to the sides, biceps and triceps exercises, etc.) ...

So, the more exercise, the better. This is good news. Now for the less good news...

Mode

The path to pumping up muscles usually begins with proper nutrition - breakfast, lunch and dinner are required, with at least one more meal in between. And if for men there are usually no problems here, then female bodybuilders should be careful - they need to eat not a lot, but often. The most effective regime will be in which five to six hours will pass between main meals, in order to insert snacks into these periods of time.

Classes

Next - classes. The training of professional bodybuilders is very different from that of amateurs, but there are still some things in common. Everyone who chooses bodybuilding, one way or another, deals with iron and weights. Your muscle training equipment should become heavier and heavier as your personal athletic growth progresses. Typically, in the first training period, which lasts from one to two years, athletes master basic exercises with additional weights. At the same time, it is very important not to allow isolating exercises in training, that is, those that are aimed at working individual muscles. At first, you always need to resort to developing all muscle groups, and after a year or two you can begin special exercises.

Home workout programs

3 Day Bodyweight Workout Program

Are you a beginner or want to take a break from heavy strength training? This three-day workout program covers all the basic exercises and will give you a powerful start to strength training at home.

general information

Description of the training

Whatever you do: bodybuilding, powerlifting, CrossFit or team sports, the end goal is the same - to improve your body.

So it makes sense to make an effort to learn how to use your body correctly, right? Is it true.

To do this, you should include bodyweight exercises in your program.

These exercises can be vital for developing fitness, improving body functionality, or increasing endurance on the court or field.

The proposed program is a 3-day split that trains all the main functions of the body so that you have something to show both externally and in practice.

Day 1: Upper body

Day 2: Lower Body

Day 3: Core muscles

FAQ

How long should you pause between approaches?
Whatever you want, but I recommend no more than 1 minute.

How can I combine these routines with my training program?

You can perform them after a regular workout or as a stand-alone training program. It all depends on the person and his goals.

If you want to focus on exercises with your own body weight, then do this program separately.

Is it possible to perform these complexes twice a week?

Certainly. If you wish, you can train for at least three days in a row, then take a day of rest, and train for another three days in a row.

How long should I follow this program?

Until you feel that you have squeezed everything you can out of this training. I would recommend doing it for at least 4 weeks. What to do after this period is up to you.

I'm strong and don't have enough body mass to reach failure. What to do?

Weight vests will perfectly cope with the role of additional weight without burdening you with unnecessary equipment. Wear a vest for weight-bearing exercises. Alternatively, you can hang a chain around your neck.

Is there any way to make the exercises more difficult?

If you need a vest or chains for additional weight, you can do a drop set. Perform the exercise with weights until failure, then remove the weight and continue.

Instead of doing all the sets at once, you can turn the workout into a circuit workout. Do all the exercises one at a time without rest. This is one circle. Repeat this three times. Rest 1 minute between circles.

I'm too weak to use body weight. Can I replace exercises with exercise machines?

This goes against the grain of the program. If necessary, have a spotter or training partner help you with the most difficult exercises. Don't use weight machines instead.

Three sets of bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere

Given the heaviness of modern life, who would want to hang dumbbells and weights on themselves? Instead, use these workout routines to build muscle using your own body weight.

Do you want to get a good workout, but don’t have access to sports equipment? Do not despair. Using your body weight, you can exercise whenever and wherever you want and still enjoy the process.

When many people talk about bodyweight training, they think of cardio. Of course, bodyweight exercises work well with this type of fitness, but they are also effective for developing upper and lower body strength. You just need to be a little resourceful when choosing exercises.

Since it will not be possible to load the muscles enough with body weight, you need to find another way to injure them to develop strength. We offer you three sets of exercises that do not require anything other than body weight and a horizontal bar or doorway.

Complex 1: Working the lower body and buttocks

To actively stimulate the muscles of the lower body through training with your own weight, you need to choose high-repetition exercises with elements of plyometrics. Plyometric exercises will help build muscle strength and explosiveness. By combining this method with high-repetition training, you can easily build lean muscle mass.

After a short warm-up, perform the entire complex once, resting only at the specified time. At the end of the circle, rest for 3 minutes and repeat everything again two more times.

The good thing about lower body workouts is that they also have a positive effect on the heart. You can be sure that this complex will make your heart beat wildly! However, perform this selection of exercises only when you want to maximally load your muscles.

Set 2: Developing Upper Body Strength

Two of the best compound exercises of all time will help you work your upper body using your own weight: push-ups and pull-ups. As soon as you find a horizontal bar or something to grab onto, you will be able to handle this complex in no time.

Perform the exercises in the mode below, resting for 30-60 seconds. between approaches. Decrease the total number of repetitions in a pyramid manner until you reach the final stage of fatigue.

Push-ups and pull-ups themselves work every muscle group in your upper body: chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Complex 3: Fat-blasting cardio training

You can do this workout even when you're short on time. Bodyweight exercises are ideal for increasing your calorie burn during your workout and for long hours afterwards. Always start this workout with a light warm-up.

Try to complete 100 repetitions of each exercise. If necessary, stop and rest, then return to the exercise again, remembering to follow the correct technique. When you're done, cool down for 5-10 minutes and do some stretching. Vary the rest time or number of repetitions as you see fit.

Special food

A bodybuilder’s nutrition is also a very, very important point in the competent development of an athlete. It includes a wide variety of vitamins (B and E) and microelements, as well as a sufficient amount of protein. And, of course, the body needs to be constantly fed with the required amount of water, otherwise it will fight dehydration, not lactic acid. In addition, bodybuilders, and especially professional bodybuilders, resort to various sports supplements that significantly increase efficiency during training and accelerate catabolic processes, which promotes muscle growth and strengthening. It should be added that, unlike various chemical additives, sports supplements do not contain harmful substances; on the contrary, all ingredients are natural. Of course, you need to know when to use them in moderation.

My free materials

There are free products on my blog that you can download and explore.

The most popular of them is the “System for choosing an individual training program,” which I already introduced you to.

The system is very popular among blog readers and new visitors, because... explains in a simple and understandable, step-by-step manner all the intricacies of the first training program.

There are two more great books:

1. "Your friend is a bodybuilder."
2. "The other side of a beautiful body."

These books help you start training and learn all the most basic aspects of training.

The book “The Other Side of a Beautiful Body” talks about what changes in a person’s life when he or she starts bodybuilding.

I advise you to study my free materials. Even though they are free, this does not affect their quality in any way.

I am very meticulous in the release of my articles, materials and products, so I am constantly working to improve them and provide feedback to readers.

Women in sports

Female bodybuilders are a separate topic of conversation. Some people don’t like them, others, on the contrary, are sincerely happy that a lady can look truly strong. Here, as they say, it comes down to taste... However, do not forget that it is harmful for the female body to experience too much stress, and many exercises performed by male athletes are done completely differently by girls and women due to purely anatomical differences in the structure of the body.

Is it possible to pump up at home? Yes! But…

The good news is that the answer to this question is definitely yes. You can train at home and still build muscle without the special machines found in gyms. The lack of free weights certainly doesn't help, but even with these conditions... you can achieve certain results.

The bad news is that it will be much more uncomfortable, much more difficult in the athletic aspect, and just much more difficult in general. That's why …

Age and bodybuilding

It must be said that bodybuilders look very good in old age, despite the very widespread opinion that closer to old age, “muscles deflate and become flabby.” Actually this is not true. If you don’t give up training and continue the healthy and active lifestyle that you followed in your youth, then in old age there will be no problems with your health or your figure.

Lack of motivation? Is it really possible that the way the bodybuilders look, whose photos we provided in the article, is not a sufficient argument for seriously thinking about your figure and health?

Where to start training

You have already studied part of the theory about the training process and are already beginning to understand what's what.

Below, we will begin to understand training issues more subtly. I hope you are alive there and the length of the article did not scare you)) But it will be to your benefit, friends.

You have already done a lot, you have read up to this point. Many can't even do that.

So, let's take it in order.

What to take with you to the gym

Once you begin to understand that you want to change your body, a person wonders what to take with him to the gym.

This is a very good and common question.

In fact, you and I can start training at home (more on this a little later), but the list of necessary things is unlikely to be significantly different.

Here is the list:

• bag;
• bath items: shampoo, shower gel (soap), washcloth, slippers, towel, underwear;
• clothes: shorts/sweatpants, T-shirt, jacket (if it’s cool in the room);
• shoes: sneakers, socks;
• sports assistants: gloves, wrist straps (traction), belt; small towel;
• training diary;
• a protein shaker (if there is no opportunity to eat);
• water bottle;

Don't train in slippers ! This is very dangerous from a safety point of view (your foot may slip at the most inopportune moment or something may fall on your foot), firstly.

And secondly, if you are a man, then you don’t need to torment gym goers with the smell of your feet. Be respectful to others.

I wrote more about what you need in this article:

• What to take with you to the gym;

How to build muscles at home

By and large, muscles don’t care where you train them.

Even if you lift weights in the gym, even if you climb a palm tree on an island to get a banana, your body doesn’t care.

If you follow just a few rules of muscle growth, which we discussed above, then your muscles will respond to the load with growth.

The rules, as we remember, are simple:

1. Load progression.
2. We are recovering.
3. We feel the muscles.

The most important problem at home is the progression of the load.

7 Conclusion: If you can ensure the progression of the load, then you can start your training at home. The muscles don't care where they are loaded.

I wrote a separate cool article about how to pump up at home, which will answer many questions:

• How to build muscles at home;

How to overcome fear and go to the gym

It is very difficult to change your lifestyle and start incorporating exercise and proper nutrition into your life.

Most people give up at the very rudimentary, initial stage...

At the stage when you still need to go to the gym.

The question is very important, and I don’t understand why I have hardly seen any information on this topic.

I think it's time to introduce you to my Productivity section.

It contains very cool articles not only on the topic of bodybuilding, but also on improving oneself in various areas, as well as my thoughts on certain topics.

By the way, many of my subscribers and readers come to my blog just to read something new from this section.

There are even subscribers who are not involved in bodybuilding, but only read this section! This is, of course, surprising. So, there really are some interesting thoughts there.

In this section, I wrote a detailed article on how to overcome fear and go to the gym.

Article to read:

• How to overcome fear and go to the gym;

How to choose a gym

Sooner or later, almost all people will need to go to the gym in order to achieve serious success (unless, of course, you can buy all the equipment for your home).

The issue of choosing a gym can become very problematic if you have many of them in the city.

If, of course, like me, you are from a small town, then there is not much choice. Where there is a hall (usually the only one in the city), you go there.

Below I will list the basic rules for choosing a gym for everyone who has plenty to choose from:

• Find all the halls within 40-60 minutes from home.
• Make sure that the gym has everything you need: Olympic bars, weights of different sizes, locks, an excellent dumbbell row, racks for squats and bench presses, a horizontal bar, parallel bars, a vertical block and, of course, a cardio zone.
• Locker room with turnkey lockers, shower, good ventilation, order in the room, preferably a small number of people.
• When you decide on the hall, carefully approach the purchase of a subscription. Don’t fall for various marketing tricks, check everything yourself.

I wrote a separate cool article about choosing a gym in more detail:

• How to choose a gym;

Selecting a training program

The next question that will confront you is.

And the question, I must say, is VERY IMPORTANT!!!

Most people train with ineffective, illiterate training schemes even at the initial stage, thereby limiting possible progress.

But I won’t talk about those who have not learned to train correctly for years in this article, because... here I tell you how to avoid the main difficulties for beginners.

Beginners usually have the following reservations:

1. Poor muscle-brain connection (a beginner does not understand and does not know how muscles contract), and also, they are not able to abstract themselves (forget that someone is looking at them).
2. Any physical activity is stress for an unprepared body, so there is no point in overloading the system with excessive weights
3. Muscle fibers adapt to new loads, so fairly rapid increases in strength and volume are observed.
4. There is no point in dividing workouts into splits (by body parts), because... this is necessary for a targeted, increased load on the muscles being worked.

In view of all of the above, we need to create an individualized training program that would take into account all the nuances.

I won’t describe them in detail now, but I will give links to all the necessary materials on my blog that you MUST READ:

• Training program for beginners;
• 24 mistakes on the way to a beautiful body;
• How long can you train?
• How often to change your training program;
• Training program for beginners! Next level;
• How to correctly create a training program;

But that's not all, friends!

I wrote a very cool “Individual Training Program Selection System” that can help you choose a training program to get started for FREE.

To receive it, just enter your email below so I know where to send it.

The question of choosing a training program will disappear by itself.

In my system, you will choose a training program depending on your gender, age, fitness level and genetics.

The system is free, very simple and high quality. More than 20,000 people have already downloaded it on various services.

Download and enjoy for your health, friends.

Rest

By the way, there is one more point that must be taken into account - the training cycle must necessarily coincide with the rest cycle. That is, having worked out enough, you need to also have a good rest, giving the body the opportunity to easily process the vitamins you eat and drink, deal with catabolic processes and give the muscles a signal to grow. If you train too much and too often, some difficulties and problems may arise, which are sometimes very difficult to solve. The so-called “overtraining,” that is, excessive training, often leads to the opposite process in the muscles - they become smaller, the tissue in them becomes deformed, which can even lead to dystrophy. Of course, this is not particularly dangerous for endomorphs and mesomorphs (people with an average and dense physique), but for an ectomorph (thin physique) this problem can be catastrophic.

Here is the answer to the question of how one becomes a muscleman. Of course, many people come to big sports when they have already achieved significant success at the amateur level. However, even those pumped-up guys who do not participate in world-class competitions, but simply work out in the gym, on the street or at home, are an excellent example of how you can achieve a toned and sculpted figure in the so-called home environment.

SkillVille

This is an interview with a super bodybuilder published just over 10 years ago in the famous Ironman magazine. Here is all the dirt and all the “beauty” of modern (!!! almost nothing has changed in more than 10 years) professional bodybuilding. Warning: shocking content. The State of Competitive Bodybuilding A Shocking Interview with a Professional Bodybuilder in Ironman Magazine (February, 1997) Interviewed by Steve Holman. Warning: This interview touches on extremely sensitive issues. To be honest, we have almost already decided that we will not print it. However, since Ironman magazine has always been an open forum and strives to always tell the whole truth, we felt it was our duty to our sport and to you, the reader, to allow this athlete to speak. It takes courage to come to us like this and tell us everything as it is. We promised this athlete complete anonymity so as not to harm his professional status. All names were omitted from the interview; instead, we printed *** so that this athlete could not be “calculated by elimination.” The names of steroids and other drugs are also replaced with *** so that bodybuilders who use chemicals cannot use this interview as instructions for using steroids. As you read the material, remember that this athlete did not receive any money from us for his interview, because, in our opinion, money corrupts information. If people are paid for information, then they feel that they are obliged to “earn” their money, and this often leads to the fact that the person begins to exaggerate the facts. When you read the interview, remember that this athlete, like the rest of us, loves bodybuilding and would like to see him become a healthy sport with a great future, and not dying from steroids. Fasten seat belts. Now you will receive such a “dose of reality” that it will quickly clear your brain. No bodybuilding magazine has ever published anything like this.

Steve Holman (SH): You said you wanted to vent. We're giving you the chance to reach millions of bodybuilding fans through one of the most popular magazines. What do you want to talk about? Bodybuilder (BB): The thing no one wants to talk about. I want everyone to know the truth. SH: About steroids? BB: Hell yeah! SH: You have to take too many of them, right? BB: That's an understatement. SH: How much money do you spend on steroids? BB: Well, it costs me up to $30,000 a year just for growth hormone. SH: Dear God! BB: Steroids are not the biggest problem. Yes, I take a lot of them, but they are also inexpensive. Most of the money goes into paying different people to tell you how to take different chemicals. I mean growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, etc. SH: Doesn’t the very thought that you are introducing all this into your body at the same time depress you? BB: No - I like to have big arms, a big back, big chest and legs and everything else. But when I reach volumes that, in principle, already suit me... SH:... they tell you that you have to become even bigger, right? BB: Yes - and I have no choice! I have to do it even more. Next year I will compete with 11 kg more weight. But you know, this very idea that you have to become even bigger and sacrifice your shape... Yes, perhaps I myself don’t quite like the way my back looks. Yes, I don’t argue, I need to fix something there. But all these things come with time. “Growing into shape” is one thing, but everyone wants to see monsters. SH: Do you think this madness will ever stop? If athletes become more and more numerous, what will happen to sports? BB: Is sport already... SH:... out of control? BB: Yes. Bodybuilding has gone underground. He now serves a certain sect, which is given monsters with monstrous mass... They don’t care... They just say: “We want to see you like this. And we don't care what you have to do to look like that." But, I think, there are many people who would like to see something else... something more achievable. SH: In your opinion, the volume of current bodybuilders has led to a certain satiety of the public? Like: “We don’t care what happens to them. We don’t care: well, if they die, so what? It is only important for us that they become larger and more prominent from year to year. And we don’t care at what cost.” BB: Exactly. The public wants to see us like this and the judges want to see us bigger and bigger. And we, in order to somehow earn a living and fulfill our dreams, have to go to all this. Some, like *** (name omitted, a well-known journalist from another magazine), say: “No one is forcing you.” Yes, no one forces us, but many of us came to this sport with the dream of becoming better than others. SH: Of course. I think it's also about the performances. After all, everyone would like to perform on the podium. How do you think we can solve the problem? Don't you think such a solution already exists? BB: It's hard to say. After people have seen extreme mass, how can you get the public to accept anything less? Some guys, when they do “lats behind,” you can almost see their lungs. We'll have to lower our standards. By the way, before I continue, let me just say that I am putting myself in a vulnerable position. SH: I understand. I promise that your confidentiality is guaranteed. We will simply write that you are one of the most famous professionals. That's all. BB: Yes. OK. Ask then. SH: Do you think maybe the problem will begin to be solved if judges start giving prizes to athletes with more aesthetic bodies? BB: Yes, exactly. This is the only direction. Without him, our sport has no future. We need an aesthetic like Bob Paris. SH: Right. If only Bob Paris would come back. I think the problem is that people should want to see such a physique, but now the public in general and most bodybuilding fans do not have such a desire, so they have one criterion for winning - volume. BB: I think that a truly perfect body like Lee Labrada's has an aura about it that someone who's just grotesque in size doesn't have. SH: Back to chemistry - do you have to sit on it all year round? BB: Yes, I haven't taken any breaks for several years. SH: How many times do you have to shoot up? Three, four times a week? BB: Every day. SH: Do you have to inject something into your own body every day? BB: Yes, every day. Do you want to know what I work hard for? (The following is a list of intravenous and oral medications. The list is so long that my jaw hits the table.) SH: And this is only in the off-season? BB: Yes. Of course, I also take *** - it blocks estrogen and also increases testosterone levels. Well, also *** - four times a day in the off-season. This is so I can eat more calories. Also, half a tablet *** is a type of synergist for growth hormone. About six weeks before the competition I start taking *** to help with my gynecomastia. I had surgery for this a few years ago, but it comes back from time to time. I take *** to remove the water. And from time to time I switch from heavy androgens to lighter anabolic steroids like *** or ***, 300 mg every other day. So, what else? *** - 200 mg every day. It helps make muscles stiffer and increase vascularity. I also take *** - this is also for muscle stiffness and it helps keep insulin and growth hormone at the same level. SH: Not weak. Such a list! BB: There are a couple more drugs, of course. Like ***, which supports the sex glands and ***, which stimulates the production of my own testosterone, so that everything down there doesn’t atrophy. Also, some anti-estrogens and other drugs that fight the side effects of those drugs that I have already mentioned. SH: Have you noticed any deterioration in your health associated with taking these drugs? BB: During competitions I have a lot of blood in my urine. SH: But in the off-season, do you feel tolerable, despite taking all this? BB: Well, recently I have been getting my blood tested every two months. SH: How are your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, etc.? Fine? BB: No, everything is elevated. My blood pressure is generally very high, I even have to monitor it, especially when I take stimulants. SH: It sounds like you spend half your life with a needle in your vein. BB: We have to go for it, there is no other choice. If you want to make a living from this sport, then you have to do it. SH: It's like a car race, where the speeds get higher and higher and there are more and more accidents, but the drivers still continue to participate, right? How much money do you think you will spend on chemistry this year? BB: About $60,000, but next year it will be even more. Last year I had to add ***. Now this is the coolest “supplement” among bodybuilders. See how all these guys are growing? Why do you think? Exactly from him. Rest assured. And two years ago... No, I don’t want to offend ***, he’s a wonderful guy, a wonderful family man and all that, but two years ago he was flat as a pancake. And now he is bigger, by 8-12 kg. It's all because of ***. He takes it in terrible quantities. Yes, like all of us, however. I almost pee my pants out of fear. SH: Do you talk openly about chemistry among yourself? BB: Only with friends. No, of course, people in the gym ask me all the time, but I tell them that I eat *** brand protein! Yes, we are frank. SH: Don't you think it needs to be kept secret to stay one step ahead of your competitors? BB: There are no secrets. There is one guy here, I won’t mention his name, he is a professional, one of the most famous - so, he helps other professionals with this drug, ***. Because none of us know how to take it, so everyone goes to it. He helps us. SH: I know older athletes complain that there is no camaraderie in bodybuilding anymore. BB: Why, it exists sometimes. But we always talk to each other only about... SH:... chemistry and training. BB: No, we don't talk about training, because all the guys... SH:... train the same? BB: Yes, in general. We don't train that hard. Most of us almost sleep during training. SH: So, it’s all just a matter of chemistry? The pros have no idea how to train without it? Do you think all the pros in the top ten take basically the same drugs? BB: Yes, we all inject the same amounts, but I think the winners are those who have naturally better estrogen and testosterone levels. Well, there, receptors and all that. It's all about genetics. Some are more sensitive to steroids. You and I can both inject ourselves with 5 mg, but I will have one reaction, and you will have another. SH: I asked you before, and you said that this is all “part of the game,” but still, aren’t you afraid that retribution will come someday? BB: I'm afraid. I most likely won't have children. My doctor says that my sperm activity is reduced. And to hell with the thyroid gland. SH: In your opinion, sport itself indirectly promotes doping? BB: Yes, but there are those who say that no one is forcing you. But I dreamed about this since childhood! I want to do bodybuilding specifically. Then, because we have no other work. SH: Do you think the doping control that was introduced at Olympia is a step in the right direction? BB: It was a step in the right direction for the sport as a whole and probably a step in the wrong direction for some people's careers. I know four guys who had to fail a doping test. But they passed it. We know how to pass doping tests. Next year they want to test us on diuretics. It's not a problem. We'll just switch to plasma drugs. It's quite simple. There will always be some exotic steroids. “Let's change the molecule at position 17, and the drug will not be detected.” *** is still not detected. SH: This is the most frank interview I've ever done. Thank you for your frankness. BB: Please. Maybe the whole point is that I'm on a low-carb diet? SH:...and you’re fed up with everything? BB: Yes. You know, diuretics are generally difficult to deal with. In general, it all looks like this: someone is lying under a drip and with a pulse monitor. Well, just imagine this situation. And so you take him and lock him in some laboratory, where they conduct all sorts of experiments on him. And then you quickly demonstrate it on stage, and therefore run back to the IV. And this is a sport? There is no talk of training. I recommend everyone to read your magazine and practice natural bodybuilding. Professional bodybuilding is all about chemistry. Of course, there are steroids in all sports - boxing, basketball, baseball, and football. SH: How long will you continue this? I mean - at this rate? BB: I'm already in chemistry... oh, my God. I will say that if anyone dies in the near future, it will be ***. He's too old to do this kind of crap. His pancreas, I know, is on its last legs. I see. I see. *** (another famous pro) is also very sick. I understand that he wants to do a lot of good things for the sport. For this he needs a victory, this will allow him to do a lot of good things for bodybuilding as a sport. But he dies, and every competition he loses is like a new blow to him. He's literally killing himself because he wants to make this sport better. In the end, he will either die or win the competition. SH: So he plays Russian roulette? BB: Yes, he was the first of us to use ***. It wasn't big, but it had an aesthetic. Such an appearance that you will look at her and say: “I want to be like that too.” He should be concentrating on parts of his body, but instead he just gets bigger: his stomach, his head, everything. SH: Yes, now it’s just scary to look at him. His body, of course, has also grown, but so have all his internal organs - they look as if they were inflated with something. BB: They should have a competition to see who has the biggest belly because of growth hormone. SH: Anything else you want to say? BB: Yes. You know, I’m having a hard time even thinking straight now because of all this chemistry that’s in me right now. But the problem of steroid abuse is ignored. But steroids are not everything. We have to use stimulant drugs like speed and the like. You have to take a lot of diuretics and other crap that is harmful to your health and makes you feel like crap. Many people take cocaine, not because they like it - but because it is easier to dry off and it suppresses appetite. Chemicals can be used, or they can be abused. But at our level, it seems to me that we are simply being exploited. They pump us up to the brim with chemicals... or we pump ourselves up with it to look like monsters, and then we go on the podium - that's our job. But we get paid almost nothing! All the money goes to the guys who print our photos, to the additive manufacturers, but they don’t give us anything. And if it weren’t for our photographs, what would they advertise? SH: Yeah, and you have to constantly risk your life for the chance to win a couple of bucks on some show. BB: I'll tell you this: some guys, like ***, moonlight as prostitutes for gays. SH: Are you sure? BB: I know. This is how they make money from chemistry. I'm telling you exactly. Some gays come up and directly say: “Hey, you, you spend the night with me, and I give you so many bucks.” It's like some teenager walking up to Cindy Crawford and saying that to her. But we, unlike her, have to agree - and all for the sake of some 10,000 bucks a month! How else can we make money for chemistry? And sometimes they pay us directly for the act with chemicals. SH: Looks like you guys make really bad money. BB: You can’t live on contracts alone. Especially if you take into account chemistry, accommodation, food. You have to sacrifice your... SH:... honor? BB: Ha-ha - yes, with honor, pride. Everything is sacrificed. Where there is chemistry, there is prostitution. Guys don't need to do this. Let them look at themselves in the mirror. Let them know that they will have to sacrifice what makes them a man. And all this nonsense that they write about “carbohydrate loading” and “sodium loading” is complete nonsense. SH: So you're saying they don't actually do sodium loading? Is it all about chemistry? BB: Often before the competition, some pros can be found at McDonald's or munching on pizza. It is permissible to do this. Of course, within reasonable limits. SH: Do you take a lot of supplements? BB: I don’t eat them at all! No vitamins, nothing! SH: Have you ever thought that by taking vitamins and minerals, you could protect yourself at least a little from the side effects of all these chemicals that you consume? BB: Yes, but... SH:... you can only afford to spend money on something that is guaranteed to be effective, right? For chemistry. BB: Right. Why don't they create a one million dollar prize for winning a bodybuilding competition? This would greatly help the sport. If money came into our sport, it could turn into something more attractive. And now, unfortunately, people only want to see monsters. Big, you know, monsters. And, as you said, it is no longer possible to turn back. Most likely, the self-destruction of bodybuilding can no longer be stopped. He'll die and then we'll see what happens. SH: I don't want any of you to die. BB: One of us is going to die. I guarantee. A lot of guys are going to die in the coming years. SH: I hope that doping testing is a step in the right direction. Maybe it will influence the judges to give more points to more aesthetically pleasing bodies. If the judging returned to standards like Bob Paris, I think it would help. BB: Will that ever happen? SH: When do you think you'll retire from the game? BB: When I reach my goal. Or until I die on the way to her. SH: Have you ever experienced something like depression or, on the contrary, rage? BB: Oh, yes. He beat many people - he lost control of himself. I'm ashamed of this now. SH: When you have so much chemicals flowing through your veins, does it affect your brain? BB: Yes. Besides, I feel a lump here and I'm just scared, I don't know what it is. SH: Do you have regular check-ups with your doctor? BB: I get my blood tested and my doctor reads them. I don't understand anything about them. I just ask him how much longer do I have to live and what am I doing wrong? SH: But does he even give you an MRI? Or does he just take blood for analysis? BB: No. He looks at the thyroid gland and monitors sperm activity. Of course, I will never have children again. SH: Well, maybe all this is reversible when you quit... BB: No, my changes are irreversible. SH: It's sad. BB: I think it happened last year. When I increased all the doses, my thyroid simply shut down. And if I stop taking ***, I'll get fat. I will have to take it for the rest of my life. I can no longer refuse it. None of us can stop taking it anymore. One after another - non-stop. We just do what needs to be done. Can't you see that we are being exploited? They are selling us. They pump us up, put us on stage, and then get rid of us. But money flows to them. And here we are, dying behind the scenes until we die. And they profit from it. They are selling us. They sell our souls, but what do we get from it? And even if you take chemistry, this does not guarantee you victory. You need to have something else - right here. But the people who run our sport say: “Come on, come on, keep going.” Their pockets will soon be bursting with money. They spit on us. SCA: But, you said, such an appearance attracts women? BB: Yes, it helps a little, but before that I had no problems with them. I had many women before that. Now, when I'm more, I have more of them too. But there is also the reverse side - the blue pester. I want to tell all the guys who want to “go to another level”: training, proper nutrition and exercises will help you achieve your own. But what seems big to you will be small compared to the pros. But, as I said, the majority will say about Lee Labrad that he is a big guy. You can achieve your goals, become more, women will play on you more often, look better. Maybe you will not win Olympia, but you will have something to be proud of - without chemistry. All competitive bodybuilding, by and large, is continuous chemistry. War of pharmacology. Andreas Muntzer had something that we did not have, we still do not know what. He had such a relief and such chemistry that we did not have - but look what they did with him. He fell on the battlefield. And the money was picked by Andreas ***. We have to survive in this race and take risks due to fake chemistry. When you hear one of ours say: “I fell and broke my hand,” do not believe. It was his dealer that broke his hands for not paying growth hormone for his dose. SCA: Do you say that you often go to Mexico to buy chemistry? BB: Yes, I go to Mexico. Many of us buy chemistry during a European tour. (Changes the topic). Doping test is not needed. Look at Lee Labrada. To look like this, you do not need a lot of chemistry. A couple of that, a couple of this, and that's it. We all have to lose a lot of weight to look like him. SCA: focus on a more aesthetic appearance. This is one of the biggest steps in the right direction that you have to make. By the way, isn't it such a drug that is introduced directly into the muscle to increase its volume? BB: Oh, yes, this is ***. I used it to create a peak on the biceps. But ***, so he generally works through his whole body - in 80 or 100 places. I must say right away that the pain from him is hellish. But it is difficult to predict the reaction to him. You can look good 5 days before the show, and then before the very competitions he gets down into lumps and the biceps turns out - they saw, probably, in some guys - lumpy, it’s scary to even look. In our sports, you need to substitute your ass everywhere. Need money to pay for chemistry? Substitute your ass. Do you want to win? Substitute your ass. This is the whole meaning of this sport. The most severe exploitation. I would like the athletes to earn more. They read in magazines how much Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson earn? For some reason, they don’t write in magazines how much we get. Because it’s a shame to talk about it. What should I do? Selling your photos? SCA: Do many guys sell chemistry on the side? BB: Oh, yes. I also did it. But now with this is much more difficult. SCA: Anything else? What else annoys you, what do you want to say about? BB: Well, it infuriates me that we have to take so much chemistry. I liked it more how I looked last year. And now they want us to weigh about 122 kg. SCA: How do you think the magazines are also to blame? BB: Yes, they are to blame. They do not write anything about the use of chemistry. They sell fake dreams to children: they say, eat this protein and you will look like this. And this is not true. Everything rests on chemistry, and if you deal with the “as a champion” from the magazine, you will quickly overturn. Yes, now everyone knows about it. Without chemistry, people are engaged in some time, then they are disappointed and part with their dream. SCA: Some kind of vicious circle. BB: Insulin - very dangerous. I feel it right now. I get very tired, I have headaches, weakness. I have difficulty breathing. It is a bad drug. SCA: What is the danger of insulin? This is just a hormone. BB: You can die right on the spot. All of us were shocked at one or the other. It’s like walking on a blade of razor. SCA: Have you had to go to the hospital because of him? BB: Yes, I was lying in the hospital several times. The doctors had to introduce half the bucks of glucose into me so that I would not give the ends. I didn’t have glucose in the liver, because I introduced too much insulin. The brain lacked glucose, I began to fall asleep, go into coma. It was the most terrible pain that I had to experience. Your brain is just breaking. And what do I get in return for all this? Photo on the cover of the magazine? This is not even enough to pay on the bills. Maybe it's time to start giving something to athletes, and not just take them? If they want us to be more, then let them make it so that we earn something. Players in golf and then get us more. I recently read how much they get on Rodeo. They are paid 50,000 bucks in order to ride once on a bull. And they do not have to inject steroids for this. SCA: Yes, on Rodeo you are at risk for only eight seconds, and then it's over. You risk life all year round. BB: Yes, we have a dangerous sport. SCA: Hmm ... this is still mildly said.

By Steve Holman.

Harmful and dangerous additives

We know how other athletes become jocks. There is an easier way to build muscle mass - but it is also the most dangerous. There is probably not a person left who has not heard about steroids and similar chemical additives. They act on muscles as a powerful catalyst, forcing them to develop in the shortest possible time. Naturally, this does not come without health problems. And experienced bodybuilders still advise building up mass and progressing solely on your own - this will bring more sense and joy from the realization that you yourself were able to build the figure of your dreams.