DoSteroids accelerate aging???

[Ronnie Rowland]

How many of you guys out there believe using anabolic steroids accelerates the aging process???

[Property of Steroid.com]

Yes...I started taking steroids at 19...ten years ago. Now I'm 37.

[passthetest]

haha they def. to I started to young and I def look older than my age.

[J0k3R]

Yes...I started taking steroids at 19...ten years ago. Now I'm 37.

ha ha.... thats funny

the only reason people get nasty sides is because they dont use them right, as in they are not consistent with their shots... or they don't do a proper pct and their endocrine system gets messed up for life.... there are many reasons people suffer from long term side effects from steroids ... and frankly i believe its the people that just stick and shoot that hope to go from 140 - 200 lbs of muscle and have no idea in hell what they are doing... these are the people that give steroids a bad name,



and if you already have problems with blood pressure... and gyno or anything, why would you want to take steroids knowing its going to mess you up even worse?


now in aging faster... they do speed up puberty for youngsters making them appear older with facial hair and kinda get a more man look to them, but i do not agree that if your 20 and using roids .. whether u have a full beard or not by then your not gonna feel thirty... ur gonna feel twenty


all about the user.. and not the gear IMO


j0k3r

[Njord]

How many of you guys out there believe using anabolic steroids accelerates the aging process???

IMO the cycles used by professionals does indeed accelerate the aging process because too many have died or had health issues at an early age... I think small dosages run for no more than aboout 8 weeks at a time does little harm given the drug/drugs agrees with your body.

Would be interested in hearing opinions of others on this board. I've been around this stuff for years and always enjoy a good discussion..

Thank you..........

How many professional bodybuilders have died at an early age due to steroid use ?

[m8intl]

I'm interested in this as well. Granted, pros may use steroids less responsibly, but how many have died from complications arising from, or exacerbated by, their use of steroids ?

[Atomini]

Actually, I have heard the exact opposite. I have heard that testosterone is the fountain of youth. Sure they can make you look more 'manly' via androgenic effects, but I don't see how they speed up the aging process. And people die early from steroid ABUSE , not responsible moderate steroid USE (see Bob Clapp - he's 70 years old and he has used steroids since he was 20 and he STILL uses steroids). I have read growth hormone can reverse aging as well.

[BuffDJ]

Pros that have died recently due to heart or kidney issues died of just that. Of course because of there profession it is speculated that the gear is responsible for it but that's all it is.
Buff

[outofthebox]

Pros that have died recently due to heart or kidney issues died of just that. Of course because of there profession it is speculated that the gear is responsible for it but that's all it is.
Buff

I'll say that BuffDj is on track for sure, steroids themselves do not cause death or injury unless they are administered in an non-sterile(get an infection) or improper(idiot poking a vein) way. In rare cases over-dosing on liver toxic substances will cause harm also, that falls under the category of improper dosage, but thats nothing that cant be done with legal substances either(read: alcohol). Most of they heavy users that develop complications are because of the amount of mass they put on. This pure size causes stress on the internal organs as they don't grow much to keep up with the demand of the rest of the body. The failing organs can also be a side effect of the yo-yo wight gain and loss for the competition lifestyle and can be accomplished completely aside from steroids. Steroids themselves are hormones that allow skeletal muscles to regenerate faster. Nothing to do with aging and nothing to do with failing internal organs.

[Superhuman]

I've noticed that EVERY person I know who juices looks at least 10 years older in the face than they actually are. One guy in particular is 25, been juicing nonstop since 16, looks 40. I'm 20 and most people guess me @ 28

[Kale]

Malaki !!!! Me at 52, I am obviously no big dude like some of you young guys but juice is the best thing that ever happened to me

[ecto9]

Wow ppl. All I know is what I've been reading from anti-aging websites about the rejuvinating effects of Test and Gh. Had no idea it can be the other way around. I hope to get Dr. scripts for hrt someday...

[gixxerboy1]

My ageing has been accelerated so much i have a **ay ever 10 months now.

[big_dubya33]

Malaki !!!! Me at 52, I am obviously no big dude like some of you young guys but juice is the best thing that ever happened to me

hell yeah. ran my first cycle at 30 - but a great change for me as well.

I think one good cycle a year can be positive, with bloodwork and attention to overall health...biggest concern is f***ing up my HPTA long term

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

I started cycling at 25 and I pretty much still look my age (29 now)... I guess if you use it when you're fully developed hormonally, there's no noticeable aging effect...only when you start cycling too early (at 17-18), then all sorts of premature sh!t starts happening because your body hasn't reached homeostasis

[xpijeonx]

This isnt totally relevant but my old man has been on TRT for I would guess twenty years(no joke). He does not take a large amount, 250mg every two weeks. he was diagnosed with diabetes in his early 30's (I was around 5, almost 25 now).

He had low testosterone and he claims it was something he suffered from his entire life (claims low sex drive and didnt act like his friends did with girls).

He is starting to show his age and doesnt have the energy he did (honestly I want him to look into HRT not just TRT) Most people that see him and most people that are his age look no where near as good as he does, I would say he really looks about ten years younger than most of the people I know his age.

From 40-50 he was usually pretty damn ripped (he weight trains three times a week, does the same shit EVERY time and rides a road bike/ten speed daily during the summer(27 miles during the week 54 on weekends) and on an indoor bike atleast EOD in the winter).

Oddly enough Diabetes was probably the best thing to happen to him, he got on a healthy diet and started to exercize, found a love for biking and really ever since been pretty damned healthy.

I know not all of this can be attributed to TRT but I would bet that he would not be near as active as he is or has been without TRT. I would attribute a good bit of this to faster recovery and a better metabolism/macro nutrient assimilation, He and I are the only ones in our entire family that are not over weight. He has to work very hard to keep our families genetic belly off.

I have been diagnosed with low testosterone but both docs wont even consider it til I am closer to 30. Whatever... I plan to get on TRT when I am older and eventually HRT, ef getting old and feeling old. I already dont like how much different I feel than when I was 14-18 I dont want it to get worse. as far as recovery and injuries go...

[AnabolicBoy1981]

i think its a question of dose, duration, and compound. If i ran a test/nandro cycle and 1mg of adex a day once a year for 10 weeks, i think youd probly look fine. If i was running, 2 grams of test/wk 2 grams of trenwith 2.5 letro and 10 winstrols a day nonstop, then yeah youd be big but youd look like shit. This cobo would also be hell on lipids.Collogen degeneration is a factor with certian steroids , and with overuse or extended use of aromatase inhibitors. Estrogen is genrally positive on collagen. Testosterone is neutral as far as i know, except with supraphysiological levels.So if we have high androgen, low estrogens, for extended periods, yeah you may start to show it in the face.
But heres somethin esle....how many BBs do you know that TAN. Hmm....ALOT. Well tanning could be just as at fault here.
Also, when ppl get really ripped, sometimes there face looks bony and dry.
High toxicity levels from to many orals may build up toxins in the skin. Heck if ppl have liver spots, whats to make us think we dont have other toxins from the liver aging our skin. So liver toxic orals may cause skin aging.
And some steroids, all really, at moderate-moderate high doses will cause hair loss, making you appaer older.
Personally though, i think be hard pressed to say steroid make you age in moderate usage.
Testosterone has been shown to stimulate GH. So theres that.
Most ppl think im 5-7 years younger. So i dunno.

[mickdiesel]

I think that in some cases it makes women look older. the whole tight, oily skin thing on the face makes them look older. I do think that it has to age ur organs though. filtering tren or winny for a month or two has to age ur liver and kidneys. just makes sense. everything in ur body works harder. we talk about high bp like its nothing but that ages ur heart. granted it goes away after u discontinue the compound but for that time ur heart is workin hard. and its gotta be the same for all organs I'd think. just my opinion though

[gixxerboy1]

i think its a question of dose, duration, and compound. If i ran a test/nandro cycle and 1mg of adex a day once a year for 10 weeks, i think youd probly look fine. If i was running, 2 grams of test/wk 2 grams of trenwith 2.5 letro and 10 winstrols a day nonstop, then yeah youd be big but youd look like shit. This cobo would also be hell on lipids.Collogen degeneration is a factor with certian steroids , and with overuse or extended use of aromatase inhibitors. Estrogen is genrally positive on collagen. Testosterone is neutral as far as i know, except with supraphysiological levels.So if we have high androgen, low estrogens, for extended periods, yeah you may start to show it in the face.
But heres somethin esle....how many BBs do you know that TAN. Hmm....ALOT. Well tanning could be just as at fault here.
Also, when ppl get really ripped, sometimes there face looks bony and dry.
High toxicity levels from to many orals may build up toxins in the skin. Heck if ppl have liver spots, whats to make us think we dont have other toxins from the liver aging our skin. So liver toxic orals may cause skin aging.
And some steroids, all really, at moderate-moderate high doses will cause hair loss, making you appaer older.
Personally though, i think be hard pressed to say steroid make you age in moderate usage.
Testosterone has been shown to stimulate GH. So theres that.
Most ppl think im 5-7 years younger. So i dunno.

thats the best post yet.

[therecanonlybe1]

i think i've done more damage as a sun worshipper...

[RoadToRecovery]

But heres somethin esle....how many BBs do you know that TAN. Hmm....ALOT.

I disagree, talking to many body builders and I also did a job for a pro bb back when i was a teenager and he told me the sun is the worst thing for you and not many bb do actually tan. He said they get it painted on. While ive done no research about this I must say, If the sun so bad for you, why would a bb pay close attention to the health of his body but not of his skin. Just my opinion

[magic32]

How many of you guys out there believe using anabolic steroids accelerates the aging process???

Although an interesting and possible theory, I have seen no clinical data to support it, and I have read many long-term studies.

[Ronnie Rowland]

How many professional bodybuilders have died at an early age due to steroid use?

Even if they did, proving it was directly related to steroids would be a whole other ball game.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Heres an article showing the positive effects testosterone can have on the heart.


The Positive Effects of Testosterone on the Heart
by Doug Kalman MS, RD




Steroids will cause your kidneys to implode, your heart to blow a ventricle, and your liver to squirt out of your arse, fly across the room, and knock the cat off the futon. We read it on the Internet and saw an after school special about it, so it must be true, right?

Actually, the more you learn about steroids, the more you come to realize that, like all drugs, there's a difference between their intelligent use and outright abuse. In this article, Doug Kalman takes a look at the effects of Testosterone on the heart. What he found may surprise you.


Over the years we've all heard the repeated mantra that anabolic steroids are bad for the heart. Some physicians will tell you that gear raises your risk of heart disease by lowering your good cholesterol (HDL) and raising your bad cholesterol (LDL). In fact, as some docs will tell you, steroids are known to even induce cardiac hypertrophy (enlargement of the heart). And since you can't flex your heart in an effort to woo women, who'd want that?

But, as in every story, there's more than one side. In fact, let it be said, the dangers of steroids are overstated and, hold onto your seats, may even be good for the heart. Let's examine some of the scientific studies on the positive effects of Testosterone on the heart.


What are the cardiovascular effects of steroids ?

Cardiologists at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia recruited both juicing and non-juicing bodybuilders for a study. Each bodybuilder had various aspects of the heart measured (carotid intima-media thickness, arterial reactivity, left ventricular dimensions, etc.). These measurements indicate whether bodybuilding, steroid usage or both affect the function, size, shape and activity of the heart.

The doctors found some obvious and not so obvious results. Predictably, those bodybuilders who used steroids were physically stronger than those who didn't. What was surprising was that the use of steroids was not found to cause any significant changes or abnormalities of arterial structure or function.

In essence, when the bodybuilders (both groups) were compared with sedentary controls, any changes in heart function were common to bodybuilders. The take home message from this study is that bodybuilding itself can alter (not impair) arterial structure/function and that steroids do not appear to impair cardiac function. (1)


Does MRFIT need a T boost?

A famous cardiac study was published about 10 years ago. It soon became on ongoing study known as the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT). The present study examined changes in Testosterone over 13 years in 66 men aged 41 to 61 years. The researchers determined if changes in total Testosterone are related to cardiovascular disease risk factors.

The average Testosterone levels at the beginning of the study were 751 ng/dl and decreased by 41 ng/dl. Men who smoked or exhibited Type A behavior were found to have even greater decreases in T levels. The change in Testosterone was also associated with an increase in triglyceride levels and a decrease in the good cholesterol (HDL).

The authors concluded that decreases in Testosterone levels as observed in men over time are associated with unfavorable heart disease risk. (2) Sounds to me like a good reason to get T support/replacement therapy in the middle age years!

In a similar study, researchers in Poland examined if Testosterone replacement therapy in aging men positively effected heart disease risk factors. Twenty-two men with low T levels received 200 mg of Testosterone enanthate every other week for one year. Throughout treatment, Testosterone, estradiol, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL were measured.

The researchers determined that T replacement returned both Testosterone and estradiol levels back to normal and acceptable levels. They also found that T replacement lowered cholesterol and LDL (the bad cholesterol) without altering HDL (the good cholesterol). Furthermore, there was no change in prostate function or size.

The take home message from this study is that T replacement doesn't appear to raise heart disease risk and it may actually lower your risk. (3) It appears that more physicians should be prescribing low dose Testosterone to middle age and aging men for both libido, muscle tone and for cardiac reasons.


What about younger men?

It's been long established that men have a higher risk of heart disease. One of the risk factors implicated is Testosterone. Reportedly, the recreational use of Testosterone can alter lipoprotein levels and, in fact, case reports exist describing bodybuilders who've abused steroids and have experienced heart disease or even sudden death. But the question remains, is the causal association one of truth or just an association?

To answer this, researchers at the University of North Texas recruited twelve competitive bodybuilders for a comprehensive evaluation of the cardiovascular effects of steroids. Six heavyweight steroid-using bodybuilders were compared with six heavyweight drug-free bodybuilders.

As expected, the heavy steroid users had lower total cholesterol and HDL levels as compared to the drug-free athletes. What was unexpected was that the steroid users also had significantly lower LDL (the bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels as compared to the non-steroid users. In addition, the juicers also had lower apolipoprotein B levels (a marker for heart disease risk). Thus, the authors concluded that androgens do not appear to raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. (4) The take home message from this study is that the negative cardiac side effects of steroids are most likely overstated.

In a little more progressive study, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Boogie Down Bronx (the **B to those in the know) examined Testosterone as a possible therapy for cardiovascular disease. (5) The researchers note that T can be given in oral, injectable, pellet and transdermal delivery forms. It's noted that injections of Testosterone (100 to 200 mg every two weeks) in men with low levels of T will decrease total cholesterol and LDL while raising the HDL.

In fact, Testosterone therapy has been found to have antianginal effects (reduces chest pain). Low levels of Testosterone are also correlated with high blood pressure, specifically high systolic pressure. The researchers determined that returning T levels back to normal and even high-normal levels have positive cardiovascular effects and should be considered as an adjunctive treatment for maintaining muscle mass when someone has congestive heart failure.


Putting it all together

Strong research demonstrates that the risks of negative cardiovascular effects of steroids are overstated. In fact, a recent paper published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology questioned the whole risk of using steroids. (6) Joey Antonio, Ph.D. and Chris Street MS, CSCS published strong data showing that the risks of steroid use are largely exaggerated, much like scare tactics used by your parents while you were a kid. Of course, it goes unsaid that abuse of anything will lead to unwanted consequences.

We know that as we age, circulating Testosterone levels naturally decrease. For most people the Testosterone decrease goes from high-normal to mid to low normal. Data shows that there's an inverse relationship between T levels and blood pressure as well as a**ominal obesity (that paunch we see on so many middle age males).

Testosterone replacement lowers a**ominal obesity and restores Testosterone back to normal levels. Restored Testosterone is correlated with better mood, better muscle tone, stronger sex drive, lower cardiovascular disease risks, stronger bones and better memory. It's important to note that while conservative use gives a pronounced positive health benefit, higher doses may not necessarily lead to further health benefits.


What to do

If you see your body composition changing (your gut starts looking like your Uncle Lester's), your strength or muscle tone diminishing despite your hard training and good diet, and your sex drive not matching up to TC's columns, have your Testosterone levels checked. The acceptable normal range for Testosterone to physicians is 300 mg/dl to 1100 mg/dl. Yes, that's a pretty wide range.

In the clinic, we see people with the complaints consistent with "andropause " (a term for male menopause) and/or increased cardiovascular risk having Testosterone levels between 300 mg/dl and 550 mg/dl. Bringing it up to the mid to high-normal level is what gives the health and "youthful" benefits. Traditionally 200 mg/dl of supplemental Testosterone given every one to two weeks improves body composition, lowers total cholesterol and LDL, while raising HDL.

It appears that supplemental T is a healthier and safer way to go than many of the drugs used to treat poor lipid profiles. The data presented in this article applies for males over 35, not those who are 18. If you think that you can benefit from Testosterone therapy look for physicians who market themselves as "anti-aging" or "longevity physicians" as well as the more progressive endocrinologists or cardiologists.

Long story short, used intelligently, Testosterone is good medicine!


About the author: Douglas S. Kalman MS, RD is a Director for Miami Research Associates (MiamiResearch.com) a leading pharmaceutical and nutrition research organization in Miami, Florida. Doug is also a national spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine and according to his latest test has high T levels. Doug can be reached at [email protected].

References:

1) Sader MA, Griffiths KA, McCredie RJ, et al. Androgenic anabolic steroids and arterial structure and function in male bodybuilders. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37(1):224-230.

2) Zmuda JM, Cauley JA, Kriska A, et al. Longitudinal relation between endogenous testosterone and cardiovascular disease risk factors in middle aged men. A 13 year follow-up of former Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial participants. Am J Epidemiol 1997;146(:609-617.

3) Zgliczynski S, Ossowski M, Slowinska-Srednicka J, et al. Effect of testosterone replacement therapy on lipids and lipoproteins in hypogonadal and elderly men. Atherosclerosis 1996;121(1):35-43.

4) Diekerman RD, McConathy WJ, Zachariah NY. Testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, lipoproteins and vascular disease risk. J Cardiovasc Risk 1997;4(5-6):363-366.

5) Shapiro J, Christiana J, Frishman WH. Testosterone and other anabolic steroids as cardiovascular drugs. Am J Ther 1999;6(3):167-174.

6) Antonio J, Street C. Androgen use by athletes: A reevaluation of the health risks. Can J Appl Physiol 1996;21(6):421-440.
__________________

[auslifta]

look at troy brewer he is only 21 and looks like he is 35

[m8intl]

^^^^ That was an awesome read. Thanks!

[Ronnie Rowland]

i think its a question of dose, duration, and compound. If i ran a test/nandro cycle and 1mg of adex a day once a year for 10 weeks, i think youd probly look fine. If i was running, 2 grams of test/wk 2 grams of trenwith 2.5 letro and 10 winstrols a day nonstop, then yeah youd be big but youd look like shit. This cobo would also be hell on lipids.Collogen degeneration is a factor with certian steroids , and with overuse or extended use of aromatase inhibitors. Estrogen is genrally positive on collagen. Testosterone is neutral as far as i know, except with supraphysiological levels.So if we have high androgen, low estrogens, for extended periods, yeah you may start to show it in the face.
But heres somethin esle....how many BBs do you know that TAN. Hmm....ALOT. Well tanning could be just as at fault here.
Also, when ppl get really ripped, sometimes there face looks bony and dry.
High toxicity levels from to many orals may build up toxins in the skin. Heck if ppl have liver spots, whats to make us think we dont have other toxins from the liver aging our skin. So liver toxic orals may cause skin aging.
And some steroids, all really, at moderate-moderate high doses will cause hair loss, making you appaer older.
Personally though, i think be hard pressed to say steroid make you age in moderate usage.
Testosterone has been shown to stimulate GH. So theres that.
Most ppl think im 5-7 years younger. So i dunno.

You make a very good point about anti-estrogens increasing collagen degeneration and how having higher estrogen levels helps decrease collagen degeneration.

[stacked566]

I would say diuretic use accelerates some internal damage, as well as overeating during the off season to gain mass. Just seems like that would put a lot of stress on the internals. I don't think steroids are to blame, but some other compounds used....

[Kratos]

live fast, die young, leave a big corpse

[big_dubya33]

live fast, die young, leave a big corpse

heard this once

die young, die strong, dianabol ! lol

[Ronnie Rowland]

Actually, I have heard the exact opposite. I have heard that testosterone is the fountain of youth. Sure they can make you look more 'manly' via androgenic effects, but I don't see how they speed up the aging process. And people die early from steroid ABUSE, not responsible moderate steroid USE (see Bob Clapp - he's 70 years old and he has used steroids since he was 20 and he STILL uses steroids). I have read growth hormone can reverse aging as well.

I agree that Bob Clapp does not abuse steroids -hence they have probably helped his longevity and his quality of life.

Below a good read from an elder bodybuilder.

It can be said that bodybuilding consists of two distinct eras. Before Arnold Schwarzenegger, and after. Prior to Pumping Iron which brought this once quirky cult activity to the fore of the public's consciousness, bodybuilding was not understood or accepted. Its participants were freaks and outcasts. It was an activity that attracted followers not
because it was popular, but in spite of it. No one rose in the ranks in the hope of having a career as a bodybuilder. No such thing existed. It was a labor of love-- with heavy emphasis on the labor.

By the early 1960's things started to change. Bodybuilding began to slowly develop a larger following while still remaining small enough to maintain its "underground" status. The enthusiastic bodybuilding fans who followed their heroes' exploits in the pages of Mr. America and Muscle Builder magazines were well aware which small select group of men had the very best physiques on the planet. By the year 1967 rolled around, it was obvious one of those men was Don Howorth.

Don had what many believed to be the ideal shape -- similar to Frank Zane in aesthetics but with 20 1/4 inch arms, an unparalleled lat spread and an awesome pair of shoulders that were his trademark. Yeah, those shoulders -- huge cantaloupe delts that spread so wide it looked as if he needed to turn sideways to walk through a doorway. At a time when the slightest bit of
muscle was an oddity, Don Howorth possessed Super Hero proportions. What's especially interesting is that it would be unlikely that any bodybuilder today wouldn't say Don had as near a perfect body as can be imagined. And what may be even more telling is that there
probably isn't a person alive today, man or woman, bodybuilder or not, who wouldn't agree.


Don burst onto the bodybuilding scene as one of the Weider stable of stars. He, along with such dignitaries as Larry Scott, Chuck Sipes, Harold Poole, Bill McCardle and Dave Draper, dominated the top ranks of bodybuildings' elite. Much like the aforementioned men, Don had more than a great physique. He also had the classic good looks that Weider prized when he was still trying to convice a reluctant public that muscles had “sex appeal.” Howorth started to get noticed when in 1962 he promptly won the Mr. Los Angeles, followed by the Mr. California title in 1963, and finally, the coveted Mr. America, where he obliterated the competition with his ungodly width tapered which into an impossibly narrow waistline. He was destined for
greatness. Yet instead of cashing in on his fame and good looks, just as bodybuilding was becoming a national phenomenon, he walked away from it all, never to return. You won't find any Don Howorth training courses or supplements that he endorsed or even a website promoting his former glory.

And that's just the way he wants it.

Today, just shy of his 70th birthday,(Born Nov 6th 1934) Don Howorth is still around, still in shape, and still calling his own shots. In this exclusive interview, we explore the mind and the enigma of the man affectionately known to his fans as "The Duke of Delts."


NM: Hi Don, thanks for taking the time to talk.

DH: Hi Nelson. You'll have to speak up, I don't hear very well. Then again, I've heard it all already, know what I mean?



NM: Absolutely. There are a lot of things to cover about your career...


DH: Wait a minute, tell me something first...what prompted you to pull
my name out of a hat?



NM: Well, Don...believe it or not, I was at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in September 1967 when you won the Mr. America contest.





DH: Ha! You're the second person in the last couple of days who told me that. I didn't think anyone remembered that far back. It's been a long time past. I guess if you live long enough you become a "legend."



NM: When you stepped out on stage, it was obvious to me, the contest was all over.



DH: Thanks for saying so, but the funny thing about that contest was I heard during the pre-judging I was losing to Rock Stonewall (great name!) so before the night show, I ate an entire pot roast. I felt like I was going to pop! But it filled me out and I won the show.



NM: That’s when you really started getting noticed. It seemed like you were on the cover of ever magazine.


DH: I was getting attention but by the time the “America” came and went, I knew by I was about to stop the competing. And of course, dealing with Joe Weider was always a pain in the ass.



NM: I was going to ask you about that. What was your relationship like with the Weiders?


DH: I don't want to upset anyone, but I just didn't like to bow down to anybody, you know? I don't like being "used." Even when I competed in the AAU, I resented the fact that weightlifting was a part of the judging. I told the officials that they should put some of those fat ass weightlifters in posing trunks and see how well they do! My attitude was bad sometimes. It was the same with Weider. I didn’t want to play by his rules.


NM: What about working as a Weider model? You were in dozens of photo ads for the magazines. Did that pay well?

DH: I never got a damn dime for any of that! Nobody got paid in those days. We just did it for the recognition. Weider kept saying "Look what I've done for you!" I said; "What have you done?! You made $26,000 on thelast show and I can't even get any free supplements from you!" I had to go to Rheo Blair for my supplements, which were much better anyway.



NM: What about the training articles? Did they pay? I guess I should ask, were they actually written by the bodybuilders or were they all ghost written? Obviously that was the case with Arnold and Sergio since they could barely speak English.


DH: I wrote my own articles, but once they got hold of them you wouldn't know it. I was never paid for that either.



NM: You mentioned Rheo Blair. How much of difference did Rheo's diet plan and supplements make?


DH: Oh, a big difference. Rheo was so smart. People thought he was crazy advocating a low carb, high protein and high fat diet and of course that's what they're using today. Actually, Carlton Fredricks was recommending the same thing back in the 1930's so it's nothing new. But I think supplements are about seventy percent of the whole thing. When I started using his
protein with cream, that's when I really started growing. I put on some fat too, but you have to put on some fat to put on size to get bigger. I also used vitamin C, digestive enzymes and powdered liver.


NM: Powdered liver...yum! How'd you get that down?

DH: Hey, we didn't have many options. When I trained at Vic Tannys, I used to go to the pet shop and buy the wheat germ oil they sold for dogs! That's how crazy it was. We were all experimenting.



NM: What about diet. Did you lose a lot of weight prior to a show?

DH: I never lost more than 3 pounds before a show. I wanted the weight! Back then, we didn’t get sloppy in the off season. There was no off season! We were always in shape. Right up until contest time I'd eat up to two pounds of meat, a quart of raw milk,
a quart of cream and two to three dozen eggs a day.



NM: Did you say three DOZEN eggs?

DH: Yep, yolks and all. That's what you want. The fat in the egg yolk is a natural precursor to testosterone .



NM: How much mass did you put on at that time?

DH: I don’t remember how much I gained for the show, but overall, I started at 160 and ended up at my highest weight of 235.



NM: You're known as a disciple of Vince Gironda. Was he a big influence on you?

DH: Yeah, he taught me about diet and posing but henever really trained me. In many ways I got bigger by doing what Vince told me NOT to do! I came from the Pasadena gym which was owned by Gene Mozee and Vince's gym was like Stonehenge compared to that -- very old
fashioned. The lat pull down was the one originally made by Jack LaLanne back in the 40's.





NM: What was an example of your training like back then?

DH: I was always a hardgainer. I worked out up to three to four hours a session, six to seven days a week. When preparing for the Mr. California, I trained twice a day. I did up to 40 sets a bodypart.


IM: Forty sets?!?! WOW! I guess the term “overtraining “ didn’ t exist then! It sure seemed to work though. I suppose those who had the genetics to tolerate that much volume excelled, and those who couldn't tolerate it...well, it didn't matter anyway.


DH: It was too much, but nobody knew. Someone would say;" Reg Park built his chest by doing 30 sets of bench presses," so I did forty. Later on I found out
Reg never did more than ten or twelve sets. (Laughs)



NM: You retired in 1967, just as bodybuilding was becoming big. Why stop then?


DH: It's funny to hear you say that, because I had no idea it was growing in popularity beyond our little circle and of course no one thought it would become what it is today. People asked me why I didn't do the Olympia, but who in their right mind would go up
against Sergio? He was unbeatable. I would have to wait until Sergio retired the way Zane held out until Arnold stepped down. But I was burned out by that point. I was 32 years old, I wasn't making any money. I was working a full time job as a film editor. Plus, a lot
of people today have a hard time comprehending how bodybuilding wasn't accepted. People treated you like you had no brain and I didn't care for that particular attitude. I enjoyed bodybuilding but there was just no future in it. I also got sick of worrying about always
looking in top condition. I got tired of always trying to be pumped and maintaining a 29 inch waist. Once I realized I didn't have to spend every waking hour thinking about building muscles, I felt as if I'd been liberated.


NM: You also had the perfect look for the movies. Since muscle stars were coming back, why didn't you pursue a career in acting?

DH: I did a couple of things but the movie business is crazy and the people in it are crazy. I'm a private person and I didn't want it.



NM: Any regrets?

DH: I don't think you can do that in life. I want to look ahead and do my thing. These days I train some people and work with kids who are into sports. Another reason I quit competition was because I felt I needed to find myself. It was the 60's and attitudes were changing. We were searching and exploring new philosophies and spirituality. This was the hippie generation and there was more acceptance for things that were different and that lifestyle suited me. I
wanted to try new things. I lived the part -- had long hair and did some experimenting with marijuana. I even applied it to training to see if it would help in my focus. Unfortunately, it wasn't as tolerated as it is now and I got nabbed with some stuff and paid the consequence. That took four years out of my life, but I survived it, for better or worse. A lot of the guys
didn't make it.


NM: Speaking of experimentation, the 60's were the time when steroids began being used, which in some ways explains the sudden leap in muscularity from the pros just 10 years prior. There's an understanding that the dosages used were minuscule compared to today's competitors, yet a lot of younger people still can't believe you and Scott and Draper could get so muscular on such low doses. So let's clear the air... exactly what were the typical dosages of that time, or more specifically, what did you use?


DH: I think what people don't realize is, we made such good gains on such low dosages because we worked our asses off! Today, everybody's relying on the drugs. Put some of these guys today through the ball busting workouts we did and they'd never make it. Personally, I used a fairly large amount of Dianabol -- 5 milligrams a day before the Mr. America contest.


NM: Five milligrams? That's it? That's one pill! Guys today take up to 20 pills a day along with a thousand or so milligrams of injectables.

DH: At one point I used 10 mgs a day but then I started to retain a lot of water. We heard things about it but didn't really know much. Some people said that it didn't increase strength, but that was bull. I took 5 mgs of Dianabol for 4 weeks and my bench press went from up thirty five pounds! I noticed I recovered a lot faster and got great pumps. But I never took any
injectables. I never even knew about them. The only injection I ever had was when I was in the Navy and I didn't like it! (Laughs)



NM: Did you experience any side effects?


DH: I think it was such a small amount, I never noticed any problems.


NM: A lot of people consider the 1960's the heyday of bodybuilding. Dave Draper has spoken about it being a "magical" time. Did you get that sense at the time, or is this just a rosy nostalgic perspective?

DH: I think everyone looks back at their youth as the most impressionable period. For me it was the 50's. But as far as bodybuilding back then, if anything, it was looked down on. I didn't like that. People would ask if I was a football player and when I told them I was bodybuilder they'd say, "What's that? A weightlifter? They didn't even know what a
bodybuilder was. But it was a personal thing for me. Also, women used to look at me in disgust. Every now and then you'd find someone who liked it. One time a friend of mine picked up a couple of stewardesses and we finally got them back to our apartment. When I took
my shirt off, one of them was totally turned off while the other one was like a dog in heat! They started out saying that bodybuilders can't have sex, so I said, bring a couple of more friends over so they can take over once I'm through with you! (Laughs)


NM: Are you aware that you still have a lot of fans?

DH: Until very recently I had no idea. I'm bowled over that so many people remember. We never got any recognition back then. I'm amazed more people know of me now than they did back then.


NM: Guys like you and Larry Scott are like the Babe Ruths and Lou Gehrigs of the sport!

DH: That blows my mind. It's incredible to even think about that. When Artie Zeller passed away, I went to the service -- everyone was there. Even Arnold was there. And someone came up to me and asked `Are you Don Howorth?" I said, "Yeah, what's left of me." It was a woman who said she had my pictures up in her garage when she trained. I didn't know women worked out with weights back then. But I'm starting to get a little sense of it all. I was recently chosen as the first inductee into the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame.



NM: Are you still training?

DH: Yeah, I still do about an hour and a half a day, five days a week. I haven't gone for more than three days without working out in twenty years. I have to. I hardly bench press anymore but yesterday I was working with 225. Of course, that used to be my 25 rep warm up!
But I feel great, and I want to stay away from doctors because I don't trust most of them. I'm afraid if I went to one he'd tell me I'm already dead!


NM: (Laughs) Yeah, wise up -- you're supposed to be long gone!

DH: Right! But when the docs last checked my heart it sounded as strong as a freight train. He said to me; Do you exercise? I said, "Yeah -- a little."


(At this point, Don was distracted by his cat.)

DH: Sorry, my cat is acting up. I had to have him neutered. He'd get in trouble every time he got a stiff one.


NM: Who hasn't!?


DH: (Laughs) Yeah, we've all done that.



NM: The one question our readers would not let me get away without asking is; what was your delt training program?

DH: People think I'm naturally wide but that's not really true. I mostly did many, many years of presses behind the neck.



NM: A great exercise, and one which, incidentally, was once believed to widen the shoulder blades. But these days it's shunned. A lot of exercise experts say it's stressing to the rotator cuff.


DH: Well, I started developing some shoulder problems and scar tissue recently from all the years of heavy presses behind the neck.


NM: Well, you're seventy!


DH: (Laughs) Yeah, I guess I'm starting to get old!



NM: Anything else for the delts?


DH: I also liked dumbell presses. I also avoided shrugs because the traps build up fast and they make you look less wide. Looking wider was always the look we went for. Today, it's different.





NM: You obviously had the genetics for great delts, but what was the toughest bodypart to develop?


DH: Thighs! I trained them real hard, mostly with Hack Squats. Lots of them. They didn't have the machines like today though. We even had to do hacks without a machine, just holding the bar behind the back of our legs. A lot of guys didn't concentrate on leg training back then but I wanted them better. I was squatting with 425.



NM: When you were working out up to two hours a day, you weren't doing any cardio were you?

DH: Ha! What a joke! I used to work out with as little as a 20 second break between sets. Who needs cardio when you’re doing that?



NM: That'll get your heart rate up!


DH: That's right. Weight training is anaerobic AND aerobic. You don't have to run. If you do too much cardio, your metabolism goes CLUNK. I'd also work abs every day. In my spare time I'd tense and pose them. Even while driving, I'd grab the steering wheel and suck in a press down hard to tighten the abs.



NM: Any opinions on the current state of bodybuilding?

DH: Guys compete today to make money, but in the 60's we did it because it was in our heart. I started working out because I got tired of everybody kicking my ass! When I got bigger, nobody picked on me. I went to the IronMan a couple of years ago and when I saw these guys posing all I could think was `what's wrong with their stomachs?' These guys have a twenty inch arm and a forty inch gut! They couldn't even suck their guts in from all the junk they take...growth hormone, insulin and all that crap. It doesn't look human. It looks terrible. They all train the same, they all take the same drugs, they all use the same diet, the same equipment, so they all look the same. After 10 minutes, I walked out. It's much easier today. The supplements are better...you don't even have to get a tan! It comes in a bottle! We would
sit out in the sun which would drain us and then we'd work out for two hours. It's a different world.

NM: Well, on that note let me ask you this... If you could do it all over again.... would you rather be starting out now?


DH: No. I'll take my day. I wouldn't want it any other way.



NM: Any last words of advice for our readers?


DH: You have to have a plan. If you just want to throw the weights around a little for fun, that's fine. But if you really want to excel, you have to know what you're doing and focus on accomplishing your goal. That's the key.



NM: Don it's been a treat. I think you've given our readers a lot to think about. Thank you so much for your time.


DH: My pleasure.




At one time, a body like Don Howorths was misunderstood, even disdained. Forty years later, his classic look epitomizes manly perfection. It took the world almost half a century to figure out what our iron ancestors knew all along. A symmetrical body hewn from hard work is a thing of beauty. Chiseled muscle is timeless. In that regard, Don Howorth was ahead of his time. He is truly one of the greats of the game. It's just that a lot of people didn't know it. Including Don Howorth.

[gymrat1969]

Yes...I started taking steroids at 19...ten years ago. Now I'm 37.

OMG LOL

[Ronnie Rowland]

Big Wendy the muscular whippet
Rare genetic mutation increases muscles, weight of sleek breed
Kim Westad, Times Colonist
Published: Monday, June 25, 2007
People mistake her for a pitbull with a pinhead, but Wendy the whippet is one rare breed.

So rare that the Central Saanich dog recently graced the New York Times. She also had several of her photos shown on The Today Show, all because of a rare genetic mutation that has led to her being the Incredible Hulk of dogs.

Wendy is a 27-kilogram rippling mass of muscle. Forget the so-called six-pack stomach: Wendy has a 24-pack. And the muscles around her neck are so thick, they look like a lion's ruff.

View Larger Image
Wendy the Whippet has a genetic disorder that has resulted in an exceptionally muscular appearance.
Bruce Stotesbury, Times Colonist
Email to a friendPrinter friendly
Font:
*
*
*
*
"People have referred to her as Arnold Schwarzenegger," says doting owner Ingrid Hansen, stroking Wendy's sleek black coat and white chest.

Wendy was recently part of a genetics study done in the U.S. on mutation in the myostatin gene in whippets, which resemble greyhounds in appearance. The National Institute of Health study reported that whippets with one single defective copy of the gene have increased muscle mass that can enhance racing performance in the breed, known for speeds up to 60 kilometres an hour.

But whippets with two mutated copies of the gene become "double-muscled," like Wendy. It has been seen before in one human, and also in mice, cattle and sheep, says the study.

The uber-muscled whippets are called "bullies," not because of their nature -- Wendy likes nothing better than a good back scratch and isn't shy about sitting in your lap to ask for one -- but because of their size. She's about twice the weight of an average whippet, but with the same height and small narrow head -- and the same size heart and lungs, which means she probably won't live as long as normal whippets.

Hansen has had Wendy, now four, since she bought the dog from a Shawnigan Lake breeder when she was eight months old.

Wendy landed in clover. She lives on an acreage, runs around with other dogs and horses, sleeps on Hansen's bed and pretty much anywhere else she wants to.

People are often afraid when the muscle-bound dog runs up to them on her dainty whippet-thin legs, but they soon realize she's friendly, Hansen said.




© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007