Is Natural Bodybuilding Becoming Extinct?

Most people will refrain from breaking your bubble, but natural bodybuilding is, in all honesty, not even a thing anymore. Acquiring one of those super strong Olympic bodies while abstaining from performance-enhancing drugs is...well, not practical. 

Most natural bodybuilders will, for obvious reasons, claim that they are not using any supplements, but here is a question: Can consuming 6 grams of Creatine-Monohydrate or L-Glutamine in a single go be called natural? Would you say using Taraxatone to increase muscular definition falls under the realm of natural Bodybuilding? Well, of course, the obvious answer would be NO - albeit a little reluctant since the industry has had us all draped in a pretty deceptive veil. 

The Stark Naked Truth About Most Natural Bodybuilders

Well, since winning a natural bodybuilding contest by surviving on natural supplements is a catch-22, most bodybuilders simply stop using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs a couple of months before competition and manipulate the not-so-efficient system of the natural bodybuilding industry into believing that they had never even touched an illegal drug. Hence, why so many people turn up in a natural show and come clean on drug tests. A bodybuilder who has spent years shaping and honing the size of their body by using performance enhancing drugs would not actually lose all of it just because they stop the cycle for a few months, would they? This way, not only do they get free reign of abusing the rules of natural bodybuilding competitions, but also get away with tricking people into thinking they have acquired an Olympic body all by eating celery and banana chunks. 

Moreover, the rules of what is allowed and what is not allowed in natural bodybuilding competitions vary from platform to platform as every federation or sponsor of a particular competition lays down a different foundation of ground rules. Some are rather lax on the competitors and allow mild usage of steroids - which should generally be against any authentic natural bodybuilding competition - and some forbid the consumption of steroids but tend to turn a blind eye on those who apply outrageous amounts of Pro-Tan prior to competition. Not to mention the addition of high tech supplementation and pro-hormonal stacks have turned the line between natural bodybuilding and enhanced bodybuilding relatively marginal over the years - In fact, if we are being blunt about it, the line may not even be there.

Lance Armstrong, a famous American former professional road racing cyclist, who managed to pass drug tests for fifteen straight years, now admits that natural bodybuilding is not really a thing. You might be shocked. Nobody fancies changing their whole belief system based on one personality - no matter how influential that personality might be, but this is one glaring flaw of the natural industry and some of us just gotta make peace with the fact that building a HUGE body is not exactly possible when you are abiding by the rules. 

Another Shocking Truth

Don Catlin, an anti-doping pioneer who conducted the NCAA'S laboratory tests for years, said that many schools notify their players about upcoming tests in advance, allowing them plenty of time to dilute their urine. Most administrations, according to him, even go so far as to totally skip screening for steroids and just run some basic drug tests like marijuana. 

This shocking truth about the flaws of college level competitions means that bodybuilders and athletes start depending on performance enhancing drugs long before they become passionate about pro level natural bodybuilding. Of course they can stop taking the supplements at any time they wish, but do you really think the gains made by years and years of hard work and consumption of harmful steroids are just going to slip?

Why you really need to avoid steroids

Yes, steroids, including mild ones like Anavar can boost your bodybuilding procedure and even help you reach the heights you thought were insurmountable. But let's face it, these pills are not always without their side effects (we both know this). 

So the real question now is: are the results they help us achieve really worth the risks they expose us to?

No I don't think so! And here are some of the most common side effects that some of these steroids (particularly Anavar) are known to give.

• Suppression of testosterone production

• Liver damage 

• Low cholesterol, heart attacks and strokes 

• Unreliability and expense

• Infertility

• Kidney damage

• Hair loss

For more details on the usage, benefits, and ultimately the side effects of Anavar, you can check out the Inside Bodybuilding blog. 

Conclusion

Natural bodybuilding is almost extinct now that many bodybuilders, athletes and movie stars are abusing the use of steroids to build muscle and enhance the endurance and performance of body muscles - especially since getting away with such a thing has become extremely convenient over the years.

Not only do steroid users are plain cheaters (but let us not put the entire blame on them. They do what they can to get a leg up), but they also risk permanent physical damage as most steroids come with harmful side effects like kidney failure and heart disease.

This article is, in no way, meant to spew hate on people from the unnatural bodybuilding industry but to save young stars from hoarding impractical dreams by taking inspiration from people whose bodies are, in all sense of the word, unnatural.