Old time bodybuilders,myths and fact

[Powerhouse9]

Why do I always hear that the BB from the 50's and 60's only used like 2 dbol tabs a day. How the hell did they get 20 inch arms from just taking that? What I want to know was there more to it? Did they stay on for 6 months straight at that dose or do the modern day BB take the easy and lazy way out? By instead of pushing to make gains, they rather shoot an extra cc of test. I believe Arnold said all he took was Dbol and Primobolan depot. How much do ya think he took? There is no doubt that these guys had great genetics, like Franco,Arnold, Pearl, but how the hell does a guy make those gains off of 2 or 3 D a day. Help me to understand this bros.... I can't understand it at all!!!!

 

[Deepglute]

I am close in age to the old time BB'ers and I can tell you that back then there was much more emphasis on heavy training and less on drugs.

One huge difference between then and now is that back then it was just standard procedure to focus on powerlifting for the 1st several years of training before ever even thinking about BB'ing. The idea was that heavy weights produced big muscles. If you have ever read Arnold's book "Education of a BB'er", he even states that for the first several years of training he focused on building the mass through heavy training and only after the size was there did put emphasis on sculpting it into what he eventually became.

I was introduced to training by Larry Pacifico who was to power lifting what Arnold was the BB'ing, in other words the "king" of his sport. Larry advised me to take 3 D-Bol/day (15mg total) and put me on a heavy powerlifting routine. On this 1st. cycle which lasted 8 weeks, I went from 218lbs. to 258lbs. My powerlifts went to: Sqt 600lbs, DL 625lbs, and bench 350lbs. This was back in 1976.

I hope this sheds some light on your question.

 

[Eze]

40 pounds in 8 weeks? Holy shit Bro that's huge!! What kind of cycles did other guys run that you know. I am just curious how much it has changed over the years.

 

[Deepglute]

40 pounds in 8 weeks? Holy shit Bro that's huge!! What kind of cycles did other guys run that you know. I am just curious how much it has changed over the years.

You have to consider that this was in the summer and I was training for college football so all I did was eat, train, and sleep!

Back then it was unheard of to do anything more than two (8-10) week cycles/year. All I ever new was D-Bol. It wasn't until 1979 that I did my 1st injectable which was Test Enanthate and that was probably at a dose of 200mg/week.

I had a close friend who was the teenage powerlifting champ back in 77 or 78. He was the biggest guy I ever saw, 5'8" 242 and lean. I know he never took more than 400-500mg/week total Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) and that was usually D-Bol with Test.

What has changed? Now all the emphasis is on drugs, drugs, and more drugs. I read about all these guys who never do less than 2000mg/week but funny thing is, I never see anyone in the gym that looks very big. I also never see anyone who trains with heavy weights.

 

[Doc Banner]

gear was more potent, they all had human grade, and I've heard those D tabs were often 50mg tabs

Those guys weren't anywhere near as big and hard as guys today either though, they were just a few really genetically gifted that could get quite large off moderate (by todays standards) doses of gear. Those types of guys are still around today.

 

[grafixLSUalum]

What has changed? Now all the emphasis is on drugs, drugs, and more drugs. I read about all these guys who never do less than 2000mg/week but funny thing is, I never see anyone in the gym that looks very big. I also never see anyone who trains with heavy weights.

sounds to me that you are training at the wrong gym bro

 

[Deepglute]

gear was more potent, they all had human grade, and I've heard those D tabs were often 50mg tabs

Those guys weren't anywhere near as big and hard as guys today either though, they were just a few really genetically gifted that could get quite large off moderate (by todays standards) doses of gear. Those types of guys are still around today.

The D-Bol was the old original Ciba's which is a large US based pharma co so by law they couldn't overdose them.

Though it is true that the top pros of today are much bigger than that of Arnold's day, most polls indicate that the majority of guys prefer the "old look".

You never saw a BB'er step on stage 20-30 years ago who looked like he was about to give birth to triplets!

Genetics play a much greater role today than back then. The reason why you see so many more huge top pros today is because the shear numbers of young guys getting into Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) use and BB'ing.

BB'ing was truly a very small "sub culture" back then, where now it is much more "main stream".

 

[Powerhouse9]

Deep glute, what type of powerlifting routine was it? Also do you think that you can grow equally as good or better on 3 dbol tabs a day and eating 400g of protein other than taking 6 tabs a day and taking in only 200g of protein. Basically you are proving that sleeping and eating is equally important as to just taking AS, which I agree it is.

 

[Deepglute]

Deep glute, what type of powerlifting routine was it? Also do you think that you can grow equally as good or better on 3 dbol tabs a day and eating 400g of protein other than taking 6 tabs a day and taking in only 200g of protein. Basically you are proving that sleeping and eating is equally important as to just taking AS, which I agree it is.

You have pretty well summed it up!

I could never understand seeing a guy do say six reps with 300lbs. on the bar when it's obvious he could handle 350 lbs. or more on the bar with the same degree of control.

There seems to be a major fear factor which many guys have about handling heavy weights. If one is constantly progressing the amount of weight he's handling, there should be no fear factor envolved.

The real advantage to Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) use is that they greatly improve one's ability to recover from a weight load previously unatainable. If you don't push your body to that point, you can't possibly get maximum benefit from tha AAS.

 

[house1]

sad thing is i see alot of young guys who are nowhere near there natural body potential jumping on gear looking for that quick fix and then loading up on massive amounts.

i am not a big fan of heavy doses the risk of sides grows that much more.

low doses, eat ,sleep and fucking train hard and you will grow

 

[lil g]

sad thing is i see alot of young guys who are nowhere near there natural body potential jumping on gear looking for that quick fix and then loading up on massive amounts.

i am not a big fan of heavy doses the risk of sides grows that much more.

low doses, eat ,sleep and fucking train hard and you will grow

im with house on that one

 

[Doc Banner]

Genetics play a much greater role today than back then. The reason why you see so many more huge top pros today is because the shear numbers of young guys getting into Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) use and BB'ing.

BB'ing was truly a very small "sub culture" back then, where now it is much more "main stream".

I agree, this was something else I was going to try to mention, but it's hard to prove when you're my age.

 

[massive g]

Nobody knows what doses the pros took...it was rumored that Arnold when up and coming and in Europe used to swallow handfulls of dball and protein tablets and yell"I am Ready!" it was also rumored he started primobolan injections at the age of 14-both of these rumors came from his freinds in Germany that grew up with him and mentioned it in Arnolds "Unauthorized Biography" by Wendy Leigh.
I also read in an old M&F, gobs of people would follow Arnold to the pharmacy and watch what or inquire as what he bought.
Arnold being the shafty character he was....would buy a bunch of stuff..then throw the stuff away he did not use and just keep what he used. I really doubt that he used a whole lot of bulkers because he shrank between contest phases-large gaps of rest and then ate his way up to the show..he was like a chamelon...but with every era there are the drug abusers...Roger Walker had the worst case of gyno I ever say in the early 80's and Paul Grant has had kidney problems and heart problems as well as Roger Callard died recently as well as Ron Teufuel, the Mentzer Bros, now Flex is lost a kidney, Don Long was on Dialysis, and Tom Prince is currently having kidney problems.
alot of people will tell you to take all your dball through out the day every 2-4 hours....if that's the case how did guys like Larry Scott grow and succed on 5 mgs a day?

 

[Powerhouse9]

I think this is a great post so far, I am surprised to see so few replies.

 

[Powerhouse9]

I will say that at one time, the town around me was having a dry spell of AS and all I had was 1 bottle of brovel Deca that only had 9 cc's in it. I did a cylce of that alone for 11 weeks and only took 1/2 a cc for the 1st 4 weeks followed by 1 cc a week til I was done. And just by eating alot of protein and not restricting my calories I gained 13lbs. and my bench went up 40lbs. Arms grew half an inch as well. This wasn't my 1st cycle either it was probably my 6th or 7th. Anybody else have a similar experience with such a low dose of anything?

 

[Eze]

That seems pretty incredible Powerhouse. Good job Bro

 

[Powerhouse9]

Thanks, it shocked the hell out of me to Easto. One last big cycle for me this summer then its all short small ones with tons of protein.

 

[BIONABOL]

Kidney are always been the real prob with BB.Un uncheck high blood pressure can produce big kidney damage,as well high protein diet for years continuosly.Some pros give their body a rest eating a normarl deit when they took time off for show.Sure you'll loose some muscle but you easily and fast could re-gain.Many BB only test for creatinine levels:THIS IS STUPID CAUSE IF CREATININE LEVELS ARE HIGH YOU HAVE BEEN PUT ON DYALISIS.Test creatinine clereance,and urinocultura(I do'nt know how to write this in English)cause if this are high does not means your kidney are fucked and you can save them going to a doctor.
AS far old time bb top levels also have taken cadavers GH,little quantities before a show,and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) usage were not very little,however they maximize better the ever training and diet.

 

[Eze]

Thanks, it shocked the hell out of me to Easto. One last big cycle for me this summer then its all short small ones with tons of protein.

What was your diet like on that cycle?

 

[RoadHouse]

from realgains:

Some of you may know that I know Casey Viator, top level pro from about 75 through 83.

He has told me that the idea that the pro's of the 70's used little gear is BS. He said that he used a shit load of gear as did everyone else...."we were just as reckless as they are today"

I mentioned that Mike Mentzer said that he used 400 of deca and 30 of d-bol for the 79 Olympia. He said that he was good friends with Mike and often trained with him and that "Mentzer took up to 2 grams nandrolone, God knows how much primobolin acetate plus GH"

The GH was readily available and was called Creamore if I recall the spelling correctly.

He said the big doses started in about 74.

He is still a very big boy bro's and benches over 400, deep high bar squats over 700 and I think he is now 51 or 52.

He does not like talking about his past steroid use and doesn't think steroid use is a good idea.

Just thought you would like to hear this tidbit.

RG