The fitness industry has long turned into a massive commercial theater where former Mr. Olympia champions preach with a smart look about secret training techniques and the nuances of tracking macros.
The main villainy of this content lies in the total concealment of the chemical foundation. When a guy who built his career on grams of anabolic steroids, growth hormone, and insulin starts teaching average people how to “squeeze the lower lat at a special angle,” it isn’t just an oversight—it’s straight-up, deliberate bullshit. They sell the illusion that extreme muscle mass comes from mental focus, diet, and their unique programs, masking the main catalyst of their success.
Why are AAS 80% of success? AAS “hack” the human genetic limit, triggering off-the-charts protein synthesis and muscle recovery 24/7. They completely forgive any mistakes in training and diet, creating extreme volume contrary to the laws of physiology. Without this chemical base, even an ideal regimen yields only crumbs, turning the champions’ “secret tricks” into useless marketing noise.
When clients come to me for a workout, I immediately split them up—fitness (general physical culture is for another trainer) or serious training on a cycle (that’s for me). By the way, we’ve already touched on this topic, check out more details here:The Myth of Natural Bodybuilding: Genetic Limits & Pro Realities
An important clarification: Ronnie Coleman, Paul Dillett, and Kevin Levrone are the greatest athletes in history, whose phenomenal hard work and willpower are beyond question. Criticizing the industry’s silence surrounding gear support in no way diminishes their athletic greatness and insane dedication. They will forever remain absolute bodybuilding icons who achieved a genuine breakthrough on the edge of human limits.
The conspiracy of silence among bodybuilding titans, from Coleman and Yates to Heath and Bumstead, relies on strict legal contracts, corporate censorship, and protecting their own egos:
Officially admitting that their phenomenal achievements are physically impossible without extreme doses of AAS would instantly destroy the multi-million dollar fitness marketing industry that sells useless supplements and “secret” workout programs to naive fans. For these athletes, shattering the myth of iron willpower and diet being paramount means completely devaluing their years of hard work in the eyes of the general public, turning them from sports icons into walking pharmacological labs.
Even Lee Priest’s controlled confessions about “minimal doses” turn out to be just a more sophisticated form of lying: by downplaying the real volume of gear used by dozens of times, veterans try to preserve the illusion of personal genetic uniqueness and hide the fact that their extreme muscle mass, despite a careless lifestyle, was sustained exclusively by heavy, non-therapeutic anabolic cycles.
Many people know that all these outstanding individuals opened TikTok accounts and other channels to actively hype their “training methods.” Just today, I stumbled upon a video from Phil Heath showing how he trained his biceps.
But all of this is simply laughable. Gear completely rewrites the laws of human physiology, converting the body into a hyper-efficient protein utilization machine. For an athlete on a heavy androgen cycle, protein synthesis runs continuously, and recovery happens at lightning speed, regardless of how chaotic or foolish their training is. For someone on gear, the hormonal system no longer depends on training stress—it is set externally from a syringe.
This is precisely why any discussions by “Olympians” on how a natural lifter should dose their workload lack any practical sense, as they themselves have never trained within real physiological limits.
And we are dead right here: while on an AAS cycle, there is no need to reinvent the wheel in the gym at all. Hormones will do 90% of the work in nitrogen retention and hypertrophy, so a classic routine of one heavy compound exercise and a couple of isolations for polishing is more than enough for colossal growth. Gear forgives any methodological errors, poor sleep, dietary flaws, and a lack of periodization.
All this superficial complexity with supersets, drop sets, and “intuitive training” that champions sing about turns into redundant nonsense on cycle, needed only to fill airtime and create the illusion of complex expert work.
The motive behind this hypocrisy is sickeningly banal—it’s pure business and keeping sponsor contracts. Not a single major sports nutrition or apparel brand will sign a contract with an athlete who openly says, “I grew because I pinned Deca and Test.” To monetize their physique, stage veterans are forced to wrap steroid results in legal packaging: selling useless BCAAs, pre-workouts, and custom guides.
This is bullshit on a global scale — millions of guys are wrecking their health and mental health trying to replicate their idols’ physiques with nothing but whey protein and oatmeal.
Overcomplicating the training process is yet another smoke screen meant to justify “guru” status. When an Olympian spends half an hour of video explaining how the pinky position on the barbell changes the biceps peak contraction, he’s just hyping up his worth. An average guy listening to this nonsense starts focusing on the mind-muscle connection instead of simply progressing in weights.
In reality, that Olympian’s biceps would have grown even from basic wall curls, simply because his blood testosterone levels exceeded an average person’s norm by twenty times.
It’s crucial to understand that top bodybuilders aren’t just guys on gear; they are genetic anomalies whose androgen receptors are developed to the max and whose internal organs can withstand immense toxic loads. When such a genetic and chemical mutant gives diet advice, recommending eating 6,000–8,000 calories and stuffing dry rice and chicken breast down six times a day, he literally cripples his followers. A natural athlete on such a diet is more likely to face pancreatic failure and grow a massive gut than add inches to his arms, because his enzymatic and hormonal systems aren’t built to process those food volumes without external support.
In the final analysis, all media activity from former champions is a commercial conveyor belt built on lies and exploiting the naivety of others.
Listening to their training advice without applying a chemical filter is like learning to drive from the “Fast & Furious” movies. Real, effective training for an average person is boring, simple, and monotonous—it relies on progressive overload and adequate rest.
And the endless expert breakdowns from Mr. Olympia veterans should be treated strictly as entertainment content that has nothing to do with real, natural physiology.
Dmitry Volkov – is the author of our bodybuilding section is a practicing sports medicine physician based in Dallas, Texas, with 21 years of hands‑on experience in sports pharmacology. At 42, he combines deep academic knowledge with real‑world expertise gained from coaching athletes of all levels — from amateurs to seasoned competitors. He earned his medical degree from a leading Texas institution and spent years working in sports medicine clinics and private practice.
His primary focus is hormonal regulation of muscle growth, the use of anabolic steroids and peptides, and post‑cycle recovery. He understands modern protocols inside out because he consults real people every day, helping them avoid side effects and achieve safe results. His approach is rooted in evidence‑based medicine, yet remains grounded in the realities of both amateur and professional sports.
In his articles, he aims to debunk myths and deliver clear, scientifically sound recommendations. Every piece of content is vetted not only by medical knowledge but also by years of clinical observation. He firmly believes that responsible pharmacology requires a solid grasp of biochemistry, respect for one’s body, and regular medical monitoring — and he works hard to convey these principles in a way that is both accessible and actionable for his readers.
