Bigger Stronger Faster (Steroids documentary)

Boston

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151309/

I just finished watching this documentary and I have to recommend it to anyone who at all interested in Fitness. Its about two hours long and it comes at steroid use from several directions. Initially I thought this would be pro steroid use but as I watched the documentary I realised was just being truthful in that it exposes a lot of the hypocrisy and obfuscation surround there use while also having this undercurrent of steroids can bring out your worst attributes and how people can become addicted to the hope performance enhancing drugs give them.

In one scene a user is completely nonchalant about using steroids. When asked if the kids he trains know he does steroids he replies no. It becomes very clear that he's ashamed on his use and at some level see it as a failing and wrong, no matter the justification.

Anyway, I found it to be very thought provoking and hopefully you will to.

Hanley

Boston wrote: »

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151309/

I just finished watching this documentary and I have to recommend it to anyone who at all interested in Fitness. Its about two hours long and it comes at steroid use from several directions. Initially I thought this would be pro steroid use but as I watched the documentary I realised was just being truthful in that it exposes a lot of the hypocrisy and obfuscation surround there use while also having this undercurrent of steroids can bring out your worst attributes and how people can become addicted to the hope performance enhancing drugs give them.

In one scene a user is completely nonchalant about using steroids. When asked if the kids he trains know he does steroids he replies no. It becomes very clear that he's ashamed on his use and at some level see it as a failing and wrong, no matter the justification.

Anyway, I found it to be very thought provoking and hopefully you will to.

It's a truly impartial look at it. I was very impressed the director stayed so objective.

In case you didn't realise, "Mad Dog" Bell died recently, not too sure what the eventual cause of death was but I believe it was addicition related, but to what, I don't know!

Sean_Ludawg

Didn't know he died RIP.
Very entertaining and informative documentary though.
Glad steroids never have and never will appeal to me after watching it

Mickk

It is a great film. I thought they went a little too pro steroid and used some Michael Moore style tricks which makes it very easy for the anti steroid brigade to rubbish the movie.

I watched Strong the movie recently aswell, thought it was a decent pre workout watch and a nice infomercial for his gym but trying to release it as a film and charge for it on dvd is a joke.

dioltas

It's a good watch alright, v. enjoyable and fairly impartial. Been meaning to watch Strong the movie for a while.

Cravez

dioltas wrote: »

Been meaning to watch Strong the movie for a while.

It's alright, its not a Documentry per say, more like a biography of Joe Defranco (and his father) and some of his athletes (aka Publicism ). If your thinking it's gonna have lots of stuff (even a small bit) about how to train, routines, templates and general training info then you're gonna be disappointed. Still worth a watch at least once though

Kev M

Hanley wrote: »

It's a truly impartial look at it. I was very impressed the director stayed so objective.

In case you didn't realise, "Mad Dog" Bell died recently, not too sure what the eventual cause of death was but I believe it was addicition related, but to what, I don't know!

Alcohol and prescription drug addiction (sleeping pills and painkillers).
He actually died in a live-in rehab center.... Hopefully they gave some sort of refund :rolleyes:

It's a great film. The Henry Waxman interview is hilarious. He's the congressman who fronts the anti-drug charge. He doesn't know the legal drinking age, smoking age, or anything about the legality of steroids. The guy hasn't got a clue but still manages to have a profound opinion about the evil of steroids...

Boston

I had to skip that bit, it made me cringe too much. I don't think the documentary was pro or anti steroids. I mean in parts it's quiet clearly making the pro argument (or more to the point the anti anti steroids argument) but he goes to length to show the impact they have had on this family.

slicus ricus

Kev M wrote: »

Alcohol and prescription drug addiction (sleeping pills and painkillers).
He actually died in a live-in rehab center.... Hopefully they gave some sort of refund :rolleyes:

That sounds like a typical pro-wrestling death, which seems to happen regularly to guys of his era. For those who havn't seen the film, Maddog was a pro wrestler who wrestled for WWF/E in the 90s as enhancement talent (one of the unknown guys who loses to the established stars on free tv) and was reasonably close to being signed to a contract by WWF. Ironically enough given that he was featured in this film as a steroid user, his physique was one of the main things that held him back - that and the fact that he didn't quite have the charisma some of the top pro wrestlers would have.

Prescription drug addiction, particularly to painkillers (vicodin & soma are ones you here about) and muscle relaxers, was commonly place in american pro wrestling in the 90s and still remains prominent today. The main reason is that wrestlers work matches 5-6 night a week for 52 weeks a year and lose sh*t loads of money when (and i say when not if) they're out injured. Also, they're on the road most of the year so theres not much else to do than go out on the piss, which is why alcohol addictions were so frequent.

In spite of all that, i've no doubt that the anti-steroid camp will blame the death on steroids.

Boston

I'd blame is obsession with wanting to become a star, or "not normal" and the depression with resulted from his failures. I saw one of his fights on you tube and I'm unsure whether he was drunk, high, injured or all of the above.

Degsy

According to Hulk Hogan's biography Andre the Giant drank himself to death because of depression and injuries.
He apparantly once drank 12 bottles of wine in an hour and couldnt use the toilets in hotel rooms because of his size..he'd put newspaers down and crap on them!

slicus ricus

Boston wrote: »

I'd blame is obsession with wanting to become a star, or "not normal" and the depression with resulted from his failures. I saw one of his fights on you tube and I'm unsure whether he was drunk, high, injured or all of the above.

That's probably the one against Perry Saturn where he was a bit stiff with a headlock takedown or firemans carry (can't remember which) causing Saturn to hit his head off the mat. Saturn (an ex-army soldier) then proceded to kick the living sh*t out of him, he absolutely knocked him silly, including a nasty looking steps shot. Thats probably why he looked drunk!

Heres the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP085eYK4Nw

Degsy wrote:

According to Hulk Hogan's biography Andre the Giant drank himself to death because of depression and injuries.
He apparantly once drank 12 bottles of wine in an hour and couldnt use the toilets in hotel rooms because of his size..he'd put newspaers down and crap on them!

That's not true (at least some of it aint!) True, he could drink 12 bottles of wine in an hour and true hotel rooms weren't made for men of his huge size. However, Andre died from what is known as giants disease - where the pituitary gland releases excessive amounts of growth hormone and you basically never stop growing (including your internal organs). The fact of the matter is that he lived long than the average man with his condition who does not undergo pituitary gland surgery.

Degsy

slicus ricus wrote: »

Andre died from what is known as giants disease - where the pituitary gland releases excessive amounts of growth hormone and you basically never stop growing (including your internal organs). The fact of the matter is that he lived long than the average man with his condition who does not undergo pituitary gland surgery.

Its not called "giants disease" and never has been.
Its either called gigantism or Acromegaly.
Anyhoo,he was in constant pain from the pressure of his bulk on his bones.He had back surgery and had to wear a surgical brace under his singlet.
His massive drinking combined with a pituatary tumour causing heart failure did him in.

slicus ricus

Degsy wrote: »

Its not called "giants disease" and never has been.
Its either called gigantism or Acromegaly.

Yes, those are the technical terms for it.

Degsy wrote: »

Anyhoo,he was in constant pain from the pressure of his bulk on his bones.He had back surgery and had to wear a surgical brace under his singlet.

Yeah, he had the surgery at some stage in the mid to late 80s. The anaesthetist (sp?) and his team based the amount of anaesthetic they needed to give on his alcohol consumption due to the fact that they had never operated on someone that size before (he was 7 foot and 500+lbs). Basically, because it took so much alcohol for him to get a buzz, they knew that normal levels of anaesthetic wouldn't knock him out. On the flip side, they wanted to make sure that they didn't give a lethal amount either.

Degsy wrote: »

His massive drinking combined with a pituatary tumour causing heart failure did him in.

I've read a fair bit on him and seen documentaries about him and this is the first time i've ever heard it said that alcohol was a factor in his death. No matter what he did, the untreated pituity tumour was always going to send him to an early grave. Apparently he chose not to have the pituitary tumour treated also.