“They Want to See Lions and Tigers, Not Cats and Dogs”: Bodybuilding Expert Explained Why Steroids Consumption Remains an Inescapable Part of the Sport

Mr. Olympia 2022 bodybuilding championship is almost here, and so is the debate about steroids. As “huge” bodybuilders will compete in this prestigious championship, the popular opinion about bodybuilders using steroids rises yet again. Experienced professor and author of many bodybuilding books, Brad Schoenfeld, explained how bodybuilding is like a human zoo, which makes steroids a necessity rather than an option.

So what exactly did Brad Schoenfeld mean by saying this rather controversial statement? Let us find out.

Why are steroids a ‘huge’ part of bodybuilding?

Many fans and audiences love to see big bodybuilders like Big Ramy, Brandon Curry, etc. compete on the bodybuilding stage. And this is the exact reason Schoenfeld suggests why steroids have become a must in bodybuilding.

Just like any other professor, he had a perfect example to justify this controversial point in a Washington Post article. “When people go to the zoo, they want to see lions and tigers, not cats and dogs,” Schoenfeld stated. It is also one of the reasons why the open category division in Mr. Olympia is the most loved event of all time. Because this event features bodybuilders with the most rounded and “big” muscular bodies.

Although many bodybuilders deny using these performance-enhancement drugs, experts believe achieving such an insane body structure is impossible otherwise.

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However, even if fans debate or medical experts claim that “bodybuilders use steroids,” Mr. Olympia or IFBB [International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness] prohibits the usage of any drugs.

Steroids are a big “No” even at Mr. Olympia

In 2004, IFBB officially banned the usage of steroids after adopting the World Anti-Doping Code. According to this code, World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] administers every bodybuilding competition, including Mr. Olympia.

Under the rules and regulations of WADA, certain substances and drug usage is prohibited. If any bodybuilder, be it top-level or a newcomer, is found guilty of using any such drugs, they can be banned from the sport altogether. However, even after such strict guidelines, a few former bodybuilders have confessed to using steroids, in the past.

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Thus, this again leads to the question – Will bodybuilding and steroids always go hand-in-hand?