Well, here’s a topic that really makes my blood boil. Bodybuilding claims to be the creation of the perfect physique… right? That means your chest, shoulders, legs, arms, and back are supposed to be developed to their full potential while keeping your waist muscular but small. Some bodybuilders may have a genetically gifted part that tends to be superior to another part. The normal goal is to emphasize training the weaker body part while limiting training to the more receptive body part. This is done to get a proportional muscle size. To achieve the perfect physique, the waist should be small compared to the upper body and legs. The smaller the waist, the more dramatic the surrounding muscles appear. The back will look like a flared cobra’s head when attached to a small waist.

I remember physicists from the past, Arnold, Bob Birdsong, Franco Columbo, Bob Paris and Frank Zane achieved this dynamic look. Darin Lannaghan, Bill Davey, and Stan McQuay have produced this style in modern bodybuilding, although they may never be seen in Arnold Classic competition.

So what has changed?

In the mid-1980s, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and insulin became popular drugs among professional bodybuilders. The net result, with these top-tier competitors, is the “Roid Gut”. Today, we have bodybuilders sporting 40 to 46″ waists. I’m assuming, of course, that no competitor would ever dare share the mammoth size of their waists. If they did, I bet they’d drop number one inch or more. Two Unfortunately, the Roid Gut has a repulsive appearance contrary to the original intent of the sport. When Jay Cutler in his early years rose to national prominence, his youthful physique still had a small waist. Today, Jay’s waist is absolutely disgusting. Sure that he can weigh over 270 pounds, but he also sports the waist of a sumo wrestler. Most of the top bodybuilders, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, and Craig Titus, exhibit this similar phenomenon. These competitors simply meet the expectations of what which the judges are condoning and encouraging by accepting this aspect as the physical “champion”.

I am writing this article to discourage the use of these drugs. They are sucking the life blood out of the sport, destroying the potential aesthetics of the physique, and taking bodybuilding back to the freak show era of the past. THIS SHOULD NOT BE!

HGH, “Huge gut hormone?”

Okay, so what does HGH do to the body? In a normal person, HGH is produced by the body and triggers the normal growth process of the body. The HGH drug was originally developed for children who were stunted and found to have low production of this hormone. Doctors would administer HGH in small amounts to stimulate a normal growth pattern.

In some people, overactive HGH production (from birth) can also create a person of gigantic proportions. Andre the Giant had this condition. Robert Wadlow was another and grew to be 7’11”. He had many health problems and died at a very young age.

If HGH is administered to an adult, muscle growth restarts. HGH is very different from steroids. HGH causes the production of new cells. Steroids only cause existing cells to enlarge. The growth of new cells seems to target only the soft tissues and rarely the skeletal system. Unfortunately, not only muscle cells multiply, but also internal muscles such as the intestines and heart. In addition, the organs, such as the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, are also growing. When the growth of these internal muscles and organs occurs in a fixed chest cavity, there is only one direction for this additional mass to go and that is the abdominal area. Are you starting to get an idea?

Additive Effect of Insulin

Now, what is the effect of insulin in the body? Insulin is a super steroid that channels nutrients and sugar into the muscle. When combined with hard workouts, recovery is very fast. Taken correctly, it boosts cell growth better than any other steroid. However, if you make a mistake by taking insulin at the wrong time or dose, you can go into insulin shock and die. Also, long-term use can make you diabetic, a life-shortening condition. When insulin is combined with HGH, the muscles are primed for significant gains.

The downside of insulin is that it is also active in creating fat storage in the body in the event of starvation. These fat deposits are stored internally in the body and not in the outer muscles. This is wonderful for the bodybuilder’s appearance but not for his health. These fatty deposits called visceral fat are found around the internal organs of the liver, pancreas, heart, and kidneys. Combine this added weight with the growth of muscles and internal organs and you have enough extra mass to create a truly outstanding Gnawed Intestine.

History of the “sidebar”

Let me tell you a story that comes to mind in the early 80’s. Tim Belknap, then a big man in the bodybuilding world, announced that he was a diabetic. I have no reason to doubt that it was, but I am now convinced that Tim found the secret to using insulin to maximize his bodybuilding potential. During that era, Tim was by far the most vascular bodybuilder on the scene. I also noticed, he had a semi-bulging waist. At the time, I felt sorry for Tim’s disability with diabetes, but admired that he had achieved a world-class physique under this condition. Looking back now, I’m sure Tim was able to apply his insulin to the benefit of his bodybuilding.

you are the judge

I am convinced that these 270+ pound “super heavyweight” competitors could actually weigh 240 or more if you took the mass out of their guts. But then again, they could only weigh 220 if they lost the extra musculature as a result of these two drugs. Let’s go back to the aesthetic constructions of a few years ago. I hope that even if the judges don’t award the winning trophy to the small-waisted competitor, you’ll agree that creating a Roid Gut is neither attractive nor healthy.