Pre 1960 bodybuilders vs Today's naturals

[nsteel]

Pre 1960 (ie: pre steroid) bodybuilders such as Reg Park, Steve Reeves, Marvin Eder et.al were much bigger than contemporary natural bodybuilders, the latter looking decidely thinner.

A Google image search will doubtless confirm this.

I suggest this may come down to 2 factors. The old timers had a diet more nutrient dense (less protein powder) and generally trained 3 non consecutive days of the week with full body workouts.

Today's skinny naturals train and eat like steroid users.

[lylemcd]

Given when steroids were first synthesized, I think that the idea that Park, Reeves etc. were natural is a mistaken assumption.

Beyond that, they also didn't get nearly as lean back them as folks do now.

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Remember too that there's a reason Reg Park, Reeves etc were remembered half a century later, they were freaks of nature (there's videos of Reg Park benching over 500lbs raw as can be, two or three dudes deadlifted the bar over him as he lay on the bench, didn't even take it out of a rack), the BEST in the world. So you would have to compare them to the best naturals in the world today, not just average cover models and national champs, a lot of the top talent now is also probably lost to strength sports and untested BB.

And of course you have the whole *wink wink* on the "natural" thing too...just like you do today.

[lylemcd]

This is not natural IMO

Originally Posted by wikipedia

He cemented his superstar status by winning the 1958 AND 1965 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe titles. Standing 6'1" and with a top weight of 250 pounds,

[Clemens45]

If you go by some photos of those that competed in the 40's you will see a significant difference with them and those that competed in the 50's and 60's.

Here is a photo of John Grimek, and you can see he has a higher body fat percentage, yet he has less muscle compared to someone like Reg Park in the photo above.

[Jibaholic]

Originally Posted by lylemcd

Beyond that, they also didn't get nearly as lean back them as folks do now.

That came to my mind too. What do you think about the idea that testosterone levels were higher back in the 1950's and/or there were fewer environmental estrogens? Or is that bro-science?

[lylemcd]

Originally Posted by Jibaholic

That came to my mind too. What do you think about the idea that testosterone levels were higher back in the 1950's and/or there were fewer environmental estrogens? Or is that bro-science?

The difference is negligble.

[nsteel]

The development of steroids is a little like the development of penicillen. There was a big lag between its initial invention and the development of commercial production.

Steroids were developed in post WW2 Germany. Their first use by the medical profession appeared to be in the latter half of 1945when the Allies liberated Japanese POW camps.

Large scale commercial production of them didn't occur until the mid 1960's. That would have been the point at which they seeped into the black market.

Prior to then it would have been possible but extremely difficult to get hold of them.

[lylemcd]

Originally Posted by nsteel

The development of steroids is a little like the development of penicillen. There was a big lag between its initial invention and the development of commercial production.

Steroids were developed in post WW2 Germany. Their first use by the medical profession appeared to be in the latter half of 1945when the Allies liberated Japanese POW camps.

Large scale commercial production of them didn't occur until the mid 1960's. That would have been the point at which they seeped into the black market.

Prior to then it would have been possible but extremely difficult to get hold of them.

And in that we are talking about 1960's era bodybuilders.....

[nsteel]

Have a look at Woody Strode in Sparticus. He played the role of the Ethiopian gladiator. Very big man. The film was made in 1959.