Daryl’s Rant
First and foremost, I owe a great deal of gratitude to all those who took the time away from their oatmeal and egg whites to read my last, somewhat lengthy rant about the political side of competition. My goal is to shoot from the hip here, knowing all to well that the people in front of me may catch a bullet or two but those who stand behind me (the WBFF) may revel in my/our viewpoints. Where do I gather my material from you ask? In the past couple of decades or so, concerns from ‘would-be’ competitors, seasoned competitors, spectators, promotors and die hard fans of our industry have always arose and left me scratching my head. Once the splinters were delicately extracted, I would do my due diligence to find the answers sought and then ‘delicately’ provide what I felt was an honest answer. Now I know that when I use the word ‘honesty’, a few feathers will ruffle and more than a few eyebrows will perch. What the heck does this have to do with honesty? Hang fire…I’m getting to it.
With the competitive fitness season finally upon us (dam you people who have year ’round sunshine!), questions and concerns are abounding. Valid questions that would apply to not only the WBFF but every organization’s policies and procedures. I’ve responded ad nauseum to the “How come it’s so expensive?” and the ever so popular “Is it drug tested?” inquiries. Hmmm…a couple of valid zingers huh? I’m sure more than a few contest promoters have wiped the sweat from their keyboards when responding to these requests.
So….why are we gouging you and how come the lady standing next to you weighs 230 and has shredded glutes and a 3 o’clock shadow? Let’s draw our proverbial gun and fire off the first shot.
If they can’t nail down the use/abuse/complement of performance enhancing substances in the Olympics (yes I’m referring to the ’s’ word), using stringent testing protocols and a hefty budget to do so, how the heck do you think “Bob’s High School Auditorium Natural Bodybuilding, Figure and Rib Fest” is going to fare? Oh yes, but they do offer a 10 minute polygraph, a urinalysis, a signed consent form and they take a chunk of money from my entry form to do so. Hello? Any 9th grader who has access to the internet can fly past ANY and ALL of these doping control methods using the right strategy and informed choices. Is a ‘natural’ show natural? One could only hope that the appeal of a natural show is ONLY a reflection of the moral ethics of it’s participants. That is the ONLY thing that will keep a natural show truly drug-free. But, in the spirit of competition, the smell of victory is all too strong for those athletes that want to ‘win at all costs. What’s next for those who ‘gear up’ to compete naturally? Perhaps claiming a disability to garnish a gold in the Special Olympics?
It’s inarguable that those who choose to compete with pharmaceutical assistance vs those who do not, poses a huge dilemma to any organization that presses for ‘fairness and honesty’ amongst its athletes. Does the WBFF drug test it’s participants? In short..no we do not. Absurd right? Do we condone or advocate the involvement of anabolic agents or fat loss products. Well again, that doesn’t matter if we do or we don’t. I know (and you probably do as well) that people will ingest, inject, inhale, implant and for the most part, do what they feel is necessary to ‘win at all costs’. With a team of lab coated, pharmacy gurus standing at stage right, Sylvia Brown the psychic in the audience and the FBI’s team of polygraphy examiners in their midsts, does any show even have a shred of chance in advocating their natural status.
Are we hippocrits? Some may think so but I like to see us as realists. It serves little purpose to run a drug tested show when all of us who are ‘in the know’ realize this to be an ineffective and moot tactic. So whether you opt for good ole’ fashioned creatine or some esoteric doctrine of sports medicine, chance are we’re not necessarily going to know. I’ll humble myself in stating that it’s safe to assume that most high caliber athletes are using ’something’ to better themselves and really it boils down to a matter of personal choice and that has nothing to do with whether a show is ‘drug free’ or not… Competition, as the name implies, is just that. Who is better than whom. Personally, I’d rather stand on stage knowing that the odds are fairly high that the guys standing next to me are anabolically-equipped rather than enter a so-called natural show where the chips are going to fall where they may.
In summation, it took 0.15 seconds for google to return 138,000 responses on ‘how to pass a steroid test’
I’ll let you be the judge the next time you’re paying for a drug testing fee.
Join me on my next rant from the fitness soap box when I delve into “I look great, so now what??”
Good luck in competition and in being the best you possible.
In good health,
Daryl Gazey
WBFF Director of Operations
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