Berry De Mey discusses health in bodybuilding and what he considers to be his biggest contribution to the sport.
Berry De Mey is a bodybuilder and coach who has not been afraid to speak his mind about the health of bodybuilding. He’s gone to social media numerous times to criticize the extreme lengths some modern bodybuilders are willing to take for success. De Mey warns that bodybuilders need to start taking further precautions to monitor their health. So it may come as no surprise that De Mey believes his greatest contribution to bodybuilding is tied to health in the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Berry De Mey explains how he is living proof that pro bodybuilding can be healthy.
During our conversation with Berry De Mey, we topped off our interview by asking – what has been your greatest contribution to the sport of bodybuilding? De Mey’s answer focuses less on trophies and awards won and more on his legacy outside of pure competition. He considers his success in the sport to be “a living example that bodybuilding can be really healthy.”
What does he mean by that exactly? De Mey goes on to explain that he was able to build a massive and iconic physique while also focusing on maintaining his health. He’s proof that life doesn’t need to be cut short in order to become a pro bodybuilding success. De Mey worries that bodybuilders today believe there is only one dangerous path to becoming a champion. He hopes that the career he led and the guidance he provides as a coach will help nudge pro bodybuilding into a healthier direction. He’s a proof of concept.
Berry De Mey lays it out directly during our conversation:
“I’m really really convinced that my contribution today is that I can show, I started when I was like 16 years old and in a couple months I’m turning 60 years old. And I think my biggest contribution is that I’m a living example that bodybuilding can be really really healthy.”
De Mey continues by breaking down the biggest difference between healthier bodybuilding of earlier eras compared to bodybuilding today:
“I think the biggest thing is the consistency of the lifestyle… You see a lot of people, they peak for a competition, and they actually, a couple of weeks a year they are in shape and the rest of the year they are not in shape. Maybe in the old days that was different. You know, we were kind of in decent shape all year around. It all pays off now.”
His last comment in the above quote seems to imply that older bodybuilders today might not be living as long if they were following the tactics of modern bodybuilding. There’s now way to know that for sure. But Berry De Mey hopes that his existence in the sport and his continued guidance through coaching will make a difference.
It may be challenging to truly quantify the health statistics of pro bodybuilding compared to the average person – but Berry De Mey believes that bodybuilding could always be doing more to make things healthier.
You can watch Berry De Mey’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
