George Farah answers: should there be drug testing in pro bodybuilding?
Throughout our released GI Exclusive interview segments of George Farah, he has been increasingly clear about his problems with drug use in the modern era of bodybuilding. Especially after surviving cancer, he has been very clear that a bodybuilder’s health should come before their desire to be a champion. So what does he think about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s call for drug testing in pro bodybuilding? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, George Farah breaks down his thoughts on drug testing in bodybuilding.
George Farah has previously stated that he thinks bodybuilders need to pull back on how many drugs they are taking to blow up their physiques. He’s worried about their health and has been seriously urging all athletes (and those he trains) to change the way they see drug use in the sport. But does that mean he believes they should drop substances like steroids completely?
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comments asking for drug testing in pro bodybuilding are still rippling through the bodybuilding industry today. While it doesn’t seem likely that it will happen anytime soon, we were interested in what George Farah felt about the notion especially considering his clear distaste of abusing drugs int he sport.
George makes it clear from the top of his answer that he thinks drug testing is bad idea for the sport. He uses Steve Reeves as an example. Reeves achieved greatness naturally – but he still couldn’t hold a candle to the legend that was Arnold Schwarzenegger. So ultimate, George argues, the kind of shocking physiques the fandom has grown to love could not exist without steroids in bodybuilding.
But doesn’t this contradict George Farah’s previous statements about pulling back on drug use and focusing on health? George continues that he does think a bodybuilder’s health is still very important – and that there is a way to use steroids to grow a shocking physique without threatening a person’s health.
When George Farah talks about the decline in the health of bodybuilders, he doesn’t mean that steroids are 100% unhealthy. He just thinks they are being abused beyond the amount that they should be taken. He also thinks that other drugs are being thrown in the mix, such as insulin, that are having even bigger health impacts than steroids themselves.
So ultimately, George Farah preaches what he’s been saying all along. Be smart, don’t blindly follow your guru, and do research for yourself. Talk to a doctor, get bloodwork done, be vigilant about every inch of your body the same way you most likely are about the quality of your physique. In George Farah’s eyes, being a champion means nothing when you’re dead.
You can check out our latest GI Exclusive interview segment with George Farah above!
