Posted by: ushirotanabe
Bruce Lee Probably Took Steroids - 03/18/09 07:22 PM
I am sick of threads about Bruce Lee and the elementary, uneducated debates on whether he used such drugs. So I am going to offer the only explanation to a debate that has no real answer, as it is impossible to ask him. Did Bruce Lee use steroids? Probably.
Here is why: First off, I am both an experienced martial artist and experienced steroid user. So for all the people who just rant and throw useless information regarding subjects they have zero experience with, shut up and pay attention.
Given the time period, Bruce was most likely exposed to such compounds as testosterone, deca, dianabol and a number of diuretics. People think that injecting test will make you huge. Bullsh*t. If you don't eat an enormous amount of food you're not going to get much bigger at all. It's quite possible to attain a physique like his using testosterone and having an extremely strict diet, supplemented with diuretic pills. These pills, which were available then, take water out of your body and give you a more "ripped" appearance. And considering testosterone, deca, dbol, the most popular steroids of that time were not illegal, there is no reason why he wouldn't have at least tried some.
"oohh but he was so dedicated and blah blah he would never compromise his integrity asdf" Shut up. Because he was so dedicated is probably the primary reason why he would use such compounds, because elite athletes will try almost anything to get an edge.
He was in show business. Actors today use steroids. They use their body to make money. Yes there is some acting and entertainment qualities needed, but if they were ugly and out of shape they wouldn't be able to get certain roles. And lets face it: Actors do not have years to prepare physically for a role when they can achieve the same results in 4 months with some special help.
"Bruce was skinny, he did not have a physique similar to those with steroid use." You don't get it. If his diet and cardio was as extreme as it is documented, 1: he probably needed testosterone to recover and train so often, 2: he wouldn't have had to worry about getting too bulky because of his calories. He could have shot test like mad and still stayed thin.
Bruce was cocky and arrogant. Anything that could have made him better than someone else would have been beneficial to him, ergo it would make logical sense to have at least tried steroids.
Dan Inosanto once said Bruce got up to about 160lbs, then lost the weight he had gained because he lost speed. I doubt it. I haven't lost any speed whatsoever and have put on more than 25lbs of pure muscle from steroids. He could have done a cycle and put on some muscle, then realizing how difficult it is to maintain that and keep up his martial training, he lost weight. Let me tell you, it would be extremely difficult to train in a martial art, especially as he did, while also having a heavy weight lifting routine. Your body would simply be too sore to keep up with that kind of routine. So, possibly he tried, because we all know he wanted to be bigger and was jealous of those with more muscular physiques, but found the rigors too demanding, as I have, as anyone would. Bodybuilding routines and extreme martial training do not mix well, which is why some of todays fighters have good physiques, but are hardly comparable to a bodybuilder. So it would make more sense to tone down his weight routine, lift lighter weights so he could recover faster and still be able to do the cardio and martial training he desired. Just a thought.
I am not saying he did or did not, as I can not know that answer. What I am saying is, rationally, it makes logical sense he would have at least tried some, and frankly seems quite naive to think otherwise.
Think what you want, but it's simple probability. The evidence to support rational and logical thought is overwhelming.
Here is why: First off, I am both an experienced martial artist and experienced steroid user. So for all the people who just rant and throw useless information regarding subjects they have zero experience with, shut up and pay attention.
Given the time period, Bruce was most likely exposed to such compounds as testosterone, deca, dianabol and a number of diuretics. People think that injecting test will make you huge. Bullsh*t. If you don't eat an enormous amount of food you're not going to get much bigger at all. It's quite possible to attain a physique like his using testosterone and having an extremely strict diet, supplemented with diuretic pills. These pills, which were available then, take water out of your body and give you a more "ripped" appearance. And considering testosterone, deca, dbol, the most popular steroids of that time were not illegal, there is no reason why he wouldn't have at least tried some.
"oohh but he was so dedicated and blah blah he would never compromise his integrity asdf" Shut up. Because he was so dedicated is probably the primary reason why he would use such compounds, because elite athletes will try almost anything to get an edge.
He was in show business. Actors today use steroids. They use their body to make money. Yes there is some acting and entertainment qualities needed, but if they were ugly and out of shape they wouldn't be able to get certain roles. And lets face it: Actors do not have years to prepare physically for a role when they can achieve the same results in 4 months with some special help.
"Bruce was skinny, he did not have a physique similar to those with steroid use." You don't get it. If his diet and cardio was as extreme as it is documented, 1: he probably needed testosterone to recover and train so often, 2: he wouldn't have had to worry about getting too bulky because of his calories. He could have shot test like mad and still stayed thin.
Bruce was cocky and arrogant. Anything that could have made him better than someone else would have been beneficial to him, ergo it would make logical sense to have at least tried steroids.
Dan Inosanto once said Bruce got up to about 160lbs, then lost the weight he had gained because he lost speed. I doubt it. I haven't lost any speed whatsoever and have put on more than 25lbs of pure muscle from steroids. He could have done a cycle and put on some muscle, then realizing how difficult it is to maintain that and keep up his martial training, he lost weight. Let me tell you, it would be extremely difficult to train in a martial art, especially as he did, while also having a heavy weight lifting routine. Your body would simply be too sore to keep up with that kind of routine. So, possibly he tried, because we all know he wanted to be bigger and was jealous of those with more muscular physiques, but found the rigors too demanding, as I have, as anyone would. Bodybuilding routines and extreme martial training do not mix well, which is why some of todays fighters have good physiques, but are hardly comparable to a bodybuilder. So it would make more sense to tone down his weight routine, lift lighter weights so he could recover faster and still be able to do the cardio and martial training he desired. Just a thought.
I am not saying he did or did not, as I can not know that answer. What I am saying is, rationally, it makes logical sense he would have at least tried some, and frankly seems quite naive to think otherwise.
Think what you want, but it's simple probability. The evidence to support rational and logical thought is overwhelming.