Steroids help with recovery time which is one of the ways that bodybuilder's can get so big so fast (yes, I understand the testosterone side of the equation also).
I have read through Bruce's training routines and he didn't train for size, so IF he did use them he would increase lean muscle but not to the extent that someone trying to "bulk up" would. If anything it would have helped him with the large training volume that he had. I think the reason bodybuilders have the "roid gut" is due to the LARGE quantities of both GH and steroids. If you look at BBer's from the same time period as Bruce you see flat muscular abs and not the distended bellies you see today.
Absolutely right, punisher. That was more the 'Frank Zane' era, when the V-shape, proportion and symmetry were highly valued. Even relatively 'big' guys like Schwarzenegger exhibited those properties, and successful pros in the very low 200lb range weren't uncommon. Something happened somewhere along the line that changed that...
Even IF Bruce used steriods....SO WHAT??? They aren't a magical pill that grants skill/talent. You still have to put in tons of hard work and effort to get to the level Bruce did. It would have helped him in other aspects of his training, but not in the areas that he is famous for. Also, it was legal to use them, we can't judge him based on current laws, ethics on the use of anabolics.
Excellent points, punisher. And my impression is, Bleeker certainly isn't making a value judgment on BL in the least; in his interview, he emphasizes the legality of those anabolic substances back in the day. People are viewing what Bleeker's saying the way Barry Bonds' fans responded to the original suggestions that he got a crucial advantage from using steroids, but it's not the same at all: everyone involved in the BALCO fiasco knew exactly how illegal what they were doing was, and did it anyway, because of the enormous profitability that these batting monsters brought to MLB. But as you say, that wouldn't have been the case with, nor point of, Lee's alleged steroid use at all. First of all, they were legal, and had actually been introduced into the U.S. by a sports medicine MD, John Ziegler, who had discovered their existence and use from conversations with East European team coaches, the Bulgarians in particular as I recall. Second, the
appearance of increased musculature was almost certainly close to the bottom of Lee's list of priorities; I think he wanted to develop maximum
strength, and as you say, he worked hard enough in his training that the accelerated recovery time would have been extremely important to him. I don't see any of it as evidence of a character flaw or anything remotely like that.
The question, what is Bleeker's evidence base for the claim?, is still a valid one. I suppose we'll all have to look at what he says in the book and decide just how much new evidence there is for him to draw the conclusions he did. ...
