Written By Lori Braun
Many people choose not to take drugs for fear of health consequences. Although this may be a legitimate concern depending on the degree and duration of drug use, this is not the reason I chose to stay natural. In fact, I believe that the dangers of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs are probably exaggerated greatly and sensationalized by the media. In my opinion, scare tactics like, “You’re going to get a brain tumor and liver cancer” aren’t really accurate or effective. If this were an effective approach, then drug use wouldn’t be so widespread today.
It’s not a matter of morals, ethics or cheating either. How does one define “moral behavior?” I believe the only definition of moral behavior that most people will agree on is that “moral” means you never do anything to hurt another human being or infringe on their right to do what they want with their lives. As long as you’re not hurting or infringing on others, then who’s to judge what’s right or wrong? Few people would disagree that it shows questionable morals and a lack of character to take drugs, lie about it and compete in a drug tested competition, but as long as everyone is on a level playing field, then morality is probably not a valid argument.
My prime motivation for staying natural is not a matter of right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy. My motivation is different: What I want is the joy and fulfillment that only comes from becoming the best I can be without using any artificial assistance. I want to fully express the possibilities of the human body, mind and spirit. I want to actualize my full potential. If I take drugs, then I won’t really know what my true potential is; I’ll never know whether it’s the drugs or me.
The real joy in athletics or bodybuilding is not in having a beautiful body or a 1st place award; the joy is in earning it. The joy is in working hard and seeing the type of person you become in pursuit of your goals. The joy is in watching yourself become a real winner and a true champion – on the inside. Earning it makes you into a better human being. You develop character, integrity, persistence, determination and a strong work ethic – all positive qualities that transfer to other areas of your life. There’s no true and lasting joy or fulfillment in results that are artificially produced. Using drugs is like going to the store and buying the trophy. There’s no joy in that – you didn’t earn that!
Suppose you took a “magic pill” and developed an incredible body in a very short period of time. Do you really think you’re going to feel happy, proud and fulfilled? Do you think your self-esteem is going to increase? I don’t think so. I think that despite the way you’d look on the outside, and despite some fleeting and superficial satisfaction, deep on the inside you’d feel that your “victory” was hollow. In the long run, I think your self-esteem would go down! Especially when your illusory gains quickly vanish as soon as your crutch is removed.
If you’re using drugs and winning competitions, no matter how good you think it feels, I guarantee you’re not feeling the same thing I’m feeling. I cannot even put into words the feelings of exhilaration and pride and joy that come from achieving a goal on the merits of your own hard work and belief in yourself. And this feeling is going to last me a lifetime. I did it. I created it. I earned it. On my own.
I don’t believe in drugs. I believe in myself.
I also believe in a power greater than myself. And the reason I believe in myself is because I believe that this great power is not separate from me but is inside of me. Although most people are asleep to their potential and don’t realize it, everyone has inner power that is spiritual in nature. By looking inside and tapping into it, every one of us can achieve more than we ever dreamed possible. Discovering and using your inner power is more important than any diet, training routine, supplement or steroid drug ever conceived by man. I believe that looking for anything outside of yourself does not make you stronger – it only makes you weaker. Real strength does not come out of a bottle or a needle. Real strength comes from within.
The mind is powerful. I believe that too many people set mental limits on what’s possible naturally and that’s the very reason they fail to get very far without some kind of enhancement. If you look at a drug free bodybuilder with a great physique and you say, “There’s no way that guy is natural,” you’re setting limitations on your own growth. Your subconscious mind will take that accusation literally and prevent you from ever reaching that level of development naturally.
I am not anti-steroid. I would prefer to call myself pro-natural. I don’t think being anti-anything is a good position to take. There’s a big difference between being pro-natural and being anti-steroid. Motivational author Dr. Wayne Dyer once wrote, “Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you.” During the Vietnam war, a group of protesters asked mother Teresa if she would join them in their march against the war and she replied “No, I won’t march against the war with you, but if you have a march for peace, I’ll be there.” Natural athletes and bodybuilders need a change of attitude. Trying to fight a war against drugs is a losing battle and a waste of valuable time and energy. Instead we must focus on promoting the positive aspects of staying natural, as they far outweigh anything positive that might come from using drugs.
I’m not trying to wage a war on drugs or push anyone into doing anything or not doing anything. There are certain things in life that people must discover for themselves. Unfortunately many people discover life’s lessons the hard way. One of my mentors taught me that a person’s life can serve as either a warning or an example. My hope is to serve as a positive example. I would like to help people open their minds, raise their standards and expand their beliefs of what’s possible. I’d like to help others realize that there are more rewards in being natural than in being artificial.
Although I’ve been referring primarily to steroids, the very same reasoning applies to any drug or artificial aid whatsoever, be it for weight loss, cosmetic improvement or performance enhancement. If you build your body or win a competition with artificial aids, you’re a phony. And you’ll never enjoy all the incredible rewards that come from being a real champion.
THE NATURAL WAY IS THE ONLY TRUE PATH TO SUCCESS, PRIDE, JOY, HAPPINESS, LONG TERM FULFILLMENT AND SELF-ESTEEM!
9 Users Responded In This Article
I would love nothing more than to take credit for this awesome piece of writing, but it was actually written by Lori Braun. I had to put it up here because she was able to put into words exactly how I feel about being a natural competitor. I don’t have anything against people taking performance enhancing drugs if they want to do it… I only have a problem with them competing in natural competitions. But the reasons she lists for being a natural competitor are the reasons I am a natural competitor. However along with these reasons, I do if for health reasons also, given that there is a long history of cancer in my family. Love Rae xxx
hehe, silly me! I didn’t even see that!
The problem is though, if some females are going to compete with 170-180lb shredded body, or guys competing with 230lb shredded bodies, it almost certainly cannot happen without steroids.
As soon as this phenomenon started to be the norm it then continued.
It started proliferating probably for men in the 60′s and for women probably in the 90′s. probably the main reason why figure competitions started, because the McLish look was no good in BB comps, when you have more people coming along with another 40-50lbs on them, so you have to have another event for those smaller build females.
Hard to believe when you watch Pumping Iron II, Ben Weider told judges to score Bev Francis low, and then he was even seen altering a scorecard the lousy snake. She came last and he claimed it’s because people didn’t want to see a competitor looking that size, compared to people like Mclish and Dunlap.
She probably wasn’t even using anything, but realitly is, 10 years later, you get some people potentially weighing 30lbs+ more than that, using stuff and suddenly it’s become acceptable and the irony is, the Bev Francis physique then becomes something, that far from being accepted as right and proper by some, that stops you winning, becomes something you can’t win with, for other reasons.
I agree about the level playing field comment, especially with natural organisations now, you end up with people maybe going into shows with juicers in it, who don’t do that, surely knowing the nock on effects to placings if they choose to be the only natural there.
The problem is most of those organisations will never know what they want. The rules change, the expectations change and it’s just silly. It’s not even simply a case of one organisation doing it a little differently to another, it’s sometimes one organisation doing it differently to the previous show, or changing things every 2-3 shows, so they change the goalposts within their own organisation and certainly it can’t be the case you do a couple of shows, then some new people keep taking over the organisations and doing it differently, it’s the same people, who can’t make their minds up what they want.
If it ever got to the point where people from one state, region, province or territory had to look a little more soft or hard, compared to people from nearby areas and nearby shows, then you’d have a system that become a joke.
Who would compete in shows in say Texas, if Texans were required to be more shredded than Floridians, or have longer routines and some different poses?
I applaud your stance basically and always will actively encourage your endeavours, because I believe in you as a person.
I am really happy that you have achieved what you wanted, because you really have deserved it.
Take care, best wishes and GOOD LUCK.
.
Matt
love this post! “pro-natural” all the way!!
Wow, that’s a great post. I’ll admit that I’ve teetered before, but I really am scared of the health consequences, lol. I didn’t want to have 2-headed children. Thanks, Rae.
couldn’t agree more… that’ why after 7 years of hard training, I still look relatively small to some of the competitors around the traps these days.. It’s ironic, some of these competitors swear they are completely natural… but they are aren’t they…. lol… NOT!!!
LOL… me too Susan!! The fact that both my parents have died of cancer and it’s rife in my family means that I am extra careful about what I put into my body also!! xxx
LOL… tell me about it Lindy!! I’ve heard somewhere (can’t remember where) that it’s almost impossible for a woman who is natural to gain more than 2kg of muscle per year. I just wish competitors that competed in natural competitions ALL had the integrity to do it naturally and not cheat, most do but unfortunately not all. Where is the satisfaction in getting a placing if you had to cheat to do it? xxx
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Fantastic post Rae, I love it and am in agreeance with all you have said. Knowing that you reached your goal all on your own, is certainly an empowering feeling! You are right, there is no joy in winning something that you didn’t truly earn!