We puny humans are never content to accept things the way they are. Watch the above video that highlights some of the extreme cases in bodybuilding.
For most people, getting in shape and pushing their bodies mean adding a few more minutes on the treadmill, staying out on the field just a bit longer or lengthening that jog by an extra kilometer or two. For others, in conjunction with something like a major change in diet, it’s a complete lifestyle change. Then, at the extreme end of the spectrum, there are those who get so into their sport or exercise that it can consume them, change who they are and even lead down a dark road.
The world of bodybuilding is one such sport which can be so rewarding to some and so damaging to others. Even those people who aren’t overly familiar with the sport know some of its greatest ever competitors. Ask anyone on the street who a famous bodybuilder is and you’ll likely get the response of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, Arnold is one of the best known thanks to his movie and political career. Yet another is Lou Ferrigno, TV’s Incredible Hulk and another iconic bodybuilder of the 1970s and 1980s. Beyond these, most people wouldn’t know any others but there is a whole culture of bodybuilding and competition which sees men and women from around the world compete for various titles and accolades.
To an outsider, the muscle-covered bodybuilder is a perfect specimen of what heights humans can get to physically. Bulging and rippled, professional bodybuilders can be an impressive sight to behold during competitions. Yet, in this sense, the sport can sometimes be a complete façade. First, muscles and healthy looking exterior doesn’t necessarily mean a healthy interior and more than one bodybuilder has been known to die from poor health. Second, and linked with poor health, is the almost taboo topic of steroid use. Many bodybuilders use them and defend their decision by often stating that proper use is safe. Medical experts have continuously outlined the dangers of steroid use and linked chemical use with everything from heart and kidney failure to cancer and emotional instability.
All of this means that in the world of bodybuilding, competition can often push many individuals to extremes. Sometimes their bodies just can’t handle it. Other times, using steroids makes the situation worse, amplifying conditions which already existed. Finally, there are those whose competitive nature gets the best of them, making them do foolish or dangerous things they otherwise wouldn’t attempt. All of these are covered to varying degrees in the following video. Ahead lie 10 bodybuilders who went too far and suffered the consequences of their trade.
Video includes:
- Gordon Kimbrough
- Chad Brothers
- Terri Harris
- Greg Plitt
- Steve Michalik
- Denise Rutkowski
- Anthony D’Arezzo
- Romario Dos Santos Alves
- Nasser El Sonbaty
- Candice Armstrong
Published: 15 December, 2016 | 2:11 AM EDT
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