Lee Haney wants to help the sport keep evolving since his time onstage. On Jan. 1, 2026, he warned against harmful drug use in bodybuilding and called for an international judging panel at major contests.
Bodybuilding legend Lee Haney was a force to be reckoned with in his prime. He left the sport on top, having amassed a record eight Mr. Olympia titles. To this day, that feat has only been replicated, not beaten; Ronnie Coleman tied him in the 2000s.
Through the years, performance-enhancing drug (PED) use has only ramped up in the sport, which has fostered a dangerous atmosphere, according to Haney. He recently sounded the alarms, cautioning that younger athletes are dying more than ever. In the latest video on the Ron Harris Muscle YouTube channel, he explains why both PED use and judging need an overhaul.
Lee Haney Talks Drug Use in Bodybuilding, Wants International Judging Panels
In the video, Haney warned that online rhetoric around drugs has influenced athletes today. He argued that individuals focus more on different types of drugs rather than the bread and butter of bodybuilding: good nutrition and quality training.
“If you adhere to the rhetoric that’s being pushed on social media, that all of these different types of drugs and that sort of deal and not the narrative of good nutrition, good quality training, then bad things are going to happen.”
“We’re seeing that: younger and younger, the athletes are dying early with internal organ failure and all of that. You can choose your own poison. I hope that you choose life and be mindful of things like that.”
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Haney recommended that athletes have their blood panels conducted regularly.
“Blood work is real important, getting your blood work done. Having your system reboot itself. Following the protocol of good health because your health is your wealth. If you tear yourself up, poverty comes fast.”
He explained that he had his blood work checked as young as 24, and he now has a clean bill of health at 66.
“You got to be mindful of that. Even when I was as young as 24 years old, I was getting blood work done. I had my kidney, liver, blood systems checked out. I detoxed my body. I did all of those things during the early part of my career. Here I am at age 66, saying man, I got great health, I can run around with my grandkids, and I’m still touring and enjoying the fruits of my labor, and I’m not sick. That’s the blessing of it.”
As for judging changes, Haney stressed that international-level events, such as the Olympia, should have a judging panel that represents the entire world, not just the US.
“If you’re going to have a world competition, a world competition, you need world judges. That’s what I feel, not just judges from the US, because, okay, you still got athletes from around the world coming. You got them from India. You got them from Iran. You got them from all over the place. So, it should be representative of the world when it comes to the judging criteria.”
“That’s something I would like to see happen. Whether it will or not… totally up to the powers that be. Not to knock the judges that we have now. I’m not saying that, but I will say if you got a world-class event, there needs to be a world judging panel heading up the event, as far as the decisions are concerned,” Lee Haney states.
This hasn’t been Haney’s first time calling for changes in the sport. Following the 2025 Mr. Olympia, which was won by Derek Lunsford, Haney found the results confusing. As a solution, he would like to see the Men’s Open split into a tall and short category to accommodate different body types onstage.
Drug use is as prevalent as ever in today’s Men’s Open class. Moving forward, Haney hopes to see more international judges and competitors who prioritize their health.
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