"People Need to Calm Down On Their Dosages" Lee Priest Says GH & Insulin 'Could' Be Causing Stomach Distention

Lee Priest has watched the Open division change since his time on stage. He’s also witnessed the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) skyrocket among young people over the years. In a recent interview on the Normless YouTube channel, Priest discussed how Insulin and Growth Hormone use may be linked to stomach distention. In addition, Priest warned younger competitors about the danger and cost of steroids.

“If you take too many vitamins, you piss them out. You take too many drugs, you only got so many receptor sites that can take them in. The only one that’s going to benefit is the guy you buy them off,” Lee Priest said.

Lee Priest may not have been the tallest bodybuilder, but he compensated for it with granite muscularity and massive arms. He was a formidable competitor who won several Pro titles and challenged some of the best in the sport at prestigious events like the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia. Priest faced off against legends such as Ronnie Coleman, Dexter Jackson, Kevin Levrone, Chris Cormier, and others during his career. Many today deem Priest a ‘Giant Killer’ of his era who routinely pushed men that outsized him on stage.

Priest made a successful comeback in 2006, where he won the NOC New York and the PDI Night of Champions. He made one last appearance in 2013 and ended his legacy with a memorable victory at the NABBA Mr. Universe. Priest is still a fan favorite in the sport and continues to showcase an amazing physique since stepping away from the bright lights.

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Following his career, Priest has been an open book for fans, willing to talk about even the most sensitive matters. In an interview with Fouad Abiad, Priest disclosed his previous steroid cycles. Having competed for over three decades, Priest said he and his roommate Paul Dillett would rely on ‘small cycles’ throughout the year.

Lee Priest Talks Mega High Testosterone Doses & Whether Insulin, GH Cause Stomach Distention

Lee Priest admitted that he tried a maximum of 800 milligrams of testosterone in one week, but said it made him feel terrible. He never had issues with a bubble gut during his years of competition. Priest believes not using Insulin and Growth Hormone might have helped him maintain his midsection, whereas competitors nowadays are using excessive amounts of both.

“Yeah, the highest I went was 400, I did try 800, a guy had me try 800 and I felt like shit. I stayed around 4, and if I took Sus 250, I take 1-2 mil which if it’s 2 mil it would be 500, that’s if it’s 250 mil per whatever you’re getting. You never know, it could be watered down a bit. I was never a big believer in high doses.”

“I used growth hormone twice and never noticed anything from it so I never used it again. Used it once in ’94 and ’96, now I’m 51, I’m thinking maybe growth will be good for me now to help rejuvenate me,” added Lee Priest. “Yeah, I never did Insulin either. The combination of those two, what we’re talking about with the distention of Insulin and GH, that could be.”

Priest doesn’t remember his contemporaries having issues with their stomachs either. He added that he never had stomach distention even when his waist grew from 29 inches to 48 inches.

“A lot of guys like I said, Dexter I believe, he wasn’t a big gear user and neither was Shawn Ray and they kept their waists tight and stuff like that.”

“When I was bulked up my waist was like 48 inches, when I dieted down it was 29, and it never distended. I reckon all the Insulin and growth can make the internal organs grow so… I’m no doctor, but you always hear different theories on it. People need to calm down on their dosages.”

Looking back, Priest said he used Trenbolone four or five times ‘tops.’ He worries that 18-year-olds want to use testosterone before giving their bodies a chance to grow naturally.

“You know, 18-year-olds wanting to take test, I’m like why? Your testosterone levels is probably here [normal] if you start injecting it your natural testosterone is going to drop. It’s just crazy. I see on pages where the young kids – if I see the word fuckin tren one more time… of Jesus, it’s just crazy. Unbelievable. I think I used Tren four or five tops.

The last time I took it I had that tightness of the chest and I’m like, this can’t be good. I thought I was having a heart attack my chest got super tight, I couldn’t breathe, I’m like fuck this, I’ve got a needle sticking out of my shoulder, this is how it’s going to end. I don’t get the obsession with Tren,” said Lee Priest.

“Bostin Loyd would always – ‘Oh that Lee is lying.’ Then, later on, he discovered all the gear he used he went back to smaller amounts and got the same gains, but it was a little too late. He fucked up his kidneys by that point. It’s just crazy people think, ‘More is better, more is better,'” said Priest.

More isn’t always better, according to Lee Priest.

“If you’re making gains at 2 or 300, why go to 1,000? Maybe you might go to 350, these young kids now they’ll start their cycles at 1,000 milligrams of this and whatever else. And the next time they do it, they’re like, ‘Now, I got to do, 1,500.’ It doesn’t work that way.”

In addition to health consequences, Lee Priest emphasized how expensive it is to be a bodybuilder due to the rising costs of food and steroids.

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“If it costs you 20 grand for your cycle then you figure food alone on top of that because sadly which I hate in this country in America where they always say kids need this many servings and elderly people need some good quality meat, yeah, but a lot of people can’t fucking afford it.”

“Spend 20 grand on that, then I spend thousands on food, then next you got to travel to the contest, get hotel, airfare, everything. It ends up costing you money. Some should just stay an amateur. You become an established Pro, a good Pro, the promoter will pay for your hotel and airfare and stuff like that,” said Lee Priest.

Given the concerning rise of deaths in bodybuilding, Priest joined industry star Mike O’Hearn for a candid discussion about the sport’s safety. While there have been several deaths shaking the sport over the last few years, Priest doesn’t believe steroids are only to blame. Specifically, Priest mentioned that athletes who opt not to compete often aren’t maintaining healthy lifestyles. As a result, they are dying or suffering from unwanted health consequences.

Aside from conversations about PEDs, Priest doesn’t shy away from recapping some of his more impactful training sessions. In a recent interview with IFBB AMA, Priest reminisced about pumping iron with ‘The Quadfather’ Tom Platz. Priest was amazed by Tom’s intensity and said it felt like he was having a heart attack the night after training legs with the bodybuilding veteran.

Even though the sport has changed from his era, Priest is happy to give back to fans and bodybuilders in retirement. Most importantly, he wants to continue warning younger competitors about the harm PEDs can cause if they aren’t used with caution and expertise.