Fitness Volt
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Strongman
    • Powerlifting
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Arnold Classic
    • Mr. Olympia
  • 2025 WSM
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Muscle Groups
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Mobility & Stretching
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Calculators
  • More
    • Forum
    • Strength Standards
    • DIY
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Strongman
    • Powerlifting
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Arnold Classic
    • Mr. Olympia
  • 2025 WSM
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Muscle Groups
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Mobility & Stretching
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Calculators
  • More
    • Forum
    • Strength Standards
    • DIY
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Home » Bodybuilding

Rich Gaspari Talks PEDs in Bikini/Wellness Divisions and Poor Coaching: ‘It’s Gotten Out of Hand’

Rich Gaspari discussed trainers and PEDs in female bodybuilding divisions: "Oh, Wellness, forget it, you want to go in Wellness... you got to take steroids."

Written by Doug Murray

Published on15 March, 2023 | 4:10 PM EDT

Updated on15 March, 2023 | 4:12 PM EDT

Ask Question?
Rich Gaspari Talks Bikini Wellness Divisions

Rich Gaspari (Image Credit @arnoldsports DragonSlayer/YouTube)

Bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari stopped competing years ago but still trains and coaches other athletes. In a recent Fitness, Fame & Fortune podcast, Gaspari took aim at bodybuilding coaches jumping to use steroids and discussed the role of PEDs in female divisions like Bikini and Wellness. 

Rich Gaspari made waves in the 1980s and 90s as a Men’s Open bodybuilder. Celebrated for his extreme level of conditioning and striated glutes, Gaspari earned runner-up at the Mr. Olympia contest on three occasions. While he never touched a Sandow trophy, Gaspari won several pro shows, including the first Arnold Classic title in 1989. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rich Gaspari (@richgaspari)

Since Rich’s last time on stage, the Men’s Open division has undergone changes. One change, in particular, prompted Gaspari to call out reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan. He suggested that Choopan lacked the same level of back detail as bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates. 

In addition to the comparison, Gaspari emphasized that athletes today are relying more on steroids instead of quality training. He accepts steroids have a place in bodybuilding but believes athletes no longer prioritize effective diets for achieving thin skin and excellent conditioning. Speaking with John Romano, Gaspari opened up on bad coaches and the steroid use of Bikini and Wellness competitors. 

Get Fitter, Faster

Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!

Please wait...
You're In! Let's Crush Your Fitness Goals Together

Expect expert-backed workouts, nutrition advice, the latest in strength sports, and a whole lot of motivation heading your way.

Rich Gaspari Says Poor Trainers ‘That Don’t Know What They’re Doing’ Has ‘Gotten Out of Hand’ 

Gaspari stressed that many trainers today are pushing gear unnecessarily on their clients, especially female bodybuilders. 

“It seems like it’s happening, it’s so relevant in the industry, and it’s gotten out of hand. There is too many trainers out there that don’t know what they’re doing. They go to someone that just starts out and its usually kind of a beginner that doesn’t have any knowledge and they basically get a coach that they have, and it’s like, ‘this guy has all these guys competing for him, he has to know what he’s doing, – it doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing.” 

“Another one goes, ‘if you go into the NPC, you have to get on steroids right away,’ this is a girl not a guy, but this is a girl, and I’m like, ‘so, you can’t even win a regional or a local show unless you go on steroids?’ I said, ‘if you don’t have the genetics to win a local, state, regional show, then you shouldn’t be competing. I’m talking about – it was Bikini,” Rich Gaspari shared.

For Bikini competitors, Rich said trainers are suggesting compounds like Winstrol, Anavar, and Clenbuterol ‘right away.’ 

“Not even men, Bikini. They’re like, ‘you got to get on Anavar, you got to get on Winstrol.’ We’ve talked about Winstrol, remember we talked about Winstrol, how for women, it does aromatize, and it does turn women to have more masculine [features], right away with Winstrol. And women think, Winstrol, Anavar, Clenbuterol, these are all the steroids.” 

Gaspari Talks of Steroids in Wellness, Transforming Physiques with Diets, and Maintaining Muscle at Older Ages

He believes Wellness competitors need to take steroids to be competitive. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Arnold Sports Festival (@arnoldsports)

“Oh, Wellness, forget it, you want to go in Wellness… you got to take steroids. I have this girl that I’m helping. She was like 114 natural. She was eating 50 grams of carbs, 12-14,00 calories, and then I watched her train and she was training like – like crap. No, nothing to her training. I got her slowly to increase her calories. I got this girl now, mind you, almost 2,800 calories, total natural, went from 114-133 and lost a percent of body fat at the same time. 

And then she’s like, ‘I really think I can compete in NPC.’ I said, ‘yeah, because I’m getting you eating properly.’ And because he’s eating, 2,800 calories, that’s a lot of calories. She’s able to train harder. She went from doing hip thrusts with 25-pound plates to doing hip thrusts with three plates for 20 reps, three 45s. By the way, that’s in a four-month period.” 

For those getting older, Gaspari clarified that diet and training are essential to muscle growth.

“It’s really the diet, the training. The steroids, all they’re doing is just preventing you from losing muscle. While you’re on a diet, I always tell people, your body has a setpoint on to feel comfortable on how low your body fat can go. I had a great setpoint where I can go beyond a normal level and get super shredded.

But there are people, and you know them, once they get down to a certain body fat, even if you lower their caloric intake and give them more cardio, they start losing muscle,” says Gaspari. “You got to figure out a way, how do they get your body to get used to that lower set point so you can get that thin skin.” 

Last week, Gaspari made an appearance on Dennis James’ The Menace podcast to tackle a number of topics. While talking about dehydration with bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev, Gaspari highlighted that he attained his conditioning without the use of harsh diuretics. 

RELATED: Rich Gaspari Compares Bodybuilding Cycles from His Era to Now: ‘The Dosages Are Way Higher Than What I’ve Taken’

Diuretics have remained controversial in the sport for several years. They were banned from competition at one point after the late Mohammed Benaziza died from using them.

Check out the full video.


If you have any questions about this news, please feel free to contact Doug by leaving a comment below.

Stay on top of the latest fitness news and updates by adding Fitness Volt to your Google News feed: Follow us on Google News You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for even more content.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn Pinterest
Categories: Bodybuilding News Videos
Previous Post

IFBB Judge Terrick El Guindy: “If Nick Walker Never Ever Wants to Lose to Samson Dauda, Get Those Legs Bigger”

Next Post

Hunter Labrada Shares Best Practices to do Vaccums: ‘Pull Your Belly Button to Your Spine’

Doug Murray

Doug Murray

Doug Murray is a News Editor for Fitness Volt with a focus on strength sports, including bodybuilding and powerlifting. His experience covering diverse sports, including MMA, for publications like Sportskeeda and CagesidePress informs his in-depth reporting.

Related

Lee Priest
Bodybuilding

Lee Priest Shows How to Hack Squat Like Tom Platz for Huge Quads

Nick Walker
Bodybuilding

Nick Walker Wants to ‘Shut Everyone Up’ at 2025 Mr. Olympia, Says Top Threat is Hadi Choopan, Not Samson Dauda or Derek Lunsford

Jay Cutler
Bodybuilding

Jay Cutler Breaks Down Top 3 Most Common Deadlifting Mistakes & How To Fix Them

Steve Weinberger
Bodybuilding

Steve Weinberger Says Nick Walker’s Pittsburgh Pro Performance ‘Proved That He Can Win’ the 2025 Mr. Olympia

Larry Wheels And Sam Sulek Hint At Doing 2026 Arnold Classic
Bodybuilding

Larry Wheels & Sam Sulek Hint at Possible 2026 Arnold Classic Appearance

Sam Sulek
Bodybuilding

Urs Kalecinski Trains Back with IFBB Pro Sam Sulek in Intense Pump and Posing Session

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Metabolic Typing Diet: Personalized Nutrition to Unlock Your Body’s Full Potential

2025 TFX Invitational CrossFit Semifinal Results — Nick Mathew and Olivia Kerstetter Win

Exercise Scientist Reveals How to Craft an Optimal Pre-Workout Meal to ‘Unlock More Gains’

Lee Priest Shows How to Hack Squat Like Tom Platz for Huge Quads

Nick Walker Wants to ‘Shut Everyone Up’ at 2025 Mr. Olympia, Says Top Threat is Hadi Choopan, Not Samson Dauda or Derek Lunsford

I Drank a “Summer Detox” Smoothie Every Morning for 7 Days – Here’s What It Did for My Bloat

Fitness Volt

At Fitness Volt, our mission is to empower every individual on their fitness journey by providing expert advice, the latest research, and comprehensive resources. Whether you are a beginner or an elite athlete, we are here to support your goals with trustworthy and up-to-date information in strength, fitness, and nutrition. Read more.

For inquiries, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]

About Us | Careers | Contact Form

Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • WSM
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercises
  • Training
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Discussion Forum

More

  • Calculators
  • Fasting
  • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Workout Plans
  • At-Home Workouts
  • Programs
  • Supplements
  • Newsletter
  • Review Process
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Disclaimer

© Copyright 2010 - 2024 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Strongman
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2024 WSM
    • Arnold Classic
  • Forum
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Muscle Groups
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Supplements
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Fitness Calculator
  • More
    • DIY
    • Strength Standards
    • Motivation
    • Videos

© Copyright 2010 - 2024 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.