The Nobility in Staying Natty

Pt 1: Community Corruption & Wellbeing

Thanks for stopping by. And a major thanks to those who stayed to read. I appreciate all of you!

With bulking season and the end of the year here, I have a lot of plans for content to bring you guys. While scrolling through reels and YouTube recently, I have seen many posts encouraging and instructing steroid abuse. It inspired me to start this series. You never know who you could be saving from destructive and uninformed decisions. Also, those who know me know how much I despise PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs).

As a practice, bodybuilding is a gift given to us by the ancient Greeks. It has been the closest thing we've had to the fountain of youth and a source of lifelong vitality. With little to no barriers to entry, anybody can put themselves in control of their bodily health and development. To sculpt the body, mind, and self-discipline. I will drive this point home with quotes from famous Greeks who respected the place exercise holds in the human experience.

"Besides, it is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord." — Socrates.

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." — Plato.

"Soul and body, I suggest, react sympathetically upon each other. A change in the state of the soul produces a change in the shape of the body, and conversely, a change in the shape of the body produces a change in the state of the soul." — Aristotle.

Taking in these perspectives. Building one's body has always been a beautiful and respectable pursuit. Shaping the physical and spiritual sides of those who take on the challenge.

Yet, today's corruption of bodybuilding as a practice has turned it into a death cult. The focus has been turned away from health, longevity, and fit aesthetics. Instead, it centers on drug abuse and destructive tendencies. Pushing professionals to sacrifice their health and longevity for prolonged drug abuse. While at the same time making it seem normal for the average gym goer to dabble in drug abuse at some point in their journey of self-development.

It might sound like I'm exaggerating here. But I have a challenge for you. Skim any fitness-related parts of the internet for three minutes. I'll bet you $5 that you can't escape seeing indirectly pro-PED content within those three minutes on any social platform. Please prove me wrong; you'd be $5 richer. And I'd feel less crazy.

PED abuse is a growing problem in the United States and globally. A 2023 study published by StatPearls and the NIH revealed that approximately 3 to 4 million Americans abuse PEDs for sports or cosmetic purposes. While Compared to the country's total population, this number might seem small. But these individuals are set to be front and center for all things health and fitness-related. This is likely because a critical aspect of health and fitness is the beauty of the body's form and aesthetic.

Every piece of pro-PED content you (theoretically) consumed in those three minutes can be considered an ad for drug abuse. The scope of this issue is more significant than just the pro-PED abuse content being put out into the world. Who is the primary receiver of this content? Males. Boys and young men are the majority of viewers of this content and are more likely to be pushed into haphazardly abusing PEDs.

PEDs have pervaded their way into many of our cultural outlets since their invention in 1930. From sports and athletics to Hollywood and, of course, our online spaces. And year after year, the idealized male physique grows in size and unnatural proportions. In turn, this creates false expectations of physicality and feelings of inadequacy in men. The phenomenon has been documented since the year 2000 by Dr. Harrison Pope. Pope is a Harvard professor of psychiatry and the director of McLean Hospital's Biological Psychiatry Lab. He has dubbed the phenomenon the "Adonis Complex," which can permeate into a form of OCD/BDD (body dysmorphia disorder) if given enough time or influenced by outside factors.

Like many aspects of our biology, our health and physique ideals have fallen victim to the supernormal stimuli we digest daily. And like our tendency to enjoy foods engineered for taste and visuals over their natural counterparts. The naturalistic male physique is seen as bland compared to those built with PEDs. An example of this observation can be seen in how the perception of both strength and aesthetic standards in the general population has been warped by PED abuse. But that is a post for another day.

As Aristotle said, "A change in the state of the soul produces a change in the shape of the body, and conversely, a change in the shape of the body produces a change in the state of the soul." On a larger scale, this quote could reflect the spiritual state of masculinity in the times we face

No longer is there reverence in the pursuit of building strength in both body and character. Or in years of rigorous training, lifestyle methodologies, and consideration for long-term health. Instead, reverence is found strictly in appearance. No matter the cost. Normalizing supplementing the natural with the unnatural. And with a growing culture built on the false realities we construct online, come the swaths of the ill-informed and uninformed who choose to experiment with drug abuse haphazardly.

So instead of building each other up in the name of health and fitness, we build communities that encourage each other towards PED dependency and self-destruction. In the hopes of becoming the "most ripped junkie" (to quote Ricky Gervais).

Now, I'm also not shilling for body positivity either. We should do away with that cringe-worthy movement as it is right now.

Currently, we fixate on the PED schism in the fitness community. Between deceptive drug abuse and drug abuse that is way too open-ended (almost providing instruction to people of all ages).

But what about a return to normalcy?

In this attention economy, many men and fitness figures meet untimely ends; ultimately at the hands of PED abuse. But what about figures like Jack Lalanne, the Godfather of the fitness movement? Lalanne led a long and healthy life. Focused on exercising daily and heavily regulating his diet. He also was anti-PEDs/steroids. As Lalanne (born 1914) grew up as they came into existence and saw the effects they had on those using them. Lalanne is known for his insane feats and for teaching principles of fitness to the masses. Even while well into his 60s. Truly a paragon of not just health and fitness, but substance too. And a man worth emulating.

Sorry if this isn't flowing as much as I thought it was. The point of this series is not just to show the destructive nature of drug abuse and the influences normalizing this behavior in men primarily.

You are your brother's keeper. We must hold each other accountable and try to save as many as we can from falling into the cycle of abusing PEDs. And collectively encourage an end to the normalization of PED abuse. A Sisyphean struggle. But an honorable one too.

Note from the author:

I'd like to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas. And for those not celebrating, I wish you a joyous holiday season.

Throughout this cultural shift, an undercurrent spitting in the face of this pro-drug abuse culture has risen. Some of you may recognize my title and the inspiration behind it. That being said, I will be continuing this series with a major thanks to the Noble Natty Community. Also, this segment of the series will continue with two interviews. Coming soon.

Aside from this series would you guys like to see a series covering positive figures in fitness like Jack Lalanne?

• Yes
• No