[Jeff Higgins]

Years ago one of the premier body builders of the time, Mike Christian, advocated an "open class" where anything goes. No testing, no nuthin'. He said spectators don't want to see people that looked just like them, they wanted a feak show, so lets give 'em one.

One of the old powerlifting organizations did adopt such a rule. The squat record is now somewhere north of 1100 lbs; the bench is over 700, and the deadlift is bumping off of a half a ton. Crikey. Totally inhuman and very destructive to the body. I remember Ken Lain (or the other guy he was going head-to-head with in those days; can't remember his name), the first guy to bench over 700, had a resting heart rate in the neighborhood of 90-100, blood pressure through the ceiling, and was otherwise in such poor health he finally had to stop. But hey, it's his body, and if that was important to him...

Just where does modern nutrition and supplements cross the line between "natural" and not? I think there is a huge gray area in between. Top athletes simply do not get there purely on momma's home cooking anymore. They routinely adopt some very unhealthy practices, even outside of steroids, hormones, and all of that to achieve their high levels of performance. Why not just let them? Quit playing games and leading kids to believe they can get there by eating their Wheaties and taking their Weider supplements. Maybe it will help get these "role models" down off the pedestal on which their rabid fans have placed them.