Topic: How spread is drug usage in weightlifting?

[StoneBear]

The drug war will never, ever achieve anything except punishing the innocent and driving the "cheaters" to ever more dangerous drugs.

How so?
 
If people use dangerous drugs, that's their own problem. Some sort of karma for trying to cheat the rules at the very least. As for the innocent, I could not give a damn how much I'm tested for drugs, if that's what you mean. I don't see how else they're punished.
 
I just hope the Olympics get their act together and find a way to clean the sport %100.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Well, first of all, just because you enjoy pulling down your pants in front of strangers doesn't mean everyone does. Its a very invasive search conducted without probable cause of a crime against anyone who dares to compete in the sport. Further, they have erased national and world records due to drug testing without even a shred of proof they were tainted and suspended me indefinitely for their paperwork errors, without any due process. Meanwhile drug use is going nowhere. The users are merely being pushed to more dangerous drugs that are less detectable. And the people pushing the drugs on the athletes are meanwhile profiting while the IWF extorts arbitrary untraceable sums of money against innocent members of teams with one bad apple on them. Its all a total scam.

[Albert B. Gonzalez]

my, what a childish reponse. how long have you've been weightlifting? You ARE in the wrong sport, theres no doubt about it. You only care about the end result i.e medal , glory etc. And the fact that you're willing to waste time, money, and energy "worrying" about what other lifters are doing shows your willingness to use excuses when competitions don't go your way. By the way there is something very wrong with that.

Yes, I only care about the end result - money, achievment, healthy body. I don't particularily enjoy the training part, but I like doing it daily because I know I am getting what I want out of it, and I feel good after each training session and depressed if I skipped it instead.
 
Everyone's different. A lot of world champions ONLY did their sport for money, also, and would not have done it without promise of pay. I'd like to see you go and tell them they're in the wrong sport.
 
And if I got mechanical hydraulic hips installed and then flogged your ass in a weightlifting comp, you'd no doubt be complaining too. The thing about drugs is it becomes less about who has the best training and genetics and more about who has the best drugs. And when those who do not want to use drugs due to their artificial nature are unable to compete in fair competition because of rule breaking drug users, that's just a bitch. It's unfair, and shouldn't be like that. At the very least, they should hold a special Olympics for drug users, like they do the Paralympics. Then you could roid up all you like and go lift things...
 
I can't believe you honestly think you can have the reasonable high ground when arguing pro drug use. It's pretty shameful. You should at least try and keep some dignity about you and admit not everyone likes the roids and stop trying to insult them and tell them find a different sport.

1st. I dont use drugs roids etc., i dont even use supplements or protein powder. I train five days a week on a 2,500 calories a day diet , i also had compound fracture on my elbow and was born with severe bi lateral club feet . I've had to overcome alot and it took months just to put weight on the bar. Please spare me your crybaby dribble about not being in a fair competition. You throw that word champion around so easily. The difference between a champion and what your saying is that a champion will overcome anything. if they have to compete against someone with robot legs, they thrive on being unevenly matched. If a champion has to compete against drug users and rule breakers they couldnt be happier. That word has different meaning to people other than myself- i say you cannot truly be champion if you use "enhancements", and on the flipside you will never be champion if you cannot accept the fact that people do. 2nd i can say what i want a forum with repsect to the rules  A MONGLOLOID LIKE YOU DOESNT BELONG IN WEIGHTLIFTING!

[StoneBear]

Well, first of all, just because you enjoy pulling down your pants in front of strangers doesn't mean everyone does. Its a very invasive search conducted without probable cause of a crime against anyone who dares to compete in the sport. Further, they have erased national and world records due to drug testing without even a shred of proof they were tainted and suspended me indefinitely for their paperwork errors, without any due process. Meanwhile drug use is going nowhere. The users are merely being pushed to more dangerous drugs that are less detectable. And the people pushing the drugs on the athletes are meanwhile profiting while the IWF extorts arbitrary untraceable sums of money against innocent members of teams with one bad apple on them. Its all a total scam.

Well, I do understand and respect your grievances, so long as they are genuine and you're not a user yourself trying to make excuses. But all in all I think drugs need to be stamped out of competitions where steroids are against the rules, and I support all measures against that.
 
As for extorting money, I'm not familiar with it. But if someone is corrupt, that also needs to be stamped out too.

[StoneBear]

1st. I dont use drugs roids etc., i dont even use supplements or protein powder. I train five days a week on a 2,500 calories a day diet , i also had compound fracture on my elbow and was born with severe bi lateral club feet . I've had to overcome alot and it took months just to put weight on the bar. Please spare me your crybaby dribble about not being in a fair competition. You throw that word champion around so easily. The difference between a champion and what your saying is that a champion will overcome anything. if they have to compete against someone with robot legs, they thrive on being unevenly matched. If a champion has to compete against drug users and rule breakers they couldnt be happier. That word has different meaning to people other than myself- i say you cannot truly be champion if you use "enhancements", and on the flipside you will never be champion if you cannot accept the fact that people do. 2nd i can say what i want a forum with repsect to the rules  A MONGLOLOID LIKE YOU DOESNT BELONG IN WEIGHTLIFTING!

I'm not a mongoloid, I'm caucasian. How do you know I'm from SE Asia, but? ... and what does being asian have to do with weightlifting, even if I was a native?
 
Anyway, I suppose I can agree with your saying, but your way of arguing things makes you seem like a bit of an idiot. I am pretty much a beginner right now, so talking about competing for me is premature, but I would compete in a comp even if I knew there were drug users about. It's not going to put me off. Just saying that it IS against the rules, it IS an advantage and thus IS a method of cheating. So they should be weeded out, not ignored.
 
Anyway, you whole "I was born a cripple retard" rant was a laugh for me. I was born with my right foot clubbed, too. It is part of my kyphoscoliosis make up. Do you know what that is? I have a minor twist and cruve in my spine. Mine is only minor, and most people would never notice it, but it's there. So the left side of my chest protudes forward about a cm more than my right. My right shoulder is about a cm higher than my left. My head always leans a fraction to one side (great posture for passport photos that confuses the hell out of the photographer, because what feels like "standing straight up" for me is actually more like the leaning tower of pizza). My dick also leans to the left. And despite being right handed, I am left legged due to my right leg being born clubbed and unco. This was a wonder in Muay Thai, which was my previous sport. I had to stand like a south paw, despite being right handed, otherwise I could not round kick for sh*t. And although my right foot had straightened out before I learned to walk at the grand old age of 18 months, it still has a very limited flexability and range of movement, and sprains as easy as something easy. So I've had to overcome physical problems as well, and they sound much the same as yours.
 
Though I never had any pain from my kyphoscoliosis. I just hope I never do, because as more weight is loaded onto my back in squats, it will really test the weak links in the poor make up of my spine.
 
Not to mention, living in Thailand, I have a piss poor job and no money. I was doing Muay Thai for money. Sport is a means of supporting my family for me. I'm all for taking on the odds no matter what. Yes, I am confident oneday I will beat them. But that doesn't mean I will just ignore annoying things like cheats.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

As a total beginner, your opinions are understandable. I once shared them. But drug testing has been a complete failure. It is totally corrupt and ineffective and will always be so. Stick around the sport and see for yourself.

[Arturo Gómez]

If you catch a unemployed, and without instruction man, and say to him: "you no more need work nor study, you only need lift for me an you will win your salarie", in few years that man will make everything to mantain that position. Is clear that if he is reasonable, will not, but these people is not usually very reasonable. Generally they are limited. So, there are the results. I think Olimpic Comite and other spórtive organizations caugth a way - a fashion way - that is out of the sports objectives.

[Andy Dick]

When I first started lifting I thought much as you did Stone.  It is hard to wrap your head around that those who are winning are winning because they are cheating.  I am lucky enough I love lifting and training so I am not discouraged by the rampant cheating.  But keep in mind, you hit the nail on the head with your own statement. 
 

Everyone's different. A lot of world champions ONLY did their sport for money, also, and would not have done it without promise of pay. I'd like to see you go and tell them they're in the wrong sport.

Is cheating despicable yes it is.  But like you said there are those who are only in it for the money.  Whenever there is a monetary prize or even fame there will be those who want to cheat to win.  Either because they can, or they would not win otherwise, or it is just a faster and easier way to train.  But no amount of drug testing will eliminate it. 
 
As for weightlifting it has been said "no one can compete in the Olympics for weightlifting unless they are on something illegal."  The operative word compete is not go to the Olympics but to be hanging with the other lifters and having a shot at medaling.  Look at the US, we have some of the best exercise science available to us but cannot make a medaling Olympian.  The closest guy we had got busted for drugs.  It is because we are just doing it wrong and everyone else is doing it right?  We have tried to copy and mimic what other countries do and we cannot, our athletes get destroyed.  This is because some of these training methods hing on some sort of illegal substance.  Just search how countries get their whole teams suspended becasue of the numerous amount of athletes caught cheating.
 
On top of this the corruption does not stop with the individual.  Countries are cheating and making it hard to test thier guys and helping their guys not get caught.  The governing body is corrupt by allowing countries to buy themselves back into major competitions after being removed for cheating.  One would ask if there was no corruption every country should all agree to make the punishment for cheating much more strict then they are now but the majority will not vote to do so.  Why because it would hurt them.  Cheating for some countries is what gets them recognition and fame, it is a sad but true scenario. 
 
ADDITION:  I will say that I am hoping for the day when someone will win and without a doubt is clean under the strictest testing circumstances.  Some have given me hope but in the end for whatever reason have failed or disappointed.