Did Reg Park use steroids?

[kitarpyar]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Regarding his weight during 1967, etc., I have no idea what his conditioning was like so I hesitate to comment.

Originally Posted by Casey Butt

What you have to keep in mind here are onstage vs. off-season conditions.

...though he certainly wasn't fat, he wasn't quite in contest shape either. Two years later he was 215-218 onstage at the Mr. Universe.


This was Park's heaviest weight in the lead-in to the 1965 Mr. Universe contest - which he self-reported on the contest's entry form. (Incidentally, he listed 19.5" as his arm size at that weight.) He was actually 222 lbs onstage ...and not quite as sharp as his 1950's conditions. Park has said this himself in interviews and articles from the time.

Probably true. Park himself has said that he let himself get heavy in the off-season from time to time ...but also too smooth for photos.

So comparing roughly similar body-fat to body-fat conditions, Park's best weights were in the 215-225 range, peaking in 1957. To my knowledge, Park has never stepped onstage at a major show at more than 225 lbs. The heavier weights are off-season or the rare guest appearance.

That makes a lot of sense. And, as to the OP's question, it would seem that Reg Park probably, didnt use steroids, or didnt benefit much from them if he did.

[Casey Butt]

...and I should also add that Park's best contest weights were probably in the 218-222 lbs range ...probably in the 8-10% body fat zone. Considering that Reeves was 213-215 onstage, at a similar body fat percentage but with a smaller build, there really isn't much cause to think that Park must have been on steroids. That isn't to say that he didn't necessarily try them when they would have become available to him, likely in the 1960's, but there's nothing in the numbers that screams drug-use.

Schwarzenegger, however, is not as thickly built as Park was, yet outweighed him by 10-25 lbs (hard to know for sure). That makes me think Schwarzenegger probably would have been just larger than Reeves had he stayed "clean".

[glwanabe]

Originally Posted by Casey Butt

Schwarzenegger, however, is not as thickly built as Park was, yet outweighed him by 10-25 lbs (hard to know for sure). That makes me think Schwarzenegger probably would have been just larger than Reeves had he stayed "clean".

[BendtheBar]

^ That picture of Arnold is interesting in that his lower body almost outshadows his upper body.

[kitarpyar]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

^ That picture of Arnold is interesting in that his lower body almost outshadows his upper body.

IIRC that was Arnold around 17.

And speaking of lower body, Steve Reeves probably had one of the most awesome genetics for calves.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by kitarpyar

IIRC that was Arnold around 17.

That's usually the picture I use to show folks how big Arnold was before he used "Arnold style training".

[kitarpyar]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

That's usually the picture I use to show folks how big Arnold was before he used "Arnold style training".

You know BTB, despite what most gym rats "aspire" for, I am willing to bet that most of them would settle for that physique (even though Arnold was only 17 then).

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by kitarpyar

You know BTB, despite what most gym rats "aspire" for, I am willing to bet that most of them would settle for that physique (even though Arnold was only 17 then).

Absolutely, until you tell them the workout he used to get it...then hesitancy and doubt rears it's ugly head.

I would settle for that physique.