BODYBUILDING
IN PERIL
Why is bodybuilding
in peril? Because it is populated with athletes who despite the
odds are willing to jeopardize their health, family, financial
freedom, regular lifetime activities and even their life to be
controlled and create wealth for very few who do not even share
their passion for the sport.
I have often
asked myself what my true mission is in a sport I came upon by
circumstance, not choice. I never dreamt of being a bodybuilder.
Indeed, I
suffered the ridicule by some family members who felt that my
potential was wasted on being a bodybuilder rather than a surgeon
or physicist. As time progressed I found that my calling was to
be a teacher and a messenger within the sport- it was not to be
the world's biggest bodybuilder.
It can be
very difficult to deliver a meaningful message to people who truly
believe that the messenger is greater than the message or may
I say people that believe that you can sow rice and harvest corn.
Recently,
fans and friends from around the world have asked me to opine
regarding Arnold Schwarzenegger taking his pictures off the wall
from Gold's Gym at Venice beach-"The Mecca of Bodybuilding."
However they also ask me if Greg Valentino is really bodybuilding?
Both questions
provide insight regarding bodybuilding's current “Peril."
Schwarzenegger broke the stereotypical image of bodybuilding by
being elected the Governor of California, the eighth largest economy
in the world. He did not win the election by promising to break
legs but rather by challenging voters to judge him as an individual.
Arnold refused to be grouped with the circus entertainers featured
on shows like Jerry Springer and Maury Pauvich.
Greg Valentino
on the other hand purposely put himself before the public committing
bizarre, unnatural acts like draining puss out of his bicep and
other body parts. No wonder Arnold Schwarzenegger chose to disassociate
himself from such lunatic entertainment.
Unlike bodybuilding,
other sports like football, baseball and basketball are spending
huge fortunes on targeted public relation campaigns to portray
their respective sports in a positive manner.
In years gone
by bodybuilding had positive role models like Larry Scott,steve
reeves,Reg Park and Bill Pearl to represent the sport. These men
were great, respectable family oriented people who cared about
their health and image of their sport. Today, the public is exposed
and subjected to creatures like Greg Valentino as representative
of bodybuilding when in fact he does not represent the sport on
any level.
In fact Greg
Valentino is an example of a mentally challenged human being with
several body image and mental issues. Greg's situation is a lesson
to us all to re-evaluate our priorities in life. Greg's family
and friends, including the industry, should concentrate on Greg's
welfare and mental health and shield him from public humiliation
through an intervention and committal rather than profiting from
his mental illness. Greg's condition has unfortunately alienated
bodybuilding from its original core and foundations of holistic
health and wellness. As such, the health and fitness industry
does not want to identify with bodybuilding and bodybuilders and
instead uses cyclists like "Lance Armstrong" and tennis
players like "Andrea Agassi" for advertizing icons in
the industry that bodybuilding created.
Perhaps Arnold
Schwarzenegger is removing his photos to distance himself from
the negative image or perhaps it is really because he knows of
the impending scrutiny which is about to face the bodybuilding
industry. Like an animal sensing a tsunami, Arnold Schwarzenegger
is heading for high ground. There must be some reason because
Arnold leaving his bodybuilding roots is like Michael Jordan disassociating
himself from basketball or Ali disassociating himself from boxing.
After reading
this you ask “why can’t Victor try to help make a
change instead of criticizing?” Well as some of you may
have noticed, I have been quiet for years; to the point where
many of my fans were wondering what ever happened to me. Well
my absence was due to my faith in the establishment that it would
do the right thing and that things would change. I tried to work
with the establishment from within to improve the sport but due
to greed and arrogance no one agreed that the sport needed to
change. So today I am going to the grass roots to summon change
for the sport that I love with all my passion.
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