Responding To Zack Telanders's Doping in Crossfit: Sikastrength's Views

[@joe718gt4]

The most naturally-juiced athletes on the planet

[@RogueCylon]

About as natural as natural flavorings…lol

[@jamesbandazewski6306]

Lol Bodybuilding and powerlifters are. Is it in CF? Sure I believe some people are.

[@L3x4Pr0ne]

@@jamesbandazewski6306 at the games, nearly all of them all. Don’t kid yourself.

[@timothyvonvictory7105]

CrossFit runs its own drug testing program? Lol what can possibly go wrong??

[@joaquind.4123]

Dang... this kind of video made me lose hope in ever making it to the CrossFit Games again as a natural athlete, but I agree with you 100%. I had the opportunity to compete at the 2021 Games in the 16-17 division after around 7+ years of training (4 of which were competitive). Making the Games was a huge deal for me because none of my coaches or I were expecting to place top 20 in the qualifier. Anyways, I specifically remember the two months of training leading up to the Games as one of the most awful experiences in my life. Like you said, our sport essentially revolves around recovery, and I tried to take all of the necessary measures to make sure I was recovering as best as I could. I wasn't sure if I was doing anything wrong, but once Games training began, I was walking into the gym constantly tired and definitely NOT feeling 100%. I basically lived in the gym for two months, with two training sessions a day, lasting around 2-4 hours each when calculating in proper warm-ups and stretching after my workouts. I even remember having to take a day or two off because my body could not physically handle the amount of volume I was putting it through. During this time, I absolutely despised my training and even sort of grew a hatred towards the very sport I was competing in. The only thing keeping me going at that point was my awesome support system and the fact that I was the very first in my gym to actually make it to the Games. In addition, just to keep my body from collapsing from no energy, I essentially had to force feed myself just to get the calories in. As a result, I gained quite a bit of bodyfat. I didn't notice it at first, but it was only after I got back from the Games and could finally relax was when literally everyone noticed that I had my abs back. Anyways, speaking on the point of single digit bodyfat, I always thought that either I was doing something wrong (not eating right/ eating too much) or the rest of the athletes I met at the Games had top tier elite genetics, which could have been the case. Going back to recovery, I honestly cannot imagine training 2x a day year round for the Games just because of the amount of volume required to be at that elite level. Don't believe everything I say, though, as I only began training for the Games seriously two months before competition. These athletes may have just gotten used to that volume over time, but from my perspective, there was no way I was going to be able to keep that quantity of volume whilst performing at 100%. I had never done that before and I was not used to it. Going into the Games, the only thing I feel that my training had prepared me for was the sheer volume of work that each day of competition had, and even then, I was still very tired going through each event. I ended up placing last in the Games, which definitely bummed me out, as it made me feel that all of my hard work was essentially for nothing, but I was able to look on the bright side, as I had actually made it to the Games. Don't get me wrong, I highly respect all of the athletes that put in the hard work to get to the Games. Just like any other athlete at the top of their sport, they had to sacrifice so much in order to get to where they are today, but the competition is getting better and better each year. Those who competed at the Games a few years ago probably wouldn't even compare to the athletes this year and years to come. Everyone is starting younger, and everyone has to lift heavier, be more skilled, and be faster as each year progresses. It seems as if there is no limit to how much these athletes can do, which makes me question their natty status at times. Anyways, that's just my opinion. For all I know, I could be talking out of my butt and these athletes are the absolute genetic elite and I somehow made it to the Games (barely) with my above average level of fitness. It's just wild to me how everyone seems to be getting better at such fast rates while I've hit numerous plateaus in terms of lifting because of mobility issues and just training for that long. If I can make it to the Games again as a natural athlete, I'd be beyond happy, but again, this video reminded me of how that chance decreases by the day. I'm not going to give up though!

[@sikastrength]

Thanks for providing your perspective!

[@joerapo]

Just imagine a guy twice your age with four times the years of training abuse recovering. But they are "natural". Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@Scott-zh5ip]

Great anecdotal insight. Great to read this stuff.

[@a-a-rondavis9438]

That last sentence encapsulates abused housewives PERFECTLY. Despite putting yourself in a horribly toxic and near unsustainable situation, you're still determined to achieve something you actually came to dread intensely. That's like asking for the husband to beat the wife again and again. Find a strength sport that you enjoy. Go for Strongman. Way better and you don't need to be the genetic elite to compete. Tons more variety and you can actually enjoy it.

[@hittman1412]

good post mate

[@grkstud97]

Judging by her times when she was a track athlete, she probably is not one in a billion

[@joys8634]

Ikr these juices always bring up genetics to boost their egos.

[@JohnSmith-yx8kf]

What's funny is that you find these 1 in a million freaks in weird places. I just watched MPMD's video on Tyler1. I've watched T1 before, knew he was a big dude, but had no idea how strong he was. And he plays League of Legends for a living.

[@xdman20005]

@@JohnSmith-yx8kf He most likely juices as well, 140kg hang cleans for 8 or some shit, + popping shoulders are ususally good indicators

[@JohnSmith-yx8kf]

@@xdman20005 Derek disagrees. He's definitely not in the 'it's obvious he's on something' category. 'Good delts' isn't really enough for me to jump to the conclusion that he's juicing.

[@xdman20005]

@@JohnSmith-yx8kf his obscene strenght in addition to it makes it likeley. Not certain though

[@jamesnapier3802]

As it is well known, women cannot look the way these "athletes" look without PED due to the laws of nature. Now, there have always been those who claim not to be subject to these laws. In 2023, we have only one thing for them: ridicule.

[@jessicahontz9985]

I’m a woman on gear and I know what I look like, I know how strong I am now vs when I wasn’t. I really noticed the women on gear in CrossFit when I was watching videos of people making fun of it and I was like oh, they must not test. One thing for me tho is I don’t have to go on a lot of gear and for long durations of time. I can go on with a quick cycle and stop way before I know I’m to be tested. I wish people were more honest about this shite, it doesn’t take away from the hard work you have to put into it….it is what it is.

[@jatochgaatjeniksaan3307]

What about the enlarged clitoris

[@jessicahontz9985]

@@jatochgaatjeniksaan3307 I want to know why you think it’s appropriate to ask a woman this. Would you ask your daughter or YOUR mother what size is theirs? I know you wouldn’t ask a male bodybuilder what size are their balls? I can frankly say, it’s none of your damn business. It will never be any of your damn business and you should truly be ashamed of yourself for even asking. I’m ashamed for you. You little man are Truly gross.

[@triwithlaura3138]

Interesting! I'm curious are there any signs / attributes you notice. Kudos to your honesty 👍

[@WoolfJ35]

Hey props to your honesty I respect it. I don't even care if people use ped's I just hate the lies because kids can look up to these people and end up feeling like failures when they follow their advice of "eat right and train hard" and never look remotely close to them it's bs

[@nickippolito10]

@@triwithlaura3138 traps. Blocky abdomens. The physiques are dead giveaways. Shredded with that much mass all while needing to do high intensity and cardio intensive lifting routines? And for days straight? They go all out during these events and doing them for nearly 5 consecutive days. A natty simply wouldn’t be able to, and if they could they’d be dead last.

[@TDace25]

They insult their audience by saying a woman can look like that naturally

[@mgzone23]

You gotta be mighty dumb to think that sh.. It's natural.. They look like body builders,football players

[@brianmeen2158]

Yep, I’ve been around gyms for a few decades. I’ve met quite a few dedicated female lifters and I haven’t met a single one that looked anything like that .. even the girls I know that have good genetics don’t come. Lose to that . These CrossFit girls look like nfl running backs . Ridiculous

[@shaunigothictv1003]

@@brianmeen2158 Excellent point

[@Blainemcconnell]

It only looks worse for CrossFit when they refuse to even have a conversation about doping and delete comments of anyone who goes against the grain

[@johnouellet4099]

She's 100% on gear. I weigh probably twice as much as her and my best power clean was maybe 20 lb more. These CrossFit people are 100% doping

[@mikicro1983]

Doing crossfit since late 2012", competed several times. First years was a belief that everybody is natty, and one day i would be as good as them if i work hard, naive and amateur. Years gone by and it was obvious that a competitive side of cf is only for ped users. No human can naturally recover from strict and brutal regime of workouts. Recovery is key, and without peds it cannot be achieved if you're aiming to the top. Without peds, at natty state on regime you would be overtraining, tired, depressed, no libido person and due to cortisol peak, fat, not musculatur. There would be no room for anabolic state, so the growth would be nonexistent. Sad thing is that there are still people who look at me that I'm an idiot who is making excuses. They truly believe that everyone is natty and those who are not working hard are taking peds and steroids to compensate lack of hard work. Sad but true. On the other side, crossfit is good for recreation 3x a week and base knowledge of various aspects of fitness including weightlifting and gymnastics. Good work guys.

[@Yupppi]

There's something off if you can do strength AND endurance performance at high level while looking like a bodybuilder in competition shape.

[@NoobChalanda]

i 100% agree that crossfit should go down the strongmen route

[@congoose100]

As a sport maybe. As a business, I would not agree. There are 15k gyms in the US alone that sell the brand and image, whatever that is nowadays. I worked at one for a few years and I agree with the "look better naked" sentiment. Most of the clientele wanted that body and thought the training would get them there. If the veil was pulled back, I think it would be a harder sell.

[@iluvyunie]

@@congoose100 that's why it needs to stop.. There's a lot you can achieve naturally but people shouldn't be lied to. My concession to this would be to legalise doping, and have consultants you can work with so that you don't develop the huge list of problems that come with ped's Obviously that's a pipe dream but hey, I think individual freedom is important. I'm not someone who takes anything like this, but if they were legal I would consider it because I work hard, and the natural results from working as hard as I do are nowhere near the same for moderate efforts with performance enhancements.

[@congoose100]

@@iluvyunie I agree. It's not right but business was booming.

[@dessertstorm7476]

People have been saying X y or z sports should be untested for years. Those people are clueless it will never happen. The trend is towards more testing

[@mitchschutter4302]

"Crossfit is simply this effective." A statement lifted straight out of 2011

[@crossfitsilverback942]

WAIT! You mean year after year destruction of world records by the same small circle of athletes isn't the result of ice baths and nutrition?

[@BmanCEO]

When will the Sikastanis be able to get one of those shweet crewnecks Gurph

[@xinsanedefeatx]

Gurph? What about Fitz, my mans arms boutta blow them sleeves out

[@sikastrength]

They were a limited edition first 2nd drop, this drop coming soon but there's no crew necks this time.

[@Drumz_of_Liberation]

CrossFit will most likely resist going the way of Strongman. The reason is that CrossFit is not just a sport, it's also an ecosystem of affiliated gyms, a strength and conditioning methodology, a set of dietary practices, and a certification program for S&C coaches. All of this is promoted by the sport of CrossFit, which is essentially just a giant exhibition to showcase the efficiacy of their system. The Sport of CrossFit cannot fullfill this role for CFHQ without the existence of a drug testing program - which allows them to claim that the superhuman feats of the athletes on display is the result of strict adherence to their performance system, and not PEDs. Of course, they gain nothing from busting the darlings of their sport, so the testing is mostly just a formality that remains inadequately enforced and completely lacking in transparency.

[@algogonadz]

Spot on. CrossFit is in essence, a money making scam. Selling false hopes of what is achievable to naive beginners. Something that is not new in the fitness industry.

[@znalniaskas]

I agree, unless they suddenly manage to attrackt bigger sponsors who demand stricter testing.

[@RohannvanRensburg]

What I find liberating about strongman is that *obviously* the guys are on gear, but you can't get that strong just by going on gear. They're genetic freaks who *then* go on gear, and the result is spectacular.

[@dfpguitar]

the "sin" of CrossFit as opposed to strongman however , is that strongman is promoted as an entertainment circus of freakishly strong giants that are completely separate to gen population. But CrossFit is absolutely built on general population participation and heavily suggests that it is healthy too.

[@KalispellBarbell]

Jesus you people have no idea what you’re talking about. They lose money from the games... Just stick with assuming they are on juice because of human nature. It’s not some grand conspiracy... if anything it’s just incompetent testing

[@connorkemp4457]

Phenomenal content as always. No bull, no finger pointing, just level headed and informed discussion.

[@sikastrength]

Thanks Connor!

[@goon009]

the natty Trinity. Big, Strong, and Lean. if they are all three they ain't natty

[@323johnnybravo]

All nattys know the second you cut fat you lose your strength. It sucks lol.

[@drunknnirish]

I hope you don't mind but I am stealing the hell out of that. That is the single best way I have ever seen it described.

[@wolfgtweb]

I know this is seriously off topic, but that power cord running down the wall is annoying. A tip to clean up the look ... instead of running that cord all the way over the top of the sign and down the wall, just drop it down below the G and the T and it will be hidden by the guy on the left completely. Just a thought. Sorry for the tangent.

[@Ason19]

There is no way that lady is natty. Not even worth debating imo

[@tonycarpaccio9550]

You do touch on that key thing I really dislike about Crossfit which is the disingenuous nature of showing and promoting these high level athletes when doing the prescribed neighborhood box workouts will never ever lead a person to that level of ability, strength, or looks. Gear aside, just having followed Froning in the past, he was hardly training Crossfit when prepping for the games, but powerlifting and oly lifting to an extreme level with protocols not discussed or prescribed in the normal "Crossfit" workouts.

[@sikastrength]

That's a good point is that what the athletes use for programming is not the box programs but some use smarter programming, however that's a gripe with crossfit and not really an issue with the doping I suppose

[@Buran01]

Most of them trained strength as a regular strength athletes and resistance as a regular resitance athletes (Hinshaw? trained in endurance Froning, Fraser and a lot of the top performers... ). So they train "normal" + they do WODs to adquire endurance under fatigue. But of course they don't just rely in doing 4 WODs a day...

[@mikeg5372]

What's the point of this kind of remark? Playing high-school or amateur football every weekend does mean you'll be signing with Manchester United or Real Madrid anytime soon. Participating in local cycling events does not mean you'll be racing in the TdF or Paris-Roubaix in the near future. Reaching the elite level of your sport and making a living of it is a 1 in a million achievement, be it football, cycling, crossfit or anything else.

[@DMS1010]

He participated in plenty of CrossFit during his preparation

[@thisfool89]

I love CrossFit, but the normal every day CrossFit actually prevents you from building the body of an elite level of CrossFit athletes

[@a.f.s.3004]

Because every woman who trains is shredded and 2x stronger than most men….😂

[@FearWarboar4135]

It’s funny bc there’s still level 1 CrossFit coaches out there with a dream who will die on their hill saying CrossFit just make you the best athlete in the world. Probably the most annoying part of the internet 😂

[@emmacoughlan702]

The issue is the business of CrossFit: any steroid use is because they allow it to occur Ricky Gerard interview made that pretty clear as did Mat Fraser saying they were given advanced notice for drug tests and only in season, and generally only podium finishes. Bodybuilding has a natty division and a non natty one. It’s obviously a cycle CrossFit want the best performance and would know allowing PEDS in the off season for better in season performance, and give the notice to athletes. Better athletes = better sport = better sponsors = more $$$ It’s CrossFits policy and procedure for anti doping that is the issue but it’s the smaller athletes who get popped for what doing things less spectacular than the top dogs I think as mentioned here people hate on CrossFit because they claim it to be clean where clearly they allow drugs to be used, as you say maybe if they don’t drug test everyone would just accept it.

[@nosirrahx]

Its not that she is on something, she is on a lot of stuff to look that big, full and shredded simultaneously on top of having the energy for high athletic output.

[@some______guy]

I trained with one of the most seen and succesful CF games athletes about ten years ago. Watching new pictures and videos makes it so obvious that something is not quite right. Jawline and unnatural muscles makes me genuinly sad.

[@edenhills778]

Hi guys interesting video for sure, I'm sure there is a lot of drugs at the top end of competitive CrossFit but one question for you, what do you think about the two 17 year old girls who both finished in the top 20 at the games this year, have they been doping for the past couple of years to get as fit & strong as they are?

[@britishrocklovingyank3491]

Not matter what the sport. If you think your top performers are clean you are intentionally living in fantasy land.

[@Juandinggong]

This women I know she is into CrossFit, this lady really believes these CrossFitters are natural

[@mcpheonixx]

Every conversation I've had is basically the same. Not a lot of people care if a athlete chooses to juice up, it's their body. What most take offence to is the obvious lie. Don't piss on us and call it rain! Seriously!

[@wendell3610]

The 5k times at their BW and strength is proof alone.

[@jamesbosnich5950]

I used to run those 5k times.... when I was 17 and weighed 60kg sopping wet. Zero chance of ever running those times again carrying 20+kg more bodyweight.

[@ericgasparro2545]

Out of interest what are their 5km times?

[@dotcomboss72]

@@ericgasparro2545 most games athletes will run

[@greggeis918]

@@jamesbosnich5950 I can run around 20 minute flat 5k without training that hard specifically for it at around 80kg and I’m a decent natural rubber but certainly no freak athlete. I only lift around what the competitive women lift but it doesn’t surprise me that they can run the times they do with the volume they put in. Their running times aren’t anything special considering the amount of capacity conditioning they put in. They’re around a casually competitive runner. I don’t know if they’re doping or not but 5k times don’t seem like a big red flag to me.

[@BernhardKohli]

@@greggeis918 100% agreed. And a 5k is not a marathon. Fergus Crawley is a great example for how weight training and running can go well together

[@phatroe]

Here's my 2 cents - Let's be honest here, we all know that there are crossfit athletes that are taking gear to compete at the elite level 👎

[@GaryMalcolm]

Which of the top twenty isn't on gear? That's more interesting

[@drunknnirish]

Honestly top level athletes that are paid to win are going to use anything they can to get a competitive advantage. I would bet the top athletes in all sports are using some kind of enhancement its simply a matter of getting caught or not.

[@tomgreen2058]

Err duh it's clearly because Crossfit is a superior methodology to all others! I enjoy Crossfit but it's nice to get an idea of why I'm quite so far away from everyone who competes.

[@nickbaker3588]

EAT THE CROSSFITTERS

[@joshuawhittick4496]

for astronomical test levels

[@AndusDominae]

I was in a lab that tested a well known rugby team for PEDs. They ended our arrangement because we consistently tested most of the players positive for one thing or another. 🤣

[@patrickmiller7963]

I think my favorite Sikastan recurring charger is the random car horn which turns up every episode. I've begun calling him "Chester."

[@sikastrength]

Chester gets on Fitz's nerves!

[@Scrooks1]

CrossFit has the same level of credibility regarding PED use as bodybuilding at the Mr. Olympia level. The use of steroids is just as rampant. CrossFit as a sport, and I disagree that it even meets the definition of sport, has been willing to hide PED use perhaps more than competitive bodybuilding which has only made it LESS legitimate in my view.

[@blueodum]

Don't want to defend CF, but CF has objective measures to determine winners, whereas BB does not. Therefore, CF more of a sport than BB.

[@eugenepoon]

Strongman is doing fine financially without drug testing Most NFL fans don't care about PED usage and I swear it is as close to an open secret as it could be for normies (NFL drug use) It won't hurt crossfit at all if they just removed the facade IMO

[@Scott-zh5ip]

Same with the UFC. I have a very close friend that specialises in water and weight cutting for fighters and let's just say next to no one there isn't using SOMETHING. But most ppl know this and due to the nature of the sport most fans don't care. I think it comes down to the moral or social foundations the sport is built on. Weightlifting will greatly struggle to go this route I think because it is built it is on a sense of nobility as almost all Olympic sports are. Same with the ipf in powerlifting, they will struggle in this case because they sell themselves as the natty, wholesome alternative to the now often negative stereotype of geared and juiced powerlifting from back in the day.

[@amorfati4927]

Amen. We don’t want to be lied to because we are not stupid.

[@kimborampage]

Most sports fans like the nfl don’t think a lot of players use. Most people think the only people who do it are the ones who get caught. Same with every sport. Strongman is a niche sport so the fan base has a much better understanding of the drug use.

[@eugenepoon]

@@kimborampage I mean roid usage and its stereotypes are often used against NFL players Along the lines of "they are just dumb jocks on roids"

[@tt0xb]

The win-at-all-cost mentality is possibly the key driver of rampant PED use, synonymous with sports primarily played and dominated in the states. Some examples of this are gridiron, ice hockey, MMA, and CrossFit. The former three have an extensive history of PED abuse, so it would be hard to fathom that Crossfit would not fall into that bucket.

[@larky368]

Crossfit reminds me of the Manatees in South Park. Just randomly throw together 2 or 3 exercises/sports to create an event. For example - boxing, pogo stick and frisbee. Have people bouncing on pogo sticks in a boxing ring try to knock each other down by throwing weighted frisbees. It's easy! Handstand, sandbag, luge. Do a handstand and support a sandbag with your feet as you slide down an ice ramp. It doesn't really matter what the objective is. It's just funny to watch.

[@willzyd6758]

I currently do CrossFit and I compete (RX standard, but not to a high level) and the amount of people at my level who are juicing is wild. I think it’s very noticeable when you look at the way they train. It’s not physically possible to train how they do and recover as quickly as they are recovering. CrossFit pops a few “fall guys” to protect the sport as a whole. If an external body tested randomly year round the whole top tier of the sport would be in trouble.

[@michaelnice93]

Why not have different categories for natural and juiced competitors?

[@noone3734]

How much could a natural man snatch and C&J if his technique was really good and he was 185cm tall and 80kg body weight? Like what kind of numbers should a natural man expect to achieve once the technique and positional strength is squared away?

[@nickzardiashvili624]

My chief issue with claims like these is that women in general are not lifting weights to the same extent as men due to traditional gender roles and a lot of women will look at that, think "I don't want to look like that" and grow even more averse to weightlifting. There's definitely a lot to be said about how traditional gender roles are preventing women from doing one of the most beneficial things they could be doing for their health, about how strong/muscilar is something a man should look like, while a woman is supposed to be thin and "elegant." Bullshit like that motivates women to eschew a very healthy activity and many of my female friends have told me they don't touch weights because they don't want to become too bulky. I always try to explain them that that definitely won't be the case and that they'll look better, not worse, to say nothing of enormous health benefits. Then someone like this comes along saying they achieved this look narually and a lot of girls think "I knew it, I won't touch weights at all then."

[@richardcondon8738]

Schmatch Major, Schmidt Morning & Schmince Rooney, who are these athletes - they kinda sound like.....

[@tariqo16]

that sport is all about recovery ain't no freaking way normal human beings can keep up with 99.99% of crossfit athlete

[@Buran01]

That "5+ years doing Crossfit and looking the same" must be me :)

[@htownblue11]

There has never been a sport that involves strength and size and or speed that has not had cheaters. Ever. Think of that if you doubt.

[@ryant1506]

Prob is that crossfit is supposed to healthy, not necessarily bad ass. So they have to transfer there audience from health to performance

[@BaldOmniMan]

Hey fridge boys 🤝

[@BrandonWilliams-wf6hg]

Have you ever posted a comment on this channel that didn't include the word "fridge"?

[@stevenhewes1990]

@@BrandonWilliams-wf6hg of course not. Why would you ask such a silly question?

[@BaldOmniMan]

@@BrandonWilliams-wf6hg a few times

[@JeffreyWallk]

Crossfit like any other institution will do whatever is "necessary" to preserve profit.

[@shipmate3577]

Sorry, if it looks like a juicer, walks like a juicer…. Probably is a juicer

[@travisoutlaw9511]

Running sub 16:00 on a 5k is what some D1 college runners hit. The top level guys are sub 14:00, but those guys aren't lifting a ton of weights. Running a sub 16 after lifting a bunch of weight and being a muscular person? I need a professional runner to tell me if that is possible without steroids. I bet some people could do that naturally, but not a lot

[@hernancortez491]

Just in case you couldn’t tell by the wide waists…..the women have.

[@HeathWatts]

What do you call a person who competes in strongman and is clean? Last place.

[@shaunigothictv1003]

Excellent point

[@andersgustavsson8232]

Hope to see more of that rough pegging content

[@benh9928]

Just spat my coffee out 🤣🤣🤣

[@markwilliams7091]

Absurd to suggest this girl is NOT juiced.

[@robertsmith8699]

I just wish all sports would open up the rule books and encourage peds. Just imagine the ticket sells.

[@lhoffmom]

I’m with Gurph on this. Great video as usual. Fascinating topic. It’s ridiculous to think that general CF clientele would think they could achieve the pro level look.

[@jaymccormick737]

Fellas. My mind is blown. Long time CrossFit fan and had no idea. But I'm convinced. Great analysis.

[@Pemulis1]

At the end of the day, any sport that makes you less healthy and able is absurd. And with most sports and ALL strength sports, being elite means harming yourself - drugged or not. It's a free country, but I have no admiration for anyone who drugs and wears themselves down so they can lift a bunch of weight. I've always lifted and I've always been one of the strongest guys around. What difference has it made in my life? I'm always the go-to guy when someone is moving furniture. And also, because I've never benched 450 or squatted 700, everything still works.

[@adamyoung9283]

roughly level pegging

[@jawee6144]

weird kink man

[@Kyle-hi6ff]

@@jawee6144 Inb4 high rep pegging makes it into dave castros fav games events

[@blackreign673]

when i scrolled past crossfit's post on instagram all I could do was laugh. crossfit hq is such a joke

[@gripssl]

It's easy. Don't claim natty if not.

[@awracing17]

katrin davidsdottir went from Reebok to NoBull and didn't perform as expected... was she one of the Reebok athletes that Ian was referring to

[@Bigfishpokepoll]

if there is compition there is doping end of story

[@joerapo]

It's seems like CrossFit uses the physiques of the games athletes as a marketing tool. Am I correct? If that's the case are the female physiques we're seeing a marketing issue for CrossFit. Obviously the men are doping too, but synthetic male hormones don't mutate men the way they do women. A lot of men would like to look like a Rich Froning and a lot of women would like men that look like that. How many women want to look like some of the female competitors we're seeing? How do you fix this marketing issue? Little FYI Cardarine is not a sarm. It doesn't interact with androgen receptors.

[@HeathWatts]

A Ronnie Coleman Ninja Turtle stomach always screams natty.

[@shanehinds1940]

If only industry would embrace PEDs enough to let everyone know what they are on, their cycle strategies, along with training and diet. People would then have an understanding of how realistic their fitness goals should be naturally.

[@mattheffernan4854]

Everyone on gear get use to it

[@osuk1]

The juice is natural to a crossfitter.

[@PitFitHuntFan]

Athletes use gear for the olympics and get away with it. Using peds for crossfit should be no surprise. Even for sports that dont require strength but finesse like precision target Shooting or Olympic Style bow and arrow event they use PEDs to get better or a Steady AIM.

[@bennwaters5851]

Only an idiot would deny elite Crossfitters don't juice for the games. Further more the Crossfit games is now a clown show with its awful swimming, biking, handstand walks and sprints.

[@rickuyeda4818]

There was a male fitness model who claimed natty. However, he miss judged the time it took for the drugs to work out of his system. He won but when his drug test came back, the award was given to the 2nd place finisher. Just like videos of seniors lifting heavy weights. You know they are on testosterone and HGH.

[@rhidiandavies1991]

I'm a guy and trained in olympic weightlifting for about 6 years (exlusively olympic weightlifting, 6 days per week, 3 hour sessions typically), and my best competition lifts were 120kg and 92kg at 69kg bodyweight. In training I hit 125kg and 100kg fairly consistently, and my best ever clean was 130kg. I have no doubt she's more talented than I was, I was slightly above average at best, but the idea that a woman who splits her training between weightlifting, running, crazy intense circuits etc, can clean as much weight as I did while training with a 100% focus on weightlifting, while also being much leaner than I was, is craaaaazy. Maybe I'm just a hater, I never achieved very much in weightlifting, but that level of performance as a female crossfit athlete just seems suspiciously impressive to me.

[@jessejustsick]

The crazy thing is, even if you are snatching let's say... 120kg (natty), that is still a hell of a feat! Seriously, there is only a small percentage of people who can get under that weight. But people want to use cheat codes so they can "go beyond" and it just bums me out. Sure it's entertaining, but it just takes all the fun out of it.

[@theparadisesnare]

"I wanna look better naked so i'm gonna literally kill myself with burbees and box jumps instead of resistance training and dieting" makes sense **thumbs up kid** Also part of the problem is being natty and "hard work" is built directly into the crossfit core ethos and mentality. Literally all the top althletes constantly rebuff the idea that any of them are on steroids, Not to mention many steroids directly benefit recovery and work capacity, which is LITERALLY ALL CROSSFIT IS.

[@errcoche]

You hit the nail on the head there lads. Crossfit is a hybrid of fitness and body building and the highest level of the sport is much more tied into generating revenue within the sport by pulling people into gyms with unrealistic expectations. I train BJJ next to an incredibly successful Crossfit gym. They have expanded through about six store fronts so far and I think they may eventually want to take over our space. I see a lot of girls training there that would absolutely kick my ass with bodies that I have never seen in any female professional athlete in a drug tested sport. I would say that the girls should be compared to heptathletes and the boys to decathletes if you are having trouble believing they are doped to the gills.

[@steffanofumo]

Completely agree, if anything the lack of drug testing would help the athletes deal with such a sport that is almost made to break down its own participants, it’s almost more responsible to be on drugs while doing such a sport.

[@deboraharnaut989]

Great video. I don’t practice CrossFit but I admire it; especially for the mental fortitude and the value of perfomance. However, I really wish they were more honest about drug use; hiding it is misleading the public and creates wrong expectations for newcomers to the sport. To me, the main issue is that CrossFit is not only a sport, it’s a proprietary brand and a huge business; I’m sure they are concerned that admitting that someone like their “poster woman” (Tia) is on drugs would negatively impact the audience and consumers. But I’d genuinely respect them more if they were more honest… and I like your suggestion: they could simply become a knowingly untested sport!

[@stephenwaring8679]

16:20. Aren't you refering to Pisarenko and Kurlovich getting caught trying to sell steroids in Canada. And the USSR basically ended Pisarenko's career while Kurlovich was allowed to keep competing after only being suspended for a few months.

[@sikastrength]

Possibly but from what I rememeber it only happened in the 2000s and so it couldn't have been them. I can't find the all things gym page on it unfortunately!

[@kevinjohnsonel9889]

You guys are old school intellects. Very thorough and made practical enough for an outsider can follow along. Bravo

[@tenavosi6882]

CF either needs to actually test or go the way of strongman. Look silly denying it

[@qtscorpkid]

If you are on gear just admit it. It has always been my stand point. I loose respect for any athlete that is on gear and will state they are "natty".

[@GarethFreshwater]

This was the first video of yours I've watched and just really enjoyed how matter of fact you guys are about things. No drama, it is what it is, now lets move on type of thing.

[@karelenhenkie666]

The physiques arent even the most damning thing, the shear amount of work they do without constant debilitating injuries is the most suspect to me. The harder you train the more recovery you need and if you train unnaturally much, you might need to recover at unnatural rates as well

[@TerriblyNice_Not]

I know this is two years old, but coming to it now this struck a chord. I started crossfit as a 35 year old in June last year (alongside a fat loss programme). After 3 months (mostly due to calorie restriction) I was down 20kg and fitter than I ever have been before. I was a very good athlete in my teens and early 20s and then did nothing throughout my 25-35 years. So that I got "good" at crossfit quickly was not that big of a surprise to me. I rapidly started getting fastest scores, highest rep counts, etc. in the gym and initially, this was just nice for me. Then I would start getting comments from others who had been there longer being jealous or questioning how I did it, etc. Long-story short, but even though I still love pushing myself incredibly hard at crossfit, I absolutely hate the competitive element. It didn't matter to me at the start what someone else did in a workout - we were both going as hard as we could and our numbers were irrelevant to each other. But the more I did it, the more you are encouraged to look at the other scores and times and compare. The Crossfit Open is coming up and I cannot think of something I want to do less. I never want to compete in Crossfit even though at this stage, I could do reasonably well at the masters level (at least in scaled for the few techniques I am still learning). I just want to push myself physically, look better naked as you say :D, and keep healthier than I was for the previous 10 years having just turned 36. Looking at the crossfit open workouts too, they are not about enjoyment and community, they are about elitism. It's not fun, and it's not fun to be part of.

[@ChumblesMumbles]

Because Crossfit the company makes money off of getting people into their licensed gyms, rather than off people buying tickets to their events, then it is in the company's interest to display a ridiculous physical ideal to outsiders, to get them interested. Therefore they'd be highly incentivized to have their sponsored athletes getting bigger and dropping body fat % as low as possible using any method obtainable especially drugs.

[@ckkevin9620]

Wrong! LOL Most people are intimidated when watching games athletes and don't want to go to a CrossFit gym because of that. The CrossFit Games is not what CrossFit is promoting. You people crack me up!

[@PrimalPetersen]

I have women at my local CrossFit box who have lean, muscular bodies, much like an elite CrossFit shames athlete. They might be on completely different levels, performance-wise, but they have those bodies. They’re not on roids. One is a mother of 2. Muscular and shredded.

[@RogueCylon]

Some years one of the only folks truly natty at the games was Dave Castro. How much do you want the win? Look at the top athletes in 2015, even then most were doping strategically. Those that probably took it too light on PEDs failed in some key events. 😜 watch those videos and successive game years.

[@sebulbathx]

To put it a little simple if you see someone perform something that seems almost unnatural it probably is. But at the same time that is what people want to see they want to see records break. And records aren't broken by natural means. Let's say if the 100 meter sprinters all of a sudden would sprint a second from the WR in the long run who would really wanna see similar times not even near past records every other World Championship? At least not me if I almost for sure could predict no one would ever be near the WR or doing times that a serious amateur could be close to. No People want to see spectacular performances and feats that no normal person would come close to. Without steroids the whole sports world would be different and not nearly as exciting, imo. But I don't think you should be open and advertise with it so I am good with it being a "secret" that everyone knows.

[@jonathanyocom4404]

Athletes should be aloud to use gear, why is it more noble to be your best without it than it is with it? It’s hypocritical to put athletes on a pedestal who are using and also aren’t following the CrossFit principles in training yet your entire business model revolves around telling gen pop people this is how you get like your favorite athlete. The open discussion of using peds in bodybuilding has only propelled the sport forward.

[@FriendsForFriends666]

they eat, take steroids and exersize 24/7. thats like 5k a month with no time left for job for income. then doctors cost even more with no insurance and competitions pay shit... where do they get the money to do this?

[@jangerloff3521]

Not only gear, looks like a male skeleton as well.

[@vikaskrishan5098]

really interesting post... just one point... Javelin has gone back in distance...as a redesign of the tool... we can go back if we want to.. if crossfire is marketing itself as a functional fitness protocol then perhaps it needs to as well...

[@daveaglasgow]

If they did, they would essentially be admitting that all the past and present top crossfitters are juiced to the gills. That might not be something they would want to do, and I doubt the athletes want that.

[@john-r-2571]

Hey guys, just found your channel actually off the back of watching Zack's video that you referred to, great content and a lot of sense being spoken here. Great job, keep up the good work. All the best from across the water in just as wet West Coast Scotland 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@arnococlet6895]

Great vid. By the way for average Joe like me, if your goal is to look great naked just skip crossfit and go in any fitness gym. Crossfit is great to enhance your strength and stamina. But it won't change your physic much (for regular Joe like me doing regular WOD 2 to 4 times a week. Except if you start at young age like 18/20). If you think about it even pro crossfiter don't look that great. While the fittest they are not in the usually canon of beauty. They just look like one block.

[@Amansvista]

Some of the people that claim to be women are not that either. Plenty of waists far wider than hips and stumpy little legs, that’s a man.

[@juliawilliams1355]

That's leaner than I was at weigh ins at my last 24 hour weigh in meet and I was on the edge of death. I needed 2 IVs 2 pedialytes, salt tabs, Gatorade and a gallon of water in addition to salty carbs all day and 16 hours of sleep and I still felt like shit and felt a dip in strength at my meet the next day. No fucking way shes natty. I'm a naturally lean girl too, I am around 18 or 19% nearing the end of my bulks.