The Gold's Gym Steroid Scene - Interview with Ken Sprague

In this 5th interview with Ken Sprague, Ken talks about the steroids and protocols used at Gold's Gym during the 1970s. Enjoy.
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Ken Sprague: • Dakota and Gold's Gym ...

[@tomspafford5368]

A correction: Steroids from Tijuana were not "illegally smuggled" into the US. At least up until the early 80's it was legal to buy steroids and bring them into the US. I've seen the trunk of a car filled with steroids, that were declared at the Mexico-US border crossing, allowed to enter the US, several times. If asked what we intended to do with them, "personal use" was the answer. It never was a problem.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

You took what I said put of context. I said this is how it began

[@tomspafford5368]

@@GoldenEraBookworm Fair enough sir, thank you for the clarification. Love the channel👍

[@The_Conspiracy_Analyst]

Nowadays what a lot of bodybuilders do is they will relocate temporarily to countries where steroids are legal (or even OTC!) to train. For example, Tony Huge, Leo and Longevity, Noel Deyzel, and Connor Murphy. It's less risky than trying to smuggle anything. So be suspicious if you see an influencer move to one of these countries.

[@NemeanLion-]

Glad to see Ken Sprague is still doing well. It’s amazing how age changes people. I remember seeing him in so many bodybuilding photos over the years.

[@mr.critic]

Almost all Golden Era BB's lived well into their 70s-80s90s, some still around, what is there to contest? Compared to BB's today dropping dead in their 20s....

[@shred9475]

insulin/gh/tren

[@StreetTruckinTitan]

@@frontierlandfrank5314 stop

[@lawrenceroadloonie3847]

​@@frontierlandfrank5314facts

[@frontierlandfrank5314]

@@StreetTruckinTitan I would also not want to hear it, if I had that poison in me.

[@StreetTruckinTitan]

@@frontierlandfrank5314 Are you also a flat earther? Magat? Q tip? Conspiracy theories are for the weak minded.

[@SixpackLeanStrongMind]

For anyone curious, anabolic steroids use during the Golden ere was just very beautiful and positive! The doses werent too big, cycles werent way too long, and many didnt want to rely on TRT. Today, modern BB’s take steroids and now they think they have to be on TRT for life. The very stupid, illogical thinking of today is “Ohh, I did my 1st cycle, now I Have to go on TRT.” They had no such nonsense like that back then. The bodies were beautiful, aesthetic, everything was positive radiation and brotherhood ! Ive been doing Golden era doses and my life has been greatly improved! More muscle, more energy to put into success and business, Great workouts, confidence, self-respect, etc. I mean, its amazing! 1 year in, NO side effect or adverse health effects from bloodwork. Say NO to modern doses, say YES to Silver/Golden er doses

[@meaty220]

Loved this! I always like hearing about the Golden Era.

[@johnsambo9379]

Sprague himself produced several all-male 8mm short films, which were later released as two feature films, Loadstar (1972) and California Supermen (1972), under his own company Dakota Productions. Other bodybuilders including Ric Drasin, Bob Birdsong and Roger Callard appeared in the films.

[@ccaa007]

amazing job preserving and sharing this wonderful history. thanks

[@sanderscupac7829]

That's me in the upper right hand corner of the cover photo (with the white and red shirt on) between Tim Kimber and Dave Billows.

[@Dave-lg5oz]

So what did everyone actually take for dosages, looks like no one actually came off imo, thanks.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Lucky you!

[@mje9000]

This is a good series of videos. Thank You for your work.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Glad you like them!

[@majicogarcia8417]

You are really on fire, Bookworm. The Gear was a subject you seemed naive about early in your youtube career. Now you have acknowledged that all these guys were on gear and you are helping to disseminate valuable information about them. Good stuff man.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

I wouldn't say I was naive at all. I was reluctant to talk about it because alot of it was hear say. Now that I have the opportunity to actually speak to these individuals I can actually talk about it with confidence

[@theironforce3000]

Wow ! That's new trivia to me. I had no idea about the situation with Dave hasselhoff. Going from 3 tabs to 100 a day ! That's mad. Fantastic episode 👏 lot of great points

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

The story of 100 dianabol a day was madness!!

[@darlinbood3991]

Bad memory. These guys are too old to remember what they took. No one was taking 2000mg a day. He must mean 100 mg a day, 5 pills.

[@michaelkraus4135]

I went to DR. KERR .His son was a punter at USC.He had several USC FOOTBALL TEAM PICS in the waiting room !

[@howitzer92]

Props to Ken Sprague for letting you ask him literally anything. Doing/helping produce gay porn, PED use.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

He is very open, and generous with his answers and time. A real gentleman with nothing to hide

[@sanderscupac7829]

I am surprised he never mentioned Mike Richards(who came into and worked out at the 2nd street Golds and was a detail man for Organon, makers of Decca Durabolin). Pete knew him VERY well.

[@mje9000]

Why don’t you tell us all the details since you seem to know about it.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

I'm sure he did

[@argocomics6207]

Did this comment mean “Ken knew him very well”? This was an interview with Ken before Pete G came in.

[@MAllen-ng8pl]

Those prosecutions should never have happened.

[@glynhannaford7332]

This is great work Carlos! 👏 We all know that steroids were in use by many pro bodybuilders in that era. Ken's first hand knowledge fills some gaps and answers questions. This video also provides grounded perspective about what was going on then. We can see from this, how most guys using steroids in that era, only took them in preparation for a major contest or two, to supplement the hours of hard training taking place and selective nutrition being consumed, all year round.

[@mje9000]

Thanks for doing this great series with Ken Sprague. After your Ken Waller series is finished, could you try to get Pete Grymkowski?

[@gerhardschelbi8742]

Grymkowky died 2021!

[@mje9000]

I think That was his brother Paul that passed away.

[@robwhite461]

I’ll second that, be good to hear him.

[@Richard-xg1vv]

Good info Golden Era, I've seen Ric Drasin (RIP) talk about Winstrol and Pete Grymkowski talk about Anavar and they were mainstays at the time in that Era. I'm sure Ken wasn't hiding anything but he just wouldn't know what everyone was doing.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Absolutely, surely not everyone knew what everyone was taking

[@nomad6086]

Yeah...Drasin has a couple of good videos where talks about the type of anabolic steroids & the dosages the Golden era guys were using (I think the videos are still up - RIP Rick). Drasin was right in the thick of things back then and, in fact, trained some at Gold's. I remember Drasin saying his first steroid use was a moderate dose of "D-bol" where he said he grew like a weed to the point where he could no longer fit into his VW. Lol. Drasin said the main oral was by & far D-boI, followed by Anavar & Winstrol. He said the injectables - especially Deca & Primabolin - were very popular with the Golden era guys. In fact, Zane wrote a poem about D-bol & Primabolin using a code name for them. Lol. I don't think testosterone was used much. If taken in the higher dosages needed to increase lean muscle mass (not replacement dosages) - it has a high likelihood of converting to DHT - which is the #1 cause of male pattern baldness with testosterone PED users. When you look at those Golden era guys hardly any of them were bald or balding (I think Mike Katz was the only one with a receding hairline). So, it looks like they were using a few select anabolic steroids at low to moderate dosages - and cycling them as opposed to being on them year round. But you can see even with low to moderate dosages, these guys increased huge amounts of lean muscle mass & significantly reduced BF compared to the Silver era guys. But I'll admit - the Golden era guys looked damn good compared to these grotesque mass-monsters of today. Frank Zane's physique was a work of art. Unbelievable definition, symmetry & aesthetics! And the guy is still going strong at 80.

[@Richard-xg1vv]

@@nomad6086 You said it right, isn't it too bad that era is gone ! Even though none of those guys could compete with todays stars there is just something about that time and place.

[@hihi9674]

Great channel. Great info as always! Subscribed!

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Thank you

[@wildmanz8233]

Steroids were legal back then. I recall in the 80s a friend of my would go to Turkey every year and come back with a duffle bag filled with oral steroids and injectables. Some of it was exotic gear like bolasterone too ☺

[@robwhite461]

Yeah. I think he was a friend of Serge Nubret, can’t remember where I found out about him, from memory he was gay. He brought the good pure gear from Germany, apparently it was of superior quality as to what was generally available in USA at the time. There are photos of him with many of the prominent BB’s of the day, wonder what happened to him.

[@wk4523]

it would be cool if you could interview Barbara Outland, Arnold's first girl friend, to see if you can get any tidbits of information from her about Arnold's steroid usage, since she was with him for a good 5 years

[@luckyorion9634]

Arnold was not always open about his steroid use...

[@hardcorehouse]

Ken, any chance the original Golds could be made into some type of museum or high end theme restaurant with artifacts and roof lounge..Schwarz could easily buy if available and do it. Also, I’ve also felt for a long time that the existing golds should move closer to the beach, which was part of the magic…

[@robwhite461]

I agree, the place would unimaginable. Packed to the rafters with BB disciples of the golden era.

[@TimKyoutube]

Here we go! 🪡

[@vegnewb]

Even though steroids were legal at that time, do you really think it is appropriate to ask him to name names of the doctors and what purpose does it serve? Those doctors are probably not around anymore.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

The purpose is curiosity

[@ibberman]

He shouldn't have answered the question.

[@jonasrih]

It’s a part of history. Same with the lewd videos recorded of Gold’s members.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

@@ibberman but he did 😁

[@michaelkraus4135]

Dr. Kerr is not. I believe JEKOT & WALCZAK are living.

[@RichS.74yroldbodybuilder]

The biggest problems with their steroid use is they may be living into their 70’s , but the kidneys are bad from the diet and the combination of the drugs. Although the steroids make your Muscles stronger ,the tendons are not as strong . This leads to a lot of breakdown problems with walking, and joint problems in general. Plus when you’re used to eating six times a day and return to eating you put weight on when you’re not taking steroids or cutters , etc. they’re living somewhere longer but their existing at a point where they really feel bad , again existing not living they’re later years. I am 72 years old . I take no medicine no powders no hormone only a total of five hours a week. I have no problems. My pictures over to the left. My diet is whole food plant-based, no meat, dairy eggs oil etc.💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@mje9000]

Frank Zane is 80, still works out and doing very well. Arnold, Robby Robinson, Danny Padilla, Ken Waller are in their 70’s have mobility and still work out.

[@RichS.74yroldbodybuilder]

@@mje9000 I don’t know if you seen Danny lately, but he’s really getting fat. Frank Zane and Ken Waller quit taking steroids in the early 80s. I don’t know what Robbie Robinson is on, but he still on something still. As far as Arnold take a look at him five or six years ago, compared to now. You see what happens when you stop taking hormone. Take a look at my picture I don’t take anything and I’m 72. I still have my hair which a lot of guys don’t have when you take steroids.💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@shaunigothictv1003]

@@RichS.74yroldbodybuilder Excellent info.

[@odessafile75]

@mje9000 Zane and Waller are the same age ( 81) . Padilla like Ferrigno is in his early 70s and Arnold and Robby are in their mid to late 70s

[@RichS.74yroldbodybuilder]

@@odessafile75Yes and I will be 73 in a few months. Yes that’s the point. A bad diet and steroids in the long run will get you. That these guys are still here is good.💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@dontreadmyname4396]

did Danny padilla ever specify the dosage of deca he took weekly? he looked fking awesome!

[@shred9475]

no less than a gram

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Look at my interview with him, he explains his steroid use

[@dontreadmyname4396]

@@GoldenEraBookworm i did watch it when it was posted, i dont remember him talking about dosages other than "1 injection a week" and "deca is all i only used, i tried dbol at first but the doc told me to drop it so i stopped it early"

[@omarinheiropopeye]

@@dontreadmyname4396 1 injection a week is obviously a lie

[@johnkelley6278]

This has been a great series of interviews. I would like to see you put a Mount Rushmore of Bodybuilders on your program in the future and see if your viewers agreed. Mine would be Haney, Arnold, Coleman and Steve Reeves. Look forward to seeing your videos.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

You mean interview Haney, Arnold, Coleman??

[@johnkelley6278]

@@GoldenEraBookworm interviewing those 3 would be great since you are a great interviewer.

[@DuncanMortimer-ck9dh]

The Hoff took gear?! That would explain how K.I.T.T could Turbo Boost.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Lol

[@dansmith9724]

I think the Hoff was a non responder. I thought he had a build more like a basketballer.

[@argocomics6207]

That’s why it is sometimes tough to tell who’s on them. A 170 lb guy might not seem jacked but he’d be 150 lbs without them.

[@MrAmericaHeart]

Great, transparent interview.

[@The_Conspiracy_Analyst]

Your content really is top notch. It's a shame you aren't rewarded with more subs.

[@Will_528]

I know it has nothing to do with the video, but I saw your video about the 20 breathing squats and will try to incorporate in chalistenics

[@labrador-fx3fb]

Imagine lifting back then and having pharma grade gear. Nobody knew anything about gear. It was all word of mouth how to use them. And you could only get steroids if you had a fluffy Norwegian Forest Cat or a Maine Coon Cat. No other person was allowed to even buy steroids without a cat in one hand and the steroids in another.

[@invisableobserver]

I have a couple of fluffy Norwegian Forest cats

[@labrador-fx3fb]

@@invisableobserver They're the best!

[@josephdonnelly3169]

I would never have accused David Hasselhoff of taking steroids

[@marcelomunhozdarocha5358]

Mate, when's the Ken Waller video coming out?

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

In a week or two

[@larrydowling]

i went to Tijuana to buy GROTH HORMONE,for a training buddy ,who won he title 1 mth later,back in the 80,s

[@allaround6833]

When they speak about this very low dosage of stuff everybody understand it is not true. If it is not true then this content not make sense. Most of them use the stuff whole year and use it with more amount of stuff. But everywhere they still speak about 3 dbol and one shot of something(test or primo). Please can you find some mans that can tell truth? And not lie about small dosage

[@StreetTruckinTitan]

It is true and they werent taking drugs full time only before a show. The drugs back then are much different from todays drugs and cycles where everybody blows up and looks the same. Back then, everybody's physique were different based on genetics. You can pose a body builder behind a shadow screen and tell who it was from the silhouette. That isnt true today. Listen to the guys who worked out there and took the steroids in the early 70s with all the legendary bodybuilders. Ric Drasin - Rics Corner, Jerry Brainum, Robbie Robison, and Frank Zane even wrote a cryptic poem about the steroids and doses back then.

[@ericswidler8743]

​@@StreetTruckinTitanregardless of what the gear was like back then it all shuts down endogenous production of testosterone, which means when you stop taking it your testosterone levels drop below what they would've been naturally and you won't keep your gains. Even worse, you're estrogen levels will be higher than your testosterone levels and you'll look develop gynecomastia (bitch tits). They were taking gear year round and even in retirement they are on TRT.

[@WFSmith]

​@@StreetTruckinTitanyour right about the bodybuilders silhouette's everybody had there own look All the bodybuilders now tend to look the same and have the same tanning color I tend to believe the dosages I took Dianabol in 1970's and was instructed to take 4 tablets and I got great results There are pictures of the 1970's bodybuilders where they look small and then they look huge for the contest's so I believe most of them just took them for a show That is why most of them lived a long time

[@StreetTruckinTitan]

@@WFSmith I agree. Look at Arnold off cycle back then and he was in super soft condition. If I had to compare a bodybuilder today it would be Chris Bumstead. Due to health concerns he only takes prior to a show.

[@robertmiller5789]

Pete Grymkowski. He talks about everything he took truthfully. He was taking bottles of Anavar a day and lots of injectables He is on video discussing this.

[@Doug_Sweeney_]

Interesting, especially the testosterone and dianabol part. I tried it myself and my hair fell out so I'm not sure how they kept their hair!

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Damn

[@invisableobserver]

Testosterone & dianabol can be toxic and also post cycle therapy & estrogen blockers were not very well understood. I didn't lose hair but it caused me to have problems downstairs. I think the DHT causes choline deficiency as well. Even the strong prohormones today can cause hair loss & prostate problems. Hope your hair grew back.

[@ibberman]

Nandrolone.

[@Ease54]

FYI...My hair fell out with no outside encouragement whatsoever. If it was meant to be, it'll happen.

[@dantor111]

thx

[@jn052159]

bodybuilding like wrestling is same as reading fiction.

[@kaveh6543]

What a great channel good job 👏

[@ourinvisibleenemies7779]

When is Ken Waller interview?

[@larrydowling]

another great clip thank you Carlos aussie aussie aussie

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Oi oi oi

[@forevermuscle3697]

Thank you Ken.

[@StreetTruckinTitan]

Its funny I go to Mexico often to vacation and I alway laugh when I see advertizing on the pharmacy front windows different steroids they sell there.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Lol

[@michaelkraus4135]

Unless you ABSOLUTELY KNOW what your buying ,they are nothing but TESTOSTERONE .

[@kkwok9]

Nice job!

[@SinjaEs]

views will xplode on this one here for sure ....even this is just ken spraque who is impersonating ken waller again, that is just cheating dude 😂😂

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

I hope so. The interviews with Ken Waller are pure gold

[@SinjaEs]

@@GoldenEraBookworm hot stuff for sure🔥

[@anthonyvenegas8299]

The good old days,wen steroids were real

[@lazur1]

truth

[@janverschuren369]

Good products, relaxed life style

[@christophermirkovich7290]

great photo of the greats

[@nomehdrider]

Hasselhoff?

[@knightveg]

Nice

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Thanks

[@luckyorion9634]

Hgh will make a tumor or cancer grow faster

[@michaelkraus4135]

Most dr's will not tell you that !!!

[@luckyorion9634]

@michaelkraus4135 Lol.. yes they will... I took HGH off and on from a doctor after my car accident in 2005-2012...

[@JACKPOTTT777]

Let me have a guess ... they all took 1dbol a day and 1 shot of primo a week 🤡

[@shred9475]

gh speeds up tumours not steroids

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Lol...to quote Louie Simmons...READ A BOOK

[@majicogarcia8417]

Steroids actually do speed up cancer, thats why they they shut off Testosterone when you get prostate cancer.

[@south97north]

Arnold said 1cc test and 1 tablet dbol

[@invisableobserver]

That is actually a low dosage which was smart, I am sure he took liver pills as a PCT also

[@ibberman]

You mean 1 handful ?

[@robertmiller5789]

Arnold was the biggest abuser ever. He was taking grams of primobolin a week, along with Durabolin, anavar, Winstrol and Parabolan . I don't think he took testosterone. Bodybuilderrs in the golden era didn't take testosterone

[@south97north]

@@ibberman lol exactly😂

[@majicogarcia8417]

@@robertmiller5789 "Bodybuilderrs in the golden era didn't take testosterone" Thats absolute bullshit, its a widespread internet canard. Test is THE king of mass building, it is the safest compound and was/is the cheapest and easiest compound to get in any era.

[@ryancuda45]

roid ragers lol. ive seen dudes just snap and loose total control in the late 80s and 90s. pathetic

[@Papo-pn1dr]

Gold's Gym odor farmaceutic 😂

[@drbonesshow1]

Steroids should have never been allowed as it ruined the sport.

[@gregoryshelton4024]

Your point of view on how many lives so long is not accurate. I'm telling you look at Mike manson and his Brother isn't an interesting that they both died within months of each other. I trained at the same gem as Mike. Mike had more pharmaceuticals in his system, diuretics, steroids. You name it nice guy. But he took every drug imaginable and he had every intelligent answer for why he could. There's a lot of guys you've never heard of. That died in their 20s and 30s modern day body builders. Obviously, they're larger, they're bigger. They've refined their pharmaceutical act, and they're dying young. Don't care about any of them.

[@sandraguerra2296]

Very good information . HGUERRA

[@flamintasty]

Chris Benoit is a great ambassador for steroids 🙄

[@hellotcautiver]

Huh? Chris did what he did due to CTE