For those who thought the PMMA controversy had come to a close, you couldn’t be more mistaken. While this last round of conversation may have been sparked by the strong criticism from folks like Sarah Villegas and The Real Deal Chris Cormier, it’s now including Tamer El Guindy. I saw a clip on BeyondTheAStage where it would seem Tamer was setting his sights on former Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan. We, of course, know where Bob Cicherillo and “Sugar” Shawn Ray stand insofar as the conversation. They think that Sarah and Chris need to shut the fuck up and move on. They’re of the opinion that if you don’t like site enhancing oils, PMMA, and other agents that top physique-based athletes may use, then they need to go to another federation. That’s a pretty narrow minded way to think, but to each their own.
Media outlets, like RX Muscle and Muscle Discord, have also chimed in. The whole matter has also prompted talk of whether or not politics play any kind of role in bodybuilding, particularly when it comes to the scorecards. One great outlet, EPZeroNine on Instagram, put it best. And that was that while politics may not be a factor, if you cross certain people, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that there will be hell to pay. I think that’s a rational approach, but the issue of the scorecards should be limited strictly to physique, condition,and posing. Anything beyond that is unacceptable. Others have taken the opportunity to assert that the IFBB Pro League is in fact not a real federation. That point can also be argued depending on each person’s subjective opinion of what a federation should be. Ultimately, all of the secondary conversations happening in the peripheries don’t really address the situation at hand.
Should the IFBB Pro League be testing or looking for SEO’s and/or PMMA? Another angle would be, when is the controversy going to die down?
A point that I think that escapes a lot of the critics is the fact that medical records are a very private matter. A federation may be able to implement urine or blood testing, but to force competitors into MRI’s, that’s not as feasible as some may think. It’s also not cost-effective at all. A typical MRI, based on a recent Google search, can run from a few hundred dollars to well over $10,000. And keep in mind that the kind of MRI needed to find SEO or PMMA use would most definitely not fall into the easy category. Most doctors wouldn’t even know what they’re looking for so you can rest assured that it wouldn’t be cheap. It also wouldn’t be covered by most insurance providers. Does anyone honestly think that Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem, or Humana gives two fucks about a bodybulding contest? And forget about the Federation or the promoters paying for this. Some promoters have difficulty covering overhead like renting a venue and paying staff. They’re not going to be able to pay for dozens to hundreds of MRI’s. So guess who pays? The competitor. It’s just not practical from a cost-effective point of view. And then there’s medical privacy.
No competitor should have to share their medical records with the world. What if the MRI shows other conditions or traumas? Competitors should not have to forgo their privacy so that media outlets and nosy fans approve of them competing. That’s also hugely unreasonable and shouldn’t even be considered.
What has happened, however, is that a pandora’s box has been opened. There are many guys who people have been suspected for years of having oddly shaped muscles and/or who have grown by leaps and bounds in record time. The fact is, there’s a whole sea of chemicals at play. I mean look at DNP!! That’s insecticide. It’s actual poison from what I understand, yet it was used for ages by bodybuilders who took the chance of literally melting their insides so that they could eat bad food and still stay on their diets. I mean look at the late great Momo Benaziza. When he passed he had dozens of agents in his bloodstream! And that was back in the early 90’s.
I’m not saying that health should be set aside. I’m also not saying that a competitor that’s using site enhancing oils and bone cement (because that’s what PMMA is) should be in the mix for the top titles in physique-based sports, but it happens. Did it happen this year, last year? I have no clue, but it has happened before.
SEO’s and even PMMA are nothing new. And while I understand Sarah being upset about taking 2nd, I don’t think she’d be sounding off if she had won and the other ladies in the Top 6 had suspected SEO or PMMA use. That said, it’s a real problem. Otherwise Chris Cormier wouldn’t have lent his voice. Media outlets like Muscle Discord wouldn’t be sounding off. And Tamer El Guindy and others wouldn’t be keeping the topic alive. Because it’s not going away.
The fans are also not having it and armed with social media they can keep the conversation going indefinitely. This is different from years ago when magazines and big sites ruled the day. There was more editorial control that could be exerted. Now, everyone with an internet connection and a smart device can set up shop and sound the alarms. This is why bigger media outlets and more prestigious media personalities are getting their two cents in. And while the control is gone, the threat of suit is also unlikely to quiet the storm. And that’s another reason for this follow-up article because it’s not going to stop with Natalia and/or possibly Hadi. More big names are likely going to have the finger pointed at them and if any of them are actually using these substances and if in their case it’s far more obvious, that’s going to create more pressure.
What I find interesting is that despite Bob saying Sarah’s competitive career is pretty much over, even saying she was on “the chopping block,” it hasn’t had the desired effect. Even as recently as a few years ago, that type of commentary would have stopped any number of big names dead in their tracks. While it’s still a concern, today, it’s not dissuading a growing number of vocal fans, media people, and influencers from being strongly critical of the idea of these substances going unchecked at the most elite levels of competition. If this keeps up, it may bring about some change. But with regards to testing, I just don’t see how that could work for either site enhancing oils or PMMA. Can you?
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s definitely going to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for Iron Magazine, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
