Calum von Moger Says ‘90%’ of Fitness Influencers Aren’t Natural, Gives Honest Warning About Steroids
Calum von Moger is giving young lifters a blunt warning about steroids, growth hormone, and the fitness influencers they choose to follow.
The Australian bodybuilder has never been shy about discussing performance-enhancing drugs. Von Moger has previously revealed that he trained naturally for roughly six years before turning to steroids as he attempted to advance his competitive bodybuilding career. Now, with a very different perspective on bodybuilding and life, he is once again speaking openly about the subject.
In a recent YouTube video, von Moger urged younger athletes to stay away from steroids, questioned the number of fitness influencers claiming to be natural, and stressed that building an impressive physique isn’t worth sacrificing long-term health or a future family.
Calum von Moger Gives Honest Warning About Steroids
Von Moger began lifting weights at around 14 years old and has previously explained that he remained natural throughout his teenage years. He eventually decided to use steroids around the age of 20 or 21 after being told that competing successfully at a higher level of bodybuilding would likely require them.
Having experienced both natural training and enhanced bodybuilding, von Moger now believes young lifters should spend their early years seeing what they can accomplish without drugs.
His message was especially clear for teenagers and lifters in their early 20s.
“If you’re certainly in your low 20s or in your teens, don’t take steroids, okay? Just train. Just follow a program. Be strict on yourself. Be disciplined. Eat well. Train hard.”
Von Moger also discussed growth hormone and warned that it can come with serious potential risks. He argued that anyone considering it should undergo health screenings and be under appropriate medical supervision, particularly because of concerns surrounding underlying medical issues.
Rather than viewing PEDs as a shortcut every ambitious young bodybuilder eventually needs to take, von Moger encouraged lifters to be patient and develop their training, nutrition, and discipline first.
Von Moger Claims ‘90%’ of Fitness Influencers Aren’t Natural
Von Moger then turned his attention toward another issue in the modern fitness industry: influencers who allegedly use performance-enhancing drugs while marketing themselves as natural.
According to von Moger, young lifters should be extremely skeptical about what they see online.
“I’m sure a lot of you see online a lot of self-proclaimed coaches, gurus, influencers, fitness athletes that claim natural,” von Moger said. “They’re 100% natural. I’ll tell you right now, probably 90% of them are not.”
The “90%” figure is von Moger’s personal estimate, not a documented statistic, but his larger point centered on unrealistic expectations.
Social media users can see extraordinary physiques accompanied by promises that a particular workout or diet can produce similar results in only a matter of weeks. Von Moger believes young athletes should question those claims, particularly when the person selling the program insists their physique was built entirely naturally.
He also made it clear that he never wanted to create that impression about himself.
“If someone asked me in person straight up, even online, am I natural? I’d say no.”
Calum von Moger Says He Might Have Been Better Off Staying Natural
Perhaps the most interesting part of von Moger’s comments came when he reflected on the long-term tradeoff he made.
He pointed to natural bodybuilder Aaron Curtis as an example of someone who has maintained an impressive physique consistently for approximately two decades. Von Moger contrasted that longevity with the dramatic peaks and valleys he has experienced throughout his own bodybuilding journey.
“If I could have looked like him over 20 years versus how I’ve peaked and fallen, I would stay natural and stay that way and look like that.”
It’s a notable admission considering just how high von Moger’s peak took him.
The former Mr. Universe became one of the biggest fitness personalities of his generation, with his resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger helping earn him the role of a young Schwarzenegger in the 2018 film Bigger. He also appeared in Generation Iron 2 and was the subject of the Generation Iron documentary Calum von Moger: Unbroken. His bodybuilding comeback eventually culminated in winning his IFBB Pro card in 2020.
His career, however, was repeatedly interrupted by major injuries and later significant struggles away from bodybuilding. Von Moger recently returned to social media after an extended absence and opened up about overcoming addiction, moving to Thailand, and accepting that many of the competitive bodybuilding ambitions he once held are no longer his priority.
That history gives his latest message considerably more weight.
‘Consider Your Health, Consider Your Wealth, Consider Your Future’
Von Moger ended his message by addressing aspiring competitors directly. Rather than thinking only about their next transformation, social media post, or bodybuilding show, he encouraged them to consider what their decisions could mean years down the road.
“Consider your health, consider your wealth, consider your future, consider your future family, consider the babies that might not be born yet…They all need your consideration, love, and attention. Not just the mirror, not just the Instagram, and not just the ego.”
Image embed via Instagram @calumvonmoger
