Video Source: Watch on YouTube
In this in-depth Muscle & Strength interview, IFBB Pro Toney “The X-Man” Freeman sits down with Muscle & Strength video producer Dan Drescher for an honest conversation covering bodybuilding’s past, present, and future.
Toney breaks down what truly drives muscle growth, why muscular endurance is missing in modern bodybuilding, and how training philosophies have shifted since the golden and mass-monster eras. He also opens up about bodybuilding politics, being labeled an “underrated” competitor, and why he chose to chart his own path instead of playing the game.
The discussion goes deeper into PED usage, including growth hormone and insulin, how dosages escalated during the mass era, long-term consequences many athletes now face, and why moderation and longevity matter more than ever. Toney also shares rare firsthand stories about legends like Ronnie Coleman, Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, Chris Cormier, and others he saw up close during bodybuilding’s most extreme years.
This interview offers a rare, unfiltered look at professional bodybuilding from one of the sport’s most respected physiques.
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Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@TFX-Man_TV
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00:00 – Intro
01:15 – Rapid fire questions
02:00 – Favorite era of bodybuilding
03:00 – Modern fitness trends helping the sport
03:30 – The habit that changed Toney’s physique
04:20 – Most overrated PED in bodybuilding
05:55 – Longevity and maintaining elite aesthetics
07:00 – Avoiding physique flaws and long-term damage
08:05 – Training advice for taller bodybuilders
09:40 – High-rep training and muscular endurance
11:10 – Is Toney Freeman underrated?
12:45 – Politics, cliques, and career choices
14:35 – How bodybuilding judging really works
17:05 – Speaking honestly vs protecting placings
19:40 – Why athletes want fair wins and losses
23:30 – The mass-monster era explained
25:00 – HGH, insulin, and extreme carb loading
28:15 – Most impressive physiques Toney saw in person
30:45 – PED protocols that changed his physique
33:00 – Gear sourcing, quality, and modern risks
34:10 – What really happened in Sweeden?
38:55 – Retirement and losing bodybuilding size
41:15 – Life after competition and staying healthy
43:25 – Training intensity after retirement
44:35 – TRT, microdosing, and hormone balance
47:00 – Downsizing without losing the “look”
48:11 – Modern Bodybuilding | What Changed?
49:25 – Diuretics | The Challenges With Nailing A Peak
55:42 – Figuring Out What Works And Sticking To It
57:56 – What Toney Would Have Told His Younger Self
58:55 – Outro
