Lisa Kennedy, the Denver Post film critic, recently reviewed the movie “Bigger Stronger Faster*.” And while she gave it a favorable review, she left the film believing that anabolic steroids and anabolic steroids alone were responsible for the size of Gregg Valentino’s arms (”Men of steel, and of steroids,” June 12).
Thanks to anabolic steroid use, Valentino’s arms look like they’ve been invaded by tumors. This isn’t muscle definition but something sci-fi, something Hulk-ian — as in the Incredible but also as in Hulk Hogan.
Many people in the sport of competitive bodybuilding are aware of substances like “synthol”, site enhancement oils, and even silicone that are injected into particular bodyparts (usually biceps and triceps) to dramatically increase the non-functional size of the bodypart.
But the mainstream public is completely ignorant of all of these dirty little secrets; they only suspect anabolic steroids. Even the owner of Magnolia Pictures, who purchased the film rights, seems to think steroids results in Valentino’s arm size.
I think “Bigger Stronger Faster*” is a terrific movie and clearly the best documentary about anabolic steroids ever produced. But I am critical of the one bit of steroid misinformation that the documentary perpetuates – that anabolic steroids resulted in the arms that at one time measured over 27-inches in circumference. Maybe the asterisk included in the movie title “Bigger Stronger Faster*” should have referred to the following clarification: *Gregg Valentino’s arms are NOT the result of anabolic steroids.
