Greg Kovacs

[T200]

--Greg Kovacs, a huge bodybuilder who was pushed hard in magazines from about 1995-2004, passed away earlier today from a heart attack at the age of 44. He was the biggest of the pro bodybuilders from 1997 to 2005, and while he never placed highly in contests, he was popular for the claims that he was 420 pounds with 25 inch arms and a 70 inch chest.

IT WAS ALL THE MUSCLETECH CELL-TECH

[Fat Cat]

I can always tell who has kids and who doesnt have kids when I see people post that its ok to die at 44 if you lived a great life. Trust me with this....34 is right around the corner, 38 comes right after that and youll be 44 and thinking "wow im already 44, that went by quick"......You do not want to be dying of heart failure in your early 40's with a beautiful wife near your hospital bed and three little children asking "Daddy when are you coming home"?...(and your not)....and they have nobody as a father thru their formulative years because you were so self absorbed as a bodybuilder you didnt think of the future gameplan of health.

See people will argue against this till they are blue in the face because you cannot inject 3cc's tommorow if there is potential you could die down the road. So how do they deal with it? They use the "well it happened to that guy because of this....and it wont happen to me" ... I post on a pretty hardcore board and there is quite a few people with kidney failure and heart attacks (kidney failure at 29 and heart attacks at 37....things like that).....just look at this last couple years off the top of my head... Brad Hillenbaugh (kidney failure), Nasser, Kovacs, Duvall, Daniele Seccarecci, Art Atwood, Mattarrazzo (heart), Luke wood....its getting ridiculous. I remember in the early 90's when GH was insanely expensive and everyone was saying Strydom was using 6ius a day...and people were out of their minds thinking that was such a large dose. Nowadays? Thats a middleweight at a county show's dose. Back in the 90's... 1000mg of test was considered a pretty hefty dose. Thats a starter cycle for alot of these guys who want it so bad nowadays.
Everyone wants to be a bodybuilder tommorow and now you got a slew of young, impressionables who think there is a secret besides extreme mesomorphic genes and response....and these guys listening to this Boston Loyd kid who is what 22 years old and using 13 grams of stuff? And he justifies himself by telling people thats what everyone does? How the hell would a 22 year old kid from northern cali know what a pro bodybuilder from Florida, Texas, or New York does? Does Boston Loyd know what YOU right now who is reading this does juice wise? No he doesnt and he doesnt know what 400 different pro bodybuilders do.

The battle cry used to be "where are the bodies...if steroids are so bad?"....well you are seeing them now. The late 90's into the 2000's and the increased access and lower prices due to the internet ....brought on a huge amount of terribly insecure "junky-like" bodybuilders who didnt think longterm.
And you are starting to see the bodies....but what is coming up? what are we going to see from the last 8 years? It will be ridiculous. Its gotten outrageous with the dosages used and you are going to see alot of people dying and health maladies over the next decade. I watched that Loyd video of him beating his chest saying his blood work was ok. Did Kovacs die 2 months after his abuse? Nasser? Artwood? No they didnt...Virtually any 22 year old kid who abuses himself isnt going to drop dead at 23! But 15-20 years later? Thats is where there is going to be an accumalation of damage.

What are we seeing over and over of late? Heart failure. The science is there! Anabolic Steroids, Growth Hormone, and Hypertrophy of the Heart
You combine grams of testosterone with large doses of Growth hormone over time....what is going to happen to you is in the literature above and the consequences below.
Anthony M. D'Arezzo Obituary: View Anthony D'Arezzo's Obituary by The Providence Journal

See people only read about so and so pro bodybuilder who succumbs....nobody hears about the 3rd place finisher of MR Podunk who wanted it so bad and ended up dying at age 47 from his usage.

http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/s ... 746339cc41

[Holland Oates]

Who was the big kid on da pibbs that was all RAW IZ WAR!!!!! And felt it was cool to die young so long as you got scrong as fook.

[Kenny X]

I never got real heavily involved in drugs when I was young. But I do remember what my state of mind was like at 21 years old. Heh, back then I could go out, meet up with friends, pre-game with bong hits and then hit the bars, and whack-down Long Island iced-teas and Jäger shots and basically drink my face off and think nothing of it... And I did that a lot.

Granted, looking back, my abuse of alcohol was pretty tame compared to a lot of other people. Thing is, I thought I was invincible. I never once paid any mind to what life would be like at 30, I never once asked myself "Do you think that all this partying might have repercussions later in?"

Nowadays I think differently. If I'm pounding beers on Saturday night, and have to stop and think "Hey, you might want to cut it off after four, you have to go to bed at nine, then get up early tomorrow and run, and then open the gym. You have to make sure you can wake up tomorrow and do things that benefit your long-term health."


I know that this is a conversation about steroids and hormones, not booze or narcotics, but I do see a similarity in the mindset. And the point I'm making is- I never thought about "long term health" when I was a kid. And that was my own fault, but whatever.

I'm glad I didn't discover training until much later, and that I never god involved with the associated chemicals/hormones.


Anyway, I do believe that a anabolic a and growth hormone have their place and can probably be further developed and researched, maybe make then safer, who knows.

But reading stuff like what Fats posted legit scares the hell out of me.

[WildGorillaMan]

Who was the big kid on da pibbs that was all RAW IZ WAR!!!!! And felt it was cool to die young so long as you got scrong as fook.

Are you referring to Rex? The Lord High Rexecutioner?

I think he passed away.

[DPR]

I think PED's are a bad idea, but I think it should be legal as long as you do it under a doctor's care. Mega doses of drugs won't help if your genetics for a sport suck.

[WildGorillaMan]

I remember a gymrat I used to know gushing about Kovacs and how he had a "700lb shoulder press."

This was back when I was much younger and still argued with gymrats. I said to him "The world record in the clean and jerk is 581lbs, and you're telling me this guy can strict press 700lbs?"

He replied, "That's because the Olympics is drug-tested."

[Kenny X]

I remember a gymrat I used to know gushing about Kovacs and how he had a "700lb shoulder press."

This was back when I was much younger and still argued with gymrats. I said to him "The world record in the clean and jerk is 581lbs, and you're telling me this guy can strict press 700lbs?"

He replied, "That's because the Olympics is drug-tested."

That definitely merited a "Contemplate that on the Tree Of Woe" retort.

[TomFurman]

At least he died doing what he loves.

[DPR]

Not being able to breathe?

[Really Big Strong Guy]

Not being able to breathe?

I remember reading stories about how he could, during his heyday, not walk up a flight of steps because his lungs were not capable of feeding his 400 pounds of mass with oxygen.

Everything to an excess is just that. Excess.

[WildGorillaMan]

I was looking forward to reading an obituary of Kovacs written by Nasser El Sonbatay, but then I realized he's gone too.

[Kenny X]

Also, Greg Kovacs never would have died if he ate like a caveman.

[Kenny X]

I was looking forward to reading an obituary of Kovacs written by Nasser El Sonbatay, but then I realized he's gone too.

And neither would Nasser El Sonbatay.

[baffled]

I'm pretty sure I replied to this thread and included a few quotes from Matarazzo's wiki page.

Wonder what thread I dropped it in.

Either way, that doesn't sound like a fun way to live (weighing 400 lbs), or to die.

[Holland Oates]

Are you referring to Rex? The Lord High Rexecutioner?

I think he passed away.

That's him.

[WildGorillaMan]

Are you referring to Rex? The Lord High Rexecutioner?

I think he passed away.

That's him.

At least he died doing what he loved.

[Shafpocalypse Now]

There are big name PLs running 5-6g weekly

[Testiclaw]

There are big name PLs running 5-6g weekly

Yeah. Some of the PL doses are fucking insane. Not to mention how openly they joke about sides and whatnot, almost like a competition to see who can fuck themselves up faster.

Are you referring to Rex? The Lord High Rexecutioner?

I think he passed away.

That's him.

At least he died doing what he loved.

Wait, Rex, the raw guy who squatted all the time? Is he really dead or are you guys fucking around.

I stopped going to the Pibbz a while back.

[Holland Oates]

Yeah. Some of the PL doses are fucking insane. Not to mention how openly they joke about sides and whatnot, almost like a competition to see who can fuck themselves up faster.

Wait, Rex, the raw guy who squatted all the time? Is he really dead or are you guys fucking around.

I stopped going to the Pibbz a while back.

No idea.

[Shafpocalypse Now]

Dropped out, don't know what he's doing

[Croatoa]

Wasn't he charged with extortion a couple of years ago?

[cunch]

I remember a gymrat I used to know gushing about Kovacs and how he had a "700lb shoulder press."

This was back when I was much younger and still argued with gymrats. I said to him "The world record in the clean and jerk is 581lbs, and you're telling me this guy can strict press 700lbs?"

He replied, "That's because the Olympics is drug-tested."

I trained at the same gym as he did in St Catharines, Ontario, in the early 90s. While I never saw 700 lbs presses, I did see him incline press 495 for 8 reps. (Possibly more reps or weight or both) He also had 2 - 225 lbs dumbbells, literally with his name on them.

He was a strong mofo, fo sho. He should have tried out for WSM, he didn't really have the physique for a pro level bodybuilder.

And I worked at his home a couple years ago. Actually his parents home, he was having some legal issues at the time I believe. He was a really nice guy, at least to me, on that day.

He was dating a super hot 28 year old, I was impressed. And I believe he sent her out for some big macs, on account of his hunger...

[KingSchmaltzBagelHour]

He was dating a super hot 28 year old, I was impressed.

What was his name?

[cunch]

He was dating a super hot 28 year old, I was impressed.

What was his name?

ButterCup something or other