What did bodybuilder Mike Matarazzo die from? Mike Matarazzo has passed away

Mike Matarazzo was never a great champion, but for many years he was considered perhaps the most popular bodybuilder in America. He was handsome, charming and friendly, and, as they say now, charismatic. And also very big, and Americans love everything big. His build was not without flaws, but his calves and biceps were recognized as the best in the world. Without winning a single pro tournament, Mike managed to write his name in golden letters in the annals of American, and, perhaps, world bodybuilding.

Not everyone knows that having died at the age of 48, Mike could have done this much earlier. The first time was in 1993, when he became ill right on stage, the second time was in 2006, when he needed several heart surgeries. His short life was a feat. Who was he - Mike Matarazzo and what killed him?

Matarazzo was born in 1966 in Boston. His youth was spent in a not very prosperous area, and Mike, following the example of many other teenagers, enrolled in a boxing section. And then he simply wanted to become big and strong and began to swing. Things went well, and how! As a result, Mike became seriously interested in bodybuilding and began reading muscle magazines. What he was most interested in was how big he could get. “Of the great athletes, I was admired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferigno and Sergio Oliva, but perhaps most of all by Larry Scott,” Mike admitted. “His biceps seemed perfect to me, especially considering his height and build. And in general he seemed to me somehow special. Later, when I met him, I realized that I was not mistaken."

First victories

Matarazzo tried to combine boxing with bodybuilding for some time, but although he achieved considerable success in the ring (for example, in 1985 he won the Massachusetts Golden Gloves light heavyweight championship), his love for hardware remained still prevailed. It cannot be said that Matarazzo’s successes in pumping up the “mass” greatly pleased the musclemen around him. The fact is that, striving to become big, Mike took the shortest route to this goal. Namely: I tried to lift as much weight as possible at any cost, without particularly paying attention to the technique of performing the exercise. The old-timers really didn’t like this, and they tried to straighten his brains out: “Hey, guy, throwing up a barbell like that is unlikely to pump up your arms, but you’ll definitely end up in the hospital!” Matarazzo did not pay the slightest attention to these admonitions, continuing to stubbornly use cheating and other “dirty” tricks, absorbing liters of protein mixtures and growing like bamboo! Want a cocktail recipe from Matarazzo? Easy: mix a couple of cans of tuna with orange juice in a blender and drink it! Pretty soon he swung his “beaters” up to 50 cm! The envious veteran jocks had no choice but to continue their muttering, but in a slightly different spirit: “Yes, guy, you are, of course, healthy, but in terms of competitions, you are unlikely to get anywhere.” “To shut these guys up, I competed at the ’89 Massachusetts Gold Classic and became both the heavyweight and overall champion!” - Mike recalled. The skeptics were put to shame.

However, perhaps more important than success on the podium, Matarazzo became acquainted with the president of the NPC (the main federation of American bodybuilders) Jim Manion, who saw great potential in Mike and recommended that he test his strength at the national level. No sooner said than done. In 1990, Mike moved to the mecca of American bodybuilding, the town of Venice (California), enlists the support of the famous Gold's Gym club, which undertakes to sponsor him, and begins preparations for the Mr. USA competition, which was supposed to take place in 1991 in town of Santa Monica. “It was truly a heroic preparation,” Mike recalled with pride. “Flex Wheeler was considered the favorite of the upcoming tournament. I was a nobody, a “dark horse” and I understood that in order to beat Flex and the rest of the guys. "I had to jump in over my head. I worked out in the gym for 3-4 hours a day for six months and fell asleep every evening with the thought that I would be a champion. At the same time, I didn’t care what they said about my upcoming opponents." He showed on stage with a height of 178 cm 111 kg of “lean” muscles and arms with a volume of 56 cm. He won both in his category and in the absolute category, beating, in addition to Wheeler, who finished second, the later no less famous Chris Cormier. This was the year. the infamous split in bodybuilding, when the organizer of wrestling tournaments Vince McMahon, together with Tom Platz, created an alternative federation to the IFBB, the WBF, and lured such Vader celebrities as Mike Christian, Berry De Mey, Mike and Jim Quinn and a number of others with substantial fees. Matarazzo received a tempting offer from McMahon - $100,000 a year. This was double his contract with Vader, but Matarazzo did not budge.

No diuretics

Having turned pro, Mike felt the hard way that this was a completely different level. It was difficult to surprise anyone here with its dimensions alone. Razor relief - that's what he needed! However, an attempt to make “nuclear quality” at the Arnold Classic ’93 competition almost ended in tragedy. In pursuit of super relief, Mike went overboard with diuretics and potassium, a mineral that greatly thickens the blood. At the same time, he practically did not drink! On the podium, Matarazzo weighed 109.5 kg and looked phenomenal, not being lost against the background of such megastars as Flex Wheeler, Lee Labrada and Paul Dillett and managing to take a respectable sixth place. However, at what cost did this come to him! “I practically couldn’t pose, I was cramped,” Mike recalled, “at times my vision grew dark, and I couldn’t see anything.” As a result, the athlete ended up in a hospital bed, and the doctors had to work hard to get him in order. “I was lying in the ward, my parents were next to me, and I could not understand what made me almost kill myself,” Matarazzo spoke of those events years later.

The rebirth of a star

Matarazzo learned from his misadventures and by 1996 was ready to continue his competitive career at the next level. To return to big bodybuilding, he chose not some second-rate tournament, but the “Night of Champions”! Matarazzo appeared on the podium with perhaps the best relief and finished fifth, beating such celebrities as Albrecht, Yablonicki, Eddie Robinson and Strydom. A year later, he managed to climb one step higher, and in 1998 he finished in the top three. I must say that that year was generally the most successful in Mike’s career. In addition to the bronze medal at the Night of Champions, he then managed to finish second at the Toronto Pro, defeating the handsome Chris Cormier, and most importantly, break into the coveted top ten at Olympia. “It was incredible,” Mike recalls, “my parents were in the audience, and when Joe Weider hung the medal around my neck, I took it off and gave it to my parents. I'm very proud that I was able to do this for them."

Public Favorite

Even then, Matarazzo realized that he was unlikely to ever become Mr. Olympia or even enter the prizes, but he didn’t care. And it wasn't just the long-term contract with Vader. Mike's popularity among American fans of the "iron game" was limitless! “When I jump on stage, I stop being myself and turn into some kind of transformer, a clot of energy,” Mike once said. - It's like in boxing when you hear the gong before the first round and jump into the ring. People come to bodybuilding competitions to see something special, and I give it to them. Of course, I could show classic poses like other athletes without any problems, but I understand that this is not enough for the public. That’s why I want to get a little crazier every year.” The audience especially went wild when Matarazzo stuck out his incredibly long tongue, just like “Dracula” by Gene Simmons from the group Kiss: “Sometimes it happens that before you even get on stage, the boys start shouting: “Show us your tongue, Mike!” . “I stuck my tongue out for the first time at the Mr. USA competition in 1991,” Matarazzo recalled. “I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I simply couldn’t find another way to express them. I did it and the audience loved it!” I must say that it was Mike who was the first to jump off the stage into the audience and pose right in the middle of the audience.

Of course, ripping off his shirt on the podium or jumping off the stage into the auditorium is very impressive, but fans revered Mike for more than just that. As you know, you cannot deceive the viewer, and Matarazzo captivated his fans with his utmost sincerity. “Only some severe injury can prevent me from competing,” he admits. - For example, in 1993, during the Olympia, I got sick and was out of shape, but, nevertheless, I went on the podium in the same way as a few years later, when I had not really recovered from surgery for a hernia: “To Did I quit the race and give up? This won’t happen!”

Heart problems

After the 2001 Olympia, where Matarazzo was awarded 21st place, he decided to end his bodybuilding career. Mike moved to the small quiet town of Modesto in California and lived there quietly and peacefully. In 2006, Mike and his wife Lacey had a son, Michael, and in 2008, a daughter, Mia. But even before that he had to go through severe trials. “At some point I began to get very tired and could not understand why,” he admitted. - I was still seriously “bombing” in the gym, weighed 123 kilos and was determined to return to the podium in the spring of 2005. But one December night I woke up to find myself coughing up blood and foaming at the mouth. I was suffocating, my lungs didn’t have enough air. My wife rushed me to the hospital, where it was discovered that I had congestive heart failure. Two of my arteries were 100% blocked, and the third was 78% blocked.” Doctors performed triple heart surgery on Mike. But this only helped for a while. Three years later, his arteries were again covered with cholesterol plaques, and Mike suffered a heart attack during the examination. This time, doctors implanted a defibrillator in him. Their verdict was disappointing: the athlete’s heart was working at 20-25%. If this figure dropped below 20%, Matarazzo should have been added to the heart transplant list. After that, despite all his efforts, he managed to survive for only seven years. Or seven whole years? After surviving a heart attack, Mike, by his own admission, began to enjoy every second of life: “I used to think that the most important thing was to be big, but now it’s just to be alive.”

Are steroids to blame for what happened? Matarazzo himself believed so. After all, he took them for years, albeit not in particularly huge dosages, somewhere around 1000 -1500 mg per week, from time to time taking breaks of 4-5 months. “When you infuse yourself with powerful medicine, anything can happen to you,” he said in an interview. “And if other guys think that they will be lucky to slip through, this is self-deception. And the death of a number of athletes under the age of 40 confirms this. Some will say it's genetics, but none of my ancestors had heart problems. Well, I was a star, I made money from this, and all that. But when guys put huge doses into themselves just to win a local competition or even just to be big, I don’t understand it.”

Mike Matarazzo
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Performance history

Competition Place

• Mr. Olympia 2001 21
• Night of Champions 2001 5
• Night of Champions 2000 18
• Toronto/Montreal Pro 2000 6
• Mr. Olympia 1999 11
• Mr. Olympia 1998 9
• Night of Champions 1998 3
• Toronto/Montreal Pro 1998 3
• San Francisco Pro 1998 7
• Grand Prix Germany 1997 11
• Grand Prix Spain 1997 10
• Grand Prix Hungary 1997 10
• Mr. Olympia 1997 13
• Night of Champions 1997 4
• Toronto/Montreal Pro 1997 2
• Grand Prix Russia 1996 9
• Grand Prix Switzerland 1996 9
• Grand Prix Czech Republic 1996 9
• Mr. Olympia 1996 13
• Night of Champions 1996 5
• South Beach Pro 1995 7
• Florida Pro 1995 7
• Arnold Classic 1994 9
• San Francisco Pro 1994 8
• San Jose Pro 1994 8
• Mr. Olympia 1993 -
• Night of Champions 1993 8
• Arnold Classic 1993 6
• Pittsburgh Pro 1993 2
• Arnold Classic 1992 15
• Ironman Pro 1992 5
• Mr. Olympia 1991 -
• US Championship 1991 1
• US Championship 1991 1 in the category Heavyweight

In professional ratings

• Place Rating Date of rating
• 12 IFBB Male Bodybuilding Professional Ranking 1998 06/10/1998

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Excerpt describing Matarazzo, Mike

- What is this?! – the girl asked in fear. “Is that us there?...” she whispered very quietly, pointing her finger at her bloody physical face. - How can this be... but here, it’s us too?..
It was clear that everything that was happening shocked her, and her greatest desire at that moment was to hide somewhere from it all...
- Mom, where are you?! – the little girl suddenly screamed. - Mom-ah!
She looked about four years old, no more. Thin blonde braids, with huge pink bows woven into them, and funny “pretzels” puffed up on both sides, making her look like a kind faun. Wide-open, large gray eyes looked in confusion at the world that was so familiar and familiar to her, which suddenly for some reason became incomprehensible, alien and cold... She was very scared, and she did not hide it at all.
The boy was eight or nine years old. He was thin and fragile, but his round “professor” glasses made him look a little older, and he seemed very businesslike and serious in them. But at the moment, all his seriousness suddenly evaporated, giving way to absolute confusion.
A cheering, sympathetic crowd had already gathered around the cars, and a few minutes later the police appeared, accompanying the ambulance. Our town was still not large at that time, so city services could respond to any “emergency” incident in a fairly organized and quick manner.
The emergency doctors, having quickly consulted about something, began to carefully remove the mutilated bodies one by one. The first was the body of a boy, whose essence stood in a stupor next to me, unable to say or think anything.
The poor thing was shaking wildly, apparently it was too hard for his childish overexcited brain. He just looked with wide eyes at what had just been “him” and could not get out of the protracted “tetanus”.

Every time the giant with the bull's neck and fantastically developed calves walked onto the stage, the admiring audience reacted with a roar. Despite the fact that he is a brutal athlete as a professional didn't win a single tournament, this did not affect its popularity. He was loved for his charisma, humor and curves that embodied the strength and aesthetics of the male figure. The public recognized the favorite by his artistic posing, characteristic dancing, and habit of sticking out his tongue.

At that time, his figure graced the covers of all iron magazines.

• With a height of 178 cm;
• the muscular athlete weighed 130 kg;
• at competitions - 114 kg.

Why did life end so early?

In December 2004, triple heart bypass surgery put an end to my professional career. Fighting death for a year taught Matarazzo to think philosophically and appreciate every minute. After a while, it seemed that everything had worked out and it was possible to return to the past life. After a severe attack 3 years later, Mike asked God for another 20–30 years of life to get his son back on his feet. But this did not happen. In 2014, the bodybuilder passed away. He died at age 48 at Stanford University Hospital while awaiting a heart transplant. Let's remember how he came to the sport and what he was like at the peak of his career.

How it all began

Date of Birth Mike Matarazzo (Mike Matarazzo)- November 8, 1965, Massachusetts (USA). The boy was born in a poor area of ​​Boston into a family with little income. Thanks to excellent genetics, the guy from an early age pleased his parents with his rapid development and artistic abilities. It would seem that a child with creative inclinations should be least attracted to sports. But during school years Boxing became one of his passions. My father became a role model, skilled in hand-to-hand combat and waving his fists at every opportunity.

Changing priorities

Mike had not a single broken nose of an opponent, and not a single won fight. The young man considered himself a promising boxer until he got to the championship "Golden Glove". There he realized that he did not have the natural abilities to become a master, and he was not ready to risk his life.

Excess energy pushed him to conquer new heights and brought the young man to the gym. Muscle mass grew at warp speed. Experienced comrades suggested trying their hand at the local championship in 1989 "Mr. Massachusetts". To my own surprise, Mike won a clear victory. Success pushed him to serious training. Later he migrates to California, where he is invited to advertise pharmaceuticals. The move allowed me to study in a good gym under the direction of.

Past victories and regalia

Without hesitation for a long time after the first successes, Matarazzo applied to participate in "Mr. Olympia", where he was left without a place.

Throughout his career, he tried to conquer this podium 7 times, but never rose above 9th position in 1998.

Until 1997, the bodybuilder actively performed. Thanks to its chic shapes and charm, became incredibly popular. Fans and journalists stood in line for an autograph and an interview, and specialized magazines featured his photo on the cover with enviable regularity. The opportunity to win prestigious shows was only 2 times: in 1993 at Pittsburgh Pro, where he received 2nd result, in 1997 at Toronto/Montreal.

Year	Competitions	Place
1991	US Championship	1 in category Heavyweight
1991	US Championship	1
1991	Mr. Olympia	—
1992	Ironman Pr	5
1992	Arnold Classic	15
1993	Pittsburgh Pro	2
1993	Arnold Classic	6
1993	Night of Champions	8
1993	Mr. Olympia	—
1994	San Jose Pro	8
1994	San Francisco Pro	8
1994	Arnold Classic	9
1995	Florida Pro	7
1995	South Beach Pro	7
1996	Night of Champions	5
1996	Mr. Olympia	13
1996	Grand Prix Czech Republic	9
1996	Grand Prix Switzerland	9
1996	Grand Prix Russia	9
1997	Toronto/Montreal Pro	2
1997	Night of Champions	4
1997	Mr. Olympia	13
1997	Grand Prix Hungary	10
1997	Grand Prix Spain	10
1997	Grand Prix Germany	11
1998	San Francisco Pro	7
1998	Toronto/Montreal Pro	3
1998	Night of Champions	3
1998	Mr. Olympia	9
1999	Mr. Olympia	11
2000	Toronto/Montreal Pro	6
2000	Night of Champions	18
2001	Night of Champions	5
2001	Mr. Olympia	21

It's a pity that my health failed

In the same year, Matarazzo began problems with blood vessels and blood. The drugs hardly helped. Despite feeling unwell, the athlete continued to train. However, he is no stranger to it. When he was diagnosed with a hernia, overcoming wild pain, he danced on stage and smiled.

“I felt like I was being tortured. I could hardly restrain my scream. Immediately after the show, I flew to the surgeon as if on wings. I already had an umbilical hernia, now an inguinal hernia has emerged. How stupid it turned out. The other day I decided to move a huge TV weighing 100 kg to the second floor; on the stairs I felt as if something had burst in my groin. In the morning, in an interesting place, I saw a tumor the size of a tennis ball. If I hadn’t immediately gone to the doctor, I could have forgotten about the competition.”

In 2004, due to obstruction of the heart arteries, a bodybuilder finished his career. He became an intermediary in issuing loans and the owner of a sports website. In 2007, he underwent another operation and a defibrillator was inserted, which automatically starts the heart. The sad end of this story is known.

"Make it a strength workout"

The bodybuilder always emphasized that a muscleman needs broad shoulders. From the very beginning, he actively “bombed” the deltas, performing 30 sets in a row. The results were mostly zero. Then he took on heavier weights and shortened the sessions. The weight gain did not take long to happen. He recommended the circuit tested on himself to beginners.

The complex included 2 basic techniques for the entire array of deltas: overhead presses, . Then each bundle was worked out with isolating exercises that required full dedication.

“It’s one thing to work with equipment while standing, and another thing to work with equipment while lying down, sitting, or bending over.”

Weekly split The shirt is painted like a sheet music:

• Monday – , torso, .
• Tuesday - back.
• Wednesday - cardio, deltoids.

He performed up to 12 repetitions in each set and monitored the sensations in his body that helped him find a balance between muscle tension and load. According to the athlete, “excessive or low weight dries out muscles and does not give results”.

Mike Matarazzo in video format

Do you know that:

1.Is it possible to become a high-class pro-bodybuilder without powerful steroid drugs that disable internal organs and can lead to premature death?

2. In addition to anabolic steroids, can other drugs, such as diuretics, insulin, GH (growth hormone) cause harm to health?

3. In bodybuilding, should one distinguish between taking drugs and their excessive use and abuse? It is about drug abuse by bodybuilders of the 90s and 2000s that we will talk about in our article.

How to quickly “play the box”

In 1980, Dr. R. Goldman decided to ask top athletes if they would agree to win every competition for 5 years and die after this period. Oddly enough, many athletes were not against this prospect. Would you go for it? Lots of competitive bodybuilders and even non-competitive powerlifters do this.

Relief and muscular corpses

Bodybuilding champions are known, as a rule, only to a narrow audience that watches what is happening in this sport. Therefore, one can only wonder what makes many athletes risk their health and lives in order to achieve success.

Glory? Money? Or is it all about sports passion, which makes you zealously build muscle mass and look more prominent than other competitors? It is believed that the deaths of bodybuilders are largely due to the high abuse of AAS (anabolic steroids), GH, insulin, and diuretics. But why are so many young bodybuilders dying in a sport that focuses on training, healthy eating and losing excess fat?

The goal is not health, but muscles

Pro bodybuilder Mike Matarazzo once said, “Most athletes hope that nothing bad will happen to them. But by the age of 40, they increasingly have heart problems and worse things.” Matarazzo himself, at the age of 38, suffered a triple heart bypass, three years later he had a heart attack, and at the age of 47 he went to his forefathers without waiting for a heart transplant. When he was in his early 30s, he was at the peak of his form in competitions. At that time, “mass monsters” paid close attention to themselves in bodybuilding, and Matarazzo, in pursuit of such a form, ate 3 kg of red meat daily. But years earlier, he had not yet experienced any health problems and was one of those few pro-athletes who openly said that a high level in pro-bodybuilding could not be achieved without AAS and similar drugs without causing harm to his health. Matarazzo's warnings about the side effects of drugs may seem exaggerated to some, but statistics and scientific research only support his words.

There is no denying the fact that many top bodybuilders do not live past the age of 40, seemingly from “natural causes” of death - a heart attack or organ failure. Some don't live to see 35. And those few who are over 50 watch in horror what they have done to their health. I don’t think you can find a dozen IFBB pro-athletes who successfully competed in the 90s and who now have no health problems.

Predictable response

Bodybuilding fans react predictably to the death of a young bodybuilder from organ failure: “He had a natural predisposition to the unstable functioning of one or another organ, so even if he were not a bodybuilder, but some kind of teacher, he would have died in the same way!” But the question is, can a natural predisposition to develop dysfunction of any organ be aggravated by excessive use of drugs? And would this or that athlete live longer without using them? Or is it all about drug abuse in an effort to gain weight and get lean for competitions? Of course, one should not discount other natural causes that can lead to premature death, but they seem weak arguments when it comes to the death of a physicist-athlete.

Reward for extremes

In the 50s of the twentieth century, a distinction was made between bodybuilding and fitness. Over time, people have become more interested in building muscle mass than developing strength and endurance. And it is no coincidence that in the 60s the world of bodybuilding learned about AAS. Reducing subcutaneous fat and increasing body weight meant that muscle mass was growing. And the more this was encouraged by the public, the more the number of competitors in the competition grew. We didn’t think much about health.

It would perhaps be more correct to say that it is not steroids that kill a person, but the abuse of steroids. And, apparently, it is more likely to be true that there are other drugs that are more harmful to health, in contrast to AAS. And these are GH, insulin, diuretics, which gained popularity in the 90s.

Payment for proportions and relief

In the 90s, there was a paradigm shift in bodybuilding towards the “ideal” body shape, to which D. Yates had a hand, inspiring many people with his example. This body shape was nicknamed “mass monster”, because there were no precedents for it - due to its massive proportions and deep definition with an extremely low layer of subcutaneous fat. And so, over time, we began to witness the consequences of taking drugs by bodybuilders - these are large and small health problems and deaths. However, not every pro-bodybuilder has experienced these problems. And this is not always due to massive proportions and professional status in bodybuilding, but rather to the use of drugs.

What research will tell us

Researchers in 2014 established a connection between AAS use and the functioning of the cardiac system. The findings were that heavy steroid users were at increased risk for higher mortality rates due to cardiac instability than natural athletes.

The US Journal of Cardiology (2012) published a report that collected materials from about 50 studies on the effects of AAS on the cardiovascular system. All indications were that steroids may play a direct role in heart failure.

The Journal of the Society of Nephrology of the United States provides data from a study that examined the prevalence of kidney failure among bodybuilders taking steroids for 2 years, and signs of this disease were found in the majority of athletes, in some cases in irreversible and inoperable forms.

How do pro bodybuilders differ from other athletes?

Compared to bodybuilders, mortality among other professional athletes is not as clearly associated with the use of stimulant drugs, but is mainly associated with physical wear and tear on an organ and with the use of recreational drugs.

Doping (PEDs) is associated by the public with AAS, despite the fact that doping is a loose concept. A person can take drugs as doping, ranging from insulin to EPO and various non-steroidal stimulants.

It is known that the use of PEDs is widespread in professional sports such as MMA, baseball, and football. Newspaper headlines are full of reports of the use of PEDs even in car rallies, bicycle racing, wrestling and cricket.

It’s no wonder that professional athletes strive to use every conceivable advantage in sports, realizing at the same time that they sometimes directly violate sports regulations and the law.

In 2014, on behalf of the staff of the Public Library of Science (USA), a report was published that examined the mortality factor among professional wrestlers from 1985 to 2011. It turned out that wrestlers died 3-4 times more often than other residents of America for 30 - 50 years. The vast majority of deaths were caused by cardiac disease and drug overdose. Wrestlers were 15 times more likely to die from cardiac disorders and 122 times more likely to die from drugs compared to non-athletes. In recent years, about one in five wrestlers have died from an overdose of recreational drugs.

In 2012, the US Journal of Cardiology published an article that looked at mortality rates among professional NHL rugby players. It was found that for the most part they died almost one and a half times more often than non-athletes. But it’s no secret that rugby puts a lot of stress on the nervous system and musculoskeletal system, hence the corresponding complications.

Drug use and abuse

30 years ago, the average non-professional athlete did not have much need for steroids. But these days, if you want to fit into the pro bodybuilding community, you'll likely be surrounded by AAS users.

On the Internet, thousands of athletes are discussing how to properly plan the first, second, third, and fourth steroid cycles. These guys are not looking for a way to make money from their muscles and do not strive to win first places in competitions. These are just average athletes who want to look better.

When it comes to steroids, they are either taken in acceptable amounts or taken in excessive amounts. It is from drug abuse that, as a rule, the mortality statistics are replenished.

Mortality in bodybuilding

In the 1960s, magazine publisher IronMan P. Rader wrote an article about the problems associated with steroid use by athletes, in which he also warned readers not to take steroids. Since then, there have been numerous deaths from steroid and PED abuse by bodybuilders.

1.T. Smith. Writer and bodybuilding instructor. I never participated in competitions, although I weighed more than 135 kg. He died at the age of 30 in 2004. The cause of death was a heart attack.

2.M. Matarazzo. Often ranked among the top ten athletes in the IFBB Pro division (1992 – 2001). He died at the age of 47 in 2014. The cause of death was a heart attack.

3.C. Klein. Four-time NPC Heavyweight medalist and two-time NPC Heavyweight medalist. He died in 2003 at the age of 30. The cause of death was kidney failure.

4.D. Puckett. Won first place in 2006 NPC CollegiateNationalHeavyweight. A year later he died of heart failure. He was 22 years old

5.A. Münzer. Ranked in the top five 13 times 1986-1996. Considered an “innovator” in terms of using diuretics to achieve super-dry relief. In 1996, at the age of 32, he died from organ failure.

6.R. Benavent. Participated in several NPC competitions from 1994 to 2003. Died at age 30 in 2004. Cause of death: heart attack.

7.M. Benaziza. A seven-time winner in competitions from 1990 and 1992. He first won 1st place in 1990 at NightofChampions (“beating” D. Yates), and was twice among the top five best Mr. Olympia athletes. In 1992, he died a few hours after winning a Dutch show at the age of 33. The cause of death was a heart attack.

8.L. Wood. IFBB-competitor (2001–2008). He often found himself in the top ten bodybuilders. In 2011, he died after a kidney transplant surgery due to complications. He was 35 years old.

9.D. Sezzarezzi. IFBB-competitor (2007–2013). In 2010, he entered the Guinness Book of Records as the heaviest competitive bodybuilder weighing 134 kg. He died in 2013 at the age of 33. Heart attack.

10.A. Atwood. He was among the top ten bodybuilders in the IFBB division (2002 – 2004). In 2011 he died at 37 years old. Heart attack.

11.K. Janusz. Participated in competitions as an amateur, was a consultant on nutrition and preparation for competitions. In 2009, he died under unclear circumstances at the age of 37

12. M. Duval. Four-time top-three NPC heavyweight champion (1999 – 2003). In 2013 he died at 40 years old. Heart attack.

13.E. V. Amsterdam. In the 1990s he was a European champion in bodybuilding, often included in the top 10 best bodybuilders in the IFB division in 2002, 2003. He died at the age of 40 in 2014. Heart attack.

14.H. Durr. He was in the top 5 in the NPC and IFBB six times (1988 - 1999), participated in the IFBB USA Championship in 2004. He died in 2005 at the age of 44. Heart attack.

15.F. Barrios. Two-time winner of the JanTana competition (2001–2002). She placed in the top eight bodybuilders at Ms. Olympia three times. She died at the age of 41 in 2005. Stroke.

16.G. Kovacs. Competed in several IFBB competitions (1997–2005). He became famous as one of the most massive off-season bodybuilders, weighing over 180 kg. Died at age 44 in 2013. Heart failure.

17.E. d'Arezzo. Placed in the top 10 in the NPC Heavyweight division three times (1993–1995). Winner of the New England NPC in 1997. In 2006, at 44, he died on the eve of the competition. Heart attack.

18.R. Teufel. In 1978 he won the IFBB title “Mr. USA”. Won second place in 1979 WorldAmateurs. He was in the top 10 in the IFBB (1981–1982). He died in 2002 at the age of 45. Liver failure.

19.F. Hillebrand. Ranked in the top 10 in the light heavyweight division (1987–1989). Placed in the top ten in the IFBB several times (1990-93). At the age of 45, he died in 2011. Heart attack.

20.H. Hrpstaken. In 1998-99 he participated in NPC Masters. In 2000-01 he competed in the IFBB, was among the top 5 at the Masters Olympia. In 2002 he died at the age of 45. Heart failure.

20.R. Mentzer. 1979-82 – IFBB-competitor. In 1978 he became the winner of the Mr. USA championship and was among the top three athletes several times. He died in 2001 at the age of 47. Kidney failure.

21.A. Azaryan. 2002-09 – NPC competitor, won first place in competitions five times. Consultant on nutrition, training and preparation for competitions. In 2015, he died under unclear circumstances at the age of 45.

22.D. Ross. Amateur competitor (1965-72), pro bodybuilder (1973-80). In 1995 he died at the age of 49. Heart attack.

23.N. E. Sonbati. Frequently ranked in the IFBB Top 8 (1990-92) and Top 4 (1993-98). He won 2nd place in 1997, and 3rd place in the Mr. Olympia competition in 1995 and 1998. He died at the age of 47 in 2014. Kidney failure and heart complications.

24.D. Youngblood. Participated in NPC and IFBB Masters (1994-02). In 2001 he took 2nd place at the Masters Olympia and a year later at the same championship - first place. He died in 2005 at the age of 49. Heart attack.

25.M. Mentzer. He was in the top 3 in the IFBB Pro (1975-79), won second place at the 1976 Mr. Universe, first place at the 1976 Mr. America and first place at the 1979 Mr. Olympia. . The first pro bodybuilder to receive the highest rating in competition. He died in 2001 at the age of 49. Heart complications.

26.S. Stoilov. Participated in NPC and IFBB Masters (2005-14). He died at the age of 49 in 2014.

27.E. Kawaka. Five-time Mr. Universe (1982-85, 1993). IFBB-competitor (1996,1999). He died in 2006 at the age of 51. Heart attack.

28.T. Harris. Frequently ranked top 5 in NPC and IFBB (2002-12). He took first place several times (2011-12). He died at the age of 50 in 2013. Heart attack.

29.G. Deferro. In 1979 – IFBB Mr. International, placed in the top 4 in IFBB competitions five times (1981-84), finished second in the 1983 Night of Champions. He died at the age of 53 in 2007. Heart disease.

30.V. Comerford: Amateur Competitor (1984-86). First place middleweight (1987) at NPCNationals. IFBB-competitor (1989-90). He died at the age of 52 in 2014. Heart attack.

What is this - betting?

At the time of writing, the bodybuilders discussed below are, fortunately, still alive, but already have serious health problems:

1. T. Prince. NPC Competitor (1995-97), 1st Place Winner in 1997 Nationals. IFBB-competitor (1999-02). In 2003, at the age of 34, he suffered from kidney failure while preparing for a competition. “Resigned” in 2004. In 2012, he underwent a kidney transplant.

2. D. Long. NPC competitor in the Light Heavyweight (1992) and Heavyweight (1993-95) divisions. Frequently ranked in the top 10 in IFBB Pro (1996-99). In 1999, at the age of 34, he suffered from kidney failure. In 2002, he underwent a kidney transplant, which failed a year later. In 2006-09 he participated in several IFBB competitions. In 2011, he underwent another kidney transplant.

3. F. Wheeler. NPC competitor (1989-92). One of the best IFBB pro-athletes (1993-2000), winner of 17 prizes. Three times he was awarded second place at Mr. Olympia and twice he was in the top 4 at Mr. Olympia. He survived kidney failure and decided not to compete anymore, but he couldn’t hold back and then competed twice, finishing 7th in the 2002 Mr. Olympia and 3rd in the 2003 Ironman. Underwent a kidney transplant in 2003.

4. O. Burke. NPC competitor in the Super Heavyweight (1996-97) and Super Heavyweight in 1998. Frequently placed in the top 10 in the IFBB (1999-2002), won first place in the NightofChampions in 2001 and first place in the Toronto Pro in 2001 Twice placed in the top 10 at Mr. Olympia. He was in a long coma (from which he emerged) after complications during surgery in 2002 at the age of 39 years.

5. M. Morris. NPC competitor (1990-97). IFBB pro bodybuilder (2001-05). Stopped competing after discovering kidney problems at age 35.

Mike Matarazzo returns to sports after surgery

MINIDOSSIER: MIKE MATARAZZO

• Date of birth: November 8, 1965
• Place of birth: Massachusetts, USA
• Place of residence: California, USA
• Height: 178 cm
• Weight: 130 kg in the off-season;
• 114 kg - competitive.
• Beginning of professional career: winner of the 1991 US Championship.
• Achievements: Winning the Mr. USA tournament
• How do you get from home to the gym? By bike.
• Your favorite hall? Of course, Gold's Jim's in Venice! The reason is that they are constantly updating the equipment. New products appear there as soon as they come off the assembly line.
• LETTERS: Mike Matarazzo, 512 Cassidy Court, Modesto, California, 95356

Outwardly, everything looked as usual: the muscular giant danced onto the Olympia podium and enthusiastically tried to surpass his rivals in every element of posing. The audience responded with a roar of delight! Who would know what Mike Matarazzo himself felt at those moments!

“It was like I was being tortured by inquisitors!” Mike recalls. “Imagine, they poured molten lead down your throat and now it’s gurgling in your stomach! The pain is so bad that I could hardly hold back a scream. Immediately after the tournament, I rushed to the surgeon. In the office, usual in such cases, I pulled down my underpants, and the surgeon carefully examined my stomach.

Then he looked lower and immediately gave a diagnosis: Mike, you have a hernia again! This time it’s the groin!..”

The first time a hernia happened to Mike was three years ago. He trained furiously - he did super-heavy biceps curls, strained himself and... his belly button seemed to “shoot” forward! Umbilical hernia! “Well, I felt terrible,” recalls Mike. “Imagine, my belly button fell forward a couple of centimeters and dangled indecently in front of me, and I tried to push it back with my fingers.”

Fortunately, it turned out that an umbilical hernia is a piece of cake for surgeons. Mike, if he missed it, did not miss more than a week of training.

VICTIM VICTIM

And here is the second misfortune. A few days before the ill-fated Olympia, Mike decided to drag his Mitsubishi TV to the second floor, into the bedroom. And he is not small - 110 cm diagonally. Having firmly grasped the 100-kilogram box, Mike pushed it up the stairs and suddenly felt as if something had burst in his groin. And the next morning I woke up and found a hard tumor the size of a tennis ball in my groin, near an interesting place. Mike stood up and immediately felt a strong aching pain in his lower abdomen.

Mike guessed that if he went to the doctor, he would put him in a hospital bed. But how can he refuse to perform at Olympia if he, Mike, just recently found himself in the top three at the Night of Champions tournament! In short, Mike decided to endure. And he even came ninth at Olympia. But every appearance on the podium was a real torment for him. “I would strike a pose, tense up,” Mike recalls, “and then it was like a sharp knife was being stabbed into me.” By the way, Mike is no stranger to knife wounds. Several times he had to test the knife, as they say, on his own skin. This happened many years ago, long before receiving a professional card, during his work in the tax police.

UNDER THE KNIFE

The doctors insisted on immediate surgery, but Mike kept putting it off and putting it off - he was afraid to interrupt his training. However, after a month and a half, he “gave up” - the pain became unbearable. Not only could he no longer train, but he could barely even move. The doctors were surprised how Mike had not yet gone to the next world. The fact is that a hernia in itself is not dangerous to health. Imagine, the muscles of the lower abdomen “spread apart” from strong straining, and the intestine protrudes into the resulting “gap”. Well, it sticks out and sticks out. However, with the next straining, the muscles can “come together” again and pinch the intestine. And this is already a disaster! There is pain shock and all that, which there is no room to talk about here. It is enough to remember that the operation, as with acute appendicitis, is needed immediately, otherwise, just like with appendicitis, you will play out in a few hours. It’s good that if all this happens to you at home, somewhere you can quickly call an ambulance. What if somewhere outside the city or on a camping trip? That’s why doctors say this: don’t wait for infringement, but calmly sign up for a planned operation. It’s worth adding: and it’s better to do it as soon as possible - the sooner you go to bed, the sooner you’ll take up training again. As for Mike, he unknowingly continued to train hard and thereby exposed himself to great, and completely unnecessary, risk.

Mike went into every detail of the operation. He was especially worried about the method by which he would be sewn up. What does this mean? And the fact is that there are quite a lot of ways to “sew together” separated muscles. For a bodybuilder, of course, you need one that is stronger, otherwise the seam will not hold up and will break under load. However, from the very beginning the surgeon proposed not an ordinary suture, but a new, “cellular” one, which is used only for athletes.

So, if you have to have surgery, don’t take your doctor’s word that everything will be okay. Otherwise, he will operate on you as best he can. Well, you need a stronger suture than a strong one so that the hernia never comes out again.

IN BED WITH MIKE

The operation went unnoticed by Mike himself: the anesthesiologist put him to sleep, and Mike woke up in his room. In general, there is no pain, but it’s scary to move - it seems that the seam, which is still “alive,” will tear. Mike spent five whole days in bed. I watched my favorite films on video - several times each...

The only thing that really bothered me was the special postoperative diet - no more than 200 calories per day. And this is for a superman bodybuilder who is used to getting five to eight thousand calories daily! It is clear that the operation not only slowed down Mike’s progress, but also threw him back from the positions he had conquered. In addition, doctors forbade him to train at full strength for the first three postoperative months. As a result, Mike was unable to take part in the next Night of Champions tournament. Meanwhile, the last two times at this tournament he was consistently among the top four.

But today Mike is back in action. He is working at full capacity, and the suture - thanks to the surgeon! - reliable and strong. “I’m constantly increasing the intensity of my training,” says Mike, “and soon I will become even bigger and stronger than before the operation.”

We believe!

"HAMMER"

Mike is all for this exercise: it hits the forearms hard, much like a traditional bicep curl, but puts the wrists in a better position. This means you can take on more weight than usual. Typically, Mike does hammer curls with dumbbells that are 2-3kg heavier than a regular biceps curl.

OVERHAND GRIP BICEPS RAISE

If Mike had to keep only one forearm exercise in his arsenal, he would choose this one. “The grip should be slightly narrower than the shoulders,” explains Mike. “But not too narrow - otherwise you will not be able to work with full amplitude.”

To avoid engaging the front delts, Mike keeps his elbows stationary and pressed to his sides. Ideally, only your forearms should move. Full range of motion is very important. “If the bar doesn't reach the top, the exercise is pretty much pointless unless you're a super professional,” says Mike. He recommends this pattern: After 6-8 full reps, try lowering the bar very slowly.

STANDING WRIST FLEXES WITH DUMBBELLS

“You rarely see guys who do this exercise correctly,” says Mike. “Most of them just swing their hands back and forth, which is absolutely pointless. The range of motion here is small, but you have to make the most of every inch. My forearms are literally on fire. When I'm done, I can't even clench my fists."

If you've never done this exercise, start with light weights to find out your limits. Mike does 10-12 repetitions, and not just holds the dumbbells, but squeezes them with all his might. It's better to move at a pace, as your forearms get tired quickly. "If you don't feel the burn," Mike advises, "then lower the dumbbells slowly for the last two or three reps."

OVERHAND GRIP WRIST FLEXES WITH BARBERLESS

This exercise is similar to the dumbbell wrist curl, but with two significant differences in the grip: first, it is straight, and second, there is no thumb. "By eliminating the strongest big toe, I increase the load on the flexors of the remaining toes," Mike explains.

A wide range of motion is very important: Mike recommends lifting the bar as high as possible and lowering it as low as possible. The second fundamental factor: the pace of movement. The higher it is, the higher the intensity of the training. “If you do it right, the burn will steadily increase from set to set,” he says.

WRIST FLEXES WITH DUMBBELLS IN FRONT

The main impression of the forearms is, of course, created by powerful flexors. However, for real development, it is also necessary to work on the extensors of the hands, which often receive insufficient attention. Mike does a special exercise for the extensors. "The starting position is the same as for regular curls. But here I work with a lighter weight, hold the dumbbells with an overhand grip and raise my hands straight in front of me - to the maximum height. The extensor carpi is a small but aesthetically very important muscle. It is difficult to isolate, and, it takes patience and time to pump it up.”

UNDERGROUND GRIP WRIST FLEXES WITH BARBERLESS

With this exercise, Mike works the wrist flexors, the main muscles on the inside of the forearms. The grip is very narrow - 5-7 cm. At the bottom point, you need to make sure that the bar of the bar does not slide to the very tips of your fingers, otherwise you risk stretching the ligaments. Mike does the first of four sets to failure, and then 10-12 repetitions in each set.

Some lift their elbows off the bench at the lowest point. Mike prefers to keep them stationary, but allows a slight gap in the last two - incremental - reps. Mike’s main commandment: “The science of pumping up your forearms is simple: if at the end of the set you don’t feel the “burn”, then you wasted your time!”

WIDER'S PRINCIPLES

Overload: Mike constantly and systematically increases working weights.

Partial Reps: To increase intensity, Mike does two to three partial reps at the end of each set. This provides an additional rush of blood to the muscles and a super powerful burning sensation.

FOREARMS OF STEEL. MIKE MATARAZZO

• My approach to my forearms is the same as to my calves. Both of these muscle groups are made up of endurance fibers. You need to work on them after preliminary fatigue - only then will they truly “burn”, which means they will grow.
• Most guys have strong wrist flexors and weak wrist extensors. Such an imbalance cannot be allowed: without powerful extensors, you will never have high-quality forearms.
• By “turning off” your thumb, you concentrate the load on weak areas - this strengthens your wrists and helps build mass in your forearm.
• I'm not one of those who do 20 or more reps when training my forearms. If you are able to do more than 13, then you need to increase the working weights.
• The forearms must be brought to the point of “burning”! The pain should be sharp, strong, deep - as if sulfuric acid was poured on your forearms. Cool muscles are achieved only by brutal work!
• I rest only 5-8 seconds between sets: this maintains a constant “burn” until the very end of the workout.
• At one time I also did wrist curls with a barbell behind my back, but then I abandoned this option. If you are unable to bend your wrists 90 degrees behind your back, it is better to do the curls while sitting on a bench.
• Many years ago, back in Boston, my forearms suddenly began to hurt terribly while working on my back. And to strengthen my grip I had to use hand wraps. But one wise powerlifter told me: “If you want to get strong, forget about the belts! Let your forearms burn - soon they will adapt to the load, and you will be able to increase weights.” He turned out to be right. Today I only use straps when I'm working with very heavy implements.
• I actually train my forearms twice a week, but they take an active part in working on my back, shoulders, chest and biceps. Never work your forearms before training your upper body muscles; after doing this, you are unlikely to be able to hold a barbell in your hands.

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