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old bolex extreme interview with Ian Harrison

comedycentral

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As a british bodybuilder Ian Harrison never got the recognition he deserved especially with Dorian being around the same sort of time.

This is an excert from an old Anabolex interview with Ian conducted by Jason Mueller (i have spoke with Iabadman about him) and he spoke quite openly about everything.

This guy was a genetic freak and totally huge. A friend of mine ued to train at his old gym in the UK and said that off everything and just hitting the gym 3-4 times per week with no real diet consistency he could hold 270lb. super strong too.. anyway have a read and enjoy a blast from the past.

He went onto pro wrestling and was up to 320lb under the name storm or something..


AE: What's an average day consist of for Ian Harrison?

IAN: When I'm competing as a bodybuilder or at the moment?

AE: At the moment.

IAN: At the moment, every day is different. I try and get me food in every three to four hours and maintain as much mass as I can. Me training is pretty consistent, I train four days a week, each bodypart once a week. Really every day is different because I've got so many different business things going on. I could be wrestling for five days, then I could be sitting installing a gym for another three days, then I'll be at home for four days, it really is hit and miss at the moment.

AE: We've all read the magazines and interviews detailing the pristine diets of bodybuilders, both off season and precontest. Obviously that's bull. How is someone like yourself eating in the off season and how is someone like yourself eating precontest?

IAN: Off season is very, very simple and basic. I try to get 50 g of good quality Protein in me body at least every three hours. That's off season so that I've got a life. If I tried to have the perfect scenario, I would have about 25 g of Protein every hour. That would be the perfect scenario but in the off season normally I would have about 50 g of Protein every three hours, usually consisting of Protein drinks because they're more convenient. I would probably start the day of with eggs, eight eggs. Then me next four meals would be Protein drinks every three hours. Then I would have me evening meal before I trained, then I'd finish me workout, have another Protein drink, then me last meal of the evening would be mainly…..pizza or Chinese (laughing).

AE: When you say Protein drink, your not just talking about Protein by itself, right? Are you taking a weight gain powder along with the Protein?

IAN: No, just Protein. Yeah, I just have Protein by itself, because basically I eat an awful low of . The way I look at me diet off season is, as long as I'm giving me body the Protein it needs every three hours to gain muscle, anything else I want to eat is a bonus. So I will literally eat anything.

AE: How many calories would you estimate you are consuming in the off season per day?

IAN: Probably about 7,000-8,000. I'll eat fast food and everything.

AE: You know, I haven't used myself for over a year, but back when I used to train and was involved pretty heavily, we'd go to the gym and be eating fast food in the gym, because that was the only way to put on size.

IAN: That's one thing that used to freak me out when I first came to the States and got involved with American bodybuilders, I couldn't believe they used to eat egg whites for breakfast and boiled rice, and it's like, why are you throwing yolks away, there's like this Protein and if there's fat I'll eat it, I don't care. You know? I just eat everything basically. As long as me proteins in there, I will eat as much food as humanly possible. I'm big on Chocolate and ice cream, I'm big on McDonalds and burgers, I eat pizzas, I eat everything. As long as me bodyfat don't get out of control, it don't bother me.

AE: This is what I used to do, and I'm always curious if guys at your level have to do this too. I would eat like and I got fairly big, I was 300+ lbs and fairly lean, but you know, it was a situation where I would force myself to eat every 2 1/2 - 3 hours but I was never hungry and I was just cramming down my throat.

IAN: Yep, you've got to force feed yourself.

AE: It that how it is for you? I mean, you're not hungry when you're eating, right?

IAN: No, not at all. I could go…I mean literally, the first six months that I stopped…that I decided I didn't want to compete again, I bet you I only ate one meal a day because I was rebelling against it. I mean since I was 15 I force fed myself constantly, and you get to hate the idea of eating. It's only in the last 6-8 months that I've started to enjoy me food again. You know? But definitely, every meal that was put in front of me, I didn't want it. The only time I get hungry is when I diet for a show, pre-contest, because you clean everything up so much.

AE: What are you eating pre-contest?

IAN: Pre-contest. Basically I'd start of for the first six weeks, I'd just start cutting out all the , I'd cut out me fatty foods, I'd cut out me chocolates, and just by doing that alone I'd lose 20 lb of bodyfat. When I got down to that point, then I'd start counting me calories. Basically me diet would consist of about 6 ounces of oatmeal with about 12-14 egg whites and maybe two yolks. That would be me first meal. Three hours later would be a Protein drink with maybe a small baked potato. Three hours later would probably be 8-10 ounces of chicken breast with boiled rice and broccoli. Three hours later would be a Protein drink by itself. Three hours after that would be me pre-workout meal, which would consist of potatoes, broccoli, and some kind of red meat. I would say after I trained I would have a Protein drink, and then I would come home and have my…. At this point Ian's wife is heard in the background, telling him what he would eat pre-contest….yeah, me wife used to make most of me meals, so she knows better than I do (laughing).

AE: Thank God for that!

IAN: Pardon?

AE: I said thank God for that, that's nice to have!

IAN: Yeah! I use to have oatmeal, about six ounces of oatmeal, about 12-14 egg whites with strawberries in it. Then my very last meal would be just egg whites by themselves, or just chicken by itself, just Protein to go to bed on.

AE: Jesus! Thank God she's cooking for you.

IAN: Yeah.

AE: Are there any supplements you consider essential to your success as a bodybuilder?

IAN: Good quality Protein powders and aminos, that's it.

AE: You know, Trevor (Trevor Smith from Biohazard USA) had told me about Ravager 5. Do you feel that had any kind of special properties as far as a Protein is concerned?

IAN: The original Ravager 5?

AE: Yes.

IAN: Yes I do, because it helped me maintain a hell of a lot of muscle when I really wasn't being very active in the gym. To be honest with you, I really wasn't eating any food at all, I was living on Protein drinks, I had no time to prepare meals. So, as a non-bodybuilder I can say yes, as a competing bodybuilder I can't really comment because I've never used it for a show. The theory behind it is sound. A lot of the things that Paul says, if you actually look at it, are right, and I've seen a lot of people gain a lot of muscle off of it. But the quality of the stuff that's being knocked out at the moment over here…..

AE: ?

IAN: Yeah, I think so. I can't say that for definite because I haven't analyzed it or anything, but just by looking at it I'm not stupid and I can tell. You can taste what's in things.

AE: Last issue you touched briefly on your theory of anabolic use, stating that you didn't agree with the excessive dosages advocated by Paul Borreson. You're obviously in a position to know what happens at the professional level. Realistically, what is required for a pro to compete nowadays?

IAN: I think people, I really, really honestly do, I mean Paul Borreson stated that Lee Preist took 2000 mg a day and Jean-Pierre Fux took this and that, you really cannot say what anybody takes, because only the person who's self-administering can say that. Most of the guys will not really discuss dosages, it's not really a talked about subject. We talk about how we stack things and things like that. But I think everybody is so different you can't really say what works for Nasser or what works for Ronnie Coleman will definitely work for me. I really don't think everybody is the same. I can tell you exactly how I've used gear for the last four years, it's never varied. I've always done six-week cycles, I've always androgen loaded for two weeks, and then used a fast-acting androgen for the last four weeks. Then I've got three weeks to clean out.

AE: So, do most guys cycle, or are most guys constantly on?

IAN: I think it depends what situation they're in, if they're guest posing on a regular basis and they're in the limelight and they've got to be seen by people and they've got business commitments as far as bodybuilding, guest posing, and seminars go, I would probably say they very rarely come off. If they're able to leave the limelight, if for instance, if they're the sort of guys like Nasser or some of the European guys who maybe leave America, or just go in hiding for a couple of months, I think 9 times out of 10 you can guarantee that those guys are the guys who are taking time off to recover and get their bodies right again for the next course. Like I said, you can never really say what anybody does, but just knowing personally the people in the sport…..you can tell, I mean you go to Gold's certain times of the year when people aren't competing and you can look at certain guys and they look really, really small. They're not necessarily taking a break, they're being intelligent. It doesn't get them any good press from the general public who's seen them looking small, but they don't really give a because they know once they start back on the gear and start training properly and eating properly, they're going to be back exactly where they were before, and even better. The guys who want to look good all the time end up being on gear all the time and end up burning themselves out that much quicker.

AE: We've talked about this on the site before, but you've got all of these people who claim to know what the pro bodybuilders take, and it's like, how do you know? They're not with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so how do they possibly know? The other thing is, most of those guys would never be honest about their use anyway. Why are they going to be honest with someone about what they take?

IAN: They never will. I've seen a lot of this, right. You'll get a normal guy, we'll guy him a punter, you? A normal punter will come in and ask you what you use. And some of the guys will deny using anything. Some of the other guys who've got more of a sense of humor will come out with these ridiculously huge dosages, just to shock the people. And the people really think they are being serious. You really do it as a joke. I remember being told a story years ago about John Brown. I don't know a John Brown but apparently it was set in a Cinema-Q, this guy walks up to him and says, "Do you use anabolic steroids?" So John Brown turns around and says, "Do you masturbate?" I mean, it's a personal question, mind your own business. At the end of the day it's got nothing to with anybody else. I think bodybuilders should be open about things, which they never have been. In years past when American bodybuilders would come to England to do seminars, they would actually deny using steroids at all. Well, the English people aren't stupid, English bodybuilders aren't daft. They would just get up and walk out. I just don't see any point in lying to anybody or giving anybody false truths. At the end of the day, all the guys who are going to use gear are going to use it anyway, and if you can use it without hurting yourself, it's much better for everybody. Then it comes down to the man who's willing to work hardest in the gym, and be more dedicated with his training, eating and sleeping.

AE: Yes, all steroids are doing is leveling out the playing field.

IAN: Exactly, Exactly.

AE: Everybody is doing it, everybody has to do it. The thing that bothers me about bodybuilding and the whole steroid issue is that people outside of the sport think that bodybuilders look that way totally because of steroids, they don't see what else goes into achieving that kind of cosmetic effect.

IAN: Yes, and the athletes who compete in the Olympics don't use them.

AE: Yes, (laughing) and football players in the NFL….the average weight of linemen has increased by 40 lbs in the last thirty years simply because of what reason? It's kind of ridiculous, but people don't want to accept that.

IAN: Exactly, because it's a more publicly accepted sport.

AE: What kind of total gram dosages are you using per week when you're doing your androgen loading?

IAN: During androgen loading, me maximum would be 4 sostenon a week and 4 dura's a week, so that's 8, probably about 2000 mg a week for the loading phase, then I'd be looking at 100 mg of propionate every other day. If I got close to a show, I'd probably increase that slightly to 100 mg a day to make sure I didn't lose any mass while calories are restricted. I think people assume that pro bodybuilders take more dosages than normal bodybuilders and I really don't think that's the case. From the guys who I've talked to on a personal level, they don't use huge amounts. They really don't. The one thing they do differently than other bodybuilders is they eat religiously, perfect all the time. I don't mean perfect as in clean food, I mean perfect as in amounts of food.

AE: I think food is your best anabolic.

IAN: (Very excited) Oh without a doubt, without a doubt. I've seen guys take 3-4 times the dosages I've taken, but I've put on maybe 20 lbs more muscle because I've eaten correctly. I really think training is a big thing, but I don't think it's the main thing. I think the eating and the sleeping are the two main things in bodybuilding.

AE: What is your opinion of GH?

IAN: I think growth hormone is fantastic, but I don't believe in the huge dosages. When I first started using GH which was the first year I did the English Grand Prix which was….(asks wife what year he did the English Grand Prix)….I was 24 years old the first time I took GH, which was 1993. I was using 4 iu's on training days only, which was 4 iu's four days a week. It freaked me out, I put 2 lbs a day on for 9 days.

AE: 2 lbs a day?

IAN: Yes, and this was six weeks out from my first pro show. It freaked me out.

AE: This was six weeks out so you're on caloric restriction at this point, right?

IAN: Very much so. My physique changed overnight, I couldn't believe what was happening.

AE: I personally have never used growth. I've got a prescription for it, waiting for it to get filled, but I've never tried it before.

IAN: Use it man, use it!

AE: (Laughing) Some people say it's not that great for mass, it's only good for its lipotropic properties. Your saying it's a great mass builder, huh?

IAN: I believe it's a great mass builder, but only under the right conditions. I've tried to use it in the off-season once, and it didn't do anything for me at all. It didn't work for me, I couldn't eat enough calories to Sustain the GH. It sounds very contradictory, I was using it on a calorie restricted diet and I gained a lot of weight, but the thing is, I had been in such great condition for 4 weeks prior to using the growth, and my digestive system was so efficient because my intake of fats so low, I was hungry literally within 30-40 minutes of my last meal. I was digesting food at a rapid rate. If your fat intake is higher, you digest food much slower. I don't honestly feel that growth hormone works when you've got a high fat intake, I think it only works when your Protein is very high. You know it's very effective on a pre-contest diet where your metabolism is working at a very good rate and you're digesting food very quickly.

AE: When you're taking the growth, are you using it with insulin?

IAN: I used insulin from 97-98. I don't like it, I think it's vastly overrated.

AE: How many iu's were you using a day?

IAN: 10 iu's after training. I didn't like it, I went hypo a couple of times on it, scared my wife to death. I don't think I'll be using insulin again. You've got to evaluate the pros and cons of taking anything. If it gives you a 10% increase in your physique, is it worth the downsides to it? I've seen a lot of guys mess up on insulin, a lot of guys. I think maybe in the off-season it can be of benefit, but I certainly wouldn't use it for a show. I would probably say from my own experience that I would use GH when I'm on sort of a pre-contest diet and in the off-season I would use insulin. GH doesn't work for me effectively in the off-season so I would use insulin, but only in small amounts. I don't advocate the huge amounts that some people claim, and I don't think you should stay on it long-term either. I would maybe use it for 4 weeks of my 6 week cycle and then again after my three weeks clean.

AE: Question of the day: IGF-1.

IAN: . I've used it once, I got no results whatsoever. I thought maybe what I used wasn't IGF-1, but I tracked it down and found out that it was. Maybe when I transported it, it didn't transport well or I don't know. But from my experience, I've used it once and it didn't do anything for me whatsoever. However, I have heard some amazing stories about it.

AE: Yes, I've never personally talked to anyone who's every gotten anything out of it, yet I always hear these stories about how so-and-so has taken it and put on all of this weight. Everyone I've talked to who's really tried it doesn't get out of it.

IAN: You know I really think the people who have taken IGF-1 and grown were not really taking IGF-1, they were taking growth hormone. We all know that GH works, but I've never seen any proof that IGF-1 is stable enough to be used, and be used in a way that you can gain huge amounts of mass. I can't see it happening. But, I'm not a doctor and I don't know everything, this is just from my personal experience. I'd say IGF-1 is a no-go at the moment, in another 3 or 4 years they might bring out another version of IGF that can be used more readily in the body and people will gain huge amounts of muscle. But, the stuff I've been offered and the stuff I've used before definitely didn't work.

AE: Unfortunately, anecdotal reports and personal experience is all we have to go by, there's not too many doctors running around shooting bodybuilders full of IGF-1 to see what happens

IAN: That's true!
 
Wow, I remember reading this quite some time ago. Time flies when you are having fun...lol:)


BMJ
 
^^ strikes a cord with me too, though I don't remember it from bolex, somewhere else i can't put my finger on.

which makes me feel even older sadly. :(
 
igf sucks IMO. didn't do nothing for me. or atleast not the stuff that was around a lil wihile back.
good article. very honest.
6 week blast cycles LOL.
-JS
 
^^ strikes a cord with me too, though I don't remember it from bolex, somewhere else i can't put my finger on.

which makes me feel even older sadly. :(

I believe it was on Anabolic Extreme, Jason Mueller's old board.
 
yeah apologies AE site.

it was a 3 part interview, it was around the time if memory serves me that he was training with Trevor smith.

he was big into pre exhaust, low volume high intensity.

Thing that strikes me and he spoke about this a lot is the fact he was pasionate that FOOD was your big gainer. massive volume eating along with heavy brief training and then some hormones thrown in. i think this could be one of the reasons he could hold 280lb without anything.

The course he lists in this interview...2 grams ish total for the first couple of weeks then onto prop 700mg for a few weeks then off. Add 6K+ cals a day and thats a big off season BB er.

i remember he had a post on trevors board just before he broke into pro wrestling and im certain after a massive gear lay off he started back on test prop at something very low like 50mg per day or every other day and he blew back up to full off season weight because of his food intake and brief training.
 
Yes, it was anabolic extreme, not bolex.

BMJ
 
As a british bodybuilder Ian Harrison never got the recognition he deserved especially with Dorian being around the same sort of time.

This is an excert from an old Anabolex interview with Ian conducted by Jason Mueller (i have spoke with Iabadman about him) and he spoke quite openly about everything.

This guy was a genetic freak and totally huge. A friend of mine ued to train at his old gym in the UK and said that off everything and just hitting the gym 3-4 times per week with no real diet consistency he could hold 270lb. super strong too.. anyway have a read and enjoy a blast from the past.

He went onto pro wrestling and was up to 320lb under the name storm or something..


AE: What's an average day consist of for Ian Harrison?

IAN: When I'm competing as a bodybuilder or at the moment?

AE: At the moment.

IAN: At the moment, every day is different. I try and get me food in every three to four hours and maintain as much mass as I can. Me training is pretty consistent, I train four days a week, each bodypart once a week. Really every day is different because I've got so many different business things going on. I could be wrestling for five days, then I could be sitting installing a gym for another three days, then I'll be at home for four days, it really is hit and miss at the moment.

AE: We've all read the magazines and interviews detailing the pristine diets of bodybuilders, both off season and precontest. Obviously that's bull. How is someone like yourself eating in the off season and how is someone like yourself eating precontest?

IAN: Off season is very, very simple and basic. I try to get 50 g of good quality Protein in me body at least every three hours. That's off season so that I've got a life. If I tried to have the perfect scenario, I would have about 25 g of Protein every hour. That would be the perfect scenario but in the off season normally I would have about 50 g of Protein every three hours, usually consisting of Protein drinks because they're more convenient. I would probably start the day of with eggs, eight eggs. Then me next four meals would be Protein drinks every three hours. Then I would have me evening meal before I trained, then I'd finish me workout, have another Protein drink, then me last meal of the evening would be mainly…..pizza or Chinese (laughing).

AE: When you say Protein drink, your not just talking about Protein by itself, right? Are you taking a weight gain powder along with the Protein?

IAN: No, just Protein. Yeah, I just have Protein by itself, because basically I eat an awful low of . The way I look at me diet off season is, as long as I'm giving me body the Protein it needs every three hours to gain muscle, anything else I want to eat is a bonus. So I will literally eat anything.

AE: How many calories would you estimate you are consuming in the off season per day?

IAN: Probably about 7,000-8,000. I'll eat fast food and everything.

AE: You know, I haven't used myself for over a year, but back when I used to train and was involved pretty heavily, we'd go to the gym and be eating fast food in the gym, because that was the only way to put on size.

IAN: That's one thing that used to freak me out when I first came to the States and got involved with American bodybuilders, I couldn't believe they used to eat egg whites for breakfast and boiled rice, and it's like, why are you throwing yolks away, there's like this Protein and if there's fat I'll eat it, I don't care. You know? I just eat everything basically. As long as me proteins in there, I will eat as much food as humanly possible. I'm big on Chocolate and ice cream, I'm big on McDonalds and burgers, I eat pizzas, I eat everything. As long as me bodyfat don't get out of control, it don't bother me.

AE: This is what I used to do, and I'm always curious if guys at your level have to do this too. I would eat like and I got fairly big, I was 300+ lbs and fairly lean, but you know, it was a situation where I would force myself to eat every 2 1/2 - 3 hours but I was never hungry and I was just cramming down my throat.

IAN: Yep, you've got to force feed yourself.

AE: It that how it is for you? I mean, you're not hungry when you're eating, right?

IAN: No, not at all. I could go…I mean literally, the first six months that I stopped…that I decided I didn't want to compete again, I bet you I only ate one meal a day because I was rebelling against it. I mean since I was 15 I force fed myself constantly, and you get to hate the idea of eating. It's only in the last 6-8 months that I've started to enjoy me food again. You know? But definitely, every meal that was put in front of me, I didn't want it. The only time I get hungry is when I diet for a show, pre-contest, because you clean everything up so much.

AE: What are you eating pre-contest?

IAN: Pre-contest. Basically I'd start of for the first six weeks, I'd just start cutting out all the , I'd cut out me fatty foods, I'd cut out me chocolates, and just by doing that alone I'd lose 20 lb of bodyfat. When I got down to that point, then I'd start counting me calories. Basically me diet would consist of about 6 ounces of oatmeal with about 12-14 egg whites and maybe two yolks. That would be me first meal. Three hours later would be a Protein drink with maybe a small baked potato. Three hours later would probably be 8-10 ounces of chicken breast with boiled rice and broccoli. Three hours later would be a Protein drink by itself. Three hours after that would be me pre-workout meal, which would consist of potatoes, broccoli, and some kind of red meat. I would say after I trained I would have a Protein drink, and then I would come home and have my…. At this point Ian's wife is heard in the background, telling him what he would eat pre-contest….yeah, me wife used to make most of me meals, so she knows better than I do (laughing).

AE: Thank God for that!

IAN: Pardon?

AE: I said thank God for that, that's nice to have!

IAN: Yeah! I use to have oatmeal, about six ounces of oatmeal, about 12-14 egg whites with strawberries in it. Then my very last meal would be just egg whites by themselves, or just chicken by itself, just Protein to go to bed on.

AE: Jesus! Thank God she's cooking for you.

IAN: Yeah.

AE: Are there any supplements you consider essential to your success as a bodybuilder?

IAN: Good quality Protein powders and aminos, that's it.

AE: You know, Trevor (Trevor Smith from Biohazard USA) had told me about Ravager 5. Do you feel that had any kind of special properties as far as a Protein is concerned?

IAN: The original Ravager 5?

AE: Yes.

IAN: Yes I do, because it helped me maintain a hell of a lot of muscle when I really wasn't being very active in the gym. To be honest with you, I really wasn't eating any food at all, I was living on Protein drinks, I had no time to prepare meals. So, as a non-bodybuilder I can say yes, as a competing bodybuilder I can't really comment because I've never used it for a show. The theory behind it is sound. A lot of the things that Paul says, if you actually look at it, are right, and I've seen a lot of people gain a lot of muscle off of it. But the quality of the stuff that's being knocked out at the moment over here…..

AE: ?

IAN: Yeah, I think so. I can't say that for definite because I haven't analyzed it or anything, but just by looking at it I'm not stupid and I can tell. You can taste what's in things.

AE: Last issue you touched briefly on your theory of anabolic use, stating that you didn't agree with the excessive dosages advocated by Paul Borreson. You're obviously in a position to know what happens at the professional level. Realistically, what is required for a pro to compete nowadays?

IAN: I think people, I really, really honestly do, I mean Paul Borreson stated that Lee Preist took 2000 mg a day and Jean-Pierre Fux took this and that, you really cannot say what anybody takes, because only the person who's self-administering can say that. Most of the guys will not really discuss dosages, it's not really a talked about subject. We talk about how we stack things and things like that. But I think everybody is so different you can't really say what works for Nasser or what works for Ronnie Coleman will definitely work for me. I really don't think everybody is the same. I can tell you exactly how I've used gear for the last four years, it's never varied. I've always done six-week cycles, I've always androgen loaded for two weeks, and then used a fast-acting androgen for the last four weeks. Then I've got three weeks to clean out.

AE: So, do most guys cycle, or are most guys constantly on?

IAN: I think it depends what situation they're in, if they're guest posing on a regular basis and they're in the limelight and they've got to be seen by people and they've got business commitments as far as bodybuilding, guest posing, and seminars go, I would probably say they very rarely come off. If they're able to leave the limelight, if for instance, if they're the sort of guys like Nasser or some of the European guys who maybe leave America, or just go in hiding for a couple of months, I think 9 times out of 10 you can guarantee that those guys are the guys who are taking time off to recover and get their bodies right again for the next course. Like I said, you can never really say what anybody does, but just knowing personally the people in the sport…..you can tell, I mean you go to Gold's certain times of the year when people aren't competing and you can look at certain guys and they look really, really small. They're not necessarily taking a break, they're being intelligent. It doesn't get them any good press from the general public who's seen them looking small, but they don't really give a because they know once they start back on the gear and start training properly and eating properly, they're going to be back exactly where they were before, and even better. The guys who want to look good all the time end up being on gear all the time and end up burning themselves out that much quicker.

AE: We've talked about this on the site before, but you've got all of these people who claim to know what the pro bodybuilders take, and it's like, how do you know? They're not with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so how do they possibly know? The other thing is, most of those guys would never be honest about their use anyway. Why are they going to be honest with someone about what they take?

IAN: They never will. I've seen a lot of this, right. You'll get a normal guy, we'll guy him a punter, you? A normal punter will come in and ask you what you use. And some of the guys will deny using anything. Some of the other guys who've got more of a sense of humor will come out with these ridiculously huge dosages, just to shock the people. And the people really think they are being serious. You really do it as a joke. I remember being told a story years ago about John Brown. I don't know a John Brown but apparently it was set in a Cinema-Q, this guy walks up to him and says, "Do you use anabolic steroids?" So John Brown turns around and says, "Do you masturbate?" I mean, it's a personal question, mind your own business. At the end of the day it's got nothing to with anybody else. I think bodybuilders should be open about things, which they never have been. In years past when American bodybuilders would come to England to do seminars, they would actually deny using steroids at all. Well, the English people aren't stupid, English bodybuilders aren't daft. They would just get up and walk out. I just don't see any point in lying to anybody or giving anybody false truths. At the end of the day, all the guys who are going to use gear are going to use it anyway, and if you can use it without hurting yourself, it's much better for everybody. Then it comes down to the man who's willing to work hardest in the gym, and be more dedicated with his training, eating and sleeping.

AE: Yes, all steroids are doing is leveling out the playing field.

IAN: Exactly, Exactly.

AE: Everybody is doing it, everybody has to do it. The thing that bothers me about bodybuilding and the whole steroid issue is that people outside of the sport think that bodybuilders look that way totally because of steroids, they don't see what else goes into achieving that kind of cosmetic effect.

IAN: Yes, and the athletes who compete in the Olympics don't use them.

AE: Yes, (laughing) and football players in the NFL….the average weight of linemen has increased by 40 lbs in the last thirty years simply because of what reason? It's kind of ridiculous, but people don't want to accept that.

IAN: Exactly, because it's a more publicly accepted sport.

AE: What kind of total gram dosages are you using per week when you're doing your androgen loading?

IAN: During androgen loading, me maximum would be 4 sostenon a week and 4 dura's a week, so that's 8, probably about 2000 mg a week for the loading phase, then I'd be looking at 100 mg of propionate every other day. If I got close to a show, I'd probably increase that slightly to 100 mg a day to make sure I didn't lose any mass while calories are restricted. I think people assume that pro bodybuilders take more dosages than normal bodybuilders and I really don't think that's the case. From the guys who I've talked to on a personal level, they don't use huge amounts. They really don't. The one thing they do differently than other bodybuilders is they eat religiously, perfect all the time. I don't mean perfect as in clean food, I mean perfect as in amounts of food.

AE: I think food is your best anabolic.

IAN: (Very excited) Oh without a doubt, without a doubt. I've seen guys take 3-4 times the dosages I've taken, but I've put on maybe 20 lbs more muscle because I've eaten correctly. I really think training is a big thing, but I don't think it's the main thing. I think the eating and the sleeping are the two main things in bodybuilding.
AE: What is your opinion of GH?

IAN: I think growth hormone is fantastic, but I don't believe in the huge dosages. When I first started using GH which was the first year I did the English Grand Prix which was….(asks wife what year he did the English Grand Prix)….I was 24 years old the first time I took GH, which was 1993. I was using 4 iu's on training days only, which was 4 iu's four days a week. It freaked me out, I put 2 lbs a day on for 9 days.

AE: 2 lbs a day?

IAN: Yes, and this was six weeks out from my first pro show. It freaked me out.

AE: This was six weeks out so you're on caloric restriction at this point, right?

IAN: Very much so. My physique changed overnight, I couldn't believe what was happening.

AE: I personally have never used growth. I've got a prescription for it, waiting for it to get filled, but I've never tried it before.

IAN: Use it man, use it!

AE: (Laughing) Some people say it's not that great for mass, it's only good for its lipotropic properties. Your saying it's a great mass builder, huh?

IAN: I believe it's a great mass builder, but only under the right conditions. I've tried to use it in the off-season once, and it didn't do anything for me at all. It didn't work for me, I couldn't eat enough calories to Sustain the GH. It sounds very contradictory, I was using it on a calorie restricted diet and I gained a lot of weight, but the thing is, I had been in such great condition for 4 weeks prior to using the growth, and my digestive system was so efficient because my intake of fats so low, I was hungry literally within 30-40 minutes of my last meal. I was digesting food at a rapid rate. If your fat intake is higher, you digest food much slower. I don't honestly feel that growth hormone works when you've got a high fat intake, I think it only works when your Protein is very high. You know it's very effective on a pre-contest diet where your metabolism is working at a very good rate and you're digesting food very quickly.

AE: When you're taking the growth, are you using it with insulin?

IAN: I used insulin from 97-98. I don't like it, I think it's vastly overrated.

AE: How many iu's were you using a day?

IAN: 10 iu's after training. I didn't like it, I went hypo a couple of times on it, scared my wife to death. I don't think I'll be using insulin again. You've got to evaluate the pros and cons of taking anything. If it gives you a 10% increase in your physique, is it worth the downsides to it? I've seen a lot of guys mess up on insulin, a lot of guys. I think maybe in the off-season it can be of benefit, but I certainly wouldn't use it for a show. I would probably say from my own experience that I would use GH when I'm on sort of a pre-contest diet and in the off-season I would use insulin. GH doesn't work for me effectively in the off-season so I would use insulin, but only in small amounts. I don't advocate the huge amounts that some people claim, and I don't think you should stay on it long-term either. I would maybe use it for 4 weeks of my 6 week cycle and then again after my three weeks clean.

AE: Question of the day: IGF-1.

IAN: . I've used it once, I got no results whatsoever. I thought maybe what I used wasn't IGF-1, but I tracked it down and found out that it was. Maybe when I transported it, it didn't transport well or I don't know. But from my experience, I've used it once and it didn't do anything for me whatsoever. However, I have heard some amazing stories about it.

AE: Yes, I've never personally talked to anyone who's every gotten anything out of it, yet I always hear these stories about how so-and-so has taken it and put on all of this weight. Everyone I've talked to who's really tried it doesn't get out of it.

IAN: You know I really think the people who have taken IGF-1 and grown were not really taking IGF-1, they were taking growth hormone. We all know that GH works, but I've never seen any proof that IGF-1 is stable enough to be used, and be used in a way that you can gain huge amounts of mass. I can't see it happening. But, I'm not a doctor and I don't know everything, this is just from my personal experience. I'd say IGF-1 is a no-go at the moment, in another 3 or 4 years they might bring out another version of IGF that can be used more readily in the body and people will gain huge amounts of muscle. But, the stuff I've been offered and the stuff I've used before definitely didn't work.

AE: Unfortunately, anecdotal reports and personal experience is all we have to go by, there's not too many doctors running around shooting bodybuilders full of IGF-1 to see what happens

IAN: That's true!
;)
 
igf sucks IMO. didn't do nothing for me. or atleast not the stuff that was around a lil wihile back.
good article. very honest.
6 week blast cycles LOL.
-JS
IGF-des is the real deal bro ;)
 
igf sucks IMO. didn't do nothing for me. or atleast not the stuff that was around a lil wihile back.
good article. very honest.
6 week blast cycles LOL.
-JS

agreed. maybe in mega dosages. but then your looking a price point where you can run GH in very beneficial quantities. i'll take the GH.
 
Err...have i missed something...huge off season food intake....i read 1 meal then protein shakes all day..then an evening meal...pizza or something!?....Perhaps i need go re read it more closely :eek::(
 
This was Ian Harrison at 18 competing either at the British finals or the Universe (I can't remember):
 

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I remember when he wrestled,before the company went out one of the workers told me Ian was to green he would not pull his punches(lol)
 
Strong bump, but good article. It really just tells me that everyone has their different ways of growing/leaning out.
 
I think he also posted at EF in the early days as well. Though i'd have to check on that. He looks phenomenal in that pic that Big A posted, great physique!
 
This was Ian Harrison at 18 competing either at the British finals or the Universe (I can't remember):

That is crazy @ 18, hell that's crazy for 28,38, etc. His legs were phenomenal!
 
what ever happened to the old anabolex.com site? i remember it was pretty busy late 90s. i remember guys like flex etc. i just went back and it looks like a dead board. a couple posts a day from spybots.
 
Err...have i missed something...huge off season food intake....i read 1 meal then protein shakes all day..then an evening meal...pizza or something!?....Perhaps i need go re read it more closely :eek::(

think he aying he dose that then eats just whatever he can on top of all that
 

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