Larry Scott won the first Mr.Olympia in 1965. He was known for his excellent arm development. At his peak, he had an arm measurement of about 20 inches. Since he was one of the old timers, many people wonder whether he was a natural bodybuilder or not.
Were steroids available during Larry Scott’s career?
Larry Scott won his first major bodybuilding competition, Mr. America, in 1962 at the age of 24. According to the information in the public domain, steroids were already available in the late 30s.
Testosterone propionate is mentioned in a letter to the editor of Strength and Health magazine in 1938. This is the earliest known reference to an anabolic steroid in a U.S. weightlifting or bodybuilding magazine.
Conclusion: Testosterone based anabolic steroids were available during Larry Scott’s career.
Larry Scott was 205 lbs at 5’7″. In comparison, Frank Zane won Mr. Olympia three times weighing 185lbs at 5’9″. The age difference between the two is only 4 years.
Conclusion: Larry Scott was huge.
Sergio Oliva exposed many old timers in an interview
In an interview conducted by Brian D. Johnston, the legendary bodybuilder Sergio Oliva stated the following:
BDJ: Could you relay your own experience with drug use?
SO: This is an area of great interest for people. I don’t care who wants to take steroids, because that’s a personal choice… that’s his life. Now, today, everybody has access to them. I even saw in one of the big magazines that Arnold denies having used them, but Arnold was one of the first to bring steroids over to America. And everybody in the old days used them: Zane, Columbu, myself, Arnold, Larry Scott, Harold Poole, Dave Draper, and even Steve Reeves. There’s no way to deny it.
Conclusion: There’s a documented interview which reveals Scott’s anabolic steroid usage. Larry Scott was not a natural bodybuilder. His level of physical development is not achievable without the use of PED.
He said he used dianabol.
If I remember correctly he said he weighed 186lbs before using steroids, and already had those signature arms at 18.6”. After 6 weeks on dianabol he weighed over 200lbs and had 20.5” biceps.
Just looking for that exact article now.
Google search has become terrible, so I am using alternatives to try and did up this article I remembered.
Steve reeves was most definitely a natural. He was interviewed in the 90s by Irish media and they asked him if he used them by that time Arnold and many others had came out saying that they took steroids at that point. Steve reeves said no he’s been natural all his life and you shouldn’t do bodybuilding if you don’t have the hormones and he was against steroid use. John Grimek admitted to taking steroids in the late 1950s at Bob hoffmans gym many people there like weightlifters were experimenting with them at that time. The late 1950s is when bodybuilders started using them.