by Christian Duque
The passing of Shaun “Dinosaur” Davis brings a tear to most bodybuilding followers’ eye. Here’s a competitor that gave his life to the game of bodybuilding with out reaping the advantages of main wins or large prize cash. Once I heard in regards to the passing of this warrior I used to be actually stunned as a result of I had usually been acquainted with his work on the varied expositions and seminars all through the Nineties.
As somebody who has interviewed a number of the greatest bodybuilders of the 80s and 90s, the identify Shaun Davis was one which I heard usually. And though he had been capable of obtain a kidney transplant he spent a few years on dialysis and hoping for the perfect on the transplant listing. With over 300 lbs of rock stable muscle, this competitor was a throwback to the times when freaks dominated the health trade.
Folks usually overlook however Dorian opened the door and since that time it’s been all about mass. However not in regards to the mass with class that Lee Haney spoke about however quite the mass that freaks folks out. And that is why I imagine Davis was such an enormous star on the expos and why I imagine mass monsters proceed to command massive strains at these occasions all through the world.
There’s a basic distinction between a physique that wins a bodybuilding competitors and the form of physique that sells dietary supplements and equipment. On the finish of the day the Dinosaur commanded an amazing quantity of recognition a few years earlier than the appearance of the web as a mainstream utility and method earlier than that of social media. One can solely think about how large this famous person would have been at the moment with Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and the others. Nonetheless his passing ought to trigger many people to consider the perils concerned in taking the game to absolutely the restrict.
I don’t care what anybody else says, there’s a correlation between heavy drug use and bodybuilding and issues like renal failure, hypertension, and early deaths. When John Romano makes the purpose of present me the our bodies I level to folks like Shaun Davis.
Though steroids could not have been the direct explanation for his loss of life there isn’t a query that strolling round at over 330 lbs of muscle whereas lifting aggressively within the gymnasium will and did take a toll on his life. Now after all there are folks that have pre-existing situations, household histories, and different hereditary issues that will make them extra weak to sure issues like renal failure. That being stated, it isn’t regular for a human being to soak up large quantities of artificial exogenous hormones over an extended time period.
Let’s not overlook that lots of the guys within the Nineties that actually wished to push the freak card by no means actually got here off. They have been blasting year-round they usually have been taking large doses. Let’s additionally not overlook that again within the 90s loads of the gear was actual. So not solely have been they taking large doses however they have been taking large doses of precise compounds that weren’t supposed for use at that dosage nor at that frequency. Sooner or later the physique simply stops and it could imply a kidney transplant or it’d even imply coronary heart surgical procedure or worse. Now we have seen guys actually drop on stage, guys as younger because the late nice Dallas McCarver.
I don’t need to be the person who makes the connection between anabolic steroids and the deaths of bodybuilders. At any time when we lose somebody I all the time dread the concept that the mainstream media may come up with it and use it for their very own ulterior motive. They’ve by no means understood bodybuilding they usually most likely by no means will. They see it solely as a drug tradition and fail to comprehend the sacrifice that many of those rivals take. It’s not a behavior or a fad. It’s a lifestyle. from what you eat to whenever you eat it to how a lot you prepare to how a lot you pose. Guys just like the Dinosaur weren’t bodybuilders for a time period or to land {a magazine} cowl or complement deal. They ate, slept and dreamt of bodybuilding. That is why I feel Davis had a lot help within the bodybuilding trade even a few years after he stopped doing expos and seminars. Folks know who the true ones are from the wannabes. If there’s one factor there may be loads of within the health trade it’s fakes.
That being stated, I actually want we didn’t have to put in writing articles like this as journalists within the bodybuilding world. 57 years of age may be very younger. It’s nowhere close to sufficiently old to retire and fairly frankly there may be a lot life left to reside that it makes me very depressed to know that we’ve misplaced one more famous person to what could possible be the after results of lengthy drug use.
And once more I don’t need to be the one in charge steroids for all the pieces however to not even contemplate their function within the loss of life of a bodybuilder that walked round at over 330 kilos with very low physique fats can be extraordinarily naive. And maybe extra so than naive, being in full denial.
There are folks on the market that can have a look at all the pieces besides anabolic steroids as a result of additionally they have their agenda. Whereas the mainstream media’s agenda is to assault steroids for all the pieces – there may be additionally an ulterior motive in steroid apologists that won’t attribute completely any fault to those highly effective substances. Each side in my view are flawed as a result of extremes not often, if ever, actually communicate to the reality at hand.
What’s loopy about this specific case is that even after a profitable kidney transplant, the physique was nonetheless most likely affected by the in depth drug use and the quantity of dimension this competitor carried for a time period in his life. If we’re to acknowledge that smoking and ingesting could cause critical well being points even years after an individual quits them, then it stands to purpose that strolling round with this quantity of muscle and this quantity of weight most likely took a toll on this bodybuilder’s life and on his physique. and though he could have come down in dimension and gotten off all of the compounds. The injury should still have been completed.
Even after a profitable transplant, he should still have been in danger. I feel the take-home message right here is that we simply truthfully don’t know the way lengthy the negative effects of extended use of substances may be. Lots of people assume that after the dimensions comes off the physique will in some way snap again into motion because it was earlier than the dimensions was placed on. Not solely is that unrealistic however even saying it out loud appears totally nonsensical.
We have to perceive extra about well being and we have to make well being extra of a precedence. I imagine that it’s very straightforward for bodybuilders whether or not they be rivals or influencers to get caught up within the second and never give themselves the emphasis their well being requires.
Longevity is an idea that has been misplaced on many many people on this sport. it’s all in regards to the right here and now, the subsequent expo, the subsequent occasion. Folks reside for what they’re going to seem like and fewer about how they’re going to really feel. And much much less about what’s to come back within the subsequent 10, 15, or 20 years. The physique can solely stand up to a lot and sooner or later it could be too late. I’m very very saddened to listen to this information and ship my deepest condolences to everybody in The Dinosaur’s speedy household, his buddies, and naturally the followers. I completely hate writing such a article but it surely must be stated and it must exit. We aren’t speaking about the way in which issues was a few years in the past. In a really possible way, drug abuse in our sport is as prevalent at the moment because it was within the 90s. Until we need to learn extra articles like this, rivals must put their well being and well-being on the forefront. No person needs to be strolling round at over 300 lbs ripped to shreds. If that’s what the game requires to achieve success, then f*** the game. That’s simply my private opinion. What’s yours?
