Generation Iron Page #6

it's all what the media

wants you to see.

Society's reaction to steroids

is often hypocritical

and judgmental.

I think it's a contradiction,

to be honest,

'cause most bodybuilders

that I know

and that I've met

are on steroids,

or have done steroids,

and for somebody who wants

to portray themselves

as a fit and healthy person,

that's not at all healthy.

People go, "Ahh, steroids,"

man...

Nobody can do that.

Like, it's not easy to do.

People don't respect it, they go, "Oh, I can

do that with steroids," no, you couldn't.

You couldn't do what I do!

They come to the gym,

never did a workout,

and then they find

on the internet...

steroids... They sell steroids

on the internet.

Children, 15, 16 years old,

they order it...

That's what I hate...

it's dangerous, very dangerous.

If you do something extreme,

you can't be healthy,

you gotta take some risks.

So it's like, you know,

like racing...

If you go Formula One,

you take the risk.

Any time that you're using

performance enhancers,

particularly when we haven't

studied them in the lab,

to the level

that they can be used,

certainly, there can be

negative side effects.

There is issues

with kidney damage,

There is, what we do know,

is that the heart size increases

because the heart is a muscle,

there's liver issues,

it's quite toxic,

especially the oral drugs,

that's why injectables

are one of the preferred drugs

for minimizing health risks.

I think the best answer

is to allow the athletes

to use the drugs,

but provide medical treatment.

Get a group of very competitive

athletes together,

everyone wants to win,

you've got large sums of money

up for grabs,

guys are going to do

whatever it takes to win.

The bodybuilders

and the professional sport

of bodybuilding

has gone the next step.

Where all of a sudden,

the body does not look

as acceptable,

simply because it's too big,

and it doesn't have

any talent behind it.

And the neck is 23 inches

and the calves are 18.

The proportion is gone.

The audience wants to see

a spectacle.

When they go to see a show,

they don't want to see

someone that looks like them,

they want to see

something extreme.

So we have to get huge.

We have to go to the next level.

You know,

is there a limit to growth?

Certainly, there's a limit, but

I don't know that we found it.

They ask the Olympic athletes,

if you could take a drug,

right now, that would kill you

in five years,

but guarantee you a gold medal,

would you take it?

More that 50 percent said "Yes!"

They would take it, even knowing

it would kill them five years later.

This is what these athletes do.

This this their lives.

This is their livelihood,

this is how they make money.

This is everything they know.

Do you really think you're gonna

convince them to stop?

As time progresses,

the science of bodybuilding

advances faster and faster,

and with it,

the size of the muscles.

One more major title this year.

One down.

One to go!

Three, four, five, six...

Come on, one way!

Eight, nine...

Ten!

Every rep count!

Every rep, come on!

Bring the pain!

- Six, seven, eight, nine...

- Fight it!

My physique that I bring

to the Olympia this year...

it's not the product of

three months of hard work,

it's the product of over

20 years of hard work.

I thought I'd be

retired by now, originally.

I thought by 36, 35-36,

I'd be...

I'd be retired, but...

You know, I think I've had so many injuries,

I've had four significant injuries,

since I've been pro,

and I think that set me back.

Due to the injuries,

Branch had to skip

the 2010 and 2011 Olympias.

Despite this, he continues

to live his life to the fullest.

Branch, a few competitors

said that, "If you're gonna keep working out

the way you're doing at the gym, you're going

to get injured before the big competition."

What do you think about that?

They're entitled

to their opinion.

But, you know,

I can imagine who that was,

and they ain't gonna

beat me anyway, so...

they don't really matter.

And the thing is,

the past two injuries I've had

weren't in the gym,

they were outside the gym.

So, I haven't been hurt

in the gym since...

C'mon.

Let's go!

Oh!

Goddamn!

Ouch!

Son of a b*tch!

Goddamn, guys.

The filming stops.

Branch's hamstring is injured.

His future at the Olympia

is now uncertain.

I just know that the end

of a bodybuilding career

is one injury away... one major

injury and you're toast.

No matter how hard you work,

and how perfect you are,

one injury and you're done.

The days of being

in the dungeon,

training with your hoodie on,

you know, "grunt and cuss"

bodybuilder,

that eats, sleeps and trains...

that's all he does... are over.

You have to be able

to do other things.

I'm more focused

now on my career,

but of course I think about

the years after it

because,

I don't want to be like,

"Okay, now it is over,

so let's think about

what I can do now."

Of course, it would be nice

if I could get some

roles in the movies,

things like this.

I just I got a call

for a casting tomorrow

for an action film,

so we'll see...

They're gonna fly me in...

The movie star!

...with a private jet.

I don't want to waste my time

trying to be an actor

or something,

if I don't have

the talent for this.

There some that have

the personality.

When I started doing interviews

in the '70s,

the media always said,

"Finally there's someone

that loves to talk

about the sport,"

because for years

we tried to get interviews

and everyone just said,

"No, I'm not going to talk,"

because they were always

shy characters,

and they'd rather live

in a dungeon and work out,

and were very impressive,

but they didn't want to talk,

they felt too shy about it.

All these guys say

they want to be like Arnold,

and be in the movies,

and stuff like that.

Sometimes, it's like pulling teeth

to get these guys to talk.

So, imagine giving them a script

they actually have to read.

- Hi.

- Hi.

How you doing... oh!

Dennis, nice to meet you.

So, Emilio Ferrari

is directing this movie,

and we're gonna start

shooting it in October,

but it is a comedy,

and it's kinda like

"Private Benjamin" meets

"Legally Blonde."

So we can have fun with this,

and if you want

to try something new,

or have improv or anything,

don't feel that

you can't do that, okay?

- So, you are reading for Robert.

- Robert, right.

Hello, I'm Robert...

Hello, I'm Robert Starkey.

Wow, you really love

this country.

- So, here's what...

- Uh... the United States.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Let's try it again,

now there are some parts

where you are coughing

and mumbling,

you know like, you're...

So play that a little bit.

Hello, I'm Robert Starkey.

If you sign this right now,

I can't guarantee it...

I can't guarantee,

by this time tomorrow

you will be

in sunny Puerto Rico.

That was really good

and we're probably gonna have

callbacks, which I'm gonna

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes