Steve Cook on steroids: the four-or-five-compound stack he refused to take

For most of the men who reach the top of competitive physique sport, the question of what to take is not really a question. It is an entry fee. The line between a clean athlete and a chemically optimised one runs not through the locker room but through the wallet of whoever is willing to…

ByJon LipseyMay 6, 20260Comments

TRAINING Icon

Steve Cook on building a body, walking away, and the cost of optimisation

Most former IFBB Men's Physique competitors do not talk on the record about why they stopped competing. Steve Cook does. The conversation below, recorded in January 2024, when Cook was 38, is his retrospective on the trade he refused to make: the four-or-five-compound stack required to win at Olympia level, and the realisation that becoming…

ByJon LipseyMay 6, 20260Comments

TRAINING

Look Like a Bodybuilder, Move Like an Athlete

There’s a reason Judd Lienhard’s Instagram videos make people stop scrolling: he looks like a linebacker and moves like a gymnast. It’s not just the size or the control, it’s the contradiction. Most guys who look like they bench press trucks don’t also do banded crawls, pulsing isometrics, or flow-based ground work that looks more…

ByDr Jonny ReesFebruary 8, 20250Comments

TRAINING

Steve Cook: The truth about me and steroids

Steve Cook Steve Cook is one of the world's most popular health and fitness social media influencers. He is a former competitive fitness model. Follow him on X, Instagram and YouTube. Visit stevecookhealth.com. Steve Cook: I've used performance-enhancing drugs In an Unfiltered world exclusive, the former competitive bodybuilder and cover model, and now global fitness…

ByJoe WarnerSeptember 5, 20240Comments

Stan Efferding muscle hypertrophy strength gym training vertical diet

TRAINING Icon

Stan Efferding: build muscle, burn fat and perform at your full potential

Stan Efferding Stan Efferding is known as the world’s strongest bodybuilder, being both a world record holding powerlifter and an IFBB professional bodybuilder. He is a leading authority on performance nutrition, and is the founder of The Vertical Diet, a performance-based nutritional framework. He has consulted with hundreds of elite athletes across multiple sports. Follow…

ByDr Jonny ReesJuly 15, 20240Comments

Kris Gethin secrets of success in business and bodybuilding

MIND Icon

Kris Gethin: Want success in business or bodybuilding? Don’t have a plan B!

Kris Gethin Kris Gethin is one of the world’s leading body transformation specialists. As the former editor-in-chief of BodyBuilding.com, co-founder of Kaged supplements, co-founder of Kris Gethin Gyms, host of the Kris Gethin Podcast, and author of the best-selling book Body by Design, Kris has helped educate and change the lives of millions of people. He currently…

ByJoe WarnerJuly 15, 20240Comments

TRAINING Opinion

Steve Cook: Most A-list action heroes are on steroids

Steve Cook Steve Cook is one of the world's most popular health and fitness social media influencers. He is a former competitive fitness model. Follow him on X, Instagram and YouTube. Visit stevecookhealth.com. Steve Cook: The Rock is not natural From The Rock’s famous physique to the Kardashian cartoonish curves, unbelievable bodies are…

ByJoe WarnerJuly 4, 20240Comments

TRAINING Icon

Ryan Terry: How I won Mr Olympia and my plans to build a legacy

Ryan Terry Ryan Terry is a British bodybuilder and physique athlete. He is the reigning Mr Olympia 2023 Men's Physique champion, and has won every major bodybuilding title in his division, including the Arnold Classic and the New York Pro. Follow him on Instagram and YouTube. Visit ryanterry.co.uk. Ryan Terry: This was going to be…

ByJoe WarnerNovember 28, 20230Comments

Newsletter

Sign Up to Our Newsletter