"Enhancement" or "Cheating"? Your opinion.

AeolianHarp

Is it cheating? Context dependent. Are professional bodybuilders (I'm not talking natural BBers) cheating? No because there is an acceptance amongst them that they're all allowed to use. Is it cheating in natural bodybuilding? Yes because it's tested and it's to show what a natural physique is capable of.

If someone wishes to get a massive leg up (steroids give a significant advantage as the results are not physiologically possible without it) then that's their choice. But it's simply not fair to compare someone who is "enhanced" to someone who is not.

People overstate the significance of it, though. There are thousands and thousand of individuals who simply look like crap while being on a ton of that thar. Hard work is needed if you're enhanced or not. I don't think any less of someone if they do it and I don't think they're cheating if they're just doing it for themselves. Once they are amongst non-enhanced then it becomes problematic.

ninerbuff

Are sunglasses cheating in baseball on a sunny day?

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usc2626

Anyone bigger than me must be on roids.

On a serious note, I don't care what people do. The only thing I have a problem with is either (1) belittling others for their natural muscle/strength achievements when yours were drug-assisted or (2) other minimizing the role drugs have played in your athletic achievements.

Steroids work, and they work very, very well. Patting yourself on the back for making great gains while on gear is monumentally douchey.

Couldn't have said it better!

usc2626

"Enhancement" is something that serves vanity, at the expense of one's health.

If he prioritizes what his arms look like, then fine, I could care less. But he shouldn't be giving advice to people who care about their health.

I won't go into detail (that's probably for another thread and I don't want to get this one locked), but there isn't any scientific evidence that shows that "enhancement" drugs (when taken in correct dosage and monitored by a physician) are detrimental to one's health. There may be side effects from individual standpoints, but there are hundreds of HRT clinics around the US alone that do this.

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I don’t doubt this one bit but I know people that have used steroids and it seems to be more of a psychological effect than anything else. When they have to stop using and they lose the majority of their gains they can't handle it. Then the cycle starts over again until it eventually becomes an addiction. A lot like plastic surgery for women, they usually can't stop just getting one procedure.

TheMerryPup

define enhancements? for instance, i have breast enhancements, but i dont think its cheating. Just saying. :bigsmile:

In a swimming competition those could be considered 'flotation' devices.

Haha technically not. A good way to tell real ones from fake ones is to see if they float. Real boobs float, fake ones don't.

Clearly we need, (knead?), to do some testing here. Double blind, (notice: pairs), and uh. . .filmed. Yesss! Filmed.:bigsmile:

mrmanmeat

I hope that we all can keep this civil as a debate because I know we all won't see eye to eye on it, but let's try to "hear out" opinions and views on this.

A thread I was on this morning inspired me to post a thread on this. The thread showed progress of a member losing weight and doing good, but "enhancement" was included to assist along the way. Some of the debate went out of bounds, but it got me thinking of whether some thought it was cheating or enhancement?

Think about this for a second: 2 people go on a weight loss plan together and lose 20lbs. They bet each other who can get to it first. One decides to just do it by calorie deficit, the other by calorie deficit and exercise. The person who does exercise loses faster and ends up winning. Now is this "enhancement" to what the other is doing or is it "cheating" if the goal is just to lose weight the fastest?

2 swimmers on the same team with the same speed on a lap wear different suits. One wears a regular Speedo while the other wears one with "friction resistance" in the water. Enhancement or cheating?

A golfer who used to wear glasses gets his eyes "lasiked" so he doesn't have to wear them and slightly improves his vision. He now golfs better. Enhancement or cheating?

Someone takes enhancement drugs to lose weight and improve physique. Many call this "cheating", but why would it be if the others up above wouldn't be considered cheating?

My personal opinion is that anything you can do to "enhance" what you're doing is just that.........enhancement. If a child studies with flash cards and his peers do not and he scores better, then he enhanced his learning skills. If he had the exact answers to the test and just copied them down and then transferred it to the test, then obviously it would be cheating. But where do you draw the line to enhancement and cheating?

Thoughts and be civil.

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I'm more annoyed that you put your signature on EVERY POST YOU MAKE.

myfitnessnmhoy

It depends on the rules of the competition. If it's within the rules, it's "enhancement". If it's outside the rules, it's "cheating". If the rules are nebulous, then it becomes "the topic of angry Internet discussions"

laurasimmons

I wouldn't consider it cheating.

rainunrefined

2 people go on a weight loss plan together and lose 20lbs. They bet each other who can get to it first. One decides to just do it by calorie deficit, the other by calorie deficit and exercise. The person who does exercise loses faster and ends up winning. Now is this "enhancement" to what the other is doing or is it "cheating" if the goal is just to lose weight the fastest?

THE ONE WHO EXERCISES IS JUST SMART. boom.


2 swimmers on the same team with the same speed on a lap wear different suits. One wears a regular Speedo while the other wears one with "friction resistance" in the water. Enhancement or cheating?

THE ONE WEARING FRICTION RESISTANCE IS JUST SMART. again.


A golfer who used to wear glasses gets his eyes "lasiked" so he doesn't have to wear them and slightly improves his vision. He now golfs better. Enhancement or cheating?

HE IS BEING LOGICALLY uhhh SMART.


Someone takes enhancement drugs to lose weight and improve physique. Many call this "cheating", but why would it be if the others up above wouldn't be considered cheating?

NOW THIS IS JUST STUPID.


If a child studies with flash cards and his peers do not and he scores better, then he enhanced his learning skills.

SMART KID.

Obviously this is just an issue between who can use their smarts vs. those who can't.

WickedGarden

I missed the earlier post, but if one considers flash cards as 'cheating' then wouldn't MFP be considered cheating as well? I consider flash cards as a 'learning tool', MFP does similar things, it's a tool to use to help you learn better.

I know one person here said they has WLS, and I saw that they stated they are on a strict diet. I understand that and that's great! But what about the others (I know of a few in particular) who gets a procedure done but continues to eat terribly but still loses weight? Is that cheating? They are 'supposed to' eat protein and veggies, but I've watched them drink Ensure, and then continually eat burgers, fries, cake, candy etc.

there is a fine gray line in what could be considered 'cheating'.

_Tristan_

I consider all of your examples cheating unless the specific “enhancement” was disclosed to the competitor before the competition are set. As long as the rules of the competition are completely agreed upon then it’s cheating. Plain and simple.

Jennisin1

I am taking this journey to become the best me, not only from a "look good" point of view but from a health point of view. I would consider it cheating if what you are choosing to do sacrifices your health to look good.... What is the point of looking good in the short term if it prevents you from living a full and healthy life in the long term...

but, in the end, the only person you are "cheating" is yourself... unless you are competing.

So would you consider breast implants "cheating" based on this reply?

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I haven't look into it (since I am not nor ever will be in the need)... but do you really take a significant chance to destroy your long term healthy to get them? I know there would be extremely rare surgical risks, but I don't think there is significant evidence that the modern implant would cause serious issues (may be wrong, haven't done the research) I don't necessarily think that cosmetic surgery is cheating since there are instances that no amount of work on the part of the person is going to create the best outcome for them.

marieautumn

define enhancements? for instance, i have breast enhancements, but i dont think its cheating. Just saying. :bigsmile:

In a swimming competition those could be considered 'flotation' devices.

Haha technically not. A good way to tell real ones from fake ones is to see if they float. Real boobs float, fake ones don't.

how can you tell if they float unless they are saggy??

ninerbuff

"Enhancement" is something that serves vanity, at the expense of one's health.

If he prioritizes what his arms look like, then fine, I could care less. But he shouldn't be giving advice to people who care about their health.

I won't go into detail (that's probably for another thread and I don't want to get this one locked), but there isn't any scientific evidence that shows that "enhancement" drugs (when taken in correct dosage and monitored by a physician) are detrimental to one's health. There may be side effects from individual standpoints, but there are hundreds of HRT clinics around the US alone that do this.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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I don’t doubt this one bit but I know people that have used steroids and it seems to be more of a psychological effect than anything else. When they have to stop using and they lose the majority of their gains they can't handle it. Then the cycle starts over again until it eventually becomes an addiction. A lot like plastic surgery for women, they usually can't stop just getting one procedure.

I agree and this was one of the reasons that I myself have never used them. I feel if I start, I may not be able to get off. I feel that I've made the right decision about it so far.

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ninerbuff

I'm more annoyed that you put your signature on EVERY POST YOU MAKE.

Get used to it.

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A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Someone takes enhancement drugs to lose weight and improve physique. Many call this "cheating", but why would it be if the others up above wouldn't be considered cheating?

NOW THIS IS JUST STUPID.


Obviously this is just an issue between who can use their smarts vs. those who can't.

Using steroids is enhancing the "chemical processing" in the body. When you consume food, you are encouraging a chemical process in the body. When you exercise, you encourage a chemical process in the body.
Plastic surgery is enhancement. Anti wrinkle cream is an enhancement. Make up is an enhancement. If the dosage is correct and monitored by a doctor and WORKS for physical enhancement, then why is it considered stupid?

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plzlbsbegone

I would only think it is "cheating" if you are in a competition or something and use resources outside of what is natural for you. Lasik I would consider cheating because it's just correcting something that is wrong. Eating right with a calorie deficit and exercise is not cheating because that is something everyone can pretty much easily do. Using enhancement drugs to improve physique I don't think is wrong or "cheating" unless they are in a competition where it is clear that it IS cheating, but if someone who loves working out wants to "bulk up" or slim down or whatever and uses those resources I say it is just enhancement.

I think where the line gets drawn is when the word "competition" comes up.

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I agree, in a true "Competition", everyone has the same rules. I would not play a basketball game where one team one allowed to tuck the ball under their arm and run, and I was expected to dribble. Therefore, I would not enter a weight loss competition, if it were stated, that I was NOT allowed to work out, and the others were. If it is not clearly stated that these "enhancements" are forbidden, then it would def. be an enhancement. Trust me, if I would have been allowed to "tuck and run" in highschool basketball, I would have been a LOT better! :laugh:

Sidesteal

Anyone bigger than me must be on roids.

On a serious note, I don't care what people do. The only thing I have a problem with is either (1) belittling others for their natural muscle/strength achievements when yours were drug-assisted or (2) other minimizing the role drugs have played in your athletic achievements.

Steroids work, and they work very, very well. Patting yourself on the back for making great gains while on gear is monumentally douchey.

I was going to post, then I read this and decided it was better than what I would have posted. Couldn't agree more.

Anomalia

Who cares?

timmymon

People are super elitist when it comes to working out and getting in shape for some reason. You have naturalist people who look down on everyone who take anything at all. I have seen people put down others simply for taking vitamins. I think it is just one of those things where everybody has an opinion and most of the time the people are uneducated in the matter and speak out of pure emotion.

There is no such thing as cheating in fitness. Every single person has a different goal and there are many different paths one can take to reach it. To each his/her own!