[BoiBoi]

(12-03-2014 04:17 AM)Rutting Elephant Wrote:  

(11-30-2014 09:59 AM)Moma Wrote:  

Even Steve Nash could be on gear. I heard someone say that Steve Nash does 360 dunks in practice (two hands, two feet) but doesn't show this in games.

This is something I would have to see to believe.

Same here.

[Kamikaze]

Not to veer the conversation away from the pros, but recently an article came out on ESPN that reported increased HGH use among teens. From the article:

Quote:

Nine percent of teen girls reported trying synthetic HGH and 12 percent of boys.

I have no idea why girls would want to get huge, but both numbers are alarming... seriously 3 in 25 guys have taken HGH???

I first heard about this from my cousin like 4 years ago, who played D1 baseball and had a pretty naive dream to pitch in the pros with a fastball below 85 mph.

Anyway, he told me TONS of guys take HGH in their teens to boost their last growth spurt. He openly said 'If I knew about that shit back then, I definitely would have taken it.' He also said he was damn sure Lebron juiced as a teenager, which would explain his spurt from 6'3" to 6'7" in just one summer, as well as his big-ass HGH jaw. Pretty sure my cousin was just hating, but kinda makes you think...

Given the numbers above, there's a possibility some guys on the forum must have either experience juicing at an early age themselves, or personally know of someone who did. Do you guys know of early juicers?

And given the resources and adequate safety precautions, would you use gear as a teen who's putatively not done growing?

[Americas]

(11-30-2014 11:35 AM)kosko Wrote:  

also Hockey which has the worst testing in all pro sports has been low key suspected of rampant PED use.

I really think PEDs are rampant in hockey. Yet, it seems like the league would rather turn a blind eye to it than actually investigate thoroughly because of the media implications.

There was a story that a bunch of Washington Capitals were juicing, but nothing ever came out of it.

[The Beast1]

I wish I used HGH and drank f*ck all milk when I was a kid. I stunted my growth at 6ft when my father and uncle are a lot taller.

Kids should be lifting.

[Joga Bonito]

(11-30-2014 04:57 PM)kosko Wrote:  

You would be surprised. Weight training isn't mega huge among NBA players (aside from general conditioning) and its generally frowned upon during the grind of the season.

This is completely false actually. Weight training during the season is seen as a integral part of the in-season and off-season regimen of professional hoopers. Hell, my high school coach had us in the weight room during the season. The reason it is so prevalent now is that sports medicine has told us that lifting weights prevents your body from breaking down over the course of a long season. The whole stay away from weights thing was due to erroneous and antiquated sports medicine research, which has since been debunked. In today's NBA, if you eschew lifting, you can't expect to stay in the league very long. Paul George talks about it here.

Here a quote from the Pacer's trainer about lifting in-season.

Quote:

"You never know who you're going to face each round of the playoffs," Windle says. "Of course we might be eyeing a showdown with the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals early in the season, but it's never guaranteed. We don't train in the off-season to play against certain teams or certain guys. We try to get everyone as strong as we possibly can. We lift heavy weight throughout the season to maintain that strength."
Roy Hibbert likes to lift weights after regular-season games. Paul George likes to lift weights before games. David West, it seems, will lift weights anytime and anywhere.
"David is an animal in the weight room," Windle says. "He's our strongest guy for sure. Part of my job is to visit players after the season to check on their workouts, and when I went down to see David, I was amazed at what I saw. I had never seen a guy work that hard in the off-season. He was putting in maximum effort on everything."

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/eye-perf...r-physical

Quote:

DOMS or that soreness post lifting is going to affect your muscle memory and your shot.

Maybe immediately after for a short time if you're working with a rep or weight range that you aren't used to. Long-term the effects are neglible, as this is another myth based out of bad science. Most NBA players actually become much more accurate shooters later in their careers even after packing on muscle. The list is innumerable. In fact, it will increase your range if anything.

Just look at how guys like Joe Johnson, Chris Paul, or Dwayne Wade blew up over very short periods of time, they are probably juicing heavily, but they are markedly better shooters than when they were scrawny.

Quote:

Few exceptions existed like Karl Malone whom liked to be stocky and jacked to help him in the paint and in those days he had the power advantage over more swift and speedy dudes like The Dream. Genetic freaks like Wilt Chamberlain could bench press 550lbs but Wilt also fucked 1, 000 women, and scored 100 points, all things nobody has any proof off haha. es for how much of a monster he is has a pitifully weak bench press for his size in comparison to NFL players. I remember reading a story if Lebron could play in the NFL and they concluded that he would get smoked in comparing him to Calvin Johnson whom is a bit smaller than Lebron. Calvin was nearly twice as strong, way faster, with a better vertical, and Defenses would toss around Lebron like a rag doll.

For the sport of basketball, Lebron is in the upper echelon of strength. I can see why people like doing the exercises of comparing between sports, but for all intents and purposes it is useless. The competencies required to be successful in hoops are diametrically opposite of those needed to succeed in football. Bench press is a fairly useless exercise as it translates into basketball strength much less success. Take a guy like Kevin Durant, who couldn't even lift 185 when he first got into the league(the only guy in his class not to do so) and who's body hasn't changed much since his college days although he is clearly stronger. He would get murdered in the weight room by the weakest NFL guy, but for his sport he is elite since he mastered the competencies relative to success in his sport.

Quote:

Pro practice is weak. Even in the NFL they only wear pads one day a week, the rest of the week is just walk through drills and those don't even start until Wednesday typically. You get Saturday off, Monday off, Film and strategy meetings in between all of those. NBA practices are the same, you do plays, strategy, drills, but it isn't a intensive work session that we would assume, for all for the points you mentioned. The season is long and you don't want to wear your guys down.

Depends on the coaches philosophy. A guy like Jason Kidd, didn't practice hard due to his teams age makeup. However a guy like Stan Van Gundy or Erik Spoelstra, runs his guys ragged. Most coaches, however do let up in terms of practice as you get deeper in the season, because, like you said their players will wear down, especially if they have short benches.

Quote:

They are professionals and you can't really teach seasoned players basics any more then what they are willing to work on and learn, that's what the off-season is for. Elite level players put in the extra time, shooting practice each day (Kobe or Ray Allen supposedly does 1000 shots each day practice?), regular players don't put in that extra, hence why they are regular. JR Smith could be elite but can wake up and score 23 with his eyes closed and its always been like that for him. Some dudes don't have to put in the extra work so its never on thier minds. People like Steve Nash whom was always a step slower or not up to same physical levels as the other dudes had to work harder on the little things each day and had to put in the extra hours, each player will have a unique situation.

Yeah some guys are super lazy and don't put in the extra work because they coasted by on talent throughout high school and college. It is a major reason why alot of very skilled guys Michael Beasley or Anthony Randolph, did not realize their potential. The work ethic has to apply not only when working on your game, but studying film and busting your butt on the court. There's alot of super talented and skilled guys that get to the league and fall by the wayside for this very reason. People underestimate just how talented NBA guys are, however succeeding comes down to alot of factors like the system you play in in addition to what I said above.

[Phantm]

Tough to say especially in the NBA because you can't exactly look for the boulder shoulders, since they all have them.

If I had to make a call, I'd say the vast majority of paid athletes are on some type of gear. Whether it's a steroid in the traditional sense, that would depend on the sport.

[Rutting Elephant]

Ravens just lost Ngata for this, now they're even more unlikely to make the playoffs. I figured his genetics made him huge enough.

Edit: I didn't mean to imply Adderall enhances strength, just that his performance was great before testing caught him for whatever advantage the drug gave him. Should probably have put this in NFL thread.

[Fortis]

The better question: who isn't on gear?

With this kind of money at stake, you'd bet your ass that these guys are doing everything they can-- short of sacrificing virgins to the goat lord-- to dominate.

[Mufasa]

looks like all of Russia's athletes qualify for this thread

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/new...ng-system/

Quote:

The documentary reveals athletes making secret payoffs, how they avoid testing and remain undetected due to a large international system of sport executives, lab staff and sport officials cooperating in the doping knowledge and supply chain taking advantage of the lack of independent oversight in international athletics and anti-doping.

Quote:

What was most shocking in the documentary was the case that was made for the systematic doping, how extensively and perfectly the whole system fits together. From the guarantees by Russian state government officials controlling the political side, down through the Russian government agencies that control RUSADA, WADA’s approved lab, all interwoven in the sophisticated doping supply chain network, combined also with high level coordination between the Russian sport executives, anti-doping officials, sport federation officials and coaches.

The Russian doping system in some ways mirrors the GDR doping of the 60’s-90’s. Russian coach Oleg Popov stated, “The athlete has no choice. Either you agree and use the illegal substances, or if you don’t you’re out of sport (in Russia).”

End of the article says WADA (world anti doping agency) is in hot pursuit after hearing about the allegations.