GREG KOVACS Dies of heart failure, at age 44!!

[crowman]

God damn. kovacs, Duvall, Matarazzo, youngblood, atwood, Hillebrand, Kawak, and the list continues like a M-fer. This is what scares me about even competing with all the health shit i have going on. At what point is it no longer worth the risk? Moderation is key but when your on top its hard to let one pass you by and put the brakes on.

 

[BrotherIron]

Moderation is a word that doesn't even exists in any competitive bber's vocabulary that I know.

 

[SAD]

Can we please put this in perspective?

A man who is 6'4" and between 330-450 his entire adult life, WITHOUT BEING A BODYBUILDER OR EVER TAKING STEROIDS, stands a much higher risk of dying of heart failure at a young age than any of us.

Also, I think that your typical board monkey is going to assume that if the steroids contributed to his death, it must be the massive amounts of test and tren and orals, etc. that he took. My theory on these BBs dying young is that the stimulants, diuretics, and extreme levels of bodyfat/dehydration multiple times per year for years on end, is what really takes a toll on the ticker. Do mega doses help? No. But we all know at least a couple guys who are 60+ and have used (and abused at times) AAS for decades and decades, and are still going strong.

I had a coach tell me once that health and wellness are sacrificed at the highly competitive levels of most sports. In order to be one of the best, you must sometimes be reckless and fearless while "playing" your sport. Sometimes it leads to blown out knees or torn muscles, or in the case of pro BBing, blown out kidneys and torn aortas.

I'm ok with never being one of the greats in powerlifting, I really am. But if I were a true freak and had a chance, I would consider doing what it took, even if it meant sacrificing some of my health.

 

[tommyguns2]

No matter the cause, my heart and prayers go out to him and his family. RIP.

 

[LITTLEMAGS]

Greg was known also for his heavy rec use....ie (coke)

 

[oldschool1967]

Agreed SAD, and really, if everyone thinks about it maybe 10 ''elite'' young(er) bbers have passed before their time within the past decade or so.300 million people in the U.S. so our numbers are really fairly low in regards to death and the size of the population.Narcotics, gear, whatever it is still a shame.



d

d

 

[Blacken]

The public would say it's steroids but you pretty much can rule that out based off bodybuilders from the 60's and 70's they didn't die prematurely when they just did steroids as nothing else really existed. Heck they didn't even know how to use them properly back then took them like candy, no pct, no cycles etc. Most pro athletes are on something they aren't dying prematurely. It's a combination of other factors perhaps abuse of growth, insulin and dietetics. Weighting such an extreme weight doesn't help. However strongman and powerlifters are typically up in that weight range with higher bodyfat but don't die prematurely to such a degree.

Either way he did what he loved. It better to die young enjoying life then die old having never lived. RIP

 

[BrotherIron]

The public would say it's steroids but you pretty much can rule that out based off bodybuilders from the 60's and 70's they didn't die prematurely when they just did steroids as nothing else really existed. Heck they didn't even know how to use them properly back then took them like candy, no pct, no cycles etc. Most pro athletes are on something they aren't dying prematurely. It's a combination of other factors perhaps abuse of growth, insulin and dietetics. Weighting such an extreme weight doesn't help. However strongman and powerlifters are typically up in that weight range with higher bodyfat but don't die prematurely to such a degree.

Either way he did what he loved. It better to die young enjoying life then die old having never lived. RIP

Don't forget about rec drug abuse. It's quite prevelant in bbing.

 

[Rai080]

Always sad to see icons go down. Also provides a good reality check that we are not invincible.

 

[Titan]

I agree and like you said its not necessarily roids that kills these BB's.
What kills them is the general unhealthy life style they have.
This big misconception is that
Pro BBs live and eat healthy...they don't !!!

This sport in the pro ranks is all about drugs.
Diuretics and being too heavy contributes the most damage.
Our hearts are not made to carry the blood to a body that weighs 3-400lbs.
After a few years it just gives out.
Pro Bodybuilders are the most unhealthy group of any sport...just look at the statistics.
Nasser and Kovacs Kept juicing long after they retired...they couldn't let it go and lose weight and keep a normal amount of body muscle.
They both kept trying to stay huge and a human heart just can take the pressure of pumping blood through such a massive body for so long and it gives out.
At some point one has to realize you have to let the mass dreams go and let your body try to recover...or you'll die young.