Part II: Your Still On Steroids
Q & A With Brian Cannone

Brain,

Thank you for your time. I'm impressed with the response. I actually didn't even think I'd get one.

I need to clarify a few things. The most important FACT is Jermaine was 230lbs before he started training for your last show and he did not look fat at all, he was solid. That is 55lbs heavier then his contest weight two years ago when he competed! I don't know his weight for your last show. That is not accomplished naturally. So for you to think he stays near contest weight all year around clearly tells me you don't know Jermaine. I watched him go from 230lbs to 195lbs in 30days and I'm not sure where he ended at.

As far as I go, I do live and breathe it every day all year 12 months long. If what you are saying is true then these guys are just freaks of nature. I know I'm not the best but working out as hard as I do I should be in the ball park. I'm not even in the parking lot with these guys and I've been working out much much longer. I guess I must be doing it wrong and need some lessons right?

I really only point fingers when I personally know someone has taken drugs, like Dwight DeMartino who came in 3rd in your contest last year, or when someone as young as Jermaine has the muscle size and maturity so fast. It is not possible naturally. I've made incredible gains over the last 9yrs that I've been working my ass off. Now if I've been doing that as strict as I have been for the last 18yrs THEN I can see how I would be in the same category as these guys. But look at Jermaine he has the muscle size and maturity as if he has been working hard for 18yrs but he is only 19 or 20 yrs old????????? That is how I gage people before I point fingers. I always look at the possibilities based on their age, condition and how hard they work out.

As far a Mo goes, I don't know him. I don't know how long or hard he has been working out. If I had to guess, I'd say he may be natural now but not life time. Unless you tell me he has been doing it for 20yrs, but he looks younger than me.

TO SETTLE THIS COMPLETELY FOR ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IF WHAT IS BEING TESTED AND WHAT IS THE CRITERIA. SAYING SOMEONE PASSES A TEST MEANS NOTHING! ANYONE CAN SAY THEY PASSED A POLLY OR URINE TEST, BUT WHAT IS THE CRITERIA THAT THEY PASSED AGAINST.

YOU CAN PASS A POLLY TEST AND DRUG TEST IF THE CRITERIA WAS NOT TO HAVE USED DRUGS IN THE PAST WEEK RIGHT? TESTING IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE CRITERIA IT IS HELD UP AGAINST.

That is one thing I really don't understand. If you ask the question "have you ever used drugs/steriods in your life?" how do these people pass the Poly test? It is a pass or fail test right? So how do they pass unless the question is qualified by a criterion that allows them the pass by adding in the last 2, 3, 5, yrs etc.

I find it interesting that you ended your email with "it is what it is and I'd hope it is the truth"?

John

Dear John,

Steroids is something that upsets you and I understand your feelings -

I used to hire 2 police detectives that were trained in doing polygraph testing on criminals - they still do that test criminals with a lie detector - these guys were professional out of Massachusetts but the issue with lie detector is you should test for an hour and not 15 minutes. If someone had questionable readings they kept them longer until they got an answer - now I like the lie detector since you can ask about lifetime and with urine you can't. These guys were not mind readers but even if they were if people truly really believe they are drug free that is the result you get.

Here is the deal on natural for life testing with lie detector - athletes don't feel lie detector is good enough so I switched to urine testing. I'm not a chemist so I don't know and can't tell you which drugs stay in the body long and which don't. I also don't know if an athlete purchased steroids out of somebody's gym bag and shot a needle in their ass for however long they do it if they would know enough about what that was and how long it takes to get out of their system. You think someone doing that was a very smart person? People give these guys a lot of credit - not only do they look good but also they are doctors of chemistry too.

To me in my opinion just so you know - someone buying steroids out of a trunk of a car or somebody's gym bag or even a crooked doctor is no better than a junkie shooting junk. Anyone who shoots up snorts coke smokes weed and claims to be drug free has a screw loose.

Steroids do work and people take them - it does hurt the sport - they won't go away - some people cheat - they cheat in relationships and everything else in life, some people steal, some people cheat and steal and hurt other people - there are messed up people in this world. I'm not a supporter of messed up people!

You will still question me and question the athletes in the show - I can write examples all day long and even explain myself - it won't change anything on your feelings. But you are not alone in how you feel which is why clubs like Planet Fitness don't cater to bodybuilders or powerlifters - because anyone that lifts weights seriously is on the sauce and clubs like Planet and taking over the fitness industry.

Many people are ignorant to bodybuilding and people that don't understand something bash it so everyone is on steroids and bodybuilding is bad to most people - the general public which is the masses think bodybuilding is bad - not only because of steroids but anyone lifting with intensity is a criminal, a biker, or a thug. That is sadly what bodybuilding has become to many people - they don't get it.

You may not know this and if you like it or not what you are saying is negative and all the negativity bodybuilding gets the more it is going to get pushed to the curb. Not only bodybuilders but also all athletes are being accused of using drugs these days - any athlete - in any sport.

It is easy to go into any show - even the little tiny shows and get beat and say - the guy that beat me was on drugs. I'll bring up this again - what about Charles Moorer going into the 2008 NPC New England now called the Jay Cutler Classic (a non-tested event) and winning the show? Bodybuilding is about three things - size, symmetry, and definition - steroids don't give people symmetry and most users get bloated guts and they look worse than before they even used them.

But, to explain the testing further:

Over the past 3 years I test with urine testing and if you read though my website you would see the criteria for the drug testing of the contest. I hire 2 nurses for the day for $500 and I pay for a hotel room for $100 - I order all the testing kits at $3 a kit (75 kits) - I test every bodybuilder and I mail in all class winners urine samples and 15 random samples - do the math - I charge about 40 athletes times the $35 fee for testing and that pays the tests - NO other promoter does the testing I do - NOBODY else spends what I spend on testing.

Don't question my integrity because I have been running shows since 1993 - all drug tested shows and the shows I run I have competed in myself before I ran them - I competed in the AAU Milford County, the AAU Mr. Connecticut, the NPC East Coast Iron Classic and the Musclemania Worlds - so I do this for a passion for the sport. I'm not some businessman trying to make a quick buck.

If you want to talk money as a promoter - I could get a part-time job at a grocery store bagging or pushing carts and do better than the time I spend running shows. Try running a show and see how well you do. Also, if you look a the numbers I get more women in Bikini than anything else bodybuilding is my passion and not many people do as well as a job as I do promoting the sport. Look at my website and you'll know how much time I invest.

You want me to listen to you and tell people they can't compete anymore - you need to come up with something better than what you are giving me.

I do better testing than the NFL and NBL - what about Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens - are you the go-to guy to fail them too? You are the judge and jury - not the research they are doing and the FBI getting involved and they can't figure how to stop people - you have the best way - I'll just ask you.

I just had a similar situation this morning at work (I have to do that since bodybuilding doesn't pay my bills) and someone asked how Bennett Streets did in the show this weekend and another guy shouted out "Bennett is on juice!" - we weren't even talking to this guy - so since he so kindly interrupted us we asked the usual "How do you know?" and the answer was "I just know".

I'm writing you all this so you have an understanding from someone who loves the sport and only runs drug free events - I want you to understand that I do the best I can with testing the best way possible. If you have a better way than what I do please let me know. If you have a better system that your ideas are welcome but if you just want to bash people with no evidence that that doesn't help the sport or me.

Sincerely,
Brian Cannone

Read Part III

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