Joe Rogan claims bodybuilding “doesn’t exist” without steroids

Joe Rogan claimed on a recent episode of his Joe Rogan Experience podcast that the bodybuilding scene, as we know it, wouldn’t be possible without the use of steroids.

Rogan has been around the world of fitness for awhile, first being involved in UFC and now often discussing health topics on his popular JRE podcast.

During a recent episode with journalist Mariana van Zeller, the pair were discussing steroids in sports, when Rogan claimed modern bodybuilding “doesn’t exist” without the use of the muscle-enhancing drugs.

“Bodybuilding doesn’t exist, it doesn’t exist,” Rogan claimed. “Bodybuilding with steroids exists, but not regular bodybuilding.”

He went on to say that he had a good friend that competes but doesn’t use steroids, and even they weren’t in the same league as people who do when it comes to competitions. 

• Read More: Joe Rogan fans outraged after podcast moves to Spotify

Another example was bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman, who told Rogan on a past episode when he was a guest that he only started doing steroids at 30, after he realized he couldn’t beat the guys that were.

“He was honest about it, ‘I couldn’t compete because I was getting my butt kicked,’ then he started taking them,” the host said. “There are people that walk around, they don’t even look like humans, they look like walls with feet.”

Van Zeller explained that steroids are incredibly widespread in the community, and even promoted by some influencers in the bodybuilding scene, which makes sense, given the inhuman proportions some of its enthusiasts are able to achieve.

This was no surprise to Joe, who obviously admires bodybuilders, but is also a bit skeptical (as any regular-sized person would be) of what they do to themselves.

• Read More: Dave Chappelle finally tells Joe Rogan when he’ll do a full podcast

“They’re like sculptors, in a way it is kind of an art form,” he mused. “What they’re doing is freakish, but they’re all into it, they all love it.”

To be clear, Rogan was in no way endorsing the use of steroids or performance-enhancing drugs (making sure to make it a point that they’re banned from the UFC), but obviously found it fascinating how widespread they are in bodybuilding, despite the health risks.