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HackTwat
07-08-2014, 12:00 PM
Lee Priest – The Banned Superman

Geoff Roberts May 30, 2014 http://projectbodybuilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/lee-priest-610x250.jpg
Bodybuilders of the “golden era” (1990s), often state that bodybuilding these days lacks true characters. It is in need of athletes that are unique and exceptionally different in many ways. No bodybuilder fits this mold more appropriately than Lee Priest. The Blonde Myth is bodybuilding’s ultimate character. Entertaining, funny, extremely talented, openly controversial, and most important of all, he has a very Aside from being suspended from the IFBB more times than anyone in the organizations history, it is not every day (or possibly ever again) that you see a five foot four inch tall bodybuilder with 21 inch arms, who gets as heavy as 285 pounds in the off season. Lee’s strength feats are just as unique as his seemingly impossible proportions. These feats include 700+ pound squats for six reps, 300+ pound barbell curl for a couple reps, and 180 pound dumbbell presses for 8 to 10 reps. All of this allure combined to form what is one of the most polarizing men this industry has ever or will ever be exposed Lee Andrew Priest McCutcheon was born on July 6th, 1972 in Newcastle, Australia to a mother who just so happened to also be a bodybuilder. Lee exceled in sports such a rugby due to his above average speed, a trait many bodybuilders and other power athletes share. It was not long before it became obvious that Lee was put on this earth for one reason, to be a bodybuilder. You would be hard pressed to find any bodybuilder in our sports history who could match Lee’s physique at 15 or 16 years old. By 16 he had crafted a physique most of us would need several decades to achieve. Lee began training seriously at 14 years old and won the IFBB Mr. Australia 3 years later at the ripe old age of 17, then went on to win this same contest two more years in a row. At only 20 years old, one year shy of being legal to purchase alcohol, Lee became one of the youngest men to ever earn an IFBB pro card.
Lee Priest was a bodybuilder who was able to compete several times a year without issue, a strategy that is rarely seen implemented these days. Lee averaged roughly 5 or 6 competitions a year, including 1997 where he competed in a mind boggling 11 shows! Priest placed 7th at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in 1994, which would put him at 22 years old. Just a few years later Lee managed to place 7th at the Mr. Olympia contest at only 25 years old in 1997, the same year that he competed in 11 shows! Lee went on to compete in the Olympia four more times placing 7th, 9th, 6th, and 6th. It should not be forgotten that Lee stood only 5’4”, which we all know is a huge detriment when standing on a professional bodybuilding stage next to men who may be on the short side of six feet.
As any bodybuilding fan will know, Lee Priest may be the most outspoken athlete on the topic of drugs that we have ever seen. Lee would get himself into trouble with his drug talk, while simultaneously forming and destroying his extensive fan base. Lee would claim these low, sometimes nonexistent (off season) drug doses that would automatically compel a person to either think he was a liar, talking to the fans like they are stupid, or that he is a true genetic anomaly who really knows what he is doing. Many people think these low drug amounts, which are roughly one fourth or less of what is generally accepted as a “pro cycle”, are impossible. There are a few issues with this position of impossibility however. The first issue being that Lee is known in our industry for his extreme honesty, which was the source of many of his problems. So if Lee was so honest about topics that got him banned from the IFBB and made people despise him, why would he lie about his drug amounts? Second, is the aforementioned physique Lee had when he was literally a child, at 15 years old. Take a close look at Lee when he was 15 years old and the idea that low doses getting him to the top six at the Olympia is impossible will quickly begin to
dissipate. Lastly, most people in our industry agree that Michael Lockett is or is at least very close to being natural, barely works out, and eats mostly junk food. If Michael Lockett can look the way he does with no drugs, very limited training, and shitty food, why couldn’t Lee have made it to the Olympia with small amounts of drugs, hard training, and a decent diet?
Another topic Lee was brutally honest about was which natural supplements he would use. Even when sponsored by a company, Lee would openly admit to not taking most of their products. When Lee was with MuscleTech for example, they would quote Lee, claiming these statements were what Lee had said, when they were in fact untrue (probably because what Lee actually said was none too flattering in regard to the products). This, along with some monetary issues related to Lee’s competitions and MuscleTech, caused the breakup between these two industry giants. Lee was most famously known for working under TwinLab, at which time he would state that he absolutely does not use all of the products, and the before/after pictures seen in ads are not what they seem. Say what you will about Lee, but what other bodybuilder is honest about whichever company they happen to be sponsored by? Lee’s very first IFBB suspension came way back in 1994 due to what sounds like a misunderstanding. Long story short, Lee had signed a contract to do a particular show but had already qualified for the Olympia. Lee went to Joe Weider and asked if it was okay if he skipped the show to focus on the Olympia, to which Joe said it was perfectly fine. Lee did not however run this idea by the current president of the IFBB, Wayne Demilia. The show came and went, and Lee was suspended for not showing up to a show he had signed a contract for. This would be the beginning of many suspensions and other issues between Lee and the IFBB.
The most famous of his suspensions was from 2006 until 2008 for competing in a different federation, which is completely understandable. After this suspension was lifted, Lee was planning to compete in 2009 and/or 2010, but tore his bicep at the shoulder allegedly moving a large TV around inside of his house. This injury made it impossible for Lee to compete for some time, obviously. Not only this, but it also made Lee unsure about ever competing again period. Because of this, Lee never renewed his pro card (which he got back in 2008). It needs to be said that renewing a pro card does cost a few hundred dollars. Strike one. Then came the VPX Shotgun Big Show with John Romano.
It is well documented that the IFBB and John Romano get along like a husband’s ex-wife does with his current one. Strike two. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand what that show ended up being like. In a nutshell it was two hours a week of heavily bashing the IFBB, its ownership, and its judges. Strike three. In 2012 Lee showed interest in competing again in the 212 pound class after a promoter gave him an invite. Around this time, Lee contacted the president of the IFBB at which point he was given the unfortunate news that he would not be allowed to compete at this show and would be banned from the IFBB for life. Lee plays it off as if this did not bother him in any substantial manner, however, if you are capable of reading human emotion at all, it was clear to see that he was devastated.Lee was probably hated far more than he was loved. Love or hate him, very few people truly stand up for what they believe in, and Lee is certainly one of those people. Bodybuilding would be much better off with more polarizing characters like Lee, who are fun to discuss and keep us entertained. That said, many people do have legitimate reasons for being very unhappy with Lee. When push comes to shove, everyone has things we have done or said that would give others a solid reason for disliking us, no matter how polite or genuine we might be. Not only this but “political correctness,” amongst many other things, is one of the factors currently destroying our society. Very few individuals in any industry are less politically correct than Lee Priest. It may be in our best interest to spend some time searching out more politically incorrect characters like The Blonde Myth.

Erabus
07-09-2014, 08:30 AM
I think he had some of the largest forearms I ever seem..

DefMetalLifter
07-09-2014, 08:51 AM
Love this guy. Always speaks his mind. I like one of his videos someone asked his thoughts on macros. He said, "macros?! Have you ever seen anyone that talks about macros actually look like a bodybuiler?!" Funny shit.