# Valentino Programme



## squatty (Jun 23, 2006)

Just switched off that Channel 5 programme on Greg Valentino - sat through about 30 minutes.

I get really hacked off that he gets so much air and press time and it's no wonder the public have such a dim view of our sport.

On my way to the gym in the morning I often chat to the road sweeper. He's interested in training,although he doesn't do any himself. I'm willing to bet next month's salary that tomorrow morning he will waylay me with an opinion about the programme that he will then associate with all bodybuilders.

A guy I used to know at the gym worked as a reporter for Channel 4 and quite a few times tried to run a normal piece about a normal bodybuilder but the powers that be weren't interested unless it had a sensational slant (massive drug use, totally egocentric,etc etc).

I think we'll always be on the outside,when it comes to the media and general public perception


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## Caymen1466867925 (Dec 29, 2005)

yep it seems that way mate, and that pratt greg.. damn i wish he would keep his mouth shut.. "steroid" injections in his biceps my arse, its never been steroids, that pratt destroys years of hard work from people promoting bodybuilding in 1 30min episode of Total bullsh1t.

Thoroughly nice bloke though :lol:


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## Shredded (Mar 8, 2006)

just another way for the media to have a go at us.they have no idea what it means to work hard and dedicate yourself to something for a whole life time.the only thing they are regular at is going to the pub and having a curry every week end....as for greg!!!!!!! i think any one who saw that programme will know the guy is as far away from a competetive bodybuilder as you can get,he has done the sport no good what so ever.but thats only my opinion.

wwwpaulgeorge.org


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

valentino is no less of a junkie than pete doherty in my opinion!

what got to me is the programme never once made reference to teh fact that his arms are full of synthol! they even let that poor young lads mother believe that steroids would do that to his arms!

also, whats his name (its escaped me this morning) saying basically that taking 1 steroid once is like setting the seed for cancer and liver failure.... oh my god... all those poor aids and cancer patients who have them prescribed!!!!!

in all honesty the only people willing to go on national TV and speak about steroid use are teh ones stupid enough to get caught up in somethiing like this!

ufortunately i dont think we will ever see anything showing all teh positive effects our sport can have and how much hard work and dedication it takes!


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## squatty (Jun 23, 2006)

My salary is safe.

The road sweeper yelled out across the road - "Hey mate. Watched that programme last night. When you going to shoot up your arm. Don't drop your needles in my bin.Hahaha".

I know he was only joking but I was pissed off. Stood there thinking, shall I try and paint a different picture for him and then thought, sod it (and the bus came along anyway)

Have a sneaky feeling he struck a bit of a nerve though


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

Do you know the road sweeper? or just a random one.


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## squatty (Jun 23, 2006)

nick500 said:


> Do you know the road sweeper? or just a random one.


Why has that made me laugh out loud. Do I go around collecting random road sweepers.

No, he's a good bloke actually. He collars me every morning on the way to work. He's normally got some mad adventure to tell about things he's found along his route. Someone put an unwrapped dead rabbit in his bin the other day


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## leglock (Mar 10, 2005)

ive never messed with roids myself but have no problem with people that do and i totally understand the importance,but what the fxxx was that s hit in the fellas arms...not only did he look a complete moron who id like to have given a dry slap across his 3 little heads, if he wasnt such a midget,but he just looked wrong,all wrong,could someone please tell me what he was actually doing to his arms to get them in that state ?


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

Injecting synthol....;/


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

leglock...

1 - injecting synthol inside the muscle tissue.. this basically is posing oil.. which sits like a big shapeless blob inside the muscle.. giving it a swelled lumpy look... over time the synthol dissolves into the bloodstream (as far as im aware, which obviously is NOT healthy).. and also (as far as im aware) is not excatly 100% sterile... which leads us to:

2 - hes obviously injected soemthing un-sterile into his bicep as it seemed to have an abscess in it which required draining... hence the idiot trying to drain it himself!!.. an abscess is basically caused by an infection and usually requires surgery to remove... i.e.cutting it out of the muscle tissue... hence why he had a big lump missing from one bicep!

infections and abscesses are not always caused by synthol.. they can also be caused by spot injecting (injecting into specific muscle groups) steroids and other substances which may or may not be sterile.


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## leglock (Mar 10, 2005)

cheers lee....can you inject this stuff in any muscle then ? surely he couldnt have got very far in the bodybuilding world looking like that ?

i spose its the same as women with these freak silicone tits.

i dont see what injecting that stuff has to do with taking steroids but still,dont understand it myself,and not really sure i want to.thanks for explaining mate


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

he didnt get very far in the bodybuilding world... although he did compete (have seen photos) in his pre-stupid @rse arms days! and didnt have a bad shape in my opinion!

and yes you can inject it into any muscle... some of todays top pros have been known to do it - obviously with much more success... but it leaves the muscle wobbly and you cant pose it properly!


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## whathellhappendtothat (Aug 27, 2005)

did any one watch it all the way through cause if you did you would be able to remember a user who was banned on here a while ago.... does the name joe middleton ring a bell well that was the program that he was filming for, he never mentioned this website either like what he said he was going to either but it did say that he wanted to use steriods to get bigger and better and that he was going to do what he had to do to get there. just thought i would bring this up dont quite know why


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

so was he the young kid????


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

i believe it was and i think his username was something like joe16??


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

so why was he banned from here?


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

*Complaints to CH5*

If you beleive a programme has deliberately mislead the public (such as portraying synthol abuse and claiming it to be steroid abuse) you can complain to the programme makers:

If enough complaints are made, and the complaints are upheld, they hav to publicly go on the record stating this (ie say it was synthol abuse that caused greg valentino to be this way)

Five

22 Long Acre

London

WC2E 9LY

0845 7 050505

0207 421 7270

[email protected]

* We aim to respond to e-mail enquiries within 72 hours and letters within four days. However, there may be times when the service is busy, that responses take longer to deal with.

* Please note that should you have an urgent programme enquiry you may get a quicker response if you contact us by telephone on the number listed above.

Customer Services is open between 09.00 and 21.00 Monday to Friday. The office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays but an answering machine service is available. A detailed summary of telephone calls and all correspondence is distributed to Five staff members each day and a summary of all complaints is forwarded on a quarterly basis to Ofcom, our regulatory body.


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

madmonkey292 said:


> i believe it was and i think his username was something like joe16??


yeah, thats him. and he posted on here recently (and been constantly nagging me on private message) for a source, which I'm obviously not going to give him.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

Lee- I belive it was because he was going to talk about this website and to do with trusted sources and steroids etc on the show and when he was asked not too he refused and said that he was going to. i might be wrong but reading posts back then that was the general drift of things.


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

yep


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## Lonsdale (Feb 21, 2006)

I watched the program fascinating and really enjoyed some of it, as I find so little about bodybuilding on tv, so the novelty factor was great.

Then i started ti get annoyed by the sensationalism, and how "steroids" did that to Valentino's arm. Is is clear to practically everyone on this board that what did the damage was synthol abuse.

Moreover, they then went on to claim that Arnie suffered his heart problems due to steroid abuse, while every man and his dog knows that he had inherited heart problems.

At least three million people in the US use anabolic steroids right now - so where are the bodies of all these people that have died due to steroid complications?!

I also liked how they got some stupid uneducated kid who had already convinced himself he was going to use steroids, before he had ever (i think) even stepped into the gym! Plus the program was at pains to give the impression that it was common to inject steroids into the bicep...ugh!

It's no skin off my nose cos there will always be a body building community, but I would really have liked that this, one of my main hobbies, would have been portrayed fairly on national TV.

I would urge people to use the link in one of the posts above to contact Channel 5 and complain about how these statements haven't been proven, and how Shwarzenegger had a genetic predisposition to heart problems.


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## squatty (Jun 23, 2006)

Well knock me down with a feather. So, that lad in the programme was Joe16. I thought he said in his thread that the programme was mainly going to be about him, not an offshoot of somebody else's programme.


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## Lonsdale (Feb 21, 2006)

Squatty said:


> Well knock me down with a feather. So, that lad in the programme was Joe16. I thought he said in his thread that the programme was mainly going to be about him, not an offshoot of somebody else's programme.


That prompted me to do a search of his old posts. I particularly enjoyed his requests for Cat Food and Dog Litter - some nice editing on Nick's part...

Also enjoyed how he called people out to have a go at him to his face. After seeing the documentary and his stage of development, I imagine alot of people would be very happy to take him up on that offer.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

Did you see the guy who was the son the 'steriod guru'?

I take it the son has given up training by the size of his belly?.

I also liked the bit about when you take steriods its a ticking timebomb thats going to give you heart, liver, prostate problems and even a stroke.

Think i should cancel my pension and spend the money instead if thats what i have to look forward too.

That gregg is a [email protected] and the programme was a pile of sh$t i think.


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## squatty (Jun 23, 2006)

Boring old fart/grumpy old man bit:

I think there is such an emphasis on this "fame culture" stuff these days (Big Brother, X Factor etc). In fairness to Joe, I think he's just bought into that and is just sounding like any other fame wannabe you get on programmes like that.

Having said that, the cat litter thread is one of my all time favourites and should be preserved forever (Is there a thread of the year award on musclechat. If there is I want to win it and then I can be famous!!)


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## mark300 (Feb 22, 2006)

I have to say I agree with Lonsdale, I enjoyed watching the program as the novalty factor was great seeing as there is never nothing on tv to do with bodybuilding.

However the fact that they made out like his arms turned out that way purely to do with steroid use really did p*ss me off, just goes to show that the media can portray something to be so far from reality and 95% of people watching (or reading, papers etc) will believe it.

I will definately be using the link to send a complaint to channel 5, who knows if enough of us do it maybe something good will come of it.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

lol - I need to go look for this cat litter thread!!!! :lol:


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

PS - Regarding complaining to CH5 - I found this link you can use which is prob easier! :lol:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2006)

Maybe an idea for someone to come up with a well written letter / post of complaint for everyone to email and make an official compllaint!


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

the funny thing is i honestly belive if a well presented programme showing the good side of bodybuilding was screened then the ratings would be quite high...

ive been competing in bodybuilding for just under a year now.. and in general i get a good response from people i meet.. yeah you get idiots who look down their noses at you... but the majority of people do take a positive interest in what i do... i work in a university and lots of the students and lecturers ask me about competing and always take an interest in when i am dieting and ask for advice on training and diet... my wife is constantly asked about the same things by colleagues of hers who dont know me too... and all in a positive sense! maybe its because im quite obviously not an ignorant uneducated fool like many assume bodybuilders to be?? but wether the good or bad sides of the sport are shown its a fact that our sport is actually intruiging to everyone!

with regard channell 5... why complain??? the most they would do is publish a 30 second apology at 11pm on sunday night!! instead... and as i said im not an undeducated fool... so i can guess they are reading these comments on this and other forums... why not challenge the program makers and their researchers to attempt to show a positive and uplifting program.. and see what the response may be????? come on guys... why not even post a response on here and justify why the program was made in the light it was.. i for one would honestly like to hear your side of it!

and... another person we can all guess is reading this... good ole joe16.... well mate... hopefully you know by now that "youve been had!" welcome to the big wide world mate. i feel sorry for you (not in a condescending way) that youve been put in the position you have.. hopefully if anything youve learned one important lesson we all do when growing up... you might think you know it all and dont need to listen to those more experienced... cold reality is that thats the best approach you could ever take - even more so when theyre telling you something you dont want to hear. i hope you move on from where you are now and actually do achieve some of what you want... but with that attitude we saw on the TV you wont! so change it mate for your own good! and stop treating your mother like that!


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## leglock (Mar 10, 2005)

funny as fook that...ive just read some of this joe 16,s previous posts after reading whats been said about him on this thread....when i was watching the program the other night i thought the young lad sitting with his mum was about to start TRAINING,i didnt realise he had been training for 4 years(in his own words)...what has he been lifting coke cans ? at the time i thought good on him for making the effort to improve his body even if his mind did seem a bit twisted,now having read his posts i think its obvious why he wouldnt post a picture of himself...and as for calling people out to say things to his face :lol: looks like he,d cry and hide under his bed if someone shouted at him !

they do say that bulls hit always has a way of coming back and slapping you right round the chops...how embarrassing for the kid,bless him.


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2006)

re TV channels making a pogramme showing BB in a more positive light........... I just hope that if they do find a Bodybuilding couple to do "wife swap" that they are good ambassadors for the sport!!!!!!!!!!


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

yeah it would be nice to see them choose a REAL bodybuilder.. not big dave mcbig from down the gym who tells everyone hes a bodybuilder!


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## newboy606 (May 25, 2005)

When the media takes a look at anything they always go to the extreme.... tattooing its never the guy with one tattoo it the nutter with ink all over his face. there are people with problems, insecurities and addictive personalities in every walk of life greg is one of them.

joe also cames accros as a kid with issues, its a shame they didn't show somebody who trained for a positive reason instead of those trying to compensate for something they are lacking

And as for the "seed" fella reminded me of the p#ss heads and junkies who turn to religon and then try to preach to people (its just another thing there addictive minds can focus on) and was for me the worst part of the programe i sat gringing with my partner waiting for her to start nagging, thankfully all i got was "i don't want you to get any bigger" which ill obviously ignore.

And as for mick hart steroid guro what was he thinking injecting synhol into his son's belly? how could a parent do such a thing?


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

wigz said:


> And as for mick hart steroid guro what was he thinking injecting synhol into his son's belly? how could a parent do such a thing?


did they say that?? my god


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2006)

LeeB said:


> with regard channell 5... why complain??? the most they would do is publish a 30 second apology at 11pm on sunday night!! instead... and as i said im not an undeducated fool... so i can guess they are reading these comments on this and other forums... why not challenge the program makers and their researchers to attempt to show a positive and uplifting program.. and see what the response may be????? come on guys... why not even post a response on here and justify why the program was made in the light it was.. i for one would honestly like to hear your side of it!


I wouldn't turn surrender monkey quite so easily. It will do more than publish a 30 second clip on TV. It will cost them in terms of man hours and money to do so. A large enough amount of complaints itself may be enough to give them the idea to do further programmes and maybe there are journalists out there that are into BB'ing.

If this and other boards realy are "communities" then why not bunch together on this and create a media interest?

It was not that long ago that 2 TV stations did a little piece on the growing rise in the number of people using AAS. This was partly down to the reports of people using needle exchange clinics for their ancilleries. I for one did this myself when I was in the UK (bit tight fisted me! lol).

Not all of the pieces were detremental to steroid use.

A few years ago an episode on "The Bill" they portrayed a steroid user / dealer as some kind of Jeckle and Hide character with roid rage. As time moves on and people (the general public) educate themselves then maybe they could possibley become desensitised / more knowledgeable and displace many of the myths of the bb'ing world and the use of AAS.

If the media are made aware (through the number of complaints or otherwise) of the size of the culture in the UK, whilst still not as large as that of the States, then maybe then maybe this could prompt them to research more and produce more!

JMO


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## newboy606 (May 25, 2005)

i was being a kn#b nick, he didn't say that.


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## Caymen1466867925 (Dec 29, 2005)

I know its been posted a thousand times but this is the only documentary you will ever find that is based on fact!


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2006)

Stumpy -do you remember when brookside had that guy Mick using gear? That was about the worst thing that could have happened PR wise


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## smurf (Jul 27, 2006)

i thinks its on tonight at 11 on 5


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2006)

zara-leoni said:


> Stumpy -do you remember when brookside had that guy Mick using gear? That was about the worst thing that could have happened PR wise


No I didn't watch Brookside. I'm a closet soap fan anyway! Pretending I watch them because there's nothing else on. lol :lol:


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## squatty (Jun 23, 2006)

Caymen said:


> I know its been posted a thousand times but this is the only documentary you will ever find that is based on fact!


I've just watched this again and I agree; it probably wouldn't get any more impartial than that.

Just one niggling thought - the old boy taking a glute shot. I'm not sure,no matter how well a BB programme was presented, the mass public would ever accept the sight of an elderly man injecting his arse with steroids. ( I cringed a bit myself)

But apart from that, a good programme


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## nick500 (Dec 12, 2005)

I think that show is still a little biased towards pro-steroids, but definitely more neutral than EVERY other show.

I say this because the doctor who doubts steroids is portrayed to be a doddery old sceptical man (although this might seem obvious, i've done a bit of filmmaking myself and there are several filmmaking touches and editing elements displaying that the director/editor aims to show the doctor in that way).

Just my thoughts though, definitely the best and 'near neutral' report i've seen.


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2006)

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

Just had a bunch of school kids looking in the shop window going "that shop sells steriods..... did you not see that programme on tv?"

Arrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:


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## squatty (Jun 23, 2006)

zara-leoni said:


> :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
> 
> Just had a bunch of school kids looking in the shop window going "that shop sells steriods..... did you not see that programme on tv?"
> 
> Arrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:


What does your shop sell?


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2006)

Supplements, clothing and equipment .


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## JayCee2 (Aug 10, 2006)

i can imagine how [email protected] off ppl are i didnt see it so cant comment but to me seems like a total pointless programme unless they had done it properly


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