Lee Priest – What 40 Years of Bodybuilding Taught Me About Training and Steroids

Jan 19, 2026

In this engaging discussion, Lee Priest, an Australian bodybuilding legend renowned for his impressive physique and candid insights, shares his journey through 40 years in the sport. He candidly discusses his contest prep cycles, emphasizing that training intensity is paramount, regardless of steroid use. Lee critiques modern bodybuilding's ‘softer’ look and the detrimental impact of phones on focus and training quality. He also reflects on the importance of mental toughness and the value of deducing myths surrounding extreme drug use in the industry.

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ANECDOTE

From Two Weeks To Two Decades

Lee Priest moved to the U.S. at 20 intending to compete only briefly but stayed for nearly 20 years due to early opportunities and connections at Gold's Gym.
He earned his pro card after petitioning because organizers thought he was too young despite winning national titles.

ANECDOTE

Teen Competitor Turned Pro Fast

Lee began competing at 13 and was on gear lightly before age 20; his first meaningful cycle was at 19–20 and added ~20 pounds in eight weeks.
He credits genetics plus careful use of drugs to stay competitive against others who used substances.

ADVICE

Keep Contest Cycles Minimal

Use simple, minimal contest cycles rather than huge doses; Lee commonly used Sus 250 around 200–400 mg plus short oral additions for 6–7 weeks.
He found more gear sometimes made him feel worse and didn't improve performance.

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The proven system 1000+ men use to stay lean, strong, clear, and capable. https://www.muscleintelligence.com/apply Join 200,000 men in their prime, reading our weekly newsletter: http://muscleintelligence.com/newsletter What happens when you combine a legendary physique with total honesty? In this episode, I sit down with the one and only Lee Priest at the iconic Gold's Gym in Venice California, to unpack the real foundations of bodybuilding: hard training, simple nutrition, and ruthless consistency. Lee shares what his actual contest prep looked like (including the cycles people still argue about), why modern bodybuilding often looks "softer," and the intensity mindset most lifters have lost. We also go deeper on focus, distraction, and why phones are quietly destroying training quality, and even life quality. If you're serious about building muscle, staying powerful as you age, and cutting through the noise, this one delivers.

5 Bullet Points:

Lee's real contest-prep cycle, explained simply
Why "more gear" often makes you worse
Old school training principles that still win
The intensity mindset most lifters avoid
Phones, distraction, and lost training quality

About Ben Ben Pakulski is the Chief Performance Officer to elite executives, successful entrepreneurs, and top athletes.With over 25 years of experience, he coaches high achievers to build the physical, psychological, and metabolic resilience required to lead at the highest level. As the creator of the Muscle Intelligence framework, Ben specializes in aligning biology and behavior to drive sustained peak performance. His mission is to redefine what's possible for people in their prime and push the boundaries of human potential.

Guest Bio Lee Priest is a legendary Australian IFBB professional bodybuilder known for world-class proportions, freaky density, and a brutally honest voice in the sport. Rising through the ranks as a teenage standout, Lee earned his pro card in the early 1990s and became one of bodybuilding's most iconic physiques through the late-90s and 2000s. He's respected not just for how he looked on stage, but for how he trained: hard, simple, consistent, and focused on execution over ego. Today, Lee remains a fan-favorite for his unfiltered opinions on modern bodybuilding culture, drugs, training intensity, and what it actually takes to build an elite body.

Time Stamps: 00:00 - Meeting Lee Priest: A Bodybuilding Legend 01:45 - Lee Priest's Early Career and Challenges 03:28 - Training at Gold's Gym: Memories and Changes 07:53 - Competing and Training Philosophy 11:18 - Reflections on Bodybuilding and Life 32:58 - Commonwealth Connections and Prime Ministers 33:13 - First Exposure to Olympia 33:35 - Comparing Bodybuilders: Then and Now 34:18 - Training Techniques and Intensity 42:06 - The Role of Technology in Training 46:23 - The Importance of Family Values 47:06 - The Influence of Social Media 48:15 - Longevity and Health Concerns 53:37 - The Impact of Modern Lifestyle on Kids 56:02 - Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans 57:31 - Personal Reflections on Training and Health 01:00:16 - The Evolution of Training Methods