wogihao

Marketing.

Magazines and the former barbell compaines (like hofman, york, wielder) realised that training equipment lasts for years and years decades in the case of a barbell.

However a protein shake ect needs to be purchaced every month, thats income every month instead of a one off purchace for a barbell, book ect..

You notice if you look at the early bodybuilding/physical culture magazines from the 30s,40s that there advertiseing is completely difrent the focus is on sales of training equipment, pornographic homo erotic picture books, training programs and general intrest books.

However somthing happened during the 50s, the marketing guys realised like I said earlyer that they were missing a trick, vitamins, proteins, minerals, muscle bread needs to be purchaced on a weekly/monthy basis. Thats a constant income stream.

So before the magazines based there articles on the premise of sucess if you followed the programs that your bought from hofman, bought the barbell, chest expander and iorn boots. With time and good nutrition (or how they understood it then) and a healthy lifestyle you would suceed in your goals.

However the subtle change from the 50s onwards is that the articles, advertisments were designed from a dependance premise you needed suplements to suceed in the programs, otherwise progress would be sub-optimal. It opened the doorway in many ways for steriods to become more accepted. (suplements are a gateway product for anabolic steroids - its the same premise, takeing somthing extra will make you suceed). You see once you accept that takeing a "suplement" will help you acheve your goals its not so much a leap to think that takeing steroids will help you acheve your goals.