Background

In 2007 STAD started work on the project  “100% pure hard training” which is a collaboration model for reducing the use and supply of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and other banned substances at gym’s and fitness centers. The main reason behind the foundation of this project was that in Sweden there had been mainly work done for the prevention of the use of anabolic androgenic steroids by focusing on changing the attitudes among secondary school students and that therefore there was a need to develop other preventive methods. Due to the fact that fitness centers are a high-risk environment for the use of these drugs, it is of upmost importance to develop preventive measures in the environment and to study their effects

Our Work

Organization

The work is conducted by STAD in close collaboration with fitness centers and other cooperation partners. The project has a governing body which includes representatives from various fitness centers, the Stockholm Sports Federation, the County Police Chiefs office, Haninge local police, the County Administrative Board of Stockholm, Environmental Department for the City of Stockholm, Sports Administration City of Stockholm, Haninge Municipality, the Anti-Doping squad and STAD. The governing body of the project meets 3-4 times per year.

Training and Education

An important part of the work consists of providing training for owners, facility managers and instructors. The full-days training, which is developed in cooperation with the fitness center managers, consists of:

• Anabolic-androgenic steroids - signs, symptoms, medical and social consequences

• Policy and Action Plan

• Police work and anti-doping regulations in sport

• Dietary and nutritional supplements

• Motivational Interviewing

The program ends with a written test. Upon successful completion of the test a certificate is given.
 

Diploma for training facilities

To become certified and receive the plaque “100% GYM” a training center will have met the following criteria:

• Owners, training managers and instructors must have undergone training offered in collaboration with “100% pure hard training”

• Develop a policy and an action plan against doping that applies to all staff and those training at the facility.

• The facility should have a working partnership with the police and / or District Sports Association

• The facility must have nominated an anti-doping manager

• The facility should have an anti-doping folder
 

Media/PR

Within the work STAD regularly runs specialist campaign efforts. Campaign elements - 100% pure hard training is aimed primarily at boys aged 16-25 who exercise in the gym and who are in a body fixated environment and where doping provides a shortcut to their goals. We want to promote a “hard but real workout ideal” that the target group can identify with.

The goal of the campaign is to get the target group themselves to carry the message. With its basis in the training culture we convey this simple message: Real strength is not about what you take but about what you give, 100%.
 

Objectives

The goal for the coming years is that prevention coordinators in Stockholm County must have a good prevention method against doping which they can use in their work and that more training facilities in Stockholm County begin to work preventively against doping.

For more information about the work and if you want to become a certified “100% fitness centre” contact Viveca Andersson