Noel Deyzel: natty or not?
Confirmed "Daddy Noel" — South African bodybuilder famous for motivational shorts and for telling kids the truth about his steroid use
Short answer. Verdict: confirmed. At the peak physique on this page, Noel Deyzel is 6'2" (188 cm) and 302 lbs (137 kg) at roughly 14% body fat. That works out to an FFMI of 32.8, against the ~25 mark cited as the natural ceiling.
The numbers (estimated)
| Peak physique | Bulking phases (2023), around 300 lbs |
|---|---|
| Height | 6'2" (188 cm) |
| Weight | 302 lbs (137 kg) |
| Body fat | ~14% |
| FFMI | 32.8 — ~25 is the cited natural ceiling |
Era by era (estimated)
| Era | Year | Age | Weight | Evidence | Body fat | FFMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skinny start | 2005 | 21 | 154 lbs (70 kg) | reported | ~10% | 17.3 |
| Established size | 2018 | 34 | 287 lbs (130 kg) | reported | ~15% | 30.8 |
| Peak bulk | 2023 | 39 | 302 lbs (137 kg) | reported | ~14% | 32.8 |
FFMI over time (estimated)
FFMI per era (values in the table above). Hover a point for details.
Note. Every number below is a reported figure or our own photo read, not a measurement. See the methodology page for how we judge.
Noel Deyzel built the most-loved persona in gym content on a simple inversion: he is enormous, and he tells you exactly why. His channel addresses his steroid use directly — including videos aimed at teenagers explaining that his physique is not achievable without drugs and that they shouldn’t take them. Confirmed, by a transparency policy that is essentially his brand.
The numbers
A “ramen noodle version of a human,” by his own description, who became a 290-plus-lb (130-137 kg) heavyweight at 6’2” (188 cm) — an FFMI in the low 30s, seven-plus points past the drug-free ceiling. As with every open case, the math is a footnote to the admission.
Why this page is friendly
Deyzel is the counter-example to the Liver King playbook and this site cites him as such. Same industry, same incentives, same impossible physique selling supplements — but his marketing has never rested on a natural claim, and his most-shared content warns his youngest viewers off the exact path he took. The site’s whole complaint about enhanced influencers is the lie, not the chemistry; remove the lie and what’s left is a strong, likable man being honest about his trade-offs.
Verdict
Confirmed — openly, repeatedly, and to his credit. If the rest of the industry handled it like Deyzel, this site would be a FFMI calculator and a quotes page.
Common questions
Is Noel Deyzel natty or on steroids?
This site rates Noel Deyzel as confirmed, the only verdict here stated as fact. It takes an admission, a failed test or an official record, and the one behind this page is cited in the sources below.
Has Noel Deyzel ever failed a drug test or admitted to using PEDs?
The record that settles this page is listed in the sources below and described in the article above. It is what makes the verdict confirmed rather than an opinion.
What is Noel Deyzel's FFMI?
About 32.8. That comes from 6'2" (188 cm) and 302 lbs (137 kg) at roughly 14% body fat, normalized to 1.8 m. Drug-free lifters in the Kouri 1995 study topped out near 25.