Steroids: Why or Why Not?

Training
61

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]DixiesFinest wrote:

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:

[quote]Consul wrote:

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
Since I blasted that idiot earlier (looking back at his post, he is probably a troll with too much time on his hands because theres really no way anybody is that stupid)[/quote]

He wrote this in the “Vaccines are an attack” thread:
“The human body has the ability to heal almost every problem we throw drugs at given the proper sources of food light air and water.”
[/quote]

I stand corrected[/quote]

Wrong, you need fire earth air and water.
[/quote]

Yes.
[/quote]

I heard fire will ruin your liver and too much water makes your testicles die? My uncle told me that. He also told me not to tell anyone.[/quote]

Hey VT

You look a lot leaner than a while ago. Lookin’ good (if that was your intention).

Are you trying to get to a lower weight class?

62

I like how many of you said why OTHER PEOPLE shouldn’t use them without saying why you personally choose not to. Get off your natty pedestal and stop preaching, no one cares, and that’s not what the thread was supposed to be about.

This thread reeks of insecurity.

63

The only reason I don’t is my fears of side effects. I honestly am not educated on the subject well enough and if I knew more about using them,and limiting side effects, I would use them without a doubt.

64

Don’t have a damn clue where I would look to get them. Even if I could find them, wouldn’t want to begin anything without knowing exactly what else I should be taking with them to protect myself from the “side effects”. I know there are plenty of articles but it doesn’t seem black and white enough. A lot of grey area IMO.

Basically it comes down to not being able to find them, and if I could I don’t know if i’d want to begin them without personal instruction from a physician. Also i’m 23 and on my 4th year of lifting so have a ways to go before I reach my genetic potential.

65

far too soon

66

I guess I’m asking this because I’m having a hard time justifying the gains I get from natty when I could take steroids and make gains alot faster(notice I didn’t say easier).

I mean I have seen Pro BB up close etc and it never poised the question whether I should take steroids. But after I guess knowing somebody personal who does them and seeing the gains hes made it really has made me question why not? Hes making faster gains then I have ever gotten.

Its all made me sorta question if it even matters to stay natty.

ALSO these “genetic potential” posts never make any sense to me though, if I made a forum post called “Help I can’t get any stronger/bigger”, ALWAYS the response is EAT/LIFT HARDER. So this whole “genetic potential” seems bullshit IMO.

67

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:

[quote]ElevenMag wrote: but also observe the first law of physics, for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction, then you can realize the pitfalls and negatives of AAS.

[/quote]

As a physicist I’d like to ask you to shut up.

Also it’s Newton’s 3rd Law, which is to do with forces acting on objects, not bullshit.[/quote]

LOL, I’m taking physics right now and this made me laugh. I think he related the whole ying yang balance stuff, “wherever there is light there is also darkness” with Physical Law LOLLLLLLLLLL

68

[quote]optheta wrote:

ALSO these “genetic potential” posts never make any sense to me though, if I made a forum post called “Help I can’t get any stronger/bigger”, ALWAYS the response is EAT/LIFT HARDER. So this whole “genetic potential” seems bullshit IMO. [/quote]

I second this questioning of the “genetic potential” even though I mentioned it in my post. I just recall reading that you should get to your genetic potential before even considering cycling.

Can someone address this please? Didn’t Arnold begin at 16? NO way he was remotely close to his genetic potential, in fact that was probably right at the beginning of his weight lifting career…

69

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]DixiesFinest wrote:

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:

[quote]Consul wrote:

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
Since I blasted that idiot earlier (looking back at his post, he is probably a troll with too much time on his hands because theres really no way anybody is that stupid)[/quote]

He wrote this in the “Vaccines are an attack” thread:
“The human body has the ability to heal almost every problem we throw drugs at given the proper sources of food light air and water.”
[/quote]

I stand corrected[/quote]

Wrong, you need fire earth air and water.
[/quote]

Yes.
[/quote]

I heard fire will ruin your liver and too much water makes your testicles die? My uncle told me that. He also told me not to tell anyone.[/quote]

LMAO

70

Risk > Reward.

For me.

Potential NFL contract for tens of millions and shit yeah.

Extra inch on my biceps or 150 lb greater total at amateur pl meet a few weeks sooner…

71

why not?
side effects… HRT at 40+ doesn’t seem bad, but the thought of taking heavy drugs at a relatively young age without doctor supervision is scary.

possibility of dependance? the users that I have trained with (lifting crowd and grappling crowd) never seem to come off of the stuff for good and I stay away from drugs and booze as I have a bit of an addictive personality.

money? i was raised to be frugal and i’d feel guilty about spending a lot of money for vanity’s sake when that should be going towards a house/401k/etc…

wife/family/friends- it would be pretty obvious to them if I suddenly started to blow up, and I would either ruin their trust by lying or scare them with the truth (i don’t think steroids are as dangerous as most people think, but my loved ones would be horrified)

sex drive- as a follow up to side effects, the thought of doing damage to the old libido if I mess up and testes shut down is very scary

Why I would-
vanity- everyone wants to look great, and drugs help achieve that goal much faster.

recovery - between lifting and grappling sports, recovery is always tough for me. drugs would allow me to do the things that I love much more often

that being said, i’d probably change my mind if A) they were legalized B) they were more widely accepted C) I could have them administered by a doctor

72

Not against steroids, but like any drug it has to be respected. There is a kid I used to compete with in my high school who started using at 18. I couldn’t get above 150lbs in high school. This guy blew up to 260 and got 2nd in the teenage nationals. After high school with lack of funds, knowledge of cycling, and having never built a good knowledge/physical base he is soft and weak. However, I’ve never achieved that level of success in competition. So whats the moral? Totally a personal choice.

73

Opetha,

before I say anything, I must admit I am AAS’s greatest proponent.

Having said that, I began taking steroids when I was 20 years old. I was 5’9 200lbs and had been training for about 4 years. I didn’t really have a reason to take them other than I did not see any reason not to, and I wanted to increase my size and performance. By the end of the first 6 weeks of my first cycle, I weighed 230 pounds and my strength skyrocketed. My appearance changed dramatically, and my only side effect was water retention. My hormone levels recovered very well after my pct was complete.

I find it fascinating that so many here are content with having “decent” physiques… You do not need to compete at a high level in order to justify taking steroids… I fail to see the reasoning behind that. It’s almost like saying you had better get great grades if you take adderall, or you had better give a great speech if you take beta blockers.

Anyways, at first I was terrified of needles, so much so that my mother had to do my first shots for me (weird right?). I got used to it very quickly and have done nothing but ED cycles ever since.

In my state, (CA), possession of steroids is illegal, but it is a misdemeanor. I read Rick Collins’ Legal Muscle before I ever made a purchase.

It is very VERY easy to find a reputable supplier both domestic and international with decent prices. I know of a source right now that can give you a 10 week cycle of test E 500mg/week with an AI and pct for $160 bucks at the very most.

As long as you buy from someone who is trusted, and use standard injecting procedures, you will not get an infection.

The side effects of steroids are greatly exaggerated, and those who know the least always have the most to say as we have seen in this thread. Even sizeable doses of oral steroids can be taken without damage (trust me).

Anyways, I don’t want to preach, if you have any questions you can PM me and I would be happy to answer them, that goes for anyone who is interested.

Good luck

74

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I like how many of you said why OTHER PEOPLE shouldn’t use them without saying why you personally choose not to. Get off your natty pedestal and stop preaching, no one cares, and that’s not what the thread was supposed to be about.

This thread reeks of insecurity.[/quote]

Very confusing post when you don’t mention specific names. With the exeption of maybe elevenmag, I think just about everyone did give a reason as to why they personally decided not to. I really have not seen any natty preaching either with exeption to the guy already mentioned.

75

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:

Hey VT

You look a lot leaner than a while ago. Lookin’ good (if that was your intention).

Are you trying to get to a lower weight class?
[/quote]

Hey thanks buddy…yeah I’ve been dieting with Shelby Starnes since January…not trying to get into a new weight class but just trying to get in a little bit better shape in general…I had put too much emphasis on the bulk and decided it was time to get a handle on that…appreciate the kind words!

76

Also, I know it is unintentional and not a reflection of the posters, but I had a great deal of chuckles reading through this and seeing that people would prefer to be under the supervision of a doctor for taking steroids. I know you have been raised all your life to believe doctors know everything about the human body and are pretty much infallible as far as that is concerned, but the limited knowledge doctors actually have about the body’s hormone system, much less influencing that through AAS, would truly scare you.

I dont know how much you guys know about endocrinology, hormones, and exogenous compounds, but if you want a good chuckle (and to be deathly scared at the same time) have a look through this thread in the TRT forum about stupid things doctors do and say:

http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_training_performance_bodybuilding_trt/stupid_things_that_docs_do_and_say?id=4047387&pageNo=0

Truly shocking.

77

[quote]Maiden3.16 wrote:

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I like how many of you said why OTHER PEOPLE shouldn’t use them without saying why you personally choose not to. Get off your natty pedestal and stop preaching, no one cares, and that’s not what the thread was supposed to be about.

This thread reeks of insecurity.[/quote]

Very confusing post when you don’t mention specific names. With the exeption of maybe elevenmag, I think just about everyone did give a reason as to why they personally decided not to. I really have not seen any natty preaching either with exeption to the guy already mentioned. [/quote]

had the same thought…

79

I’m 18 which i feel like is too young. I have been lifting for a little over a year. The only fed (ADAU) that has meets in my area is tested. Someday, I will probably use, just not right nao

80

Since this thread is taking a serious turn, I’ll throw in some scattered comments below:

One of the first questions to ask is what are someone’s goals and expectations with regards to their physique (since we’re in the Bodybuilding forum, I’m going to keep this physique related. Obvi people juice in athletics, strength sports, etc., and for other reasons). Starting out (going to assume someone relatively young), some people want to look like a fitness model on the cover of Men’s Health, a bodybuilder, a big, strong gym rat, or something in between.

As time goes on and said trainee becomes more experienced, they will start to get a sense of their genetic strengths and weaknesses. Some may have hit the jackpot and within a few years, look awesome: muscular, lean, full muscle bellies, the whole shebang (and there are differing degrees of this; inb4 black jeans). A less genetically gifted lifter may see one of these guys and want to achieve a similar look so they keep hammering away for years.

One day, both of these lifters may realize that their dream physique simply may not be attainable training naturally. Certain combinations of size and leanness simply may not be attainable for them even after another decade of smart, consistent training (people I’m sure will argue this). At this point, there is a choice to be made: continue busting ass in the gym day in, day out while eating right and supplementing intelligently, all for a pound of muscle per year, or take the plunge and begin using substances that will allow them to reach their goals.

To me, it really boils down to what an individual’s expectations are. If you’re content being 5’9"- 6’1" and being 190-210lbs at 10% bodyfat (obviously there are outliers), and you are happy with how you look when/if you get there, then there is no point to use anabolics. If you understand the risks (because there are tremendous ones) and are willing to take them on in pursuit of your goals, then that is the choice you have to make. I think there is a difference between intelligent use and not. Some have spent months, even years, researching the stuff before taking the plunge, while others make an on-the-fly decision without much preparation and without really thinking through the magnitude of their choice. It tends to be people in the second group from which you hear the horror stories and most of the negative statistics associated with AAS.