There are for sure many folk on r/steroids and other forums who look great, but still are considered “natty looking” despite training and diet being on point. Because let’s be real, the steroids do a lot of the leg work for building muscle as long as you provide the nutrients and training. There’s a reason they give these drugs to bed ridden patients to put on muscle fast.
That being said, I really think genetics and muscle insertions is 90% of the battle to having that “fuck you” bodybuilder look. Do you think people are a little too harsh critiquing a natural vs enhanced physique? I think it’s ridiculous how people expect you to have IFBB pro-esque size or Gymshark shoulder to waist ratios to be considered a proper ‘user’. All that matters is THAT persons progress, nothing else.
Most on steroids don’t look it. body fat can be a big part. Most on steroids won’t look like Ronnie when he was Natty either.
I think of you get close to Natty limit first, then enhance it usually looks better. I was accused of steroid use when Natty and lean. Much if it is genetics. Mine are above average, but not elite.
With that logic, 99.9999% of people on all these forums shouldn’t be using steroids unless you have a 27 inch ballerina waist and/or full muscle bellies on every skeleton in your body. Hell, plenty of people in the BB world believe Jeff Seid and David Laid are 100% natural. This goes to show having that “look” is basically genetics.
Tough to tell. I will say most think they are closer than they actually are. I thought I couldn’t get much more muscle, and then 5 years later realized in hindsight that I was wrong. I use ffmi as an indicator. You really need to be honest about body fat percent for that to be valid. If you start getting towards an honest ffmi of 25 you are likely at least close.
I’ll say strength can be an indicator as well. It is individualistic to genetics as well, so it can be a bit tricky.
My point was exactly that. They probably shouldn’t be using either.
Even if you have the genetics to compete, you probably won’t be awesome at it. People only know of the best of the best. Most lose money competing.
IMO it is more a personal decision. Not a use only if you can be a pro decision. Not all use has the same risk either. Some are reckless. A former poster here was running a gram of tren a week to be a mediocre powerlifter. The risk reward was so skewed towards risk that it was just moronic.
I’ll never do anything like that. I don’t want to make decisions I’ll regret in the next decades. You never know though. I respect your background and insight as sometime who has had cardiac issues in the past. I don’t want that to be me.
Some people won’t ever look good no matter what. Just don’t have the foundation. Many just want to look better than they could.
Like you were saying if you start with a 14" vertical, you’re not going to be great at explosive sports. You’re not going to dunk unless you are very tall, and you will probably get lower results in the gym compared to the guy with a 30" vertical.
Solid advice. I do smoke cigars, and am tapering them off. It hard when it is something I like, but that is a terrible justification. I know I just need to stop and be done with this taper bullshit. It is more habitual than a nicotine addiction. I don’t wake up wanting to smoke or anything. Just like sitting outside on a nice day with a cigar. Should replace it with something healthier.
I agree. It’s a very tricky thing. Even through all of the problems when my neighbor lights one up, not every time, but every so often- it drives me nuts.
If it hits me really hard I’ll pop in a piece of nicotine gum and jump some rope till it passes.
That keeps coming back to me and I can’t stop laughing.
I also think that this speaks directly to the unnecessary emotional investment some people have in these things. This is like the umpteenth poster that has mentioned these same Instagram twinks who have built their entire lives around smoke, mirrors, and good cheekbones.
It reminds me of when I was a kid and all the girls wanted to marry Scott Baio or Leif Garrett.
