[h=1]Should I use steroids?[/h]Before we start, I would like to make it clear that I am not suggesting that you take steroids, I am not suggesting that steroids are good, I am not suggesting that steroids are safe. Steroids are powerful drugs and should not be taken lightly...
... If you are under 21, if you have a history of heart conditions, if you are not fit and well, if you're excessively overweight, if you have high blood pressure, and if you fall in any more of hundreds of categories, steroids can be dangerous, but you know that already and are still reading, so with that in mind...
So you haven't been training that long, you don't look particularity good, you're not that strong. Then steroids are not for you. Steroids are used by big people who have been training for years, nearly reached their genetic limit and want to take the next step. Correct? No, I disagree. This goes against a lot of advice given on various Internet forums, but is common place throughout hundreds of gyms in the UK. I believe that steroids are not for everyone, I believe that they should be used with caution, and should be researched very carefully. But I also believe that less experienced trainers can use steroids to their advantage.
Should you consider using steroids? Only you can answer that question. If in doubt, don't. I would ensure that you have a good routine sorted, and that your diet is in check. You should be committed to the gym, put in a lot of effort, have sensible workouts, have researched different rep ranges, compound exercises, isolation exercises, split routines, full body routines, and should know what's for you. You should eat little and often, you should eat well, you should drink only very occasionally. You should have read 101 documents such as this, but if everything is in check, why should you have to wait until you're huge before taking the plunge? It is always a good idea to get these checked by members of online forums as everyone thinks their routine and diets are perfect at first.
Let's take an example I know quite well, me. I had been training for around a year at the local leisure centre. I was overweight and unfit. I had taken advice from the personal trainers and jumped around the machines, I had progressed to free weights, but technique wasn't fantastic. I didn't like training my back, so I didn't. I like training my biceps, so did them three times a week. Then came my diet, it was awful. I thought I was eating good, after all I didn't each much, and ate lots of sausages and beans for protein, so that was enough, right? I took protein shakes and creatine like more serious trainers too. I used to go out drinking, but only once or twice a week. I used to occasionally take recreational drugs, but these were just at weekends and I didn't train until Monday after work. I was noticing changes, but nowhere near what I wanted. I was one of these people who was trying hard, or at least thought I was, but in reality only looked slightly bigger than an average guy, I was stuck in the rut that most of us start off in, unsure of what to do and how to get big.
This is when a mate suggested steroids. At first I had no idea what they involved, just that they were bad. If I had just started injecting and kept everything else the same, I'd have not progressed much at all. Lots of people do this and think it will work, they think steroids are like magic beans, it does not work like this, believe me. If you're going to keep partying at weekends, and going to keep eating the same, then steroids will not work for you, trust me. But, I was interested in what I could achieve, if everything was in order, and steroids were my excuse to sort everything out once and for all. Once I'd make the commitment to juice that would be it, I would start to revolve my life around the gym, not trying to get laid at the weekend, put my sensible hat on, and sort myself out. This was the start of one of the best things I have ever done in my life ...
Armed with a computer, an Internet connection, and too much time, I spent hours and hours researching into steroids, body building diets, cardio, exercises. This was something I wanted to do, but wanted to do properly and safely. Before I would start this, I needed to be sure that everything else was set in place. There is no point dropping an F1 car engine inside a Ford Fiesta, you need to look at the whole vehicle, take your time, and start from scratch, making sure that each component is up to the job. It's the same with steroids, I wanted to get my diet perfect, my routine perfect, my supplements perfect, my attitude perfect, and the rest of my life perfect before adding steroids as a catalyst. Then I could get to where I wanted to go quicker. Anyway, a few months later all of this was in check, and progress was improving, but I still lacked the commitment and wouldn't stick at this unless I had a reason, it was hard work.
Here steroids were my reason to commit. If I was taking them I couldn't drink, it would not be sensible for my liver. I would need to do cardio and if I was putting all of this into my body, and wanted good results, I needed to do everything right, make sure that I was healthy, and make sure that I wasn't wasting a single thing. It was a choice between plodding along like I was, or taking the plunge and giving it 100%. I chose the latter.
Injecting, although daunting at first, is actually safer than tablets (known as orals) as they don't need to be broken down by your liver, so I decided on the safe option. My plan was the same as most beginners, I wanted to be bigger, stronger, fitter, and have less body fat. You can't usually do all of these in one go, but I decided this was my goal. So then came the choice of my cycle. Typical first cycles would be dianabol (oral) for 4 weeks, or perhaps testosterone enanthate or sustanon for 8-12 weeks. However, I didn't want the water retention brought by these medications, so decided upon a different cycle. 8 weeks of testosterone propionate and trenbolone acetate and 4 weeks of winstrol (as an oral). This required injections every other day, and trenbolone is quite harsh for a first cycle, but this meant that I wouldn't hold much water so could still do cardio, I could restrict calories and still make strength gains, and should still add muscle. I researched into my post cycle therapy (PCT) medications, found a reliable source, ordered everything up front, bought a clean set of needles, syringes and a sharps bin and, very importantly, made sure that I had absolutely everything I needed for the cycle, and recovery afterwards. I was ready to go. (Please note that I am not going to discuss doses and cycles within this document, however these should be researched in great detail before they are bought, and especially before they are taken).
The first injection was really scary, my mate had to do it. The pain of the propionate two days after was quite bad, but the feeling that I got from the steroids was amazing. The 'feel good' factor is definitely there, plus as you know what you're taking, you'll happily put 100% into every rep at the gym, every calorie in your diet, and every minute when you're resting. I'd never trained like this before, everything was perfect, I couldn't have done more, my body fat shot down, and my weight went up. Plus I had comments from everyone ... great stuff.
When training on steroids it's important to make sure your technique is perfect, and not to go too heavy too quickly. Your muscles will be stronger than before, and it's easy to push it too hard and tear something. The easiest way to ensure that everything is OK is to go slowly, steady and listen to your body. If it feels bad, don't do it. The training during my first cycle was fantastic, I loved every minute and would push it so hard I was seeing stars and running out of the fire exit as I felt sick, really intense, but for some reason really enjoyable. I was loving the commitment. The 8 weeks shot past, really quickly, and despite a little bit of acne on my back it had gone superbly. Now all I had to do is run PCT so that my body could recover, and try and maintain as much as possible.
I was dreading PCT, I heard so much about it, and all negative! It couldn't be that bad, could it? Well it did feel different, but then again I wasn't on steroids any more, I felt a little depressed at times, and had to understand if lifts dropped slightly, but it really wasn't as bad as people made out. To this day I do not think PCT is that bad, infact I am in PCT right now and training is great. Even more detail needs to be placed on your diet and training, and if you have any other supplements like ephedrine, caffeine, creatine, tribulus, or whatever else you can find, now is the time to take them. Using this method I have got a lot of my personal bests during PCT. Should also note that PCT is essential, it helps your body recover from the steroids and the hormonal changes that they made. Without PCT you are more likely to lose your gains. I see so many people at my gym grow when on steroids, then shrink as soon as they come off. Their solution is to take more and stay on for longer, which will obviously bring problems long-term. Wouldn't it be better to gain really well when on cycle, maintain during PCT, and then continue to grow during the next cycle? After PCT you need some time off too, your body is not yet recovered. A typical rule of thumb is time on steroids plus time taken for PCT is the amount of time you should have off after PCT. In addition, there are lots of places, including an online doctor who does things via the post, where you can get your blood tested. Perhaps this doesn't need to be done every cycle, but it should be done periodically so that you know you are fit and healthy. Steroid abuse and steroid use are different. I want to ensure that I am in the latter category. I appreciate that they are not safe, but what is these days? But by doing things sensibly I believe I can stay healthy and have less damage to my body that most men my age who go out clubbing and drinking the night away every weekend. Steroids are my vice.
One welcomed side effect of this change of lifestyle was that even out of the gym I started to perform better. I felt great, had lots of concentration, and my dedication extended from training to areas such as my work. I am self-employed, and found I was getting a lot more done. Stopping the partying attitude and giving myself a strict set of rules was addictive, and my life actually started to change for the better.
So how much can you gain during your first cycle? Well no one can answer that one as there are so many factors, but I lost 3 - 3.5% body fat and gained 4kg in muscle. Some people will argue and say that I didn't gain 4kg in lean muscle mass, but I was 4kg heavier and a lot slimmer after PCT, so I'll let you decide. My cycle was 8 weeks long, plus 3 for PCT, so all of this happened in 3 months. How do these sort of gains look, well let the before and after pictures do the talking (they have the photoshop effect to help hide my identity a little) ...
[h=2]Gains after first steroid cycle[/h]
This brings me onto my next point, photos. One of the hardest things about training and using steroids is known as 'bigorexia'. This is a slang term for anorexia, in reverse. One day you may look in a mirror and think you're huge, the next think you're tiny, then you're fat, then you're thin. It is very hard to tell how things are going and how well you have gained. I'd recommend taking regular pictures and writing your vital statistics, diet, and lifts in a journal. You can then look back and see how well you're doing. I have done this from the start until now, 3 years into proper training, it is worth it.
I have continued to use steroids as safely as possible, I have adopted the time on plus PCT equals time off policy, had blood tests, kept cycles sensible, and doing this have managed to gain well both on and off cycle.
So, could I have done this without steroids? The short answer is of course I could, but, and this is a big but, WOULD I have done this without steroids? No, definitely not. There is no doubt in my mind that steroids have changed my life for the better both in the gym, and in other areas. The steroids and dedication to training have helped me set and achieve goals in my life, and it is for this reason that I believe my business, and my life in general, is doing well. Plus, without wanting to sound arrogant, I don't look too bad either. Without the steroids I'd not have had the commitment to training, and honestly believe that I'd still be drinking the weekends away, putting in a half-arsed effort at the gym, and the results would show.
So, steroids worked for me. I was not at my genetic limit and I was not an advanced trainer, but they worked, and I have absolutely no regrets. For this reason I am suggesting that, under certain circumstances, there is a possibility that steroids may suit other beginners, people who are in the same situation that I was. They're certainly not for everyone, and there are definitely risks involved, but with some careful research, and if everything else is in check, I believe that they can be an invaluable tool to give people a reason to change their life.
By Anabolics GURU on fitness uncovered
... If you are under 21, if you have a history of heart conditions, if you are not fit and well, if you're excessively overweight, if you have high blood pressure, and if you fall in any more of hundreds of categories, steroids can be dangerous, but you know that already and are still reading, so with that in mind...
So you haven't been training that long, you don't look particularity good, you're not that strong. Then steroids are not for you. Steroids are used by big people who have been training for years, nearly reached their genetic limit and want to take the next step. Correct? No, I disagree. This goes against a lot of advice given on various Internet forums, but is common place throughout hundreds of gyms in the UK. I believe that steroids are not for everyone, I believe that they should be used with caution, and should be researched very carefully. But I also believe that less experienced trainers can use steroids to their advantage.
Should you consider using steroids? Only you can answer that question. If in doubt, don't. I would ensure that you have a good routine sorted, and that your diet is in check. You should be committed to the gym, put in a lot of effort, have sensible workouts, have researched different rep ranges, compound exercises, isolation exercises, split routines, full body routines, and should know what's for you. You should eat little and often, you should eat well, you should drink only very occasionally. You should have read 101 documents such as this, but if everything is in check, why should you have to wait until you're huge before taking the plunge? It is always a good idea to get these checked by members of online forums as everyone thinks their routine and diets are perfect at first.
Let's take an example I know quite well, me. I had been training for around a year at the local leisure centre. I was overweight and unfit. I had taken advice from the personal trainers and jumped around the machines, I had progressed to free weights, but technique wasn't fantastic. I didn't like training my back, so I didn't. I like training my biceps, so did them three times a week. Then came my diet, it was awful. I thought I was eating good, after all I didn't each much, and ate lots of sausages and beans for protein, so that was enough, right? I took protein shakes and creatine like more serious trainers too. I used to go out drinking, but only once or twice a week. I used to occasionally take recreational drugs, but these were just at weekends and I didn't train until Monday after work. I was noticing changes, but nowhere near what I wanted. I was one of these people who was trying hard, or at least thought I was, but in reality only looked slightly bigger than an average guy, I was stuck in the rut that most of us start off in, unsure of what to do and how to get big.
This is when a mate suggested steroids. At first I had no idea what they involved, just that they were bad. If I had just started injecting and kept everything else the same, I'd have not progressed much at all. Lots of people do this and think it will work, they think steroids are like magic beans, it does not work like this, believe me. If you're going to keep partying at weekends, and going to keep eating the same, then steroids will not work for you, trust me. But, I was interested in what I could achieve, if everything was in order, and steroids were my excuse to sort everything out once and for all. Once I'd make the commitment to juice that would be it, I would start to revolve my life around the gym, not trying to get laid at the weekend, put my sensible hat on, and sort myself out. This was the start of one of the best things I have ever done in my life ...
Armed with a computer, an Internet connection, and too much time, I spent hours and hours researching into steroids, body building diets, cardio, exercises. This was something I wanted to do, but wanted to do properly and safely. Before I would start this, I needed to be sure that everything else was set in place. There is no point dropping an F1 car engine inside a Ford Fiesta, you need to look at the whole vehicle, take your time, and start from scratch, making sure that each component is up to the job. It's the same with steroids, I wanted to get my diet perfect, my routine perfect, my supplements perfect, my attitude perfect, and the rest of my life perfect before adding steroids as a catalyst. Then I could get to where I wanted to go quicker. Anyway, a few months later all of this was in check, and progress was improving, but I still lacked the commitment and wouldn't stick at this unless I had a reason, it was hard work.
Here steroids were my reason to commit. If I was taking them I couldn't drink, it would not be sensible for my liver. I would need to do cardio and if I was putting all of this into my body, and wanted good results, I needed to do everything right, make sure that I was healthy, and make sure that I wasn't wasting a single thing. It was a choice between plodding along like I was, or taking the plunge and giving it 100%. I chose the latter.
Injecting, although daunting at first, is actually safer than tablets (known as orals) as they don't need to be broken down by your liver, so I decided on the safe option. My plan was the same as most beginners, I wanted to be bigger, stronger, fitter, and have less body fat. You can't usually do all of these in one go, but I decided this was my goal. So then came the choice of my cycle. Typical first cycles would be dianabol (oral) for 4 weeks, or perhaps testosterone enanthate or sustanon for 8-12 weeks. However, I didn't want the water retention brought by these medications, so decided upon a different cycle. 8 weeks of testosterone propionate and trenbolone acetate and 4 weeks of winstrol (as an oral). This required injections every other day, and trenbolone is quite harsh for a first cycle, but this meant that I wouldn't hold much water so could still do cardio, I could restrict calories and still make strength gains, and should still add muscle. I researched into my post cycle therapy (PCT) medications, found a reliable source, ordered everything up front, bought a clean set of needles, syringes and a sharps bin and, very importantly, made sure that I had absolutely everything I needed for the cycle, and recovery afterwards. I was ready to go. (Please note that I am not going to discuss doses and cycles within this document, however these should be researched in great detail before they are bought, and especially before they are taken).
The first injection was really scary, my mate had to do it. The pain of the propionate two days after was quite bad, but the feeling that I got from the steroids was amazing. The 'feel good' factor is definitely there, plus as you know what you're taking, you'll happily put 100% into every rep at the gym, every calorie in your diet, and every minute when you're resting. I'd never trained like this before, everything was perfect, I couldn't have done more, my body fat shot down, and my weight went up. Plus I had comments from everyone ... great stuff.
When training on steroids it's important to make sure your technique is perfect, and not to go too heavy too quickly. Your muscles will be stronger than before, and it's easy to push it too hard and tear something. The easiest way to ensure that everything is OK is to go slowly, steady and listen to your body. If it feels bad, don't do it. The training during my first cycle was fantastic, I loved every minute and would push it so hard I was seeing stars and running out of the fire exit as I felt sick, really intense, but for some reason really enjoyable. I was loving the commitment. The 8 weeks shot past, really quickly, and despite a little bit of acne on my back it had gone superbly. Now all I had to do is run PCT so that my body could recover, and try and maintain as much as possible.
I was dreading PCT, I heard so much about it, and all negative! It couldn't be that bad, could it? Well it did feel different, but then again I wasn't on steroids any more, I felt a little depressed at times, and had to understand if lifts dropped slightly, but it really wasn't as bad as people made out. To this day I do not think PCT is that bad, infact I am in PCT right now and training is great. Even more detail needs to be placed on your diet and training, and if you have any other supplements like ephedrine, caffeine, creatine, tribulus, or whatever else you can find, now is the time to take them. Using this method I have got a lot of my personal bests during PCT. Should also note that PCT is essential, it helps your body recover from the steroids and the hormonal changes that they made. Without PCT you are more likely to lose your gains. I see so many people at my gym grow when on steroids, then shrink as soon as they come off. Their solution is to take more and stay on for longer, which will obviously bring problems long-term. Wouldn't it be better to gain really well when on cycle, maintain during PCT, and then continue to grow during the next cycle? After PCT you need some time off too, your body is not yet recovered. A typical rule of thumb is time on steroids plus time taken for PCT is the amount of time you should have off after PCT. In addition, there are lots of places, including an online doctor who does things via the post, where you can get your blood tested. Perhaps this doesn't need to be done every cycle, but it should be done periodically so that you know you are fit and healthy. Steroid abuse and steroid use are different. I want to ensure that I am in the latter category. I appreciate that they are not safe, but what is these days? But by doing things sensibly I believe I can stay healthy and have less damage to my body that most men my age who go out clubbing and drinking the night away every weekend. Steroids are my vice.
One welcomed side effect of this change of lifestyle was that even out of the gym I started to perform better. I felt great, had lots of concentration, and my dedication extended from training to areas such as my work. I am self-employed, and found I was getting a lot more done. Stopping the partying attitude and giving myself a strict set of rules was addictive, and my life actually started to change for the better.
So how much can you gain during your first cycle? Well no one can answer that one as there are so many factors, but I lost 3 - 3.5% body fat and gained 4kg in muscle. Some people will argue and say that I didn't gain 4kg in lean muscle mass, but I was 4kg heavier and a lot slimmer after PCT, so I'll let you decide. My cycle was 8 weeks long, plus 3 for PCT, so all of this happened in 3 months. How do these sort of gains look, well let the before and after pictures do the talking (they have the photoshop effect to help hide my identity a little) ...
[h=2]Gains after first steroid cycle[/h]
This brings me onto my next point, photos. One of the hardest things about training and using steroids is known as 'bigorexia'. This is a slang term for anorexia, in reverse. One day you may look in a mirror and think you're huge, the next think you're tiny, then you're fat, then you're thin. It is very hard to tell how things are going and how well you have gained. I'd recommend taking regular pictures and writing your vital statistics, diet, and lifts in a journal. You can then look back and see how well you're doing. I have done this from the start until now, 3 years into proper training, it is worth it.
I have continued to use steroids as safely as possible, I have adopted the time on plus PCT equals time off policy, had blood tests, kept cycles sensible, and doing this have managed to gain well both on and off cycle.
So, could I have done this without steroids? The short answer is of course I could, but, and this is a big but, WOULD I have done this without steroids? No, definitely not. There is no doubt in my mind that steroids have changed my life for the better both in the gym, and in other areas. The steroids and dedication to training have helped me set and achieve goals in my life, and it is for this reason that I believe my business, and my life in general, is doing well. Plus, without wanting to sound arrogant, I don't look too bad either. Without the steroids I'd not have had the commitment to training, and honestly believe that I'd still be drinking the weekends away, putting in a half-arsed effort at the gym, and the results would show.
So, steroids worked for me. I was not at my genetic limit and I was not an advanced trainer, but they worked, and I have absolutely no regrets. For this reason I am suggesting that, under certain circumstances, there is a possibility that steroids may suit other beginners, people who are in the same situation that I was. They're certainly not for everyone, and there are definitely risks involved, but with some careful research, and if everything else is in check, I believe that they can be an invaluable tool to give people a reason to change their life.
By Anabolics GURU on fitness uncovered
