Before Steroid or PH use

[iron addict]

TweetI am writing this because it is sorely needed. Over the course of the last month alone I have had three training clients come to me asking what I thought they should do to discourage their friends from using steroids. Now these weren’t guys that were anti-steroid either, but guys that knew these guys were making a big mistake. Why? In all cases the people that were using, or getting ready to use were extremely weak and small lifters. These were guys that were so discouraged with their results they have decided to get some chemical help. Well, the truth here is that the chemicals simply can’t help these guys, or can help very, very little. Let me explain.

If you don’t know how to eat and train and grow while training clean, how can steroids or pro-hormones help you? THEY CAN’T, all they can provide are some temporary size gains while doing them, and when you get off them, since you still don’t know how to eat and train to grow you quickly go back to square one. Unless you do what so many of these guys end up doing, simply staying on them, or continuously doing cycles because they keep you 10-15 lbs heavier then you would be without them. Now keep in mind the weight is mostly water and nutrient loading for most of these guys—not even muscle in many cases. Why? They don’t know how to ****ing eat to grow—you cannot get there from here.

People for some reason tend to believe that all you need to do is throw some steroids at the problem and INSTANT BUFF. It doesn’t even remotely work that way. Most guys that get big doing steroids are guys that know how to at least eat to grow. The steroids do mask some pretty bad training, but they don’t mask bad eating. The problem again becomes if the eating is good and the training is bad, when they come off they cannot stay big because their training sucks—so they go back on.

Again, unless you know how to eat and train to make you grow at least at a reasonable level, your attempt to use gear to get you big and strong is doomed—TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.

Also unless you have achieved at least a reasonable strength base, you are just being impatient—hardgainer or not. What is a reasonable strength base? IMO:

A bench of at LEAST 250-315 lbs for at least a few reps
Dipping with at LEAST 50-75+ strapped to your waist for 6-8 reps
Rows and/or pull-downs with at LEAST 200-275 for 6-8 reps
Military or dumbbell shoulder press with at LEAST 150-175 for 6-8 reps
Squatting/deadlifting at LEAST 350-450 for 6-8 reps

These figures have spreads in them because we are not all the same size. A 5’6 guy will not USUALLY have the same strength potential and therefore doesn’t need a 450 lb squat to be considered advanced. The lower numbers work well for shorter lighter guys, the higher ones for taller heavier lifters. And they are ranges only, I know some guys that squat and deadlift in the 500’s that can barely do 225 for 5 bent rows. That doesn’t mean they are not advanced, just that their bent rows need work—lol.

Those are not pie in the sky numbers and most of you can get there with good training and diet in 2-3 years, some sooner. Too long—get into another sport, you aren’t cut out for this one.

Iron Addict

[bowbow]

TweetAll so true. I've just learned to eat properly in the last couple years. Makes a huge difference.

[TestRip7]

TweetExcellent post IA, That is a point that can not be stressed enough.

[grandfinale03]

TweetI agree 100%. I learned that last year and it makes the world of difference! A diet is not something you simply "go on" temporarily, its your normal every day eating habits. That was my mistake...

[Gooseneck]

TweetI've realized over the last several years how important diet can be for natural gains as well. I can put on almost the same amount of weight eating properly and enough that I can doing a simple cycle. Must have that foundation before building up.