steroids

TheCandystripes

a debate on steroids allowed?

what are the advantages, what are the home truths about steroids? what is fact and what is fiction?

do they cost much?

squod

In before the lock.........

How long are you training OP? I'll safely say that for people starting off they're of no use at all. Like this bloke says, ''milk is quite litterally better than steroids for the novice lifter''.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nppzGV1U8y8

TheCandystripes

i think on a fitness forum a debate on steroids should be allowed.

Hanley

squod wrote: »

In before the lock.........

I doubt it'll be locked. There's been a few discussions on it before that went grand til people starting advising on how to take them.

Khannie

Tread very carefully with this please. I don't think we've ever had a successful discussion on the issue (i.e. one that didn't end in disaster).

squod

I have to say that at one time I knew of a few people taking steroids who made great gains, for me I can't see why they bothered. They don't even train anymore.

fifth

Can't see this ending well. There's probably a lot of crap online about steroids.

From what I hear, it's really only any use if you've hit the mother of all plateaus and just can't get any more gains naturally.

Not for beginners/intermediates.

I'm not advocating their use however.

Transform

a better debate should be can you get steroid like effects from training and diet/supplement program cycling?

Hanley

Transform wrote: »

a better debate should be can you get steroid like effects from training and diet/supplement program cycling?

No.

Debate over!!!

papajimsmooth

Op you should watch "Bigger, Stronger, Faster - The Side Effects of Being American" its a really interesting movie about steroids

brianthebard

Transform wrote: »

a better debate should be can you get steroid like effects from training and diet/supplement program cycling?

Should people really equate changes in training and/or diet with how much like steroids they are? Is that even possible? Do you use a sliding scale of protein percentage to steroids?

fatal

I'd like to see this thread develop into a good discussion about steroids.I have a few thoughts about steroids that I'll share as soon as I find the time to post them,provided of course that the thread isn't locked by then

g'em

TheCandystripes wrote: »

a debate on steroids allowed?

As Khannie said, these threads rarely end well - I'm fine with having a general discussion but please no allegations of anyone doing steroids, no advice on how to use, buy or sell steroids, and at the first sign of messiness this will close.

what are the advantages,

To put it most simply they allow you to build muscle (and strength) that may be otherwise unachievable naturally. Personally I think that a lot of people grossly misunderestimate the potential they have to build muscle naturally - it takes a lot of eating a a lot of lifting, but the average guy can really put on a lot of decent weight if he puts his mind to it. Of course you get clean guys who are bigger and stronger than gear users, steroids are not a guarantee that you'll become bigger/ faster/ strogner than everyone, they are still limited by your genetics and your capability for hard work.

I think there's still somewhat of a mentality that steroids are the easy answer, when actually that couldn't be further from the truth. If you were to ask any guy who has succesfully put on mass with the aid of gear I would bet that the vast majority of them would tell you that they put in a lot of clean years before ever contemplating taking anything.

Plus if you do decide to take something you really have to know what you're doing - what kind of test are you going to take, do you have a reliable srouce to get everything you need, do you know how to do appropriate PCT (it's not a must, but you're coming very close to chemically castrating yourself if you don't ), are you going to go for tablets or injections, if the latter do you have a good supply of needles and so on so forth.

what are the home truths about steroids? what is fact and what is fiction?

They do not shrink your penis.
They will temporarily shrink your balls (reduced natural test production, this should revert when you cease your cycle and start PCT)
They have a massive impact psychologically - post-cycle depression is common (again because of the low test, high oestrogen levels), you can develop a psychological dependency on them and steroid-related aggression is also a potential problem.
Your libido will go through the roof.
They can negatively impact your cholestorol levels and liver enzyme functioning - having a good GP to do regular blood analysis is essential.
Oral steroids can cause tummy upsets, diarrhoea and constipation.
Dirty needles or bad injections can cause infection.

Having said all that, anabolic steroids are not inherently evil, not in the slightest, low-doses of test and growth hormone are used extremely succesfully to treat a wide range of medical conditions, and sure HRT is just steroid supplementation for menopausal women

Research with higher doses of steroids is far and few between - it's costly and difficult to carry out. Besides which, as illegal substances for 'recreational' use there's not a lot of money to be made from doing these studies as they won't have big $ Pharma backing.

But because of the lack of solid, realiable information out there on how to administer steroids, how to plan a cycle and how to take care of yourself while you're on there's just a whole pile of misuse and abuse of steroids going on. For as long as that happens, and the inevitable negative side-effects get
media attention, steroid information will continue to be shrouded in myths and half-truths. There's a huge element of responsibility on the part of the user too, the information is out there, it's just awkward to get hold of, and you end up with the advice getting passed on like CHinese whispers.

do they cost much?

A basic 10 week test + d-bol + PCT cycle will set you back around €600

squod

g'em wrote: »

Your libido will go through the roof.....

I thought this was a myth? I have heard that injuries are more frequent when taking steroids. As the muscle develops faster than the cartilage that holds it to the bone. Also, I just read this.

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/9531

A study that points out the benefits of steroids can last many years after taking them. ''....we conclude that a period of anabolic steroid usage is an advantage for a power lifter in competition, even several years after they stop taking a doping drug.”

g'em

squod wrote: »

I thought this was a myth?

It depends on what you're using (from what I know, the steroids you use in cutting cycles like Winstrol won't affect libido) and what kind of test derivative it is, but generally the increase in testosterone means an increase in sex-drive. It's one of the reasons for test supplementation in aging patients (both men and women, although it's rather controversial in women). A lack of proper PCT will completely kill your sex drive though, once you withdraw the test your natural levels will be way, way down and it'll be a few weeks before it gets back to normal.

jayoo

Does the badpress that steriods receive affect their use in medical practice ie helping someone recover from injury??

Personaly i think steriods should only be used by a person who can honestly say that their workouts and diet are close to perfect. if a person can reach this level then it would be assumed that they will have gathered a good knowledge of training, and in doing so will have a good understanding of how steriods will work and how to properly and safely use them.

If the average gym rat started doing them, they could obtain good gains without training effectivly and without learning about their diet.

For example i dont use creatine (compleatly safe, found in meat), for the simple reason that my diet is all over the place so id never know if it was of help or was it just that i was eating better over that period.

transylman

Imo, if you are serious into lifting and have been at it a while and reached a peak, then by all means go ahead and try steroids. Also, if you are involved in competitive sports and want to give yourself an edge they are ok (although a bit of a cheat if they are not allowed in that sport).

Where I have a problem is when people do it purely for aesthetic reasons. Given the degree to which they interfere with your system, you should have serious reasons for taking them.

hardtrainer

There is no excuse to justify the use of anabolic steroids and certainly not the kinds of reasons people often put forward, to get past a plateau, to get bigger gains in shorter time and so on. It's ridiculous. Whats worse is that so many guys use steroids just for aesthetics.

DM-BM

Why would some one need an excuse, or to justify it to anyone, it's their decision if they want to use them.

VinnyTGM

Steroid's make your ball's smaller by making them redundant. Enough said for my decision anyway.
When I'm an old man and my ball's are out of action anyway, then why not give them ago.

hardtrainer

DM-BM wrote: »

Why would some one need an excuse, or to justify it to anyone, it's their decision if they want to use them.

I meant in reference to

Transylman wrote:

Also, if you are involved in competitive sports and want to give yourself an edge they are ok

I completely accept that people use them and that it is their own choice, but it should at least be a fully informed one.

Anabolic steroids are not like taking protein shakes or creatine. They are serious chemical compounds that have profound effects on multiple physiological systems in the body. Trivialising their use serves nobody. Those that use them 'professionally' (competitive bodybuilding) would be the first to echo that sentiment.

Roper

transylman wrote: »

Also, if you are involved in competitive sports and want to give yourself an edge they are ok (although a bit of a cheat if they are not allowed in that sport).

Bad choice of words there i think. A bit of a cheat? How much more cheat-like can you get?

Steroids have their uses, but if you're potentially damaging your health by using them just so you can look slightly bigger for the ladeez, then I think you need some time on the couch.