STEROIDS VS. NATTY
Here’s an analogy to sum steroids up. You’re in Vegas playing black jack. You begin winning hand after hand. Soon you have 10 million dollars in chips. Badass, right?!? HOWEVER, you cant leave the table with your winnings. You keep winning hands and getting more and more chips, so everyone walking by and at the table sees this and is impressed, but you can’t leave. You must stay until you go back to your starting chip count. When I came off steroids, it sucked for about two weeks, my hormones were all over the place, I didn’t want to work out, and my strength started dropping. Sure, I maintained a lot of my muscle mass but I just felt weaker. It was frustrating, and there were times I wanted to hop back on and feel like a beast again. all in all i'm so glad that I didn’t. Heres my personal experience and thoughts.
before ever starting steroids. 21 years old.
Steroids, the number 1 most talked about/taboo subject in the fitness industry today. There was a point in my life where I was 100% against them.. I thought it was cheating, like a magic pill that people could take and BOOM, skip years of hard work and instantly achieve greek god status. So I stayed away, I openly opposed performance enhancers and those who used them. From 18 to 22 I stayed natural, occasionally dabbling in SARMS (not a fan honestly) but for the most part sticking to the standard supplements that can be bought at your local GNC. As I became more and more enthralled in the fitness industry one thing became clear… THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE “FITNESS MODELS/ ATHLETES” ARE ON EFFING GEAR(steroids). It blew my mind. I just assumed that only massive 260 pound bodybuilders used steroids to get that big, it never crossed my mind that average sized people could use steroids as well and simply become bigger but stay lean at the same time. It put a whole new perspective on drugs for me. I began to understand why they were used and for what. From a competition standpoint (such as male/female bodybuilding shows) individuals almost have to use steroids to level the playing field. It would be like going into a fight where everyone has guns and you have a knife.. Sure, you might win, but highly unlikely. You might ask “BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DRUG TESTS?!?” I was able to speak to a former competitor who informed me that if an athlete fails the drug test they have a bad coach. The crazy part is EVERYONE KNOWS BUT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT IT! All these big time fitness guys that everyone looks up to with amazing physiques that look fantastic year round are more than likely utilizing steroids or have at some point in their life. With all that information, I made the decision to use steroids myself. It was not a decision I made lightly. It took weeks of consideration and planning on my part. There were several doctors’ visits to get blood work done to establish my starting levels so that I took on this journey in the safest way possible.
WHY I DECIDED TO HOP ON GEAR (STEROIDS)
As discussed in the previous paragraph, a lot of planning went in to it. To me it was just as much of a moral dilemma as it was a health dilemma. I couldn’t shake the thought that somehow it was “cheating” to utilize performance enhancing drugs. Like I wasn’t playing fair and taking the easy way out. At the same time, I was months away from going to NYC for my first round of photoshoots ever and knew I needed to look my best. There were lots of discussions between myself and some of the people closest to me in my life about the decision and how it could affect me both short and long term. Also, I had to take into consideration the fact that when one uses synthetic testosterone the body’s natural testosterone production comes to a complete stoppage. Which literally scared the hell out of me because that could mean my test levels would never recover once getting off steroids. This is the reason I got blood work done regularly to monitor my levels, and spoke with a physician about the subject. Thankfully I was young enough that he believed I would be able to get back to my normal levels once my cycle was complete.
from my first shoots in NYC. First time on test/winstrol
WHAT GOES INTO STARTING A CYCLE
For those that do not know, a cycle is basically the duration of time one spends using steroids, it is very unwise to use steroids nonstop for too long because the body will not be able to get back to normal levels (scary AF). Most cycles last anywhere from 12-16 weeks (recommended). The crazy thing about being on a cycle is that one doesn’t only need steroids alone. Testosterone, needles, anti-estrogen, the steroids that will be ran with test, and PCT (post cycle therapy) is needed. There is also the question of dosages. The amount of testosterone used on a weekly basis and how often to use steroids in accordance.. I was on the lower end of dosages with both so that I could recover my natural levels sooner when I came off. I won’t go deep into this topic, but if people are interested I would have no problem writing another blog in the future.
test, tren, dianabol. beginning of cycle. 4,000 cals+ per day. 230 pounds. worst I have ever looked.
middle, end of cycle. test and winstrol. 3,000 cals a day or so. 215 pounds.
MY EXPERIENCE ON STEROIDS
So, I would like to cover some experiences I had and maybe debunk some myths on the effects steroids have on the body. My steroid cycle usually consisted of test, tren, and dianabol to begin, then ended with test and winstrol to finish the cycle. For those that don’t know, tren and dianabol are typically used to put on mass while winstrol is great to finish off a cycle and get a lean, hard look in the physique. When on tren, I had an interesting experience. For starters, my strength shot up tremendously. I was pushing more weight than I had in my life and feeling almost invincible. I got to a point where my bench press was nearing 400 lbs while weighing around 230 lbs. I was maybe able to get 315 on bench before using. While my strength was increasing, so was my weight and water retention levels. I was gaining weight at a pretty crazy level, eating more than I ever had (hint of lime chips and pizza) and carrying around more water than normal. My abs were basically gone and I could barely fit into my shirts. My cardiovascular endurance was down the drain, I was having night sweats, back acne, and random nose bleeds at an abnormal rate. BUT DAMNIT I COULD LIFT A SMALL TOYOTA FOR REPS OF 5!
All joking aside it was a very interesting experience. I had a much better time when I began using winstrol. I started regulating my nutrition, incorporated cardio into my regimen, and lost a little bit of weight. my back acne began to recede, night sweats were less frequent, and I began looking SHREDDED. It was great, some of the sickest pumps I’ve ever had. I also could maintain some of my strength from when I was on tren. The worst part about winstrol is that it will dry out your tendons and ligaments. So, while my muscles were getting stronger and bigger, my tendons and ligaments couldn’t keep up with the growth rate and were also tighter. Which led to some pain as my cycle progressed. Also, winstrol isn’t designed to be used for a long time, so the experience of being super lean with a crazy pump was short lived (womp womp). Also my ass and quads constantly hurt from the pinning process (the injection of steroids into the muscles from a needle.. A rather large needle, injected straight into the muscle). This was done anywhere from 2-3 times a week. I don’t have a fear of needles but dear lord it was painful. As far as things like “roid rage” and a lower sex drive while on steroids, that wasn’t my experience at all. I believe that a personality is amplified when on gear(steroids). I am normally an even keeled, mild tempered person, so I never had a roid rage experience or a more aggressive attitude. As far as sex drive, I won’t speak too much on it, but I’m pretty much positive it’s untrue.
Some of the sickest pumps of my life
FINAL THOUGHTS
I don’t regret using steroids at all. I was able to learn a lot about the human body and also help out some clients that were using gear as well. My biggest regret is not being more open about it during. I was ashamed I’ll admit. That’s my biggest problem with the fitness industry right now. The lack of honesty. People that claim they’re 100% natural and take on clients trying to help them when people don’t understand that there is a HUGE difference between eating and training natural and on steroids. I don’t think its these individuals fault though, it’s the industry. These companies that sponsor fitness athletes on social media don’t want the public to know that most or all their athletes are on gear, and if an athlete is honest about it they typically get dropped by that company. It's insane, there really needs to be more transparency on the issue so that the fitness industry can become what it is meant to be. SOMETHING THAT HELPS PEOPLE ACHIEVE THEIR FITNESS GOALS, NOT SOMETHING THAT PUSHES PRDUCT DOWN OUR THROATS PROMISING CHISELED ABS IF YOU WEAR SOME COMPANIES JOGGERS. I don’t despise people that use gear for prolonged times. I get it, I really do. There is a certain image that must be upheld so that the thousands and millions of followers see how amazing these people look. It also shouldn’t take away from the work they put in. Just because someone starts using steroids doesn’t mean they will instantly become huge and shredded. The work is still put in. Meal prepping, cardio, weight training still must be done. The way I would describe it is that we all have a ceiling at a natural level. Using steroids can push you past this ceiling. It isn’t a cheat code, it’s a way to take your max potential and increase it.
currently completely natural
CLOSING
I have no intentions of using steroids in the future. There’s no need for me too. I am able to achieve a lean physique with proper nutrition and dieting. I no longer care about being the strongest person in the gym. It doesn’t matter if I have a sick pump 24/7. I just want to fit into normal clothes, be healthy, and look good naked like the rest of the general public.
