Debate

[sd11]

Me and my bro were debating on starting times for aas. Not in terms of age, but rather development. We were mainly discussing someone with aspirations of competing. Personally I feel if someone has been training for a couple years and has been consistent with both diet and training they should use every advantage they can to further promote muscle growth. Of course I don't think someone with a piss poor physique should rush into aas usage when they can gain a ton more natuarlly, but a bb with a good base who has reached a point where gains come but they are slow....I feel it is the right path to choose. On the other hand my friend is of the belief that you should gain as much as you can naturally before you begin aas. He claims in the long run you will be bigger because you will have started gear at a much more advanced physique level. I disagree for the fact.....that how do you determine when to start. For example take two bb's who are 25 yrs old, one starts gear and the other waits 5 years and gains as much as he can naturally. Now say they are 35 one has had 5 years of training with the benefits of aas and the other has had 10. I think the guy with longer aas experience will have a better physique. All I can say is take a look at every pro and top amateur......it's obvious most if not all started at very young ages clearly before they were anywhere near their genetic limit. Im curious to see what some of you bros think?

[freakmaster]

It isn't just how much time you have been bodybuilding that matters, it's how much bodybuilding knowledge you have that matters most. You can gain alot of bodybuilding knowledge in two years, but not that much practial knowledge as in from learning from trial and error, from listening to your body and what works best for you, what excercises and nutrition practices that work best for you, and not getting all of your bodybuilding knowledge just from books. If you take a guy that has been bodybuilding for 5 years naturally and take a guy that has been bodybuilding for 2 years naturally, and they have the same knowledge at bodybuilding, than that would be okay to use AS. But in most cases, you cannot get as much practial knowledge as the guy who has been bodybuilding for 5 years.
AS use should be only a enhancement to bodybuilding, they do not make the bodybuilder. A natural bodybuilder who has been in the game along time has a better feel to how to shape his body, what excercises work for him and knows how to train properly. When you bodybuild naturally you are forced to know your shit, or you will not grow, it's as simple as that. But if you take a person who uses AS without that much knowledge, he is not in tune in what works for him, with training and nutrition, because the AS cover up for his lack of knowledge. He might gain 20lbs off a cycle, but the more seasoned bodybuilder might gain 30lbs. I am a perfect example to wait. I went from 150lbs to 237 naturally in four years at a height of 6'0. My friend took up bodybuilding three years after i started. And in two years he went from 165 to 250lbs due to using AS the whole time, I think he used about five cycles. He has not been able to use AS in about 9months and he is now about 215lbs and he looks like shit. I am now a solid 288lbs after just two cycles. Had he had the knowledge I have, or would have been bodybuilding as long as I have he might have been able to keep most of his weight, since he did not, he now looks like a piece of shit.

[sd11]

Thanx for the reply!
AAS users, not only natural bodybuilders need to know their shit to grow as well. I wasn't trying to discuss the amount of knowledge or training experience one has....rather the level of one's physique. Naturally someone who has trained natural for 5 years will be much more in tune with their body than someone who has only been training for 2 years.

[Warrior]

Good post freakmaster - I deffinitly agree. I went through the trenches of digging for more and more ways to gain naturally. And the desire to learn would not have been as good had I started AAS much earlier. AAS is no magic pill to get started - it's just another supplement for trained athletes, IMO.

Injury is a big thing too. Getting elbow, knee or shoulder injuries off cycle is a bitch. If you are not familiar on how to protect these joints before AAS - the potential to seriously hurt yourself is very high.