Is there really any point of taking steroids?

[Burzum]

Most of the guys on this forum would agree that you should only take aas when you have reached your max potential (am talking about bb, not powerlifting). But whats the point in that, when you just go back to your natural limit when you get off?

I'm really confused..

I know that the strenght may increase... But whats the point when it comes to size?

Thanks

[lovbyts]

To go above and beyond average/normal. It's about Ego mostly. You want to be just a little bigger than the next guy. You dont have as good of genetics as xxx but with a little help you can make up the difference at least for a while

Yes you have to go into understand that nothing is permanent but neither is life and you never know what tomorrow might hold. It's about goals, priorities and expectations.

[Nuzzi]

i threw around the idea for years about if i should do it or not, and while i agree it does have its drawbacks its also a good stepping stone if done right. for me it helped break through a wall i was hitting for years, i did a bare minimum cycle and now even off cycle i feel like ive pushed past my previous block and have more room to grow naturaly. Im actually now the same size i was while on cycle. just somethin to think about.

[MACHINE5150]

you don't necessarily lose everything.. it is more like taking three steps forward and two steps back.. but you still do make progress.. but you won't keep all of it for the rest of your life.. but i never hold onto to anything that long anyways (GF's, cars, houses)... And if done with in reason and responsibility it is not harmful to your health.

[5x10]

i dont think theres a point of the drug unless you need it for trt or can somehow profit from the use(sports, competition, etc)

i view them like any other drug, use in moderation and make sure you know what they do to your body
and like any other drug, there are ups and downs
superman pct
drunk hangover
weed slow minded
etc

[dirtybrd]

I always hold a few pounds of what I gain long term. My goal is to permenantly change my body type from ecto to meso. I have a few buddies that did it with proper diet and AAS, though they started much younger then me.

[Angel of death]

Steroids work. Thats all that needs to be said IMO

[buffgator]

I have used them for 10 years....I use them to set myself apart from the crowd by being big, and I also use them because I compete on a high level that I wouldnt be at without them. Oh also I have a issues where even at 300+lbs I can never shake the feeling that Im skinny. I do have moments though where I think does this really matter.

[Flagg]

If you have fantastic genetics, then gear might not even be something you have to consider.

That being said, not everyone does have great genes unfortunately. Also, what might take someone 10 years of solid bodybuilding and dieting to look amazing, could take someone on the gear less than half the time (though they still need to put the hours into the gym and dieting). Steroids offer a much faster solution.

It's cheating at the end of the day, and Lovbyts is right. It's 100% tied into ego.

[Burzum]

you don't necessarily lose everything.. it is more like taking three steps forward and two steps back.. but you still do make progress.. but you won't keep all of it for the rest of your life.. but i never hold onto to anything that long anyways (GF's, cars, houses)... And if done with in reason and responsibility it is not harmful to your health.

I just dont see how one could keep any gains after he have achieved his natural limit...? And how long would this be? 6 months? If its any less than that, then I dont get why people who are not competing are on them..

Here is my thoughts: If (and Im guessing thats ok) you went on 3 cycles a year. And "the keep" lasts for 3 months.. Its worth it. (if that makes any sense to anyone, haha)

[Natureboy71]

With AAS or not you don't keep your gains if you stop eating and lifting to your full potential. AAS isn't a magic pill.

[Burzum]

With AAS or not you don't keep your gains if you stop eating and lifting to your full potential. AAS isn't a magic pill.

Not to be rude, but thats not event relevant..

[buffgator]

^^^^^he said it because the conversation in turning to rather there are keepable gains or not from aas use

[Burzum]

^^^^^he said it because the conversation in turning to rather there are keepable gains or not from aas use

Yeah, I got that.. But what he says is taken for granted/ a obvious must...

And sorry.. I didnt mean relevant.. My enlgish isnt very good :/

[Natureboy71]

I find a lot of people do take it for granted IME and think just taking AAS will make you huge.

[Dr Pepper]

As said above. It's very much dependent on your goals...

[mrniceguy215]

if you have to ask this question than im a little concerned lol.... slightly autistic??

[axemurderer187]

steroid are not for you then bud, your already questioning retaining gains which tells me your not disciplined enough to diet, time properly and pct correctly. I would never be the size I am today without gear. not to be rude but think this is the wrong place for you.

[Bonaparte]

Sure, you'll eventually end up back at your genetic limit (or close to it), but being on cycle is an awesome experience (if you do it right). And most guys who are real serious about AAS and being huge/performing at a top level end up staying on year-round.

Most of us just aren't content with what we can naturally achieve and want to experience more, even if it isn't permanent.

[robschuh]

Most of the guys on this forum would agree that you should only take aas when you have reached your max potential (am talking about bb, not powerlifting). But whats the point in that, when you just go back to your natural limit when you get off?

I'm really confused..

I know that the strenght may increase... But whats the point when it comes to size?

Thanks

If you want to compete, you have to use them. It was never about ego or being "big" with me. I looked far better than the average guy when I started. I was 21, about 6% bodyfat and about 170 at 5'10". I have very small joints, so even at that weight, I looked 20 lbs heavier. I won the NPC Mr. Phoenix at 176 with no water, but I looked bigger on stage than the light heavy winner who was my height and 20 lbs heavier and I looked as big as the heavy did on stage and he was an inch shorter than I was. I'm 48 and still have a 28.5" waist. I'm just on replacement now and have not competed in over 20 years, but I wanted to compete from day one. The other thing you have to remember was that this was back in the early to late 80s when steroids were all real, cheap and no legal authorities cared about them. Today is a FAR different matter. All the ignorant government did by making it a controlled substance was to make what is out there, poor quality, to fake and a felony. The government should never be able to tell an adult what they can put into their bodies.

[robschuh]

If you have fantastic genetics, then gear might not even be something you have to consider.

That being said, not everyone does have great genes unfortunately. Also, what might take someone 10 years of solid bodybuilding and dieting to look amazing, could take someone on the gear less than half the time (though they still need to put the hours into the gym and dieting). Steroids offer a much faster solution.

It's cheating at the end of the day, and Lovbyts is right. It's 100% tied into ego.

#1,
It's not cheating when everyone you are competing against is using them. As far as the ego thing goes, speak for yourself, not me. It was NEVER about ego or being "big" for me. I wanted to compete from day one. If you have great genes, then you should use them because the only people who win do so because of great genetics. I can tell you right now that there are no IFBB pros with crappy genetics. Some may have ugly bodies, but they have the genetics to be bigger than the average guy. It's the average guy who could never win a show who should never use them. If you use them just to be big and be moron like a bouncer, then you have some serious self esteem issues that I don't even want to get into here. I've hundreds of guys over the years who take steroids with poor genetics and you know what, they still look like crap. You either have it or you don't. It's no different than some guy who can't jump and is 5'10" thinking he can be in the NBA.

[JohnnyVegas]

I find a lot of people do take it for granted IME and think just taking AAS will make you huge.

I agree. It may be obvious to people that have even a rudimentary understanding of these things, but there are a lot of people that show up here and don't know anything. Worse than that, everything they think they know is wrong.

You guys all see the kinds of questions that get asked in this Q&A section. Including this very thread, considering there was a very long, informative thread about keepable gains going on not too long ago. If this thread is just to ask everyone's opinion about the opinions expressed in the other thread, well then that is just a lack of critical thinking. This is all opinion, and we all need to read a ton, make up our minds and then test our theories with personal experience.

[Far from massive]

There are a lot of different types of steroid usage as well as different results. For someone cycling even though you may eventually go back to your genetic potential if you do 6 week cycles separated by 11 wks off and you gain 10 lbs of muscle on each cycle and keep 2 lbs then each year you will gain about 6 lbs of muscle so if you had the genetics to reach a natural limit of 210 at 8%bf then in 4 years you could go from being 210 lbs at 8% bodyfat to 234 at 8% bodyfat now that is just with steroid cycles done properly.

Of course realistically in the above example the gains would probably be more like 6lbs the first year 4 the second 3 on the third and 2 on the fourth for most since the further you get from your genetic potential the harder it is both to gain it and keep it.

If you cruise and blast (with the emphasis on blasting) and add slin and some growth in my opinion you can almost double those gains ( although, as you get further from your genetic potential the gains get much harder) so assuming you are gifted with the correct genetics this is how you can go from being a great natural builder at 210 and 8% to 235 at 5% or 250 at 10% during bulking.

[Burzum]

steroid are not for you then bud, your already questioning retaining gains which tells me your not disciplined enough to diet, time properly and pct correctly. I would never be the size I am today without gear. not to be rude but think this is the wrong place for you.

WTF!? Why do guys have to be rude? Who the **** says Im not disciplined enough to diet properly!? Why arent this the pace for me? Because I ask questions? Because I wanna learn? No, Im not ready to take steroids.. Not for a long time....

My new question ended up being: Can you keep gains from a aas cycle, after you have reached your natural max? And if, for how long?

[Burzum]

I agree. It may be obvious to people that have even a rudimentary understanding of these things, but there are a lot of people that show up here and don't know anything. Worse than that, everything they think they know is wrong.

You guys all see the kinds of questions that get asked in this Q&A section. Including this very thread, considering there was a very long, informative thread about keepable gains going on not too long ago. If this thread is just to ask everyone's opinion about the opinions expressed in the other thread, well then that is just a lack of critical thinking. This is all opinion, and we all need to read a ton, make up our minds and then test our theories with personal experience.

Finally one who understands... I haven't been member here for very long, and I searched, but couldn't find it.. I will look again. Thanks!

That said, I think its kinda rude to just expect that a person who knows nothing about steroids, knows nothing about nutrition... This isn't about me having tried aas and didn't keep any gains, never taken them... All I try to do is to learn, and find out if taking steroids is worth it at all... For me.

[delta1111]

To go above and beyond average/normal. It's about Ego mostly. You want to be just a little bigger than the next guy. You dont have as good of genetics as xxx but with a little help you can make up the difference at least for a while

Yes you have to go into understand that nothing is permanent but neither is life and you never know what tomorrow might hold. It's about goals, priorities and expectations.

Very well put.

[Hazard]

I have used them for 10 years....I use them to set myself apart from the crowd by being big, and I also use them because I compete on a high level that I wouldnt be at without them. Oh also I have a issues where even at 300+lbs I can never shake the feeling that Im skinny. I do have moments though where I think does this really matter.

OH MAN...... Do i know how you feel! I've felt like a skinny bastard from 175lbs all the way to 255lbs. Bigorexia man..... we've got it lol

~Haz~

[oldschoolfitness]

just want to be in better shape and don't care if i have to cheat to get there!! love the sex drive the confidence, strength the whole lifestyle. keep it safe and enjoy is all i got to say. to each their own bros.

[JohnnyVegas]

That said, I think its kinda rude to just expect that a person who knows nothing about steroids, knows nothing about nutrition... This isn't about me having tried aas and didn't keep any gains, never taken them... All I try to do is to learn, and find out if taking steroids is worth it at all... For me.

I don't think people here expect new members to know about these things when they show up. What they do expect, but rarely see, is for people to show up and take the time to read and learn before asking questions. People that show up, don't spend a single hour reading, ask ten questions and then disappear add NOTHING to this community. This place isn't a magical question answering machine, it is a place for people to share.

[Bonaparte]

Why should we convince YOU that steroids are worth taking?

If you don't see the point, then don't bother using.

[Sc0rch]

After 35 it is so hard to put on muscle. I had put on over 65lbs naturally, but in my late 30s I couldn't gain hardly anything.

AAS allowed me to grow again, and get some results from my hard work. Seeing my body grow again was priceless.

[axemurderer187]

Why should we convince YOU that steroids are worth taking?

If you don't see the point, then don't bother using.

excellent post, some guys just try to stir the pot

you don't have to come to a steroid website to figure out you will not keep all your gains

[big_ron]

Its defiantly alot to do with your goals as already been said. competing or just for aesthetics. but also the gains/side effects, which plays on my mind a bit being young.

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

#1,
It's not cheating when everyone you are competing against is using them. As far as the ego thing goes, speak for yourself, not me. It was NEVER about ego or being "big" for me. I wanted to compete from day one. If you have great genes, then you should use them because the only people who win do so because of great genetics. I can tell you right now that there are no IFBB pros with crappy genetics. Some may have ugly bodies, but they have the genetics to be bigger than the average guy. It's the average guy who could never win a show who should never use them. If you use them just to be big and be moron like a bouncer, then you have some serious self esteem issues that I don't even want to get into here. I've hundreds of guys over the years who take steroids with poor genetics and you know what, they still look like crap. You either have it or you don't. It's no different than some guy who can't jump and is 5'10" thinking he can be in the NBA.

You just dissed 2/3 of this forum j/k

There's nothing wrong with wanting to feel and look big with gear. 99.9% of human beings get through life believing that they are better than the rest in some way. shape or form. Most people want to do it with money (I've got more than you), others do it with intelligence (I'm smarter than you), and yet others take the route of physical appearance (I'm bigger/prettier than you).

And make no mistake... it is very much EGO. If not, then why compete? to win? why?

[Hexagon]

Most of the guys on this forum would agree that you should only take aas when you have reached your max potential (am talking about bb, not powerlifting). But whats the point in that, when you just go back to your natural limit when you get off?

I'm really confused..

I know that the strenght may increase... But whats the point when it comes to size?

Thanks

There is no such thing as your absolute max potential. This will vary depending on your age, weight, bf +++ View it as a limit on a mathematical function, not possible to reach.

The only way to actually reach your max potential is to go beyond it using aas, and drop back to it.