time to start AS?

how long do you think a person should lift for (6 months, 1-2 years, etc.) untill they start using AS?

5 years with diet and training in order depending on age and stats. I don't like this whole "i've trained for 2 years and i need AS!!!!" crap.

I agree with bdtr, cant build a big house on weak foundations.

what bdtr said and at least 21 yrs old.

if diet and training are perfect then someone whos been training 6 months will gain as much if not more than someone training 10 yrs.

well..depends on age...if u are in your 30s..what the hell ..do a cycle :)

Two to three years of training.......

People have raised some valid points here...it's tough to put a timetable on it, as one person's five year's worth of training could be equivalent to one year's worth of another's or, to complicate things even more, ten year's worth of yet another's. However, I find it hard to believe that someone could make the necessary progression AND became sufficiently self-aware of the manner in which they respond to certain adjustments in the training equation (rep ranges, poundages, rest periods, frequency, volume, protein intake, carb to fat ratios...the list goes on and on) that one should really have before jumping into AAS.

The only reason I said 5 years is because I started WAY too young as a teenager with almost no training knowledge. The weight i put on in the 5 years i was using gear I probably could have come close to naturally. People think they platuea after a year and say they can't grow anymore, thats bull. My training partner was 30 before he touched a needle, 15 years of training under his belt and bigger than me without any chemical agents.

I think this is a very important issue. I posted something along this line last night saying that I thought lately there were quite a few people, on this board and others, considering a cycle of steroids for whom this coursse of action would not be appropriate based on lack of training and/or diet as indicated by posted stats. I know that once considered, there is no way these people will change their mind because some anonymous people tell them they are too young but something must be done. To respomd to the question of this thread, I certainly do not have an answer as to when to begin. As stated above, if someone is older than 30, there are different issues than someone in their 20s or younger. My concern is that with a proliferation of young, inexperienced "lifters" using steroids, the label of "abuse" becomes very real and well-deserved. Therefore, I strongly believe that wiser voices should and must actively discourage this and I applaud this board and its members for speaking with one voice on this matter. The more this underground "business" can self-regulate, the better for all.