On a per capita basis professional
bodybuilders are more likely to take illegal anabolic steroids than anyone else. However, in terms of the largest overall
number of anabolic steroid users, it is guys like me and you. A 2006 study of 500 anabolic steroid users found that 78.4%
were not athletes and not competitive bodybuilders, but just regular guys taking them for cosmetic reasons. More than 99%
self-injected and almost 13% of all 500 reported unsafe injection practices, and 99.2% reported experiencing side effects
from the drugs.1
The biggest market for illegal steroids is your typical gym guy
who wants to get more muscular and he’s willing to risk his health and break the law to do it. This is why you should
be afraid.
If you follow my advice you will be successful. You will lose fat and you will build muscle, but later
you may decide that it’s not enough. You may like your new muscle so much that you want more, and you’re willing
to do something stupid to get it.
I won’t lie. I won’t tell you that you don’t
need anabolic steroids to get huge. Truthfully, you can only get so big without them. If you want to get significantly bigger,
then this can only be done with the juice. So, you’ll just have to settle for not being huge.
Most
women agree that huge is gross anyway. They find muscular and well-defined men to be attractive, but think that hyper-muscled
is unappealing. If you bust your ass and get as big and fit as you can naturally women will think it’s hot, so be happy
with that.
The Psychological Addiction
The shit works. It works really well, adding significant muscle mass and strength.2
Maybe a couple of years down the road you hit a natural plateau and decide to try the juice to get a bit bigger. I would
imagine that most first-time users plan on doing it “just a little bit, for just a little while.”
Even
small amounts can have an amazing effect. Anabolic steroids can help you get bigger and stronger in a short period of time.
They make you feel powerful and aggressive – almost unstoppable. When you cease taking them (called “cycling off”),
these effects go away. This is compounded by the fact that your natural testosterone production is decreased from taking these
drugs. The added muscle size and strength from taking anabolic steroids starts to disappear when the user stops injecting.
This
is where the psychological addiction comes in. Many guys like size and strength it gives them, along with the way it makes
them feel, and hate it when these things go away. What started out as experimentation can turn into chronic use.
Dependence
and withdrawal effects: A 1991 study revealed that “…more than half of the [steroid] users demonstrated symptoms
consistent with a diagnosis of dependence.” A later study asserted the figure was closer to 25%,3 but either
way anabolic steroids are still a bad idea.
Health Effects
Remember that 13% who have unsafe injection practices? That’s
why whenever I go to donate blood they ask me if I have ever injected steroids. They don’t just ask me – it is
a question everyone gets.
There are many defenders of anabolic steroids on the Internet who
claim that the negative side-effects of anabolic steroids have been overblown. I’m not sure what qualifies as overblown,
and since I’ve never taken them I can’t speak from experience, so I’ll just try to give you a general idea
of what the scientific research indicates:
- Self-reported adverse affects: 40% of male subjects
reported acne, increased body hair and increase aggressiveness. Many other self-reported side effects included fluid retention,
increased blood pressure, irritability, negative effects on libido, increased appetite, depression, loss
of head hair, and growth of man boobs.4
- Reproductive System: Taking anabolic steroids has been shown to
cause testicular atrophy (making them small) and reduction in semen production and quality.5 If you’re planning
on having more kids, this could pose a problem.
- Cardiovascular system: “In recent years the abuse of [steroids]
has been associated with the occurrence of serious cardiovascular events in healthy young athletes.” Reread those last
three words and then think hard about what this means. “Moreover, several reports associated [steroid] abuse with cardiac
sudden death.” The stuff has negative effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, heart structure and function.6
- It can cause impaired
liver function.7 Many bodybuilders also take liver-punishing anti-acne treatments to counteract the zits they get
from the juice, meaning their livers are put in even further jeopardy.
Chances are you aren’t even considering anabolic steroids at this
point, but the day may come when you are tempted.
Resist.
