by: Kevin Larrabee
In college, and since entering the commercial gym world, I have met people that are actively using steroids in one form on another. I will be honest, I know nothing about the stuff, all I know is what I learned from Bigger, Stronger, Faster. But it seems like it literally takes 5-10 minutes searching on Google to find a place to order the stuff. That is like the equivalent of being able to mail order opium or cocaine. Seriously, give it a shot, you will find someone to ship the stuff to you after a 10 minute search.
My stance? Taking “roids” is the same as cheating on an anatomy final or getting liposuction when you only have 30 or 40 pounds to lose.
IT IS CHEATING.
Would I like to look like The Rock? Yeah, that would be nice, but instead I bust my ass in the gym lifting heavy shit four times and week and do some HIIT 2-3 days a week. I will never look like a Men’s Health cover model. I am OK with that. I would rather not cheat to get where I want to be in the gym. With proper programing and DEDICATION you will be better off that 95% of the world. Isn’t that good enough? Or do you want to be shamed like the recently outed baseball and football players? Lastly, be true to thyself.
END OF RANT.
If I’m not in any competition, does it matter if I cheat myself?
If someone trains seriously for 5-10 years and either gets to a plateau or really knows what they are doing and wants to see the endgame quicker AND they minimize the health risks by doing their research, is it really such a bad thing?
“That is like the equivalent of being able to mail order opium or cocaine.” There is a particular section of “Bigger, Stronger Faster*” that deals with this, and mentions it is lower for emergency room admitals and difficult to overdose, and, if one is very careful and does enough research, the health risks are significantly minimized.
If steroids weren’t illegal, and someone really knows what they are doing, why would it be worse than doing other drugs or things like drugs that are a lot more common such as alcohol or marijuana.
Disclosure: I don’t and have never done steroids. I was in IPF (drug tested powerlifting federation) for the last 2 years so I did compete against other people who hopefully were not on steroids.
Well put my friend.
You’re young though. Saying you will never look like a Mens Health model without steroids isn’t necessarily true. I think most of those guys are late 20’s to early 30’s and in reality aren’t big guys.
I have never taken steroids, but they interest me and I have no negativity toward them. I figure do what you like as long as it doesn’t negatively impact me. If you take steroids for competition then I still feel like it’s a personal decision. If it’s a no drugs comp and you take them then obviously shame on you.
I think all drugs should be legalised and controlled. This would for the most part remove the black market for them, the criminals behind the supply (unless you count big pharma as criminals
..) increase tax dollars to medical areas and remove many reasons for why medical resources are used to treat drug users.
In any case, good for you for choosing to go the semi natural route (at what point is supplement takign still considered completely natural? Why are steroids SOOOO frowned on?) but I really think it’s a personal choice.
I am not a steroid user but c’mon Kevin. You must be joking. It seems to me from listening to the fitcast that you are prepared to main line caffeine and artificial sugar in order to bust out a couple more reps or pounds. Yet you are going to condemn others because they use a different kind of product. It’s only cheating because of an arbitrary decision of a group of people at a moment in time. If some sport decides it’s not against the rules then all of a sudden it wouldn’t be cheating, in that sport at least. Sure, it’s illegal but so is talking on a cell phone while driving but you don’t accuse a real estate agent for cheating cause they use the phone to do deals in the car. If they can be used safely and productively, then why shouldn’t they be?
I’m not a user, but what/who is being cheated? Is there some sort of code at the gym I’m unaware of? (aside from not doing curls in the squat rack) How is it like cheating on a test? In school you agreed to conduct yourself with academic integrity at the outset, I agree to nothing when I stepped into the gym. (except of course, I agree not to do curls in the squat rack, but that’s just common courtesy)
And if you do a Google search for a source and send them money I could almost guarantee you that you will not receive steroids for your trouble. Its a little more clandestine than that.
C.mon Kevin
I have never taken steroids myself but I have known guys that have and I do not look at them negatively.
How is it cheating, who are you cheating. As a none roiding trainer I know how hard it is you get your diet right and bust your ass in the gym and keep discipline and after all that you will still not look like a MH model which is fine but I actually go to the gym to look a bit like those guys.
If someone is taking roids to improve themselves and they are not harming anyone else leave them be they actually deserve some respect for taking that extra step despite all the discrimination they get.
I will just say that I really appreciate everything you do with the fitcast but dude roids are not evil you need to question everything you hear from “THE MAN”.
Exactly! i’m a 13 year old who works out 3 times a week, and i feel so much better knowing that im doin this on my own, gaining muscle on my own, and getting a great body on my own. if i used stariods, i would not feel as great about my body, and as much as i would like to get (as kevin said) a body like “the rock” , i would rather try as hard as i can to get there on my own, rather then taking the easy way out. Also, it decreases the size of your “nads”…or thats what they say in PE haha. Awesome blog!
Steroids are not natural
Shit like creatine and all this other crap comes from natural sources found in life
If there is sum tree spomewhere producing prescription cases of steroids them fuck it but itds jut not cool to me to be greedy like that nad want more than u can have id rather rach my full potential and be happy just tuly whappy with whoi am and wut god gave me and learn to use t the best ican
Besides it is in a bgger sense bad-habits building because then next time yu are faced with something challenging in life and u fele the need to shortcut your way through ;hard work might be enough to stop you u will fhave to face those demons sooner or later
And if u dun feel the same wat I respect that too it is mht makes us each other oour difeerences
In good spirit
Jaime Adrian