Ready to take the plunge?

I think that it has become all too common place these days to see someone who wants to improve their physique by adding more muscle and getting leaner to automatically turn to AAS and their other complementary drugs.
We live in a 'win now' society and with bodybuilding its I want to look like a pro bber yesterday.

Persoanally I think this is getting out of hand. Especially when you look around on the forums and see the people who are talking about their cycles and needing advice on how to make it better.
The almighty AAS cycle is a great thing- and I have experienced first hand the effects of AAS myself, but out of the 18 years I have trained only the last 6 have been with the help of AAS.
I managed to get to a bodyweight of 265 without ever using them, this is not to brag but to simply point out that alot of gains can be made WITHOUT anabolics.
Most people dont take the time to learn their own bodies- let alone proper diet, rest and training.
No they think that AAS are some kind of magic pill to take and they will look like they have superhero, comic book proportions in a matter of weeks.
Take a look at the pictures of the people whom are using anabolics- you see people who look like they barely even train, and eating looks like the last thing they do on a daily basis.
So when you come to the forums and you are new- dont go straight into the AAS section- learn how to get gains with out them.
You will ultimately be grateful you put off using anabolics because once you make a shitload of gains without them you will learn your body, proper nutrition, and training.
Then and only then learn how they are used, learn the different AAS, oral, inj, long acting vs short acting, androgenic vs anabolic. Learn the half lives and all the other info you can pertaining to their use and then think up a simple cycle that consists of Testosterone and maybe one other hormone...maybe.
Dont try to throw a pro level cycle at your body- it will simply be a waste of money and drugs- your results will still be dependent on your diet and training.
Learn also about legal over the counter supplements. Not everything that helps you grow is illegal.
And think about the legal and health ramifications, do you really need to use AAS to get your goals?
If you dont then why take the risks?
Most of the high level athletes are pushing their bodies way past their own genetic limits, and thats saying a lot considering they allready are in the top percentile of genetic freakiness.
Do you think AAS will help you get there? Do you think with them you can achieve that high degree of super enhanced look?
If you simply want to add some muscle and get more defined AAS are not the first answer.
KNOWLEDGE is empowerment in the muscle building game.
And to the vets of the forums I think it is our responsibility to help the newer, less experienced members realize that the path of building a better physique does not start at the doorstep of AAS.
For those whom have been around and this has been your standard of thinking, well, I guess its time to change that.
It is our responsibility to educate, and keep the forums as a source of knowledge not a market place for quick hook ups and irresponsible high school mentalities- we all complain about it but its time to do something about it.

So if you are considering using AAS- take a good long look at your training and nutrition first and ask yourself is this what you really need to do? Can you make the gains with out it, have you tried?
AAS are a powerful supplement but without the knowledge to use them and make gains without them before hand they are as useless as anything.

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something@somewhere

Great read AJ. I studied long and hard for a good yr picking up anything I could on AAS, diet and training thanks to advice from my older brother of 4 yrs. I even went and talked to an Endocrinologist before I cycled.

Knowledge is power and that can translate into size, power and cuts in the gym.

gator

good post aj

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"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for I am the baddest motherfucker in the valley"

Nice post. I hit 200lbs before I started to pin.

Good post. It ought to be a mandatory read for new members. I started to young, although I was over 200lbs., I was 18 and deffinatly had not reached my natural potential. The info was not easily available back then if it was at all i.e. PCT, unheard of in the 80's atleast as far as I knew. The info is there now if people will take the time to read it.

^^ I agree. I was in my mid 20s before I started.