Here it is, the whole story; a fiction that contains a wealth of information about every aspect of progressive bodybuilding. Do you want to learn more about how to train in the gym, increasing your poundages in order to become stronger and bigger? Do you want to learn more about nutrition and rest – the keys that unlock the door to strength and size gains? If so, read on, because its all here. Oh, and if you read on you’re going to find detailed information about steroids. This story will help you decide whether you should consider using steroids, and/or how exactly you should use them. Don’t expect anything to rival Shakespeare, but this is good stuff…
So it was 1999, the year 2000 was about to dawn. In the eastern side of a city in the north of England old factories lay empty, remnants of an industrial past. Most houses were terraces built around 1900, with the original Victorian fireplaces and plasterwork on the ceilings. The men would have worked in the steel factories if they hadn’t closed. Now the women had begun working in warehouses or on tills in supermarkets, to make ends meet. Everyone – men and women – had to acquire new skills and grasp for new and different job opportunities. Not everyone was up to the task.
Two young men, Pete and Steve, had grown up together in the area. They were old enough to vividly remember the mass redundancies twenty years before; they had seen men turn to drink while their families went without. Pete and Steve wanted something better, so they chose college over second rate jobs or unemployment. At the same time they chose to spend their free time in an old damp gym, housed in small disused warehouse, instead of going to the pub. College by day – Pete wanted to teach, while Steve saw opportunities in IT – and gym by night. It seemed like good ‘clean’ living, and it felt good to be free of the unhealthy lifestyles – involving smoking and junk food, as well as alcohol – that so many of their contemporaries fell into without thinking. For fun they usually chose active pastimes, such as hiking in the local Peak District national park, five-a-side soccer with friends, or they’d bring their girlfriend’s along for a game of doubles tennis at the local – council subsidized, thank God – leisure centre.
The other side of the city, on the west, was very different. Alongside wide streets were large detached houses, belonging to doctors, lawyers, and accountants. Neat front gardens bordered the clean driveways of these houses, which tended to be occupied a father’s large executive saloon, a wife’s sporty runabout, and a third expensive vehicle belonging to a grown up son or daughter. A large park was never far away. For the people living in this area almost any purchasable item could be acquired with the flick of a credit card. But money couldn’t buy everything, as a young man called Dan, who’d grown up in the area, knew well. You see Dan was never really happy with himself, or his looks, and simply being born rich didn’t make him feel worthwhile as a person or as a man. He began using strength training machines at a local health club.
Pete and Steve never met Dan. After graduating from college they were earning decent money, but they had no interest in joining Dan’s club. After all, Pete and Steve had no use for a pool, sun-beds, and comfortable toning machines. The fact is that when it came to training, they were the lucky ones. Their gym was owned by a weathered lifetime bodybuilder, still rock hard and strong as a bull in his 60s; someone who had trained countless bodybuilders and boxers for competition. They had a mentor to tell them what bodybuilding was about: progressive poundage increases in a few big multi-joint lifts, eating lots of natural food, and resting. They were in the gym only three times per week (upper body push Monday; lower body Wednesday; upper body pull Friday), but they trained hard and added cardio-vascular exercise at least two times per week. Six exercises – squat, deadlift, chin, row, dumbbell chest press, and overhead press – formed the core of their routine. Meanwhile Dan was straining away on his pec-deck, his machine curls, and his leg extensions.
When they started Pete and Steve were squatting less than 100lbs for 15 repetitions, but every week without fail they added a little bit of iron. Just 2lbs on extra on the bar most weeks, but up to 5lbs just occasionally, when they felt unusually strong. Sure, it seemed slow, but after two years they were squatting 310bs for 15 repetitions, and they both had thick and strong legs. All their other lifts had gone up as well. Dan, in contrast, had nothing but increasing frustration to show for his two years of training. He had toned up a little, and people who looked closely may even have noticed a very slight weight gain, but he wanted to stand out, and look strong. He didn’t realise that in order to be strong he had to incorporate ‘big’ muti-joint exercises, like the squat, the deadlift, heavy upper body presses, and heavy pulls. He wasn’t really lifting, and he wasn’t really eating.
Dan was spending a fortune on deliciously flavoured (or so the adverts claimed) meal replacement drinks and snack bars. He bought weight gainers promising HUGE muscle gains in very short timeframes, containing apparently wondrous substances such as “testomax” and “androprotein complex”. Little time was “wasted” on real food. It never occurred to Dan that the processed milk proteins in meal replacement bars might be denatured, and difficult for his body to tolerate. He never researched the subject of nutrition enough to learn that the corn syrup in such bars can bring about insulin reactions which can be associated with fat gain or even diabetes. Finally, he knew that his protein drinks were sugar free, but he didn’t know that the chemical sweetners they contained could be a health risk (aspartame has been linked to migraine, stomach problems, and even multiple sclerosis!). He’d have done so much better if he had eaten a few steaks for protein – there would have been added benefits such as iron, vitamin B12, co-enzyme Q-10, and creatine.
Pete and Steve could have taught Dan a thing or two. Every evening they prepared six meals to consume the following day. They understood that to keep their bodies in an “anabolic” growth-mode they required concentrated sources of protein, like meat, fish, or eggs; they knew that complex carbohydrates (obtained from wholewheat rice or bread, kidney beans, and pasta) are stored within muscle, in the form of glycogen, ready to fuel muscular contraction (by replenishing ATP) during intense workouts; when they ate their vegetables they did so with an appreciation of the detoxifying qualities of antioxidants; they took on board their good fats and essential fatty acids (in fatty fish, avocado, olive oil, nuts, and unrefined vegetable oils) for hormonal health, nerve health, mental health, and to maintain a good cholesterol profile. It was also important to avoid what was bad: Pete and Steve knew that they had to avoid simple forms of sugar, because excess sugar is taken from the blood by insulin and turned to fat by the liver. They avoided hydrogenated vegetable fats (associated with heart disease and cancer) like the plague.
A year passed, and although he was still in the gym six days per week Dan had lost his enthusiasm. Several injuries were bothering him, because he wasn’t aware of the importance of good exercise form or proper recovery. Now cynical about training (and, to be honest, about life) he was finally awakened to the fact that flashy supplements are no more help than the “get big quick” routines set out in muscle magazines. By this point he just didn’t believe that a good physique could be developed by an ordinary guy like him – not without drugs. He’d done his best, or so he thought, and so he saw nothing but so much wasted effort. It was tempting to give up, and replace time in the gym with time on the golf course, unless…
Dan decided to take a gamble. In quiet moments at work he sat at his computer, secretly looking up different online suppliers of steroids. What a lottery: which suppliers are legitimate? Are any legitimate? Dan didn’t know who to trust, and he didn’t take the time to find out – he wanted, no needed results fast. “To hell with it”, he thought, and placed an order. Instead of dianabol only – his first thought since he didn’t fancy needles, and as such orals had seemed like the ideal solution – he went for dianabol and deca-durabolin. That was the mainstay of the cycles famous pros did in the ‘70s, or so he’d read, so he reasoned that it must be good enough for him. He had taken a brief look at injectable testosterone, but he noticed that it was inexpensive, and in his world inexpensive and bad were the same thing.
After completing their third year of serious training Pete and Steve were anything but frustrated. Pete was under strain, since he was taking home extra work to help the less advantaged students in his classes, and Steve was working long hours for a software development company. Nevertheless, their training was unaffected while they were eating well and allowing enough rest days between workouts. Progress had slowed for sure, and a couple of injuries had held things up, in spite of their impeccable training form. But they were adding 2lbs to their squat every other week, and by this point other guys in the gym looked on with respect when they saw squats with 340lbs for 15 clean and deep reps. They had achieved this though patience, and consistency, and through their willingness to get back in the gym every week, always striving to add just a tiny bit of iron to their core lifts. They knew how a person’s true metal in a gym is tested; they knew what training is all about: training, like life, is about hard work, and sustained self-belief, and progress that is so gradual that can seem imperceptible – it takes so long and the end seems distant, but the secret is to never give up trying.
For Pete and Steve there was no need to take steroids – or no need to rush into it at any rate. Nevertheless, with a view to reaching their own conclusions, and taking informed decisions, they did research the subject at length (although learning still more about diet and training methods remained a higher priority). Sure, it was tempting to accept steroid rumours and hype without question; it was tempting not to think about the risks and complications. The prospect of making big gains fast, going to bed a Stallone and walking up an Arnold or a Dorian, was tantalizing. And yet sense prevailed. After all, Pete and Steve knew too well that every aspect of the bodybuilding game – not just drug use – is rife with misinformation, needless complication, and ignorance. They distrusted hyped up supplements, and all new ‘periodized training protocols’, and in the same way
they weren’t going to believe that injecting synthetic hormones could ever be a substitute for years of hard work in a squat rack.
In the end Steve chose to use steroids, and Pete did not. Their training partnership and friendship was as strong as ever, but their priorities diverged a little. Pete felt good, looked good, and he knew he could maintain his condition and continue adding little bits of weight to the bar without gear. He wanted to keep things simple, and he’d earned the right to feel satisfied with what he had – what he’d worked so hard for. To keep things interesting he could continue to set himself meaningful targets, such as to squat twice his body weight for reps or achieve a 20-rep chin. Entering a strong man competition was something Pete planned to try at some stage, and he was also up for giving an all-natural bodybuilding contest a go. But he was fine with Steve’s choice, and that of any responsible adult who knew how to use steroids in a way that maximizes effectiveness and minimises risk. As for Steve, he wanted to keep pushing at the barriers of what was possible; he wanted to see how far he could go.
By this time Dan had been popping dianabol tabs and injecting “deca” for some time. Sure, he had gained weight, but he wasn’t feeling good. His face was swollen, and his nipples were itchy, and very tender. Unfortunately he didn’t know Steve, who could have told him about estrogens and progestins – products of the dianabol and the deca. Estrogens, important hormones for women, and progestins (which stimulate the production of progesterone, another hormone in women) were causing him to retain water, encouraging fat gain, and having a feminising effect on the mammary glands in his chest. A low dose of a simple drug to block estrogens (tamoxifen) or a drug to prevent the conversion of dianabol to estrogens (e.g. arimidex) would have solved the problem – possibly alongside a drug to control prolactin (e.g. bromocriptine).
Steve was in the process of decorating his house, so it was a mess, but he kept his desk tidy where he read from a pile of books about anabolic steroids. A friend of his worked at a University library, so he’d even managed to get hold of some medical texts. He needed to know how natural hormones work before he could appreciate the action of steroids – synthetic hormones. He learned how the body registers how much testosterone it has it its system, and how it stops making testosterone when steroids are used: When a man is steroid free messages are sent to the hypothalamus, telling it that normal amounts testosterone are bound to androgen receptors in the cells, and levels of estrogens are normal. When necessary the hypothalamus reacts to maintain stable testosterone levels by making GnRH, which tells the pituitary gland to get to work. The pituitary then makes “LH” (Luteinizing hormone) and “FSH” (Follicle-stimulating hormone), which instruct the testes to make testosterone and sperm. The process breaks down when steroids of any variety bind to the androgen receptors, and the body sense raised levels of estrogens. At this point the body recognises that it has too much testosterone, or more than it thinks it needs.
Fair enough, thought Steve, ‘so my body will temporarily stop making its own testosterone while I’m on gear – not a problem so long as the steroids I am administering are performing all the functions of natural testosterone during that time…’. And yet Steve soon realised that there is a potential problem, given that only one steroid performs all the functions of natural testosterone – synthetic testosterone. Good job Steve had learned that, because if he had, for example, taken Nandrolone on its own it would have stopped his natural testosterone production without performing the sex related functions of testosterone. Steve had a fit girlfriend to keep happy – damn it, he was hoping to get engaged! In any case, because of its dual androgenic and anabolic effects, and superior mass building properties, Steve knew that he’d be making testosterone the cornerstone of his steroid use. That way he would get better results in the gym, and in bedroom. Sure, he might use a drug like nandrolone when he became more advanced, but always alongside testosterone.
Another key question on Steve’s mind related to how much time he should stay on steroids before taking a break, and how long breaks should last. Sure, he had known guys who used gear most of the year, but nearly all of these clearly didn’t know what they were doing, and they didn’t even look good. They were wrecking their health, fertility, and virility. He knew only one properly clued up guy who stayed on most of the year – a very gifted and very experienced 300lb man, who was hoping to win the British Championships. But Steve’s situation was very different, and since there was no immediate prospect of his gaining lucrative sponsorship from supplement companies, or becoming a pro, then staying on gear for extended periods was never going to be worth his while.
Ultimately since he wasn’t going to take risks without good reason, Steve knew that he needed to use steroids in “cycles” – a “cycle” being a limited time period in which goals are achieved (e.g. realistic strength or mass gains, or fat loss). Post cycle he would have to stay off all steroids for extended periods while his cholesterol profile, blood pressure, and natural hormone production returned to normal (with the help of good dietary habits, and cardio-vascular exercise). He would have to kick of this off period with ‘post-cycle therapy’ – that is, he would administer drugs and supplements (nolvadex/timoxifen, and tribulus) which would stimulate his natural hormone production.
Steve moved on to learn more about how different steroids worked, and about their different side effects. Dan was experiencing gynaecomastia, water retention, and liver toxicity, without even knowing it or taking steps to minimise the risk – Steve wasn’t going to do the same. After all, he knew (as noted above) that it was important to have a drug like nolvadex or arimidex to hand when using any steroid that can convert to estrogens (notably Testosterone, as well as orals like Dianabol). Also, although he had been attracted to oral steroids at first – perhaps everyone new to steroids is, because the prospect of injecting can seem daunting – it wasn’t long before he understood that the way orals are altered to enables them to pass through the liver (they are 17 alpha-alkylated), often causes them to raise liver enzymes to an unhealthy level. So Steve, unlike Dan, was not going to be using Dianabol for longer than four weeks (six weeks max). Nevertheless, a little more research revealed that anavar and primobolan – comparatively mild orals – are exceptions, best used for longer periods either to support fat loss or to achieve small but lean muscle gains.
There was so much information to take in! For example, Steve began to see that if drugs are taken in combinations they can enhance the effect of each other – certain drug combinations are synergistic. Looking at Testosterone more closely, Steve learned that it is more effective when used alongside drugs that bind to Sex-Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) – the DHT derived drugs drostanolone (e.g. Masteron) and masterolone (Proviron). If another drug is binding to SHBG then testosterone has less opportunity to do so, which means that more testosterone remains unbound or “free”; and only “free” testosterone is able to enter a cell and activate it’s receptor. Unfortunately as good as this sounds there are always side effects to consider, with all injectables as well as with orals. For example, DHT isn’t good (DHT from DHT-derived steroids, and DHT that is a product of Testosterone – Testosterone converts to DHT). Problems for the prostate (benign prostate hyperplasia) and the scalp (hair loss) are associated with DHT. But there are ways to limit the risks: 1mg Finasteride per day, for example, can be a useful preventative measure, because it inhibits the conversion of Testosterone to DHT.
Steve kept pushing forward, dredging up information on side effects he didn’t really want to see, because he knew that he had to go in with his eyes open, fully prepared. Raised blood pressure was clearly another concern with many steroids, but he learned that he might be able to keep that in check by keeping his dosages down, by drinking lots of water, and by taking one harmless aspirin each day. Then there were issues with cholesterol, since steroids tend to lower ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol, and raise ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol. Ideally the good stuff (HDL) mops up the bad stuff (LDL), preventing it from being deposited in arteries where it can eventually cause obstruction. So a less favorable HDL-to-LDL ratio isn’t good. Fortunately Steve knew that eating lots of good fat would help counteract that problem, and raise his HDL cholesterol, as would adding cocoa to homemade blender drinks. His dedication to cardio-vascular training – usually jogging with Pete, or walking with his fiancée – would help a lot too.
Mid-way into his fifth year of training Steve was ready to hit his first cycle, with Pete there to support him all the way. As a final bit of preparation he had attended a number of bodybuilding shows, and made opportunities to talk to successful bodybuilders – and steroid users – he respected. Once Steve got to know these guys they were happy to advise him, and (no messing) they told him to steer clear of excesses and harmful practices. A tried and tested ‘stacked’ cycle (a cycle containing more than one drug) was a real option for Steve, even though it was his first outing. After all, his body was advanced, and he really knew his stuff – he knew exactly what to expect if he took two drugs (e.g. Testosterone with Equipoise or Nandrolone), and exactly how to react if any problems arose. But in the end he saved the stacked cycle for eight months or so down the line, and started with something really simple – one steroid, Testosterone Enanthate, at 500mgs per week for 10 weeks. Why? Well, he was in no rush, and it was good science. This way he would be able to trace any effects back to one drug. Start with two drugs and how would know which one is effecting him, and how? Then next time around, if he felt different, he would know that the second drug was the culprit.
Pete remained steady, consistently lifting impressive weights after a hard day’s work teaching at a local school. Steve was just beginning to leave him behind, however, adding 5lbs to his squat each week with the help of the Testosterone he was injecting, and some extra food. What about Dan? Well, shit he was fed up. Six months after his much anticipated attempt to use steroids he had nothing to show for it but swollen nipples, shrunken testicles, and a serious loss of sex drive. Damn it, one of his primary reasons for using gear had been to attract women. Now when he saw a great looking girl he didn’t even want it – at least not really; not like he used to. Anyway, he was more insecure than ever now: what girl was going to want to see his swollen nipples and shrunken testicles?? At least he was beginning to figure our some of what he’d done wrong, although it had been months before he’d begun to think straight enough to analyze the situation. His first reaction, after coming off the Dianabol and “Deca” and seeing that it had been a disaster, had been to focus on feeling sorry for himself rather than to focus on the problem. He had even left his job, on the grounds that he was ‘sick’.
Soon after Dan began doing some reading he did, finally, recognize the extent to which he’d gone wrong, in every aspect of his training and steroid use. He came across reference to post-cycle therapy on the internet, and saw that 1000ius hcg per week for a short period would have got his nuts back into shape; nolvadex at twenty-to-thirty milligrams per day would have directly influenced his hypothalamus, which in turn would have stimulated his pituitary gland and finally his testes; tribulus – the natural supplement from plants – could have stimulated the andgrogen receptors in his brain; finally, an effort to obtain essential fatty acids (especially in fatty fish, or fish oil tablets) would have supported his natural hormone production when he most needed it. And Dan began the appreciate the mistakes he’d made with his training after he switched health clubs – he needed a new start! One day loud guy with huge legs, and lots to say against steroids, introduced himself to Dan; the guy encouraged Dan to check out a website and buy perhaps the best book on progressive bodybuilding ever written – Dan visited http://www.hardgainer.com/.
So as we draw to the end of our story, we leave Dan on the right track at last. Pete is drug free, although few who have seen him can believe it; he flexes his muscles on demand for his students, and his stature certainly affords him respect and credibility wherever he goes. Steve has finally decided to do just one steroid cycle per year most years – this way he has at least nine months of the year to get clear of side effects and give his natural hormone production every chance to rev back up to full tilt between cycles. After all, it seems to Steve that looking after his natural hormones will be the best way to stay consistent – energetic, virile, and strong, whether on or off cycle. Who knows, one day he might cautiously try human growth hormone, or IGF-1, should he want to step things up yet another level. But that’s unlikely – Steve is happy with himself provided he is lean, strong, and healthy, and for him bigger is not always better.
I hope all this shows how ‘real world bodybuilding’ – when there are barriers or even personal tragedies to overcome – should (and should not) be done. Please go away and think about it, and learn from it, and go on to do more (and more) research. Do it right, stay safe, and keep gaining for many healthy years to come. You can be like Pete, and build a great physique by simply sticking to the fundamentals of progressive training and good dieting. That way you get none of the risk or hassle that may accompany steroid use. Otherwise you can do a Steve, and minimize any possible risk by not using steroids until you are truly ready – physically and mentally. But best not do a Dan – after all, I wrote this story so that you don’t have to learn the hard way.
SAMSON.
