Discussion on Anabolic Steroids.

[monsoon]

Look into a career that has both a pension and a lot of time off, like a teacher or a firefighter. That way you can still be a competitor and have a roof over your head that does not say Honda or Ford.
I bet that if you polled the entire membership you might find that there were many aspiring pros 30 years ago.

 

[Pig Vomit]

I'd wait until 25 at least.

Also, you need to consider that using steroids will close off certain career opportunities. As a police officer, I was always worried about getting into an incident and having something turn up on a blood test, which is standard after shootings. When I did get into a shooting, I was paranoid as crap because I had used 6 months prior and was afraid something might show up. If I did pop, then that would be used against me in a civil lawsuit and increase the odds of prosecution if it was a bad shooting, not to mention likely ending my career.

Drug tests are far more sensitive these days and far more common as part of the pre-employment process. Someone who is willing to self-inject steroids is more likely to use other drugs as well, and that is a valid concern for employers. The odds of making a living as a professional bodybuilder are extremely low, and I'd also recommend you become established in a non-bodybuilding career before you start juicing.

There are so many bodybuilders with great bodies but not professional-grade bodies (genetics are key), and they live a very austere life due to lack of money as they chase the dream. You absolutely chase the dream, but that should be secondary to a long-term career where you will have enough for retirement as Social Security will not be there when you are old.

I am forever grateful for my very generous pension and it was kinda dumb for me to risk my career and pension for size, even though I kept things reasonable. People still suspected, and one officer tried to get a nickname of "Juice" to stick until I put a stop to it.

 

[ChargerWolf]

Alright, I hear what you all have been saying to me. I don’t have more to say. But I do thank you for the advice, despite it hurting.
I just have to try. And do want to keep trying. That’s all a can do. I’m only 2 years into this. I don’t have much experience, especially compared to everyone else here. But I will come up with a better back up plan.

I’ll post again if I need more advice or for progress pictures.

 

[Pig Vomit]

One thing I wanted to add since some of us are giving life and career guidance as well.

I have a college degree (from the 80s). In this day and age, I would not go to college. The money is in trades. Personally I would shoot for a career in HVAC or plumbing, or something else where AI won't make your job obsolete. AI also won't be able to replace police officers or firefighters.

Also....have you noticed the amount of pro bodybuilders/wrestlers dropping dead at a comparatively young age recently? Being a steroid-enhanced pro bodybuilder is bad for your long-term health, so that's another thing to consider. When I was young I thought I would live forever and was bulletproof. Get into your older years and you realize that living in significant pain (that's me, but mostly from my policing and not gym injuries) and having organ problems (that's only *slightly* me due to some slightly off kidney values and a prostate cancer scare) gives you pause. Both these things can/will be the result of a career in bodybuilding. I was never one of the mass monster guys on this board who competed, I was just an informed guy who dabbled and had some size, but I've been around *forever*.

Not trying to crush your dream, just trying to help you make informed decisions. I also couldn't be told shit by anyone when I was your age. It's only when you get to my age you realize and appreciate the wisdom and knowledge older people have.

 

[tommyguns2]

One thing I wanted to add since some of us are giving life and career guidance as well.

I have a college degree (from the 80s). In this day and age, I would not go to college. The money is in trades. Personally I would shoot for a career in HVAC or plumbing, or something else where AI won't make your job obsolete. AI also won't be able to replace police officers or firefighters.

Also....have you noticed the amount of pro bodybuilders/wrestlers dropping dead at a comparatively young age recently? Being a steroid-enhanced pro bodybuilder is bad for your long-term health, so that's another thing to consider. When I was young I thought I would live forever and was bulletproof. Get into your older years and you realize that living in significant pain (that's me, but mostly from my policing and not gym injuries) and having organ problems (that's only *slightly* me due to some slightly off kidney values and a prostate cancer scare) gives you pause. Both these things can/will be the result of a career in bodybuilding. I was never one of the mass monster guys on this board who competed, I was just an informed guy who dabbled and had some size, but I've been around *forever*.

Not trying to crush your dream, just trying to help you make informed decisions. I also couldn't be told shit by anyone when I was your age. It's only when you get to my age you realize and appreciate the wisdom and knowledge older people have.

I second your point on the trades. Great opportunities in the trades, and very satisfying work. At the end of the day, you've got something you're built or fixed that you can touch. Not just pushing paper from one pile to another.

I'll be interested to see how this next generation of pros does health-wise. Unlike pros from 10 years ago, many of the new pros are regularly getting their bloodwork done, and are taking plenty of precautions. I also think that PEDs are being employed more strategically, and dosages are being increased only as much as needed. Only time will tell.

 

[CJ Smalls]

My reason for waiting to hop on the drugs is that you will get more out of them if you learn, REALLY LEARN, proper nutrition and how to train properly beforehand.

You're worried about the guys who start early getting a headstart on you. Yeah, maybe, but along with that headstart comes a motor that's not firing on all cylinders.

When one is truly dialing in their training and nutrition, then starts using anabolics, it will be like driving a race car vs mom's Ford. That person will catch up and blow by the person who started early, as that person is relying on more and more drugs to make progress, because they never learned what's actually the most important... training and nutrition.

The people I've seen using massive amounts of gear for years and years, but still look like absolute dogshit, is amazing. That number far exceeds the people that do it right, and look the part.

 

[Yano]

Starting too young with no idea what you are doing can lead to things like sepsis , abscess's , hypertensive crisis , strokes and a life time of CNS issues and seizures.

You never forget the look on the nurses face when she realizes your nose won't stop bleeding because your blood pressure is 270/190

No that's not a typo it's called a Hypertensive Crisis and they immediately hook you up to all kinds of little screens and beepy shit and you don't get to go home that night.

Just like you never forget the smell of your own decay and rot when they open up an abscess and drain a pint or two of strawberry milk from your leg.

Don't be like some of us. Be smarter , learn more , do better.

 

[Bricks]

I wrote what I wrote because at 17/18 I was you. I picked up a copy of muscle and fitness and what started out as a way to help put some weight on my scrawny ass (5'10" 115 lbs) turned into "I want to be a bodybuilding pro".

I banked my future on school. Today I make more money and have made more money than a pro boduilder, easily. I also train at an elite level. I have put on 160 lbs since I first picked up a weight. I have done, like many on this board, something that less than .001% of men have done. I have the time and the money to train this way, eat this way, at my pleasure, and not because I have to, to feed and house myself.

Pursue your dream, by all means, but take care of reality. The truth of it is, is that being a "pro" bodybuilder means something to a very very select few.

 

[Wallyd]

One thing I wanted to add since some of us are giving life and career guidance as well.

I have a college degree (from the 80s). In this day and age, I would not go to college. The money is in trades. Personally I would shoot for a career in HVAC or plumbing, or something else where AI won't make your job obsolete. AI also won't be able to replace police officers or firefighters.

Also....have you noticed the amount of pro bodybuilders/wrestlers dropping dead at a comparatively young age recently? Being a steroid-enhanced pro bodybuilder is bad for your long-term health, so that's another thing to consider. When I was young I thought I would live forever and was bulletproof. Get into your older years and you realize that living in significant pain (that's me, but mostly from my policing and not gym injuries) and having organ problems (that's only *slightly* me due to some slightly off kidney values and a prostate cancer scare) gives you pause. Both these things can/will be the result of a career in bodybuilding. I was never one of the mass monster guys on this board who competed, I was just an informed guy who dabbled and had some size, but I've been around *forever*.

Not trying to crush your dream, just trying to help you make informed decisions. I also couldn't be told shit by anyone when I was your age. It's only when you get to my age you realize and appreciate the wisdom and knowledge older people have.

Trust me the trades are good, you make money BUT right now the housing market is in the toilet where I’m at. There’s a lot going on with it but overall it’s really bad. This happens about every 10-15 ish years.
This time around commercial work is struggling too. I’ve seen more guys going from shop to shop trying to find work. This is the worst I’ve seen it. People are speculating 2026 is going to be worse. By “people” I mean people in the banking business. I’ve also heard in FL it’s starting to flip to where it’s a buyers market again versus a sellers market.
I tell all these young guys coming in they better save money & be ready for bad days.

 

[Pig Vomit]

At the risk of sounding like the old fart I am....all you younger guys on this board have no idea how fortunate you are to have such a wealth of knowledgeable lifters/bodybuilders with so much experience at your disposal. A lot of us learned through trial and error. My introduction was Usenet (look it up) "misc.fitness.weights" on a dial-up modem, which, I believe, the max speed was 54 bytes per second but usually much slower. And that was at the employer I worked for at the time and I used to stay late "catching up on work" but in reality I was learning about juice online at the single "internet terminal" in a large office. That was in the early 90's on a corporate AOL subscription which took anywhere from 2-5 minutes just to load a single page of text only, and Usetnet was even slower than that and would frequently time out. Back then you could find a supposed hookup on Usenet, but more often than not you'd get ripped off. I used to drive to Mexico because it was the only reliable thing to do and I was close, and the Border Patrol wasn't what it is today. Blood work recommendations from other Usenet folks? No such thing. Admitting using to a doctor knowledgeable about it to get some answers? No such doctors unless you were a high level competitor, and even then not such great advice. Horror stories? None because the internet really wasn't a thing. All you really knew was that if you used certain things, you'd get bigger, and it wasn't necessarily quality muscle either, adverse health effects be damned.

So....this board....far more experience and knowledge than any other board out there, and it's all at your disposal as long as you are nice, ask good questions (after doing a search first to make sure it hasn't been thoroughly discussed before) and show an ability to learn and take advice. I sure wish I had such a resource when I first started dabbling, and that was in my 30's after lifting for more than 10 years.

This extensive knowledge....use it.....follow it. It's high-quality information here. Learn from our mistakes.

Old fart out.

 

[Yano]

At the risk of sounding like the old fart I am....all you younger guys on this board have no idea how fortunate you are to have such a wealth of knowledgeable lifters/bodybuilders with so much experience at your disposal. A lot of us learned through trial and error. My introduction was Usenet (look it up) "misc.fitness.weights" on a dial-up modem, which, I believe, the max speed was 54 bytes per second but usually much slower. And that was at the employer I worked for at the time and I used to stay late "catching up on work" but in reality I was learning about juice online at the single "internet terminal" in a large office. That was in the early 90's on a corporate AOL subscription which took anywhere from 2-5 minutes just to load a single page of text only, and Usetnet was even slower than that and would frequently time out. Back then you could find a supposed hookup on Usenet, but more often than not you'd get ripped off. I used to drive to Mexico because it was the only reliable thing to do and I was close, and the Border Patrol wasn't what it is today. Blood work recommendations from other Usenet folks? No such thing. Admitting using to a doctor knowledgeable about it to get some answers? No such doctors unless you were a high level competitor, and even then not such great advice. Horror stories? None because the internet really wasn't a thing. All you really knew was that if you used certain things, you'd get bigger, and it wasn't necessarily quality muscle either, adverse health effects be damned.

So....this board....far more experience and knowledge than any other board out there, and it's all at your disposal as long as you are nice, ask good questions (after doing a search first to make sure it hasn't been thoroughly discussed before) and show an ability to learn and take advice. I sure wish I had such a resource when I first started dabbling, and that was in my 30's after lifting for more than 10 years.

This extensive knowledge....use it.....follow it. It's high-quality information here. Learn from our mistakes.

Old fart out.

I started this cycle in 1987 .... I might come off next week

 

[Mister Slickster]

Looking back if I was to rerun my career I would have only done a few things differently. As for starting at 21. I personally say it is to young if you haven’t reached natural potential and to be honest unless you want to be on trt forever I say don’t.

I agree with this. I didn’t run cycles until I was 40. I needed TRT when I was 38. Train natural for as long as you can. If you start cycling now it has a serious effect on your later in life choices.