Being all natural is getting tougher and tougher.

[guldukat]

Who's gonna test him? Joe Weider? Weider makes money off of Coleman.

Yep. That's the same Joe Weider that, at the first and only steroid-tested Mr. Olympia, said real loud, "These guys look like WORMS!"

When Ronnie was first sponsored by Met-Rx in the early 90's, they supposedly tested him here and there. 'Course, the testing's pretty much meaningless anyway, so someone came out clean it doesn't prove a lot

 

[wutangnomo]

To the original poster, I am in the same boat as you now. I know exactly how you feel as I, too, am natural but things as of late have stalled...bigtime.

It is extremely frustrating when I am busting my ass off and making nada gains. I feel it is pointless for all the hard work I'm putting in and getting nothing out of it in return.

I have been training for about 9 years now since the first day I picked up a weight. I have transformed my body these past 9 years and it is evident when I get people in the gym asking me if I juice. Quite flattering indeed and a sign that I have done things right as a natty. Now, however, I am tired often and my body is not capable of keeping up with the rigourous demands I burden it with. This is why I feel I need to hit the dark side. I feel a little sauce will help get the ball rolling again and make things worthwhile once more.

 

[Tony104104]

punch

I think if you are healthy to begin with, you shouldn't have any problem in using gear(in moderate doses)...After all isn't gear used for medical reasons? It's when people don't do research and abuse gear! That's when the problems start....I see alot of people in my gym that hardly have any muscle on their frame and take a ton of gear just to gain 15lbs of water and lose it all when they are done....Why? Probably because they are lazy looking for the "MAGIC PILL" and just want to brag to their friends about how big they got....
I've personally used real small cycles it in the past to break plateaus and it worked fine for me....But in reality i just don't think it's for me...
So IMO if you feel you made it to your"genetic limit" and feel you want to take it a step further...Whether it's to compete or personal goals...I'd say go for it...Just do your research and do it right from the beginning....

Just my 2cents

Good luck in whatever you decide bro...

BTW I'm also in my early 30's....31 to be exact

 

[collegiateLifter]

You might have stated this along with your pretty strong statements regarding the presumed ill effects of using AS.

The way I read your posts was the same way the media reports silimilar information. Technically true statements, but presented in such a way as to lead the reader to a their desired conclusion. Rather than an unbiased conclusion.

It's arlight, though I'm not sure how you read my posts that way. I was playing devil's advocate a bit, but I did go out of my way to post my own suspicions that there is little risk with conservative cycling.

In this case I believe my desired conclusion is the most unbiased and logical one.

 

[Assertive Guy]

...

How much strength and size can u keep while off the sauce? I mean, is it possible to keep most of it over a few months period before you do it again?

 

[b fold the truth]

Re: Hmn

How true is this?? I mean, I know some pple on steriods for other health problems, and their toe nails dry up and fall off n shit. This cant be right. How can a doctor do a worse cycling of steriods than a bb?? Unlikely?

It is true.

There is a difference between working with SICK people, the type of steroids that they take, and healthy people.

You don't have to believe me about people being on all year round...but most competitive athletes that I know ARE.

B True

 

[guldukat]

Re: Re: Hmn

It is true.

There is a difference between working with SICK people, the type of steroids that they take, and healthy people.

You don't have to believe me about people being on all year round...but most competitive athletes that I know ARE.

B True

At the Mr. Olympia level, it's very much necessary.

Even the most gifted guys who've taken significant time off between cycles, like Flex at the '01 Olympia (?), drop 4-6 placings as a result. FWIW, there are also those who say Flex's 7th that year was a major gift.

I'm not sure what I think of that, because he looked great. Then again, he was flat-out overwhelmed by lower-placing but bigger, harder guys--guys he'd legitimately whip had he stuck to his anabolic guns.

 

[coolcolj]

I like to think of the human body like say an ecosystem , there is only so much rain that sustains wildlife and plants etc. Add steroids etc icnreases the rainfall and soil fertility. SO the ecosystem changes, when you go off, the ecosystem goes back to baseline.

Now if your growth/strength etc is above what your baseline can sustain when on, then when you go off, the environment that was there is no longer there, so you can realisticly expect things to go back to baseline slowly or fast.
If your baseline enviornment can sustain your "on" gains, then you should keep most of it.

I have no experience with drugs at all, just using lkogical deduction

 

[JOKER47]

It's arlight, though I'm not sure how you read my posts that way. I was playing devil's advocate a bit, but I did go out of my way to post my own suspicions that there is little risk with conservative cycling.

In this case I believe my desired conclusion is the most unbiased and logical one.

That's fair enough, bro.

Probably just the way I interpreted the post. People can interpret things differently.

I just hate the way the media plays to the public, ya know?
Like take Lyle Alzado. The media will report:

"He died of brain cancer, and he took steroids."

Both statements are true, but are not related to each other. However, the way it is presented, most people will interpet that as he died from brain cancer as a result of taking steroids. I hate that shit......

 

[guldukat]

I just hate the way the media plays to the public, ya know?
Like take Lyle Alzado. The media will report:

"He died of brain cancer, and he took steroids."

Both statements are true, but are not related to each other. However, the way it is presented, most people will interpet that as he died from brain cancer as a result of taking steroids. I hate that shit......

Very good thought, Joker.

FWIW, in logic circles that's called the "False Cause" fallacy. They pop up all the time in mass media...the recent outcry against ephedra is a decent example.

Lisa and Homer actually discussed this stuff once on "The Simpsons"...Homer made some poor causal connection, and Lisa illustrated his fuzzy thinking with an analogy. I don't remember the specific wording but it was like this:

"You don't see any tigers around, do you dad? According to your logic, that means what you're holding in your hand must keep the tigers away."

Homer of course misses the point, concluding whatever's in his hands IS a tiger repellant. Lisa groans and walks away