Oh, I'm certainly not considering a cycle at all. No no. Not for 5 ... 10 years, if ever. But naturally I AM interested, considering the sport/hobby I'm in. I was asking because I've got the impression from several of the threads I've read that it becomes a bit of a vicious cycle - once you start, you can't stop, because you lose the gains, or need to maintain the gains, or can't increase the gains without bigger doses.
I'm also wondering if the risks are worth the benefits. I mean, if one is a national level competitor, well, I guess you simply don't have any choice, otherwise you'll never get to BE a Nat level competitor, and then you're taking a calculated risk. Or if being lean and hard 24/7/365 is part of your job - like as a fitness model or whatever. But at what point do the risks outweigh the benefits? If you look absolutely killer at the beach but have to shave your face every morning before HITTING the beach, is it worth it?
Sometimes on days when I feel REALLY strong at the gym, when I feel like I can move ANY amount of weight for hours, then I wonder what it must feel like on gear. But the thought of being trapped into cycling forever really scares me.
I read something recently on another board about genetic potential - the guy wrote something like this - how do you know when you've reached your genetic potential? when gains stop for 1 month? 2 months? a year? how can you be sure you've explored EVERY SINGLE option for restarting gains before using gear?
He thought it was an arrogant thing to say - that one had reached one's genetic potential. I mean, if you think about it ... it's quite a thing to SAY. btw - he was saying this as an argument FOR using gear earlier, rather than later (not straight away, but a few years into training). But he made some good points.
Anyway, I don't want to step on any toes here. I'm just very interested.