What You Must Know Before Taking Anabolic Steroids For Bodybuilding

Whether you have been offered anabolic steroids by a friend or coach, or you’ve been intrigued by the results of bodybuilders at your gym, it’s important to get educated about what steroids are and how they affect your body.

What Are Anabolic Steroids Exactly?

Anabolic steroids are a synthetically produced variant of the male hormone, testosterone. Steroids do serve a legitimate medical use and can be prescribed by doctors for treating anemia or low testosterone, however, here in the United States and several other countries, doctors will never prescribe anabolic steroids to healthy people in order to help them grow muscles. Without a prescription, anabolic steroids are illegal in the United States and certain other European countries while still unregulated in certain parts of the world. 

How Are Anabolic Steroids Used?

Anabolic steroids can be found in either a pill form or by hypodermic needle inserted directly into muscles. When a person takes the steroid to get larger muscles they take the steroid at a much higher rate than a doctor might prescribe (10-100 times higher). Using more than one type of steroids at once is called stacking and is supposed to help bodybuilders bulk up faster. Usually anabolic steroids are used in cycles, gradually upping their dose over the period of 6-12 weeks and then decreasing the amount of steroids towards the end of the cycle. 

Short Term Gains Long Term Side Effects of Anabolic Steroids

The “juice” is powerful and will get you unreal gains. But at what cost? Not only money wise but more importantly physically and when you’re done yes, you will shrink back down to a great degree. Most men and women will shrink close to what they looked like before they started and will lose the strength right along with it even with a decent diet. The truth is, you must have an exceptional diet at all times to even think about keeping gains seen after and during use of the “juice”. At the end of the day you will be thinking about all that trouble you went through during those past years bulking up unnaturally, and for what?
There are potential long-term side effects as well including masculinizing effects in women like a deeper voice, facial hair and baldness (and are not reversible). Another possible side effect is an increased risk of heart damage and stroke. When doping on anabolic steroids the list of side effects is long and includes fluid retention, difficulty breathing, low sperm count, changes in libido and increased risk for liver problems. For a full list of side effects read here.

As a former steroid user I now have damage to my back from the heavy weights I lifted while my body was pumped up on steroids. I also have neck and Lat pain that is sometimes unbearable. I personally have experienced several of the side effects like shrinking testicles, anger for no reason and uncontrollable sex drive, so don’t think that it will not affect you because it will and you will be lying to yourself. You see it’s not just you that’s lifting that weight — the chemicals you injected into your body make it possible — and when you’re all “juiced” up or “jacked” as the term used by almost every user/bodybuilder says, it also implies just that! You’re juiced up and jacked up pushing all that weight and just remember that one day it will come to an end. Maybe you get older and quit juicing, maybe you run out of money for the juice, maybe you stop because you get tired of hiding it and sticking yourself with a needle. Whatever the reason, guess who is going to pay the price! Your muscles and your tendons will have been strained and pushed to their max and your back and bones will feel brittle.  Do your research before you start being foolish and careless with your body and remember your liver is extremely vulnerable to these drugs as many parts of your body are. Read up on others that have used and stopped. You will eventually stop one day or put your body to an early rest!. I wish at some point in my life when I was introduced to steroids I would have had a guide to show me a few things, instead I ran into the juice man at the gym. Side effects are unavoidable when you use steroids. 

Illegal and Dangerous

Here in the United States The Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990  made the possession or sale of anabolic steroids without a prescription illegal. Possession alone brings a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine if it’s a first time offense. If you do come across some steroids, you’ll be taking a risk that the product isn’t even high quality as it is bought on the black market and not coming from a doctor’s prescription — and remember you’ll be injecting it into your body or swallowing it and hoping that the person who gave it to you can be trusted.

Legal Steroid Alternative

Meanwhile, there are many legal steroid alternatives on the market these days, these legal steroid alternatives could give the similar effects and benefits depending what is in the bottle so make sure you read and study the labels. Do your research and read the labels! This cannot be stressed enough! Check to see if the company is listed with the Better Business Bureau as they hold companies responsible for complaints. When someone files a complaint to the BBB they will bring both parties to the table for a solution this alone will weed out a bunch of bad and un-honest business. However most of the sites/businesses you find will not be listed with the BBB and you will need to study the labels on the bottles. Read reviews from different sites on these businesses/manufacturers be sure what you’re getting is true to what they are advertising and use good common sense. Here are a few websites/supplements to get you started. Review the list below and check them out thoroughly yourself. I will let YOU make the decision on what to put in your body!

Max Gains– Excellent reviews! But do your research and read the labels.

Hi-Tech Pharmaceutical-Decent reviews from most! Do your research and read the labels.

Crazy Bulk– Horrible reviews! Stay away from these guys. 

Crazy Mass– Pure garbage! You would be doing the same just by taking a half spoonful of Walmart protein. But hey, the site looks good and professional, so let’s buy it right? WRONG!! Read the labels guys!

Zhou Boost Elite– You review and be the judge!

Optimum Nutrition ZMA– You review and be the judge!

Lastly, hard work, focus, perseverance, determination, goals short and long term plus a superb diet with good supplements will get you gains. There truly is no magic pill. When you see horses race they put blinders on them why? So they can’t see the world around them. They stay laser focused on their path and the commands of the rider. The same is true for us that are on a mission; you must put your blinders on, stay focused and keep the world out as it’s always changing and trying to interfere. Stay focused on your thoughts; you are the commander who constantly remembers and focuses on goals, victory and success.
If you want to get stronger, faster and have more stamina, keep your blinders on, stay focused on the course you have set out to achieve and surround yourself with good positive people. Reap the benefits of your hard work without all the negative side effects that come with anabolic steroids.