by:* toxic Avenger
There seems to be some confusion concerning use of ergogenics, AAS, peptides, nutriceuticals etc, and their use in goals and life style. Let's face it. Most guys on bodybuilding forum boards are not headed for the Olympia stage or even an NPC qualifier. Most of us are athletic health minded people that keep in shape and enjoy having a physical goal in front of us that leads toward self improvement. Most start out as adolescents with an athletic background that started weight training for a sport or those that filled a gap for athleticism by participating in this individual-type sport.

Along the way we run into evidence in the gym and media that AAS and other less understood aids can dramatically increase our rate of progress towards our goals. Soon afterward use ensues. We are transfomed within 3 months to a seemingly greatly improved version of our former selves sometimes gaining 25 lbs or more of what appears to be at least 1/2 lean tissue. We suddenly, and usually wrongly, assume and anticipate that repeated use of the drugs will lead to similar leaps of improvement. Therefore, the goals change with grandiose visions of a superior physique of massive proportions and of bodybuilding competitions. What a great opportunity we have provided for ourselves by using these magic potions.

As use continues often it is discovered that those miraculous leaps in gains of lean tissue mass do not come as easily. Yet we turn to our syringes and elixirs and intellectualize the discrepancy. What can we add or do differently to keep the gains train moving forward at that incredible rate. Seemingly too quickly years have past. Certainly we have learned better how to train eat and use our "aids" but Marcus Ruhl we are not. So how do we react? So many of us become self delusional thinking that more massive drug use and other compounds will move us forward faster towards that nebulous goal that must be our greatness.

Those that become and remain self delusional continue down the path that started as ergogenic supplementation but transformed to full blown drug abuse. Ten years down the time line the perpetually delusional have severely compromised endocrine systems, acquired some level of organ damage, suffered moderate to severe joint and other soft tissue damage, and still a costly drug habit. These individual often suffer mental illness that slowly developed through rationalization of poor decisions along the way of failed goals and drug abuse. Fueling that delusion are the few like themselves that have the make-up to actually succeed at some level in this increasingly narcissistic and self-abusive sport we all love. Very very few abusers actually make it in bodybuilding. So how can we avoid the trappings of drug use and the illusion of fame that this endlessly elusive physique promises?

Remain realistic. Never think you are better than you are. Never think you are worse than you are. Perform frequent introspection and analyze your progress and goals realistically. Certainly all of us should set the bar high meaning that our goals should be ever so slightly unrealistic. But the critical component in this is to avoid drug abuse. If you feel that some magic dose or combination or exotic set of compounds will suddenly propel you to greatness it's time for a serious session of introspection.

Anabolic steroids, growth hormone, growth hormone releasing peptides, growth factors ancillary drugs etc.. most of these are good in principle. Arguably, they all have their place in medicine and health treatment. The problem begins when the "more is better" mentality take over. It often seems to escape the young bodybuilder that all of these compounds were developed and formulated to be used within a therapeutic dosage range and schedule. Working outside that range leads to problems. For instance nearly all drugs affect the nervous system. At some therapeutic dose that effect is not significant. However, at 10 times the therapeutic dose that effect may be quite notable or even detrimental. Let's take the anabolic steroid deca durabolin as an example. At a therapeutic dose of 100-200 mg per month there is a marked improvement in nitrogen retention. It can reverse the symptoms of many wasting syndromes and disorders at that dose with little if any side effects. Now increase that dose to 3000 mg per month and we see gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction etc. Certainly there is a dose that can be used somewhere in between that is effective but not detrimentally laden with side effects.

So how can we adjust our goals and drug/ergogenic aid use to avoid the psychosis and physical dysfunction that afflicted our long term abusing friends? Adjust your use with your goals and life style in mind. We forget that fitness and muscular physiques do not require drug use at all. You can actually go a fairly long way with good nutrition, proper training and adequate rest. Certainly a lean musclular physique with 16.5 inch arms, 46 inch chest and a 32 inch waist, or similar, is attainable by most men. What do we really want to accomplish by enhancing our performance? Do we really need to add in 1000 mg of testosterone and 1200 mg of deca durabolin every week to push to 17.5 inch arms, a 48 inch chest and a 34 inch waist? That is 10 times the therapeutic dose of testosterone and 22 times the therapeutic dose of deca durabolin. That level of abuse WILL cause unnecessary havoc on the body. So what is the answer?

Let's take an example of a healthy man with a healthy attitude. Bob is a 35 year old professional. He works in marketing and has a nice wife that he has been married to for 8 years. He is a natural bodybuilder that has decided to use anabolic steroids to help him toward his athletic and physique goals. His wife trusts his judgment but worries as all wives do. He is 5'10" and weighs 185 lbs at 13% body fat. He enjoys basketball twice a week in an over 30 league and bodybuilds 4 times a week with 20 minutes of cardio at least twice a week after his weight training sessions. He is pretty fit. He would like to add some lean muscle mass but would still like to enjoy his basketball twice a week. Bob is a smart guy. He has read about all sorts of ergogenic aids over the past 10 years. He knows how they work, what side effects they cause and what therapeutic doses are used. Bob is close to his athletic peak that he attained five years ago. He chooses to use 200 mg/w of testosterone cypionate with 30 mg/d of Anavar. The dose of testosterone is about twice that of the replacement and the Anavar dose is similar to that used by AIDS patients. He gets blood work done before hand to evaluate his health markers and endocrine system. Along with this AAS he also purchases ancillaries for post cycle health and an anti estrogen in case he has symptoms during his use. Bob has always followed a clean diet slightly high in protein, rich in healthy fats and moderately low in carbohydrates. During his use he increases calories by about 15% and alters macros so that protein and carbohydrates increase most. He goes on his AAS and continues to train as usual. He notices more vigor within 2 weeks and slowly leans out while gaining about 7 lbs of muscle mass. By week 8 or 9 he weighs 190 lbs and has reduced his bodyfat to 10%. Bob feels great and his basketball games have been better than ever. His weights are up in the gym along with his concentration. His improvements plateau by week 10. He goes off his AAS after week 12 and does a standard post cycle therapy using Clomid and some Nolvadex. He realizes that he will loose some of his gains but also realizes that some of them will return in 5 or 6 months when his body has fully recovered from the endocrine manipiulation. By week 4 post cycle his increased vigor is gone. His weights are down some in the gym but he is coping fine and realizes that this is the price he has agreed to pay for the enhanced period. By week 12 post cycle he is feeling much better. He has had blood work done and his testosterone and LH levels are returning to normal. His testosterone levels are roughly 70% of his pre-cycle levels. By week 16 he feels pretty normal and it seems that his gains are coming back somewhat. He has blood work done again at week 22 and all his values are normal again. He feels great. His body fat has creeped up to 12% but he is stronger than he was pre-cycle and knows he can adjust his diet if he wishes to lean out. He has retained approximately 4 lbs of lean mass gains from his cycle and has returned to a completely natural state. Bob decides he will do one cycle a year at least until he is 40 at which time he will evaluate the possibility of hormone replacement.

Bob is a typical athletic man. How does he differ from those that become obsessed with anabolic steroids and other ergogenic aids? He set a goal suited to him and his life style. He realized the potency of the drugs he was to use. He understood the ramifications of overuse from his research and designed his use to be fairly close to therapeutic dose so as to avoid problems. He prepared for the worst case scenario by having ancillaries on hand and obtaining pre-cycle blood work. Importantly, he decided to limit his use and stuck to his decision based on reason and realistic goals. Is Bob an example for all? Of course not but the aspects that lead to his success are good examples for all. Choose your ergogenics wisely. Limit them to defined goals. Use them as supplements not a base for your bobybuilding goals. Realize that the pros are mostly big time drug abusers and should not be held up as idols to be emulated. They are more of a statement on excess rather than success.

Be wise and live long