False Expectations

[SemperFi]

Some people say steroids are safe and beneficial. While some say they cause permanent damage to your body and can even be deadly. The reality is that both of these groups are correct.

Many gym rats claim that steroids don’t make as big of a difference as everyone thinks. While professionals competitors results tell you otherwise. The reality is that both of these groups are correct.

I will assume you’re reading this post because you want to know how effective are steroids. The reality is that they are as effective as you allow them to be. What?

Let's get to the facts- 

A study conducted by scientists at Maastricht University found that, during a period of ten weeks or less, the average muscle gains in people doing resistance training while on anabolic steroids ranged between 4 to 11 pounds. The most impressive amount of muscle growth researchers found was nearly 16 pounds of lean mass gained in just 6 weeks of weightlifting with steroids.

Reference- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15248788

Another research study that provides insight to the power of steroids was conducted with an elite bodybuilder. He worked with scientists for a year, using steroids for all but four weeks of the duration. In that year, he gained about 15 pounds of muscle, which is about three to four times as much as someone natural with his level of training experience and conditioning could gain.

Reference- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3921472

Back to my statement that steroids are only as effective as you allow them to be- Why would a gym rat (hobby bodybuilder) not see the same results as a professional competitor using the same protocol and dosage? Its very simple and you most likely will no like the answer but that does not change the truth...

.... The gym rat, by nature, does not have the level of commitment and dedication to their hobby as a professional competitor does.

If you are considering supplementing with steroids and you do not first have a commitment level equal to that of a professional athlete you will no doubt hinder the potential results that can be gained. 

The key to maximizing the benefits steroid supplementation is you!

There are no exceptions to the rule, no short cuts, no Willy Wonka golden tickets, or no JFK magic bullets to reaching your full potential. If you believe otherwise than you are going down the rabbit hole with a whole lot of other Average Joe's. There is only hard, and I mean uncomfortably hard, work. The effort that needs to be expressed by an individual considering steroid use must be in place before even considering their use... no if, ands, or buts.

Each of us are unique but when it comes to steroid use we are not special. So drop your ego and your false expectations concerning steroids because this is not a game and steroids do not discriminate against anyone.

I am sharing this from some of my own personal experiences. When I first started gear use I thought I was special. I believed that the rules did not apply to me or I had some secret that no one else possessed. This mentality and egomaniac idea did nothing but hinder my development and in a few cases even set me back from where I began.

Once I accepted the truth about steroid use and fully grasped that the key to their success was how much effort and dedication I put into my chosen hobby that is when it all came together and I finally began seeing the full potential of what steroids could help me accomplish.

I am nearly 50 years old and my days of steroid use are winding down and coming to a close by my own choice. Why? Because I have accomplished everything I have wanted to accomplish. Not because of the steroids but because I was willing to invest in the effort that is required to look like a professional athlete. This mindset allowed me to benefit from the full potential of the compounds that I chose to utilize.

My closing advice to you is-

• Do not place false expectations on steroids


• Control what you can control


• Be grateful for the added benefit that steroid use can provide


• Only begin steroid use when you have proven to yourself that you have the correct mindset


• Don't do anything unless you are willing to do it right the first time

Thanks for taking the time to read what was on my heart and I hope everyone, from the beginner to the professional, can benefit in some way from what has been written.

Always,

SEMPER FI

 

Informational references -

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8637535

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2082216

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12067856

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16210377

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12679426

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7496846

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15248788

 

 

 

[Dolf]

Great post SF!

Imo learning how to eat, and how your body specifically responds to different macro ratios is the key. This takes many years of trial and error which is why you can watch a highly experienced lifter quickly make noticeable changes to their body versus the novice lifter. 

Genetics is also another factor. If it was just food and gear many more of us would walk around looking like Ronnie Coleman. Even with gear we are still limited by our genetics. 

Last is effort. Many see gear as an easy way out and only give half assed effort, or they only give it 110% effort while on gear and slack up after pct or while in the trt phase. Gear is an advantage that you have to take advantage of. It enables you to train longer, harder, and recover faster than the average joe. How much you retain falls back on diet, and what you do while not on full blown cycle.

 

[SemperFi]

Everything Dolf stated is encompassed in our level of effort and commitment.

I somewhat disagree that we are limited by genetics because if we know our genetic make up and train accordingly, based on those genetics, than we will have much greater success. We all cannot be the size of a bus or a strong as a locomotive. Neither can all of us be as fast as a world class sprinter or as flexible as a gymnast but we all can achieve athletic excellence if we know how our body is designed to respond.

Our personal goals may only be the desire to be healthy and fit but the level of commitment needed for maximum results is not diminished.

Thanks for sharing Dolf.

SEMPER FI

 

[strong]

Great Post...

1 thing that stood out to me was the statement about having the commitment of a professional... I hear a lot of people say "They don't have the time to prep cook or train abs or do cardio" It is not about time its about Commitment.. The fact is some people cant even understand this level of commitment. 

I like what Dolf said as well. People will commit themselves to a 12 to 16 week cycle then train half assed and go back to a shit diet. I do believe in Genetics of course. God Blessed me and I know it but that doesn't mean its easy. I have a hard time keeping fat off. That is where the level of commitment comes in. I have to always stay strict on diet and that is the hardest part for me because I can eat all day.

I really have to backpedal to "Time" Time has nothing to do with it. I worked every bit of 70/75 hrs every week till this year. Last year I pulled off a hell of a chore and had no time at all but I got it done !!!! That goes back to commitment... 

The little fat girl in the gym yesterday that was on the phone while working out half assed on all the machines with poor form that made me sick to my stomach. Now that's poor commitment... Sorry, She really pissed me off..

 

[strong]

Damn, The title woke me up too..

False expectations...... I've had to learn to lower my expectations on people. So, I figured to Have no expectations on this cycle I just started. Don't confuse that. I expect the world out of my commitment but i'm just not sure what this body can give anymore. I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself for this one but I will do my best..

Posts like this and the friendships here give me the motivation to tear it up every day..

 

 

[SemperFi]

You certainly were blessed to build muscle size Strong but I bet you would make a very poor collegiate high jumper. Each of us are blessed genetically in a unique way and discovering what would best benefit our genetic make up is important and is how each of us can achieve our full potential.

You have the heart of a lion and the dedication of a badger.

SEMPER FI

 

[Frankie-knuckels]

SF for this awesome right up always on point my friend.

 

[TKC432]

Awesome !  I see so so so many people in the gym who are just there going through the motions .... and the results show it.  Looking the same month after month  ...... and if I ever engage in conversation I usually hear the typical "I don't have time to train as much as you do .."  or "I don't have time to be obsessed about eating healthy and tracking my macro's like you do" .... and naturally this angers me because as Semper Fi put it, its not about having time its about being dedicated.  And as we all know that level of dedication often comes with an equal level of sacrifice .... but I find the "sacrifice" is really only a social construct .... a perception of what we are supposed to be doing each day as humans rather than what is really important.  For example ... I do not have TV and never watch TV ... I devote the time to meal prep and work and training and meaningful time with my family .... where the average American is watching 3-5 hours of TV each night and claims they don't have the time to be as dedicated as I am or as everyone here at MG appears to be.   So ... am I really 'sacrificing' anything by not wasting time watching mind-numbing TV?  I think not.   And, because I don't waste time at the bar after work drinking my life away is that really sacrifice?  I believe if we eliminate these non-productive social habits it allows us to have the time to train and eat properly while still having the time to maintain positive relationships with those we love .... Not a real sacrifice in my opinion .... just dedication and proper use of the time I have.   My 2 cents .... I get called obsessed very often .... but I always remember that 'Obsessed is what the Lazy call the Dedicated'   and its these people who think all they have to do to achieve what others here have achieved is get on the gear .... and they can maintain their half-assed approach to bodybuilding and make "huge gainz dude"  .... I totally agree that the gear is a tool and how you use that tool dictates what you build....

 

[siegmund]

You know the more i look at this post the more.,im remembering how 100% true it is.   Yes gentlemen.and ladies 100% true. .and.how.i know this is im the living proof ...

You all see my size.  Ect.  Imthick im dense , im got the symetricial dimensions but i had these ,yes i had what i got from inside ....muscle memory is sweet 

Over the last year i started every cycle with the best intentions and to you all , ok siegs  jacked , and im doing ok BUT  i had this i let life get in my way...and i dont eat or train propper not like i should.  And now im not even.going to say watch now.   Thats only talk.  And i talked to much.  

But my friends i dont give a fuck how much aas anyone in this world runs.  Its no good with out diet and training and rest. 

And for the record EVERYTHING I GOT I HAD NATTY. my circumstances were a little differnt ,yes i was locked up for decades , but i made the best of prision food and diet and the other big 2 was i trained 7 days a week 3x a day for 2 hours and i include running handball for 2 hours a day anyone think running handball for hours a day isnt cardio GO DO IT , no racket ,true hand ball.  

But good solid true post here gentelmen and ladies.  If you cant committe to diet and training and rest (i forgot to mention i also slept from like 8pm to 5am )  and.  My god.  Was i right.  

Like right fucking now its 340pm my cloths are soaked its 101 out with 98% humidity and guess what i couldnt.make the gym but.im heading to my weights at the house now why.i was needed home ,but this is the excuse i used for a year tomorrow FUCK TOMORROW , if i dont go bang a hour im right where i was and maybe tomorrow ill make the  time to lift in the airconditioned GYM. with eye candy BUT THERE IS NO MORE missing a workout. 

Or no more missing a meal.  ,andno more hit burgerking....no if its no healthy ill skip it.  

Thanks for the motivation semfy. 

 

[siegmund]

Good point i was a skinny kid all my life , and when i went inside i did adjust my body accordingly.  And your right i was not geneticly gifted. ,even tho it doesnt look it ...or maybe i was and didnt know it till i hit the steel.   Idk.   But i tend to agree adjust accordingly +2 

 

[siegmund]

+2 strong your 100% correct.  Committment !!!!!! Like right now. I started agion.(now now i need my 100% committment )   weather its 6am or 4pm.  Air or no air bullshit.   

See igot domesticated (   and with that i lost my #1 love (the steel ) or should i say the time i spent on it.  

Fuck if aguard or a inmate got stabbed up or killed and we were locked down for days i would do pushups all day. And start out with sets of a 100. (Think a 100 pushups is easy go do a 100)  but my commmittment was always there as it is right now.  ,im determained im head strong to make this the best fucking cycle i ever ran 

Thankyou brothers see you dont know how much little posts mean.   Got me off my lazy ass 

 

[siegmund]

+2 i used the same excuses ,and there not really excuses time is tight but and i say iI HAVE THE TIME  so ill fit it in ,  we need make it happen.  If not easy solution.dont cycle ,maintain and cruise.    Know what i mean ?????

Lol.  I been fucking lazy.   And all this shit italking.is addressed at myself.  Hey i keep it the fuck real and guess what ill fucking grind myself up in front of all ...

But posts like this ,let me kick myself in the ass 

 

[strong]

Go get em Sieg.. I remember Handball out on rec. You also get a lot of sleep. Eat, sleep, play and watch your damn back.  No place for the weak, Get your ass killed real quick...  It takes a mental commitment to make it through that place...

 

[siegmund]

 That was easy ,Ya this is hard for me but getting easier,   6 or 7 year.i just need buckel.down thats why i got weights db's machines going in my shop , 5500 sq ft.,i got the set at home and a gym membership NO EXCUSES.lol once i start getting jacked. Itll be hard to pull me away 

 

[strong]

Are you saying a 3" vertical jump wouldn't get me on the team ?  : )

 

[John69]

Great post SemperFi. I'm finding in the short time I've been here that you, Dolf, Strong, and Siegmund are all endless wells of knowledge. I completely agree. From my personal experience, the eating is what really is holding ppl back. I'll hear skinny guys talking about how they eat so much and don't understand why they can't gain weight. So I'll ask them what they eat per day. Then I laugh and tell them I eat that much for breakfast alone lol. I personally feel that ppl worry too much about eating so incredibly clean and lean on cycle and end up limiting their gains. I've heard guys talk about eating 3,000 calories on a bulk cycle, which to me is hilarious... You need to be eating 4,000-5,000+ to get the most out of a bulk cycle. So what if you get a little chunky? Having extra fat on your frame will allow for extra muscle building while on cycle and then when you come off you're going to lose your water weight anyway and then can easily cut whatever you don't want. I know guys bragging about being on gear that are already at the end of their cycle, and by week 3 of the beginning of my cycle I had already far surpassed them. Both because of the amount I eat, as well as having more knowledge about how to work your sets, reps, and amount of rest time in between sets to control your blood flow. No matter how much gear you take, if your not eating enough to keep your muscles fed, and training the proper way, you'll see very little gains from gear.

 

[SemperFi]

</p><p>I've heard guys talk about eating 3,000 calories on a bulk cycle, which to me is hilarious... You need to be eating 4,000-5,000+ to get the most out of a bulk cycle. So what if you get a little chunky? Having extra fat on your frame will allow for extra muscle building while on cycle and then when you come off you're going to lose your water weight anyway and then can easily cut whatever you don't want.

</p><p>Gaining excess body fat and water weight is not getting the most out of a bulk cycle. Do you realize that you can actually gain muscle mass while burning body fat? To build muscle only requires protein, water and energy. Where do we get the energy? Easy, your body has plenty of excess stores. <span style="color: #3b3232; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: #f0f1f3;">So as long as your body has sufficient stimulus to build muscle mass, which it has if your training program is optimized, it has both the means and the will to build muscle mass while simultaneously losing fat. Now that is working smarter not harder.</span></p><p><span style="color: #3b3232; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: #f0f1f3;">Delve into the study of nutrient partitioning and you will see it makes perfect sense when you use science to advance your understanding of the potential of the human body.</span></p><p>Your view is the traditional school of thought and does work but times are evolving and so is the sport. Many individuals are beginning to learn, especially with the growing popularity of physique, that working smarter is much more efficient than working harder. </p><p>Super clean bulking cycles at lower caloric intake is very beneficial.... watch and see... the sport is changing.</p><p>SEMPER FI</p>

 

[John69]

I can understand and appreciate that. And it certainly is healthier and less stressing on your body. I have a friend that used to eat 8,000 calories a day while on cycle. And he is the strongest most incredible looking person I've personally ever seen. But, last time I talked to him after he moved away, He said something along the same lines as what you said. That he was all about lean now. He's only like 5'5" and 240 lbs at 5% body fat. So you can imagine, he is RIDICULOUS. He repped 425 for 12 reps on bench and 505 for 1 rep max at 21 years old. He started gear way too young. But regardless, he is incredible. And he agrees with what you said. I will definitely do some studying up on that. My problem is my metabolism. If I eat less than 3,000 calories a day I lose weight. I have to eat 3500+ to gain any weight. So, for the time being, I don't really have much choice in the matter. It's either stuff my face 24/7 or be skinny...

 

[Dolf]

While I believe we are limited by our genetics doesn't mean we can or should use it as an excuse. I may never look like or be as big or as strong as say Mike O'hearn that doesn't mean I won't give it my best and my all to achieve it. No excuses ever allowed!!!

 

[Dolf]

Strong you are so bull headed that when you put your mind up to doing something only death can or will stop you. When used for the right reasons that's a great trait to have. I've watched you grow by leaps and bounds as a person here, and I can assure anyone here that your commitment should never be doubted. In the gym, as a friend, or in life as a man!

I didn't see it but the fat girl on the phone using a machine with shitty form pissed me off too! Lol