Aside from it being more out in the open, the other main thing that is making me consider it is finding out about the scientific study that showed someone taking steroids doing absolutely no training puts on more muscle mass than someone natural doing very heavy training. It kind of just made me feel like training natural was pointless if the steroids gave such a massive advantage. Kind of like playing an FPS and everyone is using auto assist. It may not be right, but if everyone is doing it and it’s become the new accepted normal then you pretty much have to follow suit otherwise you’re just going to get left behind.
I am sorry, but I don’t believe that to be true at all. In my environment, I have not encountered anyone who took steroids. Of course, it might have been hidden, but that would really surprise me. Perhaps you are speaking in the weightlifting/sports community?
I am in fifth decade of my life, and fortunately healthy and fit without any supplements, and I would be careful to take any in regard to the biochemical balance of my body.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/21/up-to-a-mill...
Thank you very much for bringing some numbers into this thread.
3% of the male population does not sound as much, but it is actually quite high, especially if it is true that 60+% of the 20-24y cohort is taking them [1]. That is 1.7+M young men. I am quite shocked. I suspect it is a generational phenomenon.
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/281208/population-of-the...
You'll have to inject yourself once a week, for the rest of your life. It sucks but the benefits are worth it (IMO). I look at it sort of like a multivitamin.
One word of caution about SARMs like LGD-4033 -- despite not being hormonal, they can still cause a degree of suppression. I'd get bloodwork done before & after to be sure, like you mention.
As an aside:
Yeah, steroids are much more common than folks think, and nearly everyone lies about using them (why would you admit to use, what do you have to gain?).I'm hoping that eventually we de-stigmatize them so that this sort of thing stops happening. I too had these unrealistic goals based on a lie that I thought I could achieve naturally. It turns out my idol was juiced to the gills.