AAS - What's the point?

[Infamy]

To expand on the question and my reason for posting this:

My background - I've used AAS for a good few years now - injectables and orals and mainly the "traditional" anabolics at that. I started using them after age 30 when I felt I needed more of an edge and natural progression seems to have all but halted. Thats a good 5-6 years use. Some of which was continuous and some cycled.

For balance, although i'm natural now, i've not completely stopped cycling as I would admit I have somewhat of an addiction to it (it's bad for me but I still dont stop). However, given my change of heart on this matter, my use is greatly reduced and I will be at a complete stop in the next few years.

More and more recently i've been realising that AAS may just be a waste of time and actually a bad idea. I say this because it has become clear that no matter what you use, and how many cycles or time on, if you come off them you will get smaller and fatter. That's a fact. Steroids push you into an unnatural state of being and once you stop forcing your body to be something it isn't, it reverts back towards how it wants to be.

Now I admit, when you stop taking something you dont bounce back to how you were, you may be a bit bigger or (temporarily) a bit leaner but you even that will reduce over time without steroids. The more you have used and the more outside of your usual state you have gotten into, the worse the comedown from the gear. Take a look at Flex Wheeler now. So can start the cycle of addiction as you see yourself getting smaller and fatter.

So it comes down to this, if you use gear, you have to come off at some point (TRT excepted but I class that in a different league as it isn't taken at anabolic doses). When you come off, you lose what the gear gave you - although that process may take a number of years to happen as it is slow and gradual. If you are sitting there looking smugly at yourself thinking you havent lost what gear gave you, then give it time, it will happen eventually!

To make matters worse, all steroids when taken at anabolic doses cause damage to your health. The better they are at building muscle, the worse then tend to be on your body (look at tren, deca, M1T, oral tren etc).

So all you are doing is taking something which may shorten your life expectancy (those under 30 probably dont consider this an issue but believe me as you get older you appreciate your health and your own mortality!) for what is, really just a temporary gain. Is that worth it? Some may say yes, but for me, I've been leaning towards the "no".

[Sperwer]

Are you suggesting that there is no way to use AAS responsibly in a prudent manner as a tool; that they are inherently addictive and harmful, even if not abused? Is the concept of "abuse" even pertinent in your considerations?

Is it safe to say that you don't believe Robby Robinson has been natural for the past 13-14 years since retiring from active competition (as claimed) and that his current condition is res ipsa loquitur evidence of his continued use of gear?

[Jelisej]

In both individual and teams sports- its hard to get to the top- but even harder is to stay on top, it is same with AAS- muscles you buid is very hard to maintain and if you not on top of the game- most of it will go away. And is hard to stay on top as life dictates rules.

Once person gets hooked on AAS, rarely they get off. In past people did not agree with me- but there is strong correlation between AAS users and people on TRT, and TRT is not a fan as many would beleive.

Also building muscles/losing weight will not have long term effect on ones self-esteem and confidence, it will just slightly improve it.

Saying that, AAS/PHs are very useful in many situations/conditions, and even few cycles are OK as long as some rules are followed.

Personaly I beleive in Hormonal Optimisation- using simple, basic medicines, hormones (like pregnenolone or tamoxifene or some AI) or some supplements- they have wide, practical and benefitialy properties. As long as they are used wisely.

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

In both individual and teams sports- its hard to get to the top- but even harder is to stay on top, it is same with AAS- muscles you buid is very hard to maintain and if you not on top of the game- most of it will go away. And is hard to stay on top as life dictates rules.

Also building muscles/losing weight will not have long term effect on ones self-esteem and confidence, it will just slightly improve it.
Saying that, AAS/PHs are very useful in many situations/conditions, and even few cycles are OK as long as some rules are followed.

I think most folks who get into it understand that you'll never be as big/strong/sexy natural as you are enhanced. An impressive physical appearance is just a door opener. It makes men take you more seriously, and women ask you to father their children.

I would argue that the affects on self-esteem are less impermanent than you assert. The ego-boost is just as lasting as the illegitimate children that accompanied it.

-*edit*- Also J I gotta say I love your Avi. You look like a badguy from a Jean-Claude movie.

[O_RYAN_007]

In both individual and teams sports- its hard to get to the top- but even harder is to stay on top, it is same with AAS- muscles you buid is very hard to maintain and if you not on top of the game- most of it will go away. And is hard to stay on top as life dictates rules.

Once person gets hooked on AAS, rarely they get off. In past people did not agree with me- but there is strong correlation between AAS users and people on TRT, and TRT is not a fan as many would beleive.

Also building muscles/losing weight will not have long term effect on ones self-esteem and confidence, it will just slightly improve it.

Saying that, AAS/PHs are very useful in many situations/conditions, and even few cycles are OK as long as some rules are followed.

Personaly I beleive in Hormonal Optimisation- using simple, basic medicines, hormones (like pregnenolone or tamoxifene or some AI) or some supplements- they have wide, practical and benefitialy properties. As long as they are used wisely.

I'm interested in your take on hormone optimization. Could you give us an example cycle or stack?

[olddawg]

How long do you plan on living? Realistically, maybe 70 and then your body is useless, maybe 75?? hard to say. I see smokers, fat ones intheir 70's and think their damage has to be way more than the damage i'm causing. I agree with all of what you said Infamy. My view though is quality of life in a shorter time span. Really, with some exceptions, most people's lives are productively over at 60-65. You can continue to develop your mind beyond that barring any mental disorder, or dementia or alzheimers.... So as sad as it makes me, I expect to end my life relatively early, no drawn out battle and dosette full of meds that I can't remember to take. Being huge isn't gonna happen with me as I started too late, but looking like a fuckable fireman without the moustache, yeah baby!

[Fat Bill Dwyer]

How long do you plan on living? Realistically, maybe 70 and then your body is useless, maybe 75?? hard to say. I see smokers, fat ones intheir 70's and think their damage has to be way more than the damage i'm causing. I agree with all of what you said Infamy. My view though is quality of life in a shorter time span. Really, with some exceptions, most people's lives are productively over at 60-65. You can continue to develop your mind beyond that barring any mental disorder, or dementia or alzheimers.... So as sad as it makes me, I expect to end my life relatively early, no drawn out battle and dosette full of meds that I can't remember to take. Being huge isn't gonna happen with me as I started too late, but looking like a fuckable fireman without the moustache, yeah baby!

Why no mustache?

[JM1000]

I'm pretty sure drug use and health problems are related to genetics?... Unless of course you are abusing them.

[DJM]

good to see you infamy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sperwer]

In both individual and teams sports- its hard to get to the top- but even harder is to stay on top, it is same with AAS- muscles you buid is very hard to maintain and if you not on top of the game- most of it will go away. And is hard to stay on top as life dictates rules.

Once person gets hooked on AAS, rarely they get off. In past people did not agree with me- but there is strong correlation between AAS users and people on TRT, and TRT is not a fan as many would beleive.

Also building muscles/losing weight will not have long term effect on ones self-esteem and confidence, it will just slightly improve it.

Saying that, AAS/PHs are very useful in many situations/conditions, and even few cycles are OK as long as some rules are followed.

Personaly I beleive in Hormonal Optimisation- using simple, basic medicines, hormones (like pregnenolone or tamoxifene or some AI) or some supplements- they have wide, practical and benefitialy properties. As long as they are used wisely.

I like the sound of hormonal optimization. Unfortunately, I don't believe there are many people qualified to help people with it, particularly (and ironically) even in the so-called medical community. I think my endo is an exception, but then he trained here and in functional medicine in France. Although he put me on TRT - actually continued me on a trt regiment started with another doc, but in a much more considered and deliberate manner - it's always been the plan, once I got up to acceptable levels and sustained them for awhile, to experiment with transitioning to a less blunt approach. Considering that before I started I had numerically insignificant test readings, I have my doubts, but I'm willing to give it a roll. I'd also be interested in hearing your general description of how that might work, bearing in mind that any program would have to be tailored to individual circumstances and that any such description here would have to be quite general given what I assume are the complexities of the bio-chemistry.